THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST 2018

Airlines’ Domestic Passengers Drop by 30% Chinedu Eze Passenger traffic on domestic routes in the country dropped by over 30 per cent in the first half of 2018, compared with same period last year, findings by THISDAY has

shown.

The airlines attributed the development to slowdown in economic activities, as well as low purchasing power.

Records on passenger movement made available to THISDAY by the Federal

Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), also confirmed the low passenger traffic in 2018, compared with the previous year.

For example, in the first six

months of 2017, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), the busiest airport in the country, recorded 2,644, 034 passengers on domestic flights.

But in same period in 2018, the airport recorded 1,803,

317 passengers.

Also, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, FAAN recorded 1,907, 682 in the first six months of 2017, higher that the 1,702, 020 the agency report in same period in.

In fact, the airports that operate only domestic service recorded low passenger movement in the first half of 2018 when compared to the same period in 2017.

Continued on page 6

Crude Oil Price Hits Two-week High at $74 as US Inventories Drop … Page 6 Thursday 23 August, 2018 Vol 23. No 8527. Price: N250

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In a Show of Confidence, Saraki Predicts Victory for PDP in 2019 Asks old and new members to unite Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday predicted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win the 2019 presidential elections and produce a new

president for Nigeria.

Saraki who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP recently, also said he was confident that his new party would emerge victorious at all levels in Kwara

State.

The Senate president spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital at a meeting with PDP members from all the wards in the 16 local government areas of the state and said the future of PDP

was better and brighter than the past, promising to ensure cohesion between the old and new party members so as to ensure its electoral victory at all levels in the country.

He said the victory of PDP

at both federal and state levels would be beneficial to all the members in the state, explaining that it would wipe off the challenges they had faced under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

According to him, “If we emerge victorious at the federal level all of us will be the beneficiaries. With your support we will win the state.

Continued on page 6

Sagay: FG Can Invoke Doctrine of Necessity to Fund 2019 Elections Davidson Iriekpen With the delay by the National Assembly to reconvene and decide on the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 elections, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), yesterday said the federal government could fund next year’s general election by invoking the doctrine of

necessity should the lawmakers fail to pass the budget.

Sagay contended that the overriding necessity of elections and survival of democracy supersede the National Assembly’s powers where democracy is threatened.

Sagay, in a statement, said while the power to approve the budget is only a single item in the 1999 Constitution, democracy and its processes, Continued on page 6

PDP Gives Buhari 24 Hours to Arrest Miyetti Allah Leaders … Page 8

SPIRIT OF REALIGNMENT…

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; President Muhammadu Buhari; and former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Kalu, after Kalu’s installation as Dan Baiwan Hausa of Daura, in Daura, Katsina State… yesterday

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Crude Oil Price Hits Two-week High at $74 as US Inventories Drop Ejiofor Alike with agency reports Crude oil price yesterday hit a two-week high above $74 per barrel as an industry report showing a sharp drop in United States crude inventories and the country’s sanctions on Iran pointed to tighter supplies.

While the global benchmark, Brent crude, rose $1.38 to $74.19, the highest since August 8, the United States crude gained $1.28 to $67.12 per barrel.

According to Reuters, the American Petroleum Institute reported US crude stocks fell last week by 5.2 million barrels, more than three times the decline analysts expected.

Oil also found support from a weak dollar, which has slipped this week in response to US President Donald Trump’s comment that he was “not

thrilled” by the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases.

A weaker dollar makes oil less expensive for buyers using other currencies.

The prospect of a drop in oil exports from Iran, the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in response to new US sanctions was also supporting the market.

European oil companies have started to cut back on Iranian purchases, although Chinese buyers are shifting their cargoes to Iranian-owned vessels to keep supplies flowing.

Iran has warned that it would hit US and Israeli targets if it were attacked by the US after Trump’s security adviser said Washington would exert maximum pressure on Tehran going beyond economic sanctions.

OPEC has started to boost supplies following a deal with Russia and other allies in June, although producers have been cautious so far.

Arabia told OPEC it cut supply in July, rather than increasing output as expected.

Signs of tighter supply countered concern about slowing oil demand stemming partly from the trade dispute between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies.

US and Chinese officials were set to resume talks yesterday, but Trump said he expected there would be no real progress Meanwhile, the US crude stocks fell last week, while refined petrol and distillate inventories rose, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirmed yesterday.

Crude inventories fell by 5.8 million barrels in the last week, compared with analysts’ expectations for an decrease of 1.5 million barrels.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 772,000 barrels, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs fell by 89,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilisation rates remained unchanged.

Gasoline stocks rose by 1.2 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 488,000-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 1.8 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1.5 million barrels increase, the EIA data showed.

Net US crude imports fell last week by 1.1 million barrels per day.

Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu

S A G AY: F G C A N I N VO K E D O CT R I N E O F N E C E S S I T Y TO F U N D 2 0 1 9 E L E CT I O N S including elections, are what the Constitution are about.

He further stated that the failure or refusal by the National Assembly to approve funds for the 2019 elections would constitute a sabotage of the country’s democracy, of which the Constitution is the embodiment.

The statement reads, “If elections are not held, it will

mean the collapse of our democracy, leading to chaos and anarchy. The question that arises is simple.

“Which is more critical to democracy and the survival of Nigeria: Is it (1) the power of the National Assembly to approve budgets or (2) the survival of democracy and Nigeria itself?

“If the survival of democracy is more

important and fundamental to Nigeria’s existence, then failure to approve the budget for elections will trigger the doctrine of necessity, thus compelling the funding of election without the approval of the National Assembly.

“It is simply a question of the survival of democracy and the continued existence of Nigeria. The power of

refuses or fails to approve the budget for election, the doctrine of necessity will validate the provision of the funds without the National Assembly’s approval.”

The National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC is to reconvene on Monday to conclude work on the 2019 INEC budget submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The committee had failed to harmonise the divergent positions of the Senate and the House of Representatives last week, necessitating an adjournment for more consultations to be made on the differential between Buhari’s request for N143 billion and INEC’s N189 billion estimates for the funding of the impending 2019 elections.

have candidates for state assembly, it is the person you want in your constituency that I will okay. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that I have endorsed any candidate."

He stressed, “I implore party leaders and elders not to drop my name to impose unpopular candidates. I don’t have candidate for the National Assembly. All of us will collectively choose the next governor.

"We will ensure that there is no faction but one PDP. We will ensure that meetings in the local government areas take place in one venue. And we will all work together for the interest of the party."

He said, “Please go back home to start the work. I am sure many more will come back and join us especially those that left under the wrong assumption that it will be different from what it used

to be.

“They were misled that those coming are out to move them away. Nobody is moving you away because this place belongs to you too. Let us go back and start work closely together and by the grace of God we will all be victorious.

“I urge both the old and new members of the party to ensure peace and harmony in your wards and local government areas.”

the prevailing economic situation; just like it affects other sectors. In air travel, there is low season and there is also high season. Even on international flights, there are times seats are fully booked and there are also times of flying empty seats. But safety remains our number priority.

We don’t toy with it.

"Nigeria is not an exception of the low passenger traffic.

To have improved load factors depends on some other variables such as flying modern equipment, good customer care, competitive fare regime, laudable safety and security records. If an airline now chooses to toy with safety, it will have the regulator to contend with.

If it escapes the eagle-eyed regulator, one day, accident will catch up with him. God forbid,” Adurogboye said.

THISDAY also learnt that the total number of operating aircraft in the domestic routes

has shrunk to about 36 from about 58 last year.

It was gathered that some airplanes have gone on checks overseas; some are not airworthy - Aircraft on Ground (AOG) in the industry.

Investigation also revealed that some airlines that operated in 2017 have temporarily stopped flight service.

The insufficient supply of aircraft has also exacerbated flight delays as one aircraft is scheduled to operate many flights in a day.

THISDAY also learnt that available aircraft record high load factor as there is high demand of limited equipment and airlines are making good business.

However, the spokesman of Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, told THISDAY that the airline has not experienced significant drop in passenger traffic.

“We record average of 100120 passengers in our Lagos,

Abuja and Port Harcourt flights, but during mid day load factor can come down to 70 passengers, but overall, it is average of 100-120 passengers. But I must say that more and more people prefer to fly Air Peace because they trust that whatever it is, they must fly beause we have enough aircraft, so you may not use Air Peace to judge the trend of the market,” he said.

Also confirming that high demand due to less number of aircraft in operation, head of communications of Arik Air, Adebanji Ola, acknowledged that the airline’s flights have been recording high load factor.

“We have been recording high load factor more than we have witnessed in the last five to six years. Maybe because there is less number of aircraft in operation, but for us, it has been so good so far,” he said.

approval of budget is just a single item in the whole of the Constitution.

“On the contrary, elections and democracy which they support, constitute what the whole Constitution is about.

“Therefore, the overriding necessity and imperative of elections and democracy simply override the power of National Assembly.

“If the National Assembly

I N A S H O W O F C O N F I D E N C E , S A R A K I P R E D I C T S V I CTO RY F O R P D P I N 2 0 1 9 "All of you here are the key players in Kwara politics. With unity of purpose no party can contest with you.

"We are here to unite all of us under the party we belong to today. I am assuring all members that there will be equity, internal democracy and justice. It is not going to be winner takes all. As far as I am concerned everybody here today belongs to our political structure.

“There is nothing like old or

new PDP. We have all become one PDP. There is nobody here that will not say one way or the other we have not been together before. I am very sure that the future is bigger and brighter than the past. I want all of us to be united for the progress and development of Kwara State.

“Regarding the politics of the state, nobody can wrest power from us if we are united. By the grace of God,

in the forthcoming elections, we will emerge victorious both at the federal and state levels."

Saraki added, “We will ensure that we work as one party, because we have always worked together before. We will see that all the wards and local governments popular candidates emerge based on their popularity and acceptability.

"I want to emphasis it that I don’t have any anointed candidate at all levels. I don’t

A I R L I N E S ’ D O M E ST I C PA S S E N G E R S D R O P BY 3 0 % The Executive Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mr, Nogie Meggison, who also confirmed this, said despite the fact that Nigeria overcame economic recession in 2017, income level of households was yet to improve because of the fragile economic growth.

According to Meggison, air travel is one of the barometers to gauge the health of a nation, saying whenever a country is doing well it will reflect on the number of people that travel by air.

“As I always say, Nigerian aviation is not a stand-alone.

It is part of the bigger economy of Nigeria and contributing to the GDP. It is obvious that aviation is the quickest barometer to check any economy.

“And if you check the Nigerian travelling populace, 70 to 80 per cent of those travelling are business people, as compared to the outside

world where only 40 per cent are business people, 30 per cent tourists and the other 30 per cent are students and others.

“In Nigeria if you check the flights going to Abuja, 80 to 85 per cent are on business purpose and once these people don’t have business to do, it is obvious that there won’t be any movement because if you are not going to do business, no travelling. So it is a clear quick indication and barometer for the economy.

“So, if the economy is not performing as expected and businessmen are not moving, the airlines will not find the passengers.

"Once the economy begins to jump, business starts to move; then you see movement in our airports. Where 80 to 85 per cent of the passengers are doing business, most of them are not seeing any business to do now. I guess what is

happening in Abuja right now is more politics than business.

So it is the politicians that are moving,” he said.

Meggison stressed the need for Nigeria to take advantage of its demography to grow its aviation sector.

“We can make Nigeria the hub and to make us the hub we need to improve on our infrastructure. As we improve on our infrastructure other people will transit through Nigeria. And when this is done we will jump-start the aviation sector,” he said.

The spokesman of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, told THISDAY that the low passenger traffic was a reflection of the prevailing economic situation, noting that the aviation industry cannot be insulated from the rest of the economic mix.

“Air travel and the aviation sector respond to

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PDP Gives Buhari 24 Hours to Arrest Miyetti Allah Leaders Describes MACABAN as military wing of APC Body dissociates self from threat to Saraki Benue berates herders Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given President Muhammadu Buhari 24 hours to order the arrest and trial of the leaders of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACABAN), for threatening to forcefully remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from office.

The 24-hour ultimatum by the main opposition party is coming as the national body of MACABAN, which the PDP also described as the military wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dissociated itself from the threat to Saraki, saying the official, who issued the threat, did not speak for the group.

Also, the Benue State Government has berated the association for threatening the Senate president, declaring that the group has assumed the leadership of the country.

The Coordinator of MACABAN in Benue State, Mr. Garus Gololo, had reportedly threatened Saraki to resign or be forced out of office.

“We are saying that Saraki ought not to be in office again as Senate President, more so, Saraki has failed to coordinate and organise the National Assembly to offer quality legislation that Nigerians need,” Gololo reportedly said, adding, “We

are now tired of Saraki’s style of leadership at the National Assembly. Therefore, we are now warning him to honourably resign his position as president of the Senate or we will force him out.”

Reacting to the threat, PDP yesterday described the outburst of MACABAN, which it said echoed the threats by the APC and agents of the Buhari presidency, to force out Saraki from office as ominous and revealing.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said the unguarded statement by Miyetti Allah has exposed the synergy between the ruling party and some troublesome elements, who are being used to stoke division and create violent crisis that has resulted into daily bloodlettings in various parts of the country.

"However, in the light of these treasonable and inciting utterances by Miyetti Allah, we demand that President Muhammadu Buhari, should within the next 24 hours, order the arrest and commence immediate trial of the leadership of this group, otherwise Nigerians will henceforth hold him directly responsible for the utterances and actions of the Miyetti Allah," the PDP said.

The party alleged that before now, majority of Nigerians had thought that the Miyetti Allah represented the military wing of the APC and the Buhari presidency.

"It is now abundantly clear to Nigerians that those fomenting crisis, including the bloody clashes in Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Edo, Borno, Yobe, Enugu, Kogi, Adamawa and other states in our country, have political backers, who now want to channel them to achieve their unpatriotic quest to subvert our constitution and forcefully take over the National Assembly," the statement added.

According to the main opposition party, it is incontrovertible that the group has now become the fourth arm of government that can determine when and how to forcefully remove the number three citizen.

"It is common knowledge that President Buhari has come under heavy public criticisms on how his body language has condoned the unguarded utterances and actions of these characters,” the party added.

MACABAN Dissociates Self from Threat to Saraki However, the national body of MACABAN has dissociated

itself from threatening comments by its state coordinator for Benue State, saying he spoke for himself.

In a statement yesterday

by MACABAN’s Secretary, Mr. Othman Ngelzarma, the association said Gololo’s comments did not reflect the position of the association.

“I will categorically state that Garus Gololo spoke in his personal capacity and has no mandate to speak on behalf of the association. Miyetti Allah is a non-partisan association with no interest in the political terrain and we couldn’t meddle into the affairs of political actors thereby compounding our already obvious challenges. I therefore urge all and sundry to disregard this statement. This statement is not from MACBAN and should be disregarded in its entirety,” the group said.

It said it would sanction Gololo for threatening the Senate president.

“We take exception on this statement and Garus Gololo is entirely on his own and will be sanctioned accordingly.

We cannot afford to add up to the many challenges we are confronted with. I’m therefore appealing to the general public to disregard this statement as it is coming from someone who doesn’t have the mandate of the association to speak on its behalf,” the group said.

Benue Government Berates MACABAN Meanwhile, the Benue State Government has berated MACABAN for demanding Saraki’s resignation.

The spokesman of Benue State governor, Mr Terver Akase, said in a statement that the state government found it strange that many hours after such inciting comments, the man who spoke on behalf of the group has not been invited by security operatives for questioning.

Akase stated that MACABAN has assumed the leadership of the country and described the threat as “an insult to democracy.

"It is becoming clear by the day that Miyetti Allah groups have not only assumed the position of the ruling party but are also influential to decisions of governance in this country,” the statement said.

He questioned the constitutional right the group had to spew invectives on the Senate president without being arrested.

"Are security agencies sending a signal to Nigerians that Miyetti Allah groups are above the law and therefore untouchable?” he asked.

According to him, Miyetti Allah and APC now sound like one association with similar objectives.

"Nigerians should compare the tone of APC National Chairman,

Adams Oshiomhole, when he threatened that the party would force Senator Saraki out of office if he failed to resign and the latest threat by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to forcefully evict Senator Saraki from office. The words are similar, the motive the same and the agenda also one,” the statement added.

Arewa Youths Warns Miyetti Allah Arewa Youth for Peace and Security (AYPS) has cautioned MACABAN to stay clear of partisan politics and focus its attention on how to resolve issues with farmers.

The group said rather than threatening to remove Saraki from office, Miyetti leaders should be talking about how to help stop the killings in Benue State.

The National President for AYPS, Mr. Salisu Magaji, who expressed concern over the threat made by the association's chairman, reminded the group that Saraki was elected by senators and only two-third of the entire lawmakers can remove him from office as stipulated by law.

Magaji further cautioned the cattle breeders to desist from heating up the polity, advising them to restrict themselves to the constitution of Miyetti Allah.

Trump Takes on Former Lieutenants after Legal Blows Vincent Obia with agency reports United States President, Donald Trump, focused on two of his former aides yesterday in tweets following striking legal setbacks, slamming one for turning on him and applauding the other for staying loyal.

Trump lashed out at former long-time lawyer, Michael Cohen, in a Twitter post for trying to implicate him before a federal judge, but congratulated Paul Manafort for defending him.

Trump said the campaign finance violations Cohen pleaded guilty to in federal court in New York on Tuesday were “not a crime,” even

though prosecutors and Cohen agreed that they were.

In another tweet, Trump said, “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen.”

Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges of tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations.

Cohen, who once said he was so loyal that he would “take a bullet” for Trump, told a federal court in Manhattan that Trump directed him to arrange payments ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence two women who said they had affairs with with president.

Cohen’s attorney, Lanny

Davis, had said his client had information that would be of interest to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Democratic Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, labelled Trump a “coconspirator” and demanded that the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, which is scheduled for early September, be delayed in the wake of Cohen’s plea.

Trump had granted presidential pardons to conservative commentator, Dinesh D’Souza and former

Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio, but Cohen’s attorney said his client would not accept a presidential pardon.

Davis accused Trump of abusing his clemency rights.

“Mr. Cohen is not interested in being dirtied by a pardon from such a man,” Davis told NPR. Cohen’s plea came as Paul Manafort, who served as chairman of Trump’s campaign, was found guilty on eight charges in a separate financial fraud trial in Alexandria, Virginia, stemming from a federal investigation into Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign. In a tweet, Trump

said, “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. ‘Justice’ took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to ‘break’ - make up stories in order to get a ‘deal.’ Such respect for a brave man!”

The Cohen and Manafort cases increase political pressure on Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November mid-term elections, in which Democrats are seeking to regain control of Congress.

The Mueller investigation has clouded Trump’s presidency for more than a year and Tuesday’s developments up pressure

on him personally.

While Cohen refrained from naming Trump in court on Tuesday, choosing instead to refer to him as “the candidate,” Davis on Wednesday in television interviews accused the president of being directly involved.

Cohen had “information ... regarding both knowledge of a conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians and the failure to report that knowledge to the FBI,” Davis told MSNBC. He also said on CNN, “Cohen has knowledge that would be of interest to the special counsel about whether Trump knew ahead of time about the hacking of emails.”

Buhari Commends Honest Security Men Who Returned Bag with Dollars Urge Nigerians to emulate them Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday advised Nigerians to emulate two security men who returned a handbag filled with valuables forgotten at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos by an American returnee, saying such conduct reflects the new Nigeria that we all desire.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President on

Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said a Lagosbased medical doctor, Banji Oyegbami, had met a family returning from America at the airport on August 18, 2018.

According to him, in the process of loading their luggage into the car of their host, the handbag of the returnee's wife fell, unknown to anyone.

Furthermore, he said it was not until 90 minutes later that

an officer of Halogen Securities, on duty at the airport, called the couple, to come for the retrieved bag.

The statement added: "When the bag was eventually collected, the contents, including a handsome amount of American dollars, phone, wrist watch, and other valuables were intact.

"The grateful couple offered a generous gift, but Messrs Francis Emepueaku and Achi

Daniel, declined, saying they were merely doing their duties."

Adesina said Buhari believed that despite the scoffing of a minority number, Nigeria was resolutely on the road to a new dawn.

He quoted him as saying, "Honesty remains the best policy. We must exhibit such behaviour in whatever position we find ourselves, whether high or low.

"The security men could have chosen to behave differently, following the self-serving principle of 'if you can't beat them, join them.'

But they have chosen to be examples of good, honest Nigerians. I commend their conduct to the rest of the country."

Adesina added that the president urged Nigerians to bring out the best in themselves at all times, noting

that with such minds, they can never be hoodwinked again by those who seek power for selfish and dubious reasons, and return the country to an inglorious past.

"Nigeria will no longer be a byword for corruption and plundering of public resources. That is the path we have chosen to take, and our country will eventually get to a new shore," he was further quoted.

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NEWS

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

TCN Mulls PPP to Upgrade Transmission Network Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) may consider Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in the mix of options available to it to upgrade the capacity of Nigeria’s national grid, THISDAY has learnt.

THISDAY gathered that funding for the PPP option was part of the larger $486 million loan Nigeria received from the World Bank in February 2018 to expand the capacity of the electricity transmission network.

The $486 million loan facility to Nigeria has a five-year moratorium and a 30 years repayment window.

It was also learnt that out of the $486 million loan facility, the TCN would use about $32 million to prepare the transaction documents as well as procure a private developer for a pilot PPP arrangement for its transmission network.

TCN recently embarked on a comprehensive rehabilitation and expansion of the network.

According to a World Bank document on the $486 million loan seen by THISDAY, the proposed PPP arrangement would be part of the TCN’s network expansion plan as contained in its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Plan (TREP).

This would include

construction of greenfield transmission infrastructure, perhaps by a third party.

The World Bank’s $486 million credit facility for the TCN is divided into four components with the PPP schedule included.

The first component comprised of the transmission

network strengthening and improvement which is worth $408 million.

The federal government will provide $4 million while the World Bank’s International Development Agency (IDA) Scale-Up Facility (SUF) will provide $404 million.

According to the World

Bank, it’s investment in the TCN will increase the power transfer capacity of the transmission network and enable distribution companies supply consumers with additional power.

It explained that together with other investments and policy measures, the project

would contribute to ensuring adequate and reliable electricity supply that is necessary for Nigeria’s continued economic development.

“It will also support private sector participation, capacity development and better governance in TCN and sector institutions,” it added.

CAN Mourns Catholic Priest, Baptist Pastor Paul Obi in Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday mourned the death of a Catholic Priest of Abuja Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Michael Akawu, and Rev. Hosea Akuchi of Nigerian Baptist Convention in Rigassa, Kaduna State, who were killed by unknown gunmen.

Akawu was the first Abuja indigenous Catholic Priest who was ordained last year, and posted as Assistant Parish Priest to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, Dobi, Gwagwalada Area Council.

According to the CAN President, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, “The CAN commiserates with the leaderships of the Roman Catholic Church and the Nigerian Baptist Convention over the demise of two of their clerics who were killed by some unknown gunmen in Abuja and Kaduna State.

“The late Akawu was reportedly shot dead by yet-to-be identified gunmen in Gwagwalada, Abuja, while shopping last Saturday evening.

“Few hours later on August 21, 2018, according to informed sources, some hoodlums suspected to be Fulani terrorists attacked Nasara Baptist Church in Guguwa near Rigasa in Kaduna and shot Akuchi dead and took away his wife, Talatu Akuchi.

Her whereabouts remain unknown and the criminals have demanded the sum of N5 million for her release.”

Ayokunle explained that Akawu, who was ordained priest on February 4, 2017, by

the Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onayeikan, was the first FCT indigenous Catholic priest to be ordained. CAN prayed to God to comfort and console the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria, the Nigerian Baptist Convention, the churches where they were serving and their immediate families.

CAN also called on the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies to do whatever it takes to bring the culprits to book and rescue the widow of the late Akuchi as soon as possible.

“We once again call on our security agencies to be more pro-active and invest more on intelligence gathering with a view to preventing many of these crimes that are being committed before their watch undetected.

“CAN also notes with pains and disappointment the state of insecurity in the country; nowhere is safe and secure, as terrorists, rampaging Fulani herdsmen, killer bandits, armed robbers, kidnappers and other hoodlums are operating unchecked while our security agencies are seemed busy with elections, forgetting that leaders are elected to rule over the living,” the Christians’ group stated.

He stated that Nigeria’s security situation is reprehensible, unacceptable and condemnable, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to rejig the security system of the country for visible improvement in the security situation in the country.

APC Begins Nationwide Membership Registration Exercise Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ordered the immediate commencement of the continuous nationwide membership registration exercise in all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A statement issued by the acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabene, said the decision to conduct the exercise followed calls

from members of the public interested in joining the party to support the ‘Change Agenda’ of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The statement said the exercise would include both fresh registrations and revalidation of existing membership for the purposes of issuance of the party’s permanent membership cards.

“We hereby urge our teeming supporters and members to take advantage of the exercise,” the statement said.

BARKA DE SALLAH

L-R: Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Social Development, Mrs. Joyce Onafowokan; wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, and Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration at Epe… yesterday

South Africa Jails Two Nigerians 106 Years for Human Trafficking South Gauteng High Court in South Africa has handed life sentences and an additional 106 years of imprisonment to two Nigerians for human trafficking.

The sentences were given in Johannesburg.

The pair, Frank Amaku (26), and Ilo Promise Somadina (25), were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime investigating unit in April 2016 at a hideout dwelling in Fourways where they ran a brothel and held victims captive.

Five victims were rescued during the operation and taken

to a place of safety.

The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, applauded the investigation team for working around the clock to ensure that the accused were ultimately convicted and sentenced.

“The sentence couldn’t have come at a better time, taking into consideration that August is celebrated as Women’s Month in South Africa.

“This is an opportune time to once again warn those who abuse women, that they will be

brought to book and justice will be served,” he said.

One of their victims, from Upington was given the nom de guerre of Helena Boswell.

She was kept at the Fourways home, where she and three other women spent months servicing the pair’s clients until they were rescued.

The Nigerians denied their level of involvement in human trafficking and have stated on multiple occasions they will appeal the conviction.

Their lawyer, Moleko Ratau, asked that the court be lenient

with the pair as they were “relatively young” when the crimes took place, in 2016.

The court was told that the duo kidnapped the women specifically for financial gain, transforming them into sexual objects and dehumanising them, which was evident by Boswell’s testimony that she had been starved and forced to live in terrible conditions.

The Nigerians were also accused of using drugs to push Boswell into an even more vulnerable position, with her addiction used to maintain a psychological hold on her.

NBC Condemns Demolition of Ayefele’s Music House The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has condemned the demolition of the structure housing the Fresh FM in Ibadan by the Oyo State Government.

The Director General of NBC, Ishaq Midibbo-Kawu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the demolition was a worrisome development and did not speak well of the state government.

The structure, ‘Music House’, reportedly valued at N800 million and which had been in operation for 10 years, was demolished in the early hours of last Sunday.

The property is owned by a popular musician, Yinka Ayefele.

Modibo-Kawu said: “The development is worrisome because for all it is worth, the broadcast outfits are playing a big role in reducing unemployment, especially in this situation where many young Nigerians are idle.

“They also play social, informational, educational and entertaining roles in the society.

“Such development does not speak well of the government and has a negative effect on the country, especially at a point when more broadcasting outfits are influencing the social space in the country.

“In this case, particularly, there are so many issues that can be weaved up negatively by people.

“We hope that as we move forward, we will be able to find a solution to the situation,” Modibbo-Kawu said.

The director-general said when the NBC got hint of the demolition, he made some contacts with some people in the state.

Modibbo-Kawu said he could, however, not stop it.

The NBC boss promised to set up a meeting with the state government on finding a way forward on the issue.

He recalled a similar experience in Nasarawa State about a year ago when the property housing Breeze 99.9 FM was demolished.

“What we did was to meet

our licencee to find out what the issues were because he was prepared to go to court.

“We also met with the state commissioner for information and the governor.

“The issue also was that the building violated the usage of urban space.

“We were able to reach an agreement that the government should give the broadcaster a new plot of land and assist him to go back to building a new station.

“However, just last week, I got a letter that the side of the government in the agreement had not been fulfilled,” he said.

Modibbo-Kawu also clarified the recent media report that his commission banned some songs, saying Nigerians must understand the statutory mandate of the NBC. “It is important to let Nigerians understand that NBC does not ban any song.

“I read on social media platforms all the time that NBC banned a song; the commission

never banned any song.

“What NBC does all the time is to remind our licencees that there are certain categorisation of music that are important in broadcasting.

“If a song is categorised ‘Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB)’ because of the lyrics of the song, then we will remind the broadcasters that they cannot be broadcast.

“This is what is misinterpreted in the social media that we banned the song,” he said.

The director general also refuted the allegation that NBC was “carrying out a Jihad on Nigerian songs” based on a petition by a faith-based human rights organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

He stressed that the NBC did not carry out any Jihad, but only responded to a song on a radio station because it had lyrics that were NTBB. Modibbo-Kawu gave an assurance that the federal government, through the NBC, would not infringe on artistic liberty or licence.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Nigeria Should Be $3tn Economy, Says Kenyan Anti-corruption Czar Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja A former head of the Kenya Anti-corruption Commission and renowned law scholar, Prof.

Patrick Otieno Lumumba, has decried the poor performance of Nigeria in different spheres of development in spite of her abundant human and material resources, declaring that the country should be an economy with a $3 trillion gross domestic product (GDP) and not the current $500 billion.

He berated the political elite for holding the vastly-endowed country down, adding that as long as the country fails to provide the compass for Africa’s greatness, the continent would continue to lag behind.

Lumumba spoke in a keynote address during a two-day forum of the Summit of The Alternatives (SOTA), in Abuja.

SOTA is a collaborative effort of different non-governmental groups, including the Red Card Movement, Centre for Democracy and Development, Yiaga Africa, Nigeria First Project, BudgIT, EiE Nigeria and passionate citizens under the slogan of “Framing the New Nigeria of our Dream.”

Lumumba said he was in agreement with the late Nigerian author, Prof. Chinua Achebe’s book, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’, which laid the country’s problem squarely on leadership.

The prominent law professor said: “Chinua Achebe in his book, ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’, explained that the problem of Nigeria is simply that of leadership.

“I remember so vividly in 1963 when African leaders assembled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They were as passionate as they were correct. They were all envied in the early days…They all made sense.

“When one listened to Nnamdi Azikiwe, he made sense. When one listened to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, he made sense. When one listened to the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, he made sense.

A lot of other African leaders made sense.

“We soon began to see a new breed of coup d’état leaders; the men in arms in the political arena. That was when the rain started to beat us as a country.

“Nigeria occupies such an important place not only in Africa, but in the world.

Nigeria is a leader when it comes to producing some of the greatest thinkers in Africa.

“What continues to hold Nigeria down are the political elites; the politics of money.

They should realise that when they lead Nigeria, they are also leading Africa.

“When Nigeria sneezes, Africa catches a cold. Nigeria should realise that she should be the political Mecca where African leaders pay pilgrimage.

“Nigeria must improve agriculture and health, so that our president does not sojourn abroad for medical tourism.

“Nigeria is blessed with everything you can think of, but leadership. Nigeria has showed its leadership position in the African region through various peace keeping operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone; name it. Nigeria is the only missing link to Africa’s success.

‘Nigeria’s leadership is

the missing link in Africa’s greatness.”

Lumumba noted that be it in the field of medicine, engineering, science and technology, film and cinematography, sports, academia and other fields of human endeavour, Nigeria has continued to produce the leading lights globally.

But he lamented that the missing link in galvanising the potential for Nigeria and

by extension, Africa’s greatness, was leadership. Lumumba regretted that Nigerian leaders at all levels had appropriated public leadership for personal gains, and reminded them that a position of leadership is that of trusteeship.

He urged Nigerian leaders to resolve that time had come to provide purposeful and selfless leadership, adding that “Nigeria ought to be Africa on microcosm,” he added.

Atiku Mocks Buhari over 800-Metre Walk Claim Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday mocked the presidency over its claim that President Muhammadu Buhari walked 800-metre as evidence of his fitness to run in 2019.

Atiku who is eyeing the presidential ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he would work to create jobs for Nigerians and not build “illusion.”

The former vice president was apparently responding to a claim by the Presidency that Buhari walked 800 metre from Eid praying ground in Daura on Tuesday.

Earlier, the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, had last week said Buhari was “too old” to rule the country beyond 2019.

But the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that after the Eid prayers, Buhari shunned protocol and opted to trek some 800 metres, acknowledging cheers from Nigerians who lined up on his home route to catch a glimpse of him.

Presidential spokesperson,

Garba Shehu, had said Buhari demonstrated his fitness to run for a second term by covering that distance on foot.

“I think the President has L-R:First daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Imeh Rapheal Ukutt; Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Moses Ekpo; immediate past done one thing today – that Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs Gloria Ukpong; Dr. Emmanuel Ukpong, and media professional, PHOTO; ETOP UKUTT the issue is not how old one is Mr. Ray Ekpu, at the burial ceremony of late Deaconess Akon Jamess Ubom in Abak,Akwa Ibom State... recently but how fit he is; how healthy he is. Now that the president has proven his fitness and wellbeing, to continue in office is a settled matter,” he said.

Reacting in a message posted on his verified Facebook page yesterday afternoon, Atiku Hammed Shittu in Ilorin notice of committal to prison State High Court granted him his bail conditions. lampooned the presidency, This development necessitated on the IG for disobeying court an interim bail after declaring saying the claim was the court to issue Form 48 to that his continued detention order directing his release from The Personal Assistant on “pedestrian.” by the police was illegal and the IG, which is an initiation “I regularly jog more than Political Matters to Kwara State police custody. of contempt proceedings.

The service of Form 49 on unjustifiable. a mile and exercise, but it Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah The form states that “take While granting him an interim will be pedestrian of me to Ahmed, Mr. Olalekan Alabi, the IG means that he will be ask Nigerians to vote for me has filed an application before summoned by the court to show bail in the sum of N20 million notice that unless you obey the a state High Court sitting in cause why he should not be with two reliable sureties in like directions contained in the order because of that,” he posted.

“I want my party – the PDP, Ilorin, seeking to commence committed to prison for having sum, Justice AI Yusuf held that of the High Court of Justice of and Nigerians, to vote for me committal proceedings against disobeyed the order of court to the police had failed to justify Kwara State delivered on August because I work not because the Inspector General of Police release Alabi. why they kept the governor’s 1, 2018, you will be guilty of I walk. I will work to create (IG), Ibrahim Idris, for contempt Alabi has been in police aide in detention for over two contempt of court and will be jobs. I won’t walk to create an of court. liable to be committed to prison.” custody in Abuja since May months. illusion.”

The IG has, however, failed But in flagrant disobedience Alabi approached the court 30, following his arrest over Atiku contested the through his counsel, Adebayo his alleged link with Offa banks of the court order, the police to respond to the notice, forcing presidential ticket of the All refused to release Alabi from Alabi to approach the court to Progressives Congress (APC), Adelodun (SAN), to effect the robbery suspects.

On August 1, the Kwara their custody despite perfecting serve him Form 49. with Buhari ahead of the 2015 service of Form 49, which is a elections.

TAKE HEART...

Offa Bank Robbery: Kwara Gov’s Aide Files Contempt Application against IG

Buhari Promises to Assist Blind Corps Member Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Daura, Kastina State, pledged to assist a visually-impaired National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member currently deployed in the town.

In a statement, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the 28-yearold OkenalaAhmed, a graduate of Insurance from the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, was among the corps members who paid Sallah homage to Buhari last Tuesday in Daura, as part of activities to mark the

Eid-El-Kabir celebrations.Garba said: “In the course of the president’s interaction with the corps members, the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO), Jibrin Ishak, had appealed for assistance for their physically challenged member.“ According to the CLO, the indigent corps member, who is from Offa, Kwara State, had earlier contemplated redeployment from Katsina State due to his poor health condition.

