WEDNESDAY 13TH JUNE 2019

Denying Bloomberg Report, CBN Not Floating the Naira Says no change in exchange rate structure Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday refuted reports that it had floated the naira, Nigeria's currency.

The Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, stated this in a text message to THISDAY, in reaction to a Bloomberg report that the bank had signaled

it would float the naira and allow it to weaken past its official rate as it gradually unwinds its regime of multiple exchange rates. But the CBN spokesman

who described the report as false, said the naira exchange rate remained stable. Okoroafor reaffirmed the bank’s commitment towards ensuring stability in foreign

exchange market. “There has been no change in Nigeria's exchange rate structure. The CBN has not floated the naira. The exchange rate remains stable.

Speculations and reports to the contrary are false,” Okoroafor said in response to the Bloomberg report. Continued on page 6

2019 Budget Threatened as Oil Price Slumps to $60…

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Buhari: We Will Lift 100m Nigerians Out of Poverty To assemble strong team to drive transformation agenda Renames Abuja National Stadium after Abiola Blames political, religious leaders for insecurity Omololu Ogunmade and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday set a 10-year target for Nigeria to lift at least 100 million of its people out of poverty. The president, in his inaugural address for a second

term in office delivered in Abuja, said his administration would thenceforth begin to lay the foundations for accomplishing the poverty redemption goal by offering a leadership with a sense of purpose. Continued on page 6

Oando: Court Allows Tinubu to Seek Judicial Review of SEC’s Sanctions Davidson Iriekpen

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has granted the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu and his deputy, Mr. Omamofe Boyo, leave to file a motion for a judicial review of the sanctions the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) imposed on them.

Tinubu and Boyo, through their counsel, had approached the court for an order to review their ban from being directors of public companies for five years and the additional imposition of N91,125,000 on Tinubu. Justice Ayokunle Faji granted the order of certiorari following

Continued on page 8

INEC to Appeal Judgment on A TOAST TO DEMOCRACY… Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Vice - President Yemi Osinbajo Okorocha’s Certificate of Return… Page 8 L-R: and President Muhammadu Buhari at the celebration of Democracy Day in Abuja… yesterday godwin omoigui

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2019 Budget Threatened as Oil Price Slumps to $60 Ejiofor Alike with agency reports The fundamentals of the 2019 budget are under threat as crude oil price slumped again yesterday to flatten at $60 per barrel, the same benchmark on which the N8.8 trillion budget was predicated. During the preparations of the budget estimates, crude oil price was around $80, thus giving the federal government the comfort to ignore the $50 benchmark proposed in the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) and to opt for $60 as the oil benchmark on which

to base revenue projections for the budget. Concerns that Iranian oil exports to the global market would drop because of renewed sanctions by the United States had pushed the price slightly above $80 per barrel for the first time since November 2014. However, the unexpected rise in the US crude inventories, coupled with weaker outlook for global demand, has continued to push down oil prices, despite the efforts of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers, led by Russia, to reduce excess supply in the global market.

Oil prices yesterday fell more than two per cent, pressured by a sudden rise in US crude and weaker demand. While the international benchmark, Brent crude fell $1.36, or 2.2 per cent, to $60.93 per barrel, the US West Texas Intermediate crude was down $1.39, or 2.6 per cent, to $51.88 per barrel. The slump in the oil prices came after the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported domestic crude stockpiles climbed last week by 2.2 million barrels, against analysts’ forecast of a decrease by 481,000 barrels.

Reuters reported that petrol stocks also increased more than expected. The EIA had Tuesday cut its forecasts for 2019 world oil demand growth and US crude production. Trade tensions between the US and China, the world’s two biggest oil consumers, also weighed on prices. The oil market has been weighed down by concerns about slowing global growth due to the US-China trade war and President Donald Trump’s threats last week to place tariffs on Mexican imports. Trump also said he was

holding up a trade deal with China. To prevent oversupply and prop up the market, OPEC, together with allies including Russia, has withheld some production since the start of the year. The producers, collectively known as OPEC +, have limited their oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day since January 1, this year to prop up prices. With the next meeting of OPEC set for June 25, the oil market is looking if the world’s major oil producers will prolong their supply cuts. Goldman Sachs was quoted

by agency reports as saying an uncertain macroeconomic outlook and volatile oil production from Iran and others could lead OPEC to roll over supply cuts. The Energy Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui, said on Tuesday that OPEC members were close to reaching an agreement on continuing production cuts. After OPEC’s meeting on June 25, the group will hold talks with its allies led by Russia on June 26, although sources have told Reuters that Russia has suggested a date change to between July 3 and 4.

enormity of the tasks ahead. Instead, we are revived by this new mandate to work collaboratively with state and local governments, legislators, the diplomatic corps and all Nigerians to rebuild and reposition our country as the heartbeat and reference point for our continent," he said. Buhari also unfolded plans to integrate rural communities into what he described as the "national grid" by expanding the scope of small-scale loans to farmers and proprietors of small-scale businesses and simultaneously expanding available facilities to boost local production. He said: "First, we will take steps to integrate rural economies to the national economic 'grid' by extending access to small-scale credits and inputs to rural farmers, credit to rural micro-businesses and opening up many critical feeder roads. "Secondly, for small-scale enterprises in towns and cities, we shall expand facilities currently available so that we continue to encourage and support domestic production of basic goods and reduce our reliance on imported goods as I will outline later." Against this background, he tasked governors to get ready for the development of their areas by soliciting for investments and equally promoting various developmental projects. "I therefore implore all state governments, especially those with large rural economies, to aggressively solicit investments in your states. Invest in developing human capital, reducing bureaucracy and corruption, hosting and attending investment summits and improving the ease of doing business," he added. The president recalled the United Nations projection of 411 million population for Nigeria in 2050, noting that by the projection, Nigeria's population would only be lower than that of China and India. He said the major priority of the new administration is "to consolidate on the achievements of the last four years, correct the flaws and address challenges facing the country." "The principal thrust of this new administration is to consolidate on the achievements of the last four

years, correct the lapses inevitable in all human endeavours and tackle the new challenges the country is faced with and chart a bold plan for transforming Nigeria," he added. While advocating the need for Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, the president blamed the violence confronting the nation on sponsorships and incitements by ethnic, political and religious leaders. Describing yesterday's transition as a commemoration of the longest period of unbroken democracy and the fifth peaceful transfer of power from one democraticallyelected government to another in Nigeria, the president said throughout his first term, he upheld the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He also claimed that aside making all resources INEC needed available to the commission, there was a consensus among stakeholders that aside skirmishes in some parts of the country, the 2019 elections were free, fair and peaceful. "Throughout the last four years, I respected the independence of INEC. I ensured that INEC got all the resources it needed for independent and impartial management of elections in the country. "All interested parties are agreed that the recent elections, which except for pockets of unrest, were free, fair and peaceful," he said. On insecurity, Buhari, read the riot act to trouble makers, warning that those who seek to derail the focus of government would face the law. “Fellow Nigerians, this government will not tolerate actions by any individual or groups of individuals who seek to attack our way of life or those who seek to corruptly enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of us. We will crack down on those who incite ordinary innocent people to violence and unrest. “We will ensure that such actions are met with the strong arm of the law. Nation building takes time. But we must take solace in the knowledge that this country, our country, has everything we require to make Nigeria prosper,� he said.

Buhari also recalled how prior to his ascension in 2015, Boko Haram insurgency was prevalent in the North-east and spread to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). However, he said the worst was not over as Nigeria was faced with new security threats such as kidnapping and banditry. "The great difference between 2015 and today is that we are meeting these challenges with much greater support to the security forces in terms of money, equipment and improved local intelligence. We are meeting these challenges with superior strategy, firepower and resolve." However, the event was not without drama as former Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Olusegun Osoba(Ogun), were denied entry to the VIP stand of the Eagle Square where Buhari, visiting presidents, diplomats and serving governors were seated. The children of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo were initially denied entry where they waited for sometimes before being referred to a seating position outside the VIP stand. Despite repeated entreaties to security operatives, the former governors were referred to the popular stand and told that they were not allowed into the VIP section. Buhari inspected a guard of honour and was later driven round the square amid cheers from supporters. The occasion was marked by military parades and displays while cultural dance groups took turns to entertain the audience. The ceremony was graced by some world leaders including the presidents of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Czech Republic and Congo. Also in attendance were leaders of Namibia, Chad and Angola. Other leaders who sent representations were French president, Peoples Republic of Korea, Cameroun.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth still very fragile and badly lagging behind population growth rate of 2.7 per cent. The interbank segment of the forex market on Tuesday received a boost of $210 million from the CBN. Figures obtained from the CBN indicated that authorised dealers in the wholesale segment of the market were offered $100 million, while the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) segment received $55 million.

The sum of $55 million was allocated to customers requiring foreign exchange for invisibles such as tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others. At its previous intervention, the bank had injected $294.7million and CNY31.4million into the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) segment. The naira exchanged at an average of N360/$1 in the BDC segment of the market.

B U H ARI: WE WILL LIFT 100M N IGERIAN S OU T OF POVERT Y He had deferred the inaugural address till yesterday, after his formal swearing-in for a second term in office on May 29, to give colour to the maiden celebration of June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day. Yesterday’s celebration was witnessed by many dignitaries, including foreign heads of government and the diplomatic corps. However, as it was the case on May 29, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of his successors, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and former military president Ibrahim Babangida, were absent. A former military leader, General Yakubu Gowon, who attended the swearing-in on May 29, was also absent at yesterday’s event where Buhari also renamed the Abuja National Stadium after the late business mogul and winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O Abiola. A report by Brookings Institution, an American research group based in Washington DC, and released in June 2018, had named Nigeria as the nation with the highest number of extremely poor people in the world. By its projections, Nigeria has 87 million out of its 200 million population living in abject poverty as against the former poverty headquarters of the world, India, which with its 1.324 billion people has 73 million living in extreme poverty. According to the report, the number of Nigerians in extreme poverty increases by six people every minute. But an upbeat Buhari said Nigeria could reverse the situation just as China, India and Indonesia did by lifting millions of their people out of poverty. He also expressed optimism that the economy should be in a good shape with the target of 2.7 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year and current foreign reserves of $45 billion. These, he added, would be enough for the country to fund import commitments for over nine months. He said: "In face of these challenges, our government elected by the people in 2015

and re-elected in March, has been mapping out policies, measures and laws to maintain our unity and at the same time lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and onto the road to prosperity. "This task is by no means unattainable. China has done it. India has done it. Indonesia has done it. Nigeria can do it. These are all countries characterised by huge burdens of population. China and Indonesia succeeded under authoritarian regimes. India succeeded in a democratic setting. We can do it. "With leadership and a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. Following the 60 percent drop in oil prices between 2015 and 2016, through monetary and fiscal measures, we stimulated economic growth, curbed inflation and shored up our external reserves. "We now have witnessed eight quarters of positive growth in the economy and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent this year. Furthermore, our external reserves have risen to $45 billion enough to finance over nine months of current import commitments." The president also spoke on the decision of his administration to recognise June 12 as Democracy Day. He said he did it to honour Abiola and his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, as well as the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who was at the forefront of the battle for the actualisation of Abiola's mandate, to ensure the healing of past wounds and reconciliation. "As we all know, correcting injustice is a pre-requisite for peace and unity. As part of the process of healing and reconciliation, I approved the recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day and invested the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Babagana Kingibe with National Honours, as I did with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. The purpose was to partially atone for the previous damage done in annulling the presidential election of that year. "Today, I propose the renaming of the Abuja National Stadium. Henceforth it will be called Moshood Abiola National Stadium," he added. He urged Nigerians to cooperate with his administration to build

a new nation. He told the gathering that he would assemble a team of cabinet members that would drive the country's agenda for transformation. He also said his optimism about Nigeria's greatness remained unshakeable, emphasising that he would assemble a team that in the next four years would actualise his administration's vision to reform tertiary institutions, develop technology, open modern roads and bridges, arteries of transportation and accelerate healthcare and engage medical personnel. "Despite the challenges over the last four years, my optimism about Nigeria’s future is unshaken and Nigeria’s role in the world as an emerging economic force is without a doubt. "Over the next four years, we are committed to assembling a strong team of Nigerians, and allies, to implement our transformative plans and proposals," he said. The president who itemised various challenges confronting the nation and promised to address them in his drive for Nigeria's progress. He advocated the need for the collaboration of all parts of the country, saying there must be an aggressive nationwide development as against perception that development must be concentrated in Abuja alone. He also pledged that the next four years would be dedicated to improving the living standards of the people, tackling emerging challenges, resettling the displaced communities and addressing insecurity in all parts of the country. He added that the government was laying the foundation for the transformation of Nigeria as well as the delivering of citizens from abject poverty. "For the next four years, we will remain committed to improving the lives of people by consolidating efforts to address these key issues as well as emerging challenges of climate change, resettling displaced communities and dealing decisively with the new flashes of insecurity across the country, and the impacts on food scarcity and regional stability. "We are not daunted by the

DENYING BLOOMBERG REPORT, CBN NOT FLOATING THE NAIRA CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a forum with private sector operators in Lagos last weekend, restated the bank’s commitment to continue to defend the naira, saying that the CBN Act demands that the bank “defends� the naira using the foreign exchange reserves. “In effect, the CBN would be disobeying the law establishing it, if it sits idly by and allow the naira to be determined wholly by the so-called market forces. “Second, those who call

for floating of the currency betray their willful ignorance of the effects of significant depreciation, however shortlived, on inflation. “Several empirical analyses have shown that the passthrough of changes in the exchange rate on consumer prices is almost one-to-one. This implies that for every percentage point depreciation in the naira, there is almost the same rise in inflation.� He also said policies of the

apex bank in the past five years had been focused on protecting the purchasing power of the poor and vulnerable persons in the country. According to Emefiele, the apex bank is comfortable staying on the side of the weak, vulnerable, and poor masses and protecting their purchasing power. Emefiele had also pointed out that the task of building a stronger economy was far from complete; with the pace of

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INEC to Appeal Judgment on Okorocha’s Certificate of Return Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday served a notice to appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which ordered it to issue a certificate of return to former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, whose election as a senator was in contention. INEC, in a statement by its National Commissioner for Information and Voters Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, said notwithstanding the commission’s compliance with the court judgment, it would head to the Court of Appeal to challenge the order. The commission had called Okorocha on Tuesday, hours after the inauguration of the National Assembly to come

and collect his certificate of return. Okorocha, elected to represent the Imo West senatorial district, said an INEC official called him at 6.14p.m. to pick up the certificate. INEC had withheld the certificate over an allegation that the returning officer for the election was put under duress to declare Okorocha winner. The commission, in the statement explained why it obeyed the order of the Federal High Court, which conflicted with an earlier judgment of a High Court of Imo State that stopped INEC from issuing the certificate of return to the former governor. INEC said: "In arriving at this decision, the commission also took into consideration

the orders issued by two high courts in the Owerri Judicial Division in Suits No. HOW/ 596/2019 issued on the 23" day of May 2019 and another dated the 11 June, 2019 issued in Suit No. HOW/663/2019, restraining the commission from issuing certificate of return in respect of the said senatorial district. It is noted that both are interim orders issued ex-parte and not final orders of court." According to INEC, in obeying the judgment, "the commission is demonstrating once again its longstanding commitment of complying with all orders of court, including those with which it may have reservations. "However, the commission must put on record its very profound concerns about the likely consequences of this

judgment for our electoral process in particular and our democracy in general. Obviously, persons who seek elective offices could perceive in this judgment an irrelevance of due process and acting within the law. “It is not far-fetched that some of them could in future disregard laid-down processes, including voting, arm themselves and mobilise thugs and compel returning officers to declare them elected, irrespective of the true outcomes of elections. "Moreover, it may become increasingly difficult for the commission to convince its officials that they are safe to carry out their legitimate functions without fear of being harassed, held to ransom or visited with bodily harm.� While reaffirming its

Okorocha commitment to due process and obedience to the rule of law, INEC assured Nigerians

that it would not waiver in its determination to enthrone a credible electoral process.

Governance Structure: ACF, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Disagree on Obasanjo’s Position Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu, Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna Nigeria’s major socio-political organisations, Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have disagreed on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s allegation of imbalance in the nation’s governance structure. Reacting to the election of Senator Ahmed Lawan as Senate president, Obasanjo had decried the imbalance in the governance structure of the country, saying President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is driving the country towards “disaster and instability�. He expressed concern that Lawan, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad and Buhari came from what he called the core north. He said giving the key positions in the country to a particular region did not reflect geographical diversity. But while Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo backed the position of Obasanjo, the ACF faulted the former president. ACF said Buhari should not be blamed for Nigerians’ decision to elect people from the North into offices. Speaking on the group’s position on the issues raised

by Obasanjo, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, expressed concern that the emergence of Lawan as Senate president and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as House of Representatives speaker would lead Nigeria into “elected dictatorship.� “The fears Obasanjo raised are very real. In the midst of where Nigeria is today and the feelings on the land, to concentrate the three heads of government in the hands of core north and of the same religion, is like striking a match stick beside an opened keg of petrol. “These people should be more sensitive to know that this will further promote the feeling of alienation by sections of the country. This illustrates the arrogance with which these things are being done. It is not healthy for the polity,� Odumakin told THISDAY in a telephone interview. He said the nation’s “Nigerianity’’ is daily being destroyed by the parochial “we can do it and you can go to blazes attitude, adding that this is not how to build a nation. “How can you now say you are celebrating June 12? You are not promoting an inclusive country. The Southeast has nobody in all the top seven positions in the country. Not one! And you

take all these key positions to the core north. I think Obasanjo is right. “And the leadership of the country should be sensitive to all they are doing. When a country dies, it does not die suddenly. A country dies gradually. They are killing Nigeria gradually,� he added. On the emergence of Gbajabiamila and Lawan, he stated that “now that we have a rubber stamp legislature, all we can say is that Nigerians are welcome to elected dictatorship. Now, all wrongs will be right as we now have a rubber stamp legislature that will just be like one of the state assemblies that are in the pocket of governors.� Ohanaeze also said Southeast had been shut out of Nigeria’s governance structure with the Tuesday’s election of presiding officers of the National Assembly. President General of the organisation, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who spoke to THISDAY, said the zone was, however, not surprised with the latest development since it was not expecting anything different from the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of Buhari. He applauded Obasanjo for his boldness in speaking out against the present structure where a zone, which is supposed to be the third leg upon which Nigeria stands,

has been totally schemed out of power. “It cannot be worse than this. We never expected anything different because the president is irredeemably clannish. It has never been heard that a president will decide to totally shut out a people from a nation’s governance structure,� he said. He accused the president of lacking the capacity to form an all-inclusive government. “With the ways things are, the three arms of government in the country are being led by people from the core north - the executive, legislature and the judiciary and yet we still pretend to be a nation. “It’s expected that at the end of every election, the winner will embrace every part of the country as one whether they supported you or not. This is the reason why we took our own decision before the election because we expected nothing from this arrangement. “Even when President Shehu Shagari lost election in Imo and Anambra states, he still appointed several Igbos to high positions. Out of 10 advisers, four were Igbos. I was part of that administration but what we see today is totally different and it is unfortunate,� he said. But the Secretary General of ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, in an interview with THISDAY in Kaduna, said with the

emergence of members of the APC as principal officers of the National Assembly, the ruling party should be in absolute control of its affairs to deliver on its promises to Nigerians. Sani also faulted Obasanjo’s assertion that there is imbalance in the nation’s governance structure. “As regards the complaint by the former President Obasanjo, I wish to observe that all the posts listed except that of acting Chief Justice of Nigeria are elected positions which cannot be tampered with by the president, considering democracy is majority rule. “Is the former president expecting President Buhari to ignore the choices of the electorate? Or is he expecting the president to jettison the place of seniority in the judiciary in favour of political consideration? That would be unhelpful,“ Sani said. According to him, “in multi-party democracy, there is the imperative for motivation through reward for hard work, albeit there are times when Danegeld theory of rewards for bad behaviour also comes into play. But this is very rare.� He said it was to address such challenges that the constitution compelled the president to appoint at least a minister from each of the 36 states of the federation. “This takes care of inclusion

and promotion of sense of belonging among constituents that can be helped through affirmative actions applied for the disadvantaged whose circumstances of birth are not of their choice,“ he said. Sani added that the emergence Lawan and Gbajabiamila has shown that APC is now in charge of its affairs, adding that some level of party supremacy has prevailed. Besides, the PDP has recognised its place in the order of things in the current dispensation as a minority party, which is not expected to preside over the majority. “This is good development in multi-party democracy. The electoral mandate has been given to the APC which would be accountable to the electorate while the opposition party should content itself with providing a viable opposition as alternative platform for Nigerians, since democracy without viable opposition is a sham. “Now that the majority has had its way, Nigerians do not expect duplicity and perfidy, which characterised the immediate past dispensation. “What we expect is for the leadership of both the executive and legislative arms of government to come together and unleash their synergy against collective challenges for the good of all,� he added.

to be headed by the second respondent.� “The motion or summons for judicial review shall be filed and served within seven days,� the judge ruled Justice Faji adjourned until June 21 for hearing. Tinubu and Boyo have notified SEC of the latest order. In a June 11 letter to SEC signed by Shasore and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, both partners at ALP Legal, the applicants said: “By this ruling, our clients have now been granted leave to apply by way of judicial review for an order of certiorari for the purpose of quashing the decision of SEC referred to above. “The order of court referred to above operates as a stay and precludes you from carrying

out any and all of the actions contained in your letter and press release of 31 May and 2 June 2019 respectively. “The order of court also precludes you from carrying out any actions whatsoever arising out of SEC’s purported investigation into Oando Plc and its purported findings. “Please note further, that any action taken contrary to this order of court will amount to your being held in contempt of court.� The latest order brings to two the number of orders so far received by Tinubu and Boyo. On June 3, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had granted the duo’s application for “an order of interim injunction restraining SEC� from acting on its decisions on the oil corporation.

OA N D O: C O URT ALLOWS T INU BU TO SE EK J U D I C I AL R E VI E W OF SEC ’S SAN CT I ON S an application filed by Tinubu and Boyo seeking a review of the decision of SEC. An order of certiorari is a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court or administrative agency. SEC had announced on May 31 the conclusion of an investigation of Oando and ordered Tinubu and other affected board members to resign. It barred Tinubu and Boyo from being directors of public companies for five years. The regulatory agency subsequently set up an interim management team headed by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu to oversee Oando’s affairs and to conduct an Extraordinary General Meeting on or before July 1, to appoint new directors to the board, who would subsequently select a

management team. In a separate ex-parte application filed through their counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN), Tinubu and Boyo prayed for an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported imposition of N91,125,000 fine on Tinubu. They sought an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported decision to bar them from being appointed as directors of public companies for five years. They further prayed for an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported appointment of an interim management team to be headed by Sunmonu (the second respondent) to oversee Oando’s affairs. Justice Faji on Tuesday, granted the application as prayed.

A copy of the order was obtained yesterday. He granted an “order of certiorari bringing up to the Federal High Court for the purpose of being quashed, the decision of the first respondent contained in its letter of 31st May 2019 at Page 6 Paragraph 5 thereof which purported to bar the applicants from being directors of public companies for a period of five years.� He also granted an order prohibiting SEC, whether by itself or agents, from enforcing or seeking to enforce its purported decisions contained in the May 31 letter. He also ordered the restraining of SEC from implementing its purported decisions contained in a statement it issued on June 2 and from interfering

with, taking over or usurping the management of Oando’s affairs either by itself, agents or through the purported interim management team. The court restrained Sunmonu from purporting or continuing to act as head of the interim management team in place of the applicants. Justice Faji made “a declaration that the first respondent (SEC) acted ultra vires and without jurisdiction in making its decision as contained in its letter of 31st May, 2019 which conveyed the imposition of a fine of N91,125,000 on the first applicant and purported to bar the first and second applicants from being directors of public companies for a period of five years‌and appointing an interim management team

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

NAF Helicopter Crash-lands in Katsina Gunmen kidnap another village head Daura monarch clocks 43 days in captivity Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said that its helicopter crashed in Katsina State in the process of landing while returning from an anti-banditry combat mission in the North-west Theatre under Operation HADARAN DAJI. There was also pandemonium on Tuesday at Labo Community in Batsari Local Government Area of the state, following the abduction of the village Head, Alhaji Maigari Bature, by unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. This is coming as the Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, yesterday clocked 43 days in captivity since his abduction by yet-to- be identified gunmen on May 1, 2019 at his residence in Daura. THISDAY gathered that the operational helicopter crash-landed in Katsina State while returning from anti-banditry operations in Zamfara State. The aircraft, according to eyewitness’s account crashed shortly after landing at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua airport, Katsina, at about 2: 45 p.m. The sources disclosed that the pilot and other officers on board were able to exit the aircraft, which caught fire moments after the crash. But security personnel at the airport including staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) banned journalists from entering the airport to confirm the incident.

