THURSDAY 14TH MARCH 2019

Court Orders Ecobank to Forfeit N22.5bn over Airtel Shares

Davidson Iriekpen

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered O & O Networks Limited, a special purpose vehicle owned

by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, to pay the sum of N22.5billion, being proceeds

of the wrongful sale of shares in Airtel Networks Limited

by Ecobank to Bharti Airtel, into the court’s account.

The decision is a fallout from the long-standing legal dispute between Mr. Oba Otudeko, a founding shareholder and former Chairman of Airtel

Nigeria; his company, Broad Communications Limited; another founding shareholder of the company and O & O Networks now owned

by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.

Otudeko and Broad Communications Limited

had instituted a legal action in 2006 challenging Delta State Government’s acquisition of O & O network’s shares in Airtel Networks (formerly Econet Wireless Nigeria).

From the facts of the case, Broad Communication’s main contention is that the

transaction was unlawful and a breach of the Shareholders’ Agreement executed by the shareholders of Airtel Networks.

According to the said Shareholder’s Agreement, the shares should have been offered to the existing

shareholders first as their right of “First Refusal” (preemptive right), as mandated

by Clause 17.2.1 of the Shareholders’ Agreement, before being offered to Delta State Government Continued on page 8

Nigeria’s Air Passenger Traffic Drops in Four Years... Page 8 Thursday 14 March, 2019 Vol 24. No 8739. Price: N250

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Buhari Expresses Sadness as Lagos Building Collapse Kills Nine, Injures 64 Ambode commiserates with families of victims Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, Chiemelie Ezeobi and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed sadness over the collapse of a three-storey residential

building housing Baden Private Primary School at No. 14 Massey Street, Ita-Faji area of Lagos Island, which killed nine people, injured 64 and trapped several others.

The president sympathised with the families of the victims,

saying he was extremely saddened by the accident and wishing them God’s comfort.

Buhari made his feeling known in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, in Abuja.

He also wished those injured

speedy and complete recovery.

President Buhari commiserated with the government and people of Lagos State and pledged assistance of the federal government as may be required by the state.

“It touches one to lose precious lives in any kind of mishap, particularly, those so young and tender,” he said, adding: “May God grant everyone affected by this sad incident fortitude and succour.’’

The president charged the Lagos State Government to do “all that is needful, so that such tragic developments do not recur in future’.’

The three-storey residential Continued on page 6

President Revokes OML 11 Licence, Transfers Operatorship to NNPC Ejiofor Alike Exactly 26 years after the people of Ogoniland in Rivers State sacked Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) following the killing of Dr. Ken Saro-Wiwa, President Muhammadu Buhari has revoked the operating licence granted the oil giant for Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, located in the area, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

OML 11, one of the most important oil blocks in Nigeria, in terms of oil and gas production, lies in the south eastern Niger Delta and contains 33 oil and gas fields, including Bodo, Bodo West and Yorla fields.

THISDAY gathered that the operatorship of the plum asset has been transferred to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum

Development Company (NPDC).

According to a reliable presidency source, a letter dated, March 1, 2019, with Reference Number: SH/ COS/A/8540, signed by Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Abba Kyari, to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, said the president had directed the corporation and its upstream subsidiary, the NPDC, to take over the operatorship of the entire asset.

THISDAY gathered that SPDC had operated the block until 1995 when Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged by the military regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.

Following the execution of the environmental activist, the Ogoni people, who had sacked Shell from Ogoni since 1993, also denied the oil giant access Continued on page 8

UK Reviews General Election to Determine Visa Ban... Page 6

ANOTHER SAD DAY...

L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Tiamiyu Adesina; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; and Chairman, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, A.I.G Israel Ajao (rtd), during the governor’s visit to the scene of the building collapse at Massey Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos… yesterday

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PAGE SIX

UK Reviews General Election to Determine Visa Ban INEC explains additional challenges faced by observers Blame Buhari, APC for election inconclusiveness, says PDP

Adedayo Akinwale, Alex Enumah in Abuja and Segun James in Lagos In line with its threat to deny visa to those that sponsored and aided electoral violence in the general election in Nigeria, the UK has said it is reviewing the events and will act when necessary.

The UK’s clarification preceded the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) admission yesterday in Abuja that the rescheduling of the elections created huge challenges for both foreign and domestic observers.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the crises of rescheduling, inconclusiveness and general confusions associated with the general election should be blamed on President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While elections were characterised with various degrees of violence in some states, there was a high record of deaths as well as militarisation of the process particularly in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa States among others, during the presidential and National Assembly, and governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

Responding to THISDAY enquiries on the development, the British High Commission in Abuja, however, said that the UK is currently reviewing the elections and would also review events around all the rescheduled reruns and supplementary elections, noting that its position on election-related violence has not changed.

The UK in an email sent to THISDAY by Atinuoluwake Adelegan said: "The UK takes a strong stand against electionrelated violence, and issued a statement before the elections reminding all Nigerians of our visa policy. This includes the right to refuse visas to enter the UK for those responsible for electoral violence. ‘’We are currently reviewing events around the elections on 23 February and 9 March, and will do so for any reruns and supplementary elections."

Few weeks before the presidential and National Assembly elections, the UK in a statement had harped on the need for a violence-free election, warning that it would not hesitate to sanction anyone,

particularly government officials and politicians alleged to have sponsored or were part of violent conduct before, during and after the general election.

Part of the sanction, the UK and US said would be meted out to those who forcefully interfere with the electoral process, include visa denial into the United Kingdom and the United States of America as well as prosecution under International law.

It said: "Twenty-three days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37 days to the gubernatorial and state assembly elections, the British High Commission in Abuja would like to reaffirm our strong support for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

"We and our international partners remain committed supporters of Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support any party or individual and believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity."

While it added that the UK will continue to provide significant support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and to Nigerian civil society to help them deliver credible elections, it said that the UK also regularly engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and calm.

"We will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s Election Observation Mission. Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including on social media.

"We would like to remind all Nigerians that where the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the UK, their ability to access UK based funds or lead to prosecution under international law.

"The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned

in 1999", the statement read in part.

Similarly, the United States in the joint statement while stressing that the Nigeria's election is important to the entire African continent, said the United States government does not support any specific candidate or party in the elections.

INEC: Rescheduling of Elections Presented Additional Challenges to Observers Speaking yesterday at the de-briefing of accredited observers in Abuja, the INEC’s Chairperson, Election and Party Monitor Committee (EPMC), Professor Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, said that the debriefing session was a platform provided by the commission for observers to discuss field experiences during the elections towards providing useful lessons for the conduct of future elections.

She said that going by the commission’s record, a total of 120 domestic and 36 foreign groups were accredited for the 2019 general election.

She added that the submissions by the observer groups also indicated that over 85,000 observers were deployed and participated in each of the two elections.

According to her, “No doubt, observation of the 2019 election must have presented its challenges not only on the account of the vast nature and terrain of the country with over 120,000 polling units and voting points, but also on account of the peculiar or additional challenges presented by the shift and rescheduling of the dates of the elections by the commission. “One solace in my view lies in the contribution you are collectively making by your participation in the consolidation of Nigeria’s democratic growth. I am also delighted by the fact that a vast majority of those deployed by your various groups returned safely to their destinations without major hitches.�

Issues discussed during the debriefing include; Logistics and deployment of poll officials; opening, Layout and commencement of accreditation and voting; performance of election officials; smart card readers; conduct of security personnel; conduct of election observations and collation and

declaration of election results at the various levels.

On the protest by corps members in Lagos during the governorship election in the state, a National Commissioner, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said that there was nothing like non-payment of entitlements of ad-hoc staff during the election.

He stressed, “It is not true that their entitlements were not paid. I think what happened was some of them got money somewhere and transmitted the information to their colleagues that the money was from INEC, which was not.�

He said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos who was interviewed by a television station confirmed that their entitlements were paid.

However, the observers lamented that there was lack of security while transporting and deploying electoral materials, saying there was need for INEC to make adequate arrangement for the transportation of electoral materials.

The observers noted that a situation whereby politicians try to help out in providing vehicles for the transportation of electoral materials give room for compromise They equally lamented that logistics was the way it was in 2015, noting that there was no improvement, adding that INEC should begin to change the mode of deployment totally and said there was need to change the electoral process from manual to electronic.

Also, a domestic observer, Mr. Abdullahi Ari with Network for Community Advancement and Empowerment (NCAE), who observed the election in Nasarawa State, decried that INEC ad-hoc staff that were trained by the commission were substituted few hours to the election, lamenting that politicians in the state colluded with the staff of INEC to carry out such act.

Bishop Peter Ogunmuyiwa, a domestic observer, said that they did not record much problem in Abuja in the deployment of materials.

On the conduct of security agents, the observers said that even in 1999 when the military conducted the election, the country didn’t witness the level of interference from the military as was witnessed in the just concluded election, describing it as a show of shame.

On her part, Jumai Danuk, said that in terms of number, that the security personnel were more, but in terms of performance they performed abysmally, adding that when vote buying was done openly, they did nothing.

Also speaking, an observer, Mr. Mauric Ogbonnaya, from National Institute for Policies and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), lamented that in both the presidential and gubernatorial elections the security agents were not enough, stressing that there were places were the security agents did very well.

The observers noted that despite the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, assuring that three policemen would be deployed per polling unit, it was not so on the day of elections.

Blame Buhari, APC for Inconclusive Elections, Says PDP Meanwhile, the PDP has said that the crisis that led to the inconclusiveness and confusions associated with the 2019 general election should be blamed on President Buhari and his party, the APC. The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this yesterday while fielding questions on The Morning Show, a programme on Arise News, the sister broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper.

He insisted that elections can only be free and fair if the sitting president and the ruling party allow it.

The PDP spokesman argued that the 2015 election was an example of free and fair election because the then ruling party, the PDP did not meddle or interfere in the process.

He said the ruling APC has compromised INEC to the point that elections which took place where the party lost became inconclusive.

"We are saying, whether they like it or not; and the PDP will not stop saying it, they compromised Yakubu Mahmood’s INEC. It is a fact whether they want to accept it or not. And as such, the only way we can come out of this is for President Buhari to stop paying lip service to electoral reforms. It is for the president to make his first assignment the return of the Electoral Amendment Bill to the National Assembly. As it

BUHARI EXPRESSES SADNESS AS LAGOS BUILDING COLLAPSE KILLS NINE, INJURES 64 building with the primary school on its pent house, caved in about 10 a.m. when some of the pupils were observing their Physical Exercises (PE) in batches, while others were in the class waiting for their turn.

When the building collapsed, the first responders at the scene had initially rescued some of the pupils and rushed them to the Marina General Hospital.

As at press time, eight persons have been confirmed dead, while 64 were rescued, with scores still trapped underneath the rubble.

However, while operatives of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were carrying out rescue operations, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode arrived at the scene and was taken round for an on-the-spot assessment by

the General Manager, Adesina Tiamiyu.

Ambode had decried the fact that most of the buildings in the area had previously been marked for demolition but were not demolished because of stiff resistance from the residents, adding that the school was operating illegally.

While commiserating with the families of the victims, he said although the government would foot the hospital bills of the victims, a full scale investigation of the cause of the building collapse would still be carried out.

He said: “Most of the buildings in the area had been marked for demolition, but some property owners in the area defy such notices. Going forward, structurally defective buildings would be demolished.

“The first observation is that this is an old building and it is only the Pent House and the other floors that we have been able to use to rescue people. The building is not technically a school, it is a residential building that was actually accommodating an illegal school so to speak on the second floor. “Like we have said, we have been carrying out a lot of integrity tests on the buildings in this neighbourhood and as you can see, some of them have been marked for demolition but we get resistance from landlords. “But we must continue to save lives and we would intensify our efforts to see that those that have failed our integrity test, we would ensure that they are quickly

evacuated and we bring the structures down.�

Ambode also said that a full scale investigation would be carried out immediately rescue operations are concluded, vowing that those found culpable would be severely dealt with in accordance with the relevant laws.

While assuring residents that the rescue operations would continue until all victims are rescued, he said all illegal schools in the area would be closed down.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, who also visited the hospitals where some of the victims rescued had been taken to, assured them that the state government would immediately take over their treatment and foot their entire bill.

Among those rescued alive were a teacher, the landlord of the building and eight tenants of the three-story building.

The school occupied the third floor while tenants occupied the second floor and block of shops on the ground floor.

The casualty rate was on the high side because the building has over 20 rooms with about eight persons living in a room.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the cause of the collapse could be traced to the ongoing construction of a drainage around the old building, which they had just recently dug round the building few days ago and might have likely weakened the foundation.

As at press time, it was confirmed that the owner of Continued on page 8

is, he has failed woefully. The only legacy he can leave for Nigerians is a perfect electoral system. Let him work on that.

"Like I had an interface somewhere, they said to me 'the rules are there to have a free, fair and credible election.

How come this is what your country has turn election into?'

"I said to them, the election because of the kind of government we run in Nigeria will only be as free and fair as the sitting government wants it; and that is what has been demonstrated in this election.

And I say this not because I speak for a party, but as a Nigerian who believes in the future of this country - who believes that unless we quickly come back to the base and redesign our electoral process, democracy will surely fail us."

Speaking on the unexpected great performance of the PDP at the election, Ologbondiyan said this was due to the fact that "the people have seen and experienced the manifest failure of the APC and President Buhari in the last four years; his inability to live up to the promises he made in 2014/15 and his incapacity in managing the affairs of his own party as well as the affairs of government."

He said also the management of the PDP has changed and improved tremendously since it lost power in 2015, saying that all these may have contributed to the fortune of the PDP at the polls.

Ologbondiyan said: “All these counted in the trust that Nigerians put in the PDP. And as you can see from the governorship election, that it is manifestly clear that the APC in conjunction with INEC rigged the presidential election. That is why they are fighting tooth and nail and doing everything humanly possible to legitimise the purported re-election of President Buhari by declaring states where we are leading as inconclusive so that they can go back and continue the rigging plot they have established�.

"But what the PDP is very sure of is that Nigerians are resolute, and Nigerians have resolved to ensure that they vote out the APC in the five states, which were declared inclusive."

TOP GAINERS CAP PLC STERLING BANK ETERNA PLC CHIP PLC LASACO TOP LOSERS REGENCY AFRIPRUD PRESTIGEASSURE

NGN NGN % 3.40 37.40 10.0 0.21 2.36 9.7 0.40 4.80 9.0 0.02 0.29 7.4 0.02 0.33 6.4 NGN % 0.02 0.24 7.6 0.37 4.55 7.5 0.04 0.50 7.4 DANGFLOUR 0.50 9.50 5.0 GUINNESS 3.15 64.00 4.6 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,549.90 Volume: 377.494 million shares Value: N2.261 billion Deals: 3,273 As at yesterday 13/3/19 See details on Page 39

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Nigeria’s Air Passenger Traffic Drops in Four Years FG bans Boeing 737-Max air planes Approves N5.8bn for upgrade of airports Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Chinedu Eze in Lagos Nigeria’s aviation sector has witnessed a steady decline in air passenger traffic in the last four years, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

Also, data obtained from Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), confirmed that growth in the aviation industry has been declining since 2015.

This is coming as the federal government banned the use of Boeing 737-Max 8 planes in Nigeria’s airspace.

THISDAY gathered that though passenger traffic increased in 2018, the figures were still less than the 2015 levels.

It was gathered that while there has been an increase in outbound flights, which indicated that more Nigerians were leaving the country, there was less passenger traffic on inbound flights, which was an indication that many Nigerians who travelled overseas did not return home apparently due to the harsh economic realities.

According to data obtained from the FAAN, overall passenger traffic in 2015, which was 15,222,187, dropped to 14,564,722 in 2016.

In 2017, it dropped further to 13,704,215, against the 14,564,722 in 2016.

However, it rose to 15.2 million in 2018, representing an increase of 2.7 million from the previous year, but still lower than 2015 figures.

Also in 2015, Nigerian airlines were operating international destinations.

For instance, Arik Air was operating Lagos-London, Lagos-Johannesburg and Lagos-New York in addition to destinations in West and Central Africa.

Medview Airline also operated Lagos-London and started Lagos-Dubai.

However, in 2019, four years after, no Nigerian airline is operating international destinations as Air Peace is only operating within West Africa.

THISDAY also gathered that the number of operating aircraft, which was over 60 prior to 2015, has contracted to less than 35, according to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

For example, by 2015 Arik Air had over 24 operating aircraft, which has declined to less than eight.

Also while First Nation has gone under, Medview’s operating aircraft has declined from six in 2016 to about two.

Aviation analysts have explained that there has been a general downturn in the aviation sector due to economic crunch, which reached its peak in 2016 when the economy slipped into recession.

According to them, with profit decline in the aviation sector, high capital outlay demand and harsh operational environment, the industry became a major causality of the economic hardship in the country.

At the first stakeholders’ meeting after his appointment as the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had said his plan was to establish a national carrier, major maintenance facility in Nigeria, and aircraft leasing company to enable Nigerian airlines acquire modern aircraft.

He had also unveiled a robust plan to address the deplorable infrastructure decay at the airports, and also concession the airports so that the private sector would inject funds and modernise the facilities.

THISDAY, however, gathered that very little progress were recorded on these targets in the first four years of the administration.

The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agency (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard, told THISDAY that the first four years of the Buhari administration was spent on blaming previous administrations.

He suggested that the federal government should implement the resolutions reached after the minister held strategic meetings

Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika with industry stakeholders.

Bernard said the implementation would be a headway to moving the industry forward. “We don’t have policies that support the growth of domestic airlines. There is no policy that supports code-share partnership between foreign airlines that operate into the country and our domestic airlines. But in other countries in Africa and elsewhere such policies exist to give domestic airlines the opportunity to benefit from the operations of international flights to those countries,� Bernard said.

THISDAY also gathered that there is high load factor on outbound flights than inbound flights in many destinations due to the fact that many Nigerians travelling out of the country do not come back.

A senior official of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), who confirmed this development, attributed it to high level of migration. “Some countries are even putting policies in place to ban Nigerians from coming to their place to stay,� the official said.

However, the President of the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Mr. Ahmadu Illitrus, told THISDAY that the first four years of the Buhari’s administration was a blessing to the aviation sector because Nigeria has maintained a high level of safety as no accident involving commercial aircraft was recorded.

He said: “I am happy that we are going to see consolidation on the new administration. I expect to see the completion of what was started in the last four years. It is good that the current government was reelected because it is going to crystallise on what it started. “We are under serious threat from African airlines due to the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), which we are signatory to and which has opened up our market, provided it is done on the condition of reciprocity. So we need to build strong carriers, which can compete with others in Africa. Without that, I fear for this country. So we expect government to speed up the process of the national carrier, revive the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) that has been dormant and create jobs for pilots, engineers, cabin crew and others.�

He said Nigerian airlines were not performing up to expectation because they were undercapitalised with small fleet size.

According to him, many of the airlines are not run by professionals, adding that this has resulted in lack of corporate governance and lack of major maintenance facility locally.

FG Bans Boeing 737Max Air Planes Meanwhile, the federal government yesterday in Abuja banned Boeing 737 Max 8-9 aircraft, which had been involved in two accidents within five months from flying into any part of the country.

With the ban, Nigeria joined some other countries of the world, which had either banned the aircraft from its airspace or grounded the brand from its fleet as precautionary safety and security measures in the aviation industry.

The ban followed the crash of this brand of aircraft belonging to the Ethiopian Airline conveying 149 passengers and eight crew

members six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa enroute Nairobi on Sunday killing all on board.

It was the second time that Boeing 737 Max 8-9 aircraft, a relatively brand new product, by Messrs Boeing, would be crashing in similar circumstance few minutes after take-off. The first incident of the crash involving the aircraft occurred five months ago in Indonesia 14 minutes after take-off.

Briefing journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House yesterday, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the ban will subsist until the final outcome of the investigation into the cause of the Ethiopian Airline crash and an authoritative response on the aircraft from the manufacturers, Messrs Boeing 737.

According to the minister, the decision had become compelling because the aviation industry is one and hence, whatever affects one part of the industry has backlash effects on the other, pointing out that Nigeria cannot operate in isolation.

Sirika also explained that Air Peace and Arik airlines, which had reportedly ordered for this brand of the aircraft would not take delivery of the brand until the next two years, disclosing that by the time the aircraft would be due to arrive the country, all investigations on its safety would have been concluded and what's wrong with it would have expectedly been rectified.

He said: "Regarding Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 that has been in the news recently, there is no cause for alarm as there is no operator in Nigeria that is using that type of airplane.

"The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, whose mandate it is to issue advisory, has already issued advisory that nobody should fly into Nigeria or out of Nigeria using Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, pending the determination of the actual cause of the crash in

Ethiopia and also pending the outcome of the response of the manufacturer, which is Messrs Boeing. “Regardless of the enormous safety records of this plane 737, it has caused concern in the world of aviation and you know aviation is universal.

Whatever affects one affects the other because aircraft will be flying in and out. So, we have issued directive that no operator with Boeing 737 Max 8 or Max 9 should operate into and outside our airports and this is being carried out."

Sirika also said the council approved over N5 billion for various safety and security equipment in various airports in the country.

According to him, N4.053 billion was approved for the procurement of safety and security equipment including screening machines for Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt airports with a view to guaranteeing safety in the airports in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations.

He also said N719 million was approved for the upgrade and rehabilitation of the intake transformer for landing system and other equipment at the Aminu Kano Airport in Kano.

Sirika added that N529.3 million was also approved for the supply of x-ray screening machines and cargo scanners at the Enugu Airport while another N622.5 million was approved for the repair of the Minna Airport terminal building which according to him had been abandoned since 2012.

In her own briefing, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said FEC also approved an external borrowing of â‚Ź64,759 million from French Development Agency for the provision of natural urban water in Kano to improve access to quality water for 1.5 million people.

According to Ahmed, the loan has a repayment period of 20 years with seven-year moratorium.

Agreement (JOA) signed by the joint venture partners, which empowers the NNPC to assume operatorship of the JV assets in the event that Shell relinquishes the operatorship.

Also, the most important petroleum legislation in Nigeria,

the Petroleum Act of 1969 (as amended), empowers the Minister of Petroleum to grant or revoke the exploration, prospecting and production rights of the operating companies.

Buhari is the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources.

order to maintain status quo earlier made by Justice Tsoho on February 5, 2015 still subsists and that O & O Networks should not have entered into the agreement with Bharti Airtel.

The judge stated that this was tantamount to disobedience of a subsisting court order and an affront to the court’s authority.

She submitted that any sale of the disputed shares

was done at the seller’s risk.

Consequent upon this, the judge ordered O & O Networks, owned by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, to pay the sum of N22.5billion being the proceeds of the unlawful sale into the custody of the Federal High Court within seven days from the date of the court ruling.

The suit was adjourned to May 28, 2019 for continuation of hearing.

building as claimed.

Speaking on the move by the government regarding distressed buildings, the Lagos Island Local Government Chairman, Mr. Samau Bashua said: “The primary thing now is to save more lives and that is what everyone here is concerned about now.

Legislation as to illegal private schools and distress building - that would definitely come

in afterwards. “We have the state government agency, which is the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), which is actually working on that. We will also want to identify that at the local government level, we made submission to the state government and we are also collaborating with them to identify more of these buildings as we have been doing.

PRESIDENT REVOKES OML 11 LICENCE, TRANSFERS OPERATORSHIP TO NNPC to the oil blocks.

A top official of SPDC told THISDAY last night that the company’s subsisting lease over OML 11, would expire in June 2019.

According to him, Shell had in 2018 applied for the renewal of

the licence for another 20 years but the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) proposed to split the acreage into three because of its large size.

He also stated that Shell was also discussing with potential investors to sell its stake in the

oil block as part of its divestment programme. “OML 11 was actually under a divestment programme. Shell was talking with a Nigerian company to acquire its stake since the Ogoni people have vowed that they would not allow the company

into their land. Shell has been refused access to the oil block by the communities for upwards of 26 years,� the official said.

THISDAY gathered that the revocation of the operating licence of Shell by the president was in line with the Joint Operating

COURT ORDERS ECOBANK TO FORFEIT N22.5BN OVER AIRTEL SHARES Following the institution of the suit, O & O Networks purportedly bought back the disputed shares from Delta State Government.

Beneficial ownership of the Airtel shares was subsequently transferred to Oceanic Bank, which is now owned by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.

In 2015, following information received that the disputed shares were

being offered for sale, Broad Communications published a “Buyer Beware� notice advising interested parties of the existing dispute on the shares.

On February 5, 2015, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court also gave an order restraining all parties from dealing or tampering with the shares in the custody of Ecobank, and that all parties must maintain status quo until the final determination of the

suit.

However, sometime in July 2018, and in disregard of the existing orders of the court, O & O Networks/Ecobank, entered into an arrangement with Bharti Airtel, the parent company of Airtel Networks, for the sale of the disputed shares to Bharti Airtel for the sum of N22.5billion.

Further findings revealed that as a condition of the sale transaction, Bharti Airtel,

being previously aware of the dispute and court orders on these shares, extracted an indemnity from O & O Networks/Ecobank, the sellers of the shares, against any exposure to any liability.

In a ruling delivered on March 7, 2019, in respect of Broad Communication’s application challenging the recent sale of shares to Bharti Airtel, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun held that the

BUHARI EXPRESSES SADNESS AS LAGOS BUILDING COLLAPSE KILLS NINE, INJURES 64 the school, who was simply identified as Aunty Esther, had died at the general hospital from the serious head injury she sustained.

In an interview with journalists, LASEMA boss said: “We are still very busy with the rescue work. It’s been a tough one but we are gradually getting towards reaching the bed of the building. “The environment here does

not allow for much space to bring in bigger equipment. We have been able to manage to bring in a crane to help us lift the wrecks so as to be able to access the underneath of this building. “But so far, over 40 people have been rescued out of this building. We want to put on record the efforts of this community. Majority of what we have done here today has

been through their help. They were here before us and have rescued people before we came in here. “Yes, we have lost some of the children; the account of which we will not be able to give properly now. But I am sure that there are still more of them that would be rescued alive. “We have provided oxygen for those who are weak. We

have also been able to drill a hole so we can be able to reach them. Our escalator has created a safe place from the side to be able to enter.

On when the rescue operation will end, Tiamiyu said: “Ordinarily, in situations like this, until we get to what we call 'ground zero'. We must get to the bottom of this building and we must account for everybody that is in this

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STATE BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR, DR IFEANYI OKOWA, THE GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RE-ELECTION FOR ANOTHER FOUR-YEAR TERM Fellow Deltans,

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t about 12 noon on Monday, March 11, 2019, I was officially declared winner of the March 9, 2019 Governorship election in Delta State by the Independent National Electoral Commission. With over 81% of the total valid votes cast and having won in 23 out of the 25 Local Government Areas in the State, my renewed four-year mandate is as resounding as it is unprecedented in our beloved State. But most importantly, it is very humbling and comes with an even weightier responsibility.

health, education, rural-urban integration, human capital development and sports. These have been attested to by the multiple awards from various organisations in the last one year.

7.

This renewed mandate is also a vote for unity. I won in all three senatorial districts with overwhelming majority, a clear indication that Deltans have recognised the oneness in us, as well as our shared values and aspirations. You voted decisively to reward excellence, hard work and performance.

2. First, I enjoin all Deltans to thank God 8.

I am a very proud Deltan today. for what was largely a peaceful and And so should you all be. Indeed, there hitch free election except for one or are more things that bind us together HIS EXCELLENCY two skirmishes that were quickly than divide us. I trust that we shall all SEN. DR. IFEANYI OKOWA brought under control. Admittedly, continue in this spirit of trust, GOVERNOR, DELTA STATE there was palpable tension and brotherliness and mutual understanding. apprehension in the days leading up 9.

Finally, it goes without saying that to the election, instigated by the unguarded utterances of a this victory is a motivation for me to do more. Much more. few desperate politicians who threatened to make the In due course I shall unfold our roadmap for a Stronger election a do-or-die affair.

Delta anchored on the three pillars of prosperity, peace and 3. However, we put our trust in God who “frustrates the progress. One thing I assure today is that we shall raise the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out bar of good governance even higher in my second tenure. I their plans.” And to God be the glory, peace reigned during am resolved to leave a legacy of a Delta State that will be the the election and the will of God prevailed. pacesetter in the federation.

4. Let me also commend the Independent National Electoral 10. I solicit your cooperation to make this a reality. Elections Commission and the law enforcement agencies for standing come and go but our State remains, and belongs to all of us. firm and resolute to deliver a free, fair and credible election.

By divine guidance, we are building a State where equity, This is the pathway to sustainable democracy in Nigeria. justice, peace and progress reign supreme; a State that we 5. I dedicate this victory to you, the good people of Delta State.

You are the true winners in this election. You are the true winners for standing firm and unyielding in your support of my administration. You are the true winners for refusing to succumb to threats and intimidation. You are the true winners for not allowing yourselves to be blackmailed or manipulated by lies, deceit and propaganda.

6. The mandate you have given me is very comforting, reassuring and liberating. It is a massive vote of confidence in the work we have done together in the last three years and nine months. While I may not need to catalogue our achievements here, there is no gainsaying the fact that under my leadership Delta State has witnessed huge developmental strides in road and physical infrastructure,

can all be proud of.

11. It is, therefore, time we reconcile, forget the things of the past, and contribute our individual quota to the development of the State, irrespective of our political inclinations. I urge us all to strive to strengthen the ties that bind us together as we eagerly look forward to a Stronger Delta. Expect better days ahead.

12. Thank you for your time and attention.

13. God bless Delta State.

Office of the Governor Government House Asaba 13th March 2019

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HE IS SURVIVED BY Children Adesomo & Iwinosa Edo-Osagie Obebe & Daniel Mouen-Makoua Ebazere & Ngozi Ojeifo Aira Odiamem Ojeifo Ehimehenzele & Amina Ojeifo Eghonghon Ojeifo Grandchildren Alexis Edo-Osagie g Natalie Edo-Osagie Makoua Nima Mouen-Makoua o Odamhe Ojeifo Makoua Pema Mouen-Makoua Justin Ojeifo Layla Ojeifo Siblings Elizabeth Irefo ah Cecelia Ayewah Juliana Ojeifo ifo Josephine Ojeifo fo Catherina Ojeifo aws, cousins, And many in-laws, nephews and nieces

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

We the Ojeifo family of Ubiaja, Edo State announce the passing of our dear Father, Grandfather, Brother and Uncle

THURSDAY 14TH MARCH 2019 Christian Service of Songs at 5pm Guiding Light Assembly Layi Ajayi-Obembe Road Park View Estate, Ikoyi. Lagos FRIDAY 15TH MARCH 2019 Requiem Mass at 10am Catholic Church of Assumption Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos Internment Ebony Vaults James George Street off Alagbon Close, Ikoyi. Lagos

Martin EhidiameU OJEIFO

17th November 1939 - 18th February 2019 Aged 79

Reception Campbell Centre 62 Campbell Street, Lagos Island. Lagos Colours of the day Blue & Olive Green For Tributes: ojeifotributes@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, ÍšÍźËœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

NEWS Scenes from the rescue operations led by ofďŹ cials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority Response Unit (LRU) and other responders at the building collapse site on Mercy Street, Ita-Faaji in Lagos Island‌ yesterday

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

COMMENT

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

THE REIGN OF INCONCLUSIVE ELECTIONS Joe Adiorho writes that the spate of inconclusive elections is troubling

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here is rumbling in the seat of the Caliphate in Sokoto State. On Tuesday hundreds of women were on the streets on peaceful demonstration.

Their grouse? They said INEC’s declaration of the governorship election of March 9 as “inconclusive� was unacceptable. The state governor, Mallam Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a lawyer and former Speaker of the House of Representatives is also spoiling for a big legal war.

Tambuwal has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately declare him the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.

According to him, “We have met the stipulated condition to be declared the winner. We got the highest number of votes.

We also got 25 per cent in virtually all the 23 local government councils. So, what is left is for INEC to come back and uphold the prevision of the constitution.�

But INEC will not hear such as it has declared the election in the state inconclusive since the sum total of the cancelled and voided votes from the polling centres and the number of the electorate disfranchised by such action is higher than the differential between him (Tambuwal) and the first runner- up in governorship election.

However, Tambuwal contends that the word inconclusive is neither known to the Nigeria Constitution nor the Electoral Act as amended: “The constitution is very clear especially section 179 (2) which states how to conduct governorship election and what to expect. Even in the Electoral Act, there is no provision for inconclusive election, so we don’t know where they drew this guideline from,� he said. Tambuwal, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate polled 489,558 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ahmed Aliyu who garnered 482,146 votes.

