Consummate Silk, Usoro, Takes Charge of the Bar Davidson Iriekpen After months of consultations and electioneering, the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) on Monday declared Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) the winner of the NBA presidential election. He polled 4,509 votes to beat his rivals, Chief Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN), who scored
N E W S A N A LY S I S 4,423 votes and Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN), who got 3,313 votes. Usoro, founder and senior partner of Paul Usoro & Co, comes to office with over 30 years of post call experience
and is acknowledged as a highly experienced litigator and Nigeria’s foremost communications law expert. He has advised a wide range of blue chip Nigerian and foreign companies in the areas of project finance and development, equity raising,
infrastructure development and management buy-outs. He has served as the Chief Legal Consultant for Nigeria’s first ever spectrum auction since 2001. He has also worked with the National Assembly in producing the Nigeria
Communication Act, 2003. The learned silk comes to office at a time of growing division in the legal profession and deep quest for the salvaging of ethics among lawyers. Usoro told THISDAY Continued on page 6
Nigeria, Angola Deplete Shoprite’s Profit... Page 8
Usoro
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Sultan to Youths: Use Your PVC to Elect Credible Candidates... Page 8
With 800-Meter Walk, Buhari Fit for 2019, Says Presidency Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Presidency was upbeat yesterday as it declared President Muhammadu Buhari fit to face the rigours of next year’s presidential contest slated for February, citing the president’s 800 meters walk home from the prayer ground as evidence of his clean state of health. The president returned from
a 10-working day vacation last weekend and proceeded to his Daura, Katsina State homestead for the Eid-el-Kabir Festival on Monday. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement said if anyone was in doubt about the fitness of the president, yesterday’s Continued on page 6
PenCom Targets 10% Pension Assets Contribution to GDP
Decries cut in retirees’ entitlement by N'Assembly Ebere Nwoji The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has said it is putting in place measures that will significantly raise the contribution of pension funds to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from five per cent presently, to about 10 per cent by next year.
The Acting Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Aisha Dahiru-Umar, who said this in an interview, also pointed out that the cut of over N3 billion from the amount budgeted to offset backlog of pension benefits Continued on page 6
N’Assembly Joint Committee Still Deadlocked on INEC Election Budget... Page 6
WALKING TO 2019... President Muhammadu Buhari walks back to his residence after Eid-el-Kabir prayer in Daura, Katsina State... yesterday
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N’Assembly Joint Committee Still Deadlocked on INEC Election Budget Meets again on Monday Deji Elumoye in Abuja The National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters saddled with the responsibility of looking into the 2019 general election budget proposal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to agree on what to approve for the electoral body in preparation for the elections beginning in February 2019. The joint committee with membership drawn from both the Senate and the House of Representatives headed by Senator Suleiman Nazif had in the last one week met thrice to consider the INEC election budget but failed to reach a consensus on whether to approve N143 billion or N189 billion for INEC to prepare the ground for the 2019 elections. Sources told THISDAY that as at yesterday, nothing had changed as the members of the committee had not agreed on what to recommend to the
Appropriation Committee, which would further look into the proposal before passing it to the leadership of the National Assembly. The source said members of the committee are still divided along party lines with PDP members canvassing for N143 billion while their APC counterparts are rooting for N189 billion. THISDAY further learnt that the committee, which reconvenes on August 27 may find it a bit difficult to harmonise its position if members are still arguing along party line. Nazif had last weekend hinted that the joint committee would now reconvene on Monday, August 27 to harmonise the 2019 general election budget proposal for INEC. The committee chairman had said in a statement, "It is imperative to state here explicitly that, after an audacious session with
all critical stakeholders, the joint committee dissolved into executive structure and agreed to resume on August 27, 2018, (After Sallah) to consider the harmonized version of the budget report diligently." He assured the public that work on the 2019 Election Budget is in advanced stage and in line with mandate issued to the joint committee by the leadership of the National Assembly. At its sitting last Friday, members of the committee had toed their respective party lines while debating the amount that should be approved by the committee for INEC to prosecute the 2019 general election in the country. While PDP senators and House of Representatives members of the committee canvassed for the approval of N143billion requested by President Muhammadu Buhari for virement to INEC for the preparations for the polls, their counterparts in the APC were
in support of the approval of N189billion as presented before the committee by INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu last Wednesday. The PDP lawmakers, who spoke in favour of N143 billion include Senators Mohammed Hassan (Yobe South), Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), Hon Wole Oke (PDP Osun) and Hon Ogbeideihama Omorege (PDP Edo) while their APC counterparts who wanted the entire N189billion approved include Senators Ibrahim Kurfi (Katsina Central), Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North) , Ovie Omo - Agege (Delta Central) and Hon Aisha Dukku (APC Gombe). The dilemma of the lawmakers over which of the proposals should be approved became worsened with the submission made the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who said the discretion over which of the amount to be approved is
that of the National Assembly committee. The minister who made the submission upon request to that effect by the Nazif (PDP Bauchi North), explained to the committee that though the N189billion requested for by INEC was the same amount the president wrote in the letter but because of funding constraints, Buhari decided to break approval for it into two fold by seeking virement for N143billion for INEC this year while the balance of N45.6billion would be taken care of in the 2019 budget. According to him, if the joint committee wish to approve the entire N189billion without resulting into increase in the N9.12trillion 2018 budget size, so be it and would be appreciated by the executive. He said, "Mr President will have no objection to the National Assembly approving the entire N189billion INEC budget as long as it does not
in anyway, lead to increase in the overall size of the 2018 budget. "If this is to be done, the N45.6billion the president in his letter proposed to be provided for in the 2019 budget, would also have to be vired along with the N143billion from the N578billion fund appropriated for in the 2018 budget by the National Assembly for the additional 1,403 projects included in the budget." But when taken up by the committee members on whether he has authorisation to the submission he made for the approval of the N189billion as against N143billion requested for by the president for this year, the minister said, "Discretion on which of the requests to be approved by you now, is yours. If you approve the N143billion the president requested for, it is okay; and if you approve the entire N189billion for INEC this year, it is also alright.”
told the corps members that it was better to know all the country than for people to be state-inclined. Buhari said, ‘‘I always look forward to meeting the NYSC team because since I served mostly in the south when I was in the military, some people in Lagos the only thing they know is the sea. ‘‘For them (NYSC members) to be brought to the desert or near the Sahel region is a very difficult thing but it will make an impact on Nigeria. ‘‘I have personally spoken to Gen. Gowon to thank him
for having the initiative to start the NYSC programme. It is very good for Nigeria.’’ Shehu added that Buhari formally welcomed the corps members to the ancient town of Daura and asked them to enjoy their national service year. The media aide indicated that the Corps Liaison Officer, Mr. Jibrin Ishak, thanked the president for prioritising the welfare and a secured future of the Nigerian youths through his style of leadership and developmental initiatives. ‘‘The voice of the people
is the voice of God and by the grace of God, we pray that in 2019 you will continue to be President of Nigeria to do more for us,’’ Ishak was quoted to have said. The statement added that the representative of the corps members prayed to God to sustain the president with good health, long life and prosperity. It also said in his usual tradition, the president, in the spirit of the season, donated a bull, 10 bags of rice and N500,000 to the corps members.
have been expanding their branch networks in order to ease customer interface, while the Commission has been operating its zonal offices in each of the six geo-political zones of the country. “We are also intensifying efforts at ensuring the adoption and implementation of the CPS by all the states in the federation. Other measures include a wider public enlightenment and education of the CPS in order to attract a wider participation.” Meanwhile, Dahiru-Umar stressed that the cut of over N3 billion that was in the 2018 Appropriation Bill prior to its assent by the president would affect the payment of retirees’ benefits. She explained, "As at today, there is outstanding arrears for retirees from May, 2017. The commission would continue to engage all the
relevant stakeholders such as the National Assembly, the Presidency, Budget Office as well as the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure that all the accrued rights and other pension liabilities are paid. "We are also aware that efforts are being made to accommodate the outstanding liability in the supplementary budget so as to bring succour to teeming federal government’s retirees who are currently waiting for the payment of their retirement benefits." She said the outstanding amount for federal government employees had been communicated to the government and in previous times, what was appropriated, it was short of the amount advised. "This is one of the reasons for the delay. But we are confident that money will be released to
defray this liability. Last year, N54 billion was released when there was some intervention by the federal government. “My appeal is for retirees to bear with us. These are liabilities from the government and government is trying. As mentioned earlier, we are engaging all the relevant stakeholders. “Government has the will and it has been shown by the release of the N54 billion. Definitely, we are hopeful that as we mount pressure and there is good intention as already demonstrated, this liability will be cleared soon,” the PenCom boss said. Pension fund provision was among the N347 billion cut made by the National Assembly from the initial N8.612 trillion appropriation bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the lawmakers.
He also promised to run the association transparently, where the accounts and financial statements would be published intermittently to give members the confidence that the finances are judiciously spent. He also pledged to enforce discipline among members.
As the voice of the voiceless, the president-elect of the NBA promised to hold periodic briefings on the state of affair on issues of national importance and the way forward for the country. As a watchdog, he added that the association under his watch would bark when things go
against order and bite when necessary. He pledged to develop programmes and projects relating to Child Justice Administration, especially as it relates to adoption and implementation of Child Rights
WITH 800-METER WALK, BUHARI FIT FOR 2019, SAYS PRESIDENCY walk home amid cheers from his supporters was enough to erase such doubt. Shehu said the president undertook the walk after joining the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk, and other Muslim faithful, to observe the Eid prayers at Kofar Arewa Eid Ground, Daura in Katsina State. According to him, Buhari performed the symbolic slaughtering of the ram at the Eid ground, which he said signified "total obedience to the will of Allah as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim."
He said after the walk, the president spoke with reporters in his residence, saying he didn’t expect anything less from his ‘immediate constituency’ and thanked the almighty God for a bumper harvest and Nigeria’s steady progress towards food sufficiency. ‘‘I am very happy about it (the warm reception) and I do not expect anything less from my immediate base," he was quoted as saying. He said the president who wished all Nigerians a happy and successful Sallah celebration,
expressed delight that the country was spending less on food imports, noting that it was a major boost to the agricultural policies of his administration. Shehu also said at a separate event that Buhari received members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently serving in Daura community- an audience that has become part of his schedules during the Sallah celebrations in the past years. He said the president while reaffirming his support to the scheme established in 1973,
PENCOM TARGETS 10% PENSION ASSETS CONTRIBUTION TO GDP to retirees by the National Assembly was affecting the payment of accrued benefits to retirees from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The payment was for accrued benefits of the retirees in the MDAs. According to her, accrued rights was that part of the pension benefits due to employees prior to the introduction of the CPS. She reiterated that the CPS had facilitated a pool of pension funds, which presently stood at N8.3 trillion as at June 2018. “As you have rightly noted, there are enormous potential for growth of Nigerian pension funds to account for a significant proportion of the GDP. “Indeed, the commission’s ongoing strategy implementation aims at
attaining an increase in the ratio of pension funds to GDP to at least 10 per cent by 2019,” Dahiru-Umar said. According to her, some of the measures being put in place to achieve the target include firstly, the expansion of coverage of the CPS to the underserved economic sectors through micro pension and renewed enforcement of compliance. Dahiru-Umar explained, “Our objective in this direction is to attain at least 20 million contributors by the year 2019. Secondly, we seek to grow the assets through more investments in variable income instruments that generate higher returns. “In order to achieve this, we have commenced implementation of the multifund structure in July 2018, which segregates the funds based on the risk profile of
contributors and gives them an opportunity to choose subject to age parameters. “Furthermore, the increase in contribution rates in the Pension Reform Act 2014, from a total of 15 per cent, to 18 per cent, comprising 10 per cent by employer and eight per cent by the employee, would also increase the size of pension funds when fully implemented for treasury funded federal government’s MDAs.” In addition, she said the commission has also intensified efforts at ensuring the payment of all outstanding pension liabilities, including accrued pension rights, and pension increases that were yet to be implemented. According to her, “The industry is already leveraging on information technology to deliver better services to the contributors and retirees. The Pension Fund Administrators
CONSUMMATE SILK, USORO, TAKES CHARGE OF THE BAR last night that he was aware of these and was prepared to deal with the issues frontally, promising to bring his wealth of experience to bear on giving the association a proper sense of direction. The president-elect, who unveiled a few of his priorities when he takes office,
promised to unite the Bar and build bond of friendship and relationship, which lawyers are known to have enjoyed in the past. He said the Bar is divided and that lawyers need to unite to overcome their common challenges. He added that the confidence of members of
the association was at the lowest ebb and as such, the confidence of lawyers needs to be boosted for all members to be proud of. Usoro promised to institute various reforms in the NBA that would improve efficiency and drastically increase moral equity in the association.
Continued on page 8
T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22, 2018
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WEDNESDAY, ÍşÍşËœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž T H I S D AY
STARTERS
Nigeria, Angola Deplete Shoprite’s Profit Ejiofor Alike with agency reports Africa’s biggest grocer, Shoprite yesterday reported its first annual earnings decline in 19 years for the year ended July 31, due to currency devaluation in Angola, foreign exchange fluctuations in Nigeria and a lacklustre showing in its home South African market and elsewhere on the continent. Reuters reported that South African retailers have struggled to lift earnings as elevated household debts, higher fuel prices and an increase in value-added tax squeeze consumer income. The grocer, which has extensive operations elsewhere on the continent, took another hit this year as key markets in Angola and Nigeria battle chronic foreign exchange shortages and tepid economic growth. Shares in Shoprite tumbled more than seven per cent to a level last seen in August last year. The shares were down 6.44 per cent, on track for their worst daily fall since December 2016.
Speaking on the results, the Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Engelbrecht said it was probably “the toughest (year) that I can recall.� He cited a listeria outbreak, blamed on a tainted meat product, that forced Shoprite to conduct its largest ever product recall as one of the reasons for the low turnover. Engelbrecht also added that two industrial actions over pay and 489 armed robberies at its stores also sapped turnover growth. The Cape Town-based retailer said diluted headline earnings per share (EPS) for the year ended July fell by 3.8 per cent to 968.7 cents. The company last reported a decline in diluted headline EPS in its financial year ending in 1999. Diluted headline EPS, the most widely watched profit gauge in South Africa, strips out certain one-off items. Shoprite, which targets lower-income consumers with discounts on staples such as maize meal and potatoes, slashed its final dividend by 14 per cent to 279
cents per share. While trading in Nigeria continues to be hampered by foreign exchange fluctuations, the currency of Angola, which is Shoprite’s biggest market outside South Africa, has lost more than half its value against the United States dollar since December 2017. This weighed on its non-South Africa operations, which recorded a decline in sales of seven per cent, while its local division reported turnover growth of 5.7 per cent. Sales rose 3.1 per cent to 145.3 billion rand ($9.9 billion), while the rest of Africa operations contribute 18 per cent to group sales. “Non-RSA (Republic of South Africa) is still profitable, it’s not a crisis,� Engelbrecht said, adding that the grocery chain store remains committed to Africa as shown by its recent bid for 11 franchise stores in Botswana. “It (the process) is still under arbitration and we should have an answer at the end of the calendar year,� Engelbrecht added.
Sultan to Youths: Use Your PVC to Elect Credible Candidates Abdulsalami urges politicians to face governance Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto and Laleye Dipo in Minna The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, yesterday urged youths to use their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) not weapons to ensure the success of their parties and candidates in the forthcoming 2019 polls. In his message to Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-Adha festival in Sokoto, the monarch maintained that it is the only power the youths can use to vote for credible candidates of their choice. According to him, the PVC is a very potent weapon to either vote or reject any candidate seeking to occupy any elective office. He noted that without it, the youths would not be able to exercise their constitutional responsibility of casting vote during the forthcoming elections. He said, "I urge you to obtain your PVCs as without it you would not vote for your favorite party and candidates in the forthcoming elections. "We should see our PVCs as real weapons not the kind of weapons being given to our youths by selfish and unscrupulous politicians to cause chaos in our societies. “If you love Buhari, the only way you can ensure his success is by obtaining your PVCs and same thing with Governor Tambuwal and other aspirants." He also cautioned the youths against engaging in thuggery or violence, saying no election is worth a precious life of any Nigerian. He maintained that traditional rulers have no favorite party or candidates other than the choices of their subjects. The Sultan called on politicians and political parties not to see politics as do or die affair. According to him, "Our politicians should realise that it is only God that gives power to whoever He wishes and
Sa'ad Abubakar
at the time He wishes. "We should therefore play the game by the rules. We should avoid making inflammatory and divisive statements during our politicking. And after the election, whoever God gives the office, we should support him to succeed."
Abdulsalami Urges Politicians to Face Governance In a related development, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), yesterday told politicians to face the business of governance and stop the current infighting, which has pervaded the polity. Abdulsalami gave the advice in Minna, shortly after joining hundreds of Muslims to say the two Rakkat prayers to mark this year’s Eid-el-kabir festival at the prayer ground in the Niger State capital. "Nigerian leaders should stop the ongoing infighting among themselves and face real business of governance, which is expected of them,� he said. He said the country's political leaders must rise up to the challenge of good governance and make life better for the ordinary man on the street rather than
engaging each other in a fight, which has no direct bearing on the electorate that voted them into office. According to him, what Nigerians need from their leaders now is good governance and not infighting. He said, "The primary responsibility of a leader is to find solutions to the problems faced by its citizens," adding that they should get together and think for the country what is good for the citizens they are leading. “This bickering between the leaders will not do us well. I hope they will get together and understand that there should be give and take,� he said. On the 2019 general election, the former military head of state advised politicians to shun "do-or-die politics," reminding them that in every contest there was always a winner and a loser. “Politicians should play the game by the rules; this thing you know is not do-or-die affair. They are trying to lead the people, whether they are in position or in governance, they are serving the people. So they should put Nigerians in mind in whatever they do. There shouldn’t be any violence at all,� he added. He also urged Nigerians to get their PVCs and vote for the leaders of their choice, saying this was the only way, Nigerians could participate in governance. “I call on Nigerians who are yet to collect their PVCs to take advantage of the ongoing continuous voters’ registration to do so. Let them vote for the leaders of their choice, so that they do not end up biting their fingers in regret after the election. This is the only chance they have to vote the leader of their choice,� he said. Also speaking to journalists at the same venue, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Mohammed Ketso, urged the people to use the two weeks’ extension granted by INEC to obtain their PVCs.
CONSUMMATE SILK, USORO, TAKES CHARGE OF THE BAR Act at the state level. He would also advocate the strengthening of the legal and institutional framework for AntiCorruption Crusade and the entrenchment of international best practices in the detection and investigation of corrupt practices and financial crimes. Usoro has been a Non-Executive Director of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc since July 15, 2011 and a non-Executive Director at Access Bank Plc since January 2014. He serves on the boards of Airtel Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Bulk Electricity
Traders Plc, Marina Securities Limited and Premium Pensions Limited. He also previously represented Access Bank as non-Executive Director on the Board of Intercontinental Bank in October 2011 following the bank’s acquisition of the Intercontinental Bank Group. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Usoro, who took a Bachelors of Law degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in 1981, was called to Nigerian Bar in 1982.
Over the years, the NBA has been in the vanguard of promoting the rule of law and the entrenchment of good governance in Nigeria. This commitment stems not only from the public interest role and motto of the association, but also from its constitutive act, the Nigerian Bar Association Constitution, 2015, which stipulates promotion of the rule of law as one of NBA’s core objectives. Usoro perfectly sees himself as ready to ensure that this objective is carried out to the letter.
Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng ESDAY, AUGUST
22, 2018Ëž T
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NEWS Whistle Blower’s Policy: FG Rakes in
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Hammed Shittu Ă“Ă˜ Ă– Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă˜ years plus must be preserved. The Minister Nigeria of Culture, Alhaji Information and present must continue on its of the President Muhamm adu road; yesterday statedLai Mohammed, growth trajectory to sustainable Buhari-led the Enugu-On administra itsha and government that the federal again and development. Never the minister said: “Nevertion, Enugu-Port Harcourt more whistle-blower’s must we go the history in the second roads; than millionaire farmers today policy has raked of our country Niger Bridge; “2019 is the back to Egypt. has at in N13.8 billion any the history any other time in the security for the from tax evaders. administration Abuja light rail project for Nigeria. It year of decision embarked most of our country. vulnerable. This and is Mohammed Today, has never been critical decision the year that the infrastruct on such a massive Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bida the Nigeria is closer will be made road. This to achieving done before in his country told journalists at to whether ural developm as this administra home of Oro ent as over administration had built self-sufficiency in rice production this administr Nigeria. Also, Irepodun Local in along the Nigeria will continue 700kilometres tion. that SMEs ation, realising of roads and than at any other time Governme “ The whole Area (LGA) are the biggest nt in all path of development in the employers country is one rehabilitated about history of our of Kwara State  as 650km.â€? ramifications-social, huge construction country. of part of his Sallah He “This administra growing such labour, has been being constructe site. Roads are area stated further that “in the message to economic and political-th Nigerians  that of agriculture enterprises at employed 500,000 tion has astronomi d in all the six at this geo-politic administration “other an massive has huge revolution , it has been a under cal rate through dividends of al graduates the policy include upon since 2015, or embarked know, I have zones. As you all of its . N7.8 billion, our national Let’s take one ProgrammSocial Intervention Government Enterprise its the country been touring will retrogress $378 million staples, such Empower and e the rice, (SIP). and backslide various infrastructural 27,800 pounds and No This is ment Programme. projects cameas an example. When as government in our recoveries from to the throes of massive of the federal unpreced we public officials.â€? country’s government across in, there history has ever primitive looting and “In the area ented. done that. This rice farmers. were five million administra and lack of the country with the media. According of power, this development,â€? “So far, the in excess of Today, we have 8.5 milliontion has been feeding administration has fight against to him, “The He stressed minister said. about 10 we have inspected taken corruption has farmers. Our 11 million rice 23 states school children in power generation to 7,000MW. that “as we projects, including been unrelentin rice import This is also daily. That Lagos-Ibadan the g, without approach this critical has been fear or standard gauge been cut by over 80 aspect, done before has never in Nigeria. unprecedented favour because I have no iota of These didn’t happen per cent. in Nigeria. the  administr doubt that rail project; the Lagos-Ibad “The Buhari ation has driven the good people of at 5,000MW. Distribution is expressway; the by accident. an It was administra corruption under Nigeria This Oyo-Ogbom a tion been choose the path has never will oso Borrowersresult of our Anchor has been providng N10,000 achieved before. of developme “Nigerians no the table. every Programme. There Model longer celebrate having seen the commitme nt, are 300,000two months to over houses are being built corrupt politicians nt, across the country families as . Looters no sincerity and patriotism longer sleep at as a prelude social a massive of this administration. to It is clear from arm of the lawnight, as the long all indication housing scheme.â€? is closing in s that Nigerians them. on are not going “This administra Because of the back to Egypt. tion has embarked people, our support of the on party reforms to curb institutional even with a wider will win, corruption. The diligent implemen 2019, thus sealing margin, in Treasury Singles tation of the the naysayers the fate of Account (TSA) . has plugged  “The the exploited to stealloopholes being victory fear of this impending explains Mohammed public funds.â€? been running why they have from pillar to to be vigilant urged Nigerians desperate post to thwart the space to and not to yield of the naysayers. APC in 2019. the victory They labour “The gains of the past three in vain!â€? Reeling out the achievements
N13.8bn from Tax Evaders The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday stated that the federal government whistle-blower’s policy has raked in N13.8 billion from tax evaders. Page 9
Repair Ayefele’s Music House or Legal Action, SERA P Tells AjimobiFace
Emmanuella Igwe comply with A civil society lawfulness andthe principle of reasonableness. Socio-Economic organisation, The demolition Rights and was neither done The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Accountability in the Ibrahim Sulu-Gamb has sent an Project (SERAP), out to public interest nor carried State...yesterday ari (left), and Senate achieve a legitimate open letter Governor Abiola President Bukola to aim.â€? The organisati Saraki, during Ajimobi of Oyo State requesting on stated the Eid-el-Kab further ir prayer in Ilorin, him to unlawfulthat “this apparentl immediately y Kwara eviction and halt all further precedentaction has set a bad demolition and created Fresh FM building of level of a high full respect for and to show among uncertainty and anxiety the safety and many radio dignity of residents stations Martins and owner and other media organisatio IďŹ jeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? of Fresh FM. in the state ns manuel Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽÂ Emabout the future Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹ a militant, l wouldn’t The group because also urged have owned an office for my governor to immediate the of their of the likelihood to my A Bayelsa State-based buildings ly begin demolishe I should have newspaper work. my arrest were also taken. All repairs of the being pay journalist, Fresh I have already been in the creek. informatioslips and other bank my creator. Now the and to adequately FM building deemed d when they are who was recently released matter filed is in court,â€? by Department of n were taken a suit at the to broadcast compensate the radio st ti he explai d State Se i ( the Federal High C view whi h “Th
BARKA DE SALL AH...
I Was Blindfolde d in DSS Cust HRW accuses ody, Says Abir FG of torturing i journalists
EDITORIAL The Passage of KoďŹ Annan
Y, AUGUST
22, 2018
EDITORIAL
15
With the death last Saturday of Mr. Kofi Annan, Africa has lost a major states-man, global ambassador and leading diplomat. In his tribute, current UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres hailed Annan as “a guiding force for good� and a “proud son of Africa who became a global champion for peace and all M humanity"... Page 15
THE PASSAG Kofi Annan, former
W
E OF KOFI
Secretary-
ANNAN
General of the ith the death United Nations last Saturday , dies at age 80 of Mr KoďŹ Annan, Africa has lost a major statesman, global was Annan‘s ambassador appointment and leading that Africa to global diplomat. In responsibility reassured and challenged his tribute, current outstanding surefootedness. which he discharged with Secretary - General,UN Supported into Annan as “a ofďŹ ce by the Antonio Guterres Mr assumed the guiding force United States, hailed leadership of for goodâ€? and Annan of Africa who the recent world a “proud son became a global history. Rwanda UN at a critical point in all humanity genocide. This was unravellin ,â€? adding: “He champion for peace and was provided people with a space in former Yugoslavi closely followed by the g in open for Kosovo crisis a path to a betterdialogue, a place for problem-everywhere eye of the storm. a. In both crises, Annan times, he never world. In these turbulent solving and best judgment He was later to regret that was in the and trying s, he had in both in spite of his of the United stopped working to give tragic errors life to the values Nations Charter. situations made of judgment true inspiratio some His legacy will which the huge toll n for remain a in human lives. may have contributed Born in Kumasi, us all.â€? to Macalester College, Ghana, Annan read economics at s the Secretary Graduate Institute, International Relations -General, Annan from the small measure helped in no ment at Massachu Geneva in Switzerland to and managesetts Institute and that earned reform the UN bureaucra United States cy him and the before he joined of Technology (MIT), a joint global for the World his term as UN Nobel Prize for Peace. After institution Health Organisathe UN in 1962, working Secretary-General, the end went on to work tion’s Annan Foundatio in several capacities Geneva ofďŹ ce. He he founded the of n in 2007 to KoďŹ at the UN headquar development. HIS LIFE AND During the 2015work on international ters including Nigeria, Annan presidential election WORK serving helped SHOULD INSPIRE in to as the Under-Se broker one of negotiations the pre-electi cretarythat culminate FUTURE GENER General for peacekeep on d the acceptanc e of defeat by in a free and fair process and an incumben OF AFRICAN ATIONS ing between March Annan brought t president LEADERS 1992 and Decembe a certain cosmopol to the ofďŹ ce of UN Secretary . AND DIPLOM T H I S DAY itan attitude General ATS 1996. He became r that endeared EDITOR SEEK A BETTER WHO the him to the New and rock star popularity DEPUTY EDITORBOLAJI ADEBIYI UN Secretary munity and DAVIDSON York diplomati MANAGING -General IRIEKPEN high society. FOR ALL MANKINWORLD on 13th c comDEPUTY MANAGINGDIRECTOR ENIOLA He increased appeal of the BELLO December D DIRECTOR KAYODE the popular UN CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL KOMOLAFE 1996, making to Washington, in the process. In spite BOARD OLUSEGUN EDITOR NATION’S him the of his closeness he openly opposed ADENIYI elected from CAPITAL IYOBOSA ďŹ rst ofďŹ ce Iraq in the second MANAGING the UWUGIAREN the US invasion EDITOR JOSEPH He was re-electedUN staff itself and the ďŹ rst holder to be USHIGIALE of power mongerin Gulf war, condemning black African. for a second it as brazen g not based on succeeded as international Secretary-Generalterm in 2001, and was solid intelligen relations. And January 2007. ce or right by Ban Ki-moon T H I S DAY avoidable scandals despite N E W S PA P on 1 EDITOR-IN-C ERS involving UN close encounters with It is instructiv tions, Annan GROUP EXECUTIVE HIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKAL I M I T E D humanitarian left OBAIGBENA DIRECTORS UN Secretary e that Annan assumed the operaENIOLA BELLO, ISRAEL IWEGBU, country, Ghana, ofďŹ ce unblemished and -General at a OfďŹ ce of the KAYODE KOMOLAFE, IJEOMA NWOGWUGW returned to his DIVISIONAL time when Africa’s the world body U, EMMANUEL DIRECTORS and further globalto establish and pursue had become BOLAJI ADEBIYI, EFENI his foundatio ment of the Egyptian a moral burden. position in ANTHONY OGEDENGBE PETER IWEGBU, n DEPUTY DIVISIONAL Without doubt, assignments. The appoint, Boutros DIRECTOR OJOGUN quite assuage Annan has departed SNR. ASSOCIATE of the most signiďŹ can VICTOR DANBOYI the reservatio Ghali before him did not ASSOCIATE the stage as one DIRECTOR ERIC ns of sub-Saha DIRECTORS t Africans of OJEH CONTROLLER and work should ran Africa. It S ABIMBOLA PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED inspire future the century. His life TAIWO, UCHENNA ADEYEMO DIRECTOR, leaders and diplomats generatio PRINTING PRODUCTION DIBIAGWU, NDUKA who seek a better ns of African CHUKS ONWUDINJO MOSERI TO SEND EMAIL: mankind. ďŹ rst name.surnam world for all e@thisdayliv May his gentle e.com soul ďŹ nd perfect peace.
A
Letters to the Editor AN OPEN LETTER
Letters in response to speciďŹ c readers may TO OUR READERS send such letters publications in THISDAY opinions on topical along with their should be brief local, national (150-200 words) 1000 words). and internatiocontact details to They should and straight be sent to opinion@nal issues providedopinion@thisdaylive.com. to the point. Interested We also thisdaylive.com they are well-written and should alsowelcome comments and along with the not be longer email address than (950and phone numbers of the writer.
TO NIGERIAN
YOUTHS
ost Nigerian Youths haven’t discovered their we marginalise d? country. Runningplace in their discovered our It is because most of us after politicians, haven’t place in the chanting and economy. Several governments going have come and are not an assured on errands thought it wise passed and none future for to set aside a yourself and youths will be Hayakawa will day in Nigeria has celebrated. I always say, “It our country. Just as engaged several where in conversation knows how is the individual little on 12th August, youths International stands the most they know about themselves who 2018 during Youths of us never knew Day. I discovered that the something aboutreasonable chance of finding who most out themselves before about such. This only few governmen Many youths is they die.� have ts (local, state because sacrificed acknowledged for those who and federal) feel the youths their lives so cheap this day and asking myself celebrated it. their purpose can be used I started what’s the essence by to used and we’ve giving little token. We’ve achieve commisioner of the minister/ for youths and been interested in us all again in been dumped; now they’re sports? Is he/she sports a d differ t calli onl
BELLO AND K
ADUNA 2019
T
he 2019 general proaching. In election is fast apKaduna State, cially but also will be contested the election spent most of the like minds his time meeting -Rufai who wantsbetween Governor El on with Dr Mohammed how to revive the party. time and whoever to go for the second Besides, in Kaduna State Sani Bello is a force to reckon the opposition fields as their with candidate. Unless PDP for governorsh politics. In 2007, Maina party settles contested for a consensus ip the Alhaji Namadi on the platform of APP election will candidate, the be keenly contested but lost to Sambo primary ous contenders. Maina’s experience of the PDP. among the and hard work rocked the rulingBefore the gale of defections numer- him to Namadi endeared Sambo who that All Progressive election persuaded witnessed the after winning s Congress whi influx f I the a d h
POLITICS Is Government Shutdown Imminent
MIDWEEKPOL ITICS in Nigeria? Is Governmen t Shutdown Im minent in Niger Given his known avowed taciturn ia? mannerism, Senator Ita Enang, G President Muhammadu Buhari 's Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, does not frequently court the media. Since Enang is not given to flippancy, not a few took his hint seriously. Page 18 T H I S D AY
• WEDNESDAY,
22, AUGUST , 2018 Group Politic s Editor NSEOB ONG OKON Email nseob -EKONG ong.okoneko ng@thisdayli ve.com 0811449532 4 SMS ONLY
Can the federa l reconvene despi government literarily becom te pleadings from e broke becau se of the executive iven his known arm? Asks Segu the refusal of the National avowed taciturn Assembly to n James mannerism, Senator Ita Enang, President
Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly does not frequently Matters, court the media. Enang is not took his hint given to flippancy, not Since Nigeria might seriously. He had warneda few that if the National face total government shutdown consider mattersAssembly did not reconvene The National of urgent national importancto July 24th and Assembly went on recess e. was to reconvene on 25th to deliberate on Septembe r for the Independ on the budget ent National proposal Commission Electoral (INEC) and budget submitted the Suppleme ntary by the federal Enang said government. the assembly approve request also needed to country- funds for foreign loans for planned to bankrollfrom which governmethe nt the capital budget According to of 2018. to the National Enang, “we are still appealing Assembly to remember reconvene that the understan we passed the budget ; you ding that with the money will be gotten a great amount of Buhari Although, it from foreign was approved loans. be a loan, the amount that that there would was not approved; would be gotten the Fiscal Responsib Saraki requires that ility Act the state the amount President should specificall he wants to loans and get from foreigny present it before the Assembly. National That letter has been before the National Assembly andpresented pass that amount it from the foreign before it could be has to obtained “This is what financing institution happen, in the we are asking and if s. does not next few months, we a complete will have government what we are shutdown because Account as receiving from the Federatio Federal Governm n capital componen ent t is not enough share the even 15 per to sustain So, there maycent to 20 percent of budget. be a complete shut down government and I know like it; that is why we Nigerians will not are appealing National Assembly to the to reconvene Despite the ,’’ he said. of the Nationalurgency of the call, the leadership Assembly was attempt to reconvene not moved. An the principal to a controver officers led Dogara Assembly by sial blockade of the National the DSS. At the party’s date of reconveni the directive. ng the federal moment, the Enang a matter of The APC’s threat legislature is conjecture followed the down due to State at that in different The relationsh crisis in lack of approval. period, quarters. Peoples Democrat as both the APC Rivers stays in effect Assembly and ip between the 8th National and the until a compromThe shutdown to Nigerians ic Party (PDP) in battle over but cordial. the executive has been ise is reached were locked and a budget bill is was anything the control passed. were shutdown if all government Rivers state. Mr. Abraham The total budget activities The situation of the politics of Ogbodo, for 2018 is all categories and government workers up from N8.6 N9.1 trillion, to threaten that appropriaforced the presidency Newspaper, opined Editor of the Guardian stayed away that a governme shutdown would be applied from work. of the National trillion. The two chambers te sanctions would Assembly raised not make nt of working to any effort to derail N5oo million. the budget the normal to the average Nigerian. much difference of governme by nt. Nigeria has According The budget been on governme to him, for decades What is a Gov also has N530 as passed by the two cha nt shutdo 4 bill b
QUICK FACT S
FEATURES Empowering Young Women for the
FEATURES
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Group Featur es Editor: Chiem elie Ezeobi Email chieme lie.ezeobi@t hisdaylive.co m
Empowerin g Young Wo men for the Blu e Economy
Mary Nna Programmeh writes that the recently was an aven held Leadershi economy and ue for young p and Career contribute to women to seize Empowermen the developm opportunities n a bid to change the ent of the secto situation where most sectors in the blue t of the r controlled and peopled economy are Plus
Blue Economy In a bid to change the situation where I most sectors of the economy are controlled and peopled by men, MMS PlusWoman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) recently brought together young women from various fields... Page 20
by men, MMS Woman of Fortune Hall (WoFHoF) of Fame recently brought young the economy women from various together more women to brainstorm on how fields of should be involved and why Economy'. in the 'Blue As postulated by the World economy is the "sustainab Bank, the blue resources le use of for economic ocean livelihoods growth, improved and health of ocean jobs, while preservin g the ecosystem event was put together ." Simply put, the African women to encourage young to take an role in the active economic maritime sector maintenance – from shipping, among other and port services to financing, sectors of the The two-day country’s economy. MMS Internationevent, which was held Lagos, providedal Image Centre, Festac at the for the participanfree but thorough Town, training ts and media, blue economy, oil it explored digital production and gas, visual and content money-spinning entrepreneurship, which sectors that to optimally the nation are explore. is yet Over 50 Nigerian secondary school women ranging from tertiary institutionstudents to undergrad senior uates s as well as civil service career workers in and the second editionprivate sector participate in Career Empower of Women in Leadership d in A cross section of the participant ment Programm and organised by s at the mentorship e (WILCEP) MMS Plus efforts to contribute class WoFHoF as She explained, part of “I visited several to the female Chief Execubrand in the the development of tive Officers (CEOs) waiting from just to see country. He went the CEO. I repeated this 8am-5pm who would on to state that the class two weeks Key Roles at a stretch for find for Women from that company before taking about be those without it difficult to survive of people WILCEP While addressin conference wouldn't a break be to face Secretary, Nigerian g the participan produced a but “Mentorship: unable to flow money but those who book titled, ts, the got I returned months later other businesses, The Link to would The with the modern Chapter the Women in utilisation Effective Leadership the job. There and most times book of Maritime was a job I I ICT trainerof technologies. Speakingchanges and talented is a collection of the �. Macfoy, admonish (WIMA), Mrs. African year and three chased for presentati women who stated that most further, the months ed young women Rollens contract. one opportunities told intriguing on of about their developed That contractbut I eventually got the had been exploring lives at the digital technologcountries in 2017, encouraged in the blue economy. to seize years and maiden WILCEPstories with their experience since I got runs for another two strategies in several them to identify She ies and also event ways, while it, I develop a to the bank yet to fully opportunities s chronicled sustainable, Africa was a guide for effective monthly. Howhave been smiling embrace the to me to into sector, which leadership integrated sectors. initiative. “Nigerians, do you convince stop? across various maritime especially and indirectly.will create jobs – both be discourag Why do you allow yourself must be encourage the The directly ed? The d to learn andyoung ones initiativefounder stressed that to real you intend opportunities Macfoy, who you is 'the the WILCEP explore the to with presented timising the should spur be in the next 10 years person' benefits and in digital media for Blue Economy the theme, “Optimisi opportunities a paper titled, “Opyou to work the fiscal and that The to grow the ng the stressed that you intend more now. Wealth Creation�and Digital Media nation's economy. point is that to 70 per cent in Blue Economy�, What Skills for we are in the , was created were underneat of earth's resources meet in 10 or tell your classmates when do technology capacity to enhance of young 20 years?� you contents and the good thing age of digital them the portion of the h the seas, adding that is that one-on-one Nigerian women by giving like a greater wealth from mentorship remain untapped. how much artificial learning and we have successful the seas and Digital Media women, adding opportunities with technology it oceans Exposition WIMA Nigeria Macfoy, who represente we do things,� is changing tells us provided Meanwhile, that the 2018 edition opportun the way Mr. Ayomide d the marketing he stated. Anishere, also President, Mrs. Jean-Chia in digital media ities for skill acquisitio Akerin, strategist and and opportun resilient in theircharged the young women zor Consultan n trainer with a digital economy. Presentations ities in blue Edubridge drive to be to be numerous ts, exposed the “nothing of The Group opportunities participants to the immense valuesuccessful, adding, Executive Director/ attained from ranging from Secretary, Masters in the digital or success Lessons Company a She said, “Asposition of discourag can be design, blogging,online marketing, media, Dappa, presentedEnergy Group, Mrs. One of the website Career Patience participants programm a to be successful a young lady who ement.� and utilising 300-level student at the in Oil and Gaspaper titled: “Making intends ing social media ing and coding Challenge in life, you in the departme training, a a ness Education university Industry: Prospects as a tool revenue, can't be and s�. Dappa , Federal College nt of Busiand was fix a weave-on your primary concernin the that digital among others. Akerin for earn- event by Managing Direct represented at the Education, Akoka affiliated of Technical skills and the stressed Limit of N15 000 is to Co to sp d B i If t Fi d f
BUSINESS Entry Opportunities Widen for Stock Market Investors Opportunities for investors to buy stocks at relatively cheap price and enjoy regular divi- dends have widened following the continuing bearish trading in the market. Page 23
,22, AUGUST
2018
BUSINESSW MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT
R A T E S
REPO 7.33 8.33
A S
CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH
ORLD
A T 7.25 7.63 7.88
A U G U S T S & P INDEX
INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DAY QUARTER-TO-DAY YEAR-TO-DAY
23 Group Busines s Email: obinna.c Editor Obinna Chima hima@thisdayli ve.com 08024557078, 08091152219
1 7 ,
2 0 1 8
EXCHANGE RATE N306.10/1US DOLLAR AS AT LAST FRIDAY
348.60% -0.11% - 1.83% 1.58% 5.81%
Quick Takes FG to Invest
in Techno
In line with the logy innovation, thepresent administration’s agenda federal governme digital technolog nt is committedon technology to deploying President Yemi y in scaling-up training of teachers, Osinbajo stated Osinbajo has said. to Vice this recently visit to the Presidenti when he received al Villa, the on a courtesy Websoft Company, a Chinese-ba management of NetDrago led by its Chairman, sed n Mr Dejian Liu digital technology company Simon Leung. and the Vice Chairman, Dr He said the federal government’s on course and technology policy noted was would be appreciat that collaborations with the privatealready ed especially developing in scaling teacher sector a policy that would last for According to training, a a long period. the estimates statement, the vice president show us that about 15 million we need to educatesaid, “some of a year and from scratch, how we look at the problem.�some even more, depending on
Next Titans’
DISCUSSING INSURANCE
L-R: Assistant Executive Secretary, Fatai Adegbenro Nigerian Lagos‌ recently; President, Shola Tinubu, Council of Registered Insurance Treasurer, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe Brokers (NCRIB), Tope Adaramola and Auditor, Mr Tunde Oguntade, ; Executive Secretary, at a media brieďŹ ng in
Entry Opportu nities Widen Investors for Stock Mar ket
Goddy Egene
ECONO MY Opportunities for investors nature of the buy stocks to Some other at relatively many domesticmarket had left sectoral cheap price and enjoy Zenith investors to in- sceptical regular divi- dicators have also be recently Bank Plc, which and confused dends have declared an widened following However, market declined. potential over the interim dividend is 10.4 the continuing near term analysts said the upsides, while Union per cent lower, in the market. bearish trading market negative trend in the they said investors Bank of Nigeria should rather was Uncertain polity for bargain-huan opportunity currenttake advantage of the Plc and United Bank for Africa and exit nting in stocks cheaper valuation. Plc are 26.9 of foreign investors known for per cent and THISDAY checks regular dividend who are per cent respectively 18.9 reducing their revealed that some of holdings in payment. lower than their year’s emerging and the stocks According opening prices. frontier markets to them, since regularly reward investorswhich Dangote have led to capital Sugar Refinery consistent bear Plc, in the market. run to haveappreciation appeared dividends are trading at with which raised dividend prices below been subdued has made the The market slide the due to year what they opened the year, is 24.1 per cent. paid last bearish run, Similarly, with. Dangote Flour Exchange (NSE)Nigerian Stock investors discerning Mills of Nigeria For instance, Plc is 37.4 (ASI) to record All-Share Index dividend-p should settle for the per cent cheaper. Nigerian decline of 9.3 a year-to-date advantage aying stocks, taking Breweries Plc, which Others are: Fidelity Bank per cent as almost 100 pays Plc of their current Monday. (34.5 at prices. Analysts per cent of low its Nigeria per cent); PZ Cussons at Afrinvest had profit every year as Plc(31 said alth divid 8 p i d
CITYSTRINGS A Panacea for Flooding
CITYSTRING S
When the banksWhen it rains, it pours is a popular idiomatic expression denoting the multiple occur- rence of good or bad. But it also seems to express the chain reaction of misfortunes that follow on quickly from heavy rains in W virtually all parts of Nigeria. Page 36
A Panacea
Audition Kicks-o The Lagos audition of ff the Heritage entrepreneurial Bank Plc’s with no fewer reality TV show, the foremost Next Titan, than 1000 contestan The Head, Digital was held and Content ts in attendance. commended of the the part in the annualparticipants for their bank Chibuike Agu, determination contest. He advised to take the contestan opportunities ts to open that would show lasts. come their their mind to the way while the He assured reality that supporting any the financial institution with the Next investment initiative that would not relent in shares characteris In his remarks Titan. tics at the occasion, TV Reality Show Executive Producer, Mr. Mide Kunle-Akin Bank for its laja, commende Next Titan support for the annual reality d Heritage He described the show. success of the bank as a strong pillar impacted on generally-accepted TV behind the continued reality show, numerous lives which has Kunle-Akinlaja, since its inception. best, as they also charged the contestan have equal chance ts to put in their He disclosed to emerge winner. that ‘Brains, Charisma the theme for the programm and Audacity.’ e this year is,
Quickteller
Rewards Custom
Quickteller has ers of its customers disclosed that it recently rewarded some The Quicktelle at promo draws it held give back to r Delight promo is a reward in Lagos recently. customers who initiative designed via the Quicktelle had consistent to ly made payments r website and A total of 195 mobile app. customers emerged via transpare as winners ineightcat nt electronic eligibilit ego i dr
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for Floodin g
Against the backdrop of writes on mea the sures for the recent floods in the coun safety of life and property try, Chiemelie Ezeobi
The recent ooding in Abeokuta, Ogun State hen the banks When be it rains, it proactiv a popular pours is said, "NEMAe instead of reactive . He Manage expression idiomat ic in disaster has been more denoting proactiv ment prevent ion the multiple current efforts Photos: Ibrahim through thee risk reductio Corps to take disaster occurFarinloye rence of n mechan of bad. But ism to the in. It's a United good or tion with reinvigo this adminis tra- grassro ots, especia the chain it also seems to rating and empow generati on lly people Nation call erment of the training and in primary the younge r prevent and governm that follow on reaction of misfortu express NYSC Emergen , post primary the tertiary instituti hazards from ents should cy Manage NEMA/ virtually quickly from heavy nes that guards into disaster ons of learning ment and Grassro s, which develop ing the rains all parts of Nigeria rains in ." effectiv ots EmergeVanEffects of ordinar . e than reactingis more cost ncy Floodi ng ily shouldn While problem , effects. This When it rains, 't be a is where the after effect howeve is becauseto disaster floods take roads, drown destroy disaster s r, people and over the of manydevelop mental exampl e the challeng e lies. properti es. of the after submerg An years and achievem ent that readily houses and Oftentim es, a number e populat ions effect may not the affected of regain 2012 flood comes to mind of rain the flood roads are submerg disaster. At is the caused by ed by Thus, their losses in be able to the 2012 flood, last for hours. the peak the rain of the effect that to be there is need one lifetime . When disastro us. many such was really for everyon road users empowe red happens , persons were As high as 2.3 e to return are either buildin g through million home or against disaster capacity forced to statistic displaced, and accordin shelter, waiting seek alternat On ive being the prevaili ng heavyeffects." for the flood Dr. Julius s from a marine scientistg Anothe r experien Agbool , dollars was a, over many mightresultan t effect to abate. causing much ced he said, rainfall lost between a billion of the adverse "We are 2013 to floodin to work or not be able to is that as we fell 2012 and make weather trees their places Experts have g. or for student of businesit to replace any, in multiple s but cited rise s, who fail water level s trees stay home in ground use up o and you know that and s for th i are forced to bl k it
INTERNATIONAL How New Silk Road Will Cement China as Major Trading Partner For Africa In 138 BC China took its first step towards global connectivity with the establishment of the historical Silk Road. Zhang Qian was sent by EmperorWudi to Central Asia to establish trade relationships. Page 38
SPORTS NFF Thanks Presidency, Others
for Averting FIFA Ban The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed sincere appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the resolution of the federation’s leadership issue, which enabled Nigeria to avert suspension from international football on Monday. Page 46
There is a shift from paradigm pro-active reactive to we should measures ourselves engage It's a Unitemore in. d Nation call that peopl governmen e and t h
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In Brief
Germany Accepts Former Slave-labour Camp GuardNazi The
United States on Tuesday “deep appreciatio n to the Federal expressed of Germany� Republic slave-labour for re-admitting former Nazi camp guard, Jakiw deported from the United States Palij, who was 20. A State Departmen on August t statement said World War II, during at the TrawnikiPalij served as an armed guard Nazi-occupied slave-labour camp for Jews service when Poland. He concealed his in he immigrated Nazi States from Germany to the United in 1949. A federal stripped Palij court of U.S. immigratio his citizenship in 2003 and a from the Unitedn judge ordered him removed wartime activitiesStates in 2004 based on his and post-war fraud. immigration
Italy Threaten s to Send Migrant Back To Libya s
Chinese President
Xi Jinping
How New Silk Roa as Major Tradin d Will Cement China g Partner For Afr ica
Asit K. Biswas
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo threatened to Salvini send a boatload back to Libya of migrants unless EU countries in, BBC reported take them Twitter, Salvini on Tuesday. Writing on serious about told Europe to start getting and acceptingdefending its external borders take them backmigrants, otherwise Italy would said Italy had where they came from. He enough was already played its part, and enough. Around were aboard 170 migrants an that docked in Italian coastguard vessel midnight, but Catania in Sicily just before they were not being allowed disembark. After week, Italy and they were rescued at sea to responsibility Malta argued about whoselast they were.
