THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST 2018 1

Appeal Court Restores N’Assembly’s Power to Reorder Elections Saraki hails verdict

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday restored the powers of the National Assembly to reorder the 2019 general

elections to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgment on

April 25 this year, upheld a suit by Accord Party, to the effect that the National Assembly attempted to usurp the exclusive power of INEC by seeking to dictate the

sequence of elections.

But, in a unanimous judgment yesterday, on the appeal filed by the National Assembly, a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by

the court’s President, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa set aside the April 25 judgment by Justice Mohammed.

Justice Bulkachuwa, in the lead judgment, said the

Federal High Court was without jurisdiction to hear the suit in the first place, because the suit was premature.

Continued on page 6

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Tambuwal, Abdullahi, 18 Sokoto Lawmakers Defect from APC to PDP Kwara speaker, 22 others too Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto and Hammid Shittu in Ilorin The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday suffered another major setback, following the defection of the Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Perhaps, more dramatic was the resignation of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, and

his defection to the PDP. Tambuwal defected along with the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Salihu Maidaji, and 17 other members of the assembly.

Reacting swiftly to the gale of defections yesterday, the APC said it won’t stop the party from maintaining a winning streak.

A statement issued by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabene, said Continued on page 6

Court Halts Ortom’s Removal

Tobi Soniyi in Lagos and George Okoh in Makurdi

Respite came for Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday after the Makurdi High Court presided by Justice Theresa Igoche restrained the eight suspended members of the state House of Assembly from proceeding with the impeachment process they initiated against him.

Also yesterday, the National Working Committee (NWC) of

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the purported impeachment plot mooted by eight out of 30 members of the state assembly, describing it as evil and illegal.

But Governor Ortom had very harsh words for President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for waging a witch-hunt against him following the allegations levelled against him

Continued on page 10

Buhari Meets APC Govs, Proceeds on Leave... Page 42

ANOTHER EAGLE FLIES AWAY...

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, acknowledges cheers from supporters during his defection from the All Progressives Congress to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Government House, Sokoto… yesterday

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PAGE SIX TAMBUWAL, ABDULLAHI, 18 SOKOTO LAWMAKERS DEFECT FROM APC TO PDP the ruling party "is neither distracted nor surprised by the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki; Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed and Tambuwal of Kwara and Sokoto States; Abdullahi; and others from the party."

Addressing party supporters at the Government House in Sokoto, Tambuwal said his decision to leave the APC was because President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

The governor also predicated his decision on Buhari’s inability to tackle insecurity and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

He maintained that majority of Nigerians are currently facing hardship, frustration and penury as a result of the ineptitude of the present administration.

Tambuwal recalled that he left the PDP for APC in 2014 as a result of bad governance, adding that not much has changed in the last three years.

"We left PDP as a result of bad governance to join APC but today, not much has been achieved. Things are really getting worse.

"Therefore, with other leaders, we decided to form a new force to fine-tune and restructure the polity for a better Nigeria.

"The situation of our country, especially the economy and security, is getting worse. People are being killed in Zamfara State on a daily basis. The situation of the common man is very precarious.

“That is why we decided to join forces with other progressive Nigerians to get a new competent leadership that can deliver the goods and rescue the country from the current hardship," he said.

The governor posited that the people of Sokoto State have not benefited from any single project initiated by the federal government in the last three years.

"As you all can testify, Sokoto State has not benefited from any single federal government project in the last three years.

“So, the people of the state are fed up with the current situation, and therefore called on us to intervene and dump the APC," he averred.

In his remarks, a prominent politician in the state, Alhaji Isa Bajini, said President Buhari has

failed to tackle insecurity, while the fight against corruption has only been against perceived opponents.

He stated that the APC-led federal government has not done anything in terms of provision of infrastructural projects for the benefit of the people of the state.

According to him, "We have nothing to show for supporting APC in the last three years.

So, we have no other option than to leave the party because the people have not benefited from any single project from the federal government.

"We are therefore calling for Tambuwal to come out and fight for us."

APC's Spokesman, Abdullahi Quits Party More dramatic yesterday was the resignation of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Abdullahi, from the party.

Abdullahi, whose political family in Kwara State led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had defected to the PDP on Tuesday, tried to buy time before finally turning in his resignation letter.

In a statement made public yesterday morning, he said he found distasteful the move by the party leadership to undermine his office as the spokesman of the party.

He also frowned at what he described as "an unlawful dissolution of the validly elected party executives in Kwara State," saying it amounts to double standard for a party that preaches change.

According to Abdullahi's statement, "In the last few days, I have had to endure the flagrant usurpation of my role as the spokesman of the party in a manner that I consider unbefitting of a ruling party and inconsistent with my ethical standards.

"I have served the APC honestly and to the best of my ability, and when I stood for and won my election at the last convention it was a keen desire to continue to do so.

However, in a situation whereby my loyalty is constantly brought into question; my subordinates deployed to subvert my office; and my views constantly second-guessed on the basis

of my political affiliation, it has become imperative for me to review my position," he said.

Abdullahi said he was disappointed by the action of the leadership of the APC with regard to the dissolution of party executives in his home state by failing to get his input.

"Since assuming office as the spokesman of the party, I have tried to set a new template for public political communications in a way that departs from the vulgar abuse and verbal aggression of the recent past, where cheap lies and crude propaganda were normalised as politics, and even celebrated as measures of competence.

Unfortunately, those who felt I was not ‘forceful enough’ framed my ethical disposition as evidence of a lack of commitment to the party.

"The unlawful dissolution of the validly elected party executive in Kwara State earlier in the week was only another phase in the unrelenting assault I have had to endure. As a national officer of the party, who sits in that committee, courtesy should demand that my views be sought on a matter that concerns my state and in which I am directly involved.

That action was, to say the least, disrespectful.

"Quite recently, we all took the oath to do justice to all and not allow personal interests to interfere with our official responsibilities. With this obviously presumptuous action, and the decision to appoint as chairman of caretaker committee, the same man who had emerged as the chairman from the parallel congress in my state, the National Working Committee (NWC) has taken sides, violated its oath of office and subverted its own credibility as an impartial arbiter. Yet, these are the same people that have continued to insinuate that others are serving interests of others than those of the party.

"Politics is local, and my personal stake in the issue of Kwara State makes it incongruous for me to continue to sit as part of the working committee of the party. Clearly, I cannot continue to function as the spokesman of a party whose expectations of that role is incompatible with my personal principles. In the same vein, I can no longer justify to

myself that I should remain in a party, which has now made it clear to the world that the political group that I belong is no longer wanted, and which has hung my membership of that group as an albatross around my neck."

Sokoto Speaker, 17 Others Dump APC Also, along with the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Maidaji, and 17 other members, the Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Abubakar Magaji, and the Assembly Leader, Hon. Garba Bello Yabo, also dumped the APC. However, 12 other lawmakers remain in the APC, and reaffirmed their commitment and loyalty to President Buhari.

The Speaker of the assembly made the announcement during the plenary session at the assembly complex in Sokoto yesterday.

He said 18 members of the assembly had resolved to leave the APC, following internal division and acrimony bedeviling the party in many states of the federation.

Maidaji stated that the members, therefore, defected to the PDP as a result of lack of unity and cohesion in the ruling party.

He said: "We are all aware that all efforts to bring sanity into the APC and unite the different groups had proved abortive.

"These ugly developments plunged the APC into crisis with litigations in several states of the federation thereby putting the party in a serious danger leading to mass defection at the National Assembly.

“The election is around the corner and we stand in danger if we remain in a party that is divided against itself."

He added that their defection was in line with section 109(1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the plenary, the member representing Gudu constituency in the assembly, Alhaji Sani Yakubu, who spoke on behalf of the other 11 lawmakers, stressed that they resolved to remain in the APC and work towards Buhari's re-election in 2019.

"We the 12 members of the

assembly wish to categorically inform the public that we still remain in the APC, the party we were elected on its platform to represent people of our various constituencies.

"We wish to reiterate our loyalty to the APC-led government under President Buhari," Yakubu stated.

Kwara Assembly Speaker, 23 Others Defect to PDP Meanwhile, following the defection of Saraki to the PDP last Tuesday, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, and 23 other members of the assembly yesterday also defected to the PDP. But the only APC lawmaker representing Ojomu/Baligun state constituency, Hon. Saheed Popoola, who refused to follow the defected lawmakers to the PDP, threatened to take the assembly to court over fraud allegations levelled against him.

Speaking on the floor of the House of Assembly in Ilorin from a speech he personally signed, the Speaker said the move was permitted by the provisions of Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Ahmad, who said he heaved a sigh of relief as he and other members of the assembly dumped APC for good, added that he wished he was never a member of the party.

Accordingly, he said: "As politicians, who allow the interests and welfare of their constituents to occupy the front seats, wide consultations have been made with people at the grassroots, and in all of these, there’s indication that our people have become disillusioned with our continuous membership of the APC and have spoken loud and clear enough in one voice that they no longer wish to continue to be strange bedfellows in that party where non-performance, injustice and impunity are the orders of the day. Let it be on record that I too have joined the PDP.” The Speaker, who lamented his experiences while in APC, said: "Unarguably, the intrigues and power play that birthed the long drawn legal battle with key members of the APC over

fathom allegations coupled with the arbitrary use of government institutions such as the police and anti-corruption agencies for harassment and intimidation of perceived opponents of people in power since APC assumed power, has dealt a heavy blow to governance. This act of illegality has turned the once great Nigeria to object of ridicule among the comity of nations.

"With the current unprecedented spate of disobedience to court rulings, the present administration at the national level has redefined governance as government of the cabal and for the cabal, thereby throwing the rule of law, the bedrock of democracy, to the dogs."

However, the only APC lawmaker in the state House of Assembly, Popoola, who refused to join others in the PDP, threatened to take legal action against the assembly over allegations of fraud levelled against him.

Defections Won't Halt Our Winning Streak, Says APC Reacting to all the defections so far, the APC said they won’t stop it from maintaining a winning streak.

A statement issued by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabene, said the ruling party was neither distracted nor surprised by the defection of Saraki, Ahmed, Tambuwal, Abdullahi and others from the party.

The party said while it believed that the defectors have the right and freedom to pursue their political ambitions wherever they desired, it expects them to ensure that they take lessons learnt from APC to wherever they go.

"Our advice and hope is that those who have left would also have the courage to inspire in their respective political environments the atmosphere of unencumbered freedom created by the APC, which enabled them to leave without let or hindrance," he said.

While reacting to the string of defections that hit it in recent times, APC said it would continue the winning streak Continued on page 10

APPEAL COURT RESTORES N’ASSEMBLY’S POWER TO REORDER ELECTIONS In his response to the judgment last night, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, praised the appellate court for upholding the powers of the National Assembly to make laws for the country.

The court said the provision of a bill could not be challenged in court until it becomes an Act. The appellate court was also of the view the plaintiff at the lower court, Accord Party, lacked the locus standi to institute the suit because the disputed provision of the bill did not affect the party’s rights or obligations as a political party.

The court said the “general interest” which is available to the public did not confer on Accord Party, the rights to challenge the provision of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018.

According to the judgment, the decision of the trial court in entertaining the suit amounted to a breach of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers.

The court consequently reversed the judgment of the lower court.

The court stated that the suit of the Accord Party on the legality of the powers of the National Assembly to reorder elections was an academic exercise because the party has no legal right to do so in the

first instance.

Specifically, the Court of Appeal president said the Accord Party failed to establish how its rights and obligations were adversely affected by the bill to reorder election other than that of the general interest.

The appeal court further stated that a bill has no legal effect to expose it to being challenged on the basis of the violation of the constitution of the country, until it has been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly and assented to by the appropriate authority.

"The constitution does not envisaged that a suit would be filed to challenge a bill at the embryonic stage of legislation because it has no binding effect until it has been assented to," Justice Bulkachuwa said.

On the position of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) that the controversial election reordering provision had been deleted by the National Assembly and thus the appeal overtaken by the deletion of the provision, the Appeal Court however disagreed.

It noted that the appeal had life in itself.

Justice Bulkachuwa therefore upheld the powers of the National Assembly to legislate

on reordering election, and dismissed the suit of the Accord Party, and the arguments of AGF and the INEC. "Since the suit is not justiciable, it shows that it is frivolous and not a genuine litigation.

"This appeal is allowed. It has merit and the judgment of the Federal High Court is hereby set aside and the suit is hereby dismissed," Justice Bulkachuwa held.

Following attempt by both chambers of the National Assembly to implement Section 58 of the Constitution, which allows the legislature to override the decision of the president to assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018, Accord Party rushed to court to seek the court's determination on whether INEC is not the only institution constitutionally vested with the powers to organise, undertake and supervise elections, including fixing the sequence of elections to various elective offices in the country.

Joined as defendants are, the National Assembly, the AGF and INEC. In his judgment, trial judge, Justice Mohammed, held that the election timetable earlier released by the INEC could not be altered by the legislature.

The trial court accordingly

ordered the legislators to refrain from taking steps to veto the president.

However in its appeal, the National Assembly which was the 1st defendant at the trial court, asked the appellate court to set aside the decision of Justice Mohammed, and dismiss in its entirety, the plaintiff’s claims in the originating summons.

In the notice of appeal filed through its lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), the legislature stated that the trial judge, erred in law when he assumed jurisdiction to entertain and determine the suit and contended that the trial judge failed to appreciate that, until the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed into an Act by the exercise of the legislative power of the National Assembly to over-ride the veto or withholding of assent to the bill by the president, the same remained inchoate and not capable of vesting a justiciable civil right or obligation on any person, including the plaintiff.

The legislature further contended amongst others, that the lower court wrongly interpreted the provisions of Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), so as to reach the conclusion that the Federal High Court

was vested with jurisdiction to impugn a bill perceived to be unconstitutional.

Saraki Hails Verdict Reacting to the judgment yesterday, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, praised the appellate court for upholding the powers of the National Assembly to make laws in the country.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, stated that the judgment further reinforced the belief of Nigerians that the judiciary remains the hope of the country in strengthening democracy, resolving conflicts between various arms and levels of government as well as protecting the rights of individuals.

He added that with the judgment, it was now clear that the National Assembly was right when it passed the bill stating the sequence of elections and that the legislature reversed its decision on the issue, after President Muhammadu Buhari refused assent to the bill, in the interest of peace and to forestall any legal obstacle on the way of the 2019 elections.

"I have always believed in the need to test our laws in court by seeking judicial interpretations

on contentious issues. By doing so, we will be expanding the scope of our laws, sharpening the rough edges of legislation and assserting our faith in the judiciary as a fundamental arbiter," the Senate president stated.

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NEWS

Buhari Meets APC Govs, Proceeds on Leave

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari last night held a closed door meeting with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The meeting came as the presidency earlier yesterday disclosed that President Buhari would tomorrow embark on a 10-day vacation to the United Kingdom.

Answering questions from journalists after a closed-door meeting with the president, the Chairman of APC Governors' Forum, Rochas Okorocha, lamented the defection of three governors on the platform of the ruling party to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it unfortunate.

He said the APC governors visited the president to pledge their loyalty to both the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari.

Okorocha said the defection notwithstanding, the party remained stronger and even more united.

He said: "Two of our colleagues left our party. This

is politics, it is unfortunate that they have to go. We have 22 states, 53 senators. Nobody is leaving the party anymore.

Those who have left, we are aware that they will leave long ago.

"PMB means well and he is willing to fight corruption and you all know if you are fighting corruption, it will fight back and this is what's happening.

As you are aware, three of our governors left our party and we got one in through Ekiti.

"This is politics, it is unfortunate that they have to go. But that has not in any way reduce our party or has it in any way touched us. We are still as strong, even stronger and more united."

President Buhari had last night met with governors behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa.

Attended by 15 governors and a deputy governor, the meeting which started at about 9.46p.m. ended at 10.28p.m.

Present at the meeting were: Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos, Yahaya Bello of Kogi,

Osinbajo Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Abubakar Bello of Niger and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna.

Others were Simon Lalong of Plateau, Mohammed Jibrilla of Adamawa, Abubakar Bugudu of Kebbi and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, and Godwin Obaseki of Edo. The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori represented

the governor.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, President Buhari will tomorrow embark on a 10-day vacation to London.

According to a terse statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, while the president is away, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would act as president.

"In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.

“While the president is on vacation, the vice president will be in acting capacity as president.

“President Buhari will be in London for the holiday," the statement read.

The president’s 10-day medical trip to the UK will

be his sixth to the country that would be made public since he assumed office three years ago.

The last time President Buhari travelled abroad for medical vacation was on May 8, 2018, when he went on a four-day trip.

The president first proceeded on medical vacation on June 7, 2016 over what the presidency described as a persistent “ear infection.”

At the time, he was forced to cancel a two-day visit to Lagos to inaugurate projects in the state due to the “ear infection” suspected to be Ménière’s disease.

His trip at the time occurred days after Adesina was quoted as saying Buhari was as “fit as fiddle” and “hale and hearty,” to much criticism by political analysts and several Nigerians.

On January 19, 2017, the president embarked on yet another medical vacation and was billed to return on February 6, 2017, following what was described as a “routine medical check up”, but did not return until March 10, 2017.

Although information was limited during his stay in London, he was pictured on March 9 meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at Abuja House, the official residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK. On his return, Vice-President Osinbajo continued to steer the ship of the country while the president recovered in Abuja.

Buhari during this period missed several major official and public engagements, and appeared very frail the few times he appeared in public, until his return to the UK on May 7, 2017 for medical reasons.

He eventually returned to Nigeria from his medical leave 104 days later on August 19, 2017.

His 10-day trip to the UK to see his doctors again is bound to set tongues wagging and raise questions over his ability to run the country.

Buhari, 75, had since announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election.

TAMBUWAL, ABDULLAHI, 18 SOKOTO LAWMAKERS DEFECT FROM APC TO PDP in all elections this year, and beyond.

In the statement, the party also saluted the courage exhibited by the defectors to come openly and declare where they belonged.

It said: “APC is a party founded and run on the principles of freedom, sincerity and forthrightness. Saraki and the others have the freedom of association and the right to pursue their political ambitions wherever they deem it fit.

"As a party, our attention is on the matter at hand-the 2019 general election. We are united and focused with an eye to the

continuation of our winning streak in all elections this year, next year and beyond.

"To our members in Kwara, Sokoto and the other states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), remain steadfast and courageous.”

You're Hereos of Our Democracy, Say Secondus, Wike, Okowa The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Delta State

counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, have described the defecting members of the APC as hereos of Nigeria's democracy.

Secondus said with their defections, they have shown great courage and patriotic spirit by accepting to join hands with the PDP to rescue the country at this moment of need.

Speaking at dinner banquet held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel to honour the defectors into the PDP, Secondus said under the APC administration, the rule of law no longer holds sway, adding that the country is now facing a military-like

regime.

He regretted that the ruling party has become so dictatorial that the people can no longer know the difference between the present government and the military regime.

Secondus described the defectors who have joined the PDP in the struggle to recover the people’s freedom as heroes of Nigeria's democracy.

He went on to assure the defectors that the new leadership of the PDP was determined to bequeath the party with transparent primaries whose quality is unequaled in the history of

the country.

On his part, Wike declared that the defection of Tambuwal to PDP was a victory for democracy, noting that every right thinking Nigerian should work in unity to salvage the country in 2019.

He lauded the Sokoto State governor for doing the right thing.

He said: "This is a victory for democracy. There are lots of Nigerians who believe that the right thing should be done.

What the Sokoto State Governor has done, is the right thing.

"There are some people who have said that we cannot

continue to live in a world of intimidation. We cannot continue to live in a world of harassment. Every right thinking Nigerian should come together to see that something is done to salvage the country."

Similarly, Okowa commended Tambuwal, Abdullahi, Ahmed, Ibeto, Saraki for their bold and courageous move.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, the governor said their defection came at a time when the nation needs the input of genuine patriots to rescue the nation from anarchy and anti democratic forces.

powered delegation of members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and three governors from the party on a solidarity visit to Governor Ortom over the crisis rocking the state.

The three governors are Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), his Taraba State counterpart, Darius Ishaku and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, as well as Senator Ben Bruce.

Secondus who commended Ortom for his courage and determination to defect to the PDP, said it was indeed uncalled for, for the minority in the assembly to serve the governor or any other state governor in the country an impeachment notice.

He pointedly accused the federal government of being instrumental to the problem confronting Benue State.

"We members of the NWC of the PDP have rejected the impeachment plot against Governor Ortom; it is evil and illegal for minorities to serve the governor of any state of the federation with an impeachment notice.

"We are aware that the powers-that-be in Abuja are behind what is happening in Benue State. The same powersthat-be claimed ignorance of the killings in Benue when herdsmen invaded, attacked and killed many people including two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners inside the church."

Secondus reiterated the full support of his party to the Ortom administration and commended the new Speaker of the assembly for his mature conduct of activities.

The PDP national chairman

who called on people of the state and Nigerians at large to reject the ruling party during the 2019 general election, tasked the Buhari administration to stop the ongoing killings across the country, and further appealed to the people to remain resolute and supportive of the present administration to enable him attract dividends of democracy to them.

Bayelsa State Governor, Dickson, who also spoke during the visit, stressed the need for democracy and the legislative arm of government to be accorded adequate respect and allowed to freely function optimally in accordance with the laws of the land.

Dickson enjoined teeming supporters of the PDP in the state to continue to stand by the governor despite the persecution he is passing through and lauded the Speaker of the assembly for steering the affairs of the house peacefully.

In a response, Governor Ortom commended the NWC of the PDP for the visit and assured them that Benue would remain a PDP state, saying he only made a journey to the ruling APC but that he was now back.

He described Benue as a no-go area for the APC. Ortom promised to work closely with his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, Senator David Mark and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to ensure the victory of the party at both ward, state and national levels.

The governor noted that he was being persecuted by the APC in the state for enacting the grazing law and for defecting from the APC to PDP. He maintained that he would

never be deterred despite the intimidation.

spokesman, Femi Adesina, during an interview on Channels Television where he was quoted as saying, "I doubt the world over if any government would come to say this is how much we have spent on security, because can you quantify the amount of one life? It is not something that any government will begin to disclose.

"Why should Benue case be different if not persecution? If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending, they should have started from the presidency right across the 36 states. If their focus was on Benue State, they should have started from 1999.

But this is not the case. With the enormous security challenges in the state since my assumption of office, it is surprising that any one would expect me to do nothing but keep the security vote in the safe.

"The security vote spending being investigated spans from 2015 to 2018, a period of grave security challenges in the state.

I reiterate that the investigation is a clear case of persecution.

I have not misappropriated, diverted or stolen any money.

I have nothing to hide. I assure that the investigators can find nothing incriminating against me,” he added.

Ortom acknowledged that the biggest challenge facing his administration is the payment of salaries, noting that it was caused because of the N69 billion inherited as arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities as well as another N70 billion commitment on contracts and other obligations.

COURT HALTS ORTOM’S REMOVAL by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he was involved in a N22 billion security vote diversion, urging the anti-graft agency to rather beam its searchlight on the presidency over its security vote spending.

Eight of 30 members of the Benue State House of Assembly who are currently on suspension, had last Monday attempted to commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Ortom.

But Justice Igoche has restrained them from proceeding with the impeachment process they initiated against him.

The judge also restrained them from sitting and upheld their suspension, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“I agree with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria that the applicants have made out a case for the grant of orders sought therein,” she stressed.

“The order also restrains the Chief Judge of Benue State from receiving or acting on any process or request, issued pursuant to the purported sitting, proceedings and resolutions of July 30, 2018, aimed at or commenced for the purpose of removing the governor of the state pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

Justice Igoche upheld the subsisting order that was earlier given by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adam Onum, restraining the former Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, and other former principal officers from parading as same and ordered the security agencies to vacate the premises of the state House of Assembly.

Responding, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Michael Gusa, applauded the ruling, saying as a law abiding government, they will always seek redress in the law courts.

Also speaking, Sebastian Hon (SAN), who appeared on behalf of the plaintiffs alongside 30 lawyers, described the ruling as sound and promised to abide by the orders of the court to ensure service and continue with the case.

Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Titus Uba, said with the order, they expect the police and other security agencies to vacate the premises and stop interfering in their legislative business, maintaining that even the president of the country has denied link to the continued occupation of the assembly complex.

The applicants had on July 31, approached the court, seeking eight reliefs amongst which were interim order restraining the eight members from sitting, proceeding and or acting in furtherance to the impeachment and the chief judge from acting on their request.

PDP: Impeachment Move against Ortom Illegal However, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday rejected the purported impeachment plot mooted by eight out of 30 members of the state assembly, describing it as evil and illegal.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, stated this when he led a high-

Governor Chides Buhari over Security Vote Earlier yesterday, Governor Ortom had chided President Buhari and the APC for waging a witch-hunt against him following the allegations levelled against him by the EFCC that he was involved in a N22 billion security vote diversion.

The governor, who denied the allegation, said the agency should rather beam their searchlight on the presidency over its security vote spending.

The governor while briefing journalists shortly after a state broadcast in Makurdi, the state capital, wondered why he should be singled out among all the governors in the country for such probe.

He advised the anti-graft agency to begin the probe from the presidency.

“So far, I am the only governor in Nigeria whose security vote is being investigated by the EFCC. Why should Benue case be different if not persecution?

“If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending, they should have started from the presidency right across the 36 states.

“If their focus was on Benue State, they should have started from 1999 when Senator George Akume was governor. But this is not the case. I want the whole world to know that all this is about persecution and a clear case of witch-hunting,” Ortom said.

He referred to the comments made by the presidential

Continued on page 16

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

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ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ejiofor Alike Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

House PDP Caucus Raises the Alarm over Plot to Impeach Saraki Oshiomhole asks Senate president to vacate seat Lawan leads 12 APC Senators to meet Buhari Deji Elumoye, Omololu Ogunmade Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ James Emejo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday raised the alarm over alleged secret plot by some “dissident senatorsâ€? led

by Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Adamu Abdullahi and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to illegally impeach the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

This allegation is coming as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday in the State House asked Saraki to vacate his seat following his defection to the PDP. The federal government also yesterday reacted to Saraki’s defection from the ruling party, along with the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, describing the development as a relief.

Oshiomhole made the call while answering questions from journalists when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari along with APC senators.

Also, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday led 10 All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators to meet President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Senators, who were joined by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, had converged at the Senate car park in the National Assembly premises before being conveyed in a 32-seater Hiace Coaster bus to Aso Rock.

Addressing journalists, the House Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Chukwuka Onyema, along with other members said they received information that some senators who were aided by policemen planned to sit covertly and illegally to impeach the Senate president.

The National Assembly is currently on its long recess and is expected to resume on September 26.

Onyema said some members of the PDP Caucus went to the National Assembly complex to tidy up some committee businesses when they got wind of the alleged plot.

He added that his members would keep vigil to ensure that the unlawful impeachment proceeding do not happen. “As you all know, the National Assembly is on recess but committee work is ongoing. We were busy doing our committee work when information was brought to us that the Senate chambers was being forcefully

evaded by a couple of senators led by Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Adamu Abdullahi and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. “And their aim of the invasion of the Senate when all senators have gone on recess - they wanted to invade the Senate chambers to sit illegally and impeach the Senate president illegally when everybody is out on recess.� “We also have it on good authority that they are planning to come back this night and tomorrowmorning aided by our own security forces that are meant to protect lives and property of Nigerians. They are now the ones aiding these dissident senators to truncate democracy. “You might think they want to take over the Senate but that’s not what they want to do; they want to truncate this democracy of ours.

Saraki’s exit from APC a relief, says FG “But we the PDP Caucusminority caucus have decided that we are going to stay here, we’ll keep vigil and wait to see what is going to happen tonight and tomorrow morning,� he said.

Continuing, the House Minority Leader said:�We are calling on all Nigerians to stay awake with us because this is not a rape on the National Assembly but a rape on democracy which concerns all of us. “And if we allow this to happen, then we might as well go back to when we had a military junta and forget about democracy,� he said.

The group also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the attempt by the senators in question to thwart the present democracy.

Meanwhile, Oshiomhole asked Saraki to vacate his seat following his defection to the PDP

last Tuesday.

Oshiomhole said his defection did not take him by surprise as the hint had earlier been made, saying he was happy however that Saraki admitted that he made efforts to address his grievances. “I was happy for one thing - that the Senate president as a mark of honour, accepted that he is leaving not because the new leadership did not make effort; he admitted that not only did I do everything possible along with the vice president, along with some governors, we had meetings with the president, but he argued that those efforts came too late. But I couldn’t have started acting before I was born. “But whatever is the reason, we can decamp from Larry but we can’t decamp from Nigeria. The only thing is that there are other consequential issues that every

man or woman of honour who had taken such decisions would be expected to follow through. I mean you should not collect a crown that belongs to a family and wear it on behalf of the family if for your personal reasons which he has enumerated that he has gone to another family. It is just a matter of honour to leave the crown in the house that the crown belongs to. As it stands even now, APC is still the largest party in the senate. We have 53 senators, that is much more than PDP has, or APGA has. “So, I think the important thing is that our democracy is still evolving, there are a couple of lessons to learn from the development. Going forward, we will expect the system to get stronger to the extent that it is able

Cont’d on Pg 41

Again, Four Killed in Fresh Attack on Plateau Community Seriki Adnoyi Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă?

Four persons were last Tuesday evening killed by unknown assailants in Rigum community, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a resident whose son was killed, Mrs. Kogi Audu, the incident occurred at about 7p.m.

She said: “We started hearing gun shots at about 7p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) and it continued for quite some times before it abated. Thereafter, members of the community mobilised and recovered four corpses in a nearby bush incidentally, my son, Lucky, was among those killed.�

She added that the corpses were deposited in a hospital mortuary at about 11p.m.

Another witness said particular spot has been abode of youths who engage in the sales and consumption of illicit drugs.

Anthony Kaze and Jacob John, leaders of the Neighbourhood Watch, both accused the Fulani herdsmen for the dastardly act.

According to them, the Fulani herdsmen have been threatening them after they were prevented from grazing their cattle in the community.

Immediately after the incident, part of the Rukuba road axis was blocked and some vehicles burnt while others were vandalised.

Normalcy has however returned to the area as policemen were seen stationed along the Rukuba road.

Confirming the killings, Special Task Force (STF) spokesman, Major Adam Umar, however, said it was a clash between two cultist groups that led to the death of four persons while two persons were injured.

He added that the police were tracking the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has accused the Berom and Irigwe natives of terrorising and attacking Fulani people in Barkin Ladi and Bassa Local Government Areas, adding that their actions are indication that there may be unrest in the state again if not checked.

In a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, signed by Mohammad Nuru Abdullahi, the state Chairman of MACBAN, the Fulani group said the armed Beroms and Irigwe militias have resorted to attacking Fulani in the evening along the highways, rustling their cattle.

He expressed serious concern, and called on all security agencies to immediately halt the criminals from continuing in the attacks which according to him have claimed over 200 cows and some lives.

WE ARE UNDAUNTED

R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari; National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole; Senate Leader, Senator Lawan Ahmed; Senator Danjuma Goje, and Senator Abdullahi Adamu, at a meeting in State House, Abuja. .. yesterday Ë›

Gambia’s President, Barrow Arrives in Nigeria Senator Iroegbu Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Gambian President, Mr. Adama Barrow, has arrived in Abuja aboard the Nigerian presidential jet as guest of the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja.

Barrow in a statement made available yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Cosmas Uzodinma, is expected to be the guest speaker at the 26th graduation ceremony of the

College on Thursday.

The Gambian president would be expected to dwell on the practice of democracy currently taking root across Africa as well as the role of the military in the growth of democracy in Africa.

Barrow was received on arrival by the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali (rtd), and FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello.

According to Uzodinma, Barrow’s flight touched down

at exactly 1:07p.m. Nigerian local time at the presidential wing, of the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, travelling en-route Togo where he had attended the recent ECOWAS meeting.

He said The Gambian president’s visit would further deepen the friendship and brotherliness between Nigeria and The Gambia as members of the ECOWAS especially as Anglophone West Africa countries.

Uzodimma recalled that

President Barrow had visited Nigeria as Head of State in January during which he was conferred with the honorary citizenship of the city of Abuja.

He was also here to thank Nigeria’s president for his role in Gambian’s successful transition from the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh to a truly democratic government.

The graduation ceremony which started on July 27 with a Jum’at service will climax with a lecture to be delivered by the visiting head of state.

Women Affairs Minister Resigns from Buhari’s Cabinet The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan has resigned her position in order to contest the 2019 governorship election in Taraba State.

President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have

accepted the resignation.

The president has also urged her to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Last September, Alhassan threatened that she would not

support Buhari’s second term ambition on the grounds that the president had promised to serve only one term.

She vowed to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was still in the APC.

Abubakar has since defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Alhassan was the candidate of the APC in the 2015 governor s h i p election and lost to the PDP candidate.

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Finally, FG Approves N72.9bn for Reconstruction of Oworonshoki- Apapa Road FEC approves action plan for Nigeria’s return to Egmont

Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The federal government yesterday in Abuja approved the take-off of the reconstruction of OworonshokiApapa express way in Lagos State at the cost of N72.9 billion.

Making the disclosure at the end of yesterday’s

weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the reconstruction would be done under a private public partnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to him, the reconstruction would be undertaken for the first time

Group: Over 22,000 Persons Killed in Three Years David-Chyddy Eleke Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ•Ă‹ A human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has said that over 22,000 persons have been killed extra-judicially since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the government.