Five states of Bauchi, Adamawa, Benue, Kano and Plateau are yet to have governors-elect on account of inconclusive elections as declared by the electoral body. In five of the declared “inconclusive� elections the margin of the win has been smaller than the number of the disqualified votes.

In Bauchi State, after all the votes were collated, PDP which polled 469512 led the next highest candidate of APC who polled a total of 465,456 to create a difference of 4059 that is less than the number of rejected votes that stand at 21,419.

In Adamawa, the home state of the Presidential candidate of PDP, the votes recorded were 367,471 for PDP and 334,996 for APC with differential margin of 32476 which is less than the 40,988 cancelled

INEC WILL FIND IT HARD TO EXONERATE ITSELF FROM THE SPATE OF INCONCLUSIVE ELECTIONS. IT IS A LINGO MOSTLY INTRODUCED IN PROF. YAKUBU’S TENURE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION AND WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE

votes. Andrew Haruna, the state returning officer said that votes were cancelled in 44 polling units across the state. In Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf of PDP polled 1,014,474 votes to beat the incumbent Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of APC’s 987,819 to create a margin of 26,655 which is also less than 141,694 cancelled votes from the 22 local government councils.

And in Benue, Governor Samuel Ortom of PDP garnered a total of 410,576 to trounce Emmanuel Jime of APC who scored 329,022 to create a difference of 81,500. Funny enough, Sebastian Maimako, the INEC returning office in the state said the decision to declare the election inconclusive was expedient as a result of the observation that large numbers of the electorate were either not able to cast their votes or election did not hold in their communities. Maimako, however, did not adduce reasons why substantial numbers of people could not vote. A blanket cover of that nature could be infuriating. Ortom himself could hardly understand the reason for such vague decision.

He simply smiled and said that whatever was the reason that could cancel out a differential of 81,500 is hard to understand. “We note the decision and agree to abide by it. We are here and we cannot see how somebody will come from somewhere and garner sufficient vote to erase a difference of 81,500 and goes ahead to beat me.�

Plateau is the only example of where APC was on the lead in the inconclusive election saga. Governor Simon Lalong of APC who scored 583,255 was leading PDP’s Jeremiah Useni who scored 538,326.

When the suspension of the electoral activities in Rivers State is added to all these, we will have seven states where elections are inconclusive.

This is the first in the electoral annals of Nigeria.

A close look at the list of the inconclusive elections establishes a pattern. It throws up the fact that they were states that were originally won and administered by the APC governors after the 2015 election.

One can also observe that besides Plateau, all the remaining states are led by the PDP candidates. Is the Osun State treatment being reenacted?

For now, INEC will find it hard to exonerate itself from the spate of inconclusive elections. It is a lingo mostly introduced in Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure as chairman of the commission and which is unfortunate. Yakubu is a brilliant scholar who had delivered in most national assignments he was saddled with. But since he took over as INEC chairman, there had never been any meaningful election that he had superintended without issues. It will be understatement to say that he is under intense pressure, but he must be mindful of history.

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT The Lagos State government prioritises pensioners’ welfare, writes Akintola Benson Oke

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he Lagos State Government has long demonstrated its commitment to the implementation of the Pension Reform Act of 2014 which was first passed as the Pension Reform Act of 2004. Indeed, the provisions of that act, as domesticated in the laws of Lagos State have been honoured to the letter under this administration.

Without a doubt, prioritising pensioners’ welfare has both moral, economic, strategic, and social ramifications. Indeed, it is only such a holistic view of the subject that can put the efforts directed by the Lagos State Government at pension management and promotion in perspective. On a moral pedestal, I have always said that all persons of goodwill ought to pause and reiterate that it is morally reprehensible for any employer to neglect or refuse to plan and cater for the retirement benefits of its employees who gave the prime of their active years to the employing institution. Thankfully, this is an area where the Lagos State government has continued to set an excellent example.

From a legal standpoint, Lagos, being the first state in the federation to domesticate the provisions of the Pension Reform Act, 2014, has also been the most notably compliant with its provisions.

Additionally, and in the noted manner of this administration, the government has invested extensively in the education of the administrators of the pension regulations and in the sensitization of the public officers who stand to be most directly and immediately affected by the pension regulations embedded in the domesticated law.

All public servants and especially those who are nearing retirement are trained on an on-going basis on the implications of the laws and regulations relating to the contributory pension scheme with a view to ensuring that they can adequately prepare for the future.

A historical and statutory overview of Contributory Pension Scheme in Lagos State cannot be discussed without highlighting the role that the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) plays. LASPEC was established by the Lagos State Contributory Pension Scheme Law of 2007 as a corporate entity to regulate, supervise and ensure the effective administration of pension matters in the

Lagos State Public Service in accordance with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004 which the law domesticated.

Before the coming into effect of the Pension Reform Act 2004, the federal and state governments, under the old dispensation, operated the Defined Benefits (DB) Pension Scheme, popularly referred to as the ‘Pay as You Go’(PAYG) scheme. Under this scheme, pension benefits were defined using the vesting scale which relied on the length of service and final emoluments of an employee. The benefits were thus easily calculated by employees. Employees who had spent five to nine years in service were entitled to a lump sum payment referred to as gratuity, whilst those who had spent 10 years, and more were entitled to both the gratuity and monthly pension payment.

As with the federal scheme, the state schemes were also fraught with problems such as lack of adequate funding, irregular pension payments and the rigorous exercise of verification of pensioners. In line with modern global changes, the federal government on 27th June, 2004 changed from the Defined Benefit scheme to the Contributory Pension Scheme with the signing into law of the Pension Reform Act 2004 which set up the National Pension Commission (Pencom) to regulate and supervise the scheme and register the operators of the scheme.

The Lagos State government, against the background of challenges with the Defined Benefit scheme, also adopted the new Contributory Pension scheme and became the first state in Nigeria to commence the new scheme with the signing into law on 19th March, 2007 of the Lagos State Pension Reform Law 2007 and eventual commencement in July, 2009.

The main objectives of the Lagos State Pension Reform Law are to assist all persons in the employment of the state government to save towards their retirement; to ensure that persons who leave or retire from the public service of the state receive their terminal or retirement benefits as and when due; to establish a set of rules and regulations for the administration and payment of retirement benefits in the public service of the state. The law also established the group life policy for death benefits of employees, whilst in service, as well as the retirement

bond for employees with past service benefits and the Redemption Fund from which the liability of the bond payment would be made.

This administration is proud to state that its diligent pursuit of the above-outlined objectives has yielded fruits such that the pension obligations of the state are now managed to the satisfaction of the officers of the public service. Furthermore, this administration has also ensured that the vision of LASPEC to provide first-class regulatory and supervisory services on pension matters to all stakeholders in the Lagos State Public Service is within reach while the mission to provide exceptional services on pension matters to employees in the Lagos State Public Service is faithfully fulfilled, year-on-year.

The law provides that there shall be four specialized divisions in the commission. These are: one, technical; two, administration; three, inspectorate; and four, finance and investment divisions. The technical division has developed and issued guidelines for taking advantage of the pension law and for operation as fund and pension administrators. The administrative division is responsible for the internal day-to-day management of the commission. The inspectorate division oversees the third-party stakeholders while the finance department is responsible for making and recommending investment decisions to the board of the commission.

At this juncture, I will outline the practical implications of the Contributory Pension Scheme. First, it allows for the maintenance of a Retirement Savings Account (RSA) by each employee, which gives the workers responsibility over their retirement savings.

Pensioners are no longer at the mercy of employer, and participants are assured of regular payment of retirement benefits.

Furthermore, workers could choose how to allocate their retirement savings and diversify their investments over a range of investment instruments.

It is also argued that personal accounts would provide all workers a higher rate of return than can be paid under the Direct Benefit plan. This approach also affords participants an opportunity to pass wealth to survivors in the event of death.

In addition, the RSA maintained by millions of workers tend to generate massive long-term funds, which are available for investment. Owing to

economies of scale, the cost of investing such funds tends to be relatively lower than if an individual worker were to undertake the investment on his or her own account. Finally, having a pension scheme that pays out benefits in the form of a life annuity affords workers with protection against longevity risk, by pooling mortality risk across others.

On a holistic note, the provisions of the law encourage labour market flexibility. The worker is free to move with his account as he/she moves to another place of employment and/or residence. In this way, it is an important tool for enabling workers and employers to adapt to changing circumstances especially in a global environment in which change is a constant aspect of social and economic life.

The government also stands to enjoy benefits under the law. The law will continue to stem further growth of pension obligations and provide a platform for addressing this liability. It will also impose fiscal discipline in the budgetary process because pension obligations would be accurately determined.

Also, the health of the economy is always a major concern of the government. Thus, aside from the law’s now-realised potential to promote national savings and by implication, economic growth, funded pension schemes have the capacity to promote capital market development. Moreover, it is often argued that funded schemes have the capacity to promote economic reforms generally.

Another area in which the economy stands to benefit from the law is through the scheme’s ability to support the overall macroeconomic policies of reform. The last two decades have witnessed a growing support of the idea that enterprises are better run by private individuals and the role of government should be limited to providing a conducive regulatory and institutional framework that will enable the private sector to thrive.

Many countries around the world have adopted privatization as an avenue for reform and have often employed similar laws to support the process. The Contributory Pension Scheme and its enabling legal regime will thus facilitate such reforms better than the prior arrangement.

Dr. Benson Oke is Lagos State Commissioner for Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions

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EDITORIAL Still Groping In Darkness The pricing system aids inefficiency in the sector

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lmost six years after the privatisation of the power sector, Nigerians are yet to know the difference between the old discredited regime of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the new one managed by the “euphoric” investors.

This is despite the best efforts of the current Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

Across the country, there is hardly any part that does not experience power failure on a regular basis.

In most places for several days and sometime, weeks, many people have no access to electricity to lighten the burden of living. Lack of electricity also limits their access to healthcare, education and other opportunities, including running their businesses.

Many small and medium scale businesses have been crippled due to the prohibitive cost of generating their own power. Even the big business ventures, particularly the manufacturing WHATEVER MAY BE ones, are also feeling THE PROBLEM WITH the biting effect of energy poverty THE OWNERS OF with consequences THE DISCOS, IT DOES stretching to every NOT HELP THAT THEY part of the economy.

CANNOT ADJUST PRICE This perhaps makes TO COVER COST the country one of the toughest places in the world to do business.

Last week, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Aba threatened to disconnect power supply to houses whose landlords vowed not to pay bills until their houses were metered. The grouse of the power consumers, according to their leader, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, was that “the federal government told them (Discos) to give customers pre-paid meters because people are supposed to pay the worth of their consumption. They have been using us to meet their inordinate targets and we are agitating for payment of the worth of power supplied to us which is not what is

happening to us right now.”

One of the main challenges in the power sector today is consumers being billed for what they do not consume. That was what compelled the House of Representatives to pass the Electricity Power Reform Act (amendment) Bill 2018 which prohibits and criminalises estimated billing. The proposed law, which has been transmitted to the Senate for concurrence, compels all electricity distribution companies to give prepaid meters to applicants within 30 days.

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

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

side the squabbling between the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over the Eligible Customer Scheme (ECS), the power being generated from the national grid remains insufficient. But the main challenge is that of tariff.

Today electricity is a commodity that can be made available at any place at different prices and at what the users are ready to pay. If the users are looking for electricity for economic purposes they are likely to pay for the right price. If the villages are to enjoy electricity for the most part of the day on government account, then there must be a structured regime of subsidy to account for that.

The federal government seems to have abandoned the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO). In fact, most of the stakeholders in the sector complain that the power reform has practically been put on hold since 2015 because the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is reluctant or unwilling to complete privatization of the industry. Whatever may be the problem with the owners of the Discos, it does not help that they cannot adjust price to cover cost. With enumerated data of customers, the mass market can be separated and subsidized while commercial houses and industries should at least be made to pay the economic price of electricity they consume.

The challenge is that we are still not able to read the trending dynamics of power supply and management systems in the world. And until we do that, Nigerians will continue to grope in darkness both in practical and metaphorical terms.

TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

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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.

ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF FUNDING INEC The struggle to improve the democratic process in Nigeria is a continuous one requiring the active involvement of all civil society. Professor Mahmood Yakubu has failed in its promise to deliver a fair, free and credible election in Nigeria. Some seven states are enmeshed with inconclusive governorship and House of Assembly election results. Posterity will judge him and his name is now included among electoral leaders that subverted the will of the people. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the electoral regulatory body set up to oversee elections in Nigeria with its entire budgeting and financing emanating from federal government. Election funding by the executive arm is becoming detrimental to a free, credible and transparent election in Nigeria. Therefore, alternative source of funding for INEC is a strategic measure designed to weaken the influence of the presidency in electoral matters in Nigeria. It is aimed at positioning INEC to be truly independent and in strengthening its ability to make critical decisions on election issues. Its primary objective is to halt myriads of future rigging strategies that may be conceptualized by the presidency to disenfranchise the will of the people. To achieve this noble objective, there is a need for the establishment of Citizens Election Fund (CEF), Nigeria Electoral College (NEC)

and Political Action Committee (PAC) in Nigeria.

The Citizens Election Fund will be any person or organization in Nigeria or abroad that donates $100 and above to sponsor Nigeria’s electoral body annual budgeting and finance for conducting election every four years. Nigeria Electoral College will be a body of electors constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the President and Vice President of Nigeria. The Electoral College will consist of the combined total of the state’s membership in the Senate and House of Representatives. It will be required to win an election as president and vice president of Nigeria with an absolute majority vote of 235 out of 469 Electoral College vote. The Political Action Committee (PAC) will be any organization in Nigeria or abroad that campaigns for or against political candidates by receiving or spending more than $1 million for the purpose of influencing a federal or state election. Lastly, there is need to reduce the rising numbers of political parties in Nigeria to a maximum of 12 or 21. The Ninth National Assembly should pass a bill that would address the aforementioned strategy designed for sustaining healthy democracy in Nigeria in lieu of the myriads of problems emanating from the 2019 general election.

Pedro Ukokobili, Lagos

FOR NASIR EL- RUFAI

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et me first of all congratulate you on your victory during the just concluded governorship election. We are grateful to God for the grace of another four years granted to you to continue with the good work you have started. Of course the grace is also an occasion for you to ponder over your infractions and rectify them for the good of all. Nobody is prefect. Accept my congratulations for the peace that had reigned during and after elections. I am commending you for the peaceful conduct of election.

Four years of stewardship of a state like Kaduna must have provided you with avalanche of experience on how to govern a complex and multi cultural state. I pray the experience you have gathered will enable you to conduct yourself and the affairs of the state with ease and confidence for our common good.

Your acceptance speech contains an olive branch extended to those that voted your opponent and is a good gesture. The mantle of leadership as you are aware is God’s responsibilities bestowed on you and as a Muslim you are aware that you will account for every deed and activities you conducted under oath as a governor. I will like to advise you to accommodate everyone in the state and sustain the good policies that will help both the less privileged and elite.

I appeal to you to examine issues and be compassionate, show empathy especially in dealing with issues relating to the poor. They constitute majority of those who have spoken with their votes to reelect you. Actually, I have respect for your policies of making Kaduna great but due to the nature of our people, you need to be flexible. Your enigmatic resolve, extra courage and political will and wits are essential ingredients for leadership. I wish you will continue to utilize them for the good of the state.

Jamilu Bello Dogarawa , jbdogarawa@gmail.com

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THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

12 Feared Killed, Nine Injured as Bandits Attack Kaduna Community State govt imposes curfew on Kajuru ADA accuses el-Rufai of bias Gunmen kill two policemen on election duty in Sokoto

John Shiklam in Kaduna and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto Scores of people have been feared killed as armed bandits attacked Layin Maigwari village along Funtua road in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, The state government has also imposed a dusk–to-dawn curfew in Kajuru community and parts of Chikun LGA of the state

THISDAY gathered the attacks in two villages in the local government area left no fewer than 12 persons dead.

However, Kajuru leaders under the aegis of Adara Adara Development Association (ADA) has accused the state Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, of turning a blind eye to the mass killing of their people by rampaging herdsmen This is coming as the Sokoto State Command yesterday

Buhari: FG Working Hard to Reverse Mismanagement of Economy Rejects bill to amend NOSDRA Act President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said that the federal government was doing its best to correct and reverse the terrible mismanagement the country had experienced under the previous administrations.

This is coming as President Buhari has declined assent to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act (Amendment) Bill passed by the National Assembly.

Buhari who stated this when he received a delegation of non-career Ambassadors, who came to State House, Abuja, to congratulate him on his re-election, said, “and with some luck, our best will be good enough.”

He said Nigeria was trying to live within her means, “so we can improve our lot,” adding that government was determined to upgrade the country’s profile, both locally and internationally.

The president added that it would be inexcusable for government not to take care of its ambassadors in their various stations, hence the special attention being paid to the country’s foreign missions.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Ambassador Ashimiyu Olaniyi, said President Buhari’s election in 2015, and his recent re-election, were divine interventions in the affairs of the country.

Ambassador Olaniyi in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina said, “You are God-sent. You have always come on stage at the critical moments of our national history to right the wrongs of the past.”

He added that the president would be remembered “as an astute political leader who does not interfere in the political affairs of states,” noting that the singular quality has given credibility to all elections conducted since 2015.

The delegation stated that apart from records of achievements in the three focal areas of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption, “your

integrity is responsible for your victory, which we are privileged to celebrate with you today.”

The ambassadors appreciated the intervention funds that were released to various missions abroad, and pledged continued loyalty and support to the Buhari administration.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has declined assent to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act (Amendment) Bill passed by the National Assembly.

Buhari, in a letter, addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and read at plenary yesterday, said his decision was pursuant to Section 58 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Specifically, the president said the bill undermines the powers of the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the functions of the ministry.

Buhari is the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The letter read, “I am declining assent to the bill because in a number of important sections, the bill undermines the powers of the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”

Buhari also rejected the imposition of 0.5 per cent of Operation Funds on oil companies, explaining that this will create an additional tax burden on oil firms operating in the country.

He listed the contentious areas in the bill to include Section 3, 6 (1a), 7 (a) and (b), 8, 9 and 11.

“Section 8 of the bill imposes a new charge and the industry of 0.5 per cent of Operation Funds of oil companies for the enforcement of the environmental legislation in the petroleum sector.

“This imposition is an additional burden on the industry, particularly given that it is unclear what operation funds mean for the purpose of applying the provisions of the bill,” It added.

confirmed the death of two policemen, ASP Abdullahi Maisaje and Sgt. Usman Ibrahim, allegedly killed while on election duty.

A source in Dogo Dawa, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai, told our correspondent that the first attack happened on Monday, when the armed bandits ambushed some people traveling from Zamfara to Niger State, and opened fire on them.

Rufai said two persons were killed, while nine others were injured in the attack.

According to him, another set of the bandits numbering about 80 also stormed Hayin Gada village on Tuesday night and started shooting sporadically, leaving 10 persons dead.

According to him, the first attack was on Monday.

“The gunmen stormed the road and attacked travellers, traveling from Zamfara to Niger State, and opened fire on them.

They killed two people and left about nine travellers injured.

“Also on Tuesday, March 12, at Hayin Gada village along Dogon Dawa road, the gunmen stormed the village and started shooting sporadically. In that attack, they killed 10 people.

“As I speak with you, residents of the village have fled from the village to a neighboring community for fear of further

attack, because the attackers were so many; they were up to 80,” he said.

But the Kaduna State Police Command could not confirm the incident as at the time of filing this report.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Yakubu Sabo said he was on board a helicopter and promised to get back to our reporter.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has imposed a dusk–to-dawn curfew in Kajuru community and parts of Chikun LGA of the state.

There has been a growing tension in the affected areas following the invasion and massive killings in rural communities by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

It was gathered that no fewer 83 people have been killed in three communities in Kajuru Local Government Area since last Sunday following the attacks.

Some of the communities that came under the deadly attack since last Sunday, according to a lawyer and former President of the Adara Development Association (ADA), Danladi Yarima, include Anguwan Barde, Anguwan Gamu and Kyamara village among others.

He said in Anguwan Barde,

which was attacked last Sunday, 35 people were killed, although the police said 16 were killed.

Yarima said in Anguwan Anguwan Gamu which was attacked last Monday, 46 people were killed with several others still missing while in Kyamara village which came under attack last Tuesday evening, two people were killed.

He said most of the attacks were in the broad day light between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00a.m.

Following the attacks, there has been tension in the locality, leading to mass exodus of villagers from their homes to other places for safety.

Announcing the imposition of the curfew in a statement yesterday, spokesman to the governor, Samuel Aruwan, said security assessments have necessitated the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

According to the statement, “Security assessments have necessitated the imposition of the curfew in all parts of Kajuru Local Government Area effective from March 13, 2019.

“The dusk-to-dawn curfew is also extended to Kujama and Maraban Rido (a suburb in Kaduna metropolis) which are in Chikun Local Government Area.

“The curfew in the affected

areas will be in effect from 6p.m. to 6a.m. daily until further notice.

“Security agencies have been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the curfew. “The state government therefore appeals to all residents and communities in the affected areas to bear the inconvenience of the curfew and cooperate with the security agencies.”

Meanwhile, ADA had in a statement last Tuesday accused the state government of turning a blind eye to the mass killing of its people by rampaging herdsmen.

The statement which was signed by the Assistant National Secretary of ADA, Luke Waziri, alleged that the killers were being funded and supported to wreak havoc in Adara land, “while those saddled with the responsibility of securing us deliberately looked the other way.”

Giving details of the attack, Waziri said: “Firstly, Ungwan Barde was attacked on February 10, 2019, and nobody did anything even though those in government knew about it. Furthermore, the state government pretended that the 11 people killed didn’t matter.

“Karamai, another of our

Cont’d on page 53

FEC MEETING…

L–R: Minister of Finance , Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Health , Professor Isaac Adewole; and Minister of Water Resources , Suleiman Adamu, at the Federal Executive Council meeting held at Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja …yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI

Explosives Kill Two Children, Injure Three in Borno Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Two primary school children have been killed and three others injured while playing with undetonated explosives.

According to a source within an international aid agency who preferred anonymity, the incident occurred yesterday morning at a primary school in Gamboru in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The impeccable source said: “On March 13, 2019 at about 1015hours, four children from Gamboru Central Primary school found undetonated hand grenade at a nearby bush not far from their school and were playing with it (at break time).

“They were playing with the explosives innocently outside their school premise about 500 metres away.

“Four of the kids were playing under a water overhead tank.

They were hitting the hand grenade on the metal, which later exploded with the four kids. The resultant explosion killed two of the children and injured three other students,” he said.

The source lamented that the four children playing with the explosives are all from one household.

Confirming the incident, an eyewitness Abbagana Bindi and a military personnel, who spoke anonymously from Gamboru,

said the explosives killed one of the children on the spot and wounded four others.

According to him, one of the wounded children was later lost at MSF facility at ISS IDP camp.

The two lost children have been buried according to Islamic rites, while the remaining three kids were receiving treatment at MSF facility ISS IDP camp and Secondary facility Kusuri in Cameroon, the sources said

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

‘S/East Must Work Hard to Take Power in 2023’

The National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress Chief George Muoghalu fields questions from Onyebuchi Ezeigbo on, among other things, the quest for presidency of Igbo extraction

Muoghalu

T

he main opposition party, PDP has described President Buhari’s re-election as a pyrrhic victory that cannot stand. What is your take?

One thing about politics in this country is that we are bad losers.

People really find it difficult to accept defeat. And this is the first thing we have to address in our democratic culture and as a people. In most cases, you find people protesting that an election was rigged but the simple question I always ask some people is whether rigging is determined by the calibre of the candidate who lost.

They claimed that Kwara was rigged because Bukola Saraki lost, but I asked, what happened to Oyo where a sitting governor, Abiola Ajimobi lost? What happened in Plateau where APC lost, in Benue where George Akume lost? So, there was no rigging because it is only where the opposition party losses that the issue of rigging comes up.

For me, it is neither here nor there. As far as I am concerned, the presidential and National Assembly election was fair, free and credible especially taking into consideration the reports from the foreign and domestic observers. Yes, nobody claimed it was a perfect election since we have not reached the stage and not even the civilised democracy has reached the point of perfect election. But all said and done, it was a good election.

Considering the crisis that bedevilled the APC and the rancor witnessed during some its campaigns , don’t you think that

those protesting the presidential poll result are justified to believe that the party may have helped itself?

It is more of an issue of perception.

We said we are going to win because we have worked hard to win as a government that has delivered on its promises to the Nigerian people.

Don’t forget that Mr. President went round to campaign in the 36 states of the country and Abuja.

The shame is on Ohaneze now but we warned against it based on the experience we had in 2015. What Ohaneze has succeeded in doing was to sadly repeat the mistake of the 2015. it is most unfortunate but it has happened.

Fortunately, the president did not relate to us in 2015 based on the endorsement of Ohaneze

In each rally, he presented his report card, taking Nigerians on the promises he made, the extent he has gone with regards to delivering on those promises. He reemphasised the fact that we have not gotten to where we are going, but we are on the right track to get there. We were not arrogant in claiming that we will win.

There is no politician that will announce that he will not win as a candidate of a party. In fact, even those without any structure in the grassroots claim they will win. I know one presidential candidate who does not even have an executive in his own community, claiming that he will be sworn in on May 29. Should we have arrested him for saying what he believes?

Why has it been difficult for the APC to make appreciable mark in the South-east despite the leading figures that have joined the party from that geopolitical zone?

I wished that my party APC had won 100 per cent in the South-east.

That is why other leaders and I are there, but in this recent election, we did not actualise our vision for our people. My people did not respond the way we wanted them to.

However, if you place it side by side with what happened in the 2015 election, there is a remarkable improvement. For me, since democracy is a process, we will keep working to improve our fortune in the next election. We will spread our message that this government has come to serve the Nigerian people, Southeast inclusive. There are strategic projects this government is executing in my region that has the capacity

to endear our government to the people.

Don’t also forget that we faced strong challenge from the opposition party with a vice presidential candidate from the region. Although, we did not win as expected, however, it was an improvement from what it was previously. We are confident that we will continue to improve until we get to where we are going.

With the current realities , do you think that APC will still zone the presidency to the South-east as previously contemplated?

Why not, it is not about rejecting Mr President even though he was, but a case of more people not believing in our party, the APC. However, I have always warned that power is not given but taken. You have to work for it. So, it is clear to us from the South-east that we need to work for power if we want to get it in 2023.

It cannot be served on the table to us because it is our turn.

We have to convince people to win a platform during the primaries and that was why we shouted on top of our voices that for things to be a little easier for the region, we need to demonstrate our commitment to the party to stand on a very high moral ground to make a demand.

It is obvious that we have the challenge of convincing our compatriot and party leaders on why power should shift to the South-east. We are going to work towards it.

Don’t you think that the issue of restructuring must have played major impact in APC’s rejection in the South-east?

I don’t think so. We must first

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‘S/East Must Work Hard to Take Power in 2023’ come out clearly for people to understand what restructuring is. I can place a bet on it that 70 to 80 per cent mouthing restructuring don’t know what they are asking for.

For some, it is about dismembering the country. For others, it is about bringing down the entire structure to create a new one. Yet for others, it is about addressing the economy and infrastructural development.

Let us look at what we have to get to as a people in the government of the day. We cannot be talking about restructuring and at the same talking about presidency for the Igbo nation in 2023. It is a clear contradiction.

I am among those who said that Ohaneze has no business in dragging the Igbo nation through the same route we passed in 2015, which created political problems to us.

Ohaneze adopted former president Jonathan and he failed the election, and where did it place us? The same group of people dragged us through the same route in 2019 by adopting the PDP candidate, which has now led us to nowhere. Why can’t Ohaneze as a leadership disassociate itself from politics and continue its role as a socio-cultural organisation that speaks for the Igbo nation.

Some notable Igbo sons and daughters are strong APC members as well as Ohaneze members, but how can the same group I am a member oppose to my political view by adopting my opponent as a candidate and expect me to pledge my loyalty to such group? It is impossible; I will rather fight and challenge the group.

That is the position many of us took.

That moral standing expected of that group to protect our group interest has been lost. The group would have been standing a solid ground if it was neutral and allowed the sons and daughters of Igbo nation to play politics according to their interest and sentiment. The group would have provided us a guide by admonishing those on every divide to be careful.

As people looking for relevance and to be part of the government, Ohaneze would have allowed its sons and daughters to pursue it from various platforms so that anyone that succeeds at the end, the interest of the Igbo nation will be projected and protected.

What is your take on the comment by Mr. President that the next four years will be tough?

The President was right in telling Nigerians that the next four years will be tough because building a structure will never be easy. There must be a surgery to remove a tumour. The healing will start after the surgery. Government, cautious of these challenges, has been addressing it systematically. It has done with the various empowerment programmes it introduced, which is intended to ameliorate the difficulties.

There is the tradermoni concept, the N-Power, the school feeding among others, which are intended to cushion the challenges facing Nigerians with regards to governance.

The meaning of what Mr President said is that we should be ready to take responsibility.

Won’t the recent wave of suspensions of key party members create further crisis in the APC? The suspension was a party decision that must be separated from the government. As a party, we needed to put issues straight as it is for everybody to know where the party stands. The decision to suspend was not one person’s decision but a collective.

It came after warnings have been issued in the past that the party will not accept a situation where

Muoghalu

the chances of our candidates is being diminished by the actions of members holding responsible positions in government.

Do you see Buhari changing his approach to governance in his second term, especially his alleged nepotistic disposition?

I won’t agree that his appointments are nepotist but I agree that we need to expand our political base in terms of appointments, he has made it very clear that every part of Nigeria is his constituency. He has demonstrated it by his appointments. Don’t forget

I won’t agree that his appointments are nepotist but I agree that we need to expand our political base in terms of appointments, he has made it very clear that every part of Nigeria is his constituency. He has demonstrated it by his appointments.

Don’t forget that most of the appointments are statutory and a good number of the appointments have been sufficiently balanced

that most of the appointments are statutory and a good number of the appointments have been sufficiently balanced.

However, like every other human being, we would prefer our appointments to come from our places. That is human being for you. We must also separate personal staff from public appointments.

Service Chiefs like he has tried to explain in many instances may be through seniority, laid down procedure. Somebody at the level of Mr President has more information than many of us.

He has been guided by such information many of us may not be privy to but that is not to say that I will not wish to see every part of Nigeria comfortably accommodated in the cause of appointments and I can tell you that Mr President and the government are cautious of this fact.

What is your party putting in place to ensure that it does not again mismanage its victory by allowing confusion and crisis to trail the emergence of principal officers in the National Assembly?

When two are involved, there must certainly be different approaches.

The current national chairman is different from his predecessor. This current chairman has his own way of doing things and getting result.

What I know is that we value all the people elected on our platform.

The party will give everybody the opportunity to try and the party will also play its role firmly.

Do you believe that the relationship between the presidency and the national assembly will be more cordial under the 9th Senate and House of Resprentaives ?

We must understand that there is a new leadership in the party. Certainly, the relationship will change from what it was in the past because

of the leadership represented by the chairmen. Except for few of us that came back, the APC NWC of the last regime is not the same with what we have now. I can tell you that attitudinal relationship will certainly change and how results will be achieved will certainly be different.

What is the implication of Ohaneze’s endorsement of Atiku now that Buhari has been reelected?

The endorsement was unfortunate and has remained very unfortunate because the fear we expressed then has come to be. The shame is on Ohaneze now but we warned against it based on the experience we had in 2015. What Ohaneze has succeeded in doing was to sadly repeat the mistake of the 2015.

It is most unfortunate but it has happened. Fortunately, the president did not relate to us in 2015 based on the endorsement of Ohaneze because he knew that some of us did not agree with them and the same thing is applying now.

Some of us did not agree with them and will never agree with them. Today, we are exonerated. Our fears are confirmed because they would not have dragged us through the same path we followed in 2015 if they are reasonable.

What is your take on attacks , intimidation and disenfranchisement of Igbos by their host communities?

To the best of my knowledge, the APC never encouraged voting based on religion or tribe. We made it clear that people are free to exercise their franchise in line with the dictates of their conscience. If you notice throughout the campaign, the chairman consistently adopted campaign mantra of ‘one man, one vote’. It is not fair for a group to be disenfranchised. I will never be part of it.

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

ANigerian Engineer’s Eventual Triumph When Dr. Dele Sanni ran out funds for his innovative machine, he felt deeply frustrated. An opportunity later presented itself, leading to his eventual triumph. This has earned him a place on the 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation long-list.