EU Resident s Will Be Secure No Brexit Deal, Says Raab If “move
The UK will
swiftly� to safeguard the future of insights into EU n 138 BC China no deal being citizens in the event of unfold and how the initiative might towards global took its first step what its benefits Dominic Raabis agreed, Brexit Secretary interconnects could be. connectiv and pitfalls the establish Kenya, Uganda, talks in Brussels,is reported as saying. After Rwanda, Burundi ment of the ity with that China These projects also suggest Tanzania, UK had a “moralRaab told the BBC the Silk Road. has learned and, much Sudan and Zhang Qian historical infrastruc obligation� to later, South from previous by Emperor and it was “inconceiv Ethiopia. ture was sent people The new railway some decadesinvestments on the continent able� they would “turfed out�. to establish Wudi to Central be The EU, he said, has already Asia trade relationsh transportation The African ago. the UK’s “ambition reduced historic missions must leg of the Belt and pragmatismmatch most importantime between Kenya’s enabled Chinaips. His Initiative gaps between contact with and Road two � if the is work in progress. to make trade, reduced t cities and, crucially Counterpart them were to be overcome. it will hold civilisation the outposts of Hellenic China says Michel Barnier for the cost of on-going discussio established a “blame game� container between warned about transporting various countries the Great. by ns with over a no deal a the two cities and make Barnier said fundamen These efforts Alexander on consensu outcome. The Emperor ’s enabled s as well as decisions based Belt success and effectiven by half. tal disagreeme remained Han dynasty social and political on future economic and Road nts ess of the the economic political and to develop EU would not , many factors. Initiative will depend issues and the feasibility of projects. abandon its principles Central Asiantrade relationships on These include came to the integrity with benefit Some of the countries individual regional when it national and of the single market. came to China, countries. New ideas geopolitics poised to most include two sides and the long-term have agreed economic along with The Kenya, Tanzania Ethiopia, Djibouti that talks will like grapes without interruptio new plants continue , beneficia benefits of various projects and alfalfa n to try to This will cement and Egypt. breeds of horses. advance of the ry countries and superior in UK’s departuresecure a deal in . China’s role It will also be main trading 2019. on 29 March Centuries as Africa’s important partner lat th C
I
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TS NFF Thanks Presidency, Ot FIFA Ban hers for Avert ing *Says: The door remains open for aggrieved members
Olawale Ajimotoka n in
to contest board
AUGUST
22, 2018 Group Sports Editor Duro Email duro.ik Ikhazuagbe hazuagbe@th isdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY
Abuja stood solidly by the tenets The Nigeria of has paved Football Federation association football,� (NFF) has the observed expressed sincere the NFF chief. cation for the way for qualifi- culture appreciation quarter finals for Pinnick, of do that, our dear nation. To Muhammadu to President President also the 1st Vice the CAF Confederation Nigeria youth developm Cup, Pinnick charged of CAF resolution of Buhari for the of ent done PLC and 1XBET have the team not is key. the Organizinand Member to relent remarkab the federation General Assembly leadership issue, but g CommitThat ’s of 2nd “They have ly well. which enabled tee for FIFA Competit out to defeat instead go all to do is what we are trying ensured that gust in Benin City still AuNigeria to with the Under-15 Club Athletique from about disclosed that ions, Renaissanc avert stand. “The door the 20% squad the immediat which from internatio suspension focus remains open e Aiglons of e Congo final recently reached the administration met, that our those aggrieved of the NFF nal football for Monday. now is the in Aba next week to on 2019 Africa the NFF members assure Gamesof the African Youth is now about 60% self the football of progress. Cup of Nations NFF President family who of –financin Algeria, and ing. Our objective qualifiers, are The former starting with which will form ick, who spoke Amaju Pinn- away is to work ready to abide by extant Chairman of an Delta game against rules and regulation football on behalf of the Under-17 the bulk of the next very hard to attain 100% State Sports federation yesterday, the on 7th Seychelles –financing for self s, National Team. CommisSeptembe sion used admitted the Federation can still pick up forms as they that the timely “In the area home-and-away r, and with reiterate the opportunity to for the elections of corporate within the next two support, we the Presidenc intervention of against the long-term matches years, Septembecoming up on 20th in order want vision our r in Katsina. 20 deadline y in the August another Libya in October and of the federation, hinged sponsors and to thank all free some that football can given to Nigeria youth “We have learnt away partners for money for on to resolve the critical areas South Africa fixture against and football development their love and patience so much financial autonomy during and like education, health during this crisis. We in Novembe the caused or face lingering crisis crisis. AITEO are more “We r. infrastruc determined Group, Coca . “Our vision, to change its ban caused FIFA matches will approach the upgrading and tural renewal, administra to run an inclusive as we have Cola, Zenith Bank, Nigerian on the planned espoused one development,� tion where everyone sanctions. he added. Our objectivegame at a time. to build from Day One, is Breweries PLC, TGI can have a sense Group, is not only Emzor Pharmaceu a sustainabl “The position of qualify for belonging, Pinnick to e football WAPIC as we work ticals, NIKE, the finals, but of His the Excellency, tenaciously the resolutionstressed that diligently Insurance, for Super and and Cadbury s of the NFF Federal Governmthat of the meaningfuEagles to also make towards taking Congress at a Nigerian Football l impact at the the Extra-Ordi ent, which was conveyed nary heights in Camerooo finals to new to FIFA by n in the of excellence Excellency, His .� Vice President of next year,� stated summer Yemi Osinbajo Pinnick, (GCON) has who is also President convinced of the AFCON Organizing FIFA that Nigeria is indeed Committee He affirmed ready as ever also that focus . follow FIFA’s to on the upcoming is Statutes. I want to also use Women Africa Cup this thank the Vice opportunity to for of Nations (schedule Ghana in d President, who as Acting President, for which the November and played a Super Falcons, very key role reigning of the matter in the resolution qualified) champions, have , as “Our appreciati Under-20 and well as the 2019 Under-17 Africa to the Members on also goes Cup of Nations of the Federal Executive Council, billed for Nigerchampionships Republic and of the National Members Tanzania respective Assembly Heads of the While commendi ly. various Security, Agencies, Members ng Enyimba FC of Aba and its Chairman of the NFF Congress, all , our sponsors/ NFF Executive partners, football Committee stakeholders, Member Felix Anyansi-A analysts and gwu ball fans who for their brilliant outing Bamako at the weekend in that Masai
election in Katsin a
next month
Ujiri’s Giants of Africa basketball Masai’s Giant camp opened s of Africa Celeb in Lagos yesterday in Lagos rates 15th Anniv ersary ‌ Dalun g Dares Temporary Meas Presidency, Says Intervention ure
Giants of Africa basketball camp run by the Toronto Raptors a huge goal and President Masai responsibility to help Lagos yesterday Ujiri began in excited them develop. We are and community The Minister outreach of Youth and initiatives that this at the Sports Hall of the the Vice President National Stadium able to extend our year we are Democrati in Rwanda, Uganda, Sports Development, Solomon and will run Dalung, has reach further c Republic of should not across the through August Congo, said that the be viewed as different and competen Kenya, Nigeria, continent The specialist 25. realize from an ce to resolve attempt to abate Ivory Coast intervention of the Presidency that dream.� to help and Senegal. developm programme an escalating this crisis once and in the Nigeria situation. “ The foreign for all. for teenagersent “We are a Giants of coaches named unique this constitutional Africa youth Federation (NFF) Football lawyer, he He said that as a democrac year as it is is for the 2018 programm camp leadership prefers to 15th anniversa y and the Ujiri himself, stand of e are Augustheld in Rwanda from crisis was temporary on ry celebratio separation the doctrine measure the Rule of Law instead Jama Mahlalela 6 to as the matter Ujiri and his n. Patrick of powers of the found opinion of , to Demo 8 and then moved has a subsi crew arrived is Engelb h m L j d ti ti i
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY
NEWS
ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ejiofor Alike Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268
Whistle Blower’s Policy: FG Rakes in N13.8bn from Tax Evaders Hammed Shittu Ă“Ă˜ Ă–Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă˜
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday stated that the federal government whistle-blower’s policy has raked in N13.8 billion from tax evaders. Mohammed told journalists at his country home of Oro in Irepodun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State  as part of his Sallah message to Nigerians  that “other massive dividends of the policy include N7.8 billion, $378 million and 27,800 pounds recoveries from public officials.� According to him, “The fight against corruption has been unrelenting, without fear or favour because the  administration has driven corruption under the table. “Nigerians no longer celebrate corrupt politicians. Looters no longer sleep at night, as the long arm of the law is closing in on them. “This administration has embarked on institutional reforms to curb corruption. The diligent implementation of the Treasury Singles Account (TSA) has plugged the loopholes being exploited to steal public funds.� Mohammed urged Nigerians to be vigilant and not to yield the space to naysayers. “The gains of the past three
years plus must be preserved. Nigeria must continue on its present trajectory to sustainable growth and development. Never again must we go back to Egypt. “2019 is the year of decision for Nigeria. It is the year that the critical decision will be made as to whether Nigeria will continue along the path of development in all ramifications-social, economic and political-that this administration has embarked upon since 2015, or the country will retrogress and backslide to the throes of massive and primitive looting and lack of development,� the minister said. He stressed that “as we approach this critical aspect, I have no iota of doubt that the good people of Nigeria will choose the path of development, having seen the commitment, sincerity and patriotism of this administration. It is clear from all indications that Nigerians are not going back to Egypt. Because of the support of the people, our party will win, even with a wider margin, in 2019, thus sealing the fate of the naysayers.  “The fear of this impending victory explains why they have been running from pillar to post desperate to thwart the victory of the APC in 2019. They labour in vain!� Reeling out the achievements
of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, the minister said: “Never in the history of our country has any administration embarked on such a massive infrastructural development as this administration. “ The whole country is one huge construction site. Roads are being constructed in all the six geo-political zones. As you all know, I have been touring the various infrastructural projects of the federal government across the country with the media. “So far, we have inspected about 10 projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project; the Lagos-Ibadan expressway; the Oyo-Ogbomoso
road; the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt roads; the second Niger Bridge; the Abuja light rail project and the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bida road. This administration had built over 700kilometres of roads and rehabilitated about 650km.� He stated further that “in the area of agriculture, it has been a huge revolution. Let’s take one of our national staples, such as rice, as an example. When we came in, there were five million rice farmers. Today, we have in excess of 11 million rice farmers. Our rice import has been cut by over 80 per cent. These didn’t happen by accident. It was a result of our Anchor Borrowers Programme. There are
more millionaire farmers today than at any other time in the history of our country. Today, Nigeria is closer to achieving self-sufficiency in rice production than at any other time in the history of our country. “This administration has employed 500,000 graduates under its Social Intervention Programme (SIP). No government in our country’s history has ever done that. This administration has been feeding 8.5 million school children in 23 states daily. That has never been done before in Nigeria. “The Buhari administration has been providng N10,000 every two months to over 300,000 families as social
security for the most vulnerable. This has never been done before in Nigeria. Also, this administration, realising that SMEs are the biggest employers of labour, has been growing such enterprises at an astronomical rate through its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. This is unprecedented. “In the area of power, this administration has taken power generation to 7,000MW. This is also unprecedented in Nigeria. Distribution is at 5,000MW. This has never been achieved before. Model houses are being built across the country as a prelude to a massive housing scheme.�
Repair Ayefele’s Music House or Face Legal Action, SERAP Tells Ajimobi Emmanuella Igwe A civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has sent an open letter to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State requesting him to immediately halt all further eviction and demolition of Fresh FM building and to show full respect for the safety and dignity of residents and owner of Fresh FM. The group also urged the governor to immediately begin repairs of the Fresh FM building and to adequately compensate the radio station and its owner and publicly guarantee nonrepetition. The organisation urged Ajimobi to ensure full and effective respect for the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom in Oyo State. It also urged the governor to take this step within seven days of the receipt of the letter, failing, which it would take national and international legal actions to compel his government to act in the public interest and the overall interest of the rule of law. In the letter  issued on August 21, 2018, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale, the organisation said: “We have information to suggest that the destruction of Fresh FM was based on political considerations and retaliation against the radio station on purported allegations of defamation against you. The facts suggest that the demolition of Fresh FM building failed to
comply with the principle of lawfulness and reasonableness. The demolition was neither done in the public interest nor carried out to achieve a legitimate aim.� The organisation stated further that “this apparently unlawful action has set a bad precedent and created a high level of uncertainty and anxiety among many radio stations and other media organisations in the state about the future because of the likelihood of their buildings being demolished when they are deemed to broadcast views which the state authorities may consider too critical or ‘defamatory’.� The letter read in part: “By going ahead to demolish the Fresh FM building despite being served with the court papers in the case filed by the station, you implicitly obstructed access of the radio station and their owners to appropriate forms of legal protection, contrary to the provisions of the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Nigeria is a state party and which is legally binding on the government of Oyo State. “SERAP is seriously concerned that the Oyo State authorities carried out the demolition of Fresh FM building with willful disregard for the dignity, health and safety of residents and the owner, who is a person with disabilities. The demolition of the radio station has now exposed residents to the elements and the public to
BARKA DE SALLAH...
The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari (left), and Senate President Bukola Saraki, during the Eid-el-Kabir prayer in Ilorin, Kwara State...yesterday
I Was Blindfolded in DSS Custody, Says Abiri HRW accuses FG of torturing journalists Martins IďŹ jeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽÂ Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹
a militant, l wouldn’t have owned an office for my newspaper work. I should have been in the creek. A Bayelsa State-based journalist, I have already filed a suit at the who was recently released by the Federal High Court in Abuja to Department of State Service (DSS) enforce my fundamental human after two years in detention, Mr. rights,� he said. Jones Abiri, yesterday alleged that Recalling the ill-treatment he was blindfolded while in the meted on him by the DSS, custody of the secret police and Abiri, who was received at the denied participating in militant Secretariat of the Nigeria Union activities in the Niger Delta area. of Journalists (NUJ) by journalists This is coming as the Human and leadership of the Civil Liberty Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday Organisation (CLO), said he was accused the federal government of flown to Abuja with his face harassing and torturing journalists, covered after spending seven saying the several detentions days in detention in Yenagoa, of members of the press and Bayelsa State. activists suggest a disturbing trend He said he was kept towards repression of freedom incommunicado in an of expression. underground DSS cell in Abuja Abiri, who is the publisher of and denied access to medical ‘Weekly Source’, a local newspaper treatment for about two years. in the state, recounted his ordeals “I was arrested on July 21, 2016, in the custody of DSS where he in my office at about 3:23 p.m. was held without being charged About 12 armed men came to to court. my office and they came with He alleged that he was also a document-a search warrant blindfolded by the secret police. that my office was under The journalist was finally investigations. brought before an Abuja court “When l perused the search by the DSS following local and warrant, l saw that it was signed international pressure mounted by one Magistrate Lucky. I allowed by the media and civil society them and they searched my office. organisations. At the end of the search, they “If l were a militant, Niger Delta found nothing. They handcuffed will know that l am a militant. me, took my phones, laptops and But l am not a militant. If I were other things. Things unconnected
to my arrest were also taken. All my pay slips and other bank information were taken. “They whisked me away to the state command. I gave my statement and after spending seven days in Yenagoa, they took me to Abuja. Initially, l didn’t know where l was going. My eyes were blindfolded. Since that time, l was not given the grace and opportunity to see my wife, my children, sisters, brothers and friends. “My lawyers were denied access to me. I was in an underground cell, where, when the light went off, you would not see the next person. I was also denied medical care. I thank God that the CLO and other rights organisation took up the matter, and today, l am out of detention. “If not because of the voice of the media and the CLO, DSS wouldn’t have taken me to court. I was given one-count charge that l sent threat messages to Agip Nigeria Limited and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) demanding money. “But l said l knew nothing about that because l had no connection with oil companies. But they insisted l was the one. But l kept holding onto
my creator. Now the matter is in court,� he explained. Abiri expressed gratitude to the media, human rights activists; Press Unlimited, an organisation in The Netherlands; environmental activists, Alagoa Morris and Peter Ikanga, for working for his freedom. In his comments, Bayelsa State Chairman, CLO, Chief Nengi James, thanked all the stakeholders, who contributed to the release of Abiri. He, however, asked security agencies especially the DSS to stop persecution of the Ijaw and Niger Delta people. James lamented that over 50 persons from the region were being held in detention without trial and called on the DSS to follow the due process of law and grant them freedom. Meanwhile, the HRW yesterday accused the Nigerian government of harassing and torturing journalists, saying the several detentions of members of the press and activists suggest a disturbing trend towards repression of freedom of expression. The HRW Nigeria Researcher, HRW, Aniete Ewang, said in statement that in one case, a journalist was held incommunicado for nearly two years, and in another, an activist was said to have been tortured.
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SALLAH MESSAGES…
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
SALLAH MESSAGES…
Be Patient With Buhari, Kogi Gov Begs Nigerians Our Correspondents As Muslims in Nigeria join their counterparts across the world to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has called on Nigerians to be patient with President Mohammadu Buhari as he battles to fix the country’s ailing economy and security challenges. Bello made the plead yesterday after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers in his country home, Okene. He said the president had demonstrated unequalled ability in tackling the nation’s economic transformation in the last one year. “The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) record shows that the economy of the country is growing on a daily basis, so Mr President is doing a good job,” Bello added. According to him, “We are doing our best in Kogi State to make sure that we secure the lives and property of the people through continuous provision of security surveillance.”
Al-Makura Calls for Preparation Towards 2019 Elections As Muslims in Nasarawa State celebrate the Eid El Kabir, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has implored all men of goodwill to stand up and be counted for peace as they prepare towards the 2019 general election. The governor stated this yesterday in a Sallah message signed by his Director General, Strategic Communication and Press Affairs, Yakubu Lamai and made availlable to journalist in Lafia. Accordingly, he implored parents, teachers and religious leaders to pass on the message that political affiliation, ethnic and religious diversity need not escalate into hate speech, violence or conflicts because Nigeria is a country of unity in diversity. He said: “Nasarawa State holds a pride of place as a land of courtesy and warm welcome to all people from every part of this great nation. “We should never fall short of our reputation as an inclusive society, where all religions continue to live in peace and harmony with each other and welcome with open arms to all people who are displaced from places far or near.”
Masari Calls for More Sacrifice and Obedience to Leaders Governor Aminu Masari has called for more sacrifice and obedience to leaders in the true spirit of the religious, stressing that the occasion was a moment which citizens should use for both merriment and sober reflection for the advancement of the society. Masari, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Abdu Labaran Mulumfashi, said the importance of the Eid-el-Kabir cannot be over emphasised, as it signifies sacrifice and unquestioned obedience to the command of Allah (SWT) by Prophet Ibrahim (AS). The governor stressed that the significance of the lesson of the occasion cannot be more poignant, coming at a time when the nation required the virtues of sacrifice and obedience. According to him, “There is no doubt that Nigeria is facing serious challenges which the leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari is pulling out all the stops to address. The APC administration means well for all Nigerian citizens. “It is therefore incumbent on all well meaning citizens to assist the leadership to successfully navigate the country out of the dire straits in every positive way we can.” While admonishing Nigerians not to allow tribal, religion and political affiliation to divide them, Masari said: “We must resist and renounce politics of negative instincts, and put a distance between us and the proponents and promoters of such divisive tendencies, as their interest is at variance with the nation.”
Ajimobi Attributes Administration’s Success to Godliness, Sincerity of Purpose
Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has attributed the unprecedented milestones of his more than seven-year administration to godliness, sincerity of purpose, fearlessness and blessings from God. The governor said this in an interview with journalists shortly after observing the Eid al-Adha prayers at the Eid Prayer Ground, Agodi, Ibadan, on Tuesday. The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh AbdulGaniy Abubakri; and was attended by Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Daud Akinola; Seriki Musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo; former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin; and Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Kunle Sanni. The governor said that his administration would continue to adhere strictly to the rule of law and exhibit the fear of God in all its activities, urging the citizens to also reciprocate by being law-abiding and alive to their civic responsibilities. Congratulating Muslims on the occasion of this year’s celebrations, the governor stated that what was being celebrated was godliness and service to humanity.
Follow Allah’s Precepts, Turaki Uges Nigerians A frontline presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Demcratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has urged both the leaders and the people of Nigeria to adhere to the precepts laid down by Allah to guarantee the outpouring of His blessings
Chief Imam of Nasrull-lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT), Alhaji Abdullateef Bello, raising up a knife after slaughtering a ram, during the 2018 Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Old Secretariat GRA Ikeja, Lagos and favour. In a message to congratulate the Muslim Ummah for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Turaki said, “We can draw valuable inspiration from the festival which commemorates the travails and eventual triumph of Prophet Ibrahim because of his sacrifice, patience, unwavering commitment and total submission to Allah’s command. “It is imperative,” he added, “for us to have the fear of God in our dealings with one another as well as with our country.” He enjoined all citizens to take full advantage of the period of spirituality, by ensuring that it serves as a rallying point for the continued unity, peace, progress and prosperity of the country. Turaki also congratulated “our compatriots currently performing Hajj rites with other pilgrims across the world in Saudi Arabia” who, he noted, are trying to further strengthen their faith in God.
Fayemi Greets Muslims, Urges Peaceful Co-existence
Ekiti State Governor-elect. Dr Kayode Fayemi, has felicitated with Muslims in the state and in the country at large as they join other faithful around the world to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir. Fayemi urged the Muslims Ummah to uphold the lessons of love, loyalty and sacrifice which is the foundation of the festival, during and after the festivities. The governor-elect, in a goodwill message signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said the Eid-el-Kabir festival offers the opportunity for sober reflection and spiritual renewal which Allah demands from the faithful. He urged the Muslim faithful and adherents of other faiths in the country to make peaceful coexistence their watchword and work together for a more peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. According to him, Nigerians need to imbibe the lessons of commitment, dedication and obedience to higher authority as demonstrated in Prophet Ibraheem’s willingness to sacrifice his son in deference to the will of God, which Eid-el-Kabir commemorates. “It is only through the love for one another and commitment to peace, security and stability that the country can progress towards the fulfilment of its great potentials as a nation,” he said. He urged Muslims faithful to pray for peace in the country, as they perform the Arafat rites today, noting that the fervent prayers by various religious bodies and individuals have accounted largely for the peace that we enjoy as a nation in recent times. Fayemi who praised Muslims in Ekiti for rising above religious sentiments that some people attempted to introduce to the politics of the state during the last governorship election, urged them to pray for the success of the in-coming administration that is billed to take off in October.
Bauchi Governor Urges Muslims to Imbibe Values of Peaceful Coexistence The Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, has called on Muslims in the country to imbibe the values of peaceful coexistence and brotherly love as they join their counterparts worldwide to celebrate this year Eid-el-Kabir. In his goodwill message to the state, the governor said since Islam preaches the message of peace and tolerance, every Nigerian should embrace brotherly love and harmonious co-existence. He also enjoined Muslim faithful to pray for continued peace and tranquility in the state and use the occasion to rededicate themselves to the worship of Allah by extending their hands of fellowship to help the less privileged in the society.
“I urge all other Muslim leaders in Bauchi State and the country at large to embrace the principles of Eid, which include; sacrifice, almsgiving, brotherhood and equality. As we celebrate the Eidel-Kabir, let us also rededicate and commit ourselves to the Holy Prophet’s injunctions of piety, honesty, charity and generosity to the less privileged, impartial leadership and true justice for all. “As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, let us reflect on activities in the previous year and make assessment of our spiritual affairs. The significance of the season should be beyond the festivities, rather, it should be a moment to reflect on why God has united everyone with a common humanity as these should constitute what binds the people,” he said Dankwambo Calls for Peaceful Politicking Gombe State Governor and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential hopeful, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, has called on politicians across the country to put the interest of the country above any other by conducting themselves peacefully and with the fear of God ahead of the 2019 general election. Dankwambo made the appeal in Gombe Government House in his Eid-el-Kabir message shortly after observing the Eid prayers at the held at the Gombe Eid praying ground yesterday. Dankwambo particularly called on politicians to conduct themselves well for the peace and development of Nigeria, Gombe State and their various communities by engaging and encouraging peaceful campaigns. While commending the people of the state for the peaceful coexistence despite their different religious and ethnic backgrounds, he called on them to continue to pray for the peace and development of the state and Nigeria as a whole. In his Sallah goodwill message at his palace, the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, called on Muslims and the entire people of Gombe State to continue to support government in its efforts at creating peace and development of the society. A colourful durbar was organised in the palace of the emir before Governor Dankwambo and many dignitaries from within and outside Gombe State.
Conoil Felicitates With Muslims, Sues For Peace Among Nigerians As Muslims the world over celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival, major oil marketer Conoil Plc has urged faithfuls and all Nigerians in general, to pray for genuine peace, unity and progress of the country. In a goodwill message, Conoil urged Nigerians to learn to support one another, especially in the battle to overcome this trying period. The frontline fuel marketers also advised Muslims to imbibe and exhibit the spirit of forgiveness, tolerance and selfless service, adding that the occasion calls for sober reflection, prayers, cooperation and the display of solidarity among all Nigerians. “Eid-el-Kabir is a season of joy, a time for togetherness. Therefore, Muslims, and indeed all Nigerians should go the extra mile to contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria and humanity,“ the company said in a statement. The company stated that the core values of Eid-el-Kabir, which symbolise total submission to the will of God, goodness to one another and service to humanity, as exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim, should be embedded in the citizens and enjoined Nigerians to continue to pray for genuine peace, unity and progress of Nigeria and its leadership. It further urged Nigerians to ensure that their vehicles are in good shape and adhere to all safety rules as they journey across the country to felicitate with friends and relations.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY
SALLAH MESSAGES‌
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SALLAH MESSAGES‌
Secondus: Pray to Allah to Send a Rescuer Our Correspondents  The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has asked Nigerian Muslims to use the solemn period of Sallah to pray for the almighty God to send a rescuer to save Nigeria from her current precarious situation. Secondus said in a message to mark the Eid-el-Kabir festivities by Muslims that the suffering of Nigerians in the past three and half years of All Progressives Congress (APC) administration should be enough mitigation to plead to God to send a rescuer in 2019 to save them from further pains. The National Chairman said in a message from his media office signed by his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, that Nigerians should also use the period to offer special prayers for the unity and stability of the nation as well as recommit their individual and collective security and economic welfare into the hands of God. He said the special prayers have become very necessary as the nation is now, more than ever before in dire need of divine intervention, especially as citizens cope with dictatorship and the sudden hardship. The PDP leader noted that this Sallah period coming at this trying time, offers the citizens an opportunity to put aside every political, religious and ethnic sentiments and unite against their prevailing common challenges. “There is no dispute to the fact that Nigerians did not bargain for what they are getting in the hands of APC but the beauty of democracy is that it provides the people an opportunity to make changes and this they must ask Allah to guide them accordingly. “It is a statement of fact that this is one of the most gloomiest Sallah in our country and so it has been since APC administration came into power  “We have all witnessed the unfortunate turn of events in our country since 2015, particularly the sudden decline in the economy, rising dictatorship, political tension, avoidable bloodletting and general insecurity in the land.â€? Â
Okowa Congratulates Muslims, Urges Prayers for Leaders
 Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has called on Nigerians to put aside their religious and political differences and push for a united country as Muslims mark the celebration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir. He urged the Muslims to emulate the Holy Prophet Mohammed by imbibing the ideals of sacrifice exemplified by the prophet. Okowa, in a Sallah message by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, said Eid-el-Kabir was a season of love, peace, togetherness and sacrifice. “I enjoin you to use the period to uphold the spiritual benefit of the celebration by extending a hand of friendship and solidarity across all divides and imbibing the spirit of sacrifice and obedience to the higher authority as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim and upheld by Prophet Muhammed. “This is an opportunity for us to reflect and pray for our nation; and for all those in leadership positions so that God in his infinite mercy will continue to guide them as they steer the affairs of the country,â€? Okowa said. He assured the people of Delta State that the state government would work with security agencies to ensure that all citizens celebrate the Sallah in peace and harmony. While thanking the state Muslim community for the consistent support that they had always extended to his administration, Governor Okowa congratulated the Muslim community in Delta State on the Sallah celebration, assuring them that his administration would continue to partner them to move the state forward. Â
L-R: Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; APC National Leader, Senate Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu: Alhaji Femi Okunu: Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudasiru Obasa; Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; and Senator Gbenga Ashafa at the Eid Prayer Ground at Dodan Barack, Obalende in Lagos...yesterday Road, to celebrate the feast of Eid-el-Kabir, calling for special prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other leaders in the country. Ugwuanyi, who was warmly received amid jubilation by Muslim faithful in the state, including the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danmallam Mohammed; the State Director, Department of Security Services (DSS); and Sarkin Hausawa, Alhaji Abukakar Yusuf Sambo, among others, felicitated with them and also called for a special prayer for Enugu State. The governor expressed delight at the existing peace in Enugu State, which he said was responsible for the security of lives and property in the state, noting that “this has brought development.â€? “As you celebrate in this season of sacrifice, may we all continue to see one another as brothers and sisters for the good of our dear state and our dear country Nigeria,â€? he added. The Muslims, who appreciated the presence of Ugwuanyi at the mosque to celebrate with them also prayed for him and his administration for the guidance, peace, protection and blessings of Allah. The jubilant Muslim faithful equally commended the governor for the “marvelousâ€? work he is doing in the state and reiterated their firm support for him in 2019 and beyond. Speaking, the Sarkin Hausawa, Enugu State, Alhaji Sambo added that the feast of Eid-el-Kabir, “which is the Eid of sacrificeâ€?, equally offered them the opportunity to celebrate the governor, saying: “we are also celebrating you because we have seen the significance of today in you.â€? Â
Ooni Urges Politicians to Refrain from Violence during Elections
 The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged Nigerian politicians and party supporters to move away from promoting  Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has felicitated violence during the forthcoming elections. The Ooni gave the warning during the Eid-el-Kabir prayers with Muslims in the country on the festival of Eid-el-Kabir. The Governor harped on peace and sacrifice as Muslims in at the Eid Praying Ground at Ilode, Ile-Ife. The monarch noted that there was no gain in violence saying Nigeria join their counterparts round the world to mark the occasion. He enjoined them to imbibe the spirit of love, obedience, sacrifice that the nobody’s blood ought to be shed on account of elections. He urged the youths to be conscious of their future and shun and sharing that the celebrationnof Eid-el-Kabir signifies in line politicians who use them for violence at the detriment of their with the principle of Islam. In a Sallah message signed by his Chief Press Secretary and future. Ogunwusi canvassed for peace and admonished all Nigerians to Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Christian Ita, the governor charged Muslims and Nigerians to be ready to make the sacrifices jointly work for the development and progress of the country. However, in his sermon the Chief Imam of Ife Muslim Community, necessary for the progress of the country, which is currently passing Alhaji Abdulsemiu AbdulHammed, called on the faithful to emulate through challenging times. Ayade said Nigerians should keep aside all forms of religious, the virtues of Prophet Muhammed for peace and progress to ethnic and tribal sentiments, in the interest of unity, progress, peace reign supreme in the country. and prosperity of the country. “The Eid-el-Kabir presents an opportunity for Muslim faithfuls Peterside Preaches Love and Peace to reflect on the faith, which prophet Ibrahim dutifully agreed to The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and sacrifice his son in obedience to the command of Allah. Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has urged “May I use this period of Eid-el-Kabir to speak to our souls and Nigerians to love one and live in peace as they celebrate Sallah. remind us that our nation is going through challenges and all of He also said the period of Sallah celebration is not only for us must play our role to overcome these challenges. merriment but a time to reflect on happenings in the country. “As a government we have provided a peaceful, conducive According to him, “The Sallah celebration is not meant only environment for all citizens to cohabit irrespective of their religion, for wining and dining but a time to reflect on re-dedicating tribe or ethnic coloration in Cross River State.� our love for the nation. We have to exhibit values of love, peace While thanking Muslims in Cross River for making the state their and prayer for the country. We should also use the occasion home and also for supporting his administration, the Governor in striving to continue to serve humanity irrespective of tribe, admonished Nigerians to shun acts capable of disrupting the unity, creed or political leanings. togetherness and peaceful co-existence of the country as the 2019 “As our country grapples with various challenges of development, general election approaches. this is also an apt period for all of us to pray earnestly to God  to continue to bless Nigeria as well as guide and guard it as Ugwuanyi at Mosque, Urges Special Prayers for we approach the 2019 elections,� he stated.
Emulate Prophet Ibrahim, Ayade Urges Muslims
President, VP, Others
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State yesterday joined the Muslim community in Enugu at the Central Mosque, Owerri
Omisore Felicitates with Osun Muslims  The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in
Osun State for theSeptember 22 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has congratulated Muslims in the state on this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.  Omisore in a Sallah message issued by his media team tasked Muslims in and across the state especially the Imams and the Alfas to commit the state in the hands of Allah for the election of a sincere and patriotic leader. The SDP standard bearer disclosed that as the governorship polls in the state is few weeks ahead, there is need for the people particularly the Muslims to seek divine intervention on the need for a “free, fair, crisis free and acceptable governorship election in the state.â€? Senator Omisore stressed that the lessons of Eid-el-Kabir, which is obedience and trust in Allah should continue to be the guiding principles for the people of Osun State at this period of deciding who runs the affairs of the state in the coming years after the expiration of the tenure of office of the incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola later this year. “As we are fast approaching the governorship election in our dear Osun state, I am again urging our people, particularly the political class to play the game according to the laid down rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the election. On the part of our religious leaders, it is now time for them to be preaching peace and the need for the coming election to be free and fair. “ Â
Abe Felicitates with Muslims
The governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has felicitated with Muslims in the state on the occasion of this year’s Eid-El-Kabir celebration. Abe, in a Sallah message, which was signed by his spokesperson, Parry Saroh Benson, congratulated the Muslim community in the state. He implored Muslims to use the period of the celebration to pray for peace and security of Rivers State and Nigeria in general. Abe, who is also the senator representing Rivers South-east senatorial district in the National Assembly, also urged them to continue to support the APC-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. “In all that you do, always see the peace and security of Nigerians as a priority at all times because we have no other country but Nigeria,� Abe admonished Muslims. The senator reiterate the need for Rivers people to work together for the peace, progress and prosperity of Rivers State, insisting that all forms of violence including political violence must be condemned by all Rivers people.