The group said the killings were mainly by Boko Haram terror group, Fulani herdsmen, security agents and those it described as Zamfara bandits.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi stated thisyesterday, while briefing journalists in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the group.

The group announced that it was dedicating its tenth anniversary to victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It highlighted the killings embarked by the various groups, saying that Christians were the worst hit in the spate of killing in Nigeria. “In the list of those mourned and remembered today by Intersociety are unarmed and defenseless citizens massacred since June 2015 by the trio of Boko Haram, “Zamfara Bandits� and Jihadists operating under the color of Fulani herdsmen.

“They include 8,920 Christians massacred by Fulani jihadists and Boko Haram, 4,470 muslims massacred by fellow violent muslim groups; Boko Haram and Zamfara bandits, 5,400 Christians massacred by Fulani jihadists since June 2015 and 1,870 others since January 2018 as well as 411 children killed

by Boko Haram in 2017.�

The group also put at 9,000 victims of police custodial and extra judicial killings in Nigeria in the past three years.

It put at 3,000 the annual rate of extra judicial killings by the security forces. “The decision to dedicate the 10th birthday of our organisation is in strong recognition of the fact that international crimes not only grievously violate individual victims’ rights and annihilate their properties but also touch humanity in all of us,� he said. “Our quest for justice for victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes can never be overturned. We call on apostles of justice and lovers of human rights across Nigeria and around the globe including the authorities of Civitas Maxima, Geneva, Switzerland to pay special attention to Nigeria and adopt it as one of their focus areas,� he added.

Atiku Denies ‘Do or Die’ Statement Ibrahim Shuaibu Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied in strong terms a statement attributed to him that there would be consequences if the party fails to issue him the presidential ticket.

The elder statesman was alleged to have boasted that the party has no other option than to give him the mandate to be its presidential standard bearer or there would be no peace in the party.

Reacting to the malicious statement making the rounds yesterday, an associate of the former vice president, Alhaji Abdullahi Sugar, explained that the statement was not only false but malicious, fabricated by political opponents to dent the image of his boss.

According to him, such statement would never come from a true democrat who has

for a long time sacrificed his life for the betterment of Nigerian democratic culture.

He reminded that in 2007 when all the governors of the federation stood by Atiku against Obasanjo to contest the presidential seat, he rescinded such offer on account that his party, the PDP, had an arrangement for a southern president. “You should recalled that Atiku had all the opportunities to became president but because of his respect for stipulated laid down rules, he rejected the offer,� Sugar said.

He further made it clear that all Atiku is after is stability in the polity and the salvation of the Nigerian state from the present economic and socio political turmoil.

According to him, “That is why you can see that Atiku is at the forefront welcoming all those whom have rejoined the party in recent times regardless of where they come from.�

since 1975, by Dangote Group, adding that the reconstruction would cover Creek Road, Tin Can Island, Beachland Estate and end up at the toll gate end of the Lagos - Ibadan express way.

Fashola who also said the reconstruction plan would be a 10-lane road of five lanes on each side, as well as drainage, said the work is a 27.8-kilometre road and 79.8 linear-kilometre arrangement. “The approval that Ministry of Power, Works and Housing secured today (yesterday) was for the reconstruction of Creek Road, Tin Can Island, Beachland Estate right through to Oworonshoki all the way to the Lagos end of the Toll gate end of Lagos - Ibadan expressway.

“This is the full reconstruction of that road which was built, l believe, around 1975 as part of first port expansion undertaken then in the 70s. That road then was intended to evacuate cargoes out of Lagos without running through the spines of the city. As you have variously reported, it was in the state of disrepair. Council now approved its reconstruction at the cost of N72.9 billion. “This is a full reconstruction excluding the fact that between Coconut and Mile 2 which had been done by the previous administration is not involved.

Some things are instructive about these. “First, it will be done through PPP model. The constructing company will be

the Dangote group. It will be financing that construction to the tune of N72.9 billion as certified by PPP. “Another instructive thing to note is that this is the fist full reconstruction of that road since it was constructed at about 1975. All previous efforts had been to repair damaged sections. So, it is going all the way to reconstruct the road. “The third thing to note is that the entire construction involves procurement of 27.8 kilometres made up of 10 lanes - five lanes on both sides - three on the main carriage way, two on service lanes. So, essentially, you are constructing about 79.8 linear kilometres and that also include drainage and use of extensive cement work and rehabilitation

of bridges. “We expect contractors to move to site. This is our own long term solution to the problem contributed by the road congestion there. This will provide enduring solution to what is currently being experienced by commuters,�

Fashola said.

Also briefing journalists, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said FEC approved the action plan for the return of Nigeria to the Egmont group following the signing of National Financial Intelligence Union (NFIU) Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria was suspended

Cont’d on Pg 42

FEC MEETING

R –L: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Mr. Boss Mustapher ; Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari ; Head of Civil Service of the Federation , Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ‌yesterday

Court Orders Arrest of INEC Chairman Alex Enumah Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for “flagrantâ€? disobedience of court orders.

Justice Stephen Pam gave the order following Yakubu’s absence in court for the third time to answer to contempt charges.

Justice Pam had on July 5 and July 10 ordered Mahmood to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court.

At the resumed hearing in the case yesterday, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), counsel to Mahmood, told the court that his client was absent in court because he was attending an urgent national assignment in Mali.

In a short ruling, the judge held that the reason for

Mahmood’s absence was not tenable, because he had three times, refused to honour the court’s summons to defend the contempt charge against him.

The charges were brought against the chairman by Mr Ejike Oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment of December 2014.

Pam said the court would not fold its hands and allow a party who was a professor of law to turn it into a toothless dog. “It is sad that the contemnor and his counsel, a senior lawyer, have chosen not to obey the orders of this court in respect of this contempt charge. “The contempt of the contemnor to this court can no longer be tolerated and it should not be allowed to fester,� the judge said.

The judge faulted the letter

by Awomolo dated July 27 making excuse for Mahmood’s absence in court on grounds that it contradicted another letter by his client dated July 29.

He consequently ordered that Mahmood should be arrested for his flagrant disobedience of court orders by refusing to appear in court, and adjourned the matter until August 8 “A bench warrant is hereby issued against Prof.

Yakubu Mahmood, INEC Chairman; this repeated act of disobedience to court order to show cause can no longer be accepted by this court.�

Earlier, the court had struck out a fresh motion filed by Awomolo on July 31 for stay of proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal on the matter.

The judge struck out the motion on grounds that it contravened Section 360 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which did not allow a stay of proceedings

in a criminal matter.

Oguebego had initiated contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman for refusing to comply with a Supreme Court judgment of December, 2014 to recognise him as PDP chairman in Anambra.

Counsel to Oguebego, Mr James Odiba, had prayed the court to commit Mahmood to prison for not obeying the order.

He had told the court that on the contrary, INEC and its chairman were relating with another faction of the PDP in Anambra.

Speaking with journalists after the ruling, Awomolo said the judgment on which the contempt proceeding was initiated, was delivered in 2014 when Mahmood was not yet INEC chairman.

Odiba said government is a continuum and that it behovees on whoever was in office to obey the judgment.

According to him, no one is above the law.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

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COMMENT

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

JOHANESBURG AND BRICK’S INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Okello Oculi attributes the economic success in South Africa to a determined immigrant group and the locals

T

he 10th anniversary summit by leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), in Johannesburg, South Africa from 25th to 27th July, 2018, was an appropriate tribute to the economic success of the political grit of a tribe of European immigrants and brutally extracted labour of African peoples. The tribe called themselves ‘’AFRIKAANS’’ to announce their permanent flight from religious persecution in Europe.

In 1948 Afrikaans won political power from commercial and mining classes. Their tribal communities were trapped in farming and widespread illiteracy. Their resolve was development with the wealth that miners of diamonds, gold exported to Euro-American economies.

They used post-colonial tribal political power to extract enough taxes from mining companies to join the industrial revolution of the 20th century.

With discipline enforced by a secret society, the ‘’BROADERBOND’’, civil servants and business groups were charged with administering government parastatals for driving development. Academics in universities and scholars in research institutes were under strict mandate to produce knowledge to meet needs of urban-based parastatals and farmers.

Intellectuals, political and economic classes looked at Europe’s history of industrial revolution and invented a form of social engineering which acknowledged the existence of a proletariat in economic production.

However, it would never achieve the promise of a revolution prophesied by communists. That source of labour would be Black people drawn from within South Africa and from British and Portuguese colonies in their neighbourhood.

A brutal form of control labelled as APARTHEID ensured that the labourers were without rights to organise and withhold their labour.

Unlike other African colonies, a significant share of profits from African sweat was seized and reinvested within South Africa. This legacy of economic tribalism today puts South Africa into the membership of BRICS. The Afrikaaners were also very foolish. Their fear of African political power made them continue to prevent labourers from earning enough income to constitute a vital internal market. They ran supermarkets in far away Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Their denial of quality education for Africans forced them to find avenues for industrial research in laboratories in France, Britain and North America where there were large pools of educated employees and scientists.

Elsewhere in Africa feudal Amhara in Ethiopia; segregationist Americo-Liberians - and their ‘’Creole’’ cousins in Sierra Leone - failed to educate the masses of their countries populations and join the road to industrial revolution. Mohammed Ali in Egypt embarked on it but was trapped in a web of loans and debts woven by British banks. His failure to pay back loans led to British financiers effectively colonising Egypt.

UNLIKE OTHER AFRICAN COLONIES, A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF PROFITS FROM AFRICAN SWEAT WAS SEIZED AND REINVESTED WITHIN SOUTH AFRICA. THIS LEGACY OF ECONOMIC TRIBALISM TODAY PUTS SOUTH AFRICA INTO THE MEMBERSHIP OF BRICS

The Boers/Afrikaaners remained sole competitors in the race for an industrial revolution.

Leaders of post-colonial Africa did not join Singapore in recognising the crucial value of highly educated and disciplined mass of workers if an economy was to attract foreign investors. Prime Minister Yew is emphatic on this. South Korea has shared this policy insight. Both as colonies of Japan during World War Two must have benefited from her emphasis on mass literacy and high quality education, anchoring building human resources on traditional cultural values relevant for productivity required by the 20th century’s industrial revolution.

It was a matter of great regret that Anglo-Saxon members of the British Commonwealth joined in creating the notorious ‘’Washington Consensus’’ for deliberately impoverishing economies and educational infrastructures of African and Caribbean members of the Commonwealth. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya lost large numbers of leading academics and researchers to Euro-America following the onset of Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) in 1970s/80s.

The growth of large pools of well-educated skilled manpower was viciously and cynically sapped. South Africa attracted a portion of this exodus. The consequences of what the late Professor Adebayo Adedeji described as ‘’a social and economic warfare against Africa’’, has been several decades of near-illiterate graduates from primary schools to universities. This is now a national security issue; and a terrible blow to African countries joining what was highlighted by BRICS as the ‘’Fourth Industrial Revolution’’.

This revolution is anchored in China, Russia, India and Brazil on a combination of a critical mass of highly educated human resources.

Explosions have occurred in numbers of people who own cell phones and have access to Internet. Nevertheless, India, Brazil and South Africa hold vast numbers of citizens who are illiterate and trapped in horrendous poverty.

BRICS invited a significant number of outsiders, including more developed Turkey and Argentina. Invitees from Africa included: Paul Kagame as Chair of the African Union; Macky Sall of Senegal; Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Eyadema of Togo. A constant refrains in speeches from Africa were calls for support with infrastructure and industrial investments. Unlike the ‘’Washington Consensus’’, President Xi Xinping announced that China would build 10 new institutions for training human resources for less endowed members of BRICS and those in its orbit.

This will be vital for 725 owners of cell phones in Africa by the year 2020. With a population of over 60 million unemployed youths in Africa, it is an explosive tragedy if they are crippled by neo-illiteracy and poverty. Big Data, the ‘’Internet of Things’’, Artificial Intelligence, and entry of robots into the labour market as ever deepening and widening tools for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, do not mix with near-illiteracy across Africa.

THE CHALLENGE OF MODERNISING GOVERNANCE Lagos State is modernising its civil service to make it run efficiently, writes Akintola Benson-Oke

T

he modernisation of the Lagos State Civil Service started a while ago and its fruits are already available for all and sundry to see. However, it is doubtful whether any other administration has done as much as the Akinwuni Ambode’s to entrench and further the principles underlying the modernisation of the service.

The governor appreciates that the civil service must, in accordance with the times, imbibes and adopts prevailing strategies for efficiency while also adapting to the imperatives for change. In appreciation of this reality, the Lagos State Government has approved training in order to ensure that the modernisation of the civil service continues full speed and is placed on an irreversible course for the benefit of all stakeholders.

As has been rightly observed, “at the end of the day, reforms must be informed by the expectations of citizens.” First and foremost, the overriding observation today is that citizens expect the government to comply with global best practices in democratic governance. Before embarking on such a venture, however, it is useful to bear in mind the specific practical and empirical illustrations of the expectations from the citizenry from the government. In addition to that, it is helpful to analyse the various theories on leadership styles that may be adapted and thereafter adopted into the civil service to bring about efficiency-oriented reforms.

Generally, the citizenry is rightly expecting public sector reforms that will: one, improve government efficiency. Providing the necessary information for common processes and procedures in an easy-to-use resource and can reduce the number of people in lines at government offices, and allow government staff to spend more time helping citizens complete processes and less time providing instructions. As a result, government staff can be more efficient and productive. Two, increase citizen satisfaction

by providing citizens with the information they need on how to process a request in an easy-to-use resource, citizens can adequately prepare to complete their transactions and processes in one visit. These officials are to ensure that citizens have a positive experience interacting with the government.

Three, create citizen buy-in by creating opportunities to inform and discuss public finances with citizens the government can foster an informed and involved citizenry. Providing citizens with information regarding government budgets, for example, can contribute to constituents feeling they are part of a community development process, and as such cultivate citizen buy-in. Four, increase government transparency and accountability. Informing citizens of government spending, especially if done on a regular basis, is an effective way for government to fulfil its responsibility of being transparent and accountable. These types of initiatives can also reduce outside opportunities for negative speculation looking to undermine the work of a particular administration.

Five, engage citizens in the decision- making processes of the government. Providing citizens a direct voice in the budgeting process, for example, allows for their meaningful involvement in decisions that directly affect their communities. By allowing citizens to participate in prioritising development projects in their communities, the government can additionally foster citizen buy-in and ownership of local projects which can significantly increase acceptance of development initiatives within a community.

Six, improve government responsiveness. By developing a methodology to directly engage and consult with a broad group of citizens on government expenditures, government can use real-time information to inform its planning process as well as respond to citizen needs in a direct and transparent way.

With these expectations firmly in mind, it is gratifying to note that in Lagos State, we have a government that has boldly embraced this challenge of modernising governance and innovatively approaching the task of public administration. Led

by Governor Ambode, the present administration in Lagos State is poised to examine those areas, processes and institutions and practices that need to be overhauled or remodelled in order to achieve this end.

Without an iota of doubt, all stakeholders agree that the delivery of value to citizens is the fundamental objective of any democratically-elected government. In contemporary times, the value must be delivered to the highest possible standard because citizens have become sophisticated and exposed to the standards of governance in other climes such that their expectations have been conditioned to demand and insist on compliance with global trends. Meeting these expectations is the central challenge for governments in contemporary times.

In a review of the most recent developments in the field of business leadership, the numbers of business leadership styles and trends (informed by principles) have been noted. The first is the transformational leadership theory which is a recent addition to the literature but of which more research has been conducted “than all the contingency theories combined.” The theory distinguishes between transformational and transactional leaders.

Transformational leaders lead employees by aligning employee goals with the leader’s goals.

Thus, employees working for transformational leaders start focusing on the company’s well-being rather than on what is best for them as individual employees. However, transactional leaders ensure that employees demonstrate the right behaviours because the leader provides resources in exchange.

Making further distinctions between transfor-

mational and transactional leaders, commentators point out that while transformational leaders rely on their charisma, persuasiveness, and personal appeal to change and inspire their companies, transactional leaders use three other methods. Contingent rewards mean rewarding employees for their accomplishments. Active management by exception involves leaving employees to do their jobs without interference, but at the same time proactively predicting potential problems and preventing them from occurring. Passive management by exception is similar in that it involves leaving employees alone, but in this method, the manager waits until something goes wrong before coming to the rescue.

Many people have opined that transformational leadership is more effective. To my mind, the key factor may be trust. Trust is the belief that the leader will show integrity, fairness, and predictability in his or her dealings with others. According to the commentators cited, research shows that when leaders demonstrate transformational leadership behaviours, followers are more likely to trust the leader. “The tendency to trust in transactional leaders is substantially lower. Because transformational leaders express greater levels of concern for people’s well-being, and appeal to people’s values, followers are more likely to believe that the leader has a trustworthy character.”

Another theory on management is the LeaderMember Exchange theory which proposes that the type of relationship leaders have with their followers (members of the organisation) is the key to understanding how leaders influence employees.

Leaders form different types of relationships with their employees. In high-quality LMX relationships, the leader forms a trust-based relationship with the member.

Dr Benson- Oke is Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Trainings and Pension

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018

EDITORIAL THE LAKE CHAD BASIN PROBLEM Any assistance to recharge the lake is welcome

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n the course of his recent official visit to The Netherlands, President Muhammadu Buhari discussed with the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Mark Rutte a number of issues, including the shrinking Lake Chad and its impact on the economy of the communities living in the area. Welcoming the commitment of the Dutch authorities to establish a technical committee to work with the Nigerian side on the best approach to address the issue, Buhari harped on the need for workable solutions to restore Lake Chad, including the inter-basin water transfer project from Ubangi River in Central Africa to the lake.

Situated on the extreme northern part of Borno State and sharing border with Niger Republic, Cameroun and Chad, experts have blamed the shrinkage of the lake on a number of factors including climate change, overgrazing, excessive and inappropriate demand for water resources, as well as poor enforcement of environmental legislation. A combination of these factors has had adverse effect on the lake so much that apart from occupying less than a twentieth of its original size, there is now receding shoreline, desertification, and a threat to livelihood EXPERTS HAVE BLAMED among the surroundTHE SHRINKAGE OF THE ing communities LAKE ON A NUMBER OF drawn from Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and FACTORS INCLUDING Niger.

CLIMATE CHANGE, With lack of water OVERGRAZING, for irrigation leading to crop failures, livestock EXCESSIVE AND deaths because INAPPROPRIATE of desertification, DEMAND FOR WATER collapsed fisheries, soil RESOURCES salinity, wilting plants, withered trees and shrubs, Lake Chad is fast losing its traditional staples of water and vegetation which had sustained livelihood and bourgeoning economic activities for the about 30 million people in the area.

Consequently, many of the people who had drawn livelihood from the lake area are moving southward in search of the proverbial greener pasture. This, has

in turn, not only put pressure on other sections of the country, it has also promoted clashes between herdsmen and their host communities.

At a recent regional meeting to find a solution to the problem, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, said despite the progress made on the security and humanitarian front in recent years, more needed to be done to assure the people of the Lake Chad Basin of their safety. “The people of this region have suffered for far too long and we need to redouble our collective efforts to address the underlying causes of the crisis.’’

I T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

nstructively, of the $2.2 billion needed for humanitarian assistance in the Lake Chad region spanning Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, only $460 has been delivered, according to Jan Egeland, secretarygeneral of the Norwegian Refugee Council. But beyond the funding gap, the bigger challenge is that the lake once famous for being one of the largest water bodies in Africa has become a shadow of itself, having shrunk from its 25,000 square kilometres in 1963 to a mere 1,350 square kilometres today.

This precarious situation, aptly described as “ecological catastrophe” by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in a recent environmental report which also lamented the pervading poverty in the area, linked the rise of the insurgency in the North East to the failing fortunes of the lake.

Understandably, the shrinkage has also led to some tension and communal clashes among the remaining communities as they struggle to control what is left of the water body. Nigerian communities have clashed severally with Nigerien communities as a result.

We therefore welcome any assistance that the Dutch authorities can offer Nigeria as our country leads regional efforts aimed at resuscitating economic activities by recharging the lake. For there to be any enduring peace and security in the region, the people have to be economically empowered and Lake Chad has become very critical in that direction.

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

Letters to the Editor

NIGERIA PILGRIMS IN 2018 HAJJ

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hy do we have less number of Nigerians going to 2018 hajj than previous years?

What are the causative factors? This year hajj fare hovered around N1.4 million while that of 2017 was above N1.5 million.

Why then do we still have fewer numbers of pilgrims despite the cheaper fare?

Daily Trust newspaper seems to have provided answers to this puzzle in a recent incisive lead story titled “Hajj patronage drops despite lower fare.”

In 2017, over 70, 000 Nigeria pilgrims performed hajj through states Muslim pilgrims welfare boards and agencies leaving a short fall of 6, 691 in the 75,000 allocation given to states pilgrims boards. The numbers of Nigeria pilgrims that will perform this year hajj may likely fall within the range of 50,000-55,000. This is predicated on the assumption that as at the time of writing this piece, some states are still registering pilgrims.

Reflectively, 2017 hajj comes with its challenges which affected the number of pilgrims transported to Saudi Arabia.

The heated debate over the increase in 2017 hajj fare occasioned by the corresponding increase in exchange rate almost prevented late registration of pilgrims.

Daily Trust further listed factors that lead to the short-fall to include: “the compulsory payment of SR 2,000 introduced by Saudi Arabia Riyals for pilgrims who have performed hajj in the last four years because “according to statistics, over 70 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims in the last five years are repeaters.

A repeater in Nigeria this year will have to pay N1.7 million as opposed to N1.4 million paid by first timers. The exchange rate of N360/$1, the minimum deposit of N800,000 and N1 million fixed by states pilgrims boards, halting of sponsorship by local, states and federal government and the farmer- herder crisis.”

Aside the above factors, the number of pilgrims that performed hajj has been on the decrease globally in the last 10 years. A report in the Saudi Gazette Newspaper dated 16th September in 2016 said that “The number of foreign and domestic pilgrims has come down during the past 10 years.

In 2007, more than 1.7 million foreign and 746,511 domestic pilgrims performed Hajj, making a total of more than 2.4 million Hajj pilgrims. In 2012, more than three million pilgrims performed Hajj, the highest in the last 10 years.”

However in 2016, 1,325,372 foreign and 537,537 domestic pilgrims performed Hajj, making a total of 1,862,909 pilgrims.

This is the least number of pilgrims in the last 10 years.”

The above statistics show that the decrease in number of hajj pilgrims cut across 165 hajj participating countries and the trend seems to be ongoing.

For example, Indonesia as the most populous Muslims nations got the highest hajj seat allocation in the last 10 years.

There are 220, 200 Indonesia pilgrims that performed 2016 hajj – the highest number of foreign pilgrims in the last 10 years.

However, Indonesia has experienced the same shortfall when her currency, Rupiah fell for the dollar between 2011 and 2015. By then, one dollar exchange for 19, 395.75 Indonesia rupiah.

In 2011, 199, 085 Indonesians performed hajj but the figure fell to 192, 029 in 2012. In 2013, it further dropped to 154, 055 and in 2015 Indonesia pilgrims dropped further to 154, 046.

It is noteworthy that Indonesia and Malaysia operate minimum of three years hajj rolling plan that allowed intending hujaj in those country to begin making payment three years in advance. This has eased their plan in terms of filling up their quotas, providing accommodation and other logistics for their pilgrims in the Holy land and ultimately evading possible exchange rate crisis as experienced recently.

Here, it is important to note that VAT affects the commodities and consumables that pilgrims will purchase In Saudi Arabia. Many Umrah pilgrims who visited Saudi Arabia prior to the announcement of this year hajj fare by NAHCON were discouraged from paying for hajj again due to the additional costs of 2, 000 Saudi Riyals and increase in the prices of goods and services in the Kingdom. Also, the skyrocketing of aviation fuel worldwide has compelled airliners to jerk up the cost of air fare thereby affecting the cost of pilgrims’ ticket to and from Saudi Arabia. As a way out NAHCON and other hajj stakeholders need to vigorously and urgently commence full implementation of its recently approved hajj saving scheme to create flexibility in the payment of hajj fare. The whole structure of hajj operations has been fully offloaded online thereby leaving no chances for delay in the implementation of hajj plan. Our continued reliance on annual preparation and operating yearly calendar on hajj activities has left us behind.

Ibrahim Muhammad, National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Court Restrains APC, Oshiomhole, from Dissolving Kwara Exco Hammed Shittu ÓØ ÖÙÜÓØ A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital, yesterday restrained members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole,

or any person or officer of the party from dissolving or taking any action towards dissolving the Kwara State executive Committee of the party.

The court granted the application after hearing the submission of Abdulwahab Bamidele, who was the state Chairman of APC; Isola Balogun

COURT HALTS ORTOM’S REMOVAL He also decried that the state has a very low Internally Generate Revenue (IGR), averring that it has the third highest salary bill in the country, surpassed only by Lagos and Rivers States.

“During the recession, we used two months allocation to pay one month. However, from January this year, we have faithfully paid each month up to June and by next week, July salaries will be paid.

“But for Benue State University staff, their salaries are paid up to date. We have repeatedly assured the Benue people that we are sourcing funds to pay arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuity. I will continue to do my best to pay because I know that a worker deserves his wage. I have also directed the reinstatement of workers who were wrongly included on the list of ghost workers. I am totally committed to meeting the yearnings and

aspirations of my people.

Democracy is nothing more than doing what majority of people want their leaders to do,” he submitted.

Ortom said the attempt on him was the second phase of the deliberate destabilisation of the state after the Fulani herdsmen concerted invasion, killings and destruction seem to have failed.

“All these are coming under the veil of a plan to impeach some opposition governors, including the democratically elected governor of Benue State. The ultimate objective of the grand conspiracy is the destabilisation of the entire Middle Belt and other parts of the country for the purpose of conquest and occupation,” he said.

The governor blamed the leader of APC in the state, Senator Akume for the political crisis, accusing the police of collaborating with politicians to destabilise the state.

– Fulani and the state Secretary, Chief Christopher Tunji Ayeni, who are claimants /applicants in the suit number KWS /292/218 filed before Justice TS Umar.

Fulani and Ayeni had dragged Oshiomhole and five others before the court on the purported dissolution of the state executive committee by the NWC of the party.

Other defendants / respondents in the suit include the National Secretary of the party, Mallam Mai Mala Binu; the party; its NWC; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Hon. Bashiru Bolarinwa - for himself and on behalf of members of the purported caretaker committee of the party in the state.

The reliefs granted the applicants by the court stated that “this honourable court restrains the members of the NWC of the third defendant or any person or officers of the third defendant purporting to

act for the third defendant from dissolving or taking any action towards dissolving Kwara State executive committee of the third defendant represented by the chairman /applicant who are duly elected to office as members of the executive committee of the third defendant in Kwara state on May 19,2018,in accordance with the constitution of the third defendant pending the hearing and determination of the claimants /applicants motion on notice.

“That this honourable court restrains the sixth defendant and other members of the so called or purported caretaker committee of Kwara State chapter of the APC from showing off or parading themselves or performing any function or duty specified for members of the executive committee of the third defendant either individualy or collectively as members of the executive committee of members of caretaker committee of the

third defendant in Kwara State pending the hearing and determination of the claimants claimants applicants /applicant motion on notice.That the motion on notice is hereby adjourned to August 7, 2018, for hearing,” the judge said.

Meanwhile, the Fulani-led APC in Kwara State has expressed sadness over the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and other political leaders from its fold.

In a statement issued in Ilorin by the state Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said it believed the window of reconciliation was not closed.

“We are genuinely worried over the gale of defections that hit our party yesterday (Tuesday). The reason is simple.

Senate President, Saraki and the State Governor, Ahmed, were the life-wire of the APC in Kwara State.

“To their credit, the APC won virtually all the available electoral positions across the 16 local government areas (LGAs) of Kwara State. It is therefore very doubtful if this same feat could be replicated without them and other aggrieved party members in the forthcoming elections.

“It is on the basis of this that we, as legitimate and duly elected members of the state executive committee of the APC in Kwara State call on President Muhammadu Buhari, our National Chairman, Oshiomhole, and other national leaders of our party to urgently intervene in this imbroglio before it becomes irredeemable.

“As the party’s foot soldiers in Kwara State, who also felt the pulses of the aggrieved members, we believe that the window of reconciliation is not still closed,” the statement added.

APC Appoints Nabena Acting Spokesman Cancels Cross River congress Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË The National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved the appointment of Mr. Yekini Nabena as Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party.

The ruling party has also cancelled the state congress earlier conducted in Cross River State, saying the conduct was not in conformity with the party’s guidelines and the constitution.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the National Chairman, Simon Ebegbulem said the appointment followed the resignation of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who recently defected to the PDP. In a letter of appointment signed by the National Secretary of the APC, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, addressed to Yekini Nabena, it said : “ I write to convey the resolution of the National Working Committee reached at its 34th Regular Meeting of August 1, 2018, mandating you to resume duty as the Acting National Publicity Secretary with immediate effect.

“This development is sequel to the resignation from the party

by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi as the National Publicity Secretary.

“While wishing you success in your services to the party,

please accept the assurances of our highest regards”.

Meanwhile, APC has cancelled the state congress earlier conducted in Cross River State, saying the conduct was not in conformity with the party’s guidelines and the constitution.

The NWC however, upheld the conduct of the ward and Local Government Area (LGA) congresses in the state, which was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In resolution signed by the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and the National Secretary, Hon.Mai Mala Buni, shortly after a meeting of the NWC yesterday the party said “ the National Working Committee at its meeting of August 1, 2018 has reviewed the conduct of the congresses in Cross River State.

“Consequently, the NWC has approved and upheld the conduct of the ward and Local Government Area Congresses as observed by INEC. “However, the National Working Committee has found that the conduct of the state congress was not in conformity with the party’s constitution and guidelines. Accordingly, the NWC has voided the state congress earlier conducted and has ordered for the conduct of fresh state congress in Cross River State immediately,” the party said.

SAFE MOTHERHOOD SUPPORT

L-R: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo; President, National Council for Women Societies, Mrs Gloria Shoda; Chairperson, State Primary Health Care Development Board, Mrs Victoria Denenu; State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu; wife of the state governor, Mrs. Rachael Dickson; Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, and Deputy Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Madam Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay from Gambia, during the official launch of the Safe Motherhood programme inYenagoa...recently

FG Using NBC to Muzzle Us, Daar Communications Alleges Olawale Ajimotokan ÓØ ÌßÔË Daar Communications Plc has flayed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for allegedly becoming a tool used by the federal government to muzzle the communications company from performing its constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.

NBC over the weekend imposed a fine of N1.5 million on Daar Communications for infringing on the Nigerian broadcasting code.

The regulator alleged that Daar Communications exceeded the allowed 150 kilowatts band occupancy limit approved for FM Radio stations.

Subsequently, it sanctioned the owners of Ray Power 100.5 and Africa Independent Television (AIT), claiming it allowed the anchors of its Political Platform’s

episode of July 24, 2018 to express unproven and inciting allegations, contrary to the provisions of the broadcasting codes.

But briefing journalists yesterday at the company’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of Daar Communications, Mr. Tony Akiotu, said the recent spate of fines and media persecution by NBC were at variance with the broadcast code.

Akiotu also alleged that the company was being intimidated because of its blatant refusal to pander to the request of the commission to either drop some presenters or tone down the vibrancy of the Political Platform programme.

“At various times, through overtures from the commission, we have been requested to navigate the course of the discourse on

the programme to desperately support the sitting government at all costs, irrespective of the glaring security challenges, killings and the pervading socio-political and economic dislocations that abound in the country, which are daily expressed through the mails from the citizenry and the analysts,” Akiotu said.

The managing director said the company’s installed equipment in Owerri, the Imo State capital; Umuahia in Abia State and Enugu in Enugu State were vandalised by unknown persons because of NBC’s flagrant refusal to inspect the stations and allow it calibrate the stations for transmission.

He added that as part of the onslaught on its operations, NBC also closed its Yola station in Adamawa State.

Akiotu refuted the accusation of frequency violation, saying the company opted to pay the fine

first before deciding to complain later in public space to prove it was law abiding as a pioneer in the industry.

Daar communications also referred to the contentious issue of licence fee dispute with NBC, saying in spite of its reservation about the huge fees, it had always fulfilled its financial obligations. ‘’As we speak, we have paid up N1 billion as our licence fee for the five-year life cycle from 2010 to 15. We paid N500 million for TV and N500 million for Radio.

But we asked for negotiation for the new cycle for our licence fee from 2016 to 2021. This is in the wake of the recession that has affected the broadcast industry.

We agreed to pay but asked for renegotiation and for the fees which the broadcast industry can work it and for the business to survive,” Akiotu said.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018

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POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

‘Nobody Inherits an Office in Politics’ Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe thinks the defection of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was justified. He urged Saraki to immediately join the presidential race.

He spoke with Segun James and Shola Oyeyipo

S

enate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has dumped the APC, what is your take on this?

I’m not surprised that Dr. Saraki has dumped the APC. In fact, that he stayed this long shows the resilence in him, his level of internal comportment and strength because the party to which he belonged, and through which he superintends the senate of the National Assembly has become nothing but a major enemy to him. They have plotted all sorts of things against him. They have challenged him officially and unofficially. They draggied him io court. They have made life very difficult for him making pronouncements that are very embarrassing.

The party has not hidden its disdain for the person of Saraki, ever since he became the Senate President. The most recent is the issue of the Offa robbery. That is the most preposterous accusation anybody can make to a person of that caliber.

