Sanusi Tackles Kano Anti-graft Agency over Fraud Allegations Says no money missing from emirate's account Yemi Ajayi in Lagos and Alex Enumah in Abuja The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has dismissed allegations by the
Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission that under his watch, the Emirate Council misappropriated a total sum of N3.5 billion.
Sanusi, in a rebuttal of the 13-point allegations levelled against him by the commission, which has also gone ahead to recommend his suspension to Kano State Governor,
Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, attributed the accusations to a misunderstanding of how the Emirate Council functions by the petitioners and the commission.
The moves to suspend the monarch, however, got the support of a coalition of civil society group, Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, which yesterday
commended the commission for recommending the suspension of the emir. In the 10-page defence, Continued on page 8
OPEC, NEITI Hail Kyari’s Appointment as NNPC Boss…
Page 49
Friday 21 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8838. Price: N250
www.thisdaylive.com TR
UT H
& RE A S O
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Illiteracy Breeds Insecurity, Says Buhari, Asks Governors to Prioritise Education FG to proscribe Almajiri system NEC: Banditry now new national security threat
Omololu Ogunmade President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday tasked the National Economic Council (NEC)
to kick-start the process of providing free and compulsory basic education for children as contained in Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended). The president said any governor who failed to provide schools, teachers and necessary teaching materials
for the entrenchment of basic education would be aiding and abetting the crime of keeping children out of school. Buhari spoke in Abuja at
the inauguration of NEC for the second term of his administration. He said another part of Section 18 mandated every
government to "provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child Continued on page 8
Tributes as THISDAY MD’s Wife, Eniola-Olaitan, is Buried She was my angel, says Bello Daughter: Guess heaven couldn’t wait for her Obinna Chima in Wolverhampton, UK It was a day for torrents of tributes yesterday as family and friends gathered to witness the burial of Mrs. Helen Eniola-Olaitan, the wife of the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello. The remains of EniolaOlaitan were interred at the Danes Court Cemetery, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, after a funeral service at the All Nations Church in Wolverhampton. Eniola-Olaitan (nee Alemeru), 49, died on June 4, at New Cross Hospital,
Wolverhampton. Friends, family members and relatives from the United Kingdom, Nigeria and other parts of the world trooped to the church to pay their last respects to a woman that had been described as caring and peaceful. During his sermon, Reverend Ayo Aiyedogbon of Realm of Glory Church, Abuja, extolled the deceased, saying she lived a life of service and dedication to her family, community, the church and to God. According to Aiyedogbon, the Eniola-Olaitan instilled Continued on page 49
ANGEL GOES HOME… THISDAY Managing Director, Mr. Eniola Bello, flanked to his right by son, Olaoluwa; brother, Commodore Ayo Bello-Odofin; and to his left by son, Ololade; sister-in-law, Aisha Wayer; daughters, Bukola and Wuraola, at Danescourt Cemetery Wolverhampton, UK during the internment of his wife, Helen… yesterday
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Stock Market Loses N565bn as Investors Await President’s Cabinet Goddy Egene The Nigerian equities market has continued to plunge as investors stayed away despite attractive valuation of most stocks, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed. THISDAY gathered that while many foreign investors remained on the sidelines, waiting for the policy direction of President Muhammadu Buhari in his second term, local investors remained incapacitated by weak purchasing power to invest among others. The stock market had suffered high volatility in the months of January, February, March and April due to elections concerns and poor first quarter results by some companies. But the market rebounded and closed the month of May, the month of the inauguration of the president, with gain, as
concerns over the elections subsided. THISDAY, however, gathered that the bears have returned since the beginning of June, as investors await a new cabinet. Consequently, the Nigerian equities market, it was learnt, has lost N565 billion within the month of June. Specifically, the market capitalisation has declined from N13.684 trillion at the beginning of the month to N13.119 trillion on Wednesday, while the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index fell by four per cent to 29,772.72 Having suffered a decline of 17.8 per cent in 2018 to negative investor sentiment ahead of the general election and capital flow reversals, the market has remained bearish in the absence of market triggers for most of the first quarter. The market also recorded
significant volatility before the general election with expectations that some stability would return post elections. THISDAY’s investigation, however, revealed that the bears have remained in control, driving most stocks to record lows. Some operators said that although the market would recover from second half of the year, they blamed the current weak demand partly on the delay in the constitution of federal government cabinet, and the absence of foreign investors due to the high security risk in the country. According to a broker, the underperformance of the market reflected the concerns of investors about the short to medium term outlook for the economy. The broker explained that many investors find it difficult
to come into the market now because they are yet to see people that will drive the economy in the next four years under President Buhari. “Besides, investors are weighing the impact the security risk and poor infrastructure will have on the performance of companies for the half year ending June 30, 2018. Until we see major triggers such as the appointment of competent hands to run the economy, and improvement in the infrastructure, the market will remain bearish for a long time,� the broker said. The Group Chief Executive Officer, Emerging Africa Capital Group, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sanni said investors generally just wanted stability and peace, noting that the parameters remain positive for Nigeria from a long-term perspective. She explained that Nigeria
remains attractive because of its size, and demographics because of the continued activities of small, medium enterprises, which are the drivers of this economy. Another factor, she explained is how the country embraced the digital economy as a people. “But investors would want to see that there is a stable government, there is peace and government is accepted by the people, investors will want to see they can expect the right economic policy and the policies will be implemented in a consistent manner,� Sanni said. Also, a Professor of Finance & Capital Market, and Head, Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. UcheUwaleke, said the early constitution of cabinet members of Buhari administration is one of the factors that will drive
stock market recover. According to him, the steady growth in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), early signing of 2019 budget and implementation, improved growth in the non-oil sector as other factors that would lead to a rebound in the stock market. He said the CBN’s MPC triggered the market supportive move in March 2019, by bringing down MPR by 50bps, after 33 successive months, to 13.50 per cent from 14 per cent, adding that he sees prospects of further reduction in the MPR soon. “Lower MPR will free funds for investments or lending to firms for expansion which will improve their earnings and deliver more value to investors. It has a way of attracting investors, opening the market and hedging risks,� he stated.
ILLITERACY BREEDS INSECURITY, SAYS BUHARI, ASKS GOVERNORS TO PRIORITISE EDUCATION of primary and junior secondary school age." The membership of NEC, which is chaired by the vicepresident, comprises governors and top government officials in charge of the country's economic affairs. According to the president, when governors provide the basic requirements for basic education as stipulated in the constitution, it will be a criminal act for any parent to deprive their children of the opportunity to be in school during the period. He challenged governors to rise from yesterday's meeting to mobilise their local government chairmen to provide the minimum level of education with a view to ensuring that children are prevented from roaming the streets within their first nine years. He said when this was done, children would be shielded from evil influences, adding that the minimum basic education acquired will help such children to make good decisions for their lives and simultaneously acknowledge their roles in the society. "On education, I want to stress in particular the need to take very seriously and enforce very rigorously the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education. Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, places on all of us here an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education. "Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age. It is indeed a crime for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period. In my
view, when a government fails to provide the schools, teachers and teaching materials necessary for basic education, it is actually aiding and abetting that crime. "This is therefore a call to action. I would like to see every governor rise from this meeting and rally his local government chairmen towards ensuring that our schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum. If we are able to do this, the benefits will surely manifest themselves. "Ensuring proper education during the first nine years of schooling means that our children start off their lives with some discipline and education. They will be safeguarded from roaming the streets, and protected from all the evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds. "Whatever they choose to do thereafter, children with basic education will be better prepared to learn and to appreciate their own role in society. This will also go a long way in solving our security and other anti-social problems, which are often the manifestations of early delinquency. "I therefore think every governor here should make a firm commitment to be personally involved in ensuring that every child of school age actually goes to school throughout the crucial nine years of basic education," Buhari said. The federal government on its part, the president added, would extend the school feeding programme, which will encourage school enrolment and enhance the health and learning abilities of pupils. He also said the federal government would assist states to access the counterpart funding provided by Universal Basic Education (UBEC) for the
development of basic education. The president canvassed for the need for NEC to promote public healthcare, saying states and local governments have crucial roles to play in the health sector by ensuring that "every citizen gets at least a minimal access to healthcare, including primary, preventive and emergency care." While charging the governors to ensure that citizens have access to primary healthcare, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, Buhari said the federal government's provision of basic healthcare fund would "achieve at least 65 percent increase in the share of the population covered by primary healthcare by 2023, up from the 12.6 percent we cover at the moment." Buhari also urged the council to be involved in the task of providing security for the country, noting that "while the federal government has primary responsibility for security and will not shy away from it, the states also have a critical role to play." He said governors could make a difference in their respective states not only by assisting security agencies in their respective states, "but also by keenly pursuing policies and programmes that forestall communal, tribal, religious and societal conflicts; policies and programmes that promote education, information, dispute resolution, vocational training and youth employment." He urged the governors to emulate the federal government which in the last four years has exhibited the policy of inclusiveness by relating with every state, irrespective of the governor's political affiliation. He cautioned them to avoid divisive policies and to be committed to the task of uplifting the people. He challenged NEC to explore
infrastructure development, revenue generation drive as well as improvement on value added tax (VAT).
NEC: Banditry Replacing Terrorism as Potent National Security Threat The NEC reviewed the security situation in the country and resolved that banditry in the North-west is now replacing terrorism and constitutes a major threat to national security. NEC resolution was the aftermath of the security briefing at the meeting by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno. The NSA also blamed Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria largely for some of the increasing security crisis confronting the country, saying the federal government would be left with no option than to proscribe it. "The group I spoke about on illiteracy is the Almajiri. Ultimately, government will have to proscribe this Almajiri phenomena, because we cannot continue to have street urchins, children roaming around, only for them in a couple of years, or decades to become problems to society," he said. Briefing State House correspondents after the inaugural NEC meeting, which lasted for over six hours, the NSA said he told the council that banditry had gradually entrenched itself in the country. However, he said the Nigeria Police had recorded some measures of success in recent times in the battle against banditry. He said: "I also briefed council on the activities of armed bandits and elements who have gradually entrenched themselves in the landscape. "I also told council that the activities of these armed
bandits were gradually replacing terrorism, which was the primary security threat. "Now, the bandits in the Northwest have become major threats to national security. Of course, in recent weeks, the Nigerian Police Force has made a lot of gains in dealing with these criminals." Monguno also said he briefed NEC on the state of Boko Haram in the North-east, saying the situation remains acute and can only be addressed by collective approach through intelligence and operations. However, he said the multinational task force was battling the insurgents, notably the Islamic State West Africa Province in the Lake Chad. The NSA who said he also briefed the council on the menace of herdsmen's violence, added that NEC was currently working out a template to address it. He also said he briefed the council on various criminal activities in the Niger Delta including pipeline vandalism, illegal oil refineries and piracy. According to him, in recent times, no fewer than 373 illegal refineries have been discovered while piracy has been put under control. He highlighted moves by the federal government to tackle the situation through different ways including international cooperation and maritime activities. "This situation in the Niger Delta is also affecting security in the Gulf of Guinea and we have been collaborating with the secretariat in Rwanda to work to reduce the activities of these people. "So, basically we need not just domestic but international efforts to deal with this situation," he stated. The NSA listed unemployment, under-employment, poverty, drug abuse and rising population
SANUSI TACKLES KANO ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY OVER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS signed by the Acting Secretary, Kano Emirate Council, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, a copy of which THISDAY exclusively obtained yesterday, the monarch said no money was missing under his superintendence. The defence, apparently predated the intervention of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and a business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who hails from Kano State, that led to the brokerage of peace between the emir and Ganduje, in a bid to restore normalcy in the state. According to him, the emirate is also not involved in any shady deal as contained in the petition, which formed the basis of the on-going probe of the emirate by
the commission. The undated document containing his defence and titled: “Kano Emirate Council Secretariat, Without Prejudice,� is in response to the full Interim Report of investigation by the state anti-corruption commission whose highlights of the 19-page document include the indictment of individuals, amounts involved, obstruction of investigation by suspects and recommendations. Issues addressed in the document are, however, different from the emir’s response to the query given to him by the Kano State Government, in which he was mandated to respond to some allegations levelled against him by the state anti-graft commission.
In his response to the first allegation that the emirate council misappropriated N3.5 billion between 2014 and 2017, Sanusi said: “This allegation and other similar ones have been refuted since 2017 by the Walin Kano, Controller of Finance, Kano Emirate Council. The total amount in the Emirate Council, when Emir Muhammad Sanusi II was appointed was N1.8 billion. The Councillor, Controller of Finance‌ has given clear explanations refuting allegations of irregular expenditure by the council.â€? Sanusi also refuted the allegation that the emirate council spent over N360 million for the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in
the palace. According to him, while he is not the accounting officer of the emirate council, the contract for the installation of the CCTV was awarded in the height of Boko Haram insurgency in the state based on a directive by the state government. “It should, however, be noted that only two CCTV surveillance systems were installed in both the Main and Nasarawa Palaces at the cost of N7,339,545, representing only 2.36 percent of the total contract of N311,130,000 as against the alleged N360 million. “Apart from the CCTV cameras, the main security gadgets in the contract awarded to three different
companies include X-ray baggage scanners, three walk-through metal detectors, two sets of under-vehicle scanners. Other are retractable bollards, four conventional bomb/ IED scanners, four X-ray and Thermal scanners, all at the total cost of N303,660,455, which represents 97.64 percent of the contract. The total amount disbursed on all these contracts was about N192,00(sic) as some of the works were yet to be completed,� the emir added. He also dismissed allegations that the emirate council failed to forward its budget estimates to the appropriate authority and that Continued on page 49
as causes of insecurity in the country. He also blamed the inability of some citizens to acquire education as another factor fuelling insecurity. Another factor he highlighted as solution to criminality is the reform of the Nigeria Police which he said the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Adamu, was already addressing. In his own briefing, the IGP, Adamu, claimed that generally, security situation in the country had stabilised. He also disclosed that NEC approved the constitution of Security and Policing Committee with the governors of Ekiti, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Ogun and Borno as members. Other members of the committee, according to him, are the NSA, himself and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin. Asked about how the $1 billion taken from excess crude account (ECA) by the federal government to fight insecurity and supported by NEC was spent, he said the money was meant for military use. "The $1billion I believe that you are talking about was actually earmarked for the military, not for security agencies, like the intelligence community and the paramilitary agencies. "It was earmarked for the military. As much as I know, whether it was given to them, I really don’t know," he said.
TOP GAINERS JBERGER CHAMPBREW ACADEMY LI VESTOCK UACN TOP LOSERS THOMASWYATT CAPITALOIL COURTVILLE
NGN NGN 1.95 21.65 0.09 1.20 0.02 0.29 0.04 0.63 0.35 6.60 NGN 0.04 0.36 0.02 0.21 0.02 0.22 NEM 0.18 2.05 JAIZBANK 0.02 0.46 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,460.00 Volume: 217.33 million shares Value: N5.833 billion Deals: 3,686 As at yesterday 20/6/19 See details on Page 43
% 9.9 8.1 7.4 6.7 5.6 % 10.0 8.7 8.3 8.0 4.1
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COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
A MAN WITHOUT CANT
Uzor Maxim Uzoatu pays tribute to Ken Tadaferua, journalist of repute
H
e breathed his last at about 2pm on Sunday, June 16, in this year of Our Lord 2019. He fought cancer with uncommon doggedness until the last breath. He scored distinction in courage. Kenneth Tadaferua, Ken T, Gbenudu, Gbenudu.com, in short, Ken Tadaferua gave life his all before quitting the scene and the stage with ovation at its loudest. We took to each other from the very moment our minds met. The date is not important. It suffices to stress that Ken Tadaferua was not given to cant. He saw things and said matters as they were. In journalism, he stood very tall. He equally towered in banking. He was a quintessential strategic thinker and communicator. His mastery of analysis was nonpareil. A man of all seasons, he mixed freely with the rich and mighty alongside the poor and lowly. His clarity of vision always manifested in all his endeavours in life. He was much sought after to unbundle tight knots of policy. Back in time, when he was the editor of the high-brow Business magazine, he could open all the ornate doors on Broad Street only to return to Surulere to our proletarian amala joints to share vistas of knowledge and entertainment with diverse fellows of the society. He soared as an all-rounder who could discuss all facets of society from economics to sports, and ideologies plus fashion and the rest. He surprised me greatly when he told me of his determination to undertake Catholic catechism classes. He stood apart from the aloofness that the elite put on matters of faith and religion. He stood rock solid on the worship of God without the showiness of the modern day types. He had a total disdain for pharisaical worship, and asked very relevant questions on recondite aspects of theology. In reportage he could out-scoop the touted investigative journalists. His sense of craft is a treasured aspect of his mastery. He turned out classic cover stories for the defunct THISWEEK magazine and did an onerous job of giving THISDAY newspaper its leading charge in the turf of Nigerian journalism. When he ventured into banking he was cherished as a class act. Integrity was his watchword and he never aspired to do the dodgy ways of the wannabe wonder bankers. He was straight as a pin in all his assignments. Anybody who wanted to cut corners always met a very dogged stumbling block in Ken Tadaferua.
KEN WAS NOT ONE TO HIDE HIS VIEWS. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WAS NOT HIS FORTE IN THIS NEW WORLD OF ALWAYS TRYING TO BELONG TO NEWFANGLED DOXIES
A lover of nature, Ken had an almost divine love for greenery and flowers. He was indeed a poet at heart even as he would always defer such matters to characters like me. His appreciation of music was quite deep. Every time I was with him over time in his cars, we enjoyed jolly time with all makes of music. Ken knew all the lyrics, and would readily tell you that many people paid so much attention to the political songs of Bob Marley without giving necessary diligence to the fact that the legendary Jamaican was at bottom a grandmaster of love songs. It was in the company of Ken Tadaferua that I got into the groove of younger Nigerian musicians such as African China. Lyrics that I had not earlier paid much attention to were highlighted for my benefit by Ken. It was in that light that I got to know that only poor criminals were paraded in the police television programme called “Crime Fighters�. Ken was not one to hide his views. Political correctness was not his forte in this new world of always trying to belong to newfangled doxies. His opinion was always well-thought-out, as his Facebook posts attested to. In one of his Facebook posts entitled “America: A Nation Always at War�, Ken wrote: “Former US President Jimmy Carter says the US has been at peace for only 16 of its 242 years as a nation. Counting wars, military attacks and military occupations, there have actually only been five years of peace in US history - 1976, the last year of the Gerald Ford administration and 1977-80, the entirety of Carter’s presidency. Carter referred to the US as ‘the most warlike nation in the history of the world.’ According to a November 2018 study by Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, the US has spent $5.9 trillion waging war in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other nations since 2001.� Informed commentary was his forte. In one of our last beats together, working on the editorial board of the defunct Union newspaper, Ken brought to bear on his work his trademark rigour of analysis, vision and profound expression. He sent in his editorials on time, ready in every material particular, as the gurus of the law would say. It is so saddening that I now have to write about my friend and brother, Ken Tadaferua, in the past tense. Even so, I am much relieved that the gentle giant I called Gbenudu.com did enough work in his lifetime to ensure that he would never truly die.
OBJECTIVES OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND SAFETY The civil aviation act empowers AIB to investigate any incident from which safety value can be derived, writes Tunji Oketunbi
O
ur attention has been drawn to a publication attributed to one Mr. Angus Ozoka in which he engaged in an unwarranted attack on Accident Investigation Bureau. The writer was purportedly commenting on a press statement issued by the Bureau; wherein it had warned airlines against not notifying AIB of the occurrence of air accidents and serious incidents. The bureau had resolved not to engage in a public debate with anybody. On the statement it issued however, AIB is constrained to respond to Mr Ozoka, because of certain misleading information in his said publication which if not corrected, has the potential to misinform the public. The entire write up is a sad cocktail of ignorance, self-contradictions, confusion and/or outright mischief that can threaten air safety. The bureau had issued a press statement which amongst other things, expressed displeasure over Air Peace conspiracy of silence in respect of the serious incident involving one of its Boeing 737 aircraft that experienced a hard landing in Lagos; inflicting it with damage and rendering the aircraft unserviceable. An excerpt of the press statement disclosed that “A damage assessment on the aircraft by AIB revealed that the aircraft made contact on the runway with the starboard engine cowling as obvious from various scrapes, scratches and dents, an evidence of tyre scouring on the sidewalls of the No. 4 tyre as well as bottoming of the main landing gear oleo struts. There was also visible damage to the right-hand engine compressor blades�. Drawing from the above excerpt, Mr Ozoka, author of the write up claimed that, “the damage assessment by AIB did not reveal that an accident or serious incident occurred as hard landing does not equate to an accident or serious
incident�. How far from the truth this submission portends? It either reveals ignorance of the author or suggests outright mischief. In response thereto, it would do the author some good if he can please visit the AIB website, download and painstakingly read and digest the AIB’s Regulation - Nigeria Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2016, now in 2019 official Gazette. He may also wish to reset and refresh his memory on the definition and examples of serious incidents and accidents by perusing International Civil aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 attachment “C�; because it would appear that he is oblivious of, or no longer conversant with current laws and regulations having last served over a decade ago. Section 29 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006, which is the act establishing the Accident Investigation Bureau, confers on it the prerogative to determine the classification of an accident or serious incidents. It is therefore not for the airline operator or for any other individual like the author of the above referenced comments, to so do. Therefore for Mr. Ozoka to pretend that an occurrence that requires the intervention of the aircraft and engine manufacturers and replacement of components of the aircraft (as admitted by Air Peace), is not a serious incident is not only sad but tragic. To further put it succinctly in perspective the crucial issues seeking to be addressed and achieved, four pertinent questions need to be asked and answered viz: One, Did the two Air Peace occurrences happen? The answer is YES! Two, are they classified as serious incidents? By all regulatory standards, YES! Three, Did Air Peace officially notify AIB when it happened in accordance with extant laws and regulation? The answer is NO! The airline has
not denied that it did not notify AIB. Four, Did Air Peace violate or fail to comply with the law? YES, they did and AIB has every fact that support its claim. It is noteworthy to reemphasize that AIB did not claim that the airline did not file a Mandatory Occurrence Report with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) but rather that it did not notify AIB, the agency statutorily charged with investigating serious incidents and accidents. AIB is a separate and distinct organization from the NCAA and both have varying roles, functions, responsibilities and statutory mandates. Part of AIB’s mandate is what she is doing to safeguard the safety of over 180million Nigerian people. This she seeks to achieve by investigating accident and serious incidents with the overriding purpose of unearthing the cause of the occurrence and to proffer safety recommendations that would prevent future recurrence thus safeguarding safer skies. Furthermore, the Civil Aviation Act 2006, empowers the Commissioner of AIB to investigate any incident from which he thinks safety value can be derived. This is not the first time AIB has issued a press statement over an airline’s non-compliance with the regulatory requirement of notifying AIB of an occurrence: and we venture to say it may not be the last if airlines continue in similar infractions. AIBs press statement was to call to order the airline that had foisted on itself a ‘culture of silence’ and habit of non-compliance in notification of incidents. This is unacceptable to AIB because the airline may be denying the industry and the general public the opportunity that would have the outcome of unearthing the cause of the occurrence, and proffer recommendations that will prevent future recurrence. Other fallacies in the writer’s submissions and AIBs response: One, “If, by chance, Air Peace, which is unarguably the leading airline
in Nigeria, lacks full understanding of AIB’s mandates etc., then it will be very safe to conclude that other airlines in the country equally lack this “full understanding.� This is fallacy! The fact that one airline has violated a statutory requirement does not mean there are no other airlines complying. Two, “Press releases are only targeted at regulators and aircraft manufacturers for timely measures to enhance safety and not to airline operators�. This is also fallacy! Calling airlines and other service providers to order and to respect extant law and regulatory provision governing accident and incident investigation is within the purview of the bureau. The primary purpose this serves is to enhance safety of all air travellers, which outweighs all other considerations. It’s is therefore very unfortunate for a person of the author’s calibre and erstwhile status to mislead the public by his uninformed opinion which is at variance with the law. Aviation is a highly dynamic and highly regulated industry. The wheel of change in regulation, standards and practices are quick-paced and frequent, mostly driven inter alia, by the learning curve associated with safety values derived from safety recommendations arising out of investigations into occurrences. You will recall that when Delta Airline, an American carrier, violated the provisions of our National law as they failed to report their serious incident to the bureau, their attention was brought to same and they immediately apologized, complied with the law and cooperated with AIB. Air Peace has formally notified AIB on the serious incident and is fully cooperating with our safety investigators as we have commenced investigations into the Air Peace occurrence and will make its report known to the public timely. Oketunbi is General Manager, Public Affairs Accident Investigation Bureau
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T H I S D AY FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019
EDITORIAL Zamfara Governor’s Misplaced Priority The government should prioritise projects that will impact the mass of the people
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hat Zamfara is one of the most traumatised and backward states in Nigeria today is not in doubt. Governor Bello Matawalle seemed to have a grasp of the enormity of the task ahead, as outlined in his acceptance speech last month. He had promised to tackle insecurity, resuscitate the state’s comatose educational sector, provide free healthcare to women and children, among other people-oriented agenda. After his assumption of office on May 29, he should have set in motion the machinery to translate those declared objectives into fruition, as they are some of the most critical necessities of the state at present. Instead, Matawalle has prioritised airport development and given it 100 days to take off because, according to him, that is crucial to the social and economic advancement of Zamfara. Ordinarily, the directive could be seen as an indication of a new chief executive eager to perform, considering the fact that the project was first proposed more than a decade THE SAD REALITIES ago during the adOF ZAMFARA AT THE ministration of former MOMENT WOULD SURELY Governor Mahmud NOT LEND CREDENCE TO Shinkafi and had ELITIST, FUNDS-GUZZLING featured in many of the VENTURES LIKE AIRPORT budget proposals of his predecessor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari. However, the sad realities of Zamfara at the moment would surely not lend credence to elitist, funds-guzzling ventures like airport. The state has been consistently brutalised by bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and rustlers. At the height of their reign of terror in November last year, former Governor Yari announced to a bewildered nation that 53 people were killed in Shinkafi Local Government Area; 50 in Maru Local Government; 37 in Maradun Local Government and 15 in Zurmi Local Government alone – all in less than one month. At the same time, over 50 people were kidnapped. Only last weekend, 34 persons were murdered in vicious attacks on Tungar Kafau and Gidan Waya in Shinkafi Local Government.
Letters to the Editor
In the midst of these afflictions and bloodshed, a state government can contribute meaningfully to achieving tranquility, even though internal security is largely a federal government responsibility. Since a peaceful environment is a key prerequisite for the wellbeing and progress of the people, the government of Zamfara State must pursue it vigorously.
M 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 TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.
H-MEDIX, GARKI AND SECURITY
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write with a sense of responsibility as a concerned citizen who has lived in the nation’s capital for over two decades. The purpose of this letter is to alert the owners of one of the Abuja’s latest state -of -the -art selling outlets located strategically along Gimbiya Street in Garki Area 11. Incidentally, this was the same street where the seven Apo-traders were massacred by a police team led by an assistant commissioner of police some years back. There is yawning gap in security around the complex of H-Medix which ranks as the largest pharmaceutical outlet in the nation’s capital, patronized by millions of customers. I must confess that I visited this imposing commercial facility only a few days back and immediately noticed with anger, trepidation and regret that someone or a serious-minded company can put up such a hugely successful brand and set up such a magnificent and decent building housing not less than 50 different shopping outlets in an environment that is not protected from criminals. The first thing you noticed is that every
atawalle and his team should also be preoccupied with enhancing schooling. A Federal Ministry of Education official revealed that only 28 candidates from the state sat for the National Common Entrance Examination into the nation’s 104 unity schools last year. The bankrupt system which produces that kind of mediocre and shameful record needs both intensive and extensive attention urgently. No effort should be spared in mentally equipping the youths to enable them to face the mounting difficulties of the present and future. They have remained parasitic for too long. Further abandoning them would unwittingly feed the monstrous criminalities the country is now saddled with. The health sector in Zamfara is equally miserable. Last year, the former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, announced that the state had only 23 medical doctors working in its 24 hospitals. Not even the 100 doctors and 322 nurses the immediate past government reportedly employed or the renovation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state can adequately address years of official neglect, hence the challenge to reinvigorate the processes and initiate fresh ones. Besides education and health, great efforts should be directed at keeping the populace positively engaged in order to make crimes less attractive to them and place Zamfara on the path of sustainable growth. With the state’s poor finances and persistent volatility, establishing an airport is clearly ill-advised. Existing ones in Sokoto, Birnin Kebbi and others within the zone can be utilised by Zamfara. Governor Matawalle must realise that saving his state from complete collapse requires a demonstrable responsible leadership that takes into account prudent spending.
Tom, Dick and Harry can simply gain access into the building without any form of screening to ensure that weapons are not smuggled into the facilities. Secondly, visitors can even park their cars so close to the main structures, so much so that any devilish plot may never be stopped except through divine intervention. There are no visible barriers to stop cars from being parked next to the building housing this successful brand. This letter is to call on the InspectorGeneral of Police and the owners of the plaza to make hay whilst the sun shines. It is true that terrorists of the Boko Haram genre have been beaten back from Abuja, but erecting such a big business outfit and exposing your clients to avoidable security risks is not the best. There should therefore be comprehensive and strategic measures to put up robust security architecture in place around H-medix Pharmacy and store in Garki. Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria
PAMBEGUA COMMUNITY AND QUACK DOCTORS
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write to draw the attention of Kaduna State Ministry of Health over the activities of quack medical practitionals who have been operating unhindered in Pambegua community in Kubau Local Governmen Area. Their unprofessional practices have over the years resulted in the death of many patients and have continued to pose great danger to the inhabitants. The community boasts of one functional general hospital, but is surrounded by other hospitals whose activities are questionable. Most of the personnel manning the private hospitals neither possess the required medical certificates nor the expertise or skill to practice the profession. These quacks parading themselves as professionals have both in words and actions failed to prove their competence in different medical fields. In the last two years, there have been reported cases of unscreened blood transfusion with the patients ending up having serious infections such as hepatitis, HIV or liver
problem. Their practice does not only stop at blood transfusion as they also carry out surgical operations with little knowledge of the patient’s illness. To make matters worse, even those who operate medical stores or chemists are doctors of their own. Instead of selling drugs, these quacks acquire beds where they lure and admit ignorant patients. Health is wealth as the saying goes, and should not be toyed with. Their negative activities have become source of concern and demand expedient actions. The Kaduna State Ministry of Health through its regulatory agencies should send their representatives to Pambegua community for on- the- spot assessment to identify these “doctors.” Some of them do not have licence nor acquired enough experience to parade themselves as doctors. We hope the ministry of health will come to the aid of Pambegua community. Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State
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FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 • T H I S D AY
ASABA CUSTOM IN GRAVE DANGER AS A DIOKPA’S BONA FIDE RIGHTS ARE THREATHENED
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he first son born to any man in Asaba (as indeed to any man in Ibo Land) is known as the Diokpa/Diokpala. Such a son enjoys the pre-eminent status of being the primary heir of the man in the event of the man’s death whence he will be immediately saddled with enormous responsibility including ensuring a befitting burial for the deceased and thereafter taking care of all the family members including his father’s widow(s) and all his siblings. The rights, privileges, responsibilities and significant role of the first son in the family are collectively called primogeniture. Our apex court confirmed that the Diokpa/Diokpala is the primus inter pares – i.e. the first amongst equals just as the land tenure law remains that any sale of family property without the consent of the first son is totally null and void.
A CASE STUDY OF LATE CHIEF DR. SONNY I. ODOGWU – IDE AHABA
Late Chief Dr. Sonny Iwedike Odogwu,
1. The historic city of Asaba in Delta State of Nigeria is blessed with many heroes, dead and alive. Among these is the unmistakable star and business magnate, the consummate commercial tactician and boardroom strategist, Chief Dr. Sonny Iwedike Odogwu, who, until his death in November 2018, held the coveted title of Ide Ahaba of Asaba. 2. The late Chief was a family man who acknowledged paternity of all his children inclusive of those born to him before his celebrated marriage in 1962. He openly acknowledged all of his children before his kith and kin in Asaba. Hence, there was no content when the first son of his loins, Ogbueshi Capt. Jimmy Nnamdi Ikemefuna Odogwu, a retired American-trained commercial pilot, was traditionally regaled by the natives, with the customary white headband and white feather, exclusively worn by the acknowledged first born son of the deceased for the traditional funeral rites. All the children of the deceased openly queued behind the new family head. 3. Trouble started when without the consent of Ogbueshi Nnamdi Robert Odogwu (Diokpa) the family of late Ide Ahaba published an official announcement of the glorious exit of chief Sonny Iwedike Odogwu and signed on behalf of the family. See page 45 of Vanguard Newspaper November 21, 2018. The publication caused great uproar and embarrassment to the family and to the town in general as everyone who cares knows who the Diokpa is. The anomaly was corrected after all by the publication by the rightful Diokpa. See page 44 of the Punch Newspaper of January 18, 2019. 4. Sadly, this same family head, Ogbueshi Capt. Jimmy Nnamdi Ikemefuna Odogwu has become the victim of uncanny plots and open death wish. The latest being an attempt to lure the state to prosecute him along side other relations over unfounded and spurious allegations of heinous crimes. This gentle man has been traumatized and dehumanized simply because he is the first in line to the vast estate of the late Ide Ahaba. 5. The truth of the matter is that the position of Diokpa in a family is not open for contest as the choice of the candidate for that
Ogbueshi Capt. Jimmy Nnamdi Ikemefuna Odogwu
Ide Ahaba of Asaba
position remains exclusively with God. If the truth should be told, there is clear twelve years gap between the two claimants being that the family records confirm the birth of Captain Nnamdi Jimmy Odogwu to be in 1950 and that of Kenny Odogwu to be in 1962. Once paternity is acknowledged, the issue of who is the Diokpa in Asaba custom remains WHEN AND NOT HOW the son is born with the doctrine of priority in full application ie the first in time is stronger at Law. 6. The serial gang up against the bona fide Diokpa, the trumped up criminal charges against him, the determined threats of assassination as well as the several Court Suits instituted against him, all constitute great abomination and terrible scandal of the family and desecration of the norms, traditions and customs of our ancient Asaba town. Moreover, these actions go to publicize the total absence of social, cultural and moral rectitude of the perpetrators. Whilest surrendering our lives to God, we wish to put the general public and the security agents on notice on who to hold responsible should anything untoward happen to us or any member of our own immediate family. 7. All overtures by the Diokpa to harmonize the family and carry every member along have been serially and arrogantly thwarted by late Chief Sonny Odogwu’s immediate family for reasons best known to them and has opted for a destructive path for the family thus bringing avoidable bitterness, division and shame not only to the family but also to the town.
CAVEAT TAKE NOTICE that the probate registries at Asaba Delta State and Lagos State have lodged caveats, prohibiting the grant of letter of administration in respect of the interstate properties of late Chief Dr. Sonny Odogwu to anybody without the consent of Ogbueshi Capt. Jimmy Nnamdi Odogwu the incumbent family head. The general public is hereby warned in their best interest to desist from all illegal transactions without the consent of the family head, to avoid unpleasant legal consequences.