Solomon Elusoji writes

W

hen Dele Sanni starts talking about his now acclaimed invention, he can go on and on, taking on the voice of the patient teacher eager to help his student understand another of life’s inexplicable mysteries. Sanni is sturdy, round and laughs with ease. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, where he has lectured for virtually his entire academic career. “I have been here for quite a while,� he told this reporter.

Last November, Sanni’s drying machine invention (he has a patent for it) earned him a place on the 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation long-list. The APEI is the brainchild of the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineers and, since 2014, has recognised and rewarded the African creators of groundbreaking technologies developed to solve acute challenges across the continent. The winner of the Prize, which will be announced in May, goes home with ÂŁ25,000. This year, four Nigerians, including Sanni, are on the long-list of 17 African innovators. “I wasn’t expecting it,â€? he said, during a phone conversation, allowing himself some laughter. His machine, the 3d-3p rotary dryer, is a 30feet long, 10feet high and eight feet wide behemoth. But Sanni said that, compared to similar dryers in the market, his is more portable, consumes less power, more efficient and cheaper to build. The machine’s primary job is to extract moisture from materials, whether they are agricultural products like grains or non-consumables such as sawdust. The APEI described it “as an industrial food dryer that dries grain for livestock feed faster, and increases the nutritional value of food stocksâ€?.

Think of it as “putting a cooking pot on your gas stove� and then pouring in, say, wet cassava, while you stir and allow the heat from the gas suck out the moisture.

It’s a crude analogy for what the machine does, but a good starting point. It regulates the amount of heat that passes in and has an in-built system – a set of blowers – that ensures the moisture being extracted is swiftly ejected from the revolving drums. “This helps to really make the drying very rapid�, compared to flash dryers, which rely on hot air that comes into direct contact with the product being dried, Sanni said.

The idea for the machine was inspired by the academic’s frequent contacts with food processors in the country. He sees farmers Sanni

Last November, Sanni’s drying machine invention (he has a patent for it) earned him a place on the 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation long-list. The APEI is the brainchild of the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineers and, since 2014, has recognised and rewarded the African creators of groundbreaking technologies developed to solve acute challenges across the continent

sun-drying their produce – cassava chips, potato chips – on the road, exposed to the elements. “This gets me worried,� he said. “Virtually, all of our food products processed locally in Nigeria are produced under very bad hygienic conditions�. “In Nigeria now, we actually need dryers,�

Peter Kolawole, an expert in agricultural equipment and crop processing at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), told this reporter recently. “It is not a joke, especially if you travel along the highway – there are lots of cassava products displayed along the road. And you know the kind of chemical products that any vehicle passing will be carrying, or some pollutants that can easily contaminate the commodities, which at the end of the day end up in the market. So we are seriously in need of dryers with a proven technology.�

So when between 2006 and 2007, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Raw Materials Research and

Development Council (RMRDC), made a national call for scientists in the country to design equipment that would be useful in the production of cassava flour, Sanni knew this was an opportunity to put his thoughts to action. He got some of his students to assist him and together they started work on the machine’s design. Some of the design considerations included the option to power the machine with sources other than diesel fuel, portability and efficiency. In 2008, the design won the RMRDC national award and was slated to receive a grant for actual construction.

The first tranche of the grant arrived in 2010, after the then minister gave an instruction that funds should be released for the physical dryer. But Sanni said it was not enough. Between 2010 and 2013, the first version of the machine was built and the engineer took it to Abuja for a national exhibition, where it attracted considerable attention. But that appeared to be the end of

the road for the idea. The ministry said there was no provision for additional funding. For the next three years, it sat in a workshop, idle, unfinished. “It was very frustrating,� Sanni said, as he watched his invention gather dust and depreciate.

Lucky Break Circa 2017, Pericom, a Nigerian engineering company, was involved in a project to convert sawdust into briquette. Briquettes are a source of environmental friendly fuel.

As part of the conversion, Pericom needed a drying machine and the original plan was to import one from China. But a former student of Sanni was on the company’s payroll and he informed his boss, Ade Ojeleye, that there could be a cheaper, locally-sourced alternative.

Ojeleye made the trip down to Ife to see the machine. But, at the time, it was non-functional. Some parts had even gone

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A version of the drying machine

missing or were broke. So the academic had to convince his soon-to-be client that the machine was up to the task. “I told him, look this dryer of ours, even though it has been abandoned for a few years, it can do better than any imported dryer. So there is no point going to waste a lot of money bringing a dryer that we know we can do it here. So based on trust, the man, actually entered into a contract agreement with us.�

At the end of deliberations, Pericom made an order for two units of the machine, custom-designed to dry sawdust.

Another advantage of Sanni’s design is the claim that his can dry multiple products. “Most other dryers are built for one particular product, except what you call the cabinet dryers, which can be used to dry different kinds of materials,� he said. “But in terms of rotary and convertive dryers, they are built generally for one particular product.

So if you buy a dryer today, you can only use it for either cassava flour, grains. The beauty of this one is that you can use it for virtually all kinds of agricultural materials�.

Through his private engineering company, Sandel Engineering, Sanni successfully built the two units. They are now installed in Lagos and Delta states. “That’s where the reinvigoration started,�

Sanni said. “With the money that we got from that company, we were now able to correct all the errors. Even the dryer we have right now still has room for lots of improvements, modifications, because even the best technologies in the world are still subject to improvements. So with the money that we got from Pericom, we were able to do a lot of improvements to get the dryer to a level where it is now market-ready.�

According to Sanni, the price to build a unit of the dryer costs about N6.5 million. “But the flash dryer costs about N12.5 million naira,� he pointed out. “And in terms of capacity, ours can do about 500kg an hour, while the flash dryer will do only 250kg per hour. So you can see ours is about 50 percent cheaper. And 50 percent more in capacity. And then of course all the operational cost that you have to incur with the flash dryer, the issue of having a heat exchanger to generate the heat, diesel fuel (ours runs on gas) and of course the electrical components are not much. “With a very small generator you can power the electric motors that drive the drums. So it is a dryer that is actually adaptable for use in any kind of location, even on the farm, in the village. Once you have a small generator and you have access to gas, you

Sanni believes that the current structure of university education in Nigeria is a misnomer, since it is not productivity-based. Faculty members don’t have to attract grants or be innovative to stay on the job. It is a laissez-faire that encourages redundancy and glorifies status-quo knowledge. Even for the mavericks, those who think differently within the system, it is difficult to midwife their ideas from conceptualisation to market acceptance, since there are no structures to provide funding that gives them the luxury to fail.

He heard about the APEI while drinking with friends at the university. At first, he wasn’t too keen on applying, but after looking over the email that had been shared, decided that this was something that could benefit his project. As it happened, the application window was about to end. So he had to rush through the process. His entry was only ready some 30 minutes to the application deadline and the Internet on his computer suddenly refused to work. Panicking a bit, he quickly put a call to a friend at the university’s ICT centre and rushed down there; 15 minutes to the end, his application was eventually delivered.

Sanni

can continue to dry your products. And the rate of drying is quite high. Much more efficient than any other imported dryer. These were all the descriptions I gave when the African prize thing came onboard and it is

The price to build a unit of the dryer costs about N6.5 million.“But the ash dryer costs about N12.5 million naira,â€?he pointed out.“And in terms of capacity, ours can do about 500kg an hour, while the ash dryer will do only 250kg per hour. So you can see ours is about 50 percent cheaper. And 50 per cent more in capacity

very satisfying to be one of those selected.�

An Engineer of Note Based on conversations with several of Sanni’s past students this reporter reached out to, it was clear he has a record of being a conscientious instructor who pays attention to the practical and emotional needs of those who sit under his tutelage. “He is a very good man,� Oluwatobi Olalekan, who now works as a Telecoms Engineer, said. “His magnanimity allowed me work on several projects and gain some experience on building machines that enhance food security. He allows you to learn all you want to learn, without holding back. He is a very intelligent person. We are just in a part of the world where people want to rate intelligence on being book-smart. Of course he is book-smart, but he is also the kind of engineer that we really need�.

Oladotun Dagunduro graduated from OAU in 2006, but he has remained in touch with Dr. Sanni. “He believed in me when nobody did not,� Dagunduro, who is now a software engineer, said. He described his former lecturer as an engineer who does the actual work and not just a paper theorist.

New Vista His appearance on the prize’s long-list has now opened to him a world brimming with opportunities. Foreign and local investors have approached him for business deals; he has received messages from the African Development Bank and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Even the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology are now in communication to see how they can support the dryer’s commercialisation. Several agricultural companies within the country, too, have shown interest. “It’s been a very long road to get here,� Dr. Sanni said. “But it feels very fulfilling.� “It’s been tough really, being an engineering professional, because Nigeria has not particularly done good enough in patronising Nigerian engineers and home-made products,� he continued. “Engineering innovation is key.

We have to innovate, if we don’t we will continue to rely on imported technologies. “The technological development is about having control, even if it is not 100 per cent, over your own technology. For me, it is like economic slavery that we have to depend on others for everything, our cars, our clothes, our transport system, our oil, we have to invite expatriates or we can’t do anything. Our lives depend on others.

We don’t have control over our lives. And this is the unfortunate situation.�

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Quick Takes PZ Cussons Celebrates Women

Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËŞĂ? Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ù×Ă?Ă˜ËŞĂ? Ă‹ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă–Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?ÚÙĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă‘Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?ĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ÞÙÙÕ ÚÖËĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă?Ù××ÓÞ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ě‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă’ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÙËÖĂ? Ě™ Ă?Ěš Ă?Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›

Ă˜ Ă’Ă“Ă? ÙÚĂ?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă’ĂœĂ“Ă?ÞÙĂ? Ă“Ă‹Ă˜Ě‹ Ă˜Ă™ĂšĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–Ă™Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă?×ÚÖÙãĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÙÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă“ĂœĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœË› Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă–Ă‹ĂŽĂŁË› ËŤ Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?Ă‹Ă&#x;Þã Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ÒÙÖÎ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă—Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă?ËœËŹ Ă‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă›Ă&#x;ÙÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă’Ă“Ă— ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË›

Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă’Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă•Ă?ĂŁ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœËœ ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă?Þã Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă‘Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁË› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ăœ ËŤĂ?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?˛ˏ Ă’Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂžĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ åÓÞÒ Ă?ÞËÞÓĂ?ÞÓĂ?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹ĂžËœ ËŤĂ“Ă˜ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍ˛Ëœ ͯͲ͹ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ͳͰ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ăž ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ?Ú˛ˏ ËŤ Ù×Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ù×ÚÖÓĂ?Ă’Ă?ĂŽË› Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă&#x;Ăš åÓÞÒ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ËœËŹ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽË›

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf; President, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase; Deputy President, Mrs.Toki Mabogunje and Vice President, Dr. Micheal Olawale-Cole, at a media briefing to set agenda for President Mohammadu Buhari’s second term, held in Lagos‌recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUT

Pressure Mounts on Buhari to Sign Digital Rights Bill Stories by Emma Okonji Paradigm Initiative, an advocacy group, is currently mobilising Nigerians to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sign the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill into law without further delay.

The advocacy group is running an online campaign where it is collating signatures of Nigerians that would be sent to the president, which would best explain the people’s will and desire to have the bill signed into law.

The group vowed that the campaign would continue next Monday, and run daily until the bill is signed by the president.

They called on more Nigerians to participate in the online

TELECOM campaign that they said was already gaining momentum.

Giving reasons for the need to sign the Bill into law, the Chief Executive Officer of Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said: “After almost three years of legislative process, the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill was transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on February 5 for presidential assent, and since then the president was yet to assert the bill. “We are calling on the president to sign the bill into law, to protect human rights online and help energise digital innovation,� he said.

The Digital Rights Bill provides for the protection of

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

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

The Digital Rights Bill is an assemblage of conventional rights aimed at making online spaces rights-inclusive and is an attempt at balancing the friction between security and human rights in the digital age.

The bill also addresses the subject of hate speech in a way that ensures safeguards for both the accused and alleged victim

and ensures that free speech does not suffer in the process.

The bill when passed into law, is expected to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from global technology companies, aside strengthen the Nigeria technology industry by ensuring there is a positive regulatory environment.

It provides a regulatory environment for lawful surveillance and interception thereby helping law enforcement to carry out their duty leveraging technology.

Technology experts also stated that the bill would strengthen users’ trust. The experts who lauded the bill and the initiative of the group, said the legislation was a step in the right direction Continued on page 24

NCC Cautions Subscribers against Use of Counterfeit Handsets The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has again cautioned telecom consumers to desist from the patronage and usage of counterfeit handsets and other substandard mobile devices in the country.

Worried about the continuous proliferation of substandard mobile phones and devices in the country, NCC in a statement, said such mobile devices impact negatively on telecoms network across boards.

The warning was given at a one-day event organised by NCC in Paiko, Niger State, titled: “Sensitisation programme on hazardous effect of non-type approved handsets and impact on

TELECOM quality of service and e-waste.�

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, said the programme was part of the Commission’s deliberate move to educate and create awareness on the hazardous health effects and negative economic implications of the patronage of fake handsets and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the country.

According to Danbatta who was represented by Director, Zonal Operations Department at NCC, Mrs. Amina Shehu, “It is a programme designed by

the Commission to educate and enlighten the masses on the need to use type-approved handsets and the benefits of using such equipment which includes better quality of service (QoS), network integrity and safety of the end-users.�

Shehu, who expressed dismay at the proliferation of counterfeit handsets in the country, said the menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets had assumed a global dimension, which require a lot of education on the part of the consumers and the collaboration with other government agencies to address it. She also enjoined telecoms consumers to check

the Commission’s official website to find the list of type-approved phones from which they can make their choices of handsets to purchase. “Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigerians, where importers bring in substandard phones without recourse to regulatory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market,� she noted.

According to her, the Commission is empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, section 132 to establish Continued on page 24

Ericsson Announces Leadership Change

ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ë›

ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă‹ Ă“ĂŽĂŽĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă’ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă’Ă“Ă— Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÙ ĹŠĂœĂ”Ă? ÕÒÙÖײ

ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă’Ă“Ă—Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă– ÍŽÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľËœ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ÍąÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡˛ Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă— Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? ĂŽĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ëœ ĹŠĂœĂ”Ă? ÕÒÙÖ× Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă’ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă¤Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞåÙ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă“ĂŽĂŽĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?Ăœ Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă? Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂœĂ™ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› ËŤ Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă’ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–Ăž Ă?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă“ĂšĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Íł Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă’ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÖÙÙÕ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• åÓÞÒ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?˛ˏ

ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă’Ă“Ă— Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ͯ͡͡ʹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă– ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?ÞËã Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ù××ÓÞÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă– Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŁ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă“ĂšĂ?Ë›

Jumia Woos SMEs

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂšĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă— Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ËÚÓÞËÖ˛ Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ ĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÙÎ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂœË› ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ă“ĂŁĂ“ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ÙåÙÕĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹ĂšĂ“ĂžĂ‹Ă–Ëœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă˘Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂœĂ?ÚËã×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ ÍŻĚ‹Í´ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă?Ëœ Ă–Ă™ĂĄĚ‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă˜Ă™ Ă?ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă–Ëœ Ă˜Ă™ Ă’Ă“ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ă˜ Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ÑÙËÖĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă?Ă‹Ăž ÞÙ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Óâ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă?Óâ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ÍŻÍŽÍŽËœÍŽÍŽÍŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă?Óâ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ă?ÙÖÎ Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ Í°Íł Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă‹Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă‹ĂžĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ˜Ă™Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă˘Ă“ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁË› Ă’Ă? ÚËÚĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă‹Ă? ĂžĂ‹Ă˘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ‹Ă˜Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ͰͲ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ͳ͜ Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă™ ĂŒĂ‹Ă˜Ă• Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă‹ Ă–Ă™Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?ÞÓÚĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™ĂŽ åÓÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ăž Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂœĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă?âÒËĂ&#x;Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ÙåÙÕĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË›

“NAMBUIT is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, designed to drive the operations of the proposed National MFB in a way to reduce operational costs and improve bank’s ability to provide necessary information to government agencies�

Managing Director, Africa Operations at Inlaks,

Femi Adeoti

24

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BUHARI TO SIGN DIGITAL RIGHTS BILL

because of the value it would bring to the digital economy and the rights of people of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Paradigm Initiative has commended the gesture by the Liberian President, George Weah, to sign into law, a Bill to decriminalise libel in Liberia through an Act to amend the Liberian Codes Revised Penal Law of 1978.

The advocacy group called on President Buhari to draw the spirit of true democracy from the the Liberian President.

The act named Kamara Abdullah Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom is a major milestone within the human rights framework in Liberia.

The proposed Act was earlier submitted to Liberia’s 53rd Legislature by the administration of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. President Weah, however, proposed to the 54th Legislature that the name of the Act be changed to honour the late Abdullah Kamara, the former President of the Liberian Press Union.

NCC CAUTIONS SUBSCRIBERS AGAINST USE OF COUNTERFEIT HANDSETS

and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in Nigeria to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment. “As such, all equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must therefore ensure that their equipment conform to the applicable standards as mandated by the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria, stressing that NCC is also saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that consumer enjoys his or her stake in the telecommunications industry.�

Shehu further added that the Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other government agencies, recently inaugurated two committees to design modalities towards curbing the proliferation of substandard handsets in the country.

Group Business Editor

Report: Global Business Investments Decline by 27% Stories by Emma Okonji

the core business; an “ad-hoc creative process� rather than a set of practices that will fundamentally change their way of doing business. “It’s like going jogging once a month and then expecting to be able to run a marathon, Adenmosun said. “Over the last five years,

roughly $3.2 trillion was spent on innovation worldwide.

Yet, the study shows it is not how much you spend that matters, it is how you spend it. The companies bucking the trend and seeing the biggest returns are investing in bold, watershed moves rather than incremental shifts.

“The companies reaping the biggest rewards show a “go big or go home� mentality by investing in truly disruptive innovation projects, and don’t just tinker around the edges,�

Adenmosun added.

Adenmosun, argued that some companies just chase the latest tech trends without

thinking about how to connect what they are spending to the biggest problems or opportunities in their business.

The report also revealed that there were seven key characteristics that were adopted by companies deliberately driving innovation.

A recent global research conducted by Accenture, a professional services firm has revealed that although global businesses, including Nigerian businesses are increasing their innovation spend, the returns on investments declined by 27 per cent over the past five years.

The survey report, which sought to unlock the value of business innovation and investments, explained that almost one-third, which is about 29 per cent of those Accenture surveyed, expected to increase their investments in innovation by more than 50 per cent over the next five years.

According to new report, more than half, which is about 57 per cent of businesses making significant investments in innovation have underperformed against industry peers when it comes to growth or market value.

Analysing the report, the Managing Directir, Financial Services at Accenture, Toluleke Adenmosun, said: “The fact that return on investment overall is dropping is a worrying trend, business are spending more than ever, but their inability to see proper returns is shocking.�

According to Adenmosun, one of the reasons for this could be that many organisations still see innovation as a L-R: Former MD/CEO African Alliance Insurance, Ope Oredugba; Current MD/CEO, Funmi Omo, Former Board Chairman, Cyril Ajagu; Interim peripheral activity separate to Board Chairman, Anthony Okocha, during the unveiling of the company’s new corporate identity in Lagos‌recently

UNVEILING NEW IDENTITY

Facebook Cautions EU on Planned Regulation Facebook’s Head of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, has warned that the company’s business model could come under threat by the proposed EU regulations. This is just as its Vice President in charge of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Nicola Mendelsohn opened up on how the social media giant is tackling recent security issues.

Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Clegg, who joined Facebook in 2018, told senior EU officials that the company’s dealings with online advertisers was at risk because of proposed privacy laws designed to protect users.

The laws would require Facebook to get consent from account holders before accessing and using

their personal information, data which is used by the company’s online advertising customers.

Clegg’s comments come after what Mendelsohn described as a “hard� year for the company during an interview with Mobile World Live at the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC19) in Barcelona, Spain.

The company had in 2918, faced a period of intense scrutiny sparked by the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal in March 2018. It also came under fire over its data collection and privacy practices in the UK and Germany and faced a data breach spat with the US Federal Trade Commission.

Mendelsohn, said Facebook is now a very different place as a result,

both in terms of internal culture and “also in terms of where we are placing our money, if you want to look at what a company values, you look at where the money is being spent. “Our money is being spent on safety, security and privacy.�

Some 30,000 employees are now focused on the “safety of business, safety of people and if there is any bad content, we make sure it is taken down,�

Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook also introduced transparency around political adverts in a bid to maintain the integrity of elections and acts more swiftly to take down fake news, she explained.

Mendelsohn, however, conceded that with 2.7

billion people connected to its platform, it was representing the great, the good and the bad of humanity, and may never be able to entirely rid it of the latter.

Despite the perceived fear of the proposed EU regulation, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has laid out an ambitious plan to rebuild the social media network with a focus on privacy, as regulators in the US and Europe dig in to its data collection practices.

In a recent online post, Zuckerberg flagged encryption, reduced data permanence and secure data storage as key pillars of the new strategy. “I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where

people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure, and their messages and content won’t stick around forever.

This is the future I hope we will help bring about,�

Zuckerberg said.

In addition to previously announced plans to extend WhatsApp-style encryption to Messenger and Instagram, Zuckerberg outlined plans to add more avenues for private interactions with friends, groups and businesses.

He also said Facebook would explore a new model in which content would expire or be archived automatically after a set period of time, because “People want to be sure that what they share won’t come back to hurt them much later,� he wrote.

shows that our efforts to revolutionise e-commerce in Nigeria and beyond is being noticed even beyond the shores of Africa. “This partnership will put us in a position to serve our numerous customers across Nigeria better with more exciting solutions across Intel’s wide-ranging bouquet. “Furthermore, it calls for more work on our part in justifying the confidence

reposed in us by taking e-commerce to greater heights,� Ekeh said.

In addition to justifying Konga’s strides and leadership of the Nigerian e-Commerce space, the development is bound to bolster the company’s partnership standing with Intel, while positioning it for more marketing support to drive huge product volumes and sell-out, the firm added.

ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹ Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ?

Comms/e-Business Editor

Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“ Senior Correspondent

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

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? åÙÔÓ (Insurance) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™ (Energy) Reporters

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Konga Joins Retail Accelerator Program Konga has announced that it has migrated to the Retail Accelerator Program of global technology giant Intel, thereby becoming the first e-Commerce company in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve the feat.

Konga’s elevation to the new retail channel program takes effect from the second quarter this year.

Making the announcement, Intel’s Consumer

Manager for Nigeria, Olabanji Womiloju, lauded Konga for its landmark strides in the e-Commerce space, noting that the company was selected in West Africa because of its huge reputation and outstanding performance in Nigeria’s e-commerce sector which is widely regarded as Africa’s biggest market.

On his part, the coChief Executive Officer

(CEO), Konga Group, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, expressed delight with the development, adding that Konga’s migration to the new RSA program was a proof that the company was on the right direction in her strategies to change the e-commerce dynamics in Nigeria and beyond. “We are very glad with the news of our elevation to the Intel Retail Accelerator Program. It

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Opeke: Every Nigerian Deserves Internet Connectivity MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke, in this interview sheds light on the company’s recent partnership with Facebook and her company’s efforts to improve broadband outcomes for Nigerians starting with Edo and Ogun states. Emma Okonji presents the excepts:

Y

ou recently announced a partnership with Facebook.

Can you shed some light on that?

We established a partnership with Facebook in 2018 to build and operate metro fibre infrastructure in Edo and Ogun States, two states with fast growing economies in Nigeria. MainOne has built approximately 750kms of fibre network in major metropolitan areas in the states, including Benin City, Abeokuta, Sagamu and some smaller cities with co-investment by Facebook. These metro fibre networks will provide connectivity for MainOne Enterprise customers, as well as Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and government and public locations including State Secretariats, MDAs, schools and hospitals.

We believe this project has the potential to improve Quality of Service to over 2.5 million internet users in these states and greatly improve broadband access with corollary benefits of improved economic opportunities via employment generation, increased productivity and access to knowledge resources.

Why is Facebook investing in fibre projects in Nigeria?

Facebook is a company that has stated its mission as connecting people around the world via the Internet. The company realises that almost three billion people in the world do not have access to the Internet and it has committed to making the Internet more affordable and accessible where it can. Under its Connectivity division (Facebook Connectivity), Facebook announced an array of projects and partnerships at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for bringing more people online, ranging from new devices and fibre networks to software.

Some of these new projects include new open-access networks in Peru (with Telefonica, IDB Invest and the Development Bank of Latin America); 750km open-access fibre infrastructure in Nigeria (with MainOne); the launch of Magma, an open-source platform that makes mobile network deployments easier for carriers (with Telefonica and BRCK) and extension of its Express Wi-Fi service (with Cell C, Vodafone and Globe) in South Africa, Ghana and the Philippines. The overarching focus for Facebook is improving internet connectivity and empowering partner operators such as MainOne with the tools to build out networks to connect more people. Our partnership with Facebook has invested in building new infrastructure in states like Ogun and Edo that is open-access and can be used by all operators. You may recall that the major challenge impeding broadband proliferation in Nigeria is the limited access to distribution infrastructure to get the abundant Internet capacity available in submarine cables on the Nigerian shoreline in Lagos to the hinterland.

With our fibre deployment in Ogun and Edo, MainOne now has infrastructure to provide services in those areas; infrastructure that is also open to MNOs, ISPs, government establishments and major Corporations to enhance their connectivity options. Operators such as the MNOs and ISPs can take advantage of the open-access infrastructure we have provided thus enabling them to deliver true 4G services and in the future even 5G. The benefits this provide are legion: broadband service made available to more young people and the ability to replicate the successes we have enabled in Yaba with the Innovation Technology ecosystem in Ogun and Edo states.

Why Ogun and Edo States?

Opeke

MainOne has been an advocate of the National Broadband plan since its creation. As a service provider delivering services in all states of the Federation, we know how difficult and expensive that is today and how in most parts of the country, the service quality is poor and inconsistent. Our work brings our team in contact with the leadership in many of the States. These particular states have leadership promoting the development of technology ecosystems and job creation in their states. When we had the opportunity to engage and shared with them our capabilities and accomplishments on previous projects in places such as the deployment of fibre infrastructure for Silicon Yaba with CCHub, the deployment of Express Wi-Fi with Tizeti in Lagos, as well as our aspirations for pervasive broadband everywhere in Nigeria, they welcomed us to build infrastructure in their states.

The Edo State government has prioritised technology as one of the cardinal pillars of the ongoing reform agenda in Edo State, introducing Information Communication Technology (ICT)-compliant pedagogy in primary schools; building the Edo Innovation Hub, where school leavers and graduates undergo beginner and advanced training in technology, as well as revamping technical education to increase productivity. Ogun State has emerged one of the states with fastest growing Internally Generated Revenue in Nigeria due to the enabling environment created by the government for business, validated by 75 per cent of National FDI attracted in 2018 (according to the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria). Ogun also has a vibrant young population and a high number of higher institutions in the State, the foundation for a robust and thriving ecosystem to enable digital leadership.

The duo of Governors Godwin Obaseki and Ibikunle Amosun have identified ICT as critical themes for the transformation of their states and have been supportive of our fibre expansions.

Governor Obaseki is truly focused on investment promotion and is committed to building a robust technology ecosystem in Edo State and Governor Amosun has implemented industrial and infrastructural policies that have attracted investors and private capital to Ogun State.

Our investment in infrastructure will further improve digital literacy, technology adaptation and productivity across these states and enable their continued emergence as economic powerhouses in Nigeria.

What are the longer term implications of these projects for Nigeria?

These projects bridge existing gaps in telecoms infrastructure deployment in Ogun and Edo States and could ultimately impact up to five million people. As a pilot project, it demonstrates what can be done when we have the cooperation of the local authorities.

The projects succeeded based on the cooperation we received in these states from government and citizens who enabled access to the areas where we needed to deploy infrastructure. With such cooperation, we have been able to deploy these networks in record time in coordination with other public infrastructure works – roads existing and planned, other utilities, private property etc. If we are able to replicate projects like this across Nigeria, our broadband limitations will be a thing of the past.

After Edo, Ogun, what next?

Broadband hurdles in Nigeria still seem to largely come from the gov-

ernment; either by way of prohibitive Right-of-Way (ROW) charges by local and state governments for the laying of optic fibre networks and building out of base stations; or multiple regulations and regulators (with attendant taxes and levies) with oversight impact on the technology ecosystem. We can talk about successful deployment in Ogun and Edo states today ONLY because of the cooperation we received from those governments i.e. Governors’ Obaseki and Amosun and their teams. This shows how readily operators can bring the benefits of digital transformation to states that are true enablers. For example, a consortium led by MainOne called InfraCo Nigeria Limited, won the license issued by the NCC for the Lagos Fibre Infrastructure deployment in 2015. We are optimistic that given the successes in other states on a smaller scale, the state government will grant the necessary permits to allow us continue the work we have done building infrastructure in Yaba and other parts of Lagos.

Our vision as an indigenous company is focused on improved broadband access across Nigeria which will increase the utilisation of our submarine cable system and bring the benefits of digital transformation to our youthful and largely unemployed population. We have repeatedly shown our ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to achieve that. MainOne is not alone in this quest within the country and we will continue to work with different operators and partners to ensure that this vision is achieved. There is no silver bullet solution that works; but we believe that diverse and wide efforts such as the one recently undertaken

by MainOne and Facebook to invest in critical infrastructure will result in good outcomes for Nigeria.

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Exploring the Power of Technology Emma Okonji examines the impact of the application of modern technology tools like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics and Virtual Reality on various sectors of economy

A

lthough many have argued that new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Robotics will take away jobs and add to the level of unemployment, there are superior arguments especially from technology savvy individuals evolving technologies would wipe away some legacy jobs.

They, however, added that technology would also create new jobs that are digital in nature and reduce human stress in division of labour.

Despite the envisaged fears about the negative impact of technology, it is becoming glaring to all that technology has become the game-changer that has practically transformed businesses and humans and its impact is positively felt across all strata of the economy.

Technology in sports We are beginning to see the use of technology in sports in order to improve sporting activities globally. The application of technology tools like AI and Video Assistant Referee (VAR), took centre stage during LaLiga Innovation Showcase at the just concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

LaLiga presented some of its most recent technologies during an interactive showcase on the sidelines of MWC, revealing, in collaboration with Mediapro, some of the latest innovations behind Spanish football.

The LaLiga Innovation Showcase at the RCD Espanyol de Barcelona stadium focused on AI, the technology that makes VAR possible, as well as technological advances in audio-visual broadcasting and the evolution of Virtual Reality.

LaLiga’s Chief Communications Officer, Joris Evers, said: “More than ever before, a football match is a unique experience thanks to recent technological advances which have improved the standing of Spanish clubs, the professionalism of its technical bodies, as well as the fan experience.� “VAR has become the protagonist of each football match, enabling more even-handed referee decisions, adding prestige to our league, and more drama and new experiences for our fans, whilst making use of the most innovative technology tools. “At a time when there is much talk about AI and ML, LaLiga is demonstrating its leadership as we start to use these technologies to optimize scheduling of our matches,� Evers further said.

Again, optimising TV viewership and stadium attendance using Artificial Intelligence is the objective of “Calendar Selector.� This new tool used by LaLiga applies machine learning and algorithms to suggest optimal match schedules.

The application, located in the Cloud, takes into account historical viewing and attendance data and about 70 additional variables.

Alongside this application, LaLiga has started using “Sunlight� software. This is a complementary technology to the Calendar Selector, which predicts the natural light conditions for each match. This program indicates the areas of sun and shade in the stadium, revealing how the sun will affect the television image, fans and players, and also help with match scheduling.

In the area of VAR in football, VAR uses audio-visual technology to help referees avoid clear and obvious errors regarding goals, penalties, direct red cards and identity confusion.

During the first 19 match days of LaLiga Santander, totalling 190 matches, the VAR system reviewed 2,280 incidents, after which the referee modified his final decision on 59 different occasions. In total, VAR averaged 3.2 interventions per match.

LaLiga has pioneered the use of Replay360, the technology that allows you to recreate 3D replays of any move and give viewers around the world a unique perspective from any angle.

Technology and banking The use of technology in the financial services sector is also transforming the way bank customers carry out financial transactions. Globally, technology has helped reduced congestion of people in the banking halls and it has provided customers with technology tools such as mobile phones and other mobile devices, with which

customers could do online banking transactions from the comfort of their homes and offices, without stepping into a bank.