Glo Felicitates with Muslims  Integrated telecommunications company, Globacom, has felicitated with Nigerian Muslims on the celebration of the annual Islamic festival, Eid-El-Kabir.  The company, in a press release in Lagos, urged Muslims to imbibe the virtues of humility, sacrifice, and sharing as demonstrated by the life and times of Prophet Muhammed. “As Muslims savour the joy of Sallah, we call on them to demonstrate the spirit of tolerance, unity, forgiveness and love,� the statement said.  “We urge them to use the occasion to continue to live up to the code of belief of their faith through acts of charity, peaceful co-existence with their neighbours and obedience to the injunctions of the Holy Quoran,� Glo added.  Globacom also congratulated all Nigerians who have undertaken the Holy Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year and asked for Allah’s mercies as they travel back home.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWS
Osun Monarch Begs Fashola to Reconstruct Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo Road Femi Ogbonnikan ÓØ Abeokuta The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has appealed to the Minister for Works, Power and Housing,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to reconstruct the road that links Ibadan, Iwo and Osogbo. Oba Akanbi made the appeal in his palace yesterday, while commemorating the Sallah festivity.
Anambra Plans Befitting Reception for Award-winning Girls David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ áÕË The Anambra State Government is planning a big welcome party for five of its girls, from Regina Pacis Secondary School, Onitsha who recently won gold medal in a Technovation competition in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, United States. The team was received in the country by the state government officials at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Monday. The wining team, all residents in Anambra State, is made up of students of Regina Pacis Model Secondary School, Onitsha. They won with their app which will help detect fake drugs. The girls - Adaeze Onuigbo (15), Vivan Okoye (14), Promise Nnalue (14), Nwabuaku Ossai (14), Jessica Osita (14) and Miracle Igboke (16) were led to the competition by their mentor, Uchenna Onwuamaegbu Ugwu.
THISDAY however learnt that the state government was planning a welcome party for the girls for making the state proud. The Chief Press Secretary to the Anambra State Governor, Mr. James Eze told our correspondent that the governor would also give a rewarding package to them. “This is not football; this is not beauty Pageant; this is not Big Brother Africa; all of which may not need too much inteligence to emerge victorious; this is serious academic competition, and the girls competed with their counterparts from advanced countries and won. “It is something that should inspire us that we are not limited by where we are coming from,” he explained. Obiano had upon receiving the news of their victory, sent a message to the team, asking that they relax in San Francisco and take a deserved rest for one week at government’s expense, while their reception was being planned.
He decried the pains the road users pass through on a daily basis, along the road, due to some pot holes that dotted the highway at dangerous sections. The monarch noted that the federal road is strategic to commercial activities between the people of his Osun State and Oyo State and urged the minister to consider it for rehabilitation. While making a veiled reference to the prompt attention given to the Jebba-
Mokwa road recently, Oba Akanbi said government should not wait till the road is deserted by travellers before it is fixed, adding that his regular palliative measure since 2016, especially at the Ejioku axis, is not borne out of the size of his pocket but with genuine concerns about the effect of the bad road on the economy of the two states. “Transporting goods from the farms, for instance, is difficult with its attendant
effects on prices of finished products. To discourage our youths from taking to criminalities, we need to put our infrastructural facilities in place. In addition, the poor state of the road has claimed many innocent lives. Just yesterday, I rescued accident victims whose lives I pray God should spare,” he said. He applauded President Muhammed Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for their response to fix failed road across the country
and requested them to add Iwo-Ibadan road to the priority list in order to save helpless users from more suffering. “As a concerned first class natural paramount ruler, the bitter experience of the populace on the road challenged me to mobilise resources to ensure the road is not cut off the two states as some portions are not motorable again. I am positive that the government would respond accordingly in due course,” he added.
Ganduje Frees 170 Prisoners Ibrahim Shuaibu ÓØ ËØÙ Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday granted freedom to 170 prison inmates in the state. Ganduje, who witnessed the release of the inmates from Goron Dutse Prison yesterday, said the gesture was in the spirit of Eid-El Kabir. “You are part of the people who need our attention at this time and all other times,” he said. The governor said the gesture was to complement federal government’s efforts to further reduce congestion in the country’s prisons. Ganduje said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed all governors to help decongest prisons across the country. “President Buhari has since directed all governors to help in decongesting our prisons across
the country. What we are doing is in compliance with that order given to us,” he said. The governor also noted that since the inception of his administration in 2015, about 2,000 inmates have been released. He advised the ex-inmates to change their attitudes towards life and pray for peace and stability in Nigeria. The governor also gave each of the freed inmates N5,000 as transport fare to their destination. Earlier, the Controller of Prisons in Kano, State, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji, thanked the governor for freeing about 2,000 inmates since his coming into office. Magaji advised the freed inmates to stay away from crimes and avoid going back to prison. Some of the freed inmates commended the state government for the gesture and promised to shun crimes.
Kwara Gov’s Aide Resigns Hammed Shittu ÓØ ÖÙÜÓØ The Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Environmental Services, Mr. Sunday Ogunniyi, has resigned his appointment with immediate effect. The development, according to THISDAY investigation, might not be unconnected with Ogunniyi’s alleged move to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2019 general election in the state. Sources close to the APC in the state hinted that some
of PDP members had been holding meetings with the leadership of APC so as to defect to the fold. Ogunniyi, in his resignation letter dated August 21, 2018, and addressed to the state governor through the Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold, disclosed that the resignation takes immediate effect even as he was thankful of the opportunity given him to serve. “While thanking you to continue your happy tenure, I am sincerely thanking you sir for the opportunity given me to serve,” he added.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Presco Plc., Mr. Felix Onwuchekwa Nwabuko; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his wife, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, at the stakeholders’ workshop on sustainable palm oil development by Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 Africa Palm Oil Initiative in Benin City...recently
I Was Approached to Replace Ekweremadu, Says Abaribe Second Niger Bridge missing in budget, govs allege Christopher Isiguzo ÓØ Enugu
the coming general election, insisting that his four-terms in the Upper Chamber of The Chairman of the the National Assembly have South-east Senators’ Forum, been dismal. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, The state APC said rather yesterday said he had been than allow Ekweremadu approached by unnamed for the fifth time, they persons to replace Senator would support President Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Muhammadu Buhari’s Senate president. Adviser on Justice Sector This is coming as the Reform, Mrs. Juliet Ibekakugovernors of the South-east Nwagwu, to represent them, states have alleged that saying the deputy Senate the performance of the president has overstayed 2017 budget of the federal his welcome in the National government in the zone Assembly. showed that the construction But, speaking at a of second Niger Bridge was one-day workshop for not included in the budget. the presentation of the Abaribe however said performance report of the move was one of the the 2017 Federal Capital efforts being made to break Budget and South-east states the unity of the South-east organised by the South East lawmakers in order to Governors’ Forum held in effectively clip the wings Enugu, Abaribe said senators of Ekweremadu. from the zone remained The senator spoke as the united. Enugu State chapter of the “We are united in one All Progressives Congress purpose and we have (APC) vowed to show the demonstrated that by embattled deputy Senate ensuring that Ekweremadu president the exit door in remains the deputy Senate
president. I’ve been approached severally to take the position and I said no! “I was clearly told that the position was not the exclusive reserve of Enugu State but I made it clear that Ekweremadu represents our collective interest,” he said. Meanwhile, the governors of the South-east states yesterday alleged that a report on the performance of the 2017 budget of the federal government in the zone showed that the much celebrated construction of second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State, has never been budgeted for. They also lamented that the zone had been lagging behind in the implementation of federal government budgets when compared to other geopolitical zones in the country. They asked the government to effectively carry the zone along in the implementation of the 2018 budget, insisting that the people of the area were
being alienated. The governors who spoke through the Director General of their Forum, Prof. Simeon Otuanya, noted that the budgets were designed to ensure the restoration of the Nigerian economy on the path of robust and sustainable growth across various sectors and geographical spaces around the country, stressing that it should fulfill expectations of the public “We believe that such re-balancing must take into consideration the concepts of equity and fairness vertically and horizontally in other to develop every nook and cranny of the country. We will continue to work as think-tanks to review budget allocations and implementations at the state and national levels for all the years forward with special interest on how they are helping the region towards economic renaissance,”the governors said.
T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22, 2018
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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í°Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś
COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
AS CHINA PREPARES FOR FOCAC
China has proved to be a reliable partner of Africa by always walking the talk, writes Zhou Pingjian
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arly next month, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held under the theme of China and Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation. President Xi Jinping is looking forward to participating in the Beijing summit with African leaders to discuss plans for the development of China-Africa cooperation so as to improve the well-being of the Chinese and African peoples and promote world peace and development. We Chinese appreciate the African wisdom, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.� Indeed, similar historical experience, common development tasks and shared strategic interests have bound China and Africa together. China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. In today’s world, China-Africa relations have become more important with increasing common interests. Advancing China-Africa cooperation represents the trend of the times and the will of our peoples. The FOCAC is 18 this year. Since its inception in 2000, remarkable progress has been made in China-Africa cooperation across-the-board. Two-way trade and China’s total non-financial investment in Africa in 2017 were 17 times and around 100 times that of 2000 respectively, which shows China’s contribution to Africa’s economic development has risen significantly. As a key platform for the collective dialogue and cooperation between China and African countries, the FOCAC has become a model of South-South cooperation and a banner of international cooperation with Africa. “We are confident that China, as a strategic and dependable development partner, will always stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our quest to fulfill the aspirations of our people to propel them to prosperity,� said President Muhammadu Buhari in his remarks at the plenary meeting of the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit in December 2015. China has proved itself to be a reliable partner of Africa by always walking the talk. The follow-up actions and the implementation of the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit, including the “ten cooperation plans� and the FOCAC Johannesburg Action Plan (2016-2018), have produced fruitful results as expected. The implementation work of the FOCAC Johannesburg summit has been going smoothly with prominent achievements in Nigeria. That has remarkably deepened political mutual trust. Some of the achievements include the robust bilateral trade and investment relations; the Naira/RMB currency swap; the strong Made-in-Nigeria with China initiative; the flourishing Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone and the Lekki Free Trade Zone; the offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) delivery; the emergency food aid; the agricultural science and technology demonstration parks. And early this month, Anthony Ekwensi, the 21-year- old Nigerian student from UniZik, was crowned the African champion at the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Language Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in China. The list could go on and on. Let me go further on infrastructure, a key execution priority
of Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The Abuja-Kaduna railway, Africa’s first modern railway with Chinese technology and standards, was inaugurated in July 2016. The Abuja rail mass transit project, the first urban railway in West Africa, was launched in July 2018. The Lagos-Ibadan railway broke ground and started building in March 2017. The construction of the Lekki deep water port, the largest port in West Africa, and the Zungeru hydropower station, the largest hydropower station in Nigeria, are well under way. In the past year alone, both sides of China and Nigeria have concluded the concessionary financing arrangements to support more infrastructural development projects in Nigeria, namely, the Nigerian railway modernisation project (Lagos-Ibadan section), the expansion of 5.4 KM of Abuja-Keffi expressway and dualisation of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road, the Greater Abuja water supply project, the supply of rolling stocks and depot equipment for Abuja rail mass transit project phase I, and the national information and communication technology infrastructure backbone project phase II. Tens of thousands of jobs have been created for Nigerians by projects contracted by Chinese enterprises or partly financed by the Chinese side.
CHINA-AFRICA RELATIONS HAVE BECOME MORE IMPORTANT WITH INCREASING COMMON INTERESTS. ADVANCING CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION REPRESENTS THE TREND OF THE TIMES AND THE WILL OF OUR PEOPLES
When President Buhari received the board of directors of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in January this year, he said, “We send our gratitude to the Chinese for all their support to Nigeria. Since independence, no country has helped our country on infrastructural development like the Chinese. In some projects, the Chinese help us with 85 per cent payment, and soft loans that span 20 years. No country has done that for us.� As the largest developing country in the world, China takes deep pride in its ever stronger partnership with Nigeria, the largest developing country in Africa. It is our firm belief that the ChinaNigeria cooperation is brotherly South-South cooperation between two equal partners and is indeed mutually beneficial. China remains committed to stepping up its cooperation with Nigeria in agriculture, manufacturing, industrial capacity and investment, infrastructure, energy, and other areas. We now face new opportunities to grow our bilateral relations. Five years ago, President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The belt and road initiative emphasises on integrating the development strategies and complementary advantages of the partnering countries with a view to promoting high-quality and sustainable development for all in a spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. The past five years have witnessed that the belt and road initiative has transformed itself from a vision to practical actions with fruitful cooperation results. The belt and road initiative is open to all countries. Though originating from China, it belongs to the whole world. Africa, being part of the historical and natural extension of the belt and road, has been an important participant in this initiative. Dr. Pingjian is Ambassador of China to Nigeria
SENDING ANOTHER PYTHON TO IGBOLAND? Sonnie Ekwowusi argues that it is unnecessary
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nother Python (Eke) is about to be released and sent to Igbo land. The new General Commander Officer of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Major-General B. Kabuk confirmed this last week. He said that another python code-named Operation Python Dance 111 or Ekwu Eke 111 would soon be released and sent to Igbo land. The mind-boggling questions remain: Why send another army python to Igbo land considering that the earlier pythons sent to Igbo land in 2016 and 2017 killed and injured many Igbo people? If Igbo land is not engulfed in any war or civil commotion necessitating python operation why send python 111 to intimidate and harass a peace-loving people? Before attempting to answer the above questions an outline of the relationship between the Buhari government and the Nigerian army alias pythons will be useful. You will recall that from 2016 to 2017 the Nigerian military pythons were deployed by the Buhari government to invade the whole of the South-East in what was tagged Operation Python Dance one & two. The soldier pythons said the invasions were necessary to tackle threats to security personnel, theft of weapons, kidnappings, armed banditry and violent agitations by secessionist groups and other crimes in the South-East. The first invasion took place from November 28 to December 27, 2016 in the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The second invasion occurred from September 15 and ended on October 14, 2017 in the same five states. Despite the stiff opposition to the invasions, the pythons did incalculable damage in the South-East. The video clips of the aforesaid invasions show that several civilians were either murdered or badly injured or
publicly flogged or harassed or hounded by the pythons during their operations. Notwithstanding the condemnation trailing the aforesaid killings and maiming in Igbo land during the execution of Operation Python Dance one & two as contained in the 2017 Human Rights Report of the United States Department of State, the Buhari government is poised to deploy another military pythons code-named Python Operation Dance 11. In its pseudo-rationalisation of the upcoming invasion, the Nigerian army says Python 111 is a training exercise to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria. It says that during the training the army will not close its eyes and watch the criminal activities that thrive in the area but would use its weight to crush some activities. Clearly the army is seeking a false alibi under army training and protection of territorial integrity. If the Nigerian army really wants to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria or crush criminal activities in Nigeria, it should have gone to Sambisa Forest, Benue State, Taraba State or Borno State where Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and other criminals are destroying lives and property on daily basis and threatening national security. The Sambisa Forest is full of dangerous pythons. Instead of sending pythons to the South-East to intimidate, harass and kill innocent citizens, why can’t President Buhari send them to Sambisa Forest where they would meet their fellow pythons and challenge them to a fight? Come to think of it, must the Nigerian army be sent to train in Igbo land? Why can’t the army be sent to train in isolated places or congenial environments so as to avoid human casualties? I grew up seeing the police and the army train without seeing any policeman or any soldier killing or harassing any citizen for any reason. But in the
last three years the army pythons in Nigeria have been killing and maiming innocent citizens under the guise of training. The Nigerian army contradicts itself when it says that it is dispatching python 111 to the South-East for training and for protection of the territorial integrity of Nigeria. How can Python 111 be training and at the same time protecting territorial integrity of Nigeria? Are there security threats in Igbo land at the moment necessitating the deployment of pythons to the South-East? In 2016 and 2017 the government justified the deployment of pythons one & two to Ndigbo on the doctrine of necessity. It argued that it was necessary to send the pythons to quell the violent agitations by secessionist groups and other crimes in the South-East at that time. But can such a doctrine still be pleaded today? I do not think so. Nnamdi Kanu is no more a threat. Nnamdi Kanu and his mother and father are presumably under house arrest. IPOB has been banned. Above all, Igbo land has been peaceful in the last couple of months. So, why send python 111 to Igbo land? More importantly, militarisation of Igbo land or deployment of soldier pythons to Igbo land is unconstitutional. Ours is now a democracy not a military autocracy. Therefore government actions should be governed by the rule of law. Why? Because government is not above the law. Section 217(2)(c)(d) of the 1999 Constitution has in no unmistakable language spelt out the circumstances and conditions under which the military can be invited to intervene in quelling internal secession or conflict in a country. While the President of Nigeria can freely deploy our military to defend our country against external aggression and to maintain our territorial integrity, he cannot, pursuant to section 217(2)(c)(d) of the 1999 Constitution, freely
do so against internal insurrection and internal armed conflicts without the consent of the Senate and “such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of National Assembly,� and “performing such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly�. It is obvious that the aforesaid constitutional provision is being routinely violated. For example, the aforesaid provision of the constitution was violated on February 9, 2016 when the Nigerian soldiers shot and killed countless defenceless pro-Biafra protesters who were peacefully holding prayers inside the football field of Ngwa High School, Aba in Abia State. Also the provision was violated on May 30, 2016 when over 30 civilians were killed and many injured by the Nigerian military after the several clashes involving the military, police and members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and members of the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) during the Biafran day celebration at Nkpor-Agu, Niger Bridge, Onitsha and Asaba. Now the aforesaid provision of the constitution is about to be violated again as the government is poised to send Python 111 to the South-East. In the light of the foregoing, the government should stay action on sending Python 111 to Igbo land. Already the incalculable damage done by Pythons One & two has not been remedied. In fact the international community has blacklisted Nigeria on account of the human rights violations in the South-East during Operation Python Dance one & two. So, why dispatch another python to Igbo land and cause more damage? If there is one part of Nigeria that should attract pythons, it is the North-East which is fraught with threats to national security. It serves no purpose, in my view, sending python 111 to the South- East. Let the South-East be.
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T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018
EDITORIAL THE PASSAGE OF KOFI ANNAN Kofi Annan, former Secretary- General of the United Nations, dies at age 80
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ith the death last Saturday of Mr Kofi Annan, Africa has lost a major statesman, global ambassador and leading diplomat. In his tribute, current UN Secretary - General, Mr Antonio Guterres hailed Annan as “a guiding force for good” and a “proud son of Africa who became a global champion for peace and all humanity,” adding: “He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for us all.” Born in Kumasi, Ghana, Annan read economics at Macalester College, International Relations from the Graduate Institute, Geneva in Switzerland and management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States before he joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organisation’s Geneva office. He went on to work in several capacities at the UN headquarters including serving HIS LIFE AND WORK as the Under-SecretaryGeneral for peacekeepSHOULD INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS ing between March 1992 and December OF AFRICAN LEADERS 1996. He became the AND DIPLOMATS WHO UN Secretary-General SEEK A BETTER WORLD on 13th December FOR ALL MANKIND 1996, making him the first office holder to be elected from the UN staff itself and the first black African. He was re-elected for a second term in 2001, and was succeeded as Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2007. It is instructive that Annan assumed the Office of the UN Secretary-General at a time when Africa’s position in the world body had become a moral burden. The appointment of the Egyptian, Boutros Ghali before him did not quite assuage the reservations of sub-Saharan Africa. It
was Annan‘s appointment that reassured and challenged Africa to global responsibility which he discharged with outstanding surefootedness. Supported into office by the United States, Annan assumed the leadership of the UN at a critical point in recent world history. Rwanda was unravelling in open genocide. This was closely followed by the Kosovo crisis in former Yugoslavia. In both crises, Annan was in the eye of the storm. He was later to regret that in spite of his best judgments, he had in both situations made some tragic errors of judgment which may have contributed to the huge toll in human lives.
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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
s the Secretary-General, Annan helped in no small measure to reform the UN bureaucracy and that earned him and the global institution a joint Nobel Prize for Peace. After the end of his term as UN Secretary-General, he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 to work on international development. During the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, Annan helped to broker one of the pre-election negotiations that culminated in a free and fair process and the acceptance of defeat by an incumbent president. Annan brought to the office of UN Secretary General a certain cosmopolitan attitude and rock star popularity that endeared him to the New York diplomatic community and high society. He increased the popular appeal of the UN in the process. In spite of his closeness to Washington, he openly opposed the US invasion of Iraq in the second Gulf war, condemning it as brazen power mongering not based on solid intelligence or right international relations. And despite close encounters with avoidable scandals involving UN humanitarian operations, Annan left office unblemished and returned to his country, Ghana, to establish and pursue his foundation and further global assignments. Without doubt, Annan has departed the stage as one of the most significant Africans of the century. His life and work should inspire future generations of African leaders and diplomats who seek a better world for all mankind. May his gentle soul find perfect peace.
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BELLO AND KADUNA 2019
AN OPEN LETTER TO NIGERIANYOUTHS
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ost Nigerian Youths haven’t discovered their place in their country. Running after politicians, chanting and going on errands are not an assured future for yourself and our country. Just as Hayakawa will always say, “It is the individual who knows how little they know about themselves who stands the most reasonable chance of finding out something about themselves before they die.” Many youths have sacrificed their lives so cheap for those who feel the youths can be used to achieve their purpose by giving little token. We’ve been used and we’ve been dumped; now they’re calling us all again in different auspicious groups ahead of 2019 Elections. I want every youth reading this to understand our stand come 2019 Elections. Have you ever asked yourself questions like: Where are the youths in Nigeria government? What happened to those we risked our lives under harsh weather conditions just to see they emerge? Have they fulfilled their promises? Do they still acknowledge our efforts and contribution? These questions will get you thinking about what most leaders feel about you. They only run back to us when they need us to join their rally, engage in electoral malpractice and other social vices just for their ambition to be successful. Do you know that the youths constitute over 30% of Nigeria’s total population? Why then are
we marginalised? It is because most of us haven’t discovered our place in the economy. Several governments have come and passed and none has thought it wise to set aside a day in Nigeria where youths will be celebrated. I engaged several youths in conversation on 12th August, 2018 during the International Youths Day. I discovered that most of us never knew about such. This is because only few governments (local, state and federal) acknowledged this day and celebrated it. I started asking myself what’s the essence of the minister/ commisioner for youths and sports? Is he/she only interested in sports and not youths? The answer I got was “When a 60 years old man is made to head youths what do you expect”? This same thing runs even in our Churches. Most youth presidents and youth pastors in our churches today are men. Do they feel the youths are not capable? It is because we don’t know our place. Do you know that less than 20% of youths participate in electoral process? I also engaged some youths in conversation and I realised that many of us are not ready to even vote next year. We have our permanent voter cards but they just are to many of us. Most youths have the mentality that “our votes won’t count” and I replied “It is the good people that elect the bad leaders by not voting”. When we don’t vote, we give room for bad governance in our country. Obiora Okeke, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State
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he 2019 general election is fast approaching. In Kaduna State, the election will be contested between Governor El -Rufai who wants to go for the second time and whoever the opposition PDP fields as their candidate. Unless the party settles for a consensus candidate, the primary election will be keenly contested among the numerous contenders. Before the gale of defections that rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress which witnessed the influx of Isa Ashiru Kudan,Sulaiman Hunkuyi and host of other to Peoples Democratic Party ,the name of former governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero and Dr Mohammed Sani Bello (Mainan Zazzau) prominently featured as the party’s leading aspirants in the forthcoming 2019 election. The defection of some politicians who want to take a shot at the gubernatorial election may likely change the outcome of the party primary. Notwithstanding the recent defection, the contribution and sacrifice of Dr Mohammed Sani Bello (Mainan Zazzau) to the development of PDP should not be overlooked. While PDP was deserted and gasping for breath in Kaduna State, Maina was providing sufficient oxygen for the party to survive. In fact, Maina was the last person standing while other party stalwarts were moving out in numbers to the ruling APC in search of greener pasture. He did not only support the party finan-
cially but also spent most of his time meeting with the like minds on how to revive the party. Besides, Dr Mohammed Sani Bello is a force to reckon with in Kaduna State politics. In 2007, Maina contested for governorship on the platform of APP but lost to Alhaji Namadi Sambo of the PDP. Maina’s experience and hard work endeared him to Namadi Sambo who after winning the election persuaded and appointed him as Commissioner of Science and technology. He brought his experience to bear in transforming science and technology in Kaduna State.The ministry under his watch carried out various projects aimed at placing science and technology education in the front burner of the state’s policies.The numerous achievements recorded during his stint at the ministry had earned the state many awards and commendations both within and outside the country. In the last three years of Governor El-Rufai’s administration, Kaduna State people have witnessed many anti-people policies. His retrenchment policies have forced thousands of workers out of their jobs, while the local governments are littered with uncompleted projects. Disturbed by lack of development and multi-faceted problems in the state, Dr Sani Bello felt it is high time he threw his hat into the ring and salvage the state from the economic sharks. He needs the support of all. Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State
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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22, 2018
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST, 2018
MIDWEEKPOLITICS
Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG Email nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY
Is Government Shutdown Imminent in Nigeria? Can the federal government literarily become broke because of the refusal of the National Assembly to reconvene despite pleadings from the executive arm? Asks Segun James
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iven his known avowed taciturn mannerism, Senator Ita Enang, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, does not frequently court the media. Since Enang is not given to flippancy, not a few took his hint seriously. He had warned that Nigeria might face total government shutdown if the National Assembly did not reconvene to consider matters of urgent national importance. The National Assembly went on recess on July 24th and was to reconvene on September 25th to deliberate on the budget proposal for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Supplementary budget submitted by the federal government. Enang said the assembly also needed to approve request for foreign loans for the country- funds from which government planned to bankroll the capital budget of 2018. According to Enang, “we are still appealing to the National Assembly to reconvene; you remember that we passed the budget with the understanding that a great amount of the money will be gotten from foreign loans. Although, it was approved that there would be a loan, the amount that would be gotten was not approved; the Fiscal Responsibility Act requires that the President should specifically state the amount he wants to get from foreign loans and present it before the National Assembly. That letter has been presented before the National Assembly and it has to pass that amount before it could be obtained from the foreign financing institutions. “This is what we are asking and if does not happen, in the next few months, we will have a complete government shutdown because what we are receiving from the Federation Account as Federal Government share the capital component is not enough to sustain even 15 per cent to 20 percent of budget. So, there may be a complete government shut down and I know Nigerians will not like it; that is why we are appealing to the National Assembly to reconvene,’’ he said. Despite the urgency of the call, the leadership of the National Assembly was not moved. An attempt to reconvene the principal officers led to a controversial blockade of the National Assembly by the DSS. At the moment, the date of reconvening the federal legislature is a matter of conjecture in different quarters. The relationship between the 8th National Assembly and the executive has been anything but cordial. The total budget for 2018 is N9.1 trillion, up from N8.6 trillion. The two chambers of the National Assembly raised the budget by N5oo million. The budget as passed by the two chambers also has N530.4 billion as statutory transfer; N2.2 trillion for debt service; N1,95 trillion as fiscal deficit. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said the Federal Government will borrow N1.6 trillion to finance part of the N9.12 trillion 2018 budget. Udoma said N793 billion would be borrowed domestically, while N849 billion would be borrowed from foreign sources to finance the budget deficit. Most Nigerians have a vague or no idea of what a ‘government shutdown’ is, given the way government is run in the country. Nigeria has never experienced a government shutdown. But what should Nigerians if government shuts down? The closest that the country has come to a government shutdown was in 2014 when former President Goodluck Jonathan and legislators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were locked in a war of words over the then opposition party’s directive to its members to shut down the affairs of the Federal Government. The APC House of Representatives members vowed to heed
Buhari
Saraki
Dogara
Enang
the party’s directive. The APC’s threat followed the crisis in Rivers State at that period, as both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were locked in battle over the control of the politics of Rivers state. The situation forced the presidency to threaten that appropriate sanctions would be applied to any effort to derail the normal working of government. What is a Government Shutdown? A government shutdown occurs when the National Assembly doesn’t approve a federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year and nonessential functions of government close
At the moment, the date of reconvening the federal legislature is a matter of conjecture in different quarters. The relationship between the 8th National Assembly and the executive has been anything but cordial
down due to lack of approval. The shutdown stays in effect until a compromise is reached and a budget bill is passed. Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, Editor of the Guardian Newspaper, opined that a government shutdown would not make much difference to the average Nigerian. According to him, Nigeria has been on government shutdown for decades. He said Nigerians have practically lived without government since independence in 1960. “That adds up to 58 years of managing on our own without government. I really do not want to sound too alarming. Let us say we had had government up till 1983 when the military, for the second time, torpedoed an elected civilian regime.” This sentiment was shared by Mr. Doueyi Fiderikumo, a legal practitioner who opined that that the federal government was spending huge sums of money which were not budgeted for without waiting for the National Assembly approvals. He wondered why government would suddenly ‘shutdown’ because the assembly was on recess, adding that the federal government’s sudden romance to do ‘the right thing’ was suspicious in view of the crisis between the leadership of the National Assembly and the executive. This position was also shared by Alhaji Kunle Akangbe, a Lagos-based financial consultant. He said that since what would be affected were non-essential activities, the impact of a shutdown would be minimal in a society like Nigeria. Akangbe wondered who would determine what ‘non- essential services’ is. He insisted that the only way such would make any meaning
to Nigerians was if all government activities were shutdown and government workers of all categories stayed away from work.
QUICK FACTS: Government shutdown occurs when legislators don’t approve a federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year and nonessential functions of government close down due to lack of approval • The total budget for 2018 is N9.1 trillion • Federal Government will borrow N1.6 trillion to finance part of the N9.12 trillion 2018 budget • N793 billion would be borrowed domestically, while N849 billion would be borrowed from foreign sources to finance the budget deficit • Most Nigerians have a vague or no idea of what a ‘government shutdown’ is • There has never been a government shutdown in Nigeria • The closest that the country has come to a government shutdown was in 2014 when former President Goodluck Jonathan and legislators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were locked in a war of words over the then opposition party’s directive to its members to shut down the affairs of the Federal Government
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
POLITICS
THE NEWSMAKER
Confrontation is His Style Vanessa Obioha writes that the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole pulls no punches as he goes about his new assignment with an accustomed gusto
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all him garrulous or obnoxious, one thing is certain, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has a combative personality. He is not the type that mounts the stage without a showdown or put his gloves down when he enters the ring. He throws everything he’s got and always gives the spectators a dramatic performance. Since he assumed the office of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) almost two months ago, his name is on the lips of many, particularly members of the opposition party who have constantly pelted him with pellets of unprintable names. In fact, some accuse him of adopting orgulous airs and are quick to remind him that politics is a different ball game from unionism. Really what should be expected from a man who once was a factory worker and now at the top of the political affairs of the country? He certainly deserves some accolades for being the first unionist to become a governor and national chairman of a ruling party. So, if he chooses to walk with customised khaki shoulder pads, let him be. However, fame was not readily handed to Oshiomhole. He had to fight his way through, earning a reputation for his confrontational style of leadership. His diminutive stature perhaps is responsible for this trait Having experienced firsthand the unjust treatment meted out to employees by their employers as a young lad working at Arewa Textiles, Oshiomhole made up his mind to fight for the rights of workers. He served the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers as the General Secretary during the military era and was appointed the President of the umbrella body of labour unions, Nigerian Labour Congress in 1999. During his tenure, Oshiomhole proved to his allies and detractors that he was a skilled pugilist,armed with the gift of the gab. His fearlessness and valiance in attacking persons in power endeared him to the people who considered him a saviour to rescue them from the hands of corrupt leaders. His fame grew when he faced the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo squarely. It was Oshiomhole- the people’s hero who led strikes and demonstrations in the country when the former president increased fuel price. Despite threats and arrests, the Edo state-born unionist refused to be intimidated. His constant feature in the media was a delight to the public as they were eager to read about his latest verbal assault on the president. With newspapers splashing his names on their pages and cameramen zooming on him each time he briefed the press, he became the unofficial people’s president. Having secured the love of the masses, Oshiomhole was convinced that he was fully equipped to run the political affairs in his state of provenance. He knew the possibility of him winning the
Oshiomhole
governorship seat under his party, Labour Party was slim as Edo state was ruled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His best option was to join forces with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now APC to displace the incumbent Governor Lucky Igbinedion, against the PDP’s candidate Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor. His victory
He certainly deserves some accolades for being the first unionist to become a governor and national chairman of a ruling party. So, if he chooses to walk with customised khaki shoulder pads, let him be
in the 2008 election came after a fierce court battle to contest the initial declaration of the PDP candidate as the winner. Again, he proved his detractors wrong in their estimation of his character. Another victory lap was recorded when he diminished the revered status of Chief Tony Anenih, by wrestling his acclaimed hold on the state from his hands. This was evident in the landslide win he enjoyed in his second term election where he penetrated councils that formerly operated on the dictates of Anenih. He never shied away from calling his detractors out in the public, showing his resoluteness. To fully grasp the hearts of many, he won the heart of the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II, by remitting due payments owed by the former governor to the palace. Apart from the political war he encountered, Oshiomhole also monitored the happenings in other sectors of the state. Who would easily forget the way he dealt with teachers in the state? An action that was met with applause for exposing the rot in the educational system. But he over-reached the limits of his popularity when he was caught on camera telling a widow who was eking a living on the roadside “to go and die”. It was a moment of weakness that his political opponents capitalised on to portray
him as a heartless ruler. Though he apologized and made amend, but the damage was done. The incident remains an inexplicable blight on his character. Oshiomole was not immune to the political charade of two-term governors. While his first term saw a great infrastructural transformation, his second term was a great disappointment. Suddenly, his name began to wane. Notwithstanding, he still recorded another victory by winning the election as an outgoing governor for his candidate, Godwin Obaseki. To further display his ability to rise above his limitations, the former governor who is not a sore sight to the eyes married a beautiful damsel from Cape Verde, Iara Fortes in 2015. His popularity with the masses and his military style of confronting issues headlong must have endeared him to the National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu as well as President Muhammadu Buhari. He was no doubt the right man to regain the party’s supremacy and dominate the media space since the ruling party’s spokesman, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had ran out of lies to keep the party’s buzz. Also, the seeming fallout between Tinubu and the former national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun cemented Oshiomhole’s victory. Right from the handover proceedings, Oshiomhole showed his true colours, attacking his long-time rival, President Olusegun Obasanjo. During his speech, he alluded to the alleged expenditure of $16 billion made by the former president during his rule and lauded Buhari for calling him out. He didn’t stop there. He went on to urge the president to probe and if possible arrest Obasanjo if he failed to provide the required information. On assuming office, Oshiomhole once again went about his task to instill discipline in the party, calling on Ministers of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and that of Aviation, Sen.Hadi Sirika, to do the needful by inaugurating all boards under their ministries within one week or face sanctions from the party. He suffered his first rebuttal when Ngige- another diminutive man- proved to him that they were made of the same leather and he couldn’t be bullied by his leadership. However, it is his latest chant on the impeachment of Senate President Bukola Saraki since the latter defected from the APC that has sent vitriolic comments rolling his way. Oshiomhole in his distinctive manner mounted the stage and called on Senate President to either resign or be impeached because the Senate could not be superintended by one from minority party. The orator quickly forgot that he had said that he had no intention to beg anybody who wanted to leave the party. Why then was the Senate President’s departure a cause of worry? Oshiomhole has appointed himself the new disciplinarian in the party, even to the point of referring to the president metaphorically as too weak to handle the affairs of the party.
OFF THE CUP • ‘GO and DIE’: “Let me apologise to you for the way I spoke to you, I am very sorry about the statement. When I said ‘go and die’, that one was said in a fit of anger. And I am really sorry. I want you to join us. We would employ you and pay you salary. You would help us to campaign to other women not to trade on road sides. We should not use poverty as a yardstick.” Oshiomhole, appealing to a widow, Mrs. Joy Ifije for uncomplimentary and injurious remark to her. • ‘OLD MASTER THIEF’: “It is only in Nigeria that old thieves will be regrouping; they are being organised by an old master thief who spent 16 billion… the more dollars he spent on light, the more darkness you
suffered.” Oshiomhole at APC’s welcome rally for Senator Godswill Akpabio, casting aspersion on the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo though he did not mention him for spending that amount on power without matching result. • ‘SARAKI WILL BE LAWFULLY IMPEACHED’: “We have 56 senators and they have 49 senators. I insist that 49 senators cannot preside over the affairs of a house in which the APC has 56 senators. Tell us anywhere in the world where the minority rules over the majority. Once you lose the majority, without further ado, you step down. We cannot be subjected to minority rule in the Nigerian Senate. Whether it is
convenient for Distinguished Senator Saraki or not, the truth is whether by morality or by law or by convention, Senator Saraki can only avoid impeachment by toeing the path of honour, step down so that the APC can take over the leadership of the House. Saraki as President of the Senate will be lawfully and democratically impeached. It will not be illegally done. It will be done according to law and tradition.” Oshiomhole insisting that Senate President Bukola Saraki vacate the office following his defection from the APC to the PDP • ‘NOBODY IS ABOVE THE PARTY: “If the minister refuses, we will suspend him from the party. We must return to internal
discipline. You cannot purport to be a honourable minister and act dishonourably. Nobody is greater than the party. If the president condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party. When we expel the minister, we will prevail on the president that he can’t keep in his cabinet people who have neither respect for his own decisions nor have respect for the party, without which they would not have been ministers. Nobody, no minister is above the party.” Oshiomhole vowing to expel Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige and Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika from the party for failing to inaugurate the boards of agencies under their ministries.
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FEATURES
Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com
Empowering Young Women for the Blue Economy Mary Nnah writes that the recently held Leadership and Career Empowerment Programme was an avenue for young women to seize opportunities in the blue economy and contribute to the development of the sector
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n a bid to change the situation where most sectors of the economy are controlled and peopled by men, MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) recently brought together young women from various fields of the economy to brainstorm on how and why more women should be involved in the 'Blue Economy'. As postulated by the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem." Simply put, the event was put together to encourage young African women to take an active economic role in the maritime sector – from shipping, maintenance and port services to financing, among other sectors of the country’s economy. The two-day event, which was held at the MMS International Image Centre, Festac Town, Lagos, provided free but thorough training for the participants and it explored digital media, blue economy, oil and gas, visual content production and entrepreneurship, which are money-spinning sectors that the nation is yet to optimally explore. Over 50 Nigerian women ranging from senior secondary school students to undergraduates in tertiary institutions as well as career workers in civil service and private sector participated in the second edition of Women in Leadership and Career Empowerment Programme (WILCEP) organised by MMS Plus WoFHoF as part of efforts to contribute to the development of the female brand in the country. Key Roles for Women While addressing the participants, the Secretary, Nigerian Chapter the of African Women in Maritime (WIMA), Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, admonished young women to seize opportunities in the blue economy. She also encouraged them to identify opportunities to develop a sustainable, integrated maritime sector, which will create jobs – both directly and indirectly. Macfoy, who presented a paper titled, “Optimising the opportunities in Blue Economy�, stressed that 70 per cent of earth's resources were underneath the seas, adding that a greater portion of the wealth from the seas and oceans remain untapped. Macfoy, who represented the WIMA Nigeria President, Mrs. Jean-Chiazor Anishere, also charged the young women to be resilient in their drive to be successful, adding, “nothing of immense value or success can be attained from a position of discouragement.� She said, “As a young lady who intends to be successful in life, you can't be in the university and your primary concern is to fix a weave-on of N15, 000. If you can afford to spend lavishly on such items, you can as well start paying your school-fees. That's my philosophy. My daughter is here, she is a 200-level student of Crawford University and she can attest that I always tell her about the need to make money and be financially prudent. I tell her that she has to work.� She was of the view that women have a key role to play in addressing the longstanding neglect of oceans in Nigeria, noting that it is high time women started focusing on this underdeveloped area and be part of that development. Utilising Opportunities On the need to take up opportunities in the blue economy, Macfoy who is the CEO of OceanDeep Services Limited, said, “When we talk about blue economy don't despair, it's not a job for some specific set of people, neither is it anybody's patent right. You can study on your own and even online and you would surely rise to the top. I've been in the industry for almost 20 years and my focus and drive has placed me where I am today.�
A cross section of the participants at the mentorship class
She explained, “I visited several Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) waiting from 8am-5pm just to see the CEO. I repeated this for about two weeks at a stretch before taking a break from that company to face other businesses, but I returned months later and most times I got the job. There was a job I chased for one year and three months but I eventually got the contract. That contract runs for another two years and since I got it, I have been smiling to the bank monthly. How do you convince me to stop? Why do you allow yourself to be discouraged? The real you is 'the person' you intend to be in the next 10 years and that should spur you to work more now. What do you intend to tell your classmates when you meet in 10 or 20 years?� Digital Media Exposition Meanwhile, Mr. Ayomide Akerin, a digital marketing strategist and trainer with Edubridge Consultants, exposed the participants to the numerous opportunities in the digital media, ranging from online marketing, website design, blogging, programming and coding and utilising social media as a tool for earning revenue, among others. Akerin stressed that digital skills and the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) was crucial to the development of several businesses in Nigeria and Africa, while the industry also provided enormous employment opportunities as well as technological innovations.
