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Glo, 9Mobile Intensify Efforts to Commence Operations as PSBs Emma Okonji Two months to the end of the six months’ deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for telecom operators to put the infrastructure in place to enable them to obtain full licence to operate as Payment

Service Banks (PSBs), the telcos have intensified efforts to meet up with the demand of the apex bank, THISDAY has learnt.

The telcos granted Approval-in-Principle (AIP) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) include: Hope PSB,

Money Master PSB and 9PSB. While Money Master PSB is owned by Globacom, 9mobile owns 9PSB. THISDAY gathered that there were some requirements listed by CBN, which the telcos must meet not later than six months after obtaining the AIP

so as to get the full commercial licence to operate PSB. The requirements sighted by THISDAY in a CBN document include: “An application that must be accompanied with a non-refundable licensing fee of N2 million only in bank draft payable to the Central

Bank of Nigeria; Certified True Copy (CTC) of Certificate of Incorporation of the bank; Evidence of location of Head Office (rented or owned) for the take-off of the business; Schedule of changes, if any, composition of the Board and shareholding after the

grant of AIP; Evidence of ability to meet technical requirements and modern infrastructural facilities such as office equipment, computers, telecommunications, to perform the bank’s operations Continued on page 9

Ihedioha Asks S’Court to Reconsider Verdict on Imo Gov Election... Page 6 Thursday 6 February, 2020 Vol 25. No 9068. Price: N250

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Supreme Islamic Council Urges Buhari to Declare Emergency on Insecurity Presidency hits CAN, says ransom payment allegation divisive ACF, Afenifere, Atiku fault president’s claim on ratio of Boko Haram victims Deji Elumoye, Omololu Ogunmade, Chuks Okocha, Olawale Ajimotokan, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, Segun James in Lagos and John Shiklam in Kaduna Concerns about worsening insecurity in the country remained on the front burner yesterday as the

Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency on insecurity and accused Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of playing politics with the security challenges confronting the Continued on page 9

House Pledges Assistance to Service Chiefs to End Insurgency IG briefs Senate on concept of community policing Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja Less than one week after the House of Representatives urged President Muhammed Buhari to remove service chiefs for worsening insecurity, the lawmakers yesterday promised to work with the military

helmsmen to end the war against Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal elements in the country.

This is coming as the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, yesterday briefed the Senate on the concept of community Continued on page 9

WORKING FOR THE YOUTH...

L-R: Proprietress, Children's International School, Mrs. Joke Chukwumah; Prince Anthony Edward, Earl of Wessex; and Board Chairman, International Award for Young People Nigeria, Mr. Olawale Edun, at IAYPN Youth Concert and Exhibition in Lagos...yesterday kunle ogunfuyi

US Senate Acquits Trump on Both Articles of Impeachment... Page 8

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

Ihedioha Asks S’Court to Reconsider Verdict on Imo Gov Election 250 terrorists killed in Kaduna, says police

Bandits Shoot Police Helicopter, Injure Pilots

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Police High Command said yesterday that a police helicopter providing aerial support for operatives in Kaduna came under attack from bandits, who deployed anti-air craft rifles and injured the pilots.

The force, however, said that its special operatives backed by special forces and the police air wing stormed the largest operational camps of the Ansaru terrorist group, which also housed other bandits and kidnappers located in Kuduru Forest, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, killing 250 members of the group.

A statement issued last night said the operation was carried out by combined forces of the Police following actionable intelligence at its disposal.

“The operation which commenced in the early hours of today, February 5, 2020, was carried out by a combined team of operatives of Operation Puff Adder made up of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Forces, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“The operation was necessitated by actionable intelligence linking terror and criminal elements in the super camp to series of terror-related violence, kidnappings, gun-running, cattle rustling and other heinous crimes across the

country,” it said.

The statement issued by Force PRO, DCP Frank Mba, said the Police helicopter providing aerial support for the operatives came under attack from the bandits, who deployed anti-air craft rifles.

“Unfortunately, during the operation, a police bell helicopter, which provided aerial and intelligence cover for the ground troops came under attack from the bandits using sophisticated antiaircraft rifles and General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

“Commendably, the pilot and the co-pilot, who demonstrated uncommon courage and expertise, successfully landed the aircraft at the Air Force Base, Kaduna without further incident. They were thereafter evacuated for medical treatment,” he said.

Mbah noted that “both officers who sustained nonlife threatening injuries are currently receiving treatment and are in stable conditions.

The Police helicopter has since been flown out of the Kaduna Air Force Base by Police Pilots en-route to Abuja.”

The statement said the Inspector General of Police assured citizens of safety and sustained intelligence-led operations against bandits across the length and breadth of the nation.

“He has equally applauded the unparalleled bravery, commitment and dedication of the Police operatives currently conducting the special mission,” it said.

Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja

A former governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has finally approached the Supreme Court asking it to set aside its own judgment, which removed him and declared Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state on January 14.

Disclosing this yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, the immediate past Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ndukwe Nnawuchi (SAN), said the former governor is seeking one-relief - that the apex court should set aside its judgment, which nullified his election.

Nnawuchi said the former governor and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier put together a team of legal experts to study the

judgment and advise them on the next line of action.

“The team of legal experts has advised them to approach the Supreme Court for review of its verdict and based on that advice, we filed our case at the Supreme Court today,” he said, adding: “We are asking for one-relief - asking the Supreme Court to set aside its judgment.

The details of our argument are contained in the papers we filed.”

He confirmed that Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), along with over 30 senior lawyers are representing Ihedioha and the PDP in the matter.

The former Attorney General also stated that the team was ready to file affidavit of urgency that will ensure that the application is held urgently.

He expressed hope that Ihedioha will get justice at

the end of the day.

The apex court had in a unanimous judgment delivered on January 14, removed Ihedioha on the grounds that he did not win majority of the votes cast in the March 9 governorship election.

The apex court in its decision said Ihedioha was returned as governor of Imo State based on wrong computation of the election results in the state.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the court voided the concurrent decisions of the tribunal and Court of Appeal, which had declared Ihedioha winner of the poll on the grounds that they both failed to take into account votes from 388 polling units in the election.

According to the apex court, the concurrent judgment of

the lower court erred in law when it excluded votes totaling 213,295 from 388 polling units from the total scores at the election.

Justice Kekere-Ekun said that the lower court misconstrued the case of the appellants that he was challenging the validity of the election whereas he was challenging the unlawful exclusion of votes in the 388 polling units.

In addition, the court held that the excluded votes from the 388 polling units be ascribed to the appellants.

Consequently the apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ihedioha and issue a fresh one to candidate of the APC, Uzodinma, on the ground that he won majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

Court Orders Reinstatement of another Army Officer IN THE GATEWAY... judge held that it was not Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Sanusi Kado of the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria yesterday ordered the immediate reinstatement of another army officer, Colonel Muhammed Suleiman, who had been retired from the Nigerian Army.

Suleiman is among the 38 officers of the Nigerian Army disengaged from service in 2016.

Before yesterday’s judgment, the Industrial Court had previously ordered the army to reinstate four other affected officers - Major General Nwokoro Ijeoma, Colonel Danladi Hassan, as well as Lieutenant Colonels Abdulfatai Mohammed and Thomas Arigbe.

Justice Kado gave the order shortly after he held that the disengagement of Suleiman by the Nigerian Army via a letter of compulsory retirement in 2016, was ultra vires, illegal, unlawful, null and void.

Suleiman had approached the court to challenge his unlawful dismissal from service on grounds that the army did not follow laid down procedure before relieving him of his service.

Delivering judgment in the suit with number NICN/ABJ/315/16, the

at the behest of the army to hire and fire, adding that once an employment enjoys statutory flavour, appropriate steps in line with the law governing that employment must be taken to bring such relationship to an end.

Justice Kado said that having not followed its own rules and guidelines of employment, the action of the army in retiring the claimant was unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.

He stated that although the army had cited serious disciplinary offences as grounds for compulsorily retiring the claimant, it nevertheless failed to prove any of such offences said to have been committed by the claimant.

In addition, the court added that claim of having over-stayed in office, which the defendant described as a serious disciplinary offence, was not stated in the letter disengaging the claimant from office.

He subsequently ordered the reinstatement of Colonel Suleiman to his rank in the Nigerian Army before he was disengaged in June 9, 2016.

The judge also ordered the payment of all his entitlements from the day he was compulsorily retired till date.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Networks, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya (left), and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during a visit by a delegation of Airtel to the governor in Abeokuta…yesterday

IG Charges Wadume, Army Captain, 18 Others with Terrorism Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has finally slammed a 16-count charge bordering on terrorism, murder, kidnapping and illegal arms running against the Taraba State kidnap kingpin, Mr. Bala Hamisu (aka Wadume), Captain Tijjani Balarabe and 18 other suspects.

The charge dated February 3, 2020 was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Simon Lough; Mr. Anthony Egwu, and Mr. Peter Amadi all of the Legal/ Prosecution Section, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Soldiers of 93 Battalion, Takum, Taraba State, had on August 6, 2019 shot members of a special anti-crime squad from the Inspector General of Police Office, who had arrested Wadume and were transporting him to the state police command, Jalingo, for interrogation, killing the three policemen and two civilians

on the spot.

The soldiers, who were acting on the orders of Balarabe, rescued the suspect and set him free.

The kidnap kingpin, the army captain and policemen involved in the incident, were later arrested and have been in detention.

THISDAY had reported the panel set up by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to look into the circumstances surrounding the killing of police detectives indicted Balarabe, who allegedly ordered the killing of the policemen and civilians at the Takum checkpoint.

According to the charge sheet sighted by THISDAY, other defendants are Staff Sgt. David Isaiah; Sgt. Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Markus Michael; L/Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt. Abdullahi Adamu; Private Ebele

Emmanuel; ASP Aondona Iorbee and Inspector Aliyu Dadje and Auwalu Bala, aka Omo Razor.

The rest are Uba Bala (aka Uba Belu); Ahmad Suleiman (aka Dan Ball); Bashir Waziri, (aka Baba runs); Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho); Hafizu Bala (aka Maiwelder); and Rayyanu Abdul.

Count one of the charge read, “That you, Alhaji Hamisu Bala, 33, aka Wadume; Capt.

Ahmed Tijjani Balarabe; ASP Aondona Iorbee; Insp. Aliyu Dadje; Auwalu Bala; Uba Bala; Ahmad Suleiman; Bashir Waziri; Zubairu Abdullahi; Rayyanu Abdul and others now at large, between February and April 2019 at Takum and Ibi, Taraba State, within the jurisdiction of this court, while acting in concert, conspired together to commit felony, to wit: acts of terrorism, by attacking and kidnapping one Usman Garba, aka Mayo, at his filling station in Takum, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 17 of

the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act 2013.”

They were also accused of possessing six AK-47 rifles and dealing in prohibited firearms contrary to Section 27 (1)(a)(I) and (1)(b)(iii) of the Firearms Act Cap F28, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

According to the charge sheet, prosecution would rely on the testimonies of 29 eyewitnesses.

The witnesses will also testify on how one Usman Garba was kidnapped on February 16, 2019 at Takum

by Wadume and his gang, who demanded a N200million ransom and killed the victim after receiving N106.3million.

“DCP Abba Kyari, CSP Baba Khali, ASP Abdulrahman Mohammed, ASP Bawa James, Insps Habila Samuel and Ilarju Joseph are the investigating police officers in this case; they will testify about their findings in the course of the investigation and will tender exhibits and documents,” the police explained.

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US Senate Acquits Trump on Both Articles of Impeachment United States President, Mr. Donald Trump, was last night cleared in his impeachment trial, ending a congressional bid to oust him from office that bitterly divided the US. The Senate, run by the president's fellow Republicans, voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power, and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress.

Democrats charged Trump in December with pressuring Ukraine to smear a potential White House rival.

In November, Trump will be the first impeached president to go for election.

In its historic vote on Wednesday, the Senate

decided not to remove America's 45th president from office on charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine.

If convicted on either charge, Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment on 18 December.

Trump, who is seeking a second four-year term in the November 3 election, had always denied wrongdoing.

His re-election campaign said in a statement: "President Trump has been totally vindicated and it's now time to get back to the business of

Insecurity: FG Directs NCC to Revise SIM Card Policy The federal government yesterday directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to revise the policy on SIM card registration and usage in the country following the latest upsurge in the cases of kidnapping and killings in the country.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami also said the number of SIM cards to be tied to an individual should not be more than three.

“The revision of the policy is based on the feedback received from the security agencies following the successful revalidation of improperly registered SIM cards in September 2019 and the blocking of those that failed to revalidate their SIMs,” Pantami added.

According to a statement signed by the Minister’s Technical Adviser, Dr. Femi Adeluyi, the revision of the policy should be undertaken before December 1, 2020.

The statement reads: “The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has directed the NCC

to revise the policy on SIM card registration and usage. ”This is in line with the powers of the minister as stated in Section 25(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003- ‘the Minister shall, in writing, from time to time notify the Commission or and express his views on the general policy direction of the Federal Government in respect of the communications sector.”

“The revision of the policy is based on the feedback received from the security agencies following the successful revalidation of improperly registered SIM cards in September 2019 and the blocking of those that failed to revalidate their SIMs. “The updated policy is expected to include the following provisions, amongst others: Ensure that the National Identity Number (NIN) becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards (while for foreigners, their passports and visas should be used), while already registered SIM cards are to be updated with National Identity Number (NIN) before 1st December, 2020.

the American people.

"The do-nothing Democrats know they can't beat him, so they had to impeach him."

It said "this terrible ordeal" and "nonsense" was merely a Democratic campaign tactic.

The statement added: "This impeachment hoax will go down as the worst miscalculation in American political history."

Trump, whose personal approval rating with American voters hit a personal best of 49% this week, according to Gallup - tweeted that he would speak on Thursday about the case.

Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican senator to cross the aisle and convict Trump, on the first charge of abuse of power.

Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, said earlier on the Senate floor that the president was "guilty of an appalling

abuse of public trust."

Despite Democratic hopes, two other moderate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, did not join Romney in voting to convict the president.

Some Republican senators criticised Trump's behaviour in recent days, but said it did not rise to the level of impeachment.

Three centrist Democratic senators who Republicans had hoped would side with them instead voted to convict Trump.

They were Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Doug Jones of Alabama.

A two-thirds majority vote of 67 senators was needed to remove Trump, which was always going to be a long shot in a chamber controlled by his party.

The impeachment charges

focused on Trump's request that Kyiv announces a corruption investigation into Joe Biden, a Democratic White House candidate, and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump has argued that the younger Biden improperly held a board position with a Ukrainian natural gas firm while his father was US vicepresident and in charge of American-Ukrainian relations.

Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power by withholding $391million (£300million) in security aid to prod Ukraine's president into digging up dirt on the Bidens.

They also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress after the White House blocked testimony and documents sought by the House impeachment investigators.

Trump is the third US president to have been

impeached.

The two others, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, were left in power by the Senate and did not seek re-election.

Trump has probably not heard the last of the Ukraine investigation.

Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Wednesday the chamber would "likely" issue a subpoena to Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton.

Senate Republicans ultimately declined to seek Bolton's testimony during the president's impeachment trial, provoking uproar from Democrats.

A manuscript of a forthcoming Bolton memoir reportedly alleges Trump told his former national security adviser to help him pressure Ukraine.

WELCOME TO LAGOS...

Prince Anthony Edward, Earl of Wessex (left), and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a courtesy visit to the governor by the prince in Lagos…yesterday

Blackout Looms as Fire Guts TCN Station in Ibadan Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Some states in the South-west such as Oyo, Osun and Ogun may experience blackout as a giant transformer at the transmission station belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), at Ayede, Akinyemi, Ring Road, Ibadan, was yesterday gutted by fire.

THISDAY learnt that the T1B 150 Mega-volt Arm (MVA) 330KVA 132, transformer, which serves some parts of Ibadan, Iseyin in Oyo; Iwo in Osun State as well as Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, was gutted by fire.

It was gathered that the inferno destroyed some expensive cables that were attached with the transformer.

The Chief Operating Officer of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC),

Mr. John Ayodele, while speaking with journalists after the fire incident, said Oyo State would be majorly affected by the blackout He appealed to the customers of IBEDC to exercise patience with the distribution company, adding that the TCN would work assiduously to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

He however noted that the restoration of power supply might not be immediate.

According to him, “For now, the situation is that everywhere in this station is dead. I am their major customer here and I am very much concerned because of how this incident would affect our customers out there. I use this opportunity to appeal to our consumers and customers that they should exercise some patience.

"When there is a fire

incident like this, it may not be immediate that they will start restoring because one of the critical things is to be sure of what happened to this transformer, so that it won’t happen to others. It takes time to actually move in to say this is what has happened, and take preventive measures so that we don’t have reoccurrence again.

"This is the main station that is feeding everywhere between Oyo State and parts of Ogun State. But majorly, it is going to affect Oyo State and parts of Ogun towards Shagamu and Ijebu-Ode. “This is a TCN station, and I came here because it is affecting us. The unfortunate incident that has led to fire gutting a 150MVA transformer is very unfortunate. Right now, we cannot talk about what caused

it and what did not cause it. I think the first line of defence is to make sure that the fire is out, so that it does not affect other transformers.

“I use this opportunity to thank the NNPC Fire Service because it was when they came here that they actually put the fire under control. All others were just putting ordinary water, and ordinary water cannot help to solve electrical problem, coupled with oil, that has splashed and burning.

“So, for now, this transformer is part of the four transformers that is being used between Oyo State and Ogun State, especially Shagamu area and its environs.

It is a waste. It is a total loss.

It is an unfortunate incident.

But when the fire is down and we are sure there is no fire, I am sure TCN will commence investigation as to why and

the causes of the incident. But for now, it is indeterminable because what we need now is just to make sure that the fire is put under control".

Also speaking with journalists, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shina Olukolu, said, “Nobody prays for fire anywhere for whatever reason, except for domestic use. The essence of security agencies being around is to ensure that lives and property are protected. This is a federal government’s facility and looking at the environment, the cost and values of the items in this place as well as the use, it entails that we must ensure that we collectively and together secure the place.

"And that is exactly what the fire service groups from public and private organisations did; collectively they were here to

quench the fire, which showed the power of unity, and there is a saying that ‘United we stand, divided we fall.

The Director, Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi, on his part, emphasised the need to install safety devices that would shut down the transformers automatically for another one to take over in order to prevent overworking.

“Looking at what might be the supposed cause of the fire, this is a transformer that has worked for many hours. It might be that the transformer overworked.

When it overworked, there is possibility of spontaneous ignition. If nobody sets it ablaze, it would catch fire on its own because it is working with volatile liquid content,” he explained.

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PAGE NINE SUPREME ISLAMIC COUNCIL URGES BUHARI TO DECLARE EMERGENCY ON INSECURITY killing of the innocent and been committing murder and Presidency Hits CAN, country.

The Christian umbrella human security being at its kidnapping in Nigeria and had Says Ransom Payment been resorting to propaganda body also took a hit from the lowest ebb.

The council that spoke to put Nigeria and its Muslim Allegation Divisive presidency, which in a statement yesterday accused it of making utterances that could deepen the rising division in the country.

Buhari too was not spared as Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar upbraided him for his comment on the ratio of victims of Boko Haram killings, which he put at 90 per cent Muslims and 10 per cent Christians.

Weighing in yesterday the NSCIA urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the country, describing the scale of the crisis as unacceptable.

NSCIA voiced this sentiment on the state of the nation when it briefed journalists yesterday.

The council called on government security agencies to use every means to arrest the descent into anarchy, saying the country can't continue under the atmosphere of needless

through its Director of Administration, Mr. Yusuf Nwoha, accused Christian leaders of seeking to score cheap political goals and engaging in propaganda rather than see the current insecurity as a monstrosity that has become a national challenge and requiring collective action.

He faulted the recently organised street protest in Lagos, led by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, describing it as a show to give colouration to insecurity.

It said the protest was fueled by hypocrisy and hubris.

Nwoha accused CAN of intentional misrepresentation and of discrediting the government and Muslims to provoke foreign occupation of the country by attributing the spate of bombings in the country to Muslims.

He said Christians had

population on the defensive.

Nwoha cited the attempted bombing of the Living Faith Church on February 2 by one Nathaniel Samuel, saying Muslims would have been blamed had the mission succeeded.

"It is incontrovertible that more Muslims, including Imams have been slaughtered, displaced and dismembered than Christians since Boko Haram became a hydra-headed monster.

Indeed more mosques have been bombed or destroyed in the bloody campaign, which has consumed precious lives including those of our professors.

To suggest that Christians are killed because they refuse to embrace Islam stands logic on its head. Were Muslims killed in mosques, markets and villages because they refused to denounce Islam?" NSCIA queried.

Also in Abuja, the presidency accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), of engaging in disinformation which it said could further divide Nigerians.

This is coming as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere; and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have disputed Buhari’s claims that 90 per cent of the victims of Boko Haram were Muslims.

While Afenifere insisted that majority of the victims were Christians, ACF said the number of Muslims or Christians affected

by Boko Haram attacks was not known.

Atiku, however, argued that Buhari should not rationalise killings.

CAN, in its reaction to the opinion piece written by the president, where the latter claimed that 90 per cent of those

killed by Boko Haram were Muslims, dismissed Buhari's statement as untrue.

The apex Christian body, in contrast to the president's claim, argued that the reason the government of Buhari had failed to pay ransom for the release of all Chibok girls kidnapped

by Boko Haram in 2014 was because 80-90 percent of the girls were Christians.

According to the Christian body, in a statement by its Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Mr. Kwamkur Samuel, the government of Buhari quickly paid ransom for the release of Dapchi schoolgirls in 2018 because the girls were Muslims, adding that the only Christian girl among the Dapchi girls, Leah Sharibu, was left in the captivity of her captors till date.

But in a swift reaction to CAN’s allegations, presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement, titled: "Ransom on Chibok/Dapchi schoolgirls: Again, CAN Misses It," reiterated

the comment of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in 2018 that the federal government did not pay any ransom for the release of 105 Dapchi schoolgirls as alleged by the United Nations (UN).

Adesina said CAN was engaging in "disinformation" and advised the Christian group "to desist" from it, wondering why CAN would choose to believe the report of the UN as against that of Mohammed, adding that it was needless for CAN to be antagonistic to government moves all the time.

He said: "When the media in August 2018 quoted a United Nations Report alleging that the Federal Government paid a 'huge ransom' for the release of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls on March 21, 2018, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, immediately disputed the report, insisting that no ransom was paid, 'little or huge.'

concept of community policing.

If you can remember, last year we sensitised the whole country on the need to adapt community policing in the country.

"The concept is to give policing back to the community and let the community take the initiative in identifying the problems that are there, that can lead to the commission of crimes and then we work with the community to solve the crime.

"We believe that everybody comes from the community as you all know in a community we know who and who is there, do taking policing back to them will help in reducing crime to the barest minimum".

He further said: "So, I have explained the concept of community policing to Senate which involves partnership with communities and there are various community.

"You can have a traditional institution as a community, national union of road transport as a community, you can have the media as community and various forms of community that we need partnership with.

Clarifying, he said, "What we are saying essentially with the community policing is that fighting crimes should not be left to the law enforcement agencies alone; it should not be left to the security agencies alone.

"Everybody should be on

board, what are the things that lead to the commission of crimes; are those issues to be dealt with by the law enforcement agencies and security agencies?

No, there are other arms of governments that will need to deal with it. State governments, governor's local government chairman should take up their responsibilities.

"People that are committing these crimes have reasons that make them to commit the crimes.

If it is lack of employment or education or those issues that would require interventions by the government; those state government should take responsibilities.”

Also speaking on the outcome of the meeting with the IG, the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said: "The IG answered questions bordering on national security challenges, banditry, assaults on our major roads across the country, illegal circulation of fire arms and efforts on encouraging synergy between the federal and states governments by distinguished senators."

He also said that the Senate also resolved to support the Nigerian Police through legislative interventions, saying that the police force must find a way to be more operationally proactive to protect the lives of the citizens.

licence that will enable us to fully participate in driving the CBN cashless economy initiative,” the source said.

President of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, had commended the courage of CBN in granting the AIPs for PSB licence to the telecoms operators, saying cashless policy initiative all over the world remained telcos-led.

He, therefore, called on the CBN to consider granting more telecoms companies the opportunity to drive the cashless economy in Nigeria.

The central bank had explained that the AIPs were in line with its objective of enhancing financial inclusion and the development of the payment system by increasing access to deposit products and payments services through a secured technology-driven environment.

The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, had also said the approvalin-principle was part of the processes the institutions had to fulfill in order to be granted licence to operate as fully-fledged

PSBs. According to Okorafor, the decision of the CBN to issue the AIP to the applicants followed the institutions’ satisfaction of documentation and other conditions.

Continued on page 44

HOUSE PLEDGES ASSISTANCE TO SERVICE CHIEFS TO END INSURGENCY policing as well as the force’s fresh strategy to tackle the country’s security challenges.

Mohammed also rallied the lawmakers for support against insecurity.

The House had last week called on the president to remove the service chiefs following the worsening security challenges confronting the country since 2015 when they were appointed.

However, after a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs and the IG, the House said that while it had suggested their removal, it was left to the president to relieve them of their duties.

Before the meeting went into a closed-door session, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, told the service chiefs that Nigerians were on the necks of their representatives over the security situation in the country.

The meeting involved the joint House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff.

Gbajabiamila said that while the service chiefs were doing a lot, the anxiety among Nigerians was enough reason for the military commanders to redouble their efforts, challenging them to take the battle to the criminals.

He said: "I thought I should be here to encourage everybody that we're all on the same page. We all know the situation in Nigeria today, we can't hide from it, we can't shy away from it, and we cannot pretend that it doesn't exist.

"We spent practically the whole day on Wednesday (January 29) discussing the security situation in Nigeria as expected.

Simultaneously, the Senate was doing the same thing without us comparing notes.

"So, it was a natural reaction to what was going on in the country today. Back home, our constituents are on our necks.

People are dying every day; they are dying callously in ways that you can only find in countries without security forces. But we know that you guys are doing a lot.

"We must think outside the box; we must take the battle to these criminals whatever they are. Like I said at the State House the other day, Nigerians are anxious, but I do understand the limitations of the Armed Forces.”

The speaker said the House would continue to engage the armed forces to find a lasting solution.

Briefing journalists after the closed-door meeting, the House Committee Chairman on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said

that the meeting went well, as they were able to get first-hand information on what was going on and what the issues were.

Benson said: "We were to a large extent satisfied with what they said. Like I said, we are also going to table what they said before parliament. We are going to discuss; we are going to have a very robust discussion on how to assist, to end this war.

It is Nigeria that is at work... how to end this at the shortest possible time.

"Military issues are not things we should discuss in public but they raised a lot of issues that we must all sit down as Nigerians and discuss. One of them is that there is probably an international dimension to what we see. There is ISIS, there is ISWAP. "These are things that we need to discuss in a very classified manner. But what we want Nigerians to know is that we are committed to them 100 per cent, to see that we assist the military and the Armed Forced and ensuring that this matter is put to an end within the shortest possible time."

Asked if the House was making a reversal of its earlier call for the sack of the service chiefs, Benson stated: "It is not a U-turn but the most important thing that Nigerians want is the security of their lives and for their properties to be protected. That

is the meeting we are having today. Sacking the service chiefs is not...we can suggest, but it is a function of the Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces; the buck stops at his table.

Asked if neighbouring countries are fuelling the security crisis in the country, he revealed that it was part of their discussion, stressing that there could be some truth in the claim.

IG Briefs Senate on Concepts of Community Policing Meanwhile, the IG also yesterday briefed the Senate on the concept of the community policing as well as the force’s fresh strategy for solving the security challenges in the country.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of his meeting with the Senate, the IG said the meeting focused on the concept of community policing and how to combat crimes with everyone being involved.

He further said crime prevention involved people in position of authority doing their jobs including providing employments for the unemployed, adding that every criminal has a reason for committing crimes.

According to the IG, "We met today and briefed them on the

GLO, 9MOBILE INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS AS PSBS and meet CBN and other regulatory requirements; and comprehensive plan on the commencement of the bank’s operations with milestones and timelines for roll-out of key payment channels.”

As a requirement to the grant of final licence, the CBN said it “shall conduct an inspection of the premises and facilities of the proposed bank to, among others: Check the physical structure of the office building and infrastructure provided for take-off of the PSB; sight the original copies of the documents submitted in support of the application for license; and verify the integration of its infrastructure with the National Payments System.”

The Director of Payment System Management at the CBN, Mr. Samuel Okojere, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that the apex bank would not license more PSB operators until it certifies that the three that got approval in principle were able to meet up with the requirements at the end of the six-month window given to them.

He said nine companies, including telecoms companies, applied to CBN for the PSB

licence, but only the three were granted AIP. Okojere said the CBN decided to extend the PSB licence to the telecoms operators to test their capabilities and claims that they could drive financial inclusion through their nationwide telecoms infrastructure.

“Telcos cannot play directly in the financial payment space but because they have the network, CBN allowed them to work with institutions that are licensed to offer financial services so that they can be properly regulated and CBN can withdraw the licence when they perform below expectations,” Okojere said.

However, officials of Globacom and 9mobile, who spoke to THISDAY, were optimistic that the companies will meet the CBN’s requirements for commencement of PSB operations.

Both telecoms operators stated that as part of CBN’s requirements, they have established their head offices in Lagos for the take-off of PSB operation.

They also disclosed that they have constituted their Boards of Directors, while their shareholding arrangements are

in place.

“We have put our technical expertise in place as well as modern infrastructural facilities such as office equipment, computers, telecommunications, to perform the bank’s operations that will help us meet CBN and other regulatory requirements,” said an official of Globacom.

“We have achieved 80 per cent milestones for roll-out of key payment channels. Our agency banking channels have penetrated rural communities of the country and we have recruited agents that are already operational in rural and unserved communities.

We have office buildings in all state capitals and major cities across the country and our Agency Banking operators have office space from where they operate and attend to the people,” an official of 9Mobile told THISDAY. The Globacom official, however, said the company was still working to integrate the infrastructure on the ground like the fibre optic cable connectivity with the National Payments System as required by the apex bank.

Lead, Public Relations at 9mobile, Ms. Chineze Amanfo,

told THISDAY that “9mobile is working towards meeting up with all the requirements within the provided regulatory window stipulated by the CBN. “Each new project comes with some challenges but we have set up a team of network specialists that are currently mapping our network coverage digitally in these financially-undeserved communities to identify areas that require network deployment.”

Also, a source at Globacom, who preferred to remain anonymous, said work was ongoing to put all infrastructures in place within the next two months when the CBN would come for assessment.

The source said as part of the requirement, Globacom had expanded its superagent network to many rural communities across the country while still expanding its fibre optic cable to underserved and unserved communities, to boost broadband connectivity in those areas.

“As an indigenous telecoms operator, we understand the Nigerian terrain and we are able to overcome some of the challenges and we are ready to grab the full commercial PSB

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Group Establishes Northern Security Outfit John Shiklam in Kaduna The Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) yesterday announced the establishment of a security outfit known as “Shege-Ka-Fasa,” its

own version of “Amotekun”to tackle the security challenges facing the north.

Announcing the establishment of the outfit at a news conference in Kaduna, the spokesman of the

Delta Police Arrest Seven over Killing of Policemen Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Police Command has arrested seven persons over the alleged killing of three policemen attached to the command by suspected Fulani herdsmen who reportedly attacked their patrol team on the Ugbolu-Illah Road in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.

THISDAY learnt that the patrol team had mounted a checkpoint on the road when the assailants launched a surprise attack last Tuesday night, leaving four policemen critically injured.

A local source said trouble started when three men on a motorcycle refused to stop when flagged down by the policemen despite an apparent attempt by one of them to frighten the motorcyclist to stop by pulling out a gun.

The source, who said he joined other good Samaritans who rushed to the scene and eventually helped the injured

policemen to hospital in Asaba, noted that instead of fleeing, the criminals confronted the policemen in a fierce combat.

According to the source, “The Fulani men shot two policemen and one of them pulled out a dagger and stabbed the third policeman to death. When we heard the gunshots and noise, some of us rushed in and helped to take the bodies of the three police officers to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba.

However, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, while confirming the incident yesterday evening, insisted that only one of the policemen had died.

Inuwa said: “Our men were attacked which led to the death of one after saving the lives of a Sienna driver along with two others when our patrol team by our boarder with Edo State responded. The Sienna car riddled with bullets is under investigation in Edo State.”

group, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said the CNG had written to the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) to support the group.

He said if the northern governors and leaders from the region fail to give the necessary support, the CNG will obtain the required legal backing for the outfit from the relevant federal authorities.

Abdulhazeez explained that “the outfit is designed to be the vanguard of the entire North, encompassing every ethnic group and religion and would be patriotic in its operations in addition to performing general complimentary tasks for enhancing security in the region”.

He said “If the state

governments and other leaders of the region fail to take action to protect the region the way their southern counterparts are doing, CNG is willing to follow through with all the processes of obtaining the required legal backing for the outfit from the relevant federal authorities.

“We resolved to formalise this request by writing to the governors through the Northern Governors Forum and to the leaderships of traditional, religious and cultural institutions in the region.

“We wish to draw attention that it is absolutely impossible to expect that communities would continue to fold their arms while criminals invade their abodes, kill, abduct and displace them”.

