Buhari, Saraki, Others Mourn THISDAY MD’s Wife She was my friend, companion, critic, lover and wife of 23 years, says Bello
Deji Elumoye and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday joined other dignitaries, groups and
organisations to commiserate with the Managing Director of THISDAY, Mr. Eniola Bello, over the death of his wife, Helen, in London on Tuesday. Mrs. Eniola-Olaitan (nee Alemeru), 49, died
at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, after a three-year battle with breast cancer, according to a statement yesterday by Bello to formally announce her demise.
The mourners, in separate condolence messages, described her death as a painful loss. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in
a statement, said the president joined Bello's friends and professional colleagues in mourning his wife, whose motherly love and kindness, Continued on page 6
Helen
W'Bank Cuts Nigeria's GDP Growth Forecast to 2.1% for 2019... Page 8 Thursday 6 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8823. Price: N250
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With over 300 Bills Passed, Eighth N’Assembly Adjourns Sine Die Today Senate passes 319, House 382 Saraki to release books chronicling his stewardship Kudos, knocks for legislature Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Shola Oyeyipo, Alex Enumah and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja As the Eighth National Assembly winds down its
legislative activities today, with a valedictory session scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., THISDAY’s findings revealed that the Senate passed 319 bills within four years. However, President Muhammadu Buhari vetoed
no fewer than 65 of such bills. Apart from the number of bills, which surpassed those passed by the Fifth to Seventh Senate, the upper chamber of the nation’s legislature also treated 219 public petitions brought before it.
The House of Representatives, however, had more hauls in bill passage, clocking 382 bills, 1,588 motions, and 1,192 petitions The acting Clerk, House of Representatives, Mr. Patrick Giwa, made this known in a
letter informing the federal lawmakers that the Special valedictory session to end the Eight House holds on today. At the session this morning, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who doubles as the Chairman of the National
Assembly, is expected to give his valedictory speech as well as make public some books chronicling his stewardship. However, mixed reactions from different groups and Continued on page 6
Atiku Weighs Options on Delay in Replacement for Bulkachuwa May petition NJC Alex Enumah in Abuja The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is weighing his options on how to get the Court of Appeal, which is serving as the tribunal of first instance, to proceed with the hearing of his petition, challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the February 23 presidential election. The hearing of the petition suffered a major setback on May 22 when the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, recused herself from the tribunal’s sitting, after the judicial panel had delivered judgment in a petition in which Atiku and the PDP demanded that she
should step aside due to perceived conflict of interest. The tribunal, on May 22, had dismissed the petition in which Atiku and the PDP alleged that they might suffer a miscarriage of justice given the fact that Justice Bulkachuwa’s husband, Alhaji Adamu Bulkachuwa, who is a senator-elect, and her son, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, a governorship aspirant, belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). But despite the dismissal of the petition, Justice Bulkachuwa decided to step aside for personal reasons. However, since her stepping aside, efforts by both Atiku and the PDP to get her to nominate her replacement at the tribunal, so that the Continued on page 6
We Remain Solidly Behind Gbajabiamila, Says APC ... Page 6
AKURE WELCOMES PROVIDUSBANK... L-R: Ondo State Governor, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); his wife, Betty; Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa; Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi Odundun II; and Managing Director/CEO, ProvidusBank, Mr. Walter Akpani, during the inauguration of the bank’s branch in Akure, Ondo State... recently
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We Remain Solidly Behind Gbajabiamila, Says APC Asks opponents to face him on the House floor on Tuesday Shola Oyeyipo and Udora Orizu in Abuja In spite of what it called an evolving smear campaign, the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday said it remained solidly behind its choice for the speaker of the Ninth House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. The party spoke through its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Isa-Onilu, who told THISDAY last night that those peddling allegations of misdeed against Gbajabiamila were wasting valuable time, advising them to save their energy for the contest coming up on the floor of the House on Tuesday. The Coalition of United Political Parties, an amalgam of opposition parties had alleged that Gbajabiamila perjured in
his Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Form EC001 by not disclosing an alleged conviction by the Supreme Court of the state of Georgia, United States. Although Gbajabiamila’s camp denied this yesterday, Isa-Onilu said the APC’s candidate’s accusers were labouring in vain as the party was more than ever before sure that its choice was coasting home to victory. “They are raising this allegation now because they have seen that our candidate is coasting home to victory,� he said, adding: “We advise them to save their energy for the fight on the floor on Tuesday.� Isa-Onilu said the party was ramping up support for its candidate and was not wavering about its resolve to mobilise the entire
machinery of the APC behind Gbajabiamila. “We remain solidly behind him and Senator Ahmad Lawan,� he said. At a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, CUPP, had rejected Gbajabiamila as the next House speaker over his alleged conviction by a United States’ Supreme Court in Georgia. However, in a counter press conference yesterday in Abuja, the Director-General, Gbajabiamila-Idris Wase Campaign Organisation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the allegations were “cocktails of lies� and “campaign of calumny orchestrated to poison the minds of party’s leaders against the APC Majority Leader.� Jibrin said Gbajabiamila’s lawyers had been contacted to institute necessary legal actions
against Ugochinyere and his backers. “We wish to once again state emphatically clear that Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has never been convicted for any crime in the United States of America, Nigeria or any other country around the world for that matter. ‘’He has never been accused of corruption and has no corruption case hanging on his neck in Nigeria or anywhere around the world. He has not committed perjury and has never committed perjury in Nigeria or any country of the world,� he stated. He added that Gbajabiamila was eligible to contest in all previous elections and won and he is indeed eligible and qualified to contest for the office of speaker. He said Gbajabiamila had severally responded to
the allegations, provided clarifications and set records straight, stressing that the allegations had also been tested and struck out in court of law. “The State Bar of Georgia has also written and categorically stated that there is no criminal conviction in the matter relating to Hon. Femi and he is currently an active member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia, all these facts are in the public domain,� Jibrin said. According to him, while Gbajabiamila has opted to maintain a dignified silence knowing truth to be a constant, he has instructed his lawyers to take legal steps against all those behind the allegations. However, Ugochinyere said it was shocking that Jibrin denied the allegation of Gbajabiamila’s conviction by the Supreme Court of the
State of Georgia. “The only document they have to show for this is a worthless letter from the Georgia Bar Association. One wonders when it has become the duty of the bar association to sit on appeal over the judgment of the Supreme Court or to declare a person free from conviction. "Femi Gbajabiamila should take it a step further by getting a letter from the registrar of the Supreme Court of Georgia that he was not convicted in a unanimous decision by a full panel of seven justices of the court. Maybe only then will he realise the futility of his antics," he said. He expressed the readiness of his group to meet Gbajabiamila in court, adding that he has been served court summons through the Clerk of the National Assembly.
go to court, which court would you start from? "And if you go to court, it means that they have achieved their aim of delaying the case because all they are doing now is to delay considering that once it is 180 days everything becomes a nullity. That is what they are targeting. "So, the only option left for Atiku is to petition her to NJC for dereliction of duty because one cannot fathom why two weeks after she recused herself till today, she has not appointed a replacement. "Nevertheless, it would be better to be a little diplomatic about the whole thing because if you say you are taking her to NJC, she can say let me go there and face the consequences once and for all.� Atiku in a letter dated May 31, 2019, had expressed worry that 11 days after Justice Bulkachuwa disqualified
herself from the tribunal, following the petition of the PDP and the Atiku/Obi’s legal team, the appellate court was yet to name her replacement. The former vice-president, in the letter by his counsel, Mr. Levy Uzoukwu (SAN), urged the President of the Court of Appeal to appoint a replacement forthwith, since she knows the tribunal has a timeline to prosecute the petitions. He reminded the appellate court that already, 76 days had been expended out of the 180 days allowed by law, as stipulated in Section 134 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act (2010 as amended). The petition stated: “I am one (Silas Joseph) of the counsel in the legal team prosecuting the above petition on behalf of the petitioners. “I have the authority of the lead counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), to write this letter. My Lord will recall that
on May 22, 2019, the abovementioned petition came up for a motion requesting that My Lord to recuse herself from further presiding or participating in this petition. At the end of the proceedings, My Lord graciously recused herself on ‘personal grounds’ and promised to appoint another justice to continue with the petition. “My Lord, it is nine days since the date My Lord recused herself and nothing has been heard regarding the replacement that was to be made thereafter. “Considering the strict requirement of keeping to the constitutional calendar for a petition and the obvious fact that time is also running fast against the petitioners. We pray My Lord to act timeously in appointing a replacement so that we will get a hearing notice and continue with the petition in the interest of justice.�
condolence message, signed by the Chairman, Mr. Qasim Akinreti, urged Bello to take heart. He said: “We pray to Almighty God to give our brother the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. “It was quite traumatic for our brother to leave hurriedly for London at the start of the IPI World Congress in Geneva to be by the side of the late wife. “Mr Eniola Bello, may you be comforted by the Almighty God.� Also, a socio-cultural group, ODA SW, expressed shock at
the passage of Helen. In a statement by the group’s Chairman, Chief Akere Owoniyi, prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased. It said: “We pray to God Almighty for the repose of her soul and also the fortitude for the family to bear the irreplaceable loss.� It urged members to rally round the Bello family in their bereavement. In a statement in which he formally announced the death of his wife, Bello described her as “my friend, companion, critic, lover and wife of 23
years.� He said she was a “devoted mother, loving wife, committed friend, generous giver, passionate mobiliser and humble soul.� The deceased graduated in Business Administration at Kwara State Polytechnic, and Management at Lagos State University. She was a banker, businesswoman, and distancelearning tutor with The Skills Network, UK. Born on August 04 1969, Helen left behind her husband, four children, an aged mother as well as brothers and sisters.
Nigeria (Establishment) Bill and the four versions of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. The legislative interventions of the upper chamber of the National Assembly since June, 2015 include, the first-ever National Assembly Joint Public Hearing on the budget, which gave the public, civil society organisations and stakeholders such as labour an opportunity to weigh-in on the 2017 Appropriations Bill. The Senate also intervened in the Abuja Airport closure in 2017, saying the closure would affect businesses operating in the capital and pushed for
alternatives to the closure of the Abuja airport. In September 2016, the Senate constituted an eight-man Ad-hoc Committee on North-east to ascertain the total amount of funds released to the Presidential Initiative on the North-East and to probe spending by the Federal Government on the humanitarian crisis in the geopolitical zone. The committee later indicted the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, for allegedly misappropriating
ATIKU WEIGHS OPTIONS ON DELAY IN REPLACEMENT FOR BULKACHUWA hearing of the petition could continue have been fruitless. Statutorily, the five-man tribunal is expected to deliver its judgment 180 days from the day the petition is filed. Atiku and the PDP filed their petition against the emergence of Buhari on March 18. Justice Bulkachuwa’s delay in naming her replacement prompted Atiku’s lawyers to file a fresh petition last week over what they described as a deliberate ploy to truncate the constitutional deadline for the hearing of his petition against the victory of the president. Sources close to the former vice-president told THISDAY yesterday that he was considering what other steps to take to get Justice Bulkachuwa to perform her statutory duty. Among the options Atiku is considering include writing a fresh petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) or
resorting to diplomacy in getting the trial started. One of the sources who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on the legal team of Atiku, who craved anonymity, said they would wait and see the outcome of their letter before taking any further decisions. He said: "We have written a letter complaining that there is a delay. So, if we wait for sometimes and no action is taken, we will proceed with the next step, which may involve submitting a fresh petition to the NJC or using diplomatic approach.� Another source said the PDP’s legal team had not received any response to the letter it wrote to the Appeal Court president, asking her to appoint a replacement. “If there is no response to our letter, a meeting would be called to see what steps to be taken next,� the source said, adding: "Just as the meeting
decided to write the letter, so another meeting would decide the next option." Also reacting to the delay on the part of Justice Bulkachuwa to appoint her replacement, a lawyer, Mr. Kalu Kalu, said she had no choice but to do so. According to him, the delay may be part of a larger plan to delay further hearing of the petition. He advised against going to court to force Justice Bulkachuwa to appoint a replacement. But Kalu agreed that Atiku could approach the NJC over alleged dereliction of duty on the part of the President of Court of Appeal or still employ some level of diplomacy in handling the matter. He said: "It is something that she must do; it is not discretionary; it is mandatory that she does it. However, one of the options left for Atiku is to petition her to the NJC because if you say you should
BUHARI, SARAKI, OTHERS MOURN THISDAY MD’S WIFE Buhari said, would be sorely missed by the family. It stated: "President Buhari urges family and loved ones to find solace in God and the seeds of goodness and charity sown in many lives by Bello's wife, believing she lived and stood for virtues that will continue to resonate. "The president prays that the almighty God will grant Helen's soul eternal rest, and comfort her family."
Saraki Mourns Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the death of Helen as untimely and a painful loss. He said: “Mrs. Helen EniolaOlaitan was a dutiful mother and a pillar of support to her husband. Her humility and selflessness endeared her to all. I am deeply saddened that we lost her to illness so soon. We shall all miss her.� Saraki condoled with Bello, his immediate family, the THISDAY Group and the Nigerian media over the irreparable loss. He urged Bello to take solace in the fact that God has
a reason for everything, this unexplainable circumstance notwithstanding. “God gives and God takes. We cannot query God,� he stated. He prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest and her family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
Lagos NUJ Pray for Fortitude The Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in its
WITH OVER 300 BILLS PASSED, EIGHTH N’ASSEMBLY ADJOURNS SINE DIE TODAY professionals have greeted the legislative activities of the outgoing federal lawmakers. Some of the bills passed by the legislature include the Nigerian Railway Bill 2015, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act CAP B2 LFN 2011 (Repeal and Re-enactment) 2015; National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (est, etc.) Bill 2015, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (est., etc.) Bill 2015; Electronic Transaction Bill 2015; Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme Act (Amendment) Bill 2015; Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (Est., etc.) Bill, 2015 and Discrimination Against
Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2015. Others include, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) (Est., etc.) Bill 2015; Erosion Control and Prevention Commission (Est., etc.) Bill 2015; Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous provision) Amendment Bill 2015; Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (Est, etc) Bill 2015; Food Security Bill 2015; Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015; Environmental Managers Registration Council of Nigeria
(Establishment, etc) Bill 2015; Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015 and Nigeria Football Federation (Establishment, etc) and others Bill. In the last six months alone, the Senate passed no few than 60 bills, including the National Minimum Wage Bill, which pegged the least salary of a worker at N30,000. Forty of such bills were passed within the last three weeks. However, despite the large number of bills passed by the Senate and by extension, the House of Representatives, Buhari has in the last four
years refused assent to no fewer than 65 bills. Some of the rejected bills by the president included the controversial National Housing Fund Bill; Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill; Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill; Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency Bill and National Biotechnology Development Agency Bill. Others are the National Institute of Credit Administration Bill; Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Bill; the Chartered Institute of Training and Development of
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W’Bank Cuts Nigeria’s GDP Growth Forecast to 2.1% for 2019 Obinna Chima
The World Bank Group has predicted real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 2.1 per cent for Nigeria for 2019, slightly lower than the 2.2 per cent it had predicted for the country same year in a report early this year. But the bank projected a 2.2 per cent growth for the country for 2020 and 2.4 per cent for 2021. The Washington-based institution stated this in its June 2019 Global Economic Prospects titled: ‘Heightened Tensions, Subdued Investment,’ that was released yesterday. The Nigerian economy, which is gasping for stimulus, slowed to 2.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1, 2019), according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last month. But according to the World Bank, growth rates in lowincome countries were expected to rise to six per cent in 2020, slightly higher than 5.4 per cent in 2019, but said " is still
not enough to substantially reduce poverty." It added: "While a number of low-income countries progressed to middle income status between 2000 and 2018, the remaining lowincome countries face steeper challenges to achieving similar progress. Many are poorer than the countries that made the leap to higher income levels and are fragile, disadvantaged by geography and heavily reliant on agriculture." Furthermore, the multilateral institution noted that global economic growth was expected to ease to a weaker-thanexpected 2.6 per cent in 2019 before inching up to 2.7 per cent in 2020. It, however, anticipated that growth in emerging market and developing economies was expected to stabilise next year as some countries move past periods of financial strain, but economic momentum remains weak. "In 2020, growth in South Africa is anticipated to rise to 1.5 per cent; growth in Angola
President Muhammadu Buhari is anticipated to pick up to 2.9 per cent; and growth in Nigeria is anticipated to edge up to 2.2 per cent in 2020," the World Bank predicted. "Regional growth is expected to accelerate to 3.3 per cent in 2020, assuming that investor sentiment toward some of the large economies of the region improves, that oil production will recover in large exporters, and that robust growth in nonresource-intensive economies will be underpinned by continued strong agricultural production and sustained public investment. "While per capita GDP is expected
to rise in the region, it will nevertheless be insufficient to significantly reduce poverty," it added. According to the World Bank, emerging and developing economy growth would be constrained by sluggish investment and with risks tilted to the downside. It listed these risks to include rising trade barriers, renewed financial stress, and sharper-than-expected slowdowns in several major economies, the World Bank says in its Structural problems that misallocate or discourage investment also weigh on the outlook. “Stronger economic growth is essential to reducing poverty and improving living standards,� World Bank Group President David Malpass said. “Current economic momentum remains weak, while heightened debt levels and subdued investment growth in developing economies are holding countries back from achieving their potential. It’s urgent that
countries make significant structural reforms that improve the business climate and attract investment. They also need to make debt management and transparency a high priority so that new debt adds to growth and investment.� Growth among advanced economies as a group was anticipated to slow in 2019, especially in the Euro Area, due to weaker exports and investment. U.S. growth is forecast to ease to 2.5 per cent this year and decelerate to 1.7 per cent in 2020. Euro Area growth was projected to hover around 1.4 per cent between in 2020-2021, with softness in trade and domestic demand weighing on activity despite continued support from monetary policy. "Investment growth among emerging and developing economies is expected to remain subdued and below historical averages, held back by sluggish global growth, limited fiscal space, and structural constraints. A sustained pickup in investment
growth is necessary to meet key development goals. Business climate reforms can help encourage private investment. "Sharp currency depreciations are more common in emerging and developing economies than in advanced economies, and central banks are often required to respond to these fluctuations to maintain price stability. The exchange rate pass-through to inflation is more limited when central banks pursue credible inflation targets, operate within a flexible exchange rate regime, and are independent of the central government. “In the current environment of low global interest rates and weak growth, additional government borrowing might appear to be an attractive option for financing growthenhancing projects,� said World Bank Prospects Group Director Ayhan Kose. “However, as the long history of financial crises has repeatedly shown, debt cannot be treated as a free lunch," he added.
the engine room of national development, but in Nigeria the reverse is the case. He lamented that the National Assembly that was supposed to check the excesses of the executive was always pushing its selfish agenda and bickering over what to get. He, however, tasked the incoming legislature to chart a different course from its predecessors. Even though he partially held the executive arm responsible for the late passage of the budgets each year, Agbakoba equally frowned at the lawmakers for constantly passing the budgets late year with no hope of improvement. He also faulted the calibre of members of the National assembly, saying over the years, they have not shown knowledge or expertise in any particular subject or field. “I can’t identify any member of the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or House of Representatives, that is an authority or has shown vast knowledge over a particular subject such as health, foreign relations, defence, education, etc. “In America, there are so many lawmakers that are experts and authorities with in-depth knowledge in the committees they oversee. Here, I cannot identify any. We do not have such here,� he said. However, the incumbent NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), gave the National Assembly a pass mark, saying that the lawmakers did well within the limitations facing them. Usoro said nothing better could have come out of the National Assembly when it was distracted by an overbearing executive. He also advised the incoming lawmakers to learn from the mistakes of the Eighth National Assembly in order to move the country forward. “All over the world, lawmakers perform well where the executive arm of
government is not overbearing. That cannot to be said. I will say the National Assembly did well within the limitations of what they can do. “Because of the climate in which we operate, they were distracted by the overbearing nature of the executive. But the new assembly can do learn and improve from their mistakes,� Usoro said. In his evaluation, an Abuja-based lawyer and founder, Egalitarian Mission for Africa, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, said the relationship between the National Assembly and Buhari negatively affected the performance of the government in the first term. “The relationship between the National Assembly and the federal executive ought to be based on the principle of separation of powers, check and balances as enshrined in the constitution and as propounded by Baron de Montesquieu. “In other words, instances of constructive friction between the three arms of government are permitted under the Constitution. The current situation as it is in the country is uncharitable, the issue of personal and individual frictions based on political and personal interests,� he added. Also reacting, the Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the outgoing legislature performed averagely in some aspect and badly in others. Rafsanjani assessed the legislature on the four cardinal legislative work which include, representation, law making, accountability and oversight. Rafsanjani said: "The Eighth Assembly amended the Electoral Act to ensure electoral transparency, and the president as you know very well did not assent to that. For me, the Eighth Assembly has done one good thing for amending the Electoral Act.�
WITH OVER 300 BILLS PASSED, EIGHTH N’ASSEMBLY ADJOURNS SINE DIE TODAY about N200 million. Other legislative interventions by the Senate include allocation of N10 billion in March 2016 to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-east in recognition of the dire situation. The Senate also submitted a 21-point resolution on executive actions that the executive needed to take to shore up investors’ confidence, create jobs, increase revenues and get Nigeria’s economy back on track. The last legislative intervention of the Senate was the N10 billion it added to the N8.916trillion 2019 budget passed last month by the National Assembly, to tackle humanitarian crisis in Zamfara State. This followed a request by Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) in a motion moved to that effect on the floor of the Senate. But in his assessment of the outgoing Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adebayo Ibrahim (Kwara South), told THISDAY that the upper chamber has performed creditably well. He said he was fulfilled as a member of the outgoing Senate, going by the achievements recorded. He said: "I'm proud to be a member of the Eighth Senate because from the leaders to members, we upheld the tenets of democracy despite all odds and executive intimidation. "Up till the last sitting, we were still passing bills and also concurring with the House of Representatives on some of their bills. The Senate stands tall as we handled many petitions in the interest of the public." Also, the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East), said the Senate did a good job in the last four years "in spite of the difficulties we had with the Executive.’’
He expressed concern that senators were at times divided along party lines, which affected the legislative work at the Red Chamber. Murray-Bruce advised the executive not to interfere in the choice of leadership of the Ninth Assembly billed for inauguration on Tuesday. "The legislature should be left to choose its leaders. This is my candid advice as most of the fighting and distractions of the Eighth Senate were caused by executive interference," he said. On his part, the National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the Eighth Assembly deserves the commendation of Nigerians for preserving the tenets of democracy. According to him, "They came in at a very trying moment for the Nigerian democracy; when we stand to have what would be an elected dictatorship. Even under the military administration, we had judiciary. ‘’But under this administration, we were going to have only an executive arm of government where the other arms would have been subservient to the executive. “But no matter what we may have against the National Assembly as presently constituted, we must give it to the Dogara and Saraki’s House of Representatives and Senate respectively. “They did their best in ensuring that they cooperated with the executive, when required. They stamped the authority of the legislature where necessary at all times and that was what gave us some semblance of democracy in this country; otherwise we would have had a full elected dictatorship in Nigeria.�
CAN: Eighth N/Assembly Plays Noble, Patriotic Role The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also lauded
the outgoing legislature for discharging its constitutional roles. The Special Assistant (Media and Communication) to CAN President, Pastor Oladeji Adebayo, while assessing the performance of the National Assembly members, said they were able to pass many bills. Adebayo who responded to THISDAY's enquiry yesterday, said the legislators had exhibited understanding and patriotism in the discharge of their functions. He said: "We congratulate the leadership of the Eighth National Assembly for their patriotic roles while the four years lasted. By our records, they have passed more bills and motions than any of their predecessors. ‘’We commend them for their roles while President Muhammadu Buhari was sick abroad; they showed understanding and patriotism. Even when there were disagreements between them and the executive, there was never a time they failed to perform their constitutional roles.�
Raji: Frosty Relations with Executive Major Setback However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Ahmed Raji, identified the frosty relationship between the legislature and the executive arm of government as the major setback of the Eighth legislature. He expressed confidence that with good understanding on the part of the two, there can be improvement in their relationship in future. He called for a modified parliamentary system of government, which he said would adequately address issues of insecurity and development in the country. "Perhaps a lasting solution will be better achieved with an adoption of a modified parliamentary system, which is less expensive and inclusive.
"Unnecessary friction between the executive and the legislature with its negative consequences will be a thing of the past. No longer shall the system be saddled with a set of dictators masquerading as governors who are holding the system and people to ransom. "Presidential system is excellent in America and I commend the Americans; but it is not working for us. We lack what it takes to wield so much executive powers without abusing it. "Even our traditional system of Obaship or Emirship mirrors the parliamentary more than any other system. We should adjust before it is too late", he said. Raji, however, commended the spirit of cohesion and unity that pervades the outgoing National Assembly, noting that it was a great improvement when compared with previous legislature. Also, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye, representing Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, said the Lagos agenda was not actualised 100 per cent in the Eighth Assembly. He blamed the situation on the no-lovelost relationship between the legislature and the executive. According to him, “I will tell you that it was due to the problem between the executive and the legislature. The relationship was not that cordial. Just to give you an example, when the budget was brought to the House and was not passed for seven months, that wasn’t good for the system because the reason why we are in government is to ensure the security and the welfare of the people we are governing.� In his assessment, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), rated the Eighth National Assembly below average. Agbakoba said all over the world the legislature is
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NEWS Oil Prices Slump on Surge in US Crude Inventories
Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike
Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268
Ejiofor Alike with agency reports After recovering from a fourmonth low and turning positive on Tuesday, crude oil prices resumed their slide yesterday, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) dropping more than four per cent after United States’ crude inventories unexpectedly surged. The global benchmark, Brent crude was down $1.77, or 2.9 per cent at $60.20 per barrel, having briefly traded in positive territory early in the session. A further drop in the price of Brent will hurt the implementation of Nigeria’s 2019 budget as the N8.8trillion budget was predicated on oil price of $60 per barrel. The Economic Recovery
Growth Plan (ERGP) had proposed $50 for the 2019 budget, but this was ignored as oil price hovered around $80 during the budget preparation before it slumped to the current level. WTI was also down $2.17, or four per cent, at $51.31 a barrel. United States crude, gasoline and distillate stocks rose last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said yesterday. Crude inventories rose 6.8 million barrels in the week to May 31, compared with analysts’ expectations for a decrease of 849,000 barrels. Oil prices have fallen sharply on concerns about slowing demand, but won some respite on Tuesday after a global stock
market rally on hopes the Fed may trim interest rates. Equities extended gains on Wednesday. The oil market has been weighed down by concerns about slowing global growth due to the United States-China trade war and President Donald Trump’s threats last week to place tariffs on Mexican imports. To prevent oversupply and prop up the market, the
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), together with allies including Russia, has withheld some production since the start of the year. The group will set its policy when it meets later this month or in early July. To worsen concerns on oversupply, Russian oil giant Rosneft’s Chief Executive Officer, Igor Sechin, said on
Tuesday that Russia should pump at will and that he would seek compensation from the government in the event that a global deal by OPEC and non-OPEC members led by Russia to cut supply to the global market, is extended. Russia’s average oil output was 10.87 million barrels per day (bpd) on June 1-3, down from an average of 11.11 million bpd in May.
The decline follows the discovery in mid-April of contaminated Urals crude in the Druzhba pipeline to Europe. Under the OPEC+ deal, OPEC, Russia and oil exporting allies have reduced output by 1.2 million barrels per day since January 1, as part of the efforts to reduce the excess inventories in the oil market and boost prices.
Bandits Kill 16, Injure 14 in Zamfara on Sallah Day Bandits were said to have allegedly killed 16 persons in Kanoma District of Maru Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara on Sallah day. Confirming the attack yesterday in a press statement in Gusau, the state capital, the Director General on Media to the state governor, Yusuf Idris, said, “the governor visited the community and sympathised with them”. “During the visit, the governor also directed security agencies to immediately “swing” into action and bring the perpetrators to book. “The governor also directed the movement of 14 persons, who sustained injuries from
gunshots from Kanoma General Hospital, to the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, for better medical care. ”The bill should be charged to the state government,” he said. He then expressed the state governor’s resolve to join hands with well-meaning individuals and groups in the state to bring an end to armed banditry in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the District Head of Kanoma, Yahaya Mohammed, had told the governor that the bandits invaded the area in the evening and fired gunshots sporadically, which led to the death of the 16 persons, with 14 injured.
Nine out of 10 People Worldwide Breathe Polluted Air, Says UN Esther Oluku Nobody is safe from air pollution, with nine out of 10 people on the planet now breathing polluted air, the United Nations (UN), has warned on World Environment Day (WED). Celebrated annually on June 5, WED is an initiative that the UN launched in an attempt to raise awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime and how to effectively combat these problems. The campaign was first held in 1974 with the theme ‘Only One Earth’. Each year, the UN marks a different focus to commemorate the day while the country hosting the main event for the year chooses the theme for WED. This year’s edition of the global day has ‘Beat Air Pollution’ as its theme with China as the host.
In a message to mark WED, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said an estimated nine out of 10 people worldwide are exposed to air pollutants that exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines. “This is lowering life expectancy and damaging economies across the planet,” he said. “To improve air quality, we must know our enemy. Deaths and illnesses from air pollution are caused by tiny particles that penetrate our defences every time we fill our lungs. These particles come from many sources: the burning of fossil fuels for power and transport; the chemicals and mining industries; the open burning of waste; the burning of forests and fields; and the use of dirty indoor cooking and heating fuels, which are major problems in the developing world.” Guterres noted that over 7 million people die each year from polluted air while others suffer from long term health problems, such as asthma.
DISCUSSING BILATERAL RELATIONS…
President Muhammadu Buhari (right), and the visiting President Nana Kufor-Addo of Ghana, at the Presidential Villa , Abuja .....yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI
IG Seeks Tougher Legislation against Kidnapping, Banditry Police arrest 2, 175 suspected Kidnappers, armed robbers two rocket launchers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, yesterday called for tougher laws against the crimes of kidnapping, armed banditry and state seizure of assets linked to illicit proceeds from kidnapping and other heinous crimes. The IG said such laws would stem crimes and criminalities and act as a deterrent to potential kidnappers and other dangerous criminals. This call is coming as he said the Police arrested 2,175
suspects for kidnapping, armed robbery, murder and cultism and recovered 834 arms and 19, 009 live ammunition, as well as two rocket launchers since the launch of ‘Operation Puff Adder,’ designed to tackle kidnapping and armed banditry. The IG made the call while addressing a delegation of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Nasarawa State Chapter, led by Alhaji Aminu Muazu Maifata, who paid him the traditional Sallah visit in his official quarters in Abuja.
Recover 834 arms,
He noted that the call had become necessary against the increasingly daring resort to these forms of crimes by criminal elements in the society. The IG said the police had recorded successes in the ongoing fight against criminal elements across the country, noting that since the launch of Operation Puff Adder on April 5, 2019, till date, a total 63 kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt by police operatives. In the same vein, 2,175 suspects were arrested for the following offences notably
kidnapping, 852; armed robbery, 865; murder, 359; and Cultism, 99. With respect to arms recovery, the IG noted that 834 arms, including two rocket launchers, and 19,009 live ammunition were recovered with Oyo State recording the highest number of 9,500 live ammunition . The IG stated that the Police were rejigging strategies to ensure proactive interception of illicit weapons destined to the country and at the same time mop up un- authorised weapons in circulation.
Switzerland Sues Nigeria over Detained Vessel The Swiss authorities have filed a suit against Nigeria at the international court over the detention of San Padre Pio, its vessel. The Cable reported that the Operation Forward Base of the Nigerian Navy in Bonny, Rivers State, had arrested the ship on January 23, 2018. The oil tanker, registered with canton Vaud shipping company,
ABC Maritime, and its crew members were detained for alleged diesel smuggling, and violation of Nigeria’s territorial waters. The captain of the ship had denied the allegations, saying he had all papers covering him and the transactions. Some crew members, except four Ukrainians, had already been allowed to leave the ship which
has the capacity for 5,500 tonnes of cargo. Switzerland had made diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the ship but nothing fruitful came out of that. The navy had handed over the vessel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but the commission did not arraign those arrested in court because they had been in illegal
naval custody without trial. In a statement, the Swiss foreign ministry said on May 21, it requested the International Tribunal in charge of the law of the sea to order Nigeria to release the vessel, its crew and cargo. The Swiss ministry said the ship and the cargo had been losing their value, causing damage to the companies involved.