In Nigeria, banks are beginning to apply AI, and robotics at both back-end and front-end operations to attend to customers’ needs, designed to speed up banking transactions, without having human interface with the bank customers. The incursion of Financial Technology (FinTech) players in banking operations, has actually changed the face of financial transactions across banks in Nigeria.

Banks which featured at last month’s Social Media Week in Lagos, had the opportunity of displaying the application of AI and Robotics in banking operations At the Social Media Week, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Stanbic IBTC, for instance, discussed how the banks are using robots to achieve financial tasks in baking operations.

While UBA unveiled its AI Chatbot called Leo, Stanbic IBTC also used the occasion to display its SAMI and Robo Advisory Chatbot that are driven by AI. The Group Head, Online at UBA, Mr. Austin Abolusoro, said the Chatbot named Leo, was developed in partnership with some global giants, like Facebook. “Leveraging technology has many possibilities, which are unlimited and UBA has explored it and brought out the AI Chatbot based on our roadmap to enable financial inclusion. “Leo is a financial assistant developed with best on class AI technology that has natural

Technology has also transformed our educational system, allowing students to obtain degree certiďŹ cates, become fully educated and knowledgeable through online courses, without their physical presence in a university environment.

Technology has equally helped to improve teachinglearning situation in the school system, through the use of electronic gadgets as teaching apparatus. It has equally demystiďŹ ed academic research, as lots of educational contents are readily available online for easy access

language, multi-lingual processing, machinelearning and available on two most popular social media channels, and it was built in-house,�

Abolusoro said.

Business Process Improvement Unit at Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Wale Ojo, who spoke on how the bank is using robotics to drive banking operations, said: “We have SAMI and Robo Advisory as our Chatbot. SAMI is a virtual banker that helps with banking products and service. Robo, on the other hand, helps to identify the offerings you need to put your money in.

Banks are beginning to see the need for Nigerian youths, especially the FinTech players, to be more innovative in this era of disruptive technology that is changing the face of financial transactions across banks. Head, Business Development at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mr. Gbemisola Shobowale, advised tech startups and young enterprises to learn to try new ideas, adding that while thinking global is good, it has been proven that solving needs in one’s immediate environment helps to nurture and sustain financial businesses.

Telecoms Convergence in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is also driving activities in the telecoms sector, a situation that has impacted positively on telecoms subscribers and the Nigerian economy.

AI, ML and robotics are fast enhancing technology convergence that is driving the telecoms sector.

The advent of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) in 2001 eventually demystified telecommunications, and gave every Nigerian the access and right to communicate.

After 2001, Nigerians could sit at the comfort of their homes and offices to make instant calls within and outside Nigeria, through their personal hand-held devices called the mobile phones.

In 2001, the first set of GSM operators were licensed. They included Econet Wireless (now Airtel), MTN and NITEL. In 2003, Globacom was licensed and in 2008, Etisalat, now 9mobile, was licensed, while ntel was licensed in 2014, but rolled out services in 2016, after its successful privatisation process through a guided liquidation exercise.

The licensing and rollout of telecoms services since has impacted positively on the Nigerian economy and Nigerians themselves, thanks to technology that has been the driver of the entire process.

In spite of the myriad of challenges facing the telecoms industry, stakeholders are of the view that telecommunication has impacted the Nigerian economy to a great extent, using modern technology.

While addressing global participants at one of the ITU Telecoms World Conference in Durban, South Africa, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said despite the challenges faced in the Nigerian telecoms sector, Its contribution to the Nigerian GDP has surpassed $70 billion.

Danbatta said telecoms investment to GDP was $70 billion as at 2017, but explained that the figure had since been surpassed, following the steady growth in telecoms contribution, adding that telecoms contribution to Nigeria’s GDP rose to 10.5 per cent in 2018, up from the initial 9.1 per cent in 2016.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said from 2001 to 2018, the telecoms industry significantly impacted on the Nigerian economy in the area of GDP growth, infrastructure development and job creation, driven by modern technology, despite being a late starter in technology investments.

He said the progress made by the Nigerian economy since 1960, largely depended on ICT investments. “Governments at all levels and the private sectors, all depend on ICT for their growth and development. This is true because ICT has since become the fundamental and most reliable public infrastructure that we have in the country today,� Adebayo said.

According to Danbatta, broadband penetration would continue to advance technology development in the country. He commended the berthing of MainOne and Glo 1, MTN West African Cable System (WACS), ACE and the Nigerian SAT-3 Cable System from Europe through the western coast to Nigeria, which he said helped in achieving and surpassing the 30 per cent broadband penetration target of the country’s National Broadband Plan from (2013 to 2018).

Healthcare Health technology is defined by the World Health Organisation as the “application of organised knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.�

Advancements in medical technology have allowed physicians to better diagnose and treat their patients since the beginning of the professional practice of medicine. Thanks to the continuous development of technology in the medical field, countless lives have been saved and the overall quality of life continues to improve over time.

In today’s world, technology plays an important role in every industry as well as in our personal lives. Out of all of the industries that technology plays a crucial role in, healthcare is definitely one of the most important. Application of technology in the healthcare sector, is responsible for improving and saving countless lives all around the world, including Nigeria.

Continued on page 30

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Ě“

Huawei Showcases 5G, SoftCOM AI Solutions at MWC19 Stories by Emma Okonji Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, during the recently concluded Mobile World Congress 2019 (MWC19) in Barcelona, Spain displayed its new innovative 5G products and other IT solutions including SoftCOM AI. Aside delivering keynotes at the sessions during the conference, the technology firm also held a wide range of discussions on its end-to-end 5G products and solutions with operator customers and partners

from around the world.

Among the new offerings were simplified 5G sites, architecture, protocols, and operations & maintenance (O&M). Huawei says the new offerings will help operators quickly deploy 5G networks on a large scale.

At the event, it also launched the SoftCOM AI solution, which will help build autonomous driving networks of the future and maximize the value of telecom networks.

Huawei also expressed

its commitment to helping operators expand their business boundaries and achieve new growth through innovations in networks, services, and business models.

At this year’s event, Huawei showcased its end-to-end 5G products and solutions, ranging from simplified 5G sites and 5G integrated transport, to 5G cloud core and simplified 5G O&M. It also demonstrated its core technologies behind the new products and solutions, including radio frequency,

optical transmission, IP, and IT. Similarly, Huawei demonstrated 8K high-definition (HD) live streaming on Vodafone Spain’s 5G network, and showcased new applications such as Cloud VR, cloud gaming, and cloud PCs. Under the support of Huawei, multiple European operators, including Vodafone, announced that 5G networks are now ready for commercial use.

In addition, Huawei presented its idea for autonomous driving networks, as well as its full-stack, all-scenario SoftCOM AI solu-

tion, with the aim to significantly improve operating efficiency, network performance, O&M efficiency, and user experiences.

The SoftCOM AI solution enables “0 bits,0 watts� and adaptive beam adjustment, thereby maximising the value of telecom networks.

Huawei is actively innovating networks, services, and business models. It works with customers to redefine the business models and boundaries of the telecom industry, and ultimately help operators succeed.

This will be achieved through

a portfolio of innovative business solutions, including IoT cloud services, personal mobile services, five-star premium home broadband, and cloud-network convergence.

Huawei also signed 5G contracts with many operators from around the world.

So far, Huawei has signed over 30 commercial 5G contracts with operators around the world, and shipped over 40,000 5G base stations. Its aim is to help operators jump start 5G and deliver a high-quality 5G user experience.

Rack Centre MD Makes Data Economy Power List The Managing Director of Rack Centre, Dr. Ayotunde Coker, has been selected as a member of Data Economy Power List.

The group is made up of 200 Individuals affecting the Data Centre world.

Data Economy, one of the world’s most prestigious publications devoted to the global data industry, made the selection in its recent publication.

The United Kingdom-based publication, showcased the personalities and executives around the world who are leading the global data economy through charting new innovations, technological breakthroughs and exceptional entrepreneurial skills sets and leadership.

Coker who is the Secretary General of the Africa Data Association, was also identified in the Global Top 50 executives by the publication in 2017.

The choice of Coker among the 200 as one of the most powerful drivers of Data Centres

transformers, demonstrates that Data Centres based in Africa and the executives running them are contributing to the world’s digital transformation.

According to a recent study

by Xalam Analytics research firm, the recent demand for data centre colocation services in Africa has been strong, driven by improving connectivity levels and rising data traffic volumes.

As African digitisation has quickened, said Xalam Analytics, drivers of demand have been plentiful and going digital at a frenetic pace.

Rack Centre which Coker has steered its affairs in the last four years, offers colocation, interconnect and cloud services.

It is a Tier III certified facility in Africa with connection to over 30 of the major carriers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria and direct connection to all five undersea cables serving the South Atlantic Coast of Africa.

9mobile Introduces Free WhatsApp Chat 9mobile is offering Nigerians the opportunity to use WhatsApp chat free of charge on its network.

With the unique offer, customers upon purchase of their preferred data bundles, and using the code *200*3*1#, would be able to use their data plans for other purposes while enjoying WhatsApp chat free of charge.

The offer is available to 9mobile subscribers on both prepaid and postpaid/hybrid packages.

With the free WhatsApp offer, customers can connect more with family and friends; businesses are also not left out as business customers can also benefit from the offer to connect with colleagues and clients.

9mobile free WhatsApp offer includes text, images, video and other multimedia content sharing, excluding voice calls, video calls and status updates.

Speaking on the offer, Vice President, Marketing, 9mobile, Adebisi Idowu, said the free WhatsApp offer affirms the telco’s commitment to rewarding its customers for their loyalty and providing them greater access to platforms that help foster closer relationships with their loved ones. “You will recall that in our 2018 end-of-year message, our Acting Managing Direc-

tor, Stephane Beuvelet, made some promises to our customers including the deployment of an array of innovative brand loyalty reward programmes this year. “This is one of such initiatives to appreciate our customers and to reinforce the fact that we are a caring brand that is always on the lookout for our customer’s well-being,� Idowu said. “The WhatsApp offer is certainly a novel one as it allows our customers to put their data to other uses while they enjoy chatting and bonding with friends and loved ones on WhatsApp for free. “The offer also empowers customers to promote their businesses using WhatsApp as data which would have been used up on WhatsApp can now be used for other things with the free WhatsApp offer by 9mobile. “This gives customers more value for their money. By doing this, we are fulfilling yet another promise to enable our customers do more without hassles,� Idowu added. “Through an array of creative solutions and offerings, 9mobile has been at the forefront of providing platforms that empower and support its customers to achieve more via technology.

Since its entry into the Nigerian market a decade ago.�

CAPACITY BUILDING

L-R: Domain Lead/Manager, Microsave Consulting, Anup Singh; CEO, SANEF Limited, Ronke Kuye; CEO, EFInA, Esaie Diei; CEO, Capricorn Digital Limited, Degbola Abudu and Divisional CEO, Interswitch Financial Inclusion Services Limited, Titilola Shogaolu at a two-day training for EFInA agent networks providers in Lagos...recently

Safaricom Partners M-Pesa Uber to Pay $20m to Settle Legal Battle with Drivers on Online Shopping Kenya’s Safaricom said on Tuesday it had secured a deal to use its M-Pesa mobile payment service for online shopping on one of Alibaba’s platforms, part of a move to expand its most profitable product beyond Kenya.

AliExpress.com, run by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, will allow Kenyan shoppers to buy goods on the site using M-Pesa in a matter of weeks.

M-Pesa was launched more than a decade ago to offer Kenyans without bank accounts a network to transfer cash via mobile phones.

It now offers a range of payment services, loans and savings to more than 21 million people in Kenya and has been copied abroad.

AliExpress.com is an online shopping portal for businesses and retail customers. “As our customers get more digital, they want to shop in a more digital kind of a format, that’s why we are seeing e-commerce growing,� said Safaricom’s chief customer officer, Sylvia Mulinge, was quoted by Reuters to have said.

Under the deal, Ant Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba that runs the portal’s payment services, will offer M-Pesa as one of the

payment options with transactions denominated in Kenyan shillings, Safaricom said. “The move especially targets micro-traders in the country who source goods and other supplies from manufacturers in China,� Safaricom said in a statement.

Safaricom, Kenya’s largest operator that is partly owned

by South Africa’s Vodacom and Britain’s Vodafone, said the deal was part of an effort to transform M-Pesa into a global payments platform. M-Pesa has become a major profit driver for Safaricom.

In November the company agreed a deal with Western Union to allow M-Pesa users to send money around the world using their mobile phones.

The partnership with Ant Financial will allow M-Pesa users to shop on AliExpress without a credit card, Mulinge said.

Safaricom is the market leader in Kenya with 65 per cent of mobile phone users, or 30 million subscribers.

In Kenya, it competes with the local unit of India’s Bharti Airtel, which had 22.3 percent of the market as of September, and Telkom, which accounts for 9 percent. Last month the two companies said they will merge.

Uber Technologies Incorporated has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a lawsuit brought by drivers nearly six years ago, according to court filings, resolving one of its many legal battles with drivers ahead of a hotly anticipated initial public offering this year.

Drivers for the ride-hailing company argued in the lawsuit that they are employees, not independent contractors, as Uber has classified them, and therefore entitled to certain wage protections and reimbursement for their expenses.

The settlement amount is one-fifth of the settlement offer Uber proposed in 2016 to resolve the case, valued at up to $100 million, which U.S. District Judge Edward Chen at the time rejected as inadequate.

The new settlement, which still must be approved by Chen, was filed in federal court in San Francisco late on Monday night.

The lawsuit, according to Reuters, is central to a widely held debate over so-called gig-economy workers, the workforce relied on by technology platforms such as food-delivery and ride-hailing services. Gig-economy workers have often argued they should receive better pay and benefits, and be treated as employees.

A California Supreme Court ruling last year made it much

more difficult for companies like Uber to argue that their drivers are independent contractors, a decision that poses a threat to Uber’s business model.

In a statement, a company spokesman said “Uber has changed a lot since 2013,� and highlighted new programs and technology improvements to help drivers. “We’re pleased to reach a settlement on this matter and we’ll continue working hard to improve the quality, security and dignity of independent work,� the spokesman said.

The settlement covers drivers in California and Massachusetts who drove for Uber from August 2009 through February of this year, according to the filing.

The class is much smaller than in 2016 when the initial settlement offer was made — about 13,600 drivers between the two states compared to roughly 385,000 drivers covered by the original class-action lawsuit.

Following Chen’s rejection of the $100 million settlement offer, Uber won an appeals court ruling that upheld the company’s arbitration agreements as largely valid and enforceable. That forced most drivers into arbitration, and reduced the class size to those drivers who had opted out of the agreements or otherwise were not bound by them.

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Okereke: Nigerian Soft Drink Market May Experience Growth in 2019 Managing Director of The La Casera Company Plc, Mr Chinedum Okereke, has over 28 years’ experience in the drink industry spanning 28 countries of the world. In this interview, Okereke, who joined the company in 2018, speaks to Raheem Akingbolu on the trend and dynamics of the soft drink market. Excerpts:

H

ow will you assess the soft drink market in Nigeria?

The soft drink market in Nigeria has been an interesting one. The Nigerian soft drink market has big players and the market has witnessed quite some growth.

In 2016 and 2017, there was a decline in growth, but last year, there was a nine per cent growth in the market. Another interesting dynamic to the soft drink market is that we have begun to see a very strong shift from traditional returnable glass bottles (RGBs) to PET bottles.

You will recall in the last 60 years, RGBs have been in Nigeria. But we have seen a very significant shift in Nigeria where people have moved away from RGBs to PET bottles. So, PET bottles today drive a big chunk of the market.

With what you have seen on ground in the drink market, is Nigeria likely to witness a double-digit growth in that sub-sector this year?

Projections are showing a low double digit growth, which will be slightly higher than what we had last year. We are looking at about 15 per cent growth. We should also take into cognisance the socio-political environment in the country. Invariably, there are a couple of variables we need to consider, such as the elections. We also need to consider government policies in terms of devaluation. But all other things being equal and if there is no significant impact from these socio-political indices, agencies have projected a low double digit growth, which is quite good for players in the industry.

Let us come to your brand, La Casera Apple. How is it doing in the market?

La Casera is actually on a journey. The good news for La Casera Apple is that in 2018, we saw a slow but steady monthly improvement in our market share. We have La Casera Apple as our flagship brand.

We have also seen our second brand, Smoov Chapman, equally becoming a household name.

We ended last year with a decent market share. We have very aggressive plans for this year. We believe that consumers should feel the strong presence of La Casera Apple in the market. Our growth is improving and we are very happy about it, because our improvement has been above our expectations.

Promoters of your brand often say every bottle of La Casera Apple has five per cent real apple content in it. How important is that in the soft drink market?

The Nigerian soft drink market is very clustered. We have about four players in the apple category and people are making all kinds of claims. La Casera Apple is a brand that wants to establish a point in the area of differentiation. So, we are not just offering concentrates or extracts, but we are offering real apple content. Obviously, that can be detected from the taste of La Casera Apple when consumers consume it. We want to continue to maintain our leadership position in that category. For us, being consistent with our commitment in terms of liquid chemistry and liquid premium vale to consumers is very important to us. So, we are at that point of leadership and differentiation where a taste of La Casera Apple will convince any consumer that we offer real apple drink. To the best of our knowledge, no other brand offers close to five per cent in the apple soft drink market. Our brand health checks and information we receive from different

Okereke

sources show that La Casera Apple still remains the drink to beat when consumers are looking for the real taste of apple satisfaction in a soft drink. La Casera Apple is a premium brand, which is built on trust and commitment.

What plans do you have for the La Casera brand in 2019, taking into consideration the interest of the consumer and socio-political issues you earlier mentioned?

Our business plan is very close to our heart. One thing is very sure: we will continue to give our consumers and trade partners the desired attention and experience they deserve from a premium brand like La Casera Apple. We are ready to excite the market and take what belongs to us. In 2019, we want to ensure that we drive commercial aggressiveness, by ensuring that we have La Casera Apple and other brands from the house of La Casera acceptable, available, affordable and accessible to all our consumers. We can only urge our trade partners and consumers to just enjoy the brand as we take them through the 2019 experience.

We have a lot of plans as a business, and will deploy them in the course of the year.

Some research indicates that two of your SKUs (35cl and 50cl) La Casera Apple are not readily available in some parts of Lagos, as against the 60cl.

Is this part of the business strategy for the brand?

Of course, when a brand is experiencing growth, one needs to ensure that the brand is available at the right place, at the right price and time. One of our strategic levers is to ensure the availability of La

Casera Apple everywhere. We have strong indicators to track that. We are mindful where we are in terms of availability. We are equally mindful of how we ended last year and also how we intend to end 2019.

We have put plans in place to ensure that we have a much more positive outing this year. This plan includes a very robust end-to-end business outlook, which includes forecasting our demand plans, looking at our capacity and material planning, ensuring that we have very strong logistic partners to ensure that our products get to all 36 states of the federation. As a matter of fact, we have footprint in the 36 states of the federation, ensuring that we are able to overcome the challenges of road networks in the country.

In The La Casera Company, we have several brands, such as La Casera Apple, Smoov Chapman, Bold Bitter Lemon, Nirvana Tonic Water, Nirvana Soda Water and Nirvana Table Water, which is one of the top in the country. Again, we focus on regions. In our entire portfolio in The La Casera Company, we ensure that our brands are available in all the regions at the right time, right price and conditions.

Talking about those SKUs, we are mindful of availabilities. However, what is important for us is strategic direction.

We are actually pushing some of our SKUs more in some regions. We intentionally play with certain SKUs in certain regions of the country. So, you may not actually be seeing a particular pack size, let us say 35 cl, in Lagos region. But when you begin to get to certain areas of the country, it tends to be the preferred pack size.

What processes have you put in place to ensure that your brands meet international standards?

As someone with strong background in supply chain and manufacturing, I have had the privilege of visiting top class manufacturing sites across the globe in Europe, North America and Asia. I must say that when I compared the practices in those manufacturing sites with what I met in La Casera when I resumed as MD, I was very impressed. I am talking about hygiene standards and key best practice processes, good manufacturing practice, quality standards, asset care management, maintenance programme, safety standards among others. I must say that what I met on ground, which I am building upon, is quite encouraging. We are a reference site of what excellent manufacturing practice is all about. The La Casera Company has entered competitions on best kept sites, which we have won on several occasions.

We have our processes well documented.

The La Casera Company has routine visits from regulatory agencies, such as NAFDAC and SON for certifications and endorsements. We have ISO Certifications on quality, Food safety amongst others.

For us as a company, we hold the trust of our consumers and are assuring our consumers that every bottle of La Casera Apple they open, they are opening a trust.

La Casera apple soft drink is one consumers can also consume with the assurance that it is well endorsed. For us, quality and safety come first before productivity and cost. We have put processes in place and we are continually improving the process to ensure that those standards are maintained and surpassed. Our equipment are procured from the best equipment manufacturers you can think of and we have a policy as a business to ensure that our equipment are maintained by only the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

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Annually, Total, in partnership with NNPC and its corporate partners, select and sponsor young Nigerian scholars for Master”s Degree programs in Management Sciences, Engineering and Geosciences (Oil & Gas related) in top universities in France. The award is full board.

Total welcomes applications from suitably quali¿ed young Nigerians for the 2019 /2020 NNPC/TOTAL INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME. ELIGIBILITY

Interested applicants, who must have obtained a university degree (minimum second upper class) not earlier than (5) years ago and must have completed the mandatory NYSC programme should visit our website -www.careers.total.com for detailed information. All application forms must be completed online.

No paper applications will be accepted.

TIPS FOR NAVIGATING THE WEBSITE: 1) If the page defaults in french, click on “English” at the top of the page to change the language.

2) Click on “APPLY TO TOTAL” 3) Navigate to “Our offers” and select your language preference 4) Click on “Advanced search” a) In the “Country” text box type “Nigeria” b) in the “Functional discipline” option box select “Research Innovation & Development” c) Then click “Search” to display the advanced Scholarship Programme in Nigeria.

5) Click on the “Total International Scholarship” to view details of the application. you can then complete an online application form by clicking on “Apply to job” at the bottom of the page.

6) You will be requested to create an account if you do not have an existing one. This is mandatory.

7) Please ¿ll the form accordingly.

8) It is compulsory to attach your CV where it is requested in the application form.

Your CV must include the following details in the order listed: Name, surname name, other names (where applicable) Date of birth Contact address stipulating road street number(s) only Functional email address. Please Note; All communication will be by email ONLY State of origin Details of tertiary education; Institution, degree obtained, Class of degree, period of study Details of secondary education; institution, certi¿cate, period of study Details of primary education; institution, certi¿cate, period of study The advert closes two (2) weeks from the date of this publication. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Please note that TOTAL does not take responsibility for any career/job/scholarship vacancies placed outside the TOTAL careers website www.careers.total.com

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

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Storytelling as Effective Advertising Toni Kan Advertising, as we know it, has undergone a sea change in recent years.

What has changed? Well, there has been a blurring of the lines that separate advertising from public relations but that it a story for another day.

In a cluttered digital world where the viewing audience is daily bombarded with images and texts that constantly compete for his attention, the advertising MO is moving more and more from closing a deal by making an emotional connection between a brand and prospective customer to making an emotional connection and leaving a lasting impact which would then lead to closing a deal.

This is where STORYTELLING is signaling a paradigm shift in advertising. With storytelling, the advertiser is working on connecting with its audience with pieces that are usually longer, more nuanced and more emotional charged.

To be fair, storytelling is not new. We are introduced to the magic of storytelling right from childhood when ‌�once upon a time� often signaled the willing suspension of disbelief as words transported us into magical reals. The savvy advertiser of today is simply applying old methods to meeting contemporary needs.

With story telling the advertiser can choose between different formats. Compelling stories can be conveyed via blog posts and/ or through press releases and even short social media posts on twitter or Instagram. A compelling story on Instagram or twitter can be a series of related posts or threads which catch the attention of your followers and make them follow through to the end where the story is truly compelling.

But videos are king when it comes to storytelling and this is because it offers a lot not just in terms of content but also visual appeal. In using words, images and colours, videos create a more powerful impact. Add to that also the fact that they can be shared or embedded in materials with ease.

With social media, the dominant monopoly of television has been broken and today streaming sites like YouTube and other social media platforms offer newer channels not hamstrung by the 45 seconds to 1 minute rule of television commercials. What this means is that storytelling ads can now be a lot longer than usual.

But how do we measure the impact of storytelling in advertising? In telling a story through an advert, the advertiser must ensure that the subject matter and content adheres to what I have chosen to call the “TRUE and Memorable� template. And by this I mean that it must be Timely, Relevant, Useful, Entertaining and Memorable.

In Nigeria, Sensodyne launched an advert about four years ago where dentists told the stories. By bringing medical practitioners to talk about dental hygiene, they gave their adverts a documentary flavor that appealed to our emotions by offering expert opinions thereby helping us make that buying decision.

Much recently, Airtel has been at the forefront of this move. They have managed, over the past three years, beginning with the

Robinson Crusoe themed advert which starred Gabriel Afolayan as a castaway who finally discovers super-fast data.

Even though that ad was clearly targeted at their 4G customers, it resonated with viewers.

Airtel struck a more emotional chord with the Bimbo Manuel ad where two fathers meet on a journey and forge a friendship which helps the estranged father reconnect with his estranged son.

But their biggest coup has been the multiple scenario ad featuring the Igbo and Yoruba mothers in-law with both competing for dominance in the home of their children.

Glo has jumped into the fray with storytelling ads that riff on the binary tension between two women who are competing business owners with each trying to upstage the other but competition is, as always, a metaphor for superior telecom services and network and a means of selling their Glo Oga SIM proposition, These adverts can pass as short films or comic skits if not for the brand logo and pay off at the end. By taking away the focus from “Buy Superfast 4G bla bla� they are banking on making a connection that is less direct and more subtle with a message that targets our purse strings in a subliminal manner.

We know they are selling telecoms services.

We know they want us to buy. But in giving us an emotionally charged story, they are deflecting the crass marketing technique of old adverts by saying - enjoy this first and then decide.

A few weeks ago, MTN joined the fray with a visually appealing as well as timely and relevant material that connects in a visceral

way with viewers on account of its emotionally charged content and visuals. Their “Stay Woke� ad which was launched to support their corporate social initiative, Anti Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) has been the talk of the town since it made its debut.

What is the “Stay Woke� One Chance ad all about? A young man on his way home receives a video call from his sister who asks him to hurry home for dinner. Just then a bus stops in front of him. The door is pulled open and what the boy sees is a smorgasbord of temptation for a young man his age.

Hanging on to his moral anchor, he refuses to get into the bus and while he is still being enticed another young man pushes past him and boards the bus and the last shot we see is of him screaming before the bus turns the corner.

And with that short video, MTN has taken ownership of the conversation around Nigerian youth and the debilitating hard drug epidemic. Until the problem was brought into sharp relief last year via the critically acclaimed BBC Codeine documentary, many Nigerians were not aware of how much of a scourge the drug epidemic was.

By tapping into the conversation, MTN has brought us an advert that ticks all the boxes mentioned at the beginning of this write up– It is Timely in addressing an issue that affects a huge swathe of our youthful population.

It is Relevant because it speaks to an issue that affects more people than we care to admit.

The drug problem is relatable and the ‘One Chance’ bus is an urban malaise that many people can relate to.

It is Useful in fostering behaviourial change

among the youth by helping them avoid the ‘One Chance’ bus of peer pressure.

It is Entertaining in its playful opening which then acquires a noir-ish accent at the end. The emotional connection is strong too.

It is Memorable because this is the kind of video that young people will share with each other and ask: “Guy, have you seen that MTN One Chance video?�

But what makes the video such a hit is the fact that it is demographic agnostic in the sense that it has a cross generational appeal. Watch and you can just imagine a grandmother calling out to her grandchild – “Oya junior come and watch o. I have told you to stop following those bad boys.�

Writing in disruptiveadvertisng.com, Ana Gotter in her piece “Storytelling: The Key to Effective Advertising� has this to say “When it comes to storytelling in marketing, there are two big things you want to focus on: emotional impact and relatability. In other words, when you’re telling your brand’s story, you need to tell it in a way that will connect you with your target audience. The more people connect with a story, the more they remember it, so creating connections with your stories will help create lasting bonds and loyalty between your customers and your business.�

MTN’s Stay Woke ad is spot on. It is that rare thing that manages to, as we say “sell market� while doing good. It is relatable and it strikes a strong emotional chord with its viewers by addressing the most topical issue affecting the youth of Nigeria today – drug abuse and misuse.

-Kan, a Marketing Communications expert, writes from Lagos

ers (ISPS) have been licensed and are now operating as millions of Nigerians now have access to these facilities and services even in rural communities. Famers in Nigeria use ICT to communicate, share information, process orders and access price information from various markets located within the country or internationally. They also have access to news that directly affects them as well as connect to policy makers and other farmers. Today they use smartphone apps that provides crop status and for the big industrial farms irrigation systems.

ICT provides access to training and capacity building programs. The African Development Bank has stated that ICT has turned out to be a powerful tool in providing developing countries with unprecedented opportunities to meet very important goals far more effectively than before.

The use of agricultural information services has brought about positive changes in the production level of farmers profit, production cost and post-harvest losses. This implies that

the use of ICT helps promote ideas and a wide range of innovation that can boost agricultural production, maximise profit, reduce production cost and avoid losses of farm produce after harvesting.

Exploring the Power of Technology Areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information technology, the development of medical devices and equipment, and more have all made significant contributions to improving the health of people all around the world.

In the healthcare industry, healthcare practitioners can continue to find ways to improve their practice – from better diagnosis, surgical procedures, and improved patient care.

Information technology no doubt, has made significant contributions to the medical industry.

With the increased use of electronic medical records (EMR), telehealth services, and mobile technologies like tablets and smart phones, physicians and patients are both seeing the benefits that these new medical technologies are bringing.

Technology has helped patients in Nigeria to seek medical attention from experts in faraway foreign lands, while doctors can remotely attend to pregnant women and their patients in far distant locations.

Medical technology has evolved from

introducing doctors to new equipment to use inside private practices and hospitals to connecting patients and doctors thousands of miles away through telecommunications. It is not uncommon in today’s world for patients to hold video conferences with physicians to save time and money normally spent on traveling to another geographic location or send health information instantaneously to any specialist or doctor in the world. All these were made possible, through the application of AI that is driving today’s technology.

Agriculture In the area of technology in agriculture, Nigeria has recorded a significant growth in the ICT sector within the last 10 years. The country has witnessed remarkable expansions in ICT resources and facilities and about twenty million Nigerians now have access to the internet and mobile phone devices. With the liberalisation policy of the federal government, more mobile phone operators and internet service provid-

Education Technology has also transformed our educational system, allowing students to obtain degree certificates, become fully educated and knowledgeable through online courses, without their physical presence in a university environment. Technology has equally helped to improve teaching-learning situation in the school system, through the use of electronic gadgets as teaching apparatus. It has equally demystified academic research, as lots of educational contents are readily available online for easy access.

So technology, driven by the application of tools like AI, ML, VAR and Robotics, has impacted positively across all strata of the economy, despite it few negative effects.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Embracing Organic Agriculture In this report, Ugo Aliogo writes on the opportunities and challenges in organic agriculture

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fter a 10-year stint in human resource (HR), the founder of Ope Farms, Mrs. Olusola Sowemimo, left the job to pursue her passion. However, human resource presented a new wave of opportunity for learning and capacity building for her. She decided to harness her strength in human resources and got certifications in coaching, and this has earned her the status of a life development coach. Her desire to develop capacity in various areas, led her to undergo entrepreneurial trainings.

But today, she is engaged in organic farming.

According to her, organic farming is all about fairness, wellness, ecology and care. She also noted that there are four principles which serve as guidelines to practising organic farming and it includes health, ecology, fairness and care.