“President Buhari will undertake the cost of medical care and treatment of Ahmed, who is an Economics NYSC teacher at Government Day Senior Secondary School in Daura.”

INEC Plans to Release Unclaimed PVCs to Osun APC, PDP Alleges Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has concluded plans to release unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The opposition party in a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State capital, by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, said some unnamed influential members of APC have found accomplices in INEC with whom agreement had been reached to release the PVCs.

Odeyemi argued that APC is sponsoring an unpopular candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, hence the growing desperation by the party to foist him on the people of the state through every means possible except ballot.

He added that the activities of some INEC officials are been closely monitored since intelligence at the disposal of PDP confirmed unholy alliances between APC and some bigwigs within the electoral body in the state.

Odeyemi further alleged that some people called ‘APC agents’ have been combing several towns considered to be stronghold of PDP in

the state, buying PVCs from unsuspecting voters in order to reduce the voting strength of the opposition party.

He declared that no amount of scheming would save APC from defeat in the September 22 poll, urging the party to wake up to the reality of impending defeat no matter how hard it tries to circumvent people’s wishes.

“It has come to our attention that some bad eggs in the INEC setup are planning to release unclaimed PVCs to APC ahead of September 22 governorship election in the state.

“Since the ‘see and buy’ system that APC used in

Ekiti State may not work in Osun State, the party is looking for other means, except free and fair election, to win the state for its unpopular candidate. “The party is not limiting its rigging plans to this alone, its agents have also been going around the state, targeting especially our stronghold, buying PVCs from unsuspecting voters.

“We urge security agents to monitor more closely activities of senior INEC officials as well as those of APC bigwigs. They are also going around ‘harvesting’ PVCs of the unsuspecting voters in exchange for money,” he added.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

Again, Ekweremadu Canvasses Six-year Single Term for President, Govs Deji

Elumoye

in

Abuja

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has frowned at the heat in the Nigerian political landscape ahead of the 2019 general election and reiterated his call for a six-year single term for the president and governors.

Ekweremadu on his Facebook page @iamekweremadu titled: ‘Still on single term for President and Governors’, yesterday declared that “Nigeria’s political atmosphere is getting toxic ahead of the 2019 general election and governance is taking a backseat.

“Unfortunately, this

atmosphere with the accompanying brazen political excesses, are unlikely to abate until well after the 2019 elections.”

He accused the executive arm of government of heating up the polity as evidenced in their desperation to return to office.

“Unable to resist the temptations that come with enormous power of incumbency, those who call the shots today throw everything within their reach into the mix in desperate efforts to retain power at all cost and by all means.”

Ekweremadu said the current political climate informed his

position to support one- term of six years for both president and governors.

He added that “I strongly believe a single term of five or six years for president and governors, even if for a stipulated period as was the case with several Latin American democracies, is something Nigerians should revisit after the 2019 general election.”

According to him, this will

substantially reduce the political tensions and executive excesses that come with self-succession, adding however that “although a renewable four-year term is popular, societies are dynamic and could make necessary constitutional adjustments to safeguard democracy and make periods leading up to elections less toxic.”

Going down memory lane, the deputy Senate president supported his view with what

was obtainable in the United States and other political climes.

“For over 150 years, starting from George Washington up to Harry Truman, there was no term limit for presidents of the United States of America. In fact, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) served four terms (although he died just 11 weeks into his fourth term).

It was the 22nd Amendment, which was ratified on February 27, 1951, that gave birth to two-

term limit for US presidents.

“Moreover, in the 1970s, many Latin American democracies faced the same challenges we face in Nigeria today. As many of them transited from military and autocratic regimes to democratic regimes, and they discovered that the politics of succession, including incumbents; penchant for self-perpetuation, overheated their polities and threatened their democracies.

FG Advocates Improved Financing for Prepaid Metering Sunday Okobi and Ugo Aliogo The Vice-President, Professor, Yemi Osinbajo, has called for increased financing in the power sector to improve the number of prepaid meters that the Distribution Companies (Discos) need to deploy in Nigeria’s households as well as the economy.

Osinbajo, who disclosed this recently in Lagos during his visit to Mojec International (local manufacturer of prepaid electricity meters) recently, noted that there is need to bridge the financing gap which he said has to change so that the local meter manufacturers, the discos and the end users can benefit maximally.

He expressed confidence that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is putting measures in place to bridge the funding gap in the deployment of more prepaid meters to household, “and without a doubt, it is not just a potential anymore, we are faced with the pleasant realities. But in metering, we are way ahead in manufacturing locally.”

Osinbajo, who expressed delight at Mojec’s efforts in producing prepaid meters, added that Ladol’s $16 million investment is also worthy of commendation and significant to the economy.

He explained that the Ladol investment which is 100 percent Nigeria and privately owned is a demonstration of the commitment of the federal government provide infrastructural framework for businesses that are private sector led to succeed.

According to Osinbajo, who also inaugurated Mojec New Meter Box on his visit, “The manufacturing of prepaid meters is excellent. I am extremely proud of what I am seeing here and of course at Ladol, it is excellent as well and with an investment with an excess of $16 billion. This investment is significant. It is also 100 percent Nigeria and private owned.

“It tells you that the federal government understands that businesses and economy growth have to be private sector led and our business as government is to create the environment to enable the private sector to do what it is meant to do which is business. Clearly what we are seeing here at Mojec is not just

potential, but the reality is that we are able to produce prepaid meters at Mojec International and few others have proved that.”

In her remarks, the Managing Director, Mojec International Limited, Chantelle Abdul, commended the vice president for his commitment to promoting local content and expressed the company’s desire to work closely with government to find lasting solutions to the metering gap and lack of steady power supply in the country.

She stated that the current facilities and factory in the country are capable of producing electricity meters from start to finish, adding that the factory has provided adequate proof that local companies can produce meters that can meet global standard which could consequently help in reversing government policy on local meter manufacturing.

Abdul appealed to the government to assist local manufacturers by formulating policies that would make cheap financing accessible and available which could help reduce the cost of meters to citizens.

According to her, “We commend and applaud NERC for the recently released MAP policy. However, only 70 percent of meters required are expected to be imported while 30 percent are to be locally produced. If the Nigerian meters market is about 6million metering gap, this means only 2million meters will be produced locally which can easily be manufactured by Mojec meters alone.

“However, there are over six local manufacturers in the country who, through patronage, can help create jobs and contribute to our national, knowledge transfer, research and development can enable Nigeria become an innovation hub such that we will be able to supply Nigerian made meters to the rest of Africa and the world.

With this situation, what we are asking is that the policy be reversed as this will enable other local manufacturers produce and create employment while encouraging foreign investors invest in the country directly instead of dumping foreign made meters into the Nigeria market. By so doing, we would be developing local capacity and creating enough jobs that would contribute greatly to our economy.”

STATE OF THE NATION

L-R: President, Association of Certified Forensic Intelligence and Crime Analysts, Dr. Abiola Allen; President, Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERMP), Mrs. Taiwo Ige; Chief Operating Officer, Halogen School of Security Management and Technology, Dr. Wale Adeagbo,and Director General, AERMP, Mr. Olayinka Odutola, at the maiden Policy Roundtable on the state of the nation organised

by Halogen School of Security Management and Technology, and AERMP in Lagos...recently

Tell Nigerians Your Achievements in 38 Months, Senators Urge APC Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Two members of the National Assembly, Senators Rafiu Ibrahim and Isah Misau, have asked the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC), to give its stewardship since the party assumed power on May 29, 2015.

The two lawmakers also said APC consistent blame of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, for its failure has made him the current issue in the country’s politics.

The two senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a joint statement queried why the APC is being fair to Nigeria by focusing on the Senate president and making him the subject of all discussions, instead of showing Nigerians its scorecard in the last 38 months that it has been in power.

According to them, “This is the first time in the history of the country that the ruling party will leave the issue of its achievements and start blaming its failure on just one individual, no matter who the individual is. It is also the first time a ruling party will plan to hoodwink Nigerians by saying everything wrong under its watch is due to the action and inaction of

one man.”

They posited that all the national leaders of the APC on a daily basis continued to abuse Saraki over their party’s non performance.

“APC has devoted all the time and knowledge of their national chairman, national leader, publicity secretary, four senators and two presidential aides to the daily abuse of Saraki, such that it appears as if Saraki is the only politician in Nigeria today. They have made Saraki the issue in Nigerian politics today. If these individuals devote the energy they are exerting on Saraki to finding solutions to the security problem, economic crisis and collapse of infrastructure, among them, they will come out with some action plan, except they are only skillful in mischief making,” they said.

The duo stated that the aim of the APC leaders was to distract the attention of the Senate president from pursuing his political ambition in 2019 “We can see through this plot. The plan is to get Saraki so engrossed in the battle for survival in the Senate and the pummeling from the APC cabal such that he will have no time to pursue his aspiration for 2019. However,

this is a short time strategy.

It will not work. That is why the man remains unfazed by the antics,” they stated The two Senators, who until July 14 when they defected to PDP along with 12 other Senators were APC members, wondered why the Senate president is being blamed for all the collective decisions of the Senate since June 2015.

“We are surprised that all the decisions that the Senate took as an institution is now blamed on Saraki. Are we also going to give the credit of all the achievements of the Senate to Saraki as well?

The laws that have been signed by the president and which led to the World Bank improving the rating of Nigeria in the Ease of Doing Business Report, the Petroleum Industry Governance Bills which broke the jinx of over 14 years on the law, the progressive constitution amendment bills, the five anti-corruption laws, and many others as well as the fact that the eighth Senate has done better than the previous ones in terms of number of bills passed, the petitions successfully treated and the various interventions: will all these be credited to Saraki and not the entire Senate?

According to them, “Why blame a man for what an institution lawfully did. Is this not dishonest? Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who moved the motion for our adjournment till September 25 and the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who seconded the motion are in APC, yet they kept quiet when all the falsehood are being peddled now that Saraki unilaterally and hurriedly adjourn the Senate.

“These Senators kept quiet about their roles simply because they want to be good boys. When the motion for adjournment was carried by voice vote, no dissenting voice was heard.”

The Senators further said: “Many people who are grandstanding now do not care how history will record their roles. How can those who play key roles in the Senate now turned round and be blaming everything on one man?”

The ewo senators also expressed their readiness to engage the APC senators if they forment trouble when the Senate resumes, saying: “We warned the APC that they would meet a match in those of us in PDP if they try to foment trouble in the Senate whenever we resume.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018

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COMMENT

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

OF ATIKU AND OTHER‘DESERVATIONISTS’ Olusegun Adeniyi argues that the word, ‘deserving,’is flawed

I

n the bid for the 2019 presidency, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his supporters have created an English word that does not exist and gone ahead to define it. In strategic places on the streets of Abuja, there are billboards bearing the campaign photograph of Atiku with the bold inscription ‘Deservation!’ and the rider: ‘Project 774 for Atiku 2019’.

Curious as to what the word means within the context of Atiku’s aspiration to be president of Nigeria, I decided to do a Google search which took me directly to the website of ‘Atiku Deservation Movement: Project 774 for Atiku 2019’.

While I enjoin readers to peruse the statement titled ‘Foundations of the Dream’, this line captures the essence of Atiku’s ‘Deservation’ dream: “He is believed to be one of the most deserving to lead Nigeria at this auspicious time in its history.

So, Deservation connotes deserving to be crowned as the President of Nigeria….”

Yes, I am one of those who believe that in terms of experience and exposure, Atiku is perhaps the most prepared of all the aspirants for the number one job in the country today. But to suggest that he deserves “to be crowned as the president of Nigeria” is to completely miss the point. When leaders give more importance to what they believe they are entitled to rather than what they have to offer the society, there is a problem. Sadly, that state of mind is what is responsible for practically all our woes in Nigeria because the primary motivation of those who aspire for public office is more about what they should get rather than what they ought to give.

This culture of ‘Deservation’, which simply means that Nigerians owe Atiku or anybody for that matter the 2019 presidency, is one that denies individual responsibility, breeds inept and self-serving leadership and ultimately creates excuses for failure. Besides, leaders with a ‘Deservation’ mentality are good only at playing the victim and when their manipulation fails, as it most often does, they become desperate and toxic. We do not have to look very far to see all that in our country today, from Abuja to the 36 states, including where some “uncommon defectors” now boast publicly that they would deploy (Adolf) Hitler tactics to win the next election for their party.

For those who may still not understand the ‘Deservation’ mentality, they need only to pay attention to what is happening in Oyo State. In 2016, Governor Abiola Ajimobi visited the ‘Music House’ of popular musician, Yinka Ayefele in Ibadan where he made a confession. “When we contested the first election and won, a lot (of people) told us to demolish the radio station because your programmes and broadcasts are against my government. Your boss, Yinka Ayefele, was also using songs to insult us. I didn’t see any reason why I should demolish the studio. If Ayefele is not for us today, he (will) support us later in future. Ayefele is beside me now and I pray the business will keep flourishing. Without any equivocation, I must confess that this radio station is the best

I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPOSURE, ATIKU IS PERHAPS THE MOST PREPARED OF ALL THE ASPIRANTS FOR THE NUMBER ONE JOB IN THE COUNTRY TODAY

in Oyo State” Since the “future support” by the “best radio station” has failed to materialise, Ajimobi last Sunday sent bulldozers to pull down the premises hosting Fresh FM in deference to the advice he got from his supporters. And it did not matter that an investment worth hundreds of millions was destroyed in the process. That is the full meaning of ‘Deservation’ as most Nigerian public officials abuse their powers to deal with anybody who as much as challenge their excesses or seek to hold them to account.

As we therefore approach the 2019 general election, we must make it clear that the only thing that can untangle the multitude of problems we face in the country is for our politicians to be humble enough to admit that Nigeria has given them so much for so little contributions. Because, let’s face it, the distribution of opportunities in our country is not necessarily about merit, especially for those who are in strategic leadership positions, it is about other considerations. That is why those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit, to borrow from the eternal wisdom of Chinua Achebe, should not lay claim to any ‘Deservation’.

Unfortunately, the culture of ‘Deservation’ is now so pervasive that in Kano, the incumbent governor has decreed that his predecessor cannot campaign for the presidency in the state he governed for eight years. In Imo, the incumbent says only his son-in-law can succeed him. Even the payment of salaries to government workers is now hailed as a big achievement for which governors now erect huge bill boards in the spirit of ‘Deservation’. To worsen matters, there are no debates going on anywhere about the challenges facing the country or how to proffer solutions at practically all levels of governance in our country.

Meanwhile, in most advanced democracies, politicians spend at least 18 months on the campaign train during which they sell their ideas and have their temperament tested. The essence of the marathon exercise (during which the aspirants move from one town to another) is to subject the candidates to real scrutiny by the people they intend to lead (and in the process weed out the unworthy). But here, all it takes to aspire for office is for just about anybody to register their own political party and print some glossy posters where they make some outlandish promises they have no intention of ever fulfilling.

To come back to Atiku, I hope his handlers realise the potential danger of their choice of the ‘Deservation’ campaign slogan which echoes both a sense of entitlement as well as an offensive condescension. If his ambition to be president of Nigeria is therefore because he wants to offer service to a nation that has evidently given him so much, and not because we owe him our votes, then somebody should have the common sense and decency to remove the pompous billboards that dot some street corners in Abuja.

Adeniyi is Chairman, THISDAY Editorial Board

VINDICATION OF BAFARAWA

Atthahiru Bafarawa’s track record puts him in good stead to be considered for the country’s top job, writes Ibrahim Kande

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here is no doubt that the declaration by the former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Atthahiru Bafarawa, for the 2019 presidential elections, has sent shock waves to the territory of those who do not wish him well. But Bafarawa, from the look of things, is the handmaid of God. He appears destined for a higher calling.

That is why many who have watched him closely over the years are convinced that his presidential project will be a huge success.

It is significant to note here that his detractors wanted to nail him. They wanted him to be put to shame. But God is always on the side of the righteous. That is why Bafarawa has come out of a decade-long court case with broad smiles. The courts have set him free, having not found him guilty of any wrong-doing.

For some 10 years now, Bafarawa has been in the eye of the storm. He has faced a serial and ceaseless witch- hunt in the hands of his immediate successor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At a time most state governors were leaving their states with a huge debt overhang, Bafarawa left N12 billion in the coffers of Sokoto State government. He did so in order to protect the state from unforeseen contingencies by providing for the rainy day. Regrettably, his successor, Alhaji Wamakko, who was expected to give credit to the man who made it possible for his government to take off on a sound footing, decided to play politics with the legacy that Bafarawa left behind. Wamakko denied

the existence of the said amount in the accounts of the state government. But Bafarawa would not succumb to that antic. Ever clinical in his approach to issues, Bafarawa went for all documentary evidence that was required to back up his claim. And in order to ensure that Wamakko did not get away with any cover-up, Bafarawa approached the EFCC over the matter. He urged the commission to freeze the account of Sokoto State government where the money was domiciled so that the governor would not deny its existence.

Under this circumstance, the EFCC was expected to beam its searchlight on the financial operations of the Sokoto State government under Wamakko.

But rather than do that, the commission invited Bafarawa to shed light on his letter to it. Bafarawa, strangely, was detained in the process. The complainant instantly became the accused.

The matter has witnessed a lot of turns and twists since it began in 2008. The Sokoto State government has had cause to turn the table against Bafarawa by slamming more charges against him. In December 2009, Bafarawa and his fellow accused persons were arraigned by the Sokoto State High Court on a 47-count charge bordering on misappropriation and embezzlement. Then in September 2011, the prosecution filed a fresh motion in which it amended its charges to 22 counts. Bafarawa and his co-defendants were accused of misappropriating and embezzling N15 billion belonging to Sokoto State government.

However, strange things continued to happen.

While the EFCC was prosecuting the case it brought before Bafarawa and others accused alongside with

him, the state government was busy withdrawing its charges against some of them. Those who switched to Governor Wamakko’s political camp got a reprieve. Their ‘sins’ were forgiven. At this point, it became obvious to the watching world that the trial of Bafarawa was political. That it was a deliberate witch-hunt. A calculated attempt to give the dog a bad name in order to hang it.

As if the acquittal of some of the accused persons was not enough, five of the accused persons were fully pardoned by the Sokoto State government, thus giving the impression that the accused are necessarily sinners who needed to be pardoned or forgiven. This was part of the shenanigans that we were treated to until the law took its ultimate course three days ago. While delivering judgment on the matter this Tuesday, Justice Bello Abbas dismissed all the 22 counts over which the accused were being tried. He said the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judgment dismissed all the evidence brought by the prosecution as mere hearsay. Consequently, the Judge discharged and acquitted Bafarawa and four others who stood trial with him to the very end.

With this judgment, it had become evident, even to incurable Doubting Thomases, that what Bafarawa has gone through in the past 10 years was mere witch-hunt. During the intervening period, he was harassed, harangued and blackmailed. He was given a bad name which he never deserved. But the court has demonstrated that all that we have been witnessing was vendetta. Someone wanted to gain an undue advantage over the other on account of politics. This was primitive and bitter politics at its

most banal.

The Bafarawa trial presents us with a lot of ridiculous scenarios. The discharge and so- called pardon granted to some of the accused persons while the case was still in court was an assault on the integrity of the court. By that action, the government of Sokoto State unwittingly passed a judgment of guilt on the accused persons. But we know that it is trite law to assume that an accused remains innocent until proven guilty. But in Sokoto, those accused persons were presumed and pronounced guilty and therefore needed to be pardoned by the state government. This is one of those aberrations that have not made it possible for Nigeria to make progress. We assault the system freely and still expect it to work. Those fellows got the soft treatment because they chose the easy way out. They were ready to procure their freedom by whatever means. And it worked for them. If Bafarawa were not a man of principle, he would have caved in at some point. He would have abandoned his political flag and pitched tent with his traducers. But the man stood his ground. He chose to fight on the side of truth. And truth, in the final analysis, has set him free.

Today, Bafarawa has stepped out to run for the presidency. Anybody who has followed his track record will readily admit that he is one of the best for the job. His integrity puts him in good stead to be considered for the top job. With the likes of Bafarawa, there is hope for Nigeria. There is light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Ibrahim wrote from Abuja

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

EDITORIAL THE LAWLESSNESS OF A MINISTER The Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, should be called to order

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hortly before the deadline given by the football world governing body for Nigeria to resolve the contrived leadership dispute in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expired on Monday, the federal government conveyed to FIFA a letter recognising Mr Amaju Pinnick as the authentic president. But while the letter sent from the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (then in his capacity as acting president) has received a positive but cautious response from FIFA, the Sports Minister, Mr Solomon Dalung, who in the first place instigated the whole crisis, countered the position of the government in another statement released on Tuesday.

According to Dalung, the 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.” The tongue-in-cheek press statement by the minister came after surreptitiously dispatching a counter letter to FIFA in the early hours of last Saturday. However, that would not be Dalung’s first public confrontation IT SAYS SO MUCH with colleagues and superior while his ABOUT DISCIPLINE press statement is just IN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION THAT another attempt at his disA PRESIDENTIAL ORDER obfuscating regard for constituted WOULD BE PUBLICLY authority. Besides, the COUNTERED BY A statement conveys several untruths chief SERVING MINISTER of which is that there is a Supreme Court verdict that ruled in favour of his preferred candidate in the NFF leadership tussle.

It says so much about discipline in the current administration that a presidential order would be publicly countered by a serving minister. Meanwhile, for the past two years, Dalung has been trying to use contrived court orders to install an interloper as the NFF President and in the process put our country to ridicule. And

during the FIFA World Cup, he encouraged Mr Chris Giwa to forcefully take over the NFF secretariat while Pinnick was away in Russia for the tournament.

Since FIFA has always recognised Pinnick as the validly elected president of NFF, the action of Dalung was considered an act of interference by the federal government and a gross violation of the international football statutes to which Nigeria is a signatory. Associate members of FIFA cannot refer football matters to ordinary courts. Such matter can only be resolved via internal mechanism or in the worst case, through the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) based in Switzerland.

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

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

t is instructive that Giwa lost at CAS and was banned from all football activities when he referred the matter for arbitration. Besides, FIFA actually annulled the election held on 26th August 2014 at Chida Hotel, Abuja which Giwa claimed he won. According to FIFA, the meeting was a nonelective congress to discuss the electoral template.

It also said many of the delegates that assembled in Abuja were not the real football stakeholders as the real delegates were hounded on the eve of the election by security agents.

In part, the crisis has been allowed to fester due to the subterfuge and open support for the Giwa faction by both the current sports minister and his predecessor.

But now that the matter has been resolved on the side of common sense, it is unfortunate that Dalung will still not allow peace to reign. Yet, at a period he is expected to be sufficiently contrite to seek genuine means of extricating Nigerian football from the damaging course he was bent on taking it, Dalung seems not to care if he pulls down the entire edifice to achieve his selfish goal of hijacking the NFF. Now that another election is looming, chances are that Dalung would want to impose his will on who emerges from that process. That is why he must be stopped. There is no reason why such a lawless individual should remain a member of the Federal Executive Council.

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GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: MESSAGE TO OSUNVOTERS

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n a matter of weeks, voters in Osun will go to the polls to elect a successor to Governor Rauf Aregbesola. With a record-breaking total of 48 governorship candidates from different political parties fighting hard to take over the tenancy of Bola Ige House from its current occupant, September 22, 2018 is expected to be a battle of wits between solemn promises and fairy tales. From the disputed ‘Ajele’ to the notorious ‘Ajobiewe’; and from the relatively unknown to the creatively unsung, I have no doubt in my mind that it will be a supremacy clash between ‘people power’ and problematic commitments characteristic of those who wish to turn the future of our state into a global pastime.

In view of the above, it behooves those who mean well for Osun to fight this battle as if it is going to be last battle of their lives. With so much at stake to take the state to the next level of its development, the time for casting predicaments on primordial sentiments as the oxygen for winning support is over. Like most other states, there is an urgent need for us to face the fact that dear state is currently in a difficult financial situation. Amidst this, the business of government has to run beyond November 27, 2018 when the incumbent chief tenant is expected to vacate office for a new helmsman.

As we know, good leadership is about vision, empathy and passion for governance. But then, the hearts of those who use blackmail as a means of economic survival tell us a great story about how politics is played in this part of the world. This is why the electorate must shine their eyes

before falling victim to fringe individualistic promises which have the potential of falling flat on their faces. With the situation of things on ground, coupled with the urgency to make things work better, the electorate must look beyond party affiliations for a successor who has the capacity to inject a clear strategy and unprejudiced accountability to deal with inherent crises as well as focus on development.

Such a candidate must be prepared to devote more energy to “unlocking the growth momentum and improved conditions” than Aregbesola’s government has done with his mandate.

As we approach this election, we should be concerned with aspirations that have the capacity to trap our future in a darkroom of uncertainty. For instance, it is our duty to ask any candidate who wants to succeed Aregbesola what he or she has to offer, different from what we are currently enjoying in the state. A candidate who makes payment of ‘full salary’ the pivot of his campaign without telling us how he intends to shore up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue will only be insulting our collective intelligence and must be denied the opportunity of over-stretching the texture of our existence. A flag bearer who has shown himself as a rather poor advertisement for academic excellence is only living on borrowed time as he cannot “promote functional education” with a view to eradicating “the frustration of youths caused by education that does not lead to employment.’’

Can carnality be a purveyor of good things? It is futile to think that a candidate with a history of comfortable

relationship with violence and integrity deficit can guarantee security of lives and property in a state that has been rated the most peaceful in Nigeria. In like manner, standard bearers who use insipid arguments as magic wands to calm frayed nerves stand the risk of pursuing a course in empire building and self-interest. Given the moral inconsistencies that becloud their ambitions, such souls will find it difficult to rise beyond the confines of sectional barricades and opportunistic tendencies.

Though sentiments and emotions are part of the unwritten ingredients of a democracy that is as teething as ours, the electorate must shun political practitioners whose portion is in the rag of creeping opportunism instead of the toga of respectability. Lest I forget, expired politicians who have overdrawn from the balance of our goodwill with treacherous sycophancy are on a landscape with no moral finishing posts. In my view, such candidates cannot offer “a government totally committed to the good people of Osun.

In politics, every vote counts! Against this backdrop, what then does Osun want? Where is the state headed and who fits the bill? The next governor must be able, capable and ready to spearhead facilities that are fit for purpose. He must be a practical leader who understands governance and how it runs; somebody who knows what creation of wealth is all about.

Abiodun Komolafe, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

‘There is a Huge Social and Economic Crisis in Nigeria’ Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, spoke to Nseobong Okon-Ekong on the sideline of the party’s first national convention held in Abuja that he has the capacity to run a united Nigeria

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hat programme does the ANN profess?

Number one, you will see that majority of the people in ANN are people who have something they are doing with their hands. They are not professional politicians who live on politics. The party believes in productive engagement. That is number one and consequently, the focus of the party is not to distribute handouts, but to make sure that we have sustainable employment that is tied to industry and manufacturing. Job is central to that. Creative people who are utilising their creative energy to make value for society is central to that. These are the kind of people you want to encourage in politics. They are the kind of people you want to use your political platform to empower.

Then we want a Nigeria that is not going to be driven on the basis of ethnicity or religious bigotry. We want a Nigeria where merit will determine a lot of things that will drive the values that society runs on. These are things that are quite different. That’s not what you see in the two biggest parties in Nigeria. Anytime they are talking, it’s about zoning; it’s about whether the President is going to be from the South or from the East and all that. That is the conversation all the time. There is no serious focus on how to grow infrastructure. There is no conversation on how to create jobs. There is no conversation on to expand the GDP and the economy. Their conversation is who is leaving the PDP tomorrow for APC; what is the next permutation? When you centre the conversation on religion, these are inanities and lot of people can run away with a lot of things. It’s that conversation that has fowled the atmosphere so much now. Criminals who should be in jail will escape with the loot because when you want to arrest them, they will say I’m from this corner or that corner. Then people from their village will go and make a public display that they are persecuting our son because the whole conversation is about ethnicity. It makes nonsense of anti-corruption. It makes nonsense of failure in governance. When you elevate the issues, then people cannot hide and escape the consequences of their criminal actions.

How can your party match the level of vote buying we have seen in recent elections?

That is a job for all of us, including the media.

But the level of poverty in the country encourages it. I also think that those who have stolen a lot of money from government also encourage it.

Once you de-market certain categories of people and that is the job of all of us, I think the vote buying will reduce, especially de-marketing them by making the election about issues. When the choices are not very sharp, or when the differences in the political platform are not clear, then the electorate will say they are the same.

Tell me why anybody should prefer PDP to APC? There is no reason. That’s an incentive for vote buying, when there is no difference between the political parties. When there is a clear difference. I think the scope of vote buying will become narrower.

As the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), why are you pursuing your presidential ambition on another platform?

I left PDP in November 2006. I had issues at that time with the PDP and I think the party now is worse. We had issues of internal democracy and the standards were even pretty high in terms of values and we even questioned that they were not adequate. You can imagine what it has become now. I think it’s pretty worse now than when we formed the party. Some of our colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) wanted automatic extension of their tenure from two years to four years. Late Harry

Olawepo-Hashim

Marshal, myself, and others challenged it, even though we were supposed to be beneficiaries of that extension. We had just come from military dictatorship and coming into democracy, we were not supposed to be conducting ourselves with impunity.

By 2006, a lot of people exited the party including the founders of the party. That was why the 2007 election was the worst election in Nigeria. It was like warfare because they

When the choices are not very sharp, or when the differences in the political platform are not clear, then the electorate will say they are the same. Tell me why anybody should prefer PDP to APC? There is no reason. That’s an incentive for vote buying, when there is no difference between the political parties.

had lost support of most of the members that made victory possible. They needed to rig election massively. Some of these people who became governors in that era on the PDP platform didn’t really win elections. Some of them transformed themselves to Senators. The perfidy did not start today.

But the other dimension was that people who were helped into office through rigging had less loyalty to people’s welfare. This took a toll on the quality of leadership. You had some governors who were making their houseboys governors. Some of them made their cash officers or account officers in banks to become governors.

I just make my account officer in the bank; I say I’m going; you are the one who can cover my track. The guy had never participated in politics. He had never even been a student union leader. He has never been a leader in the CAN or a Muslim organization where he have some rudiments of organising people, and straight, he becomes Chief Executive of a state.

Why do you want to be President?

I can put Nigeria back together. Nigeria is badly divided and it needs a unifier and a bridge builder. Nigeria’s economy needs to be rescued from complete collapse. Even the growth rate of 7 percent that we have for about 15 years until 2015 was not a good enough number to grow Nigeria out of poverty. We needed our GDP to expand sevenfold to be able to be at par with the countries that were in the same rank as Nigeria’s like Malaysia at independence.

We want to evolve a middle income country, having per capita income of between $16,000 to around $25,000 and if we are going to be at that level, we need to grow within ten years, our GDP by sevenfold. I understand how the modern economy is organised and I’m an investor myself in different countries and I have done business for 27 years. So, I have practical understanding of how to expand our GDP and grow our economy, as one who is on top of both economy, practically and theoretically.

There are very few people in Nigeria who have

the privilege of having strong level of political training and also sound economics and that’s important for Nigeria. We have to unite the country and at the same time, we have to deal with the economic challenges. At the bottom of some of these challenges in the country is competition for resources and massive poverty. It also contributes to the number of these upheavals that we are having in different parts of the country. Some of the realities are quite scary and needs the urgency of now to arrest them.

Otherwise, if the trend continues, things can really run out of hand. Some months ago, we were discussing with some people who came to visit us from Shiroro (Niger state) and we were talking about insecurity, they said the kind of insecurity we are seeing now is not just about herdsmen and farmers clashes; that in Shiroro, once they bury their yams in the ground around the planting season, some people will go and unearth the yams; some will even go and sell the seedlings in the market in order to have some money. What they do now is they mark the yam seedlings with paints so that when it shows up at the market, everybody will know that this is a stolen yam. Are you going to send policemen to be manning every farm in Nigeria?

This is a huge social economic crisis. That one is no longer just security problem. It’s a serious problem of chronic poverty and collapse of all the economic lever of hope. This matter is an urgent matter. You cannot discuss some of these security challenges outside the issue of poverty and the collapse of the economic support system for the people to live to be human beings in the first place. That demands an urgency of now.

The discussions and analysis of 2019 leaves all these practical questions out. The real issues are left out and we will ensure by the grace of God that 2019 election is going to be about issues.

It’s not just going to be about the shenanigans of politics.

IN THE MIRROR • Former student union and rights activist; founding Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP • Imprisoned without trial by the Ibrahim Banbagida regime, declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, later freed after legal battle and international pressure • Formerly known as Gbenga Olawepo, now known as Gbenga OlawepoHashim’ originally from Kwara State, now contesting for political office out of the FCT • First runner-up in the 2007 Kwara State governorship election on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP). Dr. Bukola Saraki won the election. Contested on the same party ticket again in 2011, but lost • Spent over N50 million over two years to reclaim the mandate in legal battles, besides hundreds of millions spent on the actual quest for the governorship • Serial investor in different sectors of the economy and multi-billionaire businessman • Promised 400,000 jobs to Kwarans.

Presented the blueprint titled, ‘The Leader We Trust’ which contained how the jobs would be created, where it would be created, the cost, where to secure the funds and how to payback within four years NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

POLITICS

‘My Media Experience will Help Deepen Legislation’ Goddie Ofose, a Lagos-based media practitioner has been invited by his people to contest for the Mbo State Constituency seat in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mary Nnah engaged Ofose on the trends in Akwa Ibom State, and his aspirations

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hat are your views on the style and administration of Gov. Udom Emmanuel?

I must really commend the foresight and purposefulness of the administration of Gov. Udom Emmanuel. In line with his government five-point agenda with the three focal pointsindustrialization, tourism and agriculture, he has been focusing on driving sustainable development projects that will outlive his administration. If you look at industrialization, before now we had industries in the states set up and run as an extended arm of parastatals, so mortality rate was high, especially if an incoming administration does not buy into it. But what he is doing now is to anchor and bench mark things with international best practices.

The Udom-led government has provided an enabling environment, security, provide infrastructures, good governance and economic policies that will draw investors. One key factor that has been lacking even across the country and Africa but it is now in Akwa Ibom proudly, that is integrity in leadership.

We can proudly talk about at least four world class new industries- syringe factory, metering solutions industries, pencil & toothpick factory, and the paints factory.

This means business has been created and investment made in areas where there is market, so sustainability is assured. Take the syringe factory. For instance Nigeria spends over N30b to imports syringe, so the market for them is readily there.

We cannot even meet demands for Nigeria so it will expand with time. The metering factory meets the needs of Nigerians moving massively to pre-paid metering. It is same with the paint and toothpick factories. So many other moribund industries in various sectors have been resuscitated.

Ofose

Udom was recently endorsed by key sections of the state for a second term, do you he deserves such endorsement?

Any sincere observer will agree that he is worthy. I am not sure if there is any other state of Nigeria, in this intervening period has been able to do as much as Akwa Ibom State. The administration is focusing on the route of diversifying the economy in the area of industrialization to create wealth. The dream is that by the time this administration exits, the economy will have a 360-degree turnaround with the private sector taking over the driving seat of the state economy. Four years cannot be enough to fix everything, a second tenure is key to consolidate this laudable masterplan.

In many states of the federation, governors have been accused of focusing mainly on state capitals. Is Udom’s approach different?

It would be highly uncharitable to accuse Emmanuel of concentrating on the state capital.

