FRIDAY 5TH APRIL 2019

CBN, Banks to Disburse N200bn Single-digit Loans to Creative Industry, Others Nume Ekeghe The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and banks, under the aegis of the Bankers' Committee, yesterday said they have resolved to commence the disbursement of single-digit loans to the

creative industry, some targeted cash crops, as well as to intensify their support for other operators in the non-oil sector.

The amount to be disbursed to operators in these sectors was put at N200 billion.

This is just as the committee

reiterated that despite the concerns about the recently held general election, the country recorded foreign portfolio inflows (FPIs) of $6 billion in the first quarter of 2019.

The Director, Banking Supervision Department,

CBN, Mr. Ahmed Abdullahi, said this yesterday at a media briefing at the end of the Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos.

Speaking on the increased FPIs inflows, Abdullahi said: “The Bankers' Committee noted that lending to the

private sector and the economy has increased and that is very positive news. Also confidence by portfolio investors has also increased. Between January and March despite the issue of the elections, $6 billion came in and that is positive news.”

Also, the Group Managing

Director/Chief Executive of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, while speaking to journalists, said the committee would commence disbursement of funds for the creative industry.

According to him, the Continued on page 6

Ethiopian Airlines: Pilots of Crashed Aircraft Followed Recommended Procedure... Page 8 Friday 5 April, 2019 Vol 24. No 8761. Price: N250

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Struggle for Senate Presidency Intensifies, Lawan Meets APC Govs Goje in talks with Ndume Deji Elumoye in Abuja As part of his ongoing consultations with stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over his interest in the Senate presidency, the Senate Leader,

Senator Ahmad Lawan, has met with four APC governors in Abuja, THISDAY has learnt.

This is coming as two other ranking APC senatorsMohammed Goje and Ali Ndume, who are also eyeing the position of Senate president

Gaya declares for deputy Senate president have commenced discussion on the possibility of working together.

It was gathered that Lawan’s meeting with the governors was held on Tuesday night at the instance of the Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim

Geidam, who is a senator-elect.

The meeting, it was learnt, was aimed at drumming support for Lawan's ambition at the level of the Progressive Governors’ Forum.

Investigation revealed that the consultative meeting,

which took place at a guest house in Aso Drive had in attendance the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who is also a senator-elect; Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna

State and his Adamawa State counterpart, Mohammed Bindow.

THISDAY learnt that Geidam, who is governor of Lawan's home state, Yobe, Continued on page 6

Nigeria’s Public Debt Grows by 12.25%, Hits N24.387tn Investments in Sukuk, Green Bond will boost financial inclusion, explains DMO Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja Nigeria's aggregate public debt grew 12.25 per cent or N2.66 trillion year-on-year as at December 31, 2018, totalling N24.387 trillion ($79.437 billion), compared to N21.7 trillion posted over the same period in 2017, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed.

A breakdown of the debts showed that external debt stood at N7.759.23 trillion ($22bn), while domestic component stood at N16.627.84

trillion ($56bn).

The DMO’s Director General, Ms. Patience Oniha, who briefed journalists in Abuja, said the debt figure comprised those owed by federal, states and Federal Capital Territory administrations.

She disclosed that the share of domestic debt dropped to 68.18 per cent from 73.36 per cent as at December 31, 2017 thereby achieving a mix of 68.18 per cent and 31.82 per cent in the debt stock.

Of the total debt stock, Continued on page 6

APC Abandons Amaechi, Says it Had No Interest in Rivers Elections... Page 6

FOR BETTER BUSINESS...

L-R: Governor of Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu; his Kaduna State counterpart, Mr. Nasir el-Rufai; Senate Deputy Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na'Allah; and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN, during the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Award Dinner in Abuja… yesterday

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APC Abandons Amaechi, Says it Had No Interest in Rivers Elections

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it has nothing to do with governorship election in Rivers State, declining to comment on the outcome of

the poll since its candidate did not participate in the March 9 election.

The leader of the APC in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi had asked APC members to support the governorship candidate of the

African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Awara Biokpomabo.

Amaechi’s spokesperson, Mr. David Iyofor, while confirming the position of the state chapter of APC to journalists said the leadership of the state chapter had agreed to support AAC. He said: “This morning, the

leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called African Action Congress (AAC), while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate".

However, following the declaration of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) and Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the election, the APC said it had nothing to say on the conduct of the poll.

When asked about the position of the party on the final result of the election, the National Publicity Secretary,

Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu, who spoke with THISDAY yesterday, said: "We didn't contest in Rivers.”

He said it would not be proper to immediately comment on what transpired in the election since it was not part of it.

is a party of the people and not few leaders. The party should allow the people in this case, senators-elect, to decide whoever they want as their leader in whatever capacity.

"For us the Goje Support Groups from the North-east for the presidency of the 9th Senate (GSGNE), Senator Danjuma Goje is the right man for the job. He has the required experience as tested administrator and high ranking lawmaker.

"He is a man of the people and a senator with all what it takes in carrying others along across party lines and most importantly , a party man to the core who will fit perfectly into the next level agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

President

STRUGGLE FOR SENATE PRESIDENCY INTENSIFIES, LAWAN MEETS APC GOVS was said to have called the meeting to solicit necessary support for the actualisation of Lawan’s ambition to lead the 9th Senate.

A source privy to the meeting told THISDAY that Lawan used the forum to solicit the backing of APC governors and by extension the senators-elect in the 22 states controlled by the ruling party for his ambition ahead of the inauguration of the Senate in June.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the governors had fruitful discussions with Lawan and assured him of their support since he is the choice of the party leadership.

Goje in Talks with Ndume Meanwhile, two other ranking senators- Mohammed Goje

and Ali Ndume, who are also eyeing the Senate presidency have commenced discussion as regards their ambition.

THISDAY learnt that the duo met earlier in the week at the third floor office of Goje at the Senate complex in Abuja where they resolved to work as a team for the coveted office.

It was gathered that the two lawmakers agreed to consult widely with stakeholders on their interest and may meet again before the week runs out.

Ndume yesterday still insisted that he would contest for Senate presidency despite the party's directive.

Speaking to THISDAY on phone, Ndume emphasised that it is within his constitutional right to contest, adding: "I am not disrespecting the party, but people should be allowed to elect their leaders."

His words: "I am still in

the race till the end. I am not disrespecting the party; it is within my constitutional right to contest. People should be allowed to elect their leaders, If Lawan wins, I will be the first to congratulate him."

Group Storms N’Assembly to Canvass Support for Goje In a related development, a group of youths from Northeast yesterday stormed the National Assembly, urging Goje to declare publicly for the position of Senate president without any further delay.

The group, led by Mr. Bello Ambo, from Bauchi State, said neither the endorsement of Lawan by the national leadership of APC nor the expression of interest by Ndume, should prevent Goje from throwing his hat into

the ring.

According to him, as far as public service experience is concerned, Goje stands far above the other two having controlled a whole state for eight years between 2003 and 2011 and has been in the Senate since then with the required parliamentary experience.

"Position of Senate president requires administrative and parliamentary knowledge enormously possessed by Goje as against the two other contenders from the zone,” he said.

When reminded that the ruling party has taken a final decision on who should occupy the position with the endorsement of Lawan last week, Ambo said senators-elect are mature people who can decide who their leader should be and should be allowed to do so.

He said: "Our party (APC)

Gaya Declares for Deputy Senate

Meanwhile, a ranking APC senator and former governor of Kano State, Senator Kabiru Gaya, yesterday declared his intention to contest the position of deputy Senate president.

Gaya, a fourth-time senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, said he was vying for the position being the most ranking senator from the North-west geopolitical zone.

According to him, the zone ought to produce the deputy senate president since the zone gave the highest vote to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general election.

Gaya also said there were strong indications that the APC leadership may zone the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the Continued on page 8

NIGERIA’S PUBLIC DEBT GROWS BY 12.25%, HITS N24.387TN Oniha disclosed that the federal government loans accounted for 78 per cent of the figure, while states and the FCT accounted for 22 per cent, adding that the federal government has an external debt stock of N6.4 trillion while the domestic component stood at N17.11 trillion.

According to her, this brings the federal government’s debt profile to N19.23 trillion.

Similarly, she said the states and the FCT have external debt of N1.25 trillion and N3.85 trillion domestic debt, or a total of N5.15 trillion.

Giving further breakdown, Oniha said that the federal government’s domestic debt stock comprised N331.12 billion Promissory Notes issued to oil marketing companies and state governments in December 2018, noting that the

government’s debt strategy of exploring external funds was achieving the expected objectives, some of which were to freeing more space for other borrowers in the domestic market.

“Other objectives are to extend the average tenor of the debt stock in order to reduce refinancing risk and increase external reserves,” Oniha said.

“The share of domestic debt dropped to 68.18per cent from 73.36 per cent as at December 31, 2017 thereby achieving a Mix of 68.18 per cent and 31.82 per cent in the Debt Stock. According to the DMO the strategy of using relatively cheaper and longer tenored external funds is achieving the expected objectives. Some of the Objectives were: to create more space for other borrowers in the domestic market, extend the average

tenor of the debt stock in order to reduce refinancing risk and increase External Reserves.

“The implementation of the strategy led to an injection of N855 billion through the redemption of Nigerian Treasury Bills in 2018 and a general drop in the FGN’s borrowing rate in the domestic market from over 18 per cent p.a. in 2017 to 14 – 15 per cent p.a. in 2018,” she added.

According to her, some of its major plans in 2019 are to undertake more of projecttied borrowing and access more external borrowing from concessional sources, stressing that the DMO announced plans to issue 30-year federal government of Nigeria Bonds (FGN Bonds) for the first time.

“The issuance of the Bond will meet the needs of annuity funds and other

long term investors while also developing the domestic capital market and reducing the re-financing risk of the FGN. Another area of focus will be the management of Risks associated with the Debt Stock to mitigate debt service costs.

“Another area of focus will be the management of risks associated with the debt stock to mitigate debt service costs,.” she said, adding that this is captured in the 2019 budget proposal before the National Assembly.

On the deficit of N1.649 trillion in the 2019 budget, she said the federal government would borrow N824 billion of the amount borrowed domestically through federal government Bonds, Sukuk, Green Bonds and Savings Bonds.

The other N824 billion is expected to be financed

externally from concessional sources as they are cheaper and are longer-termed funds for infrastructure, she added.

Oniha said that the planned N15 billion Green Bonds and the infrastructure bonds would be issued in the second quarter of 2019.

Investments in Sukuk, Green Bond will Boost Financial Inclusion, Says DMO Meanwhile, Oniha has stated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is currently promoting investments in Sukuk and other green bonds to promote financial inclusion as well as reduce poverty in the country.

Speaking in Abuja at the second edition of the Sigma Pensions Business Roundtable, themed: "Navigating the

CBN, BANKS TO DISBURSE N200BN SINGLE-DIGIT LOANS TO CREATIVE INDUSTRY, OTHERS committee revisited the entitle value chain of music, movies, information technology and fashion, right from production facilities to capacity building, to ensure that whatever is produced is world-class.

"At the Bankers Committee, we got the approval to take it to the next level, which is simply to do a final presentation and share it with the market and how it's going to happen. So by next week there will be announcement for people who want to participate in each of these segments.

"The specific amount will depend on which of the strata you fall into and what you are doing. The loans are for a maximum of 10 years, they are single-digit interest rate loans

and reflective of the fact that in these industries, what you require is long term financing at single-digit; while we will ask for collateral it will be flexible," Wigwe added.

On his part, the Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, who spoke on the resolutions of the committee to enhance support for the real sector said: “The committee believes that we really haven’t made so much progress in this direction and subsequent to that, the committee set up a sub-committee and the sub-committee of members are those who have operated in continents where export have done very well. We have seen some countries that have

similar products and have excelled in exporting while we have dropped.

“So, the question is, what are these countries doing that we are not doing?

What are those things that are challenging us as a nation to diversify our economy from the standpoint of exports?"

He further added: “We interrogated this and worked with the different agencies of government across the continent and also we came back home to check what they have and we found out that indeed we have a lot of policies, but the challenge have been execution and we narrowed this down to seven broad areas.

"Typically, finance is one of the major challenges; we have

policies, logistics -our ports don’t open weekends- and in terms of the policies that drive exports, we believe that a lot of them need to be changed."

Alluding to the fact that funding was a major challenge, he said the committee resolved to focus on crops with nearterm benefits.

He added: “Fortunately, CBN has different types of funds, so we looked at the existing funds so we don’t reinvent the wheel and so we looked at which of the funding can address the current challenges. We looked at some products with viability for export, and how it would help export, address employment issues, create necessary economic

activities and create relieve in terms of foreign exchange.

"That is because if we add value to a commodity, we would create employment and that would save us foreign exchange, as against what we do today that most of our products are exported in raw forms. And we believe that with a little push, we can add a lot more value.”

He said the committee agreed to immediately focus on oil palm, cocoa, sesame seed and of course shea and cashew. "Based on the meeting we had today, we are going to be lending at single-digit, up to a maximum of 10 years and we are going to devote N200 billion to support this and that would change the narrative for export."

Frontiers of Ethical Investing", she noted that previous experience from the issuance of two Sukuk bonds, which were oversubscribed had been beneficial, and further stressed the need for the investment base for ethical products to be broadened.

The DMO boss said: "The experience from the issuance of Sukuk bonds has been beneficial to the government.

The Sukuk is one of the landmark achievement not only in terms of fund but the projects being implemented”.

“We will like to do more with Sukuk because it's transparent but the major issue for us now is to increase the investor base for ethical products,” she added.

TOP GAINERS CHAMS PLC FORTEOIL VITAFOAM CORNERSTONE OANDO TOP LOSERS CAP PLC UNITYBANK ETERNA

NGN NGN % 0.02 0.22 10.0 2.45 27.40 9.8 0.28 3.85 7.8 0.01 0.22 4.7 0.15 4.95 3.1 NGN % 3.70 33.70 9.8 0.08 0.78 9.3 0.35 4.00 8.0 REGENCY 0.02 0.23 8.0 UNIONDAC 0.02 0.23 8.0 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,450.00 Volume: 499.087 million shares Value: N2.894 billion Deals: 4,133 As at yesterday 4/4/19 See details on Page 43

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Ethiopian Airlines: Pilots of Crashed Aircraft Followed Recommended Procedure AIB to release final reports on Delta Airlines’ incident

Chinedu Eze Ethiopian Airlines has stated that the preliminary report on the accident of Flight ET 302 on March 10, 2019, has confirmed that the pilots followed recommended procedures but were unable to control the aircraft.

This is coming as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said it will release six final reports of accidents and incidents on the April 25, 2019, which would include the serious incident involving Delta Air Lines’ Airbus A330223 of February 14, 2018.

The ET Flight 302 crashed six minutes into flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing 157 persons on board.

The airlines also said the preliminary report indicated that the aircraft's airworthiness was certified and that the crew was capable of flying the aircraft.

In a statement it issued yesterday in Addis Ababa

and made available to THISDAY, the airline said, "The preliminary report clearly showed that the Ethiopian Airlines’ pilots who were commanding Flight ET 302/10 March have followed the Boeing- recommended and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) -approved emergency procedures to handle the most difficult emergency situation created on the airplane.

"Despite their hard work and full compliance with the emergency procedures, it was very unfortunate that they could not recover the airplane from the persistence of nose diving.

"As the investigation continues with more detailed analysis, as usual we will continue with our full cooperation with the investigation team."

Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said he was proud of the pilots’ compliance to emergency

said.

AIB to Release Final Reports on Delta Air Lines, Others

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika procedures and high level of professional performances in such extremely difficult situations.

"We are also very proud of our Global Standard Pilot Training Center and the Ethiopian Aviation Academy which are some of the largest and most modern in the world equipped with state of the art and latest training technologies," GebreMariam

Meanwhile, the AIB has said it will release six final reports of accidents and incidents on the April 25, 2019, which would include the serious incident involving Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-223 of February 14, 2018.

The Delta Air Lines flight after take-off suffered engine failure as one of its engines caught fire, causing the aircraft to return to base - Lagos airport - after take-off.

The Commissioner of AIB, Akin Olateru, made this known yesterday in his keynote address at the AIB 2019 Stakeholders’ Forum, which was on the review of the Accident Investigation Bureau Regulations 2016 and its implications on stakeholders.

According to Olateru, apart from the Delta Air Lines report, other final reports to be released are the Cessna 208B Caravan with registration 5N-BMJ belonging to late former governor Danbaba Suntai, which occurred on October 25, 2012; and the Diamond DA40 aircraft belonging to International Aviation College ( IAC) Ilorin with registration 5N-BRD on November 25, 2013.

Other incidents include the 2018 Dana Air runway incident in Port Harcourt, Bristow Helicopters’ Sikorsky S76C++ with registration 5N-BQJ of February 3, 2016; and the Gulfstream 2000 belonging to NestOil with registration number 5N-SRI in February 2018.

Olateru said he had sent the report of the Delta incident to the aircraft manufacturer, Airbus for the 60-day review before the release of the report and it returned from the manufacturers with “No

Comment,” which implies that a great deal of confidence is reposed in that final report.

The AIB commissioner also revealed that the bureau is in the process of signing an agreement with France so that AIB can handle investigations of French-speaking West African countries’ incidents, adding that “they appreciate what we are doing here,” which means that “we are doing something right.”

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Spring Fountain, Tunde Fagbemi, said accidents were a series of activities that occurred but were preventable.

“An accident is not what needs to happen, but it is something that we need to prevent. An accident is a culmination of many events and the most fundamental objective of AIB is safety and issuing safety recommendations for the betterment of the industry,” he said.

Election Tribunals Receive 736 Petitions against 2019 Elections Alex Enumah in Abuja A document from the Election Petition Tribunal, located in the premises of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, has revealed that 736 petitions against the conduct and outcome of the 2019 general election have so far been received as at April 4, 2019.

The document which emanated from the office of the Deputy Chief Registrar, Election Petitions Tribunal, Court of Appeal, Mrs. Rabi Abdulazeez, showed that the petitions cut across all levels of the 2019 election, with the

state House of Assembly election leading the pack with 381 petitions, while the presidential election so far has remained four.

A breakdown of the figures further revealed that while the tribunals have so far received 207 petitions against the outcome of the senatorial election, a total of 101 and 43 petitions have so far been recorded against the House of Representatives and governorship election so far.

The figures as released by the Information Officer of the Court of Appeal, Saadatu

Musa Kachalla, stated: “House of Representatives elections 101; Senatorial elections 207; Governorship elections 43; state Houses of Assembly election 381; and Presidential election 4.

Copies of the petitions were on display at the premises of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, venue of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

Among the four petitions so far received challenging the return of President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is that of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Both Atiku and the PDP had in their petitions marked: CA/PEPC/002/2019 and filed March 18, urged the tribunal to nullify the election of Buhari and the APC on the grounds that they did not score the lawful majority votes at the February 23 presidential poll.

They cited wide spread rigging of the election and suppression of voters in areas where the PDP holds sway amongst other irregularities they claimed mar the credibility of the

election.

While they urged the tribunal to nullify Buhari's election and call for a fresh election, they however prayed the tribunal to declare them as winner of the February 23 presidential election.

In instituting their petition, both Atiku and PDP had earlier sought and obtained leave of the court to inspect materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the poll.

They had also sought and received the permission of court to serve their petitions

against Buhari through his party, the APC. Other petitioners challenging the outcome of the presidential poll include, the Hope Democratic Party and its National Chairman/ presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru; the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and its presidential candidate, Aminchi Habu and the Coalition for Change, (C4C) and its presidential candidate, Jeff Ojinika.

Respondents in the suits include INEC, Buhari, the APC and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Step up Investments to Take over Major Operations from IOCs, Kachikwu Tells Local Operators Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has tasked indigenous operators in the oil and gas sector to step up their investments and take over major operations from international oil companies (IOCs).

Kachikwu made the assertion at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunities Fair (NOGOF) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State yesterday.

According to him, changes in the global oil and gas industry are presently challenging the present exploration and investment strategies.

This, he said was because, oil is fast becoming a degenerating asset with alternative sources of energy taking over and attracting new investments.

Kachikwu said, while the world was moving on from fossil fuels, Nigeria has yet to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector

and design strategies to harness advantages of renewables.

The minister urged indigenous firms to take over and stop playing safe if they would benefit from the opportunities availed through new trends in the industry.

Kachikwu said that the federal government had reduced the cost of crude production to $23 per barrel from about $32.

He said that some companies in the Joint Venture with NNPC had already driven the cost down to $15.

The minister said henceforth, approval for projects in the petroleum industry would be based on the cost of producing oil and gas.

According to him, efforts are on to further ensure the cost is brought down to below $15 per barrel.

He said that efforts to bring down cost of production should not be by the government or through policies, but should be driven by the private sector.

“The ministry is going to come up with a benchmark to analyse and compare companies who do business in Nigeria and what cost of production they are running.This is because any unbelievable cost of production, basically impacts on the revenue stream of the country.

“We need to start finding out how companies awarded recognition are doing, and why are the others not going in that direction.

“However, excuses of the environment being different or absent infrastructure can no longer hold water, because there are a lot of countries with peculiar situation as ours that are producing oil at relatively lower level.

“One of the mandates that I am giving the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is that as we begin to look at new projects, the cost at which we are going to produce is going to become critical to our ability to approve those projects for you.

“This has brought us to another milestone in the industry where the crude oil loading and export can be effectively monitored from my office.

“So, it is becoming a major front burner item,” he said.

Kachikwu said that government had invested tremendously in the oil and gas sector toward building capacity and investing in human

development.

In his speech, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote called for policies to further drive establishment of modular refineries and local production of LPG cylinders.

According to him, there are multiple opportunities in the oil and gas sector yet to

be harnessed by indigenous operators, adding that policies have been designed to drive the implementation by operators.

Wabote explained that in spite of the achievements recorded in the milestones set in 2017, opportunities were availed to indigenous operators, who took advantage of the five policy frameworks designed for the industry’s growth.

STRUGGLE FOR SENATE PRESIDENCY INTENSIFIES, LAWAN MEETS APC GOVS South-west, deputy speaker to North-central, while it had already zoned the position of the senate president to the North-east.

He said: “If the six zones are accommodated in the sharing formula for the National Assembly leadership positions, four of them contributed tremendously to the election of Mr. President.

“The South-west, which has now got the position of the

Speaker, North-east, which has now got the position of Senate president, North-central has the position of deputy speaker.

“Considering the zoning arrangement, it is clear that the North-west has been left behind and I am a ranking senator from the North-west.

That means the deputy Senate president position should go to North-west.”

He said Nigerians should

rise above ethnic consideration and ensure that the most qualified persons are elected into positions instead of employing sentiments to determine appointments.

Gaya declared that there was nothing wrong with the northern part of the country producing the president and deputy president of the Senate, "neither will it be out of order for Buhari to come from the same zone with the DSP."

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

FG Wants Nigeria Ranked among Top 100 Countries in 2020 Insists on plan to concession Abuja, Lagos int’l airports Omololu Ogunmade and Francis Ndubuisi in Abuja The federal government is working hard to ensure Nigeria is ranked among the top 100 countries on 2020 World Business Index, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has disclosed in Abuja.

The vice president who made the disclosure while speaking at the second Presidential Enabling Business Environment Committee (PEBEC) Awards ceremony at the State House Banquet Hall, said Nigeria had in the past three years implemented more than 140 reforms intended to make doing business easier in Nigeria.

According to him, in pursuit of its goal to push Nigeria to the top 100 countries on 2020 World Business Index, the federal

government will sustain the implementation of PEBEC reforms in all ramifications.

He said: “In the past three years, Nigeria has implemented more than 140 reforms to make doing business in Nigeria easier.

The World Bank also reported in 2018 that 32 states of Nigeria improved their Ease of Doing Business environment led by Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra States.

“In 2019, PEBEC set a goal to move Nigeria into the top-100 on the 2020 World Bank Doing Business Index (DBI). To achieve this, we will be pursuing the continued implementation of reforms across all indicators, including the implementation of legislative reforms, specifically the passage of the new Companies

and Allied Matters Act and the Omnibus Bills; the expansion of the regulatory reform program which started with NAFDAC and NAICOM; and now to include other regulators; the establishment of a National Trading Platform for ports; and the concession of our major international airports.”

Osinbajo listed some of the reforms implemented so far by the council to include: reserve a business name within four-hours; complete the registration of a company within 24 hours online; apply for and receive approval of a visa-on-arrival electronically within 48 hours; file and pay taxes online; access specialised small claims commercial courts in Lagos and Kano States, among other

reform initiatives.

According to him, the World Bank reported that 32 states of the federation notably Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra States improved their ease of doing business environment in 2018.

He also disclosed that since March 1, this year, PEBEC has commenced what he described as the fourth 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 4.0) on ease of doing business with the aim of deepening the reforms implemented by the council in the past three years and consequently institutionalising the entire reform process.

“PEBEC has now commenced the fourth 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 4.0) on Ease of Doing Business. NAP 4.0 is running from

the 1st of March to the 29th of April, 2019. It aims to deepen the reforms delivered over the past 3 years and drive institutionalisation of the whole reform process,” he said, The vice president highlighted some of the targets achieved in the earlier NAP 3.0 to include: driving registration for utilisation of the National Collateral Registry to facilitate access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs); clearance of all pending NAFDAC registration applications to improve efficiency; and creation of a strengthened single joint cargo examination interface in all airports and seaports for import and export to reduce the time spent at the ports.

Following the implementation of NAP 3.0 targets, Osinbajo stated that NAP 4.0 would now focus on initiatives such as: enforcing compliance with SLAs across all indicators/focus areas; driving the passage of the CAM Bill 2018 for improved effectiveness of company law in Nigeria (and as you have heard, what we are waiting for is the signing into law of the bill); enhancing efficiency in the small claims court, and enhancing the application and approval system for visas on arrival, among others.

He also said PEBEC would continue to work with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the National Assembly and other key stakeholders in pursuit of its goals.

Buhari Decries Huge Loses to Medical Tourism Annually Departs Abuja for Jordan Seriki Adinoyi in Jos President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented that the inability of the government to address various health challenges has caused increasing medical tourism among Nigerians, resulting in huge loses of over N400 billion annually.

President Buhari also yesterday departed Abuja for Amman to honour an invitation by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa holding at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

The president stated this yesterday on the occasion of the inauguration of Senior Executive Course (SEC) 41, 2019 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State with the theme: ‘Funding Universal Health Care Delivery in Nigeria’.

Represented by the state Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, the president said the government has shown strong commitment in the revitalisation of the health sector, adding that in spite of this, the sector was still characterised by low response to public health emergencies, inability to combat outbreak of deadly diseases and mass migration of medical personnel out of the country.

He said: “Government has shown strong commitment in the revitalisation of the health sector. These efforts notwithstanding, our health sector is still characterised by low response to the public health emergencies, inability to combat outbreak of deadly diseases and mass migration of medical personnel out of the country. This has resulted in increasing medical tourism

by Nigerians in which Nigeria loses N400 billion on annual basis.”

Buhari added that his government had in January this year flagged off Primary Healthcare Revitalisation Programme with the aim of having 10,000 functional primary healthcare facilities with at least one functional healthcare facility in every political ward across

the country.

He said the programme was expected to focus more on the rural areas with particular attention given to vulnerable populations such as women, children of under five years of age and elders in collaboration with international development partners. The essence of the programme, according to the president, was to ensure that quality basic healthcare services were delivered to the majority of Nigerians across the country irrespective of their locations.

He added that his administration has also launched the second National Strategic Health Development Plan 20182022 with the plan to achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.

“This has seen disbursement of funds to high performing states under ‘Save One million Lives Programme for Results (SOML-P for R),” the president stated.

He expressed optimism that nominees of Senior Executive Course (SEC) 41, 2019 would do justice to the enormous health challenges facing Nigeria given the critical role of the health sector to the economy. Buhari tasked the participants to research carefully into the theme in order to proffer policy options that will enable the government improve health sector funding.

Meanwhile, President Buhari yesterday departed Abuja for Amman to honour an invitation

by King Abdullah II bin AlHussein of Jordan to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa holding at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

President Buhari will deliver an address at the opening of the plenary alongside King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, and join world economic leaders in an informal gathering at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre.

Presidential Spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said the president will also hold bilateral meetings with some world leaders on the sidelines of the Forum.

IT’S NICE MEETING YOU…

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (left), and Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Mohammed Adamu, when the IG visited Saraki in Abuja ...yesterday

APC to Contest Results of Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa Governorship Polls Rejects forgery allegation against Kwara Gov-elect Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has questioned the credibility of the governorship rerun elections held in Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa States, stating that all fell short of the minimum standard and vowing that it would contest the results of the elections at the tribunals.

This is coming as the ruling party has described as laughable and politically-sponsored the allegation that Kwara State governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq forged the Senior Secondary School Certificate he presented for election.

APC alleged that the Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa governorship rerun elections were marred by massive rigging, violence, vote-buying The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Yekini Nabena, questioned the credibility of the governorship rerun elections held in Bauchi,

Sokoto, Adamawa States, stating that all fell short of the minimum standard.

According to Nabena, the PDP candidate in Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed was declared winner after a controversial rerun election.

He said: “In Adamawa, Fintiri of of PDP won the governorship election while in Sokoto State, the incumbent Aminu Tambuwal was declared winner with a contestable margin”.

Nabena further alleged that the rerun elections were not conducted in line with the laid down rules and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the APC chieftain stated that the party would reclaim its stolen mandate through the tribunals.

“Following a review of the governorship re-run election in Bauchi, Sokoto and Adamawa States, it is evident that massive rigging, thuggery and vote-

buying characterised the exercise.

“It should be noted that while the APC have over two- third of the members of the State House of Assembly in Bauchi and a clear majority in Sokoto State from the governorship elections, the re-run was rigged and were conducted without regards to laid down rules and regulations of INEC.” “To this end, the outcome of these reruns will be challenged at the election tribunals to reclaim our mandates in those states.”

Nabena stated.

Meanwhile, APC has described as laughable and politicallysponsored the allegation that Kwara State governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq forged the Senior Secondary School Certificate he presented for election.

In statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre IsaOnilu, the party said it can affirm that all documents submitted

by Abdulrazaq are authentic.

“Our attention has been drawn to the politically-sponsored and laughable allegation against the Kwara State governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq that he forged the Senior Secondary School Certificate he presented for election.

Our party affirms its confidence in our governorelect and equally affirm that all documents he submitted are authentic,” it said.

APC said it was aware of the desperation of the sponsors of the campaign of calumny to get power through the backdoor after the crushing defeat they suffered from the Kwara electorate in the last general election.

“While it is the right of the rejected opposition and their proxies to approach the election tribunal relying on their flimsy and false claims, we assure Kwarans that it is an exercise in futility and will surely come to nought,” the party explained.

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

ACF Urges FG to Tackle Increasing Wave of Kidnapping John Shiklam in Kaduna The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has appealed to the federal government to take urgent steps to combat the increasing wave of kidnapping and banditry in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto States.

In a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna, the forum said it was worried with reports of the spate of kidnappings on the highways and frequent attacks on villages by bandits which have led to the death of hundreds of innocent lives.

The statement which was signed by the spokesman of the forum, Muhammad Ibrahim, said: “Frequent kidnappings, especially along Kaduna-Abuja express highway and many villages in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kaduna States as well as many other parts of the country, are cruel, barbaric and inhuman.

“ACF, therefore, condemns

these unwarranted and unbridled kidnappings and killings of people by some unknown gunmen. ”This is a serious challenge to the government, our military and other security agencies as the spate of attacks is getting vicious and unacceptable. ”The establishment of Military Joint Task Force and other security operational command bases in Zamfara, Sokoto and other flash point states to combat the bandits activities in the region need to redouble their efforts in order to put an end to this daily loss of innocent lives and destruction of property.”

The forum also called on the security agencies to employ new strategies and intelligence gathering needed to effectively smoke-out the kidnappers and bandits from their hideouts.

The statement urged the police to deploy more personnel to the affected states and highways to “not only repel attacks, but to also

go after the perpetrators and bring them to book. ”ACF appeals to the federal government to seriously reexamine its security apparatus and take adequate

measures that will increase the number of police personnel; train them and provide equipment and other logistic support to effectively tackle this menace.

”ACF equally urges the communities to cooperate with the security agencies by way of intelligence gathering and sharing.

“We extend our condolences

to the families of the innocent souls killed in the dastardly acts of these kidnappers and bandits, the people as well as governments of the affected states.”

Rivers APC: Absence of INEC’s Lawyer Stalls Hearing in Abe, Cole’s Appeals at Supreme Court Alex Enumah in Abuja Hearing in four appeals on the primary election of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State for nomination of candidates for the 2019 general election was stalled at the Supreme Court yesterday following the absence of counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the need for parties to regularise their processes in the suit.

The Supreme Court had last Monday adjourned till April 4 to hear all pending appeals relating to the Rivers State APC’s primary.

Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad fixed the date for hearing on all the various appeals after addressing some preliminary issues on the appeals.

The appeals are: SC/ 1972019 filed by Magnus Abe and some others, with APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed among the respondents; SC 295/ 20019, filed by APC, with PDP listed among respondents; SC266, filed by APC, with Magnus Abe and others as respondents, and SC/267/2019 filed by Tonye Patrick Cole, with Magnus Abe and 48 others as respondents.

However, when the matter was called yesterday, Senator Abe’s counsel, Henry Bello, informed the apex court of his motion seeking to amend his appeal.

The matter was, however, stalled as a result of the absence of counsel to INEC, which is the first respondent.

Although Bello applied to the apex court to stand down the matter for few hours to enable the counsel who was said to be airborne arrive and join them in the hearing, the seven-man panel led by the Acting CJN, Justice Muhammad, however ruled that

the apex court does not stand down matters for anybody or group.

Subsequently, the matter was adjourned till Monday April 8 for hearing.

Hearing in the other suits filed by Tonye cole, a factional governorship candidate of the APC and the APC were however adjourned till April 11 to enable parties file and exchange necessary processes.

Justice Muhammad in addition abridged time for the parties to file and exchange the brief of argument since the cases, being pre-election matters, were time-bound.

However, in a fourth appeal by the APC seeking a consolidation of all existing appeals relating to the primary elections, the court adjourned the matter indefinitely for parties to regularise their processes.

Other members of the sevenman panel of the Supreme Court are Justices Olabode RhodesVivour, Olukayode Ariwoola, Amiru Sanusi, Paul Galinje, Amina Augie, and Uwani Abba-Aji. Senator Abe, in his own appeal, has asked the apex court to determine the authenticity or otherwise of the direct primary conducted by the APC in Rivers State for the nomination of its candidates for the 2019 general election.

Abe, who is a factional leader of the Rivers APC, had prayed the apex court to make a final pronouncement on the legality of both direct and indirect primary polls conducted by the two factions of the party last year.

The motion dated March 1, was predicated on eight grounds and affidavit of urgency among which is that the matter being a pre-election suit must by law be fully determined within 60 days.

THANK YOU VISIT...

L-R: Former Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Ajiwole Adeleye; and Onikoro of Ikoro-Ekiti, Oba Olarewaju Adebanjo; during a thank-you visit by traditional rulers from Ijero Local Government Area to the governor in Ado-Ekiti…recently

Police Sack Inspector for Killing Kolade Johnson The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed an officer, Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan, after he was found guilty of “killing Kolade Johnson”.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Lagos State, Mr Bala Elkana, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

The dismissal came four days after Johnson was shot by the police officer while he was watching a televised football match in Mangoro area of Lagos.

Consequently, Olalekan and one Sergeant Godwin Orji were apprehended for their alleged involvement in the killing of the victim.

According to the police, the suspects were subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings, known as Orderly Room Trial by the command.

In the course of the trial, which commenced on Monday, both officers were tried on three counts bordering on discreditable conduct,

unlawful exercise of authority, as well as action contrary to the Police Act and Regulations.

The trial started with the reading of charges and taking of plea by the suspects, while five witnesses testified in the case.

At the conclusion of the trial yesterday, the police found Olalekan guilty of discreditable conduct by “shooting and killing Kolade Johnson,” among other offences.

The Adjudicating Officer,

Indyar Apev, thereafter, awarded the punishment of dismissal from service and prosecution against him.

On the other hand, the command said there was no evidence linking Sergeant Orji to the shooting and was discharged and acquitted, accordingly.

It added that Olalekan has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, Panti for prosecution in court.

Robbers Kill Anglican Church Bursar, Cart Away Cash in Akure James Sowole in Akure Armed robbers yesterday killed the Bursar of the Anglican Church, Akure Diocese, Ondo State, Mr. Gabriel Kolawole Abiodun, and carted away with the money belonging to the church.

Abiodun, 58, was killed by the robbers who trailed him to his office within the premises of diocesan office complex at Alagbaka, Akure, from the bank where he had gone to withdraw the money.

It was also learnt that the three man gang came in a Toyota Corolla car with grey colour.

When THISDAY visited the scene, there was a pool of blood in the bursar’s office and at the entrance into the office.

An eye witness in the office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he and others were in the office when the bursar returned from the bank.

According to him, “I was sitting down opposite the main entrance to the bishop’s office. As the bursar entered, two men with guns followed him. I thought the people following him were security men.

“We suddenly heard gun shots while the man made a shout. The men, after shooting him, left the office and left in their waiting vehicle.”

Speaking to journalists on the incident, Venerable Blessing Aregbesola, the Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of the Akure Diocese, Simeon Borokini, described

the incident as shocking and very unfortunate.

“The issue of insecurity in Nigeria is becoming embarrassing.

Someone went to bank around 8:30 and within just 30 minutes, he was gunned down, that means nobody is safe. It’s very unfortunate.

“We have reported to the police, DSS and I think we should allow them to do their work, but to us, it’s unacceptable.

“They followed him with a corolla car down to the compound; they were three in number, two followed him to the office with gun and they shot him and made away with the money.

“We rushed him to the hospital but died before on

the way.

“He has been working with us for the past eight years,” Aregbesola said.

Speaking on the matter, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, said officers of the command have visited the place.

Joseph said the command had launched a man-hunt for the fleeing robbers, expressing optimism that they would be arrested.

The PPRO, however, enjoined members of the public to always seek assistance of the police whenever they want to move large sum of money.

He said though the exact amount was not known to the police but it was over N500, 000.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͳ˜ 2019

COMMENT

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

BUHARI’S NEW MANDATE AND NATIONAL UNITY Usman B. Balarabe canvasses national consensus as path to sustainable development

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igerians will not forget in a hurry the tragic events of the past characterized by terrible memories of horrendous attacks by insurgents in the North eastern states, the ethno-religious crisis as well as skirmishes between farmers and herders which displaced many from their ancestral abodes.

It is therefore imperative at this time to recognize and give credit to whoever helps and preaches the promotion of national security and protection of national interest.

The re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari offers a new impetus for promotion of national understanding, in the spirit of give and take. It provides a lesson in perseverance, political tolerance and belief in the real tenets of democracy.

In Nigeria’s democratic system, the two-term tenure remains the prime privilege that a candidate sponsored by a political party could enjoy after a re-election to that same political office. Evidently, Buhari’s re-election bid was influenced by his popularity and commendable efforts to facilitate and ensure good governance, transparency and a corrupt free nation. However, the programmes and policies of the administration coupled with the president’s avowed commitment to due process have increased the delivery of infrastructural and social developments; promising signposts for social transformation in Nigeria.

Virtually all Nigerians now appreciate the great efforts of the Buhari administration in almost all sectors.

But the most critical areas that have received priority attention in the last four years include, but not limited to corruption, security, and employment.

Right from inception of Nigeria, corruption has been a debilitating cankerworm, one of the major factors that has kept Nigeria’s prosperity comatose, making the nation’s economy totter and stutter. It is evident that even during the first and second republics, corruption played a very vital role in slowing down Nigeria’s advancement. Politics was used as a lucrative game of cupidity by unpatriotic politicians who embezzled public funds for personal enrichment. The coming of the Buhari administration brought positive transforma-

THE COMING OF THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION BROUGHT POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION THAT INTRODUCED A SUPERIOR WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION WITH THE COLLABORATION OF THE MEDIA, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS

tion that introduced a superior war against corruption with the collaboration of the media, civil society organizations as well as the citizens, encouraged by the whistle-blowing policy which paved way for exposing corruption and corrupt politicians.