Signed: g
Ogbueshi Capt. t Nnamdi Robert Ikemefuna Ikeme Odogwu Eldest son (Diokpa) of Late Ide Ahaba
FOR THE FAMILY
FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 • T H I S D AY
RSVP: annuallectureteam@aelex.com
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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019
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Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG
POLITICS
Email: nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY
RE: Ucha’s Fight to Redeem Ebonyi APC
Buhari
Peter Elebe
T
he above was an article credited to one Benjamin Nworie in your newspaper publication about a week ago. Weighing the title of the article against the current partisan status one can but only conclude that the write-up was at best, ludicrous. Again, Nworie in his attempt to market his political subject, Senator Ucha, not only exhibited a lot of disinformation on the issues he raised, but delved into a lot of miasma of untruths in his myriad of misleading facts on the personality of Ucha, his political antecedents, his present meritorious, surreptitious and mercantile partisan political activities and exhibited pitiable and very regrettable crass ignorance on a quintessential gentleman of impeachable, social, moral and political pedigree of gargantuan academic frame. It bothers on the ridiculous when he wrote, “That the profile of Sen. Julius Ucha has been on the rise since his time as Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly and later, a two-term Senator, who engaged an incumbent in the most keenly contested governorship election in the state.” The writer, here, deserves sympathy as the reverse has obviously been the case. The truth remains that since after his experience in the Senate, Sen. Ucha has reverted to his former predicament before he became Speaker, as a serial contestant and a serial loser. This time he is even more confused and mischievous than ever. The truth remains that since he left the Senate in 2007, his political image has continued to plummet, nosedive and dwindle. It must be stated here that even though Ucha is a lawyer, his academic background was not a brilliant one, and the few years he practised as a lawyer, were dull and unimpressive. He obviously lacked clients, because he didn’t possess the legal drive, erudition and rendition. At his Ishielu Local Government Area home, he contested many elections and lost all and at the advent of democracy in 1999, he first joined the then All Peoples Party (APP), but had to run away as soon as he discovered that the more vibrant and more popular Engr. Ben Okah was also in the same party. He then joined the then less fancied Peoples Democratic Party, where Providence smiled on him and he became the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. It was from here, that the same Providence catapulted him to the Senate. This political anointment left him in 2007. In 2011, he left the Peoples Democratic
Onu
Party (PDP) and joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), where he contested the governorship election of that year in Ebonyi State. Whatever claim he would want to lay to that election, the truth is that he lost the election. It would be necessary to let the public know that Ucha cannot feign ignorance of the fact that four different human beings paraded themselves, printed and pasted their posters as his deputies. This is in spite of the fact that there was only one approved INEC deputy for him. This was a case of extreme desperation. After this controversial outing, he left the ANPP to join the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In 2015, Ucha flew the flag of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) as its gubernatorial candidate. It is yet to be said, whether he really ran for the governorship election as he was conspicuously absent in most rallies. Worst still, the humongous campaign fund provided by the party, could not be accounted for. It is even alleged that the present warm romance and partisan political rapprochement between Ucha and the present PDP government of Ebonyi State was brokered and sealed during the 2015 general elections. It is too early to forget that it was Ucha as the Coordinator of Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation in Ebonyi state who collected humongous amount of Pounds and Dollars to woo Ebonyi APC delegates to vote for Atiku during the first Presidential election convention in Lagos. In spite of all these controversies, the Buhari administration still magnanimously rewarded him with Chairmanship of the Governing Council of an oil-rich polytechnic, the Oil and Gas Polytechnic, Bonny in Rivers State. It must be noted that the so called secretariat, which Ucha claimed to have donated to the party was originally Atiku’s campaign office under his coordination and which he later used as his own gubernatorial campaign office. The APC, Ebonyi State chapter never had anything to do with it, because they saw it as leprous owing to Ucha’s romance with the PDP government in the state, till date. The only authentic state secretariat of the party is the one which the former National Chairman of the party, His Excellency Chief John Odigie-Oyegun visited and signed the Visitor’s Register in 2017 and which His Excellency Comrade Adams Oshiomhole also visited in 2018. Ebonyans are, however, aware of the fact that there was an office, which used to parade APC’s flag and which Ucha used as his APC/PDP campaign office and also acted as the headquarters for his mischie-
Oshiomhole
vous partisan-parastatal status with the PDP -led Ebonyi State government. In Ebonyi State, we don’t know Ucha to be fully an APC member. It is to everybody’s knowledge that he is wholly with the PDP Government of Ebonyi State. He has only appeared twice at APC functions in Ebonyi; one, when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the party visited; and two, when His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari visited in 2017. It is true he ran for the Senatorial seat on the platform of the APC in 2019, but the whole thing was to enable him play the spoiler’s role. For one, he was one of those who masterminded the use of fake list in his senatorial zone. The appearance of the fake names in the Senatorial primary elections for that zone gave rise to the political cataclysm which saw to the death of two innocent people, leaving many wounded and about 23 cars burnt. The result of these primaries with the fake list, did not translate to victory in the main election as Ucha lost everywhere, including his Local Government Area. Attempt by Ucha to challenge the result at the tribunal was a mere trick, pretentious and mercantile. As a former member of the National Assembly, Ucha is privy to the fact that a serving Senator cannot be given the chairmanship of any committee, if he has any case challenging his election in the tribunal. Ucha is alleged to have capitalised on this and negotiated himself out of court for a humongous reward. This present juicy position has enabled him to embark on media warfare in the employment of media campaign managers. With his weak academic, bureaucratic, legal, social and political background, Ucha believes that the only way to achieve this is to attempt to pull down a political Iroko tree in the person of His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the former Honourable Minister of Science and Technology; the first Executive Governor of Old Abia State; the former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and one of the three pivots for the formation of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Ucha’s probable charge to his media pay servants to embark on a Pull-Him-Down (PHD) campaign is a weak, poor, wrong, primitive, cowardly, regrettable and misdirected political strategy. His conscious ambition to ensure that his image is placed side by side with that of legendary Dr. Onu is laughable. His determination to ensure he brings himself in comparison to Dr. Onu is a misplaced priority and lacks proper advice. Anyone who fights a lion will only
end up in its (the lion’s) stomach. Any ambitious rat that thinks it can diminish a bag of rice will only end up by the side of the bag of rice. The tortoise cannot engage the hare in a sprint contest and with all sense of humility and responsibility, no matter how long the Elephant suffered Diarrhea it cannot diminish to the size of a goat. The write-up by Benjamin Nworie about a week ago was repeated in THISDAY newspapers of Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at page 19. This time, he was more emboldened, elaborate and amplifying to promote the image of Ucha as a possible minister, only by diminishing a quintessential Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, which he believes can only be possible. In his write-up, titled, “Battle for Ministerial Position Intensifies in Ebonyi”, he began as follows; “The current thinking in Ebonyi State favours a cosmopolitan politician who will advance the political evolution in the State as a member of the Federal Executive Council.’’ In the myopic, biased and insular opinion of the writer, Ben Nworie, a newspaper correspondent, not a politician, attached to the PDP government of Ebonyi State, where Senator Ucha is a known partner, the person his description (write-up) fits is, Ucha. Little wonder, Ucha’s name is conspicuously in the list alleged to have been sent to the Presidency by the Governor of Ebonyi State, which has leaked and is currently trending in the social media. We need to be reminded that when President Buhari visited Ebonyi State, in 2018, it was Ucha that the PDP government of Ebonyi State recognised to speak on behalf of the APC in the State. And a day after, when about 25 APC delegation led by His Excellency Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and included His Excellency Chief Martin Elechi, Senator Chris Nwankwo to mention but a few, were accredited by the President’s Protocol team to have an audience with Mr. President, Ucha and his few cohorts were seen helplessly hanging outside, although they were later smuggled in, on the intervention of the PDP Governor of Ebonyi State. During the May 29 inauguration, the PDP Government invited Ucha, his family and friends to the celebration where he again spoke, claiming to be APC by urging the governor to join the party. -Elebe writes from Oshiri in Ebonyi State NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com
T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019
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PERSPECTIVE
Gone are Those Days of Locust in Ekiti Segun Dipe
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othing can ever be violent enough to make taut their slack minds and bodies. They have been cheated and betrayed. They have slaved and saved for nothing If the above quotation, from Nathaniel West’s, ‘The Day of Locust’, matches the feelings of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) goons in Ekiti at the moment, then they should blame no one but themselves and their former lord. As for the rest people in the state, the days of locusts have gone and happy days are here again. As stated in Proverbs 26: 4-5, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest this also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” This time, the fools shall be answered according to their folly. There is no doubt that the PDP goons in Ekiti are idle at the moment. Very idle indeed, because as the party in opposition, they are not having much to talk about. Their pot of criticism is dry, yet they are trying to scoop from its emptiness. As a result of the Omoluabi conduct of the incumbent governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, they have no negative rumours to spread any longer,
Fayemi
thus they conjure up lies. And, as the Bible makes us to understand, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. It may therefore not be out of place to regard the idled PDP in Ekiti as the devil’s workshop where evil intention is being cooked, day in, day out, to scatter what is now being gathered in the state.
Because of the good nature of Dr. Fayemi, good things are happening, not only to him and his household, but to the entire Ekiti people. Every Ekiti person can proudly beat his or her chest in any gathering that the lost values have been regained and good days are here with us again in the state. But how does one explain the concerted attempts being made by the PDP goons to spread unsubstantiated rumours about Governor Fayemi? Indeed, where idle minds gather, deliberate falsehood is their trade. In their warped imagination, Fayemi has allocated billions of Naira to himself from the state’s fund, just for junketing purpose alone in 2019. So they think Fayemi has the mind of Fayose who conjures up figures, type them by himself, bind them together by himself in the name of budget, take the budget to the House of Assembly by himself, and gavel its approval by himself, while the lawmakers look askance? Lest they are ignorant of how budget runs in an era of good governance and the rule of law, Governor Fayemi’s administration does not thrive in impunity. The governor doesn’t even have any personal provision in the 2019 budget where they saw the imaginary billions meant for his travel. The government
of Fayemi in Ekiti runs a central budget system. The same way the government makes general provision for vehicles, computers and other government paraphernalia, is the same way it makes provision for travels. And whatever provision is made for travels is for the entire government of the state, and not for the governor alone. In other words, the rumoured vote for Fayemi’s travel in the 2019 budget is a figment of idle minds, devil’s workshop. I repeat, unequivocally, that contrary to what was operational in the time of Fayose, when crass opportunism and impunity had made it possible for the governor to convert the public fund to his personal use, Fayemi has no budget set aside for his personal travels. He can only draw from the central budget, if at all. I hope this explanation clears the air, and I wish the harbingers of negative news good luck in their relentless search for the rope with which to hang themselves. Fayemi is working, Ekiti is working. PDP is burning with resentment, praying these were not so. But for real, there is no impunity of any sort in Ekiti, and never again shall there be any. -Dipe is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications
Understanding Issues Before the Supreme Court on Osun Guber Adebiyi Adebisi
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n a few days, specifically July 5, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will judgement on the Osun governorship election petition case. The Election Petitions Tribunal, after months of legal fireworks between the parties, had on March 22, 2019 declared Senator Ademola Adeleke as the duly elected governor and thus ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) (1st Respondent) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Governor Gboyega Oyetola and a fresh one issued to the Senator. Not satisfied with this decision, the respondents went to the Appeal Court which ruled in favour of the appellants thus upturning the tribunal’s decision. This was no doubt to the consternation and utter amazement of well meaning Nigerians, especially the camp of Senator Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the suffering masses of Osun state. It is noteworthy to state that the incumbent could barely muster a hundred hired crowd in a hastily arranged charade to celebrate his Pyrrhic victory. Such was the level of disdain and disgust of the people to the appeal court’s decision of April 10, 2019. The the Appeal Court having realized the soundness of the decision of the trial judges, latched on to technicality to arrive at their decision. To many legal experts, the soundness of the tribunal judges’ decision on the points of law, logic and ultimately, justice is incontrovertible. Expectedly, the Senator in furtherance of his avowed determination to retrieve his stolen mandate, approached the apex court where final determination on this most crucial matter will be made soon. The judges who will review two previous judgments are confronted with a case dwelling on the tripod of; facts (incontrovertible evidence), law (the constitution and electoral act) and justice. Members of the public, expectant with keen interest, are watching whether or not the apex court will retain its pivotal role as the ultimate dispenser of justice in the polity. From the beginning of the case at the election tribunal to the Appeal Court judgment, basic issue of facts, law and justice have played up and are being deployed by both parties. The Supreme Court justices are now saddled with the task of sifting through the three planks to determine the winner of the governorship election.
The Facts. On the issue of fact, the Osun case appears straightforward, as supported by actual trajectory of electoral event of September 22, 2018. Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, by satisfying the constitutional requirements of majority votes and one quarter of votes across two-third of the state’s local governments, won the election at the first ballot with 354 votes. Instead of declaring him winner, the state returning officer halted the declaration of the winner but chose to announce the cancellation of seven polling units on the basis of which he declared the election inconclusive and ordered a rerun. The first fact televised live nationally and internationally confirmed that Adeleke, indeed, won at the first ballot. Taking the facts further, the rerun of September 27, 2018 was held in the seven units with violence reportedly unleashed on opposition members and voters with direct efforts at stopping pro-PDP voters. There is a consensus of opinions by local and foreign observers, civil society organizations, disenfranchised voters and Nigerians at large; that the rerun was not an election, but a violent electoral hijack on the basis of which the supposed winner was declared. If the winner of September 22 poll was denied victory in violation of the constitution, the rerun also denied his party, the PDP, fair opportunity to compete to determine the real winner of the election. The interesting thing about both September 22 and 27 polls was the passionate attention devoted to the exercise by Nigerians and the foreigners alike. Legal Angle Beyond the facts, the legal battle was launched with a ferociousness never seen before. Adeleke filed a strong electoral petition with a top flight legal team headed by Dr Paul Ananaba, SAN, and Dr Onyechachi Ikpeazu, SAN. The defendants responded with an equally forceful team, led by Wole Olanipekun, SAN and Akin Olujinmi, SAN. During the weeks of fireworks, the petitioner called almost 85 witnesses, the three defendants were able to call only 12 in total. The petitioner had posited that by relevant sections of the constitution, Adeleke should have been declared winner of the election, as he clearly won at the first ballot. Two, the petitioner contended that the
state electoral officer had no power to cancel results of the seven units, as such should have been done by the presiding officers at the affected polling units. He then affirmed that the decision to cancel the seven units were illegal and, therefore, the rerun of September 27 was illegal and of no effect. As to why the petitioner participated in the rerun, he contended that the action was in keeping with the electoral act as amended and several judicial decisions as election was not completed until a winner was announced. Overall, the petitioner sought and got tribunal’s order to be returned as the rightful winner. This was also based on an unchallenged court decision which had struck down a clause in the electoral act which prohibited tribunal from declaring any petitioner winner of a disputed election. The judgment had ordered the clause deleted because it attempted to place a limit on judicial powers of the court. The actual result of September 22 which showed Adeleke as winner was indisputable. The illegality of cancellation of the seven units to justify the rerun could also not be disputed by the defendants. The petitioner’s claim that election is a process completed when a winner is announced and the submission that you cannot challenge an election in which you are not a participant were both not demolished by the defence. The tribunal judgment which returned Adeleke as the winner, based on the September 22 results, was based on facts and legal considerations. The majority judgment integrated facts known to the public and critical legal grounds to arrive at the decision. The minority judgment, on the other hand, ignored the facts of the case and dwelt mostly on legality. At the Appeal Court, the judgment arrived at majority decision on technicality. The majority judgment basically focused on issue of absence or attendance of the judge who delivered the tribunal majority judgment. The appeal lead judgment held, in contravention of the extant rules on disputed court records, that since the judge who delivered the majority judgment was not in court on that particular date, the judgment was invalid. The lead judgment also held that the appellant could not enjoy grace of September 22, since he had participated in the rerun. It is trite in law and there are precedents that you cannot challenge an election in which you did not participate. It is also a fact of
law that election is not concluded until a winner is announced. So, the appellant acted right by participating in the rerun, because no winner was declared after the original poll. His participation at the rerun does not abolish his right conferred by his winning September 22 poll. The Course of Justice A major part of the Osun drama was the question of educational qualification of Senator Adeleke. Concurrent with the litigation is a fierce onslaught against the senator bordering on alleged forgery of school testimonial, among others. More than five cases have been instituted against the senator over the question of his qualification. In Abuja, the certificate question has become a weapon of blackmail to create a regime of morality far and beyond law in determining who actually won the 2018 election. A bit of due diligence on what the real issue is about revealed certain facts. First, all the five cases on educational qualification dwell on the same subject. Why the multiple cases, if political witch hunt, blackmail and harassment are not the goal? Second, the issue of qualification has been determined by two subsisting court judgments which affirmed Adeleke’s qualification to contest for governorship. Three, Adeleke submitted his secondary educational qualification for the election in question. He did not lie about his grades in subjects. In other words, there is nowhere the senator forged any result or certificate as being alleged. Four, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), under oath and in an affidavit to an Abuja Court after a summon, confirmed that the senator sat the secondary school examination. Five, the principal of his secondary school, under oath and in an affidavit to an Abuja High Court under court summons, affirmed that the senator was a student of the school who also sat the said examination. Six, both WAEC and the school principal absolved the senator of forgery. And more importantly, the Senator fulfilled constitutional requirement of being educated up to secondary school level to contest in the election. -Adebisi, a public affairs analyst, sent this piece from Lagos NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com
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BUSINESSWORLD
Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875
ÍŻ Ͳ Ëœ Í° ÍŽ ÍŻ ͡ MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT
REPO 5.29 % 5.71 %
CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH
5.50 % 7.50 % 8.25 %
S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE
392.19 % -0.15 % -0.69 %
S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE ͯ˛Ͳͳ Ϲ YEAR TO DATE 9.87 %
EXCHANGE RATE ͹͎;˚ͯ ̊ ̊
Quick Takes Arik Holds Carrier Talk in School
Cabin crew of Nigeria’s major carrier, Arik Air, has held career talks at St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos to sensitise the students on job opportunities in the aviation industry. Theprogramme,whichisaninitiativeoftheairline’scabincrew,included apilot,CaptainBabajideOniandWaleOdeyemi,aCabinCrewTraining Instructor. They told the students that they could become pilots, aircraft engineers and cabin crew officials by remaining focused on their academic studies. Odeyemisaidtheprogramme,apartfromkindlingthestudents’interest in aviation, was also aimed at sensitising them on the importance of the airline’s crew to safety of passengers. According to him, there is the need for a replacement of the aging workforce in the aviation industry. Similarly,Capt.OninotedthatthecostofstudyingattheNigerianCollege ofAviationTechnology(NCAT),ZariaandInternationalAviationCollege, Ilorin, was expensive, stressing that some students could, however, get scholarships if they are hardworking and brilliant. TheAdministratoroftheschool,Rev.Fr.LeoMuoneme,saidtheschool would continue to encourage students to follow their passion. “Wewant ourstudentstobeabletostandanywhereintheworldand say they received solid secondary school education foundation. “They can decide to choose any profession but we believe that they should have passion for it and utilise their God-given talents,� he said.
Iyayi to Speak at LAAC Conference
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
L-R:Senior Advisor & Head 2018/19, Knowledge Sharing Programme with Nigeria ; Soon Won Chung, Head/Trading Business Division Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE), Mr Jude Chiemeka; Head Lagos Zonal OďŹƒce, Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC), Mr Stephen Falomo and Ag HOD Registration, Exchanges and Market Infrastructure Department, SEC, Mr. Emomotimi Agama during the Closing Gong Ceremony at the NSE in Lagos...recently
Air Pollution Kills Seven Million Globally Every Year rFAAN to reduce air pollution at nation’s airports Chinedu Eze The United Nations (UN) has disclosed that over seven million people die annually as a result of air pollution induced diseases. These come from human activities, including flight operations vent pollutants into the atmosphere. To curtail pollution from air travel, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that it was making efforts at reducing air pollution at all the nation’s airports. These were disclosed on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos during the World Environ-
AVIATION ment Day, organised by FAAN in collaboration with the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES). The UN Secretary General, Mr. Anthonio Guterres, in his presentation at the occasion said that polluted air kills some seven million people each year, causes long term health problems, such as asthma, and reduces children’s cognitive development. Guterres, who was represented by Mrs. Bolanle Olumekor, a director in United Nation Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, lamented that air pollution costs societies more
than $5trillion each year. She noted that tackling air pollution presented a double opportunity, stressing that there were many initiatives that both clear the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as phasing out coal-fired powered plants and promoting less polluting industry, transport and domestic fields. He maintained that with investments in renewable energy, a source outstripping those in fossil fuels every year, the rise of clean energy was helping globally cleaner transport was also growing around the world. He added: “It is in such initiatives, designed to improve air
quality and fight climate change that hope lies. I urge everyone attending the Climate Action Summit that I am convening in September to draw motivation from such examples. There is no reason the international community cannot act. “Precedent exists in the Montreal Protocol. Scientists identified a grave threat to public and planetary health, and governments and businesses acted to successfully protect the oozing layer.� The Managing Director, FAAN, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu Continued on page 22
EU Supports Nigeria, Beninoise Customs with N8.1bn Scanner Eromosele Abiodun The effort to facilitate trade and speedy clearance of cargo in Nigeria’s busiest land border will be revved up soon as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Beninoise counterpart have taken delivery of a new cargo scanning machine donated by the European Union (EU) at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint border post, Seme-Krake. Valued at about N8.1 billion, the scanner is said to be an upgrade on the old fixed scanner at the cost of N3.54 billion and installed by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) in 2013. Addressing journalists at the border post, the Controller,
MARITIME Seme Area Command of the NCS, Comptroller Muhammed Uba, said the scanner, which is currently being test-run, would be maintained by ECOWAS for two years. He said Customs officers of both countries have been trained on how to read images from the scanner, stating that when operational, it would facilitate trading activities at the border post. He said with the deployment of the scanner, Customs would only subject goods to physical examination only when in doubt of scanned image. “Officers have been trained; both Benin and Nigeria Customs Service along with other agen-
cies who are on the stage in the cargo clearance process. The scanner is bought by the European Union for both Nigeria and Benin. All types of trucks will be passing through the scanner and officers who have been trained will read the images and whatever is inside the truck, the officers will know. In any case where the image is not clear, the truck will be subjected to 100 per cent physical examination,� he said. Meanwhile, he has announced the seizure of 175 pieces of textiles materials worth N2.2 million smuggled into the country from Benin Republic. Mohammed, who paraded the items at Seme border, also said the Command generated the sum of N2.62 billion from
March till date, while intensified operations by the enforcement unit have drastically reduced smuggling activities to the barest minimum. Mohammed said about 8,304 bags of 50kg foreign rice, which is equivalent to over 14 trucks load of rice worth N89 million were also seized, while another 71 cartons of expired food seasonings worth N458,109, and 336 cartons of alcoholic drinks worth N5 million were intercepted during the period. Others are, “31 X 25litres Jerry Cans of vegetable oil worth N269,911; 35 X 50kg Bags of sugar, N444,785; 138 x 25litres of PMS, worth N212,100 and 71 Cartons of Expired Food SeasonContinued on page 22
TheChiefExecutiveOfficerofTopBrassAviationLimited,Capt.Roland Iyayi,isoneofthetwotopaviationpersonalitiesthatwilldeliverpapers attheforthcoming23rdannualconferenceandawardsoftheLeague of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC). Theconference,whichhasbeenscheduledtoholdin Ikeja,Lagoshas ‘BoostingAviationInvestmentThroughPolicy,’asitstheme.Iyayiwould deliver a paper on ‘Boosting Aviation Investment through Policy: An Airline Perspective.’ The conference is scheduled to hold onWednesday, July 17, 2019. The event, which is expected to attract many aviation stakeholders, would be chaired by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Med-View Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole. AlsotheformerDirector-GeneraloftheNigerianCivilAviationAuthority (NCAA),Dr.HaroldDemuren,whoistheleadspeaker,woulddelivera paperon:‘BoostingAviationInvestmentThroughPolicy:Government Perspective.’ Demuren is expected to share his wealth of experience after years of serving in both public and private sectors of the aviation industry. DemureniscurrentlythePresidentofFlightSafetyFoundation(FSF) West Africa. PriortosettingupTopbrass,IyayihadmanyyearsagobuiltAeroleasing andConsultancyLimited,anaviationconsultingfirmbasedinNigeria charged with research and development and strategic planning, followingwhichheheldthepositionofManagingDirectorofthesame company until his appointment to the position of Technical Advisor to the Honourable Minister of Aviation in Nigeria.
Ethiopian Retains Best Airline Award
Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and Skytrax certified Four Star Global Airline, has been honoured as the ‘Best Airline in Africa’ for the third consecutive year at the Skytrax 2019World Airlines Awards held in Paris on 18 June 2019. Additionally, Ethiopian has won ‘Best Business Class in Africa’ and ‘Best Economy Class in Africa’ at the award ceremony. Commenting on the awards, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “We are glad to have been named the ‘BestAirlineinAfrica’,‘BestBusinessClassinAfrica’and‘BestEconomy ClassinAfrica’whicharedeterminedbasedonthevotesoftravelers. “Iwouldliketosincerelythankfirstandforemostourglobalcustomers forthestrongandconsistentvoteofconfidence.Thankstotheentire colleagues at Ethiopian, who always make extraordinary efforts to delighttheircustomers.Wehavegrowntomorethan120destinations worldwidewith115ultra-modernfleet,offeringexcellentconnectivity withoneofthebesttravelexperiencesthathelpedusbecomethebest airline in Africa and one of the front-runners in the world.
“Any bank that embraces financial technology and works with fintech companies would be like the bank of few decades ago that embraced technology into its way of doing business. Any bank that fails to operate with fintechs due to fear or threat, that bank would one day become extinct� Founder/Director, PayAttitude,
Mr. Agada Apochi
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BUSINESSWORLD AIR POLLUTION KILLS SEVEN MILLION GLOBALLY EVERY YEAR
in his speech, observed that air pollution was caused by various gaseous pollutants arising from human developmental and industrial activities and disregards for best practices with respect to emissions management. Yadudu, who was represented by Mrs. Janet Omere, the General Manager, Environment, said that FAAN was not relenting on its plan o measure, monitor and manage the amount of emissions arising from airport activities and operations in Nigeria. He explained that FAAN was complying with local environmental management guidelines and regulations and at the same time embracing best practices as reeled out in the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and initiatives by other global aviation bodies. “Between 2009 to date, FAAN has been committed to and have invested in the various environmental management studies that are geared towards monitoring of environmental parameters such as air quality around the nation’s airports with the aim of identifying areas of serious negative impacts require mitigations. “The environmental management studies/environmental audits carried out within this period on all the airports in the country showed that the amount of air pollutants arising from the airport operations were all within the acceptable limits of World Bank, federal ministry of environment and others.� EU SUPPORTS NIGERIA, BENINOISE CUSTOMS WITH N8.1BN SCANNER
ings worth N458,109. 175 pieces of 6 Yards of Textiles worth N2.24million, 15 sacks of used clothes N677,486 and 28 cartons of Medicament, N1,083,978 and 410 sacks of School bags worth N13.2million. Also, 2,000 cartons of Expired Biscuits, N7,742,700 and another truck loaded with 493 packs of Baby Diapers worth N4.1million, �he said. Mohammed also disclosed that “1,582 parcels of Cannabis Sativa found concealed in an Indomie truck; and another notable arrest of 55 parcels of same Cannabis Sativa concealed in a Sienna bus. A total of 1,686 parcels were arrested (with street value worth of over N30 million) for the period under review.
NEWS
NERC Seeks Performance Improvement Plans for Discos Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has indicated it will grant new electricity rates to electricity distribution companies (Discos) in Nigeria provided they submit Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), with which all stakeholders in the sector would hold them accountable for service level efficiency. In a document titled: “performance improvement plan guideline,� which THISDAY obtained from the commission in Abuja, the regulator disclosed its demand was in line with the intentions of the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP) Nigeria initiated with the World Bank. It explained that in pursuit of the PSRP, “the Commission is implementing a more robust tariff review process aiming at improving the performance of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). “The process will involve a review of the application of the capital expenditure allowances in the MYTO (Multi Year Tariff Order) model for compliance with Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) to be prepared by the distribution companies (Discos) and approved by the commission. “The implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan is to be strictly monitored by the commission,� said the document. According to the regulator, future tariff review would prioritise expenditure by the
Discos and reflect changes in the operational environment that have occurred since the last tariff review. “It is noteworthy that one of the overarching objectives of the PSRP is the elimination of tariff shortfalls and the enforcement of market obligations. “The PIP developed by Discos shall cover the period 2020 2024 tariff period but subject
to the contractual provisions of the performance agreements executed between the core investors and the Bureau of Public Enterprises in respect of the allowances for capital and operating expenditure in the remaining term of the agreement,� it explained. The document equally stated that upon approval of the PIPs by NERC, it will then
form the basis of prioritising and monitoring the capital investment initiatives of the Discos with revenue adjustment for non-implemented projects. It stated thus: “The approved PIPs will also be the basis for the defining performance standards/KPIs for the next five-year tariff period by the commission with emphasis on improvement in energy
throughput and delivery by Discos, reduction in aggregate technical/commercial losses and overall improvement in service delivery to customers.� Further on its expectations in the PIPs to be submitted by Discos, NERC said: “Revenue requirement should cover the investment and operating costs of efficiently providing electricity services to consumers.
GLAD TO MEET YOU
L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Dana Air, Mr Jacky Hathiramani, during the June 12 Democracy Day celebration at Eagles Square in Abuja‌ recently
NPA: Ships Carrying Petrol, Others Expected at Lagos Ports Next Week Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has disclosed that a total of 19 ships laden with petroleum products, food and other goods will berth at Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports between June 25 and June 29, 2019. The NPA which made this known in its daily publication, ‘Shipping Position,’ added that one of the ships would sail in with petrol. The NPA disclosed that the other 18 ships would bring in bulk salt, bulk gypsum, buckwheat, steel products, bulk sugar, semi-trailer, containers carrying different goods and general cargo.
It also stated that 14 ships had arrived at the ports earlier, waiting to berth with bulk sugar, butane, diesel, base oil, container and petrol. According to the NPA, “A total of eight ships are presently discharging bulk gypsum, general cargo, frozen fish, container and buckwheat.� Meanwhile, naval operatives attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, has seized six ships and 80 large wooden boats used by criminals to siphon crude oil in the Niger Delta region. The Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, made this disclosure while addressing journalists
on current operations by the navy to rid the Niger Delta region of criminality. He said the base had also destroyed 63 illegal refineries and 1,984 storage facilities containing 8,610MT of stolen crude; as well as 5,602MT of illegally refined AGO. Specifically, he said, “The Base has recorded tremendous achievements in the last six months. These are in the areas of operations, infrastructural upgrade and Civil-Military Relations (CMR). The Base has sustained patrols along creeks and waterways in its Area of Operations (AOO). “The patrols resulted in the arrest of several suspects,
destruction of numerous illegal refineries, stolen crude and illegally refined products.� He said between March 14 and May 4, the base conducted three swamp buggy operations in Iwhrekreka, Otovwodo and Otumara communities in Ughelli South and Warri South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta. He added, “At present, the base is engaged in two swamp buggy operations at Yeye and Benneth Island in Burutu and Warri South LGAs of Delta respectively. “The swamp buggy operations led to the outright destruction of various illegal refinery sites in order to make it
extremely difficult to reactivate. In the same vein, the swamp buggy operations have so far led to the destruction of a total of about 63 illegal refinery sites.’’ He also said several arrests were made, including high profile gang members who were handed over to appropriate authorities for investigation and prosecution. “During the period under review, the Base impounded a total of six vessels for various forms of illegalities. The seized vessels are; MT AYSU, MT INTERIM, MV MAMA ELIZABETH 1, MT MIRACLE, MV NIPAL and SD WATERMAN,� he said.
Global Shipping ConďŹ dence Dips on US - China Trade War Group Business Editor
Obinna Chima
Capital Market Editor
Goddy Ogene
Comms/e-Business Editor
Emma Okonji
Senior Correspondent
Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents
Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Reporters
Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (ICT)
Eromosele Abiodun with Agency reports A latest Shipping Confidence Survey has shown a dip in confidence in the shipping industry over the past three months. Also, respondents to the survey carried out by seatrade-maritime. com have forecast higher freight rates for the container and tanker shipping segments. The average confidence level in the shipping industry has fallen marginally in the three months to May 2019 to 6.1 out of a possible 10, compared to 6.2 in the three months to February 2019, the
survey revealed The dip in overall confidence was attributed to the ongoing concern over trade wars and increased regulation. “A small dip in confidence is not surprising given the recent volatility generated by the US-China trade wars, the heightened tension in the Arabian Gulf, the failure to conclude Brexit negotiations, and general political instability in many parts of the world,� said Richard Greiner, partner, shipping & transport at BDO. “Trade wars certainly formed the over-arching theme for this
quarter, but they are not the only recurring topic. The cost and technical implications of complying with existing and incipient regulation was referenced on a number of occasions, typified by the respondent who noted that the high level of regulation ‘makes it extremely difficult to make a profit’,� he added. On a brighter note, the number of respondents expecting higher freight rates over the next 12 months in the tanker market was up by four percentage points on the previous survey to 55 per cent, with charterers (75%) leading the way. The numbers
expecting higher container ship rates rose by nine percentage points to 35 per cent. In the dry bulk sector, however, expectations of rate increases were down overall from 52 per cent to 48 per cent, with charterers the only category recording an increase in expectation levels. When asked to estimate the level they expected the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) to reach in 12 months’ time, 50 per cent of respondents anticipated a figure of between 1000 and 1499, while 22 per cent put the likely level at between 1500 and 1999. “One could be more bullish
about the BDI if there was less global tension around,� said one respondent. The quarterly survey also noted that the likelihood of respondents making a major investment or significant development over the coming year was up from 5.3 to 5.4 out of 10.0. Owners’ confidence in this regard was up from 5.4 to 6.3, while the rating for charterers was 5.6 compared to the survey high of 7.3 recorded last time. The confidence of managers and brokers in this category was also down, from 5.6 to 4.8 and from 4.9 to 3.9 respectively.
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NEWS
NAMA Seeks IATA’s Collaboration on Manpower Devt Ohinedu Eze The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has canvassed for partnership and support from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the training of critical manpower of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in the AFI Region. The Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, who made these remarks while receiving the IATA Manager, Safety and Flight Operations- ATM Infrastructure Focus, West and Central Africa, Mr. Yassine El Charkaoui at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos said, “such a gesture would be a win-win for everyone as beneficiaries of the training will be better equipped, better informed and will be in a situation where they will be able to offer better services to the airlines in the discharge of their duties.� Akinkuotu, called for more understanding of the situation of ANSPs in the sub-region by the international body on the issue of navigational charges, saying there was need to
consider the cost factors in some areas particularly Nigeria in arriving at a conclusion as to whether charges are high or not. “A lot of our equipment are in remote areas which we have to support 24/7 on alternative means of electricity, even some are off the national grid, and powering these stations comes at a cost,� he added. The NAMA boss said the continuous dialogue and synergy between IATA and the agency was an indication that both organisations are desirous of a safer airspace, adding that a safer airspace would impact positively on the industry. “The safer the airspace, the more passengers we can attract as more people would feel that air travel is truly the safest means of transportation,� NAMA Managing Director said. Earlier in his address, Mr. El Charkaoui said his meeting with the agency was pursuant to the Collaborative Decision Making initiative, which seeks to improve operational efficiency of operators, increase
capacity and also optimize the utilization of resources. He said the meeting with NAMA would afford the agency the opportunity to share its current and future plans for air traffic management infrastructure with IATA and to ensure that the opinion of airlines is taken into consideration in the deployment of new technologies. El Charkaoui, noted that while ANSPs are implementing or embarking on new initiatives, there is the need to consider the position of IATA to ensure that navigational aids on ground match what is in the air in terms of aircraft capabilities and onboard equipment, adding that airlines need to be informed and consulted at an early stage about any potential future charges which could be borne by them as a result of the deployment of these technologies. On the other hand, he said the onus is on the airlines to provide their future plans to ANSPs in terms of fleet expansion, type of aircraft to be acquired and timelines.
ASKY/Ethiopian Airlines Commence Lagos to Johannesburg Flight Ethiopia Airlines has embarked on maiden flight from Lagos to Johannesburg with its code-share partner, Asky. With that service, Ethiopia Airlines/Asky to South Africa has become the only nonSouth African airline on the route between Nigeria and South Africa. It flight was welcomed with Water Canon salute and received by staff of Asky and Ethiopian Airlines. The Airport Community also joined in the reception. The flight was operated
with an Asky B737-700 commanded by Captain Dawit Muluneh. It left Lagos for Johannesburg by 16: 45 pm Saturday. The General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Mrs. Firihiewot Mekonnen, at the inaugural ceremony said that Asky is the operating airline, while Ethiopia Airlines is the marketing carrier.� “Nigeria is one of our biggest markets where we bring the best of our aircraft and we always strive to give our best to Nigerians. As part
of this motive we found out a lot of Nigerians travel to South Africa so we decided to help improve the connectivity for the passengers. We have also availed many promotional fares so we invite Nigerians to use the best deals to Johannesburg,� she said. The inaugural flight had a 70 per cent load factor. The flights are daily from Lagos to Johannesburg. Some days the flights go through Libreville on other days it will go through Douala.
IAG Indicates Interest in 200 Boeing 737 MAX Jets European based International Airline Group (IAG) has signed letter of intent (LOI) to buy 200 Boeing 737 MAX. This was the most significant deal signed by US aerospace company on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show in addition to a couple of medium size deals, according to airwise. com. Korean Air and Air Lease Corporation announced commitments for 787 Dreamliners, but late in the day, International Airlines Group (IAG) announced that it had signed a letter of intent to order 200 737 MAX jets. Aviation experts described the LOI for the B737 MAX as major boost to Boeing after aviation regulators grounded the worldwide 737 MAX fleet after two fatal crashes. IAG’s is the first tenta-
tive order since the aircraft was grounded. Earlier in the day, Korean Air and Air Lease Corporation announced the airline’s plans to add 30 787 Dreamliners - 10 787-9s and 10 -10s. The agreement includes the lease of a further 10 78710s from Air Lease. The 20-aircraft order is valued at $6.3 billion at list prices. Korean Air would introduce the larger 78710s to augment its current long-haul fleet of 787-9s and 777s. Air Lease separately announced a commitment to purchase five 787-9s valued at $1.5 billion at list prices. IAG’s commitment for the 200 737s, a mix of MAX 8s and the larger MAX 10s, is a strong vote of confidence in Boeing from one of the world’s biggest airline groups.
“We’re very pleased to sign this letter of intent with Boeing and are certain that these aircraft will be a great addition to IAG’s short-haul fleet,� IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said. “We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months having received approval from the regulators,� Walsh added. IAG has chosen a combination of the 178-seat MAX 8 and the 230-seat MAX 10, the largest member of the 737 family. The company didn’t disclose the number of each aircraft it will order, nor the airlines that will use them, but Vueling, LEVEL and British Airways have been mentioned as possible operators. A 200 plane order would be valued at more than $24 billion when finally agreed.