Let us even start with the civil service, he pays salaries of civil servants promptly. For illustration purposes, any civil servant in the state whose wife is pregnant is guaranteed full welfare attention from government from birth till the child finishes his or her WAEC exams.

All through the nine months of pregnancy, the mother is guaranteed free health services from any state hospital. The first five years of the child also attracts free health care, and there is free compulsory primary and secondary education including free WAEC exams for everyone in the state. The state government spends over N600m as payment for WAEC registration exams for all indigenes of the state. On roads, the Akwa Ibom state government has constructed cumulatively over 2700 kilometres of roads benchmarking international standards. These are roads designed and built to last for at least 25years.

These good road network the cut across the state will enhance our agricultural and industrialization drive.

You are from the Oron ethnic group and we know that your people have been agitating for the position of governor. What advice will you give to your people now that Governor Udom is seeking a second term?

It is the right of every individual or group to aspire to any leadership role in any political setting. The desire of the Oron nation is not out of place. However every aspiration must be juxtaposed with realities on ground and what is best for the generality of millions of Akwa Ibom people.

Gov Udom is one of us from our Senatorial district. He has as enviable master plan he needs to complete. Our discussions and negotiations should continue in house. The

good thing is that in the state, all elites have come to agree that the governorship should rotate among the three senatorial districts every eight years. With Good negotiation, the Ibibio ethnic group in the senatorial district will agree that it is the turn of the Oron nation when it comes round next time.

Fighting and bickering will not help any group.

Discussions, negotiations and concessions on this issue will be very helpful and ensure peaceful development. It will definitely be in the interest of the Oron people to support Udom and that is what I will advise strongly.

Why did you decide to take active part in politics?

It is always a tough task to resist the call of your people. The fact is that it has become the turn of the people of Ebughu/Udesi to pick the slot for the Mbo House of Assembly seat. We are highly organised and we have our agreed political arrangement in Mbo. I am a journalist. My people have seen clearly that my experience in my profession will add value to governance and ensure quality governance. If there is a profession that can train people in law making and vibrant politicking, it is journalism.

We are by nature very engaging, analytical and vibrant. I will bring vibrancy to the state assembly and the Mbo people. I also feel vibrant law-making will guarantee growth in Akwa Ibom. My media experience will help deepen legislation and good governance in Akwa Ibom.

Do not forget that I was invited to come home and represent them. I have been a very loyal party man. I have and still willing to work tirelessly with great stakeholders in my area like Hon. Victor Antai and Rt. Hon Nse Bassey Ekpeyong. If there is one thing that is firmly established, I am fully on ground and by God’s grace I am on my way to the state house of assembly come 2019.

‘As Senator I Will Pay My Salary to a Trust’ Anamero Dekeri, a well-established businessman and philanthropist spoke to Nume Ekeghe on his desire to change the fortune of his people which has inspired his political ambition

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ow would you assess Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s performance?

Obaseki is a friend. I simply did what a true friend ought to have done. When you see a true friend embarking on a worthy cause, you are duty-bound to key into the venture and support in the best way you can. That was how I became part of the campaign project.

On his performance so far, I think I will say he has done well. I see Obaseki as Edo State’s hidden treasure and I am happy that he is running the affairs of the state diligently.

We have witnessed a tremendous revolution in almost all strata. You would have noticed his diligent approach to the industrialisation of the state as he strives to attract investments into the state. We will continue to see more of what has been done already because he is one person that gives the wellbeing of the people a priority in everything he does.

The man is a technocrat whose economic ideology is driven by long-term vision. When Obaseki talks about Edo, he does so with passion.

I am close to him enough to know his worldview; he is not a greedy person. The interest of our people and the future generation is paramount in his thinking and developmental agenda. He is committed to building on the foundation laid by his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, to prepare the state for enduring economic growth and development.

Has he gotten the priorities right?

Dekeri

You would recall that when he came into power, the first major project he embarked upon was the resuscitation of the Benin Technical College. What is that meant to achieve? He wants our children to be equipped with vocational and technical skills required to drive the industrialisation agenda of the government. The governor wants the next generation of leaders to be immersed in the task of building on the foundation that has been laid.

One of the first places the governor visited was Okpella. He was there to assess the moribund fertilizer plant, which is key to the agricultural development of the state. Today, the fertilizer plant is undergoing reconstruction. He also visited the fertilizer company in Auchi, took inventory of progress of work at the company.

Few months after, the company was unveiled by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo who commended his industrialisation drive and commitment to continuing the industrialisation programmes of Oshiomhole. The fertilizer company in Auchi alone has created 500 direct jobs; more employment opportunities will be created through the economic activities the company will generate.

The second phase of Edo Cement plant in Okpella was also commissioned by the Vice President.

Also, last December, Rongsheng Glass Nigeria Limited in Benin was unveiled. This is one of the fruits of the administration’s efforts to attract investments to the state. There is also the N200 billion Benin Industrial Park and many other investments.

The governor is determined to industrialise the state by creating the enabling environment that encourages investments. Ultimately, the initiatives of the Oshiomhole and Obaseki administration is transforming the state from a roadside ticketing and Okada riding economy to an industrialised economy – an economy where youths are positively engaged and one that supports commerce. To achieve this, Obaseki has realised the need to take some painful decisions. He has to because leadership is all about sacrifice. Obaseki is very systematic.

He doesn’t believe in rushing to get things done because he wants to impress people. He believes in leaving enduring legacy.

He is determined to move Edo State from an agrarian state to an industrial centre. We must also give this to Oshiomhole. The foundation is the most important part of a structure; this is

what the Comrade Governor did for the people.

We have seen the essence of a good foundation in building an enduring city in Lagos State.

Obaseki acknowledged this when he declared that he would build on the existing foundation when he assumed office.

Sometime last year, he organised an economic summit in the state, where he brought key players in the economy, including Osinbajo, to articulate a roadmap for the future of the state. One of the objectives of the summit is supporting the long-term development of the state. Once an administration gets its vision right, things work out well for successive administrations. Why has Lagos become a model today? Asiwaju Bola Tinubu got it right. Without playing politics with the state, he brought in Babatunde Fashola. We all witnessed what happened during Fashola’s era. Today, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode is doing very well, building on the foundation his predecessors laid. The Lagos model has also begun in Edo State. Obaseki’s coming is like discovering Edo’s hidden treasure.

Does the governor give room to technocrats to make input in form of advice?

The last economic summit organised by Obaseki was the first of its kind in the history of Edo State.

That forum was an opportunity for investors and businessmen to come together to chat a road map for the economy of the state.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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

Blueprint for Electricity Revival In his new book, “Conversations in Electric Utility Engineering,” recently launched at the Muson Centre in Lagos, Solomon Omorodion Uwaifo, a Nigerian author, gave a detailed description of the potentials and challenges of the Nigerian power sector and a blueprint for it's revival. Sunday Ehigiator reports

L-R: Managing Director/ CEO, Eko Discos, Adeoye Fadeyibi; Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Commission, Professor. James Momoh; Author, Solomon Uwaifo; President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering, Fola Lasisi and the Executive Director, Transcorp, Owen Omogiafo at the public presentation of Conversation in Electric Utility Engineering, held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos...recently PHOTO: DAN UKANA

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igeria has been handed a well-informed insight into the endemic and debilitating problems of the power sector by Solomon Omorodion Uwaifo. The country has grappled with the challenges over the years, but now, solution seems to be in the offing. That is if the Nigerian government deigns to apply the principles contained in Uwaifo’s latest book, “Conversations in Electric Utility Engineering.”

Uwaifo, who is an NLNG joint winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, has over the years written about the power sector, offering the public his vast knowledge of the workings of the industry from his years of experience as a former top-ranked employee of the defunct Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN). This time, he tells Nigeria what to do to change the industry and make it better.

This latest book of his was recently presented to the public at a formal launch. In it, he expresses his passion and commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s power sector works, and serves as a fulcrum for the industrialisation of the country, as the power sector has done elsewhere.

The event, which was chaired by Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Professor James Momoh, also played host to other notable Nigerians and organisations. Among them were Vice Chancellor, Igbinedon University, Professor Eghosa Osaghae; Commissioner, EPM, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Professor Frank Okafor; Chief Operating Officer, North South Power, Shiroro Hydro, Engr Daudu Abdul-Aziz; Tony Elunelu, represented by Christopher Ezeafulukwe, Executive Director, Transcorp Plc; lawyer, writer, Eishenhower Fellow, Ms Ayisha Osori; and retired Director of the National Troupe of Nigeria, Ms Josephine Igberaese.

Author's Conversation

In his opening remarks, which he entitled, “Load Factor is The Dominant Achilles Heel”, Uwaifo said, “As a conversation, we need total relaxation to make the most of the book. It repeats the doleful stories we all heard, or told generously, in parts, yet it states in several other parts that we should be thankful to operators past and present that Nigeria still has an electric power supply industry we can talk about today.

"Yesterday, we probably would not have agreed that all the three links in the chain of Electric Power Supply – generation, transmission, distribution – are inadequate. Today, we totally agree that they are.

We have almost regressed the industry to pre – 1951 levels.

"Nigeria builds power stations, erects transmission lines and main substations, as well as distributes electric power today as she has done since 1951.

But we know that practically every such service has become tardy and unreliable. Yet, after 67 years, the industry is alive, if barely, and the most conservative among us would give it a rating of 20 per cent perhaps.

"Operators of the industry must be doing something wrong for such a low rating. However, they must also be doing several things right as well, to survive the political upheavals of the past 67 years.

“Conversation in Electricity Utility Engineering narrates the wrongs that have consigned the industry to its terrible state. The flaws are not about doing nothing, but about the dearth of commercial engineering applications to ensure a viable and vibrant electric power supply industry.

"Call it ECN, NEPA or whatever you will, the monolith denied the industry commercial engineering the economic nerve centre of the industry. Rather a department initially instituted in April 1951, only operated in its first few years with the required commercial focus."

He continued, "Leasing electrical appliances helped to diversify electrical commercial focus.

Leasing electrical appliances helped to diversify electrical energy usage then, however, the increase

Conversation in Electricity Utility Engineering narrates the wrongs that have consigned the industry to its terrible state. The flaws are not about doing nothing, but about the dearth of commercial engineering applications to ensure a viable and vibrant electric power supply industry

in electric loads was marginal. That level of focus on commercial engineering was as much as was needed in those early years perhaps, but in subsequent years when the ECN needed more, the focus disappeared entirely.

"Leadership which lacked an understanding of engineering economics and ratemaking were continually posted to head department. The purpose of a commercial department, is to find ways to improve load factors and to sustain them at optimal levels. Typically that requires creative thinking and the best wags in collaborative marketing, focussed on incentivizing other industries to demand more electric power. In large measure, the U.S.A owes her giant industrial development to that kind of collaboration.

"In Nigeria’s current situation, marketing symbiosis in the industry requires that the Discos have complete control of the design of electricity rates and rate structures. The NERC should control rate of return on investment as well as accounting, depreciation and human resource practices in Discos. Direct control of rates by NERC constrains the Discos, at a time when they need the freedom to embrace creative management of electric power and its market.

"Unfortunately, the monolith only ever hired engineering economist specialised in ratemaking on occasions when it redesigned rates. When the process was completed, the specialists were discarded leaving no one to monitor the revenue contribution of each of the class of rates designed; an essential functions of commercial engineering departments.

"As was with the monolith then, so it is with the Disco now. Industries are fewer at this time and the downturn in revenues is most severe. To alter that, Discos must employ Engineering Economists and ratemaking specialists permanently. They are the commercial brains of the industry. Without them, Discos are as blind as the monolith was, and can only lead the industry into all manner of difficulties.

"Yes, generation, transmission, and distribution need improvements. There will always be nontechnical issues to resolve. Technically, however, low load factor is the dominant Achilles heel and only Engineering Economists and ratemaking specialists can overcome it by collaborative marketing that creates more electric loads, not less or fractionalised loads, as the new approved customer doctrine is doing. We must work for higher load factors and sustain them. That is the way to lower rates and increase revenues.

"The NUC ought to incentivise Nigerian universities urgently to teach these subjects because they are essential requirements in the management of every

utility. Gas, water, communication and other public utilities will be better with these experts.

“If NERC continues to control tariffs, and Discos do not employ these specialists, the industry will remain a sick colossus, always on the brink of collapse over rates issues, no matter what else it does right. And the country will continue to sit on the backseats of human and economic development, while her gifted citizens roam the world in search of fulfilment.”

Failure of Successive Governments

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NERC, Momoh in his remarks at the occasion blamed the poor development of the country and the economic downtown on failure by successive governments to grow and develop the power sector to allow for the industrialisation of the country. Momoh, who was the chairman at the event, traced the history of electric utility by Edison, which he said had grown in quantum over the years to engineer production and industrialisation across the world.

But in the case of Nigeria, he said the country didn’t take full advantage of the entire utility spectrum of electricity. Pointing to the lack of creativity, innovation, and investors, which tends to doom the sector to dependence on the government, Momoh said, “We didn’t grow our electricity.” But he believes all hope is not lost. The NERC chairman, who said he felt honoured and privileged to be invited to chair the event, noted that such a hope could only be rekindled if Nigerians followed through some of the prescriptions offered by the author in the book.

He added, “Nigeria can’t grow if we don’t increase the awareness of science in this country.

Uwaifo has given us hope and if we want to get there as a nation we need to embrace technology and science. We will not get there if we don’t.

"We are here to celebrate the pioneer and Edison of our world. Nigeria can’t grow if we don’t increase the awareness of science in this country. Uwaifo has given us hope and if we want to get there as a nation we need to embrace technology and science. We will not get there if we don’t. We are asking for new technology and we at NERC can only make an impact if we know and embrace the big knowledge."

The book was officially launched by the chairman of the occasion in company of representatives from The Nigerian Electricity Industry (NESI), Distribution Companies (DISCOS), Generation Companies (GENCOS), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Nigerian Bulk Electricity Traders (NBET).

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Changing Narratives with TEDx Ogunu Ogunu, a little rustic and farming community in Warri, Delta State, recently played host to a convergence of over 100 young minds from different businesses and career dispensations.

Raheem Akingbolu writes that the TEDx talk helped changed narratives

Some of the participants at the TEDx Ogunu

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t was a network of extraordinary young leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and media representatives, where seven speakers examined contemporary issues with participants. The dialogue was through the popular TEDx Platform, an international platform that sparks ideas and finds innovative solutions to local issues.

Simply tagged TedXOgunu because it was hosted by in the community in Warri, the convener, a young entrepreneur, Orode Uduaghan, pegged the theme of the one-day event on “restructuring the future through innovative ideas”.

The event had a diverse line-up of speakers on various topics ranging from education and education policy for disadvantaged communities, public health issues, digital marketing, leadership and growth, changing the African narrative through storytelling, amongst others.

The speakers paraded included entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Segun Manuel; CEO, GidiRealtor Limited, Tonye Solomon; and consultant; Charles Odii, the visionary behind SME100 Nigeria and Olisa Azinge, a lawyer. Others are corporate affairs personality and Group Head of Corporate Communications at Nigeria’s BUA Group, O’tega Ogra; a lawyer, educational activist, and co-founder of the Michael and Marilyn Foundation, Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, and Onye Ubanatu, development filmmaker, producer and director.

Photo: Google

Reshaping the Narrative Speaking on what informed the initiative, the convener, Uduaghan said Warri and Delta State, in general, had come a long way, adding that the dream to host TEDxOgunu was borne from her childhood experiences and a burning need to reshape the narrative for Warri, Delta State and Nigeria as a whole.

She stated, “TEDxOgunu is not the TEDxevent where we only speak about ideas. TEDxOgunu is the TEDx event where we work towards implementing ideas. That was the goal when we put this together and this vision was shared on our @

Warri is hardly known for anything other than the repertoire of comedians that have blossomed from there. However, a solid ecosystem of startups, entrepreneurs, agri-preneurs, IT and co-creation hubs have sprouted in recent years but have not received as much coverage

TEDxOGUNU handle on various social media platforms. Warri is hardly known for anything other than the repertoire of comedians that have blossomed from there.

However, a solid ecosystem of startups, entrepreneurs, agri-preneurs, IT and Co-creation hubs has sprouted in recent years but has not received as much coverage.

"We must support them, tell our stories and present our narratives in a way that will let the world acknowledge these strides.

We also used an innovative organisational approach during the planning which led to an almost completely volunteer-managed event and ensured that local businesses and personalities had time to share their visions before introducing speakers. This has already led to some possible collaboration which my team and I are grooming."

Bringing Innovation to Niger Delta To further buttress her resolve towards using the TEDx platform to bring about innovative change in the Niger Delta, Orode led a team that included some speakers for the event to see the Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was impressed by the level of organisation and listened intently to the ideas that were shared. He also committed to supporting the implementation of these ideas as they would lead to improvements in the quality of lives of citizens of the state.

Viable Platform One of the speakers, Onye Ubanatu, a documentary filmmaker who is also the CEO of MPML Media said, “TEDxOgunu provided a platform to change the narrative surrounding Warri and be an inspiration to others. As someone who grew up in Warri, I realised early in life, the importance of knowing that every experience prepares an individual for a bigger picture and provides an opportunity to inspire others. It is thus very important that we articulate our processes, keep walking and moving forward knowing that there is much to learn and shared for the greater good. TEDxOgunu provided just that platform.”

However, the event was not all about the speakers alone. Of course, there was room for vendors and entrepreneurs to interact and network. To this end, Uduaghan said beyond the platform, it was necessary for participants to follow up their takeaway from the event with action. “It has come and gone.

Now it is time for implementation of the ideas raised. It is not just about indigenes making their communities great alone, but it is a helpful place to start. It does not have to be ideas or attendees of the just concluded TEDxOgunu that have a say in what progressive steps need to be taken, but we are positive that we have gingered their consciousness towards innovative change. It's time we as Nigerians see Nigeria as a whole, as a worthwhile stake to invest in,” she further stated.

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IMAGES

L:R: U. S Commercial Counselor, Brent Omdahl; Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Darrell McGraw; President, American Business Council, Dr. Lazarus Angbazo; and CEO/Executive Secretary, American Business Council, Margaret Olele, during the launch of the economic survey report by the American Business Council in Lagos... recently

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Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

R-L: Miss Liberia 2017; Wokie Dolo; Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, Ambassador Tunde 0. Ajisomo; Winner, Face of Trek Africa 2018, Ayodele Nifemi, and first runner up, Face of Trek Africa; Shogbesan Halimat, during the Face of Trek Africa Queens courtesy Visit to the Ambassador in Liberia... recently.

L-R: Human Resources Manager, SONA Group, Mr. Soji Fagbemi; Managing Director, Food, Agro & Allied industries Ltd, Mr. KVS Murthy; Chairman, SONA Group, Arjan Mirchandani; Legal Adviser, SONA Group, Mr. Joseph Taiwo Oguniyi; Assistant Chief Standards Officer, SON Ogun State Office, Michael Olayiwola Ajagbonna; Group Managing Director, SONA Group, Mr. Ajai Musaddi; Chief. Adekanbi Williams;and Group Marketing Head, Mr. Devanshu Seth during Food, Agro Allied Industries inauguration of malt extract exportation to New Zealand in Ogun State...recently

Standing: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle); Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq. (second left); Head of Service, Gladys Idahor (left); Managing Director, Edo Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS), Arch. Frank Evbuomwan (second right); and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof.

Yinka Omorogbe (right), during the governor’s inspection of EDOGIS office in Benin City, Edo State....recently

L-R; Director General, NESREA, Dr. Lawrence Anukam; Founder, Sunray Ventures, Christian Wessels; Director Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Lafarge Africa, Folashade Ambrosse-Medebem; Executive Director Business Development, LADOL, Jide Jadesimi; and a member Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Tunde Olatunji, at the stakeholders workshop to unlock investment for a sustainable circular economy in Nigeria, held in Lagos…recently.

PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase(left) and the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama during LCCI’s courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister in Abuja... recently.

L-R: Business Executive, First Bank, Mrs. Uju Ogboh; former Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank Limited and recipient, Mr. Hafiz Bakare; his wife, Mrs. Adekunbi Bakare; and Executive Director, Skye Bank, Mr. Innocent Ike, during the 2018 NIM Fellows’ Award, in Lagos..recently

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

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REPO 7.33 8.33

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

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

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Quick Takes MTN Moves ‘The Man in The Box’

After two months of stirring the interest of the nation with the “Man in the Box” – an office-in-a-billboard display along the Lekki Epe Expressway – Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, MTN Nigeria has relocated the billboard, concluding the first phase of the campaign.

Enterprise Business Unit Executive, MTN Nigeria, Lynda SaintNwafor, revealed that the next phase for the phenomenon that held Nigeria spellbound was the ‘Man in the Box The Sequel.’

“The focus is on the millions of businesses that require out-of-thebox business solutions to not only thrive but compete comfortably with world standards. This will ultimately improve Nigeria’s economy in the long-term and also empower the exponential growth of Nigerian businesses.

MultiChoice Launches DStv Now Apps

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

L-R: Assistant General Manager, Operations, Channels Television, Mr. Kingsley Uranta; Managing Director, Noah’s Ark Communication, Mr. Lanre Adisa; Commissioner for Information and Strategy Ogun State, Mr. Dayo Adeneye; President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mr. Kayode Oluwasona; Member, Board of Trustees, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi and Past President, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, at the 45th Annual General Meeting/Congress of the AAAN in Abeokuta, Ogun State...recently

MTN Restrategises, Raises Investment on Data in 2018 Stories by Emma Okonji MTN Nigeria, the largest network operator by subscriber number said it has since redirected its focus on capital expenditure (CAPEX), to investing more on data facilities rather than voice.

The telecom company said it took the decision because it observed that Nigerian subscribers are fast shifting from voice communication to data communication.

The telecoms company made the disclosure in Lagos shortly after it signed the documents through which it secured a N200 billion loan facility from 12 banks for network expansion, part of which it said, would

ICT be spent on.

The General Manager, Corporate Treasury Finances at MTN, Mr. Ishmael Nwokocha, who made the disclosure, revealed that out of the N180 billion the company earmarked for CAPEX this year, large chunk of the money was spent on network expansion, upgrade and optimisation for data, in order to meet the growing demand of its customers for data services.

According to him, MTN had a legacy network that was built to provide voice services but decided to redirect its focus from voice to data and invest heavily in data service offering

because of the shift from voice to data, which has become a global phenomenon.

“In 2016 we spent N192 billion on CAPEX, in 2017 we spent N225 billion on CAPEX and in 2018, we earmarked N180 billion on CAPEX, and a large chunk of the 2018 budget was directed to network expansion, upgrade and optimisation to meet the growing demand of our subscribers for data services,” Nwokocha said.

“We are currently experiencing more demand for data services from social media like WhatsApp. As we transit from call-centric to data-centric, we need to improve our infrastructure for data service offering, and we have to prepare for the

future, if a large part of our revenue will be coming from data, hence our new focus and energy are on data and how to invest more in our data facilities,” Nwokocha added.

Addressing the status of MTN Nigeria in rolling out its Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, Nwokocha said, “MTN is not in the process of acquiring LTE technology for its broadband internet penetration, because we have already invested in LTE and we have the technology running.

“For every telecom company, the foundation is always about the frequency, because the more frequency they have the better Continued on page 24

Technology Companies Urged to Build Cyber Resilience Nigerian technology companies that are racing into the digital future by adopting technologyenabled operating and business models have been advised to build cyber resilience in order to forestall attacks capable of hurting their operations.

The Country Managing Director, Accenture Nigeria, Mr. Niyi Yusuf who gave the advice in Lagos, said most organisations were not prepared for the new cyber risks that come with the connected, data-driven future enterprise.

He therefore advised small

ECONOMY and medium scale enterprises’ operators (SMEs), fintechs, and corporate organisations to begin to seek new ways of protecting their cyberspace through cyber resilience.

“To be cyber resilient, companies need to infuse security into everything they do and every new thing they are preparing to do. Future business relies upon constant, intimate digital connections with suppliers, partners, virtual workforce and customers to stay relevant and

competitive.

“It uses intelligent technologies and big data in all facets of business operations—from C-suite decision making to crafting custom offers for internet shoppers in pursuit of profitable growth,” Yusuf said.

He cited a recent survey conducted by Accenture, where over 1,400 C-suite executives, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), were asked how they prioritise security in new business initiatives, and whether their security plans address future

business needs, what security capabilities they have, and their level of internal and external collaboration on security.

According to him the survey result showed that 38 per cent of the companies bring the CISO into all discussions at the beginning stage of considering new business opportunities.

Additionally, half of the CISOs admit that their responsibilities are growing faster than their ability to address them.

“Business will continue to Continued on page 24

DStv Now, the internet-based service with live sports, live TV, shows and movies on Catch Up, is now available via three new lean-back apps. These apps make it possible to turn any TV in the house into an easy-to-use DStv hub without the need for a decoder.

The new apps are suitable with devices such as Samsung smart TVs 2015 model and above, Apple TV of 4th generation and above, Media players running AndroidTVfor Google certified devices only.

Apps are also expected to be added shortly for additional brands of smart TVs. DStv Now was launched in 2014 and originally conceived of as a mobile-first product, with apps for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Over time, however, new usage cases have emerged such as providing an easy way get all of DStv’s content on to TVs not connected to a decoder.

Brand Communicator Holds Conference

Brand Communicator, a wholly marketing communications journal, has concluded plans to host the second edition of Women in Marketing & Communications Conference/Awards (WIMCA) in Lagos.

According to the company, WIMCA is a thought leadership platform for insights and contemporary trends in engaging female consumers and at the same time recognising outstanding women and corporate organisation for their contributions to the growth of their various industries and the country at large.

This year’s event with the theme, “Women in Marketing Communications: The Press for Progress,” promises to be the biggest gathering of female professionals in the field of Marketing and communications industry.

According to a statement issued by the company, industry survey showed that only four out of the top 20 Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) member agencies have women at the helm while the ten major Media Independent agencies, on the other hand, do not have any woman at the helm. Other subsectors of the industry cutting across both agency and clients’ side have very few women at the helm.

Academy Organises Training

Driven by the need to provide knowledge for non-financial managers, especially those in marketing, sales, brand building and advertising, Cullwort Academy is organising a one-day knowledge packed course tagged “Understanding Finance for Marketing, Sales and Brand Managers.”

The course was designed to help non-financial managers who work as marketing, sales and brand managers gain basic understanding of finance process, instill disciplined management of marketing and sales budget, help marketing, brand and sales managers discover smart ways of reporting monthly and annual expenditure.

The course would also equip participants with the tools needed to measure marketing, brand and sales investment in financial terms for use by senior management and at Board level.

“Despite the huge deposit of broadband capacities at the shores of the country, from MainOne and other submarine cable operators, the capacity of broadband that is currently being put into use is less than 10 per cent” Chief Executive Officer, MainOne Broadband Company, Ms Funke Opeke

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

MTN RESTRATEGISES, RAISES INVESTMENT ON DATA IN 2018

TCN Expands Access to Power in Kano, Ondo with New Substations

services they can offer, and this is what we had long invested in, to further boost coverage in underserved and unserved communities of Nigeria. If we have sufficient frequency, our data coverage will be much better.

“We already have LTE services, what we are doing is expanding our LTE services in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and we are currently in nine cities, even though we have cities that are still not on 4G. “This is part of the reasons why we are interested as the biggest telecoms operator in the county, to expand our capital expenditure to cover full data service offerings.”

“In the last two years, our focus as a telecoms company had been on increasing customers’ experience through our network expansion and we will continue to invest until that is achieved,” he said.

Responding to questions on the general rollout of 5G technology, Nwokocha said there was need for operators to exhaust 3G and 4G network rollout before embarking on 5G network rollout.

According to him, 3G and 4G smartphone penetration has remained low.

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES URGED TO BUILD CYBER RESILIENCE have more intimate digital connections with suppliers, partners, virtual workforce and customers to stay relevant and competitive. This comes with additional cyber risk.

“All that sensitive data, connectivity and automation multiplies the opportunities for hackers by expanding the “surface area” exposed to cyber-attack.

“And, because digital systems are so embedded in daily operations, the potential damage from even a single security incident is magnified,” Yusuf said He, however said organisations do not need to roll back their digital agenda as there are ways to build the cyber resilience that they need to grow confidently.

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)

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed its completion of the construction of two brand new electricity transmission substations of capacities between 30/40 mega voltage amp (MVA) 132/33 kilovolt (kV) in Wudil, Kano State, and 60MVA 132/33kV substation in Akure, Ondo State.

This feat, according to the TCN, would improve access to electricity within these two states.

In a statement from its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the TCN also denied contributing to reported frequent disruptions in power supplies within the network of Benin electricity distribution company (Disco).

It also stated that claims by the Disco that the national grid was highly unstable and contributed to over 2,000 tripping in its network between January and July 2018 was false.

Mbah, however stated that while the transformers and substation project had been energised and supplying electricity to the communities where they are located and their environs, they would be officially commissioned by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, soon.

She explained the projects were additions to the 27 power transformers completed across the country mainly by TCN in-house engineers.

Mbah, noted the contract for the construction of the Wudil substation was awarded in 2009 but the contractor failed persistently to complete the contract for nine years.

“Consequently, TCN took over the project within the

first week of July, 2018, in line with its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) aimed at strengthening the grid for improved power supply.

The project was successfully completed within three weeks

by TCN’s in-house engineers and energised in July 31, 2018.

“The Wudil transmission substation project has increased the quantum of bulk electricity supply to Kano electricity distribution company for onward delivery to electricity customers in Gaya Town, Taraki Garko, Wudil Town and Mariri among

others. These towns who are customers of Kano electricity Distribution Company are expected to enjoy increased hours of power supply,” Mbah said.

On the other hand, she explained the installation of the new 1X60MVA 132/33kV power transformer and two numbers of 33kV feeder bays in its Akure transmission substation, was funded by the World Bank.

She added that it commenced in February 2017 and was completed and also energised in July, 2018.

“The new 60MVA power

transformer increased the capacity of Akure transmission substation from 120MVA to 180MVA,” she explained.

According to her, the additional transmission capacity in Ondo would also increase the power distribution capacity of the Ibadan Disco.

“This means that TCN has more available electricity at the Akure substation for Ibadan Disco to take directly to its customers in Akure metropolis and its environs, including Igbara Oke; Oba Ile; and Iju where suppressed load will be relieved,” Mbah said.

She called on the Discos to

make commensurate investments in their networks to augment the TCN’s TREP, adding, “Presently, inadequacies in the distribution networks are limiting the amount of power delivered to end-users on daily basis. This calls for significant investments in the distribution network.”

On the claims of Benin Disco, Mbah also said it was clearly misleading because the Disco had equally claimed early, that it had recorded significant improvement in its services which could not have been possible if the national grid was weak as alleged.

DEEPENING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Publisher, BusinessDay Newspapers, Mr. Frank Aigbogun; President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Uche Olowu; Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki; former CEO, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Registrar,CIBN, Mr. Seye Awojobi, at a meeting by the Business and Government Relations Group of the institute in Lagos…recently

FG Advocates Improved Financing to Increase Prepaid Metering Sunday Okobi and Ugo Aliogo The Vice-President, Professor, Yemi Osinbajo has called for increased financing in the power sector to improve the number of prepaid meters that the Distribution Companies (Discos) need to deploy across the country.

Osinbajo, who disclosed this recently in Lagos, during his visit to Mojec International (local manufacturer of prepaid electricity meters), noted the need to bridge the financing gap which he said has to change so that the local meter manufacturers, the discos and the end users can benefit maximally.

He expressed confidence that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was putting measures in place to bridge the funding gap in the deployment of more prepaid meters to household, saying, “without a doubt, it is not just a potential anymore, we are faced with the pleasant realities.

But in metering, we are way ahead in manufacturing locally.”

Osinbajo, who expressed delight at Mojec’s efforts in producing prepaid meters, added that Ladol’s $16 million investment was also worthy of

commendation and significant to the economy.

He explained that the Ladol investment which is 100 per cent Nigeria and privately owned, was a demonstration of the commitment of the federal government to provide infrastructural framework for businesses that are private sector led to succeed.

According to Osinbajo, who also inaugurated Mojec New Meter Box on his visit, “The manufacturing of prepaid meters is excellent. I am extremely proud of what I am seeing here and of course at Ladol, it is excellent as well and with an investment with an excess of $16 billion. This investment is significant. It is also 100 percent Nigeria and private owned.

“It tells you that the federal government understands that businesses and economy growth have to be private sector led and our business as government is to create the environment to enable the private sector to do what it is meant to do which is business.

“Clearly what we are seeing here at Mojec is not just potential, but the reality is that we are able to produce prepaid meters at Mojec International and few others have proved

that.”

In her remarks, the Managing Director, Mojec International Limited, Chantelle Abdul, com-

mended the vice president for his commitment to promoting local content and expressed the company’s desire to work

closely with government to find lasting solutions to the metering gap and lack of steady power supply in the country.

Banks Urged to Support SMEs Emma Okonji Edo State Deputy Governor, Honourable Philip Shuaibu has stressed the need to redirect the focus of commercial banks towards lending to small businesses in the country, inline with present economic realities.

Shuaibu, made the call in Lagos recently while receiving an award presented to him by the Rotary Club of Mushin Metropolitan.

The deputy governor called for palliatives to cushion the sufferings of the SMEs, especially in the area of access to funds from financial institutions.

He described banks in Nigeria as depository houses with little emphasis on financing small businesses.

This, he said had led to the demise of small businesses with brilliant ideas.

“Banks are collecting indirect collateral, because when they need a guarantor

that has the amount that the bank wants to give out as loan to the SME, then the bank is indirectly collecting collateral, which is a disservice to the economy. Remember, the SMEs today will become multinationals tomorrow.

“Therefore, banks in Nigeria need total overhaul in such a manner they will accommodate engineers, psychologists, sociologists and others with a touch in humanity, as against the present penchant to recruit elegant looking boys and girls with little understanding about business financing,” Shuaibu said.

He further said, “Without proper care for the SMEs, poverty would continue to multiply as we have seen in the economy today”.

Earlier, the MD/CEO of LAPO Microfinance Bank, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, said technology would play a vital role in promoting financial inclusion in the country.

“I think what is needed is more awareness on various opportunities that are available. I believe very soon we should be able to enhance the level of financial inclusion in Nigeria”, he added.

Shuaibu, a special guest at the occasion started his speech by praising the immediate past President of the Club, Rotarian Gregory Otsu, for an accomplished tenure- 2017/2018, describing the Club as an institution of repute that has demonstrated great service to humanity.

He said, “I am happy that what started about a year ago is coming to an end on a positive note.

I am happy that Rotarian Gregory Otsu is handing over gracefully. It is my prayer that the incoming President will consolidate on your achievements and even perform better, because Rotary is about impacting lives or serving humanity.

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T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BISINESS

Okere: Fintechs Will Help in Building Efficient Banking System Austin Okere, the founder of CWG Plc, and Entrepreneur in Residence at CBS, New York, who also runs the Ausso Leadership Academy in Lagos, spoke on the importance of financial technology companies and the need for the federal government to support local content and encourage local contractors. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: huge chunks to GDP. In 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari created an Industrial Competitiveness Advisory Council in order to enhance industrial policies and performance in the country. As part of the council, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, inaugurated a 50-man Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity which consists of ministers, heads of agencies as well as players in the technology and creative space in order to boost a public-private partnership. Private players in the tech space included in the group are founders of innovation hubs across Nigeria, investors and tech entrepreneurs. There may be a need to correlate their inputs with a narrative of milestone achievements for better transparency and appreciation.