The obnoxious inter-ethnic and communal crisis we experienced in this country is beyond description.

Hundreds of innocent people were killed; thousands were made homeless, and many others were traumatized as a result of this outrageous intolerance that has seemed intractable. The Buhari administration has tactically dealt with all of that, restored confidence, especially among those living in the Northeastern part of country where the crisis is prevalent and the tension is dense. The cessation of attacks and the relative peace enjoyed in the hitherto blood-soaked communities in the North hold the secret to President Buhari’s success in the last election. He indeed deserves some accolades and commendation in appreciation of his modest achievements.

The level of unemployment has reduced drastically, hundreds of young people are now empowered and inspired to start local businesses with the intervention of the federal government. No one can deny the impact of intervention programmes as N-Power, P-Yes, Tradermoni and the commercial agricultural scheme driven by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Millions of young people have benefited from these interventions and got rescued from their miserable state of poverty. In the last two years, the statistics of unemployed youths in the county has reduced to a great extent. One can say confidently that no previous administration ever recorded such a feat in employment creation.

Nigeria is moving forward, Buhari is steering the wheel to drive Nigerians into the next level in order to get Nigeria working again. Our collective participation and collective action remains the only way to rejuvenate Nigeria’s democracy and redefine its rotten system. Going forward, the nation now requires a national consensus on a definitive path of sustainable development.

Balarabe is a Kano-based journalist

WILL THE APC SURVIVE? There is so much work to do for its survival, argues Iliyasu Gadu

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s the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fresh from its victory at the 2019 elections goes through the motions of preparing itself for the tasks that lie ahead it is necessary to appraise the party’s performance at the elections and the fallouts this performance threw up with a view to determining how the party will measure up to the expectations of Nigerians in the next four years.

Let us begin with the elections.

Nigerians viewed this as the litmus test of how the APC will fare in the first elections to be conducted under its watch. In this regard there was a general expectation that as a party which came to power in the 2015 elections with a stated commitment to upholding the rule of law and due process, the APC will by the conduct of its internal processes convince Nigerians to expect a comparative qualitative improvement in the 2019 elections from what we have come to experience under elections conducted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when it held sway.

In the run up to the 2015 elections the APC by the conduct of its internal processes earned universal admiration and hope as the beacon of our democratic future.

In the 2019 however the APC arrived the elections bearing the same ills that we have come to identify with the PDP which to a large extent led to its loss of power in 2015. In many states the rule of thumb was for governors to seek to hijack the

party machinery with a view to isolating perceived political opponents. We all saw the fallouts from those acts of political chicanery wherein the APC became riven with factions in ferocious political battles with each often tearing the much needed cohesion and focus of the party.

Of course APC party apologists sought to deflect the spate of civil wars in the party as an indication of democracy at work. But nobody was deceived because Nigerians saw clearly that the factional political battles raging in the APC were not to advance some fundamental democratic ideals of benefit to Nigerians, but more to advance the personal pecuniary interests of the political figures and the factions they led.

APC apologists can continue in denial of the existential situation within the party but the results of the 2019 elections and how the APC fared present the true picture of things.

In the 2019 presidential elections which the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari won, the total votes was less than what he garnered in 2015 as a challenger against then President Goodluck Jonathan. The question to ask is if President Buhari had impacted so positively on Nigerians why did he score fewer votes in 2019 than in 2015? Indeed if that were the case he should have won by a far greater margin than he returned in the 2019 elections.

Again many expected that President Buhari’s victory at the presidential polls would result in the APC gaining more

PDP states in the governorship elections.

But here the APC suffered defeats in Benue, Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa and Oyo states and kept Kano by a narrow margin in what many justifiably feel was under questionable circumstances. Clearly the expected Buhari bandwagon effect that swept PDP states in 2015 did not materialise in 2019 and indeed was of little consequence. With their noses ahead from the just concluded elections, the PDP stands in pole position to claim the next governorship elections in Ondo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Edo and Kogi States. Does that not lay bare the existential situation in the APC? Had the governorship and houses of assembly election taken place first, could the APC hope to win the presidential elections?

Against this background anybody assigned to look at the tea leaves for the APC will not fail to notice the dangers that lie ahead for the party.

In this regard, the great headwind ahead for the APC as it tries to navigate through the coming four years has to do with the status of President Buhari in the party and polity and the permutations of the 2023 elections.

By sheer force of his personality, President Buhari has been without question the most outstanding political figure around whom the APC was built and sustained. The elections of 2015 and 2019 were won by the APC largely on account of this factor. But as he will be status barred in the 2023 elections many believe

that the APC will struggle hard to keep itself together approaching the elections.

For the APC, this will not be helped that in the 2019 elections, Nigerians by their votes demonstrated greater love for Muhammadu Buhari the person than the party itself. The question to ask is who can the party turn to within its ranks to play the role that President Buhari has been playing in keeping the party together and boosting its electoral chances and performances?

Notwithstanding its victory at the 2019 polls, the APC is a deeply wounded party.

In the coming months the combination of the absence of the Buhari factor in the 2023 elections, the fierce unbridled ambitions of leading political figures as the jockey for vantage positions towards 2023 elections, the deepening irreconcilable differences between the various political factions within the party will stress the party acutely.

Basking currently in the afterglow of victory it is tempting to dismiss these existential issues within the APC. But unless the APC comes to terms with these political headwinds and initiate urgent and drastic measures in the form of genuine party reforms and constituting an honest dialogue within its ranks and with the Nigerian people who clearly are losing the faith they reposed in the party as the fallouts of the 2019 elections show, the APC stands the distinct risk of self-destruction sooner or later.

Ilgad2009@gmail.com

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019

EDITORIAL Containing The Cancer Epidemic Government could do more in curbing the scourge

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he World Health Organisation (WHO) recently estimated that in 2018, no fewer than 116,000 new cases of cancer and 41,000 cancerrelated deaths were recorded in Nigeria. As alarming as those figures may seem, the situation may actually be far worse. Yet the increasing cases of cancer infections among Nigerians, young and old, only help to make life and living a little more precarious. In recent years, reported cases of people afflicted with cancer in the country have been on a steady rise.

While donating breast prostheses and prosthetic bras worth over N2 million to breast cancer survivors in collaboration with Polaris Bank recently, the Care Organisation Public Enlightenment (COPE) Executive Director, Mrs Ebun Anozie, expressed concerns that 70 per cent of cancer patients are misdiagnosed in Nigeria while the ill-equipped and inefficient health facilities continue to hamper treatment of patients. “My late father, for example, was REGULAR EXERCISE, misdiagnosed and badly treated in his LOSING WEIGHT cancer journey. Sadly, AND IMBIBING THE I have witnessed CULTURE OF HEALTH cases. We MAINTENANCE COULD numerous have many cases of a REDUCE THE RISK BY 50 false positive and false PER CENT negative”, Anozie said.

It is bad enough that cancer is a terminal disease, it is worse that most Nigerian medical centres lack the diagnostic capacity to quickly detect and treat cancer infections.

This has greatly compounded the problem, forcing several Nigerians who can afford it to travel to countries like India, the Emirates, United Kingdom, etc., in search of treatment for the disease. The economic consequence of this is that it has led to so much capital flight while most medical experts are now agreed that the disease has become an important health care concern

for the country. Further complicating the situation is the very low awareness of the scourge, especially among rural women.

Medical experts somewhat differ on the likely causes of cancer but there is a consensus that it is largely the consequence of lifestyle. People’s dietary habits, lack of exercise, irregular or no breast examination, and lack of mammogram checks (especially for those 40 years old and more) are major factors. Research has also shown that cancer could occur more with people who eat much red and processed meat because such meat is known to have plenty of cancer-causing chemicals and fats. Still, many believe that the major cause is the habit of the people which is not helped by government policy or lack of one. For instance, while most countries are making stringent laws against tobacco, our government seems to be encouraging it.

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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

e believe that the task of saving its citizens from the cancer scourge remains essentially with government which has to provide both the basic facilities to combat the disease and to create the enabling environment that can facilitate the collaboration of the private sector in tackling the menace. Increased awareness campaigns, improvements in public health and increased funding for health care initiatives - by government, donor agencies, and development partners - are all likely to lead to a decrease in the incidence of this killer disease. Nigerians themselves must also begin to imbibe the culture of regular medical check up so they can commence treatment of any diagnosed ailment promptly. Regular exercise, losing weight and imbibing the culture of health maintenance could reduce the risk by 50 per cent.

While the alarming rate of death from cancer points to the state of medical institutions in Nigeria, it is important for critical stakeholders to understand the danger the disease poses to the future of our country.

That should encourage discussions on how to fashion both preventive and curative solutions at all levels of the society.

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NIGERIA: HAUNTED BY THE BLOOD OF INNOCENTS

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he life of a cat in Europe is much more valuable and protected than the life of a Nigerian living in Nigeria. In fact, there is a European convention for the protection of pet animals. Article three of this convention states: “Nobody shall cause a pet animal unnecessary pain, suffering or distress. Nobody shall abandon a pet animal.”

Really, there is something revolting about a people with an abbreviated capacity for shock and action against government’s inertia. Since January there have been daily episodes of slaughter in Zamfara State. Even at the weekend, dozens of people were reported killed in the state. But sadly, there is no security plan to stop these unhinged killings.

A few months ago, more than 100 Nigerian soldiers were savagely massacred by Islamic State in West Africa.

Some of these soldiers had young families. I recall one soldier who was said to be two-week old in matrimony, and another with a pregnant wife. Not a single officer in the leadership of the military took a fall or responsibility for this painful and embarrassing loss.

Currently, there is a propaganda video by Boko Haram showing its execution of Nigerian soldiers in circulation. This anomaly will continue because there is no consequence for incompetence here. And where there is no sanction for unmitigated incompetence, failure is normalised.

Last week, the President of Chad sacked the country’s

military chief for the killing of 23 soldiers by Boko Haram. This is a country with far less fortune and capacity than Nigeria. But the difference is leadership.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

As a matter of fact, one thing that makes leaving Nigeria attractive is the unceasing executions - avoidable, careless, and ruthless deaths. The killing of Kolade Johnson in the unlikeliest of places is one of them.

Citizens are killed daily and harassed by people who are paid to protect them. And the gnawing fact is that there is no penalty for these acts of moral turpitude.

Some weeks ago, the video of a customs officer shooting a man who allegedly refused to give him a bribe rippled on social media. Without a detailed investigation, the customs within the hour issued a statement defending and rationalising the killing. To date, nothing has come out of this case.

And the beat goes on until another citizen is cut down by the scythe of blood-hounding security agents.

Thinking spiritually, countries, where innocent blood flow freely in the streets cannot make progress with the wraiths hanging around them until the killings stop and justice done to the lost souls. A good example is Afghanistan.

It is really troubling. Death hovers everywhere. If you are not killed by those, who are supposed to protect you, you may be felled by the bullets of armed robbers, kidnappers, bandits or terrorists.

Fredrick Nwabufo,fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com

PLEASE, NULLIFY TRANSITIONAL ELECTRICITY MARKET ORDER

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ransitional electricity market order is responsible for stranded energy and discos monopoly in the power sector. President Buhari needs to nullify the existing Transition Electricity Market (TEM) to reclaim high power users under the 11 distribution companies (DisCos). It is imperative for President Buhari and NERC to nullify the order on TEM to stop Nigeria’s plan to sell electricity to a neighbouring country, Burkina Faso.

President Buhari needs to nullify the existing TEM to put a stop to stranded energy in Nigeria. The company that operates Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants said the company is left with no choice than to find reliable buyers for the rejected power generated. The company was left with no option than to sell the balance to other African countries that are willing to pay. In fact, they are willing to take up the whole electricity invoice at a higher price than what Nigerians are willing to pay. The company is not the first to take such an action as Nigerian power firms have been known to sell electricity to Togo, Benin Republic, and other African countries.

Transitional electricity market order allows Nigeria to supply electricity to Burkina Faso amid cries of acute power deficit by Nigerians.

In June 2018, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, declared that about 2,000MW of electricity produced by power generation companies had been stranded, as Discos lacked the capacity to take all the generated electricity.

To effectively utilise the stranded power, the government introduced the Eligible Customer Policy, an initiative that empowers power consumers to buy electricity directly from generation companies instead of waiting to be supplied power by the Discos.

Power generation companies (Gencos) in Nigeria have alleged that the TEM does not exist. Mr President needs to review states and local government investments before the power privatization in 2013. The TEM was unveiled in 2015. The commercial interactions between operators were expected to be backed with contracts such as the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Ancillary Agreements, Gas Supply Agreements (GSA), and Vesting Contracts, amongst others, under the TEM. Inwalomhe Donald, Benin City

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019

POLITICS

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

Imagine the Future of Imo Greg Mbadiwe

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ollowing the outcome of primary elections across the parties in late 2018, anxieties began to mount over an imminent implosion in our dear state, Imo, should either of the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Action Alliance (AA) eventually emerge as governor in the general elections. The two parties had as their governorship candidates indigenes of Orlu zone, in the persons of Senator Hope Uzodimma and Mr. Uche Nwosu. Uzodimma was highly rated as likely to emerge chiefly on account of his potential backing by the APC’s federal might. Nwosu was being sponsored by the state governor who is also his father-in-law, and who was said to have amassed a war chest of a quantom never known before in electoral contests in this part of the world.

Thus, against the backdrop of the protracted agitation by the people of Owerri zone for the office of the governor to be ceded to it, coupled with a general resentment of what appeared to be a monopolization of the office by Orlu zone, tension mounted in the state.

Matters were not helped by the posturing of some elements in Okigwe zone who similarly argued that the zone should be allowed to do another four years on the seat, on the basis that the tenure of His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, was prematurely aborted in 2011. From that zone emerged at least two strong governorship candidates, Ohakim and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.

Although Owerri zone threw up the highest number of candidates, that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Emeka Ihedioha, became the focal point. That decision by a majority of the people of Owerri zone to back Ihedioha was deliberate and calculated; predicated on the latter’s track record of performance, steadfastness and honesty.

They were also encouraged by the peace and tranquility that reigned in the PDP which was the only party that conducted its primaries without rancor, a thing several pundits attributed to the maturity Ihedioha himself brought into the contest (primary election) which he won.

Support for Ihedioha transcended his

Ihedioha

native Owerri zone. From Orlu came strong backing from well-meaning stakeholders in the area, who, apart from agreeing with the Owerri zone aspiration, saw in him, qualities that set him aside as the most promising candidate state-wide. From Okigwe zone, where several leaders refused to be sold on the extra four-year mantra, support for the Owerri zone agitation heightened once Chukwuemeka Ihedioha emerged as a candidate.

Ihedioha’s candidacy became a panImo project. His party was the only one that was not bedeviled by a post-primary crisis. That was a huge attraction for the generality of the people of the state who expressed open resentment to the deep rancor that enveloped the other parties.

In the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), for example, not a few Imolites were contemptuous of the way the party went about selecting its governorship candidate.

In the APC, the big fight that ensued between Governor Okorocha and Hope Uzodimma gave an early inkling that the latter was going to be vulnerable, more so with the type of tactics the national leadership of the party went about the Imo affair. Not even in the AA was there any harmony. Up till this moment, there is still a court case between Nwosu and one Okoletie over the party’s governorship candidate.

It was this instability and indeed rascality among members and leaders in the other three major parties that constituted the second reason for the massive preference for the PDP and its candidate among a great majority of Imolites. At a point, neither APC’s fabled federal might nor AA’s rumored war chest appeared capable of reducing, even by one inch, the attachment of a majority of the Imo electorate to Ihedioha and his party. The message was simple: Imolites were not ready to vote for APC, no matter how invincible its candidate might be, because of the manner Governor Okorocha handled the affairs of the state. His administration was characterized by gross political miscalculations anchored on nepotism, high handedness and arbitrariness. Consequently, the people resolved not to have anything to do with any governorship candidate sponsored by Okorocha, no matter how pious or innocent he or she might be.

In other words, apart from the fact that Nwosu is Okorocha son-in-law, the mere thought of him taking over was too grave to contemplate, despite the rumoured billions of Naira the governor had put aside for the project.

I was accosted several times by journalists to comment on the matter of Owerri zone and its aspirations, vis-à-vis the apparent fear that Orlu, where I come from, may grab the position once again.

And my response was always that as far as I was concerned, the fact that my party, the PDP, had chosen its candidate from Owerri zone, more so one of the caliber of Hon. Ihedioha, put the matter to rest. I always stated that I was certain that Ihedioha had the capacity to defeat the other candidates regardless of their fabled connections and financial leverage and that as such, it would be superfluous to dwell on the threats of an imaginary crisis.

My belief in his candidacy was predicated on the pragmatic way he went about his gubernatorial bid. As a party man, I had to work with my party’s candidate but I must confess that in all my political career, I had never been so enthused about a governorship candidate as I was with Ihedioha. I noticed that he still manifested a great zeal for his ambition regardless of the disappointments

of 2015. Indeed, he showed uncommon charisma when, even before the commencement of the 2019 electioneering campaigns, he reached out to those who, in one way or the other, worked against the 2015 project whether in or outside the party. He visited every nook and cranny of the state. He went to the people in their homes and, in the very language they understand, explained to them his plans for recovering and rebuilding the state. He unveiled an integrated developmental agenda for ushering in a new and greater Imo and the highly knowledgeable and sophisticated electorate believed him.

The former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives has this priestly disposition that is at once stern and giving the beholder an assurance that what he says he will do. Little wonder the catch phrase of his campaign was, “My Word, My Bond”. Perhaps nothing else illustrates this tenet more than the resilience and steadfastness he showed to the PDP faithful in the state during the leadership crisis that nearly led to the death of the party.

The crisis that rocked the PDP was a national one but Imo state was the very epitome of it, to the extent that up till now, political scientists are still at a loss as to how the state chapter that once had as many as five different factions, each with its own executive, could eventually come together again under one umbrella and go ahead to reclaim power in the fiercest political contest ever witnessed in the history of the entire country; thanks to the resilience, honesty and exemplary leadership of Ihedioha and a few others who believed in him.

The PDP, under Ihedioha, has resolved one issue that the state has been confronted with for more than 20 years, namely, how to implement the Imo Charter of Equity in respect of the office of the governor of the state. Incidentally, it was during the period I was running for the office in 1998 that Imo leaders across the state came up with the idea. Unfortunately, we got stuck with it in 2011 under circumstances that are perhaps too well known. I think it is sufficient to state that I am certain that Imo will be rebranded and taken to greater heights under Ihedioha. I can imagine the future of our dear state.

A Hard Lesson to Governor Yari Sola Olugbemiro

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hose who the gods want to kill, they first make mad. This aphorism may be playing out in the life of the self-imposed lord of Zamfara politics who is soon to meet his waterloo at the temple of justice if found guilty of the litany of allegations against him.

The embattled Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari of Zamfara State is not finding things easy given the barrage of weighty accusations pointing to his overreaching influence and undue interference on due process in his state and even beyond. He is accused of having turned Zamfara into his personal estate, while using instruments of state to subdue perceived enemies.

Recent reports accuse him of highhandedness, disrespect to party hierarchy and wanton corruption.

As if this was not enough, the recalcitrant Yari has refused to retrace his steps. He is now so unpopular his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced itself from him. The party is embarrassed that Yari’s unwholesome activities has led to a matter at the Sokoto Division of the Appeal Court in the substantive suit regarding his role in the Zamfara APC governorship primaries, particularly his imposition of a preferred candidate against

the wishes of the party’s stakeholders from the ward to the national levels.

Several disclosures backed with legal references from various respected legal practitioners in Nigeria have jointly and severally asserted that no any reasonable court of law in Nigeria can legalize the so-called primary election by the APC in Zamfara State. Available facts indicate that APC didn’t conduct an acceptable primary in Zamfara.

As provided by the electoral act and the party’s constitution ‘primaries are to be conducted not by the state governors, primaries are to be conducted by electoral panel sent by the party’s NWC, the results of which are to be announced by the returning officer who officially chairs the primary election, not the party state chairman or any other party official for that matter.’

From the foregoing, it only stands to reason and common sensibility that Yari is already a goner and is only marking time, because once the national chairman of your party is not in sync with you, the people you have ( mis )governed and embezzled their money, the traditional rulers, civil society groups, and lawyers of note including the international community, are all against his untoward antics and anti-party activities, all of which have piled up to paint him a Judas Iscariot.

The Appeal Court sitting in Sokoto on Monday, March 25 summarily set aside a judgment of a high court, which allowed the APC to field candidates in the 2019 elections in Zamfara State, a judgment that has been hailed across board, with the stringent call urging INEC to return Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates as winners.

The PDP had insisted that the APC participated illegally in the Zamfara State governorship election. It said this was evident in the ruling of the Court of Appeal that nullified the primary that produced the governorship candidate of the APC who participated in the election.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, applauded the court for the judgment, saying that the “night ruling that INEC relied on to allow the APC participate in the election was suspicious.” He said, “The Court of Appeal judgment has vindicated us. The judiciary is alive and we are happy for that. Though the judges are facing a lot of challenges from an intimidating government, we are however happy that the judges are strong and telling the truth to power.” Justice Yakubu, who delivered the unanimous judgment, said all evidence placed before the court had shown that the respondents (APC and others) did not conduct primary elections which accordingly, contravened

the electoral law.

He stated, “We have looked at the exhibits 4, 7 and 8 which are very clear that primary election was not conducted.

Evidence shows that the state governor only appointed a special committee that later came up with candidates’ names in place of primary elections. So far, all evidence constituted that primary election was not conducted which contravened the electoral law.”

The judge also faulted the lower court for relying heavily on oral evidence in taking its decision, saying “oral evidence cannot be used to discredit any written evidence.

A procedure must be followed whether there is an order or not. “ This court hereby set aside the judgment of the trial court. This must be a hard and bitter lesson for all political parties who will not follow the guidelines,” part of the judgment read.

On lack of jurisdiction to entertain the suit as argued by the appellants, the Appeal Court submitted that the lower court had power to determine such a case in accordance with the law, and therefore ruled in respondents’ favour. Lawyers have referred to the Zamfara ruling as a lesson for INEC, politicians and parties.

-Olugbemiro, a journalist and media practitioner writes from Gusau

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PERSPECTIVE

An Appraisal of Ahmed Lawan’sVision for the 9th Senate Durosinmi Meseko

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t is no longer news that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State as the party’s candidate for the position of President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly. The party hinged its decision to field Lawan on the outcome of extensive consultations with members-elect, stakeholders as well as the cognate experience of the Senator. Expectedly, Senator Lawan has since hit the ground running alongside his campaign team.

During a campaign visit to Lagos earlier in the week, he unveiled his campaign slogan, “A Senate and National Assembly that works for Nigeria.” According to him, the main agenda is to have a Senate and National Assembly that will work with the Nigerian people. “We need a National Assembly that will look at Nigeria as its constituency. We want a Senate and a National Assembly that will maintain cordiality, synergy and cooperation with other arms of government,” he stated, adding that the welfare of Nigerians must not be compromised, stressing that jobs and wealth should not be concentrated in few hands.

In his words, “you can’t sleep with two eyes closed if wealth does not go round.” Senator Lawan said the 9th Senate should assist the country by helping President Muhammadu Buhari achieve his agenda in the areas of security, economy, job creation and anti-corruption battles.

According to him, the concept of separation of powers should not translate into an unnecessary rift that will cripple the harmonious working relationship amongst the various

Lawan

organs of government to the detriment of the country. The relationship amongst these organs of government, he stressed, should be characterized by cooperation, collaboration, partnership and synergy.

“We may disagree. Our perspectives may differ. We don’t go to the market square to settle our differences. We should be able to meet and discuss issues and make compromise in national interest. That is the way to grow democracy. We may disagree, but the

disagreement should not escalate,” he declared.

On what qualifies him for the exalted office, Lawan said his progressive stance over the years would serve as a major advantage. “I have been in National Assembly for almost 20 years. I have served in the House of Representatives for eight years and in the Senate for 12 years. I am a progressive. I was an APP and later ANPP House of Representatives member and I am now in the APC. I believe

in progressive politics, in ensuring that ordinary people – the masses-get support and opportunities to actualize their potentials and dreams. We should support entrepreneurship and business to grow and thrive for employment to boom.” The progressive disposition of Senator Lawan as well as his people-oriented policy plans has not gone unnoticed by some members –elect and members of his campaign team. Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano North, who is the campaign Secretary, said with Senator Lawan’s agenda, Nigerians should brace up for a people friendly 9th Assembly. “You can see that apart from his cognate experience, Lawan means well for the Nigerian people, especially the ordinary Nigerians. Therefore, we should expect a preponderance of people-friendly legislations coming out of the Senate. And this is exactly what Nigerians are clamoring for at the moment.” In his reaction, the Chairman of the Campaign committee, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi from Kebbi North declared that Senator Lawan, “is eminently qualified for the position” and has the capacity “ to lead a Senate that will work with the Nigerian people’’.

For the Senator – elect on the platform of the YPP, Ifeanyi Uba, Senator Lawan deserves all the support he can get from all his colleagues and Nigerians in general.

Justifying the inter-party endorsements flowing in for Lawan, Chairman, Senate committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi declared that the PDP will also support Lawan’s ambition to lead the 9th senate.

-Meseko, a Public Affairs Analyst writes from Abuja

Let Justice Reign in Zamfara Dantala Abdullahi

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lections are the hallmarks of representative democracy, which enable the people to decide on the choices of their leaders and policies.

Government agencies entrusted with public responsibilities are expected to discharge such without fear or favour and should be just in their dealings because justice is the foundation of the democratic system.

It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in crisis Zamfara had been lingering since October 2018 between the APC factions loyal to Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari and that of G8 group, which took the party to various courts seeking redress.

Due to the same unresolved internal crises of the party, a Federal High Court in Abuja had stopped the APC from presenting candidates.

The APC candidates for governorship and state house of assembly elections in Zamfara were earlier rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failure to comply with the timetable for conducting primary elections.

But few hours before the general election, a court order cleared APC to participate in the Zamfara governorship elections.

There was a lot of misunderstanding between the party in the state and INEC, but in the end, the court gave a verdict and INEC complied.

After the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC governorship candidate in Zamfara, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu, the winner of the gubernatorial poll in the state.

INEC declared Shehu winner of the election which held on March 9

after polling 534,541 votes to defeat his close challenger of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bello Muhammad Mutawalle, who polled 189,452 votes.

The ruling APC, however, suffered a major setback when the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, declined recognition of its primaries that produced the national and state house of assembly candidates in Zamfara State, including the Governor-elect.

Justice Tom Yakubu of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto had set aside the judgment of a Zamfara High Court on the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries that produced the party’s candidates for the governorship, National and State Assembly elections.

Following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the INEC has suspended issuance of certificate of return to the Governor-elect of the state, Alhaji Muktar Shehu.

The lawyers to the Governor-elect, Magaji Mahmmud (SAN), said his client, “has taken positive steps towards exercising their constitutional right of appeal to the Supreme Court.”

In a letter to the INEC Chairman dated March 26, 2019 written on behalf of the governor-elect and 38 others by their counsel, said the Court of Appeal in Sokoto in its March 25 judgment did not “make any positive consequential order.”

A senator from the state, Kabir Marafa, had at the Court of Appeal challenged the judgment of a Zamfara State High Court, which gave the APC the go-ahead to field candidates during the 2019 polls.

There were reports on Monday that the Court of Appeal nullified the APC primaries in Zamfara State.

But the counsel for the APC candi-

dates, in his letter to INEC, said the Court of Appeal did not make such an order.

He said his clients drew his attention to a letter written by Marafa’s lawyer, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), wherein he stated that, “there is absolutely no legal basis for any of the APC candidates that allegedly emerged victorious from the said sham elections to be issued with any certificate of return.”

Mahmud, SAN, also argued that the judgment of their Lordships which did not contain any positive order in favour of the appellants was supported by the provisions of section 285 (13) of the 1999 Constitution (4th alteration as amended).

INEC has since said that it had been served with the judgment of the appeal court and was studying it.

Faulting INEC decision to withhold the APC candidates’ certificates of return, Mahmud SAN said, “We wish to state that issues of law of this nature are regulated by an order of court or court of law and not by opinion of counsel via a mere letter from chambers.

“May we further emphasise that in the entire judgment of the Court of Appeal, there was neither a positive order made against our clients nor in favour of the appellants.

“Thus, it will be wrong of the commission to rely on the mere speculative letter of the appellants’ counsel at this stage when elections have already been concluded and winners have emerged. The only institution that is empowered to make a positive order in respect of this subject matter is the court of law, and no court of law has made or given an order to that effect.”

Quoting section 233 (3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the solici-

tor stated that the law is trite, and the right of appeal to the Supreme Court is constitutional and no court or any person can take it away by mere letter.

Indeed, this is a good step in protecting democracy because democracy is all about protecting the rights of citizens. Aggrieved members of any election should as a matter of right, head to the Election Petition Tribunals.

The victories of Zamfara APC’s candidates in the elections have been upended by the appellate court’s verdict. They must look to the Supreme Court for a remedy.

Over all, in the spirit of self-preservation, the judiciary, as typified by courts across board, is somewhat mentally applying itself and the law in the determination of all the cases before it, not minding whose ox is gored. That is how it should be.

Throughout history, there have been attempts to thwart the spirit of the laws by undermining the judicial arm of government, and when this happens, the society is worse for it.

The judiciary, though often succumbing to manipulations, is still struggling to survive as an estate of the realm, but still remains the last hope of the common man.

Justice must issue from the Bench without consideration for party affiliations, tribes and religions and justice must be conscientiously bolstered to henceforth speak as the Nigerian judge in the appropriation of a fearless voice. This will preserve the majesty of our Judiciary.

This is a very important step in the process of democratic consolidation in Nigeria and we must do all we can to get it right.

-Abdullahi lives in Abuja

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T H I S D AY Ëž

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

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REPO 9.86 % 10.67 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

;˛ͳ͎ Ϲ 9.63 % 10 %

M A R C H S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

2 9 , 2 0 1 9 386.81 % 0.04 % 1.26 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE 8.36 % YEAR TO DATE 8.36 %

EXCHANGE RATE ͹͎ʹ˛͡ͳ˚ͯ ̊ ̊

Quick Takes Nigeria, Cape Verde Open Talks

THIS IS OUR SCORECARD

L-R: Directors, Africa Prudential Plc, Emmanuel Nnorom; Managing Director/CEO, Peter Ashade; Chairman, Mr. Obong Idiong and Company Secretary, Eniola Fadayomi, at the sixth Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos...recently PHOTO: DAN UKANA

NCS Grants Concession to Freight Forwarders over Trapped Containers Eromosele Abiodun Reprieve has finally come the way of freight forwarders in the country over the trapped third party containers at the Lagos ports.

This is because the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has agreed to resume the clearing procedures of over 5,000 third party containers trapped in the wake of the controversial suspension order.

The reprieve however carries 25 per cent penalty.

THISDAY gathered that the Comptroller General of the NCS, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd.), may have acceded to the appeal for amnesty on the trapped as he has

MARITIME directed that the Area Controllers of customs commands should resume their clearing procedures.

It was further gathered that the compliance team deployed by the customs boss from Abuja to superintendent over the issue has been withdrawn.

The customs authority had in a circular signed by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Issa Talatu in January this year ordered the immediate stop to the clearance of goods that had discrepancies in the names of importers and other information provided in the clearing documents.

Specifically, the customs authority said it was alarmed at the increasing practice among freight forwarders, who clear goods with Form M, Bill of laden and PAAR, that carry different names from that of the consignees.

The customs boss, Hameed Ali, had directed all Area Controllers to suspend the release, forthwith till further notice, any cargoes with discrepancies in their documentation.

Over 5,000 containers were said to have been trapped at the Lagos ports as a result of the directive.

To compound the misery of the distraught freight forwarders, who had severally appealed to

Ali for an amnesty as a result of their plight, the customs helmsman had also deployed multiple units of ad-hoc task force teams whose operations were said to be duplication of customs duties.

The Vice-President of the western zone of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF), Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, who confirmed the cheering development, however said the amnesty granted to the controversial containers was not without a cost.

He disclosed that the owners of the trapped containers would pay Continued on page 22

Experts Highlight Factors Impeding Airport Infrastructure Devt.

Chinedu Eze Nigerians who are hoping that the federal government will concession airport facilities may have to wait longer as THISDAY investigation has revealed that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is a cash cow, which the federal government may not want to part with.

Industry experts believe that the solution to decayed and outmoded airport infrastructure was concession, which would enable the private sector to invest in airport facility development.

The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had repeatedly said the federal government would concession the airports, but THISDAY has gathered that government may not be inclined to doing that soon because of two factors.

This include the fact that the Ministry controls everything

AVIATION that happens in FAAN and may not want to lose control of the agency.

The second factor is that, according to the Managing Director of the agency, Saleh Dunoma, most business activities at the airports had been given out in concession, including catering services, lounging, supplies and other businesses.

Dunoma had explained to THISDAY that it is the private sector that practically runs all the business activities at the airports.

Owing to this, industry experts posited that when the airports are given out in concession, there could be conflict of interests, which could snowball into crisis that would affect management of the airports.

THISDAY interviewed top

officials of the agency who disclosed that the major reasons why the airports have remained in the current state of disrepair was because FAAN management does not take major and critical decisions on how the airport is run and argued that if government allows the management to take full charge of the airports the situation would be positively different.

One of the officials who spoke to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity said, “The interference in the activities of FAAN is not adding value to the aviation sector. Ideally the Ministry is expected to concentrate on policy issues based on reforms from the parastatals, but today the Ministry has got itself involved in the daily activities of the agency, thus making the Managing Director an errand boy.�

The official explained that

the major reason why there is congestion at the airside of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos is because of the failure of the contractor that was awarded the contract to expand the cargo apron by the federal government who collected the full payment for the contract but did not do the job. “The Ministry chose a contractor and give him the job. When the expansion of the apron was given to the contractor, he was mobilised with 70 per cent of the money and after sometime he was fully paid for the contract; yet, he did not do the job. “The contract was awarded again and again and the money was paid but the work was not done. If you cannot control the contractor you are giving a job, how are you going to make sure Continued on page 22

Thefederalgovernmenthasdisclosedthatisinpresentlyholdingtalks withCapeVerdeontheplan tobeginairtransportrelationshipinlinewith existingBilateralAirServiceAgreementbetweenthetwocountries.

Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, made the disclosure after a meeting with CapeVerde representatives on the sidelines of a meeting at the just concluded the First ICAO/UNWTO Ministerial ConferenceonTourismandAirTransportinAfrica,heldinSal,CapeVerde.

According to the minister: “We have just concluded a meeting with Cape Verde authority and they have signified interest to start flight operationsintoNigeria.CapeVerdeiswillingtoexercisetheirrightin the Bilateral Air Service Agreement and hopefully to seek a Nigeria airlinethatwillreciprocatethroughflightoperationintoCapeVerde.� “They will start operations into Nigeria very soon and we hope that Nigeriaairlineswilltaketheopportunitytoo,astheyhavealreadysaid they are looking forward to a Nigerian airline to partner with.�

Apartfromtheflightoperations,thecountryisalsoplanningtoestablish its embassy in the Federal CapitalTerritory, Abuja.

On his twitter handle ‘@hadisirika’, the minister said: “Cape Verde to openanembassyinAbujathisyearandalsotocommencedirectflight�.

AnothersourcewhoisprivytothemeetingsaidCapeVerdehadagreed tofulfilallnecessarycommitmentandgothroughtheprocessinline withinternationalbestpractices.Healsohintedthat‘CapeVerdewas readytobegintheoperationwithitsnationalcarrier,CaboVerdeAirlines and they are looking at this year.’

Qatar Trains Youths

QatarAirwayshasannounceditsstrategiccollaborationwithMcGill University’sInstituteofAirandSpaceLaw,theworld’spremierinstitution forinnovativeresearchandeducationinthefieldofairandspacelaw.

TheinauguralQatarAirways/McGillAirLawMootCourtCompetition and the Qatar Airways/McGill Rising Scholars in Air and Space Law Conference were held in Montreal, Canada, recently and the event was attended by a wide range of government officials and aviation and space industry professionals, as well as scholars and graduate students from more than 20 countries.

The2019QatarAirways/McGillAirLawMootCourtCompetitionwas basedonacasebeforetheInternationalCourtofJusticeconcerning droneinterferencewithoperationsataninternationalairport.Partieshad tomakesubmissionsandpresentargumentsonwhetherarevocation of traffic rights is a justified measure in international aviation.

Participantspresentedtheirresearchonvariousleading-edgetopics, includingthelegalandregulatoryregimeforautonomousflyingtaxisin urbancenters.Prizeswereawardedforthebestoverallpresentation, thebestairlawpresentation,thebestspacelawpresentation,andthe mostinnovativeresearch,aswellasaspecial‘spiritoftheconference’ award.

Air Peace Boss Loses Father

ChiefMichaelChukwukaOnyema(NzeOnyebuchiofMbosi),fatherof theChairman/ChiefExecutiveOfficerofAirPeace,Mr.AllenOnyema, has passed away.

A devout Catholic and community leader, the late Onyema passed on at the weekend. He was 86 years old.

Speaking on the demise of his father, the chairman of Air Peace said he and his siblings would greatly miss their father. He described the departedheadoftheOnyemafamilyofMbosiinIhialaLocalGovernment of Anambra State as “my best friend.�

ThesecondsonandlastsurvivingchildofthelateMr.AlfredOnyema,the lateOnyemawasavaluablememberoftheMbosiTraditionalCouncil and an ichie in the king’s cabinet.

Hewasfamousforhistirelesssacrificialcommunityservice.Hewas themotivatoroftheseveralcorporatesocialresponsibilityprojects undertaken by Air Peace in different areas of Nigeria.

Anamiableandhospitableleader,hewasalsocreditedwiththemass employmentofNigerianswithoutdiscriminationonethnicorreligious basis.

After losing his wife, Mrs. Helen Ekwusi Onyema, at a young age, he shouldered the huge responsibility of catering for the upbringing of his young children alone.

“C-SIRT is not a team of human beings, but a network of computers assembled together to checkmate incidences of cybersecurity on the telecoms network.

Although the C-SIRT network is yet to be fully configured but as soon as that is done, we will go live with it. The essence is to protect the telecoms network from cyber-attacks�

ExecutiveVice Chairman of NCC,

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta

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NCS GRANTS CONCESSION TO FREIGHT FORWARDERS OVER TRAPPED CONTAINERS

Customs Steps Up Anti-smuggling Operations

25 per cent of the total payable duties as a penalty.

He, was however, full of praises for the ComptrollerGenreal, Hameed Ali and DCG, T&T, Issa Talatu, for what he described as their timely intervention to bring succour to the freight forwarders.

An elated Tanko, who also lauded the Customs boss for giving listening ears to the yearnings of the aggrieved Customs brokers, promised the Customs High Command that the agents would not abuse the privileges given to them.

Tanko, also declared that apart from the withdrawal of the Compliance team from the ports, the Customs boss had promised to withdraw other ad-hoc teams from customs clearance procedures at the ports. “I, on behalf of my appreciative colleagues, thank the CG and DCG Talatu for this uncommon gesture and high sense of responsibility they displayed on this matter� “We can only wish that other task force teams are withdrawn from the ports to ensure smooth cargo clearance procedures, “Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim declared.

Some aggrieved Customs brokers under the aegis of Concerned Freight Forwarders in the western zone had recently threatened to go on strike if the task forces such as CG Strike force, compliance team, customs police, Surveillance team, Information team and other ad-hoc teams sent from the headquarters to the ports are not withdrawn within the 72-hours.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘C’, Owerri, Imo State, has stepped up antismuggling operations in the South-south and South-east geopolitical zone with the aim of ridding the area of smugglers.

The command said its operations has continued to record daily success with the seizures made in Benin axis alone from January till date totaling more than N442 million in duty paid value.