Although it may take more than just a motivated resistance to overturn years of systemic gender inequality and create opportunities for more females to be involved in the Blue Economy, employing a few key strategies can help bridge the gender gap and move the sector toward greater gender balance
He went on to state that the class of people who would find it difficult to survive wouldn't be those without money but those who would be unable to flow with the modern changes and utilisation of technologies. Speaking further, the ICT trainer stated that most developed countries had been exploring digital technologies and strategies in several ways, while Africa was yet to fully embrace the initiative. “Nigerians, especially the young ones must be encouraged to learn and explore the opportunities in digital media for the fiscal benefits and to grow the nation's economy. The point is that we are in the age of digital technology and the good thing is that we have contents like artificial learning and it tells us how much technology is changing the way we do things,� he stated.
WILCEP conference produced a book titled, “Mentorship: The Link to Effective Leadership�. The book is a collection of the presentation of talented women who told intriguing stories about their lives at the maiden WILCEP event in 2017, with their experiences chronicled into a guide for effective leadership across various sectors. The founder stressed that the WILCEP initiative with the theme, “Optimising the Blue Economy and Digital Media Skills for Wealth Creation�, was created to enhance the capacity of young Nigerian women by giving them one-on-one mentorship opportunities with successful women, adding that the 2018 edition provided opportunities for skill acquisition in digital media and opportunities in blue economy.
Presentations The Group Executive Director/ Company Secretary, Masters Energy Group, Mrs. Patience Dappa, presented a paper titled: “Making a Career in Oil and Gas Industry: Prospects and Challenges�. Dappa was represented at the event by Managing Director, FirstUnion Excel Limited, Mr. Mahmud Dawodu. Other papers presented at the event include: “Becoming skilled in Visual Content Production, Graphics, Video Editing and Photos,� by Mr Kazeem Aweh. Mr. Mathias Nwabueze, an entrepreneur and life coach, presented a paper on “Entrepreneurship: Building New Power Base of the Economy�. Also x-rayed was what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur globally while limitations, especially in the Nigerian context and how to overcome them were discussed.
Lessons One of the participants at the training, a 300-level student in the department of Business Education, Federal College of Technical Education, Akoka, affiliated to the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ms. Akinwande Oluwatosin, said she was thrilled to have learnt so much from the conference. She said, "This initiative by MMS Plus WoFHoF was a very good one and today's programme was about blue economy and digital media. These were areas that are relatively novel to me. I haven't paid attention to these issues on the blue environment. I wasn't aware of the immense opportunities in the water let alone know that one can make money from things like waste recycling. "I also learnt that success and monetary benefits come from identifying needs in the society and meeting these needs, the solution to the problem/need is what brings monetary reward. I also learnt a lot from the ICT training, such as how to create websites and use the social media to make money, promote businesses; I know what to demand from the website designer because I know the details a good website must have." The schools which participated in the programme include Unique Toes Mission Secondary School, Badagry; Grace Polytechnic, Surulere; UNIBEN FCET Chapter; and Federal College of Technical Education (FCET), Akoka, while a delegation of female leaders at the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Council and Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) Lagos State, graced the occasion.
Bridging the Gender Gap In his opening address, Founder, MMS WoFHoF Initiative, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke, emphasised the importance of investing in women and promoting the female brand. He described women as loyal, dedicated, committed and productive when given assignments to handle. Anaroke said although it might take more than just a motivated resistance to overturn years of systemic gender inequality and create opportunities for more female to be involved in the Blue Economy, employing a few key strategies can help bridge the gender gap and move the sector toward greater gender balance. He recalled that the maiden edition of the
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FEATURES
The Sculpture Prodigy Sunday Chukwu is an amazing young talent in the business of sculpting. In this report, Ugo Aliogo examines Chukwu's love for sculpting, his achievements, and the future of the art profession in Nigeria
One of his sculptures
Sunday Chukwu’s name may not ring a bell with many in the Nigerian sculpting industry, but beyond the gates of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin (UNIBEN), he has carved out his own niche in the industry. Having found his passion in sculpting, an activity which has helped him to do exploits, he has distinguished himself with his ability to create, especially life size figures, using metal and steel. Chukwu says after producing any piece, it casts a shadow and brings a kind of self-satisfaction that the piece is the image of God which gives credence to his ability to create. He never thought he would be the sculptural genius he is today. In fact, he once thought he would be a medical doctor, as he majored in the sciences in secondary school. But fate had a different path for him. The themes of his works mainly border on daily entertainment activities in the African society, expression of the uniqueness and forms of an African woman, sometimes pointing out societal ills and possible ways it can be eliminated, and various composition. Unknown Corpers Chukwu recently completed a 13-feet tall sculpture statue of both male and female corps members, titled: the Unknown Corpers. The statue was built at the Jigawa State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp. The work depicts individuals that have come and gone from the orientation camp without people recognising who they were. In the sculpture, the male corps member is seen doing the three hearty cheers, while the female clutches the torch of unity and some of the core values of the corps. On the project he said, “Recently, the work was used as the cover of NYSC Jigawa State magazine. The work is 13-feet tall. After doing this work, I received a lot of accomplishments such as best corps member in Jigawa State. On a personal level, this work is like the first of its kind in the country. The medium is very interesting. I did it in a record time and it was like a personal Community Development Service (CDS) project. “In doing the work, I tried to replicate what God created using the mild steel to exaggerate
The Sculptor, Sunday Chukwu
the human forms and making the sculptures very huge. Since I am using metal to depict my work, it was not really easy to use metal steel to beat it to shape for the human form. People are amazed at the work because they feel it is not possible to use mild steel. So, they think the mite was melted. It wasn't, rather, it was weathered and I cut it, and then placed it bit by bit. For the female form, I needed to exaggerate forms and make it bigger." Passion for Sculpting For Chukwu, the climax of his passion for sculpting began when he realised that mild steel could also be used as a medium to make sculptures. Although he had no technical knowledge on how to use the material, he was able to acquire the knowledge during his six months internship at Edorays Studios in Benin City. The internship brought him under the tutelage of a pioneer sculptor who uses metal to create sculptural pieces. On a personal level, Chukwu has invested a lot in honing his skill set in the sculpting business. During his time at the university, he gave full dedication to the course, studying the theoretical framework to understand the principles and elements of sculpture, compositions, possible mediums and other necessities.
Although it may take more than just a motivated resistance to overturn years of systemic gender inequality and create opportunities for more females to be involved in the Blue Economy, employing a few key strategies can help bridge the gender gap and move the sector toward greater gender balance
Sculptural Pieces Since his foray into sculpting, Chukwu has been able to use mild steel to produce several sculptural pieces ranging from miniatures, to life size and above life size. However, he has a strong desire for making humongous sculptural pieces. During his final year at the university, he sculpted a 21-foot above life size sculpture titled “21st century� as his project work. He used the work to depict the effects of technology on man. The work explains that technology which is created by man has become a threat to him, by substituting manpower with machines, thereby denying man of his place and financial earning. He has also produced a six-life sized sculpture at St. Clement Secondary School, Minna, , titled: “Education�. At FEMA Schools, Minna, Chukwu made a humongous sculpture of the composition of books. At African cataract, an Optometry Hospital in Benin, he made a 13-feet tall sculptural piece titled: ‘No one should be needlessly blind.’ The sculpture is a composition of a blind man led by a little girl. Generational Shift Chukwu believes that there is no paradigm shift between old generation and new generation artists. His argument is that the relevance of the works done by the older generation artists has impacted the new generation, which is trying to emulate it but with a different approach. In the area of remuneration for artists, he noted that the old generation artists worked so well that it brought them good fortune and recognition from government and clients from the Western world. However, he said their major aims were to establish institutions and centres for creative development, which they achieved because many artists are products of these old masters. According to him, “In recent times, the industry is growing drastically and there are lots of activities. Exhibitions are taking place in many cities across the country which is bringing to light the presence of professional artists and I believe the way art is being projected now by professionals, it would become the major export of the country in future. “Few parents or guardians would want their wards to venture into the field as a profession
because they feel there would be little or no opportunity for them to make good fortune as compared to other professions. So parents advise children to choose other career options. I faced similar challenge in my choice of career; however I didn’t entertain any voice of discouragement. I finished as a science student in the Secondary School to keep hope alive that I would become a medical doctor in the future. But today, I am a professional artist, so public perceptions do not determine good success in the field and should not be a catalyst to drop the profession for anything. God gives the power to make wealth. And I believe there is need for diligence on the path of the professional artist. “The contribution of Aina Onabolu to modern art has yielded great results. My colleagues and I have benefitted immensely. Art education is growing very well, however there is need to enforce new measures that would make us stand out which includes provision of equipment for work and equipping of art studios." Need for Government's Collaboration Chukwu also believes that the art world needs government's collaboration, especially in creating art institutes and universities. He said, “There is need for government to create specialised art universities in the country as is done internationally. We have the University of Art, London; Illinois Institute of Art, US; Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and others. I believe this would help the growth of the profession. “University of Benin did a lot for me, I am forever grateful to the institution. The lectures in the department of Fine and Applied Arts are exceptional. The department boosts of great teachers who are also professional artists, who played a part in helping me nurture my creative abilities. “In a bid to encourage African artists, Mr. Chukwuemeka Benbosah patronised some of my metal works which went into the Benbosah Art Collections which I am forever grateful for. The works include, the fish seller, Otigba, the maiden amongst others and the most recent of them in his collection is Enenebejeolu (missing work because you are starring at the beauty and graciousness of a woman), which is also above life size.�
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018
Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com
R-L: Borno State Commissioner for Higher Education, Usman Jaha Babawo; Israel Zakari Galadima who came first with 364 in the 2018 JAMB exams, his aunt, Mrs. Doris Yaro; Registrar, Covenant University Ota, Dr. Olumuyiwa Oludayo and Principal, Faith Academy, Ota, Den Nkwoh Patrick, during the presentation of N5m cheque for the payment of five-years sponsorship of Israel’s degree on electronics and engineering, for making Borno State proud, at Covenant University, Ota Ogun State...recently KOLA OLASUPO
Managing Director, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Adam Nuru (right) and the Executive Secretary/ CEO, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, during a courtesy visit to the Management of FCMB by LSSTF at the Bank’s head office in Lagos...recently
Cross section of holiday makers who benefited from the free train ride organized by the Osun state government in commemoration of 2018 Eid-el-Kabir festival at the Railway Station Oshogbo...recently
L-R; Director, Faculty of Programme, Management Development Institute, Lagos Business School, Dr. Obinna Muogboh, a participant of the programme, Dr. Oseyemwen Ndudi, Chairman, Health Service Commission, Lagos State, Dr. Bayo Aderiye, Senior Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Global Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Rene Kiamba, and Communication and Administrative Officer, Global Business School Network, Ms Nicole Zefran, at the graduation ceremony for managers and leaders of healthcare organisations in Lagos...recently
L-R: Commercial Capability Director, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), Lanre Atobatele; Compliance Manager, (NBC), Mrs. Abiodun Peters; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Mr. Akintunde Oyebode; Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mrs. Amaka Onyemelukwe and Director, Programs and Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Mrs. Teju Abisoye at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Empowerment of 1000 Women in Lagos State...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN
R-L:Former governors of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi and Senator Chris Ngige; Bishop Onuoha; Celebrant, Elsie Nwokolo and her husband, Bishop Owen Nwokolo,during Elsie’s 50th birthday celebration at All Saints Anglican Church, Onitsha... recently
Lagos NUJ Chairman, Dr. Qasim Akinreti; Chairman of the occasion and Chief Operating Officer, Black House Media (BHM) Mr. Moruff Adenekan, Managing Director/ CEO, Modion Communications Limited, Mr Odion Aleobua and Chairman, Photojournalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN) Lagos branch, Mr. Ademola Akinlabi at the PJAN 2018 World Photography day in Lagos....recently
L-R Ferdi Moolman, CEO, MTN Nigeria, Emeka Okonkwo, Executive Director, Union Bank, Hamda Ambah, MD/CEO FSDH and Peter Blenkinsop, Executive Director, Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria at the signing ceremony of MTN New Medium Term Loan Syndicated Facility. in Lagos...recently
T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY,22, AUGUST 2018
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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT
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Quick Takes FG to Invest in Technology
In line with the present administration’s agenda on technology innovation, the federal government is committed to deploying digital technology in scaling-up training of teachers, to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said. Osinbajo stated this recently when he received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, the management of NetDragon Websoft Company, a Chinese-based digital technology company led by its Chairman, Mr Dejian Liu and the Vice Chairman, Dr Simon Leung. He said the federal government’s technology policy was already on course and noted that collaborations with the private sector would be appreciated especially in scaling teacher training, developing a policy that would last for a long period. According to a statement, the vice president said, “some of the estimates show us that we need to educate from scratch, about 15 million a year and some even more, depending on how we look at the problem.”
Next Titans’ Audition Kicks-off
DISCUSSING INSURANCE
L-R: Assistant Executive Secretary, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Tope Adaramola; Executive Secretary, Fatai Adegbenro; President, Shola Tinubu, Treasurer, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe and Auditor, Mr Tunde Oguntade, at a media briefing in Lagos… recently
Entry Opportunities Widen for Stock Market Investors Goddy Egene Opportunities for investors to buy stocks at relatively cheap price and enjoy regular dividends have widened following the continuing bearish trading in the market. Uncertain polity and exit of foreign investors who are reducing their holdings in emerging and frontier markets have led to consistent bear run in the market. The market slide has made the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) to record a year-to-date decline of 9.3 per cent as at Monday.
ECONOMY Some other sectoral indicators have also declined. However, market analysts said the negative trend in the market was an opportunity for bargain-hunting in stocks known for regular dividend payment. According to them, since capital appreciation appeared to have been subdued due to the bearish run, discerning investors should settle for dividend-paying stocks, taking advantage of their current low prices. Analysts at Afrinvest had said although the downbeat
nature of the market had left many domestic investors to be sceptical and confused over the potential near term upsides, they said investors should rather take advantage of the current cheaper valuation. THISDAY checks revealed that some of the stocks which regularly reward investors with dividends are trading at prices below what they opened the year with. For instance, the Nigerian Breweries Plc, which pays almost 100 per cent of its profit every year as dividend, is trading 23.6 per cent lower than the year’s opening value.
Zenith Bank Plc, which recently declared an interim dividend is 10.4 per cent lower, while Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc are 26.9 per cent and 18.9 per cent respectively lower than their year’s opening prices. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, which raised dividend paid last year, is 24.1 per cent. Similarly, Dangote Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc is 37.4 per cent cheaper. Others are: Fidelity Bank Plc (34.5 per cent); PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc(31.8 per cent); Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (24.1 per Continued on page 24
Analyst Foresees MPR Hike Nume Ekeghe The Chief Executive Officer of Eczellon Capital Limited, Mr. Diekola Onaolapo, has predicted an increase in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) rate. Onaolapo, said this in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Lagos. Comparing the 14 per cent benchmark MPR rate in Nigeria with other emerging markets, he held the view that with the increased capital outflow, the probability of further raising interest rate was high. He said, “The tendency it would be increased in the near term is the probability given today’s dynamics is high. So, when there are calls
ECONOMY from certain quarters that it should be reduced, you wonder why such recommendations are being made. “So, if you look at comparable countries to Nigeria like the MINT countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) and others like Mexico, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil, they have increased their benchmark rate. “The same factors impact everyone in this era of global economic environment. Today, Argentina’s benchmark rate is 45 per cent which they increased by 500 basis points recently. “Also, Turkey has been facing economic issues in recent
times and they have increased their rate to 17.75 percent; while Indonesia was at 6.25 percent but has increased to 6.5 per cent. The only country that hasn’t increased is Brazil.” But, Onaolapo stressed that “monetary policy alone is not enough, all other policy arms of the government should look at ways they could overall fiscally de-risk the economy.” Also, he praised the recent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy aimed at boosting the real sector. He said: “It is a very good policy. It is positive, it is going to impact the real sector and it a very creative approach to mitigating risks that the country is facing. “So, if you look at some of the things that
some people have clamoured in recent times like low interest rate to facilitate growth, but when you consider the economy and the need for growth in isolation you may agree. “But if you look at the headwinds the country is facing, there are so many other things that are likely to impact the economy if we have a very loose monetary policy environment. “So, in order to manage that and at the same time still facilitate growth in the real sector, the CBN approached this creative initiative.” But, he noted that there was need to design long-term fiscal policies that would support the real sector and boost economic Continued on page 24
The Lagos audition of the Heritage Bank Plc’s foremost entrepreneurial reality TV show, the Next Titan, was held with no fewer than 1000 contestants in attendance. The Head, Digital and Content of the bank Chibuike Agu, commended the participants for their determination to take part in the annual contest. He advised the contestants to open their mind to the opportunities that would come their way while the reality show lasts. He assured that the financial institution would not relent in supporting any investment initiative that shares characteristics with the Next Titan. In his remarks at the occasion, Executive Producer, Next Titan TV Reality Show Mr. Mide Kunle-Akinlaja, commended Heritage Bank for its support for the annual reality show. He described the bank as a strong pillar behind the continued success of the generally-accepted TV reality show, which has impacted on numerous lives since its inception. Kunle-Akinlaja, also charged the contestants to put in their best, as they have equal chance to emerge winner. He disclosed that the theme for the programme this year is, ‘Brains, Charisma and Audacity.’
Quickteller Rewards Customers
Quickteller has disclosed that it recently rewarded some of its customers at promo draws it held in Lagos recently. The Quickteller Delight promo is a reward initiative designed to give back to customers who had consistently made payments via the Quickteller website and mobile app. A total of 195 customers emerged as winners in eight categories via transparent electronic draws in line with predefined eligibility criteria. The eight promo categories were: electricity payments, cable TV subscriptions, fund transfers, toll payments, broadband internet payments, betting wallet funding, domestic flights payments and airtime recharge. Prizes won were three-months DSTV premium subscription for 40 winners, three-months broadband internet subscription for 40 winners, N20,000 e-Tag credit for 20 winners and N50,000 cash prize for 20 winners. Other prizes were N80,000 domestic flight tickets for five winners, N10,000 betting credit for 40 winners, N19,200 electricity credit (post-paid and pre-paid) for 10 winners and N15,000 airtime value over three months for 20 winners. Speaking at the draws, the Group Head, Digital Payments (Product and Marketing Management) at Interswitch, Adetayo Teluwo, stated that the promo was an expression of the company’s appreciation to the customers.
Power is a critical requirement in economic growth. The impact of power on education, health and other facets of life cannot be quantified Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
BUSINESSWORLD ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES WIDEN FOR STOCK MARKET INVESTORS cent); Honeywell Flour Mills Plc (25.2 per cent); Berger Paints Nigeria Plc (22.8 per cent); Total Nigeria Plc (20.4 per cent);United Capital Plc (14 per cent); CAP Plc (16.6 per cent); and Conoil Plc(13.2 per cent). The petroleum products marketing firm is a regular dividend payer. It paid a dividend of 200 kobo for 2017. And given the performance of the company for the half year ended June 30, 2018, shareholders would equally enjoy higher dividend. Conoil Plc grew its turnover by 21.3 per cent, from N44.93 billion in 2017, to N54.48 billion in 2018. Gross profit rose from N5.99 billion to N6.39 billion, while profit before tax increased to N809.78 million as against N627.91 million. Profit after tax rose from N427.29 million in 2017 to N550.65 million in 2018, translating to 29 per cent appreciation.
ANALYST FORESEES MPR HIKE growth. “When you use monetary policy to fix economic imbalances, it is not really sustainable because monetary policy is meant for short term,” he said. Commenting further on the state of the economy, he added, “the Nigerian economy has strong fundamentals. It gets impacted by short-term shocks from time to time when there is pressure in the commodities environment. “We see that the Nigerian economy is performing well and also, some of the policies of the CBN and readings we see in the macroenvironment points at an economic profile that is likely to maintain its growth trajectory.” Onaolapo noted, “Investors would be watching the political environment, but anyone who has been playing in the Nigerian market and African market generally would have experience and know that we usually have this cycle and if we have a long-term investment approach, then you don’t need to be worried as much.
Group Business Editor
Obinna Chima
Capital Market Editor
Goddy Egene
AgriBusiness/Industry Editor
Jonathan Eze
Comms/e-Business Editor
Emma Okonji
Senior Correspondent
Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents
Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Maritime) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Reporters
Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Cap Mkt)
NEWS
FG Urged to Enforce Insurance in Rent-to-Own Housing Programme Ebere Nwoji The federal government has been advised to include insurance in its on-going rentto-own housing programme. The housing programme was designed to enhance affordability of houses by eliminating the need for down payments and other cost associated with normal mortgage loan arrangements. President, Nigeria Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr Shola Tinubu, who stated this at the quarterly press briefing organised by the council in Lagos, said insurance should be included in the programme. According to him, Section 64 & 65 of the Insurance Act 2003 stipulates compulsory insurance for the ongoing construction projects. “It therefore behoves on the federal government to insist that appropriate insurance policies be in place for these houses at the construction stage, and for the win-win benefits the project holds for government, the allottees and their families,” he added. According to him, there are reports that about N197 billion had been spent to construct 26,002 houses across the country, while 13,953 homes across the country had been renovated. He, however lauded the federal government’s programme. He added that it would go a long way to address the housing deficit, a serious challenge that any government should tackle headlong. On the place of Insurance in the programme, Tinubu said, “However, the council wishes to enjoin the federal government, to ensure that in
embarking on this laudable feat, insurance should be given its rightful place.” He also spoke on the recent directive that operators should shore up their capital base, saying, “It is noteworthy that in the bid to ensure a more virile insurance industry, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) recently announced new capital regime for insurance companies.
“The new capitalisation system tagged, “Recapitalisation of insurance companies, the tier-based minimum solvency capital,’ would be partially introducing the risk-based capital model in a threetier recapitalisation system, whereby firms would be graded as tier-three, tier-two and tier-one.” He, however described the tier system as an independent
assessment for solvency, such that companies classified as top-tier could possibly have significant solvency issues. He said under the new regime, insurance companies would be looking at different options to respond before the deadline of January 1, 2019. He noted that it was definite that several options would be contemplated by the companies, including the options of
injection of capital, mergers and acquisitions, adding that whichever strategy chosen and no matter how disruptive, companies should focus on how to grow the insurance industry as well as how to make insurance an imperative. He said the NCRIB had set relevant committees in motion to see the extent to which the new policy thrust would affect its members.
PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
L-R: Head, Digital and Content, Heritage Bank Plc, Chibuikue Agu; Executive Director, Next Titan TV Show, Mide Kunle-Akinlaya and Corporate Communication Manager, Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, at the inauguration of participants in season five of the TV reality show in Lagos…recently
Firm Moves to Deepen Nigeria’s Cryptocurrency Insurer Launches Service for Motor Insurance Market Emma Okonji Luno, one of the leading global exchanges with presence in over 40 countries, including Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to further enlighten Nigerians on the benefits of cryptocurrency business. It also called on Nigerians to adopt a knowledge-driven approach towards its services, which it said were genuine and rewarding. Worried about the limited knowledge of the cryptocurrency business and how it works, Luno said the cryptocurrency market in Nigeria made headlines globally in 2017 when it twice emerged second as the country that searched for bitcoin the most on Google, and peer-to-peer transactions in digital currency globally. Since then a lot of investments and investors have come into the market leading to intensified scrutiny of the space by financial regulators. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently said it was studying the market to enable it come up with a regulatory framework that would protect
every player. In the meantime, it continues to warn the financial institutions to stay away until there is a policy for the market. While the CBN position has not affected demand in the market it may have contributed to poor knowledge of consumers as many transact for the profit and not necessarily because they understand. Addressing the media on the importance of cryptocurrency at a recent press conference in Lagos, Luno’s country manager in Nigeria, Owenize Odia, said, “We welcome regulation of the cryptocurrency space in Nigeria. It is good for the entire market around the world, as it will build trust in both buyers and investors. “We know it would eventually come, hence we self-regulate in order to protect our customers.” Odia said that cryptocurrency education would also benefit the market because it would ensure people approach it with a knowledge driven mindset. “Regulation will also reinforce collaboration in the
space, as banks will be free to partner with exchanges and other stakeholders for growth of the market. “It would also go a long way to reduce increasing incidences of cyber criminality involving cryptocurrencies,” Odia said. Recently, the market has been awashed with reports of consumers falling victims to internet scams that could have been avoided, had the victims been better equipped with the right information. “This is what sets us apart as a virtual currency platform. Apart from providing our users with two-factor authentication (2FA) which ensures they are protected, we also take out time to educate them about how to avoid scams,” Odia explained. According to him, “There are four different levels of verifications Luno has put in place to protect its varied income-level customers.” The company which recently reached a milestone of two million customers globally, is planning some programs targeted at its user-base in Nigeria. The programs are expected to be announced soon.
Ebere Nwoji AXA Mansard Plc, a member of AXA Group; has launched the first responder service aimed at supporting customers whose vehicles are insured with the company whenever they are involved in road accidents. The First Responder Service is an initiative meant to provide immediate assistance to customers on AXA Mansard’s retail motor insurance plan right at the scene of an accident. The service also aims at reducing turnaround time for service delivery to customers. According to the company, with the introduction of the new service, customers with vehicles worth a minimum of N3,000,000 would have access to its trained first responder officers. The first responder officers would also provide on-the-spot assistance to eligible customers at the scene of an accident, assess damage to customers’ vehicles and start the claims settlement process with a view to concluding it rapidly. Commenting on the new service, the Divisional Di-
rector, Retail Solutions, AXA Mansard Insurance, Mrs. Rashidat Adebisi said, “We are delighted to introduce AXA First Responder service to our motor insurance subscribers. “Customer experience is very important to us and we are ensuring that we provide services that would be customer oriented. “The service would help our customers to get both service and support in the event of a road traffic accident. We assure our customers that they would receive the needed support as they navigate their ways around town.” According to her, with the service, eligible customers would have access to the officers who would provide on-the-spot assistance to them should they be involved in an accident. She said this was another benefit of being on the AXA Mansard comprehensive motor insurance plan. According to her, the service is currently only available in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, Ikeja, and Surulere areas in Lagos with a view to expand in the days ahead.
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
BUSINESSWORLD
NEWS
Delta Partners Kenya Airways on Connectivity Chinedu Eze Delta Air Lines has entered into a code-share partnership with Kenya Airways on flights to and fro Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The deal took effect from August 11, 2018. With this, Delta’s code has been placed on Kenya Airways’ flights from Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Accra to Nairobi. This is expected to enhance connectivity and provide customers with a one-stop seamless travel experience from the United States. In addition, Delta would place its code on Kenya Airways’ services to more than 10 key cities across Africa, includ-
ing: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Lilongwe, Malawi; Maputo, Mozambique; Johannesburg, South Africa and Djibouti City, Djibouti. “Delta is the leading carrier between the United States and Africa. This new partnership with Kenya Airways’ will give customers even greater choice for travel between the continents thanks to Kenya Airways’ extensive network beyond Nairobi,” said Delta’s senior vice president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, Corneel Koster. On his part, Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Vincent Coste said, “We are delighted about this closer relationship with Delta and believe that this will bring
real benefits to our customers and our business. “Kenya Airways and Delta are both premier airlines and this agreement is a positive step in our cooperation.” Delta and Kenya Airways are both members of the SkyTeam alliance. Frequent Flyers can earn and redeem miles on both airlines, while Elite Plus travelers benefit from SkyPriority services. Delta has operated flights to Africa since 2006 and serves Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa. Kenya Airways is a leading African carrier and operates in 52 destinations worldwide, 43 of which are in Africa.
Foundation Highlights Benefits of CSR David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Hero’s Foundation, a foundation owned by International Breweries Plc, has said through faithful implementation of their corporate social responsibilities (CSR), Nigerian companies can help tackle unemployment in the country. The Company Secretary and Lawyer of International Breweries, Mr Muyiwa Ayojimi, stated this during a press conference to herald the commencement of the third phase of its programme, ‘Hero Kickstart,’ in Onitsha, Anambra State. Ayojimi, said if every business entity sets aside one per cent of its profit and invest it in helping the
society as CSR, the problem of unemployment could be overcome. He said, “Kickstart is our own way of giving back to the society. What we do is, we set aside a percentage of profit made from every case of Hero beer sold and use it to sponsor business proposals from youths who have business ideas but lack the capital to start. “This is the third year of the hero kickstart programme, it started in 2016. So far, we have empowered 64 entrepreneurs with N132 million. This year’s programme has just started, and we look forward to receiving 4,000 to 5,000 applications. “I want to urge young people who have business ideas to submit their proposal
through our website, where our team of experts look at them and determine the winning entries.” Also, Michael Daramola, the Director, Legal and Corporate Affairs of the company, while making a presentation said the foundation has a team of experts who look at the entries and determine the winning ones. “The amount we award to the winners vary. When we look at the proposals, sometimes we scale up the amount for a proposal, when we think the proposal is good, but the applicant has less knowledge of what the start-up may entail. “We also scale some down when applicants state bogus amounts, and we still think that the proposal is good.”
Ecobank Rewards Xpress Account Holders Nume Ekeghe Ecobank Nigeria Limited has rewarded its Xpress Account holders for using the account. Head of Direct Banking Ecobank, Mr. Philip Sonibare, said the offer rewards customers for transacting on their Ecobank Xpress account. According to him, there are also instant gifts for transacting at Ecobank Xpress Points across the country. Responding to media questions in Lagos, he explained that the “Xpress Account Giveaway rewards customers who had opened
an Xpress account via the Ecobank Mobile app or its USSD code. “Our checks show that many customers have opened Xpress account in the last few weeks as a result of the reward scheme. Opening the account is simple, without documentation or any need to visit the bank”. Sonibare emphasised that, “with the Xpress account, one can buy airtime, transfer money to any bank account in the country, deposit and withdraw cash at any Xpress Agent Point, do cardless withdrawals (XpressCash) at either an Ecobank ATM
or Xpress point location, as well as pay regular bills.” On the dynamics of the promo, Sonibare said, “the reward is in two categoriescash back and instant prizes at Xpress points. To be eligible for the cash back, customers need to make 3 transactions a week (cumulative minimum of N3, 000) to get cash back of N500 at the start of the following week. “Customers who visit any of our Xpress points to carry out transactions will also receive instant free gifts provided the transaction value is up to N2,000.”
Turkish Airlines Records Highest Load Factor in July Turkish Airlines has announced that it recorded the highest load factor, both passenger and cargo in its history in July. The airline said the results of passenger and cargo traffic in July 2018, in which it recoded 85.3 per cent load factor, was the highest so far in its operations. The airline said despite the high base of July 2017, growth in the number of passengers, revenue per kilometre and load factor, has been an important indicator of the continued increase in global interest to Turkey and Turkish Airlines. The company said the passenger growth trend
continued thus total number of passengers carried went up by four per cent, reaching 7.8 million passengers. Also, the total load factor improved by 1.5 points, with an increase of two per cent in capacity (available seat kilometer), while international load factor increased by 1.7 points to 84,9 per cent, domestic load factor stood at 88 per cent. Excluding international-to-international transfer passengers (transit passengers), number of international passengers went up by seven per cent. Additionally, cargo/mail volume continued the double digit growth trend and increased by 20 per cent,
compared to the same period of 2017. Main contributors to the growth in cargo/mail volume, were Middle East with 33 per cent increase, Europe with 26 per cent increase, Africa with 26 per cent increase, North America with 32 per cent increase and far east with 16 per cent increase. Africa, North America and far east showed load factor growth of 5.5 points, 3.5 points and four points, respectively. The airline said there was an increase in demand and total number of passengers by 13 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, over the same period of last year.
ELEVATING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Marie-Therese Phido
LeadersWhoExpecttoBeWorshiped
I
was talking to a young gentle man last week and we got to talking about the leadership in his place of work. The leaders in his organization are people I have known for a long time as we grew up together in the industry and attained various levels of success and growth in each person’s area of specialization. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that one of the leaders in his organization has engendered so much fear, that nobody in the organization enters the elevator with him anytime he wants to go up or down. Irrespective of how pressed people were or how many people are waiting to use the elevator, as soon as they see him coming, they all wait for him to use it alone. I found this very strange and sad for the individual. How can you engender so much fear in the people you lead that everybody is too afraid to share the same space with you? I then asked, “what does he do when people give him space”?, he said “nothing”. “So, he sees all of you waiting to enter the elevator and enters alone and does nothing to correct that”? He said, “yes”. I was amazed! By all accounts, this individual is now very successful and known in his industry and running a company with revenue and profit turnover in the billions. He has certainly earned his place in the big league. But, is that enough to expect your staff to worship you or avoid being in the same space with you because they fear you or maybe do not like you? As I had also learnt that he speaks harshly and rudely to his staff. I then decided to do a bit of research on leadership and leaders to see whether this unwholesome behavior or variants of it was prevalent amongst leaders and ultrasuccessful people. I discovered in Darko Lovric and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s article on, “Why Great Success Can Bring Out The Worst Parts of Our Personalities”, that there is a long history of successful entrepreneurs, industrialists, and self-made billionaires who stood out equally for their talents and achievements and their eccentric, difficult, or volatile personalities. Howard Hughes, an innovator, aviator, billionaire, spent most of his later life in complete isolation rather than have to engage with the public and the resulting exposure to the germs he so feared. Tim Armstrong, during his tenure as the CEO of AOL, fired an executive on a live conference call after the exec snapped a photo of him for the internal website. Steve Jobs was known for berating employees and suppliers in unprintable language. The successful-entrepreneur (leader)-asdifficult-person stereotype is so entrenched that many people assume these difficult traits are what cause their success. Lovric and Premuzic said that, while these “dark side“ behaviors don’t cause success, success can definitely exacerbate them. Success often strengthens the undesirable side of people’s personalities, perhaps because power lowers their motivation to positively manage their reputation. The more power and influence you have, the less interested you will be in pleasing other people and in keeping your dark side in check. Lovric and Premuzic advise leaders to ensure that they work on the following four psychological challenges and weaknesses to ensure they do not fail in their quest to impact the world. These are: • Overconfidence. Exceptional success can lead to deluded self-perception. No matter how much people achieve, there can be a point where their self-views surpass their
achievements, making them unaware of their limitations and unjustifiably pleased with themselves. This leads to overconfidence in one’s abilities, or what the ancient Greeks referred to as hubris: pride that offended the gods, and invited a godly punishment in the form of a humbling. • Narcissism. Success creates a flattering image of oneself, which can often be magnified in the media. This can frequently lead to enhanced narcissism, as successful individuals try to protect their flattering image in the face of inevitable tailwinds and drawbacks. • Isolation. It is hard to speak truth to power, especially when faced with impressive and charismatic individuals whose approval leads to both tangible and intangible benefits for others. Success creates a scarcity of negative feedback and news, and increased flattery and servility. The more status and power you have, the more you will intimidate others and the more you will surround yourself with people who flatter you — turning your inflated self-views into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Executives who react badly to negative news and who consider themselves superior will have little incentive to establish a strong and independent team that can provide muchneeded critical and brutally honest feedback. All of this is exacerbated by increased loneliness and isolation, which can eclipse an individual’s ability to get an accurate picture of what’s going on. • Reduced self-control. One of the attractions of success is increased insulation from the consequences of failure. Such freedom and independence allow one, at best, to become more relaxed and authentic. However, such behaviors can shade into eccentricity and antisocial rants when left unchecked. A reduced need for self-control in turn leads to lower productivity and lower quality of interpersonal relationships. Lashing out against critics in situations where one is better off remaining silent can often be best understood as a failure of self-control. How do we overcome these challenges above? There are three specific things leaders in this situation can focus on according to the experts: • Fostering humility. Difficult things are difficult — and there should be no shame in admitting it. • Welcoming checks and balances. Perhaps the most counterintuitive piece of our advice — welcoming some limitations on our own power, and assuming that those limitations are imposed through the good judgment of competent people — creates the right conditions for one to be challenged.. • Being truly coachable. Many individuals claim they actively solicit negative feedback. But in reality, their resistance to such feedback is subtle but noticeable, fueled as much by personal emotions as by the very real need to project confidence as a leader. Therefore, the first step toward being coachable is to establish private space and trust with a set of individuals whose feedback one respects. These individuals should have both the knowledge and the day-to-day experience on the matters where you need feedback. Having a trusted executive team is the best way to achieve this. Exceptional success comes at a cost but being disliked and avoided by your staff and peers should not be one of them. In view of your achievements and how impactful your success has been to the world, you should be loved and cherished. As leaders, we need to constantly examine ourselves to ensure that we do the right thing.
– Marie-Therese Phido is Sales & Market Strategist and Business Coach Email: mphido@elevato.com.ng tweeter handle @osat2012 TeL: 08090158156 (text only)
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
BUSINESSWORLD
INTERVIEW
Kale: I’m Not Excited When Data on Nigeria are Negative The Statistician General, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale, in this interview on ARISE TV, the sister broadcast station of THISDAY, spoke on a wide range of issues on the economy as well as the bureau’s methodology. Nume Ekeghe presents the excerpts: you would say you are not working because you want to work as an accountant because you studied accountancy. But we would tick you as employed because you are engaging in economic activities. In the north, when i start to speak Hausa for example, they tell me that if you translate ‘are you employed’ into Hausa it means more or less do you have a white collar job. So if you don’t explain, you would just hear them say no. But many of them are farmers, or have some corner shops, you would consider that work. There is definition of work internationally and whether you think this work is decent enough, that is a separate conversation. So you can be employed and be in poverty which creates that confusion among the public that would say unemployment is 90percent because to them, farmers and people who have corner shops or mama puts for example is not employment because they think work is when you have an ID card and you wear a nice suit that is when you call it work. So they expect the numbers to be bigger while that is not the reality or the definition of work.