However, a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said that details of the cause of the incident, which occurred at the Katsina Airport at about 3.30p.m., were still scanty. “However, there was no loss of life, either of persons on board the helicopter or on the ground,” he added. Daramola said that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, immediately directed the constitution of a Board of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident. “NAF continues to solicit the understanding and support of the general public as it daily strives to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said. Meanwhile, there was pandemonium on Tuesday at Labo Community in Batsari LGA of Katsina State, following the abduction of the village Head, Alhaji Maigari Bature, by unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. Also, the Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, has clocked 43 days in captivity since his abduction by yet to be identified gunmen on May 1, 2019 at his residence in Daura. Bature was said to have been kidnapped while working on his farmland on Tuesday at about 1 p.m, when the attackers on motorcycles stormed the village and shot sporadically into the air. Following Bature’s abduction, hundreds of residents, mostly

Atiku: June 12 Bigger than Democracy Day Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday declared that June 12 demanded something bigger than merely declaring it a Democracy Day and carpeted the federal government for wasting resources in the celebration when Nigerians were hungry. Though Atiku acknowledged that June 12 remained a threshold in Nigeria’s national life, he demanded some soul-searching from Nigerians. He said in a statement in Abuja that the day was one to ask the salient question of “How better off are Nigerians?” According to him, June 12 demands something bigger than merely declaring it a Democracy Day. “June 12 is at the soul of our democratic struggle; a threshold in our national life. “The significance of the celebration of June 12, 1993, presidential election is a reminder of our history to becoming a democratic country. “On this day 26 years ago, Nigeria voted for democracy against the jackboot notion of oppressive totalitarianism. “The collective decision by Nigerians to elect democracy on that day was not to aggrandise the political elite or to replace military dictatorship with civilian autocracy. No. “The choice of democracy was to restore power to the people,” he said. According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last general election, there is still

disrespect for the rule of law and disregard of court orders on issues that border on fundamental human rights. Atiku said that it was not enough to declare June 12 a work-free day when ordinary Nigerians still didn’t have the freedom to find a better life from the grip of poverty. “It is not enough to declare June 12 a work-free day when a disproportionate number of citizens are not sure of where their next meal will come from and when the sanctity of their lives is not guaranteed. “It is not enough to declare June 12 a work-free day when freedom of the press, and of speech, fundamentals of democracy is being assailed.” Atiku said that as a compatriot who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the icon of the June 12 struggle, the late Chief MKO Abiola, he knew first-hand that the choice of HOPE as his campaign slogan wasn’t “merely a populist tokenism.” He said Abiola did not mean to deceive Nigerians with a hope he could not deliver upon. “Today, the minimum requirement for any June 12 convert is to demand of them wherever they may be – either in government or in private lives – to deliver on the promises they made to the people.” Atiku said that being a lover of June 12 was to believe in the common good of the people. “June 12 is about the political leadership having the focus to retool the Nigerian economy.

farmers were said to have fled the community for fear of being attacked by the hoodlums. The state Police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, also confirmed the incident in a message sent to the police’s platform in the state.

He said: “It is true. Efforts are on course with a view to rescue him from these rascals. Operation Puff Adder responded to the distress call but since it was inside his farmland far away near the Rugu forest, but before

they could reach, the hoodlums have already fled into Rugu forest. We are following a lead that may assist us in his rescue”. Isah called on farmers in the affected communities in the state to form groups while going to

their farms and inform security agencies for “security back up”. He reminded them of the state government’s directives on the suspension/ban on farming activities around the Rugu forest area.

BOOST FOR MATERNAL HEALTH…

L-R: First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo; First Lady of Niger Republic, Mrs. Aissata Mahamadou; Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman of UBA Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu; wife of president of Nigeria and Founder of Aisha Buhari Foundation(ABF), Mrs. Aisha Buhari and First Lady of Chad, Mrs. Hinda Deby Itno, at the inauguration of ABF Maternity Complex, by Elumelu in Yola… on Tuesday

THISDAY MD’s Wife for Burial June 20 Funeral arrangements for the wife of the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello, Mrs. Helen Eniola-Olaitan, will commence on June 20 in the United Kingdom. Mrs. Bello-Olaitan (nee Alemeru), 49, died on June 4 at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, after a three-year battle with breast cancer. According to a statement released by the family last night, funeral service would hold on June 20 at the All Nations Church, Temple Street, Wolverhampton, WV2 4AQ at 11 a.m.

After the service, internment would take place immediately at Danescourt Cemetery, 54 Wergs Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 9TD. The family added that an outing service would hold at Realm of Glory Church, 35/37 Palm Spring Drive, opposite Spar Shopping Mall, off Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lekki, Lagos on June 30 at 10a.m. The deceased graduated in Business Administration from the Kwara State Polytechnic, and Management at Lagos State University. She was a banker, businesswoman, and distancelearning tutor with The Skills

Late Mrs. Eniola -Olaitan Network, UK. She left behind her husband,

four children, an aged mother, as well as brothers and sisters.

DSS Arrests Social Media Users for ‘Inciting Violence’ The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested yet-to-be identified social media users who allegedly posted “inciting materials and misleading statements”. The spokesman of the agency, Mr. Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday, accused the individuals of instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians. “The Department of State Services (DSS) has observed with concern, the deliberate plots and attempts by

some subversive and undemocratic elements to incite or pit one ethnic group against the other by stoking the embers of tribal sentiments to cause disaffection and violence across the country,” he said. “These unpatriotic actors make unguarded public statements and/ or use the social media platforms to instill fear in the minds of citizens. “These are reflected in the misleading statements and articles being circulated among unsuspecting

members of the public. Such inciting materials oftentimes are designed to make or convey false accusations by one group against the other. “They also resort to skewing historical narratives to suit their objective of masterminding ethnic violence in the nation. So far, some of the culprits have been arrested.” He warned individuals involved in such “divisive acts and tendencies to desist forthwith.” “Community leaders and

persons of influence are, therefore, enjoined to be most responsible in their utterances as well as rein in (their) people for national cohesion and peaceful co-existence,” the spokesman said. “Aggrieved persons and groups are encouraged to use dialogue as a true means of non-violent resolution of disputes or any misgivings.” Afunanya added that the country could only achieve greatness when it is united.

Scores Injured as Explosion Rocks Port Harcourt Mall Ernest ChinwoinPortHarcourt Several persons were said to have been seriously injured during an explosion at a shopping mall in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, yesterday. The spokesman of Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Nnamdi

Omoni, confirmed the incident in a statement. He said the cause of the explosion, which occurred at the bakery area of the mall was yet to be ascertained. Omoni said those injured are currently receiving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching

Hospital (RSUTH). He added that the police have commenced full investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, the state government has assured members of the public that the mall will resume operations today as the fire incident in the facility has

been contained. Representative of the Rivers State Governor and Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr .Tammy Danagogo, gave the assurance yesterday evening after inspecting the facility alongside the management of the Mall.

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COMMENT

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

SOCIAL ENGINEERING AS A DEMOLITION FIESTA

Okello Oculi writes that with political education, Africa’s poor can withstand the odds and become fighters for freedom

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rom November 2018 to June 4, 2019, thousands of youths, women, doctors, lawyers, engineers, trade unionists and politicians in Sudan seized political skies over towns all over the country with chants and collective calls for the birth of a new and healed nation. Their voices rose and swayed as flowers from hearts and minds. Attacks on them with guns and whips (by ‘Janjaweed military thugs), was a telling salute to President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain. It is as if, in the last 30 years of al-Bashir’s dictatorship, the military and intelligence operatives in Sudan are anxious to easily fall into the trap of wrecking their country and locking it into his “Shit Hole� country. If the media had urged Trump to rebuke the slaughter of hundreds of these warriors for democracy and good governance, he would probably have referred to television pictures of them as ‘’Fake News’’. Political virtue and social engineering could not be associated with his version of Africa. During his election campaign he had accused Africans in his country of running away from failed governance in their home countries. While he was correct in many cases, their flight was no different from Scandinavians, Germans, Greeks, Italians, Iranians and Russians who had fled to America to escape starvation, failed socialist revolutions, communist rule and bitter winters. The post-colonial Africans were only being true to America’s heritage. The bloodbath by Sudan’s soldiers also coincided with the anniversary of a failed ‘’pro-democracy uprising’’ in China. While the Euro-American media cheered the youths who set out to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party, China’s political engineers saw dirty hands of foreign intelligence operatives behind the rebellion. These were, after all, children and grandchildren of feudal lords and officials who had been educated abroad and felt impoverished and humiliated by Chairman Mao’s economic policies and ‘’Cultural Revolution’’. Euro-America governments condemned the slaughter in Sudan. Russia and China blocked a repeat in Sudan of NATO’s invasion of Gaddafi’s Libya. Britain has a legacy of supporting the political party of the anti-Egyptian El-Mahdi family. Al-Bashir’ military coup in 1989 and subsequent Islamist administration had pushed the party into the cold. Together with those opposed to public humiliation of educated women; detention and killings of critics, and massacres of 300,000 people in Darfur region, they blew flames of the ‘revolution on streets’. Sudan eats and drinks from the Nile River, and shares borders with Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and oil-rich and fertile land-rich South Sudan. China and Russia have active economic and military interests in these countries. If Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar are building influence in Sudan, it makes good investment to be proxies for Iran’s voice.

IN CURRENT NIGERIAN AFFAIRS, IT SEEMS APPARENT THAT SLAUGHTERS OF MEN IN FRONT OF THEIR FAMILIES; BURNING DOWN HOMES AND SCHOOLS; VIOLENT RAPES; AND KIDNAPPING- FOR- RANSOM ARE TOOLS OF POLITICAL ENGINEERING

It is claimed that when Sudan’s military rulers met Saudi Arabia’s rulers they were told that if their people are hungry for political reforms, they should be given bullets to swallow. The medicine is similar to what the IMF/World Bank experts recommended when told that structural adjustment policies would force billions of people into poverty, namely: ‘’give them violence’’. Barbaric wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya and Central African Republic fit this engineering wit. It is a policy familiar to poor African-Americans. A Swedish television crew made a documentary in Harlem slum in New York City which affirmed that life was so ‘’violent, brutish and short’’ there that an African-America victim of gun or knife attack arrived in the hospital’s emergency section every second. During Jamaica’s election campaign in 1976, Edward Seaga, the Lebanese leader of the opposition Labour Party, was accused of importing guns to feed a ‘’Black-on-Black Violence’’. The ‘’income’’ of the pleasure of asserting the manhood of youth gangs in Kingston Town diverted attention away from asserting political power by Afro-Jamaicans who constituted 88 per cent Jamaica’s population and 99 per cent of its poor and down-trodden. Bob Marley played a critical role in mounting political engineering to combat Seaga, a graduate of Sociology from Harvard University. He preached pride in being identified as an ‘’African Man’’ and a ‘’Rastafarian’’. His shout to Jamaicans that: ‘We Africans Will Fight’’ to liberate Zimbabwe was a daring call for shattering old tools of self-contempt used to anchor racial domination. In current Nigerian affairs, it seems apparent that slaughters of men in front of their families; burning down homes and schools; violent rapes; and kidnapping- for- ransom are tools of political engineering. With the aid of mind-bending drugs and narcotics, its managers exploit lessons from liberation movements in Africa. Their guerrilla wars showed that with political education, Africa’s brutally exploited rural farmers and poor urban youths can become resolute fighters for freedom even when faced with powerful armies of colonial countries. A policy of ‘’give them violence as income’’ thereby, turns historically despised, humiliated and exploited populations into tools for goals such as: political campaigns based on intimidating opponents and whole communities, undermining the legitimacy of incumbent authorities and their policing and military capabilities. The violence also wreck moral fabrics of society; erodes feelings of patriotism and shared citizenship; incites flight of families, vital educated talent and financial savings to safer countries. On a positive note, it shows the fatal vulnerability of a political imagination of elites lacking commitment to the development of their people.

A LEADER WHO DELIVERED

Yakubu Dogara, 14th Speaker of the House of Representatives, championed legislative reforms, writes Turaki Hassan

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n June 9, 2015, the Eighth House of Representatives was inaugurated and Bauchi-born Barrister at Law, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, emerged as the 14th Speaker of the House following a keenly contested election which left many viewers on the edge of their seats. In his acceptance speech, Hon. Dogara made a solemn declaration that under his leadership, the House “shall wage an unrelenting legislative war on Nigeria’s problems.� True to his words, they moved with a speed of light and hit the ground running with the implementation of the Consolidation Agenda, embarking on a series of innovations that swept across legislative activities of the Green Chamber. Four years after, the House of the Nigerian people has not only discharged its constitutional responsibilities to the people, it did so with utmost zeal and patriotism. Parliaments use four measures to function in a democracy. These include lawmaking, resolutions, oversight and the last one – which is least known and hardly appreciated – the instrument of public petitions. These are the major yardsticks of assessing the performance of the legislature, which are intangible and, therefore, rarely appreciated by the populace. The House under Dogara has done exceptionally well as it achieved many firsts, with an unprecedented record of passage of legislations that is unparalleled in Nigeria’s history from independence in 1960 to date. Following adoption of the Eighth Assembly Legislative Agenda the speaker, in a flash, embarked on a review of obsolete and outdated laws by setting up a committee of experts comprising of legal luminaries and erudite scholars who worked for months and recommended about 300 bills for consideration with the aim of cleaning Nigeria’s statute books adopted from Britain under the Statutes of General Application as in force in England as at 1st January, 1800; that have never been amended and which still had some describing places in England and even have penalties

stipulated in Pound Sterling. To this end, in December, 2015, the House set record by passing for first reading, 130 bills in one legislative sitting, most of which were from the recommendation of the Statutes Reform Committee constituted by the speaker. Dogara also became the first speaker, since the return to democracy in 1999, to have stepped down from the chair to sponsor a motion on the urgent need for rehabilitation, resettlement and recovery of the violence ravaged northeast region. To his credit, even as speaker, he sponsored not fewer than 10 bills-two of which led to the establishment of the North East Development Commission and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. However, his interventions on the violence ravaged region was not only limited to the hallowed green chamber of the House, he championed the cause of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by visiting their camps across the country and sustained advocacy for the convocation of an international donor conference to rebuild the Northeast. Four years on, a total of 382 bills were passed which did not only dwarf the performance of all previous assemblies but also surpassed the number of bills passed from first to the seventh assemblies. In the same vein, a total number of 1,587 motions and 1,192 public petitions were considered. Indeed, public petition is a critical and important work of the parliament that is rarely known and hardly appreciated by pundits, critics and even the populace. The committee addresses cases of violation of human rights, illegal termination of appointments and sundry matters. Through this, hundreds of people have gotten back their jobs and had their rights restored. This is the true work and meaning of representation. This record too, is unprecedented. In keeping with his agenda, he introduced sectoral debates into the workings of the legislature in Nigeria. This initiative made it possible for ministers from the executive arm of government

to give updates to Nigerians on how they were faring with their responsibilities in their respective ministries. That is not all. The House under Dogara also helped with regular interventions to stabilise the polity. For example, during the fuel price crises, the House reconvened on a Monday, held a special session and deliberated on the issue, which helped in calling off the industrial action by labour unions and saved Nigerians needless troubles. He also helped to mediate between the federal government and the Nigeria Medical Association and the National of Association of Resident Doctors during their strikes, thereby averting a major crisis in the health sector which would have impacted badly on Nigerians. Lest we forget, it was Hon Dogara that addressed the plight of pensioners when he intervened in resolving the non-payment of pensioners for three years. He also championed efforts to amend the constitution to remove the age barrier for elective offices with the introduction of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, reducing the age requirement for elective offices in Nigeria and has succeeded in opening up the political space and ensured youth inclusion in politics and governance. credit, he pushed for financial independence of the State Houses of Assembly which was hitherto seen as impossible. He was also passionate about autonomy of local governments and did everything humanly possible to ensure its realization. Similarly, but for speaker Dogara, our minimum wage would be been N27,000 as proposed by President Buhari. But he stood his ground, insisted and ensured that it was increased to N30,000 despite pressure mounted on him not to do so by the powers that. This was attested to by some of his colleagues during their valedictory session. In fact, there were times that the House passed bills in just two sittings and transmitted same to the Executive for assent, which is the reason why the federal government recently gave the speaker an award. No doubt, the Eighth House gave the Executive maximum support and cooperation in

these four years as there was no single executive request that was not granted. In fact, for peace to reign and in order not to heat up the polity, the House overlooked numerous constitutional infractions committed by either the president himself or his appointees, including but not limited to several illegal withdrawals of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation. Unfortunately, the president, who sees himself as the most righteous human to ever walk on the earth, constituted himself into a moral judge and passed a negative verdict on the leadership of the Eighth Assembly describing them as “unpatriotic� even though it was the same government which he leads that specially recognised the patriotic role the speaker played in passing the Ease of Doing Business Bills. The Latin maxim “quod approbo non reprobo�, readily comes to mind. Talk about patriotism? Five times they passed the Electoral Act amendment Bill, and five times the Patriotic President vetoed it for just no reason. What about the all-important Petroleum Industry Governance Bill? It also suffered the same fate in the hands of our patriotic president just as the same fate befell about 50 other bills passed by the Eighth Assembly. As Hon Dogara said in his valedictory speech, the job of parliaments all over the world is to escalate constructive conflict and that it is their job to search for the truth and without the clash and compromise of ideas, the truth can never be found. Everything loses its meaning in the absence of the truth. Anyone who sees disagreement or conflict as inherently bad has no business leading a democracy because we are not likely to ever see any healthy democracy that is not productively noisy. The House and indeed the legislature, he argued, must always engage in debates about both pleasant and unpleasant issues, if it must continue to do the work of democracy.

Hassan is the Special Adviser (Media & Public Affairs) to Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara

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EDITORIAL Refineries As Monuments To Waste It’s in the nation’s interest to sell off the refineries

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he Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company is becoming a monument to waste and huge drain on the nation’s resources. For over a year, the plant has remained dormant while workers draw their full salary. This financial bleeding should not continue under a government that sermonises on corruption. But the waste of scarce resources on things that do not directly benefit our economy and people, especially in the oil and gas sector, is not limited to the Kaduna refinery. That the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is a loss-making cost centre is a notorious fact. Last year, the Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries contributed N81.718 billion of deficit within a period of seven-month and grossly underperformed by 9.8 per cent over a one-year period. The NNPC’s corporate headquarters, in the 2018 accounting cycle, also recorded a loss IT MAKES NO SENSE TO of N138.064 billion. BE PUMPING BILLIONS Based on NNPC’s OF NAIRA MAINTAINING A own account, the KaREFINERY THAT OFFERS duna refinery did not refine a drop of crude NO VALUE AND HAS oil between February BECOME AN EXPENSIVE and November 2018, COST CENTRE while those in Warri and Port Harcourt operated at levels that were inconsistent with their capacities during the accounting period. It is unsettling that while the Kaduna refinery is idle, the other three plants in Port Harcourt and Warri are just a little better. The performance analysis of the three refineries as given by NNPC reported a cumulative loss of N18.67 billion at the end of August 2018. For the Kaduna refinery, NNPC revealed further that the plant incurred a loss of N 3.81 billion in February, N2.63 billion in March, N4.22 billion in May, N2.98 billion in June, N2.35 billion in July, and N2.68 billion in August.

Letters to the Editor

One of the key reasons why the Kaduna refinery has continued to operate spasmodically is because it relies on analogue technology and is not able to refine Nigeria’s light crude oil. This major lapse hinders it from breaking even. The plant was installed in 1975. Though it was designed to produce 60,000 barrels per day of petrochemical products, it was upgraded to 100,000 bpd, which was the new benchmark set by the federal government as the capacity of each of the refineries. Originally conceived to be a hydro scheming type, the Kaduna plant was upgraded to an integrated facility to produce a wide variety of petroleum products and some lubricating base oils. It thereafter started importation of suitable paraffinic-based crude oil from Venezuela, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

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

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

ver the years, about $20 billion is reported to have been spent on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries by the NNPC, but none of them have worked optimally. Yet, we could have built several refineries with such humongous amount of money that is being frittered. That is aside the several billions of dollars that also go into the payments of subsidy that has become another byword for monumental corruption. Given the continued losses from its operation, many have suggested that the Kaduna plant should be shut and scrapped. The logic is that it makes no sense to be pumping billions of naira maintaining a refinery that offers no value and has become an expensive cost centre. Experts are particularly concerned that the Kaduna refinery has become obsolete and can no longer refine Nigerian crude. It can only stream if supplied with heavier crude oil that has to be sourced from Venezuela. While the rehabilitation of moribund refineries has remained the unrelenting mantra of every administration since 1999, it must by now be clear to the current administration that we cannot continue to subsidise failure which the refineries clearly represent at great national cost.

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POLITICAL EXCLUSION OF SOUTHEAST AND BIAFRA EXTREMISTS

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Onye Nigeria, I told you one day, there will be job adverts for positions in the federal civil service, and there will be a clause: ‘No candidate from the southeast allowed’; the exclusion of Ndi Igbo from the leadership of the three arms of government is just the beginning.” That was the message of an Igbo nationalist to me. Nnamdi is a “sparring mate”, who scavenges for daily upsets and annoyances about Nigeria. He has been dutiful in this enterprise. We spend some time arguing the place of the Igbo in Nigeria and related subjects. He believes the Igbo cannot reach the acme of their potential with the current structure of the country. And he says they will always be seen as a threat to be put down. I knew he sent me that message to taunt me. I did not respond to it because I had no perfect “clap-back” to his dig. I had often fended off his ultra-nationalist arguments with my own arguments, but this time, I was as empty as a spent cartridge on what to say logically. As matter of fact, I am unbending about the unity of Nigeria. For me, it is a fossilised conviction that Nigeria is more convenient as one country than as a fragmented non-entity. I have given reasons for my position in other essays; so I will focus on the tugging matter of “Igbo political marooning” in this one.

Really, how do you build a united country, when one of the joints on which the tripod stands, is deliberately and arrogantly being chipped away at? How do convince the Igbo that there is no agenda to keep them under? How do you curb internal strife when an ethnic group, as large and pivotal as the Igbo, is loudly excluded from the leadership of the arms of government, and even being gibed for it? How do you say “Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable”; yet you do everything to put a knife to the umbilicus? Do we really want Nigeria to work? Are we making it work? I doubt it. The current insensitive leadership ordering, which is brazenly destitute of geographical diversity, will only deepen distrust, enmity and inflame passion. It will give secessionists ammunition for agitation and yield recruits to the cause. And it will be a reference point for future political injustices. The southeast has been put under the pecking trough now; it could be the southwest or the north tomorrow. Let me address the ignorance of those advancing the vacuous argument that positions of leadership in the three arms of government bear no meaning to the wellbeing of the state or the region of their occupiers. President Buhari is from Katsina; is the state the better for it? No. But is the north satisfied that he is president and will want to have him there even for a “third term”? Yes. Why? It gives them

psychological security. This is the reason there is feeble or no opposition to his government from the region despite the insecurity ravaging the area. The point is, Nigeria is a complex country and sensitivity is vital in governing it. Inclusion and political equity are not a luxury, but a necessity. Equity is not about niceties or farcical and politically correct arguments; it is about inclusion and being sensitive to divergences and interests. There is psychological warmth a people enjoy knowing that they are not shut out of the kitchen and that someone from their axis is at the decision-making table; someone they can cry to, summon to village or group meetings for censuring when necessary. This is beyond corporeal benefits; it is an emotional need and valid. Inclusion is how you abbreviate the fears of ethnic domination. It is how you allay the fears of religious hegemony. As I said in a previous essay, a country as enormous, diverse and delicate as Nigeria cannot evolve organically when a part of it is deliberately marooned and confined to the fringes. As a believer in Nigeria, I am speaking out against this imbalance and insensitivity because there is no peace or progress when the country feuds. Let us not lay more landmines for tomorrow. Fredrick Nwabufo, fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com

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POLITICS

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

‘Dapo Abiodun Would Have Lost If Amosun Had Supported His Governorship Bid’ Femi Ogbonnikan dialogues with Chief Bode Mustapha on his expectations from the new administration in Ogun State

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hat should the people of Ogun State expect from Governor Dapo Abiodun, your close associate? The governor is like a younger brother to me, not an close associate. Of course, people would expect good governance. They should expect a departure from the past. People should expect well thought out programmes that should be implemented,, not just to waking up in the morning and starting to make construction that makes no sense or building so-called model schools at a minimum of N1 billion each and there are about 26 all over the state and none of them is functioning, none of them is affordable to the ordinary man and they are located in places where if the people don’t take time their children or wards will become victims of abduction and kidnapping. Expectations are high and I just pray that God grants our governor the knowledge, wisdom and understanding to be able to key into expectations of the people of Ogun State. Which areas would you suggest that the new governor should urgently look into? I would advise that he should watch all the videos of the electioneering campaign. One is education and the second which is roads, the rural roads, not fancy roads. I remember when we went to campaign in Atan. We had to go through Erunwon, in Ijebuland. I passed a comment, that if a pregnant woman is taken through this road, she would be forced to go into premature labour. It is the same way all over the state. I am glad that the governor wants to bring back the Public Works Department (PWD), like the Ogun State Roads Maintenance Agency (OGROMA). It should be properly handled like when the first and only person handled the OGROMA in this state and did it successfully. If it is handled that same way, it will bring succour back to the people. Education is very key, because it is the life wire of any nation, because those that you educate today are the masters of tomorrow. Without solid education, it is going to be a waste of time. I also heard the governor saying that he plans to train and retrain teachers civil servants which is a very lofty and noble idea and I pray that he is able to push his way. Health is also important, because health is wealth. I believe, once he can handle those three and, then, shore up the IGR of the state, that is if the N7 billion being touted is real, if he can shore it up or even maintain it, he would be able to do a lot more. You had a raw deal with the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has the matter been resolved? What matter is that? The consultancy fee charge arising from the Paris Club refund... My lawyers are already taking the matter up, with the immediate past Commissioner for Finance, and I am sure he would find the letter on his desk at the Sterling Bank. I sold all that I had. They have made me stand out in Ogun State. My integrity is at stake. If a man could write a letter, sign a letter and confirm that my company did a job and I have not been paid. And they said they haven’t paid, when we get to court he would prove all of that. Raw deal or no raw deal, I made sacrifices. There were attempts on my life. In fact, the day that the assassination was planned for myself and Prince Dapo Abiodun, I was the one who sorted it out and I had to call Prince Dapo Abiodun. We were coming from Ogun Waterside and I would never forget that day. I told him he should not go to Iperu, because I was told he should not,

Mustapha after I paid a ransom. My office was almost burnt. I lost the chairmanship of the NDIC. I could not careless. If God says I would be chairman of the NDIC or any board I would be. If that was the sacrifice from me to make to ensure that this state was going to come out of servitude, then, it was worth my while. Otherwise, generations yet unborn would spit on my grave, if I had allowed such a charade to happen. How could we choose a governorship and deputy governorship candidates the same day? When primaries take place and primaries are won, then, elders in the party would sit down, put heads together, agree on where to zone the deputy governorship ticket and, then, probably get, three, four, five candidates from there and vet them, in conjunction with the governor-elect and, then, have a running mate. It has never happened. I made up my mind, that over my dead body would it happen. It wasn’t by my power, it was by God’s might. I don’t have the resources that the immediate past governor had. He had his personal resources and he had the resources of the government. He had the machinery of the government, but we have God and God saw us through. I do not and I will never accept injustice. Having done all of that, I have now taken a back seat. I am an elder and I will be 70 early next year. I have played the role that God has assigned me. I stay away from the governor, not because of any misunderstanding or anything, but I believe that, we should all leave him to govern. He has his own mind and let us see what he wants to do. If he calls me for consultation, I will give the advice, very gladly and wilfully. But I will not choke him or run around him or pursue him all over the place, because he is no longer, just Prince Dapo Abiodun, he is now carrying the burden of the whole state as the governor. And he should not be choked. APC is currently enmeshed in a crisis of confidence whereby the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has been blamed for the loss of some states to the opposition

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Should Oshiomhole be blamed for the loss? You can not blame the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. What happened in the last general elections proved that people are idiots in this country. The people should not be taken for granted. A lot of governors, whether still serving, or gone, played god once they get into office. I pray to God that such would not be the portion of our own governor in Ogun State. I would tell you for free. In a state like Bauchi, I was in the National Assembly and I have friends from Bauchi who told me that they would vote for Mr President, but would vote out the governor who was an APC man. I started my political career in Oyo state. For your information, I was a member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), before we went to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) under Chief Samuel Afolabi to go and support Dr Omololu Oluloyo and to whom I worked very closely. Before the elections, the feelers that I got from Oyo state was that the people were sick and tired of the APC. It cuts across. If you look at a state, like Imo, now, a sitting governor wanted his son in-law to take over from him. It is not a family estate. It was very similar to what happened in Ogun State, for somebody to say he wanted to impose somebody on us. I can tell you for free, that if Senator Ibikunle Amosun had supported Prince Dapo Abiodun, he would have lost the election. In all these states I am talking about, people were sick and tired of somebody claiming monopoly of knowledge and playing god. I believe such persons should be demystified. I have given examples of Bauchi, Oyo, Imo and Ogun states. In the whole Nigeria, there are three regions, and that is a representation of three regions of Nigeria. And that tells you that very soon people will vote their conscience, whoever they believe would serve them right and not vote, just a party. That is the trend. You can not blame the national chairman at all or the national leadership of the party.

