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FG Seeks Asset Manager for N15tn Infraco Fund PwC, KPMG, others apply to be transaction advisers Peter Uzoho with agency report The federal government plans to hire an asset manager for its new Infrastructure

Development Company (Infraco), designed to raise as much as N15 trillion ($36.7 billion) for infrastructural projects and to accelerate growth.

President Muhammadu Buhari about a fortnight ago, had approved the establishment of the Infraco, a Public-Private Partnershipstyled infrastructure company

with an initial seed capital of N1 trillion, to tackle Nigeria’s growing infrastructure deficit.

A report yesterday by Bloomberg quoted a source as saying that the Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its funding partners, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), are seeking proposals from

companies to independently manage the infrastructure company’s capital-raising plan.

The Infraco will help fund Continued on page 9

Ahmed: Despite N32.9tn Debt, Nigeria Won't Stop Borrowing... Page 8 Friday 26 February, 2021 Vol 26. No 9455. Price: N250

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NPA Accuses Govt Agencies of Sabotaging 24-hour Port Operation...Page 5

Stop Ethnic Profiling, Buhari Urges Nigerians,Vows to Deal with Criminals Demands new violent crime-fighting strategies from security chiefs Says insecurity slowing country’s efforts to stamp out poverty Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday cautioned against ethnic profiling in the battle against insecurity in the country, vowing to deal with insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals threatening national security.

The president in an address

delivered on his behalf by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, at a meeting of Northern governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna, also challenged the service chiefs to devise new methods of protecting lives and property.

He expressed concern that Continued on page 9

Niger: FG Not Doing Enough for Kagara Schoolboys’ Release Laleye Dipo in Minna The Niger State Government yesterday accused the federal government of not doing enough to assist the state in rescuing the 27 pupils of Government Science College, Kagara and 15 others, bandits kidnapped from the school last Wednesday.

Governor Sani Bello, while playing host to Chief Whip of

the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu, who paid him a sympathy visit in Minna, said the federal government has left the state to shoulder all the financial responsibilities of the insecurity in the state.

He said although the federal government sent a delegation and deployed 300 riot policemen in the state to Continued on page 9

ANTI-GRAFT CZAR AT THE VILLA...

President Muhammadu Buhari (left), and Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, during the new anti-graft agency's boss visit to the president in Abuja...yesterday godwin omoigui

ONSA Expresses National Security Concerns Over 5G Network...Page 5

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

ONSA Expresses National Security Concerns Over 5G Network

Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has expressed concern over the proposed licensing of the fifth generation of wireless communications technology network (5G) in the country, describing it as a threat to national security.

ONSA said introducing the 5G network will make the infrastructure highly susceptible to eavesdropping, tracking, cyber-attacks, military and industrial espionage and other malicious activities by foreign actors.

However, the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, said the country is ready for 5G and almost at the final stage of the process, as long as existing challenges are addressed.

ONSA stated this yesterday at the public hearing on the status of the 5G network in Nigeria and its technological impact on Nigerian citizens, organised by the Senate joint Committee on communications, science and technology, ICT and cybercrimes, and primary healthcare.

The NSA, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, who was represented by the Communications Office Director, Dr. Bala Fakandu, said though they were contacted before the deployment of the initial trial of the network, they were concerned about the deliberate vulnerabilities and backdoors within the 5G network equipment.

He said, ''I am going to talk about the National Security concerns. We are aware that the deployment of 5G will come with

different types of equipment and so we understand that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry will make an effort to ensure that they upgrade their systems in order to meet up with the new technology.

"We understand these are things that will be put in place particularly in the policy that the Honourable Minister has talked about but I need to emphasise it so that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry will understand where we are coming from because the national security concerns are the concern of the Office of the National Security Adviser and concern of the president as well.

“In that guise, we are going to ensure on our own

position and we urge the minister to carry the office along in the development of the policy so that we could have a robust framework to take care of these areas.''

Meanwhile, Minister of Communication, Pantami, however, was of the notion that the country is ready for 5G network.

He said though they've not gotten to the point of knowing whether the network will be deployed, they are currently on track conducting research, investigations, engaging stakeholders and if all issues are addressed, the Executive will support the deployment in Nigeria.

Pantami said: ''We are not operating in circles.

Nigerian telecommunication sector is part and parcel

of the International Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Union (under the United Nations) where issues of telecommunication technology and its impacts are being discussed. ''Part of what we have achieved through the engagement, conducting research, engaging ITU and WHO at the international level, we are in the process of compiling our final position. And most of the compiled position will be part of my draft national policy which will be presented to the Federal Executive Council. Mr President is very much aware of all these stages from the beginning to where we stopped.''

He also denied claims that 5G is responsible for

COVID-19 saying if there is any relationship with COVID-19, he would have been the first victim.

His words: ''To date I have not contracted the virus. And I did the test up to 10 times. So I did the trial personally. On the 25th of September 2019, we conducted the first trial of 5G in Nigeria. In other to demonstrate trust and prove leadership by example, I personally pledged to make a trial so if there is any security implication or medical implication, then Isah would be the number one victim.'' ''There is no link between 5G and COVID-19. And there is no relationship between 5G and any disease.

The only issue being raised usually is about radiation.

But people don't realise that the radiation of 4G more harmful than that of 5G. The radiation of the microwave oven at home is more harmful than that of the 5G. The radiation of even the smartphone itself is even more harmful than that of 5G.'' Declaring the public hearing open, the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan said in the ideal sense, 5G is supposed to be an advancement in communication, but concerns of citizens emanated from the limited knowledge of a virus that was wreaking havoc across the globe.

Lawan added that the Senate will only approve of the technology, only if, the security and safety of the citizens are guaranteed.

TRADE MATTERS...

L-R: UN Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs. Amina Mohammed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo; and the Minister of State, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, during Mohammed’s visit to the ministry in Abuja…yesterday

NPA Accuses Govt Agencies of Sabotaging 24-hour Port Operation Seeks sanctions for errant organisations Ejiofor Alike The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Ms. Hadiza BalaUsman, has accused some federal government agencies operating at the ports of violating the executive order signed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on ensuring 24-hour port operations and synergy among such agencies.

Bala-Usman, while featuring on a television programme yesterday, said Osinbajo, while serving as acting president in 2017 had signed an executive order on the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment and directed the resumption of 24-hour operations at the Apapa port.

According to her, the vice president also banned

touting at all air, land and sea ports.

She stated that only NPA obeyed the order, while other federal government agencies refused to do so.

Bala-Usman added that up till now, the agencies that flouted the order have not been sanctioned.

She said: “If you recall there is an executive order that was signed by the vicepresident, which directed all agencies of government to conduct inspection (of containers) in one location and that executive order was signed in 2017.

“Certain agencies of government have not complied and one of the things we have said is sanction for non-compliance with an executive order that was released cannot be done by the Nigerian Ports Authority.”

She stated that if an agency of government violates an executive order signed by the vice president, the presidency should sanction that agency for non-compliance.

She said the essence of all agencies doing inspection in one location was for consignees not to have multiple areas of inspection.

Bala-Usman said she had reported the matter to the Presidential Council on Ease of Doing Business chaired

by Osinbajo but nothing was done about the flouting of the order.

According to her, port operations will not run smoothly if it is only the NPA that is meeting its obligations.

She added: “There is an executive order to that extent. Some agencies have not complied. There have

been several explanations and justifications for the non-compliance by these agencies. The NPA has raised it to the Presidential Council on Ease of Doing Business chaired by the VP to ensure sanctioning for non-compliance and as I keep saying if a directive is given and agencies don’t comply, if there are no consequences for action and inaction, that means I have not performed.”

She urged the federal government to hold agencies not complying with the directive liable.

“For example, we have 24hour port operation that has been directed. All agencies of government are required to deploy personnel to have 24-hour port operation.

"We deployed our personnel but the other legs were absent. And of course,

we cannot sanction other agencies of government,” she stated.

Bala-Usman said the attention of the Presidential Council on the Ease of Doing Business had been drawn to the issue to ensure that those agencies also participate in the 24-hour ports operation.

She added that the Apapa gridlock will end with the introduction of the electronic call-up system in port operations.

According to her, the new policy, set to take effect from tomorrow, will move Apapa ports operations to a digital format.

“The electronic call-up is key as you are aware that anything electronic seeks to remove human intervention,” she said.

She said the creation of truck parks was vital to the new electronic call-up

system.

“We have eight truck parks that have been approved by Nigerian Ports Authority and the Lagos State government,” she said.

Bala-Usman stated that the electronic call-up system will address extortion in the truck parks.

“It takes away the idea that an officer, be it LASTMA, police or ports security, will give authority to go into the port, which may give room for extortion.

“All trucks that intend to assess the ports both for drop-offs and pick-ups have to do it from the approved truck parks.

“Cargo must also be ready for collection before trucks begin their journey; that proposed sanity should help in tackling the Apapa gridlock,” she said.

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Ahmed: Despite N32.9tn Debt, Nigeria Won’t Stop Borrowing Says loans needed to fund infrastructural development FG plans extra budget for COVID-19 palliatives Deji Elumoye in Abuja Notwithstanding Nigeria owing $86.39 billion (N32.9 trillion) to external creditors, the nation will continue to borrow to finance infrastructural development, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said yesterday.

She also stated that a supplementary budget for 2021 was being prepared for submission to the National Assembly for approval in March.

In addition, the federal government may soon compel Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to patronise locally-made vehicles.

Ahmed told reporters in Abuja that although the country has expanded its borrowing portfolio, it is still below 25 per cent of debt-to-GDP ratio and within borrowing limit.

She said: "The total borrowing of the country as of 31 of December (2020) is 21.6 per cent of the GDP. So, if we were not looking at adding the other category of loans that I mentioned, we don’t even need to increase that at this time. As of 2019, the debt-to-GDP ratio was 19.2 per cent, so only two per cent was added."

According to her, though the loan issue is a touchy one, it is not out of place for government to borrow to stay afloat while striving to increase its revenue.

She explained: "There is a lot of sensitivity in Nigeria about the level of borrowing by the government and it is not misplaced. The level of borrowing is not unreasonable; it is not high. The problem we have is that of revenue.

So, what we need to do is to increase revenue to be able

to enhance our debt-to-GDP obligation capacity. If we say we will not borrow and, therefore, not build rails and major infrastructure until our revenue rises enough, then, we will regress as a country. We will be left behind, we won’t be able to improve our business environment and our economy will not grow. So, it is a decision that every government has to take.

"Our assessment is that we need to borrow to build our major infrastructure. We just need to make sure that when we borrow, we are applying the borrowing to specific major infrastructure that will enhance the business environment in this country.

"Again, we all have to work not just the federal government but state governments to increase our revenue to enhance our debt service obligations.”

She said care has to be taken to ensure that only projects that will enhance the business environment and yield more revenue into the treasuries of the country are embarked upon.

On the huge Chinese loans taken by the country and their effect on debt servicing, Ahmed said: “I think it's useful to look at the budget for each year; look at the revenues, look at the expenditure, if you take out the new borrowing, really, what will the size of the budget be?

How much can the government spend?

“So, in terms of the pressure of debt service, by the time the revenue comes up, that should be lower. But there are some things you need to do now, to ensure that revenue comes up. So, we need to keep that in mind that if the economy grows and revenues improve,

then debt service to revenue, in future, should be lower.”

Ahmed stated that a supplementary budget will soon be presented to the National Assembly for COVID-19 palliatives while by June, there will be a mid-year review of the 2021 Appropriation Act. According to her, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will soon come up with a policy mandating MDAs to buy locally-manufactured vehicles.

She also listed measures by the federal government to control inflation to include reducing duties on imported vehicles from 35 per cent to 5 per cent with a view to lessen the high cost of transportation, which in turn, impacts on inflation.

She added that patronising locally-made vehicles will mitigate against dumping due to reduced duties.

She also expressed the federal

government’s commitment to purchasing locally-made goods and vehicles and to engage state governments in ensuring that they do the same so as to encourage local production.

On the new import duty policy, Ahmed said the Nigeria Customs Service had already directed all its outposts to commence its implementation.

“Nigerian Customs has reviewed these guidelines and has notified all its operational

posts to start implementing the new rates. So, it has taken effect.

“The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has just finished a review of automated policy, which has been running now for seven years. I must say that the policy has not been reviewed before.

So, this is the first review that is being done and the essence of the review is to see whether it has achieved the designed targets," Ahmed stated.

PARTNERING FOR PORTS’ SECURITY...

Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo (left), and Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, during the managing director’s visit to the CNS in Abuja…yesterday

NNPC to Add 5,000MW to National Grid on Improved Gas Supply Lagos plans conversion of buses to LPG, CNG Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is set to deliver an additional 5,000 megawatts of electricity to the national power grid once the ongoing gas projects throughout the country is completed.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, who spoke during a virtual event organised by the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), themed: “Powering Forward: Enabling Nigeria’s Industrialisation Via Gas,” said the NNPC was committed to fulfilling President Muhammadu Buhari's directive to boost domestic gas supply.

Represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr. Yusuf Usman, Kyari stated that progress was being made on several

of the projects, including the NLNG Train 7, with a foreign direct investment of between $3 billion and $5 billion.

He listed others as the AKK, which he described as one the largest and most aggressive gas infrastructure that has ever been embarked upon in Nigeria, stretching 614 km from Ajaokuta, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, and Lot B of the OB3 gas project, which is already producing 125 mmscfd of gas.

Kyari stated that by the end of this quarter, the project would “cross the River Niger”, which will successfully create a highway to move the huge gas resources in the eastern area to the west.

He said the NNPC was looking to establish two gas hubs, one at Oben and the other at Brass, adding that one of the presidential mandates is to deliver on gas and power

and create a market in the domestic environment that will consume the planned 4.5bcf of gas.

According to him, for the first time, the corporation, in collaboration with its partners, are able to raise about $260m within Nigerian merchant banks and two African banks for the Asa north gas project.

He said: “Something we need to emphasise in terms of gas utilisation in Nigeria is the power sector. All our projections have shown that 60 to 70 per cent of this gas that we hope to sell off the 4.5 bcf will come from power.

“At the moment, the power sector is challenged and all efforts have to be put in to unlock the liquidity in the downstream sector and expand the transmission network. This will enable us to sell the gas we have already invested in and enhance the economic

prosperity of the country.

“Within the NNPC, we are looking to establish about five gigawatts of additional power into the network. So, NNPC is engaging with the stakeholders to resolve the power sector issue so that investment that has been made in generating gas can be realised.”

Kyari also stated that the NNPC had begun to create a link between the domestic gas pipelines infrastructure and export gas pipelines to create an outlet into the export route which will make the projects more bankable.

In his remarks, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighted the need to have a cleaner, more liveable environment, noting that he is planning well for the state’s huge population, guaranteeing green jobs, reducing carbon emissions and working towards a healthy

environment.

He said there was the need to boost domestic utilisation of gas, adding that Lagos set up the Ibile Oil and Gas, privately driven, to transition the state to a low carbon economy by taking out firewood, kerosene and all the dirty fuels.

He stated that the company was about completing five metric tonnes of gas facility, which will be increased over time, while deliberately promoting autogas for transportation.

Sanwo-Olu stated that the about 1,000 buses currently owned by Lagos Government will be converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Managing Director of the Nigeria LNG, Mr Tony Attah, in his remarks, said more than half of Africa had no access to energy and that Nigeria

was high on the table of states with energy poverty.

He added that despite the energy transition currently taking place, Nigeria is still very dependent on oil.

"We have an absolute conviction that we have more gas than oil. Our biggest opportunity as a nation is in gas. On the equivalence basis, we have more gas than oil.

The world is not waiting for us. The world is moving on,” he said.

Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Osagie Okubor, stated that the issue of gas development as a catalyst for industrialisation is not the articulation of what needs to be done, but the execution.

He said although progress had been made over the years, the challenge was to find a way to balance competing needs.

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Spare No One in Your Anti-graft War, APC Tells Bawa Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, to spare no one in his fight against corruption.

The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe, stated this in a statement issued yesterday in

Abuja.

APC urged Bawa to be guided by the stance of President Muhammadu Buhari that the fight against corruption must be total and unsparing.

It noted that against the backdrop of the APC’s 2015 and 2019 presidential election victories, the fight against corruption was one of the major promises the President Buhari-led APC administration made to Nigerians.

It added, "To this end, we are

confident that the Abdulrasheed Bawa-led EFCC will intensify the administration’s ongoing campaign to end impunity and graft."

The party stressed that commission’s new chairman’s 16 years of work experience in different strategic capacities at the EFCC has prepared him for the important job.

It said drawing from a pool of well-trained staff could only increase professionalism through

reliance on institutional memory and also boost staff morale, as in the case of Bawa’s appointment.

The ruling party added that his youthfulness is an advantage and an indication that the present administration believes in its youth population.

The APC said corruption is the root cause of most of the social problems, particularly underdevelopment and poverty which the current administration is working assiduously to reverse.

It said blind to religious, cultural, political and sundry leanings, corruption is a common enemy which the nation must use all lawful means to end.

The party noted that it was the reason why the Buhari administration has dedicated itself to end impunity and ensure that our commonwealth works for the common man, not a few.

He emphasised that from advance fee fraud, money laundering, public sector

corruption and other financial crime-related issues, economic and financial crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated criminal activities, which keep evolving with the times.

To be steps ahead, the APC said Bawa-led EFCC must invest in technology and ensure synergy, cooperation and partnership with relevant agencies, locally and internationally, to effectively prosecute the current administration’s war against graft.

the North.

He said traditional rulers would continue to encourage the governors, pray for them and partner with them.

“We are there to offer our various inputs. We must come out with possible solutions to these problems. We must continue to chat, never to give up, we must continue to discuss. We must never get tired of sitting down to talk about issues.

“So, we must not fail our people, we will not fail our people," he stated.

In attendance at the meeting were Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna Sate, Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed; National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd); Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu; and Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi.

Governors of Borno, Kogi, and Zamfara were represented by their deputies.

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, was also represented

by Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Wase.

Bandits, Says Sultan

STOP ETHNIC PROFILING, BUHARI URGES NIGERIANS, VOWS TO DEAL WITH CRIMINALS insecurity is slowing down the country’s efforts to stamp out poverty.

The security crisis also engaged the attention of Sultan of Sokoto and the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammed Sa'ad Abubakar III, yesterday, as he kicked against the ethnic profiling of Fulani, saying that not all Fulani herdsmen are bandits.

“Criminals are criminals and should be dealt with accordingly as such, without resorting to ethnic profiling,” the president said, adding that he has tasked the service chiefs to device new strategies for battling the security crisis.

According to him, the meeting provides a platform for deep reflection and dialogue on pertinent issues affecting not only the North but Nigeria.

“These include unity, peaceful coexistence, security and other parameters of development,” he said.

He commended the efforts of the NSGF towards national development, especially during the current challenging period of existential threats to Nigeria’s corporate existence.

He called for frank deliberations on the fundamental issues affecting the country’s corporate existence and asked them to proffer solutions.

According to him, the meeting came at a time when the nation is making steady progress in addressing the many challenges impeding its development.

He stated that the federal government is providing critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports

among which are critical to the economic prosperity of the people as well as economic opportunities for the citizens to pursue legitimate aspirations that grow the economy.

“At the same time, we are confronting the various dimensions of security challenges that continue to slow down the emancipation of our people from poverty and economic deprivation. The government shall continue to deal with insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals who constitute a threat to innocent citizens across the country.

“Criminals are criminals and should be dealt with accordingly, without resorting to ethnic profiling. I have already tasked the new service chiefs to devise new strategies that will end this ugly situation where the lives of our people continue to be threatened by hoodlums and criminals.

“I expect that at this meeting, your forum will also discuss and devise ways of building stronger collaboration with the security architecture and the people in defeating criminality across the region and the nation at large,” he said.

He added that the country’s security and democracy indices are inextricably linked.

According to him, democracy and rule of law promote stability, which reinforces the power to assert freedom and economic progress of the people.

He assured the NSGF of support and collaboration in implementing some of the resolutions of the meeting that may require the participation of the federal government.

Buhari also advocated synergy

between the NSGF and other forums in the other regions for the collective good of Nigeria.

“You should endeavour to compare notes and peer-review one another to exchange ideas and adopt best practices for the good of the people you govern,” he said.

He lauded the NSGF for de-escalating the recent tension arising from clashes between herders and farmers, which resulted in the loss of lives and property.

According to him, the efforts of the forum in engaging all parties and supporting the efforts of the federal government helped to ameliorate the situation.

“We need to sustain this tempo to attain total calm,” he said.

The president also drew the attention of the governors to some of the key issues bothering the Northern region and the country that require collective efforts to resolve.

These issues, according to him, are population growth, agriculture value chain that is anchored on diversification and improved yields, as well as the revival of industries and other economic opportunities for job creation.

Earlier, in his opening address, Chairman of the NSGF and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, called on participants to be open, frank and honest in discussing all the matters that have held the North down as a region.

“We must break down such limitations and move our region, people and ultimately our nation to the next level,” he said.

Lalong lamented the security situation in the North, saying

that the NSGF shall continue to engage other stakeholders as it seeks solutions to the cases of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.

He said: “At all times, we must identify, isolate and punish crime no matter who commits it rather than resorting to labelling and generalisation that shields the criminals and generates tension for the innocent.

“On the issue of herderfarmer clashes, which has in recent weeks generated serious concerns because of the harsh rhetoric from various parts of the country, we remain firm that this is a matter that must be carefully addressed with an open mind and without sentiments.

“While we agree that open grazing is no longer sustainable for obvious reasons, the forum has also keyed into the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) as a veritable option that will go a long way in ending these clashes through organised ranching.”

He appealed to governors and Nigerians in other parts of the country to be cautious in their utterances and actions so as not to provide the oxygen for the exploitation of the national fault lines to the detriment of the nation.

“As for enhancing the economy of the North, we should be able to rise from this meeting with concrete steps to take on how best to create opportunities for our teeming youth population,” Lalong said.

In his remarks, the sultan, who chairs the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, called for continuous dialogue to resolve the challenges facing

Not All Fulani Herdsmen Are

in a statement at the time that Infraco would grow to N15 trillion in assets and capital and that it would be one of the premier infrastructure finance entities in Africa to be wholly dedicated to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.

According to him, the initial seed capital for the entity will come from the CBN, the NSIA and the AFC. Akande had stated: “The board of Infra-Co will be chaired by the central bank governor and include the Managing Director of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, President of the

Africa Finance Corporation, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

The board will also have three independent directors from the private sector.

“To address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, the Buhari administration continues to explore innovative options, including through financing initiatives such as the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), designed to cater for the second Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa'ad Abubakar III, has kicked against ethnic profiling of Fulani, saying not all Fulani herdsmen are bandits.

Abubakar, during a visit to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) headquarters in Abuja, warned against blaming the Fulani for the security challenges facing the nation.

He appealed to Nigerians to stop profiling a particular ethnic group for the insecurity confronting the nation.

He also laid the foundation for the construction of a mosque on the premises of the commission’s headquarters.

“Of course, we have some bandits among us, but it does not make Islam or Muslims terrorists. I am a proud Fulani, but I am not a criminal, bandit or terrorist. I just do my best to the best of my ability,” he stated.

He added that although bandits reside among Nigerians, that does not make Islam or Muslim a terrorist group.

He also urged Muslims to behave in line with the dictates of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.

In his address to officials of the commission, the sultan described the visit as a special day to him being the first time he was visiting the place.

He also expressed confidence that the current board, headed by Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, will build on those achievements of his predecessors.

FG SEEKS ASSET MANAGER FOR N15TN INFRACO FUND projects from roads to railways and power plants.

The fund manager will be responsible for coordinating the total equity capital and associated debt raise required by the company, according to the source.

Asset managers seeking the role must have been active in infrastructure financing.

“We need to be innovative in our approach to developing our infrastructure in Nigeria,” CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said in a text message sent by an official from the institution.

“We believe that Infraco will be a major game-changer in

this regard.”

A l r e a d y , PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey and KPMG have expressed interest in being transaction advisers in the deal, according to the source.

Ukiri Lijadu and Co. and Kenna Partners have been appointed legal advisers, the source said.

PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG didn’t immediately answer calls seeking comment on Wednesday, while calls to Ukiri Lijadu and McKinsey didn’t connect. Representatives at Kenna Partners and BCG

couldn’t comment straight away when called.

Nigeria plans to boost infrastructure investments to stimulate economic growth after exiting its second recession in four years in the fourth quarter.

The nation needs at least $3 trillion over 30 years to close its infrastructure deficit, Moody’s Investors Service said in a November report.

Already, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been saddled with the responsibility of heading a steering committee to facilitate the take-off of the company.

Osinbajo’s media assistant, Mr. Laolu Akande, had said

NIGER: FG NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR KAGARA SCHOOLBOYS’ RELEASE assist with the rescue operations, there was no financial support from the federal government.

According to him, the federal government has done nothing to help in securing the release of the victims.

He said: “So, where is the support? At the moment we have not seen any federal support here since this incident occurred. Yes, we had a delegation that came to commiserate with us, but we are left to ourselves.

"With or without any support, the state government has already made a commitment to the people of the state to rescue the abducted schoolchildren and,

therefore, we will do everything possible to ensure their release unhurt.

"We will use whatever means and resources available to make sure the children return home safely.

"We don't have an exact day and when these children will be released, but I am very sure very soon."

Earlier, Kalu had asked the federal government to set up a special security committee made up of all the forces to assist Niger State in searching for the victims, saying that the special security committee will fast-track their rescue.

Kalu later told journalists

after the visit that if he becomes president: "I will smoke out all the bandits from their hiding places."

He said he did not believe in giving amnesty to bandits.

"If I am in charge, I will not negotiate with bandits," the Senate chief whip said.

He stated that the federal government is mapping out plans to wipe out banditry in the next three months.

"The governments are planning very well; they are strategising; they are building up momentum; they are building up the force to save the Nigerian people," he said.

Kalu also expressed support

for the clamour for rotational presidency, saying it will bring peace. “It is good for capacity building, rotating the presidency will help the country," he said.

He, however, urged Nigerians to stop discussing the 2023 presidency because it will distract President Muhammadu Buhari’s attention.

Kalu also visited two former Heads of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), as well as the Emir of Minna, Dr. Umar Bahago.

Addressing journalists earlier yesterday, the Niger State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said

the state government was not foot-dragging in securing the release of the victims.

Idris told reporters after the State Executive Council meeting that the state government is making efforts to secure the release of all the victims.

"Governor Bello is bent on the release of all those abducted, we are not foot-dragging on this.

"We will employ a lot of strategies, the state is open to negotiation, we will use multiple strategies to get them out," Idris said.

He, however, reiterated the government's decision that the state will not pay ransom for the release of the abducted.

Expressway, and other projects.

“There is also the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme which is being used for the funding of the Bodo-Bonny bridges and road (with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG), and the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway (with Dangote Group), among others.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN CHAMS PLC 0.02 0.24 ROYALEXCH 0.02 0.27 WEMABANK 0.05 0.70 REDSTAR 0.18 3.30 PRESTIGE 0.02 0.46 TOP LOSERS NGN LASACO 0.12 1.12 FIDSON 0.45 4.90 ETI 0.35 5.20 MBENEFITS 0.02 0.37 UACN 0.40 7.55 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,450.00 Volume: 326.042 million shares Value: N3.713 billion Deals: 4,567 As at yesterday 25/2/2021 See details on Page 55

% 9.0 8.0 7.6 5.7 4.5 % 9.6 8.4 6.3 5.1 5.0

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021

COMMENT

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

JAKANDE: FOREMOST POLITICIAN, ACCOMPLISHED JOURNALIST Lanre Idowu pays tribute to former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, who passed at 91

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he passage of Chief Lateef Kayode Jakande, governor of Lagos State (1979-1983), media administrator, serial founder and nurturer of professional journalism associations, draws a curtain on an era not only in Nigerian politics, but, indeed, her journalism. Chief Jakande was the last of the five governors elected on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria during Nigeria’s second republic; the other four—Ambrose Alli, Victor Onabanjo, Adekunle Ajasin, and Bola Ige—worthy compatriots of many decades having predeceased him.

As governor, Jakande exhibited the single-minded pursuit of goals like his leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He deservedly received much plaudits for his execution of the UPN’s four-cardinal programmes of free education, free health, full employment, and integrated rural development. He was also not spared critics’ censure for his educational programme, which, whilst pandering to populist acclaim, also damaged some established schools. Our focus on his politics will be limited to his secondary school education programme. That damage arose from his moral umbrage at the two-shift system of education, he inherited, which saw some pupils attending school during the day, whilst others came in the afternoon. Studies had established that afternoon schooling short-changed many pupils in terms of time spent in class, and the quality of attention devoted to them. To make all students day students, Jakande found the subsisting military takeover of schools in 1976, which was sanctioned by the federal government’s Schools Takeover Validation Decree 48 of 1977, handy in planting as many as three or four schools on commodious grounds where there had just been one pre 1979.