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Capital Market Operators Seek FG’s Intervention in SEC, Oando Dispute Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Capital market operators have called for the urgent intervention of the federal government in the conflict between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Oando Plc. The operators reacted to the outcome of a forensic audit on Oando, which was released by SEC on May 31, as well as a court injunction restraining SEC from sacking Oando’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr. Adewale Tinubu, and his deputy. The operators applauded the courage of SEC’s Acting Director-General, Ms Mary Uduk, in releasing the outcome of the forensic audit. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that following
the outcome of the forensic audit, SEC on June 2 constituted an interim management team to be headed by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu for Oando Plc. It said in a statement that Sunmonu would oversee the affairs the company and conduct an Extra Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) on or before July 1, to appoint new board of directors. The commission said that the new board of directors would subsequently select a management team for Oando Plc. The commission reiterated its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the market. However, a Federal High Court in Lagos on June 3, granted an interim injunction restraining SEC from executing
Ninth Senate: Lawan Unveils Legislative Agenda Tomorrow Meets zonal coordinators today Deji Elumoye in Abuja One of the contenders for the position of the Senate president, and the anointed candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ahmad Lawan, will tomorrow unveil his legislative agenda ahead of the incoming National Assembly billed for inauguration on Tuesday. According to the Chairman of Ahmad Lawan Support Group, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, the event is billed for Kano hall of Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja by 10a.m. THISDAY learnt that Lawan’s Legislative Agenda contains the focus of the Ninth Senate if he emerges as Senate president. The document is said to contain the kind of mutual relationship to exist between the Senate leadership and other Senators, as well as the proposed legislative intervention of the next Senate. The document also dwelt much on the issue of the much talked about separation of
powers vis-a-vis independence of the legislative arm, while forging harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislature. As part of preparation for the programme launch, Lawan is expected to meet with his zonal campaign coordinators at his campaign headquarters. THISDAY further learnt that the zonal coordinators consisting of both returning and fresh Senators drawn from the six geo-political zones are to brief Lawan about the response of the Senators-elect to the Lawan project. Sources said apart from inviting all Senators-elect across party lines, others expected at the unveiling include the leadership of the ruling APC, former ministers, technocrats, businessmen and friends of Lawan. Lawan who is the outgoing Senate Leader, was in March shortly after the National Assembly elections endorsed for the position by the national leadership of the APC.
I’ve Not Left PDP, Agbaje Tells Bode George The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has asked a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, to shut up and act as an elder. The Director of Media and Publicity, Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Felix Oboagwina, in a statement issued yesterday, said Agbaje described his purported defection as misinformation that should be discountenanced, adding that he had never been a member of the APC and talks of his “returning” to the ruling party had never crossed his mind. Agbaje was quoted as saying, “People should please tell Bode George to shut up and leave the PDP if he lacks any value to add to the party, instead of being a dog in the manger hampering
the progress of the party in Lagos State. “… Or how else do you describe someone who just sits down to concoct fiction and markets it as reality? He should tell the world where he got the news being spread round. “These shameless party leaders have 2023 in mind. The game plan is mischievously simple: Give a dog a bad name and chase it away from the party. By 2023, this mudslinging will have scared off credible people from the party, which will leave the whole field to them to continue to corner party resources.” The former PDP candidate, however, said he was too big to sneak out of one party into another one. “The reality remains that I have not left PDP for any other party, least of all APC,” he added.
the interim management in Oando. The court injunction followed an application filed by Tinubu and his deputy, Mr. Omamofe Boyo. Tinubu and Boyo applied for the enforcement of their fundamental rights. The court also restrained SEC from imposing a fine of N91.13 million on Tinubu, and barring him and Boyo from being directors of public companies for five years. Reacting to these developments, the Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Ltd., Mr. Ambrose Omordion, said that the federal government would need to intervene in the matter to safeguard investors’ confidence. Omorodion said that the unfolding events between Oando and SEC could dampen investors’ confidence and tamper with Nigeria’s integrity. He said that the international investment community was watching to see the manner
the Oando issue would be handled. “The way SEC and government will handle this issue will go a long way to determine the success of the nation’s drive for financial inclusion and attraction of new retail investors and foreign investors returning to the market,” Omorodion state. He also urged the government to strengthen the commission by ensuring appointment of its board members soon. Omorodion expressed disappointment that SEC had been operating without board for about four years and had been with an acting director-general for over a year. The Publicity Secretary of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Mr. Moses Igbrude, alleged that shareholders had suffered enough loss in Oando with no dividend and poor market pricing. Igbrude said that court injunction could lead to long
legal battles which could further affect the company’s shares price on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). He urged the exchange to place the share price on technical suspension to protect investors from further loss. The shareholder activist said that SEC should not allow its authority to be undermined if the outcome of the forensic audit was true. “I will appeal to whoever that is affected to obey the directives from SEC for the sake of our investments. “Oando as a company has suffered enough of reputational risk, adding that shareholders, for a long time, have not been paid dividend,” Igbrude said. The National Chairman of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mr. Boniface Okezie, told NAN: “The grass suffers when two elephants fight.” Okezie said that SEC and Oando must maintain the peace in the interest of all stakeholders,
especially retail investors. The PSAN boss, who commended the commission for protecting investors, said that SEC should also beam searchlight on other oil companies quoted on the exchange. On his part, the National President, Constance Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Shehu Mikail, said that Oando crisis needed a holistic approach to restore confidence. “Oando saga is a big issue in the Nigerian capital market that needs a holistic approach if really we are going to adhere to the truth of corporate governance,” Mikali said. He said that the action of SEC was in the right direction and aimed at protecting the interest of Oando shareholders. “Foreign investors are watching the drama and local shareholders and stakeholders are also awaiting,” Mikali added. He told NAN that the outcome of the saga would determine the direction of the capital market.
BARKA DA SALLAH…
L-R: Baba Adinni of Lagos, Sheik Abdul Hafeez Abou; wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat; his wife, Latifat Oluremi; and Chief Imam of Lagos, Shiek Sulaima Oluwatoyin AbouNolla, during 2019 Get-Together Eid-El-Fitr (Itunu Awe), celebration, at Lagos House, Ikeja Lagos....yesterday
NAF Kills Insurgents, Troops Abort Attacks DHQ condemns ‘military torture video’ Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday bombed logistic facilities of the terrorist group, Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) in Tumbun Kaiyowa in Northern Borno State. A NAF update issued yesterday by Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said the jets struck structures hidden in dense vegetation within the locations. “The operation was executed following confirmation by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform that some terrorists were harboured, along with their logistics items and facilities, in some structures well-camouflaged under dense vegetation within the location. “Accordingly, the ATF
scrambled two Alpha Jet aircraft to attack the location, recording direct hits on the structures and logistics facilities, which were seen engulfed in flames. Several ISWAP fighters were equally neutralised as a result of the strikes”, he said. In a related development, the Nigerian Army said troops aborted a planned terrorist attack on 114 Task Force Battalion, E Company’s location at Izge Village in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State It said troops of 143 Battalion laid an ambush on the terrorists’ withdrawal route along Kubu village on June 4, 2019. “Consequently, the terrorists entered the ambush which resulted in the death of unconfirmed number of the criminals and the recovery of four Ak 47 rifles one mortar, assorted ammunitions, two Hilux vehicles and one
pumping machine. There was no casualty on the part of the national army. “The Nigerian Army, through the Theatre Command OperationLafiya Dole uses this medium to commend and encourages those who availed the troops the information that led to the success of the operation, and further enjoined members of the public to be more forthcoming to the security agencies with useful information about the terrorists and other criminals in Nigeria”, a statement issued by Army Spokesman, Sagir Musa, said. Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) last night condemned a torture video involving troops and some bandits, and blamed the troops for overzealousness. “The attention of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has been drawn to a video
footage trending in the social media, visually displaying the maltreatment of some suspected armed bandits and kidnappers who were arrested along Road Abuja - Kaduna during a recent operation. “Apparently the troops had in their overzealousness tied one of the suspects to a stake in a desperate attempt to extract information from him. “The DHQ wishes to unambigously state that the act exhibited by the troops in the video footage is very unprofessional and an outright violation of the code of conduct handed down to guide the conduct and behaviour of troops of the AFN during operations. The DHQ therefore, in very strong terms condemn this act of ineptitude and exhibition of lawlessness”, a statement issued by Acting Director, Defence Information (DDI), said.
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Okowa, Obaseki Brainstorm on Economic, Social Ties Make case for improved governance structure on NDDC Omo-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and his Edo State counterpart, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, cut short their Sallah holiday yesterday to brainstorm on how to deepen economic ties and improve on the security situation in the two states Obaseki arrived Government House, Asaba, the Delta State capital, with members of his executive council at about 1.06 p.m. and was received by Okowa and his team. The meeting went into a closed-door, which lasted for about 45 minutes before they were joined by journalists. Okowa said, “It was a meeting between brothers, friends who are now governors and more interesting is that, our states belonged to the old Bendel State and he came with ideas that will move the two states forward.” While clarifying that it was not the first time the two governors were meeting to discuss in a convivial atmosphere, Okowa asserted, “we want to leverage on our strong ties as members of old Bendel State to better the lot
of our people.” Edo State governor in a brief speech, stated that it was important for the governors of two states to discuss the issues of common interests such as economy, security, energy, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), among others bearing in mind that both states share the longest boundary and their historical background. According to him, “I am here to congratulate my friend and brother for his victory at the polls and successful inauguration for a second term; we came from the legacy Bendel State; we discussed economic cooperation between our two states.” “Today, Edo and Delta states could be the main power house of the country giving our energy and agricultural potentials; we looked into how to strengthen our economic ties and our participation in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Edo and Delta (BRACED) Commission,” he said, disclosing, “We looked at insecurity in our common borders, especially, communal clashes and general insecurity and we have agreed to ask the
Assistant Inspector-Gerneral of Police and the Commissioners of Police to come up with a plan to restore security in our states,” He continued, “we also agreed to ask for the inauguration of the NDDC advisory committee of governors and also, to work with our colleagues to improve governance in the commission; we are of the view that based on the resources the commission receives, there is need for improvement in project conception, siting and execution because, nothing stops the commission from using 50 per cent of its resources to solve the energy problem of the region.” “Also, a regional master plan is necessary for implementation by the NDDC and we also looked at the area of energy as Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ekiti states are major stakeholders in BEDC (Benin Electricity Distribution Company); so, we need to be proactive to strengthen BEDC to provide electricity to our people and restructure the company so as to make it work efficiently for the region,” Obaseki said.
DSS: We Didn’t Arrest Kogi Governor’s Aide The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday denied arresting Mr. Edward Onoja, an aide of Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello. The DSS said a media report claiming that Onoja was arrested was fake news. According to the report, Onoja was purportedly arrested following a tip-off of an impending attack on a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Jibrin Usman by mercenaries identified as ex-Niger Delta militants. The purported ex-militants were said to have allegedly implicated Onoja in the plot, following which he was detained last Friday till the early hours of Saturday, according to the report. Vice Admiral Usman, who
served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, is a major contender for the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi, in the August primaries, ahead of the state’s November 2019 election. But the DSS debunked the report in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO) PN. Afunaya, titled ‘Edward Onoja not arrested by the DSS’. It reads: “The said news (relating to the arrest of Onoja) is fake and misleading and should be disregarded as the DSS never carried out such operation. “The service recognises that the media is a strategic partner in nation-building and hopes that cordiality and mutual respectability are maintained in the relationship between them.
“In this vein, it wishes to advise that stories are verified or authenticated before their publication. “It, however, warns that persons or organisations that falsely use the name of the Service will be liable to prosecution. “The DSS will, no doubt, continue to collaborate with all well-meaning stakeholders to ensure that peace and order are maintained, not only in Kogi State but every part of the country.” Similarly, Onoja in a video he released on social media last Sunday, denied the arrest story. “I want to categorically state that it was a lie from the pit of hell. I was never arrested, never invited...”, he said in the video.
Group Urges Buhari to Name National Monument after Enahoro Adibe EmenyonuinBeninCity A socio-cultural group, Castle of Legends Initiative (COLI) yesterday called for the immortalisation of foremost nationalist, Chief Anthony Enahoro, by naming a national monument after him. The group said Enahoro is the only one being left un-honoured among his generation of those who fought for the independence of Nigeria. Addressing a press conference in Benin City yesterday, Chairman of the group, Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari on his recognition of the late Chief M.K.O Abiola and the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, but said that such recognition and honours would not be complete without Enahoro being honoured.
“We cherish these landmark developments, as they are capable of galvanising our people towards increased patriotism and strengthening commitment to national service. “It is in furtherance of this laudable initiative that the COLI calls on President Buhari to give kind consideration to the immortalisation of late Enahoro, which is long overdue”, he said. Edebiri who described Enahoro as a journalist, politician and ebullient nationalist fighter, added that in all of these endeavours, he was in the forefront of the struggle for Nigeria’s independence and defense of the rights of our people in the face of the high-handed and draconian policies of the colonial administration. According to him, “It is also on record that Chief Anthony Enahoro moved the historic motion in 1953, calling on the
British government to grant self-government in 1956. “Subsequently, Enahoro played a prominent role in sustaining the unity of the country. During the Nigerian Civil War, he served as Commissioner for Information and spokesman on International Affairs. Chief Enahoro played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy in our dear country, being the leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO)”. He further said: “It remains our candid opinion that the late Chief Enahoro is a hero whose place in Nigeria history has not been accorded national prominence. It is on record that Chief Anthony Enahoro has been classified among the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation along the likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Sir Ahamdu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo
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PDP Asks Buhari to Apologise to Nigerians over Comment on FCT Residents Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned
President Muhammadu Buhari for branding residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja as “necessary
Oyo Govt to Place Priority on Less-privileged Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde yesterday stated that his government would pay special attention to the less-privileged and the disabled. The governor, who was speaking at a Special Eid-el-Fitri celebration which he hosted at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, said that he would ensure a special place for the less-privileged and the disabled in his government. The governor, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary. Taiwo Adisa, said that those who have been privileged to govern in the past had kept the disabled out for too long. Besides hosting the Muslim Community in Oyo State led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, a representative of the Soun of Ogbomosoland , the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abduganiy Agbotomokekere, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, among other dignitaries , the governor also hosted the disabled from Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, as well as children from the Juvenile Correctional Institution and Childcare for abandoned children and the Ark of Hope foundation, an orphanage. He said: “ After my swearing-
in, and I was being conducted round the Government House, I saw that there was no place for the disabled and I asked the Head of Service; how will my people in Beere, the disabled and the less-privileged gain access to this place. “I told her I will be a protocol and logistics nightmare because I will always open the doors of Government House to the disabled and less-privileged. So, always put them in your arrangement whenever you are planning a programme.” He also promised to ensure religious harmony in the state, adding that the prayers of the religious leaders ensured his victory at the last election. “While coming here, some people came to me that I could send somebody because it was just a social gathering for Salah celebrations, but I insisted on coming in person because our government will not discriminate against Muslims or Christians.You will see that I have demonstrated that by appointing, a Muslim, Chief Luqman Bisi Ilaka as Chief of Staff. That is also because there is no family in this state where you don’t have Muslims and Christians. So when they discriminate against one religion or the other in other states, it does not get here.”
evil” because they did not vote for him in the February 23 presidential election. The party said that such resort to branding of Nigerians for rightly exercising their rights is completely ‘’unpresidential’’ and must be condemned by all. The PDP said that the statement was inciting, divisive and capable of demonising innocent compatriots and setting them up for victimisation by overzealous agencies. “President Buhari should
note that he was not only rejected by FCT residents but also by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the states of the federation, who voted massively for the PDP, only for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to subvert the will of the people in his favour. ‘’Consequent upon which our party and presidential candidate have headed for the retrieval of this stolen mandate at the tribunal.” The opposition party also
criticised President Buhari for stating that “to make FCT secure is to make myself secure and the vice president’’, stating that it is the duty of the President to provide security for all parts of the country, irrespective of where he and the vice president reside or how Nigerians cast their votes. PDP maintained that the security of lives of all Nigerians ought to have been paramount to the president and not determined by
inessential factors, if indeed he has the interest of the people at heart. It therefore called on President Buhari to apologise to Nigerians for this divisive comment. The party also urged Nigerians to continue in their determination to retrieve the stolen presidential mandate at the tribunal, so as to have an administration that truly cares for the citizens, in line with the provisions of our laws.
Groups Urge PDP to Ensure WELCOMING NEW MEMBER… President, South African Academy of Engineering, Dr. Trueman Goba; Secretary/Treasurer, CAETS, Dr. Ruth David; President, Internal Democracy in Bayelsa L-R: Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Fola Lasisi; and immediate past President of CAETS/ President, National Academy of Esther Oluku Rights Monitoring Group and Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (RMG&CCDI) have urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to allow internal democracy in the forthcoming primary election in the Bayelsa State, ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state. In a statement issued from the United States by the joint President of the organisations, Olufemi Aduwo, the groups stated that the election would provide another opportunity for the people of the state to deepen democracy and the accelerated development recorded by the outgoing government. Aduwo, who is also the permanent representative of CCDI to the United Nations, condemned the senseless killings during the last general election in the state, which he witnessed as election observer, adding that such barbaric acts must not be allowed again. “The PDP must be ready to conduct free and fair primary election. The party must encourage and deepen internal democracy and shun imposition of candidates on the people but reward loyalty and consistency, instead of patronising the godfathers. “The party must be a good student of history and learn that
rule of few men as practiced by Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has consequences, like in Zamfara State where PDP had never ruled but is in charge today because of the rascality of APC. “Since 1999, PDP has been ruling Bayelsa State and by extension ljaw nation, hence, the party must not take the good people of the state for granted to avoid the calamity that befell APC in Zamfara State.” Aduwo appealed to former President Goodluck Jonathan, not to dabble into local politics of such level or allow the candidates to use his name to campaign before the primary. “He had set example that other African leaders should follow by that singular action he took in 2015 that averted bloodbath in Nigeria. We appeal to to the people of Bayelsa to eschew bitterness, bigotry, hate speech and promote and sustain the peace and the record that the outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson has achieved,” he said. Aduwo who is currently in the New York to witness the election to the office of the United Nations General Assembly President, congratulated the Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Tijani Mohammed-Bande, who emerged as the President of the 74th UN General Assembly.
Engineering, Uruguay, Acad Lucio Caceres, during the visit of a delegation of Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences(CAETS) to the Nigerian Academy of Engineering to formalise the academy’s membership of the world academy umbrella body in Lagos...recently ABIODUN AJALA
Re-election Bid: APC Group, Kogi Governor in War of Words Kayode Fasua A pressure group in the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday moved against the re-election bid of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, averring that the governor is unsellable and should not present himself for the party’s governorship primary election in the state. But governor Bello, through his campaign office, has also fired back, saying no shadowy group could intimidate him. The group, Change Agent Foundation International (CAFI), an offshoot of APC’s Mandate Group that stopped the second term ambition of former Governor Akinwumi Ambode in Lagos, said it had taken over the party structures in Kogi and would in due course unfold its preferred governorship candidate in this year’s governorship election in the state. Rising from an emergency meeting held in Lagos, the CAFI president, Mr. Dipo Okeyomi, told THISDAY that “APC must not pick Governor Bello as its candidate in view of the clear fact that the governor is no longer
sellable to the electorate.” According to him, the governor currently owes public workers 34 months’ salary, a condition which, he said, has scandalised the party in the state. “It is inhuman to pile up such a huge arrear of unpaid salaries and APC should, in fact, suspend Governor Bello for acting contrarily to the welfare policy of our great party. “At least, four senior civil servants have committed suicide as a result of hunger and frustration arising from non-payment of salary,” Okeyomi averred. He noted that the CAFI would mobilise against the governor and ensure that he does not win the APC primary, either by party consensus, delegate election or direct primary election. But in a swift reaction, Governor Bello dismissed the CAFI as an impostor, insisting that there is no such group in the APC. In a statement issued exclusively to THISDAY on his behalf by the Director General (Media and Publicity) of Yahaya Bello Campaign
Organisation, Mr. Fanwo Kingsley, the governor said, “there is no group within the APC known as Change Agent Foundation International (CAFI).” The statement added, “Our attention has been drawn to a group of impostors who claimed fraudulently to be duly accredited to operate from within the APC as a pressure group. “The fact that they chose to sit in Lagos State to articulate issues about Kogi State is an indication that they have no grasp of events in the state. They have chosen to be tools in the hands of people who are bent on destroying the state for the sake of their inordinate ambition. “It is merely a group of political charlatans and political jobbers working for the money they collected to do a hatchet job on Governor Yahaya Bello and the APC in Kogi State, a job which is dead on arrival. “The Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, the APC constitution and sundry guidelines provide clearly how the flagbearer of a party emerges in every election,”
Kingsley said, on behalf of the governor. The governor also denied the allegation that he owed the state’s workers 34 months’ salary. “CAFI lied. Governor Yahaya Bello does not owe workers 34 months’ salary. Currently, there is three months’ outstanding at the state, which is actually a carryover of the three months owed state civil servants. “Nine months are owed teachers, with 25 months of accumulated percentages owed local government workers spread over the past eight years. Even the inherited three months’ salary will be defrayed in the weeks ahead,” the statement explained. Besides, the governor put a lie to the CAFI allegation that no fewer than four senior public workers committed suicide as a result of hunger and frustration. “Again, CAFI lied. We wait for them to publish the names and death certificates of the alleged suicides so we can properly engage them at the proper venue for fake news and cybercrimes,” Kingsley replied, for the governor.
T H I S D AY • THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019
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T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ ʹ˜ 2019
COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
AGENDA FOR GBAJABIAMILA, WASE
Auwalu S. Mu’azu writes that the duo, if elected, should ensure good governance
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ow that the coast appears cleared for Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase to clinch the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the ninth House of Representatives, the next logical thing for us to do is to begin to advert their minds to the most fundamental challenges bedeviling our nation. I deliberately chose to address this memo to the incoming leadership of the ninth House of Reps because, like many Nigerians, I have little hope in the Senate, which has now been turned to a mere retirement home for former governors. Much more so, from our experience as a nation, the lower chamber has been much more vibrant in terms of legislative activities. Today, our nation is facing its worst existential threats due to challenges confronting it from numerous fronts, such as the weakening of our national economy which heightened fears of the country getting back into recession, less than six months after it is said to have exited. This, coupled with the most vicious spate of violence that has not been seen since after the civil war, and the rising spate of unemployment among youths, which worsens the level of poverty among citizens, exacerbates our national spiral towards the precipice. This informed this memo to Gbaja, as he is fondly called, and his running mate, Wase, who barring any unforeseen circumstances, would lead the ninth House of Reps. This is further strengthened by my conviction that Nigeria is at a crossroads where we need decisive actions from our parliamentarians, for us to overcome our enormous challenges. From what I’ve seen, these are not challenges which Gbaja and Wase alone, tagging along with their colleagues can address. No. Our problems require strategic collaboration by all our arms of government, most especially between the executive and legislative branches. And since we place greater trust and confidence in members of our lower chamber of the National Assembly, we need to begin to bring these issues closer to their hearts. It is pertinent to point out here that notwithstanding the public confidence expressed in Gbaja and Wase by various national stakeholders, especially their colleagues in the green chamber; we cannot just adopt a siddon look approach to our national issues and assume that since these are patriotic gentlemen, they will accelerate the current legislative action towards our emancipation. Rather, we’ll achieve better results if we support them, and also keep them on their toes by highlighting the most critical areas of need, in addition to determining how they think and act in relation to their oversight functions on the executive arm of government. Like I’ve said before at several fora, most of our current challenges wouldn’t have been with us if our legislators- past and present- had
NIGERIA IS AT A CROSSROADS AND WE NEED DECISIVE ACTIONS FROM OUR PARLIAMENTARIANS TO OVERCOME OUR ENORMOUS CHALLENGES
performed their duties diligently and with high sense of patriotism rather than being self-centred or engage in an unnecessary battle of supremacy with other arms of government particularly the executive, and the avoidable internal squabbles that remained an albatross to the efficiency of our legislature especially as witnessed in the recent past. However, there is cheering news about current moves by these two aspirants-Gbaja and Wase- to proactively develop a distinctive legislative agenda that will address these contemporary problems afflicting our country. Specifically, the proposed agenda outlines the step-by-step efforts to be made by the relevant standing committees of the House to, for instance, oversight the defence establishment to ensure that money appropriated for addressing security matters are duly disbursed to the agencies concerned, and also properly utilised for the purposes meant. Equally, it highlights in detail, what the standing committee overseeing the ports will do to tackle port congestion, which is a prerequisite for opening up the Nigerian economy for greater inflow of foreign direct investments, thereby creating millions of jobs to curb the rising unemployment. Similarly, worried by the fiddling with local government funds by state governors, thereby incapacitating the third tier of government, which is the first point of contact with majority of citizens of this country, the agenda outlines urgent steps to kick-start a fresh constitutional amendment that will free the LGs from the shackles of some dictatorial governors. This move by the duo of Gbaja and Wase is laudable and needs support of their colleagues and other citizens. This is necessary in view of the patriotic and passionate resolve of Gbaja and Wase to make it up for Nigerians who voted for change since 2015, but ended up with a leadership that was engaged in cold war with the executive arm of the government. Undoubtedly, Nigerians deserve a better deal. Notwithstanding the commitment and resolve of the duo to improve the lots of Nigerians, however, we must keep the incoming leadership of the House under Gbaja and Wase on their toes by holding them accountable to their solemn resolve for an efficient legislature whose interest and focus is Nigeria first. It is only by so doing that we would change the narrative of non-performing, self-centered leaderships that we have had in the past. It’s trite that past leaders have espoused fantastic agendas only for them to derail few meters after the takeoff of their legislative ‘trains’. Therefore, a constant check and reminder to them on our part is necessary to sustain good legislative work for enthronement of good governance. Mu’azu is an Abuja-based journalist
INEC, IMO WEST SENATORIAL ELECTION AND JUSTICE INEC should be encouraged to do what is right, writes Ken Nwobodo
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n a matter of days, the ninth Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be inaugurated. An exercise of such magnitude and symbolism in a democracy evokes joy both for the individual legislators and members of their constituencies. But for the good people of Imo West senatorial district, there is no joy, not even a whimper of mirth. And that’s because they would have no senator representing them in the hallowed red chamber. The election that would have produced their senator turned gruesomely violent. Cases of ballot-snatching, raw and ruthless brandishing of the most dangerous weapons by persons alleged to be agents of the then governor of the state and a contestant at the polls, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, were writ large. Those of us who witnessed the show of brute force erroneously tagged election are still at a loss why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not summarily cancel the election. The event of Saturday, February 23, 2019 with particular reference to the Senatorial election was a huge joke and a parody of logic and commonsense. It is both worrisome and disturbing that after the testimony of the Returning Officer, Prof. Innocent Izuchukwu Ibeawuchi of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, that he was manhandled and forced to declare the result by then Governor Rochas Okorocha and his collaborators under duress and extreme life-threatening circumstance, INEC has failed to invoke the relevant aspects of the Electoral Act to put a closure to the senatorial election. May I remind INEC that the video of what happened to Prof Ibeawuchi and other adjunct officers including the electorate who participated in the election has trended and it is already rife in the public space. It is therefore inconceivable that despite such overwhelming manifestation of violence targeted at installing Okorocha winner against the popular will and wishes of the people, INEC would still stay hedgy in doing
the right thing; to wit, nullify the election which result was declared under duress. This writer commended INEC when it cancelled some results in Lagos, Rivers and Bauchi on account of violence. It is apposite and proper that the same measure of redemption be applied in Imo West where electoral violence was egregiously manifest in the course of the senatorial election. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. That’s fairness, nothing more! For the avoidance of doubt, Section 129 (4) of the Electoral Act states, “Any person who snatches or destroys any election material commits an offence and is liable on conviction to 24 months imprisonment.� The act further states that anyone who directly or indirectly engages in electoral violence shall be liable to three years in prison or a fine of N1 million. If INEC considers that what happened during Imo West senatorial election did not offend this section of the Electoral Act, what about Section 131 (1) which states: “A person who Threatening directly or indirectly, by himself or by another person on his behalf, makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence or restrain; (b) inflicts or threatens to inflict by himself or by any other person, any minor or serious injury, damage, harm or loss on or against a person in order to induce or compel that person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account of such person having voted or refrained from voting; or (c) by abduction, duress, or a fraudulent device or contrivance, impedes or prevents the free use of the vote by a voter or thereby compels, induces, or prevails on a voter to give or refrain from giving his vote, (d) by preventing any political aspirants from free use of the media, designated vehicles, mobilisation of political support and campaign at an election, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years.�
The above section of the Electoral Act best captures what transpired before, during and after the senatorial election. It was an open show of shame. Men in uniform and other armsbearing recruits hijacked what was supposed to be a civil process shorn of brigandage and savagery. The shocked electorate were intimidated by the maximum and brutal display of force by agents of a sitting governor. Those who mustered the courage to challenge the barbarians were hushed up, some beaten while others were openly humiliated by the brutes with their weapons of destruction. Such parody of election should not be allowed to stand. The conduct of some security personnel in the case of Imo West senatorial election is far from complimentary. It mirrors the unprofessional conduct of some security men in Rivers State which prompted INEC to cancel the Rivers election and order a re-run in some areas. The people of Imo West senatorial district deserve similar treatment from INEC. The same manner INEC reviewed elections in Rivers, Lagos and other states and nullified the elections in some places on account of the perfidious and vicious conduct of some politicians and their agents, it should review the Imo West election. It amounts to a mockery of democracy. It diminishes the pristine values of democracy which include the freedom of the people to freely elect their leaders without interference. The Imo West senatorial election failed to uphold these values. The electoral umpire has been resolute, insisting it will not issue Certificate of Return to Okorocha whose agents upstaged the election and compelled the Returning Officer to declare the then governor winner. INEC is right. Recognising Okorocha as winner is an endorsement of electoral violence and abuse of electoral process. It means that tomorrow any contestant can procure victory by abducting, coercing and forcing the returning officer in his or her election to declare him or her winner. If we reduce election to such charade, then we have done
irreparable damage to democracy. INEC must stand its ground. Those who cite the law, that INEC has no power to withhold the certificate of return once the result has been declared miss the point. You cannot quote such section of the Electoral Act in isolation. Framers of the act did not impute that the simple act of casting ballot, counting ballot and announcing result would be reduced to a Gestapo stunt as we witnessed in the case of Imo West senatorial election. The video is everywhere and it showed a terrified and rattled professor besieged by armed men and was being dictated to what to do, how to coin the language to suit their predetermined outcome. The testimony of the returning officer is enough evidence to cancel the election in the seven local government areas he listed where there were brazen cases of violence, ballot manipulation and barbarity. He did not only list the seven areas he also displayed petitions asking that INEC should not honour results from these areas. The words of Professor Ibeawuchi were unequivocal: “I am declaring this result under duress to save my life�. He showed his swollen hand to the media. He repeatedly said he was dancing to the tune of then Governor Okorocha’s men because of his wife, his children and to save his head; a clear case of ambush by Okorocha’s hitmen just to achieve an inglorious victory. It is heartwarming that an Owerri High Court has further restrained INEC from issuing Okorocha certificate of return. Our democracy must not be seen to profit from pre-meditated and sponsored violence otherwise future elections would be reduced to survival of the most violent. We must never replace the ballot with the bayonet. No matter the pressure, INEC should stand its ground. The so-called result being relied upon by Okorocha and his agents must be discarded and re-run election held. This is the honourable thing to do. Nwobodo wrote from Orlu, Imo State
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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JUNE6, 2019
EDITORIAL Waiting For The President’s Team The nation is suffering. President Buhari should name his cabinet
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resident Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in for a second term last week at a ceremony that was remarkable for its curious omission: he broke tradition by not delivering an inaugural address. Even if the speech was shifted to June 12, the new Democracy Day, whatever Buhari says on that day cannot pass for a presidential inaugural address. However, in the absence of an address to gauge the policy direction amid the pervasive sense of melanchony in the country, many Nigerians look up to the composition of a presidential team that will help fast-track the basic programmes of the administration and lift off the overriding gloom. There are strong grounds for the present worries. It took the president some six months in 2015 to form the former cabinet NIGERIA HAS BECOME A – a period durSTATE WHERE ANYTHING ing which many GOES, WHERE LIFE IS things that could go wrong actually CHEAP AND WHERE POVERTY IS A WAY OF LIFE went wrong, and reportedly affected the economy so adversely. In addition, the under-performance of the administration was undoubtedly worsened by the undue delay and failure to constitute the governing boards of many of the parastatals that were meant to guide the implementation of policies tailored at engendering the much needed good governance. Some of the boards were constituted three years into the administration and some did not even come on stream before the first term ran out. In his second term, the country does not have that luxury of time. President Buhari must do everything to ensure that this time around, the nation is not
taken through that ruinous trajectory. Indeed, there is no reason why a second term president should not have a list of ministers in his drawer to be forwarded to the Senate within hours after it was inaugurated. President Buhari should by now know the ministers he would reappoint as well as the other competent and experienced people he will like to bring on board. It took the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, for instance, 72 hours of being sworn in to appoint his cabinet only recently. Shortly after that, Modi who also took the oath of office for a second term, like Buhari, announced an agenda complete with time lines. India is the world’s largest democracy with the second largest population and a complex and thriving economy.