You propounded “Austin’s Five Forces Model,” that is becoming a major force in the financial technology (fintech) space in Nigeria. How relevant are theories to the development of fintech in Nigeria?

The Austin’s five forces model is not just about a theory. It provides an experiential way to analyse the future of banking, which includes the banks - traditional and established, best with cash and ancillary instruments; the fintechs, the new kid on the block, disrupter, mostly telecom roots, best with digital currencies and mobile services; the regulators, central banks, regulating traditional banks; and communication commissions, responsible for telecoms regulation as well as currencies - traditional, such as cash and cheques or digital, including bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. customers, and the weight of their new-found voice. Typically, they clamour for whatever will give them convenience and lower costs.

The complaint about banks has increased over the years. Is this justified?

After centuries of conservatism in receiving deposits and making loans, there are two main issues stirring the yearning for change: The first is that it is a very difficult club to join as a customer, and hence the large population of unbanked adults. Even for the members of this elite club, the relationship is acutely skewed in favour of the banks. They have carried on as protected monopolies with no serious challenge or competition, resulting in very little innovation over the centuries. The biggest threat to the banks has been precisely their seeming success. Centuries of relatively significant higher returns, even during economic downturns, that adversely affect the real sectors, has engendered an attitude of invincibility and pomposity, characterised by a loss of touch with their customers.

Considered too big to fail, they take it for granted that they will be bailed out with taxpayers’ money in the event of any missteps – this is a perfect set-up for disruption. Today, there has emerged a powerful force of challenge from financial technology companies as they are more popularly referred to. The promise of Fintech is great. It is shaking up a stodgy banking system and helping to build a more efficient one, especially for consumers and small businesses.

How will Ausso Leadership Academy address skill that are deficient in the fintech space in Africa?

I was inspired to set up the Ausso Leadership Academy to provide the advice I would have provided my younger self when I was starting my business and also be the mentor I wish I had. There is a huge leadership gap between the visionary entrepreneur cadre and the next management layer required for the journey of a sustainable business in Africa. Ausso Leadership Academy fills this huge vacuum by making practical and democratising entrepreneurial and business mentorship through experiential skill transfer, emphasizing what has worked and the pitfalls to avoid. The huge success of the technology entrepreneurial ecosystem in Silicon Valley is largely due to such deep mentorship regime. This is the model that the Ausso Leadership Academy is replicating in our environment.

The Ausso Leadership Academy was set up to mentor entrepreneurs and business leaders to optimise the jobs they create to enable shared prosperity, through institutionalising and scaling their businesses geometrically. The goal is to create an expanding oasis of outstanding businesses through impacting at least 200 entrepreneurs each year. The need for resourcefulness and an innovative mindset to reinvent oneself when disruption knocks is a key skill every business

Okere

needs to survive present market realities. This is what the Ausso Leadership Academy provides to complement what is taught at Business Schools.

The faculty comprises business leaders and entrepreneurs with practical experience and proven track record, imparting knowledge through experiential learning. They are complemented by champions of business and entrepreneurship, who come to share the stories of their journeys, and how they overcame adversities in building their businesses. We believe that within our local context the delegates will relate better to our own heroes; more importantly, we believe that this will serve to rightfully recognise and acknowledge our champions and document their legacies for posterity and future generations.

With what you have seen in developed economies in propagating technological prosperity and advancement, why is it difficult for Nigeria to match technology innovation?

You are right that for years, emerging economies have looked up to developed countries for ideas about how to manage their financial systems.

When it comes to fintechs though, the rest of the world will be studying the experience of the emerging markets, embodied by the widely successful MPESA mobile money system, championed by Safaricom in Kenya.

MPESA has made it possible for a large swathe of the population to gain financial inclusion by providing the opportunity to transact financial services via your mobile phone, on a continent where typically 70 per cent of the population is unbanked.

MPESA today has more than 60 per cent of Kenya’s 33 million mobile users and in 2015 transacted $28 million on the platform – equivalent to a whopping 44 per cent of their GDP. Similar applications have metamorphosed across Africa, and Mobile Money services are today generating 6.7 per cent of Africa’s GDP. Nigeria is no exception with fintechs such as Interswitch, CWG Plc, Paystack and Flutterwave holding sway. For instance, Diamond Bank has seven million accounts after 23 years and was able to add an additional six million accounts in just one year after the launch of the Diamond Yello Account in collaboration with CWG and MTN. By just about any measure of size, China is the world’s leader in Fintech. It is by far the biggest market for digital payments, accounting for half of the global market, according to the

Economist magazine. A ranking of the world’s most innovative Fintech firms gave Chinese companies four of the five top slots in 2016. The largest Chinese Fintech company, Ant Financial, has been valued at about $60 billion at par with UBS which is Switzerland’s biggest bank.

Europe and North America have embraced Open Banking system for different reasons and adopting different models. How would you describe Open Banking and how should Nigerian banking industry approach this phenomenon?

Open Banking is too early for Nigeria to fully embrace. I will rather advise a cautious approach. Recall that the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) came into force in the UK only in January 2018. Even then, five of the nine regulated banks expected to pioneer Open Banking had applied for and been granted extensions in implementing the mandated changes to achieve Open Banking.

Open Banking is a financial services term as part of financial technology that refers to the use of open APIs that enable third party developers to build applications and services around the financial institution, greater financial transparency options for account holders ranging from Open Data to private data; and the use of open source technology to achieve the above.

Technology leaders in most developed economies work with governments to shape policies in key areas such as skill development, digital economy and businesses. Why is this not so in Nigeria?

Technology leaders working with governments to shape policies in skills development and the digital economy is not new and certainly not restricted to developed economies. Here in Nigeria, the pioneer Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson set up an Advisory Council comprising top technology operators to provide policy advice and feedback in charting the course of the digital economy.

I would say she blazed a great trail, especially in broadband penetration, and built a solid foundation; some of the fruits of which we are benefiting today. The nascent industries such as Fintech, e-Commerce and Uber, which business models heavily depend on broadband penetration and smartphone ubiquity, and which were not hitherto possible are now contributing

How are local fintech businesses protected from the challenge of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or vendor venturing directly into their markets and pulling the rug off their feet, after having developed the market for the vendors’ products and services?

I know many local companies that have literally being wiped out as a result of a vendor making a direct presence in the market. This is very detrimental to the local economy as it erodes jobs and decimates the middle class that are the very engine of economic growth. The oil and gas sector seem to have taken an early initiative to protect local industry by instituting a local content bill that ensures that the percentage of local input in the industry is progressively increased by creating the needed local capacity.

In the technology services sector, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), has also done a lot to protect local industry by requiring that foreign companies partner local counterparts to develop skills and capacity as a complement in providing services to customers. Perhaps NOTAP has been relatively more successful in their quest because beyond mere moral suasion, they have the instrument of sanction through the restriction of forex approvals where foreign companies have rushed to engage directly with Nigerian customers without local partners. I believe that what we need is a structured way in which we can support local industry by encouraging them to focus on areas where they can best add value so that they will not be viewed as irritants by foreign vendors, but as indispensable partners.

CWG is known as one of the providers of banking infrastructure in Nigeria. How huge is that space in terms of opportunities to drive economic growth?

CWG is indeed a pioneer of most of the financial technology innovation in the country, deploying software solutions to over 60 financial institutions in the last 20 years. About 65 per cent of financial transactions in the banking sector is processed through the Finacle banking application, supplied and supported by CWG and Infosys. Finacle is used by many of the major banks in Nigeria including FBN, UBA, Stanbic, FCMB and Wema banks among others.

CWG presently supports about 30 per cent of the ATM base and has 450 support hubs across Nigeria. This provides a solid foundation for the ATM-as-a-Service concept and ultimately expands the horizon for financial inclusion. Imagine the potential use to which the ATMs could be put in solving pension recipient verification. With appropriate technology, seniors can go to the nearest ATM and use biometrics connected to the pension providers’ central database to verify themselves and receive their pensions directly from the ATM by entering a string of characters sent over the ATM upon successful verification; instead of travelling long distances and standing in long pension queues thousands of miles from their homes.

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T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Financing Network Expansion Emma Okonji examines the rate at which telecoms operators approach banks for loans in aid of network expansion From the inception of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) in 2001, telecoms operators have always relied on the banks for loan facilities for their network expansion. This is because it is a capital-intensive project.

Also, the banks are always willing to release such huge capital for telecoms’ network expansion, probably because of the huge interest rate that is accrued to such loan facilities.

Aside bank loan facilities, another option available to telecoms operators is the sale of shares through Initial Public Offering (IPO), but none of the operators can go close to using IPO to raise capital because they are not listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

What the telecoms operators have done since inception was to take advantage of loan facilities from local and international banks for network expansion, not minding the interest rate, provided repayment of the loan was spread within a reasonable number of years.

Nevertheless, repayment of such loan became a major issue owing to the severe currency crisis the country faced about three years ago.

This has compelled telecoms operators to now focus on naira-denominated loan facilities, as against the dollar -denominated loans.

It was for this reason that MTN, last week negotiated and secured N200 billion loan facility from 12 local banks.

Mast

Issues with dollar denominated loan Before now, there was no challenge with dollar denominated loan facilities because access to foreign exchange wasn’t an issue.

But the situation changed in 2016 when the Nigerian economy slipped into recession after a significant drop in crude oil price, which is the country’s major forex earner.

Etisalat Nigeria, which now trades as 9mobile, became a victim of the situation.

The telecoms company had in 2013 secured $1.2 billion from 13 local banks for network upgrade and expansion.

However, citing economic downturn of 20152016 and naira devaluation, which negatively impacted on the dollar-denominated component of the loan, the former Etisalat Nigeria fell short of repaying the loan, a situation that compelled the banks to plan a possible takeover of the telecoms company.

But the intervention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the country’s financial regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saved the situation.

Following the inability of the telecoms company to continue repayment of the loan in dollar denomination within the stipulated timeframe, it offered to continue the payment of the loan in naira denomination. But the banks refused, insisting that repayment must continue uninterrupted in dollar denomination. The banks threatened to take over the operations of the telecoms company, until it was able to recoup the last dollar of the $1.2 billion loan facility.

The threat from the banks was so strong that the board members of the telecoms company, including its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, had to resign and a new board constituted, following the withdrawal of the parent body of the telecoms company.

Barclays Africa was later appointed to sell the telecoms company to a willing buyer who will be ready to invest in the telecoms company and offset the bad loan. Although the process of acquiring the telecoms company is still on course, the preferred bidder is yet to pay the final bid money to take full acquisition of the telecoms company, owing to uncleared regulatory issues.

The MTN Facility Having drawn its lessons from the ongoing 9mobile financial crisis, MTN Nigeria was careful in its negotiation to secure the loan.

The telco insisted the loan must be nairadenominated in order to avoid making the same mistake that one its competitors made.

Therefore, after its valid negotiations, the loan was approved for MTN Nigeria, a move that many financial analysts have commended.

The medium-term loan facility, which is structured with a two-year moratorium and a repayment plan of five years, was signed

by the representatives of all 12 banks and the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ferdi Moolman.

The banks were First Bank Nigeria, Union Bank, Citibank, Diamond Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, FCMB, FSDH Merchant Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and UBA. FBN Quest acted as the facility agent.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Moolman expressed enthusiasm at the completion of the agreement, saying it showed MTN’s commitment and confidence in Nigeria, as well as the strength of the strategic collaboration between MTN Nigeria and local financial institutions that will help deepen and broaden the provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services in Nigeria.

According to him, the facility would be used to expand the telco’s network to more rural areas, including internet expansion.

General Manager, Corporate Treasury Finance at MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ishmael Nwokocha, said the facility would also help MTN Nigeria to further expand its data network, especially

It showed MTN’s commitment and confidence in Nigeria, as well as the strength of the strategic collaboration between MTN Nigeria and local financial institutions that will help deepen and broaden the provision of Information and Communications Technology services in Nigeria

its 4G network expansion, which it pioneered in 2016.

Executive Director, Corporate Banking at First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Remi Oni who represented the bank at the signing ceremony, said the financial institution believes so much in the credibility of MTN, hence it decided to put its money to support the telecoms company. “We congratulate MTN for this feat and we thank other banks who also believed in MTN Nigeria to be part of the 12 lending banks,” Oni said.

Also, the Executive Director, Union Bank, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo, who represented his bank, said the partnership with MTN Nigeria is more than rendering financial services.

“We want MTN Nigeria to use our banking platforms to achieve its goals and objectives,” Okonkwo said.

MTN’s Previous Loans Describing bank loan as a necessary option for telecoms network expansion, Nwokocha said every business needs additional money for network expansion to remain competitive.

“Every business is advised to do a little bit of borrowing to expand business. You cannot always rely on money you generate internally or from shareholders to run the business successfully, otherwise, you limit expansion until when you have the money available.

“But if you are ambitious enough, you cannot limit yourself to only what you generate. To accelerate expansion programs, telecoms operators have to do bank borrowing and that is what MTN has been doing in the past,”Nwokocha said. According to him, in 2013, MTN raised N329 billion loan facilities from banks but explained that the six years payment loan plan would be winding down by next year. “So, we have kept to the loan agreement repayment plan and it is just a small amount that is left to be settled by next year,” Nwokocha added.

Explaining how previous loan money was spent, Nwokocha said every loan secured in the past had been invested in network expansion and upgrade.

“Our plan is to do modernisation of our network that will allow us position the network for the data consumption that we will see in the future. The telecoms space is still largely a voice dominated market especially in the rural area of Nigeria. But as we transit across, we are modernising from a basic voice network to a digital network and we will keep investing in digital network in Nigeria,” he said.

“There is a lot of talk on broadband penetration in Nigeria so there are opportunities for us to grow the market. A lot of this money will go into data expansion. We have the most expansive fibre network in the country, but most times people cut them and there are disconnections

that result in poor service quality,” Nwokocha added.

Telcos’ Previous Loans Bharti Airtel, which operates in over 20 South Asia and Africa countries, including Nigeria where it operates as Airtel Nigeria, in July this year, plan to raise about $1 billion through overseas loans, to free up cash for capex investments needed to expand its 4G network.

“The company may be able to raise the money by August. It makes sense for the company to go for an overseas syndicated loan,” the source further said.

About six banks are expected to arrange the offshore credit for the telecoms company.

Bharti Airtel, which is planning to spend Rs 24,000 as capex in this fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, may raise two-three year money, which will be priced after adding a mark-up or spread over the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a benchmark gauge.

Experts said companies this year are shying away from the dollar bond market as a spike in US Treasury yields has helped increase the borrowing cost. In the past one year, the US Treasury benchmark yield shot up 50 basis points to 2.87 per cent.

NatCom Development and Investment Limited, which acquired the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), and trading as ntel, had in 2016, planned to raise over $1 billion to expand its operations across Nigeria.

It’s former Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kamar Abass, who made the disclosure, had said the company planned to use the additional funds to invest in a 4G mobile-broadband network by 2020.

“We are speaking to investors and to banks who are interested in a growth story for Africa.

“We are seeing the very beginnings of a shift from a voice-oriented communications market in Nigeria to one that will be dominated by mobile broadband,” Abass said. ntel paid $252 million in 2015 to acquire the assets of NITEL, the once-dominant state telephone company in Nigeria and its mobile arm, MTEL. Although ntel positioned itself to be a leading provider of high-speed data, high-definition voice, and video services to its customers, the telecoms company is currently struggling to expand its services to more cities, while in search of fresh investors that will invest into its telecoms business.

Indeed, telecoms operators are in dire need of funds for network expansion, but they have come to realise that naira denominated loan facility remained a better option for easy repayment.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018

27

BUSINESSWORLD Glo ‘Oga SIM’ for Data Excites Subscribers

E-BUSINESS

How IBM’s AI-powered Solution Enhances Productivity Stories by Emma Okonji

Nigerian subscribers have continued to show excitement over last week’s launch of Glo ‘Oga SIM’, which they said has given them unrestricted access to data. The product, which seeks to deepen broadband internet access across the country, was launched at a time when the country is making more efforts to surpass its 30 per cent broadband penetration target by the end of the year, up from the 22 per cent current broadband penetration, a figure that surpassed the minimum threshold of the broadband target as at 2017.

Globacom showered Nigerians with data when it introduced ‘Oga SIM’, a product that gives subscribers an unrivalled 125 per cent bonus on data bundle subscriptions.

Addressing journalists at the launch of ‘Oga SIM’ in Lagos, Globacom’s Regional Chief Marketing Officer, Ashok Israni, said the product offered the best value to new Glo data subscribers, adding that old data subscribers who have not utilised Glo data services in the last three months will also savour the benefits.

Most of the subscribers who spoke to THISDAY said since the introduction of ‘Oga SIM’, they have had unrestricted access to data to browse the Internet from every part of the country covered by the Glo network.

Israni said: “Oga SIM’ would afford a new Globacom data subscriber who buys any data plan automatic 125 per cent bonus, adding that the subscriber does not need to do anything other than buying

a data subscription of his or her choice “A new subscriber who buys N500 worth of data subscription will automatically get 1.8GB of data instead of the usual 800MB; one who buys N1000 data package gets 3.6GB instead of 1.6GB, N2000 fetches the subscriber 8.2GB instead of 3.6GB, while N2,500 gives a whopping 12.9GB instead of 5.7GB.” He described the product as the biggest data offering in the country and asked telecommunications subscribers in the country to join the Glo family to get the ‘unmatchable offer’. He said subscribers should dial *777# in order to see the data bundles available and choose one according to the power of their wallets.

“The product is the king of all products in the telecoms industry. With the product, you do not need to look any further for value and reliability,” he said. “Oga SIM’ is a ‘must have’ for everybody, as it links subscribers with their passion points, and the value to be derived from the product can either be shared or gifted,”he added.

Israni said Globacom invested millions of dollars into expanding and upgrading the network, boosting its capacity and giving its subscribers excellent experience on the network.

Globacom is the only operator with a wholly-owned submarine cable, Glo-1, linking Europe and America to West Africa, delivering a much faster and robust connectivity for voice, data and video to telecom consumers in West Africa.

Descasio, a leading cloud services provider in West Africa, has chosen IBM Watson Workspace to enhance its existing email services and provide a smart employee collaborating tool on desktop and mobile devices.

IBM Watson Workspace is a messaging application which helps teams improve work productivity and also provides the capability to hold group conversations and share data files.

Through its built-in AI capabilities, the solution

has enabled Descasio’s sales and technical teams to create workspaces where they can collaborate on all sales activities.

Watson Workspace has enabled Descasio to significantly reduce the time group members spend reading through conversations to obtain information relevant to them.

Announcing the solution, Co-founder and CEO, Descasio, Dele Nedd, said: “One of the things that really excites us about this platform is the ease with which we can build new solutions using APIs. We are now thinking about ways we can use IBM Watson APIs to

said: “Honeywell Group is entrepreneurial to its core - we have almost 50 years experience in building Nigerian businesses across diverse sectors. As part of our wider portfolio, Itanna allows us to collaborate with the Nigerian tech ecosystem; we will invest patient capital into the startups we work with, and we will also provide world-class mentorship to enrich the business strategy of each cohort.

As a corporate, we wanted to transform our approach and add dynamism to how we build our sector. Itanna is the platform through which we can fulfil our mission to use enterprise to make our world better.”

Through the programme, Itanna will support and invest in tech-enabled for-profit startups with an existing minimum viable product. Startups accepted into the accelerator will need to demonstrate traction through customer growth or partnerships with customer acquisition enablers, have a clear vision as well as technical capability.

According to the company, its mission to connect technology and innovation by transferring knowledge in business-building and entrepreneurship, as the company looks to bond its position as a facilitator and impactor of growth in key sectors, including tech within Nigeria and across Africa.

conversations and one central place for all shared images and resources.

Country General Manager of IBM Nigeria, Dipo Faulkner, said: “Organisations have seen a proliferation of tools and applications that employees use to get their jobs done at the workplace which has often caused information overload, interruptions and difficulty getting back into the flow of productivity. What IBM Watson Workspace does, is take away these pressures, allowing employees to focus on the activities that really matter.”

BONDING WITH RESELLERS

L-R: Business Marketing Manager, Kitchen Appliance Africa, Philips Personal Health, Nicole Dix; General Manager, SPAR, Martin Dominic; General Manager Personal Health, Philips West Africa, Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke; Commercial Leader, Personal Health and SRC Africa, Philips Africa, Michael Mckechnie and CEO, Africa Baby Care Limited, Ezinwanne Ajayi, at the Philips 2018 resellers conference in Lagos...recently

Honeywell Group Launches Accelerator, Investment Vehicle Spectranet Unveils Mobile App The Honeywell Group has officially launched its new accelerator and investment vehicle, called Itanna.

Head, Innovation and Sustainability for Honeywell Group and Director of the new venture, Mr. Tomi Otudeko, said Itanna would roll out fourmonth innovation programmes for tech-enabled Nigerian startups from its newly built enterprise factory in Lagos.

According to him, startups would receive as much as $25,000 each in investment from Honeywell Group.

Itanna is launching with four cohort companies - Accounteer - providers of online accounting services for SMEs across Africa; KoloPay - a cashless target savings mobile and web application; Tradebuza - an online platform for managing and brokering commodities sourcing and outgrower scheme; and PowerCube - providers of affordable power supply using renewable energy. Chosen from over 200 applications, each startup will receive training and mentoring from leading industry experts, as well as the opportunity to pitch to Honeywell Group’s network of local and international investors at the company’s inaugural demo day, which will take place towards the end of 2018.

Honeywell Group Executive Director, Obafemi Otudeko,

create value-added solutions such as virtual assistants, which could help to automate repetitive tasks.”

Watson Workspace has helped Descasio turn conversations into actionable insights, summarized information, prioritised next best actions and made recommendations enabling its employees to connect and collaborate with their teams and other work groups on any device. The solution has enabled teams save up to 30 minutes per team member on responding to issues relevant to their role. It also provides a full, searchable history of all

Spectranet 4GLTE has announced the relaunch of its website and the unveiling of Spectranet Mobile App to simplify and offer seamless internet connectivity and solutions to Nigerian homes and businesses.

The move is aimed at bringing innovative disruptions to internet service market in Nigeria whilst offering more value to customers.

Riding on aesthetics, the website has been made more visually appealing and comes with new features comprising Spectranet Enterprise Business Solutions and improved means of accessing and purchasing the brand’s data modems and plans.

Speaking on the strategic moves, Chief Executive Officer, Ajay Awasthi, said: “Spectranet is keen on keeping homes and families connected as we push frontiers in providing innovative, internet solutions with customer-centric mindset.

“The new look of our corporate website is visually appealing and engaging.

It’s an all-in-one hub with sufficient information on our services, data plans and modems. The site makes it easier for customers to access our services seamlessly. This is what we have been doing over the years.

“We are committed to

sustaining this tradition, hence the need for this move. The website comes with features that will aid customers in accessing our customer-centric payment channels for data plans and modems.

We are equally using the website to set a new benchmark in pushing the enterprise internet services market with innovative products and services.”

The Spectranet Mobile app offers customers seamless connectivity. It comes with a unique artificial intelligence, EVA, who provides instant responses to questions raised by customers on Spectranet offers and services.

Head of Marketing at Spectranet, Mr. Mike Ogor said: “The App will increase customer engagement and provide them with more values.With the mobile app, connectivity becomes seamless and payment forsubscription is made simpler.

The app offers customers easy access to check their account balance and other related information.”

“Eva is available every day of the week to provide answers to questions faster.

The app is another innovative way of enhancing customers’ internet experience and their accessibility to our network,” Ogor added.

Jumia, HP to Offer Students Scholarship Jumia, one of Nigeria’s online shopping destination, has partnered Hewlett-Packard (HP) to introduce an award worth N3.7 million educational scholarship to 15 students who are between Basic 4 and University level, and are residents and schooling in Nigeria.

To qualify for the scholarship, interested students are expected to shop any HP products above N10,500 on Jumia App between August 13th and September 16th, 2018.

Students below 18 years must obtain consents in writing from their parents or legal guardians before participating.

Head of Engagement Marketing for Jumia, Olamide Amosu, said, “Winners will be announced via Jumia’s Facebook live session and contacted ahead of school resumption. There will also be one scholarship to be won via the treasure hunt item during the campaign.”

The initiative is part of ongoing Jumia’s school resumption campaign will also see the launch of an Art Contest, aimed at bringing out the artistic instincts in kids within ages 4-15.

The participating kids are expected to recreate the

existing Jumia logo, and the winning logo will be featured on Jumia.com.ng website for 24 hours.

In addition, the winner will walk away with N90,000 worth of gifts to be carted away respectively by the contest winner and the runner ups. “The logo entries will be assessed on artistic merit and creativity. Interested kids are expected to take note of the following details, in order to stand a chance of being shortlisted.”

They are expected to send all entries to a designated email and the designs should be drawn using a physical drawing book. Voting will start August 27th and 10 of the best designs will be shortlisted and voting for the winners will be done on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Amosu said.

The Jumia School Resumption Campaign, which is described as Nigeria’s largest collection of school items at the best prices, is targeted at students and parents whose kids will be returning to school for the new session in September. The campaign provides parents and guardians with over 500,000 school items to choose from, and up to 65 per cent discounts on selected items.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ADVERTISING

Advertising as Catalyst for Economic Growth The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria at its 2018 annual lecture did not just deepen understanding of advertising but raised issues on its economic relevance, Raheem Akingbolu reports The nation’s advertising community has again challenged drivers of the economy to explore communication to take country to another level.

The practitioners, who at the recently-held Annual General Meeting of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), in Abeokuta, Ogun State, proposed a wellstructured economic road map that will factor in advertising and other legs of marketing.

The topic of the AGM lecture was ‘Growing the Economic ‘Pot’: The Role of Advertising,’ Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, who opened the session advised advertising practitioners on ways of growing the country’s economy for their benefit and that of the country in general.

Amosun, who was represented at the event by Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dayo Adeneye, urged practitioners to stick to the ethical code of the profession, especially as politics was in the air, by avoiding divisive and inciting messages. The governor noted that it was by avoiding such that the country could attract more investors and advertising agencies, more clients.

Delivering his keynote address at the event, the Guest Speaker and Chairman of Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh, called on practitioners to brace up and be ready to frontally confront the challenges facing advertising practice in the 21st century.

The Channels Television boss, who was represented by another veteran in the nation’s media industry, Mr. Kingsley Uranta, an Assistant General Manager of the company, also urged advertising practitioners to leverage the various opportunities technology has provided to further enhance their businesses.

Mommoh, noted that the event offered the industry another opportunity to review its processes. He advised practitioners to keep track of changes in their practice so as to improve knowledge and efficiency, pointing out that with new technologies, the impact of advertising was now more measurable.

He argued that though advertising might not be experiencing the best of times, of late, there were still opportunities that could be explored to actually halt the dwindling fortunes of this multi-billion naira practice and bring it back to its winning ways.

Experts’ views Leading the discussion on the keynote address was Mr. Philip Isakpa, publisher of Business AM. He was joined by Messrs. Kelechi Nwosu, Managing Director, TBWA Concepts; and Lanre Adisa, Managing Director, Noah’s Ark. Isakpa, argued that there was need to define the shape and size of the economic pot, for advertising to be able to play any role towards the building of such pot.

“What type of pot are we growing? Big pot, small pot? If the pot is small, it means everybody will have very little to share, and if it is big it means there will be something for everybody. I think the challenge presently facing us as practitioners is that we are not growing any pot. So, our concerns should be what role should advertising play to ensure that the economic pot is grown?” the Business A.M Publisher, asked.

He argued that for a paradigm shift in the practice. He stated that instead of waiting, endlessly, to be contacted for pitches by clients, practitioners should be ready to discover and explore new grounds.

According to him, while the small and medium scale businesses, form the backbone of any economy and could be catalysts for growth, advertising practitioners in the country had not done enough towards encouraging that sector to really harness its potential “We all know that the SMEs are the backbones of any economy, and if the dream of growing the economic pot is to be realized, it is a sector that should be given maximum opportunities to harness its potential. But the question we need to ask ourselves is what are advertising agencies doing to help this sector’s cause?

“Instead of endlessly waiting to be called for pitches, by the multi-nationals, why can’t advertising also be a disruptor like technology, by exploring all these new areas, hitherto left unexplored?” he asked rhetorically.

He also argued that despite the steady growth the nation’s agricultural sector seems to be recording in the past few years, advertising practitioners had not done enough to leverage this to grow the economic pot.

Besides, the business analyst also believe that the practice had not been selling the huge potential and opportunities Nigeria possesses.

According to him, practitioners failed to

For me, this is the best time to be in advertising. We need to be more entrepreneurial. A lot of us are still waiting for pitches when we have opportunities flying around us. The challenge that we have is that we are not creating enough products

seize the opportunity provided in 2014 when the nation’s economy was rebased from $270 billion economy to $510 billion to become the largest economy in Africa.

“How did advertising practitioners leverage this to further grow the economic pot? How did they showcase to the world to attract investors, especially when it is obvious that such economic development attracts investments more than the population?

“I think AAAN should begin to grow its own pot to enable it play a major role in building the nation’s economic pot,” he submitted.

But to Adisa, practitioners should focus on how to grow the economic pot. The Noah’s Ark boss called for a self-appraisal among practitioners in the industry.

“We need to re-appraise our roles as practitioners. For instance, we need to find out why we as an association have continued to lose members as well as gaining them. We need to look opportunities in the industry that we can leverage,” he stated.

Adisa, believes there is the need for an appraisal of the skill-level of practitioners in the industry, noting that practitioners would only have the opportunity to disrupt and leverage harness potential, if the right skills are there.

He noted that agencies had helped brands to grow, but added that many agencies were still traditional in orientation and need to reappraise their roles for improved efficiency and respect. Nwosu observed that agencies needed to create other things to remain relevant.

Also speaking, Nwosu, however, believes advertising practitioners must be more entrepreneurial for them to significantly impact the economic pot.

“For me, this is the best time to be in advertising. We need to be more entrepreneurial.

A lot of us are still waiting for pitches when we have opportunities flying around us. The challenge that we have is that we are not creating enough products,” he added.

Nwosu however allayed fears in some quarters about threat to traditional advertising by the new media, adding that new technologies had only come to enhance and disrupt the practice.

Welcoming the members and guests to the 45th edition of the association’s annual event, the incumbent president, Mr. Kayode Oluwasona described the theme of the lecture as part of the association’s efforts towards

enhancing the fortunes of the country, by ensuring practitioners play a major in growing her economy.

Perhaps one thing that is obvious in all this is the fact that it has become imperative to grow the nation’s increasingly-shrinking economic pot. And , not a few therefore believe that for such to achieved, advertising practice, no doubt, has a huge role to play Appraisal With the heat debate that heralded the lecture, most of the practitioners who commented believed the topic could not have come at a more auspicious time.

For instance, they argued that despite the much-touted relief, coming the way of the nation’s economy, after going into recession in 2016, when it contracted by 2.06% between April and June of that year, many believe the effects of such relief are yet to be felt by many individuals , households and even businesses in the country.

Of course, analysts believe that one key sector that is truly yet to get out of the meltdown, despite the clean bill of health the nation’s economy has been given, of late, remains the advertising sector; a development, attributed to the nation’s shrinking economic pot.

In a situation where a nation’s economic pot experiences a meltdown, the marketing spend is always the first casualty, because it shrinks, was the argument of many of the speakers at the event.

Practitioners, in the sector, therefore believe that for the nation’s economic ‘pot’ to be successfully enhanced, not only will advertising play a big role, the practice must be ready to be a catalyst for such enhancement of the nation’s economic pot.

In all, there was positive signal at the event that practitioners were ready to position themselves ahead the economic boom awaiting Africa.

Meanwhile, in what looked like a pacesetting scenario, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had two years ago held a closed door meeting with top management staff of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and promised to support APCON to further develop the industry. The Abeokuta sitting might have been the reminder the minister wanted.

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ANALYSIS

As Inflation Continues to Simmer Down Obinna Chima writes on the need for policymakers to continue to work towards caging the inflation monster Inflation in Nigeria which stubbornly jumped to about 19 per cent in 2017, has continued to trend downward.

Clearly, high inflation distorts consumer behaviour. It can also destabilise markets by creating unnecessary shortages.

Similarly, high inflation which is not the desire of any economy redistributes the income of people and brings about weak purchasing power.

That is why the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other central banks globally, are never comfortable with this ‘evil.’

The CBN had adopted restrictive monetary policy as part of efforts to win the battle against double-digit inflation, just as it has intensified its intervention in the agricultural sector.

In fact, the central bank has left its monetary policy tools, which includes the benchmark monetary policy rate (MPR), the cash reserve requirement (CRR) and liquidity ratio tight in line with its war against inflation.

The Bank’s tightening bias has also received the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which according to the fund should continue until inflation is within the single digit target range.

Indeed, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has never hidden his utter disdain for doubledigit inflation.

“For inflation in Nigeria, the CBN had a target of 6-9 per cent. Unfortunately, it grew to as high as 18 per cent, until we began to reverse it downward and I am hopeful that it is going to go down further.

“I can tell you that at 18 per cent, Nigerians had been complaining that what are these people (CBN) doing.

“It got to 18 per cent and we started to take certain actions to reverse it. So, that would tell you that we are adopting our own home-grown solutions and you can see whether it is working or not,” Emefiele had stated.

He, however warned policymakers in the country not to become complacent nor over-confident, stressing the need for all to continue to work to improve and sustain the pace of recovery.

“For one, our import bill may have fallen but our manufacturing and agriculture sectors still have a long way to go if we must attain self-sufficiency in those sectors.

“We must not be quick to discard the restrictive measures which aided our recovery simply because the metrics have improved,” he said.

He said the central bank would continue to fine-tune its policies and strategies based on its understanding of evolving developments and supported by in-house technical analysis and simulations.

According to him, the central bank would remain proactive in ensuring that the welfare of Nigerians is optimised at any point in time.

“As the sentiments improve in the macroeconomy and supported by proactive monetary, trade, industrial and fiscal policies, I expect a continued uptick in GDP growth with a positive spill-over to improved unemployment rate.

“As policies to strengthen the agricultural and industrial sectors become more emergent, growth in these sectors will rise, further bolstering overall economy.

“As we entrench and sustain the transparency in the forex market, as forex reserves accretion continues, and market confidence and improved sentiments remain, I expect that the exchange rate will not only be stable but would begin to appreciate against major currencies.

“The adverse competitiveness outcome which such appreciation may entail would be adequately mitigated by proactive policies to ensure that our balance of payments position is not undermined.”

He stressed the need for a re-doubling of the strong policy coordination, collaboration and cooperation between the monetary and fiscal authorities.

“To sustain our recovery the need is greater now than ever for a robust policy coordination between the key aspects of economic policymaking space.

“In Nigeria, this would include fiscal, monetary, exchange, and trade policies, which

must be targeted at protecting farmers to boost agricultural outputs, support local companies and enhance manufacturing and industrial capacities, with a view to diversifying the economy away from oil and fossil fuels,” he added.

The Latest NBS Report For the 18th unbroken month, inflation rate continued a downward trajectory, declining from 11.23 per cent in June to 11.14 per cent in July. As of January 2017, inflation rate was at 18.72 per cent.

However, in the July figures, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation stood at 11.14 per cent (year-on-year) in July 2018, representing a 0.09 percentage points drop over the rate recorded in June 2018 (11.23) per cent.

The 18th consecutive disinflation (fall in inflation) in headline inflation year-on-year also recorded increases in all Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP).

COICOP is used to classify both individual consumption expenditure and actual individual consumption.

On month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.13 per cent in July 2018, down by 0.11 per cent points from the rate recorded

So, when you destroy farmland or livestock, it affects crops and livestock.

And agriculture is the biggest part of our GDP, so it has a way of slowing down economic activity

in June 2018 (1.24 per cent).