The schools were makeshift structures of poorly plastered walls with exaggerated iron roofing sheets held together by poles. Opposition politicians derided the structures as ugly cattle sheds; products of a mind fixated with quantity rather than quality. Some critics saw the move as vengeful with unsavoury whispers about the hangover of Jakande’s short stay at a privileged Lagos Island school in his teenage years.

Jakande’s action led to such mission schools on Lagos mainland as Baptist Academy, Ikorodu Road, CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Igbobi College, Yaba, and Jibril Martin Memorial Grammar School, Iponri having their facilities overstretched. The heavy human traffic unleashed on the grounds trampled not just the environment and facilities, but the psyche of the students and hallowed school traditions. In an instance, tennis and basketball courts were peremptorily converted for other uses as if schooling consisted of just classrooms alone.

Jakande certainly meant well but his programme was rushed with disturbing consequences. For instance, the promise of free textbooks remained unfulfilled until well into the second term at Jibirl Martin Memorial Grammar School, Iponri where I was a graduate teacher, 1980-81. To teach English language to fourth formers without textbooks, I had to improvise by getting the students to buy one of two newspapers, Daily Times or Daily Sketch and study the feature pages. Rather than appreciating a creative response to an emergency, the move was resisted initially by the school authorities and some parents who ranked party loyalty higher than children’s education, for they accused me of wanting to sabotage the state’s free education programme.

Notwithstanding these reservations, many of the products of the Jakande School, today, have him to thank for providing them op-

IN A LAND THAT HAS SHOWERED NATIONAL HONOURS ON MANY UNDESERVING NIGERIANS, IT IS BEFUDDLING THAT A GIANT LIKE JAKANDE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FOR HIS MONUMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATIONBUILDING THROUGH JOURNALISM AND POLITICS

portunity to go to school. Yes, the temporary classrooms were lacking in beauty, but they were functional and airy, and withstood storms and rains as we found out at Iponri. It seems that the depth of his opposition to the discrimination inherent in the old two-shift arrangement trumped other considerations including aesthetics.

Jakande’s antecedents in journalism showed the same single-minded approach to issues. More than any other journalist of his era, he saw the need to establish professional and training organisations to look after the interests of journalists and journalism. As one of the founding fathers of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in 1955, he served as its treasurer, 1957-1959.

To him belonged the vision of establishing what was originally called the Guild of Newspaper Editors (1961). As its first president, his cabinet of editors included the likes of Babatunde Jose, Bisi Onabanjo, Abiodun Aloba, and Nelson Ottah—all of who predeceased him. The idea was to have an elite platform for editorial managers that occupied the strategic middle ground between publishers and the generality of journalists to meet periodically to deliberate on issues of professional concern, provide a common forum for relating with governments and the general public, develop a code of ethics in cooperation with other journalism organisations, and look for training opportunities for members.

He was also the pioneer president of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (1962-1979), established to defend the business interests of publishers. It was from that seat that he was elected the governor of Lagos State in 1979.

Jakande was also active in the activities of the global body, International Press Institute, and rose to be its first African president.

Through him, the IPI introduced diploma-awarding programmes at the University of Lagos (where later a department for Mass communication training emerged) and also established the Nigerian Institute of Journalism to train journalists. The continued relevance of these bodies testifies to his vision and dogged pursuit of objectives.

Chief Jakande was helpful when I was researching the book, UNEVEN STEPS: The Story of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. I last met him on October 22, 2019 at the relaunch of Chief Dayo Duyile’s book, Makers of Nigerian Press in Victoria Island, Lagos. He was there in the company of Chief Segun Osoba, Chief Ade Ojo, Richard Ikiebe, Lanre Arogundade and a host of other media professionals and academics to lend his support to the work of a protégé and the continued effort to enhance media education and prestige. It was obvious that he was already tired, but it was reassuring that his interest in his dear constituency was unwavering.

Regrettably, in a land that has showered national honours on many undeserving Nigerians, it is befuddling that a giant like Jakande did not receive any for his monumental contributions to nation- building through journalism and politics. Small comfort that he received many honours from the media, including the fellowship of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (1998) and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (2009).

May his soul rest well!

Idowu is the Author of UNEVEN STEPS: The Story of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a Trustee of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence.

‘SOMEBODY, HELP ME!’

Laws protecting the rights of the child should be enforced, writes Tayo Ogunbiyi

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hat night, as I headed home, I was uncharacteristically exhausted. My singular focus was on getting home to get a well-deserved rest. Traffic had built up a bit along my route, Lateef Jakande Way, Agidingbi. But as usual, the dedicated and dutiful LASTMA officers in the axis were in their element, ensuring that sanity and orderliness prevailed. It was a moving traffic, so we were steadily making progress.

In my front was a truck. For obvious reasons, I don’t usually love driving behind trucks. Experience have shown that most truck drivers are reckless.

Initially, my intuition was to negotiate my way and move to the other lane. But I jettisoned the thought, choosing rather to be as distant as possible from the truck.

Somehow, I looked at the car’s dashboard and it was 8pm. I am a news freak. I quickly tuned to my favourite radio station to listen to the news. As I was ruminating on the headlines, most of which centred on the herdsman’s crisis and its fallouts, suddenly I heard a loud cry. “Somebody, help me”, a child yelled in utter pains. It happened so quickly that it took me some time to really figure out what was happening. Yet, the shout persisted. This time in rapid succession and in more agonising tone.

Before I could really fathom what was happening, I saw drivers and commuters rushing out of their vehicles. By now, quite a crowd had gathered in front of my car, while a few chaps ran toward the truck driver ahead of me, violently urging him to come down or else they would get his truck burnt.

Still confused, I put the car to a halt, right in the middle of the road as did almost everyone. Upon getting down, I saw a girl that looked like a ten-year

old rolling on the ground in excruciating pains.

Intermittently, she screamed: “Somebody, help me!”.

By now, I was beginning to get the picture. The girl rolling on the ground was a child hawker. Her goods, roasted groundnuts, were spilled all over the road. What happened? Well, the gist is that while rushing to attend to a customer who was in a commercial bus in front of the truck, she slipped and got bruised by the truck’s tyres. Luckily, she was not run over by the truck. She only fell by the median, albeit with seriously bruised legs.

She was hurriedly helped by sympathisers to a nearby clinic for urgent medical attention. By now, traffic has become a bit chaotic. As I got back into the car, to continue the homeward journey, I could not but keep thinking about the hapless little girl and the severe pains she suffered. I was so pained that I nearly missed the junction that led to my home.

As my mind was pacing back and forth, my conclusion was that the ill-fated little girl wouldn’t have been a victim of such horrible act if she had not been subjected to the rigour of hawking.

Hawking by children is a form of child labour and it contravenes the Child Rights Act which stipulates that children under the age of 18 should not engage in any work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to them, preventing them from going to school; obliging them to leave school prematurely or to combine school attendance with excessively long or heavy work.

According to International Labour Organization, the number of working children under the age of 14 in Nigeria is estimated at 15million. Research has it, that street hawking by children constitutes one

of the major forms of child labour, by implication a larger percentage of these children are on the street.

This trend is quite disturbing, especially with the number increasing daily.

In many cities across the country, it is not uncommon to see little children, ranging from age 9 to13, hawking various goods on the roads. Some even take up the hazardous task of bus conductors.

These children, who hawk by the roadsides, usually suffer from fatigue, irregular attendance at school, if enrolled at all, lack of comprehension and motivation, improper socialisation, exposure to risk of sexual abuse, high likelihood of being involved in crime. Many have argued that severe economic pressure is responsible for this heinous practice. But then, when placed side by side the inherent dangers associated with child hawking, engaging children in such highly volatile practice, under whatever disguise, should be condemned and discouraged by all and sundry.

In Lagos State, as part of efforts to enforce the law and get children off the streets, the government has employed quite a number of strategies to reduce the trend and dissuade parents and the society at large from sending children to hawk on the street.

However, this has not actually brought about the desired result as the number of child hawkers continue to increase on the road. Their number continues to increase at evening time, till late hours in the night, which is quite risky as most of these children are exposed to unimaginable perils.

When it comes to the issue of children, everyone is a stakeholder since children are future leaders.

Hence, it is important that parents, community leaders, traditional rulers, faith based organisations,

NGO, the media among others partner with government to ensure that hawking among children is discouraged in our society.

Child hawking is a form of child abuse and it must not be condoned under any guise. The laws protecting the rights of the child must be active and alive to safeguard the rights of the child. A recent FRSC data reveals that, in Lagos, about 40% of road accident victims are traffic traders, either on the road or by the road side and some of them are vulnerable and helpless children. This trend must not be allowed to continue.

It is, indeed, inhuman for anyone to engage a child in money making venture as seen every day on our roads with children running after moving buses and cars to hawk goods. Aside that, such children are denied basic education which is another important right of every child. Many children have sustained lifelong injuries through street trading and hawking. Moreover, children who engage in hawking or other forms of hard labour may physically wear away before they actually reach the productive age in the economy. Many of them had died as a result of hawking on the highways.

We must respect all laws concerning child hawking. Government must show the political will to ensure compliance and there must be consistency in government policies towards zero tolerance to child-hawking. All stakeholders must work with the government to fight every form of child labour in its entirety. Our collective efforts should be geared towards securing a better future for our children.

This can, definitely, not be achieved via child labour.

Ogunbiyi is Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021

EDITORIAL CYBER CRIMES AND NATIONAL IMAGE Regulators must build the capacity to enforce the cybercrime act

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n the same week that celebrated Nigerian entrepreneur, Obinwanne ‘Invictus’ Okeke was jailed for 10 years by a United States federal court for masterminding an $11 million cyber fraud on a British company “through subterfuge and impersonation”, detained Instagram Influencer, Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas was also reported as working with North Korean hackers to launder funds stolen from a Maltese bank. Abbas has since last July been charged by the US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles with conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from “business email compromise” (BEC) frauds and other scams. Both the Okeke conviction and the Abbas revelation have once again brought our country into global searchlight for the wrong reason.

From social networking and research to business and commerce, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems are now deployed to perform simple as well as complex tasks. But the cyberspace is also vulnerable to the activities of criminals. Sadly, as most Nigerians know to our collective shame, our country has not only been a breeding ground for most of these nefarious practices, some of our citizens have become notorious for committing identity theft and bank frauds facilitated through the use of the internet.

THERE IS AN URGENT While cybercrime NEED TO IMPROVE THE is a global threat, what CAPACITY OF CYBER marks out the Nigerian SECURITY OFFICIALS AND fraud gangs operating THE SHARING OF CYBER internationally is SECURITY BEST PRACTICE their predominantly FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE financial and economic focus. For instance, in June 2019, a damning statement by the American Department of Justice (DoJ) said, “Foreign citizens perpetrate many BEC scams. Those individuals are often members of transnational criminal organisations, which originated in Nigeria but have spread throughout the world.”

Committed mostly by the young, often called ‘Yahoo Boys’, a precursor of the infamous ‘419’ email scammers,

the fraudsters are increasingly taking advantage of the rise in online transactions, electronic shopping, e-commerce and the electronic messaging systems to engage in all manner of crimes. This is of course a reflection of the culture of poverty, greed and massive financial criminality at home. In 2015, the Cybercrime Act was passed into law to address the challenges. The law criminalises a variety of offences – from ATM card skimming and identity theft to possession of child pornography. It imposes, for instance, seven-year imprisonment on offenders of all kinds and additional seven years for online crimes that result in physical harm, and life imprisonment for those that lead to death. But like almost every law in the country, there is the problem of enforcement.

T 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 HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA

he ‘Yahoo Boys’ still daily throng cybercafé premises to ‘transact’ their business with the owners looking away. Sadly, our policemen would rather harass innocent people who carry laptops. The long-term solution is for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the police and the intelligence community in Nigeria to become more conversant with the latest techniques in combating cybercrimes. Even more important is the need to work with the law enforcement agencies of all major centres of Nigerian presence around the world. These fraud syndicates are international in nature and can only be fought through international cooperation and superior knowledge of the technologies that power cyber fraud.

While cyber criminals in some other countries are using their negative skills for espionage and illicit technology theft, our nationals are using their skills to defraud individuals and companies to obtain funds for obscene consumerism and sickening exhibitionism. Although it is not fair to use these isolated infractions as an excuse to profile or negatively brand Nigerians, that has become the reality of our situation. To deal with this emblem of shame, there is an urgent need to improve the capacity of cyber security officials and the sharing of cyber security best practice from across the globe. In addition, we must build the capacity for local law enforcement.

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Of Builders, Quacks And Safe Buildings

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uilding construction is one of the most important activities of any economy and a large proportion of the country’s resources are usually used in the construction and maintenance of buildings.

The history of building industry is as old as human civilization and the industry evolves with the evolution of human settlement and culture. The industry has overtime, in an attempt to overcome evolving challenges as a result of increasing complexity of human settlement, culminated into specialization that seeks to enhance efficient and economical service delivery.

The construction of a building project of any kind involves the services of many people, who design, construct and maintain it from conception to completion, and terminal demolition. The building project team members range from the architects, quantity surveyors, builders, structural and civil engineers, facilities and construction management, contractors, suppliers, lawyers among others.

The importance of the professionals in the construction industry cannot be overemphasized because building projects is a complex one.

In Nigeria, it is, nevertheless, baffling that there still exists confusion and misinterpretation of the roles of some of the professionals and artisans in the management of construction projects. Building process has been faced with such problems as patronage of quacks, greed, and corruption, which often result in the sad occurrence of building collapse.

Sadly, the ugly phenomenon of building collapse has cut short the lives of many economically active Nigerians, maim countless persons, and led to the loss of assets worth trillions of naira. In 2019, the country recorded not less than 43 incidents within the year.

Figures from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, an advocacy group of built environment professionals, indicated that Lagos has the highest figure with 17 cases, indicating about 39.53 percent of the total number of collapse buildings. Anambra has the second highest with six collapsed buildings, while Plateau and Delta States recorded three each. Though, building collapse is not limited to Nigeria, but the way it is being handled in Nigeria is quite disturbing, to say the least.

Incessant buildings collapse has invariably made many to conclude that builders are killers. But the question many have not bothered to ask is if any or all the collapse buildings in Nigeria were built by certified builders? The answer is an emphatic ‘NO’. In most instances, if not all, collapse buildings are built by quacks as the built industry has remained an all comer’s affairs.

It might also be asked, who is a builder? A builder is the professional at the centre of the physical construction of buildings. He or she is an academically trained specialist and statutorily registered professional responsible for building production management, construction and maintenance of building for the use and protection of mankind.

The documents earlier prepared by other professionals, especially designed by the architect, are handed over to the builder, who studies the production information in the drawings, schedules and specifications and then analyzes the buildability and maintainability of the building. He advises on the construction method, programmes, assesses the workmanship skill of artisan and suggests solutions to technical problems. His role in the building development process in general is to construct the building, which he does by taking charge of the activities on a building construction site in translating designs,

working drawings, schedules and specifications into a physical structure.

The builder assembles and combines all materials listed by the quantity surveyor to make a living abode. It is baffling that many Nigerians are still not patronizing certified builders for the construction and maintenance of their buildings. They give their building works to quacks, in spite of an increase in public education on why qualified builders should be engaged for construction work.

The truth is that the same way a rewire or panel beater is different from a mechanic, so is the builder’s role different from that of other professionals and artisans that people commonly assigned the job of builders. For instance, a developer can alter the original plan of a building and add unapproved structure to approved buildings.

A certified builder dares not do that except he is ready to have his certificate revoke.

Rightly, numerous stakeholders are now bringing to the fore the need to embrace the culture of DOING THE RIGHT THING. For instance, the Nigeria institute of building (NIOB), Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), and human right lawyers are now insisting on the use of registered builders in the building construction to ensure safety and increase professionalism in the building industry.

In a speech delivered at the “Builders’ Day” in March, 2020, the NIOB enjoined professional builders to take their rightful place in the building production process and strive to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people in the constant and successful delivery of quality, affordable, safe and durable buildings.

Rasak Musbau, Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency, Alausa, Ikeja

T H I S D AY ˾FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021

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POLITICS

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

In Gombe, Yahaya Unveils 10-Year Development Plan Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe highlights the importance of the recent 10-year development plan for Gombe State unveiled by Governor Inuwa Yahaya

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he challenge of underdevelopment in Gombe State is getting a pragmatic attention with the launch of the state’s 10-year development plan, a long term vision to reposition the state for growth and sustainable development.

Encapsulated in a document titled Gombe State Development Plan (GSDP) 2021-2030, unveiled by the state governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, at an event in Gombe, the state capital, the document represents an ambitious plan, loaded in socio-economic aspirations and broad in clear objectives.

It is actually a fitting answer to the remodeling of the state’s pathway towards a realistic and consistent socio-economic development paradigm, properly articulated as a long term visioning and planning that draws on the findings of the 2019 Needs Assessment Report commissioned

by Governor Yahaya immediately he was declared governor-elect.

Thus the new document was built on the outcome of a state-wide consultation process that involved a broad section of the Gombe society including the private sector, civil society, community associations, state and local governments and the general public.

A major interest in the document is the fact that it mirrors the essentials of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the basic categories as index of development, which incidentally also has same year 2030 as expiration date for relevant assessment and reflections on the inherent aspirations and deliverables.

As stated in the foreword to the document by Governor Inuwa Yahaya, “ The Gombe State Development Plan, with a vision of growth, development, peace and prosperity for all, maps out the way forward for Gombe State and its people to realize their full potentials.

“Its implementation, strategies, with specific policies and targets are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the first by any state in Nigeria.

This is also the first plan by any state in Nigeria that is modeled and costed by putting into consideration the Integrated Sustainable Development Goals (iSDGs)”.

Thus the scope of the GSDP is comprehensive and embraces all the main drivers of development in the state as it sets up a definitive paradigm for decision making and resource allocation as a basic reflection of the philosophy and policy of the Yahaya administration and in tandem with the collective aspirations of the good people of Gombe State.

The mission and vision of the plan further reveals the big thinking of the state government which the documents says is to respectively “transform Gombe into a highly educated, innovative, healthy and prosperous state propelled by peace, efficient infrastructure, sustainable environment and good governance” and “to create an enabling environment for sustainable peace, cohesion and an allinclusive development for the people of Gombe State.”

In specific terms, the document identifies five development pillars upon which the GSDP revolves, a strategic linkage of socioeconomic and administrative anchorage that is also built on the model of the UN’s SDGs as a global trend.

The pillars are those of Economic Development, Infrastructure Development, Social Development, Sustainable Development and Governance, Administrative and Institutional Development pillars.

Each of the pillars has a wide range of underlying activities that border on the greater good of the people as government performs its duties within some basic institutional framework detailing the policy

thrust, policy target and policy objectives and overall betterment of the people.

In this regard, agriculture has topics like crop production and animal husbandry and fisheries. Then there’s manufacturing, oil and gas, solid minerals, commerce, trade and industry, micro, small and medium enterprises, tourism and coop-

eratives. Under the Social Development category are health, education, science and technology, entrepreneurial development, youths and sports, women and children, social protection/ safety nets as well as security and safety, law and order and justice.

Besides, the infrastructure pillar

Avoidable Knocks on Nigeria’s Foundation, Unity Sir Don Ubani expresses concern over the prevailing panic in the country as a result the multifarious incidents of insecurity

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hough the emergence of the Nigerian State was purely by British Colonial coercion, founding leaders of Indigenous peoples of the various ethnic nationalities that became federating cordinates of the emerging Nigerian state, accepted the realities that confronted them on clearly defined terms for co-existence.

From every look of things, starting from 1914 when British Lord Frederick Lugard, selfishly, only for the purpose of reducing cost of administration for the British Colonial Office, decreed amalgamation of both Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria to become one administrative unit, Nigerian political leaders, up to 1963, exhibited wisdom, maturity and dexterity in defining constitutional modus operandi for the emerging State.

Some critics, most probably out of ignorance, had blamed such founding fathers as Engr Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, all late, for not being visionary enough in order to have worked against the emergence of an independent Nigeria as it was composed of on 1st October, 1960. Many of such commentators had held or still hold the view that leaders of Southern Nigeria, both during the Colonial and First Republican era, should have realized that, taking the historical antecedents of the fulani who came into Nigeria only a few years before 1800 A D, it would be most hazardous being in the same country with them. To such analysts, the fact that Usman Dan Fodio and his wandering Fulani kinsmen came into Hausa land and from 1804, had aggressively started conquering, suppressing and enthroning their leadership over their host, should have provided enough reason for them to have opted out of such a union.

However, taking a dispassionate introspective consideration of realities of

those times, leaders of Southern Nigeria’s extraction should be applauded for making the best out of the situation that they were confronted by. In the first instance, it should not be forgotten that the British colonial administration was fundamentally on an economic conquest.

Her objective was basically to maximize advantage and attendant profit in their trade relationship with the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. They were not in Nigeria as Father Christmas. Besides, they came in by way of military conquest.

The British, being capitalistic in approach, was naturally not to be the best of friends of the Igbo, Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities from the South, who consistently proved to be wise, independent-minded and resilient to foreign domination. They, however, found their interest protected in the docility and subservience of the Fulani and, therefore, were determined to make a lot of concessions to them. Divide and rule became their best strategy in their relationship with the peoples of Nigeria. The Fulani and the North were so confident in the British that even when Anthony Enahoro of Action Group patriotically moved a motion for self governance in 1953, the North, on the platform of Northern Peoples’ Congress, led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, overwhelmingly voted against and rejected it. Independence that should have commenced in 1956 had to be delayed untill 1st October, 1960, just because the North said it was not ready and did not have confidence in the peoples of Southern Nigeria. One can imagine how many billions of British Pounds the British carted away for the four years that the Fulani successfully opposed Nigeria’s attainment of Independence!

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

encompasses issues like water resources, transport, electricity and power, renewable energy and ICT. Just as agriculture as the mainstay of the Gombe economy got the right attention as specified in the document, infrastructure and sustainable environment in the state are equally important and duly accorded relevance , the latter in particular being critical as a factor of recent concerns on the danger which environmental degradation poses to the people in the state. Consequently, issues like flooding and drainage, erosion control and climate change policy objectives are of major interest in the document.

And considering the challenge of water provision until the Yahaya administration came on board, it is gratifying that the development plan reckons as policy objective “to achieve sustainable provision of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purpose to improve growth and development by 2030”. Interestingly, all the stated major pillars of development including the critical infrastructure needs have such ambitious accomplishment target at the expiration of the development span in the next 10 years.

Overall, the purpose of the GSDP 2021-2030 is to set out the long-term spatial planning framework for the state between 2021 and 2030, the document says, adding that “this will signpost the quantity, quality and location of the development plan, and ensure that provision of infrastructure is aligned with growth.”

“This will provide a mechanism for coordinated decision-making on all aspects of social and economic life, including investment”, the document emphasizes.

Under the sub-title, “Development Strategy: From vision to Policy”, the document spells out the strategic direction to follow in achieving the various development pillars of the plan.

While the economic development pillar will promote investments in sectors that can create income and employment opportunities to reduce poverty, the infrastructure development pillar deals with provision of critical infrastructure that is affordable, accessible and capable of catalyzing public and private investments in productive sectors. Whereas the social development and welfare pillar is meant to facilitate investments in education, training and skill acquisition programmes, provision of efficient healthcare services and social safety nets to improve the welfare, including the security of the people.

Yet the strategic direction of the sustainable environment pillar is improved management of the environment to ensure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment that incorporates the key issue of climate change and its dynamics. Lastly, the governance, administration and institutional capacity pillar relates to the creation of a workable and accountable governance framework for the attainment of the GSDP through: deepening democratic systems, building effective institutions, promoting human rights, strong civil society, rule of law, fighting corruption and strengthened access to media and information.

Obviously, the collective of the Gombe people have been given the opportunity to participate in the process and play crucial roles in their future.

“The strategic direction is predicated on an understanding of the fundamental developmental needs of Gombe State, which is to create a strong economy that will in turn create jobs and wealth, and so help the state to fulfill its other responsibilities and goals’, the document stated.

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021

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PERSPECTIVE

Ekweremadu’s 10-Day Trajectory for State Police

Tiger’s Game Over and He’s no Mandela Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline.com is disturbed that anyone would try to compare golf phenom, Tiger Woods with the late South African President and global icon, Dr. Nelson Mandela

I

n my assessment and that of millions of others around the world, Tiger Woods is easily the world’s greatest golf personality. He catapulted this game of privilege to a popular, admirable sport.

His compelling execution of strategy and deployment of his massive skills shifted the game from the perception of boring and repetitive to become one of high interest for younger folks, men and women of different economic and social strata.

Tiger, as the 45-years old transformative, game-changing player is affectionately and properly called, is a 15-time major champion and winner of a record-tying 82 PGA Tour tournaments. And, boasts loads of millions of dollars; and a truck load of controversies which emerge with the revelation of serial dalliances with women while he was married. The genius of golf had a very dangerous single-person car accident, near Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 23, 2021; for which he went into hours of emergency surgery to repair what doctors called “significant orthopaedic injuries” to his lower right leg and ankle. His agent, Mark Steinberg, revealed Tiger had “multiple leg injuries.”

Dr. Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said Woods suffered “comminuted” open fractures -- bones that were broken into more than two pieces and with breaks in the skin.

The surgeons inserted a rod into the tibia of Woods’ right leg, and a combination of screws and pins to stabilize injuries to his foot and ankle.

The good news is that Tiger is “responsive, and recovering.”

The bottomline, though, is that the extent and impact of the injuries will sideline him from the top billing as golf’s show stopper.

The Tiger’s golf game, substantially, is over.

I wish him speedy and steady recovery I believe it was in June 2001 that I saw Tiger’s (now late) father, Earl Woods, on ESPN television recall the day his son met South Africa’s former President, late Nelson Mandela: “it was the first time Tiger met a human being who was equal to him, who was as powerful as Tiger is.” Hello!?

Brother Earl, Tiger “equal to” Mandela?

Nonsense!

I’ve also also met and seen Mandela.

Tiger Woods can hit a golf ball, alright, but he probably does not know (or relatively do much) about the fact that millions of kids of African heritage, white kids and, in fact, among those of his ‘Cablinasian’ heritage go

to bed hungry, everyday. Those kids whose parents can afford it, see him on cereals packages. So much for his impact on their lives; or shall I say, at the breakfast table.

My point?

Tiger Woods does not show a significant measure of social concern and progressive values to merit this “equal to Mandela” drivel. To say the least, Earl Woods engaged in a scandalous abuse of analogy.

I agree that that Tiger Woods is a great sports personality, but to bring a one-onone measure of the young man against Mandela’s record, Mandela’s inscrutable presence, Mandela’s unwavering, gracious and principled fights against all forms of injustice and bigotry, was an exercise in privileged banality and simplistic reductionism of history to sheer sports entertainment.

Understandably, Mr. Woods seemed carried away in an unreflective sense of a historical measurement and took a walk away from reality. Tiger can wow the crowd and adoring fans, seasonally, but Mandela’s contributions to mankind, his well-deserving mythology and gravitas will endure to the end of comprehensible history of mankind.

Shall we say, simply: Tiger Woods is famous, and has shattered a number golfing records, and carted away a dozen or so trophies. Before Tiger was even born, and for that matter decades before his deceased father Earl could play in any major golf club, Mandela was fighting against apartheid and setting a global standard against discriminations and assorted theologies of hate. His fights in South Africa was an inspiration to Blacks in America, as I argued in my forthcoming 2021 book, MLK, Mandela, Achebe & Obama: Power, Leadership and Identity.

Mandela challenged and overcame, institutionalized racism and what I refer to as “mechanized bigotry” in his country. More than anything else, he liberated minds.

Mandela had stature and global statesmanship which the young Woods’ Grand Slam championship and Masters trophies can never buy or earn.

His cheerleaders are taking their golf game too seriously when his father compares Tiger as “equal to him (Mandela).”

Where’s his sense for proportion? I have walked (in the company of Walter Isaacson, former Managing Editor of TIME magazine and later Chairman of CNN, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, and others in March 1998, during President Bill Clinton’s visit to South Africa) inside the particular prison cell where the very distinguished Mandela was held at an isolated spot at the ignoble Robben Island operated by the goons of apartheid. I have seen the statesmanship of Mandela on issues of race relations and nation-building, and especially on forgiveness; I have seen Mandela speak his truths firmly and certainly to the face of power and privilege that it’s almost entirely obscene to compare one of the most credible and respected leaders of 20th and the 21st centuries to the competitive tallies made by hitting a milk-colored ball on lush, well-tended golf courses. Pointedly put, Tiger is a golf phenom, that is, too, a unilinear personality in a particular sport.

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Uche Anichukwu, Media Adviser to Senator Ike Ekweremadu draws attention to his principal’s suggestion to get the constitutional backing for creation of state police

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he suggestion by former Deputy President of the Senate and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in the 6th, 7th, and 8th Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, that the surest and handiest approach to restraining the demons of insecurity prowling the length and breadth of the country remains state and that the constitution cold actually be amended in 10 days or less to achieve it, has expectedly set tongues wagging. While overwhelming majority are excited at the prospects and wished the leaders of the country and stakeholders could listen even want it as a matter of today, many have equally wondered why the lawmaker believes that the nation could achieve in 10 days what he should have done in the 12 years that he piloted constitution amendment at the federal parliament.