He said further that “by this, today we unveil the symbols for the Shege Ka Fasa outfit, which would be formally inaugurated in the coming few weeks when all necessary legal processes might have been completed or formally adopted and ratified by the northern states governors.”

According to the group, “for the past 12 years, the North has struggled with disabling challenges that include dwindling economy, rising poverty and more worrying, a crippling security situation that has taken a huge toll in lives, property and the overall cohesion of the region.”

He said “the situation manifested in 2008 in the form of a deadly insurgency from the

North-east and within a short time, spread to other parts of the region and virtually turned the entire region into a battlefield”.

The CNG lamented that “while the insurgency raged, other disturbances were created in the region in the form of cattle rustling that pitched northern communities against each other.

“A new dimension was introduced to the farmers/herders conflict, which gradually deteriorated into an uncontrollable proportion and deepened the artificial rift between communities in the region.

According to him, “this trend suddenly metamorphosed into a deadly armed banditry and kidnapping for ransom, which is recycled for arms and drugs.”

Makinde Explores Out-ofcourt Settlement with Sacked Oyo LG Chairmen FEC MEETING… Strong indications have emerged that an amicable resolution of the ongoing crisis rocking the local government administration in the Oyo State is now in sight as Governor Seyi Makinde has opted for an out-of-court settlement.

The governor had instituted a case against the 68 chairmen of the 33 local government and 35 local council development areas, all of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after sacking them on May 29, 2019 inauguration.

The sacked chairmen were elected on May 12, 2018 in an exercise that PDP boycotted on the ground that there was a court injunction against the conduct of the poll that was not vacated before the exercise.

But the APC claimed that the

injunction was vacated two days to the election.

The PDP alleged further that the law that set up Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), which conducted the council poll, did not give the power to the commission to conduct election into the LCDAs, which the party said, has rendered the election illegal.

But relying on the pronouncement of the Supreme Court and a letter written to the governor by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), the sacked chairmen forcefully resumed duties in the 33 local government areas and 35 local council development areas of the state after Makinde had appointed caretaker chairmen for the council areas late December.

Kano House of Assembly Sacks Majority Leader Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Kano State House of Assembly yesterday removed its Majority Leader, Alhaji Labaran AbdulMadari, and replaced him with his Deputy, Alhaji Kabiru Hassan-Dashi.

The removal of the state House of Assembly majority leader came shortly after a motion of urgent public importance presented by a member representing Bunkure constituency, Alhaji Muhammad Uba-Gurjiya (APC).

According to him, the decision to remove the majority leader followed the acceptance of 23 out of the 28 All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the Chamber of 40 representatives.

The motion was immediately seconded by another APC member representing Bagwai/ Shanono constituency, Alhaji Ali Ibrahim-Shanono.

The legislators unanimously adopted the motion and called on the majority leader to step aside.

After the removal of the majority leader, APC member representing Sumaila constituency, Alhaji Hamza Massu, nominated the deputy majority to be elected as the majority leader.

The nomination was seconded by some of the members and adopted by the Assembly, therefore, becoming the majority leader with immediate effect, according to the Assembly rules.

L –R: Minister of State , Mines and Steel, Mr. Uche Ogah; Minister of State, Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy – Agba; Minister of State, Health , Senator Adeleke Mamora; Minister of State, Budget and National Planning , Mr. Clement Agba; and the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, at the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja …yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI

Stray Bullet Kills School Girl as Lagos Residents, Police Clash over Ban on Motorcyclists Police arrest 34, impound 86 motorcycles

Chiemelie Ezeobi and Sunday Ehigiator The crisis over the ban on the commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke Marwa) by Lagos State Government claimed the first casualty as a young school girl was yesterday hit by a stray bullet in Aboru, a suburb in Iyana Ipaja.

The school girl was hit by a bullet as the police clashed with Okada riders who had come out to protest against the impounding of 86 motorcycles in the area and the ban on their activities in some

local government areas of the state.

In the ensuing pandemonium, some miscreants hijacked the protest, vandalised cars and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as well as accosted motorists and pedestrians.

Commercial activities naturally grounded to a halt given the violent nature of the protest.

Banks, shops and markets were forced to shut down as the rampaging riders set bonfires as they destroyed whatever was in their path.

When the police reinforcements were deployed to quell the situation, the rioters repelled them,

prompting the police to fire into the air, which hit the victim.

Kitted in her mint green shirt and check skirt, the victim was on her way home from school with her classmates when the stray bullet hit her in the stomach.

Although passersby tried to perform first aid on her by donating clothes and tying them around her to stop the blood from flowing, this couldn’t yield any positive result as she was said to have bled to death.

With this development, angry residents set a van belonging to Lagos State Traffic Management

Authority (LASTMA) ablaze as the police beat a retreat to avoid being lynched by the enraged mob.

However, some of the protesters told THISDAY that the clash started because the police had allegedly gone into various shops where motorcycles and its spare parts were sold in the area, and attempted to impound them.

The dealers, who explained that the ban does not extend to them, resisted the police from removing the items and in the process led to chaos as miscreants joined in the confrontation that ensued.

Coronavirus: 65 Nigerians Stranded in Chinese City Bill Gates donates $100m to fight outbreak Martins Ifijeh No fewer than 65 Nigerians are currently stranded in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the novel Coronavirus outbreak in China, as their demand to be evacuated by the Nigerian government has been underplayed, THISDAY can authoritatively reveal.

This is even as the outbreak has claimed 492 lives, with 24,552 confirmed cases and 23,260 suspected cases. 900 persons have recovered from

the virus, while at least 3, 219 are currently in critical conditions.

However, BMGF has commit $100 million for the global response of the virus.

In a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, it said the funding will help strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts; protect at-risk populations; and develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.

The CEO, BMGF, Mark

Suzman, who said the new funding was inclusive of $10 million the foundation committed to the outbreak in late January, added that multilateral organisations, national governments, the private sector and philanthropies must work together to slow the pace of the outbreak.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in the last 24 hours, it has recorded the most cases in a single day since the outbreak started mid-December. This is

even as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $100 million to support the fight against the disease.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY yesterday, one of the 65 Nigerians living in Wuhan, Mr. Ayodeji Adetunji Idowu said they have made a couple of demands to the federal government, and one of them was for the citizens there to be evacuated, just as other countries have done for their nationals living in the city.

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Amotekun: States to Determine

Remuneration, Manpower Requirements AGs to consider draft bill today

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Despite the regional efforts by the South-west states to draft a bill for the establishment a joint security outfit, Operation Amotekun, the issue of remuneration of the operatives of the outfit and the number of those to be recruited will not be handled jointly but at the discretion of the individual states.

This is coming as the six Attorneys General of the Southwest states will meet in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, today to review the draft bill on Amotekun.

Speaking yesterday on the matter, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode said the funding would be based on the capacity of individual states as there will be no joint funding.

According to her, each state will fund its own Amotekun outfit.

Also speaking on the issue of the salaries of the operatives, Egbemode disclosed that each state will pay according to its capacity.

On whether they would carry arms or not, Egbemode contended that the operatives would be involved in intelligent gathering, which would enhance their performance.

Also speaking on the issue of minimum salary of each operative, the commissioner said the issue was still under discussions.

She said the law would be domiciled in each state of the South -west.

Also speaking on the draft bill, the Ekiti State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice , Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, said the bill will be presented at the meeting today.

According to him, the draft bill for the law establishing Amotekun proposed for the establishment of Public Complaints Authority and Security Trust Fund to be contained in the law that will

drive the Western Nigerian Security Network.

The bill, he said, proposed that Ekiti State is one of the components states, which is prepared to pay the operatives

from the Ekiti State Security Trust Fund.

He said the fund was established by Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2019.

Fapohunda, who said the

proposed bill would not stipulate how much would be paid to Amotekun operatives, said, “It will only state how the governments will fund them. It can’t say how much now”.

N’Delta Ministry Gets BPP’s Nod to Commence Forensic Audit of NDDC Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio yesterday disclosed that his ministry has secured the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to commence the much-awaited forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Akpabio restated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive for the audit of the commission was not designed to witch-hunt anyone or group, but to ascertain what went wrong and put in place a governance structure that will be result-oriented.

He spoke when he met with the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, and the lead forensic consultant, Messrs

Olumuyiwa Basiru & Company, in Abuja.

The minister said: “The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has assessed the firm and found them fit to be the leading consulting firm that will lead the appointment of other forensic auditors for the NDDC audit spanning between 2001- 2019.

We have received the approval of BPP to now commence the exercise.”

According to a statement from the ministry, Akpabio said next task was to work in collaboration with other stakeholders to bring in experienced and notable forensic auditors with international reputation, so that whatever report is produced will be accepted and enforceable within and outside the country.

Edo Demolishes APC Chieftain’s Hotel in Benin Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City In his avowed commitment to remove illegal structures erected on government property, including public schools and waterways as well as structures erected on the right of way of roads/streets, river banks, and high tension lines, in Benin City and other major settlements in Edo State. Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday ordered the demolition of a hotel owned by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr. Tony Adun, who is an ally of the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

Bulldozers and security personnel were drafted to the hotel to carry out the demolition at about 12noon yesterday.

The Edo State Government had in October last year, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, issued a seven-day notice to Adun to remove the hotel located at the Ugbor axis of the state capital.

It said the hotel was built on a land belonging to a public primary school.

Adun was engaged by Oshiomhole’s administration on tax collection from bus drivers.

However, Adun and other private revenue contractors were sacked by Obaseki who insisted that the state government has the capacity to collect its revenue.

Speaking on why the hotel must be demolished, Obaseki had stated that no amount of blackmail would stop him from demolishing the building because it was built on government property.

Obaseki told reporters that there was no political undertone in the decision since he had warned in the past that his administration would not tolerate lawlessness.

Reacting to the demolition, Adun who spoke on the phone, said it was unfortunate that the state government could not wait for judgment to be delivered in the case, adding that Obaseki decided to demolish his hotel because he is opposed to him.

He added that the court had fixed Friday, February 7, 2020 (tomorrow) for judgment in the suit he filed against previous attempts by government to demolish

WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS…

L-R: Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan; Senior Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Amine Mati; and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi , during a courtesy visit by the IMF mission chief to the Senate President at the National Assembly , Abuja...yesterday

Senate Rejects N’Assembly Commission Nominee Confirms 12 others, NCC nominees Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Senate yesterday rejected the nomination of Nnamdi Anyaehi as a member of the National Assembly Service Commission.

It, however, confirmed the nomination of 12 other members of the board as well as two nominees for the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The rejection of Anyaehi, a South-east nominee was sequel

to the recommendation of Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, which stated that the nominee failed to appear before it for screening.

The confirmation of the appointment of chairman and members of the National Assembly Service Commission by the Senate was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, presented by its Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.

The nominees confirmed to serve on the National Assembly Service Commission include: Engr.

Ahmed Kadi Amshi as Chairman; Babagana Modu (Borno – Northeast); Senator Abubakar Tutare (Taraba - North-east); Hakeem Akamo (Lagos – South-west); Tunrayo Akintomide (Ondo – South-west); Atanomeyorwi Francis (Delta – South-south) and Engr. Bassey Etuk (Akwa Ibom – South-south).

Others are: Hon. Bailyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi (Zamfara – North-

west); Sani Saidu Kazaure (Jigawa – North-west); Senator Julius Ucha (Ebonyi – South-east); Auwalu Aliyu Ohindase (Kogi – Northcentral and Muazu Is’haq (Nasarawa – North-central).

Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Prof. Adeolu Akande (Southwest) and Mr. Uche Onwude (South-east) as chairman and member of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) respectively.

Italian Court Throws out Witness Request in Eni Nigeria Graft Case A Milan court has rejected a prosecution request to hear testimony from a former legal adviser of Eni who has accused the company of spying on judges, offering a boost to the Italian oil firm as it fights bribery allegations over a Nigerian oil field.

Reuters reported that the ruling removes the prospect of months of testimony voicing allegations of wrongdoing by Eni and sets

a timetable for finally reaching a verdict in the long-running case.

The decision is the second piece of bad news in a few days for Milan prosecutors after a witness last week refused to confirm a key statement.

In one of the oil industry’s biggest ever scandals, Italian prosecutors allege Eni and Shell bought a Nigeria oilfield in 2011 knowing most of the $1.3 billion

purchase price would go to agents and middlemen in bribes.

Eni and Shell have both denied any wrongdoing.

In a separate investigation, prosecutors allege Eni officials sought to obstruct justice by discrediting key prosecution witnesses in the main trial.

In that case, Piero Amara, a former legal adviser to Eni, alleged company officials ordered

information to be gathered on prosecutors, board members and journalists to undermine them and distract attention away from the main case.

Eni has categorically denied ever having set up any kind of information-gathering operations and considers itself a victim if any crime of obstruction were shown to have been committed.

I Won’t Retire Any Civil Servant Prematurely, Says Fayemi Victor Ogunje in Ado-Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday said his administration would not victimise or retire any civil servant prematurely.

The governor disclosed this during a special valedictory session held for the outgoing Ekiti State Head of Service, Mr. Deji Ajayi.

Fayemi praised the outgoing Head of Service for initiating the

right restructuring programme that has rejuvenated and fortified the civil service in the state.

“When you see a man of excellence, you will know by his actions and deeds. Mr. Deji Ajayi is an exemplar. He lives by example. As a man who has learned the process, keep on improving that excellence you are known for, because the best is yet to come for you,” the governor said.

Ajayi would retire from the

service on February 9, having clocked the retirement age of 60.

Ajayi was brought back to the service in 2019 after he was sacked from the service prematurely in 2014 by the former Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

He later succeeded Dr. Gbenga Faseluka as the substantive Head of service in 2019.

In his remarks, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Biodun Omoleye, described Ajayi as a loyal and patriotic man, who has

enormous respect for due process and the civil service rule, as a leading light in the civil service and thorough-bred professional, who has brought civility and restructuring to the civil service.

“Life is nothing, if you cannot impact positively on your neighbours. He is an icon and bridge builder in the Ekiti State Public Service. He ranks among the best and we will miss him greatly,” he said.

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COMMENT

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

A BETTER LAGOS WITHOUT OKADA

Kayode Adekunle argues that the restriction of Okadas and Kekes is a good move

I

n the early 1980s while I was growing up, motorcycles were not a popular means of commercial transportation in many Nigerian cities. I knew they existed in rural areas where roads were inaccessible or it was less profitable for other vehicles to ply. But since the 1990s, many major cities started to witness a surge in the use of two-wheelers as commercial transportation.

It came with problems like recklessness, over-speeding, and accidents that often resulted in loss of limbs by those involved.

Over time, some motorcyclists started to brazenly gang up and terrorise other road users. And the use of motorcycles to perpetuate crimes also became a cause for concern. Hence, it is unsurprising that many states are presently legislating against it.

Recently, Lagos announced moves to tackle the menace commercial motorcycles and tricycles constitute. The pronouncement slammed the use of motorcycles and tricycles as a mode of transportation on many routes. It felt an admixture of relief and anxiety. But, more of relief.

“From 2016 to 2019, there were over 10,000 accidents recorded at the General Hospitals alone,” said Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy. “This number excludes unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals. The total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600 as of date. Also, the rate of crimes aided by Okada and Keke keeps rising. They are also used as getaway means by criminals.”

Anyone familiar with Lagos understands how the commercial motorcyclists, sometimes individually or in swarms, have brought confusion, violence and accidents to Lagos roads.

The restriction of Okadas and Kekes as tricycles are called, in 15 Local Government Areas and Council Development Areas, expressways and 40 bridges and flyovers is a good move. I was happy knowing that at least some sanity was going to replace the insanity which many Okada riders represent on Lagos roads. It is common knowledge that many of these riders hardly obey traffic laws – ride against traffic, do not wear helmets and turn themselves into race demons - thereby putting their lives and other people’s lives at risk. There is also the security aspect whereby motorcycles are often used to commit crimes and ensure quick getaways. Many residents have suffered cases where their belongings like phones or bags are snatched by thieves on motorbikes. It can be worse. Hence, for these reasons that I welcome the pronouncement. It’s high time some decorum was infused into our roads and into our lives.

That said, Lagosians and the Lagos State government must understand that a lot of compromise has to take place regarding the transportation sector. The state must ensure that while it is trying to gentrify Lagos, it must also approach solutions in terms of practicality. With a population of over 20 million and still swelling by the day, Lagosians know how chaotic Lagos traffic can be. Many appointments are lost daily, just like man-hours, solely because of traffic. That prevailing situation was what made commercial motorbikes attractive. To get around the city effectively at certain times, mounting an Okada was about the only practical means. Even some ‘big men’ have been forced to leave their exotic cars to hop on motorbikes so as to catch their flights or meet up with important appointments.

In seeking to balance these realities, Lagos should take a second look at solutions. In this wise, I talk about how some set-ups like Gokada, Max and Oride have managed to execute the Okada business in Lagos. With a template that’s worked

LAGOS SHOULD TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT SOLUTIONS. IN THIS WISE, I TALK ABOUT HOW SOME SET-UPS LIKE GOKADA, MAX AND ORIDE HAVE MANAGED TO EXECUTE THE OKADA BUSINESS IN LAGOS. THE RIDERS UNDER THESE PLATFORMS HAVE MANAGED TO BE SANER AND CONFORM TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAN THEIR ‘INFORMAL’ COUNTERPARTS

in cities like Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, the riders under these platforms have managed to be saner and conform to the rules and regulations than their ‘informal’ counterparts. They do not violate traffic laws, they do not over-speed, they ensure it is only one passenger on a motor bike.

Now, some people have commented that riding Okada is not a ‘job.’ I beg to differ. It is actually a job and has become an economic lifesaver to some people who cannot find other means of employment. Like all ‘dirty’ jobs, somebody’s gotta do it. We must stop that attitude of belittling jobs such as drivers, conductors, meat sellers and the likes. I mean, for the fact that we have not scrapped the use of motorcycles totally and because it facilitates easy movement, there would always be Okada riders. And to dispel that thought that it is not only criminals or never-do-wells that ride Okadas, when riders on the Gokada and Max platforms marched to the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa on January 31 to register their protest, among them were graduates that eloquently spoke on their grievances.

Of course, the state must discourage those commercial motorcyclists that defy any form of regulation as it is these categories of persons that seem intent on truncating whatever beauty and sanctity Lagos as a bustling metropolis, has.

Firstly, in compliance with the Lagos State Traffic law, motorcycles below the 200cc capacity should have no business in the state. Secondly, all interested commercial motorcyclists should not conduct the business privately. And the practice of every Kayode, Chukwuma and Abdullahi just picking a motorcycle and heading to Lagos with the sole aim of being an Okada rider must be discouraged. Rather, they should align with commercial motorcycling platforms like O Ride, Gokada, Max and others. These companies must ensure that the riders are vetted, well-trained and regularly monitored too. And all these are to be supervised by the state.

“There are cries from all sectors of the society pulling at the government over their different needs,” said Adetayo Bamiduro, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of MAX (Metro Africa Xpress) in a recent interview.

“So, we understand the predicament that the government faces but we are here to support. All we are asking from the government is to open their hands to help them help us, and help them help the people.”

Also, the angle of security cannot be overemphasised.

Heck, it has even been established that some foreigners like Nigeriens and Chadians are into the Okada-riding business.

It is dangerous that these set of undocumented people have seen Lagos as ‘free parking’, a place to constitute a nuisance.

Hence, the decision of the state rid its area of unwanted elements is most welcome.

The government should be clearer on this latest directive as it pertains to private motorcyclists. And to be seen as egalitarian, the Lagos State government must ensure that it implements its order dispassionately. There should be no scared cows, like closing an eye to law enforcement officials who ride the same motorbikes on restricted routes, often as commercial motorcyclists.

There is no doubt that this move will bring some hardship to Lagosians who have come to depend on Okadas as a means to move around. But Lagosians must adjust. We should plan our movements ahead to ensure traffic does not hamper it. Surely, that should be price every lover of Lagos must be prepared to pay to ensure that Lagos remains the state of excellence.

YUSUF BALA USMAN AND THE BREXIT INVASION Okello Oculi canvasses democratisation of education

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rofessor Crawford Young, a brilliant student of African politics - with rare brilliance, fecundity in writing with a nuanced and encyclopedic analysis - once told me that Sudan’s nationalist revolution which drove out despotic rule and brutal exploitation by Ottoman Turks (and their British and other European mercenaries), had influenced British policy in northern Nigeria. A nationalist leader had used Islam’s insistence on social justice to rally a Moslem population to wage a violent struggle and thrown out of their country and lives alien Moslem Turks.

Frederick Lugard, who had been a soldier in a Sudan under Anglo-Egyptian colonial rule, would use economic warfare anchored on destroying the food economy of northern Nigeria while denying capital investment to the increasingly impoverished agricultural sector. By forcing young males into constructing railway lines, building administration buildings, and into tin mines on the Plateau area he denied their labour to food production. Farmers were directed to use fertile land for growing groundnuts and cotton bought at very low prices. He trapped the agricultural sector in permanent poverty.

Resident Clapperton wrote with excitement about long lines of hungry people wandering in search of food; not material for revolutionary warfare. Colonial policy,

however, refrained from grabbing land, thereby avoiding the liberation struggles which later hit Algeria, Kenya, Rhodesia, Mozambique, Angola and South Africa.

Having lost direct political administration, BREXITiers will use their experience in D.R. Congo to get large-scale farms by arming militias to use maximum violence to drive peasant farmers from fertile land.

Yusuf Bala Usman, on reading Franz Fanon’s book titled: BLACK SKIN, WHITE MASK’’, was revolted by the ‘’Grand Lie’’ that colonial rule was developing Northern Nigeria; and its local rulers were ‘’friends and partners’’ with British officials.

Walter Rodney’s book: ‘’HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOPED AFRICA’’, added fuel to Bala Usman’s revolt. As Head of the Department of History at Ahmadu Bello University, he encouraged his youthful staff to undertake research on Britain’s record of ’Underdeveloping Nigeria’.

Monday Mangvwat’s doctoral thesis exposed a colonial law which banned local copper manufacturing, thereby, blocking the ongoing growth of native industrialization. The emergence of a labour union which challenged the monopoly by Europeans miners of the extraction of tin and precious stones, as well as export as raw materials, was blocked by management ‘’Manipulating’’ ethnic and religious conflict among workers. Mining left holes on the landscape but no local industrial

processing.

Bala Usman would have charged intelligence services working for BREXIT and their local allies with Manipulating rising ethnic secessionist fumes and violence against Christian clerics, students and worshipers as a strategy for weakening popular support for patriotic economic reform; and eroding the grip of corruption.

Mahmud Tukur and Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed uncovered warfare against local economic sectors. Textile weavers were charged high fees at gates of markets which made textiles from Manchester mills cheaper. They fell into poverty. Leather workers also lost out. The nutritionally rich beverages produced by women never gained the market of urban expatriate consumers and the growing “Black Skins White Masks’’ local elite.

Lagos business groups who had begun to use Lokoja as a base for buying products from the north and selling products from the south, were officially barred while the Royal Niger Company and other British companies were saved from competition from a potential local capitalist class. This monopoly regime has survived to date. Like Professor Bolaji Akinyemi and Okwodiba Nnoli, Bala Usman would have called for investment by BREXITiers which promotes industrialization inside Africa. Competition with Chinese, Russian, Indian and Brazilian capital should be cooperative with local innovation and

share accumulation.

Professor Crawford Young could not explain the paradox of British colonial officials encouraging western education in Muslim northern Sudan and denying it to Southern Sudan; but reversing that model in Nigeria. Dr Tibenderana revealed a vigorous opposition by British officialdom to a desire by Sultan Abubakar of Sokoto to hire Yoruba Women teachers to run a school for girls in the North. Official British propaganda, however, claimed that all rulers of the Sokoto Caliphate were against western education. British officials kept loud silence about the drive for education, research and entrepreneurship that was gripping Germany, Britain and North America.

British officials were fearful of educated masses among the Hausa majority in the Caliphate rallying around a rebel like the Mahdi in Sudan. Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman, as Secretary to Kaduna State Government under Governor Balarabe Musa, provoked bitter opposition to their plan to build numerous secondary schools for children from poor households.

BREXITiers destroyed Iraq under Sadam Hussein and Libya under Gaddafi. Both governments had funded high quality education. Bala Usman would call on Nigeria’s 65 per cent youths (in her population), to combat BREXIT’s allies opposed to democratizing high quality education; and follow examples of Singapore and China.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020

EDITORIAL KIDNAPPERS ON THE LOOSE Government and other stakeholders should do more to curb the increasing menace

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idnapping for ransom has assumed anarchic proportions in Nigeria.

Hardly a day passes without chilling reports of abductions, sometimes of a whole family. But no recent case is as pathetic as that of the wife of Dr Philip Ataga who was killed after seven days in captivity. The murderous criminals are still holding the two children of the family and are making a demand of N20 million for their release. Unfortunately, the security agencies do not appear to have any solution to this increasing and ever-present menace. If anything, kidnapping for ransom has become another serious threat to peace and security in the nation.

It is indeed a sad irony that Nigerians can no longer move around freely or even spend quality time with their family without the psychological apprehension of the dreaded kidnapper lurking around the corner.

The concomitant effect of all this is that while citizens live in perpetual fear, investors take their businesses elsewhere. Either WHILE WE BELIEVE way, the country is THAT CRIME CANNOT the loser. The govBE RATIONALISED, ernment therefore IT IS A FACT THAT must get more seriTHE INCREASING ous and demonstrate the capacity to deal DESPERATION BY A with this menace. For GROWING YOUNG POPULATION THAT IS NOT when security of the PRODUCTIVELY ENGAGED citizenry is imperilled and put at the mercy IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WE of urban terrorists MUST DEAL WITH and miscreants, a government no doubt loses the peoples’ support.

With 13 Professors and 287 others kidnapped in Adamawa State alone in 2019, we can be looking at tens of thousands of victims across the country in recent years. “It is pertinent to mention that Zamfara State has the highest national kidnap rate with 281 victims in what has been directly linked to the activities of bandits in the state,” said Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu. “This is followed by

Letters to the Editor

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

Kogi and Niger States where 65 and 51 persons, respectively were kidnapped within the period.”

While we commend the efforts of the police, their anti-kidnapping unit as presently constituted cannot withstand the task of fighting the rising wave of the crime across the country. There is therefore an urgent need by the federal government to adequately equip and fund the unit.

The crime is not only well organised, but also a thriving industry with network of support staff. You now hear of medical doctors and other professionals being part of the kidnapping ring. In many of the cases reported in the media, the targets are rich businessmen, politicians, and other well-heeled professionals. However, kidnappers have also come to the lower bracket, perhaps out of desperation. In some cases, the criminals randomly stop vehicles on the road in the hope of finding someone worth kidnapping.

There is already a subsisting law in many states that prescribes death penalty for the crime of kidnapping. But that has not deterred the kidnappers from carrying out their nefarious activities. So prevalent is the crime that the African Insurance Organisation had since designated Nigeria as the global capital for kidnap for ransom, having overtaken countries like Colombia and Mexico that were hitherto frontrunners.

It is recalled that long before colonial rule in Nigeria, kidnapping was a means of sourcing for slaves to be sold to foreigners. After the abolition of slave trade, kidnapping for rituals continued in many countries and regions in West Africa while fetish and animist beliefs have allowed such practices to thrive especially in Nigeria. But the main causes of recent kidnappings can be traced to youth unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and greed. While we believe that crime cannot be rationalised, it is also a fact that the increasing desperation by a growing young population that is not productively engaged is a serious issue we must deal with as we seek solution to the menace of kidnapping and other crimes in our country.

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.

OF RAMAT AND OTHER YOUNG DREAMERS

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lmost a year ago, I received a call from a woman who introduced herself as Dr Ramat Muhammed (no relation to our former leader) requesting an appointment to see me. I obliged. She turned out to be one of those ‘Americana’ and her request surprised me. She asked permission to convert my book, ‘Against the Run of Play’, to audio form. I was sceptical about Nigeria’s readiness for the concept but because I’m always excited to see young people take on innovative projects, I granted her wish without any preconditions.

Out of curiosity, I decided to do an online search and discovered that Ramat graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Philosophy from Boston University, after which she went on to obtain her Doctorate in Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She then spent ten years building a career as a Risk Management Consultant that culminated in her rising through the ranks at the Deloitte US firm. I was impressed.

In the past one year since I first met her, Ramat has managed to build an online platform, including mobile Apps to host exclusive cinematic audio content written

by Nigerians, performed by Nigerians and made right here in Nigeria. She has also produced 10 cinematic audiobooks, four of which are now ready. Though raised abroad, Ramat’s parents hail from Jigawa State and that part of the country as well as many rural areas in the south have always had a strong listening culture that may be good for her business. The audio content she produces is cinematic, meaning that you feel like you’re actually watching a film. She has also built the platform for easy and convenient access.

Content can be downloaded directly to your device and consumed whenever you want.

My only concern for Ramat and many of our young people in the Diaspora who see opportunities at home that they can leverage is the unpredictable regulatory environment. A few years ago, Chinedu Azodoh (my Pastor’s son to whom I have long been a mentor) came home on holidays from MIT and shared with me an idea for a motorbike hailing and delivery service he was working on with a partner, Adetayo Bamiduro. I thought it was brilliant. I was even more encouraged when upon return home the duo launched Metro Africa Express (MAX), started operations and was doing well. And then,

with one policy pronouncement from the Lagos State government, the entire business—and the investment running into several millions of dollars—is now in jeopardy. I do not want to discount the security and safety reasons that informed the action taken by the Lagos State government but I hope Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will revisit the case of the technology-driven platforms under the umbrella of Transportation Hailing Alliance of Nigeria (THAN).

Our public officials must understand that some of their decisions hurt the reputation of our country and impact the perception of investors. I will still encourage Ramat to trudge on with her vision.

To access her platform, please sign up on the website at 234audio.com. You can also browse content and download the App (only Android for now, with iOS coming soon, according to Ramat). And you can drop a review. There are always challenges with anything new so feel free to give her feedback via WhatsApp at +234 818 230 1234, or e-mail at info@234audio. com or follow her on any social media platform: Twitter and Facebook @234Audio, Instagram at 234.audio. t0MVTFHVO "EFOJZJ "CVKB

TIME TO GET RID OF OLD CAT WEBSITES

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he New South Wales Government, Australia, has decided to slash and burn its websites or at least delete a few of them. At present these sites cost about $20,000 a year to maintain.

The idea of a government saving money because something is not being used seems a revolutionary change to the normal approach.

This raises the thought of how many old, lost, forgotten sites are there out there? Fortunately, it appears that most of my wisdom is still out there. If anyone still remembers GeoCities, then the sites are still available on archive sites including my one from 2001 on science education, although well out of date. The question of what should go is not so simple as history needs to reflect what has happened and the old websites may be useful.

The government approach may be worth considering, if a website hasn’t been clicked on in two years then it’s time to either update it or more sensibly, close it down. So long to photos of my cat, Jezebel as a kitten, that died of old age about five years ago. t%FOOJT 'JU[HFSBME .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 •T H I S D AY

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020

POLITICS

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

‘It’s Morally Wrong for Me to Aspire to be Governor for Now’ Charles Ajunwa and Ahamefula Ogbu hold a conversation with Speaker of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, the taciturn son of the immediate past governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, who speaks with disarming sincerity

Y

ou have been Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly for over seven months now, what difference you have made in that office?

My greatest achievement is the unity of purpose in the House of Assembly. I have a very good working relationship with my colleagues and they have been very supportive in whatever achievement that we have recorded so far especially with the passage of the budget before the end of the last fiscal year. Also, we have all been so much in synergy with the policy thrust of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu that you will not even notice that the House has membership from three political parties.

Basically, the achievement could be traced to that, unity of purpose, among my colleagues, respect for each other’s opinion and doing things in consultation with them.

Apart from the synergy within the House, has the relationship between the executive and the House been cordial?

The relationship between the executive and the legislature is perfect, in the sense that whatever bill, both economic and social bills that are brought before us by the executive is given accelerated hearing and importantly, the Governor pays very serious attention to the welfare of the members to the effect that I am bold to state that we rank very high among our colleagues in the South-east, if not the best.

What is the relationship between the executive and the legislature in your state?

The relationship between the House and the Governor is a very cordial one. People have tried as much as they can to incite trouble into that relationship but as far as I am concerned, the Governor remains the Governor of the state and a very good friend that lays emphasis on mutual respect. In effect, the relationship between the legislature and the executive is harmonious.

So there is no mutual suspicion between you and the Governor?

Mutual suspicion is in the mind of those who suspect it and I will not dignify that question with any further answer.

There have been rumours that you wanted to be Speaker so that you would impeach the Governor and his Deputy and it was even used against you during the campaign for the seat, how true is that?

