THURSDAY 24TH JANUARY 2019 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Govt Unveils Strategic Revenue Growth Initiative To increase VAT

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The federal government has unveiled a Strategic Revenue Growth Initiative (SRGI) for sustainable revenue generation

Introduces excise duty on carbonated drinks

in various sectors of the economy, part of which is to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from the current five per cent. Speaking in Abuja while

launching the SRGI yesterday, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said the implementation of the initiative would significantly boost the federal government revenue

outlook in the months and years ahead. She said, “Nigeria’s low revenue generation capabilities have been an enduring challenge to past and present

governments. Although we are celebrated as the country in Africa with the largest economy, translating this wealth into revenues remains a challenge.

“We have, therefore, faced difficulty in mobilising domestic funds necessary for human capital development Continued on page 8

5,000 Containers Trapped at Ports as Customs Bans Third-party Clearance ...

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FG Orders IOCs to Pay Outstanding Oil Revenues on PSCs Gives 14-day deadline Threatens defaulters with contract termination

Alike Ejiofor

The federal government has given International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria’s deep offshore and inland basin a 14-day ultimatum to pay all outstanding revenues on

Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), THISDAY has learnt. The government said the revenues are in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment last October, which noted that the IOCs are in default of adjusting the revenue accruals in accordance with the

provisions of section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, Cap D3, Laws of the Federation, 2004. In one of the letters written by the federal government’s consultants/recovery agents, Trobell International, directing

Statoil Nigeria Limited to pay $5.5 billion, the government threatened that any IOC, which refuses to pay would have its PSC terminated. The letter cited by THISDAY, was titled, ‘Outstanding Revenue on OML 128 Pursuant to section 16(1) of the Deep

Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, Cap D3, Laws of the Federation, 2004’. The government also threatened to file a complaint against such defaulting oil firm at international fora under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

in the United States of America and other related international protocols for failing to observe the mandatory obligations under Section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Act. Continued on page 6

S’Court Decides Rivers’ APC Primaries Logjam Under the Gun Tomorrow Analysts say suit is source of Onnoghen’s travail Contend CCT arraignment unnecessary after CJN admitted error Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Alex Enumah in Abuja The Supreme Court is to finally resolve the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries logjam tomorrow as it delivers its judgement on an appeal brought before it by parties in the protracted conflict, THISADY learnt last night. The judgement, which had been reserved indefinitely on Monday, apparently

because of the impending arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for alleged non-declaration of assets, would be delivered against the background, of what legal analysts described as concealed intimidation of the judiciary by the APC-led federal government. Analysts that spoke to THISDAY last night were Continued on page 6

Saraki: Atiku Didn’t Travel GLOBAL PLAYERS… Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Executive Vice Chairman of Globacom, Mrs. Bella Disu; and President of to US as My Aide … Page 6 L-R: Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the Choose France Summit in Paris, France…recently.

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Saraki: Atiku Didnâ€™t Travel to US as My Aide Hamid Adedeji The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has debunked insinuation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, travelled to the United States as an aide to the Senate president, describing the claim as false. President Muhammadu Buhariâ€™s media aide, Ms.

Lauretta Onochie, had claimed that Atiku travelled to the US, as â€˜office boyâ€™ of Saraki. Onochie, who is a presidential aide on social media, had said this while responding to a comment by a Twitter user. She had claimed that Atiku was finally allowed to travel to the US because he posed as an aide to Saraki. But speaking yesterday on AITâ€™s Kakaaki programme, Saraki, who is the Director-

General, Presidential Campaign Council, described the allegation as nonsensical. He said, â€œThese are desperate claims. When you are campaigning and you see that you have suffered a setback, just move on and donâ€™t make a fool of yourself. To say the candidate travelled on my merit is not true. â€œHe applied for his visa; was given the visa; and he was invited to attend functions. How do you do that? How

do you travel as an aide? That is ridiculous! They know it. It is very difficult for them to respond because they have sold a lot of propaganda and lies to Nigerians. â€œI remember when we sat a lot of young people down, when we started, and introduced him (Atiku) as our candidate, and they said they would support him because he has a good agenda for the youth and knows how to create jobs. But the concern

was that the government said Atiku could not travel to America, and how can we have a president that cannot travel to America? â€œAnd he (Atiku) always said it was not a problem but it was important for us to address the problem and put it behind us. And because the other party was using it as propaganda, we decided to go to America and instead of them to keep quiet and move on, they say he went as my aide.â€?

Saraki also lambasted the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government for operating an opaque fuel subsidy regime. He admitted that corruption thrived under former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathanâ€™s subsidy regime but argued that Buhariâ€™s own was worse because his government was giving money to marketers with funds that were not approved by the National Assembly.

extant provisions of section 16 (1) of the Deep Offshore and inland Basin Production sharing Contracts Act, Cap D3, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and the undisputed facts that have crystallised in order to give the said section consequential effect. â€œOn the 17th of October, 2018, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in its original jurisdiction gave judgment and ordered that effect should be given to the provision of section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, Cap D3, Laws of the Federation, 2004. â€œThe Federal Government of Nigeria appointed our firm as Consultant and Recovery Agent to recover these sums and upon a painstaking calculation by Technical experts and Accountants in the relevant and material areas and a review of the documentation submitted by

your Organisation/Company to the federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) arrived at a figure of USD5,561,689,751.43 only being the principal and interest outstanding/owed by your organisation/company to the Federal Government of Nigeria in default of adjusting the revenue accruals in accordance with the provisions of section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, Cap D3, laws of the Federation, 2004. â€œTake notice that should your organisation/company fails to pay the said sum within 14 days from the receipt of this letter, we have the firm instructions of the Federal Government of Nigeria to recover the said sum by all legal means possible, including exercising any or every option available under the Production Sharing Contract and the relevant laws. â€œTake further notice that

Federal Government of Nigeria reserves the right to take such appropriate and direct sanctions such as the termination of contract and the exercise of the power of â€˜shut-inâ€™ in order to give effect to the judgment/order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria dated 17th October, 2018 including but not limited to filing a complaint in the international fora under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the United States of America and other related international protocols for failing to observe the mandatory obligations under Section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Act, Cap d3, Law of the Federation, 2004 and in consequence thereof shortchanging the Federal Government of Nigeria and expropriating what is due from the additional revenue accruing long after the price of crude oil had exceeded $20 per barrel in real terms.â€?

Appeal on the grounds that it was an appeal against a consent judgment. He said the appeal before the court is not a consent judgment, as the dispute over representation was not resolved by the lower court. He further submitted that the matter before the apex court is not a pre-election matter as what is being challenged is the election of officers to the wards, local government and state congresses of the APC. After taken submissions from counsel in the matter, Justice Datijjo announced that ruling on the competence of the appeal has been reserved to a date that would be communicated to parties. It would be recalled that the apex court had on October 22, nullified an interim order of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, which gave APC the nod to conduct its ward, local government and state congresses in Rivers State. In a ruling that was delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the Supreme Court, faulted the appellate court for halting the execution of a Rivers State High Court order that barred APC from going ahead with its planned congress, pending the determination of a suit that was entered by Umar and the 22 others. It noted that the high court had on the basis of the said suit, issued injunctive reliefs that expressly forbade the APC from conducting congress in the state. According to the Supreme Court, Justice Chiwendu

Nwogu of the High Court gave the interim order of injunction on May 11, the same day that some hoodlums loyal to a faction of the party besieged the high court premises in Port Harcourt. It observed that despite the attack and the restraining order from the high court, which was further reaffirmed on May 13, the APC, which was a respondent in the matter, went ahead and conducted its ward, local government and state congresses on May 19, 20 and 21. The apex court said it was baffled that the APC, â€œin the most impudent manner,â€? ran to the Court of Appeal to apply for stay of proceeding and execution of the high court order with respect to the suit

FG ORDERS IOCS TO PAY OUTSTANDING OIL REVENUES ON PSCS Following a suit filed by the Attorneys-General of Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States, the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment on October 17, 2018, had ordered the federal government to adjust its share of proceeds from the sale of crude oil whenever the price exceeds $20 per barrel. The order was a fall out of the terms of settlement between the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the plaintiffs. The court in a unanimous ruling, ordered that the 13 per cent derivation that was due to the oil producing states be paid upon recovery, in accordance with Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The seven-man panel of the apex court, which included the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, also ordered that effect should be given to the provisions of Section 16(1) of

the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Acts Cap, Laws of the Federation, 2004. The said Section 16(1) of the Act reproduced hereunder for your reference states, â€œThe provisions of this Act shall be subject to review to ensure that if the price of crude oil at any time exceeds $20 per barrel, real terms, the share of the government of the federation in the additional revenue shall be adjusted under the production sharing contracts to such extent that the production sharing contracts be economically beneficial to the government of the federation.â€? To give effect to the Supreme Court judgment, Trobell International, in the letter, stated that after a thorough investigation, Statoil ought to have paid the sum of $5,561,689,751.43 being the principal sum and interest outstanding owed to the federal government in default

of adjusting the accruals. The letter, which THISDAY gathered was also dispatched to other IOCs stating various amounts they were owing the federal government, said it arrived at the amount Statoil owed after a painstaking calculation by technical experts and accountants and a review of the documentation submitted to it by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The letter, which was dated January 14, 2019 read, â€œThe claim for outstanding revenue to the Federal Government of Nigeria is made pursuant to section 16 (1) of the Deep Offshore and inland Basin production sharing contracts Act, Cap D3, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and the obligations contracted to under the production sharing contracts to operate within the confines of Nigerian laws relevant on the subject matter. â€œThese sums have become due in consequence of the

Sâ€™COURT DECIDES RIVERSâ€™ APC PRIMARIES LOGJAM UNDER THE GUN TOMORROW emphatic that there was a nexus between the Rivers State appeal case and Onnoghenâ€™s travails, pointing out that statute and case law were very clear about the effect of admission of error in assets declaration, contending that once infraction is accepted by a public officer, recourse to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) would become spent. They cited Section 3 (d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which states, â€œThe functions of the Bureau shall be to receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of this Act and where the Bureau considers it necessary to do so, refer such complaints to the Code of Conduct Tribunal established by section 20 of this Act in accordance with the provisions of sections 20 to 25 of this Act: â€œProvided that where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.â€? They argued that it was on the basis of this section that the National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, was freed by the CCT when the Goodluck Jonathan administration brought similar charges against him in 2011. Incidentally, they said, the lead counsel to Onnoghen, Chief Wole Olanipekun, was also Tinubuâ€™s lawyer, and that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was part of the legal team. Coincidentally, they reminisced, the current CCT Chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar, was also the judge that delivered the ruling that saved

Tinubu. â€œWhy are they now harassing the CJN?â€? the analyst asked. THISDAY gathered last night that Onnoghenâ€™s travail was meant to intimidate the apex court to give judgement in favour of the ruling APC in the Riversâ€™ case, alleging that a former governor in the South-south and a serving governor in the North-west, are the coordinators of the push against him. They were said to have told President Muhammadu Buhari that they had Onnoghen on tape, saying the APC would lose the case, pointing out that their main evidence of the CJN bias was the consistent loss of the party at all levels, starting from the high court, through the appeal court and now the apex court. â€œIt is in order to avert the final loss at the apex court that they are doing this. This is more so as they had suffered an earlier loss at the apex court,â€? a legal expert close to the intrigues, told THISDAY. He, however, said their efforts would come to naught as, quoting Speaker Yakubu Dogara, â€œNigeria is not a Banana Republic.â€? The Supreme Court had on Monday reserved ruling on the competence of the appeal filed by the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, faction of the Rivers State Chapter of the APC. The five man panel led by Justice Mohammed Datijo, fixed ruling on a date to be communicated to parties after listening to the submissions of counsel in the matter.

The Supreme Court had last December adjourned till March 8, 2019 to determine the legality or otherwise of primary elections the APC conducted in Rivers State for the purpose of nominating its candidates for the 2019 polls. The appeal marked SC/1070/2018, was lodged before the court by 22 chieftains of the party led by one Abdullahi Umar. The appellants, through their lawyer, Mr. Henry Bello, urged the Supreme Court to re-affirm the ruling it delivered on October 22, and nullify outcomes of the primary election that produced Mr. Dele Cole and other candidates in the faction of the party that is loyal to Amaechi. The appellants equally urged the apex court to dismiss a pending appeal marked CA/ PH/198/2015, which the said faction lodged before the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal. But, the apex court reconvened on Monday, about two months earlier than the planned date for delivery of its judgment in the suit. The sitting yesterday was sequel to an application by the appellants requesting the Supreme Court to fast track the judgment in line with the provisions of the 4th Alteration of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which stipulates a 60-day time frame for the matter. Bello submitted that though the court ought to deliver its judgment before January 1, however, "the court cannot do anything because the matter has become statute bar." He, therefore, prayed the

court for leave to address it orally on the need for the apex court to deliver a judgment striking out the appeal, adding that the appellantsâ€™ motion of December 17, 2018, have been overtaken by the expiration of time. However, Justice Datijjo noted that outside the appellantsâ€™ motion, there is also the need for counsel to address the apex court on the competence of the appeal, adding that the Supreme Court will not be competent in the first place to sit on an appeal that arises from an incompetent appeal at the Court of Appeal. Responding, Bello drew the panel's attention to paragraph 4 of the Appeal Court's record, wherein he submitted that the respondents did not opposed motion of the applicants, consented and urged the court to grant the relieves sought by the applicants. "The order of the trial court is a consent order and specie of consent judgment," he said. He, therefore, submitted that the appeal against the judgment of the trial court was not competent, and urged the apex court to so hold and strike out the appeal for being manifestly and grossly incompetent. Respondents counsel, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, however, drew the court's attention to the fact that there are two different appeals; the first, on the interlocutory injunction and the other after the judgment in the substantive suit. He said the appeal after the substantive suit has been struck out by the Court of

Continued on page 8

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5,000 Containers Trapped at Ports as Customs Bans Third-party Clearance Eromosele Abiodun The big stick wielded by the high command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over the unwholesome practice of 'third-party' clearance by freight forwarders has started to take its toll on clearance procedures as over 5,000 containers caught in the web of this practice are presently trapped at the ports, THISDAY has learnt. Third party clearance is a situation where a licensed customs agent hawks his operating licence for financial gains, a practice that allows the agent to cut corners and short-change the government. Penultimate week, the customs had ordered the immediate stop to the clearance of goods that had discrepancies in the names of importers and other information provided in the clearing documents. Specifically, the customs authority said it was alarmed at the increasing practice among freight forwarders, who clear goods with Form M, Bill of laden and PAAR that carry different names from that of the consignees. In a circular signed by Deputy Comptroller General

of customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Mr. Isa Talatu, the customs' Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), had directed all Area Controllers to suspend the release, forthwith till further notice, any cargoes with discrepancies in their documentation. However, this directive, as valid and good-intentioned as it is, appears to be hurting goodsâ€™ clearance procedures at the ports. Lamenting the pains and frustration of freight forwarders over this development, the Vice-President, Western Zone of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF), Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, declared that over 5,000 containers, 2,000 of which are in Apapa, are currently trapped inside the Lagos ports over the issue of 'third party' clearance. The 5,000 containers, he stated, are outside those trapped at other ports and border posts across the country. Tanko who admitted that the customs authority was in order over its proclamation against 'third party' clearance, pleaded that a reprieve be given to containers which are in this

Ali category before the ban. â€œUnless customs grants amnesty for this category of containers and allow them to go, they will rot away at the port because it is not possible to issue another PAAR on them, â€?Tanko explained. He therefore pleaded with the Customs authority to temper justice with mercy over the matter. â€œAs leaders of the association, we are pleading for clemency.

We know those freight forwarders involved in this practice are wrong while the customs is right on its decision. However, the instant enforcement of this directive has paralysed the port activities. The vibrancy of the port has slowed down and grounded to a standstill. We appeal that the customs should give time to stop this unwholesome practice, "Tanko added. He further stated that in as

much as the association was not in support of the action of his members, their actions cannot be a burden to Nigerians and port users. The group therefore appealed to the customs authority to create a window that will enable the erring importers and their agents take delivery of their consignments, which he noted came before the customs order, within a particular time frame before reverting to full implementation of NICIS II. He said any container that is involved in this unwholesome practice thereafter could be sanctioned. Tanko noted that the present disruption in clearance procedures caused by the customs proclamation would have multiple effects on port operations and cost of goods. â€œIf this action is not reversed to allow those trapped containers to go, this will lead to port congestion, accumulation of overtime cargo and huge demurrage at shipping companies and terminal operators. It will also lead to high cost of goods in the market as the final costs will be transferred to the consumers,â€? Tanko said. He, however, said NAGAFF

has embarked on series of enlightenment campaigns to educate its members on the need to comply with extant laws governing proper clearance procedures. Also, the National President of Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero, who also decriedly the situation, called on the federal government to urgent address the challenges encountered by Nigerians on the process of import, export and transit regulatory procedure. Amiwero, said the federal government must urgently reform the import, export procedure to align with international best practice. The World Bank had in the report rated Nigeria lowest in Africa and 183 out of a total of 190 trading countries examined across the globe on the Ease of Doing Business in relation to Business Trading Across Borders (TAD). Nigeria, according to the report came last among a total of 17 African countries drawn across the various regions of the continent, having also come 183 out of a total of 190 countries in the world.

Secondus Accuses Presidency of Arm-twisting CCT to Oust Onnoghen

Akinwale Adedayo in Abuja

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has accused the presidency of arm-twisting the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to force out Onnoghen, because it knows that an independent judiciary would checkmate its rigging plan. In a statement yesterday, by his media aide, Mr. Ike

Abonyi, the PDP chairman said that the federal government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari is orchestrating the destruction of democracy in the country. Secondus added that the president and his team are arm-twisting the CCT to force out the CJN because they believe that an independent judiciary will obstruct their rigging plan. Reacting to the report that

the federal government had asked the CJN to vacate office, he said that the illegal and provocative action has left no one, including the global democracies in doubt that indeed democratic rule has been suspended in Nigeria to pave the way for dictatorship. According to him, "The blackmail, the frame-up and the orchestration of fictitious figures in the CJN's bank accounts by the government and their

agents are all deliberate ploy to destroy the envious career of a man because of desperation for power." According to Secondus, "What they are trying to do is not only illegal but a recipe for anarchy and breakdown of rule of law and must be vehemently resisted." He alleged that it was very glaring that Buhari and APC had concluded plans to plunge the country into a major

crisis in frustration for their apparent inevitable rejection by Nigerians. He stressed, â€œTrying to force the head of an arm of government out of office without following the clearly laid down procedures amounts to breach of rules and an invitation to major national crisis. â€œPresident Buhari's inclination to non-democratic behaviour is now apparent as

he moves to muscle all other arms of government as well as ingredients of democracy. "The agenda is not hidden, which is to truncate democracy rather than face the Nigerian electorate.â€? Secondus, therefore, urged the CJN to disregard the directives and remain in his office as the Constitution guiding the operations of government is very clear on how he can be removed.

to the Honorable Minister of Finance, on the need to review the Automotive Levy. The 35 per cent duty is the baseline. But the 35 per cent

Levy is what we think should be tinkered with. We should be able to reduce that to a level that is affordable. 70 per cent is on the high side. No doubt

about that. That is why we have been appealing to the federal government to review and I hope that it should be in the pipeline,â€? he said.

GOVT UNVEILS STRATEGIC REVENUE GROWTH INITIATIVE and infrastructure that are both drivers of sustainable economic growth. Our current revenue to GDP ratio of about seven per cent is unsatisfactory and we are keen on exerting all efforts in turning this around. â€œThe case remains the same with our current contribution between oil and non-oil revenues to oil and non-oil GDP, for which our analysis on oil revenue to oil GDP reveals as 39 per cent while non-oil revenue to non-oil GDP as 4.2 per cent. â€œOur VAT revenue to GDP in Nigeria, for example stands at less than one per cent (0.8 per cent) which compares unfavourably to the ECOWAS average of 3.4 per cent. So also, is our excise revenue which is 4.1 per cent, compared to Ghana at 15 per cent or Kenya at 19.5 per cent." The minister disclosed that Excise duties would be enlarged beyond the current tobacco and alcohol, to include carbonated drinks. â€œWe are studying the possibility of a VAT increase. But you also know that a VAT increase requires an amendment of the law. So a steering committee will look at the details. It is most like

that the VAT increase will be selective. It will be on special items. It will not be across the board. â€œI am sure you know there are products that are VAT exempt such as foods and drugs. â€œDuring the course of 2019, we will have the clarity as to which items and what the rate will be and we will have to take a request to the National Assembly for amendment to the law," she said. On luxury goods tax, she said, â€œThere is also going to be luxury goods tax. Already there is a luxury tax on jets. There are very few exceptional items that are considered luxury. â€œWe are considering increasing excise duties to include carbonated drinks, just like you have excise duties on tobacco and alcoholic drinks. â€œBut this is going to be a subject of a study because we have to identify which ones to be affected and the best way to apply the taxes. So we have some work to do before we can say this will be done in March, in June, September or December of 2019," the minister said. The new impetus to push

for revenue, she stated, had become imperative given the low level of its record, over the years, amid mounting expenditure needs. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, disclosed that only a handful of items would be affected in the upward review of the VAT. â€œAs the minister has said, the VAT upward review will only affect items that I believe are not necessary. Those who want to take Champaign, I believe will not mind paying some more tax on it," Fowler said. Also speaking at the SRGI launch, the ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), said that the organisation had made a presentation to the federal government on the need to cut the 35 per cent automotive levy. Ali agreed that the 35 per cent customs duty and another 35 per cent Automotive Duty, totaling 70 per cent paid by importers on new vehicles was too high. â€œWe, as the Customs Service, have made a presentation

Sâ€™COURT DECIDES RIVERSâ€™ APC PRIMARIES LOGJAM UNDER THE GUN TOMORROW marked PHC/78/2018. It further observed that though the appellate court declined to stay proceedings of the high court, it, however, stayed the execution of the May 11 order by Justice Nwogu. Dissatisfied with the decision, Umar and his group dragged APC to court over their alleged exclusion from the primaries, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court. They argued that the appellate court engaged in judicial rascality by refusing to abide by Supreme Court decisions on the issue of stay of execution of valid court orders. The appellants told the apex court that the appellate court violated the principle of staredecisis (judicial precedents) and accorded favourable ruling to the APC, even when it was â€œin grave disobedience to two orders of the lower court.â€?

While acceding to the appellantsâ€™ prayer, the Supreme Court held that the appellate court should not have vacated the injunctive order the Rivers State High Court issued against the APC on the conduct of its congresses. Justice Nweze held that the action of the appellate court amounted to â€œsacrilegious exercise of judicial discretion,â€? saying it committed â€œgross insubordination,â€? by refusing to abide by precedents already set by the Supreme Court. He said the appellate court was wrong when it judicially indulged the APC, even in the face of abundant evidence that the Party was in contempt of subsisting court orders. Justice Nweze said, â€œIt is a very serious matter for anyone to flout a positive order of a court and still approach the court for remedy.

â€œIt is unfortunate and wrongful for the Court of Appeal to have entertained a party in contempt of a valid court order to the extent of granting judicial favour by way of staying of execution of an injunctive order when the party at the center of the dispute was in gross contempt of court.â€? Stressing that the respondent acted â€œin the most impudent manner,â€? the Supreme Court held, â€œThe simple truth, therefore, is that when the respondent applied for stay of execution, it was in gross abuse of a court order.â€? It is this tongue-lashing of the appellate court below, showing the way the overall case may go, said legal analysts that spoke to THISDAY, that the APC-led federal government is trying to arrest by the â€œharassment of Onnoghen.â€?

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

Buhari Transmits Minimum Wage Bill to National Assembly NUT, CDHR reject N27,000 recommendation Jonathan Eze and Ugo Aliogo President Muhammadu Buhari has transmitted the National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly after its approval by the National Council of State. This is coming as the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) have opposed the proposed N27,000 minimum wage approved by the

National Council of State and backed the organised labour on the N30,000 wage bill. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, confirmed yesterday that the bill was transmitted to the parliament earlier in the day. Enang, however, did not give details of the content of the bill. The National Council of State had approved the sum of N27,000, which the federal

Two Soldiers Killed as Troops Decimate 58 Bandits in Zamfara Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Two Nigerian soldiers were killed while eight others wounded as troops decimated 58 bandits in Zamfara State as the combined forces of the military and other security agencies and vigilante groups battled bandits ravaging North-west states of Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina. The confrontation followed the discovery of a large gang of bandits with sophisticated firearms and rocket-propelled grenades at Dumburum and Gando forests leading to fierce gun battles, which lasted several hours. The bandits were forced to abandon their camps due to superior firepower of the military during these encounters. The troops operating under Operation Sharan Daji also destroyed 18 camps and rescued 75 kidnapped victims held in some of the camps. The freed captives who were mostly from local communities in Zamfara State were debriefed and reunited with their families. Items recovered from the bandits include fabric national rifles, four AK 47 Rifles, 10 locally made rifles, one locally fabricated pistol, 40 motorcycles.

“Unfortunately, Operation Sharan Daji also suffered some casualties in these encounters. So far, two gallant soldiers and two members of the vigilante paid the supreme prize. “A total of eight soldiers and six vigilantes also sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries. Those who sustained injuries were immediately evacuated to Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, for medical treatment, while those with life threatening conditions were evacuated by air for specialist attention outside the theatre of operation.” “The families of the fallen heroes have been contacted accordingly, while the deceased members of the vigilante were laid to rest in Anka Cemetery, according to Islamic rites,” the army said in a statement issued in Abuja. The statement signed by acting Force Information Officer, Operation Sharan Daji, Major Clement K. Abiade, said: “The Force Commander, Operation Sharan Daji, Major General SO Olabanji, commiserates with families of the fallen heroes and assures them that their sacrifices will not be in vain.

Group Protests in Abuja, Accuses Obasanjo of Treason Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja A civil society group, the Concerned Nigerian Masses, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of covert plan to destabilise the country. It made the accusation yesterday during its protest march in Abuja from the Unity Fountain to the Presidential Villa. The spokesman of the group, Okpokwu Ogenyi,described Obasanjo as “an agent of darkness whose action and utterances are capable of plunging the country into crisis.” He also warned that the country could implode before and during the general election if urgent steps were not made to rein in Obasanjo from further inflammatory comments. The group said the tensed political atmosphere in the country had corroborated the alarm recently raised by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that intelligence reports had

uncovered plans by some subversive elements to destabilise the country during the election by using armed groups. “The Concerned Nigerian Masses wishes to use this medium to inform the international community and by extension the federal government that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the arrowhead of the destabilisation plot in Nigeria, having seen that he might not get his way this time around. Obasanjo has activated his network of marauding foot soldiers to ensure the smooth implementation of this evil agenda using unconventional means that would not be traced to him or any of his associates in the states they have so decided on. We frown at such displays by people that are supposed to work for the unity of Nigeria, but have instead opted to go the devil’s way by plotting and scheming to make the country ungovernable and unstable all in an attempt to truncate our nascent democracy, “ Ogenyi said.

government, however, said it would increase to N30,000 for its workers. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) rejected the N27,000 new National Minimum Wage adopted by the National Council of State last Tuesday. The NLC General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said the council has no jurisdiction determining another amount after a Tripartite Committee has submitted its report. “It is abysmal of government to be delaying the submission of an Executive Bill to the National Assembly and by wrongfully adopting N27,000 through the council of states,” he said. Ozo-Eson, however, said the NLC has called an emergency National Executive Council meeting for Friday to weigh on the deadline given to

government within which to submit an executive bill to the National Assembly. The NLC general scribe added that the federal government was only projecting a shutdown of the economy with its latest action. “This is because workers should not be held responsible for any development after its NEC meeting on Friday,’’ he said. The Labour has therefore shifted it battle for a realistic wage to the National Assembly, lobby the lawmakers to approve N30,000 for workers. Meanwhile, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has opposed the proposed N27,000 minimum wage approved by the National Council of State. In a statement issued yesterday by its President,

Malachy Ugwummadu, the group said the intervention by the Council was meant to undermine the agreement reached by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the federal government, urging the NLC to resist the move. CDHR argued that the Council of State has no such power to approve any amount as they did, describing the intervention as unconstitutional considering that under S.153(1) and particularly in part 1, 3rd schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), the role of the Council of state was merely advisory on clearly identified issues excluding the minimum wage pointedly provided for under S.34 of the Exclusive Legislative list and regulated by the National Minimum

Wage Act. The statement read in parts: “The fragmentation of minimum wage where state government workers would receive N27,000 while their counterparts working for the federal government would receive N30,000 is totally unacceptable. The market does not discriminate between federal and state workers and as such, this represents the continuation of hardship for the average Nigerian worker. “It is not proper for the National Council of State to approve another sum when it has not sought the approval of the NLC, TUC, UTUC and other trade unions with whom the federal government negotiated. The National Council of States

Continued on page 50

SEEKING ROYAL ENDORSEMENT…

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari (standing); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar; and National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, during courtesy call to the Sultan, shortly before APC campaign rally in Sokoto...yesterday

Lawmakers Uncover Errors in 2019 Budget Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja Relevant committees of the House of Representatives were yesterday mandated to liaise with Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and the Ministry of Finance to urgently correct some irreconcilable differences in figures presented in the 2019 Appropriation Bill if the second reading must continue today. The Speaker, Hon.Yakubu Dogara, who gave the directive yesterday after the duo of Hon. Adamu Chika representing Shiroro/ Rafi/Munya of Niger State and Hon. Ahman-Pategi representing Edu/Moro/Pategi Federal Constituency of Kwara State picked holes in the 2019 budget, said the ministries must present an error-free document today to enable lawmakers continue work on the document. Chika and Ahman-Pategi had noted that the appropriation bill was fraught with many

errors in figures. Dogara, who has continuously implored his colleagues to expedite action on the budget, however said the second reading of the budget could proceed in spite of the apparent flaws, adding that yesterday’s debate should merely look at the general principles of the budget. “Even though it is apparent on the surface of the budget that there are so many irreconcilable differences in the figures allotted, basically we are discussing the general principles of the budget by virtues of the provisions of our rules at this time. So, we would talk about general principles at this time. “I am sure we are not concluding the debate today. I will direct relevant committee chairmen to liaise with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, to ensure that by tomorrow, before we conclude the debate on the budget, to

make sure that we have the reconciled figures. “So, for today, I want to admonish and plead with us to make sure that we confine ourselves to the general principles of the budget. I am by this announcement drawing the attention of the Ministry of Budget and Planning and Finance to the irreconcilable differences in the figures allotted in the budget and unfailingly, by tomorrow, if we must continue the debate on the budget, they must give us reconciled figures.” When he pointed out some of the discrepancies in some of the figures, Hon. Chika stated that: “I want to raise some issues, particularly some errors I noticed in the national budget. As everyone knew, the schedule in the budget consists of part A, which is the statutory transfers and part B, which is the debt servicing, part C, which is the recurrent expenditure and part D, which

is the capital expenditure. “I will raise some issues, which have to do, one, with the Ministry of Education, two, Ministry of Finance and three, Ministry of Budget and National Planning and then, one observation with the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). “When you go to the education ministry, in part C, which is the recurrent expenditure, which consist both the personnel and overhead, you will realize that the budget is N462.2 billion, but when you go to the summary of the budget by the MDAs, number 41: 0.5.1.8 personnel now have changed to about N539.6 billion and overhead, there is N33.5 billion now making it that the total recurrent expenditure when you go by the summary by the MDAs has changed to N539 billion. I don’t know why that figure was added at that level.