I T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, YEMI AJAYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE
T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
t is therefore imperative for President Buhari to hurry up and reposition his administration for the urgent security and serious economic crises at hand. The security situation is degenerating on a daily basis. Only two days ago, a local government in Borno State reportedly fell back into the hands of Boko Haram insurgents. Other criminals of all hue are becoming more audacious, seizing and killing at will. Nigeria has become a state where anything goes, where life is cheap and where poverty is a way of life. But the situation could be worsened if the administration takes its time, like it did in 2015 at the commencement of the first term. President Buhari cannot wait for June 12 or indefinitely for that matter to attend to these mounting problems. Even if we acknowledge the importance of the day, the nation is getting weary of preachments that are not backed by concrete actions. President Buhari must move fast to address the issues for which he was re-elected.
TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.
Letters to the Editor
THE PRIVATE JET OWNING PASTORS
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friend had been urging me to come to her church which is one of the pentecoastal churches in Lagos. In her words, it’s a new church and the General Overseer was said to possess special healing powers and had a penchant for miracles.
On the said day, I grudgingly went there and was amazed to see that the church was filled to the brim – since it was a new church I thought it would still be struggling with members. The service commenced in earnest with the focus being on material prosperity. The general overseer cum pastor prayed and exhorted the congregation to pray for their financial breakthroughs. We were all urged to sow painful seeds as that would guarantee God’s forcing of his hand to bless us all. I was forced to dip my hands into my pockets during the offering time which was also tagged ‘blessing time.’ I whispered to my host that I didn’t have a dime left for tithes and she squeezed some cash into my hands to drop into the offering basket. I was tempted to put it in my pocket as I couldn’t understand how an all-rich God could demand for my widow’s mite in order to bless me. When the news broke out of the purchase of a private jet by Apostle Johnson Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministries, my mind went back to the service I attended in that rather obscure church. It resonated with the shift from salvation to prosperity that has swept through nearly all the pentecoastal churches in the country. It’s even creeping into the orthodox churches and threatening the entire foundation of the
Christian faith. These mega pastors have been given rather lame excuses that they need these jets to perform ‘God’s work’ better and at a much faster pace. Suleiman said that you don’t own jets through tithes and offerings, that he does businesses which gave him the economic power to procure the aerial wonder on the wheel. These modern day religious wheeler-dealers own educational institutions and businesses built on the back of their followers that the latter cannot enjoy. In the days of yore after Jesus Christ handed over to the trained apostles who had toiled with him for three gruelling years, they were commissioned to spread the good news of our Lord to the ends of the earth. These men were unlettered and materially poor. They strove to perform their new task with boundless energy which brought them into conflict with the authorities. With the exception of John who lived to ripe old age, the rest were killed in the most gruesome of manner. Apostle Paul who is credited with spreading the gospel the most was a poor man. He had to forsake his lucrative trade as a lawyer for the lowly one of a carpenter as he didn’t want to be a burden on the brethren even though the latter would have gladly met his material needs. Stephen, the first martyr wasn’t known to be a lover of gold and fine wine. The first set of disciples weren’t known to keep horses which were the symbol of prosperity at the time or live in beautiful stone houses. The calling of a disciple was one of forced poverty and full dedication to the cause of the spread of the gospel of Christ.
The missionaries that came after them lived rather austere lives. They sacrificed everything to bring the liberating news to Africa. Aside the gospel, they brought education, healthcare amongst other goodies to the African continent to enable the message penetrate much easier and faster. They bravely encountered sea storms and adverse weather conditions at sea to berth in the Dark Continent. The history of materialism among pentecoastal churches has its roots in the United States. The 1920’s was a time of unprecedented prosperity in Uncle Sam in the build up to the Great Depression of 1929 when the stock market crashed. Americans needed assurances of more prosperity and the message of these ‘Men of God’ greatly appealed to them. It spread to Nigeria through the late Bishop Benson Idahosa who famously said that ‘My God is not a poor God.’ He subsequently had disciples in Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Pastor Chris Okotie and the trend has persisted till this day with the likes of Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, Pastor David Ibiyiome, Rev Enoch Adejare Adeboye, Pastor Joshua Iginla – the latest pastor jet owner, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and a host of many others. What led to the speedy acceptance of these pastors and their message was the collapse of the Nigerian state beginning from the Ibrahim Babangida years. The absence of a soothing balm from the state actors led the hapless masses to place their hope in these smooth tongued purveyors of the modern day gospel. Tony Ademiluyi, Lagos
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THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY
NEWSEXTRA
FG Orders N3bn Rice Seedlings from Cross River Bassey Inyang in Calabar The industrialisation effort of Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has started
yielding fruits as the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), has placed a
Lagos Govt to Release Hotlines for Potholes, Road Rehabilitation Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday restated his commitment to collaborate with residents and people of the state for successful implementation of his administration’s policies and programmes. The governor, who said this when he hosted Muslim faithful in Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja to mark 2019 Eid-el-Fitri, informed the gathering that his government will soon release emergency hotlines to the public to call the Lagos State Public Works for immediate fixing of potholes and roads that need urgent repairs. “Let us have continuous collaborative engagements. We will continue to ask you to work with us. We would be calling on you at different times.” “Our Public Works Corporation would come out and start fixing all the potholes on our roads. We would soon publish the numbers that people would be calling to notify us of wherever there are potholes in the state,” Sanwo-Olu stated. He expressed happiness as he joined Muslim brothers and sisters to celebrate the end of Ramadan after a long period of spiritual cleansing and self-discipline, urging them to pray for the success of his administration. According to him, “I am happy and pleased to join our Muslim brothers and sisters in this glorious celebration of Eid-el-fitri. A long stretch of fasting like this is not the easiest thing. It takes special grace and personal discipline, to go through the religious obligation. “Continue to pray for the success of our administration
and our prayers is that we all witness next year in good health and progress”. Earlier in her welcome address, wife of the governor, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu urged Muslim faithful to continue with the lofty virtues of Ramadan which include self-discipline, love for others, selflessness, piety and generousity, among others. She said these were the sterling qualities for which the Holy Prophet lived, charging all to adhere and emulate them to access the full blessings of the special season. “The important lessons for us to learn from this special season have to do with the virtues of sacrifice, self-denial, piety, love and generousity among others. “Through Ramadan, we are taught to seek spiritual advancement and closeness to God, by stepping away from our comfort zone, where we indulge in various acts that please us as human beings but which are not acceptable to Allah” “There is no doubt that we have tried so hard to stay away from many things in the last thirty days. What is by far more important however, is to keep our new form, by not returning to those old things and our old ways. This is the greatest lesson of Ramadan. When we have achieved this, then we have achieved the objectives of the season.” Speaking further, she appealed to Muslim faithful, to allow the great principles reflect in all their actions, public conduct and inter-personal relations with neighbours, in their offices and with people of different ethnic groups, for enduring peace and harmony in the state.
N3 billion order for the state to supply rice seedlings to all the states in the southern part of the country. Governor Ayade disclosed this to news men recently at the Rice Seedling and Seed Multiplication Factory located along Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Bypass in Calabar, the state capital. The governor said: “Today I can tell you proudly that we have received a N3 billion order from the federal government through its Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)/Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) rice value chain programme, to produce and supply seedlings to all the states in the southern part of our country. “So, I have N3 billion in my pocket as we speak and I can say it loudly that I have almost recovered my investment here in this factory. That is smart thinking and that is the way I am going”. According to Ayade, “You can imagine the same rice seedling factory that the social media reported that immediately after its commissioning by Mr. President, the vendors came in and packed their equipment, but today that same factory is
the one giving Cross River this huge amount through a contract with the federal government. “The Rice Seeds and Seedlings Factory was my first term project. What we are doing here is to produce high quality and disease resistant seedlings to farmers and we have started reaping from our labour”. On his new position as a Projects Manager of the state, the governor disclosed that “Immediately I took the oath of office for my second term, I downgraded my position to that of a project manager while my deputy will be acting as governor”. He added: “So, indeed, I have also given him approval limit up to N1 billion. He will do that without recourse to me. He is a professor and more experienced than me and I strongly believe that he has got the capacity to run government to allow me bring my energy to bear in the various industries we have set up. “As you can see, I started so many projects, most of which are at 80 to 90 percent completion level. So, I am just struggling to ensure that all the factories and our industrial clusters start rolling
out products into the market”. “As a project manager, I will be spending most of my time in Ikom Local Government Area to allow me properly monitor all my developmental projects in the central senatorial district including the cocoa processing plant and the superhighway projects as well as the ultramodern vitaminised rice processing plant in Ogoja, amongst others. “So, I will be shuttling between Ogoja and Ikom. For this reason, I am taking delivery of a mobile house soon to allow me a working space anywhere I will be going across the state.” Alade, however, stated that he would dedicate the next four years to “projects management to get all projects into finalisation. You will not see me again in the office except during executive council meetings, or I am receiving investors or federal government delegations. I want to ensure that we deliver on all our projects and in good time. “I want to prove a point to the world that it is not all black men that think from their stomach. I use my brain and I want to say that money is not everything, otherwise, Cross River State
would have collapsed.” The governor further said that “Cross River State is trying to take a lead but with almost zero allocation relative to our overhead costs, but that is where the joy lies because if the governor’s job is to sit down and receive allocations, award contracts and approve payment then, any Tom, Dick and Harry can be a governor. “The beauty of a governor comes when there is creativity, where the intellect comes to play and you take decisions that will affect the populace positively. I see the prosperity ahead and I feel a sense of pride that today, we are industrialising with visible factories and companies already employing our teeming youths. So, I can’t achieve these by sitting down in an air-conditioned office, I must move to the field”. Challenging Cross Riverians to judge him after eight years, the governor said: “After eight years, when you look back at the income of the state and where I would have taken the state to, even if you are the son of a devil, you will say Ayade has done well. At that time, even my most ardent critic will say he was wrong”.
Panic as Gunmen Abduct GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY… Pastor in Osun L-R: Lagos Island Government Education Authority Secretary, Hon. Moshood Mayegun; Head Mistress, Olowogbowo Methodist
Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
Fear enveloped residents of Osun State, particularly motorists along Ife- Gbongan– Ibadan route, following the kidnap of a Modakeke-based pastor, Femi Akinniyi, four days ago, by nine deadly Fulani gunmen. THISDAY, however, gathered that when the ugly incident occurred, the policemen in the state were yet to get clues on the matter until the clergyman, who said he had been in the custody of his abductors, was released yesterday after paying a ransom of N650,000. The Pastor in charge of Christ Gospel Apostolic Church, Okeyidi Road, Modakeke, was inside his Toyota Corolla car, with registration number: OSUN 38FFE, before his abduction . He was reportedly driving alone in the afternoon of the day before being waylaid by the fierce-looking gunmen at Wasimi, via Gbongan, along Ife- Ikire- Ibadan Expressway. Before being kidnapped, the kidnappers reportedly shattered the glass of his vehicle with guns, forcefully dragged him out,
removed his car key, collected his set phone and took him to their den. Equally, an armed robbery gang reportedly robbed some motorists for about 30 minutes, very close to where the pastor’s car was parked along the road by the kidnappers before the intervention of the policemen, who rescued the motorists from the hand of the robbers. At the spot where the vehicle was parked, the policemen on ground saw the side glass of the vehicle riddled with gun bullets, and towed it away to their divisional station in Gbongan. However, the pastor who was driven away to a forest was tortured and beaten mercilessly by his captors who first demanded for millions of naira from him before later agreeing to collect N650, 000 when they discovered he could not raise such a large of amounts. Also, his abductors reportedly got across to his kindred through the pastor’s telephone set and arranged how the money would get to them.
Primary School, Ms. Abiodun Esther Obidairo; Community Relations Manager, Axxela Limited, Mr. Aloiye Aigbonoga; and Engineering Supervisor, Operations, Ezra Nwachukwu, at the official inauguration of the refurbished Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School, Lagos Island…recently KOLA ALLI
APC Group Opposes Omo-Agege as Deputy Senate President Deji Elumoye in Abuja The concerned caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party was yet to zone the position of Deputy Senate President of the Ninth National Assembly to the South -south geopolitical zone, and rejected the purported zoning of the position to any individual. The group in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday and signed by Messrs Segun Bello, and Sunday Umutu, took exception to the position of Senator Ita Enang that Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, (APC Delta Central) has been endorsed for the position of deputy Senate president. According to the APC leaders, Enang can neither speak for the party nor the presidency as he is no longer the Senior Special Assistant
to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate) in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The party leaders said, “Section 151 of the 1999 Constitution states that the appointment of all special advisers shall cease when the President ceases to hold office, while Section 171 states that the appointment of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and any office or the personal staff of the president shall cease when the president ceases to hold office.” The statement states “our attention has been drawn to the statement of Senator Ita Enang in an interview on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. “In the interview, Senator Enang stated that Senator
Lawan Ahmad will emerge as Senate president of the ninth Senate while Hon. Femi Gbajiabiamila will emerge as Speaker, House of Representatives. He went on to state that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege will emerge as deputy Senate president. “Although, in the interview he was referred to as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, we write to state that he spoke in his personal capacity and expressed his own opinion and certainly not in any way the position of the presidency. “It should be noted that his appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters ceased with the end of the president’s first term on May 29, 2019 as provided
in Section 151(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended). “Therefore, his statement about Senator Ovie OmoAgege should be seen wholly as figment of his imagination, because he has probably supported him. “It must also be noted that All Progressives Congress (APC) nominated Senator Lawan and Hon. Gbajiabiamila for Senate president and speaker, respectively and not by any individual. “Senator Enang cannot and could not have spoken for the party in the said interview. “We wish to state that APC has not zoned the deputy Senate president to anyone. However, distinguished Senator Francis Alimikhena has been seen as the preferred candidate for the position”.
T H I S D AY • THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019
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POLITICS
Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG Email nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com (08114495324 SMS ONLY)
‘IfYou Want Fat Profit, Don’t Come to Ebonyi State’ Nseobong Okon-Ekong and Benjamin Nworie were part of a team of journalists who held a conversation with Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on how he has been able to transform the state from the backwater to a promising land
Umahi
W
ith the meager allocation and poor internally generated revenue, your administration has executed numerous projects, how were you able to raise the funds for these projects? In terms of money, there is what is called the mustard seed. It doesn’t matter how much you have. What is going on here in Ebonyi state is the passion, the fear of God, the appreciation of the people and the sacrifice of the people. One time, through all the interventions, any fund that comes in we fix (deposit) it. We went to the state House of Assembly and said we have made N3billion by gathering all the funds we have fixed. Some members asked the Speaker, ‘this N3billion is it a reality? The Speaker responded and said how will the Governor bring N3billion to be appropriated if it wasn’t made? We manage our funds very well. As a contractor, if you want to make fat profit, don’t come to Ebonyi State because our profit level is within 10%. I have been in private construction, as an engineer. I know what the contractors know. I have been a contractor and you must do the job very well. I know that 10% is enough. It is a decent profit margin. This is the motivation and I think that leadership is about passion. There is no amount of EFCC or ICPC that you can deploy to a leader who doesn’t have the passion for the people to make him succeed. It is about the fear of God, if you believe that God brought you to leadership, whatever you do is between you and God. These are the ways we have been able to save funds for projects. We don’t believe in having all the money before we start a project. That’s another
thing. We believe in starting and God will take over. The idea of concrete road is a novelty in Nigeria, what motivated you to use concrete to construct all
I will not want anybody that is not part of this system to come from anywhere and say he wants to run for one thing or the other. You have to be part of this system. I have always fought them in the past and I will continue to fight them. Let me assure you that God will select those that will win all the elections in 2023. It doesn’t worry me. If you are in my government and start putting eyes in the governorship, I will sack you, because we only have only six months to play politics, the rest is work
roads in the state? By training, I am a Civil Engineer and I was in construction. I was making money through construction before God brought me to leadership. I have practical knowledge of what a road stress analysis should be. Our soil here is made up of predominantly, clay soil. Clay soil by its nature has molecular particles. As such. it doesn’t allow vertical circulation of water. It is also very unstable; when it rain it swells. When it is sunny, it shrinks. The best thing is to give it that property that doesn’t move so that when it is laughing, the property does not care, when it is crying the property does not care. That is what is called rigid pavement. In this process of concrete roads, you must also put expansion because concrete does expand and does not contract. The coefficient of expansion or contraction is quite negligible compared to that of clay. That is the motivation. That is the idea behind building our roads in concrete. Dangote is using it in all the roads that it has offered intervention. You may say it is easier for Dangote because it has cement manufacturing companies, but the truth is, that is the way to go if we want to build durable roads in this environment. When I went to India, I discovered that a lot of the roads were made of concrete. In China, it is the same thing. In fact, in the Middle East where there is high temperature, they do not use asphalt to build their airport. This is the motivation. From your assessment, would you consider 70% of your projects priority projects or prestige projects? They neglected Ebonyi in the past because of poor infrastructure and lack
of development, in general. That was the picture before we came. All that has changed. They now remember us for our complex flyovers, longest flyovers, best capital city, industrialisation. We are the only state that has a very gigantic mushroom. It is a combination of both priority projects and prestige projects. One complements the other. There is this assertion may be because you are the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum that most of the things you do as the Governor of Ebonyi state is to pander to your presidential ambition. How true is that? The worst thing for a man is to stay where God has not called him. Concerning my perceived presidential ambition, all I can say is that the calling of God to me as at 2019 to 2023 is to be the Governor of Ebonyi State. The same God that called me as governor, may accomplish the presidential wish. But for now, my immediate priority is to finish all the projects we have started and to initiate new ones in Ebonyi, because we are in a hurry to catch up with the leading states of the federation. You are planning to build key projects in your second term; an Olympic-size stadium and international airport. Many people have wonder why you want to build an airport in the state when we have one in Enugu and another in Imo? Olympic-size stadium is good, there is no need to over flog it. The airport is one the most important projects for this state. Yes, we have the Enugu Airport, but we are closer to Abia. A lot of us are closer to Abia state. This Airport is not for prestige. It is for business. We believe that if we build the airport, we will have more
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POLITICS
‘If You Want Fat Profit, Don’t Come to Ebonyi State’ customers than Enugu Airport and this is very important. The location of the airport is about 70 minutes from Enugu Airport. Moreover, we are building for tomorrow. What I consider is that there is need to prepare for tomorrow. A time will come when if you don’t build an airport now in Ebonyi state, you must build it tomorrow. I was in China and we saw a lot of high rise buildings and we asked what are these for? They said it is for the next children that will be born in the next 30 years. I came back and said, ‘okay I have to prepare for those who will be born, at least, in the next 10 years. This is why we are building the airport. What are you doing to reduce urban migration? Gradually, we not having rural development. From the centre of the state, there is no part of the state you can not reach within 45 minutes. Where you have street light like you have in all the local governments in the state, you have water running, you have good roads, what we are doing is that we are pursuing urbanization in all our rural areas. Some people come to work from Afikpo, from Edda, from Izzi, from Ikwo. We are making all local government headquarters as comfortable and habitable as possible. You do not need to be in Abakaliki, the state capital to feel the impact of good governance. You can be comfortable, where ever you are. You have agreed to pay N30,000 minimum wage during the last May Day celebration. How do you intend to go about that because we know that federal allocation has not increased? Before this minimum wage, the federal government was borrowing money to pay the workers. Many states have not been able to pay workers. However, the minimum wage regime is here with us. I have said it loudly that I will pay. But I will not be the first state to pay nor the last state to pay. Whatever way the federal government is going to pay, we will do. As governors, we have requested for the review of the revenue sharing formula from the federation account. Presently, I think the federal government takes 52% and local government and states take 40%. It is very difficult for states to pay the minimum wage. May be about four states can pay comfortably. We are looking at the federal government to see how we kick start it whether they are going to give special allocation to states to assist us pay. Definitely, we have to review our taxes in the state and this is very important. We have set up a joint negotiation committee with labour to discuss the minimum wage. I watched the Minister of Labour on television the other day, he said, ‘minimum wage is not wage review’. This is the difference. Wage review is different from minimum wage. The idea behind this is that the economy is such that every worker should be able to go home with nothing less than N30,000. The moment you hit the lowest paid worker with N30,000, you have fulfilled the law. This is very important. The federal government takes the lion share of the allocation and the states are pushing for the review of the sharing formula. At the Governors forum level, will there some legal steps to compel the federal government to do something about it or are you making it a family affair while the labour and the workers wait? There will be no legal battle with the federal government for the review of the sharing formula. In fairness to Mr. President, at the first meeting we had with him, he agreed that he will review the revenue formula. You know that one man is not government. It is
Umahi
possible that Mr. President was advised otherwise. We will still use dialogue and presentation of the state of our states to plead with Mr. President to review it. What is the debt profile of Ebonyi State? In terms of debt, somebody that left my government and wanted to take my seat not knowing that I am seated very well said that we are owing contractors N58billion. As at today, no contractor is owed one kobo in the entire Ebonyi state. Number two, when we came on board, we borrowed N2billion through agriculture programme, we have since paid that debt. We borrowed N3billion from Zenith Bank for the same agriculture programme, we have since paid it back
They neglected Ebonyi in the past because of poor infrastructure and lack of development, in general. That was the picture before we came. All that has changed. They now remember us for our complex flyovers, longest flyovers, best capital city, industrialisation. We are the only state that has a very gigantic mushroom. It is a combination of both priority projects and prestige projects. One complements the other
even though our people refuse to pay back the loan. The important thing is that it is in their pockets and it grows the GDP of the state but anybody that borrows from the money must pay it back. We also borrowed N5billion from UBA for the same agriculture, I think we have paid part of it. I can say that apart from this N5billion that we are still paying every month for agriculture, we have not borrowed money for any programmes in Ebonyi state. When we came on board, it took us two years to pay up the debt of the past administration, the bond they obtained for their own programme. We have not borrowed money beyond what I have explained here. What is employment situation in the state? Those that want to be employed have been employed. People may be expecting me to give wavier for employment in civil service, I don’t believe in that. Not that we do not employ people, of late we employed some people in the civil service but that is not the way to go. The way to go is for everybody in the state to have something to do. What we have done for civil servants is that we created N4billion and we gave them at 5% interest rate so that they will also engage in agriculture and this is a way of creating wealth. I create wealth and the wealth creates employment. Ebonyi state has been turned to a huge construction industry. If you go to every corner of the state you will see a lot of construction activities. It is only lazy people that say I need money to pay school fees. I always say to them, ‘go to any of the construction sites and you will definitely go home with some money. Labourers go home with at least N2,500 per day. Of course, skilled workers get as much as N5,000 per day. Our system of employment here is to create opportunities for you to employ yourself and also employ others. This is very key and this is the way to go. This is the way of Chinese. This is what we have copied, This is what we are doing.
By the end of 2021, some of your loyalists even from the National Assembly will not be loyal to you anymore. Many of them will be preparing for the governorship race, are you still comfortable with the Speaker of the state Assembly, Hon. Francis Nwifuru? Don’t worry about 2021, about people not being loyal or being loyal. I have no business with loyalty. All I know is that my eyes are on the ball. One thing I will do is that I will not want anybody that is not part of this system to come from anywhere and say he wants to run for one thing or the other. You have to be part of this system. I have always fought them in the past and I will continue to fight them. Let me assure you that God will select those that will win all the elections in 2023. It doesn’t worry me. If you are in my government and start putting eyes in the governorship, I will sack you, because we only have only six months to play politics, the rest is work. I will not worry neither will I be distracted at all. Before you come into my government, I will know whether you have interest to run for governorship or not. If you have something to run for, we agree on your exit date. The important thing to note is that every man has come with his own destiny and God watches the heart of men. I believe that God will bring another set of people who will continue with this work when we are done in 2023. It is not something to struggle for. It is not something to lobby for. This Speaker is God-sent. I am not a member of the House of Assembly but my wife and myself are praying for Nwifuru to emerge again as the Speaker of the House of Assembly when they are inaugurated in June. This Speaker works so hard and it is in the interest of the members that he emerges because he gets more for the House more than any other person will get from the Executive. It is in the interest of the House that he emerges. He is very good with the law making. Sometimes we argue for more than 30 minutes over a point in law. He has the constitution in his phone, he will bring it out.
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FEATURES
Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08152252325
Expectations for Sustainable Development Following the recent inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which signalled the beginning of his second term in office, Mary Nnah writes that the expectations of citizens are high that his policies would be well executed to sustain development across key sectors of the economy
L-R: HRH, (Dr) Appolus Chu and HRH, (Dr) Muhammad Sani Haliru Dantoro, (Kitoro IV), Emir of Borgu, with other dignitaries
Ex-deputy governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, exchanging pleasantries with HRH (Dr) Appolus Chu and his colleague, HRH, Alh. (Dr) Muhammad Sani Haliru Dantoro, at the event
F
ollowing his re-election in the polls held on February 23, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari, last week, took his oath of office for a second and final term in charge of Africa’s most populated nation. This signalled the beginning of his second four-year term in office. The 2019 presidential inauguration ceremony, held at the Eagles Square, Abuja, had the President, Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by his wife Aisha, take his oath of office and allegiance, administered by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, as he swore to devote himself to the service and well-being of the people of Nigeria. The ceremony also saw the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, accompanied by his wife, Dolapo, sworn in as the vice president for the next four years. During the ceremony, prayers were offered to God for sustainable peace, unity and stability of nation as well as to guide, guard and grant its leaders the wisdom and determination to meet the public aspirations. The national and defence flags were lowered and new ones hoisted, signifying the end of an era and the beginning of a new political dispensation heralded by a 21-gun salute. Key Derivatives The ceremony was actually a low key affair devoid of the usual pomp and pageantry and without an inauguration speech. Attendance was strictly by invitation. It was however attended by a few party heavyweights, lawmakers, traditional rulers, business gurus, members of the diplomatic community and former leaders. However the low key inauguration, Nigerians are full of high expectations as Buhari and his VP, Osinbajo, begin another four years of ruling the nation. Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
L-R: Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu; HRH (Dr) Appolus Chu, and HRH, Alh. (Dr) Muhammad Sani Haliru Dantoro, (Kitoro IV), Emir of Borgu, exchanging pleasantries with an APC Chieftain, Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with HRH, (Dr) Appolus Chu immediately after the swearing-in
Boss Mustapha, however, gave insight into what the next level entails: “Good governance, greater prosperity for our citizens, development, and provision of everything that pertains to a good life for the people of this country.� SSA to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on his part, said the president would immediately pay special attention to matters of security, law and order in the country. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina assured that at the end of this second term, by the time the president would have completed his term, he would have left viable legacies for Nigerians. Expectations Conspicuously, as President Muhammadu Buhari again begins his second terms, prominent Nigerians as well as the ordinary man on the streets are full of expectations for a better Nigeria. This is considering that the last administration did not augur well for a lot of citizens as well as business concerns in the country. Consequently, some of the invited guests spoke on their expectations during the inauguration ceremony held at the colourful decorated Eagle Square Abuja. One of the prominent persons who expressed great expectations from the Buhari’s second term administration was the King of Okori (Egbere Emere Okori, Eleme) and Paramount Ruler of Ogale, (Emere Ogale) in Rivers State, HRH Appolus Chu. He said: “We are expecting the best from this new dispensation of political leaders. We also hope that this administration will end satisfactorily for all Nigerians.� HRH Chu advised further that, “We should identify our mistakes and then improve on these mistakes and when we do that, we would gradually get much more matured in democracy.� For the Attah Igala, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni, his expectations
A cross section of invited guests at the event
include rapid development in the nation, peace in every section of the nation and better economy. Yet for many more others, their anticipation was geared towards the issue of job creation and employment generation, which they hoped would be a priority as far as the Buhari government is concerned while other hoped that the president would leave specific landmark legacies before he ends his second term of ruling Nigerian. They also expressed the hope that Buhari would bring more women on board. And on this a former minister and ex-deputy governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, rather went spiritual. She said: “with the collective prayers of Nigerians, Mr. President will make Nigerian better, put smiles on the faces of Nigerians and carry women along.� Some other Nigerians further summed up their expectations and plans to help government fast-track development for the citizenry.
So, for, business guru and Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, he hopes to play his own part as a business community while partnering government for the good of the nation. “It is a good partnership between us and the government and definitely we would take Nigeria to the next level�, Dangote added, while noting that although the last administration tried its best, it could do better this term. “Normally in the first term, they don’t usually show their strength. So, this second term, I am sure would be much better than the last term�, Dangote added further. Others further expressed the hope that the president would avoid pitholes, having learned from his mistakes in the last administration. They hoped that in the last four years, Buhari must have learned a lot of lessons, and then would avoid any pitholes that may cause hindrances to the present administration.
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#THISISNIGERIA Seun Onigbinde
Revisiting Nigeria’s Fiscal Dilemmas
I
n recent months, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) haved issued reports on Nigeria’s current realities. Most of their concerns--our oil-dependent economy, weak tax system and relatively shallow private sector--are not really new. We must first acknowledge that Nigeria is not an oil-rich nation, it is an oil-dependent entity. While Saudi Arabia, with 32m people, pumps 11m barrels of oil per day; Nigeria, with an estimated 190 million people, still produces less than 2m barrels per day. Is it not interesting to note that Texas, a state within the United States but with an economy greater than that of Sub-Saharan Africa also pumps over 3m barrels of oil per day? I did a casual research into the revenue to GDP (comparing revenues to the size of the economy) of countries and Nigeria’s numbers are abysmally awful. While Nigeria’s revenue to GDP is around 8%, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya are 21.6%, 29% and 19.8% respectively. This is not a symptom of non-oil producing countries as revenue to GDP for Angola (20%) and Saudi Arabia (30%) show relative strong numbers. According to research by IMF’s Director of Fiscal Affairs, Nigeria needs a minimum 12.75% of “tax-to-GDP ratio for accelerated growth and development outcomes.� We currently do less than 5%. Where will the money come from? With the sluggish growth, the Nigerian government is reluctant to apply structural reforms to tax rates, neglecting a much needed stem-to-root reform. How does Nigeria fund infrastructure, deliver social projects without higher revenues? Everyone talks about expanding the tax net but in a country with a large informal system, how easy is that? What exactly is the size of taxable wealth at the bottom of the pyramid that can be taxed? FIRS claims that over 15 million Nigerians have been added to the tax net but that has not lifted tax revenues in a gargantuan way. How do you tax a system that is grossly informal, while not also hurting growth by constraining consumer spending? Nigeria’s public debt (excluding outstanding liabilities such as AMCON and fuel subsidy notes) is around N22.4tn. This has been notably driven by the recent lure for Eurobond, which has seen Nigeria raise over $10bn in 3 years. However, how big is Nigeria’s debt in relative terms? While Egypt has a debt to GDP (comparing debt to the size of the economy) of 103%, South Africa (52.6%), Ghana (71.8%), Kenya (55%), Nigeria posts a debt to GDP of 24%. This means that the country has sufficient room to borrow considering the size of its economy. Most analysts have put the right ceiling for debt to GDP not to be more than 50%. This means that Nigeria can double its current debt and will still be in a sustainable threshold. I always make this loose analogy that Nigeria is like a graduate of Harvard who everyone expects to earn seven figures in USD but ends up with a clerical work in Oshodi. When rent is due, he beats his chest to his landlord and keeps saying “Do you know I am a Harvard graduate?� However, debt to GDP does not tell the full story. Nigeria’s debt servicing to GDP, at 61%, is insanely high compared to acceptable levels of not more than 22.5%. Peer countries figures are: Ghana (44%), Egypt (54%), South Africa (13.7%), Kenya (35%). Nigeria is spending 60 Naira out of every N100 earned to service debts. Nigeria has the width to borrow based on its low debt to GDP numbers but can’t borrow aggressively because it will also be judged by its capacity to pay back, continuously
On a nominal level, Nigeria’s debts are low but its revenue is also very low. It does not want to raise taxes in order to raise public revenues as this might hamper consumer spending and hurt a very weak growth. The government also wants to ďŹ x infrastructure and cannot continue on a borrowing binge as cost of debt servicing is hitting the roof and also distorting private sector lending. How does it exit this dilemma because doing nothing or just dancing around this circle keeps the country locked in a circle
Nigeria's 2019 Budget
for others. Most of the Nigerian banks are also in the difficult territory after making large bets on a continuous rise in oil prices which have fallen since late 2014. According to the 2019 IMF Article IV Report on Nigeria , “Banks’ vulnerability to oil price and production shocks is high given their large exposure to the sector (about one-third of their loan book). In response to shocks, NPLs in the sector would increase further, worsening banks’ risk aversion and shrinking private sector credit, thus constraining non-oil growth.� According to IMF 2018 analysis, Nigeria’s credit to the private sector in 2018 declined approximately by 6.7% on an annual basis. So why is the private sector not lending to entrepreneurs who are meant to create jobs and excite an economy struggling to grow? You can easily connect the dots that the same government has been crowding the debt field and distorting incentives for the private sector. How does Nigeria grow its private sector without lending to entrepreneurs? On a nominal level, Nigeria’s debts are low but its revenue is also very low. It does not want to raise taxes in order to raise public revenues as this might hamper consumer spending and hurt a very weak growth. The government also wants to fix infrastructure and cannot continue on a borrowing binge as cost of debt servicing is hitting the roof and also distorting private sector lending. How does it exit this dilemma because doing nothing or just dancing around this circle keeps the country locked in a circle? Nigeria is flirting with a lost decade as its unemployment numbers continues to soar; since 2014, it is yet to find clear-cut structural agenda and aggressive action to push the country ahead. Even as the existential question continues to torment the country like a ghost: what will it sell to the world apart from oil? In Nigeria’s response, lies the solution to its multiple challenges of public revenues, employment, infrastructure growth and security. Until then, Nigeria keeps dealing with big issues with kid gloves.