Speaking during a press briefing, in Benin Edo State, the Customs Area Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Comptroller Olusemire Kayode said his unit made seizures of rice, brand new and used cars, furniture etc.

He noted that despite several appeals to smugglers to turn a new leaf, some are still bent on smuggling and sabotaging the economy of the nation.

He also stated that the rising compliance level had suffered a setback going by the number of seizures recorded from January till date.

He explained that cars and rice are not prohibitions, adding that their importation should be processed through the seaport and not through the land borders. “The federal government is working towards self sufficiency on rice production but some people are working against government’s initiative by smuggling rice through the land borders. From Calabar to Maidugri, Sokoto to Lagos there is arable land to cultivate and harvest rice. People want to make money quickly and sabotage the economy and frustrate government efforts.

Stop wasting your money and stop wasting your time,�he

EXPERTS HIGHLIGHT FACTORS IMPEDING AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVT.

that the job is done?� he said.

He said the Ministry could make the currently unviable airport viable by giving operators at the airports rebate and encouraging night stop by providing the facilities that would make airlines operate late to the airports.

He said FAAN management should be allowed to do its job, noting that it is only when it fails that government could consider giving out the facilities in concession.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Jonathan Eze

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

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

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Reporters

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Stories by Eromosele Abiodun

advised, explaining that his officers and men are equipped to stop their nefarious activities.

While displaying some of the rice concealed in a cement truck, the Comptroller explained that such actions is injurious to the health and wellbeing of consumers and called for support of the local agriculture industry as well as importation through the appropriate channels. “Look at the Rolls Royce that they tried to smuggle through the bush. I do not know what to say anything about the person who did this but whoever is opportune to import this is bourgeoisie so why would they want to sabotage the economy by not

paying the appropriate duty? “There is also the Brabus G Wagon intercepted without payment of duty. We need to appeal to our conscience to move this country ahead.

Brand new and used luxury vehicles that are bullet proof should come with end user certificate from the national security adviser. “If you want to buy any vehicle obtain the C number and take it to any customs formation to ascertain the payment of duty on the car.

Stop complaining of ignorance when you are caught. “Whoever that is bringing in goods should be prepared to pay duty. You can see that the warehouse is littered with

seizures worth billions of naira, so let us desist and save money for legitimate trade through the payment of appropriate duty.

Arrests were made in all the seizures but the suspects have all been granted administrative bail,� he said.

He explained that the federal government has a lot of attractive programmes for the agricultural industry and urged them to tap into the initiative and make Nigeria prosperous.

While displaying a 1x40 container of furniture sets that was declared as used vehicles, he explained that false declaration is an infraction on extant laws aimed at evading the appropriate payment of

duty.

He commended the officers and men of the unit for their dedication and hard work adding that, “we are dedicated that even during the general election we combined election duties and our anti-smuggling activities. “The Rolls Royce and some of the vehicles were picked up on election day. You know that movement was restricted on Election Day so the smugglers thought that would be the best time to move the vehicles. But despite the fact that we were involved in the election duties we were still carrying out our statutory duty and we were able to intercept them,� he said.

REWARDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY

L-R: Head, Strategy & Business Transformation, Fidelity Bank Plc., Adetunji Mustapha; winner of N1 million, Esther Chinyere Chima and Divisional Head, Retail Bank, Fidelity Bank, Richard Madiebo, at the ďŹ fth monthly prize presentation ceremony of the ‘Get Alert in Millions Season 3’ (GAIM Season 3) held in Lagos‌recently

WACT Acquires Reach Stacker, Terminal Trucks The West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Port, Rivers State, has acquired additional equipment including a reach stacker and two terminal trucks to further boost efficiency and cargo handling operation at the port.

This brings to six the number of trucks acquired by WACT this year, with four previously acquired in February 2019.

Speaking at a ceremony to officially inaugurate the new trucks, the Managing Director of WACT, Aamir Mirza, said four more trucks are expected to arrive the terminal in May 2019, bringing the total to 10 this year.

Mirza said the company has

so far invested $2.5 million in the provision of equipment and the development of facilities at the terminal, adding that the new trucks will improve the level of service and develop the capability of the terminal to handle increasing container volumes. “The trucks are purpose built for terminal operations and can easily manoeuvre inside the terminal. In February, we brought four trucks and now, we have brought two more trucks and four more are on the way. We have bought a third reach stacker, which is used for handling containers and loading them from the port. “With all this equipment

coming in, we are confident that our services will continue to improve. The stakeholders are already acknowledging the presence of the equipment and this is all being done for the customers. This will make them happy so that they can bring more business to Onne Port,� he said.

While expressing appreciation to stakeholders for their support, the WACT MD assured of his company’s commitment to continuous improvement in customer service.

He said: “We want to thank all our customers for their continued support and I can assure you that there is a lot of investment that has been

planned and will we continue to keep you informed as the equipment arrives.�

The Port Manager of Onne Port represented by Mr. Yohana Izam congratulated WACT for its strong commitment to efficiency and top customer service.

He said: “We appreciate the effort WACT has made towards acquiring these trucks. It will help their business and improve overall port performance.�

The ceremony to commission the trucks was attended by several stakeholders including representatives of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), importers, truckers, freight forwarding associations, the Chairman,

Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), Onne Free Zone Chapter, Mike Ebeatu; Chairman, Ports Consultative Council (PCC), Eastern Ports, Chief Godwin Ololuka; and representative of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), Obinna Ugochukwu, among others.

WACT, which started commercial operations in 2007, is the most customer friendly port facility in the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria.

With a capacity of 314,000 TEUs, 375 reefer plugs and berths with depth of up to 12 meters, it is also the most efficient gateway to most markets outside the Lagos area.

NPA Concludes Port Managers’ Harbours Training The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is gradually moving towards getting the International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9001:2015 Certification as it concludes training for port managers and officers of the Harbours department of the authority.

Speaking at the end of the training, Country Director of Renner and Renner, the consultant contracted by the NPA to prepare the agency for certification project, Ms Ibby

Iyama, said that the ‘Phase 5: Quality Management System, QMS, Implementer, Training and Sensitisation’ sessions held for senior executives comprising all port managers of the four pilotage districts of the agency.

Iyama also said that the training combined both implementation and training of staff on the requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 standards and incorporated key clauses like Context of the Organisation, Leadership, Planning, Support,

Operation, Performance Evaluation and Improvement.

Besides, the training which, covered context of the agency’s internal & external issues, stakeholders, risks and opportunities for NPA Harbours. “In addition, exercise on workplace hazard identification and control for the department, ISO internal audits and management reviews were covered. “The buy-in and cooperation of management and staff was crucial to successful implemen-

tation of the Standards and she was humbled by the incredible commitment of the MD of NPA and her management / senior staff. “The QMS Implementer and sensitization finalized Policy, Processes and Procedures, as well as Roles, Responsibilities, KPIs for the entire Harbours Department of NPA,� she stated.

The MD NPA, Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman had while speaking at the recently concluded

ISO certification training programme for management staff of the agency in Lagos, said that the idea to improve its efficiency and reduce the cost of cargo clearance was what informed the agency’s decision to get the International Standard Organization, ISO Certification.

Bala-Usman said that management has decided to improve its harbour operations since that is the core department of the authority.

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Congestion: FAAN Urge Airlines to Move Aircraft from MMIA Stories by Chinedu Eze The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has appealed to airline operators to move out all aircraft currently not operating from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), to ease congestion at the nation’s busiest airport.

Speaking during a media briefing at the airport, the Regional and Terminal Manager, MMIA, Lagos, Victoria Shina-Aba, said the airport was built 40 years ago and since then, there has been no major structural change in midst of rapid growth in passenger and aircraft movement.

Shina-Aba, said the airport now has space and capacity constraint, making it almost impossible to continue accommodating unserviceable aircraft and others not currently in use.

“Currently, there are 32 international airlines operating in MMIA, while eight

passenger and cargo aircraft operate from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT). There is only one airside and we use the same manual.

“From MMIA alone, there are currently 272 aircraft movement (departure and arrival) every day, as against eight international flights that operated at the airport in 1979, when the airport commenced operations. Also in 1979, MMIA operated just two cargo flights a week but today the airport processes 30 cargo flights in one week,” she explained.

She noted that operators may refuse to take out their aircraft-on-ground and unserviceable ones because they do not pay for parking space, and that FAAN may not be able to remove these airplanes by themselves without the approval of the operators.

She said FAAN had consistently appealed to the operators to move these aircraft to airports that have less traffic such as Port Harcourt airport,

Ilorin and Akure, amongst others at no cost for parking.

She disclosed that while some operators are already in talks with FAAN to move the aircraft out, some others have raised fears concerning the security of their aircraft when they are moved outside the airport.

She said while FAAN was making plans to expand MMIA airport, airline operators would be required to comply with the rules and make parking space available for operational aircraft.

“We will need to review our byelaws to ensure operators don’t park aircraft endlessly.

We are working on the expansion of the apron. An expansion work was going on at the cargo section of the airport but the contractors stopped work at some point.

“When we finish expanding the airport, we will be able to accommodate additional eight aircraft at MMIA, including wide and medium bodied aircraft,” Aba disclosed.

NCAA, NAMA, Others Kick against Consumer Protection Law The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other stakeholders in the aviation industry have kicked against the new Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Act (FCCPA) 2019.

They said the new law was excessively dominant on regulatory bodies.

The agencies alongside other stakeholders registered their displeasure over the law at the Stark Illuminate 1.0 forum Breakfast Knowledge Series, organised by Stark Legal and Barristers in Lagos recently.

The stakeholders excoriated the enacting of the law and said they had no idea of its existence.

The officials who represented the agencies included the Legal Adviser and Head Compliance and Enforcement NCAA, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuma;

Company Secretary, NAMA, Paul Oki; President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agency, (NANTA), Bankole Bernard The NCAA official, Chukwuma said, “We were not aware of this law. We didn’t hear of any debate or signing of any bill into law by the President. From our perspective, we believe that we are in a very good position to address airline services’ companies.”

He, however, described the new Act as a “legislative stamp” on the activities of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), which he said posed danger to the aviation industry.

The legal adviser also said, “The NCAA was established by the Act of Parliament in 2006, with Part 19 of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2015 providing for consumer protection.”

Chukwuma added that the consumer protection conflict between NCAA and the CPC began in 2013 in a case involving Aero Contractor’s cancelled flight, where CPC intervened and charged the airlines to pay N24 million.

“It showed their understanding of the industry but at that pace, no airline will survive in Nigeria. The new law is a legislative stamp on the activities of CPC. The President has signed it and it our law, but the implications are going to be very huge,” Chukwuma said.

Chukwuma, further said the extra-territorial application of the FCCPA, even to operations outside Nigeria, contravenes Article six of the Chicago Convention and a section of the BASA agreement that made the relevant law as that applicable in the territory of operation.

NSE Commends NAMA over Improved Airspace Facilities The Aeronautical Division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has expressed confidence in the capacity of the nation’s navigational infrastructure to guarantee safety of air travel in the country.

This declaration came at the end of an airport tour of facilities at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in Lagos.

Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, the Chairman, Aeronautical Division, NSE, Engr.

Patrick Achurufe, said their findings have boosted the confidence of members on the safety of the Nigerian airspace, adding that their on-the-spot assessment of the nation’s navigational tools and how these facilities were being deployed by the personnel in operations revealed that, “a lot has been done by NAMA both

in terms of acquisition of critical infrastructure and training of appropriate personnel.”

He commended staff of the agency for their diligence and hard work, saying that members were amazed at the dexterity and efficiency with which critical personnel discharged their duties both in communicating with pilots, vectoring aircraft and surveillance of the airspace in general.

While extolling the federal government on the “massive investment” in the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) project, Achurufe, however called for a sustained upgrade of the facility.

“Given that aviation is dynamic, most components of these facilities need to be upgraded from time to time in

line with world best practices and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) specification,” he said.

Also in his remarks, the vice chairman of the group, Godwin Balang advocated for uninterrupted power supply from the national grid to ensure that the facilities operate at optimum capacity, even as he urged the federal government to ensure adequate supply of spares for effective maintenance of the systems.

With membership drawn from all engineers working in the aviation sector, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Aeronautical Division was established to promote the growth of the profession and to ensure standards and best practices are maintained in the aviation sector.

Tackling Illicit Drug Trafficking, Consumption

Abdallah

Chinedu Eze For many years Nigeria was used as “middle passage” for the trafficking of dangerous drugs such as cocaine, heroine and others. They were brought into the country and dispatched to other destinations, especially Europe, Middle East and other African countries.

Then local consumption of drugs was negligible. But this has changed in the last 10 years, as there is recorded progressive increase in the local use of all types of drugs, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

It was not only the high rate of drug consumption in Nigeria that is a challenge today, but drugs are imported as raw material for the production of other types of drugs.

For example, the Principle Staff Officer and spokesman of NDLEA, Jona Achema, said the agency recently dismantled a six-man methamphetamine syndicate that specialised in the illegal importation of ephedrine to run methamphetamine laboratory in Nigeria.

The agency said it has made many arrests of traffickers and also discovered some of the factories in Nigeria and in the last count the agency has discovered 16 Methamphetamine laboratories in the country.

“This brings to 16 the number of Methamphetamine laboratories so far discovered in Nigeria between 2011 and 2018. Methamphetamine is an emerging drug clandestinely produced in the country. It is a highly addictive substance that affects the central nervous system. It gives a false sense of well-being and energy. The continued use of the drug creates several negative effects and irreversible harm,” Achema said.

Recently government was able to appreciate the devastating effect of these drugs when the Presidential Advisory Committee on the elimination of drug abuse visited Katsina late last month.

The committee was led by its Chairman, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd) who spent five days in the state to evaluate the effects of these drugs on the youths and other Nigerians.

THISDAY learnt that in the last three years, when the current NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, took over the leadership of the agency, the drug problem has increased greatly instead of reducing due to low morale of the agency personnel who complain of poor welfare and lack of promotion.

NDLEA said it is against this background that the federal government decided to scale up its response to the challenge as a national emergency.

It is in view of the above that the president constituted a two tier Presidential Intervention Structure on the

Elimination of Drug Abuse, comprising a high level Ministerial Steering Committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse and Trafficking chaired by Brig General Buba Marwa.

The committees were mandated to carry out massive advocacy tours and visits across the NDLEA formations in Nigeria in relation to three to four states in the six geo political zones in the country.

After seeing the devastating effect of drugs consumption of the citizens, Marwa tasked all the stakeholders in the state to pursue a policy that would benefit the general public especially the marginalised groups such as the women and almajiris.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) alone, the agency recently announced that it recorded a total of 5,377.125 kilogramms of drugs impounded at the airport in 2018, representing over 400 percent increase.

Compared to 2017, the agency impounded drugs worth 1,266.400kilogramms from the same airport; however, the number quadrupled in 2018 as a result of the significant increase in the number of tramadol seized at the Lagos airport.

NDLEA said majority of the drugs were destined to Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, Congo DRC, India, Mozambique, Dubai and Soudi Arabia, amongst others.

The MMIA Commandant, Ahmadu Garba, said, “We were able to make this huge success in 2018 as a result of the cooperation by foreign airlines.

Every year, we look at the airlines with the highest number of people that are arrested and liaise with them on how to address issue of drug trafficking.

“30.14percent of the suspected drug couriers arrested during the year were coming into Nigeria and the remaining 69.89percent were destined to different countries of the world with 13.70percent of them going to South Africa, which has the highest numbers.”

He explained that out of the total number of 5,377.125kilogramms seized by the agency, 5002.900 were tramadol, representing 93.04percent.

He said other drugs seized include cocaine, heroin, cannabis sativa, methamphetamine, ephedrine, psychotropic substance and dummy, adding that 25 people were convicted.

“Most of the drug deportees came from South Africa 30.00percent, Thailand 23.75percent, United States of America (USA) 12.50percent and Ethiopia 10percent,” Garba said.

However, he noted that drug couriers have continued to deploy new tactics in packaging the drugs to avoid suspicion by officials at the airport. Most of these drugs now fund their way into the country as local consumption has increased.

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How Nigerian Airlines Can Benefit from SAATM The Single Africa Air Transport Market deal continues to constitute obstacle for Nigerian airlines that wish to fly the West and Central Africa routes due to unequal charges and taxes.

In this analysis, Chinedu Eze spoke to experts who posit ways Nigerian carriers can still operate profitably in the region

S

ome years ago Nigerian airlines had sustained air traffic in the West and Central Africa, especially after the demise of national carriers like Air Afrique, Ghana Airways, Nigeria Airways and many others that were created to signpost the independence of these nations from their colonial masters.

Although Nigerian airlines after the deregulation of the nation’s aviation sector have suffered short life span, during their existence they ensured that they sustained air traffic in these sub-regions.

It is also a region where about 50 per cent of passenger movement comes from Nigeria, so it remains a critical market for Nigeria and Nigerian airlines.

But since after the enforcement of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), which opened the airspace to the 26-member countries that signed the pact after it was ratified by the African Union early last year, airlines from other African countries have penetrated the market and almost taking it over with unscrupulous marketing strategy.

On the other hand, host countries of these airlines try to discourage Nigerian carriers with high charges and taxes, which they don’t levy their airlines and when they come to Nigeria, which is the biggest market in the two sub-regions. In fact, they are not charged half as much as they charge Nigerian airlines.

So this gives the other airlines operating in the West Coast the advantage to sell tickets at lower fares.

But for Nigerian airlines to offset their operation costs and the high charges they pay operating to destinations like Accra, Doula, Abidjan, Dakar, Luanda, and Banjul, they charge relatively higher fares.

High fares obviously would discourage passengers who would prefer to fly African World Airlines (AWA), Air Cote d’Ivoire, Asky and others that offer lower fares. This has drastically affected load factor of Nigerian operators.

So, experts believe the solution to this uncompetitive market strategy is either Nigeria charges these airlines as high as their countries charge Nigerian airlines or the West African nations agree on uniform charges.

Campaign Many industry observers are of the view that for SAATM to work and benefit African carriers and also meet the objectives behind its establishment, there must be regulation in the charges and these charges should be uniform. Also member nations should also review downwards taxes on air transport in order to ensure that airlines operate profitably.

Profitable airlines will stifle the erosion of the African market by foreign carriers, create jobs in the region and serve as pivot for economic development.

Nigeria airlines are supposed to benefit from the treaty but indications show that they are losing dominance of the West Coast.

But industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, said while the federal government could intervene on the issue, it should be the responsibility of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) to spearhead the campaign for uniform charges, disclosing that the Commission has already started doing that.

He also said Nigerian airlines are not getting themselves involved in the aero politics of the region and they do not participate actively in the regional association, African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

He noted that by not being involved actively in the regional body, Nigerian airlines seem to have insulated themselves from the regional aero politics.

Aligbe, said the move by AFCAC would be given fillip if the matter of uniform charges is tabled at AFRAA meeting, adding that Nigerian airlines should get actively involved

Air Peace aircraft

in AFRAA activities.

Aligbe, agreed that Nigerian airlines are no more doing well in the West and Central African destinations, which sustained them in the past, as other airlines in the sub-region have joined the market with competitive fares that are forcing out the Nigerian operators. “AFCAC is doing something on uniform charges. Uniform charge is one of the requirements of open sky policy. Nigerian airlines can make their case known to government by coming up with a report so that government can approach AFCAC with the issue. Charges have to be unified. “That is very, very critical. AFRAA is also very, very critical for our airlines but they don’t seem to understand the importance of that association. So, the painful thing is that Nigerian airlines are not members because it is at AFRAA that other airlines go to make negotiations and that is where aero-politics in the region is played. So if you don’t belong to AFRAA, you won’t know what is happening,�

Aligbe said.

However, travel expert and organiser of the Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ikechi Uko told THISDAY that adopting uniform charges was the best option to create stability in the air transport market in the West Coast.

He regretted that most airlines in the subregion have short lifespan and noted that for SAATM to work, the sub-regions like West Africa should operate as a domestic market with uniform charges, noting that taxes could be different because it is government that fixes taxes.

However, in one of the conferences held in Abuja about two years ago by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the body had called on governments in Africa to stop the outrageous taxes they level on air transport and also step away from the fixation that air transport is a luxurious means of moving people and goods from one place to another by bringing down taxes so that more people can travel by air because air transport is catalyst to economic development of any nation.

The travel expert had told THISDAY that IATA and a former Minister of Aviation in Ghana were spearheading the unification of charges in air transport in the West Coast and noted that it would be the only way to maintain a robust air transport system in the sub-region that would be profitable to all operators.

Warning Nigerian airline operators had envisaged that with SAATM the nation’s carriers could be driven out of the West Coast and had advised the Nigerian government not to endorse the treaty yet until certain issues that could hinder equal competitive environment was sorted out.

At stakeholders meeting to sensitise airline operators and others before the ratification of SAATM held in Nigeria recently, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AOL) had opposed Nigeria’s signatory to SAATM. AON had appealed to the federal government of Nigeria not to go ahead with the full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market and noted that while the idea may be noble on paper, there was a need for government not to lose sight of the facts and the dangers of the direct impact of the decision on the Nigerian economy and Nigeria as a whole and the future of our youths.

AON said it was concerned that the timing was not right, as there were several unresolved issues and challenges being faced by Nigerian aviation that would ultimately undermine the perceived gains of this Treaty that might be an illusion for the country.

AON said the basic issue of free movement of people and trade was an integral aspect of the declaration that would go a long way to determine the fairness of the SAATM project, but regretted that Nigerians require over 34 visas to travel within Africa alone and called on government to address this issue first before embracing SAATM.

and if you don’t pay in time they seize your aircraft,� the source said.

The Chairman of the Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, Allen Onyema, told THISDAY that time was gone when the routes were lucrative for Nigerian operators. “We lose over N500 million monthly to the West Coast. This is the money we make from domestic operations. Except this SAATM is readdressed, Nigerian airlines will go into extinction. “Unless government intervenes, we may leave the routes to these foreign airlines.

This is because if you continue operating the West and Central routes, it will affect your revenue base on the domestic scene and you will crumble. That is why most Nigerian airlines could not succeed on those destinations,� Onyema said.

Air Peace, which started operations four years ago, has launched operations to many destinations in the sub-region, which include Accra, Lome, Abidjan, Banjul, Freetown, Dakar and others.

Accra and other airports in the sub-region charge Nigerian airlines for both inbound and outbound passengers, which in Nigeria, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) charges only for outbound passengers and all weight charges for landing and then parking, but the total charges, including passenger service charge of $50 per passenger are about 25 per cent of what airports in West Africa charge Nigerian airlines.

Reciprocity Losses Because of the losses currently incurred on the West and Central African destinations, Nigerian airlines have cut back their operations.

Arik Air cut back its operations in the West and Central African destinations, from Gabon, Banjul, Abidjan, Freetown, Douala and only operates to Accra, Ghana, Luanda, Angola, Dakar, Senegal and Monrovia, Liberia.

Inside source from Arik Air told THISDAY that all the routes in the sub-region are unprofitable, disclosing that Nigerian airlines incur losses because of high charges leveled on them by the countries they operate to. “The charges in Accra are too high. After paying them, you cannot get up to N5, 000 from the base fare and you have not counted the cost of operation. Their ground handling charges are so high; the same with navigational charges by ASECNA (airspace services provider)

Onyema, said the Nigerian government should reciprocate the high charges by also charging those African carriers the same amount they charge their Nigerian counterparts. “The charges of those West African countries are out of this world. The solution to this is if we can have uniform charges. I doubt if they pay those charges they level on us in their countries. “And in Nigeria they are given something that is acceptable and affordable, so they can now afford to compete with us, bringing down their fares at will because they don’t pay what we pay. If Ghana takes about $100 from you for each passenger, how much do you use in buying fuel?� Air Peace boss asked.

SAATM is expected to ensure that aviation plays major role in connecting Africa in order to achieve social, economic and political integration and boost intra-African trade.

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Factors Impeding Exports Eromosele Abiodun enumerates factors affecting the process of exporting goods out of Nigeria’s ports and some of the remedies provided by industry stakeholders

S

ome of the very important role export plays in an economy include increase productivity, provides employment, improves trade balance and expands the growth of a nation’s economy.

At this time of recovery from economic recession, the diversification of the economy from oil to non-oil export is imperative. This is currently the focus of the federal government.

The government wants the development of non-oil export process that is expected to play significant role in revamping the ailing economy. But to make exports to be one of the main stay of the Nigerian economy, the ports will play a vital role.

The sea is the medium through which are transported to various parts of the world.

Seaports in relation to trade are major gateways to the economy of Nigeria, hence, play an important role in the development of the country. Freight types are mainly containerised cargoes, general cargoes, roll-on-roll-off cargoes and petroleum products. General cargo was handled mostly by Tin Can Island Port, dry cargo by Apapa port and liquid cargo by Okrika port. Apapa port accounts for 30 per cent of cargo throughput in the Nigerian seaports. This form of port specialisation has implications for the provision of facilities at the ports.

Between 1990 and 2005, there was an increase in the cargo throughput, container traffic, net registered and gross registered tonnage of vessels at the ports and crude oil terminals. Major problems affecting freight traffic include inadequate cargo handling plants and equipment, long turnaround time, cargo pilferage and excessive charges.

Overtime, the maritime industry has substantially changed from an industry that was always international in its character to a truly global entity with routes that spans across hemispheres, transporting raw materials, parts and finished goods. Maritime transportation plays a major role in the national and international trade and economic growth. The seaborne trade represents 90 per cent of the international trade in the world. A seaport is defined as a terminal and an area within which ships are loaded and/or unloaded with cargo and includes the usual places where ships wait for their turn or are ordered or obliged to wait for their turn no matter the distance from that area.

Seaports in relation to trade are major gateways to the economy of a country.

They represent a complex structure in a country’s transportation system providing ship harbour interface services such as pilotage, dredging, provision of berths, maintenance of navigational channels, ship-port interface in terms of loading and unloading cargoes and port-land interface in delivering cargo to and from the hinterland. In general seaports have five principal roles. They include: Cargoes and passengers handling, providing services for ships such as bunkering and repair, shelter for ships in case of heavy sea and storm conditions, bases for industrial development and terminals forming part of a transport chain. Seaports, expert believe, are complex dynamic systems consisting of numerous interacting elements, influenced by random factors.

Obstacles to Export Export process from Nigerian Ports is plagued with factors in cross border trade, which greatly affects Nigeria’s product competiveness that result to rejects in the international trading environment In a letter to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, named factors such as: lengthy and cumbersome documentation process on export, multiplicity of regulatory/security agencies, high and duplicated terminal/ shipping company charges and process and lack of export infrastructures as the bane of export.

Apapa gridlock

The inspection of containers, he stated, is conducted by the following agencies on product quality: The appointed preshipment inspection of export agents, the Federal Department of Forestry, the Federal Produces Inspection Service and the Plant Quarantine Service.

According to him, “The Pre-Shipment of Export Company, that issues Clean Certificate of Inspection (CCI) is expected to carry out in pursuant to Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act of 1996 section 4-(c) clearly states, the inspection agents is provided with necessary facilities to enable the inspection agents to carry out quality and quantity inspections, price comparison and other process as may be required in the circumstance. “The pre-shipment Inspection of export agents appointed by the federal government is responsible for three major functions: rice comparison (value), quantity and quality (product standard). The contract covers the international requirements with regards to the quality of the product, which is the standard of the product, that should have eliminated other agency involved in terms of process and cost, so as to reduce the level of international product reject that is rampant, and in effect enhance our export capacity.�

He added: “The following federal government agencies duplicates the process of quality inspection with that of the appointed federal government Pre-shipment Inspection on Export: The Federal Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Environment is involved in Quality of Product, with documentation, operational process and Cost. “The Federal Produce Inspection Service is involved in quality of product inspection, with documentation, operation and cost. Plant Quarantine Service, is involved in quality product inspection, documentation, operation and cost.�

Duplication of Product Quality Amiwero, added that the duplication of product quality (standard) inspection by the four agencies constitute serious bottleneck due to lengthy and cumbersome process, procedure and cost.

This, he stated, resulted in associated delays and high cost that necessitated to the movement of our product to our neighbouring West African Ports.

He pointed out that another major fac-

tor affecting export is shipping companies’ duplicated charges and charges not tied to service on export.

He said: “The Nigerian shipping companies in line with the contract of carriage, handles import container that are loaded back to the country of origin as empty container without any charge due to the level of export activities that is still very low in the country. The shipping lines Terminal Delivery Charges (TDC) is a charge that is not tied to service, as such charge is duplicated in the charges of terminal operators.� “The excessive terminal charge coupled with various other charges are not tied to services in line with WTO Articles VIII –(1)-(a), which stipulates, that all fees and charges of whatever character imposed by contracting parties in connection with importation and exportation shall be limited in amount to the approximate cost of service renders. “The terminal charges are charges component that are not tied to service and it’s duplicated by the shipping company who do not perform any service in the terminal. The operational procedure of terminal/shipping activities contributes to the associated delay due to short shipment of consignment that result to late loading and reloading of exported containers.�

On the provision of weighing and application of Verified Gross Mass (VGM) by exporters, he said: “The verification of gross mass shall be verified by shipper either by weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment as contained in the provision of Solas Chapter VI Part A Section 4 paragraph 1&2, which clearly states, the shipper of a container shall ensure the verified gross mass is stated in the shipping document and shall be signed by the shipper. “The responsibility of verified gross mass is clearly the responsibility of the exporter and not that of the terminal operator, who exploit the system to charge as much as N20, 000 per container even when the container has already been weighed by the exporter in compliance to the VGM convention. Terminal operators go ahead to enforce unconventional operational practice in contravention of the SOLAS Chapter VI convention by charging N20, 000 per container with other operational complexities.�

As a way out he said: “We as organisation that has served in close to 167 Federal Govern-

ment Committee, which include, Presidential Committees on Destination Inspection, Port Problem, 48-hour Clearance of Cargo, Customs Reform, request that trade procedure committee (TPC) be set up with expert, to address the obstacle and the shortfalls inherent in our system as it relate to Export and Import Trade. This would in turn, proper position Nigeria for the desired change in other to focus on export drive that will rescue the country from the dependant oil.�

Apapa Gridlock and InefďŹ ciency Despite the protest by stakeholders, the situation has remained the same with no hope in sight as to when a permanent solution will be found. Last week, Nigerian exporters raised the alarm over the situation calling on the federal government to come to their aid as congestion and inefficiency at Lagos’ ports affecting exports The exporters said gridlock and inefficiency at the ports of Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, delayed shipment of 50,000 tons of cashew nuts valued at $300 million and is threatening this year’s output as traders are cash-strapped.

President of Nigeria Cashew Exporters Association, Tola Fasheru, said the kidneyshaped fruits from last year’s harvest should have been exported by January, “Instead, they are still in containers on trucks waiting to enter the ports or on wharves.� “Roads to Lagos ports are badly congested; with hundreds of Lorries queuing to enter the premises and either deliver or pick goods. In addition, inadequate capacity and infrastructure, stifling red tape and corruption are hampering export processes. There is a palpable lack of synergy among the port operators and this is affecting the business of our members,� Faseru said.

Some members of the cashew association, he added, have defaulted on contracts to the extent that foreign buyers are now walking away from them. “They are no longer willing to give us fresh contracts,� said the group’s president.

The delay is likely to affect the output target of 260,000 tons for the current season, which started in February and will end in July. “Not one single cashew exporter is in the field now as he is owing on contracts and as a result has no money to operate with,�

Fasheru said.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Strengthening China-Africa Partnership Jonathan Eze writes on an initiative that is focused on harnessing the potential of the entertainment industry to improve the standard of living of Nigerians

U

ntil 2017, several rural communities in Nigeria and other countries of Africa were not as involved in enjoying the opportunities afforded by the entertainment media industry to boost the socio-economic development of the continent, a problem that received the attention of the Chinese government.

But President of China, Xi Jinping, has continued to express the commitment of his government to boosting the quality of life in Africa. He assured that China would implement access to satellite TV for ten thousand villages across Africa, as one of the major cooperation programs to boost cooperation between China and Africa.

Apart from establishing enviable diplomatic ties between China and the countries of Africa, the programme is already boosting the economy of the beneficiary communities while paving way for dissemination of information in a manner that will create socioeconomic development in Africa.

At the launch of Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages of Nigeria, the CEO, Startimes Nigeria, Mr. Justin Zhang, had said the project was possible as a result of the concern and promise made by Chinese President Xi Jinping, that China would implement access to satellite TV for ten thousand villages across Africa, as one of the major cooperation programs to boost cooperation between China and Africa, adding that out of the 10,000 Villages, Nigeria alone will get 1,000 and Startimes is playing a major role as the facilitator of the project across various African countries that will benefit.

Zhang had said: “Startimes has installed two solar power projector TVs for the community, one 32 inches digital TV set with solar system, twenty Satellite dish and decoders where they can watch more than 100 international and local channels,” adding that the two solar-powered projector TVs and 32’ digital TV are for public use and free of charge.

He explained that the project also led to creation of jobs for African countries, stating that “Nigerians from various villages have been trained on how to recharge, operate and provide the required maintenance support for

Jinping

all the products installed.”

Discussing one of the viable economic opportunities that the project would create for Nigerians and Africans in general, the Startimes CEO explained that Startimes will ensure that people of Africa will become dealers of the products as time goes on, adding that StarTimes is encouraged to work together successfully with both the Chinese and Nigerian government, and to put long lasting smiles on the faces the children and adults that would benefit from the exposure they get from the access to satellite TV. While saying that Startimes has been making families happy since the company came into the Pay TV market in 2010, he assured that it will continue to provide every Africa family affordable and enjoyable digital TV service, adding that Nigeria currently has over four million subscribers nationwide and more than 10 million users of our StarTimes ON mobile APP, StarTimes can be watched in every Nigerian city including the North East.

In a related development, the Chinese Ambas-

sador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, expressed China’s willingness to continue to bring projects that will better the lot of Nigerians and Africans at large, assuring that that the friendship between China and Nigeria will be preserved via infrastructural projects that will uplift the people of the local communities who need it the most.

He recalled that on December 4th 2015, President of China, Xi Jinping announced at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that China would implement satellite TV programs for 10 thousand African villages. The project, known as “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages”, is part of China-Africa cooperation programs and is aimed at enabling African families in rural areas to have access to the digital signal with high-quality images and rich TV programs.

It is pertinent to note that the project has gained wide acceptance by the people of Africa. A survey conducted recently among communities benefitting from the project shows the willingness of the rural dwellers to continue to enjoy the advantages of the project.

The District Head, Hulumi Community, Mr Dimas Daniel commended the project and discussed the beneficial impacts to his community saying: “The project being executed by Startimes has positively changed our community, because it has been able to connect Hulumi community to the global society,” adding that it exposes the people of Hulumi community to foreign cultures, songs and engagements.

The District Head of Hulumi further explained that interesting episodes in the Channels of Startimes helps people to learn the English language and other interesting aspects of life that were not known to Hulumi community.

Discussing the challenge experienced by the community, the District Head said: “We are happy for the project, but the problem we sometimes have is the inability to reset the dish when it shifts position, because we don’t have the technical expertise to do so.

The CEO of Startimes Nigeria, had assured that as a way of crating job opportunities for the communities, Startimes would train indigenous personnel who will be able to

fix such problems as well as become dealers on equipment used in maintenance of the installed projects.

In a related development, residents of benefiting communities buttressed the position of the District Head as they agree on the benefits of the project.

A resident of Hulumi community who witnessed the launching of the project in 2017, Mr Bako Auta discussed his experience saying: “I remember how happy we were that evening in 2017 when Startimes distributed the decoders and TV sets and other equipment to us in the village. I also remember that so many people had to use generators to view the programa because it was so interesting and we have continued to benefit from it.

While saying that “everybody in Hulumi Community has continued to benefit from the project, because Startimes dishes are mounted for all and the programs shown by the Startimes channels are very interesting,” adding that since the commencement of the project in 2017, Hulumi village has been happy to be included in the project.

Discussing the social significance of the Starimes Project, Mr Auta said: “My most favorite channels are the foreign shows featured

by Startimes, I prefer them because it makes me know what life is like on the side of the world,” stating that before the project, there was no way the person of Hulumi Community could connect with the foreign scene.

“I have seen so many things happening in the international scene across the sports sector, mechanised agriculture and cultivation of land in some countries that have the technical ability to engage in it, love movies and diplomatic relationship between countries and news among other things.”

“I learnt a lot from the channels and I sometimes practice what I leant through the Statimes TV Programs,” he said, adding that as Class Teacher responsible for pupils, he found it important to share the knowledge with the pupils.

A resident of Kpadama village also said: “Since the project was commissioned in 2017, we had opportunity to watch so many happenings that we were not aware of.”

Anthony Joshua’s Punch as Reminder of the NAIJA Spirit ‘Gbotemi Omoleye In the decade his fatherland faced crushing economic blows, his fistic exploits in foreign land became a source of consolation and succor for his folks back home. “Zoom!— zoom!!”, millions of Ghanaians in Accra and other provinces in the West African nation would roar by their TV or radio sets watching images or hearing commentaries by satellite as the homeboy Azumah “Zoom” Nelson slay opponent after opponent on the other side of Atlantic, to establish a dominion in the world featherweight boxing category.

So magical, so mesmerising was he that, till date, he is still rated by world bookmakers as the 17th greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time.

Elsewhere in Asia, Manny “Packman” Pacquaio infects his own native country with a different hypnosis on a typical fight night.

According to official statistics, crime rate practically crashes to zero level in the hours before, during and after the iconic boxing champ takes on an opponent in the world ring.

Then, Phillipine - Asian by geography but seen as more Latin American in temperament - literally moans at every blow Manny suffers; just as she roars in delirious excitement at each punch he detonates on his quarry.

In Nigeria, the same nationalistic fervour is gaining momentum. At least, this consciousness is what is somewhat highlighted by the sequel TV commercial showcasing the footprints of the reigning world boxing king, Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (AJ), powered by Glo, the nation’s leading telecommunications company.

Of course, this collaboration has been hailed as a perfect union of two big brands with

wide appeals to tell a new Nigerian story to a global audience.

Just the way Glo is widely hailed as the “Grandmaster of data”, AJ is seen in world boxing community as the new “people’s champ”, combining the charisma of legendary Mohammed Alli with the ferocity of George Foreman in his heyday.

In the initial copy aired in January to announce the partnership between brand Glo and brand AJ, the Nigerian-born heavyweight boxing champ advertises the value of resilience in the Nigerian character.

For someone not shy to attribute the iron strength of his punch to “eba” (cassava flour popular among the Nigerian masses), AJ additionally wears a tattoo of the African continent on his musical bicep with the Nigeria map highlighted as his own badge of identity, even honour.

Flashing his trademark charming smile in the first commercial, AJ declared: “I respect the ownership and management of Globacom and as a Nigerian, I believe charity must begin from home… We’ve the fastest speed, longest reach and the Nigerian fighting spirit as game changers.”

As once attested by Mohammed Alli himself, victory in the rope square has more to do with mental power than the physical.

Inspired undoubtedly by the wide acceptance of that offering, Glo has come up with another copy, more nuanced in a manner that seeks to rouse the fire in compatriots to not only envision greatness but also toil for its actualization. It offers expression for that boisterous spirit, that sense of daring commonly called the “power of Naija”. With a rather subliminal message to the nation to rise above her limitations and differences to attain

her full potentials.

Indeed, we would never know the multitude the old video had set thinking.

Adopting a self-reporting technique, the new video opens with a University of Lagos female student seemingly star-struck watching the first AJ commercial. Next to be unveiled is a teenage boy watching AJ on the screen in his father’s living-room. The camera then pans to fishermen casting their net for a haul.

Next, we see a poor tailor getting inspiration from AJ’s words. Ditto a group of female basketballers in Port Harcourt glued to an I-Pad. Followed by a glimpse of Sokoto where students gathered to hear AJ’s inspiring words through a laptop. A young boxer owes his victory to pep talk received from his herochamp. A lady executive in Abuja is also seen watching AJ’s stirring message on her phone with rapt attention... It was a subliminal and inspirational narrative that speaks to Glo’s extensive 4G coverage.