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

INEC Receives N198bn for General Election To transmit presidential poll results electronically, physically Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has revealed that the N198 billion budgetary allocation for the funding of the forthcoming general election, has been released to the commission. The electoral body has also stated that the results of the February 16 presidential election will be transmitted electronically from the polling units, while the result box will be carried physically by the collation officers. The National Assembly had last year approved a total sum of N189,207,544,893 for the conduct of the general election as proposed by the commission in the supplementary budget. Yakubu disclosed this on Tuesday while updating the Council of State on the preparation

of the next month general election. According to the presentation, which was made available to THISDAY yesterday said, “the 2019 general election will be the largest single-day peacetime logistics and security undertaking by the commission since 1999, with 84 million voters, 91 political parties, 23,213 candidates vying for 1558 positions, involving over 814,000 electoral officials.” Yakubu said the 2015 general election was a watershed in the history of the country’s democracy, stressing that INEC was fully aware of the enormity of conducting the 2019 general election and would spare no effort safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the country’s elections and the consolidation of the country’s democracy. For logistics, the chairman noted that identification and recruitment of 814,453 adhoc staff for the election had been concluded,

adding that the training would commence on January 23, 2019. According to him, the arrangement for the timely receipt and speedy distribution of sensitive materials; ballot papers and result sheets had been made. He also revealed that security deployment plans are being finalised with the security agencies to secure the elections. The chairman explained further that the deployment of non-sensitive materials, like voting Cubicles, Ballot Boxes and others, was ongoing and would be completed on schedule. The chairman said the procurement of additional Smart Card Readers (SCRs) to replace missing or damaged units has been concluded. He said that 8.3 per cent female and 91.7 per cent male would be contesting for presidential candidates; while 30.6 per cent

female and 69.4 per cent males would be contesting as vice presidential candidates. Also, 12.3 per cent female would be contesting for Senatorial seats, while 87.7 per cent male would be contesting for the same seats. Yakubu stressed that 88.4 per cent male would be contesting for House of Representatives, while 11.6 per cent female are contesting for same seat. On age distribution, the chairman said 17 presidential candidates are between 35 and 45 years; 27 presidential candidates are between 46 and 55 years, 20 presidential candidates are between 56 and 65 years, while seven candidates are above 65 years of age. To Transmit Presidential Poll Results Electronically, Physically Meanwhile, INEC has stated that the results of the February

16 presidential election will be transmitted electronically from the polling units. INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River State, Mr. Frankland Briyai, who stated this in Calabar yesterday, said the transmission of the results electronically would minimise controversies and disagreements concerning the election results. Briyai, who spoke at a press briefing on modalities packaged by the commission to ensure the success of the presidential and National Assembly elections, said: “Results will be transmitted from the polling units electronically and the result box will also be carried physically by the collation officers. “When the collation officer comes with the physical result, it will be confirmed with the electronic results in the presence of the party agents and INEC staff.

“It is only when the physical result and the electronic results correspond that it will be approved and accepted by the party.” The REC also said the card readers that would be used for accreditation of voters have been enhanced to minimise failure when they are put to use during the polls. “Our smart card readers have been enhanced and upgraded. We have tested them at Osun, Ekiti States as well as Anambra Central senatorial district. In Anambra State, the failure rate was about 0.0 percent, and in Osun State, I did not hear of any Smart Card failure. In our bye-election in Obudu, there was no Smart Card failure. The reason is that at each polling unit, we have technicians that fix these Smart Card readers in case of any challenge,” he stated.

Nigeria Signs N2.6tn Support Agreement on Tuberculosis, AIDS In an effort to step up the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the federal government has signed an agreement worth N2.6 trillion ($ 71 billion) in funding support with Global Fund. In a statement issued yesterday by the Director, Media and Public Relations, Ministry of Health, Boade Akinola, the government said the funds would particularly help the country control the tuberclosis epidemic for the period of 2019 to 2020. Global Fund is an international financing organisation which fights AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by attracting, leveraging and investing resources to countries to end the epidemics. Before the latest signing, the international financing organisation had been working in Nigeria since 2005 in these three areas. Speaking at the signing, the Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, said tuberclosis now ranks as the ninth leading cause of death and the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking above

HIV/AIDS, according to WHO Global TB Report 2018. “Hence, it makes it a threat to any country like ours with high burden of the disease. This trend must not be allowed to continue,” he added. He said many children in the country have become orphans due to the scourge. He said over the years, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) through the support of several partners like WHO, Global Fund has made giant strides in the control of TB in the area of policy development, capacity building, expansion of services and provision of quality care while addressing the need of vulnerable groups and key populations. He also said: “Global Fund has committed $ 246 billion to tuberculosis control response in Nigeria since the inception of GF support to TB in 2005’’. Ehanire pointed out that ‘’through this investment and in collaboration with other partners, the country has treated over one mollion Nigerians with Drug Resistant TB on quality treatment till date’’.

Buhari Assents to Bill Prohibiting Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja assented to the bill prohibiting all forms of discrimination against persons living with disabilities. Making this disclosure in a statement, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the bill imposed N1 million fine on any organisation, which discriminates against persons living with disabilities on any ground. He also said the bill imposed N100,000 or six months’ imprisonment on an individual who violates the bill. He also said the bill gave transitional period of five years for modification of public buildings and structures, including

automobiles to pave the way for easy access by persons living with disabilities. The statement, which said the bill provided for the establishment of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, added that the bill also stipulated that every public building under construction henceforth, must consist of facilities which put the interest of persons with disabilities into consideration. According to Enang, the bill also stipulates punishment for individuals or groups who approve public buildings without complying with the required building code. “Before erecting any public structure, its plan shall be scrutinised by the relevant authority to ensure that the plan conforms with the building code.”

ROYAL BLESSING…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (right), and Akarigbo of Remo land, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, at the palace of Oba Akarigbo, during Osinbajo’s visit to Ogun State...yesterday

Boko Haram Attacks Yobe Town Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Boko Haram insurgents have infiltrated Geidam town in Yobe State, shooting sporadically to send many residents of the town in flight. According to people that spoke to our correspondent from hiding in the town, the

insurgents took advantage of the market to infiltrate the town pretending to be traders. They said the insurgents stormed the town at about 5.30 p.m, renting the air with bullets and sent many residents off the streets. The source who preferred anonymity said many residents had to hide behind closed door with some

others fleeing to nearby bushes. He said they have been forewarned of the attack by insurgents over a week ago. He said the military cannot claim it was a surprise attack as everyone in the town was aware of the warning. The source said the military engaged them in a shootout.

He said, “As I am speaking to you we can hear warplane hovering over the town as the Nigerian Air Force jets have arrived to give support to the land army.” The military could not, however, be reached for confirmation as of the time of the report.

Buhari Expresses Delight over Bumper Harvests by Nigerian Farmers Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) visited Sokoto State yesterday where President Muhammadu Buhari expressed delight over bumper harvests by farmers in different parts of the country in the last two years and urged the people to embark on agricultural activities. The president has also reassured that his administration will continue to identify and bring to book all those found wanting in misappropriation of public funds, and vowed never to betray the trust reposed in him by Nigerians. Before the campaign team departed for Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, for another rally, president, who alongside

APC bigwigs addressed the crowd of party faithful, enjoined all APC members and supporters to ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming general elections. President Buhari and his entourage first paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, before moving to the Ginginya Stadium in Sokoto for the rally where he addressed a mammoth crowd. Buhari, who spoke in Hausa language, said the governing APC government has done tremendously well in the key areas of security, revamping the economy and the fight against corruption. While reassuring that his administration will continue to identify and bring to book all those found wanting in

misappropriation of public funds, the president vowed never to betray the trust reposed in him by Nigerians. President Buhari expressed delight over the bumper harvests experienced by farmers in different parts of the country in the last two years and urged the people to embark on agricultural activities. “We thank God that our country witnessed stable rainfalls and subsequent bumper harvest in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. “Let me call on all our people to engage in agricultural activities to enable them obtain additional income to solve some of their domestic challenges like paying children’s school fees, offsetting medical bills and other needs.’’ He added that in the last three

and half years his government has degraded Boko Haram, and promised to provide fertilizers for Farmers at subsidised rate to enable the country of food sufficiency. The president, who presented the Sokoto APC governorship candidate to the people of the state, urged APC members to vote only the party’s candidates in the forthcoming elections. On his part, the Co-Chairman of Buhari campaign organisation, Ahmed Bola Tinubu said Buhari had laid a good foundation for the country, adding that there is need for consolidation. He further explained that farmers in the country never had it so good, adding that the present government is making farming vocational and attractive to teeming youth.

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇ

COMMENT

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

RELIGION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Pope Francis owes Catholicism the duty of paying reparations for crimes in the Congo, writes Okello Oculi

he top prize for Africaâ€™s contribution to the democratisation of the 20th Century must go to the Catholic Church. This is paradoxical considering her long record of endorsing horrendous destruction of African peoples. Several Popes supported the commercial export of African captives to supply slave labour in the Caribbean and the Americas to European plantation producers of sugar, coffee and various minerals. When, subsequently, European politicians, soldiers, administrators and businessmen invaded and imposed colonial dictatorships all across Africa, one of the most genocidal impacts was by Catholic Belgians against Congolese peoples. The 20th Century witness Catholic Missionary schools produce Eduardo Mondlane and Samara Machel who led a protracted and victorious liberation war in Mozambique. Agustinho Neto led a similar war in Angola, and Amilcar Cabral humiliated Catholic Portugal out of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde. In Southern Rhodesia it was Robert Mugabe, a product of Catholic Missionary education, led a liberation war to wrench an Africanruled Zimbabwe from a brutal administration by mainly British immigrants. Another Catholic convert, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, supported liberation wars in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola and South Africa. His own politics against British colonial trusteeship benefited from deep resentment to German economic impoverishment of communities. The Catholic Church neither condemned colonial and racist dictatorships in Africa, nor taught divine justification and support for wars of liberation. This was in contrast to the support for racial domination supported by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. Its Calvinist call for work and commercial success as forms of worship and earned blessing, animated the Boers/Afrikaaners tribe to compete with British capitalists. They adopted state and cooperative tribal corporations for this competition for development. There is still no effort by post-colonial Catholicism and Protestantism to encourage this strategy to African converts. In Rwanda and Burundi the Church and Belgian colonial administrators manipulated Hutu fears of imminent domination by Tutsi â€“ a situation which they had engineered - after they leave power. In desperation, the Hutu majority resorted to genocidal attacks in 1959. In 1994 this vicious collusion was with French and other NATO countries. The Church committed holy sins in Rwanda and Burundi. What is puzzling is that the 1970s â€œLiberation Theologyâ€™â€™ in South America had never exploded among the Catholic faithful in Europe against the partnership of the Church with Africaâ€™s colonizers. In Belgian Congo it collaborated in denying education to Congolese beyond primary school level. The clergy were silent about brutal lashings of labourers with ropes made of hippo skin. Congolese later rewarded them with eruptions of violence and rapes of Catholic

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH NEITHER CONDEMNED COLONIAL AND RACIST DICTATORSHIPS IN AFRICA, NOR TAUGHT DIVINE JUSTIFICATION AND SUPPORT FOR WARS OF LIBERATION

nuns. Patrice Lumumba spiced his first speech as Prime Minister during the ceremony of independence on 30th June, 1960 with vigorous condemnation of Catholic Church and State for violence and humiliation. When President Mobutu Sese Seko directed that Christian names be discarded because God had always recognised names of peoples of Congo in their diverse languages, the Church was standing on leprous legs. Mobutu named his assault as a return to â€œAuthenticâ€™â€™ development and African identity. Mobutu cowed the Church. It could not claim that Laurent Kabilaâ€™s military triumph was Godâ€™s reply to prayers for a government of democratic development. Between 1998 and 2018 a total of 120 militia groups funded by local politicians, some neighbouring governments and multinational companies spread violence, rape and displacements of villagers. Over six million Congolese have died from this hell. The Church has not mobilised its global converts â€“including Vice-President Joe Biden in the United States â€“ to build opposition to, and termination of, this â€œClimate Change of Horrorâ€™â€™ over the Democratic Republic of Congo. Those who awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 chose Dr Dennis Mukwege, a gynaecologist and surgeon who meets this epidemic of horrendous rapes by repairing victims in a hospital he runs. Despite assassination attempts and temporary cover in Sweden and elsewhere he persists. It was not the Catholic Church that won the Nobel Prize. Pope Frances is facing a growing virus of â€œtribalismâ€™â€™ in his Church in Africa; as powerful groups mobilise worshipers to reject clergy who are not â€œsons of the soilâ€™â€™. Several congregations in eastern Nigeria have rejected bishops posted to them for wearing wrong â€œtribal marksâ€™â€™. In Congo, Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, posted to Kinshasa in November, one month to the 30 December 2018 election, and Rev. Donatien Nshole, the secretary of the conference of bishops, were both strongly convinced that President Kabila would rig the election in favour of Emmanuel Shadary; and told American diplomats that Martin Fayulu would win, doing so long before votes were cast. The two clerics and Fayulu are allegedly from the same ethnic group, with Nshole being his cousin. Fayulu had â€œworked for Exxon in Africa in the 1980s and 1990sâ€™â€™. Congo is â€œthe worldâ€™s leading producer of cobalt, used in smartphones and electric carsâ€™â€™. Fayulu, thereby, has friends who could call President Trump and have him send 80 troops to Gabon. His excuse recalls why Belgian and French troops were dropped in Congo in 1960, namely: â€œin case the election dispute made it necessary to evacuate Americansâ€™â€™. Pope Francis owes global Catholicism the redemptive duty of paying reparations for genocidal economic and human devastations in Congo - from King Leopold to Exxon and other looters of its resources till 2019 - must animate Catholicism towards Africa.

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT

President Buhariâ€™s visit to Plateau State united all, writes Yakubu Dati

ast Saturdayâ€™s visit to Plateau by President Muhammadu Buhari has emphasized the narrative brought about by Governor Simon Lalong on the Plateau. At the Rwang Pam stadium venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally, people did not care to know where the person standing next to them came from, they did not bother about their faith or ethnicity, all they cared about was that they were there for a common purpose; and in the process demonstrated that it was possible to achieve unity and the peaceful atmosphere for development. This narrative which is a deliberate policy of the Governor Lalongâ€™s administration is a departure from an inglorious past, where nepotism and tribalism ruled the day and where antagonism was elevated to a state policy. Part of the twist Governor Lalongâ€™s intervention has brought to bear on the state is that Plateau can rise above sentiments and be on the path towards sustainable development as is currently being witnessed with the many laudable projects springing up in almost every nook and cranny of the state. Apart from projects initiated and completed by the state government under Governor Lalong which are too numerous to mention here, the governor has attracted lots of federal projects through the cooperation with other tiers of government and the creation of an enabling environment for investment. Some of the projects include the N-power project, the Anchor Burrowers Scheme, Mangu water project, Pankshin-Gindiri

â€“Bogoro road, the Lamba- Garam road, the Mobile Police Squadron in Gashish and Shendam as well as the Nigerian Airforce Tactical Search and Rescue unit, kerrang, amongst others. Unfortunately, there are those who want to cover their eyes to all these achievements simply because it does not serve their political interests to admit that the current administration has walked the talk about making development to thrive in an atmosphere of peace. What the people of Plateau demonstrated at the presidential rally by turning out in their thousands to receive President Buhari is that the tribes living in denial are fast turning a new leaf. The unprecedented massive turn out of Plateau people irrespective of party affiliation, the excitement and happiness written on the faces of the people, the zeal and gusto of the masses to catch a glimpse of the President and Governor Lalong speak volumes about how the people appreciate what the current administration has done for them. This definitely is a vote of confidence passed on the administration of President Buhari and that of Governor Lalong by the people and is a demonstration of the peopleâ€™s endorsement of the bid to return them to office. It has also removed whatever doubts anyone could have on the prospects of Governor Lalong retuning to office. Worthy of note in this regard, is the gale of defections of politicians of repute from other parties especially from the Peoples Democratic Paty, PDP, to the APC as witnessed

shortly before and during the visit of the president to Plateau. As it is, one can say as a matter of fact, that other parties have been emptied of their membership into the APC with nothing left in terms of quality and number that the opposition parties can hold on to. Shortly before President Buhariâ€™s visit, the APC welcomed Chief Chris Giwa who has been a strong pillar of support for the PDP in Jos South and other adjoining local governments. Giwaâ€™s size in the politics of Plateau North senatorial zone is huge given his widely acclaimed acts of philanthropy and the consequent amount of goodwill he enjoys across broad. Little wonder that when Giwa moved to the APC, the whole of Jos South and adjoining local governments shook and the thousands that followed him was such that the PDP could no longer call a meeting there. The PDP also lost Alhaji Auwalu, popularly known as Dankurma whoâ€™s influence in Jos North is such that it was said he singlehandedly selected the PDP Chairmanship candidate. In Plateau South senatorial district, the PDP also lost a great figure in the person of Senator Victor Lar, popularly known as â€˜Mainasara.â€™ Lar had represented Langtang North/ Langtang South, the Federal constituency of the current governorship candidate of the PDP in Plateau State, Jerry Useni for eight years. He then contested for the Senate and defeated the same Useni in the epic race for the Senate seat in 2011 which has been tagged the David versus Goliath fight.

Useniâ€™s dream of going to the Senate was only made possible because Lar in 2015 opted to go for a higher office. But the people of the zone know that any day Lar pitches his tent against Useni in a political race, the latter usually takes cover to avoid a repeat of the humiliation he received in 2011. Lar has moved to the APC with his numerous supporters leaving the PDP in Plateau South empty and without substance. In Plateau Central, Senator Sati Gogwim, another wonder kid who enacted the David versus Goliath scenario by defeating then Senate Deputy President, Ibrahim Mantu, has joined the APC. Simon Ngwan, a grassroots mobilizer who had been the bulwark of the PDP in the central zone, also moved to APC with his large followership among the voting populace who believe in him. Notable decampees like Hon Kassam Ngap Jacob, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Shehu Saleh Hassan, former member of the National Assembly and Hon Simon Barry, a former State Chairman of the ANPP amongst several others has grossly depopulated the PDP. As it is, no party in Plateau has the quality of persons that are in the APC at the moment. The party has transformed into a mass movement. This has been made possible by the hard work, candour and camaraderie of Governor Lalong, who has embraced all, irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliations. Little wonder, Plateau is referred to as the home of APC. Dati is the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Plateau State

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

EDITORIAL A Vote For Local Government Autonomy Politics is the biggest hurdle to development in the local councils

n the course of a visit by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to his office last year, Senate President Bukola Saraki said the National Assembly would work towards strengthening local government administration in the country. “Part of strengthening local government administration is ensuring that there is autonomy,” said Saraki. While there is nothing on ground to suggest any commitment to that promise, the greater challenge is that the National Assembly on its own does not have the power to confer such autonomy. The 1999 constitution in its Fourth Schedule outlines the functions, duties and responsibilities of the local governments. Unfortunately, the constitution is completely silent regarding any protective mechanism that guarantees their financial and political autonomy. There is not even a clear-cut guideline as to a timeline for elections of the officials nor is there any word on their tenure. Most of these crucial decisions are left at the whims THE SORRY STATE of the state governors OF AFFAIRS HAS who have effectively hijacked the local ENGENDERED ALL MANNER OF AGITATIONS governments in the states, using their THAT THE LOCAL funds to dispense GOVERNMENT SYSTEM patronage to cronies. SHOULD EITHER This sorry state of BE SCRAPPED OR affairs has, not unexpectedly, engendered MADE FINANCIALLY all manner of agitaAUTONOMOUS tions from various quarters asking that the local government system either be scrapped or made financially autonomous so as to enable them perform their expected duties to the people. However, to take the local government funds from the control of state governments will require amendment to section 162 of the constitution and that will need the concurrence of no fewer than 24 states’ houses of assembly. At stake in the perennial battle between state governments and local government administrations is the issue of joint accounts held by the two but

Letters to the Editor

administered by the former. In most cases, the governors are only willing to release funds for recurrent expenditure with only a little cash to spare for their favourite cronies. And with a National Assembly that is fast being dominated by ex-governors and would-be governors, it is no surprise that its members have refused to intervene in the bid to save the third tier of government.

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

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

t is not lost on Nigerians that many of the local government chairmen and councillors actually got rigged into office with the support of the governors, a fact which compromises them from the start. After their elections, many of them are either only too grateful to do the bidding of the governors or are too scared to assert their independence. In most cases, they are constantly reminded of the skewed process that brought them to office. They are therefore inundated with warnings on the repercussions of holding any dissenting views. The states’ houses of assembly would further compound this situation by issuing threats of impeachment to the beleaguered council bosses. Cowed and compromised, council officials end up not achieving much to the chagrin of the electorate. Apart from the overall effect of this on general administration, council bosses become conduit pipes of sorts, deepening the corruption at that level. The resultant effect is that wide-scale retardation and atrophy becomes the norm yet the received wisdom is that with the local governments not performing to the required optimal level, the nation generally suffers because this is the level of government that is closest to the people and should be the most responsive to their needs. An effective local government system, where the chairmen and councillors are prepared to work and where they are not stifled by the governors, is much needed for human development. If we must upgrade the quality of leadership to bring back the glorious days when council administrations were the nucleus of governance in our country, a new framework must also be formulated to free them from the obnoxious joint account.

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

IN SEARCH OF SELFLESS LEADERS FOR NIGERIA

he entrepreneurs of falsehood are back in business. And, this is very understandable as it is that time of the year. Lies, deceits and contrived data are now the order of the day courtesy the merchants of death and the enemies of truth. It is a season when politicians are quick to make promises which they do not intend to fulfil. These little values that they take for granted have become the standards with which they are accessed when they come into office. Clergypreneurs are not left out of this game of deceit. It is typical that in election years, there are bound to be prophecies of who will win and lose. The beginning of this year has witnessed such camaraderie and patronage with the gullible by all manner of clerics (as enumerated by Segun Adeniyi in his column of January 3, 2019. In Nigeria, faith is often an object of manipulation that leaves its victim hapless and more hopeless than it met him. Sadly, the poor are the most naive, not leaving out the rich who are also susceptible to such religious gimmicks. Every four years we get in the web of this vicious cycle. Sadly, we don’t reflect on the last cycle, we hardly learn lessons and we don’t plan. The patterns of our electioneering remain the same. The issues are left to the media to discuss. The candidates do not have a grasp of the issues at stake upon assuming power, neither do they know how to address them. Altercations and name calling are common place in our polity. A close look at the personalities reveal that they are self-seeking than service-oriented. There is a dearth of commitment to the people

and knowledge of the cardinal issues that plague the nation. The incumbent has been stretched to his wit’s end. He seems to be bereft of ideas from the outset of his inauguration. His late appointment of ministers, uninspiring performance and his nepotistic approach to offices are rather unfortunate of a leader who contested the same office for many years. Sadly, the idolisation of President Muhammadu Buhari has blinded some of his die-hard followers from seeing the bare truth of his incompetence and gerontocratic display and connection to deliver the Nigeria of our dreams. What can an analogue mind profit a digital generation? Plagued by character flaws and unhealthy antecedents, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not offering anything promising. He has a baggage of sleaze and impropriety at home and abroad. His arrogance, largely derived from his largely ill-gotten wealth is not a model of the kind that Nigeria needs. The performance of these popular candidates while in government was anything but remarkable. As vice president and head of economic team, Atiku’s privatisation process was smeared by impropriety that has continued to trail him since he left office. The question we should be asking Atiku is what he forgot in office after eight years in government that he wants to come back and acquire again? The incumbent president has been taciturn on his plans for another four years. His fragile health and the usurpation of his office by cabals are indications for him to take a deserved rest from Aso Rock. Giving either of them

another chance is a mockery of our commonwealth, an elevation of failure and a caricature of our collective destiny as a nation. For those who destroyed our past cannot be trusted with the future. Is it not a misnomer that those who seem to have a grasp of the issues are not showing any serious capacity to impress let alone win in this coming election? Apart from their statements in the media and their eloquence at the presidential debates, their campaign is not visible. Their parties and memberships are vague and not visible. They are known only by their families and cronies who may end up being the only ones to cast their votes for them. They lack the political wherewithal to make any serious impact. An alliance by these persons to dislodge the status quo seems the logical thing to do; but to them, this is foreclosed. I am particularly piqued at the youths. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has become a tool by politicians to achieve their selfish ends. What has happened to the fiery activism of Ali Must Go days or the heady resistance that stood resolute against the International Monetary Fund/World Bank induced Structural Adjustment Programme in 1990 logjam? Today’s army of young people have either been brainwashed or are just brain-dead. We look at what the politicians say instead of what they do and their implications on our collective future. What future has a septuagenarian other than the grave? Yinka Adeosun, Akure, Ondo State

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

‘Tension Around the 2019 Election is Created by the Political Elites’ The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Barrister Mike Igini ﬁelds questions from Jonathan Eze on burning issues around the electoral process and the 2019 national elections

he 2019 Electoral guideline Introduced by INEC did not go down well with some political stakeholders, how do you address this controversy? The commission has addressed much of what needs to be attended to on the matter of the guidelines for the 2019 election. In any event, it is part of the inclusive policy of the commission to engage key stakeholders prior to final decision on some matters. It’s not unusual to have observations or opinions over some provisions of the proposed guidelines especially one that is meant for election, because no policy made to influence or modify human behavior can be perfect. What happened is consistent with the policy process, which is to present policy statement, have stakeholder inputs and perfect it, even after that you will still need to evaluate it for outcome impacts to meet the best requirements to ensure that the electoral process meets the expected benchmarks. The commission decided in 2011 when it was pioneering the biometric register, the use of temporary voters card (TVC) now PVC and later card reader in 2015 to do separate accreditation and voting with the intention of reverting back to the process of continuous accreditation and voting at the same time which is best practice around the world. It was expedient then to do seperate accreditation before voting and even at that Nigerians decried the idea because many people who have been accredited don’t usually return back during voting. We are done with experimentation of that stage and since the inauguration of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s commission starting with Kogi governorship election, the process of continuous accreditation and voting was reverted back to and has been the practice in over 190 elections conducted in various constituencies and there has been no problem. So, why this sudden apprehension over a procedure that has been reverted back to since 2015 elections? In any case, after the close of the poll, the presiding officer must ascertain the total number of accredited voters on the card reader and compare with the hard copy of voters register ticked and figures reconciled and recorded in the presence of party agents and duly accredited observers. Only parties that are fielding candidates entitled to party agents and so they should have their party agents in all polling units. Stakeholders inputs is good practice and an exemplary illustration of how public policy should be enacted and now we must attend to its implementation. Some people feel that the refusal of the Presidenst to sign the Electoral Bill might spell doom for the 2019 elections. Are those fears justiﬁed? The absence of a new electoral act should not be a basis for not having a credible elections in 2019 because the commission is one of the executive bodies created by the constitution under section 153, the same constitution donated to INEC to the exclusion of any other body under paragraph 15 of the third schedule, the power to “organise, undertake and supervise” the conduct of elections into certain offices listed

interviews l granted after its judgment. INEC has reportedly said that it would conduct the 2019 polls with the existing Electoral Act and continue with piloting of e-transmission that some interest are opposed to for fear of manipulation For those who doubt it, I urge them to read section 52 (2) l quoted earlier and take note of the word “shall” in relation to the power of INEC. Do people realize that in the entire constitution and the electoral Act, you will not find the word “accreditation” yet it is a common and popular word used by voters but only found in INEC guidelines and manuals that it has power to issue under sections 73 and 153 of the Act for the conduct of election. Without any doubt, both the constitution and the Act provide ample legal ambit for INEC to determine the procedures for elections. What we have been doing in Nigeria is different from the Kenyan situation of 2013 that people wrongly refer to. Electronic transmission of election results legitimizes the manual step by step statutory recording in section 73 of the Electoral Act from polling units to the last point of collation and has been in pilot stage since the 2012 Governorship election in Cross River state when l was the commissioner and has been used in several elections since then as pilot.

Igini in the constitution. To strengthen the commission as an independent body and deliberately so on matters of exercise of “power and procedure” section 160 of the constitution says, “....any of the bodies may with the approval of the president, by rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure or confer powers and impose duties on any officer or authority for the purpose of discharging its functions; provided that in the case of the lndependent National Electoral Commission, its powers to make its own rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure shall not be subject to the approval or control of the president” . Why we are talking of doom? INEC is the only body granted this unfettered power to determine the best operational rules and procedures that would enable it conduct credible elections by providing a level playing field. Any

Vote buying is inimical to development because once votes are sold to the highest bidder elections which are meant to hold elected ofﬁcials accountable for their actions and promises will lose its utility

apocalyptic projection of doom about the 2019 election should be more about the violence that politicians are planning to use to undermine the electoral process through recruitment of thugs, importation of fake army and police uniforms some of which have been intercepted by custom service and the various security reports of arms buildup by politicians.

You said in a recent interview that INEC would ensure that the votes of the Nigerians count. How does it hope to do that this time around, going by recent accusations alleged rigging during manual collation of results? The commission despite all the challenges besetting election is putting in place systemic safeguards to make it difficult for reprobate election riggers to undermine the system. The use of the card reader has brought a tremendous energy of hope and integrity to the accreditation process and enthrone the principle of one-person-one-vote to make multiple voting impossible, redesigning the voting booths to mitigate vote-buying is another measure, as well as steps taken to ensure that the results are not tampered with after polling unit results have been declared on the way to or at collation centres. In any case, we are making steady progress in our electoral process as evidenced by the 2011, 2015 and the various off-season elections that we have conducted which are of remarkable departure from previous elections in terms of significant improvement of process, outcome and legitimacy. Sadly, elections have become a zero sum game and this largely accounts for the heightened tension around the 2019 elections arising from over-zealousness of candidates and competing political groups to win at all cost. We need a whole of society reset to correct these anomalies by creating beneficial opportunities in society beyond enrichment from political participation or we will continue to find people who are desperate to beat the system as we try to improve it.

What are the implications of that refusal on the elections? The immediate effect is that some desirable reforms are in abeyance and as I said earlier, the 2015 amendments of some of the provisions of the principal Act are profound and revolutionary indeed to consolidate our electoral process. Specifically, section 52(2) says, “Voting at an election under this Act shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the lndependent National Electoral Commission”. What else do we really need again at least for now? This new amendment that was signed into law just before the 2015 election has removed the prohibition earlier placed on the use of ICT. Although, for some strange and curious reasons if any at all, this amendment that clearly allows the use of any technological means such as the smart card reader to assist our electoral process was not made available to the public even during sittings of the election tribunals up to the Supreme Court when the status of the card reader was in issue. Even without this amendment of the Act, the constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons. So, the provision of section 160 of the constitution l quoted earlier which the electoral Act has now adopted is clear on the powers given to INEC to make its own rules and determine the procedure to be used in the conduct of election. This is the basis of my humble disagreement with the opinion of my learned Justices of the supreme court on the Card Reader in the 2015 election that l expressed in the various

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

OSUN GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION TRIBUNAL UPDATE

INEC Delays Osun Guber Tribunal By Our Reporter For three straight days, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to present witnesses to justify its declaration of the governorship election of September 22, 2018 as inconclusive necessitating the rerun of September 27 and the subsequent declaration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola as winner.

At the resumed sitting of the tribunal yesterday in Abuja, counsel to INEC, Adesina Agbede proceeded to tender just two documents and again promised the court that the witnesses will be available tomorrow (today). This development fueled the insinuation that INEC may be employing delay tactics. There were unconfirmed reports that the commission was having difficulties assembling its witnesses.