Debt Servicing
Nigeria's Debt Status
raising its risk rating and cost of debt. One would say is it not better to forget government and look to the private sector?
A 2017 IMF research showed that oil-driven economies tend to lend copiously to energy entities, quietly crowding out opportunities
- Seun Onigbinde is the Co-Founder of BudgIT, a civic tech organisation focused on making public finances accessible.
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BUSINESSWORLD
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Quick Takes MainOne Engages Varsity Graduates
Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ù×ÚÖĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă’ Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Í°Ě‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă— ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă— ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ Ă“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã˪Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• ÚÖËĂ?Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;ÓÞ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁË› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă— Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă— Ă?ÞãÖĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ åÓÞÒ ĂšĂœĂ‹Ă?ÞÓĂ?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ÓÖÓÞËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?âÞĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ě‹ Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞã Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă— Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ͳ̋åĂ?Ă?Ă• Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ùà Ă?Ăœ Ͱ˜ʹ͎͎ ËÚÚÖÓĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă‘Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ËÚÚÖã åÓÞÒ Ă?Óâ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ù×ÚÖĂ?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă— ÞÙ Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă— Ă‹Ăž Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂŁ Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ͹ʹ Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂŽËœ Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă&#x;ÙÖË ÚËÎĂ?Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ëœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŽĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ù×ÚÖĂ?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă— Ă˜Ă™Ăž ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă™Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?âĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ă?Ë›
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STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP
L-R: Chief Technical Officer, Commercio Cloud Computing Limited, Remi Adejumo; Guest Speaker, Sunday Folayan; and Director, IT Solution, Huawei, Mr. Cai Qiong, at the partnership between Commercio and Huawei on cloud computing in business programmes in Lagos‌ recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT
FG Urged to Prevail on BoI to Vacate Court Order on Omatek Stories by Emma Okonji Worried about the huge financial loss to Omatek Ventures and the loss of jobs to several Nigerians following the closure of Omatek factory for over 24 months, on the request of the Bank of Industry (BoI) due to the failure of company to pay its loan debt, the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), has called on the federal government to intervene by prevailing on the Bank to vacate the court order and reopen the factory. The President of NCS, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, who made the call in Lagos recently, said the need to vacate the court order and reopen the factory became necessary, since the closure of the factory for the past two years, had not been
TELECOM in the best interest of any of the stakeholders. “Allow the company to reopen for business. Some of the goods and materials for which the loans were sought would have been obsolete and rusted away. Omatek is a major employer of Nigerian youth. “At peak production it can employ over 600 teeming youth both directly and indirectly. Computer spares and consumables have expiry date as we know and if we are not careful, all the stock will rate zero value in no distant time,� Aderounmu said. Omatek had been accused of defaulting on its facility with the Bank of Industry. According
to the development bank, the company has refused to service the N5.81 billion, which it obtained in 2012. The Bank said several measures had been employed to ensure Omatek keep to the repayment agreement, but all to no avail. At the appointment of Mr. Yemi Ogundipe as the new Managing Director of Omatek Ventures in 2017, after the demise of its founder, Mrs. Florence Seriki, the new Managing Director had promised to make amends and repay the loan if stretched over a period of time, but till date, the commitment hasn’t been fulfilled because the factory has been put under lock and key by court pronouncement initiated by Bank of Industry,
and businesses grounded in the last two years. According to Aderounmu, “Government must intervene to address the matter because it is only while in business that repayment can commence. Omatek Ventures has indicated that it is open to settlement out of court. “The company made this known in a letter to shareholders some time ago. The management of Omatek Ventures said it was exploring out of court settlement with BoI in order to reach an amicable agreement on the loan default. The continuous locking of the factory is therefore out of place.� Omatek Ventures Plc is a listed Continued on page 24
Experts Highlight Roles of Technology in Future Workforce The evolution of technology is fast changing individual lifestyles and redefining the future of work that will create a new digital workforce, while eliminating the traditional workforce. The technology evolution has however raised fears among Nigerians and the global communities on the danger of job loss rather than job creation. The heightened fears were however addressed at the recently concluded TechPoint Inspired 2019 Forum, which held in Lagos. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, SystemSpecs, Mr. Deremi Atanda,
TELECOM said: “Technology will take away old jobs and create new digital jobs because robots will be developed to replace most manual jobs done by humans, but it is the same human that will create the robots, which is all about digital technology. “So digital jobs will be created and we need employees with the right digital skills to take up the digital jobs that will be created.� While preparing the minds of millennials about the future workforce, Atanda said the millennials who are the digital natives would largely drive
the change in culture of the future workplace. “It is all about phases in evolutional change from one generation to another. “Technology is gradually changing the future of workplace and the key drivers to the change are the ability of the millennials to use technology to access information and process the power of knowledge to effect change in the future workplace.� According to him, “Employment has gone digital and employers need to begin to look at ways of reinventing their businesses in line with technology evolution in order
to grow sustainable businesses. “Technology is changing the definition of workplace and organisations need to become more flexible to adapt to the technological changes.� Head of Communications at Uber, Francesca Uriri, said technology would enable people to have new lifestyles that would make them more productive, adding that it will definitely change the culture of future workforce across all sectors of the economy. Giving instance of how Uber has changed global transportation business through the Continued on page 24
Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă– Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;ÚÖÓĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă–ËŞĂ? ËÎÙÚÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ• ÞÒĂ? Ͱ͎ͯ͡ Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ËŞĂ? Ă‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ùà Ă?Ăœ Í˛ËœÍŽÍŽÍŽ ĂšĂ&#x;ÚÓÖĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă?Óâ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?Ă— åÓÞÒ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ăš Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă?ÔÓ ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ Ă”Ă?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? ÞËÞĂ?Ëž Ă‹Ă’Ă‹ĂŁĂ‹ Ë×äË ĂšĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ
Ă‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‹ ÞËÞĂ?Ëž ĂŁĂ?ĂœĂ&#x; Ă•Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ‹Ëž ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂŒĂŁĂžĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ“ĂŒĂ‹Ëœ ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœËž Þ˛ Ă™Ă’Ă˜ËŞĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ Ă•Ă?Ě‹ Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ëœ Ă”Ă?ĂŒĂ&#x;Ě‹
Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ëœ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜ ÞËÞĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ëœ Ă—Ă™ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ë› ×ÚÖÙãĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã ÞÓ×Ă? åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜Ëœ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÎÙÖĂ?ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‘Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜Ë› ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă– Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁĂ‹Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ?Ă— ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ă?Ëœ ÎÙÚÞ̋Ë̋ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ˛ ËŤ Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽË› Ă“ĂœĂžĂ?Ă–Ëœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ËÎÙÚÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖĂ?ËœËŹ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă‹ĂŁĂ˜Ă‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË› ËŤ Ă‹Ă— Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă— ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă–ĂŁ ÚÖĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙÑĂ?ÞÒĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ?ÞÞĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ë› Ă’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ×ÚÖÙãĂ?Ă? ÙÖĂ&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÎÙÚÞ̋Ë̋ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ–ĂŁËœËŹ Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽË›
Dell Releases Workstations’ Solutions
Ă?Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?ÎÙ× ÞÙ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ?Ă—Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;ÓÚÚĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÎËÞË̋ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂšĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă?Ě‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă–Ă™Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă•ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ăž Ă‹ ĂŒĂ–Ă™Ă?Ă•ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ×Ùà ÓĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă&#x;ÚÎËÞĂ?Ă? ÞÙ Ă“ĂžĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ͹͎͎͎ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ÞÙåĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ÍŻ ĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă• ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœË› Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ËÚÚÖÓĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜ Ă?×ÙÙÞÒÖã ĂĄĂ’Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă–Ă™Ă‹ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ™Ăœ Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;ÓÚÚĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă?Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ÚÞÓ×ÓäĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ? Ě‹ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ Ă‹Ă&#x;ÞÙ×ËÞÓĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă–Ă™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂžĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂœË› Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă– Ù××Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂ?Ă?ÓËÖÞã ĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ù× Ă™ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă–Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?ÙÖÓÙ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ åÓÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?Ë› ÙÎËã˪Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ù×Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă–ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă?Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă– ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ÖÙåĂ?Ëœ Ă˜Ă™ ×ËÞÞĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒËÞ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁË›
“The CBN’s experience with heterodox policies expanded during the recent economic crisis that begun in 2014 due to a number of global shocks, three of which were simultaneous and significant in shaping the trajectory of the Nigerian economy� CBN Governor,
Godwin EmeďŹ ele
24
T H I S D AY Ëž Í´, 2019
FG URGED TO PREVAIL ON BOI TO VACATE COURT ORDER ON OMATEK
Institute Moves to Support Start-ups
company on the Nigerian Stick Exchange (NSE) with corporate focus in the assembling, sales, maintenance of computers, inverters and solar power products. It is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specialising in the local assembly of computer cases, speakers, keyboards and mouse, other than Computer systems and Notebooks in the whole of Africa. Assembling of these components in its factory has created a great advantage to other systems builders as well as resellers all over Africa for retailing. This has created jobs and developed human capital, and a company of this calibre, should be allowed to operate,� Aderounmu said.
Stories by Emma Okonji
EXPERTS HIGHLIGHT ROLES OF TECHNOLOGY IN FUTURE WORKFORCE
use of technology, Uriri said Uber has employed millions of drivers who have been impacted with digital skills of the future. Atanda, however said Uber has used technology to redefine the Job of a taxi driver to an executive driver who is happy doing the job of transporting people from one point to another, using the latest mobile app technology. But Uriri added that, “Uber is riding on the technology of autonomous cars to introduce cars that will be controlled with technology without drivers.� She insisted that the technology would open up vista of job opportunities for app developers who would be creating more apps that would define the future of global transport business. Chief People Officer, RenMoney, Elizabeth Okonji, said: “technology is also changing the current recruitment process to fit the future workplace. Organisations are looking for people with digital skills because technology has redefined the future of workplace by creating digital jobs for the millennials, far away from the old norms of processing organisational tasks.�
chain technology to Artificial Intelligence (AI). “At the end of the 14 weeks training, the successful candidates are moved into a funding lab class, where they will meet with dedicated coaches that will help them build their business and prepare them for funding,� Adalemo said. The programme starts next week in Lagos with an orientation that will prepare the start-ups for the actual training. Nigerians are excited about bringing Founder Institute to Nigeria and they have started
registering for the training programme, which is still open, he said. According to him, the institute runs the world’s largest start-ups pre- incubation programme across globe and caters for start-ups in their early stage who are yet to have any funding, and groom them to a level where they have workable and commercial ideas that can attract investors. According to Agbata, “Most start-ups begin with little idea, which in most cases, do not count for them because at their
early stage, they need to build their confidence in their ideas and they also need to build up their integrity as a small business entrepreneur. The institute has a curriculum with which they train start-ups for 14 weeks and at the end of the training session such persons are fully prepared with a new and robust idea that could compete globally. “One of the models of the institute is to train working-class group who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs, and they are trained within 14
weeks through online courses to become entrepreneurs of global standing and the training comes with a fee.� Founder Institute has been in existence for over nine years, training young start-ups across the globe, including African countries, but they do not have their footprint in Nigeria, so we decided to bring institute to Nigeria to boost start-ups training and ideas. The idea is to give Nigerian start-ups, a globally tested platform to excel in entrepreneurship,� Agbata said.
A group of local entrepreneurs in the start-up space, is bringing Founder Institute, the world’s largest start-ups pre-incubation developers to Nigeria, to address the issues of trust and funding in the Nigerian technology space. The group’s directors who are the local representatives of Founder Institute in Nigeria, Mr. Wande Adalemo and Mr. Fred Chukwuemeka Agbata, who addressed a gathering of Nigerian start-ups in Lagos recently, identified major challenges facing Nigerian start-ups to include lack of trust in their ideas and solutions from local investors, which according to them had forced the entrepreneurs to seek funding outside Nigeria, a task that has been difficult to achieve. “Nigerian start-ups get more of foreign funding than local funding for lack of trust and confidence in their ideas, but Founder Institute has a curriculum that has helped raised the standards of indigenous start-up in countries where they operate, to the extent that local investors are beginning to have trust in their ideas to invest in their solution. “That is what we want to achieve also in Nigeria. We have a lot of local investors and venture capitalists in Nigeria that are willing to invest in indigenous ideas from local start-ups, but are afraid of the commercial value of the solutions of local start-ups,� Agbata said. “The essence of the training is to help Nigerian start-ups raise successful companies and attract good funding. They will be trained on different verticals L-R: Assistant Legal Adviser, Bet9ja, Fatoye Seyi; Senior Legal Adviser, Adewale Akande; Head of Human Resources & Organisational from waste management, Block- Development, Kikky Boboye and Senior Marketing Manager, Osobajo Olufemi, during the inauguration of a campaign in Lagos...recently
WOOING CUSTOMERS
‘Nigeria Can Raise World-class MSMEs with Digital Technology’ Globacom has said that with the right application of technology like digital technology, micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the country can overcome present limitations and leapfrog into the global business arena. Globacom’s Head, Oil and Gas Business Solutions, Adekunle Adeleke, who made the disclosure at the recent African Food and Products Exhibition, which held in Lagos, called on
the MSME operators to adopt various digital solutions offered by the company to improve their businesses and position themselves for competitiveness even outside the country. The event, which was organised by the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, was supported by Globacom. Adeleke said Globacom acknowledged the role of MSMEs as drivers of the economy and explained that the
telecoms company had put in place, affordable and innovative products and services that would promote their businesses. “We understand that no two businesses are alike and that each has its own unique needs. To address these needs, we offer a range of customised and community-driven voice and data connectivity solutions that help to manage different networking systems. “These include internet
connectivity, mobile money solutions, Wide Area Connectivity (WAN), credit check for postpaid subscribers, and mobile solutions for establishments,� Adeleke said. “So we have an extensive infrastructure that covers the entire country, a reliable network, the platforms and connectivity for digital transformation that will make small and medium businesses competitive all over the world,� he asserted.
He said Globacom would be ready always to collaborate with businesses to design specialised Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions that would address their requirements, and described the theme of the exhibition, “Sustainability and Innovation: Pathway to Business Success for SMEs,� as important to the efforts to increase trade relations between Nigeria and other countries.
Experts Call for More Government Involvement in Dairy Industry Nosa Alekhuogie
Group Business Editor
Obinna Chima
Capital Market Editor
ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă? AgriBusiness/Industry Editor
Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ? Comms/e-Business Editor
Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“ Senior Correspondent
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Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? åÙÔÓ (Insurance) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™ (Energy) Reporters
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Governments at all levels have been advised to invest more in dairy production in order to bridge the gap between production and distribution of the product across the country. Industry experts who came together to discuss opportunities and challenges in the fast growing dairy industry at a workshop in Lagos recently, gave the advice. The first edition of the workshop, which was organised by Tetrapak with the theme: “Dairy-Unlocking Opportunities Deeper in the Pyramid�, was aimed at sharing innovative global and local trends with the local manufacturers to inspire development in dairy and
ultimately increase penetration and access to dairy business in West Africa. The Technical Adviser in charge of Youth and Gender at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Mosunmola Umoru, who spoke at the workshop, explained that dairy production was largely subsistence as pastoralists account for about 95 per cent of herd used in production. “Pastoralists have little or no education, their production capacity is faulty, which in turn affects the value chain which includes; storage, distribution and consumption. “I am using this opportunity to call on the government to implement policies that will
ensure dairy production is harnessed to its fullest potential to meet the nutritional needs of the masses,� Umoru said. She equally highlighted some challenges facing the industry which includes increasing production, maintaining quality and shelf life, and ensuring proper distribution. She further stressed that strategic investment would require setting up the pastoralists into clusters and teaching them the technology of milking cows, storing milk, packaging and distribution. The Managing Director, Tetra Pak, Oshiokamele Aruna, also called on government to look into the dairy industry as a whole, with a view to addressing the challenges of
the dairy industry. According to him, the workshop was organised to highlight the opportunities and to address the gap that is existing in the dairy industry. The government needs to look into policies and infrastructure and more infrastructure should be provided to tackle the challenges of transportation in the dairy business, Aruna said. “Dairy is an important aspect of our life and we believe it’s a good time to show how we work with people in the industry and harness the opportunities we have in this vast industry,� Aruna further said, adding that technology will play a very important role in addressing the challenges of the industry.
The Marketing Manager, Tetra Pak, Mr. Solomon Yu, said Tetra Pak got involved with the business because diary consumption in the country is still very low, despite the value of the nutritional product, which he explained, had been confirmed as a source of balanced diet for children and adults. “We are working with our customers to accelerate dairy consumption in this region. We are one part of the whole value chain to drive the increase and awareness of dairy consumption,� Yu said, adding that fresh dairy milk is pretty expensive, and to increase consumption we need to make it more affordable. We need to find new occasions for dairy so we can have more consumers.
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ANALYSIS
Addressing Multiple Taxation in Telecoms Sector Since the rollout of Global System for Mobile Communication services in Nigeria in 2001, the operators have been faced with multiple taxes, a development that has retarded telecoms growth, writes Emma Okonji
A
s at fourth quarter of 2018, the contributions of telecommunications and information services to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at about N1.9 trillion and the total investments in the Nigerian telecoms industry is currently estimated at $70 billion (N21.4 trillion), according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Going by its huge financial contributions to government on one hand and the creation of a large number of direct and indirect jobs for the Nigerian economy on the other hand, one may be quick to conclude that government at all levels must be jealously protecting the telecoms sector. But the reverse is the case. The government that is supposed to provide protection has turned out to become the clog in the wheel of progress of the telecoms sector, through the imposition of arbitrary and incessant taxes on telecoms operations, since inception. The taxes, which range from Ecological Tax, Generator Emission Tax, Waste Management Tax, to Right of Way (RoW) tax among others, have brought a lot of frictions among state governments, federal government agencies and the telecoms operators, leading to the abrupt closure of telecoms sites across the country. The ugly situation, according to telecoms operators, has not only slowed down expansion and growth of telecoms operations in the country, but has also distorted service quality rendered by the telecoms operators across networks. Disturbed by the action of government over multiple taxation, telecoms stakeholders at the recent maiden edition of the Nigerian Telecom Leadership Summit 2019, organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in Lagos, spoke with one voice on how best to tackle what they described as the unending multiple taxation in the telecoms sector. Multiple taxes The issue of multiple taxes, where state governments and federal government agencies impose arbitrary levies, amounting to multiple taxes, is one of the major challenges that bedeviled the telecoms industry since inception. The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said multiple taxes and the incessant closure of telecoms sites by state governments and federal government agencies, as a result of the refusal of telecoms operators to pay some of the outrageous taxes, negatively impacted on the growth of telecoms, especially in the areas of network expansion and infrastructure rollout. Citing the recent closure of several telecoms sites in Kogi State, on the orders of the state government as a result of the refusal of telecoms operators to pay huge sums of money to the state government as telecoms taxes, Adebayo said some of the taxes were irrelevant to the operators, as they had nothing to do with telecoms operations. Implications Last year, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, with the instruction of the state government, shut down several base stations in the state, which invariably affected several telecoms sites in nine neighboring states including the federal capital territory. While raising concerns over the closure of base stations, Adebayo said it would lead to total communications blackout in Kogi State and parts of Abuja, Nasarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger states. According to him, the attempt by the Kogi State government to increase its internally generated revenue had led to the sealing of hub sites in Kogi, which had multiple connections with other base stations in neighbouring states. Adebayo said: “As a result of the action by the state government, our members are
quality within and around the state. Chief Executive Officer, MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, who was also a panelist at the summit, said multiple taxes have slowed down telecoms growth in the last ten years. She commended the US government for protecting indigenous companies by giving them incentives like tax waivers, and therefore called on the Nigerian government to device means of encouraging indigenous companies, rather than stifling their growth through multiple taxes. Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, in his welcome address, said NCC had taken a deep and predictive look at the financial health of the telecoms industry; the aspiration of Nigeria in the context of the 4th industrial revolution; the potential of emerging technologies; the demand for expanded frontiers of availability, accessibility and affordability of all the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) drivers and enablers of economic growth like broadband infrastructure and services; the dynamism of growth, among other things, and reached a conclusion that investments in the telecoms sector and protection of telecoms facilities by state governments, are very critical for the future growth of the telecoms sector.
unable to refuel power generators in these sites, a situation which led to outage of over 70 sites including hub sites across parts of Kogi State. “Now, there is likely impact on nine states surrounding Kogi State namely: Nasarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, and Niger States. These are states sharing borders with Kogi State and Abuja, the FCT is also inclusive.� He said the state government requested from the telecom companies the payment of about 36 statutory and non-statutory taxes and levies through its Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Kogi State Environmental Protection Board, and championed by the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service. Adebayo, however, explained that telecoms operators had settled all statutory levies and taxes due to the Kogi State government and had taken necessary steps to comply with local laws that govern business activities within the state. He said the action of the state government jeopardised communication services provided to security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces and to other emergency and social services in Kogi and other neighboring states. But with the intervention of the telecoms regulator, the NCC and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Kogi State government was compelled to reopen the hitherto closed sites. Solutions Worried about the incessant multiple taxes imposed on telecoms operations across the county, participants resolved that the best way to put a stop to it was to push for the
passage of an Executive Order. They were of the view that Executive Order from the Presidency on telecoms operations would remove all manners of taxes impeding telecoms growth across the country. The summit unanimously agreed that the ongoing negotiations between telecoms operators, telecoms regulator and state governors were not yielding results as the state governors were bent at milking telecoms operators, through multiple taxation. Former Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, who first raised the suggestion on Executive Order on telecoms taxes, said four years before she was appointed the minister, the issue of multiple taxes had been on ground, stifling telecoms growth and expansion, and that four years after she left the stage as minister in 2015, the issue of multiple taxes still lingers. She therefore advised the NCC to consider alternative resolution in the area of Executive Order to address the issue. Listing the challenges and pains caused by multiple taxes in the telecoms industry, Adebayo said it had led to shutting down of telecoms base transceiver stations and sites severally by state governments and federal government agencies, an action, he said, had always affected the quality of service rendered by telecoms operators. Citing the recent closure of several telecoms sites in some states of the federation, on the orders of the state governments as a result of the refusal of telecoms operators to pay huge sums of money to the state governments as telecoms taxes, Adebayo said it took the intervention of the NCC and the federal government to force most of the state to reopen the telecoms sites, after it had impacted negatively on service
Investment in telecoms Associate Professor, Lagos Business School and a renowned economist, Dr. Doyin Salami, advised state governments to invest in telecoms infrastructure, rather than imposing arbitrary levies that would stifle growth of the telecoms sector. According to him, the sector needed investments to the tune of $30 billion on infrastructure development. He said such investments would help the sector to ride on its achievements and even do better. Citing MainOne Broadband Company that single handedly deployed 7,000km of fibre optic submarine cable, running from Portugal through other West African countries to Nigeria, as well as the deployment of other submarine cables like Glo 1 and MTN WACS by Globacom and MTN respectively, Salami said telecoms operators were known for building and rolling out their own infrastructure, by way of ploughing back their revenue for network expansion, without government financial support. He, however, said the sector needed huge capital to continue with the building and rolling out of telecoms infrastructure, in order to serve the increasing number of subscribers, which the telecoms industry regulator, the NCC, puts at 173 million as at March 2019, which translates to a teledensity of 91 per cent, according to the rebased teledensity, using the 190 million population of Nigerians as released by the National Population Commission (NPC). NCC’s position Danbatta said the commission was aware of the daunting tasks ahead, hence it considered consultations with the stakeholders as critical success in its regulatory mandate. “From experience, this approach has yielded enormous positive results. We have engaged the Governor’s Forum collectively and individually, to address some of our challenges in the areas of multiple taxation, regulations and Rights of Ways (RoWs) and we are eagerly looking forward to the review of the resolution of the National Economic Council on RoWs issues, as they concern clearing impediments to deployment of telecoms infrastructure across the country,� Danbatta said. Although, NCC strongly believes in negotiation with the parties involved to address the lingering crisis of multiple taxation, industry stakeholders were of the view that NCC needed to stand tall and face state governments eyeball to eyeball, and make them know of the implications of their actions in closing down telecoms sites with impunity, which they did not contribute in building.
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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019
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BUSINESSWORLD
E-BUSINESS
Firm Restates Commitment to Nigerian Data Market Stories by Emma Okonji Western Digital Corporation, a data infrastructure firm has reinforced its commitment to the Nigerian market with the introduction of a range of data storage solutions. The products are designed to expand Western Digital’s existing product portfolio in Nigeria and allow local consumers access a wide range of WD and SanDisk brand products. Giving details of the product portfolio, the company said SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I
card, which is the first 1TB card in the world; SanDisk Ultra Loop with capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB; and the SanDisk Ultra Trek USB 3.0 also available with capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, are all now available to enhance overall drive capacity and performance for customers across Nigeria. Each product is specifically tailored to address capacity needs and provide convenient on-the-go, reliable storage solutions for customers. Western Digital’s product line also includes the SanDisk mobile storage solutions port-
folio, with storage devices such as the iXpand flash drive, SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0, microSD and SD cards (SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO). The portfolio also encompasses a wide variety of SanDisk external SSD and WD internal SSDs, including the new addition to the award-winning WD Blue solid state drive (SSD) portfolio, the WD Blue SN500 NVMe SSD. With such a diverse portfolio, Western Digital
strives to deliver a complete experience to its Nigerian customers through its efficient aftersales services, the company said during a media launch in Lagos last week. Speaking on the product portfolio expansion, Vice President of Sales for EMEA at Western Digital, Nigel Edwards said: “Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive; we help our customers capture, preserve, access and transform data. As
a country with a significant percentage of digital savvy individuals, Nigeria is an important country for us. We aim to create value to consumers and stakeholders by providing innovative storage solutions. The introduction of an extended product portfolio is a step in the right direction – as we continue to provide improved performance and efficiency for our customers.� “We are offering new innovation to store and
preserve data for today and beyond. With recent advancements in 3D NAND our journey of innovation continues to inspire those who dare to think big about the possibilities of data,� Edwards added. Speaking in the same vein, Director of Marketing for EMEA at Western Digital, Gerry Edwards, explained that the new products would enhance diversification of Western Digital’s offerings in Nigeria.
DPA Signs Pact on Renewable Power in Africa Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a subsidiary of Econet Wireless Global, and ÉlecticitÊ De France (EDF), a leading electricity company, have signed a partnership cooperation agreement to jointly develop commercial, industrial and hybrid energy solutions to the African market. The collaboration is expected to focus on the development of distributed-energy solutions based on solar panels associated with energy back-up systems such as batteries. Both companies plan to deploy their solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, which initially includes South Africa, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, with the intention to expand into other key markets. The partnership deal is meant to address the frequent power-cuts and a lack of basic access to electricity grids, which are current obstacles to business growth in many African countries, Nigeria inclusive, on both a micro and macro level. The partnership will help to reduce the high cost of doing business across different industries, especially manufacturing across the continent, both companies said in a statement after signing the partnership agreement.
“In fact, some sub-Saharan African countries experience load shedding from up to 4600 hours annually. The cost of running back-up power can be as much as 53 cents per Kw/h versus 6 cents per Kw/h via grid,� the statement further said. Econet Wireless, a pan African company believes that energy is the next biggest infrastructure opportunity in the journey to transform the continent’s fortune. Founder and Chairman of Econet Wireless, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, said: “Enabling reliable and stable energy to businesses will help meet the continent’s economic growth goals. In the telecoms industry, for every 10 per cent increase in teledensity, we observed a one per cent increase in GDP, but in the energy sector we expect a tenfold increase in GDP by addressing the continental power challenge.� Masiyiwa said that partnering a global player such as EDF, which possess vast technological expertise and access to energy markets, will accelerate the rollout of energy on the continent and significantly impact the continent’s economies.