What you should ask them is what would be the impeachable offence? If you want to impeach somebody, the person must have committed an impeachable offence. Can those people tell me what the impeachable offence is? Is the Governor of the state not doing his job and besides, how can you betray a man that gave you the job? That is why I am happy with the Governor, a lot of insinuations have been made and many things said to cause problems between him and I, but he has resisted them because he knows my mind. He knows I mean well for him. I don’t blame those that started this propaganda. They started it because they do not know the depth of the relationship that exists between me and His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. If they know, then they would not waste their time giving themselves high blood pressure and talking about impeachment all the time. Let me ask you, so I have now become so powerful that the governor does not have his people in the Assembly representing him? He doesn’t have any other person in the House so that I will just come to the House and railroad an impeachment process in the House; not minding other colleagues, the principal officers and Leader of the House who is a brother of the governor? How can I

Orji achieve that? I don’t know how our people think. I suggest that they try to find other areas of propaganda to feast on and not on this area because I don’t have any history of betrayal since I started my political career. I do not have any history of betraying anybody who trusts me. As far as I am concerned, going by what the Governor has passed through, it is by divine intervention and providence that he is Governor of the state because attempts have been made to ensure he didn’t become the Governor of the state and at the end of the day, he emerged victorious, so it means that his project is divine. As for me, anybody that is instigating or inciting or trying to instigate any trouble should look for another area to excite themselves.

The Governor has been doing his job very well. He performs his functions as the governor of the state and I do not know the excuse that

anybody will wake up tomorrow to say he wants to impeach him. Of course, you know that Abians will not be clapping for you. His brothers and sisters from Ngwa that have never been governor before will also be clapping for me? The security agencies and most importantly, my colleagues of Ngwa extraction and even of other extractions that believe in him and his cause will also be clapping for me in the House? It is ridiculous, wicked and it is only God that knows the heart of man but that issue does not arise. Those that go to Abuja to paint me black that my intention is to impeach the Governor and after impeaching the Governor I will also stay here and impeach the Deputy Governor in a state like Abia are lazy people. I don’t know the type of power and influence that is ascribed to me but I thank them for granting me such privilege of having such imaginary powers

It is morally wrong for me to aspire to be governor of Abia in 2023 or even 2027 or whatever- for the simple reason that my father, the immediate past governor just left office. We have not reached the level of the American mentality in politics. If I want to contest election, the signs would be on ground and not mere insinuations. My simple advice to those that are afraid of Chinedum Orji with respect to the issue of Speakership, is that they should hit the ground running, that they should go to the field, channel the resources they are wasting on this propaganda on the youths, women and critical stakeholders on the need to elect them

to be able to do some of these things which they say I plan to do. Those people instigating and spreading these rumours will be the first to betray this governor when the chips are down. My father experienced it, his own will not be different.

What of the insinuation that there are plans that the Governor may hand over to you when his tenure ends?

That propaganda was started by those that view me as their enemy. It was started by those that feel that I am a stumbling block to their peace and happiness of becoming governor without actually working for it. As far as I am concerned, I didn’t want to answer this question but since you have asked it, let me summarise by telling you that it is morally wrong for me to aspire to become governor of this state for now. Why do I say that? My dear father left office in 2015 as governor. In 2023, it would have been eight years since he left office. The question I want to ask these propagandists is this, is there no other qualified Abian that I should become governor? If they know how my father plays politics, they will not waste their time propagating falsehood.

To me, it can be summed up very simply that Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji whether Speaker or not, that it is morally wrong for me to aspire to be governor of Abia in 2023 or even 2027 or whatever- for the simple reason that my father, the immediate past governor just left office. We have not reached the level of the American mentality in politics. If I want to contest election, the signs would be on ground and not mere insinuations.

My simple advice to those that are afraid of Chinedum Orji with respect to the issue of Speakership, is that they should hit the ground running, that they should go to the field, channel the resources they are wasting on this propaganda on the youths, women and critical stakeholders on the need to elect them.

They should stop this their fear of the unknown.

I am not their problem. They are their own problem because they have started badly by

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020

POLITICS

‘It’s Morally Wrong for Me to Aspire to be Governor for Now’ using propaganda instead of empowerment.

Why did you become Speaker in the first place?

The reason I wanted to be speaker was basically to contribute my quota to the development of the state; correct some negative impressions about my person and at the same time, use the instrumentality of the legislature to help my friend, the Governor. Before now, a certain impression was heaped around me because I am a very private person. I hardly say much to the media.

In 2015, I contested election just to be a member of the assembly but the insinuation then was that I wanted to become Speaker.

At the end of the day, I did not become that Speaker from 2015 to 2019. As the Majority Leader then, I never moved any motion to remove this same Governor they are accusing me of trying to betray. I served as Majority Leader of the House of Assembly between 2015 and 2019 and nobody said anything, so if I didn’t betray the governor as Majority Leader in the House, what moral justification do I have now to betray him? I worked very well with the Speakers. In fact, I supported the previous speakers from the other part of our senatorial zone. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with them becoming Speaker for two reasons- those people gave my father 100 per cent support in 2015 to go to the Senate. Secondly, they produced ranking members.

The motion for the removal of anybody in the House is moved by the Majority Leader and like I explained before, I was Leader for four years and I never moved any motion for the removal of anybody or against this Governor.

Now, the person that is the Majority Leader in the House is the brother of the Governor, will I force him to move a motion to remove his own brother? Will he have the guts to go back to Obingwa that day? Malicious people always manufacture malicious propaganda.

I only wanted people to know me for who I am as a person because even on the day of inauguration of the sixth Assembly, the gallery was filled up with people who came to witness my composure in the House. They came to find out if I can even speak proper English, talk less of expressing myself. The impression of me out there was that of an illiterate.

Even when my good friend then, Martins Azubuike was removed as Speaker, there were pressures on me to succeed him, I resisted it because I had announced it to the world that I did not want to be Speaker at that time. After that, we elected my other friend, Barrister Chikwendu Kanu as Speaker who served out his term meritoriously without any disturbance or distractions from anybody.

So in 2019, I decided to vie for the position of Speaker because I felt that people must have understood me by then. The good Lord has been gracious to my family. My father became Chief of Staff for eight years. He was governor for eight years. For the first time in the history of Igboland, a father and a son contested election twice and won. I became a Majority Leader then and now a Speaker. What else do I want? What other favours do I want from God that He has not granted this family?

Any aspiration for the position of governor would be what my father would call vaulting ambition. It is now the turn of others to go and make that same name that we’ve made.

Let them go out there to do the needful but whether they like it or not, from any political party, they will need the help of the youths, the help of the critical stakeholders in Abia, including my family. My advice, once again, to them is instead of using those resources to fund propaganda, they should use it to empower the youths, the women and the critical stakeholders in Abia and leave the rest for the people and God to decide.

Don’t you think the rumours and propaganda are because you are silent and not responding?

I cannot respond to every propaganda. I am only responding to it now because I don’t want this Governor to be distracted from his job which is enormous.

To calm their mind, let me tell you that at any time I wear my suit to go to work, I always have my resignation letter in my pocket; at any time the Governor feels I am no longer protecting his interest or the interest of my colleagues, I will simply submit my resignation

There is no basis for that. If you are a student of power, you will know that. If you need anything, you get the governor, give him the reasons why you need those things, if there are 10 requests he grants you five or six and you go home, you cannot get everything. It is called dialogue- checks and balances.

On harmonisation of taxes, why is it that people have their number plates yanked off and harassed over tax collection by ‘agberos’.

Why can’t the taxes be harmonised?

There is an existing tax law that we have passed, what is left is for its proper implementation. You know that sometimes the executive takes these steps because our people find it difficult to pay taxes so they resort to all manner of means to make them pay. That doesn’t mean I support some of the things like plate numbers being yanked off.

Orji letter and go my way.

How would you react to the insinuation that you are leveraging and pulling your weight under the umbrella of your father without who you would have no political life and weight?

Is it my fault that my father has been a governor of a state? Will I disappear from the face of the earth because I am the son of a former governor? I am proud of the accomplishments of my father. I am proud of who he is and what he represents. I have no apologies to give to anybody who feels otherwise. Why won’t I give credit to my father for my accomplishments in life? If that is the insinuation out there, kindly let them know that my father made me what I am today and the present Governor added to my CV by allowing me to become the Speaker of the House with the help of my colleagues. If I follow him everywhere he goes, these same people will accuse me of dictating to him. I am a student of power and I know what it means to be close to a governor. There is no superior governor, every governor is equal.

If anybody says I have achieved because of my father, tell them yes, that it is correct. I have no apologies for that.

Is the Abia State House of Assembly

well-funded?

If you go to the House, this question you have asked me will be answered. Pending the assent to the law that we have passed concerning financial autonomy of the House, the House is being well funded as you can see from our environment here. The governor has been able to give a massive facelift to the infrastructure of the House of Assembly.

State Assemblies are seen as an appendage of the executive, is it different in Abia State?

It depends on what you people understand by the word appendage. State Assemblies are not meant to be confrontational to the executives, even the National Assembly is not meant to be confrontational to Mr. President. In the previous Assembly, not every senator was against the President. State Assemblies are not supposed to be at loggerheads with their governors, it is supposed to be a partnership.

If they are at loggerheads, it will slow down development. That word appendage is not good because if the Assembly does not pass the budget, will the governor perform? There are three independent arms of government that should work in synergy, so I don’t understand the word appendage. Is it that for you to prove that you are tough that you need to be confrontational to a governor? What for?

Does it mean that the President and his party do not have people that are members of his party in Abia State? If they got 25 per cent, with the calibre of stakeholders that they have in Abia, I think that it is even poor. He came to the state, campaigned like every other presidential candidate and the people he convinced voted for him. I know quite a lot of his party men that are in my constituency that worked for him. People like Chief G. O. Onyemaobi, former Speaker, Stanley Ohajuruka, Chief Chris Adighije, Hon. Acho Obioma and many others. So by this your question, are you insinuating that these stakeholders do not have followership? If they continue the work they are doing at Enugu Expressway and the one from Owerri to Abia Tower, they might get more than that number of votes

How come the President got 25 per cent votes from Abia State?

I don’t understand this question. I don’t understand why people ask this kind of question. Does it mean that the President and his party did not campaign? Does it mean that the President and his party do not have people that are members of his party in Abia State? If they got 25 per cent, with the calibre of stakeholders that they have in Abia, I think that it is even poor. He came to the state, campaigned like every other presidential candidate and the people he convinced voted for him. I know quite a lot of his party men that are in my constituency that worked for him. People like Chief G. O. Onyemaobi, former Speaker, Stanley Ohajuruka, Chief Chris Adighije, Hon. Acho Obioma and many others. So by this your question, are you insinuating that these stakeholders do not have followership?

If they continue the work they are doing at Enugu Expressway and the one from Owerri to Abia Tower, they might get more than that number of votes.

Will your Assembly pass any law on state police given the security challenges?

That is the question I would like you to direct to the Governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state. If the Governor sends an executive bill that will help in the protection of life and property different from the ones we have passed, the House will do justice to it.

In the build-up to 2023 where would your support swing on governorship as you said you are not contesting?

My support is immaterial to any of them since they are accusing me of contesting.

When we get to the bridge, we will cross it.

The personality of the candidate from any of the political parties, not necessarily my own party will play a role when the time comes.

Zoning or no zoning?

Let the people of Abia decide.

APC is making inroads into the region, if they woo you will you cross over?

Well, if you have noticed, my father has said he is retiring from elective politics by 2023. If you have also noticed, we don’t play politics of betrayal and criticism which means that we do not need to engage in destructive criticism of the President just to show that we are in opposition, after all what is politics? Is it not reward of loyal people? The President rewards loyal people around him. To answer your question, when we get to the bridge we will know how to cross it because politics is dynamic.

How do you respond to the rumour that the Governor wants to hand over power to you on finishing his tenure in 2023?

Did the Governor tell you this? I want to know. As far as I am concerned, it is fake news.

Like I have said before and let me repeat it for the last time, it is morally wrong for me to aspire to be governor of this state for now. Like I said in 2015 about the position of Speakership, this propaganda will come and pass and it will happen just the way I have said it. The future belongs to God, whatever destiny God has planned for someone, no human being can take it away.

What lies ahead for you in politics?

It is in the hands of God and the people of my constituency.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ʹ˜ 2020

FEATURES New Lease of Life for Igando IDPs

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi

Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08038901925

Sunday Ehigiator who kept tabs on the 300 internally displaced persons, who were rendered homeless after explosion from a vandalised pipeline razed their homes in Oke-Odo, Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, reports on their rehabilitation process

O

n a certain Sunday evening when they were supposed to be resting and preparing for work the next day, residents of Oke-Odo, Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, faced head-on with their worst nightmare which claimed the lives of not less than five persons in the community.

Others who were lucky to escape were however displaced from their homes. Rendered homeless, the over 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have since been settled in at the Igando relief camp provided by the Lagos State government on January 23, thus giving them a new lease of life.

Narrating her experience with THISDAY, one of the IDPs, Mrs. Ige Adebayo, disclosed how she and her grandchildren narrowly escaped the inferno.

"The incident started at about 6pm when we returned from church in the evening. I am a food seller. I went to shop to prepare food for customers. Just as I was about to light the fire, I started hearing noise of fire.

"Before now, when this happens, it never used to get to my area, but my instinct just told me to run home and get the kids. I just ran home because my two little grandchildren were home and their mother had left them to go and refill gas and wasn't around. As soon as I got home, I lifted both of them and started running towards the exit of the estate without picking any other thing from the house.

"I had barely left the house for five minutes; I heard an explosion and saw our house on fire.

God was our only saving grace. We narrowly escaped, but lost the house to fire and all properties in it. This cloth I have on now was what I wore before the incident happened. And that's the only luxury I have left, except life.”

Adebayo however expressed optimism with the intervention of the government. "Since we got here, we have been well treated with love and respect. They feed us well and in fact, I must commend the officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) here and say a big thank you to the governor for coming to our aid in less than 24 hours that we called on him. I know by God’s grace that it’s just a matter of time, all will be well again, we would recover all we lost back, because when there is life, there is hope."

Another victim, Rose Okunnobi, a fish seller, also counted some of her loses and expressed gratitude to the government for restoring their hopes in such a gesture.

“On that Sunday, we started perceiving strong smell of fuel. Then one man advised us to leave the house till the smell goes away. That was how I packed all my children and grand children and left the house. 30 minutes later, the pipeline exploded and burnt down the house.

But I thank God that we are alive and it's only the properties we lost.

“I am a fish seller. I lost a new fridge I bought just last year for N150,000 in the inferno. My shop is part of the house. All my goods were as well consumed but I thank God for life and the governor for relieving us of this agony by providing us with this place for the main time.”

For Olalekan Fadairo, he barely escaped with his pants on. “I live at Pipeline, Ikoke Estate as a landlord. I am a retired civil servant.

We thank God for the steps the Lagos State government has taken to bring us here and start a new life.

“On that fateful day, I went to church and returned around 6:30pm. As I came back I decided to shower. I was at the bathroom when I heard the noise that I should come out and we should run for our lives.

“As I came out, I was only able to wear my boxers, when I realized the whole air was polluted.

We couldn't breathe any fresh air but gas. We had to gather ourselves out of the house and ran out.

“We had barely gone too far from the house when the pipeline exploded and, like speed of light, the fire caught our house. I couldn't take a pin out of the house. I have lost all my work documents I gathered while I was still in service

IDPs already admitted into the camp

DG/Chairman LASEMA, Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu with some of the internally displaced children

Front view of the relief and rehabilitation center

An IDP receiving medical attention at the camp

including other important documents. Not to mention the house itself and other electronics in it. But there is hope.”

Speaking with THISDAY on the opening and operations of the camp, the DG/CEO LASEMA, Dr. Oluwafemi Osanyintolu said, “We received a

letter from the Chairman of Oke-Odo, requesting that a relief camp should be established for the 300 people that were displaced as a result of the inferno at his local government.

“We conveyed the message to the governor and he graciously approved that we should provide

relief camp for the victims, and amenities that will ameliorate the sufferings of these 300 IDP's.

“We commenced the exercise and did enumerations of these people and evacuated them from that area to this place. And when they got in here, we established the camp. Again we established three committees. The first is the nutritional committee to handle their feedings.

The feedings that we would be operating here is going to be hybrid. In the sense that, the state government is going to provide facilities for them in terms of food, and the committee going to be key pilots to this. They would cook their food, and also roll out a time table on the kind of food they would be eating in the morning, afternoon and night.

“We also have the elder committee who would be under the chairmanship of the camp commandant. We are going to have six leaders from the community that would be assisting him to run the day to day activities of this camp.

“Lastly we have the disciplinary committee, whose job is to look into matters relating to flaunting of the camp rules. We have given them the rules and regulations that bind the camp.

We have informed them on the time they need to return to the camp and can leave the camp for their daily businesses in the morning.

“We understand that some of them are still going on with their various businesses and official duties. We have communicated when we open the gate in the morning and when we lock it at night. We have also educated them on the needs to abide by other rules and regulations governing the camp, especially in the area of sanitation and maintenance.

“You can also see that the doctors have been on ground treating some of them. And if you look at these displaced persons, you will see that we have more of children. So we are going to bring a lot of things that is going to be children oriented.

“We have started working with the Ministry of Environment, and the skills and empowerment ministry. They are coming to do a sort of vocational skills acquisition training for the women. We are also going to inculcate a sort of nursery school in here. And these and many others are what the governor has directed us to provide for them.”

On the issue of electricity he said, "We have a very sophisticated power supply, a very good and brand new generator and backup generator.

This facility that you are seeing is very standard; a great hall, good dining room, good hostels that can accommodate over 300 people at a stretch. It has a lot of sophisticated equipment and amenities.

“And we are not alone, the ministry of health are involved, the ministry of socials, youth and all the key stakeholders on ground. And they are well informed on their duties and responsibilities here, under the watch of the governor."

On the security of the place, he said, "We are using civilian security because of the children. We have enough security on ground. We have informed the DPO of this area, the Civil Defence Corp, and we also have LASEMA security in place.

“And as you can see, the whole compound is well fenced, and the purpose of this is to ensure that they are comfortable. We want to make this place as homely as possible for them, because in a short time, we would return them to the society when we have seen that they are physically, socially, and psychologically stable.

“There are going to be a lot of parameters that all the stakeholders would consider before reintegrating them to the society. So I cannot specifically tell how long their stay my last for now. However, immediately we are satisfied that they are stable, we will definitely return them back to the society.”

Also speaking with THISDAY on the statistics of the IDP's at the camp, the 2020 Camp Commandant, Igando Relief/Rehabilitation Center, Mr. Olatunbosun Olukolade said they have taken their biometric data down for easy identification.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

#THISISNIGERIA Nigeria’s Loss is Ghana’s Gain - David Hundeyin

B

y positioning itself as open for business and diaspora, Ghana is seizing the opportunities that Nigeria is missing.

Many first and secondgeneration West Africans, living in Europe or elsewhere, fly home to celebrate the holidays with their extended families.

Airlines, like British Airways (BA), make a killing on this route by offering return tickets to Accra and Lagos for as much as $2,400 (£1,800).

Observing the persistent seasonal price gouging for a group of consumers without much in the way of choice, a luxury car leasing company in London spotted an opportunity to disrupt BA and Virgin Atlantic’s business model.

The new venture – Black Star Airlines – leased a private jet for ten days over Christmas and New Year, offering return flights to Accra for just $1,850 (£1,399). The offer has been gobbled up, with over 7,000 tickets sold so far.

Update 17 December => Black Star Airlines did not fly this year, as it says “registrations didn’t reach the levels required to fly”, but it claims it will do so next year.

Interestingly, a significant number of buyers are Nigerians who want to spend the holidays in Ghana or save on costs by connecting to Lagos via Accra.

The relative ease of obtaining operating permission from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority is what makes the entire operation possible. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority may not have been as cooperative as their counterparts in Ghana.

The comparison between the two authorities is a moot point because the default destination is Accra – even though, statistically, there is a far greater demand for flights to Lagos from Nigerian travellers. UK census figures from 2016 found 96,000 Ghanaians living in Britain, compared to 196,000 Nigerians.

The Blinkered Giant While it is used less frequently outside Nigeria nowadays, the term “Giant of Africa” remains a mainstay of Nigeria’s self image.

The Nigerian government’s position on trade, investment, and travel is similar in character to that of a remote, previouslyimportant European province that is not yet over its history, and views outsiders and modern ideas with suspicion.

Statistically, Nigeria is the obvious destination for foreign investment in West Africa

– particularly from the English-speaking world – but the anecdote above illustrates a growing economic trend in the subregion.

On paper and in practice, investors and tourists are increasingly voting with their feet and choosing Ghana ahead of Nigeria.

In 2018, Nigeria recorded $1.9bn in FDI inflows, down sharply from $3.5bn in 2017.

Ghana, in comparison, recorded $3.5bn in 2018, up from $3.2bn in 2017 – a remarkable feat for a country with a population six times smaller than Nigeria.

As this trend continues, Nigeria is effectively chasing away much-needed money and expertise while its economy remains beset by austerity measures, runaway debt, and a protectionist policy outlook that seems to be set in stone.

During his first iteration as a military Head of State, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic and cultural idea of Nigeria focuses exclusively on a vision of the country as a completely self-sufficient giant whose massive internal market is the be-all-and-end-all of business in Africa.

By completely ignoring the fact that six people slide into extreme poverty every minute in Nigeria, Buhari’s administration has become dangerously obsessed with the idea of turning Nigeria into the economic equivalent of the mythical perpetual motion machine.

Ghana, on the other hand, with its smaller population and lack of a national superiority complex, is not burdened by such problematic ideas. Ghana’s tourism revenue, currently ranked first in West Africa, shows that it’s reaping the rewards of opening up to the world, while Nigeria closes its borders, both literally and figuratively.

Ghana Seizes the Initiative Much of the Ghanaian government’s efforts to pitch itself as the alternative to Nigeria in West Africa hinges on its ‘Year of Return’ campaign.

In 2019, the country welcomed more foreign visitors than ever before in its postindependence history. The African diaspora is buying into the idea of visiting or moving to Ghana, with predictably positive trade and investment results.

While Nigeria counts a far greater share of the African diaspora as its descendants – having hosted at least four of West Africa’s biggest slave ports in Badagry, Ebute Metta, Calabar, and Okrika – Ghana has cashed the cheque that its bigger neighbour sat

on for decades.

Ghana also grants citizenship to people from the African diaspora, which allows returnees the right to own land.

Despite having access to far more unused land than Ghana, Nigeria is failing to grasp the benefits of attracting more visitors. It also appears content with imprisoning itself within its borders.

The only area in which Nigeria does not engage in this self-imposed autarky is in entertainment – probably one of its bestperforming economic sectors. Yet, this is also under threat as Ghana tries to become West Africa’s new cultural leader.

The region’s biggest beach festival, ‘Afro Nation’ was held in Accra instead of Lagos this year.

There is another example of a navel-gazing behemoth that conceded its advantage to a smaller neighbour.

Post World War 2, Japan rapidly overtook China in all economic and human development scores by focusing on technology and productivity, while China pursued ruinous autarky under Mao Zedong’s leadership.

Until 2011, Japan had a much larger economy than China despite having nearly a tenth of its population.

Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory Tunde Ajileye, a partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based political and economic risk advisory firm, has an explanation for Nigeria’s apparent retrogression.

“Prior to now, what compelled people to come into Nigeria was Nigeria’s large market, but this population has gotten poorer and poorer over the last decade. People’s purchasing power has reduced and it is thus not as large a market as Nigerians have come to believe. When you add to this the current government’s stance on trade and foreign investment, that explains why people are looking at other destinations for travel and investment,” says Ajileye.

He also believes that Nigeria’s hostile regulatory environment, and an atmosphere of insecurity and lawlessness, have spooked investors.

“The issues facing MTN are an example of this, as is the bigger conversation surrounding rule of law. There is also the issue of security, particularly kidnapping which foreigners are very prone to. So it is not one thing, but a number of things aggravated by a government not showing up in terms of trade, culture, investment and travel,” says Ajileye.

He also says Nigeria’s baffling policy of navel-gazing and self-imposed isolationism have handed an easy victory to Ghana.

Nigeria’s Loss, Ghana’s Gain Ghana has successfully positioned itself as the beneficiary of Nigeria’s puzzling withdrawal from the global investment table. As the next largest English-speaking country in West Africa with favourable travel and trade conditions, Ghana has quietly gone about its business. It has a simple and transparent visa policy. It is also strengthening its passport through a series of bilateral travel agreements, allowing for easier access to more destinations for its citizens.

Ghana’s ‘Right to Return’ campaign has generated huge interest among AfricanAmericans and Afro-Caribbeans who want to visit or relocate to the continent. In 2018, Ghana issued roughly 80,000 visitor visas.

Between January and September 2019, 750,000 visitor visas were issued, allowing more money and skills to easily flow into Ghana.

A relatively friendly regulatory policy towards foreign investment is also helping Ghana to reduce poverty.

After emerging from military rule at the turn of the century, Ghana has successfully established the rule of law and deepened its democracy. It also suffers less from internal conflict and unrest than its English-speaking neighbours.

Nigeria, by contrast, has a notoriously long and expensive visa application process and a surprisingly difficult path to citizenship.

While its $385bn economy with nearly 200m population should be the most obvious destination for investment and repatriation from the African diaspora, Nigeria has chosen to scare away investors with corporate shakedowns.

It also bullies its smaller neighbours with unilateral border closures, and generally thumbs its nose at the world.

This has created a perception of a country that is as unfriendly as it is poor, which Ajileye believes, can only end badly.

“In Economics, perception is everything.

If people believe that things will get better, they usually do, and if people believe that things are going to get worse, they also usually do,” according to Ajileye.

-David Hundeyin is a writer, travel addict and journalist majoring in politics, tech and finance. He tweets @ DavidHundeyin

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S

A S

MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A T

REPO 14 % 15.33 %

CALL 1-MONTH

13 % 12.50 %

J A N U A R Y S & P INDEX INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

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

3 1 , 2 0 2 0 S&P

497.65 % -0.21 %

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE 3.43 % 3.43 %

N307/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes ATCON to Host ICT Dialogue

CAPACITY BUILDING

L–R: Principal Partner Austen-Peters & Co, Dr. Timi Austen- Peters; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Head Registration and Exchanges Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Emomotimi Agama; Head, Secondary Markets, NSE, Oluwatoyin Alake, and Head, Trading Business Division, Mr. Jude Chiemeka, during a training for capital market operators on legal and regulatory requirements for the derivate market, held in Lagos…recently

NCC: ICT Can Curb Insurgency, Other Emergencies Stories by Emma Okonji The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said information and communications technology (ICT) has the potential to curb insecurity in the country, including emergencies of any degree.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who said this, noted that Nigeria must leverage and appropriately deploy telecoms and ICT resources in the fight against insurgency and to contain other emergencies. He pointed out that empirical knowledge of what ICTs could do in tackling numerous challenges, has already explained the Commission’s insistence on compliance

TELECOM by all stakeholders to the guidelines governing SIM registration, and why NCC had been upbeat in getting the Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) ready all over the country as directed by the Federal Government.

Danbatta, stated this at the NCC Head Office in Abuja, during the induction of the Commission to the membership of Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA).

The Principal Manager at the Commission’s Special Duties Department, Bassey Uket, represented NCC at the forum.

Danbatta, therefore called for the collaboration between NCC and the security agents and other emergency response agencies, and suggested that many of the country’s multi-faceted challenges could be addressed by scaling up the degree of deployment of electronic strategies.

To underscore the imperative of electronic and digital communication systems in managing the nation’s security challenges, Danbatta stated that “as we are addressing the situation in one part of the country, you find escalation in another part of the country.”

He gave example of the 112 Emergency Communication Numbers, which are routed to the ECCs, as, “a practical

implementation of a security system that is bringing succour to citizens in distress.”

The NCC Chief Executive added that he was gratified that there was an increasing, “interface between citizens who are in distressed security situation and virtually all security and other emergency response agencies connected to it”.

He described the ECC centres as a well-conceived projects.

“It is a project that has enhanced the capacity of agencies in the security governance sector to manage crises,” he added.

He, therefore, informed the audience that the centres were Continued on page 24

FG Urged to Replicate Lekki Corridor Project across Nigeria Verraki Partners, a business solutions company, has called on the federal and state governments, working in partnership with private sector stakeholders to replicate the Lekki Corridor also known as ‘New Lagos’ across other parts of Nigeria.

With deliberate government policies to attract private capital leading to huge construction projects and fast-developing real estate market, the Lekki Corridor is believed to be the fastest growing region in Africa, attracting huge individual and institutional investments such as the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), the Dangote Oil Refinery, the Lekki Deep Seaport, International

TELECOM Cargo Airport, chemical and fertilizer plants, among other projects.

Speaking at a recent Economic and Business Outlook 2020 seminar, themed ‘The Drivers of Private Investment and Outlook 2020’, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Verraki’s Managing Partner, Niyi Yusuf, said the Lekki Corridor has already attracted over $50 billion in investments, with more investments expected. In his opinion, this would attract local and foreign manufacturers and businesses, boost the country’s

exports significantly, raise employment rate and raise the nation’s industrial output.

He called for increased support for Nigerian small and medium enterprises, considering their significant contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In a comparison of private investment indicators across Africa, a benchmark of Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Kenya, showed that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria had the largest GDP contribution in Africa at 49 per cent, trailed by South Africa at 34 per cent, Kenya at 30 per cent and Egypt at 25 per cent.

Yusuf, stressed that Nigeria

needed an improved enabling environment for SMEs and called for better government patronage for SMEs. He explained that 16 per cent of South Africa’s procurement goes to SMEs while the United States of America spends 22.5per cent of all procurement on SMEs via the Small Business Administration. He, therefore, called for a deliberate policy that would channel at least 20 per cent of the federal government’s procurement towards indigenous SMEs. He said this would create access to markets for indigenous businesses and Continued on page 24

TheAssociationofTelecommunicationsCompaniesofNigeria(ATCON) hasfinalisedplantohostanationaldialogueontelecommunicationsand ICTSector in Nigeria.The theme of the event is: “Harnessing the Digital ResourcesfortheBuildingofOurNationalEconomy.”

The national dialogue is planned to hold in Abuja. The growth across all the sectors of Nigeria’s economy is expected to be exponential as a result of the resolve by the federal government under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to drive the entire economy throughdigitalresources.

President of ATCON, Olusola Teniola, said: “The National Dialogue on Telecoms and ICTis targeted at changing the narrative of our country’s developmentthroughtheoptimalutilisationofdigitalresourcesandto achievethis,stategovernors,ministries,agenciesandsectorslikeagriculture, education, oil and gas, health, industry, trade and investment, security anddefencehavebeeninvitedalongwithtelecomandICTcompanies.”

Accordingtohim,thesupplysidewhichiscomprisedofTelecomandICT companies,whilethedemandsidewhichismadeupofallministries,states, localgovernments,Nigeriansandnon-Nigeriansareexpectedtohavehigher levelofproductivityontheconditionthattheyadoptandleverageonthe opportunitiespresentedbythedigitaleconomytoimprovetheiroutput.

“ThisstrategicdialogueplanstobringtogetherthePresidency,National Assembly,relevantFederalMinistries,StateGovernors,ICTStateCommissioners,TelecomandICTOperatingCompanies,WorldBankandother internationalrelevantagencies,Teniolasaid.

“ThestrategicobjectivesoftheproposedNationalDialoguearetochannel collaborativeeffortstowardNigerianDigitalEconomywiththesoleaim ofacceleratingoureconomy’sperformanceinrelationtootherleading Africancountries,”headded.

Western Digital Extends Storage Device

WesternDigitalhasannouncedthatithasdevelopeditsfifth-generation 3DNANDtechnology,BiCS5.

BiCS5,builtontriple-level-cell(TLC)andquad-level-cell(QLC)technologies, deliverscapacity,performanceandreliability.

Thismakesitidealtoaddresstheexponentialgrowthofdataassociated withconnectedcars,mobiledevicesandartificialintelligence.

Western Digital has commenced initial production of BiCS5 TLC in a 512-gigabit(Gb)chipandiscurrentlyshippingconsumerproductsbuilt onthenewtechnology.ProductionofBiCS5inmeaningfulcommercial volumesisexpectedinthesecondhalfofcalendar2020.BiCS5TLCand BiCS5QLCwillbeavailableinarangeofcapacities,including1.33terabit(Tb).

SeniorVicePresident,MemoryTechnologyandManufacturingatWestern Digital,Dr.StevePaak,said:“Aswemoveintothenextdecade,anewapproachto3DNANDscalingiscriticaltocontinuingtomeetthedemands of the rising volume and velocity of data. Our successful production of BiCS5 is an illustration of Western Digital’s ongoing leadership in flash memorytechnologyandstrongexecutiontoourroadmap.

“Byleveragingnewadvancementstoourmulti-tiermemoryholetechnology to increase density laterally as well as adding more storage layers, we havesignificantlyscaledthecapacityandperformanceofour3DNAND technology,whilecontinuingtodeliverthereliabilityandcostwhichour customersexpect.”

Built by utilising a wide range of new technology and manufacturing innovations,BiCS5isWesternDigital’shighestdensityandmostadvanced 3DNANDtechnologytodate.

Facebook, CcHUB Innovation Week Opens

Facebook,inpartnershipwithCo-creationHub(CcHUB),hasannounced thesecondeditionoftheannualInnovationShowcaseWeek(ISW2020) scheduledtoholdnextweek.

Tagged “The Best of West-African Innovation,” the two-day exhibition willbringtoviewsolutionsbuiltbycompaniesintheCcHUBandNG_HUB portfoliotocorporateexecutiveswhocanleveragethemforgrowth.

ThesolutionsondisplayatISW2020willincludeballoon-poweredsatellites,AI-drivenfrauddetection,blockchain-poweredanti-counterfeiting, computer-vision powered glasses for the visually impaired and other deeptechsolutionsbuiltbythe18startupsfromWestAfrica.