She explained that the principle of ecology believes that organic agriculture should be based on the living ecological systems and psychos, “and that we work with them, emulate them and also help to sustain them.� “Organic agriculture goes well beyond the certifications; we are required to get certification because there are guidelines that you need to follow in setting up your farm. For instance, you have to have a buffer zone between you and the other farm beside you, this is to ensure that when the rain falls, or water lynches from the other farm, it does not easily enter into yours. Therefore, more less, your environment is kept further away from theirs, so that you don’t acquire the chemicals or water that comes from their own end. “We live in a society where there are no standards, no checks in some of these things that we eat or that we are exposed to. We would rather farm organically and avoid the use of chemicals and force our people to follow the standards that are required of us as an organic farmer. “There was a research that was carried out and they realise that the organic food more nutritious, it is safer, it is healthier and we have so many feedbacks from our customers about some of the produces they buy from us. “Why I am into organic agriculture is because research has shown that there are adverse effects in the number of chemicals that are used. There was a case that went viral last year about the gardener who was exposed to the glyphosate. It is always very easy when people want to argue their own case in their very little corner of the world. “We live in a society where there are no standards, no checks in some of these things that we eat or that we are exposed to. We would rather farm organically and avoid the use of chemicals and try to follow the standards that are required of us as an organic farmer. “There was a castle research that was done and it was discovered that the organic food more nutritious, it is safer, it is healthier and we have so many feedbacks from our customers about some of the produces they buy from us. For us, these are the kinds of things that keep us going and now we have bigger customers who come asking that we farm or grow things for them because they are afraid that other may fail the test when those items get to their pot of call.�

Loans and Grants Regarding loans and grants, Sowemimo explained that some of the loans that the banks were granting her before were too expensive for start-ups and had some amount of risks. “First of all, many of the loans that the banks were granting before were too expensive for what we do and they carry a bit of risk. Some of the banks even told us outright that they are not interested in start-ups, it is matter of us

Sowemimo

ploughing back the little that we make and then, one has had very great support from family. “We have not been privileged to get a grant. It will be nice if we did, but we have expanded our production due to loans and grants, it has been more of families that have supported the initiative and has seen us to this stage of our production,� she added.

Products Processing and Packaging In product processing and packaging, Sowemimo explained that the farm packages vegetables and sell to families, adding that there is a model where some families book for vegetable and the farm supplies.

She also noted that the farm is also involved in bottling of fresh honey in order to sell to customers as they place orders, adding that harvested palm fruits are processed at a farm and sold to the market, “we harvest our cassava and make into garri depending on the kind of orders that we have.�

The farm has been able to build a database of its customers who place their orders. However, the farm has a model which involves selling to individuals and restaurants, many of whom are now aggregating and wanting farmers

to supply them directly, “because they feel that the produce are better quality and not the same thing with what they

We live in a society where there are no standards, no checks in some of these things that we eat or that we are exposed to. We would rather farm organically and avoid the use of chemicals and force our people to follow the standards that are required of us as an organic farmer

get in the market.�

Sowemimo added that the farm has invested in some crops that are not ready, expressing confidence when they start fruiting it would be of benefit to the farm’s operations.

According to her, “We are actually looking forward to opening a store where others can come and buy, the prospects are very good. People only need to learn because for you to go into organic there are things you have to learn. “Sustainable agriculture tries to encourage people to use what they have to get what they need. For our pest management, we actually use ginger, garlic and pepper to make natural pesticides, while some persons might purchase a bottle of chemical. I do know that the prospects are looking very good. “In April, some students who have embraced organic agriculture will pass out from a University and I have been invited as the lead speaker. The awareness is growing and more and more people are invested. I am in a Whatsapp of over 200 people who are interested in organic agriculture and they do come up there to ask questions from time to time. I know that the rate at which people are battling different diseases, more people will fall to organic agriculture than any other type of agriculture. “The challenges would have been at the beginning when I didn’t know what I was doing, and trying my hands at different things, and hoping to be successful at it. I think what has paid off is staying with it. Within the challenges, I started finding solution; I always tell myself that problems and challenges are gifts because they open your mind to many more things, because the successful outcomes are very good learning points. “There are things today, I can teach people and they will not know what it has caused me to come up with that knowledge. We have weathered the storms and we have been able to produce with less challenge. We know that consistency is very key in organic agriculture. “For instance, the pesticides that we make they will not knack off the insects right away, they would just weaken them. Your processes have to take into consideration so many things so that at the end of the day, you achieve so many things. “In the area of innovation, we have done a lot of work along that line, we have paid consultants. We keep learning and we keep improving, we change our way of doing things once we find a better way. I spend endless hours searching the web to learn new strategies. “There are few things that have been of tremendous help, for instance, there are now fabricators locally that can now produce some of the machines that we require and one of it was a machine that helps us to bring down farm waste.

We raise our chicken naturally, nothing is synthetic. Some of these vegetables that we grow are what we feed our chickens with meanwhile we use the chicken waste to grow our vegetables. “We were not able to break-even in farming in 2018, farming is not 2+2=4, there is a lot that still has to be done for us to get to that point. I will not say we have broken even, but the prospects are much high now than ever before. “When you look at agriculture it all depends on what your calculations are: Did you buy the land or are you leasing it? If you did lease, it might be a bit cheaper, but if you purchased the land, you have so much that is tied down that breaking even is not something that you are going to achieve as if it is a buy and sell. “In agriculture, there are many risks involved, there are times when you plant and you lose the crops because of infestation, we have not broken even, we are doing much better than before.�

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Alexandra: The Blind Too Deserve Love, Happiness Omordia Efe Alexandra, a caregiver and behaviour specialist, is the coordinator of Earth Angels Club, a non-governmental organisation designed to make life meaningful for people with sight impairment. In this interview with Kayode Fasua, she explains why she is embarking on the social humanitarian endeavour

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to helping others who have a 100% vision loss.

To stop those who are dwelling in the darkness of despair, despondency, etc., to live their lives in full colour.

hat is the philosophy behind your Earth Angels Club?

In simple terms, the eye can be described as the organ used for seeing, but we know it’s so much more. Metaphorically, it is tagged the moral conscience. Others say it is the window to the soul. So what happens when that window gets permanently and irrevocably shut in the form of complete vision loss? It can lead to depression, fear of the unknown and in extreme cases, suicide.

A July 15, 2008 study sponsored by the American based National Eye Institute suggests that ‘reported visual impairment increased suicide risk’. There have also been cases where people with the condition did not take any extreme action but still had no choice but to end their careers and total way of life. I have more to say on this topic as I am going about my merry way, I was once a victim of sight impairment, an experience that jolted me into realities of life.

That experience actually set me on a unique entrepreneurial journey.

So how did the journey really begin?

I am not really given to going for medical tests.

I find it inconveniencing, sort of. But one day, I decided to go for a routine eye test in a government hospital and was told that I needed to book another appointment. I was busy so I ignored the next appointment, but decided to attend the following one. It went on and on, that is, from one appointment to the next, till I was informed that I had high eye pressure. It did not seem like a big deal so at first, I took it for granted but a few days later, the curious part of me wanted to know more; so I searched the condition on google and the information that came up caught my attention for sure.

What was it exactly?

I got to know that ocular hypertension or high eye pressure is a medical condition that is a risk factor for Glacuoma. That means it has to be well managed or it will most likely lead to Glacuoma. Glacuoma, on the other hand, causes serious damage to the eyes and if not properly managed, can lead to blindness. However, the catch is, ocular hypertension in rare cases can lead directly to a 100 per cent vision loss. It can also be resistant to several forms of treatments.

How did the information make you feel?

How have you been making progress in such an unusual vocation?

Fortunately, due to my extensive training as a Behaviour Specialist, it did not end as wishful thinking. Earlier, I had been tutored on providing culturally adaptable behaviour-focused interventions in diverse environments, in an approved centre of the American headquartered Behavior Analyst Certification Board. So from that knowledge, I designed a programme with the input of my team members that will cater to the needs of individuals with visual impairment.

What are the speciďŹ cs?

Based on the template, the programme will have individualised aspects as well as generic components. The individualised aspects will involve an assessment where the base-line will be determined to highlight the exact needs of the individual in question, and also, the generic aspects will touch areas like post-diagnosis counselling, career kickstarting/ repositioning, business start-up strategy, and home familiarisation/safety exercises. The programme will also touch on social aspects, like visual storytelling (for social outings), life rebranding, fashion/style consultations, etc.

Alexandra For the first time in a very long while, I freaked out and felt really vulnerable. I had an inkling of what people who go blind go through. The thought of the possibility of losing my eyesight made me feel hopeless, useless, fearful, etc.

What aspect was most frightening?

I know the limitations that people with disabilities face, especially in this part of the world. Even though this administration signed the disability bill into law in January this year (2019), such categories of people still have limited choices. More often than not, they totally depend on others for their financial sustenance. Apart from that, it made me feel like I would not be able to enjoy my life, like I was too old to start over, learning Braille, etc. And yet, too young to give up on life and unfulfilled

dreams. All these feelings got built up in a matter of hours which stretched into days. And then, the horror stories starting pouring in. I was told about the experiences of people in their twenties, thirties, etc., who got blind suddenly and of others who never knew how serious their condition was till they went for a check-up. The combination of the stories and information I gathered was getting me to a depressed place, so I decided to stop being helpless and do something about it.

What exactly did you do?

First of all, I decided to start treatment, stop worrying about a future that I may have no control over and to stop feeling sorry for myself.

Next, I decided to channel that negative energy

It sounds like something for only the rich and inuential?

Far from it. We are in the first phase, which is a free initiative under Earth Angels Club, an existing Non-governmental Organisation (NGO).

At this stage, we are offering a 100 per cent free counselling service for significant others and caregivers of the visually impaired. This group who are relatives, teachers, etc., are usually not given much attention. Despite their role as direct caregivers and/or the financial/ emotional support system. They need to share their frustrations, desires and needs in an objective and non-judgmental environment. They need to know how to deal with certain situations as they come. They can call our number or send an email to us to get 100 per cent free access. The session will help create an enabling environment for all parties. I know what it means to be vulnerable in an uncaring environment such as ours, and I know the strain it puts on caregivers.

UNICEF Pays Tribute to 14-Year-Old Ex-Boko Haram Captive

CISLAC, Journalists Collaborate on Ogoni Clean-up

Kayode Fasua

Ugo Aliogo

The UNICEF has paid glowing tribute to the heroic deed and gallantry of a 14-year-old girl, Fati, a Boko Haram bomb carrier, who willing submitted her bomb to soldiers in a Borno border community.

Fati’s story, the UNICEF enthused, mirrors that of others who have been caught up in the calculated and repeated use of children, especially girls, as ‘human bombs’ in northeast Nigeria over the last few years. “In 2017, 146 children (mainly girls) were used as human bombs. In the first six months of 2018, 43 children were used in this way.

The UNICEF quoted young Fati as recalling her heroic ordeal with Boko Haram after her capture thus: “We were told that we had a bigger calling and that we were going to save mankind.

They asked us if we wanted to go to heaven. We all said ‘yes’,� “From then on, life changed

for us. We were given two or three meals a day, better living conditions and were asked to recite prayers throughout the day.

One morning, ‘a soldier’ walked into our hut and gave us brand new vests to wear under their clothes. He told us to approach a military checkpoint and press a white button that he promised would “send us to heaven�.

The UNICEF recalled further that Fati did not understand the connection between the vest, the button and God. “She decided not to push the button and watched as her two friends detonate themselves at the military checkpoint, killing two soldiers. “She raised her hands and told the soldiers she also had a bomb, but did not want to detonate it. The soldiers helped her remove it and took her to a military detention facility. “Fati’s case is not unusual.

The conflict in northeast Nigeria has seen non-state armed groups regularly use children as suicide

bombers. In 2017, 146 children (mainly girls) were used.

Narrating how Fati got abducted, in 2015, the UNICEF stated that she was shopping for dinner at a market with her mother. But that afternoon, her life took a tragic turn, as an armed group attacked the market, abducting all the girls and killing most of the men. “I was so scared. I had heard about these attacks but I never thought it would happen to me.

I thought I was going to die,� it quoted Fati saying.

Fati and the other girls were taken to the Sambisa Forest, where the Boko Haram faction is believed to be based. There, she joined the many other girls who had been abducted in raids by the group.

On life for Fati inside the Boko Haram dungeon, food, UNICEF said, was minimal. “The girls ate just one meal of instant noodles a day. They were locked in a mud hut and only allowed out to use the bathroom.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has collaborated with journalists to examine the key issues affecting Ogoni clean-up exercise.

Speaking at a one-day media engagement in Lagos, the Programme Manager, CISLAC, Kolawole Banwo, noted that as an advocacy organisation, CISLAC was supporting the clean-up process by undertaking capacity building for local organisations in Ogoni to help those organisations engage, advocate and monitor the process.

He explained that the engagement provided a platform to discuss the exercise in order to understand the situation, chronicle the events, the challenges and the need for additional voices to ensure that things are done better going forward, “because the issues are dragging.�

Banwo, stated that one of the ways to add impetus to

the exercise was to have more people engaging on the issue from a knowledge viewpoint with facts and evidence, “we believe that when journalists have that, they will know how to get the information.�

The CISLAC programme manager explained that the organisation believes strongly that there was need to ensure that people should have alternative sources to water on a sustainable basis for drinking, bathing because people are dying, “because they are drinking cacogenic water and their health is at stake.�

According to him, “We just established that the life expectancy ratio has dropped below the national level. The other issue is the health audit; people need to be properly checked especially young people who are growing to ensure that they don’t die before their time. “Also the issue around the soil centre should be put into consideration to ensure that

whatever that is excavated for cleaning is properly treated before it is released into the environment. “Otherwise, we will be moving contaminated soil from one location to another and endangering the lives of people. Regarding the issue around the pollution, we were able to ensure that we engage the community and we are doing that. “Also, they are vigilant enough to observe because the pipelines are still there and their integrity is deprecated in order to flag it off immediately to avoid pollution because if you are cleaning, and you are re-polluting, it is like resources are been wasted. “We are not satisfied; we believe that Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) should have done better. It is not their fault; it is because of their structure which is attached to the Ministry of Environment, sometimes they are slow. For something that requires speed, they cannot afford to do that.�

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

34

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

H E A LT H C A R E A G E N D A 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 3

Setting Healthcare Agenda for Nigeria (3) In this third and final sequel of advisory healthcare template for the incoming governments at federal and statelevels,sharedbysomeofNigeria’sbestbrainsinthehealthsector,includingtheMinisterofHealth,Prof.

Isaac Adewole, World Bank experts, and other stakeholders in the sector, there seems to be a unanimous belief that the nation’s health outcome can rapidly improve and put healthcare on the global map if the recommendations are diligently implemented. Martins Ifijeh, who spoke to the experts, reports

D

uring the campaign build up to the just concluded presidential, National Assembly and state elections, not many candidates showcased their healthcare agenda either in rallies or as a policy manual. Only few knew the importance of healthcare to the building of a country or a state which they hoped to govern or legislate over.

For the category of candidates who had a fair knowledge of how healthcare can alleviate poverty, improve human capital and cause economic progress for a nation or state, they still preferred to put healthcare at the lowest ebb of their campaigns because they know not many electorates are aware how much of a right government and the leaders owe them in terms of provision of healthcare.

Simply put, these candidates went for what the average Nigerians would expect from a typical politician – promise to build good roads, provide jobs, build bridges and skyscrapers, provide good schools, and all the tangible things that can be counted in terms of development.

To them, there would be no need to make healthcare a focus since it won’t be on the priority list when they get into office. They would rather channel their energies into infrastructural development, which to them is a visible sign of development.

But for the few who understood that to build a country or state with a viable economy and human capital there must be good healthcare, they made it a front burner. Such persons knew with a good healthcare outcome (which by the way they consider not tangible like building of bridges and buying sewing machines for indigent Nigerians), diseases and poverty will reduce, and it would tell on the economy positively. Unfortunately, only few of such candidates existed among the thousands who contested in the various levels of elections.

With the elections now over and various positions declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), some of the best brains in the health sector believe sharing advisory templates on how best to boost the health sector will in no small measure aid governments in bringing dividends of democracy to their people. This, they say is also significant, especially for election winners who prior to now did not articulate plans for addressing healthcare under their purview.

The experts are unanimous in one thing: ‘to fix Nigeria, fix healthcare and improve the human capital of the people’. They believe that no matter what a new government does, if healthcare is not given the priority it deserves, the country may not reach its desired destination.

But they are also quick to warn that these templates can only be feasible in the face of an enabling policy environment driven by committed leadership and a government that is sincere about its human capital agenda.

Addressing Healthcare through Political Will For the Senior Health Specialist, World Bank, Dr. Oluwole Odutolu, without political will, there is only little the advisory templates can do, as this represents a key driver to translating proposed models into actions.

He said in setting health agenda for Nigeria from 2019 to 2023, stakeholders should not forget the role of politics and its role in development, adding that many of the contributions already made in the healthcare series examines the technical issues for the next four years, but that political will is key

Can the incoming governments provide better health outcomes for Nigerians?

to achieving the models.

He said: “Since health is part of our social existence, therefore there is the politics of health and health is political in many ways as its social determinants are amenable to political interventions and are thereby dependent on political action or inaction.

“For example, housing, income and employment are issues that dominate political life, but they are key determinants of health and wellbeing. Secondly, many of the major health inequalities are linked to issues outside the health sector and they require non-health sector policies to tackle them – water and sanitation, education, environment. Lastly, health is political because power is exercised over it as part of the wider economic, social and political systems.”

He said there were many lessons to be learnt from other countries who at one point or the other took political actions that have changed the face of healthcare in their countries.

He said for instance, the National Health Service of England and Wales was launched on July 5, 1948, and that it was a product of many years of deliberations and a purposeful action of the Labour Party under the Clement Attlee’s government. “But the hero was the then Minister of Health, Aneurin Bevan who decided that “the only thing to do was to create an entirely new hospital service, to take over the voluntary hospitals, and to take over the local government hospitals and to organise them as a single hospital service,” he said.

CCT Expansion in Nigeria Social Investment Programme Reeling out some national templates that can be adopted in addressing healthcare issues in the country, he said stakeholders should expand the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) part of the Nigeria Social Investment Programme.

He said: “Learning from Brazil, the Social Investment Program can expand the conditional

cash transfer part of the programme and condition the cash transfer to some key and important health indicators such as immunisation, skilled attended deliveries and post-natal care. Nigeria can grow the program to the large population that needs health care across the nation.”

Political Participation He advised healthcare professionals to participate in politics, as well as engage politicians.

“With the piece of legislation in place, how does Nigeria develop the leadership at political, professional and administrative levels to drive forward the health agenda?

Health professionals and those who care should not only participate in politics but should engage with the political class to raise politicians, who will listen, examine the issues and be convinced of their role.

Nigeria needs political champions for health.

It does not just happen. We as professionals need to engage, convey our messages in a clear language to the politicians, be effective and efficient.

He called on stakeholders to use political instrument to establish social contract with the citizens on the quality of healthcare that is affordable and responsive, adding that such policies must be people centered.

He called for transparent, efficient and accountability in the use of public resources for both domestic resources and contributions from development partners.

He said the primacy of politics in development cannot be contested as distribution of resources is under the control of politicians.

“Secondly, there is the instrumentality of the law for civil actions and regulations of practice in health. I have pointedly cited several examples of how political mandates and actions have improved health and wellbeing of large populations globally and in certain countries. It should be noted that much of this good come from outside of the sector

pointing to the fact that social determinants of health are amenable to political influence,” he stressed.

Increasing Finance and Continuity of Impact Programmes If there is one man who is most qualified to share advices on how best to run the health sector, it is the current minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who believes the foundation the ministry has laid on ground over the past three and half years is a booster to changing the narrative in the sector as new governments start this May. To him, increase in financing, with continuity of high impact programmes, and accountability, would aid the incoming dispensation in bringing better health outcomes. He said going forward, public financing for health must continue to increase to enable government sustain the successes achieved so far, as well as reduce out of pocket expenditure.

Continuous Implementation of BHCPF He said programmes such as the Basic Healthcare Provisions Fund (BHCPF) must be implemented in accordance with the implementation manual as it provides a pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), adding that accountability processes must continually be improved upon to ensure elimination of wastages and increased allocative efficiency.

Sharing this template exclusively with THISDAY, the minister said: “In addition, continuous engagement with states is important to ensure ownership and increased performance management of programs. There should be increase in the number of public private partnerships to complement government’s investments in healthcare. So far we have midwifed the Lagos University Teaching Hospital / Nigeria Sovereign Investment

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

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HEALTH H E A LT H C A R E A G E N D A 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 3 SETTING HEALTHCARE AGENDA FOR NIGERIA (3)

Adewole

Authority (LUTH/NSIA) cancer centre and are working with AFREXIM to set up a multi specialty centre focusing on managing complex Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).”

He said the Ministry of Health should continue to work with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning on approaches to harness the power of the young and strong population bulge to achieve demographic dividend, while paying attention to our population growth.

“There is need to continue to strengthen public health preparedness through increased vigilance at our entry ports and digitisation of yellow cards. ”The legislative frameworks, policies and programmes being implemented serve as a foundation for continuous improvement of the health sector with the resultant increase in health outcomes. This certainly would facilitate the attainment of UHC and have a knock on effect on increased productivity and economic growth.

Hope for Better Healthcare Adewole, who has championed a number of firsts in the health sector since resumption in 2015 said he envisions a Nigeria with much better health outcomes and a healthier population able to contribute productively to the economy due to the clear understanding of the challenges and the belief in the foundation the ministry had laid on ground in this present dispensation.

He said in the last three and half years, the ministry has put in place necessary legislative frameworks, policies and strategic documents and implementation of programmes to set the nation on the right path.

Projections “Specifically, I see a situation where Nigerians as of necessity, no longer travel out to treat cancer related cases as we now have eight cancer centres at different levels of completion. This should reduce the capital outflow estimated at over $1bn; I see a situation where Nigerians have access to basic services such as child and maternal care in functional facilities under the BHCPF. These facilities numbering over 10,000 are spread across every ward in Nigeria

Odutolu

“I see a situation where public health emergencies are rapidly detected and measures put in place to nip the spread, given the foundation we have laid at the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC). We want a situation where malnutrition becomes a thing of the past as we have obtained a $232m credit facility to rapidly address nutritional challenges in under five children. This has encouraged local production of Ready To Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF),” the minister projected.

He said he was optimistic that in the coming dispensation, every child will be vaccinated against preventable illnesses and can grow up to be net contributors to the economy, adding that this will be possible with the increase in government financing for vaccines and the $1.03bn additional grant resources GAVI gave Nigeria in response to the country’s commitment.

He said the ministry has also encouraged local production of vaccines, with May and Baker commencing vaccines production and improved supply chain storage with the establishment of two automated and ultra modern warehouses in Lagos and Abuja to store cold and dry commodities, noting that this cost us over $12m with storage capacity equivalent to the size of a standard football field.

To the minister, in the coming dispensation, health workers of all cadres will be proud of their jobs, have the right working environment to thrive and they will be able to treat patients with dignity.

Legislative Additions Adewole said with the passage of the (NCDC Act and the National Tobacco Act, ground has been laid for the incoming government to flourish, emphasising that NCDC has the mandate to respond to the challenges of public health emergencies and enhance Nigeria’s preparedness and response to epidemics through prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases.

He said: “We have increased the funding for the organisation through regular budgetary allocation and the BHCPF. In addition, we also obtained $90m credit facility from the World Bank to set up the Regional Disease

Surveillance System Enhancement (REDISSE) in Nigeria.

“This not only strengthens our ability to deepen our national capacity to detect and respond to disease threats, but also enables us reinforce sustainable and effective regional collaboration and collective action and allows us to establish an efficient linkage of country human and animal health systems to a regional disease surveillance and response network. I am optimistic, that the impact of the NCDC would provide the basis for a healthier and more secure country.”

Policies and Strategies Awaiting Incoming Government Adewole said with the development of the National Health Policy and the second National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP II) under his watch as a minister, it has provided the opportunity to shape the thinking for the health sector, adding that both documents provide the underpinnings for Nigeria to achieve UHC. “They were also both approved at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which indicates federal government’s commitment to health. Drawing from the policy are several strategic documents that lend themselves to reducing inequalities to health care services and increasing health outcomes.”

Scorecard He said in addition to the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, the government has also laid on ground mechanisms for the fight against polio eradication, as well as the implementation of the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOML P4R).

Adewole said: “By funding states based on results achieved, we are changing the narrative on healthcare to a focus on outcomes. We have disbursed over $259m to states in the last four years and seen improvements in governance and accountability mechanisms and also improvements in health outcomes.

“We have also made the implementation of the Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHDIP), which is a performance based financing health intervention designed to improve primary healthcare in the project states with a focus on maternal and child health services; strengthening participating

institutions at federal, state and LGA levels; Strengthening information management; and capacity building. The project his being implemented in Adamawa, Ondo and Nasarawa States and has been extended to six States in the North East,” he added.

He said the ministry has begun the implementation of the 2015 National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act and has obtained approval for the upward review of tobacco and alcohol tax, adding that upgrading of tertiary health institutions, something to build on.

Encouraging Partnerships Adewole said at the start of the current administration, they had a number of bad cases with development partners, explaining that infractions in the use of funds meant government had to refund $5.8m and $5.2m to Global Fund and GAVI respectively, with both agencies threatening to never work with Nigeria again. ”We repaid the monies, instituted a mechanism for increased accountability and transparency and publicly published our budget allocations. This helped engender trust with partners. As at today the Global Fund is back and has committed a grant of $660m to Nigeria for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria between 2018- 2020. Similarly GAVI has committed $1.03bn as grants to Nigeria over the next 10 years to fund immunisation.

“In 2018, the US government committed a grant of $288m for HIV/AIDS and health systems strengthening. A further $300m has been committed for 2019-2020. These grant donations are provided as commodities and support for health systems strengthening. Their support is a testament to the trust reposed in us having redeemed the image of the country,” he said. He said with the templates already put on ground, the next dispensation will have a smooth ride and healthcare will be better off.

With the publication of these health advisory public templates by some of Nigeria’s best brains in the health sector as put together by THISDAY, time will tell if President Muhammadu Buhari, who just won his re-election, and the newly elected governors will pick up these public document and implement it right from the start of the next political dispensation on May 29, 2019.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

NEWS

Hopebay College Old Boys Solicit Funds to Save Member’s Life In a bid to save the life of one of their own, the Hopebay College Old BoysAssociation 1998 set is making efforts to raise funds for kidney transplant of OluseunAdebayo Ojo, fondly called Bayo, who is bedridden and presently battling for his life under intensive care unit at Dialyzer Specialist Medical Centre, Mafoluku, Oshodi- Lagos due to complete renal failure. The group spoke with Chris Asika on their quest to save his life Oluseun Adebayo Ojo (fondly called Bayo), was once a young man full of energy and vigor.

However he is currently battling with his life at Dialyzer Specialist Medical Centre, Mafoluku, Oshodi suffering from complete renal failure.

In a bid to restore his health and bring back his usual lively disposition, members of the Hopebay College Old Boys Association (HBC)1998 set have implored on well-meaning Nigerians to help them save the life of their member and friend, who is in urgent need of kidney transplant. Bayo, 39, lost his mother (who was the only surviving parent) two years ago and not long after that he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He has been undergoing dialysis for a year now but the doctors say he needs a transplant urgently as the condition is getting worse and dialysis is not helping any more.

The members of the group have been contributing N5,000 or more each and even opened a GoFundMe account in Bayo’s name especially for their members that live outside the country. They also opened pages with his pictures on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram; even his neighbour’s in FESTAC have been contributing.

From all these activities, they have been able to raise about N4 million, but the funds have also been used to run dialysis l two to three times weekly with blood transfusion per session. That means about N200,000 is spent every week to keep him alive.

They are soliciting assistance to save Bayo from this life threatening situation, which requires at least N10 million. Donations of N1,000 or more can be deposited to this account: Guaranty Trust Bank, Oluseun Adebayo Ojo- 0013129872.

Interested donors living abroad are not left out, as they can use the GoFundMe account created on Bayo’s behalf following the link https://www.gofundme.com/mzw55y medical.

Ojo on his sick bed

Speaking with THISDAY, one of the old boy, who doubles as the secretary of the committee for Bayo’s medical aid, Mr. Joseph Okoli, a Brazil-trained business administrator recounts the efforts they have made so far to keep him alive pending the transplant.

“Bayo is my childhood friend, I have known him since I was eight years old; we attended Hope Bay Primary and Secondary school together.

I only left the shores of Nigeria to Brazil and reconnected back to him when I came back. I got to know of his illness after his mum died around 2017. It was in October, November of that year that he opened up to me what he

was actually going through.

“When I heard about it, I knew it was serious because the Bayo that I knew was big in body size, he was emaciated and he said he was taking more of water and eating less food because most times he doesn’t have appetite. He has been undergoing dialysis for some time now to help him remove the excess urine from his body.”

Okoli added: “When I heard about it, I decided to stick to my Hopebay group student and we started to gather help for him. He has got complete renal failure and he needs an urgent kidney transplant. He broke down completely

in February 2019 during a child dedication of a mutual friend that we attended together (then he was still able to walk).

“About 10 minutes after he got there, he started shivering. My wife noticed him and we hurriedly put him in a vehicle that will take him home.

When he got home he slept for a long time and the next day he said he was going for dialysis.

He actually went for dialysis where they said he needed a pint of blood and since that day, that was where everything started and became worst till date.”

Okoli can be reached on 07038115370

EyeFoundationRaisesAwarenessonGlaucoma Emmanuel Otaru Following the high burden of eye related issues in Nigeria, the Eye Foundation Hospital Group has called for more awareness on glaucoma, which remains one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the country.

This is even as the hospital has provided free surgeries to over 70 indigent glaucoma patients in Lagos state.

The group held its 3rd Biennial International Glau-

coma Symposium between February 4th-7th in Lagos as part of its ongoing efforts and collaborations to raise awareness on glaucoma and improve access to quality care and management of the eye disease in Nigeria.

With glaucoma causing more irreversible blindness worldwide, it is projected that the number of people (aged 40-80 years) with the disease will increase to about 112 million people by the year 2040, disproportionately affecting people in Africa.

While blindness from glaucoma is avoidable with early diagnosis and appropriate, sustained, life-long treatment, people still go blind from glaucoma in Africa due to the high cost of care and lack of awareness among patients.

Similarly, it is frequently undiagnosed, inadequately treated or treated with poor compliance to treatment regimens due to limited equipment and treatment options. The theme of the symposium was New Horizon in Diagnosis and Management

of Glaucoma – Sub-Saharan Africa Perspective, and it drew over 82 participants from Nigeria and other countries such as Ghana, United States, Burkina Faso and the United Kingdom.

It provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing, transfer of skills and training in an effort to improve glaucoma diagnosis, treatment and management not only in Nigeria but in sub-Saharan Africa. Knowledge partners and experts in the field of glaucoma from across Nigeria

and internationally, moderated different sessions over the four-day event on topics which included: Improving clinical judgment and surgical skills for glaucoma management; building understanding of the unique aspects of an “African eye”; increasing proficiency in the management of glaucoma post-cataract surgery; and adoption of best practices for treatment of glaucoma in Nigeria, among others.

Patients enjoyed free screening for Glaucoma as

153 patients were screened for glaucoma while 70 patients accessed free surgeries on manage their glaucoma as part of the event providing a platform for raising awareness on access to quality care and management of glaucoma. The free surgeries were undertaken at two locations – The Eye Foundation Hospital Ikeja Lagos and Deseret Community Vision Institute, the not-for-profit arm of the Eye Foundation Hospital Group located in Ijebu Mushin, Ogun State Nigeria.

Foundation Champions Blood Donation, Debunks Myth on Female Participation Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Manal Foundation has committed itself to championing the cause of blood donation and will bear the donor and recipient cost, as well as other administrative charges towards ensuring that screened blood gets to indigent patients when in need.

Also, it will provide free cancer treatments, feeding of underprivileged children, as well as the promotion of drinking safe water especially in satellite towns and rural areas within the FCT, all in a bid to immortalise Manal Hassan, an 11 year old who

died as a result of blood related challenges.

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hassan Hospital, Dr. Shabihul Hassan, who stated that the foundation was working alongside the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), said there was no reason for people to die as a result of lack of blood, noting that blood is given for free by donors and must be given freely to recipients.

While emphasising that the 95 percent healthy people within the FCT can take care of the five percent not too healthy population, Hassan disclosed that women can

also donate blood, stressing that the monthly period is not blood from the veins and arteries, but the flow of walls of tissues which was not fertilised.

He said:”Yes women can donate during monthly period. During a woman’s period, she is not actually bleeding. It’s a misconception. There is a formation inside the uterus that gradually sludge out which is the tissue and blood.

This is not blood coming from the body. Your normal blood remains the same.

So if the blood levels are good, women can donate as many times as they want.

“I don’t see why in a predominantly healthy society, people in emergency cases and in need of blood cannot get it. When you donate one pint of blood, it doesn’t take up to one week for that blood to form.

Blood is something that was given freely and free and freely should it be given.”

In the same vein, Director, Medical and Diagnostic Department, Health and Human Services Secretariat, FCT, Dr. Evans Onyeleke, called on government to do more aggressive work and campaign in the donation of blood as well as putting a stop to its sale in some

hospitals within the country.

Lamenting that lack of knowledge, awareness and information were responsible for the myths surrounding blood donation, Onyekele said blood does not change genetics but only gives life.