NCC Hosts Emerging Telecoms Technologies Research Forum The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to address local content development and innovation in the telecoms sector, through its maiden edition of the Emerging Telecoms Technologies Research and ICT Innovation Forum, scheduled to hold next week at the University of Lagos. The forum’s theme: ‘Developing Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem; Imperative for Improving Local Content’, according to NCC, is in line with the Commission’s commitment to promoting ICT innovation and investment opportunities and facilitating strategic collaboration and partnership. The forum presents a unique opportunity for NCC to bring together key players/actors in the Nigerian tech-ecosystem to deliberate and suggest policy, framework/strategy that could further develop the sector,
thereby serving as a catalyst for improving local content in ICT/Telecommunication sector. The collaborative stakeholder’s meeting is a two-day event, which seeks to identify the gaps in the ICT/Telecoms sector, and further strengthen the collaboration between stakeholders and the Commission. The forum’s breakout session will discuss possible solution to the identified gaps. The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, is expected to address the gathering comprising stakeholders drawn from the Nigerian Tech ecosystem, mobile network operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and tech hubs. Professional Associations in the ICT sector, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), consumer advocacy group and the financial sector will also be in attendance.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
L-R: Staff of Rack Centre, Ada Ibelegbu; Eugene Uka; Managing Director, Dr. Ayotunde Coker; Head, Marketing/Communications, Ejieke Ezeadiugwu; Elizabeth Ilodiuba and Kelechi Ohalete, during the BoICT 2019 award ceremony in Lagos...recently
Vodacom Pledges Support for Technology Growth
Solution for Cyberattacks Unveiled
Vodacom Business Nigeria has reiterated its commitment in ensuring that Nigeria keeps pace with the evolution and growth of telecommunications technologies, through its annual inter-school robotics training workshop for students across nine secondary schools in Lagos. Speaking at the second edition of Vodacom organised inter-school robotics workshop, which held in Lagos last week, the Managing Director for Vodacom Business Nigeria, Wale Odeyemi said: “As an organisation, our aim is to help empower the next generation, with relevant technical skills in order to drive positive change in the Nigerian economy through the use of communications technologies.� Odeyemi added: “As the world progresses further into the fourth industrial revolution, there has never been a better time to infuse some much needed Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) training in the education sector through such initiatives as the annual inter-school robotics training initiative. This initiative further demonstrates Vodacom’s support for education at the grass root level to encourage further budding of aspiring youths who are interested in participating in
Sophos, a network and endpoint security firm has announced Intercept X for Server with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). By adding EDR to Intercept X for server, information technology (IT) managers can investigate cyber attacks against servers, a sought-after target due to the high value of data stored there. According to the company, cybercriminals frequently evolve their methods and are now blending automation and human hacking skills to successfully carry out attacks on servers. This new type of blended attack combines the use of bots to identify potential victims with active adversaries making decisions about who and how to attack, the company said in a statement. According to the company, the recent SophosLabs Uncut report on how worms deliver cryptomining Malware to web servers, underscores how easy it is for cybercriminals to leverage bots to discover soft targets. The report explains an automated attack that can deliver a wide range of malicious code to servers that, as a class, tend to lag behind normal update cycles.
the digital revolution.� The participating students between the ages of 12 to 15 years, received first hand opportunities to immerse themselves in the complexities that surround the Internet of Things (IoT) and how these will shape society in the near future. As part of the programme, students were taught how to build, program, and control various kinds of robots which are being used to perform numerous functions in today’s world. This demonstrated the essential use cases of such technologies in everyday life, ranging from manufacturing to transportation, as far as even securing lives and property. The workshop provided participants the opportunity to explore various ways in which technology is shaping the world around them. The training covered areas such as Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Iternet of Things (IOT) and Virtual Reality (VR). The students were also equipped with useful mechanical and programming skills which can be honed and developed as they progress through the various levels of education. Edgewood College Lekki came tops in the competition that took place after the training, while Holy Child College Obalende
About the anatomy of a blended cyberattacks, the report added that once the bots identify potential targets, cybercriminals use their savvy to select victims based on an organisation’s scope of sensitive data or intellectual property, ability to pay a large ransom, or access to other servers and networks. “The final steps are cerebral and manual: break in, evade detection and move laterally to complete the mission. This could be to quietly sneak around to steal intelligence and exit unnoticed, disable backups and encrypt servers to demand high-roller ransoms, or use servers as launch pads to attack other companies,� the report added. Analysing the report, the Chief Product Officer at Sophos, Dan Schiappa, said: “With blended cyberattacks, once a page in the playbook of nation state attackers is established, others become a regular practice for everyday cybercriminals because they are profitable. The difference is that nation state attackers tend to persist inside networks for long lengths of time whereas common cybercriminals are after quick-hit money making opportunities.�
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INTERVIEW
Kachikwu: We Have Set Oil and Gas Sector on Path of Upward Trajectory The immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in this interview highlighted some of his achievements after four years in office as well as challenges facing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. He also spoke about Nigeria’s refineries, oil production, bid rounds, Niger Delta and pipeline vandalism. Davidson Iriekpen brings the excerpts:
D
o you think you have set the industry for the next growth phase; let us say you do not come back, how will what you left behind be carried on by the next person taking your place so we won’t have policy somersaults? You are absolutely right, that’s why we always talk about continuity and being able to sustain what is on-going which we have done over the years. One of the things we have done is to institutionalise the policies by going to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to pass the policy on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and gas policy. We have submitted the final copy of the fiscal policy, unfortunately, it was not taken, but the other two were. However, the two policies taken basically encapsulate what needs to be done in those areas and it is from there that we also launched the 7big wins by the president which was also institutionalised. The things we have done around gas monetisation programme, refinery projects, infrastructural projects, Niger Delta militancy projects were also institutionalised. We have also worked with the National Assembly in ensuring passage of the bill because ultimately the bills are important. Also, we need to note that although policies are fantastic however, the bigger steps are to get them into law. Unfortunately, the first leg of the bill the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill was not signed by the president for reasons of wanting a few amendments some of which we supported and is being done by the Assembly from what I hear. If you listen to my clearance in 2015, one of the questions I was asked by the Senate was the PIB, which I said was never really going to be able to pass because it was just too political. So there was the need to break it down into specific areas, as at that time. They have obviously embraced that approach which is why we are where we are today. Most of the segments of the bill such as the fiscal, host communities are ready so to answer your questions I think we have positioned the sector in such a way that there are places to build from. The fact that there is a continuing government also helps. What is delaying the rehabilitation of the reďŹ neries, which is still performing poorly? Yes, you are right. They are still performing poorly. I think it is one area we did not deliver on the mandate and I am bold enough to say that. One of the media platforms wrote a story that says “Kachukwu fails to deliver on his five promises on refinery.â€? I think it is a stack misunderstanding of how the system works. I started with being group managing director and also minister of state. At that point, most of the works and power were centred on me. So the first problem we had with the refineries was the fact that they were not even functioning or producing at all and because of the apparent huge fuel scarcity, it was a major challenge for me because if I have to wait for vessels each time to meet the delivery timelines we always have a problem. So I focused on trying to make them at least begin no matter how little even if it’s one million litres per day it will be good because that is something I don’t have to import. My target was to try and get five million litres on a short time frame. How was I to do that? The pipelines that were supplying petroleum products had all being destroyed if we remember clearly, and the previous government had then entered into a contract to buy products by vessels however the cost of those vessels supplying were more than the crude that was being supplied so it wasn’t making any financial sense. So, with the president’s permission, I cancelled the contracts and challenged Nigerians who were in those contracts that if you want
Kachikwu
to add value to this entity, go and use your own money to repair the pipelines if I watch it, in three months it’s working we would pay or give you maintenance contracts which was what happened as about two or five companies came together to bid for the contract using their own funds and resuscitated the
If you listen to my clearance in 2015, one of the questions I was asked by the Senate was the PIB, which I said was never really going to be able to pass because it was just too political. So there was the need to break it down into speciďŹ c areas, as at that time. They have obviously embraced that approach which is why we are where we are today
pipelines and then the refineries came to life. By March 2016, the refineries started producing not obviously by 90 percent capacity but at least they were adding close to two or three million barrels. However, the years of Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) were all a failed exercise as billions and billions of naira were spent with nothing to show for it. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by duty of its operation keeps charging money for the repair of pipelines with no integrated repairs. I went to the president and said we don’t have the money what we need to do is go out and find private investors who are willing to invest in the refineries, not as shareholders but on an incremental volume optic. I created a business model whereby if repair of the refinery had it working at about 90 per cent and moved production from an average of 50,000 barrels per day to an average of 300,000 bpd the profit from it will be used to offset the loan. The president approved it however as at that time I left as GMD of NNPC and handed over. The NNPC owns the refineries so the minister’s role is not to come in and head the negotiations with investors on how refineries are run; the minister’s work is to push for policy approval and make sure they stay on track. As chairman of the board, I worked hard in pushing NNPC on this but it didn’t deliver. By December last year, when I got worried we were not meeting the mandate that is expected from the refineries I then called a meeting and tried to resolve the hitches with investors themselves over the contractual terms and I thought I did eventually. NNPC still rejected the terms we agreed on. So when people say I didn’t deliver, I don’t know what else they were expecting from me but I think
if we should look at refining, we should look less at public sector refining. The future is in private sector refining so what else did we do outside the public sector; we worked with Aliko Dangote because he nearly abandoned the project before because of all kinds of issues such as pricing, approval, support in terms of tariff and customs duties. I have visited the refinery about four times some of my guys have been there over 20 times and we set a timeline working with them as if it was a public sector project. So there has never been that kind of corporation before. If it delivers, which I think he would because the petrochemical complex is almost ready right now. Apart from the refinery, the government is creating an enabling environment to support investment; the modular refinery which was a concept we pushed for peace in Niger Delta is currently working successfully, three are near production point about seven others are nearing final investment decision (FID) so if those ten refineries come on board in the next two or five years that’s another 250,000bpd refinery capacity added to Dangote’s refinery. I tend to look at the refineries from the volume not physical assets. On a longer time basis, the refinery is also an export earner we need to be able to supply product to the rest of West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. I am also making efforts talking to the Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China trying to see whether they will be interested in coming in both for the purpose of Greenfield refinery building or the Brownfield refinery building which the responses have been positive. We are almost at the threshold of signing a Memorandum Continued on page 29
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Kachikwu: We Have Set Oil and Gas Sector on Path of Upward Trajectory of Understanding (MOU) with South Africa which will not just cover refineries but also cover pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) investment which are huge.
is easier to deal with that. I am doing a book called ‘Energy 2015 to the Future’, which captures what we have done and charts a path for the future of energy in Nigeria. Subsidy as a concept is not necessarily a bad thing. America just gave how many billions to agricultural farmers because the trade war with China. It is not the subsidy that is the issue but its mismanagement. There is subsidy everywhere. Many of the things that we do as a country are subsidised – power, gas and rail even food by the virtue of the fact that fertilizers are subsidised. When we removed subsidy, petrol consumption dropped from 50 million litres to 30 million litres a day. This means there was profiteering going on. Then you have to look at your refineries.
The PIB was intended to make Nigeria take control of substantial part of the oil resources, how much would Nigeria own after everything is done? The bill will limit the size of acreages for splitting which will allow more investors to come in. It also protects the rights of those who have been given licences because if we don’t have a safe business environment we can’t raise money but ultimately a law is as good as its enforcement. As Nigeria, we ought to be willing to make our country grow which will never happen if we are always looking at the short time growth. So basically lack of enforcement has to be the bane of our issues. Oil blocks seem to be awarded based on political patronage to Nigerians. Those who get them turnaround and resell same to foreigners, how did you try to end this kind of practice? First, this government has not given out any oil block for the four years it lasted. We did not even do marginal fields. The president’s belief was that we should first clean up the sector, before we start dishing out political patronages. In terms of what has been done in the past, my philosophy is a little bit different, because I am a private sector person. Giving oil blocks to Nigerians is not a bad thing. Who else should get it? Are they the right kind of Nigerians, with due reserve there? I do not know. Oil blocks obviously take some level of connection to get, no doubt about it. It requires some level of funding, that is, money to develop the blocks. You need some level of connection to be able to reach out to Joint Venture partners who will bring in the technical expertise. All over the world, those sorts of opportunities are given to people who have come into the upper echelon of society. If you do not have these qualities, you will likely not be able to meet up with the requirements that the DPR sets. So, I do not think it is a bad thing but what we need to do is to make sure that those who do get it will actually work the field. They will have to pay the right royalties and taxes. The opportunity should be open to all Nigerians. Some of the people who own working oil blocks today where not there 15 years ago. One of the things we have done with marginal fields is to develop guidelines for the President on the basis of technical skill, financial capability, work programme that is monitored and efficient. And if somebody has done well in his own marginal fields, he qualifies to be given more considerations to get more. If you fail in what was given to you then it is time to retrieve it because that is an asset that nobody is doing anything with. Some Nigerians get oil blocks and it is like a geographical family picture that they just hang in the house. It does not do anything. They are just running all over the place to find out who is going to buy it from them. They can go on with this till eternity. There was a time I issued a warning that unless those concerned went back to their blocks and began to work on it; we were going to take back those blocks. Some of them said we have a 20-year timeframe. They are right in one sense; you cannot breach contracts but when it comes to the time for renewal if you are not meeting your work obligation on the block we will take it off you. And give it to individuals who would work the field. The government is losing money for every idle oil block. How many oil blocks are due for renewal? I do not have the numbers off hand. You know we had an early renewal programme to raise N1.80 billion for the government and most of those have been renewed. The ones that are within the frame of 2020 – 2021 have already been captured by the early renewal. The ones that are after that we have not dealt with. We did close to about 40 renewals under the early renewal programme. The essence of the early renewal was to get upfront money for government to meet its financial obligations.
Kachikwu
Two million barrels a day, 40 billion reserves target seem far off when compared to countries like Iraq just coming out of war and have grown production and reserves fast. What will it take for Nigeria to grow its oil production and reserves? Then the deregulation of the downstream sector, why is it so difďŹ cult to do? Things you need to grow the reserves are one adequate legislation and predictability of the terms, which is why the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) is fine. We probably need 20-year type structure that is firm because certainty of time is very important. Second factor is speed of approval. I went from a two-year target threshold to six months. Every delay you have has cost implications. The third is that you have to be a friendly investment destination. Nigeria is seen as a very difficult investment destination. Things take too long to happen. There is too much politics involved in making investment decisions and you cannot predict where it is going to end. Understand that oil is somebody’s future dreamland, the belief that down there is something good relying on data generated by seismic studies. But there is no certainty, it is basically a gamble. An uncertain investment environment is recipe for anarchy. They reason you find some countries doing very well is because they are predictable and things seem fast. There are no political interferences as we have in Nigeria.
The reality is that Nigeria is sometimes its own worst enemy. We need to sit down and let the sector run professionally, let things be done with speed. Nigeria has everything it takes. We are a mature ďŹ eld and the certainty of striking oil is high. With this we can get tougher in our contractual arrangements, unlike countries just starting out
I was in the private sector and when you had to do investment analysis and had a bundle of countries in which to invest say $100 million my job will be to find the one with highest return on investment. Say you have about seven countries that have potential for development, some finish their final investment decision in three months, the certainty they are giving is much better, they have skilled labour already so you do not have to bring in labour. Then another one has huge resources, a historically successful area. But things never get done. Decisions get changed midway and you are stirring at this $100 million and thinking about return on investment. The reality is that Nigeria is sometimes its own worst enemy. We need to sit down and let the sector run professionally, let things be done with speed. Nigeria has everything it takes. We are a mature field and the certainty of striking oil is high. With this we can get tougher in our contractual arrangements, unlike countries just starting out. We have managers and engineers and you do not have to import them. There is an enabling, attractive welcoming environment. But then there are rigours of law, rigours of delays, rigors of multiple taxes, rigours of uncertain fiscal terms, these are the things we need to work on. I have found that in my four years as minister that if work with the private sector, very little things matter. The fact that they can come to my office and see me on no notice, unlike before when they will come to Abuja and stay for three to five days, it saves them cost. My philosophy is that if you are producing oil or have the potential to put money in government coffers, by all means please let us talk immediately. You see projects like Egina take off. Bonga and Zabazaba want to take off because they realise sitting with this individual you know clearly where he stands. These little things matter. On short-term three to four years we can reach 3 million barrels a day. On the downstream, I wish every Nigerian took the view that it is taking too long to deregulate. I was the guinea pig on this in 2015, 2016. I will be first person in history working with the president to make that massive a jump in prices for N85 to N145. It took away everything that was subsidy then. We began to have over recovery. Fuel queues disappeared overnight, scarcity ended. It has been done so it is not too difficult. It is a highly emotive issue though. We should not downplay the fact that somehow the literature over the years has convinced the lower economic earners in the society that this is not good for them, even though that is not the right literature. This wrong literature has permeated the system so much that that we need to first deal with it. One of the things we need to put in place is the refineries. When the bulk of your consumption is locally produced, it
Before the elections, you heard the major opposition political say during their time they spent billions, but today Nigeria spends trillions of naira on subsidies. What is your take on that? I think quite frankly the amount spent on subsidies you have to get from the NNPC. The simple truth is that they monitor subsidy. They are the sole importers right now. They are the sole suppliers. I do remember that the last time I checked, it was a higher number. But we have a policy of zero scarcity and in a bid to avoid scarcity we carry reserves that ordinarily we should not carry. Traditionally we keep about a 20 to 23-day reserve. We found ourselves carrying 30 days to 45 days and even up to 60 days’ reserve. This increased the amount spent on subsidy. Now, can this be more efficiently done? Absolutely yes. We must find a way to track and determine consumption and also look at the delivery and performance indices. Early in the life of the administration, around 2015, there were talks about pipelines and how to protect them. How do we do that now? Again this is an operational issue, it is for the NNPC. The minister deals with policy and is not a contract awarding person. What we have done is to get the right bidding process in place. Look for contractors who are from host communities as much as it is possible and where it is possible. Set up an oversight function, whereby the community is overseeing what they contractors are doing. This is the overall action policy. But for the specifics of who gets what contract that is for the NNPC to deal with. What is the landing cost of petrol? The last time I checked I think it was about N180. I know that there was a differential of N40. Recently there was a report that the federal government wants to sell down its stakes in the JVs to 40 per cent. If you do come back as minister how would that process work, was it one of your policy initiatives? It was not one of my policy initiatives. It was a policy initiative of Budget and Planning and Finance. It was from the point of view of addressing fiscal imbalances to find money and create efficiency. But it was a policy suggestion and has not been approved. When the President read his budget of 2018, it was mentioned but it has not been worked out in terms of timelines of what is to be sold and percentages. Everybody does agree that some of the assets of government in the oil sector need to be looked at again. There is so much inefficiency and we are not making the most of them because of ownership structures. As bullish as I am on private sector participation, I am usually conservative when it comes to selling government assets. I would rather open up the field for people to compete on JV basis and that sort of stuff. Refineries are different, you can sell some. But depriving yourself as government of the ability to participate in the oil industry is difficult to imagine. But when you go into production sharing contracts (PSCs), I think more efficiency is needed too, especially with regards to meeting up with cash calls. If we sold our stake in JVs to say 30 percent and got bulk money, what happens after that? The NLNG and Indorama are models to follow. However, the NLNG is about project not resource ownership. You are not selling gas; you are selling the business.
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Preventing Underage Drinking Raheem Akingbolu reviews the various campaigns being promoted to control underage drinking and urges stakeholders in the larger alcoholic manufacturing industry to key into the campaign to nip the ugly development in the bud
C
ampaign against underage drinking is as old as the history of alcoholic drinking globally. In Nigeria, government through various agencies has consistently mapped out strategies with the understanding of spirit and beer manufacturers to step up the campaign. Among other ways, stakeholders’ engagement, advertising regulation and sensitisation campaigns in schools and places of worship have been deplored well to reach children and their parents on the dangers of early consumption of alcohol. In what looks like a self-regulatory effort, the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) appears to have taken the gauntlet to champion the course. DIBAN, under the auspices of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has stepped up its advocacy campaigns to promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages while discouraging its sale to users below the age of 18. Beyond warning inscriptions on product packaging, the association has increased the number of its sensitisation billboards across the major cities of the country as well as increasing its advertisement jingles on radio to warn children against alcoholic consumption. On a general note, the association has also intensified effort to preach responsible drinking among adults. For instance, as one approaches Lagos, a massive billboard is erected along Berger with the inscription; ‘Drink Responsibly‌Do not abuse alcohol’. One of the specific campaigns targeted at minors is deplored through bus branding on the popular BRT busses in Lagos; ‘Too Young to Drink‌Don’t sell alcohols to anyone under 18 years’ Meanwhile, in a letter dated 6th May, 2019 and addressed to the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control by the association, titled; Status Report: Advocacy and messaging on alcohol intake by minors and underage, the association stated that in Abuja, a total number of 2 billboards were deployed along Airport Road by Gosa facing traffic to Airport and along Abuja Keffi road by Nyanya Market with an estimated number of 750,050 and 770,000 being exposed to its message till date, respectively. It was also stated that the association branded five buses in Abuja plying Area 1; Gudu; Gwarimpa; Berger; Banex plaza; Aya, NICON junction to create awareness with an estimated number of eyeball at 882,000 within the time of review. The campaign is billed to run for a period of Six (6) months from March 11, 2019 to September 10, 2019 in the aforementioned locations. The letter was signed by the association’s chairman, Patrick Anegbe, an engineer. Ministerial committee According to THISDAY findings, the letter to the NAFDAC boss was prompted by the report of the Committee on the Spirit drink regulations constituted on Wednesday 19th December, 2018 by the former Minister of Health Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole. The last month letter by DIBAN was the first stage of the association’s effort to present its advocacy/messaging campaigns based on mutually agreed strategies to curb the problems. To effectively power the various campaigns, DIBAN had engaged two marketing communication Agencies; Bluebird Marketing Communications Ltd on the outdoor campaign and Brand Believers Communication Ltd for radio campaigns. The brief given to Bluebirds Marketing Communications was to educate and enlighten the target audience and the general public on responsible consumption of alcohol. Key messages were created with the central idea “Make a differenceâ€?, “Get involvedâ€? and other Sub themes that were deployed on billboards and BRT buses, “Drink Responsiblyâ€?,â€?“Do not Abuse Alcoholâ€?, “-18, Too young to drink,
“Don’t sell Alcohol to Anyone under 18 years�. With the way the campaigns have been run, it is easy to conclude that the channels under the association’s purview are Billboard and Transit Media (Bus Branding) in Lagos and Abuja. In the letter, it was pointed out that in Lagos, two billboards were deployed at Berger, Lagos Ibadan Expressway facing traffic to Lagos and Isolo Road by Lagos State Polytechnic facing traffic from Daleko Market in Mushin to Isolo with an estimated number of 1,250,000 and 1,000,000 respectively being exposed to the message till date. Also, in Lagos a total number of 10 buses plying Ikorodu – Marina route (Ikorodu, Mile 12, Ketu, Ojota, Palmgrove, Onipanu, Fadeyi, Marina, TBS) were branded to help create awareness, with an estimated number of eyeballs at 576,000 within the time of review. Through Brand Believers Communications Ltd, the association has also embarked on a Pan-Nigeria ongoing radio campaign. The CSR radio campaign sensitises consumers about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and advocating moderation as far as the subject matter is concerned. So far, the agency has presented four campaign themes tagged “Drink moderately�, “Health is Wealth�, “Enjoy life to the fullest� and “Don’t mix�. The preferred radio with the theme (You get mind) came from ‘Health is Wealth’ direction. Perhaps the beauty of the various campaigns is in their domestication, as they are aired in English, Pidgin and local languages. Lagos and Abuja stations are currently running the pidgin version of the radio tagged ‘You get mind’ while Kaduna stations are running the Hausa version of the pidgin radio. The campaign runs every Wednesday to Friday (morning and evening) as consumers begin countdown to weekends when social activities are usually at peak period. The campaign is to sensitise consumers on the need to drink moderately as they prepare or commence their social activities. In summary, daily audience population for Lagos stations has been put at 4,584,034, while Abuja and Kaduna audience population are; 1,017,168 and is 2,923,116, respectively. The cumulative daily audience population across Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna are 8,524,318. The campaign is said to have been on
for five weeks with 713 spots so far. It has 2,743 spots remaining and they are spread across 19 weeks. Total campaign duration is 24 weeks (6 months; March 26 to September 6, 2019) and 3,456 spots spread across the stations. Further findings have however confirmed that a total campaign value at commencement was N42, 500, 000.00, with payment of N29, 000,000.00 already made, an outstanding of N13, 500,000.00 to be made at the end of campaign. The letter went further by analyzing how the second stage of the campaign, which is expected to commence in October 2019, will look like. First, under education and training, a massive training of distributors and retailers on the need to avoid sales of alcoholic beverages to underage individuals, will be given priority. This, according to the association, will require the development of an appropriate training manual; the manual will be in major Nigeria languages. Besides, there will also be advocacy campaign programmes in collaboration with Civil Society Groups, under the supervision of NAFDAC in order to strengthen the efforts towards reducing alcohol consumption, underage drinking and improving responsible drinking. This will also include collaboration with other regulatory agencies to check access to the products. The third phase of the campaign, through which DIBAN will engage the National Identity Management commission (NIMC), is expected to commence in March, 2020. The collaboration will enable the two bodies to work out how the compulsory possession of the National Identity card, which includes information on age, will be the basis to provide evidence of age before sale. It is also expected that the third phase will join force with government to identify the unregulated producers whose products are essentially substandard and can be dangerous to human health. CSR intervention In a recent statement issued by DIBAN and signed by Anegbe, the association, which represents one of the oldest and thriving indigenous industries in Nigeria, had pointedly admitted that the body had taken up the advocacy as a Corporate Social Responsibility through outdoors messaging
on Billboards, Mass Transit Buses and radio campaigns to sensitise consumers about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and advocating moderation. Some of the campaign themes include: “Drink moderately�, “Health is Wealth�, “Enjoy life to the fullest� and “Don’t mix�. “As part of DIBAN’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, we will also embark on various advocacy campaigns, which will include massive training of our distributors and retailers on the need to avoid sales of alcoholic beverages to underage. This will require the development of appropriate training manual, which will be in major Nigerian languages. To restrict access of the underage to Alcohol Beverages, the industry will strengthen the supervision of distributors and retailers. “In addition, we will employ advocacy campaign programmes in order to strengthen the efforts towards reducing alcohol consumption, underage drinking and improving responsible drinking in collaboration with civil society groups, under the supervision of National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control, Consumer Protection Agency and Federal Ministry of Health. On the association’s future plans, the statement said DIBAN anticipated the third phase of its campaign to commence in March 2020. This phase, according to the statement, will engage the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in working out the modality for the enforcement of compulsory possession of the National Identity card, which includes information on age as basis for age verification before sale of Alcoholic Beverages. “The industry will continue its drive to help regulatory agencies identify the unregulated producers whose products are essentially substandard and can be dangerous to human health. DIBAN will in addition deploy robust social media platforms to reach out to the target audience while one of our member companies is working on the roll out of the highly impactful, school enlightenment program-SMASHED,� the statement added. With the development, it is obvious that a clear articulation of potential harms associated with underage drinking to help legitimise underage drinking laws, along with their rigorous enforcement, may help reduce underage drinking.
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Benoit: African Countries Must Strive to Attract More FDIs James Benoit currently leads FCMB Bank (UK) Limited in London. He is an international banker and investor for 27 years in North America, Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East & Europe. He led and developed businesses for multinational bank HSBC for 18 years including credit cards, consumer banking and private and corporate banking. In this interview with Obinna Chima he speaks about how countries in Africa can leverage technology for growth. Excerpts:
A
frica must generate more local wealth and Foreign Direct Investment aside from remittances. Over reliance on remittances means that a country has failed to sustainably internally
develop As the CEO of an institution with root in Africa, what do you think should be done to fast track growth in Africa? Well, there is no fast track and that is part of the problem. We need to stop thinking of fast track, one off game changers. Africa has a major demographic challenge which will be its growth engine or else drown it. Red tape bureaucracy must be cut, youth must get education or trade and other skills and the empowerment of women must all be addressed. The continent must also be joined up to trade among itself rather than just export which is low value-added. What role do you think technology can play in this regard? A major role. This will however depend on access to it and hence infrastructure must be built for that. And also, what is the technology serving? If it is not able to be used by a growing middle class or used to produce services for export, then it is unclear if the “leapfrogging effectâ€? will happen. How can the continent take advantage of its massive youth population? I refer to my opening comments about ensuring growth in Africa. More specifically, it is important to educate or train them and ensure medical care is plentiful so they can healthily contribute. The total amount of inow from diaspora remittances into Nigeria in 2018 was equal
Benoit
to 84 per cent of the country’s budget last year. What do you think should be done to enhance remittance in Nigeria and other African countries? Well the cynical answer, would be maintain the status quo! That is however not sustainable and clearly Africa must generate more local wealth and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) aside from remittances. Over reliance on remittances means that a country has failed to sustainably internally develop. The dependence upon diaspora remittances will not disappear any time soon but its proportion of the total budget has to reduce at some point in the near future. What role has FCMB Bank (UK) Limited
been playing in facilitating trade in the continent? FCMB Bank (UK) Limited is an award-winning trade finance bank. We have financed over hundreds of millions of dollars trade across nearly 2 dozen countries in the past 24 months. We know those markets well and can manage transactions that many other banks including big global banks will not do. We have the compliance and credit appetite to do so since we are an African bank by shareholding and with experienced African bankers.
We remain very growth minded and are rolling out new services regularly. We expect to double or triple our client volumes in the next 3-5 years.
In 2014, FCMB UK commenced commercial banking operations in London, how has the journey been? It has been long and productive as all good journeys should be. Our Wholesale Trade Finance and Corporate Banking units are going from strength to strength. Now that we have launched Private Retail Banking including cross border SMEs, we are experiencing a new growth phase. Exciting times for our customers we hope!
James Benoit, CFA, is an international banker and investor for 27 years in North America, Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East & Europe. He led and developed businesses for multinational bank HSBC for 18 years including credit cards, consumer banking and private and corporate banking. From 2007 to 2015, he founded and led the award winning corporate and private bank AfrAsia Bank Ltd. He currently leads FCMB Bank (UK) Limited in London which is a subsidiary of the 7th largest bank in Nigeria. In both roles he has worked across Africa and India to grow and develop client businesses with multicultural, highly skilled colleagues. He has served as CFA Mauritius Society President and has chaired numerous CFA Institute advisory panels globally. He is a past Chairman of YPO Mauritius. Has also chaired the Mauritius Institute of Directors, and currently serves as advisory panel member of the National Committee on Corporate Governance under the Minister of Financial Services, Mauritius. He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, Canada in 1988 and his CFA Charter in 1996.
What are some of FCMB UK’s product offerings and services that distinguish the ďŹ nancial institution from others? We offer very attractive trade finance terms across many African countries with size and tenor often not matched by larger global or Pan- African banks. We also offer superb interest rates on private client and business deposits combined with speedy compliance procedures as we know Africa better than most. If you have sophisticated Africa cross border banking needs from a UK base, whether Corporate, Trade or a Private individual. then we are a unique fit for you. What is your medium-term projection for the bank?
Finally, what message do you have for your clients and others? London Leverage... Africa Awareness‌ If we cannot help you, it is likely no other bank can.
PROFILE
Time to Let PenCom Be Promise Ating Right from the first day she stepped into her role as the Acting Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in April 2017, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar must have known she was gliding straight into a firestorm. Her immediate predecessor, Ms. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who had presided over the affairs of the agency for five years, was unwilling to quit and had to be forcefully ejected from her office. The bad press immediately started and PenCom’s media office was kept busy. The erstwhile Head of Communication, PenCom, Emeka Onuora, in the first statement he issued to announce Dahir-Umar’s appointment, had noted that the change at the agency had brought a lot of negative media attention to it. He however assured that the transition was very successful and further assured the public, especially registered members of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and retirees that PenCom will safeguard their pension assets and ensure that retirees are paid their benefits as and when due. However, despite such reassurances, those who believed they owned PenCom would not let go. Neither the agency nor the Acting Director General has been allowed a respite since then. The forces of the old order have refused to give up and have been unrelenting in their attacks against the agency and the new management. Faceless stakeholders have been quoted in the media making phantom lamentations about how things had gone wrong since Anohu-Amazu was sacked, and how only a new management could salvage the agency. The minds of these stakeholders are so beclouded to the extent that all the while they had been lamenting on an imagined faultiness in Pencom, members of the public could not agree with them and the facts on ground do
support their allegations. These facts have clearly frustrated them into desperation and continuous accusations of imaginary problems in Pencom and the pension industry. Last Friday, they were at it again. An article published in the Guardian entitled: ‘The Problem with PenCom,’ sought to continue the ‘war’ against Dahir-Umar. Instead of dissecting the alleged problems of the agency, the writer, obviously fronting for the old order, chose to remind his readers about the ‘glorious’ days of the former director general. The writer went into the history of PenCom and how Anohu-Amazu was at the core of it. How the sacked former director general along with others birthed the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 which made the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) its flagship and created PenCom as the regulator. He did not forget to emphasise that she possessed a master’s degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology Law from the London School of Economics! He claimed there was a decline at PenCom “since the ill-advised and unlawful truncation of the tenure� of Ms. AnohuAmazu. The article left no one in doubt as to the intention of the writer when he asserted: “The real problem instead is thrusting on the helms of PENCOM someone bereft of the intellect as well as knowledge of the agency’s core mandates.� It is obvious someone outside PenCom is suffering from a superiority complex that has undoubtedly become an emotional hallucination. For how can any reasonable and responsible person fail to see the transformation that had taken place at PenCom since Anohu-Amazu left the agency? Not only has pension assets grown beyond expectation, but retirees now get their benefits as and when due. Pension assets has risen from N7.52 trillion in December 2017, to N8.14 trillion in May 2018 and N9.03 trillion in March 2019. The rise has been meteoric and historic. By the time new figures are released, the
trajectory of success would be clearer. This expectedly, has impacted on the economy in a substantial way and made pension for retirees more secured and assured. In a recent statement, PenCom spokesman, Mr Peter Aghahowa, revealed that N6.51trillion had been invested in the federal government securities by the Pension Fund Administrators, which represents about 70.08 per cent of the N9.03 trillion pension assets. The inadequacies of the erstwhile pension system brought hardship and frustration to many retirees who left service and couldn’t access their pension for years. Some died in the process. This led to the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004 to introduce the CPS and the amendment of the Act in 2014 to correct identified implementation challenges. Under the scheme, a civil servant opens a Retirement Savings Account (RSA) into which his/her pension contributions were paid. The accruals can be regularly tracked through a regular RSA account statement from the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), thus enabling a contributor plan for life in retirement with some measures of certainty. Unfortunately, many employers of labour have found ways of circumventing the law and short-changing contributors. Although by the provisions of Section 11 (6) and (7) as well as Section 24(d) of the PRA 2014, it is an offence for an employer not to remit contributions, these provisions have not deterred many employers from holding back pension contributions of their employees. This has caused undue delays to such contributors’ pension payment, thereby defeating the purpose of the CPS. PenCom has reacted to this threat by forging an inter-agency collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to crackdown on remitters and violators of these and other provisions of PRA 2014. While the struggle to sanitise the industry started under Anohu-Amazu, it has been intensified under the current acting director general.