Thiseditionwasdesignedtoofferimmensevaluetocorporateorganisations, multinationals,developmentagenciesandotherrelatedinstitutionsto experienceandfindcutting-edgesolutionsthatcancreatevaluefortheir businesses,partnersandcustomers.

“Collaboration between the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the security agents and other emergency response agencies, is key, since many of the country’s multifaceted challenges could be addressed by scaling up the degree of deployment of electronic strategies” Executive Vice Chairman of NCC,

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ, 2020

24

BUSINESSWORLD NCC: ICT CAN CURB INSURGENCY, OTHER EMERGENCIES well-equipped to address the purpose for which they were established.

He said 18 of the centres, which are located in state capitals, have been completed and he assured Nigerians of NCC’s continued investments with the support of the federal government.

He emphasised that the ECCs have become a success story today because of the commitment of the federal government and the culture of dedication to continuity of strategic national projects by successive leadership of the Commission.

The Director, Special Duties at NCC, Oluwatoyin Asaju, said FOSSRA, which was established six years ago by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has performed well in coordinating public information activities of security and emergency response agencies and has helped to improve inter-agency collaboration. He said the induction of NCC into the forum is a testimony to the Commission’s strides in this regard and also the visionary leadership of Danbatta. He recalled the nature of operation and kind of facilities at the ECCs and urged Nigerians to use the Toll-Free 3-Digit Emergency Communication Numbers 112 to get help in times of security challenges.

FG URGED TO REPLICATE LEKKI CORRIDOR PROJECT ACROSS NIGERIA foster expansion.

In his presentation, Yusuf enumerated several key drivers of private investment globally such as monetary and fiscal policies, macro-economic conditions, effective governance, innovation capacity, taxation, credit rating, business confidence, infrastructure, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and a skilled workforce and rated Nigeria on these drivers.

He noted that the 2020 economic outlook would only be marginally different from previous years if the government embarks on needed reforms and deliberately embrace private capital.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

NEWS

Adhere to Administrative Laws, FG Tells NITDA Governing Board Stories by Emma Okonji

with the ministry while the governing board power is to cascade policies. Board has no power to initiate policy except the policy of the federal government.”

Pantami added: “We have been receiving complaint of conflict of roles sometimes within the board on one hand and the management on the

other.

“I hope that this would not emerge from NITDA. We need to demonstrate highest maturity and leave with one another as well as have a very cordial relationship between the management and the board.”

The minister said he did not have any perception except positive and hope that they

will demonstrate highest level of maturity in managing the board. He however stressed: “When there is anything that is reported to us, we investigate.

Both Board members and management can always be sanctioned by the government because they are all federal government appointees.”

Saidu, in his response, said

the appointment was a big responsibility for members of the board.

“This is a very big responsibility given to us and with my team we see that we maintain and improve what is already on ground. I am sure from what I have seen so far we have the support from the ministry and the President,” Saidu said.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has charged the newly inaugurated governing board members of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to adhere to administrative laws and guidelines put in place by the federal government.

He said this when he inaugurated the Chairman Governing Board of NITDA, Dr. Abubakar Saidu and its members, in Abuja, recently.

The Minister advised members of the governing board to understand the laws and guidelines put in place by the federal government especially the administrative laws and urged each member to review and understand it.

He pointed out that the day to day activities of each and every parastatals lied with the management, adding that neither the ministry nor the governing Board has anything to do with the day to day running of the parastatals.

According to Pantami, “The day to day activities of the parastatals has been with the Chief Executive and its management team, they have to do that and nobody has power to go and do day to day activities for them.

“The ministry supervises L-R: Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIMBank), Stella Okotete; Board Member, what they are doing because Engr. Adesina Adegbeno; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and Managing Director, NEXIMBank, Mr. Abba Bello, the power of supervision lies during an exporters’ enlightenment forum in Asaba, Delta State... recently

SENSITISATION PROGRAMME

‘Galaxy Backbone Will Drive Digital Inclusion’ Galaxy Backbone Limited was uniquely built as a national resource to lead country-wide digital inclusion drive, according to the MD/CEO of the government parastatal, Prof.

Muhammad Abubakar.

Abubakar, who presented the keynote speech at the 2020 EKO-KONNECT conference in Lagos recently, was represented by the General Manager, Customer Operations and Services at Galaxy Backbone, Mr. Frank Ugbodaga.

He said the recently signed joint venture agreement between Galaxy Backbone Limited and the Eko-Konnect Research and Education Initiative (EkoKonnect), was a testimony to the robust backbone network the company has built to foster connectivity, research and education, which he said, remained critical elements of economic development.

Abubakar, whose keynote focused on ‘Development of ICT Infrastructure for National Education Research and Learning’, added that Galaxy Backbone was established to assist government pursue a coordinated and harmonised approach to information and communications technology acquisition, operation and use in the public sector.

“The collaboration is expected to boost reliable high-speed connectivity, access to research outputs, teaching, and learning materials for tertiary education in Nigeria. As a wholly-owned enterprise of the federal government, Galaxy Backbone will continue to leave up to its mandate by providing ICT infrastructure and services to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as tertiary institutions,” Abubakar said, adding that as the largest

public sector backbone provider, the company is a giant in collaboration and aggregate partnerships for value addition and digital services which will support and help actualise the eight-pillars of the National Broadband Policy designed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami.

According to Abubakar, “Galaxy Backbone Limited has robust infrastructure. Today, we account for 13 per cent of all fibre optic cables laid in Nigeria, which is around 37,000 kilometres.

“Therefore, Galaxy Backbone is positioned to support rapid development of ICT infrastructure for education, research and learning hence the partnership with Eko Konnect.

“GBB represents a readymade backbone which the government and private

organisations can leverage. We also represent the platform for linking national, regional and global research network and knowledge clusters. So, we are happy to be part of the arrangement.

“Galaxy Backbone has agreed to provide datacentre services and a fibre-optic cable transport network through which Eko-Konnect would interconnect campuses and provide a number of, ‘above the net’ scholarly communication services including a real-time collaboration platform, trust and identity framework, develop relevant cloud services and pilot a shared research product repository.”

Abubakar, revealed that in the first project commencing immediately, the joint venture would establish technology hubs in Enugu and Awka, interconnect nearby institutions

in Eastern Nigeria to peers in the Lagos area and environs, and counterparts in the global research network through the West and Central Research and Education Network (WACREN).

Chairman, Eko-Konnect Board of Trustees, Prof.

Charles Uwadia, welcomed the collaboration saying “This development gives the muchneeded impetus to the several initiatives providing services for research and education communities in Nigeria.”

Eko-Konnect is a communitydriven initiative which promotes the establishment of research clusters in geo-political regions of Nigeria, interconnected via a backbone to provide the high-speed networks that are essential for sharing, accessing and processing the high data volumes generated by research and education communities, Uwadia said.

Expert Calls for Assent to Data Protection Bill As the world marks Data Privacy Day 2020, another cybersecurity expert, Mr. Remi Afon, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Data Protection Bill, which was passed by the 8th National Assembly in May 2019.

Afon, is the President of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN).

He said the signing of the bill has become more necessary owing to the fact that the Muhammadu Buhari was a victim

of data privacy violation by Cambridge Analytical during the 2015 presidential elections, when the firm allegedly worked with the Israeli intelligence firm, Black Cube to acquire hacked medical and financial information about him.

According to Afon, “As part of our advocacy as cybersecurity professionals, we urge the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Data Protection Bill, which we believe is on his table to

commemorate with this year’s Data Privacy Day.” He explained that in May 2019, the National Assembly passed the Data Protection Bill and sent it to the President for assent, but unfortunately this is yet to be signed into law for the past eight months. “One would have expected the President to act swiftly in signing the bill into law,” he added.

The Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria has been advocating for Data

Protection Law for years now.

But both the lower and the upper legislative chambers were magnanimous to pass the Data Protection bill last year, Afon said.

According to him, the Data Protection Bill would be charged with the responsibility for the protection of Personal Data and Data Subjects’ Rights and Regulation of the Processing of Personal Information, disclosing that the bill, when finally signed into law, will see an increase in

the number of data protection officers in the country.

“In today’s world of big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, where organisations are making a fortune from data mining, the benefits of the Data Protection Bill cannot be overemphasised.

The bill contains strict rules called data protection principles which organisations, government and businesses must follow to keep personal data accurate, safe and secure.

T H I S D AY ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2020

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Harnessing Opportunities in Dual Sim Emma Okonji writes about the need for telecoms operators to invest in dual SIM devices that are likely to trigger eSIM opportunities in the sector

T

he Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards have been in existence since the inception of the mobile telecoms industry. In Nigeria, SIM cards came with the introduction of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in 2001, which was the beginning of telecoms revolution in Nigeria.

The SIM cards are little chips that come in various sizes like the mini size SIM, micro size SIM and nano size SIM, which are vital means to securely link users and their network providers who are the telecoms operators.

With the arrival of eSIM and the increasing popularity of dual SIM devices that enable users to have multiple subscriptions, telecoms operators are already coming up with rapid transformation strategies that will enable them take advantage of the substantial revenue gains associated with eSIM. Equally, operators who do not invest in the relevant technology are at risk of being unable to compete with operators who have made significant investment.

A report released by Mobile World Live and SIM Local, outlines the limitations of traditional SIMs, the huge revenue opportunities around eSIM and how dual SIM demand is driving the change and the advantages for operators who embrace eSIM. The report reveals the eSIM revenue opportunities and what those who don’t adopt eSIMs will miss out on.

Challenges with SIM cards Since the early 1990s, the global SIM card has been an essential security component of devices connecting to mobile networks.

SIM cards not only identify the customer for billing purposes but act as a secure authentication token enabling the device to connect to a particular operator’s mobile network.

According to the Mobile World Live and SIM Local report, SIM card has played that role well but the global mobile market has changed immensely since its introduction and this has highlighted many problems and limitations, with the result that the traditional SIM card is, unfortunately, no longer fit ¬for¬ the purpose. The report highlighted key disadvantages to include: connecting a device onto a mobile network requires the consumer to go to a retail outlet to or wait for a SIM card to arrive in the post; swapping from one device to another may require a different sized SIM card, and also an arduous ‘SIM swap’ process; for some people the Nano¬ SIM and even the Micro¬ SIM are just too small to be managed; SIM cards, when not inside mobile devices, are extremely easy to lose; the SIM card tray presents a major problem for device waterproofing; the SIM card tray inside a smartphone is the same size as the main processor, yet its function is far less.

The mini SIM card, which comes in 15mm size, was introduced globally as far back as 1996. The micro SIM, which comes in 12mm size, was introduced in 2003, and the Nano SIM, which comes in 8.8mm size, was introduced in 2012.

The advent of eSIM In 2016, the GSMA released a technical specification for eSIM, removing the need for a physical SIM card in consumer devices.

This specification has been implemented by many manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Microsoft and used across more than 100 operators worldwide. eSIM brings many benefits to operators and other stakeholders from across the entire market. For consumers, eSIM enables faster and easier connection of devices onto mobile networks and easy addition or change of mobile operators over time. This paves the way for enabling new appealing mobile device categories such as watches and other wearables.

For operators, eSIM means less costly logistics when compared to traditional SIM cards. In addition, there is an improved customer journey and new customer acquisition and retention capabilities. For example, poster campaigns with QR codes can be

SIM cards

used to acquire new customers while for retention, users can tap their smartphone onto new devices to add them to their existing account. There is also less impact on the environment given a huge reduction of plastic SIM cards over time.

The report explained that for device makers, eSIM allows for smaller form factor devices.

Even in larger devices, more internal space is freed up for other capabilities. Importantly, device makers can be assured that devices such as tablets will be connected on the move, enabling customers with the full feature set of the device and therefore greater satisfaction.

Cost is also attractive since eSIM enables a reduced bill of materials (BOM) as the SIM tray and related circuitry are no longer required. The lack of a SIM tray also means devices are more easily waterproofed.

The report further said it might seem counter¬ intuitive but that SIM card vendors will also benefit because eSIM provides new products and service channels for them to exploit, which include embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICC), subscriber manager¬ data preparation platforms (SM¬DP+) and eSIM profiles. For these, eSIM creates additional customers in the form of mobile device manufacturers.

“Because most mainstream mobile devices such as smartphones can only accommodate a single SIM card, a customer will tend to have a long¬-term relationship with just one operator whilst owning the device. Even if the

Because most mainstream mobile devices such as smartphones can only accommodate a single SIM card, a customer will tend to have a long -term relationship with just one operator whilst owning the device. Even if the customer changes mobile service provider, the SIM card is replaced and a new long-term relationship between customer, device and operator begins

customer changes mobile service provider, the SIM card is replaced and a new long-¬term relationship between customer, device and operator begins,” the report further said.

Nigeria’s experience with eSIMVoice Taking advantage of the current global trend about eSIM, Smile Communications has introduced an innovative Voice and SMS Only product, dubbed eSIMVoice, which is believed would enhance the future of seamless access and mobile connectivity.

Smile disclosed that the eSIMVoice would come as a free downloadable application, and when activated the consumer can enjoy 10 minutes free local calls, unlimited on-net calls and Short Messaging Services (SMSs).

The customers can also savour zero roaming charges, free on-net audio and video calls and the lowest call rates to any network.

The company advised customers and prospects eager to enjoy its latest innovation, to simply walk into any Smile shop, kiosk or contact an authorised dealer. The service comes with varying voice plan options that will suit every need.

To enable as many customers as possible to take advantage of the offer, Smile has simplified the process towards adopting and enjoying the new product. To activate the offer, the customer needs to buy a Smile eSIM, complete the mandatory know-your-customer (KYC) and get their assigned SmileVoice number. Thereafter, the customer will download the SmileVoice app from Google play or App store, click “get activation code”, enter their registered email address to get their activation code and follow other instructions. To make a call, the customer can simply launch their SmileVoice App, dial the number they wish to call and enjoy SuperClear voice calls.

Dual SIM as new revenue strings for eSIM Highlighting the importance of dual SIM device as an easy means of generating huge revenue for eSIM service providers, the Mobile World Live and SIM Local report explained that having two SIM card slots, could support two mobile network connections at once.

The costs of these devices have reduced in recent years with the introduction of Dual SIM / Dual Standby (DSDS) radios. Rather than having two radios in the device, a single radio is able to listen to two networks simultaneously, rapidly switching between each.

The report said a key driver for eSIM over the next few years would be dual SIM devices. The report explained that although dual SIM technology has been available for many years, it has never become mainstream in the USA and Europe where coverage is

good and roaming frictionless. Instead it has only been popular in countries like India and Nigeria, where conditions required customers to maintain two or more subscriptions in their device to ensure adequate connectivity.

Furthermore, popular devices, such as iPhones, have not offered dual SIM capability until the advent of eSIM. This is borne out by research firm IDC’s second quarter (Q2) 2018 Mobile Phone tracker which reported that in the United States (US), just four per cent of smartphones sold had dual SIM capability. This contrasts with markets such as India and The Philippines in which the IDC tracker reported that 98 per cent and 92 per cent of phones shipped were dual SIM smartphones.

Device manufacturers looking to support eSIM in their products still need to retain a physical SIM card slot for those countries not ready for eSIM yet.

The report said with the advent of eSIM, Dual SIM has quickly become a massmarket feature of smartphones globally.

“And as customers experience the many benefits of Dual SIM technology, this will drive further adoption of eSIM in devices, creating a virtuous circle.

“What is key here is that Dual SIM instils new behaviour in the mind of the customer – essentially the notion of a primary subscription, which is generally permanent, and one or more secondary subscriptions that can be easily changed by the customer depending on time and location,” the report stated, adding that Dual SIM devices therefore present an immediate challenge for operators who, up till the arrival of eSIM, saw themselves as the only subscription on the device. With eSIM, customers can have relationships with several operators concurrently.

Dual SIM use cases International travellers can avoid expensive roaming charges by purchasing and using a local SIM card in each country they visit.

Although eSIM simplifies this as there’s no need to physically swap SIM cards anymore, it is not possible to make and receive calls on your primary mobile number when another subscription is being used.

Dual SIM devices solve this as the primary subscription and travel subscription are active at the same time, meaning cost¬ effective data whilst still remaining in contact on the primary number. Again, many customers carry two phones with them, used for separate purposes, but the Dual SIM technology allows all of this on just one phone.

A dual SIM phone provides the customer with far greater coverage than any single operator can provide, and also protects against operator service outage, which happens from time to time.

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T H I S D AY Ëž Í´, 2020

Adedayo: Agile Technology Will Boost Firms’ Growth Chief Executive Officer of Zhill Systems, an information technology consulting firm incorporated in the United States and Nigeria, Olatunji Adedayo, speaks on the importance of emerging technologies in business growth and how organisations can leverage technology for profitability. Emma Okonji brings the excepts:

A

organisations to collaborate with customers, respond to change, deliver working solution incrementally, interact more with people and learn continuously. Agile organisations across different countries and industries have recorded tremendous growth and profitability just by planning continuously, iterating their processes, accommodating changing requirements and creating market feedback loops.

gile technology is an evolving technology that is already disrupting the global tech space.

What informed your decision to bring the technology to Nigeria, along side other emerging technologies like the cloud computing?

Zhill Systems is an information technology (IT) consulting firm that was incorporated in the United States (US) and Nigeria to offer borderless quality services in cloud computing, tech sales, agile staffing, training, agile and digital transformation. We partner several IT companies to provide end-to-end digital solutions that increases collaborations, productivity and profitability. Some of our partners are Zoom, Monday.com, Adobe. We became a gold partner of Trend Micro and therefore can provide network, device and enterprise security solutions at competitive prices. We are also a Consulting Partner of Amazon Web Services (AWS). In the Agile space, we are accredited/ authorised by some of the reputable global training, accrediting and certifying organisations, such as EXIN, Scrum.org, Scrum Study/ VMEdu, ICAgile.

Our membership with ICAgile gives us the opportunity to promote agility across different domains and that is the reason we have brought agile leadership to Nigeria to help organisations strategise and transform in the Nigerian economy.

What are the value propositions driving the performance of Zhill Systems in the technology space?

Zhill Systems as a brand that is all about best practice, value delivery and client satisfaction. We deliver an end-to-end solution in organisational agility through certifications, training, on-site and virtual support on projects, pro-bono advisory services on business agility and seamless agile adoption. Once any individual and organisation attends our April Agile Leadership workference, they are no longer alone in their agile journey as our teams both in Nigeria and the US will avail them of endless support.

Considering the different goals of different organisations, why will you recommend Zhill Systems solutions for every Nigerian company?

Businesses are done in complex environments where there are several uncertainties and competitions. Similarly, organisations have different structures and cultures which may or may not align with current market realities. However, to meet these growing market demands successfully in a complex environment requires agile leadership that can sustain business agility. Becoming agile or undergoing agile transformation is a process and not an event hence, it is customisable to the structure and culture of the organisation, which in turn, benefits the customers, stakeholders and the delivery processes. Agile promotes simplicity, transparency, continuous planning and continuous value delivery such that organisations in various line of businesses such as sales, finance, procurement, Information Technology (IT), Human Resources (HR), manufacturing, telecommunications, oil and gas, engineering, among others, can increase their revenue, respond faster to market demands and reduce wastages. Depending on the uniqueness of an organisation, agile has different frameworks that can be successfully adopted such as scrum, Kanban, lean, crystal, extreme programming, feature driven development, and dynamic systems development method.

Any organisation that is ready to increase the productivity of her workforce, reduce waste, increase revenue, faster delivery and meets stakeholders’ expectations must be part of the workference.

What sets Zhill Systems apart in the IT space in the global community?

Our passion for quality, best practice and

Adedayo

competitive pricing sets us apart. It may interest you that with the weight of all our keynote speakers, trainers and panelists, the cost of the ICP-ALP certification which would be issued at the workference is priced between $1850 - $2500 both in the UK and US. However, Zhill Systems is offering same value at an affordable price. We are not just a training firm but a problem-solving company that walks and works with our clients to accomplish their goals within their budget.

Adoption rate of new technologies appears slow in some sectors of the Nigerian economy. How will the forthcoming workshop help in addressing the challenge?

Most successful organisations across the globe are now agile and this is because businesses are conducted in complex environments where there are varying priorities, competitions, uncertainties and different value expectations. Agile has been proven over the

years to have helped organisations to deliver value continuously and incrementally while increasing productivity and profitability. The best way to go in this present economy is the agile way. While Ministries, Departments aid Agencies (MDAs) of government are not exempted, a situation where both public and private sectors are agile, will impact the economy very positively and give the right signals to serious minded investors. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will rapidly grow and also compete with their global peers.

Which organisations can beneďŹ t from the agile technology?

Agile can be adopted by both private and public organisations as well as small, medium and large organisations. Agile is a mindset and belief system and anyone can be agile regardless of their background or education. Agile is not a software nor a building and it comprises values and principles that helps teams and

Given your background in Computer Science and Business Information Systems, how will you describe organisational behaviour in relation to the application and use of technology solutions?

Yes, I have a degree in Computer Science and Master of Science in Business Information Systems from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, and I have a zeal for knowledge acquisition and this has earned me several professional certifications such as Project Management Professional(PMP), Agile Certified Practitioner(PMI-ACP), Certified Scrum Professional(CSP-SM), Agile Fundamentals Professional(ICP), Agile Project and Delivery Management(ICP-APM), Agile Leadership(ICPALP), Agile Certified Coach(ICP-ACC), Cisco Certified Network Administrator(CCNA), Certified Wireless Network Administrator(CWNA), Certified Six Sigma Green Belt(CSSGB), among others. With over fifteen years of professional experience in corporate Nigerian and American businesses, I understand organisational behaviors, structures and how to lead a successful transformation. My passion for training and coaching has helped me to impart knowledge in several thousands of professionals and undergraduates across the US, UK, Canada and Nigeria. As an Agilist, I have worked for global fortune companies in the US and supported their agile transformation, agile project management as well as helping other agile teams to get progressively better.

From my wealth of experience, I realised that organisations are interested in the application and use of new technologies, especially emerging technologies, but they need support from technology experts and that is the more reason why I am involved in training and supporting organisations with technology skills that will bring profitability and sustainability in their business.

I have consulted for dozens of startups and large organisations in agile-lean; helped them eliminate organizational wastes, deliver value faster and increase their revenue. As a co-founder of Zhill Systems, I have led the firm to become a one-stop shop for agile and digital transformation in Texas and increased their revenue in three years, a feat that I am determined to accomplish in Nigeria as well.

Winner Emerges in Indomie Competition Raheem Akingbolu In the light of the immense value of stories and in keeping with her commitment to educational development of the Nigerian child, Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles, has rewarded winners of her just concluded storytelling competition in the Northern part of the country; tagged: Project Edutainment.

The story telling competition was conducted among selected primary schools in Kano State.

The idea of the competition was to use education and entertainment to boost interest in learning among the young minds in the northern part of the country, as the literacy rate in Northern Nigeria has remained low at 30%, according to United States Agency for International

Development.

Speaking at the prize presentation event held at Race Course Model Primary School, Kano, Indomie Marketing Strategist Pan Nigeria, Ashish Ranjan said that the rationale behind the innovation was to rejuvenate the waning Hausa culture of telling folktales during the night as inherited by their forebears. “We initiated the story telling competition in order to help instil traditional values in the upcoming generation, develop healthy competitiveness among them and also expose them to the act of public speaking.� “Storytelling is one of the greatest tools we have to develop not just our children’s curiosity, but also their sense of empathy and belonging.

People from the Northern part of Nigeria have a rich culture which

is passed on from generation to generation. Hence, we are rekindling a love for storytelling to connect the children to ideas and inspiration on how to tell stories and showcase a range of talents and capabilities. We are also using the medium to identify gifted storytellers in communities across the region.�

In her remarks the North West President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Hajiya Maryam Magaji said it is unfortunate that many aspects of culture have been eroded over time. “Our mode of dressing, music, traditional dishes among others, have been abandoned to western cultures.�

She therefore commended Indomie for promoting culture and other good virtues of societal development in the Northern part of the country through the competition.

Also speaking at the event, the representative of the Executive Director, State History and Culture, Hajiya Aisha Bello - Malam Kabiru Musa Bichi said, “We must work hard to restore the diminishing values of our inherited norms even as we incorporate new ideas.� She also commended Indomie for the laudable initiative.

About 25 primary schools participated in the competition where the top ten were selected and later whittled down to the best three. Fagge Model Primary School emerged the overall winner of the story telling competition through the brilliant performance of their pupil, Yusuf Ismail. Hausawa Model Primary School came second while Race Course Model Primary School came third. Each school was presented with a desktop computer and cash prizes.

27

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Bhojsons Introduces Sony Unveils Mirrorless Cameras to Power Back Up Solution Boost Photography A subsidiary of the Bhojsons Group, Bhojsons Powerhub, Nigeria’s emerging power solutions company, has launched Amaze Power Back Up solution into the Nigerian market.

The launch of Amaze, which is one of the leading power back up brands in India, was held during the Bhojsons Powerhub 2020 Dealers’ Meet in Lagos recently.

Speaking at the launch, the Group Managing Director of Bhojsons Group Plc, Mr. Vishant Dalamal, disclosed that Amaze inverters and batteries are one of the best-in-class power back up solutions in its segment with a pedigree of over 30 years of manufacturing excellence and category experience.

He explained that the brand would offer customers the best quality power solutions using cutting edge technology in a complete package that guarantees maximum performance.

“Amaze Power products are designed for young achievers who demand more in their lives. Amaze delivers more performance, more reliability, more attractive designs with consistent power, and the assurance of quality of global manufacturing standards and 24x7 after sales service across Nigeria. The brand also has one of the most interesting aesthetic designs from France with a smooth sophisticated architecture and refined edges,” Dalamal said.

He expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to the dealers for their immense support and contributions, which has seen the company grow over the years despite the difficult operating environment and challenges of the Nigerian economy as a whole.

He described the dealers’ as partners and strong pillars to the continued growth of

the company.

“We are really excited to see and celebrate you, our esteemed business partners for your support in growing our business to where it is today. Without you all, it won’t have been possible to get to where we are,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, the Business Unit Head, Bhojsons Powerhub, Mr. Rajneesh Gupta stated that Amaze would offer a technologically advanced power back up solution that meets the yearnings and power back up needs of Nigerians.

Gupta noted that Amaze power products were manufactured with an edge to deliver higher reliability.

He mentioned that Amaze inverters and batteries were manufactured using cutting edge technology, which ensure deliver more back up for the same capacity.

He continued that Amaze is 24x7 protected with Nigeria’s trusted after sales service provider “Bhojsons Care” to provide round the clock customer support to deliver customer delight always.

“Customers in Nigeria truly deserve a comforting experience, with Amaze, a lot of money will be saved on diesel & petrol, generator repairs and other agonies that often come with the regular power outage experienced in Nigeria. The Amaze brand is more resilient, performs much better and delivers more durability,” Gupta said.

“Amaze power back up products are designed to reduce electrical losses, thereby improving power savings and efficiency. They are very safe, protecting appliances by delivering safe power output even under fluctuating input conditions,” Gupta added.

Inlaks Repositions, Expands Operations into East Africa Inlaks, an information technology systems integrator, has expanded its operations into East Africa with a new regional branch situated in Nairobi, Kenya.

Inlaks has been, since establishment, a driver of technology advancement in several regions across Africa. Through profitable investments in growing technology trends like fintech, insurtech and agency banking, Inlaks has gained presence in Ghana, Kenya, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cameroun, Ethiopia and Nigeria its headquarters.

In response to increased demand for technologyenabled and self-service financial operations in Africa, Inlaks has established a regional branch in East Africa to provide the additional capacity required for its anticipated business growth in that region.

Managing Director/CEO, Inlaks Africa Operations, Femi Adeoti, said: “This is another call for Inlaks to

add value to relevant sectors in East Africa. Apart from employment opportunities opened to skilled population in the region, we never retract our commitment to serve the African community to the best of our capacity.”

Country General Manager, East Africa, Edna Kirmuwa, said: “With a well-established operation in Nairobi, it would be easier to extend our services to neighbouring countries. As a major distributor of Hyosung ATM brands and Temenos banking software in Africa, our base in Kenya would definitely yield an exponential growth and a remarkable digital transformation for financial organisations we service. ‘’As of today, Inlaks has also sealed deals on data centre infrastructure management solutions with top organisations in Ethiopia and Kenya. Operations in Nairobi will uphold the brand’s reputation of providing services that satisfy clients’ demands.”

Stories by Emma Okonji Sony Middle East and Africa, Kontakt Pro, has launched the latest range of Alpha mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras in Nigeria in collaboration to meet the growing demand for more sophisticated camera technology in the African market.

The cameras were unveiled at a workshop held for photo enthusiasts and professional photographers in Lagos recently.

As the global leader in mirrorless technology, Sony has developed the industryleading technologies based on five fundamentals – lens, image quality, speed, battery life and compact and lightweight.

Its mirrorless cameras offer the

fastest shooting speed with auto focus (AF) and auto exposure (AE). It also offers the best performance for portraits with animal eye tracking and the best performance to shoot completely silent with full AF. It comes with a battery life, which lasts twice longer than any other camera model.

Head, Business Development, Digital Imaging, Sony Middle East and Africa, Sajeer Shamsu, said: “Sony’s industry-leading innovations in digital imaging technologies, like processors, sensors and software algorithms and their rapid deployment in our cameras, has made us the go-to brand for photography and videography professionals and enthusiasts around the

world. We are delighted that one of our key markets in Africa will have access and be able to use our innovative products.”

According to him, some of the Alpha range of cameras that will be available in the market include the A6100L, A6600M, A6400L, A7M3, A7RM3 and A7RM4.

Speaking about its features, Shamsu said the latest Sony Alpha 6600 and Alpha 6100 included a 24.2MP Exmor CMOS image sensor, the latest BIONZ X image processor, and a front-end LSI implemented in Sony’s full-frame cameras.

“This powerful trio combines to deliver all-around enhancements in image quality and performance across all areas

of photo and video capture, he said, adding that the cameras offer a lightning-fast autofocus acquisition time of 0.02 seconds, with 425 focal-plane phasedetection autofocus (AF) points covering approximately 84 per cent of the image area and 425 contrast-detection AF points.

Shamsu said the Sony Alpha 6400 would bring many of Sony’s most advanced technologies from their acclaimed full-frame line-up to a compact, lightweight APS-C camera. The speedy new camera boasts the world’s fastest autofocus (AF) acquisition of 0.02 seconds, while also introducing the new advanced “Real-time Eye AF” and ”Real-time Tracking” capabilities.

ITU REGIONAL MEETING

L-R: Director, Special Duties, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Oluwatoyin Asaju; member, International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Tatiana Kurakova; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta; Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi, and Chairman SG13 Regional Group for Africa, Mr. Simeon Bugaba, during the meeting of ITU Regional Group meeting held in Abuja...recently

FFA Partners Bank to Empower African Startups Five new African startups, including a Nigerian startup, have been accepted into the Venture Scale programme, which is an initiative of Founders Factory Africa (FFA),backed by Standard Bank and Netcare as corporate investors. The five startups were formally inducted into the Venture Scale programme this week.

All five startups have developed product offerings targeted at the fintech or healthtech sectors and are set for an aggressive growth strategy - aided by the technical and operational expertise offered at FFA. The Venture Scale programme at FFA affords African startups the opportunity of rapid scale, made

possible through a financial cash investment in tailored support services - across product development, UX/UI, data science, engineering, business development and growth marketing.

Co-Founder and CEO, Founders Factory Africa, Roo Rogers, said: “The five businesses joining the Venture Scale programme represent some of the best of African entrepreneurship and innovation. From point-of-care DNA testing to agricultural logistics, the Founders Factory Africa portfolio has the potential to truly drive economic growth and transform the continent.

We’re incredibly excited to be part of the growth of these businesses and to deliver their

true scale potential.”

In addition to the hands-on support provided, participating startups will also have access to exclusive partnerships with FFA’s pan-African corporate investors, Standard Bank and Netcare, which unlocks many of the scaling challenges that businesses face. This includes distribution channels, customer acquisition, pilots, data, IP and expertise, essentially offering the startups a very huge advantage in the competitive marketplace.

Head of Strategic Investments and Alliances at Standard Bank, Larry McCarthy, said he was excited to grow entrepreneurship across the continent. “Seed capital and business develop-

ment programmes like FFA are needed to meet the fast-paced demand for technology across all sectors of business, and the effect it can have on improving growth. Standard Bank, being an African business, is committed to participating in this vital element of the economy,” he said.

Among the five new startups is Foodlocker, a Nigerian based company. Foodlocker forecasts foodstuff demand through deep machine learning, thus enabling large-scale buyers to efficiently procure fast-moving consumer goods and fresh produce from smallholder farmers. Others startups include: LocumBase, Akili Labs and EnvisionIt Deep AI, all from South Africa.

Oracle Adds Cloud Data Centers in Five Countries, Sets New Target Oracle Corp. has said it had added new cloud computing data centers in five countries and aims to have them in 36 locations by the end of 2020, as it races with Amazon.com and Microsoft Corp for market share.

After a rocky start in the cloud business, Oracle, a longtime business software provider, is rolling out its second generation of cloud systems, in which it operates data centers and customers rent capacity from it.

According to Reuters, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft are

the two top players with more than two-thirds of the global market in 2019, according to Forrester Research, but Oracle is trying to win customers by extending its geographical reach.