He said: “The problem is lack of knowledge, information and awareness. Many people do not understand these things. Even among the health workers, you must have a Judas among the 12. Even among the private practitioners, there are some of them that think more of gain than how much to impact in the life

of a patient.

“Government needs to do more aggressive work and take the campaign down to the rural level. Government should come out in other ways and punishment should be apportioned for law breakers and this will be a deterrent to many.

“Taking blood from an unknown person cannot change your genetics. The statement that there’s life in the blood comes from the fact that someone in need of blood has been given blood to stay alive. But as for changing the genes, it is not possible and is never done,” he said.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

HEALTH

Adenusi: Lagos Health Insurance Enrollees Will Enjoy Qualitative, Accessible Basic Healthcare Dr. Peju Adenusi is the General Manager, Lagos State Health Management Agency. In this interview with select journalists, she said Lagosians enrolled into the state’s health insurancescheme will have unfettered access to quality basic healthcare across. She also spoke on other benefits of the scheme, among other sundry matters. Martins Ifijeh brings excerpts: How is the Lagos State Health Scheme different from the National Health InsuranceScheme?

The Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) came about through a law that was enacted in 2015 and that law makes health insurance mandatory for every resident of the state. The main objective is to provide quality healthcare services which is accessible and affordable to the residents of Lagos State, and in so doing, reduce, if not eliminate the financial catastrophe that arises from huge medical bills.

Three entities were derived from the law.

We have the LSHS which is the programme, we have the Lagos State Health Management Agency, (LASHMA), which is the agency that has been established to supervise and coordinate the scheme activities, and we have the LagosState Health Fund (LSHF). It serves as a basket of funds with various sources.

When we talk about health insurance, insurance generally, is a relative new concept to us in Africa and Nigeria is not an exception. Insurance is just a culture that we are not used to andhealth insurance is not an exception. When you tell people to come and pay money for ahealth event that can take place in the future, the quickest thing that comes to mind is that there is a sickness/ illness, so why do I want to pay for a sickness in advance? Am I praying for illness? And with our religious background, the first reaction would be God forbid, I reject it, it is not my portion. So, it becomes very hard to convince people. But the irony is that it is a practice that is common among us, but we don’t know that that is what we have been doing.

For instance, if someone in a group runs into trouble related to health and that person can’t afford it alone, that person would rally round and people would begin to contribute money for him or her. So the concept is there with us.

Health insurance is just putting that practice that is already with us in a structured manner. It is a communion thing. It is a form of solidarity.

From what I have said, you know that those that are worst hit are the vulnerable that is where the issue of equity comes in.

Just as it is on the global movement, we are talking about Universal Health Coverage, (UHC), so that means everyone should have access to health, regardless of their background, and one of the ways of achieving this is through health insurance.

Does the scheme cover all illnesses?

There is no health insurance programme that covers all health conditions and for us also to be able to demystify the issue of insurance that it is only for the sick, pregnancy is not sickness, and that is why I like using the word health condition.

Going to the hospital to give birth is not a bad thing. That is something that is exciting and we all look forward to and we can also say that this is something that is planned, but there are other health conditions that come and are not planned for. Sickness does not write to anyone to say I am coming. So when it comes, there has to be a way to cover the cost that may arise from such

However, there is an accommodation for individual enrollment as not everyone that resides in Lagos has a family here. We have people who are living alone, so for single individuals, it is for N8, 500.

We know that there are families that are larger than six, so every additional family member, that is less than 18 years, attracts N6,000 per person, per year, but if the person is above 18 years of age, then it will be N8,500 per person per year, remember the duration of the policy is for a year.

In a family of six, if the children are above 18 years, and they still want the family enrollment, that family will pay a premium of N40, 000 per annual and additional N8, 500 per person, per year. My children are above 18 years, what I did was to pay N40, 000 and pay N8, 500 for each of my children. If you have grandmother, aunty, nephews etc living with you, that are categorised as individual and not part of the family package and they are over 18 years, the premium is N8,500 per person, per year.

Adenusi

condition.

Considering all these, the government looked at the common ailments that make people access hospital and can actually cause financial burden; they are malaria, common childhood diseases that are preventable through immunisation, common diarrhea, and the long communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and all the services that can be rendered at the primary healthcare level.

You talked about the PHC aspect of health, have you put proper structures in place at that level that can accommodate enrollees?

In Nigeria, the healthcare delivery systems are in three levels, the primary, secondary and the tertiary level. And also, services can be rendered from two different sectors, the private sector and the public sector. Studies have shown that out of pocket expenses attribute about 70 per cent of the healthcare cost in the country and about 70 per cent of these services are provided through the private sector, so in coming up with the scheme, we had to take that into consideration. So for the service provision, we are engaging both the public and the private healthcare facilities.

When I talked about PHC level, I was referring to the kind of services that are to be rendered.

For this scheme, we are also collaborating with the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA). They are responsible for licensing facilities to even practice at all. However there is the other aspect of their mandate which has to do with quality assurance. HEFAMAA already is undergoing some sort of restructuring and they actually partnered with one of the technical partners who helped in developing a tool that is tailored to the needs of LASHMA for facilities to come on board the scheme.

So there is a process. So the fact that you

have a facility, whether public or private does not make you come in automatically and let us also remember that for facilities to join thescheme, it is voluntary, so you have to indicate interest.

Once you have indicated your interest, HEFAMAA does an assessment on your facility based on the tool that is developed to ensure that you meet the minimum standard requirement to come on board. It is only when you scale through that assessment, that HEFAMAA recommends such facility to LASHMA, which will also do what is called revaluation visit.

Can residents be permissible to enter into more than one facility?

No. The reason is once a facility is on board it is not a once and for all time. It is a growing list because we have over 3000 healthcare facilities both public and private facilities in LagosState and the accredited facilities on our websites are just like 100. So more will be coming, more are already approaching LASHMA and they will have to pass through the normal process for them to come on board. The fact that you are accredited to come on board does not mean you will be there forever. It is expected that you improve your services because you came in with the minimum requirements. HEFAMAA also have the quality assurance responsibility and they will be working to ensure that the facilities maintain a high quality.

Enrollees can only make a choice of one because of the way the scheme is designed.

How much are enrollees paying to be on the scheme?

The premium is N40, 000 per year for a family of six because our unit of enrollment is family enrollment. Family here is defined as the mother, father and four children under the age of 18years.

The NMA, at their annual general meeting, advised their members to get the facts right before participating in any state health insurance scheme, are you having any challenge with the Lagos State chapter of NMA? Well, you are giving me information I am not aware of. Nevertheless, the unit of participation is at the facilities and not membership, it is not as an association. So you come as a facility. LASHMA is dealing with every facility as a facility. So if I am to answer your question, we have facilities coming on board. You can see the names of the facilities.

So I have not encountered any challenges. There was an advert toward the end of 2017, asking facilities to indicate interest to come on the scheme.

I told you that they have to express interest, it is not automatic, so you have to say, I want to be part of the scheme and as many that have said that and have been assessed by HEFAMAA and have scaled through the HEFAMAA process and have also scaled through the procurement process of Lagos State, are on board. Those who are yet to join have come to make enquires, we hear from them almost on a daily basis that they want to be part of the scheme and they are well informed on what to do to come on board.

Will a family already on a health insurance scheme still be mandated by Lagos State to be on its scheme?

If you are a civil servant in Lagos State, the health scheme is replacing the free healthcare and the government is paying 75 per cent of the premium.

The civil servant will then be paying 25 per cent.

Just like any other residents in Lagos State, if you already have a private plan, nobody is going to say stop your plan. And also remember that the state health plan is just one healthplan which is the basic health plan. However, when a state says something is mandatory, I think it is the duty of the residents to come on board, if you now choose to have a private plan as a top up, fine.

But let us remember that we are also looking after the vulnerable group in the society and I think the people whom you are talking about that have private plan are the minority.

Nominations Open for 2019 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards Nomination for the 6th edition of the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) 2019 has opened.

This was made known by the Project Director, NHEA, Dr. Wale Alabi in Lagos yesterday in a press statement.

He said various stakeholders can visit the award website,www.nigeriahealtha-

wards.com.ng to make their nominations.

Nomination, according to him, will close May 24, 2019 while the event will take place June 21, 2019 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. “Nominations can be made for corporate or individual categories by any member of the public. You

can either nominate online or download the nomination form.

“NHEA is the Oscar of Nigeria healthcare awards. In the last six years the award has grown to become a point of reference in the industry. We would continue to do our best in order not to abuse the confidence placed on us.” the Director of Marketing,

Communication & Strategy, NHEA, Moses Braimah, explains further “Our theme for 2019 is ‘bringing standard to Nigeria healthcare’. This narrative is to help bring focus to continuous improvement of Nigeria healthcare delivery and standards. On our part we have improved the technology tremendously

for managing our collation, nominees’ evaluation and eventual voting process.”

About 23 awards and recognitions will be presented at the ceremony. It is made up of four main categories; Special Awards, Healthcare Delivery Services, Biomedical Technology andPharmaceuticals.

Some of the awards up for

grabs include; The Lifetime Achievements Award, Outstanding State Government Healthcare Programme of the Year, Outstanding CSR Health Project of the Year, Healthcare Media Excellence (print & electronic), Private Healthcare Provider of the Year, Public Healthcare Provider of the Year, among others.

38

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

MTN Nigeria’s Investment in Network Expansion Hits N2.5trn Kunle Aderinokun Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Obinna Chima The Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman, yesterday put the total value of investment made by the telecommunication company since its entrance into the Nigerian market at N2.5 trillion.

Moolman, who disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, said the telecom company invested N184 billion on network expansion in 2018 alone. “You can’t achieve growth if you don’t invest in network.

So, from inception to date, we have invested close to N2.5 trillion in network and last year alone, we invested N184 billion in network. Majority of these investment goes into our network and new technology. “A large part of our success is that we kept on investing in network, even when the naira was devalued. And you need to understand the impact of that devaluation on our network because the electronic equipment we use are imported,� he said.

He reiterated plan by the

telco to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) before the end of third quarter of this year.

According to Moolman, save for the disagreement MTN Nigeria had with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last year, the company would have gone ahead with its listing plan.

He explained: “There was a lot of work that we did on the listing and our target was to list in 2018. We are a private company at the moment and we need to change to a public company before we can list. “We need to send our directors for training to comply with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange requirements to be able to list and a lot of work went on at the backend on the listing. Then, the CBN issue happened. “The truth be told, if we had listed while the CBN issue was on, we would have been negligent. That is because we would have gone to offer our shares to the public when we had an issue at hand with the CBN that was substantial.

If I remind you, they (CBN) were talking about $8 billion. “So, I

can’t go and list and offer my shares to the public if I have this thing hanging over my neck. We thank God we were able to resolve this on 24th of December. “So, we are working towards the listing and we plan to do the listing before the end of first half 2019 or probably before the end of quarter three. “So, there is a clear drive in doing the listing. It is something we have always wanted to do.�

He, however, pointed that 20 per cent of MTN Nigeria shares are currently owned

by Nigerians today. “It is just that it is not publicly traded. We trade over the counter, which is a process that Stanbic IBTC manages for us, where about 10 per cent of our shares are traded. So, it is our target to do the listing,� he said.

Moolman, disclosed that MTN Nigeria’s ‘revenue generating’ subscribers is currently at 58 million. “If you go to the Nigerian Communications Commission website, you might see 68 million. But when we look at subscribers, we are looking at those that can generate revenue for us.

Elumelu Urges Leaders to Prioritise Africa’s Development The founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has challenged African leaders to prioritise the future of the African continent.

Elumelu, who is also the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa Plc, said this at the inaugural Africa Now Conference held in Kampala.

Giving the keynote address, entitled “The Leadership Needed to Catalyse Africa’s Transformation,� to an audience of public and private sector leaders, Elumelu offered a robust and direct message to African leaders from the public and private sectors. “The leaders we need in Africa today, are leaders who genuinely care about humanity.

We need leaders who are driven by an ambition to leave society better than they met it. We need leaders who understand and care about creating a positive legacy. We need leaders who are genuinely committed and

care about the future of Africa,�

Elumelu said.

Hosted by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the conference, an initiative of the Africa Strategic Leadership Centre, gathered Heads of State, public and private sector leaders to discuss and develop growth opportunities for the continent.

In his speech, President Museveni outlined key enablers required to empower the African people and transform the continent. “With independence, although a lot of time was lost with military governments engaged in primitive fascism, nevertheless, many African governments have correctly identified two crucial stimuli that can catalyse social transformation. These are education and health for all (human resource development) and private sector-led growth�.

Commending President Museveni on the achievements of his country, Elumelu also emphasised the need for public-

private sector collaboration to drive sustainable development, encapsulated in his economic philosophy, Africapitalism. “Leadership should not be about directing blame; leadership is not about absolving responsibility. Leadership is the catalyst for positive change.

We need to take collective responsibility for our own future – as I have often said, no one is going to do it but ourselves – whether we are in the public or private sectors.

This is the philosophy of Africapitalism, which is a call on the private sector to play its role, the leading role in securing our continent’s destiny – and achieving it by creating both social and economic wealth.� “We have a role to play and we need to play this role by investing and managing, so we can create employment, create prosperity in a manner that will help to address many of the problems we have in the society today,� he added.

Moolman

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2018 Money Supply (M3)

31,794,803.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

6,333,064.28

Money Supply (M2)

25,461,739.17

-- Quasi Money

14,773,076.98

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,688,662.18

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,711,763.59

---- Demand Deposits

8,976,898.59

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

18,990,400.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,804,402.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,062,986.22

---- Credit to Government (Net)

2,980,229.66

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

7,093,619.43

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

-4,144,571.43

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,082,756.56

--Other Assets Net

13,258,583.57

Reserve Money (Base Money

6,811,192.37

--Currency in Circulation

2,100,129.91

--Banks Reserves

4,366,259.05

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)

Nigeria, India to Expand Partnership Nigeria and India are working on ways to enhance the $12 billion annual bilateral trade between both countries in a way that would focus on investment.

Receiving the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Shri Abhav Thakur, in his office, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, was quoted in a statement to have lauded the relationship between Nigeria and India, saying it had become necessary to expand it beyond trade for increased investment.

The statement which was signed by the Strategy and Communications Adviser to the Minister, Mr. Bisi Daniels, recalled the fundamental co-operation between both countries and their common heritage in the Commonwealth of Nations, he said Nigeria was restructuring her economy and bilateral relationships should

reflect same.

The Minister welcomed the envoy’s interest in Project Mine, a new initiative by Nigeria to develop world-class special economic zones to position Nigeria as the pre-eminent manufacturing hub in subSaharan Africa, and a major exporter of made in Nigeria goods and services regionally and globally. Last month, the federal government signed investment agreements with three Development Finance Institutions - Afreximbank, Bank of Industry and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for the project.

Thakur, who expressed interest in the project, requested a formal briefing to enable him sell the opportunities to Indian investors.

The High Commissioner, who is new in the country, congratulated the Minister for

the electoral victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government.

He stated that Nigeria and India are important trade partners and expressed the need to grow the partnership.

He said his country was looking forward to the Joint Trade Committee meeting holding in India in April.

India and Nigeria, in 2017, agreed to establish the Committee at the level of Commerce Secretary from Indian side and Permanent Secretary from Nigerian to review he ongoing bilateral trade and commercial relations.

The Minister assured him of Nigeria’s attendance of the meeting and promised the envoy that he will enjoy his stay. “We are glad to have you in Nigeria. We are very hospital people and we believe you will enjoy your stay,� Enelamah said.

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 ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ ÍŻÍ° Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $66.30 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $66.01 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

39

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

MARKET NEWS

NSE All-Share Index Gains 0.15% as Stock Market Rebounds Goddy Egene Reprieve came the way of investors yesterday as the equities market bucked five days of losses to close on a positive note. The market pared losses as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) appreciated by 0.15 per cent to close at 31,360.28, while market capitalisation added N17.5 billion to be at N11.69 trillion.

Although the market recorded

more price losers, gains by Nestle Nigeria Plc, FBN Holdings Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc assisted to halt the negative performance. Thirteen stocks appreciated while 18 depreciated.

CAP Plc led the price gainers with 10 per cent, followed by Sterling Bank Plc with 9.7 per cent, while Eterna Plc chalked up 9.0 per cent.

The Managing Director of the petroleum firm, Mr. Mahmud Tukur recently said Eterna

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Plc had been well positioned to pursue new investment opportunities and expansion, having cleared a N14 billion debt over-hang. “Between 2009 and 2018, we have been able to pay over N14 billion in debts and we have grown shareholders fund from N4 billion to N13 billion. All these have been done from internally generated working capital. “The low pricing of our shares

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

is because people do not know what the company is all about, the internal restructuring, the innovations going on, the capacity building, the businesses that we do, the structure of the organisation is not well known out there. “Our financials reflect a healthy organisation, but out there is not about our organisation, and that is what we are going to change. As the market improves, general sentiments would impact

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

the pricing and everybody that looks into our share price knows that the company is undervalued relative to its performance, but it is a very good share. We have paid dividend in a very challenging environment,� he said.

Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc closed as the fourth highest price gainer with 7.4 per cent.

LASACO Assurance Plc garnered 6.4 per cent, while Nestle Nigeria Plc, Livestock Feeds Plc and Diamond Bank Plc chalked up

O F

4.7 per cent, 3.4 per cent and 2.8 per cent in that order.

Conversely, Regency Alliance Insurance Plc led the price losers with 7.6 per cent, trailed

by African Prudential Plc, which shed 7.5 per cent.

Prestige Assurance Plc and Dangote Flour Mills Plc depreciated by 7.4 per cent and 5.0 per cent respectively. Guinness Nigeria Plc and UAC of Nigeria Plc lost 3.1 per cent and 2.5 per cent in that order.

1 2 / 0 3 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

40

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Up 0.3%

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

Yesterday, the Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index gained 33bps to ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϱϭϴ͘Ϯϵ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ GUARANTY (+0.6%), NESTLE (+4.7%), and FBNH (+1.2%). These stocks ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϯϮ͘ϲй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ ZĞďŽƵŶĚƐ͙ ^/ hƉ ďLJ Ϭ͘Ϯй

In yesterday͛s trading session, the 5-day bearish run in ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁĂƐ ŚĂůƚĞĚ ĂƐ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ NESTLE (+4.7%), STERLINGBANK (+9.8%) and GUARANTY (+0.6%) led to a rebound of 0.2% in the All ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ; ^/Ϳ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐĞƩůĞĚ Ăƚ ϯϭ͕ϯϲϬ͘Ϯϴ points.

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

ǁŚŝůĞ zd ůŽƐƐ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ - Ϭ͘Ϯй͘ ĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂƐ mixed as volume traded advanced 71.8% to 377.1m units ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĨĞůů ϮϮ͘ϴй ƚŽ EϮ͘ϯďŶ͘ / DKE (113.6m units), , D^ (72.1m units) and FBNH (71.5m ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁŚŝůĞ FBNH ;Eϱϴϲ͘ϮŵͿ͕ ZENITH ;EϯϮϭ͘ϰŵͿ ĂŶĚ / DKE ;EϮϴϯ͘ϰŵͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

DŝdžĞĚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ Ϯ ŽĨ ϱ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϭ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƵƉ ϭ͘ϲй and 0.04% ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

1,518.29

0.33%

3.4%

51.8%

21.1%

7.7%

6.1x

0.8x

5.2%

35.70

0.6%

19.1%

3.6%

3.5%

31.2%

5.5%

5.5x

1.9x

7.7%

18.3%

2 Zenith Bank PLC

22.40

-0.7%

11.6%

-2.8%

8.0%

22.6%

3.2%

3.8x

0.9x

12.5%

26.1% 11.9%

3 Dangote Cement PLC 4 Nestle Nigeria PLC

192.00

-1.0%

8.8%

1.2%

3.2%

44.6%

23.2%

8.4x

3.4x

8.3%

4.7%

8.2%

4.4%

5.1%

90.4%

27.8%

28.6x

24.5x

3.8%

3.5%

75.00

0.0%

5.1%

-12.3%

-2.0%

11.3%

5.0%

30.5x

3.6x

3.2%

3.3%

5 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 6 FBN Holdings Plc 7 Cement Co Northern Nigeria PLC

8.30

1.2%

5.3%

4.4%

3.8%

6.6%

0.8%

5.9x

0.4x

3.0%

16.8%

19.00

0.0%

4.2%

-2.1%

-2.1%

34.2%

19.6%

4.6x

1.4x

6.5%

21.8%

3.4x

0.6x

11.3%

29.2%

8 United Bank for Africa PLC

7.55

0.0%

4.1%

-1.9%

-3.2%

15.4%

1.8%

9 International Brew eries PLC

24.05

0.0%

2.7%

-21.1%

-23.7%

-23.8%

-3.2%

596.90

0.0%

3.2%

-6.7%

-6.7%

9.4%

5.7%

6.4x

0.6x

3.0%

15.5%

10.8%

40.1%

11 Access Bank PLC

5.9x

6.00

0.0%

2.9%

-11.8%

-7.7%

14.1%

1.7%

2.5x

0.4x

13.65

0.0%

2.7%

-2.5%

-4.5%

12.1%

1.0%

4.3x

0.5x

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

48.00

0.0%

2.6%

0.1%

0.1%

34.5%

4.7%

6.8x

2.1x

3.1%

14 Unilever Nigeria PLC

38.70

0.0%

2.4%

4.6%

4.6%

14.7%

9.0%

19.1x

2.7x

1.3%

5.2%

15 Lafarge Africa PLC

12.90

-0.8%

1.7%

3.6%

7.5%

-53.7%

-7.9%

0.9x

11.3%

-48.8%

16 Guinness Nigeria PLC

64.00

-4.7%

1.1%

-11.1%

-11.1%

8.5%

4.5%

17.9x

1.6x

2.8%

5.6%

17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

80.00

1.3%

1.3%

5.0%

5.0%

39.3%

29.7%

7.6x

2.6x

3.8%

13.1%

18 Total Nigeria PLC

200.00

0.0%

1.2%

-1.5%

-1.5%

34.6%

7.5%

7.0x

2.2x

8.5%

14.3%

19 11 PLC

165.00

0.0%

1.1%

-11.1%

-11.1%

38.0%

16.8%

5.5x

1.8x

4.8%

18.1%

5.2%

11.3%

20 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

-0.8%

0.9%

-17.3%

-14.0%

6.6%

2.0%

8.8x

0.5x

5.70

0.0%

1.3%

14.0%

18.8%

10.9%

1.7%

4.7x

0.4x

22 Fidelity Bank PLC

2.20

-2.2%

1.1%

8.4%

8.4%

11.3%

1.5%

2.9x

0.3x

5.0%

23 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.24

-2.4%

0.9%

-6.1%

-1.6%

19.3%

4.3%

4.0x

0.7x

2.4%

24.8%

24 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

13.95

-0.4%

0.8%

-8.5%

-5.7%

32.6%

16.4%

5.6x

1.6x

9.0%

18.0%

2.49

2.9%

0.9%

15.8%

-5.8%

-0.7%

2.00

0.0%

0.6%

5.8%

11.1%

8.4%

1.2%

2.6x

0.2x

5.0%

27 UAC of Nigeria PLC

7.80

-2.5%

0.4%

-20.0%

-18.3%

0.4%

0.2%

61.4x

0.3x

8.3%

1.6%

28 Sterling Bank PLC

2.36

9.8%

0.6%

24.2%

24.2%

10.6%

1.1%

6.2x

0.6x

0.8%

16.1%

0.3x

75.00

0.0%

0.4%

17.2%

17.2%

37.0%

24.8%

3.0x

0.9x

2.9%

33.8%

20.70

0.0%

0.4%

15.0%

15.0%

47.0%

17.5%

10.8x

4.8x

7.2%

9.3%

31 Forte Oil PLC

28.00

0.0%

0.3%

-2.4%

0.0%

84.6%

8.3%

11.5x

2.1x

8.7%

32 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

6.85

-2.1%

0.4%

22.3%

22.3%

5.3%

1.0%

12.4x

0.7x

8.1%

31.5%

3.6%

4.0x

1.1x

3.7%

1.0x

1.4% 5.6%

36.8%

24.4%

0.2%

-9.1%

-10.6%

;нϬ͘ϲйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƐŚĞĚ

35 Chemical and Allied Products P

37.40

10.0%

0.2%

7.3%

7.3%

66.2%

30.2%

17.5x

11.7x

36 Wema Bank PLC

0.80

0.0%

0.2%

27.0%

27.0%

6.6%

0.8%

9.2x

0.6x

37 Beta Glass PLC

0.0%

0.2%

15.7%

15.7%

21.1%

14.7%

7.3x

1.4x

1.4%

13.7%

9.50

-5.0%

0.2%

38.7%

43.9%

14.9%

4.2%

8.4x

1.2x

2.1%

11.9%

39 Transcorp Hotels Plc

5.95

0.0%

0.1%

-2.5%

0.0%

12.1x

0.8x

2.5%

8.2%

40 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

2.20

0.0%

0.1%

20.2%

20.2%

11.5x

1.1x

2.8%

8.7%

ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁĂƐ ŝŶ ůŝŶĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ ǀŝĞǁ͕ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ǁŝůů ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ďƵŽLJ market performance over the near term.

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

10.5%

3.3%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

CA P

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

37.40

10.0%

D IA M ON D B N K

113.6

2.9%

ST ER LN B A N K

2.36

9.8%

CHA M S

72.1

0.0%

ET ER N A

4.80

9.1%

FB NH

71.5

1.2%

LA SA C O

0.33

6.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

14.6

-0.7%

1549.90

4.7%

UC A P

12.8

1.2%

LIVEST OC K

0.60

3.4%

UB A

12.5

0.0%

D IA M ON D B N K

2.49

2.9%

FCM B

12.0

0.0%

WA P IC

0.40

2.6%

T R A N SC OR P

10.8

-2.4%

80.00

1.3%

F ID ELIT YB K

7.6

-2.2%

8.30

1.2%

A C C ESS

5.0

0.0%

N EST LE

FB NH

ETERNA ;нϵ͘ϭйͿ ǁĞƌĞ ďĞƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ǁŚŝůĞ

ϳ͘ϰйͿ ůĞĚ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJΖƐ ƌĞďŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ

5.7% 10.9%

79.00

OKOM UOIL

REGALINS (-7.7%), &Z/WZh (-7.5%) and WZ ^d/' (-

24.9%

38 Dangote Flour Mills Plc

dŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ ŇĂƚ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ

decliners. W (+10.0%), STERLINGBANK (+9.8%) and

38.2%

29 Presco PLC

0.3%

recorded yesterday as 12 stocks advanced against 18

-28.2%

30 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

0.0%

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϳdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϯdž

34.9%

25 Diamond Bank PLC

0.0%

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

21.1%

26 FCMB Group Plc

11.00

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

14.8%

19.10

27.50

ETERNA (+9.1%).

23.3%

21 Oando PLC

34 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

E D (-0.8%) led to a 2bps decline in the Insurance index.

-1.5%

12 Ecobank Transnational Inc

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

t W K (-Ϭ͘ϴйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ WZ ^d/' (-7.4%) and

13.1%

1,549.90

NESTLE (+4.2%), STERLINGBANK (+9.8%), and GUARANTY

0.4% due to selling pressures on E' D (-1.0%) and

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

1 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

10 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

DĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ Eϭϳ͘ϱďŶ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ Eϭϭ͘ϳƚŶ

Price Previous Current Change Price Weightin YTD Change g

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

R EGA LIN S

0.24

-7.7%

FB NH

586.2

1.2%

A F R IP R UD

4.55

-7.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

321.4

-0.7%

P ric e C hg %

P R EST IGE

0.50

-7.4%

D IA M ON D B N K

283.4

2.9%

D A N GF LOUR

9.50

-5.0%

N EST LE

261.8

4.7% 0.6%

64.00

-4.7%

GUA R A N T Y

163.3

UA C N

7.80

-2.5%

NB

145.8

0.0%

T R A N SC OR P

1.24

-2.4%

UB A

93.8

0.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

2.20

-2.2%

UC A P

42.4

1.2%

UB N

6.85

-2.1%

A C C ESS

30.0

0.0%

J A IZ B A N K

0.52

-1.9%

UN ILEVER

25.8

0.0%

GUIN N ESS

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Ola Belgore | obelgore@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com Oluwarotimi Ashimi | oashimi@afrinvest.com

Jolomi Odonghanro | jodonghanro@afrinvest.com

41

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

UACN Appoints Group Finance Director to Boost Performance Goddy Egene UAC of Nigeria Plc (UAC) has appointed Mr. Ibikunle Ibiyinka Oriola as group finance director as part of efforts to develop and implement appropriate finance strategies to uplift productivity and business performance of the company.

In a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE),

the company said Oriola is a seasoned professional with 17 years experience gained from diverse functional roles spanning finance, strategy, risk management and corporate finance.

He has provided strategic finance leadership, driving transformational and growth agenda of conglomerate businesses spanning several sectors such as hospitality, real estate, power,

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

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

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

agriculture and asset/funds management.

Oriola worked as Group Chief Finance Officer (GCFO) of Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM), where he had oversight on the group’s finance function. Prior to that, he was the GCFO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc responsible for executing a broad range of finance and ancillary roles.

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 12Mar-2019, unless otherwise stated.

He has extended corporate finance experience gained as a transaction adviser working with Ecobank Capital and KPMG. He was seconded to KPMG UAE for 15 months in 2007 where he worked on several infrastructure finance projects. He also previously worked with Kakawa Discount House (now FBN Merchant Bank).

Oriola, who holds a BSc degree in Finance from University of

Lagos, is an Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) merit award winner.

According to the company, the new finance director will deploy his experience to the development and implementation of appropriate finance strategies to uplift productivity and business performance across the UAC Group.

The appointment of new

finance director is coming after the appointment of a Human Resource Director, Mr. Vitus Ezinwa, last November.

According to the company, the appointment was to hasten the progress being made in critical roles, restructuring the human resource of the group, and implementing strategies to increase productivity and business performance.

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 158.83 159.39 0.45% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 8.11% Nigeria International Debt Fund 281.07 281.81 3.01% 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 0.85 0.86 1.15% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 12.15% 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 13.28% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.28 2.31 2.62% 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 N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 13.75% Paramount Equity Fund 12.08 12.18 2.28% Women's Investment Fund 105.81 106.37 2.13% 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 13.27% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 100.78 101.02 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 102.28 102.86 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 13.05% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.84 0.84 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.16 1.16 3.59% 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 12.45% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 11.76% invest@fbnquest.com FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,228.10 1,228.91 3.59% FBN Heritage Fund 144.55 145.80 0.79% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.19% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 116.36 116.85 2.17% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 116.29 116.79 2.36% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.52 150.73 -0.99% 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 1.21 1.24 -0.50% Legacy Debt Fund 3.32 3.32 2.33% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.04 1.04 0.93% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,006.60 3,038.46 0.77% Coral Income Fund 2,827.32 2,827.32 3.22% 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 12.66% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.81 109.44 2.19% 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 13.46% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.15 2.17 -0.01% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 14.92% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 123.80 124.03 -0.89%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.16 1.18 1.65% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,097.38 1,097.38 2.58% 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 11.58 11.68 0.68% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.00% 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 1.37 1.39 7.14% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.29 12.36 0.77% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.50% 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 126.77 127.48 5.05% 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 1.03 1.03 2.73% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,365.70 2,379.90 2.24% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 195.61 195.61 2.88% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.97 0.98 2.63% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 252.49 252.53 2.16% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 165.85 167.75 1.68% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.34% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,518.43 8,624.51 0.37% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.12 1.12 1.22% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.19 1.21 0.23% United Capital Bond Fund 1.64 1.64 3.06% United Capital Equity Fund 0.69 0.71 -2.09% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 14.62% United Capital Eurobond Fund 109.16 109.16 1.77% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.10 0.41% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.20 11.35 6.55% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.42 12.55 3.35% Zenith Income Fund 21.11 21.11 9.59% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.33%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.95 119.30 51.94

-39.35% 0.06% 0.00%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.57 113.13 88.81

10.67 115.56 90.47

0.20% -3.55% 0.17%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.03 7.05 14.66 12.42 151.68

4.07 7.13 14.76 12.62 153.68

0.75% -7.42% -1.96% 0.48% 5.63%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.24

17.42%

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 manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

42

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

43

44

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

45

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

46

0/(3"56-"5*0/4 '30. "-- 0' 64 "5

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

47

48

5 ) * 4 % ": t THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

49

THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

COUNCIL OF LEGAL EDUCATION

MPs Vote to Reject No-deal Brexit

Theresa May said there was a “clear majority” against a no-deal Brexit but the “legal default” was that the UK would leave without a deal on 29 March if no deal is reached.