Armed banditry, kidnapping and herdsmen attacks are now the order of the day in the country and the ugly trend has been on the doorstep of the APC-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for being ineffectual. What is your take on this issue of insecurity? It is only God that can fight insecurity. When you have a society in which the “don’t haves” form 80 percent and the “do haves” form 20 percent, you are playing with fire. When you have a society in which you have youths that are unemployed, then, they become the fertile breeding ground for insecurity and for other societal problems. Also, when you have an economy in which 70 percent of the budget is meant for the recurrent expenditure and 30 percent for capital expenditure, there is a problem. The presidential system of government is too expensive for this country to carry. We can’t afford it. Unfortunately, members of the National Assembly will never agree to amend the constitution to either make their job part-time or change their system to the parliamentary system of government. Until something gives, we are sitting on a keg of gun powder. Not only those in power or place of authority are saying it. It is very worrisome at this point in time. I just pray God grants Mr President and the security agencies the knowledge to navigate what I would call “shark-infested water” of security in this country. Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo raised a serious concern over an attempt to Islamize the country, following wanton cases of hersdsmen attack all over the country. In return, Obasanjo has come under scathing attacks. Was the former President not entitled to freedom of speech to express his fears? I wouldn’t want to comment on what exPresident Olusegun Obasanjo said. I am not in the same political camp with him. I am not with him, politically, but as an elder and as a Baba to me, I will never speak ill of him or say anything against what he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019

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POLITICS

‘Politicians Should Not Challenge Every Election Result in Court’ Ben Nworie holds a conversation with Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu, the member representing Ishielu and Ezza North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives as he begins his second tenure

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ou have successfully completed your first term and now in your second, how have you fared? I want to thank the Almighty God for his love and benevolence to me. Indeed, power comes from God and I will remain eternally grateful to God for the successful completion of my first term. I want also to thank the leader of the Peoples Democractic Party in Ebonyi state, Governor David Umahi who is father to me. He loves me so much that I will continue to be grateful to him. I want also to thank the good people of Ishielu and Ezza North Federal constituency for finding me worthy to represent them in the House of Representatives for the first term and also renewing my mandate in 2019. I was inaugurated in June, 2015 and I can tell you that if I had not done well, my constituents would not have re-elected me. One thing you have to know is that in politics, if you joke with your people, your problems will emanate from the home front. I am happy that I have offered effective and efficient representation to my people and they are happy for having me in the National Assembly. I have intervened in some of the critical Infrastructural needs in Ishielu and Ezza North Federal constituency. Time may not permit me to start mentioning one by one some of the projects executed by me in the first term. You know it all and the projects are still there in the two local government area of the constituency. But I must mention that we have addressed perennial water issues in some of the communities in the constituency. We have drilled and completed over 40 motorized boreholes and they are operational and serving my people. We have installed transformers and completed electricity projects. I have documented all the projects I have executed since 2015 in my scorecard. The benefitting communities are on the scorecard. I must mention that I have graded and some roads in Ezzagu, Azuinyaba and in Ezza North local government area. In all these projects, I feel fulfilled that we have not abandoned the downtrodden, the sick and the poor widows and vulnerable children. Apart from regular visits to orphanage homes, I have empowered over 100 widows in my constituency. As a matter of fact, you are aware that during the last Easter celebration, I visited the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and paid the medical bills of indigent patients who had been discharged but held back in the hospital for not paying their medical bills. Some of their bills range from N100,000 to N150,000. What informed my decision was that I can’t be celebrating any Yuletide and my constituents will be held hostage in the hospital because they were unable to offset their medical bills. We went to the management and took the list of people with this issue. We have been doing this since 2015. Each time, we undertake this critical program because it’s a good way of appreciating God and humanity. We have sustained these interventions since I came on board. And there’s no time, we don’t spend over N3 million, excluding transport fares back to their various locations. And we are planning to modify and increase our outreach programmes. We will be providing regular medical and welfare outreach programmes for pregnant women, vulnerable youths, aged men and women in my constituency. With the impact

it would have amounted to shooting ourselves in the leg. Even members of the opposition parties abandoned their candidates to support Umahi because he has done well in all the sectors. So, asking me why we vigorously campaigned for him is like doubting if we are happy with the governor ’s achievements in the first term. We campaigned vigorously for him because he’s the pride of the present generation and am sure the future generations in the state will have little developmental burdens to face in the state. All my programmes are to complement the efforts of the governor ’s wife, Rachel in giving succour and to families in the state. Through Mrs Umahi’s pet projects, many lives have been saved, touched and uplifted.

Nwonu

of the medical financial assistance, we have considered it expedient to partner with medical experts to carry out routine medical outreach programs because most times, people die out of ignorance and lack of attention to their health conditions. Through this programme, we will identify special cases and face it squarely. In the area of employment, I must commend myself like the proverbial lizard that fell down from the high Iroko tree and on noticing that no one was around to praise it, decided to nod its head for good performance. I have secured employment for over 80 young graduates and you know some of them, including your brother from Ezzagu community. You know some of them and their names and phone numbers are on the score card. They are around and visible. You can pick my scorecard and call any of their numbers to confirm the authenticity. Some of them are working at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Security agencies, Federal Ministries and parastatals. We have also collected many applications for jobs because it’s part of our responsibility to assist young graduates to get jobs and be meaningful in life. And of course, you know that no matter what you do, you will be rated based on the number of people you give jobs. It is important because it’s permanent and life sustaining. Most importantly, I want to assure you that I shall redouble my efforts in this second term. All I have achieved for my people will be doubled and I want to tell you that I don’t like or engage in publicity bliss or propaganda. My account of stewardship must be real, confirmable and authentic. We have maintained it in my first term and that was why my people sent me back to the National Assembly and I won’t let them down. Is any of your opponents challenging the outcome of the election at the tribunal? No. My election was credible, free and fair. But, there’s something I want

to tell Nigerians, especially politicians. It doesn’t mean that the outcome of every election must be challenged in the court. It doesn’t show that one is a serious politician or not. In every election, only one person will emerge. It’s either me or you and whoever wins, God takes the glory. If you didn’t win today, the next time might be your turn. Most of the post- elections struggle and litigations also heighten tension, crises and heating up the polity in the country. Unless in an obvious case of manipulation or victory denial, one can seek redress. However, I must commend the Independent National Electoral Commission for the credibility of the 2019 general elections in Ebonyi state. And I must commend the maturity and decision of my opponents not to challenge the outcome of my election and for not going into another round of struggle and litigation. I have no court case challenging the outcome of my election. You and your populous Ezza clan campaigned vigorously for the reelection of Governor David Umahi, was the support in expectation of the supposed 2023 permutation? How do you see Ebonyi state today? Are you not proud to be an Ebonyi man now? If the re-election of Governor David Umahi had entailed laying down our lives, we would have laid down our lives. There’s a reward for hard work. The governor deserves our support. He is a transformer, unifier, achiever, peace advocate, developer. We are proud of him. The greatest task you can give me is to enumerate his achievements in the state. I am sure you can’t go there. Ebonyi state is now a reference point of a fastest growing city in Nigeria. At a time other states are suffocating in huge debts, unpaid salaries, Ebonyi state under governor David Umahi has become a shining example to all. No right thinking person from Abakaliki bloc ( Ebonyi Central and North) would have jettisoned the second term bid of Governor Umahi. He has performed creditably well. So,

Is your generosity pandering to higher ambition in 2023? My brother, if you are wishing me anything bigger in 2023, may it be done to me according to your words. It will be most uncharitable for me to start thinking of 2023 when I have just spent some days in my second term. My major concern now is to use my second term to further advance the welfare of my constituents. They sent me to the National Assembly to represent them and bring home goodies and dividends not to start thinking of 2023. When we get to the bridge, we shall definitely cross it. We should not be obsessed with power. Anyone thinking about 2023 now simply wants to distract the good works of our governor and we will not allow that. What’s your opinion on the prevelence of cultism in some part of the state? It’s barbaric and condemnable, the wave of cult activities in some part of the state is something to be frowned at. I must commend the efforts of the security agencies and our Governor, David Umahi, in confronting the menace of cultism in the state. I also urge security agents to intensify efforts to track down all cultists spilling bloods in the state. They must be brought to book. Ebonyi state is very peaceful and we can’t allow cultism to run down our dear state. I receive with great shock the recent murder of one youth in Ezza North. I have also engaged community leaders on that. Nobody should shield any murderer. We must get rid of bad elements anywhere in the state and I will do anything possible at my disposal to protect the lives of my people. People should take the sanctity of human lives seriously. In the weeks ahead, I will organise youths summit for the people of Ezza North and Ishielu federal constituency. The summit will dwell on entrepreneurship and shunning cultism. What are the expectations from you in this second term? I want to assure the good people of Ishielu and Ezza North Federal constituency that I will continue you offer efficient and effective representation to them. Our empowerment programmes will be intensified. We will continue to secure employment opportunities for our youths and unemployed graduates. I want to urge the youths to shun cultism and be rest assured of employment opportunities. We have to be law abiding citizens. We have to sustain the peace and other legacies of the Umahi administration. This way, we will continue to focus and struggle to keep our campaign promises.

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FEATURES

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

June 12: Redrawing History The battle for the soul of June 12 is not over, but Nigeria is gradually coming to terms with the realities of its sordid past, writes Solomon Elusoji

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hat June 12, 1993, looms large in any discussion of Nigeria’s democratic history isn’t accidental. It was the first - and, arguably, only - moment when every part of the country removed its religious and ethnic garb, walked out naked and embraced one another without shame. It offered a stunning glimpse of a truly united Nigeria, a notion that is now propped up by, among other factors, the cold grip of the constitution and the cementing quality of time. Moshood Abiola, on that day, won what has been described as the freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria. He was a muslim. His running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe, was a muslim too. But none of that mattered. They were, reportedly, leading the polls with majority votes in 19 states, compared to the opposition’s 11. But, before the official results were announced, the then military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election and called for a redo. What followed was chaos. The chaos led to the enthronement of Sani Abacha, another military dictator, as Head of State on November 17, 1993. Abiola was also thrown into gaol. Civil rights groups like the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) rose to the fore, agitating for the end of tyranny. But Abacha was steadfast in his authoritarian stance, that June 12 and its proponents were unpatriotic and, consequently, a threat to national security. As it turned out, after Abacha died in 1998, Abiola soon followed, under mysterious circumstances. General Abdusalami Abubakar, who took over, pledged to return the country to democratic rule the next year. He did. On May 29, 1999, former military ruler, Olusegun Obasanjo, was sworn in as the first civilian President of the fourth republic. The choice of May 29 as the ‘day of return’ was controversial. The Abubakar-led military government, reportedly, said it didn’t want to stay beyond one year in office, after taking over in June 1998. It wasn’t a convincing reason. Civil rights groups, including NADECO, protested, arguing for June 12. “We kicked against that date of May 29, 1999, as Democracy Day,� one of the leaders who were in consultation with the military at the time, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said. “For us, the argument was simple and straight enough. If there had been no June 12 Presidential Election of 1993, there would have been no new arrangement whereby the military would be seeking a hand-over date. We also made it clear to them that the May 29 date has no significance in the history of Nigeria in any way�. Although May 29 stuck, the ghosts of June 12 refused to die with Abiola. Editorials were written. Opinion pages screamed for its ultimate recognition. Meanwhile, in the South-west, states declared it as a public holiday, but it still did not have national validation. In 2013, as Governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko, called for the federal government to nationalise June 12. Inaction by Past Presidents During his eight years as President, Olusegun Obasanjo didn’t broach the topic. In 2008, one lawmaker even accused Obasanjo of unleashing “repressive agencies against the civil class seeking restoration of democratic values� in “finding solutions to June 12.� The next President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua battled ill health for most of his tenure. His successor, Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged the day as “unique� and one that “changed the political history of this country,� but he was never convinced of its historic goodness for the country. Mr Kola Abiola, the oldest son of the man at the centre of June 12, said he made three attempts to get President Jonathan to, at least, recognise his father as a past President. “We couldn’t get it to happen,� Mr Abiola said. What President Jonathan did, to honour Abiola and, perhaps, the memory of June 12 was to rename the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University (MAULAG) on May 29, 2012. But the move backfired and the renaming was rolled back after a wave of public protests.

MKO Abiola

Buhari

A ‘Daniel’ in Judgement However, on June 6, 2018, President Muham-

It is a threshold moment for Nigerian history, but civil rights groups are not totally satisďŹ ed, yet. While describing the legal amendments as “a reward for tenacityâ€?for the believers in June 12, National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said “it is not a complete task yet until Abiola is recognised posthumously as Nigeria’s former president with all the privileges attached

madu Buhari did the previously unthinkable when he announced that June 12 would now officially be Nigeria’s Democracy Day, cancelling May 29. He also recognised Abiola as the winner of the annulled 1993 election, while decorating him with Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Nigeria’s highest national honour. Although some described the move as a grand ploy by Buhari to woo the South-west for the 2019 elections, about a year after the announcement, on May 16, 2019, the National Assembly passed the Public Holiday Act Amendment Bill to recognise June 12 as the new Democracy Day. Last monday, weeks after Buhari won the 2019 elections, the Presidency said he has signed the bill into law, eventually confirming June 12 as the key moment when true democracy was birthed in Nigeria. “May 29 will only be handover date and working day. By the Act amended and signed by Mr. President, May 29 is no more a public holiday. June 12 is now a public holiday and the country’s Democracy Day,� the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, told State House correspondents. Clamour to Recognise Abiola Posthumously It is a threshold moment for Nigerian history, but civil rights groups are not totally satisfied,

yet. While describing the legal amendments as “a reward for tenacity� for the believers in June 12, National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said “it is not a complete task yet until Abiola is recognised posthumously as Nigeria’s former president with all the privileges attached.� NADECO’s current National Secretary, Ayo Opadokun, has also said the group is urging “President Buhari and the ruling APC to go beyond merely recognising June 12 as Democracy Day, but to also formally inaugurate, posthumously, Bashorun MKO Abiola as president�. In response, a founding member of the APC and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, has noted that a formal recognition, complete with ceremonies and speeches, is not necessary. “We don’t need that anymore, having given him GCFR, which is only conferred on presidents; it is automatically a recognition, otherwise, it would be an exercise in futility,� he said. “Abiola is gone. Are we going to swear him in or who are we going to hang the symbol of office to? The acceptance and awarding the GCFR to him is a recognition that he passed through and was a president of this nation.� Clearly, the battle for the soul of June 12 is not over, but Nigeria is gradually coming to terms with the realities of its sordid past.

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#THISISNIGERIA Feyi Fawehinmi.

National Carrier as a One Chance Bus

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few weeks ago, there were reports in the papers about N47bn being set aside for Nigeria Air. Having wasted so much money already on a logo and branding, it seems that this doomed project has simply refused to die and Nigeria is determined to set scarce resources on fire.

National Carrier is a one chance bus The very first point here is this—no matter what they tell you a national carrier will cost, it will end up costing more in reality. That is to say, if you want to do it and make a success of it, you need to approach it with an open cheque. Nigeria Air supposedly has a price tag of $300m. That’s fine but once that first plane takes off, you can kiss that price tag goodbye. It will cost far more. It is one of the best examples of a sunk cost and how people get into the trap of chasing their losses by spending more money. It is one thing to start an airline with $300m it is a completely different thing to keep it running. And that cost of keeping it running cannot be known in advance. You will always be buying planes, you will always be developing new routes at a loss, you will always be needing a new terminal. The further along you go, the harder it is to turn back. This is before adding the extra Nigerian madness like unions who will refuse reforms or political interference from politicians who insist their family members ought to fly free. Consider Etihad Airways. If anyone should have an idea how to run a state backed airline, it should be them. Afterall they have the example of Emirates right next door to them and should at least be able to copy. But what has happened in reality? Etihad has racked up losses of $1.52bn for 2017 and $1.95bn in 2016. It is only now trying to get a grip on its costs by removing its former CEO and sacking 4,000 workers a year ago. I’m sure the initial cost of the airline was also $300m and was to be private sector led. You cannot know what the national carrier will cost but once you enter the ‘one chance bus’, you will spend and spend until you can no longer continue. Then when you close it down, you will still be left with the mess to deal with. Airline proďŹ t is like smoke Do state backed airlines really make profits? The moment this debate comes up, the first thing people shout is Ethiopian Airlines. Yes that airline makes a ‘profit’ but is it really that simple? Yes, Ethiopian Airlines made a profit of $148m in 2015 but the only person who has seen its accounts is Audit Services Corporation of Ethiopia. That is, a 100% government owned airline is audited by a government audit agency. The same government also does not demand dividends and subsidises the airline in various other ways. The only thing you can conclude here is that it is a well run airline—this explains why it was able to launch its ASKY subsidiary effectively. Whether it actually makes any profit is highly debatable. I would personally doubt it but then I have no evidence. Even funnier - while Nigeria was ‘talking’ to Ethiopian Airlines as one of the ‘investors’ for Nigeria Air, Ethiopia was itself looking for buyers for some of its stake in Ethiopian Airlines due to the country’s severe foreign exchange shortage. If one of your reasons for supporting the national carrier is that it will make ‘profits’ for government, you should look for another reason. If you are lucky, after many many years, the airline will be able to stand on its own two feet. You are free to check out how much profit Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways or the others actually make for the governments who own them. Warning Signs and Options If someone is vehemently opposed to the

It is a threshold moment for Nigerian history, but civil rights groups are not totally satisďŹ ed, yet. While describing the legal amendments as “a reward for tenacityâ€?for the believers in June 12, National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said “it is not a complete task yet until Abiola is recognised posthumously as Nigeria’s former president with all the privileges attached Nigeria Air

Money is fungible. If you don’t spend it on a national carrier, you can spend it on roads or ports or even airports. But if you spend it on a national carrier you cannot spend the same money on other things. And at this point in time when resources are so scarce and Nigeria already locked into so much wasteful spending, how exactly is embarking on a national carrier a solution to anything? The warning signs are already there. It is clear that the minister was incredibly ‘excited’ about the project. He powered ahead with the plan like it was the most important thing in the world. Without investors or a broader strategic plan that might even justify a national carrier as a kind of ‘loss leader’, he went ahead and started speaking to plane manufacturers and even designed a logo. The airline was to be launched in December with a plan for the government to own 5% of it. It is good to understand the idea of only 5% government ownership as another pipe dream. It will be a government owned airline until it can somehow make a profit and only then will the government be able to sell down its stake to such a level. At best, it might be private sector run but government owned. And when you own an airline, you will be responsible for all those costs.

Nigeria Air Planes

Nigerian-Airways-Abandoned-Planes-Akinwale-Makinde

national carrier, does that mean the person does not want Nigeria to make progress? That is one of the ridiculous arguments you hear when this

debate comes up. Somehow, the government has succeeded in making the idea of a national carrier an emotional issue.

You know your country You know your country. You know your government. You know your people. You understand how the Nigerian middle class behave when it comes to cornering resources for themselves (remember how complaints about forex policy disappeared as soon as Emefiele made PTA available to the middle class?) You know how your government officials behave when they see something like this—they aggressively take advantage. You can already see how your government behaved with the logo launch and even forgot to buy the domain name for the airline. You saw how the minister was excited at the opportunity to buy a plane. You know how your country went against all recommendations and built a steel plant far away from the raw materials and the port. You know all these things and still support this financial misadventure in the making? Then that is a failure of imagination. I urge you to close your eyes and imagine you have $300m to spend on improving the Nigerian economy. Think of what you’ll spend it on to improve the country that is NOT a national carrier and then see what you come up with. The government might be suffering from a lack of imagination but there is no reason why you should join them in that affliction. t'FZJ 'BXFIJONJ JT BO BDDPVOUBOU BOE TPDJBM DPNNFOUBUPS

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Quick Takes NCS to Address Smart City Initiative

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) will be addressing issues around technology innovation and the smart city initiative at its 14th international conference. The conference, which is scheduled to hold in Gombe, Gombe State next month, seeks to adopt various approaches to address the challenges in IT development in the country, and highlights opportunities related to building smart nations, digital economies and meaningful lives that leverages on information technology. With the theme:“Smart Nations, Digital Economies and Meaningful Lives,�NCS said it was preparing for the best and has assembled an impressive line-up of leading researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, industry experts, thought leaders, international scholars and subject matter experts, as speakers and resource persons to share their extensive knowledge and experience on the theme and sub themes. Giving further insight to the conference, NCS President, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, said the conference would focus on important issues related to the theme and sub themes such as: Innovative and Disruptive Technologies in the New Economy; Smart Broadband, Digital infrastructure and Sharing Frameworks; Coding the Future of Agriculture, Health, Education and Services; Smart Culture, Communities and Inclusion; Digital Law, Intellectual Property and Data Protection, among others.

Swedish Institute Introduces Programme

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Report: Global 5G Subscriptions Projected to Reach 1.9 Billion by 2024 Stories by Emma Okonji A recent report by Ericsson Mobility has estimated that global 5G uptake will come faster than expected, with a projection of 1.9 billion by 2024, up from the 1.5 billion predicted in the November 2018 edition of same report, as operators ramp up deployments and users switch to 5G devices. The report projected that by 2024, 5G networks were likely to carry 35 per cent of the global mobile traffic. According to the report, rapid early momentum and enthusiasm for 5G led Ericsson to forecast an extra 400 million enhanced mobile broadband subscriptions globally by the end of 2024. There have also been other predictions as a result of the

ICT rapid 5G uptake. 5G coverage was predicted to reach 45 per cent of the world’s population by the end of 2024. This could surge to 65 per cent, as spectrum sharing technology enables 5G deployments on LTE frequency bands. Communication service providers in several markets have switched on 5G following the launch of 5G-compatible smartphones. Service providers in some markets are also setting more ambitious targets for population coverage of up to 90 percent within the first year, the report added. The strong commitment of chipset and device vendors is also key to the acceleration of 5G adoption. Smartphones for all main spectrum bands are slated

to hit the market over the course of this year. As 5G devices increasingly become available and more 5G networks go live, over 10 million 5G subscriptions are projected worldwide by the end of 2019. The report further added that the uptake of 5G subscriptions was expected to be fastest in North America, with 63 per cent of anticipated mobile subscriptions in the region being for 5G in 2024. North East Asia closely followed with about 47 per cent and Europe in third with about 40 per cent. Analysing the report, the Executive Vice President and Head of Networks at Ericsson, Fredrik Jejdling, said: “5G is definitely taking off and at a rapid pace. This reflects the service providers’

and consumers’ enthusiasm for the technology. 5G will have positive impact on people’s lives and businesses, realising gains beyond the IoT and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “However, the full benefits of 5G can only be reaped with the establishment of a solid ecosystem in which technology, regulatory, security, and industry partners all have a part to play.� Total mobile data traffic continued to soar globally in Q1 2019, up 82 per cent year-on-year. There are 1 billion cellular Internet of Things (IoTs) connections globally, a figure that is expected to rise to 4.1 billion by the end of 2024, of which 45 per cent are represented by massive IoT, the Continued on page 22

Regulator Moves to Promote Local Content in Tech Ecosystem The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has restated government’s commitment to promoting local content in the Nigeria through the development of digital skills among start-ups in tertiary institutions. NCC made the commitment in Lagos, during the maiden edition of Emerging Technologies Consultative and ICT Innovation Forum, held in Lagos recently. Speaking at the forum, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umaru Garba Danbatta who was represented by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services at NCC, Mrs. Yetunde Akinloye, said: “The ICT innovation Forum has become necessary to promote local content with emphasis on the tech ecosystem, identifying unmet needs and facilitate Public Private Partnership (PPP).