The good thing, though, is that at least, unlike in those days when advocacy on decentralised policing was largely resisted by most political stakeholders and generally dismissed with a wave of the hand or even derided, an overwhelming majority of Nigerians are now seeing the present and imminent dangers in running a federal state with a unitary police. For one, the Nigeria’s Governors Forum appears game.

Indeed, Ekweremadu has actually been on this project for well over a decade, but the political leadership of the country across party lines behaved like the ostrich. I was with him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in March 2013 when he delivered the Annual Lecture entitled “Policing and National Security in Nigeria: The Choices Before Us”. The subject resonated in his lecture when he returned to the same arena to speak on the subject of “Constitutional Review in a Multi-ethnic Society”. I was at the Banquet Hall of Aso Presidential Villa where decentralised policing formed part of his paper, “Strategies for Evolving a People’s Constitution” at an event attended by virtually all the political stakeholders in September 2012. I was with him at the Osgood Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Canada, where the need for decentralised policing was a major part of the paper, “Nigerian Federalism: A Case for a Review”, which he delivered there in April 2012. In fact, from Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC where he spoke on “Constitution Review in an Emerging Democracy: the Nigerian Experience”, in April 2014 to New York where he spoke on “Constitutionalism and the Challenges of Leadership in Africa: An Evaluation of Tested Models” in October 2017, the UK Parliament where he spoke on “African Politics: the Dynamics and the Lessons” in January 2018; and to his innumerable interventions at the floor of the Senate, his interviews, etc., and countless press statements, Ekweremadu has been one of the few voices wailing in the wilderness on the need for decetralised policing that would include state police.

He has in the process tried to disabuse the minds of naysayers. I remember his February 2018 back piece in Thisday newspaper entitled “A Vote for State Police” and his appearance on Channels TV around the same period wherein he addressed point by point the fears and arguments against state police.

Over the years, our legislative chambers have become funeral homes of sorts with daily lamentations and a minute silence in honour of terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, etc. During a two-hour debate at the floor of the Senate over the massacre and arson wrought by bandits in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State in November 2017, Ekweremadu warned: “We are still treating the symptoms of insecurity in this country.

We are using Panadol to treat malaria. We should devolve more powers to states and

create state police. We can no longer shy away from this issue.”

In the wake of the June 2018 arson and massacre of over 100 by suspected herdsmen, the lawmaker, while expressing his pains that “innocent people, who voted us into power to protect their lives and property are losing their lives and their property because we have refused to take the correct steps”, predicted that “the sad news is not only that many people have died, but also that more people will die unless we take the right steps of putting the right security architecture in place”. How right he was.

Although he piloted the process that broke the jinx of amending the 1999 Constitution in 2010, resulting in numerous successful amendments, every push to amend the constitution to create state police was defeated, sometimes even at the level of the Committee on Constitution Review. I think it was in the 6th or 7th Senate that the move was defeated by a single vote at the committee level. Unfortunately, unlike the executive where the views and intents of a governor or president is hardly opposed, a presiding officer, whether at the Committee level or plenary, does not vote, except to break a tie.

Chicken comes home to roost Today, the chicken has come home to roost and who would blame Ekweremadu for venting his frustrations during the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Committee on Electoral Act and Constitution Amendment, which he is also the Chairman.

He said: “It is unfortunate that the rain, which some of us shouted on top of our voices, forewarning the nation against and even proposed policies and sponsored Bills to avert, is now beating us heavily.

“I rallied my colleagues and together we sponsored the Bill for the Creation of State Police in the 8th National Assembly. I am equally sponsoring a Bill for the Creation of State Police in the current Senate.

“Unfortunately, we do not appear ready yet or show a sense of urgency to stem the tide of insecurity or rebuild our economy through the decentralisation or devolution of power.

“So long as we run a dysfunctional centralised policing, for that long will our insecurity-induced pains and losses continue to rise. The community policing initiative is illusory, cosmetic, ephemeral, inorganic, and will certainly not change anything.

“It is either we do the right things to get the right results or continue to do the wrong things and live with the consequences of our choices, as is presently the case. We must also have it at the back of our minds that things will probably get worse”.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

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

ͯ ͷ ˜ Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͯ MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

REPO 20 % 20.50 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

18 % 18 % 21 %

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

563.13 % -0.32 % -5.55 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE -15.98 % YEAR TO DATE -15.98 %

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes

BASL Takes Delivery of Airport Equipment

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc, Mr. Premier Oiwoh; Registrar/CEO, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria(CIBN), Mr. Seye Awojobi; and Deputy Managing Director, NIBSS Plc, Mr. Niyi Ajao, at a media briefing on the official launch of the e-payment certification, held in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

FG Begins Implementation of Livestock Transformation Plan James Emejo in Abuja Following a €400,000 funding support from the Netherlands, the federal government has commenced talks with the Nasarawa State government for the kick-off of the pilot implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).

The plan, which includes the establishment of grazing reserves across the country is seen as panacea to the current farmer-herder conflicts in the country.

The implementation will also help the country maximise opportunities in the country’s over N30 trillion assets in livestock which had been neglected over the years.

AGRIC The Special Adviser to the President on Agriculture, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, who met with key state officials in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital recently, said it was important for the state to understand the requirements for the establishment of the Awe Grazing Reserve billed to be located in state as pilot project.

The move came on the back of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari recently to the Netherlands, whereby the Dutch Investment Agency (RVO) approved a grant of about €400,000 to cover 50 per

cent cost of the pilot start-up of NLTP model in Nasarawa State for 30 pastoralist households with a start date of March, 2021.

Kwasari, during the meeting with Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe and the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Allananah Otaki, said the engagement was to further ensure that the state livestock transformation team was fully understood the requirements for successfully implementing the pilot.

He added that the pilot would serve as a proof of concept for the livestock subsector transformation process.

In a statement, Communications Lead, FMARDPACE, Sandra Affun,

Kwasari, who is also the Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on Special Projects, further explained that the objective was to, “review in particular the project appraisal document for the start-up site and ensure that the state team is clear on the roles and responsibilities of Nasarawa State senior management team of the state livestock transformation office and the project office”.

However, Akabe welcomed the initiative in the state and pledged government’s support to make it a success.

According to the deputy governor:” We are quite enthuContinued on page 20

Analyst Predicts Weak Growth for Airlines Chinedu Eze Industry consultant and CEO of Aglo Limited, Tayo Ojuri has predicted that Nigerian airlines would record weak profit in 2021, due to the weakness of the marco-economy.

Ojuri said this in a telephone interview with THISDAY. He identified three factors that would hinder the ability of the airlines to post healthy profit.

One of the factors he said was low government spending, which he said could reduce cash in circulation, predicting that less number of people would travel by air.

With low passenger traffic, the airlines would not enjoy high load factor so they won’t break even in most of their routes, he forecasted.

Another factor identified by Ojuri was exchange rate, saying airlines would find it difficult to fund their operations, acquire spares, carry out training, which

AVIATION require dollars payment because they are done overseas.

The aviation consultant also expected that the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic would still drastically affect airline operations globally.

He noted that as long as air travel is still low in other parts of the world, domestic operations would correspondingly be low because international flight operations feed domestic service, as about 70 per cent of the passenger traffic on domestic destinations come from international traffic.

“COVID-19 is still not gone.

The only people who are travelling now are people who travel for business. People don’t travel for leisure and tourism, which means that passenger traffic is low.

“International travel feed domestic operations. In the next two quarters travel won’t

pick up. England, for example, is opening up in May. “About 70 per cent of domestic passenger traffic comes from outside and these are businessmen who come to the country and use domestic airlines to travel to places. So if they are not able to come it will affect domestic passenger traffic,”Ojuri said.

Ojuri’s prediction was in tandem with projections made by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which stated that globally that the airlines would remain cash negative in 2021.

The latest new analysis released by IATA estimated that the airline industry was expected to remain cash negative throughout 2021, but previous analysis (November 2020) had indicated that airlines would turn cash positive in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The global body identified some factors as responsible for the new development and it

includes weak start for 2021, noting that it is already clear that the first half of 2021 would be worse than earlier anticipated.

“This is because governments have tightened travel restrictions in response to new COVID-19 variants. Forward bookings for summer (July-August) are currently 78 per cent below levels in February 2019 (comparisons to 2020 are distorted owing to COVID-19 impacts),” IATA said.

However, IATA expressed optimism that from this lower starting point for the year, an optimistic scenario would see travel restrictions gradually lifted once the vulnerable populations in developed economies have been vaccinated, but only in time to facilitate tepid demand over the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere.

“In this case 2021 demand would be 38 per cent of 2019 levels. Airlines would burn Continued on page 20

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL) has taken delivery more airport equipment to upgrade its systems and make passenger experience more memorable.

Specifically, the terminal operator has taken delivery of more X-ray machinesandairconditioningequipmentinordertoensurepassengers’ safety, improve security and comfort.

TheBASLActingHeadofBusiness,Mr.RaphaelUchegbu,whodisclosed thedevelopmentwhenexecutivesoftheLeagueofAirportandAviation Correspondents(LAAC)paidacourtesyvisittothecompany,notedthat BASL has been upgrading and improving all its facilities since inception.

Uchegbu, stated that when BASL started operations, the company had all its facilities intact but as at 2015, when some of them started needing change, it embarked on a massive replacement drive, which included the escalators and the air conditioning units.

“Whenwestartedoperations,wehadallthefacilitiesin2015.Wechanged alotofthings.WeareexpectingX-raymachinestoarrivetoday(February 22). And AC too”, Uchegbu said.

The terminal operator also said it had to continuously improve on its Covid-19 protocols in a bid to ensure that it does its part to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country stating that all the protocols are in place.

“If you look at the terminal we have re-marked the social distancing spots and made them clearer and besides that we have line managers everywhere that tend to direct people on where to stand and when to move, this is because sometimes, some people may not know the procedures and so we give these directions.

EarlierinFebruary,BASLannouncedthatithadexpendedabout$500,000 importingasizeablenumberofX-raymachinestoenhanceandaccelerate the screening of passengers and cargoes.

CHI Embarks on Insurance Sensitisation

ConsolidatedHallmarkInsurance(CHI)Plc,ageneralbusinessinsurance provider has embarked on a media advertising campaign tagged, ‘If you love it, Insure It.’ The company said the campaign was aimed at sensitising members of the public on the need to insure their valued assets.

With the campaign, the company said it is targeting and encouraging Nigerians to express love to each other by insuring their assets.

Speaking on the purpose of the campaign, the Executive Director, Operations, CHI, Mary Adeyanju, said: “Insurance as a risk mitigator brings peace of mind and takes anxiety away.”

Sheemphasisedthat,“besidesindemnifyingindividualsandorganisations from covered losses, insurance helps to aid adequate planning and unnecessary financial burden in times of loss.”

The company also stated that through the campaign it was offering its productsataverycompetitiveratesonallclassesofinsuranceincluding motor, travel, home, marine, group personal accident, all risks, and many other covers.

India Plans Social Media Controls

Chafing from a dispute with Twitter, India plans to oblige social media companies to erase contentious content fast and assist investigations, according to a draft regulation.

New Delhi’s planned “Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code” - a copy of which was seen by Reuters - came as various nations aroundtheworldtrytoasserttightercontroloverpowerfulBigTechfirms.

Facebookfacedaglobalbacklashfrompublishersandpoliticiansrecently after blocking news feeds in Australia in a dispute with the government over revenue-sharing.

InIndia,Twitterignoredorderstoremovecontentoverfarmers’protests, fuelling the zeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since 2018totightenregulationforcontentitdeemsdisinformationorunlawful.

Thelatestdraftrules-whichwouldbelegallyenforcable-saycompanies should remove content as early as possible, but not later than 36 hours, after a government or legal order.

They must also assist in investigations or other cyber security-related incidentswithin72hoursofarequest.Further,ifapostdepictsanindividual in any sexual act or conduct, then companies must disable or remove such content within a day of receiving a complaint, the rules added.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Twitter, which did not take down all accounts the government alleged werespreadingliesabouttheprotestsoveragriculturalreforms,declined to comment.

“Locally, the airlines are not growing and if they don’t grow, there won’t be jobs for pilots to do, how do you reconcile that?”

Rector, Ilorin International Aviation College,

Benedict Adeyileka

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

FG BEGINS IMPLEMENTATION OF LIVESTOCK TRANSFORMATION PLAN

Osinbajo Highlights Benefits of SMEs

siastic about this programme starting in Nasarawa state. We feel it is a great honor that Nasarawa State was picked to pilot this project.

“We as a state have resolved not only to be in charge but also in control. We want to own it and make Nasarawa an envy of other states because we are supposed to showcase not only Nasarawa State, but the whole of Nigeria.”

He further assured the team of the support of the state governor in making the project a huge success.

Under the current initiative, Cownexxion, the lead consultant in the bilateral collaboration, leading the Dutch Consortium, will serve as technical partner for the implementation of the NLTP pilot ranches in four states namely Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau and Gombe.

In each of these states, a pilot farm, which will also serve as a training centre, will be developed.

The statement added that Cownexxion will work with the federal and state governments led by Kwasari to implement the pilot initiative.

Vice President Yemi Osibajo has restated the belief of the federal government in the capacity of small and medium scale enterprises to stimulate economic activities and provide jobs.

He made the remark as the keynote speaker at the 2021 P&G – BoI SME Academy, where the consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment (FMITI) and the Bank of Industry (BoI) provided access to training for over 700 SMEs during.

According to the Vice President, “The federal government believes wholeheartedly that SMEs are the bedrock of the economy and we are constantly aiming to support innovations that can help SMEs grow and in turn groom the economy and provide job opportunities.

“The government has been working diligently and creatively on engaging the most vulnerable businesses especially during this current crisis.”

The plenary session at the academy with the theme: ‘SME Development and Growth as a Precursor to Nation Building,’ brought senior government and private sector leaders to discuss proven strategies that could be

ANALYST PREDICTS WEAK GROWTH FOR AIRLINES through $75 billion of cash over the year. But cash burn of $7 billion in the fourth quarter would be significantly improved from an anticipated $33 billion cash burn in the first quarter,” the body said.

“With governments having tightening border restrictions, 2021 is shaping up to be a much tougher year than previously expected.

“Our best-case scenario sees airlines burning through $75 billion in cash this year. And it could be as bad as $95 billion.

“More emergency relief from governments will be needed.

A functioning airline industry can eventually energize the economic recovery from COVID-19. But that won’t happen if there are massive failures before the crisis ends.

“If governments are unable to open their borders, we will need them to open their wallets with financial relief to keep airlines viable,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

Raheem Akingbolu

leveraged to drive the growth and development of local SMEs as the bedrock of Nigeria’s economic development.

Also, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo reiterated the need to create a favorable business environment for SMEs in Nigeria.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is committed to providing SMEs the required

support and trainings needed to consistently project their businesses in an upward trajectory. “We achieve this through information-driven support vital in building a better playing field for commerce in the entire nation. We are grateful to organisations like Procter & Gamble for their continuous efforts towards transforming their communities of operations through proactive projects like the SME Academy.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director, P&G Nigeria, Mr. Adil Farhat highlighted the need to continuously support SMEs in Nigeria, saying they have the potential to out rightly transform the country.

Farhat added that, “in line with the focus of Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth plan to drive industrialisation and economic growth through globally competitive SMEs, P&G in collaboration with

the Federal Ministry of Trade, industry and investment and the Bank of Industry launched the SME Academy to improve their standard, ensure longevity, and facilitate integration into global value chains.

“For over 27 years in Nigeria, P&G has consistently partnered with the Nigerian government to promote strong investor policies and practices that drive inclusive growth, jobs, and welfare of Nigerian citizens”.

REBRANDING

L-R: Partner / Head, Oil, Gas and Power Services, Andersen, Oladipo Maiye; Partner / Head, Transfer Pricing Services, Joshua Bamfo; Head, Marketing /Branding, Omawunmi Martins; Partner / Head, Business Advisory Services, Lateef Surakatu; and Associate Director, Transfer Pricing, Amaka Samuel-Onyeani, at a press conference to announce the change of name from Andersen Tax Nigeria to ANDERSEN, held in Lagos... recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

FG to Deploy ICT to Boost Agric Extension Services James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja Amidst challenges facing agricultural extension services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has said the use of ICT remains an alternative option going forward.

The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Karima Babangida, pointed out that providing extension services to famers has become costly and challenging owing

to several reasons.

Speaking at the opening of a workshop organised for the South-west extension workers in the yam value chain in Ijebu Ife, Ogun State, she said: “Farmers are geographically dispersed in difficult-to-reach places; some of their information requirements are highly localised and largescale extension provision faces several governance challenges.”

According to her, ICT applications have the potential to address some of these challenges adding compared to face-to-face extension, they are cheaper as they do not rely on costly and

time-consuming travelling.

Babangida said: “It allows for more timely and regular provision of farming advice to farmer’s in their local dialects.”

She added that a holistic approach to agricultural extension service goes beyond technology transfer for major crops, adding that it also included enhancing the management and technical skills of farm households relating to production, and postharvest management of high-value crops like yam; sustainable natural resource management; family health care and nutrition.

She said: “As you are aware, the restriction of movement of people, goods and services has negatively impacted on food supply chains, incomes and livelihoods in the country.

“Since effective extension service delivery is key to boosting agricultural productivity, increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods, and promoting agriculture as an engine of pro-poor economic growth, it become necessary to organise this workshop.

Speaking at the occasion, the Programme Manager, Deola Lordbanjou, said COVID-19 had

limited the ability of extension workers to meet the needs of farmers.

He added: “You will all agree with me that under COVID -19, extension workers have not been able to meet with farmers as regular as they should.

“But with better technology, this can be done without putting anybody at risk. Again, yam production has gone through a lot of transformation in recent time and extension workers need to acquaint themselves of the processes in order to advise the farmers properly.”

Ogah Seeks Synergy in Africa’s Mining Sector Francis Anatogu in Abuja

The Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah has advised African countries to build their respective mining sector in order to boost economic growth and industrialisation in the continent.

He stated this recently when he played host to a delegation of the National Action Committee on African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) ,

led by its Secretary, Francis Anatogu, in Abuja.

Ogah, in a statement noted that Nigeria has over 44 minerals in commercial value which could lead to the industrialisation of Africa, stating: “globally, Nigeria is blessed in terms of minerals.”

He said the ministry was working at ensuring that no mineral would be taken out of the country without proper beneficiation in order

to improve and increase the economic value of the minerals to meet international standard for the benefit of the miners.

He disclosed that the ministry was determined to use the sector as a tool for job and wealth creation, in line with the present administration’s agenda, and provide opportunities for Africans.

Ogah, further revealed that the ministry was also looking at creating a project, “Mines

to Power,” which would be aimed at providing sustainable power to drive mining activities at the sites, adding that access to energy, especially electricity is a driving force for economic development.

While commending the Committee for the efforts they have put in so far, the Minister enjoined them to ensure that he is briefed regularly on their activities.

Earlier, Anatogu urged

African nations to leverage on the benefits of AfCFTA to increase the economic growth in Africa.

He stated that AfCFTA aligns with the vision of the Ministry’s Mining Road Map, noting that mining employs people with zero education to those with PhD. According to him, the sector has the capacity to solve the unemployment problem in many African countries.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Nigerian Brand, JR Farms Acquires 11% Stake in Rwandan Firm

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Nume Ekeghe

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja JR Firms, an agribusiness firm with headquarters in Nigeria, has announced partnership with Sanit Wing Rwanda through the acquisition of 11 per cent stake in the company.

The CEO of the company, Mr Rotimi Olawale, explained in a statement that the partnership was in furtherance of its goals to ensure food security, create

decent jobs and raise the next generation of agrarian leaders in Africa.

The stake was acquired through Green Agribusiness Fund, an initiative of JR Farms designed to invest in youth-led agribusinesses across Africa.

Sanit Wing Rwanda is an agro-processing company that processes avocado oil and cosmetics that are natural, quality, affordable, reliable and viable.

The vision of the company is to become the leading producers of best quality avocado and avocado by-products in Africa by creating value across the avocado value chain.

With focus on bringing together over 20,000 professional Avocado farmers on board and planting of three million avocado trees by 2025 through contract farming, the company currently works with One Acre

Fund in supply of avocado to its processing facility.

The products of the company which include avocado oil, skin care (SANTAVO), hair cream and soap are being sold locally and exported to regional market in Kenya.

With the new partnership with JR Farms- the products of the company will enjoy more access to markets focusing on Africa and the European Union

by leveraging on partnerships and trade windows available.

Aside funding, the partnership comes with project support in areas of market exposure, capacity building, exposure and other thematic support to grow the business over the next four years.

JR Farms has agribusiness operations in Nigeria, Rwanda, United States and Zambia respectively.

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Ethiopian Airlines Appoints Ataklet Abuja Manager Stories by Chinedu Eze

A new Traffic and Sales Manager Mrs. Senait Ataklet has been Appointed by Ethiopian Airlines for Abuja, Nigeria.

The airline said Senait joined the airline in 2002 and has served it in different departments and positions where she acquired extensive experience in the aviation industry.

She specialised on customer services and sales.

She holds a B.Sc degree in Management Information System and have earned numerous certificates in Customer Services and aviation management.

She led the Airlines Holiday product development team in Addis Ababa before her posting to Abuja.

“At Addis Ababa she contributed a lot to the development of the department combining the airline and tourism industry. She proved herself as an expert on sales for inbound and outbound trip packages attracting different types of visitors to new and existing destinations.

“A very strong passionate woman Senait is an example of the leading African Airline’s support for women. Ethiopian Airlines is known for empowering women and

she will be the second woman to man the Abuja station,” Ethiopian said.

She brings her passion for tourism to the capital of Nigeria hoping to take “Connecting Africa to the world” to a higher level.

Her vision is to, “make a difference in development of our nations.” She hopes to grow tourism into Nigeria and from Nigeria by combining her experience in tourism and aviation.

“Ethiopian flies to Abuja and Lagos only since the end of the lockdown. It has been flying to Nigeria since 1960. It is the first airline to bring the B787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 to Abuja.

Emirates Operates First Flight with Fully Vaccinated Crew In order to honour its commitment to the health and safety of its employees and customers, Emirates said it has become the first airlines in the world to operate a flight with fully vaccinated frontline team servicing customers at every touch point of the travel journey.

Also supporting the flight’s operations were fully vaccinated aircraft appearance, loading and special handling teams from dnata, as well as SkyCargo teams working on the cargo and logistics requirements for EK215.

The Emirates Group said it rolled out its vaccination drive just over a month ago, and since then, close to 26,000, or 44 per cent, of the Group’s UAE frontline aviation workforce have received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinopharm vaccines.

Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline, Adel Al Redha explained in a statement: “Our operational workforce are at the

aviation frontline, helping people get to where they need to be, and moving essential goods to global communities.

“Protecting our people with vaccinations is important – for them, for our community, for the smooth running of our operations, and also for our customers as it introduces of an additional layer of protection when they travel with us.

“We’ve seen a very positive response with high demand and take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine from our colleagues at the operational frontline, and there’s continued momentum in the rate of vaccinations across the business.

“We would like to thank the UAE’s leadership for making three types of vaccines available in the country, and for their proactive commitment to championing an extensive National Vaccination Programme.”

Emirates said nearly 5,000 Cabin and Flight Deck Crew have opted

to receive both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In addition, thousands more Emirates Group employees in other roles have taken their COVID-19 vaccine through the company’s clinics and vaccination centres, while others have opted to take their vaccine at one of the many vaccination centres across the UAE. Al Redha added: “At the outset of the pandemic, Emirates implemented robust safety measures to protect and prioritise the safety of our customers and employees at all stages of the travel journey, and with the rapid progress of our own vaccination programme and high rates of take-up, more of our flights will soon be operating with fully vaccinated frontline employees.

“We are also confident that with more people being vaccinated, combined with strong safety measures in place, we can all look forward to the easing of border entry guidelines for many countries.”

Qatar Partners UEFA Qatar Airways has announced that it would join The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as partner of the UEFA EURO 2020, with the national carrier of the State of Qatar set to be the official airline of the tournament taking place from June 11th to July 11th, 2021.

The 16th edition of the flagship UEFA Championship will see the 24-team tournament celebrated across 12 host cities including Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and St. Petersburg.

Wembley Stadium will be set to host the final in London on July 11th, 2021.

Additionally, the Qatar Airways brand will feature prominently across all digital platforms and stadiums set to host the 51 matches during the course of the summer tournament.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is pleased to partner with UEFA to connect players, fans and officials across the globe through our world-class service. The power of sport to unite people is unrivalled, and this partnership with

UEFA EURO 2020™ is an excellent opportunity for us to witness the very best in European football. Furthermore, this alliance illustrates our commitment to Europe, and accentuates our growing sporting partnership portfolio.”

UEFA Director of Marketing, Guy-Laurent Epstein, added: “We are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways on board as an Official Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™. Like sport, travel unites us.

Now more than ever, next summer represents the ideal opportunity for us to celebrate the excitement that the competition will bring.”

As Embraer Forecasts Growth for Aviation in Africa

Embraer’s Vice President, Mr. Rodrigo Silva e Souza Chinedu Eze Despite the devastation of coronavirus pandemic to air travel globally, it has been predicted that Africa would record high growth post COVID-19.

This prediction was made by the VicePresident of Embraer, Marketing Strategy, Mr. Rodrigo Silva e Souza, who described Africa as an emerging market that would record very high growth in aviation in the coming years.

But he noted that the growth would redefine air travel in the continent, noting that there would be more of short distance air travel. This short distance travel would require new aircraft types primed for 50-70 seats, not the popular Boeing 737 that has over 140 plus passenger capacity.

“Africa is an emerging market. We at Embraer see a very high growth rate on the continent. We estimate the market to double in the next 20 years. The Embraer aircraft brand has several features.

“For instance, some of the routes on the continent require this brand of aircraft.

There will be growth in demands and there will be more passengers. This is a good aircraft to go from 50 to above 100 seats, but also, some of the routes, which they deploy B737 may no lo longer be profitable again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“B737 aircraft will be too big an aircraft for those routes. So, there is this thing that we call rightsizing, which is using the right aircraft for the right routes. We have seen that a lot of the routes previously flown by a large aircraft like B737, due to the present situation are likely not to be as profitable as before,” Silva e Souza.

He said with the increased demand of Embraer aircraft in the African continent, that the company may establish more structures in the region in order to sup-

Africa is an emerging market.

We at Embraer see a very high growth rate on the continent. We estimate the market to double in the next 20 years

port the airlines in Africa.

“As we grow in presence on the continent of Africa, we may also need to extend our presence on the continent in terms of supports for our clients. Presently, we have maintenance facilities in South Africa.

The demand for our aircraft in Africa is rising; we have about 200 of our aircraft flying the region.

“With rightsizing, it is likely that in the future we will invest in more structures to support our customers in the region.

Considering the fact Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace is operating many Embraer aircraft, including the brand new ones being acquired; the Embraer VivePresident said it would support the airline providing facilities that would enable it maintain its fleet.

“What I can assure you is that during the evaluation, one of the key elements for Air Peace to select us is our ability to support the aircraft.

“Embraer’s support for its customers worldwide is quite different from other aircraft manufacturers, like Bombardier for instance. We do not have a specific agreement on MRO with Air Peace, but for sure, we have things in place to support the airline and our other customers.

He described Embraer aircraft as smart, but acknowledged, however, the E145, 50-seater aircraft may not have large cargo compartment, but the E195-E2 acquired by Air Peace recently has large cargo space.

“I imagine this could be an issue in the E145, but on the E195-E2 brands, they have come with the best cargo compartment because the cargo compartment is below the floor in that case, while in the E145, it is behind the passenger cabin. As we expand the aircraft, the amount of space was also increasing.

“The cargo space available in this aircraft is a lot higher than any other in its category.

It is a regional jet. We have space to carry cargo under the belly and also inside the cabin.

“So, the amount of bags you are able to carry inside the cabin compared to other generation for instance is 30 per cent more.

That allows the crew more space inside the cabin, plus the additional cargo compartment,” he said.

He advocated for the right use of equipment, noting that it would be the only way to guarantee them profitability after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In some cases, what we saw before the pandemic was that the market was growing so fast and the airlines could use the right equipment in the wrong routes and still be profitable, but now, with the crisis, that is going to change.

“The number of passengers is going to drop significantly all over the world. Business organisations will have to optimise their business to be able to recover from this loss and get the best demands.

“To achieve this, is to right-size, it is to use the right aircraft to the right routes.

My expectation is that many airlines will have to optimise their business and the best way to optimise is to right-size,” Silva e Souza said.

He said Embraer has global market share of 29 per cent at the moment in the market segment it operates, which is regional jets.