MPs will now get a vote on delaying Brexit, said the prime minister.

That vote will take place today, and if it is passed - and the EU agrees to it - the UK will not leave the EU as planned on 29 March.

Mrs May said there could be a short delay to implement a deal agreed in the next few days, or a longer delay if no agreement is reached.

The government tabled a motion to prevent the UK from exiting the EU on 29 March without a withdrawal agreement.

But before MPs voted on that, they backed an amendment tabled by Labour’s Yvette Cooper rejecting a no-deal Brexit under any circumstances - by just four votes.

This dramatic development led to the government ordering Conservative MPs to vote against

its own motion.

But the government motion, as amended, was passed by 321 votes to 278, reinforcing the message that MPs do not want to leave without a deal.

Speaking after the result was read out, Mrs May said “the options before us are the same as they always have been”.

“The House has today provided a clear majority against leaving without a deal, however I will repeat what I said before.

“These are about the choices this House faces. The legal default in EU and UK law is that the UK will leave without a deal unless something else is agreed. The onus is now on every one of us in this House to find out what that is.

“The options before us are the same as they always have been.”

Mrs May had promised Conservative MPs a free vote - meaning they did not have to follow the orders of party managers - but after MPs unexpectedly voted for Yvette Cooper’s amendment they were ordered to vote against

the government motion.

Some ministers, who are against a no-deal Brexit, abstained on the vote, which would normally mean they would have to quit the government.

MPs also voted by 374 to 164 to reject a plan to delay the UK’s departure from the EU until 22 May 2019, so that there can be what its supporters call a “managed no-deal” Brexit.

This amendment was proposed

by Prime Minister Theresa May’s former second-in-command, Conservative MP Damian Green, and was backed by prominent Conservative Brexiteers and Remainers.

It was known as the Malthouse Compromise - after Kit Malthouse, the government minister who devised it.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Parliament must now take control of the Brexit process and his party will work across the House of Commons to seek a compromise solution.

Floods Kill 111 in Mozambique, Malawi At least 66 people have been killed and 141,000 affected after heavy rains deluged central and northern Mozambique, the government has said as it appealed for funds to manage the crisis.

“The government has decreed a red alert due to the continuing rains and the approach of the tropical cyclone Idai, expected to reach the country between Thursday to Friday,” said cabinet spokeswoman Ana Comoana.

She spoke to reporters late Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Maputo to discuss the emergency.

The floods in one of Africa’s poorest countries have already destroyed 5,756 homes, affecting

15,467 households and 141,325 people.

In neighbouring Malawi, floods have already claimed 45 lives and left over 230,000 people without shelter.

Malawi’s Meteorological Department has warned of more rains and flooding in the country’s south between Thursday and Sunday.

In Mozambique, 111 people have been injured, 18 hospitals destroyed, 938 classrooms destroyed and 9,763 students affected.

More than 168,000 hectares (415,000 acres) of crops were destroyed, the government

spokeswoman added.

Authorities have ordered the compulsory evacuation of people living in flood-prone areas.

“Sixteen accommodation centres have been opened in the provinces of Zambezia and Tete to accommodate the displaced,” Comoana said.

“The government needs 1.1 billion meticais ($16 million) to assist 80,000 families affected by the rains”.

Mozambique is prone to extreme weather events.

Floods in 2000 claimed at least 800 lives while more than 100 were killed in 2015.

Algerian Opposition Supports Popular Movement against Bouteflika Algeria’s opposition on Wednesday rejected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to postpone elections, saying it was an attempt to cling on to power.

In their meeting at the headquarters of the Justice and Development Front party in Algiers, the opposition groups announced their support for the popular movement until its goals are achieved and called on “honourable lawmakers to quit parliament.’’

In a statement, they called for holding a national meeting to face the authority’s “real threat to the national stability.’’

“The authority cannot continue

against the will of the people and the constitution, and it is not qualified to lead a transitional period in the country,’’ they said.

The opposition’s meeting comes as teachers protested Wednesday outside the central post office in Algiers and other cities against Bouteflika’s decision to postpone elections slated for April 18.

In the past weeks, the opposition had failed to agree on a joint candidate to run in the elections.

On Monday, Bouteflika announced that he was renouncing his bid for a fifth term in office and postponed the elections indefinitely.

Thousands of Algerians took

to the streets on Tuesday to protest the move, which they said was a trick to allow the 82-year-old leader to remain in power.

Bouteflika’s decision was also seen by observers as violating the constitution, which has no article that justifies staying longer in power.

The wheelchair-bound octogenarian returned home on March 10, from a two-week medical trip to Switzerland.

Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999, suffered a stroke in 2013 and has since been rarely seen in public.

Trump’s Former Campaign Chief, Manafort Gets 43 More Months in Jail US President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, has been jailed for 43 more months on charges stemming from the Russia investigation.

It comes a week after the 69-yearold was given a 47-month prison sentence for fraud in a separate case.

The latest sentencing arises from two conspiracy charges Manafort

pleaded guilty to last year.

Speaking from a wheelchair, he told the federal court in Washington DC that he wanted to apologise for his actions.

In a separate development, Wednesday also saw Manafort charged in New York with residential mortgage fraud and other crimes.

President Trump has the power to pardon his former aide for the

federal crimes - but not for the charges brought in New York.

“I do feel badly for Paul Manafort, that I can tell you,” Mr Trump told reporters after the sentencing on Wednesday.

Asked if he was planning to pardon Manafort, the president answered: “I have not even given it a thought, as of this moment. It’s not something that’s right now on my mind.”

NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL , Yh Zd Z^ t Z/ W͘D͘ ͘ ϭϳϬ͕ ' Z</͕ h: ͘

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION INTO APRIL 2019/2020 ACADEMIC SESSION This is to inform all intending applicants for admission into the Bar Part II ŽƵƌƐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ŽƵŶĐŝů ŽĨ >ĞŐĂů ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ŵŝŶĚĨƵů ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽůŽŶŐĞĚ ƐƚƌŝŬĞ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ^ƚĂī hŶŝŽŶ ŽĨ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƟĞƐ ; ^hhͿ ŚĂƐ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĐůĞĂƌ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬůŽŐ ŽĨ >Ăǁ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞƐ ƐĞĞŬŝŶŐ ĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů͘ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ǁŝůů ĐŽŵŵĞŶĐĞ ĨƌŽŵ DŽŶĚĂLJ DĂƌĐŚ ϭϴ͕ ϮϬϭϵ͘ dŚĞ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ǁŝůů ĐŽŵŵĞŶĐĞ ŽŶ tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂLJ Ɖƌŝů Ϯϰ͕ ϮϬϭϵ͘ ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: dŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞ ŝƐ ŽƉĞŶ ƚŽ ůĂǁ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞƐ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ƚƌĂŝŶĞĚ ůĂǁ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞƐ͕ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ successfully completed and passed the Bar Part I Course at the Nigerian >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů͘ METHOD OF APPLICATION: WƌŽƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŽ ǀŝƐŝƚ ƚŚĞ ^ĐŚŽŽů ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ŶŝŐĞƌŝĂŶůĂǁƐĐŚŽŽů͘ĞĚƵ͘ŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŝŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶƐ ŽŶ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞ ĨŽƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͘

CLOSING DATE: ŽǁŶůŽĂĚĞĚ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌŵƐ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ŽŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ͕ ŵƵƐƚ ďĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů͕ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ĞĂŶƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ &ĂĐƵůƟĞƐ ŽĨ >Ăǁ ŽŶ Žƌ ďĞĨŽƌĞ &ƌŝĚĂLJ DĂƌĐŚ Ϯϵ͕ ϮϬϭϵ͘ LATE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORMS WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED, PLEASE. IMPORTANT NOTICE ϭ͘ KŶůLJ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ǁŚŽƐĞ ĚĂƚĂ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů͕ ďLJ ĞĂŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĞůŝŐŝďůĞ ƚŽ ĂƉƉůLJ͘ ǀĞƌLJ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞ ŵƵƐƚ ƚŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ ĐŽŶĮƌŵ ŚŝƐͬŚĞƌ ŶĂŵĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ƉƌŽĐĞĞĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƉĂLJ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞĞ͘ Under no circumstance shall individual candidates approach the Nigerian Law School directly or through Parents/Guardians, for admission. Ϯ͘ ƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƌĞͲĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐůĞĂƌĞĚ ƌĞĨĞƌƌĞĚ ĐĂƐĞƐ͕ ĂƌĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĮƌŵ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŶĂŵĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƌĞͲĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ^ĐŚŽŽů͛Ɛ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ƉƌŽĐĞĞĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĂƉƉůLJ͘ ^ƵĐŚ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŽ ĂƩĂĐŚ ĐŽƉŝĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĂů Žƌ ĐůĞĂƌĂŶĐĞ ůĞƩĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌŵƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐƉĂƚĐŚ ƐĂŵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ^ĞĐƌĞƚĂƌLJ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŽƵŶĐŝů ŽĨ >ĞŐĂů ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ͕ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ >Ăǁ ^ĐŚŽŽů ,ĞĂĚƋƵĂƌƚĞƌƐ͕ ďƵũĂ͘ ϯ͘ ƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŽ ŶŽƚĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ EƵŵďĞƌƐ to access their ĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ƐƚĂƚƵƐ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ͘

͘ K D yͳh ΈDZ^͘Ή SECRETARY TO COUNCIL AND DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION.

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Finally, US Bans Boeing 737MAX Fleet Chinedu Eze with agency reports The United States President, Donald Trump yesterday issued executive order and banned Boeing 737MAX in the country’s airspace.

This came after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) banned the aircraft in the 28-member state airspace.

These are part of the reactions to the fatal accident of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, operated

by B737MAX 8, which crashed on Sunday six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa on its way to Nairobi, Kenya, killing all 157 persons on board.

The crash alarmed the world because about five months ago the same aircraft type operated by Lion Air of Indonesia crashed, killing 189 persons onboard in a similar manner.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had initially assured on the safety of the aircraft, forcing Trump

to use executive order to ban the B737MAX jets.

According to CNBC, of the more than 350 Boeing 737 MAX jets in global fleets, 74 are flown by U.S. airlines, FAA said.

These include United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

PresidentTrump said he issued an executive order grounding all Boeing 737 Max jets, following the second major crash within five months.

Trump said he came to the decision after speaking with Boeing’s CEO, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Daniel Elwell.

“They are all in agreement with the action. Any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and thereafter be grounded until further notice,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

The FAA followed suit shortly after Trump’s comments, “The FAA is

ordering the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by US airlines or in US territory.

The agency made this

decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analysed today. This evidence, together with newly

refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.”

US said the grounding would remain in effect

pending further investigation, including examination of information from the aircraft’s flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders.

Group Backs Fayemi, Berates MURIC over Criticism of Appointments

A THANK-YOU VISIT…

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

JAMB Fixes 2019 Mock Examination for April 1

A group under the auspices of Integrity Leadership Organisation (ILO) has faulted the Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof Isaq Akintola, over ‘unwarranted’ criticism of the recent appointments made by the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Prof Akintola had in a statement earlier in the week faulted the state government for appointing more Christians than Muslims in various positions in the government.

But the ILO in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. Lekan Oyediran, and made available to journalists yesterday said Akinola’s criticism was misplaced, stressing that competence and involvement in politics and community development are of greater consideration in appointment than the issue of religion.

The group urged Akintola not to create religious crisis in the state through his ‘unguarded’ outbursts, adding that Ekiti people are not known to differentiate between religions as the adherents of all religions in the state see themselves as brothers.

This, he said, had accounted for the religious harmony that the state enjoys.

The group said a man of Prof Akintola’s calibre ought to know that government appointments are not based on religion or ethnicity, but on the value that the appointee can add.

The group said: “It is disturbing to hear the MURIC leader make such careless statement, giving the impression that the Ekiti State governor deliberately

side lined Muslims in the appointments made so far.

“This is quite misleading.

The fact is that Fayemi administration had in the last four months appointed both Christians and Muslims into positions, including a former president of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.

“We know and believe the the likes of Akinola should also know that appointments into offices are not based on religious affiliation but on competence and involvement in politics and community development.

“The Muslim population in Ekiti State is about five per cent and the present administration has been fair in its dealings with the Muslim community, especially in the area of appointment.

“There is no golden rule that says Muslims should occupy a particular position in government.

“Ekiti people live and work together in harmony, and it is unfortunate that the likes of Akintola, through their dubious agenda, are trying to create religious crisis by coming up with spurious allegation of marginalisation where it does not exist.

“We therefore urge Christians and Muslims in the state to shun any group or individual who are out to surreptitiously s o w s e e d o f d i s c o rd .

“It is high time we continued to support an administration that has demonstrated clearly its commitment to the all-round development of the state and its citizens t h ro u g h t h e p ro m o t i o n o f c o re v a l u e s a n d p u r p o seful leadership.”

Governor-elect of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrasak Abdulrahman (right), and National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, during a courtesy visit to APC leader in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos...yesterday

Funmi Ogundare The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed Monday, April 1 for its 2019 mock examination earlier scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2019.

The Head of Media of the board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin in a statement issued yesterday said the change was due to certain circumstances beyond the control of the agency.

According to him, candidates who had indicated interest in the mock examination at the point of registration and have since printed their mock examination notification slips should

not print another one.

“All the details on the slips remain the same except the examination date, which is now April 1, 2019,” he said.

The board , he added, has also scheduled to conduct the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation examination (UTME) from Thursday, April 11, 2019, adding that candidates are to begin the printing of the 2019 UTME notification slips from Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

Benjamin said that all candidates who registered for the 2019 UTME are to ensure that they print their examination notification slips before the day of the examination as no excuses

would be entertained.

“The public should note that the board would not reschedule examination for any candidate.

Candidates can print their slips anywhere,” he added.

The board had closed the sale of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry application document on February 21, 2019.

At the close of the sale and subsequently close of registration portal, the head of media said it discovered that 41,063 candidates created profile and procured either UTME or DE ePINS but were unable to complete their registration formalities after initiating the process.

“In view of this consideration the board has opened the registration portal effective from Wednesday, March 13, 2019 for all candidates with either UTME or DE ePINS to complete their registration formalities. The portal would be closed on Friday, March 15,2019 by 12 midnight, adding that the opportunity is for only candidates who had created profile and procured UTME or DE ePINS before the close of registration portal as the sale of ePINS had since been closed.

The statement urged candidates to register before Friday midnight if they are holding any of the ePINS (UTME/DE).

We Won 72% of Contested Positions in South-west, Says APCVice Chairman Gboyega Akinsanmi The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-west region yesterday disclosed that it convincingly won 72.14 percent of various executive and legislative elective positions the party nominated candidates for in the just concluded elections.

The party also congratulated Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Ogun State counterpart, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, as well as their deputies on their victories in the just concluded governorship elections.

The APC National Vice Chairman (South-west), Mr. Bankole Oluwajana, gave the analysis of the election results in the region, noting that the results indeed reaffirmed the Southwest as the nerve centre of progressive

politics in the country.

He also cited the roles of the APC national leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and his Ondo State counterpart, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN), among others in the party’s unprecedented performance in the region.

Giving regional analysis of the last poll, Oluwajana explained that the APC won 66.66 percent of the governorship race; 77.78 percent of the senatorial election; 71.83 percent of the House of Representatives contest and 72.28 percent of the state House of Assembly constituencies in the region.

Even though it lost governorship election in Oyo State, the vice chairman explained that the APC won two states where governorship

election held in the geo-political zone; 51 seats in the House of Representatives election out of 71 while it cleared 14 seats in the senatorial contest out of 18 seats.

“Likewise, in the House of Representatives contest, the breakdown shows that in the South-west, the APC won four seats in Ondo State; six in Osun State; nine in Oyo State; six in Ogun State; 20 in Lagos State and cleared all six seats in Ekiti State.

“Also, in the senatorial contest, the party won one seat in Ondo State; three in Ekiti State; two in Osun State; two in Oyo State; three in Ogun State and three in Lagos State, thereby affirming APC’s political control in the geo-political zone.

“In the House of Assembly race, the APC won the entire 16 constituencies in Ekiti State (100 percent); 22 out of 26 seats (84.61

percent) in Ondo State; 15 out of 26 seats (57.69 percent) in Ogun State; five out of 32 seats (15.62 percent) in Oyo State; 22 out of 26 seats (84.61) in Osun Sate and the 40 seats (100 percent) in Lagos State,” he said.

With this performance, Oluwajana noted that the South-west “is the nerve centre of progressive politics in Nigeria. We thus urge all those elected on the platform of the APC to uphold the tenets and values of the progressive politics the zone is known for.”

On this note, Oluwajana congratulated Lagos State Deputy Governor-elect, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; his Ogun State counterpart, Mrs. Noimot SalakoOyedele; all senators-elect and their counterparts in the House of Representatives in the region on their successful election.

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INEC will Declare Wike Winner of Rivers Election, Says PDP Demands military probe of Bayelsa election violence

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt and Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has said it is confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would declare Governor Nyesom Wike as the governorelect of Rivers State.

This is coming as the PDP in Bayelsa State, yesterday urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to launch a probe into the violence that rocked the state during the last general elections.

This is as the party in Rivers has expressed satisfaction with

its performance in all the elections in the state, stating that it was a confirmation of its acceptance by the people of the state.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, the state Chairman of PDP, Felix Obuah, on behalf of the party, thanked the people of the state for massively voting for its candidates during the presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections that held on February 23, 2019 and March 9, 2019, respectively He noted that the party already has 14 elected members

of the National Assembly and 26 elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He, therefore, wondered where those clamouring to have won the governorship election in the state got their confidence when they could not win even one seat in any of the elections.

Obuah said: “The outcome of the governorship and state Assembly Elections of March 9, 2019 proved the love the good people of Rivers State have for our beloved party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“You showed unparalleled love for our party by voting all the way for Governor Nyesom

Dogara, Sanwo-Olu MournVictims of Collapsed Building in Lagos Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja The Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, and the Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have expressed deep sadness over the death of about 100 school pupils in the collapse of Baden School in Lagos Island today.

The speaker, in a condolence message by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said it was heart breaking that innocent souls perished in such a

dreadful manner and called for a thorough investigation into the unfortunate incident.

“This is one too many of these building collapses that usually claim lives of innocent people. It is time for decisive actions to be taken against all found culpable in breach of building standards that end up in disasters.

“The law-enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies must step up their game and put an end to the practice of cutting corners to increase gain. While this has not being established

as the cause of this incident yet, past incidents have pointed to this as a serious factor”.

“I commiserate with the families of the deceased and pray that their souls rest in peace,” Dogara said.

Sanwo-Olu, has also commiserated with the families of the victims of the collapsed three-storey building, which housed a primary school.

He expressed his sympathy to the victims’ families in a statement by his media office, describing the incident as “one tragedy too many”.

Imo Elders Council Felicitates with Ihedioha Amby Uneze in Owerri In a show of solidarity and expression of gratitude to God, the Imo State Advisory Council of Elders has felicitated with the state Governor-elect, Chief Chukwuemeka Ihedioha, on his historic victory in the keenly contested governorship election.

The Council of Elders also congratulated Imo citizens for turning out en mass to vote and stand to defend their votes.

The victory recorded at the poll, according the elders’ group, represented victory over impunity, maladministration, liberation from servitude, poverty and deterioration of moral and societal values for which

Imo State was not known for.

In a congratulatory message signed by Prof. Francis Dike (SAN), Air Cmdr Luke Ochulor (rtd) and Charles C. Ugwuh (former Minister of Industries) said: “This victory indeed amounts to a re-set for good governance, while we commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for their roles in ensuring a successful election in the state.”

In the same vein, the Forum of Owerri Zone former governorship candidates has commended President Muhammad Buhari, INEC, security agencies and all Imo citizens for a peaceful elections held in the state last Saturday.

Spokesperson for the group

and former governorship candidate of Reform and Advancement Party (RAP), Mr. Kingdom Okere, in an interview in Owerri, thanked President Buhari for providing a level playing ground for a smooth governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

He also eulogised INEC in Imo State led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Francis Ezeonu; the state Returning Officer, Prof. Francis Otunta, Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, and all the heads of the security agencies and their officers and men for championing a credible and transparent elections.

StateCraft Extends to Francophone with Senegal Presidential Win StateCraft Inc., the elections and governance consulting company under the media group, RED, extended its winning streak into Francophone Africa with the re-election of President Macky Sall of Senegal.

The candidate, who oversaw seven years of rapid economic growth and infrastructural transformation, beat his two main rivals, ex-Prime Minister Idrissa Seck and Ousmane Sonko, to win the keenly contested race. He won re-election by polling 58 per cent of total votes as announced by

the National Vote Counting Commission on Thursday.

“It was an immense privilege to work with the party coalition, Benno Bokk Yakkar, which has been at the forefront of political reform in Senegal, including other talented teams and individuals all working to tell amazing stories of President Sall’s sterling achievements over the course of two years via our campaign, #UnSénégalPourTous,” said StateCraft Inc. co-founder, Adebola Williams.

“As a partner of democracy in

Africa, having a front row view of his dedication to excellence and development for all of Senegal leaves us in no doubt that the president-elect is supremely qualified and dedicated to leading the fast-rising West African nation to greatness for the good of all Senegalese.”

With deep expertise in elections, policy, governance, citizen engagement and citizen action, StateCraft Inc. continues to lead the vanguard in politically transforming the African continent one successful campaign at a time.

Ezenwo Wike and all our candidates for the National and State Houses of Assembly elections.

“The results from all polling units and constituencies where the elections were concluded have confirmed and reaffirmed to us that Rivers State is PDP; that PDP is our way of life in Rivers State. You have once again, reposed your total confidence in our party.

“As the Chairman of the PDP, I wish to express and convey the gratitude of our party to the people of Rivers State for this wonderful show of love and support for our Governorship Candidate, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the State Assembly Candidates.

Meanwhile, the PDP in Bayelsa State, yesterday urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to launch a probe into the violence that rocked the state during the last general elections.

The party accused the army of being a direct participant in the elections in which at least five persons reportedly died, insisting that the military must redeem its image by getting to the root of the alleged violence against the PDP.

Addressing the press at the party secretariat in Yenagoa, Chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, maintained that in several parts of the state, including Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw, the actions of the army deployed in the areas, should be looked into.

He said that in Southern Ijaw, where two local PDP leaders were shot dead by men in military uniform without provocation, no official statement from the army had been released and wondered why PDP members were prime targets during the polls.

He also took a swipe at INEC in the state, saying that there was confusion as to why elections were declared inconclusive by the electoral umpire only in places where the party was leading during the exercise.

Cleopas bemoaned the alleged partisanship of the INEC chief and the army in the state, noting that though the people of Bayelsa are peaceful, they cannot be cowed.

In Nembe for example, the PDP said all its members were chased away from Bassambiri, where an APC candidate has been returned as winner, insisting that where the

opposition was declared winners, the party will seek legal redress to reclaim its mandate.

“The PDP won everywhere in Bayelsa and in places where the APC has been declared winners, we will reclaim our mandate” he noted.

In Ekeremor constituency 1, Cleopas said a serving federal minister invaded the area with soldiers and forced INEC field officials to alter results under duress.

“The minister came with military men and doctored results and forced INEC to change results to the advantage of his party. This will not stand.

“Nembe 2 and 3, Bassambiri was taken over by hoodlums.

They chased away all PDP members from the community.

Policeman who went there to maintain the peace were driven out by the APC in that area.

They wrote results. There was no proper election there.

“In the areas declared inconclusive, in Ogbia constituency 2, we were winning before military men came and carted away materials in Otuokiti. Same in Brass constituency 2 and Southern Ijaw 4, it was pure abracadabra,” he alleged.

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THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Protesters Storm INEC Headquarters over Inconclusive Elections Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A group of protesters under the platform of Save Nigeria Democracy Group (SNDG) yesterday took their protest to the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to register their grievances over the spate of inconclusive elections declared by the commission.

The protesters said the results from the just concluded elections “did not reflect the true voting direction of Nigerians.’’

As early as 9 a.m, the protesters had arrived in their hundreds at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, where they started their protest.

They were seen carrying

different placards with inscriptions such as “the people’s mandate cannot be stolen”, “Atiku will not congratulate Buhari”, “Prof.Yakubu must resign”, “inconclusive election is a shame”, “ Atiku will get justice,” among many others.

While addressing the INEC representative, who came to receive the protesters, the leader of the group, Tijani Abdulmumuni, said it has become necessary for all well-meaning Nigerians to halt and take a critical review of the events that characterised the just concluded round of elections, which he added portend danger to democracy in Nigeria.

Abdulmumini said INEC’s refusal to conclude the collation of results from select states gives

credence to the allegation that certain elements are out to drag this country into chaos, which must be rejected at all cost.

“This latest show of desperation has further strengthened earlier concerns of widespread voter suppression, targeted violence, militarisation of the political space and systematic inflation of figures that punctuated the presidential and National Assembly elections.

“It also heightens the fear of the dire consequences of the federal government muscling INEC and the nation’s security into turning blind eyes to obvious infractions and violations of the federal constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act and the regulations/

guidelines regulating the 2019 general elections and went ahead to uphold and announce a tailored result that only serve the ruling APC,” he said.

The leader of the group said both the international and local observers have reported that there were biases in use of the Smart Card Reader machines.

He said that while INEC dutifully enforced the use of the card reader in the South-south, South-east and the North-central zones of the country, which are essentially opposition strongholds, it failed to do so in the North-west, North-east and the South-west, which were estimated as the APC stronghold.

He added, “We wish to place on record that the monumental electoral fraud, manipulation which have very negative implications on the credibility, transparency and integrity of the entire elections constitute a latent threat to our democratic development.

“Against all known rules of decency and fairness, the deliberate violations, which include the widespread non-usage or selective enforcement of the use of Smart Card Reader (SCR) machines are also an indictment in the sight of the international community. ‘’Other infractions on electoral process listed by the group included the deliberate non-

deployment of result Form EC 8 to polling centres, the barricade by armed military personnel to deny the agents of opposition political parties access to collation centres, the recording of falsified figures and violent attacks at opposition strongholds.

“In the North-west, the deplorable use of battalions of underage situation almajiri was the order of most frontline states in addition to armed thugs unleashed on voters.

“The figures said to have been recorded in those troubled regions are as ridiculous as they are questionable, suspicious and unacceptable.

Military Kills 33 Terrorists, Loses Army Officer,Three Soldiers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja In a widening campaign aimed at routing terrorists and bandits in the northern part of the country, fighter jets from the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) killed 33 terrorists while troops engaged in Operation Sharan Daji in Zamfara State decimated 55 armed bandits.

However, one army officer and two soldiers were killed in the Zamfara operation while 24 suspects were arrested even as 760 kidnap victims were rescued.

This is coming as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it was intensifying aerial patrols over Kaduna State and the AbujaKaduna Highway.

A NAF statement said “NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and Alpha Jet attack aircraft, working in synergy with ISR platforms and attack aircraft from the Nigerien Air Force, supported surface troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to pursue and decimate fleeing ISWAP fighters around Tumbun Rego area on

the fringes of Lake Chad in the northern part of Borno State.

“The effectiveness of interdiction and close air support missions conducted by the attack aircraft of the two countries facilitated the routing of the terrorists at Arege, resulting in the killing of 33 fighters, destruction of some terrorists’ equipment as well as the recovery of an array of weapons and equipment”, he said, noting that the attack was aimed at routing the remnants of the Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Lake Chad Basin area.

In Zamfara, the Air Force also carried out “air strikes around Kagara, Gando, Fankama, Fete and Dumburum forests during which successes were recorded”.

A statement issued by Acting Force Information Officer, Major Clement Abiade in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, said troops also recovered weapons, ammunition and rustled cows as they blocked all entry points to the bushes to deny the bandits free movement while building the confidence of the locals.

Groups Chart Path to Inter-faith Dialogue, Co-existence in Nigeria Human Assistance Initiative (HUMAI), a non-governmental organisation has, with the support of KAICIID, Dialogue Centre, Austria organised a three-day inter-faith dialogue in Mowe, Ogun State, for youths across the South-west and South-south geo-political zones of Nigeria.

It is to stem the tide of interfaith intolerance and violence in Nigeria and to bring women and the youths into the mainstream of religious dialogue in the country.

According to HUMAI, the idea behind the forum is also to promote pluralism and develop gender and youth capacities for active participation in interfaith activities/dialogue for peace.

The meeting was well attended by Christian and Muslim youth leaders across Southern Nigeria.

It enabled them, in an interactive manner, to air their views on the best approaches to end religious intolerance and violence and to map out strategies

on how women and the youths from the different faith groups can jointly work together to enhance tolerance and understanding while practising their religions.

HUMAI’s National Coordinator, Mr. Ernest Osa Amadasu, noted that freedom of worship was entrenched in the Nigerian Constitution, adding that there was need for Christians and Muslims to respect the religious beliefs of each other to achieve peace and understanding in different communities HUMAI’s Executive Director, Mr. Patrick Dunkwu, said that the youths should have a place in finding answers to the problem of religious violence in Nigeria since they are the ones mostly manipulated by their leaders to cause violence.

He stated that engagement with young people and the development of practical strategies to deal with youth alienation were critical and must be given priority in inter-faith matters.

ROYAL VISIT…

Enugu State Governor and Governor-elect, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right), in a handshake with Chairman, South-east Council of Traditional Rulers, and Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, when the royal fathers paid him a congratulatory visit at the Government House, Enugu … yesterday.

EFCC Re-arraigns Akingbola for Alleged N179bn Fraud Davidson Iriekpen The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola, on N179 billion fraud charges.

Akingbola’s re-arraignment before the Federal High Court in Lagos followed a further amendment to the charges, which the EFCC filed against him since 2009.

Justice Charles Archibong, who first handled the case, had struck out the charges, citing lack of diligent prosecution.

Displeased, the EFCC went on

appeal, which overruled Justice Archibong and ordered Akingbola to return to the high court to face his trial.

Not satisfied, Akingbola went before the Supreme Court, which in May last year, affirmed the decision of the Appeal Court.

As a result, the 10-year-old case reopened before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun on Monday.

At yesterday’s proceedings, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), brought before the court a further amended charge sheet and urged the court to allow Akingbola to be re-arraigned.

The judge granted the prayer and Akingbola was re-arraigned.

As opposed to the initial charge sheet, which had 26 counts, the further amended charge sheet contained only 22 counts.

In the charges, the EFCC alleged that while he was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Akingbola used N179,385,000,000 belonging to the bank for “fictitious transactions.”

The anti-graft agency claimed that Akingbola used the N179 billion “to buy Intercontinental Bank Plc’s shares, thereby inflating the market price of Intercontinental Bank Plc’s shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.”

This, the EFCC said, was a contravention of Section 105(2)(a)

of the Investment and Securities Act 2007, adding that the offence is punishable under Section 115(a) of the same Act. The EFCC also accused Akingbola of reckless granting of credit facilities to five firms, which did not furnish the bank with adequate security for the loans.

According to the EFCC, the firms, which were each granted a loan of N8 billion without adequate security under Akingbola’s watch, were Soo-Kok Holding Limited; Tofa General Enterprises; Cinca Nigeria Limited; Harmony Trust and Investment Limited; and Stanzus Investment Limited.

Simba Group,TVS Celebrate International Women’s Day The Simba Group, sole distributors of the TVS tricycle brand, recently celebrated the 2019 International Women’s Day with a womenempowerment focused event.

The highlight of the event, hosted by Nollywood star, Chioma Akpotha, was the graduation ceremony for 30 women from the latest batch of Simba’s “Queen Riders” programme, which was established to teach women from under-represented backgrounds how to safely ride and repair tricycles, enabling them to boost their families’ disposable incomes In attendance at the event were

Ms. Kuforiji AKA “Mama Keke” and representatives of MISS, a microfinance institution that provides finance for graduates of the programme to buy TVS tricycles.

Simba and TVS have a long association with women’s empowerment. The Simba Training School conducts advanced courses in tricycle repair and maintenance along with the riding programme.

Speaking at the event, Akpotha encouraged the new graduates to confidently pursue their dreams, adding that women are equal to

men and can even rise higher.

Mama Keke, who has become a successful business woman, shared the story of the hardship she faced in her life and how she surmounted such to become successful. She also offered tips on how to succeed in the sector.