What are the challenges an organisation like yours faces, because one of the biggest things we hear from global bodies is that there are no data in Nigeria or Africa. Do you take offense to that? No, I think there is an element of truth to that. When i came into the office in 2011 there were very little or non-existent and what you are trying to do is almost build it up from scratch. I think we have done a lot and have made a lot of progress since then. The amount of data in Nigeria available has definitely increased significantly. Are there gap and are there lots of work to do, absolutely. So it is process of building it up gradually from a point of no data existing to where we are now of publishing 3000 to 4000 indicators every year. We are coming from a point where we were publishing about 5-6 reports a year to now publishing 200 to 300 reports yearly. That is not all the data we need, but it is the most important data as far as the current demand for data in the Nigerian economy. Sometimes institutions and individuals question the credibility of your data. Recently, the minister of labour Dr. Chris Ngige questioned the unemployment data of the third quarter of last year. How do you address such situations when NBS data’s credibility is being questioned? Questioning data is something that happens everywhere in the world. I remember even in the last United States (US) election the current president questioned the jobs and GDP numbers although now he celebrates those numbers from the same statistics agency. So politicians would always question number. If you are a minister in a particular sector and the numbers suggests that are not doing better, you don’t really expect that such person would be excited at those numbers. So it is expected but we operate independently and we follow international convention and we are not particularly concerned about the criticisms as long as the criticisms are not based on the technical manner on which we got the data. If they had questioned the methodology processes then we would check them and then we would try to improve on them if we find out they are correct. But if it is just a general ‘I don’t agree with number’ without any particular basis then we are not particularly paying any attention to that. Our job is to be independent and to produce data for evident based decision making. And I think what policy makers should do with these numbers if they can’t find anything wrong with the process is to go through them and use them for what there are supposed to be used for and that is to fix problems. But we don’t get involved in politics or get involved in exchanging or having arguments whether a data is correct or is not correct. We do our jobs and then leave it to policy makers for them to use the data for what are mean to use it for. The unemployment report for the third quarter of last year has been a year now, when do we expect the next report? I am suspecting you are cueing into the rumours that because elections are coming, i have heard that rumour. Like I said, we don’t do politics and ironically you mentioned i got appointed currently by the current administration in 2016 and that was the period we announced the recession. So clearly a chief executive who is concerned about getting re-elected for a statistics office that is being politicised is not going to publish we are in a recession for 5 quarters when he expecting the current president to renew his appointment. That alone should show that there is no interference with the way we do our work. It is funding, we require funding. Nigeria unlike other developed countries were everything is electronic you can seat down in a headquarters and data flies in. In Nigeria, unfortunately
Kale
some of the challenges of collecting data are that you have to go out into the field. So we have staff in all the states and offices in all the states and their job is actually to go out into the field and collect this data. Now to go out into the field and collect these data, they need to collect their transport allowance and so on. So if you have not gotten your budget signed and we know the budget was not signed until June so it means we don’t have any funds to work with. And when you have an employment study and a household study, it costs a lot of money so you need resources to go to the field and there is no way we can do that. So that is why there is a delay, unlike an inflation report that really does not cost that much money because you are just going to markets around. Or maybe a GDP report which you are looking at companies’ financials you don’t need that much money to get those records, so you can keep publishing those administrative records unlike a household survey or census where you have to go to households to get that information. We have staffs in the south-south that have to rent boats to cross to the creeks to get these information and they are not going to use their salaries to do that, they need little sums of money to get these information. So it is extremely difficult and the resources are needed. So the reason is the funding was not approved until recently. Now the last question is when. Some resources was received about two three weeks ago. By resources do you mean your budget and donor aides? Donors’ don’t give us money to do whatever we want to do with it. When they come in like the World Bank or the United Nations, they have specific indicators they are trying to collect. So they might not be interested in unemployment, they might be interested in education or some health related data. Now they give us that money after we have discussed what is required and we actually go and collect that information. So we can’t use donor resources to get other types of data that we need. The unemployment data is the data that we publish as a national statistics office and is funded by our government through our budget and it is in our capital budget. If you check the NBS you would see job creation and employment. And if the money is not received, then there
is really nothing we can do about it. So our staffs are on the field currently collecting that information and once they are done, positive or negative like we always do, we would publish it. Don’t get me wrong i am not excited when the numbers are negative because I am a Nigerian and i want things to be better. In fact, it is a burden when i see these numbers are negative it gets me depressed because I want things for my country. But we have to publish it as it is. How do you collect the data for unemployment? The data to collect unemployment ironically is virtually the same around the world. People go out to get those data. I was actually surprised when i did some study of other countries and even the US also uses surveys to get their data. I assumed it was the unemployment benefits they used because they have those records and so on. But actually, they use that to track job creation and necessarily the unemployment rate. That is why you can have a situation in the US were the unemployment rate rises and the same time job creation rate is rising and people are saying what is going on here. That is because the numbers of people that are looking for work in a particular period are higher than the number of jobs being created. So an economy can create a million jobs in one month but if there is a demand for 1.2 million jobs, that additional two hundred would be added to those unemployed and the rate would still go up. So it is a very tricky way to understand how the numbers are collated. Virtually almost every country in the world uses labour force surveys; China, UK, US South Africa while ours is one of the largest in terms of the sample size that we use to collect this information. We have about one thousand one hundred staff across the country that go and get these numbers. I think it is about sixty thousand to seventy thousand households that are visited on a quarterly basis to gather this information. So you are not just going to ask them if they have work or if they are employed because if you do that, you would get subjective views. For example if you ask me if I am employed, based on my pay check i might decide to say i am not employed. So we ask it like an interview. We can ask ‘so what did you do this week and the answer could be i work in my aunt’s shop but i am a graduate of economics. So of course
From your data, is that also where you get the data of underemployment because of the questions you are asking? Yes so some are working but not getting their full potential that is why underemployment is larger that unemployment. Unlike countries were you have so much social benefits you can choose not to work because it is not worth your while. You can decide to just stay back home and get my check every month. In Nigeria, you don’t have such benefit so you have to work. So when you look for that big banker job and you can’t get it, after a while you would start engaging in something else to make yourself survive. And then you move from unemployment to underemployment because you are now working below your educational qualifications and skills. Most Nigerians have to go into underemployment because they can’t find that proper white collar job that they are looking for. So underemployment is almost two times as high as unemployment which means you are actually just sitting down at home doing nothing and you find very few Nigerians absolutely doing nothing. So most of them would be doing something and then they would move to the underemployment bracket. The economy grew about 1.9eprcent in the first quarter of this year and I’m sure you are on brink of releasing your second quarter GDP report. I know you might not want to release the report but with what you have seen so far, do think the economy would perform better in the second quarter and how is the heightened political risk we see now affecting the fortress of the economy and should that be a concern? The easier question is the first one ironically because I am not going to give the final figures and because the work is still being completed. And even if i had the numbers I wouldn’t anyways but i dint even have them. But from the numbers i am seeing, it is looking quite flat surprisingly I expected the number should be much better but it is looking very similar to the first quarter. I think the economy is still struggling out of recession and that is what the numbers are showing. So would you call that stagnation? There is a technical definition for stagnation and there is an English definition. Now the English definition; yes you might say stagnation but the technical definition No. technical definition requires rising unemployment and rising inflation. But inflation has been trending downwards so you can’t actually use the definition of stagnation technically. The economy is still just moving very slowly. Continued on page 27
T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST2018
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BUSINESSWORLD
EQUITIES WATCH
GTBank Gets Boost from Cost Efficiency Goddy Egene writes that the improved performance of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in the half year ended June 30, 2018 partly resulted from consistently enhanced cost management efficiency
G
uaranty Trust Bank Plc last week recommended an interim of N8.8 billion dividends for the half year ended June 30, 2018. The dividends, which translated to 30 kobo per share, was recommended following improved bottom-line posted by the bank. While the bank grew its gross earnings by 5.6 per cent, profit after tax (PAT) grew faster by 14.2 per cent as a result of cost efficiency. Specifically, GTBank posted gross earnings of N226.6 billion, showing an increase of f 5.9 per cent from N226.6billion in 2017. Profit before tax grew by 8.4 per cent to N109 billion, compared with N101 billion in 2018, while profit after tax (PAT) grew faster by 14.2 per cent from N83.679 billion to N95.582 billion. However, the bank’s loan book dipped by 10.8 per cent from N1.449trillion recorded as at December 2017 to N1.293trillion in June 2018, while customers’ deposit grew by 10 per cent to N2.269trillion from N2.062trillion in December 2017. Its balance sheet remained strong with a 5.9 per cent growth in total assets of N3.549 trillion and shareholders’ funds of N497.1 billion. In terms of assets quality, non-performing loan (NPL) ratio improved to 5.8 per cent in June 2018, from 7.7 per cent in December 2017. Its capital remained strong with capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 22.04 per cent in spite of the implementation of IFRS 9. On the backdrop of this result, post- tax return on equity (ROAE) and return on assets (ROAA) closed at 34.1 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively MD explains performance Commenting on the financial results, the Managing Director/CEO of GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje said, “In spite of declining yields and the challenges in the operating environment, we have delivered a decent half year result. The quality of this result is built on the strength of our businesses as well as the success of our digital-first customer-centric strategy in delivering financial services that are simpler, cheaper and more valuable to our customers’ everyday lives.” He further stated that, “We will continue to focus on consolidating our leading position in all the economies in which we operate by staying committed to building a business that is both nimble and efficient whilst strengthening relationships with our customers and creating business platforms that provide them with additional benefits beyond banking.” According to him, GTBank continues to be best in class in terms of all financial ratios posted by financial institutions in the industry as indicated by its post-tax return on equity (ROE) of 34.1 per cent, post-tax return on
Agbaje
assets (ROAA) of 5.5 per cent, cost to income ratio of 38.8 per cent, NIM of 9.6 per cent and PBT margin of 48.4 per cent. “These ratios are testament to competent and experienced management and work-force, efficient balance sheet structure complemented with operational efficiency of the bank. In recognition of the bank’s bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service delivery and innovation, GTBank has been a recipient of numerous awards over the years. These include Africa’s Best Bank for SMEs and Best Bank in Nigeria from Euromoney Magazine, African Bank of the Year from African Banker Magazine, Best Banking Group and Best Retail Bank from World Finance Magazine, Best Bank in Africa for Corporate Governance from Ethical Boardroom Magazine,” the bank said. Analyst Assessment Assessing the results, analysts at WSTC Securities Limited said the bank posted a six growth in gross earnings from N214.1 billion in 2017 to N226.6 billion in 2018. Interest income declined by two per cent, while non-interest income grew significantly by 34 per cent during the period. PBT increased
by eight per cent from N101.10 billion to N109.6 billion in 2018, as well as PAT, which grew by 14 per cent from N83.7 billion to N95.6 billion in 2018. According to the analysts declining loan book weighed on interest income. “Loans and advances for the period contracted by 11 per cent to N1.29 trillion due to repayments of foreign denominated loans, as well as the impact of IFRS9. Consequently, interest from loans and advances declined by seven per cent. “However, the bank continued to shore up investment in government securities as interest income from risk-free assets rose by 18 per cent to N51.1 billion in 2018.” Nonetheless, the seven per cent decline in interest income from loans and advances offset the increase in interest income from government securities, and this resulted to a marginal decline of two per cent in total interest income to N161.9 billion in 2018 from N165.9 billion in 2017,” they said. The analysts noted that interest expenses grew by 21 per cent, driven by 33 per cent increase in interest expense from customer deposits. The latter was due to a 10 per cent increase in customer deposits to N2.3
trillion with significant contribution coming from current deposits from corporate clients. “Corporate clients accounts, which contributed 51 per cent of total deposits, increased by 11 per cent. The sharp increase in interest expenses, coupled with a decline in interest income, resulted to a decline in net interest income by nine per cent year-on-year. Cost of funds inched up to 3.1 per cent compared with 2.5 per cent in 2017, resulting from intense competition for deposits among banks and other financial institutions. Hence, GTB’s net interest margin contracted to 52 per cent,” they said. GTBank’s credit impairment charge reduced by 72 per cent primarily due to reduction in gross non-performing loans of the bank. Consequently, the nonperformance loan(NPL) ratio went down 190 basis points to 5.8 per cent, highlighting the bank’s prudency and adequate provisioning. Also, there was strong growth in non-interest income, which supported earnings Buoyed by162 per cent increase in foreign exchange gains to N9 billion in 2018 from N3.6 billion in 2017, net trading gains on financial instruments grew by 123 per cent. “Also, other income rose by 31 per cent, driven by dividend income of N2.7 billion during the period as against N106.5 million in 2017, and a 21 per cent increase in foreign exchange revaluation gains to N17.4 billion in 2018 from N14.4 billion in 2017. “Increases in various components of non-interest income resulted to a 34 per cent increase in non-interest income from to N48.264.8 billion in 2018 to N64.8 billion in 2017,” the analysts said. In terms cost efficiency, GTBank’s cost-to-income ratio stood at 39 per cent in 2018, an improvement from 40 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year, despite a three per cent increase in operating expenses, which emphasises on the efficiency of the bank. “Operating income grew by six per cent to N179.9 billion, from N168.9 billion in 2017, while operating expenses grew to N69.6 billion in the first half of 2018, from N67.8 billion in 2017. The faster growth in operating income relative to operating expenses resulted to an eight per cent increase in PBT to N109.6 billion. PAT stood at N95.6 billion in 2018 from N83.8 billion, representing a 14 per cent increase,” they added. The analysts said they expect an improvement in interest income in the second half of 2018 on the back of improving macro-economic fundamentals. “Also, we expect a sustained growth in non-interest income to keep supporting gross earnings. We have a forward earnings per share (EPS) of N6.24 and a fair value estimate of N47.13 for group. “At the current market price of N38.05, the stock is trading at a 24 per cent discount to our fair value estimate. Hence, we have a BUY recommendation for the stock,” they stated.
KALE: I’M NOT EXCITED WHEN DATA ON NIGERIA ARE NEGATIVE The IMF and World Bank are projecting 2.1 to 2.5 percent increase for the year, are we on trend? For the year i think it is still doable and that takes me the second part of the question. The political season in Nigeria and in most developing countries always affects the economy and it could be positive or negative. It could be positive in the sense that if the atmosphere is not too toxic then you could have an increase in economic activities where people and politicians are spending and there is a lot of money in the system. At the same time, when it is toxic, your foreign investors get sacred and they are taking their money away and i think that is what is happening in the Nigerian stock market. They get terrified and they start pulling their money out. And the local investors adopt a wait and see approach and nobody wants to pump
in money because they are a bit concerned unlike a US economy for example where people realise that regardless of what noise is being made, the economy is structured to work in a particular way and are developed. So they can make as much noise but the system would continue to remain. But in Nigeria, we understand that the system and the eventual system is tied to whomever wins so everybody is a bit nervous as to who would win the election and if he would change the policy that has been worked on last year. So they hold their funds and watch what is happening, but when it gets toxic, it has a way of squeezing the economy. People stop hiring because they do not want to expand; they hold back all their investment decisions because they want to see what is happening. For example, one of the numbers we are seeing are challenges in Agric because the clashes happening.
So the herdsmen clashes are begging to impact on agriculture? Yes obviously, if people cannot go to their farms, it is going to be a problem. And by the way, agriculture is not just crop. So when you destroy farm land or livestock so this back and forth thing is affecting crops and livestock. And agriculture is the biggest part of our GDP so it has a way of slowing down economic activity. The economic intelligence numbers about Lagos as city and that Lagos is the third worst city in the world to live in. Looking at the indicator like that which states Damascus as the worst city to live in, what does that data mean to you? I was thinking that if Lagos in Nigeria is one of worst places to live in considering many other states in Nigeria that is horrible.
Considering Lagos is one of the best places to live within Nigeria so that is what came to my mind. But when we see these things, we have to understand that those that compile the indicators are looking at certain things. And Sometimes they would look at things that might not be considered important to a Nigerian. You might see things like the quality of the air. The criteria they used were healthcare, education, transportation and infrastructure, so those are major social indicators? I am not saying the indicators were wrong, but i am saying the first thing to look at is the indicators and if those indicators they are looking at are things that matter to us in Nigeria then we need to be very concerned. Is Lagos the third worst place to live in the world, i would not know because i have not been to other cities in the world.
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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
BUSINESSWORLD
ANALYSIS
Intervention for Petty Traders Jonathan Eze writes on the prospects of a scheme launched by the federal government to support petty traders Trade is an art. This is what comes to one’s mind, when one strolls through the streets of a city. One sees on both sides of the road, different items, so well and artistically arranged at outlets catering to the basic requirements of common people. The people behind these activities are none other than the petty traders. Thus, petty trading activity has become an important sphere of informal sector which plays a significant role in urban economic life. Petty traders are highly indispensable in the distribution system providing useful services to the community especially the lower middle class and the poor. There are certain commodities which are not capable of being sold to ultimate consumers by the formal sector such as fruits, vegetables, groundnuts, retail biscuits, spoons, pan, cigarettes etc. Petty traders have access to a large section of the urban community and do a very useful service to it at low cost of operation. They also make a good contribution to cultural life by selling newspapers and magazines at convenient locations. Urbanites invariably have annoyance and irritation at the roadside petty traders because of their encroachment on public property, without realizing the basic fact that they heavily depend on them for several basic needs. People living in the urban areas very often treat these petty traders as second-class citizens and they are usually considered as nuisance. But the fact remains that these road side petty traders are interwoven in the people’s lives in the cities and towns and hence they cannot afford to be ignored. Petty trading is indeed a prevailing socio-economic activity serving a multitude of the low-income population in rapidly urbanising developing countries. Hence, the jubilation that greeted the recent take-off of a new initiative under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), called the Trader Moni, which was designed to empower two million petty traders between now and the end of the year. The scheme grants loans to a minimum of 30,000 beneficiaries in each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The aim is to further enlarge the financial inclusion agenda for all Nigerians regardless of social class and economic status. The two million mark was expected to be attained on or before the end of this year, with petty traders in Lagos, Kano and Abia States set to be the first round of beneficiaries to draw the collateral free loans. In addition to the 30,000 loans per state, states with larger populations like Lagos and Kano are expected to get more than 30,000 loans. Across the country, especially in the pilot states about 500,000 potential beneficiaries have so far been enumerated. In order to identify the beneficiaries, no fewer than 4,000 enumeration agents have been engaged by the Bank of Industry (BoI) which is deploying the new scheme. Trader Moni is designed to help petty traders expand their trade through the provision of
collateral free loans of N10,000. The loans are repayable within a period of six months. Under the scheme, beneficiaries can get access to a higher facility ranging from N15,000 to N50,000 when they repay N10,000 within the stipulated time period. However, the BoI is the driver of the laudable initiative. According to the Executive Director, Mrs. Toyin Adeniji, “The goal of Trader Moni is to take financial inclusion down to the grassroots. The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration recognised the contribution of petty traders to economic development and identified the fact that some of them may not have what the commercial banks may require to grant loan, hence, his support for this initiative to help them grow their businesses.” Also speaking, Chief Operating Officer of GEEP, Mr. Uzoma Nwagba said, “This initiative is aimed at expanding financial inclusion because we have over 23 million Nigerians that are financially excluded, this administration aimed to reach them so that they can grow their businesses.” In addition to Trader Moni, Nwagba said, GEEP has ‘Farmer moni’ for farmers which avail them opportunity to access up to N300,000 loan each; ‘Market moni’ which targets market women, traders and artisans access between N50,000 and N100,000. Under the scheme, a petty trader can access N10,000 and pay back N10,250 to qualify for N15,000. Once you payback N15,375 you will qualify for N20,000 loan and when you pay back N21,000, you will get N50,000. All loan categories have payback duration of six months. Repayments are, however, made to BOI-GEEP loan account under PayDirect at banks. Contrary to claims in some quarters that small-scale traders must present their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) before they can access the
Trader Moni, it has been reported that traders do not need PVCs for the scheme. Also, no document or property is needed to collect N10, 000 loan, which is the benchmark for traders. According to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, the goal of the President Buhari administration is to use the Trader Moni to take financial inclusion down to the grassroots, the bottom of the ladder, considering the contribution of petty traders to economic development. He added that the federal government is also aware of the fact that many of the petty traders don’t have what the commercial banks require to grant loans. “This administration is keen to ensure that such traders at that level are able to build their businesses and grow, government said. Trader Moni was launched in five markets in Lagos State with thousands of beneficiaries already. The Lagos markets already reached are Mushin, Ikotun, Agege, Ketu, and Abule Egba markets. “The scheme will soon be taken to other states in the country, with Abia and Kano states next in line,” he said. Beneficiaries are already heaping praise on the Buhari administration for the initiative that will improve their businesses. Mrs. Mufiat Adewumi, a market women leader in Lagos said the initiative would help ordinary Nigerians who cannot have access to commercial banks’ credit facilities because they don’t have collateral. “We are happy about the Trader Moni because this is what we have been expecting for long, that the government should assist the masses, especially the traders. We thank the federal government so much.” Lucy, a pepper seller in Ojuwoye market said she had been hearing about this Trader Moni for a while but did not believe the government will be giving people like her loans. She is a
market woman who had been turned away by banks when she needed to expand her business. But when she saw her fellow traders singing and dancing on stage talking about how they received alerts on their phones and gift items from the Trader Moni, she too decided to try it for herself. According to her, right there in the market, without having to leave her wares, a Trader Moni agent came and enumerated her. They took her details, capture her photograph and within 48 hours, she received a credit alert on her phone. With only N430 to pay every week at selected banks for a period of 6 months, she got the loan and is now part of the financial system . If she repays N10,250 within the stipulated time period, she gets access to a higher loan. While many are lauding this programme, a Business analyst and a manufacturer, Chief Stephen Eze, told THISDAY that encouraging petty trading activities can be perceived as a reflection of the prevailing social-economic realities of present-day cities, especially in developing countries. According to him, it can be argued that petty trading is a product of unprecedented urbanisation, especially the failure by the formal employment and income generating sector to cater for the low-income households. “Petty trading in cities of developing countries therefore has an important role that cannot be ignored in the overall urban development and management processes as it provides employment opportunities accounting for 60 per cent of urban jobs striving at attaining and sustaining livelihoods of many urban settlers, specifically low-income households,” he said. He urged the federal government to do more in providing an enabling environment for all forms of businesses to thrive.
Jay FM Station Sanction Statutory, Says NBC Emma Okonji The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said the fine it imposed on Jay FM, Jos station for breach of agreement was in order because the Commission followed due process in line with the National Broadcasting Code. The Director- General of NBC, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, who gave the clarification, said before the fine was imposed on Jay FM for the radio station’s continuous airing of vulgar and indecent music lyrics, the Commission had sent verbal and written warnings to the station severally, which they refused to heed to.
Kawu reiterated the fact that the Commission had been very proactive and responsive in its efforts at regulating the broadcasting industry especially as regards to ensuring the Nigerian citizens’ right to quality broadcasting. The Act establishing the National Broadcasting Commission empowered the Commission, to amongst other mandates in Section 2.1(h), to establish and disseminate a National Broadcasting Code and set standards with regard to the contents and quality of materials for broadcast. “This, the Commission has done and because of the revolutionary nature of broadcasting,
the Nigeria Broadcasting Code is reviewed every four years in a stakeholders’ participatory process,” Kawu said. According to him, “Information about the review of the code is disseminated widely and participation is open to all relevant and interested members of the public. “Consequently, the code is a document which has the input of a wide variety of stakeholders. In addition, the code is available on the NBC website and media pages and at our various offices located across the country. “By Industry standards, broadcasting stations are mandated by law, to adhere
strictly to the dictates of the code and where they falter, the Commission initiates the sanction process.” The Director-General emphasised that all actions of the Commission were strictly informed by and carried out according to the dictates of the Law and the Nigeria Broadcasting code. He noted that in other climes, artistes produce content in at least two versions - the broadcast version, which follows broadcasting guidelines is deemed “fit for broadcast,” and made available on broadcast stations and outlets. “In such cases, the original version is still available
through private channels not regulated such as on music streaming services or at private events.” Kawu therefore enjoins artistes to produce broadcast versions of their works to enable broadcast stations use them without contravening the provisions of the code, adding that the Nigerian artiste has a responsibility to the country. “Today, popular songs of leading Nigerian musicians garner millions of views on YouTube. This indicates the level of influence they exert upon the young people who make up the majority of our country’s population. We believe our artistes should
offer a positive influence on this young population. “Broadcasting is a creative medium characterised by professionalism, choice and innovation to serve the interest of the general public and is expected to influence society positively by setting the agenda for the social, cultural, economic, political and technological development of the nation for the public good,” Kawu said. He assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to execute its responsibilities without fear or favour and shall apply the relevant sanctions on erring stations whenever they violate the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22, AUGUST 2018
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Deconstructing Nigeria-China Relations Kehinde Lawal examines how the Nigeria-China currency swap arrangement will work and its possible impact on the Nigerian economy Since the policy was announced and its subsequent initiation, public discourse has centred on having a better understanding of how the policy works and its possible impact on the Nigerian economy as well as the wider Africa-China trade ties. One of such sessions was organised by Stanbic IBTC Bank recently. When the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday July, 20, 2018 commenced sale of foreign exchange in the Chinese currency, the Yuan, the financial sector expectedly experienced a bounce as stakeholders responded positively to a move that effectively activated the NigeriaChina currency swap arrangement. The deal, worth more than $2.5 billion, was announced in May after a signing ceremony in Beijing, China, between CBN and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), led by Governors of both apex banks, Godwin Emefiele and Dr. Yi Gang, respectively. CBN, had then said, “The transaction, which is valued at Renminbi (RMB) 16 billion, or the equivalent of about $2.5 billion, is aimed at providing adequate local currency liquidity to Nigerian and Chinese industrialists and other businesses thereby reducing the difficulties encountered in the search for third currencies. Among other benefits, this agreement will provide Naira liquidity to Chinese businesses and provide RMB liquidity to Nigerian businesses respectively, thereby improving the speed, convenience and volume of transactions between the two countries. It will also assist both countries in their foreign exchange reserves management, enhance financial stability and promote broader economic cooperation between the two countries.” Similar currency swaps exist between China and several African countries, including Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since the policy was announced and its subsequent initiation, public discourse has centred on having a better understanding of how the policy works and its possible impact on the Nigerian economy as well as the wider Africa-China trade ties and one of such sessions was organised by Stanbic IBTC Bank recently. The session provided an auspicious platform to engage the Chinese business community on the bank’s role as a settlement agent for implementation of the policy. Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Demola Sogunle, noted that the growing economic ties between China and Africa require players with the experience, expertise, reach and resources to help nurture the relationship and ensure its sustainability. “A vehicle for this purpose already exists in the alliance of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Standard Bank and Stanbic IBTC. The partnership boasts of a strategic synergy with enormous capacity to facilitate investment flows, trade and access between Africa and China, with Nigeria as a major benefactor. The alliance is defined by a setup in which ICBC, the world’s biggest bank, holds 20 percent stake in Standard Bank, and
Emefiele
Standard Bank owns 64 percent of Stanbic IBTC, creating a global behemoth capable of unlocking huge opportunities and limitless partnerships in Nigeria, leveraging on the currency swap agreement,” Sogunle said. According to him, ICBC, which is the largest bank in the world, owns approximately 20 per cent of Standard Bank Group (SBG), the parent firm of Stanbic IBTC Bank. “This will help us tap into the increasing Chinese business opportunities in Nigeria, as well as achieve our objective of being an endto-end financial solutions provider,” he said. Experts believe that the currency swap deal would reduce the demand for dollars as Nigeria’s import bills from China would be denominated in the Chinese yuan. In addition, it would shore up the local currency considerably and provide sufficient liquidity for importation of goods from China. Data have shown that more than 50 per cent of goods imported into Nigeria annually, notably consumer goods, textiles and machinery, are from China and Asia. Also, Nigeria is China’s biggest investment destination on Africa as well as the second largest export market in the world. More deals are expected to be consummated with the Chinese in the months ahead, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had said as China-Africa ties have continued to broaden and mature, substantially altering the make-up of Africa’s political and economic setting. Kachikwu spoke after Nigeria signed MoUs
valued at over $80 billion in new investments with some Chinese businesses. The bulk of the investment will be ploughed into Nigeria’s pivotal oil and gas industry, to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the oil and gas sector. Since assumption of office, President Xi Jinpin of China has made Sino-Africa relationship one of the top priorities of his foreign policy, culminating in the signing of several partnership agreements to boost trade, investment and aid. In the last 17 years, China has emerged Africa’s main export market as well as its largest source of imports. The Asian giant accounts for approximately 20 percent of imports from the entire sub-Saharan African region and about 15 percent of its exports. Instructively, over 80% of Chinese imports from Africa are mineral products. China is the biggest global player in Africa, its interests focused on mining and oil. According to Dealogic, a financial markets platform, about 80 percent of Chinese acquisitions in Africa were in the mining and oil sectors. Employing a mix of political and economic leverage, the country has established a remarkable presence in almost every African country. An estimated two million Chinese are reportedly currently resident in Africa. Overall, despite the global economic fluctuations, economic ties between China and Africa continue to grow, focusing on finance, aid, health, education and trade. China has been at the centre of the re-calibration of Africa’s trade and investment trajectory at a time of
global meltdown and the stuttering of the advanced economies. Two ingredients, according to experts, have helped to reinforce diplomatic and political rapport between Africa and China: the inflow of capital from policy banks and a decent timeframe to develop a two-way trust, in addition to a well-established commercial institutional know-how and infrastructure. Analysts and social commentators are agreed that Nigeria’s fundamental developmental dilemma is that of infrastructure. From power, which is barely existent, to transportation, which is still cumbersome, from mineral refining, which is still at the primary stage, to agricultural expansion, the tale is the same: underdevelopment. China, on the other hand, has strategically developed considerable expertise in these areas while some of its institutions such as the ICBC have correspondingly amassed considerable expertise as well in the financing of such major projects. It is in this context that the recent Nigeria-China currency swap deal comes in as positive for Nigeria. Going beyond helping to stabilise the local currency, it is hoped that in the medium to long term, working in tandem with its partner, Stanbic IBTC, which itself has a distinguished pedigree in infrastructure financing, ICBC and Standard Bank will partner with the government at various levels to help guide Nigeria towards a new regime of rapid and massive infrastructure development. “The power and infrastructure space for us is at the core of the Standard Bank Group’s business identity because it is synonymous with supporting resource extraction and the infrastructure that makes it happen. That has been the history of the bank’s business and the area where the bank has core competence,” Head of Power & Infrastructure at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Abiodun Oni said. He added, “We have seen that Nigeria is also gravitating towards the rest of the world, particularly China, in helping to support the infrastructure expansion in the country. So, to that extent, we see that we also have roles to play in working with not only ICBC but other Chinese clients and other Chinese corporates that function in the Nigerian economy to continue to grow with the diversification initiative.” It is expected that in the years to come, the links and partnership between China via ICBC on one hand and Nigeria via Stanbic IBTC and its parent group Standard Bank on the other, will help to increasingly unveil trade and finance opportunities between both countries and empower institutions and individuals willing to play a role in what is potentially a very buoyant trade relation between two of the world’s evolving economies. The renewed interest in Nigeria by global titans like ICBC, however, is positive and inspires hope that the outside world is very cognisant of the country’s potential and that increasingly, Nigeria’s massive economic potential will be aggressively and very productively harnessed for the benefit of the majority of Nigerians.
SON, Council Move to End Building Collapse Jonathan Eze The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) have resolved to renew their collaboration towards institutionalising standards in the construction sector with a view to stemming the tide of building collapse and structural failures throughout the country. This resolution was reached during a courtesy visit of the council officials led by the Chairman, Professor Kabir Bala, to the management of the SON in Abuja. Prof. Bala, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Administration, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, called for high quality values at all levels by developing and implementing more technical standards for production processes in the building and construction sector. He called for closer monitoring, control and enforcement of quality of materials through the establishment of more materials testing laboratories across the country. “CORBON is desirous of partnering with SON in establishment and management of a database of Physical Building Resources that will provide information on location and availability of standard materials
to assist builders in accessing the right materials,” he said. According to him, the council has developed a set of standards to enable a professional builder to effectively administer the construction processes within budget limits, time, and specified quality. The CORBON chairman stated that the Building Production Management Standards which are to ensure the success of building production process are segmented into construction, project quality management, health and safety programmes and construction methodology. “The standards will enable a building project owner extract commitment from a builder
on: adherence to production standards and specifications at the first attempt; protection of employees and the public from hazards that may arise due to production activities; efficient management of production resources; adherence to statutory requirements, tests, inspections, quality certifications as may be required. Responding, the DirectorGeneral of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma expressed the organisation’s readiness to cooperate with CORBON, saying that environmental issues and resource management needed to be brought to the forefront in the building and construction sector.
Represented by a director, Richard Agu, the DG noted that the cooperation of the two organisations many years back had helped in bringing issues and dangers of building collapse to the forefront of public discourse. “In the upcoming financial year, we intend focus on building collapse among many other issues and we are happy to reconnect with CORBON after jointly organising a national on the subject as far back as 2004”, he said. SON according to him, will be disposed to supporting the forthcoming 2018 builders congress through delivery of technical papers, exhibition of standards among others.
Agu proposed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations to leverage on the extensive regulatory powers in the new SON Act 14 of 2018 in the overall interest of the Nation and its citizens. He admonished CORBON members and institutions to take advantage of SON capabilities in management systems certification of their services in quality and environment among others. Contributing, Director of Operations, SON, Felix Nyado, disclosed that all SON State offices nationwide have mobile sandcrete block testing machines for quality assurance.
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NSE, Oscar Onyema Foundation and Corporate Governance Olufemi Awoyemi “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” - Potter Stewart The mandate given to the newly constituted executive management of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), post-Ndi Okereke-Onyuike was to develop, grow and implement an exchange driven by, and able to hold itself to the best possible standards of governance and to exercise extreme caution where any appearance of or circumstance may present itself. The exchange has been executing this mandate without incident till Friday, August 17, 2018 when it supervised the launch of a private foundation of the CEO at its office, including organising a bell ringing session; an activity hitherto reserved for departing CEOs. This is an isolated case but one that indicates acquiescence, if not support from the NSE Council - the mandate keepers. Onyema is thoughtful, professional and a gentleman who has every right to pursue socially uplifting causes. It is a good thing to do but not sufficient to meet the highest standards of corporate governance; in so far as he holds the position of the CEO of the exchange. I believe that this was an honest mistake devoid of ulterior motives yet has however thrown up obvious conflicts arising from the use of the exchange in the launch and promotion of the foundation. The related issues, impact and implications arising therefrom and related to now forms the subject of this memo to the market. That said, when it comes to how and what Onyema, the NSE Council and indeed the foundation should decide next on this matter, sovereignty over decision-making does not rest with commentators and independent analysts like me; they rarely do. It will be one in which the parties will have to make in the best interest of the market – as they wish to be remembered. It is my expectation that pedigree, intent and value orientation(s) will kick in and corrective action will be taken to make this a non-issue. Context Matters Market operators know the story of OkerekeOnyiuke’s 2008 outing under the aegis of “Africans for Obama Campaign,” the fund-raising that followed, and the ensuing governance issues raised concerning the director-general’s role and that of the NSE as an institution. Students of Nigerian corporate governance history will equally recall that Ndi’s mistake here was to repeat the May 2005 act by then President Obasanjo to invite and receive donations into the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) project which was launched in Abeokuta with the goal of raising N7 billion for the project, while he was still in office. It would appear that the NSE hasn’t grasped that history lesson fully. Instead, the Exchange seems to be acting out the same script, the consequence of which would indicate sadly that there is no institutional memory or sustained desire to elevate the governance environment in our markets beyond where it bottomed out. To “mobilise and sensitise Africans about the Obama policies and message”, OkerekeOnyuike, then Director-General/CEO of the NSE had in 2008 organised and caused to be held an August 11, 2008 glamorous fundraiser where business leaders and high-society elites paid up for tables. This generated a whole lot of heat and enquiry for which she was cleared of any wrongdoing because no Nigerian laws were broken. That said, the fact that US laws prohibited overseas donations ab-initio made the purpose, positioning and promotion of the fundraiser and the associated role of the exchange a continuing corporate governance concern, especially on matters bothering on conflict of interest and of roles. To demonstrate and deepen democracy in Nigeria, then President Obasanjo initiated and caused to be incorporated on November 12, 2002 the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Foundation and subsequently held a fundraiser on Saturday, May 14, 2005 for the said presidential library. Donors to this project included oil companies, financial institutions, business leaders and high-society elite.
of the Exchange - who regards corporate governance as fundamentally important to the discharge of its responsibilities and its conduct in all its dealings with its stakeholders. It would thus stand to reason therefore that any appearance of conflict will be an issue to be addressed under risks associated with the executive committee’s mandate.
Onyema Good Intentions Should Matter & Be Encouraged The referenced saga above exemplifies Oscar’s predicament with the launch of the ONO Foundation, which for all intents and purpose speaks to our common humanity and response to the plea for private sector leaders to play a structured role in helping to build a better society. Babatunde Folawiyo, a well-regarded business leader and chairman, board of trustees, ONO Foundation, echoed the message from Oscar Onyema when he said, “the foundation is borne out of an understanding that the society of our dreams cannot materialize if its future (the children and the youth) are not properly trained, inspired and equipped to be the catalyst and springboard of change and growth.” Good Intentions, Bad Optics for Governance The reasoning for the foundation is not a problem and should not be a subject of a debate. The issue however is with the launch signaling, timing, linkage to the exchange and role of the principal progenitor in current status. It is all about corporate governance which according to Advocate Johan Myburgh “is not a matter of right or wrong; it is more nuanced than that.” The nuance is exemplified in the optics. This was an Oscar Onyema who was the CEO of the NSE but decided to seat for the exams of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), passed and thus conferred esteem upon the practice members. He is and has always been committed to market best practice and this is the threshold with which the current optics is being viewed. The deployment of socially uplifting projects in pursuit of the common good seldom succeed when deployed under a cloud of ethical and governance challenges. Instead of saluting Oscar however for the launch as he did it, we may unfortunately end up seeing him as a conspicuous victim here of his own good track record to date on the subject of best practice and higher standards corporate governance. There must be a more cogent explanation for the role of the exchange beyond rules, conventions and privileges given what we know of the man and his service pedigree. I am not aware of any known case of any wrongdoing against the CEO but believe that
the elimination of ‘incestuous relationships’ is critical to the functioning of the exchange CEO in the discharge of the CEO’s responsibilities. Onyema is the CEO of the NSE, a position he was employed to on 4 April 2011 and for which he is currently serving a second five-year term. He has over twenty years working experience in the United States of America‘s financial markets and the Nigerian information technology sector. Onyema is also the Chairman of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, a fellow and member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria (CIS), the President of the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA), a Global Agenda Council member of the World Economic Forum (WEF), member of the Board of Trustees of the Investors’ Protection Fund (IPF), and he serves on the boards of all subsidiaries of The Exchange, National Pension Commission of Nigeria, FMDQ OTC Plc. In his work coverage, he had served as the senior vice president and chief administrative officer at American Stock Exchange (Amex), which he joined in 2001 and has the unique distinction of being the first person of colour to hold that position, and was instrumental in integrating the Amex equity business into the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Euronext equity business after the latter’s acquisition of Amex in 2008. He then managed the NYSE Amex equity trading business, which he helped position as a premier market for small and mid-cap securities. Oscar, an alumnus of Harvard Business School where he completed the Advanced Management Program, is no slouch and he knows his onions. It is this level of responsibility, engagement and exposure that defines minimum expectations and professional conduct which makes it all the more baffling why he would allow his name to be associated with, or involved in the implied, if not apparent conflict of role situation, the launch of the ONO Foundation at the premises of the Exchange presents. The NSE as a self-regulatory organisation(SRO), has done a lot of work in the areas of corporate governance and has adopted best practices as a key element in achieving its vision and mission. This is well articulated and demonstrated by its governing board - the National Council
Identifying Risks and Concerns This last Friday’s escapade and the questions it threw up, ought to have been an issue which the governing council ought to have addressed its minds to prior to the event; and immediately afterwards vis-à-vis the obvious corporate governance implications arising therefrom, in a clime like ours and at a time like this; especially when juxtaposed against our recent history of an incestuous relationship-biased regulatory environment, and the steps needed to restore confidence in the financial market system, nay the capital market. The fact that, three or more years after, the board of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria has not been officially constituted illuminates actions taken by a SRO operating in a governance challenged environment more clearly. Taking together, a common view of the ONO foundation profile the existence or implied infusion of a real or perceived conflict of interest or/and role situation on face value; at the minimum. An attempt to articulate and decouple the two roles the CEO of the exchange seeks to play here is both a matter of precedence and corporate governance ethos at the exchange. The primary concerns relate to the determination of the following: 1 As an employee of the exchange, was there a need for, and was a request made, and an approval granted by the Council of the Exchange? a. Was there an approval for the CEO to serve as a trustee and board member of a privately funded foundation named after him? b. Would having a foundation bearing his name and having some aspects of its objects similar to undertaking by the exchange’s CSR plan have led to a consequential review of best efforts (including for example the mentoring program)? c. Would conducting such a launch in the exchange and deploying its resources in the public engagements require an approval? and d. Did the council consider it fit and proper to approve the hosting of a bell ringing session for the CEO, an otherwise revered activity reserved as a sending-off gesture by the exchange for deserving executives; especially when such administrative approvals were vested in the CEO (the beneficiary in this case)? 2) Is it an allowable practice for a serving CEO to hold a board/trustee position in a private entity (including an NGO with related parties on board) while in office? 3) Are there provisions for handling co-board positions with directly related party(ies) of a listed entity in the code and are there waivers for this? 4) Are there disclosure of a conflict of interest or role requirements for: a. The exchange’s CEO where such a proposition presents itself? b. Any member with direct or indirect dealings with the exchange? c. The elimination of safeguards or wall between the exchange and the foundation? 5) What advisory will the NSE provide to firms who approach it seeking guidance in deciding which social cause (CSR) is priority to the exchange between NSE’s CSR activities (corporate cancer funding, schools program etc) and the ONO foundation’s programs? 6) Would the duplicitous representation not serve to convey and deliver an “unintended consequence” on stakeholders involved with the exchange, who would feel the pressure and compulsion to “support” the CEO’s foundation as part of ‘good relationship management? Awoyemi, is the CEO of Proshare Nigeria Limited NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com
T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 22,AUGUST 2018
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The Changing Dynamics of Commerce Goke Omisore Yes! For all intents and purposes what we refer to as commerce in Nigeria is in deep slumber, limbering in death throe and trashing nay gasping for every form of jaded life supports by ideologically naive bureaucrats, running the affairs of the country. I will attempt to trace the trajectory of businesses which was once the toast of developmental economists the world over, but now tottering on the brink of the abyss. In the Beginning For a long time, the theme songs of economists, nouveau politicians, pseudo intellectuals even the proverbial man on the street was the debate “that no nation can survive or excel on a monoculture infantile industrial complex” (what was ephemerally referred to as toothpick-economy). There was reason to hope in the halcyon days of the Colonialists up till the emergence of the foreign educated political elite. The structure then was built largely on agriculture with focus on food sufficiency and benchmarking best practice in cash crop production, becoming veritable foreign exchange earner for the regions and ultimately the nation Nigeria. A crop of middle men and merchants were locally grown on this staple of emergence of big commercial ventures all over the country. Sunset at Dawn Stealthily like a thief in the night, our commerce began to nosedive almost in tandem with the discovery of the black gold –oil. A definite spell on us; we took into the height of curses. The modes of operations and logistic have been steadied in reverse gear for some years. Forever in broad daylight, under our unguarded, uncaring and totally corrupt system in governments, a lot of money has changed hands with policy makers, fuelling the death of commerce. We are indeed a nation of anything goes powered by greed of our people mostly in the civil services. We left what worked for the untested waters of infamy and wholesale racketeering. Our commerce is atrophied, spiralling into the abyss, thanks to the officialdom of corruption kingdom: Nigeria is not just corrupt, corruption is officially Nigerian. That is what is asphyxiating our economic growth unabashedly; but do they care? Absolute no! In most sane societies, the nation’s interest comes first, in all things at all times. But Nigerians have a price; first lesson every foreign investor learn. Any wonder things are falling apart steadily. The Wolves are our Shepherds: It all begin with wrongheaded policy initiatives either by square pegs in round holes or maladroitly tainted government policy package with unplanned for domino effect, negating our growth. This always spread economic virus that negatively impact our commerce pushing hard working entrepreneurs on downward spiral. When the economy catches cold and everybody start sneezing but wrongly diagnosing the economic flu and other ailments as bad luck, curses and afflictions of enemies, most
Broadstreet, Lagos
especially Step-mothers spells. Meanwhile, the perpetrators of such dastardly economic policies (the wolves) are smiling all the way to the banks worldwide in coded but we’ll sealed world. Nigerians love to make money; earning money is the ethical culture of very few. Unveiling the enemy within These men, saddled with financial regulatory positions are the supposed referees but their corruption indexes appear higher and factored in at all times, smoothly. The harangued business men have no choice but to factor in this unhealthy cost to this troubled economy. It all usually starts from the stable of governments economic policy makers; the ubiquitous gods in Civil- Services, disciples of greed amassing obscene wealth unseen with very long, efficient and deadly exploitation of your sweat in mind always. They are bloody parasites, that suck life out of us feeding fat on others genuine intense struggles to feed their families. This is sadly so, but truly, this has become a despicable national culture, trending always. The more you look at these species of Nigerians, the less you see. They are the constant winners who are usually lobbied to death by economic saboteurs, who share their religion of avarice. They are the quiet- storm, yet the volcanoes destabilising our economy at every ounce of tremor. In fact, they are the preferred ‘honourable men and women.’ Their fingers are crawling and calculating all over the national budgets, to a programmed or destined self-aggrandisement. They load it to the hilt in favour of their kinds .The army of no do-gooders hovering
around like vultures to prime their interest in our yearly budgets all the time. They usually win and often times, they are the unseen faces and treacherous hands that murder most dreams and make lives difficult for others. Clearly, our economy, precisely our commerce is now powered by new kids in town. This ordinarily should be good news if the next generation commerce has young Nigerians on the driving seat. But they have invited other ravenous wolves in the name of economic- liberalisation and game changers. They have all securely invaded your neighbourhood, warmly welcomed by you, like aliens from planet mars and dictate the pace of our commerce for better or worse now. Our collective national interest should have been factored in often times but the uppercrust-creams amongst of us, that counted privileged,usually stands settled at all times. The Face of the Future Welcome to new faces of buying, selling and services which are mostly owned by South Africans, Indians and Lebanese from telecoms to petty trading and the Chinese are hot on their heels. All over Lagos and around the country, I heard, there is a steady reckless investment now, in plazas, malls neighbourhood shopping centres all these in a comatose commerce, crawling economy backed and guaranteed by prayer warriors. Trust Nigerians, once it started you can’t stop replication and copycats. All shades of funds, life savings, willed-funds, retirement benefits and all goes into building and in renting such properties.