“In this market, we have the biggest market share today. The second place is Bombardier, which I think it has about 16 per cent of the market share. The difference between the first and second place is significantly in favour of Embraer. We will continue to invest in our products and make sure it is still competitive,” he added.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Pioneering Concession of State-owned Airport The Delta State Government recently signed concession agreement and handed over the Asaba International Airport to a private investor for management. Chinedu Eze writes that this may be the key to sustaining the airport and other aerodromes owned by state governments

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he decision to hand over the Asaba International Airport to private investors by the Delta state government last Tuesday could be described as a radical departure from the past and an opportunity to sustain the airport and make it viable.

What has been common in Nigeria is where some state governments would build airports, largely out of infatuation and idealistic projections of the benefits, but narrowly to create an opportunity to airlift governors, their acolytes, the upper class and family members from their own state capitals without thinking of the continuous stream of funds that must be made available to sustain the maintenance and management of such airports.

Subsequently, some states would hit a cul-de-sac in the area of funding; then they approach the federal government and request that the airports should be taken over by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Sagged by such huge responsibility, FAAN with limited sources of revenue is beset with huge fiscal demands that it fails to effectively management these airports.

But the Governor of Delta state, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa found a niche in concession and thus handed over the maintenance, expansion and modernisation of the airport to private investors. By that action, the Governor has aligned himself with modern trends of efficient airport management.

Why Concession?

The Governor during the concession agreement explained why government decided to concession the airport.

“Moving forward, we choose concession as the most viable option for the airports to be run professionally, efficiently and profitably for the overall good of the state,” he said.

He also disclosed that the consortium of investors were expected to expend at least N28 billion on various developmental investments on the airport over the 30 years concession period.

Okowa further said the consortium was expected to make the payment of N1 billion to the state within 15 days of commencement of activities, while another sum of N100 million was expected from the concessionaire annually and would be escalated every five years, noting that the new arrangement would boost economic and social activities in the state.

He explained that the government concessioned the airport to FIDC-Menzies Consortium as the preferred bidder to operate as the Master Concessionaire, while others would act as subconcessionaires for the entire concession years.

The consortium has technical partners like Air Peace as the Anchor Airline and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operator, Multifreight Cargo and Logistics; for cargo and logistics centre, Arbico Construction Company; to develop the business park, hotel and convention centre, Rainoil Limited and Cybernetics Limited; to develop the tank farm and provide aviation fuel, while Quorum Aviation Limited would develop and manage the private jet and helicopter terminal.

Okowa said the airport could only be made more efficient when handed over to private investors whom he said were experienced in management of airports.

He explained that at inception, the vision of the government was to make airport a regional hub for exportation of agricultural produce for the country, but lamented that it suffered a huge setback some few years back when it was downgraded to Cat 111 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) due to drop in standards.

He added that the concessionaire should be responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of the airport, keeping the airport in good operating condition throughout the concession period at his own cost and risk and in accordance with industry practice, and the provisions of the agreements.

Rebuilding the Airport After the airport was downgraded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) due to lack of safety critical facilities, the Okowa-led

Delta Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and the Chairman, Asaba Airport Company Limited, Mr Adebisi Adebutu, exchanging copies of the Concession Agreement of Asaba International Airport shortly after signing of the document between the State Government and the company in Asaba on Tuesday administration had to reconstruct the runway, construct perimeter fences, upgrade the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and other facilities, leading to its upgrade by the regulatory agency.

According to him, the new initiative by the state government had attracted new investors, new airlines, which now jostle to operate to the airport and improved economic activities for the state.

“It is the business of the Master Concessionaire to manage the airport, develop the cargo, hotel and conference centre, airlines operating into the airport and the MRO facilities among others.

“The name of the airport shall remain Asaba International Airport and there shall be no new other Greenfield airport within the concession period. Also, 20 per cent of its staff must be from Delta State and there should be mandatory capital project to be completed with the three years of commencement.”

The Governor remarked that it was important that the citizens of the state were kept abreast of the new developments about the airport, “so that they know that we are truly transparent, because from day one, in all the processes, we actually have stayed on course in being transparent.”

“We want our people to know that this decision is taken in the best interest of the state and the people of Delta State. And because we know that it is difficult for state governments to directly run airports and run it in the way that they should and actually bring maximum benefits to the people, we decided to go this route. And I want our people in Delta State to know that the decisions we have taken and the signing ceremony with our concessionaires today is actually in the best interest of the people of Delta State. And I hope that other states with state airports will follow suit.

“My good people of Delta with over N20 billion expected to be pumped into the airport development by the consortium over the concession period, the benefits to the state in terms of employment generation, economic growth, and tourism potential are enormous,” Okowa said.

In his remarks, during the ceremony, the Chairman, Asaba Airport Company Limited, Mr. Adebisi Adebutu, assured that the management would rebrand the airport and make it one of the best within the continent.

He recalled that it all started in 2016, in line with the vision of Okowa to bring economic and

infrastructure impact to the state via the airport concession. After a vigorous and transplant selection process in 2019, the FIDC-Menzies Consortium emerged the preferred bidder of the concession.

“For the sake of clarity, the Asaba International airport was initiated by the Delta State government in 2008, as part of the strategic objectives to create an economic platform to open the stage to the global marketplace.

“The airport, which has been under operational management of the state government institutions with technical support from federal regulatory agencies, was unfortunately downgraded in May 2019, due to the safety concerns identified by regulatory agencies.

“As a result, the airport maintained limited shuttle flight operations in recent years. However, the Okowa administration in fulfillment of its responsibility to reposition the airport facility embarked on the rehabilitation of key infrastructure within the airport to resolve the regulatory identify challenges, which led to the downgrade. The rehabilitation work was successfully completed and the airport upgraded to category six by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,” he said.

Benefits of the Concession Generally airports are known globally not to make run-away profits but they provide very critical service that buoys the economy of every nation and they also create jobs for the people. Industry stakeholders in Nigeria have variously frowned at the airports built by state governments because they are seen as waste of funds, as they don’t provide the needed jobs and many of them operate under conditions that compromise international standard, as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

But the Asaba airport has proved them wrong because since it was established it has provided essential flight service to air travellers in Delta and Anambra states. And the problem of funding the airport has been solved by the Delta state government with the concession of the airport.

The industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Alike confirmed this to THISDAY when he spoke during the agreement ceremony in Asaba.

“The benefits of the concession are multidimensional; the first is that it frees the funds the

Moving forward, we choose concession as the most viable option for the airports to be run professionally, efficiently and profitably for the overall good of the state

government has made expending on the airport.

So that relief is immense and it is humongous given what the government has spent over the years in trying to bring the airport to what it is presently.

“Secondly, it creates an opportunity for a world-class airport, world-class infrastructure to be developed here. And the approach they have taken is the approach that has not been taken taking anywhere in the world.

“The models they have adopted is a model that will expand business opportunities, increase employment for the people, and sooner than later property rates and everything will rise in Asaba and that will be to a greater benefits of developers and those who will come into this place.

“Asaba will become a distillation as this is likely to be a gateway airport to the south-south and south east. And if and only if the federal government does not or is not allowed by all the controversies to concession all the other airports, this airport will eventually become number one airport in the country, in terms of facilities, in terms of attraction and ambience, in terms of being a destination,” Aligbe said.

He said that in term of economic gains that would flow from the airport concession would be immense.

“Nobody can fully imagine it. This will be a lesson to other governors, who today, spend so much money building airports, and then turn around to hand it over the FAAN. There should be a bandwagon effect from what has happened here.

“If that happens, FAAN will be relieved of present burden of managing what today is called unviable airports. All airports can be viable if you determine how to go ahead and the only way to do it is to bring those who know how to manage airports. And that is a true concession,” he said.

Competition Aligbe also dismissed the fear that when a new airport is built in Anambra state it would reduce the passenger traffic at the Asaba International Airport, recognising that presently the airport is also the gate way to air travellers in Anambra state.

“Let me tell you, it is going to be a major problem for both airports (Anambra and Asaba).

This is because after the construction of the new Niger Bridge, Nnewi will be closer to Asaba than where the new airport is located.

Onitsha is closer to Asaba than to Awka. So what will determine the choice for the people is the service each airport will offer,” Aligbe added.

It is also the view of many in the aviation industry that the concession of Asaba airport would provide it with enviable, efficient service that will place it above other airports in the country.

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PERSPECTIVE

Significance of Ibom Air to Emmanuel’s Investment Drive Oti Enejor

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overnor Udom Emmanuel has shown boldness in opening up Akwa Ibom State for investment.

One of such is the Ibom Air, a signature project of his first term in office, which some naysayers had considered a bad investment, pointing out that it is capital intensive and that the industry is volatile.

The governor, however, looked beyond those myopic considerations to the big picture of the opportunities ownership and operation of an airline offer to a state like Akwa Ibom that is taking giant strides in industrialization.

His unshaken belief was what led to the materialisation of the dream in 2019 when the first set of aircraft was delivered at the Victor Attah International Airport.

Since then, the governor’s coordinated developments have shown that rather than being a vanity project, the Ibom Air was a cog in the development blueprint of the state.

Aviation business has often been considered as the preserve of the federal government, but Akwa Ibom has broken the jinx, becoming the only state that operates an international airport.

Others may argue blindly that the airline is nothing else but an ego-massaging project; they cannot, however, detract from some of the benefits outlined by Gov Udom Emmanuel, who pointed out that “we are running Ibom Air as a business, paying particular attention to Akwa Ibom people.”

For all intent and purpose, having an airline further aids the diversification of employment opportunities. Ibom Air could directly employ about 400; in the long run, it could indirectly engage 3,000 others. The vision is not only the creation of thousands

Emmanuel

of jobs but also enhancement of acquisition of advanced aeronautical skills as pilots, engineers and even cabin crew.

With his corporate background, it is expected that the governor would have a viable business angle to every one of his projects. This is especially true of Ibom Air, as he conceded: “We want to run Ibom Air as one of the most efficient, economically viable and profitable outfits in a way that will make others come to copy our business modules”.

The significance of Ibom Air is not farfetched: given the spate of industrialization around the South-South region, Akwa Ibom is poised to control regional aviation in the country.

The big picture is overwhelming. A Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility will hand the state the advantage in becoming an aviation hub that maintains fleets of aircraft across the country. It is in line with this objective that the state government is working on building world-class terminal buildings at the airport.

There is hardly any reason to question

the logic or legitimacy of establishing Ibom Air. With intense industrialization going on, whereby 15 industries have been entrenched in the past three and a half years, and the state’s stock rising to become the second most attractive destination of direct foreign investment, it will amount to a lack of oversight for the state not to have its own airline, given that the country doesn’t have one either.

On this count, Governor Udom Emmanuel deserves kudos for his visionary and industrial initiative.

There is no overlooking the fact too that Ibom Air is a huge factor in the projection of the image of Akwa Ibom to the world.

Though one of Africa’s youngest airlines, Ibom Air nonetheless, could dramatically change Nigeria’s aviation landscape. With a steady increase of its fleet from a single Bombardier CRJ900 to five and more to come in 2021, Akwa Ibom now has the opportunity to control regional air travel in Africa. One can take a cue from the several routes the young airline has opened from Uyo, its hub. Domestically, Uyo, the state capital now connects to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in (Abuja), Margaret Ekpo International Airport (Calabar), Akanu Ibiam International Airport (Enugu) and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos).

The increase in its fleet means additional aircraft will enable Ibom Air to widen its latitude into international destinations.

Already, plans have been mapped out to include Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, a city that is not far from Uyo, but which up till this moment lacked direct link. Other cities in West and Central Africa that it is looking forward to connecting are Accra (Ghana), Libreville (Gabon) and Douala (Cameroon).

Once its terminal is completed, Ibom Air can start full international flights by the first

quarter of 2022. So far, Ibom Airs’ future as a major player in Africa is clear and workable.

With new aircraft, bold and ambitious plans, and strong support, Ibom Air is doing everything right in the marketplace.

It is only a matter of time before the carrier broker new routes, claim market share and transform into an aviation juggernaut. Such a development will have a multiplier effect on the economy of the state. More investors coming into the state would translate into a better economy and increased productivity.

Presently, Akwa Ibom State is the highest oil and gas producing state. The state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is at least $11, 179m, one of the largest in Nigeria.

Other developments are certain to follow, such as the establishment of search and rescue centre, the establishment of a flight training school, and the construction of a power station to supply electricity to the airport.

Again, sceptics might still harp on the question: what informed the state’s decision to take such a step in a country where airline mortality is very high?

The answer is short and direct: The airline is crucial to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s economic development plan for the state.

With the comparatively good infrastructure already in place, and coordinated industrialisation programme in full swing, the governor has also kick-started tourism drive through a “Visitors’ Programme” conceived to market the state as the ideal destination for leisure including sporting, social and corporate events. Such a grand scheme would be defeated without Ibom Air. The airline will facilitate ease of access for tourists and investors alike.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Ann-Melody Oluwakemi Areola: Promoting Wellbeing of Women

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COVER

Ann-Melody Oluwakemi Areola: Promoting Wellbeing of Women Ann-Melody OluwakemiAreola is an innovative Public Relations Expert, a tactical Social Development Specialist and Business Support Services Advisor with a strategic intent premised on sustainable economic growth, inventive partnerships and youth empowerment. She is currently the Special Assistant on ICT and Corporate Relations to the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, actively running her PR bespoke boutique, Vivacity PR and an MBA Scholar. To mark her 41st birthday, she has written a book titled ’40 going on 80’ where she shares her life journey. In this interview with MARY NNAH, she speaks on her passion for the girl child, her life’s experiences and lessons

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part of everything is believe in yourself; never ever compromise your children’s welfare, education and upbringing. As much as you need to be out there in the world doing whatever it is that you are doing, ensure you take care of the home first, it is very important. But whatever you are doing outside in the world, don’t ever feel that you are limited. The limitations that you experience in life are only the limitations that you put upon yourself. If around every situation there is a way around, please try to find a way around it to make it work.

hat more should we know about you?

Ann-Melody Oluwakemi Areola who started her career over a decade ago is a thoroughbred Public Relations Consultant with ground-breaking results to boot; she has her footprints in Africa, America, Europe and counting. She is a passionate crusader and advocate for the girl child, women and youths through executable empowerment solutions.

From volunteering to initiating foundations for revolutionary causes, her unflinching energy geared at making the needed impact has led her into driving initiatives for a better humanity.

She is also the Founder of Women in Entertainment and Arts, an initiative designed to honour women for their significant contributions in advancing the entertainment and arts industry.

She also co-founded Youth in Charity, a movement created to stamp out poverty through the economic empowerment of young people. She is passionate about the girl child and feminine gender issues.

What informed your book, 40goingon80?

I have always said I would write a book and I wrote it this year. The longest holidays we have as special assistants always come during the Christmas holidays and so it gave me time to reflect on what I have been through, going through and will be through, so I just felt it was time to tell a little bit of my story and some of the things that have shaped me.Also, because sometimes I put up some nuggets on social media; people think I was born with a silver spoon and I bless God every opportunity and privileged. My boss always says, ‘we can only create opportunities and it is left for you to tap into them’, and I work hours every day from my private business to my official work, I am always working.

This is because I have seen an opportunity and I want to utilise it to the best of my ability. I want to give the best that I can so that the universe conspires to give me back as much as I deserve and I just feel that message needs to be heard by a lot of people, because most people feel that if you are not born in Nigeria, you are lucky. Nobody knows I lived on the streets, no one knows my journey, and so I needed to tell people a little bit about my struggles.

My book is therefore telling people that it is not luck, beauty nor nepotism that got me to where I am today, even though it might not mean so much to some people, but then I am grateful for where I am. Also, my personal story is a testimony and I hope that my story inspires others not to give up, because it is about light being at the end of the tunnel, there is light inside the tunnel, you just have to find it, hence it is the journey that matters not the destination.

What in your view are some of those issues affecting the girl-child and women in Nigeria?

Majority of the girl-child and women in Nigeria lack education. When it comes to female genital mutilation, equal opportunities, domestic violence and sexual rights, it all boils down to lack of education. A child is a blank canvas, whatever you paint on it is what you are going to get. If you grow up believing that it is right to hit a woman; if you grow up believing that when a woman says no, you have the right to say yes on her behalf or when you mutilate a female genital area, it makes her less sexually promiscuous, all these things are myths that need to be spoken to, they are things that needs to be washed away. I don’t blame the people that think this way, they think this way because that is the education they have. But we are in a position to change the narrative in so many areas. When a woman is better educated, she can give more to

Areola

her family, that’s why I am concentrating more on women.

You raise school fees for girls who are underprivileged, how did you go about sourcing for them?

In order to source for the girls, our team, the Glocalised team visit schools in different communities in each state. Our first focus is one girl from each state and we approach the principals of the school to see which young female on their records is having difficulty paying their school fees. Once a female has been identified and communicated to me, we pay the fees directly to the school. One of the things that I am ensuring is that we pay the school fees from the time of intervention until the young female leaves that educational institution because we don’t want to pay for a year and the next year, they are struggling again. So if the child is in JSS3, SS1 or SS2, we pay for their full duration right up to their SS3, Primary 6 or 400 levels. Wherever the stage of education they are, we are paying right up until they graduate from that institution and we are making sure we do one from each state in the country as well as the FCT. The fees are paid directly through the institution and the receipt is handed over to the parents of the child just to ensure there is no paperwork issue.

Are you paying solely from your pocket?

Personal funding isn’t enough, as our statistics show that there are virtually many girl children out of school in all states, we can’t reach all but with donations and sponsorships from people who key into this selfless service for the girl child, we can rebuild their future. We can put their life together and set a new standard academically.

We have written to a number of government agencies and we are hoping to receive positive responses and, yes, we would love to partner with government agencies as well as NGOs that are willing to work with us. Our doors are opened, we can’t do it alone; I can’t do it alone.

What has it been like running an organisation as a woman?

Running an organisation as a woman isn’t anything different from running it as a man.

I would say the biggest drawback I had when getting into Nigeria was sexual harassment.

Everywhere you go to discuss business with the opposite sex, they would rather discuss

other issues with you. But I have learnt how to counter that, and I counter that by simply, the minute I feel a gentleman is beginning to go down those particular lines, I make it clear and concise that we are not about that, and we would be rather offended if we are spoken to in that manner. And nine times out of 10, you seem to get over that particular hurdle and the truth is, whoever you are dealing with; if they see that you have some substance and you know what you are talking about and you would be an asset to their company, even just knowing you, because the public relations company is all about your black book, which is the number of contacts you have or the type of contacts that you have.

And knowing that we have contacts all around the world; in government, the private sector; knowing that we know our onions; knowing that we work strong and we work hard, I feel we were able to overcome that initial barrier of sexual harassment. But for me I don’t have a nuclear family currently, so work hours are 24 hours a day. Most of my staff, both ad-hoc and full-time, do complain that I am a workaholic, but when you love what you do really, you don’t see it as work; you are ready to do it in your sleep; you are ready to do it 24 hours a day. I chose a line of business that I love doing and I honestly love what I do and it really doesn’t feel like work to me.

What advice do you have for women on living their dreams?

There is no glass ceiling for a woman that is just your beginning; you have to believe in yourself and that’s the most important part. Believe that there is nothing you cannot do; you are capable of doing everything and anything. I always bring it up that I studied engineering (electronic and telecommunications) and I know a lot of women that have studied courses that are extremely more male-dominated and I see them excelling in those particular areas. I remember when I was younger, whenever I want to buy a car; I never want to buy a car that is known to be a woman’s car, no.

Because I don’t understand why we need to segregate or why we need to believe that this is the confine that belongs to us, there is nothing that confines you. We were made out of men, we are helpmates for men, of course, I never ever played that down, but being a help-mate to men or being made out of men doesn’t mean we are lesser than them. So, I think the most important

Drug abuse and youth restiveness are critical issues affecting young people, any efforts to address them?

Drug abuse and youth restiveness are two critical components that works symbiotically.

Each of them is interdependent. There are very few cases where drug abuse has no direct correlations with youth restiveness. There is a common saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, this is not far from the truth but curiosity also has a part to play. Hope is one major factor that affects young people. The ability to dream and the enabling socio economic environment to cultivate that dream also plays a critical role.

Hopelessness is a catalyst encouraging drug abuse which later spiral into youth restiveness.

Without throwing away the germane demands and agitation of the youth for better living conditions which when not heeded to by those in authority creates unrest, which leads to the issues of youth restiveness. The challenge of peer pressure has long been an influence for drug abuse and youth restiveness. The desire to live up to the expectation of your peers be it right or wrong. These challenges of drug abuse and youth restiveness are not the only vices that are plaguing the youths of today but for reasons of tackling these vices. The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports has been working with I Choose Life Foundation Nigeria to focus on the aspect of tackling these challenges properly from the preventive approach. This entails providing awareness to the youths on the effects of this drug abuse; identifying this various kinds of substances that have varying ill effects on the youths; creating a drug safe community awareness among the youth population through clubs, counseling units; taking the message to the youth in a format (platform) that communicates easily through influencers and creating and engaging the youths in various activities.

Our major concern is to measure the success and challenges and create adaptable conditions to improve the level of awareness of the effects of drug abuse among the youths. Most studies show the problems and work out the curative aspect. The Federal Minister of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) through I Choose Life Foundation focus on the prevention thereby discouraging and reducing the number of drug abuse victims and in turn youth restiveness.

What is your life mantra?

My life mantra is to give; give everything you can and give all you can, your reward never comes from human beings; it always comes from God. Whatever you do, how much you ploughed yourself into a situation, positively remember that if you want to get your reward from another human being, it is a waste of time; not even your parents or siblings can. Hence, give with a cheerful open heart. Secondly, in every situation you find yourself, flip the talisman, which means you should look at the positive side to every negative situation, that way life feels better.

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WARIF, Ford Foundation Train Stakeholders on Prevention of GBV

Dubai, Rivers State Tourism, Unveil Winners of 2020 Competition

Stories by Mary Nnah Women at Risk International Organisation (WARIF) in partnership with Ford Foundation is tackling gender based violence in Nigeria with the community based Gatekeepers Project.

This include training and awareness workshops for traditional birth attendants, law enforcement officers and religious leaders.

Launched in 2017, the Gatekeepers project commenced with the training of 1000 Traditional Birth Attendants across 15 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.

The project was then extended to include Law Enforcement Officers and more recently, Religious Leaders who come from different religious spheres and with the large circles of influence in their respective places of worship have a positive impact on the prevalence of gender based violence in their various communities.

The project emphasises to these leaders, the importance of immediate response to these cases of sexual violence, the process of reporting to law enforcement as well as referring these survivors to WARIF for further management Speaking on the partner-

Dubai, Rivers State Tourism... Stakeholders at the 2020 RSTDA DTCM Graffiti challenge

WARIF trainees at the event

ship; WARIF’S Founder, Dr Kemi DaSilva-Ibru stated “ with the rising rate of rape and sexual violence in communities across Nigeria, initiatives like these are necessary to sensitise individuals in both rural and urban centres about the harmful effects of sexual violence on the survivor and the community.

“The training and sensitisation of these community based leaders play a pivotal role in the reduction of gender based violence.

“We anticipate that this project in partnership with Ford Foundation will evoke a change in the prevailing

mindset of the community and a subsequent reduction in the number of cases of violence against women and girls reported.”

A total number of 700 Gatekeepers will participate in the project, which include 500 Traditional Birth Attendants, 100 Law Enforcement Officers and 100 Religious Leaders.

These Gatekeepers will be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to raise awareness, support survivors of rape and refer these cases immediately to WARIF for treatment and to the Law Enforcement, for apprehension of the perpetrator

and prosecution.

WARIF is a non-profit organisation, established to raise awareness and address the prevalence of rape, sexual violence and trafficking of young girls and women in communities across Nigeria.

The foundation achieves this through the development and implementation of a series of initiatives which are impactful, measurable and sustainable, targeting both the intervention/ treatment of these affected women, as well as providing preventive measures in education and community service to reduce the high incidence.

Westbrook,EbonyLifePartneronMulti-projectFilm,TelevisionSlate Westbrook Studios and EbonyLife Studios, Nigeria’s foremost media group dedicated to creating world-class and authentic African stories, has announced they are partnering on a multi-project slate of co-produced film and television projects each connected to the African continent.

The deal is the first of its kind for Westbrook Studios in Africa and is representative of the studio’s larger mission to work as a creative and commercial catalyst with best-in-class creators, producers, and content platforms in bringing diverse stories and characters to life for global audiences.

“As we set out to focus our initial slate of international content for the Studio business across a diversified set of key territories and regions, the creative energy and world class artistry coming out of Africa is absolutely undeniable,” said Westbrook Studios SVP, Head of International TV & Film, Eli Shibley.

Shibley said his firm was so thrilled to be working with a

best-in-class producer like Mo and her EbonyLife team to tell stories that uniquely celebrate African characters and perspectives and resonate with fans of great film and television around the world.

“We all dream of lofty goals becoming a reality, then one day those dreams come true,” said EbonyLife CEO, Mo Abudu.

“I’m proud to announce that our vision of EbonyLife Studios being in partnership with Will and Jada’s Westbrook Studios is now real.

“Westbrook’s goal is to create and curate powerful and inclusive content. This is completely in line with our vision at EbonyLife – to tell global African stories from our perspective. Together, we will be developing a slate of projects that reflect our shared goals.

We are beyond excited”.

Under the partnership, the two studios will produce two series and one film project, ranging from a cosmopolitan female dramedy to an Afrofuturistic adventure series.

The projects include: “Dada

Safaris,”, an Afropolitan dramedy series. It follows four best friends who, after finding themselves at personal and career dead ends, take a leap to the wild side when one of them inherits her late husband’s long-forgotten family-owned safari lodge and invites her friends to join her newfound purpose- renovating and relaunching the business.

In “The Gods,” a pair of married Cambridge professors set out to find answers to a surge of natural disasters, but find seven long forgotten African gods instead.

Enlisting the help of two divine African children who can communicate with the immortals, this unlikely team must find the secret behind the awakening of the gods before the world as they know it is forever changed.

“Are We Getting Married?” is a comedy feature set in the U.S. and tells the story of the daughter of an embarrassingly wealthy Nigerian family who falls in love with a nerdy but charming African American

from Atlanta and their decision to get married.

While the couple hopes for an intimate ceremony, their parents have other ideas, and they are faced with the option of either standing their ground or agreeing to have the big Yoruba by way of an Atlanta wedding they never wanted.

Westbrook Studios television projects include: the recently announced Amend: The Fight for America, a powerful, six-part, multimedia docuseries which uses a groundbreaking narrative format to explore the Fourteenth Amendment through the lens of American history, posing the question, what does “united states” really mean; a two-season order of Bel-Air, the dramatic reboot of Will Smith’s iconic ‘The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air’ from Peacock in an unprecedented deal based on a spec pitch.

The series is set to be written and directed by Morgan Cooper, the filmmaker whose short fan film garnered Smith’s attention when it went viral.

Airoplay,AccessBank,AishaYesufu,OthersMakeGageAwardNomineesShortlist GAGE Awards 2021 have finally opened its portal for voting of digital practitioners who emerged from the 20 categories.

After two long months of intense nominations, the final lists of nominees in the various categories have been released.

Announcing the commencement of voting, the Convener of GAGE Awards, Mr Johnson Anorh, disclosed that it wasn’t an easy task pruning down over 15,000 nominations as Nigerians made their choice on who best served them in the outgoing year using the digital platforms.

“The numbers have been overwhelming as in less than 24 hours, we have had over

1.4Million website visits,” he said.

Nominees for the Banking App of the Year are VBANK, GTBANK, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and Alat by WEMA BANK. The Data Service Provider of the Year include; MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Swift Networks and 9Mobile.

The Breakout App of the Year category nominees are; Airopay, WhotAfrica, Zoom, TiKTok, and Clubhouse.

Online Comedian of the Year nominees are; Mr Macaroni, Lasisi Elenu, Sydney Talker, MC Lively, and 2019 winner, Taaooma.

Influencer of the year category nominees are; Aisha

Yesufu, Tomike Adeoye, Erica Nlewedim, Nengi Hampson and Pamilerin.

The GAGE Award public voting is only restricted to five categories, they are; Online Comedian of the Year, Banking App of the Year, Digital Artiste of the Year, Breakout App of the Year and Data Service Provider of the Year.

However, the Online Influencer of the Year category has been divided into the voters choice i.e the audience select their winner and the GAGE Academy choice which would be determined by the GAGE Academy.

Winners of the other 15 categories such as Website of

the Year, Best Digital Financial Platform etc. will also be judged by the GAGE academy based on pre-defined measuring indicators that are beyond the reach or knowledge of the generality of the public.

The voting will be open till March 15, 2021 when the winners emerge. GAGE Awards seeks to celebrate and spotlight the best individuals, brands or groups who have enriched lives in 2020 by leveraging on the power of digital to simplify our everyday lives.

The award recognises, celebrates, rewards, and amplifies the eventual winners’ outstanding activities and contributions to the digital ecosystem yearly.