It must nevertheless be emphasised that the moderate success recorded under AnohuAmazu cannot overshadow the known fact of the irregularity of her appointment. She was not qualified for the position at the time and was appointed only in acting capacity in 2012. The writer of the article in the Guardian of last Friday also pointed at the House of Representatives probe of PenCom over an alleged missing N33 billion as evidence of the decline under Aisha -Umar. The fact is that no money is missing, and the Adhoc Committee itself had no option than to concede this in its subsequent hearings. It became clear that the allegation and probe are the handiwork of the same anti-Aisha-Umar forces outside PenCom. It has, indeed, since become public knowledge that the House probe was driven by a legislator’s vendetta and inducements from outside of PenCom. Aisha -Umar incurred their wrath when she sacked the daughter of the Chairman of the House Committee probing PenCom for possessing fake foreign degrees. The sacked staff was employed into the agency under Anohu-Amazu, but a verification exercise conducted by the agency led to her sack February this year. The unwholesome agenda was clear to the leadership of the House of Representatives which quickly removed the chairman of the Adhoc committee to save the integrity of the House. The probe has since been in the cooler. It is time for those with unbridled sense of entitlement to let go of Pencom and allow its current management to focus on service to the public. Such people should accept the fact that public position is service to the country. Once you have done your best during your time, stay on the sidelines and make positive interventions when the need arises. No one is entitled to public office and this fixation about reclaiming a lost position has gone too far. -Ating wrote in from Abuja
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T H I S D AY Ëž Í´Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
Assessing FG’s Social Investment Programme Ugo Aliogo writes on the National Social Investment Programme and the need for the federal government to scale up the initiative
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ccording to the Macroeconomic outlook by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, high poverty and unemployment rates has continued to highlight the need for Nigeria to pay more attention to achieving inclusive growth. The report stated in the 2000s, Nigeria enjoyed a decade of high GDP growth averaging 7.6 per cent, adding that the period under review was accompanied by high levels of unemployment and poverty, “which could be largely attributed to the concentration of growth in just a few sectors; hence the country’s growth was not broad-based. The report revealed that in reality, the country’s economic growth pattern did not facilitate the creation of economic opportunities for many, which is crucial in addressing the pertinent issues of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. The report, however noted that on the social front, Nigeria was yet to implement the much-needed reforms that would significantly improve access and quality of healthcare and education across the country. It further stated that as at 2018, close to 13.2 million children were out-of-school, which is the highest number in the world, according to UNICEF, “in addition to the core challenge of access, the quality of learning across government-owned schools is significantly low across States.� The reported explained: “In terms of healthcare, the World Bank notes that almost half of the children under 5 are stunted, implying they do not have the adequate brain development to learn in school. This further exacerbates the problem of social exclusion in Nigeria. Furthermore, in the World Bank Human Development Report released in November 2018, Nigeria ranked 157 out of 189 countries. “Nigeria’s score of 0.532 was below the average score in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (0.537) and the global average of 0.728. Life expectancy at birth remains at 54 years, below the SSA average of 60.7 years. Nigeria continues to rank within the category of countries with ‘Low Human Development’.� However, at a media briefing to examine the successes of the National Social Investment Programme (NSI) and the need to scale up the programme, the Senior Fellow, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr. Tayo Aduloju, said the group’s policy advocacy and engagement with the federal government had been focused on driving inclusive growth. The NESG Role As part of efforts to address the prevalent scale of poverty in Nigeria, the federal government embarked on a social investment programme. To carry out impact assessment, the Policy Innovation Unit (PIU) conducted detailed evaluation of the NSIPs. The PIU is jointly made up of NESG, Accenture and Busara Center for Behavioral Economics. The objectives of the impact evaluation study was to assess the impacts of the NSIO interventions against the specific programme objectives as envisaged during the adoption and initial implementation of the programmes. The programmes are the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSF), the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme, the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and the N-Power initiative. The objective of the NHGSF is to provide children in primary 1-3 across public schools in Nigeria a free nutritionally balanced meal as an incentive to drive primary enrolment, use locally-produced food and employ low income fairly unskilled women as cooks in order to improve the welfare of these women as well as access to markets for local smallholder farmers. The goal is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, improve nutrition and health, promote agricultural development, gender equality and empower women especially in rural communities. According to Aduloju, it is evident that
Buhari
from the sample of schools studied, the PIU found teachers in NHGSF schools reported a 12.5 percent increase in the average number of pupils enrolled (across primary 1-3). He noted that PIU in the report discovered that a large proportion of NHGSF teachers (92.1percent) across the 600 schools sampled across 6 States in each of the 6 geopolitical zones reported an increase in enrolment. He further expressed hoped that there are positive signs of increased enrollment from the sample, given that the programme is relatively new in some States (not all states were on boarded on the programme in 2015) the programme is still gaining momentum in some states and we hope to see continued positive signs of enrollment as the programme progresses.� Overview of the Reach of CCT He explained that before the advent of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, a social register was developed under the World Bank assistedYouth Empowerment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) programme in the Federal Ministry of Finance. According to him, “As at 2015, the register hosted about 67,000 households across eight States in the country, while also managing basic excels sheets. “One of the first activities embarked upon by NESG was to commence the cleaning of a National Social Register (comprising the
Although the cash transfers are aimed at improving consumption which explained why the caregivers are enrolled as those to receive the cash, beneďŹ ciaries are free to use the cash as they so wish
initial eight States Social Registers) of data relating to poor and vulnerable households, “through a tried andtested community-based targeting method, from which the cash transfer beneficiaries are mined.� “As at today, however, the NSR is currently in different stages of development across 34 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with about1,091,000 households representing over 4 million individuals captured. The livelihood supports graduation of beneficiaries out of poverty, thereby making them financially independent -this is aimed at complementing the cash transfer to help targeted households to build a mind-set of enterprise development in order to reduce abject poverty. “Through this effort, the NSIO is also collating critical data relating to nearest functional primary and secondary schools, primary health centers, payment service providers, access roads, connectivity and power supply to the community, tosupport social inclusion. “The NSIP has enrolled 422,992 caregivers in 26 States currently, being paid N10, 000 every two months, and supported to ensure they save and become productive, thereby taking ownership of their lives. “Although the cash transfers are aimed at improving consumption which explained why the caregivers are enrolled as those to receive the cash, beneficiaries are free to use the cash as they so wish. “It does not refer to any selection criteria even if; the long-run objective of the programme is to employ the conditional cash transfer method of delivery, whereby limits are imposed by the programme with regard to the use of the money, including participating in capacity-building or taking one’s children to a health or educational centre, in order to receive the cash transfer. “Eligibility criteria are based on the poorest households. The standard structure is 30 communities per Local Government Area and a maximum of 40 households per community. “CCT beneficiaries reported to spend NGN2, 566.12 on non-essential food, while non-beneficiaries spend NGN1, 998.24 on a monthly basis. It is important to note that the CCT households live under US$1.90 per day. The components of the food consumed were fish, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and eggs, meat, non-alcoholic beverages, roots and tubers, coffee, tea and cocoa and
others. The non-essential food items include alcohol, soap, tobacco and others. “In children’s education, findings show that more CCT beneficiaries have at least one child in school, which is 7 percent more than the non-beneficiaries. 60 percent of beneficiaries reported that they spend at least NGN3, 000 on education goods such as uniform, books and others in the last school term, which amounts to over 20 percent of their bi-monthly cash transfer value. This indicates that CCT programmes are effective at improving school enrolment and participation. For beneficiaries, using the CCT for school costs is an important livelihood choice in terms of investing in their children’s economic future. “The Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP): GEEP aims to promote financial inclusion and access to credit for MSMEs, market traders, artisans, youth and farmers. “The programme intends to provide affordable micro loans ranging from NGN10, 000 to NGN100, 000 to at least 4 million businesses in four years to achieve growth through Micro Medium Scale Enterprise (MSMEs) such as reducing the financial exclusion rate in the country. GEEP is designed to provide microcredit and sector-relevant ‘just-in-time’ technical assistance to develop and grow at least 1.6 million beneficiaries in 1 year – with a focus on traders, artisans, farmers/agriculture workers, of which 60 percent are women and 12.5 percent are youth entrepreneurs covering the six geopolitical zones. These target segments account for 27 million of the Nigerian population.� However, the PIU in its report said: “Beneficiaries reported that they stock more goods for sale. The result shows that there is a significant increase in business performance as measured by sales and inventory. This suggests that beneficiaries are utilising the loan to grow their businesses. TraderMoni beneficiaries increased their savings in bank accounts, showing there is an increase in savings for people who choose to save in a bank account; this indicates a greater use of financial services for TraderMoni beneficiaries. “However, the amount saved decreased – as expected with beneficiaries who are in the process of repaying loans. Education plays a key role in financial inclusion. For MarketMoni beneficiaries, the ability to read and write increases bank savings deposit by (9%) and increases mobile banking by (18 percent). For TraderMoni, it increases mobile banking by (12 percent).� Recommendations The NESG based on its policy innovation unit impact evaluation and findings recommended that the NSIP would never be enough intervention to lift all poor Nigerians out of poverty without the concurrent intervention of broad-based sustainable growth focused on creating economic and job opportunities; and social inclusion focused on equal access to health, education, digital and job opportunities. The NESG further explained that the NSIP are delivering the stated federal government objectives and outcomes; adding that the NSIP have delivered measurable results even though it has only received 31% of the Annual Budget of N 500 Billion. The NESG said: “The NSIP should be allowed to scale towards National Impact Targets set in the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP). The NSIP 5 Year roadmap which focuses on the sustainable institutionalization of social protection and investment should be implemented by the federal government. “The continuous application of monitoring and evaluation to finetune the federal government response to Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens should be explored. The NSIP has succeeded as a programme beyond political party lines as is evidenced by the adoption of State governments that are not in the Ruling Party and therefore has the design framework for transparency, trust and equitable application across the Federation.�
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T H I S D AY Ëž Í´, 2019
BUSINESSWORLD
ANALYSIS
Examing Growing Culture of Sports Betting The Nigerian multi-billion-naira sport betting industry is growing astronomically to confirm a 2016 report of PwC, which projected that the industry would grow at an annual rate of 16 per cent each year to $147 million in 2019. Raheem Akingbolu writes on the new culture of betting and its impact on the nation’s economy
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our things have helped the nation’s betting industry to soar in the last five years - economic instability, increasing sports culture, large population and the unbridled growth in internet penetration and widespread use of mobile phones. Specifically, the online gambling industry has flourished in recent years, adapting their brick-and-mortar presence to the internet scene, and spawning popular sites such as Bet9ja, Merry bet or Nairabet. But despite the growth, it has been difficult to quantify the market size in numbers or the scope of the industry. Of course, the business has also remained one of the most attacked industries by a cross section of Nigerians, who either criticise based on religious conviction or ignorance of the operations and opportunities in the industry. To this end, industry analysts have consistently urged players in the industry to intensify awareness campaign to educate Nigerians on their operations and opportunities in betting. The players have also been advised to try as much possible to let the public know the difference between gambling and sport betting. Above all, with the testimonials in some quarters on how lives are being changed for better through sports betting, the players have also been advised to direct their industry campaign at playing up the economic advantages of sports betting. With regulation struggling hard to keep up with the growth of the industry and leaving both customers and operators potentially exposed, contrary to international market experience, where a well-regulated sports betting industry, has become a significant revenue generator for the government, Nigerian operators are daily been charged to blow their own trumpet. Through a subtle campaign, it is believed that the industry will suppress the ongoing issues around taxation and licenses that is holding back the industry. Over the years, the operators have lamented that taxation remains a sore topic in the industry and that what constitutes net gaming revenue or taxable income is unclear and inconsistent in the country and that it has impacted the value-added tax that can be charged by the government. Economic empowerment A leading player in the market and the Managing Director of Bet9ja, Mr. Ayo Ojuroye, in a recent interview with THISDAY clears the air about the misconception around sports betting, arguing that most of the campaigns against the industry were as a result of ignorance. He also spoke extensively about his company and why Bet9ja is championing ‘More than a Bet’ campaign. Ojuroye, who admitted that the widespread use of mobile phones in Nigeria has been a positive game changer for the sports betting business, said the industry has continued to empower Nigerians economically to achieve dreams of enhanced standard of living. He said: “Over the years we have and continue to empower Nigerians economically to achieve dreams of enhanced standard of living. Through our platform and operations, we have created jobs, supported citizens to live better. Besides, our employment generation and creations direct and indirect is over 40,000,� Narrowing down the conversation to Bet9ja, the managing director spoke glowingly about the company’s strategic partnership with government agencies, especially the EFCC on the maiden edition of anti-corruption marathon in Abuja, which according to him, is in line with our commitment to operate with integrity,
Ojuroye
we partnered EFCC on the maiden edition of anti-corruption marathon in Abuja. He also disclosed how the company has continuously supported the growth of football development in Nigeria, through partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to promote grassroots development. On diversity and inclusion, Ojuroye pointed out that Bet9ja has through its operations; contribute to enhancing diversity and inclusion in Nigeria, stating that the company has women in its pool of employment and as beneficiaries of winning on the platform. “Innovation is a key to success in our industry. As an organization, we are continuously seeking opportunities to give our customers and citizens more value to earn on our platform. The outcome of one of these was when the introduction ofa state-of-the-art virtual dog race into the market and it became an instant success. To further elucidate the ‘More than a bet’ campaign, he spoke personately on how a single ticket of N100 people enable customers on Bet9ja platform win millions of naira that changes their story. “With N100 only, we empower our customers economically and enable them to support themselves thereby living a better life and support people around them, families and friends. People see our platform as a credible means of alternative source of income. Our agents across the country have incredible stories of zero to hero transformation of life. Through our platforms they have become employers of labour contributing to reducing unemployment in the country. What else should one hope for than touching lives positively? Meanwhile, through our giving back to the society where we operate, we are changing lives everyday too by deploring through responsible initiatives. Positioning strategies Perhaps more than any other player in the market, Bet9ja appears to have invested more in partnership, CSR and sponsorship with the aim of increasing its share voice in the market. Shortly after a former partner of Multichoice Nigeria on the Big Brother Naija show, Payporte ran into troubled water over failure of its Chief Executive Officer, Eyo Bassey, to pay salaries of workers, Bet9ja was quick to move in
as headline sponsor of the forthcoming season of the show. The move has been described as a smart one that will further boost the profile of the brand. Considering the way Payporte used the platform to increase awareness of eCommerce in the country while it retained the sponsorship, many observers believed the new comer will also go a long way in promoting the Nigerian sports-betting industry as well as positioning the Bet9ja brand. As done in the previous editions, when Payporte supplied housemates with many of their glamorous outfits, which served as models to promote the brand, the new sponsor will join same advantage as the housemates, in turn, would make viewers aware that sports betting is the in thing. Confirming the partnership, Ojuroye said: “We are the lead sponsor of Big Brother Nigeria 2019. Our sponsorship is to enhance and make participants achieve their dreams of becoming valuable players in the Nigeria entertainment industry. We will support housemate to engage in corporate social responsibility through donations to orphanages. Our support will influence the winning prizes and it will boost the entertainment industry. The big brother platform is to amplify our More Than A Bet campaign of how we are touching and changing lives positively everyday.� Speaking further, he mentioned how the company is supporting the IDP camp in Bauchi state, promising that it will do more as a business. He also disclosed the safety initiative being championed by Bet9ja for transporters and the company’s contribution to sports development and tourism nationwide. “We have provided safety training and equipment for transporters – motorcycle and tricycles riders in different parts of the country s part of our efforts to contribute to the reduction of incidences of accidents. In the area of sports, we have supported women in sports and we are the sole sponsor of Nigeria League. Also, we are the sole sponsor of Seyi Akinwunmi charity tournament in Ogun State as well as supporting Ogun State under 20 cup. To promote culture and tourism, we support Olojo festival in Osun State and Afribeat,� he added. Bet9ja brand at a glance Speaking on competition in the industry
and how Bet9ja has fared, the managing director emphasised that the company is Nigeria’s preferred sport betting operator and that it has grown to become the widest spread bookmaker in the country. He pointed out that under the leadership of the Charmain, Hon. Kunle Soname, the Bet9ja brand has become a staple in Nigerian sports entertainment. “Operating with a National Lottery License from the National Lotteries Regulatory Commission, and various state licenses from each area of operations, Bet9ja has its foothold in all states of the federation; employing over 40,000 Nigerians directly and indirectly. “Our wealth of experience and understanding of the industry, products and marketplace is what makes us stand out from the rest and remain a market leader over the years. From our live sports offerings to the online casino, virtual football and racing (Virtual Dog and Horse Racing), we offer the most exciting and rewarding experiences to our customers with the best odds, best bonus and fast payout of winnings,� With a singular objective to provide customers with a fun experience, Ojuroye said integrity and commitment in ensuring provision of the best service remains the most critical asset of the company. “Just as integrity and commitment are our most critical assets, we also take our corporate governance extremely serious as a business. Our code of business principles represents the standard of conduct of all our employees and agents. We are subject to the Nigerian government’s rules and regulations regarding the effective running and regulations of the betting industry. “Finally, the company constantly keeps its corporate governance arrangements under reviews; we pay all taxes and levies due to the government and its regulatory agencies as part of our commitment to ensure compliance.� While stating that the company conducts its operations in accordance with internationally accepted principles of good governance in Nigeria, he added that the company doesn’t encourage underage betting on its platform. “No underage person is allowed in our outlets as players. Any agent caught with underage betting is sanctioned appropriately and if not stopped out rightly dismissal of such agent on our platform is applied,� he said.
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08152252325
Lanre Tejuoso: I am Fulfilled having Championed Causes for Nigerians in the Senate Senator Lanre Tejuoso is the outgoing Chairman, Senate Committee on Health. He will be leaving the National Assembly with his head held high for championing some of the most important Bills in the eighth assembly, especially on issues relating to human capital development, healthcare financing, nutrition, among others. In this exclusive interview with Martins Ifijeh, while revealing his future plans after exiting the parliament, he spoke about his four years in the red chambers, the challenges, the facilitation of BHCPF, which is currently being implemented, NHIC Act, Consolidated Revenue Fund, among other healthcare financing policies. Excerpts: How has the journey been since you were elected a senator? It has been quite exciting as well as enlightening. I didn’t really understand fully how the Senate worked until I came in. What we witness and do on ground is completely different from public perception. A lot of work goes on in the legislature. It has been educative as well.
is surprising you are not coming back to the ninth Assembly. Are there other capacities you will still contribute to the health of this country? Well, like I said recently at an event, I am leaving the Senate but not the health sector. I am a medical doctor and have been practicing for years. I will continue to participate in shaping policies that will strengthen our institutions. At a recent meeting with some stakeholders, a group of about eight persons called me to the side and insisted that I must assure them that the next chairman senate committee on health will continue our work. I laughed endlessly. Our party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), is a progressive party. Leadership in all sectors and across board is continuous no matter who occupies the seat.
So many bills were passed in this eighth assembly, how many did you facilitate? I sponsored eight Bills, five motions, cosponsored seven motions and also facilitated the passage of more than 17 other Bills that were sponsored by my colleagues. Some of them include the recently passed National Health Insurance Commission Bill which seeks to make it mandatory that every Nigerian contribute to health insurance and that we have a robust health services agency to cater for the health needs of all Nigerians. The others are Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Agency Bill and FCT Primary Healthcare Board Bill. As the chairman, senate committee on health, did you at any point feel the responsibility was enormous for you? Of course, there were times I felt so. It gets to a point where the work is overwhelming. The major problem with the health sector is financing. I was in a meeting with some developing partners when I was informed about the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) strike in May 2018. You know what it means when JOHESU goes on strike. Health delivery services are on standstill and patients are left unattended. I immediately called for a meeting with them after which I engaged in several other meetings to end the strike. The strike lasted a little over 40 days. It was a difficult period. While I was dealing with that, I was also responding to reports of children dying of severe acute malnutrition, women sleeping and receiving medical treatment under a tree in a Northern state, women dying during childbirth, the medical condition at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and Northeast, and also petitions from Nigerians on health sector malpractices. These issues are enormous but I am glad to have been part of the process of resolving most issues as I could and in some cases initiate genuinely proactive measures to mitigate against reoccurrence. What were your biggest fears in the Senate? I think any leader’s biggest fear will be the fear of disappointing those who trusted you with their votes- the great people of Ogun Central Senatorial District and by extension, Nigerians. I am glad majority of my people are impressed with my representation. You championed a lot of programs in the senate. Which were most challenging for you? Budget cuts were challenging. Having understood the enormous need for finance in our health sector I ensured there were no budget cuts for the Ministry of Health. In fact
What were the things you would have done better in the health sector? Health financing is key. We cannot stop exploring opportunities to attract funding. I would also encourage our doctors to stay in Nigeria. Whatever problems they feel they’re running from is a collective problem. These are our problems. We should stay and fix them. I would generally encourage all health sector workers to stay committed to the Nigerian cause. President Muhammadu Buhari is personally on a journey towards building the greatest health services system in Africa. We should all team up and make it happen. Any regret on your actions in the Senate? I have no regret whatsoever. Like Paul said in the bible, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Tejuoso
I would advocate for more funds to cater for cancer patients, vulnerable Nigerians, etc. Because a number of committees were cutting budgets but for me, not health. You cannot play politics with human life. Convincing my colleagues was sometimes challenging because some would argue that “they cut from this committee and that committee” but I always stood my ground from 2015 till 2019 appropriation processes.
I have known Mr. President since our days in the All Nigeria People’s Congress (ANPP) and CPC where we worked very closely together. I will never turn him down if he finds me worthy of serving our nation in any capacity whatsoever
Do you feel fulfilled championing the earmarking of CRF in the national budget? Of course, I feel fulfilled championing the earmarking of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for basic healthcare. Do you know what N55 billion can do for our health sector? That is what has given way for state governments to push for their health insurance schemes so they can access these funds. I have had several meetings with Nigerian doctors abroad and professional medical practitioners who would like to move back to Nigeria and I have told them that this money will be paid directly to the Primary Health Centers (PHCs) which some of them can head. They can manage the process of procuring drugs, equipment, and payment of salaries. So the issue of strike will be a thing of the past. Once you have funds flowing directly to the PHCs, you automatically unburden the hospitals we have now and strengthen the PHC to provide basic primary care. If we continue on this path, we will stop losing about N400 billion to medical tourism and we will be better positioned to provide some of the best health services in Africa. For many development partners, it
Generally, how would you access the eighth senate? We did great work. Every senator did the best they could for their people. Do you think the divide between the Executive and the National Assembly hampered some progress in the country? I think it only slowed down the speed at which more work would have been done. The ninth Senate will have a smooth relationship with the Executive. After leaving the senate, what next? Back to private life or ministerial position on the pipeline? I have known Mr. President since our days in the All Nigeria People’s Congress (ANPP) and CPC where we worked very closely together. I will never turn him down if he finds me worthy of serving our nation in any capacity whatsoever. But for now, it’s the private life for me. How do you unwind? I read my bible, sing praises to God, watch Pastor Benny Hinn, spend time with family and friends, as well as read comments on my social media accounts.
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019
35
NEWS
Handwashing and its Effect on Mother, Child’s Health Martins Ifijeh In many parts of Nigeria, it is common to gift a new mother soaps, cleaning liquids and so on. It is presumed that there would be a lot of cleaning done for mother and child and as such, it has become a culture of sorts. As a matter of fact, in Yoruba, the greeting is “E ku owo l’omi”, loosely translated thus: “happy dipping hand in water.” That in a way shows how much tradition understands the importance of good hygiene in the home, especially around mother and child. “The biggest danger to babies is other people’s hands,” writes an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine,
Ken Haller on parents.com, a child development website. These “other people” include the new parents themselves, as well as family and friends, who in fact have good intentions but are unwitting carriers of lifethreatening germs and bacteria. Every day, people are exposed to all sorts of germs in the course of their daily life, from handling currency notes, to opening doors to shaking hands with other people. It is assumed that each person carries an average of 3,200 species of bacteria on their hands. Transferring those germs to a baby whose own immune system is still in the process of forming, can be fatal. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 6000 children die every day from
hygiene related illnesses. As shocking as that is, it is more shocking that preventing that grave statistics only takes a simple process - handwashing. Hand hygiene is the single most important and effective way to prevent germs from being transmitted from one person to another, and especially to a new born baby. For many new mothers, it has become a matter of compulsion that guests coming to visit them must practice good hand hygiene. Many women insist that visitors wash their hands before interacting with their babies. Nollywood actress Funke Akindele-Bello, who was recently announced as the Dettol Brand Ambassador to lead the Clean Naija initiative, also recognises the importance
of this. As a new mother herself (her twin baby boys are six months old), she says she takes hygiene seriously to prevent bacterial infection in and around her home. At her unveiling event last month, Akindele-Bello spoke glowingly about the Clean Naija initiative that seeks to raise more awareness among Nigerians about the importance of good hygiene. “As a new mother, I know the pain of seeing your child run ordinary temperature, not to talk of losing the child to diseases such as diarrhea or malaria. “This partnership is important to sensitise Nigerians on the health benefits of adopting hygienic practices as simple
as hand washing at all times. “Practicing proper hand washing and basic hygiene can play an important part in preventing diarrhea among children, which is responsible for the death of about 150,000 children in Nigeria every year,” she said. She also added: “It takes a lot of hard work to take care of young children and sometimes it seems like the load is too much, but when it comes to taking precaution to ensure that our kids are healthy and sound, there’s no length that a mother cannot go. “That’s why I’m proud of this opportunity where I will be able to work with Dettol and help in sharing some of my experiences and the lessons I have learned so far from taking
care of my little children. “I believe that this program will be able to encourage many Nigerians to adopt hygienic practices that would improve their health and quality of life. I’m looking forward to playing my part.” In celebration of the World Hand Hygiene Day, Dettol took the Clean Naija initiative to the stalls of Ojuwoye Market, Mushin, where their newly commissioned handwash site was launched by Akindele-Bello, who preached the need for women and mothers, who mostly make up the population of traders at Ojuwoye market, to imbibe the habit of washing their hands thoroughly, especially since they touch the edible elements that go into homes and make up what the families eventually eat.
Obijackson Foundation Fetes Children, Calls for more Attention to Primary Healthcare The Founder and Chairman of the Obijackson Foundation, Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, in recognition, that children are the future of any progressive country, has called on the government and other stakeholders to seek innovative ways of providing quality primary healthcare across the country. He said this at a children funfair event held in Okija, Anambra State to felicitate with children born at the Obijackson Women and Children’s Hospital in Okija Obiejesi lamented that millions of Nigerian children die from avoidable ailment due to lack of access to primary healthcare. He said this was one of the
reasons the Obijackson Women and Children Hospital was set up to provide quality healthcare to children in Anambra and beyond, regardless of the economic status of their parent. The chairman of the foundation presented gifts to the children who engaged in a number of fun activities. The hospital is a pediatric health care institution, first of its kind in the eastern part of Nigeria providing specialised care including surgeries for children. Facilities in the hospital include a neonatal intensive clinic which is equipped with the world’s most advanced incubators, ventilators and other types of equipment.
World Milk Day: Dano Calls for Improved Intake of Dairy Products Ayodeji Ake As part of efforts to commemorate the 2019 World Milk Day, Arla Dano, makers of Dano Milk has called on Nigerians to improve the intake of milk due to its numerous benefits. Riding on this year’s global campaign theme ‘Enjoy Dairy’, Dano held a farm-themed event tagged ‘On the farm with Dano’ in Lagos recently with over 2,000 guests in attendance. Speaking at the commemoration, the Marketing Manager, Arlo Dano, Ifunanya Obiakor said the event was to bring awareness to consumers on the need to have a natural, healthy, good quality dairy nutrition every day. She said: “As a brand committed to the well-being of our consumers, we are celebrating milk and the nourishment it brings, and World Milk Day affords us the opportunity to bring the excitement that milk offers in an educating and entertaining way. “Our mission is powered by the desire to make every Nigerian appreciate the inherent benefits in milk consumption. We are also walking this path to underscore our resolve to
offering quality dairy products to consumers.” Also speaking, representative of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, urged Nigerians to support drive for milk intake due to its numerous benefits. She said: “Every year, the World Milk Day offers stakeholders in the nutrition industry a fresh opportunity to push for the embrace of milk intake as a prerequisite for good nutrition, invariably, translating to healthy living. “We have made significant progress over the years, however, the Lagos State is appealing to stakeholders – dairy brands and dairy brand executives, regulators, and government decision makers to intensify efforts capable at facilitating milk intake among citizens as it accelerates growth and nourishes the body.” In 2018, Dano milk secured a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records with the staging of the longest drinkspouring relay using milk. Arla Dano achieved the feat with 650 participants at a colourful World Milk Day celebration organised by the brand in Lagos.
END OF AN ERA
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alh. Abdulaziz Abdullahi Mashi (l); and former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole during a valedictory sessioninhis(Adewole’s)honourinAbujarecently
Hygeia Launches Monthly Payments to Boost UHC in Nigeria With monthly payments from only 2,950, individuals can now pay online and get reliable and effective health insurance to provide cover for a wide range of medical needs through Hygeia HMO, the Chief Executive Officer, Hygeia HMO, Obinna Abujue has said. In a statement made available to THISDAY recently, the healthcare manager said the monthly payment options are the most recent in a series of innovations the company has introduced. He said: “Our mission is simple: to help our members access quality healthcare affordably. The simplicity of this mission statement believes the magnitude of the problem we are committed to solving. Nigerians need
access to healthcare that is not only of good quality but affordable enough for them to actually enjoy. “With pervasive crowdfunding requests on social media by people who urgently need medical care but cannot afford to get it, Hygeia plans offer comfort to those wary of getting in similar straits. With monthly payments of 2,950 or 5,850, members will get access to coverage for up to 500, 000 or 850, 000 respectively,” he added. He said the options provide affordable entry points to millions of Nigerians who have had to go without health insurance because of the burden of bulk annual payments, adding that with the bulk now broken it would be more flexible for Nigerians to negotiate healthcare service.
Chevron Sponsors Roll Back Malaria In Ondo Communities James Sowole in Akure In pursuance of its Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR), Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Chevron Joint Venture, has taken one of its health programmes to the riverine areas of Ondo State for the benefit of the people in the area. The programme, tagged “ Roll Back Malaria” was flagged off at Ugbo in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state with an admonition to the people to maintain proper hygiene. Speaking at the ceremony, the General Manager, Policy Government & Public Affairs of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, said the
programme was one of the CSR initiatives of the company to better the health of the people. Brikinn said CNL places the highest priority on the health and safety of its neighbouring communities, workforce and protection of the environment and its asset. He promised that NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture would continue to partner with the federal and state governments on the drive to eliminate malaria. To drive home the programme, Chevron Nigeria Limited CNL had yearly been engagung Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) to handle the programme for people in some riverine communities.