Such investments are for long terms only, not a June-July abracadabra; stop expectations of a breakthrough in such investment after a year or two; that is not in tandem with realities on ground; it just hardly happens. The competition is fiercely growing steadily, and the big boys have entered the market, The present looks gloomy but i envisioned, a revolution gradually brewing. It is a revolution spear headed by angry ill tutored generation deprived of opportunity to take over the Nigerian business clime usurped by the voracious wolves in government and their collaborators in the banking world. The new commerce is not the e-Commerce of the developed world or multi faceted integrated agricultural corporations of the developing world, the manufacturing conglomerates of the Asian tigers are ways ahead of us, why we are busy floundering in muddy shallow waters of self aggrandisement at the expense of our country. The system will not auto correct, the society need men of goodwill and valour to pointedly address our traducers in government and their associates to strategically focus on our youth and take back the commanding heights of our nation economy from those who have subjugated us and are working towards keeping the nation economy in their cleavages in perpetuity. The time to rise and rebuild the nation with the finest of our young generations - north, west, east or south is now. We are a nation morally paralysed, dying to be restructured, fiscally and morally awakened to move this nation forward. Omisore is the convener of Voice of Reason
LSETF Partners Coca-Cola on Women Empowerment Raheem Akingbolu The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), CocaCola Nigeria Limited and its bottling partner, Nigeria Bottling Company have signed a partnership agreement to empower 1,000 women in Lagos State. According to an MoU jointly signed by the partners, through this partnership framework, the selected women would receive training in financial literacy and business skills as well as start-up
capital to integrate them into the Coca-Cola value chain as retailers of the company’s beverage products This partnership was anchored on Coca-Cola’s 5by20 Programme which is the company’s global commitment to enable the economic empowerment of five million women entrepreneurs across the its value chain by 2020. Representing the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund at the MoU signing ceremony, the Executive Secretary LSETF, Akintunde Oyebode stated, that
the LSETF’s mandate is aimed at creating an enabling environment for Lagos residents to realise their business aspirations by providing leverage & access to finance for them to thrive, while ensuring employment and innovative opportunities for all residents of the state. “A partnership with an organisation such as Coca-Cola assures us that we are working in the right direction and strengthens our commitment to building entrepreneurs within the state. We understand that to empower a woman is to
empower a whole generation. “We will continue to provide accessible and affordable credit to support women as they seek to start or expand their businesses, because when we do, we create wealth and employment that alleviate poverty,” Oyebode said. The Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Mr Bhupendra Suri, said, “Now more than ever, we are certain of our commitment to the wellbeing of our communities, a critical part of which are our women. As pillars of their
communities, women invest a sizeable portion of the income they earn on the health and education of their children and in their local economies, creating a tremendous economic impact. “LSETF is our partner of choice for this initiative considering our shared vision on women empowerment and its vast network across the state.” Suri stated stated that realising the vision of enabling the economic empowerment of five million women by 2020 depended on building
scalable models and powerful partnerships, across businesses, civil society and government This, he said, was vital to maximising the impact of their programmes and making them more sustainable. The Legal and Public Affairs Communications Director, NBC, Mrs Sade Morgan, said, “As a part of the Coca-Cola system, we understand the importance of partnerships. Our business and its growth in Nigeria are a result of strategic partnerships with distributors, retailers and our consumers.
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EDUCATION Providing the Rural Nigerian Child Solace in Education
Against the developmental problems believed to be affecting the process of educating the Nigerian child in the rural areas, parents and educators are of the view that rather than allow children brought from such areas to suffer in the cities, they should be restored psychologically in a conducive, loving environment and make them start school at the basic education level. Funmi Ogundare reports It is not uncommon to see children between the ages of 8 and 13 years being brought from the rural areas to serve as house-helps in the homes of their madams or aunties, as they are taken from their parents or guardians to the city with a promise of a quality education. However, by the time they get to the city, rather than send these children to school, they are being made to hawk various wares, man shops or work very hard in the house from morning till night thereby dashing their hopes of going to school. One of such children is Chibuzo Okoye, 10, (not real name), unfortunately became an orphan at a tender age and brought from the village to help his aunt who has a one-year old boy, in Lagos. Okoye had already completed primary four in the village, but by the time he got to Lagos, his aunt, Mrs. Cynthia Amadi (not real name) tried to home school him, but he could neither cope academically nor spell his name. As a result, he was flogged severally by his ‘madam’ and her husband for being a dullard. Rather than waste their money sending Okoye to school, he was made to man Mrs. Amadi’s shop , do all the house chores and also take care of the baby. Bringing children in Amadi’s shoes from the rural areas, may not pose a problem, but more challenging is the fact that those areas in Nigeria are characterized by series of under-developmental problems such as poor basic health facilities, good road networks, portable drinking water, high illiteracy level and prevalence of extreme poverty, among others. With this in mind, some concerned parents and educators who spoke to THISDAY, opined that rather than flog and overwork the poor lad, he should be relocated to a more conducive, loving environment to restore him psychologically and that they should make him start school at the basic education level. Already, the Lagos State government Child Rights law stipulates that every child has a right to education, healthcare, love and social security which stands as a strong pivot on which its children development programme rests. Under the Amendment and implementation of the Child rights Law, 2015, children are fully protected and those who infringe on those rights are apprehended and prosecuted. According to Olaitan Nurudeen Onifade, “ The poor kid is a slow learner of no fault of his, Mr. Amadi is being abusive, no doubt. If the kid can’t learn academically, perhaps enroll him in a technical school. His guardians should both be empathetic and loving . What’s ever happened to sense of humanity these days for goodness sake? Mr. Tokunbo Oworu said flogging him is not appropriate. “ As an orphan from a village, one does not need a prophet to know he would have been through a lot of stress and his nutrition very poor. The combination of poor nutrition and stress would most likely have led to an underdeveloped brain; specifically a shrunken hippotalamus. “The best they can do for him, if they truly are passionate about his success in life, is to get a really good multivitamin like centrum for kids to address his nutritional deficiencies. They should also feed him healthily so that his brain can regrow. He should get enough sleep too. A private lesson teacher can tutor him in the basics of reading and writing.� Adedoyin Oduntan said such children need counseling on the importance of education. “Encouragement is key so that he can also
They need to be catered for educationally make it. However, primary four in the village is not primary four in the city. He needs to go to a lower class and move up from there. With prayers, he will adjust and be where God has ordained for him.� Gbenga Adedoyin believes it is a foundational problem and he should either be taken back to primary two or a good lesson teacher be gotten for him at home. “To do the work, teachers may not have required patience. I believe with effective work on the boy, he will improve to join the regular school system. He should not be flogged again, NAPTIP will not take it lightly, �he said. Bolanle Sekoni said, “Child abuse already in place in this matter. To get something good out of the poor child, he should be relocated to a more conducive, loving environment to restore him psychologically before anything else, if anyone is sincere with the plan to give him sound formal education for an assured better tomorrow.� In her submission, Florence Adeogun Odunlami argued that, “ If you really want to help the situation, start from the beginning. It needs a lot of patience. I brought a girl from the village at the point of writing WAEC. All she could do was write her name. Register her in KG class, it was very tasking, but it paid off afterwards. Flogging? He will simply go back to his shell.� Justus Oriola Olawole affirmed that they are not helping the poor boy by flogging him and that there is a huge gap between education in the urban area and that of the rural area. “One cannot compare the education in the rural area with the urban area. The boy will eventually catch up if you can teach him in a friendly manner while beating him will make him to fear the more.� According to Vicky Okem, “It is a problem of poor foundation. They should home school him as he cannot meet up formal school activities for his age. The lesson teacher should be patient and empathetic. He should start from the foundations of literacy and numeracy. That boy may wow them some day.�
Chidinma Nebonta Ikechukwu-Edeh recalled her experience with a 14-year old girl that stayed with her saying, “she can do all the chores in the house and even add many more with joy and happiness, but once you mention education or ask her what she learnt in school, she will be so cold and start crying. She is in JS one but can not pronounce the word ‘what’. “When she brought home her last term result she scored 90 and 95 in subjects she couldn’t pronounce , scored 98 in French and she doesn’t even know an alphabet in French. I was shocked when I saw her result. Don’t know what some schools do these days! In her submission, Mary Ogbeche said, “Take him back to primary one. Let him know that in your house there’s no place for dropouts. Obviously he doesn’t like to learn because he can’t cope in the class. Village standard these days is so low that a school certificate holder can’t read. Please don’t mind his age, once he’s groomed in that class he can then jump a class till he gets the basics. You will be glad you did.� Kelechi Michelle Onyekwuru affirmed that, “The fact is they don’t teach them anything in the villages, especially in the east. They should stop flogging him, it will do no good. they should let him start from the basics; kindergarten. I have one in my house she’s been with me over one year and she just learned A to Z and she can write one to 100 now, but can only count one to 50. “She’s in KG two and does home lesson with my daughter in KG three. It’s hard to teach her and assimilation rate is low. she’s 13 years old. It’s not their fault, but where they find themselves. I feel, given the right opportunity, they will excel.� In her contribution, Folake Oso said, “Flogging the boy is not the answer. He is still a young boy and as a matter of fact the change of environment may be a big factor. He may need a personal tutor he can open up to. The educational foundation is faulty and flogging him is not the answer it may rather dampen
his willingness to learn, and taking a 10- year old as an helper in the house is not ideal. He is too young for that.� Elizabeth Ohaka noted that no one learns in an atmosphere of cruelty and that learning should be linked to positive emotions. “He has refused to learn because he has linked learning to unpleasant outcomes. Change your style, introduce play, games and activities, shower him with love and encouragement and watch him blossom.� Taiwo Oluwapamilerin Akinlade also recalled his own experience with a 10- year old boy that was brought from the village earlier this year saying, “Then he couldn’t speak one word of English. I didn’t enroll him in school immediately, I just introduced him to crayons and colouring for a whole month in his free time and got him excited about school. Now he speaks English well and is in the process of blending five letter words on his own. He can even read simple sentences now. So it’s really about drawing out a plan for him and getting him excited about school.� Sowunmi Ejehi asked, “ But, why do they think that the boy doesn’t want to learn? And will flogging enable the child give what he does not have? He does not know it, simple. And if they are teaching and he does not seem to understand it; then the method used to teach should be looked into and changed. “ I suggest they find out the exact level of the boy’s education and start from there. And if it means starting from the scratch, so be it. Home schooling is a good option. Unnecessary sentiments or transferred aggression will not help but hurt the boy, neither will the harsh approach to the child.� Olamide Onikoro Adeshoye posited that, “Please stop beating him, the boy is just a victim of his own circumstances. Flogging him will give him psychological issues with learning. You should know that products of village school can hardly read or write. He needs private tutoring and should be placed in a class based on a proper assessment of his abilities, not the class from the village.�
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EDUCATION
Baffa Rejects Shabby Projects as UI Receives N6.5billion TETfund Allocation Paul Obi in Abuja The University of Ibadan (UI) has received so far the sum of N6.4 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) intervention fund to embark on critical infrastructural development. To this end , he university has also commenced the process of improving its physical infrastructure with the commissioning of six out of the 42 projects being sponsored by TETfund at the cost of about N6.5billion. The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa who disclosed during the commissioning of the Virology
Department Building Phase 1, Food Research Laboratory for Department of Food Technology, Academic block for the Institute of African Studies, lecture theatre for faculty of Science, auditorium for the faculty of Pharmacy, lecture room and academic staff offices for the faculty of Pharmacy. Baffa commended the management of the university of Ibadan for the feat of remaining the number one ranked university in the country while appealing to them work harder towards moving back to its enviable position as one of the best 50 universities in the world before now.
According to him, “UI was the meeting point where decision to establish TETFund, then as ETF was conceived by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), pointing out that the institution cannot be found wanting in delivering of qualitative TETFund sponsored projects.� He frowned at the quality of finishing for the Virology department project, faculty of Science Lecture Theatre and the Food Science Technology laboratory; and directed its management to recall the contractors to site and ensure that the projects were completed according to specification.
“To call a spade with no other name, the contractors handling these projects at the University of Ibadan are not performing up to our expectation and I have already drawn the attention of the management to try and complete these projects, especially the Faculty of Science Auditorium, the Food Science Technology Laboratories and the Virology department complex. “These are part of the 42 projects that TETFund is financing at the University of Ibadan from 2008 to 2014, costing about N6.5billion.� He added that the commission “has commissioned six out of these 42 projects today,
and out of these six, three of them are not really the way we want to see them and we have already taken steps to correct that. Our technical people from the fund will return to UI to follow up on the completion of these projects and the university management, I am sure will also take the necessary steps to ensure the contractors are called back to site to do what is needful to ensure that the agreement they have signed with the university as far as the quality and the deliverable of the projects are met before we will be able to accept these projects are completed projects, �Baffa stressed.
On the outstanding multibillion naira allocation to the UI which is yet to be accessed, the executive secretary explained that in line with the Performance Index Disbursement (PID) model which TETFund operates, the institution cannot commence the drawdown of its 2015, 2016, 2017 and about to be released 2018 allocations unless it meets the requirements for such. “There are year 2015, 2016, 2017 allocations that they are yet to draw from and we will soon release the 2018 allocation which they will not be able to draw from until they are able to close down the 2011 to 2014 merged allocations.
Dangote, others Applaud El-Amin School for Educational Intervention Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has commended the family of the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, for intervening in the educational needs of the country, saying that the foundation is key to whatever anyone becomes in life. The businessman who was the keynote speaker at the 20th graduation ceremony of El-Amin International School, Minna, Niger State, held, recently, said government alone cannot provide the country’s education needs, and that since its establishment the school has made indelible marks in the life of many Nigerians across various ethnic and religious divides. Represented by Alhaji Mansir Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, said, “ I thank the owner and management of this school, for providing a solid academic, moral and religious foundation
for the children, as government alone cannot shoulder all the responsibilities. The Acting Principal, Mallam Ahmed, thanked the guests, parents and well-wishers for standing by the school, saying the school was founded by the wife of the former Head of State as an investment in the future of Nigeria. He said the school, which promotes cultural values reflected in positive character, mental alertness, and moral uprightness, is renowned for providing the needed foundation for the country’s youngest PhD holder, Dr. Salihu Ibrahim Dasuki. According to him, “The school educates children from across Nigeria and promotes respect for cultural and religious values, offering both national and international examinations including WASSCE, NECO, UTME and IGCSE.
CSOs Demand for More UBE Fund for Children with Disabilities Udora Orizu in Abuja Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in Nigeria, comprising the Human Development Initiatives, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities ( JONAPWD), and Centre for Information and Technology Development (CITD), among others, has called on the government to raise the percentage of UBE intervention fund being made available for projects aimed at supporting disabled children across the country. Speaking on behalf of the CSOs at a summit jointly organised by the HDI, JONAPWD and CITAD in Abuja, the Executive Director, HDI, Olufunso Owasanoye noted that the issue of inclusive education for children with disabilities has become crucial considering the 2014 National Policy on Education (NPE) which demands that the education of children with
special needs shall be free at all levels . She said since the federal government is saddled with this responsibility, they must conduct regular censuses, monitor them and provide special education equipment and training for them. She expressed concern that currently only about two per cent of the UBE intervention fund is available to states for projects aimed at supporting children with disabilities. “The evaluation of UNICEF’s child-friendly schools’ programme regarding this, shows that most schools lack appropriate resources, infrastructure and qualified teachers to meet the needs of these children,� she said, adding that the objective of the summit was to, among other things, “demand for increase in UBE funds dedicated to education of children with special needs from two per cent to three per cent.�
A Cross section of the graduating students of El-Amin International School, Minna, Niger State at the 20th graduation ceremony held recently
Baroness Walker Canvasses Policy on Education for Nation-Building Funmi Ogundare President of the Royal Geographical Society , Baroness Lynda Walker of Wallassey, has called for a policy and structural reform that would improve people’s livelihoods in education and create jobs that will impact their socioeconomic wellbeing . She said this can only be achieved by building good education across the country, especially for girls which spurs exponential positive effects on social and economic development for generations to come. Walker who made this known, recently, in a lecture titled, ‘Africa in a Competitive World: Business and Investment’, during a programme
organized by Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, in her honour, stressed the need for human capacity development through education and skilling. According to her, “Increasing levels and quality of education will be essential to raising productivity across all sectors. This means increasing funding to education.� She expressed concern about the poor budget allocation to education and the staggering figure of out- of-school children in the country saying, “The United Nations has specified that at least 26 per cent of a country’s budget should be devoted for education, without which no meaningful improvement will be seen. As it stands now, the fraction is less than
10 per cent. “UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) says that Nigeria is still home of the world largest out-of -school children. Of the staggering 10.5 million out-of -school children in Nigeria today, the majority are girls. Girls education is good economics which is the best investment in a country’s national development. Educating girls enhances growth rates and reduces social disparities.� The president said there is need to pair up computer literate youths who are proficient in ICT, with older people in business , adding that this is what is being deployed in other countries that will boost the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun in his remarks called for an investment in tertiary education if universities in the country is to champion the innovations and technology that will bring about an increase in global manufacture and ensure sustainable development. “There is no denying the fact that tertiary education in our country today, leaves much to be desired. If we are to construct that functional linkage between higher education and industry, for us to produce the graduates that industry require, to build a knowledge-driven economy, investment in tertiary education is an urgent undertaking.
YABATECH Rector Tasks Youths on Skills Devt Funmi Ogundare The Rector, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Mr. Obafemi Omokungbe has stressed the need for youths in the community to expand their skills by taking up innovative entrepreneurship activities, solve problems and raise the bar in their various quests to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the future. Omokungbe who made this call, recently, during the United Nations International Youths Day with theme, ’Get Skilled, Go Green; Go Green, Get Skilled’,
said the programme was designed to increase youths’ awareness about global trends and dimensions. “It is to challenge to our youths to develop skills that will provide green and innovative solutions for today and tomorrow’s problems. It is important to get the youths prepared and involved in the things that would shape their lives and the society in the days to come, because tomorrow belongs to them.� He said the theme of the programme aligns with the worldwide need for sustain-
ability. At the programme, the Director of Flexible Skills Development (FSD), Dr. Ibrahim Adedotun Abdul introduced four flexible short courses to empower the public on how to diversify income and to make life easier. In another development, the Rector, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), Mr. Obafemi Omokungbe has appealed to the entire college community to shun improper disposal of plastic and waste saying that this constitute a harmful effect to the environment.
Omokungbe made the appealed during the World Environmental Day with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, said “where there are too much plastic in the ocean, you will have much plastic than the fishes and that could affect our lives negatively.� He noted that the purpose of World Environmental Day is to create awareness and consciousness of the problem that plastic creates, while promising the college’s readiness to key into the awareness and ensure that people refuse it.
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We’re Tired of Running Schools With Our Merger Salaries, Edo Teachers Cry out Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Teachers in Edo State under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have threatened to down tools, saying they were tired of running government schools with their merger salaries. The teachers who threatened to embark on state wide indefinite strike action after the expiration of 21 days ultimatum to resolve all contentious issues, said the ultimatum became necessary following the expiration of 45 days grace period, adding that it allowed the state government to engage in mutual resolution of the challenges put before it in a communique issued in its last
July executive meeting. This threat was contained in a 9-point communique signed by the State Chairman and Acting Secretary, Comrade Pius Okhueleigbe and Moni Mike Modesty- Itua, respectively at the end of the union state executive council meeting, held in Benin-City. In the communique, the teachers claimed “That Edo State public primary and secondary school heads and their teachers are tired of using their meager salaries to provide instructional materials such as chalk, markers, diaries, registers and many others for teaching and learning in schools, due to the failure of government to provide subventions to schools since 2012 and the recent near zero supply of
such items to schools. “Therefore, government must in the next 21 days put up a very concrete and result oriented policy/plan to commence the release of subventions to all public primary and secondary schools in the state.” The statement said the ultimatum takes effect from August 17, 2018. According to it, “At the end of the meeting, SWEC agreed that the union has unimaginably cooperated with the state government in all positive fronts with a view to moving the education sector to the desired Eldorado, but the government has refused to act in utmost good faith in reciprocating the good gestures of teachers in the state.” In the communique, the
teachers demanded for the financial implementation of the 2013 to 2015 primary school teachers promotions as approved by the state government with the arrears of last January to July inclusive, as well as teachers deliberately omitted or denied the promotions by SUBEB. It also want the immediate implementation of the approved N25,000 minimum wage to all primary school teachers with all the arrears. The teachers said the N25,000 minimum wage was approved by the state government for all workers in the state in May 2016 and also demanded the immediate provision of subvention funds to both primary and secondary schools across the state.
L-R: Tosin Ayobami Durodola of Ekiti State University and third prize winner; Olanrewaju Adekeye and Samuel Dunmade of Bowen University and first prize winners; Basil Agboarumi, Acting Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL); Pius Bankong and Ipinnuoluwa Ade-Ademi of University of Lagos and second prize winners; Sunday Oyewole of Ekiti State University, third prize winner and Vice President, Maritime Forum, University of Lagos Damilola Oguntade, during the presentation of prizes to winners of the Taiwo Afolabi Maritime blueprint competition, held in Lagos… recently
Varsity Technologists Make Giant Stride with New Irrigation, Rural Lightening Technology Seriki Adinoyi in Jos A team of Nigerian technology innovators have made a giant stride getting to the top 20 shortlist of $1 million Hult Prize, making Nigeria the only African country remaining in the competition. The 2018 Hult prize competition with theme, ‘Harnessing the Power of Energy to Transform Ten Million Lives.’, began from the campus level to regional level until it got to the global stage, while hundreds of participants/ teams from many world class universities have participated. Addressing journalists in Jos, Plateau State, on Nigeria’s chances and the challenges in the competition, the prime mover of the innovation, Faisal Sani Bala said their work was on the technology that boosts irrigation farming in a peculiar manner, and also provides lightening for rural communities without electricity. He said he had worked together with his colleagues at ImpactRays to produce
the irrigation and lightening technology, adding that their projection beyond the competition is to impact over five million lives in three years. Bala observed that, “Some of us had engaged in dry season farming as students, and had encountered the challenge of manual flooding irrigation, high cost of fuel, high cost of labour involved in watering, fertilizer wash-off and water shortage. So the technology is designed to implement and patent a smart solar-powered irrigation system to ease irrigation farming with little cost of labour and eliminating the use of petrol. “Our innovation makes it possible for farmers with the challenge of water shortage to have three cycles of irrigation, whilst eliminating environmental impact of greenhouse gases released by petrol powered irrigation pumps. The technology also provides light to rural communities without electricity, and local farmers where the project was piloted have started
enjoying its irrigation benefits as well as the household lighting benefit.” He added that , “Regarding the Hult prize competition, the ImpactRays won the first position at the campus level and proceeded to the regional finals in Kuala Lumpur. At the regional finals, there were 60 teams and 200 participants from some of the best universities across the world, including Canada, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, among others. We still scale through at the regional level to make global level, upon which we are among the 20 shortlisted and the only African team remaining in the competition.” Bala, a Graduate Assistant lecturer at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, who is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Mechatronics Engineering in Malaysia, said that their technology has already been piloted in Waya Dam, Bauchi State, where local farmers have started to enjoy the irrigation
technology, which also provides for their household lighting. He however stressed that the challenges they are having in the competition is finance, and that the other teams were being financed by the governments of their countries while theirs was from their personal pockets which has not made it easy. He said the Malaysian government was considering sponsoring them in the competition but later withdrew seeing that the beneficiaries of the technology would be Nigerians and not Malaysians. Another challenge he said, was that he and one of the team members were yet to obtain their UK visas to attend the final six shortlist event that comes up in about a week. He added that the Hult prize competition is about creating market ready solutions to pressing needs of humanity, while maintaining balance between profit and social impact, and that the competition goals are in line with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
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FG has Failed on Vision 2020, Says Amao Funmi Ogundare The Principal Consultant, Lonadek Oil and Gas, Dr. Ibilola Amao has expressed concern about the lackadaisical attitude of the federal government towards the Vision 2020 initiative founded in 2000 to place Nigeria as one of the 20 largest economies in the world. Amao, who made this known, weekend, at the closing ceremony of a one week Vision 2020 youth empowerment initiative summer camp on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), for select public schools students, in Lagos, said, “ It is a very frustrating situation at the moment that the federal government has put little
or no resources behind the initiative, neither have they invested enough in education and health.� Vision 2020, she affirmed, should have been promoted amd pushed by the federal government of Nigeria, noting that the amount of money that education has been denied is at the expense of the income being earned and revenue being spent on senators in the country. According to her, “If we could take 20 to 30 per cent of the money being spent or shared by politicians into education, Nigeria will not be where it is today. Countries that have succeeded have increased on an annual basis on budget allocation and education . Nigeria is failing woefully in
Lagos Conducts Screening Test for Students, Warns against Touts The Lagos State Government is set to conduct a screening test simultaneously in the six education districts on August 27, 2018, to determine the fitness of the students into the classes they applied for in its state-owned secondary schools. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye who disclosed this, in a statement made available to Journalists by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry, Mr. Adesegun Ogundeji said application forms should be obtained and returned to the office of the Tutor-General/ Permanent Secretary of the education district of the proposed school of the applicants for a fee of N5,000, payable to any Skye Bank branch into account number: 4030010449, agency code: 4280000 and sort code: 32534/4040043. “Applicants are implored to ensure that they get clearance before paying as the fee is non-refundable.� She said applicants for transfer into JSS two, are to attach second and third term promotion examination results of J.S.S one, while those seeking transfer into SS one are to attach Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E) number. “In addition, all applicants are to attach evidence of three years tax payment of their parent or guardian, photocopy of LASSRA identity card and receipt for the application form.�
The Permanent Secretary reiterated that admission will be subject to vacancy in the proposed schools, while reminding students and parents that there won’t be transfer into model colleges/upgraded schools, JSS three and SS two classes. Adekanye added that there will be no inter-state or international school transfer and warned parents and guardians of students seeking transfer into public secondary schools in the state to be wary of fraudsters posing as intermediaries between them and the Ministry of Education to facilitate the process. She said the process is a simple one that does not require a third party, while warning fraudsters to stay clear of all programmes and activities of the education sector. According to her, “Any unauthorised person caught meddling with the process will be made to face the law.� For applicants that wants to transfer into its public schools, she reminded them that only those willing to transfer into JSS two and SS one are eligible to apply, adding that applicants are to obtain clearance slip from the district office of tutor-general/ permanent secretary of the school of choice to clarify that there is vacancy. “Parents of successful applicants will be notified through text messages to the phone number supplied by them, �
the area of health and education. Without good health, you can’t be well educated and without good education , a country cannot achieve its full potentials.� She said the essence of the STEM summer camp is to encourage talents to become game changers and problem solvers for a new Nigeria, adding, “A lot of things have gone wrong in this nation and we need people to begin to see solutions rather than just complaining about the issues and challenges for a country that is endowed with mineral and natural resources. “Ironically, it is a consumer nation, it is sad. People are not educated, trained and developed to be able to create maximum value for our natural resources. So that is what this is about, such that they can begin to see that Nigeria does not need to be a dumping ground for all manners of
products from all countries. We should be able to solve our own problems to transform our mineral resources into finished goods and create jobs for our people.� On her assessment of the camp in the last one week, Amao said though most of the students came there with a mindset to study medicine or go abroad because they believe that engineering is a tough area to go into, but after been tutored on their talents, there was a change of mind from them. “It is basically to help them see the pictures. You are basically born to create value for Nigeria to solve the enourmous problem,� the principal consultant said, adding they must also learn to develop patriotism in Nigeria and create a maximum value. “I am a patriotic Nigerian, I was educated abroad, but returned to Nigeria after 11
years to establish a business and create value. So the camp is not just about creating intelligent talents, better professionals, technologists or leaders, but also explaining to them the importance of patriotism, the reason why they would want to be Nigerian and solve Nigeria’s problems. We want them to have the intent and their priority should be in confronting issues and challenges that face the nation.� She however stressed the need for the country to ensure that the 2019 budget will be a total deviation from what we have at hand, adding that there should be an increase in human capital development in education. The Public Affairs Manager for SASOL , Mrs. Toyin Cameron emphasised on personal branding, noting that what students post on social media matters a lot. “The kind of social media
profile and how students presents themselves online matters, as this will actually affects things like admission into the university, future jobs. So they have to be careful about what they post online. For instance, in 20 years time, someone may go there to pick it and it may negatively affect them in future. “They should at this stage, begin to create a brand and profile that they would be proud of for themselves in future. There have been instances where people posted pictures that cost them their jobs and other political appointments. “We re talking to the students now, they should be careful and try and clean up what they posted wrongly about themselves online. They can talk about the STEM camp, for instance, that they attended and what they have learnt. That shows a level of seriousness in what they are doing.�
L-R: Head of Counselling and Placement, Bridge House College, Mrs. Olabisi Banjo, David’s Guardian, Mrs Abeji Okonkwo, College Administrator, Ms Carmen Latty, Master David Okorogheye, Miss. Precious Okorogheye and Marketing Consultant (BHC), Mrs. Omowunmi Fatodu during the presentation of the scholarship award to David in Lagos‌ recently
BHC Awards N9m Scholarship to Student The Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Lagos has awarded a full scholarship worth N9 million to 15-year old Master David Okorogheye Orisheneye to pursue a two-year Cambridge A’ Level course in the college. The scholarship award according to the sixth form college was in recognition of the brilliant performance of the prodigy, who in addition to obtaining a parallel A1 in
all the nine subjects he wrote during the May/June 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), conducted by West African Examination Council also scored 332 in his JAMB. The scholarship will cover boarding, tuition, books and uniforms while the programme lasts from September 10, 2018 to June 20, 2020. In a letter conveying the
news of the scholarship award to the recipient and signed by the College Administrator, Ms. Carmen Latty, it noted that the scholarship award was in fulfillment of BHC’s tradition to celebrate academic success and to encourage students to pursue academic goals. “Your very brilliant performance in the May/June 2018 WASSCE where you obtained 9As in subjects including
Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics and went on to score 332 in JAMB all at the age of 15 caught our attention. “The board of directors, management and staff of Bridge House College heartily congratulate you and hereby offers you a full scholarship to pursue the two-year Cambridge A’ Level Course in the college effective September 10, 2018 to June 30, 2020, “
Examination Bodies Must Reassess their Roles, Says Lesotho Minister of Education The Honourable Minister of Education and Training, Kingdom of Lesotho, Professor Ntoi Rapapa has called on examination bodies in Africa to reassess their roles in the 21st century knowledge, skills and expertise economy. He said the need for them to integrate technology into assessment combined with the broadening array of candidates has become imperative. Rapapa who declared open
the 36th annual conference of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), held recently, in Maseru, Lesotho, said the assessment bodies have introduced new dimensions into their mandate. The Conference, with the theme, ‘Reforming Educational Assessment: A Renewed Agenda’, which was attended by 325 delegates from 27 countries across the globe, witnessed the
election of the Head of Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Olu Isaac Adenipekun, as Vice President for a one–year tenure. He succeeds Dr. Litsabako Ntoi of the Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECOL). The WAEC delegation to the conference was led by the Registrar to Council, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae. The Association for
Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) is a non-profit making organisation established in 1982 to promote cooperation amongst examining and assessment bodies in Africa; to encourage relevant examining and assessment among members, sponsor international participation in the field of educational testing and examination; commission and coordinate research projects; improve assessment, testing and exam-
ining within the individual member countries through the activities of the association among others. It is affiliated to the International Association of Educational Assessment (IAEA). During the closing ceremony, the baton for the hosting of the 37th annual AEAA conference was handed to WAEC Nigeria. In his acceptance speech, the Head of National Office
of WAEC in Nigeria, Mr. Olu Isaac Adenipekun, informed delegates that the 37th Annual AEAA Conference with the theme: ‘Innovations in Educational Assessment’, will be hosted by the council at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Abuja from August 5th to 9th, 2019. He said adequate efforts are being made to ensure a successful hosting of the conference.
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Ëœ ÍşÍşËœ ͺ͸͚͜ Ëž T H I S D AY
FOREIGN/DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS
Editor: VINCENT OBIA vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com 0805 468 1757
In Brief Germany Accepts Former Nazi Slave-labour Camp Guard The United States on Tuesday expressed “deep appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany� for re-admitting former Nazi slave-labour camp guard, Jakiw Palij, who was deported from the United States on August 20. A State Department statement said during World War II, Palij served as an armed guard at the Trawniki slave-labour camp for Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. He concealed his Nazi service when he immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1949. A federal court stripped Palij of his citizenship in 2003 and a U.S. immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States in 2004 based on his wartime activities and post-war immigration fraud.
Italy Threatens to Send Migrants Back To Libya
Chinese President Xi Jinping
How New Silk Road Will Cement China as Major Trading Partner For Africa Asit K. Biswas
I
n 138 BC China took its first step towards global connectivity with the establishment of the historical Silk Road. Zhang Qian was sent by Emperor Wudi to Central Asia to establish trade relationships. His historic missions enabled China to make contact with the outposts of Hellenic civilisation established by Alexander the Great. These efforts enabled Emperor’s Han dynasty to develop political and trade relationships with Central Asian countries. New ideas came to China, along with new plants like grapes and alfalfa and superior breeds of horses. Centuries later, China is building a very different, very modern version of that route. The Belt and Road Initiative consists of two complementary, concurrent plans. One is an overland route connecting Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia to China. The second is the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to connect China, South East and South Asia with Africa. The Belt and Road Initiative will connect at least 65 countries, most of them developing economies. The routes will cover 63 per cent of the world’s population and 29 per cent of global GDP. Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his commitment to the project during the 10th BRICS Summit held in South Africa in late July 2018. He said it would “create new opportunities of social and economic development for participating countries.� On the face of it, the Belt and Road Initiative looks set to change a number of economic, social and strategic landscapes. But it’s essential that whatever the project produces is perceived as benefiting everyone involved – China as well as the country’s affected. Some projects, which are already underway, particularly in Africa, offer
insights into how the initiative might unfold and what its benefits and pitfalls could be. These projects also suggest that China has learned from previous infrastructure investments on the continent some decades ago. The African leg of the Belt and Road Initiative is work in progress. China says it will hold on-going discussions with various countries and make decisions based on consensus as well as the economic, social and political feasibility of individual projects. Some of the countries poised to benefit most include Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt. This will cement China’s role as Africa’s main trading partner, a space it’s occupied since overtaking the US in 2009. Between 2010 and 2015, China’s foreign direct investment on the continent grew by 21.7 per cent – and it’s still rising. It’s important to point out that the Belt and Road Initiative will not be starting entirely from scratch. China has already provided significant help in improving connectivity and developing infrastructure in countries set to benefit from the initiative. For example, China supported the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway. It’s the first transboundary and longest electrified railway line in Africa. The Export-Import Bank of China provided commercial loans that funded 85 per cent of Ethiopia’s and 70 per cent of Djibouti’s contributions. And the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation also owns 10 per cent of Djibouti’s portion. The 759-kilometre long railway, which connects landlocked Ethiopia to the maritime trade routes of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, started carrying passengers in late 2016. China is also responsible for constructing the Madaraka Express, which connects the Kenyan port of Mombasa to the capital city Nairobi, a distance of 489 km. This railway is being extended to Naivasha in Kenya’s northwest. There are plans to extend it even further so that it eventually
interconnects Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and, much later, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The new railway has already reduced transportation time between Kenya’s two most important cities and, crucially for trade, reduced the cost of transporting a container between the two cities by half. The success and effectiveness of the Belt and Road Initiative will depend on many factors. These include national and regional geopolitics and the long-term economic benefits of various projects in beneficiary countries. It will also be important that non-Chinese companies, both public and private, are able to compete successfully for a significant portion of the construction pie. And China’s economic rivals should not be excluded from bidding for and winning work. But tension is inevitable, as has already been seen in South Asia. China is working to complete a sixkilometre bridge over the river Padma in Bangladesh for which it is providing over USD$3 billion loan. China is investing some USD$31 billion in other projects in Bangladesh. It also plans to spend some USD$60 billion on construction of ports, railways, roads and power plants in Pakistan. These activities and similar infrastructure developments in other countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have unsettled India, which is questioning China’s real intentions in the region. The world will be watching as the Belt and Road Initiative unfolds – and all the players will hope the benefits outweigh the costs and are sustainable in the long term. r #JTXBT JT %JTUJOHVJTIFE 7JTJUJOH 1SPGFTTPS -FF ,VBO :FX 4DIPPM PG 1VCMJD 1PMJDZ /BUJPOBM 6OJWFSTJUZ PG 4JOHBQPSF BOE 5PSUBKBEB JT 4FOJPS 3FTFBSDI 'FMMPX -FF ,VBO :FX 4DIPPM PG 1VCMJD 1PMJDZ /BUJPOBM 6OJWFSTJUZ PG 4JOHBQPSF
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini threatened to send a boatload of migrants back to Libya unless EU countries take them in, BBC reported on Tuesday. Writing on Twitter, Salvini told Europe to start getting serious about defending its external borders and accepting migrants, otherwise Italy would take them back where they came from. He said Italy had already played its part, and enough was enough. Around 170 migrants were aboard an Italian coastguard vessel that docked in Catania in Sicily just before midnight, but they were not being allowed to disembark. After they were rescued at sea last week, Italy and Malta argued about whose responsibility they were.
EU Residents Will Be Secure If No Brexit Deal, Says Raab The UK will “move swiftly� to safeguard the future of EU citizens in the event of no deal being is agreed, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is reported as saying. After talks in Brussels, Raab told the BBC the UK had a “moral obligation� to people and it was “inconceivable� they would be “turfed out�. The EU, he said, must match the UK’s “ambition and pragmatism� if the gaps between them were to be overcome. Counterpart Michel Barnier warned about a “blame game� over a no deal outcome. Barnier said fundamental disagreements remained on future economic issues and the EU would not abandon its principles when it came to the integrity of the single market. The two sides have agreed that talks will continue without interruption to try to secure a deal in advance of the UK’s departure on 29 March 2019.
Russia to Deliver S-400 Missiles to Turkey in 2019 Russia will begin S-400 missile system deliveries to Turkey in 2019, a year earlier than previously announced, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday. The move comes amid a growing rift between Turkey and its NATO allies in the West. “The contract on the S-400 to Turkey is being executed within the agreed timeline,� said Alexander Mikheyev, chief of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state weapons exporter. “In 2019, we will begin to fulfil this contract,� Interfax news agency cited him as saying on Tuesday. Last year, the chief executive of S-400 manufacturer Rostec said the missile system deliveries would start in 2020. Rosoboronexport also said it would switch to using local currencies in deals with foreign trade partners instead of using the US dollar, RIA news agency reported. Turkey will be the first NATO member state to acquire the advanced Russian surface-toair missile system in a deal worth $2.5bn, Rostec’s Sergei Chemezov told Russian newspaper Kommersant in December.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWSXTRA
FG Partners NBA on War against Drug Abuse Ogheneuvede Ohwovoriole ÓØ ÌßÔË In a bid to stem the tide of various abuses, including domestic violence and infringement of the rights of vulnerable in the society, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) has launched a war against unscrupulous violators in a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, made this revelation while handing over operational buses to the President of the NBA, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), in Abuja. A statement issued by Media Assistant to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, (SSAPSDGs), Desmond Utomwen, stated that the provision of the buses was in fulfilment of part of the MoU signed between the OSSAP-SDGs and the NBA on October 19, 2017, with the objective to enhance the realisation of goal 16 of the SDGs by
facilitating access to justice among vulnerable groups in the country as well as reduce the spate of conflict and violence in our society. According to the SSAPSDGs, the collaboration is also aimed at bridging the inequality gap, facilitating capacity building among stakeholders and encouraging the establishment of mediation and conciliation centre at the various levels of the society. “Owing to OSSAP-SDGs commitment towards the accomplishment of the said objectives, I pledged to provide two buses to facilitate and promote access to justice by indigent and vulnerable groups in Nigeria. “We are passionately resolved and committed to seeing that there is equal access to justice, particularly among the poor and the vulnerable in our society. “It is in fulfilment of this mission that OSSAP-SDGs is giving its full support to the NBA to render pro bono service nationwide and with this, we may arraign justice for all,” she said. In the view of the SSAPSDGs, the issue of human rights is well captured in the Social, Economic and Political
Goals, particularly Goal 16, which seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Some of the targets under Goal 16 seek to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death everywhere; end human rights abuse, exploitation, human trafficking and all other forms of violence against women and torture of children. The collaboration, vis-a-vis
the signing of the MOU, is therefore in response to the issues raised in the provision. In his remarks, the President of the NBA, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmood (SAN), who received the buses on behalf of the association, assured them that the NBA would continue to promote and protect the principles of the rule of law and respect for enforcement of human rights of the citizenry. He promised that the logistic supports given to the association by OSSAP-SDGs would be judiciously utilised.
Mahmood stated that the financial and logistics support as well as the provision of the buses would improve the association’s access to all the communities targeted in the programme. He maintained that the NBA has a wide reach and stands out as the largest profession in the country with about 125 branches and 160,000 members across the country. The association, he said, had over the years provided free legal services to the less privileged who could
not afford legal fees, assisted in the ongoing reconstruction of the North-east region ravaged by insurgency and also provided humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region. He disclosed that in no distant time, the NBA would launch an endowment fund to assist its members who are physically challenged as well as lawyers who are victims of assault in the course of discharging their professional responsibilities.