Inspiring Young Africans’ Interest in Aviation
Kwara Hajj
Simo holding her award
Chinedu Eze
A young African woman from Cameroon, Fadimatou Simo was the winner of this year ’s International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Diversity and Inclusion “high Flyer� award during the Association’ Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Seoul, South Korea. Simo won the award for inspiring young Africans, especially women to develop interest in aviation with her Young African Aviation Professional Association (YAAPA) located in 54 countries in the continent. She said her award is for young aviators in Africa. According to her, she has used the association as vehicle to inspire and encourage young Africans to develop interest in aviation as the industry grapples with dearth of manpower. It is projected that by 2037 the world would need several thousands of pilots, aircraft engineers. Africa may not meet the need of the technical personnel for its airlines. “I am founder of the Young African Aviation Professional Association with the headquarters in Cameroon. We have representatives in the 54 states. It is a group of volunteers passionate about aviation who want to build bridges, exchange about the best practices that we have across the continent and the infrastructure that we have to train the generation of African aviation professionals as well as promote tourism within our African countries,� she said. Simo noted that globally, women are beginning to occupy high positions in aviation, some are pilots, engineers, schedulers and others but in Africa, the opportunity for women in the sector is not very high as obtained in other regions. “First we have to understand that in our African culture, the female child has always been given a secondary position. But that is gradually changing through the different activities to raise awareness on gender equality and methods put in place to encourage the female child to go to school. So, it is our belief that with the current situation, seeing us, for example, and a lot of role models that we have across Africa like the Poppy of the civil aviation in Nigeria, Refilwe Lebwada of Girl Fly Africa in South Africa Yvonne the CEO of Rwandair. We have the former Minister of Aviation in Ghana. These are emerging figures that stand up as role models to make us believe that the change is gradually on the way and we will get there,� she said. On airport infrastructure, manpower development, Simo said that all African countries are not at the same level. She said some
have recorded greater development than the others, adding that it would take some time before some African nations catch up with the ones that have currently advanced in building modern airport and have elaborate training programme for aviation development. “I will like to differentiate the sub-regions. One thing that we need to know is that there are gap differences that exist within sub-regions. Southern African countries have better developed infrastructure that can accommodate the tourism growth and passenger growth. Western English speaking countries are on the rise also. We recently saw the modernisation of Ghana airport, Nigeria also with airport infrastructure that has been constructed. But all these smaller countries really rely on the expertise of others when we want to Africa countries sharing their strategies, best practices on how they became modern. “We look at Togo, we see the infrastructure of their airport transforming as a hub. We want to see multiplication of such actions and we believe that since the same actors are walking around Africa, most of the expertise from Northern Africa will come down to Western and Central Africa as well as Southern and East Africa. So, with the support of the African Union in putting aviation in the centre of its agenda 2063, we basically believe that even if we will not immediately see the infrastructure development, because it does not come overnight, we are in the process of improving our infrastructure and getting the know-how to facilitate growth in Africa,� Simo said. On dearth of technical manpower in the aviation sector in Africa, Simo said airlines in the continent should assist pilots to type rate, engage fresh engineers that will have a platform to horn their skills. She also suggested that countries should grant permit for aviation personnel to freely move from countries of saturation to the ones where they are in demand. “We have been making underground studies and exchange with young aviation professionals in Africa and the sad thing is, because of the development of aviation in different countries, we found some countries that have saturation of manpower and we found others that do not have manpower. We have been pleading and engaging with African Union to sit with the heads of states or to implement exceptional work permit for aviation professionals so that this can enable the countries with saturated professionals to freely work in other countries to sustain growth,� Simo said.
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Hailu: Our Brand Stronger Despite B737 MAX Crash Managing Director, Ethiopia Airlines International Services, Esayas WoldeMariam Hailu spoke on the impact of the Boeing 737 MAX crash on March 10, 2019, the allegiance of the airline’s customers and the support it garnered from all over Africa after the accident. Hailu, who granted interview to some Nigerian journalists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also unveiled future plans for the Africa’s most profitable airline. Chinedu Eze brings the excerpts:
W
hat has been the impact of the B737 Max-8 air crash on the operations of the airline and how has it been able to weather the storm following
the incident? We have a high respect for the general Nigerian public, its government, travelling public and the Nigerian media because they have been standing by our side during those hard times. The sense of allegiance within the continent was superb and we are grateful for that. Some of the impacts include the lost lives of our passengers and our crew. These are irreplaceable human lives and it has been so depressing. It was an emergency situation for the first one week after the accident, as we were eating at the accident scene, sitting there and handling everything. We were dedicated to the media, the logistics, and the rescue and search operations amongst others. Secondly, the aircraft was lost. One out of the five B737 Max aircraft we had was lost. Thirdly was our brand but we found out that our customers had a good sense of allegiance towards us and everybody knew that it was from the design deficiency and even Boeing came out to apologise officially. Western media had this habit of parading the African company or brand as not competent enough. At last Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged that it was a design problem. Our brand emerged even stronger because the confidence of the travelling public to travel using our airline has not been affected. It has, however, impacted us in a way that the rest of the aircraft have been on ground. However, because we have over 100 aircraft, we have been switching one aircraft from the other. The second reason is that March to May was a slack season in our operation, so we could manage with the available fleet in our possession. June to September is peak season in our operation, so we are considering all options to mitigate aircraft shortage we may face during this period. In the future we are going to receive the rest of the order to have a total of 27 MAX aircraft but this will only be determined with the outcome of the adjustment of this aircraft system and FAA accrediting it and all airlines flying it. Ethiopian Airline has vowed to be the last airline to fly that aircraft after the entire world has tried, tested and trusted it. So, the impact has not been easy but with all the support and patronage of our African brothers and sisters and the international community, our brand has emerged even stronger. If FAA CertiďŹ es Boeing B737MAX 8 for operations, would you start its operation immediately or will your pilots undertake more training? When Boeing does any system adjustment, FAA has to review, audit, test and accredit. After that, the America carriers, China carriers, the European carriers, and the rest of them will have to use it. We have fulfilled all the requirements and by the way, we even have a simulator. American carriers are operating that aircraft but many of them do not even have simulator for the B737 MAX but we have. So, all our pilots have gotten all the requirements. So, after everyone has flown it, we will fulfill all the additional requirements, and then we will fly it. Like I said, the problem is with the design of the flight control system of the B737 MAX and its redesign is under review by regulatory bodies and stakeholders. If you have a choice, will you rather think of another aircraft type than a MAX 8? Each and every aircraft type has got its own mission. Some are for long rage, some for medium and some for short range. Some are high-density aircraft. MAX is designed to be fuel efficient. It is economical. So if Airbus brings something equivalent to the MAX aircraft’s mission, definitely, we will
Hailu use that also. Our fleet is highly diversified both from Airbus and Boeing. We have Boeing 737-700 and 800; B777, B787 and Airbus A350 amongst others. We have a mixture of long- and short-range aircraft and
We have a high respect for the general Nigerian public, its government, travelling public and the Nigerian media because they have been standing by our side during those hard times. The sense of allegiance within the continent was superb and we are grateful for that. Some of the impacts include the lost lives of our passengers and our crew. These are irreplaceable human lives and it has been so depressing
various density classes. All these aircraft are for different missions. So, if there is any other aircraft, which fulfills the same mission and economics, we are going to take it. As I speak to you, the age of our average fleet is four years. Ethiopian Airline is the first airline to introduce jets into the African skies. The B707s, B767s, B757s, B787s and the B777; we were the first to bring these aircraft into the African skies. This is to give good value preposition to our customers and to be able to compete in the global aviation market. Of course, it is very expensive to buy an aircraft. Only one single aircraft can cost over $150 million. We have a commitment to give a dependable, global standard air service. We have good fleet diversification, simulators, trainings and accreditations. We train our people, our pilots, flight engineers and those from other African carriers. We not only fly our aircraft, we maintain them. We do all engine maintenance and aircraft maintenance for our service and other carriers. So we train pilots, mechanics, hostesses, cargo logistics, marketing amongst others. So our training centre is also registered by International Air Transport Association (IATA), and International Civil Aviation Organisation, (ICAO). We lay emphasis on training and bringing the best of knowledge. What do you think of the upcoming Boeing 777X. Do you have any plans of ordering them as a replacement for the current Boeing 777 fleet? B777X could be a great aircraft, and we are evaluating it as possible replacement for the existing 777 fleet. If the outcome of our evaluation shows that aircraft is very good and can achieve the mission we have for our network, then definitely, we are going to take it. What is the 2019 end of year projections of Ethiopian Airline and what plans do they have for your operations in Nigeria? We have a couple of plans. First of all, we fly into four gateways into Nigeria, which are Kano,
Enugu, Abuja and Lagos. This is because we want to give the best value prepositions to our customers. Many people fly from various parts of Nigeria to Lagos. The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) processes a huge number of passengers and finding parking space, slot, arrivals and departures, embarking and disembarking people takes time. So, to reduce the burden of the Lagos airport, we decided to diversify the traffic. When we airlift people from different parts of the country, it is easier for the passengers. We used to fly into Kaduna. We did this for some time but the traffic volume hasn’t been forthcoming. We have been developing the route at our own costs. Because Kaduna is in between Kano and Abuja and we fly into these two places, the economic sense has not been guaranteed. If the economics is eventually justified, then we are going to go there. For 2019 projection, the second frequency to Lagos is being planned. There is also a plan to connect Lagos across the Atlantics to the United States. All these plans are subject to the approval of the Nigerian government. What has been the secret behind the success of Ethiopian Airline and how can other African airlines learn from you? The first is our long-term planning. Ethiopian Airline has always had vision 2010. We upgraded to vision 2025 and now we are up scaling it to vision 2055. Long-term planning requires fleet planning, route planning, human resource planning, systems planning, facility planning, the ground handling, the catering, and the cargo planning, amongst others. Everything must be planned for. We have to plan for the appropriate type of fleet and you have to plan your order in advance. Aircraft is produced by order and not like cars where you go to the show room and pick it. So all these require planning and our long-term Continued on page 25
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BUSINESSWORLD
INTERVIEW
Hailu: Our Brand Stronger Despite B737 MAX Crash planning has always been the root of our success. Secondly, the autonomy of the airline despite its government ownership is key. The airline is allowed to run on its own and in in accordance with industry rules and regulations without meddling on its commercial decisions and its day-to-day running whatsoever. Thirdly, we always emphasize on new technologies and these new technologies are part of the success. We always bring in new aircraft and young fleet. This is also part of the success. The management’s prudence and the strict corporate governance of the management is key. When it comes to safety, security and transparency, we don’t compromise. So these are some of the elements that are part of the successes of Ethiopian Airline. So, whatever we prescribe, we also share experiences with our fellow African brothers and sisters in those small airlines we are setting up in Africa. We are also trying to sell this model to them. For example, a big executive of Ethiopian Airline travelling for a business trip, if he takes cash advance, when he comes back, he gives a report on expenses and returns the remaining cash to the company. So, this is part of the success factor. What are the contributions of Ethiopian Airlines and its afďŹ liate companies to the gross domestic product (GDP) and the economy of Ethiopia as a country? For Ethiopia’s GDP, the airline’s contribution is hardly up to four per cent of Ethiopia’s GDP because Ethiopia’s annual budget is $350billion. On the other hand, Ethiopian Airline annual revenue is about $4.5billion. With the passengers and all the other Ethiopian Airlines’ group is about $5 billion revenue per annum but at the end of vision 2025, we hope to generate revenue of $10billion. We hope to double our revenue. Is there any partnership plan between Ethiopia Airline and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the proposed Nigeria Air and what is your advice to the Nigerian government on their quest to oat a national carrier? There have been attempts to float a national carrier by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So far, we have not been picked but we are able, capable and ready and whenever the vacancy is created, we are ready to come and partner on this. Secondly, Nigeria has been a very big host. By the population of the county, which is by demographic data, the most precious kind of resource is the human resource. Nigeria being the largest Africa population and the largest economy, the mobility is very high, domestically and overseas. As a result of these, Nigeria really needs a national carrier. We wish them all the best and we are ready and willing to support them on this. Any partnership, which arises from that, is most welcome and we are expecting that. What is the latest on your talks with the Ghanaian government on partnerships to oat a national carrier for Ghana? The initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) has already been signed and whenever our legal team finalises, we are going to be signing. Airlines have been accused recently of conniving with baggage handlers at the airport to plant illegal items (illicit drugs) on passenger baggage. What measures has Ethiopia Airlines put in place to prevent this kind of untoward practice and safeguard the integrity of your operations? We are always very serious about the security of our operations and customers. We have discussed with all the authorities on how the process of baggage screening should be done in a way that ensures safety is at the peak. We together with other airlines, ground handling companies and the security companies, raised the need for scanning machines, sniffing dogs at the airports, which should be arranged by the authorities. We have also placed strict control on the ground handling companies and the security companies as well. The check lists we are using includes sensitising all handling staff to strictly follow the standard passenger check-in procedure, interviewing all passengers in regards to their baggage and asking questions relating to who packed the luggage and details at point of check-in, ensuring passenger appear themselves for check-in of baggage, ensuring security company searches all bags, proper supervision and control are in place at the baggage area and tightening the security check and additional security check at transit (ADD). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) usually talks about Radio Frequency IdentiďŹ cation Device (RFID) for baggage
Hailu tracking. Are you going to adopt this? Ethiopian Airlines is one of the founding members of IATA and Tewolde GebreMariam, the CEO of Ethiopian Airline, sits on its board of governance and he has just been re-elected. So any IATA initiative is also part of our initiative because IATA is a consortium of airlines. Whenever there is a migration from paper ticket to E-tickets, or any other development, we are always up to the tune and we comply. What are your suggestions on ways forward for the growth of African aviation industry? We believe that Africa needs to liberalise its sky if the full potential of African carriers are to be unleashed. Open sky policy is in the best interest of African airlines as it boosts their efficiency by reducing the high operational costs such as high airfares and airport charges. Liberalised airspace will also help strengthen collaboration among the carriers towards claiming the market share they deserve. Ethiopian Airline has been advocating for the implementation of the Single African Air Transportation Market (SAATM) as per the Yamoussoukro Decision. So far, a number of African countries have signed SAATM, which, once implemented, will drive down airfares by allowing carriers of signatory countries to freely access each other’s airports.
Ethiopian Airline has been serving the Nigerian public since independence and has never stopped its operation. We always give the best to our Nigerian travellers by deploying the most modern, newest aircraft from our eet collection, availing them the best and short connections to more than 120 destinations, availing attractive promotional fares and packages to all our destinations, and allowing E-visa and on arrival visa facility
How have you been able to take advantage of the growth of your aviation to grow your tourism industry? With the growth of aviation service, there is better opportunity to promote Ethiopia as a tourist destination among tourists. The growth of aviation is positively contributing to tourism industry through availing better connectivity to different tourist destinations in Africa and beyond. The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) seems to be following the way of Yamoussoukro Declaration as many states fear that established airlines like Ethiopia Airlines, Egypt Air, Air Maroc would take advantage of it at the expense of new national carrier start-ups. Do you have reasons to allay these fears? The SAATM is one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. It will ensure that aviation plays a major role in connecting Africa in order to achieve social, economic and political integration and boost intra-Africa trade. SAATM was launched by the African Union Heads of State and Government in January, 2018. There is an unrealistic fear that the established airlines like Ethiopian, Egypt Air, Air Maroc would take advantage of it at the expense of new national carriers. However, this allegation is baseless due to the following reasons: African Union has competition rules that prohibit any agreement or practice that negatively affects the liberalisation of intra-Africa air transport services and which has as its object or effect on the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition. Secondly, in air transportation service Africa is underserved, compared to other regions. African carriers, all combined, cover less than three percent of the world’s air transportation. Similarly, African carriers’ market share in their home market, Africa, is only less than 20 per cent while the remaining is being taken up by the non-African carriers. SAATM in this regard, proposes African countries to open up their skies for African carriers so that tax and related burden on the African national carriers will ease and countries get motivated to embark on same. Nigerian market seems to be one of the greatest contributors to your earnings. Do you have special products or services for travellers on this route as a reward for loyalty and patronage? Ethiopian Airline has been serving the Nigerian public since independence and has never stopped its operation. We always give the best to our Nigerian travellers by deploying the most modern, newest aircraft from our fleet collection, availing them the best and short connections to more than 120 destinations, availing attractive promotional fares and packages (for tourism travellers) to all our destinations, and allowing E-visa and on arrival visa facility. How effectively has your e-visa process contributed
to the tourists’ arrival in Ethiopia and how has it helped to open new vista of opportunities for tourism value chain in Ethiopia in terms of hotels, tour operators, sites visit, airport pickups and others? The e-visa service has eased travel to Ethiopia by streamlining the travel process. It reduced waiting for visa, delays and cancelations. We are now working on offering tourists attractive packages so that they can extend their stay in the country and visit more tourist destinations. The automated visa service has contributed to Ethiopia’s tourism significantly. How has the multiple routes operated by Ethiopia Airlines in Nigeria (Abuja, Enugu, Lagos and Kano) scaled up passenger patronage? Ethiopian Airline is the only airline that operates four destinations in Nigeria, which gives better choice for the travelling public. A passenger based in Enugu was supposed to take domestic flight or take a long drive to fly international routes but since Ethiopian Airline started the flight, all this suffering stopped and they can easily take the flight from their hometown. We fly daily from Logos and Abuja and three times weekly from Kano and Enugu, all independent flight. So these flights are serving the public by connecting them to the rest of the world. Your all-women ight crew has gained tremendous applaud from around the world. What is the rationale behind it? The flight is aimed at highlighting that women are capable of doing what men can do as long as they get the opportunity. We believe that such an initiative will go a long way towards inspiring girls in Africa and beyond to dream big. What is new about the New Spirit of Africa at Ethiopian Airline, in terms of in-ight entertainment and services? As part of its continuous efforts to provide the best possible inflight service to its passengers, Ethiopian Airline has been taking different measures. Internet Wi-Fi connectivity is being rolled out on its A350 aircraft – so far Wi-Fi has been availed on three aircraft, Wi-Fi steaming on passengers’ personal devices has been implemented on 3 B767 aircraft and installation has been finalised on few B737-8 aircraft. We have increased our TV series contents to 131 movies from the previous 83; we also plan to increase Hollywood Blockbuster movies from 16 to 26 in the coming budget year. Currently we have a mix of inflight entertainment content which includes: 16 HW movies, 50 International movies including Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Arabic), Africans (Amharic, English African and French African) and European (Italian, Portuguese, Germany, Spanish and Brazilian), 131 channels of TV program, 42 documentaries, 10 Kids movies, 71 Classical, 500+ CD tracks on all B777, B787 and A350 and 12 channels of compiled audio on the remaining aircraft and 10 audio books on all B777, B787 and A350.
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As NIMASA Distributes Relief Materials to IDPs Eromosele Abiodun writes that the donation of relief materials to internally displaced persons by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), is touching the lives of people, especially the indigent and displaced persons and changing their stories
C
orporate social responsibility (CSR) is a broad term used to describe an organisation’s efforts to improve society in some way. These efforts can range from donating money to non-profits to implementing environmentally-friendly policies in the workplace. CSR, experts believe, is important for companies, non-profits, and employees alike. Corporate social responsibility is not a mandated practice anywhere in the world; instead, it is something extra that companies and government agencies do (though rarely) to improve their local and global communities. Many organisations, public or private, have now introduced an internal corporate social responsibility policy to their business activities, with the aim of improving their business operations to limit negative consequences to the environment and the planet as a whole. This has obvious advantages to the company, and even to the employees who participate in these programme, but what of society as a whole? How does corporate social responsibility benefit the whole community? Employees more often than not live locally in the community – so they can see the huge benefits their company is contributing with CSR activities, which will impact directly on them and their families, friends and neighbours. This ‘feel good’ factor has really positive implications for staff retention, recruitment and loyalty, leading to more employment and better long term prospects for these communities. Having a CSR strategy can also have a knock-on effect to encourage others to act responsibly too in other areas of their life. It can help improve overall environmental responsibility, educate people to make greener choices and encourage personal growth and development in an area which could become a new passion for someone. CSR activities amongst various corporations and its stakeholders could contribute to the macroeconomic development of a developing country through sustainable benefit to all. At the same time, experts noted that optimum national impact, cooperation, and communication would be encouraged and socialised. For most businesses, it makes sense to get involved in progression of the community solely, depending on CSR initiatives related to your product or service. “CSR initiatives can be the best way to contribute to the society and its people. Through local or national charitable contributions businesses can help the society. Businesses can get involved in the society and help it to progress by taking social initiatives on behalf of the company such as investing in education programmes for the poor and street children and homeless care activities for homeless people or refugees. They can support a local charity making financial contributions in effective charitable projects. If you are a restaurant owner you may provide food to local homeless groups or to orphanages free of cost,�said a psychologist with a nongovernmental organisation, Ayo Balogun. FG‘s call for help In Nigeria, the federal government has over the years consistently encouraged interested philanthropists and non-governmental organisations to partner with government in order to adequately cater for the needs of Nigerians who are affected by one form of disaster or another. In line with such encouragement, the management of NIMASA, embarked on provision of relief materials of diverse forms to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across 20 states of the federation throughout the Six Geo-political Zones. On April 19, this year, the NIMASA commenced the donation of relief materials to IDPs nationwide with the presentation of household items to IDPs in Lagos. The exercise, which took place at the Lagos State Emergency Resettlement and Relief Camp at Igando, in Alimosho Local Government Area,
Peterside
involved relief materials worth millions of naira. Twenty States across the Nation’s Six Geopolitical Zones are set to benefit, beginning from Lagos State. Others are, Rivers, Niger, Benue, Kastina, Plateau, Kaduna, Edo, Yobe, and Kogi states respectively. Other States ravaged by floods lined up to benefit include: Kano, Sokoto, Anambra, Taraba, Osun, Delta, Cross River, Ogun, Bayelsa and Ondo States. While presenting the materials to the IDPs, in Lagos, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said the gesture was in line with NIMASA’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, which is partly focused on touching the lives of people, especially the indigent and displaced persons, and changing their stories. Peterside, who was represented by the Director, Special Duties (External Relations and Technical Cooperation), Hajia Lami Tumaka, said NIMASA had decided to identify with victims of natural and other disasters living in the camp in Lagos to try to give them a sense of belonging. He told the displaced persons, “We have come here to identify with you and to share in your trying moments. Let me assure you that it will not be for long, as the government is aware of the challenges you are going through and is doing everything possible to get you properly resettled in order to lead normal lives again. “As a socially responsible corporate entity, we are concerned with your wellbeing and we remain committed to partnering with the Lagos State Government to ameliorate your challenges.� He called on other well-meaning organisations and individuals to come forward with relief measures to support the victims of natural and other disasters. He urged the Lagos State Government to remain resolute in its enforcement of the demolition of weak buildings to avert further incidences of building collapse in the state. Earlier in his welcome address, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, commended NIMASA for consistently being a worthy partner in the effort to support IDPs in the state. Tiamiyu pledged the readiness of the Lagos State Government to continue to partner with the Agency in the attempt to assist and resettle all victims of disaster in the state. According to him, “NIMASA has remained a worthy partner and we call on other agencies,
corporate bodies, and individuals to emulate this gesture so that in no distant time the IDPs can be resettled in their homes and continue with their normal lives and activities. “I recall that last year, NIMASA also brought a lot of relief materials to victims of flood disaster. So on behalf of the government of Lagos State and, indeed, the displaced Lagosians, I say, thank you to Dr. Dakuku Peterside and the Management of NIMASA.� The materials donated by NIMASA included food items, clothing materials, beddings, toiletries, wheel chairs, and baby food, among other household items. More states gets materials In continuation of the CSR effort, NIMASA recently donated relief materials to victims of 2018 flood disaster in Kano State. Presenting the materials to the Kano State Government, the Director General of the Agency, Peterside, said the donation was part of their corporate social responsibilities. The materials include food items such as bags of rice and beans as well as grinding, sewing and pumping machines. Others are detergents, mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets and other items. Represented by the Deputy Director Finance of NIMASA, Mrs Odusanya Olamide, Peterside said the donation was coming late because certain due process had to be followed before the disbursement of the fund. Peterside explained that NIMASA was rendering assistance to victims of disasters across 20 states, adding that the agency was looking into the possibilities of increasing the number of the benefiting states. He urged the state government to distribute the relief materials to the affected people judiciously so as to achieve the desired goal. He also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment in rendering assistance to victims of natural disasters across the country. In his remark, Executive Secretary, Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Bashir-Nukkel, who received the donation on behalf of the state government, commended the efforts of NIMASA for identifying with the victims. He assured that the agency that the items would be distributed judiciously to the affected people with the aim of alleviating their suffering. According to him, the relief materials would be distributed only to those victims who were affected seriously by the disaster and need
more assistance. While presenting some relief materials to the IPS in Cross River State, Peterside restated that the internally displaced persons spread across Nigeria constitute an integral part of our society and the nation at large and therefore have to be catered for. Presenting the materials to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the DG, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Data Services Department (PRDMS), Mrs. Moronke Thomas, told the beneficiaries that the agency would always support the federal government’s drive in advancing gestures that impact lives positively and meaningfully in the country. “NIMASA is a socially responsible citizen. Though our core mandates are principally to regulate and promote shipping as well as other associated maritime ventures in Nigeria, we are acutely aware, and also conscious of the plights of natural disaster victims like you. We are with you and we share your sufferings. We are here in realisation of the fact that an injury to you is an injury to us, and by extension, an injury to Nigeria. And so, NIMASA as a responsible corporate citizen will continue to support the Federal Government efforts in ameliorating your sufferings and challenges,� the NIMASA boss said. Receiving the materials on behalf of the IDPs in the State, the Special Assistant (SA) to the governor, who also doubles as the Ag DG, of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Princewil Ayim commended NIMASA, while noting that the State government was doing its best on their welfare and security. He thanked NIMASA for the gesture and called on other public-spirited institutions and individuals to emulate such magnanimity. “We note and understand the circumstances of our people and we feel their pains. We perfectly know their needs and we are doing everything as a State to make life meaningful for them. We call on well-meaning Nigerians and corporate institutions to emulate NIMASA. We appreciate and commend them and it is our promise that this gesture has been received in the spirit in which it is given,� Ayim said. Also speaking, the leader of the Bakassi IDP Camp, Mr. Etim Ene, thanked NIMASA for the items donated, adding that the Camp was still lacking basic amenities such as portable water and healthcare services.
THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE
NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 08152252325
Daniel Ikechukwu: Empowering the World through Forever Nigeria
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COVER DANIEL IKECHUKWU: EMPOWERING THE WORLD THROUGH FOREVER NIGERIA
Forever Living Products International, Inc. is an American privately held multi-level marketing company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, which manufactures and markets aloe vera-based drinks and bee-derived cosmetics, dietary supplements, and personal care products. The company was founded in 1978 by CEO Rex Maughan. Championing the company in Nigeria is Mr. Daniel Ikechukwu, who is the Country Manager, Forever Nigeria. In this interview with MARY NNAH, the manager delved into the recently held 2019 Global Rally, a yearly convention of Forever Living Products Business Owners from all over the world, which held in Stockholm, Sweden. He also revealed how the products have empowered thousands of Nigerians one step at a time. Excerpts;
Forever Global Rally, pictures shows a crosss section of excited Nigerian contingent at the Forever Global Rally in Stockholm, Sweden
You just returned from Stockholm, Sweden, where you held your 2019 Global Rally. How did it go? The event was excellent. It is our tradition in the Forever family worldwide to gather at a selected country every year for a general celebration of our independent Forever Business Owners (FBOs) and also engage in various activities which serve to reward FBOs who performed really well during the previous business year and also motivate everyone, while setting the tone for the next business year. Our people were excited, motivated and now we look forward to 2020 with higher expectations. Nigerians are known to be ‘loud’ while attending these global events. How was it this time around? They were fantastic. We registered our presence with 148 Nigerians in Stockholm. It was exciting to see Nigerians in our spectacular national colours of Green-White-Green and also our signature Ankara attires. Everyone was amazing and regardless of the turbulent times in the economy, we represented our country well and gave a good account of Nigeria as a strong Forever country. Nigerians love the products and the business opportunity as these have positively impacted and are still impacting the lives of so many across the country. It is largely said that the global rally is the apex of Forever celebrations. What do you say to this? The Global Rally is unarguably the most exciting event in the Forever family. Some say the Eagle Managers Retreat is the most exciting but that is attended strictly by those who qualify, unlike the rally which is open to everyone; both
qualifiers and non-qualifiers. For this reason, more people generally get to attend the rally and even invite guests. However, for the qualifiers the trip is all expense paid for two and the company even gives them money to spend while on the trip, which they can choose to either spend over there or just take back home. In addition to this, some FBOs also qualify for ‘Chairman’s Bonus’, which is essentially a share in the company’s profit for the previous business year. These Chairman’s bonus checks are presented to them on stage by the president of the company. Those who did not qualify for the rally at all are also free to attend, so long as they can pay for their own trips. All these contribute to the excitement and the reason many consider it the best Forever event. In Stockholm alone, we had over 15,000 people gathered as a Forever family. The entire city was electrified by the presence of Forever. New products were launched such as the ‘Forever Supergreen’, which is a product made purely from vegetables and herbs. If you appreciate Green, irrespective of your kind of diet or your nutrition, you will definitely appreciate this product. Also unveiled was the ‘Aloe Sunscreen’. This is a product that had gone through so much reformation and now we have the best in what was expected of the Aloe Sunscreen after about 200 tests. Again, there was ‘Forever Mini’, an Aloe Vera Gel in tetra packs. Aside the 1 litre Gel, we now have the 330ml Gel in tetra pack. You just rip it open and drink. The destination for next year’s Forever Global Rally (2020) was also announced – Sydney, Australia. The FBOs were really excited and motivated to work towards qualifying for this all-expense paid trip next year. You mentioned another interna-
tional event called “Eagle Managers’ Retreat�. What is it about? The Eagle Managers’ Retreat (EMR) is another all-expense paid trip for two which our Forever Business Owners also qualify for yearly. The qualification is based not just on the level of business generated at the individual level, but also that generated by your team which you build and coach. It is an incentive that rewards team business-building. A major difference between the EMR and Global Rally is that EMR is attended strictly on qualification and is not open to non-qualifiers like the rally. Each qualifier is also entitled to bring along a partner since the company pays for two just like the rally. The Eagle Managers’ Retreat destination for next year is Bahamas and Forever Business Owners are already working towards their qualification as it will be more amazing than any other EMR so far. What advice do you have for your hard working FBOs who couldn’t qualify for the Global Rally this year? Those who could not qualify for the Global Rally this year have another opportunity in 2020. The exciting thing is that the destinations for 2020 are great. For 41 years, the clamour has always been that Forever has taken people to all the continents but not to Australia and now that call has been answered. Our FBOs have the privilege to visit that continent, Australia. So, come April, 2020, all our Business Owners who will qualify will have the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia. It is not a question of come and join, it is not a question of how old you have been in the business, it is about how many lives you are willing to change for the better. How many people can I meet before the end of 2019? How many people will I
talk to today to help them gain from the benefits of Aloe Vera and other amazing Forever products? Also, for those who are involved in our Eagle Managers Retreat, the destination is the Bahamas (a ship cruise). So, we have two excellent inspiring destinations for our people next year. Now we have it, so our Business Owners only have to work to qualify in 2020. Forever has two African giants, Forever Nigeria and Forever South Africa. How would you say these two countries measure up against each other business-wise? In all honesty, Nigeria cannot be compared to South Africa, because presently, Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people, while South Africa has just 56 million. You also remember that the products we are dealing with are drinks, personal care products, products that people consume regularly, then you discover there is a large gap between the Nigerian and South African market. However when you weigh in on which country is hungrier for success-from that viewpoint, you find that South Africans with a background of apartheid, know much more about collective struggle and how to fight as a team and Forever is a team business. That, is slightly lacking in Nigerians, as our people struggle with working as a team. Our people are yet to embrace the importance of team building in business, cooperation and collaboration. Here, we like to work for ourselves and many don’t care about uplifting others, even when those people actually look up to them. However we are working hard on the ‘teamwork culture’ and we are positive it will yield success.
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NEWS
Obi of Onitsha Leads Columbia Business School Alumni to Nollywood Exhibition Stories by Mary Nnah The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR, and members of Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club have commended New York based, Nigerian born fine art photographer, IkĂŠ UdĂŠ for bringing his internationally acclaimed photography exhibition titled ‘Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty’ to Nigeria. The monarch said this when he led members of his alma mater, Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club of Nigeria to visit the exhibition which opened to the public recently at Alliance Française de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos. The visit of the monarch and other corporate titans was on the heels of an ‘Evening of Art and Conversation’ organised by his alma mater in association with Columbia University’s Alumni Club. In attendance were the institution’s alumni in various fields who all enjoyed private conversations with the artist while appreciating the body of work that graced the walls of Alliance Française de Lagos. “It is a double pleasure
Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR (middle) and members of Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club during a visit to New York based IkĂŠ UdÊ’s photography exhibition titled ‘Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty’
for me today bonding with fellow alumni of Columbia University and seeing the exhibition by IkĂŠ UdĂŠ. I am thrilled to see IkÊ’s exhibition of the Nollywood Portraits. “The works are absolutely fabulous. IkĂŠ is internationally acclaimed as a photography artist and I am very pleased that Nigerian art lovers have this opportunity to appreciate his unique artistic creativity. I trust that he will hold more exhibitions in Nigeria in the times aheadâ€?, said the Obi of Onitsha. Also speaking during the visit, the President of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Nigeria, Osahon Akpata, while expressing his appreciation
to IkĂŠ UdĂŠ for his spectacular works of art, he commended him for choosing to be a positive voice for Africa in the world arena. “By creating this museum-quality body of work, he is taking beautiful images of Africans to the highest art and cultural institutions, where they may be referred to for centuries on endâ€?, he noted. Expressing his appreciation for the visit of the Obi to the exhibition, the artist said, “I admire his commitment to the development of the arts in Nigeria and would like to encourage others in leadership of government and private sectors to do the same.â€? Preceding the Ivy League school’s alumni event was
an informative and spirited panel discussion hosted by the curators of the exhibition, African Artists’ Foundation and moderated by actor and media personality, Ozzy Agu and titled, “Countenance and Visage: The Power of Nollywood, Representation and Misrepresentationâ€?. Born in Nigeria in 1960s, the artist has lived in New York City for over three decades. He is best known for his conceptual photographic portraits and self-portraiture. Conversant with the world of fashion and celebrity, UdĂŠ gives conceptual aspects of performance and representation a new vitality, fusing his theatrical selves and multiple personae with his creative practice.
Olusegun Akinola Predicts Greater Nigeria as he Launches New Music Album Even with the abysmal economic situation and the persistent unrest witnessed in several parts of the Nigeria these days, a few people still believe Nigeria has a better future ahead. One of those is Olusegun Akinola who recently launched his music video album titled, “It shall be well with Nigeriaâ€?. Speaking during the launch, Akinola, a serving pastor with the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, said the album carries a message of hope for Nigeria, particularly at these difficult times. He said: “There would come a time that the nation, Nigeria, would be so great that the whole wold would bow to her. There is a Bible quotation from the book of Psalms 30:5 which says, â€œâ€Ś Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. “So, the purpose of this album is to give hope to all Nigerians, telling them that no matter what we are going through now, we are coming out of it and we are coming out a greater nation.â€? The album which has titles like “In You is My Lifeâ€? “Iri Manseâ€? “Aribatiseâ€?, “Repentanceâ€?, and “Good Morning Jesusâ€? amongst others, was launched at CMD International Event Centre in Magodo-Shangisha, Lagos, under the chairmanship of Evangelist (Prof) Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, an icon in the Nigeria music industry. Akinola explained further that his new album contains a strong message to all Nigerians, that whatever Nigeria is passing through today, is a stepping stone, adding that, “we are getting there. It is a promise of the Lord. And the Bible tells us that God is not a man that
Akinola, middle, anked by wife, Victorai and Chairman of the ocassion, Evangelist (Prof) Ebenizer Obey Fabiyi at the event
He should lie. So, I am giving a specific mandate from the Lord for this nation and it is a message of hope that a greater Nigeria is coming soon.� Akinola, accompanied by his wife, Victoria, who was steadily by his side all through the event, explained how his journey into music started. “The journey has been long, so, that vision has been on for many years. Back in 1994, I had that burden in my heart for Nigeria, I just didn’t know why but it actually came to reality many years after I left where I was lecturing in one of the polytechnics in Nigeria and that was when I surrendered my life to Christ Jesus in the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. “It was then that the vision came up clearly to me. And I heard a message from the Lord God about Nigeria. I then asked
myself how was I going to pass this message to Nigerians. I felt no one was going to listen to me. Then came the idea to pass the message through music and here we are today launching the album.� Akinola who actually started off his music career in the secular world with renowned reggae artist, Majek Fashek, revealed further that in the early 90s, “I used to sing reggae with Majek Fashek at somewhere in Iwaya, Lagos that was just before he launched his song “Send down the Rain�. “During that period I also launched my first album titled, “Arise Fellow Nigerians� It was launched in Akure, Ondo State in 1994. The then governor of Ondo State, Colonel Ahmed Usman, was highly impressed by the album, describing it as a clarion call for the unity of our
nation, Nigeria. And I was given a letter of commendation by the governor on behalf of the people and government of Ondo State.� On what should be expected from his music in years to come, Akinola, an ordained minister of God would rather focus on his primary assignment as a preacher of the word of God. “As a minister of God, I have other mandate, which is my ministerial assignments, so my concentration would be more on my ministerial assignments but if the Lord says I should continue through music to speak to the world, especially to Nigerians, then so shall it be�, he noted. Expressing his excitement over the historic event, Music Icon, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, applauded Akinola for a job well done. “Well, today’s event is a good thing. It is an extension of what Jesus Christ stood for. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. So, our purpose of gathering here today is for the launching of the video album, “It shall be well with Nigeria�, which is a prayer. It is a good purpose because we all need to pray for Nigeria�, Obey said. Obey, who has over the years, strengthened gospel music Nigeria with messages that lift the soul, commended the new generation of gospel artists. “We have the new generation, the young people, coming up with their own approach to gospel music, although they are not doing it exactly the way we the elders do it but then they are definitely reaching their own audience – their own generation. So, they are doing a good job but all they need to do is to improve on the lyrics and contents of their music.�
Mbari Uno to Launch Hub for all things Design In a bid to drive economic growth through human capital development and propel communities to be involved in innovating solutions to their peculiar problems, Mbari Uno(House of Collaboration) is set to launch its first of its kind Design Hub and communityfocused centre for emerging and established designers. The event will hold on July 1, 2019, at 11am at the Hub situated at 10C, Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja G.R.A., Lagos. The launch which is aimed at showcasing the Hub and its facilities, will feature a Product Exhibition, Workshop, Audio Recording, Photo Sessions, Meal tasting, Chef’s Day for design enthusiasts and professionals to experience the Design Hub. According to Hub Manager, Julia Obinna, “Within the Hub, there are named spaces that offer different things. The Show Room is a combination of a concept store, reading room, and a lounge. This malleable space
can be used for product and art exhibitions. “It can serve as a reading room and small fire culture events such as poetry reading and digital product presentations. There is Kol’s Bistro which is a char-grill based serving locally inspired delicious cuisine, drink, and coffee among others. “The Work Room is an open plan co-working space that is designed to inspire collaboration and innovation. There is a Learn Roomwhich is an auditorium styled space that can sit up to 35 persons and is used for seminars, meeting, and training among other things. For Multimedia, there is Sylvan Studios, which is a photo, audio, and video recording and creating facility.� The hub offers a prime space for design professionals, practitioners and design enthusiasts and make social impact through our proprietary Exhibitions, Workshops & Design Activism projects. For enquiries visit www.mbariuno.com for more.