The INEC counsel was however put on the spot as the tribunal chairman Mohammed Sirajo, before adjournment, asked: “What are you doing tomorrow?” He further requested the INEC counsel to imagine the efforts they make to come to the tribunal prepared for serious deliberations only to sit for 10 minutes and adjourn sitting. In response, the INEC counsel said, “My Lordship, finally, the witnesses

will be available tomorrow (today) for cross examination.” After the adjournment, Niyi Owolade, head of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legal team, said the petitioner ’s team was prepared to cross examine INEC witnesses. “We are ready for INEC. Apparently INEC is not ready. It is difficult to defend falsehood,” he said. Sitting adjourned at 11:34am till today.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019

POLITICS

‘APC Will be on the Ballot in Rivers State’ Dr. Dakuku Peterside, director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and deputy leader of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State tells a group of journalists including Nseobong Okon-Ekong that he was hopeful that the challenges before the party in the state will be resolved As the Deputy Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, are you comfortable with what is happening in the party now, especially the removal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of names of candidates of APC in Rivers State on the list of candidates that will vie during the February 16 and March 2 general elections? Politics is a process. It involves a number of activities and usually there will be an outcome. What is going on in the Rivers State APC is unfortunate, but it is part of the political evolution process. I am pained that it even happened in the first place, but I know that it is not the end in itself. What has happened in Rivers APC is some sort of temporary setback. I am optimistic that APC’s candidates will be on the ballot. I am very, very optimistic. I know that the judiciary is an important component of the political process. You cannot talk about politics, without talking about the judiciary and the roles of the judiciary, but my confidence is that ultimately, this issue will be resolved and APC’s candidates will be on the ballot, they will run the elections and Rivers people will have options. They will choose the candidates of APC above the other political parties. The other political party (Peoples Democratic Party) has disappointed Rivers people on all fronts. What the party (PDP) has done in the past three years and some months is to make more and more people lose confidence in the institution of government of Rivers State. They have embarked on outright lies, concocted stories and half truths. Rivers people are indeed tired of the mess. They cannot wait to get rid of the current government of Nyesom Wike. APC provides Rivers people the alternative, but unfortunately, we are going through our own challenges. Let me take advantage of this opportunity to plead with all members of APC to remain calm, confident, loyal and keep trusting the Almighty God. The end of this tortuous journey will come and it will be to God’s glory. All hope is not lost. Indeed, no hope is lost. One thing I am

People have right to hold their opinions. You cannot hold it against anybody for holding an opinion. One thing that all of us have built consensus around and we are unanimous about is that there is a time for war and there is a time for peace. This is the time to ceasefire, engage with one another and to allow the common interest to prevail, over our narrow parochial interest. No man’s ambition should be superior to the collective interest of the party (APC) and Rivers people. Not mine, not anybody’s own. Nobody’s interest should be superior to the interest of the collective. So, I do not believe in the blame game. I do not support it. I will not embark on it. Rather, it is for all of us begin to engage with people. Let them see reason why we must all come to the table and agree on the best way forward and indeed work out a way forward, so that we will go and take over Government House, Port Harcourt from May 29, 2019 and begin to change the narratives in Rivers State.

Peterside pretty sure of is that at the end of the tunnel, there is light and it will be to God’s own glory. We have embarked on series of engagements to get all the sides of the party and to get different interests in the party to understand that it is in our own interest to work together, that it is in our own interest to pursue the path of peace, unity and of course working for a common purpose. You cannot have a team, if you are not working for a common purpose. If you have persons working together at cross purposes, they will never achieve result. The only way to achieve result is when you work towards a common purpose. That actually makes you a team. We are a team of patriotic and progressive citizens of Rivers State, who want the best interest of Rivers State, as against our opponents in the other party (PDP), who are self-serving and usually pursuing their own narrow opportunistic interests. You are very close to Transportation

Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, who is the leader of APC in Rivers State and the South-south zone, but some members of your party in Rivers State are accusing him of being responsible for the crisis and that he should be blamed for the confusion. What is your reaction? It is not true that the Hon. Minister is responsible for the crisis. I do not believe that this is the time for blame game. A lot of things happened and blame game will not help us in any way. So, even as the leader of the party, it is wrong for me to join in the blame game. Depending on where you are standing, people accuse different individuals of being responsible. Some persons would say some persons are over ambitious outright and that because of their ambition, we are where we are. Some said some persons were uncooked in their language. Some accused the young people in the party of not handling their emotions with maturity.

One of the governorship aspirants on the platform of APC in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, who represents Rivers South-east Senatorial District, earlier stated that for peace to reign in Rivers APC, the governorship candidate of the party, Pastor Tonye Cole, must step down for him. Will the option actually ensure peace in the party, considering the fact that Rivers APC does not have candidates for the forthcoming general elections? It is not true. I have had cause to engage with Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and he could not have taken that position. I can say it on good authority that his minimum condition cannot be that Tonye Cole should step down for him to become the governorship candidate of APC in Rivers State. He has never said so. He realises the need for all of us to work together and I believe that reason will prevail at the appropriate time. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

‘The Symbol of Justice Has Been Raped’ Former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch, Mr.Victor Abasiakan-Ekim ) tells Vanessa Obioha that attacking judiciary, which is the bedrock of democracy in Nigeria sends wrong signals Is there a law that stops the CJN from prosecution or confers judicial protection or immunity on him? It is the law that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) does not enjoy immunity from prosecution in a court of law or tribunal. It is also not in doubt that that the CJN is a judicial officer. The body responsible for the regulation of conduct and/or misconduct of a judicial officer is the National Judicial Council. However, there is a unique procedure for the interdiction, discipline, removal and prosecution of a judicial officer including the CJN. It is the law that where the allegation(s) amounting to a misconduct against a judicial officer is/are connected with, and/or incidental to the performance or non-performance of the functions of his office, a report must be made to the National Judicial Council (NJC). The NJC would then investigate the allegations against the CJN, demand an explanation from him and where the NJC is not satisfied with the explanation, the NJC will then forward its recommendation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the CJN be removed from office for a breach of the latter’s oath of the office as a judicial officer and then prosecuted. It is only after the NJC has concluded her findings and forward same to the President of the Federation, that the CJN can be removed from office. Thereafter, prosecuting agencies can then proceed to file charges against the indicted CJN. The essence of the recommendation of the NJC is to prevent the denigration of the exalted office of a judicial officer and

office by due process of law. Charges ought to be filed after the removal from office and in which case, the CJN ceases to hold office while under prosecution. So, until the CJN is investigated and indicted by the NJC, he cannot be called upon to resign or cease to carry out the functions of his office. This is the beauty of the doctrine of separation of powers and the concept of checks and balances. In a democratic setting, no one arm of government should railroad the leadership of another arm of government.

the desecration of the temple of justice. This is the pith of the decision of the Court of Appeal in Nganjiwa v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2017) LPELR-43391 (CA).

What avenues of defense are open to him? I cannot say off the cuff, what line of defenses are available to the CJN as I am not a part of his legal team. I have not heard His Lordship’s side of the story hence, it would be most unprofessional and speculative for me to attempt to raise imaginary and academic defenses, especially on a charge that has not met condition precedent to the exercise of jurisdiction of court.

Can he retain his ofﬁce while facing prosecution? I believe that while responding to the first question, I’ve dealt with this question. The issue of prosecution of the CJN does not arise until the NJC has made a finding of fact of an infraction of the law by the CJN and a recommendation for his removal from office is acted upon by the President of the Federal Republic. While under investigation of the NJC, the CJN remains in office until he is removed from

Is there a precedence, if not what does this portend for the judiciary and democracy? There has never been a precedent for this sad occurrence in the history of Nigeria. The National Judicial Council (NJC) was established to insulate judicial officers from political persecution and unnecessary interference in the exercise of the functions of their office. For the executive to overreach the judiciary by bypassing the NJC in seeking to discipline and prosecute the CJN on allegation of crime or other infractions is

Abasiakan-Ekim

a very dangerous trend. Assuming without conceding that thereis a valid case against the CJN, what injustice would the executive suffer if due process of law is followed in the pursuit of the removal of the CJN from office? To file a charge at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and on the basis of unproven allegations contained therein, ask the CJN to resign makes nonsense of the right to presumption of innocence guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The judiciary is under threat, judicial officers are being cowered. The act is attacking the bedrock of democracy in Nigeria, the timing is wrong in view of next month’s national elections. It sends wrong signals to the international community and our foreign investors. Assuming the CJN is guilty, why were allegations not brought forward before his time? Honestly, I am unable to answer this question. I believe these facts were known at the time of appointment and confirmation of the CJN. Why wait till few days to a national election to raise them and seek prosecution? It makes one question the motive. Why not follow due process of law in the removal of the CJN if there are valid reasons to do so? To do otherwise, is to tether towards injustice. In fact, that is another form of corruption. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇ

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08152252325

Championing Youth Leadership, Empowerment Sunday Ehigiator writes that the Youth Leadership Series of Stanbic IBTC was patterned as a platform of engagement where knowledge and experience are shared among the youths, and mentorship and guidance are provided

s part of its youth-centricity, Stanbic IBTC has over the years courted and supported the youth segment through exposure, sponsorships and financial support. It established the Stanbic IBTC Blue (Innovation) Lab in Yaba, Lagos, last year to support techpreneurs and financial technology firms, and to collaborate, empower and partner with startups in promoting technological development. A similar thinking underscored the group's yearly sponsorship of the social media week, and the Higher Institution Football League started last year. The Stanbic IBTC Business Leadership Series (SBLS), after which the Youth Leadership Series (YLS) is patterned, consistently featured young people, such as South African rocket scientist, motivational speaker and innovator Siyabulela Xusa, who was 25 years in 2015 when he headlined the SBLS, and Vusi Thembekwayo, an entrepreneur and business speaker, at 28 when he featured on SBLS. Stanbic IBTC was a sponsor of TechCabal Battlefield in 2014, a showcase of technology startups promoted by young budding entrepreneurs, among many other youth-centric initiatives. Youth Leadership In the continuing quest for deeper engagement with the youth, the company inaugurated the Stanbic IBTC Youth Leadership Series (SYLS) in 2018. The SYLS, according to the Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Mr. Yinka Sanni, is expected to â€œserve as a yearly platform of engagement for the youth where knowledge and experiences are shared, and mentorship and guidance are provided.â€? To kickstart the maiden edition of the series, two young women and a man with very compelling stories were chosen to headline the event, held simultaneously at two venues via live streaming from one venue to enable wider audience participation. The two female speakers were Kechi Okwuchi and Member Feese, while the man was Cobhams Asuquo an acclaimed songwriter, music producer, music composer and musician. He was born blind but has never allowed the circumstances of his birth to determine the size of his dream or limit his accomplishments. Cobhams, like renowned blind musicians Stevie Wonder, George Sharing, and Ray Charles, has accomplished so much in music that it is sometimes hard to believe he has such handicap. Okwuchi and Feese had incredulous brushes with death and survived to talk about them and how those experiences helped to define their lives. Their stories simply defy logic. Okwuchi was on the 2005 Sosoliso flight that crash landed and exploded at the Port Harcourt Airport. She was one of only two surviving passengers of the 109 on board the ill-fated aircraft. According to Okwuchi, she underwent over a 100 surgeries, including skin grafts, since the crash. But through the anguish, loneliness and trauma of the live changing experience, Okwuchi bagged a first class honours degree in Economics from the University of St Thomas, United States and was last year studying for her MBA also in Economics. In August 2011, Feese was unfortunate to be in the United Nations building in Abuja where she had gone to gather information for her Masterâ€™s degree dissertation when a vehicle laden with bombs was rammed into the building by Boko Haram insurgents. The bomb claimed 21 lives and close to a hundred critically injured. Feese was among the critically injured. She lost a leg to the blast and was in a coma for about four months. She required a team of 20 specialist doctors working on her for months to save her life. Less than two

Kechi and Member ďŹ‚anked by Yabatech students

Cross section of Yabatech students waiting to register for the YLS

years after the bomb, Member completed her dissertation and graduated from the Institute of Developmental Studies (IDS) in the United Kingdom. The event was Stanbic IBTCâ€™s attempt to show young Nigerians the indomitable spirit and resilience of humans in a way to energise them and ensure they remain focused, disciplined, committed, industrious, and motivated as they journey through life while exploiting their talents creatively, lifeâ€™s obstacles notwithstanding. The underlying message of the 2018 youth series was clearly that the individual is the only obstacle to his/her greatness. Strength in Ability A common thread with Okwuchi, Feese and Cobhams is their ability to find that inner strength so often missing in many, especially when faced with a challenge. Focus, hard work, learning, trust, and a strong desire to be relevant are key attributes that define the trio. These attributes, as well as integrity, partnerships, and humanity, are cherished by Stanbic IBTC and the financial institution had hoped to project and instill in the youth through the series.

2019 Summit Sanni said the organisation is constantly exploring innovative ways of expanding the scope of its coverage and focus on the youth segment, given the importance of the demography to national development, entrepreneurship, economic growth and development of the nation. In line with that thinking, the 2019 edition of the series, which was announced to take place in February, will equally feature accomplished young individuals in diverse fields of endeavour. The three headliners for this yearâ€™s event are: Kemi Adetiba, filmmaker and music video/television director; Onyeka Akumah of FarmCrowdy, innovator, agriculturist, and entrepreneur; and Abisoye Akinfolarin, programmer and software expert of the girl coding fame and a CNN Heroes award nominee. Kemi Adetibaâ€™s latest movie King of Boys, released late last year, reportedly grossed a tidy N200 million in the first seven weeks of release. That is quite outstanding for someone who released her first feature film, The Wedding Party, a short three years ago. Kemi is

well versed in the entertainment industry, having journeyed across several segments of the industry from that early exposure when she featured, as a little girl, in the detergent brand Superblue OMO television commercials. Professionally, she cut her teeth as an on air personality with Rhythm 93.7 FM, presenting shows like Soulâ€™d Out and Sunday at the Seaside. From radio, she switched to televisionwhere she produced and presented such shows as Temptation Nigeria and Studio 53 on Mnet. From that she then trained to direct films and has produced two blockbusters already. She has won several awards and commendations for her efforts. Onyeka Akumah, founder of FarmCrowdy, a digital agriculture platform which is â€œconnecting farm sponsors with real farmers in order to increase food production while promoting youth participation in agriculture,â€? was named one of Africaâ€™s 30 Innovators 2018 in the latest Quartz list. The African Youth Forum in Egypt mentioned him as one of the Top 20 Young CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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PERSPECTIVE

Newspapers Awards: Gov. Ugwuanyi and his Fitted Caps Samson Ezea

t was the 30th US president and lawyer, Calvin Coolidge, who once said that no person was ever honoured for what he received, rather honour has been the reward for what one gave out to the society. This, no doubt is a statement of fact and true reflection of the avalanche of the prestigious Newspapers awards bestowed on the performing and unassuming governor ofEnugu state, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi by four national newspapers, namely, The Sun, Vanguard, Leadership and Independent this year. These awards, which arewell deserved of the outstanding governor, is historic and unprecedented in the annals of newspaper awards in the country. This seems to be the first time a governor will be scooping four newspapers awards at a time. While The Sun, Leadership and Vanguard newspapers honoured Ugwuanyi with the Governor of The Year 2018, Independent honoured him with Governor Of The Year 2018 For Grassroots Development. That these awards came after painstaking assessments and scrutiny by the management and Board of Editors of these newspapers is clear testimony and true manifestation of Governor Ugwuanyiâ€™s verifiable and remarkable achievements in office in the face of obvious and enormous challenges. Also coming after Gov. Ugwuanyiâ€™s three years plus in office is apointer to the fact that while the governor had wholeheartedlyconcentrated attention on his core agenda of providing good governance, peace and basic infrastructural development in the state without noise or fanfare, these newspaper organisations were diligently keeping tab on his administrationâ€™s activities, taking recognition of its giant strides in all sectors of the state economy. For those who may not have been following,governance in Enugu State and may ask what Gov. Ugwuanyiâ€™s administration has done differently to deserve these awards, heis a governor with a difference, many firsts and feats. It is a public knowledge that Gov. Ugwuanyi, on assumption office in 2015 was confronted with enormous challenges of paucity of fund, backlog of salaries, infrastructural deficits especially in rural areas, huge debt profile, insecurity, pre and post-election legal encumberances and others. Because of the Peoplesâ€™ Democratic Party (PDP) â€™s loss of the presidential election in 2015, Ugwuanyi became the first governor of the state to be in opposition party since 1999. At the time, his predecessors were in office, PDP was in control at the centre and they leveraged on the situation to enjoy a lot of advantages. That is not the case with Gov. Ugwuanyi. Many had expected that with the myriad of daunting challengesbefore him, Gov. Ugwuanyi would complain or engage in witch-hunt, blame game and buck passing. Unlike his colleagues, he didnâ€™t do so for one day, rather he stoically and quietly took the bull by the horn, by humbly providing solution to these challenges. With his wealth of experience in private sector and administrative astuteness

Ugwuanyi

in public office, Gov. Ugwuanyi knowing that Enugu State is third from the bottom in the monthly Federal Allocation sharing formula, quickly tightened the loopholes in the stateâ€™s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which shored it up tremendously. In the area of appointments and project allocations, Gov. Ugwuanyi spread it across the three senatorial zones of the state, using necessity, impact and competence as a benchmark in making choice. His government has through prudence and fiscal discipline reduced drastically the cost of governance, thereby made fund available for projects executions and other obligations that have direct impact on the lives of the people. Gov. Ugwuanyi had on assumption office, adopted inclusive, live-and-let live approach to governance, a development that created peaceful atmosphere for his perceived political opponents and opposition parties to operate at par with the ruling party in the state, without any qualms. Enugu state being civil servants state, Gov. Ugwuanyi made workers salary a top priority

of his government. In the last three years plus of Ugwuanyiâ€™s administration, workers in the state receive their every 23rd of the month and receive 13th month in December as Christmas bonus. Even when monthly federation fund was delayed in June and July last year due some differences between Federal Ministry of Finance, NNPC and other federal revenue generating agencies, Gov. Ugwuanyi paid workersâ€™ salaries for the two months without federation allocation. While many workers are at loggerhead with their state governors over salaries and other benefits, workers in Enugu are on the same page with Ugwuanyi to the extent that they gave him award as Workersâ€™ Most Friendly governor. They and other affiliate workersâ€™ union have endorsed the governor for second term in office. This is unprecedented in the workers-governorsâ€™ relationship in Nigeria. Apart from these, Gov. Ugwuanyiâ€™s administration has constructed and renovated over 589 primary and secondary school blocks and at the same time employed over 4000 teachers, empowered 750 youths under the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme. His government tookmassive road construction to rural areas that have not witnessed such since the creation of the state. Such rural areas include Amuri in Nkanu West Council Area, where Agbani-Amuri road that was abandoned for more than ten decades was constructed. Also in Akpugo in Nkanu West, the government constructed Ogonogoeji-Ndiagu-Akpugo road, from Atavu bailey bridge to Afor Onovo. The road was the first state government project in Akpugo since the creation of the state. The popular Ninth Mile road that has been synonymous with traffic gridlocks especially during festive periods was decongested by Ugwanyiâ€™s administration with the construction of a new bypass road that terminates at the Enugu toll gate along Enugu/ Onitsha Express way and reconstruction of AmankwoAmeke- Amah Junction Bypass road. Having also received government attention is the Nkalagu-Eha Amufu road in Isi-Uzo Council Area that has been abandoned for more three decades. Not left out is the popular Opi Nsukka road which is a gateway to sleepy town of Nsukka. The road has been dualised with pedestrian way and traffic light. The list of roads and other basic amenities provided by Ugwuanyiâ€™s administration in both rural and urban areas that have opened up the state for investments is endless. At the last count, the state government has spent close to N50b in the construction and renovation of more than 500 kilometres roads in the state. All these were achieved, despite paucity of fund andundue distractions from the pre-election legal tussle between Gov. Ugwuanyi and his kinsman, Senator Ayogu Eze that lasted for more than three years, before Ugwuanyi triumphed at the Supreme Court. Under the governorâ€™s watch, Enugu has remained the most peaceful state, having recorded the lowest crime rate in the country. Governor Ugwuanyi is the most accessible and ever handy governor in the country today. He is not only always in the state most times, he is always handy to attend to urgent problems that require immediate solution or succuor. Across the state today, it is believed that Gov. Ugwuanyiâ€™s government has given much to the people, since coming into office despite the obvious and daunting challenges, capable of derailing or distracting any government. Apart from the gale of endorsements that have trailed his reelection from different groups/bodies, including religious, traditional and professionals, the common saying by majority voters in the state ahead of the election is that Gov. Ugwuanyi has performed well and deservesa second term. With all these remarkable achievements in office, it is obvious that Gov. Ugwuanyi is a pacesetter and governor with a Midas Touch, who deserved Newspapers honours conferred on him, having performed creditably at odd times and in time of scarcity. He is indeed Omenuko Enugu State. r Ezea, wrote from Independence Layout, Enugu State

CHAMPIONING YOUTH LEADERSHIP, EMPOWERMENT Entrepreneurs to Watch in Africa. Indeed, Onyeka has a very rich CV for someone so young. He was the E-Marketing Coordinator for Deloitte for West, East and Central Africa, Webmaster for British Council in Nigeria, Vice President, Marketing, Konga, and Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Jumia, among many other executive roles in well known organisations. Through FarmCrowdy, and by fusing technology with agriculture, he continues to empower thousands of farmers. The first thing you notice about this brilliant lady is her disarming toothy smile. Abisoye, who has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, last year was named a â€˜CNN Hero of the

Yearâ€™, an initiative by CNN to honour 10 deserving individuals across the world who have done something unusual but worthwhile in their societies to impact lives. Abisoye certainly deserves the award. In 2012, she founded an NGO, the Pearls Africa Youth Foundation, to help bridge the technology and educational needs of girls in disadvantaged areas. The foundation trains girls on coding, among other trainings. â€œThrough the experiences and achievements of these extraordinary young people, we hope to inspire, motivate and provoke the can-do spirit of our youth community and imbue them with the strength of character and doggedness to never give up but to

constantly aspire to attain their full potential in life,â€? Sanni stated. Passion Over the past five years, Stanbic IBTC has been bullish in its ambition to achieve end-to-end digitisation covering front-end and back-end processes. The rationale is simple: better process integration will help deliver great customer experiences, improve operational efficiency and ensure cost optimisation for the entire organisation. The financial institution has equally shown great passion, in that period, to institute deeper engagements with the youth, who make up an estimated 75 per cent of the Nigerian population and who are the digital

natives. Stanbic IBTC underscored these objectives by creating and instituting product/services and initiatives that help consolidate its digital drive as well as its youth-centricity. In 2016, it commissioned a 24-hour fully self-service digital branch at Maryland Mall, Lagos, completely equipped with tablets, touch screens, electronic banking devices and new digital technologies to enable customers conduct financial transactions seamlessly. Last year, it deployed BlueBots, robots, to drive various dimensions of its operations such as facilitating account origination and servicing for Anti-Money Laundering, AML, transactions and processing and clearing for inward cheque confirmation.

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Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—

L-R; MD/CEO, Mutual BeneďŹ ts Life Assurance Ltd, Mr. Femi Asenuga; Chairman, Mutual BeneďŹ ts Group, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; Prophet Dr. S.k. Abiara, his wife, Grace; Chairmanâ€™s wife, Dotun and MD/CEO, Mutual BeneďŹ ts Assurance Plc, Mr. Segun Omosehin at the Mutual BeneďŹ ts 23rd Annual Thanksgiving Service in Lagos..recently Abiodun Ajala

R-L: Zamfara State Governor, Alh. Abdulâ€™aziz Abubakar Yari; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign L-R Comedian and Instagram content creator, Emmanuel Edunjobi (EmmaOhMaGod); Head, Commercial Operations and Marketing, Cars45, Mayokun Fadeyibi; Car auction winner, Emmanuel Ugwuoke and VP Trading, Cars45, Mohammed Iyamu at the ďŹ rst Carsbazr live auction for 2019 in Lagos...recently

L-R; General Manager, Sodium Brand Solutions, Titi Seun-Oremade; 3rd winner rapper,Lagos Grows Talents, Joseph Oyetola of John Kay rapper group; 2nd runner rapper, Omoruwa Luck aka Bright Tizzy and star prise winner Adesanya Lateef of Unicyclist group at the presentation of Cheque to the winners of Lagos Grows Talents, held in Lagos...recently

Pdp Governorship Candidate For Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje,Surrounded By His Admirers After The Town Hall Meeting Organised For Political Contestants In Lagos...Recently

L-R: Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; stateâ€™s All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; and state Secretary of APC, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, when the governor led the partyâ€™s campaign train to Bodija, ahead of the forthcoming general election... recently. Governorâ€™s Office

The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State under the leadership of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki with the Kwara North Council of Traditional Chiefs in Ilorin...recently

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Quick Takes Fish Farmer Wins in Promo

Ă?Ă˘ Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŽĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë›

Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹ Í´ÍłĚ‹ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĚ‹Ă™Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂœËœ ĂœĂ?Ë› ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă–Ă‹ Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă™Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ě‹Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂžĂœĂ“Ăš ĂžĂ™ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ‹Ă“Ëœ Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ‹ĂŒ Ă—Ă“ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ ĂŒĂŁ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă˘ Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜

ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ëœ ĂŁĂ™ ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂžĂœĂ“Ăš Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă˘Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă˘ Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂžĂ™ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂšĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă™Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—ĂŁ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˘ Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă¤Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂŁ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂšĂ?Ă™ĂšĂ–Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ™ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ‹Ă“Ë› Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă™Ëœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?ĂĄ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă”Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‘Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˘ Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‘ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‘Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă‘Ă™ ĂžĂ™ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ‹Ă“ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŒĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă? Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‘Ă™ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ?Ăž ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‘Ă™ ĂžĂ™ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ‹Ă“ Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ËŤ Ă‹Ă— Í´Íł ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă— Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂœË› ĂžËŞĂ? Ă™ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă—Ă? ĂžĂ™ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂžË› Ă™ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă—ĂŁ ĂšĂœĂ‹ĂŁĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂšĂœĂ‹ĂŁĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁË›ËŹ

Forum to Discuss Digital Transformation

SHAPING THE FUTURE

L-R: Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, Pearl Uzokwe and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema, at the ongoing 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerlandâ€Śrecently

Nigeria-India Collaboration Will Boost Local Capacity Building, Says Minister Stories by Emma Okonji The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu has assured Nigerians that the collaboration between Nigeria and India in the area of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will be beneficial to both countries in several ways in the area of local capacity building. This is just as the federal government and the Republic of India have begun moves to upgrade the bilateral agreement existing between both countries, in the areas of human capacity development, e-government, industrialisation and ICT. This was made known when the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Communications in Abuja.

TELECOM Receiving the High Commissioner, Shittu, said India remained one of the best countries Nigeria had enjoyed a relationship with in terms of partnership and benefited both countries. According to Shittu, â€œIn the area of bilateral agreement, we can raise a team to work on crucial areas and look at the details and appraise what we can do on low hanging fruit that would be beneficial to both countries.â€? He urged the commissioner to appeal to Indian companies to translate their investment, plans, and interest on Nigerian soil to reality in order to boost the economic fortunes of both countries.

Shittu said: â€œA lot of Indian companies had often indicated interest to invest in Nigeria by way of establishing industries but rarely translate such into action, hence, the need to encourage them to translate such interest into reality.â€? The minister called on the commissioner to encourage India investors to establish 5G network village in Nigeria and also partner stakeholders in building the proposed ICT Park in Abuja, which is expected to be located in a free trade zone that would add beauty and elegance to the country as well as boost revenue base of the investors. Shittu, said the facility grant requested from India government would assist rural broadband network throughout Nigeria and stressed the need to have

a pilot scheme that would enable the government to implement the project within the shortest time as well as enlighten Nigerians on the importance of the grant, which would be spread across the country. He urged the High Commissioner to expand Indiaâ€™s capacity training for engineering staff of the Ministry to consolidate their capacity and boost the nationâ€™s rapid development. The India High Commissioner said India and Nigeria relationship was underutilised and need to be enhanced in terms of bilateral trade, noting that there is the availability of half of $10 billion lines of credit with 1.75 per cent interest that emanated during the Continued on page 24

Report: Nigerians See Value in Cryptocurrencies, Despite Slow Adoption A recent survey report conducted by Luno, an online platform for trading cryptocurrency, has revealed that cryptocurrency has great potential and has come to stay in the Nigerian online space, despite its slow adoption rate at the moment. The report described Nigeriaâ€™s payment landscape as changing fast with a gradual rise in the trade of cryptocurrencies. Developed in 2008, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, created for the digital world, and is entirely decentralised. As a peer-to-peer payment structure secured with cryptography, cryptocurrencies are reinventing the global financial system.

TELECOM Building on the 2017 edition of the Luno Cryptocurrency Awareness Survey, the recently released 2018 survey report delved even deeper in its research, surveying over a thousand people, and found that although the prices of top cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, surged to unbelievable highs, general public awareness didnâ€™t meet the expectations of most analysts. Apart from showing a certain level of acceptance for cryptocurrencies, the survey results indicate a positive future for cryptocurrencies in Nigeria. Analysing the report, the

report, Luno Country Manager, Nigeria, Owenize Odia, said: â€œWe expect to see growth in the industry during 2019, despite the significant price volatility we saw 2018.â€? According to the survey, over 65 per cent of respondents expressed familiarity with cryptocurrencies. From participants, 76 per cent of men and 54 percent of women said they were aware of cryptocurrencies. The report further revealed that 48.09 per cent of the participants said even though they do not presently own cryptocurrency, they were willing to buy in the future. Notably, female respondents edged this group

at 51 per cent. This willingness to buy, paired with the 38 per cent of respondents who said they already own cryptocurrency, leads us to expect continued adoption, the report said. According to Odia, the report encourages us in our mission to upgrade the world to a better financial system by providing safe and convenient products for Nigerians to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum. â€œBitcoin remains the king of cryptocurrencies in terms of awareness. Over 80 per cent of those who own cryptocurrency claim to own Bitcoin, Continued on page 24

Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă™Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇË› Ă’Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă‘Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ě‹Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– ĂŒĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă•ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂŁĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĚ‹Ă&#x;ĂšĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂŽ ËŠ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă‘Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă– ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ËŞËœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă’Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ËŠ Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?ËŞ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ĂšĂ–Ă‹ĂŁĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™Ă™Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“ĂšĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂŒĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă“Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ë› ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹ĂŁĂ™ Ă?Ă’Ă“ĂœĂ&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă?ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă˘Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ě‹Ă&#x;Ăš Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă? Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă™Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĚ‹Ă&#x;ĂšĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;ĂšĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă– Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă•Ă–ĂŁ ĂžĂ™ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă– ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜ĂžË›ËŹ

9mobile Appoints Oki CFO

ÍˇĂ—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“ĂšĂ? Ă•Ă“ Ă‹Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ě™ ĚšË› Ă•Ă“Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?ĂŽ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă‹ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂžĂ™ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?ĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂšĂ’Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă™Ă Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ™ ÍˇĂ—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂĄĂ™ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ě‹ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“ĂžËœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă”Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă“ĂžĂ’ ĂœĂ™ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă•Ă“ ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ‹ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ–Ă?ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› ĂœĂ“Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ™ Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÍˇĂ—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă•Ă“ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă–ĂŁ Ă™Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă? ĂšĂ–Ă‹ĂŁĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ě‹ Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë›

HMD Global Partners Techpoint

Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă•Ă“Ă‹ ĂšĂ’Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă’ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇ Ă‹Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă™Ă–ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í°Í´ĂžĂ’Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇËœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă’ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ™Ă‘Ă?ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă Ă?Ăœ ÍąÍŽ ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ÍłËœÍŽÍŽÍŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĚ‹Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?Ëœ Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ë› Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˘Ă’Ă“ĂŒĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĚ‹Ă&#x;ĂšĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă–ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ëœ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ— ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂĄ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ™ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă’ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë›ËŹ

â€œThe planned Abuja ICT Park will facilitate growth of SMEs, attract large national and international companies, and attract inward investments, that will proactively support services in a controlled environment that is safe and secureâ€? Minister of Communications,

Adebayo Shittu

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍˇ

NIGERIA-INDIA COLLABORATION WILL BOOST LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING, SAYS MINISTER India â€“Africa Forum Summit by Prime Minister of India. â€œThis is a good facility which to my knowledge, half of it has just been utilised and for Nigeria, we are not fast enough to allocate to projects that have been identified which can enhance our area of collaboration,â€? he said. Thakur, thanked the minister for his relentless cooperation over the recent years in partnership with the Republic of India and thereby promised Indian Governmentâ€™s readiness to cooperate with Nigeria in e-government developmental projects and human capacity development. REPORT: NIGERIANS SEE VALUE IN CRYPTOCURRENCIES, DESPITE SLOW ADOPTION specifically. Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin are a distant 2nd, 3rd and 4th at 30 per cent, 23 per cent and 22 per cent respectively,â€? Odia said. Giving reasons why Nigerians buy cryptocurrency, the report said an overwhelming 76 per cent majority buy cryptocurrency as an investment. Those who use cryptocurrencies for payment or remittance, sitting at 30 per cent, came in second with online shopping and micro payments being significant uses. Although it is still early days for cryptocurrencies, however, it is expected to continue to growth in this category as adoption rises, particularly in Nigeria, according to the report. The report further revealed that 42 per cent of respondents, strongly believed that improvements in transaction security and protection against hacking would positively influence their level of confidence in cryptocurrencies. â€œMarket sentiment may have been underwhelming in 2018, but with increased awareness fostered by platforms like Luno, we are sure to see an uptake in the adoption of cryptocurrencies during 2019,â€? Odua said based on the interpretation of the survey. â€œIn the coming months, Luno will continue to contribute to the growth of the cryptocurrency market in Nigeria, focusing on education and accessibility,â€? Odia added.