The executive vice president of engineering in Oracle’s cloud unit, Clay Magouyrk, said new data privacy regulations in the European Union and elsewhere meant many businesses must retain data in the country where it was generated, making it important to offer them cloud data centers in as many places as possible.

Oracle’s goal is to have at least two “regions,” in each country where it operates, so that customers can have one primary region and one as a backup in case of disaster, he said.

“Overall, the strategy is to put lots of regions around the world to give customers data sovereignty,” he said.

Each cloud vendor promotes its data center footprint with different terminology, but in most cases a “region” can have multiple data centers in physically separate locations

called “availability” zones or domains. Microsoft has 56 regions. Amazon has 22 regions but has 69 availability zones.

Oracle on Monday added regions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Osaka, Japan; Melbourne, Australia; Montreal, Canada; and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

The company plans to add a second region in Saudi Arabia this year, as well as two in the United Arab Emirates.

Oracle said the 10 largest businesses in Japan were using its cloud computing offerings, but did not give any names.

T H I S D AY ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2020

28

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Repositioning Education in Lagos The Lagos State government appears to have begun to walk the talk in its determination to transform the education sector, writes Raheem Akingbolu

I

n conceptualisation and execution, the promoters of ‘EkoExcel’ hasn’t left any stakeholder in doubt that they know what they want and how to achieve it. Unlike other public initiatives that lack basic touch of communication, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is the chief driver of the project, has in the last few months, championed the build up to the campaign. According to the governor, the programme is encapsulated in the 3rd pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda to provide Education and Technology.

At the official inauguration of the initiative recently, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s plan to transform the educational sector of the State as well as jacking up government’s investment for the good of the pupils.

Over 3000 teachers from various schools and education districts across the State converged at Ikeja, where the Governor formally launched the teachers’ professional development and training programme.

Earlier, primary school teachers went through a two-week training process, organised by the State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) to increase capacity and develop manpower of teachers in the State.

Sanwo-olu noted that at the end, over 14,000 primary school teachers would have benefited from the initiative while over 500,000 pupils would have been positively impacted.

The Governor said: “I am particularly happy that this programme is holding at a time when all hands are on deck to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is improved across all our schools in the State.

“As a responsible government, we will continue the massive investment in this sector, with the training and retraining of our teachers, making the sector more ICT compliant, exposing our teachers to international best practices as well as ensuring that our schools become a destination for work and learning.

“We resolved to address these problems through combining innovative technological approach that is scientifically based, with effective training and empowering our teachers in every Local Government to strengthen their capacity and deliver quality education to our children.”

The Governor, in a bid to encourage teachers and make good examples from outstanding ones, said the State Government will identify the best Head Teachers in all the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs and reward them with a car each.

He noted that his administration is not paying lip service to the repositioning of the educational sector, noting that it is the reason the education ministry got a significantly higher envelope in the 2020 budget.

The Governor also promised that teachers will undergo free sight assessment and reading glasses will be provided for every teacher that requires it to be able to discharge their duties effectively.

The concept, which is Excellence in Child Learning and Education Programme is a Lagos State primary education transformation initiative.

With the programme, over 14,000 Head Teachers and teachers will be moved from analogue to digital teaching, using tablets and updated curriculum. Over 3,000 primary school teachers from 300 public primary schools have been captured under the Pilot Scheme.

An initiative of the Governor Babajide SanwoOlu administration, the EKOEXCEL is aimed at developing a highly-skilled teaching workforce by training, supporting and motivating Lagos State teachers to succeed in the classroom of tomorrow and enhance the State Basic Education curriculum thereby empowering children to compete effectively in the world of work.

The programme will equip teachers with skills to deliver value, empower pupils with requisite knowledge to improve education and help in sustaining the growth of Lagos State as a leading knowledge driven city and economy in the world.

The launch followed a two-week intensive training of over 4,000 teachers from various schools and education districts across the state who will be the main drivers of the new initiative to reposition service delivery in public primary schools with special focus

Sanwo-Olu

Cross section of over 3000 Teachers from various schools and education districts in Lagos State at the formal launch of the EKOEXCEL (Excellence in Child Education And Learning) in Lagos...recently on learning outcomes for pupils.

Teachers as Influencers Like in homes, where children and mothers are the major influencers, teachers are believed to be the major influencers of children. To this end, Lagos State government see the need to

We resolved to address these problems through combining innovative technological approach that is scientifically based, with effective training and empowering our teachers in every local government to strengthen their capacity and deliver quality education to our children

invest in the teachers and make them competitive and compliance to the expectation of today’s world.

As stated by the governor, the promoters of the initiative appreciate the place of digital and technology in today’s teaching, hence the need to invest in technology.

Sanwo-Olu said: “They are like beacons of light, guiding us in the formative years of our life. Teachers mould us and, in the process, shape our future. What we learn from our teachers remains with us throughout our life.

However, career development is important and puts emphasis on broader skills, which are applicable in a wide range of situations. This includes decision making, thinking creatively and managing the children for excellence.”

The governor recalled that at the inception of his administration, his team identified three critical issues militating against quality education in Lagos State. They are the need to upgrade the teaching profession to promote knowledge transfer and co-create workable functional models for the profession thereby creating overwhelming support for learning outcomes; review the school curriculum such that it reflects current and future industry needs to positively influence and reshape the present educational system in the state; and upgrading school infrastructure.

“We resolved to solve these problems through combining innovative technology, scientifically based pedagogical approaches, effective training, support and closing the learning gap such that all school age children in Lagos State builds

a better and brighter future for themselves, their families and the teeming people of Lagos State. We resolved that this government will empower teachers in every local government and strengthen their capacity to deliver quality education to our children.”

He said at the end of the programme, over 14,000 primary school teachers would have benefited from the initiative, while over 500,000 pupils would have been positively impacted.

“I am particularly happy that this programme is holding at a time when all hands are on deck to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is improved across all our schools in the state.

“As a responsible government, we will continue the massive investment in this sector, with the training and retraining of our teachers, making the sector more ICT compliant, exposing our teachers to international best practices, as well as ensuring that our schools become a destination for work and learning.”

To encourage teachers and make good examples from outstanding ones, he said the state government would identify the best head teachers in all the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and reward them with a car each.

The governor noted that his administration is not paying lip service to repositioning the sector, adding that the education ministry got a significantly higher allocation in the 2020 budget.

He also promised that teachers will undergo free sight assessment and reading glasses will be provided for every teacher that requires it to be able to discharge their duties effectively.

In her remarks, the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo said the goal of the concept as an initiative to reform primary school learning outcomes in Lagos is to transform learning in the classroom such that every child has access to quality teachers.

“For these youths to contribute their utmost, the onus falls on the teachers to impact rightly, in accordance to the modern pace and trends. Investing in the education of our children and young adult became paramount and the need to strengthen the capacity of teachers to deliver quality education became germane. It is our believe that introducing new educational infrastructure will cultivate a learning environment that would prepare our children and young adults for a trending terrain that requires intuition, creativity and critical thinking for future workplaces.

“With these in view, integrating technology into our school curriculum and empowering our youths with the much- needed skills for tomorrow’s job through trainings, programmes and other activities became our immediate goal and a task that must be accomplished and sustained.

“The state government’s strategic designing and funding of the EKOEXCEL initiative, a transformational plan aimed at supporting teachers to achieve better learning outcomes in the classroom through training, supporting and motivating of our teachers, is a phenomena objective.

“It is our view that we will deliver a radical better learning outcome for our future leaders as the EKOEXCEL initiative will provide our schools with the technology based up skills, scientific- proven pedagogical approaches and a complete 360-degree support system that will beacon across educational strides.”

Adefisayo reiterated that EKOEXCEL was designed out of the government’s recognition of the fact that children in public primary schools in the state are going to live a different life than the life the older generation had.

She therefore charged the teachers to impact their students, while bringing to bare their professionalism. “The concise framework we have formulated that encapsulates our collective vision should be built upon as you give your best at all times. To whom much is given, much is expected.

“I urge you to rededicate yourselves and continually contribute your own quotas positively and responsively in this new drive to reform the education sector and take it to a higher pedestal,” the commissioner said.

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T H I S D AY Ëž Í´, 2020

MPC Balks at Rising Arousing Consumers’ Curiosity With more Nigerians keying into cashless policy Ination despite challenges, Raheem Akingbolu links the surge with motivational campaigns being deplored by promoters of digital payments in Nigeria

POS

EmeďŹ ele

Lukman Otunuga

I

n January, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) decided to hold the lending interest rate at 13.5 per cent and significantly increase the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from 22.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent. Far from following the global easing trend, the CBN is taking steps to tighten monetary policy.

The decision follows a worrying rise in inflation in December. Inflation rose to 11.98 percent, meaning that day-to-day living is becoming more expensive as prices for goods and services rise. Part of the added inflationary pressures are because of border closures and food shortage fears. On a long-term basis, the naira’s softness feeds into the dam of rising inflation.

Despite the threat of higher inflation, the CBN has ruled out devaluing the naira.

Policy makers could have a point here. An even weaker local currency may trigger worse consequences. The overflowing dam could break and hyperinflation - a nightmare scenario for any emerging economy - could flood the economy.

The central bank’s reasoning for avoiding an official devaluation is that it holds ample foreign reserves to back the naira’s value.

Policymakers are also banking on rising oil prices to shore up the $38.6 billion in foreign reserves, at the time of writing. The CBN brushed off the steep drop in foreign reserves from $42 billion to $38 billion in the last months of 2019, pointing out that fluctuations are normal.

Unpredictable CBN policy may impact banking sector Less liquidity in the market might alleviate rising inflation, but on the other hand, it could add to everyday economic pressures.

A combination of high interest rates and less liquidity could squeeze corporate budgets, possibly leading to job losses and lower investment in development, not to mention increasing the chances of debt defaults. This may impact the stability of the banking sector in the medium-to-long term.

Fiscal deďŹ cit projected to widen On the monetary policy side, higher oil prices are pulling in more foreign reserves.

But as oil prices rise, so do fuel subsidies paid by the state, creating a precarious fiscal situation. Nigeria is now set to borrow N1.59 trillion to fund the 2020 budget and the government has increased VAT to 7.5 percent from five percent to boost tax revenues.

External threats pose significant risks to

Nigeria’s recovery Other pressures bearing down on Nigeria’s economy stem from the US-China trade war which is frozen at the moment but could heat up at any time. The central trading issues for Nigeria in this situation are China’s economic health - China and Nigeria are strong trading partners - and the health of the global economy. If the global economy slows down further, demand for oil would likely weaken and prices could experience more softness in the near term.

The economic costs of the coronavirus outbreak to Nigeria’s economy must not be overlooked. China is Nigeria’s largest trading partner with total trade hitting $3.25 billion during the third quarter of 2019.

If the virus outbreak in China results in slower economic growth, the spillover effect is likely to be felt in Nigeria as trade falls.

The other major international shift is the Brexit process. The UK’s withdrawal plan from the EU has been approved by European and UK-based legislatures. Although the UK officially leaves the EU on January 31, over the next year trade agreements will stay as they are. After that, there is considerable uncertainty over the status of trade deals agreed with the UK through the EU. As a start, the UK-Africa Investment Summit promises a way forward for future trade deals direct with UK partners. Four British companies signed deals with Nigeria for street lighting, airport control towers and smart metering. The question is whether this momentum can be maintained now that the UK has so many trade deals to put in place with the EU, US and China. On top of that, Nigeria’s trade relations with the UK are now separate from those with the EU, meaning that the UK’s negotiating power and economies of scale are considerably reduced.

In conclusion, Nigeria’s fiscal and monetary policy makers face a difficult economic landscape. The mountain of uncertainty around the US-China trade disputes; the quicksand of the Brexit process; economics impacts of the coronavirus and the rising tide of inflation.

Could the next step be for the CBN to raise interest rates? Amid the current uncertainty, nothing can be ruled out but the impact of stiffer borrowing rates would likely pressure economic growth. With GDP on a growth trajectory, this would add to Nigeria’s economic headwinds.

-Otunuga, is FXTM Senior Research Analyst.

N

igerian consumers are daily moving towards conquering hurdles working against digital payment in Nigeria.

Beyond the fact that competitions among the players have demystified the system, consumer education through campaigns and engagements have further opened the minds of Nigerians to the importance of digital payment. Among other players, eTranzact, SimplePay and Interswitch are using campaigns to energies consumers.

For instance, Quickteller, a consumer payment platform of Interswitch, had last year, introduced “One less thing to worry about� to assure patrons that they could take payment for granted if they take the payment platform as partner. With “One less thing to worry about� , the brand is reassuring consumers of its brand promise.

To further push the message, two weeks ago, the payment platform unveiled a new campaign called “Everything is Possible�.

It demonstrates the ubiquitous nature of the platform.

The commercials, which have just been released, are in two versions: ‘The Big Idea’ and ‘Possibility’. Both versions are in furtherance of the previous Quickteller campaign - “One less thing to worry about� – and reiterate the ease and universality of the Quickteller platform.

The creative idea for the campaign is ‘Everything is Possible’ and it’s expressed in the form of two storylines.

Campaign Rationale From day one, even though with little hitches, Quickteller has always been quick in assuring consumers that it’s synonymous to payments. Again, from the last campaign, consumers are assured that payments will be the last thing they’ll worry about.

Perhaps because most people still use Quickteller for basic payments but don’t know the breadth of other services and payments solution that are possible on the platform, the campaign is like a wake up call to patrons that a lot can still be done on the platform like payment of toll fees and state government payments. With good role interpreters, the brand is saying “You can buy airtime, send money and book flight tickets. Pay cable TV bills, to electricity bills, to shopping from over 100 global stores, take a quick loan, buy event tickets and everything in between, hence the conclusion that Everything is Possible.

Synopsis The commercial is opened with humorous meeting at which a group of popular comedians and social media acts, enact a sort of ‘pitch discussion’ where they present a series of ‘big’ ideas to show

people how it’s possible to do absolutely everything using Quickteller. The notion is that they are trying to outdo each other through the scale of their imaginations.

Of course, that’s the whole point: Quickteller can help you pay for almost anything you can imagine. The humour comes from the craziness of their ideas.

The commercial features well known and loved celebrities like Bovi (a leading Comedian), Ini Dima Okojie (well respected Nollywood actress) and Eric Omondi (a Comedian based in Kenya).

Possibility The concept for this commercial is to show one, single, unbroken shot of a man doing a fairly impressive trick; that slowly pulls back to reveal - as the frame gets wider and wider - that the man is actually performing, what appears to be, a near-impossible stunt. This of course, illustrates the compelling point that Quickteller makes almost anything possible!

The beauty of the brand lies in its natural flow from the last ‘Contortionist’ TVC where a skilled Contortionist was able to demonstrate how easy and convenient it is to use Quickteller.

It is a visual metaphor for everyday payments made easy – by Quickteller.

Both commercials are a body of great creative thinking and drive home the overarching message that everything is possible on the Quickteller Platform. The commercials both depict the importance of a platform that makes payment possible irrespective of person, location and needs.

Quickteller enables everyone to make transactions on the go, with a few clicks.

Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Olawale Akanbi, Group Head, Quickteller Marketing, highlighted the importance of transacting on a platform that provides a vast number of services in the digital payment space. He said: “It’s amazing to know that you can pay for almost anything on Quickteller. At Quickteller, we are committed to making all payments possible on our platform. This is why we are continuously expanding the services available on Quickteller. From just a platform where you could transfer money, customers can now perform more transactions that speak to their lifestyle, businesses, passion and even their careers�.

According to Akanbi, “This campaign illustrates the compelling point that Quickteller makes almost anything possible. Both versions of the campaign are a natural flow from the previous campaign and consistent with our messaging that payments are easier and most convenient on the Quickteller platform. It is simply a visual metaphor for everyday payments made easy by Quickteller�.

T H I S D AY Ëž Í´, 2020

30

Making Ogun Nigeria’s Food Basket Olufemi Ezekiel

T

he maxim, “Farmers are kings� is loosely used to underscore the importance of food security as a necessity in every African home.

Often times, it is used to get the best out of, and encouraged a lazy man to redouble his effort in providing adequately for his immediate family needs.

Also, there is the Yoruba saying that when the issue of food for sustenance is resolved, poverty has no say and it is banished� (Ti ounje ba ti kuro ninu ise, ise buse).

With the endowed natural arable lands, Ogun State stands a better chance to become the food basket of the country Besides, with much premium being placed on agriculture to serve as lead way to the provision of food security and also generate employment opportunities for the teeming youths, there is no gain saying the fact that, the renewed vigour and commitment on the part of the current administration in Ogun State is key to drive the economy of the state for growth and development and as well, shore up its revenue base.

While receiving in audience, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono, at his Oke Mosan, Abeokuta office recently, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, reiterated the commitment of the present administration to pay speccial attention to the agricultural sector.

He said: “We are the Gateway State.

We are the closest state to the biggest economy in this country. We have 16,000 sq kilometres of arable land out of 20,000 sq kilometres of our landmass. “We have the people and most of them are looking for employment. It is easy for us to look at this situation, to say look, if we have the land; we have the people; we have the market; and we have no reasons not to turn Ogun State into the bread basket of this nation. “And that is what inspired me in you, when I left your office, the very first time I visited you in Abuja. “After the discussion with you, we formed the right set of people and we decided that we must find our ways back to agriculture. This state is the state of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, where we have rubber plantation; we have palm oil plantation; we have the popular Ofada rice and so on and so forth. “We are the largest producer of cassava in this country. So, there is no reason for us, not to turn these opportunities to our utmost advantage.

We see agriculture as opportunity for us, not only to contribute our own quota to food security of the plan of the Federal government, we see it as an opportunity to generate revenue. We see it as an opportunity to increase employment and reduce unemployment.�

The minister, in his own statement at that ocassion, said the federal government is very much interested in investing in Cocoa and rice production in Ogun State owing to the premium the state government has placed in the agricultural sector.

Nanono said: “I see Ogun State as one of the states in the southwest that the Federal Government has interest in, in two fundamental areas. “Cocoa industry and rice production and also agricultural mechanization, which is going to affect about 632 local governments. “And I think we consider Ogun as one the states that will be a pioneer in the southwest. Let me take you on the issue of cocoa, my worry was this, our neighbours Republic of Benin, Ghana, Cote D’voire, over the last 20 years

Abiodun

have developed new varieties of cocoa with a harvest period of two and half years. “While I was trying to find out how did they do it, I realised that they have benefited from the ECOWAS Development Bank to do it. This is a subsidiary of African Development Bank (AfDB). Not only that, Nigeria is the largest shareholder in the ECOWAS Bank for Development. Why would these countries benefit from this bank, while we are also a shareholder? “The number two, we are going for agricultural mechanisation. The President has made a pronouncement on that in his 2020 new year message that 632 local governments will be affected. Then, there will be processing centres in about 140 under an agreement with Brazilian government and some European Banks to finance it. It is going to be a private sector. “Now that I have become the Minister for Agriculture, we have to do something as regard the cocoa industries, absolutely. Luckily enough, just about three or four days ago, representatives of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) came to my office. They came with a package for the development of the new cocoa varieties and palm oil. Palm oil in Calabar and Cocoa where they will start testing it in Ondo State. “We are doing preliminary discussions with them, and from there, we will define where we are going to. But when you take it overall, globally, it is my intention that we have to focus on the new varieties of cocoa that will yield in two and half years across the country.�

Replying to the minister ’s submission, the governor also said: “When we came in, we began to look at what do we do. All we did immediately was in the area of employment. We launched what we called “job portal� and that job portal allowed us to get the dimension of the unemployed. “The first time, we got about 130,000 unemployed youths and it was then, we knew we had a problem. And we realised that, there is no other industries that could absorb these unemployed youths, except agriculture.

We have to look around and we saw opportunities in one of the schemes of the federal government called “Anchor Borrowers� programme being operated

by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). “I am glad to say that, between the last six months we have enumerated 10,000 people in that “Anchor Borrowers’ programme. We have further 40,000 people that have been undergoing that scheme. And this provides for us, on the part of government, to allocate one hectare of land each to them which we have done for the beneficiaries and then, match them with processors (Anchor Borrowers). “And we have many of them in Ogun State as the industrial capital of this country. The first of such schemes is our cassava scheme. The first set of the ‘Anchor Borrowers’ that have signed off have offtaken cassava from us, about 9,000 people. “We have allocated land to them and we have even cleared those lands for them. On the part of the government, we are looking at a more improved yield per hectare of cassava. And we have other anchors that we have subscribed to. We are quite excited about the opportunities that these present to us. “We are growing cotton; growing rice; and we are resuscitating our palm oil plantation which have 6,000 hectares. It is so exciting to hear from you, the President of the AfDB (Dr Akinwunmi Adesina) was here at the turn of the year, because he said they are going to have two processing zones in Nigeria that, they are coming to do one in Ogun State. “Now, coming to hear your plans for Ogun State, 632 local governments of which Ogun State would be a beneficiary it is so refreshing and it is so uplifting, particularly on the topic of agricultural mechanization. We will believe that, this will be so impactful because in our relationship with our farmers we see these as the gaps that exist. That the farmers have realised our take from them is that, one, the land aspect of it is so key. They can’t afford to prepare the lands for themselves. When it comes to cultivation and harvesting, if these processes are mechanised, it can only lead to more profitable crops for our farmers. “All I can say, sir, is that we are ready for you. Whatever it is, the plans you have for us, we are ready. We have a job portal which if you need personnel for the scheme, we can provide 100,000 people as extension service

workers for you today.

We don’t have to start looking elsewhere because we already have them. “I appreciate the fact that it is important to have the right ratio of extension workers in farmers because these are the people that want to plant; want to harvest; and they want to apply the right inputs. I mean, the choice of right inputs, the right pesticide, the right fertilizer and so on and so forth. “You have further reinforced our belief and trust in the fact that, agriculture is really doing well. Like I said, we are the gateway-we are closed to Lagos; we are closiest to the biggest ports; we are close to the airport; and we are closiest to the biggest market.

So, there is no reason for us not to be the bread basket of the nation. Like you said, the cocoa pilot scheme that you want to have in Ondo state, this is where you should come and do it.

This is the gateway state, let them come and do the pilot here.

We will give you all the support that it is required. “Recently, I think the President of Afreximbank told me that, there is a palm tree that has a shorter harvesting period, which is about three years.

What we are looking at is that, potential partners should come and partner with us in the area of palm production. “But there must be conditions that, they must put a refinery here. We will give them the existing palm tree and traditionally, we will give them additional land. We are looking forward to this relationship with you and we will continue to cherish it�, averred.

Governor Abiodun has always been proactive in administering the state.

Shortly upon his assumption of office on May 29, 2019, he established the office of “job creation� and appointed a wizkid, Mr Olakunle Olude as Special Adviser.

Olude, who is the promoter of “jobberman�, a leading online outsourcing employment agency was put in charge of the job creation outfit.

Also, on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, officials of the French Embassy led by the Regional Agrcultural Counsellor, Mrs Sonia Darracq, paid a courtesy visit to the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry and pledged their support on the proposed area of partnership, collaboration and strategies that include training and capacity building in agricultural value chains, linkage with international investors in Agribusiness areas of acquaculture, forest conservation and opportunities in non-timber products with benefits in other areas of forestry and resuscitation of international projects in forestry.

Meanwhile, recently, the agricultural revolutionary drive of the administration received a major boost, when a private sector player, Amobyn Farms Limited, officially off-took 54,000 of the state’s broiler birds.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, who represented the governor, at the official commissioning of the project located at Odeda Farm Institute, stressed that the scheme was not only meant to empower unemployed youths for sustainability, but would also link them with opportunities that would be beneficial to the youths themselves and the state at large.

He said further: “The 1,000 birds per participant’s ‘Broiler Empowerment Programme’, which started six weeks ago has been off-taken by Amobyn Farms, while cheques have been presented to the participants for the first production cycle. Also, while the beneficiaries would start another cycle in few weeks from now, with each beneficiary earning a profit of about N140,000 per cycle.

-Ezekiel wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun state

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T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

SMALL BUSINESS SOLUTION

Establishment of Instant Noodles Producing Plant Godwin Uba

T

he meal of instant noodles has become very popular in Nigeria The high food demand, due principally to the increasing population and urbanization, the severe shortage of time on part of bachelors, spinster and the working mothers and the change in feeding habits and way of life have combined to make the eating of instant noodles very popular.

Instant noodles have repeat sales tendency and the transportation cost per Naira value of the product is low.

So apart from producing to satisfy local demand one can embark on export to earn scarce foreign exchange. Currently in Nigeria, we are aware of only one producer. So there is more than enough room for new entrants to make a decent living.

Raw Materials The major raw material is wheat powder having ash content of between 0.5 and 0.4%. Others are carbonic salt, common salt and lard (oil). Carbonic salt water gives the noodles special stickiness, elasticity, smoothness and taste while lard is for frying. Common slat helps make the noodles homogeneous, regulates the stickiness and adds salty test.

Other flavouring or seasoning additives include onion powder, MSG, Hydrolised vegetable protein (preferably soybean-based), chili powder, phosphoric acid salt, starch powder, etc. The noodles can be fortified by adding industryapproved quantities of such vitamins as B and D. The flavourings (called soup) are usually packed separately in small cellophane before being enclosed in the packaged fried noodles.

For packing, one needs poly-cellophane (300 mm x 190 mm), carton boxes (which may contain about 30 pieces) and packing tape. One can see that virtually all he raw materials needed can be obtained locally. The remaining will be imported.

Required Equipment The machinery and equipment needed are Noodles making machine Measuring and cutting equipment Fryer Cooling equipment Other accessories include steam boiler, edible and heavy oil tanks, kneader base, and chimney and furnace materials.

The first four items will be imported and come in one block.

Utilities like electricity (35kwh), heavy oil (40kg) and steam (200kg) are needed.

Noodles making machine

A standby generator of appropriate capacity is a must to ensure power supply.

Production Process Nine distinct processes are involved in the production of noodles and these are briefly described below.

Wheat powder and additives are dissolved in carbonic salt solution for about 10 to 15 minutes making sure that the quantity of water and salt is such that the required viscosity is maintained as this is influenced by atmospheric temperature.

The noodles are now cut and the weight calculated bearing in mind the dough thickness, weight and the conditions under which the dough was made.

The cut-measured noodles are now steamed. During this process, the protein in the dough changes to alpha-protein because of heat. This makes the dough strips stickier and smoother in just one minute and under the steam pressure of 1.5-2.5kg/cm3.

On getting out of the measure cut machine the noodles curl and are now put in cases in order to prevent deformation during frying. The cased noodles are fried. This process eliminates moisture, secures a permanent form for the noodles and promotes the process of

alphanisation. This takes 1 to 1.5 minutes at a temperature of 140oC-150oC. The fried noodles are cooled by air in order to solidify the lard (oil) used in frying, which has now fixed on the surface of the strip noodles. After this they are packaged in poly cellophane bags measuring 300cm x 190cm before being packed in carton boxes containing 30 packs of noodles. The cartons are cello taped and the instant noodles are ready for the market after they have been inspected as to form, quality, colour and weight.

Labour The total number of people needed to run one shift of production is 18 and includes workers of various skills. Being a food processing business the promoter should ensure proper hygiene and adequate recruitment and training of the relevant skilled line staff.

Project Cost The actual cost will be established in the process of conducting current feasibility studies which will put many factors into considerations. We will handle this if you contact us.

Implementation Implementing this project will take the

following steps Commissioning the preparation of a comprehensive feasibility study Acquisition and development of the project site Erection of the factory and buildings Sourcing for funds Purchasing project vehicles Recruitment and training the relevant staff Purchasing and installing the machinery, equipment and necessary utilities Test running and commissioning of the factor for commercial operation Food processing is the industry of the future particularly in a country where the relevant industrial raw materials are abundant. This project is highly recommended to serious industrialists as it will attract financing from the industrial development banks for its establishment because of its profitability, innovativeness, value added advantages, future prospects and overall effects in the development of the economy. There is no doubt that the above write up is but schematic.

Therefore any serious investor who wants further information or a sound techno-economic viability report is advised to contact the writer.

-Uba, can be reached via 08034494437

SHOPRITE Creates Awareness on Breast Cancer Raheem Akingbolu SHOPRITE, a leading retailer across Africa, has thrown its weight behind fight against breast cancer by situating four screening stations in Asaba, Onitsha, Abuja and Kano. Other cities are Damaturu and Lagos.

In statement made available to reporters, the company said, “Early detection of breast Cancer can save lives; one

of which may be yours. Free breast cancer screenings will again be available, this time in all six regions of Nigeria as a result of the long-standing partnership between Shoprite Nigeria and ‘Run For a Cure Africa’ (RFCA).

According to the statement, the Big Pink Fight screenings will begin 3rd to 8th February, 2020 and it will give women access to clinical breast ex-

aminations, ultrasound scans and mammograms. Four of the screening stations will be situated at Shoprite stores in Asaba Mall, Delta state, Onitsha Mall in Anambra state, Novare Gateway Mall in FCT Abuja and Ado Bayero Mall in Kano state.

Speaking on the campaign, Dr. Ebele Mbanugo, Founder/ Executive Director of RFCA said, “The early detection of

the disease is a crucial factor in its successful treatment, however, the sad reality in Nigeria is that 75% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed too late, when treatment is prohibitively expensive and survival rates greatly diminished.”

Shoprite’s partnership with RFCA dates back to 2014, when the partners joined hands to raise awareness of breast cancer by roll-out of free screenings.

Some 5000 women have since benefited from these screenings taking place annually.

Dr Mbanugo said that the screening dates and locations are as followed; 3rd-5th February, Department of Radiology, Yobe University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu; 4th-5th February, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, A and E Building, Idi Araba Surulere, Lagos; 4the-5th February, Shoprite, Asaba Mall,

Asaba, Delta; 6th-7th February, The campaign moves to Shoprite, Onitsha Mall, Onitsha, Anambra on 7th-8th February, Shoprite, Novare Gateway mall along Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja and from 7th-8th February, Shoprite, Ado Bayero Mall, Zoo road, Kano Shoprite is the leading retailer across Africa and it is the brand of choice for many consumers across the African continent.

federal government in collaboration with the state governments and other relevant agencies to partake in the project in order to fastrack progress.

In his remark, the Director, Department of Agribusiness, Dr. Aminu Babadi, said the project was a welcome development, but noted that some of the challenges

that could hinder the smooth take off include energy and space utilisation.

In his presentation, the Manager, Global Fortunes Ltd, Mr. Kidron Israel said that the company is using this opportunity to establish Agricultural Industrial Parks across the six geopolitical zone of the country.

FG to Establish Agricultural Industrial Parks Oluchi Chibuzor The federal government has revealed that it has partnered with a private firm to establish Agricultural Industrial Parks (AIPs) across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The move is expected to create jobs and ensure food sufficiency.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Hon. Mustapha Shehuri, stated this when he received a delegation of the Global Fortunes Limited, led by Mr. Kidron Israel, in Abuja, recently.

He said the project if implemented would ensure food security and creates more

employment for Nigerians as it would be Public Private Partnership driven.

He also said that the government was committed to the development of the agricultural value chain in Nigeria.

He added: “That even with the huge infrastructural deficit in Nigeria, we can still embark on

this project, because the government is focused on diversifying the Nigerian economy.”

The Minister revealed that he would visit Taraba State Agricultural Industrial Park with the relevant directors to see the model of the park that is the state.