AmstelMaltaBacksSuperFalcons in#Naija4FalconsPledge As the female national football team play in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament in France, Amstel Malta; Nigeria’s No. 1 premium malt brand, has launched a new campaign themed #WeGotBalls to drum up support for the female national football team who have been doing the nation proud. The brand is also leading the #Naija4Falcons initiative to encourage fans to pledge their support for the team as they compete with other football nations at the tournament. Leading the vanguard of Nigerians pledging to support the Super Falcons are notable personalities such as Nollywood actress, Tonto Dike and former Big Brother Naija housemate, Cee-C. As the official malt drink of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and proud supporter of the Super Falcons, the brand recognises the exploits and applauds the achievements of the female national team in qualifying for the eighth edition of the global competition which kicked-off on June 7, 2019. Speaking on the #Naij-
The Super Falcons
a4Falcons pledge, Portfolio Manager, Non-Alcoholic Brands, Ngozi Nkwoji said: “The Super Falcons continually prove themselves to be unmistakable symbols of heroism, talent and discipline. By reflecting the power of women for many years, Amstel Malta is endearing Nigerians to join us as we all cheer them at the World Cup�. Currently ranked 38th in the FIFA global ranking, Nigeria’s dominance in women’s football on the continent has never been in doubt, with stellar performances in the African Women Championships and other competitions. Amstel Malta stands with the Super Falcons and wants to use this opportunity to inspire, empower and enable the next generation of women and young girls dreaming the sports dream. The brand urges Nigerians to join other notable voices across the country to show support for the female national team by visiting the pledge website, https://amstel-nigeria. com/naija4falcons/. With every pledge made, Amstel Malta will make a N5 donation to the Super Falcons.
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E-TRENDS
MUSIC SHOWBIZ
‌Your weekly entertainment delight
NOLLYWOOD
Nollywood Keys into Ihedioha’s Rebuilding Agenda Stories by Vanessa Obioha There is no gainsaying the fact that the vision of the present administration in Imo State is to transform the state into one of the top three most developed state economies in Nigeria and ranked within Africa’s top 10 economies. This is why since assumption of office not too long ago, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; the Executive Governor of Imo State has not failed to reiterate his commitment to revive and rebuild the state’s economy through inclusive growth and development. Knowing the huge task ahead, the rebuilding of the state rests squarely on inclusive economic development. No doubt, the film industry, if well supported and financed has a comparative advantage on all fronts to become the highest foreign and local exchange earner, while at the same time doing a huge image laundry job for the state and the country at large. Regrettably, this prospect appears to have been left untapped by the state. Be that as it may, there is an expression of appreciation, courage and confidence for the Imo Rebuilding Agenda even in the face of enormous challenges in the film industry. This was evident with the Imo State-born Osita Iheme’s latest work; ‘The Babysitter’, which was shot in Owerri, the capital city of Imo. This blockbuster movie produced by Osita Iheme and directed by Tchidi Chikere is centered on the story of a semi-illiterate house-help and a babysitter who are faced with the onerous task of
Osita Iheme
saving the life of the only son and heir to the empire of their boss who died in a motor accident with his wife from his brother. The twist of the movie was when the babysitter is accused of kidnap.
One Night with Ibejii Once again, the folkloric alternative musician Ibejii proved his mettle as he serenaded guests at the Backyard Lagos recently for his self-titled concert,The Ibejii Live Xperience. A follow up to the first edition which equally pooled music enthusiasts last year, this year’s edition marked on the new Democracy Day holiday was a fantastic foreplay of beautiful talents and passionate sounds. From Ibejii’s mystic performances to the eclectic ensemble of fine alternative artistes like the uniquely talented DopeL, the angelic Celeste and the guitar maestro, Godwyn Guitar,who ushered in the artiste. Ibejii in his uniqueness showcased his artistry to the motley crowd who came to indulge their musical souls that fateful night. He brought his unique music storytelling to thrill an audience that comprised true lovers of fine music, including a bevy of music and film celebrities Omawumi, Brymo, Ozone, Aduke- in an evening filled with love, light, dance and great sound. Accompanied by dance performer, Hermes Iyele, Ibejii’s music flowed, twisted and ebbed with the rhythmic acrobatic body contortions of the world renowned dancer. Ibejii opened his performance with his haunting ‘Midnight Strings’ from his awaited ‘Scattered Elements’ project, followed quickly by crowd favourites from his ‘GreenWhite Dope’ and ‘Tribal Marks’ albums. From ‘Koyemi’ to ‘Eda’, ‘Aye’ to
‘Eko Blues’, Ibejii’s rendition of 14 of his most loved songs had the crowd spellbound. His closing set featured ‘Ba Mi Lo’, ‘Epiphany’ and other sweet dance melodies, triggering a prolonged ovation at drop mic. As if to blow the roof off the magnificently lit stage at The Backyard, the magical night proceeded with an afterparty at which Ibejii’s new experimental music project, MSML — an acronym for Music Saved My Life was formally launched. MSML is an experimental mid to up-tempo dance project that reflects Ibejii’s willingness to bend music genres. With outstanding live performances that showcase the best of Nigeria’s top talent alternative music, little wonder then that TILX secured a spot on Lagos’ annual social calendar and will be back on June 12, 2020.
Ibeji
With the success recorded with the ‘Babysitter’, Iheme is currently working with Martin Gbados; the producer of the multi-awards winning movie, ‘A Soldier’s Story’ on exploring the huge foreign
exchange/local earning potentials from the film industry to attract investors to the state and increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). It would be recalled that the movie, ‘A Soldier’s Story’ ; produced by Gbados and directed by Frankie Ogar was widely adjudged the most successful movie out of Nollywood, having the highest number of awards in 2016, with a sequel soon to be released, which will surpass any movie ever made in Nollywood. As one of the best content producers in Africa and beyond; Gbados, who after 16 years in the United States of America where he studied filmmaking, has been upbeat about the need for states to see the value and huge IGR that comes from shooting movies in a state and create a film commission that will help attract these productions. Having the duo of Iheme and Gbados who have already keyed into the Ihedioha Rebuilding Agenda through their works and engagements, the present Government of Imo State needs to diversify and see the enormous potential in the film industry. This can help increase IGR, create employment and boost tourism while putting the state on the world stage. An average of 200 films are made yearly in Nollywood with average budget of N10 million just in production. Why won’t state governments want to attract part of that money to their state, give film makers some incentives, take care of their logistics and they will come and shoot in that state. For now, Delta State is the only state apart from Lagos that seems to understand this economic premise.
Winner Emerges in MTNTheatre for Schools Competition After weeks of intense training and competition, Idikan Baptist Comprehensive College from Ibadan was declared winner of the inaugural MTN Theatre for Schools competition. The school edged out winners from the regional competition: Vital Years Secondary School (Zaria) and the Nigerian Navy Secondary school (Port Harcourt) to clinch the golden spot at a nail-biting grandfinale in Lagos. Launched in May, the initiative is a pan-Nigerian competition aimed at grooming the next generation of actors, actresses and theatre practitioners as part of the MTN Foundation commitment to the development of arts and culture in Nigeria. The competition attracted secondary school students in the arts and culture entailed university faculties of Theatre Arts mentoring a select number of secondary schools within their geographic catchment area. For its inaugural edition, the Theatre Arts departments of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), the University of Ibadan and the University of Port Harcourt were selected. Students from selected secondary schools in Kaduna, Oyo and Rivers state coached by university theatre arts students, contested in regional competitions towards competing for places in the national finals in Lagos. The students were trained by their coaching teams in Directing, Technical Theatre, Stage Management and Costume &
Makeup. For the grand finale which held in Muson Centre, Onikan, representatives of the winning school in each region dramatised the same play, ‘The Naming Ceremony’ by Seffi Attah. All participating schools in the competition’s maiden edition will be adopted by the Foundation as ‘MTN Arts and Culture Schools’ and paired with some of theatrical leading lights with the hope of nurturing and developing identified talents. “One thing that has become clear from supporting arts and culture over the last few years is that Nigeria is burgeoning with amazing talent and many stories waiting to be told. With the Theatre for Schools competition, we are offering a platform for our next generation of storytellers. We are looking at nurturing teens who will go on to become great thespians in the Nigerian theatre scene,� explained the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma. The MTN Foundation’s Arts and Culture Causes has for the last five years supported shows, plays, musicals and initiatives that aim to tell authentically Nigerian stories. Recent productions supported by the Foundation include critically acclaimed shows as ‘Fela and the Kalakuta Queens’, ‘Legends the Musical’, the Life in My City Art Festival in Enugu, ‘Our Son The Minister’, the Made in Nigeria Poetry Show and ‘High: The Play’.
Michael Jackson’s Fans Honour Musician with Statue in China
New Michael Jackson’s Statue in China
In honour of the 10th anniversary of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson’s passing, a local fanclub in Zhengzhou, China raised money to commission a new Michael Jackson statue inspired by history originally built by Diana Walczak. The 1.8 metre all-goldlooking statue was unveiled on June 15 at a fan event and placed in a shopping mall in Zhengzhou. Next Tuesday, June 25 will make it 10 years the critically acclaimed entertainer of all time passed from an overdose of Propofol. Prior to his death, the singer announced a series of comeback concerts titled ‘This Is It’. Ten concerts were initially slated for London, Mumbai, Paris and New York City but a spike in ticket sales increased the London residency to 50 dates. The concerts were to run from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010. It is not the first time the famous musician is receiving a posthumous statue. In April 2011, Mohamed Al-Fayed, chairman of Fulham Football Club, unveiled a statue of Jackson outside the club stadium, Craven Cottage.
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
E-TRENDS
AccelerateTV,D’Banj Premieres New Series at YouTube Week The new Accelerate TV series ‘Brotherhood; Ring of Fire’ had a live showcase first at the ongoing YouTube Week which will be culminating today before its official launch on the YouTube platform on Thursday, June 20. Produced by award-winning filmmaker and director Kemi Adetiba, the series is based on an informal gathering of men exceptional in the achievement and universal in their humanity, coming together to share their personal stories with the aim of helping others. Guests on the show include: Fela Durotoye, Lanre Olushola, Tola Odunsi, Lynxx, DJ Obi, Obi Asika, Kelechi Amadi Obi, Kenny Ogungbe, Soni Irabor, Victor Ehikamenor, Ayo Animahsaun, Dele Adetiba, Chris Ubosi who shared their life experiences and career challenges in a roundtable setting. The YouTube Nigeria Week is the first of its kind to premiere in Lagos with the sole aim to celebrate content creators and artistes on the YouTube platform via workshops, premiere shows and network events. The week-long festivity opened on a high note on Monday where the kokomaster D’banj thrilled audience with a medley of songs. From ‘Emergency’ to Igwe’, he got the audience on their feet dancing to his tunes as they appreciates his artistry. He was also awarded with a Silver Play Button Award in recognition of achieving 100,000 subscriptions to his YouTube channel by YouTube Partnerships manager, Addy Awofisayo. As part of its lined up activities, channels with the most subscription on the platform were rewarded with either the Gold or Silver Play Buttons. The Gold Play are awarded to channels which have reached the one million subscriber mark, and Silver to those which have garnered 100,000 subscribers.
D’banj receiving his award at YouTube Week
Like D’banj, Neptune3 Studios, 2Baba Idibia, Teni and Adekunle Gold who have surpassed the 100,000 subscriber mark were awarded the Silver Play Button Award while Flavour, whose channel has crossed the one million subscriber mark, will got the Gold Play Button Award. “YouTube attracts a global generation that has grown up watching what they want, whenever they want, on whatever device is closest. What happens
on YouTube is a reflection of what is important and relevant to the world. YouTube has a large and passionate community where people gather and express themselves, share experiences, and reflect on what they think about and care about moment to moment. “We’re very excited, this week, to bring YouTube’s Creator community and fans together to share, learn and celebrate YouTube and the Nigerian Creators who
are taking our culture to the world.� D’Banj’s ‘Adventures of KokoMaster’ series was also premiered at the event. The festival also provided a week-long bootcamp for creators where topics like channel and content strategy, working with brands, creator responsibility, production, and accelerating growth on YouTube were plumbed. A public YouTube Masterclass will be held on Saturday, for registered participants.
Bez New Album Due Next Month
Laffmattazz Brings Akure to Life on Democracy Day
At a fundraising event recently for families of kissing Chibok Girls, alternative soul singer Bez announced that his next album is due next month. He revealed this while performing the song ‘Look Away’ from the upcoming album which aptly captured the mood of the night. Held at the British Council, the fundraising event was packaged by VR360 Stories and Imisi 3D who used the virtual reality documentary ‘Daughters of Chibok’ to remind the public of the plight of the families.
Terry G performing at Lamattazz
The city of Akure came to life on the new Democracy Day June 12 as Gbenga Adeyinka and other top entertainers stormed the city with the best of music and comedy to mark the holiday. The crew, who brought the Laffmattazz train to Akure had Maltina on hand to deliver their premium malt taste to guests at the show, as well as keep them engaged with games and other fun activities. Held at the Dome Event Centre in Akure, Ondo State, residents were treated to an unforgettable experience from A-list actors, music artists and comedians like MC Lively, Small Doctor, Helen
Paul, Omobaba and Terry G. Gbenga Adeyinka who has been the show’s headliner for the last six years made a grand entrance right after Small Doctor’s performance. He held the audience down for nearly twenty minutes with rib-cracking jokes and the right demonstrations to keep everyone entertained. The last performance of the day came from Terry G who wrapped things up with some of his well-known hits. Adding spice to the show, Maltina fulfilled its promise on sharing happiness by delivering entertainment to the people of Akure through fun games, lucky
dips, spinning the wheel, where lucky consumers got the chance to win exciting prizes like mobile phones, generator, TV, Standing Fan, Maltina goody bags, and other mouth-watering prizes. Maltina has been a longtime sponsor of the Laffmattazz show and is on a mission to share happiness, and the comedy show is one of the platforms through which it drives this mission. The Laffmattazz train will continue to Ilorin in October as it celebrates six years of existence and promises to keep delivering the happy moments that its fans crave.
Bez
Bez last album Gbagyi Child was in 2016. Explaining why the three year hiatus, the artistes said he needed time to be ready. “I was creating a different direction and who to work with. I just wanted to be really inspired for my next phase. Last year made it 10 years I started my music career so there’s a lot of major awakening that needed to happen.� Though details of the album is still scanty, it is expected to mark a great return of the artiste who is popular for hits like ‘Stupid Song’.
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
POTPOURRI
ChiefoftheNavalStaff’sOfficial PhotographerWinsInternationalAward
Ugorji Ordains 16 Priests, Says No More Crisis in Ahiara Diocese
Dauda
bring Senator Sharif to justice without endangering his relationship with Zainab‌or stand to lose all that matters to him. Speaking to THISDAY, Dauda said he believes the dynamic characters, major suspense and gritty action in “Grandfather’s Addressâ€? will appeal to a very wide audience. The Calcutta International Cult Film Festival is a monthly online international event. Each month World film industry specialists announce 20 officially selected films and movies scripts in each category and out
of them one film and a script receives the Best of Category award. All the officially selected films and movies scripts receive CICFF Certificate. In addition, the best of each month’s category will compete with all the others at the end of the year and the best of the best in each category will receive the prestigious GOLDEN FOX AWARD and they will be screened in the presence of a live audience. The annual event will be a glamorous red carpet premiere with press
conferences and gala parties at Kolkata in the presence of international movie celebrities. The participants will have excellent opportunities to have their scripts picked by movie producers from Hollywood and Bollywood, exchange their ideas, ideologies and cultural innuendoes. The winners will have a chance to meet with the audience and participate in a wuestion and answer after the screening. Next edition will take place in January 2020 at the film and cultural centre in Kolkata, India.
YMCA Celebrates 175 Years Anniversary with Environmental Hygiene Outing The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Ibadan, Nigeria, recently celebrated its 175 years anniversary (founder’s Day Celebration) / YMCA World Challenge 2019, on Saturday, June 8, 2019. It was celebration galore at the series of programmes themed ‘Environmental Hygiene, Clean Water & Good Sanitation in 175 minutes’. YMCA President Dr. David Olugbade Fakeye said the YMCA World Challenge is their annual event to mobilise the YMCAmovements to share their great impact with local communities, by embarking on Community Development Advocacy on hygiene and good sanitation at Gege Olopa Community, (as a case study – being one of the dirtiest communities in Ibadan) in
Ayodeji Ake Indigenous technology firm, Comercio Cloud Computing Limited, has strengthened its partnership with Chinese tech giant – Huawei – to offer affordable and reliable cloud solutions to businesses in Nigeria. The two companies restated this commitment in Lagos recently during a stakeholders forum where the latest trend in cloud computing was unveiled. Speaking at the event, Chief Technical Director of Comercio, Aderemi Adejumo, noted that they were working at ensuring that more businesses in Nigeria became aware of their cloud solutions to protect their data and important information. He said, “Cloud is a cost-saving strategy for companies and their technology. It’s a way of maintaining the same technology and more at a much lower cost. “Our aim is to set agenda and the foundation for people to be aware that we have that capability on the ground as opposed to going out of the country to look for the same. “Cloud Computing is the future because 70 per cent of CTO in the world are focusing on cloud computing as a cost-saving and as a way of improving their businesses.As a result, I am looking forward to more Nigerians taking advantage of this amazing solution.� IT Solution Director, Huawei, Cai Qiong , said that they would continue to deliver the best technology to help businesses dependent on ICT to thrive.
Chiemelie Ezeobi The movie script of Petty Officer AbdulKareem Usman Dauda of the Nigerian Navy, who is the official photographer to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral IbokEte Ibas, has won the My Movie Script has just won the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival. For Dauda, this is his second literary award as his debut novel, African Cowboys won 2011 Readers Favorite Award Contest in the USA. However, it was his recent publication titled the “Grandfather’s Address� they won him the festival’s award. The literary piece centered around an ex-con in Nigeria who reunites with his former girlfriend, now a counterterrorism expert for the FBI, as they work to stop a bloody religious war being orchestrated by a powerful politician. Set in Nigeria, the story is about a university student-turned-criminal named Jarlo who’s framed by his fellow gang members and sent to prison. Upon his release, Jarlo was elated to reunite with his former girlfriend Zainab, now a counterterrorism expert for the FBI. But as Jarlo attempts to get back on his feet, he soon finds himself at the center of a bloody religious clash between Muslims and Christians. To make matters worse, Jarlo also uncovers evidence that Zainab’s father, the powerful Senator Sharif, has instigated it, killing many innocents along the way. As such, Jarlo leads a team to squash the violence, but is soon overpowered. Now captured and under threat of execution, Jarlo must hatch a desperate plan to thwart his captors and
Comercio, Huawei Collaborate on Cloud Computing
the Ibadan South-west Local Government Area of Oyo State. The YMCA members had focus group discussions on Environmental Hygiene, Clean Water and good sanitation, 175 minutes community engagement, clean up and fumigation, road show and sensitisation, free clean water supply, free medical supplies and free distribution of mosquito nets, etc. YMCA General Secretary, Mr. Funminiyi Fagbemi at the community sensitisation rally said the objectives of the programme were “transferred knowledge and understanding of hygiene and associated health risks in order to help people change their behavior to use better hygiene practices; “Empowered community that will demand and achieve sustainable ac-
cess to and use of safe water; improved sanitation and hygienic living condition; “Engaged policy makers and key actors to promote and enable the sustainable realisation of the rights to water and sanitation through their policies, programmes, budget allocations and are held accountable for these achievements�. These objectives he added, contributes directly to realisation of SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and YMCA Ibadan will apply intervention strategies that focus on civil society strengthen at community level. Earlier, at the stakeholders meeting with selected leaders of the community, to raise awareness and recruit high quality 175 volunteers for good sanitation, invite
others to join, speak of YMCA mission, among others, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Gabriel O. Oguntola, represented by Engr. Adeyemo Johnson Adeyinka in his speecd noted that we cannot be talking of clean water supply without proper environmental hygiene and good sanitation. He however said open defecation is a critical issue which should be eliminated completely in our society. Also, Dr. Oyewole Lawal from Ministry of Health Oyo State and Mrs. Oloyede, a community health officer from the local government, among other speakers, underscored the need for people in the community to ensure proper hygiene, in all ways, for sound health, as, health is wealth.
The joy was as ecstatic and exciting as was expected inside the massive Cathedral of Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara on May 4, when the Ordaining Prelate, His Lordship Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji, the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese confirmed the priests ordained. Ugorji said, “My prayer is there should be no more crises. Never again will there be crises in Ahiara, Mbaise. It will be forward ever, backward never. We thank God for ensuring peace which made it possible for the ordination of these our brothers, 16 of them. So we thank God for the peace in the diocese.� Among the 16 people ordained was Reverend Father Christogonus Chinonso Okonko, who on the second day after the priestly ordination, celebrated his first Holy Mass of Thanksgiving at Christ the King Catholic Church Okpofe, where he thanked God and all those who helped in one way or the other to ensure his attainment of priesthood. While thanking those who nurtured the young priests especially their parents, Ugorji stated that the process of ordination of priests is a serious and delicate business. He went further to explain that it was wrong to put pressure on the bishop to ordain any particular person as priest. “If you push the bishop to ordain somebody as reverend father, it is not valid. If it is done without the recommendation of those concerned, it can be valid but illicit, illegal. “It is a very delicate process, so we do this according to the direction of God, and those that make recommendation must also do so without fear or favour,� Ugorji stated. He urged the new priests to live a life worthy of emulation. “The people must see Christ in your actions, in your speech, there must be integrity, living in imitation of Christ and in holiness�. He also told them that the church recommends a life of prayer, adding, “you must live a virtuous life and grow in holiness�. He urged the newly ordained priests to respect their respective parish priests and the bishop.
One of the ordained priests, Rev. Christogonus Chinonso Okonko, and well-wishers cutting his ordination cake at Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral Ahiara, Mbaise
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ART WEEKEND
‌For pure art enthusiasts
A Renaissance of Benin Iconography
YINKA OLATUNBOSUN reports on the birth of a travelling solo exhibition, a product of a research work executed by Princess Theresa Oghogho Iyase-Odozi at Thought-Pyramid Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos The batik t-shirts were lined on the rig that fastened them against the white walls of the Ikoyi-based gallery, Thought Pyramid. There were paintings and other art accessories that provided visual appeal upon entry into the exhibition hall. June 12 was the day when this historical exhibition by Princess Theresa Iyase-Odozi was born. Titled, “Uhunmwen Vbe Ehinmwen and Master of the Circled Cross in Benin, 2019,’’ the exhibition opening compered by Bolaji Ogunwo, a visual artist and a lecturer at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos where Princess is a Ph.D student. It ran simultaneously with the art discourse that drew some masters in visual arts in Nigeria to the venue. As expected, Princess Iyase-Odozi welcomed her guests with warmth, and she later spoke in details about the circled cross in Benin and its rich cultural heritage. While Benin is famed for its sculptures but one cannot say the same about the Batik tradition. As noted in the remarks by the art consultant and seasoned journalist, Mr. Ozolua Kally, during the discourse with the theme, “Renaissance of Imagery and Symbolism in Benin Iconography: Iyase-Odozi Art Appropriations in Focus,’’ the Benin bronze casting has served as the medium of transmitting the iconographies from generation to generation. “Historically, Benin Kingdom uses body paintings as distinguishing marks for Benin Indigenes, which serve as signs and symbols of identity during tribal wars. Today, these imprints form part of the design of the official white regalia worn by the Chiefs in Benin City which was initiated by Dr. Ekhaguosa Aisien and approved by the late Oba Erediauwa,’’ he observed. Supervised by Dr. J. Ajewole, Princess Iyase-Odozi has been fascinated by these iconographies for a while. She even sought to find the link between the batik tradition in Osogbo and Benin, working very closely and travelling with
Princess Iyase-Odozi
Nike Davis-Okundaye, a renowned batik designer and painter. In her presentation, she revealed how the research culminated into the BeninIconography.com project and the Iyase-Odozi Edo Batik. With pictures of the Benin burial ceremony on the screen, she explained how these circled cross symbols have been cultural references for the Benin people. “To revive the clothing Batik culture in Benin, and to impact some of the aspects of Benin culture into the younger generation, we introduce an empowerment initiative programme to groom the younger ones to gain self-employment and paidemploy-
ment. A general awareness of this 500-year old rich iconography of the Benin artefacts had been created. “We are moving to Benin in October to commemorate the Oba’s birthday. The exhibition and discourse are to provoke further studies and research on the Benin iconography in art practice. We have 45 works but only four here. For the art installation, we have 15-feet wide of a mixed media painting of the Oba with the ivory tusks,’’ she revealed. During the art discourse, Dr Kunle Filani traced the history of iconography to the precolonial era and early civilisations, noting
Nnimmo Bassey Colloquium 2019 Drums on Social Justice Olatundun Aihie It could have passed for just another literary event. The 61stbirthday ceremony of author, poet and environmental activist, Nnimmo Bassey was a beehive of creative thinkers, humanists and writers in Lagos last week as the keynote address had as theme, “Art, Humanity and the Search for Social Justice’’ which was delivered by the poet and social activist, Odia Ofeimun. The colloquium which was inaugurated last year as a surprise birthday gift for Bassey at 60 had as compere, the Deputy Sunday Editor, The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Yinka Oyagbile. A rousing start it was as the veteran arts journalist and poet, Mr. Akeem Lasisi kicked off the event with a performance poetry titled, “This is not a time to grow old�, with a first verse that was an ode to the slain playwright and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. In his opening remarks, the Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Environment, Mr. Akinbode Olufemi highlighted the objectives of the
Odia Ofeimun delivering the keynote address at the Nnimmo Has set Colloquium in Lagos
colloquium as the celebration of Nnimmo Bassey’s art, his poetry, the things he represents – environmental campaign being the core issue. Essentially, the programme is geared towards creating an environmental campaign with reference to Nnimmo’s work of arts as a tool for social justice. Next, the elegant female performance poet, Evelyn Osagie performed a poetry titled, “Imagine Niger Delta� followed by another titled, “Eko Dance, I dance�. It was a homecoming of sorts for Evelyn who once as an aspiring poet and a student at the University of Benin, had recited poems at the office of Nnimmo Bassey. For Ofeimun, a long-time associate of the celebrant, being a socially-committed
writer was the path they had both trailed in the military rule years in Nigeria. He spoke on how he became a comrade in struggle for democracy with the celebrant; how they were elected as Executives of the Association of Authors on the eve of Abacha’s coup and how all literary organizations became a coalition for activism under the then Military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha. He added that artists achieve a commonality which defines a world of order. A basic commonality he stated is language which he defined as the building block for social justice and change. His advocacy is for the society to ensure that everyone especially those within certain age bracket be educated as this
would prompt them to hold their leaders accountable for bad governance. Once again, Mr. Lasisi performed another poetry at this point titled, “Udeme� which preceded an extemporaneous performance with Evelyn as his co-performer. Mr Kunle Ajibade, the “Jailed for Life� journalist and writer who also paid tribute to the celebrant called for a minute of silence for a mutual friend of theirs, Prof. Festus Iyayi. He went on to read a poem titled, “Don’t stones count for nothing for Tai Solarin� by Nnimmo. The culture activist and seasoned journalist, Mr.Jahman Anikulapo also paid tributes to Bassey. Asides the celebrant and his wife, Mrs. Evelyn Bassey, other guests at the event include Prof Leke Adeeko, Steve Shaba, CEO of Craft Books and Mr. Chike Tude of the Young Action Front amongst others. Mr. Shaba described Mr. Nnimmo as an extraordinarily talented individual whose literary talent is reflected in his publications such as Intercepted and Poems on the run. He urged that some of his collections of poems that are out-of-print be brought back to the bookstores.
that Nigeria didn’t have art historians at that period. He observed that this Benin iconography is a part of art history in Nigeria that should be celebrated. For Dr. Omoighe, who encountered this phenomenon in 1971, this iconography testifies to the visual literacy of the Edos. She cited a cultural parallel in other cultures such as the Yoruba’s system of communication called Aroko. Kehinde Adepegba also corroborated this view, citing Adire traditions in Ibadan, Osogbo and Abeokuta as parallel cultural signposts. Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya commended Princess for the devotion to the culture-rooted research. “She’s gone to the grassroots to dig up something that will be inspiration to people who love the great art. Art is not just drawing. Art is not just making pictures. Art is using ideas,’’ he said. The famed art collector, Omooba Yemisi Shyllon recommended that a book or a pamphlet should be done to document iconography in Nigeria to create a wider knowledge base for the younger generation. “We have to disabuse the mind of the average child that our culture, our customs are not evil as it is being portrayed. China today has their iconographies. They do not use Roman icons and figures. The Indians were colonized for 342 years by Britain, yet, they use their own language to communicate, even, in their parliament—English is their second language. Nigeria was colonized for 99 years. Our level of selfesteem is so low, and so we tend to believe that what the other man has is better than ours,’’ he said. While some discussants argued that the government needs to populate the leadership positions in all cultural institutions in Nigeria with professionals who are knowledgeable about the Nigerian culture and adjust the school syllabus to include visits to studio artists and exhibitions, others like Onobrakpeya counter-argued that more artists and private individuals can improve art education in Nigeria by setting up workshops and training centres.
Ogunwo’s Solo Exhibition Rocks Abuja Yinka Olatunbosun
For art enthusiasts in Abuja, the latest solo exhibition which opened yesterday is a must-see. Titled, “More Than Meets Eye’’, Bolaji Ogunwo’s latest show is his fourth solo exhibition. With over 50 group exhibitions in the portfolio, this painter is fired up by the personal zest to liven up the International Institute for Creative Development (IICD) Federal Capital Territory, Abuja which is the venue for the month-long show. The bulk of the works in this exhibition has been inspired by the upsurge in migration. Many who seemed to have decent jobs as professionals are leaving the Nigerian shores in hope of greener pastures. “Like never before certain embassies are bombarded daily by Nigerians in a bid to obtain visas, not for vacation but obviously for permanent relocation due to the lingering challenges ranging from corruption and banditry to incessant killings that permeate the nation,� says the artist in a statement.
“Nothing seems to be working. Nevertheless, there is more than meets the eye. There are hidden treasures underneath that are yet to manifest. All we need to succeed as a nation are within. Places don’t make people, people make places.’’ In this body of works, Ogunwo presents issues faced by Nigerians in a visual satire. Migration is indeed a global challenge that requires intervention from non-political players like artists such as Ogunwo to light up the conversation. Some of his realistic abstract works include “Common Ground,’’ “Swift,� “Ecstasy,’’ “Colour Code,’’ “Focus’’ and “Flashback�. The Chief Curator, IICD Centre, Nduwhite Ndubuisi stated that with this exhibition, Ogunwo is “corroborating one of the ideologies of the IICD centre, captured by Kandinsky Wassily who says, ‘The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning.’’
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F R I DAY ˾ JUNE 21, 2019
FERTILITY
with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580
Urinary Tract Infection DuringPregnancy
T
he urinary tract expels waste and excess water fromthe body and comprises of two kidneys where urine iscreated, two ureters which transports urine from the kidney to the bladder, the bladder itself which gathersand stores the urine, and the urethra a tube thatconnects the urinary bladder to the urinary opening (meatus) for the removal of urine from the body. Sometimes otherwise harmless microorganisms fromthe skin and different body parts may be found outside of their normal flora causing harm in the areas they migrate to, and the urinary tract is one of them. A UrinaryTract infection (UTI) can also be referred toas a bladder infection, it results form a bacterialinflammation in the urinary tract.Women who arepregnant are more susceptible to UTI’s from the 6ththrough the 24th week of pregnancy. Why UTI’s are more common duringpregnancy: The changes in the urinary tract duringpregnancy are the reason for the increased chances ofhaving a UTI.The womb rests directly on top of thebladder and presses on it making the bladder the first pillow for the growing baby. As the womb grows bigger with baby developing, the increase in weightcan hinder the normal passage of urine and proper emptying, the leftover urine in the bladder in most cases could be a source of infection. Every woman’s body is different, therefore, ensure toconsult you doctor if you experience one or more of thefollowing symptoms and signs during pregnancy: Painor uneasiness when urinating, more frequent urinationthan normal, pain in the lower abdomen, a feeling ofurgency when you urinate, urine that contains blood ormucus, an increase or decrease in amount of urine, constantly waking up from sleep to urinate, cloudy, unusually strong or foul smelling urine, pain,pressure, or tenderness in the area of the bladder, back pain, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting and painful sexualintercourse. Urinary tract infections come in just next to anemia inconditions that often affect women during pregnancy.
pregnancy. TREATMENT OF UTI: UrinaryTract Infectionsare often treated with the use of antibiotics, it is advisable you complete the course of antibioticsprescribed by the doctor and this is usually safefor both the mother and the baby. Ensure to notify thedoctor if you experience fever, chills, lower stomachpains, nausea, vomiting, contractions, or if a burningsensation persists even after treatment.
If diagnosed and treated early and thoroughly, the UTIwill not affect the baby. However there are cases ofasymptomatic infections that can develop and spreadinside the body without the patient noticing anythingunusual.These asymptomatic UTIs can adverselyinfluence the health of the unborn baby and result inpyelonephritis — a disease of the kidneys known tocause low birth weight if left untreated. There is also adanger of impeded mental development in childrenwhose mothers have recurrent urinary tract infections. In extreme cases,
UTI results in miscarriage andincreased infant mortality. When you sense that you have a UTI, you must see the doctor as quickly as possible so that urine sample willbe collected for urinalysis to detect and treat themicroorganisms responsible for the UTI. The primary test is the appearance and smell of theurine sample.Typically, urine ought to be clear andslightly yellow.When there is an infection, it will havean unpleasant odor and or appear cloudy. Urinalysiscan be done at any point throughout
PREVENTION OF UTI: It is possible to doeverything right and still get a urinary tract infection. However, your chances of getting UTI can besignificantly lowered by increasing daily intake of water of water and unsweetened cranberry juiceregularly. Reduction if possible avoid intake of refinedfoods, fruit juices, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. Vitamin supplements: High doseVitamins such asVitamin C, Beta-carotene and Zinc to help fightinfection, act as anti-oxidants and boost immunity . Develop a habit of urinating as soon as the need is feltand empty your bladder completely when you urinate.Avoid intercourse while you are being treated for aUTI. Urinate before and after intercourse. Afterurinating, blot dry, do not rub and keep your genitalarea clean. Make sure you wipe from the front towardthe back. Avoid soak bath in the tub longer than30 minutes or more than twice in a day. Avoid the use of strong soaps, douches, antiseptic creams, femininehygiene sprays, and powders to wash vaginal area.Wear clean all cotton underwear every day. Do notwear tight fitting panties or polyester/ nylon underwear. Ensure you maintain personal hygiene and eat balanced diet to fight infection and boost immunity. Urinary Tract Infections are usually self-diagnosable which means you know when you have them most times. Early treatment is recommended so the specific antibiotics safe in pregnancy at the safest dose is prescribed by your specialist.