FG Bans Discosâ€™ Connection of AfďŹ‚uent Nigerians to 33KV Power Lines Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Mr. Peter Ewesor, also indicated that Discos had been mandated by the agency to disconnect power consumers and structures along their distribution Right of Ways (RoW). Ewesor, noted that as at

September 2018, the Discos had disconnected 1205 consumers on its RoWs, adding that the NEMSA order backing the disconnections was aimed minimising the rate of electricity accidents in Nigeriaâ€™s power sector.

â€œPeople construct networks today and you see them becoming fast older than what had been properly built years back and this is actually affecting quality and delivery of power supply to Nigerians.

â€œThe first one that we have decided to take and look at is that you have been hearing of loadshedding every day especially in the downstream which is where power get to you and me from the transmission stations.

The federal government has disclosed that affluent Nigerians and companies who arbitrarily arrange with the distribution companies (Discos) to be connected to high-capacity 33 kilovolt (KV) power supply feeder lines would no longer be allowed to do so. According to the government, such act affects the quality of supply to other Nigerians within the networks. Stating that it was out to clean up what it described as an unhealthy industry practice, the government through the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), explained that connecting power transformers of affluent Nigerians and industries on the 33kV feeder lines as against allowing them get supplies from 11kV lines has resulted to the rampant acts of load-shedding by Discos. NEMSA, equally stated that to the disadvantage of other larger electricity users within the Discos networks, the practice often leaves less volume of electricity which in most cases are not enough for distribution after affluent consumers have been connected to 33kV lines. Speaking at a recent meeting in Abuja where it presented its in-house conditions of service L-R: Network Operations Manager, Shomolu Business Unit, Ikeja Electric (IE) Bardi Edward; Chief Technical Coordinator, Sunday to industry stakeholders, the Oyewole; Chairman, Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited (MEMMCOL), Kola Balogun and Director, Tunji Managing Director of NEMSA, Omole, during the handover of the Enhanced Onipanu Substation by MEMMCOL to IE in Lagosâ€Śrecently

FOR IMPROVED POWER SUPPLY

Over 70% of Nigerians Do Not Shop Online, Says Konga Emma Okonji Over 70 per cent of Nigerianâ€™s population are still skeptical of shopping online and yet to be captured in the e-Commerce net, according Konga. Worried by the situation, which is affecting e-Commerce growth in the country, Konga said it is an anomaly that its futuristic business model is gradually catering to. Head, Corporate Communications at Konga, Mr. Gideon Ayogu, who stated this, noted that despite the changes caused by e-Commerce in the country, shopping in Nigeria was still largely traditional and the issue of trust has further hindered the pace of growth.

These challenges, according to Ayogu, would continue to adversely affect e-Commerce growth in Nigeria. But he, however, explained that Konga was already doing something differently to change the narrative for the better by giving Nigerians a better platform to shop online. According to him, the situation worsened with the sheer proportion of Nigerians who are left out of the equation. â€œIndeed, to millions of Nigerians who reside outside the cosmopolitan cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, for instance, online shopping is a hard sell,â€? Ayogu said. Quoting latest estimates from

the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which said that the global e-Commerce market is worth around $22.1 trillion, Ayogu said data from research firm, Statista also indicated that e-Commerce in Africa accounted for $16.5 billion in revenue in 2017, with forecasts estimating revenue in the sector to gross the $29 billion mark by 2022. Interestingly, Africaâ€™s share of the global e-Commerce market is expected to grow even more significantly in the years ahead, backed by factors such as increasing levels of literacy, fall in average smartphone prices, mobile adoption, growing internet penetration

and innovative payment solutions. The foregoing has seen projections of Africa as the next emerging market to make significant strides in online shopping. Perhaps, justifying its status as the continentâ€™s biggest market and most populous country, Nigeria is further estimated to play home to about 40 per cent of the continentâ€™s e-Commerce ventures within its shores - a positive development that has, nevertheless, failed in ensuring that the bulk of the countryâ€™s under-served or unreached millions partake in the e-Commerce revolution. â€œThrough a realistic and well-thought out business model, Konga is gradually

changing the narrative in the following ways: Growing chain of nationwide physical retail stores: With over 30 brick-and-mortar stores spread nationwide and many more springing up all over Nigeriaâ€™s vast landscape, Konga has given millions of unreached Nigerians a reason to smile. A bold, ambitious plan to spread its tentacles across the length and breadth of the nation, with the establishment of at least one store in each of Nigeriaâ€™s 774 local government areas, will unleash the power of the countryâ€™s booming population and see e-Commerce finally achieving its huge potential in Nigeria and beyond,â€? Ayogu said.

Operators Seek FGâ€™s Protection of Sea Cables Emma Okonji Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ Ă¤Ă? Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; Ă¤Ă? (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Cap Mkt) Ă”Ă“Ă™Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? (Energy) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?Ă”Ă™ (Nationâ€™s Capital) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă? (Maritime)

The newly inaugurated Association of Submarine Cable Operators of Nigeria (ASCON) has appealed to the federal government to consider the protection of submarine cables as national assets in order to ensure that the future of the internet is secured to a large extent. The operators said investments in submarine cables were expected to grow in the course of 2019 and beyond, hence the need for governmentâ€™s protection, since it is capital intensive to invest in submarine cable operations, and more capital intensive to repair and replace damaged undersea cables, in spite of the ripple effect if they eventually

got damaged. President of ASCON, Ifeloju Alakija, who is equally the Head, Regulatory Services, MainOne, and the Vice President of ASCON, Maxwell Eze, who is also the Submarine Cable Station Manager at MTN, made the appeal recently in Lagos. According to them, although incidences of sabotage were few compared to man-made accidents like, dredging, dragging anchor, and natural events such as tsunamis, earthquake, submarine avalanches, scraping against irregular ocean floor terrain and sharks, it becomes imperative to seek protection against willful sabotage, unintentional accidental damages and natural disasters, in order to maintain steady

access to the internet without operational downtime. They described submarine cables as communication cables that are laid on the sea-bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. â€œData is transported through the cables with the aid of light and repeaters spread along the seafloor at distances of around 50 miles, ensuring data moves along at a consistent speed,â€? they said in a statement. In Africa, prior to 2009, 16 African countries were connected to one submarine cable system. By 2016, submarine cable capacity reached 33 countries. Five of the cable networks are powering connectivity in the

West African region. These five include MainOne, Glo 1, WACS, ACE, and SAT-3 all, of which land on Nigeriaâ€™s shores. These cables facilitate the reach and speed of internet and phone access critical to international trade, official government communications, and daily end user requirements. Alakija said although submarine cables were tucked away from prying human eyes, the cables still face enormous threats from human activities like fishing, shipping, dredging and sometimes even state sabotage and cyber-attacks. He listed fishing activities to include harmful practices like bottom trawling, which he described as an industrial

fishing method where a large net with heavy weights is dragged across the seafloor, scooping up everything in its path â€“ from the targeted fish to incidentally cutting fibre optic cables in the process or snagging at them in such a way that its causes shunting. In the case of shipping, Alakija said anchorage happens when ships drop their anchors where there are submarine cables and it lands on them causing damage. He, however. said despite the challenges, more investments were going into submarine cables, adding that in recent years, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have all invested in submarine cables to keep pace with growing demand.

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Enelamah: Itâ€™s Now Easier to Access Credit The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, in this interview on Arise TV, a sister broadcast station of THISDAY, insisted that the federal government has developed lots of policies to enables businesses to thrive. He also spoke about plan by the government to create industrial parks in the six geo-political zones and ultimately in all the states in the country. Nosa Alekhuogie presents the excerpts: Nigeriaâ€™s ranking on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index, the country fell by one place last year. What accounted for this drop in the 2018? The starting point is to acknowledge that the whole theme of enabling environment and making it easier to do business in our country is one that we should have paid attention to a long time ago. Before this government came in, for 10 years or so, we kept dropping in the ranking. We were in the top 100 in 2006 or so, but from 2006-2015, we had dropped to 169th/ 170th. But we as a government, we made it a priority that, that reversal has to stop and we have to move forward. To the credit of President Muhammadu Buhari, he commissioned a council, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, to oversee all the efforts of government working with the private sector and other stakeholders to make it easier to do business in our country. One indicator of success is what the World Bank measures - the so called World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index. We are quite gratified and happy that the first year of our efforts resulted in a very significant job. Like you said, 24 places and as you know, when you have such rapid gains, you need to consolidate these gains and then move forward. I am fully persuaded that the forward movement would continue. For some reason last year, a lot of the improvements we were making were not recognised by the World Bank because they felt they have not been bedded down. I think the most important message is that this is a joint effort and everybody benefits if itâ€™s easier to do business in Nigeria. So the private sector, the government, small businesses which by the way is what the measurement of the World Bank Index focuses on. With your capacity as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, you are also the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, what would you say are the major accomplishments of the Council? Well the major accomplishment of the council can be divided into a number of parts. One is just to make doing business in our country easier. Letâ€™s start with what the World Bank measures. They measure the life cycle of a typical small business, from how it obtains registration. It is now easy to register businesses within 24 hours by the Corporate Affairs Commission. We have automated the way businesses pay their taxes, we have made it a lot easier to obtain credit, the National Assembly passed two notable laws that make it easier for small businesses to obtain credit, all in the life of this administration. We are working with the states to make it easier to obtain and register property. So all the things that are required to make it easier for businesses to run, we have done. So, thatâ€™s one dimension of what the World Bank measures. We are also working on the things that affect the way people do business in the country, particularly investors coming in. Iâ€™m sure you have heard of basic services like visa-on -arrival and trying to ensure that somebody wanting to get a visa when coming to Nigeria can get it within 48 hours, our missions would issue such a visa to such person. These things look ordinary, but they are the things other countries have done and we are now doing to make our country attractive.

Enelamah

If you remember, the President and the acting President at the time passed an Executive Order 001 on transparency, the principle of one government and also making it easier to do business in the country. All those are geared towards making it easier to do business in the country and you would find out that things would get better. As we go on, you would discover that things would get progressively easier. The important thing is we have to continue to make it a priority. The Council set out seven priorities to target, out of which four are yet to be met. They include registration of property, getting credit, power supply. How do you intend to grow businesses if you cannot meet the

All those are geared towards making it easier to do business in the country and you would ďŹ nd out that things would get better. As we go on, you would discover that things would get progressively easier. The important thing is we have to continue to make it a priority

expectations of the investment and prospective businesses cannot be guaranteed power supply and even access to cheap credit? So, letâ€™s just used the examples you used. In all those examples, there has been positive movements. If you look at getting credit, I told you that two laws have been passed that makes it easier to get credit. The Bank of Industry has been providing credit, we also have the social intervention funds for the artisans and people in the informal sector. So, I think in terms of getting credit, a lot has been done. On the issue of property, the key is making it easier to register property at the state level and we are working with the states in that regard and thatâ€™s one of the priorities of the presidential enabling business environment council right now.

There is also the issue of land matters. Beyond Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory which have digitised their land registrations, other states continue to face a plethora of bottlenecks in land registration and allocation. What has your ministry done to reach to the states to encourage them to improve the process of land acquisition and registration? Well the way to go is to leverage technology. What happens in Nigeria is that, as you have those improvements, other states copy. I think you would see increasingly that other states have followed suit. So far, the secretariat has been to many of the states in the country and making it easier to do business at the state level and automation being a big part of that.

But the two laws have not been effective. They have been passed, but what about the implementation? There are two sides to the laws. One has to do with having a credit registry that enables people have a credit track record and if you look at that collateral and credit registry, what you would find is that a lot of people and businesses have registered, we have about 600,000 if not more that had been registered. So, obviously, the credit history would develop over time. If you look at the movable collateral law which says you can obtain credit using movable property and not just landed property, I think importantly, we are making it easier to access credit for SMEs. It wouldnâ€™t all happen in one swoop. My view is that there is a lot going on. We were at the presidential quarterly business forum and the Bank of Industry pointed out they have given out over N500 billion worth of credit over the last three years. A significant part of that went to SMEs. I do believe there is positive improvement.

What about access to right of way. This is another area prospective investors in the telecommunications sector have complained about. They have found it increasingly difficult to roll out their fibre cables along Lagos and Abuja? A lot of work is going on in this area. One of the other important initiative that the president launched is the Nigeria industrial policy and competiveness advisory council which is basically a partnership between senior members of the government and the private sector working together to further industrialisation in the country. One dimension of that work is critical infrastructure. In dealing with the critical infrastructure, we dealt with the issue of right of way particularly for people who provide broadband access and other telecom services that require right of way. We have engaged the state and the good news is that the state through six representatives from the six geopolitical zones have committed to work with us to harmonise and make it easier to get right of way so that there would be a

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ENELAMAH: ITâ€™S NOW EASIER TO ACCESS CREDIT basic fee to pay across the country in every state states and also to ensure that that right of way is made increasingly easier. In return, the telecoms companies have committed to aggressively deploy technology across all the states and improve broadband and data access. So, I think itâ€™s a win-win and you would see that being rolled out in 2019. Are you in agreement with the sub- national report from the 36 states that has called for a proactive approach whereby state government implements federal reforms initiatives in centrally regulated areas but would also design and implement their own reforms in areas under state authority? The short answer is yes. But these things donâ€™t happen automatically and they donâ€™t happen by just issuing a directive or some kind of law. What happens is what the industrial policy and competitiveness advisory council is doing which is where you have a group of people particularly when itâ€™s a partnership between the government and private sector engaging the states, federal government and working together in harmony and collaboration to basically produce results that are win- win for the states, the federal government and the stakeholders. This thing should not stop the states from continuing with their own reforms at the state levels. The fact that there are certain reforms that could cut across the entire country and therefore we should work collaboratively with the states and not stop individual states from continuing to pursue reforms and progressive interventions that would make business work better in their states and life better for their citizens. After rising in 2017, and in the first quarter of 2018, capital importation into the country including foreign investment fell in the two succeeding quarters of last year. Isnâ€™t this a sign of loss of confidence in the economy among foreign investors? I donâ€™t think so. First let me say we have done a lot particularly working with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission to make it more attractive for investors to come in. Letâ€™s start with what we have done for existing investors which is very important. There were two areas that they wanted to see interventions which the government has done the work. One is the Pioneer Status Incentive Scheme. That is, as they are investing, they want to be given tax holidays for that, as you know, was suspended before we came in. But it has been revamped, restored and streamlined and is working very well. The second one was the Export Expansion Grant for those that want to export and grow their businesses beyond the Nigerian market. We have also restored that. We then come to the point of new investors, that is foreign direct investors (FDIs), foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and domestic investors. One of the important measures of that is the commitment they make. If you look at commitments investors made in 2017, it was over $60 billion in announced investments. In 2018, it jumped to over to $70 billion. Now, depending on the nature of the investment, it may not always come in as quickly as you like. You need to monitor particularly when it comes to FDI, the commitments and the work people are doing before you eventually get to the actual flows which may eventually happen overtime which is what wise investors do. Finally, we also know that investors do get circumspect when elections are approaching, so itâ€™s not necessarily unusual for you to see some kind of slowdown just before an election and upswing after the election. So what we encourage investors to do is to see the track record of Nigeria in terms of conducting elections. After Nigeria pulled out of signing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, it set up

Enelamah

a committee to review the potential cause and the impact of that agreement. What were the findings of the committee and is the federal government still adamant about remaining out of the continental trade deal? First off all, Nigeria did not pull out. We were very involved in the work that led up to the signing of the agreement by some of the members in March 2018. The way it was set up, if you follow the story AfCFTA, the African summit which is the heads of government and heads of states of African Union basically agreed that this was a good thing to do and that they would sign a framework to kick off the process. Now, in the case of Nigeria, some of our stakeholders pointed out that they wanted to be more involved in the process prior to the rectification beyond what will happen after the rectification. The way the AfCFTA was set up is that you are going to have one year following the ratification by the heads of government for you to go and consult locally. With the benefit of hindsight, Nigeria actually did it the right way. So, we decided to do it the other way. Itâ€™s not a one off

The way the AfCFTA was set up is that you are going to have one year following the ratiďŹ cation by the heads of government for you to go and consult locally. With the beneďŹ t of hindsight, Nigeria actually did it the right way

opportunity where if you donâ€™t sign as at march/ April 2018, you canâ€™t sign the agreement. The agreement is going to be a 50-100 year agreement just like the European Union agreement. It is going to last for a very long time. Given the level of interest and engagement of the Nigerian private sector, of the Nigerian state governors and a number of other players, we decided to pause, engage them, explain the agreement, understand it, do some impact studies and eventually proceed on basis of that and I believe that the work which is now coming to a successful conclusion would lead to Nigeria going ahead to support the agreement. But then, we have stakeholders which havenâ€™t been carried along. This is a case where we decided to slow things down so that we would have more buy-in. I believe the benefits would show in the fullness of time. Are you saying the committee has not completed its work, when can Nigerians hope it would eventually complete its work? That work is going to be completed I believe this month. The president gave us three months. Iâ€™m a co- chair of the committee doing the impact assessment studies and from the feedback I have, that work is going to be completed imminently. Then that report would be passed to the president and I believe he would on the basis of that, advise us and direct us on how to make sure that Nigeria gets the full benefits of the AfCFTA which as you know havenâ€™t been signed by a majority of African countries and is now waiting for ratification by 22 of those countries to go into effect. So, what we are talking about is how to work within an AfCFTA environment and I believe Nigeria would be well prepared when that eventually happens. The committee was set up in October last year, how much longer can the Nigerian Government hold out from joining the continental trade deal? Itâ€™s not usually how fast but how well. The way to look at what Nigeria is doing is that Nigeria is trying to do the AfCFTA agreement engagement well as opposed to doing it fast and thatâ€™s a choice. We made the choice to do it well, not necessarily to be the first. The second point to make is that these set of

studies and engagement we are doing now is what would bring the benefits which are not automatic in terms of the size of market it would create, the infrastructure, people have to do that and usually itâ€™s done in partnership between business and government. So the benefits of this engagement is that we can work out strategies on how we would engage as a country and as you pointed out, we are the biggest player in the continent. Therefore, Nigeria doing it well can only benefit not just Nigeria, but the entire continent. I am highly confident that having gone through a proper process to engage on the AfCFTA, the results wound bring many benefits to Nigeria. But it would be because we went through this process. You have commenced the revitalisation of the textile industry in conjunction with China with plans to open factories in Katsina, Kano, Abia and Lagos. How long will this process take? We are doing a lot to revamp our industries where Nigeria historically had a comparative and competitive advantage and textile, garment, being examples. So what we are doing is creating the industrial infrastructure which is what led to the sector basically becoming moribund. We plan to do it in all the six geo-political zones and ultimately in all the states. But Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Abia states are examples of where we are hoping that as we revamp the industrial parks and the special economic zones there, what you would then have is that investors would come in and by investing, we would have this textile sector coming back in a very big , robust and much more competitive way. We are doing this in partnership with the private sector like the Real Group from South Africa and Vlisco, which is a group that is also looking to come and invest in a significant way in the cotton, textile and garment sectors and there are also many players looking at it. This is a model we intend to adopt across board. We want to do the same thing for agric processing, petrochemical and downstream, auto sector and all the other sectors where we have the raw materials and process them here rather than exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. The real group is bringing in $2 billion into the country. Thatâ€™s some kind of positivity.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Transforming Nigeriaâ€™s Broadband Landscape Efforts by the Nigerian Communications Commission in collaboration with industry players to transform Nigeriaâ€™s broadband landscape is a feat that will further deepen penetration, writes Emma Okonji

Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu

he inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Broadband by the federal government in 2012, with a mandate to develop a broadband strategy and roadmap for Nigeria, underscored the strategic nature and importance of broadband. Although described as a good initiative from the federal government, which led the establishment of the countryâ€™s fiveyear National Broadband Plan (2013-2018), the implementation became a challenge, especially with the deployment of a national fibre optic-based network to distribute the huge terabytes of broadband capacity to the hinterlands, that were already delivered to landing points in Nigeria by various sub-marine cable companies like MainOne, Glo1, MTN WACS, Sat 3, among others. Despite the challenges that impeded the fast broadband penetration across the country, the NCC, in collaboration with industry players, was able to transform the countryâ€™s broadband landscape in just three years, a feat that has been commended by several industry stakeholders.

Importance of broadband Broadband is now globally acclaimed as the major index of development in all aspects of human life. Also, the internet and broadband have been globally acknowledged as the foundation for transformation to a knowledge-based economy. Broadband infrastructure is therefore recognised as an enabler for economic and social growth in the digital economy. It has the potential of enabling new industries and introducing significant efficiencies into education delivery, health-care provision, energy management, ensuring public safety, government interaction and the overall dissemination of knowledge. Broadband, according to the ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, is the nervous system of todayâ€™s civilisation, and its access is top priority for our technologically society. Thereâ€™s no gainsaying, therefore, that the aspiration of many nations today is to deploy available human and material resources to attain broadband success. Itâ€™s on this premise that Nigerians are beginning to confirm the strategic importance and profound impact inherent in the recent indices of Nigeriaâ€™s broadband giant strides.

Danbatta

Broadband penetration Nigeria attained 30.9 per cent broadband penetration as at November 2018. What this connotes is that, a total of 58,965,478 were connected to the internet through 3G and 4G networks out of 108,457,051 internet subscribers in the nationâ€™s telecoms networks. The figures rose in December to 60, 087,199, taking the penetration depth to 31.48 per cent. To put it into perspective, the broadband penetration figures stood at 8.5 per cent in 2015 when Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NCC. But within a space of three years, the efforts of Dantattaâ€™s 8-Point Agenda, which centred around broadband penetration, in conjunction with that of industry players, pushed broadband penetration to 30.9 per cent in November 2018 and 31.48 per cent in December 2018. Speaking on broadband penetration in Nigeria, the Special Assistant (Media) to EVC of NCC, Mr. Yakubu Musa, stated that the notable happy-ending story of Nigeriaâ€™s broadband penetration, was also a story of the diligent implementation of a comprehensive roadmap. According to Musa, if Danbattaâ€™s blueprint was, however, globally acclaimed for its completeness and integrated nature, his approach also revealed a leader in tune with system model. â€œDanbatta has always seen broadband particularly, as a function of an eco-system, not reductionistâ€™s internet speed perspective. The Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAE), while inducting him a Fellow of the apex engineering body last year, hinged its decision partly on Danbattaâ€™s unparalleled work on Nigeriaâ€™s broadband, confirming that the rare success was not a work of alchemy. Indeed, apart from his quick action in setting up a crack team of broadband implementation early, Danbatta has undoubtedly succeeded in ushering in an unprecedented regime of efficient management of scarce resource, spectrum,â€? Musa said.

Spectrum as broadband enabler The successful auction of various bands of spectrum by the NCC also helped in the growth of broadband in Nigeria. From successful auction of six slots of 2x5MHz in the 2.6 GHz Band, to re-planning of the 800 MHz band for Long Term Evolution

(LTE) technology, and to assigning of 2x10 MHz Spectrum to Glomobile for trial in the 700 MHz, the frenzy of activities around spectrum auction could be said to be remarkable. And from regularisation of 2x10 MHz Spectrum in the 700 MHz band previously assigned to MTN by NBC for the purpose of providing LTE services, to opening up 70/80 GHz band for both last mile and backhaul services, among other numerous spectrum managements, the impacts can also be said to have further deepened broadband penetration across the country. While the list is, by no means, exhaustive, a landmark was also recorded by the commission with the publication of Spectrum Trading Guidelines. The novelty attracted global commendations of international telecommunication organisations like the GSM Association (GSMA). Yet even more pertinent to broadband penetration is the fact that six infrastructure companies (InfraCos) have been licensed by NCC to drive the deployment of infrastructure across the nationâ€™s geographical zones and Lagosâ€”while the remaining one (for North Central) is being processed. This, no do doubt, speaks well for the future of the broadband industry.

NCCâ€™s role Nonetheless, while there was a special emphasis on ensuring Nigeria met its 30 per cent target on broadband penetration, as enshrined in the five-year National Broadband Plan, all items on Danbattaâ€™s 8-Point Agenda, brought to the fore, the speedy growth of broadband penetration in Nigeria. Industry players ascribed one of the most remarkable feats of Danbattaâ€™s leadership role at the NCC, to the dedication of the year 2017 as the Year of the Consumer of the industry. When the Year of the Consumer campaign was flagged off, less than 500 subscribers had activated the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb code developed by the commission in 2016 to tackle the menace of unsolicited telemarketing. Yet as at 31st of October 2018, no fewer than 16.5 million have activated the Do-Not-Disturb and counting. The commissionâ€™s second layer complaint toll free line, 622 has also become a beehive of activities. In similar vein, the commission has also issued a directive to service providers

on Data Roll-Over, enabling consumers to roll over unused data for period of time, ranging from one day to seven days, depending on the data plan, among other consumer- centric directives. Again, another portion of the agenda that stood out was how Danbatta revolutionized stakeholder engagement of the agency. From Ogun State where he ensure 47 base stations were immediately unsealed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to Kano State where over N200 million was waived on levies, to Kogi State recently where 120 base station sites were reopened, industry stakeholders who commended the role of the NCC and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in the unsealing of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in Kogi State and Ogun State, said the efforts of Danbatta has been amazing.

Strategic collaboration The strategic collaboration between NCC and state governments in one hand and between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the other hand, also contributed in telecoms development in the country. For instance, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Danbatta and the Governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, with a view to boosting mobile money service penetration and financial inclusion in the country, also struck a chord. With this development, thereâ€™s permeating optimism that the country will be able to deepen its financial inclusion to 80 per cent by 2020. Nonetheless, the inter-agency partnership between the two regulators, bore another fruit in 2018, when both regulators intervened in the 9mobile crises and saved the telecoms service provider from imminent collapse. Before the debacle that led to the 9mobile takeover, the NCC under Danbatta had already made its Code of Corporate Governance for the telecoms industry mandatory. Danbatta in his leadership role, has motivated the entire staff of NCC to achieve broadband feat for the telecoms industry and the entire industry are consciously motivated by the fact that thereâ€™s a fair, firm and forthright chief regulatory officer who is leaving no stone unturned in his march to take the telecommunication industry to the next level.

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Akano: New Technologies Will Disrupt Old Skills in Few Years Founder/CEO, New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, spoke about technology trends that will shape economies in 2019. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: You predicted the emergence of robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), long before they were introduced into the technology space. What are your predictions for 2019 and beyond? Thanks for going down the memory lane. As you rightly pointed out, the first world Artificial Intelligence (AI) news broadcaster was unveiled by the Chinese Xinhua News Agency on November 9, 2018, and millions of people around the world did not know immediately it was not a human being. You will also recall the Japanese Pop Star, Eiguchi Aimi who took Japan by surprise and for 17 days nobody knew in Japan that Ms. Aimi was not a human being singer but AI. You will also recall that in April 2017, a Chinese AI Engineer, Zhang Jiajia built and married a Robot Spouse for himself named YINGYING in a wedding that was well attended by his parents and friends and conducted in accordance with the Chinese marital culture and custom. Also, in October 2017, Saudi Arabia made a first, when they named SOPHIA, a robot, as Saudi citizen with human rights. What does it all add up to, where are we and where are we going technologically speaking? In my lecture in December 2018 in Nigeria at the Centre for Management Development (CMD) on AI and the future of learning, I submitted that Homo Sapiens is in transition, and on a one-way evolution ticket to becoming something else. We have bought the ticket, unfortunatelyitâ€™s one way, with zero chances of returning to who we are. But I would like us to look at the digital crystal ball this year differently from what we used to do in the years past. I believe it will be more beneficial for everyone- journalist, entrepreneur, job seekers, parents and governments, if we break it down into sectors. Letâ€™s look into 10 areas: Unemployment, FinTech, Telecom, Education, Agriculture, Media, Manufacturing, Homeland Security, Trade and Governance. What do you then see as the intersection between technology and the future jobs, given instances where robotics and AI are replacing workers, thus leading to job loss? In response to your question on job loss based on the emergence of robotics and AI, I will say yes and no at the same time. A friend of mine put it poetically in an article recently in the newspaper â€˜â€™how technology stole our breakfast and is about to eat our lunch.â€™â€™ But I disagree with him, because technology did not steal anybodyâ€™s breakfast rather technology changed our breakfast menu and gave us a new breakfast menu and technology has equally announced that a new lunch and dinner menu list is on the horizons. It is by putting issues in the right perspective that we can take full benefits of what is and what is to come. My answer in this sector is relevant to anyone ages 10 to 69 and business organisations as well. There are new menu list of skills that technology wants that can make anyone or organisation to be relevant in the new technology space that we are entering. The latest LinkedIn research on skill and employment shows that there are 50,000 professional skills in the world today. But most of these skills will be obsolete in a matter of three to five years. Most of the traditional skills will decline in value. Banking/Finance, Architecture, Accountant, etc will decline because of new technologies. What are your predictions about technology trends that will shape

is the year of surgically implanted Near Field Communication devices (NFC); Block chain and Crypto currencies diversification will be massive consequent upon the rise and fall of Bitcoin- we have not seen the end of crypto; Quantum computing will become mainstream because of Big Data and Internet of Things(IoT); GDPR and digital marketing for banks will drive the data mining sales model, as a way to reach customers; Decentralised App for payment- online payment using decentralised apps will grow because of their relative security vis-Ă -vis the legacy payment model; Cyber security.

Akano

individuals and organisations in 2019? I see 10 hot technology skills that will drive demand and shape organisations in 2019 and beyond. They include: Creativity, Innovation and Analytical Reasoning; Persuasion, Collaboration, and Adaptability; Cloud Computing; Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Cyber Security; People and Time Management; Mobile Application Development; Sales Leadership, Customer Service, Digital and Social Media Marketing; Animation, Video, Audio, and Game development; Business Analytics and Competitive Strategies, and the tenth is Data Science and Big Data. The demand for these 10 skill-sets by the industry will grow geometrically because we have

There are new menu list of skills that technology wants that can make anyone or organisation to be relevant in the new technology space that we are entering. The latest LinkedIn research on skill and employment shows that there are 50,000 professional skills in the world today

shortages and businesses are developing along these lines exponentially. If you have children or cousin or brothers or sisters and you donâ€™t want them to be hungry in the new technology age, these are the skills that will be in the greatest demand. Dr. Robot will be a better Surgeon than human doctors in few years time. AI will be a better pilot than human pilot, AI will replace drivers and cars will be electric without engine. AI will do some Accounting, Architectural, Journalism, Military, Teaching and Engineering jobs. Everything we are doing will converge on mobility like mobile devices and our mobile phones will become part of us in a new form. It will be engrained in our flesh- this will drive the demands for experts in mobility and internet of Things. Then when robot produces in the factory- Peter James and John have to sell to Steve and Florence. A Buhari or an Atiku will always need the services of Digital Marketing professionals to sell their candidacy to the electorates. So selling skill, customer service, digital and social medial skills will be in hot demand. What are you predictions for FinTechs in 2019? Obviously, the banking and financial industry are the biggest consumers of technology. Therefore, using past years as a guide, FinTech will continue to dictate the speed of innovation in technology. Some of the top 10 variables for the financial industry in 2019 and beyond, include: digital banks will grow faster than the legacy brick and wall, high street banks; There is bound to be bigger cash injection by banks into digital transformation in order to reduce overhead cost ultimately; massive deployment of AI in customer profiling for credit transaction will happen in 2019 in the banking industry. Due to the stringent and thick regulatory requirement and compliance for the financial sector- more banks will make use of AI technologies for compliance purposes; 2019

What is your view about the growth of telecommunications industry in 2019 and beyond? 2019 is the fifth generation technology (5G) year. The massive deployment in advanced countries of extra supper fast internet is this year. Towards the end of 2018 a few smart nations tested the 5G technology and the outcome was awesome. Finland was the first country in the world to make 5G mobile internet available to individuals and businesses. US AT &T delivered a super-fast internet as a test run for about 5000 visitors using its own hardware and the result was great. In South Korea, Ericsson, Intel and Korean Telecom connected a moving car to live 5G network as it drove through Soul and the experience of the customers was out of this world. MTN, Vodafone are two other major players in the 5G race. However, there is one major â€˜â€™BUTâ€™â€™, Since 5G technology makes use of virtualisation and IoT, it therefore opens itself up to a wider range of attacks surface. Cyber security will become a major cost- centre for telecommunications companies in 2019 and beyond. And both the breakfast and lunch of telecoms will continue to end up in the stomach of Skype, WhatsApp and those social medial stuff that offer communication at reduced prices to customers. My message to telecoms operators in 2019 is: â€œInnovate fast or die suddenly.â€? What will all these add up to and where will it put New Horizons Nigeria? We have discussed and analysed four sectors: Jobs, Fintech, Telecommunication and Education. The remaining six sectors are going to witness the impact of AI, IoT, Cyber Security among others in different ways but equal measure. With regards to New Horizons Nigeria, you will recall that we are the first company in Nigeria to introduce ICT certification- based training into the Nigeria education curriculum 13 years ago. As at today, we produce about 50,000 students yearly under our certification programme. Our determination to add value to Nigerians has always been our driving force. This is why we are the first company in Information Technology (IT) training Industry in 2018 to launch a comprehensive robotics education in high schools which includes curriculum on 3D printing technology, AII, IoT, Big Data, Cyber security and Graphics design among others. Several schools in Abuja and Lagos have signed in for this programme. This will help our children to acquire 2019 ICT skills that will make them to be competitive globally. I can confidently tell you that the schools we partner in Nigeria receive the best of ICT education like their counterparts in Europe and America. For the rest of us, we definitely cannot beat technology or slow it down- our best option is to join technology and provide the skills it wants. This is the only way for prosperity in the new technology space that is about

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

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Brand War and Closure of Coca-Cola Plant Ikem Okuhu It was a few days to Christmas and I was at a popular hangout in Enugu when a stranger interrupted my conversation with the bar owner. The guy, well put-together, was in a rush but the few minutes he spent on our table were enough for him to reveal a piece of information that was important to my brands and marketing mind. â€œCoca-cola had shut down its bottling plant at Ngwoâ€?. He went on to inform his friend that operations had become unprofitable as sales from this plant could no longer support overheads and as a result, the core staff were going to move to Port Harcourt where the Enugu and the larger south-eastern market would thenceforth be serviced from. It was an exclusive story for any journalist. As a marketing writer, it was even more important to me. But then, this man also whispered to my friend that it was not something the company wanted in the media and he offered the reasons. Because of these reasons, I told myself I was not going to write about it at the time. But as a journalist, I knew I had no â€œexclusiveâ€? rights over exclusive news. Scoops missed by one could be anotherâ€™s and although I respected the plea from my friend to keep the information close to my chest, a publication that generously graced the front page of The Oracle, a regional newspaper based in Anambra State, has compelled me to discuss this issue, especially given the deliberate attempt to give political colouration to an otherwise business decision of the multinational company. It is political season in Nigeria and straws of this kind forms significant planks and tools in electioneering contests and that is why it has become important for those who understand the complicated world of Marketing to explain the reason for the shutdown.