He stressed the need for the

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde and the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji, during the Commercial Launch of LAGFERRY Operations Mobile App and New Boats Commissioning by Mr. Governor, at Badore Ajah, Lagos.....recently

President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with Ms. Queen Hellen Makama shortly after an audience with the Awardee of National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) in Abuja...recently STATE HOUSE

L-R, Chairman House Committe on works, Hon Abubakar Kabir Abubakar; Chairman Senate Committee on works, Senator Adamu Alero; member of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya and Senate Minority whip, Senator Ya u Sahabi at an interactive session of the Joint Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Works and Rocco ConstructionTEAM from Brazil held in Abuja...recently Julius Atoi.THISDAY IMAGES

L-R: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen,during the visit of the Ambassador to the Minister in Abuja...recently

L-R, Chairman Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Members of the Committee, Senator Theodre Oji and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele during the screening of a commissioner nominee from NCC held in Abuja...recently Julius Atoi

L-R: Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; Founder and former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, and President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, during the Town Hall Forum on Hate Speech organised by DAAR Communications in Abuja...recently

L-R; Chairman, Board of Governors, Igbobi College Yaba, Sir Kehinde Smith; Bishop, Diocese of Ikeja, Methodist Church Nigeria, The Rt. Rev. Victor Adegbite, President, Igbobi College Old Boys’ Association, Mr. Olumuyiwa Kinoshi, and Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Anglican Church of Nigeria, The Rt. Rev. Akinpelu Johnson during the Thanksgiving and Communion Service marking the 88th Founders’ Day Anniversary of Igbobi College, at the Rev Canon Parker Chapel, Igbobi College, Lagos...recently

T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ ʹ˜ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

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L-R: Head, Listing Business Division, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Olumide Bolumole; Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, NSE, Oscar N. Onyema; Head , Trading Business Division, NSE, Jude Chiemeka; Head of Tax, KPMG, Wole Obayomi; Head, Shared Services Division, NSE, Bola Adeeko and Partner, Deal Advisory, M&A Tax, Financial Services & Regulatory Services, KPMG, Ajibola Olomola, during a symposium tagged; Finance Act 2020 at the Exchange in Lagos...recently

L-R: Channel Relationship Manager, Lagos Island and Ogun, Lafarge Africa Plc, Thompson Ukpebor; Winner, Lafarge Retailers’ Promo, Richard Zhou and Retail Manager, Lafarge Africa Plc, Itune Brown at the Lafarge Retailer’s promo reward ceremony held in Lagos....recently

L-R, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon Oluwole Oke; Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hon Abdullahi Abdulkadir and a member of the committee, Hon Edun :Olanrewaju at a two-week public hearing on the need to investigate the deliberate and reckless refusal by non-treasury and partially funded Agencies to render their audited Accounts to the Auditor General of Federation for the period 2014-2018 held in Abuja...recently Julius Atoi

L-R: Convener, Say No Campaign, Mr. Ezenwa Nwaogu; Co-convener Say No Campaign, Mr Jaiye Gaskia and Coordinator African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Mr. Chido Onumah, during the press conference organized by Civil Society groups on recent released of 2017 audit report of the MDAs from the Auditor General of the federation in Abuja...recently ENOCK REUBEN Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (left), congratlating Senator representing Akwa-Ibom North-West Senatorial District, Senator Christopher Ekpenyong, during Ekpenyong’s swearing in at the National Assembly in Abuja...recently

L-R; Founder/Of Counsel, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie Law Firm, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; Of Counsel, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie Law Firm, Dr. Myma Belo-Osagie; Hon. Minister of lndustry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Senior Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, Dan Agbor at the 2nd Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie Private Equity Summit in Lagos.....recently

L-R: Head of Admin and Logistics, Tractor Owners and Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN), Mr. Musa Sumaila; Managing Director, Same Duetz Fahr, Mr Marcello Personeni; MD/CEO, TAB Group/ Organizer Africa Agri Expo 2020, Mr. Tahir A. Bari; GMD/CEO, NAHCO Aviance, Mrs. Tokunbo Fagbemi; Head, Machinery Department, C. Woermann, Nigeria, Mr David Kornemann and Deputy GM, International Business, Sunaika Tractors, Mr Rupesh Khanna, during the opening ceremony of Africa Agri Expo Nigeria 2020 at Victoria Island, Lagos...recently KOLAWOLE ALLI

T H I S D AY ˾ ,FEBRUARY 6, 2020

34

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 08038901925

Fighting Lassa Fever Internally and Coronavirus Externally In juxtaposing the spread of Lassa fever to 19 states, which has infected over 250 persons and killed at least 41 Nigerians, with the increased spread of novel Coronavirus from China to 28 countries, Martins Ifijeh writes that there is no time more apt for epidemic preparedness in Nigeria

E

ver heard of two of the world’s most deadly disease outbreaks; the Justinian plague and the Bulbonic plague? They both spread across Europe, Asia, Arabia and Africa centuries ago, killing several millions of people and living the world scampering for solutions.

Both plagues, although happened 800 years apart, were spread to humans by rodents whose fleas carried the bacteria and lived in the blood of their victims, causing pus, fever, respiratory problems and death.

Researchers believed the pandemics spread quickly because hygiene education was low at the time, and not much was known about disease spread from rodents and other animals to humans, and then, from humans to humans.

These researchers were sure few years after the last outbreak, the nature of both diseases would have been understood enough to stop any other pandemic emanating from rodents or other animals.

But the researchers were wrong. Six centuries after, different strains of diseases from rodents or other animals are still killing humans.

From Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), to Zika virus, the list has continued to grow despite technological and medical advancements.

While these diseases have remained a nightmare globally, two have in the past one month become a major source of concern to Nigerians, the government and healthcare stakeholders. They are the Lassa fever virus, which originated from Nigeria some 50 years ago and has refused to disappear, and then the more threatening plague, the novel Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan city in China since middle of December 2019, and has so far killed over 450 persons, infecting over 18,000, and has spread to at least 28 countries.

Although the Nigerian government, every time there is a Lassa fever outbreak, assures Nigerians that it was addressing the public health challenge, indications show the disease is not winding down anytime soon, especially as it has continued every year to be more daring.

According to reports, the outbreak has so far killed 41 persons, infected at least 253 with suspected cases at 689, and a case fatality rate of 15.9 per cent; all as at January 26, 2020.

The outbreak has also affected 19 states, including Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Abia, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Kano, Borno, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Osun, Ebonyi, Ogun, and Enugu.

The figures from the current outbreak shows the number of deaths has increased with case fatality rate at 15.9 per cent which is lower than that of first four weeks of January, 2019.

The World Health Organisation believe Lassa fever is largely transmitted through contact with items or surfaces contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats. It can also be transmitted from person-to-person through contact with blood, urine, faeces and other body fluids of an infected person.

According to figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the week-four Lassa Fever Situation Report, in total for 2020, the 19 affected states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 60 local government areas, with Edo State leading the pack with 89 per cent, Ondo State 38 per cent, and Ebonyi 11 per cent.

The NCDC report also shows the predominant age group affected is 11-40 years, with male to female ratio placed at 1:1, noting that five health workers in Kano (three), Taraba (one) and Borno (one) were affected.

The WHO has classified Lassa fever as an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, an arenavirus emerging with contamination of foods by infected rodent.

Coronavirus is preventable

How much longer before Lassa fever outbreak is contained?

The disease was first discovered in Nigeria’s North-eastern Borno State in 1969 after a white missionary woman fell sick, according to the Health Ministry in Borno, and the virus, overtime is endemic in African countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Togo and the Northern part of Cameroon.

Meanwhile, the federal government said it was putting measures in place to address the present outbreak.

The Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said the federal government has established a National Emergency Operation Centre which has representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Environment, World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund, United States Centers for Disease Control, and other partners.

“The NCDC continues to support states in strengthening their preparedness and response capacity. Over the last three weeks, NCDC has deployed Rapid Response Teams to support five of the affected states. The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire led a high-level delegation to Kano State on the 25th of January 2020, following the deaths of two health workers infected with Lassa fever.

“In addition, NCDC has rapidly increased risk communications and community engagement activities to ensure that Nigerians are aware of the risks of Lassa fever and measures

to protect themselves,” he added.

He said five laboratories in Nigeria have the capacity to diagnose Lassa fever in Nigeria.

These laboratories are critical to reducing turnaround time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation. This ensures prompt case management and other response activities, thereby reducing the number of deaths.

To minimise the risk of infection, members of the public are advised to ensure their environment is always kept clean to avoid contact with rodents.

Meanwhile, as the Nigerian government continues to tackle Lassa fever internally, there seems to be a looming threat outside the country’s borders, with the novel Coro-

T H I S D AY ˾ ,FEBRUARY 6, 2020

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HEALTH

FIGHTING LASSA FEVER INTERNALLY AND CORONAVIRUS EXTERNALLY causes infection in the nose, sinuses or upper throat, and can be transmitted from animal to human or from human to human just like the mode of spread of the dreaded EVD. Although many may argue that the chances of the virus reaching Nigeria is around average because of the partial lock down on over 150 million persons in China where the outbreak is concentrated, same was said in 2014 when Ebola outbreak started, until it found its way to Nigeria, claiming eight productive lives, some $180 million in cost, and throwing the entire nation into panic.

With Nigerians known for their high trading partnerships with China, the virus is closer to the country than expected. But is our health security system strong enough to prevent the virus from entering the country? Is it strong enough to manage the virus should it find its way in?

As part of measures to ensure the virus does not spread into Nigeria, the federal government has called on travellers from China or those exposed to travellers from the Asian country to subject themselves to self-quarantine for 14 days before they can interact with other members of the society.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said national health security measures have been heightened, with surveillance mounted in all borders to prevent the spread.

He said: “If you screen anybody properly at the borders, check their travel histories and routes, it will help us a lot in ensuring the virus doesn’t get in.

“So far, we do not have plans to stop Nigerians from traveling to China or coming from China because there are international health regulations that must be followed on public health concerns. No country has done that.

“We have issued advisory to Nigerians, including states, public health facilities, as well as private facilities. This advisory is intended to be trickled down up to primary health facilities also, because they are actually closer to the people,” Ehanire said.

He also mentioned recently, that should the virus find its way into Nigeria, the health ministry has the capacity to manage it.

Coronavirus may show no sign until the 14th day

Prevention Tips The minister of health said Nigerians should continue their normal routine of hand washing with running water, cover their mouths with handkerchief while coughing, and report early to hospitals if they notice fibril symptoms.

He said: “On our part as government, we are on 100 per cent alert. We will continue to make sure our international airports are adhering to the surveillance protocols we have put in place. As we speak now, I am in Kano International Airport to meet with our Ports Heath Service officials to monitor level of compliance.

“If we screen anybody properly at the borders, check their travel histories and routes and do the needful from there, it will help us a lot in ensuring the virus doesn’t get in. Nigeria is on full alert with the health ministry leading Port Health Services and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).”

Among guides released by the WHO, persons are advised to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; as well as avoid close contact with people who are sick.

On how to protect others for those with cold-like symptoms, they should seek immediate medical attention, avoid close contact with others, cover mouth and nose with tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw tissue in the trash after use, wash hands and clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.

Coronavirus can be prevented through proper hygiene practice

Ehanire

navirus outbreak which has posed to have high spread-rate, and now threatening the national health security of the country.

It has so far claimed over 450 lives, with at least 18000 persons infected, while 28 countries are said to be affected.

Countries so far affected are; Japan, Thailand,

South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, Macau, Australia, Hong Kong, United States, France, Vietnam, Canada, UAE, Italy, Russia, Cambodia, Finland, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Finland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Philippine which has had one fatality, and of course China.

The Nigerian government said it was putting measures in place to prevent its spread into the country. But Nigerians have continued to express concerns, especially since countries with better capacity to contain it have not yet come up with desirable outcomes.

WHO says a Coronavirus is a virus that

Treatment Health experts believe there are currently no vaccines available against human Coronavirus infection. They also mentioned that there are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human Coronaviruses, adding that most people with common human Coronavirus illness will recover on their own. “However, you can do some things to relieve your symptoms like taking pain and fever medications (Caution: do not give Aspirin to children) use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough. If you are mildly sick, you should drink plenty of liquids, among others,” they recommended.

G

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36

T H I S D AY ˾ ,FEBRUARY 6, 2020

NEWS

Stop Cooking Meals with Paracetamol, NAFDACTells Nigerians Ayodeji Ake The National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), has called on Nigerians to stop cooking their meals with paracetamol or any other drug, saying the practice was harmful.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos recently, the Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the practice referred to as food tenderising was synonymous to digging one’s grave as it endangers the kidney.

She said: “Few weeks ago when I heard about using drugs to tenderise, I was shocked.

Now that I am hearing that it is common, it shocks me the more because drugs are not supposed to be used for food. Para amino phenol in food destroys the kidney. Apart from that, there are other things that can affect the kidney in the practice.

“For someone to use paracetamol for cooking is synonymous to digging one’s grave. Because it’s not only when you go the canteen to eat but when you do consistently go there to eat. At a time, the kidney will be blocked and refuse to work. For example, people use dye to make oil redder, and at the end of the day it blocks the

kidney.

“That is one of the reasons why we place more emphasis on food in NAFDAC. I cannot get over it sacrificing your life because of food. We don’t have enough facilities for dialysis so we harp on prevention.”

Adeyeye said the agency was working with the government to increase its capacity; getting more workers and vehicles for better operations so as to serve the Nigerian people better.

“We have been going round to test cow leg in canteens to know if they use drugs. That was why we are pleading with the government to give us more staff, and we also need vehicles and I am sure the government is working on that. So we are also working hard. We can use pressure cooker to tenderise or salt water, but it is not worth to sacrifice one’s health because of food.”

Adeyeye said that the fight against illicit food and drugs practices needs a collaborative effort from different stakeholders.

“We want to make NAFDAC very strong; we cannot have goals without having internal capacity. We have already started trainings. Our goal is to reach that level that will help NAFDAC manufacture vaccine,” she added.

Lassa Fever: Irrua Specialist Hospital Confirms Death of Three Persons r4BZT QBUJFOUT VOEFS BENJTTJPO USFBUFE BOE EJTDIBSHFE Adibe Emenyonu ÓØ ÏØÓØ City The management of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) has confirmed the death of three persons from Lassa Fever.

It also said 61 patients were currently admitted, while 27 were treated and discharged since the outbreak of the fever this year.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Sylvanus Okogbenin, who spoke with journalists in Irrua, however, dispelled rumours that a youth corps member serving in Asaba and two pregnant women admitted for Lassa Fever lost their lives. He explained that the two pregnant women brought in from Ondo and Ogun States have both delivered their babies safely.

ISTH houses the Lassa Fever Centre where cases are being treated and managed.

Okogbenin further disclosed that a medical doctor from Jalingo, Taraba State that was also admitted for Lassa Fever and presumed dead, was responding to treatment.

According to him, the youth corps member has received two dialysis sessions and was recovering.

His words, “The number of patients admitted in the hospital has increased, but the deaths have reduced significantly. This is because we are better prepared.

We know the season, so we get our supplies ready.

“Due to more awareness, people now come for treatment and management. There are diagnoses in more centres than before and it is a mixture of increase in awareness that

leads to increase in the number of patients we see.

“All our patients are not from Edo. Some are from Kogi, Jigawa and Ogun states.

“The cases in Edo State are from Esan North-east, Estako West and Esan West Local Government areas. Those areas are where we have surveillance and try to educate the people.

The CMD also disclosed that the Edo State government has been supportive, adding that the hospital received over 500 protective equipment from the state government while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) supplied consumables used for treatment.

“Lassa Fever treatment is not declared free. A bed is N1000 daily. The drug is free. If patients cannot pay, they are treated and asked to go. No patient is sent away because of payment.

“No corps member died here.

The youth corps member that was brought here is still alive.

He is recovering and has done two dialysis sessions. The two pregnant women from Ogun and Owo in Ondo State also delivered safely. Their babies are fine and okay. The medical doctor from Jalingo did not die.

He is doing well. We expect him to make a full recovery soon.

“Meanwhile, the Edo State government has deployed more medical personnel to border communities to sensitise people on preventive measures,” the prof said. He said the state has also approved the deployment of three ambulances to help quick response in conveying patients to Lassa fever centres as well as planned to buy two additional dialysis machines to complement the one at ISTH.

Kano, Jigawa Benefit from EUs N11.6b WASH Intervention in Nigeria Kuni Tyessi ÓØ ÌßÔË To overcome the huge number of Nigerians practicing open defecation and to provide safe water and hygiene, six local government areas of Kano and Jigawa states have benefited from the European Union intervention of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in Nigeria.

So far pegged at N11.6 billion (€25m), this is in continuation of the EU support, through UNICEF and the federal government, towards achieving the objectives of the national campaign on an open defecation free Nigeria launched last year and the state of emergency declared on the WASH sector in 2018.

The facilities which are expected to serve over one million people will go a long way towards ensuring that people in Nigeria have access to safe WASH services which is one of requirements needed in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6).

Kano State Communications Specialist from UNICEF, Mr. Rabiu Musa in a statement, said data from the WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) shows that 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation with only 11 per cent having access to complete basic WASH services, with only 13 per cent of schools having access to WASH. He said the federal government should invest three times

more in the water sector making sure that every Nigerian has access to clean water and a toilet as the lack of access to water is impacting the well-being, especially of the most vulnerable.

He said:” The lack of WASH facilities in schools are of serious concern as children who do not have access to water are most likely to lose interest in pursuing learning opportunities because they are forced to spend more time in search for water during school hours or stay out of school to recover from illness caused by frequent episodes of diarrhea.

“More than 100,000 children under five years of age die each year due to water borne diseases like diarrhea, of which 90 per cent is directly attributed to unsafe water and sanitation.

“Access to clean drinking water is a human right - just like the right to food and the right to live without torture and racial discrimination. “ And ending open defecation and making water, sanitation, and hygiene services available to all Nigerians is one of the biggest challenges as construction and management of facilities requires sustained investments and more partnerships, especially with the private sector.

“The Nigeria government should invest three times more in the water sector making sure that every Nigeria has access to clean water and a toilet as the lack of access to water is impacting the

L-R: Minister of State for Health, Senator Adeleke Mamora; and Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during the commemoration of the 2020 World Cancer Day, held in Abuja recently

Sahara Group Tackles Substance Abuse with #CleanLoveFeb Campaign Chiamaka Ozulumba Leading energy conglomerate, Sahara Group is dedicating the month of February to a campaign against substance abuse which claims the lives of 11.8 million each year, that is more than the number of deaths from all cancers.

Tagged #CleanLoveFeb, the focus of the campaign is to sensitise the public, particularly young people, to the dangers of substance abuse. The campaign will involve various activities across Sahara Group’s locations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

In 2018, Sahara Group launched an initiative to shift the focus of Valentine’s Day from a one-day event to a monthlong activity aimed at taking the celebration of love to the level of giving more attention to serious global issues.

According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the

initiative commenced with the “GreenLove” campaign in February 2018.

“The focus then was on safeguarding the well-being of the planet earth that is home to almost 8 billion people. “In 2019 we celebrated #PinkLove to increase cancerawareness.

“This February, Sahara Group is spreading “#CleanLoveFeb” all around the world, hoping that the message will connect with people caught in the web of substance abuse and above all, deliver an overwhelming zero tolerance narrative that will make living and staying clean a way of life for everyone,” he said.

Obioma said the energy giant will be working with Dr. Tunde Fadipe, a psychiatrist, to engage various stakeholders on the campaign and undertake school activations such as open conversations, essay and chess competitions.

Other activities include awareness walks, press and radio interviews as well as

visits to rehabilitation centers.

“For us at Sahara Group, the #CleanLoveFeb campaign also represents a critical vehicle for beaming the searchlight on mental health issues that often emerge from substance abuse.

“We invite everyone to join us in promoting this noble cause by sharing our posts on the social media to ensure that the #CleanLove message gets to much more people, especially, young and impressionable individuals,” he added.

Speaking on the partnership with Sahara Group, Fadipe described Sahara’s global campaign against substance abuse as “timely and exemplary, seeing that we are all affected as relatives, friends, colleagues, teachers, or neighbour and the scourge is a major health concern all over the world”.

Noting that the impact of psychoactive substance abuse on young people had become a growing source of concern for mental health practitioners,

Fadipe canvassed the declaration of a state of emergency to address the menace.

“What we have in our hands is a monster with huge forensic and socioeconomic implications.

Seeing that prevention will always be better than cure, we need more sustained awareness initiatives like Sahara Group’s #CleanLoveFeb campaign. All hands need to be on deck to tackle this menace and I am excited to be a part of this commendable campaign,” he declared.

Fadipe said statistics sourced from the United Nations office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) show that up to 270 million people, aged 15 – 64 years use psychoactive substances in a year and up to 13 percent of these people abuse them globally.

“Substance abuse does not discriminate as it affects people irrespective of age, gender, culture or socioeconomic status.

It is linked with untoward effects on both the individual and

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ,FEBRUARY 6, 2020

NEWS

Shoprite Boosts Breast Cancer Awareness in Nigeria Mary Nnah In a bid boost the fight against breast cancer in Nigeria, Shoprite, a leading retailer across Africa, has commenced four cancer screening programmes in Asaba, Onitsha, Abuja and Kano.

Other cities billed to benefit from the gesture are Damaturu and Lagos.

In statement made available to reporters recently, the company said, “Early detection of breast cancer can save lives; one of which may be yours. Free breast cancer screenings will again be available, this time in all six regions of Nigeria as a result of the long-standing partnership between Shoprite Nigeria and ‘Run For a Cure Africa’ (RFCA).”

According to the statement, the Big Pink Fight screenings began February 3 - 8, 2020 and it will give women access to clinical breast examinations, ultrasound scans and mammograms. Four of the screening stations will be situated at Shoprite stores in Asaba Mall, Delta State; Onitsha Mall in Anambra State; Novare Gateway Mall in FCT Abuja and Ado Bayero Mall in Kano State.

The Founder/ Executive Direc-

tor, RFCA, Dr. Ebele Mbanugo, said, “The early detection of the disease is a crucial factor in its successful treatment, however, the sad reality in Nigeria is that 75 per cent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed too late, when treatment is prohibitively expensive and survival rates greatly diminished.”

Shoprite’s partnership with RFCA dates back to 2014, when they joined hands to raise awareness against breast cancer by rolling-out free screenings.

Some 5000 women have since benefited from these screenings which takes place annually.

Mbanugo said the screening dates and locations are as follows; February 3-5, Department of Radiology, Yobe University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu; February 4-5, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, A and E Building, Idi Araba Surulere, Lagos; February 4-5, Shoprite, Asaba Mall, Asaba, Delta; 6th-7th February. The campaign moves to Shoprite, Onitsha Mall, Onitsha, Anambra on February 7-8; Shoprite, Novare Gateway mall along Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja and from February 7-8, Shoprite, Ado Bayero Mall, Zoo road, Kano.

‘Uncircumcised Adult Males Are Highest Carriers of HPV’ r4BZT QBUJFOUT VOEFS BENJTTJPO USFBUFE BOE EJTDIBSHFE Rebecca Ejifoma A group of oncologists and fitness experts have warned that uncircumcised male adults are highest carriers of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for the spread of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer type among women worldwide.

The experts said this at the Lakeshore Cancer Centre annual Sensitisation Walk against Cervical Cancer, Aerobics Session, held in Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

The Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist, Dr. Mutiu Jimoh Alami, who described HPV as the most common sexually transmitted disease, said uncircumcised males especially, harbour the virus.

He said: “Men who are not

circumcised have the foreskin that can harbour the HPV virus.

During sexual intercourse, it can get into the woman.”

The oncologist listed other risk factors as multiple sexual partners, sexually transmitted infections, early sexual intercourse before puberty, multiple pregnancies, and low social economic status.

Alami further recommended that while unmarried people should do abstinence, the married ones should be sincere with one’s partner, adding that once there is no infection of HPV, there won’t be cervical cancer. Noting that early detection is key, the doctor listed some symptoms including: Inter-menstrual bleeding, postcoital bleeding, foul smell discharge, lower abdominal pain, and pelvic pain. He said: “Once you are between ages nine and

26 years, go for regular screening through the use of pap smear.

People who are not sexually active between nine to 26 years can have the vaccine. Those who are sexually active can do the test. It is three dozes. It’s highly preventable unlike for breast cancer,” he recommended. With exercise as part of protective mechanisms, Alami added that exercise was good for the body against cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.

“Inactivity is a risk factor not only to cancer but also to non-communicable diseases like hypertension. That is why we advise people to do exercise, which is key in preventive measures toagainst cancer”.

According to a Fitness Coach, Mr. Peter Eze, all one needs is about 20 minutes of exercise daily.

“When I talk to some people,

they say they don’t have time to go to the gym. One thing that would make life good for you is this gym house because they keep you fit and it is related to basics lifestyle.

“You can also lose weight in your house and you can get fit in your room. You don’t have to go to the gym. By that way, we are bringing the gym to you,” he ended.

Having led participants through basic but rigorous aerobics from 8am to 9am, Eze suggested that beginners could start off with walk and then stretch. Speaking also, a Family Physician and Head of Strategy, Outreach and Development, Lakeshore Cancer Centre, Dr. Oge Ilegbune, noted that cervical cancer could be transmitted through sex and orally.

BSPHCDA Decries Removal of Key Programmes in Its 2020 Allocation Segun Awofadeji ÓØ ËßÍÒi The Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA) has described as unfortunate the removal of key activities in its 2020 allocation after it was dully defended before the state House of Assembly. The programmes removed include budgetary allocation for nutrition, child spacing and Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Week (MNCHW).

Commenting on the development recently, the Executive Chairman of the agency, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad said the funds allocated in the budget for the purchase of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) was about N300 million, without which nothing could be achieved.

Muhammad explained that the RUTF, when purchased, would be distributed to 21 Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centers to prevent the state from getting out of stock. He claimed that the state governor had earlier directed the agency to include the funds required for the management of malnourished children in the budget and wondered why the allocated amounts was removed by the state Ministry for Budget and Planning.

All effort to reach the State Commissioner for Budget and Planning Dr. Aminu Gamawa for comments proved abortive as he was said to be on official assignment and was not picking calls or responding to text message.

LG Boss Decries Level of Open Defecation in the Community Segun Awofadeji ÓØ ËßÍÒÓ The Caretaker Committee Chairman, Bogoro Local Government Council of Bauchi State, Mr. Iliya Habila has expressed worry over open defecation in his domain, a situation he said was impacting negatively on the health and wellbeing of the people. Habila led the local government council members, traditional and religious leaders, as well as the staff of the LGA recently to participate in a sanitation exercise as part of his commitment to fight common diseases and ensure clean environment.

According to him, “as far as the issue of personal hygiene and sanitation is concerned, may I use this opportunity to inform you all that I am very disturbed that despite Bogoro Local Govern-

ment Area being enlightened community, many still defecate in the open.”

He tasked the people of the area to make it a duty to have their families live in a clean environment and drink safe water, enjoined them to comply with the sanitation exercise by always keeping their homes, offices, churches and mosques as well as market squares very clean and free from diseases.

“We are doing this to meet the requirements of UNICEF to control open defecation and promote personal hygiene among our people”, he said.

“Already, it is in line with the clarion call by Governor Bala Mohammed and World Health Organisation that the best way to prevent outbreaks of diseases is by ensuring cleaner environment”.

UNITED AGAINSTCORONAVIRUS

L-R: Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Governor, Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi; and Lagos State Chairman, All Progressive Congress, Tunde Balogun, during a press briefing on Epidemiology Preparedness held in Lagos recently

Osun Residents Urged to Embrace Health Insurance Yinka Kolawole ÓØ ÝÙÑÌÙ The Executive Secretary of the Osun Social Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Adeniyi Oginni has called on residents of the state to key into the scheme for effective and affordable medical services.

Oginni made the plea while fielding questions from journalists in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State recently. He explained that the scheme had in the recent time helped a lot of people especially the vulnerable persons in accessing affordable and quality healthcare services at a minimal cost.

“Since the scheme is aimed at providing equal opportunity for the poor and the rich, there is the need for citizens to take advantage so as not to be left out.” Giving the breakdown of the enrollment of the people into the scheme, Oginni said no fewer than 167,000 have been enrolled, adding that out of this total figure, 127,187 are from the vulnerable population.

He said: “We have enrolled about 167,000. 127,187 are from the vulnerable population which the government of the state has given money for. In the last year’s budget, they gave us 50 per cent of the budgeted amount to take care of the healthcare need of

the vulnerable.

“We have 127,187 individuals in the single vulnerability list of Osun State. From there, we are doing validation to ensure that only those who are confirmed vulnerable can get it.

“We have validated 120,000 and then in the civil service, we already have the list of 17,260 that have been sent to us whose data have been validated and we are in the process of producing Identity cards for all of these people. Service delivery has already commenced particularly for the vulnerable.

“Go to LAUTECH and ask for Ramota Adetunji. She is an indigent, very poor person who because of N1000 ran into a burning house and she got her hands burnt. She has since then been receiving treatment under the health insurance scheme at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.

“The woman that just finished her ceasarean session with the scheme is receiving treatment.

She is a registered member of the formal sector and she is receiving treatment.

“Also, members of the informal sector, LAUTECH staff and other persons who have already received their cards under OHIS have gone to the facilities to receive treatment.

“So for now, all of these are in place and I am glad to also let you know 1.5 per cent of basic salary of those in the formal sector worker is being deducted, with the government is adding three per cent as the employer’s contribution to the premium of the workers. “However, we are still having challenges with local governments paying up their own three per cent for their workers.

Also, note that the government has a two per cent contributory revenue budgeted in the 2019 as equity grants. “The state government has released 50 percent of that to us and that is what we are using to ensure that we give care to everybody, but the local government has neither released their budgeted two per cent equity fund nor the three per cent on behalf of their staff “When we are talking about support, you are more or less talking about buying, and it is for their own good. It will interest you that the Aleki of Ileki on December 26, 2019 bought premium for 10 people in his own community.

“He paid N120, 066 per annum and they will receive the entire benefit package. You would have been told that the Deputy Governor, Osun State, Benedict Alabi is paying for 300

people that would be receiving treatment in Ikire. Aside from that, there are individuals, about 65 of them, who have bought personal premium to participate in the scheme.

“We have sponsors from both individuals and political leaders.

For the religious leaders, we have done sensitisation visit to them, but we have not really followed up to find out their own commitment,” he said.

According to him, one of the innovative ways of local religious sensitisation was for the government to get to those places and let them know the need to be their brother’s keeper and to pay money for those people who are indigent, adding that that was what Jesus Christ and Mohammed preach.

“The family of six would pay N57,600. We started in January last year and it was supported by UNICEF to organise an advocacy meeting for a paradigm shift from free health service schemes which is contributory and that was well attended by all the stake holders.

“We have engaged third party administrators, including health management organisations, and non-health management organisations who are involved in enrollment of the people and marketing of our skill.

38

T H I S D AY ˞ ʹ˜ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Court Adjourns Ecobank’s Suit against Honeywell Group to June 29 Akinwale Akintunde Justice Maureen Onyetenu of the Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday adjourned further proceedings till June 29, in the bankruptcy suit filed

by Ecobank Nigeria Limited to recover an alleged debt of N4.1billion from the Chairman of Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko.

Justice Onyetenu further adjourned the case yesterday at the instance of the two parties.

Ecobank’s lawyer, A.O. Divine, urged the judge to adjourn the case to await the outcome of interlocutory appeals emanating from the case.

He reminded the judge that the matter was previously adjourned till yesterday, in the hope that the Court of Appeal would have decided the appeals.

He said since the appellate court had yet to rule, the court should further adjourn the case.

Otudeko’s counsel, Faith Adarighofua, aligned herself with Divine’s prayer for an adjournment.

On the consent of the two

lawyers, Justice Onyetenu adjourned the 2015 matter till June 29, 2020.

In the suit, Ecobank claimed that Otudeko was indebted to it following the alleged failure of its three firms – Honeywell Flour Mills Plc; Siloam Global Services Limited; and Anchorage Leisures Limited – to liquidate a loan granted them by the bank.

The bank claimed that Otudeko personally guaranteed the loan obtained by its firms.

It is therefore seeking, “a receiving order against estate, funds, investment, shares or other interest of the debtor principally in Siloam Global Services Limited and in Honeywell Group Limited; Honeywell Flour Mills Plc; Anchorage Leisures Limited; Honeywell Oil and Gas Limited; Uraja Real Estate Limited; Broadview Engineering Limited; Uraja Power Solutions Limited; Honeywell Energy Resources Limited; Hudson Power Limited; Pivot Engineering Limited and Pavillion Technology Limited, which interest is held either directly or through the said Siloam Global Services

Limited and/or in any other company within and outside Nigeria.�

The bank also prayed the court to grant it leave to, “appropriate or otherwise utilise the investments, shares or other interests of the debtor (Otudeko) in all the companies listed above and in any other company/corporate entity in Nigeria or outside Nigeria in partial or full satisfaction of the debt due.�

Ecobank prayed the court to command the businessman to immediately avail the bank his “statement of affairs, statement of net worth and other credible financial details requisite and in furtherance to the Bankruptcy Act.� But Otudeko filed a preliminary objection, urging the court to either dismiss/strike out the suit or stay proceedings, “in deference to arbitration.�

He described the suit as an abuse of court processes, contending that it was filed in gross violation of Section 7(1)(a) of the Bankruptcy (Proceedings) Rules Cap B2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010.

Khan: Nigeria, S’Africa to Propel Africa’s Growth Dike Onwuamaeze Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Peter Uzoho Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa and Middle East, Ms. Razia Khan, has projected a three per cent economic growth for Nigeria in 2020. Khan, also projected that for the first time the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) would witness accelerated growth even as the global growth was predicted to decelerate.

She also said that SSA growth would be powered by Nigeria and South Africa’s economies.

She said this during her presentation of Nigeria’s 2020 economic outlook, held in Lagos, yesterday.

Khan’s projected economic growth for Nigeria was slightly above the 2.9 percent growth rate President Mohammadu Buhari proposed in the 2020 budget.

According to her, “2020 is a year we might see SSA economies growing faster in the face of slowing global economy.

Growth in the SSA will be driven by the two largest economies in Africa, namely Nigeria and South Africa.�

She predicted that oil price stability and increased crude oil production would power Nigeria’s economic growth 2020. “We have positive view on Nigeria’s growth because of developments in the fiscal and monetary sectors that will drive more expansion in the Nigerian economy. We have not lowered our Nigeria’s GDP and oil price projection.�

One of the monetary policy stance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that would bolster the economy in 2020, according to Khan, was the push for increased private sector lending, which has since unlocked N2 trillion in to the economy. She also noted that the return of Nigeria’s budget cycle to January-December and early implementation of the fiscal policy tool would enhance the execution of capital projects. “The difference in 2020 is that

Nigeria has reverted to normal budget cycle as early implementation of capital projects will add stimulus to the economy.�

Other developments she identified that would encourage economic growth in 2020 were the enactments of Petroleum Sharing Contract Act of 2019 and the Finance Act 2019 that increased the Value Added Tax by 50 per cent, from five to 7.5 per cent.