XTRA
Climate Talks in Bonn: Who Will the African Delegates Represent? By Philip Jakpor of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria; Tontie Ninado of Action Aid Ghana and Million Belay, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa You would not invite the arsonist who set fire to your house to put it out especially if their solution wasadding more kerosene. So why are fossil fuel corporations (the same ones that for decades have derailed progress on climate) pouring such “kerosene” on our planet in the form of dangerous market mechanisms and “climate smart agriculture” within the global UN climate talks? Next week government delegates across Africa will join others around the world that are gathering in Germany to chart next steps to further ensure the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. We urge these delegates to heed the call from more than 50 African civil society groups recently made at Climate Week in Accra: to end the corporate capture that is advocating for false solutions like “climate-smart agriculture,” carbon markets, geo-engineeringand driving out the solutions that communities are demanding such as agro-ecology systems as nature-based solutions, and non-market solutions. Climate policymaking has long been overrun by corporate interests. This point was made clear in a recent investigation into the industry backed Global Climate Coalition (which included as its members – Chevron, Exxon, Shell and the US Chamber of Commerce) – revealing it played an underhanded role in undermining the process behind the UN climate assessment for years using lobbyists and industry-funded scientists. The stakes are high and getting higher.
In addition to ensuring industrial agriculture schemes like “climate-smart agriculture” are soundly rejected, countries must adopt guidelines for the implementation of Article 6that reject market mechanisms and center real solutions while implementing the Paris Agreement. Sadly, like the rest of the Paris Agreement, the opportunity to cen-
ter real solutions in Article 6 finds itself under threat from the same profiteering, green-washing forces. While the upcoming intersessional talks atGermany rarely make international headlines, its outcomes hold immense relevance for the people of our countries – and across the African continent. A global climate response that is centered on carbon
markets and so-called “climate smart agriculture” is inconsistent with climate justice. Time and again it is Indigenous peoples, small-scale farmers, forest peoples, youth, communities of color and women who are most impacted by the profiteering schemes corporations push. The call from African civil society to our delegates is clear: We are demanding climate justice! And we are united in demanding real solutions including support for agroecological practices that are sustainable, providing long-term climate finance solutions, and keeping fossil fuels in the ground. Appropriate climate finance should be provided for the most vulnerablepeoples. The influence of big polluting industry is so pervasive that last December at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24), a Royal Dutch Shell executive boasted abouthow effectively the corporation influenced the Paris Agreement. At the same meeting, due in part to this obstruction, countries failed to adopt comprehensiveguidelines for implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. In many cases, the rules that were adopted – like on the issue of climate finance – were a complete insult to the people and communities that have long been on the frontlines of climate change. Perversely, these are the people and communities that historically have contributed the least to driving the crisis. The time is now for government delegates across the African region to stand united and heed the call of those they represent in demanding real solutions toaddress the climate crisis. This June they must make clear where they stand: with the peoples of Africa or the corporate profiteers that look at our
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COLLAGE EVENTS
SWAI to Hold Sixteenth Security Awards and Conference in UAE Sunday Ehigiator
L-R: Executive Director, Makwil Integrated Resources Ltd, Mr. Sami Orungbe; Design Engineer, Neuranet Toronto, Ms. Ayomide SamiOrungbe; Graduate of BSc. in Aerospace Engineering, Ryerson University Toronto, Mr. Oreoluwa Sami-Orungbe; and his mother/ Managing Partner, Averti Professional Managers, Nigeria,Mrs. Inyang Sami-Orungbe, during their son’s graduation ceremony held in Toronto, Canada...recently
Security Watch Africa Initiatives (SWAI) is set to host its sixteenth edition of Security Awards and Conference themed, ‘Global Security Outlook: Challenges, Impediment and Prospects For A Secured Africa’, in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirate. According to a statement signed by the International Coordinator and CEO, Mr. Patrick Agbambu, the event which has been scheduled for November 6 and 7, 2019 is aimed at “seeking broader and rich solutions for security and safety in Africa and provide an avenue for some Africa’s best in security, safety, environment, shelter, aviation, and governance in a global arena.� This he said necessitated the decision to host this event in Dubai, UAE.� Recipients billed to receive awards include those from security, governance, academic and industrial sectors for their efforts in changing their respective societies one step at a time. Since the inception of the award in 2004, with Abuja, Nigeria, as its first host, the body has not looked back in tackling issues bordering on security in Africa and worldwide. The event has grown over the years to incorporate other African, Middle East and American nations. This event has held successfully in Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. According to Agbambu, the event is expected to bring together African scholars across the world to discuss security and safety issues confronting Nigeria as a people. He also said that they will celebrate outstanding and excellent performance by people across the continent. Meanwhile, SWA in its quest for a secure Africa has extended its tentacles by partnering Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The partnership with the Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, was affirmed after the signing of an MoU in June 2016. SWA partnered the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA), a research institute of SU and located within the Faculty of Military Science. SIGLA builds leadership capacity and generates knowledge resources in the area of security for sustainable development.
R-L: National Leader, NADECO, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu(Rtd); Chairman of BOT, South-East South-South Professionals, Emeka Ugwu-Oju; President General, Ndigbo Lagos, Major General Obi Umahi(Rtd); and Secretary General, Ndigbo Lagos, Chief Chuma Igwe, during a felicitation visit to Ugwu-Oju who turned 60 years in Lagos...recently ABIODUN AJALA
Diocese of Ika Set to Install Chancellor, Others
Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru(left) being congratulated by a fellow/GMD, Arco Group, Mr. Alfred Okoigun after Baru has just been inducted as a Fellow at the 2019 Annual Lecture/Induction of New Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering at UNILAG Campus, Lagos...recently
Sunday Ehigiator
L-R: Secretary General, Nigeria International Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Olubunmi Osuntuyi; Senior Consultant, Naijalink Limited, Ms Sumaya Arabe; Chairman Lagos State Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Babatunde Paul Ruwase; Chairman international Chamber of Commerce Nigeria, [ICCN]\ ICC Regional Coordinator, Sub Saharan Africa, Mr Babatunde Savage; Secretary General International Court of Arbitration, Mr Alexander Fessas; Honourary Treasurer, Nigeria International Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Dorothy Ufot, SAN; Chairman Planning Committe, Mr Mike Igbokwe, SAN; and Deputy Consulate General Brazil, Mr Helges Bandeira, during the dinner party to mark 100 years celebration of International Chamber of Commerce held in Lagos...recently KOLAWOLE ALLI
The Diocese of Ika (Anglican Communion), is set for the installation of a new chancellor, registrar and other legal officers of the diocese. According to a release credited to The Bishop of the Diocese, Rt Rev. Godfrey Ekpenisi, the installation would be holding by 11am on Sunday, June 23, 2019 at the Cathedral Church of Ascension, Boji-Boji Owa, in Delta State. The new chancellor was identified as Ewerre Okubor, a barrister of the law. She is the wife of a former commissioner for Information and Chief of Staff, Delta State. She had been an active parishioner in the Diocese, offering many leadership assistance to the body of Christ. The event would also feature rededication of Knights, Lay readers, Evangelists, and also fund raising for the building of Ika Queens Academy administrative block among others.
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
LIFE
The Boss as Bridge-builder Auwal Muhammad Mr Boss Mustapha, even when he was the helmsman at the Inland Waterways Authority, carried out his duties efficiently outside the public glare which is rare for a man of his political standing. This may have prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to choose him to replace the disgraced former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal. The president, after the heat generated by the indiscretions of the former occupant of that all- important Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), in his thinking, wanted a less noisy and less controversial candidate who will be diligent enough to carry out his duties earnestly and without attracting negative attention either to himself or to his office. So far Mustapha has lived up to the billing combining, dexterously, the administrative schedules of the OSGF with its immense political demands. Though he claimed not to have come into the office with any special skills, but by adopting the strategies that made it possible for him to interface, mediate, negotiate and extend a hand of fellowship to the office’s numerous stakeholders, he assured people with varying shades of grievances, that they are part of Nigeria. He made the stakeholders that looked up to his office to understand that they can make claims for which the government is obligated to listen to them. Through this approach, he has been able to attain relative peace in areas and among people with issues that had tended to generate conflicts. Re-echoing the President’s assurances that we would work to avoid the conflicts which are needless, the office of the OSGF which Mustapha occupies, has done a lot in that area. Narrating his efforts in this direction he said in a recent media appearance that “we have tried as much as possible to interface with the traditional rulers who are the first respondents in most communities through the National Council of Nigerian Traditional Rulers, which is co-chaired by the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto. We have had series of meetings. Not long ago, I was in Kaduna, where we had a joint one for the Northern states and subsequently we had that of the South-East in Owerri. We are working to have that of the South West in Ibadan or Lagos, which we haven’t fixed the time and one for the South South.� Sounding optimistic, he also said that to move a little bit further, some of these conflicts and clashes that were noticeable in the polity are results of unfortunate suspicions that have eaten deep into our psyche as a result of religious and other differences.
Boss Mustapha
To address this, the SGF breathed life into the hitherto moribund Nigeria InterReligious Council (NIREC). This Council which had existed before he came into office, for a period of about six years, held no meetings. “I had to do a lot of spadework to convince the leadership that we needed to go back to the negotiation table and begin to talk. When the people outside begin to see the leaders of different faiths talking, it encourages them to have a sense or feeling that our problems will be sorted out.� In his assessment of that approach to conflict resolution, Mustapha said that “it has helped us tremendously and we have had segregated meetings in all the six geo-political zones where NIREC could be meeting at different levels. The same thing with the National Council for Traditional Rulers which is part of what we are doing in addition to what the government is doing as well as the OSGF because we have the responsibility for public safety and security.� He observed that the government had to take these steps to ensure that the people are in dialogue, talking and trying to find solutions to the problems that have engulfed the country. The SGF expressed his confidence that as much as the dialogue process and peaceful resolution of crisis continues, “it will reflect in our communities and we would find solutions to our conflicts and
begin to accept that we need to resolve our conflicts than engaging in the shedding of blood that has really caused a stigmatization of the nation.� The SGF sees his approach to public safety and security which his association with religious and traditional rulers has helped as a cardinal function of his office. In addition, “it is very imperative for me to have an eye on enforcement agencies when it comes to public safety and security. And part of what we have been able to do concerns especially the challenges that we find in this country.� In a futuristic note, the SGF continued, “but the basic thing is going forward, as we go into 2019-2023 what the government will be looking at is strengthening the institutions; putting in place mechanism that will help stop corruption from taking place because it comes with a lot of expenses which I know require a lot of paradigm shifts. One way we can do it as a people is to begin to create safety nets for the people that are involved in the work place. Once you are able to create a safety net; something that can take care of them in terms of any major accident, insurance packages that can cover them and their families, people will have less tendency in indulging in corrupt practices. Nobody wants to be stigmatized with corruption which is the truth, but I know it is this fear of the unknown that normally propels people into doing that.
Going forward, we should strengthen the institutions and build capacities for them; make sure too that we create safety nets around the whole places so that people can have a bit of comfort. No government has ever recovered the kind of money that we have recovered, the kind of properties that have been seized, now going through the processes of temporary forfeiture and eventually permanent forfeiture and after they are disposed and the funds generated will be ploughed into treasury account. Because of the single treasury system that has been put in place, so much money can be accumulated and be used to fund projects, provide for social services for the people of this country. The other aspect of it is the diversification of the economy, I think we have done very well in that area, particularly in the area of development of infrastructure. Most countries long time ago knew that if they could provide roads, provide rail then they would open up their countries, there will be influx of businesses and I think in that area, in a better way, we have succeeded tremendously. Not only that, even in the area of agriculture, so much investments have gone into agriculture. The anchor borrowers’ scheme has provided so much resources. As at the time we went to campaign, it was about N86 billion that was expended from that and you know how many millionaires have come out through the scheme, particularly in the area of growing of rice. We grew the rice farmers population from 4 million to 12 million. So, it’s a mass of people that have benefited from that scheme. Then the social investment programme has, in the last two years, done so much in creating wealth for the small business people. Is it the farmer money or the trader money, market money, and so many of these programmes have helped generate employment for the people. The school feeding programme in the south has created wealth for a lot of people and so many people have gone back to the farms, millions are required to feed the students on daily basis, so much monitoring are required, so many food vendors, women have been employed as cooks servicing that particular industry. So I believe that to a large extent, we have diversified the economy. We realize that we came at a time when there was a major drop in crude oil prices, but we were able to navigate, despite that to come out of recession, I think we have done so well and therefore we can do better for the people of this country. Muhammad wrote in from Jalingo
XTRA
Tween Metseagharun Launches First Book, Vehemence Sunday Ehigiator Nine-year-old tween, Nola Metseagharun, as a year five pupil of Corona School, Lekki, recently launched her first published book titled ‘Vehemence’. The event which enjoyed solidarity from families, friends, parents and classmates of the nine-year-old, was strategically held on the just celebrated Children’s Day to encourage children to always be intentional in nurturing and showcasing their talents. It was also targeted at imbibing the right mentality in parents towards supporting their wards with everything necessary for their grooming. Speaking with THISDAY, Metseagharun, who said she started writing quite early at age five, revealed that she was inspired to write Vehemence by her dad to encourage children to be of good behavior and obedient to their parents or guardians at all time. According to her, “although I am 10 years old now, my dad told me that at the age of five I was a very good writer, and he inspired me to write this book. I am in year five now. The title of the book is Vehemence. It is about a young girl who saves her people from a very wicked witch. “I intend to pass a message to children all around the world to never be rude and also adhere to prescribed punishment for a
Cover page of the book Vehemence
wrong doing. I hope that someday, I will become a prominent writer in the future and also a pediatrician. “My role models are my pastors-Pastor Nike Adeyemi and Pastor Sam Adeyemi. They are my role models because they are very courageous and kind people. They love to help and take care of motherless children.� Father of the author, Mr. Opemi Metseagharun, also in an interview with THISDAY, expressed his delight at the creative ability of his daughter.
Mr. and Mrs Metseagharun with their daughter, Nola Metseagharun
According to him, “It was an amazing day for us, especially as we are launching this work in a period when the world is celebrating children. It is a good feeling for us. “Our role for her as parents was and is to guide her through what her dreams and desire is. We observed while she was five years old, that she has the potential to write. Our task here was to encourage her by giving her all the necessary support required. “We thank God for the feat she has just
attained today. As we await her decisions on her future to be a pediatrician to begin to manifest, we would be here to help her circulate her current book and others yet in the making, all around the world. Which is also her dream. “My children’s day message would be to parents. They should know that every child is born with at least a gift or talent. They should try as much as possible to create enough time for their children and help them discover these abilities. And also provide the right encouragement and
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
ENTREPRENEUR
Ayeni Adekunle: On a Mission to Redefine PR Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă“Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ™Ă&#x;ĂŒĂžĂ?ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁË› ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ÚÒÓÖÙĂ?ÙÚÒã Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ËŤ Ă?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ™Ę¨ĂžËŹËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă&#x;ÖÞÓÚÖĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ę¨ĂœĂ— Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ͚ͺ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă‹ ×ÙÎĂ?Ă– Ę¨ĂœĂ— ÞÙ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;ÞʨÞĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? Ojo Maduekwe
A graďŹƒti at BHM oďŹƒce depicting the company’s abbreviation and philosophy
Founder & CEO of the BHM Group, Ayeni Adekunle
T
a PR firm, boast an impressive clientele like BHM and not be the centre of attraction in a conversation on the industry. Amongst industry observers, BHM is seen as a model and reference point for both small and large marketing communications firms in Nigeria. “I hear people say that the reason why BHM is this successful is that in some of the companies that BHM consults for, you have contacts who are friends with Ayeni, thus he gets the big jobs. Knowing that it took Ayeni years of building and paying his dues to attain this level, I sometimes object to the fact that he clinches these big accounts merely on the basis of friendship. Speaking about friendship, you don’t build capacity for over a decade and not make friends along the way, these old friends believe in your competence and capacity more than anyone else. If friendship is the final hammer that hits the nail on an account pitch, then all well and good, I’m up for that so long as it’s not trivialised,� Perez said. There are several industry firsts that accords BHM this status of a model PR firm, initiatives such as the annual Nigeria PR Report dedicated exclusively to chronicling data on trends, perceptions, challenges and prospects within the industry; the Nigerian Twitter Map which tracks trending conversations on Twitter and recommends profiles of the most prominent voices on various topics; and the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NEC) that discusses trending topics around the entertainment industry and its future. However, beyond the ‘man-knowman’ and the trendsetting initiatives is a philosophy at the heart of BHM; the idea of putting “People Before Profit� that has ensured the firm not only groom the best professionals in the industry but be involved in some of the most creative and talked about successful PR campaign ideas, such as the MTN Nigeria Communications Plc ‘Man In The Box’ in 2018, which was executed as a part of a multiagency creative effort. A July 2018 BusinessDay feature attributed BHM’s success to its staff of young, passionate professionals “who deliver unbeatable results for clients,
he founder/CEO of BlackHouse Media (BHM), Ayeni Adekunle, in a 2016 interview to mark 10 years of the media and public relations firm, said part of his vision for the agency in the next decade was to grow the company into “the first local agency to become a global agency�. To partly drive this vision and as a continuation of the anniversary celebration, BHM published a free 138 page book titled ‘BHM Guide to PR’ for industry professionals. Two years after that statement, BHM has gone on to record some impressive achievements. In 2017, the firm was named thePR Agency of the Year and Best Agency to Work by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos Chapter. Recently, BHM was crowned the ‘PR Agency of the Year ’ 2018 at the Brandcom Festival on Friday, May 24th, 2019 at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, which had in attendance some of the best and brightest minds in Nigeria’s Marketing Communications industry, cutting across advertising, digital and media; including some of the biggest brands in Nigeria. Organised by Brand Communicator - a brand and marketing communications magazine, and also the organiser of the Women in Marketing and Communications Conference/Awards (WIMCA) - the BrandCom Festival and Awards was established to recognise and celebrate excellence in Nigeria’s rapidly growing Marketing Communications industry. Reacting to the award on Instagram, Ayeni thanked BHM staff, the agency’s clients, friends, media partners and advisers, and dedicated the award to “everyone who’s in our corner, those about to cross over, and to everyone working day and night, making huge sacrifices and strides to help us build a great company.� Acknowledging that BHM still had a long journey ahead of it, Ayeni said he however believed the firm was on the right path. A part of an official statement released by the agency to announce the award read: “With a vision and mission to
provide the best possible corporate and marketing communications to the best brands on earth and becoming Africa’s leading media and public relations agency, BHM has continued to innovate and push the bounds of norm in Public Relations‌â€? The 12 years old agency has worked with clients in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Milan, Paris, Las Vegas, Ghana, Barcelona, etc. Some of these clients include MTN Nigeria Communications Plc., Nigerian Breweries Plc., Multichoice, Viacom, Kroll, Italian Luxury Company - Alter Ego Project Group and the biggest music awards on the continent MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs). Some other past clients include Moet Hennessy, Interswitch Transnational (Interswitch, Verve and Quickteller), First Bank Plc, Campari, American Honey, Famous Grouse, Skyy Vodka. Other clients include Viacom, Quilox and The Headies. No doubt, BHM has one of the most impressive lineup of clients for any PR firm in Nigeria. This is not an easy achievement, considering that Nigeria’s marketing communications industry is one of the most difficult to set up shop. Often, agencies have to deal with clients who do not understand, let alone appreciate the relevance of the industry. So for a firm that is barely more than a decade to have such distinguished clientele is an achievement; a fact that was reiterated recently during a conversation that I had with an industry player. Last week, I played catch up with a friend, mentor and the founder of Arden & Newton, Perez Tigidam, someone whom I admire for the strides he is making in the marketing communications industry. Perez also runs ‘The Nerve Africa’, an Africa focused growth information and digital news service, which is organising the maiden Global Africa Forum on Communications slated for August 21st and 23rd, 2019 at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda. Perez and I both share a mutual respect and admiration for Ayeni, and so as we discussed the down and upside in the industry, it was only natural that Ayeni and BHM would come up. You cannot be
investors, stakeholders and audiences.� According to the article, to reward them, “BlackHouse Media adopts what it calls the policy of 3C’s of Capacity, Convenience, Compensation which puts its people before profit, integrity before image and unlimited possibilities before general platitudes.� When you walk into BHM’s office, the “People Before Profit� philosophy is boldly engraved as signage and can be seen at the reception. My first visit to the firm was for a meeting with Ayeni; it ended up being a crash course on his aspirations for the company, which has a staff strength of 50 plus young people. Departments under the BHM Group is comprised of Corporate & Legal, Talent & Material Management, and Finance, that ensures a smooth daily execution of the firm’s vision. The office ambience oozes creativity, and the friendliness amongst the staff fosters a culture of cooperation. Witnessing this made it easy to understand how BHM’s successes are intricately tied to its philosophy. Under the BHM Group are standalone brands, namely, BHM, ID Africa, Plaqad, Neusroom, 234Star, NET, Orin, NET Shop, and NEC. The smooth fusion of these unique brands (comprising digital content trading and influencer marketing, entertainment, mobile music streaming, digital communications, e-commerce, news, fashion and lifestyle, events) into one giant functioning and successful group of companies is due to the “People Before Profit� philosophy. As an outsider trying to understand how BHM has attained this level of success in just 12 years, all you’re likely going to see are the unique brands that make up the company, the impressive client list and the “hefty� retainer fees that comes with it, but brands like BHM are the embodiment of the philosophies that drive them. Yes they may attain success because of the quality of their products and services, but much more as a result of the management of their company using time-tested business principles such as the “People Before Profit� that is at the core of BHM, and has seen it become a model to other PR firms.
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
METRO
‌Your city life in print
Inspiring Bayelsa’s Next Generation Emmanuel Addeh Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ͚̋͞ãĂ?Ă‹ĂœĚ‹Ă™Ă–ĂŽ ĂŁĂœĂ“Ă– Ă•ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ&#x;Ëœ Ă‹ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă?ÒÙÚ Ă?Ă—Ă“Ă?ĂœĂ“ ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă™Ă–Ëœ Ă Ă™Ă—Ëœ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă‹ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŁĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă‹ ÞËÞĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ě‹ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ù××ÓĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourselfâ€?-Oprah Winfrey For Cyril Okworu, a 16-year-old student of Bishop Demieri Grammar School (BDGS), Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the quote above encapsulated the whole gamut of events that led to his emergence as a one-day Commissioner for Education in the state last week. His search for excellence and recognition far beyond his peers finally materialised after years of sleepless nights, despite the challenges, when he was picked to sit at the expansive office of the newly-inaugurated education house, to dish out orders to permanent secretaries, directors and other support staff of the ministry of education in the state, some of them older than his parents. For Okworu, a Senior Secondary School student, the feat was not served on a platter. He was among over 40 candidates who sat for the state-organised yearly essay writing competition, where the overall winner gets to act as the commissioner for education for one day. Now in its second year, the competition, which absorbs students from all the eight local governments in the state, it was learnt, is meant to primarily inspire and motivate school children to excel and to intimate them with the workings of government. For the young Okworu, resplendently dressed in his traditional Ijaw attire with his proud parents walking behind him, it was time to exhale and indeed savour the reward of hardwork, even if temporarily, at a desk he could before then, only sit in his dreams. He had just won the hotly contested competition, emerging tops from the final eight shortlisted by the Mike Afenfia-led selection committee, which picked the top three after what appeared a gruelling process. With a correspondingly apt topic: “Drug Abuse, addressing the challengeâ€?, Okworu showed that the respect accorded BDGS, one of the first sets of secondary schools to be established in the state, was not a fluke. “I am grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate our countryman governor and the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation as well as the giant strides he has achieved in education. I hope the next government will continue in this stead after the governor’s tenureâ€? the youngster said in his opening remarks. Like one who has mastered the act of public speaking, the slim, slightly laid-back, newly-inaugurated aide to the governor called on his peers to avoid actions that could destroy their lives. “Anyone can be successful, but not everyone is granted success. It takes tenacity . I urge my colleagues to stay off drug abuse. I got to where I am today by taking my studies seriously, not by taking tramadol or other stimulants. Any drug can be abused. Drug abuse is rampant in our schools and I urge that the laws should be strengthened. “ Those who are already into it should be rehabilitated and everyone should live by example. That way, children can sit back and say, since my father did not do drugs, my mother did not and my uncle did not do drugs, even me will not do itâ€? He did not forget to mention that certain things needed improvement, despite what he called the giant strides of Governor Seriake Dickson in the education sector in Bayelsa. While acknowledging the place of God in the life man, the teenager called for the building of a school fence and provision of a school bus to ease movement. In his comments, the substantive Education Commissioner, Jonathan
Obuebite clearing his desk for the youngster
Education Commissioner, Jonathan Obuebite with the one-day Commissioner, Cyril Okworu
Outgoing one-day Commissioner, African us, handing over to his successor, Okworu.
Obuebite underscored the importance of the annual ritual, emphasising on the need to mentor and motivate the youngsters. “He came first in the essay competition that we had and we have decided to do this so that it will be documented that this happened at a point in time. He’s from the Bishop
Demiari Grammar School (BDGS). This is to motivate them. This is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. “With this, he knows he’s already recognised all over the state, the challenge is to sustain this excellence. From here he knows he has to excel and have all As in his papers� said the ministry’s top man.
He added: “Today our children are competing all over the world and that’s because of the determination of the governor to change our narrative. We have a governor that has transformed the education sector. Our model is being adopted all over Nigeria. “We have the education loan scheme, the Education Development Trust Fund, with that fund no one can say they can’t go to school because of lack of funds. Even if you build roads you need educated people, whether you build hospitals you need educated people to run them. All PhD holders now have automatic employment. From all over the Ijaw-speaking states. “This boy will one day grow and tell people he was a one-day commissioner. We want to motivate and challenge their spirit so they know all eyes are now on them and they have to excel in everything they do and learn the ropes in the art of governance. They need to have that feel and know how government runs. Everything in the ministry is well defined. “He is taking over and he deserves it because the process was very tough, in fact a lot tougher than last year’s. We want the best to sit here. We are not doing this for the fun of it. We are doing it so that when people hear, they will appreciate the process� he stressed. According to him, the second person automatically becomes the permanent secretary and the third a director, while there’s also the parliament. On the rampant drug abuse he said, “We have a problem in society, not just among our children, but among parents and guardians. It has become worrisome . That’s why the theme of the years children’s day, it was agreed nationally that it should be used to create awareness against the dangers of drug abuse. “We felt that the best way to reach the children directly was to organise an essay whose topic will revolve around the menace of drug abuse. We wanted to give them a chance to proffer solutions since they are the ones involved. “Today, we have a child commissioner. And it’s not just about narcotics. When you take drugs without prescription, you have abused it. We are taking the enlightenment to the victims themselves. “And when children have these problems, the parents also suffer. Some parents buy alcohol and serve their children. That’s drug abuse. It’s wrong� On whether the programme will be sustained by the next government, he said: “ This government leaves February 14. But the next governor will be a Bayelsan and as a Bayelsan I also know that he will see the records. It is open to the next governor and his team to look at what we did, adopt the good things, improve on some and move it forward. This is just a stepping stone�. The elated parents of the teenager lauded the initiative, maintaining that they were not surprised that the youngster was excelling, since he had always been hardworking. Benjamin Okworu, father of the one-day commissioner posited: “My son doesn’t sleep when others are sleeping. He loves his books. I am not surprised.� While handing over, winner of the state Essay Writing Competition for last year, Master Africanus Noel, who attends the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama, lauded the governor for establishing free boarding secondary schools across the state. He described education as the foundation for any meaningful development and linked lack of value orientation to cultism, prostitution and other social vices in the country.
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CRIME&SECURITY
Nigerian Army 6 Division Trains 2000 Customs Personnel in Weapon Handling
Operatives of the 9 Division teaching personnel of the NCS weapon handling and marksmanship
To ensure topnotch skills in weapon handling and marksmanship, about 2000 Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) personnel are undergoing a 40-day training at the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army (NA). According to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham, the expectations are that the Customs personnel will be more disciplined and better in weapon handling especially in their dealings with the civil populace. He said the training was organised to achieve the re-training of the NCS personnel on weapon handling, actualise the existing relationship and boost the capacity of para militray agencies who solicit the support of the NA to train their personnel, as well as enhance the synergy between the NA and other security agencies. He said: “The 6 Div NA train-
In its efforts to encourage hard work, Jashabel Touch A Heart Foundation (JTAH), recently honoured Oriyomi Titilayo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who is the Motorpol, Lagos. The event which was held in Lagos recently, during the annual National Women and Child-girl Stakeholders Conference was themed: “The Nexus between Education and Empowerment of Girl-Child�. Speaking at the event, the founder of JTAH, Mrs Favour Benson, said women need to come together and change the narrative of Nigerian women and the girl-child. “When you give birth to a male child you just created a family but when you give birth to a female child you created a nation.
New Code of Conduct at Police Checkpoints in Nigeria t Endeavour to slow down your vehicle.It shows that you are not reckless.It also douses suspicion that you are a criminal and may want to speed off. t Turn down the volume of your car stereo.Courtesy demands this.Besides,you are able to hear each other better. This simple act will also help you to win the conďŹ dence of the security operative. t Keep your hands visible to avoid unnecessary suspicion or fear by the ofďŹ cers that you are attempting to bring out a gun or other harmful objects to attack them. t Turn on the inner light of your vehicle while approaching the cops (if at night). It readily sends an unspoken message that you have nothing to hide. t Be friendly and cheerful.Commend the ofďŹ cers especially when you see them working under very unfriendly weather conditions such as the rains, the harsh harmattan conditions, excessive heat, cold or sunshine. We know it’s their job, but a little kind word from you will do a lot of good. Remember when you smile at the mirror, the mirror smiles back at you. t Endeavour to be polite even when answering questions put to you by the ofďŹ cers. t Don’t dare or challenge an armed security man to a duel.Oftentimes,you hear people say things like‘shoot me if you can!â€?Note that this is a recipe for disaster! It is very provocative and an unnecessary call for war. So, please play safe, more so, as you do not know the state of mind of the ofďŹ cer concerned. tAlso,don’t go into a physical ďŹ ght with an armed security ofďŹ cer.He may resort to the use of his weapon (rightly or wrongly) to defend himself. t Avoidunnecessaryargumentwitharmedsecuritypersonnel.Thereareathousand and one ways to seek redress where you feel your rights have been infringed upon. t Never try to touch an ofďŹ cer in an unfriendly manner. He may suspect you of trying to disarm him. t If you are a regular traveler or road user,make sure you have the police emergency phone numbers of the route you operate.You never can tell when an emergency situation could arise and you need the police to come to your aid. t Make sure you have all your relevant car papers and desist from actions or inactions that constitute either a criminal or trafďŹ c offence.Such infractions of the law provide veritable grounds for possible charges and other forms of adversarial contact with the Police or other law enforcement agencies,including unnecessary arguments. t Don’t give the impression that you are unhappy to see an ofďŹ cer on his beat or that he is wasting your time. But if you do have an emergency, politely inform the ofďŹ cer. Don’t speed off while still being checked. t Take note of the name tags, force or service numbers, personal description, description of weapons or patrol vehicle of the security ofďŹ cer especially where the ofďŹ cers begin to conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner. t Seek an audience with the most senior police ofďŹ cer at the checkpoint if things are not working out smoothly. t Politely insist to be taken to the police station if your complaint is not properly addressed. Credit: @PoliceNG
Lagos State NewTrafďŹ c Offences AndTheir Fines
The GOC addressing customs personnel of syndicates 1 and 2 during the training
ing for NCS on weapon handling commenced on June 17, 2019. A total of 2000 customs personnel are expected to undergo the training which is expected to last 40 days.
“At the end of the day, the customs personnel will be more disciplined and better in weapon handling especially in their dealings with the civil populace.�
JTAH Foundation Honours CSP Oriyomi Okpuzor Ezekiel
CRIME SITUATION REPORTS
So, let us come together and fight child, sexual, and domestic abuse and give qualitative education to our girls,� she noted. In her remarks, CSP Oriyomi said people keep showing her appreciation for hard work and she has promised Nigerians never to deviate from her resilience work and good name. “What I am doing now is the way I used to do it, they only chose to love me because of the way I do my things. Several years now, I have received different awards based on people who just keep recommending me, because they love what I do because I’m passionate my job.� “I was first discovered from traffic before I was moved to the crime world. People didn’t even know I can do crime investigation. One thing about me is that once I have been given a task, I always want to get the best out of it.
“I was given the best anti crime police officer in West Africa by Security Watch Africa, and I was also been given best Traffic Officer in Nigeria, so wherever you put me I do the best,� she said. Speaking further, she said parents should not see the male child as superior over the female child, or have the mentality that females are the weaker vessel, rather, equal benefit should be given to them. “We shouldn’t see a girl child in another form from a boy, they will grow up well and tackle whatever problem that comes their way, they would not see themselves as a weaker vessel. “In the Bible they said women are the helper, if you are not strong enough will be able to help somebody? That means women are stronger. Parents should train their female children as problem solver not depending on people to solve their problem,� she added.
1. Driving without a Driver’s licence – Impound vehicle. 2. Driving of any vehicle by person under 18 – N30,000. 3. Driving with fake number plates – N30,000, 3 years in prison. 4. Driving with forged vehicle particulars – 6 months in prison. 5. Driving with fake driver’s licence – 6 months in prison. 6. Driving without road worthiness – Impound vehicle. 7. Driving only yellow – N80,000. Enforce painting 8. Driving with Hackey permit – Impound vehicle. 9. No display of Hackey permit – Impound vehicle 10. Kabu Kabu without permit – Impound vehicle 11. Disobeying LASTMA OfďŹ cer – N30,000/ Impound vehicle. 12. Neglect of trafďŹ c direction light – 3 months in prison. 13. Smoking while driving – N30,000/Impound vehicle. 14. Physically assault trafďŹ c ofďŹ cer – N50,000/6 months in prison. 15. Driving without full light – N50,000. 16. Driving with worn out tyre – N30,000. 17. Driving without spare tyre – N30,000 18. Driving smoking vehicle – N30,000 19. No ďŹ re extinguisher – N30,000 20. Broken windscreen – N30,000 21.Tinted windscreen – N30,000 22. Eating and driving with one hand – 3 months in prison. 23. One way driving – 3 years in prison 24. Driving without fasten seat blt – N30,000 25. Not painting a commercial vehicle the approved colour – N50,000 26. No car hire service permit – 1st 20,000; 2nd N30,000, Impond vehicle 27. Parking on yellow line on any public highway/ illegal parking – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000 28.Vehicle crossing double yellow line/center line – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000. 29.Staying within the yellow junction box (offside rule) – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000 30.Failure to yield to right of the way of pedestrian at zebra crossing – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000 31.Failure to give to trafďŹ c on the left at a roundabout – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000. 32. Driving on walkway or kerb – Impound 33. Reversing on the highway & parking on walkways – 50,000 naira 34. Obstruction of trafďŹ c -20,000 naira 35. Picking/Dropping passengers on illegal B/stop -50,000 naira 36. Driving on BRT lanes – 70,000 naira. Credit: LASTMA
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F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
POLSCOPE
åÓÞÒ ĂŽĂŽĂŁ ĂŽĂ“Ă ĂĄĂœĂ“ Ă?ĂŽĂŽĂŁË›Ă™ĂŽĂ“Ă ĂĄĂœĂ“ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—Ëœ ͸΀͸ͽ ͝͸͞ Π͝ͽ͞
PMB: Waiting for the Lift of Poverty Stricken Nigerians
Buhari
W
hen President Muhammadu Buhari failed to utter any word after the May 29 swearing in ceremony, Nigerians were aghast that the president got a second term mandate without a whiff of appreciation to Nigerians. Not even an assurance of a better tomorrow. He just got sworn in, wearing an idle bag hanging down his right shoulder. Some said the strange bag contained the constitution of Miyetti Allah. I couldn’t confirm that. But by June 12, President Buhari came fully charged, delivering a 19-page speech that got many Nigerians talking for days. Some are even still talking about the June 12 speech. That speech is significant not only because it marks the 20th year of unprecedented back-to-back democracy celebration in Nigeria, it indeed marks the fifth round of transfer of political power from one leader to another. Perhaps the other aspect of the speech that thrilled Nigerians greatly was the naming of the Abuja National Stadium after the late MKO Abiola, in whose memory the June 12 Day has been declared Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Many believed the gesture redeems, a little, the injustice done to the late politician. Even then, the speech appeared more like a political manifesto and a report card of what has been achieved. With editors (and many Nigerians), the part of the speech that seems to have resonated well was evidently the promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. That clearly was the celebrated headline of many newspapers the next day. And that shows that poverty and its cousin: hardship, have held many Nigerians down for years, with the grip further tightened in the last four years. And so Nigerians are more than eager to be liberated from the infamous shackles of poverty. But the president did not say how these 100 million people will be “deliveredâ€? from poverty. In fact, he did not actually promise to do so. He was expressing the possibility of doing so, not necessarily that it is an agenda he wants to execute in the next four years. See how he put it: â€? With leadership and a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 yearsâ€?. What’s more, it is a ten-year projection, not a 4-year programme. In fact, even if the Buhari administration is faithful to the agenda, a succeeding administration would have to midwife six years of the agenda; time enough to ruin, wreck or re-order the scheme altogether. Yet, it is the brightest part of the speech which many Nigerians could identify with, especially as it was laced with hope. Mr President had clearly pointed out that Nigeria with her huge potential could indeed achieve greater governance feats that will improve the socio-metrics of Nigerians. Hear him: “We have water, arable land, forests, oil and gas and vast quantities of solid minerals. We are blessed with an equable climate. However, the bulk of our real wealth lies in Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Mining. We possess all the ingredients of a major economic power on the world stage.â€? Perhaps Mr President understands this burning desire of Nigerians: to relax the economy a little so that cash flow can increase. It has become a notorious clichĂŠ to always hear people retort: “for this Buhari time?â€? whenever a
request for money is made. No jokes, the economy has been on a grind. But the president is full of hopes that our tomorrow, as a country, will be better and brighter. He believes that the efforts his administration had put in place in the last four years are reassuring of a brighter and greater future. Despite the controversy that has trailed the Social Intervention Programmes (SIP), the administration looks committed to continuing the school feeding programme, provision of loans to traders, skill and knowledge acquisition support (N-Power scheme), cash transfer to the poorest of the poor in the country, etc. He plans to integrate more rural people into the “economic grid� of the nation by creating greater access to funds which small scale entrepreneurs can use to grow their businesses. But the unaddressed snag is the huge interest that accompanies bank loans. Nigerian banks are eager to make a kill of profits at the end of every trading year, without giving enough support to SMEs to grow and be established, thus restricting the full realisation of the potential inherent in the Nigerian economy. But despite this challenge, the president was enthused that the Nigerian economy was doing well, not only because it crawled out of recession (never mind that the tell tale signs are still plaguing us), but also because the economy has now “witnessed 8 quarters of positive growth in the economy and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 percent this year�. Nigerians are eager to have a better economy. And Buhari is promising them. He assures that, �this Administration is laying the foundation and taking bold steps in transforming our country and liberating our people from the shackles of poverty�, assuring that, “for the next four years, we will remain committed to improving the lives of people� Nigeria is a complex nation. Many plans do not run as conceived. They get botched midway. The President must factor this into the bag of hope he is offering Nigerians. Were it not so, the Ease-of-doing –business, as a government policy which was launched some three years ago would have eliminated all the difficulties in business transactions. But it has not. The president picked this in his speech. He lamented that we are still having too long a time in clearing goods from our sea ports; the roads to these ports are still too bad and choked, and too long a period of getting regulatory approvals for business transactions. Surely, these drawbacks are part of the labels which we interpret as “Nigerian factor� in the Nigerian lingo. As the president rightly noted, these draw backs affect our collective productivity. He expressed the determination to see that “Nigeria works for Nigerians of all persuasion�: Mr President rather glided over the crucial issue of stable electricity which many believe holds the key to economic or industrial liberation in the country. I believe the president, and indeed no president can accomplish everything at the same time. If Mr President will, for instance decisively tackle the mystery around stable electricity in the country, half of our economic problems would have been solved and he would have his name written in gold across the land. All said, Mr President must be time conscious. With three weeks gone into the second term, with no cabinet in place, the time to work the talks is now. Mr President must hit the ground running.