This represented the first-time month-onmonth, headline inflation decline since February 2018.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12 months period ending July 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12 months period was 13.95 per cent, showing 0.42 per cent point from 14.37 per cent recorded in June 2018.

The urban inflation rate eased by 11.66 per cent (year-on-year) in July 2018 from 11.68 per cent recorded in June 2018, while the rural inflation rate remained flat at 10.83 per cent in July 2018 from 10.83 per cent in June 2018.

On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.23 per cent in July 2018, down by 0.01 from 1.24 per cent recorded in June, while the rural index also rose by 1.18 per cent in July 2018, down by 0.05 per cent from the rate recorded in June 2018 (1.23) per cent.

The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index was 14.33 per cent in July 2018.

This was less than the 14.71 per cent reported in June 2018, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in July 2018 was 13.64 per cent compared to 14.08 per cent recorded in June 2018.

The composite food index rose by 12.85 per cent in July 2018 compared to 12.98 per cent in June 2018.

This represents the tenth consecutive decline in year-on-year food inflation since September 2017.

This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of potatoes, yam and other tubers, vegetables, Bread and cereals, fish, oils and fat and fruits.

On month-on-month basis, the food subindex increased by 1.40 per cent in July 2018, down by 0.17 per cent points from 1.57 per cent recorded in June.

This represents the first-time month on month food inflation has declined since February 2018.

The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the 12-month period ending July 2018 over the previous twelve-month average was 17.10 per cent, 0.65 per cent points from the average annual rate of change recorded

in June (17.75) per cent.

Agric Intervention One of the factors responsible for the moderation in inflation is the central bank aggressive intervention in the agric sector.

For instance, the CBN recently put the total amount of money disbursed under its Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP), a development finance initiative in partnership with the state government and private sector group since the commencement of the programme, at over N55.526 billion to over 250,000 farmers. These set of farmers, according to the CBN, had cultivated over 300,000 hectares of farmland for rice, wheat, maize, cotton, soybeans, cassava, etc, in the bid to enhance agricultural activities.

The ABP was designed to support small holder farmers by providing them with the requisite training, tools and funds at single digit interest rates, which will enable improved cultivation of key agricultural items such as maize, soybeans, rice, cotton and wheat.

The programme also provides a ready market for farmers by linking them with credible off-takers and processors of their produce.

With almost three years into the implementation, the programme had contributed to the creation of an estimated 890,000 direct and 2.6 million indirect jobs.

Emefiele added, “Let me note at this juncture that this attention to agriculture is by no means a bad strategy. In fact, agriculture can still be used as a key catalyst for creating jobs, reducing unemployment and driving growth in Nigeria.”

That is why experts have stressed the need to put an end to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in some states in the country because of its impact on the agric sector.

“If people cannot go to their farms, it is going to be a problem. And by the way, agriculture is not just crops.

“So, when you destroy farmland or livestock, it affects crops and livestock. And agriculture is the biggest part of our GDP, so it has a way of slowing down economic activity,” the Statistician General, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale warned.

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BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

PenCom in the Eyes of Pension Reform Act of 2004 Ismaila Ishaku Pension funds by their very nature can, in some cases, tempt even an angel. And that is why its administration demands from those charged with the responsibility of ensuring an effective and efficient managing the funds an unimpeachable integrity, transparency and accountability, proactive in terms of being hands on in a practical manner, responsiveness as it relates to promptness and sensitivity.

Before the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004, pension schemes in Nigeria, without prejudice to the system in place at that time, had their own share of challenges that made its management open to undue manipulation.

The Public Service, pre-2004, operated an unfunded defined benefits scheme and the payment of retirement benefits were budgeted annually.

Then, beneficiaries hardly made any contribution to what they expected to get at the end of the day.

Since it was dependent on annual budgetary allocation, it was one of the most vulnerable items in budget implementation in the light of resource constraints.

In many cases, even where budgetary provisions were made, inadequate and untimely release of funds resulted in delays and accumulation of arrears of payment of pension rights. The situation was worse in the private sector.

The reform of 2004, then was designed to ensure that every person who worked in either the public service of the federation, the federal capital territory or private sector receives his retirement benefits as and when due.

The Act mandated the commission to assist individuals by ensuring that they save to cater for their livelihood during old age and thereby reducing old age poverty; ensure that pensioners are not subjected to untold suffering due to inefficient and cumbersome process of pension payment; establish a uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for the administration and payments of retirement benefits for the public service of the federation, the federal capital territory and the private sector; and stem the growth of outstanding pension liabilities.

To carry out these functions, it became inevitable that the reform programme primarily was guided by principles that are inexorable with regard to sustainability, safety and security of benefits, transparency, accountability, equity, flexibility, inclusivity, uniformity and practicability.

In its application, the Pension Reform provides a robust legal and institutional framework for the administration of pensions in Nigeria and to that extent, has devised transparent processes in the operations of the Commission in their relationship with the pension fund administrators (PFAs) in the retirement benefits payment process, enforcement of compliance with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 as well as other operations of the industry.

A major component of the reform programme is the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) made by made by the PFAs strictly from the retirement savings accounts (RSA) of pension contributors.

The RSA, in accordance with the legal instrument under guarding the reform itself, has three basic aspects vis, the monthly pension contributions; the returns on investment earned for the contributors by the PFAs; and the retirement benefits that accrued under the defunct defined benefits scheme.

The regulations on the administration of retirement and terminal benefits demand that the three aspects of the retirement benefit must be consolidated in the RSA before any payment is made by the PFA. Accordingly, payments of retirement benefits are made promptly into the bank accounts of the retirees, except for cases where the employer delays in the release of funds to pay the accrued rights component of the retiree’s benefits.

In the event that a retiree does not have ac-

crued rights, the retirement benefits are based on the monthly contributions and returns on investment.

PenCom exists for the effective regulation and supervision of the Nigerian Pension Industry to ensure that retirement benefits are paid as and when due.

In the performance of its statutory mandate, the Commission also issues compliance certificate to organisations wishing to bid for contracts with federal government institutions in compliance with extant laws and in particular, the Public Procurement Act 2007.

Furthermore, as it is the case with all institutions, the Commission engages vendors and services providers from time to time. In addition to the legal safeguards and institutional checks and balances of the CPS, the Commission, as the regulator of all pension matters in Nigeria, has entrenched good corporate governance practices, high ethical standards and zero tolerance to any form of malpractice in the conduct of its staff

and the PFAs that manage the pension assets.

In the enforcement of its commitment to integrity in the services it provides to the public, neither the management nor staff of the commission entertain any forms of gratification in order to facilitate payment of retirement benefits, issuance of compliance certificates and engagement of vendors and service providers.

The commission prides itself as an institution that is obligated to the principles that define its existence.

It is on the basis of this that it reminds members of the public, particularly pensioners and pension contributors, therefore, that no financial or other form of inducement is expected from them in their dealings with the commission and its staff to facilitate payment of retirement benefits, issuance of Compliance Certificate or engagement as vendor or service provider.

Ishaku wrote in from Kaduna

Trophy Partners Ife Monarch on CSR, Sponsors Festival Raheem Akingbolu International Breweries Plc premium lager beer, Trophy has entered into a strategic partnership with the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to empower youths in Ife and its environs.

This partnership which was brokered by TEOO Universal Concepts would equip youths of Ile-Ife with empowerment tools like sewing machines and agricultural equipment for modern farming.

Speaking on the partnership, the royal father appreciated Trophy for supporting the Ojaja Fashion Training Institute

and Young Farmers Club projects which can boost the economy of Ile-Ife and that of the state.

“These corporate social responsibility projects are expected to empower youths in Ife and its environs with the relevant tools and capacity to make them successful entrepreneurs. Together, we will be championing the cause of young entrepreneurs at local, regional and national levels, curbing unemployment amongst the youth in Nigeria and enhancing national productivity,” the Ooni stated.

“While the beneficiaries of the Ojaja Training Institute will

be sewing all the attires to be worn for the Olojo festival, the food and fruits cultivated by the youth in the Young Farmers Club will be used during the festival as well,” he added.

On his part, Marketing Director, International Breweries Plc, Mr. Arne Rust, said that the company is excited to be part of CSR projects geared towards empowering the Nigerian youths for a sustainable future.

“We are thrilled to partner with the community by providing all the necessary equipment and training needed for the beneficiaries of these initiatives to achieve their potential.

This project is dear to our

hearts not only because we are changing the stories of our children and giving them a brand-new future but also because of the joy and excitement we see on their faces – this for us is all the satisfaction and reward we need,” Rust said.

In the same vein, Trophy lager beer, in its efforts to promote and sustain Nigeria’s cultural and traditional values and institutions, has joined hands with the royal fathers and natives of Osun State to make this year’s Olojo Festival a very “exciting festival”.

At the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between International

Breweries Plc and the Ooni, which took place in Ile-Ife, recently, Rust said the company is committed to partnering with the organisers of the event, an age-old festival that continues to put Nigeria on the world tourism map.

“This partnership is consummated in the cultural ethos of the Yoruba because it is one between two historical brands: Olojo, a festival that commemorates the descent of Oduduwa to Ile-Ife and truly reflects the traditional culture of the Yoruba race and Trophy, the ‘honorable’ and most preferred beer brand in the South Western region of Nigeria,” Rust said.

Ooni Ogunwusi commended International Breweries Plc for taking its social responsibility footprints with keen interest in adding value to the society.

“Trophy is clearly a brand that is deeply rooted in sociocultural values and identifies with the cultural ethics of people in communities where it operates. Today’s agreement solidifies a three-year partnership as the brand supports this annual landmark event that predates the existence of mankind, signalling the establishment of mankind on earth, through the source–IleIfe, the land of expansion,” the Ooni stated.

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PERSPECTIVE

Prioritising Entrepreneurship in Driving Africa’s Renaissance Peter Abel Don’t Say It’s Impossible Because you are a Nigerian – President Macron Most often much more is learnt from an event when it is reported because so much is stolen from being recorded in memory by the glitz of events and the size of content.

So much was said and done when the Tony Elumelu Foundation hosted the President Emmanuel Macron of France in a no-holds barred interactive session with 2,000 entrepreneurs in Lagos recently.

The session described by insiders as a model for Africa-Western engagement has come and gone but people are still chewing on the wisdom of what was said. And for the young entrepreneurs from Nigeria and other African countries, who were told the home truth by a President from a G-7 country, it was a rare learning opportunity.

Macron passionately advocated a new partnership, prioritising the role of entrepreneurship in driving Africa’s renaissance, highlighting the importance of the private sector and most importantly saying Africa’s future was and should be in Africa’s hands.

Asked, during a question and answer session, if Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg would have accomplished that much if he were in Nigeria, he said, “Don’t tell yourself that it

L-R: Elumelu and Macron

Don’t tell yourself that it is impossible because you are a Nigerian, if your idea is the right one and you succeed you will be such a role model that you would convince a lot of people in the region and Mark Zuckerberg or any other leader coming from silicon valley would not be a star here, you would be a star

is impossible because you are a Nigerian, if your idea is the right one and you succeed you will be such a role model that you would convince a lot of people in the region and Mark Zuckerberg or any other leader coming from silicon valley would not be a star here, you would be a star.”

Elumelu, the founder of the Foundation, who moderated the session, had earlier this year been one of the global leaders invited to Paris to discuss the relevance of technology in shaping and improving humanity in the 21st century.

There, Elumelu had thanked President Macron for the opportunity to speak on behalf of young African entrepreneurs, who he sees as “the life blood of Africa’s transformation.”

“That is indeed the dream of TEF, which has embarked on supporting young Africans with $100million over a period of 10 years to create 10,000 African entrepreneurs.

“We have done 4000, with 6,000 more to go and we believe and we speak to our friends that it takes two things, these young Africans are ready to succeed and they realise that their success is not just for themselves but for the entire continent,” he said during the introduction of President Macron.

He continued: “It would be nice for our political leaders here in Africa to understand the potent powers and importance of people

we have in this room and those that are not in this room because our demographic structure we have 60 per cent of our people who are under the age of 30.

“We also like France and the rest of the world to know that Africa in the 21st century, there is a lot more about Africa than the Africa they used to know.” For the young entrepreneurs, resource persons for the actualization of their dreams don’t come bigger than that.

responsibility and to change everything.

He sounded philosophical about innovation: “Smart people when they are in charge are obsessed by innovation because they want to reinvent themselves. New players, young people should be obsessed about innovation, because this is the only way when you are not a player or an insider to enter into the game and to succeed to disrupt the insider to be part of the game.”

“Innovation is just about how to invent or reinvent something in which you can succeed and make your life, your family and the life of people around you better and there is no gap for innovation except the one that you have in your mind.

“Innovation is precisely about how to create and is the symptom to destroy past activities that don’t make sense.”

Drawing on his phenomenal success, he said just because he wanted to change a lot of things, he decided to innovate and take risks in political life.

This, he said, he never asked for permission to do because when he asked for advice from insiders to achieve his dream, he was told to bid his time.

Ruling out that option, he urged the young entrepreneurs believe in innovation and take the risk to forge ahead.

“You have massive young people and part of their future would be through this innovation and that’s why we decided to launch this digital Africa initiative, which means to create a sort of African platform for digital and not to lecture people what they should do, I’m not the one to have the best possible idea for Nigeria or Lagos.

I have seen some entrepreneurs and have seen the craziest ideas now become reality.

“But you are the ones to have the right decision and idea for your country, for what is good for your people, which kind of innovation would succeed, which kind of innovation could find its market.”

He said answers to that could be found with Digital Africa, where Elumelu is on the advisory board for Africa.

“It is a bag of ideas and money. And what we want to do is to connect people and to allow people with ideas and innovation to scale them because a lot of things are a question of scale, how to accelerate, get access to market, get access to finance, being connected to all the people with the same kind of ideas improve your ideas and innovation, thanks to that.

“It’s a good showcase and precisely to work with large companies with business angles and I want to thank the large companies in this room coming from Nigeria and France.

The questions and answers session of the interaction was as insightful as it was interesting because of Macron’s ability to handle a large variety of issues.

Africa for Africa Macron launched straight into the new African challenge, which he described as his first message, without much protocol: “Africa is the one to decide for Africa; to explain about Africa; and to create its own model of entrepreneurship and its own culture; and to explain it to the rest of the world and not just to be part of the globalization where adjustments were always made despite of people in a certain way.

“So this new narrative is to be built now and I do believe it’s your responsibility, that its good for Africa and it is good for France because if Africa doesn’t succeed France and Europe will never succeed on the long run.”

The second message was that entrepreneurship and innovation are part of the answer to the African challenge and it is because that is best way for young people to access Peter is a Lagos-based journalist

US Agency Set to Support 400 Businesses in Nigeria Kayode Fasua The Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation of the United States of America has expressed its readiness to support at least 400 Nigerian businesses in a win-win trade agreement that will benefit both the county and the Nigerian companies.

Consequently, the agency has appointed BHS International Limited, concessionaires of the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, as its partner in the trade mission to Nigeria.

The corpoation is a branch of Prince George’s County Government, charged with bringing economic opportunities to the County.

Speaking during a trade mission to Nigeria, the Corporation’s Director of International Business, Mr. Martin Ezemma, said the team was in the country to affirm the claims of the BHS that tremendous investment opportunities abound in Nigeria.

It also conducted a roadshow during its visit to the county earlier in March this year.

“We have found that BHS International Limited was incorporated in 1996 as tourism infrastructural and industrial development specialist.

“The company being the concessionaires of Tafawa Balewa Square, is saddled with the responsibility of providing socio-economic development and turning the national monument to a world-class City Centre and destination of choice,” Ezemma said.

Besides, he noted that the team was in Nigeria to discover an array of small and medium-scale industries in need of foreign partnership and would rely on the partnership with the BHS to achieve its objective.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of BHS, Mr. Olu Adenodi, noted that the visit of the investors to Nigeria was the outcome of a meeting he had with the County’s Economic

Development Corporation, in the aftermath of its investment roadshow in that country.

Adenodi, however, expressed optimism that within a short time, the construction of a N10 billion world-class City Centre at the TBS would take off.

He predicated his assurance on the series of discussions between the BHS and a conglomerate of US-based investors, “who are willing to commit over $100 million to transform the TBS to a world-class trade centre.”

“We’ve projected a world-class city centre valued at over N10 billion for the TBS and that was one of the reasons we went on an investment roadshow in the US last March, where we seized the opportunity to firm up talks with a conglomerate of investors, who are bringing in, not less than $300 million investment.

“The TBS is a national monument that has to be preserved and protected and that is

why since the federal government put the complex under our care, we are making all efforts to transform it to the pride of the nation,” he said.

Other business experts in the US team included Mr. Steve McClinton of Maven Adviory Group LLC and Ms. Wendy Muhammed.

President/Director of Business of Minimally Invasive Vascular Centre, expressed satisfaction with the resilience of Nigeria’s SMEs, promising to engage “both private and public/government sectors practitioners and partners, to explore opportunities.”

Expressing his delight over the visit, the chairman, Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises, Mr. Solomon Aderoju, said the visitors’ aspiration was in line with the thinking of the Federal Government, that foreign investors should come and support small and medium-scale businesses in Nigeria.

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Corporate Boardroom: Understanding the Place of Women Ugo Aliogo writes on the need for more women at managerial positions in organisations In the African society, when a woman rises to the zenith of her career in either the public or private sector, it is seen as a record-breaking achievement because women’s progress in business and corporate leadership is still patchy, within and between countries.

The Special Envoy on Gender, African Development Bank, (AfDF) Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, in a 2015 study, said unlocking the potential of Africa’s successful transformation requires concurrently removing barriers to women’s leadership and participation, adding that the development of the continent is inherently interlinked with the progress of its women.

She explained that despite the sincere efforts of major corporations, the proportion of women falls in the corporate hierarchy, noting that the number has not increased over the years, we must bring women on corporate boards through programmes to fast track women through middle and senior management in the private sector for us to break the glass ceiling.

She also stated that Kenya and South Africa have government mandates for women’s representation on the boards of state-owned companies, while the private sector in Kenya, Morocco, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa have integrated gender diversity into principles of good corporate governance.

Fraser-Moleketi posited that the private sector can ensure that they improve their bottom line, if they invest more strategically in women leadership, adding that talent is critical to staying competitive, “but despite the growing number of qualified women in the workforce in all areas, the female talent pool continues to remain underutilized which is a worldwide phenomenon.” She added: “A McKinsey study showed that women in business continue to face a formidable gender gap in senior-leadership positions. The barriers too are well known: a mix of cultural factors, ingrained mind-sets, and stubborn forms of behaviour, including a tendency to tap a much narrower band of women leaders than is possible given the available talent pool.

“The African continent comes third after the US and Europe, and first amongst other emerging regions in terms of women’s representation on boardrooms of top listed companies. If we are to talk about changing the narrative of women’s economic empowerment on the continent, we need to start by understanding, and making the linkages necessary for the transformation Africa requires. “At a time when private sector growth in the continent is reaching unprecedented levels, we must dig deeper to explore how women are involved – all the way from providing tertiary services to being at the decision-making tables. Knowing what we know about the role of women in driving macroeconomic growth and how women can contribute to sustainable growth and development, it is clear that the Africa must make far women board directors of Africa’s top listed companies - 4 - better use of women in the workforce especially in corporate board rooms.”

According to Africa Renewal Magazine, a United Nations publication, it was noted that countries with the highest percentage of women board members are Kenya (19.8%), Ghana (17.7%), South Africa (17.4%), Botswana (16.9%) and Zambia (16.9%). Companies that have seated more than a small handful of women include the Kenya-based East African Breweries Limited (EABL) with a board that’s 45.5% women, followed by South Africa’s Impala Platinum Holdings Limited at 38.5% and Woolworths Holdings Limited at 30.8%.

It also noted that on the downside, the country with the lowest percentage of women on boards is Côte d’Ivoire (5.1%), followed

by Morocco (5.9%), Tunisia (7.9%) and Egypt (8.2%). Uganda hangs around the continent’s average of 12.7%, according to the report.

The magazine also stated that Norway adopted a gender quota policy in 2003, requiring firms operating in the country to increase the percentage of women on their boards to at least 40%, from an average at the time of 7%.

It explained that the Norway government

boardroom

warned it would deregister companies not complying with the regulation, adding that at 40.1% currently, Norway has the world’s highest percentage of women on company boards, “the global average is 15%.”

“Unlike in Norway, African countries adopting policies that support women’s leadership in companies are not necessarily enforcing those policies. The Kenyan constitution requires that of the elective or appointive bodies of a company, no more than two-thirds of the members are of the same gender,” magazine noted.

From a sociological point, the issue takes a different twist. According to a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Dr. Franca Attoh, that despite giant strides made by women in education, there is still a dearth of women in the corporate world, particularly at top-level positions such as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. She stated that the reason cannot be attributed to lack of experience, as there are a number of social factors and some of these social factors include domestic responsibilities.”

She noted that when a career-driven woman has a family, there is a tendency for her upward mobility to be hampered, adding that there is hardly a way a woman in her childbearing age would want to pursue a career; because there would be a kind of challenge for her, especially the need to take care of the children and pursue her career simultaneously.

Attoh argued that culture is another challenge confronting women, noting that the Nigeria society is patriarchal in nature; and that the socialisation process makes women subordinate and tends to foist on the society the fact that the place of the woman is not in the public sphere. She further stated that there have been a number of such utterances and narratives even from people who are occupying very high profile positions in government, noting that the society still sees the place of the women to be the domestic sphere, which she noted imposes an impediment to female upward mobility especially in the cooperate world.

The University Don further stated that in the world of work, for a woman to prove herself, she would need to do three or four times the amount of work a man would do.

Attoh added that there are number of platforms that enable men to move up and get to the top, noting that these issues are real impediments confronting women. Therefore, she remarked that women are going to School, but they don’t have those platforms that can enable them get to the peak of their career.

According to her, “There are some potent cultural issues for instance, a woman who wants to pursue career most of the times would be thinking in pursuing the career, what would be the feeling of the husband?

Would the husband not feel threatened if she gets to the very top? These are little challenges that women always find a way of balancing

them and in the process they lose out. The conclusion is that in all ratification women hold the short end of the stick.

“Most of the countries that tried to do this, tries to bridge the gap through policy but then for me the most fundamental in addition to policy is socialization. Society is of the view women socialize the children, but the truth is that women are the ones who reinforce those cultural notions that the place of the woman is in the domestic sphere. Most times without realising it, they too have been socialised into such notions, so you find them passing on those socialisation to their children. So socialization is fundamental but policy is also key.

“There is need for a conscious policy in addressing the issue. A number of regimes have tried to address it. Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan tried to address it. You recall that the present regime did not set out to address it until there were a lot of hues and cry, but even at that it is still insignificant because how many women are actually occupying top positions in government and is not as if there is a dearth of qualified women. We have a number of women who are holding their own in all professions. There is no profession that you won’t find women who have actually made a lot of strides.”

Another individual who lend her voice to the issue is the Executive Vice-Chairman, ENL Consortium Limited, Dr. Vicky Haastrup, who stated that it is time for women to rise up and put themselves in strategy position in all sectors of the economy.

She also noted that there is nothing women cannot achieve and the President’s Wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari suggestion of having appointments allocation on the basis of 70: 30 ratios of men to women, is not enough, “because women are more in number than men in population.”

“So why are we asking for 30 percent. I think 50 percent is fair enough. I think 50: 50 sharing formulae will be something that will be fair to us. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, we have very few women, either as Ministers or Permanent Secretaries or Directors in Government. But I think that is not fair. Women should do enough to prove themselves by building a solid track record,” she noted. Also shedding light on the issue is the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Mrs. Arinola Kola-Daisi, who opined that the reason there is a small handful of women occupying key positions in Corporate boards and in many instances men and women are in equal number at the entry point; but as women get to the middle management level they begin to leave to pursue their own businesses that give them more flexibility with their time.

She also noted that though things have improved, but the primary responsibility of child bearing and domestic matters is reserved for the woman, adding that many cannot handle

these pressures with the challenge of living in busy cities. Kola-Daisi explained that in terms of women occupying top management positions such as CEO in corporate organisations, they are not yet there, but that there is remarkable improvement. “It is pertinent to note however that although we are not yet there the level of women’s representation is on the increase,” she observed.

She added: “To promote gender equity in public and private institutions a proportion of these spaces must be reserved for women. This is being done in some instances. These must of course be women with the capacity to do the job and can match their male counterparts in competence levels. Secondly, it is very important that corporate organizations and public sector institutions provide an enabling environment for female staff. For example, where possible, they should be provision of crèches. Also, flexible working hours within reasonable bounds will also be a great help.

In Lagos state for example staffs are permitted 6 months maternity leave. In conclusion increasing the number of women at top most level is a continuous process.”

The Glass Ceiling Theory According to studies, the general-case glass ceiling theory states that not only is it more difficult for women than for men to be promoted up to levels of authority in hierarchy at workplaces, but also that the obstacles women face in relation to men become greater as they move up the hierarchy. The theory implies that there is the existence of an impermeable barrier that blocks the vertical mobility of women: Below this barrier, women are able to get promoted; beyond this barrier, they are not. The theory states that the obstacles women face to promotion relative to men systematically increase as they move up the hierarchy, adding that obstacles to promotion may also increase for men as they move up the hierarchy, but the idea of a glass ceiling implies that barriers to promotion intensify more for women than for men.

Theory further noted: “Employers and top managers may be willing to let women occupy the lower reaches of the managerial structure, but the argument goes that they obstruct the access of women to positions of ‘real’ power. As a result, women are largely denied promotions to the higher levels of management. Many different concrete mechanisms may be responsible for this obstruction: old fashioned sexism, women managers’ isolation from important informal networks, or more subtle sexist attitudes that place women at a disadvantage. But whatever the specific mechanism, the glass ceiling theory argues that the relative disadvantages women face in getting jobs and promotions are greater in the upper levels of managerial hierarchies than at the bottom.”

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In Search of Lifeline from Government, Investors’ Eight years after the Tada Shonga Irrigation Project was initiated by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, the impact is yet to be felt by farmers and stakeholders in the host state of Kwara and beyond. This has given rise to calls for government and private investors’ intervention.

Hammed Shittu writes The Tada Shonga Irrigation project holds great prospects of food security and employment opportunities for Nigerians. The contract for construction of the project was awarded in August 2010 with completion targeted at 2013.

The project had its completion delayed due to inadequate funding by previous administrations.

The federal government with its new emphasis on local production of rice improved the funding of this project in its 2017 budget.

The project is one of the priority projects of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in the 2018 budget appropriation.

Fertile Floodplains The agricultural potential of the fertile floodplains of River Niger downstream of Jebba Dam to the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue in Lokoja had been identified by federal and state governments for several decades.

Local farmers had been actively engaged in farming rice and sugarcane in this region of Nigeria. Regrettably, the constant flooding of the fertile plains of River Niger when the river overflows its banks constitutes a major challenge.

Local farmers have been known to lose all their crops to such floods, and to create the canals and drains for the gravity irrigation system for the enhancement of maximum irrigation potential of the whole area.

Remedial Project In a bid to solve the problem of flooding and attract commercial farmers, the federal government initiated the project through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, which contracted Construction Products Nigeria Ltd (CPN) for the construction of flood embankment to protect the irrigation farmland from floods.

The main objectives of this project include increase in the nation’s rice production through an efficiently managed large-scale rice plantation to be sustained by the irrigation and drainage facilities, which the local populace can manage.

It will also enable farmers to demonstrate the methods of improved rice cultivation in the floodplains of the River Niger sustained by an integrated irrigation and drainage system and provisions of other agricultural aids in order to improve the yield of rice and the income of farmers in the project area. This is done through cooperative schemes with stakeholders’ participation.

The protection and provision of flood control infrastructure for more than 3,200 hectares will allow about 3,000 farmers to plant and harvest in this area and over the years.

By this, farmers can plant and harvest rice three times a year, during dry and rainy seasons.

To achieve these, the project is expected to deliver 32km flood dyke as flood protection barrier on the right bank of River Niger to allow double cropping of 3,200ha of rice irrigation; 49km Main Access road and perimeter road;

two large Solar Powered Pumping Stations (1 irrigation pumping station and 1 drainage pumping station), 1,600 hectares gravity of irrigation system and 1,100 hectares of Sprinkler Irrigation; as well as 1.9MW solar power plant including all accessories to supply power to the pumping stations and nearby villages. The scope of work also includes the provision of 780kW diesel generator as back up for drainage pump during raining season Experts described the project as unique, because, “it has potential of production of rice and sugarcane and with these we can produce 53,000 metric tonnes of rice annually through double cropping with market value in excess of over N3billion per year; development of large scale sugarcane plantation under irrigation and efficient drainage facilities with potential annual production of over 60,000 tonnes of sugarcane per year and protection of the vast agricultural land on the flood plain of River Niger which hitherto had perennially being inundated by flooding.”

Socio-economic Benefits In addition to boosting food production, the project is expected to provide employment and ensure socio-economic development that in turn improves the welfare of the people in the area and the nation at large. This is made possible by sustaining all season rice production, storage, processing and marketing.

From available report, apart from improving the production of rice in the country, the project will also help in reducing rice importation and save scarce foreign exchange of the country.

In anticipation of the completion of this rice project, an investor is building rice processing plant as an off-taker to process the rice for local market. Presently a pilot scheme is in operation involving about 1,000 farmers but when the project is completed more than 58,000 farmers can be fully engaged.

Clarion Call Sector experts are calling on the Federal Government to rescue the project with injection of more funds while also appealing for participation of

private investors to make it a reality.

The Emir of Shonga, HRH Dr. Haliru Yahaya and his community are very excited about the prospect of the project.

The monarch appreciates the efforts of the federal government and the contractor handling the project and has called for the support of the government to ensure its speedy completion.

The Tada Shonga irrigation project will no doubt impact Nigeria’s development in agriculture with tremendous ripple effect on job creation and world development especially from the value chain prospect that will attract and engage transporters, marketers, and those in the preservation, packaging and processing cottage industry.

There is impressive community participation on the project. There is a functional water user association that works cooperatively in managing the input and sourcing their own improved seeds and fertiliser. After devoting resources to the Tada Shonga project, government should not allow it to become a white elephant project.

Nestle Rewards Consumers Vanessa Obioha As part of efforts to empower Nigerians and set their dreams into traction, Nestle Nigeria Plc, makers of the Nescafe range of beverages rewarded its loyal consumers in a second week of prize giving for the recently concluded promotion tagged ‘Nescafe Get Started.’

The second batch saw 12 winners drawn from a pool of 36,605 participants who took part in the promo which kicked off on June 17 and ran through the entire month of July.

Of the 12 winners, Adewole Matthew, Mohammed Bala and Olabisi Arogundande, won the grand prize of N1 million each.

Speaking further on the socio-economic impact of the promotion on the lives of Nigerians, especially the youths, Brand Manager Omofasa Orhiunu, was optimistic that the initiative would give the much-needed boost that young Nigerians yearn for.

He said, “We like to see Nescafe as a brand that is your partner in everything that you do; when you have a dream or aspiration.

That’s why we stimulate to enhance the simple moments of life.”

Orhiunu, also noted that aside the direct employment opportunities provided by Nestle, the company have plans to continue in the capacity of empowering youths through its various economic based programmes to help them start up their own small-scale businesses.

Expressing gratitude towards the initiative created by the brand to empower people like him towards fast tracking his career prospects, Matthew said he would invest the prize money

in attaining a higher medical degree.

Other winners announced in the second week’s unveiling included Eludoyin Oluwakemisola Christian, Michael Blessing, Happiness Okolie, Okonkwo Emmanuel, Usman Ahmed Kaidasi, Christopher Igbelina Ogugua, Tobi Oderinde and Umoh Ndifreke Timothy.

Prizes appropriated for the promotion amounted to N15 million.

The third and final batch of winners would be revealed in subsequent weeks to formally mark the end of the promotion.

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Sorry Tale of Igbesa, Ogun’s Neglected Industrial Hub Community agonises over bad roads, absence of a monarch Kayode Fasua

Aina

Lusada-Igbesa bad road

Like a daze of the locust, hordes of commercial motorcycles popularly called okada are common sights at the early hours of work days at the sleepy community of Igbesa in Ado-Odo/Otta Local Government area of Ogun State.

They are seen meandering through the bad roads in the community as they convey students of the Ogun State Institute of Technology sited in the community, to their campus.

Upon interaction with THISDAY recently, residents of Igbesa, an industrial community of no mean ‘stature’, expressed their frustrations in turn. Marooned by virtually impassable roads, the local populace, in separate interviews, lamented that Igbesa kingdom had been completely forgotten, as far as development thoughts in Ogun State are concerned.

The elders who spoke, looked straight ahead in deep contemplation, heaving a sigh of stoicism, as they wondered why a community where the bulk of the state’s internally generated revenue is derived from, should be brushed aside in the scheme of things. The locals are particularly displeased that the state government appears to have hit them below the belt in its unexplained reason for delaying the installation of their monarch, having been elected over a year ago. The Ado-Odo/Ota local council had since March 2017 issued Prince Abdulazeez Oluwatoyin Akinde, a certificate of selection to become the Oloja-Ekun (traditional ruler) of Igbesa kingdom, but the Ogun State Government is still being awaited to install the new king.

Though infrastructural backwardness afflicting Igbesa has been traced to donkey years of neglect by successive administration, the community leaders are of the conviction that the situation is now made worse by the delay in the installation of the Oba-elect, who, “as an educated and well-travelled personality, can easily draw the attention of those in authorities to the plight of our kingdom.”

United in adversity, leaders of the Christian, Islamic and traditional religions in Igbesa, respectively, spoke on the plight of a community that parades at least four notable industries, but having no passable roads in whatever form.

The three major religious leaders in Igbesa, namely - Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria, Igbesaland chapter, Samuel Durojaiye; Chief Imam of Igbesaland, Alhaji Muhammadu Lawal and the head of traditional religion adherents in Igbesa, Chief Isa Oga, stressed the need for the installation of the Oba-elect and the need for the rehabilitation of the roads from both Atan and Agbara ends, with a confluence at Lusada that links Igbesa through sheer dilapidation. According to Durojaiye, “All our farmers have been impoverished by the situation of our roads, as they can no longer transport their market produce easily. Again, we don’t have a traditional ruler like the other communities; so there is no one to be our symbol when communities are sending representation to government.”

Complementing him, Lawal said, “While

the Chinese industrialists who had come to our community to site industries were willing to assist in rehabilitating our bad roads, they expressed concern that we don’t have a traditional ruler and have, as such, become reluctant in fulfilling their promise. This is because, they see leadership as security.”

In his comment too, Oga depicted the harrowing experience of Igbesa populace thus: “We don’t have an Oba to lead, we don’t have roads that can lead us out and that can lead people here, and we don’t have anything near fairly stable electricity, as most parts of Igbesa kingdom have been thrown into darkness for years that I can no longer remember.”

In own reaction, the President of Igbesa Youth Assembly, Comrade Babajide Aina, said, “It is unfortunate that where the bulk of all the revenue of Ogun State is coming from has no passable roads leading to it, thus frustrating the operations of the companies.”

Aina noted that industries like Hexing Industries, Brury Industries, Flour Mills Ltd, and Viju Milk Industries, all in Igbesa, would have thriven more than they are currently doing but that heavy-duty vehicles serving them were often trapped on the impossible road network.

Meanwhile, the Igbesa palace chiefs have renewed their plea with Governor Ibikunle Amosun to speedily install Akinde as the new Oloja-Ekun, having been duly elected through a new procedure introduced by the state government.