Dubai Tourism in partnership with Rivers State Tourism Development Agency has announced the winners of the 2020 RSTDA/ DTCM Graffiti challenge.

The unveiling ceremony took place recently during a press briefing in Rivers State, Nigeria.

The event which was in a show of collaborative effort to encourage tourism and reward talents in the Arts between Dubai Tourism and Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, ensured the observation of the COVID-19 protocols and social distancing amongst the attendees.

In attendance of the event, Director International Operations, Dubai Tourism, Stella Fubara Obinwa expressed her excitement towards the positives that the collaboration has made in the lives of the winners and charting a course for other possibilities in the future.

As a first of its kind collaboration, she assured the winners that the processes to ensure their trip to Dubai is in motion.

Obinwa also announced that each of the winners will be gifted an iPhone 11 Max to help them capture memorable moments as they journey through life.

The winning art works, bio and photographs of the winners were displayed on the multimedia screen for the appreciation of invited guests.

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Rivers state Tourism Development Agency, Yibo Koko was full of commendation for Dubai Tourism for this uncommon collaboration which was an attestation of his vision for the agency in terms of Digital Tourism and intangible Creative Marketplace Commodities as opposed to the regular and monolithic approach to Tourism that starts and ends in onsite carnival displays.

Speaking further on the initiative, the Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Mrs Tonye Oniyide said the wonderful collaboration has revealed the artistic talent in some of the youths of Rivers extraction.

She pledged the readiness of the ministry to create an enabling ambience for more of such mutually beneficial collaborations in the future.

Brief Essentials Launches Seasonal Activewear Collection

Brief Essentials, foremost dealer in lingerie, underwear and shapewear in Nigeria, has launched its new seasonal activewear collection - BE Active.

The collection debut with a launch of active training sets, leggings, sports bras, tops, bike shorts and several other body sculpting products – such as Brief Essentials model in BEwaist trainers, neoprene arm Active collection and thigh shapers, belly binders, resistance bands - and accessories that can enhance and aid your weight loss journey.

Brief Essentials has remained at the forefront of the Nigeria’s underwear, lingerie and shapewear market, delivering comfort, support, quality, convenience and value - which has helped a lot of people - from petite, missy to plus size and full bust women - find the support they really need.

Speaking on the launch, Brief Essentials CEO, Oluwaseun Tayo-Balogun, said, “Our customers want to achieve their fitness goals in cuteness, comfort and style, and the BE Active range is delivering on all these counts as with all that Brief Essentials stands for and represents.”

She noted further that the launch is in line with Brief Essentials Mission of promoting Health and Wellness in a fun and fashionable way.

“The active range within the collection are made with quick-dry, four-way stretch fabric that provides compression, yet without sacrificing comfort or freedom of movement.

“The body shaping/sculpting products are made with exceptional craftsmanship to tone, sculpt and enhance your results on your fitness journey.

“Take the Waist Trainer with Triple Belts for example, the core is made with latex and comes with three additional removable Velcro belts for anyone requiring more reinforcement.

“Then, there are the training sets – Flex, Core and Vitality – featuring matching bras and leggings - made with four way stretch material, mesh for breathability, high waist design to keep away muffin top distractions among others. All leggings and bike shorts feature high waist thick band for your support and comfort. “Whether you’re working out or you are in need of super stylish and fashionable athleisure wear or activewear accessories, the BE Active collection will meet your needs and your budgets.” Be Active by Brief Essentials is available online at https://briefessentials.com/active as well as in the Brief Essentials HQ, situated in Lagos, Nigeria.

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

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Coming 2 America’ Star Nomzamo Mbatha Talks Film’s Depiction of Africa From South Africa to Hollywood, 30-year-old Nomzamo Mbatha is living her dream with her recent feature in the ‘Coming 2 America’ sequel. In this chat with Vanessa Obioha, she talks about how the film reflects the strength and beauty of the continent The first time South African actress and media personality Nomzamo Mbatha stepped into the sprawling Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, the United States, she barely caught her breath.

The sight was overwhelming and a testament to the power of a tangible dream. Perry is the first African American to own a major film production studio.

“I remember standing there, just looking at it, and thinking to myself, this is a tangible dream. A lifetime dream that seems so far-fetched that it seemed so intangible and Tyler Perry made his dream tangible,” she said recently.

The mesmeric sight wasn’t the only thing that took her breath away.

Mbatha, a young actress and TV personality who gained prominence after participating in the MTV Africa VJ Search in 2012 where she emerged second was perhaps living one of her dreams at the moment. Sitting in her trailer in the studio, she couldn’t help but pinch herself often to be sure that she was indeed surrounded by Hollywood royalty like Eddie Murphy

Nomzamo Mbatha

and Wesley Snipes. It felt so surreal for the 30-year-old United Nations Global Goodwill Ambassador.

“To be surrounded by black

Hollywood royalty, standing on the ground of a Hollywood dream realised by a black man was inspiring to say the least,” she gushed.

Mbatha was one of the few Africans to nab a role in the highly anticipated sequel of Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’. The film stretches the story of King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his friend and guide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) as they take the reins of the great African kingdom Zamunda and return to the borough of New York City to find a rightful heir to the throne. Mbatha plays one of the royal groomers in the lavish palace of Zamunda.

When the film was first released in 1988, Mbatha was not existing.

By the time she watched it in her teens, she appreciated the storyline for how it portrayed Africa.

“It gave a different perspective of African people because, for a long time, people from the continent were portrayed as savages, ugly and poor.

But ‘Coming 2 America’ cast Africa in a different light. It showed that we were regal and rich.”

Explaining further, she said: “There is hardly an African who doesn’t like the royal regalia. The jewellery, the big life. There’s this hyper imagination of our kingdoms and it was reflected

in the film. But at the end of the day, it addresses the essence about us, which is identity, purpose, pride in who we are and our culture.”

Working with great black actors in the film gave Mbatha, who moved to the USA in 2019, an opportunity to share the African culture with them.

She met their curiosity about African culture with enthusiasm. However, to fully portray her character, Mbatha had to bring out the true essence of the African women.

“The true essence of an African woman is the common thread that we have irrespective of our diversity. It is the strength, charm, wit, wealth of knowledge. There’s also the pride, deep-rooted in who we are. It was important for me to bring that into the character. You can’t pinpoint where she is from.

You just know that she is an African woman in the nuances that she’s able to bring to the character. It’s a comedy film but there are moments we have to bring our essence and showcase our history.”

The film will be available on Amazon Prime Video on March 5.

For Nigerians and MultiChoice, Entertainment Made 2020 Survivable Vanessa Obioha looks at how DStv helped Nigerians stay entertained last year and its commitment to do more Nearly a year ago, Nigeria recorded the first COVID-19 case. Initially, it seemed like a bad dream that would disappear at sunrise but as the days sped by, the nightmare of the pandemic turned to reality.

Despite the uncertainty that accompanied the virus, other underlying issues reared their ugly heads. From the economic downturn to civil unrest, last year was a bumpy ride for most Nigerians.

However, DStv, a leading digital video entertainment platform in Nigeria came to the rescue. The company which controlled 10.23 million subscribers of the estimated total 28.4million active Pay-TV subscribers in the country, according to a 2019 report by Statista on Technology and Telecommunication report, through their various channels offered different entertainment content to help Nigerians overcome the ennui of the lockdown.

From flashbacks to new content, they kept Nigerians glued to the screen.

They organised the Hope For Africa Concert which was held on May 31, 2020, and had the likes of 2Baba, Davido, Banky W, Diamond Platnumz,

Laycon, winner of BBNaija Lockdown edition

Praiz and Waje performing at the three-hour televised special. That same month witnessed the launch of ‘Turn Up Friday’ and ‘Owambe Saturday’ for party and social clubbers.

This came as a huge relief and a sign of hope, not just for Nigerians but citizens of 48 countries where the special aired on Africa Magic Family (DStv Channel 154). It also became a rallying point to spread some encouragement and safety tips against the virus, as well as raise funds for frontline

workers around the continent.

By the next month, football action returned to the screens of Nigerians.

In July, normalcy seemed to have returned with the premiere of the fifth season of the Big Brother Naija franchise. The season which was rightly themed BBNaija Lockdown marked a boost for new entertainment.

The latter part of the year saw DStv offering new channels and content to keep subscribers entertained. The formula still carried on to the new year. Last month, the platform introduced the Step Up campaign where subscribers were encouraged to upgrade to get a higher package.

Also, a new channel Honey was launched this month. The channel specifically caters to the African lifestyle.

Perhaps, the biggest news of all is the return of Nigerian Idol season 6. The show will begin airing on March 14, on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29 with the most memorable moments of the auditions. The main episodes will air weekly starting Sunday, March 28 at 7pm on Africa Magic

Showcase, Urban and Family.

Africa Magic’s Channel Director, Wangi MbaUzoukwu remarked that “this season’s Nigerian Idol will produce a fresh crop of talent who will be well-grounded to conquer both the local and global music scene. This year, we received over 3,600 entries and I thank our outstanding judges for painstakingly reviewing every participant to ensure we got the best from the pool of entries.”

Sponsored by Bigi, the edition’s panel of judges include creative entrepreneur, Obi Asika, singer Seyi Shay and celebrity DJ Sose. The show will be hosted by media personality IK Osakioduwa. Nigerian Idol will also be available in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Australia and 23 other countries via the online streaming service, Showmax.

Also, fans of BBNaija can relive moments from season 5 from Monday, March 1 till Friday, 26 March on DStv Africa Magic Urban and Africa Magic Family and GOtv channel 2 at 10pm.

No doubt, Nigerians will have more entertainment to binge on DStv even as the last days of the pandemic nears.

New Documentary on COVID-19 Set for Premiere How the pandemic impacted and affected lives in Lagos state is the focus of a new documentary

by Collins Akpapunam, the helmsman of Efizzi Group of Companies.

Titled ‘A Lasgidi Story,’ the idea was conceptualised shortly after Nigeria recorded its index case of COVID-19 in Lagos.

Like the good storyteller he is, Akpapunam, a music video and

TV commercial director, assembled a film crew to chronicle the story of Lagosians who were unfamiliar with the novel COVID-19 induced lockdown.

“The initial idea was to document the progression of the virus in third world country such as ours and how the country was going to manage the crisis, as it wasn’t at a pandemic stage at the time, but from media reports from

all over the world, I figured it was only a matter of time before it will get out of hands, therefore decided to approach it from a storytelling and narration point of view,” said Akpapunam.

The capriciousness of the virus gave room for conspiracy theories such as the Bill Gates ‘microchip’ theory but the projection by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the devastating effects the virus

will have on Africa by extension Nigeria with its population fascinated Akpapunam more.

The director found himself examining the different ways Nigerians were obeying the social distancing rules during the lockdown period. He took a step further by going into the slums of Lagos to capture firsthand the coping skills acquired by these highly vulnerable folks whom

WHO had predicted will be consumed in the virus tsunami.

“Once we started filming, ‘A Lasgidi Story’ took a life of its own with real-life experiences shared by folks from different strata of the society; from everyday folks to frontline workers, survivors and stakeholders in the fight to contain the deadly virus that has now been brought under control due to the success of vaccines.”

Collins Akpapunam, director of A Lasgidi Story

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Sahara Group Leverages Transformative Innovation for Sustainable Performance Energy Conglomerate, Sahara Group has released its 2019 Sustainability Report which reflects its commitment to achieving its corporate goals and creating shared value for stakeholders through economic development, protection of the environment and building a sustainable society.

Tagged ‘Transformative Innovation’, the report highlights how Sahara continues to leverage innovation and technology in achieving its corporate goals and sustainability ambitions across its businesses in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, Pearl Uzokwe, said the Group had continued to foster partnerships and initiatives that have co-created a desirable future through innovation.

Uzokwe said: “We have aligned our business operations within our entities with the demands and expectations of our changing world – digitization – which in turn increases our competitive advantage for sustainable growth.

“Beyond measuring our performance in numbers and outcome, we have raised our lever of sustainability excellence

L-R: Executive Director, Sahara Group, Ade Odunsi; Director, Governance and Sustainability, Pearl Uzokwe; Executive Director, Moroti AdedoyinAdeyinka; and Executive Director, Kola Adesina at the launch of the Sahara Group 2019 Sustainability Report in Lagos

by committing to more strategic partnerships and setting targets to achieve sustainable development from the micro to global scale.”

She said Sahara had aligned its operations and processes in furtherance of the urgent global transition to cleaner energy and low-carbon solutions by entering an MoU with the United Nations Development Programme in 2019 to provide access to affordable and sustainable energy in sub-Saharan

Africa.

“This is in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7. During the year, we were pivotal to the success of the United Nations Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) and joined hands with other stakeholders in advancing the mission of the African Influencers for Development (AI4Dev), World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative

(PACI) and other institutions in providing a better quality of life to the world.”

According to Uzokwe, Sahara launched its Green Life Initiative in 2019 in line with its commitment to fostering sustainable environments via the protection of the environment, promotion of a circular economy and recycling of waste within and outside our business.

“Among other activities, we

established a Recycling Exchange Hub in the Ijora Oloye community and executed upcycling vocational training for the conversion of tyres to usable products.

“In delivering more environmentally friendly fuels, we committed to complying with the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARA) standards – the only pan-African organization for the African downstream oil sector – in 2019, as we expanded

our investment in the supply of cleaner energy in the form of gas, particularly LPG’” she added.

Sahara is a foremost provider of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Africa through West Africa Gas Limited, a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). WAGL operates two 38,000 cbm LPG vessels, MT Africa Gas and Sahara Gas that are driving LPG access, security, and stability in Africa.

Both vessels have supplied approximately 500,000 MT of LPG across regional markets since their acquisition in 2017.

Sahara Group’s 2019 Sustainability Report reflects its economic, social, and environmental activities from January 1 to December 31, 2019. The report is the energy conglomerate’s fifth sustainability report, and the fourth report written in line with the GRI standard.

The 2019 Sustainability Report has been organised and presented in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

The guidelines seek to achieve consistency amongst corporations reporting on their sustainability activities.

The Naija SDGs Hackathon Set to Use Technology for Realisation of SDGs Today sees the unveiling of Nigeria’s first FinTech Hackathon for SDGs (Sustainable Development goals).

The Naija SDGs Hackathon aims to bring together developers, designers, product managers, and other tech enthusiasts to build tech solutions for payments, financial inclusion, accountability and credibility, security, and privacy to impact the realisation of the SDGs directly.

From March 25, 2021, accredited teams and individuals will have the opportunity to develop creative solutions to address pressing local and global challenges to promote sustainable development goals.

In his remark, Ife Adebayo, Special Assistant to the Vice

President on Innovation said that “achievement of the SDG goals is an important endeavor.” He then concluded by encouraging “Nigerians aged 18-35 years to be part of this challenge” Participants can win over thirty million naira in prizes, benefits, and perks, and participation is open to youth aged 18 - 35 in Nigeria.

Participants can apply to join at sdghackathon.africahacks. com from opens from February 15, 2021, to March 15, 2021.

From March 25, 2021, accredited teams and individuals will have the opportunity to develop creative solutions to address pressing local and global challenges to promote sustainable development goals.

Uchi Uchibeke, Founder of AfricaHacks, speaking on the sustainability of the Naija SDGs Hackathon and the plans for the projects, post-hackathon, said that “organisers and partners will work with the top projects to transform them into products and companies.

“The resulting products and companies will create a job for the developers and their families and increase the country’s GDP.” The Naija SDG Hackathon is created by Financial Centre For Sustainability, Lagos (FC4SL), and Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC) in partnership with AfricaHacks and Access Bank and supported by the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria.

At CAN 2021 IDDS, Calls for New Beginning in Nigeria Resonates Iyke Bede At this year’s Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Inter-Denominational Divine Service (IDDS) that was held at The Apostolic Church, LAWNA Territorial Headquarters, Ketu, Lagos, there were calls for a new beginning in Nigeria.

The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was honoured with the title of grand patron hammered on the need for the country to start a new chapter in his keynote address.

“The economy of Nigeria has been hit with a recession

and high numbers of unemployment, security challenges that are hitting and shaking the foundation of our country. We have all witnessed this, and there is no other place we can call home.

Nigeria needs new dawn, a new beginning, and there is no other person that can do it other than our Almighty Father.”

He reiterated the importance of peaceful coexistence among Lagosians while pointing out the role the coronavirus pandemic played in heightening tensions in the state.

“Lagos has remained the

epicentre of the virus where over 40 per cent of the national statistics have hit Lagos [sic].

It has been a tough and challenging one year for every one of us. Globally, the virus has taken over 2.5 million.”

The governor reassured all that the state government is hard at work to deliver better living standards and livelihood to them.

His address echoed the theme of the programme: ‘A New Beginning, ANew Dawn and A New Glory’.

This year’s edition was almost halted by conditions foreign to the previous editions – the coronavirus

pandemic.

Though marked by a low turnout due to regulated gathering, the ambience remained unchanged as hundreds of worshippers in different age demographics poured their hearts out in prayer and worship.

With scriptural messaging generally capturing regeneration, the Lagos chapter of CAN inducted new state executives with Bishop Stephen Adegbite as the new chairman. He takes over the mantle of leadership from his predecessor, Apostle (Prof.) Alexander Bamgbola, who helmed the association

for six years.

Appreciative, the newly elected chairman thanked the President of CAN, Dr Samson Ayokunle, who presided over the inaugural ceremony. Adegbite also showed gratitude towards the audience whilst advising them to make peace their top priority at such an unusual time to achieve national unity despite socio-cultural and religious differences that nuanced the citizenry.

He also hammered the need to build a secretariat for Lagos CAN. According to him, he projects the completion of the secretariat to be two

years, if all goes as planned.

He sees its establishment as a means through which the public can easily access CAN. To help expand the reach of the gospel of the church, and also hit the ground running in respect to the secretariat, distinguished individuals were honoured to play the crucial roles of patron and matron to CAN. Reverend Esther Ajayi was named the grand matron while other patrons include Olu Okeowo and Senator Olamilekan Adeola. Senator Oluremi Tinubu was announced in absentia to assume the role of matron.

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Free Expression as the Core of Power Mic

FashomiLaunches BiographyonKofi Thenewly-launched“PowerMic”bytheAfrobeatmusicianandactivist,SeunAnikulapo-Kuti,setsthestageforNigerians, Atiemo-Gyan especiallythecreatives,toexpresstheirconsciousnessinvaryingartforms.Yinka OlatunbosunandChris Paulreport

C

all him a chip off the old block, Seun Anikulapo-Kuti is a restless creative that has been very vocal about human rights throughout his musical career. His father, the legendary Afrobeat founder, FelaAnikulapoKuti had laid the foundation for music activism with his records and life, albeit controversial. But more importantly, Felaformed his own political party, Movement of the People (MOP) when he became disenchanted by political system in Nigeria some years after the Nigerian civil war.

Nigeria had been divided along ethnic and religious lines and Fela’s Party was meant to unite the people against oppressive government. Instead of gaining the freedom he sought, Fela’s life became tumultuous as soon as his music became more politically-charged. With years of arrests, battery, detentions culminating in illness, Fela finally died in 1997.

Seun, the last son of Fela, has since carried on the legacy of the struggle lyrically and verbally from the social media to the streets and then back to stage and in the recording studio. Five months after the widely publicized EndSARS protest, he launched the “PowerMic” initiative in Lagos preceding with a video post on Instagram, with the backdrop of the Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara.

“The people are not tired,’’ he began. “They want things to change definitely. We are at the point where we need to politicize our voices. We don’t protest just because it is fun to protest or we don’t have other things to do with our time. There are lots of things that are killing Nigerians. EndSARS is the slogan but it is not our mission.

Nigeria is a country where the minimum wage is less than the cost of a bag of rice. The solution to Nigeria’s problem is with the people, their mind and their voice.

“The first Power Mic will be held in Shrine today because Shrine is a symbolic location of African liberation. And for two minutes only, you can express yourself on why you are protesting. You can do it through a song, dance, drama skit, comedy, action, speech, poem and whatever you do. Everything will be recorded on video because they must hear the people. This is the liberation generation.

All the recordings will make part of a political document.

Power Mic is a political front.”

Power Mic which was launched on February 20 at Bistro Hangout, Ikeja is set to be an on-going series which will move from city to city. Done in collaboration with the Naija Resistance Movement (NRM) and Movement of The People (MOP), the Power Mic Event is designed to sustain the consciousness achieved by the EndSARSwhich caught the attention of the international media in 2020. In 2017, EndSARS emerged as a popular hashtag on Twitter to draw attention to the gross human rights violation from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Unit (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police.

In October 2020, the hashtag resurfaced owing to more bizarre news of police brutality. Over 28 million tweets were recorded for the hashtag on Twitter alone and millions more on other social media networks. There were also hundreds of solidary protests by Nigerians in diaspora with some foreign nationals and celebrities joining their voices to the movement. However, many believed there should be alternative methods to protests and boycotts following the incident on the evening of October 20 at the Lekki Tollgate.

Cover of Kofi Atiemo-Gyan Beyond the Obstacles

Yinka Olatunbosun

Seun Anikulapo-Kuti

NRM, set up to start a dialogue within the political class and the grassroots is manifested in the framework of Power Mic. It is expected that the Power Mic will go to the people, their workplace or neighbourhood. Also at the media briefing to launch Power Mic was the rapper, actor and activist, Olanrewaju Ogunmefun otherwise known as Vector tha Viper. He founded Consciousness Cruise, a parallel movement and explained the rationale behind it.

“There is less communication on our consciousness in the society today. Most people in Nigeria are in survival mode.

People are no longer looking out for the welfare of others because they are in survival mode. We have language, class, political and academic barriers. We are all conscious beings. But all of us can agree on a mission based on our consciousness. That was what berthed to Consciousness Cruise.”

Like Consciousness Cruise, Power Mic has the objective of restoring the honor and dignity of the oppressed Nigerian.

Although Falz was unavoidably absent from the event, the launch also had in attendance Comrade Sheni Ajayi.

It was argued that in spite of the merits of protests, they do not always seek to end the problems in a manner that constructively allows the state to engage the issue. In a statement issued Seun’sCommunications Manager, Ayo Moses Ogedengbe, Power MIC was designed with a view to achieve Dialogue, Solidarity and action from the people to bridge the engagement gap between “Youth 1” and “Youth 2” that is professional groups and artisan groups respectively and create room for dialogue.

Vector also added that one of the core strategies of the movement will entail reaching the minds of the oppressed Nigerian to reawaken their sense of self-worth.

NFVCB to Cut Ties with Unregistered Practitioners Rebecca Ejifoma To drive best practices in the movie industry, the Executive Director, National Film and Videos Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas, has said that the board will no longer engage with practitioners in the movie industry who are yet to be registered.

Thomas made this submission at the first meeting of the non-registered and registered professional association in the Nigerian movie industry in Lagos.

Citing “Act 17 sub-section 2 and 3 of the NFVCB Act’’, he said the directive was imperative in order to restore sanity to the industry that

Director-General, NFVCB, Adedayo Thomas

has been saturated by many non-professionals.

“A couple of months ago, we called for guilds and as-

sociations to validate and register their members. Even the Minister of Information was gracious enough; he extended it for them for another two months until January 31 this year.”

“For us to look at every policy, there must be feedback within a very short period of time: feedback of what is happening, how well they understand, staff must be able to equally listen. This policy will assist the government to identify those who are producing, directing, acting and marketing,’’ he revealed.

He added that any practitioner who refuses to register will be sanctioned and pulled out of business

as the board wants the best for genuine practitioners in the industry. Thus far, 13 professional bodies have been registered with the board.

Further, he reflected on the milestone reached by the Nigerian movie industry in the past two decades, stressing the need for a regulatory framework to build a stronger movie industry.

“We won the emerging film market in the world.

Cinema grew from when I was appointed from 20 to 63 now. Cinema and foreign investments are coming.

So, we need those things on ground to achieve the development we are looking for in the film industry.”

A Nigerian newspaper editor and online publisher.

Dele Fashomi has launched a new book titled, “Kofi Atiemo-Gyan: Beyond the Obstacles’’ on the virtual platform. The event which held at the Airport Hotel, Lagos on Tuesday February 23 was streamed live. The book made of a biographical account is a moving story of a Ghanaian international lawyer, human rights activist and fighter for people’s freedom and independence of the judiciary.

The book is an account of Atiemo-Gyan’s challenging and difficult childhood and survival, his courage to speak to power, even to the most dreadful military regime of Ft-Lt Jerry Rawlings; escape from Ghana into exile in Nigeria and his pardon after 22 years as well as his politics across the borders of Ghana and Nigeria. These are intriguing phases of not only Atiemo-Gyan’s engaging life but also of the different and significant political and socio-economic periods in both Ghana and Nigeria, the two countries he loves with passion.

“Beyond the Obstacles’’ is suspense-filled from its opening chapters to the end, beginning with Atiemo-Gyan’s Face-toFace with the military.

What happens after his sojourn from Ghana demonstrates the outworking of purposes, his unlimited opportunities and endless possibilities whilst meeting people like the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the billionaire owner of the Premier Lotto Betting business in Nigeria, Chief Kessington Adebutu.

Now an octogenarian, Atiemo-Gyan’s life teaches young people never to give up; to be courageous in the face of daunting challenges.

Having pass through the agony of life in exile, he returned to Ghanaian politics as a major player in the ruling National Peoples Party.

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Bukola Babajide: ‘Organisation that Doesn’t EmbraceTechWill Go Extinct’ Bukola Babajide, a Techpreneur and a business transformation consultant, studied Economics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and had her Msc IT Service Management from the University of Northampton U.K. The winner of “Inspirational Entrepreneur” at the African Entrepreneur Award UK 2016 in this interview with MARY NNAH talks on how her global movement is on the path to get 50,000 females into tech and empower them

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ukola Babajide started her career in banking and has worked in different capacities.

She is presently the Programme Director of her company, Crystal Options Limited, a digital consultancy and software development company in the U.K. and Nigeria, where according to her, futurethinking entrepreneurs and professionals launch their digital products and services.

She is also the founder of female techpreneur “a global movement for leading ladies leveraging technology to disrupt the Status Quo. The platform helps to empower female tech founders, professionals and start-ups to launch and scale their business successfully.

best practices.

In what visible ways has this initiative yielded results?

We are fairly new, launched March 5, 2020 but we have been able to continue even with the pandemic disruptions to hold virtual events, start-up boot camps, masterclasses and networking events to help connect and support non-tech, aspiring tech founders’ launch and scale.

We have also managed to host pitch sessions where start-up founders seeking funding support have been able to present their business for assessment.

We launched our talent hub to provide unique product development for startups to create a minimum viable product.

How are you giving back generally as one whose business is locally and internationally successfully established?

For female techpreneur, most of our initiatives are free to attend, and all facilitators have been supportive to also give their time to share their expertise and I host a career and employability programme in Nigeria under the umbrella of Business and career network to help graduates learn employability skills.

We also offer internship opportunities to graduates for work experience. We offer mentorship and education programmes plus we have a pipeline of programs to help launch a tech idea.

How did an economist end up a techpreneur and what made the transition possible?

Although I studied economics at the OAU and started my career in a bank as a bank officer at the then Magnum Trust bank I think it is now sterling Bank, I was set to become a banker and moved to study ACCA but somehow ventured into tech when I relocated from Nigeria to the UK. I didn’t choose Tech, tech chose me because everyone around me then was into IT and as I tried to find my way and settle to live in the UK it was easier to get the necessary support and guidance and it didn’t seem a hard nut to crack, of course, it pays well too.

Tech is the future! And you can express technology in every industry be it in art, banking or music so am still not far off. I have also been fortunate in my career journey to still have worked within financial institutions Virtually all businesses claim to have embraced the digital revolution but as a specialist in this line, what constitutes real digitalisation?

Go digital or die! It may seem harsh but any organisation that doesn’t embrace tech will go extinct. If nothing else, the pandemic has shown us how much we need technology, it has helped to keep things going when everything else was in lockdown.

It also fast-tracked changes that we reluctantly now accept as the new norm such as remote working and telemedicine etc.

So what is digitalization? Digitalisation is when you use digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and valueproducing opportunities. When you completely automate your processes and systems from physical to digital for example converting papers checks to e-payment.

How can it help me?

Digitalisation is now not a “nice to have” is a “must-have” for everyone, it saves time, creates opportunities and makes life easier, if anyone can combine the 3 elements and provide these in their business or even profession then will be valuable.

It is also important to say that technology is an enabler, so let me put a spin on this, technology is nothing without the people, process and organisation.

So we need a holistic view to ensure adoption and successful change.

What’s the challenge you face in helping entrepreneurs and professionals launch their digital products?

I will not say I have a challenge because that is why they came to me, so I am a problem solver and I utilize my business analysis skills to simplify any complex or ambiguous challenges experienced by my clients. I have managed digital transformation change activities across a multi-client/multi-product environment in a complex landscape with the team in dispersed remote

Let’s talk about your childhood; what was growing up like and in what city did you grow up?