Now, flaunting a toned torso glistening with sweat, AJ teases: “You need strength?” and then answers, “Yeah, that comes from the hard knocks that life throws at us. And we are Nigerians, we know all about that”.

Waxing philosophical, the champ draws a parallel between existential challenge of life and the moral underpinning of the acclaimed “noble art of self-defence”: “You don’t stay down, you’ve got to fight. You’ve got to dig deep to be a world champion”.

That quip could not have been a slip by the champ valorizing only his own hard climb to the boxing pinnacle. To a large extent, it also speaks to the extraordinary story of Glo’s surmounting great odds at the beginning to becoming the preferred telco choice not only in Nigeria but also on the African continent

within a relatively short time.

Like AJ who overcame a string of personal turmoil early in life (including a brush with the law), Glo too rose from a monumental setback at the beginning with the forfeiture of a colossal official deposit to become the king of the industry. So much that it is, for instance, widely acknowledged today in the country as champion in 4G nationwide coverage.

AJ brought more illuminations to the can-do spirit behind such miracle: “There has always been a big piece of my heart as a Nigerian and I do believe that it is that piece that sets me apart. It always says to me, ‘never give up, dream big! We come from a nation of warriors and that is why I believe in Glo.We have that same tenacity, that Nigerian fighting spirit that makes us game changers!

“We’re relentless. We don’t just face our challenges, we step into the ring to win again and again and again. If you believe in yourself, there is no limit to what you can achieve. Yeah, I used to be a bricklayer in England but now I am heavyweight champion of the world!”

To return to AJ’s metaphor of “hard knocks thrown by life”, there can be no better inspiring parting words. While the champ’s confidence is surely boosted by the thought of a dedicated team in his corner in-between rounds and Glo as the new cheerleader, we are also told to count on the loyalty of Glo to provide oxygen, an affordable solution to our daily needs through its unbeatable 4G network.

So, just as it sticks behind AJ like rock, Glo would have us believe it is also in every Nigerian’s corner, day and night.

-Omoleye, a Youth Corps Member, writes from Abuja

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 08152252325

Pastor Wole Oladiyun: ‘I Sold Spare Parts, Wood Before My Calling’

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COVER PASTOR WOLE OLADIYUN: ‘I SOLD SPARE PARTS, WOOD BEFORE MY CALLING’

Although he once aspired to become a policeman because of his desire to curtail injustice, Senior Pastor of Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry, Pastor Wole Oladiyun, rather found himself selling spare parts, chemicals and wood to make ends meet despite having an engineering degree in his kitty.Today, having spent six decades on earth, Oladiyun, who is also a prayer warrior, shares his journey with AYODEJI AKE about his ministerial mantle to conquer the world It’s your 60th birthday and CLAM’s 21st anniversary, how was the journey been?

It has been by the grace and mercy of God. I want to appreciate the great men and women who have been with me and the executive board, may the Lord bless them all. What will a man say when God has made success out of his life? When a man has known Jesus from a very tender age and up till now I have been serving him and He has never disappointed me. I am an engineer by training, I have built houses all over the nation. I grew up in the family of seven and we are doing well by the grace of God. My parents are with the Lord now but they left a good legacy.

I have always known I will work for God because at age seven Jesus has been appearing to me. My parent took me to church, and was told I need to be educated to make the calling great. At a point I wanted to be a policeman because I want to curtail injustice wherever I find myself and I want to make a great impact in the country. I sold chemicals, ventured into selling spare parts and I also did wood business.

When I graduated, the Lord said to me to go to any Christ Apostolic Church which I did and I also went to Deeper Life Bible Church. When the call came, it was a big struggle because of my love for engineering.

I was confused at a time and I embarked on a long time fasting. I fasted for 315 days and the Lord spoke to me. So, God has been so good to me and to Him I give all the glory.

Speaking of legacy, what kind should parents give to their children?

For every parent that wants the betterment of their children, the first legacy should be the fear of God. Then an average parent must teach their children to be civil. The value inculcated in your children will determine their future. So, we must teach them to be honest and then to respect process. Nothing happens over night. Tell your children before a woman gives birth, she conceived and carried that baby for nine months. They must know that hard work is sacrosanct. See what’s happening now, youths going into rituals. We must let our children know that we didn’t get to where we are overnight.

Let’s teach them how to conduct themselves, to contribute their quota and don’t be rebellious. We must also teach them to be kind. They must learn how to give. They must love their country Nigeria. Above all they must be very prayerful.

Were there times you felt like giving up when you started this ministry?

When everything is too smooth, check yourself. A lot of challenges, but God put me there to proffer solutions. A lot of challenges in so many areas. Some times challenges will come like what should I do next as per this assignment? What I do is that I hear from him. God speaks to me expressly. What makes me a leader is because of my choleric nature. I make mistakes and accept my own falls, God helps me. We also have challenges in terms of financing, infrastructure and so many. And my landmark, I want to say everyone should thank God for us on this mountain of CLAM. Four major things that have worked for us; grace, mercy, favour and help of God. We are among 10 in Africa and it’s all by the grace of God. We have been to villages that people run away from in Nigerian for deliverance outreaches and the people are happy. CLAM Soteria Hospital is one of our successes and today, we have done four brain operations so far. Each operation will cost eight million naira in India, we do it for very less. We only take money to buy drugs and pay the workers. From the tithes and offering God has helped me to build this hospital because a lot of news around that pastors embezzles tithes and offering. CLAM farm is also there, CLAM football club is also there. We have a full time coach for them.

Pastor Wole Oladiyun Foundation, where

Oladiyun and wiife

we have sponsored scores of scholarships is also there. So many things God has been doing for us. If you come here, we have succor and we are joyful. Above all God has been so merciful to us.

What are those lessons life has taught you and what do you intend doing differently?

Life has taught me to fear God. It has taught me that when anything is good it’s God. It has taught me that for anything man achieves, is by the grace of God. Life has taught me humanity. It has also taught me that we brought nothing to the world and we are taking nothing back. It has taught me that everything is about illusion. It taught me huge mystery about creation. Life has taught

I want to go back to the university to lecture. I want raise a lot of people and do a lot of service to humanity. Celebration has started and I am celebrating now and forever. I have written 53 books and they are doing well all over the world

me to smile at all time, and enjoy myself at all times and not make anyone make you look miserable. I have learnt in life that I must have eternity in God. Life has taught me to love my wife lavishly and take care of my children. I have one ambition, I want to go back to the university to lecture.

How were you able to convince your wife about your calling?

I want you to help me thank my wife. She is a great woman. God knows what He will use me for, that was why he reconfigured that woman for me. Please help me thank her.

What else are looking forward to as you age?

I want to go back to the university to lecture.

I want raise a lot of people and do a lot of service to humanity. Celebration has started and I’m celebrating now and forever. I have written 53 books and they are doing well all over the world. Go to prayerparliament.com and you will be blessed.

What are your hopes for Nigeria?

Nigeria is a great nation. I want to tell you that God has spoken prophetically that other countries will be coming to our country for solutions. It’s easy to manage Nigeria if we get somethings right. I’m trusting God that by the time that the national conference results have been properly looked into, we should focus on the six geopolitical zones to start a proper regional system of government.

If the local, state and federal can join forces together and observe accountability, things will be better. And let’s remove every federal character. Let us choose qualified leaders irrespective of their states. If we have some who can deliver and he is from Ondo or any state, then he should be there. Leadership is a major problem. Truly some of them are good but majority we can’t talk about. Let’s start state policing. Federal policing is deficient. I believe that if we sit down and look closely at the clauses we can do better.

Do you think the church is playing enough role in politics and governance?

I want us to respect ourselves as human being irrespective of religion. The church is trying. Somethings the government can’t do, we are doing them. We are trying, but we are not yet there. Let them come and ask us how we do it so that we give them the logic. For me I know what to tell this nation and it will move to better. There are two things we need to put right; singularly speaking, the nation must learn to hear our voice. We should participate in government and we should consider kingdom postings. We are working on a lot of things and in the next few years we will achieve something. Churches with resources should begin to build industries. I want to say the church of God is fine.

What’s your relationship with other pastors?

My relationship is cordial with them.

Pastor Mattew Ashimolowo is my mentor.

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XTRA

HICC Commences Skills Empowerment for 6000 Nigerian Youths Seeks Govt Support For SMEs, Start-Ups Ayodeji Ake To grow the economy and encourage Small and Mediumsize Enterprises (SMEs), a cleric has urged government at all levels to enunciate policies that will enable entrepreneurs below five years, to have the opportunity of handling a minimum of five per cent of government contracts.

Addressing journalists at the church premises in Gbagada, Lagos, Senior Pastor at Harvesters International Christian Centre (HICC), Bolaji Idowu, made the call at the seventh edition of the church’s quarterly free skill acquisition programme, Harvesters Skill Acquisition Programme (HSAP), aimed at empowering over 6,000 Nigerian youths in Lagos State.

He urged government to

provide start-ups the needed support, saying: “People can’t do business without money; first of all, loans are hardly given to start-ups; we understand that most start-ups lose the money, but government must be willing to take the risk. The government must be able to invest in startups genuinely.

“If bank loans cannot be given to SMEs, government can devote a policy that five per cent of its contracts must be given to companies that are below five years in operation. That will change a lot of things; doing that will make money to be trickling into a sector for the future.”

In the past three years, the church has trained thousands in the areas of App Development, Digital Marketing, Graphics Design, Make-Up, Pastry and Mixology, Photography, Videography, Video Editing

among others, and another 1,500 targeted during the forthcoming three days programme.

Idowu said: “As a faith-based organisation, we have a firm belief that Christianity in its pure form should not care only about the human spirit, we should be concerned about the financial and marital aspect and the community we live in.

“Nigeria has a growing alarming rate of unemployment, which is currently at 23 per cent. The rate of unemployment is massive so, the initiative of our church is to curb poverty, empower people, improve the community.

“Our approach is very simple, and tremendously impactful. We are providing people with skills, easy to learn and we also provide start up capital. This is not a skill where you need a million naira to start. So far, we have trained

Ethel Eze: ‘My Brand Projects Comfort’

over 10,000 people over the past six editions”.

When asked if the programme was meant solely for Christians, he said, “social intervention cannot be meant for people of certain faith, because the problems we are facing are common; both Christians, Muslims, idol worshippers face poverty so, it’s not peculiar to Christians. “ And in this year’s programme, 822 have B.sc or HND, 86 have MBA or M.Sc., and we have 1,021 who are not members of our church, and 1,053 are attending the programme for the first time.

“We have another social intervention called Harvesters Entrepreneurs Forum. Attendees are taught how to have skill in HSAP but in Entrepreneurs Forum, they are taught how to do business; the two is what you

need have to become successful so, you can have skill and don’t know how to do business.

“Our church provides people with capital in the Entrepreneurs Forum. We have between 100,000 to 250,000 naira capital for participants for now. Some will get equipment as a form of capital.”

On support from the government, he said: “The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth Development came to one of the programmes and commended us; he was surprised at the efficiencies we have with our system, that even the government is unable to produce with theirs.

“The Lagos State Government also indicated interest in giving people that go through our programmes opportunity to be eligible for the State Employment Trust Fund.”

Akachukwu Grabs Bungalow in ‘Win a Home Lottery’ Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Fortunes smiled on Chukwudi Akachukwu as he became the lucky winner of a N25 million bungalow in the “Win a Home Lottery’, three months after Mrs Eyare Nola Okwa, won the same prize and was presented with a key to a furnished two- bedroom apartment, at EFAB Global Estate, Mbora, on the Idu- Karimo Expressway, Abuja.

But unlike the euphoria that characterised the previous live draw, incidentally the handover of the official document to the winner, Akachukwu was not physically present to receive his prize.

A staff of Win a Home Lottery, Miss Stephanie Odia, declared that in line with the laws of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, (NLRC), if after 180 days, they

were unable to contact the winner, they would have to consider another draw to produce a fresh winner.

“We sent out messages to our clients to be on the live draw as one of them might be our next lucky winner. If the winner is present, it is also part of our obligation to call him and just break the news to him. So until 180 days elapse, we can’t have another winner. ” She said. The mega prize is the company’s way of giving back to the society they operate and to ease the housing burden people are facing in Abuja. The bungalow, valued at N25 million is tastefully furnished and in addition, has TV, dinning, kitchen and other facilities to make life comfortable for the owner.

The Win a Home Lottery Draw series is played with only N1,000. It began in November last year and has produced three winners.

R Wells Media Fetes Mothers Peter Uzoho

Eze

Oluchi Chibuzor Cute, elegant and ebony fashion entrepreneur and Creative Director, Sassy Fashion House, Ms Ethel Eze, is living a mark in the world of fashion creation with her stylish touches that turn fabrics into gold.

Coming from an engineering background, Eze surprisingly finds joy and passion not from handling engines but from trying her hands on all manner of fabrics to give people that confident look and comfort that her brand promises.

“My brand projects comfort and most of my designs are things you can wear from Monday to Saturday – flexible, easy to wear to work, casuals and still flamboyant, comfortable still looking extravagant,” she said.

Eze who launched her brand, Sassy Fashion House in Lagos last weekend, intoned: “Having studied Mechanical Engineering from the University, I leveraged on what I can do best by starting small. So women should recognise their creative abilities to change the world around themselves”.

She stressed on the need to stop the importation of second hand clothings into the country, saying such materials are most times treated with chemicals before they arrive into the country, noting

that Nigeria is losing so much with that.

Eze said: “Second hand clothes are quite cheap, but most of them are treated with chemicals and are not healthy for your skin. Nigeria has no business losing $4billion in importing them. These are money that can change the economy of our nation and stimulate growth along the fashion value chains.

“My materials are all sourced locally from Aba and Lagos Island market because their tailoring and accessories materials are so nice and beautiful and most people do not know this.”

She urged the government to encourage local fashion entrepreneurs through making power supply stable and making grants available for small and medium scale fashion entrepreneurs.

According to her, when you run generator from morning till night to make one outfit, at the end of the month, when you calculate you will see you are making little or no profit.

She also lamented the high cost of procuring machines in the country as against what is obtained abroad, advising that women should be encouraged to be creative and consistent in whatever they are doing.

Eze added: “Another challenge is machines; some machines are readily available abroad than in Nigeria, and even when available in Nigeria they are expensive, it means cutting an arm and leg to buy them.”

In recognition of the roles mothers play to keep the family and society stable even in the face of challenges, some outstanding mothers were honoured last weekend at the 2019 Mother’s Day Fiesta held at the National Arts Theater, Lagos.

Organised annually by R Wells Media and Advertising Company, the Mother’s Day Fiesta is a programme held to celebrate mothers whose presence in the homes and families bring happiness, love, stability and procreation.

The fiesta goes further to present awards to mothers who have been extraordinary in their fields of endeavour, from the academic, medical, entrepreneurship, media and entertainment, hospitality industry, among others.

“We discovered that mothers are not celebrated enough. We need to celebrate mothers because mothers are the keepers of the home and so if you have a happy mother you will have a happy home, you will have a happy family.

“So every year we come together to celebrate mothers on Mother’s Day, and then we give awards to outstanding mothers – mothers who have done extraordinary things as mothers,” Managing Director, R Wells Media

and Advertising, Mrs Jibe Ologeh said. The highpoint of this year’s edition of the fiesta was the presentation of the Mother of The Year Award to famous comedian, musician and actress, Dr. Helen Paul, for being an encouragement to other women. Eight other women were also presented with the Outstanding Mothers Award for making extraordinary sources in their vocations while making the world proud.

“This year we made Helen Paul our Mother of the Year. She is a mother, she is a comedian.

She just bagged a Ph. D award from the University of Lagos, that’s worth celebrating.

“So as a mother, we decided to say you have done well, and that is why we have gathered together to celebrate Helen Paul as the Mother of The Year 2019,” Ologeh said.

According to her, “I love being a mother because I’m able to give to another life, to impact to another for a better society. I love being a mother because I’m a help from God, to reshape and recreate another human being.”

Advising mothers and intending mothers, Ologeh said: “As a mother you need to do something to earn a living because for you to be able to help your husband you need to be financially stable. So women are encouraged to work in order not depend on their husband for everything.

Actress Beverly Naya Defines Beauty with ‘Skin’ Documentary Jonathan Eze Nollywood actress, Beverly Naya, has produced a documentary video titled ‘’Skin’’ sponsored by Skin Nivea and premiered in Lagos at the weekend.

Beverly explained that ‘’Skin’’ is a feature documentary which inspires the meaning of beauty in all shades of life. She added that colourism affects both women and men in Africa countries but it has negatively influenced the beauty standards associated with women’s ability to find success in the society.

According to her, the documentary video is not an anti-bleaching campaign, instead the documentary seeks to inspire self-acceptance and self-love. It is about empowerment, not judgement.

Beverly disclosed that the documentary video is interwoven by poignant personal

accounts of individuals who have dealt with the pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty.

She said: ‘’the effect of bleaching and colourism is a global awareness campaign that seeks to promote healthy skin, self- love and acceptance in the society. ‘’Colourism changes the face and outlook of society. The number of women across Africa using bleaching products has increased with 77 per cent of them being Nigerians.”

She further revealed that the documentary video is a personal journey of her hometown and the cultural heritage of her mother and grandmother in Ibusa, Delta State, where she explored the rich heritage of three generations of beautiful black women who through sheer hardwork and self- love have built useful businesses and solid legacy for her and many like her to build upon.

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Celebrating iREP’s Ninth Anniversary Stories by Vanessa Obioha

T

he joke often told is that i-Represent International Documentary Film Festival was conceived over a glass of red wine. Whether the organisers were in an inebriated state when they got the brainwave to establish one of the most prestigious docu-film festival on the West African coast or not is a discussion for another day. What however cannot be disputed is the brilliance of that idea. For nine years, iREP has presented African storylines told from different perspectives by sons and daughters of the soil, who are committed to changing the distorted narrative of the continent. Through their cameras, they captured memorable events, provoked intellectual conversations on the socio-political landscape, unravel the mysteries of art while celebrating the cultural heritage of the continent.

Their stories were representations of what the black continent stands for.

Beyond the docu-films, iREP positioned itself as a hub for intellectual exchange on the film industry. Film producers, directors, actors, artists, scholars who seek meaningful ways the arts can impact on the society usually convene at the festival to discuss these issues. It is not unlikely to find these professionals debating thoroughly on art preservation in Africa, the long-held colonial narratives about the continent and so forth.

These discussions often extend beyond the screening room into the bustling terrace of Freedom Park where it usually holds.

There, ideas and views on how to shape the continent continue to thrive.

Perhaps, one of the influential feature of the festival is the networking opportunities it avails attendees. Aspiring filmmakers are often enthralled by the rarefied atmosphere of intellect, unlike the glamorous Nollywood’s offering. Grooming young passionate documentary filmmakers has always been at the heart of iREP, thus each edition record an impressive number of trainees who are taught the art and business of documentary filmmaking.

For its ninth edition, 70 filmmakers were trained. And for the first time, iREP in collaboration with the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) held a pitch forum for budding and established filmmakers.

As the festival steadily approaches its tenth anniversary, it deepens its conversation on representation of Africa. This year’s theme ‘Storylines’ offers an insight on the perception and imagery of Africa in a digital era. No doubt, technology is what has brought the film industry so far in Nigeria but with the growing opportunities, documentary which often plays the pivotal role of exposing truths becomes tangled in the fake news web. The various roles

iREP Co-founder Femi Odugbemi

technology play in the arts were adequately explored in different features of the festival.

From Prof. Jonathan Haynes chilling wake-up call on art preservation, Prof.

Linus Abraham tackling of ‘Storytelling and African Identity’ to Femi Odugbemi’s dissection of storytelling and storyselling and their psychological contribution to the fake news cycle. Each touchpoint serves as a reminder of why the continent needs to be in constant conversation with itself to identify and rectify the misrepresentations on the international scene.

The films screened also reflected the theme. The opening film ‘Skin’ by Nollywood actress Beverly Naya aptly tackled the different psychological layers of colourism. Naya was particularly praised for her ability to show the different ways our cultural identity affects our skin tones which inadvertently determine our level of self-esteem.

Veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani also made an impressive debut at the festival.

His documentary ‘Yoruba Without Border’ he revealed was shot with two smartphones, an evidence of the limitless possibilities technology avails today’s filmmakers.

There was also the riveting expository on the 1976 military coup that led to the assassination of former military ruler Murtala Mohammed. Produced by Adeola Osunkojo, the documentary sought the truth behind the coup through various interviews with key heads. A film adaptation of the coup named ‘76, and directed by Izu Ojukwu was released in 2016 to critical acclaim.

There was also ‘Awon Boyz’, ‘Green Passport at France 98’, ‘Ogbu-Oja Eze’ and other films that did justice to this year’s theme.

But more importantly, the organisers did not fail to recognise those who had been with them right from the beginning. From the likes of Bolanle Austen-Peters who was this year’s honouree; Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos State, Steve Ayorinde who gave the welcome speech at the opening ceremony, to architect Theo Lawson whose legacy was celebrated at his 60th birthday bash organised by iREP. The organisers also paid tribute to their departed friends, most important, Frank Ukadike whom they admired immensely.

That heart of gratitude and appreciation is

Yega Rebrands His Image

The fast rising Urban Afro musician who is formerly known as Adegboyega recently made a few changes to his brand. First, he will now be known as Yega. Secondly, he will be releasing his latest works very soon.

“I just want to create a stellar brand that people will remember. The name, Yega is unique to the brand I intend to portray and it makes acquiring more listeners easier. I’m the only Yega in town. But there are plenty Adegboyegas.

“Also, I have been working on my craft since my last release. I have been going for advanced saxophone lessons, voice training and working with different producers to create music.

Now, I have two albums ready,” he said recently in a chat.

To the Physics Engineering graduate, it’s the dawn of a new era as old things have passed away. To prove this, he recently dropped a track off one of the albums. It’s entitled ‘For Say’.

“The song is about a love story that doesn’t have a happy ending.

It was inspired by a true-life event, something that happened to me. I really adored a lady but she didn’t reciprocate the love just because I’m a musician. I tried to convince her that all musicians are not the same… but then, you have to listen to the song to get the full gist of the story.

It’s my best music yet; it’s an instant hit, a classic,” he enthused.

Produced by Omyde, the song, which is already making waves across the country, will have its state-of-the-art video released soon.

The year is already looking busy for the artiste who landed quite a few modelling gigs last year. He proudly announced that he will be going on tour of Canada with Teni the Entertainer later this month while still making more music for his dear fans.

Yega

one of the things that has kept iREP relevant in the arts landscape. Each year always record a high number of attendees and this edition was no different. For the four days it held, the venue Freedom Park bustled with activities. The atmosphere was no less different at the Nigerian Film Corporation office in Ikoyi where iREP had the honours to be the first festival to use the facility’s new theatre.

Just as iREP is grateful to those who started the journey with them, so also is Lagos state government appreciative of its contribution in placing the state as the hub of filmmaking in the continent. As revealed

by Ayorinde, iREP has contributed to tourism and culture boost in the state with the number of international filmmakers who troop in every year for the festival.

For this, the state commends the trio of Femi Odugbemi, Jahman Anikulapo and Makin Soyinka “and by extension Theo Lawson for being consistent with impressive storylines,” said Ayorinde.

Indeed, like Ayorinde puts it “iREP has no reason not to dream big for its 10th anniversary,” even if it’s over a glass of red wine.

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E-TRENDS

Falz is the New Face of Trophy Beer

Sir ShinaPeters, Ray BLK, Joey BJoinGidiFestLine Up The afro-juju master Sir Shina Peters will be joining previously announced artistes like Niniola and Patoranking, and at the Gidi Culture Festival happening on Easter weekend.

Plans are already underway to give music and culture enthusiasts the time of their lives. The 2019 edition will also mark the the first returning show for Nigerian-born UK based artist Ray BLK. BLK is a British singer, songwriter, and rapper. She self-released her EP, Durt which won the BBC’s Sound of 2017, becoming the first unsigned artist to do so. The R&B singer already has a Stormzy collaboration, played a set at Glastonbury Festival and a whirlwind tour of America under her belt. Having just sold out her biggest London headline show, Gidi Fest is excited to bring her back to her birthplace in Lagos for a significant show at Landmark Beachfront, Victoria Island.

Speaking on her return to Lagos, Ray BLK says: “I’m very excited to be coming back to my hometown to perform. It will be my first ever live performance in Nigeria.”

Other artistes that will be performing at the festival include Kenya’s Blinky Bill, Ghana’s Joey B, and DJ Cuppy,

Sir Shina Peters

Luis Franco, Sonya Smith Star in New Telemundo’s Telenovela Telemundo premiered its latest telenovela series ‘False Identity on Monday, making it the second new series of the year. As the name implies, the movie set in Mexico and United States of America tells the story of Isabel (Camila Sodi) and Diego (Luis Ernesto Franco) who are two strangers fleeing from their past to escape their enemies. In order to start a new life, they must assume new identities, yet their enemies are not relenting in their pursuit.

The series is multi-layered with themes on crime, domestic abuse and racial discrimination. Franco who is popular in playing rebellious roles will once again bring

his magic on screen.

In Under the Same Sky, he captivated audience with his enigmatic charm as a prodigal son of an immigrant father. He also featured in the just concluded ‘Woman of Steel’ super series. Other faces from the latter that star in ‘False Identity’ include Sergio Goyri.

His co-star Sodi is quite new to Telemundo fans but not Sonya Smith (Husband for Hire, Passion for Revenge), who plays Franco’s mother.

False Identity airs every weekday at 9pm WAT on DStv channel 118 and GOtv channel 14.

The entertainer and rapper Falz who in recent times has been considered controversial for his latest musical effort recently became the brand ambassador for Trophy lager, a premium beer brewed by International Breweries, a member of the AB Inbev family.

The endorsement will see Falz representing the brand in different capacities but the task is not new to the artist born Folarin Falana. If anything, it is an opportunity for him to spread the message of responsibility to the youths. In a brief chat, he described the synergy he has with the brand as very strong.

“There is great synergy between what I stand for and what Trophy has been doing.

Trophy has been encouraging Nigerians to indulge in actions that bring honour to themselves and their communities, while I have tried to create a moral compass for Nigerians through my songs. This is a brand that, so to speak, speaks the same language with me. They have shown over the years their business ethics so it was not a hard sale at all when my team was approached and I accepted to become the ambassador for the brand.”

He further said that he will use the platform to educate youths on how to drink responsibly while speaking directly to the conscience of Nigerians.

“I really want to live in a society where there’s a great deal of sanity and will always encourage people to take actions

Falz

towards achieving that objective. So, in summary, I will continue to take action by speaking and by encouraging Nigerians to speak. This I believe rightly describes me and the brand,” he concludes.

In Bakassi to Screen at Hot Docs Film Festival Joel Benson’s virtual reality documentary ‘In Bakassi’ has been added to the lineup of the largest documentary festival in North America, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival.

‘In Bakassi’ tells harrowing tales from one of the most populated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in northeast Nigeria, Maiduguri. A first of its kind virtual reality production to gain international screening at the 2018 Cairo International Film Festival, its selection at this year’s Hot Docs marks a huge milestone for Benson.

Produced in 2018, the documentary has been receiving great reviews at international festivals for its heart-rending capture of the struggles of survivors of the Boko Haram terror in the northeast region.

Last month, ‘In Bakassi’ was screened at the African Hub of the Berlin International Film Festival, Social Media Week Lagos, and more recently the Africa Tech Summit in Kigali.

In a letter addressed to the filmmaker, Hot Docs’ Senior Programming Coordinator and International Programmer Gabor Pertic congratulated the filmmaker on “a great piece that you made”.

Expressing excitement over his film selection, Benson said “I’m excited that VR content from Nigeria is playing on a platform as huge as Hot Docs and it proves that Nigerian filmmakers can also play a pivotal role in using this emerging technology to tell stories.”

He added that the impact of insurgency in the northern part of the country cannot be overemphasized. “What ‘In Bakassi’ has been able to do is to bring the tales closer to home.

The viewer can now walk in the shoes of the victims as well as feel their pains. We need to start having conversations on the plight of IDPs. Their welfare should be paramount to any well-meaning Nigerian.”

The annual festival will kick off on April 25

Kemi Lala Akindoju to Make Directorial Debut at Lagos Theatre Festival Nollywood and stage actress Kemi Lala Akindoju who is renowned for her provocative stage play ‘Naked’, will be donning a director hat at this year’s Lagos Theatre Festival. Like last year, where she dazzled with ‘Naked’, Akindoju will be presenting another stage play ‘Lavender’.

Produced by her Make It Happen Productions, the play stars Kehinde Bankole, Deyemi Okanlawon, Oludara Egerton-Shyngle and Rita Edward.

Apart from ‘Naked’, the actress has produced brilliant plays such as ’The V Monologues’, and also has credits as associate producer on Ndani TV’s ‘Gidi Up’, co-producer on Akin Omotoso’s ‘The Ghost and The House Of Truth’ and Ishaya Bako’s soon to be released ‘4th Republic’.

Luis Franco in False Identity

Kemi Lala Akindoju

Art Meets Music, Fashion in an Uncaged Expression of Yanga ‘Yanga’ is not a term that can be easily misconstrued in Nigeria.

It is a colloquial expression used on someone who proudly displays his or her talent, beauty or wealth. The pidgin word was aptly chosen to capture the essence of the 2019 edition of African Artists Foundation (AAF) Maker Lab Exhibition in Lagos organised by Tiger Beer.

Borne out of a growing desire to provide a platform where alternative and creative artists can showcase their talents, network and celebrate the dynamism of the African sound, the exhibition

is a signature event that has been pivotal in kickstarting and supporting the careers of several young artists since its inception.

Themed ‘Yanga’, the exhibition celebrates and promotes young talented visual artists, by allowing them display their craft, interact with other talents and build a fanbase for their art.

Such was the case of exhibitors like visual artist Ruby Okoro; documentary photographer, Neec Nonso; emerging singer and music producer, Yinka Bernie; and hyper-realistic painter, Amobi Akin whose works were

greatly admired at the exhibition.

Okoro who is a visual artist born in Nigeria expresses his emotions and the subconscious through conceptual and vibrant photography which is intrinsic to his practice. He often shoots on the move, taking portraits in transit while documenting projections.

For Nonso, capturing everyday life and its nuances gives him the ultimate satisfaction. Working predominantly in digital format, he travels extensively around Nigeria to document the

country’s beauty and diversity, in a bid to challenge stereotypical narratives about Nigeria and the continent at large.

An emerging singer and music producer, Bernie explores sound as a tool of social engagement using a sound cocoon, while Akin who is a hyperrealistic painter created a wall installation, using white chalk on a black wall.

Speaking on the success of the event, Brand Manager, International brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chinwe Greg-Egu described the exhibition as a

celebration of talents’ artistry.

“We are truly excited to sponsor this year’s Maker Lab exhibition. It’s a great time in the art industry as creatives are steadily challenging societal norms, transforming fashion and truly being appreciated on a large scale.

“As a brand, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide a creative center where variants of art can truly be expressed, provide professional and non-professional artists and youths a place to celebrate their own talent and artistry.”

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NEWS

FelixKingFoundationLiftBankTargets10,000Widows,Others Stories by Mary Nnah Piqued by the growing poverty rate among the widows in the rural communities, attendant government’s neglect of this very important socioeconomic group, and the important role they play in the development of their families and communities, the Governing board of Felix King Foundation, has affirmed the operation of Lift Bank, which will help lift 10,000 widows and active poor women in Nigeria’s rural communities within five years period into prosperity.

Lift Bank will help in areas of small business capital access, training, mentorship and network.

The Lift Bank, which is scheduled to be officially launched in May 2019, will focus its operations in Edo , Lagos and Ogun States.

Lift Bank, is an added component of Felix King Foundation and will operate under the arm of the Felix King Rural Initiative in partnership with Lift Bank accredited community banks. The initiative will support widows and active poor women, who are willing to undertake business enterprise such as artisanship, trade and farming. According to a statement by Felix King Foundation, “it is unimaginable what these women had to go through to access as low as N10, 000 from local money lenders and the penalty they had to endure for a day default in repayment due to stringent conditions. “These women are harassed and chased around like common criminals; some abandon their homes to take refuge in the bush just to avoid arrest or confiscation of wares, tools, etc.

“Most times, what they require to initiate a trade or farming business is what some people spend over a bowl of pepper soup.

Promoter of Lift Bank Project for rural poor in Nigeria, Dr. Felix King; (middle), Financial Controller, Felix King Foundation, Lanre Okelana (left); Disbursement and Control Officers of Lift Bank, Adebayo Olumide (second left) and Kusoro Toluwanimi, (second right); and Field Operations Officer, Felix King Foundation, Victor Orenuga, (extreme right), at the media breakfast chat to unveil the project in Lagos

But the irony of it all is that with as little as N10, 000, these women can train their children up to the university.

“To access as little as N10, 000 to be able to lease a parcel of land or buy and sell and so on could be a difficult and/or impossible task for them.”

The founder of the foundation, Dr. Felix King said, “We will be partnering community bank / financial outfit for better output and sustainability.

The role of community banks is to disburse the capital, supervise the repayment and manage the re-disbursements as well as progress monitoring of beneficiaries.

“The Lift Bank is a zero free loan access capital for widows and active poor women who are breadwinners of their family. And it

is meant to support widows and active rural women in the enterprise such as trading, farming, and artisanship.

“Beneficiaries are open to access between N10, 000 to N30, 000 and repayable in 36 months (three years) without interest.

The system is planned as a rotational one, whereby when a beneficiary returns what they borrowed, the money will be given to another woman.”

King stated that “investing in women is vital for our collective economic prosperity and national stability of any country.

When we empower women, communities prosper, thenation thrives and peace prevails.

“Therefore, to enhance our community’s security, as well as our national stability and growth, there

WIMAFRICAGetsIMO’sRecognition Africa Women in Maritime (WIMAFRICA) has been recognised by the global maritime watchdog, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), which has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. Following the global recognition, its President, Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere is specifically sponsored to attend IMO’s special event taking place at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden.

The event is expected to take place from April 4 to 6, 2019.

A letter signed by the Conference Assistant, Daniella Charzuk, confirmed IMO’s sponsorship of Anishere for the event in Sweden.

The event is the WMU Empowering Women in the Maritime Community Conference and it is expected to attract women from far and near including key stakeholders in the maritime industry.

Participants at the conference are expected to take a critical look at the role of women in the blue economy amongst other topical issues to mark IMO’s theme this year for women.

President, African Women in Maritime (WIMAFRICA), Mrs. JeanChiazor Anishere receiving the 2018 African Union (AU) award of excellence for blue economy from the Chairperson, African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat at the event

The WMU was established by the IMO as its apex institution for postgraduate education and research in ocean and related matters and it has done a lot to achieve its mandate since its establishment over the years.

Maritime Bits recalled that on 28 November, 2018 at its maiden official public outing, WIMAFRICA won the African Union (AU) award for the best organisations in support of the sustainability of Africa’s

blue economy. The award drew applause from so many stakeholders in the maritime industry and beyond.

Apparently elated by the development, Anishere who is a legal practitioner and author said the strides made by the continental body since her election as its president was a product of team spirit and team work which have resulted in the huge difference it has made within a short time.

is need to encourage the full and free participation of women in the national economy.”

“This is the foundation of Lift Bank,” he said, adding that “simply put, Lift Bank is prosperity and progress for widows and the forgotten women in rural communities.”

In Nigeria today, three out of every four people who live on less than N500 a day are in the rural areas and this class of people are mostly forgotten and with Lift Bank project, this circumstance will gradually change and the economic prosperity and peace in their communities will be restored. For transparency and accountability, the foundation has identified some strategic partners for efficient implementation and disbursement of the fund. These community

banks would be responsible for disbursement of the capital at a zero interest rate.

According to the arrangement, King said, “the fund will be domiciled at these community financial outfits for effective disbursement and measurement”.

Speaking on the repayment arrangement between the foundation and beneficiaries, the founder highlighted that any woman who pays back after a year window, will have the opportunity to reapply with a chance to earn 100 per cent above initial fund collected.

For instance, “if a woman has collected N30, 000 and repays after a year’s window, she stands a chance of collecting N60, 000 for more economic lift,” he said.

Stressing on the importance of focusing on active poor women in the rural communities rather

than just widows, which the foundation had made its objective, Dr. King said, “The work of the foundation has always been focused on indigent widows, but over time, we have come to realise the need to include the active poor whose situations are as unfortunate as that of the widows.

“This category of women includes single mothers and women whose spouses are incapacitated, hence putting the responsibility of providing for the families upon their shoulders.

“In 2017/2018, the foundation supported thousands of widows in farming and trading concerns and the progress report from these women, who believe so much in the works of their hand has become a great example of how strong small businesses are the backbone not just of our economy, but of our communities. Today these women feel dignified and their neighborhoods stronger.”

Unlike the WIFARM and WEPROGRESS initiatives already promoted by the foundation for widows and financed solely by Dr. King’s companies, Lift Bank will be opened for public collaboration.

“We are putting the initial startup funds to the Lift Bank project and hopefully, we will encourage other well-meaning individuals to support the Lift bank so that more women will benefit,” he enthused.

“He further stated that “no matter how passionate the foundation could be about these challenges; we cannot change the world alone, so together with people of like interests, we will be able to collaborate for the good of these forgotten women and the communities they live”.

The lift bank will operate in Lagos, Edo and Ogun states during the 2019 calendar with a possible geographical expansion in 2020 calendar.

‘Forever Funny with Forever’ to Hit Lagos Once Again aoghene, popularly known as Forever, is set to rock the comedy stage for the third time with a repackaged edition of Forever Funny With Forever.

‘It is an unrestricted expression of Forever the Comedian and an opportunity for Nigerians to fully experience his witty and comical performances and possibly launch him to a new level on the Nigerian comedy scene.’

CEO Seats & Tickets; Emeka Ebeniro said.

The comedy show is powered by Expertise Events and will be hosted by Grand Komanda Supporting comic acts for the night includes: Efe Warri Boy, Mr. Paul, Loudvoice, Ebube, Kelvinsapp, Ovy Godwin, Phage, among others.

‘On the 2018 edition of the show, we had the privilege of having some of the funniest men in the country grace our stage and this year, we have carefully selected some wonderful comics for the 2019 edition at the Muson Centre.’

Foreve recapitulated.

The comedian said the concept of Forever Funny with Forever is to inspire

Forever

Nigerians that all dreams are valid and hopefully inspire the next generation to believe in themselves and in doing so, achieve their dreams while focusing on the growth process.

The event, which is packaged by Seats + Tickets and 111 Media Production, is slated for April 7 at the Muson Centre, Onikan.

Commenting on how often he intends to showcase, the comedian added, ‘Forever Funny with Forever is not going to be an annual comedy show as there are many parts to me. We would be taking a break next year so as to focus on some other parts of the Forever Brand, which will hopefully reflect positively when the show returns.”

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

A Mixed Grill of Art and Autism A special school nestled in the serene side of Ikeja, Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, Lagos, joined the rest of the world to observe the World Autism Awareness Day using art as a special rostrum. Yinka Olatunbosun reports The days when parents raising children with learning disabilities feel ashamed of them are gradually becoming history.

Today, many parents and teachers of special children celebrate every progress like a historical milestone. That was the general mood at Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, GRA, Ikeja where children living with autism and other learning disabilities were assembled for a special art workshop to mark the World Autism Awareness Day using art as therapy.

Children as well as adults wore bright coloured aprons as they sat around their tables with acrylic paints, pencils, clay and other art materials under the supervision of their teachers, some of whom had adopted the play method of teaching. A background music accompanied the workshop.

The oldest of the lot is 39 years old, attesting to the nature and degree of learning difficulties. Other schools for special children were invited with each parading two representatives. A special teacher from one of the invited schools, Raji Muritala gave some insight into how the art can impact positively on the education of an autistic individual. “They love attractive and colourful things,” he revealed.

There are also other socio-economic factors limiting the figures of autistic children in school. One is lack of funds and another challenge is transportation to and fro the special schools. Muritala, who was standing in for the art teacher in his school said that he had to transport the two children on a power bike from Papa Ajao Mushin to the art workshop at GRA, Ikeja since there is no school bus. Another challenge is the lack of knowledge on the part of the parents. For instance, the oldest student at the school was admitted just three years ago.