In a joint address at the palace of the ElekunOja, the chiefs, namely, Mohammed Akapo, the Ajanna of Igbesa; Adewumi Durojaiye, the Otunba Moloje of Igbesaland; Chief Abdulwahab Imosu, the Bobasaye of Igbesaland, and Oseni Adeola Obanla, the Afose of Igbesaland, all urged the Ogun governor to wade into the logjam surrounding the installation of a new Igbesa monarch.

Recalling the antecedent of the logjam, Chief Durojaiye who spoke on behalf of others, said, “When the last Elekun-Oja joined his ancestors in 2015, there was only one kingmaker left alive.

“So the state government appointed 10 other personalities in the community to join him in voting for a new Oba. And at the election, Akinde defeated his rival by 6-5, prompting the local council to give him the certificate of selection. “The other party went to court but there has been no court injunction whatsoever restraining the government from installing our Oba. So we plead with Governor Amosun to do the needful,” the chief said.

But members of Igbesa District Community Association in the United Kingdom and Ireland, said they smelt a rat in the delay of the installation of the Oba-elect.

Its leader, Sheik (Dr.) Olushola Dauda, who spoke from his London base, said the Ogun State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Jide Ojuko, should grant audience to Igbesa chiefs to lodge their complaints over the obaship issue.

‘Why it Took Inventor Five Years to Explore the GOtv Holds Training Session, Awards for Local Vendors Nigerian Market’ Raheem Akingbolu Despite being in Nigeria for over five years, the need to test the waters and ensure that its range of air conditioners can adequately meet the cooling needs of Nigerians has been identified as one of the key reasons for the late introduction of the Inventor brand of air-conditioner products to the nation’s market.

Disclosing this in an exclusive interview at the unveiling of the products in Lagos, recently, the Managing Director of Cryogeny, the official importer of the product, Mr. Yemi Bilesanmi, explained that the brand was

being officially introducedinto the nation’s market, after its range of products had been successfully tested, over a period of years at some designated corporate organisations in the country.

He explained that the new products, which ranged from one horse power air conditioner to others big enough to power a huge stadium, were being introduced to meet the diverse cooling needs of Nigerians.

The Cryogeny boss further explained that the company would be partnering with Perabeam, a reputable sales and distribution organisation, to ensure that the products are

accessible in every nooks and crannies of the nation’s air conditioners’ markets.

“The way the whole thing will work is that while we at Cryogeny, a trading company and a subsidiary of Perabeam, brings in those Inventor products, it will now ride on the back of Perabeam which has fifty years experience in sales, installation, maintenance and hire to get the products to the market.

“So if Cryogeny brings in the equipment, Perabeam would have gone to look for those jobs because they have the technical competence,” he stated.

As part of efforts to boost the capacity of its vendors and reward their efforts, GOtv Nigeria, one of the leading digital terrestrial Pay-TV operators has organised an engagement session and award party for its regional support agents. The event, which held in Lagos, witnessed a large attendance of GOtv agents comprising of canvassers, Moms and Pops (M&Ps) and Sabimen from the Lagos and Ogun regions.

General Manager, GOtv Nigeria, Akin Salu, who spoke at the event, said the training was essential as the vendors must be empowered with the technical skills to provide support to the subscribers, being

the brand’s point-of-contact in communities.

“In the first place, these Canvassers, Moms and Pops (M&P) and Sabimen are community ambassadors for GOtv. So these are the people that the customers reach out to when they have issues that need fixes.

So essentially apart from just selling, they also help us fix issues within the communities.

So these are the go-to-people for GOtv,” he said.

The Canvassers, M&Ps and Sabimen were trained on the rudiments of GOtv service, including the installation process and the possible challenges, the importance of decoder upgrade, common error

codes and solutions, methods of troubleshooting on installation and decoders, and the procedure to swap GOtv decoders.

Awards were also given to agents, who distinguished themselves while working for the brand in their various capacities.

Dabuchi Ventures won the overall prize for Lagos region 1, Justice Ventures clinched that of Lagos region 2, B-Men won the top prize of Lagos region 3, while Shoblem was awarded the prize of Lagos region 4.

The top prize for the Ogun region was won by Johnesco.

Consolation prizes were also handed out to other salespersons.

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Lawmaker Launches Free Health Care Ugo Aliogo The lawmaker representing Apapa 1 constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat, commenced the provision of free health services to people in his constituency.

Speaking during the programme tagged, “Free Health Mission”, Lasbat stated that the initiative was aimed at giving back to her constituency, adding that she was passionate about the endeavour. She said being an indigene of the constituency, there was the need to carry the people along, in the scheme of things.

She added that the initiative which is a four-day programme, would hold for two days in Apapa and two days in Ijora, adding that there would be hypertension and diabetics screening, eye-treatment consultation, sundry medication, offer of eye glasses, a dental session, consultation, polishing

and scaling of teeth, and others; all, at no cost to the beneficiaries “This is not the first initiative I will be embarking on in the community, as I have also carried out series of programmes in the education sector. When I was the local government supervisor for health, I did a similar programme where I brought in medical doctors from Texas, USA. “For it is not new to me and the Apapa people. I have benefitted from this initiative, so it is time to give back to the community. I am not expecting anything in return; they have given me so much. So, it is time to give back to them.

“In carrying out this initiative, I partnered with some non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and corporate bodies,” he explained.

Lasbat commended the community leaders for sensitising members of their communities who came out in large number for the exercise.

UN Agencies Move to Improve Nutrition in North-east Ugo Aliogo Humanitarian actors supporting conflict-affected communities in north-eastern Nigeria recently completed a three-day workshop on improving coordination and accountability for enhanced nutrition among crisis-affected populations in the region.

According to media reports by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Nigeria, the effort which is supported by the government of Nigeria, under the aegis of the Inter-cluster Nutrition Working Group (ICNWG), was organised by the Global Nutrition Cluster and the Global Food Security Sector Cluster in Maiduguri recently.

The report noted that the ICNWG had identified the limited capacity of humanitarian actors in designing nutrition-sensitive interventions as a barrier to improved nutrition among at-risk groups, adding that stunting (low height for age) and wasting (low weight for height) are rife among children in the northeast.

In the report, it was noted government estimates, about 43 per cent of children under five years were stunted across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, “an estimated 440,000 children between six to 59 months are acutely malnourished across the three states.”

It further stated that during the workshop, 40 participants from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and various sectors such as Food Security and Livelihoods, Nutrition, Health, WASH, Protection, Education, and Early Childhood Development, deliberated on the causes and solutions to improving nutrition in the Region.

It added that participants discussed how the various

sectors can contribute to tackling the basic and underlying causes of poor nutrition, while stating the need for supporting the production of diverse nutritious food, providing clean water and sanitation for families and health facilities, preventing and treating diarrheal disease and increasing the exclusive breastfeeding of children under six months.

“Participants also pledged to join efforts towards improved nutrition in northeast Nigeria and began the process of developing an integrated action plan and monitoring and evaluation framework for mainstreaming nutrition programmes across the sectors.

“Nigeria is the second country to benefit from this training, the first field-test was carried out in Ethiopia in June 2018. More countries are expected to benefit from the programme in the upcoming months.

“The ICNWG is a working group of the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) led by UNICEF, while the Global Food Security Cluster (GFSC) is co-led by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

“The ICNWG was established in 2012 with a mandate to safeguard and improve the nutritional status of crisisaffected populations,” it noted.

While closing the three-day workshop, Global Nutrition Cluster Coordinator Josephine Ippe called for leveraging of the roles of the different sectors and for groups to work more closely together to improve nutrition.

The Global Cluster Coordinator (GCC) for Food Security, Bruno Minjauw, called on partners to advance new ways of working that capitalise on the comparative advantages of all agencies.

FMBN Engages PenCom to Expand Access to Mortgage for Workers Chineme Okafor in Abuja Nigerian workers who are contributors to the national contributory pension scheme may soon be able to use part of their contribution to pay for equity contribution in the National Housing Scheme (NHS), the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has disclosed.

Dangiwa, stated this in his presentation as a guest speaker at the recent 2018 edition of the annual ‘Archibuilt’ conference and exhibition organised by the Nigerian Institute of Architect (NIA) in Abuja.

He explained the FMBN discovered it was difficult for most Nigerian workers to come up with equity contributions whenever they filed for housing mortgage with it and has in this regard began consultations

with the Pension Commission (PenCom) on possibilities of allowing contributors to the pension scheme use parts of their pension to pay for mortgage equity.

As at June 2018, the PenCom indicated the contributory pension fund had hit N8.23 trillion.

Dangiwa, however identified the lack of access to finance amongst applicants for the NHS as one of the major challenges to home ownership in Nigeria.

He indicated the pension fund could come in handy in this regard for civil servants.

“We found that request for equity contribution is a big problem to civil servants. We are in collaboration with pension fund to see whether a person can access his pension fund to pay for the equity contribution, even though we’ve reviewed the equity down to 10 per

cent,” he said.

At the conference, the president of NIA, Mr. Atibe Njoku, lamented that houses with resourceful architectural designs are now considered proceeds of financial corrupt practices in Nigeria.

Further, Dangiwa, explained that the contributions of Nigeria’s housing sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was still low, while there were still a lot of hurdles to be cleared before the sector can grow in its GDP contributions.

“Contribution of the housing sector to the GDP is insignificant with its potential mainly untapped. The sector contributes only eight per cent to the GDP with the housing deficit estimated to be about 17 million.

“The impacts of housing developments to national development is numerous

and potentials embedded in housing as bedrock to national development is boundless.

“In developing countries, housing sectors contribute highly to the GDP and this directly reflects the level of jobs in the economy. The investment in housing in Nigeria is very low,” Dangiwa stated.

According to him, “Construction of a two or three bedroom bungalow is capable of directly creating employment for an average of 76 workers and this number goes up significantly in indirect employment and this helps in economic inclusion.”

Speaking more on the challenges, he noted, “The most critical challenges of housing provision in Nigeria is financing, particularly the mortgage finance. Long term housing and mortgage finance has constituted a challenge over time.

W’Bank Exceeds Climate Finance Target The World Bank Group has announced that in its fiscal year 2018, 32.1 per cent of its financing had climate co-benefits – already exceeding the target set in 2015 that 28 percent of its lending volume would be climate-related by 2020.

This amounted to a recordsetting $20.5 billion in climaterelated finance delivered in the last fiscal year - the result of an institution-wide effort to mainstream climate considerations into all development projects.

The 28 per cent target was a key goal of the Bank Group’s Climate Change Action Plan, adopted in April 2016, and was designed to support countries to deliver on their national goals under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The resulting increase in financing for climate action has driven strong results, including by: Generating or integrating 18 gigawatts of additional renewable energy into electricity grids; mobilising over $10 billion in commercial finance for clean energy; developing 22 investment plans for climate-smart agriculture in 20 countries; iInvesting $784 million in improving climate-resilient transport systems and providing 38 million people in 18 countries with access to reliable climate

information and early warning systems to deal with more frequent and intense natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes.

“We have not just exceeded our climate targets on paper, we have transformed the way we work with countries and are seeing major transitions to renewable energy, clean and resilient transport systems, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable cities,” World Bank Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva said.

“This gives the most vulnerable people a fighting chance against climate change, by confronting and adapting to today’s impacts and working to contain future damage to our planet.”

The World Bank’s main lending arms, IBRD and IDA, have almost doubled the share of projects that deliver climate co-benefits, increasing from 37 per cent in full year 2016 to 70 per cent in its full year 2018.

And World Bank financing for developing countries to adapt and build resilience to climate change also grew – with $7.7 billion in adaptation investments in full year 2018 compared to $3.9 billion the previous year.

Now, close to half (49 percent) of all World Bank climate finance

is devoted to adaptation, demonstrating a commitment to focus as much on supporting countries to adapt to climate change as on mitigating future emissions.

In its full year 2018, the climate commitments of IFC - the main member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector in emerging markets - amounted to 36 per cent of IFC’s own account and mobilisation.

This translated to over $3.9 billion in own account climate-smart investments, and an additional $4.4 billion in core mobilisation, or nearly $8.3 billion in total.

“The lion’s share of economic growth is taking place in emerging markets, and at IFC we recognize that we must ensure this growth is inclusive and sustainable. This is a trillion-dollar investment opportunity,” said Philippe Le Houérou, IFC’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We have a critical role to play to enable these opportunities to reach their full potential.

Through our Creating Markets strategy, we are looking to expand successful platforms such as Scaling Solar and the EDGE green building initiative, as well as developing new

solutions that will accelerate business in climate priority sectors.”

Climate is one of three focus areas in the mid-term strategy for MIGA, the World Bank Group’s political risk insurance and credit enhancement arm.

Almost 60 per cent of the projects guaranteed by MIGA in 2018 supported climate mitigation and adaptation across the globe. Of these, over three-quarters were in renewable energy.

“Mobilising private capital in support of climate action is a core priority for us,” Keiko Honda, Executive Vice President and CEO of MIGA said.

“From wind and solar projects in Africa to green buildings in fragile and conflict-affected situations, we are committed to minimising the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable.”

The World Bank Group intends to announce new targets at the forthcoming UN climate conference in Poland in December 2018.

These will go beyond 2020, with increased ambition to help countries reduce their emissions and to be better prepared for the increasing climate risks they will face.

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HEALTH&LIFESTYLE Colostrum as Mothers’ Greatest Gift to Newborns

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

Colostrum, the first secretion from the mammary glands after giving birth, is considered by health experts as the best gift a mother can give her newborn because of the immense benefits attached to it.

But many women have unwittingly denied their babies the precious liquid. Martins Ifijeh writes

N

ene Igwe’s last trimester during her first pregnancy came with a lot of advice from friends, in-laws and her mother, many of which were unsolicited. It was a time for everyone to remind her of how experienced they were in pregnancy and child bearing. After all, since they successfully nursed their own children out of infancy, they reasoned it won’t be out of place for her to toe the path they took during their own process.

While some of those advices were good for her, others ranged from the bizarre to the ridiculous. For instance, she was told to give certain concoctions to her baby few days after delivery, as that would strengthen the child’s immune system. She was told the first food her child must take should be a certain type of formulae, because his or her sugar level needed to be boosted with it before breast milk was introduced. She was told once she had diarrhoea or fever, she should not bother to breastfeed her baby. They told her to have an alternative standby food with her just in case she might need it.

Igwe had small breasts, hence her friends told her not to think of giving her baby exclusive breast milk because she will not produce much of it since her breasts were small. In their minds, the size of the breast determines how much breast milk can be produced.

She was told by her mother to encourage the nurses to give her child little water immediately after delivery, since water is life. She was as well asked to include water in the baby’s food.

Most curiously, Igwe’s advisers were almost unanimous in telling her not to give the first milk from her breast (colostrum) to her baby, stating that it is usually dirty and unhealthy, and that it could lead to a child’s early death even before they leave the hospital. They said the yellowish fluid could pass as pus from injuries. They said only wicked mothers would give such to their new born babies.

Just as Igwe couldn’t stop the advices from coming, she unconsciously also couldn’t stop herself from being fascinated by some of them.

Immediately after delivery, some of the wrong information started to play out.

First, she, her mother and even the health workers who took the delivery unanimously agreed that the child’s first food had to be formulae, because, to them, the child’s sugar level has to be boosted by it. They believed this approach would prepare the baby for breastfeeding.

About 30 minutes after delivery, her breast was heavy with colostrum. It was supposed to be a mother’s first gift to her child. “But I had to wash the thick and yellowish substance away. I had believed from the several advices I received that it was unhygienic; especially after seeing that it had the colour of pus. I couldn’t come to terms with the idea of giving such a substance to my child,” Igwe said.

“I started breastfeeding just after washing the colostrum off. Though I practised exclusive breastfeeding, I usually give water to the baby. I have heard on several occasions that water shouldn’t be given with breastfeeding, but since everyone I know gave water along with breastfeeding to their children who are all grown up and healthy, why shouldn’t I give my child same, after all, nothing can ever be wrong with water. Water is life,” she said.

Igwe is not the only woman who has been duped by such misinformation about breastfeeding and child bearing in general. Millions of Nigerian mothers, according to statistics, have done one form of disservice or the other to their little infants during weaning, which in the long run, turns into the makeup of the child’s life if he or she eventually survives infanthood.

Colostrum can save a newborn’s life

Need for Colostrum Colostrum, a yellowish fluid rich in antibodies and minerals that a mother’s breasts produce after giving birth, before the production of true milk, is very vital to the life of a newborn. It contains laxative effect, growth factors, and jaundice reduction factors, among other benefits.

Unsurprisingly, this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO), during the recently commemorated World Breastfeeding Week, emphasised the need for mothers to, as a matter of importance, give the first milk let-down to their newborns, as it comes with a number of benefits.

The world health body also called on the global community to advocate exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, as this helps in early childhood development.

According to child health advocate, Dr. Eunice Idowu, the thick and yellowish substance, colostrum, is rich in antibodies and highly nutritious.

Idowu says it would not only boost the child’s immunity but would also play a role in his or her health status and nutritional life afterwards.

Colostrum contains lots of antibodies and helps protect the vulnerable newborn from infection by coating his or her intestines and protecting them from viruses and bacteria. It also has a laxative effect which helps the child excrete meconium

PHOTOS: MARTINS IFIJEH

She called on mothers to discard the myth that colostrum is not hygienic. “Most mothers are not aware of the importance of colostrum in the growth of their child. Colostrum is a major vaccine to an infant. It is the child’s first vaccine and immunisation. It does not only protect the infant against allergy and infections, it serves as a purgative which helps to clear meconium (the black tarry fetal stool he or she is born with). It also aids the growth of a child. It helps intestine to mature and it reduces severity of infection,” she said.

Idowu said health workers can also help in circulating the important message of colostrum to pregnant women accessing their facilities. “We know most of these things are not taught in medical schools, so stakeholders and the government should continue to train and retrain health workers, as they are very important to pregnant women and nursing mothers.”

Myths and Misconceptions On other myths and misconceptions, like giving water to the infant just after delivery or along with breastfeeding during the first six months of life, she said the breast milk already contains enough water, noting that any extra water given would take the space of breast milk in the child’s stomach.

“The greatest barrier to achieving exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria is water. If water can be taken out of the way, exclusive breastfeeding will record a huge success in the country,” she added.

Protective Effect According to International Board Certified Lactation consultant, Anne Smith, every mother should realise that colostrum is the first food available for babies immediately after birth. Smith stated, “Colostrum contains lots of antibodies and helps protect vulnerable newborn from infection by coating his or her intestines and protecting them from viruses and bacteria. It also has a laxative effect which helps the child excrete meconium.

“It reduces the incidence of jaundice and

contains growth factors that help prepare the child’s digestive system for absorbing and digesting milk. It is very easy for the newborn baby to digest, and is exactly what the baby needs to eat during the first days after birth.”

While stating that colostrum is an all-important first meal for a newborn, she said the thick yellowish food is different from mature milk in other ways as well. “It contains more salt and protein, and less sugar and fat than mature milk.

It even looks different. It ranges in appearance from clear and watery to thick, yellowish and sticky,” Smith said. “Some expectant mothers find that they leak colostrum during pregnancy, while others are able to express only a drop or two.

The amount of colostrum produced prenatally has no relationship to the amount of milk the mother will produce later on. Colostrum is very concentrated, and the volume produced is very small. It is just enough for the baby at the beginning of life before normal breast milk is given.”

Smith explained that even after giving colostrum to the baby, the subsequent milk produced by the woman during the first few days after delivery also contain a quantity of colostrum, adding that as the volume of milk increases, the protein content decreases and the amount of sugar and fat increases.

“The milk at this stage is referred to as the transitional milk, and it may look yellowish due to the colostrum content. The mature milk will contain lots of valuable antibodies and immune factors, but no more colostrum. That’s one reason that early breastfeeding is so important,” she said.

She added that if a mother started nursing her baby shortly after birth, it means that the mother is giving her newborn a precious gift that won’t be available to him or her later on.

Igwe’s story shows how influential close relations and friends can be in determining how much care an infant can get before, during, and after delivery. Experts believe that the more the myths and misconceptions about colostrum and breastfeeding, generally, are discouraged, the more value infants can get for living.

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NEWS

NURHI Introduces Life Planning for Youths, Adolescents against Population Explosion Rebecca Ejifoma The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) in partnership with Development Communications (Devcoms) has introduced life planning for youths and adolescents in Nigeria to enable them make informed decisions on their reproductive health.

The advocacy group unveiled this at a one-day sensitisation and orientation workshop on Life Planning for Adolescents and Youths (LPAY) organised for journalists in Lagos.

NURHI described life plan-

ning as fundamental in shaping lives and hopefully the future of young persons to achieve their full potentials in life.

According to United Nations definition, youths are persons between ages 15 and 24 years, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines adolescents as young people between ages 10 and 19 years.

“For these ages of persons, life planning is very important.

They need to plan their lives so that they can achieve their dreams and reach their maximum potentials”, said Youth Programme Officer NURHI,

Miss Blessme Ajani.

She added that LPAY is a programme designed to enable young people become informed and actively make responsible and healthy choices in matters related to their reproductive health.

Ajani said: “When we talk about life planning, it has to do with youths getting access to information they need in their reproductive health life, including accessing services.

They also need life skills to achieve their potentials.

“55 per cent of Nigerian population is under 20 years

of age while that of adolescents engaging in unprotected sex is 56 per cent female and 48 per cent male.

“So, young people should have access to contraceptive services even at age 15. Service without consent age should be brought down to 15. Girls less than age 18 are having sex.”

While she listed various barriers such as myths and misconceptions common to life planning for adolescents and youths, Ajani urged journalists to educate the public on the reasons to do away with old traditional beliefs.

BRINGING DIGITAL MEDICINE TO NIGERIA

L-R: Admin Manager, Integrated Digital Health Services (IDHS), Mrs Eno Ossai; Founder, IDHS, Mrs. Elizabeth Eweka Adeshina; and Director, Clinical Services, IDHS, Dr. Odunsi Adebola, during a press conference to launch IDHS in Lagos recently PHOTO: Martins Ifijeh

LASG Applauds Fidson’s Commitment to Children’s Development

Experts Raise Alarm Over Increased Rate of Diabetes Foot Amputation

Mary Nnah

Martins Ifijeh

The Lagos State Government has commended Fidson Healthcare Plc for its relentless commitment to the academic development of Nigerian children through its Astymin brand annual flagship programme, Astymin Brilliance Reward.

Speaking at the 9th edition of the Astymin Children Academic Reward Programme, “Astymin Brilliance Reward”, held recently in Lagos, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule said Astymin’s commitment and contribution to the development of education and academic performance of the Nigerian child was commendable, as Fidson and her Astymin brand are essentially investing in the future of the nation through the provision of educational materials to the leaders of tomorrow.

Adebule, who was represented by the Director, Administration and Human Resource, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Folashade Lediju, said Fidson’s consistency in supporting children’s educational development in the past nine years is commendable.

She said, “It is good to know that this beautiful programme has been on for the past nine years. We want to encourage Fidson to continue to soar higher and higher.

“We must also commend its focus on primary education, which is

indeed the foundation for educational development. We all know that once the foundation is solid, definitely, success is assured.”

Lediju also noted that ASTYMIN as a food supplement is very important for every growing child, adding that “once the children are healthy, they will be able to channel their energy into developing themselves, their education will not be a problem because only a healthy and sound mind will be able to access education and develop with it.”

Also speaking, Director, CoCurricular Department, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Hakeem Olalekan expressed gratitude for the reward programme.

“On behalf of the chairman of the board, Dr. Ganiyu Oluremi Shopeyin, we are very grateful to Astymin for this brilliance reward. This is an encouragement to both the pupils, teachers as well as their parents who put in so much effort to ensure their kids work hard and perform excellently in their academics”, he said.

The Astymin Brilliance Reward, which berthed in 2010, is the brand’s biggest and most prestigious event.

It is aimed at developing mental and academic performance, while rewarding hard work and academic excellence amongst primary school pupils, through special acknowledgment and provision of educational materials.

Experts have raised alarm that more Nigerians are losing their limbs from diabetes foot, a major complication of diabetes mellitus.

Stating this at the 5th Annual Podiatry and Diabetes Foot Care workshop in Lagos recently, the health experts said the situation has become worrisome in Nigerians due to ignorance of both the affected individuals and the delay by medical personnel caring for them to refer them to appropriate centres where they can be properly managed.

Welcoming participants and guests at the opening ceremony, the Workshop Coordinator, Dr Afokoghene Rita Isiavwe disclosed that diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation worldwide, including Nigeria.

She said, podiatry, a specialised branch of medicine that focuses on foot and ankle disorders, which is relevant in the care of persons living with diabetes mellitus is currently not taught in Nigerian universities hence, the introduction of the annual podiatry workshop

by Rainbow Medical Centre to fill the gap.

She said: “In the last five years, we have been building local capacity to improve management and prevention of diabetes foot complications while also raising

awareness on proper foot care in persons living with diabetes mellitus in the country.

“This has been achieved through regular interactive workshops to provide needed training for doctors and other health workers with support from the World Diabetes Foundation Project, the Diabetes Podiatry Initiative Nigeria and training faculty from the American Podiatry Institute.

“This year, we commence a formal certification course to train foot care assistants. The international training faculty is from the World Walk Foundation, Jamaican Chapter. Their collaborative efforts with The Jamaican Ministry of Health over The years with their ‘Special Certification Course to train Foot care Assistants’ has been making a positive difference in saving diabetes feet in Jamaica. We hope to repeat same in. Nigeria,” she said.

In his speech, the Founder, World Walk Foundation, Jamaican Chapter, Owens Bernard said there was no podiatrist in Jamaica some 25 years ago and foot care was therefore not on the raider in the country at that time. The situation, he said, had changed with the intervention of the World Walk Foundation through partnership with the country’s ministry of health which trained health workers and provided them with basic foot care tools

World Mosquito Day: Breeding Africa’s Next Generation of Malaria Scientists Dr. Richard Kamwi and Dr. Havana Chikoto It has been over 110 years since Ronald Ross made the discovery that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria, which is commemorated on August 20, of every year to mark the World Mosquito Day. This discovery was a pivotal moment in the modern battle against this terrible disease.

In the intervening century, the world has made unbelievable strides in the fight against malaria. But both the mosquito and the malaria parasites are wily foes with the ability to develop resistance against the tools we use against them.

A recent study, Malaria Futures for Africa (MalaFA), questioned malaria leaders in 14 African countries about their views on the fight against malaria. The report, commissioned by the healthcare company Novartis, revealed that many of them are highly concerned about resistance to artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) emerging.

The early stages of resistance to ACTs, the current standard treatment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) against malaria, have emerged in Southeast Asia and been observed in several countries there.

Strains resistant to earlier malaria medicines have spread to Africa from Southeast Asia, resulting in a big increase in malaria deaths as treatments like chloroquine became ineffective. Some of the experts questioned thought such resistance would spread faster because of today’s vastly increased trade and travel links between Africa and Asia, but many of them thought that spontaneous emergence of ACT resistance in Africa is just as likely.

To stave off the threat of malaria becoming resistant to today’s medicines, we need to ensure that new treatments will be available before they stop working.

So scientists are working hard to develop them before the threat of resistant malaria becomes a reality in Africa. But Africa needs to maintain and strengthen its network of strong scientific leaders in malaria for the disease to be eradicated.

Novartis is one of the companies taking up the challenge to stay one

NEED TO KNOW step ahead of the parasite, and we are particularly excited that they are collaborating with some of Africa’s best and brightest scientists to develop new treatments. One of the biggest malaria clinical trials with a new treatment running at the moment is with a medicine called KAF156. This Novartis sponsored clinical trial is currently being conducted across 15 trial sites in seven African and two Asian countries, including Mali and Uganda.

Running a large trial like this is a complex process, requiring specialised laboratory equipment, cold chains for samples sent off for analysis, and reliable internet connections. However, the greatest need is for trained scientists who must run the trials. In many established centres, there are many such scientists, but in more remote areas, there are often very few – or none. And we need to go to such remote areas, where the disease is most common, and the impact on people’s lives the greatest.

Novartis is working with local clinical trial centres to make sure that the scientists running the KAF156 trial conduct it to the highest possible standards. The current trial, running across nine countries and enrolling more than 500 patients, is big. However, if it is successful, it will need to be followed by a further Phase 3 trial that may need to enrol perhaps 2,000 patients.

This will involve setting up many more centres and training additional African scientists, many of whom will be in remote areas.

And this new generation of investigators we’re training will not just be equipped to work on malaria trials – their training and experience will ensure they are ready to work in other diseases such as TB or HIV. This shows how effective collaboration pays real dividends in building up the next generation of African scientists. Working together, we have the power to end malaria for good.

Dr Kamwi is former Minister for Health, Namibia. Dr Chikoto is in charge of running the KAF156 malaria trial for Novartis

LBS Graduates 49 Healthcare Leaders in West Africa Martins Ifijeh At least 49 leaders and managers of healthcare services from Nigeria, Ghana, Niger and Cameroun have graduated from the prestigious Lagos Business School (LBS), in partnership with Management Development Institute (MDI), on development programmes.

The participants went through the training programme to improve their competencies in Organisational Planning, Leadership and HR Management, Social Marketing, Operations Management, Project Management, Program Monitoring and Evaluation, Health Information Systems, Financial Management, Governance and Ethics, Economics and Healthcare Management.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Special Guest of Honour and Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris, represented by the Chairman, Health Service Commission, Lagos State, Dr. Chief Bayo Aderiye, said, “We are very pleased

that the programme was hosted in Lagos; being the most populous city coupled with its strategic location in West Africa. The programme will help to checkmate brain drain in the healthcare sector”.

The Senior Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa,GlobalCommunityImpact,Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Rene Kiamba, said the primary goal of the MDI programme was to equip leaders and managers to lead teams in various capacities, in implementing their peculiar national health priorities and improving the effectiveness of their health systems, adding that participants were also expected to start community health improvement projects.

Also speaking, Director of Programme, MDI, Dr. Obinna Muogboh, said, “With the MDI programme, the continent will be better prepared to respond to the challenges in the healthcare sector as it enhances participant’s leadership and management skills. Participants will take the delivery of healthcare services to underserved populations.”

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HEALTH

Taming the Scourge of Cancer Owner Management Program, OMP 21, recently took the cancer awareness campaign to the less privileged and provided screening and support for established cases. Peace Obi reports

F

eeding on widespread ignorance about the disease, cancer of all forms has continued to wreak havoc on humanity, prematurely cutting down destinies and dreams. But a group has taken steps to roll back the cancer menace.

The recent convergence of the 21st class of Owner Manager Program, also known OMP 21, of the Lagos Business School, at the Upbeat Recreation Centre in Lekki area of Lagos, was not the usual hangout of friends and acquaintances. It was the gathering of people of like-minds in pursuit of a dream so dear to their hearts. During the two-week activities, the busy executives dedicated themselves to creating cancer awareness, enlightening people about its prevention and management as well as providing screening and support for those already diagnosed with one type of cancer or the other. The programme was concluded with a health walk and talk that was also open to the general public.

The health talk, which held immediately after a walk that took off from Upbeat Centre via Admiralty Way through Lekki Ikoyi toll into Ikoyi and back to Upbeat, had doctors, other medical personnel and fitness experts in attendance. The burden of curbing the ravaging force of cancer on the society weighed heavily on the minds of these concerned associates.

To them, cancer should no longer kill anyone, particularly as the world shifts from curative to the preventive type of medicine. Thus, the public information sharing and rigorous awareness campaign they embarked on with the aim of making available to the general public, the right and proper information for the management and prevention of cancer.

Statistics

Revealingly, statistics have shown that over 14.1 million new cases of cancer are recorded worldwide every year. About eight million people die from cancer annually; of that number, four million die prematurely, that is between the ages of 30 and 69. Also, the first independent national research on cancer by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) revealed that cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 102,000 new cases annually.

Apparently heeding the clarion call made through the 2018 World Cancer Day theme, “We can, I can”, OMP 21 joined the league of global efforts in curbing the cancer scourge on the society. For two weeks the alumni association set aside every engagement to fight for the lives and wellbeing of others, especially the less privileged.

They reached out to the unreached and took the campaign to the streets, motor parks, marketplaces, schools, among others, to educate people on the need to imbibe healthy lifestyle, avoid risk factors, and run regular checks. The group also provided support to some established cases.

Support the Less Privileged

OMP 21 President Bukunola Gadzama in her speech said the events were put in place to ensure that people learn to keep fit, fight and prevent diseases. She noted that cases of cancer and other diseases tended to increase due to ignorance, lack of awareness, an unhealthy lifestyle, among others.

According to the real estate manager, the programme was meant for everybody, even though they concentrated on the less privileged who could not afford cancer screening. She said, “Two weeks ago, we started running free cancer screening for prostate and breast cancer for both men and women. We went to schools, motor parks, and other places. We also worked with some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who already have people in line that they feel will go for such screenings. We also went to motor parks to talk to the people about the need to start living a healthier life.”

Speaking on the two major attitudes observed among the class of persons the awareness campaign was taken to, Gadzama said, “The first set is the ‘I don’t want to know attitude’.

Some feel that if you tell them that they have cancer, it is like a death sentence. But we let them know that it is not and that there are many illnesses going around that can be managed.

And that the individual can still live long if detected early and managed very well.

“Another set of people of are the ‘okay, how do I run the treatment? Even if there is anything, I can’t even afford the scan, how could I then afford the treatment?”

Declaring the group’s readiness to support people who tested positive to any type of cancer

Some of the OMP 21 members of the Lagos Business School at the Cancer awareness campaign

to get proper treatment, the president said, “For now, we are going to help two people. We will also link up with people who are interested.

We are going to stand with whoever that tested positive throughout the two weeks of screening and make sure they get adequate treatment.

Support is not all about money. It is about counselling, it is about holding somebody’s hand, it is about helping the person know how to manage these things. That is basically what we are here to do.”

Call for Regular Check-ups

Speaking to the audience, Dr. Jimi Arogundade said cancer occurred when a cell grows without the control of the body’s mechanisms, adding that cancer is a malignant tumour that spreads and kills fast. He said that whatever kind of cancer it may be, it is important that it be detected through screening. He therefore, called on people to go for regular medical check-ups.

Stressing that there is no fixed cause for cancer, Arogundade noted that there were things that could predispose one to it. He said, “When we talk about cancer, we talk about risk factors because the truth is that one cannot actually pinpoint the cause. So, we talk about risk factor like your gene which is not modifiable, but there are other things you can correct, enhance as you grow older that would reduce the risk. Your diet is a very, very important factor almost in all kinds of cancer. What you eat can actually kill you! So, you need to know what you eat, it is a modifiable factor.”

Continuing, he said, “One of the simplest screenings you can ever do for breast cancer is breast self-examination. Every woman must know how to do it. If you have a family history of breast cancer, especially in your first relatives, it is highly important that you screen yourself, especially for women who are of productive age and those above 40 years. Because the trend right now in the world now is to move from curative medicine to preventive type of medicine, we encourage screening, self-breast examination, indulge in health-promoting behaviour, visit the doctor regularly.”

Fitness as Key

Addressing the audience, an award-winning actress, Kate Henshaw, said it was very important for people to take care of their health and become fit. According to Henshaw, being fit is not the same thing as being skinny or having muscles.

She said, “I am talking about your overall mental, physical and even emotional well-being. When you are wholesome in your mind, you will be

PHOTO: MARTINS IFIJEH

healthy to work for that money. It is anti-progress to work hard for your money and use the money to cure yourself.

“I am glad that the organisers as leaders and owners of their businesses thought it wise to put this together because we are very sedentary in Nigeria. We sit in the office, at home, in the office, in traffic. We don’t get up and move, but when we travel abroad, we see how the other people live. They walk, they run, they cycle and skip. They do all sorts of activities.