I grew up in a loving and caring environment; I’m the 4th child of five and the first girl of the family. You can imagine how my older three brothers would have been thrilled to have a baby sister, I was told they all doted on me and still do.

I have a younger sister who is like my twin.

My parents weren’t particularly rich, but we never lacked. I grew up in Ile-Ife, one of the best places to live at the time, and even now.

Life was so much easier and gadgetfree unlike now. I have so many fond memories of my growing up, and most of my friends that also grew up in Ife would attest to it being one of the best parts of the world to be in and it played a balanced part in my life journey! Plus, my mother is also a Princess of the “source”, so I have a special affinity to the town.

Babajide

locations.

One of the key areas that I find that experts or organisations need the most help in, is developing their concept or identifying what value proposition they actually have to be converted to a product, program or service. I usually tackle this with a strategy session to understand the core need for their ideas and if indeed we can uncover the potential and translate that to a viable business proposition.

Also, systems and process improvements, potential clients need help with identification of where they can make savings or cut out losses, to operate to optimal capability to generate ROI. So I help with identifying gaps, bottlenecks, excessive hand-offs, manual activity, duplication and mapping of roles and responsibilities this would allow for automation.

Lastly, tech skills and tools application is also an area that more can be done to provide support.

You’re a real inspiration to women in tech; what aspect of your background set the tone for your career path?

To be fair, nothing particularly prepared me for this career path as I just found myself here, back in the days there weren’t any career coaches/advisers. We were just told to study medicine, law or accounting etc. those were some of the

popular choices then.

But the soft skills that I learnt from my mother who is now a retired teacher helped me to develop a passion for lifelong learning, tenacity and not giving up when things aren’t going my way. I also became better as I started to teach others, when you teach, you learn.

The truth is if it wasn’t tech, whatever and wherever I find myself I always want to add value and achieve success. It was a combination of fierce determination, commitment to learning and sharing what you know with others.

How are you contributing to tackling the gender representation gap in tech?

I launched a community called “female techpreneur” a global movement of ladies leveraging technology to disrupt the status-quo. This is to create awareness, role models and a platform for more females to get into tech either as a career or to launch their tech idea. I also speak at events to create awareness and demystify the idea that tech is for geeks.

Our agenda is to continue to create initiatives that allow the girl child to explore possibilities in tech as a career or have the interest to pursue their tech idea as an entrepreneur.

And also support career changers and tech founders to network and be with like minds to boost confidence and share

What were your dreams and aspirations as a child?

A small girl with a big dream, my aspiration was very simple... to make an impact. I didn’t know how, when and where but I was so determined to make a difference.

I decided very early in life that I wasn’t going to settle for mediocrity, I was going to push boundaries and make the best of whatever situation I find myself.

I am still a big dreamer, still on the journey and I heard if your dreams don’t scare you it’s not big enough!

Steve Jobs says, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” So, what are you passionate about, able to do and provide value? Dream big!

What drives you daily now?

I am driven by the purpose to level the field in tech and ensure we have more females in tech. The World Economic Forum (WEF) states that by 2030 there will be digital skills shortage, how do we mitigate this?

I want to be the change! I want to see and facilitate the amount of work that needs to be done to drastically reduce the gap and create more awareness and support for the underrepresented group to be more involved, not only do I desire the change but to be the catalyst for the change.

To have a forum to see more male advocates, organisations and government agencies supporting the females to excel in their tech pathways whether as professional or entrepreneur.

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Ugwuanyi’s Diplomatic Masterstroke at Ohodo Federal Poly Charly Onah

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nitially, it started like a rumour.

Afterwards, billboard with the inscription proposed site for Federal Polytechnic Ohodo was erected at the site. Even at that, the few cynics and doubting Thomases, who never see anything good in Ugwuanyi’s government were dismissive of it. They went to town saying that it was not about putting up a billboard, but securing approval and commencement of the project.

They were highly skeptical of its possibility. They were of the parochial and fixated views that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led-Federal Government will not easily grant such approval or concede such a monumental and enduring legacy project like Federal Polytechnic to Enugu State under Ugwuanyi’s watch for reasons which include that Ugwuanyi is not of APC stock and he has not overtly made move to attract such gigantic and development project from the Federal Government before now.

They taunted Ugwuanyi’s administration and labelled it a failure. For sense of entitlement mentality, they were critical and antagonistic of Ugwuanyi and his government.

They maliciously and emotionally compared Ugwuanyi’s administration with that of his predecessors, without factually and statistically placing critical issues like state of the economy, state wage bill, political awareness, cost of running government, political situations, and other key indices of governance then and since Ugwuanyi assumed office.

But today, all these are now balderdash and beer parlour talks for Ugwuanyi has once again proven them wrong with the circulating approval letter with N2b take-off grant addressed to him and signed by Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Education, Arch.

Sonny S. T. Echono on behalf of Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, for the immediate establishment and take-off of the Federal Polytecthnic Ohodo in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu.

What a masterstroke by a leader who knows his way, where and how to get what he wants without being noisy. Where are the social media rabblerousers, especially from Enugu North Senatorial zone, who have despite Ugwuanyi’s numerous devel-

Governor Ugwuanyi

opmental projects in the zone and across the state failed to acknowledge or appreciate his government’s unrelenting efforts in the face of obvious, numerous and daunting challenges.

Where are they? It is time for them to bury their heads in shame and tender unreserved apology.

But shamelessly, they are among those celebrating and circulating the approval letter for the establishment of Federal Polytechnic Ohodo on social media platforms, without asking how it was made possible at last. They have easily forgotten their baseless, uninformed and armchair criticisms against a quiet and performing government of Ugwuanyi. They are now on the defensive, saying that their malicious criticisms of Ugwuanyi’s administration was to spur it to do more for the zone, forgetting that Ugwuanyi is not governor of Enugu North zone alone, but the entire Enugu State, who voted him into office and remained

supportive of him till date.

Meanwhile, whichever way or means Ugwuanyi’s government achieved this feat of attracting the Federal Polytechnic to the state is worthy of commendations and celebrations.

I cannot remember how many APC governors or stakeholders that have attracted such project to their respective states with ease since 2015.

The Polytechnic when completed will be of immense benefit to the people of Enugu State, especially the Enugu North people, who have clamoured for such project before now.

The approval for the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo will indeed leapfrog the economic, human and developmental capital and status of the entire state, particularly Enugu North zone and Igbo-Etiti LGA. It will complement and co-exist side by side with the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, the ongoing ESUT Teaching Hospital at Igbo-ano and the relocated Enugu State Polytecthnic Ezimo.

For those who have wondered or may be wondering how Ugwuanyi’s government facilitated the approval for establishment of Federal Polytechnic Ohodo, there is nothing to wonder or be surprised about. This is because Ugwuanyi has from the inception of his administration displayed a high level of diplomatic/ bipartisan panache in his engagements, especially with the APC-led government at the centre, without compromising anything, not even his loyalty to his party and commitment to good governance, accountability and prudence.

He has been consistent in doing this at all levels of his engagements as governor without swashbuckling. That is his leadership style and it has worked for him.

It would be recalled that when Enugu International Airport was closed down for rehabilitation last year, Ugwuanyi worked assiduously behind the scene to ensure that Federal Government quickly commenced and completed works at the airport. His government also ensured that the ESBS radio mast which had been a problem to the navigational facilities at the airport was relocated from Ngwo to Udi without delay. Mopol Base at Agu-Ekwegbe along Enugu-Opi-Nsukka was also attracted by Ugwuanyi’s government.

For the few sceptics and armchair critics of Ugwuanyi’s administration who are mainly from Enugu North Senatorial zone, the Adada State of Nsukka people’s dream may come to fruition before Ugwuanyi leaves office.

It is already in the air. What is expected of the people of Enugu people is to continue to support, pray and constructively engage Ugwuanyi’s government.

Ugwuanyi may not be among the noisy politicians that are always in the news, he has shown tremendous capacity of a great leader, who can achieve much quietly without much ado. It is a fact that his government has a good working relationship with all within the state and beyond, including the opposition parties.

He is very accommodating, patience, humble and tolerant. He considers the overall interest of Enugu people first before any other interest.

This is what makes him and his government different and exceptionally acceptable to the majority of Enugu people and people outside the state.

Onah writes from Opi Nsukka, Enugu State

There is Still Hope for Nigeria Sorochi Ugorji Today the one word that seems meaningless in Nigeria is no other than the word hope and this is understandably so. On all fronts, the country seems riddled with so many intractable problems that seem to puncture the bubble of even the most optimistic minds.

Little wonder, so many of our young people - in a country blessed with one of the youngest populations in the world - have become hopeless and see immigration to foreign lands like Canada and even worse still, suicide, as their only exit card out of a seemingly hopeless situation that parades no jobs for the youths, decrepit infrastructure, inadequate housing, bad quality education, poor healthcare and high cost of doing business, given numerous unfriendly and stiff regulations. The list is endless.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, and it is growing at 3.2% a year. The U.S. Census Bureau says that at that rate, there will be an estimated 402 million people in Nigeria in 2050….” VOA, 2019. Nigeria is also the poverty capital of the world with a growing population fast outstripping and depleting available resources.

Be that as it may, Nigeria is a nation blessed with natural resources, good people and culture but over the years, we have mismanaged the

country’s vast oil riches, allowed negative westernized infiltrations, ineffective policies, and ignored other resources leaving most of the youthful population with despair, desperation and limited choices of leading a better life on all fronts.

Ballooning unemployment, lack of quality education, lack of basic social amenities, infrastructural decay, an unfriendly business environment, insecurity and many other indicators underscore a dire need for positive, sustainable change by all.

Without urgent, robust and ruthless implementation of effectual strategies, sustainable projects, policies and practices in the socioeconomic sector of Nigeria, we may go from bad to worse spelling doom for the youthful population, invariably, propagating the already vicious cycle. More so, global calls-to-action and joint development agendas such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) geared towards ending extreme poverty by 2030 may only be wishful thinking.

Despite all this, it is never too late to arise to take up responsibilities and change the way we do things in our various spheres of the society through innovation, creativity, local production and manufacturing, crafting effective policies and strategies, and striking partnerships. It is more urgent than ever before

to restore Nigeria to its past glory through our selfless corporate responsibility and corporate citizenship (to one another and to our nation).

It is in response to the yearning and burning desire to see a new wave and a new order across the continent, the “Socio-Economic Transformers (SET)” was borne. It seeks to serve as a vehicle to drive sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa through social impact measurement, corporate citizenship, capacity building and provision of advisory services geared towards transforming private and public sector policies and practices culminating in positive socio-economic outcomes for the Nigerian and African citizenry.

Socio- Economic Transformers (SET) is a social enterprise that specializes in measuring social impact in the social space by proffering solutions in the socio-economic sector with the sole aim of fostering and facilitating impactful innovations, birthing great businesses, enhancing sustainable organizations, corporate citizenship, employment opportunities and socio-economic growth across Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

SET is poised to measure effectively, impact, forge, improve, and lead change with innovative ideas, projects, processes, policies and practices in the public and private sector with a positive direct bearing on society through

our professional services which include: r 4PDJBM *NQBDU .FBTVSFNFOU 3BUJOHT standardization, evaluations and approvals. r $BQBDJUZ #VJMEJOH 5SBJOJOHT XPSLTIPQT and seminars r "EWJTPSZ 4FSWJDFT $POTVMUJOH CVTJOFTT development, strategy clinics, partnerships, and recruitment r .BOBHFNFOU 1SPKFDUT FYFDVUJPO NPOJtoring, events, policy execution, and crisis management r *EFB SFBMJ[BUJPO JOWFTUNFOU DBQJUBM BOE operationalization We are a strong and vibrant platform of problem solvers with diverse expertise and experience expressing and leveraging ideas, skills and innovation that holds maximum impact leading to societal-change and transformation.

Let’s joins hands to make Nigeria great, do not sit on the sidelines, or be an armed chair critic. Join the charge, become a social agent today and give your best to our dear country.

Lets press on and press still.

Without a doubt, there is still light at the end of the tunnel, do not give up, there is still hope for you and for Nigeria our great country. t 4PSPDIJ 6HPSKJ JT UIF GPVOEFS PG 4FUBGSJRVF BOE DBO CF SFBDIFE WJB XXX 4FUBGSJRVF DPN PS JOGP!TFUBGSJRVF DPN

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

ͳͯ

METRO

…Your city life in print

Makinde and the LAUTECH Story Adewuyi Adegbite

B

efore 2009, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and its former teaching hospital in Osogbo were centers of excellence in education and medical care in Nigeria for many years. In fact, there was a time they were adjudged to be the best state institutions in Nigeria. Then, crises erupted between the owner states and the school lost its glory. It was a classic case of a fall from grace.

There were claims and counter claims from Oyo and Osun States. Then, the Supreme Court in a judgment delivered on 26th March, 2012 reinforced the joint ownership. But in doing that, it also reinforced the stalemate. The result was having students and parents frustrated and hopeless. Four-year courses dragged on, sometimes to six, seven years; in worse situations, they became interminable.

For many years, the hand of the clock of the school was drawn back by crises that erupted in the school for almost a decade. The crisis was intractable and tragic. Three administrations of Olagunsoye Oyinlola/Adebayo Alao Akala; RaufAregbesola/Akala andAregbesola/Abiola Ajimobi could not resolve the crisis. As a matter of fact, it was the belief of many people that the crisis would be resolved during the Aregbesola/ Ajimobi administration, the two governors coming from the same party. However, insincerity on the part of the administrations was a clog on the way of mutual resolution of the crisis.

In actual fact, Alao Akala and Oyinlola during their time made concerted efforts to resolve the crisis. Unfortunately, the sudden change of government in Osun jeopardized the move.

There was mutual accusation among the governments of the owner states over dereliction of duty as regards their financial obligations to the school. Underfunding led to non-payment of salary and emoluments of the members of staff of the school. As a result, there were incessant industrial actions by the staff of the school. The school suffered downs for years and academic activities got paralyzed. The economy of the host town also suffered paralysis each time the school erupted in crises.

That was the condition the present Oyo State governor met LAUTECH. It was a patient in urgent need of surgery. That intervention was carried out, finally, by Governor Seyi Makinde, whose cool-headedness got Osun State to agree to disengage from LAUTECH and thus, give Oyo State the opportunity to reinvent the school and put it back at the front row of excellence in Nigeria.

Engr. Makinde, from day one took special interest in the school. He visited the institution during his campaign in the build up to 2019 general elections, although attempts were made to stop him from campaigning on the campus. As a matter of fact, he made the resolution of the crisis part of his campaign promises to the electorate. When he eventually became governor, the first step he took was the prompt payment of subvention of Oyo State to the school irrespective of the position of Osun State government. He also made sure the salaries and emoluments of the staffers were paid as at when due. In addition, backlog of salaries was paid. Consequently, life returned to the school and the host community. The staff of the university were grateful to the governor for the gesture and went to the extent of disassociating themselves from an industrial action embarked upon by the ASUU to show their solidarity with Engr. Makinde.

The Oyo state Government did not limit her intervention to funding only; other pragmatic

Governor Seyi Makinde

steps were taken to move the school forward.

One, the three-kilometer road linking the school to the town has been rehabilitated and nearing completion as at the time of filing this report.

Second was the end put to the joint ownership which saw Engr. Makinde’s government committing a whopping sum of Eight Billion Naira as compensation to Osun State.

Another step taken by the Makinde administration to reposition LAUTECH, post joint ownership brouhaha is the citing of the Centre for Energy innovation at LAUTECH, Ogbomoso.

The centre is a product of Makinde administration’s search for foreign investors in improving the standard of education in the country. The memorandum of understanding was between Oyo State government and a Finish company, Soprano Plc. The Centre will provide training with certificates and vocation qualifications in the area of energy generation and capacity building in solid minerals development. In addition, the MOU covers the establishment of a training institute that will develop the capacity of the teeming population in Oyo State and beyond in the energy and solid minerals sector.

The Centre will benefit from the public sector Investment facility (PIF) of the government of Finland as well as other sources of funding.

The site of the centre was justified, because, one, some existing facilities in the University in the related courses of study like Pure and Applied Physics, and Mechanical Engineering would be an added advantage to the Centre.

Secondly, the establishment cost of the Centre would be reduced significantly, so also the running cost and overhead of the Centre. Energy equipment for use and sales within and outside the State, boosting the economy of the State and providing job opportunities for the citizens as well as capacity building for installation of equipment and infrastructure in the country.

In addition,the Makinde administration has decided to make the school a multi-campus Institution and conventional in nature as against

its present status as a specialised university of Technology. The issue of multi-campus status has generated a lot of controversies in the State as the host community vented its anger on the State Government for what it sees as a deliberate ploy to destroy the economy of the whole community and an act of Vendetta because the town did not vote PDP in the last election.

Opinions also differ on the conventional status of the University as against the technology status of the founding fathers. Nevertheless, Engr.

Makinde’s administration has continued to assure the pessimists of the altruistic intention of the government to reposition LAUTECH for the benefit of the host community and the State as a whole which at the end of the day will help the host community, restore the lost glory of the school and lead to the development of the state and the nation as a whole.

LAUTECH was established in 1990 by the military administration of Col. SasaeniyanAdedeji Oresanya. The focus of the founding fathers was to make the school the center of technological innovation for the industrialization of the southwest in particular and Nigeria as a whole. Before then, Federal University of Technology, Akure was the only technology oriented institution in the South-West. The school became jointly owned after the creation of Osun State in 1991.

The two-owner States jointly funded the school.

The University lived up to the expectation of the founding fathers and she was adjudged the best State University in Nigeria and among the best in the country. This is not all; the products of the school have been making waves in various human endeavours globally. In addition, the school was a pride of the owner States and the South-West as a whole because of the position occupied by the School among its peers. She has also boosted the economy and social life of the host community.

As a matter of fact, Makinde declared a state of emergency in the education sector as soon as he took over. Free education was declared in the state and this was not based on rhetoric but

practical steps were taken to make it a reality.

The first step was the abolition of school fees for students in the State. Other steps taken included distribution of textbooks to students from JSS 1 to SS 3 including past questions to SS 3 students, 80 leaves exercise books were distributed to SS students while 60 leaves were distributed to JSS students. Mandatory extramural classes free for SS 3 students – Monday to Saturday with remuneration for teachers.

Science equipment was also distributed to many secondary schools in the State. These were followed up with recruitment of teachers. The recruitment exercise this time around unlike in the past which was based on whom you know was based strictly on merit. There was prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and leave allowances including 13 month salary and payment of new salary structure all in a bid to motivate the teachers. In actual fact, teachers are enjoying Covid-19 palliatives.

Future generation in Oyo State would have cause to be grateful to Engr. Makinde for the steps he has taken so far to improve the standard of education in Oyo State. In improving standard of education in Oyo State, his policies on education covered both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the State, LAUTECH is pivotal to his plans. Before his coming, the education sector of the state was not enjoying the best of time because the teachers who are determinant factor in the development of education were not well taken care of. The previous administration owed them backlog of salaries and emoluments. Engr. Makinde’s government does not owe salaries. He governs with milk of human kindness; his administration has a human face.

The story of LAUTECH is the story of Oyo State; it is the story of reactivation, rejuvenation and renewal. The future appears good for all. t"EFHCJUF XSPUF JO GSPN 0HCPNPTP BOE DBO CF SFBDIFE PO BZFLPPUP !HNBJM DPN

52

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

POLSCOPE

áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

Sheikh Gumi, Bandits and Related Matters

L

ong before the seizure of the tradocultural codes in our societies by the imported religions, the elders have always had a way of knowing the minds and plans of the gods by consulting the community Dibia (seer or juju priest).

The essence is to pre-empt the consequences of the anger of the gods which are often dire and dangerous.

And so, the Dibia is seen as someone in the realm of the gods and men, as he or she acts as a liaison between humanity and divinity.

In a way, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi is gradually becoming the contemporary Dibia interfacing between Nigerians and Bandits. He brings us their opinions and terms, just as he ferries our terms and conditions to them. He’s become a big time Negotiator. Some uncharitable persons have described him as a “Crisis Entrepreneur”.

For the records, Sheikh Gumi is an informed Islamic Scholar. He is a trained medical doctor, a graduate of Ahmadu Bellu University, Zaria. His father, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, was a renowned Islamic scholar too. He was as controversial and religiously radical as bigots can be. The younger Gumi has obviously followed the pathway of his late father, as he has delved full blast into the cesspool of controversy.

Gumi understands the language and logistics of warfare.

His profile has suddenly shot up as a lead negotiator.

It is remarkable that last December when 334 boys were abducted from Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, he brokered the deal that led to the eventual release of all 334 boys.

In the last two weeks, he had been in the vanguard of a campaign for blanket amnesty for all the bandits, arguing, albeit wrongly, that after all, the federal government had similarly granted amnesty to Niger Delta militants during the Yar’Adua presidency. The two scenarios are completely different and should not be likened to each other.

Hear him: “When I listened to them I find that it is a simple case of criminality which turned to banditry, which turned to ethnic war and some genocide too, behind the scene; people don’t know…”

Gumi added that the bandits “were forced into criminality”, explaining that “I think it is a population that is pushed into criminality by circumstances” That is the half narrative they have insisted on dishing out. What circumstances forced them into criminality such that they had to take it out on all Nigerians?

Gumi had also gone ahead to declare that the anger and attack of the bandits should be directed at Christian soldiers who had been killing them (bandits), in the past. Nothing

Gumi

Fayemi

can be more reckless and hateful! It is a great disservice to both the Nigerian Army and to the rest of the country in general. Is Gumi alleging that Nigerian soldiers choose who to attack and tackle based on their religious faith? Do Christian soldiers dress in a different way from Muslim soldiers such that he bandits would choose and pick who to attack among the soldiers? That claim is as dumb as it infuriatingly divisive.

In a recent interview with Channels Television, Gumi claimed that the bandits are peaceful people and so they should be engaged in a dialogue. Peaceful? Really? A band of outlaws seize innocent Nigerians in their homes, schools, or farms or even highways and hold them hostage and even kill some, whilst asking for huge and unimaginable ransom, and you describe them as “peaceful”? What does being “peaceful” mean to Gumi?

No wonder the bandits marched into the office of the governor of Zamfara, the other day, along with Gumi, decked with full military uniform and bearing sophisticated weapons.

Some of them had posed in a group photograph with Gov , Aminu Bello Masari, all with some air of a conquistador.

Worse still, Gumi asked rather callously in the said interview,” how many people did bandits really kill? A few accidental killings”. Gosh!

A few accidental killings? Ok, what about the rapes? They are accidental too? Perhaps, the abductions for ransom are also accidental.

And pray, how did the people of Edo State or Delta State or even Benue State et al, help to provoke these bandits into criminality?

The other day, the Zamfara governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle in calling for amnesty for the same bandits claimed that not all bandits

are criminals. A clear case of lexical heresy!

They stand the truths on their heads? That is very irresponsible and cannot promote peace.

With such claims, it is difficult to trust that the likes of Gumi are on an altruistic mission to the country.

Gumi, in a way, is a name fast that is collocating with controversy. The older and late Gumi did same with his incendiary comments and campaigns at the time. The city of Kano cannot forget him in a hurry.

In the latest case of students’ abduction in Kangara, Niger State, again, Gumi is in the middle of the negotiation.

He claimed that he has located the bandits who kidnapped the school children. The Nigerian military has not been able to locate the bandits, but Gumi says he’s met them and has actually been in the negotiation team.

He claimed that the Federal Government knows where the bandits are, pointing out that the location where he met a set of the bandits is very close to an army barracks.

So, the questions are: how come Gumi is so chummy with these criminals? How come they confide in him and respect him? How is it that he and them appear to be on the same page?

Why are the security agencies not pulling in Gumi to quiz him to understand the kind of relationship existing between him and the criminals?

Gumi is the Dibia of the Nigerian state!

We are forced to ask the following questions: Is Gumi being paid for the roles he has been playing in getting bandits to release their captives? Is he being paid (perhaps by the bandits themselves) for the huge advocacy he has been making for them?

What do the bandits do with the huge monies

they get from their victims who pay ransom beside buying up guns?

Where do they keep the monies?

Are the bandits actually acting as fronts for some persons?

Is Gumi privy to the operational pattern and timing of the bandits, given his ease of locating them whenever they strike?

Where and when next are the bandits planning to attack?

Does Gumi have a relationship with the security agencies particularly the Department of State Security (DSS)?

Incidentally, there is a growing call to negotiate with the bandits. The terms of the negotiation will not be far from what government will compensate them with if they have to stop being bandits? The way it is going, it appears, head or tail, government will lose. Even if the amnesty is given, there is no assurance that they will truly surrender all their weapons.

Already, if persons like former Head of State, Abdusalami Abubakar is saying negotiating with the bandits is not the best option but “has become a necessity” and even the Nigeria Governors Forum , led by its Chairman, Gov Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, has made a Uturn, now supporting calls for negotiation with the bandits, then, we are right in the loop now.

The Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum Gov Lalong had long approved the negotiation option with the bandits.

Almost all the Northern governors except Gov Nasir el-Rufai of kaduna State, have endorsed the idea of negotiating with the bandits.

What will the Nigerian state compromise in this negotiation? Will it not inadvertently see us rewarding criminals with even scarce resources, thus sending the wrong signal that crime pays?

Already, apart from the huge ransom the bandits have been collecting (even though government never admits paying ransom), part of the conditions for the release of both the Kankara abductees and now, Kangara abductees is the unconditional release of hitherto arrested bandits. How low have we stooped!

But if in stooping low, there is a guarantee that the danger is over, then we can discount our losses against the assurance of peace and security. But hey, there is no guarantee that even those granted amnesty will not rise up tomorrow against the state.

Did we not have a similar example with the so-called repentant Boko Haram members, who had to be sent for de-radicalisation training at huge expenses by the state. Didn’t some of the “de-radicalised’ terrorists either go back to the terror group or became their informants?

What lesson did we learn?

One thing sure is that opening the negotiation window with criminals will only be sowing the seed for many more criminal offspring.

And then we would be back to point origin!

To Everyman a Different Calendar

A

s I sat in the theatre-like auditorium of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Gbagada last Friday, it soon struck me that indeed, the world is a mystery. I had gone to the church, that morning, to partake in the funeral service of a friend and former coursemate, Mrs Ndidi Obielumani Ogbolu, nee Osuya; at the University of Benin, Benin-city. She had passed at the beginning of the year to our utter shock. She was barely 52.

A few of our course mates had also come along to pay their last respect to Ndidi. She had become a pastor over the years, having also married a pastor, Henry Ogbolu, a lawyer and chartered accountant.

Ndidi who was quite active in curricular and extra-curricular activities in her days as an undergraduate, had indeed gone through the academic crucibles to have her doctoral degree from the prized University of Ibadan.

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic had however hitched her formal defence of her doctoral thesis.

At the beginning of that same week, I had, on Monday, February 15, attended another church service at the Church of the Pentecost, Festac Town, to celebrate the 90th birthday service of one of the elders of the church, Pa Jeremiah Olagbaiye Solomon.

Pa Solomon

Mrs Ndidi Ogbolu

Pa Solomon is a special gift to humanity. At 90, he still reads without glasses; his brain is as sharp as that of a budding teenager. He is famously called a moving encyclopaedia , what with the clinical accuracy of the historical details he shares on past events.

Though weakened by the passage of time,

Pa Solomon is yet fit and moves unsupported. Many parishioners who gathered to celebrate him literally touched the helm of his agbada, hoping to inherit the gift of long life.

But on that Friday, there Ndidi layed, calm and motionless, ready to bid this sick earth eternal farewell. It was as solemn as it

was emotionally-challenging. Her children, yet young, looked into space, not quite sure what had befallen them. Her husband (HIC) carried on with the twin courage of a Christian (Pastor) and a man. Yet, in his tribute he confessed that “yes, some tears will never dry”, promising that “my love for you will never die”.

While the same God who made Ndidi and Pa Solomon did not allow the former to even hit the Diamond age, he granted the latter the nonagenarian crown. Who can question God? To every of His creature he had drawn a different calendar. Your calendar is different from mine. That is why even when some planes crash, there are survivors.

Doubtless, life is a gift from God. Yes, our being careful and mindful of what we do and when we do them can help preserve life, but how much time we spend here on earth is ultimately in the hands of God, who says He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy.

In all, while I congratulate Pa Solomon and wish him even more life and strength, I wish my dear class mate and fellow Delta (kwale) sister, Ndidi, a restful sleep in the bosom of her Maker.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021 • T H I S D AY

53

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ FEBRUARY 26, 2021

54

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

AFP Supports Access to Renewable Energy with €70m Dike Onwuamaeze The Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) is supporting access to renewable energy for Nigerian manufacturers with €70 million under the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Finance (SUNREF) Nigeria Programme for renewable energy.

The fund would be administered through the Access Bank Plc and the United Bank for Africa Plc. However, only renewable energy projects like solar, wind, small hydro, biomas including waste-to-energy power plants would be eligible for funding under the SUNREF initiative.