ICT “With the growing pressure of globalisation, every government as well as captains of industries are charged with the burden of finding ways to ensure that we remain competitive and capable of fulfilling local demand. “Not only that, but given the wide availability of information technology to serve markets the world over, it is imperative that the right frameworks be developed to enhance the ability of indigenous companies to maximally explore and exploit local opportunities, as well as remain globally competitive.� According to Danbatta, whereas mobile network operators have developed infrastructure to support voice services and access to

data, it had become expedient for them to unlock new services and sources of value generation and revenue streams in their operations. “It also became necessary to innovate on how to access segments of the consumer wallets not presently allocated to communication by providing solutions to consumer needs in other vertical areas of education, health, government services, among others, made available through telecoms network infrastructure. “The commission in its effort to encourage tech entrepreneurship and innovation in the ICT sector, has embarked on visitation to various tech start-ups across the six geopolitical zones to assess their development and challenges. “We intend to assist the various

tech hubs with the right regulatory intervention to ease their operations,� Danbatta said. Director, Research and Development at NCC, Ephraim Nwokonneya, said NCC would be giving grants to universities to enhance digital skills and promote local content among start-ups. “Propelled by a passion to create Nigeria’s ‘Silicon Wazobia’, the NCC has identified Lagos State as a location with a large cluster of tech hubs in Nigeria, some of which have recorded milestones in birthing and mentoring many start-ups to launch at commercial stage,� Nwokonneya added. According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari had in the past, demonstrated keen interest and readiness to provide neces-

The Swedish Institute has created the Innovation Ecosystem Programme as a platform for knowledge exchange and problem solving, between innovation field experts within the private sector, public sector and academia, with the help of Swedish expertise and experience. The list of the 2019 participants, includes Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr, Co-Founder of GoDo Hub, Director, Innovation Support Network Hubs and Director, Founder Institute Lagos. Agbatahasstronglybeenattheforefrontoftechnologydevelopment and innovation adoption in Nigeria, for over a decade, through the presentation of a weekly show on Channels Television and a column in the Punch Newspapers. Other participants from Nigeria include Lanre Osibona, Senior Special Adviser to the President on ICT; Kenechukwu Osakwe, Members Services Coordinator, AfriLabs; Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, Former, Vice-chancellor, UNN and Enogieru Osasenaga, National Program Manager, Wennovation Hub. TheSwedishInnovationecosystemprogram,isafivedayprogramme, scheduled to hold from June 10 to June 14, 2019, in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden. The topic for this year’s edition is, “Start-ups and the Innovation Ecosystem in Sweden�.

9mobile Oers Customers Bonus Airtime

9mobile is rewarding subscribers with bonus airtime on their recharges for calls and data in its newest 9x Offer. The 9x Offer is a big boost for customers who recharge more as they will get bonus airtime for all recharges of N200 and above. For instance, a customer who recharges N200 will receive N1,800 bonus airtime, that is 9 times more value to make calls and browse online. Customers who are unable to recharge up to N200 will get 4x bonus airtime purchased. 9mobile is not leaving anyone out of the fun; new subscribers will automatically enjoy the Offer on their lines, while existing customers simply need to dial *611*20# to opt in. With the new offer, 9mobile customers get more value to do more on any network. The 9x Offer, which is one of 9mobile’s recent reward programmes, is to appreciate customers for their loyalty and commitment to the brand, letting them feel the super appreciation of the brand for every Naira they spend on the network. Speakingonthelaunchoftheoffer,VicePresident,Marketing,9mobile, Adebisi Idowu, said “It is a way of giving more to customers and expressing the value 9mobile places on every customer’s spend on the network. The 9x Offer further reaffirms the telco as a caring brand that always seeks the best for its customers.�

The government acts like everything is fine and as if they have done well. The truth is things are not fine. The problem we have in Nigeria is that we keep problems until they become so big that we have to fix them. We have serious problems in this economy. The problems are that of growth, unemployment and productivity Vice Chairman, Alpha African Advisory

Continued on page 22

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

REPORT: GLOBAL 5G SUBSCRIPTIONS PROJECTED TO REACH 1.9 BILLION BY 2024

Opeke Seeks Executive Order for Technology Sector

report added. The NCC had said Nigeria would be ready to roll out 5G networks with the 26GHz, 38GHz and 42GHz spectrum bands by 2020. The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who said this, had explained that trial testing of the rollout plan has commenced in the country beginning with the Eko Atlantic Project, where broadband data would drive connectivity and allow humans to interact with connected devices to check their health status and remotely control home appliances without physical contact. Danbatta had acknowledged the deficit in infrastructure rollout and spectrum availability in the country but added that the NCC was already working to address the challenges. He said NCC would begin with the available 26GHz, 38GHz and 42GHz to drive 5G rollout in the country. Danbatta said, “NCC is already working on the three key factors that will drive 5G deployments, which include infrastructure, spectrum and regulation ahead of the 2020 rollout date. “We will rely on existing policies and regulation and still come up with additional policies and regulation that will address any hiccups.�

Emma Okonji

REGULATOR MOVES TO PROMOTE LOCAL CONTENT IN TECH ECOSYSTEM sary support to tech hubs towards robust development of the tech ecosystem by having high profile government functionaries to commission tech hubs in some parts of the country. The President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Sola Aderounmu, in his presentation called for collaboration between the academia and the industry, to enable universities produce graduates with the required digital skills needed for today’s digital jobs. Aderounmu, also stressed the need for government to create the enabling environment to boost infrastructure development that would enhance innovation. He therefore called for the political will of government to drive digital skills and technology innovation.

The Chief Executive Officer of MainOne Broadband Company, Ms. Funke Opeke, has raised the concern over government’s weak political will to promote local technology in the country, both in software and hardware development. Opeke, who spoke recently in Lagos while delivering a keynote paper on technology and government’s support in Nigeria, said the federal government was yet to protect and promote local technology development in the country. Citing the Presidential Executive Order that was passed to promote the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the country, Opeke said: “The president passed an Executive Order to say government will preferentially source from Nigerian owned companies, but we have not seen that take effect. “Government policies directly impact the ecosystem through the creation of favourable terms, infrastructural development and the provision of incentives for high-growth start-ups, but we are yet to feel the policy impact on ICT in Nigeria,� Opeke said. According to her, South Africa’s tech ecosystem remarkable growth was as a result of its strong government support with generous Research and Development (R&D) incentives for the private sector that can give tax relief up to 150 per cent of qualified spending. “In South Korea, the governments led the growth of the tech ecosystem with well-constructed policies, a mix of protectionist economic policies and export performance supported local companies in becoming globally

Obinna Chima

Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ äÙÒÙ

Emma Okonji Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Eromosele Abiodun (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

of effective policies that will not only protect local technologies, but also enable them to grow and compete well globally. “Creating an enabling environment for the tech ecosystem will support the development of home grown technology. “In this new virtual world, we see a lot of skilled services delivered into Nigeria virtually. You only have to do business with multinationals in Nigeria to recognise a lot of the work

that powers these companies that are fuelled offshore. “That implies they make money in Nigeria but do not contribute jobs here in Nigeria. This is a global phenomenon and the technology makes it easier to achieve such results. “This is where government comes in. Incentives to have jobs here. Protection that has teeth for local companies, are needed to grow local technology in Nigeria,� Opeke said.

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by the News Agency of Nigeria says the Esuk Mba community market in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River is still practicing trade by barter as a means of exchange for food items since it was established in 1956.� This he said, simply revealed that there was still so much work to be done to ensure that the inhabitants of rural Nigeria embrace digital payments method. He, however, said this would not mean that efforts were not being made to promote digital payments, but stressed the need for rural communities across Nigeria to embrace electronic transactions in today’s digital

age. Citing efforts made by Financial Technology (FinTech) players to take digital payment system to rural communities, Ayuba said today some fintech companies have gone ahead to establish small kiosk in rural communities in order to boost financial inclusion. “This kiosk has made it possible for people to receive and transfer money for a small fee and perform other e-transactions. “When it comes to shopping online, rural dwellers still prefer to pay with cash. However, with the incentives and topnotch security offered by Jumia Pay, the payment gateway of Jumia, rural shoppers are growing confident

about making payment online. This, in one way or the other, is contributing to the need to ensure that the entire Nigeria economy becomes cashless,� Ayuba said. Addressing the lower risk associated with digital transactions in rural communities, Ayuba said: “If stolen, it is easy to block a debit card or mobile wallet remotely, but it’s impossible to get your cash back. In that sense, the digital option offers lots more security. “There is no reason for people to carry millions of naira around when there is a pocket or wallet size card which they can use to transact business at any time of the day.� He added that with smart-

phone prices dropping according to the Nigeria Mobile Report published by Jumia recently, more people in the rural areas would be able to afford mobile devices for digital transactions. In the area of convenience in transactions digitally, Ayuba stressed that the ease of conducting financial transactions had become the biggest motivator to go digital. “You will no longer need to carry wads of cash, plastic cards, or even queue up for Automated Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals. It’s also a safer and easier spending option when you are travelling, and it will be useful in case of emergencies,� Ayuba further stressed.

Ikeja Disco Launches MAP Scheme

Capital Market Editor Comms/e-Business Editor

federal government to stimulate growth in the Nigerian tech ecosystem and also impact on local innovation hubs in Nigeria by providing the necessary infrastructure, such as power, broadband infrastructure, good road network, as well as creating an enabling and conducive business environment for business zones and innovation hubs with a friendly tax regime. She said there must be development and enforcement

Jumia Urges Rural Dwellers to Adopt e-Payment

Jumia Nigeria has stressed the need for rural dwellers to embrace electronic payment systems for their online transactions. This, according to the eCommerce firm would provide ease and safety of all financial transactions within the rural communities. Public Relations Associate at Jumia Travel and Food, Mr. Ogunfowoke Adeniyi Ayuba, said in a statement, that the economy of Nigeria’s rural communities was still cash-based due to no fault of anyone. According to him, “There are still some rural communities in this country that still transact business using the trade by barter method. A recent report

Group Business Editor

Goddy Ogene

competitive firms. “India’s tech ecosystem earns number four in the world due to strong government backing with friendly policies and free incubation hubs for entrepreneurs. “It is also supported by a growing number of funds, angel investors, incubators, accelerators, event platforms and academic programs, which drives its growth,� Opeke said. Opeke, therefore called on the

The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has commenced massive metering of its unmetered customers with the launch of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme with its partners, New Hampshire Capital Limited, at its Ikorodu Business Unit. MAP is a policy of the federal government and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in which third parties known as MAPs, were given the responsibility of metering all customers of discos to bridge the metering gap in the country.

According to the disco, the scheme aims at ensuring that all customers under its network are metered to bring to an end, the issue of estimated billing, saying with the collaboration of the New Hampshire Capital, all customers under the Ikeja disco will be metered. Speaking to journalists at the launch, the Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu, said: “So, we have a coordinated plan, it starts with customers logging into our website. We believe that using the internet and the technology that we have now ensures that we can reach our customers

wherever they are, even if they are not in the country.� Obi-Chukwu added that over 14, 000 meter applications had already been recorded on the company’s portal and counting, saying, “we have over 5, 000 customers already that we are going through their KYC information. We believe that by the end of this week, we should be seeing customers in their thousands that are ready for metering. So, we are actually ahead of the curve and we have meters already in store. “The entire process is not just to sign meter asset providers, you also need to have those meters in

store already. So, we have some meters already in store; and then, mind you, when you also sign this contract with the MAPs, the MAPS themselves will now go and source for the meters and have them installed.� Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer, New Hampshire Capital, Mr. Odion Wesley Omonfoman, said the partnership with the Ikeja Electric was to roll out at least 276, 000 meters within the Ikorodu Business Unit, stressing that it covers Ikorodu town and all the way to Epe. Omonfoman said: “Over the next 18 months, we will be rolling out prepaid electricity meters to

customers who don’t have meters or who need new meters. We will be doing that in conjunction with Ikeja Electric. “So our job is to provide the meters and to install the meters and also manage the meters for that whole period. We have a 10-year contract with Ikeja Electric to do that role. So once you go to the KYC process, the metering process will start. “Specifically, once you indicate the payment option you have chosen, we are under obligation to meter you. So, if you are choosing upfront payment, you pay the entire amount, we will meter you within 10 business days.�

T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 13, 2019

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Between Regulation and Press Freedom Technology evolution has brought about convergence of different technologies and networks, thereby creating a thin line between regulation and technology. But the media is at the centre of the controversy emanating from this new development, writes Emma Okonji

T

he recent shutdown and reopening of Daar Communications Network, owners of AIT Television and RayPower radio stations by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has been seen as a clash of interests between the regulator and

isations of Nigeria (BON), The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has, however, resolved the crisis between Daar Communications and its regulator, the NBC. The crisis was resolved by NPO on Sunday night. President of NPO, who doubles as President of NPAN, Nduka Obaigbena, last Sunday, convened a meeting of all parties to resolve the issues, where it was agreed that the suspension be lifted with immediate effect, and DAAR Communications Plc will withdraw its case in court against the NBC, while all parties will take necessary steps to work together to build confidence in the public interest. Other agreements reached at the meeting were that DAAR Communications Plc will work out a new realistic payment plan with the NBC and ensure prompt payments in accordance with the new plan, and as well appoint an Ombudsman to ensure balance in its news coverage especially political commentary. The meeting also agreed that henceforth, it will also take full editorial responsibility for the use of content sourced from social media outlets. According to a statement from NPO, the NBC, at the meeting restated their commitments to freedom of expression and the constitutionally guaranteed role of the media under sections 22 and 39 to hold governments accountable, which states amongst others that the press, radio, television and other agencies of mass media are to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in the 1999 constitution and ensure the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.

the media. While the media has interest and right to express its views through digital broadcasting in relation to press freedom, the regulatory body has the authority to regulate the activities of operators within the ambient of the law, However, technology evolution is beginning to draw a thin line between regulation and technology through which broadcasting activities are carried out by the media and other operators who play active roles in the broadcasting space. Based on technology evolution and its power of convergence, industry regulators need to exercise caution in their regulatory activities to avoid stifling technology and media growth. Last week’s pronouncement of the indefinite suspension of the operational licence of Daar Communications and the subsequent shutdown of its operations in Nigeria by the NBC for alleged violation of broadcasting laws, as well as the shutting down of social media sites in Liberia by the Liberian government, are clear actions of intimidation and attempt to cage the media, and other players in the technology space, which the world must guard against. ÓÍÏØÍÏ ÝßÝÚÏØÝÓÙØ The NBC had announced the indefinite suspension of the licence of Daar Communications Plc. The Director-General of NBC, Modibbo Kawu, announced the suspension of the licence and the subsequent shutdown of the operations of AIT television and RayPower radio. According to Kawu, the action was taken for failure of the stations to abide by the broadcasting code. “AIT/Raypower embarked on use of inflammatory, divisive, inciting broadcasts, and media propaganda against the government and the NBC for performing its statutory functions of regulating the broadcast industry in Nigeria. “Consequently, after several meetings with management of Daar Communications Plc and many letters of warning, the NBC, on June 6th, 2019, took a decision to suspend the licence of Daar Communications Plc for failure to abide by the Commission’s directives, the provisions of the NBC Act Cap N11. The shut down order is until further notice,” Kawu said. He explained that the regulatory agency had been monitoring the stations for a long time and had issued warnings that were defied. “Following monitoring reports and complaints from concerned Nigerians about the broadcast contents of Daar Communications Plc’s AIT/ Raypower broadcast stations, the NBC have over the last two years, summoned, on several occasions, the management of the company to address issues regarding the operations of AIT/ Raypower with the company, particularly, Political Platform and Kakaaki aired on AIT,” he said. “In one of our meetings, held on 2nd June, 2017, the Commission expressed its disappointment with the way and manner hate speech, divisive and inciting comments were applied in discussion of national issues in breach of the provisions of the NBC Act and Broadcast Code,” Kawu further said.

Following the suspension of the licence of Daar Communications and the shutdown of its operations, several groups and individuals expressed their opinion over the matter. Some condemned the action of the NBC, which they described as a deliberate attempt to undermine freedom of expression of the media and to stifle press growth and freedom. From the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), to PDP Governors Forum, including the Senate President of the eight National Assembly, NGO and advocacy groups, all faulted the action of the the regulatory body in shutting down the operations of an independent broadcast station, without following due process. In a statement by the NLC President, Ayuba Waba, the labour movement urged the federal government to caution all its agencies and commissions against taking any action(s) that contravenes democratic standards. He said that NLC viewed the suspension of these licences as premeditated attacks on the media ultimately aimed at circumscribing our collective freedom. NLC advised NBC to approach the judiciary rather than take unilateral actions that

eventually affects the rights of the citizens to information and knowledge. In the same vein, the PDP Governors Forum, also condemned the NBC’s action, describing it as an act of repression against the media and a threat to the growth of democracy. The governors stated this in a communiqué read by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor òf Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson. after its meeting in Abuja. The governors said: “When you shut down news outlets, when you harass and intimidate journalists, then you are threatening the growth of democracy. We condemn it and call on the federal government to do what is right.” President of the Eighth Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the actions of NBC could cast aspersions on Nigeria’s commitment to the freedom of the press and must be avoided. “Regulators though necessary, must know that all such actions that give the impression of the endangering of the freedom of the press or freedom of speech cast our nation in a bad light. Such issues need to be handled in a better manner,” Saraki said. The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), also condemned the suspension of the licences and shutdown of AIT and RayPower FM by the NBC, describing it as despotic authoritarian, barbaric and a complete reversal of the democratic gains the country had made in the last two decades. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also joined others in condemning the action of NBC. SERAP in a statement signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare said: “These grounds are so subjective that if allowed to stand would seriously undermine freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information in the country. The mere fact that forms of expression on AIT/Raypower are considered by NBC to be insulting is not sufficient to justify the indefinite suspension. These grounds do not meet the requirements of legality, reasonableness, due process, necessity and proportionality.” Also, Paradigm Initiative, an advocacy group, joined forces in condemning the action of the NBC, describing it as undemocratic and capable of stifling free expression and the freedom of the press. Paradigm Initiative in a statement signed by its CEO, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said the NBC failed to recognise and understand that the press has the freedom to report expressions by citizens, just the same way citizens have the freedom to express opinions, however controversial.

Dokpesi, sensing the action of NBC and the body language of the presidency, had earlier before the suspension of the licence, filed an exparte application before a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order, setting aside the action of the electronic broadcast regulator. Dokpesi had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of stifling free speech by working to shut down AIT and Raypower FM. Dokpesi said: “I believe very strongly that under the leadership of the current Director General of the NBC, press freedom has been greatly eroded. If this was not protected by the President at the top, is it possible that his body language is being interpreted? “I have it on strict authority and very assured information that the highest echelons of government, the Presidency, queried and challenged the NBC that they were not doing their jobs: ‘How on earth could they be hearing and seeing on AIT what they termed hate speech?’ “Any criticism of this government is hate speech. The NBC is acting under the authority of the President and Commander-in-Chief.”

In the midst of the outrage by Nigerians over the indefinite suspension of the licence of Daar Communications, its founder, Dr. Raymond

The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which comprises Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organ-

Following the exparte application filed by Dokpesi, Justice Inyang Ekwo after hearing the application, ordered parties in the suit to maintain status quo ante bellum as at May 30, 2019, pending the hearing and determination of Daar Communications Plc’s suit challenging the closure of its broadcast stations. The Judge also ordered the NBC, the Attorney General of the Federation and Ministry of Information and Culture to appear before him today June 13, over the shutdown and suspension of the broadcast licence of Daar Communications Plc. Justice Ekwo, in his ruling on the exparte application filed and argued by Benson Igbanoi of Chief Mike Ozekhome’s chamber, granted the alternative prayer of the applicant, while he held that prayers one and two cannot be granted without first hearing from other parties. The plaintiff prayed the court to restrain the defendants from invading or closing down the premises of Daar Communication, its operations or broadcast services, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application. In obeying the court order, NBC immediately reopened the stations , pending the final outcome of the court case. Kawu, who spoke with THISDAY on telephone shortly after the reopening of the television and radio stations, said the commission had to obey court order, hence the stations were reopened.

Just as Nigerians are slugging it out with NBC over the shutdown and reopening of the broadcasting operations of Daar Communications, Liberians are also having tough time with the Liberian government over the blocking of several social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in that country, making it difficult for her citizens to access the social media. It is reported that the platforms were blocked in reaction to the ongoing anti-government protests in the capital, Monrovia. The protests, which have been tagged ‘Save the State’, were against the high inflation rates and corruption in the country. Reacting to the action of the Liberian government, Paradigm Initiative, an advocacy group, expressly condemned the act and declared that it is an affront to the freedom of expression amidst other civil liberties which belong to the citizens and residents of Liberia. In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said: “Article 15 of the Liberia Constitution 1986 states that every person shall have the right to freedom of expression. So the act of blocking access to the internet or to social media platforms for whatever reason is a gross violation of citizens’ freedom of expression. “The government of Liberia must be aware of the social, cultural, educative and economic value and relevance of the Internet. Business and human lives thrive not only on communication but on other benefits provided by social media platforms and the internet, and to block access to same is to act tyrant and disregard the liberties of the people. Grave and serious legal and historic impacts will be occasioned as a result of the action of the Liberia government.” In Nigeria, operators of Over the Top Technology (OTT) who offer free telecoms services through WhatsApp and Skype, while riding on the platform of traditional telecoms operators like MTN, Globacom and Airtel, has been accused by the traditional telecoms operators of running down their voice services business, thus eating deep into their source of revenue generation. They went further to ask the telecoms regulator to regulate the activities of OTT players, which the regulator turned down, citing instances where it could be seen as stifling the growth of the emerging technologies in the process of regulating the activities of OTT. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the body regulating the global activities of telecoms operations, in a recent statement, warned country specific regulators not to regulate OTT technology. Governments across the world, especially in African, should begin to understand the emergence of digital technology, especially in digital broadcasting, and do well not to stifle its growth in an attempt to over-regulate its activities.

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Adeyipo: Building Agile Systems Will Meet Business Demands The Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CWG Plc, Mr. Adewale Adeyipo, in this interview speaks on the need for organisations to build agile systems that will meet today’s business demands, among industry issues. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: develop digital transformation strategies that may include new cloud, operations/ DevOps, Security/Risk management and Business efficiency solution.

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hat is your view about Nigeria’s involvement in the financial technology space in driving digital inclusion? We are playing big also in the financial technology (FinTech) space, which I call the digital prosperity space. I was privileged to be at the African CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, some couple of weeks ago, where I spoke to the gathering on digital economy and it is amazing how much we have been able to do with over $100 million investment in 58 FinTechs in Nigeria alone in 2018, which for me, is a great achievement for investors to find some of the solutions of our FinTech players worthy to invest in. This shows we are making good growth in the financial technology space. But in spite of the achievements, I am worried that Nigeria is still a major consumer of financial technology solutions rather than becoming the producer. World Bank estimated the entire GDP of Africa to be $2.2 trillion and the World Bank also estimated the value of four tech giant companies of the world to be $3.5 trillion. Simply put, four giant technology companies outside Africa, have a market valuation that is more than the entire GDP of the African continent. So it is high time Nigeria become more of producers than consumers of the digital prosperity, and the only way we can achieve this, is to look inward as a nation. Organisation like CWG provides the kind of opportunity to leverage that kind of engagement. Our smart metering business is about Internet of Things (IoTs) and we are beginning to see that in the evolution of the 5G technology. We need to keep innovating and set a global standard for ourselves that will make us compete with global companies. CWG is creating an ecosystem of partnership that will help achieve that. How can government enhance liquidity flow to drive businesses in Nigeria? Liquidity flow in the country is insufficient and this is negatively affecting business growth to a large extent. But what is important to investors is about stability of currency exchange rate, which most times impact negatively on their business when the exchange rate is not stable. Government must therefore ensure stable exchange rate and a fair playing field for businesses to thrive in the country. We appreciate the Executive Orders of government and we need more of that in technology business across the county. What was the state of CWG business as at the time you took over as Ag Group MD/CEO in January this year, and what added value are you bringing on board? First, it is important to clarify that I have always been part of the CWG family. This year will probably be my 11th year in this organisation. I have been part of the many great successes recorded in the organisation. One of which is the Pan-Africa Initiatives. In January 2019, the organisation was officially handed over to me, and at that point, the organisation was in a stable business condition. I see many possibilities in the organisation, which cut across almost all major verticals of the economy deploying unique services and offering to notable organisations in Nigeria and Africa. It is a brand name that has survived for 26 years, and being a insider with insider experience, I hope to bring the experience to bear in adding more value to the CWG business. What are your vision and strategic thrust for CWG business remodeling and

What are your expansion plan for existing initiatives? If we concentrate on the existing platforms and opportunities we have for another 12 months, I guess we will be busy. We are getting into new territories and deploying solutions for organisations that will not before now embrace IT. The emergence of the tier three and four financial institutions created a lot of opportunities. We see the drive from most organisations to use technology to drive business process optimisation, promote better operational efficiency and to create platforms for new revenue streams. All these have created a lot of opportunities for IT companies like CWG. What could be responsible for the increase in your operational expenditure in Q1 2019, compared to previous years? Operational expenditure could go up and down, and the reason why we had increased expenditure in Q1, was as a result of the onetime investments we had to ensure we put things in their proper perspectives. In Q1, we tried to achieve about 30 per cent reduction in our expenses and we had a clear roadmap on how to achieve that. In Q2 and Q3, we are working towards major reductions in our operational expenditure. Adeyipo

What is important to investors is about stability of currency exchange rate, which most times impact negatively on their business when the exchange rate is not stable. Government must therefore ensure stable exchange rate and a fair playing field for businesses to thrive in the country

staff restructuring? The plan is not far from what you have always known. CWG is arguably one of the largest system integrator, services, and software development company in sub-Sahara Africa. This is a company that has implemented and currently supporting, including customisation support for over 11 commercials banks in Nigeria and West Africa. We are talking about over 60 per cent of all banking transactions in Nigeria. A company that controls over 30 per cent of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) install base in Nigeria, delivering IT Infrastructure managed services to the three largest telecommunication companies in Nigeria. That’s the many assets of the organisation, and in there, are the possibilities and potentials I earlier mentioned. Each unit in CWG can become an organisation by every scale. Whether it’s the ATM Business, the Banking Software unit,

the Gaming Business, the CWG academy and lots more, these are large entities and they ought to be treated as such. We will operate inside one organisation, several units that see themselves as an organisation with a clear strategy and roadmap based on the dynamics and realities of their business and market landscape. It cannot be one size fits all. The business units in CWG is quite a lot. We will continue to grow and improve our competency framework on services leveraging the existing customer base to scale-up to other sectors and verticals. Today, we have over 200 resources supporting the major telecommunication companies in Nigeria and other operations in Africa. We have over 100 skilled resources in Nigeria responsible for support and customisation on Finacle core, treasury, managed services, end-user, and specific audience targeted training, resource augmentation, data migration, and third party integration. However, we have created the five pillars under which all units must run, which are Growth, Profits, Liquidity, Brand, and Dividend. Ultimately, these units will have divisional heads and you can call them CEOs and together we will shape the direction and future of the organisation. What are the likely key partnerships that CWG will be taking advantage of? Our focus from 2018 is to help organisations to embrace change by moving away from large scale, inflexible project deployment towards more agile systems that meet the demands of today’s fast-moving business environments. We have created an ecosystem of partners and solution providers that will provide the required expertise for every Information Technology (IT) deployment/optimisation exercise. With a renewed focus on business and technical architecture, we partnered Gartner, a leading research and advisory company in January 2019 for strategy alignment, people, process and best practices. Today, we are positioned to provide services on end-to-end governance frameworks, network, and IT systems, and

What are some of the challenges encountered and perceived in the ICT industry and the economy at large? Major challenges were around regulation and the role of regulatory bodies in ensuring that the ICT sector comes out winning with partnerships to ensure we are at the fore of such regulatory initiatives. We, however, encountered some challenges in the financial position of the business, as we tried moving from previous loss-years to key plans that kept us afloat in business. What is the future hope of CWG shareholders, having listed on the Nigerian Stick Exchange six years ago? Six years into listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), we are confident of business growth and expansion and we are assuring our shareholders of the business profitability and expansion in 2019 and beyond that will enable it pay good dividend. Although the country’s liquidity had been badly squeezed, leading to slow growth of the economy, we are however confident that the reappointment of the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele by the Presidency and the confirmation of his reappointment by the Senate, will bring economic stability that will help businesses grow to profitability. Being a public company through the listing of our shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 2013, created more discipline and transparency on our business. Our listing was timely and it helped us reposition the organisation. As a systems integration company, we provide support and customisation services to financial institutions in Nigeria, both small and big. Today we control and deploy ATM services to 13 banks and three out of the banks have signed up with us for the ATM management as a service and we plan to roll out over one thousand ATMs in the next 24 months. Our focus as a business is to become the hub of ATM managed services in Nigeria in the next five years. We plan having the Independent ATM Deployer licence in the next 36 months. The ATM management is one of our successful projects that will further help us to be more profitable as a business that has shareholders to take care of.

THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 13, 2019

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Fresh Questions for APCON, LASAA over Regulation With fresh accusation trailing the romance between outdoor regulators in Lagos and Loatsad, an upcoming outdoor firm, concerned practitioners wonder if the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and the Lagos State Advertisement and Signage Agency have been compromised, writes Raheem Akingbolu

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n the last 12 years, the out of home sub-sector of the advertising industry has remained the most troubled, controversial and debated in the entire marketing communications landscape. First, it was the issue of multiple taxation and high handedness of regulators. Today, the issue is about favoritism, which is believed to have given a few agencies undue advantage over the rest. Currently in the eye of the storm are Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and the Lagos State Advertisement and Signage Agency (LASAA), national and state agencies that have been condemned for regulatory inadequacies. Particularly, the two government’s regulatory agencies are believed to be working in favour of Loatsad, an upcoming ad agency to promote illegal operations and ‘uneven playing field’ in the sector. Not too long ago, operators and critical stakeholders in the sector were at daggers drawn with the state outdoor regulatory agency, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, on the activities of a foreign company, accused of being neckdeep in out-of-home advertising in the country, without meeting the necessary outdoor practice criteria. The state outdoor advertising regulatory agency was also accused of giving the foreign firm an undue preference, then. Unfortunately, while the dusts generated by the crisis still hang in the air, a similar crisis, bordering on another illegality and lack of level- playing field seem to be threatening the multi-billion naira investments in the sector. Of late, there has been a ‘loud’ silence, within the industry, regarding the activities of Loatsad Promomedia, an outdoor firm, purportedly owned by Mr. Seyi Tinubu, one of the scions of Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a political stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of the state. Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? One of the strong allegations, against the relevant regulatory agencies in the sector, is their reluctance to question the outdoor firm, widely believed to be practicing outdoor advertising, without a proper certification from the apex regulatory agency, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). The regulatory agencies are also being accused of turning a ‘blind’ eye to some of the firm’s infractions on the outdoor space in the

state, despite its ubiquity and heavy presence in the state’s outdoor space. For instance, besides having a strong presence in Falomo and Bourdillon areas of Ikoyi on the Lagos Island, the firm’s signage is also a common spectacle on Lekki-Ajah axis of the metropolis. Another of such accusations, against the regulatory authorities, in the state, is that of not making the state’s outdoor space a levelplaying field for all practitioners, with some members insisting that Loatsad and a few others have continued to get undue advantage, due to the immense influence their owners wield in the state’s political space. For instance, spots, hitherto refused other outdoor practitioners in the state, are being consented to the firm to erect its billboards, lamented a practitioner, in a chat with Brands & Marketing. Not a few in the industry have continued to query the rationale behind the approval of the Lekki Toll Gate signage for the firm, after a properly- certified outdoor firm in the state, E-Motion Outdoor firm, which controls the franchise of the axis, had applied for the use of same spot, but got such request turned down. Another of such infractions, Brands & Marketing also learnt was the decision to revoke the clearance earlier given to MediaWorld, a local company, to operate on one of the spots on Third Mainland Bridge, only for the same spot to be approved for a foreign firm, believed to be a favorite of the state’s outdoor advertising regulatory agency. More intriguing is the fact that the company, whose approval was revoked was already getting set to install the LED board, it had imported, before the approval was suddenly cancelled for ‘public safety’. Interestingly, why the case has since become a subject of litigation, not a few in the industry have continued to question the rationale behind the state regulatory agency’s volte face, especially after MediaWorld had sunk over N100million on the project.

“You can only talk of a billboard not meeting the required standards, or taking it out for public safety, if it had been installed. The one in question was in the process of being installed. Besides, the same spot was hurriedly handed over to a foreign firm,â€? lamented the outdoor practitioner. Perhaps, a palpable tension that would take the two key regulatory agencies, in the sector, some effort to douse, is the membership status of Loatsad with APCON. While APCON has come out to say the outdoor firm is licensed to practise the trade in the country, not a few practitioners would rather take this with a pint of salt. ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Responding to Brands & Marketing’s enquiries on the issue, the agency’s Deputy Director, Registration, Career Matters and Corporate Licence Directorate, Mr. Joe-Eugene Onuorah, stated that the outdoor firm was duly licensed to practice outdoor, though the firm is currently being queried over exposure of unapproved adverts with the agency. “Loatsad has a currently valid corporate licence for outdoor advertising. However, it has ongoing issue of exposure of unapproved adverts with APCON,â€? Onuorah had confirmed, in a text message to Brands & Marketing. Convincing as those explanations might sound, it has not really succeeded in clearing some doubts, among stakeholders in the subsector. “If APCON is saying the company is registered, when did the agency register it; since it’s on record that the agency had been without a board for more than four years now, and it is the statutory function of the board to certify such membership. So who certified this relatively new company?â€? a stakeholder queried. ËŞĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Dismissing the allegations, Head, Corpo-

rate Affairs, LASAA, Mr. Temitope Akande, argued that it was wrong for anybody to have accused the agency of favoritism in the discharge of its statutory duties. According to him, while it is true that no signage is put in the state’s outdoor ‘s space without the agency’s approval, the agency had always been fair to all, adding that certain factors are usually taken into consideration before such approvals are given. For instance, on the approval of Lekki Toll Gate LED signage, purportedly owned by Loatsad, after another outdoor firm had been denied of the same spot, Akande explained that the corridor belongs to Lekki Concession Company, and the company must give its consent before such spot is approved by the agency. “You must understand there are various considerations in giving approval. Unless I find out details, I may not be able to talk on this. It might be that the structure they brought there is not suitable for this place or for other reasons, but not because the outdoor firm is being run by an influential person. “If e-motion is saying they applied for the spot and was not given, we don’t control the pole, it’s LCC that controls the pole. You know there is what we call the consent of the owner of the place before LASAA will approve, and once LCC refuses to give them the consent, we can’t go ahead,� he stated. He however declined comments on queries on spots, such as Falomo and others, said to have been given to Loatsad, unduly, arguing that some of the cases had become subjects of litigation. As controversies continue to dog the step of this outdoor firm, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer had explained that the firm was birthed over four years ago to ‘create something that would be innovative and unique’ in the industry. But whether rules are being obeyed in carrying out this task would continue to elicit debates for a long time to come.

Elumelu Inaugurates Aisha Buhari Foundation’s Maternity Facility

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he Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Mr. Tony Elumelu, on Tuesday inaugurated a 200-bed capacity ultramodern maternity complex in Yola, Adamawa State. The facility donated to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yola, was built by the Aisha Buhari Foundation, which was founded by Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of the president. The maternity complex brings to two, such facilities constructed and donated by the wife of the president, following the one donated last year in Daura. Elumelu, who was full of commendation for the gesture by the wife of the President, noted that such projects were needed from more Nigerians and Africans, so that more lives would be touched and more youths would be empowered.

He noted that he was particularly impressed by the hospital facility as it will not only touch lives, but will also create employment. This, according to him, falls in line with the objectives of the TEF, which has as its bedrock the empowerment of youths. A statement quoted Elumelu to have added: “As the founder of TEF, I feel rather privileged and honoured to commission a project such as this. We need to begin to realize in this part of the world that what counts is not the amount of money we have in our savings account. What counts is the impact we make and the lives we touch. “I will urge and encourage every reasonable Nigeria to support initiatives like these. This is a good thing that the wife of the President has done. I think this is worthy of support.� Continuing, he said, “I believe that anything that impacts improves and supports

lives should be the concern of everyone. This is why in the TEF, we believe in empowering young Africans and Nigerians, making sure that we make them fishermen and not just relying on people forever. This project touches my heart and that is why I am here.� Elumelu who pointed out that the maternity centre would contribute to the general development of Adamawa state and Nigeria as a whole, noted that it will ultimately take the country a step further towards achieving its aim of economic development; adding, “I will like to congratulate the first lady for this gesture. What she has done today demonstrates keenly that she is interested in developing Adamawa state and more importantly in supporting women across the country. “This maternity home is expected to serve everyone, transform, and preserve lives and help to cure people. I think that economic development sits better with a good healthcare

system.� Apart from Elumelu, first ladies of some African countries including Ghana, Gambia, Niger, Ivory Coast and Chad were also at the venue, to lend their support to the first lady for the remarkable venture. In her comment, the wife of the president said the idea was to extend the initiative to the six geopolitical zones in the county having done something similar in Daura, the home state of President Buhari. She said, “I am happy that we have done this today, and I want to thank everyone that has contributed in making this a success. The facility was created to cater for the health needs of women and children of Adamawa and the neighbouring states. We need more foundations to be supported by wealthy Nigerians, to see how we can make a difference in the lives of the less privileged.�

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THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Ugbe: CSR Necessary for Companies to Bond With Stakeholders

The Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, in this interview with Raheem Akingbolu, speaks on the unique selling point of his firm and while the group is committed to corporate social responsibility

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iving back to the society, otherwise known globally as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), has become well pronounced in Nigeria’s business environment, what is your view about it? Talking from the point of view that every organisation has a community, shareholders and staff, Corporate Social Responsibility must be a bond that joins all the stakeholders. At every point, you have to maintain a balance and ask yourself what exactly are you doing for the immediate community. At Multichoice for instance, I think the concept ‘CSR’ has changed now for us, we say its Creative Shared Value. As an organisation, you can’t do everything; you have to choose. An example of this is our boxing competition. When we started, boxing was nowhere in the country, and this is why we create share value. Today, we have a world-class boxer going for the Commonwealth. How have you been able to sustain your business in Nigeria, considering the fact that many pay TV businesses have come and gone? What I’ll tell you without a doubt is that we’re a visionary business and we’re here for the long haul. We always keep the future in view, and we keep challenging ourselves and questioning our assumptions on every aspect of our business and how we can make it better for our customers, employees and investors. Standing strong at 25 is not child’s play, it’s been a lot of hard work, and courage and determination to keep pushing the envelope and tinkering with every single idea our people put on the table until we hit the goldmine. Truth is, I’m not in a position to speak for competition, but from where I sit, I can say without a doubt that a business like ours needs to keep reinventing itself to delight the customers and keep them glued to our content. We aim for the best; the best of football, the best of African stories and the best of kiddies’ content. Can you please throw more light on the company’s other areas of support to host community? In November 2014, we commenced the GOtv Boxing Night to remedy the protracted decline of professional boxing Nigeria. The sport had slipped out of reckoning because of poor funding and squalid organisation, both resulting in the reluctance of amateur boxers to join the professional ranks, as there were no fights to keep them engaged. Since we commenced the GOtv Boxing Night, we have invested over two million dollars (N700million) in this sport and the sport has been revived in Nigeria. It is important that people know that some of these big sports didn’t become big over night. It takes a lot of developments, losses along the way. We are 25 years in Nigeria, and have been doing boxing for two years. We will keep it going until we see boxing becomes one of the biggest sports in Nigeria. We need sponsors; we need trainers to development these raw talents. Also, our Enterprise Development Programmes have created numerous jobs; we have built key partnerships with indigenes to drive the growth of the business as well as develop entrepreneurs and create enterprises that provide jobs and economic empowerment to many individuals across the country. At the moment, the EDP consists of 16 Mega Dealers, 65 Super Dealers, 800 branded stores, 1200 Gotv canvassers, 1249 sabimen – GOtv, 300 DStv Direct Sales Representatives (DSR’s) and 170 Installers. How is the partnership with Sickle Cell Foundation important to Multichoice? Sickle cell disorder is one of the major ailments afflicting black people globally with over 150,000 children born each year with the disorder and over 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the sickle cell gene. While there are several awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Cancer and others, there is little or no awareness creation about the sickle cell disorder. At Multichoice, we believe we can change the disorder with awareness. The challenge we have is how to increase the awareness around sickle cell. We have worked with the foundation on different initiatives but the most critical part for us is creating awareness and managing this disorder, which mostly affects blacks. Lately, we worked with the foundation on genetic counseling workshop. We have also been engaged in some of the foundations rural devel-

Ugbe

opment programmes. For over a decade, MultiChoice Nigeria has supported the Foundation in various ways; We have created a few audiovisual documentaries and aired across DStv and GOtv, to help increase awareness about sickle cell Can you share more on how you have supported the foundation? We recently revived the Genetic Counseling Training programme, which had been dormant for five years. We partnered with the Foundation on the 18th Genetic Counseling Training course on Sickle Cell Disorder. The two-week counseling course was aimed at raising awareness about and deepening understanding of the Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) as well as pointing out ways that SCD patients could lead normal lives. The training course, which had in attendance 31 participants from across the country and from other countries in Africa, also had 27 resource people who shared new knowledge and methods in the management and treatment of SCD in Nigeria. The value of the knowledge and skills transfer is incalculable We have provided support to the Foundation by sponsoring various workshops. We sponsored two rural community awareness outreach programmes in Ijede, Ikorodu and in Ikotun, Igando, Lagos State. Since the partnership commenced, MultiChoice has donated three operational vehicles to the Foundation, two cars and one bus. We also provided free subscriptions to the Foundation’s headquarters. We have also sponsored the training of psychologists in 2009, bringing in specialists from England for this purpose. We have stationed donation boxes in all our branches to encourage walk-in customers make heartfelt contributions in support of the Foundation. So, it’s an on-going partnership. Sickle Cell awareness is high in Nigeria but the problem persists, why? Awareness to the disorder is high but awareness around prevention is what we are trying to put out. It’s good that some churches insist on the test before getting couples married. It is a disorder that could be avoided Your company has impacted positively on the Nigerian media scene, but how has it been able to cope with the competitive business environment? We consider the media our partner, without their support, it’ll be nearly impossible for us to build our reputation and further engage with our various stakeholders. Staying afloat in an increasingly challenging and competitive business environment is a necessity for any enterprise. For us at MultiChoice, there are certain fundamentals we don’t compromise, because we know if we keep those elements in focus and stay consistent, we’ll not only survive the business environment, we will

thrive. Number one is keeping the customers at the centre of all we do from both the pricing and content standpoints. We’re always challenging and asking ourselves hard questions on how to delight our customers and keep them with us. So we focus on getting the best content, we evolve constantly. The second is technology and how we can harness this to make life better for our customers. We pride ourselves for being technologically innovative. Because, what we do is to make high quality and entertaining content available to people and one of the ways we’ll measure our success as a business is, how we have deployed the resources available to us to provide top-notch services to our customers Finally, we are always on the lookout for people who are visionary and dynamic. Of course, we equally train and keep on training our employees, so they keep abreast of new thoughts and ideas in our industry. Beyond CSR, can you speak briefly on Multichoice recent promotional initiatives? As far as promotions are concerned, we have done a lot in that direction to further democratize Pay TV culture in Nigeria. For instance, recently, MultiChoice announced exciting new rewards as part of the relaunch of DStv Thanks – the company’s customer rewards programme designed to incentivise active tenure as part of its customer retention drive. From early May, loyal DStv customers in Nigeria who pay their DStv subscription on time would be eligible to unlock a world of amazing new rewards with DStv. Besides, all DStv customers (including DStv Premium) that pay on time (before disconnection date) will now get new DStv Thanks rewards including discounts on flights tickets, electronics, fast food, cinema tickets, groceries and more. The rewards will be allocated according to the packages (E.g.: DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact customers will get higher-cost rewards like Emirates discounts while Family and Access will be rewarded with discounts on cinema tickets and groceries. Additionally, DStv customers on Compact+, Compact, Family and Access packages who pay their subscription on time (before due date) would also continue to get the one week of extra sports channels on a higher package (Excluding DStv Premium customers). Havind said this, let me use this opportunity to appreciate our loyal customers who have continuously stayed active on the DStv platform without interruption. How is MultiChoice Talent Factory coming along? MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), the flagship corporate shared value (CSV) initiative of MultiChoice is a significant investment that testifies to their commitment to helping Africa’s creative industries to grow into vibrant, economic power-

houses. It is a one-year fully funded programme aimed at igniting Africa’s creative industries to boost the quality of local film and television programming and create a pipeline of great stories. The MTF is a much bigger project for us. We had 50 sound engineers from the country offering special training to the talents. We will be graduating the first set in September. We have started another intake already. We don’t just train them as scriptwriters, we want them to graduate and build the future of African talent. The MTF consists of three regions and 60 students: Western, Eastern and Southern Africa, with 20 students from each region. Nigeria and Ghana being the most vibrant filmmaking countries in West Africa comprise the Western region. The programme is open to those who are passionate about telling authentic African stories within the ages of 18 to 25. An immersion programme is organised for students where they intern in all our original productions. The video entertainment industry is a tool for shaping the African narrative. Only Africans themselves van tell authentic African stories. Our academies give up and coming filmmakers the opportunity to master the business and hone their skills. This raises the quality of our local content and increases the pool of world-class talent within the industry. Do you have plans to empower these talents when they graduate? We are definitely looking at different ways of working with the talent. There is conversation internally on how to go about this. But don’t forget it’s a lot of investment keeping them there for one year. When is Big Brother starting? The show is starting on June 30. It’s a lot of work trying to get the show back, we had to build the facility from the scratch. People see the end product without knowing the effort put into it. Through the show we have been able to send CSR messages such as Malaria and other initiatives. On Big Brother, what plans do you have on ground to aid the airing of the show, the challenges of power most especially? We took quite a bit of time to host the Big Brother show in Nigeria, because we have to put in our best to ensure the show is produced and broadcast with the same exacting standards that it has come to be known for. We identified most of the challenges we might face hosting a show of this magnitude in Nigeria, and debated all the solutions the team can possibly come up with and without a doubt, power supply was one of the issues on the table; and we’ve cracked that. We have plugged that hole and we’re confident come June 30, our viewers will be treated to some riveting, entertaining and intriguing drama that Big Brother Naija is known for.

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THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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DEVELOPMENT

Faluyi: Many Companies on Life Support The Chief Executive Officer, Uraga Power Solutions Limited, Seun Faluyi, in this interview speaks about the company’s environmental sustainability programmes. Ugo Aliogo brings the excerpts:

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hat has been the focus of your organisation in the area of environmental sustainability? We are a power company, and we package power solutions. A power solution is not just power generation, but a more comprehensive approach to providing energy. In talking about power solutions, we talk about a fuel mix. When it comes to the environment, one of the big things about the environment in power generation is the kind of fuel that you use. It has a major impact on the atmosphere. Coal for example has a big carbon footprint. Gas has a lighter footprint, maybe less than half. Then the renewable sources are much lighter. As a power generation company, we are helping companies in terms of solutions to transition from the heavier carbon footprints to lighter carbon footprints, especially those that are generating with diesel. If you are able to get economies of scale, you are able to reduce the carbon footprint. If you also transit from diesel to gas and you are also able to reduce the footprint further in two ways. Because gas has higher energy content, it means you use less fuel to generate more power compared to diesel. Also, because gas is cleaner than coal on the carbon scale, it means you have less emission, so when it comes to the environment, you have less impact. As a power company, we are transitioning industries and commercial concerns from heavier fuels to lighter fuels. We are also adding solar power solutions as part of the sources we offer. We offer customers hybrid solutions of both conventional energy sources and solar, so through this way, we are migrating companies so that they can be more environment friendly in their operations. What activities have you embarked on in the last few years and what have been the social impact? Because we are a power generation company, our activities majorly are in power generation. We have a number of customers who have switched from diesel to gas; we also have a number of customers we are providing solar power solutions for, especially with the falling prices of solar panels. So this way, we are helping to move the needle in the direction of environmental sustainability. In terms of clientele base, do you have the high and low-end customers? We have a strategy which implies that our focus is on commercial and industrial customers. The reason why we have done that is that we are a solution-oriented company. In Nigeria, there have been issues around power, and from our own experience, we have seen that there are structural and commercial issues. Therefore, what we need is to provide solutions for customers that help them run their businesses and facilities efficiently even amidst the peculiar circumstance. What we did was to leapfrog some of those challenges and just stay closer to the customer. Customers that are commercial and industrial are the ones sensitive to power quality and reliability, so these are the ones we are offering first. There are residential customers and there are quite a number of them. But the ones we have identified and targeted are those ones whose operations are adversely affected by unreliable power supply. The more they are able to produce their own products, the more they are able to sell products to their own customers cheaply, because we provide them reliable power, and the more it is that we are all able to contribute to the development of the economy and the country as a whole. Subsequently, the benefits will trickle down to other segments of the economy. That is

tomers who need reliable power, we will provide that solution for them. Reliable does not means that it doesn’t go off but it is predictable when it goes off and it is not disruptive when it goes off. Also, the cost is affordable to target customers. We provide efficient and reliable energy at affordable cost.