However, Khan warned that the ability to ensure compliance to the above legislations would be where the challenge lies for the federal government, adding that previous VAT collection did not meet government’s projected revenue earning from it. The Standard Chartered Bank’s chief economist also warned Nigeria to do away with the its age-long sharing of oil revenue every month during FAAC, and focus on diversifying the economy so as to earn more revenue from other sources.

SON Refutes Alleged Collapse of Online Portal The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has debunked the allegation about the purported collapse of its online application portal for the operation of the offshore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) for processing of regulated imports into the country, describing it as a blatant lie.

A statement from the office of the Director General, Osita Aboloma, stressed that rather, it was importers who failed to comply with the pre-shipment process who are crying wolf on accumulation of demmurage on their consignments.

According to the statement signed by the Head, Public Relations, SON, Bola Fashina, the portal was recently upgraded to ensure optimal performance, enhance a seamless operation and more efficient service delivery to customers and stakeholders alike.

Fashina, disclosed that some of the advantages the upgraded SONCAP portal offers are that it

is a one-stop-shop that provides clients opportunity to apply, track application, send messages to SON and receive responses as well upload evidence of payments seamlessly. Furthermore, it provides the profile of the work done and documents used for application are available on clients’ dashboard, adding that there are no more Tax Identification Number (TIN) error, no more mistakes in company name, among others.

Fashina alluded to a recent challenge in transmitting approved and activated SONCAP certificates to the National trade portal which according to him was not peculiar to SON but all other trade related agencies from January 22, 2020. He stated that the issue has since been rectified on the national trade portal and all pending SONCAP certificates transmitted to the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) portal as at February 1, 2020.

On the claim that imports were accumulating demurrage as a result of the gap, Fashina explained that the SONCAP is a pre-shipment process, saying that only non-compliant importers, who apply for the certificates after the arrival of their consignments are crying foul.

He said some importers who brought in about 182 containers into the country without following the pre-shipment conformity assessment process were those trying to circumvent established procedure and crying wolf.

According to him, such consignments would naturally be subjected to scrutiny, and seized if found to be substandard while those behind then would face prosecution. He advised importers to follow the import procedures strictly by ensuring that they process their product and SONCAP certificates offshore rather than looking for short cuts after the consignments have arrived Nigeria.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

11,007,422.79

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

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Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ Íą Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $55.51 a barrel on Monday, compared with $58.94 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2020

MARKET NEWS

NSE All-Share Index Sheds 1.2% on Continuing Bearish Trading Goddy Egene Profit-taking at the stock market continued yesterday driving the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) by 1.19 per cent to close at 28,093.76, while market capitalisation shed N174.4 billion to close at N14.4 trillion.

The NSE ASI had gained 7.5 per cent, while market capitalisation had added N1.888 trillion in January. However,

the market has remained bearish since the beginning of this month, a trend that was sustained yesterday.

Consequently, the year-to-date growth has moderated to 4.7 per cent.

Losses by Dangote Cement Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc and FBN Holdings Plc were responsible for the decline recorded yesterday. But Conoil Plc and NASCON Allied Industries Plc led the price losers’ table with 10 per cent apiece. Double One

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Plc trailed with 9.9 per cent, while C & I Leasing Plc shed 9.5 per cent. Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc and Royal Exchange Plc shed 8.2 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively.

Other top price losers included: Cornerstone Insurance Plc (6.6 per cent); Dangote Cement Plc ( 6.3 per cent); UAC of Nigeria Plc (5.2 per cent); UACN Property Development Company Plc (5.2 per cent); and Sovereign Trust Insurance

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Plc (4.7 per cent).

On the positive side, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc led the price gainers; chart with 9.8 per cent, trailed by Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc with 9.5 per cent. The financial institution recently raised N20 billion in Series 3 and 4 under its N100 billion Commercial Paper (CP) programme to finance its working capital. According to Union Bank, the N20 billion CP followed the debut issuance of the Series 1 and 2 offering

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

the domestic capital markets, which successfully raised N24.3 billion in January 2019.

“The CP offer is targeted at institutional investors including pension and non-pension asset managers, as well as eligible high networth investors. The new funding is expected to provide the bank with further working capital as it delivers on its promise to be Nigeria’s most trusted and reliable banking partner,” Union Bank said.

Meanwhile, activity level

O F

improved as volume and value traded advanced 37.4 per cent and 40.7 per cent to 350.2 million shares and N4.3 billion respectively.

The most active stocks by volume were Zenith Bank (98.1 million shares), FBN Holding Plc (47.1 million shares) and FCMB Group Plc (41.2 million shares), while Zenith Bank Plc (N1.9 billion), Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (N396.6 million) and Dangote Cement Plc (N340.3 million) led by value.

0 3 / 0 2 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

40

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Notore Posts N8.2bn Revenue, N2.04bn Operating Profit in Q1 Goddy Egene

In its unaudited financial urea production volumes by 83 statement for Q1, Notore said per cent from 44,076 metric tonnes Notore Chemical Industries Plc it posted a revenue of N8.18billion in Q1 2019 FY compared to 80,777 has recorded a N2.04 billion compared to N4.32billion for the metric tonnes in Q1 2020 FY).

Notore’s operating profit in operating profit in the first corresponding period in 2019 FY. According to the company the Q1 202FY, is however, a decline quarter(Q1) ended December 31, 2019, which marks the increase in revenue was due to of by 39 per cent from N3.34 beginning of the 2020 financial improvement in the plant’s billion in Q1 2019 FY due to a year(2020FY) of the company. reliability, hence an increase in decline of 78 per cent in other A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 04shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Feb-2020, unless otherwise stated.

income. Notore recorded a loss market in Nigeria during the of N1.39billion during the Q1 period under review was robust 2020 FY and a net finance cost as Notore sold all the urea that of N3.43billion. it produced during the period in Noting that opportunities for both domestic and international better performance are high as fertilizer market. Furthermore, the the domestic fertilizer market demand for urea and compound is yet to reach its full potential, fertilizers, such as NPK, from the company said: “The fertilizer the West African markets and 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.

neighbouring countries bordering the northern part of the country is also quite significant.”

On the outlook for the 2020 financial year, the company said it expects to exceed its 2019 financial year urea production figures and is also working on various financial initiatives to reduce its finance cost.

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 N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.89 0.89 5.47% ACAP Income Funds 0.76 0.76 33.76% 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 7.68% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.47 2.52 0.27% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 6.35% Anchoria Equity Fund 105.17 105.55 3.08% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.18 1.18 3.38% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 16.18 16.67 5.62% ARM Discovery Fund 360.60 371.48 4.38% ARM Ethical Fund 30.56 31.48 5.07% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.52% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.96 1.96 19.51% 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 N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 8.16% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 104.66 105.21 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 114.06 114.71 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 5.32% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.93 0.94 0.17% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.38 1.38 4.22% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 5.53% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 5.92% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,186.39 1,187.66 2.06% 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 1,319.34 1,320.46 2.19% FBN Balanced Fund 150.86 152.02 2.75% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.14% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 119.91 120.20 0.56% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.54 120.83 0.59% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 127.92 129.59 -1.70% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.85% Legacy Debt Fund 3.68 3.68 0.74% Legacy Equity Fund 1.14 1.16 1.09% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.09 1.09 0.40% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,126.47 3,161.31 4.81% Coral Income Fund 3,105.89 3,105.89 13.31% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 8.19% 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 4.99% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 118.00 118.47 9.76%

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 N/A N/A N/A 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 6.64% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.26 2.29 4.82% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 12.06% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 140.36 140.89 12.48% 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 1.22 1.25 4.96% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,111.42 1,111.42 1.19% 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 9.70 9.79 -1.02% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.57% 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 1.40 1.42 14.41% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.52 12.61 10.82% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.00% PACAM Equity Fund 1.14 1.15 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.34 110.22 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 131.86 133.17 11.86% 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 1.01 1.01 0.84% 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 2,521.35 2,532.80 3.73% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.65% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 5.06% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 1.08% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 3.44% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.31% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 4.39% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.65% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.21 1.23 1.39% United Capital Bond Fund 1.75 1.75 1.08% United Capital Equity Fund 0.70 0.72 0.83% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.92% United Capital Eurobond Fund 112.43 112.43 0.46% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.10 0.87% 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 10.62 10.71 3.12% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.99 12.15 3.38% Zenith Income Fund 22.99 22.99 3.45% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.47%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

3.20 118.84 52.31

-66.85% -0.08% 0.50%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.81 97.09 76.71

9.91 99.17 78.13

12.67% 5.00% 4.05%

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

3.54 5.50 13.26 12.04 176.16

3.58 5.58 13.36 12.24 178.16

-0.42% -6.96% 9.10% 15.74% -6.10%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.69

17.60%

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.

41

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

WHO Seeks $675m to Tackle Coronavirus Equatorial Guinea offers China $2m to fightVirus The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called for $675 million (613 million euros) in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus, mainly through investment in countries considered particularly “at risk”.

This is as the tiny central African state of Equatorial Guinea yesterday said it would give $2 million (1.8 million euros) to China to help it tackle coronavirus.

“Today we’re launching a strategic preparedness and response plan…. We’re requesting $675 million to fund the plan for the next

three months,” WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said at a news conference in Geneva.

“Our message to the international community is invest today or pay more later,” Tedros said, adding that the funding appeal was “much less than the bill we will have to pay if we do not invest in preparedness now”.

Tedros said $60 million of the funds would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus.

He said WHO was sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra.

Tedros also hailed a $100 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced earlier on Wednesday for virus testing, treatment and vaccine research.

Asked about Britain’s call for its nationals to leave China, Tedros said: “That blanket approach may not help. We encourage all countries to make

decisions based on evidence.”

He said an international expert mission being organised

by WHO would be leaving for China “very, very soon”.

Meanwhile, the tiny central African state of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday said it would give $2 million (1.8 million euros) to China to help it tackle coronavirus.

The government, which has developed close ties with Beijing, said the donation was a mark of “support and solidarity.”

The new coronavirus has claimed nearly 500 lives, infected more than 24,000 people in mainland China and spread to more than 20 countries since it appeared in late December.

While there has not yet been a confirmed infection reported in sub-Saharan Africa, many countries on the continent have imposed preventative measures.

On January 27, Equatorial Guinea announced that all people entering the country

from China would be quarantined for 14 days.

It has since placed 25 people in isolation, according to the country’s national committee to counter the virus.

Equatorial Guinea, an oilrich state with an entrenched record of authoritarian rule and poverty, has developed close economic links with Beijing. Chinese companies have been awarded a string of contracts for infrastructure projects.

Court Upholds Results of Namibia Presidential Election Namibia’s top court on Wednesday dismissed an opposition bid to overturn last year’s general election over the use of paperless electronic voting machines.

Opposition parties in December petitioned the Supreme Court to annul the results and order fresh polls, claiming the use of electronic voting machines without a verifiable paper record was unconstitutional.

President Hage Geingob, 78, secured a second five-year term in the November poll with a hugely diminished majority of 56 percent compared to 87 percent in the previous polls in 2014.

The ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which has been in power since Namibia’s independence from South Africa in 1990, also retained its majority in parliament.

“We decline to set aside the election and order a rerun,” Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled.

“Applicants have not shown that the absence of a verifiable paper trail has adversely affected their fundamental right to vote.”

While upholding the outcome of the 2019 election, the judges nonetheless ruled in favour of

paper trails for future ballots.

The lack of a verifiable paper record, they said, was “unconstitutional”.

Runner-up candidate Panduleni Itula, who led the court challenge, welcomed the ruling, even though the election result was confirmed.

He told AFP he was satisfied that paper audit trails would feature in the next poll.

“It is not the end of me or the end of the thought process,” Itula added.

Namibia was the first country in Africa to introduce electronic voting machines in 2014.

Itula had unsuccessfully petitioned against the machines before the elections, claiming the absence of paper records raised the risk of fraud.

The 62-year-old dentist racked up 30 percent of the vote as Namibia’s first independent candidate.

Popular Democratic Movement candidate McHenry Venaani came third with 5.3 percent.

“I am politically vindicated,” Venaani told AFP after the ruling.

“What they have done is going to help our democracy,” he said.

“That is a victory in itself.”

SIGNED AND SEALED...

Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and the Director, Economic Growth and Environment, United States Agency for International Development, Mr. Colin Dreizin, shortly after signing an MoU between the state government and USAID for the implementation of E-WASH in Asaba....yesterday

Pelosi Tears Trump’s State of the Union Speech Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi had a wordless reaction to President Trump’s combative State of the Union Speech— she tore her copy of it in half at the end of the address.

The extraordinary gesture of disdain exemplified the partisan divide lingering over Washington as the Senate prepares to vote Wednesday on the two articles

of impeachment passed by the Democratic House. Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, are considered certain to acquit him.

Trump handed Pelosi a copy of his speech before he read it but turned away from the speaker when she reached to shake his hand. Pelosi and Trump have reportedly not spoken since October, when the

House began its impeachment inquiry into Trump’s efforts to coerce Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.

Except for a few passages, Trump’s speech was met with silence and occasional groans from the Democratic side of the chamber, while Republicans applauded loudly and enthusiastically.

“I tore it up,” Pelosi said as she

Plane Breaks into Two After Lesotho’s First Lady Charged with Murder Landing in Turkey A plane carrying 177 passengers skidded off the runway at an Istanbul airport and split into two after landing in rough weather on Wednesday, but officials said no-one died.

The aircraft had flown into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from the Aegean city of Izmir in very wet weather, NTV broadcaster reported, showing images of the badly damaged plane and a fire inside.

The blaze was later put out by firefighters.

Live images broadcast on Turkish television showed several people climbing through a large crack in the plane and escaping on one of the wings at the rear of the aircraft.

The plane, operated by Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines, had 177 passengers on board, state

broadcaster TRT reported, and was believed to have six crew members.

Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan said there were no deaths, and that the majority of passengers were able to get off the plane themselves.

It is not known how many people have been injured, NTV reported, adding that some passengers are believed to be stuck but that officials are currently helping them.

Turhan said the plane broke after a “strong landing,” according to NTV. Prior to the accident, there had been very strong winds and rain.

Several firefighters and health workers were sent to the scene, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Planes were being redirected to Istanbul’s main airport from Sabiha Gokcen, NTV said.

The First Lady of Lesotho was charged with murder and remanded on Wednesday over the fatal shooting of her husband’s previous wife in 2017.

Maesaiah Thabane, who was married to Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, had been in hiding since mid-January after police called her in for questioning over the killing of Lipolelo

Thabane.

On Tuesday, Thabane turned herself in and appeared in court on Wednesday in handcuffs and under heavy police guard.

The court said she has a right to apply for bail, but deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete said the police would object to any bail application because she had fled the country.

The prime minister’s previous wife was killed in June 2017. Maesaiah married the prime minister shortly after the death of Lipolelo, and right before he began his second term in office in the small African kingdom that is completely surrounded

by South Africa.

The prime minister and Lipolelo had been in a drawn-out divorce battle

was leaving the chamber. “Because it was a courteous thing to do considering the alternative. It was such a dirty speech.”

The White House responded with a tweet mocking Pelosi: Some Democrats who attended the speech quickly rallied to Pelosi’s defense, calling out the president for what they viewed as a combative address.

while he was already in a relationship with Maesaiah.

The two women battled each other in court over who should be the legitimate first lady, with the judge ruling in favour of Lipolelo.

Maesaiah has also been charged with the attempted murder of the woman who was travelling with Lipolelo when she was shot dead.

US President, Guaido to Meet over Venezuela Crisis US President Donald Trump Wednesday received Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido for talks on how to speed a democratic transition in his country, the White House said.

Guaido, whom the United States and more than 50 other countries recognize as Venezuela’s acting president, is seeking renewed international support for his push to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

The Oval Office meeting at 2:15 pm (1915 GMT) follows Trump’s vow in a State of the Union speech Tuesday night — with Guaido in the audience as his guest — that “Maduro’s grip of tyranny will be smashed and broken.”

“The visit is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela and to discuss how we can work with President Guaido to

expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis,” the White House said in a statement.

“We will continue to work with our partners in the region to confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela, and we will stand alongside the Venezuelan people to ensure a future that is democratic and prosperous,” it said.

Maduro so far has weathered

Guaido’s yearlong push for his ouster, which initially spark massive anti-government protest but has since lost momentum despite a deep economic crisis that has driven millions to emigrate.

As head of the National Assembly, Guaido proclaimed himself acting president in January 2019 after the legislature declared Maduro a “usurper” who was re-elected through fraud

42

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Posterity will Be Fair to Me, Says Dickson Emmanuel Addeh Outgoing Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, yesterday disclosed that despite recent happenings in the state, he will be judged fairly in the future, stressing that the sacrifices and projects embarked upon by his administration would stand him out as a leader who came prepared to serve his people.

Dickson who spoke during the maiden matriculation ceremony of 264 students at the Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri, Ekeremor Local Government Area, said he would be remembered as the leader who paved the way for sustainable development through education.

The governor who is expected to hand over to a new administration on February 14, boasted that he had finally broken the jinx of backwardness that had trailed the state from inception.

He explained that the Polytechnic was established in line with his administration’s vision of producing a critical mass of manpower required to drive the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy.

“Most of the investments we have made as a government including the Bayelsa State Polytechnic are futuristic in nature.

We are tackling the bigger issues that would expand the frontiers of development of our dear state.

“One sure way to actualise this

vision is by addressing educational challenges; that’s why we have built several schools and provided scholarships. We will even give the last set of scholarships before I round off my service by February 14.

“To ensure sustainability, our programmes such as the Education Development Trust Fund and Higher Education Loan Scheme are all backed up by law.

“People may not appreciate what we have done but I’m very sure that posterity will be fair in its judgment on my stewardship.

I want the world to watch out for the Bayelsa children that we are training now because we have broken the jinx. If these investments are sustained, we will have excess human capacity in every field of endeavour.”

While congratulating the students, he urged them to abide by the rules and regulations of the institution, assuring that another round of scholarship would be offered before he leaves office.

Dickson also called on the Aleibiri people to sustain their peaceful disposition and support

the growth of the Polytechnic.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Governing Council, BYSPOLY, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mike Zuokumor (rtd) lauded Dickson for his foresight in establishing the institution which he noted would enhance the development of its host, communities.

In an address presented by Spokesman of Aleibiri community, Chief Suru Oyarede commended the governor for siting the Polytechnic in their area and described the matriculation

ceremony as a clear demonstration of the governor’s faith and commitment to the education sector.

In his address, Rector of the Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Prof.

Promise Mebine expressed gratitude to Dickson for making funds available to equip the state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops for five programmes.

Prof Mebine said a total of 264 students matriculated comprising 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions cutting across seven programmes.

FG Approves N77bn for Road, Education Projects Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday in Abuja approved about N77 billion for the construction of various road and education projects in different parts of the country.

Of the total cost, about N67 billion was approved for the construction of road projects and bridges while about N10 billion was approved for the development of education contracts.

Briefing State House reporters at the end of almost seven and half hours of the weekly FEC meeting, the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, said the council approved N50.527 billion for the dualisation of Odukpani - Itu -IKot Ekpene Road; N6.875 billion for the construction of Iseyin - Okeho road and two bridges; N1.534 billion for the construction of the opening on the expansion joint of Ajaokuta bridge in Kogi State and N6.916 billion for the construction of a 29-kilometreKarin Lamido - Jalingo Raid

in Taraba State.

The minister said: “FEC approves the award of a contract for the construction of JalingoKwana-Lao-Padang-Lamido Road Phase II, which is about 29 kilometres in Taraba State at the cost N6,916,180,860,32 inclusive of VAT. This is the phase II of the project, the phase I was completed earlier.

“Council also approved a second memo with three projects at the total cost of N58,938,111,892.28. The first project is the dualisation of the outstanding portion of OdukpaniItu-Ikot Ekpene road in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states at the cost of N50,527,447,708.82 with a completion period of 36 months.

“The second project is the rehabilitation of a bridge in Ajaokuta. The bridge which showed an opening at the expansion joint raised public concerns. Work has commenced but the contract was approved today at the cost of N1,534,677,588.25.

“The expansion joint of a bridge is meant to be maintained from time to time.

BRAINSTORMING SESSION…

L-R: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; and Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Jimi Benson, during the meeting of the Joint House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force with the Service Chiefs at the National Assembly, Abuja... yesterday

Another OAU Lecturer Suspended for Alleged Sexual Assault The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state has suspended another lecturer, Mr. Monday Omo-Etan, for alleged sexual assault on a 19-year-old female student.

A statement issued yesterday by the Public Relations Officer

of the University, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the University has also handed over Omo-Etan to the police.

The statement read in part, “Less than three weeks after the Management of OAU, Ile Ife, expressed her zero-tolerance

against sexual harassment by investigating and suspending a lecturer of the Department of International Relations, Mr. Olabisi Olaleye, the University has suspended Omo-Etan, a staff of the University’s Centre for Distance Learning for

sexually molesting a 19-year-old female student.

“The Management has reinstated her commitment to the total eradication of any form of sexual harassment, molestation or other social vices.”

Delta Approves Harmonised Oyetola Releases N550m for Retirees’ Entitlements Pensions, Saves N95.8bn The Osun State Governor, Mr. on merit, adding that the process for the part payment of gratuities Oyetola has Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Executive Council has approved the Harmonised Rights of Pensioners for retired civil servants, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this to journalists at a post-Council briefing, yesterday in Asaba.

Following the rigorous process by the Professor Sylvester Monye and Dr. Kingsley Emu-led harmonisation committee, the state government has saved about N95.8 billion as pension liabilities between 2007 and 2019.

The meeting, presided over by the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, also approved over N800 million as compensation for the 1,000 hectares of land to host Kwale Industrial Park, which Aniagwu said was already generating appreciable interest from foreign and local investors.

Aniagwu, who was flanked by his Youths Development counterpart, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwuyenga; the state Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Goodluck Ofobruku; Chairman of the Trade Union

Council (TUC), Martins Bolum, as well as members of the pension harmonisation committee, including Monye and Emu, also expressed government appreciation to the Ndokwa people for partnering the Okowa administration and making their land available for the Kwale Industrial Park towards the accelerated development of the state.

“We are aware that to ensure the development of the Kwale Industrial Park, there was a road show in China, and investors have started coming in, and at the EXCO meeting today, the people were commended for agreeing to part with their land for development activities to take place.

“The Exco approved the sum of N800 million as compensation for the land which measures more than 1,000 hectares, and we are confident that the multiplier benefits of having the Kwale Industrial Park is enormous. The area is strategically located for investors to have quick returns on their investments,” he said.

Adegboyega Oyetola has approved the immediate release of the sum of N500 million for the payment of the entitlements of retired workers enrolled under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The Head of Service of the state, Dr. Festus Olowogboyega, made this known in a statement issued yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital.

The statement said names of the beneficiary retirees were picked

was monitored by the executive committee of the retired workers’ group.

According to the statement, names of the selected beneficiaries will be posted on the notice board of the State Pension Board on February 6, 2020. It added that bond certificates would be presented to the beneficiaries by Governor Oyetola on February 14, 2020.

Similarly, Oyetola has approved the release of another N50million

to retirees under the old pension scheme.

Olowogboyega said 250 retirees who have been selected on merit would start receiving their cheques as from Thursday (today).

He disclosed that a list containing the names of the beneficiary pensioners has already been posted on the Public Notice Board of the State Pension Board and that of the Ministry of Information.

In another development,

commiserated with the entire people of Ode Omu, Alayegun-in-Council, Ode Omu Desendants Union and the entire State Council Of Obas on the recent transition of the Alayegun of Ode Omu, Oba Abdul Hammed Oke. A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, described the departed monarch as an embodiment of humility, generousity, wisdom and true judgment at all seasons.

N’Assembly Begins Consultation with Executive over PIB Chuks Okocha and Deji Elumoye in Abuja President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, yesterday disclosed that the National Assembly has commenced consultation with the executive arm of government on a new version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to be introduced in the ninth National Assembly.

Lawan disclosed this during a meeting with representatives of the International Monetary

Fund (IMF) who paid a visit to his office at the National Assembly in Abuja.

Representatives on the IMF delegation at the meeting included Senior Resident Representative Mission Chief for Nigeria, Amine Mati; Jesmine Raman, Zainab Mangga, Nanrup Ibrahim, Osana Odonye, and Harrison Okafor.

According to Lawan, “The ninth Assembly, in its determination to see to the eventual passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill which defied passage into law since

2007, devised a strategy which deploys constant interaction and collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.”

He added that the interface between both arms would birth a new PIB to be drafted from the scratch, and which would be passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president before the end of the year.

Lawal said: “Going forward, the Petroleum Industry Bill as referred to, has defied passage

over the years since 2007.

“In 2011, there was another effort by the government; still the bill was not passed as well.

In 2015, there was a legislative effort and the PIGB was passed eventually, but at the end of the day, it was not signed.

“So, we came up with a new idea in the ninth National Assembly that the fact that the executive tried by drafting a bill and bringing it here for two tenures, then the legislature tried to do it on its own, none also saw the light of the day.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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PDP Berates Buhari for Classifying Killings ChuksOkochainAbuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s resort to religious colouration and classification of wanton killings in the country by insurgents as totally horrendous, unpresidential, scandalous, discriminatory, divisive and a huge spat on the grave of the victims.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola

Ologbondiyan, described as highly insensitive the attempt by the President to rationalise the failure of his administration to end insurgency by saying that 90 per cent of those killed by terrorists are members of a particular religion.

PDP said as a pan-Nigerian political party, it held without any equivocation, that the killing of any compatriot, anywhere by terrorists or bandits, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or class, could

never be rationalised under any guise whatsoever.

The party added that the President’s disturbing statement showed that the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) attached no value to the lives of Nigerians as well as further exposed their manifest lack of capacity and commitment to effectively tackle the worsened security situation under the federal government’s watch.

Ibadan People DemandYour Banishment, Olubadan Tells High Chiefs Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, yesterday said the people of the ancient city are demanding the banishment of his High Chiefs who were elevated to Oba by the administration of the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

The monarch said this in his reply to the High Chiefs, entitled, “Re: Our Grievances” and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the state capital, yesterday.

He said by putting a letter

meant for Olubadan in the public domain before it eventually got to him was an indication of lack of royal etiquette on the part of the high chiefs.

The statement read, “When we said the other time that our battle is over, some of you who were so obsessed with unlawful use of Obaship title and illegal wearing of crowns and coronets could not read between the lines. By the stroke of pen, somebody created a crisis situation in our chieftaincy system, by the same token, somebody created sanity and normalcy has returned.

“As the Olubadan of

Ibadanland, I do not carry out the statutory duties of high chiefs nor obstruct anybody from performing his duties, but when we send out invitations for meetings, it is you who choose which ones to attend or not. As nature does not abhor vacuum, life continues.

But it is the same invitation that we extend to you that we also extend to other high chiefs such as Osi Olubadan, Ekerin Olubadan, Ekerin Balogun, Ekarun Balogun and Iyalode who did not sign your letter of grievances. Thankfully, more and more people are beginning to repent.”

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Why Police Inspector Committed Suicide in Lagos, Says PPRO A Police Inspector, Okon Essien, who was detained at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for allegedly

shooting and killing one Mr Hassan Stanley has allegedly killed himself to avoid trial.

The Lagos State Police

Aviation Experts Seek Collaboration for Air Transport Growth in Africa Chinedu Eze in Addis Ababa Aviation experts in Africa have identified collaboration, partnerships and joint ventures as the key for indigenous airlines to retake the region market from international carriers that currently have about 80 per cent dominance of air travel on the continent.

They noted that in a highly competitive environment, African airlines have only 20 per cent of the market in region, down from 60 per cent two decades ago, adding that the region is underserved because in comparison to other continents, Africa’s inter-city connectivity is still very low.

The experts, who converged yesterday on Addis Ababa, Ethiopian capital, to attend the 29th MRO Africa and 8th African Aviation Training Conference and Exhibition, said it is only through partnership that airlines on the continent, which are relatively small, could grow into stronger and bigger carriers to dominate the African air travel market.

The Group Chief Executive

Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said despite discernible growth of air transport in African, airlines from the continent are not benefitting because they are not collaborating to build stronger carriers.

GebreMariam called on various governments on the continent to review downwards the taxes they level on aviation, which include taxes on airport services, aviation fuel, passengers and on airlines in order to bring down the fares so that ordinary citizens on the continent can travel by air, adding that air travel is the only means of connectivity on the continent because of dilapidated infrastructure of other means of transportation in Africa.

The Ethiopian Airlines boss said it is wrong for governments in Africa to tax aviation the same way they tax cigarettes and alcohol, noting that air travel is critical necessity for the economic growth of any nation, and regretted that governments see air transport as the choice of travel for the elite.

FG to Stop Fish Importation in 2022 The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sabo Nanono, yesterday disclosed that the federal government will stop fish importation in 2020 and encourage local fish production.

Speaking while receiving a delegation from the National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN) led by its National President, Dr. Gabriel Ogunsanya in Abuja, the minister stated that time had come for Nigeria to look inward to tap into the huge potential in fisheries and aquaculture for local consumption and export.

He noted that measures were already been put in place by government to actualise the plan.

“This is an area that I think

we can join hands and promote.

We have to seriously reduce importation of fish into the country.

“Last year we issued about one million licenses. This year I virtually cut it into half.

“I hope next year we will further cut it so that in the next two years we may rely entirely on what we produce here.

“Since you are producers and probably processors it is important to take note of your development in the fish sector towards this, ” he said.

The minister added: “In the next years, probably we will not allow importation of fish into the country.

Senate Wades into Kogi Communal Clashes Chuks Okocha and Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday waded into communal clashes in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State by demanding the rehabilitation of affected communities.

The position of the Senate was contained in resolutions reached sequel to the consideration of a motion brought to the floor for consideration by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC-Kogi East).

According to the lawmaker, “Communal hostilities ravaged most parts of the local government area in 2016 and 2019, rendering over 100,000 inhabitants of some of

the communities homeless, leading to exodus of these inhabitants to other parts of the state.”

He added that media reports indicated that about 100 people were killed in clashes involving the Igbira and Bassa Komi people, and another 146 killed by ethnic militias in addition to the destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

Senator Jibrin lamented that “educational institutions have been destroyed, with many buildings and other facilities completely burnt down, thereby making it absolutely difficult for the children of the affected communities to access educational facilities.”

Command’s Spokesman, Mr. Bala Elkana, said Essien was arrested at Akodo area of the state on January 1, 2020, alongside three of his colleagues namely: Inspector Lawrence Adegboye, Inspector Olorunloju Olusegun and Sgt. Ovbioghi Joseph.

“The Police officers intercepted four suspects namely: Samson Ugonah, Omachi Godwin, Hassan Stanley and Prosper Okoye along Area 12, Offshore Oil, Dangote Refinery Project, Akodo.

“Inspector Essien is alleged to have shot at one of the suspects,

Stanley, resulting in his death.

The policemen were arrested and taken to SCID, Yaba, for investigatio n , ” h e s a i d i n a statement.

A c c o rd i n g to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Elkana said that Essien was alleged to have killed himself while

i n c u s t o d y.

“His corpse has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered an in-depth investigation into the case. Investigation is ongoing,” he said.

EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME…

L-R: Director General of National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Dr. Nasir Mohammed Ladan; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN); and Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, at the presentation of micro business package to the beneficiaries of the NDE’s empowerment programme for women and youths in Port Harcourt, Rivers State…recently

SUPREME ISLAMIC COUNCIL URGES BUHARI TO DECLARE EMERGENCY ON INSECURITY “According to the minister, ‘there must be a conclusive evidence to support such a claim. Without that, the claim remains what it is – a mere conjecture.’ And we ask who should Nigerians or CAN rather believe, if there is good faith?

“We urge CAN to desist from disinformation which can further divide Nigerians. The letter and spirit of the Holy Bible do not support discord, which CAN’s allegations are liable to cause.

“The Christian body need not be antagonistic to every attempt by the administration to move Nigeria forward, before it can champion or defend the Christian faith.”

Adesina also said Buhari had stated clearly in 2015 that if paying ransom would guarantee the release of Chibokgirls, the president would not hesitate to pay it, describing Buhari’s remark as “a testament” to his commitment to the girls’ release.

He described every Nigerian as a stakeholder in the necessity to promote peace in the country, saying promoting peace is also scriptural.

“President Muhammadu Buhari made it very clear in 2015 that if ransom needed to be paid to free the Chibok schoolgirls, he would pay.

That is a testament to his commitment to get the girls back.

“Notwithstanding our

different faiths, we are all stakeholders in the promotion of peace in our fatherland. And the Holy Bible enjoins us to, ‘Seek peace, and pursue it,” Adesina added.

ACF, Afenifere, Atiku Fault President’s Claim on Ratio of Boko Haram Victims However, ACF; Afenifere; and Atiku have reacted differently to Buhari’s claim on ratio of victims of Boko Haram killings.

On its part, Afenifere insisted that majority of the victims were Christians.

Reacting to Buhari’s statement, the leader Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, told THISDAY yesterday that the president’s statement that 90 per cent of the victims of Boko Haram insurgence were Muslims was regrettable and an admission of failure.

Adebanjo, who called on Buhari to resign for admitting failure, lamented: “Is that why they are killing us? He has lost focus. Is he saying that because they are Muslims their lives do not matter? Is he saying or admitting that he cannot control them? We are saying they are killing the people and he says they are fellow Muslims; does that make sense?

“It is unfortunate that such a statement is coming from the president.

“The role of the Commanderin-Chief is to protect the people.