The AFP described energy efficiency projects (EEP) as capital expenditure projects that would allow energy consumers to use less energy for achieving the same level of energy service.

The AFP made this known during the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency investors’ virtual conference that was held on Wednesday, in partnership with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), which is a technical assistance programme co-funded

by the European Union (EU) and the German Government and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power and All-On of the Shell Foundation.

The conference was aimed at enabling the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) to understand the SUNREF’s technical requirements, equipment and installation quality standards, self-regulatory initiatives and certification for industry practitioners.

The President of the Nigerian Manufacturers Association (MAN), Mr. Mansur Ahmed, who participated in the conference, described the financial and technical assistance offered by the SUNREF as significant opportunity that came at a time, “we needed it most more than ever” to address one of the most militating factors against industrial development of Nigeria.

Mansur said: “Clearly, this is the time for every effort to shore up the manufacturing sector is very welcomed. Therefore, I am delighted that this green energy

project is focusing on renewable energy in improving energy efficiency.

“It is our hope that our members will take the full advantage of this facility and be able to diversify their energy sources, improve energy consumption and be able to expand their productive capacity, which is indeed very important in the current state of our economy.

I, therefore, urge our members to take full advantage of this.”

The Country Director of the AFP, Ms. Virginie Diaz, said in her opening remark during the conference that the SUNREF would basically provide financial and technical assistance “aimed at supporting business strategies in the green energy sector in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which Nigeria has been supportive of.”

Also, the Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Ms. Cecile Tassin-Pelzer, said the conference would enable investors and service providers to showcase their products and be able to develop relationships with clients and prospective investors in Nigeria.

‘Brands Must Own Customer Data to Survive’ The Chief Executive Officer of Tarragon, Mr. Elo Umeh has explained the critical role ownership of customers’ firstparty data plays to brands and the exponential value they add in online advertising.

Umeh, who explained this during an interview, stated that first party customer data was the most valuable data businesses own and the starting point for any form of customer engagement.

“Now more than ever, the need for businesses to own and manage first-party data could be the difference between staying in business or going under.

“Customer behaviour is dynamic and ever-changing as well as the landscape within which they operate (for instance the impact of COVID-19). The first step towards understanding and responding to customer needs is through data – to prevent churn and increase lifetime value,” he explained.

First-party data refers to information brands collects directly from their customers or audiences, from various touchpoints such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software,

actions or interests demonstrated across websites or apps, customer feedback, completed customer surveys, forms, etc. First-party data is usually consented to and so privacy concerns surrounding it is minimal.

Speaking on how some forward-thinking brands are taking advantage of first-party data, the Chief Executive Officer of Terragon said, “Our Customer Data Platform (CDP) was used by a top global FMCG Brand in Nigeria to surpass their target of building a verified database of their customers with 1 million first-party data.

“Owing to the success of the previous target, the brand is currently in discussion with us to grow that database to 4 million this year.”

He added, “A number of top tier banks have also been using our CDP to enrich their first-party database for various levels of customer engagement including cross-selling and upselling their products and they have reported an improvement in returns on their Ad spend.”

Over the years customer journey has become a multiplatform and multi-device, such

that their footprint goes across various touch points including desktops, mobile phones, TVs, apps, watches and lots more – thereby creating the need for Advertisers to have a unified view of each customer.

With the help of a number of tracking methods – including the use of third-party cookies, advertisers have been able to collect data and follow customer journeys and tailor ads to suit their preference and interests.

However, with customers’ increased attention to data privacy, stricter regulations to enforce compliance and phasing out third-party cookies especially by Google Chrome which tracks over 60 per cent of internet users, the ability to track customers and serve personalised Ads this same way is significantly threatened.

While few solutions are being developed to solve this, the importance of first-party data remains a common consensus; giving rise to the importance and need for a software to aggregate and manage data in a privacy-compliant manner – a Customer Data Platform (CDP), Umeh said.

Andersen Tax Nigeria Rebrands Sunday Ehigiator In a bid to capture all professional services, Andersen Nigeria has revealed that it has officially changed its operating name in Nigeria to Andersen.

This was made know to journalist recently, at a media briefing held in Lagos.

Andersen’s Chairman, Mark Vorsatz, said the company operating under the single ‘Andersen Brand’s will demonstrate the firm’s unified and seamless approach, incorporating both legal and tax services.

Andersen had rebranded in the US in 2019 and in Europe, Latin America and Middle East

in 2020. This Vorsatz said, “was in order to manage the rollout in an organised, and meaningful way and to address the characteristics within each region.”

Addressing journalist, the company’s Head of Marketing and Branding, Omowunmi Martins, assured clients of improved and seamless services “The name change had become very necessary as we have begun to delve into other areas and not just tax alone, even though we have most times been stereotyped as just a tax services company just because of our name.

“However, with the name Andersen, all the services we

offer are now better captured in and in sync with the brand name. We assure you our client and our future clients that we are here to even serve you better,” she said Speaking on the need for the rebranding, the company’s Partner and Head of Transfer Pricing Services, Joshua Bamfo said: “This is very important day for our firm. Andersen Tax actually started from 2002.

“A number of the tax partners in the US joined HSBC, a financial institution to provide what we call private client and family work management services to high network individuals in that particular market.

Buhari

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month Inter-Bank Call Rate

March 2018 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

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 2021

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $64.00 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $63.73 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

55

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Wema Bank Posts N81bn Earnings, N5.1bn Profit after Tax Goddy Egene Wema Bank Plc yesterday released its unaudited results for the year ended December 31, 2020, showing marginal decline in top and bottom-lines. The financial institution recorded gross earnings of N80.852 billion in 2020, indicating a decrease of 14.7 per cent compared with N94.890 billion in 2019.

Net interest income improved by 19.4 per cent to N31.038

billion in 2020 from N25.986 billion in 2019.

But net trading income slumped by 73 per cent from N14.789 billion to N3.0966 billion following the crash in Treasury Bills yields last year. The bulk of the net trading income in the previous year came from treasury bills (N14.5421 billion) in 2019.

This dipped to N3.627 billion in 2020. Wema Bank Plc strived to reduce personnel expenses

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

from N14.871 billion to N14.004 billion and other expenses from N19.115 billion to N18.859 billion.

However, impairment charges rose by 35.2 per cent to N26.852 billion from N19.855 billion.

Consequently, profit before tax rose by three per cent to N6.964 billion in 2020, from N6.760 billion in 2019, while profit after tax fell 2.6 per cent to N5.062 billion in 2020, from N5.199 billion in 2019. Wema Bank Plc’ deposits from cus-

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

tomers grew from N577 billion to N812 billion, just as loans and advances improved from N289.239 billion to N368.748 billion.

Meanwhile, the bears returned to the stock market yesterday leading to a decline of 0.31 per cent to close at 40,095.49, while market capitalisation shed N65.8 billion to be at N21 trillion.

The decline followed sell-offs in Nigerian Breweries Plc, Access Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

The market recorded only 14 price gainer and 24 laggards.

Also, the volume and value of trading tanked 30.6 per cent and 47.6 per cent N 326.0 million shares and N3.7 billion respectively. The most traded stocks by volume were Transcorp (48.4 million shares), Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (33.9 million shares) and United Bank for Africa Plc (27.5 million shares) while Zenith Bank Plc (N637.6 million), Dangote Sugar

O F

Refinery Plc ( N611.8 million) and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (N478.8 million) led by value.

Performance across sectors was mixed as the NSE Banking Index led laggards with 1.4 per cent , followed by the NSE Consumer Goods Index and NSE Oil & Gas Index closed lower by 0.8 per cent and 0.2 per cent in that order. But the NSE Insurance Index rose 0.2 per cent, while the NSE Industrial Goods Index closed flat.

2 5 / 0 2 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

56

˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Friday, February 26, 2021 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Declines 0.5% dŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ϰϵďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

ϭ͕ϳϵϯ͘ϭϴ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ǁĂƐ ŵĂŝŶůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ZENITH (-1.7%), ACCESS (-4.7%) and UBA

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

(-ϰ͘ϭйͿ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϮ͘ϭй ŽĨ the index.

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Price Change Index to Date

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,793.18

-0.49%

22.2%

79.3%

18.2%

3.7%

930.00

0.0%

33.7%

9.2%

9.2%

7.9%

2.8%

72.00

0.0%

10.3%

-6.9%

-6.9%

31.05

0.0%

8.8%

-4.0%

-4.0%

27.9%

4.7%

The Bears Resurface... ASI down 31bps

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc

dŚĞ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĞŶĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƚĞƌƌŝƚŽƌLJ ĨŽůͲ

3 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC

ROE

ROA

P/E

5.4x

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

0.5x

5.4%

7.1%

1.4% 34.6x

6.5x

2.5%

2.9%

4.5x

1.2x

9.0%

22.2% 28.4%

25.85

-1.7%

6.9%

4.2%

4.2%

22.4%

3.1%

3.5x

0.7x

11.6%

220.00

0.0%

5.3%

-10.2%

-10.2%

30.8%

14.6%

14.7x

4.6x

7.7%

6.8%

179.90

0.0%

5.1%

5.9%

5.9%

189.4%

11.9%

18.6x

31.2x

3.9%

5.4%

1,450.00

0.0%

3.7%

-3.7%

-3.7%

83.0%

20.5%

28.2x

27.5x

5.4%

3.5%

23.80

0.0%

3.7%

13.1%

13.1%

6.5%

4.6%

16.5x

1.1x

4.2%

6.0%

8.10

-4.7%

2.7%

-4.1%

-4.1%

16.8%

1.5%

2.6x

0.4x

8.0%

38.1%

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

8.20

-4.1%

2.5%

-5.2%

-5.2%

13.9%

1.3%

3.5x

0.5x

11.5%

28.7%

7.35

-0.7%

2.5%

2.8%

2.8%

11.2%

1.1%

4.1x

0.4x

5.2%

24.4%

to േϮϭ͘ϬƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

52.00

-3.7%

1.9%

-7.1%

-7.1%

4.5%

1.8%

56.3x

2.6x

3.4%

1.8%

40.00

0.0%

1.8%

-9.2%

-9.2%

24.3%

3.7%

5.3x

1.2x

6.0%

18.8%

ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ϯϬ͘ϲй ĂŶĚ ϰϳ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϯϮϲ͘Ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ േ3.7bn

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

ůŽǁŝŶŐ ƐĞůů-ŽīƐ ŝŶ NIGERIAN BREWERIES (-3.7%), ACCESS (-4.7%) and ZENITH (-ϭ͘ϳйͿ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĐŚͲ ŵĂƌŬ ŝŶĚĞdž ůŽƐƚ ϯϭďƉƐ ƚŽ ϰϬ͕Ϭϵϱ͘ϰϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͕ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ worsened to -Ϭ͘ϰй ĂŶĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů േϲϱ͘ϴďŶ

ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ TRANSCORP

;ϰϴ͘ϰŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕

DANGSUGAR

(33.9m

ƵŶŝƚƐͿ and UBA ;Ϯϳ͘ϱŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ZENITH (േ637.6m),

5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC 8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

16 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C 17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC

0.0%

1.5%

1.2%

1.2%

1.1x

0.0%

1.1%

11.0%

11.0%

0.7x

5.0%

530.00

0.0%

1.3%

31.7%

31.7%

-0.3%

-0.2%

0.4x

7.2%

-2.7%

228.00

0.0%

0.8%

0.0%

0.0%

16.4%

7.6%

12.4x

1.9x

4.0%

8.1%

93.00

0.0%

0.8%

2.2%

2.2%

24.6%

16.0%

11.3x

2.6x

2.42

3.0%

0.7%

-4.0%

-4.0%

10.5%

1.1%

2.6x

0.3x

8.5%

37.9%

-28.8%

8.9%

5.20

-6.3%

0.6%

-13.3%

-13.3%

0.6%

0.0%

38.5x

0.2x

18.10

-0.5%

0.6%

2.8%

2.8%

30.8%

15.6%

6.4x

1.8x

6.1%

15.6%

3.01

-3.2%

0.5%

-9.6%

-9.6%

10.3%

1.2%

2.9x

0.1x

4.7%

34.9%

1.73

-2.3%

0.3%

-15.2%

-15.2%

9.2%

0.9%

4.3x

0.4x

1.7%

23.4%

24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

16.05

0.0%

0.4%

10.7%

10.7%

18.4%

5.8%

10.5x

3.5x

2.5%

9.5%

0.92

-2.1%

0.4%

2.2%

2.2%

-3.5%

-0.8%

0.6x

1.1%

-6.3%

26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC

70.55

0.0%

0.3%

-0.6%

-0.6%

18.5%

7.7%

2.3x

2.9%

10.0%

Mixed Sector Performance

13.60

0.0%

0.2%

-2.2%

-2.2%

-2.4%

-1.6%

1.2x

5.35

0.9%

0.2%

0.9%

0.9%

-12.2%

-5.6%

0.7x

1.9%

-165.1%

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ϯ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϲ ŝŶĚŝͲ

28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC

1.5x

11.3%

DANGSUGAR (േ611.8m) and GUARANTY (േϰϳϴ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

ĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ

20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

6.02 28.85

22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC

30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance

ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĚ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϭ͘ϰй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞͲ

32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 Total Nigeria PLC

ĐůŝŶĞ in ACCESS (-4.7%) and ZENITH (-ϭ͘ϳйͿ͘ ůƐŽ͕ ƚŚĞ

34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC

ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ůŽǁĞƌ Ăƚ Ϭ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƐĞůů ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶ NIGERIAN BREWERIES (-3.7%), DANGSUGAR (-0.6%) and

6.00

-3.8%

0.3%

27.4%

27.4%

35.5%

4.2%

23.00

0.0%

0.2%

21.1%

21.1%

-17.8%

-9.0%

6.00

0.0%

0.2%

2.6%

2.6%

13.9%

4.8%

5.6x

0.8x

1.20

0.0%

0.2%

6.2%

6.2%

21.4%

3.3%

2.7x

0.5x

142.00

0.0%

0.2%

9.2%

9.2%

20.30

0.0%

0.2%

14.0%

14.0%

3.2%

0.4%

23.7x

1.4%

1.4%

6.8%

0.5%

3.4x

0.70

36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC

3.35

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

10.0x

7.7%

0.1%

2.9%

0.0%

-1.8%

0.1%

-2.1%

0.7x 7.5%

14.5%

2.6%

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-29.7%

-8.5%

50.00

0.0%

0.1%

-9.7%

-9.7%

10.3%

7.2%

3.25

0.0%

0.0%

-9.7%

-9.7%

1.4x

37.1% 4.7%

0.7x

8.4%

4.2%

0.5x

5.7%

29.4%

4.7% 0.2x

15.9% 69.3%

1.8x 7.4x

17.9%

5.1%

6.3x

-9.5%

21.8% -28.2%

21.5x

-100.0% -9.5%

4.6x

2.6%

-18.4%

0.7x

3.4%

13.5%

2.2%

-28.4%

OANDO (-ϭ͘ϴйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ

MANSARD (+0.9%). >ĂƐƚůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ &Z/ d ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĂŶĞƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϲdž ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ 1.0x ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐůLJ ĂƐ ϭϰ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ

T ic k er

SACO (-9.7%), FIDSON (-8.4%) and ETI (-6.3%) were the ƚŽƉ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͘ tĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĞŬ͘

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

P ric e C hg %

0.24

9.1%

T R A N SC OR P

48.4

-2.1%

R OYA LEX

0.27

8.0%

D A N GSUGA R

33.9

-0.5% -4.1%

WEM A B A N K

0.70

7.7%

UB A

27.5

R ED ST A R EX

3.30

5.8%

Z EN IT H B A N K

24.6

-1.7%

P R EST IGE

0.46

4.5%

UC A P

19.2

-3.8%

WA P IC

0.56

3.7%

OA N D O

16.0

-1.8%

15.9

-0.7%

F ID ELIT YB K

2.42

3.0%

FB NH

UB N

5.35

2.9%

GUA R A N T Y

15.4

0.0%

A F R IP R UD

6.10

2.5%

LA SA C O

11.7

-9.7%

LIVEST OC K

2.26

1.3%

F ID ELIT YB K

9.5

3.0%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s T ic k er LA SA C O

P ric e 1.12

T ic k er

Value

-9.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

637.6

-1.7%

D A N GSUGA R

611.8

-0.5%

P ric e C hg %

P ric e C hg %

F ID SON

4.90

-8.4%

ET I

5.20

-6.3%

GUA R A N T Y

478.8

0.0%

M B EN EF IT

0.37

-5.1%

SEP LA T

322.6

0.0%

UA C N

7.55

-5.0%

NB

318.9

-3.7%

A C C ESS

8.10

-4.7%

M TNN

244.9

0.0%

UB A

8.20

-4.1%

UB A

229.6

-4.1%

H ON YF LOUR

1.20

-4.0%

UC A P

118.0

-3.8%

-3.8%

FB NH

116.9

-0.7%

-3.7%

D A N GC EM

75.4

0.0%

UC A P NB

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

T ic k er

P ric e

CHA M S

Ϯϯ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ CHAMS (+9.1%), ROYALEX (+8.0%) and WEMABANK ;нϳ͘ϳйͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁŚŝůĞ LA-

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

Ϭ͘Ϯй ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ WAPIC (+3.7%) and

6.00 52.00

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

57

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Unilever to Conclude Tea Business Separation in 2021 Goddy Egene

said the plan to separate its by the end of 2021. In a Nigeria said the plan to August 5, 2020 about Unilever’s tea business into a separate notification to the Nigerian separate the business in line global announcement.

“We shall keep the NSE Unilever Nigeria Plc has legal entity will be concluded Stock Exchange(NSE), Unilever with the disclosure made on A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an ETF are bought by investors.

Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Bid Price: The price at which Investors Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that return an investor would have earned on An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. his investment. Money Market Funds report of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, Yield while others report Year- to-date Total bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: Return. etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 24- NAV: Is value per share of the real estate shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Feb-2021, unless otherwise stated. assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

and stakeholders informed of subsequent developments on this matter,” the company said.

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 160.67 162.29 -0.68% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.06% Nigeria International Debt Fund 351.16 351.16 -11.97% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 113.77 113.77 -0.30% 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 1.05 1.07 17.06% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 -13.35% 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 0.41% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.40 3.55 -4.35% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 18.77 19.34 3.50% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 411.83 424.25 2.86% ARM Ethical Fund 35.21 36.27 4.45% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.20 1.20 -1.93% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.04 -7.21% ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.04 2.04 -25.80% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.19 2.23 -10.27% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.87% Paramount Equity Fund 16.06 16.35 0.40% Women's Investment Fund 134.18 135.71 0.82% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.48% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 130.18 131.06 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 109.81 109.81 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 1.29% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.18 1.19 -1.86% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.49 1.49 -5.97% 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 1.35% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 1.54% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,154.54 1,157.15 -3.80% 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 N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 185.15 186.49 -1.35% FBN Halal Fund 109.98 109.98 4.26% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.67% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 123.56 123.56 3.00% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 123.69 123.69 3.00% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 151.29 153.21 0.07% 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 1.15% Legacy Debt Fund 3.89 3.89 0.60% Legacy Equity Fund 1.59 1.62 4.48% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.14 1.14 0.73% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.99% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 128.13 128.66 19.43%

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 1.28 1.28 48.84% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.72 2.79 18.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 154.37 154.82 -0.67% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 5.23% 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 N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.61 1.64 7.39% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.21 12.33 -0.24% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.25% PACAM Equity Fund 1.58 1.60 0.36% PACAM EuroBond Fund 109.29 111.94 -0.12% 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 127.89 130.61 6.50% 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 0.97% 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 3,166.72 3,193.99 -1.50% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 226.49 226.49 0.73% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.17 1.19 0.00% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 296.69 296.69 0.69% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 216.11 218.78 -1.10% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.66% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,978.84 10,112.32 -4.95% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.24 1.24 0.91% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 111.69 111.69 0.55% 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 1.35 1.38 -0.80% United Capital Bond Fund 1.91 1.91 0.87% United Capital Equity Fund 0.91 0.93 4.60% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.62% United Capital Eurobond Fund 118.10 118.10 0.87% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.11 0.54% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.02 1.02 2.10% 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 12.22 12.33 3.00% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.50 13.61 10.50% Zenith Income Fund 24.16 24.16 0.77% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.54%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

121.58 52.64

0.70% 0.46%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.96 122.15 96.35

13.06 122.15 98.17

-1.94% 0.34% -3.03%

Fund Name 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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

4.02

4.06

6.15%

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

5.67

5.75

-0.41%

Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

17.35 1.00 18.92

17.45 1.00 19.12

6.04% 0.40% -7.76%

175.87

177.87

-20.31%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.05

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

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.

58

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Five Killed, Eight Others Kidnapped

By Bandits in Niger Communities Laleye Dipo in Minna At least five persons, including a graduate of the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, were killed by

bandits that raided the Angwar Mahogi in the Kusherki district and Rafingora towns of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger state.

Eight others were said to have

Police Confirm Killing of Four Officers in Calabar Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the killing of four policemen yesterday morning by suspected kidnappers.

According to the police, the officers, who were on duty were shot and killed at about 2.00 am by the suspected men of the underworld along Akai Efa-Idundu road.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate, adding that the police were on the trail of the

suspected killers.

“It is quite unfortunate and we feel really sad and are in a mourning mood about the death of the four officers who lost their lives.

“We are investigating the matter and will surely root out the culprits; no matter how far they run or hide, we must get them, that I can assure you,” he said.

Sources within the police said two Inspectors of Police and two Sergeants were those who lost their lives to the hoodlums.

The attackers also made away with two rifles after killing the policemen.

Kidnappers Demand N100m Ransom for UI Student Kidnappers of a student of the Sociology Department of the University of Ibadan (UI), Emmanuel Odetunde, have were said to have demanded a ransom of N100million to free him from captivity.

The kidnap victim was abducted around 5 pm on Monday at his father’s poultry farm in Oke Odan, Apete area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

Four herdsmen armed with guns were said to have abducted him at the farm.

According to the farm workers, the father was absent when the kidnappers stormed the poultry farm.

The victim’s brother, Odetunde Samuel, told journalists, the kidnappers have contacted the family, demanding N100 million ransom.

He lamented over the safety

of his brother, stressing that the family would find it difficult to raise the ransom.

When contacted, the Oyo State police spokesperson, Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, said the police “are working alongside other security operatives to ensure that the victim returns safely from the den of his abductors”.

“We have been informed about the incident and we are working together with other security operatives to ensure the young man is rescued.

“We will also ensure that the kidnappers are captured having deployed a police tactical team, including an anti-kidnapping squad, that will help in the rescue mission.”

He urged members of the public “to help with credible information on the activities of criminal elements in the state”.

Relief as Varsity Workers Suspend Industrial Action Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have suspended their three-week-old strike .

The decision to call off the strike followed a Memorandum of Action (MOA) the two unions signed with the federal government at the meeting held last night in Abuja.

Addressing journalists on the outcome of the negotiations, the General Secretary of NASU, Mr. Adeyemi Peters, said that having been satisfied with the agreement reached with the federal government, the unions agreed to suspend the strike with effect from 12 midnight today (today) Adeyemi said that the leadership of the unions had earlier secured the mandate of

their organs to suspend the strike once government satisfied their demands.

He said: “We have held the meeting with the government side and those areas that needed to be harmonised have been harmonised to the satisfaction of both parties and resulting from that development, we have agreed that the ongoing national strike in universities should be suspended with effect from 12 midnight tomorrow which is Friday, February 26, 2021” Adeyemi however said that the unions will ensure that timelines set out in the various aspects of the agreement are strictly kept, failing which the workers will resume strike.

He also said that the unions will issue a statement today (Friday) detailing all aspects of the agreement reached with the federal government.

been kidnapped and taken into captivity by the bandits.

The name of the slain graduate at Angwar Mahogi was given as Dauda Daniel while one of those killed at Rafingora was named Mohammed Nura.

Daniel had already fixed his wedding for March, according to the source. Some of those kidnapped at wRafingora are Asmau Kafaya, Namaza Audu, Nahima Musa, Yahuza Magaji and Safiyanu Rafingora.

A report from the area said

the bandits came into the Rafingora community at about 1.30pm riding on 30 motorcycles and shot sporadically to scare the villagers. It was in the stampede that followed that the deceased were hit by bullets.

The eyewitness also said

that several cattle were rustled from the communities during the raids.

It was added that a helicopter was seen hovering in the sky apparently giving protection to the bandits during the operations.

PROMOTING THE LAW…

L-R: Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Mohammed Musa Bello; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; wives of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Aisha and Fatima Malami; their husband and author of the book, Mr. Abubakar Malami; and a member of National Assembly representing Ekiti Central senatorial district, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, during the official presentation of the book titled ‘Nigerian Laws and Practice,’ in Abuja…

Boko Haram Fighters Abduct Travellers on Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Several travellers were abducted yesterday on MaiduguriDamaturu highway as suspected Boko Haram fighters laid siege to travellers on the major highway from Yobe State to troubled Borno State.

THISDAY gathered in Maiduguri that the insurgents ambushed commercial vehicles plying the highway yesterday afternoon and abducted many

passengers.

One of the travellers, who was fortunate not to be among those abducted, told THISDAY that vehicles were stopped by the insurgents, with the passengers dragged out and taken away along the bush path.

He said the heavy armed insurgents took position on the Highway at Garin- Kuturu near Auno, Konduga Local Government Area, of Borno State, few kilometres from

Maiduguri the capital.

He said some of them had to disembark from their vehicles and ran back towards Damaturu where they were initially travelling from.

“When we saw that the insurgents have been cleared off the highways, we trekked back to join our vehicles and started our journey into Maiduguri,” he said.

Another passenger said “we are very close to the scene of the attack, but the sound of

gunshots alerted us and our driver had to immediately reverse the vehicle and headed back to Benisheik town.”

One other passenger also disclosed that “we left Damaturu to Maiduguri around 12pm after we passed Mainok town and at were a village called Gari Kuturu, just few kilometres to Maiduguri; we started hearing gunshots all over the bush and our driver immediately sped off on high speed.”

ICPC Recovers $919,207 from Workers of Federal High Court The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said it has secured the final forfeiture of $919,202.07 fraudulently kept in an interest yielding bank account by some staff of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

The Commission, in a statement that was signed by its Spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, said it recovered the money from three respondents that included the Chief Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the High Court, as well from a branch of a bank in Port Harcourt.

“In the course of investigating a petition written against some officials of the court for alleged violation of ICPC Act 2000, the Commission’s special investigation team uncovered the money, being the sum of confiscated, value and sold vessel hidden in a bank account.

“To allow any interested persons show cause why the money should not be forfeited finally to the federal government, ICPC immediately filed an ex-parte motion for an Interim Order of Forfeiture in November 2020. “While ruling on the Interim Order of

Forfeiture, Justice Mohammed Sani of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt granted the Commission’s prayers for interim forfeiture of the sum pending the final hearing of the case.

“In his ruling on the Motion on Notice for the final forfeiture of the money, Justice Sani held that he was satisfied that ICPC had placed sufficient evidence before the Court to justify a final forfeiture of the contentious money.

“He therefore ordered the bank in Port-Harcourt to immediately pay the money into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single

Account as the money in question rightly belonged to the federal government of Nigeria”, the statement added.

In another development, the ICPC, has arraigned a former Executive Director of National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, Dr. Ademola Adeseye Idowu and three others for allegedly conferring undue advantage upon themselves.

Other Defendants in the eight-count charge are Mr. Isaiah Kayode Ajisafe; Mr. David Tersange Ikyobo and a company, Sterling Designs & Associates.

Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of Properties Allegedly Acquired by Okorocha An Imo State High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of all the properties allegedly acquired through “illegal means” by a former governor of the state, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

Justice Fred Njemanze gave the order following an ex parte application filed by Mr. Louis Alozie (SAN).

In the main substantive suit marked HOW/191/2021, the Attorney-General of Imo State had sued Okorocha, his wife, Nkechi, and Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation.

In a motion ex parte brought pursuant to Section 472(1) of the Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law No. 2 of 2020, Alozie prayed the court for an order of forfeiture on the grounds that the properties, which he said were for the public, “were converted to personal use by the first to third respondents (Okorocha, his wife, and the foundation) and their cronies for which the applicants now intends to recover them in line with the white paper by the judicial commission of inquiry’s

report”.

The properties include “Eastern Palm University, Ogboko; Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartments; IBC staff quarters illegally acquired for the purpose of Rochas Foundation College, Owerri; Magistrate Quarters, Orlu road/cooperative office/ Girls Guide illegally converted to private use housing market square, Kilimanjaro eatery; public building plot B/2 Otamiri South Extension Layout given to the Ministry of Women Affairs for establishing a skills acquisition centre for women,

illegally acquired for the benefit of Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha’s all-in stall, Aba road”.