“The mother said she didn’t know about the school,” the school administrator, Mrs Nsikan Essien said. “The student hardly talks and even when he says something, it is not audible. But there must be something he can do.

“Art has always been a part of the school curriculum and we have three different art teachers; one for pottery, one for arts and crafts and one for painting. They usually relax with art and music,” she observed.

Also in attendance was the President, Guild of Professional Fine Artists in Nigeria, Sam Ebohon, who gave some rousing

A view of the art workshop for autistic children

Some previous art works made during art workshop

opening remarks about the relevance of art to the children living with autism. In his view, art promotes mental and emotional growth.

Art is sought after as an alternative to verbal communication and such collective art project help develop in the students social skills.

HUEMANISTExhibition Kicks off atTerra Kulture

Yinka Olatunbosun

With confidence in his artistry and collection, Emmanuel Oyeleke is prepared to showcase his new body of works at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos at a solo exhibition of photographic works titled, “The Huemanist”.

Oyeleke is a trained computer programmer. But these days, he prefers to work with cameras than just chips. It all started in 2012 when he attended a life-changing photography workshop with the likes of Kelechi Amadi Obi, Isaac Emokpae amongst others as facilitators.

“It was called the Future Enterprise Support Scheme by Red Media, the organisers of the Future Awards,” he recounted.

Meanwhile, he had his tertiary education at The Polytechnic, Ibadan and later, Lead City University, Ibadan where he obtained a Bachelor ’s degree in Computer Science.

His sojourn to Lagos was in 2011 when he took part in the mandatory National Youth Service Corp.

He usually works in large format so that the viewer can be immersed in the world of his visual storytelling. With inkjet on canvas, he has captured a variety of human experience.

“The works explore the innate ability to be noble or to do good; love, desire, selfattainment and security. Bad experiences should not make us give up on love or define who we are,” he explained.

His interest grew from the roots of fashion

Emmanuel Oyeleke, visual artist and photographer

photography. It is not surprising to see the influence of that in most of the works at the exhibition which runs from April 5 to 11.

While the general mood traversing the pieces is optimism, the core human values that the collection amplifies are indeed profound.

The young photographer tested the waters

in the art scene in 2016 with his first solo show titled, “Revealed”. This year, he is walking the talk on humanity with a CSR initiative.

“We’re partnering with Women At Risk International Foundation. A certain percentage of the proceeds from this exhibition goes to the foundation,” he revealed.

Oyeleke won the Future Awards Prize for Photography in 2018 and The ASFA Fashion Photographer of the year (AFRICA) in 2018. He has worked with numerous designers and brands namely Deola Sagoe, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, OUCH Couture, Grey Velvet, Chidinma Obairi, Orange Culture, GTBank Food and Drinks, TW Magazine, Genevieve Magazine, Wow Magazine, Zaron Cosmetics, Black Opal Nigeria, Samsung, Unilever, Hairfinity USA etc.

Oyeleke’s works at the show include “He and She”, “Affection”, “Communion”, “When Silence is Golden,” “And No Vacuum Exists,” “Dance to Self-Elevation series” “The Bloom Series” etc.

Perhaps, one of the most fascinating of his series rests in the ‘Bloom Series’ which is essentially a composite. He explained to this curious reporter how he had visited a desert in Dubai where the shots were taken before superimposing the models from different shots against this desert background. It was a clear demonstration of artistic ingenuity to recreate a human experience that communicates bliss and optimism.

Many of the students scribbled, splashed paints, coloured shapes, molded forms with varying proportion of interest, that is from passive to passionate participation.

For Mrs. Felicia Trombi, who has a 27year old son at the school, the art workshop is a great initiative.

“The art is very good for them for they are able to express their feelings and they can keep focused and calm. They are able to concentrate on something purposeful. I can see my son from here. I saw that he had all his hands and face painted that he had to come around to wash the paint off. I can see that he is very happy doing the painting,” she said, with an infectious smile.

The workshop which has as theme, “The Brain, Art and Autism” will be rounded off on April 7 with an exhibition of all the works of the participating children.

Countdown to the 2019 LagosTheatre Festival Yinka Olatunbosun

600 artists. 100 performances. 20 different venues. That’s the treat awaiting theatre buffs this season as the 2019 edition of the Lagos Theatre Festival berths on Monday April 8. The festival, which is in its sixth year was postponed on short notice as the general elections calendar in Nigeria disrupted the initial dates of the theatrical tradition in the mega city.

As usual, 19 unconventional satellite venues will hold different shows simultaneously with the main venue, Freedom Park.

From residential to abandoned properties, directors are set to show the audience that all the world is a stage.

Launched in 2013 by the British Council in response to the need to provide the platform for theatre makers in Nigeria, to develop audiences for the theatre productions and to produce theatre works for unconventional spaces, the LTF is a cultural staple that embraces other art forms such as performance poetry, music, dance amongst others.

International performers who are masters of soliloquy had added a rich spice to the theatrical treat in previous editions.Hopefully, this edition with the theme, “Imagine the Unimaginable” will parade very exotic performances, creative set designs, excellent artistry and mouth-watering spectacle within the limited budget.

34

F R I DAY Ëž APRIL 5, 2019

FERTILITY

with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

PREMARITAL GENETIC COUNSELLING (Part 1) the unknown, especially when such a person has a previous record of the disease. For instance, if a member of the family currently suers from infertility, miscarriages, still births or early child mortality, it could be a cause of concern for other family members. Genetic testing and counseling places concerned family members in a better position to make informed decision whenever they chose to reproduce. Genetic testing can be done by analyzing blood, skin, hair or other body tissue sample. This test not only indicates an individual’s likelihood of developing certain disease in the future, it can also identify genetic and chromosomal abnormalities that can be passed on to o spring.

P

arenthood is undeniably one of the most universally desired goals in adulthood. Having a healthy baby is a major wish of every couple. However studies shows that millions of children are born with congenital disorders every year, this results in many problems in the family and society especially for those who have experienced having a mentally or physically retarded child or children Humans and all other sexually reproducing organism, carry two genes for each trait, one from each parent, thisallows them reproduce ospring’s that shares characteristics with them. This observation has been evident since prehistoric times and this is what is referred to as genetics.

Genetics is the study of how traits such as hair color, eye color, and risk for disease are passed (“inherited�) from parents to their children.

Your genetic information is called your genetic code or “genome.� Your genome is made up of a chemical called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is stored in almost every cell in your body. Every human is made up of about 75-100 trillion cells and 20,000 genome. Most cells in the human body contain 46 chromosomes, that is, 23 chromosomes from each parent. The 23rd pair of chromosomes in each individual is called the sex chromosomes, X and Y. Males have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. These chromosomes contain all of the information the body requires to grow and develop normally. Chromosomal abnormalities could be a result of either a structural or numerical irregularity. Structural abnormalities may occur when a portion of a chromosome is misplaced.

Numerical abnormalities could be and increase or decrease in the typical number of chromosomes.

Chromosomal abnormalities can result in dierent developmental defects such as Down syndrome or Turner syndrome. The risk of these chromosomal defect increases with maternal and paternal age above 35 years old.

Genetic disorders are those diseases that are caused by the presence of a mutation in a gene. They cause varying levels of discomfort, but some could be fatal. A common example of a genetic disorder is sickle cell anemia.

The essence of this week’s publication is to create awareness on genetic disorders and how we can join forces to reduce the burden of inherited diseases and genetic disorders so as to ensure better quality of life for the next generation. This sure starts with genetic testing and counseling of an intending parent.

Why Genetic Testing?

Genetic testing progressively appears to give the answer to the basis of sickness and oer knowledge into the health of the population.

It serves as an instrument for analysis and diagnosis. It is an important factor in disease prevention and it fulďŹ lls each person’s right to know their genetic heredity. Not only can genetic screening be used for reproductive purposes, it can also provide information about a person health and well-being. The knowledge of one’s own genetic vulnerabilities takes away the fear of

What is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling is the process by which patients or relatives at risk of an inherited disorder are advised on the consequences and nature of the disorder, the probability of developing or transmitting it, options open to them in management and family planning in order to prevent or ameliorate it.

In simple words, the genetic counselling involves meeting medical experts who may carry out various genetic tests and also study in detail your family’s health records and medical history.

The purpose of the counselling is not only risk assessment but also to explain the cause and inheritance of a disorder as well as the availability of treatment options.

Intending couple are able to ďŹ nd out if theirs or theirspouse’s genes contain any disorder that may get transferred to their unborn baby.

Therefore, the importance of genetic counselling cannot be underestimated because it is a beneďŹ cial tool in establishing any complication that may arise in your baby because of the faulty genes. Premarital counseling have played very important role in the management of many genetic disorder.

People can now be equipped with a complete understanding and awareness of genetic and chromosomal inheritance and what it means to

be ‘at risk’.

Facts to note about premarital genetic counseling (PGC): Ëž Ă?Ă˜Ă?ÞÓĂ?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ó×ÚËĂ?Ăž Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;als, their ospring and future generations Ëž Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ÞÓĂ? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ still constitutes a huge burden to the family of the patient. Ëž Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ÞÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? genetic disorders and in the reduction of their incidence among ospring. Ëž Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ prevention of congenital anomalies, medical and psychosocial marital problems Ëž Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ can help reduce the incidence of genetic diseases most especially in cases of old paternal and maternal age. Ëž Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă˜Ă? according to the identiďŹ ed risks Ëž Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă? ĂžĂœĂ?ËÞ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? diseases such as infections, modiďŹ cation The World Health Organization has recommended severalmeasures for the prevention of genetic diseases such as health education, screening to identify individuals or couples at risk. Who Should Have Genetic Screening And Counseling? Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ÚÖĂ?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă–ĂŁ Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ÞÓĂ? diseases such as Cancer, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Hemophilia, Thalassemia, Preterm baby, Down syndrome, Congenital heart diseases. Ëž Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÙÖÎĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ͝ͽãĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ëž Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ë? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă‘Ă? between couple of same kinship or ancestors.

Depending on the degree of relationship the chances of genetic abnormalities ranges from 50% to 62.5% Ëž Ù×Ă?Ă˜ åÓÞÒ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăœriages Ëž Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ÞÓĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ˜Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? to be continued next week

XTRA

Liberian Religious Adviser Worships with Faith Mission C&S Church in Lagos

T

he Adviser to the Liberian President on Religious Matters, Rev Niimely Emmanuel, recently stormed the Faith Mission Cherubim and Seraphim Church at Satellite Town, Lagos, to worship with the faithfuls.

Tagged ‘Anointing/Special Thanksgiving Service’, the day began with the processional hymn and then a call to worship.

The next step was the introit and then the opening hymn, which heralded the opening prayer, taken from Psalm 100, 130 and 24 in that particular order.

Another hymn proceeded the Bible reading, which dovetailed to the praise and worship session by the choir before the Apostle’s creed was read. The next event was the three members prayer before the offering/anointing. Testimonies and thanksgiving was then the order of the day, which led to another hymn and then the sermon by the Liberian special adviser. As things wrapped up, the special thanksgiving began in earnest and then the tithe taking before issues of first timers and membership card was tackled. Announcement took place and then blessing of offering before the closing prayer and grace was said to signal the end of the joy-filled programme. After his ministration, Emmanuel who had a tetea-tete with journalists said he was in Nigeria on official and personal capacity.

He said: “ I came here for a special thanksgiving and to ask the church to remember my country Liberia and pray for the success of my president, George Weah because his success is the nation’s success. When the president is blessed, the entire nation is blessed too. We also pray for protection of his life and that God will deliver him from all his enemies. Also, we ask that God sees him through.�

L-R: Deputy Primate of Faith Mission C&S Church, Gen. Supt. Apostolic Mother Oluwaseye Yomi-Sholoye; Special Adviser to Liberian President on Religious Matters, Rev. Emmanuel Nimley and Bishop Femi Adepoju at the special thanksgiving service in honour of the visiting dignitary at the church, in Lagos...recently

On whether both countries are partnering asides religiously he said: “It’s our desire for all the countries to come together and partner what the government is doing.

Nigeria being a long time partner of Liberia, we cannot forget the role Nigeria has played in our government. We will continue to look forward to that support.�

On religious crisis that continually brews in West Africa but not in Liberia, Emmanuel called on all to eschew religious tolerance.

He said: “Christians, Jewish, Muslims, traditional worshippers, Buddhists and all those practicing other religions are still citizens of that country. “So for me in my country as a religious adviser, I work with all religions. I make sure I fellowship with them all. One thing is that my office is a governmental and political office. I look at it from the angle that it’s not church, mosque or Buddhists, it’s a governmental office. “So you open your wings and incorporate everybody. You bring all the religions together and let them be part of what is happening in the country. With that, you

will solve the problem with ease. That is what we have been doing in my country by His grace and things are fine. “So my advice to all African countries, particularly Nigeria , the religious adviser needs to open up and incorporate everybody to see that the country is for all of us.�

Back to the service in the church where he worshipped, he said he enjoyed every bit, adding that he met the Nigerian team back in Liberia and established contact, which necessitated his visit. Also speaking, Deputy Primate of Faith Mission C&S Church, Gen. Supt. Apostolic Mother Oluwaseye Yomi-Sholoye, who was recently in Liberia to meet the key officials and ended up facilitating the special adviser’s visit, said the journey started two years ago.

She said: “It started in 2017 when a Bishop Munsu met us online (the church) and decided to travel to Nigeria to participate in our first crusade. He is the Prelate and Bishop of Christ Temple of Miracle Church in Liberia. He has visited and worshipped with us about four times and he invited us in 2017 to come minister in his church.

“Then I was unable to make it and I asked if it would be possible in 2018. I was also unable to make it because the C&S Church in Nigeria was preparing for our annual conference and Faith Mission was the host church. “I then gave my word that I will attend in 2019. So we had to be in Liberia to attend and participate. I delivered the word on their 38th conference and their theme was ‘Rebuilding the temple’. While we were there, we were about 30 in my entourage.

We ministered and impacted positively. The Lord through us carried out deliverances and healings. “Asides being at the temple, we ministered at the president’s church in Liberia.

We were there twice and God showed His mighty power. The people are already testifying of the goodness of God. In the process, we met so many people. It was not arranged. It was the Lord’s doing. Some people saw us in the elevator, saw the glory of God in us and wanted to know who we were.

On the special adviser’s visit to Nigeria she said: “We met him in Liberia with our garment. Even though they are not a white garment church, they were stupefied and flabbergasted at what the Lord is doing.

They saw what the Lord was doing through us and they decided to come to Nigeria to visit us.�

On her philanthropy which she is know for, Yomi-Sholoye said they carried out some humanitarian works over there in Liberia. She said: “ We have started that already in Liberia. We went to deaf and dumb people over there as a humanitarian.

We gave them foodstuffs and educational materials and prayed with them. We also went to orphanages and we did same. We also counseled them. We even went to mosques and schools and donated as well�.

35

F R I DAY ˾ ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

COLLAGE EVENTS

KFair2019toUniteLeadersinthePlasticSector Mary Nnah

L-R ;Chairman Odogbolu Community Development Council Board of Trustees (OCDC), Omo Oba Samuel Ogundogba, Olori Dayo Onagoruwa, Alaye of Odogbolu, HRM Oba Adedeji Onagoruwa, the Celebrant, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya (rtd) Obiri of Aiyepe, Oba Bisi Okubanjo, Alhaja (Dr.) Kafayat Olabimpe Olani, Deputy director, Kwara National Library Service representing the guest speaker, Prof.

Olatokunbo Aina, co chairman, Gen Diya Library and IT resource centre Odogbolu, Ogun state, Sir.(prof) Tola Atinmo KJW and his wife, chairperson of the centre’s Board of trustees, Prof.(mrs) Moraya Atinmu at the Gen. Diya’s 4th annual Lecture series at the centre, to mark his 75th Birthday at Odogbogbolu, Ogun state...recently

L-R Managing Director, International Breweries Plc, Annabelle Degroot, Winner of IB’s Distributors National Award/ Managing Director, Mac-Den Ltd, Dennis Okorie, his wife, Adaobi and National Sales Director, Godwin Oche, at the distributors’ gala night held at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos...recently

K Fair 2019, the leading international trade fair for plastics and rubber, will hold again from October 16 to 24, 2019 at Messe Dusseldorf, Germany.

Over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries including Nigeria, Italy, China, Switzerland and the USA, will gather at K to present and experience innovative developments, discuss current trends and set the course for the future. K is held at tri-annual intervals and represents the plastics and rubber industry’s production chain in unparalleled depth and breadth. At the last K fair in 2016, 3,293 exhibitors gathered at Messe Dusseldorf, Germany, for eight activity-filled days of insights into the newest developments and technologies of the industry.

This year, the focus at K will be on plastics for sustainable development and circular economies, and will feature topics such as water management and renewable energy. In addition to this, K Fair 2019 will also focus on the digitalization of the value added chain, system integration and promotion of young professionals for the industry.

According to Global Portfolio Director for Plastics & Rubber at Messe Dusseldorf, Petra Cullmann, who spoke at the K 2019 press briefing, held in Lagos on March 27th 2019 said “this year’s K trade fair will show an increased responsibility from the plastics and rubber industry’s dedication to designing machines that create products that are easily recyclable” . She also described the importance of “educating people around the globe about the value of plastics and how it should be used and re-used”.

Sarsoli Industries, a Nigerian-based plastics additive manufacturer, will be exhibiting at the K Fair for the third time. When asked about why Sarsoli Industries continues to exhibit at K, Managing Director of Sarsoli Industries, Jaiprakash Changrani, who also spoke at the press briefing said, “ K is a trade fair that attracts a high caliber of visitors and exhibitionists in the plastics and rubber industry.

“It is an honour to be placed within that category of the best”. He also hopes to see a rise in the number of African exhibitors at K, stating that Africa has a largely “untapped but valued market potential for plastics and rubber”. Visitors at K 2019 can expect an extensive line up of exhibitors and specially curated sections, such as the “Bioplastics Business Breakfast”, which focuses on the role and market potential for biopolymers, and the Science Campus, which encourages discourse between research and industry.

They will also be able to visit one of the rubber hot spots at K 2019, the “Rubberstreet”, which is a window into the world of rubber and elastomers.

L:R: Managing Director of Fairtrade, Paul Marz; Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Dr. Marc Lucassen; Global Portfolio Director for Plastics & Rubber at Messe Dusseldorf , Petra Cullmann and Managing Director of Sarsoli Industry, Jaiprakash Changrani at the event

Abuja Hosts Second Exhibition of International Tourism Tranport Summit

L-R: A former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and a former General Secretary, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev (Dr) Samuel Ola-Akande, during a luncheon to mark his 93rd birthday, in Ibadan...

L-R: Graduating Student,Mr. Lotanna Nwoli; Associate Professor of Chemistry Dept, University of Lagos, Lady Amaka Nwosu; Prof.

Tolulope Fasina and Head, History and Strategic Studies, Dr. Henry Ogunjewo, during the Convocation ceremony of Lady Amaka, at the 50th convocation of University of Lagos.......recently

The Institute for Tourism Professionals (ITP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the Federal Ministry of Transportation has concluded arrangements for the hosting of the second edition of the National Tourism Transport Summit and Expo from Monday 29 to Tuesday 30, April, 2019 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. This edition however, has an international dimension hence its tagged International Tourism Transport Summit and Expo with the theme: ‘Tourism and Transportation Interdependencies for Inclusive Growth ang Sustainable Development’.

According to the Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Chief Biodun Odusanwo, the conference is being organised on the premise of the approval by the National Council on Transportation (NCT) at its meeting in Sokoto in 2017, as well as the approval by the Federal Executive Council that the Institute for Tourism Professionals, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Federal Ministry of Information,Culture and Tourism, the Organised Private Sector and Non-Governmental Organizations should organise annually, a Summit and Exposition on Transportation and Tourism with the objective of deepening the connectivity between tourism and transportation for maximum inclusive growth and sustainable development of the Nigerian economy. Participants at the two-day events will be drawn from major key players and stakeholders in the transportation and tourism sectors from the international community in critical are as such as the air transportation; i.e. Airlines, tour and travel operators, administrators of the aviation industry; the maritime industry which includes sea transport, boats and sea Cruising operators; Road Transportation including major transport owners, car hire services, Uber, NURTW, RTEAN, Road Traffic and Safety Agencies including the FRSC, NPF, NSCDC, Motor Insurance Cos; State Transport Ministries and Agencies; rail transport services. Others are operators of the Tourism and Hospitality industry including tourism resort operators,National Parks Services;museums and monuments,State Tourism Ministries and Boards,Festivals and tourism events managers; Hoteliers, Restaurants and fast food operators; conferences and events managers; as well as service providers in the banking, oil and gas industries

36

F R I DAY ˾ ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

POTPOURRI

No Dull Moment For Gov. Ugwuanyi in Enugu Samson Ezea 2019 elections are over. Winners and losers have celebrated their victories and lamented their losses. Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was overwhelmingly reelected for his second term is among the winners of the elections. But even when it is expected that Gov. Ugwuanyi will still be basking in the euphoria of his resounding reelection victory that coincided with 55th birthday, take a rest, wait for his swearing in, while giving governance backseat for now, it is interesting and amazing to know that Gov. Ugwuanyi is not resting on his oars, as he has already hit the ground running in the state, knowing full well that the reward for hardwork is more work.

He is already proving the cynics and sceptics, who had always believed that elected political public office holders, especially governors do not perform in their second term wrong with his developmental and progressive actions since his reelection. In line with his avowals, assurances and promises in his reelection acceptance speech that he and his team will continue to serve the state with fear of God, humility and unwavering commitment to improving lives and lifting the state to unprecedented heights, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration is already living by its words with the recent award of multiple contracts that will engender even development across the state.

The contracts which were approved and awarded by the state exco and in tandem with Gov. Ugwuanyi’s commitment to full implementation of 2019 budget include the construction, reconstruction of urban, rural roads and 263 classroom blocks across the three senatorial zones in the state. Also approved was the purchase of 22,150 set of lockers and chairs for students; 1,228 set of tables and chairs for the teachers; 1,130 marker boards for teaching and 1,960 ceiling fans for conducive learning environment.

Others include the construction of a stateof-art administrative block at the new site of the Enugu State University of Education, Ihe in Agwu Local Government Area, as first step towards relocation of the school from GRA Enugu to its permanent site.

Also approved is the purchase of two

Gov. Ugwuanyi

Hilux vans for effective monitoring and supervision of the projects. According to the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze, while the construction of classrooms and procurement of facilities will cost N4billion, the project will be executed under the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board ( ENSUBEB) considering that unlike other states, Ugwuanyi’s administration has already contributed the state’s counterpart fund, which led to the drawdown of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund.

The construction of the administrative block , which will accommodate the vice chancellor and registrar’s offices, Council Chamber and other offices for smooth administrative take-off at Enugu State University of Education, Ihe Agwu will cost N162,913,167.90, and when completed activities and processes of obtaining relevant approval from National University Commission will commence.

On road projects, in continuation of the governor’s determination to improve accessibility of rural areas and reduce drastically rural-urban migration in the

state, the council approved contract for the construction and reconstruction of Carter Street, Asata, Enugu; Aludele Road, Nsukka; Bishop Court, Agwu; Access Road to Igbo Ano, and failed culvert, pavement and surfacing of Onuiyi Road, Nsukka, adjacent to Zik’s residence, totaling N544,795, 992.68.

Other approvals according to the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Greg Nnaji, was for his ministry to commence engineering studies and design of Oji River and Nsukka modern township stadia for Enugu West and Enugu North respectively; pre-contract documentation for the construction of state secretariat annex at Nsukka Satelite town. Approval was also given for the recruitment of 52 personnel, namely four Fire Officers, 24 Fire Lead Men and 24 Fire Men for the State Fire Service to work at the five newly built fire service stations across the state.

It would be recall that prior to the last elections, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration had awarded contract worth N1.4b for the construction and reconstruction of One Day road, Awkunanaw, Enugu; construction of Phase 2 of Nike Lake junction-Harmony Estate Road- Amorji Nike- Adoration Pilgrimage Centre; rehabilitation of Kenyatta Market road/ failed portions/ Onah street Enugu; Umumba Ndiagu-Ebenebe road phase one in Ezeagu Council Area. Others are the reconstruction of AmankwoAmaeke Ngwo-Ama Brewery Junction (Bypass) ; extension of Amalla-Orba-OrieOrba-Eke-Ovoko-Ovoko Junction road and others.

Knowing that awarding contracts without pre and post effective monitoring and inspection could be counterproductive, Gov. Ugwuanyi accompanied by the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Greg Nnaji had commenced pre-contract inspection of roads approved for construction and reconstruction and post inspection for the ongoing and completed contracts across the state. Already inspected are old UNTH road, Enugu; Ogidi street and Onyeama lane in Asata, Enugu, Carter Street, Asata, Enugu and the erosion menace at Okwuosa bridge, Ogui, Enugu and others.

In the same vein, Gov. Ugwuanyi has paid the 2017 arrears of salaries owed local government workers in four local government areas in the state. This was disclosed

by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Ezema Benedict at the Nsukka Council Area during the payment of the arrears of council workers for last month. He said that four council areas out of the 17 in the state, were unable to pay the 2017 salary in their council areas and Gov. Ugwuanyi had intervened to salvage the situation in the four local council areas namely Nsukka, Isi-Uzo, Enugu South and Uzo-Uwani. It is a public knowledge that on assumption of office, the governor took it upon himself to clear several months of local government workers’ arrears of salaries he inherited from his predecessor across the 17 council areas in the state in 2015.

Again, it is of immense credit to Gov. Ugwuanyi that none of the development contracts awarded by his administration since assuming office had been abandoned, shabbily executed or tagged white elephant project. They have all been commended and appreciated by the people, executed at speed pace by contractors and put to use in time. While many of these projects have been completed, others are ongoing, nearing completion across the state.

It is good and a welcome development that just like the massive cum equitable infrastructural development and peopleoriented programmes that have characterised Gov. Ugwuanyi’s government since he came into office in 2015, the governor has commenced his second term on a sound and reassuring footing with his government’s award of multiple developmental contracts across the three senatorial zones in the state. This equitable leadership trait and display by Gov. Ugwuanyi in project allocations and contracts, even before being sworn in into office for second term is rare and unparalleled in the leadership of the state since 1999.

It is a demonstration of quality leadership embedded in equity, patriotism and devoid of segregation. This development is a sign of good things that will befall the people of the state during Gov. Ugwuanyi’s second term. This has shown that the good governance and massive infrastructural development provided by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration since coming into office in 2015 was borne out of the governor’s genuine love and concern for the wellbeing of the people of the state and not to please anybody or secure reelection per se.

Da Viva Introduces ‘Paradisio’ into Nigerian Market Mary Nnah After over a decade of wooing Nigerians, nay African markets with its colourful, vibrant and quality fabrics, Da Viva, one of the leading fabric outfits in Nigeria, recently launched a new product, Paradisio, into the Nigerian market. The new star from the stable of Da Viva was unveiled during a press conference at its head office in Marina, Lagos Island.

Da Viva, which constantly re-invents itself once again, is poised to capture Nigerian market with its newly introduced fabrics called Paradisio. The new star, which draws inspiration from nature, is colourful and 100 per cent cotton.

Throwing more light on what the new brand stands for, Product/Project Development Manager, Da Viva, Mrs. Wendy Ata said Paradisio is a new innovative, colourful and creative fabric for both fashionable men and women.

“Paradisio by Da Viva is an innovating brand using a new printing concept with half tone effects showing the effect of light.

Its rich and vibrant colours remind one of impressionist paintings which show more of nature than exact details and its instinct of photography of Art.

L-R: Product/Project Development Manager, Da Viva, Mrs. Wendy Ata; Sales/Network Manager, Mr. Babalola Olatubosun; Sales/Operation Manager, DV Fashion Nigeria, Mr. Victor Tso and Chief Fashion DesignerGarments, Mrs. Verissimo Oladunni at the event

“Our aim is to create a business/market niche, and in achieving this, the difference in higher grade of cloth, quality finish and better printing quality is given so much attention. Paradisio by Da Viva is proud of its Natural identity, colourful and creative style.

The name Paradisio is an Italian name

which means paradise and in paradise there is purity, love and beauty, Ata said the concept behind the nature ‘design’ is to create something different from other designs.

“As you know that we set the pace for others to follow. We just want to be natural, we want to be homely by creating a relax atmosphere we find ourselves. ‘Africans

loves culture and at the same time like nature and that is why we cherish our historical monuments.”

The pocket friendly Paradisio she said though colourful, caters for both men and women and can be sown into either shirts, up and down, dresses, tops and so on.

On measures being put in place to avoid counterfeits, Sales/Network Manager, Mr. Babalola Olatubosun assured loyal customers that the quality and standard will not be compromised and because it is a unique fabric which draws its inspiration from nature, it will be difficult for ‘fakers’ to copy.

In its bid to win back its customers and to continue to improve and encourage customers’ experience to shop more, Da Viva is planning to introduce loyalty card.

‘It enables customers to get rewards for their loyalty as they earn points and enjoy discounts on items bought.’

To cater for the ever growing appetite of our customers, Da Viva has recently re-launched its garment line (in all their shops), which will cater for men and women of all shapes and sizes. With its new innovation, loyalty card and ready to wear line introduced both the company and its customers are going to have a blast as 2019 unfolds.

Rite Foods Wows Street Hawker for Feeding Prisoners Ayodeji Ake Rite Foods Limited has rewarded 27-yearold Ugochukwu Ibere, a street hawker of sausages with a well-stocked shop of its products for free.

Ibere had last year in August became a social media sensation for feeding transported prisoners in traffic through the tiny holes of Nigeria Prison Force van with his products for free. Some of the items gifted to Ibere aside a two-year-rent payment include a generating set, deep freezer, and shop amenities.

Speaking recently at the opening of the store located in Lagos Island, Ibere said his act of

kindness was simply from his experience as a prisoner.

He recounted how after the death of his father at 18 years old, from a family of 17 children, meant he has to give up school, became an apprentice, and was later tortured wrongly for stealing.

“My experience of going through several days without food in the prison, legs and hands tied to the ceiling while I was beaten to pulp, was all that motivated my action, the pity I felt for the prisoners that very day stretching their hands for help brought me to tears”.

An elated Ibere remarked, “I chose to hawk along that road specifically for the prisoners.

I was told that was their route and when I finally saw the truck I could not hold back, as that was the only way I could help. I never did it to get this, I did it from my heart, I cannot thank God enough for what he has done for me.”

Facebook user, Denike Ajitena who shared the story of Ugochukwu also could not hide her joy that her post six months ago could change a life.

In her words, “this was beyond imagination. How could he have guessed that his act of kindness would generate such goodwill?!

From selling out of a carton in traffic to owing a store! How long would it have taken him to save for rent alone? And the brand new equip-

ment the company put there? And he will even be able to add provisions and general grocery items to the free products.”

While thanking Rite Foods, Ajitena challenged Ibere to work harder to become an “importer and exporter” and much more.

Speaking on the donation, Adesewo Joseph Regional Sales Manager Lagos, said the gesture is part of the company cooperate social responsibility in uplifting lives.

Representing the Managing Director, Rite Foods Limited, Seleem Adegunwa, Joseph added that Ibere’s story resonates in line with the company’s vision over the years across the country in touching lives, ‘we are proud of him as an ambassador of what we stand for’.

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F R I DAY Ëž ÍłËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

ENTREPRENEUR

Adenrele Edwards : Enhancing the Beauty Care Sector Ă—Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă?âĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ äĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“ ÚË Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă? ĂŽĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă•Ă•Ă“Ě‹ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ëœ ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă—Ă?ÞÙÖÙÑã Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă˜Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă‹Ă&#x;Þã Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ë› SUNDAY EHIGIATOR ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?

B

eauty care is not just a business of today. In fact; since time immemorial, makeup has been used to enhance beauty. From the ancient Egyptians, who wore makeup made of lead ore and copper, to the Indian women who used berries to lighten the lips and ashes of burnt matches to darken the eyes, it is only proper it is getting the attention it deserves all over the world now.

Today, makeup has been developed for practically every application you can think of. From making eyes pop with eye-shadow to hiding undesirable pores, makeup has come a long way (we even have vegan makeup).

Hence, Nzuri Spa and Salon was launched with a special feature of a well equipped salon for men, women, children; a pedicure/manicure studio with a massage room for couples and singles, boutique for all ages, gender, sizes and shape.

Speaking to THISDAY, the Founder, Nzuri Spa and Salon, Mrs. Adenrele Edwards said Nzuri is a Swahili word for Beauty, and the business was established based on popular demands for world class Spa and Beauty Salon.

According to her, “Nzuri is a name born out of the beauty in every individual created by God. NzurI brings a fresh perspective on beauty, health and wellness and to customer service and experience by making sure that every visit is an indulgent experience from the moment you step in till you leave. “Everything from the music to the decor and overall ambiance was carefully and deliberately selected. Our treatments are a luxury indulgence and investment in health. The spa uses high performance, high concentrations of plant nutrients handcrafted by our in-house professionally certified Skincare formulator as well as Luxury French skincare Gemmology, the first gemstone inspired skincare in the world. “Our staff are committed to promoting a holistic approach to treat the mind body and spirit. We offer an online booking platform 24/7 in 365 days, where guests can keep up to date with our latest special offers, choose preferred stylists and technicians, check prices and even know how long each service will last at the tap of the screen.�

She added that, “Nzuri keeps ahead of current trends and techniques in both hair and beauty by delivering personalised consultation and experience. Expertly trained, our team deliver superior hairdressing and spa treatment in our beautifully designed location in Lekki. “We want to make you not only look good but feel good. To take advantage of the launch specials going on right now please go to www.iamnzuri.com and click on the book now button. “It is a boutique which style a one-stop service salon and spa catering for women, men and children by delivering services in hair dressing and styling, nail care, makeup , children salon barbing, facial and body treatments and all thing related to the beautifying of the total body. It allows our clients to unwind and let go in its ultra tranquil, luxurious and pleasurable atmosphere. Clients enjoy the best of care in our services and products as delivered to them.�

Edwards also noted that, “ as you know, beauty care has gone beyond the status quo witnessed before now where after being an apprentice for a few years; gives you the modus-operandi to excel in care treatment, manicure and pedicure. “These days professionalism has become the norm. There is an urgent need to get trained and certified so that you do not become obsolete. Our staff are the best hands you can ever get in Nigeria, as they are constantly being trained and retrained in their areas of expertise and are constantly adapting their skills to match the trends. “When a client comes the first time, they are coming to test your skills, and the level at which services are delivered would have a great say in them coming back. Every client wants to see value for

L-R: Chris Ezeafulukwe; Executive Director, TRANSCORP, Denrele Edwards and Esosa Emokpae

Pamela Shodipo, Mrs. Denrele Edwards, Mrs. Rita Unuigboje of UBA and Mrs. Teni Giwa

their money. And this is all we offer at Nzuri’s. We simply represent the best and second to none. “And for me, I see beauty care service as a passion before its commercial value.

Although I started out in Warri and was into both fashion and beauty care, before

Government should encourage the private sector by formulating policies that would drive productivity in the sector and would further promote employment and more players in the industry

coming down to Lagos, my passion for the industry made me obtain a certificate in beauty therapy and skincare formulation which enables me to formulate creams for whatever skin issue that anyone may have. “Although people believe that this industry is regarded as a recession proof business, but I don’t view it that way. I am a trader who offers quality services to people, and this is the reason why my clients keep coming back with a lot of referrals, after just an encounter with us.�

Speaking on the role of government in growing the industry, Adenrele was of the opinion that government should encourage the private sector by formulating policies that would drive productivity in the sector and would further promote employment and more players in the industry.

According to her, “the issue of electrical energy and water is a disturbing factor that the government needs to put in place if the private sector will thrive. The cost

of running operations on unstable power supply and fuel is a problem. And this is one major way the government can encourage businesses like ours because we are 100 per cent dependent on power. “And since we can’t depend on the epileptic power supplies, we are mostly running on other means of power generation. And this has its way of affecting the cost of our services. The moment we begin to experience stable electricity in Nigeria, no doubt, a lot of services would be affordable. Hence, there is an urgent need for the government to take this very seriously.� she said.

Nigeria today is blighted with a lot of socioeconomic and political issues, which have seen a lot of people scurrying around in between jobs just to make ends meet. For the average Nigerian a weekend of rest is seen as a luxury. But despite all these, to ensure that stress is relieved and to increase quality of life, some weekends should be committed in relaxation and care, which places like Nzuri offer.

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F R I DAY ˾ ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

METRO

…Your city life in print

Fulfilling Isaac Dada’s Dream

Ø ÐßÖÐÓÖÖÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÖÙØÑ̋ÞÓ×Ï ÎÜÏË× ÙÐ ÖËÞÏ ÝËËÍ ÖßÝÙÖË Ë΢ ÞÒÏ ÚËÝÞ ÓÝÞÜÓÍÞ ÙàÏÜØÙܘ ÓÝÞÜÓÍÞ ͼ͸ͼ͹ ÙÐ ÓÙØÝ ÖßÌ ØÞÏÜØËÞÓÙØËÖ˜ áÒÓÍÒ áËÝ ËÌÙÜÞÏÎ ËÝ Ë ÜÏÝßÖÞ ÙÐ ÒÓÝ ÝßÎÎÏØ ÎÏ×ÓÝϘ ×Ï×ÌÏÜÝ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÍÖßÌ ËÖÙØÑ áÓÞÒ ÎÓÑØÓÞËÜÓÏÝ ÐÜÙ× ËÖÖ áËÖÕÝ ÙÐ ÖÓÐÏ ÜÏÍÏØÞÖã ÍÙØàÏÜÑÏÎ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÐÙßØÎËÞÓÙØ̋ÖËãÓØÑ ÍÏÜÏ×ÙØã ÐÙÜ ÞÒÏ ÍÙØÝÞÜßÍÞÓÙØ ÙÐ Ë ÝÞËÞÏ̋ÙÐ̋ÞÒÏ ËÜÞ ÎÓËÖãÝÓÝ ÍÏØÞÜÏ ÓØ ËÑÙݘ ÌÏÓØÑ ÌßÓÖÞ ÓØ ÒÓÝ ÒÙØÙßܲ MARY NNAH áÜÓÞÏÝ

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n Thursday March 28, 2019, government functionaries, medical experts, family members as well as members of the Lions Club from far and near came together to lay the foundation for the construction of a state-of-the art dialysis centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos.

The dialysis is being built by the Lions Club International in honour of the departed member of the club and past District Governor, District 4041A, Lion Isaac Olusola Dada, who died died on July 16, 2017, at Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on his way from the Lions Clubs International Convention Chicago, US where he was sworn in as Distrcit Governor, Lions District 404A1, Nigeria.

Among the dignitaries present were late Dada’s wife, Omolola; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who was represented by the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof.

Chris Bode; Dr. Teslim Sanusi, Lion Adediji, Lion Oyekanmi, Chairman, Board of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Alh Isa Bello Sali; Past International President, Lion Club , Dr. Naresh Aggarwal; Special Guest of Honour, Chief Tunde Afolabi amongst others.

According to Lions Club, the organiser of the foundation laying ceremony, the facility named ‘Lion Isaac Olusola Dada Dialysis Centre’ is like fulfilling the dream of the late accountant, who was also a great man of service.

“He saw the need for a world-class renal dialysis facility at LUTH after assessing the many needs of the hospital as well as the high costs of overseas treatment renal patients are subjected to as there are limited number of such facility in Nigeria. After his assessment he had proposed the center during his time as the District Governor to be his legacy project in the hospital and in Lagos State to serve special health needs of the people.”

After the demise of the astute finance expert, his family, friends and Lions in Nigeria continued to push for realisation of his dream.

That efforts led to the foundation laying ceremony of the centre which is estimated to cost N210millionn and is expected to be completed within a period of nine months with funding for construction to be sourced from family members, friends, Lions in Nigeria as well as grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation, the charity arm of Lions Clubs International.