If he knows he cannot do it,

let him resign,” Adebanjo said.

Also speaking on behalf Afenifere, the spokesman of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, told THISDAY that evidence available from recent and past attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents clearly showed that more Christians were victims of the unwarranted attacks and killings in the country.

“From all empirical evidence, most of the mourning arising from Boko Haram killings is from Christians. It’s most unfortunate that a president who took oath of office to protect all Nigerians could be giving the impression that the killings of Nigerians of a particular faith is tolerable than others.

“The question to ask is whether the federal government is doing census of the dead with their faiths on their foreheads or they are using Boko Haram diary?” Odumakin queried.

Atiku condemned Buhari’s opinion article for claiming that over 90 per cent of the victims of Boko Haram were Muslims.

The former vice President argued that there was no need to rationalise those being killed - whether they are Christians or Muslims, adding that they are human beings.

“We must not rationalise killings. Whether Christian, Muslim, Traditionalist, or Atheist, the killing of any human being, by Boko Haram, or any other misguided group, is wrong and should be

condemned unequivocally,” Atiku said in a statement.

“There is no compulsion in religion. Only love,” he added.

However, the Secretary of ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, told THISDAY that it would be difficult to know the proportion of Muslims and Christians killed by the Boko Haram insurgents since the terrorists attack both adherents of the two religions.

Sani said he does not know the proportion of those affected by the killings.

“That is a known fact that most of Boko Haram sects are not only Muslims but are also people from North East - the same with their victims most of whom are Muslims and from North East. But I cannot know the exact proportion.

“The sects do not target only Christians but also Muslims whom they consider are not willing to adhere to their version of Islam, even though we all know Boko Haram is not pursuing any jihad but in search of mundane things like political power. Their resort to religion is for strategic reasons meant to attract the gullible as canon fodders.

“That was why President Obama once made a clear distinction between Islam and Islamic terrorism which desecrates Islam.

“No true Muslim can desecrate Islam by killing people for God Who does not need anybody to kill for Him,” Sani explained.

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Senate Names Eight Ministries Delaying Approval of $22.96bn Loan Chuks Okocha and Deji Elumoye in Abuja Senate yesterday directed the Federal Ministries of Education, Power, Niger Delta, Humanitarian Services, Water Resources, Health, Communications and Agriculture to make haste to appear before the Senate Committee on Foreign

and Local Loans to enable the Upper Chamber approve the federal government $22.96 billion borrowing plan.

The advisory was sequel to the complaint by the Chairman of the committee, Clifford Ordia, that the above-mentioned federal ministries have refused to appear after several invitations.

OrderPaper Hosts Panel on Extractive Industries’ Transparency The role of technology as a tool for advancing transparency in the extractive sector of the economy will come into focus for the first time ever at the upcoming Social Media Week Lagos.

The panel session tagged ‘Technology and Transparency in Extractives,’ billed to hold on February 27, 2020 at the Landmark Event Centre venue of the Social Media Week Lagos, will be hosted by OrderPaper Nigeria, the country’s TAGG-Tech frontline innovator.

A statement issued by the convener of the session and

executive director of OrderPaper Nigeria, Mr. Oke Epia, said the organisation is excited at the opportunity to host the conversation on deepening Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance (TAGG) in the extractive industries via technology.

According to a statement, experts in the extractive sector, including petroleum and mining sub-sectors, industry actors, regulators, and civil society organisations, will participate at the highly anticipated panel session.

He, therefore, requested the Senate to grant the committee extra two weeks to enable it consider the federal government loan request

In his response, the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, advised the affected ministries to appear before the Senate Committee within the next 14

days to enable the Senate dispense with the government’s borrowing plan.

Meanwhile, the federal government had sought the

approval of the Senate for concessionary external borrowing of $22.8 billion for the development of infrastructures across the country.

Korean Companies to Flood Nigeria as FG Settles SHIN, LADOL Dispute Peter Uzoho The positive intervention of the various agencies of the federal government for the resolution of the feud between Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited (SHIN) and LADOL, has boosted the confidence of Korean companies in Nigeria, THISDAY’s investigation has shown.

It was gathered that with the resolution of the feud between SHIN and LADOL, many of the big Korean companies have shown interest in investing in the various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Multiple sources close to these companies confirmed to THISDAY that some of these companies are planning to establish strong presence in Nigeria.

“The promoters of these companies believe that the intervention of the various

agencies of the government is a demonstration of the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to encourage foreign companies to invest in the country,” one of the sources said.

He disclosed that a number of Federal Government agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Department of State Services (DSS) and other agencies have made positive interventions to resolve the feud which tore the partnership between SHIN and LADOL apart.

“The most audacious intervention was made by the NPA recently when it leased a total of 11.2426 hectares of the land (where SHI-MCI FZE yard is located) at the LADOL free zone to SHIN with a view to protecting the company’s investment at the base,” he disclosed

“’This singular act by the NPA has reassured foreign investors, particularly Korean companies that the Federal Government is determined to protect their investments in Nigeria,” he added.

According to him, SHIN’s new lease with NPA has reassured investors of the security of its investments.

This development has encouraged other South Korean companies to look forward to coming into the country.

“When SHIN came into Nigeria and constructed Africa’s first ever Fabrication and integration yard, a lot of other Korean companies, including companies in the Samsung group had showed interest to come into Nigeria but were discouraged by the feud between SHIN and LADOL,” another source close to one of these Korean companies said.

“But with these various

interventions, some of these companies are looking forward to the final resolution of the dispute to make their investment decisions,” he said.

Although, the issues between SHIN and LADOL have not been finally resolved, these potential inventors are said to be hopeful that the efforts of NPA and other regulatory agencies will yield the desired results.

Some of the companies that have eyes on Nigeria include other members of the Samsung Group of Companies such as world-leading Korean automobile company and Samsung Construction & Trade, which came to global limelight when it built the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world. It was also gathered that Samsung Construction & Trade, which was operating in Nigeria later left due to the harsh operating environment in Nigeria.

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THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

D’Tigress Players Roar ahead of OQT Opener against Mozambique D’Tigress players have set their sights on clinching one of the available tickets on offer when they begin their Olympics Qualifiers Tournament campaign against Mozambique today.

Having missed the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil, the high flying team currently ranked 17th in the world on the back of a quarter final finish at the World cup and two back to back Afrobasket wins are motivated to start on a winning note.

Team captain, Adaora Elonu said the game against fellow African team, Mozambique is a must win as they are determined to get the job done within the quickest possible time frame.

“We don’t want to put Nigerians through the harrowing experience of permutation and calculating whether we have to beat Serbia or USA if we lose against Mozambique in our opening game.”

Elonu was quick to rule out the possibilities of the team getting complacent when they face Mozambique at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade.

D’Tigress in 2019 defeated Mozambique in Maputo during the pre-qualifiers by 57-48 points with Elonu emerging top performer for the team with

Brown

12 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist.

The Flammes Carolo of France Power Forward, Evelyn Akhator said, “We are aware of the task ahead of us and the expectations back home in Nigeria and amongst our fans across the world.”

Popularly known as the double-double Queen, Akhator reiterated that, “With our rising profile in global basketball, our presence at the 2020 Olympics is not negotiable. We must do what we have to do to get what is expected of us.”

Multiple Afrobasket winner and 34 year old Aisha Mohammed Balarabe rumoured to be eyeing retirement from the national team fold said, “If it is to give the last pint of our blood while playing Mozambique tomorrow, we shall.”

Winner of the clash will book an automatic ticket to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

In another development, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has announced the appointment of Mike Brown as head coach of the senior men’s national team ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Currently with the National Basketball Association franchise, Golden State Warriors as an associate head coach, Brown will lead the D’Tigers to Tokyo alongside, Alex Nwora and JP Bikerstaff as the federation is eyeing a successful campaign.

Announcing Brown’s appointment, NBBF President, Engr Musa Kida said the decision was in consonance with the federation’s long term project of turning the team into a global brand while getting the best available resources.

“We know that the Olympics require the highest level of

German Club Explain Why Aruna Quadri was Signed The management of German Club, TTC RhönSprudel Maberzell Fulda has said that they signed up Aruna Quadri following his exploits across the globe particular with his performance against German sports hero – Timo Boll at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

In a related development on Tuesday, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has hailed Quadri’s movement to Germany.

“We celebrate Aruna Quadri, Africa’s number one tennis player on the signing with German Bundesliga Table Tennis league from next season. We congratulate him. All the Way,” declared Dare on his twitter handle.

Writing on its website on Wednesday February 5, after the unveiling of the Nigerian, the club said: “When looking for a suitable candidate to compensate for the departure of service provider Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar, the TTC has now found what it is looking for: Quadri Aruna (born August 9, 1988 in Oyo, Nigeria) will strengthen the TTC from next season!. “ The 31-year-old Nigerian has repeatedly caused a

sensation in the table tennis world in recent years that at the 2016 Olympic Games, he threw the world rankings seventh Chuang Chih-Yuan and Timo Boll out of the competition.

Last year he beat top Japanese player Jun Mizutani at the Bulgarian Open. Aruna Quadri, who is currently playing for the Portuguese first division club “Sporting Lisbon”, also knows the Bundesliga players well.

“He recently won against top Bundesliga players Kirill Gerassimenko (Bremen), Ricardo Walther (Düsseldorf) and Darko Jorgic (Saarbrücken) and scored in 2018 twice in the Champions League match against Borussia Düsseldorf. In future, the TTC will be ideally equipped to survive in the Bundesliga.

With an option of extending the contract, the club said: “Aruna Quadri receives a oneyear contract with an option for the TTC to add another year.

Incidentally, Aruna’s most important sporting goal is this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

Quadri will team up with German international, Ruwen Filus, who is one of the best defender in the world, as the German has extended his contract by two years with the Central Germany-based club.

coaching and play, so we are trying to put our best foot forward and represent Nigerians the best way we can. In line with the Honorable Minister’s directive where he challenged federations

to aim for a podium finish, we want to see how far we can go.”

Kida announced that Brown’s role in the team is mutually beneficiary to everybody involved as he is expected to bring his

years of expertise in coaching basketball around the world when he takes charge of the D’Tigers.

“We are glad that we have been able to seal this deal.

This is a win-win situation for everybody involved. The team will have enough coaches (Brown, Bikerstaff and Nwora) to handle them while the federation will focus on other things

R-L: Gov. Wike of Rivers State, SWAN President, Honour Sirawoo, AIPS President, Gianni Merlo and AIPS-Africa President, Mitchell Obi charting the way forward

Wike Brings World Sports Journalists Congress to Nigeria Port Harcourt, in Rivers State of Nigeria will be the venue for the next congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in October this year. It will be the second time ever that the 96-year old global body will hold its congress in Africa after that of 2014 held in Addis Ababa.

That was one of the high points of the 83rd Congress just concluded in Budapest, Hungary. According to the President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo, this was made possible by Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who also holds the title, Power of Sports (PoS) in Africa.

It was a title conferred on him

two years ago by AIPS-Africa.

According to Sirawoo, the rights granted Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital by the global sports journalists umbrella body, represents a threshold in the history of SWAN, the State and Nigeria.

The Congress brings together the Executive committee and members from countries across the world.

The AIPS-Africa Congress consisting of National Sports Journalists Association across the African Continent will also hold in Port Harcourt at the same time.

The AIPS Global Executive Committee meeting is expected to deliberate on ways of

strengthening the over 200 membership Association which includes Nigeria; and alongside the AIPS Media Awards Jury to decide on the status of entries for the 2021 AIPS Sport Media Awards.

Sirawoo, who has consistently insisted that AIPS should consider Africa, particularly Nigeria for some of its programmes, commended the world President, Gianni Merlo and African President, Mitchell Obi for the choice of Port Harcourt.

He disclosed that the Executive committee meeting and African Congress will enable the beaming of the entire sporting world searchlight on Nigeria and

Port Harcourt in particular.

“This is another historic occasion for not just Rivers State but Nigeria and indeed the entire African continent, the SWAN President said.

The Nigeria’s number one sports writer praised the African Power Of Sports (POS) and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, whose investments in Sports and Sports Journalism have attracted world attention to Nigeria and Rivers State in particular.

“It is also a recognition of Governor Nyesom Wike’s genuine efforts to promote sports and sports journalism in and outside Nigeria,” he summed up.

NRFF Sets up Committee to Revisit Ntiense’s Removal The board of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has announced the setting up of a committee to look into the removal of the former Technical Director of the federation, Ntiense Williams.

Rising from their board meeting held in Lagos on Saturday, the board said their decision was a mark of respect for the Ministry of Sports who recently intervened as a supervisory body. The findings and final position of

the committee will be sent to the ministry.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the NRFF President, Kelechi Mbagwu said that the sack of its former Technical Director followed due process as he was disengaged in line with global standard.

Mbagwu said the decision to relieve him of his post was because his activities were no longer in consonance with the terms and references of his appointment and the overall

goal of the federation.

“In Nigeria as well as international trade law, if you employ somebody, you can sack him. There is no law that forces an employee on an employer or vice versa. The gentleman we are talking about was an appointee of the board.”

Reiterating their stand, Mbagwu said, “The Honorable Minister, Sunday Dare and top officials of the Ministry are now properly briefed about issues surrounding

the appointment and sack of Ntiense Williams which were all in consonance with due process. ‘’ As sign of respect for the minister, the board as set up a committee to revisit issues surrounding his removal. ‘’ The recommendations of the committee will be look into by the board. Is the board that appointed him and the decision to either reinstate him or other wise, will taking by the board, ‘’ he said.

Enyimba FC to Face Horoya, Al-Masry, Berkane in CONFED Cup Enyimba’s expedition for a first Caf Confederation Cup title will continue with a two-legged tie against Horoya in the quarterfinals, while Al-Masry take on RS Berkane.

This was revealed during the draw ceremony for the last eight which took place yesterday evening at the Hilton Pyramids

Golf Hotel.

And the result saw the Nigerians square up against the Guineans who finished as Group B winners without losing any of their six games in a zone that boasts Djoliba and Bidest Wits.

In other pairings, surprise package Al Nasr of Libya will be involved in another heavyweight

tie, as they face Moroccan giants Hassania Agadir who topped Group D. Zambian giants Zanaco beat DC Motemba Potembe to the ticket for the quarter-final, and they would be hoping to continue with their fairytale against Egypt’s Pyramid who qualified from Group A alongside Enugu

Rangers.

Fatai Osho’s men host the Guineans in the first leg on March 1, 2020 before travelling to Conakry seven days later for the game billed for Stade du 28 Septembre.

Should they win over two legs, they will face either Zanaco or Pyramids for a place in the final.

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THURSDAYSPORTS IGHALO INTERVIEW

I Took Pay Cut to Secure Man Utd Offer Manchester United new boy Odion Ighalo has explained the circumstances behind his dramatic deadline-day loan move to Old Trafford.

The Nigerian in an interview with Manchester United TV explains what it means for him to sign for his boyhood idols in an exclusive interview with David Stowell, as he looks forward to wearing the red shirt with pride.

Odion, great to see you. You’ve admitted before that you’ve long dreamed of joining United, so how does it feel to be here as a player?

“I’m very happy. First, I want say thank God for making this happen and it’s just like a dream come true for me, because I know many people used to say when they join a team, they say that they dream of playing for that team. Mine was not the case. I supported the team when I was young. People that know me, even back in Nigeria, and even when I was playing at Watford, my team-mates knew that I loved Man United, I support them.

When I played against Man U, that emotion is there, because it is my dream. It is a nice reality, so I’m very happy and I’m looking forward to start.”

And what was it that started your love affair with Manchester United? Was it a particular player or a match or the style of football?

“Yeah, when we were young back in Nigeria we used to watch the Premier League on TV a lot, when the likes of Andy Cole used to play. People support Man United a lot back there in Nigeria, so I developed that love, because all of my siblings, they are Man United fans. I never thought this was going to happen, but dreams do come true, so I’m very happy to be here and this is going to be a big and good challenge for me in my career.”

Of course, the deal to bring you here came to a really exciting conclusion on transfer deadline day. Can you just give us an insight into your emotions on what was a very dramatic day in the end?

“Yeah, it was very dramatic. My agent called me the day before and said Man United. I would love to go. A few other clubs had shown interest, I said please, just pick United, if it’s going to be possible. At 11pm in Shanghai, my agent called me [to say] that United want to do the deal, so I woke up that night and started looking for a translator to go to the directors’ room and hit his door and all that. My agent wants to speak to you, United are coming for me, you have to make this happen and all that you know. So they started talking and discussing.

I didn’t sleep throughout that night, because it was going to end at 7am, Shanghai time, and the transfer [window] is going to close there. ”So, from 11pm, there was paperwork, negotiating and all that, for the loan deal and all that, so we are talking and other teams are calling them, wanting me, but I told my agent that this is what I want. I want to come here. He said you’re going to get a pay-cut to go to United. I said I don’t care.

Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don’t care how much is the pay-cut, I know that, make it happen. So the director and everybody didn’t know what to say anymore, because I had already made up my mind, so my agent started putting it in order, and, at 5am, we finished.

My agent said he’d forwarded all

the papers to United, they will confirm for me if everything is okay. I think, around 5am-6am, he said everything is okay, it’s done.

I was excited. I called my mum and she was happy, crying and all that. This is your dream and all that and I’m happy for you.

It was dramatic, I didn’t sleep through, I was very happy that finally we got the deal done.“ You’re here until the end of the season. So what are your ambitions? ”My ambition is to work hard with the team and make sure we finish well in the season and above where we are today, because I saw the table yesterday and I know Man United is a big team, they are there at the top and now things are not going the way they should go. So my aim to contribute my own quarter to the team and make sure we finish good in the position.“ You’re going to wear the no.25 shirt for United, previously worn

by Antonio Valencia, who was a great player for the club, a great servant. Why did you take that number in particular? ”No.19 was available because, when I was at Watford, I put on 24. No.24 is not available. In Shanghai no.9, it’s not available, so I said 24 + 1 is 25, so I said okay, let me go for 25 instead of 19.“ And of course that was the number worn by Quinton Fortune, the first African to represent United. So was that part of the inspiration a little bit as well?

“Yeah, because I watched Quinton Fortune play for Man United, he’s a great player, and I know he put on 2. So I said 25 is good even though I didn’t get the number I was looking for.

Twenty-five is a perfect number.

One above what I wore before when I was in the Premier League.”

ODION IGHALO: HIS CAREEut more about our new on-loan arrival from Shanghai Greenland ShenhVIEW GALLERY You’ll be the first Nigerian to play for Manchester United. Is that something that will make you feel very proud?

“I’m really proud. I’m happy because people keep sending me messages, I know that this is very big, you’re going to be the first Nigerian to play for United, it’s a good record for you in your career, I know that. I know that, after you finish football, you are going to know what we are talking about, because I’m just so emotional right now, so I don’t think about those things too much. I just want to get started and get playing and start helping the team to do well.”

What’s the reaction been like back home from family and friends?

“It was crazy because, all over the news for the last few days, is about my deal to Man United.

Even the street I grew up on, they are doing parties, celebrating Ighalo signing for United. They sent me the video, I was just laughing and happy, because many of them are supporting Man United and some of them are supporting some other teams in

Ighalo the Premier League. But they said, because of me, they are moving to United, because they have a very big fan-base in Nigeria. So I am happy about all this and they are rooting for United from now on.”

How much are you looking forward to linking up with United’s other strikers? Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood as well.

What impresses you about them and how excited are you to play with them?

“These players are great players. Greenwood is a very good player; young, very good left foot, I’ve watched some of his game. Martial is very skilful, he can do so much magic with the ball and Rashford I think is, for me, one of the best, if not the best, player in Europe right now. He’s doing well, scoring goals; he’s fast, he has good technique. Unfortunately, he is injured now and hopefully I am looking forward to playing with him, because he is a good player.

So, for me, it is just a plus to the team, to work hard with these guys and make sure we end the season very well.”

Many fans have seen you perform well at Watford, in Italy and in China as well, but for those that haven’t seen you play, how would you describe yourself as a player?

“Well, there’s not much to describe about me. I’m very fast, I’m skilful, I’m strong, I have good techniques, so I can find my way in the field of play, so, when I get started, I just have to keep going and gel with the team, so that everything will work out very fine.”

In terms of the different qualities that you can add to the striking line-up at United, what would you say you bring to the table that’s important and I suppose adding into your physicality, your passion for the club as well?

“Yeah, because sometimes I watch the games. They have a striker that stays mostly in the middle, but Martial likes to come from the side, even Rashford and all that, so you need someone in the middle that can keep the ball, hold the ball, because I’ve watched so many United games. So they need a physicality there up front to keep the ball, to give and to make some movement, which I

Ighalo believe, if everything goes well, I can add to the team.”

At Watford, you played particularly well in a great partnership with Troy Deeney.

So do you prefer playing with a partner like that or as a lone striker as you did in China? Which do you like more?

“I’ve played in different positions as a striker. I played with Troy Deeney, we understood each other, because we played together when we were in the Championship, from there to the Premier League. In China I am playing like a lone striker. Even in the national team I play like a lone striker, so it depends what formation the coach is going to play then I am okay with anyone.”

You’ve talked about your love for Manchester United as a team, so how did you find it when you played for Watford against Manchester United? What was that like?

“Yeah, I could remember the game at Old Trafford, we lost 1-0.

The game was so emotional for me. I remember Troy Deeney was telling me you have to calm down, because I was eager to score against Man United. Even some of the balls that I had close to the area I was supposed to pass it, but I wanted to shoot, I wanted to score myself, so Troy was not happy. You have to pass the ball. There was that passion, because I wanted to create history that I scored against my boyhood club, the club I was supporting when I was young.

That is the passion I had when I played against United and now I will be playing for United, so I just hope I just gel well and don’t let emotions take the better part of what I am going to do.”

Is it strange when you play

against your boyhood team because while you want that team to do well and get results, you also want to make your mark and want that team to buy you?

“Yes because then I was playing for Watford and I’m doing my job because I have a contract with them and I’m happy doing that.

I want to score, I want to create history by scoring against United.

But still, outside I support them, I watch their games and see how they do.”

In your career, you’ve scored a double against Liverpool in a famous 3-0 win over Watford and you’ve also scored to knock Arsenal out of the FA Cup and, in Spain, you netted against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Do you have a favourite goal that you have scored from those or from others perhaps?

“Yeah, I would say scoring against big teams is always good.

But one of the goals I would say is my first goal in the Premier League because I’d had a dream of playing in the Premier League and in my first game in it, my debut against Everton at Goodison Park, I came on and I scored. I dragged the ball and then I shot.

That was one of my favourite goals, I would say.”

And as a Manchester United fan, scoring two goals against Liverpool has got to be pretty special too...

“Yes, we played against them at Vicarage Road, I scored two goals and we won that game 3-0.

It was fantastic because nobody could imagine that Watford was going to beat Liverpool because they are a big side. It was one of the best moments of my life and my career.”

IGHALO: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWEREDARTICLE Tell us about your experience of playing in China...

“Well it was a good experience for me because I’ve played in Norway, I’ve played in Spain, in Italy, in England and China.

So it’s a different culture, different life, different football. The Chinese league is still growing, it’s still far back but they are trying, it’s getting better and better every year, I know that. But it’s not to be compared with the Premier League because the Premier League is the best league in the world. For me, it’s the number one in the world so I would not say that any other league in the

world comes close to it.”

We know that Manchester United has a great following in that part of the world so did you continue to follow United while you were over there?

“Yes because even some of the translators, some of the guys that were working at Shanghai, they were United fans and they said to me: ‘Please go there and do well because then when you come back, we will be happy.’ I said: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do that.’”

Does being away from the Premier League for a few years make you hungry to have another crack at the English top-flight?

“Yes because I watch it on TV, I watch United and some other teams, and I have that feeling of let me go there again and see how it’s going to be, because like I said, it’s the best league in the world. Every player would like to play in the Premier League. I’ve done it before and I was looking forward to doing it again. Thank God, Manchester United gave me the opportunity to be able to do it now so I’m looking forward to it.”

Of course there is still a lot on the line this season with a top-four place, the Emirates FA Cup and the Europa League all to play for. What would winning a trophy mean to you as a Red? “Wow. I don’t know what I’m going to say about that because talking about it is different to when you win it and the emotions, the joy and the happiness that comes. So it’s going to be a lifetime experience, it’s going to be something I’m going to cherish all the years of my life because not only playing for Manchester United, but winning a trophy with them, is something different that’s going to be in my memories all my life.”

And finally, I just wonder if you have a message for fellow Manchester United fans around the world before your debut?

“Yes, I want to thank them so far for all the messages they have been sending since I signed for this team. I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to be a Man United player, I’m looking forward to the game and I promise to give my best from the first day I put on the jersey to the last day of my time here. I promise to add my own path to make sure the season finishes well for United. Thank you guys and God bless you.”

Thursday, February 6, 2020

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MISSILE Ayuba Wabba to Fed Govt “Two days ago, a very close ally of mine was to take a taxi to the city centre (in Abuja), and in the taxi, he was actually abducted where they had a PoS machine. They collected his ATM card and in the same vehicle, they used the same machine to withdraw every money in his account� – NLC President, speaking on the general insecurity and growing level of criminality in Nigeria.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

The American Visa Palaver

L

ast week, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation listing Nigeria among six countries whose nationals would be subjected “to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions� regarding emigration to the United States. Justification for the decision, according to the White House, is that Nigeria does not comply with the established identitymanagement and information-sharing criteria, does not adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information, and “also presents a high risk, relative to other countries in the world, of terrorist travel to the United States.�

While the restrictions do not apply to regular visitors, students or officials, the impact is nonetheless significant. In 2018 alone, 7,922 Nigerians were granted American immigrant visas. A breakdown reveals that 4,525 were through ‘immediate relatives’, 82 were of ‘special’ status, 495 were for employment and 2,820 were by ‘family preference’.

These categories of Nigerians will now forfeit opportunities to unite with families, receive health care or obtain employment simply on account of their nationality. As of 2018, no fewer than 2,019,000 immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa were resident in the United States, according to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). While this represents a mere 4.5 percent of the total 44.7 million American immigrants, the current discrimination against our country is quite telling as Nigeria accounts for a significant percentage of that population of African immigrants. With 375,000 immigrants, Nigeria accounts for 18.6 percent of this population. These are Nigeria-born citizens who emigrated to the United States through any of the earlier stated grounds. This number does not include persons of Nigerian descent who were born in the United States.

For an administration that came to power with an agenda to curtail immigration, it is no surprise that President Trump would include on his restriction list a country he has disparaged in the past. Nigeria is also one of the countries whose nationals frequently overstay short-term visitor visas, according to the Department of Homeland Security data.

However, it is important for us to examine the stated grounds for the decision. One of the first set of executive orders President Trump signed on assuming office in January 2017 was titled ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’ which states that “The visa-issuance process plays a crucial role in detecting individuals with terrorist ties and stopping them from entering the United States...�

What that suggests is that visa and passport requirements for countries America deals with would have to be more rigorous. Yet, there has always been a question mark regarding the integrity of Nigerian passports and visas. On 15th August 2015, for instance, a suspected Lebanese terrorist, Ahmed al-Assir, was arrested at the airport in Beirut while on his way to Nigeria via Egypt. He had a forged Palestinian passport and a genuine Nigerian visa. Accused of committing terrorist operations, murdering soldiers and instigating sectarian warfare, Assir was on 28th September 2017 sentenced to death in Lebanon. There is no information as to how he procured

President Donald Trump the Nigerian visa nor has any official been brought to account for the sordid affair. That is just one of numerous examples of the way our visa and passport processes have been corrupted. American authorities must have been taking notes.

What compounds the problem for Nigeria is the quality of our representation in Washington. If we had an active ambassador in the United States, there would have been a more robust engagement that could have helped to resolve concerns. According to a White House statement, all the seven countries involved, including Nigeria, had been informed since March last year of a change in performance metrics for identity-management and information sharing criteria. “A number of foreign governments sent senior officials to Washington, D.C., to discuss those issues, explore potential solutions, and convey views about obstacles to improving performance�, said the statement which added that “as a result of this engagement, one country made sufficient improvements in its informationsharing and identity-management practices and was removed from consideration for travel restrictions.�

The country that was ‘removed’ from the list happens to be Chad and we can hazard a guess as to why. Mahamat Nasser Hassane, who has been the Chadian ambassador to the United States since 2014 is 55, holds a first degree in geology and a Ph.D with specialization in public rights and African oil law from the University of Nantes in France.

Urbane and cosmopolitan, it is no surprise that Hassane could lead the engagement that secured reprieve for his country. In contrast, though Nigeria is a dynamic country with a predominantly young population, an 85-year old man was saddled with being our face in Washington!

To be effective, an ambassador must be strong both in body and mind aside being a skilled negotiator. If the qualities of a diplomat are therefore “sleepless tact, unmovable calmness, and a patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunders may shake,� as envisaged by Benjamin Franklin, then members of the Nigerian Senate Foreign Relations Committee who screened and twice

rejected Ambassador Sylvanus Nsofor saw the danger coming. The old man was said to be irritated by every question put to him, and spent most of the time lecturing the Senators on where he was before they were born! It was therefore obvious from the outset that sending such an old man to Washington as our ambassador would be a great disservice to Nigeria.

In his book, ‘The Ambassador: Inside the Life of a Working Diplomat’, John Shaw wrote: “For nearly a decade, I’ve been writing about Washington’s diplomatic community and have become increasingly intrigued by the role of the ambassador. Most countries send their most experienced, savvy, and polished diplomats to Washington.� While I am always hesitant to criticise people on the basis of age, this is an assignment that requires certain attributes that may not be available to everybody. President Muhammadu Buhari will do well by replacing Nsofor with a young and cosmopolitan ambassador in Washington.

So while President Trump has not hidden his disdain for immigrants, especially of a certain colour, we should come to terms with the fact that fewer and fewer Nigerians will be able to access the United States, even as regular visitors or students. Anyone who is paying attention to the growing number of stories of rejection of visa applicants at the American embassy will already be aware of that. But since immigration is tied to population control, it is also important to understand that the cultural and belief systems that promote irresponsible procreation

in Nigeria is a disincentive, especially for many western countries. And it cannot escape their attention that four wives have already “produced 27 kids� for the majority leader in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. And he is “still counting�!

For sure, President Trump has his copious negatives on matters of race and open disdain for cultures he neither understands nor is ready to tolerate. Yet the point he made in this latest immigration proclamation on Nigeria falling short of best practices in matters of identity management cannot be easily dismissed. The inconvenient truth is that nobody knows how many Nigerians there are. Worse still, we do not have a credible identity management system. Our borders remain porous and open to elements who of late have rubbished our national security. If Nigeria insists on not taking itself seriously, we cannot expect the rest of the world to lower standards to accommodate our lapses.

Therefore, one of the challenges of the US visa ban is for us to get our acts together.

This is not in order to qualify our citizens to continue to flock to the US that has its own challenges, however attractive the country may seem to some of our citizens.

Rather, running a serious country ought to be a national imperative and the minimum expectation of every Nigerian. While we need to emphasize the freedom of our people to travel wherever in the world they may choose, we also need to increase the competitiveness of our country to reduce the urge for the kind of mass emigration of some of our brightest citizens witnessed in recent years.

A Thought for Wuhan With the official death toll as at Tuesday evening put at 490 aside 24,324 confirmed cases, and 23,260 suspected cases (with another 185,555 persons under medical observation), Chinese authorities have activated one of the best health emergency responses in modern history to deal with the coronavirus. But that has still not stopped the stigma against the country or discrimination against Chinese people and Asians generally in several countries due to what has now become a global epidemic. Apparently in response, Yuli Yang, a journalist and Features editor, Asia-Pacific, for a number of reputable international media organisations on Monday shared from her @once twitter handle, an emotional piece that speaks to both the tragedy and our common humanity.

Yuli Yang wrote: “I am a Wuhan girl living in Hong Kong. Right now, all my close family is under lock-down back in my hometown, at the epicenter of this epidemic. Every day, I worry for their safety, their health and their mental well-being. They worry too that I would be worried for them! Sound familiar?

I’m sure anyone living far away from her/his mum can relate to this funny cycle of love.

I’m also a news producer and aware of the blame, the frustration and the outrage. I’m grateful for my tireless, fellow journalists out there, who keep the world abreast of the battle against this Coronavirus. “I understand and support the physical

measures that airlines, governments and institutions choose to put in place for control and prevention. But at the same time, I wish to invite you all not to build up walls between our hearts. By this, I’m referring to the emerging trend of discrimination towards Chinese people and sometimes those who simply look like us. This virus brings death and fear. It also reveals an amazing truth — that we’re all interconnected, so much more closely than we might have thought. “Plato saw the entire universe as a single living organism. But we don’t need to look to Plato to know that the world can only survive this crisis if China pulls through it. And China can only pull through when Wuhan heals. Like it or not, this is the reality of our oneness. I get that sometimes it is hard to fathom this oneness because we know so little about each other and we seem so far apart. That’s why I would like to tell you a little bit about my hometown...�

After sharing many notable things for which Wuhan is renowned, Yuli Yang concluded: “I hope you can open up a small space in your heart. A space for compassion. A space to love and to support the millions of my fellow Wuhaners. Your support will empower them. And that is the first step of our collective healing.� t/05& 1MFBTF TFF A0G 3BNBU BOE 0UIFS :PVOH %SFBNFST PO QBHF

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