That keeps you alert in your mind. Exercise is very important for your mental wellbeing.

“The doctor will tell you. Don’t even wait until it is too late. Don’t wait until doctors tell you that you need to lose weight or you need to eat healthily or even cut down the oil and alcohol. We don’t need to do that, we have to

Cancer should not kill anybody anymore because there are opportunities for it to be detected and if detected on time it can be stopped

be preventive rather than curative.”

Adequate Knowledge

Speaking also, another member of the OMP 21 and Managing Director, Recon PDC Ltd., Temitope Akinyemi, called on Nigerians never to mistake stress for fitness. He noted that the spread of cancer had been on the increase because often times, people lacked the basic knowledge needed to aid them in taking right and necessary steps for prevention. He noted, “Cancer is not like malaria or typhoid that weighs you down when it starts. It is not a physical growth that you can easily see. Medical experts call it maligned tumour, it grows abnormally and it spreads. So the earlier you nip it in the bud, the better. A lot of people walk around not knowing that they have this disease inside of them until it gets to a very alarming stage before they find out. You need to check the body before the body checks you.”

A public relations expert, Mr. Bolaji Abimbola, said the alumni association was deliberate in choosing to raise the consciousness of people concerning cancer. According to him, OMP 21 believes that knowledge is key in the fight against cancer and in getting people to be conscious of their health. He said that when people are armed with knowledge, spread of cancer would be reduced.

“We want to encourage people to go for regular screening because we believe that some of these issues can be nipped in the bud if it is detected early. If you discover you have an ailment, take care of it on time. Cancer should not kill anybody anymore because there are opportunities for it to be detected and if detected on time it can be stopped,” Abimbola stated.

Baby Osemudiamen Urgently Needs N2.5m for Hole-in-the-Heart Surgery Nine months old Osemudiamen Edionseri from Edo State urgently needs at least N2.5 million for a hole-in-the-heart surgery if he must live beyond the next few months and fulfill his life’s dream.

Osemudiamen is presently on oxygen since the last 41 days at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital where his health is being managed, pending when the

family can provide the money for the operation.

According to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edionseri, who are currently unemployed, he has a large Atrial Septal defect that must be corrected urgently, as doctors have said he no longer has much time.

“We gave birth to him through caesarian section. He is our only

child, and we don’t want him to die. We plead that kindhearted Nigerians, organisations and the government should come to our rescue,” his father said.

For support, kindly reach Mrs Edionseri on 08058456808.

Account number: 0011107508; Account name: Edionseri Osamuyimen; Bank name: Stanbic IBTC.

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018

39

HEALTH NEWS

Clearline Advocates Quality Assurance for Better Health Insurance Delivery Martins Ifijeh The Managing Director, Clearline HMO International, Dr. Isaac Akintunji has stated that quality assurance is an essential ingredient for the provision of health insurance delivery in Nigeria, as it enables providers to focus on providing qualitative services to the citizens.

Stating this in a release made available to THISDAY recently, he said without

quality assurance, malpractices and fraudulent claims, would be the order of the day.

He said: “Quality assurance in healthcare practice has reduced redundancy and truancy to the barest minimum. It is only through quality assurance that providers are able to provide top class services to the enrollees of the health insurance scheme.

“Quality assurance also helps improve patient out-

come to enhance believability in the health insurance scheme. Quality goals are set while strategies are developed to ensure that the services offerings adhere to the professional standards set in the industry.”

He therefore urged HMOs in the country to raise the bar of quality assurance

in the health insurance sector in order to sustain and move it to the next level.

Akintunji says Clearline HMO was poised to enhance the status of health assurance through its dynamic and innovative approach to ensure that the health insurance scheme

is developed through best ethical practices and technical expertise.

Adding that HMO’s should consistently monitor services provided for enrollees by the hospitals, he reiterated that quality assurance will engender growth in the healthcare industry, because once

enrollees are offered best services, they will propagate the scheme to others for believability.

Akintunji also charged the government to propagate health insurance scheme and make it compulsory for Nigerians, create awareness and also promote the benefits of the scheme.

World Bank Boosts Reproductive Health Study in UNIBEN Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City In order to further help in the provision of reproductive health and other related matters, the World Bank has established a Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation (CERHI) at the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

Part of the mission for the establishment of CERHI is to implement high quality training and applied research for reproductive health professionals, needed to build a new cohort of human resource for reducing the regions high burden of fertility, unsafe abortion and maternal mortality.

Leader of UNIBEN CERHI centre, Prof. Friday Okonofua, who spoke at the unveiling,

recently, said part of its vision is to be a leading institution providing innovative and transformational changes on matters relating to population and development.

He said: “The centre would provide short courses in productive health policy in West and Central Africa, as well as post graduates courses in reproductive health, public health, health economics and nursing.

“The centre has recruited a total of 252 Masters students, 36 PhD students and 569 students in short courses on reproductive health.”

He disclosed that the centre has also received grant from the Ford Foundation and the African Research Excellence Fund for staff training and program expansion.

Lawmaker Organises Free Health Mission for Constituency Ugo Aliogo

The lawmaker representing Apapa 1constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat, has organised a free health mission in Apapa and Ijora areas of Lagos.

Speaking during the free health mission, Lasbat said the initiative was aimed at giving back to her constituency, adding that she is passionate about the initiative, and as an indigene of the constituency, there is need to carry the people in the scheme of things.

She said the initiative which is a four-day programme, would consists of two days in Apapa and two days in Ijora, adding that there would be hypertension, and diabetics screening, free eye consultation, free medication and eye glasses, dental session, consultation, polishing and scaling of teeth, and others.

She noted that this is not the first initiative she is embarking in the community, adding that she has carried out series of programmes which involves the education sector.

She also commended the community leaders for sensitising the residents, whom she noted came out in large numbers for the exercise.

According to her, “I am not expecting anything in return; they have given me so much. It is time to give back to them. In carrying out this initiative, I partnered some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and corporate bodies.

“The community leaders have been wonderful. They have been the ones reaching out to the people. They have been sensitising these people and telling them about this programme. I cannot stop this initiative, it will be a continuous exercise.

“My next programme may not be health programme, it might be something else. I have done different projects such as water projects, back to school for primary pupils, I supported secondary schools students with Jamb forms, and I have done furniture for schools.

“I have a monitoring team for initiatives I carried out in the community. For instance for the water project, I have a team monitoring that and they give me report on the situation of things if there are challenges. For those I give Jamb form to I get feedbacks. After Jamb, all those that did well, I assisted them in getting admission into school. There is no support from Lagos State Government.”

L - R: CEO, Roche Group, Dr Severin Schwan; Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso; Country Manager, Roche Nigeria, Dr Oladipupo Hameed; and GM, Sub-Saharan Africa, Roche, Mr Markus Gemuend, during the visit of the CEO, Roche Group to Nigeria office in Abuja...recently PHOTO: Abiodun Ajala

‘NMEP Remains Resolute in Rolling Back Malaria’ Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has remained resolute in its push to put Nigeria on the list of countries with less Malaria burden.

In its third quarter media chat and with the theme ‘Use of LLIN for prevention of malaria’, its National Coordinator, Dr. Audu Bala Mohammed, reiterated on the need for constant use of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN), which are safe and

have proven to be effective.

He said Personal Protection Measures (PPM) are unique products, clothing and materials used in the construction of houses that protect individuals from getting bitten by mosquitoes, while indoors or outdoors and have become helpful ways in the control of mosquitoes.

While acknowledging that many people spend a better part of their time outdoors, and becoming susceptible to mosquito bites, he added that

“unknown to many, mosquitoes are active at different times of the day and may bite indoors or outdoors , thereby causing malaria.

“Malaria remains a disease of public health concern in Africa and Nigeria, causing death in under five children and miscarriage in pregnant women. Although malaria is treatable and preventable, yet it is responsible for high outpatients’ admissions in hospitals.

“LLINs are safe and effective

for prevention of malaria. WHO recommends LLIN coverage for all persons at the risk of malaria. LLINs are designed to protect people from mosquitoe bite, kill mosquitoes and are effective for 3-4 years after which time they need to be replaced.”

He said effective behaviour change communication strategies can help ensure that people at risk of malaria have access to LLINs, sleep inside an LLIN every night and properly maintain the nets.

Dano Breaks Guinness World Record in Milk Pouring

US, NGO to Train Nigerian Oncologists on Cancer Treatment

Martins Ifijeh

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

After successfully setting a new benchmark in the longest drinkspouring category of Guinness World Records, Arla Dano has been conferred with the global record holder title in the category by the awarding institution.

The recognition is premised on the engagement of over 650 participants to achieve the longest drinks-pouring relay using Dano UHT Milk held in June this year in commemoration of World Milk Day. Speaking on the feat, the Marketing Manager, Dano Milk, Ifunanya Obiakor, said every great achievement seems impossible at first until it is done.

She said, “This saying reflects our journey to obtaining the Guinness World Records certificate for organising the longest drinkspouring relay.

“Achieving this feat in the face of obvious obstacles is a testament to the possibilities that abound

when the will to win drives exceptional performance and when inner strength is deployed towards tackling and overcoming challenges.”

The Managing Director, Dano Milk, Mads Burmester said, “We believe this award speaks to the fact that the human mind can achieve whatever it conceives.

All that is required is the inner strength to follow through with the vision despite hard times.

“This is what the Arla Dano brand aims to represent in Nigeria and this is why we will continue to provide Nigerian consumers with high quality dairy products to nourish them well enough to take on their day and life in general” “We hope to positively influence our consumers and make them believe in themselves. Beyond the nutritional products that we offer in the dairy sector, we consider the importance to appeal to the mind and consciousness of our consumers.”

As part of efforts to fight cancer in Nigeria, project PINK BLUE, a cancer awareness foundation in collaboration with US mission in Nigeria, has commenced training of 44 selected oncologists across the country on effective cancer treatment.

The two weeks medical oncology training is part of the Upgrade Oncology initiative focused on strengthening oncology education, medical oncology curriculum, oncology infrastructures and cancer treatment in Nigeria.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the training at the African University of Science and Technology, (ASUT) Abuja, the Executive Director, Project PINK BLUE, Mr. Runcie Chidebe, informed that the training is a platform for Nigerian oncologists to exchange practices with US based oncologists to save increasing number of patients dying from preventable cancer deaths.

Chidebe also noted that Nigeria has less than 50 medical oncologists which is very poor for a country that should have thousands. He called on the federal government to look into the issue as it affects cancer treatments.

“We have selected 44 oncologists from across Nigeria to train in Abuja and Lagos. The training will be led by two American medical oncologists, Dr. Tracey O’Connor MD, a medical oncologist and associate professor at Rosswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA, and Dr. Mike Martin MD, medical oncologist and associate professor of Medicine at University of Tennessee, West Cancer Center.

“The project is led by Dr. M.O. Nwaneri MD, a medical oncologist/ associate professor, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine,” he said.

The Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole while noting that Upgrade Oncology will complement government’s effort emphasized the need for training.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

40

FOREIGN/DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS

Editor: VINCENT OBIA vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com 0805 468 1757

In Brief UK Welcomes US Interest in Free Trade post-Brexit UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt travelled to New York on Wednesday, following two days of high-level meetings in Washington with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff to the President General John Kelly, and Adviser to the President Jared Kushner.

The Foreign Secretary discussed a range of foreign policy priorities, including: Iran and Russia; ways to support UN efforts to bring peace to Yemen; progress on the Middle East Peace Process; and how to ensure the UK-US alliance grows even stronger after the UK’s exit from the European Union, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement. Hunt also met a number of US diplomats expelled from Russia following the decision by Washington to expel 60 Russian diplomats as part of the coordinated response to the Salisbury attacks.

Tanker with 19 Crew Missing In Piracy-plagued West African Waters

Late Kofi Annan

UN Honours Late Kofi Annan Zhou Pingjian

T

he Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres and staff members yesterday remembered former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, describing him as a leader who put people at the centre of the UN work.

During a wreath-laying ceremony in New York, Guterres led staff members in paying respects to Annan, whom they described as the embodiment of the intergovernmental organisation that worked to improve the lives of men and women worldwide.

Kofi Annan died on Saturday at the age of 80 in Switzerland.

Annan, a mild-mannered diplomat from Ghana, rose through the UN system to become its seventh leader in January 1997, serving two consecutive five-year terms till December 2006.

“Kofi Annan’s years in office were an exciting time. He put forward new ideas. He brought new people into the United Nations family. He spoke passionately about our mission and role.

“He created a renewed sense of possibility both inside and outside our organisation about what the UN could do and be for the world’s people.

“His most defining features were his humanity and solidarity with those in need.

“He put people at the centre of the work of the United Nations, and was able to turn compassion into action across the UN system,’’ Guterres said.

He listed some of the actions Annan took to include uniting world leaders to agree global targets on poverty and child mortality – linchpins of the landmark Millennium Development Goals.

“The former UN chief also joined with civil society and the healthcare injury to save lives from HIV and AIDS. “As his successor noted, Annan also did not shy away from addressing

challenging issues.

“Annan faced up to the grave errors made by the United Nations in the 1990s – in its response to the Rwanda genocide and the Srebrenica killings – by shining a light inside the UN. “The reports he commissioned aimed to make sure such terrible mistakes are never repeated, and set the international community on a new course in its response to mass atrocities,” Guterres said.

He stated that the passing of his predecessor was “a personal loss’’ for many who worked in the UN system.

While the UN flag outside headquarters was flown at half-mast for three days following the announcement of Annan’s death, staff members have been filling a book of condolences with expressions of sympathy to his wife, Nane, and family. Many UN personnel also have been sharing their memories of a man who they described as “wise yet humble, courteous and charming.’

FOCAC a Major Platform for Belt and Road Cooperation Zhou Pingjian

T

he capital city of China is embracing Africa time soon. Early next month, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on ChinaAfrica 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 years old 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.

The remarkably deepened political mutual trust.

The robust bilateral trade and investment relations.

The Naira/RMB currency swap. The strong Madein-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 commissioned in July 2016. The Abuja rail mass transit project, the first urban railway in West Africa, was commissioned 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 modernization project (Logos-Ibadan section), the expansion of 5.4 KM of Abuja-Keffi expressway and dualization of KeffiAkwanga-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.

A tanker vessel with 19 crew members on board, most of them Georgians, went missing in pirate-plagued waters off Gabon in West Africa and no word was heard from it for a week, the ship’s managers and the crew agency said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Communication was lost with the Panamaregistered Pantelena about 2am local time on Aug. 14, at which time it was about 17 miles from the port of Libreville, in Gabon, Athensbased Lotus Shipping said in a statement. The head of the Georgian crew agency Ialkani, Anzhela Oganesyan, said two Russian nationals and 17 Georgians were aboard the tanker. She said she had no news so far about the vessel’s fate. The Georgian government also said 17 of its citizens were serving on the Pantelena. The Russian RIA news agency reported the Russian Embassy in Gabon as saying two Russians were on the tanker and it was in contact with their relatives.

Over 100 Migrants Storm Border of North African Spanish Enclave

More than 100 African migrants managed to force their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Wednesday when hundreds tried to storm the highly fortified border, a Spanish police spokesman said, according to Reuters. Television images showed some of the migrants with bloodied arms and legs, apparently caused by the razor wire that tops the border fences, cheering as they walked toward a temporary reception centre. Most of them were young men. Some were draped in European Union and Spanish flags. More than 3,800 migrants have crossed the Moroccan border into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla this year, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR. The route accounted for 14 per cent of the 27,600 who arrived, mainly by sea, between January and July, a 130 per cent increase on the previous year.

Zimbabwe’s Opposition Opens Case against Mnangagwa’s Election

Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court adjourned after eight hours of arguments and was expected to issue its ruling on Friday in the opposition’s case against the election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, AFP news agency was quoted as reporting on Wednesday. Nine judges, led by Chief Justice Luke Malaba, are hearing the case brought by the opposition MDC Alliance over the results of July’s election, which it says was rigged.

The party’s lawyer Thabani Mpofu told the court there had been a massive cover-up and doctoring of results and he wanted to see President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory overturned. But the governing party’s lawyer, Thembinkosi Magwaliba, and the electoral commission said the opposition had failed to produce any evidence of fraud.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

I Won’t Interfere with Governorship Primaries, Says Shettima Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has thanked the people of the state for the solidarity and support given to him in the last seven years, promising not to interfere with the forthcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in the state.

According to him, “it is God that gives power to whom He desires”. The governor also cautioned some politicians who he alleged have looted the state treasury, owned four private airlines and newly joined the ruling party to dictate a successor for him for 2019.

Shettima stated these while hosting his last Sallah party for APC stakeholders at Government House, Maiduguri, yesterday.

He expressed happiness with all the people of the state who trooped out to peacefully celebrate the Eid el-Kabir across the state.

The governor pointed out that in the last seven years, his administration was able to face the issue of insecurity head on, which led to the degrading of the remnants of Boko Haram sect, rebuilding of destroyed

communities and schools, provision of social amenities and restoration of the dignity of Borno people, especially Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Shettima said: “I am happy and thankful to Allah who has given us this opportunity to celebrate this Eid-el-Kabir.

“Although this could be my last time to host you as governor at the government house as my tenure elapse in May next year, I would like to appeal to all those I have offended to please forgive me.

“I want to also said that for some of our colleagues who are planting some seeds of discord to create disunity among us in APC because of who may emerge as my successor, they will definitely fail in their mission, because, it is only Allah who gives power to whom he desire.

“For some of us who have turned themselves as insurgency politicians, they will all be disappointed Insha Allah. Where are these insurgency politicians when we were battling with real insurgents, most of them relocated out of Borno to Abuja and safe areas, and we will not tolerate a situation where these run-away

insurgency politicians came back to Borno and cause disaffection among our ranks.

“I want to assure that I will not in any way as governor interfere with the upcoming governorship primaries of our great party. “All I know is that many, of course, will come out and contest, but only one person will emerge as governor of Borno State come 2019. “Whoever emerges as candidate, we will definitely support the person to come out victorious to continue from where I will stop.”

In another development, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai Al Amin Elkanemi, paid a Sallah homage to the governor and thanked him for his support to the traditional institutions in the state.

He, however, appealed to the state and federal governments to consider the roads from Maiduguri to Cross Kanwa to Malamfatori, Dikwa-Ngala-Kala Balge which had been in a deplorable condition for decades.

Responding, Shettima also commended the royal father for the visit, and solicited his fatherly advice and prayers at all times.

Lalong, Shittu, Kalu Meet Buhari in Daura Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lalong, Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji -Uzor Kalu, yesterday in Daura , Katsina State, held a closed door meeting, which lasted for more than 30 minutes, with President Muhammadu Buhari at his country home.

The meeting was held shortly after Kalu was conferred with a chieftaincy title “Danbaiwan Hausa”, meaning: ‘Gifted son of Hausa Land’ by the Emir of Daura, Dr. Farouq Umar Farouq.

Both Plateau State Governor and the Communication Minister were among the dignitaries who accompanied the former Abia Governor to the Emir’s palace for the conferment of the title at a turbanning

ceremony held earlier The trio, shortly after the event, left for President Buhari’s residence.

They were ushered in to see the President at about 2.40p.m.

The Plateau Governor was the first to depart the residence at 3.30p.m while Kalu and Shittu followed suit five minutes thereafter.

Shittu however, told journalists that they were at President’s residence to “pay obeisance”.

He said, “We were here to pay obeisance .You know the President recently returned from medical trip abroad, and were unable to see him because soon after the security meeting on Monday he left for Daura’’ “Contrary to the claim by his detractors that he is not fit to run a second time, the

president is not only fit to trek 800 meters as reported by the media, he is fit mentally and physically to continue to pilot the affairs of our great country even for the next four years after 2019 elections.”

Shittu said he attended Kalu’s event to reciprocate his kindness and liberal attitude to all Nigerians irrespective of tribes or religions.

He blamed the Ibos for “ostracising’’ themselves from mainstream Nigerian political life, urging them to queue behind Buhari this time around Earlier, the Emir had said, during the event, that Kalu was conferred with the title because of his contribution to the unity of Nigeria and his (Kalu) love for President Buhari’s administration and championing his reelection bid.

Bauchi Gov Faults Lawmaker’s Alarm over Threat to Her Life Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has reacted to the claim by the member representing Dass constituency in the State House of Assembly (BAHA), Hon. Maryam Garba Bagel that her life was under threat, describing the allegation as mere hallucination.

In a statement signed yesterday and issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Ali. M Ali, the governor stated that the claim was far from the truth and a mere allegation that cannot be proven.

Bagel had raised the alarm over alleged threat to her life by yet to be identified persons who she claimed sent indecent pictures to her and also called her to caution her to desist from her hard political stance against the governor and his administration.

According to the statement, “Our attention has been drawn to the fantastic claims made by Maryam Bagel, a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly to the effect that the Bauchi

State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar is behind some faceless elements intent on ‘humiliating’ her by portraying her as “immoral” person via her pictures photo shopped into pornographic images”.

The statement further added that, “according to her, these elements delivered an envelop filled with copies of these pictures, called and warned her to ‘desist’ from being “antagonistic” to the government of Governor Abubakar or else they will make public these photo shopped images”.

The statement further stated that, “We found this amusing.

At no point did Bagel constituted a “threat” or even a “nuisance” to the government of Abubakar to the extent that it will resort to this reprehensible measure.

The Governor has a cast iron reputation of moral uprightness.

His moral credentials are beyond reproach”.

The statement further said, “It is therefore, inconceivable

that he will encourage let alone sponsor such desperate measure. He has repeatedly and publicly stated that he bears no ill will or malice against anyone especially antagonistic elements.

The upliftment and progress of Bauchi state is his main focus”.

According to the statement, “the frolics of a desperate attention seeker will not distract him from his grim determination to change the depressing narrative of our state. The governor is currently on hajj and is praying for the development of the state and nation in general”.

“Maryam Garba Bagel’s hallucination’ further contains that, “We strongly suspect that Bagel is resorting to this hallucinatory measure to deal with her electoral humiliation in the recent Senatorial by-election in Bauchi south district. She is looking for a fall guy. The media should be weary of sensational claims of desperate politicians as we approach elections,” the statement added.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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Beware of Scammers, Fayemi Tells Ekiti Job Seekers Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Governorelect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has advised youths seeking to secure jobs in the state civil service to see the current vacancies declared by the state government as an attempt to scam them financially.

Fayemi advised the youths scrambling for positions into the civil service against wasting their money to buy employment forms as being advertised by Governor Ayodele Fayose in the media.

Fayose last week commenced the recruitment of 2,000 job seekers into the state civil service, which the governor-elect deemed as an attempt to create financial crisis for him government, owing to inability of government to pay over seven month salary arrears of workers.

A statement by Director of the John Kayode Fayemi Centre (JKF Centre), a leadership development and training outfit in AdoEkiti, the Ekiti State capital, Biodun Omoleye, said it was an act of wickedness to ask unemployed youths

to buy forms for unlawful recruitment drive that contravenes civil service rules.

Noting that Fayose’s objective in his recruitment plan is to exploit the youth again for personal gain, Fayemi said: “What Fayose is doing is a clear case of exploiting the misfortune of these unemployed youths for personal gain as we have seen in the sales of forms on market stalls allocation with no official records of which accounts these fees are paid.

“It is also unlawful and wicked to play to the gallery by singling out PDP members for recruitment into civil service to pretend that he loves them, even though Fayose knows that such recruitment will be cancelled by the in-coming administration over illegality that informed the exercise.

“It is more wicked to ask unsuspecting unemployed youths to buy forms for a phantom recruitment to civil service in clear breach of the law that prohibits political consideration in civil service recruitment.

“Ekiti youths are hereby

Silva, Lokpobiri, Peterside to Mobilise Ijaws for Buhari’s Re-election Sylvester Idowu in Warri Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Silva; Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, are now set to mobilise the Ijaw ethnic group to support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 general election.

This follow the mandate given to them yesterday by Ijaw leaders and chieftains of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State after a unity meeting was held in Warri, Delta State.

The meeting, which was held at the Ugborikoko residence of the Delta Ijaw APC leader, Hon. George Timinimi, was attended by Ijaw leaders and members of APC from Warri South West, Patani, Bomadi, Burutu, Warri North and Warri South Local Governments Areas of the state.

The seemingly slight disunity among the Ijaw leaders and chieftains of the party was resolved during the meeting with a determination to ensure and promote the collective interests of the Ijaw people ahead of the 2019 elections.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, and obtained by THISDAY, it was resolved that Timipre Silva and other prominent Ijaw political leader should mobilise the fourth largest ethnic group in the country in support of the re-election of President Buhari.

The communiques read thus: “That the Ijaws of APC in Delta State hereby affirms that His Excellency, Silva, Lokpobiri, and Director General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, are the leaders of the APC in the entire Ijaw land, and should galvanise support for President Buhari’s re-election next year.”

The communiqué was signed by APC Ijaw leader, Hon. George Timinimi; Sir Theodore Ezonfade, Denbo Dembofa Oweikpodor, Ebikabowei Victor, Alphonsus Feh, Chief Micheal Johnny, Collins Eselemo, APC Ijaw council areas chairmen and 53 others.

It stated: “That the Ijaws of APC in Delta State pledge their total and unalloyed support for the second term bid of Buhari in the forthcoming 2019 election due to his administration monumental achievements in infrastructural development, economic stability, people oriented programmes for the vast majority of the less privileged and the giant strides achieved in his anticorruption crusade.

“The Ijaws of the APC in Delta State affirmed that henceforth, Timinimi is the party leader of the Ijaws in Delta State.

“This is premised on our collective desire to be focused as a people with coordinated leadership to deliver the dividends of democracy to our area.

“We, therefore, pledge our support and loyalty to the trio as we partner them to liberate the entire Ijaw nation from the shackles of the opposition.”

advised to stay clear of unlawful recruitment by Fayose who denied them gainful employment for close to four years, including sacking thousands of Ekiti people from their jobs and refusing to pay salary of

workers for between six and 10 months while thousands lost their jobs over alleged over-bloated civil service only for the governor to wake up few days to his exit from government to advertise jobs based on

partisan consideration. “We urge Ekiti youths to ignore this unlawful exercise and wait till October when a progressive government will be in place and when youths won’t have to pay for employment forms to

be gainfully employed.

“Asking these poor youths to buy forms for employment is another round of exploitation by Fayose in the twilight of his administration,” Fayemi added.

SUPPORT FOR POULTRY FARMING

L-R: Group Managing Director, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan; Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Abiola Kufile-Okonji; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, and Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Adepeju Adebanjo, during the distribution of 35,000 Noiler Birds to 3,000 beneficiaries in Ogun State...recently

Group Demands Release of Detained IPOB Women David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A group, Igbo Ekunie Initiative, which prides itself as a coalition of professionals from Igboland in Nigeria and the Diaspora, has called for the immediate release of some women arrested by the police in Imo State last week for protesting the continuous disappearance of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The group in a statement made available to THISDAY in Awka, the Anambra State capital, and signed by its President and Secretary, Tochukwu Ezeoke and Lawrence Nwobu, respectively,

said the women did not act beyond their rights, and should not have been arrested for any reason.

They described the arrest of the women as cowardly, primitive and illegal, saying the innocent and unarmed women were within their rights under the Nigerian constitution, engaging in a peaceful demonstration and protest over the continued disappearance of Kanu.

“We strongly and unequivocally condemn the arrest and detention of these women by the Nigerian security forces, led by the Imo State commissioner of Police, Dasuki and hereby call for their immediate and

unconditional release.

“We are supposed to be in a practicing democracy and we cannot understand why the magistrate Mrs. S.K. Durumba before whom the arrested women were charged in Owerri would refuse to discharge and acquit the women or at least grant them bail as prescribed under the law, especially as she made it clear in her ruling that her court had no jurisdiction to entertain the suit brought before her.”

The group further described the arrest as “The brazen parochialism of the Nigerian security forces”, adding that it was ever eager to arrest and detain innocent people from the South-east part of Nigeria

but opt to protect, aid and abet terrorist herdsmen from the Northern part of the country.

It said the arrest by security forces was not only a fundamental breach of constitutional responsibility but also capable of igniting an existential crisis of unfathomable consequences in an already fragile nation.

“We find it strange that an organisation that goes to sleep when hundreds and even thousands are massacred across Nigeria by Fulani herdsmen can hurriedly embark on arresting and assaulting harmless and unarmed Igbo mothers that are protesting peacefully in Owerri, Imo State.

Obaseki Pledges More Support for Victims of Terrorism Emmanuella Igwe

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has reiterated his administration’s commitment to provide more support for victims of terrorism who reside in the camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

Obaseki made the pledge in commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism held yearly by the United Nations (UN) and member states across the globe.

“While the federal government continues to intensify efforts to subdue terrorists in the North East and other parts of Nigeria, Edo State will not relent

in ensuring that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in camps in the state are provided with adequate structures to make their stay comfortable. The IDPs would be further assisted in recovering from the trauma of terrorism, as it will facilitate their rehabilitation and integration into society,” the governor explained.

The governor said more could still be achieved if well-meaning, public-spirited individuals, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), international donor agencies, among others, work closely with governments in scaling up assistance to victims of terrorism.

Obaseki noted that the state government would continue to coordinate efforts to assist

IDPs in the state.

According to the UN, “While more countries are affected by terrorism today, the number of victims has largely been concentrated in a small number of member states. In 2017 alone, nearly three-quarters of all deaths caused by terrorism were in just five countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria.

“Few members states have the resources or the capacity to fulfil the medium and long-term needs required for victims to fully recover, rehabilitate and integrate back into society. Victims can only recover and cope with their trauma through long-term multi-dimensional support, including physical, psychological, social and

financial, in order to heal and live with dignity.”

The global body added, “The primary responsibility to support victims of terrorism and uphold their rights rests with member states.

The United Nations has an important role in supporting member states to implement Pillar I and IV of the UN Global CounterTerrorism Strategy through standing in solidarity and providing support to victims, capacity building assistance, establishing networks of, and offering support to, civil society organisations, particularly victims of terrorism associations, and encouraging member states to promote, protect and respect the rights of victims.”

THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Akpabio’s Security Detail , Hoodlums in Shootout PDP cautions senator against fueling Hitler, Poland crisis Okon Bassey in Uyo Bullets were lost on Tuesday in the country home of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Ukana Ikot Ntue village, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as security operatives engaged hoodlums in a shooting bout.

This is coming as the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday cautioned Akpabio to stop utterances capable of fuelling crisis in the state.

The gunmen numbering about six using two motorcycles had robbed a petrol station, a stone throw from the residence of the former senate minority leader shooting sporadically to scare passers-by.

Attracted by the noise of the gun shots from the hoodlums,

security details to Senator Akpabio were said to have responded immediately but no live was lost or any casualty recoded.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunyemilusi, said the action was not a confrontation with Senator Akpabio who was holding a political meeting in his residence.

“It was just a mere coincidence that the incident happened at about 7:30PM, on Tuesday, August 21, when the meeting was on-going at His Excellency’s residence.

“Immediately the hoodlums attacked the filling station, somebody at the meeting called me. The Area Commander and other policemen were drafted to the scene and within minutes, security was restored.

Kogi Gov to Install New Kabba Monarch Yekini Jimoh inLokoja The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is to install the new Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi in September.

Bello disclose this yesterday when the people of Kabba led by the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Matthew Kolawole visited him in Okene for approving the appointment of the new Obaro.

The governor promised that by the second week of September, the coronation of the monarch will done by the state government.

He commended Kabba community for selecting a pious man as Obaro of Kabba, saying that his administration will continue to follow due process in appointing traditional rulers in order to pave way for peace in the state.

He urged the new Obaro to use his experience as a civil servant to unite Kabba people as one indivisible entity for the development of the land, assuring that he will prevail on the aggrieved few to sheath their swords in the interest of

peace and harmony in the area.

Bello cautioned politicians in the state against any form of violence and acrimony, stressing that whoever indulges in election crisis will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The governor who assured the people of the state that he will not anoint any candidate for any contestable position, said his administration would not condone election violence no matter how small, urging politicians in the state to behave well during the forthcoming primary and general elections.

“This administration will not condone political violence, adding that whoever indulge in crises will face the wrath of the law” he said.

Kolawole who led the community for the visit, noted that the appointment of Obaro of Kabba in the past had always been characterised by fracas , burning of houses and killing of innocent souls.

He commended the governor for allowing the people to select the candidate of their choice, pleading the support and cooperation of the community to the state government.

Filmhouse Cinemas Unveils Plans for Lekki Circle Mall Circle Mall has announced that Filmhouse Cinema will be joining the Shopping Centre.

According to a statement by the Centre Manager for Circle Mall, Ayo Amudipe, the plan is to open a number of auditoriums in the mall which will be officially unveiled at a grand opening event on December 1, 2018.

The statement added that the Cinema will offer exceptional comfort in each auditorium, allowing movie-lovers to stretch out and focus on the film.

“The cinemas will feature designs and operation style that largely incorporates complimentary multifarious services such as games arcade, food concession, digital cinema and 3D cinema, ultimately enhancing the movie-experience.

“Movie lovers will enjoy the cinematic experience featuring pristine presentation of the

best of all worlds including Hollywood, Nollywood and Bollywood blockbusters.

“This Cinema will serve as a venue for a fast growing community within the Osapa/ JakandeLekkiAxis longing for entertainment options to add to other various categories already trading in the mall.

This is in line with the promise of the Shopping Centre; as the convenient community shopping centre,” Amudipe said.

According to the statement, the residents living within the primary catchment area such as Ikate, Ajah, Osapa, Agungi, Jakande, and other estates in proximity to Circle Mall such as Victory Park, Pinnock, Femi Okunu, Ikate,Milverton and Willow Green Estates will have a traffic free journey to see a movie.

“You know how Ikot Ekpene is with these hoodlums on motorcycles. So it just a flash incident of petty thieves robbing a filling station near the residence of Akpabio.

“Even our quick response was applauded by the senator when he came out of the meeting to see our men heavily on guard around the area, so nobody should overheat the polity because of politics.” he said.

Those who attended the meeting that last till the early hour of Wednesday in the Akpabio’s house reportedly took cover for their dear lives over the gun shot scare.

“We were holding a meeting with our leader, Senator Akpabio when suddenly people who were not part of the meeting ran into the Senator’s banquet hall where the meeting was held.

“The Senator inquired to know the cause of the commotion and before someone could explain, sounds of sporadic gun shots rented the air. It lasted for a while before the situation was brought under control and we had to end the meeting abruptly,” a source said.

The media aide to Akpabio, Mr. Anietie Ekong, said: “The senator was at home holding political meeting with some APC groups. A retired deputy inspector-general police (DIG),

Udom Ekpoudom, was in that meeting. Bishop Samuel Akpan was also there. I was there as an observer. We were in the banquet hall.

“Suddenly, people who were not part of the meeting rushed into the banquet hall, so the senator enquired from them what was going on. Before anybody could explain, we heard gunshots outside.

“The chief detail to the senator put out a radio message to all the policemen and other security men in the compound that they should be alert that there is an attack,” he said.

He lauded the security operatives for their quick intervention to bring everything under control.

Meanwhile, reacting to a statement credited to Akpabio that the APC will take over the state like Hitler took Poland, PDP said in a statement that “our case is different because the political capture of Poland using security forces will not happen in Akwa Ibom State”.

The statement signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong reads, “May we refer everyone, especially Senator Akpabio to the expository writings in 2 Corinthians 10:34 ‘For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,

but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds’.

“As a party, having waited for more than 24 hours without any statement from him or his office, refuting the said news report, we have concluded that he made the statement. The weight to be attached to this war cry becomes the next line of thought.