Coca-cola Nigeria and the erosion by value brands It began like a joke for some people but it seems that a market that had Coke as a runaway dominant player is gradually slipping away, thanks to economic strains that has forced many in the value segment to alter their utility maximisation preferences. Coke was not alone in this challenge. The breweries were also affected. Gala, the â€œpremiumâ€? sausage roll brand has also not had it easy. For the brewers, recourse had to be taken to their value brands for revenue, especially given that none of the premium brands were selling. Ask Nigerian Breweries how much Heineken, Star and Gulder had earned for them over the past five years and you will be good for this journey. Back to the matter on hand, for over two years, Cocacola has not had it easy, no thanks to two carbonated drinks brands that emerged from nowhere and have been eating market share like voracious termites. They came with very annoying names: Big Cola and Bigi Cola. Such names as these can only have great appeal in the value-for-money segment where utility is interpreted and pursued differently. Although the recession that hit Nigeria few years back has been said to have abated, its impact, especially in the alteration of consumption patterns will linger for much longer and when such a serious economic challenge occurs in any economy, the most affected are lifestyle products and premium brands as people adjust to utility maximisation within available resources. When Big Cola and Bigi Cola arrived on the Nigerian scene, its strategy was to attack the low end of the market with such ferocity as to ensure the big players, Cocacola and 7Up Bottling Company bled. Of course their price-points strategy was quickly embraced by these vast segment whose consumption preferences are not driven by brands but by value and by association. Bigi Cola and Big Cola attacked the

Coca-Cola factory

market and before the big players knew what was happening, dealers, who were getting these products at significantly lower costs have been hooked. That it was happening at a time Coca-cola was adding price points to their line of products made a crisis situation even more challenging. From a retail point of view, it made sense for a dealer to stock these value brands than stock either Coke or any of the 7Up brands. The margin they get from the company is significantly higher than the one from Coca-cola and because it reaches the market at also slightly lower costs, consumers didnâ€™t care what brand names these ones carried. And so it was not a strange occurrence for someone to ask for Fanta or Coke only to be offered Bigi Cola. People at this segment either didnâ€™t really know the difference or didnâ€™t care. That these new brands tasted very close to Coke and Fanta and even Sprite made matters worse. Coke, and of course, its hitherto major

Although the recession that hit Nigeria few years back has been said to have abated, its impact, especially in the alteration of consumption patterns will linger for much longer and when such a serious economic challenge occurs in any economy, the most affected are lifestyle products and premium brands as people adjust to utility maximisation within available resources

competition, Pepsi began to bleed. And they also began to devise their own response strategy to remain afloat. Those who followed the Pepsi â€œLong Throatâ€? marketing campaign would, in hindsight draw a correlation between the onslaught of Bigi Cola on the market. Not prepared to drop its price points, Coca-cola responded by creating the smaller Coke, Fanta and Sprite PET bottles, called â€œSolo.â€? But the more they struggled to find answers, the more Bigi ate into the market. There was yet another factor in the conspiracy. We are living in an era where people are not only watching their spend, but also are increasingly conscious of their health. The carbonated drinks industry has been losing grip on the A-B segment of the market for years, what with the soaring awareness on the implications of sugar on health. This has compelled many to drop their taste for their favourite carbonated drinks. What this means is that the effort by Coca-cola to concentrate marketing on the Premium segment was met with significant resistance by those who have been sold the rhetoric about carbonated drinks containing more sugar than good for their health. Enugu and its additional headache Coca-cola, as the report in The Oracle newspaper, stated, had been in Enugu State for 44 years. Such a shutdown should, normally worry everyone, especially when one assesses the implications it would have on direct and indirect employment. The Coca-cola plat was one of the key reasons 9th Mile Corner, Ngwo became a commercial hub. It was the localisation advantages of its presence that attracted the dead-and-buried Monarch Beer brand, then owned by the late Chief C.C. Onoh, a brewery that was later bought over Nigerian Breweries. Speaking of Monarch Lager Beer, did anybody raise political issues and neglect by government when the late Chief Onoh, himself from Ngwo, decided to close down his family-owned bottling company? In addition to the competition that has shaken Coca-cola nationally, Enugu presented its own challenges and that came with dozes of religion and faith, something the people take very seriously. Those who understand the business of Coca-cola will know that they make the most money from their water brand, Eva Table Water. It sells like â€œhot cakeâ€? But

Enugu demystified this soar-away brand and no other person was behind it but the fiery Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka. Fr. Mbaka and his Adoration Ministry, Enugu Nigeria (AMEN) some years ago launched a water brand, known as Aqua Rapha. In Enugu and Anambra axes, Aqua Rapha is taken like prescription drugs. You want to know why? Catholics believe in the efficacy of the Holy Water and its capability to miraculously cure diseases and drive away evil spirits. So when Fr. Mbaka, believed by many to have spiritual healing powers, eponymously named his water brand, Aqua Rapha (Aqua means water; Rapha means â€œGod healsâ€?), many Christians in and around Enugu believed this brand of bottled water has been â€œblessedâ€? by the priest and that each bottle carried those healing powers. It was no surprise that most other bottled water brands suffered in and around Enugu. Aqua Rapha, using it endless tentacles of the Catholic Church opened depots and distribution centres practically everywhere, including remote places ubiquitous Coca-cola could not reach. To worsen the case for the multinational brand, Fr. Mbaka recently added carbonated drinks to his bottled water line. His own costs much cheaper; distributors get it at greater value and his faith is also conspiring with his religious reach to multiply the woes for American soft drinks giant. Given these scenarios, the question becomes what would the government of Enugu State to do to ensure Coca-cola remained in the state? I know that the state government has been consistent in pushing for investments in the state. So what would be the reason same state governments would not do everything to ensure existing investments are retained? The business environment in Enugu State has been made to become one of the friendliest in the country, with a tax regime that is as convenient as it also encourages businesses. I am aware that the prevailing political atmosphere in the state is such that everyone just has to hitch their coach on a wagon somehow, but there are certain editorial contents a newspaper should not allow on its pages, even if the end is partisan or commercial. -Okuhu, a Brands and Marketing analyst, is also a Media Aide to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

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Saving IDPs from Starvation Kayode Fasua reports on the humanitarian tragedy arising from a recent overrunning of Rann, a Borno community sharing border with Cameroon by insurgents

hough the Nigerian military had assured all that they had reclaimed Rann, a Borno State community that recently was overrun by insurgents of the virulent Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), the United Nations (UN) has chosen to dither in fully sharing the belief. The global body through a distress note issued by its Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, said at date, humanitarian workers had been prevented from reaching Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other enfeebled locals in the area, with relief items such as food, toiletries, and other provisions stuck. Rann, is a town in eastern Borno State, and is about 10 kilometres from Nigeriaâ€™s border with Cameroon. In an impassioned statement issued through Kallon, the UN had expressed grave concern over the interruption of aid delivery to tens of thousands of internally displaced people in the benighted community, warning that it could spiral the woes of IDPs and other benighted rural dwellers facing insurgent attacks in the North-east. â€œThe interruption in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Rann is the direct result of an attack that started at dusk on January 14, 2019, on the military base and continued into the next day. At the time of the attack, an estimated 76,000 internally displaced people were living in Rann. â€œA medical clinic, warehouses with humanitarian supplies and accommodation for aid workers were looted and destroyed in the attack. The market and shelters in the camp were burned down by the attackers,â€? Kallon demurred. He further stated: â€œSeveral civilian fatalities have also been reported, although the total number is not yet known, and thousands are reported to have fled to Cameroon. In addition, 14 aid workers, who were in Rann during the attack and able to hide, were withdrawn the day after by helicopter. At present, Rann is inaccessible to international humanitarian organisations, both by road and by air.â€? Kallon, thus observed that the attacks on Rann had become one too many, adding that it had begun to have a devastating impact on civilians taking refuge in the isolated town, â€œand severely affecting our ability to deliver life-saving aid to women, men and children in need.â€? He lamented also, that the attack had spread fear among an already vulnerable population, and humanitarian assets were also targeted, urging Nigeriaâ€™s federal government to adopt fresh measures aimed at protecting civilians, including aid workers. Going on memory lane, however, the UNâ€™s â€˜tale of the tapeâ€™ regarding its experience in bringing succour to the endangered species in the north-east has been one of gloom. It particularly decried the seemingly unending conflicts, recalling that Boko Haram attacks since November 2018, had caused over 43,000 persons to flee their homes, with more than 32,000 taking refuge in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The Head of Communications at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), Samantha Newport, particularly noted that renewed attacks had cut off access to humanitarian assistance to some towns in Borno State, which the aid workers could only connect through Rann, a border town with Cameroon. The UN said immediately after the January 14 attack on the border town, 14 aid workers were withdrawn. The world body, in renewing its plea for a more proactive measure from the government, stated that the conflict in the North-east, now in its 10th year, had triggered massive displacement and caused severe humanitarian crises, with more than seven million people in dire strait. Rann, it would seem, has become a hot spot for both the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents, who see the seizure of the ravaged community as key to debarring aid workers from bringing succor to tens of thousands of IDPs and local populations in need of help. For instance, on March 1, 2018, three aid workers were killed, and three others abducted in an attack on the town, forcing Medicines Sans Frontier (Doctors Without Borders -MSF) to suspend its activities there. On December 7 last year too, another attack on an IDPsâ€™ camp in Rann took place, forcing the UN to withdraw its staff from facilities in the locale. Recalling the horrendous impact of the Rann

Buhari tragedy, in an article published on the MSF official website, a male nurse working for the MSF in Borno State, Isa Bwala, who was in Rann a day after the attack, said the community, which used to be a beehive of activities, was now a ghost of its old self. Bwala, who was at hand to assess the medical needs of residents there before aide workers were officially pulled out, said he met â€œa town turned to a ghost of its former self.â€? â€œWhat struck me when we arrived was the silence. Many parts of the town have been burnt. There was still smoke drifting in the sky and the fires were still burning in places. â€œI met a woman who was just back from the burial of her elderly mother, who had died inside her burning home. She got burnt to death inside because she couldnâ€™t escape the fire. â€œMSFâ€™s base, office and pharmacy have also been burnt to the ground. All thatâ€™s left are piles of ashes. â€œLuckily, all of our staff from Rann are safe. Several have fled to Cameroon, along with the majority of the population of Rann.

The interruption in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Rann is the direct result of an attack that started at dusk on January 14, 2019, on the military base and continued into the next day. At the time of the attack, an estimated 76,000 internally displaced people were living in Rann

â€œI saw a long line of people leaving for Cameroon-women, children and men, of all ages. Some had donkeys but many were just carrying their belongings. The ones I spoke to said they were leaving because they were too afraid to stay,â€? Bwala stated.

Military Offers Hope Meanwhile, the Nigerian military authorities have given a glimmer of hope, saying troops were able to reclaim Rann, less than 24 hours after it was overrun by the insurgents. The disclosure came as the Theatre Commander (TC) Major General Benson Akinroluyo, and the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Nigerian Army, and Commander, Sector 1 of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Brigadier General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu, conducted a â€œlong-range confidence building patrol, assessment and reassurance visitâ€? along Mafa, Dikwa, Logomani, Gamboru Ngala and Rann, to check operational readiness and situations within the area. General Bulama reportedly met and interacted with community members in Rannâ€™s IDPs camp, which had earlier been attacked by the terrorists, who came in about eight gun-trucks and several motorcycles. Recalling how the attacks took place, however, Colonel Ado Isa, Deputy Director, Public Relations, 7 Division, Nigerian Army, said in a statement that the terrorists burned some parts of the village and parts of the Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) stores and looted some items. Bulama, gave the IDPs his assurance that security within their area would be strengthened, urging them to continue to support the military operation by giving information and identifying strange persons of questionable character. He also enjoined them to go about their normal activities and remain vigilant. In the same vein, the GOC met and discussed with members of the Multinational Joint Task Force deployed in Gamboru Ngala, appreciating them, â€œfor their effort and commitment over time in the fight against insurgency.â€? He asked them to maintain the existing synergy with the Ngerien troops deployed along the border, in order to put the insurgents at bay.

Borno Govt Intervention In its effort to ameliorate the human tragedy arising from the Rann attacks, however, the Borno State Government, through the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA) said

it had been making efforts to move food and other relief items to the attacked people of Rann, but lamented the encumbrance it was facing, owing to â€œthe hostile security situation along the route to Ngala, a nearby town where some of the IDPs are also migrating to.â€? Ngala, which is the headquarters of GamboruNgala Local Government area of Borno State, is about 75 kilometres from Rann. An online news publication, Premium Times, had quoted the executive chairperson of BOSEMA, Yabawa Kolo, as saying her agencyâ€™s personnel had been mobilised with relevant relief materials which they could not take to the displaced population, owing to security concerns along the roads. â€œFor now, we are doing our best to do discourage the (peopleâ€™s) movement to Cameroon. Our officials in Rann have been encouraging them to move to Ngala, which is easier for us to take relief to them. â€œPresently, some officials of the UN-OCHA have moved to Ngala and some of our personnel too, as well as the camp manager, are there, doing their best to take care of the situations. For now, we are trying to find new shelter for them,â€? Kolo said. But at press time, there were indications that the BOSEMA had succeeded in reaching some of the marooned and traumatised locals of Rann, through military support. Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, has particularly been undertaking rehabilitation works in rural communities ravaged by Boko Haram Haram and other insurgents in the last one and half years. The governor recently resettled over 20,000 IDPs, especially from Bama, a community which the military also recently reclaimed from the Boko Haram insurgents. Shettima justified the resettlement, citing reconstruction and rehabilitation works going on in many Borno communities, in which damaged residential buildings, schools, hospitals, police stations and other social utilities had been re-fixed. But the Secretary General of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, is displeased. While praising the governor for the reconstruction efforts, he appealed for a suspension of the resettlement efforts, citing unpalatable security reports on the rural communities. â€œWe are happy with what the governor is doing. But there is no need rushing the IDPs to sure death in the name of resettlement. There is no need resettling them now when the insurgents are yet to be fully tamed. Human safety is paramount in all,â€? Odili urged.

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Group Laments Harassment, Extortion by Customs Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Members of the Shoes Dealers Association (SDA) in Jos have levelled allegations of harassment and extortion against officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The Chairman of the SDA, Hamza Adam, who sustained injuries on both his head and hand from maltreatments by officers of NCS, lamented that they were harassed when they bought legal goods from within their own country. He called on the federal government, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Comptroller-General of Customs and the National Assembly to intervene and stop the humiliation being mated

on them. According to him, â€œSome years back now, Customs men have been stopping us on the road as we are coming back from Lagos to Jos. We always buy shoes form Lagos and other kitchen wares, socks, handkerchiefs, belts and other small, small things. Where we buy our market in the market place in Lagos Island, Oluwale is a recognized market. â€œAnytime we go market, we always go in a convoy of at times seven to 10 motor vehicles. Last year in January, customs officials attacked one of my members where they shot him. I am even one of the victims. I am still struggling now to overcome

the injury I sustained. â€œWe petitioned the ComptrollerGeneral, the Senate and nothing has happened up till now. We did that through our lawyer. But nothing has happened. All our complaints fell on deaf ears. Those goods we buying are not illegal goods. We are buying in bulk from Lagos factories which are duly registered. They are not contrabands. They are legal goods. We donâ€™t know our offence. â€œAlong Ibadan Toll gate, customs stopped us. I have three vehicles. I stopped and showed them the goods that we were carrying. We even showed them samples of the goods we were carrying. I showed them the receipts

of the goods issued to us in Lagos after paying. â€œThey said that we should hold on, and delayed us for about three hours there. The next thing from them was that we should go to their office. We asked them which office they were talking about. We told them that we did not carry anything illegal or some contraband. â€œAt this juncture, I stood up and told them that we were not going to any office with the luggage because we were not carrying anything illegal. Then they started beating me with sticks. I am not a thief. I was not carrying goods from abroad but from Lagos. I was carrying the goods to

REWARDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY

L-R: Divisional Head, Operations, Fidelity Bank Plc, Martins Izuogbe; Baale of Dankaka and N1 Million GAIM 3 Promo Winner, Alhaji Oluwa Kareem Amodu; his wife, Alhaja Amodu and Regional Bank Head, Apapa, Fidelity Bank Plc, Jude Monye at the third monthly prize presentation ceremony of the bankâ€™s â€˜Get Alert in Millionsâ€™ promo held in Lagosâ€Śrecently

ADB Partners ICRC on Gender Equality

Airtel Partners Groups to Empower Vulnerable Girls

Ezekiel Okpuzor, Esther Oluku and Hamid Ayodeji

Ugo Aliogo

The African Development Bank (ADB) Group and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed an agreement to accelerate gender equality, build resilience, and provide improved economic opportunities in Africaâ€™s countries. The ADB Vice-President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Jennifer Blanke, said her institution recognises that security issues cannot be separated from development. She added that sustainable, healthy, inclusive, and humanitarian economic development is not possible without security. Blanke said: â€œWe have agreed to bring together our respective strengths and expertise to build resilience, gender equality, economic opportunity and ultimately to improve the lives of millions of Africans in fragile environments.â€? During the signing ceremony President of the ICRC, Peter Mauer, revealed the importance of leveraging both institutionsâ€™ complementary mandates, adding that the Bankâ€™s main stakeholders are African States. Mauer, also noted that they work in regions where the State is absent for various reasons, â€œthis complementarity can bridge the security-development gap, producing more sustainable results and enhancing develop-

ment impact.â€? The letter, signed by Blanke and Mauer, followed several strategic and technical engagements between the two institutions. The AFD Director of Gender, Women and Civil Society, Vanessa Moungar, recently joined a joint mission in Niger at the invitation of Peter Mauer and the ICRC. The objective of the mission, which saw the delegation travel across the country from Diffa to Agadez, was to meet displaced people affected by shocks such as economic crises, conflicts or natural disasters and explore the potential for income-generating activities for women, girls and youth. The collaboration with the ICRC helped the Bank to contact remote communities and review its projects and initiatives in the region. During the joint mission stops in Diffa and Agadez, Moungar engaged with the ICRC and the National Society of the Red Cross teams who are giving direct support to women by providing income-generating activity skills. The new Bank-ICRC agreement opens the door for collaborative opportunities under the Bankâ€™s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme. AFAWA is a pan-African initiative with the overarching objective of bridging the finance gap for women in Africa and unlocking their entrepreneurial capacity.

Airtel Nigeria has announced a partnership with Girl Effect, an International Non-Profit Organisation and iSON group, one of the largest Information Technology Groups in Africa, to empower rural girls in matters relating to finance, entrepreneurship, health, economic empowerment and safety, and others. With the partnership, Girl Effect and iSON Group would leverage on their Girls connect initiative to give rural girls a voice. Girls Connect is an innovative (interactive voice response) IVR service that enables girls to listen to pre-recorded stories on their mobile phones before connecting to a specially-trained role model to answer their questions. Girl Effect and iSON Group ran a successful pilot of Girls Connect across five locations in Kano State last year and 44,000 calls were made to the service during the eight weeks campaign, 5 times more than the originally expected. Since January, this year, the programme has been live state-wide across Kano and Edo, in both Hausa and Pidgin. Speaking on the Girls Connect initiative, the Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah, said the company was proud to be associated with groups on the journey towards empowering and liberating girls across the country. â€œAt Airtel, we are intensely interested in connecting our esteemed stakeholders to the

people; information, resources and opportunities that will enable them succeed and realise their full potential. â€œWith the Girls Connect initiative, it our hope that more girls will be inspired, empowered and encouraged to do more, achieve more and change the world,â€? he noted. The Deputy Country Director at Girl Effect Nigeria, Hadeezah Haruna-Usie, explained that girls connect is an innovative campaign that is empowering girls. She also noted that in the pilot phase, they started to see girls put into practice what they learnt from the stories and conversations they had with the role models, from opening bank accounts, to enrolling in apprenticeship that would lead them to setup businesses. â€œThanks to our partners, we are now able to expand this service to reach even more girls and help eliminate the barriers that prevent girls from accessing Girls Connect,â€? she added. The Chairman, iSON Group, Ramesh Awtaney, said people live on hope, stating that through girls connect IVR service; girls in the country have access to a key platform free of cost where their quest is answered and their faith reinstated to live lives powerfully. She added: â€œThe programme shaped up by iSON Group and Girl Effect is a collaborative effort of how technology and content can interface to connect and share to fortify the bond of human race.â€?

Embrace Insurance, Old Mutual Urges Nigerians Ebere Nwoji Against the backdrop of increasing rate of insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria which is occasioned by some natural factors, political and other ethno-religious factors, Old Mutual General Insurance Company has advised Nigerians to embrace insurance as a means of mitigating all forms of risks in their lives and businesses. The Executive Director Technical of the company, Mr Japheth Duru, who stated this in Lagos recently, noted that in recent years, there has been an increase in incidence of natural disasters, terrorism, financial crisis and disease outbreaks that have affected the quality of life of an average Nigerian, yet many Nigerians are averse to taking insurance cover. Duru, while addressing journalists on risks that face Nigerians and the benefits of insurance said: â€œIn fact, as people venture into lifeâ€™s daily routine at work, on the road and even at home, their lives and properties are exposed to risks in various forms. â€œFamilies have to deal with loss of loved ones, health emergencies caused by accidents or illnesses; home and property owners face the risk of burglary, flooding, fire attacks and building collapse; business owners have to deal with the risk of damage and theft to their business premises and assets; vehicle owners are also faced with risks of motor accidents, aggravated theft and third party liabilities. â€œApart from the grief experienced with these risks, the resultant financial loss can be more destabilisingâ€?. He added that â€œwhile these risks may seem distant from our comfort zones, they cannot be completely eliminated and since man has not devised a means to ascertain when risks will occur; the need to mitigate against exposure to acute financial loss becomes crucial.â€? He said in the light of this mounting risk of financial insecurities, insurance had been identified by experts, as an important tool to mitigate against exposure to risk, adding that insurance guarantees peace of mind and financial security to the insured. He regretted that despite this critical realities, current trends showed that Nigerians were yet to truly embrace insurance as a tool for risk management.

Mutual BeneďŹ t Assurance Rewards Staff Ebere Nwoji The Chairman, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, has attributed the success of the company in its 23 years of existence as vibrant business entity to the grace of God, saying, â€œit is the grace of God that has sustained the company till date, we have no power of our own.â€? Ogunbiyi, said this at this yearâ€™s edition of the annual new year thanksgiving service organised by the company in Lagos. The company also honoured some of its staff who had served and added value to the company within 15 years. Its Executive Director Operations, Technical and Marketing & Distribution Channels, Mr. Adebiyi Ashiru-Mobolaji was awarded for a productive 20 years with the company. â€œThis is the 23rd edition, in the series. Since the company started, we have been given reverence to God because it is God that has given us the grace,â€? he stated. According to him, despite odds, Mutual Benefits Assurance has successfully raised its head above the water. Speaking on the long service award, he noted that all the awardees have in the time past distinguished themselves in the company, advising other staff to emulate them. â€œFor them to remain in the company means they are productive, we have a policy in Mutual Benefit, if you donâ€™t get promoted from one level to another within three years, we just give you one-year grace then we booth you out.â€?

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08152252325

NAFDAC: Living on Past Glory Just a decade ago, the fear of NAFDAC was the beginning of wisdom in the drug and food industry as fake and counterfeit drugs and products in circulation reduced from 60 per cent to 16.7 per cent. But with low budgetary release, obsolete equipment, and closed door leadership style, the agency is fast becoming a shadow of its former self. Martins Ifijeh writes

rior to April 2011, Nigeria was known in the international community as the ‘fake and adulterated drugs’ capital of the world. At the time, all manner of products were dumped into the country resulting in over 60 per cent of drugs in circulation termed fake, substandard or adulterated. Unscrupulous individuals made fortunes from the practice. Those were the dark ages in the food and drug industry of Africa’s most populous nation. But the narrative changed when late Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili was appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to head the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC). She came in with discipline, firmness, honesty and an open door policy. She was open to new ideas, humble to a fault and did not encapsulate herself with the aura of a director General (DG); an approach that made it possible for her to get information easily for the benefit of safeguarding the health of Nigerians. In no time, the toga of referring to Nigeria as the “fake and adulterated drugs” capital of the world began to fade away. Importation and manufacture of illicit, unwholesome and fake drugs started to take a downward trend. Many unscrupulous manufacturers in the country began to feel the heat. Those who escaped imprisonment ran out of business. By the time she bowed out of NAFDAC in 2008, the percentage of fake drugs in circulation dropped from 60 per cent to 16.7 per cent. She was one of the best things to have happened to Nigeria’s public health sector. She will forever be remembered as one woman that fought for the health and safety of Nigerians. Posers NAFDAC by law is charged with the regulation and control of manufacturing, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria. It also has the duty to check illicit and counterfeit products to safeguard the citizen’s health. Fast forward 11 years after, is NAFDAC still safeguarding the health of the nation, as its vision popularly connotes? Does the agency still effectively test for quality of foods and drugs? Does it even have equipment for that again? How about the robust inspection and monitoring policies the agency was known for, do they still implement them (better put, is the department responsible for monitoring and inspection still getting funds to act?). If Akunyili was alive would the country be having this proliferation of indiscriminate use of Tramadol, Codeine and the likes by our primary, secondary and university students? Why is Nigeria’s former star agency going moribund? Why don’t good things last in Nigeria? To be clear the above posers were not taken out of the bloom, the director general of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in her own words, during the visit of the Senate Committee on Health to her office in Lagos, said 80 per cent of equipment in the agency’s laboratory were obsolete, and that the current sordid state of NAFDAC facilities was far from the expected international standards. Adeyeye said, “Most of our equipment are obsolete and you cannot use old equipment for analysis, so we need to re-equip. The World Health Organisation (WHO) came to inspect our facilities and they gave Yaba facilities almost zero per cent because the centre is too small and the equipment are not there.” Inadequate Funding More shockingly, she said the agency gets very little support from government in terms of funding. “In 2017, we had a proposal of N6.1 billion, of which N164 million was appropriated and at the end only N82 million was released. “In 2018, we had a proposal of N8.4 billion, of

NAFDAC headquarters

emphasised that they were still having a long waiting time anytime they require approval of products from NAFDAC; a remark Adeyeye said would soon be a thing of the past. But 14 months after taking over the affairs of the agency, the waiting time seemed to have increased with some unscrupulous staff cashing in on lack of equipment to do the wrong thing.