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why we are initially focusing on commercial and industrial customers. Looking at the financial year 2018, in terms of purchasing power, most businesses could not break-even. How will you describe the purchasing power of your customers? The economic meltdown did not start in 2018; it started since 2016. Many companies have been on life support and things have been very hard. On our part, we saw it. That is why in coming up with energy solutions, we work towards packages that will be affordable. Presently, with our industrial customers, we work closely with them to initially determine their power requirements and, based on their requirements, we configure solutions that are targeted, efficient and affordable. We provide reliable power at the most efficient cost. For how long have you been in business? We have had over 12 years of experience. But we were incorporated as a power solutions company three years ago. Twelve years ago, we had started on a utility scale and we were able to develop adequate experience and understanding of the industry. But three years ago, we realised that we needed to be more focused and nimble to provide customised energy solutions to industrial and commercial customers. That was when we began to provide power as a service. There have been various activities geared towards achieving environmental sustainability in Lagos State, from LAWMA to Visionscape, now back to Lagos State Government. What can you say as an environmentalist why the State has not made significant progress in the environmental sustainability? There are many perspectives to the issue. When it comes to environmental sustainability, those in environmental waste management know that the issue is not just about collection. There are issues that have to do with generation, collection, transportation or logistics, processing and then you can talk about disposal. For environmentalists, typically there are 3Rs- reduction, re-use and recycle. Though it is now being extended so that it is not just reduce, reuse and recycle, but also recover and then disposal. But the thing with the 3Rs approach is that you have to look at the nature of your waste, then how you treat or handle it. You also need to have a deep understanding of what your ecosystem looks like. In Lagos, for example, the type of waste

generated is both organic and inorganic waste. Organic wastes are those materials that easily decompose. While inorganic waste includes papers, plastics, metals, bottle tops, nylon and materials generated from industrial processes. Now if you have one broad approach and say waste is waste, you will be missing something there. How you collect and process waste that is generated in one place, say a residential area would be different from the way you collect and process waste from an industrial environment. So, you really need understanding. The waste collection process also requires deep understanding. Medical waste cannot be processed the same way as industrial or residential waste. You need to understand the type of waste, so that you can process correctly so that we can also recycle correctly. So all of these things require insight. For those of us who are environmentalists, we talk of disposal, but it is not only disposal that environmental sustainability is looking at. The focus is also to examine how to reuse waste in a productive way for economic gain. For those that are in to sustainability, there is an insight into what you are doing. There are ways to understand what is required. This is why the World Environment Day is a very good opportunity for us as company. It is important to make people more aware that the environment is something that we should take care of. There is need to take care of it and people should understand that what we do has impact on the environment. The hope is that technocrats will understand and promote environmental sustainability. If treated as a political issue, then it may not yield results but if we have those who are insightful, they would look at what has been done and put in a proper plan that will bring improvement. Some of the products you have rolled out are reliable power solutions, solar energy solutions, transmission from heavy to light carbon, the industrial and commercial generation, which of these products is your major core competency? What we do is power and it is a commodity. Power is just electrons flowing in a wire. But what we do is provide energy solutions. So we are packaging electricity so that it is a solution for those who have a problem. We don’t just see ourselves as offering a commodity but as a solutions company. We are providing solutions. So we are saying that for industrial cus-

What are the opportunities you see in the power sector in Nigeria? There are a lot of problems in the power sector. There are liquidity challenges which the Distribution Companies (Discos) are facing, while the consumers are facing supply constraints. The consumers are segmented. There are commercial and industrial customers, who need reliable power. There are challenges with pricing. Therefore, we have decided that we will leapfrog and discuss with the customers, especially the commercial and industrial customers to find out what they need in terms of power. The opportunities we see include aggregating the demands of multiple customers to take advantage of economies of scale. We also see opportunities with transitioning from diesel generated power to gas generated power, where you can use less gas to generate more power compared to diesel. For us, it is a paradigm shift. We had to retool our strategies because we have tried the on-grid utility scale approach and we saw the constraints and we said we have to try a different approach and it’s working. How cost reflective is your tariff compared what these industrial customers get from the Discos? We sit with the customers to find out what the appropriate pricing will be, so it is not just like a tariff. A tariff is like a table that says this is what it is and there is no negotiating. Our own approach is a partnership, a bilateral agreement. It is about a provider guaranteeing efficient service delivery to a customer. We find out from the customer how much power they need, and then we assure them that we are going to invest the money to provide the power they need, but they will guarantee us that they will buy the power from us. We have a capacity and energy charge that we will discuss with the customer, based on the load that they take, not the peak load, but the average load and it will be spread across over how long they use it. So we have the commercial and industrial, so we skip that of the residential. Is it a deliberate act for scaling the market or a negotiation between you and the regulator? It is a strategic decision. The residential customers make up about 70 percent of the market, but in terms of the actual energy that they consume, it flips. It is between 20 or 30 percent and that percent, the public utility can easily serve. What is really priority for Nigeria presently is that we make sure our industries work so that is why we have made them our priority too. Do we hope to service those sectors? For residential, the approach we are taking for now is this. When we have enough residential customers and we can aggregate enough demand in a location, we can serve them. One of the things that we believe is that the distribution companies, if we are able to take the load off them, will be able to serve more people. What you will find is that more people have light and everybody is happy for it. June 5 was the world environment day. What does this mean for Uraga Power Solutions? For Uraga Power Solutions and the Honeywell Group in general, it is a day we can stand with other people who are enthusiastic about the environment to raise awareness and consciousness. It is not only in Nigeria, but around the world people are Continued on page 33

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Adeagbo: There is Roadmap for Profitability in African Markets Dr. Dayo Adeagbo is a Director at the Apt Trading Company. He spoke to journalists ahead of the UKbased company’s plan to revolutionise trading in Africa. Hamid Ayodeji provides the excerpts: an you let us know about Apt Trading and what drives you as a firm? Apt Trading Company was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2009 not long after the recession by a group of seasoned traders to provide clear and concise strategies for all levels of traders for financial markets, offering profitable, dynamic and actionable trading ideas. Our solution offers independent analysis & expert insight, delivered in a timely fashion to make trading markets an enjoyable experience. The experience of many traders is often one of utter disappointment as the true figures of traders that will ever be profitable is less than 20 per cent meaning over 80 per cent of traders will lose money and lose all the funds in their account within the first six months. Apt Trading provides a solution by publishing Buy or Sell trade ideas daily usually prior to the European market open, with a specified entry level, these are published with entry, target, and stop loss levels. This ensures trades entered meet the requirements for you to be in a successful trade, maximise profits and limit losses.

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Our trade ideas focus on historical support and resistance levels where there is a high probability of a good risk/reward trade set-up. A new trade idea is published every day in all markets that we cover. Often prices react around key levels and areas of support and resistance and our very experienced analysts seek to predict these key levels. Our ideas are formulated with two profit target levels which may be adjusted as directed in updates. Methodology behind our analysis is for taking profit on 75 per cent of a position at the 1st target level. However, performance is analysed by taking profit at the 1st target only. A target and stop loss level is always published in the analysis to limit losses and maximise gains, although these can also be adjusted as directed in live updates. If stop or target levels are not reached, traded price at 21:00hrs (GMT time) or in the case of Asian/Pacific ideas 16:00 hrs (GMT time) the following day, will be used as a closing level for performance analysis. All our trading is based on Technical Analysis principles though many of the techniques we use were developed in house and form part of our bespoke indicator.

What are your unique features? Why should a professional trader, money managers or even investors consider your trade ideas? What makes us unique is the fact we are entering the market with years of experience in delivering the service we have adapted for the African market to global markets. We currently have 8 professional analysts analysing the markets to provide the same service across the globe, the signals provided are the same provided to banks and hedge funds and professional traders which have been adapted for the African market.

Considering your trade ideas, how many financial markets across the globe do you cover? …What are your target markets in Africa? We offer trade ideas in over 25 of the world’s major financial markets, packaged in three different asset groups: forex, commodities and stock indices. When you subscribe to our service individual markets can be selected or de-selected as required on your own customisable dashboard. Our analysts carry out the technical analysis in the UK, we are however assessing the markets over here to see how viable it will be to expand and add some of the local stocks and indices but for now the asset groups we provide offer a much more stable environment for a profitable trade.

What strategies do you have in place in your plan to revolutionise trading in Africa? It is a well-known fact around the world that Africans, especially Nigerians are very intelligent and often rise to the top of their relative fields, the same characteristics found in Nigerians in diaspora has been identified right here, which leads us to believe that with the right guidance we can evolve the trading markets for the average Nigerian in the hopes of creating an income stream. In our plan to revolutionise trading in Africa, we have taken the following steps - detailed analysis of the current market to see how viable providing a solution to the average trader would be.

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Apart from providing our signal service, we plan to implement a scholarship training program for viable candidates with the potential to become skilled traders. We have plans in place to create an extensive trading community which will bring opportunities that allows the organic growth and brings knowledge to the masses with the capacity to learn, understand and thrive in the trading environment. As a UK-based company, your target audience in African markets may be seeing things differently. How are you addressing those possible concerns from them? We work closely with our clients to provide a service which is easy to follow for the average trader, we prioritise keeping an uninterrupted line of communication with our analysts through our website live chat feature and WhatsApp group which in turn makes us available and helps to develop trust. Can you tell us some of the challenges

you face in Africa? As with entering any new market one of the major challenges one faces is understanding the local culture and in this case the attitude and fixed mentality towards trading, people’s past experiences often go on to define them especially if it leaves a sour taste. Our major challenge we have faced is trying to change the mindset of traders to understand that there is a roadmap to profitability and creating an income if one would only follow the guidance provided. We also understand that traders have not really had companies take on the role of mentorship, trust and morale is often low whilst trading is being discussed due to previous cowboys promising the world and not delivering, so whilst trying to revolutionise trading in Africa we understand and are fully prepared to invest the time required and exercise patience to build the trust of traders to ensure they follow us on this wonderful journey we have planned for the market.

In terms of your pricing, what does it take for traders and money managers to subscribe? Our subscription options vary and depend on whether you are an individual or a corporation. Traders and money managers can subscribe for one, three or 12 months, starting at $60 per month for an annual subscription. The best price is available on the longest term of subscription. Online trading sites, How do you ensure trades entered meet brokers or firms requiring access to our API the requirements to be in a successful can contact us to discuss their requirements trade, maximise profits and limit losses? for a customised package.

Faluyi: Many Companies on Life Support Continued from page 32

talking about the environment. Although, some people still think environment issues are not critical for Nigeria now, but human activities have impact on the environment and we all need to be responsible. Our climate in West Africa is considered one of the most benign because our temperatures are reasonably stable. You don’t get typhoons and other such severe storms. Typically speaking our own weather seems like it is the most favourable, because we don’t experience hurricanes and the rest. But global warming is affecting the world and it is making ocean waters rise. In Lagos for instance, there is a lot of low land. Maybe Ikeja is about 40metres above sea levels. If the sea rises by 10 or 15metres many places will be submerged. Flooding is a major issue, but not just in Lagos. About 40 percent of the world’s populations live in coastal cities. So 40 percent of global population will be greatly affected if the sea levels rise beyond what we can manage. There are even more places where floods are happening.

All of these mean that everybody should be concerned and need to be aware. June 5 is an opportunity to raise awareness about what is happening in the environment. We need to take action about what is happening in the environment. In our own way, what we are doing is making sure we provide sustainable energy in an environmentally responsible way. We are trying to make sure that in everything that we do, we are able to contribute to a sustainable future. The federal government has been keying into environment by embracing green bonds for environmental projects. How well are you subscribing to that? Because we are a power company, we have access to other kinds of financing sources. We have access to both local and international sources of finance. Investors, lenders and development partners want to finance power projects. All they need to see is that it is bankable. For us, bankability means that we have the experience, technology, the partners and the capability.

The only thing that is left is just the market. So we took a view that once we sit with a customer that has a bankable business plan that gets consistent cashflows, we can package a solution that will work for them. Even Pension Funds in Nigeria are looking for power projects. A lot of people are looking for power projects. These are the ones we are leveraging on. What are your achievements as CEO in the last three years? We have the flagship project in Sagamu. It is a flagship project because we are located at the interchange section of the Lagos/ Ibadan expressway, Lagos/Benin expressway. We have set up a power plant and we are ready to serve as many industries as possible. It is an achievement that we have got it off the ground and it is working. We have done the phase one; we are going to the phase two. For us, it is exciting that you can have customers or industries in that area that can have affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly power. So for us it is a Faluyi big achievement.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Tackling Low Awareness on Birth Registration Despite having a population of about 200 million people, not many Nigerians know about birth registration or the advantage it affords their children. This has in no small measure contributed to high child mortality and out of school children in the country. Kuni Tyessi writes There was filth from rotten onions in a dirty polythene bags of sachet water and others that were used to package soup ingredients. Also seen were oily papers which had completed it’s mission having wrapped several barbeques, as well as some disposable plates littered on the plastered floor decorated with dried sputum from fruit sellers and wheel barrow boys, as well as dust. Close-by was a gutter with stagnant green smelly water and thick algae by its sides, serving as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, as well as the hideout of rodents and sometimes their grave site. Its sight was an eyesore with a stench that aroused nausea in one. This was where Blessing Okoro had spread her wrapper, by the eastern gate of a new plaza situated on the busy Aso Road, off the AbujaKeffi Highway in Nasarawa State, and on it was a set of triplets, a boy and two girls who were delivered on April 26, 2019. Their mother who has no employment of any kind, and who already has two children, has a husband who is a bus conductor. The triplets who were displayed on the ground were expected to appeal on the emotions of passersby and gain their sympathy. There was a bowl placed by the edge of the road, some centimeters away from them and in it were all denominations of the Nigerian currency, except for one thousand naira note. While some dropped their contributions and said a short prayer for the babies, others attempted to play with them by holding their hands, a gesture which was quickly but politely rebuffed by their mother, for fear that the unimaginable harm might be done to the triplets through unseen means, and without a trace of the culprit. Okoro, who had given birth to the babies through ceasearean section at Happy Home, a hospital at Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, said birth certificates were given to each of the triplets at no cost, save for the N50,000 which was paid to bring out the babies. Okoro and her triplets

Erroneous Belief For the registration of the babies, Okoro seemed confused, as the issuance of birth certificates equaled to birth registration. She didn’t visit any of the National Population Commission (NPC) centres, neither was there the commission’s outlet in the hospital. For Okoro, the birth certificates said it all and should serve as ticket to whatever future demands will be made, as long as it had the names of the children, their date of birth, time, weight and place of birth, as well as the names of their parents and signature of an administrative officer in the hospital. Worse still, birth registration seemed alien to her due to the erroneous belief that the identity of the children was hidden in that of their parents and for what benefit is birth registration? Right to Birth Registration Every child born in Nigeria has the right to have his/her birth registered in Nigeria. This is in accordance with the law. Furthermore, Nigeria in 2003 adopted the Child Rights Act to domesticate the convention of the rights of the child. Although the law was passed at the federal level, it is only effective if state assemblies enact it. So far, only 12 states have domesticated it. There are several people like Okoro who are not enlightened enough to know about the importance of birth registration and to demand for it within the first 60 days of the child’s physical existence. This is not to say that after 60 days has elapsed, nothing can be done as such will be termed as late registration which often comes with a fine. They do not appreciate its future value, hence the lukewarm attitude. This is not because they are not educated, but because they need to hustle to feed their children and going for such after leaving the hospital facility, feels like a waste of time and with the consolation that what would be, would

be, irrespective of whether or not the children have been duly registered. Gains of Birth Registration Many do not know that birth registration secures a child’s dentity, nationality and name. They do not know that its documentation will serve as ticket to access quality healthcare and education. Although, this might not be in effect at the moment, it is one of the basic requirements for obtaining a job in later years, especially in the public sector. They do not know that the facilities where the children have been delivered are expected to have NPC outlets which should capture the children into the national data. With Okoro’s

ignorance, it simply means that even hospitals and healthcare centres are suffering from the short sightedness of understanding the importance of this national value which is one of the cardinal rights of a child as adopted by the Child’s Rights Convention (CRC). Okoro, like several others too, does not also know that her triplets have the right to life and to freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment which serves as one of the core principles of the convention, albeit their exposure to the unhygienic environment. Birth registration therefore becomes the only acceptable standard in which records of birth can be recognised, and it remains a permanent documentation for the child.

Things will get better once children are being adequately registered. It will be very important for them to be able to access education, adequate healthcare and vaccination. We will really want to see this area working and stepped up, and soon every child in Nigeria will have their birth registered

Emphasis on Child Rights Act Little wonder, the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) through its chief of communications, Eliana Drakopoulous has made it a duty to consistently task government, especially at the state level on the need to domesticate and adhere to the Child Rights Act, emphasising that with this in place, the country stands to gain future benefits especially in education and healthcare, amongst several others. Emphasising that there is the need for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be delivered by 2030, the children’s fund says there are many areas where the government needs to make progress and one of such is in birth registration, noting that there are far too many children in Nigeria who are not in school simply because they have not been captured, thereby frustrating adequate plans towards free basic education which is government’s responsibility towards them. To commemorate the forthcoming Child Rights Convention at 30, she said all Nigerians need to be aware about the convention of the rights of

the child, which she said is not about children but also about the adults who are around them. She disclosed that even though there has not been a single country that has been able to achieve a hundred per cent in the adherence of the rights of every child, Drakopoulous said the rights include access to basic education, healthcare including vaccination, birth registration, good food and play, amongst others. She said: “Things will get better once children are being adequately registered. It will be very important for them to be able to access education, adequate healthcare and vaccination. We will really want to see this area working and stepped up, and soon every child in Nigeria will have their birth registered. “All Nigerians need to be aware about the convention of the rights of the child. It is not just about children or children’s rights. Yes, children need to know their rights, but adults who are around them also need to know those rights. These are parents, teachers, lawyers, judges, government officials, etc. Everyone needs to know the rights children have and to be sure they are implemented.” In legal parlance, the saying “ignorance is not an excuse” is a cliché which has made many to consciously and unconsciously do what is right in the eyes of the law. In the face of birth registration, ignorance shouldn’t also be an excuse especially when weighed with its numerous benefits which include access to basic education and healthcare including vaccination, as well as several others which add up to the fulcrum of the child’s dignity, thereby making him/her completely human. With the assurance from UNICEF that the registration of every child is possible in Nigeria, all adults and relevant bodies must then take the issue more seriously with such optimism. Only time will however tell how effective this will be.

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NEWS

Suicide: NAFDAC to Consider Modifying Sniper Containers, Says DG Martins Ifijeh Following the incessant use of Sniper as a tool for suicide in Nigeria, the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Christiana Adeyeye has said the agency, along with other relevant bodies are considering modifying the container of the agro-chemical as part of plans to discourage its usage for such illegal purposes. She said sniper containers could now be made very

difficult to open, or may be turned into a spray rather than the liquid contents it is known for. Stating this during NAFDAC’s commemoration of World Food Safety Day in Lagos recently, tagged “Food Safety, Everyone’s Business” the DG said the use of Sniper and other agro-chemicals for preservation of food should be discouraged as they contain substances harmful to the human body. She said: “We also decry poor handling of foods in Nigeria by producers and sellers, because

the populace and consumers are being exposed unduly to health risks from contaminants. “The World Health Organisation’s, (WHO) report showed that an estimated 600 million cases of food borne diseases occur annually while children under age five carry 40 percent of the burden of the disease with 125,000 deaths recorded every year.” Adeyeye said in Nigeria, there had been reoccurring food safety issues as well as emerging issues including artificial ripening of fruits using unapproved agents

such as calcium carbide, which she said, could have deleterious effects on health when such fruits are consumed. “The use of unapproved insecticides such as Sniper for the preservation of grains by unauthorised persons, the use of containers contaminated with hazardous chemicals such as fertilizer bags for grains or chemical drums and jerry cans for food storage are classic examples of a common practice among the market men and women due to ignorance.

“Unauthorised chemicals such as dichlorvos for storage of grains and other agricultural produce by unauthorised persons could lead to contamination of the stored products. “Implicated in this practice also are exporters and dealers of agricultural commodities who spray hazardous pesticides on produce during storage to prevent damage by pests at the cost of human lives and public health. All these among other poor practices unduly expose the populace to health risk from these contaminants,” she said.

Continuing, she listed other food safety challenges in the country to include; poor transportation, display of food products in the sun which could produce harmful by-products such as benzene in soft drinks, and use of non-food grade packaging materials, amongst others. She also emphasised that packaging of illicit alcohol such as spirits could lead to blindness and death, adding that the agency will continue to do routine unannounced inspections to curb these health hazards.

FAO Issues Alert on Food Poisoning in Lagos, Kano, Other Cities Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), an agency of the United Nations, has raised alarm over what it described as worrisome levels contamination of foods in Lagos and Kano States. The FAO said a “Total Diet” study it carried out in two major Nigerian cities, Lagos and Kano showed various levels of contamination of foods at the point of consumption. Speaking at an event jointly orgainised by the Federal Ministries of Health and its agriculture counterpart to mark 2019 World Food Safety Day in Abuja, the Country Representative, FAO in Nigeria, Suffyan Koruna said streets foods are now being consumed more than ever before, adding that Nigerians eat at least one meal out of home in restaurants, bukkas and other food vendors. The FAO country representative who was represented by Mr. Alphonsus Onwuemeka said the organisation conducted a diet study in Lagos and Kano where it discovered rampant unsafe food consumption. He said: “A Total Diet Study carried out in Lagos and Kano states showed worrisome levels of contamination of foods at the points of consumption with aflatoxins, mycotoxins, heavy metals such as lead and pesticides residues. This should reaweaken Nigeria to the looming health challenges and economic losses that could result from a lack of attention to food safety.” Onwuemeka said there is a likelihood that similar cases of food contamination exist in other major cities across the country. He said that FAO is in the process of carrying out similar diet studies in other cities. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr. A. M. Abdullahi who presided over the event said unsafe food practices can lead to health problems such as typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, botuslim, listeriosis, hapatitis A and cancer.

He said in order to address food safety threats, the Federal Ministry of Health is working with the state Ministries of Health and Agriculture as well as the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria to further strengthen the work of Environmental Health Officers across the states to be able to check unsafe food practices. Abdullahi listed unsafe food practices prevalent in the country to include; “ unhealthy cultivation practices through the use of unapproved chemicals (such as calcium carbide in fruit and vegetable ripening) and fertilizers; poor food storage and processing facilities as seen in a number of abattoirs and along the roads; the use of disused tires and kerosene in roasting animals for human consumption; non-hygienic food preparation environments as seen in the way foods are prepared by the roadsides, gutters and near open faecal defecation areas.” As part of the longterm policy solution, Abdullahi said the Federal Goverment along with other Food Safety stakeholders under the auspices of the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) have developed the National Food Safety and Quality Bill which was approved by the Federal Executive Council and it is currently at the National Assembly for passage into law. According to Abdullahi, the Bill is to ensure food control in the country where all tiers of government and MDAs will work together with the Organised Private Sectors (OPS) to ensure the wholesomeness of our food. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), foodborne diseases in 2015 was found to have made approximately 600 million people sick and caused 420,000 untimely deaths. Unsafe foods have also been shown to lead to yearly productivity losses of about US$95billion in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

SHOWCASING DELTA HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Osun State, Amos Fashesin; Director, SSG Office, Delta State, Dr. Chuks Nwani; Former President, Nigeria Medical Association, Mike Ogirima; DG/CEO, Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) and Representative of Delta State Governor, Dr. Ben Nkechika;IOD,DeltaState,EbisanOyeama;Representative,ForeignAffairsMinistry,KatsinaState,AbubakarDaridisu;andCommissionerofPolice,Benue State, Don Awunah, during the presentation of Delta State Healthcare Funding Programme to 41 Course in the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies,Kuru-Jos,recently

NHEA to Honour Akinkugbe, Lambo, Okoli with Lifetime Achievement Awards Martins Ifijeh Three distinguished and accomplished icons in the Nigeria healthcare sector will be honoured with Life Time Achievements Award by the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) in Lagos on June 21, 2019. The awardees are Emeritus Professor Oladapo Olujimi Akinkugbe; former Minister of Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo and Founder / Group Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceutical, Dr. Stella Chinyelu Okoli. This ceremony, which is part of a bigger awards night that will honour over 35 individuals and organisations that have made tremendous impacts in the Nigeria healthcare sector in 2018, is an annual award presentation dubbed Nigeria’s healthcare Oscars. According to NHEA Project Director, Dr. Wale Alabi, “We feel honoured and excited by these personalities and their immense contributions in the development of healthcare both locally and internationally. They have exhibited excellence

and distinguished themselves. We are proud of them.” Akinkugbe, an Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Ibadan received his medical degree from London University in 1958. After residency at The London and King’s College Hospitals, went up to Balliol College in Oxford University in 1962 for the D.Phil, working under Sir George Pickering FRS, Regius Professor of Medicine. He proceeded to his MD (London) and Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and later to the Chair of Medicine in 1968. He was subsequently Dean of Medicine at Ibadan, Foundation Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, and in the 1980s Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council of the University of Port Harcourt. He was the foundation Chair of JAMB and Chair of the Management Board, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. He has served on many World Health Organisation

LagosTrains 825 Health Workers onAttitudinal Change Martins Ifijeh In its bid to foster qualitative healthcare service delivery and increase patients’ utilisation of efficient and affordable health services in all state-owned health facilities, the Lagos State Government said it has commenced the training of no fewer than 825 health workers on personal and work etiquette, as well as professional core values. The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Titilayo Goncalves, made this known recently while addressing participants at one of the sessions of the capacity training held in Ikeja. She noted that the 825 health workers consist of core health workers and other professionals working in the health sector within the senior management cadre drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities as well as departments of the State Ministry of Health, Health Service Commission and Primary Health Care Board. She said, “Although nurses form the bulk of

the participants, other core health workers like doctors, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and professionals working in the health sector like engineers, accountants, administrative and human resource officer, public affairs officers amongst others are also being trained.” Goncalves while explaining the rationale for the training said the state government through the ministry of health has been inundated with complaints and reports from patients and the public on poor attitude of its health workforce prompting the need for orientation and re-orientation. “The complaints and reports have become worrisome and it is inimical to our goal of providing quality affordable and efficient health services to the populace hence the initiation of these trainings which overall goal is to assist health workers and other related professional in health service delivery system to improve their attitude for greater level of effectiveness at work”, the permanent secretary said.

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ADVERTORIAL

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HEALTH

Anne Welsh Frowns against Stigmatisation of Sickle Cell Patients

NAFDAC Approves Caya Diaphragm for Women in Nigeria

Ayodeji Ake

Charles Ajunwa in Vancouver, Canada

A sickle cell anaemia survivor, Anne Welsh has kicked against stigmatisation of people living with sickle cell, saying it causes more health havoc on patient. At a press conference in Lagos recently, Welsh said she is burdened by the lack of appropriate care and management of sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria, while also charging government on infrastructure and funding for treatment to improve lives of people living with the blood disorder. Welsh said living with sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria is very challenging as the country’s healthcare system lacks the appropriate and basic necessity needed to manage the blood disorder. “Sickle cell does not only cause the patients to suffer severe pain, but it is also one of the biggest contributor to mental health issues due to stigmatisation, discrimination and victimisation of the patients, who are prevented from doing certain things like their counterpart. “Sickle cell is an agonising thing. People don’t know the amount of pain sickle

cell patients undergo. They look normal outside, but have invisible pain within, which is so excruciating that they want to end their lives. Some patients, due to the pain keep asking their doctors to give them more pain killers because they can’t endure the pains,” she stressed. On how the illness can be managed in the patients, she said the patients should take more water, eat good food their body crave for at any moment, engage in exercise and avoid stress. “A lot of people don’t know what sickle cell is and because of that, they seek remedies from religious houses, traditional places and other places, which worsens their situation. The health sector needs to do more by creating awareness of this blood disease and giving the right treatment to people living with it to help them live longer,” she added. Welsh further emphasised the need for funding herbal medicines in the treatment and management of sickle cell, which she said helped sustained her whenever she experienced crisis from the illness.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved the marketing of the Caya contoured diaphragm and Caya Gel, making this non-hormonal family planning method choice available for women in Nigeria for the first time. This was disclosed by PATH at the ongoing Women Deliver 2019 conference taking place in Vancouver, Canada. PATH is a global organisation that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutions—including vaccines, drugs, devices,

diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide. Approximately seven million women in Nigeria want to avoid a pregnancy but are not using any contraception, and worldwide more than 200 million women are considered to have an unmet need for contraception. The single-size Caya diaphragm addresses several of the issues commonly cited for unmet contraceptive need. It is a vaginal barrier contraceptive that is woman-controlled, nonhormonal, and appropriate for women who cannot or do not want to use hormonal contraceptive methods, intrauterine devices, or condoms. The Caya diaphragm will be introduced to women in Nigeria within the next year by DKT International, the largest family planning products and services provider in Nigeria. DKT’s large portfolio of contraceptive products and

extensive nationwide coverage includes hard-to-reach rural areas and last mile distribution. Kessel medintim GmbH (Kessel) manufactures the Caya contoured diaphragm and will provide technical assistance to DKT for introduction. In addition to introduction in Nigeria, Kessel aims to build partnerships for introduction in low-income countries in Africa, as well as in Asia and Latin America, where the need for additional family planning options is greatest. PATH developed the diaphragm through a humancentered design process to expand women’s access to affordable, nonhormonal contraceptive options in lowincome countries where there is an unmet need for contraception—and where diaphragms have not been available in recent decades. “Caya is the first new diaphragm design to enter many global markets in 50 years,

and we are excited that soon this woman-initiated option will be available in Nigeria,” said Darin Zehrung, director, Medical Devices and Health Technologies at PATH. “It is a great example of the innovation success that is possible through private-public partnership. “Listening to input from women, their partners, and providers from around the world resulted in a unique, single-size, anatomical design that is easy for clinicians to provide”, said Maggie Kilbourne-Brook, Caya diaphragm product manager at PATH. “Studies have demonstrated that it is comfortable, safe, and easy for women to use. I am thrilled to see this innovation scale up and provide greater reproductive health freedom to women.” The Caya diaphragm was introduced first in Europe in 2013 and is now registered in 40 countries around the world.