Speaking at the event, the minister of health thanked the family of the deceased, the club and everyone that contributed to making the ceremony possible, saying: We’re gathered today to honour the goodness of one man, whose clarion call is reaching us from the paradise where he is now. His loss was a big tragedy to us, his family and the community as a country.”

Stressing on the benefit of the dialysis centre, the minister said: “In Lagos, with over 20 million persons, there is a paucity of many critical care needs. One of them is the fact that we have very low numbers of dialysis centres where people, who are critically ill with kidney diseases can go and readily get care.

“So, this has come as a great benefit to, not just LUTH, but to the whole of Lagos and Nigeria. We need more of this not only in Lagos but all over Nigeria.”

Commenting on the project, the USbased Chairman of Lions Club International Foundation, Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, expressed his pleasure over the commencement of the building of the health facility in honour of Dada.

According to Aggarwal, with such intervention in the health needs of Nigerians, the club is making a mark in history.

Recounting his lovely experiences with Dada when he was alive, he said: “I never knew that I was going to lose a brother but when I came

L-R: Alh. Isa Bello Sali, Mrs. Omolola Dada, Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, Prof. Chris Bode and Chief Tunde Afolabi, during the foundation laying ceremony

ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Dada, Sali, Aggarwal, Afolabi and Bode, at the inauguration of Lion Isaac Olusola Dada Dialysis centre held at LUTH…recently

back from a trip, the sad news came. But I’m very happy. We’re living a mark in the history.

Winners don’t do different things, they do things differently.

“When he was likely to be the governor, my friend had talked to me that he had a dream to build a dialysis centre. This dialysis centre is one of the six major projects of the Lions Club. I can share with you that nothing gladdens my heart than that I see the project completed. I need this to be one of the state-of-the-art dialysis centre in the world.”

Aggarwal also appealed to good spirited Nigerians to donate to the project as part of their contribution to caring for humanity.

On her part, wife of late Dada, Lion Chief Omolola Dada, described her late husband as one who “was always driven by the desire to make the world better than he met it”.

She added: “Naturally, he found in the Lions Club International a good platform

which will complement his huge personal contribution. His philanthropic gestures led him to join The Victoria Island Lions Club. He rose to become a Zone and Region Chairperson, Chairperson of many District committees including Lions Day with the United Nation’s, Lions International Convention.”

Born on June 6, 1941 in Osogbo, Osun State, Dada was educated at both the University of Indian and University of Lagos where he obtained BSc. Degree in Economics and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1970 and 1976 respectively. He was conferred with Honourary Degree in Business Administration by the All Saints University of America (ASUA) Manhattan Ville Station, New York. He spent his early career as a teacher and later went into Federal Civil Service and rose to the enviable position of Director of Finance and Supplies in the

Presidency and Director, Political Affairs. He was appointed as Executive Director of NAL Merchant Bank.

He co-founded Anchria Investment and Securities Limited in 1996. He also served in the Board of many companies including BUN plc., Nigerian Wire & Cables plc. as well as Chairman of Great Nigeria Insurance Company Plc. The late Dada served as member of so many Chambers of Commerce and professional bodies including, NigerianAmerican Chambers of Commerce and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He was a President of Institute of Directors of Nigeria, Member of Ekiti State Economic Council, Member of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, President, Nigerian-Spanish Association as well as Member Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria.

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F R I DAY Ëž ÍłËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

CRIME&SECURITY

WifeIndictsDPO,PolicemeninCivilDefenceOfficer’sMurder Ă’Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă‘ĂŒĂ™ Ă‘Ă‹Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă—ĂŒĂ™Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă Ă“Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™ĂœĂšĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Þ˛ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ě‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Þã ÚÙÖÓĂ?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂœËœ OLAWALE AJIMOTOKAN ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?

Mrs Ada Jumbo

Late Jumbo

Mrs Ada Jumbo has hauled a blistering accusation at the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) Area F Police Station, Nyanya and other policemen on duty for their role in the death of her late husband, Ochigbo Ogar Jumbo, on March 20.

The late Jumbo, who was promoted an Assistant Superintendent officer in December last year, died in the station, after two traffic wardens assaulted and dragged him along Nyanyan streets, following a fracas on the fateful day when he was driving to work.

Jumbo was a two-star civil defence officer, attached to the Sharia Court of Appeal, under the FCT Area Command.

His wife said that he was injured by the traffic wardens during the fracas. He also received further beatings from policemen, when he was taken to the police station.

While narrating how her husband was killed, Mrs Jumbo, 36, said the DPO even issued signals for inmates in the Area F Police Station cells to beat up the deceased.

She said the DPO also threatened to lock her husband in the guard room.

She made this revelation to THISDAY while giving eyewitness accounts on the unfortunate event that led to the death of the 42- year- Benue State born civil defence officer.

She accused the policemen of complicity in her husband’s killing, insisting they repeatedly hit him on the head and body with baton, causing him to lapse into coma on that particular morning.

She said the DPO accused her husband of picking up quarrel with one of the traffic wardens, Idoko, who incidentally, is her husband’s tribesman from Otukpo.

She alleged that the DPO had been making subtle moves to rest the matter. According to her, the DPO and another female police woman in charge of homicide, initiated the move, whey they paid a condolence visit to the family, on Thursday, March 21.

Mrs Jumbo disclosed that the police officer pleaded with her to take heart that her husband is dead and should be allowed to rest in peace.

She also claimed the police tried to pacify her by claiming that two of the officers implicated over the killing were currently being held at Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) facilities for questioning.

Her claim reinforced the recent warning by the Association of Idoma Lawyers, who demanded for total justice in the death of Jumbo, warning that any attempt to cover up or foot-drag over the case would be strongly resisted.

They issued the warning in a letter signed by the President of the association, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) and Dr. J. Y Musa (SAN), to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, over the weekend, where the Idoma lawyers queried the decision of the Nigerian Police Force to prosecute a case in which it was the accused.

But the 36- year- old widow, told our correspondent that all she wanted is justice for her husband and for those that killed him to be punished in line with the laws of the land. “I want justice because there can never be a man like my husband. Life can never be the same again without him. He was my friend, my co-gossip, and the only one that knows my secrets. I don’t have any other friend, he was the best person I had ever seen. I share with him my secrets and he tells me his own. “We have two children. The second one was supposed to celebrate his third birthday at the Millennium Park, on Sunday (March

All I wanted is justice for my husband and for those that killed him to be punished in line with the laws of the land. I want justice because there can never be a man like my husband. Life can never be the same again without him. He was my friend, my co-gossip, and the only one that knows my secrets. I don’t have any other friend

23). I relied on my husband a lot, he used to encourage me a lot. From Monday to Friday in fact, through Sunday, he kept taking us out. If we go to school, he will come back to bring us home. Without him, life will not be easy for me,� she said amid sobs.

While giving graphic details of what exactly transpired on that particular day, she said the late Jumbo was driving to work and intended to drop his family at Glory International School, Karu Site.

She noted that it in order to avoid the heavy traffic on the Abuja- Keffi highway, her husband decided on a shortcut inside Nyanya, through the AP Filling Station and towards the SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

Shortly after he burst out at the road linking the VIO Office and almost approaching Telle Motors, a traffic warden waved the traffic at the opposite lane to stop and asked him to continue. “It was in the process when my husband was about to turn and go to Karu Site, that a traffic warden by the name Idoko, suddenly emerged and blocked my husband’s vehicle and ordered him to stop. My husband pleaded he was late for office and he intended to drop his kids and wife in their school before proceeding to his office,� she narrated.

She noted that Idoko declined the entreaties from her husband, leading to escalation of argument that further made the warden to block the vehicle. “The traffic warden was shouting at top of his voice that he was not responsible for the snarl. He became abusive and asked my husband to come down. “At that stage my husband had switched off the engine while other vehicles were frantically turning away from the scene.

The traffic warden spontaneously made for the driver’s side and began to drag my husband, yelling at him to come down from the vehicle. I was sitting at the back with my children. As he could not succeed, another traffic warden from the Redeem Church side joined him. They both stated dragging and hitting my husband with baton on the head and body. As they were doing that I opened the door and begged them to leave my husband alone, that he was not a criminal, but a civil defence officer.

“They ignored my pleas and continued to assault him. Both of them dragged him from the spot to the Police Station. Meanwhile the car was abandoned while I picked my husband’s phone and car key and was trailing them. Immediately they pulled over at the police station, policemen that were on duty started beating him, saying they trained Civil Defence officers, who are making behind the scene moves of taking their job.�

She said the beating was so severe that her husband flatly laid on the floor and was no longing responsive. He was apparently dead. “I was asking him to give me the pin to his locked phone, but he was not responding.

I asked them to take him to the hospital because he was not answering me, they ignored me, saying he was pretending. In mockery one of them kicked him, asking him to stand up�.

She narrated that when the police finally agreed to take him to hospital, he was taken in a police van to the nearby Nyanya General Hospital, where doctors referred him to the Wuse General Hospital.

But instead of going to Wuse, the police brought him to Asokoro General Hospital.

It was there that the doctor that came to check him inside the van, discovered that he was dead and told them to take him to mortuary.

Jumbo said she the police kept changing the narratives about the circumstances of her husband’s death in a bid to misrepresent the truth. “Frank Mba, the Force PRO, said that my husband drove himself to the police station and collapsed. It is a lie from pit of hell.

They asked if I could drive as the vehicle was blocking the road. I said I could not. It was one of the men on duty that collected the key from me and gave it to one driver to go and pick the vehicle from the road and drive it to Nyanya police station. “They said that my husband went there with his vehicle, if you see all my husband’s legs, it was full of bruises. His toe nails had severed because they were dragging him on the floor from the road to police station. He was driving without his palm sandals which littered in the wake of the misunderstanding,� she said

40

F R I DAY ˾ ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

LIFE

The Victory Celebration in Edo ADIBE EMENYONU writes that it was celebration galore in Edo State as Governor Godwin Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress held a thanksgiving service for a violence free election, as well as the triumph of the party at the polls, having cleared all 24 seats in the just concluded house of assembly elections

L-R: Chairman, Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Anselm Ojezua; former National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; his wife, Betsy; Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu; his wife, Maryann; Secretary to State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Chief of Staff to the Edo State Governor, Chief Taiwo Akerele, during the Inter-denominational Thanksgiving Service organised by the Edo State Government to commemorate the successful 2019 general elections, in Benin City

Cross-section of appointees of the Edo State Government at the Inter-denominational Thanksgiving Service

Governor Obaseki (second right); his wife, Betsy (right); Rt. Hon Shaibu (left) and his wife, Maryann (second left), during the thanksgiving reception

A cross-section of clergymen at the thanksgiving service

W

hen the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Edo state was faced with defeat during the presidential and national assembly elections, it never expected a turn around in the state assembly polls. However, when the results came, it was a triumphant one because the party did not expect to win so overwhelmingly. When the results began to tickle in, to their uttermost joy, the party won 24 of the 24 seats.

It was on this basis that the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, led members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress in the state, to a thanksgiving service to acknowledge the role of God in the violence-free event and celebrate the triumph of the APC at the polls.

In his sermon taken from Psalm 135: 5-6, the Archbishop of Bendel Province Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Friday Imeakhai, commended the governor for relying on God and making it mandatory to always give thanks to God. Represented by Venrable Joseph Osueni, Archbishop Imeakhai, said the victory of the party in the election was divine as no party in the history of the state has won all the seats in the state House of Assembly.

He also said: “I want to commend the governor for his prompt payment of workers’ salaries and outstanding pension arrears.”

Imeakhai however urged the governor to do more in other sectors such as agriculture, education and in the provision of more infrastructural facilities.

On his part, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Edo State Chapter, Bishop Oriname Oyonnude Kure, commended the governor for his developmental strides in the state.

He noted the speed with which the governor is sustaining the state’s development and urged him to sustain the developmental tempo.

He added, “You should keep the fire of development believing God will stand with your administration to serve the state and nation well.”

Speaking at the thanksgiving service held at the Samuel Ogbemudia College Benin City, Obaseki said with the massive support given to candidates of the APC in the general elections,

particularly in the state House of Assembly election, there is no excuse for non-performance on the part of the party.

According to him, “Every achievement made by my administration so far has been divinely directed as God directs my everyday activity.”

This victory, he stressed, “throws up a lot more responsibility as the victory in the election shows the people trust our administration and we can’t afford to fail them.

“All the 18 local government chairmanship seats in the state are occupied by members of the APC. All the newly elected 24 Edo State House of Assembly members from various parts of the state are APC members”.

Against this premise, the governor pledged to rededicate himself and his administration to make life better for the citizens and inhabitants in the ancient Kingdom.

“With our party’s dominance of the political space, we have no excuse not to deliver. I want to rededicate myself and this administration, and reinforce our earlier promise to put Edo people first at all times and to make life more comfortable and better for them”, he said.

He noted that there was a lot to thank God for, as all the elections held in the state since he became governor have been violence-free, with no life lost.

The governor who frowned at cult-related activities in the state, vowed to deploy a mix of strategies to stamp cultism out of the state and called on parents to urge their children and wards to stay away from cult-related activities as no one will be spared if caught in the act, adding that the necessary laws on cultism which were passed by the state House of Assembly will be effectively used.

“Anti-cultism is my next priority and we have a law on cultism in place which we will use to punish offenders. With the assistance of the Edo State Commissioner of Police, we will set up a special squad on cultism, to deal with offenders and render it history in the state,” he said.

Obaseki also acknowledged and applauded the support and prayers of the Benin Monarch, Omo N’ Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, whom he said have played a vital role in the success of his administration.

“I thank the Oba of Benin for his support and prayers which have led to the several suc-

L-R: Sen. Doming Obende, Former Gov., Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor; Deputy Gov Philip Shaiibu and wife Maryann; Gov. Obaseki and wife, Betsy Obaseki, and Chairman Edo CAN, Bishop Oriname Oyonnude Kure at the reception

cesses that this administration has recorded. I thank all the past governors and their deputies for their support and I urge them to sustain their support for us, so that we can complete the good work we are doing for all Edo people and residents. Our mothers and sisters in the markets, the labour unions; TUC and NLC, are not left out,” Obaseki stressed.

Also at dinner organised for the newly elected legislators at the state and national levels, Obaseki and the elected legislators mulled new template to evenly spread developmental projects across the length and breadth of the state Also, both the governor and the elected legislators agreed to deepen synergy between both arms of government to ensure projects are not duplicated across the state.

Addressing members and supporters of the party at Government House, Obaseki stressed that his administration will no longer accept boreholes and toilets as constituency projects from members of the national and state assemblies.

“I will not accept boreholes and VIP toilets as constituency projects any more. Edo people have spoken that they want real change and we must deliver the change to them.

“For the elected members of the House of Assembly, every constituency you represent must have something meaningful in the budget on a yearly basis.

“I will not accept N40 million constituency projects, if you are not able to appropriate between N500 million to N1 billion, then you are not working for your constituency,” the

governor said.

He added that duplication of projects would not be allowed, to ensure for the efficient use of the state’s resources.

Obaseki further said that he would be holding interactive sessions with the party members in the national assembly on a monthly basis to review their projects, noting that the elected APC legislators have no reasons not to deliver good governance to Edo people who gave them the mandate to serve.

Responding, Hon. Peter Akpatason, the House of Representatives member-elect for Akoko Edo Federal Constituency, thanked the governor for the massive support he gave all candidates of the APC during the elections, adding that Obaseki spurred them to victory.

Akpatason who is elected for the third time, promised to attract the support of the federal government to the state and said that a better synergy between the state house of assembly, national assembly, state and local governments on project execution will ensure the judicious use of the state’s resources.

Speaking on behalf of the newly elected state House of Assembly members, Hon. Washington Osifo, said they would ensure the executive succeeds in its endeavour.

“I want to assure you that you will enjoy our support and you will be happy at the end of the day that you have all the 24 seats in the state assembly. We will ensure that as you are working for the good of Edo people, we will give you all our support,” he said.

T H I S D AY Ëž

ÍłËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

41

Global Trade Growth Loses Momentum as Tensions Persist Stories by Ugo Aliogo Global trade will continue to face strong headwinds in 2019 and 2020 after growing more slowly than expected in 2018 due to rising trade tensions and increased economic uncertainty, a report by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has stated.

WTO economists expect merchandise trade volume growth to fall to 2.6 per cent in 2019 — down from three per cent in 2018. Trade growth could then rebound to three per cent in 2020, it projected, saying that this would however be dependent on an easing of trade tensions.

Commenting on the report, WTO Director-General Roberto AzevĂŞdo said:

“With trade tensions running high, no one should be surprised by this outlook.

Trade cannot play its full role in driving growth when we see such high levels of uncertainty. It is increasingly urgent that we resolve tensions and focus on charting a positive path forward for global trade which responds to the real challenges in today’s economy – such as the technological revolution and the imperative of creating jobs and boosting development. “WTO members are working to do this and are discussing ways to strengthen and safeguard the trading system. This is vital. If we forget the fundamental importance of the rules-based trading system we would risk weakening it, which would be

an historic mistake with repercussions for jobs, growth and stability around the world.�

Trade growth in 2018 was weighed down by several factors, including new tariffs and retaliatory measures affecting widely-traded goods, weaker global economic growth, volatility in financial markets and tighter monetary conditions in developed countries, among others. Consensus estimates have world GDP growth slowing from 2.9 per cent in 2018 to 2.6 per cent in both 2019 and 2020. “The above-average trade growth of 4.6 per cent in 2017 suggested that trade could recover some of its earlier dynamism, but this has not materialised. Trade only grew

slightly faster than output in 2018, and this relative weakness is expected to extend into at least 2019. This is partly explained by slower growth in the European Union, which has a larger share in world trade than in world GDP. “The preliminary estimate of three per cent for world trade growth in 2018 is below the WTO’s most recent forecast of 3.9 per cent issued last September.

The shortfall is mostly explained by a worse-than-expected result in the fourth quarter, when world trade as measured by the average of exports and imports declined by 0.3per cent.

Until then, third quarter trade had been up 3.8 per cent, in line with WTO projections.�

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Director of Operations, FIDSON, Mr. Bisola Adebayo; Director, Sales and Marketing, Mr. Olugbenga Olaleye; MD/CEO, Mr. Fidelis Ayebae and Head of Finance, Mr. lmokha Ayebae, during a media parley on Fidson’s Rights Issue in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

HCDC Moves to Improve Youth Productivity in Workplace As part of its desire to improve productivity in the workplace, the Human Capacity Development Consultant (HCDC) has organised a productivity plus with a focus on helping youths achieve productivity, success and financial freedom.

Speaking at the Productivity Plus Summit’ (PPS) in Lagos recently, the Chief Executive Officer, HCDC, Abisiola Longe, noted that HCDC has decided to start productivity plus because the group realised that the nation was in crisis.

She also said people were not productive and they did not understand what it took to achieve success, adding that productivity plus began in 2012, “and we have grown inch and by inch.�

“We decided to start productivity plus because we found that our nation was in crisis, people were not productive and they did not understand what it took to achieve success, people didn’t understand or had a work ethic, people didn’t understand the process to success and productivity. So it was really to help people understand what it takes to achieve success and give them the tool and help them achieve their dream life. Many people make excuses and give their power away,� she added.

Longe, explained that productivity plus is aimed at helping people realise to redesign their dream life through personal efforts, “because it is your own life and make it

happen the way you design it as long you are ready to put in the learning required.�

According to her, “This is the first productivity plus annual summit, the focus is to give people the tool and the objective is to help people cross the hurdle between where they are and where they want to be. “We hear a lot about unemployment and people not able to get jobs and do businesses, because of the harsh environment. But what we see is people who don’t have the knowledge and the tools, they don’t know the power they have available, they don’t see the opportunities that they have and they look at people at the top as

if they just jumped there. “So their coming here is to bring them close to these successful people to show them that there is a process which is known as connecting the dots. Therefore, people can look at them and connect the dots. Then see their own path and steps that they want to take to their productivity plus life. “On a personal level, my life is all about showing people that they are more than where they are and what they are doing. My dream for productivity plus is that we will have a million people who are signed up to living life of productivity success, people who are living their dreams and achieving financial freedom.�

Ugochukwu Assumes Office as TEF CEO Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, a former Director of Partnerships and Evaluation, Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has assumed her new role as the Foundation’s CEO on April 1.

Ifeyinwa became the third CEO and the first African to become the Chief Executive Officer of the TEF. In December 2018, the Foundation, the leading African philanthropy committed to empowering African entrepreneurs, announced Ugochukwu’s new appointment as CEO and the transition of her predecessor, Parminder Vir, OBE to the Advisory Board of the Foundation.

In her role, Ugochukwu would focus on scaling the impact of the 10-year $100million Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme and strengthening relationships between the African and the global entrepreneurship ecosystem, to empower African entrepreneurs with the result of creating jobs and wealth on the continent.

She will also take responsibility for positioning TEFConnect - the digital networking platform for African entrepreneurs - as the go-to hub for forging business relationships, sharing experiences and distributing

knowledge across Africa.

Ugochukwu brings almost two decades of corporate experience, including her most recent role as the Director of Partnerships and Evaluation, to her new position. She is a proven leader with business vision, emotional intelligence and the ability to bring people together. Her ability to shape how the Foundation should position, partner and engage with the wider, development ecosystem is what the Foundation needs as it enters its next stage of scale, expanded impact, monitoring and evaluation, and intelligent mining

of its proprietary data on African entrepreneurship.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Founder, TEF, Mr. Tony Elumelu, said: “We are confident that Ifeyinwa is the right person to launch the Foundation into its new growth phase. Her appointment as CEO strengthens our resolve to scale the impact of our commitment and unlock opportunities in the entrepreneurship ecosystem across the continent. I have always said that no one but us will develop the African continent, and this is a further demonstration of this resolve.�

YOF Provides Education Support for Indigent Students In line with the desire of Yomi Otubela Foundation (YOF) to provide education support to indigent students, the foundation will be organising the 4th edition of its scholarship examination on April 25.

Speaking to journalists during a media briefing in Lagos recently, the Chief Yomi Otubela, stated that the choice of Lagos as the only venue for the 2019 examination was due to logistic issues as a result of the general and supplementary elections which held recently in the country.

He also noted that the portal for registration of interested candidates has been made accessible since January, 16 and the application form for YOF scholarship 2019 can be obtained and completed online. “It should be noted that the registration will close on the 20th of April, 2019. The YOF team has put some measures in place to prevent the shortcomings we have had to grapple with in the past. For instance, some features had been added to the registration portal to prevent multiple registrations,� he noted.

Otubela explained as part of its cardinal objective of the foundation awards annual full scholarship (day and boarding) to qualified pupils / students of public and private Schools within Nigeria and also from Internal Displaced Camps (IDPs) across the country.

He noted that in recent times, YOF has had to extend the scholarship opportunities to candidates in the University category.

He further stated that from the maiden edition of the foundation’s scholarship examination to the last one, the examination has continued to attract a huge participation of candidates across the country.

According to Otubela, “We make bold to say that YOF scholarship examination has been able to attract participants and hold successfully in the following states and FCT, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Enugu, Rivers, Gombe Kano and Abuja. In the future, we hope that YOF scholarship examinations will hold in every major city within the six geopolitical zones of the country. “Furthermore, we are happy to say that the past recipients of the scholarship awards in the primary and secondary school categories are doing well in their various classes while the recipients of the scholarship in the university category are also excelling in their various academic fields. To date, 47 students are currently enjoying their education in Lagooz Schools under the Yomi Otubela Foundation Scholarship scheme, while 2 students are enjoying their university education under same Yomi Otubela Foundation scholarship scheme. “Presently, one of the beneficiaries of YOF scholarship awards in person of Mr. Stephen Amosun just gained admission into the Lagos state University to pursue a law degree programme and the foundation is set to sponsor his education under the University category. “We need to point out that the foundation’s budget for YOF scholarship for this year alone is 21.5 million naira but we believe that no amount of money is too big to provide quality education for the beneficiaries to attain their goals in life. YOF scholarship is open to candidates who are willing to study in Lagooz Schools, in Lagos state.

Lagooz Schools was founded in 2005 to impart pupils and students with Nigerian and British Curriculum.�

42

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍłËœ 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Banks Urged to Collaborate against Cybercrime Nume Ekeghe Nigerian banks have been advised to collaborate and share vital information on cybercrime.

This, according to experts, would enable the financial institutions win the battle against cybercrime.

Speaking at the 2019 Bank Directors’ Association of Nigeria (BDAN) Conference in Lagos yesterday, directors of banks, operators in the financial technology space and security experts highlighted ways to mitigate the activities of hackers.

President of BDAN, Mrs Osaretin Demuren, who is also the Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank, noted that sharing information would help the industry demystify the activities of hackers and cyber criminals thereby making them less effective in the financial sector.

Noting that in corporate governance, the board is the

first line of defence, she said, “ignorance or lack of knowledge is not an excuse so we need to be well equipped. Gone are the days when you have to manage information. We need to share information so that we demystify what this is all about. “Until we demystify, hackers will have a field day but once it is demystified and people know what it is all about and people know the secret of these hackers because what they want is the financial benefit. “Cyber security is one of the top risk that is being faced not just in the financial sector, but in all sectors. “However the impact is more felt in the financial sector, because once you hack into one, all the others are open. So it is very important that people are aware of cyber risk and the damage it can do businesses. “One of the objectives of BDAN is to have practitioners, bankers come round and hold

seminars because what is affecting you is affecting every other person. We have to learn from one another. “If you don’t speak out we would be dying in silence. We need them to share experiences and be aware of what is happening. Yes, competition is there, but you can use the sharing to learn and improve your competition.

Nobody is saying you should share your secret but you take what is needed and give what is needed so your colleagues are protected because one bank cannot serve a country.

Also, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Wema Bank, Mr Ademola Adebise, called for more collaboration.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of Computer Warehouse Group, Mr Austin Okere, however, lamented the attitude of banks who hide details of an attack whether it was successful of not.

JAN Pledges Commitment to Support One MillionYouths Ugo Aliogo The Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) has unveiled plan to provide support for one million youths and young adults in Nigeria, through its core pillars of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness by the end of its 20th anniversary year.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, to mark the organisation’s 20th anniversary, the Executive Director, JAN, Simi Nwogugu, said the organisation was dedicated to empower young people to succeed in a global economy and has helped bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace.

She also noted that since its launch in 1999, JAN has reached over 900,000 children and young adults across the nation. “After two decades, our core aim of preparing young people for the real world

remains as important as ever.

We are thrilled that for the past 20 years, our programs have supported our incredible youth by showing them how to generate and effectively manage wealth, create jobs for their communities and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Skills that are so important in securing their financial future,� she noted.

The JAN ED expressed confidence that the organisation would achieve its objective of reaching a million young adults, calling on key players in the private and public sectors to partner with JAN to improve the delivery of practical education, “and particularly entrepreneurial education, in order to address Nigeria’s youth bulge and growing rate of unemployment.�

According to Nwogugu: “Every year, over one million would-be university students enter the workforce without tertiary education or appropri-

ate training. “The inability of many young men and women to obtain the requisite STEM skills that are in high demand has rendered them unattractive to the 21st century employer. “This is why some of our programs will focus on digital to unlock its potential for the benefit of the country. We are more committed than ever to our mission of ensuring our youth have the values, skills and confidence to secure their financial future.�

It was learnt from the event that in 2018, JAN students and programmes won several awards including the first Google Impact Challenge in Nigeria, JA Africa Company of the Year Award (Best Student Company in Africa) and the FedEx Access Award which recognises the business that best demonstrates the ability to cross national boundaries and succeed as a global business.

Wema Bank Unveils Product for Women Wema Bank Plc said it has taken another step towards creating a better and promising future for women in Nigeria and other parts of the world, with its proposition specifically for women.

The product which is known as ‘Sara by Wema,’ was made public by the Managing Director/CEO of the bank, Mr. Ademola Adebise, at the ‘ongversation With Aramide show; an event that was organised to commemorate this year’s International Women Day. Speaking at the unveiling, Adebise, in a statement, described Sara by Wema as “a vibrant community designed to give the Nigerian woman the capacity to participate in, wholly contribute to and fully benefit from growth opportunities that help maximise their personal and /or business goals.�

He said the initiative was prompted by the management’s conviction that women across all socio-economic background deserve to attain their desired

goals and aspirations. “The concept is designed to grow with women – as their expectations evolve, Sara will too,� he added.

On the benefits accruable to women from the community, Adebise listed access to low interest business loans, assistance with a business pitch to access specialised funding from different institutions, free SME support and business advisory services, deals and discounts with different partners, and access to high interest savings plans are some of the gains.

According to him, women are also open to capacity building through financial literacy and career/business development training; discount at select women-owned businesses; access to automatically open Royal Kiddies and Purple Account forchildren, wards and staff as well as access to attend Wema Women Network events.

Adebise, highlighted the importance of women to

economic development process of any nation; stating that from the family level to the national level their contribution to the development process cannot be underestimated.

Corroborating him, the Executive Director, Busines Support, Wema Bank, Mrs. Folake Sanu, who was also present at the event, said Sara by Wema is open to all Nigerian women across all socio-economic classes.

She pointed out that the community specifically targets female-owned and managed SMEs, registered and unregistered businesses, start-ups, and mothers, workers and salaried women, and low income earners.

Sanu, also revealed that to join the Sara community, prospective woman can sign up on ALAT or visit any branch of Wema Bank once they present a government-issued identity card (driver’s license, voter card, international passport or national identity card) and a utility bill not older than three months.

L - R: Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Simi Nwogugu; Chairman and Managing Partner, Verraki Partners, Niyi Yusuf; Head of Programmes, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, Ndifreke Okwuegbunam and JAN Board Member/CEO, Agile Communications Limited, Rufai Ladipo, during a media parley to announce plans for JAN’s 20th anniversary celebration held in Lagos... recently

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) 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 Íą Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $69.12 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $68.83 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

43

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͳ˜ 2019

MARKET NEWS

Oando Divests Remaining 25% in Gas & Power Subsidiary Goddy Egene Oando Plc yesterday said it has divested its residual 25 per cent interest in Axxela Limited (formerly Oando Gas & Power Limited) to Helios Investment Partners, a leading private equity firm with a focus on investments in Africa.

In a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oando said the total purchase price for the transaction was

$41,500,000, thereby optimising value from a non-core business activity of the group.

According to the company, the net proceeds of the transaction will be applied in partially prepaying the group’s medium term loan. Helios had in 2016 had acquired the initial 75 per cent interest in Axxela for $115.8 million.

Commenting on the divestment, Group Chief Executive,Oando Plc, Wale

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Tinubu said: “The completion of this divestment signifies another win for the company. We pioneered the development of Nigeria’s foremost natural gas distribution network which has subsequently grown to become the largest private sector gas distributor in Nigeria creating a lasting impact on both the sector and the Nigerian economy.

“The divestment further reinforces Oando’s ability

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

to create value that can be monetised and the company’s status as the indigenous partner of choice for international companies looking to invest in Nigeria. This transaction favourably positions us to significantly reduce our debt profile and remain focused on growth through our dollar denominated businesses.

“We will continue to maintain significant presence in the Midstream as well as grow our

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

gas aspirations via our upstream gas assets in our NAOC Joint Venture wherein we have four gas projects within the NNPC’s Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (CGDPs), which are responsible for almost 50 per cent of the 42 TCF that will be delivered by the seven CGDPs by 2020.”

Also commenting, CEO, Axxela Limited, Bolaji Osunsanya added: “As we position to become the preferred and

O F

fast-growing gas and power portfolio across sub-Saharan Africa, we pay homage to our origins, legacy, and storied history as an Oando portfolio company. As we commence a new journey, our audacious growth initiatives across Nigeria and the sub-region will leverage our industry expertise, experience, and longevity; while our affiliation as a full-fledged Helios company will improve our access to capital.

2 9 / 0 3 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˾ FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019

44

Friday, April 5, 2019 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Declines 0.27%

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

Yesterday, the Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index declined 0.27% to ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϰϭϮ͘ϯϮ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůů ŽīƐ ŝŶ DANGCEM (-0.5%), ACCESS (-ϰ͘ϯйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ ETI (-ϯ͘ϯйͿ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϰ͘ϳй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

Local Bourse Extends Bearish Performance͙ ASI Down 0.4%

dŚĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ into ƚŚĞ ĨŽƵƌƚŚ ĐŽŶƐĞĐƵƟǀĞ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ DANGCEM (-0.5%), ETI (-ϯ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ ACCESS (-ϰ͘ϯйͿ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ /ŶĚĞdž ĨĞůů ďLJ ϯϵďƉƐ ƚŽ Ϯϵ͕ϱϱϯ͘ϭϮ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ as YTD loss worsened to -ϲ͘Ϭй ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů ďLJ Eϰϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ Eϭϭ͘ϭƚŶ͘ /Ŷ ůŝŶĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁŽƌƐĞŶĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ďLJ

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

Price Previous Current Change Price Weightin YTD Change g

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

1,412.32

-0.27%

-3.8%

41.2%

20.6%

7.4%

5.2x

0.7x

5.7%

13.8%

1 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

35.00

0.0%

20.2%

1.6%

1.4%

31.2%

5.5%

5.4x

1.8x

7.9%

18.7%

2 Zenith Bank PLC

20.50

0.5%

11.4%

-11.1%

-1.2%

22.6%

3.2%

3.5x

0.8x

13.8%

28.5%

189.00

-0.5%

9.3%

-0.4%

1.6%

44.6%

23.2%

8.3x

3.3x

8.5%

12.1%

1,450.00

0.0%

8.2%

-2.4%

-1.7%

90.4%

27.8%

26.7x

22.9x

4.0%

3.7%

60.00

0.0%

4.4%

-29.8%

-21.6%

11.3%

5.0%

24.4x

2.9x

4.1%

4.1%

7.35

0.0%

5.0%

-7.5%

-8.1%

6.6%

0.8%

5.3x

0.4x

3.4%

19.0%

16.20

0.0%

3.9%

-16.5%

-16.5%

3.3%

3.1%

4.0x

0.6x

2.5%

24.9%

2.9x

0.4x

13.3%

34.7%

0.6x

3.1%

15.6%

8.8%

3 Dangote Cement PLC 4 Nestle Nigeria PLC 5 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 6 FBN Holdings Plc 7 Cement Co Northern Nigeria PLC 8 United Bank for Africa PLC

6.35

0.8%

3.7%

-17.5%

-18.6%

15.2%

1.7%

9 International Brew eries PLC

23.50

0.0%

2.8%

-23.0%

-25.4%

-23.8%

-3.2%

590.00

0.0%

3.4%

-7.8%

-4.9%

9.4%

5.7%

10 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C 11 Access Bank PLC

5.7x 6.4x

5.60

-4.3%

2.9%

-17.6%

-13.8%

19.1%

2.1%

1.7x

0.3x

11.60

-3.3%

2.5%

-17.1%

-18.9%

15.3%

1.2%

3.1x

0.5x

-1.5%

59.1%

ϴ͘ϭй ĂŶĚ ϰϴ͘ϵй ƚŽ ϰϵϴ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ EϮ͘ϵďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ dŚĞ

12 Ecobank Transnational Inc

ŵŽƐƚ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

46.25

0.0%

2.7%

-3.5%

-0.4%

34.5%

4.7%

6.5x

2.0x

3.2%

14 Unilever Nigeria PLC

35.00

-2.0%

2.4%

-5.4%

-5.4%

14.7%

9.0%

17.2x

2.4x

4.3%

5.8%

15 Lafarge Africa PLC

11.55

0.4%

1.6%

-7.2%

-3.8%

-53.7%

-7.9%

0.8x

12.6%

-54.5%

16 Guinness Nigeria PLC

62.45

0.0%

1.2%

-13.3%

-13.3%

8.5%

4.5%

17.5x

1.6x

3.0%

5.7%

17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

80.00

0.0%

1.4%

5.0%

5.0%

39.3%

29.7%

9.0x

2.6x

3.8%

11.1% 12.0%

STERLING ;ϭϮϰ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ CHAMS ;ϭϭϰ͘ϳŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ĂŶĚ FBNH ;ϱϱ͘ϰŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ZENITH

;Eϲϱϯ͘ϴŵͿ͕ GUARANTY

;EϱϬϯ͘ϴŵͿ ĂŶĚ FBNH ;EϰϬϳ͘ϭŵͿ ůĞĚ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

ĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŽĨ ϱ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ͘ dŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ

196.00

0.0%

1.3%

-3.4%

-3.4%

27.0%

6.6%

8.4x

2.2x

8.7%

19 11 PLC

170.00

-4.5%

1.2%

-8.4%

-8.4%

38.0%

16.8%

5.7x

1.9x

4.9%

17.6%

17.55

0.0%

0.9%

-24.0%

-20.9%

6.6%

2.0%

8.1x

0.5x

5.7%

12.3%

2.5x

0.3x

1.5%

2.4x

0.3x

5.9%

42.1% 26.9%

21 Oando PLC

4.95

3.1%

1.2%

-1.0%

3.1%

22 Fidelity Bank PLC

1.88

0.5%

1.1%

-7.4%

-7.4%

11.6%

39.6%

23 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.14

-0.9%

0.9%

-13.6%

-9.5%

19.3%

4.3%

3.7x

0.7x

2.6%

24 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

13.75

-3.2%

0.9%

-9.8%

-7.1%

32.6%

16.4%

7.4x

1.6x

8.0%

2.42

0.0%

0.9%

12.6%

-5.8%

-0.7%

26 FCMB Group Plc

1.75

0.0%

0.6%

-7.4%

-2.8%

8.4%

1.2%

27 UAC of Nigeria PLC

7.60

0.0%

0.4%

-22.1%

-20.4%

0.4%

0.2%

25 Diamond Bank PLC

0.3x 2.3x

0.2x

7.9%

42.7%

0.3x

8.4%

-30.9%

40.4%

28 Sterling Bank PLC

2.55

2.8%

0.7%

34.2%

34.2%

10.6%

1.1%

7.9x

0.7x

8.0%) and MANSARD (-ϳ͘ϯйͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ

29 Presco PLC

62.75

0.0%

0.4%

-2.0%

-2.0%

37.0%

24.8%

2.5x

0.8x

3.2%

30 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

20.00

0.0%

0.4%

11.1%

11.1%

47.0%

17.5%

12.0x

4.7x

5.0%

31 Forte Oil PLC

27.40

9.8%

0.3%

-4.5%

-2.1%

84.6%

8.3%

18.8x

2.1x

ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ CAP (-ϵ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ DANGCEM (0.5%). ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĨĞůů Ϭ͘ϰй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůů-ŽīƐ ŝŶ DANGSUGAR (-ϯ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ UNILEVER

(-2.0%), ETI

(-ϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ ACCESS

(-ϰ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ

WEMABANK (-ϰ͘ϭйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů ĂŶĚ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ĞdžƚĞŶĚĞĚ ŝƚƐ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ

32 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

6.65

0.0%

0.4%

18.8%

18.8%

5.3%

1.0%

10.9x

0.7x

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

27.50

0.0%

0.3%

36.8%

24.4%

31.5%

3.6%

4.3x

1.1x

34 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϲdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϯdž ĂƐ ϭϭ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ϭϵ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ dŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ǁĞƌĞ CHAMS ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ͕ FORTE ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ ĂŶĚ VITAFOAM ;нϳ͘ϴйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ůĞĂƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ

9.2% 7.3%

23.1%

0.0%

0.2%

-19.0%

-20.3%

0.9x

1.6%

-9.9%

0.2%

-3.3%

-3.3%

66.2%

30.2%

11.6x

10.5x

7.4%

8.6%

36 Wema Bank PLC

0.70

-4.1%

0.2%

11.1%

11.1%

6.6%

0.8%

8.1x

0.5x

4.3%

12.3%

37 Beta Glass PLC

5.4x

1.0x

2.2%

18.6%

1.0x

2.5%

-2.9%

11.0x

0.7x

2.8%

9.1%

9.6x

1.0x

2.9%

10.4%

58.35

0.0%

0.1%

-14.6%

-14.6%

21.1%

14.7%

38 Dangote Flour Mills Plc

8.00

-5.9%

0.2%

16.8%

21.2%

14.9%

4.2%

39 Transcorp Hotels Plc

5.40

0.0%

0.1%

-11.5%

-9.2%

40 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

2.04

-7.3%

0.1%

11.5%

11.5%

T ic k er

11.6%

3.5%

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

FO

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

8.3% 5.3%

9.80

CHA M S

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

12.7%

33.70

35 Chemical and Allied Products P

ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ FORTE ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ OANDO ;нϯ͘ϭйͿ͘

13.5% -29.0%

ŝŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ Ϯ͘ϱй ĂƐ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ REGALINS (-

/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ŝŶĐŚŝŶŐ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚ ďLJ Ϭ͘ϱй

15.3%

18 Total Nigeria PLC

20 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

Bearish Sector Performance

32.8%

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

0.22

10.0%

ST ER LN B A N K

124.8

2.8%

27.40

9.8%

CHA M S

114.7

10.0% 0.0%

VIT A F OA M

3.85

7.8%

FB NH

55.4

C OR N ER ST

0.22

4.8%

Z EN IT H B A N K

31.9

0.5%

OA N D O

4.95

3.1%

UB A

28.4

0.8% -4.3%

ST ER LN B A N K

2.55

2.8%

A C C ESS

19.1

J A IZ B A N K

0.48

2.1%

FCM B

17.0

0.0%

UB A

6.35

0.8%

F ID ELIT YB K

16.1

0.5%

F ID ELIT YB K

1.88

0.5%

GUA R A N T Y

14.4

0.0%

20.50

0.5%

UC A P

10.5

-7.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

day were CAP (-ϵ͘ϵйͿ͕ UNITY (-ϵ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ ETERNA (-8.0%). We

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

ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚŝƐ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƉĞƌƐŝƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĂů

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĞŬ ĂƐ ǁĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ

CA P

33.70

-9.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

653.9

0.5%

0.78

-9.3%

GUA R A N T Y

503.8

0.0%

will ƚĂŬĞ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƉƌŝĐĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ͘

UN IT YB N K ET ER N A

4.00

-8.0%

FB NH

407.1

0.0%

UN ION D A C

0.23

-8.0%

ST ER LN B A N K

299.4

2.8% 0.0%

R EGA LIN S

0.23

-8.0%

N EST LE

258.4

M A N SA R D

2.04

-7.3%

UB A

180.5

0.8%

A F R IP R UD

3.55

-7.1%

A C C ESS

104.8

-4.3%

UC A P

2.65

-7.0%

NB

75.8

0.0%

D A N GF LOUR

8.00

-5.9%

ET ER N A

44.8

-8.0%

170.00

-4.5%

UN ILEVER

44.1

-2.0%

M OB IL

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

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

45

FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Chams Recovers from N1.3 Billion Loss to N380 Million Profit Goddy Egene Chams Plc has recorded a profit after tax (PAT) of N380 million up from a loss of N1.27 billion in 2017, following strategic business restructuring embarked upon by the company. Total assets amounted to N5.25 billion, compared with N4.77 billion in 2017, showing a 10 per cent growth while total liabilities reduced by 14 per cent,

to N3.60 billion from N4.20 billion in 2017.