The event saw Akpotha riding a tricycle at the Simba Training Ground, an action that drew loud cheers from the crowd. A spokesperson for the Simba Group said: “This initiative is part of our humble efforts to empower women in Nigeria while contributing to the economic development of the

country and Nigerians in general.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Ms Akpotha for gracing the event, whose presence made a big difference in encouraging the graduates; Ms Kufuroji and our partners at MISS, who have helped make this programme a success. We shall jointly continue to grow the Queen Riders Programme even further.”

The Simba Group has operated in Nigeria for over 30 years, during which it has made huge contributions to the country’s economy through its portfolio of widely recognised brands.

THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Dangote, Chevron Sign Historic Agreement on Gas Supply Ejiofor Alike Dangote Fertiliser Limited has entered into a long-term agreement with Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) for the delivery of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Chevron’s supply portfolio to the fertiliser plant, which is poised to start operations soon.

The contract, under the Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement (GSAA) is part of International Oil Company (IOC)’s gas obligation to the domestic market through the Gas Aggregation Company Limited (GACN).

The signing ceremony, held at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) office in Lagos, was executed on behalf of the parties by Group Executive Director,

Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin; Chairman/ Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Jeffrey Ewing; Head, Gas Monitoring and Regulation Division, DPR, Sanya Bajomo; and Managing Director/CEO, Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Limited (GACN), Mr. Morgan Okwoche.

Dangote Fertiliser Limited, which is ready to be inaugurated before the end of this year, will produce 3 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) of Urea.

The fertiliser plant consists of twin train, with each single train having a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum of Urea and Ammonia, which makes each of them the largest

train available in the worldhence the total capacity of the plant is 3 million tonnes per annum, and it sits on an area of 500 hectares.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, DIL, Devakumar Edwin, commended the Managing Director of GACN for his role in the new business relationship between Dangote Fertiliser Limited and Chevron.

He said the company was

looking forward to having a long-term relationship with Chevron Nigeria Limited as well as synergies in other upstream and wider areas of operations in the oil and gas sector.

Chairman/Managing Director, CNL, Jeffrey Ewing commended GACN, DPR for helping with the signing of the gas supply agreement. He said: “We are looking forward to working with Dangote Fertilizer and maintaining a good relationship with the

company. This agreement is very important for the country and Chevron is committed to Nigeria’s economic development.”

Okwoche expressed delight to be part of the domestic gas agreement. “This is the beginning of fruitful relationship between Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Chevron Nigeria Limited and other parties. I am excited that this is happening during my term in office. You cannot imagine my satisfaction in having this

contract signed at this time,” he said.

Bajomo, said: “I am glad that GACN, Chevron and Dangote have signed this gas supply agreement. I want to say that this gas supply agreement is an issue of national interest and what happened today is going to be transmitted to the presidency. I believe everybody is going to benefit from this agreement when the fertilizer plant starts operation.”

Amnesty Office Advises Ambitious Politicians to Stop Smear Campaigns Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Amnesty Office has advised those it described as enemies of the Niger Delta, particularly ambitious politicians eyeing the position of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Charles Dokubo to desist from smear campaigns and other ignoble acts capable of portraying the people of the region in bad light.

The Office said its attention had been drawn to mischievous reports in some print and online news portals on the circumstances surrounding the recent invasion of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

A statement issued by Murphy Ganagana, the Special Assistant (Media) to Dokubo said the malicious and false reports which followed a stage-managed protest hired by unnamed sponsors to achieve a pre-determined goal, had alleged that the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof.

Charles Dokubo, orchestrated the looting of items meant for the empowerment of residents of communities impacted during the Niger Delta crises to cover up fraud at the Amnesty Office.

The statement said: “The hired protesters also reportedly alleged that no action was taken

by Prof. Dokubo throughout a five day period that the looting of starter pack items and vandalisation of property at the training facility lasted. “ We wish to state emphatically that these allegations are not only nonsensical, entirely false, preposterous, mischievous and wicked, but a calculated attempt to smear the hard-earned reputation of Prof. Dokubo, a descent and incorruptible scholar of international repute

who has, within one year in office, given hope to the Niger Delta people through fresh initiatives that would reposition the Amnesty Programme to its original mandate. “ It is on record that the invasion and looting of items at the Kaiama training facility occurred in the presence of security personnel, including the police and the military deployed in the centre, but they were simply overwhelmed by the numerical strength of the massive invaders,” the statement said.

The incident, it added, was also immediately reported at the Divisional Police Headquarters at Kaiama, and later at the Bayelsa State Police Command headquarters in Yenagoa, adding that complaint on the incident by an official of the Amnesty Office was properly document by the Bayelsa police in its crime diary.

“The police had promptly launched intensive investigation on the incident and have some suspects in custody. None of the suspects arrested in connection to the looting of items and vandalisation of the facility, has linked any official of the Amnesty Office to the crime.

“We urge enemies of the Niger Delta, particularly ambitious politicians eyeing Prof. Dokubo’s office to desist from smear campaigns and other ignoble acts capable of portraying the Niger Delta people in bad light.

Sponsoring ill-motivated protests aimed at causing mischief and splashing muddied water on Dokubo, a patriot and committed Niger Deltan will do no one any good,” the Amnesty Office said.

It noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed and determined to turn around the sad narrative of the Niger Delta through the instrumentality of the Amnesty Programme, calling for collective support by playing progressive roles to compliment Dokubo in moving the programme to the next level.

LASEMA TO THE RESCUE…

Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) Response Unit (LRU) and other first responders carrying out search and rescue operations at the building collapse site on Mercy Street, Ita-Faaji in Lagos Island…yesterday

PDP Decries APC’s Justification of Killings in Rivers The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock at the reasons given by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to justify the killing of scores of people by hired military and police operatives during the presidential, National Assembly and governorship and state assembly elections respectively.

A statement by the state Chairman of PDP, Felix Obuah, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, said when the PDP first raised the alarm over the sinister plot by the APC to visit mayhem on the state if they were omitted on the ballot as witnessed during the presidential and National Assembly elections,

many did not believe it.

He added that they have been vindicated given the admission of the spokesman of APC in the state, Chris Fynebone that the onslaught unleashed on the hapless innocent Rivers people was a revenge of alleged killings in 2015 that saw the APC at the receiving end.

The state PDP boss said any other insensitivity could be forgiven but for one to rejoice and celebrate the massive killing of his kith and kin to say the least, is the height of insensitivity.

He described Fynebone’s perception and justification of the killing of over 50 Rivers sons and daughters in Abonnema, over 10 in Ogoniland, about five in Andoni and scores of

others elsewhere in the state as unpardonable.

“We are even shocked the more that Fynebone in his passion to access power, boasted that he and his paymasters in the APC are satisfied with the 2019 general election killings in Rivers State,” Obuah regretted.

The state PDP chairman was however quick to remind the APC spokesman that passions whether for power or any other thing else are like fire, useful in a thousand ways and dangerous only in one through their excesses.

In related development, the state PDP Campaign Council has decried the sudden change of security officers guarding the INEC office

in Port Harcourt without explanation.

The party feared that this change might be a ploy to allow the APC and her collaborators in the security circle to have unauthorised access to sensitive election materials in the custody of INEC in Port Harcourt.

A statement by the Director of Information and Communications of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, Emma Okah, warned of dire consequences should any one tamper with election materials to the detriment of the PDP. He further urged Rivers people to remain vigilant and report suspicious movement to the party.

12 FEARED KILLED, NINE INJURED AS BANDITS ATTACK KADUNA COMMUNITY community, was attacked on February 26 with 38 people killed. While the victims were buried in a mass grave and the injured yet to recover, Ungwan Barde village was attacked again on March 10 where 17 people were killed and dozens of houses burnt.

“The next day, while we were still searching for more dead bodies, Inkirimi and Dogonnoma villages in Maro were attacked, 52 people were killed and dozens injured.

“The smoke had barely

settled when an attack was launched in the evening at Ungwan Gora (Labi village) with dozens injured and 43 houses burnt down. Thousands of households were displaced and the people are now moving from one village to the other in search of safety and refuge.

“In all these, not a single person has been arrested or questioned.

The group, however, stated that in a strange twist of application of justice, nine Adara elders and village chiefs

were indiscriminately arrested and thrown into Kaduna prison on allegations of complicity (in the killings of 130 Fulani as announced by el-Rufai).

In a related development, the Sokoto State Command has confirmed the death of two policemen, ASP Abdullahi Maisaje and Sgt Usman Ibrahim, allegedly killed while on election duty.

Briefing journalists in Sokoto, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aminu Kogi, said the officers were ambushed by

gunmen on their way to Isa LGA on March 8 in preparation for March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The state police boss condoled with the bereaved families, saying they died in service of their fatherland.

He urged the families to take solace in God, adding philosophically that “God gives and takes as well.”

Kogi announced the donation of N2 million to the family of Maisaje and N 1 million to the family of Ibrahim.

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T H I S D AY ˾ MARCH 14, 2019

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

NPFL: Lobi Moves out of Drop Zone with Defeat of MFM RESCHEDULEDMATCHES

Duro Ikhazuagbe Bashiru Monsuru denied his former club MFM FC the opportunity of leaving Makurdi with a point from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) rescheduled Match-day 3 clash with Lobi Stars yesterday.

That win has now brought some respite to champion Lobi who have leapt from the near bottom of the Group A table to sixth spot with 11 points from six matches. They have four more outstanding matches to catch up with the rest teams in the group. Monsuru who who joined Lobi Stars from the Olukoya Boys during the mid-season break last term, scored the winning goal for the hosts 20 minutes from time.

Former Enyimba midfielder Dare Ojo gave Lobi Stars the lead in the 16th minute with a trademark long-range effort which sailed past MFM’s debutant goalkeeper Olatunji Odekunle.

Group A leaders MFM however drew level in the 28th minute through Chijioke Akuneto who tapped home Michael Ohanu’s cross after a good counter-attacking move.

However, despite the defeat, MFM FC remains top of the Group with 18 points from 9 matches and

RESULT(Match-day 3) Lobi Stars 2-1 MFM FC

March 20 Sunshine vs Lobi Stars (MD 10) Katsina Utd vs MFM FC (MD 9)

April 3 Rangers vs Lobi Stars (MD 7)

April 10 Wikki vs Lobi Stars (MD 9)

MATCH DAY 11 (Sunday, March 17th)

GROUP A Wikki vs Rivers Utd Remo vs Rangers Tornadoes vs Lobi stars Katsina Utd vs Kwara Utd Sunshine vs Enyimba MFM FC vs Insurance FC

GROUP B s Rivers Utd Yobe Stars vs Go-Round Kada City vs Nasarawa Abia Warriors vs Plateau utd Ifeanyi Ubah vs Kano Pillars Heartland FC vs Akwa Utd Elkanemi vs Gombe Utd Lobi Stars in jubilant mood after snatching all three points against MFM FC in a rescheduled Match-day 3 game played at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi…yesterday

will face Bendel Insurance in their next league game at the Agege Stadium on Sunday.

Lobi Stars meanwhile will face Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas in their final CAF

Champions League group game in Enugu on Sunday having no chance of progress-

ing to the next round of the competition.

The NPFL will resume from

the election break this weekend with week 10 matches across different centres in the country.

success.

He disclosed yesterday that Nigeria agreed to host the championship to help in nurturing the hidden potentials of its youth in cycling.

Recently, two Nigerian cyclists, Gladys Tombrakpa and Mary Samuel, stunned cycling enthusiasts after winning in between

themselves, seven medals at an international championship held in South Africa.

Among other expectations, Massari said the Nigerian Federation will cater for accommodation, feeding, transportation and sundry technical and medical support to the participants.

Cycling: FG Agrees to Organise Maiden African Cup 2019 Olawale Ajimotokan ÓØ ÌßÔË The Federal Government has struck an agreement with the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) to stage in Abuja, the maiden African Track Championship, genetically known as African Cup 2019.

The President of the Cycling

Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Giandomenico Massari signed the undertaking with the CAC President, Dr Mohammed Azzam in Rome at the weekend.

The championship is slated for between July 27 and 28 at the Velodrome, Package A, Abuja National Stadium.

The parley between Massari

GTBank 2019 Lagos Polo: Machines,Tila Farms Make Winning Start The much-awaited 2019 GTBank Lagos Polo International Tournament galloped off in an exhilarating fashion yesterday with Lagos Machines and Kaduna Tila Farms commencing their Silver Cup adventures on winning notes.

The Machines defeated Kano Nakudu 8-4 while Tila Farms stroll passed low flying Lagos.

Two more games were decided on the opening day, but the game that keep the legendary Ribadu Road polo ground on fire, was the titanic Open Cup clash between Lagos Carveton SaoPolo and debutants from Abuja, Team Almat.

The Machines and Nakudu match commenced the twophase of what promises to be a bumper-to- bumper galloping expedition at Nigeria’s commercial capital and the former lived up to their high rating as they took the game to their opponent from the opening bell.

However, it was Nakudu who had their nose in front with Idris Ahmed scoring the

first goal of the tournament with a low shot to make up for his incredible open-goal miss about a minute earlier.

Olumide Agboola responded for the Machines almost immediately but Useni Mohammed restored Nakudu’s lead.

There were still more time left for Abdulmumuni Musa to tie the game for the Lagos side before Glory Mbano’s aggressiveness was rewarded with a goal just before the closing bell to get the home side in front for the very first time as the keenly-contested chukka ended 3-2.

The second chukka unarguably belonged to the Machines with Agboola, Yinka Alakija, Mbano and Musa (all the team members) scoring in succession to take full charge of the match for a 7-2 lead. The tie eventually ended with Agboola getting one more goal while Mohammed scored twice which proved a mere consolation for the Kano team.

and Azzam, that took place in the presence of the President of the International Cycling Union (UCI) David Lappartient and the President Italian Cycling Federation and Vice President of UCI, Mr Renato Di Rocco, was at the sideline of the CAC and EU Cycling Congress in Italy.

The UCI is expected to provide

technical and equipment support for the championship.

In the light of the agreement, the CFN president said the federation would soon embark on a strategic marketing plan to woo potential sponsors into partnership that will make the African Cup a commercial and sporting

Lagos, Abuja to Host Maiden FCV Gladiators Football Camps Nigeria’s seat of power and commercial nerve centre – Abuja and Lagos, have been scheduled to host the maiden edition of the FCV Gladiators Football Camps in April.

The Lagos camp will hold at the University of Lagos Sports Centre on April 14 to 19 while the Abuja leg will hold at Aduvie International School between April 21 and 26.

The camp, brainchild of Dynaspro Sports Promotion and Advanta Interactive Limited, is expected to give a new outlook to football with special attention to education.

According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Oluseyi Oyebode, the camp is a departure from the usual football-focused clinics, as the camp would give special attention to the education of the participants.

“It is a great beginning. For the first time, we are having a foreign partner that is so keen on education and football; that has been the missing link.

We will encourage as many children as possible to be part of the first camp so that they can have the taste of what it takes in proper academy setting.

“Children from schools now will know the orientation and the importance of sports and education. “We have a lot of our ex-players and ex-athletes suffering because they were not able to manage their successes, not being able to manage their finances while making the money,” Oyebode stressed.

He added: “I think now we have about 20 schools on board, partnering the project in Lagos and Abuja.

“Also, there will be mentorship programmes and for the first time, we will have school coaches, coaches from the grassroots having FA certification.

That is the greatest value that you can think about, so that we can have the same orientation that an average British coach will have in working with the youth academy.

2019 BOA LAWYERS’ LEAGUE

Agbakoba Legal to Begin Title Defence against Olaniwun Ajayi Champions Olisa Agbakoba Legal is to begin the defence of the Bankole Olumide Aluko (BOA) Lawyers’ Football League title against Olaniwun Ajayi on Sunday at the AstroTurf 2000 in Ikoyi, Lagos.

OAL will be aiming to start the cup defence with almost the same team that defeated Falana & Falana in the final of the last edition as this 17th edition begins with fanfare on Sunday.

Nineteen distinguished law firms are participating in this edition pushed forward due to the elections that held in the country in the past fortnight.

According to organisers of the lawyers’ league, 19 teams would be participating in the tournament, with seven mergers.

“The teams are divided into four groups with eight matches to be played every Sunday over a five- week period, Match time for each game is 20 minutes, including half time & change over time. Matches are scheduled to start at 3pm every Sunday,”

observed a statement from the organisers.

Last year’s runners-up, Falana & Falana is to begin the 17th edition of the BOA Lawyers’ League against Wole Olanipekun/Dele Adesina in the Match-day 1 fixture. AELEX is also taking on Aluko & Oyebode while Perchstone & Graey LP will be home to George Etomi/ FRA Williams.

Other Match-day 1 fixtures include UUBOS/ACAS Law versus a former champion of the tournament, Lagos State Ministry of Justice (LSMJ), SOOB/NICCOM LLP versus Pinheiro LP. The last fixture for the first weekend is between Banwo Ighodalo versus BA Law LLP/ Probitas Partners.

The Bankole Olumide Aluko Football Tournament (BOA), a.k.a The Lawyers’ Football League is held in memory of the late notable lawyer, Mr. Bankole Olumide Aluko. a founding partner in the law firm of Aluko & Oyebode (“A & O”).

55

T H I S D AY ˾ MARCH 14, 2019

THURSDAYSPORTS U E FA C H A M P I O N S L E A G U E

Liverpool Beats Bayern to Complete Four English Teams in Q’finals ˾ ËÜÍÏÖÙØË ËÖÝÙ ÞÒÜÙßÑÒ ÞÙ ËÝÞ Ͷ ËÐÞÏÜ ÎÜßÌÌÓØÑ ãÙØ ͳ̋ͯ Two goals from Sadio Mane helped Liverpool see off Bayern Munich 3-1 at the Allianz Arena to book their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals for the second successive season.

Neither side created many clear opportunities on a wet night in Munich and both sets of players were guilty of giving away possession too easily and too often.

However, the Reds carried more of a cutting edge and took the lead in the tie in the 26th minute when Mane displayed an exquisite touch to bring down Van Dijk’s raking pass before firing into an empty net after Manuel Neuer had rushed from his goal.

Bayern now needed at least two goals and pulled one back when Joel Matip turned into his own net from close range.

However, the expectant waves of attack from the German champions never materialised after the break, and Van Dijk all but ensured Liverpool’s spot in the last eight when he powered home with a head from James Milner’s corner. Mane capped off an excellent night for him personally when he headed in his second six minutes from time.

Sadio Mane (2nd left) celebrates scoring his second goal to put the last 16 tie to bed to send Bayern Munich crashing out at home

Elsewhere, Lionel Messi scored twice and set up two more as Barcelona reached the Champions League quarter-finals for a record 12th consecutive

year with a 5-1 win over Lyon.

Barca, who drew 0-0 in the first leg, led when Messi chipped home a penalty.

Philippe Coutinho tapped

into an empty net from Luis Suarez’s unselfish pass before Lucas Tousart’s volley gave Lyon hope. Messi clinched the game with a run and finish before

Europa: Arsenal Aiming to Overturn First Leg Defeat by Rennes Alexandre Lacazette was in a cheerful mood in training yesterday morning as Arsenal get set to unleash the striker against Rennes this week.

The French striker has been cleared to play the second leg on Thursday after having a three-match ban turned to two after his red card against BATE Borisov last month.

Having already served his suspension he looks set to play with strike-partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gunners attempt to overturn a 3-1 deficit.

And the two shared a warm embrace as Unai Emery delivered instructions to his side at a windswept London Colney.

Lacazette was sent off in the second half of the last-32 Europa

League defeat in Belarus.

After having a second-half equaliser correctly ruled out for offside, the French forward was sent off for swinging an elbow in frustration towards Aleksandar Filipovic with five minutes remaining.

Governing body UEFA confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Arsenal’s appeal had been partially upheld.

Arsenal will be without Greek defender Sokratis, who was sent off in the first leg defeat.

They are continuing to assess Henrikh Mkhitaryan as he battles a back strain.

Elsewhere in Kiev, Ukraine, Chelsea’s players wrapped up in hats, gloves and snoods as they fought off the freezing

temperatures last night.

Maurizio Sarri’s men traveled to Ukraine ahead of their Europa League last-16 second leg tie today.

And Blues stars including Eden Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi were put through their paces on the pitch at the Olympic Stadium.

Chelsea holds a substantial advantage in the tie after a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge last week.

Pedro, Willian and HudsonOdoi scored the goals to put Chelsea on the brink of a place in the quarter-finals.

Hazard did not start that game but has still made the trip to Eastern Europe despite the aggregate scoreline.

He showed his worth once

again with a stoppage-time equaliser against Wolves at the weekend.

But defender Emerson Palmieri admits they are ‘afraid’ that he will depart this summer, with a contract extension yet to be agreed.

“He shows every day how important he is,” Emerson told Sky Sports. ‘Obviously we have many players of quality in our team but he is on another level and is one of the best in the world.

“I personally cannot see him leaving, but you never know in football. Like Chelsea fans, we are afraid that he might leave. “ I still believe that he will stay and we really want him to stay.

Ronaldo is a ‘Living Football God’, Says Ferdinand ÏÜÎÓØËØÎ ÒÏËÚÝ ÚÜËÓÝÏ ÙØ ÙØËÖÎÙ ËÐÞÏÜ ÝÍÙÜÓØÑ ÒËÞ̋ÞÜÓÍÕ ÞÙ ÖÓÐÞ ßàÏ Rio Ferdinand has described Cristiano Ronaldo as a ‘living football god’ after the Juventus star overturned a two-goal deficit by scoring a stunning hat-trick against Atletico on Tuesday night.

The Italian champions looked to be facing the steepest of uphill tasks after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Diego Simeone’s side three weeks ago in Madrid.

But Ronaldo warned the capital city club they would face a cauldron in Turin - and it turned out the fire would be lit by the Portugal star himself.

Former team-mate and BT Sport pundit Ferdinand was

once again left in awe of the former Real Madrid and Manchester United front-man, describing his performance as godlike - while comparing his first goal to header-specialist Duncan Ferguson.

“He’s a living football god,” said Ferdinand.

“It’s ridiculous what he’s doing. All the records - in the Champions League, he’s got every record you can imagine.

He’s joint most hat-tricks with Messi. “This goal (first goal) is like Duncan Ferguson in his prime, attacking the ball, leaving the full back in a heap, that’s

‘This is the

what you call desire.”

Atletico came to the Juventus Stadium with a seemingly safe 2-0 advantage, with goals from Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez putting the 2014 and 2016 finalists in command.

Notorious for their defensive solidity, not many would have backed the Italians to break the Spaniards down but through Ronaldo - and a bit of help from technology - they sent Simeone’s side packing.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the first half with a powerful header which was aided by a salmon-like leap over full-back

Juanfran.

He then pulled his side level on aggregate with another header after the break, this time goalkeeper Jan Oblak appeared to have clawed the ball away however goal-line technology intervened to reveal it had in fact crossed the line.

And then the five-time Champions League winner stepped up to fire home a penalty with a little over five minutes remaining after Federico Bernardeschi was fouled in the penalty area.

Fellow BT Sport pundit Joleon Lescott and presenter Gary Lineker added to the praise.

assisting late strikes from Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembele.

Barcelona will discover their quarter-final and potential semi-final opponents on Friday

at 11:00 GMT. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, Ajax and Porto are their potential rivals,

Bernado Silva Signs New Five-year Deal at Man City

Bernado Silva signs new five-year Man City deal

Bernardo Silva is the latest Manchester City star to commit his long-term future by signing a three-year contract extension until 2025.

The Portugal international has become the 11th player to renew with the Premier League champions since January 2018.

It is believed his new deal is worth in excess of £150,000 a week, the prize for a stunning second season at the Etihad Stadium. Real Madrid had been tracking his progress.

Silva has flourished this year and become one of the first names on Pep Guardiola’s team sheet. He has followed the likes of Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and Ederson in signing a new lengthy contract.

The 24-year-old is a hugely popular figure around the club and was nicknamed Pablo Picasso by team-mate Benjamin Mendy.

‘It’s an honour to extend my deal with Manchester City,’ Silva said. ‘This club offers everything a player needs to fulfil their ambitions and there’s nowhere else I want to be.

‘As soon as I heard City wanted me to stay longer, my mind was made up. I love the club, the manager, the players and the fans.

‘The style of football we play here excites me, and I am determined to win more silverware. City gives me the best chance of doing that.’

Guardiola has been effusive in his praise of Silva and recently said he is already the ‘big star’ of the Portugal side that still boasts Cristiano Ronaldo.

City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain added: ‘Bernardo is an exceptional talent, so offering him a new deal and ensuring he spends the best years of his career with us was a very easy decision.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

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MISSILE Onaiyekan to INEC “It is not a matter of who won or who lost the election, but a situation where it appeared that the mood for a free and fair election just didn’t happen. You only hear about where people were being kidnapped, ballot boxes were snatched and soldiers were seen invading peoples’ houses” – The outgoing Archbishop of the Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan on the 2019 general election.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI Pius Adebola Adesanmi (1972 – 2019) THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Fading away like the stars of the morning, Losing their light in the glorious sunThus would we pass from the earth and its toiling, Only remembered by what we have done.

Shall we be missed though by others succeeded, Reaping the fields we in springtime have sown?

No, for the sowers may pass from their labors, Only remembered by what they have done.

Only the truth that in life we have spoken, Only the seed that on earth we have sown; These shall pass onward when we are forgotten, Fruits of the harvest and what we have done.

– Horatius Bonar with music by Ira D. Sankey, 1891

P

ius Adebola Adesanmi had countless plans. Death was not one of them.

Yet, shortly before he boarded what turned out to be his last flight in Addis Ababa on Sunday morning, he had the presence of mind and the alertness of spirit to surrender himself to the comfort offered in Psalm 139, verses 9 and 10: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

As painful as his death may be, friends of Adesanmi must rejoice in the years we had him with us. After all, as President George Bush said in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy in the United States, “Grief and tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance and love have no end, and the Lord of life holds all who die and all who mourn.”

Adesanmi was a brilliant scholar committed to nurturing young minds, a Nigerian patriot regardless of the passport he held on his last trip, and above all, my friend. In recent years, we communicated almost daily and I have cherished memories of my last August visit to Ottawa, Canada, where he teaches. I will never forget the hospitality of his wife, Muyiwa during the four days I spent with them nor the experience of the ten-hour return road trip to Montreal to see my younger brother, Niyi, with our mutual friend and journalist, Tunde Asaju at the wheel. Asaju must remember those conversations about our country as we loftily sang along with Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla, the two artistes whose music we listened to throughout the day.

I spoke to Asaju on Monday through Mrs Adesanmi’s mobile phone and I thank God for friends like him at a time like this. I called her on Sunday afternoon when I first heard that her husband might have been on the ill-fated flight. She confirmed that he was indeed on his way to Nairobi and had not been able to reach him. We prayed together, hoping against hope. With her at the time, I would later learn, were Wumi Asobiaro-Dada and her husband, Fela as well as Bayo and Mariama Aregbesola and a few other members of the Nigerian (and African) community in Ottawa who had gone to join her in the forlorn hope for a miracle. Not long after, the tragedy was confirmed on social media. Muyiwa is now left with memories of a loving husband and father. I will always remember a great friend who lived a short but impactful life.

Named the recipient of the prestigious Canada Bureau of International Education

Late Adesanmi (CIBE) Leadership Award in September 2017, Adesanmi was until his death a professor of English Language and Literature at Carleton University, Canada and head of the university’s Institute of African Studies. A profound mind, Adesanmi earned a 1992 First Class Bachelor’s Degree in French from the University of Ilorin and a Master’s Degree (with distinction) in the same discipline from the University of Ibadan before bagging his doctorate, also in French Studies, from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

To understand the writings that earned Adesanmi renown at home and among Diaspora Nigerians, we can borrow from what the late American author, Brian Doyle wrote in “The Adventures of John Carson.” There is a story in everything, “and every being, and every moment, were we alert to catch it, were we ready with our tender nets; indeed, there are a hundred, a thousand stories, uncountable stories…”

Adesanmi looked for everyday stories to interpret the reality of our existence in Nigeria.

He found lessons embedded in every experience, no matter how mundane. In the video clip now circulating on social media, Adesanmi used the story of the broken showerhead in a posh Abuja hotel in which he once lodged to drive home his point about how we accept mediocrity as a culture in Nigeria.

Adesanmi’s metaphor of the showerhead was not different from the late literary giant, Chinua Achebe’s May 1989 interview with Charles Rowell, where he told the story of the snake and toad to illustrate the tragedy of a nation held down for decades due to the celebration of mediocrity at all levels. What agitated Adesanmi is whether this society, or any society for that matter, can advance when the leadership appears unconcerned about what constitutes a good society.

I am happy that friends like Lola Shoneyin, Kadaria Ahmed and others are rising up in memory of Adesanmi. We will hear more about this in the coming days and weeks. However, as it happens when we lose cherished writers, quotes are being circulated without context.

For example: “I write basically these days for

the purposes of archaeology. A thousand years from now, archaeologists would be interested in how some people called Nigerians lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. If they dig and excavate, I am hoping that fragments of my writing survive to point them to the fact that not all of them accepted to live as slaves of the most irresponsible rulers of their era.”

While those were Adesanmi’s words in his column last Saturday titled ‘An Archaeology of Nigeria’, I do not want him to be misunderstood. Despite the frustrations that could be glimpsed from his writings, Adesanmi neither gave up on Nigeria nor surrendered to pessimism about a country he loved. He was planning to come back home when his term as Director of the Institute of African Studies ends in 2021 and had already identified a particular university where he believed he could make a difference. In fact, in recent conversations, he said he had the option to take the last year of his term as sabbatical with his full entitlements so he could return home soon.

In the decades to come, as he rightly predicted, many will read his work. Adesanmi has earned that for himself. My hope, however, is that his writings will be read not as lamentation of what might have been but rather as testimony to a Nigeria that works.

In the fullness of time, when we are all but fragments of history, future generations will appreciate Adesanmi who, in his refusal to submit to mediocrity, joined other compatriots to plant the seed of a new Nigeria.

May God comfort his mother, wife and the two daughters he left behind.

A Word for Ihedioha Ever since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Emeka Ihedioha winner of the Imo State gubernatorial election on Monday evening, I have been receiving calls and text messages from people who congratulate me on “your friend’s success”.

That has placed an uncomfortable burden on me. If Ihedioha succeeds in Imo State, as I pray he does, nobody is going to credit me with anything. But should Ihedioha fail, God forbid, I am going to share in the blame because not a few people will remind me of our friendship. In fact, there will be those who could even find excuses in such failure in the fact that he has a Yoruba friend like me!

Ihedioha has been a close friend and confidant for almost 30 years. Ever since he started running for elective office in 2003, I have been part of his campaign. The only time I was not in Imo State with him was during the 2011 general election when I was in the United States. Even then, he forced me to leave my family behind and come back home after my programme ended at the end of May 2011. On the night preceding his election as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives on 6th June 2011, it was in my house that he slept, at the insistence of his wife, Ebere who has also been my friend right from the time they were courting. And it was from my house Ihedioha left, dressed in Babariga as a disguise, to the chambers of the House.

Ihedioha In 2015, Ihedioha contested the governorship of Imo and failed, although he insists he was rigged out. But when I went last month to join the last lap of his campaign, I sensed that events were conspiring in his favour this time. And I wrote as much in a piece I titled, “In Imo, Ihedioha Confronts Iberiberism’.

In the course of that visit, a fund raising dinner was organised for Ihedioha at the residence of Chief Charles Ugwu, a former commerce and industry minister and past president of the Manufacturers Association

of Nigeria (MAN). As we drove out of Ugwu’s residence after the event at about 1am, Ihedioha suddenly remarked, “Segun, you said yesterday that you would like to see the statues erected by Rochas (Okorocha) before you leave. Since your flight is very early and I promised to take you to see them, let’s go there before we go home.” He asked the driver to stop and turn in a different direction from where we were headed and that caused commotion as other drivers in the convoy had to change course. For the next 30 minutes at a very ungodly hour, we drove around Owerri as he showed me not only the statues but also the so-called ‘underground tunnel’ built by the governor.

But the message came at the point where Ihedioha asked the driver to turn so that he could show me the statues. A mutual friend from the state who was also in the vehicle with us commented: “Segun, that is Emeka for you. He keeps his promise.” I found the comment disturbingly patronising, but I nonetheless liked the message. For Ihedioha, what he did for me in the wee hour of that morning just about four weeks ago is what the people of Imo State have now elected him to do for them. He made a number of promises and they have vested their trust in him. Now is the time to keep those promises.

In all circumstances, Ihedioha must put the interest of Imo people above any other consideration. May God help him to succeed.

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