Dickson: My Mother Only Complained of Leg Pain Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÏØËÑÙË The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has said his late mother, Madam Gold Coast, was only diagnosed with cancer on her leg in January this year. Dickson described his mother as his rock and a source of inspiration, adding that when she complained of a pain in the leg, she was immediately taken to the Bayelsa Diagnostics Centre, where the ailment was first detected. “My mother has been an integral part of my journey, she was not just my mother, she was my elder sister, she was my rock, my counsellor, and because of her subtle style, people might not know the level of her influence,’’ he said. He spoke during a church service held in memory of the septuagenarian at the Governor’s Lodge, Yenagoa, organised by the State Government. “My mother complained of some pain in the leg in January which was later discovered by medical experts at the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre, Yenagoa, to be cancer in January”, he added. He thanked the state for the “enormous outpouring of genuine grief” and called for prayers for the family, especially during this period of mourning. Speaking earlier, the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), described the death of the governor’s mother as a general loss to the state, stressing that Bayelsa State would be by the governor and the family throughout the period of grief. “Like Shakespeare said in his book, Julius Caeser, ‘no one bears sorrow better.’ The loss is everybody’s; whatever happens to the leader happens
to all. It is in the collective interest that the leader is not worried. What happened was inevitable. The state is with you, and will continue to be with you throughout this period,” he said. Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly representing the state have paid the governor a condolence visit in Government House, Yenagoa. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Agbo quoted Dickson as telling the lawmakers that the vacuum created by her death would be difficult to fill, as she always prayed for him and for his administration to succeed. “My mum was my rock. She was not just my mother, she was my elder sister; she had me very early; she was my friend and my biggest supporter in any thing I wanted to do. “And she was always praying and encouraging me. Today, for the first time since her death, as we finished the morning devotion, I didn’t have my mother to hug me because every morning after devotion, she would hug me. “After every morning’s devotion, she would bless me and pronounce strength and God’s guidance and she did that til the very end. Even on her hospital bed, she was praying and blessing all her children so this is one vacuum that will be very difficult to fill.” The Governor, who said the Dickson family was going through a trying period, noted that his late mother would be greatly missed and expressed appreciation to all sympathisers, who have in one way or the other identified with them in their movement of grief.
BOOK LAUNCH
L-R: Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko; Executive Director, Business Hallmark Newspaper, Dr. Betty Bassi, and Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Ernest Ebi, at the launch of a book written by Emeka Obasi in Lagos ... recently
Peterside Begins Consultations on Rivers Guber Ambition Nseobong Okon-Ekong The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has commenced consultations to decide on his 2019 governorship ambition. Interacting with journalists in Lagos yesterday, he disclosed that he was nearing the end of a series of consultations that would enable him decide whether to run for the office of governor of Rivers State or not. Peterside was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election. While correcting the impression that he may be late in making his intention known,
the NIMASA boss said, “the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set September 15 deadline for the political parties to submit the programme for their primaries”. “I know that the APC NEC will meet before the end of this month to decide what method should be adopted to choose the governorship candidates. That is a potential contentious issue because the governors are very powerful and influential. They have decided to push for a delegates’ primary, which gives them enormous powers to decide the party’s flagbearer in their states, but the NEC wants an inclusive process that will carry majority of party members along; and that is by direct primary,”
he added. Peterside who called on the media to report the “true position of things in Rivers State”, blamed journalists for overrating the achievements of Governor Nyesom Wike. He said, “The governor may have completed a few projects which he inherited, but compared to the volume of money which comes into the state, he has not done much. Rivers State is Number Three on the federation accounts allocation table. The state is Number Two in terms of VAT earnings. We got so much money from Paris Club refund. Last year, we had N169 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), but Wike has run a very reckless administration that does
not publicise call for tender. He does not adhere to any known due process and nobody knows about the budget of the state. I don’t know any area in which he has performed well. The National Bureau of Statistics has rated Rivers State Number One in unemployment. Industries are leaving the state because there is so much insecurity, multiple taxation and lack of conducive operating environment.” Expressing concern on the increasing incidence of politically motivated violence in Rivers State, Peterside suggested that denial of reward to sponsors of violence would curtail the trend drastically.
Buhari to Inaugurate Largest Brewery in West Africa President Muhammadu Buhari will next Tuesday inaugurate a brewery owned by International Breweries Plc in Ogun State. The Plant Manager, Mr. Tony Agah, disclosed this yesterday during a media tour of the $250 million brewery located at Km 3 Flowergate Industrial Scheme, Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway. According to him, the IB Plc is part of the AB InBev Group, the world’s largest brewer. Agah identified other eminent Nigerians expected at
the event to include Governor Ibikunle Amosun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Okechukwu Enelamah; and the global Chief Executive Officer of AB InBev, Mr. Carlos Brito He added that the new brewery is the fourth plant to be established in the country by the company, as the IB Plc has three others in Ilesa, Onitsha and Port Harcourt. According to him, the first phase of the development of the plant had been completed with over 300 Nigerians already
employed. “Given the importance of this event, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to perform the inauguration of the facility. “The governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, will be hosting all of us, as our landlord. Other eminent Nigerians and officials of AB InBev, especially the global CEO, Mr. Carlos Brito, will lead the celebration.
“The new brewery will be the company’s largest plant within the group in Africa outside the one in South Africa. This will have a significant multiplier effects on the value chain within Ogun State and its environs. “It will provide direct and indirect employment, make available global brands locally and support Nigeria’s foreign direct investment aspiration,” he explained.
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RETURNS ON UTILIZATION OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 17th-AUGUST 2018 This publication: Mandated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
BANK: ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED SN CUSTOMER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
DAG INDUSTRIES NIGERIA LTD DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC INTEGRATED FISHERIES COMP LTD OBOTICA INDUSTRIAL LTD JUBAILI AGROTEC LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED OVH ENERGY MARKETING LIMITED GERADISCO
ITEM OF IMPORT
"BAJAJ BOXER- BM100CC MOTORCYCLE IN CKD PACKED CONDITION" 14,000MT +/- 10 PERCENT OF RUSSIAN WHEAT, IN BULK 1477 BAGS OF DRIED SEA PRODUCTS FOR ANIMAL FEED AC MOTOR AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES AGRICULTURAL INSECTICIDE- SNIPER (100ML) AGRICULTURAL INSECTICIDE- SNIPER (50ML) BASEOIL AS PER PFI MB/040518 BEING PAYMENT FOR LPG CYLINDER, CYLINDER HANDLE, CYLINDER BASE, LPG BURNER, LPG HOSE ETC DELTAMETHRIN, TAKASAGO, SODIUM LAURYL ETHER SULPHATE, D-ALLETHRIN, S.C JOHNSON AND SON NIGERIA LIMITED SYMRISE, TETRAMETHRIN ECOBANK GUINEA CONAKRY DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION ENERGO NIGERIA LTD ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL MATERIALS CKS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED ESSENTIAL RAW MATERIALS (MSG) FOR SEASONING Flexenclosure Integrated Uninterruptible Power Supply System Consiting: ESITE K12 M-P INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED UPS Main Module, Esite Ups Power Pack, Polycrystalline Solar PV Panels (300WP) TOMBO INDUSTRIES LIMITED FOR IMPORTATION OF CHEMICAL EAGLE INDUSTRIES INTL CONCEPT LIMI FULL CREAM MILK POWDER GAS FLUSHED 28.1% INS/VIT KG 25KG BAG MODEL STEEL INDUSTRIES LTD HOT ROLLED STEEL SHEETS REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - ETHYL ACETATE REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - IPEA REGAL CHEM NIGERIA LIMITED IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - LDPE REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - METHYLENE CHLORIDE REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIL - MEK IDDO PLASTICS LIMITED IMPORT OF RAW MATERIALS PANGEA INDUSTRIES LIMITED IMPORT OF TESTLINER / FLUTING IMPORTATION OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS- POLYSETER FILAMENT YARN HAFFAR INDUSTRIAL COMPANY LIMITED TEXTURED RAW WHITE ESTENDO POWER PRODUCT CO LTD IMPORTATION OF NEW PORTABLE GASOLINE GENERATOR RICHYGOLD INTL LTD IMPORTATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL RAW MATERIAL BOND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LTD IMPORTATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL RAW MATERIAL & PACKING MATERIAL MITR NIGERIA LIMITED IMPORTATION OF SPARE PARTS P. B. DJEBAH AND COY LTD IMPORTATION OF UNIVERSAL BEAM 12 METTERS LINGTH IN COMMERCIAL QTY GBMT GLOBAL LIMITED INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - HOT ROLLED STEEL COILS SUMAL FOOD LIMITED INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL : SOYA LECITHIN MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - PETROLEUM JELLY (PWH 022) MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - SODIUM SULPHATE ANHYDROUS RAGI INDUSTRIES LIMITED INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS -LIQUID PARAFFIN (RILOIL 015) OLYMPIC INKS LIMITED ISO-PROPYLOL - IPEA ELIZADE NIGERIA LIMITED JAC LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS SHAKTI INDUSTRIES LIMITED LLDPE RESIN INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT INT TOWERS LIMITED LOAN REPAYMENT SHALINA HEALTHCARE NIGERIA LTD MEDICINE KEDILASO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED MOTOCYCLE SPAREPARTS GOLDEN SUGAR COMPANY LIMITED NEW INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS FOR SUGAR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES OUTSPAN NIGERIA LIMITED NPK 15-15-15 IN BULK NATURAL PRIME RESOURCES NIGERIA LI ODORIFEROUS SUBSTANCE SPECKLES SODIUM CARBONATE (DENS) AMARILO PLASTICS LIMITED PAYMENT FOR RAW MATERIALS GOJAC MERCHANT INTL CO. LTD. PAYMENT OF BILLS FOR IMPORTATION OF STEEL DOORS ANIMAL CARE SERVICES KONSULT POULTRY EQUIPMENT IBENEME-SUNNY STEVE OLUEBUBE PTA ESISO EDWIN OBUKOHWO PTA EGBARAN EVELYN PTA EFFIONG CALEB JAMES PTA DANYI PHOEBE MWUESE PTA EZEH VERA PTA DAROMOSU GANIYU ADEKEYE PTA REALITY TRADE CONCEPT LIMITED PURCHASE OF 28 METRIC TONNES OF SSUG GRADE SISAL FIBRE ORIENTAL FOOD INDUSTRY LIMITED RAW MATERIAL- BUTTER MILK POWDER IN 25KG BAGS SABASTEEL INDUSTRIAL NIG LTD RAW MATERIAL FOR MANUFACTURING HOT ROLLED STEEL:BEAMS SABASTEEL INDUSTRIAL NIG LTD RAW MATERIAL FOR MANUFACTURING HOT ROLLED STEEL:CHANNELS IRON PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES LIMITED RAW MATERIAL FOR MANUFACTURING: HOT ROLLED STEEL CHANNELS REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED RAW MATERIAL IMPORT - ETHYL ACETATE REGAL CHEM NIGERIA LIMITED RAW MATERIAL IMPORT - PVC REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED RAW MATERIAL IMPORT - TOLUENE NTA STAR TV NETWORK LTD Reception Apparatus for Television, Coloured(CKD) Led Digital TV Model: E43BJL4HH ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED SALE TO CBN ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED SALE TO CBN SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SAROSATE 1L WHITFIELD VENTURES LTD SETTLEMENT OF UNPAID SUPPLIERS INVOICE FOR CAUSTIC SODA EKO SUPREME RESOURCES NIGERIA LIMI SODIUM CARBONATE (DENS) TINOPAL CBS-X(OB) TOTALASE WIN (ENZYME) GODREJ NIGERIA LIMITED SODIUM PALMITATE GODREJ NIGERIA LIMITED SODIUM PALMITATE MULTIPOWER GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED SOLAR STORAGE BATTERY THREE WHEELERS (200CC MOTORIZED TRICYCLES - SPARK IGNITION) IN CKD - TVS WANDEL INTERNATIONAL NIG LTD BRAND, ENGINE TYPE: 4 STROKE PETROL VERSION, ENGINE CAPACITY: 200CC GRITCO NIGERIA LIMITED TO IMPORT 26 Tons of LG- 25 AMASTEEL GRIT 1,040/25,000kg M-Bags 25kg + EURO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES KONSULT VETERINARY ANTIBIOTICS CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED Wheat Canadian Western Red Spring - No. 2 or Better -Protein 13.5% 10,000 M. Tons CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED WHEAT CANADIAN WESTERN SPRING WHEAT - NO.2 OR BETTER - PROTEIN- 13% SALIENT INDUSTRIES LIMITED WHITE PE MB/BAG (MASTERBATCH RIBADU ZARA NUHU EDUCATION MOHAMMED JIBRIN EDUCATION ANENE MADUKA EMMA EDUCATION ROYAL ROOTS COMM NET LTD EDUCATION ULOH EDDIE EDUCATION ROYAL ROOTS COMM NET LTD EDUCATION SUYI-ALUKO BOLANLE PTA AGBU AJI EZEKIEL PTA ASIKHIA OLADUNNI TITILAYO PTA ERASMUS -ALLI AFFI EDET PTA DOUGLAS KAINE PTA IHEATU AND COMPANY GLOBAL RESOURCES TIGER HEAD BRAND PAPER JACKET DRY BATTERY JUBAILI AGROTEC LIMITED AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES JUBAILI AGROTEC LIMITED AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES JUBAILI AGROTEC LIMITED AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES CROP CARE LIMITED AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED AZT RUSSIA MILLING WHEAT - PROTEIN 12.5% - 10,000 M.TONS BC SETTLEMENT FOR PURCHASE OF CYLINDER LINER, TRANSMISSION VALVE AND SUNRAIN AGRIC ASSOCIATES LTD SPROCKET AS PER INV NO. SUNRAIN017-010 BLESSED HARRY INVESTMENT CO LTD BULBS ( BRAND:PILLA) G.FAMS (NIG) ENT. BULBS (TONOBO E22 BRAND) EAGLET STAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED BULBS( 60W B22 PILLIA BRAND) WILLYMARS INDUST. CONTROL & TECHNICS COY BULBS(BRAND:PILLIA) CHRISTOP INTERGRATED SERVICES BULBS(BRAND:PILLIA) JUCHYNO INTL LTD. BULBS(PILLIA) THE SLAY NETWORK LTD CCI REPATRATION CUMMINS WEST AFRICA LTD CUMMINS GEN SET PARTS ECOBANK ZAMBIA DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION ECOBANK SOUTH SOUDAN DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION USEN FELICIA LAWRENCE EDUCATION ENDONYAN FELIX DAVID EDUCATION OBOH FRANCIS AKPOROBARO EDUCATION
DATE OF EXFUND CHANGE PURCHASE RATE 13-Aug-18 336.50 13-Aug-18 333.00 13-Aug-18 338.00 13-Aug-18 338.50 13-Aug-18 338.50 13-Aug-18 336.50 13-Aug-18 336.50 13-Aug-18 336.50 13-Aug-18 340.00 13-Aug-18 338.50 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 13-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 14-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18 15-Aug-18
337.00 362.00 337.00 340.50 338.50 335.50 337.00 338.00 340.00 340.00 340.00 334.50 340.00 340.50 337.00 336.50 330.50 336.50 337.00 330.50 335.50 338.00 335.50 338.50 338.00 338.00 338.00 340.00 337.00 340.00 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 357.32 335.50 338.50 362.00 337.00 333.50 336.50 336.50 338.50 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 337.00 337.00 338.50 338.00 338.00 340.00 340.00 340.00 335.50 357.00 357.00 336.50 330.50 333.50 336.00 336.00 338.00 340.50 338.50 338.50 340.00 340.50 340.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 358.50 354.25 354.25 354.25 354.25 354.25 354.25 358.50 358.50 358.50 358.50 358.50 358.50 351.00 354.25 362.50 362.50 360.00 360.00 360.00
AMOUNT
SN CUSTOMER
106,000.00 370,000.00 34,000.00 8,000.00 136,000.00 102,000.00 2,000.00 150,240.00 400,000.00 40,000.00
126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256
6,000.00 29,578,737.41 40,000.00 36,000.00 47,000.00 18,000.00 45,000.00 42,000.00 27,000.00 22,880.00 127,000.00 75,060.00 13,000.00 9,000.00 6,000.00 5,000.00 14,000.00 8,000.00 24,000.00 6,000.00 19,000.00 100,000.00 13,000.00 137,739.56 188,662.40 138,482.50 111,000.00 26,000.00 12,000.00 18,000.00 1,886,334.25 1,714,929.35 1,257,556.17 1,257,556.17 1,006,044.94 1,006,044.94 1,006,044.94 1,006,044.94 1,006,044.94 708,947.29 503,022.47 503,022.47 503,022.47 297,160.52 297,097.65 125,755.62 4,000.00 6,000.00 70,108.00 285,000.00 15,000.00 8,000.00 11,796.75 1,000.00 4,000.00 4,000.00 4,000.00 4,000.00 3,858.60 1,000.00 850.00 10,000.00 2,000.00 168,000.00 323,000.00 12,000.00 94,000.00 23,000.00 187,920.00 18,000.00 4,400,000.00 600,000.00 38,000.00 11,000.00 7,000.00 15,000.00 6,000.00 18,000.00 20,000.00 3,000.00 11,520.00 620,000.00 660,000.00 12,000.00 13,778.27 7,289.07 5,537.00 5,250.00 2,415.00 1,639.00 4,000.00 3,930.00 3,870.30 2,500.00 1,000.00 20,000.00 457,680.00 143,466.69 103,371.81 76,752.00 1,100,684.40 50,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 10,000.00 195,000.00 48,259.73 3,939,933.56 2,080,817.19 5,986.00 5,415.06 3,000.00
AJILORE BUKKIE YVONNE JOSEPHINE A. PETER NWOKOLO (MRS) OLASUPO LATEEF ALABA ISAH AL JANINAT IKHARO OKPALAOKA ATINUKE OYINKANSOLA AB FRANK INDUSTRIES LTD D.E.STAN INTERNATIONAL CO S.C JOHNSON AND SON NIGERIA LIMITED S.C JOHNSON AND SON NIGERIA LIMITED PARAGON PEERS RESOURCES NIG.LTD SABASTEEL INDUSTRIAL NIG LTD CYBELE COSMETICS LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED MEEQUIP XTRAS NIG LTD 2 A A RANO NIGERIA LTD FESTO AUTOMATION LIMITED MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD MULTI-CHEM INDUSTRIES LTD INT TOWERS LIMITED SUPREME GIFTS ENTERPRISES SUPER MACOLIGHT LTD MACOHAYS INVESTMENT NIGERIA LIMITED MBV RESOURCES SYNERGY LTD MAKON WIRE AND CABLE NIGERIA LTD AMARILO PLASTICS LIMITED GLOBAL IMPACT MARBLE AND GRANITE LT BALOGUN MULIKAT FOLA LUCAS ANGELA IZUKANNE LAOSEBIKAN DANIEL AREMU OSUJI LEONARD ONYEWUCHI KAYODE-OGUTA OLABISI ADEPEJU UZOIGWE GODWIN ONYEMAECHI OMOREGIE GLORIA ANONYAI JOHN UGOCHUKWU DOKUBO KETTY G ORAMADIKE CHIGOZIE EUNICE MARK VICTOR DONALD ALAO OLUFUNSO PETER NTA STAR TV NETWORK LTD CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED AMITAGE SHANKS LIMITED OPONAC LIMITED KYSTAJO NIGERIA LIMITED NESBY NIGERIA LIMITED KYSTAN IMPEX COMPANY LIMITED REMY CADO NETWORKS LTD MULTI RHYTHMS NIGERIA LIMITED GLOBAL MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE AND EKEHPETER AND SONS COMPANY GOD DEY TRADING STORES BUKASONMAKEL CONCEPT A.N ELUAGU AND SONS LTD ELO CONCEPTS NIGERIA LIMITED ALFANUMERIK SERVICES BLESSED CHIDOZIE C C ENTERPRISES G I U VEN AND INV LTD DE GOLD FEATHERS ASSOCIATES INTL OKWY PADDYNO IMPEX NIGERIA LIMITED YARDEL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES GRANITO STONE GLOBAL CONCEPTS GIONIME COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED SALIENT INDUSTRIES LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED NIJON AUTO COMPANY NIGERIA LIMITED UAE DENNIS INDUSTRIES LIMITED DUFAMS LINKS NIGERIA LIMITED EZENWA MERCHANDISE NIGERIA LIMITED O.U SAM INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED ECOBANK ZAMBIA SCC NIGERIA LIMITED (2) EHINMOSAN EMAYO AYODELE OSAJI MARY UWAYEME ASOWATA ALBERT OMOSERE GEORGE DEREK MOBOLANLE ONYIRIUKA FLORENCE OGHALE OKORIE HELEN EGO JOSEPHINE A. PETER NWOKOLO (MRS) EAGLE INDUSTRIES INTL CONCEPT LIMI EAGLE INDUSTRIES INTL CONCEPT LIMI REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED A A RANO NIGERIA LTD A A RANO NIGERIA LTD A A RANO NIGERIA LTD VISTA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED MAY AND CLEMS GLOBAL RESOURCES LTD JAY AND JENNY CONCEPT CO. LTD H K WIRE AND CABLE COMPANY LTD DIGNITY PLASTIC INDUSTRIES MACPEE AGENCIES LIMITED GODWILL GENERAL PRODUCTS LTD NUEL PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED FATADE ADERONKE OLADUNNI IBENEME-SUNNY ESTHER ONYEMAECHI AKINKUGBE OLURONKE ADEOLA ATURU BANJI ISAAC ANYANWU ROSELINE NNEDI DURU PATRICIA IYAGBA NGO OKORIE CHINWE ANGELA IFATUROTI ADEOLA VICTOR EZULIKE JOY ONYINYE ADEYANJU OLAMIDE AMIDAT ANJORIN FUNMILAYO TAIBAT UNUIGBE GRACE OLUWAKEMI OYEKANMI A AKEEM IHENACHO CALISTA REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED REGATTA INDUSTRIES LIMITED EMMA-GONS NIGERIA LIMITED YAMAMOTOR INDUSTRIAL COMPANY LTD ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED SARO AGROSCIENCE LIMITED KYRINES NIGERIA LIMITED PAZKEN ENTERPRISES NIGERIA MUMMYS PRIDE GLOBAL LTD NWOSU O ELIAS NIGERIA ENTERPRISES E.MUCH-MORE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED OLASHORE ABIMBOLA
ITEM OF IMPORT
DATE OF EX- AMOUNT FUND CHANGE PURCHASE RATE EDUCATION 15-Aug-18 360.00 1,986.75 EDUCATION 15-Aug-18 360.00 1,815.00 EDUCATION 15-Aug-18 360.00 1,000.00 EDUCATION 15-Aug-18 360.00 700.00 EDUCATION 15-Aug-18 360.00 644.65 FISHING YARN 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 GENERATORS 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 GLADE I LOVE YOU & GLADE LAVENDER 15-Aug-18 354.25 90,038.00 GLADE I LOVE YOU, GLADE JASMINE AND GLADE LAVENDER 15-Aug-18 354.25 16,443.00 HEAD PHONES 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 HOT ROLLED STEEL SHEETS 15-Aug-18 354.25 140,000.00 IMPORT INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - ODORIFEROUS SUBSTANCE 15-Aug-18 354.25 65,000.00 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - ETHYL ACETATE 15-Aug-18 354.25 238,200.00 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - ETHYL ACETATE 15-Aug-18 354.25 58,217.89 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - POLYOL 15-Aug-18 354.25 405,216.00 IMPORTATION OF ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANTS 15-Aug-18 361.00 22,166.23 IMPORTATION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS 15-Aug-18 354.25 92,720.00 IMPORTATION OF PNEUMATIC MACHINE PARTS FOR PRODUCTION LINES IN 15-Aug-18 354.25 8,471.72 MANUFACTURING COMPANIES INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - ENZYMES 15-Aug-18 354.25 90,000.00 INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - PIGMENT BLUE 15:3 15-Aug-18 354.25 65,760.00 INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - VITAMIN A PALMITATE 1.7 MIU/G 15-Aug-18 354.25 4,549.22 INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS - VITAMIN A PALMITATE 1.7 MIU/G 15-Aug-18 354.25 2,940.78 INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS -ENZYMES FUNGAMYL 4000 SG 15-Aug-18 354.25 25,167.60 LOAN REPAYMENT 15-Aug-18 354.25 1,122,103.63 METAL PIN 15-Aug-18 358.50 575.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND: DIGNITY SILVER) 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND: DIGNITY SILVER) 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND: DIGNITY SILVER) 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND:DIGNITY SILVER) 15-Aug-18 358.50 17,300.00 PAYMENT FOR RAW MATERIALS 15-Aug-18 354.25 26,000.00 POLISHED GRANITE 15-Aug-18 358.50 10,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 3,996.83 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 3,996.83 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 3,000.00 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 2,862.50 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 2,578.60 PTA 15-Aug-18 360.00 1,000.00 Reception Apparatus for Television, Coloured(CKD) Led Digital TV Model: E43BJL4HH 15-Aug-18 354.25 117,195.67 RUSSIA MILLING WHEAT - 10,000 M.TONS 15-Aug-18 354.25 1,000,000.00 SANITARY WARES 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 SANITARY WARES 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 SILICON SEALANT PU AND RTV 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 SILICON SEALANT PU AND RTV 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 SILICON SEALANT PU AND RTV 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 STEEL DOORS 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 STEEL DOORS AND CERAMIC WATER CLOSET 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 STYRENE ACRYLIC 15-Aug-18 354.25 15,000.00 TIGER HEAD BRAND PAPER JACKET DRY BATTERY 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 TIGER HEAD BRAND PAPER JACKET DRY BATTERY 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 TIGER HEAD BRAND PAPER JACKET DRY BATTERY 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 TIGER HEAD BRAND PAPER JACKET DRY BATTERY 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UNCOATED KRAFT PAPER AND BOARD 15-Aug-18 358.50 5,000.00 WALLPAPER 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 WATER PUMP 15-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 WHITE PE MB/BAG (MASTERBATCH 15-Aug-18 354.25 47,280.00 AGRICULTURAL FUNGICIDE 16-Aug-18 315.00 213,400.00 AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES 16-Aug-18 315.00 509,856.00 AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES 16-Aug-18 315.00 402,408.00 AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES 16-Aug-18 315.00 189,392.00 AGRICULTURAL HERBICIDES 16-Aug-18 315.00 8,144.00 BICYCLE SPARE PART 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 BICYCLE SPARE PART 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 BICYCLE SPARE PART 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 BICYCLE SPARE PART 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 BICYCLE SPARE PART 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION 16-Aug-18 362.50 490.66 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 122,343.00 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 15,000.00 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 15,000.00 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 10,259.82 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 6,539.22 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,941.40 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 1,344.28 EDUCATION 16-Aug-18 360.00 740.12 FULL CREAM MILK POWDER GAS FLUSHED 28.1% INS/VIT KG 25KG BAG 16-Aug-18 331.00 180,000.00 FULL CREAM MILK POWDER GAS FLUSHED 28.1% INS/VIT KG 25KG BAG 16-Aug-18 331.00 101,500.00 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - ETHYL ACETATE 16-Aug-18 307.27 53,302.11 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL - TITANIU DIOXIDE 16-Aug-18 307.27 70,249.40 IMPORT OF INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIL - MEK 16-Aug-18 307.27 51,640.00 IMPORTATION OF GASOIL (AGO) 16-Aug-18 360.00 205,817.66 IMPORTATION OF GASOIL (AGO) 16-Aug-18 360.00 5,180.00 IMPORTATION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS 16-Aug-18 360.00 194,987.18 INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL FOR PRODUCTION OF EXERCISE BOOKS: 16-Aug-18 331.00 73,382.48 JINCHENG MOTORCYCLE 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 JINCHENG MOTORCYCLE 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND: DIGNITY SILVER) 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND: DIGNITY SILVER) 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOBILE CHARGER(BRAND:DIGNITY SILVER) 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 MOTOCYCLE SPARE PARTS 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 NUEL PENTAZOCINE INJECTION 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,942.77 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,846.60 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,846.60 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 3,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 2,307.96 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 2,300.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 1,282.20 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 1,000.00 PTA 16-Aug-18 360.00 1,000.00 RAW MATERIAL IMPORT - ETHYL ACETATE 16-Aug-18 307.27 55,520.00 RAW MATERIAL IMPORT - PARAFFIN OIL 16-Aug-18 307.27 24,572.00 ROLLER CHAIN 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 ROLLER CHAIN 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 SALE TO CBN 16-Aug-18 357.00 700,000.00 SAROSATE 1L 16-Aug-18 315.00 155,000.00 SLICONE SEALANT PU AND RTV 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 UMBRELLA 16-Aug-18 358.50 19,150.00 WATER PUMP 16-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 WHEAT Canadian Western Red Spring - NO.2 - 13% PROTEIN WHEAT . 5,000 M.TONS 16-Aug-18 305.77 292,665.00 WHEAT Canadian Western Red Spring - NO.2 - 13% PROTEIN WHEAT . 5,000 M.TONS 16-Aug-18 346.00 200,000.00 CARD PAYMENT 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,979.79
41
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
RETURNS ON UTILIZATION OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 17th-AUGUST 2018 This publication: Mandated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
BANK: ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED SN CUSTOMER
ITEM OF IMPORT
257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298
CCTV CAMERA & RECORDERS CCTV CAMERA & RECORDERS COM SPROCKET AND CHAIN CREDIT CARD BILL DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL REPATRIATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA PTA ROLLER CHAIN WHEAT CANADIAN WESTERN SPRING WHEAT - NO.2 OR BETTER - PROTEIN- 13%
SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87
SYNERGETICS GLOBAL SYSTEMS LIMITED TOYA-SOY VENTURES NIG. LTD ACOBEST INTEGRATED INVESTMENT LIMITED AJAYI ADEYEMI&AJAYI GRACE ODUBANKE ECOBANK GUINEA CONAKRY ECOBANK GUINEA CONAKRY AKINKUGBE ADEOLA RONKE AKINKUGBE ADEOLA RONKE OKPANACHI IVIE EMILY EKWUEME MICHAEL CHUKWUNNAH CHRISTY ONWUZULIKE UDOUDO INIOBONG JACKSON MR. OJULARI RASHEED OLUSHOLA NMEZI PRECIOUS NNAMDI AYOKANMBI JOHNSON ADEOYE WILLIE AND ATIM ETIM OKOKON APRIOKU PETER SYDNEY CHRISTY ONWUZULIKE USAH ABASIOFIOK EMMANUEL CHUKWURAH JUDITH EZIM ARUBUOLA KAYODE JOSSY MADUAGWU JULIET NKIRU GARBA TSAUNI MUHAMMAD DAVID FOREJIN ABEL MADUAGWU JULIET NKIRU CYPRIAN ONYEISI UKAH-OFUASIA EMMANUEL HOPE ANIEKEME AKOMOLEDE OLUBUKOLA OLABIMPE KAGHO WHOTERA TASS ITSUELI UYEME NOEL-MARY ONWUMERE ERNIE CHIBUNDU KOLAWOLE ADEWALE OLABODE AYILEKA ANIOLUWA TIWALOLUWA OGBONNA JACINTA OBIAGELI OLADEJO MOSES OLUSOJI EFE UYEH BADMUS RISIKAT OLATUNDUN MBAGWU FRANCISCA CHINYEAKA OPEOLUWA KEHINDE AYOTUNDE OPEOLUWA KEHINDE AYOTUNDE EMMAGONS FLYGO NIG LTD CROWN FLOUR MILLS LIMITED
DATE OF EX- AMOUNT FUND CHANGE PURCHASE RATE 17-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 17-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 17-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 2,166.24 17-Aug-18 362.50 232,500.00 17-Aug-18 362.50 36,166.67 17-Aug-18 360.00 14,353.97 17-Aug-18 360.00 14,353.97 17-Aug-18 360.00 13,944.19 17-Aug-18 360.00 10,110.25 17-Aug-18 360.00 9,613.50 17-Aug-18 360.00 7,882.24 17-Aug-18 360.00 5,942.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 5,930.37 17-Aug-18 360.00 5,877.32 17-Aug-18 360.00 5,740.37 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,400.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,075.71 17-Aug-18 360.00 3,043.48 17-Aug-18 360.00 2,500.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 2,429.19 17-Aug-18 360.00 1,803.30 17-Aug-18 360.00 1,281.80 17-Aug-18 360.00 1,025.44 17-Aug-18 360.00 929.22 17-Aug-18 360.00 900.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 713.64 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 4,000.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 2,563.60 17-Aug-18 360.00 1,281.80 17-Aug-18 360.00 897.26 17-Aug-18 360.00 700.00 17-Aug-18 360.00 493.65 17-Aug-18 360.00 250.00 17-Aug-18 358.50 20,000.00 17-Aug-18 305.75 71,506.70
RETURNS ON SOURCES OF FUNDS PURCHASED FROM CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 17TH-AUGUST 2018 SOURCE DATE OF FUND PURCHASE EXCHANGE RATE AMOUNT OTHERS 13-Aug-18 357.00 9,516.42 CAPITAL IMPRT/FDI 13-Aug-18 361.50 62,240,663.90 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 335.00 72,000.00 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 333.77 97,060.00 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 332.31 401,000.00 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 335.98 452,036.75 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 337.19 1,397,144.90 CBN INTERVENTION 13-Aug-18 339.33 2,854,059.56 OTHERS 13-Aug-18 305.00 20,124.70 OTHERS 13-Aug-18 310.00 30,000.00 OTHERS 13-Aug-18 357.00 600,000.00 OTHERS 13-Aug-18 357.00 4,400,000.00 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.06 16.55 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.01 168.08 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 342.12 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 454.26 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 456.84 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 304.98 4,331.43 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 5,634.55 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 362.98 6,270.88 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 9,372.42 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 61,148.72 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 124,708.66 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 244,765.05 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 308,630.36 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 306.05 579,369.75 CBN INTERVENTION 14-Aug-18 357.00 1,000,000.00 CBN INTERVENTION 14-Aug-18 357.00 1,000,000.00 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 305.68 14,360.91 IMTO 14-Aug-18 356.00 13,395.92 IMTO 14-Aug-18 356.00 14,977.31 IMTO 14-Aug-18 356.00 18,834.09 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 45,932.45 INTERBANK 14-Aug-18 306.05 50,000.00 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 75,783.54 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 100,890.89 OTHERS 14-Aug-18 356.00 118,738.76 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 356.00 514.31 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 304.98 3,823.14 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 306.05 251,706.68 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 306.05 267,923.36 CAPITAL IMPRT/FDI 15-Aug-18 360.00 122,000.00 CBN INTERVENTION 15-Aug-18 353.75 2,805,259.07 CBN INTERVENTION 15-Aug-18 353.75 2,805,259.07 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 362.98 18,637.69 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 360.00 39,236.53 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 350.00 45,000.00 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 350.00 150,000.00 INTERBANK 15-Aug-18 361.50 6,020,750.75 IMTO 15-Aug-18 355.00 19,066.28 IMTO 15-Aug-18 355.00 19,479.56 IMTO 15-Aug-18 355.00 33,371.75 OTHERS 15-Aug-18 356.00 132,816.44 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 362.98 3,361.06 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 304.98 4,283.86 INTERBANK 16-Aug-18 306.10 10,000.00 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 306.05 30,299.52 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 306.05 57,450.03 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 306.05 257,406.00 CAPITAL IMPRT/FDI 16-Aug-18 330.00 354,882.48 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 305.05 21,506.70 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 306.05 50,000.00 OTHERS 16-Aug-18 345.00 200,000.00 INTERBANK 16-Aug-18 314.50 1,478,200.00 IMTO 16-Aug-18 355.00 86,291.30 IMTO 16-Aug-18 355.00 105,848.49 IMTO 16-Aug-18 355.00 137,166.00 IMTO 16-Aug-18 356.00 818.86 IMTO 16-Aug-18 356.00 13,141.54 IMTO 16-Aug-18 356.00 13,281.86 IMTO 16-Aug-18 356.00 24,005.34 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 356.00 271.35 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 356.00 520.79 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 305.01 6,347.40 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 11,271.34 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 362.98 11,690.49 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 306.05 151,770.37 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 305.05 13,470.46 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 361.80 4,610,578.72 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 21,824.03 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 54,164.09 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 55,685.02 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 356.00 71,335.33 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 74,343.22 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 88,681.62 IMTO 17-Aug-18 355.00 98,401.43 OTHERS 17-Aug-18 356.00 118,280.24 TOTAL AMOUNT AVERAGE AMOUNT
97,343,613.34 1,118,892.11
NEWSXTRA
Curfew Imposed in Bayelsa Community as PDP, APC Supporters Clash Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÏØËÑÙË A dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed on Twon-Brass in Bayelsa State following a clash between the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the All Progressives (APC) in the riverine area, which led to the death of at least two persons on Monday. The bloody encounter, which also saw many suspected thugs from both parties injured, followed the recent disturbances in the Brass Local Government Area (LGA), which were caused by a power tussle between the council Chairman, Victor Isaiah and the only APC member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Israel Sunny-Igoli. In the latest incident, a spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide in
the area was alleged to be one of those gruesomely cut down by their assailants. But the state police spokesman, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said only one person died. It was gathered that tension has continued to mount in the crisisridden area, with both party loyalists spoiling for war, compounded by the impending official declaration of one of the actors, Sunny-Igoli, for the Federal House of Representatives’ seat next weekend. One version of the cause of the clash alleged that some thugs numbering about 10 entered the town through Odioma and were challenged by some IYC boys and APC boys, resulting in a fight. However, declaring the curfew, Isaiah warned that anyone found violating it
would be apprehended by the security agencies who are struggling to return peace to the area. He added that all forms of meetings in the affected area had been cancelled until peace is restored. “Following the recent disturbances in Twon-Brass, the Honourable Victor Isaiah Caretaker Chairman Brass Local Government Area, has declared a 9pm-6am indefinite emergency curfew in Twon-Brass with effect from today. “To this end, all indigenes and residents of Twon-Brass are advised to stay indoors for their own safety, as security operatives have been directed to arrest anyone found to be violating the directive. “Also all public gatherings or processions are prohibited during this period,” the chairman said.
Ilorin Community Pledges Support for Saraki Hammed Shittu ÓØ ÖÙÜÓØ The people of Ilorin community, the capital of Kwara State, yesterday further showed their commitment, love and support for the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. Unlike last year when they were throwing stones at Ilorin Eid praying ground, this year celebration was peaceful as residents displayed their solidarity for Saraki at the praying ground, after observing the two Rakahs Eid-el- Kabir prayer. The Imam Imale of Ilorin, Shiekh Abdullahi AbdulHamid, who led the prayer, had shortly after the two rakahs prayer offered special prayer for the Senate president. AbdulHamid, who described Saraki as “our beloved and great son” prayed Allah to further elevate him in his political career. “We are very proud of Saraki’s achievements as the Senate president. We are delighted about verified claims which said the achievements of the eighth Senate under the leadership of our son surpassed what was
achieved by the previous Senates.” Immediately after the prayer session, the shout of ‘Olooyeee, Waziri Ngeri, no Saraki, no Nigeria’ rented the air. The security operatives had a hectic time trying to control the surging crowd, with everyone trying to catch a glimpse of the Senate president. The elated Saraki seemed to have asked the security operatives to allow his people move closer to him, as he stood up from the roof of his car to acknowledge cheers from the crowd. It took about 30 minutes before his convoy could leave the Eid praying ground. Saraki’s political profile has continued to soar since the Supreme Court’s verdict discharged and acquitted him of allegations of false assets declaration by the federal government. In commemoration of the Supreme Court’s verdict, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari, named Saraki the Wazirin Ilorin (prime minister). Saraki had arrived in Ilorin
Eid praying ground at about 8. 55 a.m., and waited patiently till 9.33 a. m. when the prayer commenced. The president of the Senate was accompanied to the praying ground by a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, and former Minister of Youths and Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, among others. In his sermon, the Imam Imale of Ilorin, Alhaji AbdulHamid, admonished Muslim faithful to be pious and observe the teachings of the holy Qur’an in their undertakings. The cleric reminded the adherents of the significance of the Islamic festivities, which include fulfillment of promise, piety, sacrifice, devotion and being submissive to the dos and don’ts in Islam. Also speaking, the Emir of Ilorin, Sulu-Gambari, cautioned Muslims against conducts that could negatively affect their good deeds in the sight of the Almighty Allah.
My Govt will Not Antagonise FG, Aremu Promises Yinka Kolawole ÓØ ÝÙÑÌÙ The candidate for Labour Party (LP), Issa Aremu, has posited that if elected as the governor of Kwara State, he would not be antagonistic with federal government but remains friendly to all. Speaking with THISDAY at the Ilorin airport, the governorship hopeful contended that the Kwara State has lost her stature in the comity of states, saying as one of the oldest states cannot boast of any serious development.
He remarked that he would run open government that would users in development in the state and provide good government for the alienated people of the state. He recalled that in 1978 Kwara State was the leading state in industrialisation but today, all these industries are down. Aremu noted that during his tenure, he would bring back these industries in order to eradicate poverty in the state as well as provide meaningful employment for the youths.
He also stressed that the state resources would be tailored in a way that would bring the best, noting that salaries would be paid as at when due. He also opined that he would bring the best out of his government because of the human resource endowed the state. The Labour leader emphasised that he would not make the state House of Assembly under him a robber stamp, saying accountability would take upper most in his inclusive government.