Adeyeye

which N229 million was appropriated and only N22.9million was received. We requested for 50 operational vehicles to perform our mandate, till now, none has been released. We don’t have computers and we requested for 1,000 computers and we have not gotten any,” she told the visiting body. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -an equivalent of NAFDAC in Nigeria- spent $5.1 billion in 2018 for purchase, maintenance of equipment and the general running of the federal parastatal. That is the equivalent of Nigeria’s entire health sector budget for five years combined. Comparatively, NAFDAC in 2018 spent N22.9 million; that is about $63,000 while FDA in the same year spent $5.1 billion on same job description. One then wonders what else government is turning NAFDAC to if not to systematically destroy the agency and make it a toothless bulldog. Like the saying goes, you cannot plant an orange and expect to harvest an apple. In same vein, Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction; this best describes series of events presently noticed in NAFDAC; of importance is that the remaining 20 per cent equipment

available for testing are not enough to address the huge requests the agency is getting on a daily basis, and nature abhors gaps, hence giving food and drug industry players to cut corners to get what they want. Cutting Corners On specifics, a staff of the agency, who does not want his or her name mentioned for fear of victimisation, told THISDAY that many of those who wants to register products now use ‘facilitators’ within the agency, especially in the laboratory session, such that the facilitators help in all processes of registration, and this includes by -passing the use of equipment for testing. “Those who involve in this trade among us do it for three things; first, to help the client eliminate waiting time since the few machines available cannot attend to all requests on time; secondly, if the equipment are by passed, products that ordinarily would not meet the standard would be approved, this means those who brought in substandard products will get them approved, then thirdly, it means more money for the facilitators,” the staff said. During one of the breakfast meetings the present DG had with stakeholders in the industry, including journalists, some of those who spoke

Bottlenecks Unlike in the time of Akunyili where the agency enjoyed robust support from the federal government, the present NAFDAC is being starved of funds; an act that makes safeguarding the nation health a herculean task for the agency. “NAFDAC today is like the shadow of its former self. We are like orphans left alone to fend for ourselves despite the national importance attached to the agency,” a senior staff of the agency told THISDAY, adding that, “apart from paying salaries which the federal government is doing, we are the ones trying to generate funds through registration, and the likes. “During the time of Akunyili and few after her, we were able to get robust internally generated revenue because the agency was really huge. Right now we are struggling to even get stationeries, not to mention fixing equipment from the little we are getting.” He mentioned that present DG was not also helping matters, as she has shut out members of staff, including directors from the daily running of the agency, adding that she does not believe in open door policy. “Once the DG is not around, nothing works in NAFDAC. Sometimes, our office here in Abuja could run without power. If she doesn’t approve for us to get diesel and other things needed to run the office, we will be at a fix until she gets back. The lift in the Lagos office has broken down since the past six months, yet nothing is being done about it,” adding that many easy running of the agency have also been stalled due to bottlenecks on ground. The staff said for instance, directors do not have easy access to the DG, as she has instructed that they must book appointments before they see her. “If you don’t rub minds with her personal assistant, Lolade Onaolapo, you can’t see the DG easily. These direc tors complain in hush tones, but what can they do, they must move in the policy direction of their boss,” the staff said. Efforts by THISDAY to reach the DG on her 9mobile (formerly known as Etisalat) number proved abortive as she did not take the call, neither did she return the call as at press time.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

NEWS

Adewole Inspects Installation of Three New Cancer Machines in LUTH r7PXT UP UBDLMF NFEJDBM UPVSJTN r8F JOWFTUFE N JOUP UIF QSPKFDU TBZT /4*" Martins Iﬁjeh As part of efforts to address issues around lack of treatment facilities for cancer across Nigeria, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has inspected the ongoing installation of three new cancer machines at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos. This is even as he vowed to tackle treatment and management of cancers abroad through the establishment of other cancer treatment centres in other geo-political regions of the country. Adewole who stated this while addressing newsmen at the installation, said the investment in cancer treatment will ensure more Nigerians with the ailment are taken care off with state of the art facilities

and personnel. Adewole said: “The main purpose of investing in this cancer treatment centre is to treat more people in the country, rather than them travelling out for treatment, which is even the more expensive. “Also, the best place to treat patients is when they are among their people and seeing their relations every day. So, we are trying to achieve that and save the citizens’ money because it will be cheaper than travelling outside. “Three modalities for cancer treatment are chemotherapy, radiation and surgery because most cancer cases are always presented late, and that is what this centre will offer. Improving awareness on cancer treatment will make people come early for treatment and reduce late

presentation of cancer cases.” While stating that there was also plan to replicate the feat in many health institutions across the country, he also addressed issues around incessant breakdown of cancer machines across the country, saying the new machines installed in LUTH will be managed properly. “LUTH has a first class of Biomedical Centre which we planned to support other centres. I know LUTH will manage the machine properly which means abandoned and broken equipment will be a thing of the past. There will also be long-term maintenance contract that will enable us to manage the cancer machine effectively. “The cancer treatment centre is almost ready, so by February, this centre will start

operation fully for the benefits of the patients. We are eager to deliver on our promise to Nigerians. “Just last Tuesday, we flagged off the basic healthcare provision fund, which is a way of addressing issues around universal health coverage in the country. “We will also be providing some free basic services to the people such as immunisation services, delivery services, tuberculosis services, checking of blood pressure, urine test and treatment of under-five children,” he explained. He said through the BHCPF, the federal government will also be partnering with state governments by making sure that they state provide infrastructure, while the federal government provides money to maintain them, noting that

the major aim was to ensure people have access to quality healthcare in 2019. On his part, the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, said that the aim was to establish a world-class cancer treatment centre in the hospital which would help to reduce medical tourism as well as meet the needs of persons living with cancer across the country. Bode said: “We are really looking forward to the inauguration of the cancer treatment centre because many Nigerians will benefit from it. When our machines were working properly, a lot of people came from different states for treatment here. “We already have the manpower, that is enough experts for cancer treatment, but we

are trying to also retrain our experts on how to maintain and use the machine properly. “I want people to know that healthcare is evitable to invest in, so I am calling on people to invest more in the healthcare system in the country.” Also speaking, Healthcare Investment Adviser, Nigeria Survey Investment Authority, Kanyinsola Oyeyinka, who represented the managing director of the body, said the project was an NSIA funded project, and that they have committed $11 million to it. She said: “We have all the collaborations from the Federal Ministry of Health and all our private sector partners to deliver this laudable project. In no time we will call on everyone again for the commissioning.”

Delta Health Insurance Scheme Hits 500,000 Enrollees r"T 1IBSN"DDFTT #0* QBSUOFS UP SFWJUBMJTF EFGVODU IFBMUIDBSF GBDJMJUJFT Martins Iﬁjeh Arguably the biggest mandatory health insurance scheme in Nigeria at the moment, the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme (DSCHS) has hit 500,000 subscribers with a mandate to enroll all residents of the state into the scheme in no time. This is even as PharmAccess Foundation and the Bank of Industry (BOI) have partnered the state to help revitalize 25 defunct primary healthcare facilities as part of efforts to ensure the growing number of enrollees is able to access healthcare. Stating this during the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Asaba recently, by the state government, PharmaAccess and Bank of Industry to ensure renovation and smooth operation of the PHCs, the Director General, DSCHS, Dr. Ben Nkechika said the 25 defunct health facilities were built and abandoned for long. He said with the growing number of enrollees, the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa graciously approved the renovation of over 100 PHCs, adding that the state in November 2017 commenced the implementation of the scheme. Nkechika stated that innovation which led to the signing of the agreement was very important “to achieving the desired milestone. “With this agreement, the private sector will have access to funds at a single digit interest loan from the Bank of Industry to fix and run the abandoned health centres. “This innovative product will ensure availability of 24 hours quality healthcare services across Delta for the state contributory health scheme, ensure continuity of healthcare services during strikes and other

industrial disputes, as well as more healthcare service options for residents of Delta State,” he explained. The signing was chaired by the Chairman of the Board of the DSHCS, Olorogun Isaac Apkoveta with other key government officials, including Nkechika, the Chairman of the Local Government Chairmen, Delta State Chapter, Itiako Ikpokpo and the representative of the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ononye. Sharing his thoughts, the board chairman said: “There are several health centres in different communities that have not been put to use, with this agreement, the private sector will take over the running of the centres, equip them to standard and ensure that they are operational 24 hours for our people who have enrolled in the contributory health insurance scheme”. On her part, the Country Director, PharmAccess Foundation, Njide Ndili, stated that “the Medical Credit Fund is focused on developing innovative models to include the private sector to maximise efficiency and access to existing Primary Healthcare Centers anchored on health insurance”. She added that the Access to Finance scheme was very important to make funds available to the private sector who will partner with the Delta State government in achieving quality and affordable healthcare for Deltans through the contributory health insurance scheme. “The Medical Credit Fund of the PharmAccess Foundation would also provide partial guarantees to the Lenders on the loans they avail to the private sector players in addition to business development support to ensure sustainability.

L-R: Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Chris Bode; Minster of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; and Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Tanit Medical Engineering Ltd., Anthony Nada, during the minister’s inspection of the installation of new cancer machines in LUTH, in Lagos State recently

‘Fruit Juice Helps to Lower Blood Pressure’ Mary Nnah A famous health and fitness consultant, Dr. Bisi Abiola has stated that fruit juice could reduce the risk of high blood pressure if taken regularly. Stating this during the January edition of the monthly healthy living dialogue, an event sponsored by Chi Limited, he said drinking a glass of fruit juice gives an individual the opportunity to get at least eight per cent of daily potassium, which neutralises sodium and helps to lower BP.

Abiola said: “The overall amount of sodium and potassium in your diet affects your BP. Sodium makes it go up while potassium offsets sodium and helps to lower BP. “Researchers have shown that consuming more potassium reduces BP in people with hypertension; and this has huge benefit for consumers as long as they do not suffer from kidney disease. “Most of us only get about half of the recommended dietary allowance for potassium. What many people do

not know is that taking a glass of orange juice allows you to get at least eight per cent of your daily potassium.” While many hypertensive individuals resort to medication, Abiola stated that “medication is not the only way to control high BP, otherwise known as hypertension. Lifestyle and diet also play an important role in managing such a health challenge”. According to her, fruit juices from trustworthy brand like Chivita produces bioflavonoids

such as hesperidin – functions as an antioxidant and can help to lower cholesterol. She continued: “When healthy, reasonably overweight men drink orange juice daily for four weeks, and their diastolic BP goes down, the researchers who were searching for hesperidin’s role concluded that the bioflavonoid was probably linked to the beneficial effects. “Another study confirmed that regular consumption of hesperidin helps to prevent hypertension.”

Strengthening Supply Chain System throughWarehouseVisibility Project Martins Iﬁjeh To address public health commodity wastages across states, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, recently, requested the support of Africa Resource Centre (ARC) for supply chain in Nigeria. This request was necessary because an effective supply chain reduces the direct cost

of providing patient care, counterfeit drugs and waste, including the availability of medicines, family planning choice and vaccines. 3While warehousing of medicines is a critical component of the supply chain for the provision of medicines in any system; all Nigerians states have Central Medical Stores (CMS), which serve

as warehousing units for the storage and distribution of health commodities. According to the National Coordinator, National Product Supply Chain Management Programme (NPSCMP), Linus Odoemene, the three key areas needing support are, “warehouse infrastructural upgrade of 31 states CMSs in Nigeria. “Setting up of a visibility

platform in the minister of health’s office to provide real-time online status and performance of CMSs across Nigeria through a monitoring dashboard; as well as instituting a stakeholder engagement forum to foster ownership and advocate for fund allocation to the states warehouse improvement and measure progress.”

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

HEALTH

Push for Sustainable Financing of Universal Health Coverage

As countries continue to push towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for their citizens, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Lanre Tejuoso at the recent G20 meeting in Japan proffered models for ensuring sustained financing of the global healthcare approach. Martins Ifijeh writes

Tejuoso

f there is one discuss currently dominating the global health space in the 21st century, it is Universal Health Coverage (UHC); an approach experts have said has the potential to address poor healthcare outcomes presently experienced by many countries of the world, including developing countries like Nigeria. But as the approach continues to gain acceptance, the concern is shifting to how to finance it, and then sustain such financing, as healthcare anywhere in the world does not come cheap. In Nigeria, for instance, the federal government and several states have keyed into the concept, which resulted in the birthing of the Basic Health Care Provisions Fund (BHCPF), states and national health insurance schemes, among other programmes, which are tools towards achieving UHC. However, Nigeria’s push towards UHC is not coming on a platter. It is still a work in progress, with its heroes continually devising means towards expanding it across the country, especially to rural and hard to reach areas of the country. Some of such heroes are the Federal Ministry of Health, led by Prof. Isaac Adewole, state ministries of health, development partners, including the World Bank Group, THISDAY Newspapers, the presidency, and a host of other stakeholders and bodies. One other striking force behind all these is the Senate Committee on Health, led by its Chairman, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, who devoted more than half of his tenure as a senator to ensure Nigeria finally implements

the National Health Act and set aside one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the roll out of the BHCPF. It was the setting aside of that one per cent CRF that led to the earmarking of N55.17 billion by the National Assembly, part of which the federal government has released for implementation. This is the first time since the passage of the National Health Act in 2014, that the federal government has earmarked such funds for BHCPF. No wonder when the G20, in its last week summit in Tokyo, Japan needed one of the drivers of UHC in Nigeria to mount its global stage to share ideas on how to sustain financing of UHC, it was Tejuoso who was called upon. Speaking at the summit, the man, now fondly called “Mr. One Percent” for the role he played in the earmarking of the one per cent of CRF to fund Nigeria’s BHCPF, said to achieve UHC, countries must provide quality health services and offer financial protection to enable people afford the services, adding that to do this; the system must minimise leakages and wastages and ensure a robust performance management system is in place. Tejuoso said: “Using the BHCPF as an example, funds are pooled in a single account at the Central Bank of Nigeria and transferred electronically to the frontline service delivery centres based on services rendered. This guarantees that scarce resources can be maximise and those in need benefit. Equally important, is the comfort it gives to the Ministers of Finance, that scarce resources are being deployed to improve inputs of the production functions.”

“Also, we have built a robust performance management framework that evaluates program delivery before and after payment using independent verification agencies. This further strengthens the accountability mechanisms and improves transparency around the adequacy and flow of funds,” he added. He said to sustain financing of UHC, the ministries of health and their finance counterpart must work together. “For Nigeria, the two ministries can work together firstly by improving the budgeting process and aligning budget items to sector priorities. The Ministries of Health and Budget and National Planning have joint meeting sessions at the beginning of every budget calendar focusing on improving the quality of the budget making process and execution rates. “Secondly, under the BHCPF, a national steering committee comprising permanent secretaries of the Ministries of Health, Finance, Budget and National Planning, will meet regularly to provide crossfunctional leadership, strategic oversight, ensure programme visibility and serve as an advocacy group for increased resource mobilisation.” Tejuoso, who spoke on ‘Universal Health Coverage: Ensuring Sustainable Financing and Leveraging Innovation’ told the G20 audience that Nigeria’s health outcome has stagnated over the years with the coverage of basic health interventions low, adding that, “this low coverage rates suggest either of two things - limited availability of quality services or

high cost of care for the average Nigerian. For us it is both”. He mentioned that in Nigeria, 72 per cent of health care was funded out of pocket, pushing people into further poverty or making them forego healthcare services completely, adding that this was essentially because of the low levels of public financing for healthcare. While noting that UHC was important to the Nigerian government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), he said: “We know that countries who invest in human capital are known to reap significant economic gains. Therefore, for Nigeria to compete in a global economy it must have citizens who are healthy and productive. “This is the reason why Nigeria developed the ERGP, which has ‘investing in its people’ as one of its three pillars. The inclusion of human capital in the ERGP, specifically health, was in recognition of the linkage between good health, productivity and economic growth. “Based on this, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, (a funding vehicle to enable Nigeria achieve UHC, through the provision of an explicit but guaranteed set of services for all Nigerians) was developed. The National Assembly, of which I am the Chairman Senate Committee on health appropriated one per cent of the government’s CRF to fund the program in 2018.” As the eight Senate winds down in few months time, the Ogun State born prince will be remembered for his role in saving Nigerian mothers, children the vulnerable and the poor from preventable deaths and illnesses.

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

T H U R S DAY Ëž JANUARY 24, 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

PenCom Records 8.41m Nigerians on Pension Scheme Ugo Aliogo The National Pension Commission (PenCom) yesterday disclosed that about 8.41 million Nigerians are presently captured in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The commission disclosed this in its Pension Fund Assets Summary as at December 2018, that was obtained yesterday. PenComâ€™s spokesman, Mr. Peter Aghowa, disclosed that the number would rise in the coming days as more Nigerians would key into the scheme through

the micro pension scheme to be launched this quarter. â€œWe have no idea of the number of Nigerians that would key in at the launch of the scheme. However, we intended covering the entire informal sector over time, this is about 60 million citizens,â€? the Commission said. PenCom said the micro pension scheme would add additional N3 trillion to the existing N8.45 trillion pension assets. The commission, which also said the scheme would bring in about 20 million contributors into the contributory pension

scheme(CPS), stated that all was set for the official launch of the scheme nationwide. Micro pension is a pension scheme for the self- employed and persons operating in the informal sector. The Contributory Pension Scheme established under Section 3(1) of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 provided for the inclusion of the informal sector into the scheme. Since then, PenCom has been trying to reposition its operations to ensure that it captures the informal sector.

CAM Bill Passes Third Reading The Companies Allied Matters (CAM) Bill has passed the third reading at the Federal House of Representatives. The Bill, which was passed by the Senate in 2018, has been described as the largest business reform bill to be passed in Nigeria in over 28 years, as it represents the re-enactment of the existing Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (CAMA). A statement explained that the CAM Bill signifies meaningful progress towards aligning business practices, which had been heavily constrained by several provisions in the old 1990 Act, with global standards as it speaks to all matters affecting a company, from incorporation to winding up and insolvency. The Bill directly affects the influx of foreign direct invest-

ment (FDI) into Nigeria due to its relevance to the ease of doing business and investing in Nigeria. According to the legislative brief of the new Bill, it has new features that will make doing business in Nigeria a lot easier. â€œIn order for Nigeria to improve its standing in World Bank Doing Business (WBDB) Ranking Index, it needs to improve on its ease of establishing and running businesses and bring its business legal regime in tandem with modern advances,â€? the legislative brief explained. A key thrust of the Bill is therefore aimed at simplifying the process of starting and growing a business in Nigeria by abolishing the requirement for a company to have authorised share capital, enabling a single person to form a private company, introducing

for the first time a business rescue process, and introducing the concept of limited liability partnership. It also ensures more appropriate regulation for micro, small and medium scale enterprises, by making it optional for smaller companies to have a company secretary, comply with accounting requirements, and for one-man and small companies to hold an annual general meeting, as well as introducing separate models of articles of association for private companies. In line with Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) mandate, this re-enactment is a strong demonstration of the Administrationâ€™s commitment to improving the business environment, and ultimately Nigeriaâ€™s competitiveness.

Avon HMO Listed Among â€˜Companies to Inspire Africa in 2019â€™ Nume Ekeghe Avon Healthcare Limited (Avon HMO), one of Nigeriaâ€™s leading Health Management Organisations, has emerged as the only health insurance company in the country to be listed in the 2019 â€˜Companies To Inspire Africaâ€™ report. The report, compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group, featured 360 businesses across Africa adjudged to be â€œthe most inspirational and dynamic, private high-growth companies across the continent.â€? A total of 97 Nigerian firms made the cut while Avon earned the distinction of being the only company operating in the countryâ€™s Health Insurance space to be selected. Speaking during the launch of the Report at the London Stock Exchange Group head

office, the CEO of the Group, David Schwimmers, stated that the listed companies were crucial to the future of the African economy and capable of driving transformative economic growth in their home countries, Africa and beyond. He added that the listed firms recorded an average compound annual employee growth rate of 25 per cent, while also stating that that the report showed an average compound annual revenue growth rate of 46 percent; up from 16 percent last year. The growth rates and sector diversity of the firms featured highlight their potential to transform the African and wider global economy, thus putting them in a good position to become the major job creators of tomorrow. The report noted that 23 percent of senior executives out of the 97 featured Nigerian

companies are female, a significant leap from 12 percent in last yearâ€™s report. Reacting to the feat, Adesimbo Ukiri, the companyâ€™s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, expressed delight and appreciation. She also specially commended other female executives whose companies were featured alongside Avon HMO. â€œWeâ€™re immensely honoured to be listed as one of the companies to inspire Africa by the London Stock Exchange Group. We appreciate our enrolled members who have trusted us over the years and keep telling others about us; our partner healthcare facilities and their committed physicians & other staff who have bought into our responsiveness and quality of care mantra, and finally all our staff, who live their passion every day, bringing high energy levels and creativity to work.â€?

NAICOM Confirms Braie Linkage Assurance CEO Ebere Nwoji The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has confirmed the appointment of Mr. Daniel Braie, as the Managing Director/ CEO of Linkage Assurance Plc. The approval was communicated to the Chairman Board of Directors via a letter dated 28th December 2018. Braie was the Executive Director, Technical of the Company before he was elevated to the position of the Acting Managing Director earlier in 2018. A seasoned insurance professional, Braie, has to his credit

over 35years work experience including at senior management levels across different companies in the industry. He is expected to bring to bear his wealth of knowledge and experience to transform the operations of the company for greater growth. Meanwhile, the company in line with its vision to enhance quality of operations has also announced the appointment of Mr Okanlawon Adelagun, as Executive Director, Technical. Adelagunâ€™s appointment which became effective 7th January 2019 is subject to the approval

of NAICOM. He is expected to bring his wealth of experience to rejuvenate the technical operations of the company for efficiency and productivity. Braie, had worked previously with UNIC Insurance Plc, Trust & Guarantee Insurance Company Limited, Crusader Nigeria Plc and Topflight Insurance Brokers Limited, where he held various managerial positions including: Deputy General Manager, General Manager, Company Secretary, Group Head and Chief Executive Officer.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

MARCH 2018 Broad Money (M2)

24,303,049.86

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,912,604.10

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,668,378.21

---- Demand Deposits

9,244,225.90

-- Quasi Money

13,390,445.76

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

15,619,134.18

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

8,683,915.68

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,267,136.53

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,823,345.45

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

5,433,209.43

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,609,863.98

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,443,791.08

--Other Assets Net

-17,583,220.85

Reserve Money (Base Money)

6,746,646.49

--Currency in Circulation

1,668,378.21

--Banks Reserves

4,357,551.58 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ÍŻÍąĎą

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY, 22 JANUARY 2019

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $61.49 a barrel on Monday, compared with $60.90 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

T H U R S DAY ˾ JANUARY 24, 2019

MARKET NEWS

Banking Stocks Lift NSE All-Share Index Higher at 30,878.56 Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) nudged 0.46 per cent higher to close at 30,878.56 yesterday compared with a marginal rise the previous day as gains by banking stocks sustained the positive performance of the market. Similarly, market capitalisation inched up by N52.8 billion to close at 11.51 trillion.

The bulls were in total control of the market as 21 stocks appreciated while 10 declined. Although First Aluminium Nigeria Plc led the price gainers, banking stocks dominated. First Aluminium chalked up 9.8 per cent, trailed by Fidelity Bank Plc with 9.5 per cent, while Union Diagnostic and Clinical Services Plc gained 7.6 per cent. Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and FCMB Group Plc garnered 5.0 per

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

cent, 4.9 per cent and 4.3 per cent in that order. Jaiz Bank Plc, LASACO Assurance Plc, United Capital Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc added 3.7 per cent,3.3 per cent, 2.9 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively among others. On the contrary, Resort Savings and Loans Plc led the price losers with 8.3 per cent, trailed by Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc with 4.5 per cent. UAC of Nigeria Plc and NEM Insurance Plc shed 4.4 per cent apiece.

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Investors in NEM Insurance are taking profit after the stock surged 43 per cent last week as a foreign investor bought into the insurance firm. A leading African private equity fund manager, Advanced Finance and Investment Group (AFIG Funds) acquired 29.9 per cent equity to become the largest shareholder in NEM Insurance. Group Managing Director of NEM Insurance, Mr. Tope Smart had expressed delight

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

at the development. According to the partnership with AFIG Funds is the outcome of several years of constructive engagement, as well as a thorough internal strategic process to identify and engage with the best long-term institutional partner for our company. “We look forward to continue to benefit from AFIG Funds’ extensive experience investing in strong African companies particularly in financial institu-

O F

tions. We believe this partnership will accelerate the realization of our growth ambitions within Nigeria and across the continent. We are confident this will be a fruitful and mutually rewarding partnership,” he said. The acquisition spurred more demand for stock that boosted its price last week. However, some short term investors have started to sell and realise the capital gain. Hence, NEM Insurance closed among the losers.

2 3 / 0 1 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

Ëž THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

! % " ! $

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Bearish Sector Performance ÄžĆ?Ć‰Ĺ?ĆšÄž ĆšĹšÄž Ć‰Ĺ˝Ć?Ĺ?Ć&#x;Ç€Äž Ć‰ÄžĆŒÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒĹľÄ‚ĹśÄ?Äž Ĺ˝Ä¨ ĆšĹšÄž Ä?ĆŒĹ˝Ä‚ÄšÄžĆŒ ĹľÄ‚ĆŒĹŹÄžĆšÍ• Ď° Ĺ˝Ä¨

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dragged by NEM ( 4.4%) and SOVRENINS ( 4.6%); while the

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍşÍźËœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍˇ

MARKET NEWS

Vitafoam Nigeria Launches New Products to Boost Earnings Judith Obaze Vitafoam Nigeria Plc has introduced eight new products in order expand its revenue base, enhance customersâ€™ healthy living and boost shareholder value. The products, which were formally presented to the general public Monday are Vita Pearl, a pillow that regulates temperature and draws moisture from body, assorted customised beds, Sofas, Trifold mat for leisure, Reading chairs, three specialised mattresses including

orthopedic and classic and various polyurethane sandwich panel steels. Speaking at the launch ceremony in Lagos, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi explained that the new products were launched in line with the companyâ€™s culture of innovativeness. Adeniyi noted that product differentiation had become one of the hallmarks of Vitafoam group which makes it difficult for anyone to clone the companyâ€™s unique products.

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these â€˜sharesâ€™ on the

â€œFor us in Vitafoam, we are very concerned about innovation. Our ability to research, develop and then end up in innovating different products that meets the customersâ€™ needs gives us great satisfaction. In the history of Vitafoam, this launch is one event long over-due because we have sneaked into the market a number of products which were not particularly launched this way. We delight ourselves to be able to make history once again. This is another step in the right direction

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 22Jan-2019, unless otherwise stated.

to sustain our corporate culture of shareholder Value. â€œBasically , the launch is just adding to the array of success stories of Vitafoam. The Nigerian market is waiting for our products. As soon as we have introduced a Product into the market, we are also working on some other ones. It is difficult to fake our products because as for us product differentiation is our strategy,â€? said Adeniyi. Corroborating him, the Operator of Vitafoamâ€™s Comfort Centre,

Ilupeju, Lagos, Mr Toye Adegboye explained that the new products would enhance diversification of Vitafoamâ€™s offerings. According to him, the companyâ€™s products appeal to diverse spectrum of customers. â€œ Some of the products are pocket -friendly and without compromising standard. As a good corporate citizen, all the companyâ€™s products are of high quality and the target of Vitafoam as a group is to produce affordable high quality products which is

making business to thrive for us as their partners,â€? said Adegboye. Commenting on Vitafoamâ€™s operations, the companyâ€™s Commercial Director, Mr. Sola Owoade noted that the companyâ€™s subsidiaries had been developed in a way that each specializes in manufacturing of specific products and they are doing well. According to him Vitafoam as a group leverages on research and development in order to keep abreast of changing dynamics of customersâ€™ demand.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 155.17 155.32 -1.99% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 11.00% Nigeria International Debt Fund 279.39 279.62 2.30% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.84 0.85 -0.01% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 10.93% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.00% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.23 2.25 0.40% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 99.66 100.36 -1.51% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.46% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.13% Paramount Equity Fund 11.44 11.73 -2.32% Women's Investment Fund 100.41 102.99 -2.10% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.25% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 96.12 96.39 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 98.76 99.17 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.60% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.83 0.83 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 0.99% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 12.77% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 12.76% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,196.14 1,196.90 0.90% FBN Heritage Fund 141.99 143.19 -0.99% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.58% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $114.80 115.20 0.80% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $144.79 $115.27 1.04% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 144.73 146.87 -3.51% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.18 1.20 -3.14% Legacy Debt Fund 3.27 3.27 0.70% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 0.29% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,943.87 2,943.87 -1.84% Coral Income Fund 2,780.97 2,780.97 1.55% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.70% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 106.72 107.09 6.45% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.44%

Vantage Balanced Fund 2.13 2.14 -1.19% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 16.00% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 120.40 120.58 -3.62% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.22 1.24 0.48% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,077.91 1,077.91 0.80% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.07 11.15 -3.79% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.71% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.34 1.37 5.17% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.32 12.37 0.89% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.62% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 120.25 120.75 -0.42% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 0.69% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.95 11.10 3.23% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.29 12.41 2.49% Zenith Income Fund 20.92 20.92 8.66% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.43%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

5.95 117.98

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

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.44 112.93 86.90

10.54 115.38 88.53

-1.05% -3.71% -1.98%

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.80 7.18 14.28 13.16 145.23

3.84 7.26 14.38 13.36 147.23

-5.01% -5.75% -4.44% 6.41% 1.17%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.13

17.03%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund managerâ€™s website and FMANâ€™s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNA TIONAL

Pelosi Denies Trump Access to House for State of the Union Address President to plan alternative event

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said Wednesday she will not authorise a State of the Union address in the House chamber during the government shutdown, rejecting plans by President Donald Trump to deliver the speech next week in front of a joint session of Congress. “The government is closed,” she told him in a letter. “Let’s work together on a mutually agreeable date we can welcome you to the Capitol.” Trump had insisted earlier

in the day that he was moving ahead with the speech Tuesday in the House, the traditional forum for the event. But he said he wasn’t surprised when Pelosi derailed that plan. Democrats have become “radicalised,” he said. It was the latest round of brinkmanship between the president and Pelosi as they remain locked in an increasingly personal standoff over Trump’s demand for border wall money that has forced a partial government shutdown, now

in its second month. Pelosi asked Trump last week to make other plans but stopped short of denying him the chamber for his address. She issued that denial Wednesday after the White House, in essence, called her bluff. In a letter to Pelosi earlier Wednesday, Trump dismissed her suggestion last week that the speech be postponed or delivered in writing due to security issues related to the partial government shutdown.

US, Angola Endorse New Congo Democratic Republic of Congo’s new President Felix Tshisekedi won important endorsements from the United States and two African neighbours as international acceptance of his disputed election win grew on Wednesday. Congo’s highest court certified opposition leader Tshisekedi on Sunday as the winner of the Dec. 30 poll in spite of widespread doubts over the credibility of the result. Support of international and regional powers is vital to Tshisekedi, who is due to be sworn in on Thursday, as he tries to reduce poverty and stamp out militia violence in the vast central African country. The U.S. was among the countries most critical of the election, deploring a lack of transparency and threatening sanctions for interference in the process. But it changed its tune on Wednesday, following the lead

of other international powers, who fear a protracted dispute could further destabilise Congo, where wars around the turn of the century sucked in regional armies and led to millions of deaths. “The U.S. welcomes the Congolese Constitutional Court’s certification of Felix Tshisekedi as the next President,” State Department spokesman, Robert Palladino, said. “We are committed to working with the new DRC government … We encourage the government to include a broad representation of Congo’s political stakeholders and to address reports of electoral irregularities.” Neighbours Angola and Congo Republic also congratulated him. Angolan President, Joao Lourenco, wished Tshisekedi “success in carrying out the noble and difficult task entrusted to him by the Congolese people’’. Angola is a longtime Kinshasa ally but relations were strained during a two-year delay in the

election. The vote was meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in Congo, where conflicts have long destabilised the region. President Joseph Kabila, who has governed since his father’s assassination in 2001 and overstayed the official end of his mandate by two years, was due to address the nation later on Wednesday. Monitors pointed to major flaws in the poll, including outright vote tampering. Congo’s Catholic Church, which deployed 40,000 election observers, found that runner-up Martin Fayulu actually won in a landslide. Congolese sources in contact with senior officials said that Fayulu, also an opposition leader, had won decisively, but top officials instructed the electoral commission to award the vote to Tshisekedi, seen as more open to compromise with Kabila and his allies.

Congo Confirms 14 Ebola Cases Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday confirmed 14 new cases of Ebola virus in its Eastern borderlands, the largest one-day increase since the current outbreak was declared in August. The outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever in the Eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri is already the second-largest in history with 713 confirmed and probable cases and 439 deaths.

It is surpassed only by the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which involved over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths and led to substantial investments in a vaccine and treatments for the virus. Health officials have struggled to bring the current outbreak, Congo’s tenth since 1976, under control, largely due to widespread militia violence in Eastern Congo which has hampered the response.

The health ministry said in a daily bulletin that nine of the new cases were in the health zone of Katwa, just outside Butembo, a city of several hundred thousand people near the Ugandan border that has emerged as the outbreak’s new epicenter. One other case was in Butembo. The ministry also announced six new deaths of confirmed cases as well as the recovery of one patient.

Finland Ranks First in Good Country Index Finland ranked first in the Good Country Index published on Wednesday, Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Dr Jyrki Pulkkinen, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. Pulkkinen said the results of the Index indicated that, relative to its size, Finland contributes more to humanity and burdens the planet less than any other country. “This is the fourth edition of the Good Country Index, which measures 153 countries’ performance and ranks them on the basis of their overall impact on the planet. “In the recent Index, Finland rose from fourth place to the top. The other leading countries are Ireland, Sweden, Germany and Denmark,” the envoy said. He quoted his country Minister for Foreign Affairs, Timo Soini, as saying during

recognition at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that “this is an excellent recognition. “Finland is a good, downto-earth country and we are a reliable partner in international forums. “Our performance is the result of consistent work and I witness it in my work on an almost daily basis. “The recognition is good for Finland’s internal discussion and atmosphere. Let’s be proud of ourselves for a moment and let’s continue to pursue even better results.” The envoy said that the Good Country Index looks at 35 criteria, based on data produced by the United Nations and other international organisations. According to him, the criteria produce each country’s “balance sheet”, which shows if the

country burdens mankind or if it contributes to the common good of humanity. “Finland, which is now in first place, ranks best in terms of its journal exports, number of patents, freedom of movement, press freedom, cyber security, refugees generated, environmental agreements compliance, open trading, FDI outflows, and food aid. “The 35 criteria of the Index are divided into contributions to seven categories: Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, as well as Health and Wellbeing. “After the countries have been analysed, each of them will receive scores on each indicator relative to all other countries measured and corrected for the country’s GDP,” he said.