Legalise Marijuana to Ease Cancer Pain, AdvocateTells FG Martins Ifijeh The Founder, Niola Cancer Care Foundation, Mrs Eniola Akintunde has called on the federal and state governments to legalise marijuana, as this would help cancer patients beat the pain associated with the scourge. She said cancer patients in Nigeria experience unimaginable and excruciating pain because there are no dedicated palliative hospices for them. Stating this during a chat with THISDAY recently, she said Nigeria has more late stage cancer patients than hospitals can manage, adding that such persons were supposed to be taken to hospices where their pain can be managed. She said: “We shouldn’t allow our late stage cancer patients on palliative care to die in excruciating pain. We have cannabis which can help their condition, yet we are silent about it, which has given room for other persons to use them in a negative way. “The benefits this substance will have on cancer patients are enormous. Governments should think this through and make it available for the sake of our brothers, sisters and children who go through

the pain of cancer. “Governments should find a way to enhance the benefits of cannabis. We know it is a sensitive issue, but we have to start the conversation. We have this ‘medicine’ in abundance in Nigeria.” Akintunde, who lost her husband to colorectal cancer years ago, said because of the intense pain that comes with late stage cancer, her late husband was taken to India where he was not allowed to experience pain before he died. “What the government doesn’t know is that people are secretly growing them in abundance in many states and many youths are using them to harm themselves, but if this is controlled and regulated, it will only be used for the benefit of mankind.” While marijuana, popularly known as weed in Nigeria, is a controversial topic in Nigeria, global health experts believe it has a side beneficial for medical purpose. Acording to experts, marijuana has active ingredients called cannabinoids that can help regulate a number of biological functions in many organisms. Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid that has many potential applications in cancer and other serious medical conditions.

L-R: Representative of Wife of President of Nigeria, Princess Mojisola Tejuoso; Former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adewuyi; and Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) during a symposium on ‘Eradication of Substance Abuse’ organized by the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, held in Lagos recently

Well Head Fire: Delta Community Demands Medical Aid, Others from Chevron Sylvester Idowu in Warri The people of Polobubo Tsekelewu community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Delta State Government, as well as federal government to prevail on Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to urgently deploy medical aids and save their lives from the raging and non-stop fire at the Ikpalakpalabou oil well-head operated by the American oil company. They are also demanding potable water, food, among other things from the oil company to cushion the effect of the fire, which has been raging for over six weeks now, noting that the consequences of failure to take urgent actions is exposing them to terminal diseases. The Ijaw community, during a peaceful protest to Government House Annexe, Warri, led by its National President, Ebilate Mac-Yoroki, claimed that the fire has polluted their water

and food sources, leaving them in hunger and in dire need of medical attention. In a presentation to Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, where it (community) urged him to prevail on the oil multinational to meet their demands, Mac-Yoroki lamented the unfair treatment, the people have suffered from the activities of the company despite its peaceful disposition towards it (CNL). The protesting community had coincidentally met with the Deputy Governor of the state, Kingsley Otuaro, who had some businesses at the Government House Annex in Warri during which they presented their plight to the governor, stating that all efforts to get CNL to put an end to the inferno have yielded no results. “The latest of these series of inhumanities is the uncontained, unabated fire that has blazed untamed on an oil-well head in our community for close to six weeks now. All entreaties to

Chevron to save our lives from the toxic effects of this fire have yielded no result. “A much more grievous injustice by this company that has feigned friendship, against our ever-welcoming and peaceful people is the ongoing attempt to cede our land to Ondo state and thereby fan another needless ethnic crisis,” the president stated. Calling on Chevron to without further delay put off the fire, embark on an assessment of the toxic effects on residen ts and the immediate environment, as well as pay varying monetary sums as compensation for the disaster, the president noted thus: “About five days ago, precisely on Monday, the fire on the well-head became more severe, leading to further degradation of life of our people and our environment.” “As we speak, there is a thick cloud of smoke over Polobubo, constantly raining soot and oil on our people. In this current situation, the oil-well fire has

caused Polobubou and its people so much pains, loss and is leaving so much damages behind”, he added. However, in order to ease the current hardship faced by the people due to the fire outbreak, the community in the presentation, co-signed by the President and National Secretary of Polobubo, Midwest Kukuru, demanded that “Chevron immediately send qualified medical doctors to start attending to all the sick and weak in the community. They said: “We don’t need to die before they will believe that their activities are seriously affecting us adversely. We need clean potable water urgently because even the ones we currently drink have been polluted from their sources. “We urgently need all sorts of food stuff because we no longer have access to our main source of livelihood; fishing, which is also our main source of food. Hunger is worsening in the community.

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JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION‌

THURSDAY, ÍšÍťËœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION‌

President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledging cheers during Democracy Day celebration at the Eagle Square in Abuja‌ yesterday

L-R: Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad; Wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo; and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

L-R: Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) in a handshake with President of Niger Republic, Issoufou Mahamadou, and President of Namibia, Hage Geingob

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) in a handshake with President of Benin, Patrice Talon

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) in a handshake with President of Liberia George Weah

L-R: Chiarman, Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin EmeďŹ ele; Chairman, BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu; and Chairman, UBA, Tony O. Elumelu

L-R: Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Chief of Air Sta, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; Chief of Naval Sta, Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Army Sta, Lt. Gen. T.Y Buratai; and Chief of Defence Sta, General Abayomi Olonisakin

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JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION‌

L-R: President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; former President of Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani; and Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki at the Eagle Square

JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION‌

A cross section of members of the diplomatic corps arriving at the Eagle Square

A cross section of members of the diplomatic corps at the Eagle Square

L-R: Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke SanwoOlu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman, Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola at the Eagle Square

L-R: Guest Speaker, Prof. Pat Utomi; Senator Shehu Sani; Convener, June 12 Movement of Nigeria, Wale Okumiyi; Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Obafemi Kadiri Hanzat; Abiola's son, Deji Abiola; former Commissioner of Information, Lagos State, Dele Alake; MKO Abiola's wife, Adebisi; Abiola's children – Mrs. Lola Edewo, Lekan Abiola, and others, during the commemoration of June 12 by June 12 Movement of Nigeria at Abiola House in Ikeja, Lagos‌ yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Guest Speaker, June-12 National Democracy Day celebration, Prof. Kola Ogundowole; Chairman of the occasion, Lt. Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd); Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat, representing the State Governor; and former Military Governor of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, during a lecture to celebrate 2019 June 12 as National Democracy Day celebration, at the Blueroof of LTV 8, Lagos‌ yesterday KOLA OLASUPO

L-R: Guest Speaker, Prof. Pat Utomi; Deji Abiola; Convener, June 12 Movement of Nigeria, Wale Okumiyi; Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Obafemi Kadiri Hamzat; former Commissioner of Information, Lagos State, Dele Alake; and Mrs Lola Edewor, daughter of MKO, during the commemoration of June SUNDAY ADIGUN 12 Democracy Day at Abiola House in Ikeja, Lagos‌ yesterday

L-R: Chairperson, Ijaw National Congress, Princess C. Kormonibo; South-south representative, Amagbe Kentebe; National Co-ordinator, Deji Osibogun; Leader South-south, Col. Tony Iyam (rtd); Representative of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) Lagos, Mr. Regent Youmor; and Leader, Agbekoya Reform Society (ARS), Mr. Kunle Oshodi, during the June 12 Crusade at Ojota, Lagos‌ yesterday KOLAWOLE ALLI

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S’Court Verdict: Awomolo Faults Sagay on Rivers, Zamfara APC Elections Alex Enumah in Abuja Eminent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, has faulted the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, over his criticism of the Supreme Court’s judgment involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara and Rivers states. Awomolo in a rejoinder dated June 6, 2019, did not only fault Sagay’s call for a review of the apex court’s decision on the two states but claimed Sagay was merely doing the bidding of the ruling party, the APC. The Supreme Court had in two landmark judgments disqualified candidates of the APC in both Rivers and Zamfara states from participating in the 2019 general election on the grounds of violation of section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended, which related to the conduct of party primary for elective positions in the country. While the apex court had in the case of Rivers State, held that the APC cannot field candidates for elective positions in the 2019 general election, in the case of Zamfara, the court however nullified the participation of the APC in the said elections even though the APC’s candidates won in all the elections and declared the runners-up as authentic winners. Reacting to the development, Sagay who described the judgment as “shocking the conscience of humanity,” submitted that, “the Zamfara and Rivers states’ judgments are a national tragedy which should not be allowed to throw up the unimaginable injustice.” However, Awomolo in his rejoinder, noted that contrary to the position of Sagay, the apex court being the last hope of the citizen, was able to dispense justice in the judgment for the people of Rivers and Zamfara states and indeed the entire nation. “Indeed the public statement of Professor Itse Sagay, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Chairman of the Presidential

Advisory Committee on Corruption, a creation of the Executive arm of government, published in the Nation newspaper of Tuesday, June 4, 2019 is seen in many quarters as a clear reflection of the inner caucus of the Executive arm of Government. “Nigerians are fully aware that since the learned Professor became the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, he has constantly found nothing good in the judiciary and the Supreme Court in particular where he believes there is corruption even though none has been prosecuted or convicted by a court of law for corruption,” Awomolo said. While arguing that the judiciary is not the makers of the law, he stressed that the court is not creative as to make its decision suit the convenience of the parties in litigation. “With respect, one fails to see the relevance of the argument of technicality, rather we see substantial justice having its roots on the clear facts of this case. “The mandatory provision of section 87 of the Electoral Act and the trite law that only the National Chairman and Secretary of a political party that can submit nomination of the party candidates not state chairmen or such subordinate office, stuck to by the Supreme Court promote substantial justice. “Justice in my view, means justice to all political parties, Justice to the people of Nigeria whose taxes were spent on law makers who enacted the Act, which must be obeyed by all without exception, the INEC who enforce and carry out the laws. “Justice to all the people of Zamfara and Rivers states whose political rights were capriciously violated by the politic gladiators who frittered away their votes by disobedience to the Constitution and the law. “Justice of course to the judges and justices of our courts who are the greatest living assets of our race without whom our democracy would have been truncated by the politicians since

1999 when Nigeria returned to constitutional democracy. “On the whole the lamentation of the learned senior counsel on principle of democracy, justice and political rights with respect, have no root in the facts of this case. The opinion expressed on the judgments is mere academic exercise, theories on justice, without relevance to the well thought out decision based on constitution, status, basic principles of the rules of law in an egalitarian society”, the senior advocate submitted. While Awomolo said that the judgment of the Supreme Court, is no doubt a corrective policy decision, he added that the judgments of the Supreme Court address policies, institutional and not individuals. He maintained that corrective and retributive justice is an aspect of justice and the Supreme Court has never failed in this respect. He added, “the Judiciary did not replace the electorates’ decision and install losers on Zamfara citizens because the APC primary conducted by the State Executive Committee of the party, has been pronounced upon in numerous cases as a nullity. “The law has become established that where voters in the exercise of their franchise chose a candidate whose standing is void in law, such votes are regarded as thrown away. A candidate whose candidature is invalid and void cannot claim to have lawful votes. “The votes cast for APC candidates were unlawful votes so the candidate with majority of lawful votes is bound to be declared the winner. “Learned professor perhaps wished the Supreme Court, on the ground of theory of democracy had reversed its rules, depart and walk away from its well established principles, that Section 87 of the Electoral Act must be obeyed. The choice of the Zamfara State electorates which the law regarded as void cannot be a foundation for any benefit,” he submitted.

Tinubu Congratulates Lawan, Gbajabiamila The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has congratulated Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan and House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and their deputies on their election, urging them to see the offices entrusted in them as sacred. He urged the new National Assembly leaders to do all within their powers to not only nurture and deepen the institutions of the legislature but also the country’s promising democracy. Their task now, he said, “is to compliment and support President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on his administration’s progressive agenda and truly take the country to the Next Level with detailed, timely and progressive legislative initiatives and restore a sense of patriotism to the exalted offices

they now occupy”. In the statement titled “Nurturing & Deepening National Assembly Institution, Democracy,” issued last night by his spokesman, Mr. Tunde Rahman, the APC leader said: “I congratulate Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and their deputies, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, on their election as presiding officers of the 9th National Assembly. “To have been selected by such overwhelming majorities by their peers is a wonderful honour and a clear demonstration of the implicit confidence reposed in them as leaders and legislators. The offices these leaders have been entrusted with are sacred and must not be

toyed with. “Their emergence as leaders of the ninth National Assembly comes at a crucial time in our nation’s history. As we celebrate 20 years of uninterrupted democracy and our new National Democracy Day of June 12, we look backwards to recognise the sacrifices and valour of our heroes past. We also look forward with hope for the future of our nation and our democracy. “Their election in a free, fair and transparent manner is therefore a further demonstration of the fact that our democracy is functioning well. It also reaffirms party supremacy because these officers are also the choice of our governing All Progressives Congress and the party’s caucus in the National Assembly.

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Declare ‘Killer Fulani Herdsmen’ Criminals, Akinrinade Tells Buhari Gboyega Akinsanmi A former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), yesterday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare any Fulani herdsman involved in banditry, kidnapping and forceful occupation of farm settlements as criminal to absolve

himself of allegations that he was encouraging such elements to commit crime nationwide. Akinrinade yesterday spoke at a public lecture the Government of Lagos State put together to commemorate June 12 as Democracy Day at the LTV Complex, Agidingbi in Ikeja. Speaking at Agidingbi

yesterday, Akinrinade who spoke on, “Democracy and Restoration of True Federalism in Nigeria,” decried the growing cases of insecurity that continued to threaten the unity of Nigeria and the lopsided nature of the country’s federal structure. Akinrinade who chaired the commemoration lecture, asked President Buhari “to urgently, in tackling pervasive insecurity across the federation, declare any Fulani herdsmen involved in banditry, kidnapping and others as criminals.”

Akinrinade, a chieftain of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), also urged the president “to protect himself from guilt by any form of association. In the interest of national peace and unity, it is imperative to declare public any person – herdsmen, kidnappers, armed bandits and whichever name they choose to go by either local or foreign – as criminal of the first order. He equally asked the president “to decisively deal with such criminals as the law of the country

Yoruba Monarch Asks Colleagues to Renounce Membership of Secret Societies Tunji- Ojo Congratulates The Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, has called on traditional rulers in the South-west to renounce their “membership of secret societies.” In a statement by the monarch’s Press Secretary, Mr. Ibraheem Alli, the traditional ruler asked his colleagues to live up to defend their status as “divinely appointed rulers” He said they ought not to enslave themselves in secret societies, charging them to fight against those societies and not to empower them through their membership. “Our foremost Yoruba traditional rulers must defend the status of their long reign. As kings, we have exclusive authority over our subjects,”

he said. “No office or status should be more powerful, influential and command more respect than our position as monarchs because we enjoy divine appointment. “Many of the criminal activities in the country today are linkable to secret societies. So, no labour is lost fighting against existence and membership of the cults springing up at alarming rates in the country. “I am giving an assurance of my support for the emancipation of enslaved monarchs, who have already submitted their authorities to these inferior secret bodies in expectation of false spiritual and monetary gains.”

Gbajabiamila

The member representing Akoko North East/ North West of Ondo State in the House of Represntatives, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji -Ojo has congratulated Femi Gbajabiamila on his election as the Speaker of ninth House of Representatives. Tunji-Ojo who doubles as the Chairman of First Timers Forum in the House said he was immensely joyful on the overwhelming victory of Gbajabiamila because of the role played by his colleagues. He also said members of House of Representatives have proven their patriotism and commitment to a better Nigeria with the landslide victory of

Gbajabiamila. “Nothing gives me more joy in the victory of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila than the fact that my colleagues knew what was right and patriotically rose above partisan interests to elect the obvious best as the Speaker of the House”. He described Gbajabiamila as the best person that could have elected as the Speaker of the House. Although, he said he was not surprised that members of the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Gbajabiamila as their Speaker in view of his eminent qualification and nationalistic outlook.

demands. I notice that the president is trying to restructure the Nigeria Police. It is the way to go. Do it snappy and do not allow it turn to another talk shop.” He also suggested that the president should, as mark of immortalising the winner of the June 12,1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola, restructure police and tackle poverty in the country, urging him to shun any suggestion against police restructuring. The retired general also suggested that to best immortalise Abiola,

the National Assembly should either pass a law or amend the 1999 Constitution to merge date for inauguration of any administration and Democracy Day together as June 12. He, therefore, argued that it would be economically sensible if the National Assembly “can be encouraged by the president to pass a law or amend the 1999 Constitution to merge the inauguration date with June 12, now the country’s Democracy Day.”

Ndokwa/Ukwuani Group Congratulates Omo-Agege Ndokwa/Ukwuani APC Stakeholders Forum has congratulated Chief Ovie OmoAgege on his election as the Deputy Senate President of the National Assembly. The group in a statement made available to THISDAY by its Coordinator, Paul Odili, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) for zoning the office to Delta State and standing resolutely by Senator Omo-Agege. The statement also noted that the group was fulfilled that its request in March to the national leadership of APC that Omo-Agege should be made deputy senate president

did not go unheard. The statement said: “We are happy with current development, we hasten to condemn the unwarranted attempt to blackmail, tarnish and undermine Senator Omo-Agege’s office by falsely linking him to the mace saga in the Senate. “As deplorable as the actions of the miscreants are, till date there is no evidence of Senator Omo-Agege culpability. Moreover, Senator Omo-Agege has completely disassociated himself and even condemned the invasion of the Senate chambers, yet it appears mischief makers are determined to link him to this sordid act.”

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JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY...

JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY DAY...

Jubilation in Ondo as APC Lauds FG for Immortalising Abiola Our Correspondents There was jubilation at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat, in Akure, Ondo State, as leaders and members of the party commemorated June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. The party members said President Muhammadu Buhari has assuaged the feelings of Nigerians and the people of the Southwest in particular by the action of the federal government on the much awaited honour of the late Chief MKO Abiola believed by many to have won the 1993 presidential election. Addressing the gathering, the state APC Chairman, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, commended Buhari for naming the Abuja National Stadium after Abiola who was also popularly known as the Africa Pillar of Sport. He said Buhari had lived up to certain parts of the expectations of Nigerians concerning June 12, 1993, election. “Nigerians, and particularly the Yoruba race, will not forget the action of President Buhari, who did not only change narrative about June 12 and Nigeria’s democracy, but also named a monument after him. I commend him for doing this,” Adetimehin said.

Ortom Hails Buhari over Democracy Day Governor Samuel Ortom has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day a reality and for also immortalising winner of the 1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola, by naming the Abuja National Stadium after him. The governor made this known yesterday through his media aide, Mr. Terver Akase, adding that the honour was long overdue. Similarly, he congratulated the new President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as their deputies for emerging victorious in the National Assembly leadership elections. Ortom expressed confidence in the ability of Senator Lawan and Gbajabiamila to effectively steer the affairs of the ninth assembly for the benefit of the entire country. He said leadership comes from God, citing the Bible book of Job 3:27, which says: ‘A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven’.

June 12 is Part of Our History, Says Sanwo-Olu Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has advised that young Nigerians should be educated on the significance of June 12 anniversary. The governor stressed that it is through formal education on the importance of the day that the people would appreciate and immortalise the acclaimed winner of the adjudged freest and fairest election in Nigerian history, which the late Moshood Olawale Abiola won. Speaking at the maiden 2019 national Democracy Day celebration in remembrance of late MKO Abiola, the hero of the annulled June 12, 1993, general election, held at De Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja, the governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said: “On June 12, 1993, Nigeria had an election adjudged by the entire world to be the most free and fair and remained so till this moment.” He said the importance of June 12 should not be lost on Nigerians, adding that parents should drum up its importance to the young ones and its relevance to the democracy Nigerians now enjoy. “We are here today to continue what Lagos State Government started in 1999. We must thank President Muhammadu Buhari because June 12 is part of our history. We must let our children know the real meaning of June 12. If over 200 million Nigerians do the right thing and maintain their lanes, this country will be great,” he said.

Oyetola Seeks Unity, Selfless Service

Osun State Government in conjunction with the Coalition of Civil Society groups yesterday organised events to mark the June 12 Democracy Day in Osogbo, the state capital. Speaking at the event, the state Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, who represented the state Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari has done us proud. He has set a new agenda for socio-economic transformation of the country. “The declaration of June 12 is an affirmation of the fact that the present administration believes so much in things that can promote unity and peace. “This is a period of sober reflection on the selfless service and sacrifice made by our heroes to ensure that we remain united and indivisible as a nation. “As we are celebrating the maiden Democracy Day, we must do everything possible to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and unity of the Nigerian state.”

Ogun Gov Promises to Emulate MKO Abiola’sVirtues The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has assured the people of the state that his administration would consolidate on the legacies and virtues of the presumed winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, by ensuring good governance at all times. The governor gave the assurance yesterday during the official commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day, when he visited the Abiola’s family house at Oja-Agbo, Gbagura in Abeokuta, the

President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledging cheers from the crowd during the first Democracy Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja …yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI state capital. Abiodun, who was represented by his Deputy, Noimot SalakoOyedele, noted that as politicians, part of their responsibilities is to continue the good work that late Abiola pledged to do in the country, adding that the celebration was the actualisation of the struggle of everyone, including those who voted in the annulled 1993 presidential election and the people who still continued the struggle. He said: “I congratulate you all, and to tell you that our efforts had been rewarded by the confirmation of June 12 as Democracy Day by the federal government. “Our mantra is good governance; our government would be fair, just and equitable, and this is how we intend to propagate the work of late Chief MKO Abiola.”

Akwa Ibom Gov Urges Unity among Nigerians As Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day yesterday, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to pursuing issues that would affirm the country’s national cohesion and peaceful co-existence. The governor in a statement issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, stressed that there was need to celebrate the day as it deepened the country’s democratic culture since the return to civil rule in 1999. He said: “Our democracy has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years, and Nigerians deserve a pat on the back. “This occasion calls for re-dedication of ourselves to pursuing those issues that promote national unity and peaceful co- existence.”

Bauchi Gov Praises Abiola’s Exemplary Contribution to Democracy

As Nigerians celebrated the June 12 Democracy Day yesterday, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, praised the heroism and dynamism of the late MKO Abiola for his exemplary contributions to the evolution of Nigeria’s democracy. However, Mohammed declared that the best way for his government to celebrate Democracy Day “is to upgrade the living standard of the citizens through the provision of critical infrastructures, ensure sound education and stimulate agricultural growth and qualitative health care for the state citizens.” In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Dr. Ladan Salihu, and made available to journalists in Bauchi, the governor reminded the people that the vision and mission of his government would be guided by the tradition and values of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

‘Why Ebonyi Didn’t Celebrate Democracy Day’ Ebonyi State Government said it didn’t celebrate June 12 Democracy Day in the state because the state government had a week long activities during the last defunct May Day celebration in the state. The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Information and State Orientation, Dr. Ken Uhuo, told THISDAY that though the state government didn’t celebrate it with its usual fanfare at Pa Ngele

Oruta township stadium, it also honoured it as a public holiday. He added that the state Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, represented the state Governor, Chief David Umahi, in Abuja, where President Muhammadu Buhari commemorated the Democracy Day celebration. According to him, “It (Democracy Day) was observed in Ebonyi State but wasn’t celebrated. The state government observed today (yesterday) as a public holiday. It doesn’t mean that there must be other fanfare to commemorate the celebration as it’s usually done with March pass and other activities. “You know that the state government held a week-long programme to commemorate May 29 celebration in the state. And the state governor sent his deputy to represent him at the Abuja Democracy Day celebration. Subsequently, we shall continue to key into the new date.” Uhuo however facilitated with Nigerian heroes and heroines of democracy for their supreme sacrifices during the unfortunate annulment of the June 12 election.

DSS Operatives Stop June 12 Rally in Ibadan Operatives of the Department of the State Services (DSS) yesterday stopped a mass rally of the Yoruba Summit Group from taking place in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The group, an amalgamation of all sociocultural and selfdetermination bodies in Yoruba land, had converged on the city to discuss insecurity in the land. THISDAY learnt that the security operatives in about five buses, who were cladded in black uniform, had arrived in Agodi arcade in front of the state Government House around 7a.m. and condoned off the area to prevent the rally from taking place. Three people, including sound system operator contracted to provide services at the event, were whisked away to the DSS office at Alesinloye. Others arrested are a public affairs analyst and the state Coordinator of Oodua Coalition Against Insurgency and Kidnapping in Yoruba land, Dr. Tunde Hamzat, and a female activist simply identified as Princess Oyeronke.