Aiteo Pricking the Tail of Community Tigers? Ever since the days of military president, Ibrahim Babangida, the term “settlement� has become an operational lexicon in the Nigerian business environment. And so, when the Yar’adua administration used the Amnesty programme to “settle’ the Niger Delta agitators, derisively called militants, the frequent upheavals, crises and vandalism of oil facilities have remarkably reduced. In fact, the Boys have been rather calm for a long time, to the joy of the federal government. The result is that not only are oil production and export now sparingly disrupted, the volume of production has also gone up significantly. And the Nigerian economy is better for it. But the honeymoon seems set to be terminated, if reports at my disposal are to be taken seriously. By June 30, that is ten days from now, the Nembe people (elders and youths inclusive) do not want to see Aiteo Eastern Explorations and Production Company Ltd, in their domain. Both parties seem to have unsheathed the sword and squaring up for a duel. The Opu Nembe (Nembe-Bassambiri) Kingdom of Bayelsa State has hired a team of lawyers to help drive the legal aspect of their protest against Aiteo, the operators of the OML29, which the say, is one of the most productive onshore oilfields, as it produces between 80,000 to 100,000bpd. The OML 29 is located within the Nembe kingdom. The community leaders have accused Aiteo of unethical and unprofessional conducts that are capable of igniting a wild fire of protests of cataclysmic proportion in the oil and gas industry in a way that it will hurt the Nigerian economy, Part of the protest by the community to National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) is that when the OML 29 licence of Aiteo expires in ten days time, it should not be renewed for the company, rather it should be re-awarded to a competent operator through a process of open and competitive bidding. The community has accused the company of deliberately displacing its members who are local contractors from the services of the company, by using their own contractors, through proxies, to execute the same contracts the locals use to execute, but now at much higher cost. The petition to NAPIMS noted that local contractors from the community are deliberately owed for as long as between six and 24 months after contracts have been executed, thus incapacitating them.
NNPC GMD, Mele KyarI
And that when the local contractors complain, the management of the company (Aiteo) will appoint their own proxies to become the local contractors, to the detriment of the local/community-based contractors. Some of such proxy companies which have allegedly displaced the locals include Cavendish Mechanicals Nig Ltd, Hydra Integrated Energy Services, Zamam Offshore Nig Ltd Keves Global Leasing Ltd etc. The community is bitter that the practice has led to so much frustration among the people of the kingdom as thousands of families and youths who depend on such contracts are left stranded with potential to cause �unpalatable consequences for communities and other wise� Beside th e tendency to provoke disq uiet among the youth s of the commun ity, the community leader s are also alleging that the contr acts to the proxies of the managers of the company are usually overinflated and the implication is that the federal government will be losing more money, given that the company is in Joint Venture arrangement with the NNPC. “This misconception is fuelled by key officers of the company to help cover up the contract racketeering and insider trading within Aiteo�, the petition stated. But in his response, when contacted on telephone, the spokesman of Aiteo, Mr Matthew Ndiana, reeking with arrogance, hastily dismissed the petition as “unfounded allegation�, insisting on seeing and verifying the documentary record of the local contractors But a quick intervention by NAPIMS and NNPC, the brewing crisis can be staved off by encouraging Aiteo to undertake better community relations.
Ken Tadaferua‌. An Abrupt Sunset Last Sunday, Mr KenTadaferua, an ebullient and fiery journalist, a proud son of Urhobo land, finally bowed to the notorious Big C, after a five year duel, at the unripe age of 62. He doggedly fought the malaise all the way from India through Israel and back to Nigeria. His spirit was high and charged even as his bones and flesh were fading away. He was such a dutiful journalist, who taught some of us some of the tricks of the trade. When he joined us on the Editorial Board many years ago, his perspective on issues were usually compelling and striking. Ken would see it the way others would not even imagine. His understanding of the business world was something else. He was full of life. I recall how very often he would argue with now Ven Okey Ifionu (then Deputy Editorial Board Chairman) over how they (Igbos) were given “red breadâ€? to eat during the war‌. And he would cackle away in loud laughter. Weeks before he finally passed, he was yet very active on social media, making informed argument and commentary on national issues. Clearly he was a pro-people personality.
He believed every government is oppressive. He never gave up in his advocacy for a better country. Life is hardly fair. Ken had to make the best of his lot in life. He fought gallantly and courageously. The rage has quietened now And today, we mourn him and can declare, as Shakespeare would put it (in Macbeth) that “after life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well� Ken o, Good night Bros.
Ken Tadaferua
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T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡
BUSINESSWORLD
ANALYSIS
Promoting Local Production in Plastic Industry Vanessa Obioha
C
an you tell us what your planned trade mission to the United Kingdom is all about? Our main mandate is to facilitate trade between Nigeria and the Uni we are glad to be part of this success story. The plastic industry in Nigeria is not one that hugs news headlines everyday despite its rapid growth. A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed showed that the industry has witnessed a significant increase in the past decade with an annual growth of 13.9 per cent, from 120kt in 2007 to 442kt in 2017 and was estimated to be 513 kt in 2020. Presently, over 3,000 plastic companies exist in the country today, as against the 50 companies that launched the industry in the 60s. Much of that growth is attributed to the technological disruptions taking place in the industry due to the surge in plastic consumption. As Nigeria is a major importer of plastics with over 70 per cent raw materials imported and 30 per cent locally produced, there is a pressured need for companies to deploy sophisticated technologies to meet the growing demands. Plastic products ranges from jerry cans, shopping bags, chairs, tables, buckets to sacks, mats etc. One of the key players in the industry raising the bar is Sarsoli Industrial company, a Lagos based company which started operations in 2011. Sarsoli is the first plastic master-batch (the granules mixed with plastic raw material in the percentage of two to four per cent to bring out the colours in the finished products) manufacturing company in Nigeria. Before Sarsoli came into the Nigerian scene, master-batches were imported from Korea with only 18-20 different colours being imported then by parent company Shivlila Polymers which is the largest importer of plastic raw materials in Nigeria. Now plastic colour master-batches are produced locally with over 1,000 different colours and shades for their clients both within and outside Lagos. However, Sarsoli achieved a historic milestone when it became the first company from West Africa to exhibit at the K fair, Dusseldorf, Germany the largest plastic industry fair in the world in 2013. That
Plastic recycling plant
first exhibition on world stage steered them into exporting master-batches to neighbouring countries of Nigeria in West Africa such as Ghana where they have an operational base. In 2016, the company participated in the exhibition and will once again be showcasing their products at the upcoming fair this October. Already, it advertised its intention and innovation at the K stand at the recently held Plast Print Pack Trade Show in Lagos. It was the fifth edition of the trade show. The fallout of its participation in K Fair, has seen the company not only expand target demographic across West Africa but also its focus within the ECOWAS enabled zero import duty zone, thus generating foreign exchange income through its exports. At the helms of affairs on the company is Jaiprakash Changrani. Before taking the reins of the company in 2011 as
managing director, Changrani played a key role in setting up preforms and cap manufacturing for Prima Corporation in 2005 and within five years, took it to become the largest producers of preforms and caps in Nigeria. He was also the Director of Classic Beverages, the producers of La Casera, and his input gave the brand an enviable dominance in PET bottle drinks market. This winning streak is what Changrani brings to Sarsoli, making sure clients are satisfied with quality services at competitive prices. But more importantly is the company’s goal to promote local production. Since it established in Nigeria, it has never lost focus to encourage local plastic industries and compete with imports from Korea, Turkey, Egypt, China and India. “We see local production as a means of increasing employment and technical empowerment and assist the Nigerian
government’s diversification policy to be boosted with a departure from an oil only dependent economy with the country also saving foreign exchange in local production,� stated Changrani. According to the helmsman, their foremost priority is to place Nigeria Plastic Industry in the global map while also strengthening their presence in Nigeria and West Africa. They hope to achieve this at this year’s edition of K Fair where they will be showcasing Made-In-Nigeria products. “We are looking forward to the innovation the fair continues to bring as exhibiting there proves that they are conscious of producing quality products and are at par with some of the leaders in the plastics industry. Also being at the K Fair gives us the first-hand information on new technology introduction in the plastic and allied industries,� he concluded.
Objectives of Accident Investigation Angus Ozoka
I
read the publication in some Nigerian media titled, “Air Peace Concealed Major Aircraft Incidents from Us – AIB� which was a press release by the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau to the World and this was unprecedented. After carefully reading the article and as a concerned Nigerian, I have the following observations and comments on the matter. The damage assessment by AIB did not reveal that an accident or serious incident occurred as Hard Landing does not equate to an accident or serious incident. According to AIB, the nature of the damage suggests a high probability of an accident but it is difficult to see how such a conclusion can be reached when a thorough investigation was not carried out. Accident investigation is a pain-staking research work which follows a whole process involving the gathering and analysis of information, the drawing of conclusions after determination of cause(s), and making safety recommendations. The aircraft (B737-300 with registration 5N-BUK) is on ground awaiting hard landing inspection i.e. the aircraft is not operating at the moment and so; it is difficult to see what wrong Air
Peace has committed. If, according to the airline, a Mandatory Occurrence Report (MOR) was filed with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in writing on May 17, 2019 after a notification was made on May 16, 2019 i.e. within two days of the incidents; the NCAA should confirm whether this assertion is true, and if so confirmed, Air Peace has done no wrong. With regard to Air Peace B737-300 with registration 5N-BUO, a malfunctioning Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) does not equate to an accident or serious incident and does not ‘make’ an accident. Its primary purpose is to complement i.e. facilitate investigation, and so one is at a loss to see what “sin� the airline has committed. The assertion that Air Peace lacks full understanding of AIB’s statutory mandates, functions and procedures does not derive from any investigation with recommendations and such a conclusion can therefore not be reached. So far, no accidents or serious incidents were shown to have occurred in the publication by AIB. If, by chance, Air Peace, which is unarguably the leading airline in Nigeria lacks full understanding of AIB’s mandates etc, then it will be very safe to conclude that other airlines in the country
equally lack this “full understanding�. The AIB should therefore take appropriate action to brief and educate all airlines in the country on such requirements for the wellbeing of the sector as AIB plays a critical role in aviation safety. Nothing stops the Bureau from charging a fee for their services as it is within their purview to do so. Annex 13, “Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation� does not provide for the type of Press Release made by AIB and published by the media in which an airline is blamed and castigated even when no accident occurred and no investigation carried out to reveal cause(s) and recommend measures to prevent re-occurrence. Press releases are targeted at critical stakeholders such as regulators, manufacturers et al for timely measures to enhance safety. It is possible that the AIB has other reasons for the allegation of wrong doing against Air Peace but this has not been demonstrated and unfortunately, the whole world has read the publication. In my very candid opinion, and deriving from the information by AIB in the Publication, neither ICAO nor NCAA rules and regulations were breached by Air Peace and it is not clear which aspects of AIB’s mandate and procedures, which should be in
alignment with ICAO Annex 13 were breached. Most of the issues in the publication are under the purview of the NCAA and it is believed that they are alive to their responsibilities, as the blame did not originate from them. Certainly, NCAA will not make such press releases because the Agency understands the industry and does not need to shout to lead. It is not the leadership style of its Director-General. In conclusion, we should be mindful of what we publish for the whole world to see so as not to be looked down upon and so that the competence of our professionals is not in doubt. In this way, no bias will be imputed. That publication is not in consonance with ICAO Annex 13 and certainly, not in the best interest of Nigeria. This type of press release is unknown to aviation. A very professional AIB will be a source of pride, and a Blessing to Nigeria and the world, and we must all support it towards this goal. According to ICAO Annexe 13, the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accident and incidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability. -Ozoka is a former Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria
T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 21, 2019
42
BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE
Embrace Digital Technology, Elumelu Tells Students,Young Professionals Peter Uzoho The Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Heirs Holding, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has stressed the need for students and young professionals in the financial services sectors to update their knowledge and embrace modern technology. This, he said would enable them remain relevant and succeed in the profession. Elumelu, said this while delivering a paper at the 2019 Annual Lecture of the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Lagos, Ojo Campus, with the topic, “The Future of Finance –Technology at Play.� The UBA chairman who was
represented at the occasion by the Executive Director, UBA, Mr. Ayoku Liadi, told the students that the, “key to continuous relevance is staying awake and staying disruptive.� He said: “I usually consider it a great privilege to address young innovative minds, especially in a reputable institution of learning like Lagos State University. “The reason is because it is a rare opportunity to address or contribute to ‘the future.’ The future is here and you are the future! “However, I will like you to note certain points that may shape the future of someone here today. The key to continuous relevance is staying awake and staying disruptive.
“Therefore, ‘Stay Awake! Stay Disruptive!!’ What does it mean to stay awake and to stay disruptive? It means to: Always be on the cutting edge of knowledge and emerging innovations in the marketplace. “Constantly seek better, easier, more effective and perhaps, cheaper ways of doing things. Never, never, accept the status quo. Have a learning mindset, one that is ready to embrace changes no matter how ‘sudden, rude, unexpected or uncomfortable’ those changes might be. Elumelu added: “Remember, the only constant thing in this fast-paced world is change. The future you will experience is one of your creation, imagination, vision and exposure.
FCMB Restates Commitment to Growth of Businesses
In line with its commitment to deepen the capacity and growth of businesses in Nigeria, particularly Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), First City Monument Bank (FCMB) will next week in Lagos, host a seminar on tax matters. The seminar, tagged, “Tax Enforcement and Implications on Businesses in Nigeria,� is aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with requisite knowledge on taxation by promoting the exchange of ideas between tax regulators and businesses on existing and emerging tax matters to ensure compliance and avoid sanctions. The one-day seminar would have in attendance SMEs operating in various sectors, including, trading, manufacturing, agribusiness, renewable energy, creative industry,
digital technology, healthcare, schools and individuals running businesses in their personal names or accounts. The Guest Speaker is the Director of Enforcement, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Emeka Obiagwu. In a statement, FCMB said topical issues relating to the country’s tax system and laws as well as other fiscal policies that impact on the profitability and overall success of businesses would be discussed at the seminar by the guest speaker and other professionals. It would also provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to understand their rights and responsibilities, especially as regards taxes, such as withholding tax and value added tax, among others. There would also be a session by FCMB Pensions Limited to
enlighten participants on new pension initiatives in the country, the implications for SMEs and the attendant benefits. Responding to inquiries about the seminar, the Executive Director, Business Development of FCMB, Mrs. Bukola Smith, was quoted to have reiterated the commitment of the bank to go the extra mile to empower businesses with relevant technical and financial know-how that would boost their performance and contribution to national development. According to her: “As the dynamics of taxation continues to change in Nigeria, we recognise that many businesses, especially SMEs, in the country are not equipped with the requisite information and knowledge to discharge their responsibilities in this area appropriately.
AMCON MD Congratulates Senate President, Speaker The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Lawan Kuru, has congratulated the principal officers of the ninth National Assembly in both the Senate and House of Representatives on their emergence. He also urged them to make far reaching legislative contributions towards the development of Nigeria. Kuru, in a letter to the lawmakers, expressed confidence in the abilities of these newly elected officials to deliver given their pedigrees both as politicians and representatives of the people. He said they had the qualities to rally the good people of Nigeria
and show purposeful leadership that would further enrich political narratives in the country. Particularly to the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, Kuru said: “On behalf of the management and staff of AMCON, I heartily congratulate you on your recent election as the Senate President of the ninth Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “As the longest serving Senator in the red chamber and watching your contribution to the development of the legislative arm of government in the last 20 years, we are not surprised by the choice and are grateful to the Almighty God. “Given your landmark achieve-
ments as an astute politician in Nigeria, I have no doubt that the good people of Nigeria will in the coming years, experience far reaching legislative contributions towards the development of our great country. “As you settle down into your new challenge as Senate President, I wish you God’s guidance in the arduous task of uplifting the standard of law making, which would help accelerate development and economic liberation in the country. “Please note that AMCON, which is helping the government in economic stability and revitalisation, is prepared to partner with your leadership of the national assembly to achieve this objective.�
RMB Holds Economic Conference Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Nigeria is set to organise an economic and business conference. The theme of the conference is: “Unlocking Real Sector Growth to drive Sustainable Economic Development.� The event holds in Lagos next Tuesday. “Nigeria, a key regional player in West Africa, with a population of approximately 200 million, Nigeria accounts for about 47 per cent of West Africa’s population and about 65 per cent of the West Africa economy. “Despite Nigeria’s dominance in the region and population size, the real GDP growth for 2018 was only 1.9 per cent and the first quarter 2019 GDP came in at two per cent. “While refreshingly, the growth was driven by the
non-oil sector, the extent of growth is still sub optimal,� the bank explained in a statement. According to the statement, with an abundance of resources, Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil exporter and has the largest natural gas reserves on the continent, vast natural resources, arable land, and a young entrepreneurial population. “After a decade of steady growth, market reforms, and increased political stability—as demonstrated by the recently held national elections in 2019, for the sixth consecutive time since its return to democracy in 1999, the country seems to be performing below its potential economically. “The opportunity to change course and usher the country
into inclusive and sustainable growth does indeed exist if the right operating environment and policies are instituted. “The conference will engage industry participants in a dialogue on the catalysts needed to stimulate inclusive real sector growth and accelerate economic development,� it added. Speakers include Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, former Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment; Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange; Eme Essien, CEO of International Finance Corporation Nigeria; Olukayode Pitan, MD of Bank of Industry; Biola Alabi, CEO of Biola Alabi Media; Raj Gupta, MD of African Industries Group, Christian Wessels, MD of Daystar Power and others.
President , Association for the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS ), Dr Faruk Umar ; Chairman, Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc , Alhaji Aliko Dangote , and Chairman , Audit Committee Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc, Chief Olusegun Olusanya , at the annual general meeting of the company in Lagos ‌in Lagos recently
MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS
(MILLION NAIRA)
NOVEMBER 2018 Money Supply (M3)
31,794,803.44
-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors
6,333,064.28
Money Supply (M2)
25,461,739.17
2VBTJ .POFZ
14,773,076.98
/BSSPX .POFZ .ÄŠ
10,688,662.18
$VSSFODZ 0VUTJEF #BOLT
1,711,763.59
%FNBOE %FQPTJUT
8,976,898.59
Net Foreign Assets (NFA)
18,990,400.78
Net Domestic Assets(NDA)
12,804,402.66
-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)
26,062,986.22
$SFEJU UP (PWFSONFOU /FU
2,980,229.66
---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA
7,093,619.43
---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)
Ä? ÄŠÄ?Ä? ÄŽÄ?ÄŠ Ä?ÄŒ
$SFEJU UP 1SJWBUF 4FDUPS $14
23,082,756.56
0UIFS "TTFUT /FU
13,258,583.57
Reserve Money (Base Money
6,811,192.37
$VSSFODZ JO $JSDVMBUJPO
#BOLT 3FTFSWFT
t 4PVSDF $#/
Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month
March 2018
*OUFS #BOL $BMM 3BUF
15.16
Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)
14.00
Treasury Bill Rate
11.84
Savings Deposit Rate
4.07
1 Month Deposit Rate
8.82
3 Months Deposit Rate
9.72
6 Months Deposit Rate
10.93
12 Months Deposit Rate
10.21
Prime Lending rate
17.35
Maximum Lending Rate
31.55
t .POFUBSZ 1PMJDZ 3BUF ĊČ
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019
The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $61.43 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $61.60 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna
43
T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 21, 2019
MARKET NEWS
Lafarge Africa Reduces Loss to N8.8bn on Tax Credit Goddy Egene Cement firm, Lafarge Africa Plc has posted a loss of N8.8 billion for the year ended December 31, compared with N34.39 billion in 2017. The company had delayed the filing of the results due to some pending actions required for the resolution of key matters. However, the audited results have been released showing revenue of N308 billion as against N299 billion in 2017.
Finance cost rose to N45.973 billion fomr N43.217 billion, while loss before tax stood at N19.508 billion. But a tax credit of N10.707 billion reduced the loss after tax to N8.802 billion. Meanwhile, the company is to sell 100 per cent of the issued share capital in Lafarge South Africa Holdings Limited to Caricement B.V, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim for $316.3 million. The proceeds is expected to reduce the liabilities, which
P R I C E S MAIN BOARD
DEALS
F O R
the company’s auditors, KPMG Professional Services raised concerns about. The auditors had said Lafarge Group incurred a loss after tax for the year ended 31 December 2018 of N8.8 billion (2017: N34.6 billion), noting that as of that date, the Group’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N119.3 billion (2017: N189.6 billion) while the company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N114.2billion
S E C U R I T I E S
MARKET PRICE
QUANTITY TRADED
VALUE TRADED ( N )
(2017: N174.1 billion). However, the auditors explained that December 4,2018, the company launched a Rights Issue scheme to raise N89.2 billion which was fully subscribed, while on 24 May 2019, the board approved the disposal of LSAH. “The disposal was negotiated and the sales price was agreed at USD 316.3 million (N115.2 billion). The proceeds from the sale will be used to settle
T R A D E D MAIN BOARD
A S
the company’s shareholder loan which represents the only existing foreign currency loan in the books of the company. The full repayment of the Shareholder Loan will result in a significant reduction in debt, interest charges and foreign exchange exposures which will in turn enhance the company’s profitability, financial position and cash flows. Additionally, the deconsolidation of LSAH which has been loss making and in a net current
O F
liabilities position will further enhance the Group’s financial performance and position,” the auditors said. “Based on the foregoing, the directors believe that the Group and company will continue to be able to meet their obligations as they become due in the normal course of business. Accordingly, these financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting policies applicable to a going concern,” they added.
2 0 / 0 6 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS
MARKET PRICE
QUANTITY TRADED
VALUE TRADED ( N )
44
FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 • T H I S D AY
CONGRESS OF CONCERNED NIGERIANS Address: Shop 27, Banex Plaza, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 11 Abuja. Tel: 07032242367.
IS NAFDAC AT WAR WITH NIGERIANS? Our name “Congress of Concerned Nigerians” speaks for itself. For avoidance of doubt, we parade
President Buhari then concluded thus “OUR VISSION IS TO REVERSE THIS
a good number of professionals in the healthcare sector and we are not Politicians nor are we Partisan in
UNSACTIFACTORY SITUATION AND PROVIDE BETTER CARE FOR THE POOR AND
any way.
NEEDY”
However it is natural for us to be bothered by ANTI-PEOPLE POLICIES with its attendant negative
The sentiments of our President were equally shared by the then leaders of the National
impact on healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Assembly. Both the Executive and the Legislators (in Patriotic compassion) are concerned
Recently NAFDAC posted on their website (to be effective from 1st June 2019), astronomical increases in
about accessibility and affordability of Medicaments to the poor and needy.
fees to be paid by manufactures and importers of medicines. For instance, Registration fees for prescription only medicines went up to as high as 300%. Stakeholders were not carried along; and to make matters
THE ROLE OF NAFDAC
worse, the increase of some of them were quoted in U.S Dollars, a clear contravention of the bye-laws of
NAFDAC was established to SAFEGUARD the health of the Nation by ensuring the quality,
the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Safety, Efficacy, and Wholesomeness of Foods, Drugs, Medical Devices, Cosmetics, Chemicals,
In just one insensitive directive, NAFDAC have declared war on:
Detergents and Water in Nigeria. For avoidance of doubt, NAFDAC is NOT a money generating
1.
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS that the office of the Vice President and his team has
Agency like Customs or FIRS. It was established to Safeguard the Health of the Nation,
been burning the mid-night oil to make manifest for the betterment of the Nigerian Economy.
While Government is enjoined by the Constitution to ensure the delivery of ACCESSIBLE &
2.
AFFORDABLE Healthcare to the people. This presupposes that THE PATIENT SHOULD BE
THE POCKET OF OVER 90% OF IMPOVERISHED NIGERIANS who struggle to
AT THE CENTRE OF EVERY POLICY OR DIRECTIVE OF NAFDAC.Our problem now is
pay for Medicare from their poor earnings.
how to reconcile the good work NAFDAC has been doing with: INDUSTRY SECTOR DATA
1.
THE DECREE that all NAFDAC regulated products can only be imported via Tin-
It is good for Nigerians to know that pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria are
Can or Apapa (heavily congested) Ports. Where cost of clearing and taking delivery of goods
working against the odds. They face policy somersaults, multiple taxation, absence of active
is the highest in Africa, if not the World. We need not mention the days and months wasted to
ingredients for pharmaceutical production, and lack of requisite infrastructure like electricity.
take delivery of imported goods due to congestion. All shipping companies have decided to
Added to this is the absence of a local Petrochemical Industry that should support production.
punish Nigeria with higher shipment fees due to this Apapa/Tincan nightmare. Who bares
The effect is that the growth of the Industry is seriously stunted.
the financial brunt in the long run? The People.
Nigeria had only a little over one hundred (100) drug manufacturing companies. 25% of them
2.
have folded up due to harsh economic conditions. The rest are producing below capacity and
Forms and Certificates, Laboratory Analysis, Permits to import & clear, Registration,
have to mix production with importation to stay in business. All together, the manufacturing
Investigation Charges and Ancillary Fees that was Jacked up astronomically.
companies produce less than 20% of our National Drug needs. So, over 80% of Medicament
These two policies of NAFDAC hit directly at the pockets of the poor and needy , who would
consumed in Nigeria are imported under strict NAFDAC rules that all manufactured products
now be forced to pay more for Pure-Water, Bread, Malaria drugs, even drugs for Headache,
under its regulatory supervision, MUST be W.H.O/G.M.P (Good Manufacturing Practice)
Sardine Chemicals and other consumables. The SAME Poor and Needy people President
Certified.
Buhari wants to protect. It is in bad taste at this time of rise in unemployment and inability of
NAFDAC’S NEW TERRIF covering Clinical Trials, Facility and G.M.P Inspections,
some States to pay the new minimum wage. GOVERNMENT POLICY ON HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
The attendant strain on the pocket that this policy would create can also open the doors for the
The policy of Government was given vent in the clear and unambiguous words of President
unscrupulous to engage in the importation or manufacture of unwholesome and contaminated
Mohammadu Buhari; who at the flag off of the Revitalization of Primary Healthcare Center
food, chemicals, cosmetics, drugs and all other products regulated by NAFDAC.. Hence we
on the 10th of January, 2017 at Kuchigoro F.C.T. Said, “Our goal of Revitalizing the Primary
ask “IS NAFDAC AT WAR WITH THE PEOPLE”.
Healthcare Centres is to ensure that quality basic Healthcare services are delivered to majority of Nigerians irrespective of their locations in the Country” “we shall focus more on people
WE TRUST THE OUR PRESIDENT AND THE 9TH ASSEMBLY WOULD NOT ALLOW
living in the rural areas and the vulnerable population in our society, such as women, children
THIS PAIN TO BE VISITED ON THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE.
under 5 years of age and the elderly in collaboration with National and International Partners” The President further said “Out of pocket payments for healthcare constitute over 70% of
A REVERSAL OF THESE POLICIES WILL SURELY PUT NAFDAC BACK ON HER
the total healthcare expenditures. This is more than the globally recommended 30% - 40%.
RESPECTED PEDESTAL AS A COMMITTED AND PATRIOTIC INSTITUTION OF
However only less than 5% of the total population are covered by any kind of health insurance
GOVERNMENT.
or risk protection mechanism which is against the recommended 70% coverage by the World Health Organization.
God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed Morayo Adenaike (Mrs.) Janet Dagogo (Mrs.)
Chinelo Okoye (Mrs.) Zainab Mbachie (Mrs.)
Fatima Abubakar (Mrs.)
45
FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY
MARKET NEWS
Improved Performance, Dividend Excite Stanbic IBTC Shareholders Goddy Egene Shareholders of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, have hailed commended the impressive performance of the financial institution and the payment of dividend of N1.50 per share for the year end 2018 financial year. Speaking at the annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos, the
shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the board and management of the company for the positive performance and assured them of their continued support. Stanbic IBTC grew its top line earnings for the financial year to N222.4 billion, compared with the N212.4 billion it achieved in the same period of 2017. Bottom-line grew by 54 per cent as profit after
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
tax moved up to N74.4 billion compared with the N48.4 billion achieved in December 2017. Its total assets grew by 20 per cent to N1.663 trillion compared with the N1.386 trillion in December 2017. Customer deposit grew by seven per cent to N807.7 billion from N753.6 billion in the corresponding year. The gross non-performing loans decreased by 50 per cent to N17.7 billion
floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 19June-2019, unless otherwise stated.
compared with N35.3 billion in 2017. This decrease impacted positively the gross nonperforming loan to total loan ratio, which improved to 3.9 per cent, well below the regulatory mark of five per cent, as against the 8.6 per cent recorded in 2017. Based on this result, Stanbic IBTC had proposed N15.36 billion in dividend payment for the year.
While thanking the shareholders for their commendation, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr. Yinka Sanni, assured the shareholders that the financial institution would not relent in its efforts to continue to deliver value to shareholders and other stakeholders. “We will continue to leverage on our universal
financial services capability, unrelenting focus on cost control, digitisation and client centricity while operating as an ethical organisation to ensure that we continue to grow our capacity to provide incomparable high quality end-to-end financial solutions to our customers in a sustainable manner and remain profitable as a group,” Sanni said.
Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.
DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 146.00 148.14 -7.15% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 8.11% Nigeria International Debt Fund 277.43 277.43 1.54% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.88 4.21% ACAP Income Funds 0.76 0.76 34.30% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.20% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.32 2.34 4.42% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.23 15.69 -8.20% ARM Discovery Fund 341.35 351.64 -4.29% ARM Ethical Fund 28.62 29.49 1.36% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.18% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 96.49 97.17 -4.65% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.61% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.83 1.83 12.96% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.62% Paramount Equity Fund 11.87 11.98 0.55% Women's Investment Fund 105.83 106.56 2.23% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.97% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.91 99.37 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 98.87 99.18 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.57% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.83 0.83 -3.81% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.20 1.20 7.53% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,196.60 1,197.44 7.15% FBN Heritage Fund 143.09 144.03 0.22% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.36% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 116.46 116.87 5.44% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 116.41 116.82 5.65% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 136.89 138.80 -8.74% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.08% Legacy Debt Fund 3.43 3.43 5.74% Legacy Equity Fund 1.11 1.13 -8.74% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 2.22% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.86% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.82 109.35 0.75% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.94%
INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.17% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.16 2.18 0.34% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.79% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 131.68 131.77 5.37% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.20 1.22 4.88% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,111.35 1,111.35 6.40% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 10.71 10.80 -6.87% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.14% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.27 1.30 3.68% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.56 11.64 3.89% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.53% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 121.88 122.48 0.97% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 3.99% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,343.98 2,356.67 1.27% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 202.19 202.19 6.34% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.89 0.90 -5.79% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 257.23 257.33 4.09% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 152.34 154.07 -6.61% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.86% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,911.49 8,007.59 -6.80% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.11 1.11 0.59% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.20 1.21 0.40% United Capital Bond Fund 1.71 1.71 7.52% United Capital Equity Fund 0.69 0.69 -3.92% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.25% United Capital Eurobond Fund 111.27 111.27 3.74% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 3.53% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.52 10.69 -0.25% Zenith Ethical Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Money Market Fund
11.21 22.07 1.00
11.36 22.06 1.00
-6.02% 14.41% 12.22%
REITS NAV Per Share
Yield / T-Rtn
N/A 119.90 52.21
N/A 1.84% 0.91%
Bid Price
Offer Price
Yield / T-Rtn
9.68 97.25 81.52
9.78 99.28 82.99
-8.24% -17.11% -8.08%
Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund
VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund
funds@vetiva.com Bid Price
Offer Price
Yield / T-Rtn
3.61 6.01 12.97 10.31 142.43
3.65 6.09 13.07 10.51 144.43
-9.58% -20.98% -11.40% -16.46% 8.23%
NAV Per Share
Yield / T-Rtn
111.37
17.40%
INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund
The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.
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FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 • T H I S D AY
FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 • T H I S D AY
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FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019 Ëž THISDAY
WORLD OF ISLAM Battling to Surrender
Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com
Tom Bassanoof, PhD/IslamiCity
S
on, surrendering your life to Allah is not an imprudent behavior, but it is the most critical and wise conduct you would do during your entire life. After performing your tasks with your utmost best, then by surrendering to Allah for help and guidance, Allah Almighty would lead you to the appropriate path. You may not get what you are hoping for, but in the long run, you would discover that the way you followed was the best for you. Mary, mother of Jesus (PBUH), was in anguish for knowing that she was pregnant without being touched by a man. Sura 19, Verse 23 stated, “The pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She (Mary) cried (in her anguish): “Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!â€? With all of her anguish, she gave birth to Jesus (PBUH), and the Holy Quran indicated that she has the highest rank among all women. Sura 5, Verse 75 stated, “(His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (she believed in the words of Allah and His Books).â€? Though Mary surrendered to Allah, yet you are still hesitant to surrender to Allah after doing your best! According to Sura 31, Verse 13, Noah (PBUH) struggled to help his son to surrender to Allah, “O my son! join not in worship (others) with Allah: for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing.â€? Yet, unsuccessfully Noah (PBUH) asked Allah to save his son “O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family!â€? (Sura 11, Verse 45). Noah’s son heard his father’s plea, however, the son’s heart was deaf and blind “Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blindâ€? (Sura 22, Verse 46). Son, open your heart and surrender to Allah. Similarly, Prophet Jonah disobeyed Allah, and according to the Holy Quran, Sura 37, Verse 142, 143 Jonah (PBUH) was swallowed by “a big Fish ‌ (because) he had done acts worthy of blameâ€? then he surrendered, and Allah saved him. Prophet Abraham (PBUH) rejected and denounced worshiping his tribe’s made gods; his process of finding a god was not successful. His investigation for finding a god pushed him in a state of hopelessness, and he humbly surrendered to Allah and according to Sura 6, Verse 77, he stated: “unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.â€? Concerning Sura 19, Verse 30, Jesus (PBUH) expressed his profound surrender to Allah Almighty by declaring that he “indeed a servant of Allah.â€? Prophet Moses (PBUH), according to Sura 10, Verse 84, said: “O my people! If you have believed in Allah. then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Allah’s Will).â€? Furthermore, Prophet Mohamed and Abu Bakr (PBUH) migrated from Mecca to Medina, Abu Bakr thought that the nonbelievers would catch them. Calmly, the Prophet (PBUH) recited Sura 9, Verse 40, “Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us.â€? All these prophets surrendered to Allah the omnipotent with unlimited power. Son, I know you have trouble surrendering to Allah because the word surrender for you and other people is equated with submission and defeat. You think surrendering means loss and failure. But this negative context with the word surrender does not apply to the relationship between you and Allah. Surrendering to Allah means that your heart is worshiping Allah all of the time, and you are eager to do good and avoid evil actions. Son, you can know whether your efforts are admirable or evil, by the feelings you have in your heart. After any work, remember Allah, if your heart was contented, then you are on the right path. According to Sura 13 verse 28 “Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah,â€? then your actions are admirable, and your heart surrendered to Allah. Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a French Medical Doctor, studied the Holy Quran and became a Muslim. He surrendered his heart to Allah.