We’re all politicians. People use all sorts of people for political campaigns. I also buy cars and give people. If I buy a car and give it to somebody and he now uses the car to rob or kill somebody, or kidnap, how do I become guilty? Or is it the issue of the flagrant disrespect from the Inspector General of Police when the Senate invited him? He refused to turn up and he seems to enjoy the support of the executive and nothing comes out of it.

His membership of the APC is long expired.

With his return to the PDP, don’t you think there would be a conflict between him and the present PDP executive, both in the state and the national level?

There shouldn’t be. Dr. Saraki is a well known accomplished politician. You can call him a maverick if you want. In Ilorin; I was there; every segment - the religious, the traditional rulers and the ordinary people - made it very clear that they do not play politics outside that of Bukola Saraki. If I am part of the leadership of the PDP, it is a welcome development because it is wherever Saraki swings that the electorate will swing and if the purpose of a political party is to win elections, if somebody who can help you win election comes in, if you are a good party man, there should be no issue.

As for the national, that is a lot easier. This was a party, under which he became governor for eight years in Kwara State and he was Senator for four years before he contested again and became Senate President. Prior to that, he was chairman at the Governors’ Forum. So, he is someone that is well entrenched and thoroughly mixed with the system in PDP. If he could survive APC for four years, going back to his base is a walk in the park.

Now he has decamped to PDP, how will this affect the polity and his position?

Outside President Buhari, the most important, the most talked about and evidently, visible Nigerian politician today is Dr Bukola Saraki!

That is the truth! Because he is very separate from the park. So, his coming into PDP and, possibly joining the presidential race; I think it is when Saraki gets into the presidential race that the race will actually, really and truly begin.

In fact and indeed, the 2019 battle is between Buhari and Saraki for the Aso Rock Villa.

Rumours and reports of impeachment by the National Assembly against the president has been flying, do you see this possibility?

There is nothing like that. He had that opportunity when most Nigerians would have

Okupe

lined behind him. If he wanted to impeach the president, when the president was sick indefinitely and wasn’t looking good at all and even some of the president’s friends were already preparing to inherit his throne, Saraki and Dogora, stood resolutely with him and protected the president and the status quo. At that time, if they had come up with the idea; people spoke about it at that time, nationally and internationally. Some people would have been upset but people would have supported it.

If he didn’t do it then when it was easier, is it now that the president has bounced back and all of us are preparing for election and the whole atmosphere is tense that he would do it?

It will be a political misadventure for him to try it. I can say that is not on his plate and I can say too that the Saraki I know is a tactical and strategic person. Removing the president tomorrow by impeachment will be a whirlwind that will not do anybody any good.

Now that he has gone back to the PDP and there are other aspirants for the presidency in the party, most especially former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, would there not be a conflict?

It is not conflict, it is contest and politics is all about contest. Anybody who doesn’t want to contest cannot be in politics. Nobody

The party has not hidden its disdain for the person of Saraki, ever since he became the Senate President. The most recent is the issue of the Offa robbery. That is the most preposterous accusation anybody can make to a person of that caliber

inherits an office in a political system. You can’t inherit it. You have to contest for it. And if it is worth its while, then it is worth contesting for. Of course, the PDP has an array of very wonderful, fantastic, experienced politicians – likeable! Abubakar Atiku was a former vice president. He is an eminent Nigerian. He is eminently qualified to run for that office. So is former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido; the vibrant former governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso; so is Dankwabo, the present governor of Gombe State. They all want to contest the presidency under the PDP. That is why I get very perplexed when people say that they can’t see anybody. All these people I mentioned, all of them, without exception, are better than President Buhari – all.

They are younger. They are better educated, more enlightened and they have what it takes, and they have evidence of some measure of capability and performance.

So, it is not going to be a tea party. But the difference here is that Bukola Saraki towers above all of these people for so many reasons; by his pedigree, by his level of education and his political antecedents.

He was governor for eight years. In those eight years,. Look at the ingenious way he brought in the Zimbabwe farmers to Kwara. He altered the entire agricultural landscape of Kwara State.

There have been positive experiences from this development. His programme on health care and health insurance for local people is still the template for better healthcare in the country. He has shown so much capability; and providence and happenstance, all happen to put him in leadership position.

As governor, he was Chairman Governors Forum; as Senator, he is the President of the Senate. This is a man that has combined executive experience with legislative know-how. I do not see anybody that is better qualified to be president of Nigeria in 2019 than the Senate Presidenti.

There is this label of corruption on the PDP, don’t you think that is capable of affecting the fortune of the party in 2019?

All that is propaganda that was used to remove President Goodluck Jonathan from office.

Is APC not corrupt? Corruption is pervasive and a cancerous matter in this country. There is corruption from the top to the lowest person.

The executive, including banker, lawyers are corrupt. Very few Nigerians can raise their hands and say they are not corrupt; that they are not beneficiaries of corruption.

On corruption, you have to give Buhari accolades because it is something that you have to attend to and that is why it is encouraging that the president took it heads on; but there are institutions that should be established to handle some of these things. It should not be based on a leader’s benevolence because leaders will change.

You have a very low opinion of the president. Would you say that you are echoing former president Olusegun Obasanjo who happens to be your leader?

I do not have a low opinion of President Buhari. I didn’t support him. Let me also tell you, in a reverse order. I am so impressed by his patriotic zeal and drive- that in spite of crippling illness, he kept faith and wanted to serve his fatherland. I have been sick before and I know how I felt.

I hold the President in the highest esteem.

As a person, he has comportment, he is not frivolous and not also given to behaviour that are unbecoming. But I disagree with his government, I disagree with their pace of work, I disagree with the way many things are going wrong. On a personal note, I hold the president in the highest esteem I still want him not to run for a second term.

I have said it before and I am saying it again, we don’t have icons in this country.

We have somehow managed to destroy all our icons and heroes. Muhammadu Buhari is somebody we can still preserve as a national treasure. That is only if he does not allow himself to be pushed into this dangerous pursuit. I he wins, there will be problem. If he loses there will be problem. He should try the Mandela option.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018

POLITICS

‘People Celebrate When Their Houses Are Marked for Demolition’ Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen fields questions from Okon Bassey on his encounter with the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and debunks insinuations that the Governor Udom Emmanuel signed a pact to serve one term. Excepts.

Y

is on-going from Ikot Ebritam to Ekefe. It had even been in the federal budget for several years.

In Oruk Anam alone we have four projects. In Abak when the governor went to open the Girls Model School in Ikot Ikan. That road has been completed. We have done three other interventions in Abak. What the governor has done in that senatorial district is amazing compared to the record we met on ground. Records of fair sharing of infrastructure have been more pronounced during this government than any other government. The governor has directed me to do the Ika Road. Ukanafun Road is on-going. Out of 10 LGAs in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District we have touched seven.

ou are considered Governor Udom Emmanuel’s right man, is true that the Governor entered an agreement with the Oron people to serve one term after which an Oron person will serve one term to complete the mandatory two-tenures for the Eket Senatorial District?

Oron is in my senatorial district. I believe in evidence. There must have been people at that meeting. A document must have been signed.

Where are these documents? Who were at this discussion? At the time Governor Udom Emmanuel was emerging, Oron people had gone to other camp. Most of their leaders were in the other camp.

I believe with all my heart that Governor Udom Emmanuel will not tell a lie. People believe that in government, you must tell a lie to get things done. I am of a different school of thought that is why I am able to work very freely with the Governor. The Governor says it the way it is.

There was no such understanding. If you tell me that the then governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio must have had some understanding, I may not argue because I was not there. Governor Udom Emmanuel was not there.

There was a disagreement between your ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the execution of projects in Akwa Ibom State, has this been sorted out?

We expected that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will support the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, to add value to the lives of our people. We expected that they will tell the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, we want to help you here. Where do you need help? What we condemned was that, every time, the governor, goes to an environment and makes pronouncement, the following day, NDDC will deploy the equipment, sometimes without contract paper.

Exactly what happened on the Youth Avenue, when the Accountant General of the state did thanksgiving, it was on a public holiday and he asked Ministry of Works that he wants that road to be done, and on Wednesday morning, we saw equipment being moved to the road and we asked where is the contract paper? There was none. Where is the design? There was none. I put a call through to the director in charge of NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom. He said he had not awarded the contract. It was a political thing.

NDDC is expected to complement the effort of the state government. This is our money, not NDDC’s money. Akwa Ibom is the highest oil producer and gives the highest contribution to NDDC. We welcome those projects but not substandard projects,that every time rain comes, it washes it off. That money is recorded against our state in the books at the centre, that 18 roads were done in Akwa Ibom. In truth, no road was done, and we will go back to square one. That is the truth.

About two months ago, the Governor received a plea from the people of Edemeya, that there was no road linking Edemeya and other communities.

The governor directed me to visit the area. I was walking through a bush path to get to the area. I reported back to the governor, that the area needs intervention. He directed that we should do a survey, we were still doing the survey, but what I heard when I came back was that NDDC has also sent people to go and do a survey. Why that particular one that has been lying down there till the governor spoke? And if we pull out of that project now, they will abandon it.

It was the same with Hospital Road in Abak.

We were on the design when NDDC put up a sign post, and we said okay, good enough, and we left. It became a political issue.

There were reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited you recently due to your relationship with estate valuers , can you explain why you were invited?

I will explain the compensation payment component that we met when we came on board in 2015. It was open to abuse in the sense that one man is the estate valuer and that same man

Inyang-Eyen

will make payment. On that basis, the governor directed that we decongest that arrangement.

We had to break the system into three, have the estate valuer to value for government, after valuation, you bring the report to the ministry of works, we go out for physical verification, after the physical verification, that report is approved and given to a payment consultant. If you had overvalued a property for whatever reason, you will not enjoy the goodies because you are not going to pay. You are not even associated with payment. If we go out for the physical verification of every property, and for instance, there are five buildings-one is N20 million, another is one is N5 million and the third one is N8 million, we ask why one building costs higher. Many times, the reconciliation has been in favour of government. Once we take that report, you longer have anything to do with that document.

Once I don’t find a property physically standing as at the day of my verification, it is eliminated from the list. It is what I don’t remove that the payment consultant pays based on the valuation and we pay 90% which is the net to the property owner, the 10% is supposed to be kept for the property owner who has not given out power of attorney to anybody, but we also discover that, some property owners were deceived into giving out power of attorney. There are several others that more than one person has the power of attorney. Under that circumstance, we suspend the payment, because you don’t know who to pay to. What we concentrated in paying was the net value to have right of way.

These people that have been beneficiaries of the system are claiming that if we have N50 million to pay, they should be prioritised and I don’t agree with that and they went to EFFC. The EFCC wrote to the ministry, but by the time I did the explanation and I told EFCC, you are not debt collectors, if anybody has any problem against government, he should go to court. I told the EFCC that if you prove that one kobo is missing from the projects claim, I resign. We have done, the best and most transparent form of compensation payment in the history of this state. Time will tell who is telling the truth.

Is the payment of compensation not delaying the construction of projects in the state?

The contractor always gives us a percentage to pay the compensation. What we have eliminated was that wholesome payment. Before now, money would be released to the contractor, he surrenders all of it and pays compensation for 10 kilometres of raod and no money is left for the construction and they would say that the road is abandoned.

We now have a strategy that we will pay by installment, even if you give me N5 billion, I will not pay a whole sum as compensation. You give a contractor N5 billion, the highest you can ask him to give is N250 milliom because the other N4.75 billion would not construct the two kilometres of road. Why take the money and pay compensation and leave the road undone?

What is more critical is not the compensation payment, it’s the construction of the road. That is what people are going to use. What we do is, we are pay in alignment with the work done.

Any road that the contractor has not exhausted the right of way earlier provided, we don’t pay any new one. If construction is not going on on any road, it means that government has not funded that project and therefore there will be no compensation payment on that road. As soon as government funds that project, we take a small percentage of that money to pay compensation and the work must finish on the portion that has been paid for. There are false expectations.

People celebrate when their houses are on the right of way. They believe that they will make a whole lot of money.

What is your comment on the assertion that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District was neglected or never benefit from the current state administration in terms of provision of infrastructure?

We met Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, though commissioned, at 42 per cent completion. Right now, that road is at kilometre 23 with all the side drains. The road is remaining two kilometres to the Four Point Sheraton Hotel. In Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, we went to Obot Akara LGA there was no road in Obot Akara and we did 6.4km that links Nto Edino. We also awarded another 4 km at Nto Ndang. We went to Ikono and we did 4.6km that opened up the College of Art and Science. Today, it is becoming College of Technology. We went to Ini LGA, the food basket of the state, we are working from the headquarters, Otro-Ikpe to Arochukwu with bridge which is on-going now. When the governor went for his three years anniversary inspection, he was told that the first governor who got to Arochukwu through the area was Paul Omu when he was Military Administrator of Cross River State and he came on motor cycle; that governor Emmanuel was the first governor who has driven in a car to Arochukwu. We went to Oruk Anam. In the last administration, the only road awarded in Oruk Anam was Ikot Akara-Ibesi-Okpokoro. That road terminated in the middle of no where. We are bound to complete that road. The governor awarded Ikot Eka Idem-Okoro-Ikot Ebritam 23km

Few months to the election year, many states have started shutting down from construction site, but the Akwa Ibom state government is going ahead to embark on many road projects, how long can this be sustained?

The governor believes that working for the people will determine his next level. He believes that he was brought here by God to serve the people, not minding what a few people will say.

He believes that his tomorrow will be determined

by God and the people of Akwa Ibom State that he is working for. I have always told people that we have found a connection between the construction we are doing, the infrastructure we are putting on the ground with the heart of Akwa Ibom people. The question is, because of election, you suspend development in your state, where is that money going to? I’m of the opinion that without anybody pressurising you, with what governor Udom Emmanuel has done, you will vote for him. We will remain on site.

Udom Emmanuel has brought a true change to the infrastructure dynamics of Akwa Ibom State.

The people are happy. You cannot stop doing what is right because the people are appreciating what he is doing. He is not going to buy the heart of the people. What he has got to do is to sustain his good works and the people will decide. They will make their choices.

A construction company, VKS is handling the road from Nkana in Etinan to Awa in Onna, it cuts across Afaha group of villages, the drainages have been made and the road seems to have been abandoned, what is happening?

That community is not being fair to the government, the governor doesn’t just sit over that community, he sits over the entire state.

The governor rations the money into several projects. The governor initiated that project, it’s at 60% completion, so that community should rather be thanking governor for God to provide more and it will be completed. They wouldn’t think that because governor has come to that place to start that job, every other should be suspended. It is not done that way. For the people of Awa group of villages to think that the governor who has come and has done 60 per cent will not finish the road in their area and they are angry, I think they are not being fair. Let me also tell you this, there is a major trunk road that if it is not completed, the other ones inside will not have value. Which one is more important, Etinan- Ndon- Eyo Road or the Awa Village Road? The governor is a strategic thinker and he believes that if we can do Ikot Oku-Ikono- Etinan Road, Etinan-Ndon Eyo Road, Etinan-Eket Road to open up the main system, the other small alignment can take place. So the governor right now is concentrating on finishing Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, which is a key alignment, rather than go into one village to do one small road. How do you even access the road when the main alignment has not been done? If the governor leaves Etinan-Ndon Eyo that is going to be the centre piece to open up the entire state to construct the Awa-Nkana road it would not make sense that you drive in a bush track and enter a tarred road in your village. It will be completed.

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FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430

Mowarin: How I Successfully Fought Corruption in Niger Delta Amnesty Programme Major Hassan Kesiena Mowarin served in the Nigerian Army for 16 years and retired voluntarily in 2011. He was Chief of Staff and Head of Education Unit at the Presidential Amnesty Programme. In this interview with Sylvester Idowu, in Warri, Delta State, Mowarin talks about his role in efforts to check corruption in the amnesty programme during his tenure. Excerpts: in possession of fake amnesty ID cards and were receiving text messages informing them of their UN codes right at the venue being sent to them by criminals in the PAP data unit! Additionally, others are having their monthly legitimate stipends short-changed.

These genuine ex-militants who have been cheated have been crying out repeatedly over the years. Most have given up hope and moved on with their lives while others I believe have taken their frustrations back to the creeks and the lives they knew pre-amnesty.

To uncover the depth of rot in the amnesty programme you must first unlock and unravel the PAP database. After which it is simply a case of following the money trail and seeing who is being paid what.

Consequently, I fully support calls for a forensic audit of the PAP database. I do believe however that the appropriate investigating agencies are already on top of this.

What qualified you to serve in the Presidential Amnesty Programme?

I am from Delta State, paternally of the Urhobo ethnic stock of Agbarho Kingdom and maternally of the Ijaw ethnic stock from Oporoza community in Gbaramatu Kingdom.

I am a proud Muslim and retired voluntarily from the Nigerian Army in 2011 after 16 years of unblemished service to Nigeria. I joined the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in July 2016 and served under the Brig Gen PT Boroh (rtd.) administration initially as head of protocol, logistics and deployment until I was later appointed to head the onshore education unit of the PAP. I like to think of myself as a man of my word, strict disciplinarian and very proud.

I have also been told severally that I am a very stubborn man (laughs). Having already meritoriously served the Nigerian nation as a whole for 16 years it was my sincere desire to one day be able to serve my people in the Niger-Delta in similar fashion. I saw my employment in the PAP as a veritable means to that end. The name I bear is my father’s name; I wanted also to make my own name.

What are your views about the current PAP Coordinator, Professor Charles Dokubo, and why did you leave the Amnesty office?

I worked very briefly with Professor Dokubo as Chief of Staff. Dokubo is an elderly gentleman and I believe that he came on board with good intentions for the programme and the Niger Delta. Coming from an academic background, I hope he will prioritise PAP students’ welfare, unlike the previous administration. However, like most men who start with good intentions, he should be extremely wary of jackals and hyenas that he has around him. They usually undo such good men and lead them astray.

Few of them are still in that office and new ones have come to join the ravenous pack.

The professor should be extremely cautious.

I left the PAP of my own free will because of my differences of opinion about the administrative style of the new coordinator. This is quite normal in every work environment. I felt it was appropriate to give the new coordinator the free space he needed to work with the new staff he had decided to bring on board. Professor Dokubo is a father and will always have my respect as such.

Stakeholders have suggested that the federal government should set up an independent committee to embark on state by state verification of personal data of the 30,000 ex- militants being paid monthly by the Amnesty Office.

Do you subscribe to this?

The PAP so called database, as it presently exists, is an entire fraud. Do you mean that since inception in 2009 not one ex-militant has died? Are we also saying that not a single ex-militant has been trained, empowered and subsequently exited from the programme?

Even with the entire three years of General PT Boroh’s often touted “Exit Strategy”. Now, you have hundreds, if not thousands, of genuine ex-militants in various schools.

These genuine ex-militants in school are from the PAP Database and are budgeted

Mowarin

to receive their monthly stipend. Additionally, while in school they are supposed to receive in-training allowance, also budgeted for. However, when these beneficiaries are

There have been numerous allegations that thousands of exmilitants who were originally disarmed and demobilised were subsequently omitted or removed from the database. There are also complaints that many others have had their names replaced either with nonexistent persons or with names of nonex militants

placed in schools, PAP stops paying their monthly stipends. The question is, where does their money go to? Because at the end of each month, the PAP claims they are still paying 30,000 ex-militants!! So who is getting the stipends of ex-militants in schools? It is obvious to all except those who benefit from the fraudulent perversion of the original lofty ideals of the PAP that something is seriously wrong with the management of the programme. There have been numerous allegations that thousands of ex-militants who were originally disarmed and demobilised were subsequently omitted or removed from the database. There are also complaints that many others have had their names replaced either with non-existent persons or with names of non- ex militants. It has been alleged also that genuine ex-militants have seen their names published in newspapers as having been trained and empowered whereas they have never even been called for any form of training. Unique United Nations (UN) codes allocated to genuine ex-militants during the disarmament phase are being sold to unsuspecting non-beneficiaries of the programme. In fact, during my verification exercise of students in schools in 2017, students as young as 16-18 years of age were having UN codes. How is this possible?

How old were these children in 2009? And how did they get these UN codes? Also during that exercise and even during my pre-deployment screening exercise in Port Harcourt and Asaba, several candidates were

You were Head of Education at the Presidential Amnesty Office, responsible for deployment of students. Can you explain the alleged inclusion of ghost students in the programme?

At the time I was appointed to head the onshore education unit of PAP, I found a situation where; students were deployed to schools randomly and arbitrarily using text and whatsapp messages; secondly, disjointed and severe lack of documentation (records), sometimes conflicting records of figures of students in schools; thirdly, hundreds of failed, expelled, non-existent and duplicated student names still on PAP payroll and finally, exorbitant fees being paid by PAP in some schools etc. These observations led me to conduct a forensic verification exercise to determine and resolve the above mentioned issues. My findings and subsequent actions approved by the coordinators at that time led to the recovery of almost N500 million as overpayment by PAP from several schools; the removal of almost 400 ghost names, duplicated names and failed students’ names which led to savings in excess of N1billion by PAP and the establishment of an education unit database (first in history). I won't be surprised if most of those failed students names have been re-inserted into the payroll in my absence, because you see they are source of income for the criminal syndicate. You see, prior to my appointment, the education unit was run by a highly deviant and corrupt organised criminal syndicate. Some of whom are still serving in the current PAP administration.

Amnesty scholarships were being sold. How they operate was by using their agents in the field to sell amnesty scholarship slots and genuine amnesty beneficiary ID codes to innocent and poor Niger Delta children desperate to go to school; these agents go further to make fake amnesty ID cards for these children to convince them that the deal is genuine; additionally, the agent’s criminal partners in the PAP data unit take original UN codes from their so called PAP database and re-allocate them to these young children.

The children are now told that as part of the deal, when they are placed in schools they are obliged to be remitting between 35k and 40k every month out of their monthly in-training allowances to the agents of this

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INTERVIEW

Mowarin (middle in suit) with some amnesty programme beneficiaries

criminal syndicate which they share with their co-conspirators. It is the names of these persons who have bought UN codes that are then uploaded on the PAP database as 'genuine beneficiaries'. Consequently, when it’s time for PAP deployment to schools, the data unit mostly forwards names of those of its 'customers' whom they’ve sold slots, to the education unit for deployment to schools.

I have already provided the investigating agencies statements and evidence with regards to these facts. When I discovered this fraudulent blood money enterprise, I subsequently decided not to consider the fake names provided by the data unit, instead contacting the ex-militants, stakeholders etc. directly for lists of their candidates. It is because I refused to be an accessory to their criminal industry that is what drew their battle line with me since then up to present day. And this is why they are desperately trying to smear my image as evidenced by the almost daily publications telling fairy tales about me and wild allegations painting me as the corrupt one.

Now back to your question about ghost students. Obviously you are privy to the smear campaign being waged against me on the pages of newspapers and online media.

When you step on the toes of a blooming criminal industry naturally, they fight back with fire and fury. I have however maintained a dignified silence and will not join issues with criminals peddling falsehood and fairy tales.

I do find it strange, however, that the almost 1,000 children deployed illegally to selected schools at the tail end of General Boroh's administration that completely bypassed the education unit and all legitimate procedures and due process by this criminal gang is not being questioned. Because those students are wholly their 'customers' from whom they are collecting monthly remittances. In fact, PAP does not even know the names of these children and we had to later ask the schools to provide us the names! Why are they not talking about that? But children that went through a legitimate, transparent selection and screening process are now being called ghosts? Is it because these children are not part of their scam business and won’t be making monthly remittances to them? This brazen impunity, daylight robbery and injustice must stop. This same fairy-tale allegation has

been forwarded to investigating authorities against me is being reproduced on an almost daily basis on the pages of newspapers and social media sites. You see how corruption fights back? That the criminal gang in the PAP has sufficient funds to wage a smear campaign against me and enough funds to be awarding multi-billion naira contracts, but the same office doesn’t have money to pay its students their allowances- saying that students can't be paid until investigations on me are concluded! To the best of my knowledge the entire PAP is still under investigation and this hasn’t stopped PAP from awarding fat and juicy contracts so they should stop being mischievous. Enough is enough; I refuse to submit to this criminal syndicate. They should provide credible evidence if they have to the investigating authorities or they should shut up period.

It is shocking that from the time late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua established the Presidential Amnesty programme, there have been constant

To uncover the depth of rot in the Amnesty Programme you must first unlock and unravel the PAP database. After which it is simply a case of following the money trail and seeing who is being paid what.

Consequently, I fully support calls for a forensic audit of the PAP database

petitions and allegations of fraud, mismanagement and embezzlement of funds by the handlers. First, it was against Kingsley Kuku, General Paul Boroh, and now Professor Charles Dokubo. What can be done to put an end to corruption in the amnesty office?

I don’t know much about Kingsley Kuku.

However, I am aware that he did place numerous creditable projects and processes on ground. For example, he built several training centres to reduce cost, improve proficiency and maximise value. However, these centres have never been utilised for a single beneficiary for a single day. Perhaps, because it is more beneficial to outsource lucrative contracts than to equip and utilise already constructed facilities. Corruption is not something that can be eliminated in its entirety. Most Nigerians misunderstand President Buhari and the war on corruption.

I believe President Buhari knows he cannot end corruption, nobody can. His intention is to ignite a spark in our generation which would light the raging fire that would ultimately fight corruption to its end. His plan depends on each and every one of us to play our own part. I strongly believe that change begins with each and every one of us. If not me and you, then who?

We should be ashamed of ourselves that it is taking an elderly gentleman to fight for our own interests and for our own future.

The federal government has released several billions of naira to the amnesty office since its inception, but it appears the amnesty programme has not made significant progress. What could be responsible for that?

This is part of the very sad narrative of the Amnesty Programme. To the best of my knowledge the Amnesty Programme has always received 100 per cent of its budgetary allocations, unlike the NDDC, which has allegedly persistently suffered funding shortfalls. It is best left for those who have been at the helm of PAP affairs to justify their expenditures. However, I believe I have already cited some examples.

Recently, some aggrieved leaders of ex-militant groups in the Niger Delta demanded the immediate termination of

all human capacity training contracts in the Amnesty Office based on allegations that a few individuals were being enriched to the detriment of the ex-militants.

What can you say about that?

The ex-militants have every right to express their legitimate grievances about the PAP in a peaceful manner; after all, the agency was established because of them. If the owners of the programme are not feeling any impact, then obviously something is seriously wrong. In my opinion, the PAP should have its operational headquarters in the Niger Delta region. Abuja is too far for most of the genuinely aggrieved beneficiaries to make repeated journeys to.

The coordinator needs to spend more time among the ex-agitators and also to personally assess the true performance status of the numerous awarded contracts. Additionally, frequent visits to local institutions where amnesty students are located and studying, to provide much needed moral guidance, encouragement and listen to their challenges.

As a leader and stakeholder from the Niger Delta, do you have any suggestion on how to redesign the amnesty programme to better the lives of not only the ex-militants but also other youths in the Niger Delta?

I believe the Amnesty Programme was very well designed by its original founders.

However its original concept and goals have been largely discarded and it has been turned into a well-oiled ATM that is serving the huge benefit of a few. Sadly though, this is not unique to the amnesty programme.

Good planning but poor implementation and re-purposing of a laudable project to serve a corrupt few.

What is your last word on the amnesty programme?

I would like to have hope in Professor Dokubo. I am certain that his selection and appointment was adequately scrutinised and vetted especially given the circumstances surrounding the previous administration.

However, he should be mindful of the antics of a criminal syndicate that have been in the corridors of the PAP for ages and will rubbish any good intentions he may have for the PAP.

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IMAGES

L-R: Dancehall music artiste, Daddy Showkey; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Chairman/ CEO, Lagos Ferry Services, Mr. Paul Kalejaiye; Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya; his counterpart for Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye and Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule during the Governor’s inspection of the Maracana Stadium, Ajegunje, Lagos...recently

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Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R; Minister of Communications, Honorable Adebayo Shittu; Director, Legal and Regulatory Affairs/Company Secretary, Airtel Nigeria, Shola Adeyemi, and President, Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, during the presentation of certificate to Segun Ogunsanya, MD/CEO, Airtel Nigeria as one of the top personalities in the book titled “100 leading Telecom & ICT Personalities in Nigeria...recently

L-R;Chairman, Zeph Associates, Abuja, Chief Tochukwu Nwosu; Chairman, Correspondence Ltd, Mr Mike Ojiakor; Brand Specialist, Globacom, Jemila Ibrahim and Juju music maestro King Sunny Ade at the business forum organised by Globacom for its dealers in Abuja...recently

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PHOTO: FELIX ADEMOLA

L-R, Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo; (Celebrant) Rear Admiral Peter Ebhaleme (rtd), Wife Elder Dorothy Ebhaleme and Dr Ona Ekhomu at the 70th Birthday and Book Launch in Honour of Rear Admiral Ebhaleme (rtd) held in Abuja...recently Photo; Julius Atoi

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Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, acknowledging cheers from party faithful during stakeholders meeting at State Banquet Hall, Ilorin.....recently

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 15.67 % 15 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

9% 11.38 % 11.78%

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

J U L Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

353.45 % -0.03% -0.21%

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

-0.21% 7.28%

EXCHANGE RATE N305.851US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes Winners Emerge in National Promo

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Treasurer, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Mrs. Olubunmi Ajayi; Vice Chairman, Mr Akin Akeredolu-Ale; former Chairman, Mr. Rasheed Yussuff; Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc, Mr Urum Eke; ASHON’s Chairman, Chief Patrick Ezeagu and Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ify Ejezie, during a courtesy visit by the association’s executives to FBN Holding Plc in Lagos…recently.

Report: Africa’s Broadband Connectivity Will Surpass One Billion by 2022 Stories by Emma Okonji Ovum, a data, research and consulting business focused on helping digital service providers across globe, has estimated that mobile broadband connections in Africa will rise to over one billion by the end of 2022, up from the 419 million figure it attained at the end of 2017.

According to the report, Africa’s digital economy will be built on mobile platforms, creating exciting opportunities for farsighted mobile operators to play a key role in the continent’s digital revolution.

As in many other developing markets in which mobile is outstripping fixed-line networks, it noted that mobile operators were becoming an important provider of, and platform for, a growing range of services.

In Nigeria alone, active mobile subscribers’ connections had been put at 162 million, with over 100 million internet users, and a teledensity stand-

ICT ing at over 116 per cent, as at May this year, according to recent statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator.

According to the latest report, Kenya’s M-Pesa money transfer service, which has helped in boosting Africa’s connectivity, was developed partly by Vodafone, which has compelled mobile operators to partner insurers, retailers, banks and other companies to provide a growing range of innovative services to Africans.

Air time, was even being used to replace cash for small payments in most African countries like Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, the report said.

According to the report, “In this growing ecosystem, payment solutions that are both secure and customer-friendly

are of paramount importance.

“In particular, as mobile operators offer more and more services, identity fraud is becoming an issue. As a result, the ability to verify customer identity is becoming a business imperative for mobile operators.”

“However, traditional identity verification methods are subject to manual error and provide a frustrating customer experience. In contrast, a digital and automated identity verification solution can have an immediate impact on fraud reduction and even improve customer enrolment,” the report said.

“A powerful digital identity verification solution that is automated and integrated into the business process brings a new dimension to customer identity management.

“While there are a number of associated benefits, we highlight the four key ones for mobile operators to include: Reducing fraud; Streaming customer

acquisition; Providing better customer support; and Creating new opportunities through digital services,” the report added.

In the area of fraud reduction, the report revealed that deploying identity verification services could help to reduce the crime.

It quoted Technology Research Institute ad saying; “real-time point-of-sale identity verification services are an invaluable aid to stopping fraudsters from exploiting identity theft.”

“For example, since Orange introduced Gemalto’s identity verification tool, fraud in some stores was reduced by 100 per cent. “Additionally, performing identity verification in front of customers was found to discourage criminals from even attempting fraud.”

In the area of streamlining customer acquisition, the report explained that mobile operators Continued on page 24

Lawmakers Urged to Pass Digital Rights Bill Some Nigerians have expressed concern about the delay surrounding the transmission of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill (DRFB) by the National Assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari for the presidential assent.

The much-anticipated bill was passed in March by the Senate.

This followed passage by the House of Representatives in November 2017. Since then, the lawmakers have not transmitted the bill to the presidency.

In a campaign led by Paradigm Initiative, hundreds of posts were made on twitter and other social media

ICT platforms, calling on the National Assembly leadership to immediately transmit the bill to the president.

Using the hashtags, #DigitalRightsBill and #HB490, social media campaigners pressed for the bill to receive adequate attention throughout last week and this week.

According to a statement by Paradigm Initiative, and signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, “We are worried that since the passage in March, the National Assembly is yet to transmit the bill to the President for assent.”

“Many bills passed after DRFB have been transmitted to the president for his assent. This is why we have called on Nigerians to join us in a campaign dedicated to encouraging the national assembly to send this bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for his signature.”

According to Sesan, “As we have said times without number before, the Digital Rights bill is an important piece of legislation, not only for human rights in Nigeria but also for the economy of Nigeria.

“The bill provides for the protection of human rights online, protect internet users

from infringement of their fundamental freedoms and guarantee the application of human rights for digital platform users.

“The bill strengthens users’ trust and has been lauded as a step in the right direction because of the value it brings to the digital economy and the rights of the people of Nigeria.

“The bill seeks to guarantee human rights within the context of emerging innovative technologies, security concerns, increasing citizen participation in governance and democratic processes.”