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Charting a Path for Lagos Healthcare After a study tour of health facilities in Lagos State, senior executive course participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies interacted with stakeholders to discuss the way forward for the state’s health sector. Martins Ifijeh reports How can Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole evolve the best funding arrangement that can make universal healthcare coverage possible? This issue was the focus of a study tour during a recent visit to health facilities in Lagos. The delegation, made up of 11 senior executive course participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), was on a study tour of its health sector. The study tour was facilitated by NIPSS in collaboration with the Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) through Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale (PACFaH@Scale). The delegation’s first port of call was the state secretariat in Alausa, where they met with key stakeholders and heads of strategic institutions in the state’s health sector on the state of affairs. The delegation also visited the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Palmgroove, Mushin and Lagos Island. The visitors also paid homage to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, in his palace, before ending the tour with an interaction with civil society organisations (CSOs) that are working in the health sector. While expressing optimism that the state would benefit from the study tour, Oba Akiolu said he was delighted that the focus of the tour was to understand the challenges affecting healthcare delivery system in the state with a view to providing solutions. He acknowledged that qualitative healthcare system is vital to improved life expectancy, stressing that government should improve budgetary allocation to the health sector in line with recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) because there is a nexus between quality healthcare and economic development. The tour, which is part of requirements of the course programme at NIPSS, is designed to help participants learn more about the nuances of public policy formulation and implementation. Depending on the theme of the course, participants in NIPSS programmes are expected to embark on national, continental and intercontinental study tours on any issue deemed critical to the country’s development aspirations with a view to submitting actionable recommendations on best practices. This year’s theme, according to Dr. Nasirudeen Usman, leader of the delegation and acting director of studies at NIPSS, focuses on how Nigeria can evolve the best funding arrangement that can bring about universal healthcare coverage in the country. According to the Technical Advisor, PACFaH@ Scale, Dr. Stanley Ukpai, the study tour was meant to help participants to find out how to strengthen primary healthcare system to achieve universal health coverage in the state. Through the tour, he added, the delegation was able to obtain feedbacks and inputs from civil society organisations on the challenges and opportunities of working within the primary healthcare system to realise universal health coverage for the teeming population of the state. The visit could not have come at a more auspicious time, as the state gets ready to roll out its mandatory health insurance scheme fully next month. Ahead of the much-awaited launch, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris told the delegation that technology would be deployed heavily into the scheme to simplify the application process for enrollees, stressing that technology would be vital to the success of the scheme. He stressed that the state government is currently creating awareness and capturing people into the scheme, adding a reliance on technology will help in the collection of data of those enrolled. “With this technology, many people will be easily captured and they can easily access the scheme through the mobile application”, he said. As the law setting up the scheme stipulates, all residents – regardless of their financial or educational status – are expected to be captured by the compulsory scheme, which aims to be the first programme that achieves universal healthcare coverage in the country. No fewer
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
than 120,000 persons have enrolled in the health insurance, though not all are actively enjoying the service for now. He said Lagos is not in a hurry to start full implementation of the scheme to avoid the mistakes that have marred similar initiatives in the country, especially the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which has failed to achieve universal healthcare coverage because the law setting it up made it optional for the people. Having realised that countries that have achieved universal health coverage for their populations are the ones that have successfully implemented mandatory health insurance schemes, many stakeholders in the nation’s health have begun to campaign that state-supported health insurance schemes be made compulsory in order to provide coverage for all citizens. To avoid the pitfalls of NHIS, Lagos has chosen to make the scheme compulsory for all residents. “Countries that have successfully implemented health insurance scheme made it mandatory. Again, in those countries, a lot of money is being pumped into it, and then taxation is high so they can fund it. Our scheme is mandatory for every resident,” Idris added. The delegation commended the state for making the scheme mandatory. “That is the global practice; you cannot cover the whole population unless you make it mandatory. If we have compulsory insurance for our vehicles, we should be able to have compulsory health insurance for ourselves,” Usman, who led NIPSS delegation, said. The scheme, which was launched with fanfare last December by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, aims to provide financial protection against illnesses and attendant uncertainties inherent in out-of-pocket payment system. Besides being projected to reduce health issues or mortality rate in the state by at least 10 per cent, the governor said it will also deliver significant economic benefits to the state, as the statewide health insurance scheme will empower residents to have access to quality, affordable healthcare services. “Beyond ensuring that we have a healthy population, the scheme will foster inclusion and an increase in the utilisation of hospital services,
thereby creating employment opportunities for medical professionals. This will definitely have an impact on the economy of the state,’’ Ambode said. And to enjoy full access to services on offer, all that is required is a premium of N40,000 yearly for a family of six. A family, as defined by the law setting up the scheme, comprises the mother, father and four children below 18 years; while enrolling every additional family member below 18 years attracts N6,000 per person per year. However, if the person is above 18 years, it attracts additional premium of N8,500 per person yearly. For single individuals, it is for N8, 500 per year, but this can be upgraded any time after marriage with additional charges. As for employees in the state public service, the state takes care of 75 per cent of the premium, while each civil servant is expected to pay 25 per cent. But Obioma Obikeze, a consultant for DRPC, expressed concern over the payment arrangement for civil servants, stressing that workers at the lowest rung of the ladder will be disadvantaged if every state employee, irrespective of status, pays 25 per cent premium. Having realised that the informal sector forms the bulk of potential enrollees, the state said it is doing everything to bring people in the sector on board. “We are also meeting the key stakeholders in the informal sector, which constitutes about 65 percent of the population because if you don’t enroll these people, this scheme will fail. We know the informal sector constitutes a huge chunk of the population, and that’s where the real work is. We have mapping which has details of everyone in the informal sector. “Luckily, we have an agency of government dealing with them. We have met with the various union executives, and they have expressed interest. We also need to continuously reach out to them through persuasion. Some of them are already on one scheme or the other, but whether that scheme is better or not, it’s a matter of them knowing what we are offering,” Idris said. And for the poor who genuinely may not be able to afford the premium, the state said an equity fund has been set aside to cater for
them by subsidising the premium 100 per cent for the vulnerable. “That is why the law establishing it says a minimum of one per cent of the consolidated revenue fund of the state will go into a pool, which is an equity fund basically to address people who cannot afford to pay. That is to guarantee a financial protection for them. The contribution of the poor will be paid from that equity fund,” he explained. On what specific items does the health insurance cover, the Provost, Lagos State College of Medicine (LASCOM), Prof Anthonia Ogbera said it takes care of common adult and childhood ailments, maternal and child services, preventive healthcare services, selected non-communicable diseases and surgeries. She however lamented that poor knowledge of the scheme among residents may be the bane of the new initiative, adding that raising more awareness is the “only way to make many people buy into the scheme.” “Registration is state-wide and that is why we decided to allocate HMOs to certain areas for ease of capture. If an HMO is said to cover Mushin for example, they will go out there and capture all the citizens of the area into the scheme because the higher the enrollees, the higher their capitation fee. If you tell people in Mushin to look for any HMO and join, enrolment will be slow. For the formal sector, we gave them a choice of HMOs to choose, but for informal sector, we allocated HMOs to them so as to achieve one hundred per cent coverage,” she said. But many experts have also traced the abysmal failure of NHIS to the activities of HMOs, which serve as the link between the scheme and the service providers. Every quarter, NHIS disburses cash to HMOs, who in turn pay service providers monthly for health services of enrollees. Tongues however, have continued to wag over the performances of HMOs who have been accused of deliberately frustrating the scheme by reportedly not keeping to their own side of the bargain, leaving many service providers unable to deliver adequate care to enrollees. Yet, almost half of a trillion naira has been reportedly disbursed to HMOs since inception of NHIS.
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Tackling the Menace of Substandard Sanitary Pads in Nigeria Withthethemeofthisyear’sMenstrualHygieneDayas‘ItisTimefor Action’,Omolabake Fasogbon writes that it’s time for the government, regulators and stakeholders to rise to the challenge of curbing the infiltration of substandard sanitary pads in the market Menstruation, as defined, is the process where a woman discharges blood and other materials from the lining of the uterus at intervals, of about one lunar month from puberty to menopause, except during pregnancy. It is considered as one of the most normal biological processes as well as a key sign of reproduction. According to a reproductive expert, Dr. John Ongech, regular menstruation is a woman’s body way of saying that there is hormonal balance within the body, the absence of which is a pointer to a problem, most especially, infertility. Be it as it may, this natural and monthly reality can also be a causative factor of reproductive system’s disease in women, most often traced to improper and poor menstrual hygiene management, experts have said. Poor Menstrual Hygiene Menstrual hygiene management (MHM), as captured by United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) is the comprehensive access to safe and healthy sanitary pad, adequate information, preparation, and support with which to manage menstruation in a healthy, safe, and dignified manner. Globally, poor MHM has been a grave challenge and Nigeria is no exception. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), report estimates that one in ten girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their menstrual cycle, beyond this, gap in MHM has been recognised as one of the impeding factors to social and economic empowerment and growth. It is against this backdrop also that a German based non government organisation, WASH United, set aside May 28 as the Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2014, to raise awareness on the importance of good menstrual hygiene management worldwide and break taboos around menstruation amongst others. Ever since 2014, the day has been observed annually by all countries. The Nigerian Situation In Nigeria, in addition to the taboos and myths surrounding menstruation, Deputy Head of WASH department of Action Against Hunger, Patricia Obroh identified MHM issues confronting women and girls as : low availability of hygienic sanitary towels, high cost of disposal pads, poor knowledge of menstrual hygiene management and insufficient access to safe and private sanitation services. Moreso, findings from a study conducted by UNICEF showed that availability and adequacy of water , sanitation and hygiene, WASH, adequacy impacted girls’ experience of menstruation in Nigeria. Reports from UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Program(JMP) further revealed that “Nigeria’s overall improved water coverage rate is 69 per cent (126,630,870 people) of the estimated population of 183,523,000 people, (United Nations’ population Division 2014), while improved sanitation coverage is 29 per cent (53,221,670 people) Unimproved water sources are, therefore, used by 31 per cent while use of shared toilets, unimproved toilets and open defecation account for 71 per cent of sanitation practices”. More worrisome lately is the influx of fake and substandard menstrual pad finding its way into the market from both within and foreign countries. Nigerian alone boasts of over 12 sanitary pad brands, including popular ones like Always, Ladycare, Lady Sept and Kotex® that has just entered the space. However, quite a good number of these popular brands are battling adulteration, while unbranded ones, many of which do not meet up with standards and whose sources are untraceable, is another menace confronting menstruation safety in the country. Narrating his ordeal, a retail and wholesale operator in Abule Egba, Lagos, simply known as Mr John, shared with THISDAY how he fell victim of a fake product distributor and ran into loss of about a million naira. He said,” I was introduced by a friend who connected me to this sanitary pad distributor of one of the popular brands, he came with a very attractive price and because the deal was
Quality sanitary pads are a must for good menstrual hygiene
cheap, I fell for the offer quickly. It was not until I started selling that consumers were returning with complaints about poor quality and itches in their private part that I became suspicious. “I didn’t want to believe it initially but when the complaints kept on coming, I was forced to open a pack and behold, it wasn’t what I used to know. The texture, smell and colour, I mean everything was not well with it.” John further called on regulatory authorities to look into the situation which has been spoiling business for him and many other colleagues. Implications of Substandard Pads According to medical experts, sanitary pads for menstrual hygiene have a layered design consisting of a fluid permeable surface (topsheet), an absorbent core, and an impermeable backing with adhesive. Most sanitary pads are said to employ cellulosebased cores which describes the safety evaluation of a menstrual pad with an emollient-treated topsheet and a novel polymeric foam core. Medical expert, Dr Joseph Mercola said, “the skin, being the largest organ in your body is also the thinnest. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates the body from potential toxins. Worse yet, your skin is highly permeable — especially the skin around the vaginal area, not to mention inside the vagina itself.This is why attention needs to be paid to the ingredients used in tampons and sanitary pads.” While speaking on the health hazards of substandard sanitary pad, a gynaecologist, Dr Adolphus Essien, said, “many cases of fatal sepsis have been recorded due to this. Some of these pads contain pesticides and herbicides, which when used, directly enters the blood stream and interferes with your internal organs. In addition to skin irritation, unsafe sanitary pads makes women susceptible to all kinds of life threatening reproductive diseases. “ And yes, they are cancer causing. Of course, these pads will not cause cancer right away, but using them again and again for years can potentially increase your risk of cancer. Some sanitary napkins carry BPA with other chemicals, which over time, enter the human body and interfere with the reproductive system. They are also major cause of hygiene related diseases.” Wake up Call to Government, Regulators While the preference for sanitary pad, tampons and other healthy options over traditional materials like tissue and reusable cloth pads became dominant due to the health hazards posed by
the latter, the spread of fake menstrual pad is gradually threatening the importance and healthy options attached to sanitary napkin. Indeed, the Federal Government and other international bodies have been trying their best to bridge MHM wide gaps in Nigeria, especially as the 2030 deadline for the sustainable development goals is drawing closer. Notwithstanding, the spread of fake absorbent materials, especially, sanitary pads, has received little or less attention. Years back and even recently, there has been news of the circulation of fake sanitary pad in foreign countries, most especially China.The positive news is that perpetrators are usually brought to book and make public, which in the process scared prospective adulterators. Very recently, attention was drawn to a video on social media where two unidentified men were caught placing unbranded sanitary towels into the package of a popular brand.This has left many people concerned about their health. In Nigeria, not much seizure, interception or convicted cases have been heard about this nefarious act which raises question as to what the regulators are doing in this regard, despite the spread of the substandard product. Several calls and messages put across to Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to react to this issue yielded no result despite promises to get back to our reporter. The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on its part said it has no knowledge of fake sanitary pad and as such has no record of arrest and interception. But the National Agency for Food Drug and Control (NAFDAC), confirmed seizure of fake sanitary pad including baby diaper in recent times and explained the steps it has and is still taking to arrest the menace. According to the Director, Public Affairs, NAFDAC, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, who provided THISDAY with a long list of seized brands, the agency has been engaged with continuous mop-up exercises to remove adulterated products from circulation. He said, “We have made culprits to make payment of administrative charges to serve as deterrent to others. We have also arrested, detained and prosecuted offenders in very serious cases.” Manufacturer’s Position To the Head of Marketing, Kimberly Clark, West Central Africa, Kemi Saliu, this is a reality that needed to be fought by all stakeholders including the government, regulators, consumers, sellers and manufacturers. Saliu who spoke on the sidelines of the launch
of Kotex range of sanitary products in Lagos recently, stated that the company had identified the challenge, hence, its interest in the space to arrest the menace of fake sanitary pads. She said,” Women are getting more exposed and they have come to see reasons why they should embrace healthier choices during their period other than the old method. However, they are now being discouraged as a result of low standard period supplies in the market. We have seen a lot of them , this is why we at Kimberly-Clark are pulling all stops to avoid same thing with our brand. The quality of our products remain the same in US, Kenya, Europe and other market. “ With the launch of our new range of sanitary pads in normal, long and extra long as well as tampons in normal and super, we have more quality products on offer to complement the Huggies brand in Nigeria. The new range ensures that young women can be rest assured that they now have a product focused on delivering high quality sanitary protection. “This is because the company has a track record of ensuring strong operational procedures to ensure that every product from our facilities meets proper international specifications, requirements and most importantly, the needs of our discerning global consumers”. Way Out As a way out, Saliu suggested a collaborative effort to tackle the menace. In particular, she felt the consumers has a lot to do to correct the system. “At this juncture, consumers need to speak up. In case they purchase any fake period supplies, they should take necessary steps and make it open until it gets to relevant authorities”. To the consumers also, Jimoh of NAFDAC, offered helpful tips that can put them on a safe side at the point of purchase. He said, “consumers are advised to check the seal of the products to confirm it’s air tight in order to detect exposure to moisture. Again, they should check out for unusual discoloration as a result of microbial contamination. They should also look at the label for the source and possible spelling mistakes, absorbing and fluid retention capacity are important qualities and lastly, registration by NAFDAC is the surest way to a good buy.” Meanwhile, Dr Essien Adolphus urged government to check storage, investigate suspected cases of vaginitis from sanitary towels and encourage more hygienic packaging from onset. “It’s a very serious problem that must be tackled headlong”, he maintained.
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INAUGURAL ADDRESS
BY HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR BALA ABDULKADIR MOHAMMED, CON, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SWEARING IN AS THE GOVERNOR OF BAUCHI STATE ON WEDNESDAY, 29th MAY, 2019
A TIME FOR HOPE; A TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE MY BAUCHI PROJECT The Rt Honourable Speaker, House of Representatives, Your Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Distinguished Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, The Hon. Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, My Lords, the Chief Judge and Grand Khadi, The Chairman, PDP Bauchi State, My colleagues, former Ministers and Senators,
2. A HUGE LOAN PORTFOLIO From the evidence so far, this Administration and indeed successive Administrations, will be saddled with servicing a very huge loan portfolio. While governments invariably resort to borrowing, to bridge funding gaps, especially for self-regenerating projects, the problem with the existing debt stock is the lack of transparency in their application and the fact that the projects for which the loans were taken are not capable of repaying or the projects were never executed at all.
Your Royal Highnesses.
The Government I am privileged to replace inherited a debt of N96 Billion from previous Administrations. My predecessor’s Government has piled up another N40 Billion within four years, shooting our total cumulative debt to N136 Billion. The unfortunate impact of this is that debt servicing will now significantly encroach on funds and shortchange our cash flow. It means we shall be compelled to seek financial support for our ambitious economic recovery plan. The difference, however, is that for every Naira we attract, there shall be a commensurate return on investment.
Members of the Press Corps, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. I stand before you today to celebrate a great moment in the history of our state. I am humbled by the privilege and grateful to – Allah SWT for the rare opportunity to address you. To start with, it is common knowledge that, never before, in the history of our state, has a government in power been replaced after the first term. Secondly, never before, in the history of our state, has there been an overwhelming consensus, on the imperative of voting out an incumbent government. The consensus that led to this historic moment was unprecedented: historical disagreements were thrown away; personal interests were subjugated; conventional alliances were shattered, age-long adversaries started singing the same song; all in a single-minded resolve, to terminate the government in power. To the patriots who created this unprecedented consensus, the overriding objective was to roll back the train of stagnation that was railroading our dear state to the backwater of irreparable decay, and to launch it on the path of people-oriented progress. Thirdly, never before, in the history of our state have the people fallen into so inconsolable despair due to the systematic erosion of their welfare, the near total absence of opportunities for self-actualization and the collapse of critical infrastructure. I am humbled by these stark historical facts; facts that have another historical implication: at no time, in the history of our state, has an incoming administration been confronted with so great expectation, by so large a population, as the government that, by the grace of God, I have the privilege to lead. Does that rattle me? No! On the contrary, here is my message to the good people of Bauchi State. For the reasons given above, my wife and I, on behalf of my family, and the government that I shall lead, do not intend to and will never, for one moment, take this historical mandate for granted. For us, this is indeed a solemn moment. As we celebrate the hard won victory, we are summoned to reflect on the real import of this moment. Reflect, we must do because this is not a victory for any one political party, though my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has the right to claim victory; it is not a victory for any ethnic or interest group; it is not a victory for any gender or generation because as we are all aware, the despair and desperation that pushed the electorate to the broad consensus, that brought about this historic victory, cut across every group of our society. This is a victory for the long-suffering electorate of Bauchi State who watched helplessly as their collective patrimony was squandered through a mindless patronage system that excluded the vast majority, from the dividends of democracy. It is a victory to restore the historical stature of Bauchi State as a foremost Agricultural Belt; a Manufacturer and Exporter of solid manpower, a Tourism destination of global acclaim; a peaceful, serene and clean environment that has been home to peoples of different ethnic backgrounds, faith systems and ideological persuasions, all pursuing their legitimate life goals without fear or molestation. It is a victory for our senior citizens, the patriots who have been denied their legitimate entitlements in terms of pensions and gratuities, and who, for a moment, are left to wonder whether the section of our first national anthem that assures, that the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain, was inserted in error. My message, to such disconsolate compatriots, is that hope has come! That is the essence of this victory. That is the challenge of the moment. TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES Fellow compatriots, as I stand before you on this solemn occasion, I want to be very frank with you, the same way that I spoke during the campaign. We should never, for once, underestimate the magnitude of the task ahead. As I speak, I must confess that we are still in the process of establishing the magnitude of the challenges before us or to put it differently, the true state of affairs of the state. Nonetheless, we have identified the following challenges: 1. INSUFFICIENT CASH FLOW Though the receipts from the Federation account have dwindled due to the decline in oil revenues, the problem of cash flow has been compounded by an over-bloated, ambiguous, fraud infested payroll system; by a profligate and unaccountable system that has no respect for transparency; in short by a generally failed governance structure. To clear the Augean Stable and sanitize the system remains a huge challenge. But do not despair: hope has come.
3. HUGE OUTSTANDING LIABILITIES Aside from the debt profile stated above which are primarily loans taken for specific projects, other outstanding liabilities are in the areas of pensions and gratuities, leave grants and contractor liabilities, the actual position of which remain uncertain. To anyone familiar with elementary economics, owing local contractors contracts the economy, freezes employment and cause general dislocation in the flow of economic activities. Those who owe serving civil servants and pensioners huge salaries and entitlements, erode purchasing power, creating huge gaps in the provision of goods and services, causes social disharmony and generally asphyxiate the economy. Unfortunately, that is Bauchi State today. Again, I urge you, do not despair: Hope has come. One thing I can assure you is that under my watch and by the grace of God, civil servants salaries will henceforth be first line charge in word and deed. Secondly, immediate steps shall be taken, through a committee that will comprise all stakeholders, to devise ways and means of ensuring regular payment of gratuities while offsetting outstanding liabilities. 4. DEARTH OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE This administration will take off, inheriting a legacy of decaying infrastructure: dilapidated school buildings, run down and dingy hospital structures and equipment, collapsed roads crying for rehabilitation and the acute scarcity of water in the state capital of Bauchi. This is replicated in all Local Governments. Without critical infrastructure, attracting investors, whether local or foreign, will be a tall order and our economy will continue to stagnate. Do we fold our hands, do nothing and watch things deteriorate? The answer, my good people, is obvious; A capital No! In rejecting the old order, you did not elect us to fold our hands or to complain endlessly in blame games. You have entrusted the next four years in our care because you believe we can make a difference. With your support and by the grace of the Almighty Allah, we will secure a great future for not only ourselves but for generations unborn. The message here is “Hope has come and we are here to make a difference”. That is the legacy of our great patriot and leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto of blessed memory. Such was the selfless service of the Golden Voice of Africa, our own illustrious son, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister and a reminder of the greatness that resonates in our DNA. In a short while, our team will unveil our master-plan, a comprehensive infrastructure development template, on which every other programme will run. I am confident that Bauchi State will regain its pride of place as one of the states to beat. 5. COLLAPSED AND NON-FUNCTIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND HEALTH FACILITIES The fifth challenge is the one that touches the very essence of life, which is education. It will be recalled that, far back into the First Republic, Bauchi State was reputed as one of the bastions of all categories of educated manpower, in Nigeria. Unfortunately, that reputation has been blown away and the state has become a byword for educational backwardness; a shadow of its former self. The greatest evidence of this decline is the report by the UNESCO that, there are 1.3 million out-of-school children in the state, the highest in Nigeria. The performance of the state in public examinations such as WASC, NECO and JAMB, is nothing to write home about. This is the scandalous legacy that our administration is inheriting. But we are not daunted. Hope has come. We are here to make a difference. With every sense of responsibility, on behalf of the good people of Bauchi State, I offer our apologies to the victims of this sordid neglect; to the patriots whose voices were drowned; to the parents who watched helplessly as their children and wards were left behind in the quest for education; to all of them, I say, do not despair: Hope has come. Our covenant: never again will any child of school age be left behind because of either circumstance of birth or official neglect. We avow, without equivocation, that education is the inalienable right of every child; we affirm, with all the emphasis at our command, our commitment to the millennium Development Goal in education. And we pledge, on our honour, that we shall equitably and judiciously apply every resource and goodwill towards revving education in Bauchi State. Today, we send a clarion message to every man and woman, to every organisation and country of goodwill, to come to Bauchi and help us. We trust that by the grace of God, we shall prevail. The situation in the health sector is painfully scandalous, and calls for the declaration of a state of emergency. As is axiomatic, facts do not lie. The World Health Organisation (WHO) doctor to patient ratio is 1:600. Thus, with a population estimated at seven million persons, Bauchi will require 7000 doctors. Sadly, however, there
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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019 are only 44 doctors in the state. That gives a ratio of about 1:160, 000 (one doctor to 150, 000 patients). That is a stout mockery of the WHO ratio and leaves you with the painful feeling that our people have been left behind in the global effort to achieve the Universal Health Coverage, UCH. Going by the saying that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, one can only conjecture the mental, emotional and psychological balance of the people and why, their quest for change before the elections, assumed an urgency that bordered on desperation. By extension, that is why this mandate is a sacred call to duty which should never be betrayed. Again, I say, do not despair: Help has come. Our team, comprising some of the patriots whose voices were drowned and their expertise spurned, are ready, anxious to turn things around, and by the grace of God we shall make a positive difference. 6. HIGH RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT As we knocked on doors, walked the streets and campaigned through the state, we were confronted with an army of unemployed or underemployed people, particularly restless youth and women whose eyes sent out the message of despair, disappointment and suspicion even before they uttered a word. It was a very touchy experience ranking only second to the anguish I felt as I listened to the lamentations of our long-suffering pensioners. I must say, with every sense of responsibility, that the situation was the inevitable outcome of the structure I inherited. To worsen the situation, without any support from a clueless and uncaring government, it is no surprise that the 20 big industries in the state have collapsed thereby releasing their workers into the unemployment market. To compound matters, the over 100 small and medium scale enterprises that provided some form of direct or indirect employment have either collapsed or are tottering on the brink of extinction. This is, undeniably, the predictable result of the failure of governance. The absence of a well-articulated economic blueprint, coupled with the absence of the political will to take the decisions that will attract investment, left the economy prostrate and job opportunities absent. We are confronting this challenge head-on. Very soon, our government will unveil an empowerment program that, at once, facilitates capacity building while providing some safety net for the jobless youth. 7. DRUG ADDICTION AND YOUTH GANGSTERISM The saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop could not have found better expression than the state of affairs in Bauchi today. With 1.3 million children out of school and roaming the streets, with thousands of frustrated young school leavers without jobs, economic empowerment programs or any social safety nets, many of our youths have become ready recruits into self-destructing drug addiction and Gangster rings. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a clear and present danger. It must be confronted and tackled without delay. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, my compatriots from within and outside Bauchi State, my professional colleagues in the media, I want to make it manifestly clear that, in enumerating the challenges, my administration is not preparing an alibi for abdicating our responsibilities or for betraying this historical mandate. God forbid! That is far from the position. Indeed, by the grace of God who has mercifully bestowed this mandate on us, let the proud people of Bauchi State know that I have come to this assignment fully conscious of the demands and prepared, with the support of members of my team and the grace of God, to deliver. However, in order to reverse this trend, we must be prepared, all of us: men and women, young and old, urban dwellers and rural dwellers, self-employed and government worker; to make the necessary sacrifices for the common good. That is the essence of sacrifice. And that is the only way to change the narrative, from despair to pride and fulfillment. To achieve this change in narrative, this administration will embark on a paradigm shift; that recruits every stakeholder in the Bauchi Project as a development partner; an arrangement that will attract partners from all over the world according to global best practices; a process that, within the next four years, will lift Bauchi to one of the five most attractive states for investment, in Nigeria. This is what I have tagged: My Bauchi Project.
MY BAUCHI PROJECT Fellow compatriots; in preparation for this responsibility, I had assembled a team of technocrats, administrators, university dons, political leaders across party lines and labour leaders, to draw up an agenda that would jump start the economic transformation objective of the Administration. These patriots, led by Professor Usman Bugaje of the Arewa Research and Development Project, were asked to look at resource endowment potentials (areas of comparative advantage) of the state; capacity building and people empowerment; the changing economic environment brought about by the digital intrusion and ultimately, preparing Bauchi for the post-oil economy which is bound to come soon. From all the studies and my personal understanding of the path that we must thread, I hereby present our agenda for the transformation of Bauchi State, based on but not restricted, to the following programmes: • Improvement in governance • Agricultural Transformation • Vigorous promotion of agro-allied industries through creation of Industrial Parks to attract investment, foreign investment flow; Digital interface etc • IGR Boost: Harnessing the solid mineral and oil and gas endowments of the state, etc • Revival of Education with emphasis on skills acquisition to produce manpower for the industrial sector • Jobs Creation through functional education • Rural Transformation driven by democratically elected local government councils and partners • Health for All anchored on a robust health insurance scheme • Fiscal Transparency: to eliminate cash drain 1. IMPROVEMENT IN GOVERNANCE In our commitment to the ideals of a new Bauchi State, the emergence of a robust, well-coordinated and highly efficient governance structure shall be given top priority. To facilitate this, we intend to run an open government that gives every stakeholder access to decision-making processes. Secondly, we recognize that for the administration to give value for money, our personnel must be up-to-date in global best practices and skills. Therefore, we shall expose our civil servants to requisite human capital development programmes. In return, we would expect, and I shall demand that they not only deploy their competences to the tasks ahead but also exhibit the highest levels of patriotism and transparency. These are attributes that must be internalized if we are to rewrite the ugly narrative of the dismal performances in the past. I wish to state that on this, there shall be no compromise. 2. AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION Historically, agriculture has been the mainstay of the economy of the state. Bauchi State has one of the largest arable lands in Nigeria; our soil is versatile and can grow virtually every cash crop and support animal husbandry; above all, we have a huge population of able-bodied men and women who can be mobilized into the agricultural sector. Sadly, the contribution of this vital sector has declined over the years. What happened? To understand this, we must come to terms with the rapid changes that are daily taking place, globally. If we are not to be left behind, we must embrace change. Luckily, we have done our baseline studies. We have identified the factors, responsible for the decline. We have established the huge potentials out there for those who possess the focus to tap into the opportunities by massively developing extension services, providing farm implements, (fertilizer, land clearing, improved seeds/seedlings) and raising yield/output for utmost productivity. We have designed the strategy, to restore agriculture to its pride of place. The template we have developed will transform agriculture into a money-spinning enterprise. It will serve as the pivot of an agro-allied revolution. It will massively provide the avenue for employment of our youth. It will drive an aggressive IGR programme through export revenue and trigger wide development in the agriculture value chain. In doing this, I shall fall back to my experience as the Minister of the Federal Capital territory where we were able to raise the contribution of agriculture from a paltry 3% to 10% of the GDP. We did it in the FCT; in sha Allah, we will do it here. I invite our teeming youth to join me in creating a new vista of prosperity by embracing the potentials in the agricultural sector. Details of the agricultural revolution will be unveiled soon. 3. VIGOROUS PROMOTION OF AGRO-ALLIED INDUSTRIES Our administration will create the enabling environment for private sector organisations to take advantage of
the opportunities that exist on the global market for both unprocessed and semi processed agricultural products. The state is blessed with an abundance of these products that are in high demand. What is lacking is the capacity to tap into this treasure chest. We shall promote and support value addition to empower our local farmers to eventually become competitive, globally. We have identified the problems of investors. In Abuja, we created the Second Idu Industrial Zone. It worked. Here in Bauchi, my administration will establish an industrial park that will serve as a one-stop investment mall. The needed engineering infrastructure, governance platform, tax relief and a one-stop investment promotion office all aimed at ameliorating the plight of investors will be created. As part of the strategy for promoting ease of doing business, we intend to create a special vehicle for driving investment in the form of the Bauchi Special Economic Zone. The emphasis of the zone which shall run on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model will be, to enhance the agriculture value chain. Through the envisioned SEZ, the Government hopes to diversify exports, create employment and generally grow the economy of the state. We are confident that, with the huge population of seven million people, given the right investment climate, entrepreneurs of various shapes will inundate Bauchi for opportunities. That is our goal and we are confident that we shall not fail. 4. REVENUE BOOST Boosting the paltry and often, unremitted, IGR of the state is no longer a necessity but a mandatory survival imperative for, two reasons. The first is the decline and unpredictable receipts from the Federation Account based on the volatile situation in the global oil market. Secondly, Ladies and gentlemen, the time to prepare for the post-oil economy is NOW! By the year 2034, vehicles in Europe and America will cease to run on fossil fuels. The implication for any mono economy cannot be overstated. Demand for Nigeria’s oil will drop. As the saying goes, to be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. Now that we have been warned, we owe it a responsibility to the present and future generations, to diversify sources of income of the state. Towards this end, our strategy is to behave as if the oil never existed in the first place. My Government will actively collaborate with the NNPC towards harnessing the oil deposits discovered in Bauchi State. But we will not anchor our IGR expectations on it alone. To boost our IGR, we will, within the laws of the land: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Actively promote exploitation of solid minerals; Collaborate with reputable companies to diversify the economy; Adopt global best practices in the areas of provision of revenue generating capital projects; Plug all the loopholes through which our finances are illegally depleted. Recover all funds looted through over-invoicing, phony contracts or padded wage bills.
I am aware that through the assistance of the World Bank, there had been an attempt to make payroll and personnel management more transparent through the Budget and Treasury Management Information System (BATMIS), which has human resource and payroll components similar to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) of the Federal Government, but this has been frustrated and is yet to be operationalized to support payroll controls in wage bill management in Bauchi State. To signpost our commitment to transparency, we would push ahead the deployment of the BATMIS in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and their workforce. This would translate into substantial savings through blocking the financial leakages of ghost workers. As part of the gains, once the MDAs are properly streamlined, we intend to employ hundreds of new graduates into the Bauchi State Civil Service. 6. To ensure adequate cash management, Government will introduce the Treasury Single Account (TSA). It would be mainstreamed to increase cash availability by consolidating at a single avenue, funds hitherto kept by the various MDAs in multiple commercial bank accounts. This would entail comprehensive institutional arrangements, covering major capital receipts, taxes, donor funds, internally generated revenues (IGRs), and levies. Thus, my dear compatriots, on the issue of IGR, as in other cases, do not despair. Rest, assured that we shall completely overhaul the IGR base of the state, adapting global best practices to suit our local peculiarities, in a manner that secures the best interests of our people. 5.