Declaring there are “no security concerns,” Trump said he planned to fulfill his “Constitutional duty” to report to Congress on the state of the union. “It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location,” Trump’s letter said. But Pelosi made her decision final not long after. She told him the House “will not consider a concurrent resolution

authorising the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened.” Trump said that he will do an “alternative” event, calling the cancellation a “disgrace.” He did not detail his next move, saying: “We will be announcing what we’re doing.” Trump said he was planning a “really important speech” and called Pelosi’s move a “great blotch on the country that we all love.” He argued Pelosi was blocking him because

she doesn’t want to hear “the truth” about border security. The president cannot speak in front of a joint session of Congress without both chambers’ explicit permission. A resolution needs to be approved by both chambers specifying the date and time for receiving an address from the president. White House officials have been working on a backup plan to have him give the speech somewhere else if Democrats blocked access to the House chamber.

Zimbabwe Soldiers Accused of Beatings Amid Protest Crackdown Soldiers beat people overnight on the streets of Zimbabwe’s capital and its second city, Bulawayo, residents said, hours after President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to investigate a security service crackdown on anti-government protesters. There was no immediate comment from the military, which kept up patrols and checkpoints on Wednesday. The president’s spokesman appeared to back the security services’ handling of protests which he described as a

challenge to the state’s authority. “The state has an obligation to demonstrate that it exists to ensure law and order and that’s exactly what happened,” George Charamba said. Last week, he said the crackdown was a foretaste of what would happen to future demonstrations. Japhet Moyo, Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Trade Unions, which called a strike last week that turned into protests, was charged with subversion and will be detained until Jan. 28, his lawyer said.

Lawyers and activists say police and soldiers have killed at least 12 people, wounded scores and arrested hundreds since the protests began 10 days ago following a hike in fuel prices. Police say three people died during the unrest. Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has accused security forces of systematic torture, raising fears that the country is reverting to the authoritarianism that characterised the rule of Mnangagwa’s predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Kogi West PDP Decries Acts of Violence by APC Agents Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi West senatorial district has expressed concern over the high-scale and recurring deployment of violence against

rival political parties by the agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. This is against the backdrop of a violent attack against its members at Odokoro Gbede during a campaign tour of

Ohanaeze Denies Scheduling Meeting to Sabotage Buhari’s Visit The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on yesterday denied allegation that it deliberately scheduled its Imeobi - Ohanaeze’s highest decisionmaking organ - meeting to clash with President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign rally in the South-east. The group is expected to hold the meeting in Enugu to decide Ohanaeze’s position on the February 16 presidential election. Buhari will visit Enugu and other parts of the South-East as part of his re-election campaign today. There are insinuations that Ohanaeze intentionally fixed the Imeobi meeting to clash with Buhari’s visit to sabotage his campaign rally in the region. However, the body in a statement issued yesterday by Chief Emeka Attamah, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President-General of Ohanaeze, described the insinuations as “false

and unfounded”. Attamah quoted the Ohanaeze President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, as saying he was not aware of Buhari’s campaign tour of the South-east when the meeting was scheduled. He said in order to avoid a clash with Buhari’s programme in the zone, the meeting had been moved from 10am to 4pm. “In deference to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and the Chairman of the South-east Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, who both called his attention to the clash, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo shifted the time for the meeting from 10am to 4pm on the same day at the instance of Ngige.” The group said the decision was taken “to give all Igbo sons and daughters scheduled for the meeting the opportunity to be there”.

Ijumu Local Government Area yesterday. Lamenting the ugly occurrence in a statement issued yesterday by its zonal Chairman, Taiwo Kola-Ojo, the party stated that on entering Odokoro community, they noticed that barricades were mounted on the road to deny them entry while stones were hurled at party faithful as they arrived the barricades. He added that two vehicles belonging to party members were destroyed, one of which belonged to a former

commissioner in the state and currently zonal campaign director of the party Hon Abiodun Ojo. The statement reads in part: “Going by the account, chairs and venue materials, positioned for the reception of the campaign train were destroyed, just as campaign posters belonging to PDP candidates were removed”. The party wondered how state officials who are considered as the chief security officers of their domains have now transmuted into chief coordinators of violence, and have become

terrors and tormentors instead of protectors and defenders. The party called on Nigerians to take note of the happenings in Kogi State where candidates of SDP, ADC and PDP have at various times and in various locations been attacked by agents of the APC. While commending the Police Area Commander, Kabba and the Divisional Police Officer, Ayetoro Gbede, for stepping in quickly to rescue its members, the party appealed to the Police to bring to book the persons that have been identified in the

attacks against its members. The party enjoined the Police and other security agents to always bear in mind that their obligations are towards all Nigerians and not to the ruling party or particular government officials. It commended party members for maintaining restraint in the face of provocation and for defying the ugly devices of anti-democratic forces as they still turned out en mass to ensure a great campaign the distractions notwithstanding.

Our Elections Must Reflect People’s Will, Obasanjo Insists Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday said elections must reflect the will of the people for the citizens to reap the dividends of democracy in Africa. Obasanjo spoke in Abuja at a book launch which he co-authored, with a title: “Democracy Works: Rewiring Politics to Africa’s Advantage” sponsored by Brenthrust Foundation. Greg Mills, Jeffrey Herbst and Tendai Biti are co-authors of the book. The former president, who noted that democratic practice varies from one country to another, said democracy in Africa would be promoted

if elections are free, fair and credible. According to him, the United Kingdom’s democratic practice differs from the United States’ system. “So, what can we do to enhance democracy in Africa? Election particularly, which is a democratic practice of every country, must be carried out in such a way that it reflects the will of the people,” he said. He said election should be seen in a way that it gives the voice to the voiceless. He said the 266-page book was written in order to advance the course of Africa and to ensure its development.

“The book focuses on areas of development that need attention for African growth and development. “We look at agricultural business, tourism, mining, hospitality, industrialisation and manufacturing. “We look at what to do to give every living human being in Africa an improvement in his living condition,” he said. Obasanjo, who noted that in the next 30 years, the population of Nigeria would have doubled to about 400 million, said this might be a sign of good or bad omen. “That is good and bad. Good, if we are able to

educate; good, if we are able to empower and good if we are able to create employment for that teaming population. “But bad if we cannot meet the needs of the population; we will be in trouble if we cannot be able to meet the needs of the population,” he said. He therefore stressed the need to ensure good governance in the Nigerian polity. According to the former president, this then boils down to governance. “So, the issue of governance must be addressed. And that is why we wrote this book; Democracy Works,” he said.

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

CBN Warns Banks against Circulating Mutilated Naira Nume Ekeghe The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday warned commercial banks to desist from dispensing unfit naira notes either over the counter or through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). The banking sector regulator also stressed that mutilation of notes would attract a fine of N50,000 or six months’ imprisonment. The apex bank stated this in a circular titled: “Clean Note Policy,” posted yesterday on website. The circular was signed by the Deputy Governor, Operations Department, CBN, Mr. Adebisi Shonubi, and the

Director, Currency Operations Department, Mrs. Prescilla E. Eleje. The policy, according to the central bank was aimed at ensuring an efficient circulation of premium quality bank notes and withdrawal of unfit and soiled banknotes to guarantee public confidence and usage of the naira notes as a medium of exchange. It warned deposit money banks (DMBs), other financial institutions and the general public to desist from acts, which are injurious to the naira. Such acts, it listed include writing or graffiti, mutilating, stapling the naira, tearing or making hole of any kind, spraying, soiling or marching.

“Offenders will be liable to a fine of N50,000 or six months’ imprisonment or both under the provision of Section 21 of the CBN Act, 2007,” it added. Classifying banknotes into nine levels, the policy stipulated that banks must ensure that they process their banknotes using registered processing companies and classify them into fit and unfit. It further stated: “Any counterfeit notes discovered are to be returned to CBN. Only the banknotes which have been authenticated - verified for counterfeit and free from unfit notes, according to CBN standard - will be issued over the counter by banks or through their cash dispensing machines.

“Unfit banknotes shall not be re-circulated by DMBs and CPCs. However, a penal charge of N12,000 per box, or any amount determined by the management of the Bank, shall apply for the deposit of unsorted banknotes. “In addition, penalties as may be determined by the Bank, shall apply for the recirculation of unfit banknotes. “There are machines that accept, count or sort banknotes automatically into fit, unfit, suspect or counterfeit. Only cash processing machines, which have been duly configured, and approved by the Bank shall be used by CPCs. “The CBN shall set fitness standards/parameters for

the processing machines by using test packs, which may be changed periodically. “The test packs shall serve as the reference notes and may be reviewed from time to time. Against this background, the CBN on a regular basis shall monitor compliance as set therein.” The circular described an unfit note as one that is badly soiled or there is a general distribution/localisation of dirt. According to the apex bank, unfit note presents a limp/rag appearance due to excessive folding that results in the breakdown of the texture and structure of the note. The bank also noted that unfit note has added image or lettering marked on it or

there is a hole that is more than 10 mililmetre It also stipulated that ATMs deployed by banks and other service providers are to be configured to dispense and accept only genuine banknotes in all denominations. “The ATMs shall dispense notes that have been duly checked for authenticity and fitness according to the Bank’s standard and operators whose ATMs contravene this provision shall be sanctioned according to section 20 of the CBN Act. “Similarly, DMBs and service providers whose ATMs receive or dispense counterfeits or materials other than naira banknotes shall be liable according to section 20(4) of CBN Act 2007”.

CDS, Others Pay Tribute to Badeh Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Prominent Nigerians and military service chiefs, including the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd); Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Abayomi Olonishakin, yesterday paid tribute to the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the late Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, as his remains were buried at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja. Speaking at the burial ceremony attended by Dan Ali and Mustapha, among others, Olonishakin said the late CDS was an astute professional. “Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh was an astute professional in his chosen career as a military pilot “He was a compassionate leader, mentor and fine military officer; he retired from the service in 2015, even in retirement, the ACM was full of energy and obviously had a lot to offer upcoming officers from his wealth of experience. “While we mourn our illustrious departed senior colleague today, we take solace in our confidence that he has gone to rest in the bossom of the lord. We love but God loves you more”, he said. In his remarks, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said Badeh was an astute air man who

earned over 6,000 hours during his flying career. Abubakar said circumstances surrounding his death must spur members of the armed forces to rededicate themselves to the service and deal decisively with crime and perpetrators of crime. “The loss of this professional and patriotic gentleman must spur the rest of us in not only in the armed forces but indeed in Nigeria to rededicate country and our people to deal decisively with crime and criminality. “We must continue to work and redouble our efforts in supporting the police and other internal security agencies to ensure the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book “I’m deeply touched and saddened by the manner in which we lost such an accomplished general who attained the peak of his chosen career in the Nigerian Armed Forces,” he said. Abubakar said Badeh was “a very jovial, principled and compassionate general whose leadership and good nature positively influenced his peers and subordinates. “ACM AS Badeh will be greatly missed and fondly remembered for his invaluable service to the Nigerian Armed Forces and indeed Nigeria. “Be assured that the NAF and indeed the country will remain ever grateful to you for your service and sacrifice,” he said.

Ganduje, Others Sign Peace Accord in Kano Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Following growing concerns over the conduct of politicians and their supporters during the forthcoming general election, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of APC; Mr. Abba Kabir Yusuf of PDP, and others have signed a Peace Accord in the presence of the special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Muhammad Ibn Chambas. The event, which took place at the Convocation Arena of Bayero University, Kano, was also witnessed by National Chairman of the National Peace Committee, and former Head of State, General Abdussalami Abubakar (rtd); the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, leaders of

the political parties in the state, civil society organisations, religious Clerics and community leaders. Part of the objectives of the Accord include “to engage flag bearers of all political parties in the state to abide by the rules of engagement as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2010, as amended and to explore ways of advocating the importance of peace, before, during and after the 2019 general elections.” Similarly, the Accord reads “to monitor through the Kano Civil Society Forum, the political campaign activities of all the political parties and their candidates to assess their compliance with the provisions of the Peace Accord.”

BRAND INNOVATION...

L-R: MD/CEO, Neconde Energy Limited, Frank Edozie; Group Executive Director, Obijackson Group, Nnenna Obiejesi; CEO, Brandzone Consulting LLC, Chizor Malize; and Chief Financial Officer, Nestoil Limited, Ikeazor Okonkwo, at the brand Iinnovation workshop organised by Brandzone LLC in Lagos… recently

Amnesty Programme: Stakeholders Caution against Politicising Gains Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta, including leaders of exagitators, community leaders and elders have warned politicians to desist from attempting to make a political fortune of the recently commissioned Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre, Ondo State by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). The stakeholders expressed dismay that barely two days after the state-of the-art facility was launched for the commencement of training of beneficiaries of the programme in oil and gas skills, there have been fraudulent

efforts to rewrite history by claiming or ascribing undue credit for establishment of the project. Reacting to a report captioned ‘Oil & Gas Training Centre: Ondo Ex-militants Hail Akeredolu, Pledge Support’ which was published in the January 21, 2019 edition of a national newspaper, a leader of ex-agitators in Delta State, Timothy Tensibe, said it was the height of deceit and mischief for a faceless “ex-militant” to hail the incumbent Governor of Ondo State for facilitating the establishment of the facility. In a statement issued yesterday, Tensibe, a phase two camp

leader in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said it was disheartening that some persons were trying to reap where they did not sow to score cheap political gains, rather than giving credit to President Muhammadu Buhari and the PAP Coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo, for achieving the feat. Part of the statement read: “While we hold the belief that the newly commissioned oil and gas training centre at Agadagba wholly owned by the Amnesty Programme will enhance the training of thousands of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the Programme to fast-track

development in the entire Niger Delta region, it is dubious for any individual or group to commend the government of Ondo State for keeping to promises made to former Niger-Delta agitators. “This is because besides the fact that the Agadagba Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre is not an initiative of the Ondo State government, it was solely funded by the federal government through the Presidential Amnesty Programme with a vision driven to an enviable end by Prof. Dokubo, acting on the mandate and guidance of President Buhari.

BUHARI TRANSMITS MINIMUM WAGE BILL TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY is ordinarily bound by the agreement reached by the federal government and labour. Indeed, nobody, not even the court is encouraged to vary or undermine a verifiable agreement reached by parties.” Also, CDHR has urged the federal government to address the protracted dispute that resulted into the ongoing strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). “We hereby demand that the federal government should address the issues raised by the lecturers to

enable Nigerian students in public universities resume their studies. ASUU has been on strike since November 5, 2018 and it is very unfortunate that the federal government is yet to fully address their requests. Again, it exposes the scant respect that successive governments of Nigeria pay to agreements duly reached.” CDHR advised the federal government to work on the implementation of those agreements whether with ASUU or Labour, adding that previous failures at implementing promises have made it difficult

for the common man to trust that the government would honour their word. “It is only logical for the government to transmit the already prepared and attached National Minimum Way Bill to the National Assembly for legislation. Every person who works hard is certainly entitled to his wages and lecturers are by no means an exception to this. In a related development, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has also rejected the N27, 000 minimum wage approved for Nigerian workers by the

National Council of State. NUT Secretary General, Dr. Mike Ene, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that the council should make the new minimum wage equal across board. “It is unfair and needed to be addressed immediately because a worker is a worker everywhere in the country, either with the federal or state government. “The N30, 000 translates to N1,000 per day; we insist that the 30, 000 stands for all workers in the country,’’ Ene said.

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Marketers to Receive N237bn Subsidy Claims December Peter Uzoho The marketers of petroleum products will in December cash N237 billion, being the first tranche of the N800 billion outstanding subsidy claims, which promissory notes were issued to them last December by the federal government. The Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Clement Isong, who disclosed this to journalists in Lagos yesterday, added that reconciliation is going on between the individual marketing companies, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), taking into cognisance the

feasibility of the order by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that all interest payment made on the loans be reversed from July 1, 2017. Isong said they were hopeful of being paid their money as reconciliation is also going on for the second tranche of the payment. “The amount on the promissory note that was issued was N237 billion. It is a bit difficult to tell you the percentage. Part of the agreement was that the Central Bank asked commercial banks to freeze interest rates from July 1, 2017 leading to about 18 months. So the interest payment for that 18-month

period is to be reversed. “So, the subsidy that was about 800 billion will go significantly backward, as a result of that reconciliations are ongoing between the individual marketers, the PPPRA and banks to determine the N237 that was paid which was the first tranche. But also, for the second tranche, which is expected to be paid reconciliations are ongoing between our marketers, PPPRA and banks so that we know how much our marketers spent. “There is also the deduction of forex differentials; reconciliations are also being

made to identify what actual forex payment will be made. So, there is a lot of work, reconciliation is going on. We are extremely hopeful that this matter will be put to bed as soon as possible; people will be paid to overcome this traumatic situation. He added: “Remember that the first payment was promissory note which is expected to mature by December this year; so, it’s not even cash. We had hoped that we would finish the reconciliation last year but we are still pushing the reconciliation. Left to us, we

would have been paid by now. The banks are waiting for the Central Bank to confirm that decision of reversion. Once that is done, then, hopefully we will be paid.” However, Isong advised the government to find a way of stopping subsidy payment on petroleum products, saying it is not good for the country. Also speaking, the new Chairman of MOMAN and Chief Executive Officer of 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc), Mr. Adenjunji Oyebanji, argued that for the Nigerian petroleum industry to flourish like its counterparts, it

has to be deregulated to enable people invest in the sector and be sure of making returns on their investments. “Then, we should also at that stage to begin planning for the future; what is going to happen? What is going to be the place of renewable in the industry? Are we going to bring in ethanol in the equation or other plant-based fuel options? What about solar-powered vehicles? What about gas-powered vehicles? These are all options that are available, that are just there that we can explore,” he added.

Ndume Blames Saraki for Non-consideration of 2019 Budget By Senate Deji Elumoye in Abuja The former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has accused the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, of frustrating moves by the Senate to discuss the 2019 Appropriation Bill submitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari last December. Ndume, representing Borno South, spoke with journalists after plenary yesterday. He declared that the delay by the Senate to commence debate on general principles of the N8.83trillion 2019 budget proposals five weeks after presentation by President Buhari was caused by the leadership of the Senate headed by PDP senators. He stated that as far as federal lawmakers belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) are concerned , the budget proposals can be attended to within a week and passed but the Senate headed by lawmakers on the platform of the PDP, seems not to be interested in the consideration of the budget proposals. “Though federal lawmakers on the platform of APC are more in number than their counterparts in PDP but since it is the PDP lawmakers that are controlling the leadership of both

chambers , the speed at which any executive bill, particularly the 2019 Appropriation Bill before us now will take , lies with them. “Those of us in the APC in both chambers have the passion and the will to effect expeditious consideration and passage of the 2019 budget proposals but the required speed for that lies with the leadership, topmost of whom are PDP members,” he said . When reminded that the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan ( Yobe North) who was supposed to move for commencement of debate on general principles of the budget or his Deputy , Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah ( Kebbi South), was not around on Tuesday and yesterday , he said the required move and speed for such legislative exercise lie with the two presiding officers and principal officers. He, however, commended the House of Representatives for kick starting debate on general principles of the budget yesterday which he said will propel such legislative business in the Senate very soon. According to him, the required expeditious consideration that should be given the 2019 Appropriation bill, should be extended to the expected minimum wage bill.

Three Ogun Indigenes Ask Court to Disqualify Abiodun Three indegens of Ogun State who identified themselves as concerned citizens have approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital, to disqualify the state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun, from contesting the forthcoming general election over an alleged false declaration of oath. The plaintiffs; Adisa Adeyemi, Jide Salau and Taiwo Jimoh, have headed to the Court, where they alleged that Abiodun made false declaration of certificates, when he swore to an oath, while jostling for the 2015 Senatorial election for Ogun East senatorial district. The case was brought before the court pursuant to order 3, rule 9 of the Federal High Court rules, 2009; section 182 (1)(j) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended); section 31(2)(5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010 and section

13, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act, CAP N84 LFN 2004. In the suit, which was marked FHC/AB/ CS/151//2018, the plaintiffs joined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Dapo Abiodun as defendants/ respondents. The plaintiffs are asking Justice Mohammed Abubakar to restrain Abiodun from parading himself as the APC governorship candidate in the state. When the case was mentioned yesterday, Abiodun was not in court, neither was he represented by any Counsel at the sitting. Speaking with journalists after the sitting, Counsel to the Plaintiffs counsel, Dr. Yemi Oke, said the suit is about the fact that Abiodun made false declaration on oath when he was contesting the post of senatorial seat in 2015 general election.

FREE MEDICAL MISSION...

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folake Olomojobi; and the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, administering immunisation to a child during the flag-off of the quarterly Free Medical Mission in Ikere-Ekiti…yesterday

Senate Approves N401.154bn to Settle Local Debts Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday approved the payment of N401.154 billion to seven contractors and 270 exporters for the settlement of outstanding local debts and contractual obligations. This is sequel to the presentation of the National Assembly Conference Committee Report on Promissory Notes Programme and Bond Issuance by the Chairman, Senator Francis Alimikehena (Edo North). Alimikehena had in a sixpage report of the committee he presented at Senate plenary, said the committee had approved a promissory note programme and a bond issuance in the sum of N206,065 billion for the payment of seven contractors and N195.089

billion bond issuance for the payment of 270 exporters claim in Export Expansion Grant (EEG) Scheme. He said the 13-man conference committee met on January 18 and harmonised the differences in the recommendations of the reports with respect to the payment of Beneficiaries/Exporters in Export Expansion Grant (EEG) Scheme and Contractors as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly in December, 2018. According to him, the two additional companies (SCC Nigerian Limited and Mahaza Company Limited) whose approval was not granted by the Senate due to non- presentation of relevant documents but after presenting those documents before the House Committee on Aids , Loans and

Debts Management, which recommended the payment of N162.479 billion and N2.046 billion to the two companies respectively. The Senate also yesterday confirmed the appointment of Modibbo Hamman Tukur as Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). This followed the presentation of a six-page report of the Senate’s eight-man Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes by its Chairman, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), on the screening of the nominee. Utazi said Tukur , a Masters degree holder who was screened by the committee on January 17 was between 2005 and 2017 Head of Strategic Partnership and International Affairs at the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)

and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said the committee decided to recommend Tukur to Senate for confirmation as NFIU director based on his qualification, experience and suitability. Also yesterday, the Senate referred the confirmation of three nominees as career AmbassadorsDesignate to its Committee on Foreign Affairs headed by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo Central). The committee, which is to report back to Senate within two weeks was mandated to carry out the exercise, following the presentation of Christopher Chejina (Delta); Bukar Kolo (Yobe) and M.A. Mabdul (Benue); to the Senate as ambassadorial nominees by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye (Osun Central).

Mark: Why Presidency Attacks Ortom Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has stated that Governor Samuel Ortom’s only crime that has earned him persecution from the presidency was that he has stood firmly in defence of the people of the state. Mark stated this at Oju Local Government Area of the state during the governor’s campaign tour of the local government area when his entourage interacted with traditional rulers from the area. He noted that the governor

had demonstrated courage, resilience and determination to defend his people by putting his life on the line to achieve that, stressing that all the attacks against him were because he stood for the truth. The former Senate President urged the traditional rulers not to stop at blessing the governor alone but also work very hard for his victory and that of other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates at the polls, saying the PDP was out to salvage the country.

Earlier, Ortom told the traditional rulers that he was in their domain to solicit royal blessings and support for his re-election and the election of other PDP candidates in this year’s general elections. He stated that his government had lived up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property of Benue people by enacting the Open Grazing Prohibition law in line with the desire of the people and resolve of his administration to end the lingering herders and farmers

crises. The governor noted that even as agents of the federal government had made uncharitable comments against the law, he was not deterred because it was the global best practice in animals husbandry. Acting Ada Oju, Prince Peter Ogbole, while assuring the governor of their royal blessings and support in the coming elections acknowledged the good deeds of the Governor including the creation of a first class stool for the people of the area.

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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FG Files Charges against NBC DG, Others over Alleged N2.5bn Fraud Alex Enumah in Abuja The federal government has dragged the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Modibbo Kawu, Pinnacle Communications Limited; its founder, Lucky Omonuwa; and its Managing Director, Dipo Onifade, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged fraud of N2.5billion. The charges were sequel to an

investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). According to court documents obtained yesterday, the charges were filed against the accused persons by Mr. Henry Emore and Adenekan Shogunle, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation. The presidency had in 2016, released N10billion to the Ministry of Information

House Moves to Equip Civilian JTF Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja To reduce the risks associated with their efforts to combat the Boko Haram insurgents and other security challenges, the House of Representatives is seeking to equip members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the North-east region with light arms. This move followed a motion by Hon. Mohammed Monguno, currently under consideration, where he called on the House of Representatives to consider empowering the CJTF to compliment the Armed Forces in the fight against terrorists. Although the motion was not adopted due to a constitutional provision that only members of the armed forces can bear arms, the mover, Hon. Monguno was directed to liaise with the Chairman, House Committee

on Rules and Business, Hon. Edward Pwajok to fine-tune it. In his motion titled: “Need for members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to bear small arms in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents,” he expressed the need to pass the motion in the quest to end insurgency in the region. According to him, “The President and Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to issue an Executive Order under Section 254 of the Armed Forces Act, 2004 to allow members of the Civilian Joint Task Force bear small arms along the military personnel in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.” Lawmakers were however divided over the motion, necessitating the call for the duo of Monguno and Pwajok to make the document perfect.

‘Over 8,000 MSMEs Benefit from FG’s Marketmoni in Ekiti’ Sunday Okobi The Bank of Industry (BoI), has said over 8,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ekiti State have so far benefited from the federal government ‘Marketmoni’ empowerment scheme. The bank also put the number of beneficiaries of ‘Tradermoni’ in the state at over 20,000. Both schemes are the two components of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) geared towards the provision of access to finance in order to enable small business owners grow their businesses. While the GEEP is domiciled in the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and supervised by him, the Bank of Industry is responsible for its implementation across the 36 states of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Speaking on the sidelines of the MSMEs clinic in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the bank Executive Director, Micro Enterprise, Mrs. Toyin Adeniji, said the scheme had helped to boost commercial activities in the state. Giving a breakdown of the beneficiaries of both empowerment schemes in the state, she said while over 8,000 MSMEs had benefitted from MarketMoni, while over 20,000 petty traders had captured by Trademoni. She said: “In terms of number, we have reached over 8,000 MSMEs in Ekiti State. If you want to

go further down to the micro level-the petty traders-we have reached over 20,000 and we are still doing more. Our target is to reach up to 30,000 in every state.” Making clarification on the two schemes, Adeniji added that while Marketmoni entitled market women who meet the criteria for a loan facility of N50, 000 in the first instance, beneficiaries of Tradermoni, who must either be trader, artisan, small holder farmer or a youth engaging in commercial activities, are entitled to a loan of N10, 000 on incremental basis. She also shed some lights on the qualification criteria, saying: “To benefit from Marketmoni, you must either be a trader, artisan, a small holder farmer or youth in some commercial activities. And to qualify, you must belong to a trade association. “In addition to that, any intending beneficiary must have a bank identification number and PVC. You must also get endorsement from your association. Once you satisfy all of these criteria, we will then process it in our system and the loan will be paid into the bank account given.” “Similarly, Tradermoni, which is the ultra-micro loan of N10, 000 for petty traders, is easier to qualify for. You are only expected to be captured by our agents at your point of trade. You must be seen to be selling something in the market, and you must create a need for the money.

and Culture for the digital switch-over programme which entails migration of telephone lines from analogue to digital platforms and a White Paper was issued directing that the process be specifically handled by government-affiliated companies. Based on the guidelines provided by the White Paper, two companies were nominated to handle the process, one of which was ITS, an affiliate of the Nigerian Television Authority. About N1.7billion was released to it as seed grant for the commencement of the

switch-over. However, the ICPC through investigation discovered that the process was fraught with alleged corrupt practices. In the charges filed before the court, the government accused Kawu of “recommending to the Minister of Information to approve payment of the sum of N2.5bn to Pinnacle Communications Ltd, a private company owned by Sir Lucky Omonuwa as a ‘seed grant’ under the DigitalSwitch-Over programme of the Federal Government when you knew that the company was not

entitled to receive such a grant an you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) (c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.” The government also accused Omonuwa of receiving N2.5bn in the Zenith Bank account of Pinnacle Communications Limited when he ought to know that the sum was the subject of an offence under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Omonuwa was accused of

transferring N167m out of the N2.5bn to one Daura Mamman, a bureau de change operator and thereafter taking the dollar equivalent of the sum in cash at his residence in Kaduna in contravention of Section 11(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended. Kawu and Pinnacle Communications had, however, denied the allegations levelled against them, describing the ICPC as being ignorant of the entire process of the contract award.

COURTESY VISIT…

L-R: Daughter of the late Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe; his son; Pastor Goodheart Ekwueme; Igwe Laz Ekwueme; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Mrs. Beatrice Ekwueme; Dr. Okey Onyemelukwe; and Secretary to the Sokoto State Government, Prof. B. Garba, at a courtsey call to Tambuwal, during Ekwueme family’s condolence visit to the late President Shehu Shagari’s family in Sokoto…recently

PDP: TETFUND Secretary’s Confession Confirms Corruption in Buhari’s Presidency Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) has said that the confession by the sacked Executive Director of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, that he was fired for refusing to give N200 million, as kick-back, to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has further exposed the seething corruption in Buhari’s Presidency. PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the revelation did

not come to many Nigerians as a surprise as it further vindicated the party’s position that the Buhari presidency is inherently corrupt and thrives on concealments, deception, beguilement, propaganda and lies. The main opposition party said Nigerians should note that the presidency has not given any reasons for Bichi’s removal, and has not also offered any form of explanation to the huge allegation bordering on corruption against a cabinet minister; a development, which PDP said had betrayed a collusion at very high level. Ologbondiyan added that the PPCO had always alerted

Nigerians that President Buhari presides over a sanctuary of treasury looters who, as ministers, presidential advisers, heads of special presidential committees, APC leaders and members of President Buhari’s Campaign Council, fritter the country’s national resources with reckless abandon under president’s official cover. The party stressed that Nigerians have not forgotten the case of the former aide of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, Mr. Baba Inna, who was arrested in September last year for allegedly receiving N2.5 billion from politicians, businessmen and women on behalf of the

First Lady. Ologbondiyan said, “This is in addition to the case of Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who while being paraded by the Department of State Services (DSS), last year stated in public that persons close to President Buhari were involved in serial looting under the official cover of the Buhari Presidency. “We hope this is not one of the conduits through which funds siphoned to finance the alleged involvement of some individuals said to be close to the Buhari Presidency in the N1.032 trillion alleged corrupt acquisitions in 9Mobile and Keystone Bank Plc.”

Justices Abang, Dimgba Return to Abuja, Asaba A new re-deployment by the Federal High Court has brought back a prominent judge of the court, Justice Okon Abang, to the Abuja Division, from where he was posted to Asaba division two years ago. The new redeployment according to a circular by the Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, is to take effect from February 11. The circular was dated January 21, 2019 Judges affected by the redeployment announced in the circular included Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who is posted to Asaba to replace Justice Abang.

Justice Dimgba who is reputed for speedy hearing and determination of both civil and criminal cases in Abuja was appointed a judge in 2015 and has since remained in Abuja Division, his first posting. The rest of the judges with new postings are Justice Babs Kuewumi, who is redeployed from Lagos to Ado-Ekiti; Justice Babatunde Quadri, from Abuja to Maiduguri; Justice Taiwo Taiwo, from Ado-Ekiti to Abuja; and Justice J. K Dagat from Maiduguri to Lagos. The circular titled, ‘Further posting of judges’, added that “Hon. Justice B. O Kuewumi will

resume in Ekiti on February 4, while all other judges affected by the transfer will resume in their division on February 11”. Although Justice Abang was redeployed to Asaba in January 2017, he was given the authority by the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Abdu-Kafarati, to continue to hear some part-heard criminal cases in the Abuja division. Some of the cases he continued to hear in Abuja included those of a former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, a former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, and the late former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh.

With the new redeployment, it is believed that the cases being handled by the judge would be given an expedited hearing. It is believed that Justice Dimgba, who is expected to resume in the Asaba Division of the court on February 11, will also be given the authority to conclude a number of high-profile criminal cases pending before him. Such cases included those of a former aide to former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Abiodun Agbele; former Chief of Air Staff, Mohammed Umar; former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola, among others.

THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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INEC Insists Gov Ahmed Remains PDP’s Kwara South Senatorial Candidate Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara State, Mallam Garba Madami, has insisted that the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, remains the Kwara South senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for February 16 general election in the state. He said INEC has not made any mistake by including Ahmed’s name as the PDP standard bearer for Kwara South in the forth coming elections. Madami disclosed this in Ilorin while speaking with journalists on the authentic candidate for the Kwara South senatorial of PDP in the state. Since last week after the release of the list of candidates for various elective positions in the country ahead of this

forthcoming general election by the INEC, there have been hues and cries in the state over the emergence of the name of Ahmed as the Kwara South senatorial candidate of PDP instead of Senator Rafiu Ibrahim. The governor had last year withdrawn from the race for Senator Ibrahim and communicated INEC over the development which the commission also acknowledged. Since this ugly development, the leadership of the party in the state had been making frantic effort to ensure that INEC correct the purported error of listing Ahmed as the candidate of party for Kwara South senatorial and put Ibrahim’s name as the authentic candidate for the senatorial district for the election. However, Madami, who presented evidences of communication between INEC and PDP on nomination and

substitution of candidates to journalists yesterday in Ilorin, explained that “November 17, 2018, was the deadline for the nomination and substitution of candidates for the election, while the PDP substitution letter was submitted on December 3, 2018. “INEC had replied PDP on December 31, explaining to the party that the request could not be granted following the expiration of the date for

nomination and substitution of candidates.” Madami, therefore, said INEC has not committed any offence whatsoever on the issue as Ahmed remains PDP candidate for Kwara South senatorial district. Meanwhile, Senator Ibrahim yesterday kicked against the purported listing of Ahmed as the Kwara South senatorial candidate of the PDP. He said he remains the

candidate of the PDP for Kwara South senatorial district despite counter claims by the INEC. Ibrahim said this while addressing party members and supporters in Ilemona, headquarters of Oyun Local Government Area of the state. He explained that INEC erroneously published the name of Ahmed as the PDP Kwara South senatorial candidate, noting that the governor had voluntarily

withdrawn from the race. The federal lawmaker asked party members and his supporters not to panic, stressing that the mistake will soon be corrected by the electoral body. He also used the opportunity to once again appreciate Governor Ahmed for acceding to the request by Ibolo leaders on ceding the party’s Kwara South senatorial ticket to Ibolo axis of the zone.

NCC DG Assures of Ease of Doing Business with Commission The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) is poised to promote the ease of doing business in the creative sector of the national economy, the Commission’s Director-General, Mr. John Asein, has disclosed. Asein who disclosed in Abuja yesterday said the Commission is being repositioned to align the performance of its statutory mandate with the Federal Government’s policy direction in the Economic Recovery and Governance Project (ERGP). Asein, who was the immediate past Executive Director of Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), a collective management organisation in the publishing genre, spoke while receiving stakeholders from the book industry led by Chairman of Nigerian Book Fair Trust (NBFT) and President of Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, who paid him a courtesy visit. Noting that copyright piracy was a threat to the ease of doing business, the Director-General stressed that the Commission would pursue its zero tolerance policy across all copyright sectors against piracy nationwide. He also indicated that the Commission would collaborate with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to facilitate early adoption and implementation of the National Book Policy. The Director-General expressed worry that piracy injures the creative industries from inside and outside the country, and added that safe corridors would be created for authors and publishers to grow their business as major contributors to the nation’s economy. He assured the delegation that problems associated with the marketing and distribution particularly in the book industry would be examined and addressed, adding that the copyright system must be solution-driven and should

strive to proffer solutions to the peculiar needs of every section of the creative industry. “The Commission will build a cross-border network that will enable it trace the movement of books within and outside Nigeria. We must do everything to grow the industry”, he stated. The Director-General hinted that the Commission would soon implement the provisions of the Copyright Act that make it mandatory for publishers to keep registers of works, noting that it is a criminal offence for producers of copyright works not to keep such a register. He added that the modalities for the implementation would be worked out with stakeholders. Asein urged stakeholders in the book industry to consider exploring e-platforms for the sale of books, adding that the Commission would complement this by focusing on checking piracy on those platforms. “The Commission will also be working with the blind community and we hope the book industry will support us in the implementation of the recently ratified Marrakesh Treaty to make books more accessible to persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled,” Speaking earlier, Adedapo called on the Commission to come up with a functional system for regulation of booksellers as another strategy to curb the exploits of pirates. The NPA president expressed appreciation to Present Muhammadu Buhari for his wisdom in appointing a competent hand who understands the challenges of the copyright industries. In his remarks, the President of ANA, Malam Abdullahi stated that the DG, having worked creditably as one of the stakeholders, should deploy his rich experience to actively drive the development of the creative industries. “We request for more attention on protecting the book industry,” he stated.

CONGRATULATIONS…

L-R: Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist, MultiChoice Nigeria, Akaoma Onyeonoru; Runner-up, 2018 DStv Eutelsat Star Awards (Poster category), Michael Okwutu; his mother, Mrs. Okwutu; and PR Specialist, Corporate Affairs Department, MultiChoice Nigeria, Timothy Okwu, at the presentation of DStv Eutelsat prize to Michael in Lagos…yesterday

Human Trafficking: NAPTIP Seeks Prosecution of Foreign Partners Alex Enumah in Abuja The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, has called for the prosecution of both Nigerians and their foreign collaborators, who are involved in human trafficking. She made the call during a meeting with a delegation from the French Embassy in Abuja, and the Central pour la

Répression de la Traite des Êtres Humains (OCRTEH), France. The delegation comprising Le Mer Gérard from the French Embassy, Abuja; Cotelle Patrick, and Beavgendre Lionel from OCRTEH, which is the branch of the French Judicial Police that investigates and prosecutes cases of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, was at NAPTIP for a five-day exchange programme between NAPTIP and OCRTEH. A statement from NAPTIP’s

Press and Public Relations Unit said, Okah-Donli decried a situation whereby a human trafficking syndicate or network is dismantled in European countries, and only Nigerians are prosecuted. Okah-Donli who expressed displeasure over the situation therefore demanded for the punishment of citizens of foreign countries working with or enabling their Nigerian partners to carry out such criminal activities.

She lauded the initiative of the French government at taking care of the Nigerian victims of human trafficking through the various non-governmental organisations and expressed her optimism that “the exchange programme will lead to stronger collaborations, joint investigations and operations, as well as mutual legal assistance which will be of immense benefit to both organisations and, by extension, the countries”.

Court Awaits Fresh Directive to Continue Kalu’s Trial Davidson Iriekpen Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday said the court would await further directive to proceed with the trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu. Kalu is facing charges bordering on N7.2 billion fraud. The former governor who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was alleged to have committed the offence between August 2001 and October 2005. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Kalu together with his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd, for the alleged offences. On October 31, 2016, the EFCC preferred a 34-count charge,

bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against the accused. The charges were, however, amended and increased to 39 counts. Kalu and the others had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail. Justice Idris, who has been sitting as a trial judge in the criminal charge against Kalu, has been elevated to the Court of Appeal. He had, however, been conducting the trial in the case, following a fiat, authorising him to continue with the trial. At the last adjourned date on November 12, 2018, Kalu was absent from trial, after being absent on a previous adjourned date of November 5, 2018. Although the defence counsel had informed the court that he was away for medical treatment in Germany, the court had

revoked his bail and ordered that at the point of his entry into the country, he must submit himself and all relevant travelling documents to the EFCC, failing which he would be arrested. The court had then adjourned the case until January 23, for the continuation of trial. When the case came up yesterday, the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), appearing for the prosecution, informed the court that in spite of its order, the accused had refused to submit himself or his travelling documents to the EFCC. He argued that such attitude constituted a clear disregard for the court, adding that in the circumstance, he would urge the court to give effect to the provisions of Section 352(4) of the ACJA and continue with the trial of the accused even in his absence.

According to Jacobs, the court should order the defence to call its witnesses, failing which the court is allowed by the provisions of the law, to close their case. Responding, counsel for the accused, Mr. Awa Kalu (SAN), expressed his displeasure with the submissions of the prosecution, noting that such arguments as canvassed by Jacobs should be put in an affidavit for the defence to reply. The court, however, in its reaction, informed parties that although the case had been adjourned for the continuation of the trial, the fiat issued by the President of the Court of Appeal had expired at the end of November 2018. He said on January 10, he had received fresh fiat in respect of some other matters before him, adding that the case in point was not mentioned.

T H U R S DAY ˾ JANUARY 24, 2019

SPORTS

ÜÙßÚ ÚÙÜÞÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ Duro Ikhazuagbe ×ËÓÖ duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Rohr Gives Conditions forVictor Moses’Return to Super Eagles Femi Solaja As Nigerians continue to call for the return of Super Eagles forward, Victor Moses, to the senior national team, Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, insisted yesterday that the former Chelsea forward must show commitment and be ready to fight for shirt. The Franco-German tactician had expressed shock when the ace winger informed him after the last World Cup final in Russia that he wanted to take a break from the team and resuscitate his dwindling career at Chelsea following

the appointment of another coach in Sarri. As fate would have it, the club coach declared the Nigerian forward surplus to requirement and urged him to seek action elsewhere in the ongoing winter window transfer. However Rohr who was on hand to watch the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match between host MFM FC and visiting Enugu Rangers at Agege Stadium in Lagos said that the player can still be part of his team to the African Cup of Nations if

he show commitment and be ready to fight for shirt. Moses was a major actor in Nigeria’s best World Cup qualification story as Super Eagles secured a berth to the Russia 2018 with a game in hand. But at the finals, the pacy winger was a bit below par in the three matches that the team played before it was edged out by Argentina. “Victor Moses is a player with lots of qualities. His pacy moves on the flanks give the team a lot of options to attack opponents but the premature retirement changed a lot of things and during the last

AFCON qualifying matches, we have adjusted with the players we have. “If he wants to come back, it’s an advantage to the team only if he can attain the standard he puts up in the last installment with the team. “He must show a lots of motivation, he must show that he is fit to play for the team because we have other players playing well in his position now. “Moses has to be strong to come back to the team because we have more options on the wings now like Samuel Kalu, Samuel

Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi and Ahmed Musa. All these players are very good on his wings, he remarked. Nigeria will play Seychelles in the last group match in Asaba, Delta State and few days later, it will confront Egypt in high profile international friendly match at same stadium. Rohr however did not commit himself to whether Moses will be part of any of the two matches in the buildup to the tournament in Egypt this summer. “We will invite the fittest

players for the AFCON qualifiers against Seychelles and the friendly match against Egypt. The best of them will play the Match. “With the level at which some of the players are now in their different clubs, I believe they should turn that form to the national team. “Some of the players in the domestic league will be available for the two matches but it’s unfortunate that the league did not start on time for us to know the fitness level of the players for a major tournament,” he remarked.

Kwara Holds Bendel Insurance as NPFL Action Returns to Benin City Duro Ikhazuagbe ÓØ ÏØÓØ ÓÞã Top flight football action returned to Benin City yesterday after 11 years as Bendel Insurance played a scoreless draw with visitors Kwara United.in one of The Match day 4 NPFL matches. However, the new move by the state government to ensure that there are no crowd violence in Benin ensured match officials who disallowed what looked like a good goal were not molested. Although Insurance gave their all, Kwara United were resolute in defence and occasionally made daring attacks at Insurance goal area. Bendel Insurance’s most experienced player, Charles Omokaro who has become the talisman of the Benin Arsenal, failed to live up to his reputation as all his tricks could not yield any dividend in this first game at home since returning to the top flight. Elsewhere, MFM claimed their second win of the season and shoot ahead of the field in Group A, while former leaders Kwara United step one slot down with Enyimba and Katsina United completing the top four. Rangers start their campaign on a losing note and are rooted at the bottom of the table, while

Lobi Stars are only one step and and one point. Wasiu Jimoh’s excellentlytaken half-volley earned Rivers United a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Sunshine Stars in Akure. Sunshine Stars had taken the lead early in the second half through Fuad Ekelojuoti who scrambled home a header from three yards in a crowded Rivers United penalty area but the visitors responded gamely to claim a share of the spoils. The Rivers United Technical Manager, Stanley Eguma, made two changes gto the side that drew 1-1 with Nigeria Tornadoes in Minna in their last game. Kehinde Adedipe and Kingsley Patrick were preferred to Weli Christian and Chigozie Ihunda and the altearations proved to be inspired. A first half which failed to hit expected heights was marginally sahved by the hosts who dominated territorially but lacked imagination in the final third. Ekelejuoti’s brilliant cross on 22 minutes almost caused damage but the Rivers United goalkeeper, Drissa Bamba saved well from Seun Olunlayo’s header from point blank range off the precise delivery. Bamba was again called into action just before the interval and this time, he saved far less spectacularly from Tope Akande’s header as the hosts

poured forward in numbers in an attempt to go into the interval in front. Eight minutes into the second half, the hosts took the lead in fortuitous fashion as Ekelejuoti prodded home the scrappiest of goals from three yards out as the visitors failed to clear

their lines. In Group B, Heartland maintained their perfect result and stay on top of the table, while FC Ifeanyi Ubah are in second place, one point short with Plateau United in No 4. El-Kanemi Warriors have the opportunity of going ahead of

Ifeanyi Ubah if they win their home match against Nasarawa United tomorrow. Group A Katsina Utd 1-0 Wikki Sunshine 1-1 Rivers Utd MFM 1-0 Rangers, Enyimba 0-0 Lobi Stars, Insurance 0-0 Kwara Utd,

Tornadoes 0-0 Remo Stars Group B IfeanyiUbah 1-0 Yobe Stars Heartland 1-0 Go Round FC, Akwa Utd 2-2 Plateau Utd Gombe Utd 2-0 Kano Pillars, Abia Warriors 1-0 Kada Stars

Rivers United players celebrating their goal in the 1-1 scoreline against Sunshine Stars of Akure yesterday

State FAs Ready for Elective Congresses Emmanuel Ukumba ÓØ ËʨË Elections into the Executive Committees of the Football Associations in the 36 States and the FCT will hold as from next week. However, all is not well in Nasarawa as protests letters are flying over the composition of the electoral committee constituted to conduct election into the association. The first stop will be Rivers

State, where the Elective Congress has been set for Port Harcourt on Thursday, 30th January, before Ogun State takes the baton a week later on 6th February and Kano State follows three days after, on 9th February. Elections will hold in Niger and Ekiti states on 9th February, while FCT will be the next on 11th February and Kebbi State will take its turn on 12thFebruary. Benue, Zamfara and Plateau States will hold their elective

congresses on 13th February. Kwara State will take the stage on 14th February and Nasarawa State will be the next on 15th February. Bauchi, Kaduna and Kogi States have all opted for 19th February, with Gombe and Osun States in focus on 20th February and Imo and Taraba States to follow on 21st February. Yobe States will hold its elections on 23rd February while Ebonyi State has fixed 26th February for its own congress.

Meanwhile, a contestant in the upcoming Nasarawa FA election, Ibrahim Shigafarta, has kicked against the composition of the electoral committee in a protest letter he personally signed and made available to journalists on Sunday in Lafia. Shigafarta alleged that the membership of Abdulhamid Babanrabi in the electoral committee was a gross violation of fairness, justice and due process in the electoral process because

Babanrabi is also currently the secretary of the Nasarawa FA making it difficult to not to see him as unbias or trust his actions in the electoral process. He added that the fact that Babanrabi was appointed as secretary of both the FA and electoral committee by the state FA chairman, Muhammed Alkali, and the fact that the chairman is also contesting in the election makes it extremely difficult that the process will not be swayed to

Betway Boosts Nigerian Amputee FootballTeam with Kits International sports betting platform, Betway and sponsors of the first ever five-a-side professional league in Nigeria, has taken its love for Nigerian football a notch higher by embarking on a CSR project, donating valuable

items to the Special Eagles, the Nigerian National Amputee Team on Tuesday, January 14, 2019. This project will go a long way in improving the morale of the amputee Football players who represented Nigeria at the 2018

edition of the Amputee World Cup in Mexico. According to Betway Nigeria Country Manager, Lere Awokoya, “We are happy to support the development of the Nigerian Amputee Football Team with

this donation. We truly appreciate the players and staff for their efforts in inspiring other Nigerians for flying Nigeria’s flag with pride.” Betway will continue to support the football community

and other worthy social causes, all for the love of the game.” He concluded. Items donated by Betway include first aid kits, nets, crutches, footballs, bibs, training jerseys, football boots and sports bags.

favour the incumbent chairman and his supporters. But the Nasarawa FA chairman, Muhammed Alkali, said Babanrabi was appointed as a member and secretary of the electoral committee because as stipulated in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) statues with regards to elections into FAs across the country.

NPFL MATCH DAY-Four Results Tornadoes 0-0 Remo Stars Enyimba 1-0 Lobi Stars Gombe Utd 2-0 Kano Pillars Sunshine 1-1 Rivers Utd MFM FC 1-0 Rangers Insurance 0-0 Kwara Utd IfeanyiUbah 1-0 Yobe Stars Heartland 1-0 Go Round Akwa Utd 2-2 Plateau Utd Abia Warriors 1-0 Kada FC

T H U R S DAY ˾ JANUARY 24, 2019

THURSDAYSPORTS AUSTRALIA OPEN

Williams Refuses to Blame Injury for Ouster Former number one female tennis star, Serena Williams, has refused to blame a jarred ankle after suffering a remarkable Australia Open collapse in the quarter-finals against Karolina Pliskova. From a set and a break down, the title favourite turned things around to lead 5-1 in the deciding set and had four match points but lost six games in a row to fall to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 defeat. Williams had her first match point at 5-1 but, after being called for a foot fault on what appeared to be an ace, she jarred her left ankle and did not win another point on serve during the match. The other three chances came with Pliskova serving at 4-5 but the Czech was rewarded for bravery on her forehand, and Williams insisted afterwards it had been her opponent who had won the match rather than she who had lost it. Williams said: ‘There’s nothing I did wrong on those match points. I can’t say that I choked. She literally played her best tennis ever on those shots. ‘I don’t really take losses well. But Karolina played lights out starting 5-1, 4030. Literally, I’ve never seen anything like it. If anything, I think that’s a little bit easier to know, OK, next time I’m up 5-1 against anybody, I just need to make sure I play lights out when I have match points. ‘It’s little things like that that I used to do, always do, that I need matches to know that, OK, this is when you go psycho.’ Pliskova was happy to agree with Williams, saying with a smile: ‘I’m not going to go against Serena. ‘Normally I’m having lot of comebacks, but maybe from being a set down or a break

down, so nothing like this. I think it’s going to be the best comeback ever so far in my life.’ Asked why she had not called the trainer after the ankle incident, Williams said: ‘I really hate calling the trainer out. And at that point I didn’t feel like I needed it, or I didn’t feel like it would be a big deal. So I just kept going. I like to just kind of tough it out. It was fine.’ Having won her 23rd grand slam singles title in the early stages of pregnancy here two years ago to move within one of Margaret Court’s record, the pursuit of 24 has been a crazy rollercoaster. After losing in the final of her second slam back at Wimbledon to Angelique Kerber, Williams then suffered her infamous meltdown in New York in the US Open final against Naomi Osaka. Now comes this unexpected setback, and the 37-year-old said: ‘It’s definitely not easy for me. From day one, I expect to go out and, quite frankly, to win. That hasn’t happened. ‘But I do like my attitude. I like that I don’t want to go out here and say, I expect to lose because I had a year off. It hasn’t happened yet, but I feel like it’s going to happen.’ This was Pliskova’s second high-profile victory over Williams at a slam after she also won their semi-final meeting in New York in 2016 to reach what is so far her only final. The straight-talking 26-yearold stands out for her refusal to be intimidated by Williams, and she said: ‘I think maybe she didn’t expect it from the beginning. She looked like she was a little too passive. Then she just went for it because I believed from the first ball I can win. I think that was the

Hooliganism: Edo State Engages Volunteers Security Outﬁt In the wake of attacks on match officials and other acts of hooliganism witnessed in recent times in stadiums across the country in the Nigerian Premier Professional League, the Government of Edo State has engaged a volunteer security outfit to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Police at all home matches of Bendel Insurance Football Club. The Nigeria premier professional league enters its fourth week yesterday and newly promoted Bendel Insurance FC played out a goalless draw to visiting Kwara United at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Sports Complex owing to the ongoing re-construction work at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City. The Deputy-Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, the State government is concerned about the safety and wellbeing of everyone including but not limited to the home and visiting

teams, match officials, supporters and fans. “Beginning with the match against Kwara United and throughout all the home matches of Bendel Insurance, we want to assure everybody coming to the stadium that their safety is guaranteed. Part of the security measures we have put in place is to engage the security arm of the public works volunteer scheme (PUWOV) to station 50 men at the stadium for all our home matches to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Police. “We know Bendel Insurance fans are peaceful and peace loving people but we don’t want to leave anything to chance. We know that even visiting fans can be provocative but we choose to be pro-active by taking steps aimed at ensuring that we provide a conducive atmosphere for all to enjoy the premier league matches without any fear of violence”, the Deputy Governor said.

Serena Williams down but refused to blame her defeat on injury biggest victory for me today.’ Even Pliskova’s belief was tested at 1-5, with the Czech admitting in her on-court interview that she was almost in the locker room. ‘This is I think not happening often, maybe once in life,’ she

said later. ‘But I went for it. Maybe this can be over, but let’s just try this game. I was with the wind, which kind of helped me a little bit. I just went for my shots. ‘For sure it was in her head. Lot of things happened. I saw

NIS Reschedules Silver Jubilee Convocation Ceremony The National Institute for Sports (NIS), a leading sports training institute in Nigeria has rescheduled the celebration of its Silver Jubilee anniversary and convocation ceremony. The event which had earlier been slated for January this year will now hold on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March, 2019 in Lagos. The combined convocation ceremony will involve no fewer than one thousand five hundred graduates who had completed their training programmes from 2005 – 2017 sessions. Some of the plans to mark the Silver Jubilee celebration of the institute are: Anniversary Lecture ad Workshop, Gala Night and NIS Awards for Sporting Excellence, Convocation and Investiture of Honorary Fellows of the Institute as well as Recognition Awards for Sports Journalism. A statement announcing the new dates and signed by

the Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIS, Dr. Kingdom Chukwudi Eke revealed that the Silver Jubilee celebration is being organized in line with NIS vision “to be a first class institute transforming Nigeria and sustaining it as a world leader in sports”, adding that this initiative will no doubt make a clearer and loud statement about NIS resolve before all its stakeholders. The Director added that the date change became imperative in view of the forthcoming elections and the need to give the event the requisite national awareness it deserves. He further disclosed that the institute has in the past years of existence been consistent and committed to delivering on its statutory mandate as it has produced over 15,000 manpower in sports who have continued to place Nigeria on the global sports arena winning medals, laurels and awards.

a chance and I just took it.’ In the last four, Pliskova will take on fourth seed Osaka, who extended her winning run at the slams to 12 matches with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Elina Svitolina, who was hampered by pain in her

shoulder and neck. The Japanese player is now in pole position to take over as world No 1 at the end of the tournament, although intriguingly Pliskova and Petra Kvitova are also still in contention.

Nwora Invites 15 Players for World Cup Qualiﬁer D’Tigers Head Coach, Alex Nwora has invited 15 players for the last window of the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup qualifiers taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire starting on the 18th of February The team is dominated by players who missed out of the last phase of the qualifiers campaign hosted in Lagos. Jekiri Tonye will likely make his debut for D’Tigers after missing out of action in the last window due to administrative reasons while Christopher Obekpa, Obinna Emegano and Efevhera Michael will also be making a return. Ekene Ibekwe whose last appearance was at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and 34 year old Michael Umeh (2015 Afrobasket) with Italian serie A side Virtus Bologna have both been recalled to the fold. Team captain and Sichuan Blue Whales player, Ike Diogu alongside, Stanley Okoye, Alade Aminu, Iroegbu Ike, Ike Nwamu,

Ayodeji Akindele, Mbamalu Bryant, Zana Talib and Braxton Ogbueze complete the list of players invited Nigeria will battle host- Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic and second placed Senegal with 16 points. Currently ranked 33 in the world and first in Africa, the D’Tigers on a 9 match unbeaten run according to Nwora will hope to finish the campaign on a high a boost the team’s rating before the World Cup draws. Alex Nwora said the preparation for the 2019 World Cup in China has started in earnest and it was imperative to give more quality players equal opportunity to fight for shirts. “We were the first country in the world to qualify for the World Cup and it is very important that we start our preparation early.” “The journey to get the team ready for the World Cup is a long one, but I am happy with the progress we have made so far.”

Thursday, January 24, 2019

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N250

MISSILE Olusegun Obasanjo to Muhammadu Buhari “Look at what is happening, the person that is leading us says he cannot appoint any other tribes into the posts he considers sensitive because he does not trust them. If he cannot trust my tribe and your tribe what is the beneﬁt? And he still wants my tribe and your tribe to vote for him. If you don’t trust us, how do you want me to trust you? – former President Obasanjo accusing President Buhari of nepotism in critical appointments

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

The Faces of War at Dalori Camp S eated on a mat with their needles and threads, weaving embroideries on northern caps in production, the four young men appeared as if they had no care in the world. But the moment they started sharing with me their horrifying stories, it became clear that behind the veneer of that calmness were scars that may never heal. The story started one early morning in 2014, in Banki, Bama local government area of Borno State, when the residents were roused from sleep by booms from guns. With the invasion of Boko Haram insurgents that followed, everybody in town started to run into the bush before embarking on journeys to nowhere that lasted several days for those who survived. Eventually, these young men landed in a Cameroonian village from where they found their way back to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Yola, Adamawa State where they would spend the next two years. The foregoing summary does not tell the tragic story of horror, blood and tears recounted for me on Tuesday at Dalori IDP camp on the day residents of Banki ran for their lives, some only in their underwear. Today, many cannot locate their parents or children or siblings nor are they sure as to whether these relations are still alive or dead. As I moved quietly within the camp, with a strong warning that if any of the patrolling soldiers knew of my presence, there would be trouble, I met another set of men who congregated under a tree. They were all Fulani. Five years ago, according to their account, they were living in Damasak until Boko Haram took over the area and they fled to Baga. A few weeks ago, their nightmare resurfaced when Boko Haram struck Baga and they had to flee without their herds that are now history. But then the question, what was I doing in Maiduguri? Last week in Abuja, the Girls Child Concerns (GGC), an NGO being promoted by Dr Mairo Mandara, held a summit which attracted traditional and religious leaders from 22 African countries to discuss the plights of girl child on the continent with special focus on education. It is part of Mandara’s efforts to elevate the conversation on maternal and child health and the status of women and girls, against the background that education is central to addressing complex challenges like health, poverty and conflict. But my interest is more on what GGC is doing in Maiduguri with the victims of Boko Haram and I have for the past two years been promising Mandara that I would visit her projects. In fulfilment of that promise, I left for Maiduguri on Monday though if I knew that President Muhammadu Buhari was also visiting that day, I probably would have postponed my own plan. But aside the discomfort of our aircraft being forced to roam in the air for about 20 minutes before being allowed to land, the upside is that the presidential visit meant that security was beefed up in the state that has become notorious for insecurity. And I learnt a lot within the 24 hours that I spent in Maiduguri.

Dr. Mairo Mandara With the general election less than a month away, I am aware that most of my readers are more interested in politics, especially with the media space awash with stories of huge crowds of idle people being drawn to campaign grounds at working hours on weekdays; celebrations of the ability by a candidate to spend one night in America; the desperate efforts to remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) who, I must add, has not done himself any favour with revelations that call to question not only his personal integrity but that of the judiciary he heads etc. In between, President Olusegun Obasanjo has lately been very busy, writing his usual seasonal letter to the incumbent, and following up with strong statements. But there is nothing in what is going on that we have not seen before which is why I have elected to invest my time on issues that directly impact the most vulnerable of our society. Although more renowned for her extensive interest in public health as an obstetriciangynaecologist by training with Fellowship from the Faculty of Public Health, United Kingdom Royal College of Physicians, Mandara’s efforts with vulnerable girls became her central focus after she left the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the Country Director. With what I saw in Maiduguri, I must commend her for the job she and her team are doing not only to improve the lives of several girls through education but also for the forward-thinking that has birthed an expansive skills’ acquisition centre that is currently under construction with funding support from the King of Morocco’s Foundation. The moment I arrived Maiduguri on Monday, Mandara took me straight to the Bakkassi IDP camp where Boko Haram victims from five local governments are sheltered. There, I met the women who have been organised into a cooperative that offers them opportunity to learn different trades that would be useful for them to stand on their own when they eventually return to their villages. Under the Community Health Extension

Workers (CHEW) programme, Mandara is also training selected women and girls in healthcare so that they can provide basic health services like treating malaria, helping in ante natal care and nutrition, administering oral rehydration therapy (ORT) to prevent and treat dehydration etc. The essence of the training, according to Mandara, is because health workers have deserted the communities attacked by Boko Haram and may not want to return when the villagers go back. On Tuesday morning, we visited Government Girls College where some of the GGC scholars are students. These are girls that were picked from the camps and were interviewed. The promising ones are being put in schools in Kaduna, Katsina and Maiduguri with their tuition fully paid by Mandara’s GGC that draws support from friends and some international partners. Four of the girls are currently in the United States where one is about to enter university to study medicine. As we drove around Maiduguri to see her projects, my interactions with Mandara were quite revealing on the impact of Boko Haram insurgency on women and girls in Borno and what the future portends unless there is a massive intervention by all stakeholders. The Dalori camp that I visited on Tuesday, I must say, is well-maintained, unlike many such camps across the country. But what is also evident at the camp is the inequality that defines our society. Mandara told me that the rent prices are skyrocketing in Maiduguri. Although she believes it’s because of the presence of many international agencies, there is also a variable that she is not looking into: the pressure from prominent people within the state who uproot their families from the rural communities. Those are not people who stay in camps! The tragedy of Boko Haram comes in different dimensions and I heard heartrendering stories. For instance, my guide recounted a recent attack on Gwange village where the insurgents killed a popular Imam. “We heard that they left instructions that the Imam should not be buried but that

made no sense. The next day, we all gathered for the burial. All of a sudden, we started hearing gunshots and we abandoned the corpse and ran for our lives. A few hours later, Boko Haram men came back to the village to kill the Imam who was leading the prayer at the burial ground.” There is also a growing pattern that the authorities must pay attention to. Those who fled Baga attest to the fact that they were actually given the option to stay or leave and the insurgents who came were almost civil in their approach, preferring only to engage the military. I understand they were men of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) led by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi. He is said to be polite and completely different from Abubakar Shekau renowned for his extreme violence. But that makes Al-Barnawi even more dangerous. While I intend to interrogate the resurgence of Boko Haram and other terror affiliates another day, I must express my concerns about the growing desperation for power by politicians in both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). if there is any lesson I learnt from the IDP camps in Borno State, it is that we must do everything to avoid anything that would engender another humanitarian crisis in our country before, during and after the general election. In his book, “Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places”, Paul Collier makes dire predictions about how ballots could easily lead to bullets, especially in developing countries with weak institutions and where there is a clear absence of accountability in governance, a category to which Nigeria belongs. At a period we expect serious campaigns on critical national issues, including the strike that has kept students of our public universities at home for almost three months, the growing desperation for power speaks to the possibilities of violence after the election if care is not taken. On top of all that ails us in Nigeria, we really do not need an election crisis. We should do everything to avoid one!

Femi-Pearse Goes Home

The remains of the late Professor Deji Femi-Pearse, renowned medical practitioner and a former Provost of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), will be committed to mother earth today in Iworo, Badagry. The same community he built the famous Whispering Palms resort, following his retirement from academic life in 1991. At the invitation of his son-in-law, Mr Robert Ade-Odiachi, famously known to many of us younger ones as Uncle Robbie, I flew into Lagos from Maiduguri on Tuesday to attend the Night of Tributes at Muson Centre. For a man who excelled in the field of medicine before venturing into the hospitality industry where he also built a respected brand, the late Femi-Pearse has left a lasting legacy. This much became

evident as eminent professors and captains of industry paid their tributes. There were also hilarious testimonies from Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and others. But the climax of the occasion was the rendition, by a young man, of Frank Sinatra’s evergreen signature song, ‘My Way’. Said to be one of the late Femi-pearse’s favourite tracks, it is also a fitting tribute to an accomplished man everybody testified lived strictly by his own code: And now, the end is near And so I face the final curtain My friend, I’ll say it clear I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain I’ve lived a life that’s full I’ve traveled each and every highway And more, much more than this I did it my way…

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