Continued on page 24

The Large Michaels and Intel national promo, which commenced last February has produced winners, where the star prize winner went home with a new Kia Rio car. The winners emerged during a raffle draw, which held at Large Michaels’ corporate head office in Lagos, under the supervision of the National Lottery Commission, the Consumer Protection Council and the media.

A computer trader on Tinubu Square, Lagos, Igboanude Chigozie, emerged as the star prize winner and went home with a branded Kia Rio car, while other winners got consolation prizes like rice cooker, set of cooking pots, frier, and microwave oven. Other prizes include laptop and printer, which was won by the Managing Director of Geecat Solutions Limited, Amaka Enwerem.

All winners were full of joy and thanked Large Michaels for its commitment and sincerity of purpose. Some of the winners that were not present at the final draw, but won, were contacted on phone in the presence of a large crowd that witnessed the draw.

Expressing his joy, the star prize winner, said he was grateful to God because he least expected he would win a new Kia Rio car.

According to him, he has been purchasing computers and their accessories in bulk from Large Michaels stores in Lagos, but said he was amazed at the winning, because it was a single item of Intel Laptop that gave him the win.

Business Development Director at Large Michaels, Mr. Stanley Uzoechina, said Large Michaels deals on computers of all brands and that its sales were majorly in bulk purchase to wholesalers who in return, retail the products.

He, however, said the company also retail directly to customers who need to pick up single items.

“Our prices come very affordable without compromising on quality, hence we have influx of customers at every of our locations nationwide,” Uzoechina said.

Lagos To Celebrate Fintechs

To celebrate Fintech achievements and opportunities with focus on funds and payments, capital markets, insurance innovations, block chain and cyber security, the world’s attention will be on the city of Lagos as it hosts the Lagos Fintech Week in October.

In a statement signed by the chairman of organising committee, Dr. Yele Okeremi, the state government disclosed that, “Each day we will focus on a different topic. We shall ensure that there is plenty of time for networking and meeting other innovators.”

He added that there will be ‘Investor Summit’ that aims to enhance access to “funding for startups and improve the quality and quantity of Fintech investment deals in Nigeria.”

Lagos Fintech Week is a series of conferences, exhibitions, workshops, hackathons, meetups and awards. It would attract Fintech start-ups, technology companies, investors, financial institutions, research institutes and innovation professionals to engage the ecosystem in a stimulating discussions, demos and insightful debates. Since Lagos is now innovations hub where diverse financial technology solutions and opportunities are being created daily, he informed, it is imperative that the city host Lagos Fintech Week, which has as its theme, Fintech: Exploring the Huge Opportunities. The event would hold between October 2nd and 5th, 2018, in Lagos.

Twitter Posts Profit in Q3

Twitter posted its third consecutive quarter of profit and a 24 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue in Q2, even as monthly user figures failed to meet expectations.

Revenue totalled $711 million, up from $574 million in Q2 2017, thanks in large part to a 23 per cent jump in advertising revenue to $601 million. The US contributed more than half of the total revenue figure, $367 million in Q2, though international revenue grew 44 per cent year over year to $344 million.

The company touted Q2 as its third profitable quarter in a row, with net income of $100 million (compared with a prior-year loss of $116 million). However, Twitter’s efforts to clear fake and abusive accounts off its platform hit user metrics.

“Africa’s leading content and application providers must take advantage of the growing edge data centre ecosystem to exchange traffic on the continent, as this will significantly lower costs and improve performance of existing content ecosystem

General Manager, MDXi, a subsidiary of MainOne Company

Mr. Gbenga Adegbiji,

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REPORT: AFRICA’S BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY WILL SURPASS ONE BILLION BY 2022 offer customers a growing range of value-added services such as payments, Internet of Things (IoT) services and peer-to-peer payment solutions, and that the list keeps growing all the time. “By deploying an identity verification solution, mobile operators could benefit from a consistent and unique digital identity that covers all services at the same time. “Therefore, when existing customers decide to buy a new service, or extend the functionality they already have, it can be done seamlessly and without any additional inconvenience by using their digital identity,�

In the aspect of providing better customer support, the report was of the view that deploying a solution that is user-friendly right from the start offers a real advantage because it can be improved over time by gathering feedback from sales staff.

In creating new opportunities through digital services, the report said a multi-channel solution for identity verification, which also works remotely, provides a great opportunity for mobile operators to take the first step towards the creation of a trusted digital identity.

LAWMAKERS URGED TO PASS DIGITAL RIGHTS BILL The bill empowers law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to leverage technology to carry out their work with best practices obtainable anywhere in the world, It also empowers young Nigerians who want to learn, innovate and do other forms of legitimate activities online by safeguarding their rights to do so.

The bill when it becomes law, is expected to boost technological innovations in Nigeria and reverse the adversarial tendencies often displayed towards young people who embrace technology by security agencies as demonstrated by recent outrage against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Nigeria.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

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Comms/e-Business Editor

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Lagos’ICT Cluster Takes Off, Targets $10bn Revenue Eromosele Abiodun

entrepreneurship in information and communication technology.

They include Access to Funding; Access to Market & Demand; Infrastructure; Policy Regulation & Governance; Talent, Skills & Education; Research & Development; Network & Collaboration; and Advocacy & Marketing.

KITE@Yaba also includes the design and construction of a world class ICT Park for which LASG has already acquired 30,000 square metres of land in the Yaba area.�

The project’s governance structure, he stated, comprises a Project Steering Committee (PSC), “an Industry Advisory Board (IAB), the Project Delivery team and Subject Matter Advisors. “The PSC is co-chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State and former Minister for Communication and Technology and Senior Partner of TLcom Capital LLP, a technology venture capital firm, Dr. Omobola Johnson. “Other members of the steering

committee include Mrs. Uzammat Akinbile-Yusuf, Honourable Commissioner forWealth Creation and Employment; Mrs. Yetunde Onabule, Special Adviser on Urban Development; Mr. Abiodun Amokomowo, Chief Executive Officer, IBILE Holdings Limited; and Mr. Niyi Yusuf, Country Managing Director, Accenture. Accenture will provide project management office (PMO) support as Project Delivery Lead.�

He added, “The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) which

was inaugurated in June 2018, is chaired by Dr.Omobola Johnson, and comprises notable technology industry stakeholders including CcHub, Google, Microsoft, MainOne, Andela, Flutterwave, General Electric (GE),and Ibile Broadband, University of Lagos, and Lagos State University. “The role of the IAB will be to provide overall leadership and direction to the project to ensure its objectives are realised and ensure value for money to Lagos State based on experience and expertise.�

With the aim to create its own industrial clusters with a revenue target of over $10 billion in the years ahead, the Lagos State government has announced the commencement of the Yaba ICT Cluster project, known as KITE@Yaba or Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (KITE).

The state government in a statement on Tuesday, said the aim of the project was to provide an enabling environment that would facilitate and support the development of a technology cluster and ecosystem within the Yaba district of Lagos.

The Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Hakeem Fahm, stated that “KITE@Yaba is a public-private partnership (PPP), driven by the government and supported by several industry experts and advisors along the technology value chain.�

According to him, “It is expected that this initiative will contribute significantly to the economic development of Nigeria and position Lagos State as the hub for innovation in Nigeria, and preferred destination for technology investors and innovators. “The project will proffer recommendations to the Lagos State Government on eight critical areas to foster an enabling L-R: Partner, West Africa Tax Leader, Pwc, Taiwo Oyedele; Head, Emerging Businesses, Diamond Bank Plc, Ayodele Olojede; CEO, Uzoma environment for innovation and Dozie and Head, Retail Banking , Robert Giles, at the 64th Diamond Business Seminar held in Lagos‌recently sunday adigun

BUSINESS SEMINAR

‘Nigeria Needs Strong Regulation on Data-centric Digitalisation’ Emma Okonji Industry stakeholders have called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to do more in the regulation of data-centric digitalisation.

They pointed out that the world was fast shifting from voice telephony to data communication, occasioned by the emergence of new technologies that are re-shaping individual lifestyles and business narratives.

The stakeholders who spoke at the ICT Watch Network Award Ceremony with the theme, ‘Broadband Access: National Scorecards and Roadmap to 2020’, which held in Lagos recently, said although the NCC had done remarkably well in the area of telecoms regulation, it still

needed to do more in the area of data-centric digitalisation.

The President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola said, “The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has done a lot of developmental works in the area of regulation and standards but there are still gaps that NCC needs to fill. “Some of the area which ATCON thinks NCC needs to fill are the regulation of data-centric digitalisation of the telecommunication landscape and various interpretations of control and monitoring of telecoms infrastructure vis-a-vis states’ created agencies.�

According to him, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was doing its best to also ensure that standards are kept

in specific segments that relates to Information Technology (IT) and software development and procurement.

The resultant effects of good regulations and standards would lead to further investments in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, improve local content as per youths’ contribution to our national growth, increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in a structured manner, he said.

According to Teniola, if both regulators and the industry players could work out standards and regulations that are not detrimental to growth, Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector would become a friendly destination for huge further investment and this would lead to more revenue for government and job creation for

the teeming Nigerian youths.

Managing Director, VDT Communication, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, who laid emphasis on broadband regulation and penetration, said the NCC must address the issues of broadband penetration in the country, to enable al, Nigerians have access to the Internet at a affordable cost.

Broadband infrastructure requires huge upfront investments, which make rural broadband investment not viable amidst myriads of other challenges, Omoniyi said, adding that chances for rural broadband development varies directly with the general infrastructural development in rural areas. The more development extends into the rural areas from urban extents, the more rural broadband invest-

ment becomes more attractive, Omoniyi said.

He explained that unless government makes friendly policies for rural broadband investment and take deliberate steps to make rural broadband investment attractive to operators, the chances of broadband development in rural Nigeria, to a great extent, would continue to be in the same space as the general infrastructural and economic development in the rural areas of Nigeria.

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, in his response, said NCC would continue to thrive in the regulation of the country’s telecoms sector, which curs across voice and data communication.

Mainstreet Registrars Rebrands, Now Carnation Registrars Nume Ekeghe Mainstreet Registrars has changed its name to Carnation Registrars, in its bid to accelerate growth and become a leading player in it’s space.

The unveiling of the new identity and logo was well attended by stakeholders from the capital market, customers, SEC and the banking sector took place at the company head office in Lagos on Tuesday.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new identity and Logo, the Managing Director/Chief

Executive Officer, Carnation Registrars, Mr. Oluwadare Akingbola, said his firm with this new identity was targeting to be one of the top registrars in Nigeria through the use of innovation and technology.

Speaking on the name change, Akingbola said: “The decision to change the name is part of the guideline to be fulfilled in a divestment process. In 2014 there was a guideline from the Central bank of Nigeria that all banks should divest from non-core banking activities.

“Skye bought Mainstreet bank in 2016 and towards the end of 2016 Skye bank offered to sell the Mainstreet bank registrars which is this company we have now changed to Carnation Registrars limited. It was done through a transparent bid in which we participated and we won.�

On what to expect from the company, he said, “We hope that between now and the next 12 months, we would have been able to turn things around in form of balance sheet capacity in order to grow our client base

database. “In the past, Afribank used to be amongst the best registrars in the country and we want to get back to that level and we know it is something we can achieve.�

Furthermore, he added, “So many lines of businesses we could not do before when we were a subsidiary of a bank, we now have a new board of directors that can really drive the business and so many businesses and business ideas would come up in the future which would boost the

performance and the returns the company would give to its stakeholders.�

He further said they plan to make business as seamless and more innovative to fit their customers and client’s needs. “Part of the innovation we are trying to cairn is to be a one stop registrar company whereby any services our shareholders require can be achieved without necessarily coming to us physically at a very reasonable fee. So, for us technology is very key and we are working towards that.�

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Notore and Nigeria’s Journey towards Food Security Obinna Chima examines the contribution of Notore Chemical Industries Plc, one of the leading fertiliser, agro-allied, and power companies in Africa, towards Nigeria’s food security journey Since the drop in crude oil price about three years ago, which created severe economic crisis for the nation, the federal government has been seeking for support in its quest to diversify the country’s source of revenue.

Indeed, the fall in oil price then, affected the country’s foreign exchange earnings which saw the country plunged into a recession.

Therefore, to develop other sources of revenue for the country, the federal government has continued to encourage activities in the non-oil sector, especially in agriculture, because of the sector’s potential to create job and also boost the country’s earnings.

One of the companies that have committed to helping Nigeria in this regard is Notore Chemical Industries Plc (Notore).

Notore has also continued to invest in initiatives that would assist Nigeria achieve food security and also become self-reliant in food production.

Notore is one of the leading fertiliser, agro-allied, and power companies in Africa.

Under the leadership of the Group Managing Director/CEO, Onajite Okoloko, after acquiring the assets of the former National Fertiliser Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) through the federal government’s privatisation programme, Notore has since grown into an agricultural phenomenon, targeting local markets as well as exports.

The company’s principal activities include the supply of premium fertilisers, appropriate education on best practices for farming, and proper deployment of these practices for optimum results. The company has built a robust network of professionals that support farmers and farming communities across Nigeria.

After Notore acquired the assets of the moribund NAFCON in 2005, the company raised more funds from a syndicate of Nigerian banks and commenced extensive rehabilitation of the plant in 2007.

In early 2010, it started commercial production and distribution of fertiliser across the country.

Presently, Notore has the largest Agricultural Services and Extension team and is the trusted partner to local, commercial and subsistence farmers in Nigeria.

In addition, it has over 2,500 agro dealers and has developed and trained over 3,500 Private Extension Workers/Village Promoters and has made fertilizer in appropriate pack sizes available to rural farmers in over 2,500 communities across 30 states.

Notore has also created direct employment for about 500 Nigerians and indirect employment for over 5,000 Nigerians through its Distributors, Transporters and Private Extension workers alone.

It has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since production commenced. In 2010, Notore worked with experts and tackled the onion twister fungal disease experienced in Kebbi State.

Similarly, Notore contributed significantly to the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the government in recent past and is the primary supplier of fertiliser for the ongoing Anchor Borrowers’ Program (ABP) of the federal government.

It also worked with state governments and non-governmental organisations to develop fertilizer voucher programs in Kano, Kwara and Bauchi states between 2009 and 2011.

Clearly, the successes achieved from the programme became the basis of the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) program launched by the federal government. It supplied significant volume of urea to the GES program directly in 2012 and supported its distributors to effectively participate in the program in between 2013 and 2014.

Notore commenced commercial production and sale of Urea Super Granules (USG) in 2012; the initiative was a special intervention to increase the efficiency of fertilisers in rice production.

It introduced the first cassava specific fertiliser blend in 2013 which has gained popularity among commercial cassava growers.

Fertiliser Distribution Channel Fertiliser distribution in Nigeria prior to Notore’s entrance into the industry was limited to urban

Okoloko

and peri-urban centres. Nigeria’s estimated 14 million farming households who live in rural communities had limited access to this critical farm input.

Therefore, to address this problem, Notore’s distribution network was structured to ensure effective delivery of products to the nook and crannies of its market sphere at a uniform price.

By this strategy, the company ensured wealth creation to all partners in its distribution value chain while providing easy access to all farmers.

In building the desired structure, Notore works with a number of carefully selected partners to ensure the availability and maintain the quality of its products in all communities in Nigeria and other locations outside Nigeria.

The strong link between the company and its partners enables it to have control over the distribution channel up to end-user point. The distribution network involves transport partners, distribution partners, agro dealers and village promoters.

Village Promoter Programme The company, few years ago, embarked on a project to reach out to poor farmers in remote communities that previously had little or no access to quality fertiliser products.

The objective of the project was to educate small-scale farmers in appropriate fertiliser application methods as well as provide them access to fertiliser in affordable pack sizes. To implement the project, a total of 180 hitherto unemployed youths were recruited and trained as Village Promoters in the target communities.

Their duties were to train farmers with practical tools such as demonstration plots while also driving sales of affordable 1kg pack fertilisers to farmers. These Village Promoters together set up 917 demonstration plots and reached about 58,000 farmers in 15 states across Nigeria.

The Notore Village Promoters undergo a training program conducted by the Notore Agricultural Services Department, with a curriculum developed

by Notore and PrOpCom. PrOpCom is an innovative project funded by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID) whose goal is to improve livelihoods by facilitating growth and pro-poor outcomes in commodity and service markets and to contribute to the overarching (DFID/Nigeria) goal of poverty alleviation in support of NEEDS and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

The program focuses on agricultural best practices of proper fertiliser usage which will lead to a higher yield for farmers.

Farmers’ Learning Centre Notore Farmers’ Learning Centre is where farmers come together regularly to share farming techniques and learn new farming practices from an extension worker to improve their yield.

It is primarily made up of demonstration farms.

Each demonstration farm consists of two equal sub-plots: a best practice sub-plot and a common practice sub-plot.

On the best practice sub-plot, as the name implies, the farmers are led by an extension worker to implement a set of recommended best practices for specific crops in the region.

Similarly, on the common practice sub-plots, the farmers are required to implement the most common set of practices in their community. The two sub-plots are maintained side by side in order to enable the farmers to carry out a proper observation and comparison of the development of the crops on both of them over the planting season.

The participants in Notore Farmers’ Learning Centre session include one extension worker and thirty selected farmers from the target communities.

These farmers comprise representatives from every group that plays an active role in the community’s farming activities such as elders, youths, farm owners, sharecroppers and farm labourers. They are selected by members of their communities with the expectation that they will enrich their communities with the knowledge they gain from the learning centres. In addition to the thirty participants, interested residents and non-residents of the community are welcome as observers during the learning centre sessions.

There are two principal channels employed in sharing the lessons learnt at the Farmers’ Learning Centre with non-participating farmers: Farmer-to-farmer diffusion where each participant shares the knowledge he has gained with three to four neighbouring farmers by word of mouth as well as by implementing the practices on his farm for them to see clearly; and field days during which non-participating farmers within and outside the community are invited to a special learning session.

During these sessions, the participants educate them on the two sub-plots and explain the practices to them.

The farmers’ Learning Centres are located in key rice and maize farming communities in various states across Nigeria. These small-scale farmers are currently learning about how to improve their farms from the learning centres.

Transforming Distribution The distribution of fertiliser products to Nigeria’s farmers used to be a major challenge in Nigeria.

“Our nation’s smallholder farmers suffered for too long in the face of a poorly funded and inefficiently executed distribution chain that has failed to provide them with the fertiliser products they so desperately need in order to raise the productivity of their farms,� Notore CEO, Onajite Okoloko, said recently.

One of the most important obstacles was the state of infrastructure in the country.

For instance, poor roads, a lack of investment and a challenging climate, all combined to make it difficult for any distributor to trust that they could rely on the network to deliver their products on time at a reasonable cost.

Another issue with fertiliser distribution chains in Nigeria in the past was that the products wasn’t accessible those who needed them most - and when they did, they were either adulterated.

Farmers also had to travel long distances to buy fertilisers that were poor quality to begin with.

However, Notore’s revolutionary model for its fertiliser supply chain helped in changing this perception.

The company’s approach significantly improved the fertiliser distribution network in the country.

The first was in terms of affordability and wealth generation. “Notore took a huge step forward by breaking bulk and reducing bag size - making it easier for smallholder farmers to buy its products - but they have also created a supply chain that encourages entrepreneurship at a local level. “Its extensive network of Village Promoters are now effectively running their own small businesses, selling on the products to local customers at an affordable rate. This wealth generation extends to the Agro Dealers who supply the Village Promoters, and indeed the Transport Partners who supply the Agro Dealers. “The second benefit Notore’s unique approach to its distribution network has brought is that it is making a huge difference in terms of farmers’ perceptions of fertiliser use. Thanks once again to the dedication and expertise of Notore’s Village Promoters and its teams of extension workers on the ground, farmers are now seeing the direct, and very practical benefits of using premium fertiliser, in the correct way, on their land. It’s a gradual, but very real revolution,� Okoloko said. “We’re beginning to make real progress in terms of domestic fertiliser use, and our groundbreaking model for distributing has had a big part to play in this,� he added.

Gas Supply Agreement The strategic gas supply agreement recently entered into by Notore and Eroton Exploration and Production Company, an indigenous oil and gas producer, in 2015 has enhanced production of fertilisers from the Notore facility, giving the fertiliser, agro-allied, petrochemical and power company, a strong competitive edge over other producers.

Due to the availability of gas to the Notore plant, production days per annum increased from 193 in 2014 to 304 days in 2016. Production was previously constrained because of the number of forced shutdowns the plant had experienced.

Production is expected to increase further to 100 per cent of the plant’s installed capacity after the next planned turnaround maintenance, which is due to happen in a few months.

Speaking on the enhanced productivity from the fertilizer plant, Okoloko, said the partnership ended the gas supply shortfalls, which hampered productivity at Notore between 2013 and 2014.

According to Okoloko, significant shortfalls to its facility during the period for approximately 234 days cumulative, owing to incessant militant attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta, led to a significant drop in output from Notore. “Our fertilizer plant depends on gas as a major feedstock for production, so when the attacks affected gas supply from oil and gas producers, this had a corresponding impact on our productivity. “Notore’s plant has the capacity to produce 500,000MT of urea annually and 330,000MT of ammonia per annum, but this was halved between 2013 and 2015 because of gas supply challenges.

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Digital Inclusion as Factor for Economic Development Emma Okonji examines the issues raised at the 27th national conference of the Nigeria Computer Society , which focused on the opportunities and strategies of digital inclusion in driving economic development across the country The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella body for all computer professionals in the country, understands clearly the importance of digital inclusion in enhancing socio-economic and political development across the country, hence the focus of this year’s annual conference, which held in Ibadan, was on digital inclusion.

Experts at the conference stressed the need for Nigeria to imbibe the culture of adopting emerging technologies that would promote digital inclusion. According to them, this will help bring the majority of Nigerians on board and provide them with access to digital tools and platforms that will make them digitally inclusive in today’s digital era, where technology is driving innovations.

ICT Policy for Digital Inclusion In order to achieve digital inclusion and to provide the opportunities for Nigerians to innovate, the President, NCS, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, argued that there was need for the federal government to formulate a new national information and communications technology (ICT) policy for the country that would incorporate digital inclusion as a pivotal factor for driving Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development.

He advised government that the new policy should cover ICT infrastructure, broadband internet, fibre optic communication, local content prioritisation and regulatory framework. “It is my belief that building a digitally connected, prosperous Nigerian society, requires taking advantage of the opportunities of digital inclusion, overcoming its challenges and strategising for the future,� Aderounmu said.

He listed three key areas of action that could help digital inclusion become a reality in Nigeria to include access, affordability and application.

Access, he said is about building high speed internet access and make it available to all members of the society, such that people who cannot afford digital technologies, can do so for free in public places. He said affordability would drive access to internet and digital devices, while application implies that digital technologies and services are usable by people with varying levels of digital skills and abilities, including people with disabilities. “As Nigeria lags behind the rest of the world in digital inclusion, it is our professional challenge as NCS to identify knowledge gaps, proffer solutions and instigate collaborative efforts to quicken the pace of digital inclusion forward for our country Nigeria,� Aderounmu added.

Bridging the digital divide In his presentation, the Director General of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz Abubarkar stressed the need to bridge the existing digital divide in the country, for an all inclusive digital initiative.

He advised that government must implement digital inclusion strategies that are based on principles of equal opportunity, participation and integration.

Speaking on the benefits of digital inclusion, Abubarkar said it would promote social integration, civic engagement and participation, as well as promote self sufficiency. He said Nigeria must care about digital inclusion, and develop her human capacity around it.

Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof.

Abel Idowu, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olayinka Adeyemo, said there was need to widen the digital inclusion initiative in the country to accommodate more people.

He called for innovative changes that would drive digital inclusion in the country, and stressed the need to support the development of indigenous apps that would address societal needs.

NCS Conferences Committee Chairman, Mr. Jide Awe in his address said digital inclusion remained the cornerstone for successful digital development. “As technology changes the way we learn, live and work, NCS is exploring ways in which Information Technology (IT) can be used to create a future beyond oil in the country.

“The digital revolution is here to stay and its potential for creating jobs and driving development is huge but within the country, technology gaps are still wide,’’ Awe said.

Digital inclusion for governance On his part, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, noted that the adoption of digital technology would further enhance digital inclusion, economic inclusion and financial inclusion that would enhance good governance and policy formulation in Nigeria.

The governor therefore called on private sector organisations and government agencies to fast-track the process of adopting the right emerging technologies that will boost digital inclusion across the country.

Ajimobi stressed the need for governments at all levels to adopt digital technology, which he said would enhance good governance and policy formulation that would create jobs for Nigerians. He said the ability of government to use key technology to create enabling business environment, would offer huge opportunities for the citizens. “The adoption of digital technology has helped the state to build a foundation of peace and security, and to enhance economic growth,� the governor said.

The Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, in her presentation, supported the governor in the area of digital inclusion, policy formulation and implementation, but however stressed the need for digital infrastructure, if Nigeria must achieve digital inclusion. According to her, without digital infrastructure, it would be difficult for Nigeria to achieve digital inclusion.

She said the digital infrastructure level in the country was still low and must be increased to enable Nigerians have access to digital connectivity. “While developed countries are beginning to pull down their 2G and 3G technology networks and are investing in 4G technology, Nigeria is still investing in 2G and 3G technologies in providing services to customers. The private sector and the government must therefore up their games in line with the current trends in technology innovation and digital inclusion,�

Opeke said.

Citing Korea and other developed countries of the world that have 98 per cent internet connectivity in public places, with well distributed digital infrastructure, Opeke said Nigerian government and the private sector must invest in digital infrastructure that would give Nigerian citizens access to digital connectivity that will

boost innovation.

Opeke said government must review its policy on broadband infrastructure and redesign it in such a way that broadband rollout would be easy enough to provide ubiquitous broadband access to every Nigerian.

Speaking on the role of telecommunications operators in driving digital infrastructure, she said the operators were already involved in shared infrastructure in order to deliver digital access to the underserved and unserved communities of the country.

Achieving digital inclusion Prof. Patience Akpan-Obong of the Faculty of Leadership and Interdisciplinary Science from Arizona State University in the United States (US), in her presentation, also spoke on the role of policy and research in achieving digital inclusion.

According to her, the role of policy in ensuring digital inclusion is all evident but not so for research. For instance, a recent research conducted in Abuja, shows major gaps in knowledge, usage and the willingness to use ICT by civil servants in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the federal government in Abuja.

She further explained that the study of websites of 12 state governments in 2017 (six in the north and six in the south), shows that most states do not have functional efficient websites, while one state among the 12 do not have any official website at all.

She therefore, called for more research facilities and promulgation and implementation of relevant policies for more strategic leverage of ICTs in all sectors of the economy, politics, society and culture, adding that funding for ICT research should be integral to digital inclusion.

According to Akpan-Obong, the future of digital inclusion is already here with us and she encouraged the Nigerian government to grow digital leaders among the upper-level public and civil servants who are digital literates and are committed to promoting digital services.

She said government must be committed to local acquisition and development of technologies and make funds available for technology startups abs technopreneurs as well as make funding available for ICT research. She added that there was need for training of those who manage and use technologies as well as the need for the review of old laws, and if necessary, enacting new ones to legitimize electronic transactions.

Speaking on the barriers and opportunities of digital inclusion, Akpan-Obong said lack of awareness, skills training for capacity building,

access and availability to technology and infrastructure as well as the ease of use of technology and high cost of technology, could be barriers to achieving digital inclusion.

She called on government to increase efforts in awareness creation and sensitisation of its citizens towards digital inclusion through skills training and providing access to technology tools that will enhance digital inclusion. She said a large chunk of Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64, are on the margins of the digital economy that has been broadly defined. She explained that many digital inclusion projects were still far from the reach of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are located in few regions and cities. She suggested the establishment of more ICT projects that will enhance the overwhelming use of ICT tools in today’s digital era.

Digital inclusion and e-voting A former Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Otta in Ogun State, Prof. Charles Korede-Ayo, who spoke on the role of digital inclusion in electoral processes, said digital inclusion remained a necessary condition for effective use of electronic voting (e-voting) and electronic governance (egovernance).

He said government at all levels must provide the necessary infrastructure like broadband, hardware, power, among others, needed to enhance digital inclusion index ranking. Giving the production of e-voting equipment like card readers to foreign companies, will be huge capital flight for Nigeria to lose to foreigners. He suggested a joint venture with Nigerian IT professionals in order to cut electoral cost.

Citing Ekiti State gubernatorial election that gulped about N600 million, Korede Ayo, said he could imagine the cost of the 2019 general elections, but suggested that collaboration with IT professionals from the Nigerian Computer Society on e-voting, would go a long way to enhance voting efficiency and cost reduction.

He therefore called on IT professionals to venture into politics and become major players in political decision making and implementation in the country. “IT professionals must take advantage of the globalised economy to develop Apps needed to enhance digital inclusion for individual benefits and the benefits of the nation in general. IT professionals from Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSC and Nigeria Communication Satellite, should initiate a committee to harness available products that will drive digital inclusion,� Korede-Ayo said.

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Eckert: Nigeria Needs Robust, Ambitious Digital Agenda Vice President, Government Affairs, Huawei Technologies, Detlef Gerd Eckert, spoke with Onyebuchi Ezigbo on the need for the federal government to come up with a robust and ambitious digital agenda that is of national interest and cuts across all sectors of the economy, among other issues. Excepts: Huawei recently organised a one-day conference on ‘Africa-China Cooperation in ICT and Digital Economy’, which held in Abuja recently, designed to improve Nigeria’s economy. What are the likely beneďŹ ts for Nigeria?

I am from Germany, but I worked one year for Huawei in China. Before I used to work for the European Union and in the commission, I was responsible for digital telecommunication and I am a big fan to digital policies. To your question on the importance of having an ICT or digital agenda in this conference and the benefit for Nigeria, I will like to say that that Nigeria should have a robust digital agenda which is very ambitious, and Nigeria should have the ambition to become a leader in Africa in this field because without ambition there will always be excuses of not catching up and not being better connected. But the truth is that nothing prevents government from analysing the situation and setting up ambitious objectives, which must of course be realistic. In order to be ambitious, government needs to have a mapped-out strategy, the digital agenda must be a national priority, which means there is need for presidential commitment behind it and in other wings there must be a concrete step where government can move from strategy to implementation which I believe should be the big difference.

I am really interested in how Nigeria can beneďŹ t from a digital economy as you said. How can this be felt in other sectors?

The importance is mainly on the other sectors and not on the ICT sector. It is important in other sectors for instance, agriculture which of course is linked to rural development which will help to increase productivity, open new markets, better connected to the world through e-commerce to sell better. The farmers can get more information about the latest development and with Internet of Things (IoT), you can use sensors on the crops, on the cattle and many other production facilities in agriculture.

I think agriculture should be the number one priority for digitisation in Nigeria.

We know that this won’t come easy because infrastructure has to be put in place to support this. So what kind of infrastructure is needed to support the

well in terms of allowing new IoT networks to come out without difficult authorisation.

For instance, Byte share is a billion US dollar business in China and this has been done without a major regulatory obstacle. They didn’t put any obstacle to develop mobile payment to the banks and this was a huge success and now China has forty times more mobile payments than the United States.

As a private company how is Huawei encouraging digitisation in Nigeria economy?

Nigeria has one of the most important markets in Africa, which is due to the size and also due to the potential in the country.

And the most important contribution of Huawei is to work together with the local industry to develop an eco system, to develop infrastructure and to develop the digital service on top of it like for instance IoT. As an example, how we worked together with MTN to develop how to better connect with the local community in the border to Benin Republic to get mobile access.

A technology which is affordable to connect to rural regions which is one of our priorities, in addition Huawei has also developed training centres. Over the last year 20,000 students have been trained in ICT. I think this is something the government can approach more in collaboration of development skills.

Eckert

digital economy?

We are creating an infrastructure exclusively for one sector. We are making an overall basic infrastructure, which we call connectivity and wireless networks to move our communications and this means the private sectors needs support to roll it out and this means in the first place the government can help to reduce the cost, the time and effort of the process which is the basic step.

China is already operating a digital economy. What can Africa especially Nigeria learn from the experience of China as a case study. What is the key success?

China has made it cheaper for the telecommunication operators to roll out their networks. Spectrum is cheap, site authorisation is very fast and affordable.

So, this is something that China has done

Beyond the partnership with Chinese embassy and NIIA in organising this conference, which other way is Huawei supporting the Nigerian economy?

We will like to continue to invest because it is important to exchange information just as your question implied to develop more co-operation.

We need to have more of these events and work closely with the Nigerian government on the digital plans and as I said, the three most important points for the digital plan that we will like to work with the government; the first is on the goal setting, and the second is on the partnership with the local eco system and the third is to really get into implementation, support the project in order to drive the development.

Pervasive Broadband Access T-Mobile, Nokia Sign Global Accelerex Moves to Will Boost GDP, Says NCC $3.5bn Network Agreement Address Cybercrime Stories by Emma Okonji The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the growth in the telecommunications in can be sustained through the provision of pervasive broadband access that will further boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Currently there are about 162 million active mobile connections and over 100 million internet users, with teledensity standing at over 116 per cent, as at May this year, a development that NCC has described as impressive.

Speaking at the 2018 ICTEL Expo organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos recently, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the next frontier to deepen digitisation globally is through the development of broadband, otherwise known as high-speed internet access.

According to him, the NCC will continue to promote the development of broadband in

Nigeria in order to sustain the growth and gains of telecommunications in today’s digital era.

Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs at NCC, Mrs. Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, said: “Nigeria has an auspicious target to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration by the end of the year in line with the National Broadband Plan (2013-2018), and I am happy to inform the public that despite teething challenges, we have so far hit 22 per cent threshold of the 30 per cent broadband target.� “With telecoms’ contribution to Nigeria’s GDP currently standing at over nine per cent, it is expected that ubiquitous broadband access will further deepen the contribution to GDP. More access to telecoms/ broadband access means more contribution to GDP, but less access means lower contribution to GDP. With better and wider access coverage, the contributions of telecoms to GDP will move from 9 per cent to a little over 10 per cent,� Danbatta said.

T-Mobile and Nokia have announced a landmark $3.5 billion agreement to accelerate the deployment of a nationwide 5G network.

Nokia will provide T-Mobile with its complete end-to-end 5G technology, software and services portfolio, assisting the Un-carrier in its efforts to bring its 5G network to market for customers in the critical first years of the 5G cycle.

According to the Chief Technology Officer at T-Mobile, Neville Ray, “We are all in on 5G. Every dollar we spend is a 5G dollar, and our agreement with Nokia underscores the kind of investment we’re making to bring customers a mobile, nationwide 5G network.

And together with Sprint, we’ll be able to do So. Much. More.�

As part of the agreement, Nokia will help build T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network with 600 MHz and 28 GHz millimeter wave 5G capabilities compliant with 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) standards.

The Chief Customer Operations Officer, Nokia, Ashish Chowdhary, said: “Nokia

and T-Mobile will advance the large-scale deployment of 5G services throughout the United States. This is a testament to our companies’ strong and productive working relationship, one which has produced several important technological milestones in recent months, and which now allows us to make 5G a commercial reality.�

5G promises to enable faster speeds, massive connectivity, decade-long battery life for sensors and super-responsive and reliable networks for customers. This will unleash on-demand virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences, driverless vehicles, medical monitoring, advanced industrial automation services, and so much more – all requiring ubiquitous low latency connectivity.

T-Mobile will leverage multiple products across Nokia’s end-to-end 5G technology, software and services portfolio, including commercial AirScale radio platforms and cloudnative core, AirFrame hardware, CloudBand software, SON and 5G Acceleration Services.

The Global Accelerex Cybercrime seminar that was organised for Nigerian security agencies in Abuja recently has been described by the seminar participants as a move that would address the challenges and rising trends of insecurity in the cyberspace.

More than 40 security officials across 15 Nigerian security agencies, attended the seminar, and they described it as very impactful in terms of the relevant sessions and quality of the presentations.

From the Nigerian Armed Forces to the Department of Space Administration, to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Police, delegates exchanged experiences and gained further insight into tackling online crimes. It afforded attendees the opportunity to learn the latest in cybercrime trends and the mitigation techniques, including cyber security art and science, defensive strategies, security operations centre (SOC), risk management and penetration testing.

Commodore Hamza Ibrahim,

who represented the Nigerian Navy at the event said, “Cyber security is about process, technology and people. The human element must be constantly strengthened and nurtured through continuous training and education.�

The Chief Superintendent of Police, Aminudeen Muhammad, spoke on the importance of keeping abreast with the latest technological advancement.

Participants also proffered methods of reinforcing security defence architecture to prevent attacks from happening.

The Executive Director, Business Development and COO of Global Accelerex, Kayode Ariyo, reiterated the company’s commitment to support programmes that would make the cyber space safe for all. “By investing in people, our security apparatus will be stronger and stay ahead of cyber criminals. We are confident that the forum will help to further improve the strategies employed in the course of duty and make the cyberspace safer for all,�

Ariyo said.

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ATCON Celebrates Heroes of Telecom For its game-changing role in the country’s telecommunications landscape, the founder of Globacom, Mr. Mike Adenuga Jnr., alongside other telecoms operators were recently celebrated by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

Adenuga and Globacom were celebrated in the publication chronicling the agents of the revolution that transformed the telecom sector from a 400,000 lines to 162 million lines in a space of 15 years.

At the public presentation of ICT Book, which held in Lagos, the Chairman of the occasion and former Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, commended ATCON for documenting history for posterity, while the Minister of Communications, Chief Adebayo Shittu, who was the special guest of honour, lauded the association for the compendium.

According to the publication, since inception, Globacom has been in the vanguard of innovations in the industry, pioneering a long list of innovations, which have not only led to the rapid development of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, but have also helped to fuel the company’s rapid growth and expansion.

It recalled that Globacom introduced per second billing (PSB) in Nigeria at a time when competitors said it was not possible, adding that PSB made it much easier for Nigerians to

get value for money by paying only for the exact time spent on calls.

The book also documented Globacom’s crashing of the cost of GSM SIM and tariff from N20,000 and N50 per minute respectively to as low as N200 and five kobo per second, thus helping to aggressively boost telephone penetration in the country.

Other early revolutionary products pioneered by Globacom in Nigeria included Blackberry, vehicle tracking, mobile internet, mobile banking, multimedia messaging service (MMS), in-flight roaming services, voice SMS, Magic Plus and Text2email, among others.

Globacom, was also chronicled in the book as the first and the only operator so far with a wholly-owned submarine cable, Glo-1, linking Europe and America to West Africa to ensure the availability of bandwidth to enterprise customers in West Africa.

It was the first to launch 4G-LTE network in 33 cities in Nigeria in 2016 and recently scored another first with the creation of a dedicated path in its 4G LTE network for enterprise customers.

Globacom recently upped the ante with the laying of Glo 2, the first submarine cable in Nigeria to terminate outside Lagos with the aim of boosting access to bandwidth in areas outside Lagos, especially the oil platforms and under-served communities in the southern parts of Nigeria.

Ě“

HIIT Partners PSIN, Offer N5m Scholarship on Digital Literacy Training Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Information technology company, HIIT Plc has partnered the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) to offer free tuition and training in digital literacy course worth N5 million to children and wards of PSIN staff, as part of its corporate social responsibility(CSR).

The the company disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Unit, Ekaete Umo, issued in Abuja recently, stressing that the scholarship, which covers 160 participants is aimed at expanding its ICT scope to meet the present day ICT needs in the Public Service.

According to him, “by this gesture, HIIT is ‘catching them young’ and helping to build the capacity of participants in Information Technology to enable them have a solid base to launch them into the technology driven age. With a foundation like this, the new generation will smoothly key into the e-government policy of the Federal Government.�

Umo explained that PSIN is a management development institute (MDI) with a mandate to provide competency-based and demand driven training to Public Servants, using information and cutting-edge technology services in order

to enhance their professional, technical, managerial and leadership capabilities.

He said that in line with the transformation process of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, as contained in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), the Administrator/CEO of PSIN, Dr. Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo is repositioning the institute to key into the transformation process and play a leading role in the achievement of the strategic plan of the Head of Service.

Umo stressed that in acknowledgement of the pivotal role information technology has

to play in driving the present day economy which is reflected in the introduction of process for Ease of Doing Business, e-Government, Cashless Economy, Paperless System Of Government etc, Obatoyinbo is establishing collaborative partnerships with relevant organisations to promote organisational excellence and long-life learning in the Public Service. “As part of its CSR, HIIT Plc is offering free tuition and training in digital literacy course worth N5 million to children and wards of PSIN staff. The scholarship covers 160 participants,� he stated.

Konga Re-launches Pay on Delivery for e-Commerce Konga, e-commerce firm, has new mega warehousing and relaunched Pay On Delivery (POD) for the e-commerce market in Nigeria.

The service, which was launched August 1,2018, started with customers in Lagos, with plans to extend same service to other states from September 1st 2018.

The service is coming after Konga effectively achieved same day delivery of approximately 97 per cent of product orders in major cities in the last 30 days.

Confirming the development, the CEO, Konga Online, Mr. Nick Imudia, disclosed that POD was suspended when erstwhile owners – Naspers and AB Kinnevik were in discussions before the acquisition of the business by the Zinox Group. “We have taken our time to restructure, improve our technology and capacity in terms of our own staff and logistics to meet customers’ expectations. We have invested substantially in our logistics arm, K-Express culminating in the acquisition of new line-haul trucks, delivery vansand motor bikes to meet the commitments of not just POD, but also achieve a minimum of 85 per cent same day delivery of major products categories by July 2019 across the nation as mandated by the Board of Konga. “Someone must make it happen, and we have decided to take the bull by the horns with

storage facilities being opened across the country with best in class technologies,� he affirmed.

Imudia, also stated that Konga, in line with its status as the biggest composite ecommerce company in Africa, is expanding its retail network as promised by the company’s management, with a target of 100 stores before the end of 2019 but with a long-term ambition of achieving 774 stores by 2022 “Effective August 1, 2018 and considering Nigeria’s deficient payment system, Konga customers had several payment and delivery options.

This will go a long way to excite our customers and expand the numerous order fulfilment channels available to our customers. “In addition to pre-payment and payment on delivery, you have the additional option of ordering online to pay and collect from the nearest Konga retail store. Our customers can also walk into any of our stores nationwide and with the help of our staff, order products we do not have in store, then pay and collect when it is delivered at the store or we deliver it at their door-steps. At Konga, we consider the challenges of our market and simplify things for our customers. No other e-commerce company offers these delivery and payment options on the continent,� he concluded.

DISCUSSING CYBERCRIMES

L-R:Co-founder,DigitalEncode,PeterObadare;AssistantSuperintendentofNarcotic,NationalDrugLawEnforcementAgency(NDLEA),Mohammed Afolabi; Col. Emmanuel Ugwu; Executive Director/Chief Technology Officer, Global Accelerex, Stanley Ugochukwu Peters and Managing Partner, KaizenSolutionsGroup,USA,TahmeedRab,atacybercrimeseminarorganisedbyGlobalAccelerexforsecurityagencies,whichheldinLagos...recently

Vodacom Advocates Digitisation for Sustainable Nigeria.

Citing the recent report from National Population Commission (NPC), which puts Nigeria’s population at 198 million and as the most populous nation in the sub-Sahara Africa continent, Vodacom has said there is need for Nigeria to digitise all its contents and activities in order to maintain economic stability.

Finding solutions to this growing concern, was the focus of the discourse at the recently concluded Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo, 2018 organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The event, which recently took place in Lagos brought together various stakeholders within the information communications technology (ICT) industry to deliberate on ways to increase efficiency in the country through

digitisation.

Speaking on behalf of Vodacom Business Nigeria, Executive Head of Operations, Olumide Idowu said: “Leaders around the world are committed to smart city building as they attempt to chart the course towards the development of their cities in order to meet social, economic, and environmental challenges.�

Idowu noted that Nigeria is at a pivotal moment in its technological revolution and the current lack of infrastructure provides a ready springboard for the utilisation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to create a smarter and a more efficient nation. By using IoT technology, which is commercially available today, a host of intelligently connected services such as efficient healthcare in rural communities become possible a reality.�

“In the last one year, Vodacom Business Nigeria, in collaboration with some state governments, made significant strides in the development of smart solutions for problems facing rural communities within the State. In the area of healthcare, a solution was deployed to help increase the availability of essential medication by monitoring drug stock levels, improving the delivery of healthcare for citizens who access public health services. In education, Vodacom has also launched a mobile school management solution which provides real-time visibility of all management activities at schools,� he said.

The solution, according to Idowu, was deployed to over 4000 public schools in Nigeria. “While in the area of agriculture, our connected

farmer solution provides a platform for connecting various stakeholders within the agricultural ecosystem to create better accountability and efficiency within the industry. Other solutions such as payment solutions, backup solutions, energy, utility and security solutions are just a few examples of smart solutions available within the Nigerian context. The significance of digitisation cannot be overstated in creating a smarter, more efficient and more sustainable economic environment in Nigeria.

The sooner the shift to a digitalized system happens, the faster the nation can build a competitive advantage on the global stage and she can begin to reap the social, economic and environmental benefits that are sure to follow,� Idowu added.

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Care Campaign Initiative as a Positioning Tool Beyond advertising and other marketing communication tools, brand owners are fast exploring new channels to drive home their messages, Raheem Akingbolu reports.

The relevance of any brand is adjudged by many criteria. A school of thought summarises brand strength under the premise of Presence and Voltage.

In the view of this school of thought, Presence is a measure of how many people know about the brand and understand what it has to offer.

A brand with a high level of presence will enter a buyer’s consideration set more easily than a brand with low presence.

Voltage on the other hand, is a relative measure of how efficiently a brand converts people from low to higher levels of attitudinal loyalty which in turn increases the pace of purchase.

A brand with a high voltage score is positioned well to grow its share of sales in its product or service category.

A strong brand can also be described as one which has market leadership, viable brand perception, high top of mind recall and visible presence in the marketplace.

Competition in the telecom sector In the Nigerian telecommunications market where operators depend on subscribers trust to succeed, the competition has been stiffer than other sectors.

The challenge of the operator is to continue to hold the attention of likely subscribers. In helping to achieve this, use of celebrity endorsers, reality shows, and promotions have been widely used as marketing strategy by operators of the major networks in the country.

This becomes necessary because of the belief that advertising alone might not solve the problem as many newspaper readers and television viewers, these days, pay little or no attention to campaigns.

As at the last count all the major operators –Airtel, Glo, Etisalat and MTN are either involved in reality show, talent hunt exercise or sponsorship.

Experts believe that these areas are attractive to the owners of the brands to appeal to the youth market.

Care initiative From the get-go of MTN’s operations in the country, the company, through its Nigerian subsidiary, has left no one in doubt about its desire to deliver a brighter future to Nigerians. This, according to its promoters, the brand routinely demonstrates by operating in the most socially responsible manner. “It is not positioning but a rule it set for itself, a rule it has abided by from then till today, and a rule it will not contemplate to review in the future. “To achieve this, it elected to operate in the realm of superlatives in the three legs of corporate social responsibility (CSR) – corporate

Broad Street

governance, corporate social investment and corporate philanthropy,� PR Manager at MTN Nigeria, Funso Aina, had stated.

According to him, in terms of corporate governance, the company adopts the highest ethical standards, abiding by the extant laws of the land, and operating in line with the international best practices.

Also, for corporate social investment, he stated that MTN Nigeria had ensured that its operations provide a win-win situation for all stakeholders in its business. “On the corporate philanthropy leg, the company, through its award-winning arm, the MTN Foundation, has demonstrated leadership by allocating one percent of its profit after tax (PAT) to humanitarian activities aimed at improving the health status of Nigerians, enhancing the country’s education standards, empowering Nigerians economically and delivering a brighter future to Nigerians. “It is unarguably the leading corporate organisation in the country in the provision of targeted interventions in a sustainable way,� the PR Manager stated.

Corporate Philanthropy Like its business activities, MTN’s corporate philanthropic gestures – from the ‘Schools Connect and Universities Connect,’ to the provision of critical medical equipment in hospitals and primary health centers, to training of lady mechanics and support to other economic empowerment and a host of other initiatives – have been a huge success, making great impacts across communities

FCMB UK Subsidiary Launches Personal Banking Proposition FCMB Bank (UK) Limited, an independently incorporated subsidiary of First City Monument Bank Limited, haas introduced its Personal and Business banking proposition in London, United Kingdom and Nigeria.

The launch was done in a ceremony in Lagos, that was attended by the top echelon of the business community within and outside the country.

The development, according to the bank, followed the latest variation of permission obtained by the United Kingdom-based bank to extend its services to include retail (investments) for individuals and business enterprises.

This was in addition to the existing wholesale deposit taking activities, foreign exchange, treasury, corporate banking and

trade finance offerings to corporate and institutional customers of FCMB Bank (UK) Limited.

The variation of permission was granted by the Prudential Regulation Authority, the financial services regulatory body of the United Kingdom, and it became effective in June. The Personal and Business banking proposition of FCMB Bank (UK) Limited is anchored on the Bank’s London Leverage and Africa Awareness.

This will enable the financial institution to deliver its promise of being the corporate and private bank for African-oriented entrepreneurs, investors and professionals across all their banking needs.

The Group Chief Executive of FCMB Group Plc, Mr. Ladi Balogun, while commenting on the launch, said, “our successful

UK platform has proven to be of great importance to the Nigeria stockbroking and international trade finance activities of FCMB Group.� “Leveraging our deep networks in Africa’s biggest economy, the importance of a London presence to many of our Personal and Business banking customers, and technological innovation, we welcome this opportunity to meaningfully serve more of our customers and grow the value of our UK franchise�.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of FCMB Bank (UK) Limited, Mr. James Benoit, said, “with the extension of its services, the bank is now able to receive deposits from both customer segments as well as provide them bank loans to enable them meet their financing needs.�

and cities in the country.

To remain relevant in the market, the brand has refused to be boxed into a corner.

At least, one would have thought that, having allocated as much as one percent profit after tax (PAT) to humanitarian gestures, and having achieved enormous impact, MTN could as well be coasting in the euphoria of these achievements. No! Perhaps, that’s why the company a few years ago, went ahead to dedicate 21 days annually to engage in further humanitarian activities. This period, known as ‘21 days of Y’ello Care,’ was MTN’s employee volunteer programme, when thousands of staff of the telecommunications company go out and engage in activities that positively impact the Nigerian people.

This year’s MTN 21 Days of Y’ello Care, which is the 11th edition of the MTN Group annual care campaign initiative, saw MTN staff in Africa, Middle East and Asia showing their goodwill around the world.

It kicked off on 1 June and was rounded off on 21 June, within which period, the staff of the company engaged in various activities, from youth empowerment initiatives, to public enlightenment walk, to ICT training and career fair. This year’s theme was ‘Creating a Brighter Future’.

Synopsis As part of the youth empowerment initiatives, the company’s staff engaged students on various topics at the skills Acquisition Centre, Ikorodu and the Vocational Training & Skills Acquisition Centre, Egbeda, amongst others. Some of the

topics the facilitators taught the students bordered around growing their businesses and how they can take their businesses online, utilising digital marketing techniques amongst other practices.

In a similar vein, the company took the Y’ello Care campaign to the University of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos, where it organised a free Google Digital Skills training session for students of the school.

The facilitators covered a lot of grounds, from content marketing, remarketing and jobs searches to making pitches, as well as how best to optimally use the search engines to achieve desired results.

One of the high points of this year’s campaign was the MTN Staff Walk, which was used to anchor the National Priority Project, raising awareness for Rhesus Gene Deficiency and child mortality on Friday, 8th June, 2018. Rhesus factor is an antigen occurring on the red blood cells of many human beings and some other primates.

This is an increasing health issue, especially as it relates to the haemolytic disease in newborns.

According to the National Population Commission (NPC), out of the about 86 million women in the country, 5.9 percent have the Rhesus disease. It is bewildering that despite this high prevalence, little is known about the disease in Nigeria. This is the major reason MTN Nigeria elected to raise awareness for the condition.

More alarming than the Rhesus factor issue is the country’s infant mortality rate, the number of children who die before their fifth birthday per 1000 live births in a year. According to the World Health Organisation, the country’s infant mortality rate stands at about 20 percent, the third highest in the world. This implies that one out of every five children born in Nigeria die before his or her fifth birthday.

It is therefore believed in many quarters that it was a thoughtful thing that the telecommunications company spared a thought for our little ones and actually took the bold steps of bringing a brighter future to them and their loved ones.

As the year’s programme rounded off on 21 June, observers believed that the campaign was worth it.

This was so because a lot of youths from across various divides benefitted from the skills acquisition programme; a lot of awareness was raised for the two medical issues that formed the year’s National Priority Project an d plenty freebies including laptops, tablets and other devices that would help the beneficiaries key into the opportunities that abound in the digital age, were given out.

Looking at the imports of the initiative, the Corporate Relations Executive, MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo, who appreciated the staff for their dedication and selfless disposition throughout the campaign, encouraged Nigerian youths to continue to focus on empowering themselves.

DBN Partners LAPO Microfinance Bank to Finance 10,000 MSMEs Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN), a wholesale development finance institution in Nigeria, is partnering LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited to provide lending to about 10,000 Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs).

The Managing Director/CEO of DBN, Mr. Tony Okpanachi, who spoke about the partnership in Abuja Tuesday, said: “This is a milestone achievement and I am particularly happy that we are getting a lot of traction on our lending activities with LAPO. “The collaboration is encouraging because they were among the first three Microfinance Banks we commenced our initial pilot lending with in November 2017. “I must commend the manage-

ment team for keying into our business model and I strongly believe we can work together to alleviate the financial constraints faced by MSMEs,� he said.

On LAPO’s commitment to the development of MSMEs in Nigeria, the MD/CEO, Godwin Ehigiamusoe said, “We strongly believe in the capacity and potentials of the MSMEs in alleviating poverty and creating jobs for our growing population. “We are happy with the partnership and we will continue to work with DBN to ensure that collectively, we are able provide the much-needed funding that the MSMEs require to flourish,� he said.

According to the IFC MSME Finance Gap Report in 2017, there are over 37 million MSMEs

contributing to over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic Product (GDP). However, less than 5 per cent of these businesses have access to credit in the financial system.

DBN’s emergence and interventions are therefore, relevant and timely to reverse this trend by making it easier for MSMEs to access financing to build and expand their businesses and unleash the power of the MSME business segment to drive national economic development.

LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd is a pro-poor financial institution committed to the social and economic empowerment of low-income households through provision of access to responsive financial services on a sustainable basis.

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Edo’s Drive Industrialisation, Capacity Building

L-R: Obaseki; Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, AAAM Members, Volkswagen South Africa, Thomas Schaefer; Senior Special Assistant on Business Bureau and Private Property Protection, Ikponmwosa Osayande and Director, Sales and Operations, Nissan South Africa, Jim Dando, during a tour of the Benin Industrial Park in Benin City‌recently

Building an industrialised society demands a great deal of work. Aside the need for strong, supportive structures that drive innovation and mechanisation of process, there is also the unyielding vision of a leader to drive the process and ensure that in the long run, the vision is sustained.

Hence, many industrial societies are sustained by formidable structures and institutions that ensure not only ample supply of human resources but also drive innovation among the populace.

So, in a case where the focus is to ramp up manufacturing, it is only logical to groom the manpower, attract investors, and create the enabling environment for everyone to work harmoniously with the right policy framework.

In Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has his eyes on the ball. With a daunting vision to recast the state as an industrial hub in Nigeria, he is pulling every string available to attract investors, build local capacity and create wealth for the state and its people.

Obaseki’s vision for driving industrial growth and development revolves around the belief that local capacity development is essential.

This conviction informed his prioritisation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which according to him is the bedrock of the vision to transform Edo into an industrial hub.

To achieve this, the state government had embarked on the construction of workshops, classrooms, laboratories, resource centres and purchase of top-of-the-range equipment for the Government Science and Technical College (GSTC), in Benin City, formerly known as Benin Technical College.

The reconstruction work would equip the college with requisite equipment for world-class technical and vocational education and training.

The redesigning of the college was aimed at developing local capacity for the companies that are setting up in the state.

As part of the state’s industrialisation drive, the rehabilitation of the college will provide a facility for model technical education to produce critical technical manpower for industries making in-roads into the state, in the wake of a spike in investments by manufacturing companies, among others.

As part of the reconstruction work, nine existing buildings will be refurbished, while four classroom blocks, two workshops, a specialist training centre as well as general site for works and services, will be constructed.

The college will be fitted with equipment

that would enable students obtain skills and knowledge in various aspects of vocational education to enable them act as drivers of the industrialisation policy in the state in line with global trends.

The equipment will include: Auto-Electrical Works; Building Construction/Bricklaying, Block-laying and Concreting Works; Electrical Installation; Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice; Motor Vehicle Mechanic Works; Radio, Television& Electronics Works; Refrigeration & Air-conditioning Works; Vehicle Body Building & Repair/ Auto-mobile Maintenance and a Laboratory Equipment for Technical Drawing Department.

The construction and fitting of a knowledge resource centre will serve the needs of the students and teachers at the college. For Governor Obaseki, the need to develop a robust, wellmodelled, well-organised, adequately monitored and quality technical and vocational education and training with appropriate national and international certifications will go a long way in building a solid foundation that will drive industrial growth in the state.

Edo Automotive Industry Investment Forum The Edo Automotive Industry Investment Forum is part of efforts by the Godwin Obasekiled administration to link the vast economic opportunities in the global auto industry with the state’s economic diversification strategy, in addition to the $500 million auto assembly plant deal between Edo State Government and Chinese investors.

In attendance at the maiden forum in Benin recently, were 36 chief executive officers of leading global auto brands and component suppliers.

These included those of BMW, NISSAN, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Bosch, Jaguar, and Deloitte, a consulting company, and Uber.

Others were representatives of the global auto makers, including Graffiti SA, Nissan, Toyota, Deloitte, Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA), Automotive Industry Development Center, DataDot Technology, Standard Bank of South Africa, International Finance Corporation and Afropulse Group.

The high-profile meeting between the Edo State government and chief executives of German, Japanese, American, British and other European car manufacturers, was premised on the emerging investor-friendly climate in the state and how the companies can leverage on the Benin Auto Park’s proximity to the Benin

Industrial Park.

The event unveiled the state government’s agenda for the auto sector and the opportunities for investors. The prospective investors had the opportunity to visit the auto trading site on Sapele Road and the future trading site at the Industrial Park also on Sapele Road.

The forum also had a session on the state government’s blueprint for the automotive sector which includes job creation for Edo people, the local sourcing of car components amid an environment of high exchange rate regime and volatility, which makes local sourcing of components cost-effective.

Benin Auto Park Speaking at the Edo Automotive Industry Investment Forum, Chairman and Managing Director of Volkswagen South Africa, Mr. Thomas Scheafer, said “We have the mandate of our parent companies to be here. What we are trying to do in Nigeria is to reach out in a brotherly fashion and say to you, ‘come on, let’s get this done.’ For years, we have been discussing with the government. But now we are committed to finding out ways on how to get Nigeria to where it should be and play its role on the continent.�

He said for them, “Edo State will be the nucleus for us as Nigeria has a large automotive industry that is worth exploring. Nigeria is good for at least two million cars a year. That will multiply the jobs on the continent. So where does it start?

Speaking on Obaseki’s commitment to driving the state’s diversification as a major pull, he said, “We invested in Rwanda, one of the smallest countries on the continent. Why? Because they have great policies and because they wanted to create employment. In Rwanda, we put our money where our mouth is. We are ready to invest in Nigeria and today, we are happy with what we have seen in Edo State and the commitment of the governor.�

Also, the Director, Sales/Operations, Nissan South Africa, Jim Dando, said that the automotive industry was excited about the wave of diversification in Nigeria, particularly in the automotive sector, noting that it was great news that Edo State government was taking the lead.

According to him, “We have been discussing the industrialisation of Nigeria for some time now. With the previous government, we were able to create an industrial and automotive policy. What we need to do now is to put the automotive policy in place and drive it with

states like Edo.�

For Dr. Jelani Aliyu, the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, the Benin Auto Park has at least two scenarios for growth, “with this support by the state government, I see the state becoming a hotbed for automobile sales.

The first instance will see the state grow from supplying used cars to brand new cars. Also, we see the influx of automobile component makers, who are also here.�

Benin Auto Park: What Edo stands to beneďŹ t Obaseki told investors at the Forum that the state has a thriving automotive market that services the Niger Delta market, parts of the North and even South Western Nigeria, as “Benin City boasts of a stock of not less than half a million cars. We want the companies to work within and even go beyond what the national automotive council provides.

According to Dr. Jelani Aliyu, across the globe, the automotive industry plays both strategic and catalytic role in economic development by contributing to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

For example, in South Africa, the auto industry alone contributes seven per cent of GDP as it is considered a critical component of the economy where it generates 350,000 jobs translating as the second largest employer of labour.

The industry also boasts of a market of 600,000 new cars with zero importation with 12 per cent of exports.

In Egypt, it employs directly and indirectly, 600,000 people in and has attracted an investment of over $5billion. It is the second source of foreign exchange after the Suez Canal.

The auto industry plays extensive role in driving the growth and development of Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (MSMEs) with respect to automotive parts, components and services and the attendant job creation.

The Benin Auto Park would contribute to the plan by the Governor Obaseki-led administration to support the growth of over 20, 000 micro, small and medium enterprises in addition to the creation of over 50, 000 associated jobs in the next four years.

During a visit to auto dealers along BeninSapele Road, as part of the Edo Automotive Industry Investment Forum, a dealer with Idris and Sons Motors, told the delegation that the corridor hosts at least 100 dealers, with thousands of vehicles in their inventory.

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As Nigeria, Niger Plan Refinery Chineme Okafor writes on the likely benefits and challenges of the planned construction of a petroleum refinery at a Katsina border town between Nigeria and Niger, to Nigeria’s economy Nigeria last week made some progress on its talks with Niger Republic to build a brand-new 150,000 barrels per day (bd) processing capacity refinery in a government-to-government inspired initiative.

Though planned to be built in a border town in Katsina between both countries, the refinery which would come with an associated crude oil pipeline linking it to oil fields in Niger.

It is expected to be funded with private sector finance and managed as well by private investors though championed by the governments of both countries. It also came at a time Nigeria has yet to get its four refineries to work at full capacities again despite reports of huge funds sunk in to revive them in the past.

To get kicking on the project though, both countries met in Abuja and set up two teams to be jointly managed by officials from the countries.

Inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, alongside the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, the task teams would

by December 2018, come up with a detailed project implementation roadmap.

The roadmap would contain amongst other things, bankable feasibility studies for the refinery and associated pipeline project; optimal project site and pipeline routes; security plan; as well as selected consortia of investors for the projects.

It will in a nutshell tell both countries if it would be prudent to build the refinery.

Essentially headed by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resource, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and his Nigerian counterpart, Foumakoye Gado, the teams would be expected to submit their report after which the implementation of the project could commence and possibly last over a two-year period.

Though no estimate as to how much the project would cost, has been made, it is however expected that financial commitments running into billions of dollars would be needed and from private sector financiers.

Rationale for another reďŹ nery up north With hindsight on how poorly an existing refinery – the Kaduna refinery which was built in the 1980s and managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – has performed since its setting up, pundits who spoke with THISDAY on the new development were uncomfortable with the plan.

They amongst other issues, raised valid questions about the economic rationale for the refinery; funding arrangements for the project; its likely management or operational model; as well as the viability of crude oil supply to it from fields in Niger Republic.

However, its promoters – Nigeria and Niger - were resilient in their argument for the project which they said would turn out a win-win for both countries.

Buhari said the initiative would provide a reliable market for stranded crude oil volumes from the Niger Republic, as well as provide petroleum products for Nigeria to enable it exit importation of refined products as she planned to do in 2019.

The president noted the project would be private sector driven with the full support of the governments of both countries. He pointed out government’s funds would not be put in it. “Nigeria and Niger have excellent relations for several decades, as neighbours sharing a long border with common cultural and historical ties. Nigeria sees this cooperation on crude oil export from the Republic of Niger and construction of refinery facilities in Katsina state as a win – win for both nations,� said Buhari.

He further stated, “In addition, it is my hope that the current frontier exploration efforts in the northern part of the country

far from Russian; Turkish; Chinese; and local investors, adding that a clean pre-investment process would be employed to get the best for the project.

Security, other issues Asked if the plan had taken into consideration the peculiar social challenges, especially terrorism and massive immigration, which currently existed in the region, Suleiman said the feasibility studies of the project would factor all that in, but emphasised it was perhaps the best way to stem the tide of immigration from Nigeria’s porous border with Niger Republic.

He noted that when the refinery comes on board and provided jobs for people in norther Nigeria, as well as means of monetising Niger’s crude oil for its people and government, both countries would become its biggest beneficiaries.

According to him, immigration from Niger to Nigeria would be minimised, while criminality associated with terrorism up north would be cut down.

(Chad Basin, Gongola Basin, Sokoto Basin, Bida Basin and Benue trough) will also result in the provision of additional hydrocarbon inflow to the corridors of the proposed pipeline and a potential refinery around Kaduna axis.�

Inaugurating the task team, the president said, “A steering committee has been set up to be chaired by the Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the alternate chairman is the Nigerien Minister of Petroleum, to provide strategic leadership, direction and governance oversight for the project.�

In agreement with Buhari, the Nigerien President, Issoufou, stated the project would strengthen existing economic and political ties between both countries.

He explained, “The country sees the refinery as way of uniting with the country after being separated by the colonialism. The initiative remained a way growing intra-African relationship.�

Providing some insights into the projects, Kachikwu on his part explained the decision to build the refinery and pipeline was taken after it was discovered the initial plan to build a crude oil line to the Kaduna refinery for feedstock supplies from Niger’s oil fields was uneconomical.

He noted that almost nothing of both government’s funds would be put in the projects, adding that investors were already lining up to partake in it.

According to him, about 50 investors were at the meeting to observe the processes and firm up their initial expression of interests.

The minister equally stated that the governments were mindful of the security challenges up north but not deterred by it and would push on with the plan. Niger Republic, he noted had been least-impacted by the security challenges occasioned by the Boko Haram terrorists. “There is a decision to build a pipeline from Niger Republic into Nigeria’s boarder town and construct a refinery with capacity probably between 100,000 and 150,000 barrels per day. It is all dependent on the Niger crude volume and what they find. “The study has to be done and we know what is involved. The technical and financial components, negotiating the finance. We have mentally structured our minds to a two-year period but it depends on what we find,�

Kachikwu said.

He noted Katsina was chosen to host the refinery because it was close to Niger, adding there was a potential for an extension

to Kaduna.