Chams had last year restructured its operations for global competitiveness, including a change in business model, placing premium on identity management and introduction of innovative products and services.

Commenting on the result, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Chams

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

Plc, Mr. Femi, Williams said it is the positive effects of the management’s determination to revamp the company’s operations for enhanced profitability in other performance indicators.

“This result is a testament to the group’s dedication to revamping the fortune of the company, coming from a loss position to record this impressive performance is the first step in our arsenal of strategies

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 03Apr-2019, unless otherwise stated.

lined up for deployment this year.

As can be seen from the result, we recorded a growth of 54 per cent in revenue year- on-year, while we grew profit before tax by 124 per cent. I would like to assure all our investors and shareholders that we would not rest on our oars as we would keep firing from all cylinders in order to maintain and surpass this performance by the end of the fiscal year 2019,” he said.

Williams stated further that the performance was the result of the group’s doggedness and the pragmatic approach they “have adopted in tackling the array of issues that have plagued us and our industry for a long time now.

This result is the first of many of its kind, and the group is committed to delivering optimum values to its stakeholders.”

The company’s profit net profit

margin increased the back of the 54 per cent growth in revenue while the finance expenses declined by 34 per cent in the review. Revenue grew by 54 per cent as against that of the prior year as a result of increased income from identity management services, sales, maintenance of BVN services, supply of cards, sales of the Access control as well as income from switching service.

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 N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.25% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 12.75% 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 13.72% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.28 2.29 2.21% 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 16.56 17.06 -0.18% ARM Discovery Fund 359.49 370.33 0.80% ARM Ethical Fund 0.00 0.00 -100.00% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.62% 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 100.96 101.67 -0.23% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.64% 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 13.37% Paramount Equity Fund 12.03 12.13 1.85% Women's Investment Fund 105.63 106.17 1.94% 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 13.19% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 101.19 101.32 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 100.75 101.32 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 18.98% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.83 0.83 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.17 1.17 4.74% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,237.96 1,238.81 4.43% FBN Heritage Fund 143.17 144.36 -0.17% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.69% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 117.49 117.85 3.16% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.42 117.78 3.35% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 144.71 146.80 -3.53% 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 1.16 1.18 -4.74% Legacy Debt Fund 3.34 3.34 3.05% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.04 1.04 1.19% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,970.40 3,002.00 -0.43% Coral Income Fund 2,849.52 2,849.52 4.03% 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 12.67% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 106.93 107.66 1.44% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.13% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.12 2.14 -1.28% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.35% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 124.11 124.31 -0.65%

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 1.49% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,107.11 1,107.11 3.46% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.07 11.16 -3.77% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.55% 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 N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 125.96 126.63 4.37% 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 1.00 1.00 0.08% 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 2,357.96 2,371.48 1.89% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 197.14 197.14 3.68% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.94 0.96 0.00% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 254.73 254.76 3.06% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 164.34 166.13 0.72% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.01% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,310.39 8,410.83 -2.10% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.13 1.13 1.58% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 11.04 11.20 4.87% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.34 12.49 2.88% Zenith Income Fund 21.45 21.45 11.30% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.83%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 119.82 52.08

-44.85% 1.78% 0.66%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.18 106.97 84.79

10.28 109.24 86.36

-3.53% -8.81% -4.37%

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

3.96 6.46 14.10 11.94 153.10

4.00 6.54 14.20 12.14 155.10

-1.05% -15.11% -5.66% -3.36% 6.61%

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.

46

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

Terrorism Tops Agenda as G7 Interior Ministers Meet in Paris Combating terrorism was set to be top of the agenda on Thursday and Friday as interior ministers from the G7 group of major Western

powers and Japan meet in Paris.

The ministers as well as top security and migration officials from the EU were

Cocaine Stash Worth $28m Found in German Grocer’s Banana Crates Aldi employees discovered sachets of the white powder known as cocaine worth as much as 28 million dollars in crates of bananas, prosecutors in the northern city of Rostock said yesterday.

The banana crates were delivered by ship from Latin America to six stores and a distribution warehouse in the state of MecklenburgVorpommern.

Stores and warehouses in Germany operated by the discount supermarket chain Aldi have come under scrutiny.

“I am very sure that this is the largest amount of cocaine ever found in

Authorities are investigating 13 suspects following antiterror raids in western Germany that involved a suspected cell of the Islamic State militia.

The investigations are focused on the suspicion of planning a serious crime endangering the state and collusion to commit a crime, Herbert Reul, minister for internal affairs of the

western state of North Rhine Westphalia, said on Thursday.

Earlier, German police briefly detained 11 suspected Islamists on suspicion of terrorism following searches in the states of North Rhine Westphalia and Baden-Wuerttemberg, but then released them again.

Most of the men were from Tajikistan.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as SUNNY-OKEH OLUBUNMI, now wished to be known and addressed as SUNDAY OKEH OLUBUNMI RUTH and my DoB was wrongly written as 9th August 1978 instead of 9th March 1978. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OGLEKWU OBIABO SIMON, nowwishtobeknownandaddressedas OGLEKWU SIMON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ODELEYE OLUWABUNMI, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWALEYE OLUWABUNMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLAMIDE SOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as OBASEESIN OLAMIDE SOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OZOR NNEBUOGOR AMAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ODIGIE NNEBUOGOR AMAKA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS UDOKA NKEONYEASUA NWAEKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS UDOKA NKEONYEASUA COMMEY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OBISESAN MUYIBAT IYABO, now wish to be known and addressed as AGBABIAKA MUYIBAT IYABO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

of the G7, Germany, France and Britain, have called on the European Commission to propose EU laws to enforce the rapid removal of terrorist content from the internet.

The ministers were also set to discuss how to deal with foreign fighters with the Islamic State extremist group and their

family members who have surrendered to Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

Amid a partial withdrawal by the Kurds’ main backer, the U.S., the future of the de facto autonomous territory where the fighters and their relatives are being held is in doubt.

The first working

session, though, will be about illegal migration, with the interior ministers of Niger and Burkina Faso joining the G7 ministers for a working lunch.

The G7 is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, with the EU also attending its meetings.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,’’ a spokesperson for the criminal investigation office said.

Aldi outlets in other states around the country had also been questioned, but as of midday Thursday, no further cocaine finds had been reported, the Rostock prosecutors said.

In February, prosecutors in the southern state of Bavaria charged eight men with smuggling two tons of cocaine valued at close to 500 million dollars to Germany with banana crates shipped from Ecuador.

The gang operated by breaking into the halls where the fruit are ripened and stealing the crates.

Authorities Investigate 13 Suspects after Anti-terror Raids in Germany

I formerly known and addressed as AJIBADE JOHN ABDULAHI, now wish to be known and addressed as AJIBADE JOHN ATANDA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

set to evaluate the current level of the terrorist threat in their countries, according to the French hosts.

Top officials from Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft will also attend evening session on combating use of the internet for terrorist purposes.

Three European members

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, HASSAN ADUNNIADE OLUWATOBI, my name was wrongly written as HASSAN ADUNNI instead of HASSAN ADUNNIADE OLUWATOBI and HASSAN ADUNNIADE NUSIRAT. All former document remain valid, the general public should please take note.

I, KELECHI MARCILINA ASIEGBU is one and the same person bearing KELECHI MARCILINA ASIEGBU and KELECHI NANCY ASIEGBU. All former documents remain valid, the general public should please take note.

L-R: Senator representing Bayelsa East, Ben Murray-Bruce; former UK Foreign Secretary, Mr. Boris Johnson; and vice presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, during a meeting with leading members of the UK conservative in UK…recently

US Presidential Election: Zuckerberg Confident of Stopping Interference in 2020 Campaign Facebook Inc’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg, is confident the world’s biggest social network will do better in 2020 at stopping “bad actors’’ from manipulating the U.S. presidential election.

“We’ve learned a lot since 2016, where, obviously, we were behind where we needed to be on defences for nation states trying to interfere,” he said in a “Good Morning America’’ interview released on Thursday.

“These aren’t things that you ever fully solve, right?

They’re ongoing arms races, where we need to make sure

that our systems stay ahead of the sophisticated bad actors, who are just always going to try to game them.”

US intelligence agencies say there was an extensive Russian cyber-influence operation during the 2016 campaign aimed at helping Donald Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Zuckerberg said that he social media giant had implemented a lot of different measures since 2016 to verify any advertiser who is running a political ad and

create an archive so anyone could see what advertisers are running, who they are targeting and how much they are paying.

Advertising practices at Facebook, the world’s largest social network with 2.7 billion users and 56 billion dollars in annual revenue, have been in the spotlight for two years amid growing discontent over its approach to privacy and user data.

The company said in a congressional testimony in 2018 that Russian agents created 129 events on the network during the 2016 U.S.

election campaign, shedding more light on Russia’s purported disinformation drive aimed at voters.

“At this point, (we) have probably some of the mostadvanced systems of any company or government in the world for preventing the kind of tactics that Russia and now other countries, as well, have tried,” Zuckerberg said.

Asked if he could guarantee that there would not be interference in the election, Zuckerberg said, “What I can guarantee is that they’re definitely going to try.

Gunmen Demand $500,000 Ransom on American Kidnapped on Ugandan Safari The American woman and her driver who were on Tuesday kidnapped at Uganda’s most popular wildlife park by gunmen were asked to pay a ransom of $500,000, police said.

“Kimberley Sue Endecott, 35, and Ugandan driver Jean Paul were on a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park when four gunmen ambushed their vehicle on Tuesday,’’ a police statement said.

Various illegal groups from Somali Islamists to Congolesebased rebels sometimes operate

in Uganda, however the kidnappers’ identity was not known.

An elderly couple also at the scene was not taken and raised the alarm.

“I suspect the kidnappers left them because they were elderly, but they took all their possessions,” Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said.

The spokesman added that Califonia-based Endecott and the couple, whose relationship was unclear, entered Uganda on March 29 and flew the next

day to the park in the country’s Southwest.

The U.S. embassy in Kampala had no extra information to offer.

“We take seriously any threats against U.S. citizens abroad.

Security forces are responding to the incident,” it said in a statement.

The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab has carried out attacks in Uganda in the past, however has never been known to kidnap anyone for ransom there.

The park, Uganda’s most visited, is located about 400

km Southwest of the capital Kampala, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is home to many fragmented rebel groups.

Police said the kidnapping appeared financially motivated, since the group quickly made a demand using Endecott’s mobile.

“The joint security teams have cut off all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the DRC in search of the victims,” the police statement added, warning the group may still be in the park.

47

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Zamfara Guber Poll: Court Orders Service of Shinkafi’s Petition through Substituted Means Alex Enumah in Abuja The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi yesterday, has received the permission of the Zamfara State Governorship and House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to serve his petition against the outcome of the March 9 governorship election on the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its candidate, Mukhta Idris, through substituted means.

Specifically, the tribunal has ordered that the petitioners should serve the petition on the respondents by pasting all the processes on the wall of the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Binta Amina, gave the order at the inaugural sitting of the tribunal, which was relocated to Abuja due to the insecurity in the state.

Counsel to Shinkafi and APGA, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, had in his motion ex-parte asked the tribunal for an order of substituted service on APC and its candidate, Idris, by delivering the petition and all processes on any adult staff at the APC National Secretariat at Plot 40 Blantyre Street Wuse 2 or by pasting the petition and all other processes at the entrance gate or any other conspicuous place at the APC National Secretariat Plot

40 Blantyre Street Wuse 2 Abuja.

In the petition, Shinkafi specifically asked the tribunal to nullify the governorship election conducted in the state on March 9 and order for a fresh election without the participation of the APC and its candidate, Mukhta Idris.

The petition filed on March 29, stated that by virtue of Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, “a person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a state if inter alia: he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party to contest the said election.’’

Shinkafi further averred that “pursuant to section 87(1) of The Electoral Act 2010 as amended, a political party seeking to sponsor or nominate candidates for elections under this section shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions. In other words, by the combined provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Electoral Act 2010 as amended, sponsorship of candidates for elective positions is only through the holding of primaries.

Citing Section 140(2) of the Electoral A t 2010 as amended, Shinkafi stated that “where an election tribunal or court nullifies an election on the ground that the person who obtained the highest votes at the election was not

qualified to contest the election or the election was marred by substantial irregularities or noncompliance with the provisions of this act, the election tribunal or court shall not declare the person with the second highest number of votes or any other person as elected, but shall order a fresh election.’’

He contended that Mukhtar Idris cited in the suit as the 1st

respondent was as at the time of the Zamfara State governorship elections not qualified to contest the election on the grounds that he was not a sponsored candidate of a political party and was therefore not qualified for election to the office of the Governor of a State.

Shinkafi and APGA, therefore, asked the tribunal for a declaration that the 1st

respondent at the time the Zamfara State governorship election was conducted by INEC on March 9 2019, Idris, was not qualified to contest the said election having not been sponsored by the APC as stipulated in Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

They also asked an order setting aside the purported return

of the 1st and 2nd respondents as winners of Zamfara State governorship election held on March 9 2019, and an order directing INEC to conduct fresh governorship election in Zamfara State within 90 days without the participation of the 1st and 2nd respondents, the APC having failed to sponsor a governorship candidate within the time stipulated by law.

FG Plans Five-year Roadmap to Develop Shea Butter Sector Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The federal government through the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has planned a five-year action plan in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, as part of efforts to develop the Shea butter sector in the country.

The roadmap was designed to address indiscriminate felling of Shea trees, lack of awareness on best practices, lack of standard Shea processing methods and facilities, inadequate information/data on small and large scale producers of shea butter, poor packaging and branding among others.

The Chairman, Roadmap Drafting Committee, Prof.

Muhammed Suleiman, disclosed this yesterday at a one- day stakeholders’ meeting on the

‘Development of a Roadmap for the Nigeria’s Shea Sector’ organised

by RMRDC in collaboration with International Shea Products Association of Nigeria (NASPAN).

He said that Shea butter industry seems to be seriously under exploited in Nigeria despite huge economic potentials.

Suleiman stressed that since the last decade, there has been increase in both domestic consumption and export of Shea nuts worldwide, adding that the increasing demand of Shea butter are being used for chocolate and confectioneries, pharmaceutical and personal care industries in Europe and United States.

According to him, “despite the fact Nigeria is the largest producer of Shea nuts in Africa with production figure of about 370,000 metric tonnes, which is

about 53 per cent of the total world output, the country only ranks fourth in terms of export among the African Shea butter exporting countries.”

“The processing of Shea nut into Shea butter in Nigeria is minimal as only about 20,000 MT of estimated 370,000 MT Shea but produced are processed into butter. This accounts for less 5,000 MT of Shea butter production and only about 2,000 MT export share annually unlike other African countries like Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo who export 76, 000 MT, 50,000 MT, 60,000 MT and 20,000 MT respectively of Shea butter annually contribute significantly to their GDP.” Suleiman noted that the about 75 per cent of the actors are women, especially the rural women, who are at the bottom

of the value-chain.

He stated, “In view of the need to maximise the potentials of the sector in Nigeria, an action plan for the development of the sector was developed to be executed within five years in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to drive various interventions required.

Earlier, the Director General of RMRDC, Hussaini Ibrahim, said that the stakeholders’ meeting would produce a document that is going to be a guiding principle for all operators in the sector.

Ibrahim, who was represents by the Director of Planning and Policy Development, Hajara Tanko, stressed that the that the Council has a seat at the technical steering committee board to pass forward all the recommendations from the meeting for implementation by the government.

48

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Honour Police Invitation, Court Tells Saraki, Melaye, Murray-Bruce I didn’t receive any police invitation, Senate president replies Says Rivers delivered decisive mandate in Wike’s Re-election Deji Elumoye and Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce to immediately honour the invitation of the police over alleged attack on some policemen during the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) protest over the outcome of Osun State governorship election on October 5, 2018.

Justice Abang gave the order in a judgment he delivered in a fundamental rights suit filed by Saraki, Melaye and Murray-Bruce.

But in a swift reaction, Saraki has stated that at no point was any invitation extended to him by the police to appear before it over the protest This is coming as Senate President has described the re-election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as a decisive victory notwithstanding the antics of some opposition elements in the state.

The trio had in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/03/095/2018, prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to declare that the harassment that was given to them by the police during their peaceful protest on October 5, including the teargas that was fired at them, amounted to gross violation of their fundamental human rights.

They had also prayed the court to stop the Inspector General of Police and FCT Commissioner of Police, from inviting them,

harrassing and intimidating them over the incident.

But delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Abang held that the invitation by the police does not translate to breach of fundamental human rights of the applicants.

He accordingly dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and ordered the applicants to honour the police invitation without fail.

“The invitation of the applicants on the October 6 and 8, 2018, remains valid and subsisting.

The applicants should without fail report to police.

“The application lacks merit, therefore it failed. A cost of N50,000 is awarded against the applicants”, Abang held.

According to the judgment, the police have a constitutional responsibility to invite and interrogate any person, who is not covered by immunity, over suspected breach of the law.

The judge said rushing to the court on mere invitation to file application on breach of fundamental human rights was against the constitutional role of the police.

“The applicants did not wait for infringement to occur before coming to court. They cannot by mere invitation say they are harassed, intimidated or denied their freedom of movement. The police were merely carrying out their constitutional duty.

“The police are constitutionally empowered to invite any person, who has no immunity for questioning.

“They ought to report to police

Bauchi APC Hires Four SANs to Challenge PDP’sVictory Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The outgoing Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, has disclosed that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assembled four Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to challenge his electoral defeat in court.

Abubakar, who returned to the state after spending over one week in Abuja lobbying and making consultations in the presidency and the national leadership of the APC, made a U-turn from his earlier decision to concede defeat, saying his party has agreed to go to court to reclaim his mandate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The embattled governor, in a video that has gone viral which was obtained by THISDAY, disclosed this while addressing his supporters at his campaign office in Bauchi last Wednesday evening shortly after returning to the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Sade, confirmed the authenticity of the video to THISDAY in an interview yesterday.

The governor, who said he had earlier accepted his defeat as his ‘destiny’, disclosed that he met with President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the party which informed him that they would file a suit soon to challenge the election.

According to him, “The reason for my going to Abuja,

in my capacity as a loyal and obedient party member, was to meet with the national chairman of the APC, vice president and the president.

“Just like I have said, I am an obedient member of the national body of the party, and it was because of this that the APC will file a suit in court to challenge the results of Bauchi State elections.

“As an obedient member, I accept to go with that decision.

Everyone knows that when the results of the election were announced, I conceded defeat but I contested on the ticket of the party and the party has refused to accept the outcome of the election.”

Abubakar added that it was because of that development that he was addressing his supporters to inform them that “the party has concluded plans, and has hired four SANs to file this suit in court in a short while.”

He said he was telling them of the party’s decision so as to “motivate” them because “there is no way injustice will stand, as that will never happen. Everybody knows that there was injustice in the election that took place in the state.”

The outgoing governor alleged that from the time the PDP candidate was announced as the winner of the election, ‘Sara Suka’ (political thuggery) has been on the increase.

on invitation; it is the outcome of the invitation that could be said to breach of fundamental human rights. The court cannot question the police on invitation, nor can the court restrain the police from their lawful role,” Abang said.

In sustaining the objection raised by the police against the application, Abang said the application was not supported by competent affidavit.

Aside this, the judge said the applicants ought to have deposed to affidavit each and personally, and not by a proxy as in the instant case.

“In this case the three senators filed one suit. They didn’t file separate application nor deposed to any affidavit, which is required in fundamental human rights case.

“This is in breach of order 2 rule 4 of the fundamental rights enforcement procedure,” the judge held.

Saraki, Melaye and Murray-Bruce had dragged the IGP and FCT Commissioner of Police to stop the police from any attempt to arrest them for staging a protest to the National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Police

Headquarters, Abuja.

While the IG was cited as the 1st respondent in the matter, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT was sued as the second respondent.

The applicants were among leaders of the opposition PDP who marched to the office of the electoral body to protest against the outcome of the Osun State governorship election.

Reacting to the court’s judgment, Saraki stated yesterday that at no point was any invitation extended to him by the police to appear before it over the protest.

His Media Adviser, Yusuph

Olaniyonu, told THISDAY yesterday that : “The Senate President is not in possession of any invite from the police high command over the issue.

“I can confirm to you that no such letter was sent to the Senate President from the police over the rally held to protest the outcome of Osun State governorship poll last October”.

Meanwhile, Saraki, has described the re-election of Governor Nyesom Wike as a decisive victory notwithstanding what he described as the antics of some opposition elements in the state.

WELL DESERVED HONOUR…

L-R: Pro-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN); Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu; Alhaji Femi Okunnu; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed; and UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, after the conferment of a honorary doctorate degree on Okunnu at UNILAG...yesterday.

Lawmakers Reprimand Minister over Poor Budget Presentation Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja The state Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Baba Mustapha Shehuri, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Muhammad Bukar, were yesterday chastised by the House of Representatives Committee on Regional Planning and Urban Development over poor presentation of the 2018 budget performance.

Condemning what they described as ‘copy and paste’ budget, the lawmakers said the ministry expenditure in the 2018 appropriation lacked details, demanding the inclusion of some

omitted columns with accurate accounts of releases and how they were spent before the 2019 proposal could be considered.

Raising observations on the faulty presentations in the budget, member representing Ibadan Northwest/South-west, Oyo State, Hon. Fijabi Akinlade, said: “I think this your 2019 and 2018 budgets, if you want to check properly, I just think it is a cut and paste. What you have just done actually is to change the figures.

“If you go to number 17 of 2018, it is the same thing; number 18 is also the same thing as well as 19, 20 and others. So, are you looking to repeat the same projects

of 2018 in 2019?

“For example, number 20 of 2018 says slum identification and mapping in selected cities in Abuja and environ; number 20 of 2019 is exactly the same thing.

Somebody just cut and paste and put different amount on it.”

The lawmakers said items listed in the budget from one to number 34 seemed that Urban and Regional Development Department is for some particular states in the country namely: Abuja, Ondo, Kogi, and Kwara, suggesting that they have to go and rework it to capture the entire 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

in the project proposals.

While pointing out errors and non-inclusion of expenditure details of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, he asked the minister to produce overhead column on the document, showing accurate accounts of releases and spending, vowing to discontinue with the session until their demands were met.

Another member of the committee, Hon. Ossai Nichola Ossai (PDP, Delta), had insisted that the ministry must provide the details of its personnel spending as it related to unit-by-unit allocations.

Jim Ovia, MFM’s Olukoya, Bag Honorary Degrees as UNILAG Holds 50th Convocation Omolabake Fasogbon The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has conferred the prestigious honorary doctorate degree to three eminent personalities at its 50th convocation ceremony.

The awardees are Founder, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia; General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries/ Founder, Mountain Top University, Dr. Daniel Olukoya; and a former Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu.

The university also conferred first degrees, diplomas and certificate to 12,638 students as well as 5405 post-graduate degrees, consisting 150PHD’s, 4771 masters and 484 postgraduate diplomas.

Speaking on the recognition, Olukoya who dedicated the award to the youths, urged the federal government and stakeholders to encourage the youths by their actions.

He said,” Today’s youths need deliverance and particularly encouragement to motivate them to greatness. I will also implore

government to consider introducing a compulsory course of “Life After University’ in institutions to include, dignity, integrity, morality and hard work such that any students that failed the course should not be allowed to graduate” On his part, Ovia called for private intervention to salvage the nation’s education system. He urged government to license more private universities and institutions to enhance the education system.

In his address,the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the university, Dr. Wale Babalakin

(SAN), congratulated the awardees and advised them to turn every stumbling block on their way to a stepping stone to achieve greater heights Admonishing the doctorate awardees, he said, “I want you to see this degree as pedestal for greater achievements and not a chieftaincy title to be kept in cupboard.

We are challenging you to go out there and continue to be instrumental and developmental to the local and global society.”

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Jubilation in Imo as Court Dismisses Suit against Ihedioha Amby Uneze in Owerri A federal court in Owerri, Imo State capital, has dismissed a suit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, challenging the emergence of the state Governor-elect, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Anyanwu had approached the court seeking to nullify the victory of Ihedioha and declare him as the authentic winner of the primary election.

He had accused Ihedioha of engaging in over voting and thuggery, which he alleged swayed the polls in favour of Ihedioha.

Delivering judgement,

Justice Tijani Ringing said the plaintiff did not convince the court on the prayers he sought.

He said from Anyanwu’s allegations, the court could not establish the fact in his claims, and therefore dismissed the suit for lack of proof.

Recalled that Ihedioha in a primary election conducted in Owerri on October 1, 2018, polled 1,723 to defeat his closest rival, Anyanwu, who polled 1,282.

While Anyanwu rejected the result of the primary election, five other aspirants namely: Senator Achonu, Prof. Jude Njoku, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru and Chief George Ejike, congratulated Ihedioha on

his victory and went ahead to join his campaign tours.

Meanwhile, there is

jubilation in the Owerri over the judgement. Some residents who spoke to

journalists described the judgement as a landmark and called on Anyanwu

to join hands with the governor-elect to move the state forward.

Wife of Murdered Ex-PDP Chairman’s Son Has Case to Answer, Says Court Alex Enumah in Abuja An Abuja High Court in Maitama yesterday ruled that Maryam Sanda, wife of the late Bilyamin Bello, son of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has a case to answer in the death of her husband.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Abuja High Court, in a ruling delivered yesterday, held that the prosecution was able to establish a prima facie against the first defendant.

He consequently dismissed Maryam’s no-case-submission in the two-count culpable homicide charge filed against her by the Nigerian Police Force, and ordered her to enter her defence.

The police in the charge had accused Maryam of stabbing her husband to death with a broken bottle on November 19 at their Abuja residence.

According to the police, the charge marked CR/15/17 was brought pursuant to section 109(d) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

The police also charged Maryam of “causing grievous hurt,” an offence contrary to section 247 of the Penal Code Law. However, the police later amended the charge to include Maryam’s mother, Maimuna Aliyu; her brother, Aliyu Sanda, and one Sadiya Aminu, as codefendant in the matter.

The prosecution alleged that Maryam’s family members attempted to destroy evidence that linked her to the murder.

It alleged that upon realising

that an offence of culpable homicide was committed, the other defendants “did cause evidence of the offence to disappear.’’

According to the police, the other defendants had carefully cleaned the blood from the scene of the crime with the intention of screening the first defendant, Maryam, from legal punishment, an act it noted is punishable under Section 167 of the Penal Code Law. To prove its case against the defendants the police called a total of six witnesses.

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Kogi NBA Urges Gov to Halt Action on CJ’s Removal The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Kogi State yesterday urged Governor Yahaya Bello not to act on the April 2, resolution of the state House of

Assembly calling for removal of the Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah.

The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the

Nwaoboshi Appeals Judgment Sacking Him as Delta North Senator-elect Davidson Iriekpen Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has challenged the judgment which nullified his nomination as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Delta North senatorial district election.

The lawmaker, who represents Delta North senatorial district in the National Assembly, asked the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja to set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court which nullified his candidacy.

In his judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that Nwaoboshi was not the winner of the PDP primary held on October 2, 2018, to select a candidate for the 2019 general election.

The judge had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of Ned Nwoko as the candidate of the PDP, having established the fact before the court that Nwoko scored a majority of the lawful votes in the primary.

He also ordered Senator Nwaoboshi to stop parading himself as the candidate of the PDP for the senatorial district.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, the lawmaker in the notice of appeal, listed five grounds of appeal.

In ground one, he said the learned trial judge erred in law when he held that the suit was not caught by the 14 days rule in section 285 subsection (9) of the Fourth Alternation to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as the primary election, which was the subject matter of the suit was conducted on October 2, 2018 and the 14 days allowed started running on the same October 2, 2018 when the primary election took place.

In ground two, the trial judge was said to have erred in law when he held that he had

jurisdiction to entertain the suit despite same being filed on December 11, 2018, because the first respondent, Nwoko had earlier filed a suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja which he withdrew and same was struck out, because it was caught by the same 14 days rule in view of section 285(9) Fourth Alteration to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) upon the filing of a preliminary objection by the Appellant.

In ground three, Senator Nwaoboshi said that the learned trial judge erred in law when he granted prayers (3) and (4) in the originating summons in favour of Nwoko and replaced him as winner of the primary election conducted on October 2, 2018.

The ground of appeal listed the aspirants and their scores at the said primary election as follows: Paul Osagie, 216; Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (appellant), 506; Prince Ned Nwoko (1st respondent), 453; adding that the appellant clearly emerged winner with the number of votes polled as against that of the first respondent.

In ground four, the trial judge was said to have erred in law when he invoked section 167(d) of the Evidence Act, 2011 against the respondent in view of its ex-parte order of December 18, 2018, where he ordered INEC to produce the ballot papers used for the primary election of October 2, 2018, for counting without considering the appellant’s motion of January 24, 2019, seeking to set aside the order as being a nullity.

In ground five, the lawmaker said the trial judge erred in law and exceeded his powers in deciding the suit on the basis of highly contradicted or conflicting evidence.

Nwaoboshi, therefore, sought an order setting aside the judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja delivered on April 3, 2019.

Oludaisi Faults Report on Oju-Ile Land Dispute The Secretary to Oju-Ile family in Lagos State, Rasak Oludaisi, has faulted a report published on the February 11, 2019, edition of THISDAY where it was erroneously stated that he accused the Chairman, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Kemi Surukatu, of conniving with estate agents to sell the family lands.

He said he never spoke with any THISDAY reporter on phone or in a physical meeting at any point in time, in which he was quoted to have said the Oju-Ile family had been experiencing some levels of impunity over the family lands.

Stating this through his solicitors, Cornerstone Legal

Consult recently, and signed by its representative, Muyiwa Olugola, the family secretary said the story was concocted to suit the aspiration of certain Oju-Ile family members to disparage his person.

He said: “The story was deliberately fabricated and packaged to publish malicious and defamatory information about me, thereby presenting me not only as the bad egg of the Oju-Ile family causing problem, disharmony and disunity among family members, but as someone not deserving of integrity, fame and respect he currently enjoys both within and outside the country.”

end of an enlarged meeting in Lokoja, of the four branches of the association, comprising of Lokoja, Idah, Kabba and Okene; as well as all the executives and elders of the association.

The communiqué, signed

by Dr. Michael Obamero and Mohammed Usman, the state’s NBA chairman and secretary, respectively, said the call was necessitated by the subsisting order of the High Court of Justice, Koton-Karfe, directing

the maintenance of status quo in the matter.

The NBA in Kogi, said it noted with dismay, the very unfortunate state of affairs of the justice sector in the state.

It therefore, called on all the feuding parties to sheath their swords and allow the process of peacemaking to take effect.

“As important stakeholders in the administration of justice in the state, the Bar feels constrained to analyse all the issues involved with the

sole aim of ensuring a truce between all parties.

“That the bar has noted the resolutions of the Kogi State House of Assembly passed on April 2, 2019 on the ongoing crisis.

NBA said in view of the subsisting order of the High Court, Governor Bello should not act on the house recommendations, but to allow for peaceful reconciliation.

The NBA however, commended the House of

Assembly for recommending the immediate payment of the nine months’ salary arrears owed judicial staff and appealed to the government to commence immediate payment.

The legal practitioners also called on the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Kogi Chapter, to call off the four months old strike to allow for amicable settlement of the impasse.

BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE...

L-R: Non-Executive Director Sigma Pensions, Natalie Kolbe; Director Buraq Capital Limited, Mallam Attahiru Maccido; Chairman Sigma Pensions, Mr. Mark Collier; Head Advisory, Buraq Capital, Mr. Abubakar Maina Sadiq; Chief Executive Officer, Sigma Pensions, Mr. Dave Uduanu; Director General, Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha, during a business roundtable held in Abuja...yesterday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

NNPC to Search Deeper for Oil in the North Upbeat over Dangote Refinery’s capacity to boost domestic refining John Shiklam in Kaduna The Nigeria National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC) has pledged to deepen its search for oil in the north.

The corporation has also described the Dangote Refinery, currently under construction, as a project that will assist Nigeria’s quest of attaining 1.095 million barrels per day self-sufficiency in the refining of petroleum products The Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru stated this yesterday in an interview with journalists at the 40th Kaduna International Trade Fair .

According to him, a deeper search of oil would enable the NNPC an extensive appraisal of the gas reserves discovered in the region in 1999.

He added that the NNPC was working on the Kolmani

River II with high hope and expectations, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari had personally urged the corporation to go back to exploration on the Kolmani River II. He said drilling has been going on smoothly, stressing that as at Wednesday morning, the corporation had dug 10,075 feet deep with a target to reach 14,270 feet exploration.

According to Baru, “the main purpose of this well is to start some massive appraisal of the discovery that was made way back in 1999 of some gas reserves in Kolmani River 1 and so far the drilling has been going on smoothly to enable exploration.

“We will do the needful, if we need to probe any particular section, we will take our time to do it; our target date is to see that by the end of May, we complete exploration on that particular well

and move to Kolmani River III, which site is almost ready for the rigs to move there and from there we move to other locations”.

Speaking earlier at the NNPC Day at the fair, Baru said the annual fair was an opportunity for stakeholders and long term exhibitors like the cooperation to take stock of their participation through the years with a view to consolidating on areas of strength, while working on avenues for improvements.

Meanwhile, NNPC has described the Dangote Refinery, as a project that will assist Nigeria’s quest of attaining 1.095 million barrels per day self-sufficiency in the refining of petroleum products.

Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, NNPC, Mr. Bello Rabiu, disclosed this yesterday at the on-going Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Speaking on ‘Upstream Opportunity in the Oil and Gas Sector’, Rabiu commended the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote for his commitment to Nigeria’s downstream sector.

According to him, the coming on stream of the Dangote 650,000 barrels-per-day Refinery and efforts by NNPC to revamp the country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, would help Nigeria to achieve zero importation of refined petroleum products.

Speaking during a technical session on “Infrastructure as a Key Enabler for Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Sector”, Executive Director, Dangote Group, Ahmed Mansur, said private sector investment and execution capacity in the Nigeria gas sector need to complement government’s efforts in the industry.

PDP’s Sekibo, Jocelyn Win Rivers East, West Senatorial Seats The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winners of the Rivers East and Rivers West senatorial district elections.

Senator Thompson Sekibo and Mr. Apiafi Jocelyn were returned elected by the electoral umpire, one month after the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections held.

According to a list of winners obtained yesterday, Senator Sekibo won the Rivers East senatorial district election by 283,759 votes.

Similarly, Jocelyn emerged as the winner of Rivers West senatorial district election after polling 159,215 votes, just as Mr. Dagogo Fara of the PDP was declared the winner of Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency election with 30,422 votes.

The list also contained the

names of winners of the State House of Assembly election, which held on March 9.

Three PDP candidates – Anthony Soberekon (10,976 votes), Bariene Deeyah (64,269 votes), and Prince Ngbor (39,681 votes), were declared the winners of Degema, Khana I and Khana II seats in the House respectively.

A female candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Nwankwo Promise, won the Oyigbo State Constituency seat

with 26,675 votes.

However, INEC has yet to declare the winners of the elections for Opobo/ Nkoro, Ahoada West, Abua/ Adual, and Gokana State Constituency seats for various reasons.

They were declared inconclusive elections as a result of the margin of lead, nondeployment of electoral officials and materials, and disruption of the exercise.

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EFCC Recovered N246bn in Two Years, Says Magu Secured 507 convictions

Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Between 2018 and 2019, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered N236 billion from tax, subsidy payments and banks, in addition to over N13 billion in the first quarter of this year.

This is coming as the agency has decried poor budgetary allocation, which it said had hampered its growth and operations even as it secured 507 convictions within the period under review.

A statement issued by the agency in Abuja detailed statistics of its recoveries, budgetary performance and declining budgetary allocations presented before the National Assembly during a budget defence by its Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

EFCC stated that “in the area of recoveries, N11.5 billion was recorded in final forfeiture, N133.8 billion in non-forfeiture recoveries, N8.92 billion in direct deposits, N38.12 billion in tax recoveries, N1.82 billion in subsidy recoveries, and N42 billion from banks (Third Party), totalling N236 billion�.

These, according to Magu, “are in addition to recoveries of various sums in other currencies, other assets, jewelleries (gold) and recoveries for major government agencies, including NNPC and AMCON.�

Within the first quarter of the current year, 2019, the commission, he said, made recoveries which included: N140.7 million in cash, N2.021 billion in direct deposits, N7.20 billion in tax recoveries, N3.06 billion in subsidy recoveries and $0.292 billion.

In his presentation, Magu lamented that incomplete releases of both approved overhead and capital estimates, have in no small measure, negatively impacted the ability of the Commission to meet its pressing needs and obligations.

He noted that only 54.17 per cent was released in 2018 while only 40.06 per cent of capital has been released so far with only two and half months to go to the end of extended 2018 capital budget year.

This year’s figure represents

a 16.38 per cent decrease from the 2018 budget of N26, 392,396,279.00, and a rise of 14 per cent in the personnel cost proposal from 12.717 billion in 2018 to 14.491billion this year.

The increase in personnel cost according to Magu, accommodates the salaries and allowances of 970 additional staff (currently being trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna), who are expected to be fully enrolled on the personnel cost platform in 2019.