REVIVAL OF EDUCATION WITH EMPHASIS ON:
I. Bridging the teacher/pupil ratio of 1:400 through recruitment of more teachers II. Exposing 1000 teachers in the school system to additional training under a special programme soon to be perfected with the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI). This is in marked contrast to the prevailing situation where only about twenty teachers received such training annually. III. Emphasis on vocational and technical education to facilitate skills acquisition and produce manpower for the industrial sector, local entrepreneurs and oil/gas industries. IV. Computer literacy to embrace digital commerce which is boosting prosperity globally I have no doubt that most people, including relevant international and advocacy groups, will be anxious to know how we intend to get the 1.3 million out of school children, back into the school system. I must say that I am hundred percent committed to achieving that. But we must balance our emotions with the hard reality of our environment by noting the following factors. 1. First, we are in the last two months of the school year which means that pupils cannot be admitted now. 2. Second, admission goes hand in hand with the availability of personnel, teaching materials and accommodation, among other requirements. The painful truth is that the carrying capacity of the system cannot absorb such a large number of pupils without completely collapsing. 3. Third, admission of pupils should be preceded by a thorough psychological evaluation to ascertain the most effective way of re-engaging those affected, into the society. In other words, there is the need to make adequate preparations before admitting them back to school. But let me reassure the good people of Bauchi State that they should not despair. Hope has come. Our target is to ensure that, four years from now, Bauchi State, the fifth largest state in Nigeria, will rank among the five best performing states in the country, in competitive examinations. More importantly, our Educational Development plans will emphasize functionality, skills acquisition and computer literacy; all aimed at equipping products of our institutions for the ambitious economic transformation agenda of our government. 6. IMPROVING HEALTH CARE DELIVERY To the most vulnerable members of our society, the incoming administration would provide financial protection as envisaged under the universal health coverage (UHC) programme of the W.H.O. We are confident that this would ensure that families and households do not become impoverished as a result of seeking healthcare as is so often the case in Bauchi State today. Because we are conversant with the catastrophic effects of out-ofpocket expenses on our families, the incoming Administration, in collaboration with the Federal Government, intends to place half a million family members under health insurance by the year 2023. The primary healthcare level will be strengthened to provide majority of the services required in our communities. We commit to making pregnancy and childhood safe for all citizens wherever they live. At present 1 in 115 live births result in a mother dying from preventable causes related to limited access to either basic midwifery or emergency care. To improve access to quality midwifery care, the government will strengthen and expand the Midwifery schools, but beyond training more midwives, we would work to retain frontline health workers, too. To address the acute shortage of health workers and the health crisis in Bauchi State as a whole, I would convene a Health Sector Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable Conference which will explore avenues for enhancing the capacity of the workforce in terms of numbers, quality and equitable distribution across the 20 LGAs. 7. RURAL TRANSFORMATION My dear compatriots, this is another area that is central to the paradigm shift targeted by this administration, to accelerate the overall development of the state. We believe that if the Local Government Councils are allowed contd. on Page 44
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44 to function as envisaged by the framers of the constitution, they will be able to absorb some of the pressure on the state and federal levels of government. Besides, the local councils were conceived as training grounds from where leadership recruitment could be facilitated. This has not been the case. Those who have lost hope in the resuscitation of vibrant local councils should not despair: Hope has come. Furthermore, our administration will, be the grace of God, create a Social Safety Net, whereby the poorest of the poor in our State will have access to some financial accommodation to ameliorate their suffering. A RETURN TO DUE PROCESS It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Nothing defines this as the various actions of policy somersault, reversals and impulse capitalization of Government. Some of the issues are too sordid to enumerate. I want to state categorically that all Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Secondments, including those that are meant to create friction and divisions along traditional institutions, from the day I was declared by INEC as the winner of the gubernatorial elections to my swearing in, today, are hereby declared null and void. Similarly, this directive also applies to all dubious approvals given on land allocations, sale of government vehicles and houses as well as spurious contracts awarded in the dying minutes of the last Administrations. In cases where the instrumentality of Kangaroo legislation was used as a mask, we shall use the instrumentality of credible legislation to consign the absurdity to the scrap heaps of history. The Secretary to the Bauchi State Government and the most senior officials in the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are directed to ensure strict compliance with this directive. This Administration will establish a high-powered committee to recover all assets and properties of Government that were illegally disposed. GRATITUDE Our dear citizens, it is only fitting and deserving that I start by placing on record, my profound gratitude to the leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. I am very proud of you and the entire membership of our party. We express our deepest gratitude to the representative of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, and his wife Dame Patience Jonathan, Ph.D, as well as my former colleagues, former ministers and distinguished senators for their support and solidarity. I also wish to appreciate the presence of our Elder Statesmen, members of my FCT constituency and the revered traditional institutions who have honoured us with their distinguished presence. I reserve special gratitude to the members of my family, friends and associates as well as the Ulama and other men of God whose prayers lifted my spirits throughout the challenging journey to this destination which, in itself, marks the beginning of another journey. Without your confidence in me, forbearance and countless acts of courage, generosity and grace that I witnessed, throughout the campaigns and beyond, we would not be here today. Let me also specially recognize and thank the business community for believing in my credentials, to unleash the untapped capacity of our people for wealth creation. Here is the opportunity to create wealth for all. To my supporters and the good people of Bauchi State who defied party lines, creed and place of origin, to support my candidacy, there is no better way to thank you than to reiterate my resolve, under God’s guidance, to provide the leadership that will restore confidence in Government, place food on your table and secure the lives and properties of all of us. I want to assure the teeming millions of our party faithful that our Government will not short-change you. This is your Government. You will drive it. You will enjoy the ride. As we mark this historic occasion, our shared humanity compels us to acknowledge that some of our compatriots, who blazed the campaign train with us, have answered Allah’s call. I remember in particular, our illustrious son, the former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame (Santurakin Bauchi) who departed to the Great Beyond only last week. I consider it proper, at this juncture, to request that we all rise and observe a minute’s silence and prayer in their honour. May Allah be merciful unto them and grant their souls peaceful repose. LEADERSHIP BASED ON PARTNERSHIP
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, as the Chinese say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let me sound it loud and clear, that the elections are over. As we start this journey, I and His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Distinguished Senator Baba Tela, come with the clear understanding that, notwithstanding the divisions, acrimony and bitterness that characterized the campaigns, the elections are over. Today, we take over the mantle of leadership bearing no malice, grudge or ill-will towards anyone. We come, with an open mind, conscious that the entire Bauchi State is our constituency. We come with the clear mandate to heal and to repair, to restore hope where there is despair, to bind the wounds inflicted on the dispossessed and to reposition the state for the peace, protection and prosperity of all; irrespective of gender, age, creed or ideology. Today, I enjoin all of you, my worthy compatriots, to join hands with us, as we start the journey to rebuild Bauchi State. As we start this journey, I have not forgotten that I won this election on the platform of a broad-based political consensus. Some notable politicians of the now opposition came out openly to support and campaign for me. The lesson is not lost on me: to whom much is given, much is expected. We shall therefore run an All-inclusive Government. To this end, I hereby extend my invitation to the APC, PRP, ANPP and indeed, all other parties, to join us in the service of Bauchi State and take her to glorious heights. This Administration will provide leadership anchored on a partnership that recognizes the independence of the three arms of government. So, to His Excellency, the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and all the Honourable members, to My Lord, the Chief Judge of Bauchi State and all the Judges of the state High Court, I offer my very deep respects and a hand of friendship: I am here to serve. I congratulate the new executive of the Nigerian Labour Congress in the state and look forward to working with all the workers as we strive to rebuild our state. The workers are usually the greatest victims of an ineffective government. Therefore, I call on the workers of the state to rise and protect their collective patrimony. It can no longer be business as usual. Today, we enthrone a new order based on integrity, accountability, productivity and staff welfare. And we trust that by the grace of the Almighty Allah, we shall succeed. As we disperse from this Grand Ceremony, I want to renew my pledge to the entire citizens of Bauchi State that we will, in-sha Allah, deliver on our promise to make Bauchi one of the best and among the finest. By the special grace of the Almighty Allah, Hope has come. We will make the difference! On behalf of my wife, Her Excellency, Hajia Aisha Bala Mohammed, the Deputy Governor of the state, His Excellency, Senator Baba Tela and all the members of our family, I thank you all for gracing this inauguration of your own government! Again, in-sha Allah: HOPE HAS COME. AL HAM DOULLAH! Long Live Bauchi State!! Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
SENATOR BALA ABDULKADIR MOHAMMED, CON Kauran Bauchi Governor, Bauchi State 29th May 2019P
THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWSEXTRA
You are Motor-park Analysts, BMO Tells The Economist Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has accused “The Economist” magazine of engaging in specious and moribund analysis from an unabashed partisan point of view. The BMO in dismissing the latest of The Economist’s analysis of the state of poverty in Nigeria observed that the international magazine merely immersed itself in aggregating common-place and ill-sourced data. The pro-Buhari group accused the magazine of engaging in frivolous election outcomes prediction, which it said had continued to fail. “This is in the light of “The Economist” sensational off-themark prediction that incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari would lose the 2019 presidential election to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a serial presidential elections loser”, said the group. In the statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Maduekwe, the group described The Economist as a shameless inquisitor with unveiled stakeholder interest in Nigerian affairs, but masquerading as objective analysts. “The Economist’s latest report on the state of poverty in Nigeria is a sheer agglomeration of ill-thought and no reference sources of both primary and secondary data, merely targeted at deriding the present administration in a vicious bid to serve its predetermined agenda. There’s absolutely no way that agglomeration of jaundiced submissions glorifying unverifiable data will pass the test of objectivity and professional analysis “Viewed against the background of its obvious efforts to cause disaffection against the person and administration of the Buhari government through its various rabble-rousing analyses
and reports, it is no surprise that the international news medium has joined the bandwagon of motor-park analysts.” “The only entity known to determine not only the international poverty line but undertake poverty headcount ratio is the World Bank, and as it were, the outcome of the last poverty headcount conducted across countries of the world was published and circulated in 2015. It is in this report that Nigerians living in extreme poverty was stated at 86.9million. This was the last of the ruinous years of the People’s Democratic Party in government “We dare The Economist to make public a World Bank conducted poverty headcount between 2016 and 2019. For clarity, the last headcount was conducted based on an international poverty line value if $1.90 and a 2011 Purchasing Power Parity. What is obvious from this is that the 86.9 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty were generated during the ruinous years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “If The Economist had been a group of conscientious researchers and analysts as flaunted, it would have known that the World Bank is yet to release another report on poverty headcount. The so-called Datalab figures referenced in The Economist analysis are mere estimators with no known methodology. “Whatever The Economist thought it had said in its review is not new, it is just a narrative of false data analyses, misrepresentation of facts and putrid nonsense that had been circulated by opposition figures in Nigeria”, said the BMO. The group said one other insidious reference The Economist made in that invidious analysis is Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio which the analysts at The Economist sensationally put at 28 per
NULGE, SSASCGOC Hail FG, Banks for Implementing NFIU’s Order Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Governmentowned Companies (SSASCGOC) yesterday expressed happiness over the smooth take-off of the directive of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) on disbursement of monetary allocations to the third-tier of government in the country. NULGE and SSASCGOC commended the federal government and the financial institutions for adhering strictly to the guidelines of the NFIU, especially on Joint State-Local Government Account and local government funds. The President of NULGE, Ibrahim Khaleel, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the smooth take-off of the NFIU and the way the banks have cooperated for its smooth takeoff, was encouraging, despite
the stiff opposition from some of the governors. He accused some of the governors of pursuing a selfish agenda to mismanage funds meant for the local governments. “The federal government, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, should be commended for standing on the side of the people, rule of laws and the development of the country, by insisting on NFIU guidelines. “Also, the financial institutions must be commended for strict adherence to the rules, while we praise the unit itself for leading the way in doing a very good job”, the NULGE president said. NFIU is the Nigerian arm of the global financial intelligence Units (FIUs) domiciled within the EFCC but operating as an autonomous unit FIU seeking to ensure compliance with international financial best standards and combating money laundering and funding of terrorism.
cent rather than the validated 21.6 per cent that it is. “Nothing can be more
unfortunate than The Economist’s imprudent repudiation of facts and figures, but we see through
them and we are very conscious of their antics like other such irreverent international media
platforms assaulting the Nigerian people with cash motivated reports.
THANKSGIVING SERVICE…
L-R: Wife of the Presbyter, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos, Ola Solubi; wife of the Bishop of the Diocese of Kwara, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Mary Onaleke; and wife of the Archbishop of Lagos, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Olufunmilayo Olawuyi, at the 2019 Annual Sunday Synod Thanksgiving Service of The Diocese of Lagos Methodist Church of Nigeria, held at the Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos…recently
Osinbajo to Inaugurate W’Africa’s Largest LPG Cylinder Plant Peter Uzoho Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Friday inaugurate a cooking gas cylinder-manufacturing plant in Lagos, the biggest of its type in West Africa. The Chief Executive Officer of Techno Oil Group, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, told journalists in Lagos yesterday that the building of the plant commenced in 2015. She said the project was undertaken by the Techno Oil Group. “His Excellency, the vice president has graciously accepted to commission our Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) manufacturing plant for the service of Nigerians and humanity’’. “The commissioning is slated
for June 7 at the premises of the plant along the Lekki -Epe highway in the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State.’’ She said Techno Oil secured the services of a company from Europe to build the plant with strict supervision of various regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and others. “We expect that the plant will go a long way in generating hundreds of jobs for the teeming Nigerian population, especially those residing in Lagos and save the country huge foreign exchange used in the importation of LPG cylinders before now. “At full capacity, the
automated plant will produce over five million units of standard LPG cylinders annually for the Nigerian markets and indeed markets in the West African sub-region. “This project is another milestone in our company’s efforts at bridging the infrastructure gap hindering the penetration and adoption of LPG in Nigeria,’’ Obi stated. According to her, the plant will not only generate jobs but will also come handy in driving the Nigerian economy through innovation in line with the policy objective of the federal government in the oil and gas value-chain. She said Techno Oil was keen on ensuring the success of the Clean and Green Energy for
Lagos initiative of the Lagos State government, aimed at promoting environmentally friendly practices. Obi restated that Nigeria had no reason to be importing LPG cylinders at this stage in the country’s development because of capital flight and the tendency of unscrupulous people to import fake and sub-standard cylinders. She harped on the need for Nigerians to embrace LPG for their domestic needs, rather than depending on unhealthy, hazardous and dangerous energy sources, including kerosene, fire wood and charcoal. The Techno oil boss expressed her optimism that Nigeria would start exploiting its abundant gas resources optimally for faster growth of the economy.
Nasarawa APC, Party Chieftain Urge Buhari to Intervene in Oshiomhole, Oyegun Feud Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia The Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and a chieftain of the ruling party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the fued between Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party’s immediate past national chairman, and Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, its current National Chairman. Chairman of the APC in the state, Philip Tatari Shekwo, made the call in an interaction with THISDAY in Lafia, the state capital. He stated further that
President Buhari was the only person that could save the party from imminent collapse. Shekwo who claimed that the whole thing was about 2023 continued that, “it will be too over-ambitious of anybody to be taking about 2023 now. And because of 2023, you are going to destabilise the same vehicle you are going to use to get what you want in that year.” “It is very obvious to me that some of the leaders are not being patriotic about the APC. So, I am calling on them to rather settle down and look at the thing passionately and resolve the matter before it gets out of hand.”
“It is very saddening that we lost some states. Nobody will be happy about it, and I am sure even the national chairman himself is not happy about it. So, instead of blaming one person, it is better the leadership to all sit down and re-strategise the party,” he said. A chieftain of the APC, Nabena, has also called on President Buhari to intervene in the hostilities between OdigieOyegun, and Oshiomhole. He made the call in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, in reaction to the ongoing war of words between the two chieftains of the ruling party.
However, Nabena who is also the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, said the war of words between OdigieOyegun and Oshiomhole, was unnecessary, describing the development as a distraction that could weaken the party. “Elections have been won and lost, high-level meetings such as National Caucus and the National Executiven Committee are there to address party matters. “I call on our respected leaders, particularly the current and immediate past national chairmen to end their public hostilities, particularly in the media,” he said.
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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019
THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY
47
THURSDAYSPORTS
Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 08111813083
Zimbabwe’s Warriors to Storm Nigeria Today A 26 –man delegation of the senior national team of Zimbabwe, known as Warriors, will land in Nigeria on Thursday night aboard a South
African Airways flight, ahead of Saturday’s pre-AFCON sendforth international friendly with the Super Eagles. Thenff.com learnt the
FIFA Formally Welcomes Super Falcons to France 2019 World football-ruling body, FIFA yesterday formally welcomed African champions Nigeria to the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. In a session at their Hotel Mercure Reims Centre Cathedral, players and officially performed the ‘Welcome’ ritual and were taken through the rules of the game by FIFA official Sandra Hunt. A second session, on antidoping, was guided by Dr. Rheema Alhosani. The sessions were conducted after the Super Falcons’ first training session in Reims which
lasted 90 minutes. The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will kick off on Friday with a clash between France and Korea Republic at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Matches will also take place in Grenoble, Le Havre, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, Rennes and Valenciennes. Nigeria file out on Saturday evening against Norway at the Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims, and will tackle Korea Republic at the Stade des Alpes in Grenoble on 12th June, before taking on France at the Roazhon Park in Rennes on 17th June.
Zimbabwe delegation will spend Thursday night in Lagos, and fly to Asaba on Friday morning. On Friday evening, the Warriors will hold their official training session at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, venue of Saturday’s encounter that begins at 6pm. Zimbabwe will campaign in Group A of the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Egypt 21st June – 19th July, alongside host nation Egypt, Democratic Republic
of Congo and Uganda. Nigeria is the seeded team in Group B that also has Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar. The Warriors will actually kick off the tournament against hosts Egypt at the Cairo Stadium on the night of 21st June. Meanwhile, three –time champions Nigeria have fully settled down in Asaba for the match, which is the first of their two remaining games leading up to the AFCON.
Their last match is against Africa’s number one –ranked team, Senegal in Ismailia on Sunday, 16th June. Of the 25 players invited by Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr for the final phase of the preparations, only defender William Ekong is expected to arrive on Thursday. Defender Abdullahi Shehu and forwards Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi arrived the team’s Golden Tulip Hotel just before lunch on Wednesday,
while forward Odion Ighalo, top scorer in the entire qualifying campaign, was expected on Wednesday night. After Saturday’s game, the Nigeria contingent will fly to Egypt on Sunday aboard a chartered aircraft, for another week of intensive strategy and tactics perfection. The NFF must submit the final list of 23 players to the Confederation of African Football by Tuesday, 11th June.
NPFL Playoff: Our Fitness Overwhelmed FC IfeanyiUbah, Says Lobi’s Ogenyi Fisayo Dairo For the thousands of spectators that watched the last fixture on Day 1 of the 2019 NPFL Championship Playoffs between last season winners, Lobi Stars and 2018/19 season’s surprise package FC Ifeanyiubah, the Benue side stood out for the incredible fitness level of their players Lobi Stars recorded the highest score margin of the opening match day at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday, winning 3-1 over the dazed Anambra Warriors in a game played under floodlights. Right from the very beginning when Samad Kadiri raced clear to finish Kelly Kester’s pass with just about ninety seconds on the clock, Lobi’s players did not stop running even until the final minute. Right back John Lazarus was at his overlapping best, midfielders Kester and Alex Aghahowa harassed their opponents with incredible sprints throughout the contest while Kadiri and his strike partner Sikiru Alimi ran across the front with gusto and verve. FC Ifeanyiubah’s young side responded at some point but in the end could not match the physicality and high tempo pressing of the 2018/19 CAF Champions League campaigners. Head coach Evans Ogenyi believes that his team’s display should not be unexpected considering the level they came from at the CAF Champions League. “You know we just came back from the continent even though it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t go beyond the group stage but then we’ve been able to restore Nigeria’s second slot in the CAF competitions and the experience was valuable,” said Ogenyi to www.npfl.ng “If you’re not fit, you cannot play at that level. So we’ve been servicing all areas of fitness because we know that at the end of the day, it will actually take us far.” In “servicing” their fitness,
Lobi Stars had camped in Ijebu-Ode, near Lagos for the past twelve days and the closed camping system has helped them to condition their players in the right frame of mind for the season-ending competition. Ogenyi, who served as the first assistant coach under the late Solomon Ogbeide and is now in his third stint as head coach of his state club, also praised his players for the victory over FC Ifeanyiubah, insisting that the 2016 Federation Cup winners were not easy to deal with. He continued: “It’s not an easy win. Any team that has qualified for this stage is not a pushover. “For you to qualify for this playoff, you should be congratulated and I told my players at half time that we needed to up our game because at the end of the competition, goals permutations can come to play. “I saw 2-2 (between Pillars and Akwa United) and I saw 1-0 (Enyimba vs Rangers) so if you have the opportunity to win, you need to win convincingly so I give kudos to my boys for raising the bar in the second and we scored two more goals to record the biggest win today (Tuesday).” Lobi’s second game in the round-robin tournament will come up against Rangers, a fellow continental campaigner on Thursday. The Flying Antelopes from Enugu have found Lobi Stars a tough nut to crack in recent matches and Ogenyi is hoping his side builds on Tuesday’s win. “You must take each match as it comes, we have played ourselves before and at this stage the result could go either way but then we hope to build on what we have started on Tuesday,” said the former Bayelsa United and Jigawa Golden Stars head coach.
Matchday 2 Fixtures Today
Akwa Utd vs FC Ifeanyi Ubah - 3pm Rangers Int’l vs Lobi Stars - 5pm Kano Pillars vs Enyimba Int’l - 7pm
FIFA President Infantino (second left), CAF President Ahmad (left), CAF 1st VP/NFF President Pinnick (second right) and CAF 2nd VP Omari Constant Selemani (right) after the FIFA Congress in Paris yesterday
Gianni Infantino Re-elected for Second Term as FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as president of football’s world governing body Fifa for a second term. The Swiss-Italian, 49, was re-elected until 2023 without opposition at Fifa’s annual congress in Paris. He succeeded Sepp Blatter in 2016 and has increased the number of teams at the 2026 World Cup and proposed key changes to the Club World Cup. Ex-president Blatter was in charge for 17 years until
he was banned amid a corruption scandal. Infantino’s re-election was marked by a round of applause, after rules were changed earlier in the day to no longer require a vote from Fifa’s 211 members if only one candidate was standing. In a lengthy speech at the congress, Infantino focussed on the relative calm of his first term in charge compared to the situation he inherited. “Nobody talks about crisis
at Fifa any more or rebuilding it from scratch,” he said. “Nobody talks about scandals or corruption, we talk about football. We can say that we’ve turned the situation around. “This organisation has gone from being toxic, almost criminal, to being what it should be - an organisation that develops football and is now synonymous with transparency, integrity.” Former Uefa secretary general Infantino was behind
the expansion of the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Plans to bring the expansion forward to the 2022 World Cup were however abandoned last month. In March, Fifa approved Infantino’s plans for a 24-team Club World Cup starting in 2021, despite top European clubs saying they would boycott the tournament.
VA R C O N T R O V E R S Y
CAF Strips Esperance of League Title, Orders Rematch The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Emergency Committee that sat in Paris has officially decided that the 2018/2019 CAF Champions League game will be a rematch after the VAR controversy. The rematch between Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad of Morocco will take place on neutral ground. According to Morocco World News quoting television channel, Arriyadia, the game will take place in South Africa. The executive committee is considering if the Rades Stadium, in Tunisia, should be suspended as a
consequence of the foul play from one of its referees in combination with the Video Assistant Referee technology (VAR) being out-of-order during crucial moments of the match. There might also be a fine for Esperance and the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF). FTF requested that the match be scheduled after CAN 2019 in Egypt. That request has allegedly been denied. After a football scandal that Wydad Athletic Club chairman, Said Naciri has deemeda “total shame for African football,” CAF had
convened an emergency meeting in Paris to examine the unprecedented controversies between Tunisian Esperance and WAC. The scandal was caused when the VAR, was said to not be functioning when it was necessary to review critical moments of the match. By not having the VAR in functioning order prior to the match, the referee allegedly breached several rules of the game, costing WAC the goal which would have tied the CAF Champions League 2018/2019. WAC players protested the referee when Esperance was
declared the championship winner, leaving Wydad behind with the final score of 2-1 behind. CAF President Ahmad Ahmad sided with Wydad, arguing that the goal, which was rejected during the second leg, was legitimate. Eventually, he called for an emergency meeting to be held on Tuesday to discuss the VAR controversy during the second leg. On Tuesday, CAF decided to postpone this emergency meeting about the CAF Champions League game until after the re-election of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
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Price: N250
MISSILE Olusegun Obasanjo to Aisha Buhari “It is nice that the president’s wife is talking. I think she did well, and maybe she should also have pillow talk with the president” – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo commending Mrs Aisha Buhari and asking her to go beyond publicly speaking out on Nigeria’s problems by using the power of ‘the other room’ to influence her husband.
OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT
olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com
Between Oando and the Regulator U nderstanding the workings of the Nigerian economy is like trying to read a doctor’s prescription. It is never an easy task. That explains why when I see two or more ‘experts’ arguing about movement of share capital, ‘bullish runs’ and all that, I try as much as possible to keep my distance. Because they could be con-men! The death of a political leader, electricity failure for as insignificant a period as three minutes and even the bedroom antics of political leaders can affect the movement of shares on the Tokyo, London or New York stock exchange markets with far-reaching consequences for the global economy. But the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is immune to political or economic factors. In the last two years of democracy, with its deluge of drama, our stock market has remained unmoved. Political intrigues in the National Assembly have seen to the downfall of two Senate Presidents and a House of Representatives Speaker with no effect. Anywhere else these issues would have seriously impacted the trading floor of credible stock markets. But in our country today, quoted prices are rising even for companies that are not producing! My conclusion is that the Market operates on sentiment, essentially on the whims and caprices of a small group of men and women who have turned themselves to the ‘market forces’--the ‘visible hands’ that Adam Smith made no allowances for in his book, “Wealth of Nations”. They simply allocate share prices based on criteria that cannot be plotted as either supply or demand on what economists describe as ‘curve’… ================================= When I first wrote the foregoing in my 26th April, 2001 column titled, ‘The Nigerian Stock(fish) Market’, it was a response to the absence of transparency and accountability in the Nigerian corporate environment. While cowboy behaviour may be excusable for those who run their private businesses, the moment a company goes to the market to source funds from the public, the rules of engagement should change. It is within that context that we should situate the latest scandal involving Oando Plc, a company that is quoted on both the Johannesburg and Nigerian Stock Exchanges. In a press statement last Friday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released the report of their investigation into the operations of Oando Plc, spanning a period of two years. The findings “revealed serious infractions such as false disclosures, market abuses, misstatements in financial statements, internal control failures, and corporate governance lapses stemming from poor board oversight, irregular approval of directors’ remuneration, unjustified disbursements to directors and management of the company, related party transactions not conducted at arm’s length, amongst others”. On Monday, SEC tightened the noose by constituting an interim management team headed by former Shell Managing Director, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu to oversee the affairs of Oando. The Sunmonu team was further mandated to conduct an Extraordinary General Meeting on or
Tinubu before 1st July to appoint new directors who would subsequently select a management team to replace the Group CEO, Mr Wale Tinubu, his deputy, Mr Mofe Boyo and other affected board members who had been sacked and barred from being directors of public companies for a period of five years. Although Oando has secured a court injunction to restrain SEC, this is an issue of public interest that will not easily go away. In Nigeria, there is always a focus on public sector corruption with scant attention paid to promoters of private companies who play ‘kalo kalo’ with other peoples’ money. Yet, when most people buy shares in a publicly-quoted company, they do so to secure their future and that of their families. That explains why whatever happens in such companies is of public interest. Sadly, the corporate environment in Nigeria is governed by impunity. According to Léonce Ndikumana, a renowned professor of economics with a focus on Africa, “private sector corruption deserves as much attention due to its equally debilitating effects on economic activity”, especially in Nigeria. “A common form of corruption in the financial sector is insider trading, which allows influential insiders including top-ranking managers in the industry to make profits from moving ahead of the market. At the same time, such speculative trading causes drastic losses for honest investors who are often stuck with undervalued assets” Ndikumana wrote in his thesis ‘The Private Sector as Culprit and Victim of Corruption in Africa’ where he made copious references to Nigeria. In the larger context, the private sector cannot be excused from the rot that pervades the Nigerian public space. Corruption, according to Ndikumana, “often entails complicity between private agents and public officials who either provide privileges to the former or turn a blind eye to illicit behaviour by rent-seeking private operators. Under protection by influential politicians, corrupt private actors behave as though they are above the law, benefiting from impunity...” Aside some bank promoters who were jailed under the Failed Bank Decree of
the late General Sani Abacha and one who, in 2010, got a slap on the wrist, no other member of Corporate Nigeria, to my recollection, has ever been seriously punished for fraud. Yet, I know many business men who raked hundreds of millions of Naira for companies that became insolvent shortly after selling their ‘shares’. Many of these businessmen are still walking the streets with a few of them currently holding political offices. In the United States, one of the most celebrated of such cases was that of Mrs Martha Stewart, a famous retail businesswoman and television personality. In an attempt to avoid a loss of $45,673 in December 2001, Stewart sold her 3,928 shares in ImClone, after finding out that the company’s new cancer drug, Erbitux, had been rejected by the regulatory authority. That ‘small amount’ (we are talking of someone who was at that period a billionaire) triggered a fraud investigation and eventual prosecution. Aside serving a jail term and paying hefty fines, Stewart also bagged a five-year ban from being a director, CEO or playing any other officer role responsible for preparing, auditing, or disclosing financial results of any public company. While the board of Oando deserves the right to fair hearing, until we begin to hold people accountable for their actions and rules are applied to all on equal basis, our country will never develop. If the executives of Oando are found guilty of infractions, they should face the full wrath of the law. But this case has to be handled carefully. Amid speculations that SEC might be leaving out certain interested parties or acting at the behest of Mr Gabriele Volpi, the Italian investor fighting for the control of Oando, the only way forward is for the commission to publish the entire forensic audit report, in the interest of transparency. More worrisome is that the issue has dragged for two years and in the process, value has been destroyed. Right now, Oando poses a serious systemic risk to the banking sector. According to the company’s first quarter report released in April, the debt profile has reduced from “$2.5billion as of December 2014 to $558million currently”. That, I understand, was achieved through an aggressive repayment regime that involved sale of prime assets. But we are still talking of a debt of about N200 billion. A good regulator will not take so long to intervene on issues affecting such a company. Nor be indifferent to the implications of taking actions that may unwittingly kill a business on which thousands of Nigerians depend
for their livelihood. Oando at a time accounted for not less than five percent of forex inflows through the secondary market. With an annual turnover of $1.2 billion, it is one of the 10 biggest sources of interest income for the Nigerian banking system. But the company is now in trouble, whatever may be the eventual outcome of the current crisis. Shareholders have in recent months lost hundreds of billions of Naira through price decline and the negative publicity that goes with this scandal will further erode the confidence of its foreign investors. In all the foregoing, the person to blame is President Muhammadu Buhari who has refused to make appointments in critical sectors of the economy. For instance, portfolio investments which in the past raked in billions of dollars in foreign exchange and helped to firm up the Naira have practically dried up because there is no leadership in the capital market. SEC, like PenCom and some other important regulatory agencies, has been left with no statutory board for four years. With acting director generals who are not accountable to anybody, decision making in these important agencies has practically been left in the hands of sole administrators. That is not the way to run a country. In an article on Investopedia titled, ‘Top 4 Most Scandalous Insider Trading Debacles’, Adam Barone traced insider trading in the United States to the early 18th century when William Duer, an assistant secretary of the Treasury used his office to guide bond purchases. But Barone also stated that the American SEC had in the past “made mistakes and accused innocent parties in cases that are borderline, at best” aside the fact that “Insider trading is often difficult for the SEC to spot, and detecting it involves a lot of conjecture and consideration of probabilities.” That should compel SEC to be thorough and rigorous while ensuring that Oando directors are availed all their rights under the law. But this is one issue that cannot be swept away with the APC broom. In Nigeria, private sector corruption is part of what drives most of the looting we see in the public sector. This is perhaps the only country where quoted companies go bankrupt and the public loses huge investments yet no corporate big fish ever goes to jail. I have in recent days read stories of business people in several countries who served prison terms for insider trading and abusing the trust of their investors. To develop as a nation, we must also begin to instill the highest level of accountability in our private sector.
My Condolences Immediately my chairman, Mr Nduka Obaigbena called to break the sad news to me that we had just lost Mrs Helen Bello on Tuesday afternoon, I reached out to THISDAY Managing Director to commiserate with him on his bereavement. But EniB was inconsolable
as he sobbed. At this most difficult period, my heart goes out to him and their children as I share in their grief. I pray that God will grant them fortitude and strength to bear the great pain. And may He comfort the entire family.
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