Further justiďŹ cation Notwithstanding the defences put up by Buhari, Issoufou, and Kachikwu, for the project which expectedly raised comments from the Nigerian public, THISDAY approached Suleiman, who is Kachikwu’s Senior Technical Adviser (STA) on refineries and downstream infrastructure, and lead of the project’s technical committee, to provide detailed explanation on its economics and sustainability.

THISDAY sought to know amongst other things if Niger with a proven one billion barrel oil reserves had adequate daily oil production to sustain the refinery, and he explained the country currently produced about 90,000 barrels of oil every day, with plans to bring in additional volumes going forward.

He noted that out of the 90,000bd produced by the country, 20,000 barrels went to its existing refinery which refined mostly diesel, while the balance of 70,000 barrels remained somewhat stranded because it had not directed access to the sea to ship them to destination markets.

Suleiman further told THISDAY that Niger’s access to the sea was through Cameroon which is thousands of kilometres away from it through a complicated pipeline system.

He added Nigeria was perhaps the best alternative to it and the country (Nigeria) considered this a good opportunity to advance its drive to become Africa’s foremost hydrocarbon hub.

According to him, northern states in Nigeria accounted for about 40 per cent of Nigeria’s entire petroleum products consumption which part of could be sourced from the refinery when it comes on stream. He also hinted that Niger had three highly prolific oil blocs which would supply the refineries. “It is a competitive world. Nigeria has the intention without excuse to be the hub of hydrocarbon business in Africa and therefore any opportunity that will give us that unique position to be the hub, we will grab it because it has a potential of business activities in all aspects of life. “There is no justification that ships coming to Nigeria and all other African countries go to Cotonou to fuel and bunker. If we have bunkering facilities in our territorial waters, you can imagine the volume of trades and employment opportunities there,� he said.

He claimed 14 expressions of interests on the project had been received by his team so

Experts’ views Notwithstanding, experts who spoke to THISDAY had mixed feelings about the project.

Some considered it a good development, while others felt it was somewhat risky and may not attract private sector interest as expected by the promoters.

For instance, Mr. Dan Kunle, who is a global energy business expert said the initiative could become a success if it had a competitive access to crude oil.

Kunle, also asked that a confirmation on the oil reserves of Niger Republic be made to be sure crude supply is secured and guaranteed. “I will give you my expert opinion based on industry knowledge and also because I want Nigeria to succeed, but I must also let you know first that the business of crude oil has not been palatable in Nigeria for more than 50 years. “When Niger first found oil, President Obasanjo attempted to sell the Kaduna refinery to the Chinese there so they could pipe crude to the refinery but that plan didn’t pull through,� said Kunle.

He further stated: “So, yes, the location is a good idea but what is the most critical success factor for crude oil refinery anywhere is the competitive access to crude stock. On this basis, they must go to Niger to confirm and validate the proven reserve there which would be used as feedstock to the refinery. “I said this because I know Niger has a contractual agreement with the Chinese who built a refinery there.�

Kunle, equally asked why the Chinese had not built a bigger refinery in Niger if the country had a big oil reserve, saying, “for the Chinese not be too aggressive there raises a question mark about the proven oil reserves of Niger.�

Another expert who however preferred to speak off records, stated that the question of location was almost immaterial in the conversation, but that the ability of the promoters to raise or attract funds for it was important.

He pointed to Nigeria’s refusal to deregulate her downstream petroleum sector as a potential put-off to willing investors. “While news of the proposed refinery is well received, it’s not quite clear if the government promoters and the designated private sector investors will be able to mobilise financing for the construction of the pipeline and refinery given the fixed retail price of petrol (in Nigeria). “Not everyone is a Dangote who can raise financing for a refinery in spite of this challenge of pricing. However, there is hope that the government will take the right steps to increase the probability of success of the several ongoing downstream projects in the industry - including this one,� said the expert.

T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ AUGUST 2, 2018

32

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Again, CBN Warns against Naira Mutilation James Sowole Ă“Ă˜ Ă•Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has once more warned against mutilating the naira. It also warned that any person caught handling the nation’s currency badly would be jailed for five years or given an option of N50,000 fine.

The Assistant Director, Currency Operation Department of the CBN, Mr. Benedict Maduagwu, gave the warning in Akure, Ondo State, at the beginning of a sensitisation programme for the market men, women and youths.

Maduagwu, who was among

the CBN officials that addressed the audience, said there was a need for citizens to develop a habit of properly handling the naira. “ Government uses tax payers’ money to print the naira notes so it is unfair for us to be rough-handling the notes. If you continue to spoil the naira notes, there will be no much money for the commercial banks to give out as loans to you customers and this will affect our economy. Do not squeeze the naira notes, do not write on the notes, naira notes put under the clothes because of bacterial infection to the body. Anybody

selling naira notes is an enemy of Nigeria�, he said.

The CBN officer said the scarcity of smaller denomination of naira in the circulation would soon be addressed.

He said the CBN boss would soon come to the state to sell smaller denomination naira notes directly to the market men and women, adding that the exercise would be carried out periodically. “We want to appeal to the commercial banks to be putting smaller denomination inside their ATMs in order to end the scarcity of smaller denomination in the country,� Maduagwu said.

‌Reviews Clearing System Rules In line with its drive to promote sound financial system in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revised the rules for the operation of the Nigeria Bankers’ Clearing System (NBCS).

According to the revised guidelines posted on the CBN’s website yesterday, the objectives of the NBCS remains to provide for efficient operation of automated clearing system, speedy and efficient collection of cheques, to prescribe appropriate standards for the use of the NBCS, among others.

The central bank explained that the new rules takes effect from September 1, adding that it supersede any previous

NBCH rules, cheque truncation guidelines, as well as others in the industry. “Any licensed bank that is not a member of the NBCS may enter into an agency agreement with any member bank of the NBCS for the purpose of accepting cheques and other instruments drawn on it and for collecting cheques drawn on other banks. “A member bank may be penalised by suspension from participating in clearing activities for such periods as shall be determined by the CBN for nonattendance of two consecutive meetings of the committee, without a satisfactory reason communicated in writing within five working days before or after

any scheduled meeting,� it stated.

According to the new rules, eligible financial instruments for clearing purposes shall include paper-based payment instruments such as cheques, managers’ cheques, drafts, dividend/ interest warrants, debit/credit notes and bankers’ payments.

These instruments would be converted to images for clearing purposes. “ Paper-based Payment Instruments deposited by the customer at any member bank shall be deemed paid by 10pm of the next working day (T+1) except where: a) it is returned by the paying bank b) a special caution or an extension of value date request has been received from the paying bank,� it added.

UBA, GTBank Take Banking Services to WhatsApp The United Bank for Africa (UBA) yesterday announced that its chat banker, Leo has launched its pilot mode on WhatsApp and will be fully available to customers by September 1, 2018.

This is just as the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) also announced that it will be leveraging the WhatsApp Business Solution to offer Nigerians an additional channel to connect with the bank for enquiries, service requests and access to other basic banking services. Both financial institutions stated these in separate statements made available to THISDAY. According to UBA, with Leo now on WhatsApp, customers who are lovers of the app would be able to open new accounts, check their balances on the go and carry out basic banking services. Speaking about the launch of Leo on WhatsApp, the Group Managing Director, UBA, Kennedy Uzoka said: “Our customers are at the heart of our business and we as a bank, are never relenting in matching our words with equal action. In today’s fast paced world with demands for quick responses, our aim is to make banking seamless and effortless for our

millions of existing and potential customers.�

Also speaking on the launch of Leo on WhatsApp, Group Head of UBA’s Online Banking, Mr. Austine Abolusoro stated: “UBA is a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and Leo, being a tested dependable and intelligent personality, will replicate on WhatsApp, the success it has experienced on the Facebook Messenger platform. “It is a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of your demography.’ ‘Leo is ready and waiting to help with any form of banking services’ continued Abolusoro. “WhatsApp has been in existence for over 9 years, reaching more than 1.5 billion people in over 180 countries. The premium private chat platform has assured that there will be no spam messages as the development is to enable businesses serve their customers with useful and helpful information. On its part, GTBank explained that following the launch of its Whatsapp Business Solution, the bank would be leveraging the platform to bring financial services closer to

customers, whilst offering them more channels to bank, make enquiries and have their service requests treated promptly. The WhatsApp service is expected to enable customers chat with GTBank on their mobile phones and request for basic banking services using the advised prompts.

All service requests will be treated instantly, depending on the internet connection of the user, the bank added.

Commenting on the bank’s service channel on WhatsApp, the Officer and Managing Director/CEO of GTBank Plc, Segun Agbaje said:“At GTBank, we are passionate about driving constant interaction with our customers to learn more about how we can serve them better as well as to provide them with the financial solutions that can add real value to their lives. By leveraging the WhatsApp Business Solution, we are continuing to expand our service channels as part of our commitment to making banking, cheaper, faster and readily accessible to customers wherever and whenever they choose to bank.�

Safetrust Records N307m ProďŹ t Nume Ekeghe Safetrust Mortgage Bank Limited has posted gross earnings of about N2 billion for the 2017 financial year. This, the company stated, represented a 35 per cent growth compared with 2016. According to results recently published by the bank, its profit after tax climbed to

N307 million, which was an increase by 683 per cent above its 2016 profit after tax.

The company’s total assets stood at N13.5 billion, compared to the N8.1 billion it recorded the previous year, while shareholders’ funds grew 100 per cent from N2.77 billion to N5.54 billion due to increase in issued shares. Presenting

the results at the company’s recently concluded 2018 annual general meeting(AGM) held in Lagos, its Chairman, Board of Directors, Ayodele Arogbo, attributed the bank’s strong financial performance in 2017, to improved service quality, robust corporate governance and excellent work ethics.

L-R: Regional Manager Maiduguri, Unity Bank, Lawan Abubakar; Zonal Head, Mustapha Mohammed; Representative of Electrical and Electronics Limited, Potiskum, Musa Umar Mohammed; MD/CEO Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Somefun; MD, AI Hussaini Global Enterprises, Isah Alhaji Hussaini and Head E-business, Unity Bank, Oluremi Tinuola, when Somefun received the customers who emerged top performing mCASH merchants in Nigeria, in Lagos‌recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

MARCH 2018 Broad Money (M2)

24,303,049.86

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,912,604.10

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,668,378.21

---- Demand Deposits

9,244,225.90

-- Quasi Money

13,390,445.76

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

15,619,134.18

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

8,683,915.68

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,267,136.53

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,823,345.45

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

5,433,209.43

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,609,863.98

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,443,791.08

--Other Assets Net

-17,583,220.85

Reserve Money (Base Money)

6,746,646.49

--Currency in Circulation

1,668,378.21

--Banks Reserves

4,357,551.58 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY JULY 31, 2018

The price of OPEC basket of ďŹ fteen crudes stood at $73.62 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $73.53 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

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MARKET NEWS

Equities Market Pares Gains on Profit Taking in Bellwethers Goddy Egene The gains recorded by the equities market in the last four days have been eroded as the market returned to the control of the bears. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index fell by 1.09 per cent to close at 39,031.72, while market capitalisation shed N146.7 billion to close lower at N13.3 trillion.

Although companies are

reporting their financial performance for the half year (H1) ended June 30, 2018, with some recording improved bottom-lines, investors moved in to lock in gains posted in the four-day rally.

Hence, the bearish start to the month of August. Depreciation in stocks such as Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, Access Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc were responsible for the decline recorded.

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

In all, 24 stocks shed value led by CAP Plc and Royal Exchange Plc with 10 per cent apiece. International Breweries Plc followed with 9.7 per cent, while Unity Bank Plc and Sunu Assurance Plc went down by 9.3 per cent and 9.0 per cent in that order.

Other top price losers included: Fidelity Bank Plc (8.0 per cent); PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc (7.2 per cent); Regency Alliance Insurance

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Plc(4.0 per cent); Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc (3.7 per cent) and Custodian Investment Plc (3.6 per cent).

On the positive side, 21 stocks gained led by Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc with 10 per cent. Jaiz Bank Plc trailed with 8.4 per cent, just as Okomu Oil Palm Plc and Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc chalked up 8.4 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, activity level was

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

mixed as volume traded fell 2.0 per cent to 240.0 million shares whilst value traded increased 10.9 per cent to N5.0 billion. The most traded stocks by volume were Zenith Bank Plc (94.9 million shares ), UBA (28.7 million shares) and Nigerian Breweries (15.1 million) while Zenith Bank Plc (N2.2 billion),Nigerian Breweries Plc (N1.6 billion) and UBA (N271.9 million) were the top traded stocks

O F

by value.

In terms sectoral performance three sectors trended southwards led by the NSE Consumer Goods Index with led with a decline of 2.3 per cent. The NSE Banking Index went down by 0.7 per cent, just as NSE Industrial Goods Index 0.4 per cent.

On the hand, the NSE Oil & Gas Index rose 0.6 per cent, while NSE Insurance Index closed flat.

0 1 / 0 8 / 2 0 1 8 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

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35

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MARKET NEWS

Transcorp Projects Improved Value for Stakeholders Goddy Egene Transnational Corporation of Nigeria(Transcorp) Plc has put a robust investment and business expansion plan in place that will boost its performance and deliver improved value to all stakeholders in the years ahead.

Presenting the company’s 2018 half year(H1) results to analysts in Lagos, the President/ Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Plc, Mr. Adim Jibunoh projected a rosy future, saying plans are being put in place to

ensure that all the subsidiaries comprising hospitality, power and oil & gas perform well to deliver value to all stakeholders.

Transcorp Plc posted an impressive results for the half year ended June 30, with profit before tax (PBT) and profit after tax (PAT) rising by 163 per cent and 199 per cent respectively.

The company recorded a revenue of N54.089 billion, up 58 per cent from N34.174 billion in the corresponding period of 2017.

Net finance cost rose slower

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

by 8.3 per cent from N4.988 billion to N5.403 billion, bringing the PBT to N11.944 billion, a jump of 163 per cent when compared with N4.532 billion in 2017.

Although tax paid increased by 190 per cent from N368 million to N1.068 billion, PAT rose higher by 199 per cent from N1.574 billion to N4.716 billion.

Earnings per share stood at 11.6 kobo, up from 3.87 kobo in 2017.

Speaking on the performance of the hospitality subsidiary, Transcorp Hotels Plc, the CEO

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 30Jul-2018, unless otherwise stated.

said following the completion of upgrade of the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, the company recorded a commendable performance for H1 2018.

Revenue rose by 29 per cent from N6.2 billion to N8.01 billion. PBT jumped by 85 per cent from N1.10 billion to N2.02 billion, while PAT stood at N1.38 billion, up from N760 million in 2017.

Commenting on the results, CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, said: “We are thrilled with the half year results

of the hotel, which was primarily driven by the increase in occupancy, room inventory and aggressive marketing strategies.

With the help of a strong and dedicated workforce, we will continue to deliver significant value to our shareholders and unrivalled service excellence to our customers.”

According to him, for Transcorp Hotels Plc to achieve its long-term strategy of being Africa’s leading hospitality company, it is investing resources into diversifying its

overall guest experience using technology.

“We recently launched the Transcorp Hilton mobile application, which allows guests request for dining services, housekeeping services, valet services and maintenance requests with the click of a button. Guests can read up about local attractions in Abuja, explore on-site and off-site recreational services and navigate key locations around the city through the inbuilt map,” Ozigbo said.

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

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

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 180.17 180.44 1.26% Nigeria International Debt Fund 262.34 262.61 13.32% 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A 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 12.50% 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 18.78 19.35 2.81% ARM Discovery Fund 389.42 401.16 0.09% ARM Ethical Fund 28.72 29.58 5.11% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.55% 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 145.80 146.82 -3.89% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.02% 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 10.64% Paramount Equity Fund 11.98 12.29 8.06% Women's Investment Fund 103.02 105.66 2.37% NAV Per Share Fund Name Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund 105.44 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 12.53% 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 12.23% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.16 1.19 11.09% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.14 1.17 9.69% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A 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 1,176.44 1,177.16 8.77% FBN Heritage Fund 145.55 146.67 4.28% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.12% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 113.89 114.37 3.23% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 113.74 114.23 3.22% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 167.50 169.85 4.52% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.32 1.34 1.40% Legacy Debt Fund 3.10 3.10 7.44% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,079.57 3,111.85 3.17% Coral Income Fund 2,669.54 2,669.54 9.07% 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 12.36% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 102.90 104.32 3.15% 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 12.15%

Vantage Balanced Fund 2.15 2.17 1.77% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 14.24% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 120.88 121.20 5.08% 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 3.48% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,064.15 1,064.15 5.57% 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 12.76 12.88 -2.39% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.15% 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 1.36 11.86% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.76 11.82 6.54% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 10.97% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 128.23 128.90 -1.04% 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 1.62 1.62 9.12% 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 2,330.24 2,349.25 3.88% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 184.03 184.03 4.30% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.01 1.03 0.99% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 241.92 241.97 9.85% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 173.85 175.82 -2.92% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.86% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,405.72 9,532.52 -2.74% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.08 1.08 1.45% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.21 1.22 1.67% United Capital Bond Fund 1.52 1.52 6.90% United Capital Equity Fund 0.76 0.77 -1.38% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.50% United Capital Eurobond Fund 104.20 104.20 4.17% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.08 1.08 3.28% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.71 12.91 0.98% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.29 13.43 0.26% Zenith Income Fund 20.62 20.62 8.98% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.50%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 136.81 51.45

1.01 3.28% 1.22%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.04 141.52 107.63

12.24 144.46 109.60

-0.26% -0.94% -1.50%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.63 8.58 17.22 17.69

4.67 8.66 17.32 17.89

-2.38% -10.33% -1.60% -10.02%

145.47

147.47

6.28%

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

36

˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

HEALTH&LIFESTYLE

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430

THISDAY Policy Dialogue Initiates Disbursement of Healthcare Fund Hope brightens for the health sector as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tells participants at the third THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue that disbursement of the Basic Healthcare Provisions Fund will commence in August. Martins Ifijeh reports

Osinbajo

W

hen the Senate on May 16 earmarked N57.15 billion in the national budget for the Basic Healthcare Provisions Fund (BHCPF), not many people believed the implementation will start early.

This was considering that it took about four years after the passage of the National Health Act for the senate and the federal government to finally set aside that amount for basic healthcare.

But Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced at the third THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue held in Abuja last weekend that the federal government will start the release of the funds in August. Many stakeholders in the health sector believe this is the beginning of new things for less privileged and vulnerable Nigerians.

BHCPF

The BHCPF is a separate fund outside the usual healthcare allocation in the national budget, to cater for basic healthcare needs of all Nigerians, especially those living in rural and hard to reach areas. The fund also means that at least one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the 2018 national budget will be deployed for the revival of healthcare.

In his speech at the meeting, Osinbajo said with the funds, Nigerian children would no longer suffer from preventable diseases. He said maternal mortality would be put under control, while parents will be helped to engage in

Adewole

effective family planning.

The vice president stated, “The initiative will also help Nigeria achieve universal health coverage and help the country drive institutional process on primary healthcare. For the first time this year in Nigeria’s history, one per cent of the national budget has been earmarked for the implementation of the healthcare policy. This amount is far from being sufficient to fund the

By this fund, Primary Health Centres in each ward in the country will be operational and functional. At least 2,000 vulnerable Nigerians in each of the 774 local governments will receive basic healthcare paid for by this fund

basic healthcare needs of the country, but it is a good start.”

He said it was against this background that the federal government took very seriously the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which he said some states had also joined with a view to providing the needed healthcare services.

At the second THISDAY summit held in April, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, had said the BHCPF will henceforth be called HUWE, which is an Ebira word meaning ‘Life’, adding that the word is derived after an extensive crowd sourcing campaign.

He said the BHCPF logo would be displayed at accredited facilities where citizens could access the basic minimum packages of health services.

He said, “The BHCPF is intended to ensure monies are disbursed, managed and accounted for in a transparent manner. It will also ensure that funds flow from source (at the federal level) to service delivery points, creating performance incentives for providers, increasing service utilisation and health worker productivity, and monitoring service delivery, including improvements in service delivery readiness in line with accreditation standards and operating protocols.

“The BHCPF will complement on-going efforts of states and local governments to mobilise resources for health. It is not intended to provide excuses to underfund or deprioritise funding for healthcare services.”

According to him, the BHCPF provides the platform to expand high

impact and life-saving interventions to all Nigerians. “It guarantees an explicit package of services to be delivered at the facility level through the NHIS and State Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs), and operational budgets to facilities to improve the quality of service delivery based on a quality improvement plan with quantifiable outcome measures,” he stated, adding, “The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) will assess on an annual basis the improvements in quality of care based on a set of metrics.”

Basic Healthcare

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, had earlier told THISDAY that the inclusion of the funds for the BHCPF meant primary healthcare would be better funded and functional basic drugs, equipment and infrastructure, including water and electricity, will be available at Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) nationwide.

Tejuoso said, “By this fund, PHCs in each ward in the country will be operational and functional. At least 2,000 vulnerable Nigerians in each of the 774 local governments will receive basic healthcare paid for by this fund.

“Now that the BHCPF will be a statutory transfer that will certainly enjoy release, the fund will be set aside perpetually. It will not be returned to the Treasury Single Account at the end of the budget year.”

37

˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

NEWS

FG Reaches Out to Lake Chad Basin Countries to Curb Spread of Cholera Disease records 16,008 cases, 186 deaths in 16 states

Paul Obi in Abuja The federal government said it had reached out to other Lake Chad Basin countries to fine-tune ways to curb the spread of cholera in Nigeria. This came on the heels of reports indicating that about 16,008 cases and 186 deaths from Cholera had been recorded from 16 states of the federation.

Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, explained that besides reaching

out to Lake Chad Basin countries, the federal government had been supporting many states in the country to respond to outbreaks of cholera.

Ihekweazu said, “The primary focus of the response has been to improve access to water and sanitation in these states. In addition, vaccination campaigns led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) have been carried out in the most affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) in

Adamawa and Yobe states.

“Nigeria is also working with other Lake Chad basin nations to strengthen cross-border collaboration for cholera control.

“The NCDC and partners have begun plans for a national cholera prevention campaign, prioritising states with the highest burden.

This campaign will be driving prevention messages through the mass media, new media.”

He added that although cholera cases were still being reported in Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kogi, Plateau and Kaduna, there had been a general decline in the number of

new cases. In the last four weeks, no cases have been reported from Anambra, Nasarawa and Yobe states.

According to Ihekweazu, “Cholera cases are being treated at designated treatment centres in affected states. We are working with the State Ministries of Health,

the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Medecin Sans Frontiers (MSF) and other partners to support the response.”

NCDC officials and field officers have also been deployed across the most affected 16 states in the country to track outbreaks and scale up preventive measures.

‘Nigeria Lacks Qualified Ambulance Drivers for Emergency Cases’ Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Commissioner for Health, Borno State, Dr. Haruna Mshelia, has disclosed that Nigeria lacks qualified and skilled ambulance drivers for pre-hospital care and emergency services. Mshelia stated that the term “emergency” was often linked to accidents, especially highway accidents, noting that such shouldn’t be the case as the topmost on the emergency ladder are issues bordering on child and maternal mortality. He made the remarks during the third THISDAY Policy Dialogue on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

The commissioner said ambulance drivers were not the everyday kind of drivers but skilled persons who should be trained on how to handle health and emergency cases.

He lamented that the number of women who died daily from obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related cases were far

more than people who died on the highways. Mshelia added that calling for the use of air ambulances in health facilities could be likened to flying before crawling when the foundations had not been well structured.

He said, “Whenever emergency is talked about, people begin to think that it is only about road accidents. But this is not so because the number one emergency cases are mostly maternal and child mortality.

“It is most unfortunate that Nigeria is lacking in ambulance drivers. They are usually people with skills and not simply because they can drive. They are usually trained.

“If we know the number of women that die on a daily basis from obstructed labour, we would realise that they are far more than those that die on the highways as a result of accident.”

He called for a change of policy on pre-hospital care, noting that only such political can address the problems of the health sector.

Diarrhoea Kills 2,195 Children Daily, Worse than Measles, Malaria, Says UNICEF Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that diarrhoea has become the common cause of illness in children, and a global killer which is responsible for the death of 2, 195 children on a daily basis around the world. UNICEF stated that 842,000 deaths could be prevented globally if only there was constant and improved water and sanitation, as the lack of it is responsible for one in nine child deaths worldwide, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. UNICEF WASH specialist, Ms. Mainga Banda, who disclosed this in Awka, the Amambra State capital, during a two-day media dialogue on Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH), revealed that diarrhoea killed faster and had become worse than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

She said even if death did not occur, it could lead and also affect a child’s nutritional status, which

will in turn affect a child’s cognitive abilities as well as interest in educational pursuits.

Banda stated, “ Diarrhoea kills 2,195 children everyday globally and it is more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. It accounts for one in nine child deaths worldwide, making it second leading cause of death among children under five. 842,000 deaths can be prevented globally by improved water and sanitation. Diarrhoea can lead and also affect a child’s nutritional status.”

She added that the impact of WASH was not only on health but also on nutrition and education with emphasis on saving lives. She said the objective was meant to increase access to safe adequate and sustainable WASH services delivery in six focus states of the federation, hoping that they will serve as catalyst to others towards imbibing the efficiency of WASH, especially in the rural areas where the condition is prevalent.

L-R; Head of Marketing, West Africa Seasoning Company Limited, Mr. lsa Hassan Shallangwa; General Manager, African Business Development, WASCO, Mr. Sato Takashi; Ambassadors: Miyonse Amosu, Helen Paul; and Managing Director, WASCO, Mr. Junichi Niki, at the unveiling and contract signing of Ajinomoto Brand Ambassadors in Lagos on Tuesday, Photo: Abiodun Ajala

Plateau Virology Research Centre Gets Rare International Accreditation

FG Canvasses Support from NMA on Accident Emergency Care

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Martins Ifijeh

The Plateau State Human Virology Research Centre (PLASVIREC) laboratory has gotten international accreditation from the International Standards Organisation (ISO) in recognition of its standard medical laboratory science practices and procedures.

PLASVIREC was initiated for the implementation of HIV surveillance, research, testing, and prevention activities in Nigeria, as well as Early Infant Diagnosis, molecular techniques, clinical trials, cohort studies and provision of technical support/ training.

Speaking at the technical briefing on the significance of the accreditation to laboratory practice and public health programmes in the nation, the Senior Programme Officer of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Sophia Osawe, said the accreditation means that results from the laboratory is comparable to any other from standard laboratories across the world.

Osawe, who led the efforts for the accreditation, said they prepared the facility to attain this standard through programmes involving several trainings, workshops and mentoring in collaboration with the African Society of Laboratory Medicine.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, International Research Centre of Excellence and Co-founder PLASVIREC, Professor Alash’le Abimiku, said PLASVIREC is a state-of-art diagnostic and research facility, adding that they have overtime

deepened their processes such as the collection of patients sample, interpretation of tests results, HIV testing, CD4 and viral load estimation.

According to her, early infant diagnosis of HIV, tuberculosis diagnosis and other medical emergencies were reviewed and improved upon over several years to enable the achievement of the feat.

She explained that PLASVIREC was the third public health laboratory in the country to gain the accreditation, after the Centre for Human Virology and Genomics and (at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research) and the Jos University Teaching Hospital laboratory which have also been endorsed internationally through such accreditation.

In his remarks, IHVN Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrick Dakum, said the heart-warming accreditation was through the South African National Accreditation Systems (SANAS), and commended IHVN and PLASVIREC staff who worked diligently to ensure that the laboratory gains international recognition.

The Plateau State government, which was elated that the state had two of the four excellent laboratories in Nigeria, pledged to give all needed support for the labs to operate at their maximum capacities.

Represented by Mizim Dagung, a pharmacist, the state enjoined its citizens to take advantage of the standard laboratories in the state to screen themselves and get treated of any ailment that may be troubling them.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has charged the new executive members of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to show compassion while managing emergency and accident cases in hospitals by ensuring that prompt and adequate attention is given to the victims.

Ehanire gave the charge while receiving the executive members of the group led by their president, Dr. Francis Faduyile, who were on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja, recently.

Ehanire said human life was sacred and the medical profession was a divine calling, thus, health professionals, particularly medical doctors, needed to have a change of attitude towards their patients while discharging their duties.

He said, “As keepers of a profession that has to do with human existence, you need compassion, dedication, integrity and selflessness.

“As team leaders you must remember to carry others along because quality health care delivery requires the cooperation of everyone involved, success requires team work.

“I urge the new executive members to ensure

better working relationship with other associations within the sector. This would stem the tide of strike actions in the sector which would consequently attract the implementation of the no- work –no pay sanction by the government.

“I assure you that the Federal Ministry of Health would continue to partner with the association and other professional bodies within the sector towards achieving a strike free and peaceful atmosphere in the sector for the betterment of Nigerians.”

He said the ministry was committed to resolving every issue fundamental to improving the welfare of health professionals.

Speaking earlier, Faduyile said that there was need to ensure the release of the white paper report by the Alhaja Yayale Ahmed-led Presidential Committee on experts on Inter- Professional Relationship in the Public Health Sector, adding that it would play a vital role towards achieving peace in the health sector.

He promised that the NMA under his watch was poised to partner with the FMOH and other relevant stakeholders in the heath sector towards the delivery of quality health care to Nigerians.

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˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

HEALTH

Towards Better Maternal, New-born Health With the rise in maternal and child related deaths in the country, stakeholders proffer strategies for improved maternal care and offspring survival. Paul Obi writes

I

n many countries, maternal and new-born health still poses a great challenge to the achievement of the United Nations developmental goals.

In most cases, the situation is made worse by conflicts. Nigeria’s performance in maternal and new-born health faces multifarious challenges.

According the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its 2015 report, the rise in maternal deaths in about 35 countries, Nigeria inclusive, is propelled more by “humanitarian crisis or fragile conditions.”

Nigeria is also confronted with healthcare infrastructural deficit.

New Action Plan

The gaps and the increasing challenge of ensuring improved maternal and new-born health compelled the federal government to launch about three programmes for mother and child health. The three programmes launched in 2016 by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, include the Nigerian Every New-born Action Plan, Essential Nigerian New-born Training Package, and National Chlorhexidine Scale Up Strategy.

The launch of the new action plan, which was spearheaded by the Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, headed

by Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, was aimed at strengthening government’s commitment towards ending maternal and new-born deaths in the country.

Another objective was to scale up health services for an efficient system to cater for maternal, new-born health.

Stakeholders

To set the tone for a more reliable health system, stakeholders under the aegis of African Health Organisation (WAHO) recently met in Abuja to brainstorm on ways to address the problems associated with maternal, new-born health.

With cases of maternal and newborn related deaths on the increase, WAHO believes that the task of giving birth to children should not be a death sentence. The body lamented the rise in maternal and new-born deaths in Nigeria, stating that childbirth should not be another license to death. According to WAHO, available records show that about 15,000 women in the country die annually during childbirth.

Explaining the imperative of investing on maternal, new-born health, Director-General of WAHO, Prof. Stanley Okolo, said, “Undue delays in seeking and delivering medical attention especially during childbirth, inadequate funding, low manpower capacity, poor health infrastructures, and weak systems were some of the factors responsible for the alarming rate of maternal and new-born child deaths in the country.”

Okolo called for “an increased budgetary allocation to the health sector as well as the articulation of relevant policies and programmes by stakeholders would deliver success.”

He said, “Childbirth should not be a death sentence in Nigeria. About 15,000 women die annually during childbirth. It is no longer acceptable, and we have to do something about it.”

He stressed that the multiplier effect of a dependable maternal, new-born care system was enormous and crucial to the overall performance

Maternal and child health issues can be addressed in Nigeria

of the nation’s healthcare system.

Okolo stated, “One thing to note is that there is a critical and urgent need for increased budgetary allocation to health. We seem to forget that most people in Nigeria seek healthcare out of their pocket.

But, that denies poor people access.

Health is a key factor that drives

Childbirth should not be a death sentence in Nigeria. About 15,000 women die annually during childbirth. It is no longer acceptable, and we have to do something about it

productivity. Countries that seek to improve their GDP must make sure their citizens are healthy.”

Commitment

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, assured of the federal government’s commitment and political will to prioritise and improve the health of mothers and new-borns. Ehanire said, “Due to cultural variations, Nigeria, just like other countries in the sub-region and around the world, may require varying strategies in delivering evidence-based, cost-effective health interventions, because strategies that work in one part, may need modifications for successful implementation in other parts of the country.”

On the importance of research to maternal and new-born health, Enahire said, “In recognition of the desire for research to shape policies on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), WAHO, our regional body for health in sub-Saharan Africa, made research a priority in its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.”

According to him, “The objective of the project is to improve the demand for generation and utilisation of research results for decisions making in maternal, new-born and child health programmes and policies in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal, with financial support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada.”

Aspirations

Speaking recently during the launch of GAVI, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, assured of better days ahead for Nigeria with the donation by GAVI. Shuaib stated, “This is an auspicious time for the Nigerian health sector, particularly, for all the aspirations we have for the primary healthcare and vaccination.”

He added that the new funds will assist in enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare system for a “strong and sustainable primary healthcare system.”

However, the need for improved maternal, new-born health in the country remains urgent. Experts say beyond setting up national plans for the provision of health care by government, there should be a conscious effort to improve the country’s health infrastructure.

Though, attention is being focused on how to make maternal and new-born health better, the lack of healthcare infrastructure and poor implementation of the plans are grey areas that will slow the pace of growth within the sector. Beyond the fact that funds are ploughed into the system, especially in the North-east, efficient management of such funds will go a long way in addressing the inadequacies in the maternal and child health system.

˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018

39

HEALTH NEWS

Women Group to Build Hospitals, Training Centres Across 52 African Nations ȱ ȱ ȱ ę ȱ ȱ ȱ

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment in Africa (WAELE/ ARCELFA) has announced its plan to establish hospitals, vocational training centers, and water treatment plants across 52 African countries, including Nigeria.

This was contained in a communique issued Monday at the end of its two-day executive meeting/international training on Peace and Conflict Management and Mediation in Abuja under the chairmanship of the group’s Founder/ President, Otunba Basirat Nahibi-Niasse, with board of trustee members, officials and Regional Representatives of WAELE/ARCELFA from the West, North, East, Central and Southern Africa.

The meeting was attended by 78 women participants from 28

countries who were briefed on the significant milestones so far recorded by the organisation, including but not limited to, presence in 52 countries so far, during which WAELE/ ARCELFA’s global role as a champion of peace and women emancipation were recognised and appreciated.

In the communique, the group resolved to support widows, construct boreholes and water treatment plants, build women and specialist hospitals, and vocational training centres in all the 52 countries where WAELE/ ARCELFA has presence, as well as in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

Nahibi-Niasse said a microfinance bank for the organisation would also commence operations at the Abuja headquarters, adding that as part of plans to give voice to the voiceles, a radio

and television station for WAELE will soon commence operations from Namibia.

The communique read: “Participants unanimously approved the projects and pledged to do their best to facilitate speedy actualisation of the projects in all their countries.

“During the breakaway sessions, delegates from all the five regions of the continent discussed and compared notes on their priority projects and presented to the meeting their strategic action plans for the next three years (2018-2021).”

The meeting received presentations on the final day of the conference from erudite

scholars and resource persons on training, nexus between peace, security and development, conflict management, early warning, peacekeeping, mediation, and negotiations, all of which were further reviewed during the closing brainstorming session that marked the end of the conference.

The session on the whole adopted a take-home document on the improvement of the lot of African women.

Earlier, Nahibi-Niasse who spoke to journalists noted that the organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an anonymous country for the funding of these projects.

Nahibi-Niasse said, “We are hoping that in the near future, some governments will join hands with us. We have signed an MoU with a first world country to fund these projects, a country which I won’t disclose yet.”

Nahibi-Niasse said the organisation has trained hundreds of widows across Nigerian states such as Benue, Enugu, and Cross Rivers among others, on financial empowerment.

Nahibi however, urged women across Nigeria to become members of the organisation, stressing that “in order for women to access these empowerment benefits, they must strive for membership

in our organisation”.

Also speaking, Special Adviser, Bibliotheca Alexandria Egypt, Ms. Maha Ghanem, emphasised the need for the peace and mediation training to further the progress of African women.

“We need to come together to help each other and the women in the right way to build her family and her country. It is an important thing for women to join this NGO, to enable them obtain good jobs, and accomplish their goals to better the society,” she said.

The next meeting of the organisation is scheduled for Windhoek, Namibia, from November 1 to 3, 2018.

NAFDAC Seizes Fake Medical Devices, Expired Drugs The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has seized fake medical devices, cosmetics, expired drugs and empty labels worth N5.804 million at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

NAFDAC’s Airport Head, John Okwori, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Enugu recently.

Okwori said that the seized fake products included unregistered and unlabeled blood glucose test strips unbranded from China to be possibly labelled in Nigeria and sold as imported original brand.

He noted that other items confiscated were herbal skin doctor massage cream for stretch marks, which had no

NAFDAC registration number and was equally imported from China.

According to him, the agency also seized empty PVC cosmetic packaging containers for counterfeiting registered products and Benchmate PAR-BRO 60 powder in sachets all imported from China.

“NAFDAC is hereby warning prospective importers of fake consignments to desist from patronising the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, as the unit is up and ready to deal appropriately with such violators.

“The NAFDAC DirectorGeneral, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has directed that serious action be taken against such imports and violators henceforth,’’ he said.

FOR BETTER HEALTHCARE

L-R: Marketing Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr.Friday Enaholo; Astymin School Program Coordinator, Fidson Healthcare, Mrs Yetunde Adesola; Head, Business Development, Fidson Healthcare, Mr. Oshoke Ayebae; and Product Manager, Over-the-Counter Products, Mr.Adesoji Fasanya, at the press conference to announce activities on the forthcoming 2018 annual Astymin School Program in Lagos...recently Photo : Abiodun Ajala

WellaHealth Partners 1,000 Community Pharmacies on Rapid Malaria Care Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The WellaHealth has introduced an innovative service that provides rapid malaria care service to the public at an affordable rate in partnership to almost 1,000 community pharmacies in Nigeria.

In a bid to improve the reach of quality malaria care across the country, the health technology startup will collaborate with Advantage Health Africa to provide greater access to rapid malaria testing in local community pharmacies.

The Founder, WellaHealth, Dr. Ikpeme Neto, in a statement said with this partnership, people can get their malaria test and drugs more conveniently at the over 700 community pharmacies in the retail pharmacy network project managed by Advantage Health Africa.

Neto said Wellahealth aims to bring this service to within 10 minutes of

every Nigerian to enable better malaria care and a healthy population.

He said the service can be booked via their website:www.wellahealth. com or via whatsapp, twitter or SMS and also accessible without the need of a valid data subscription via facebook’s free basics platform.

“Following bookings, the service is delivered and mobile based follow up then ensures recovery from malaria or onward referral when needed. The service is covered by a number of health maintenance organisations and it is also very affordable for direct out of payment options.

“We recently signed a new partnership that sees us expand into almost 1,000 community pharmacies across Nigeria bringing us closer to our goal of bringing every Nigerian to within 10 minutes of a rapid malaria test via our rapid malaria care service.

This service allows instant malaria testing and treatment conveniently using technology,” he said.

Neto noted that the partnership enables the general public have quicker access to quality malaria testing and drugs at their convenience anywhere in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the CEOs of Advantage Health Africa, Abimbola Adebakin and Wellahealth agree that technology innovations were central ingredients required to harness growth in the health sector.

“The collaboration between our firms is an innovation that will bring growth to the health sector”, Adebakin said.

WellaHealth is a health technology platform that provides software and logistic support to community pharmacies to help them better manage their clients and provide value added community based services to improve access to quality health care.

Safety, Environment Take Centre Stage at Eunisell’s Awarness Day Health, safety, preservation of the environment and staff wellbeing should be accorded priority at workplaces, the Group Managing Director, Eunisell, Mr Chika Ikenga has said.

Stating this during an in-house event to mark Safety Awareness Day in Lagos recently, the MD said safety and the environment should be taken as a priority in work places, adding that on the part of Eunisell, they take the wellbeing of their workers, customers and vendors very seriously.

“While working on projects, we are duty-bound and committed to implementing our Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy as well as meeting the rigorous standards set by our customers.

“Any activity or work-related environmental issue that fails to meet best practices should be regarded as an ‘at-risk behaviour’. Lack of HSE knowledge

and awareness can also amount to work place risk,” he stated.

He further said that:“We want our businesses and operations to be as risk-free as possible and our impact on the environment

to be minimal.

“Our approach is proactive and this is why our HSE policy evolves and is adaptive to meet the unique needs of each project we do without compromise.”

40

˜ ͸ͺ˜ ͺ͸͹Ͷ ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN/DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS

Editor: VINCENT OBIA vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com 0805 468 1757

In Brief Zimbabwe: Troops Fire on MDC Alliance Supporters, Kill 3 Three people were killed in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare after troops opened fire on rioting opposition supporters, police said on Wednesday, according to BBC. The government said the army was deployed in central Harare to help police restore order.

The opposition MDC Alliance condemned the crackdown, saying it was a reminder of the “dark days” of Robert Mugabe’s rule. It alleged that the governing Zanu-PF party had rigged Monday’s elections. Parliamentary results showed Zanu-PF heading for a big majority in the first elections since long-serving ruler Mr Mugabe was ousted from power.

The presidential result had yet to be declared.

However, the MDC Alliance insisted that its presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, won Monday’s election. European Union monitors expressed concern over delay in the declaration of the presidential result.

Trump Demands Russia Probe End ‘Right Now’

People from the DRC flee the fighting. Movement of people is restricted across the continent.

EPA/DAI KUROKAWA.

Free Movement of People is an AU Ambition: What’s Standing in Its Way Alan Hirsch

T

he African integration project took several major steps this year. One of them was the African Union’s adoption of a protocol on the free movement of people. The move has been widely welcomed.

The free movement of Africans between African countries could unquestionably facilitate growth.

Allowing freer movement would encourage trade, tourism and investment between African countries.

And it would allow students to study in other African countries and Africans with suitable skills to find rewarding jobs.

Opening up borders has been shown to have positive affects in other parts of the world. For example, growth of many Asian countries is significantly attributable to the liberalising of inter-Asian relationships including through an agreement between Southeast Asian countries that promotes freer mobility for workers.

Some African countries have recognised the benefits of ensuring free movement of people.

Seychelles, Mauritius and Rwanda have liberalised their visa requirements. One effect is that there’s been a significant rise in inward tourist arrivals from other African countries. And the removal

of visa and even passport requirements within regional trading blocs in both East and West Africa are widely believed to have led to increased economic activity.

But there are major obstacles that need to be cleared before the ambition of free movement across the continent can be achieved. The biggest is posed by concerns raised by the continent’s major economies like South Africa and countries in North Africa where unemployment rates are high and there are fears that increased immigration could contribute to increasing domestic tensions.

There are also concerns that if not well managed the free movement could worsen brain drain for poorer countries. Because of these concerns, among others, only 30 countries have signed the protocol.

This is much lower than the 44 that have signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

The AU recognises the lack of readiness of many domestic and continental arrangements that would allow the immediate full implementation of the protocol. Some countries have population registration and passport systems which lack integrity, some have weak border management, and some have poor security intelligence.

Because of this, implementation has been divided into three phases: right of entry and abolition of visa requirements; right of residence; and right of establishment (which includes investment and setting up a business).

Phases 2 and 3 will not be implemented until the implementation of the first phase has been reviewed.

But many countries, especially the richer ones, are reluctant even to enter phase one without some conditions being met.

The key concerns are around the absence of inter-state cooperation measures on immigration procedures, border management, education systems and mutual recognition of qualifications, common standards for working conditions, and access to or portability of social security benefits.

South Africa, in particular, has issues with a range of the requirements. A memo of the South African Department of

Home Affairs identifies 12 preconditions for the implementation of the protocol. Some of them are unrealistically idealistic such as the condition of “peace, security and stability on the continent”.

But about half of the preconditions seem quite reasonable and understandable. They include civil registration systems and bilateral return agreements.

Civil registration systems critical; South Africa is one of the few countries on the continent that has a comprehensive ID system.

Home Affairs position is very cautious. It advises against even adopting Phase 1 of the protocol – the right of entry and abolition of visas for fellow Africans – until certain conditions are met. It is imperative, it argues, to improve population registration systems, establish integrated border management systems, enter into bilateral return agreements and strengthen law enforcement at national level across Africa before Phase 1 is supported.

South Africa, they argue, is not alone in adopting this stance. Other countries with similar concerns include many of the North African countries and one or two other richer African countries.

Like South Africa, most North African countries have relatively high unemployment rates and fear a backlash from citizens. In situations of unemployment and inequality, disadvantaged citizens can end up blaming ‘foreigners’ for their predicament, resulting in tensions than can lead to xenophobia.

It’s unlikely that the Protocol will make progress unless fears are addressed. So, how can the AU get the laggards on board?

One suggestion is that the AU sets up a technical committee to address the issues raised and to come up with proposed solutions.

A stronger African coordination around population registration, leading ultimately to an African ID or an African standard ID would be a neat way to address these technical issues.

The technical committee could focus first on the obstacles to implementing Phase 1. Once that hurdle is crossed it could move on to Phase 2, and eventually to Phase 3.

The technical committee must be well-resourced with officials and experts, both to achieve its objectives and to ensure that the richer countries believe the committee will make progress with or without them. They will not want to be left out. ·Hirsch is Professor and Director of The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

US President Donald Trump ramped up his attacks on the Russia investigation on Wednesday by demanding it end “right now”.

In a series of tweets, he said Attorney General Jeff Sessions must halt the inquiry into alleged election meddling, BBC reported. Trump also labelled special counsel Robert Mueller, who leads the probe, “totally conflicted”. His remarks are notable because he himself has previously acknowledged the US Department of Justice should be free from political interference. According to US media, some Trump aides believe that Mr Mueller will report soon on the findings of his 14-month investigation as they relate to the president.

In a fusillade of tweets on Wednesday, the Republican president also lashed out at the case against his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, whose trial is entering its second day.

Israel Threatens Military Response If Iran Closed Red Sea Strait Israel would deploy its military if Iran were to try to block the Bab al-Mandeb strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait, on the main sea route from the Middle East to Europe, after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway. Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a three-year-old proxy war in Yemen, which lies on the southern side of Bab al-Mandeb. Yemen’s Houthis, who have previously threatened to block the strait, said last week they had the naval capability to hit Saudi ports and other Red Sea targets. Iran has not threatened to block Bab al-Mandeb but has said it would block the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, if it were prevented from exporting its own oil.

Tillerson Stopped Saudi and UAE from ‘Attacking’ Qatar Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates planned to launch a military operation against Qatar at the beginning of a diplomatic crisis that erupted in June last year but were stopped by former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in an act that may have played a key role in his dismissal, Al Jazeera reported. According to the investigative news website, The Intercept, the plan involved Saudi ground troops crossing the land border into Qatar, and with military support from the UAE, advancing 100km inland and seizing the Qatari capital. Based on information it said it received from a current member of the US intelligence community and two former Department of State officials, The Intercept said the coup, which was largely devised by Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s crown princes, “was likely some weeks away from being implemented”.

41

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Oil Price Drops to $73 over Jump in US Inventories

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Crude oil prices dropped by over one per cent yesterday with the global benchmark crude, Brent slumping by $1.7 or 1.2 per cent, while the United States crude declined by $1.07 or 1.7 per cent after data showed that the United States’ crude inventories rose unexpectedly.

While the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped

1.2 per cent to $67.60 per barrel, Brent, the international benchmark, was down 1.7 per cent to $72.99 per barrel.

A data released yesterday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the official energy information of the US, showed that the country’s commercial crude inventories jumped by 3.8 million barrels in the week ending July 27.

Reuters reported that analysts had expected a drawdown of between 2.5 and three million

HOUSE PDP CAUCUS RAISES ALARM OVER PLOT TO IMPEACH SARAKI to learn the correct lessons and take the correct steps to profit from these developments,” he said.

Also speaking, Lawan, said despite the defections to PDP, APC still has the majority in the chambers and called on all senators on recess to reconvene to consider the president’s Virement request.

“Though the other side is claiming they are 60, 70 but they have never given a name.

It is left for you to make your judgement. In fact, I am using this medium to challenge the names of the PDP senators, we have published ours and among the 53 none has come out to deny that he is APC. Let them publish their own, they remain 48 senators in PDP. And by the grace of God, when the by-elections in Bauchi and Katsina will hold, we will get two senators and that will boost our number.

“We have placed our total commitment and loyalty to our party and Mr. President; we remain true and genuine representatives of our people, we will not want to do anything that is not in the interest of our people and this administration.

I am calling on my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to come back and consider the requests of Mr. President for the virement and supplementary budget for INEC for the 2019 elections,” Lawan said.

Meanwhile, the federal government yesterday reacted to last the defection of the Senate president and the Kwara State governor from the APC to PDP, describing it as a relief.

Briefing journalists in the State House at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Saraki’s defection did not take the ruling party by surprise, noting that he had all along acted like an opposition member in the APC. According to Mohammed, if the party did not gain anything from the emergence of Saraki as the Senate president, it will have nothing to lose either by his exit, alleging that he had deliberately slowed down the progress of the government by delaying budget passage and approval of key appointments.

“If Saraki were not a member of the APC, the party and the government it leads could not have suffered more than they had already done, with regards to the delay in passing the budget, approving key appointments and so on.

“In other words, what we are saying is that the Senate President Saraki has behaved all along as if he is a member of the opposition, deliberately slowing down the progress of the APC-led federal government. We would have done better under a Senate president that was in opposition.

“It is therefore neither a surprise nor a blow that he has defected.

Perhaps the only surprise is that when he eventually defected, it was a mere whimper! If we didn’t gain by having our member as Senate president, we stand to lose nothing by losing him,” Mohammed said.

On the implication of Saraki’s exit for the APC in Kwara State, Mohammed said the fortunes of the party in the state only got brighter, pointing out that following his exit, APC members have now come together to reposition the party for victory in 2019.

Further stating that the Kwara State chapter of the APC would only be stronger, he said the consultative meeting of the party held in the state at the weekend was a defining moment for many people in the state who have been seeking freedom.

According to him, the dissolution of the executive committee of the party in state by the National Working Committee (NWC) had provided the platform for APC to start on a fresh note.

“Realising this, the true APC members in the state have come together to strengthen the party; open its doors to new members and reposition it for the 2019 elections, with a view to delivering the state to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This was what we did last weekend, and you saw the way the people reacted.

Yet, what happened at the weekend was not even a rally. It was a consultative stakeholders’ meeting. And it was a defining moment for the millions of Kwarans seeking political direction and emancipation.

“Thankfully, the national leadership of our party has hearkened to our demands by dissolving the state exco and constituted a caretaker committee. That offers a fresh start for the APC in the state.

“No one tree, no matter how big, can make a forest. Every Kwaran is important in the emerging political dispensation in the state, and it is the realisation of this new dawn that has set the state agog for the APC,” Mohammed added.

barrels last week.

However, unofficial estimates from the American Petroleum Institute, a group that represents oil and gas producers, on Tuesday showed a crude inventory build up of 5.59 million barrels.

Crude prices saw the biggest monthly declines in two years in July, shedding about seven per cent after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other supply-cutting countries led by Russia agreed to roll back coordinated production constraints that had been bolstering prices since last year.

The cartel ramped up production to the highest level of 2018 last month, with an output boost of about 70 million barrels per day.

US crude stocks rose last week as imports jumped, while petrol stocks decreased and distillate inventories rose, the EIA said in a report yesterday.

Crude inventories rose by 3.8

million barrels in the week to July 27, compared with analysts’ expectations for a decrease of 2.8 million barrels.

However, crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 1.3 million barrels, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs rose by 195,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed, while refinery utilisation rates rose by 2.3 percentage points.

Petrol stocks fell by 2.5 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations for a 1.3 millionbarrel drop.

The EIA data also showed that distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 3 million barrels, versus expectations for a 264,000-barrel increase.

Before yesterday’s slump in oil prices, Brent crude rose to $75 per barrel on Monday, as traders kept the focus on global supply disruptions and the effects of the United States’

sanctions on Iran.

The supply of crude oil to the international market has suffered disruptions in the Middle East.

For instance, Saudi Arabia suspended oil shipments through the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the world’s most important sea routes for crude oil, after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.

Also, looming US sanctions on Iran have started to curtail exports from that country.

The sanctions on Iran, OPEC’s third-largest producer, could result in further supply reductions from the Middle East.

OPEC had on November 27, 2015, decided to pump as much as it could to defend its market share, an action that sent the price of oil to a low of $27 per barrel in February 2016.

Following the drop in oil price to an all-time low, OPEC and other major producers, including Russia started to

withhold output in 2017 to rein in oversupply that had depressed prices since 2014.

OPEC’s main objective for the cuts is to eliminate a global surplus in oil stocks and re-balance the market.

However, the cartel and its allies agreed last month to boost supply after US President, Donald Trump, urged the producers to offset losses caused by his country’s new sanctions on Iran and to dampen prices.

On June 22-23, OPEC, Russia and other non-members agreed to return to 100 per cent compliance with oil output cuts that began in January 2017, after months of underproduction in Venezuela and elsewhere pushed adherence above 160 per cent.

Saudi Arabia said the decision would translate into an output rise of about one million bpd.

Oil price had hit $80 per barrel earlier this year, the first time since 2014.

MEDIA BRIEFING

R-L: Director, Digital Assets, CFA Coin Limited, Mr. Chimezie Chuta; Manager, CFA Mission, Doris Ojoederie and Board Member, Linus Kingdom, during a media briefing in Lagos.......yesterday

Court Orders Suntrust Oil to Serve Processes on Kachikwu, San Leon Energy Davidson Iriekpen Justice Sule Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos has granted leave to Suntrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited to serve writ of summons and other processes in a suit filed against San Leon Energy Plc and others on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

The judge, after listening to the ex-parte application filed by the law firm of Odittah and argued by Johnson Agwu on behalf Suntrust Oil Company, also granted it leave to serve the processes on San Leon Energy Plc at its registered office at First Floor, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

He further ordered that the processes be served on other defendants in the suitMidwestern Lean Petroleum

Limited at 5th, Barkly Wharf, Le Cauden Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius; Mart Resources Inc at Suit 310, 1167 Kensington Crescent NW Calgary, Alberta T2N 1X7, Canada; Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) at Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, and Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited and Martwestern Energy Limited.

The judge directed that all the court processes relating the suit must be served and effected by way of airmail courier service.

He consequently adjourned the case to September 28, 2018, for report of service.

In suit number FHC/L/ CP/402/2018, Suntrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited had recently filed a winding up petition against San Leon Energy Plc, a limited liability company incorporated in the Republic of Ireland for failure

to pay Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) loan.

Suntrust Oil, in the petition, alleged that the Irish-based firm was indebted to it to the tune of $47,689,123 as of March 14, 2018.

According to the oil firm, the amount was pursuant to an irrevocable and unconditional payment undertaking issued

by San Leon Energy to the petitioner in which San Leon irrevocably and unconditionally undertook to pay the sum of $53,839,123 to the petitioner on or before November 30, 2016, out of which the debt remains due.

The petitioner added that the debt excludes further interest, which has accrued since September 20, 2016, to which San Leon remains indebted.

The particulars of the debt as submitted to the court by Suntrust Oil showed that in June 2016, Suntrust Oil sold

shares to Midwestern Leon Petroleum Limited in return for the payment of the sum of $53,839,123.

The court documents showed Suntrust Oil had acquired the sale shares with the proceeds of a loan from Guaranty Trust Bank, which amounted to $53,839,123.

Suntrust Oil further told the court that in or about August 2016, San Leon Energy took over the sale shares from its affiliate Midwestern Leon in return for payment of GTBank loan to Suntrust.

According to the petitioner, San Leon Energy had informed it that it (respondent) would pay the GTBank loan from the proceeds of sale of its shares, which at that time were the subject of an application for admission to the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market.

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Quit Now If You Wish, Ganduje Tells His Deputy Ibrahim Shuaibu ÓØ ËØÙ Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday expressed great shock over what it described as unguarded

remarks by the state Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, who alleged that his life and that of his immediate family members are threatened.

Ganduje, in a statement

RMAFC: Why We Did Not Intervene in NNPC, FAAC Dispute on Oil Revenue Chineme Okafor˿ÓØ ÌßÔË

from the past.

According to him, RMAFC The Revenue Mobilisation would continue to regularly Allocation and Fiscal Commission interface with NNPC to ensure (RMAFC) yesterday explained that the Federation Account was its non-involvement in the recent properly funded. dispute over remittance of oil He subsequently called for the revenue between the Nigerian enhancement of NNPC businesses National Petroleum Corporation with allocation of more oil assets (NNPC) and Federation Account to enable it operate like other Allocation Committee (FAAC). national oil companies across The commission said it the globe. stayed away from the recent He noted that as an entity controversy because it believed that generates about 80 per cent the issues could be resolved of the country’s revenue, there amicably through proper was need for the government dialogue. to empower it to generate more RMAC’s acting Chairman, revenue for the country.

Mr. Shettima Abba Gana, said The statement also quoted this in a statement by the Group NNPC’s Group Managing General Manager, Public Affairs Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, to Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu have explained that NNPC, is Ughamadu. not only a government agency Gana, according to the that supervises government’s statement, was at the investment in the oil and gas corporation’s headquarters industry, but also a business on a courtesy visit, where he enterprise and petroleum reportedly commended the products supplier of last resort. corporation for its efforts at Baru said the NNPC improving accountability and had being responsible for transparency in its operations. importation of petrol into the He said the RMAFC, as a country since September 2017 revenue monitor and auditor, when most of the major oil was satisfied with the steps taken marketers stopped importation. so far by the NNPC to improve He called on RMAFC, as accountability and transparency an independent arbiter, to such as the publication of use its privileged position to its monthly financial and ensure recovery of cost borne operations report, which he by NNPC on behalf of the described as a radical departure government.

signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, and made available to journalists yesterday, said the fault-finding comments made by Abubakar are not only unwarranted but also unfair to the state government.

According to him, the government holds the office of the deputy governor in high esteem, but however, sees him as too insignificant for government to commit state resources to orchestrate plan just to remove him from office let alone any attempt on his life.

“Rather than making

such malicious remarks, the embattled deputy governor is advised to make a choice of quitting or remaining in the government,” the statement noted.

Furthermore, to prove that the allegations made by the deputy governor were false, he was at last Tuesday’s state Executive Council meeting with fewer security aides.

The state government said: “At the meeting, when the governor had to excuse himself to embark on a trip, he directed the deputy governor to preside over as usual, and that all the resolutions reached at the meeting are binding,

something that would not have been accorded him by his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” Garba pointed out that despite several unguarded comments by the deputy governor, the state government continues to accord respect and support for his office both morally and otherwise.

The statement also debunks allegation that he has not been provided with statutory official residence, pointing out that it was his choice to remain in the private residence as he personally brought the contractor that is handling

the construction of his official residence.

Meanwhile, Professor Abubakar had last Monday, petitioned the police and the State Security Service (SSS) over what he described as threat to his life as well as plans to impeach him.

In the petition addressed to the Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, which was copied to the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of zone one and the state Director of SSS, the deputy governor prayed for the deployment of more security operatives around him.

OFFICIAL VISIT

Director Extension & Linkages Dept, Dr. Dele Oyeku ; Director. CFET, Dr. Igwe Chima ; DG/CEO, FIIRO, Prof. Gloria Elemo ; VC, Anchor University, Prof. Olasehinde Afolayan ; Dean, Natural & Applied Sciences, Prof Johnson Fatokun; Anchor University Liberian,Pastor Zacchaeus Emmanuel at the conference room of FIIRO during the visit of the University to FIIRO.

Edo Emerges Third, Defeats 33 Others in ‘State of ISL Seeks Selfless Leadership States’ Ranking Ugo Aliogo The Institute of Supervision and Leadership (ISL) has called for selfless leadership among political officer holders, adding that such leadership would promote inclusiveness and consider the consequences of its policies and action in the society.

The call was made recently at the Institute’s 9th Membership Induction and Inauguration of Fellows in Lagos.

In his presentation titled: ‘‘Inclusive Supervision and Leadership: Pathway to SocioPolitical Development,’ the Lead Speaker, Dr. Kayode Bowale, said leadership in the 21st century Nigeria was found in families, corporate bodies, religious organisations and all classes of stakeholders, such as the low income earners, middle income earners, high income earners, political class and civil society.

According to him, if leadership seed is well-cultivated, productivity, peace and robust value system would be achieved in any of these areas.

He also stated that to set the country on the pathway to socio-political development, the leadership of the arms of government must as a matter of

necessity and urgency, reorder the value system and make sacrifice for the general good.

In his remarks, a Senior lecturer at the Covenant University, Dr. Bowale, called for paradigm shift in attitudinal values of leaders to enable the country navigate its way out of the current socioeconomic challenges.

He explained that the country was in an era when sacrifice takes upper hand than wealth acquisition and service takes pride of place in social life of the people.

The event also featured group discussions in which participants listed greed, selfishness, moral and political corruption and lack of vision as some of the hindrances to good leadership in the country.

In his address, the Acting Registrar of the ISL, Mr. George Okoroafor, informed participants that the Institute has attained affiliation with the American Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership (CIML) and would press on with the promotion of the education of effective supervision and transformational leadership all over the world to enable members achieve commitment to quality of life, work and society.

In what experts describe as another validation of the reforms and progress being made by the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki, Africa Report in its July/August 2018 edition, has ranked Edo third among states in Nigeria that recorded impressive progress in recent times.

The report ranked the states along the lines of multidimensional poverty index, access to electricity and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) per capita.

It ranked the 36 states in Nigeria, excluding the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Edo placed behind Lagos, which came first and Kwara, which took the second position in the ranking. On specifics, Edo ranked 5th in multidimensional poverty index, and with a score of 82.4 in Access to Electricity, it placed 6th.

Also, with a 76.4 score in the internet users as share of 2016 population, Edo ranked 4th among Nigerian states.

Edo belonged to the group of states the report captured as the Land Cruiser states, which according to the magazine, “are making it farthest and fastest, with a few bumps on the road.

“Lagos, Nigeria’s business hub, tops the charts, but its scores on the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings show that it has much to do to cut the complications of getting construction permits and other bureaucratic tasks.

“Lagos blows the competition away on collecting taxes and despite widening inequalities, it is doing better than its peers at cutting poverty and boosting education and healthcare.”

Other categories in the ranking are the Danfo states, which are described as being “like the ubiquitous bus that

gives them their name.

“The Danfo states are getting close to their destination quickly, breaking a few rules on the way and on a smaller budget.” The states include Abia, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Bayelsa, Ondo, Imo and Nasarawa.

Then, there are the Okada states and waka waka states.

The Okada states are Enugu, Plateau, Niger, Benue, Taraba, Kano, Gombe and Adamawa.

The Waka Waka states, according to the Report, include Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Sokoto and Jigawa.

FINALLY, FG APPROVES N72.9BN FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF OWORONSHOKI - APAPA ROAD from Egmont group last year over the country’s failure to separate the NFIU from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and accord it the required independent status.

According to him, the action plan included anti-money laundering and converting financing for terrorism assessment, pointing out that come September, Nigeria would make case for its readmission

into the Egmont group at its plenary.

NFIU had been admitted in 2007 into the Egmont Group, a global body responsible for setting standards on best practices for financial intelligence units (FIUs) in over 131 FIUs from 131 jurisdictions.

The Egmont group was reportedly founded in 1995 to foster international collaboration in the exchange of intelligence by member states.

The AGF also disclosed that FEC approved mutual agreement between Nigeria and Macao in China for the exchange of prisoners between the two entities to enable the return of Nigerians serving prison terms in Macao to the country to serve out their prison terms.

Malami said the decision was made by the federal government

in acknowledgement of the rights of Nigerians irrespective of their statuses to life and dignity of human person, explaining that the treaty would offer Nigerians in prison abroad to complete their terms of imprisonment in comfort.

Malami also said the move included plans to provide facilities in Nigerian prisons to accommodate the exchanged prisoners.

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George Cautions Oshiomhole over Frivolous Comments Segun James The former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George has cautioned the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his utterances.

George made his position known in Lagos yesterday, while reacting to the events in the polity within the last few days.

According to him, the former governor of Edo state over-reached himself when he threatened to sack a minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, adding that Oshiomhole lacks such powers.  “I will advise Oshiomhole to pause and reflect before

speaking because it could backfire. That is why when the president backed out on some of his statements, I knew the centre can no longer hold,�

George added.

Also speaking to the return of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, some governors and others back to the PDP, George said it was a home coming for them.

He stated that he hoped that their re-entry to the party would not threaten those loyalists who had stood solidly with the party when things were rough. “The onus now falls on our party managers to rise above pettiness in the management of this home coming,� he added.

He said it was good that the returnees realised their mistakes in leaving the PDP in time and quickly made a return home, saying that their case was like that of a landlord who abandoned his home for another person’s house simply because it was leaking instead of staying to repair the leak.

He stressed that now that they have realised their mistakes, they would be welcomed like the prodigal child in the Bible.

Speaking on why politicians easily move from one party to another, George stressed that it was because there are no ideological differences between parties in the country.

Ibeto: Why I left APC for PDP Laleye Dipo Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Former Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, has said he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to enable him realise his ambition of ruling Niger State.

Ibeto, who resigned from his ambassadorial position last Monday and registered with the PDP in his Ibelu ward in the Magama Local Government Area of the state last Tuesday, also said he still holds President Muhmmadu Buhari in high esteem and “respects him.�  The former envoy, which spoke to some journalists after joining the PDP, further stated that he also did not hold any grudge against former state

Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, under whom he served as deputy governor for eight years before political differences separated them in 2014. “I remain respectful and grateful to President Buhari for appointing me an ambassador to represent Nigeria in South Africa and for the confidence he reposed in me as a politician to serve Nigeria in that capacity. “I bear no grudge against anyone; even former Governor Aliyu remains my leader and one of those I respect,� Ibeto declared.

The former ambassador dismissed the rumour making the rounds that there was a quarrel between him and the leadership of the APC in the state and at the national level,

adding that he had cordial relationship with everyone in the APC. He said: “That I was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa should not preclude me or stop me from aspiring to serve my state in any capacity I cherish to. “I’m a free born citizen of Nigeria and have the inalienable right to contest for any public office in the country and particularly my state.�

He charged the people of the state to make the “right choice of persons who are suitably qualified to hold them in trust, and administer the state in the true sense of service and responsibility when the election time comes.�

National Carrier Will Reduce Capital Flight, Says Kalu Chinedu Eze A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed support for the establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, saying the airline would reduce capital flight.