The additional staff, he said comprised 332 Assistant Detective Superintendents, 293 Assistant Detective Inspectors and 95 support staff that recently joined the Commission.

Magu expressed grief that the EFCC’s overhead cost which the Budget Office reduced from N7.3billion to N3.6billion was grossly inadequate for the Commission in view of the increased running cost, occasioned by developments such as the opening of three additional zonal offices, planned introduction of group staff life insurance of N650 million, huge outlays on generator fuel cost, increase in airfares, proposed 60% increase in the rates of duty tour allowance (DTA) payable to staff on official assignment.

The EFCC boss equally expressed worry over the Budget Office’s drastic reduction of the Commission’s capital expenditure proposal from N15.196 billion to N3.978 billion, representing a 74.82 per cent reduction from the approved estimate of N10.07 billion in 2018.

He sees the approved capital budget expenditure as inadequate in the face of the commission’s N2.02billion outstanding liabilities to Julius Berger; N1.5 billion cost runs on its new head office complex; N0.299 billion liabilities for consultancy on new head office; N0.47 billion for purchase of security equipment (ammunition); N1.1 billion on furnishing of new head office building; development of the permanent site of the EFCC Academy, Lafia; renovation of the old EFCC head office building, Wuse 2, Abuja, and the renovation

of the Lagos Zonal Offices (10 Okotie Eboh and 15 Awolowo Road.

The anti-corruption boss disclosed that the 2018 budget witnessed an increase in the personnel cost of the Commission from N7.6billion in 2017 to N8.5 billion, which were the consequences of the full enrolment of 314 Assistant Detective Superintendents and same for 183 Assistant Detective Inspectors following the completion of their training programme in May and January 2018, respectively.

Others are: the completion of the Commission’s Jabi District, new head office complex and relocation, the establishment of three new zonal offices in Makurdi, Sokoto and Ilorin, the hosting of Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (HACA) in Abuja in May, last year.

Other activities within the period under review include the anti-corruption concerts hosted in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Enugu as well as the first ever anti-corruption marathon that drew out hundreds of marathoners from across the country, civil society organizations, and sports celebrities; acquisition of hectares of land in Nasarawa State for the construction of the permanent site of the EFCC Academy, of which its development is expected to commence this year.

Magu disclosed that in the course of the 2018 financial year, the EFCC obtained 315 convictions, and has within the first three months of this year, obtained 192 convictions. In the area of recoveries, he said N11.5billion was recorded in final forfeiture, N133.8 billion in non-forfeiture recoveries, N8.92 billion in direct deposits, N38.12 billion in tax recoveries, N1.82 billion in subsidy recoveries, and N42 billion from banks (Third Party), totalling N236 billion.

These, according to Magu, “are in addition to recoveries of various sums in other currencies, other assets, jewelleries (gold) and recoveries for major government agencies including NNPC and AMCON.�

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Nigeria Records over 9% Increase in Drug Abuse Kuni Tyessi in Abuja Despite the policy against the misuse and administration of drugs, Nigeria has recorded over nine per cent increase in the abuse of drugs from 5.6 per cent in 2006 to 15 per cent, indicating a population of 14.3 million people.

President of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) Charmaine Emelife who disclosed this in a statement made available to THISDAY, said the rising misuse of drugs in Nigeria for recreational purposes has continued to increase the health risks of Nigerians.

He said to stem the tide through creating more awareness, ANPA and the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (NAPPSA) are poised to equip the Nigerian healthcare professionals, which includes physicians, nurses,

pharmacists, physician assistants, principal investigators, study coordinators and biomedical researchers with the knowledge, skills and tools for combating the challenges of the opioid addiction epidemic.

He said :â&#x20AC;? A recent survey led

by Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, showed that over the past year alone, nearly 15 per cent of the adult population in Nigeria (around 14.3 million people) reported a â&#x20AC;&#x153;considerable levelâ&#x20AC;? of use of psychoactive drug substances.

This rate is considerably much higher than the 2016 global average of 5.6 per cent among adults. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The most common opioid implicated in this crisis is tramadol and codeine-based syrup. Tramadol and codeine exhibits an effect profile similar to that of other opioid agonists.

They bind to receptors in

the brain and spinal cord, disrupting pain signals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They also activate the reward areas of the brain by releasing the hormone dopamine, creating a feeling of euphoria or a â&#x20AC;&#x153;highâ&#x20AC;? when the drug is taken at higher doses.

This can lead to hallucinations, delusions, schizophrenia and organ failure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition to tramadol and codeine, other potent mixtures of several drugs with high risk of fatal overdoses have been reported. Quartz Africa, an online based economic journal, reports the common use of â&#x20AC;&#x153;gutter water,â&#x20AC;? a widely consumed cocktail mix of codeine, tramadol, rohypnol, cannabis and water or juice.

Some young adults are also turning to crude concoctions as alternatives, including smoking lizard parts and dung as well as sniffing glue, petrol, sewage and urine as inhalants.â&#x20AC;?

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CDS Justifies Militarisation of 2019 Polls Seeks extra budgetary funding for armed forces

Deji Elumoye in Abuja The militarisation of the recent general election in the country was yesterday justified by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin,who said the situation would have been worse save for the involvement of the military in the election process.

Olonisakin, who presented a paper entitled ‘Issues on Security and Governance’ on Thursday evening at the orientation programme for National Assembly members-elect in Abuja, said if

there had been no deployment of soldiers during the polls, the security situation would have been compromised in some parts of the country.

The CDS further justified the involvement of the military, saying it helped save Nigeria from being thrown into a war theatre, adding that it was also in tandem with military carrying out its secondary responsibility in line with the provisions of 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria (as amended).

“During the just concluded

Senate Berates Communications Ministry for Abandoning 104 Projects in 2018 Deji Elumoye in Abuja The upper chamber of the National Assembly yesterday berated the Ministry of Communications for abandoning 104 capital projects approved for it in the 2018 fiscal year.

Vice Chairman of the Senate committee on Communications, Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), who spoke at the 2019 budget defence of the ministry condemned the ministry’s attitude, saying a situation where projects were approved with appropriated funds but abandoned was worrisome.

Submissions made by the Ministry showed that out of the 121 capital projects approved and appropriated in 2018 for it, just about 17 projects have reached varying degrees of completion leaving a larger percentage either not funded or not executed at all.

Also, out of the 82 projects listed in the 2019 budget, 52 were new projects, which made the senators to ask questions on whether such projects should be reviewed.

According to Misau, “this scenario is worrisome. Does it

mean that all budgetary items that were either poorly funded originally are actually not relevant and important to the ministry ab initio?

“What is responsible for the underutilisation of the total releases by the ministry? From the document before us the ministry utilized N449 million (20.57 per cent) out of the N2.1 billion released.”

Missau who said they relied on the information forwarded to the committee by the ministry, observed that the same old story of insufficient funding was prevalent like in previous fiscal years.

“For the main Ministry in 2018, out of a capital expenditure budget of N5.4 billion, only a sum of N2.2 billion was released leaving an outstanding of N3.2 billion,” he said .

On the 2019 budget proposal, Misau said the committee observed that total proposal for the Communication sector which is pegged at N18.1billion for the fiscal year is N1.6 billion less than N91.7 billion approved in 2018.

Troubles for Ogboru as Court Nullifies Delta APC Guber Primary Election Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has nullified the September 30, 2018 governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, which produced Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru as winner and the party’s candidate in the 2019 general election.

One of the APC’s dissatisfied governorship aspirants, Chief Victor Ochei, had instituted legal action praying the court to cancel and invalidate the said primary election.

Among others, the former speaker of the state House of Assembly prayed the court to invalidate the results of the said APC primaries and declare that the list of delegates used at the primaries was not that envisaged by the consent judgment granted by court.

He also told court that he did not as an aspirant get any list of delegates prior to the said APC primaries.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba in his judgment ordered the cancellation

of the APC governorship primaries that produced Chief Great Ogboru as the party’s governorship candidate.

He said that four of the five reliefs sought by the plaintiff succeed while “relief No 4” was not granted due to the effusion of time.

“All the reliefs sought in this suit are similar with those for which Justice Adegoke pronounced judgment on, so grant reliefs 1,2,3,5. But relief 4 is refused because the governorship election is over and the relief is spent”, the judge pointed out.

In arriving at the judgment Justice Dimgba said that the Federal High Court has one jurisdiction and as such cannot be seen giving discordant judgment on the same or similar case.

He said, “having considered the decisions reached by the Federal High Court in the case of Cyril Ogodo, which has similar reliefs and the fact that some of the defendants in this suit are the same, the court has decided to follow the decisions.’’

2019 general election, the success of the electoral process was almost hampered by the security in some parts of the country. Many crises prone areas were properly maned by security services to ensure that the electorate were secured enough to carry out their civic duties of electing candidates of their choices.

“There have been various arguments by different positions of political parties and other stakeholders of the legality and otherwise of the military in support of the civic authority in the election process. A critical area of support that was provided and perhaps not very visible to the public is the deployment of military logistics capabilities, especially naval and air access

to support the movement of materials across the country.

“I need to reiterate that this deployment is in line with constitutional role of the armed forces of Nigeria as earlier stated.

Even in the last general election 2019, the security situation in the country during the election process is better imagined if the military had not been deployed to perform their secondary responsibility thus the effect of security on governance is an important aspect that lawmakers, military personnel and the civil public need to understand in other to make the right decisions.

“A good understanding of these dynamics would enable political leaders and public officials to make realistic decisions and

enact laws to achieve national security objectives. Over the years, the armed forces of Nigeria has built various capacities to enable it perform our various goals.

“This capacity development is dependent on a number of factors including training and the availability of adequate platforms which has direct impact in improving the capability of the armed forces of Nigeria in the field and subsequent effect on national security.”

The CDS also solicited for support on the part of the lawmakers for effective funding for the Armed forces if it must effectively and efficiently carry out its constitutional duties According to him, the armed forces must be funded

appropriately outside the ritual budgetary allocation if the military must do what it ought to do.

Olonisakin said the military needs money outside the budgeted one because that is not enough to fund the Armed Forces, just as he said that the Armed Forces was considering an alternative way of funding.

His words, “Major challenge of the capacity of the armed forces of Nigeria is the limited budgetary allocations to meet the need of the armed forces of Nigeria. I have often maintained that a well-trained and well equipped and adequately motivated armed forces of Nigeria cannot be funded through budgetary allocation alone.

PAYING LAST RESPECT...

L-R: Judge of Lagos High Court, Justice Grace Onyeabor; brother of the deceased, Mr. Dolu Segun; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke; and the widow of the deceased, Mrs. Anana Segun, at the valedictory court session in honour of former Chief Judge of Lagos State, the Late Justice Christopher Olatunde Segun, in Igbosere, Lagos …yesterday ETOP UKUTT

NSCIA Berates CAN over Senate Presidency, Speakership The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has berated the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for its demand for Senate Presidency or other leadership positions in the National Assembly.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the council, Prof. Salisu Shehu, in a statement yesterday wondered whether CAN still remains a religious body or a political party in a religious garb.

“The council is persuaded to believe the latter because of the association’s posture as the counterfoil for and opposition to everything Islam and Muslims

in this country.

“We cannot also but wonder whether Islamophobia has indeed not replaced the more important responsibility of giving direction to millions of our compatriots who are law-abiding citizens of the Christian faith.

“Specifically, the statement issued by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji (Special Assistant Media and Communication to CAN President) on behalf of CAN is the last straw to break the camel’s back in the association’s ill-advised and ill-motivated interventions in the polity,”

Shehu said.

He also wondered if CAN is suffering from selective amnesia or is it just obsessed with deception.

He wondered where CAN was between 2009 and 2011 when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice Aloyious Katsina-Alu the Chief Justice, Senator David Mark, Senate President and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President.

“Was there religious balance in 2007 when David Mark was elected Senate President

and Patricia Etteh was elected Speaker? Was there no 1999 Constitution at that time?

“Even prior to 1999, the two arms of the National Assembly were headed by Christians. For instance, while between 1979 and 1983, the Senate was headed by Joseph Wayas and the House of Representatives by Ume-Ezeoke, from October to December, 1983, Joseph Wayas and Benjamin Chaha were leading the respective chambers. Furthermore, in the aborted Third Republic, the Senate Presidents were Iyocha Ayu and Ameh Ebute while the Speaker was Hon. Anakwe.

Osinbajo: Skills Acquisition Overtaking Paper Qualification James Emejo in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday urged the youths to acquire hands-on skills to stand a better chance of employment as “paper qualification although important, is gradually being overtaken by hand-on-skills because of their marketability”.

He said: “Therefore, I will strongly encourage all Nigerian youth to acquire hand-on-skills.

When combined with paper qualification, the sky is your

limit.”

He gave the charge at the official closing ceremony of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) where 11,000 trainees were graduated in Abuja.

He said the event was an outcome of the policy thrust of President Muhammadu Buhariled administration, which is anchored on revamping the economy, fighting corruption, reduction of poverty and the creation of jobs for the teeming

unemployed Nigerians.

He added that the focus areas were arrived at given the state of the economy the administration inherited at inauguration in 2015.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Osinbajo said close to four years of the current administration, “We have achieved most of these targets through the implementation of social investment programmes like N-Power, Trader Money

and the full implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), which have had varied impact on all sectors of the National Economy.”

He said: “What has, however, remained the greatest challenge of the administration is harnessing the potentials of our very youthful population for them to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the National economy as entrepreneurs or as employees.

5 ) * 4 % ": t FRIDAY, PRIL 5, 2019

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019

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Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

A F C O N 2 0 1 9 D R AW

Rohr Aiming for Favourable Pairing for Super Eagles Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr is hoping for a favourable draw for the three-time African champions at the draw ceremony for the 2019 AFCON scheduled to hold next Friday, April 12 in Cairo, Egypt.

All the 24 teams that qualified for the continental football showpiece are going to be placed in six groups of four teams each for the tournament scheduled to hold between June and July in Egypt.

Speaking at the Aiteo-NFF Awards ceremony that held on Monday night in Lagos, the Franco-German gaffer revealed he already has an idea of his squad whilst also hoping for a favourable pairing.

Rohr who left Lagos for his base in France on Wednesday revealed to AOIFootball.com that his team is ready to go up against the best nations on the continent.

While also hinting he will be flying directly to Egypt from France for the draw, the Super Eagles coach stated categorically that he believes that the tournament would be a very tough one but his boys are fully aware of the task ahead.

“Obviously, the focus is on the AFCON now; we wanted to qualify and we have achieved that so it’s time to test our strength with the best legs

on the continent.

“I will fly directly for the draws from France and hope we get a fair draw but I don’t also think that there will be pushover teams. The qualifiers were very competitive and I also believe the tournament will also be a difficult one,” Rohr warned.

The coach also played down fears over his team’s second pot seeding, insisting that the Eagles would be ready to take on any of the six seeded teams in pot one, having already tested their strength with host nation Egypt in a friendly last month in Asaba.

After missing the past two edition’s of the competition, the Super Eagles were placed in Pot 2 and would face one of Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia who have all been placed in Pot One of the draw.

Meanwhile, a former Nigerian international, Samuel Okeremute Sodje has thrown his weight behind the current crop of Super Eagles players to win the Africa Nations Cup in June despite making a return after six years absence.

The free scoring defender admitted that the bunch of players in the team are good to go but must believe in themselves and play as a unit

Super Eagles have stepped up four places to 42nd spot in the world and third best in Africa

to ensure they triumph over the continent’s best in Egypt.

“Definitely, the Nations Cup is winnable because we have the players that can deliver the goods for us and I believe if they play as a team and believe in their abilities, then they can repeat the success of 2013 in

South Africa.

“Individually you look at this current crop of players and find plenty of amazing talents, though young. I believe if the right mindset is instilled in them before the tournament then they could go on and win yet another trophy for Nigeria,”

Nigeria Moves up Four Spots in April FIFA Rankings Super Eagles now third-best team in Africa Duro Ikhazuagbe Nigeria’s good outings in the last AFCON 2019 qualifier against Seychelles and the international friendly with Egypt in Asaba have brought good fortunes to the Super Eagles in the April rankings released by FIFA yesterday.

The three-time African champions who moved up four places to 42nd spot globally are rated the third best team in Africa. Nigeria accumulated

1435 points, eight more than Eagles previous tally.

Eagles defeated Seychelles 3-1in a dead-rubber last game while also running away with 1-0 victory over the Pharaohs of Egypt.

Now, the glory-seeking Eagles who will be hunting for a fourth AFCON title in Egypt this summer are trailing the Teranga Lions of Senegal who are the continent’s top team and Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles.

Morocco and Congo Demo-

cratic Republic make up the top five teams in the continent in that order.

In the global rankings, Belgium maintains her overall first position, world champions France comes in at number two, while Brazil, England and Croatia occupy the third, fourth and fifth position respectively. Uruguay is sixth while Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark make up the top ten of the global rankings.

AFRICA’S TOP TEN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Senegal Tunisia Nigeria Morocco Congo DR Ghana Cameroon Egypt Burkina Faso Mali

Musa Wants to Win NPFL 2019 Season with Kano Pillars Kano Pillars Head Coach, Ibrahim Musa has said that he accepted to rejoin the club to prove his critics wrong.

Musa was sacked immediately after the 2018 Aiteo Cup defeat to Rangers International during which Pillars surrendered a threegoals lead to eventually lose in the penalty shootout.

Musa who later rejoined the team on Match Day 4 of this season insisted that he decided to return to the club to win the league and prove his critics wrong.

“I want to prove my critics wrong this season by winning

the league with Kano Pillars. We are on the right track by God’s grace, we want to be part of the three teams to make it to the continent this season and as well the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) ‘Super Six’ in our group”, Musa declared “I am focusing on winning the league Isha Allah with Kano Pillars this season, we lost out narrowly last season placing fourth before the league came to an abrupt conclusion. Then we lost a game in the finals of the Aiteo Cup as well which was unfortunate”, the Coach noted.

He said Kano Pillars have

calibrated well to record good performances after a slow start and believes they are on track to complete the season on high.

“I didn’t start the season with the club but I am happy we are back on track, we have started achieving results, we have won away from home and picked vital draws on the road”, he pointed out.

Pillars play home to El-Kanemi Warriors on Match Day 14 this Sunday and Musa declared that he wants to win the fixture for the teeming fans who have always stood by the team.

“Our focus for now is the crucial match against El-kanemi Warriors, it is more like a local derby this weekend, having lost the first stanza in Maiduguri, we will be out to give our fans something to cheer with this weekend by winning the match.

“Also, the match after, which is going to be against former league champions Plateau United, it’s going to be more of a double home game for us this time.

He concluded by saying, “if we can pick the six points from both matches we are close to our aspiration for the season.”

Sodje said.

He, however, added that with the expansion from 16 to 24, the competition would definitely be tougher but still believes in the Nigerian team as they have continued to improve game by game since their group stage exit from the World Cup in Russia.

Sam Sodje, the younger brother of former World Cup defender Efe Sodje, won four caps with the senior national team, making his debut in the Eagles 3-0 loss to Romania in 2005 before also featuring in games against Ireland, France and Kenya.

B O A L AW Y E R S L E A G U E

UUBO/ACAS Defeats Falana toTake Charge of Group B The Match-day 3 of the ongoing 2019 BOA Lawyers Football Tournament in Lagos produced some stunning results with the defeat of Falana & Falana by Udo Udoma & Bello Osagie/ ACAS the highpoint of the weekend clashes.

After the first two match days, Falana & Falana led the Group B standing on six points.

But UUBO/ACAS with one win and a draw from the first two games shocked Falana 2-1 to step into the driver’s seat of the group. It was Falana’s Tayo Fashesin who gifted UUBO/ ACAS the opening goal when he inadvertently conceded an own goal.

Folarin Falana however fought back a minute later to level scores for the former champions. Rogba Payne sealed the victory for UUBO/ ACAS to leapfrog Falana into the top of the log on seven points. Lagos State Ministry of Justice (LSMJ) is third while Wole Olanipekun/Dele Adesina yet to record any point.

Olisa Agbakoba Legal recorded its second win in two games as the champions defeated

Templars 1-0 to stay on same six points as Group C leaders SOOB/NICCOM. Only a superior goals difference of +5 separates the two teams.

Pinheiro on four points from three games is third.

In Group D, Advocaat defeated B. A Law/ Probitas 2-1 to move to the top of the standing on six points. B. A Law/ Probitas and DOA Law/Grey Chapel are tied on same four points +2 behind Advocaat.

In the pairings for this weekend’s Match-day 4 clashes at the AstroTurf 2000 facilities in Ikoyi, Lagos, Perchstone & Graeys will take on ALP/SPA Ajibade in the first game while George Etomi/FRA Williams battles AELEX for the group top spot.

Advocaat have a date with DOA Law/GreyChapel. Punuka and Banwo & Ighodalo will also square it up for the three points at stake while Olaniwun Ajayi takes the battle to Templars.

Olisa Agbakoba Legal is to take on SOOB/NICCOM in a mouth-watering top of the billing clash to cap the weekend.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to France Commends Integral, Promises Support for Falcons Femi Solaja Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of France, Dr Modupe Irele, has commended Integral, the official hospitality services provider for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. She also promised adequate support for the Super Falcons when they fly Nigeria’s flag in June.

In a meeting at the Nigerian

Embassy in Paris with the Managing Director of Integral, Abimbola Ilo, Dr Irele applauded the efforts of the company to ensure successful handling of Nigeria’s travelling fans during the tournament.

A strong advocate for women empowerment, Dr Irele sees the appointment of Integral as an important one to promote and support women’s football in

Nigeria.

With France as the host country, she believes the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 is a unique avenue to further strengthen Franco-Nigerian relations as she welcomed Nigerians to France.

Being the first female Nigerian Ambassador to France, Dr Irele said: “Women’s football is fast growing and I am happy to

welcome Nigerians to this prestigious tournament in France.

I encourage Nigerians to come and support Nigeria’s Super Falcons who are the reigning African Champions.

“I commend Integral for using its position to not only promote women’s football but also to create an unforgettable experience for Nigerians to enjoy French culture, which will promote

Nigeria-France relations”.

In his response, Abimbola Ilo said: “We are pleased to have the support of Ambassador Modupe Irele and are committed to delivering a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for our clients in France. The Super Falcons are the most successful African team in women’s football and the hospitality packages are a way to not only watch the team in

comfort but also to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of iconic French host cities”.

Integral, Nigeria’s leading sports marketing, management and hospitality agency has been appointed as the exclusive sales agent of MATCH Hospitality in Nigeria for the sale of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 official hospitality packages.

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European Leagues Reject UEFA’s Proposed Weekend Matches Europe’s domestic leagues, concerned about plans to drastically overhaul football on the continent from 2024 have said they will not allow UEFA club competitions to be played at weekends.

The topic, alongside revenue distribution model for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, is set to dominate discussions when the European Leagues umbrella organisation holds a General Assembly in Lisbon today.

UEFA has recently begun discussions with the continent’s clubs over the format for European competitions from 2024.

The European Club Association (ECA) has said it wants more teams playing more games in European competition.

Although, after a meeting in Amsterdam last week, it had added that it was too early to give details on what was being planned.

However, the European Leagues are concerned that European football’s governing body UEFA could ultimately give captive places to some bigger clubs and play matches

at weekends.

“We will always protect our weekends. We will not allow European club competition to be played at weekends,” European Leagues Deputy General Secretary Alberto Colombo told Reuters.

“The passion of football fans is driven by local football and by their tradition to go to the stadium with family and friends on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Colombo added that under the current model the clubs earned places in UEFA club competition by finishing at the top of their respective leagues.

“If you give the big clubs guaranteed places in UEFA club competition and you destroy this model, it will devalue domestic football which drives the passion of fans,” he said.

European club football runs in three-year cycles with the current one ending in 2021.

The format for the 2021-2024 cycle was decided last year with the addition of a new third-tier competition in addition to the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

However, revenue distribution for the 2021-2024 cycle has not been settled.

European Leagues are arguing for a greater share of the spoils to be given to the clubs who do not qualify for

European competition.

It wants so-called solidarity payments to be increased from the current 7.3 percent to 20

percent in the next cycle.

In a recent statement, the Leagues said it was “imperative to increase solidarity so as to

safeguard the dream of all clubs, and not just a few rich ones, to perform in a fair competitive environment.”

Atletico Madrid Captain Diego Godin (right), is here challenged for ball control by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi during a domestic LaLiga game…recently

LMC’s EGM Reappoints Dikko, Independent Directors Chairman and the Independent Directors of the League Management Company (LMC) Limited were on Monday in Lagos endorsed for reappointment by a unanimous decision of members at an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) held at the Best Western Hotel on Victoria Island.

The EGM which had in attendance the LMC Board and the participating clubs of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was convened to deliberate on among other matters, the LMC Governing Structure as provided in the LMC Supplementary Regulations of 2014.

LMC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko in his opening remark before leaving the hall for the clubs to reach decisions on the tabled agenda, spoke on the LMC Governing Structure, the progress recorded by the league, the challenges faced lately, the projects lined up to improve the fortunes of the league and steps that have been taken to resolve some of these challenges and return the league to expectations of the clubs, especially in matters of revenue generation.

Dikko further thanked the NPFL family for the opportunity given him and the Board to serve, promising that the years ahead will usher in greater successes on the field and in the books and then announced the intention of the current board to seek re-appointment consistent with the provisions of the LMC Supplementary Regulations of 2014.

The EGM after full deliberations passed a number of resolutions beginning with a commendation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee led by the President Amaju Melvin Pinnick for the laudable work they have executed to successfully steer the course of Nigerian football on the path of sustainable development, despite some

avoidable distractions.

It also declared unflinching support for the NFF and its leadership for all the positive football development programmes the federation has put in place and are implementing.

The EGM also unanimously endorsed the re-appointment of the current Chairman and independent directors of the LMC for another term, subject to the conclusion of the work and processes of the company’s Selection Committee pursuant to the provisions of Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the LMC Supplementary Regulations of 2014 and Article 18 (2) of the NFF Statutes, 2010.

The General Meeting approved and adopted a proposal for the amendment of Article 7 of the LMC Supplementary Regulations, 2014 with an intent to align LMC Governance Structure with the new FIFA Governance benchmarks on tenure limits.

The meeting further commended the NFF for setting up the NFF Reforms Committee mandated to fashion out ways and strategies to improve Nigeria football.

Consequently, the NPFL clubs resolved to set up a committee of five members to develop a position paper with suggestions on how to improve the NPFL and indeed Nigerian football which will be submitted to the Reform Committee on behalf of the clubs.

The members include: Davidson Owumi of Rangers

as Chairman, Mr. Soni Uboh of Go Round FC, Dr. Abubakar Ago of Yobe Desert Stars, Barr.

Davidson Adejuwon of MFM FC and Alloy Chukwuemeka who will serve as Secretary.

The General Meeting also reviewed the on-going NPFL 2019 Season and expressed delight with its steady progress and discussed areas of identified challenges with a view to finding solutions.

The General Meeting in particular commended the diligence to duty and untiring efforts of the current Chairman, Dikko and Independent

Dikko

Irabor

Directors, Dr. Isaac Ayodele, Mallam Salihu Abubakar and Hon. Nduka Irabor in ensuring

the continuous development and long-term development of the NPFL and the larger

Nigeria football hence the endorsement of their reappointment to office.

The EGM had in attendance representatives of 22 clubs while two sent apologies for not attending. Independent Directors at the meeting were LMC Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Nduka Irabor, the LMC Chief Operating Officer Salihu Abubakar and Dr. Isaac Ayodele.

Also present were two members of the NFF Executive Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Fresh and Felix Anyansi Agwu.

GOTV BOXING NIGHT 18

Ghana’s Brave Warrior Vows to Defeat Joe Boy Ahead of the African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight title clash, Ghana’s Success “Brave Warrior” Tetteh has vowed to be the first boxer to defeat Nigeria’s Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph, the reigning champion, when they meet at GOtv Boxing Night 18 on 21 April.

The bout will headline the event slated to hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium) in Ibadan. Joe Boy, who also holds the Commonwealth (Africa) lightweight title, has remained undefeated in his 14-bout professional career.

Speaking from his Accra base, the challenger said he is familiar with the champion’s strengths and weaknesses and is working

on plans to neutralize him.

“I’m very motivated to become the first boxer to defeat Joe Boy. I have watched him fight many opponents, who clearly did not know what to do in the ring. He will fall. It doesn’t matter that the fight is holding in Nigeria. I’m not named Success for nothing,” boasted Tetteh.

The Ghanaian added that he has intensified training and has also taken his diet more seriously.

In another international bout billed for the event, Nigeria’s Akeem “Dodo” Sadiku will take on Republic of Benin’s Ekpresso Djamihou in a light middleweight contest. Dodo, a cult figure among boxing fans in Ibadan, is a knockout expert.

Six local bouts are lined up along the two international encounters,

with the biggest being the national super featherweight title bout between Ridwan “Scorpion” Oyekola and Taofeek “Taozon” Bisuga. Oyekola, a fast-rising boxer, won the best boxer award at GOtv Boxing Night 15 and defeated the vastly experienced Nurudeen “Prince” Fatai at GOtv Boxing Night 17. Also in action is the West African Boxing Union (WABU) welterweight champion, Rilwan “Babyface” Babatunde, who makes a return after a one-year absence. He will fight Ganiyu “Energy” Kolawole in a challenge bout.

Tawio “Esepo” Agbaje, winner of the best boxer award at GOtv Boxing Night 16, will be out to enhance is reputation when he takes on Michael “Holy Mike” Jacob in a national lightweight

contest. Adeyemi “Sense” Opeyemi, best boxer at GOtv Boxing NextGen4, takes on Sadiq “Happy Boy” Adeleke in a national bantamweight challenge.

Three other GOtv Boxing NextGen Search graduates are also scheduled to be in action.

Morufu “Oloke” Owolabi will take on Jamiyu “Sunshine” Akande in a national lightweight challenge, while Issac “I Star” Chukwudi will be up against Ibadan-based Jubril “Terrible” Olalekan.

The best boxer at the event will go home with a cash prize of N1million attached to the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.

GOtv Boxing Night 18 will be beamed live by SuperSport, in 47 African countries.

Laliga: Title Race Drama at The Camp Nou to Highlight another Exciting Weekend All eyes will be on the Camp Nou on Saturday evening for a top of the table clash which could either strengthen Barcelona’s hold on top spot or throw the LaLiga Santander title race wide open.

Leaders Barça go into the weekend eight points clear at the top of the table after blaugrana captain

Lionel Messi scored a 90th-minute free kick in Tuesday’s dramatic 4-4 draw at Villarreal.

Second-placed Atletico de Madrid have kept up the pressure with seven victories in their last eight La Liga games, with Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann on the scorer sheet in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over

Girona at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Ernesto Valverde and Diego Simeone’s teams drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture last November – with Diego Costa and Luis Suarez on the scoresheet – but Atletico really need the three points this time.

Coach of third placed Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane says his team will

keep pushing while they still have a mathematical chance of taking the LaLiga Santander title. Los Blancos will have extra motivation for Saturday afternoon’s clash with Eibar at the Bernabeu as the Basques won last November’s reverse fixture 3-0.

The weekend schedule begins

with a Catalan derby Saturday lunchtime with Girona hosting Espanyol at Montilivi. All three meetings between these sides in LaLiga Santander history have resulted in away wins, including Girona’s 3-1 victory at the RCDE Stadium late last year.

Friday, April 5, 2019

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MISSILE PDP to APC

“It might interest him to know that Adams Oshiomhole, on the day that the Senate and the House of Representatives will be convoked, may end up sitting at the gallery. So maybe, he will read out the names of his own presiding officers from the gallery or in his dream at home” – PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, chiding APC leaders for their lack of understanding of the concept of democracy and separation of powers as well as the workings of the parliament.

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

Restructuring: Post 2019 Election A unique quality of the 2019 general election was the voter behaviour of the South-west electorate. The behaviour was clearly against the run of the ‘tribalism’ (my brother right or wrong, son of the soil political culture) scarred history of pre and post-independence politics of Nigeria. From what we now know of the grand subversive manipulation of the election by the APC political consortium, the probability is that the ruling party must have fared worse in the South-west (as elsewhere) than the results announced by the INEC. The South-west repudiation of the APC is against the background in which the running mate on the APC presidential ticket is Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and all the six states in the zone were under the governance control of the Party.

In the run up to the election, a tendentious meme making the rounds on preponderantly Yoruba social media platforms was that ‘Omo eni o sedi bebere, ka fi ileke si idi omo elomiran (no matter how ill-fitting the fashion item suits your child, you don’t gift it to another man’s child)-this was an exhortation to a tribal rally and solidarity in support of the APC Presidential ticket featuring a Yoruba son as running mate. In opposition to this appeal to crass tribalism is the analogous incentive to positive behaviour to the effect that ‘Bi egun eni ba jo daa daa ori a maa yani (if your masquerade excels in its dancing vocation, you are commensurately buoyed with pride). In the circumstance, the choice of the former as the appropriate rallying cry in support of Osinbajo is a left-handed salute to the relative failure of the office he pairs with his principal.

Many of the worthy Yoruba personages who endorsed this inherent tribalism did so in resignation to the Nigeria development futility syndrome-that the free fall of Nigeria is irredeemable anyway-so the realistic position to take is grab whatever you can before it all bottoms out. It is what I call the ‘Nigeria is not worth it’ politics. Make hay while the sun shines; everyone for himself, God for us all; turn by turn Nigeria limited; are the other cynical epithets characterizing this despair.

More troubling is that it is this self-abnegation of passive collaboration with the degenerate status-quo that has become the new definition of Nigerian patriotism and nationalism-see no evil, hear no evil…..Orun n yaa bo, kii soro enikan (the apocalypse discernable on the horizon should be no one’s particular concern); If you cannot beat them, you join them. And those who dare call the charade by its proper name (and thereby give value to the investment Nigeria made on your educational and intellectual upbringing-by proffering rational and honest prognosis of Nigeria’s deteriorating health status) are reminded, in Orwellian ‘84 fashion, that Nigeria never had it better.

If there are moments that can be cited as an instance where the followership appears to be ahead of the political leadership, it is the voter behaviour presaged by the Osun State governorship election in 2018. Given the arsenal of political power and intimidation deployed by the APC including the almighty federal might (euphemism for turning the security agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari

into the enforcement team of rigging) Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s incumbency, the Tinubu factor etc, the victory of the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in the governorship election was nothing short of remarkable. It was this Osun State antecedent that was generalized into a Pan Yoruba political behaviour in the 2019 elections. This general trend was nonetheless boosted by localized supplementary factors.

Thus there was the element of payback time (of deep seated disappointment and resentment at Governors Aregbesola and Abiola Ajimobi of Osun and Oyo States) at play in the downturn of fortunes for the APC. Yet, given the self-inflicted alienation of the PDP from the South West (symbolized in the denial of the Party chairmanship to the zone) reinforced by an inadvertent preclusion from the Atiku-Obi Presidential ticket, there is no gainsaying in the qualification of the regional behaviour pattern as unique-within the context of the cleavage ridden politics of Nigeria. Indeed, in terms of the general efforts expended by the PDP presidential

Whereas the establishment of the four regions of the first republic was predicated on the consent of Nigerians, the subsequent distortion into 36 states is an imposition of fanciful and whimsical military dictatorship.

Normalisation of Nigerian politics requires a wholesale repair of the damage wrought by this accident

campaign, the highest return on expectations was secured in the South West. (Recall that the PDP Presidential campaign did not even visit Ogun State)-Which brings us to the utility and recurrence of the overriding but needlessly wedge issue of our national existence-restructuring.

The 2019 election has demonstrated the capacity to generate consensus among the Yoruba and commensurately rewarded the PDP presidential candidate for his steadfast commitment to the policy. So much so that the ACF secretary general Anthony Sani attributed Atiku’s ‘poor’ performance in the far North to the position he took on the restructuring debate divide. ‘In the extant case, the forum was of the view that in spite of some shortcomings of the APC, the ruling party, it is still the best for the country in the circumstance; more so, that the main opposition party (PDP) made restructuring of the country and sale of the government assets its campaign mantra.

This is against the fact that this country has undergone different kinds of restructuring, such as political, economic and geographical; and any further restructuring may be unhelpful’ said Sani.

Not long after Sani’s restatement and posturing on the position of the ACF, the Afenifere renewal group, ARG, and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State responded with a counterpoint. Aligning himself with the prioritisation of the restructuring agenda by his ARG guests, Fayemi rightly underscored the problematic nature of building a national consensus on the agenda. The governor was reported as saying ‘the Yoruba race needs to be more tactical if it is indeed desirous of actualizing its desired restructuring . “There are those who entertained fear on this issue of restructuring and whether this is legitimate or not, we must reach out to them because we are not an island onto ourselves. “We don’t need to be shouting on the roof tops before we get it, but if we want to do it alone, the agitation will fall,’’ I doubt Fayemi actually used the words ‘Yoruba race’. Given his intellectual profile I find it difficult to believe he will indulge in such loose and pandering language. As a matter of fact he would be answerable to his own admonition of the need to bridge the communication gap in the campaign for restructuring. Personally I have accepted the burden of tireless explanation, expatiation and clarification in my outreach on restructuring.

When you are propagating the policy to those who can be persuaded on the merit of your proposal, you do yourself no favours with the employment of emotive and isolationist language of exclusion such as Yoruba race.

For that matter I have not come across any definition of a race that qualifies the Yoruba to that identification.

To reiterate and clarify once againRestructuring merely refers to the restoration of the foundational federalist framework of Nigeria’s independence constitution. It is the correction of the abnormality of restructuring Nigeria from four regions into 36 states.

Therefore, any opposition to restructuring must begin with opposition to this original sin of those who took us to the present configuration without our consent and

approval. Whereas the establishment of the four regions of the first republic was predicated on the consent of Nigerians, the subsequent distortion into 36 states is an imposition of fanciful and whimsical military dictatorship.

Normalisation of Nigerian politics requires a wholesale repair of the damage wrought by this accident.

A recent testimony as to the rationale by the initiator of the assault on Nigeria’s constitutional structure, General Yakubu Gowon, is instructive. He said the North was originally opposed to the creation of states (which amounted to a break-up of the regions) in 1967 and he had to cajole the support of the region by marketing the policy as one that will result in the appropriation of more national resources to its coffers; that more states means more money. More or less, this sharing of booty philosophy remained the basis for the subsequent balkanization of the regions by the military dictator successors of Gowon. This is the wherewithal of the unviable feeding bottle 36 states comprising Nigeria today. It is with a mind to preclude this kind of dysfunction that the creation of states was made a constitutional obstacle race-to ensure it satisfies the conditions for semi-autonomous self-reliant capability.

The argument that keeps recurring is that Nigeria can somehow chart a way forward regardless of the prescription of the restoration of federalism (restructuring). This argument begs the question-what then was the rationale behind its adoption as the central plank of the independence constitution? Why is it difficult to see a correlation between the socio-economic degeneration of Nigeria and the extent of its deviation from federalism?

What other constitutional prescription do we have that has the potential to compel the re-socialisation and reorientation of Nigerians away from the prevailing social and moral bankruptcy? There is even the irony that the most assured path towards the official sing song of economic restructuring is constitutional restructuring. Both are governed by the principle of comparative advantage, division of labour and complementarity. Thus you had the regions of the first republic specializing in their distinct areas of economic comparative advantage.

The good and bad news on restructuring is that you require the cooperation and consent of those who are presently opposed to it to get it done. The good news is that its realisation compels consensus building and mutual goodwill among Nigerians.

The bad news is that the opponents can hold Nigeria to ransom because you require more than a simple majority of Nigerians to effect a constitutional change. A denial of the constitutionally prescribed support of two thirds majority of parliamentarians in the national assembly is all that is required to kill it-not to talk of the concurrence of two thirds of 36 states. In the final analysis, let it be known that restoration of federalism in Nigeria (aka restructuring) is inevitable. It is a matter of how and when not if. We can do it proactively as proponents have urged for years on end or we can wait till it is imposed on us by political implosion or comprehensive economic collapse.

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