Ohanaeze Commends FG for Honouring Abiola The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has commended the federal government for commemorating June 12 and making it a Democracy Day as well as a public holiday. The organisation noted that nothing was too small to remember those who laid down their lives for democracy. It suggested that those responsible for the annulment of June 12, 1993 elections, should be placed in the Nigeria Hall of Shame while those that suffered the effect should be in Nigeria Hall of Fame. In a statement by its deputy spokesman, Chuks Ibegbu, Ohanaeze noted that some elements around the late Chief MKO Abiola worked against June 12 and colluded with the Abacha’s military junta to truncate the swearing in of the winner of the June 12 election. It, therefore, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for this remarkable recognition but advised him to be a true democrat and shed his military baggage.

THURSDAY JUNE 13, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

THURSDAYSPORTS

ÜÙßÚ ÚÙÜÞÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ Duro Ikhazuagbe ×ËÓÖ˝ duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 08111813083

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Falcons Defeat S’ Korea to Revive Hope of Reaching Knock out Phase Olawale Ajimotokan An own goal by South Korea’s Kim Doyeon in the 29th minute plus another strike by Barcelona Ladies forward, Asisat Oshoala, yesterday afternoon earned Nigeria her first three points of the ongoing 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. The win has revived Nigeria’s hope of making it to the knock out phase of France 2019 despite the poor start against Norway in their opening game. The African champions did what they needed to do by throwing all they had into the game to put their ambition back on course. With this victory, the Super Falcons have set the stage for a fierce encounter with host nation France on Monday next week, as they look to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in 20 years. Having lost 0-3 to Norway in their first match and realizing they could be heading back home after the group phase, the Falcons opted for a spritely approach against the Koreans. But captain Desire Oparanozie wasted a great opportunity in the 8th minute when presented with

a simple header from a pull-out from Ngozi Ebere. She nodded straight at the Korean goalkeeper. Perhaps the most inspired decision for the game by Nigeria’s coach Thomas Dennerby was starting former junior international Chiamaka Nnadozie in goal and sending Tochukwu Oluehi, so jittery against Norway, to the bench. The 18 year-old goaltender simply continued from where she left off at the 2018 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup also hosted by France, where she drew some rave reviews. She cuddled and punched with good judgment, used her long limbs marvelously and stood between the Asians and any goal in the game. Her competence and confidence enabled the Falcons to push forward in search of goals. After Korean defender Kim Do Yong misdirected a forward thrust by midfielder Rita Chikwelu past her goalkeeper for Nigeria’s first goal in the 29th minute, the Falcons’ spirit soared and they bossed the game for large periods. Nigeria could have made it two four minutes after the restart, but Oparanozie’s header from a floated free kick by left back Ngozi Ebere went narrowly over

Nigerian players celebrating the 2-0 victory over South Korea at the on-going World Cup in France…yesterday

the woodworks. At the back, Nigeria kept things tight against the faster Koreans, with Onome Ebi, appearing at her fifth World Cup, Osinachi Ohale, Ebere and Chidinma Okeke throwing everything in

there. Rita Chikwelu, Ngozi Okobi and Chinaza Uchendu worked hard in the middle. But it was the intelligent right back Okeke, another performer from the 2018 FIFA Women’s World Cup, who

got her touches right to send Asisat Oshoala to nick the second goal for Nigeria with 15 minutes left. As the Koreans attacked, Okobi read the ball well and intercepted, letting Okeke have it and to surge forward. The 18 –year old steered

HOOLIGANISM

Enyimba Wins 8th Record NPFL Title

Kano Pillars Fined N8m, Rabiu Ali Banned for 12 Matches The League Management Company (LMC) has slammed N8million fine on Kano Pillars FC while its Captain, Rabiu Ali has been banned from all Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) activities and matches for a period of 12 matches. The punishment handed out to the Sai Masu Gida is sequel to the crowd disturbances and harassment of match referees in one of the fixtures of Match-day four of the Super Six Championship

Playoff which ended at the Agege Stadium in Lagos yesterday. Supporters sympathetic to the Kano football side invaded the pitch, damaged perimeter fences and advertising panels while hauling objects at the VIP stands at the end of the fixture between Kano Pillars and Rangers International which ended 1-1. LMC in a summary jurisdiction notice charged Kano Pillars with a four count breaches of the Framework and Rules of the NPFL including breaches

of Rule B13.18, C9, C1.1. Rabiu Ali was charged for accosting the centre referee and in so doing incited others to commit acts of violence and misconduct in breach of Rule C1.3 In the charged against Kano Pillars, the breaches covered offenses such as the hauling of objects towards the field of play by some of their supporters in violation of Rule B13.18. Kano Pillars were also charged for failing to control and ensure proper conduct of its players

and officials who accosted the match Referee in protest which constituted a breach of Rule C9. The third charge read, “you are in breach of Rule B13.18 of the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Professional Football League, in that on Monday, 10th June 2019, immediately after your NPFL Championship Playoff Match: Kano Pillars vs. Rangers International, some of your supporters encroached onto the field of play, pursuing after match officials”.

Enyimba FC of Aba defeated Akwa United FC 3-0 yesterday to claim a record 8th Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title at the Super Six Championship Playoff at the Agege Stadium in Lagos. The People’s Elephant finished at the top of the log with 12 points from five games. Reuben Bala scored the opening goal for Enyimba two minutes before the break. Joseph Osadiaye dribbled his way into the Akwa United box and squared the ball to Bala who tapped it into the net effortlessly. It was Bala’s third goal of the Championship play-offs. Stanley Dimgba added the second goal for Enyimba on the hour mark. He nodded home a superb cross from Stanley Okorom. Abdulrahmam Bashir made the scoreline more emphatic when he scored Enyimba’s third goal with a stunning effort from outside the box a minute before time. Interestingly, on a day Rangers

International hammered hapless FC Ifeanyiuba 4-2 to dream of a ticket to the CAF Champions League, it was Kano Pillars who finished as runners up to Enyimba with the 1-0 defeat of former champions Lobi Stars. A 73rd minute goal by Ifeanyi Nweke settled the fight for the second CAF Champions League ticket in favour of the Sai Masu Gida. Rangers who ended the playoff as third finisher will represent Nigeria in the second tier CAF Confederation Cup.

success after brushes with the law in his youth. But Joshua’s loss has halted talk of any immediate fight with Fury or WBC champion Deontay Wilder as the 2012 Olympic champion is now intent on fulfilling a rematch with Ruiz. Fury, who battled mental health and drug issues before returning to the sport after a

31-month spell of inactivity in June of 2018, believes Joshua will lose the repeat fixture. In referencing Ruiz’s much publicised fleshy physique and his own win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, Fury told 5 Live Boxing’s Mike Costello and Steve Bunce that such results prove “body types mean nothing in boxing.”

Pinnick Presents Pitch Awards Gong to Okowa President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Wednesday in Asaba presented the award of Football Friendly Governor of the Year to Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State. Governor Okowa won the award at the sixth edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards held in Asaba on Saturday, but neither the Delta State number one citizen nor the NFF supremo were present

at the occasion. Pinnick, also the 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football, was summoned to France as a result of some issues related to CAF, and left Asaba on the eve of the awards, which held at the Golden Tulip Hotel hours after the Nigeria/Zimbabwe pre-AFCON 2019 sendforth friendly at the Stephen Keshi Stadium. NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi

represented Pinnick at the event. “I am happy to present this award to Your Excellency, knowing that you are fully deserving of the gong going by what you have done for Nigerian Football in the past one year,” Pinnick said as he presented the award trophy and certificate to Governor Okowa. Governor Okowa and his administration have hosted several activities of the NFF

the ball past an advancing Korean and met it at the other end, then weighted her pass to Oshoala, who ran past a defender, beat the goalkeeper and slotted into the net from a rather tight angle. It was a magnificent goal.

in the past one year, including four matches of the Super Eagles (Vs Uganda in November 2018; Vs Seychelles in March 2019; Vs Egypt in March 2019 and; Vs Zimbabwe in June 2019); one match of the U23 National Team (Vs Libya in March 2019); the Annual General Assembly of the NFF in October 2018 and; a pre-Extraordinary General Assembly of the NFF in August 2018.

NPFL Trophy

Tyson Fury Says Anthony Joshua is ‘Finished’ as a Boxer Tyson Fury believes former world champion Anthony Joshua is “finished” after his shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr. Joshua, 29, gave up his IBF, WBA and WBO titles in a seventh-round stoppage loss to Ruiz in New York on June 1. Speaking before Saturday’s bout with Tom Schwarz - which will be broadcast by BBC Radio 5 Live - Fury said Joshua did

not want to be in the ring. “When a man doesn’t want to be there once, he will always do it and it’s hard to come back from,” said Fury. “It’s been done many different times by many different fighters. He did it that night and I don’t think he will come back from it. Finished. Ask any top trainer who has been around the sport a lifetime. When he

got to the ring I saw he didn’t want to be there.” Fury’s Las Vegas contest with Schwarz will air on 5 Live in the early hours of Sunday morning in the UK. The bout comes two weeks after Ruiz ripped up the heavyweight division’s plot lines by inflicting a first career defeat on Joshua, who had previously made Fury an offer to fight.

“Everybody thought that man could beat me,” Fury added. “In what world could he ever beat me? What were people seeing? I don’t know what people were looking at as I don’t know in what world he could have beaten me.” Fury this week said he respects Joshua and regards him as “a winner in life” for how he has achieved sporting

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THURS Ëœ ÍŻÍąËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡ Ëž T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Women’s World Cup: Germany Makes it Two Wins Out of Two Germany yesterday made it two wins from two at the on-going Women’s World Cup as they claimed a narrow win over Spain in Group B. Bayern Munich midfielder Sara Daebritz’s scrappy first-half goal settled the contest and put the side ranked number two in the world all-but through to the knockout stages. Spain dominated possession but the Germans scored against the run of play when Daebritz pounced on some hesitant defending to bundle the ball in at the far post. The result meant that Germany will be assured of their place in the last 16 if South Africa fails to beat China today, while realistically they look set to top the group. Two-time winners Germany - who opened with a win over China - have reached at least the quarter-finals in all of the previous seven World Cups, while the Spaniards - who beat South Africa 3-1 on Saturday - have qualified for the tournament for the second time. Efficient and resolute, the Germans remain unbeaten in 14 games since March 2018,

while they are yet to lose to Spain after five meetings. Germany were without influential midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, who may miss the rest of the tournament after breaking a toe in their opening win over China, but still possessed the talent and resolve to emerge with the victory. Jorge Vilda’s side had edged the first half, which began amid torrential, wet conditions in Valenciennes, but Real Sociedad’s Nahikari Garcia scuffed wide after being played clean through and Atletico Madrid’s Silvia Meseguer fired off target from the edge of the box after a neat move. But after Alexandra Popp’s strong downward header was well saved by Barcelona keeper Sandra Panos, Spain skipper Marta Torrejon took too long to clear the loose ball and Daebritz pounced to slide the ball in on the rebound. After the break, Torrejon’s free-kick hit the wall from one of Spain’s best chances, before substitute Klara Buehl blazed over at the other end for Germany, and they were solid at the back to fend off a

German players celebrating the victory over Spain...yesterday

comeback. Group B’s other teams South Africa and China do not play their second match until

Thursday (20:00 BST) in Paris. Then Spain face China in Le Havre on Monday (17:00) at the same time as Germany’s

final group game against South Africa in Montpellier. The top two teams will qualify automatically for the

last 16, while the four best third-placed sides from the tournament’s six groups will join them.

CSG: Change Agent Revolutionising Sports Business Sola Opaleye was the Chief Executive Officer of the now defunct Lagos-based amateur C.O.D United Football Club. He successfully managed the model club for a decade. Having interacted and witnessed first-hand the foundational and structural defects in the Nigeria Sports sector, he was spurred to become a change agent in the industry and ensure sports is properly organised, well-structured and adds value like it’s obtainable in other nations globally. He spoke with DURO IKHAZUAGBE on his pet project. Excerpt‌. What is City Sports Group all about? City Sports Group (CSG) is a total sports development and a business of sports company which is professionally structured and run. We aim to develop leaders and capacity building of young individuals using sports as a platform. The company was formed in January, 2018 and despite the expected challenges associated with businesses at the formative stage, we have managed to steady the ship and remain on the right track to be pacesetters in the business of sports in Nigeria. City Sports Group, an affiliate of City Sports Group UK, is the parent body for six other brands here in Nigeria Presently, our football clubs, City of Lagos FC, City FC Abuja and City FC Kano are fully operating in Lagos, Abuja and Kano, while plans are in top gear to make City FC Enugu, City FC Port Harcourt and City FC Ibadan operational by the fourth quarter of 2019. Why do all your football clubs carry the name, City? Our idea is to build clubs that are locally relevant to their environment while espousing our values as an entity. All over the world, the most passionate supported club are identified and known for the cities they are from. We want our clubs to

carry the hopes and represent the aspirations of their various cities while retaining the same look and feel, general character, playing style and organizational philosophy of CSG. We want to build clubs with a local flavour but with a national view as well. We believe this is the direction to go. You left your job in NLNG to start this company, how did you find the courage to leave certainty for uncertainty? One word for that, passion! Despite the job security and income stability guaranteed working in a government regulatory agency, the desire to make a lasting impact in the sports sector was unquenchable, and I braced up to face the unquantifiable odds. Growing up as a child, I was an active participant in sports, notably football. Despite never making it professionally, the passion kept growing and I got the perfect opportunity to hone my managerial sports skills when I was appointed Chief Executive Officer for the now defunct C.O.D United FC, a role I successfully filled for a decade. My interaction with major players in the sector as well as my witnessing some of the structural defects in Nigeria sports are responsible for why I am striving to become a change agent. What is your objective in setting up CSG? Preparation for life! Our

Opaleye (centre) with oďŹƒcials of Real Betis in Spain

British Prime Minister Theresa May (3rd right, back row); CEO of CSG, Sola Opaleye (2nd left, back row) with parents and attendees of the City Sports Group/Burnley Football Leadership and Development Programme in the UK‌recently programmes are designed to adequately prepare every participant, who goes through our system for the future. While a few of them might succeed as professional athletes, a good number due to various factors will not make the grade and must be ready to excel and be outstanding in whatever chosen career elsewhere. We aim to ensure every participant in our sports programmes are armed with the life skills Discipline, Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Perseverance, Leadership and Courage as we tackle a fundamental societal problem. I see us becoming a reference point in capacity building through the application of sports leadership values. In the next decade, we aim to be recognized globally for the outstanding impact and contributions of budding leaders that passed through our programmes. You seem to be passionate about sports in schools? Why? We are all product of the schools we attend. Look at American sports

for example, school sports is the bedrock of their entire sports industry and their sports industry is the largest in the world. The NFL makes more money than the top five European leagues combined and it sources 90% of its talent from US colleges and high schools. In the heydays of Nigerian football and sports, the best talents were discovered through the school sports system. This shows clearly that if the right foundations are built, school sports has the potential to serve as the platform for discovery, nurturing and first introduction into competitive sports. We also believe that while in school, the mind is tuned towards learning. The students are very receptive to ideas and concepts because they see school as an environment to learn. So we are working with a few schools to develop frameworks and structures that will engage students in sports and create programmes that will significantly improves the outcomes of talented athletes in those schools.

You recently met the UK Prime Minister Theresa May in England. Tell us about that experience That was a great experience actually. We were training with the children at a brand new £4million facility which Burnley had built in partnership with others for the community and she had come to officially open it. She saw our boys undergoing training, became very interested in how they were so focused on their training and she came over to speak to us about our experience in Burnley. She was very excited to hear we had come all the way from Nigeria in partnership with Burnley FC. It was a great experience for us and the children particularly. Many of them didn’t know who she was she, understandably so, but they could sense she must be really important. You recently partnered Real Betis in Spain, tell us about that Real Betis are one of the most professionally run clubs

in Spain and they are looking to have a global footprint and Nigeria is an interesting market for them from a brand point of view and also in terms of scouting talents. We are also constantly open to new partners and opportunities so that we can find new opportunities for the players on our academy and clubs. It is a new relationship and we are both working on making it work for both parties and maximising the opportunities therein. You seem to have close ties with Burnley football club, how did relationship develop and what are the opportunities? In Burnley, we have a partner that shares our passion and commitment to seeing sports beyond entertainment (a professional and recreational activity?) but as also a tool to express values and teach lessons in commitment, dedication, discipline and belief. This is the team with one of the lowest budgets in England, but rivalled Arsenal for a 6th-place finish only two years ago and played in the UEFA Europa League despite revenues of under ÂŁ150m. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all make in excess of ÂŁ400m per annum and have played in the same competition repeatedly in recent years. That shows you what Burnley is about, not using your limitations as an excuse, optimizing whatever you have, however little and being undaunted in pursuit of your goals. These are the lessons they work with us to teach young boys and girl in our football leadership programme. We are working with them to expand the partnership to harness other opportunities. We would have announcements soon and we are excited about the things in the pipeline. Ëž Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?

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Thursday, June 13, 2019

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Price: N250

MISSILE Ekweremadu to Colleagues “I believe that there must be a referendum, considering what happened when I was presiding and the Senate was invaded. It would have been very embarrassing that somebody who led that operation would just be asked to take a bow and would be endorsed as if it (what he did) doesn’t matter.” – Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, explaining why he contested against Ovie Omo-Agege on Tuesday.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI Buhari, June 12 and the Day After THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

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s a reporter who keenly followed what transpired in Nigeria before, during and after the annulled 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief M.K.O Abiola, it was an act of courage and statesmanship for President Muhammadu Buhari to accord June 12 a pride of place as a national Democracy Day. But then, if we will be honest, only a Buhari could have taken such decision without any backlash from the North. It is even more remarkable that two presidents from the south had failed to redress that injustice in the manner Buhari did when they had the opportunity to do so. Sadly, when the president addressed the nation on the first occasion yesterday, he failed to inspire our country to a national healing process that he started with the recognition of June 12. While the diversity of our country should ordinarily be our greatest strength, its mismanagement has also, over the years, sown the seeds of discord and division. When, as a result of that situation, some parts of the country feel alienated, it is the responsibility of the leader to address their grievances, regardless of how such people choose to exercise their franchise at election periods. And there could not have been a better opportunity to tackle this problem than the one presented yesterday. It may not be his fault but the reality of our existence in Nigeria today is that President Buhari has become a very polarising figure and it is difficult for the country to progress under such circumstance. A bland speech which rehashed his usual rhetoric and spoke more to the past than the future was a great disservice. This is despite the fact that when he was sworn in on 29th May without the traditional inaugural address, his handlers had told Nigerians to wait till June 12. Let me be clear here: I do not buy the tales of any agenda by President Buhari to ‘Islamise’ or ‘Fulianise’ Nigeria, whatever those terms mean. I know, for instance, that if it had been President Buhari attending NASFAT programme the way Vice President Yemi Osinbajo attends the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) programmes, all hell would have been let loose. And there is nothing to suggest that the young men who have realized—like their counterparts from other parts of the country—that more money could be made from kidnapping and armed robbery than in herding cows are taking instructions from Aso Rock. It is a challenge of insecurity for which ethnic profiling is most unhelpful. However, President Buhari takes vicarious responsibility for the manner he has chosen to address or ignore these challenges. We have learnt from the example of many failed states that when ethnic or/and religious differences are magnified in a milieu where there is a preponderance of guns in the hands of sundry criminal cartels, redressing grievances offers a more productive approach in leadership. When those in charge of affairs are perceived—in fact, being accused, even if wrongly—to be promoting agenda that are at variance with their oath, it is easy for

President Muhammadu Buhari

some unscrupulous politicians to manipulate feelings of relative deprivation, especially when benefits (including political as well as economic) decline and expectations increase. While, as President Buhari himself admitted yesterday, politicians may be magnifying our fault lines, the real dividing line in Nigeria is not religion or ethnicity but rather

the dwindling opportunities for personal advancement. Nigeria has for years been a state in retreat given the way government is becoming removed from our lives and that is what we must deal with. It started with public utilities in which people began to buy generator to provide their own electricity and then we moved to digging boreholes to provide our water. Then we subverted the public schools for private schools of all hues. While our health institutions followed this tragic decline and neglect, everybody also started providing their own security by erecting iron gates and employing security guards with communities relying on vigilantes. These are some of the challenges we must confront as a nation. But doing so would require a leader who can galvanise everybody towards a common cause. That explains why it was disappointing that the commencement of his second and final term in office which also coincided with the inauguration of a new Democracy Day was frittered away by failing to address the heavy burden we all bear through the threats to our individual survival and the clear and present dangers to our communal faith in Nigeria. On a day when words of courage, healing and reassurance could have rekindled national unity, the president missed an opportunity

offered by history and the occasion he so brilliantly created for himself to inspire us to a higher national purpose. In every sense, this is an anxious moment for Nigeria. The lives of citizens in several parts of the country are daily threatened as a result of unparalleled insecurity and a serial retreat of the state in the things that matter. Under the system of government in operation, the president is both a chief executive of a ship in perennial turbulence and the chief re-assurer of a family in perpetual doubt. His utterances at critical moments must therefore renew our hope in the Nigerian project. Yesterday, President Buhari failed to meet those expectations. Fortunately, he can still redeem himself. Where he failed with words, the president can, in the coming weeks and months, assure us with concrete actions: Bold decisions that will help in reviving the economy; strategic appointments that reflect our diversity and a body language that shows the whole country as his constituency. If President Buhari can do all that, he will begin to instil in Nigerians a renewed sense of unity and collective pride. That will in turn strengthen optimism of an egalitarian society that leverages the talents of our people as we build “a nation where peace and justice shall reign”.

Still on the Perilous Journeys

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ne of the things I teach young people close to me is to be careful of whatever they put down in writing. As it would happen, I have not always heeded my own counsel. I was in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, last Friday to deliver the third Vitality Lecture 2019 at the Centre for Biblical Christianity in Africa on the topic, ‘The African Church in the Public Eye’. Immediately the event ended, I left for Ibadan in continuation of my book tour. The session, which held last Saturday, was organized by the MD of Booksellers, Dr Kolade Mosuro who, together with his wife, treated me like a celebrity. However, shortly after I left Ilorin for Ibadan last Friday, I got a mail from Folarin, Dr Mosuro’s son who happens to be my friend, which reads: “Oga Sir, I just thought I should show this statement written by you a few years ago as you plan to go to Ibadan. In a court of law, this would be adversely used against you but out of the graciousness of my heart, I shall keep it in my inbox and not share it with anyone.” He enclosed a trail of the mails we exchanged on Monday 27th February, 2012. On that day, he had written: “…your book, ‘Power, Politics and Death’ has been a smashing success in our Abuja bookstore but sales haven’t been that phenomenal in our Ibadan store which is our flagship and usually takes the lead in sales. We are thinking of doing a book reading and autograph session in Ibadan. I will like to discuss this further with you when we see.” In my response, albeit in a lighter mood, I dismissed the idea with a one liner: “Ibadan people don’t read!”

When I shared our exchanges to a packed hall inside Booksellers Bookshop last Saturday in Ibadan, they were aghast but they also accepted my apology. In the audience were several respected people from the academia, including Prof Femi Osofisan, Prof Pai Obanya, Prof Dan Izevbaye, Prof Jide Kasali, Prof Adelola Adeloye and Dr (Mrs) Ebun Walker, as well as former Heinemann Publishers MD, Chief N. Okereke, former NAFDAC Director General, Mrs Yetunde Oni, Engr Mbim Okutiyang, Dr J.K. Ladipo, Chief J. O. Falore, Otunba Enitan Koya, Dr Modupe Ladipo, Mrs Joke Scott-Emuakpor, Mrs Adefemi Bucknor-Arigbede, Mr Bayo Saidi, Mr Lanre Alabi, Mr Adekunle Ige, Mrs Abosede Okuneye, Mrs Abiola Akobe-Ajibolu and several other prominent professionals. The discussion which centred on the peril of irregular migration and human trafficking was very engaging as people in the audience shared their varied experiences. One of the discussants, Mr Foluso Akintola, the assistant comptroller, anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the Nigerian Immigration Service, lamented that with the yearly increase in the number of rescued victims in Ibadan and its environs, Oyo state is becoming another hot spot for human trafficking. The traffickers, Akintola also added, seem to have devised new destinations. “Italy used to be the destination of most trafficked victims from Nigeria but with high mortality rate in the desert and the Mediterranean Sea in Lampadusa, the traffickers tend to have changed destination. The latest operational system of these traffickers today is a promise of a lucrative job in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Libya, etc. They recruit

ladies from here to be shipped to the Arab world most of who end up in prostitution”, said Akintola. Another discussant, Mrs Oyindamola Bamgbose, the Oyo State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, said the authorities in Nigeria “owe the people a responsibility to fulfil the civil, political, economic and social rights which force citizens to resort to illegal migration. If basic needs are fulfilled, they would not subject themselves to such human indignity”, she argued. There were several other interventions along that line. While I thank Dr Mosuro and his wife for their kind hospitality and for organizing the wonderful session which brought together such respected people to engage my book, ‘From Frying Pan to Fire: How African Migrants Risk Everything in their Futile Search for a Better Life in Europe’, the conversation on irregular migration must continue. On Monday in Abuja, I joined other speakers at a conference organised by the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) to address the same problem. The Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, who believes that Nigeria has become “a global source and destination for sex trafficking, forced labour, transit and trafficking in human organs”, highlighted some of the pressing challenges our country must begin to deal with. That more than a million Nigerians, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, are living “in a state of modern slavery” makes tackling the challenge of human trafficking even more compelling for all critical stakeholders in our country.

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