In 2017, foreign airlines repatriated about $2.5 billion and Nigeria lost about $4 billion on unserviced bilateral air service agreement.

Kalu said the establishment of a national carrier would go a long way in stemming the huge capital flight associated with the patronage of foreign airlines by Nigerians. “Those criticising Nigeria Air never knew that it is only

through the government that you can build a strong economy.

It is only when government invests in the economy, managed by private sector that we can move forward,� he said.

The former governor who spoke to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, also lauded the model, Public Private Partnership (PPP) adopted by the federal government, saying the private sector would run the airline successfully because of their equity in the start-up airline.

Kalu who was the Chairman of Slok Air, commended President Muhammadu Buhari led-government for finally giving Nigerians a national airline, just

as he requested that a similar PPP model be adopted in the establishment of viable rail and water transportation projects for Nigerians. “The federal government should just own five per cent in the national airline. We must praise the Minister of State for Aviation and the people who put the structure that is making waves today. Ethiopian Airlines is still owned by the government. I maintain all my aircraft with them, so; l know what they are capable of doing.

Government should not stop at that, they should allow the private sector initiative to go into the new shipping line and others,� Kalu added.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Begin 2018 Convention This year’s Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, focusing on how to face contemporary challenges with courage, holds in 34 different locations across Nigeria from August to December. The convention, which has as theme, “Be Courageous!� will be held almost every weekend from Friday, August 3, to Sunday, December 23.

A statement signed by George Ijeh, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said that the convention will help attendees to face with God-given courage the daunting

challenges, individuals, families and the society at large face today. “When you look at the news today, you can clearly see that people of all ages are dealing with more anxieties and fears than ever before. It takes courage to face these pressures. We welcome everyone to this year’s convention to benefit from the practical advice that’s contained in the Bible,� Ijeh said.

He explained that the three-day programme consists of 54 presentations that will include talks, audio dramas,

interviews, and short videos.

Highlights, according to the statement, include the baptism, on Saturday morning, of new members who have completed a Bible Study programme, and a Public Discourse on Sunday morning, on the theme, “The Resurrection Hope Imparts Courage—How?� Additionally, a feature film entitled The Story of Jonah—A Lesson in Courage and Mercy will be shown on the final day of the convention programme.

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Ohaneze Condemns Detention of Ekweremadu Tobi Soniyi Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, yesterday reacted to the continued detention of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, by the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying that using state’s apparatus to terrorise citizens was not tolerable in a democracy.

In a statement by it’s publicity secretary, Uche Achi-Okpaga, Ohaneze said the presidency has “gone mad with power

Shehu Sani: How PDP-led Legislature, Presidency Can Work Together The senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has bared his mind on how Nigeria can move forward amid the recent political developments.

Various lawmakers and governors have left their party to another in the last two weeks.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, led the retinue of lawmakers who left the All Progressives Congress (APC) while Governors Samuel Ortom, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal of Benue, Kwara and Sokoto States respectively, have also left the party.

Writing via his Facebook page yesterday, Sani, according to The Cable, said the executive and legislative arms of government should still be able to work together despite the defections.

“In view of the current reality, it’s possible to have a harmonious working relationship between the parliament led by the

opposition, and the presidency led by the ruling party, in the remaining lifespan of this political dispensation,” he wrote.

Sani said for this to happen, “Both sides must put the interest of the country first; the executive should respect the decision of those who chose to defect, maintain a cordial relationship with them and never attempt to persecute any of them for their individual political decisions; the parliament led by the opposition must not be a stumbling block for government policies and programmes and the person of the president and his office must be accorded the highest respect it deserves; all inflammatory statements and plots from both sides must cease; both sides should be committed to working towards addressing the country’s chronic security challenges and the success of the upcoming general election.”

Bayelsa Accuses NNPC of Funding Fictitious Subsidy Figures Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ Yenagoa The Bayelsa State Government yesterday maintained that the recent stalemate during the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting was due to the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to answer some basic questions concerning the disbursement of funds.

At the state monthly transparency briefing which took place at the Government House in Yenagoa, the Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), said it was still a wonder how all the variables are looking favourable while the monthly allocation continues to dip.

The government said while the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) insists that the total daily consumption of petroleum product is 36 million litres, the NNPC maintains that the figure is 60 million litres, but that the corporation continues to

pay subsidy on non-existent figures.

“The NNPC is a very clever organisation. They have experts for presentation. When they finish their presentations, you will sympathise with them. When they finished their presentation once, a former governor nearly cried.

Those are the kind of things they have actually perfected.

“When this government came in with this issue of NNPC, we thought they could do something about it, but it seems to be difficult to get out of,” he said.

The government also decried the heavy differences between the figures released by the DPR and the NNPC on fuel consumption, stressing that even if Nigeria was supplying fuel to neighbouring countries, more than 10 million litres of the product would still remain unaccounted for every day.

Jonah added: “It is not so much about the shortfall that certain practices are not normal.

Epega Passes On The family of Dr. Ben Epega, Famous Lagos real estate surveyor and businessman has announced his death in London a forthnight ago. He was aged 82. Educated at London School of Economics and Cambridge University, Epega was a fellow the

“Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers. He began one of the first indigenous real estate companies in Lagos - Epega and Co. in 1977.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

and turned the the anti-graft agency and security agencies into milliant wings of the All Progressive Congress”.

Ohaneze rejected what it called “the current ploy to coerce all and sundry into one political party” describing it as the height of political naivety.

Democracy has been deadly raped in Nigeria and this is part of reasons that we have insisted on restructuring the system. With the way things are turning upside down and inside out we are only been vindicated on our stand on restructuring.

Mr Achi-Okpaga said: “This government has gotten it wrong virtually in all fores. The social

media is awash with criticisms of the recent idea of building a refinery in the President’s northern State of Katsina while the oil is in the South but it is in the South that you want to build cattle ranches when the cattle and the owners are in the North. This is so paradoxical as it is antithetic.”

Ohaneze said it had become imperative to state without equivocation that Nigeria’s democracy had been put under the custody of the APC adding that the Nigeria Police Force, the EFCC and other security agencies have been turned to militant wings of the APC. The statement read: “We are not oblivious that there is

a grand design to intimidate and cow every assumed adversary of the Government but we encourage Nigerians not to be undaunted in speaking against the totalitarian and fascist embellishments of the government.

“The arrest, intimidation and harassment of Senator Ike Ekweremadu lends credence to the fact that democracy is collapsing irretrievably.

“It is obvious that this action is a continuation of the ugly and uncivil events of last week where the once gallant Nigeria Police and the EFCC became lords unto themselves and moved to barricade the residences of

the Senate President and his Deputy respectively.

“Having failed in that orchestrated attempt to prevent the Senate presiding officers from accessing the National Assembly the fateful day they decided to go for Ekweremadu’s jugular.

“The events of this week including the Police brigandage in the Benue State House of Assembly only depict that the Presidency has gone mad with presidential powers and l see it consuming them.”

The group’s spokesman said that President Muhammadu Buhari had shown that he had no answer to the socio-political quagmires facing the country.

DEWORMING EXERCISE

L-R: Assistant Director of Nursing Services, Igbo-Efon Primary Health Centre, Lekki, Lagos, Mrs. Stella Adesiyan; Divisional Head, Commercial Banking, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Tunde Adeola; Beneficiary, Master John Miracle and Head, New Business, Health Sector, Sterling Bank, Mr. Adewale Adebowale, during the inauguration of Lagos State Primary Schools Deworming Exercise by Sterling Bank in Lagos…yesterday

NCDMB Targets 70% Local Content by 2027 Jonathan Eze The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has announced plans to increase the local content in the oil and gas industry from the current 28 per cent to 70 per cent by 2027.

Wabote who was represented by the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, NCDMB, Patrick Obah, said the key parameters required for sustainable local content include, incentives, capacity gap analysis, research, development

and capacity building.

According to him, the policy is still faced with challenges ranging from weak sectoral linkages, weak infrastructural base, policy inconsistency, skill gap and the economic factor.

Wabote spoke in Lagos at the breakfast meeting organised by the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) with the theme: “The Role of Nigeria’s Local Content Policy and its Impact on Sustainable Economic Value Creation”.

At the event, the National president of NACC, Oluwatoyin Akomolafe, who was represented

by the Vice President, Mr. Ehi Braimah, expressed concerns over the low level of patronage of local manpower and facilities

by Nigerian companies.

He added that the adoption of local content policy for the benefits of developing oil-rich countries is hardly new, adding that the continuous debate has often centered on increasing the value added that local content can create within the oil industry.

“As a bilateral chamber of commerce, we believe in the extension of the local content drive and the immediate synergies for local development in other

sectors,” he said.

Also, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Bitru Nabasu, represented by the Director, Science and Technology Promotion, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Ekanem Udoh, said the presidential executive order 005 is a revolutionary document aimed at driving local production by way of value addition, stressing that the present administration is in the process of making the document a law and not just an order.

Lagos, Pham Access Partner on Primary Health Service Vera Golde Lagos State Government in collaboration with PhamAccess Group has launched a programme to assist small and medium scale enterprise in the health care sector. The collaboration is aimed at improving primary health care in the state.

The programme was recently launched by the Ministries of Health and wealth creation and employment.

“The financial framework for health SMEs will be given 50 per cent funding as support from the Lagos State Employment Fund

(LSETF), Bank of lndustry (BOI) and Medical Credit Fund (MCF).

A total sum of N1, 075,000,000 is being garnered as support for the scheme”, the partners stated.

According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Uzomat Akinbile Yusuf, the private sector provides over 65 percent of health care in Lagos with Health SMEs in the health care space constituting majority of providers.

She said the propagation and growth of the health SMEs has been greatly stunted as they are mostly underfunded and unable to attract Investment capital.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed that as part of the new strategies 43 defunct primary health care centres in the state have been selected to be outsourced to private providers under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to Idris, the idea is to partner with private health care providers to ensure sustainability, reduce mortality and morbidity rates, ensure access to financial and health SMEs scheme and provide quality and affordable health care services to all citizens in Lagos.

He also explained that the

framework comes in two platforms which are: access to finance and medical equipment leasing scheme (MELS).

“The purpose of this is to develop health care service in the State and provide service delivery in primary health centres that are dilapidated”, he said.

Idris added: “The primary health care that are identified in the East, West and Central of Lagos State will serve as a means of access to finance Health SMEs Scheme and also used part and also used part of facilitates to the provide quality Health Services to the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme”.

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THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

A F R I C A N S E N I O R AT H L E T I C S C H A M P I O N S H I P S

Ethiopia’s Mekonnen Wins First Gold in Asaba Men and women’s 100m finals to hold this afternoon Duro Ikhazuagbe Ethiopia’s Jemal Vimer Mekonnen yesterday won the first gold medal on Day One of the 21st Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Senior Championships at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State, clocking 29:08.01 to stay ahead of the pack.

Mekonnen’s compatriot, Andamlak Belihu Berta (29:11.09) won the silver while Timothy Toroitich of

Uganda (29:11.87) settled for the bronze medal.

Unfortunately, fellow East Africans from Kenya who were expected to be in serious contention for podium placement were let down by poor logistic arrangements by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in the Lagos end.

The Kenyans who arrived Lagos on Monday evening from Nairobi did not get to Asaba until yesterday morning, just few hours to

the 10,000m event.

Although morning events were pushed to evening as a result of the last batch of athletes arriving Asaba yesterday, men and women’s 100m heats held in the evening with African champions, Marie Josee Ta Lou and Akani Simbine setting the overall fastest times in both categories respectively.

South Africa’s Simbine who is the reigning Commonwealth Games

champion won Heat 4 in 10.30s ahead of Riffayn Ambdoul Karim (10.48s), Mark Odhiambo (10.61s) and Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke (10.64s).

Ngoni Makusha of Zimbabwe crossed the finishing line in 10.37s to win Heat 5 in 10.37s, as Karabo Mothibi (10.46s) and Emmanuel Yeboah (10.50s) came 2nd and 3rd.

Defending champion Ben Youssef Meite of Cote d’Ivoire easily won Heat 1 in

10.41s with 2012 champion, Simon Magakwe (10.42), and Nigeria’s Ogho-Oghene Egwero (10.52) placing 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Nigeria’s three-time sprint champion, Seye Ogunlewe, also showed class in Heat 6 winning in 10.42 ahead of Gilbert Maseko of Namibia 10.44.

In the absence of Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor who pulled out of the 100m and 200m women’s sprint events due to a nagging injury,

National Under-20 champion, Joy Udo-Gabriel (11.64) won Heat 3 while Mercy NtiaObong (11.66) placed second behind Hamida Basaant of Egypt who won in a time of 11.60 in another heat.

Ta Lou clocked the fastest time of all the heats in the women’s category as she won Heat 1 in 11.25s.

The semi-finals and finals of both the men and women’s 100m will come up today (Day Two) of the competition.

Okagbare Pulls out of 100m, 200m Africa’s 200 metres recordholder Blessing OkagbareIghoteguonor, yesterday pulled out of the women’s 100m and 200m races of the 21st African Athletics Senior Championships in Asaba.

The Delta-born double sprint winner at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland was inducted into the African Athletics Confederation (CAA) Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

Okagbare was to later confessed that her decision to pull out of the sprint events was a difficult one for her.

“I was looking forward to running before my home fans here at this competition but the injury I have been nursing for

a while would not allow me to fulfill that promise to my fans out here. I am deeply sorry not realizing my dream outing here at Asaba,” Okagbare offered yesterday night.

Okagbare is however hoping to participate in the women’s long jump event.

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games bronze medallist was harshly criticised by some of her Nigerian fans who believe her poor form since the beginning of the season may have been responsible for her withdrawal from the sprint events.

Others took to the social media to castigate Okagbare as they believed she chickened out due to the domineering presence of Ivorian Marie Josee Ta Lou.

Jos Federal High Court Adjourns NFF Case to Sept 25 The Federal High Court in Jos yesterday again adjourn the case between the Amaju Pinnick led board of the Nigeria Football Federation and challenger, Chris Giwa to September 25.

Going by the postponement, the verdict is now expected to come four days before the fresh elections into the new NFF board scheduled for September 29th in Katsina.

Despite the adjournment, the Pinnick board that is backed by FIFA is to remain in charge of Nigeria’s football affairs.

A Congress of the federation is scheduled to hold in Asaba today.

The Sports Ministry had on Tuesday warned that the extra-ordinary Congress of the NFF should not hold as it would amount to a disregard of court orders backing Chris Giwa as the president of the body.

The letter dated July 30, 2018, which was signed by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sports, Mr. Olusade Adesola, and addressed to the Secretary General of the NFF stated inter alia: “I am to refer to your office to the suit No FHC/J/177/2014 pending before the Federal High Court Jos and the subsisting enrolled order from the same court giving recognition to Ambassador Chris Giwa as the NFF President, and restraining Mr Amaju Pinnick and all persons who were purportedly elected as members of the executive committee of the NFF on 30 September 2014 from parading themselves as legitimate executives of NFF forthwith. “Their said election having been set aside by the order of the court. The court order has not been set aside.

Ethiopia’s Jemal Vimer Mekonnen (right) yesterday won the 10,000m event of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba to pick the first gold while his compatriot Andamlak Belihu Berta settled for the silver courtesy:making of champs.com

Julius Yego Leads Last Batch of Athletes into Asaba The last set of expected athletes at the African Championships all arrived in Asaba ahead of yesterday’s Opening Ceremony.

Leading in the last set of athletes to the Delta State capital was former World Champion in the Javelin event, Julius Yego.

According to Olukayode Thomas, Head of Media and Publicity for the African Championships, Yego who came in with Team Kenya said they were happy to finally be on the in Asaba

to compete with the rest of the continent.

While admitting that the past days have been hectic for Team Kenya and some few other countries, Yego who is one of the top names at this year’s championship said they would have to catch their breath fast and get ready for action.

Despite the glitches in their travel schedule, Team Kenya remains resolute in their plan to conquer the continent in Asaba.

Speaking on arrival at the

Asaba Airport, the Leader for Team, Peter Mutai said they have gotten behind them their delayed travel to Asaba and are now focus on winning as many medals as possible.

“We are glad we are here now, as I said when we came for the DRM meeting we are coming to win as many medals as possible. Despite the hiccups here and there which of course it happens; especially with the number of people coming into Nigeria at the same time we are still focused on taking all the

medals. This is a big team from Kenya, with almost 65 athletes and we are focused on what we came here to do,” Mutai stated.

Aside from Team Kenya, the remaining batches of athletes from Egypt, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, South Sudan among others all arrived yesterday before the opening ceremony.

The Asaba 2018 is a recordbreaking event as 52 countries are on parade for the next five days in the newly-completed Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Asaba 2018: Ogba Salutes Zenith Bank The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the ongoing African senior Athletics Championships, Solomon Ogba, has showered praises on the sponsors of the continental event.

He was particularly happy with Zenith Bank for playing a leading road to support the government of Delta State in the organisation of the event.

Zenith Bank it will be recalled donated N300million to boost the elite athletics meet.

“The government of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has done

very well but we also have to commend our sponsors for supporting the championship to make it as big as we want it to be.

“The private sector have a huge role to play to place sports higher in the country and our sponsors have shown that with this event, “ The Senior CAA Athletics Championships which began yesterday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba ends on August 5th. A total of 52 African countries are taking part in the elite athletics event.

Team Nigeria athletes on parade during the Opening Ceremony of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba... yesterday

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THURS ˜ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS UNDER-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Nigeria’s Glory Seeking Falconets to Arrive France Today DStv, GOtv to Broadcast matches Live Nigeria’s Under-20 women national football team, Falconets, will fly into France today for this year’s FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup finals, taking place between August 5th and August 24th in the Brittany region of that country.

According to the itinerary of the team released yesterday by the NFF, the Coach Christopher Danjuma

wards will be hoping to end the hoodoo of an elusive international crown.

The team was camped in Tirol, Austria for two weeks to finalise preparations for the tournament that gets under way proper from August 5.

Nigeria will play Germany, Haiti and China in group D as they bid to go a step further than 2010 and 2014 when they reached the finals.

Coach Danjuma named three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders and five strikers in his 21 players squad for the competition.

Opening game for the Falconets is against Germany at the Stade Marville in Saint-Malo.

Meanwhile, all the 32 matches of the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup

are to be broadcast live on DStv and GOtv and across SuperSport’s online and digital platforms.

The biannual tournament will give hosts France an opportunity to celebrate a second world football title in the space of two months, following the men’s victory in Russia last month. The feat has only been achieved by Germany in 2014 when the

senior male team won the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and went ahead to add the Women’s Under-20 World Cup months later.

Home advantage and a runner-up finish in the last edition of the tournament make the French team, Les Bleuettes, genuine title contenders.

Once again, Africa’s hopes rest with Nigeria and Ghana.

The Falconets and Black Princesses have been Africa’s representatives in the last four tournaments with the Falconets finishing as runnersup twice in 2010 and 2014.

The pay TV channel said that the tournament’s kick off game between Mexico and Brazil on Sunday August 5 at 12:15pm will be broadcast live on SuperSport 10 (DStv), SuperSport Select 1(GOtv).

Iheanacho Scores Again for Leicester City in Pre-season Nigerian forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, was again on the scorers’ sheet yesterday with his second goal in two games for Leicester City in a pre-season game.

The Super Eagles player yesterday scored Leicester City’s only goal in the 1-1 draw with Valencia at the King Power Stadium, four days after netting in the 2-1 defeat to Udinese.

Iheanacho opened scoring in the 11th minute, lashing home from close range with a first time shot, but Daniel Parejo pulled the Spanish visitors level seven minutes later.

The former Manchester City forward compatriot at the Foxes, Wilfred Ndidi was also in the starting line-up and both were taken off at half-time as boss Claude Puel made four changes.

Nigeria’s other star at Leicester, Ahmed Musa, who featured on Saturday against Udinese, was not involved on Wednesday night as speculation grew over his impending transfer.

Also yesterday, another Super Eagles forward, Victor Moses was a 63rd minute substitute for Pedro.

The Nigeria star playing in an advanced role as

Chelsea lost 6-5 on penalties to London rivals Arsenal after a 1-1 regulation time draw in their International Champions Cup clash in Dublin.

Antonio Rudiger scored the first goal of the match in the sixth minute with a header but Chelsea missed a great chance to pull further away as Alvaro Morata’s penalty was saved by Petr Cech in the 15th minute.

The Blues paid for the miss as Alexandre Lacazette equalised for the Gunners in the third minute of secondhalf added time.

Incidentally, another Super Eagles star, Alex Iwobi, was also a 63rd minute substitute for Arsenal youngster Emile Smith-Rowe.

Iwobi came close to a late equaliser for Arsenal but his effort from Callum Chambers’ cross was saved

by Chelsea goalkeeper Marcin Bulka in the 85th minute before Lavazette’s late, late intervention meant the match would go into penalties.

Both Moses and Iwobi scored their penalties but Cech saved Ruben LoftusCheek’s kick to give the Gunners a sudden death win.

SUMMER TRANSFERS

PSG Not Backing Down in Bid to Sign Kante Paris Saint-Germain are still going all out to land N’Golo Kante, despite Chelsea’s attempts to ward of interest by offering the midfielder a new deal.

The Premier League club are prepared to make the World Cup winner their highest earner by handing him terms of £290,000 a week.

The deal would see Kante earn up to £15million over five seasons, however, the Ligue 1 champions have the financial clout to better that package.

And according to UK’s The Mirror, the 27-yearold has been made the top transfer target at the Parc des Princes by new boss Thomas Tuchel, who took over from Unai Emery this summer, with the club unwilling to move targets just yet.

The German has seen just one new recruit through the

door so far this window, with Gianluigi Buffon joining on a free having left Juventus.

The club’s desire to add the France international has not been kept under wraps, however Tuchel refused to comment on the player when asked about him at a recent press conference.

“It is not fair and I do not like it if other coaches talk about situations of players who are playing for other clubs,” Tuchel said.

“So there is no comment on Kante, of course, not for the transfer window.”

Kante has yet to join new boss Maurizio Sarri and the Chelsea squad for pre-season after lifting the World Cup in Russia.

Chelsea take on Arsenal in the International Champions Cup series in Dublin on Wednesday evening.

A cross section of some athletes from some of the African countries competing at Asaba 2018 during the opening ceremony

Buhari, Okowa, Coe, Preach Friendship As Asaba 2018 Begins President Muhammadu Buhari, Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the President of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), Lord Sebastian Coe, have urged athletes participating in 21st African Senior Athletics Championship, tagged Asaba 2018 to harness the event to build friendship that will consolidate peace and unity in Africa.

They spoke yesterday at the opening ceremony of the event in Asaba.

According to President Buhari whose address was read by the Minister of Sports

and Youths Development, Mr Solomon Dalung, “Sports has become a veritable vehicle for friendship and building relationship among African nation.”

“If Africa must excel in sports, private bodies must be involved in the sponsorship of sports championship,” the President said and thanked Governor Okowa, the government and people of Delta State for hosting the championship on behalf of the country.

The President urged the governor to keep the flag flying as his good works were highly appreciated.

Governor Okowa in a brief speech, thanked God that 52 African countries were in Asaba for the championship, stating, “I welcome all of you to Asaba and it is my prayer that you enjoy your five-day stay. Championship of this nature is vital in building friendship.

“It is a thing of joy that we have provided a befitting stadium for the championship, enjoy your stay in Asaba,” the governor asserted.

Lord Coe had earlier commended Governor Okowa for providing a befitting venue for the

championship, stating that the Stephen Keshi Stadium “is a legacy for generations to come.”

President of Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Mr Hamad Kalkaba Malboum also, thanked Okowa for providing venue for the championship and urged athletes and officials participating in the events to respect the rules of the game.

Renowned musicians, including Phyno and fire works added colour to the opening ceremony which saw the 23, 000 capacity Stadium filled by spectators.

Nigerian Starlets to Pitch at US Baseball Tournament Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Nigerian youths will compete in an international invitational U-15 baseball tournament in Palm Beach, Florida, USA between October and November this year.

The invitation is sequel to the hugely successful U-15 National Youth Baseball Tournament, which was graced by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington.

The founder of Baseball Tomorrow Academy, Peter Imonikhe John, said yesterday that the academy would present teams to

represent Nigeria among the 23 countries expected in Florida for the tournament.

John, who jointly addressed the media with the Technical Director of the Academy, Auta William and the Media Officer, Steve Ayodele, said that only players within the age bracket who have passed through different coaching clinics, would be enrolled for the tournament organised by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and the Diamonds.

“We are picking them young. It’s our duty to let the world know that baseball is being played in Nigeria and the sport is a bridge for the

less privileged to enjoy the benefits of playing baseball and competing with other age groups in both local and international tournaments.

The players that are going for the Open category have Major League scouts on ground to select potential talents. There are scholarship for kids playing baseball in colleges but you must have good grade and good performance in terms of your skill to be picked,” John said.

William, who oversees the academy technical department, stressed that the academy had a database of all its players and their date of birth which can be

assessed by the public.

In conjunction with the US Embassy, Abuja, Baseball Tomorrow Academy held the baseball kits and educational talk in Ilorin, Kwara State and the Nigerian and Diplomatic Community Softball Classic in Abuja in 2016, where $5,000 cash was awarded in support of grassroots baseball development in Nigeria.

In October 2017, it also held a camp for U-15 prospects with Jeremy Guthrie, a former Major League player and 60 children from FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom States in attendance.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

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MISSILE Bolaji Abdullahi to APC Leadership “In a situation whereby my loyalty is constantly brought into question; my subordinates deployed to subvert my office; and my views constantly secondguessed on the basis of my political affiliation, it has become imperative for me to review my position…clearly, I cannot continue to function as the spokesman of a party whose expectations of that role is incompatible with my personal principles” – Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi resigning his position as APC National Publicity Secretary.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Stones in Their Rice, Sands in Their Garri!

T

he past one week has been one of high drama in the country. It all started when Governor Samuel Ortom decided to leave Makurdi for Abuja to attend a crucial meeting with the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hardly had his convoy ventured out of the Benue State Government House when thousands of young men and women congregated to block the road while chanting war songs.

Some also carried placards with such inscriptions as ‘Ortom, don’t go back to APC’; ‘We don’t have land to donate for ranching’; ‘Our farms are not for cows’ and ‘2019: On Ortom we stand.’

Evidently an ‘obedient servant’, the governor got out of his vehicle, put his chin on the roof and listened with rapt attention to Comrade Terrence Kuanum and Pastor Dave Ogbole, the spokesmen for the youths who gave their commandment: “We, the Benue youths are not prepared to stay with you in APC; we are not prepared to remain in a party where its leaders would prefer to look the other way while armed herdsmen kill our children, pregnant women, the aged and our defenceless people. The saying goes that the voice of the people is the voice of God, Governor Ortom; we the Benue youths say we do not want APC in Benue, and you must leave the party now.’’

With such a clear message from the youths of Benue State, what else could the governor have done? He just had to comply, as did his driver when directed that the APC flag on the governor’s official car be immediately removed.

After that, the youths then insisted that the governor must return to his residence or be prepared to kill all of them. As it turned out, another ‘surprise’ awaited Ortom the moment he hearkened to the youths as majority of the council chairmen and councillors had assembled for his declaration: “This morning, I had wanted to go to Abuja to attend the meeting but some youths in the state refused, they asked me to go back. But let me formally inform this gathering that I have forwarded my resignation letter from the APC to the chairman of my council ward and he has promised to join me in the new party.”

However, if Ortom thought leaving the APC was going to be a tea party, then he needs to take some lessons in ‘transmission’. Aided by the police, eight members of the State House of Assembly on Monday sat and served a notice of impeachment on the governor. Right now, the police, whose men are being killed by sundry criminal cartels across the country, have taken over the Benue State House of Assembly, driven out the Clerk and other officials, perhaps in preparation for the ‘impeachment’ of the governor that is still very much within the realm of possibility. After all, as Falz would sing, This is Nigeria!

Interestingly, Benue is not the only place where there is high-stake drama.

In Abuja, Senators are decamping by the day. In fact, one decamped twice within a spate of 24 hours: first from APC to PDP

Ortom and then from PDP back to APC. But the biggest drama came from the one and only ‘Ajekun Iya’ Senator who knows how to disappear even from moving vehicles. Last Thursday, his ‘commonsense’ colleague posted on Twitter that Melaye had been abducted by some unknown gunmen. While Nigerians were still worried about his whereabouts, Melaye surfaced on Twitter to explain how he “spent 11 hours in the wilderness traumatized but God preserved me. God is the best and in whom only I trust. They will continue to try. We shall overcome.”

In a subsequent press statement, Melaye narrated how a Toyota Sienna overtook, blocked and started shooting at his vehicle which was bullet-proof. “When I realised that they wanted to burn my vehicle, I quickly opened the car and ran into the bush. I had to run for my life.

It was the grace of God that made me to escape. They pursued me and I was able to outmanoeuvre them and climb a tree. I was on top of the tree when I saw them run past looking frantically for me.

When they didn’t find me, they also ran back” said Melaye. Somebody must check with Guinness because there could be a world record waiting to be broken by our distinguished Senator who perched on top of a tree for 11 good hours!

On a serious note, while what we are witnessing within the ruling APC is not only a glaring failure of leadership but also the unravelling of a house built with spit, the real challenge is that public officials at all levels have abdicated their responsibilities in pursuit of politics. For instance, Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano said last week that three million children in his state are out of school. Even though that is enough to give anybody sleepless nights, the only preoccupation of Ganduje is how to conjure five million votes for President Buhari next year. We already know that our country has the largest concentration of poor people in the world and it doesn’t worry anybody. Now the electricity sector that provides more darkness than light is in serious turmoil

with owners of Distribution Companies (Discos) willing to sell their assets at a discount and move on. All these, at a period the security situation is getting more complicated with bandits now taking over vast territories in the North West.

It is against the foregoing background that we should situate the Freudian Slip by the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who has taken over the leadership of the APC in Kwara State from the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Speaking in Yoruba at his country home of Oro, Kwara last Sunday, Mohammed said: “Today is a special day. God has answered our prayers by exposing our political traitors. God has removed stones from our rice and sands from our garri.”

But in his own riposte, Saraki also told his supporters on Tuesday: “The federal government appointed over 200 persons into juicy offices without allotting any slot to me or (Speaker Yakubu) Dogara.

Everything went to Katsina, Katsina, Lagos, Lagos. If not for the love I have for Nigeria, we would have scattered everything.”

The implication of the incestuous relationship between public service and private interest, as we have in Nigeria today, is that there will always be tension between those who want to consume ‘rice and garri’ alone and those who, denied their ‘juicy’ portions, would rather seek to ‘scatter everything’, even if that means throwing some sands and stones into the mix. Taken together, therefore, what the Minister and the Senate President are telling Nigerians is that the whole contention within the APC is not about how to advance the public good but rather about the formula for sharing political spoils.

In other countries, leaders are expected to give but in Nigeria we encourage them to take, including what does not belong to them. That then explains the metaphor of staples with which they always rationalise why they take decisions that are most

often at variance with public interest, no matter how they couch them. We must be very clear here: In societies where public service is seen as an ascent to control resources and political leadership is about clawing for privileges rather than making the requisite sacrifices for the long-term prosperity of the people, development will always be a mirage.

There are far too many challenges confronting us as a nation today in practically all sectors. Unfortunately, neither the people in power nor those who seek to take over from them are engaging those issues. That is why Nigerians must be circumspect in assessing both what they see and what they hear as we inch towards the crucial 2019 general election.

We must remember that those who were chanting ‘Change’ yesterday disowned all their promises the moment they got to power.

Given the foregoing, I fail to understand why many Nigerians are excited about all the drama of defections going on within both the ruling APC and the opposition PDP when it is no more than the usual ritual to which we are treated at every election cycle. That also explains why our elections can easily be situated within the context of Karl Marx’s postulation that “the oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.”

With politics now the exclusive province of a tiny elite group for whom party platforms are mere vehicles, not necessarily to advance any ideal but rather to secure power and privileges, we must understand that the interest of the ordinary citizens are not factored into the convulsions going on within both the APC and the PDP. Yet, if power, as we glibly say, emanates from, and belongs to, the people, then there is an urgent need to reform our political system to reflect that reality and restore the confidence of the people in democracy.

Edo Tackles Prostitution I was in Benin City on Monday to attend the Edo State Conference on Human Trafficking. Rather than live in denial about the emblem of shame to which the state has been tagged given the number of Edo women and girls engaged in prostitution in Europe, Godwin Obaseki has decided to take on the challenge head-on. His Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof Yinka Omorogbe who also chairs the Edo State Task Force on Human Trafficking (ETAHT) says the state is no longer in denial about the problem. “I know many people say that prostitution is not part of our culture in Benin. May be it was not part of our culture in the past but unfortunately, it is now. The challenge before us is to work towards its eradication”, said Omorogbe.

Stakeholders at the session included representatives of the European Union

Mission in Nigeria, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Nigerian Immigration Service as well as the traditional authorities in Edo State. Governor Obaseki, whose administration is working with relevant local and international stakeholders to eradicate the menace with sustainable solutions said: “Clearly, we cannot as Edo people afford to be stigmatized and taunted anymore on the issue of human trafficking…it is like trafficking is now synonymous with Edo State. We cannot accept this disgrace anymore.”

While I commend Obaseki’s efforts, the Edo dimension to human trafficking is a whole chapter in my coming book on irregular migration titled, ‘From Frying Pan to Fire’ which should be out before the end of the year. Please, watch out for the book!

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