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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWSXTRA
Peace Corps’ Delegation Departs for UN Conference Udora Orizu ÓØ ÌßÔË The United Nations (UN) has invited the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) to attend her 67th Department of Public Information/ Non-Governmental Organisation (DPI/NGO) conference scheduled for its headquarters in New York, United States. The event is designed to provide a policy building forum for NGOs’ collaboration with the world body. Addressing journalists in Abuja while leading a five-man delegation of PCN to the UN conference in New York, National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Amb. Dickson Akoh said time had come for the organiaation to make a statement on Nigeria’s democracy, using its numerical strength. Akoh also charged members of the Corps to take advantage of
the extension of the continuous voters registration (CVR) exercise and get registered, adding that any officer or volunteer of the Corps who fails to comply with the instruction would not be issued identity card during the 2019 membership revalidation. PCN currently boasts 157,000 regular officers and about two million volunteers across the country. “All Peace Corps officers in Nigeria, numbering over 157, 000 and our volunteers close to two million have been told that this is a time to make a statement on democracy and then I have ordered them to renew their identity cards next year; so they must have PVC. “ Without PVC (permanent voters card) to vote, nobody would issue identity card to any of our members nationwide”, Akoh said.
He stated that had the Peace Corps Bill enjoyed the assent of President Muhammad Buhari, the Corps would have provided jobs for about three million Nigerian youths nationwide in the first phase. He expressed optimism that the bill would be signed into law, adding that the President has the liberty constitutionally to recall the Bill after six months and assent to it. He said, “we have been appealing, we would continue to appeal. We don’t blame the President for whatever action he might be taking but the agency that tends to criminalise, label the good and noble intention of the youths or citizens before the authority because we don’t have access to the government, are the same people that scrutinise documents and representation we always send,” he explained.
NIP Elects Female Presidential Candidate Onyebuchi Ezigbo ËØÎ Udora Orizu ÓØ ÌßÔË Ahead of the 2019 general election, the National Interest Party has elected Mrs. Eunice Atuejide as its presidential candidate. The party at its national convention held on Monday evening in Abuja also resolved to sanction some members
of its National Executive Committee (NEC) accused of violating the party’s constitution. Speaking at the convention, Atuejide who also doubles as the National Chairman of the party, thanked the members for choosing her as their presidential candidate for the 2019 general election. She added that with
her emergence, she can campaign with so much more confidence, with accountability and transparency as a watchword On the NIP’s membership of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), she said the party still retains its right to elect candidates, adding the arrangement is a coalition and not a merger.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY
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NEWSXTRA
Police Injure Three Suspected Armed Robbers in Niger L a l e y e D i p o Ă“ Ă˜ Ă“ Ă˜ Ă˜ Ă‹ The police in Minna, Niger State, have stated t h a t t h re e s u s p e c t e d a r m e d ro b b e r s w e re “ f a t a l l y i n j u re d â€? i n a shootout with men o f t h e a n t i - ro b b e r y squad along the L u n m a - B a n a n a ro a d
i n t h e B o rg u L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t A re a o f t h e s t a t e . The t h re e fatally injured armed robbery s u s p e c t s w e re a m o n g the d a re d e v i l s of the underworld who b l o c k e d t h e ro a d a n d dispossessed motorists of their valuable
belongings. The state Police Public Relations O ff i c e r ( P P R O ) , D S P Muhammad Abubakar, who made this known in a statement made available to journalists did not say what happened to the
‘fatally injured’ robbery suspects but said other members of the gang escaped into the bush with gunshot wounds. Abubakar said one single barrel short gun; two live cartridges, t h re e m a c h e t e s , t w o masks, three torchlights
a n d o n e s t i c k w e re re c o v e re d f ro m t h e fleeing ro b b e r y suspects. “The state police command t h e re f o re calls on the members of the public to report any person with bullet wound to the police,�
the spokesman said. Abubakar also a s s u re d t h e p u b l i c t h a t t h e p o l i c e w e re ‘ e v e r re a d y ’ t o s t e m the tide of violent crime in the state and t h e re f o re s o l i c i t e d f o r the cooperation of the public.
Bauchi Lawmaker Alleges Threat to Her Life Segun Awofadeji Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’Ă“ Member representing Dass constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon Maryam Garba Bagel, has raised the alarm over alleged threat to her life by yet-to-be identified persons for what she described as her hard political stance in the state.  Bagel who briefed journalists about the threat in her house yesterday narrated that “late last Monday evening after I came back from my sister’s house for Iftah preparatory to the Eid-el Kabir celebration, I was called by an unknown mobile number intimating me of an envelope dropped for me at home.â€? She continued: “When I called my security details for the envelope, what I found therein shocked me as it contained phonographic pictures and some other pictures of me got from my Facebook account but were well photo-shopped to depict immoral postures and concocted conversations by an unidentified respondent.â€? The politician, who recently contested and lost the Bauchi South senatorial by-election on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP), added that at about 11p.m. on the same Monday, the number called her again and threatened to deal with her unless she stopped her antagonistic tendency towards the Bauchi State Government led by the Governor Mohammed Abubakar. She further stated that “when I told the person to go ahead and do his worst, he then resorted to sending
messages and pictures to me on WhatsApp, boasting that they have all it takes to run me down politically, and if care is not taken, terminate my life unless I subject myself to the leadership of the state government and the governor.� According to her, “The caller added that I have remained a thorn in their flesh, and that I have been outspoken, always countering the state government to the extent that I have earned for myself the nickname, ‘redneck’. I should be ready to face the consequences of my hard political stance any moment from now unless I toe the line of subjugation.� The lawmaker, who has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the wake of the recent Bauchi South senatorial byelection, said similar message was sent to her husband, a development she said has unsettled her household even though she declared that she is unperturbed about the threat. Bagel added that “the caller said I should take note that as a woman, I am in the wrong place in politics, I should go back to the kitchen where I belong and allow men to play politics, threatening to send the pictures to the Emir of Dass and others in the state.� While calling on the state Police Command and other security agencies in the state to rise up to protect her from the threat having reported the matter to them, she declared that “I am not afraid of them or their sponsors, I have confidence and believe in Allah that no harm will befall me.�
CAC End-time Ministries Holds Anniversary Christ Apostolic Church (End-Time Apostolic Ministries), holds its 11th Annual Revival Hour Anniversary for this year, themed, “Divine Increase� on August 23. According to a statement issued by the church, the power-packed revival anniversary will take place at the church auditorium at No. 15, Oyekan Street, off Command Road, Ipaja, Lagos, by 7.30 a.m to 10.30 a.m prompt. The presiding pastor,
Prophet Matthew K. Omolewa and other anointed ministers of God will be ministering, featuring: Salvation, healing, fruitfulness, deliverance, breakthroughs, among other notable miracles. Prophet Omolewa, who is upbeat about the promises of God for the anniversary, said it is going to be a wonderful time with God for all participants, as, “the God of wonders shall fill your mouth with wonderful testimonies.�
COURTESY VISIT L-R: Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Estragon Edge Limited, Mr Tope Daramola; Trade Commissioner, High Commission of
Malaysia, Mr. Mohd Khairy Maidin, and Chairman, Estragon Edge Ltd,Olawale Ayinla, during a courtesy visit to the High Commission in Lagos...recently.
Edo Orders Arrest of Two-man Fake Motor Licencing Syndicate The Edo State Government has ordered the arrest of two persons allegedly operating a fake motor licencing syndicate and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.   The two suspects, Igbinidu Osagbemworhue and Austin Nwadili, allegedly processed fake motor licences and vehicle particulars.    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Surveillance, Emmanuel Orukpe, said the suspects were apprehended when a team of surveillance operatives tracked them and uncovered their dealings
in fake motor vehicle particulars. According to him, “The suspects, in the course of a fresh negotiation for the production of driver’s licence were arrested. The two suspects who were arrested gave their names as Igbinidu Osagbemworhue and Austin Nwadili. They were searched on the spot and found with two sets of driver’s licences bearing the name of one of the suspects, Austine Nwadili, suspected to be fake; courier service report belonging to Igbinidu, which was suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and
one suspected fake PCRC identity card bearing the name Igbinidu.�  Orukpe said the suspects claimed that the documents were perfected by another suspect who hangs around the premises of the Board of Internal Revenue. He said investigations on the documents found on them showed that they were fake, as “the two documents bear the same date, whereas the one with Registration Number ASB372 RK was handed over before the one with No. EJ543 BEN. The certificate of road worthiness seems to have originated from ML 9. The
road worthiness certificates for the two vehicles which were purported to have been issued on the same day were also from different booklets.�  Orukpe said investigation is in progress at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), and that the chairman of the state’s Board of Internal Revenue would look into the matter. He warned others engaging in such criminal act to desist forthwith as the state government has a standing surveillance team which will leave no stone unturned in fishing them out for prosecution.
C’River APC Governorship Aspirant Pledges Sustainable Change Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË A governorship aspirant in the Cross River State, Mani Robson, has said he will bring enduring development for the state if elected governor. Robinson, who is contesting for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 election, said he would soon unveil a four–point development agenda for the rebirth of the state.
Speaking in interview with THISDAY in Abuja, Robson said he was running for the governorship position in the next election on the platform of the APC to bring what he described as “strategic and sustainable change.� He lamented that Cross River is no longer the state of choice for most Nigerians and foreign tourists because of the total breakdown of infrastructure and services for which the state was known.
“The consequence is that our collective progress has been undermined,’’ he stated. According to Robson, “In recent times, the core infrastructure in the state and the conditions of life of the people have degenerated to a pitiable state. The entire state is inundated with heart-breaking signs of systems decay and failure of leadership. “Calabar used to be the city of choice for most Nigerians because of its clean environment, functional
infrastructure and world class cuisine. All that are no more. A government has been responsible for that anomaly. I am offering myself for service to reclaim our collective heritage from decay and position it for rebirth.� He said his four–point agenda to be unveiled soon will remake and bring new life to the state in the areas of economic growth, social and human development, innovative agriculture and security of lives and property.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWSXTRA
Pro-Buhari Group Seeks Nigeria’s Unity Jonathan Eze A socio-political group, Buhari Unity Band (BUB), has joined the trending cry for the unity
of all tribes and sections of the country in order to guard against looming disintegration already entrenched in Nigeria’s fundamental identity
Catholic Action Tasks President on Security, Press Freedom Udora Orizu ÓØ ÌßÔË Catholic Action, a non-partisan pressure group has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to reorganise the security architecture before the 2019 general elections. Chairman, Board of Trustees, Catholic Action, Peter Agbontaen made this call while addressing a press conference in Abuja. He stated that the current security team will not deliver in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians and also in the conduct of 2019 elections. “Going by what is happening, we do not have faith in the current security team. We call on the president to critically look into the security architecture and listen to the many calls of Nigerians to immediately reorganize the nation’s security apparatus”, he said. He also urged the federal government to guarantee press freedom and must ensure that journalists are secured when carrying out their constitutional duties. According to him, “We all know that press freedom is the
cornerstone of every vibrant democracy. The security of every journalist is essential for freedom of reports which strengthens the elements if every democracy. “Journalists are the beautiful brides of every democracy and as the bridegroom protects his bride, our government and security agencies must protect our journalists who are performing their duties especially with this looming dark clouds surrounding the eve of 2019 elections.” He urged Nigerians to shun politicians who only act in their selfish interest, and those who only try to save their seats or avoid the hammer of the anti graft agencies. “We should look out for candidates who has the right character to lead a complicated country like Nigeria, someone who is competent to take on the fight for a progressive nation and someone who will communicate his decisions, intentions to achieve the better Nigeria we dreamed of,” Agbontaen said.
strongholds. Addressing journalists in Lagos yesterday, Convener and Vice-President of the group, Yomi Oyekoya, explained that the founding fathers of Nigeria grew the country’s identity through a well-thought out ideologies and virtues. According to him, “Our dear country Nigeria wasn’t founded in abstract but on concrete ideologies and virtues which are succinctly expressed in the national coat-of-arms as ‘unity and faith, peace and progress’, and the national flag where
white depicts peace and unity. “Similarly, the popular last line of the national anthem describes Nigeria as ‘one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity’ just as a vital phrase of our national pledge urges us to ‘defend her unity.’ Only unpatriotic citizens that have been made to learn and understand these key things will still get involved in the disunity of Nigeria.” Vice-President, BUB on Ethnic Harmony and Conflict Resolution, Alhaji Jamiu Abiola, explained that “President Muhammadu Buhari did what no other
Nigerian head of state could do to heal the hearts of Nigerians by honouring my late father, Chief MKO Abiola, with GCFR, thus acknowledging him winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. This is the height of political unity.” Explaining BUB, the group Director of Communication and Media, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, said it is a progressive band with unique capabilities to promote the unity of Nigeria, a mission which tops President Buhari’s agenda. “At BUB, we realise that
those sowing seeds of discord prevent the masses from seeing and knowing the truth. These corrupt disrupters have been using their looted money to incite Nigerians against one another. Unfortunately, they are privileged Nigerians who are united in looting. “Right thinking Nigerian voters must be reminded that disunity, insecurity and corruption have marred almost every attempt our country has made at selfgovernance. But with Buhari, Nigeria has a true symbol and builder of national unity,” he said.
Women Group Wants Riverine Gov Ernest Chinwo ÓØ ÙÜÞ ËÜÍÙßÜÞ A women’s pressure group, Rivers Women Alliance (RIWA), has said there is need for the riverine area of the state to produce the governor of the state in 2019. The women lamented that the riverine area of the state has not had access to the governorship of the state for 20 years, adding that for equity and fairness, the area should produce the next governor. Addressing journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Coordinator of Rivers Women Alliance, Mrs. Ibiba Omotoso, said: “This call became very necessary as that is the only path to equity, fairness, justice and the enhancement of peaceful coexistence in our dear state. “We as women of the state observed with total dismay how the leadership of our state has been domiciled in a particular section of Rivers State. Whereas the state is made up of upland and riverine brotherliness, but to our thinking and that of every rational thinkers, from 1999 (3rd republic) to 2019 (8th republic), the state has been governed by the upland brothers spanning from Sir. Dr. Peter Odili, Chibuike Amaechi to Nyesom Wike. It is only fair for every Rivers son and daughter to rally
round a riverine governor to taste the seat of power in our dear state.” She called on all “Rivers elders, the political class, traditional rulers, youths, women and every facet of life in the state to join hands so that our call and advocacy of truth, fairness, equity, justice, and togetherness can be a fulfilled will.” Omotoso stated that Rivers Women Alliance is a nonpolitical, non-governmental organisation with a view of total chatter for united Rivers society. “Our unity, well-being, and togetherness are sacrosanct, hence the need for rotation of power between the upland and the Riverine. We remain committed to this course, and it is our belief and trust that in 2019, a riverine son or daughter will emerge in any of the political parties as the governor of this state,” she said. She emphasised: “We believe it will not be too much to allow all concerned in a common heritage to have a fair share of the commonwealth in service. After all, a renowned scholar once said equity is in vain when oppression is the order of the day in an indifferent society. The deliberate assent of this clarion call to rotate power is just, fine and it clinches the order of the day.”
FELICITATING WITH MUSLIMS Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State addressing the Muslim community in the state at the Central Mosque, Owerri Road, Enugu, during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration... yesterday.
My Manifesto is Centred on Human Capital Development, Says Omisore Yinka Kolawole ÓØ Osogbo The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore has said his manifesto would centre on human capital development for meaningful government. Speaking in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Osogbo, the state capital, he noted that the party is insisting on human capital development in the state, adding that the working of any policy and programme is dependent largely on human capital development. He noted that unemployment rate in the state is high, stressing that for him to plan, he
must know the number of unemployed graduates. “We want to plan for the development of Osun State. The present government is not sincere. Our people are impoverished, but the state government is giving jobs to plumbers, masons and other artisans from Lagos State,” he said. He said he would be emphasising local content in his government, adding that all jobs emanating from Osun State would be done by the people in the state, while graduates would be employed and trained to be employable. “If we want to get to the level we desire, we must ascertain where we are; we started this over a year; they did not talk. We started with vocational skills, involving artisans
like auto mechanics, electricians, hair dressers and so on. We have finished with those categories. “We are now on indigenes with educational qualifications such as Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and first degrees. We want to start working immediately we get into government. We don’t want OYES kind of thing where people will be given only N10,000 only for them to be disengaged after a period of time,” he said. He revealed that he wants to give people dignified and pensionable employment. “Human capital is germane and it is contained in our
manifesto. Financial resources of any state can only be effectively driven by human capital development,” he added. He stated that the primary concern of the APC is just to award contracts and take the money belonging to the state to Lagos State. “We want to restore dignity back to our people. With diligent planning we are going to employ all employable graduates i n t h i s s t a t e . “ We n e e d d a t a t o know where we are g o i n g . We w o u l d t r a i n them to be employable and give them access to new skills. There a re 1 0 t r a d e c e n t re s i n Osun State that have n o t b e e n u t i l i s e d . We will equip them,” he added.
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T H I S D AY •WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22, 2018
WEDNESDAYSPORTS
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY
NFF Thanks Presidency, Others for Averting FIFA Ban *Says: The door remains open for aggrieved members to contest board election in Katsina next month
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed sincere appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the resolution of the federation’s leadership issue, which enabled Nigeria to avert suspension from international football on Monday. NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who spoke on behalf of the federation yesterday, admitted that the timely intervention of the Presidency in the August 20 deadline given to Nigeria to resolve the lingering crisis caused or face ban caused FIFA to change its on the planned sanctions. “The position of His Excellency, and that of the Federal Government, which was conveyed to FIFA by His Excellency, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (GCON) has convinced FIFA that Nigeria is indeed ready as ever to follow FIFA’s Statutes. I want to also use this opportunity to thank the Vice President, who as Acting President, played a very key role in the resolution of the matter “Our appreciation also goes to the Members of the Federal Executive Council, Members of the National Assembly, Heads of the various Security Agencies, Members of the NFF Congress, all our sponsors/ partners, football stakeholders, analysts and ball fans who
stood solidly by the tenets of association football,” observed the NFF chief. Pinnick, also the 1st Vice President of CAF and Member of the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions, disclosed that the immediate focus of the NFF now is the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, starting with an away game against Seychelles on 7th September, and with home-and-away matches against Libya in October and another away fixture against South Africa in November. “We will approach the matches one game at a time. Our objective is not only to qualify for the finals, but for the Super Eagles to also make a meaningful impact at the finals in Camerooon in the summer of next year,” stated Pinnick, who is also President of the AFCON Organizing Committee. He affirmed also that focus is on the upcoming Women Africa Cup of Nations (scheduled for Ghana in November and for which the Super Falcons, reigning champions, have qualified), as well as the 2019 Under-20 and Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations championships billed for Niger Republic and Tanzania respectively. While commending Enyimba FC of Aba and its Chairman, NFF Executive Committee Member Felix Anyansi-Agwu for their brilliant outing in Bamako at the weekend that
has paved the way for qualification for the quarter finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, Pinnick charged the team not to relent but instead go all out to defeat Club Athletique Renaissance Aiglons of Congo in Aba next week to assure of progress. The former Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission used the opportunity to reiterate the long-term vision of the federation, hinged on youth football development and financial autonomy. “Our vision, as we have espoused from Day One, is to build a sustainable football
culture for our dear nation. To do that, youth development is key. That is what we are trying to do with the Under-15 squad which recently reached the final of the African Youth Games in Algeria, and which will form the bulk of the next Under-17 National Team. “In the area of corporate support, we want to thank all our sponsors and partners for their love and patience during the crisis. AITEO Group, Coca Cola, Zenith Bank, Nigerian Breweries PLC, TGI Group, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, NIKE, WAPIC Insurance, Cadbury
Nigeria PLC and 1XBET have done remarkably well. “They have ensured that from about the 20% that our administration met, the NFF is now about 60% self –financing. Our objective is to work very hard to attain 100% self –financing for the Federation within the next two years, in order that football can free some money for critical areas like education, health and infrastructural renewal, upgrading and development,” he added. Pinnick stressed that the resolutions of the NFF Congress at the Extra-Ordinary
General Assembly of 2nd August in Benin City still stand. “The door remains open for those aggrieved members of the football family who are ready to abide by extant football rules and regulations, as they can still pick up forms for the elections coming up on 20th September in Katsina. “We have learnt so much during this crisis. We are more determined to run an inclusive administration where everyone can have a sense of belonging, as we work tenaciously and diligently towards taking Nigerian Football to new heights of excellence.”
Masai Ujiri’s Giants of Africa basketball camp opened in Lagos yesterday
Masai’s Giants of Africa Celebrates 15th Anniversary … Dalung Dares Presidency, Says Intervention Temporary Measure in Lagos Giants of Africa basketball camp run by the Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri began in Lagos yesterday at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium and will run through August 25. The specialist development programme for teenagers is unique this year as it is the 15th anniversary celebration. Ujiri and his crew arrived in Lagos straight from Nairobi, Kenya where the programme rounded off last Sunday. Just before the 2018 programme began in Kigali, Rwanda Masai said: “When I started Giants of Africa, I envisioned providing African youth access to the game and empowering them to achieve their greatest potential. With 63% of Africa’s population below the age of 25, we have
a huge goal and responsibility to help them develop. We are excited that this year we are able to extend our reach further across the continent to help realize that dream.” The foreign coaches named for the 2018 programme are Ujiri himself, Jama Mahlalela, Patrick Engelbrecht, Joe Touomou, Godwin Owinje, Harry Ezenibe, Eric Khoury and Arsalan Jamil. Most of these coaches have been working with GOA since inception. The Nigeria-based coaches are Adeka Daudu, Lateef Erinfolami, Emmanuel Odah, Peter Ahmedu and Michael Akuboh. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Giants of Africa has committed to hosting basketball camps
and community outreach initiatives in Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Giants of Africa youth camp held in Rwanda from August 6 to 8 and then moved to Democratic Republic of Congo from August 10 to 11 and in Uganda from August 13 to 14. It was done in Kenya from August 16 to 19 and now Nigeria from August 21 to 24. The train will round off in Senegal from August 26 to 28. The organization will host girls’ camps in tandem with its boys’ camps in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. Giants of Africa will also activate local outreach initiatives in the communities of Kakuma, Maiduguri as well as Bingereville, Ivory Coast.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has said that the intervention of the Presidency in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership crisis was temporary measure as the matter has a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In a statement issued yesterday by Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Media Assistant to Dalung, though the minister welcomed the intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the NFF leadership crisis which saved Nigeria from a suspension threat by FIFA, it was mere attempt to abate an escalating case. “This crisis cannot be solved with a temporary measure or scratched on the surface. The intervention of
the Vice President should not be viewed as different from an attempt to abate an escalating situation. “ He said that as a lawyer, he prefers to stand on Rule of Law instead of the opinion of men. “As a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who took oath of office to protect and defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will prefer to stand with the Rule of Law instead of the opinion of men. “I want to appeal to Nigerians to remain calm and give support to the NFF Elders Stakeholders Reconciliation Committee which is made up of reputable past presidents and general secretaries of the NFF with vast knowledge, experience
and competence to resolve this crisis once and for all. “We are a constitutional democracy and the doctrine of separation of powers is the foundation of democratic experience, therefore, the Rule of Law is the only mechanism that guarantees liberty and freedom of citizens “This administration was elected on the change mantra meaning that impunity has no accommodation anywhere, so Nigerians must learn to believe and practice the doctrine of the Rule of Law. “I believe we shall overcome this if we remain within the confines and dictates of the laws of our country. “As we celebrate Sallah, let’s remain law abiding citizens,” Dalung concluded.
flight, Ahmedu admitted that no date has been fixed for the team’s arrival in Lagos for now. “We are aware that a lot of people are eager to see the team train back home, but the continued delay is nobody’s
fault,” Ahmedu continued. He assured basketball stakeholders that the delay will in no way affect the team’s training as the Coach Otis Hughley-led technical crew have continued with their training sessions as they await
the next directive. The current African champion will tip off their World Cup campaign against Australia on Saturday, September 22 at the Arena Santiago Martin, San Cristobal De La Laguna, Spain.
Logistics Delay D’Tigress Arrival in Lagos The national women’s senior team, the D’Tigress, failed to arrive Lagos yesterday from the United States of America to continue the build up to the FIBA 2018 World Cup due to logistic reasons. According to an earlier
schedule released by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), D’Tigress who are currently in Atlanta, USA, were to arrive Lagos on Tuesday night but flight cancellations forced the stay back. NBBF Board Member, Col.
Sam Ahmedu (rtd) who is with the team said, “There are no suitable flights as their travel plans are being done all the way to Spain for ease of movement of the players.” Since the team’s movement is hinged on availability of
47
T H I S D AY •WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22, 2018
WEDNESDAYSPORTS
Arsenal CEO, Gazidis, Eyeing Milan Job Duro Ikhazuagbe Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis is considering taking a lucrative offer tabled by AC Milan. Gazidis, who became CEO at Arsenal in 2009 and is now tasked with the day-to-day running of the club, was one of the key players in appointing new boss Unai Emery. However, according to UK’s The Telegraph, his nearly 10year tenure at the Gunners looks to be in doubt as he mulls over a deal which could earn him £3.6million per year at the San Siro – a £1m increase on his current salary. The Italian giants want Gazidis to respond by the start of next month, hoping a promise of more money and overseeing a club overhaul will be enough to persuade him to make the switch. Arsenal were expecting the 53-year-old to accept a new challenge in Serie A, but it is understood he is yet to make a decision on his future. Gazidis remains one of the most well-paid executives in the Premier League, although his salary dropped by around £50,000 between 2016 and 2017. He played a major role in appointing Emery following Arsene Wenger’s departure earlier this year and now enjoys greater control at the Emirates Stadium. However, the club’s strict transfer and wage budget could scupper plans to take on Manchester City and challenge for the title once again. AC Milan’s new American
Gazidis (left) played a key role in appointing Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger’s successor this year owners, Elliott Management, have ambitions to take on Juventus, Napoli, Roma and rivals Inter at the top of Italian football. They hope Gazidis will use almost a decade of experience in England’s topflight to help them bridge the gap after finishing sixth last season. Meanwhile, the Gunners who lost their second game of the new season to Chelsea at the weekend are getting edgy. Lucas Torreira was reportedly involved in a fiery confrontation with Gunners coach Juan Carlos Carcedo on Sunday. The Gunners lost 3-2 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, meaning they are yet to register a single Premier League point so far
this season. Reports out of England claimed that the new Arsenal coach, who arrived at the Emirates with Unai Emery, took issue with Torreira’s failure to track Marcos Alonso for Chelsea’s winning goal. Torreira who didn’t find the accusation funny was said to have snapped back, leading to the shouting match. Jack Wilshere who was forced out of Arsenal is hoping to prove Unai Emery was wrong to end his Arsenal career when he makes an emotional return to the Emirates Stadium with West Ham this weekend. The England international was expected to sign a new long-term contract earlier this
year, but Arsenal’s decision to replace Arsene Wenger with Emery changed the picture dramatically. Wilshere was told he was unlikely to feature regularly in the Spaniard’s starting XI following the signings of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi and moved across the capital. Like Arsenal, West Ham head into Saturday’s derby having failed to register a point in their opening two matches of the new season and Wilshere is out to prove a point against his former employers. “I’ve got to try and block all the emotion out,’ Wilshere told the club’s match-day programme for Saturday’s game against Bournemouth.
UEFA President’s Honour for Beckham Former England captain David Beckham will receive the UEFA President’s Award for his contribution to football and promoting the sport in “every corner of the planet”. Beckham played for Manchester United, La Galaxy, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris St-Germain in a 20-year
career. His “tireless humanitarian efforts” were also praised by UEFA. “Beckham is a true football icon of his generation,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. Previous winners of the award - which “recognises
outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities” - include Johan Cruyff, Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Robson and Paolo Maldini. Beckham, 43, made 115 appearances for England and won 19 club trophies, including
10 league titles. “I am proud to join the illustrious list of players who have previously won this award,” said Beckham, who is also an UNICEF ambassador and owner of a Major League Soccer team in Miami. He will receive the award in Monaco later this year.
UNDER-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Spain Hero, Coll, Rides a Rollercoaster of Emotions Spain goalkeeper Catalina ‘Cata’ Coll arrived in the mixed zone singing and dancing with her team-mates, shaking off the tension of a match that involved plenty of nervy moments for La Rojita. The suffering was all worth it, however, as the Spanish advanced to their first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final, doing so courtesy of a 1-0 victory over tournament hosts France. This Friday night, they will fight it out with Japan for the title. Wearing a broad smile, half out of delight and half out of relief, the goalkeeper will surely remember Monday’s semi-final for a long, long time. First came an explosion of joy with Patri Guijarro’s goal, promptly dampened by Aitana Bonmati’s sending off. That was followed by Coll’s
penalty save and a French siege, though fortunately for the goalkeeper and her team-mates, there was a happy ending. So how did she experience it all from between the posts? Picking up possession from a throw-in, Lucia Rodriguez sent in a cross that Guijarro nodded home after the French defenders had failed to clear. As is usually the case, Coll celebrated alone, not that she cared about that: “I saw the goal on the screen and I was super excited. I couldn’t believe it had gone in.” Things were going perfectly for La Rojita until the 69th minute, when Bonmati – one of the key cogs in the Spanish midfield – picked up a second yellow card and left the field in tears. Then, seven minutes later, the referee awarded
France a penalty after Laia Aleixandri had handled the ball inside the Spain box. Coll could scarcely believe it. “I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding’, because everything was falling apart: we were 1-0 up, but we’d had Aitana sent off and now this penalty. I believed in myself, though, and it worked out.” She was not the only one who had faith in her abilities, as she went on to reveal: “(Carmen) Menayo came up and said she believed in me, that I was going to stop it, and I did stop it. I’ve always loved penalties and I felt sure of myself.” Though Coll kept out Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s spot-kick, the final whistle was still a good few minutes away. And France spent that time desperately searching for
an equaliser. Coll maintained her concentration right to the very end, however. “It’s all a question of keeping a cool head. The team put in a fantastic shift defensively and that’s the reason why we won.” When the full-time whistle finally came, the Rojita outfield players all rushed to the centre circle to celebrate, while Coll, again in solitude, raised her arms in triumph. She was not alone for long, with Lucia Garcia and ‘Misa’ Rodriguez rushing from the bench to celebrate with her. “They’ve given me more support here than anyone else, and Misa’s especially important because she’s a keeper and encourages me and advises me more than anyone. I’m so grateful to her. She’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
2018 ITTF AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Egypt Battles Nigeria for Top Spot in Mauritius Boosted by his second Arab Championship men’s singles title, Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali believes he will be a contender for the title at the 2018 ITTF African Championship holding in Mauritius on September 3 to 9. The Egyptian is also aiming to lead his country against Nigeria in the men’s team event of the tournament which serves as qualifiers for the ITTF World Team Cup in 2020. From his maiden men’s title in 2013 of the Arab Championship in Iraq, Mohammed El-Beiali few weeks ago added the 2018 edition to his laurels after beating compatriot- Ahmed Saleh in the epic final in the absence of perennial winner – Omar Assar. The Egyptian was in Lagos few days ago for the ITTF Challenge Seamaster Nigeria Open but his dream of replicating the feat set by Omar Assar was rubbished when he was overwhelmed by Romanian teenager, Sipos Rares in the round of 16 of the men’s singles. But undaunted by this setback, Mohammed El-Beiali is hoping that he will be in race for the men’s singles title in one of the Africa’s flagship tournaments in the Island of Mauritius. “My dreams and goals are to ensure that we did not miss Omar Assar much in the team particularly when playing against a strong team like Nigeria. I must admit that we will surely miss him (Omar
Assar) in the team but with the youthfulness of Khaled Assar and the experience of Ahmed Saleh we can conquer Nigeria in the team event. “My partnership with Khaled Assar will also rule the men’s doubles. Personally, my target is the men’s singles title and I hope I can win it this time around,” he said. Mohammed El-Beiali is aiming for the top 100 in the ITTF ranking this year and believes the standard of the game has improved tremendously in Africa particularly with the giant strides made by Aruna Quadri and Omar Assar. “I must say that Africa has come of age in table tennis with the exploits of Aruna Quadri and Omar Assar. They have set a benchmark for us in the continent and this has accorded us respect in the world. I look forward to an exciting tournament in Mauritius,” he added. Not to underestimate the effect of Omar Assar’s absence in the Egyptian team, Mohammed El-Beiali said: “For sure without Omar Assar against Nigeria will be a difficult match for us but we will try our best. There is no doubt that we will be the efforts of Omar Assar but we are really preparing for the championship as we now in camp training twice daily in Cairo. I think we can do something in Mauritius but I must admit that it is not going to be easy at all.”
Brazil’s Vasco Da Gama, Others Soon to Join Cape Verde 2019 Line up More teams from different parts of the globe have continued to line up for the maiden edition of the Cape Verde 2019 Africa Youth Cup billed for early next year in Praia. Mr Godson Abba Ekadi of Africa Youth Cup disclosed yesterday that the youth team of Brazil’s top club, Vasco Da Gama has shown strong interest in the competition and are close to sealing their participation, while Mali’s Académie Football Club de Bamako and Napoli FC from Cote D’Ivoire have finished the registration formalities. He said yesterday that teams from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, and Equatorial Guinea are also very much in the picture. “Very soon, in fact in the days ahead, we shall be confirming more teams. But don’t forget Benfica and Kegue FC of Togo from outside Cape Verde have earlier been confirmed. “Two Cape Verdean teams have on the home front sealed their place in the event. So, things are looking up for the tournament which would be Africa’s own Dana Cup, Gothia Cup, Ibercup, Norway Cup, Paris World Games, name it,”
he noted. Mr Godson stressed that participation would be on first come, first served basis since only 16 teams would be featuring in the maiden edition. “We are sticking to our rules of first come, first served. We won’t reserve a place for any team. So, teams wishing to be part of the event have to do so early or wait for the 2020 edition.” Mr Godson was full of praise for the Cape Verdean authorities for their support and cooperation, especially from the Mayor of Praia, Hon. Oscar Evora Santos. “The people we are working with in Cape Verde are wonderful people. They are determined to see that our vision of making the tournament Africa’s number one youth soccer showpiece is realized. “Kudos must go to the Mayor of Praia Hon Oscar Evora Santos, the President of the Olympic Committee, Madam Filomena Fortes, the football federation President, Mr Semedo, the Director of the Estadio Nacional, Mr Orlando Mascarenhas, and the Honourable Minister of Sports Cape Verde,” Godson concluded.
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Wednesday August 22, 2018
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Okorocha to Atiku
“The former vice-president therefore leave Imo State and Governor Rochas Okorocha alone and face his worrisome challenges. And if he does not know, Governor Rochas Okorocha will defeat him in any part of the country including his Adamawa State in any election involving two of them” – Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, challenging the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, that he is prepared to floor him (Atiku) in any election especially in his Adamawa State.
KAYODEKOMOLAFE Poverty Rates and Social Protection THE HORIZON
kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com
W
hile experts may quarrel on statistics of poverty, the poor themselves are never in doubt that their condition is getting worse. In the last few months, some international organisations and foreign think tanks have made grim projections about the poverty rates in Nigeria. The World Bank has said that Nigerians are getting poorer. Subsequently, the Brookings Institute released a report indicating that 87 million people live in extreme poverty at the end of May. Nigeria is now the home of the largest number persons living in extreme poverty. India used to be so described. According to the think tank, about six persons get into extreme poverty every minute in Nigeria. The report is, of course, disputed by government. However, with a few months to elections such observations should trigger robust policy debates. The report should make poverty a focus of politics at least in this season. As this reporter has pointed out on this page several times, in tackling poverty the strategy should include a comprehensive policy of social protection. The elements of social protection in the social investment policy of the Buhari administration such as cash transfers to the poorest in the community, school feeding and empowerment should provide a substratum for rigorous debates on anti-poverty strategies of the government and those in opposition. In other words, the government should be sharper in policy articulation while the opposition should offer coherent and plausible alternatives. Doubtless, social protection should be central to the socio-economic agenda of any party seeking to govern Nigeria at this time because of the enormity of poverty in the land. It is also important to admonish politicians that issues of social protection are not to be discussed glibly. A nation that fails to make social protection a central issue of development will be blighted by worsening inequality in its social landscape. To be clear, widening inequality is a social scourge afflicting mankind with all the social and political consequences. For instance, cash transfer is just a minute aspect of social protection. It is, of course, an ideological matter because those who perceive Nigeria as a Darwinian jungle where only the fittest materially should survive cannot possibly imagine the great difference N5, 000 could ever make to the monthly real incomes of some very poor families. So, the challenge is how a government can competently design a programme of cash transfer that could be targeted at the poorest segment of the society without corruption and other leakages. It is the insistence of the public that issues of protection should be given attention by those seeking or wishing to retain power that would prevent the ruling party and those in opposition from reducing democracy in this land to electocracy. The current trend now is highly insensitive to the public mood; politicians give the impression that elections are the only things that happen in a democracy. This is a grossly
Buhari
cynical view of politics. Beyond fielding candidates in elections, political parties have the important duty of also mobilising the people around their policies and programmes among other institutional tasks. It is the business of government in power to articulate its policies while those in opposition should educate the public on alternative strategies and policies. The government should be kept on its toes by the public’s insistence on robust policy articulation. That is why another worry should be about the virtual absence of policy articulation in some instances. Unfortunately, while the government could be accused of poor policy articulation (or sometimes lack of policy) the opposition is also guilty of glibly dismissing whatever is putting on the table without any articulated alternative. The opposition should be more rigorous in its interrogation of the Buhari administration employing sound ideas as weapons and not political tirades. Such an interrogation would show, for example, that if efficiently administered, social security system could be a potent instrument of poverty reduction. Examples of successful poverty reduction strategies abound globally. The most populous country, China, won the 2016 Best Social Security Nation Award for putting 100 million people yearly into the social security system. In the last decade, a billion people have become part of the social security system. The organising principle to this trend should be obvious to any keen observer of the Chinese development process. The last
Social protection should be made an issue for the 2019 elections as one of the battles in the war against poverty
0805 500 1974
congress of the Chinese Communist Party focused on social security as a weapon in the resolute anti-poverty war by China. There was a scientific discussion and planning at the party level. So the Chinese government has no choice than to implement the party programme. Similarly, poverty reduction was made a strategic goal of government in Brazil with remarkable results. Millions were lifted out of mass poverty. As a matter of projection, is it, therefore, unrealistic to expect that 87 million Nigerians would be captured in the social security net by 2019? You may say this seems overambitious in a country where political parties only meet mainly to discuss candidates for elections. They don’t engage in policy debates. They are bereft of ideologies. Politics is all about seeking power. The crises plaguing the parties are not derived from disagreements on policy conception and implementation. At least for the next five months or so political parties should engage the public sphere with debates of policies and programmes and not merely indulge in abusing and insulting opponents. It is important for the political parties to clearly articulate their social security goals for the electorate to examine. The point at issue is that greater attention should be given to the poverty and inequality plaguing the socio-economic system. This reporter once observed in this column that when you listen to our economic experts in and out of power, you could get a wrong impression. You would think that the economic problems facing the majority of the people would suddenly end when the negative numbers the experts crunch turn into positive ones. In other words, the problem would be automatically over with increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), higher price of crude oil, better Fitch Rating, more complimentary remarks from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The sad lesson, however, is that historically this has not been the case. There were poor people who could not afford basic needs when the economy was assessed to be growing impressively. The hunger, illiteracy and disease of this class of people did not begin with the period of the poor statistics. For example before the last recession, the poor people faced misery. Recession might have worsened their condition. Now that the statisticians say that recession is over, the misery of the “wretched of the earth,” as Franz Fanon describes the poor in the title of his celebrated book, continues. That is why the worsening inequality in the system should be addressed as part of the efforts towards economic recovery. To be sure, social security and other poverty reduction steps are veritable means of empowering the people to be real economic players. The man given N5, 000 a month would at least embark on some effective demand. This would be impossible without any income at all. Social safety net should, therefore, be a yardstick for measuring the success of economic recovery beyond the abstract statistics of growth rates. Economic growth should not be viewed in isolation of the burgeoning inequality in the land. It
is suggestible that our economic thinkers should make this part of their preoccupation. If not, tomorrow our experts may declare, based on the statistics at their disposal, the GDP has expanded phenomenally while the conditions of the rural poor and the urban wretched remain unchanged if not worse. That is another reason for making an effective social security system a yardstick of economic success. Even liberal economists in the West are paying attention to the question of inequality. In making this point, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, was once quoted on this page on the matter like this: “The good news is that our thinking has been reframed: it used to be that we asked how much growth we would be willing to sacrifice for a little more equality and opportunity. Now we realize that we are paying a high price for our inequality and that alleviating it and promoting growth are intertwined, complementary goals.” It is far from drawing an undue parallel to say that Stiglitz speaks to the Nigerian economic situation in some respects. It doesn’t take a professor of criminology to know that if a workable social security system were in place, the problem of physical security would be more manageable by the law enforcement and other security agencies. The price of social inequality is enormous. It is worrisome that this seems not be so obvious to politicians. It is also important to stress that an intriguing dimension of the problem is the tremendous pressure put on the elements of the middle class upwards and any one with some stable sources of incomes by the expanding constituency of the poor below. The consequence is the reality many people live with as the less endowed relations, friends and acquaintances making desperate demands on him or her, have virtually turned every middle class person into a one-man social system. Things are, of course, bettered organised and more sustainable when a well-structured social security is in place at societal level. Since the days of Napoleon Bonaparte in France when the welfare state emerged, the extremely rough edges of capitalism have been smoothened by social safety net. The National Health Service (NHS) has become such a formidable national institution in the United Kingdom that is identifiable with the country just like the Union Jack, the national flag. As politicians peddle their wares in this electoral season, it is the duty of genuinely progressive organisations and individuals to sustain the clamour for increased funding of public education, primary healthcare, mass transit, social housing, social security, access to potable water, sanitation etc. in the budgetary process. Left to the neo-liberals and free market fundamentalists in our midst, the state has no role in promoting social security. Yet, the performance of any administration should be measured by the percentage of poverty reduction it could achieve above any other index. Social protection should be made an issue for the 2019 elections as one of the battles in the war against poverty.
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