“Should the statement be taken with a pinch of salt and viewed as one of the straw clutching antics of a drowning man? Or should it be viewed seriously, as a blood-thirsty motivated prophecy, announcing the plan of events to come?

“We should consider the similarity in the dramatis personae in both the historic Nazi invasion of Poland under the command of Hitler and the planned reincarnation of the carnage in Akwa Ibom State?

“Can we safely interpret the characters as presented by the Senator accordingly: Nazi-APC, Hitler-Buhari, Hitler’s Information Minister, Goebbels- Godswil Akpabio.

“It must be recalled that, the reason for Hitler’s invasion of Poland was to bring ‘Lebensraum’ or Living Space for the racially superior Germans to enslave the natives, and occupy their land. In contemporary Nigeria, Akwa Ibom has been listed by many leaders of the

All Progressives Party, as one of the states that must be captured, at all cost.

“We can only therefore, like reasonable people, view this anti-people statement by Senator Akpabio as a confirmation of the war-ready disposition of the APC towards Akwa Ibom State.

“On several occasions, chieftains of that broom-wielding party have openly boasted that they will use federal might to win, or where that fails, simply announce the elections in their favour.

“When the Senator’s Nazi army arrives Akwa Ibom State, they will meet a people fortified and protected by God’s army, which will frustrate the devices of the crafty and prevent them from performing their enterprise.

“We can assure that only God’s determinate counsel will prevail in the election of the leadership of our state and not the devilish conspiracy to grab power.

“In Akwa Ibom State, that statement, that we saw war and war saw war saw, will be converted to read, war saw God and God extinguished war.

“Security agencies should investigate this war call a statement of such magnitude should arouse the interest of security agencies, who should invite the senator for questioning and explanation.

CONGRATULATIONS

L-R: Mary Dinah; Edwin Oyoma Akpotor; Dolapo Oladayo Olaniyan; David Oluwadiya Ashaolu; Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, and Yemisi Christiana Fawibe, being the six Nigerians that emerge winners at the British Council Global Future Leaders Connect 2018 in Lagos...recently

‘Use 2019 Election to Rescue Nigeria from Bad Leaders’ Ernest Chinwo inPortHarcourt The Diocese of Evo, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has said the 2019 general election presents Nigerians an opportunity to rescue the country from bad leaders.

It also called on all Nigerians to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and use same to flush out leaders who failed to satisfy the yearnings and expectations of the citizenry.

The Diocese spoke in a communiqué issued at the end of the third session of its third synod held at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Elelenwo District in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In a communique signed by the Diocesan Bishop and President of the Synod, Rt. Reverend Innocent Ordu; the Clerical Synod Secretary, Rev. Can Gospel Onuchukwu, and the Lay Synod Secretary, Sir Emma Izuehie, they noted that most politicians who are pretending to be leaders are actually enemies of the country.

The communiqué warned Christians not to entrust power in the hands of those who will wipe out Christianity in the country.

It said: “The synod urges Nigerians to use the opportunity presented by the 2019 elections to rescue the country from the hands of all those who have been

pretending to be leaders but are in the real sense enemies of the country.

“Synod therefore calls on every Nigerian to get their PVCs and use them to flush out of office all the present leaders at all levels, who have failed to satisfy the yearnings and expectations of millions of our countrymen and women.

“The synod further warns Christians not to carelessly entrust power into the hands of those who will finally wipe out what is left of the Church of God in Nigeria.”

The church advised Nigerians not to base their choice of leaders according to party affiliation but ensure that they vote in people who will have the interest of the

country no matter their party affiliation.

“The synod advises that party association should no longer be the consideration for voting in the coming year, rather, it should be based on candidates who are seeking to serve as sacrificial servantleaders, God-fearing men and women, incorruptible, defenders of all, who will be just and equitable in their distribution of our commonwealth,” it advocated.

The Church further decried the federal government attitude in handling the killings linked to Fulani herdsmen across the country, while branding non-violent agitations in other parts of the country as terrorists.

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Air Force Chief Celebrates Sallah with Troops in North-east Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has made a morale boosting visit to the troops involved in the counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east region.

Abubakar had last Tuesday visited Yola and Maiduguri

to celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir in line with his tradition of spending festive periods with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) troops on the frontline.

The CAS in a statement yesterday by Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Air Force Chief was accompanied by some senior officers from NAF headquarters and used

the visit to inaugurate some projects in Yola, Adamawa State The visit to Yola started with the commissioning ceremony of two newly constructed and furnished

blocks of 12 units of onebedroom single officers’ quarters, executed by NAF Headquarters, as well as a leisure park at the 163 NAF Hospital, executed by the

Commander of the Hospital.

While speaking during the event, the Air Force Chief say that the various welfare-related projects executed in NAF bases across

the country, were initiated to provide conducive work and living environment to enable personnel focus on the onerous task of securing the country and its citizens.

Avon Medical Inaugurates Dialysis Centre Avon Medical, a leading multi-specialty private hospital group, has announced that the inauguration of a stateof-the-art dialysis centre in Ikeja, Lagos, will take place on August 29.

The Avon Dialysis Centre, according to a statement by the group, is a contemporary and private ultra-modern facility, operated by a dedicated team of medical professionals.

The statement added that the facility is designed to transform the patient experience, by delivering cutting-edge renal care and an integrated approach to patient support.

“The Dialysis Centre is a further example of Avon Medical’s commitment to providing the best therapeutic outcomes to patients and expands Avon’s portfolio of services, to now include renal care, palliative support and medical advisory.

“Avon Medical is a member of Heirs Holdings group of companies and the investment is another example of the Group’s mission to improve

lives and transform Nigeria, and Avon’s strategic drive to invest long-term in the health care sector in a way that substantially broadens patient access and treatment possibilities,” the statement added.

Commenting on the inauguration, the Founder/ CEO, Avon Medical and GAVI champion for immunisation in Africa, Dr Awele Elumelu, said: “We believe that the private sector has a critical role in empowering communities.

We are able to provide services close to home that adhere to global standards, with the best possible patient outcomes. At Avon Medical, our goal is to redefine health care in Nigeria, by providing sustainable health solutions that will eventually spread across Africa”.

She added that the inauguration will bring together key stakeholders in the public and private sector, as well as international partners and leading medical consultants in the Nigerian Health industry.

Oduah Sponsors 100 Youths in Film Academy David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Senator representing Anambra North zone, Stella Oduah, has sponsored the training of 100 persons from her constituency to study various roles in movie making.

The youths, who were officially registered as the second batch of the newly established ABS Film Academy in Awka, Anabra State capital, would study various courses related to movie making, including scriptwriting, acting, make up, photography among others.

Oduah, who was represented at the official registration of the students by the Chairman of Max Life Foundation, Reverend Father Donald Uzor, said she sought to empower her constituents to ensure they acquire skills that would enhance a better future for them.

According to Uzor, “Max Life Foundation is a nongovernmental organisation set up by Oduah in memory of her late son, Maxwell Oduah, who died some time ago.”

Some of the recipients of Oduah scholarship would also study broadcast journalism, depending on their preference.

The Rector of the institution, Mr. Uche Nworah, who also

doubles as the MD/CEO of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), expressed delight over Senator Oduah’s sponsorship of the 100 youths, saying the skills to be acquired in the programme can sustain them and guarantee their future as high flying professionals in various fields of film making.

Nworah said: “Humans capital development remains one of the best ways of empowering young people. ABS Film Academy is the best place to get such empowerment.”

He described the film industry as a very vast field that can take as many young people as were ready to be empowered, saying majoring in a particular part of it was the surest way to remain relevant.

Rector of the institution urged other well-meaning Anambra State politicians to borrow a leaf from Oduah by sponsoring their wards to the Academy instead of giving out money and food, which he said were temporary measures of empowering people.

The state Governor, Willie Obiano, had recently provided a grant of N50million to the Academy to guarantee graduates of the academy seed money for their movie and other projects upon graduation.

ON-THE-SPOT ASSESSMENT

L-R: Elahor Grammar School, Mr. Odigie Evbaemwenoriomwaoya; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and other government officials, during an on-the-spot assessment of classrooms and dormitory furnished by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Ward Seven Isi-North, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State...recently

PDP Debunks Rumours of Endorsing Guber Candidate in C’River Youths pledge to buy nomination form for Ibeshi Ugochukwu Aliogo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has debunked as false the rumours currently trending in Cross River State alluding that the party has unilaterally endorsed a governorship candidate jettisoning party primaries ahead of 2019.

Rumours have been rife in the state that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has endorsed a former party chairman and current managing director of the state water agency, Mr. Ekpo Okon as the party’s governorship flag bearer in the run up to 2019.

When THISDAY contacted the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan yesterday, he replied that the rumoured endorsement of any governorship aspirant in the forthcoming election is untrue.

In a related development, the Cross River State governorship race has assumed an interestingly keener turn as some youths in the state, bent on determining who leads them in 2019 opted to buy the PDP form for a leading aspirant and former publicity secretary of the party, Hon.

Emmanuel Ibeshi.

Ibeshi is the only candidate to have come out within the PDP and declared intention to challenge the incumbent governor, Mr. Ben Ayade.

The youths who thronged the PDP state office in Calabar, Cross River State capital and purchased the form, said their desire to see a change of government and conviction in Ibeshi as the right person to rescue the state from “the current bad administration” prompted their support for him hence they bought the form as their token of contribution.

In spite of the poor economic situation in Cross River State, the youths taxed themselves and contributed the N2 million to purchase the PDP governorship form for the state, as a demonstration of their solidarity with Hon. Ibeshi’s candidacy, according to the youths.

One of the leaders of the youths, Mr. Effiom Ernest Attoe, said Cross River State had lost its once enviable and leading position as destination of choice for tourists, both local and international, due to the current administration of Ayade, which has led to the death of many top rate tourism assets

such as the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort and Marina Resort, among others.

“Cross River State used to rank first in Africa for tourists who would visit here and go to places like Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort, the Marina Resort and a number of other places, including the Tinapa Business Resort,” Attoe stated.

“But all that is gone in the last three years since Ayade became governor. Even the Obudu Mountain Race that used to attract top rated athletes from all over the world has been stopped; the Free Trade Zone has become mere wishful thinking, there is practically nothing functioning in the state, farmers can no longer get their produce from the hinterlands to nearby urban centres to sell due to dilapidated access roads.

“We can’t fold our arms and allow Ayade mortgage our future and ground our state to a total standstill. That’s why when Hon. Ibeshi came to Calabar and declared his intention to run and rescue our state, we the youths were filled with joy. We read his 71-page manifesto, which is also available on his website and can be accessed anywhere in the world.

We know that this is the Cross River State messiah at this time.

“So, we came to buy this form to show him our support and our preparedness to follow him in his quest to wrestle power from this current administration that lacks focus and rescue our state; because his rescue mission will help to redeem our common heritage,” Attoe, the youth leader, further explained.

Ibeshi stormed the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar on July 28, and declared his intention to run for Cross River State governorship, calling his campaign focus “Rescue 2019”.

In his speech, he promised to revive all ailing state industries, bring to completion and operation all projects commenced by both Governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke, such as the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort, Tinapa Business Resort, the Institute of Management and Technology, agricultural projects as, all of which have either collapsed or are ailing, well as the anchor of his campaign focus namely to make the state an entrepreneurial hub thereby getting the teeming youths gainfully employed.

Call Miyetti Allah to Order, Group Tells Buhari A pro-democracy group, Movement for Democratic Goals (MDG), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) to order over their threat to force Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, out of office if he fails to resign his position, saying it will hold the president responsible for any outbreak of violence in the nation.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Coordinator, Aliyu Abdulkareem,

the group said: “The statement credited to the coordinator of the association in Benue State, Alhaji Garus Gololo, where he threatened to force the number three citizen of the nation out of office, is not only reckless and irresponsible, it is also highly unfortunate and capable of throwing the nation into turmoil.”

The statement read: “Ordinarily, such threat could have been ignored as a noise of an attention seeking rabble rouser, but the several bestial activities credited to members of the association in

the recent past, is a reason not to take the threat with levity. “It is on record that members of the association don’t just issue threat, they go all-out to violently fulfil their threats, and it is evident in their recent activities.

“We also strongly believe that, he who plays the piper calls the tune, the association only echoed the mindset and plans of their paymasters and those giving them state support.

“As the Patron of the association, President Buhari must call them to order to

forestall outbreak of violence and anarchy in any part of the country. Their threat should not be taken with levity.

“If any crisis break out in any part of the country as a result of the threat, we will not hesitate to hold the president and members of the association responsible.

“We will take it further by writing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague to call their attention to the reckless and bestial activities of MACBAN with maximum support from the state.”

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018

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Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Rohr Inspects ABS, to Release Eagles List for Seychelles on Friday Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Nigeria’s Franco-German Coach, Gernot Rohr, who arrived Nigeria on Tuesday evening from his extended holiday after Eagles crashed out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has taken his search for a quality playing turf to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

Nigeria will resume the qualifying series of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations next month away to Seychelles before returning home to find a way to ameliorate the

opening Match-day 1 loss to South Africa in Uyo. But yesterday, the former German defender inspected the newly-renovated Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna to find out if suitable for the Match-day 3 fixture against Libya.

Rohr checked out the facilities at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in company with NFF’s 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Super Eagles’ Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor.

Before the trip to Kaduna, NFF officials were also

contemplating the newly completed Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba as an alternative venue for the Super Eagles in their quests to return to the summit of African football scheduled to hold in Cameroon next year.

The Asaba Stadium hosted the recently concluded African

Senior Athletics Championship in the Delta State capital with South Africa running away the unassailable champions.

Both the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt and the Uyo International Stadium in Akwa Ibom were also other options, having hosted Eagles during the run-in to Russia 2018.

Meanwhile, NFF’s Communication Director, Ademola Olajire, has confirmed that Rohr will on Friday release his list of invited players for the away clash with Seychelles.

After hosting Libya on 10th October, the three-time African champions will play away to the Knights three days later,

before flying to South Africa for the return fixture against the Bafana Bafana on 17th November.

The last match of the series will see the Eagles hosting Seychelles on 22nd March 2019.

In the opener to the series in June 2017, the Eagles lost 0-2 to the Bafana Bafana in Uyo.

Ndidi: World Cup Experience Has Made Me a Better Player Kunle Adewale

Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has said that the experience of representing his country at the 2018 World Cup has made him a better player.

Ndidi was one of the Super Eagles’ best players at Russia 2018, performing strongly in each of their three group matches against Croatia, Iceland and Argentina.

Playing against the likes of Lionel Messi and Luka Modric has inspired the Nigerian to take his game to a new level.

After signing a new contract with Leicester City which ties him to the Premier League club until 2024, Ndidi said the global tournament was a learning

experience for him.

“The World Cup was an amazing experience and you see different kinds of players.

You play along players you see on TV and players from teams like Real Madrid,” Ndidi said to the Foxes’ official website.

“I would say I learned some things from these players. I’m happy playing against them and you know what they do, they think very fast.

“There is nothing like growing, so learning from all those things will make me grow. I’ll just keep pushing and give everything and look forward to the games.”

Ndidi is set to be in action for Leicester this weekend when the Foxes play away to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Serena Tops Forbes List for Highest-earning Female Athletes Eight of the top 10 highest earning female athletes are tennis players, with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams topping the Forbes list.

Williams earned just $62,000 (£48,050) from prize money during the past year - owing largely to her 14-month break to have a baby - but made $18m (£13.95m) through endorsements.

Badminton’s PV Sindhu and race car driver Danica Patrick are the only non-tennis players in the top 10.

In June, the Forbes rankings of the world’s top 100 highest earning athletes did not feature a woman after Williams dropped out of the chart.

US boxer Floyd Mayweather topped the list followed by football’s Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The top 10 highest earning female athletes earned $105m (£81.4m) in total from June 2017 to June 2018.

That figure is down 4% from last year and 28% from five years ago.

Williams’ total earnings ensure she tops the list for the third successive year, making twice as much away from the tennis court as any other female athlete.

Caroline Wozniacki is second on the list having won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year - a victory that secured her $3.1m (£2.4m) in prize money to push her total earnings to $13m (£10.1m).

Completing the top five are Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova.

Russian Sharapova was the top-earning female athlete for 11 consecutive years but has seen her earnings drop after her 15-month doping ban.

Indian Olympic and world silver medallist Sindhu and Patrick - the most successful female race car driver - are seventh and ninth on the list respectively.

THE TOP 10 AND THEIR TOTAL EARNINGS 1. Serena Williams (tennis) - $18.1m (£14m) 2. Caroline Wozniacki (tennis) - $13m (£10.1m) 3. Sloane Stephens (tennis) - $11.2m (£8.7m) 4. Garbine Muguruza (tennis) - $11m (£8.5m) 5. Maria Sharapova (tennis) - $10.5m (£8.1m) 6. Venus Williams (tennis) - $10.2m (£7.9m) 7. PV Sindhu (badminton) - $8.5m (£6.6m) 8. Simona Halep (tennis) - $7.7m (£6m) 9. Danica Patrick (race car driving) - $7.5m (£5.8m) 10. Angelique Kerber (tennis) - $7m (£5.4m)

R-L: Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr; Eagles Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor and NFF’s 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, during the inspection of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium turf in Kaduna…yesterday

NSDFI Set to Launch N900m Elite Athletes Fund In a bid to help the nation’s outings at the Olympics to improve, the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc (NSDFI) will on Friday September 30, 2018 launch a 90-day campaign to raise N900m for 90 athletes preparing for Tokyo 2020 Games.

According to a press statement issued by the Director General of the NSDFI, Olajide Fashikun, “our Olympic outings have not been very encouraging in recent times. This must change. We need 4.5million Nigerians to help us change the situation. From 1st September to 30th November is 90 days. With our people (Nigerians), it is very possible.

“We want to give each of the 90 athletes from five sports N10million elite athlete development grants.

“All we want is N200.00 or a multiple of N200.00 to take us there.

You can pay to the account at Access Bank Nigeria, NSDFI (Elite Athlete Development) 0015464767 or just go to our website: www. nsdfi.com get to the ‘Elite Athlete Development Grant’ and follow the prompt.

“We look forward to receiving your support. Early preparation will guarantee us medals. We want to lift the image and respect of our

CATCHING THEM YOUNG…

nation henceforth in international sports. We have the talents and that is what we are seeking you to support.

According to NSDFI, Nigerian can make sports greater, stronger and better respected.

“We do not have to wait for government. Our 1996 Atlanta Olympics like the 1994 Nations Cup team that won the cup in Tunisia and the 1994 World Cup that took the world by storm, ranked 5th best team in the world

by FIFA were products of private funding just like what NSDFI is doing now and not government.

“We have a seven-man committee that is expected to

manage the monies we raise. The committee is headed by a former handball player and THISDAY journalist, Stanley Nkwazema. The other members of the committee include; former African badminton champion, Mrs Oby Solaja is Vice Chairman, first Nigerian to attend five Olympics, Chief Mary Onyali, and former 800m champion Fatimoh Muhammed.

Former handball player, Emmanuel Olubiyo, College of Education Ilesa lecturer, Dr Olukayode Bolarinwa, and Lagos State SWAN Chairman Debo Oshundun complete the list of eminent sports personalities on the committee.

Young basketball players listening to instructions from coaches at the on-going Masai Ujiri’s Giant of Africa Basketball Camp at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Lagos ...yesterday

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Needless Foolishness Real Madrid Captain, Sergio Ramos, is among the top players in Spain to discuss the decision of La Liga to play a match in the USA territory this season

La Liga Captains to Meet over ‘Concern’ for US Game Real Madrid Captain Sergio Ramos and Barcelona Vicecaptain Sergio Busquets will be among the La Liga players meeting on Wednesday to discuss their “concern” over a decision to stage a game in the US. La Liga agreed a 15year deal with US media company Relevent last Friday.

The Spanish players’

union, AFE, says players were not consulted by La Liga.

“Footballers once again feel marginalized in decision-making,” read an AFE statement.

“We believe their opinions are essential for the growth of Spanish football.

“We demand balance and common sense. If

the greatness of football is the passion it generates, why are decisions made against it?”

Captains or representatives from each of the 20 teams in La Liga will attend the meeting at the AFE headquarters in Madrid.

Asked when the USbased match would take place and whether it would

be a regular fixture, La Liga told BBC Sport last week it “can not confirm the teams, match, date or season”.

The AFE said players “do not understand the unilateral decisions”, adding: “La Liga is distancing the fans of the players, something that harms the show and the essence of football.”

Henry Accepts Offer to Become New Bordeaux Coach Former France forward, Thierry Henry, has agreed to become the new manager of French Ligue 1 side, Girondis Bordeaux, according to reports in France.

The Arsenal legend walked away from his Sky Sports punditry work after last season with a view to taking on a position as number-one in a coaching job.

After a successful spell shadowing Roberto Martinez as his assistant for Belgium at this summer ’s World Cup in Russia, Henry appears to be set to embark on his own journey.

RMC claim Henry has

said yes to the Ligue 1 club following the sacking of Gus Poyet, who labelled the club’s board a ‘disgrace’.

The former Sunderland boss was furious at the decision to sell Gaetan Laborde behind his back.

And the players refused to train in protest, but the decision has not been changed, and now Henry looks set to come in as the Uruguayan’s replacement.

Meanwhile, Filipe Luis has revealed he wants to leave Atletico Madrid for Paris Saint-Germain, according to Cadena SER. The left back, who has fallen behind Lucas Hernandez in the pecking order, wants to complete a

move before the European transfer deadline on August 31.

The French champions are willing to pay the 32-year-olds’ £27million release clause as they hunt for a replacement for Yuri Berchiche.

Berchiche joined from Real Sociedad and spent a year in Paris before returning to Spain with Athletic Bilbao this summer.

PSG want to make more signings having added just three permanent faces to the squad.

Kylian Mbappe made his loan from Monaco permanent for £160m, while Gianluigi Buffon joined for

free from Juventus.

The club has also spent £33m on 21-year-old defender Thilo Kehrer from Schalke.

Atletico Madrid has proved more active, bringing in seven new faces.

World Cup winner Thomas Lemar signed from Monaco, while striker Nikola Kalinic arrived from AC Milan for £11m.

A trio of Spaniards have also been added to Diego Simeone’s team, with goalkeeper Antonio Adan from Real Betis, Celta’s Jonny Castro and Rodri of Villarreal joining Colombian Stantiago Arias in Madrid.

Man Utd Refutes Zidane’s Link The leadership of Manchester United has given its full support for Jose Mourinho to continue on the saddle despite speculations that former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane may be signed on.

United’s first Premier League away trip of the season ended in a 3-2 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

The poor result and lacklustre performance followed a summer of tension and frustration at United, with

Mourinho disappointed by a lack of support in the transfer market.

Senior sources at United have dismissed any interest in Zidane, however, insisting that there is no potential vacancy to discuss.

Mourinho signed a new United contract in January, extending his stay at Old Trafford until 2020 with the option of a further The Portuguese hoped to add a central defender and a wide player to his

squad during the summer transfer window but was left disappointed on both counts.

United made only three signings – midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk, teenage full-back Diogo Dalot from Porto and reserve goalkeeper Lee Grant.

It is understood that while Mourinho wished to sign experienced players at the peak of their careers, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward sought younger players who could be developed.

On Monday night, the former United full-back Gary Neville criticised Woodward, claiming he should have backed his manager in the transfer market.

“The minute he gave Mourinho a contract extension in January, he had to buy him centre-backs,” he told Sky Sports. “(Toby) Alderweireld and (Harry) Maguire would have been good options. If it costs £120 million, that’s what you have to do.”

Former Brazilian FA Boss Jailed for Corruption A former head of Brazil’s football association has been jailed for four years for corruption.

Jose Maria Marin, 86, was one of seven FIFA officials arrested at a hotel in Zurich in May 2015.

He was convicted of accepting bribes from sports

marketing companies in exchange for contracts to broadcast tournaments such as the Copa America.

In addition, Marin was fined $1.2m (£920,000) and ordered to forfeit $3.34m (£2.59m).

He was sentenced in a Brooklyn federal court by judge Pamela Chen and he is the first

official to be sentenced as part of an American investigation into corruption at FIFA. Marin, a former governor of Sao Paulo, was last year found guilty of six of the seven counts against him, relating to money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy.

He was convicted alongside

Juan Angel Napout, who led South America’s football governing body CONMEBOL. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Peru’s Manuel Burga was cleared of taking bribes by a jury in the USA. Marin’s lawyers say he will appeal against the sentence.

Let me start by apologizing for being off this page for quite a while. As a writer you sometimes get fatigued . You get a blockage you cant dislodge no matter how hard you try. Then you wonder why things never change despite the proliferation of intellectuals gutting every single space in the country. And you ask yourself why a country blessed with several Ronaldos, Messis, Ahmed Musas would not be able to raise a credible awe inspiring football team.

You get annoyed at the cyclic repetition of stupidity.

Take for instance; we have always been praying that we have a long tenured Sport Minister. When the prayer was answered we were forced to accept one we don’t want to keep for more than one day! Worse still we have one who appears set to destroy the little gains we have made in Sports. Then the ‘Siddon Look’ syndrome sets in and you become certain you are better off keeping quiet.

But I assure you this situation, like everything in life, never would last.

Particularly if you are condemned to watching puke inducing incidents all around you. Everyday.

I knew as a senior citizen of this once great country I can not afford to keep quiet when the least I should do is talk. By resuming this column I intend to keep talking and keep drawing attention to the good, the not so good in our sports terrain...

I have always wondered about what drives us. I mean do we really have a national mean to predict how the average Nigerian would react given a particular situation? From observations I have come to a conclusion that Truth for us is relative and subsequently we do not see justice or the lack of it from a universal prism.

And that is the root cause of our problems as a nation.

Let me illustrate with the FIFA ban we just narrowly, by a mere sixty minutes, escaped from. Since football became big business in our country we have always had one problem or the other. Kodjo Williams and Sanni Lulu Abdullahi were impeached. Segun Odegbami who played for and captained the national team was adjudged not qualified to run for the office of chairman/

President of the NFA/NFF. Don’t want to include the injustice meted on Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima. All through this one man was playing god and serving as a master puppeteer . And FIFA was illegally used to keep everyone in check.

Things came to a head about six years ago when it became unmistakably clear that you can’t take football matters to our local court.

Some few years before then President Goodluck Jonathan had incurred the wrath of the world football governing body when he pulled Nigeria out of all football competitions citing corruption and incompetence as reasons.

The truth is that we have always seen election into the NFF as ‘a be all and end all’ affair. Most who have aspired for office have been driven more by what the office does for them than what they can do to better our football.

So as is the case at the national level winning election into the NFF is mainly a do or die affair.

Unless we find a means to restructure our football federation we cannot grow.

Disruptive litigation will always come up, threats of a ban would always be invoked and in all these our football would suffer.

So where do we go from here? First, bring back a functional National Sport Commission that would be manned by professionals in the field of sport. Secondly, pass the NFF act currently before the National Assembly.

Government should subsequently gradually withdraw from funding football at all levels.

In the meantime, can someone please ask our Comrade Sport Minister, Solomon Dalung to please kindly step aside? In recent memory, he is the longest serving Minister yet he has caused the most harm to sport in our country. Under him, we have regressed.

Under him, nearly all the sports federations are in disarray. Our major sports like athletics, basketball and football are undergoing internecine ‘wars’ reportedly fueled by the minister.

Conventional wisdom indicates he is the backbone behind one of the warring factions in the now resolved (?) leadership tussle in the NFF. If he can help our sports, can he be eased off, please?

Thursday, August 23, 2018

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MISSILE Atiku Abubakar to Presidency

“I regularly jog more than a mile & exercise, but it will be pedestrian of me to ask Nigerians to vote for me because of that, I want my party – the PDP, and Nigerians, to vote for me because I WORK not because I WALK. I will work to create jobs. I wont walk to create an illusion.”

–Former vice president in response to statement that President Buhari walked 800 metres on Tuesday

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

20 Years for Just 115 Seconds

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amaican athlete, Usain Bolt won nine gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games, amassing stupendous fame and fortunes in the process. Yet, the entire time he spent on the track to win those medals at the finals of three Olympics was no more than 115 seconds.

But behind those 115 seconds that catapulted Bolt to sports immortality were about 20 years of hard work and rigorous preparations.

That was how the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara simplified the message for the teenagers who attended the 2018 edition of the RCCG TEAP Teens Career Conference last Saturday. To succeed, Dogara told the hundreds of teenagers who were at the session, they must imbibe the virtues of hard work, self-discipline and sacrifice. Above all, they must also develop their character.

On his part, the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Robert Young advised his audience to read books. According to Young, the only way by which dreams could be inspired, nurtured and actualised is by reading widely. In an age when teenagers spend most of their free time on mobile phones and social media, that is instructive.

Borrowing from ‘How will you measure your life’, an article by Harvard Professor Clayton M. Christensen, Young asked the teenagers to ponder three questions: What are you going to do in your life to be happy? How are you going to ensure that your relationships are a continual source of happiness? And lastly, how can you stay out of jail?

In her presentation, the Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija defined dream as a cherished aspiration and an imagination of that which one would wish to happen. She then identified three categories of dreamers. The first are the wishful dreamers otherwise called day dreamers--people who indulge themselves in mere fantasy. The second are the night dreamers who sleep and remember that something that does not necessarily bear any semblance to the reality of their existence happened in their subconscious. Mrs Alakija then focused on the last category, comprising action dreamers. These are people who stretch their horizon beyond every conceivable limitation.

They are most often considered unrealistic, eccentric or erratic but they know where they are going and nothing would stop them from reaching their goals.

Citing her 12-year legal battle with the federal government over OPL 216, Mrs Alakija said a certain level of tenacity is needed for those who dream big. “Dreams motivate, inspire and improve us. Dreams are important because without them, life would be meaningless”, she said before admonishing that for dreams to be actualised, they must be S.M.A.R.T: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound.

In his intervention, Japheth Omojuwa posed several questions but the most profound was asking the teenagers why is it that the man who expend so much energy, digging everywhere in the process of constructing a road, would end up earning only a small fraction of what another man, sitting in a nice office somewhere earns because he designed the road? The difference of course is knowledge.

From the breakout session for three groups

Mrs. Alakija of about 250 each where the discussions were lively and frank to the presentations by the invited guests, we had a successful conference.

That much was reflected in the feedback forms submitted by the teenagers last Saturday. I therefore thank Speaker Dogara enough for honouring us with his presence and staying to the end. Perhaps the person I need to commend is his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, an unassuming young man and thoroughbred professional who-- unlike many of the spokesmen we have around that behave more like errand boys--has the authority of his rank. When I sounded him out that I would like the speaker to attend the programme, he simply replied: “He is your friend so he will

come, just do me a formal letter to him.” I took Turaki’s word for it and never had any contact with Dogara throughout yet the speaker made himself available last Saturday for almost four hours.

I also thank Mr Young of EU office in Abuja who I practically conscripted a few days to the conference and he also stayed till the end. My aburo, Japheth, who arrived Nigeria around noon last Saturday missed the allotted time for his session but he agreed to come back the next day to speak at the Sunday morning service in the Teens church. Surprisingly, many of the teenagers who attended the previous day still turned up to their delight.

However, it is Mrs Alakija that I owe the biggest gratitude. All I did was Google her company’s address, DHL a letter of invitation where I introduced myself and then asked whether she would agree to speak at the conference. About two weeks later, her office got back to me to accept the invitation. I met her in person for the first time last Saturday at the airport where I received her and the large entourage numbering about 20. Of course, they came in her private jet!

Why what Mrs Alakija did is significant is because most prominent Nigerians have not imbibed the virtue of giving their time to mentor others as they consider themselves too big to do that. I am on the governing board of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship instituted by the Kaduna State Government. After drawing up a list for the Speaker Series (successful people who will come and share their experiences with the Fellows) expected to run throughout the calendar year, it was reported that only the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has responded positively while some said they

would send representation, an idea that we rejected outright.

It is sad that philanthropy for most prominent Nigerians does not go beyond dolling out some miserable cash, mostly at public events where they expect generous publicity. Yet, real philanthropy is creating time to share ideas, especially with young people who have no means to pay back. That is why I consider what Mrs Alakija did worthwhile and we need more of such civic engagements from people like her if this society is to develop and thrive.

Meanwhile, to successfully host the conference where everything is free with snack-break and lunch afterwards, I also called on a few public-spirited individuals for financial support and they responded. My appreciation goes to all of them. The idea of the conference was borne by the need to bring together teenagers to listen to expert advice on career choices in today’s dynamic and challenging world. The objectives include teaching the teenagers to take responsibility for their future; having their imaginations fired through interaction with accomplished professionals in the society; making them to realise that no matter the odds, they can reach their goals and finally, letting them know that God still intervenes in the affairs of men.

However, aside my leader, Ms Elizabeth Ekpenyong, a meticulous event planner whose uncommon attention to details helped in making the conference a success, the overall credit goes to my pastor, Eva Azodoh, a retired colonel and medical doctor who, in his closing remarks, admonished the teenagers to make wise plans concerning their future and formulate the necessary steps that would help them in achieving their dreams.

Ayisha Goes to Dakar

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lthough I don’t know how they play the game called ‘Dominoes’, it was nonetheless fun a few weeks ago when I joined Jackie Farris and four other mutual friends at the residence of Ayisha Osori for the first in a series of send-forth ceremonies before she leaves for Dakar, Senegal. And while love may still not be enough to win elections in Nigeria, talented people will always be sought out for important positions on the global stage.

Last week, the Open Society Foundations formally announced Ayisha’s appointment as the Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) with the

office based in Dakar.

A lawyer, writer and development consultant whose engagements have traversed both the public and private sectors in Nigeria, Ayisha resumes her appointment with considerable experience and exposure. An Eisenhower Fellow who holds law degrees from both the University of Lagos and Harvard Law School, as well as a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, Ayisha has consulted for the World Bank, UNICEF and the Department of International Development on a wide range of issues, including projects on good governance, gender equality and women’s economic and

political empowerment.

Meanwhile, OSIWA, which has helped to deepen the capacity of civil society, improve transparency and public service delivery while promoting good governance across the world, works in Benin Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Senegal within the sub-region that Ayisha will oversee. But she begins her new role with a deep knowledge of the organisation, having served as board chair for the past three years.

I wish Ayisha all the best in her new assignment.

Of Atiku and Other Deservationists

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n the bid for the 2019 presidency, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his supporters have created an English word that does not exist and gone ahead to define it. In strategic places on the streets of Abuja, there are billboards bearing the campaign photograph of Atiku with the bold inscription ‘Deservation!’ and the rider: ‘Project 774 for Atiku 2019’.

Curious as to what the word means within the context of Atiku’s aspiration to be president of Nigeria, I decided to do a Google search which took me directly to the website of ‘Atiku Deservation Movement: Project 774 for Atiku

2019’. While I enjoin readers to peruse the statement titled ‘Foundations of the Dream’, this line captures the essence of Atiku’s ‘Deservation’ dream: “He is believed to be one of the most deserving to lead Nigeria at this auspicious time in its history. So, Deservation connotes deserving to be crowned as the President of Nigeria…”

Yes, I am one of those who believe that in terms of experience and exposure, Atiku is perhaps the most prepared of all the aspirants for the number one job in the country today. But to suggest that he deserves “to be crowned as

the president of Nigeria” is to completely miss the point. When leaders give more importance to what they believe they are entitled to rather than what they have to offer the society, there is a problem. Sadly, that state of mind explains our woes in Nigeria because the primary motivation of those who aspire for public office is more about what they should get rather than what they ought to give…

NOTE: Interested readers should go to page 14 for the completion

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