Bucaille (1983) indicated that all lives are made from water and the Holy Quran stated this fact at the beginning of the seventh century, Sura 21, Verse 30 indicated that “We (Allah) have made from water every living thing.� Bucaille (1983) stated that he could not find any incompatibility between scientific findings and the Holy Quran verses. Dr. Maurice Bucaille surrendered his heart to Allah. The Holy Quran over 1400 years ago specified that the Dead Sea has the lowest elevation and a body of water on the planet. Sura 30, Verse 3 indicated that the Dead Sea is “the lowest of Earth.� NASA scientists conveyed the discovery of the lowest level of a body of water on the hearth and reported by news journals (Sea, 2019). Researchers could understand some Verses of the Holy Quran while using their recent knowledge in particular scientific field. Previously, many Verses were not understandable for a considerable number of Muslims through history, then recently investigators uncovered the apparent meaning of several Verses such as Sura 30 Verse 3. “Son, surrender to Allah.� Son, when you surrender to Allah Almighty, your heart bursting with the sense of tranquility and guidance. And, the grace of Allah will eradicate fear from your heart. According to Sura 13, Verse 28 “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.� Though recognizing your human limitation will guide you to open your heart to Allah Almighty, yet your fear of the unknown, your egotism, and your confusion could block your heart from seeing and contemplating the existence of Allah. Allah gave you a choice, and you can be a Muslim, Christian, Jew, or an atheist. You are free! According to Sura 2, Verse 256 “Let there be no compulsion in religion.� Son, when you were only one day old, you followed your mother’s movements with your eyes, and she provided you with all your needs. Your love to your mother removed the fear from your heart, and your love of Allah will remove any fear from your soul. According to Sura 90, Verse 8 and 9, Allah Almighty “made for him (you) a pair of eyes, (and) a tongue and a pair of lips� so you can see, contemplate and discover the truth about Him. You will not know Allah unless you are free of fear and surrender passionately. Son, do not follow the footsteps of Pharaoh who, due to his egotism refused to accept the invitation from Moses (PBUH) to be a Muslim. According to Sura 10, Verse 75, Pharaoh and his arrogant administration rejected the invitation to Islam. Because of Pharaoh’s narcissism and arrogance, he destroyed himself and his followers. Furthermore, Pharaoh insulted Prophet Moses (PBUH) by saying “ better than this one (Moses),� and he ridiculed Moses (PBUH) by saying that “(Moses) scarcely express himself clearly.� The same evil of egotism destroyed Satan for disobeyed Allah’s order to prostrate to Adam. According to Sura 38, Verse 76 “(Satan)] said: “I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.� Pharaoh destroyed his kingdom due to his strong desire to have full control over all his subjects including Jews. Mistakenly, he was confused to think that he had the power to extend his role to be the only god for all of the people who were living in Egypt. Conversely, according to Sura 7, Verse 143, Moses (PBUH) proclaimed “Glory be to You [Allah]. I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believers.� Trusting Allah will clear your confusion, and Abraham (PBUH) left his family in Mecca with neither food nor water. Did Abraham (PBUH) know how his family would obtain water or food? He did not, but he trusted Allah. Abraham (PBUH) was not confused, and he fully surrendered to Allah. On the day of judgment according to Sura 42, Verse 47, son, there will be no place of refuge except running toward Allah. You need to do your best with all your daily assignments and its myriad challenges - then surrender to Allah.
Sokoto Investment Company Limited
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FRIDAY, ÍşÍšËœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY
NEWS
OPEC, NEITI Hail Kyari’s Appointment as NNPC Boss Downstream operators insist on deregulation Oil price jumps to $64 on Iran, US tension Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja with agency reports The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the operators in the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry have welcomed the appointment of Mr. Mele Kyari to replace Dr. Maikanti Baru as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). This is coming as crude oil price soared more than five per cent higher yesterday after Iran shot down a United States military drone, raising fears of a military confrontation between Tehran and Washington. Kyari was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to take over from Baru on July 7, as the 19th Group Managing Director of the national oil company. Having served for three years since July 2016, Baru has become the third longest serving group managing director of NNPC, after Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, and Dr. Funsho Kupolokun, since the return to civilian rule in 1999. With the recent appointment of Kyari, the NNPC has produced 10 group managing directors since 2008 and none, except Baru, stayed in office for up to two and a half years. NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who disclosed the appointment of Kyari yesterday, added that Buhari also appointed alongside Kyari, seven new Chief Operating Officers (COOs) for the corporation. Kyari, a geologist, was Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC before his new appointment. He also became Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from May 13, 2018.
Buhari also directed that the Kyari and the newly appointed COOs to work with the current occupiers of the various offices till July 7, 2019 towards a smooth transition on July 8, 2019, when their appointments would take effect. The corporation, however, stated that the appointment of Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring COO, is effective from June 28, 2019. NNCP further outlined the newly appointed COOs to include COO, Upstream Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-south); COO, Refining and Petrochemicals, Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North Central); COO, Gas and Power, Yusuf Usman (North-east); Chief Operating Officer, Ventures, Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South –east). Others include Chief Financial Officer, Umar Isa Ajiya (North West); COO, Downstream, Adeyemi Adetunji (South-west); COO, Corporate Services, Farouk Garba Said. Ughamadu stated that Baru had congratulated the new appointees. According to the NNPC, Kyari is a quintessential crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in petroleum economics and crude oil and gas trading. The corporation added that in the last 27 years, the new NNPC boss had traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry, with exceptional records of performance. NNPC said under Kyari’s watch, the Crude Oil Marketing Division had recorded noticeable transformation in the management and sales of various Nigeria’s crude oil grades via an infusion of transparency and automation of the processes. Kyari, who shares the same surname with Buhari's Chief of Staff, Mr. Abba Kyari, is not related to the Chief Staff with those in contact with him during his 27 years at the corporation describing him as
results-driven leader. He led a team that proposed and managed the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) arrangement of petroleum products from 2016 to date, a process that saved the nation $1 million in 2016 when compared with the previous crude SWAP arrangement with products. He also led various work teams in developing the Petroleum Industry Bill which ensured that government’s take in the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) arrangement is greatly enhanced, and contributed immensely in resolving the disputes with International Oil Companies (IOCs) arising from the various interpretation issues with the PSCs averting claims of $9 billion filed by the IOCs. In a congratulatory message addressed to Kyari, which was obtained by THISDAY, the Secretary General of OPEC, Mr. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, described the appointment as well-deserved. “On behalf of the members of the OPEC Economic Commission Board (ECB) and the staff of the OPEC Secretariat, may I convey our sincere congratulations on your recent well-deserved appointment as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. We wish you every success in this important and challenging role, and many years of service to NNPC, and the country,�Barkindo said in the letter. Barkindo added that the appointment did not come as a surprise, stressing that it is a testament to Kyari’s exemplary record and exceptional performance over the many years he has worked for the NNPC in a variety of strategic roles. Reacting to the appointment, the Executive Secretary of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA), Mr. Femi Adewole told THISDAY that the NNPC under Kyari should provide a level-playing field for all the marketers to compete.
According to him, Kyari, as the representative of the federal government in the oil and gas industry should also ensure quick deregulation of the downstream sector. “Since he represents the federal government in this industry, he should create a level-playing field for all the marketers to compete. What do I mean by that? The NNPC gives major marketers petroleum products on credit. I am not saying that all DAPPMA members deserve to be given on credit but many DAPPMA members have the capacity and should also be given on credit. When NNPC deliver cargoes to the major marketers, they should also deliver to the DAPPMA members. He should also ensure that the sector is quickly deregulated,� Adewole explained. Some other operators in the downstream sector, have also urged the new NNPC boss to introduce reforms that will deregulate the sector and resolve the problems of the refineries. “Downstream operators are bleeding because of the monopolistic market. If he continues as the sole supplier of petroleum products, the sector will continue to suffer. Deregulation is the answer to the challenges facing the sector,� said a CEO of one of the oil marketing companies. “My recommendation is that he should appreciate professionalism in all his policies. Merit and quality should be his watchword. Things should be done properly. NNPC should allow others to compete in the market,� another CEO told THISDAY. Also in a statement issued yesterday in Paris, France, venue of the ongoing global conference of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), by NEITI’s Director of Communications and Advocacy, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the statement quoted the NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Waziri Adio, as
describing the choice of Mele Kyari as a well-deserved appointment and an intimation of more openness and reforms in the national oil company. Adio further said that Kyari is a well-known transparency champion and one who enthusiastically shares the principles, which underline the work of NEITI and the global EITI on good governance of the oil and gas industry. The NEITI executive secretary explained that as a member of the global EITI working group on commodity trading transparency, Kyari’s appointment has placed him in a vantage position to push the frontiers of openness and reforms and to work more closely with NEITI and the global EITI to implement remedial issues in NEITI's reports. He added that the implementation of the findings of NEITI's reports will not just be effective for operations of NNPC but also for optimisation of benefits of the oil and gas sector to Nigeria and Nigerians. Adio recalled: "Just yesterday, Kyari participated at a session on the business case for state-owned enterprise and commodity trading transparency' at the EITI global conference in Paris, France. "And his commitments to the values of EITI are not in doubt. On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of NEITI, I congratulate Kyari on this well-deserved appointment. ‘’We look forward to close collaboration between our two organisations in the interest of our country and we do hope that transparency and accountability will be taking notches higher and indeed mainstreamed in the operations of NNPC under his watch."
Meanwhile, crude oil price soared more than five per cent higher yesterday after Iran shot down a United States military drone, raising
fears of a military confrontation between Tehran and Washington. Also, expectations that the US Federal Reserve could cut interest rates at its next meeting, stimulating growth in the world’s largest oilconsuming country, and a drop in U.S. crude inventories also supported prices. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up $2.40, or 3.9 per cent, at $64.22 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.92, or 5.4 per cent, to $56.68 a barrel. US President Donald Trump said Iran made “a very big mistake� by shooting down the US military drone that Tehran said was on a spy mission over its territory. Asked if the United States would strike Iran in retaliation after Iran shot down an American drone, Trump said to reporters, “You’ll soon find out.� The drone was downed in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, a US official said. But Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the drone was flying over southern Iran. Tension has been rising in the Middle East, home to over 20 per cent of the world’s oil output, after attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for oil supplies. Reuters reported that Washington blamed Tehran for the tanker attacks but Iran had denied any role. Concern about slowing economic growth and a US-China trade dispute has pulled oil lower in recent weeks. Brent had reached a 2019 high of $75 in April. OPEC and allies including Russia agreed this week to meet on July 1-2, ending a month of wrangling about the timing. The coalition known as OPEC+ looks set to extend a deal on cutting 1.2 million barrels per day of production. The deal expires at the end of June.
bi okunrin, Helen was someone I am incapable of becoming in several lifetimes. With her at home either in Wolverhampton, or Lagos or Ayetoro Gbede, ours was always a bubbling beehive of activities with visitors coming and going, eating, drinking and having some gift to take away. “Where I’m reserved and enjoyed the privacy of my company; she was gregarious and revelled in having people around her. Where I’m carefree and couldn’t be bothered about some insults; she was boisterous and wouldn’t accept
any indignity. Where I’m quietly uncommunicative, she was openly lively. Where I’m inhibited, she was spontaneous. Indeed, she seemed to have been specially created to fill the gaps in my life and make up for my weaknesses. She was my angel.â€? Also, the daughter of the deceased, Wuraola, in a tribute to her mother, thanked God every day for the memories she had with her. She said: “I would never trade you for anyone in this world‌ You deserved so much better and I guess heaven couldn’t wait for
you. Thank you for loving me, for grooming me, for raising me and constantly being my support system.� Among dignitaries who came to bid an eternal farewell to Eniola-Olaitan were former Editor of THISDAY, Mr. Simon Kolawole, now Managing Director of TheCable; Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu; former Executive Director, Punch Newspapers, Mr. Azu Ishiekwene; Publisher of The Abuja Inquirer, Mr. Dan Akpovwa, and Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.
the award of a contract for the renovation of Babban Daki, saying the contract was duly awarded to Tri-C Nigeria Limited by the Kano State Ministry of Works and not by the emirate council. In explaining the seeming lack of cooperation of some emirate council officials with the anti-graft commission in probing the petition against the council and undermining the commission’s activities, Sanusi said he could not be held responsible for that. According to him, three of the officials—Munnir Sanusi, Mujitaba Abba and Muhammad Sani Kwaru—in deciding to exercise their fundamental rights, sought and obtained an order of the court that restrained the commission from forcing them to appear before it pending the determination of their suit against the agency. In his reply to an earlier query, dated June 6, 2019 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Sanusi, through Yusuf, had said as at the time he was installed as the emir, the emirate council had only N1.9 billion in its accounts.
Group Backs Moves to Suspend Emir
Oil Price Surges 5% on Iran, US Tension
TRIBUTES AS THISDAY MD’S WIFE, ENIOLA-OLAITAN, IS BURIED in her children, moral uprightness, fear of God and dedication to the community. While urging the congregation to emulate the virtues she lived as a mark of remembrance, he urged every human being to embrace peace. He also comforted the family and urged them to take solace in the fact that their mother has gone to a better place. In an emotion-laden tribute, Bello described his late wife as “the spark and glow and sunshine of our household.� He said: “Her tireless energy, her
selflessness, her natural humility, her playful friendliness, her easy laughter, her material and emotional generosity, and her motherly disposition to all made her central to anything concerning me. “She threw herself into every activity, every venture, every ceremony, every plan body, soul and spirit. “She was the mother hen warding off danger I’m too blind to see, preparing the ground ahead, and always protective of her family. “In my larger family, she knew how to kneel for everybody
irrespective of age; how not to call any of my relatives, however young, by name; she had different kinds of cognomen for my family members – Big Daddy, Big Mummy, Iya oko mi, Baba oko mi, Iyale mi, Auntie, Uncle, Kabiyesi, etc – depending on age, sex, status and closeness. “She instinctively knew whom to call, who to send a gift, who to invite for holiday, how to apologise, on my behalf, for any real or imagined infraction. She greeted every of my friend and colleague with a courteous smile, ending every salutation with “Sir� or “Ma�. Obirin
SANUSI TACKLES KANO ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY OVER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS from 2013 to 2017 N15 million only was approved annually by the state Ministry of Planning and Budget as budget for the emirate council. In refuting the claims, Sanusi said the emirate council each year prepared detailed estimates of its revenue and financial expenditure, which once approved, are sent to the Ministry of Local Government. In addition, he disputed the claim by the Ministry of Planning and Budget that N15 million is approved yearly as budget for the emirate council. According to him, contrary to the claim, the emirate council prepares its detailed budget based on statutory allocation projections of funds to be received for the local government councils within the emirate (3%) and the state government(10%) of the total contributions of the local governments. He said from 2014 to 2017, while the approved budgets of the emirate council totalled N12.5 billion, only a total of N2.23 billion was released; representing a shortfall of N10 billion in four years. He denied the allegations that the
emirate council violated Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution(as amended), Section II of the Kano Emirate Council Special Fund Law 2004 and Section 20 of the state Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Law 2008(as amended) by approving its budget itself. He said that could not have been the case as the emirate council usually forward its budget, after preparations, to the Ministry of Local Government “for their necessary action.� On the sixth allegation that the emirate council spent money without following due process and transferred huge sums of money to bank accounts of some unregistered or dormant companies, Sanusi expressed surprise about the allegation. He said all the companies were duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) and submitted their certificates of incorporation/registration numbers. On the claims that the emirate council spent N43.26 million in 2014 on fuelling generators, N39.69 in 2015; N22.31 million in 2016 and N12.49 million for the same purpose
in 2017, triggering a disparity in the amount spent and the ratio of fuel consumption, Sanusi said a motive to steal public funds should not be attributed to the spending pattern. He added that the figures referred to “fuelling of not only generators but also motor vehicles belonging to the emirate council. He attributed the seeming discrepancies in the spending pattern to vagaries in the price of fuel, availability of electricity and the number of vehicles and generators fuelled. Responding to the ninth allegation that the discovery by the commission, during investigation, of the transfer of N105.59 million from the emirate council’s account between 2014 and 2017 to an account opened in the name of one Sanusi Tijjani, a technical officer to the emirate council at tier-1 bank raised a red flag of corruption, the emir said: “These are funds reimbursed over a period of four years for the purchase of materials, minor repairs and labour for jobs carried out through direct labour to the technical officer.� On the allegations that the emirate
council spent N54.11 million on phone calls and internet connections between 2014 and 2017, out of which N29 million was incurred by Sanusi, his wives and Munnir Sanusi, the emir said most of the charges were due to roaming of his mobile line, and were provided for in the emirate council’s approved budgets. He also disputed the allegation that it amounted to a “criminal breach of trust� for the emirate council to spend N144.36 million on hotel accommodation, payment of chartered flights and air tickets between 2014 and 2017. He said the accusation of a criminal breach of trust was baseless as “transport and accommodation expenses for the emir and entourage are legitimate. The Emir represents an institution and does not travel anywhere as a private person.� “His office requires him to present himself at all times accompanied by a retinue of officials. Only on two occasions, borne out of necessity, were chartered flights used in the last five years,� he added. He denied any shady deal in
Meanwhile, the Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, commended the state antigraft commission for recommending the suspension of Sanusi, describing it as a bold step in the fight against corruption. The President of the group, Victor Kalu, said the suspension would speed up the investigation into the allegations against the emir as he would no longer be in a position to delay or interfere in the probe. Kalu, however, said if after investigation, the emir was found innocent, the government should not hesitate to reinstate him with all his entitlements. But should he be found guilty, the emir should be made to face the full weight of the law, he added. He said the group’s position was occasioned by the alleged refusal of Sanusi to honour several invitations by the Kano State Government to defend himself against the allegations.
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Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268
UN Security Council Condemns Killing of 30 People in Borno Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri with agency reports The United Nations Security Council has condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Sunday’s terrorist attack in the Borno State that killed at least 30 people. In a press statement issued yesterday, the council members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of Nigeria. They wished a speedy recovery to those injured. The council members underlined the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. They urged all states to cooperate actively with the federal government, as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard. The council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constituted one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and called on all states to combat by all means threats to international
peace and security caused by terrorist acts. They commended the efforts of countries in the region to effectively combat terrorism, and encouraged further progress in this regard. At least 30 people were killed and 42 others wounded in Sunday’s suicide attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists after three suicide bombers detonated improvised explosive devices among a group of football fans at a public viewing centre at Konduga village near Maiduguri, the Borno State, capital. Meanwhile, the Islamic State said its West African branch carried out an attack on a Nigerian army base in Borno State and that its fighters killed 12 soldiers. A military source put the toll higher, saying up to 25 soldiers were killed after insurgents travelling on trucks mounted with guns attacked the base on Monday around 5:30 p.m. He said fighting lasted for about three hours. A local resident said he saw the bodies of six dead Nigerian soldiers. The attack in the town of Gajiram, in which the
Boko Haram Releases Corps Member Abducted in January Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Borno State Government was yesterday handed over a female corps member, Halima Umar, who was abducted by Boko Haram since January, this year. The corps member, an indigene of Gwoza in the state, was handed over to Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur by the trio of General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the Nigerian Army; the state Commissioner of Police and Director, Department of State Services (DSS) in the state, Brig. Gen. Abdulmalik Biu, Mohammed Aliyu and Muritala Mamman, respectively. THISDAY gathered that Umar’s freedom came as a result of a coordinated engagement involving key stakeholders. Her release was also an outcome of a preliminary negotiation involving the state government; the Kalthum Foundation for Peace, a nongovernmental organisation with intermediary negotiation with the leadership of the terrorist group handled by a respected investigative journalist. Kadafur said the negotiation was in line with the state government’s desire to work with strategic partners to open lines of
communication with the insurgents as a means of freeing several non-combatant captives of the terrorist groups. He revealed that the strategic interventionist team was empaneled to use every necessary tools and good-spirited individuals to engage the insurgents in non-combative ways as a means of de-escalation framework that will eventually result in freeing more captives and safe return of displaced persons in the state. He noted that the insurgents released Umar as a sign of goodwill to commit to a new process of resolving the conflicts in the region. The deputy governor added that the state government, the military, and the DSS played vital roles deploying professional field experience and strategic cover for the process, and promised that the state government shall continually to bring the media up to speed as may be necessary. He said: “We, as a government, are committed to working with the federal organs of security as well as non-governmental organisations and wellmeaning citizens to pursue with vigour, the safe return of captives, displaced persons and vulnerable population of our great state.”
insurgents said the barracks were burned, followed a similar assault on a base
last week and last Sunday’s suicide bombings. “Twelve Nigerian soldiers were
killed and others injured following an attack by Islamic State fighters
on their barracks in the northern Nigerian town of Gajiram,”
ENJOYING PRESIDENTIAL JOKE...
R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari; Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; and Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, after the inauguration of National Economic Council (NEC) held at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja... yesterday
Ghanaian University Sacks Nigerian Professor for ‘Unsavoury’ Statement about Ghana Esther Oluku The University of Education Winneba, Ghana, has sacked a Nigerian professor who was recently arrested by the Ghana Police Service for alleged incitement following the contents of a leaked tape in which he was allegedly making damming remarks about Ghana’s educational sector as he decried alleged harsh treatment of Nigerians by Ghanaians. The university in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the comments by the lecturer were ” unsavoury about the country, its history as well as its educational system”. “The University of Education
Winneba wishes to inform the general public that it has taken a very serious view of the video circulating on social media, involving Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara,” “Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara, a professor of English Language, has been on sabbatical at the Department of Applied Linguistics since October 2018. “In the said video, Prof. Nwagbara made several unsavoury, unethical and damning comments about our country, its history as well as its educational system. The university totally dissociates itself from the grossly irresponsible comments and condemns it in no uncertain terms.
“The university is highly disturbed by the huge embarrassment his unguarded statement has brought to the institution, the Ministry of Education, and, indeed, Ghana as a whole. “The university, upon receipt of the video, immediately invoked its internal disciplinary process to fully examine his conduct relative to the content of the video. “The university wishes to indicate that it has in the past hosted several scholars on sabbatical leave from various countries, including Nigeria, and some have conducted themselves with high degree of decorum and professionalism during their stay.
“Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara’s behaviour is totally deviant and an aberration that runs contrary to those of his predecessors or the others currently at post. “The university after subjecting Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara to internal disciplinary process finds him culpable of gross misconduct and has, accordingly, dismissed him. “The university apologises to Ghanaians for Prof. Nwagbara’s disparaging remarks about this country’s educational system and further indicates that the comments were full of factual inaccuracies,” the university explained.
Jonathan Not Dasuki Gave Me N400m, Metuh Tells Court Alex Enumah in Abuja A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, yesterday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the N400 million project fund in which he is standing trial was paid to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan and not the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). Metuh informed the court that the money, which led to his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on money laundering charges, was paid to him by Jonathan to execute some national assignments for the federal government. Giving evidence on behalf of his company, Dextra Investment Limited, which is the second defendant in the suit and the account where the N400 million was paid
into, the ex-spokesperson of the PDP told Justice Okon Abang that he could not consider the money for act of any unlawful purpose because it came from the then president. Metuh recalled that he held a meeting with the then president where various issues and challenges facing the country were discussed; adding that the former president Jonathan promised and made the N400 million available to him to carry out the national assignment. He stressed that the money could not have been for an unlawful purpose because he was helping and contributing to stabilising the then government because the president Jonathan was elected on the PDP platform. Metuh specifically dismissed allegations that the money was channelled to him through Dasuki. “I did not receive any money from Col. Sambo Dasuki. Dasuki represents one of the finest and
most brilliant military officers ever produced in the Nigerian military. He has had a distinguished career, served a lot of government and finally served as National Security Adviser for this country, under former president Jonathan. “Up till May 29, 2015, no individual or group had ever questioned Dasiki’s integrity not to talk of being charged or arrested for any unlawful act. I am not aware of any criminal charge against Dasuki or any unlawful act until we lost government in 2015. ‘’As I am talking on oath before this court now; I can say categorically that Dasuki has not been interrogated, charged or convicted for any act relating to me and my company. The N400 million was paid into my account by the then president and I did not conceal or disguise the money and it was not transfer out of jurisdiction,” he said.
Metuh insisted that the money was paid him for specific purposes and disbursed to those who executed the purposes as directed by the then president, adding that he later submitted details of the disbursement to the president. He urged the court to take a look into the list of disbursement carried out in cash and in checks. Metuh also dismissed the insinuation that the N400 million was meant to fund the PDP, adding that at the period, the PDP was rich to the tune of N33 billion, with N12billion generated from sales of nomination forms and N21 billion raked from fund raising. According to him the N400 million was not for PDP, because there is no need to take a cup of water to the ocean. Meanwhile, further cross examination has been adjourned to June 24, 25 and 26.
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Miyetti Allah Seeks Establishment of Fulani Vigilantes in South-east Nobody is against cattle rearing, say govs The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, (MACBAN), has called for the establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante body in South-east communities to assist its host community counterparts and other constituted security agencies in the zone. This is coming as the Police Service Commission (PSC), has stated that the yearly recruitment of 10,000 policemen was inadequate to meet the demand for police personnel in the country. The South-east governors have told the cattle breeders that nobody in the zone was against rearing of cattle but that there are rules of engagement in every relationship, including that of herders and farmers. These stakeholders stated these yesterday during the South-east security summit organised by the South-east Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, (SECCIMA), in collaboration with South-east Governors Forum (SEGF), in Enugu. Speaking at the event, the National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammadu Kirowa, regretted that once insecurity was mentioned in Nigeria, the first idea that comes into minds was Fulani herdsmen. Kirowa, who was epresented by the National Secretary of MACABAN, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzerma, noted that South-east was a good host to herders. He said MACABAN and its patrons - the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano and the Lamido of Adamawa, condemned all forms of violence and criminalities. The group however said it wanted an establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante group, stressing that “the Fulani Youth Vigilant body will be working with the security, the neighborhood watch or vigilante to ensure security in
all communities, as it was done in Enugu State. “We will solicit for your support and cooperation in adopting dialogue where problems exist as a means of brokering peace and to report cases against our members to either the Fulani Youth Vigilante Group, state or local branch of the association,” Kirowa said. In his speech, the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, stated that the region cannot engage in policy of exclusion to limit any farmer or herder, but that rules of engagement should be observed in every relationship. “We will continue to accommodate the Miyetti Allah but our plea to them is that as we are magnanimous to allow settlers, every community has a custom that need not to be violated. It is the violation that breeds problem. “I believe that at the end, resolutions will generate further national dialogue, promote agenda setting and a solution to the lingering national insecurity. All we need is the good idea of one or two men to find direction and I believe this summit will do that,” he said. Also speaking, the Commissioner in charge of Human Rights in the PSC, Mr. Rommy Mom, decried the inadequacy of the Nigeria Police personnel, noting that today Nigeria boasts of under 350, 000 police officers. “This translates to 1.6 police officers to every 100,000 Nigerian, which is a far cry from the world standard of 225 police officers to every 100,000 people. In some local governments, you have less than 10 police officers. “Lack of data is a major challenge to the extent that even the Inspector general of Police is not very sure of the exact number of police officers under
Sack all Political Appointees or Renew their Tenure, Falana Tells Buhari A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all political appointees or renew their tenure without further delay, stressing that all political appointees have four-year tenure. Falana said in a statement yesterday that ministers, special advisers and other political appointees were appointed by President Buhari for a four-year term of office in 2015. “Consequently, the tenure of all the political appointees expired on May 29, 2019 by effuxion of time. Hence, the federal cabinet was dissolved while all ministers were relieved of their appointments at the end of the four-year tenure,” the senior lawyer explained. Falana argued that all other political appointees ought to have been asked to relinquish their positions. “Since the president has not sacked them or renew their appointments there has arisen
the urgent need to avoid a constitutional crisis whereby the actions of such persons who have continued to occupy offices illegally may be questioned or declared illegal by a court of law,” he explained. Citing Section 151 of the Constitution, Falana added that that special advisers shall hold office “at the pleasure of the president and shall cease to hold office when the President ceases to hold office. “Since President Buhari who ceased to hold office on May 29, 2019 has been re-elected for another term of four years he is advised to formally sack all political appointees or renew their appointments without any further ado,” he said. “This views expressed on the appointments of political advisers by the President apply mutatis mutandis to similar political appointments made by all elected governors in 2015,” he added.
Recruitment of 10,000 personnel yearly inadequate, PSC insists
his command. Electronic data is very important,” Mon said.
He also stated that it was high time Nigeria embraced the use
of Information Communication Technology (ICT), and other
equipment for policing the country.
ROYAL VISIT...
L-R: Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Muhammed Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro IV (left), and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, during the visit of Emir of Borgu to Ile-Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife , Osun State ... recently
Secondus Berates APC over N’Assembly Leadership’s Elections Chuks Okocha in Abuja The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that corruption in the country had been taken to the ‘next level’ with the ‘vote and snap’ syndrome, which reportedly characterised the recent National Assembly leadership elections. The ‘vote and snap’ symblolised the sale of votes during the National Assembly leadership elections where some senators and members of the House of Representatives allegedly snapped their ballots as proof that they
voted for preferred candidates in order to collect money from such candidates who eventually emerged victorious . Speaking at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, Secondus commended members of PDP at the Senate and House of Representatives, noting: “the ruling APC came up with their ‘green card’ ‘vote and snap’ fraud that introduced an unprecedented dimension to the growing corruption index of this administration. “My worry is the consequences this brazen corruption would have in the legislative activities of the ninth assembly,” he said.
Acccording to him, “while the executive is having their wish in the ninth assembly, PDP as the main opposition party is very uncomfortable that the level of corruption that preceded the emergence of the leadership is capable of undermining the desired robust legislative activities. “Having ‘purchased’ the leadership of the parliament, we expect the cabals to now fully take over and dictate the show at the legislature. We have even seen the first sign of what is to come when the APC group in the Senate killed a motion to debate the June 12 speech of the imperial President. “Only a conquered parliament
with credibility challenge can shy away from discussing a major address of a president just sworn into office, but that is a sign of what is to come when choosing legislative leadership is heavily monetised by a regime that claims to be fighting corruption. “The bazaar that took place during the election of National Assembly leaders clearly gives a picture of the anti-corruption status and how the APC has become home for looters. Just last week Nigerians witnessed how some corruption charges involving APC chieftains were withdrawn from the EFCC and handed over to the Attorney General for final dropping,” Secondus said.
First Lady Tasks Buhari on Appointment Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has urged her husband to appoint only those who would help him actualise
his agenda into offices. Mrs. Buhari who posted a video by @Ayourb, showing some young All Progressives Congress (APC) members and President Buhari’s supporter protesting that the Nigerian leader is appointing
people who do not share his vision and agenda, corroborated the position of the protesting youths by saying her husband is better off with those who share his agenda. Mrs. Buhari tweeted through
her handle: @aishambuhari that “You cannot drive an agenda with people who don’t believe in that agenda. How will you achieve your purpose if you bring in people who fought against your agenda?”
Babalakin Blames Ignorance for Infrastructural Deficit in Nigeria The Chairman of the Resort Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has said ignorance was responsible for infrastructure deficit in Nigeria. Speaking in Lagos yesterday at the Annual Lecture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), themed “Infrastructure Development and Growth in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges,” Babalakin said Nigerians were suffering for “a deep level of ignorance”.
Explaining that the country has gotten its educational system wrong, the senior lawyer said the system did not teach people their rights and the fundamentals of building a strong society. Babalakin, who is the ProChancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said there was need for Nigerians to hold the government accountable and persistently demand for their entitlements.
He said development cannot happen in a situation where people are too ignorant of their rights to question the status quo. “You can go through the primary, secondary and university systems today without realising that government owes you anything or knowing that telling the truth is fundamental in building a society and you say you want to develop infrastructure,” he said.
Explaining that infrastructural development was not about money but serious commitment and a lot of intellectual rigour, Babalakin cited an example of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), which was built by one of his companies, Stabilini Visinoni Limited (SVL), 12 years ago and is being managed by another of his companies, BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).
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Suspected Militia Kills Five in Benue Community One killed, three injured in Kogi communal clash George Okoh in Makurdi and Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja Suspected Jukun militia has been accused of killing five people in Gyenku village in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. This is coming as a communal clash between youths in 200 housing unit and Gadumo community both in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State also claimed the life of a fresh graduate identified as Ishaq Mohammed. The Chairman of Ukum LGA, Mr. Tor-Tyokaa Ibellogo, who confirmed this in a telephone chat with journalists yesterday, said the attackers invaded the village early in the morning as the people were on their farms. “They killed five and injured one woman who is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital. No house was destroyed, they only came to kill,” he said. Ibellogo said the joint committee on Tiv/Jukun crisis had planned
to visit him next Monday when this latest attack happened. It should be noted that the attack is coming barely a week after the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) intervened in the crisis between the two tribes in a bid to resolve it. When contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sewuese Anene, could not confirm the incident, stating that all efforts to get any information from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area as well as Area Commander of the local government failed as one of them had his phone switched off and the other did not answer his call. Meanwhile, the clash between some youths in 200 housing unit and Gadumo community in Kogi State has claimed the life of a fresh graduate identified as Ishaq Mohammed. Late Mohammed, a fresh graduate from Kogi State Polytechnic, according to
family source, was awaiting his compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) call up before he met his untimely death. The deceased, who is in his early 20, was the younger brother
of Alhaji Abdulsalam Muhammed of 200 housing unit, who had filed series of petition stopping the other community from encroaching into their land. Confirming the incident,
the Chairman of 200 housing unit in Lokoja, Alhaji Zakari Alhassan, told THISDAY that the death of Mohammed has brought sadness to the entire community, adding that justice
must take its course. In his reaction, the Etsu Ankuri of Gadumo, Chief Dauda, who spoke through one of his subject, Abubakar Isah, denied the attack.
54 HEARTY CHEERS…
L-R: Company Secretary, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, Mrs. Rose Joshua Hamis; acting Chairman, Solomon Aigbavboa; and Lawan Cancels acting Managing Director, Mrs. Omolara Iswat Elemide, during the company’s 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos... yesterday Appointment of Adedayo Leadership Tussle Stalls HDP’s Petition at as His Media Adviser Presidential Election Tribunal Omo-Agege names CoS, media aides Deji Elumoye in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, has cancelled the appointment of Mr. Festus Adedayo, as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, barely 48 hours after the appointment was made public. This is just as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, yesterday named his Chief of Staff and two media aides. 0mo-Agege, has named Dr. Otive Igbuzor as his Chief of Staff and Mr. Yomi Odunuga as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. The review of Adedayo’s appointment was contained in a two-paragraph statement issued yesterday by Lawan’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mohammed
Alex EnumahinAbuja
Isa. The statement read : “The office of the President of the Senate has reviewed the appointment of Mr. Festus Adedayo as Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President of the Senate and decided to rescind its decision on the appointment, and wishes Mr. Adedayo the best in his future endeavours”. Lawan had on Tuesday appointed Adedayo, a member of the Editorial Board of Nigerian Tribune, as his Media Adviser. His appointment alongside that of Babagana Muhammad Aji as Lawan’s Chief of Staff were made via a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Administration, Dr. Betty Okoroh.
Mofoluwaso Modupe Edun is Dead The families of the late Chief J S Edun of OkeIjeun, Abeokuta and the late Reverend Canon EA Odubogun of Imodi, Ijebu Ode, announce the passing on to glory of their mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, Mrs Mofoluwaso Modupe Edun on 2 June 2, 2019, a few weeks to her 79th birthday. She attended the University of Ibadan and started her career as a teacher and secondary school administrator in Ibadan, capital of the old Western Region, later Western State and Oyo State, teaching and nurturing generations of young Nigerians, notably at St Teresa’s College, International School, St. Anne’s School, St. Louis Grammar School and
Methodist High School, all in Ibadan. She was a committed Christian and actively involved in the ministry of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in counselling, intercession and evangelism. She is survived by her children, Femi and Ngozi Edun; Yewande and Debola Ogunsina; Bolanle and Femi Akintoye; and Ope and Yinka Edun, several grandchildren, her siblings including Rt. Rev. Oluranti Odubogun (rtd) and Mr. Olusegun Odubogun as well as a large family of relatives and friends. She will be buried after a funeral service at St. John’s Church, Igbein Abeokuta at on Friday, June 28, 2019.
The hearing of the petition by Hope Democratic Party’s (HDP) against the outcome of the February 23 presidential election was yesterday stalled owing to confusion over the authentic petitioners before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) sitting in Abuja. Both the HDP’s presidential candidate in the last general election, Ambrose Owuru and one Poland Awinitabre are currently laying claim to the chairmanship of the party, forcing the tribunal to adjourn the pre-hearing session in the party’s petition at the tribunal. Owuru and the HDP are listed as first and second petitioners in the petition with number
PEPT/001/2019 filed on March 7, 2019. However, at the resumed prehearing of the petition yesterday, the tribunal was confronted with two applications filed on June 18, 2019 by a factional National Chairman of the party, Poland Awinitabre. Awinitabre in the first application, wants the tribunal to strike out the name of the HDP from the petition, while in the second, he is seeking for a change of counsel representing the party at the tribunal. On two occasions, Awinitabre had openly disowned counsel for the HDP and its presidential candidate, Oworu. When the petition was called, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Mohammed Garba, drew the
attention of counsel to the various parties to the pending applications. But, while counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yunus Usman (SAN), that of President Buhari, Osaro Eghobamien (SAN) and Charles Edosamwam (SAN) all claimed knowledge of the applications, counsel to Oworu, and the HDP, Oliver Eya said he was not aware of the said applications. Eya asked the tribunal to disregard the applications as they did not emanate from his clients. He specifically told the tribunal that the applications were filed by some busy bodies and meddlesome interlopers who are not known to the petitioners. This was after acknowledging
that the two applications were served on him in court. However, counsel to the APC, Edosamwam, drew the attention of the tribunal to a counter affidavit filed by the presidential candidate of HDP and the first petitioner, Oworu against the two applications. Responding, Justice Garba said since the applications have become part of the process in the tribunal’s file, it is only pertinent to hear them. Meanwhile, Eya applied that since the applications were served on him in court, he needed time to respond to them. In his short ruling, the tribunal held that “in view of the fact that the applications were served on Eya this morning, his request is hereby granted.”
NIS Rolls out 10-yearValidity Passport The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will on June 25, roll out the enhanced 10-year validity e-passport at the Ikoyi Passport office, Lagos. NIS’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Sunday James, made this known in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja.
James said in view of the exercise, the service would shut down the existing payment platform for the office to pave way for the new one. “Hence, the Ikoyi Passport office will only attend to passport applications for the enhanced e-Passport effective from the
stated date. “All pending applications in Ikoyi will be processed before the roll-out date. “Alausa and FESTAC Passport offices will continue to issue the existing e-passport for applicants desirous of same,” he said. NIS had on April 29, commenced
issuance of the new 10-year validity enhanced passport booklet. This was part of a comprehensive reform approved by the federal government in January. The 64-page 10-year standard passport costs N70, 000, while the 32-page five-year standard passport costs N25, 000.
Over 600m People Suffer from Food Poisoning Annually, Says Don Segun James The federal government has been advised to set the machinery in motion to regulating street food vending in the country, as it has become the major cause of food poisoning in the country and globally. Professor of Food Technology at the Department of Food Science and Human Ecology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Folake Henshaw, gave the advice at the Food Safety Enlightenment-Strategies for Safe and Wholesome Street Foods at the 43 Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST)
Day celebration held in Lagos. According to her, over 600 million people suffer from food poisoning globally annually, adding that in Nigeria alone, about 2.4 million cases are reported. Henshaw, however, regretted that there is high level under reportage of such incident especially in the rural area, hence the need for the various tiers of government to put the machinery in place to regulate the sector. The professor said the sector cannot be completely banned since it contributes in no small way to poverty alleviation in the country. She said consumption of street food in the country has been on the rise as a result of rapid
urbanisation as it provides readyto-eat food on the go, adding that because it is less expensive and sold where the people can easily access it, it has become the major part of urban food consumption system for millions of people. Henshaw stressed that because of its informal nature which requires little startup and little or no regulation, it is the source of nourishment for millions of people especially in the urban areas. According to her, over 7.4 million Nigerians are employed and engaged in the sector which is providing source of livelihood to many household. However, she said in view
of the hazards associated with street food trading, it has become imperative that the government should set up an agency to regulate the sector. Earlier, the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of NIFST, Mr. Sunday Bamgbose, said the theme of this year was chosen in line with the project on street food trading embarked upon by NIFST which has been adopted nationally. According to Bamgbose, “Today, we all have opportunity of enhancing our knowledge on latest development in food safety. Not only as professionals in the field but also as consumers that require safe food in order to produce safe food for others.”
FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY
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Buhari Receives Benin President, Advocates Peace Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja canvassed the necessity for peace in neighbouring Benin Republic.
Presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the president who made the remarks while receiving the President of Benin Republic, Mr. Patrice Talon, in the State House,
said the Nigerian leader emphasised the imperative of good neighbourliness, pledging Nigeria’s support towards efforts to re-establish political stability in Benin.
“President Talon, who came to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election and successful inauguration, also briefed the Nigerian leader on the current political situation
in his country,” the statement explained. “In a related development, President Buhari yesterday received a Sudanese delegation led by Lt. Gen. Jamal-Eddin
Omer Ibrahim, Head of the Security and Defence Committee, which came to brief him on the political situation in the northeastern African country,” the statement added.
Airtel Africa Targets N363, N454 Share Offer Price Goddy Egene One month after MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) by way of introduction, Airtel Africa Plc, the second largest telecommunications operator in Africa, is set to list on local bourse. However, unlike MTN that did not sell shares before being admitted on the exchange, Airtel Africa Plc is making an initial public offering (IPO) of between 501.125 million shares and 716.406 million shares to high networth and institutional investors at price between N363 and N454 per share. The company is adopting a book-building process to determine the eventual price and volume of shares to be sold to investors. A bookbuilding is a process of price discovery, through which the issuer ascertains the demand for the securities being issued and assesses the price at which such securities may be issued before ultimately determining the quantum of securities to be
CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as ADEJOKE ADEOLA ADEWUYI, now wish to be known and addressed as ADEJOKE ADEOLA AJAYI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as OLOROGUN YETUNDE ABIDEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as OYINKOLAWA YETUNDE ABIDEMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as ZAKARI ALHAJI JIBRIN, now wish to be known and addressed as ZAKARI ALKALI JIBRIN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as NJOKU ESTHER CHIKANELE, now wish to be known and addressed as UKAEGBU ESTHER CHIKANELE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as AKIODE BILIKISU OMOSALEWA, now wish to be known and addressed as ALAUSA BILIKISU OMOSALEWA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CONFIDENCE NDIDI AGOR, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CONFIDENCE NDIDI KINGSLEY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as OMOLARA OLUWASEUN, now wish to be known and addressed as BANKOLE OMOLARA OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
issued. The company is expected to announce the final offer price on June 28, allot the shares to investors on 29 and get listed on the NSE on July 4, 2019. According to the directors of Airtel Africa, offering the shares in Nigeria and listing on the NSE would encourage operational discipline through the establishment of an independent capital structure and governance framework following the successful turnaround of the group’s operations. “It will also facilitate measurement of the group’s continued positive performance against holistic, publicly disclosed metrics as it enters a strong free cash flow phase; introduce an optimal capital structure and enable improved leverage for
I, formerly known and addressed as KAREEM TEMITOPE KUBURAT, now wish to be known and addressed as ADEWUMI TEMITOPE KUBURAT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as MISS UGWORJI CHINWE CLARINDA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKOROCHA CHINWE CLARINDA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EFEDEDE BLESSING UFUOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS IRABOR BLESSING UFUOMA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OLANREWAJU RACHEAL ABOSEDE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS SAMSON RACHEAL ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note. I, formerly known and addressed as LOVETT IRETI YAHAYA, now wish to be known and addressed as LOVETT IRETI UMOYE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that NZOR ADAKU CHRISTIANA, NZOR ADAKU CHRISTY, NZOR ADAKU C. AND UZO ADAKU are one and same person. He now wish to be known and address as NZOR ADAKU. The general public please take note. This is to confirm that MRS BRINENGIBA DANIELLA IYANA IEKAA is the same as person MRS BRINENGIBA DENIELLA IEKAA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
greater flexibility in pursuing growth opportunities going forward; and provide access to the capital markets and diversification of the group’s
capital base to support the group’s continued growth,” the directors explained. The company said it intend to use the net proceeds from
the offer principally on the reduction of debt to achieve a targeted leverage ratio of 2.5x based on underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortisation for the year ended 31 March 2019. The company reported a profit of $412 million for the full year ended March 31, 2019.
TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE…
President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Uche Olowu (left), presenting an award of excellence to the Resort Group Chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), at the institute’s 2019 annual lecture in Lagos...yesterday
Defeated APC Candidate Blackmailing Me, House Member Cries out Segun James The House of Representatives member representing Bomadi/ Patani federal constituency in Delta State, Mr. Nicholas Mutu, has lamented that the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the last general election, Mr. Collins Eselemo, is bitterly blackmailing him. Mutu, who contested and won the election on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the allegationsofforgeryandimpersonation leveled against him by Eselemo are not only frivolous and ill-motivated, but aimed at damaging his hard-earned reputation as the longest serving legislator in the country. He said conventional and social media have been littered with
allegations of certificate forgery and impersonation against him instigated by his former opponent in the election. Mutu, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Ebitimi Ogbomah, said all the allegations bordering on certificate forgery and impersonation had been “rubbished by the responses of the appropriate authorities, including all the schools he (Mutu) attended and the National Assembly, where he had been a member, courtesy of the good people of Bomadi/Patani federal constituency since 1999.” On the allegation that Mutu’s West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE) issued by the management of Rivers State School of
Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, now known as Captain ElechiAmadi Polytechnic, was fake, Ogbomah said a letter written by the Registrar of the institute, Mr. Chris Woke, on the matter, had cleared Mutu of any wrongdoing. In the letter, Woke confirmed that the school was not only recognised but was a centre for WAEC and GCE in 1986 when Mutu sat for the examination. Woke, who attached the certified copies of the master list/computer printout of candidates who sat for the examination in the centre in 1986, said Mutu, with number 21648/094, was among the candidates. The APC candidate in the letter, which was sequel to an enquiry made by Mutu’s solicitors, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, stated that “I write to confirm that the former Rivers State
School of Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt (now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic), was a recognised school and centre for West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations as at May/June 1986. “The then Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Port Harcourt, functioned as a recognised school/ centre for May/June WAEC/GCE Examinations from 1977 to June 1987 and continued with November/ December General Certificate of Education(GCE) up to 1990 before it was discontinued following the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 education system in Nigeria.
Remy Martin Launches Producers Series Following five successful seasons of the competition in the US, premium cognac, Rémy Martin is excited to introduce Season 1 of the Producers Series - an impactful music platform designed to discover and celebrate budding music producers and video directors in Nigeria. Behind every chart-topping hit or film is the craft of a producer and a director. They take the risks, make the tough calls, and help build other talents. Demanding both fearless leadership and impeccable collaboration, becoming a creator is one of the most difficult journeys in show business. Rémy Martin believes that success is best achieved in a collaborative manner and the brand will continue
to provide a platform to spotlight and elevate emerging talents in the music industry. With the help of 3 notable names in the Nigerian music industry, the Producers Series is offering unsung visionaries the unprecedented chance to break through to the big leagues and get the legendary co-sign. The renowned producer competition will be giving two talented individuals the opportunity to get their ultimate break in the music industry by working on a track produced, directed and curated alongside chart-topping music producer, Sarz, award-winning music video director, film maker and cinematographer, Clarence Peters with ace rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, Phyno laying down
the verses. Speaking on the competition, chart-topping producer, Sarz, noted that the power of mentorship cannot be overstated. It guides people to make fewer mistakes on their journey to success. He adds: “This is why I started The Sarz Academy, and partnering with a big brand like Rémy Martin on this campaign will definitely allow me to expand on this and reach more people.” In his words, rapper and singer, Phyno, says, “Working with Rémy Martin on this project where I can mentor young and upcoming talents and share advice on how to get to the top and even work with them. I don’t think there’s any other brand appreciating creators
like this.” “Success is a legacy. The mindset that you have, your philosophy; cannot pass on from generation to generation without mentorship. For me, I am big on Legacy and heritage that’s why I chose to be on the campaign with the Rémy Martin team,” said Clarence Peters. Rémy Martin continues to champion the many talents and creative genius of music producers by bringing together both established and developing artists in the spirit of collective success. Stay tuned for more information as the Rémy Martin Producers Series will go live soon!
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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019
Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe
FRIDAYSPORTS
Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 08111813083
Biggest AFCON Tournament Begins Tonight in Egypt Femi Solaja When the Centre Referee blasts his whistle at 9:00pm Nigerian time to signal the beginning of the biggest Africa Cup of Nations in history at the Cairo International Stadium, the Pharaohs will strive to avoid the national embarrassment Egypt suffered in 1986 when they surprisingly lost 0-1 to unheralded Senegal. This time, Egypt will be facing the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the opening match. In the previous 31 editions, the hosts have often won their opening games. There are 19 of such instances while nine were drawn and five lost, including the 1986 edition by Egypt. No home nation has lost in the 13 previous curtain raisers involving the home side. The last home side to lose an opening game was Tunisia in 1994 and lost 0-2 to Mali in a tournament Nigeria’s Super Eagles won for the second time after 1980 triumph on home soil. The opening match is just one of the projected 52 matches as the competition has expanded to 24 teams instead of the 16 that characterized the preceding 12 editions in which 16 teams featured since 1996 – even though Nigeria boycotted the initial 16-format edition. The numbers of participating teams have been fluctuating. At it beginning in 1957, there were three teams, all by invitation following the disqualification of the fourth team, South Africa, owing to its prevailing apartheid policy. Qualifying series began for the
OPENING MATCHES OF PREVIOUS 31 EDITIONS · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
1957 - Sudan 1-2 Egypt 1959 - Egypt 4 – 0 Ethiopia 1962 - Ethiopia 4 - 2 Tunisia 1963 - Ghana 1 – 1 Tunisia 1965 - Tunisia 4 -0 Ethiopia 1968 - Ethiopia 2 -1 Uganda 1970 - Sudan 3 - 0 Ethiopia 1972 - Cameroon 2 -1 Kenya 1974 - Egypt 2 -1 Uganda 1 1976 - Ethiopia 2 - 0 Uganda 1978 - Ghana 2 - 1 Zambia 1980 - Nigeria 3-1 Tanzania 1982 - Libya 2 -2 Ghana 1984- Cote d’Ivoire 3 - 0 Togo 1986 -Egypt 0 -1 Senegal 1988 -Morocco 1 – 0 DR Congo 1990 - Algeria 5 -1 Nigeria 1992 - Senegal 1-2 Nigeria 1994 - Tunisia 0 - 2 Mali 1996 – S’Africa 3-0 Cameroon 1998 – B’Faso 0-1 Cameroon 2000 - Ghana 1 – 1 Cameroon 2000 - Nigeria 4 - 2 Tunisia 2002 - Mali 1 - 1 Liberia 2004 - Tunisia 2 - 1 Rwanda 2006 - Egypt 3 – 0 Libya 2008 - Ghana 2 - 1 Guinea 2010 - Angola 4 - 4 Mali 4 2012 – E’Guinea 1-0 Libya 2012 - Gabon 2 – 0 Niger 2013 – S’Africa 0 -0 Cape Verde 0 2015 – E’ Guinea 1 -1 Congo 2017 - Gabon 1 -1 G’Bissau
1962 edition following entries by nine countries, including Nigeria. Ethiopia and Egypt both automatically qualified as the host country and title holders respectively. Morocco would withdraw before play began, thus leaving only six teams vying for the remaining two spots in the finals. Tunisia eliminated Nigeria after an ill-advised walkout in the return leg in Tunis in which advantage was still in Nigeria’s favour. Teams in the finals increased to six at the 1963 edition in Ghana. Nigeria qualified by default after CAF disqualified the initially qualified Guinea on technical ground. Guinean referees officiated the return leg in Conakry in which the host team won 1-0 after a 2-2 draw in Lagos. The 1968 tournament, the sixth edition heralded the standardization of format. Eight teams featured in the finals and a two-year interval in the even-numbered year was adopted which ran till that of 2012. The eight-team format was
Mohamed Salah will lead Egypt’s pursuit of a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations title with the opening game against Zimbabwe tonight Reuters changed to 12 at the Senegal 2012 edition. The 12 teams were divided into four groups of three. For the first time, quarterfinals were introduced as two top teams advanced.
The format changed to 16 teams at South Africa 1996. This year’s edition is the first to involve 24 teams. They are split into six groups of four teams at the
Super Eagles Seek Fourth African Title
On paper, Nigeria and Guinea are the automatic picks to progress to the knockout stages from Group B as they are both ranked higher and more experienced than both Burundi and Madagascar who are making their tournament debuts. But, on the pitch, this will be a totally different story as the two new entrants to the AFCON have proved to be tough with Burundi especially, who qualified ahead of the likes of Gabon led by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Nigeria Head Coach Gernot Rohr has warned his side not to try and underrate anyone in the group as the Super Eagles seek their fourth African crown, starting off their campaign with the group matches in Alexandria. The Super Eagles, ranked third best in Africa and 45th in the world have won the tournament three times. They qualified as Group E winners, topping with 13 points after four victories, a draw and a loss. They finished just a point ahead of South Africa, who handed them their only loss in the qualification process. Nigeria return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the last two editions and having played in last year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia, are regarded as one of the favourites to lift the title in Egypt. The last time
Eagles won was in 2013 when they defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 courtesy a Sunday Mba goal. The other times they have won the title was in 1980 and 1994 when it was hosted in Tunisia. Though he admits it will be tough, German Rohr believes his side will be in Cairo to compete for the honours especially with the weight of expectations of a whole Nigerian population on their shoulders. “I think lot of teams can dream to win this trophy. We have the experience from the World Cup, but again, we have a young team. We were the youngest at the World Cup and probably we will still be the youngest at this AFCON.”
Rohr has put in a blend of youth and experience in his squad but the most positive addition is the return of influential midfielder John Mikel Obi who had not played for the team since the World Cup in Russia. The tactician has also included in-form Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze and fellow FIFA U-17 World Cup winner Victor Osimhen in the final team for Egypt and will be in line for their senior team debuts. Chukwueze has been on form for the Yellow Submarines in the Spanish La Liga scoring five goals in 26 appearances and he was picked up ahead of the more experienced Kelechi Iheanacho who has struggled at Leicester City.
draw conducted in April. Thus, another phase, Round of 16 is introduced. Two teams from each group will advance into the Round of 16. Four others among the best
third-placed teams from the six groups will join the 12 that emerged first and second from each group. The Round of 16 is a direct knock out stage.
Lagos to Host Eunisell Boot Award The stage is now set for the biggest individual award in Nigeria’s domestic topflight as organisers of Eunisell Boot award for the highest goal scorer have picked Lagos as host of the second edition. This will be the second time Lagos will play host to the prestigious award. Since its introduction, the Eunisell Boot ceremony has become a must-attend in Nigeria’s football calendar as a goal is valued at N200,000. Nasarawa United’s Sunusi Ibrahim and Akwa United’s Mfon Udoh will
be presented with cheques of N2million each for scoring 10 goals respectively during the regular season. This edition of the award enters the history books as the first Eunisell Boot with two players on the podium. There is excitement in the land as stakeholders are already looking forward to the event. Junior Lokosa, now with Esperance Sportive won the maiden edition of Eunisell Boot after scoring 19 goals for Kano Pillars. The award ceremony is to take place at The Radisson Blu, in Ikeja, on Friday, June 28.
NNPC Assures NTA/HotSports of Support for AFCON 2019 TV Broadcast The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged its support towards ensuring that Nigerians football fans watch live telecast of the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Egypt on Friday and runs till July 19, 2019. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and its Official Marketing Agency, HotSports Media Group will bring every exciting moment of the tournament on and off the field to viewers on
the terrestrial channels to Africa’s largest television network. Following the acquisition of the €1.8 million (about N728 million) exclusive free-to-air rights from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to market and broadcast the forthcoming AFCON 2019, NTA signed on HotSports Media Group to deliver corporate support towards meeting the financial obligations of the contract, in order to deliver hitch- broadcast to its teeming viewers.
Receiving the NTA delegation, led by the Director General, Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed at the NNPC Towers, outgoing Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru assured them that the Corporation would do all it could to partner NTA and HotSports on AFCON 2019 live telecast to ensure that Nigerians watch their darling team, the Super Eagles during the continental football fiesta. He described sports as a
significant factor in engendering unity and national cohesion among Nigerians and that NNPC would support the NTA/HotSports partnership to broadcast Super Eagles matches to further cement unity among Nigerians during the tournament. “It is a fact that sports, especially football, enjoys an occultic followership in Nigeria. This is very good as it can be used to further unite Nigerians across all interests,” Baru stated.
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FRIDAYSPORTS
Women’sWorld Cup: Nigeria,Cameroon Squeeze into Last 16 Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria’s Super Falcons squeezed into the Last 16 stage of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in France last night courtesy a gutsy defensive play by Thailand against Chile. Nigeria qualified as the fourth best third placed team of the group stage. It is the first time Falcons will be reaching this stage of the competition since they first did in 1999 at the edition hosted by USA. Needing a three-goal win to advance, Chile were 2-0 up when they were awarded a penalty after keeper Thai goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing fouled Maria Jose Urrutia. However, Francisca Lara
ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES Germany Vs Nigeria Norway Vs Australia England Vs Cameroon France Vs Brazil Spain Vs USA Sweden Vs Canada Italy Vs China Netherlands Vs Japan
AFCON 2019 FIXTURES DAY 1: 21/06/19 8:00pm - Egypt vs Zimbabwe 2:30pm - Congo DR vs Uganda DAY 2: 22/06/19 5:00pm - Nigeria vs Burundi 8:00pm- Guinea vs Madagascar DAY 3: 23/06/19 2:30pm - Morocco vs Namibia 5:00pm - Senegal vs Tanzania* 8:00pm - Algeria vs Kenya DAY 4: 24/06/19 2:30pm -Côte d’Ivoire vs South Africa 5:00pm - Tunisia vs Angola 8:00pm - Mali vs Mauritania DAY 5: 25/06/19 5:00pm - Cameroon vs Guinea-Bissau 8:00pm - Ghana vs Benin DAY 6: 26/06/19 2:30pm - Nigeria vs Guinea 5:00pm - Uganda vs Zimbabwe 8:00pm - Egypt vs Congo DR DAY 7: 27/06/19 2:30pm - Madagascar vs Burundi 5:00pm - Senegal vs Algeria *8:00pm - Kenya vs Tanzania* DAY 8: 28/06/19 2:30pm - Tunisia vs Mali 5:00pm - Morocco vs Côte d’Ivoire 8:00pm - South Africa vs Namibia DAY 9: 29/06/19 2:30pm - Mauritania vs Angola 5:00pm - Cameroon vs Ghana 8:00pm - Benin vs Guinea-Bissau DAY 10: 30/06/19 4:00pm - Burundi vs Guinea 4:00pm - Madagascar vs Nigeria 7:00pm - Zimbabwe vs Congo DRC 7:00pm - Uganda vs Egypt DAY 11: 01/07/19 4:00pm - Namibia vs Côte d’Ivoire 4:00pm - South Africa vs Morocco *7:00pm - Tanzania vs Algeria* 7:00pm - Kenya vs Senegal DAY 12: 02/07/19 4:00pm - Guinea-Bissau vs Ghana 4:00pm - Benin vs Cameroon 7:00pm - Angola vs Mali 7:00pm - Mauritania vs Tunisia
stepped up and struck her effort against the bar in the dying minutes of the added seven minutes. Thailand held on till the final whistle for Nigeria to progress to the knock out stage to play Germany on Saturday. Interestingly, Nigeria’s hope of progress was dealt a blow in the first game of the evening as Ajara Nchout scored two brilliant goals, including an injury-time winner, as Cameroon dramatically beat New Zealand 2-1 to reach the last 16 as one of the best third-placed team. They tied on same three points and minus two goals with Nigeria but were placed above Falcons based on superior fair play record of the group phase. Nchout turned inside Ria Percival in the 95th minute and superbly curled in the winner
Cameroon players celebrating the 2-1 victory over New Zealand and the qualiďŹ cation to the last 16 of the 2019 FIFA World Cup in France AP
to put Cameroon through. They were heading out after Aurelle Awona sliced a volley into her own net with
10 minutes remaining for 1-1. Nchout had put her side ahead in the second half with a lovely, dinked goal.
The Netherlands finished top of Group E with a 100% record after a 2-1 victory over Canada, who finish in second
place while USA that defeated Sweden by the same 2-0 margin topped Group F on maximum nine points.
Star Lager to UnveilTV Commercial in Support of Eagles As the 32nd edition of Africa’s premier football competition, the African Cup of Nations, gets underway this Friday, one of the major sponsors of the Super Eagles, Nigerian Breweries Plc through its Star Lager beer is taking the support for the team to a higher level. A television commercial will be unveiled today by Star Lager beer, the premium
supporter of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Official Beer of the Super Eagles. The commercial is geared towards inspiring the Nigerian national team to soar to greater heights to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time. Ahead of the unveiling, the Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mrs. Sarah Agha said the idea is to bring Nigerian football fans to stand behind Eagles all
through the grueling matches the team will play at the tournament. “Nigerians are very passionate about football and we want to galvanise them to stand behind the Super Eagles as they hope to conquer Africa again. Star Lager as a foremost brand when it comes to entertainment, our consumers and numerous fans are in for wonderful moments of football. “The television commercial is part of our own way to use Star Lager to spread the
message of total support to the team as they go out with the mission to conquer in the Land of Pharaohs,� she remarked. As expected, fans that will visit the Star Fan Parks across the country during the tournament will see the television commercial as it would be played repeatedly before, during and after the matches in real time. In all, ten dedicated Fan Parks in nine cities namely Uyo, Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Onitsha, Abeokuta,
Abuja, Jos and multiple centres in Lagos have been selected by the brand to give Nigerian fans memorable experiences where fans can in carnival like environment enjoy the 52 matches of the competition, which runs from June 21st to July 12th, 2019. Apart from the excitement expected from the competing teams on the fields, Star Lager will also thrill fans to the best of entertainment at the Star Fan Park, which would be activated on all match days.
Runsewe Backs President Buhari Golf Cup Final All is now set for the final of the Daily Trust President Buhari Golf Cup final. The
GROUP A Team Congo DR Egypt Uganda Zimbabwe
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 0 0 0
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 0 0 0
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 0 0 0
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 0 0 0
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 0 0 0
P 0 0 0 0
W 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0
GF 0 0 0 0
GA 0 0 0 0
GD 0 0 0 0
Pts 0 3 0 0
GROUP B Team Burundi Guinea Madagascar Nigeria
GROUP C Team Algeria Kenya Senegal Tanzania
GROUP D Team Cote d’Ivoire Morocco Namibia South Africa
GROUP E Team Angola Mali Mauritania Tunisia
GROUP F Team Benin Cameroon Ghana G’Bissau
date is June 29-30 and the venue remains the IBB Golf and Country Club in Abuja. To make this a most colourful event, the Director General of the National Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has indicated that the golf event would serve as a proper avenue to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the country. He further added that cultural groups from the
main tribes of the nation would lighten up the event with exceptional cultural displays. “Anything done in the name of the President should receive a total boost,� Runsewe who is equally a prominent member of the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) said. “I must indeed congratulate the Daily Trust for making this event happen. I think the last time a tournament was played for a
sitting President of the nation could date back to some 12 years. Staging this event now is most commendable. “And this is reason our Arts Council would join in the celebration by bringing to the fore our cultural heritage on June 30, the closing day of this event. What we shall present on that day will be quite heart warming,� the National Arts and Culture boss.
Abuja Agog for 41st CBN Senior Tennis Championship Activities marking the 41st edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Tournament have commenced at the tennis courts of the Package ‘B’ of the National Stadium in Abuja and will run till Saturday June 29, 2019. Director, Corporate Communications Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Isaac Okorafor said that the tournament is coming back to the Federal Capital city for the successive year due to the success of the last edition there. This he said prompted the management of the apex bank into making a return by approving the staging of the 2019 edition of the CBN Senior tennis which is the 41st in the series in Abuja. Okorafor reaffirmed the
objective of the annual CBN hard court Senior Tennis Championship which is to discover talents that could represent Nigeria at major international competitions like the Olympics Games, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games and even the World Championships among others. He added that the tournament would also help to better the global ranking of Nigeria players with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as well as create channels for the development of the sport in the domestic scene for both the youth and the physically challenged. According to him, those who have played in the tournament in the past have gone ahead to wear the greenwhite-green colours of Nigeria
at various international championships where they competed favourably with the rest of world. The CBN director prayed that in no distant time, products of the CBN Tennis would surpass the ranking of those predecessors like Nduka Odizor who reached his highest ATP ranking of 52 in the world in June 1984. Okorafor reassured tennis stakeholders that the CBN will continue to invest in Nigerian youth through sports as part of the apex bank’s social responsibilities. He pointed at the CBN Junior Tennis championship held last month at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Race Course Lagos which featured U-10 to 18 boys and girls categories as one of such drive to develop the youths.
Friday, June 21, 2019
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MISSILE Presidency to Obasanjo “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo owes an answer to Nigerians on his absence from the 2019 Presidential inauguration and Democracy Day celebration because the claim that he was not invited or he did not receive an invitation cannot be sustained.” -The Presidency asking former President Olusegun Obasanjo to explain why he was absent from the maiden Democracy Day on June 12.
AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA
akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com
The Fulani Identity Crisis C AVEAT EMPTOR: ‘It is equally incontrovertible that in the last four years or so, herdsmen have acquired military grade weapons with which they rob, kidnap, maim, kill and raze whole communities on their path… Their crimes violate the rights of other Nigerians and render the country more insecure. Criminal Fulani herdsmen do not however have a monopoly of these crimes. There is first a blatant failure of crime control and crime fighting, crime intelligence and overall internal security strategy… it ought to concern President Buhari, himself a Fulani rancher, that roving Fulani herdsmen have become weaponised and dangerous under his watch. It is this fact and his body language that is encouraging the rhetoric of ‘Fulanisation.’ I am not comfortable using the caption above (i.e. Fulani Identity crisis) specifically for the reason that I want to avoid, as much as I can, making the Fulani Identity any more controversial than it is already. And it is for this consideration that I entered the caveat emptor above and it is intended to serve as a sounding board against reading me amiss and out of context. The excerpts contained in the caveat emptor belong to a co debater but I adopt it as fairly representative of my position. But I also subscribe to the notion of an intellectual as he who seeks and follows the truth wherever it may lead. Regardless of how well it has measured up to this standard, the notion is called objectivity and value neutrality in the scientific tradition. In the circumstance, any other consideration would amount to the subordination of this intellectual aspiration to personal and political bias. Thinking of close friends and confidantes of Fulani extraction doesn’t make the decision any easier. Even if all of them can vouchsafe the relative objectivity with which I will handle the subject, there are bound to be third parties who would spitefully call to draw attention to what their brother, Akin, has done to us in his column today (on their return from the Jumat service)-often without the credibility of reading through the opinion. There is also the problem of generalisation. Are all Fulani guilty of contemporary socio-political violations ascribed to this identity? The answer of course is no and does no credit to whoever does not make such qualification. This of course does not preclude from the burden of vicarious responsibility. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently spoke of a ‘Fulanisation and Islamisation’ agenda and took the pains to specifically cite it as belonging to the Boko Haram terror group and its subsequent mutants rampaging Nigeria. In this season of deliberately cultivated and nurtured divisiveness, right from the pinnacle of political power, the reaction up North was fairly predictable. I know few disciples of Obasanjo as steadfast as Governor Sule Lamido, yet he felt compelled to call
Buhari
out the former President on the allegation. I could predict that an Obasanjo person like Lamido will have this kind of reaction. What I did not anticipate was the extreme language he employed in doing so. The typical reactions from the stable of Fulani/ Northern Muslim political establishment were predicated on the assumption that Obasanjo had President Muhammadu Buhari in mind when he spoke of ‘Fulanisation’ -even though he categorically attributed the agenda to the terror groups. Inherent in this assumption is the unflattering implication of Buhari in the activities of Boko Haram and allied groups. No matter the validity, the assumption is widely shared among Nigerians particularly those who have been at the receiving end of the discriminatory policies and practices of the President. Lamido was worried that the choice of the ‘Fulanisation’ epithet is accusatory of the Fulani collectively and may thereby result in the unintended consequence of we versus them sympathy for Buhari-whom he believed was the target. He did not need to tell me before I correctly anticipated that, he would be held proxy by his regional constituents to answer for Obasanjo. No doubt, the Fulani has come under considerable verbal aggression in contemporary public discourse subjecting the group identity, in the process, to a siege mentality. The notoriety of the Fulani herdsmen crisis as it transmuted into a wave of Nigeria-wide banditry has posed a crisis of identity for the sub national group. No one wants to own or identify with notoriety especially of the magnitude of the escalating banditry and brigandage associated with the criminals. Hence the media pressure by Buhari allies for the adoption of a language of deflection and evasion in commenting on the crisis. On account of its unique relevance to this concerted manipulation of public communication I would like to recall the Italian scholar, Antonio Gramsci; and in doing so I seek the indulgence of the less studious readers, ‘Hegemonic culture propagates its own values
and norms so that they become the “common sense” values of all and thus maintain the status quo. Hegemonic power is therefore used to maintain consent to the prevailing political order. This cultural hegemony is produced and reproduced by the dominant class through the institutions that form the superstructure’. The recent experience of the Yoruba victims (for instance) of organised Fulani banditry has turned the South-west into a proxy turf for those aiming to minimize and evade the Fulani Identity attribution and those who feel no political obligation to do so. There is a historical baggage to the relationship between the Yoruba and Fulani dating back to the near two century old animus and distrust fostered by the loss of Ilorin to the Sokoto caliphate. It is a story that resonates and continues to stoke Yoruba nationalist temper at the minimum prompt. The relentless and common Yoruba experience of dehumanizing and debasing banditry at the hands of criminals, whom the preponderance of victims, including Chief Olu Falae and a University Professor, have identified as Fulani, amounts to a reopening of this historical wound. It has remained a collective subconscious hurdle too stubborn to surmount and transcend- which recurrences of this nature tend to deepen and magnify. By way of personal experience, way back in 2008 or thereabouts I wrote to the governors of the six South-west states and opinion leaders across the zone. The experience I documented consists of repeated instances of the metamorphosis of daytime Fulani herdsmen into armed robbery gangs at nightfall. From comparing notes, it emerged that this was becoming a pattern in the South-west In the words of Sir Ahmadu Bello In 1817, ‘a man called Afonja was governor of Ilorin, then an important Yoruba town and part of the domains of the Alaafin of Oyo. He broke away from his master and declared himself independent. Feeling a little insecure, he made friends with a Sokoto Malam, one Alimi; he called together numbers of Muslims, including Yoruba Muslims, to form an army to defend Ilorin from the inevitable attack. Then the Muslim auxiliaries became out of hand: Afonja enlisted Yoruba help to drive them out, but not only did they fail to do so but Afonja himself was killed and his body was burnt in the Ilorin market. From that time, an almost continuous state of war existed between the Emirs of Ilorin and the Chiefs of the Yoruba. These wars went on and at one time it appeared as though the ancient prophecy that the Fulani would dip the holy Koran in the sea would come to pass’. In the respect that the Fulani more than any other sub national group in Nigeria can lay claim to the ruling class status, the identity comes with a large dose of pride. In so far as a ruling class should fulfill the prior requisite of cohesiveness and coherence, the Fulani
political elite has proven relatively successful. The strategy of fostering and forging the hybrid political identity of Hausa-Fulani thus subsuming the identity of a large swathe of the Northern region population in a pseudo theocracy is a political masterstroke especially in the cognition of politics as a game of numbers. Never mind that Hausa is the language and not the ethnic national identity of the Habe. And that it benefits the strategy of weakening Habe nationalism to discard and substitute the latter identity with Hausa in the Hausa-Fulani hybrid. The successful execution of this strategy created the domino effect of pressurizing other minority Muslim sub nationals especially the Kanuri to fall in line. The legacy of the British colonial policy of grouping the largely Christian populations of the Middle Belt together with the Muslim North in one Northern region was the clincher for the political hegemony the Fulani dominated region would exercise over Nigeria. Like any group similarly privileged in history, it is an identity the Fulani cherish and has endeavoured to preserve. Seldom will you meet a Fulani who does not harbour and exercise a subtle preference for this identity over any other. Prompted by this desire and in commonality with ruling class mentality down the ages, the practice of racial and clan in-breeding is still prevalent among this category of Nigerians. It is the extent to which they feel compelled to go to preserve a unique heritage. In its racial prototype, there is an Afro-Asiatic refinement to the general physical appearance that some observers deem attractive (beauty is in the eye of the beholder afterall). In sum, the identity crisis, of which we speak, resides largely in the schizophrenic logic of coveting the ruling elite status and heritage that the privileged incorporation of the Sokoto caliphate into Nigeria bestows on the identity while rejecting its notoriety especially in its recent manifestation.
THE SOKOTO CALIPHATE ‘Dan Fodio was elected “Commander of the Faithful” (Amir al-Mu’minin) by his followers, marking the start of the Sokoto Caliphate. Usman dan Fodio then declared a number of flag bearers amongst those following him, creating an early political structure of the empire. Declaring a jihad against the Hausa kings, Dan Fodio rallied his “warrior-scholars” the forces of Dan Fodio began taking over some of the key cities starting in 1805. The war lasted from 1804 until 1808. The forces were able to capture the states of Katsina and Daura and the important kingdom of Kano in 1807, and finally conquered Gobir in 1809. In the same year, Muhammed Bello, the son of Dan Fodio, founded the city of Sokoto, which became the capital of the Sokoto Caliphate’.
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