Others are “Plot P5, Naze residential layout, initially part of primary school management board but now annexed to all-in stall, Aba road belonging to Nkechi Okorocha, and all the properties contained from pages 226 to 272 of the government white paper on the recommendation of the judicial commission of inquiry into land administration in Imo state from June 2006 to May 2019”

59

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26,2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Call PDP National Legal Adviser to Order, Makinde Tells NWC Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday asked the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) to call its National Legal Adviser to order to ensure rancour-free zonal congresses in the party.

Makinde, who stated this

Okowa Signs Bills Establishing Three Universities in Delta Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday signed three Bills for the establishment of new universities in the state.

Speaking at the ceremony at the Government House, Asaba, the governor commended the House of Assembly for the prompt passage of the bills.

The bills, which were presented to Okowa for assent by the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori who was accompanied by his Deputy, Chief Christopher Ochor and other principal officers, were for the University of Delta, Agbor; Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai and the University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.

He recalled that the bills were sent to the lawmakers a few weeks ago and that in spite of prevailing challenges

the lawmakers deliberated on the bills and organised a public hearing to have inputs of the general public on them.

He also thanked the Ministry of Higher Education for efforts in bringing the establishment of the universities to fruition.

The governor said, “I am glad that I have assented to the three bills today and I am thankful to the House for their usual cooperation.

“We looked at a wide range of issues during our Education Summit and it became obvious that we needed to take certain actions as they affected the education of our people.

“Our people are always in the quest for higher knowledge and every year, Deltans have one of the highest applications for university education across Nigerian universities.”

while briefing journalists at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, said that the South West zone of the party was ready for its zonal congresses, adding that party leaders in the zone were already working towards a united party.

He said that it was unthinkable to see a PDP as the plaintiff and defendant in a case deliberately filed to truncate the peace of the party.

The governor said: “I specifically put on notice that

the National Legal Adviser of PDP has not done well. When the issue of the party structure in Lagos came up, I met him personally and advised him that, look, we have alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in this country, especially when it is an internal affair of the PDP. “And he said, no, we are going to defeat them in court, but I was of the opinion that if we defeat them in court, what exactly are you going to get out of it? Now, he has started the same antics with the South

West zonal congress. How can you file a case and then you instruct legal representation for the plaintiff and for the defendants? I don’t think that is acceptable. So, we expect the National Working Committee of the party to deal with that decisively.

“I came here to brief you, first, on the meeting of the South West caucus of the PDP that was held here two days ago and also to discuss briefly the happenings within the PDP National Working Committee as it relates to

upcoming South West zonal congress of the party”.

Makinde told the party leaders that at the meeting, they had reaffirmed the zoning arrangement for the positions of the South West zonal executives.

“But yesterday, I heard of disturbing news that our National Working Committee is planning to postpone the South West zonal congress because some people went to court to complain about the location for the conduction of the congress.

DRUG WAR… Enugu Priest Alleges Threat EXPANDING L-R: Wife of Benue State governor, Mrs. Eunice Ortom; Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd); representative of wife of the president, Hajia Zubaida Damaka; and the representative of wife of the vice to Life, Drags Brother to Court Mohammed president, Dr. Adejoke Abiodun, during the inauguration of NDLEA Special Purpose Committee in Abuja…yesterday

A priest of the Nsukka Catholic Diocese in Enugu State, Reverend Father Anthony Ali, has dragged his brother, Amobi Ali, to EnuguEzike Chief Magistrates’ court for allegedly assaulting and threatening him and their father, John Ali. In a charge sheet, MIE/6C/2021, the plaintiffs, Fr. Ali and his father had in a three-count alleged that the defendant on February 2, 2021, at Umuopu Community, EnuguEzike, Igbo-Eze North, assaulted and threatened their life.

When the case was called yesterday, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

The defendant’s counsel, Mr. Leonard Ekeh, prayed the court to admit his client to bail.

The Magistrate, Mr. Sylvester Eze, admitted the defendant to N100,000 bail with one surety

in like sum.

Eze who advised the family to go home and make peace, adjourned the case to March 10 for hearing, should the peace talk fail.Briefing journalists after the court session, Eke said it was a family matter that should be resolved at home.

Eke, giving insight on the matter, said that the defendant was beaten, arrested and arraigned because he advised his father, John and brother Fr. Ani to stop struggling over a piece land that does not belong to them but Dr. Ejikeme Odumegwu.

“I stood in for Amobi Ali who was accused of beating his father and his brother who is a Rev Fr. The counts were three which borders on assault and threat to life. It’s a family domestic issue which should be settled at home considering the presence of a Catholic priest.

Marwa: Criminals Now Demand Ransom in Drugs The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has said criminals now demand payment of ransom in drugs.

Marwa spoke yesterday during the inauguration of a “special purpose committee” of the agency.

A statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, quoted Marwa as saying the fight against illicit drugs cannot be fought alone but must be a collective effort involving every segment of the society.

“Use of drugs in Nigeria today is at an epidemic proportion of approximately 15 million, nearly three

times global prevalence.

No wonder, so much criminality everywhere in our land and it is increasing instead of abating with such symptoms as kidnapping, insurgency, banditry, rape, and assassinations,” the statement read.

“Behind it all is drug use.

Criminals now ask for ransom in drugs and unless we get to this root cause, we will only be scratching the surface, as the criminalities will continue to flourish.

“Unfortunately, drug use does not show in the face, but we all know somebody or someone who knows somebody doing drugs and that is why we all need to come together as Nigerians to fight the menace.

Amao, Others Pay Last Respects as Seven NAF Officers Buried Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Grief-stricken Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, wept yesterday at the burial of seven officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), who died in the ill-fated aircraft, Beechcraft KingAir B350i (NAF 201) that crashed in Abuja last Sunday.

The officers, who died when the aircraft crashed

a short distance from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after reporting engine failure, were buried at the National Cemetery, Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja.

Amao sobbed intermittently as he read his speech, describing the death of the fallen officers as a huge loss the NAF and the nation.

The deceased personnel are Flight Lieutenant Haruna

Gadzama, Flight Lieutenant Henry Piyo, Flying Officer Michael Okpara, Warrant Officer Bassey Etim, Flight Sergeant Olasunkanmi Olawunmi, Sergeant Ugochukwu Oluka, and Aircraftman Adewale Johnson.

The burial was attended by the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd); Chief of

Defence Staff , Major General Lucky Irabor, service chiefs and senior military officers.

Also at the burial ceremony were Chairmen of the National Assembly Committees on Defence, Senator Bala Ibn Na’lla and Hon Shehu Diko; and Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen and family members of deceased personnel.

Police Parade 48 Crime Suspects, Recover 41 Firearms Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Nigeria Police yesterday paraded 48 crime suspects involved in various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, internet scam, fraud and unlawful possession of firearms.

The police also recovered 47 weapon, including 14 AK- 47 rifles, two submachine guns, 18 ipads, laptops and PoS machine.

Parading the suspects in Abuja, Force PRO and Commisioner of Police, Frank Mba, said the different criminal gangs of robbers and drug peddlers operated in Abuja, Benue, Kogi and Taraba

states.

He said as part of Operation Puff Adder II, operatives of the FIB Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad of the force attached to the Operation Puff Adder II arrested 48 criminal suspects, including 47 male and one female, for their involvement and indictment in cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cybercrime/financial fraud and other heinous crimes in some parts of the country.

“Forty one prohibited firearms including 14 AK-47 rifles, 10 AK47 magazines, 58 live cartridges, four AK-47 live ammunition,

four PoS machines, two laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, Internet modem and nine ATM cards were recovered from the suspects in the operations”, he said.

Mba said police detectives arrested nine criminal suspects responsible for the kidnap of Hon. Mohammed Bashir Bape, Member, Taraba State House of Assembly in December, 2020.

The suspects were apprehended at their various hideouts in Taraba and Plateau states, following an intense search by the police team for the perpetrators of the crime and follow-up on recent spike in

Kidnapping and armed robbery in Taraba and the North-Central states of the country.

They suspects include Yusuf Abubakar, 31, native of Jalingo LGA of Taraba State; Muntari Umar, 27, native of Mayo Belwa LGA Adamawa State; Ahmadu Dahiru, 28, native of Lau LGA, Taraba State; Ali Alhaji Wurungo, 25, native of Lau LGA Taraba State; Buhari Nuhu, 25, native of Jalingo LGA; Mohammed Garba, 30, native of Mararaban Gasol, Taraba State; Yusuf Jibrillah 23, native of Mararaban Gasol Taraba State; Adamu Ahmadu aka Bulala 32yrs, native of Taraba State; and one Idi Suleiman.

EFCC Arraigns Insurance Broker for Diversion of N26bn PHCN Severance Benefit Kingsley NwezehinAbuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned one Mr. Abiodun Waheed Hassan and his Company Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited before Justice S.C Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja on a five-count charge of alleged criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds

to the tune of over N26billion.

A statement by the commission said the defendant allegedly diverted humongous sums of money earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) into the corporate account of entities.

However, the defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’, when the charges were

read to him.

Based on his plea, prosecution counsel, Benjamin Lawan Menji, ask for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant at the Correctional Service pending the trail.

Counsel for the defendant, Ade Olusalako told the court that the defense had filed a motion for bail of his client and pleaded for the remand of the defendant in the custody of the EFCC pending the

determination of his bail application on the grounds that “the defendant has been on administrative bail for almost five years and he has an underlining sickness”.

However, the prosecution counsel objected to the application.

“As he rightly submitted, we received the application but we shall vehemently be opposing the application; we said vehemently so that the court will know that we have a strong opposition.

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Sheathe Your Swords, Diri Appeals to Ortom, Mohammed

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has called

on the leadership of the People Democratic Party (PDP) to intervene in the conflict between Governor Samuel

Court Issues Criminal Summons against Shell, Seven Others over Alleged Oil Theft Alex Enumah in Abuja A judge of an Upper Area Court in Abuja, Justice Gambo Garba, yesterday issued a criminal summons against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria and seven of its top Executives over alleged stealing of 16 million barrels of crude oil through the use of a fraudulent and unapproved metering system.

The executives summoned persons are Chibueze Uduanochie, Simon Ruddy, Bashir Bello, Osagie Okunbor, Igo Weli, Toyin Olagunji and Captain Callium Finlayson.

According to the summon dated February 25, the respondents are to appear before the court on March 2, to answer the charge levelled against them by the complainant.

The suit marked DC/ CR/200/2021, was filed by the African Initiative Against Abuse of Public Trust.

By the suit, the group alleged that as operators of the Bonny Terminal, Shell installed an unapproved metering system which it claimed was temporary and which it manipulated to deliberately understate the volume of crude oil that was injected to the terminal thereby shortchanging the local oil companies, owners of the oil and the federal government the revenue due to them.

The oil companies include Belema Oil, Eroton, AITEO and Newcross.

Consequently, the group seeks an order of court convicting the Shell Executives for the criminal acts of conspiracy, theft, and cheating which are in violation of Sections 97, 287 and 323 of the Penal Code Law Cap 89 Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

From the court papers, the group alleged that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has conducted investigation into the allegations and has indicted SPDC.

Ortom of Benue State and his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed, saying the diatribes between the two PDP governors is becoming disturbing, and should not be allowed to escalate further.

Diri, who made the appeal yesterday when he led members of his entourage on a courtesy visit to Governor Mohammed at the Government House in Bauchi, called on the two governors to

‘Nigeria’.

He said that the south-south is the breadwinners of Nigeria, stressing that “nobody can dispute that fact. But we do not control our resources. What we people of Niger Delta want is pure restructuring through federalism.

“A situation where we can control our resources and pay tax to the centre, other regions have enjoyed this before. So, we have suffered the most in

The United Nations (UN) has advised Nigeria and other countries of the world to enact laws providing for the wide range of legal tools to tackle cross-border financial crimes.

Nigeria is among the leaders in Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), one of such cross-border crimes, which exact a toll on development

for the rich and poor alike.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in a report published September 2020, Africa loses about $88.6 billion in illicit capital flight every year – equivalent to 3.7 per cent of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The final report of the High-Level

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday, advised the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to concentrate on how to solve insecurity and the collapsing economy in the country instead of moving about poaching members of other political parties.

Secondus stated this when he and members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) visited former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi FaniKayode, in his Asokoro residence, Abuja.

Meanwhile, the National Auditor of the PDP, Mai Adamu Mustapha, has disclaimed the

Nigeria, we are not saying we should have everything that belongs to us, but we the people of Niger Delta believe in restructuring through federalism.

“Nigeria is a failed state, failed state in the sense that nothing works anymore. Bring the best expert to come and manage Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution it will not yield any result because the 1999 constitution is a scam.”

Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (FACTI Panel) which was launched globally, yesterday, urged businesses to hold accountable all executives, staff and board members who foster or tolerate illicit financial flows in the name of their businesses.

Ondo Election Petition Tribunal Fixes Judgment for April James Sowole in Akure The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal, saddled with the task of handling the complaints emanating from the October 2020 governorship poll in the state, has fixed judgment for April 2021.

However, the tribunal, which did not disclose the specific date for the judgment, said counsel

to parties in the case would be notified of the date later.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Umar Abubakar, made the announcement yesterday, after counsel to parties adopted their written addresses after closing hearing on the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, challenging the victory of the state Governor,

the pages of the newspapers about two gentlemen who mean so well for their states, who are doing so well in their states to be engaged in this conflict on the pages of the newspapers and other media platforms.”

He commended Mohammed over laudable developmental projects executed in the state so far, saying: “Governor Mohammed is a great man who is acknowledged by the people of Bayelsa State.”

…Fani-Kayode: I’m a full PDP member

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

UN Panel Urges Nigeria to Use Legal Tools to Tackle Cross-border Financial Crimes Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

“I want to also use this opportunity to call on our party to immediately intervene and resolve whatever issues that are still yet unresolved amicably, as a party and as brothers.”

Diri also said: “I am calling on the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to also immediately intervene, and do not allow this conflict to grow beyond what we have already seen. It is very disturbing to read on

Secondus Tasks APC Govs on Insecurity

Restructuring: Nigeria a Failed State, Says Clark A former Federal Commissioner for Information and SouthSouth Leader, Chief Edwin Clark has addressed Nigeria as a failed state, stating that the 1999 constitution Nigeria is currently operating is a scam.

The South-south leader disclosed this during a National Restructure Actualisation Summit (RAS) in Abuja.

According to Clark, the people of Niger Delta have suffered most under a project he termed

sheathe their swords and cease further actions and reactions in the interest of unity and peace of the country.

According to the Bayels State governor, “Concerning the raging issue between two brothers (governors of the same party), may I seize this opportunity to advise and call on both of you, who are members of our great party, to cease further actions and reactions on the burning national security issues.

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in the election.

Adopting his final brief of argument, counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, accused the defence counsel of trying to trivialise constitutional matter, and insisted that Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedariwa, were not validly nominated to contest in the poll.

statement alleging fraud of over N10 billion against the national chairman of the party.

An online reports had alleged that there was crisis in PDP over the embezzlement of over N10 billion by the national chairman.

Addressing a pressing conference when he denied the allegation, the PDP national auditor said: “To say the least, I am shocked that the routine memo can be so mischievously misrepresented in the media ostensibly to achieve a sinister purpose against our party.”

However, according to the national chairman of the PDP, “On this note, we want to advise our brothers on the other side, especially some of

these governors and leaders of the APC, that they should face the business of governance; jumping around and looking for critical stakeholders of our party to poach will not resolve the issue of security or economy in the country.

“They are aware that security and economy in the country have broken down. They should face that business with which they were elected to do. I believe that this country belongs to all of us and we need unity to move it forward.

“Our brother (Fani-Kayode) is firm with the PDP, and he is a man of his word. There is no amount of trick that will make him sway otherwise.

He is firmly with PDP and we are back to business while we prepare for 2023. The most important thing is that the country must be one, and the APC government headed

by Buhari should resolve the issue of insecurity.”

Also speaking, Fani-Kayode reiterated his membership of the PDP. According to him, “We had a very extensive and fruitful meeting, and I want to say here and now that whatever issue that may have been, has been resolved, we are moving forward as one. I never left the PDP, I am in PDP and I am proud to be here.”

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Oando Appeals Court Ruling on Suit against SEC Says battle far from over

Peter Uzoho Dissatisfied with yesterday’s ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja striking out its suit against the Securities and

Exchange Commission (SEC), Oando Plc has approached the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision of the lower court.

The court, in a ruling by Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo, declined

jurisdiction to hear the suit on its merits, stating that the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) is the appropriate forum to hear the matter.

The Justice Ogunbanjo based his decision on Section 36(2) of the constitution, which allows aggrieved individuals to first approach any tribunal or administrative agency to determine civil rights and

obligations as long as that process and the resulting decision is not final.

Consequently, he said the IST has primary jurisdiction over the applicants (Oando and its principals) in respect of capital market issues and not the Federal High Court.

However, Oando in a statement explained that as much as it respects the decision of the court,

it argued that the court did not address its concern.

The company stated that the battle is far from over as it has lodged an appeal with the appeal court in Abuja, contesting the lower court’s decision to refer the suit to the IST. The company and its affected directors argued that the powers conferred by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

on its citizens to enforce their fundamental rights supersede the provisions of the Investment and Securities Act 2007.

It stated that it has also filed an application for stay of execution as well as an injunction pending the appeal on the SEC’s May 31, 2019 letter to the company, and as such the status quo that existed before yesterday’s ruling remained unchanged.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The meeting according to the Director General of the NGF, Mr. Bayo Okuaro, was at the instance of the National Economic Council (NEC) headed

by Vice President Yemi Oshibajo.

He said that at the last NEC meeting, the governors complained of shortages of revenue accruing to states.

Following the development, the governors resolved to discuss the matter with the NNPC and the DPR.

According to Okuaro, the meeting was not for all the 36 states’ governors, but for four or five of the governors comprising of Chairman of NGF and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Ebonyi State governor, Mr. Dave Umahi; Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and representatives of the NLC and TUC. The Director General of the

NGF explained that the outcome of the meeting would determine how the NEC will handle the revenue issues of minimum wage, electricity tariffs and other issues that could affect the revenue of the states It is expected that the NEC’s sub-committee’s recommendations will determine the decision of the federal government on how to address shortfalls of revenue in the states.

Dangote Promises to Protect Shoreline, Fishing Activities in Lekki Communities Govs, NNPC, DPR, NLC, TUC Meet over Revenue Shortfalls Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicalsyesterday reiterated its commitment to protecting the shorelines and fishing activities in Lekki coastal environment, thereby allaying the fears of fishermen and other residents in the area.

The company said its Dangote Jetty has been constructed with Sandbar Breakwater technology, which is a unique concept that follows the building-with-nature philosophy.

According to Dangote, the Sandbar Breakwater is capable of reducing coastal erosion and protecting the shorelines by interrupting wave energy, and allowing sand to accumulate along the coast.

General Manager (Survey), Dangote Oil Refining Company Limited, Mr. Rajnish Kumar Gupta, who spoke on behalf of the Head, Maritime and Ports Infrastructure, Dangote Oil Refining Company Limited, Capt. Rajen Sachar, described the concept as based on the knowledge and principles

of the local natural system and its dynamics, which makes optional use of the ecosystems available.

He said the concept does not interfere with wild-life and fishing activities in the coastal areas.

“Sandbar Breakwaters don’t interfere with wildlife habitats. They may change how wave transmission energy occurs, but this doesn’t change the fact that animals will still have a place that they can call home,” he added.

Sachar stated: “A conventional breakwater that consists of rock would lead to fast coastline advance at the west side, ultimately burying the expensive rock and thereby losing its function. The Sandbar Breakwater is designed as such that it mostly consists of sand.

The Sandbar is morphologically dynamic and nature shapes it to an equilibrium stable profile. It minimises the use of hard materials (rock) and thereby makes optimal use of locally available materials. The Sandbar profile ensures a continuous safe and calm harbour basin.

Representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday met with the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari; officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the shortfalls in revenue accruing to the states.

Lawmakers, Others Honour Malami at Book Launch Alex Enumah in Abuja

A cross section of eminent Nigerians in the society yesterday showered encomium on Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), describing him as a core professional and consummate politician, who is working very hard to enhance

the legal jurisprudence of the country.

The Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan; his Deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the chairman of Nuel Ojei Holdings Limited, who was the chief launcher of a book launch, were among eminent Nigerians who reeled out the numerous achievements of Malami at the

book launch in Abuja.

The book is entitled: ‘Contemporary Issues in Nigerian Law and Practice’.

At the occasion, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Opeyemi Bamidele, represented the Senate President, Lawan.

Omo-Agege, who was one of the chief launchers of the book, in his remark, described the AGF

as a national figure, principle leader and an icon of the Nigeria legal profession.

He said: “I have had personal interaction with him in the fights against corruption as well as his vast contribution to the fight.

His initiatives and concerted efforts have helped in proffering solutions to contemporary challenges in the justice system.”

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WORLD OF ISLAM

EFCC: Malami Tackles Sagay, Says He’s Confused The Human in the Qur’an - 1

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) yesterday condemned the recent statement by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay that the AGF would not allow the newly appointed Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa succeed on account of being a “powerful politician” that will interfere in Bawa’s work.

Reacting to the report credited to Sagay, the minister descended heavily on the senior lawyer, describing the professor as “a confused old man whose vision is beclouded by speculations and guess works”.

Malami, in statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu stated that he has been known to be supportive of government agencies and parastatals under the Ministry of Justice, devoid of any undue interferences, so as to enable them achieve greater success.

He stressed that he was never identified as meddling into or interfering into affairs of any agency under the Ministry of Justice.

According to him, agencies and parastatals under the supervision of his ministry have been carrying out the legitimate functions and constitutional roles diligently and recording huge success due to his support.

According to Malami, agencies under him such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Legal Aid Council

of Nigeria ,among others have been recording tremendous success with greater vigour and commitment.

He added that in the exercise of his constitutionally recognised mandate, he is always guided by extant laws in supervising agencies under his control, adding that on no account was there any case of interference and excessive meddling.

“The submissions of Sagay are marred by conflicting statements and confused speculations.

“The highest of confusion is demonstrated by compounding and conflict statements coming at once from an individual.

“It was the same man who in the same report was quoted as showing great optimism with the appointment of the new EFCC chairman also becoming pessimist for a speculative future”.

Nigeria’s Economy Moving in Right Direction, Says UN Deputy Secretary James Emejo in Abuja Nigeria is moving in the right direction economically but its movement is not fast, the United Nations has said.

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, disclosed this yesterday during a meeting at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Abuja.

She said the challenges

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in Nigeria were huge, its population large but described the country’s economy as great with lots of opportunities.

The UN scribe stated that after traveling by train and through various roads in the Northern parts of Nigeria, she discovered that the roads were motorable, although there were ongoing repairs on some of them.

Mohammed said, “This is a country that is diverse in nature, ethnicity, religious backgrounds and opportunities. But these are its strengths, not weaknesses.

“And I think the narrative for Nigeria has to change to one that is very much the reality.”

Speaking on her trips across parts of Nigeria, she said, “What I saw along the way is really a country that is growing, that is moving in the right direction both economically.

Is it fast enough? No. Is it in the right direction? Yes it is.

“And the challenges still remain with security, our social cohesion and social contract between government and the people. But I know that people are working on these issues.”

Driver Who Tipped Policeman over Bridge to Forfeit Vehicle, Risks Jail A Sports Utility Vehicle driver, Mr. Sunday Okodo, who was caught in a viral video driving against traffic and tipping a policeman over a bridge along the International

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Airport Road, Lagos, has been taken to the Yaba Magistrate Court for arraignment.

Okodo would be arraigned for driving in the direction prohibited by Law (one-way) punishable under Part (III) item 25 of the ‘Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 which attracts a one-year jail term and the vehicle forfeited to the state government while second-time offenders risk three years.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command in a statement titled, ‘Traffic Enforcement: Policeman in Viral Video Alive, Healthy,’ said the police inspector identified as David Zapaina, who was tipped over the bridge, has been discharged from hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the incident occurred at 5.30pm on Wednesday, adding that the victim sustained a fracture.

The statement read in part, “The incident occurred on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at about 1730hours, when some LASTMA personnel were backed up by the police on enforcement duty within the state contravened a Toyota SUV, driving against the traffic along International Airport road.

“The driver resisted arrest and while trying to escape, a police inspector, David Zapania, was knocked down from the bridge and fell into a canal. The police inspector was rescued and rushed to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre where he was attended to and discharged, but sustained a fracture on his left hand.

Zaid Shakir/Renovatio/IslamiCity

Today, we can find answers for the fundamental question of what it means to be human that claim to cast doubt on the essential reality of our humanity itself. The Qur’an, however, affirms our humanness and describes four aspects of the human—our physical creation, our spirit, our natural disposition (fitrah), and our light—all of which have an unmediated origin from God and combine to make the human a distinctive and special creation.

Physical Creation God says that He created the human with “His two Hands.” Nothing else in creation possesses this distinction. Addressing the progenitor of Satan and his dupes, God says, “O Iblis! What prevented you from prostrating unto one I created with My two Hands? Were you arrogant or were you haughty?” (Q38:75).

Qur’anic exegetes opine that the “one” being referred to here is Adam, peace be upon him, the father of humanity. As for the meaning of “created with My two Hands,” we are told, In the opinion of some latter-day exegetes, this is an example of the great care afforded to his [Adam’s] creation. An aspect of the affair of one that is scrupulously cared for is that he is handled with two Hands. One of the implications of this is that his creation was without the intermediary of a father or a mother.

Also, he constitutes a small creation within which the entire wider creation is contained.

Furthermore, he is suitable [for receiving] an overflowing of favors which do not grace other than himself.

Tahir al-Ashur notes the divine directness implied in the human being created by the “two Hands” of God. Commenting on this verse, he says, That is to say [it is] a special creation occurring in a single instance, in direct response to the creative command. The efficacy displayed in this act of creating is more direct than the efficacy in the creation of types of existence predicated on ordinary means such as pregnancy and childbirth.

This indicates that the human being began his journey as a physical creature with the direct, unmitigated creative act of God. Without this distinction, there is much the human shares with other creatures. For example, “God has created every beast from water. Among them are those that creep upon their bellies, those that walk on two legs, and others that walk on all four” (Q24:45). Like the birds, the human walks on two legs, although his erect torso and upright gait still make him unique. While birds walk upright, their torsos are either parallel to the ground or face downward at varying angles.

The great attention and detail paid to the creation of the human represents another unique attribute of the human’s physical creation. We read, for example, Verily, We have created the human from a quintessence of clay; then We placed him as a drop in a fixed resting place. We then made the drop into a clot and that into a fetus. We then made bones and clothed the bones with flesh and from that brought forth another creation. Therefore, blessed is God, the very Best of those who create.

(Q23:12−14) Similar narrations are found in Q22:5, Q35:11, and Q40:67. This level of detail is not found in the description of the creation of any other creature in the Qur’an. One reason for this detailed description could be that the human is the only physical creature capable of reflecting on the miraculous processes culminating with his entrance into the world. It follows that we are the only creatures who can recognize that we have a marvelous Creator, who should be rightfully thanked for the incredible process that brought us into existence. The Qur’an implores us to do just that in Q16:78, Q23:78, and Q33:9.

As mentioned above, the most notable physical distinction of the human is his ability to stand permanently upright. God says, “Do you reject belief in the One who has created you from dust, then from a clot, then made you an upright man?” (Q18:37; also Q82:7, Q32:9, Q38:72). A nonphysical reality—namely, sociability—accompanies this unique physical distinction. We read in the Qur’an, “Remember the favor of God upon you, how you were enemies, and He placed sociability between your hearts, and you became, by His blessing, brothers” (Q3:103).

This sociability is predicated, in part, on the

upright stature of the human. His heart always points outwards. As a result, when he embraces another human, the hearts of two are joined, establishing a metaphysical connection between them. For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) has warned the believers, “La tadabaru (do not turn your backs to one another).” When believers turn their backs to one another, their hearts also turn away, breaking the metaphysical connection—a connection established by God and facilitated by their upright posture—between them.

Spirit Man’s uprightness also makes the human being a fitting receptacle for the run (spirit), a special and unique creation of God, which not only animates the physical body of the human but also his senses and intellect. His physical stature and his spirit are two essential elements that define his humanity. Commenting on the following Qur’anic phrase, “And when He had made him upright and breathed into him of His spirit” (Q38:72), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi says, “This indicates that the creation of the human is only complete with two things: first of all, his uprightness, and then the breathing of the spirit into him. This is true because the human is a composite of body and soul.”

While his uprightness may lead the human to exalt in what could be viewed as a unique virtue, aspects of his physical creation should also lead him to humble himself. For example, in the Qur’an, God reminds us, “Does not the human see that We made him from a drop of sperm? Then lo, he becomes a rebellious disputant who sets before Us parables and forgets his [lowly] origin” (Q36:77−78). We are reminded by some who comment on this verse that our beginning, in a sense, originates from the same channel that urine exits our bodies.

How could such a creature behave arrogantly?

The breathing of the spirit into the human makes him a composite creation, although not in an Aristotelean sense. Some reject this apparent dualism as an accretion rooted in other faith or intellectual traditions. For example, the late Muslim thinker Fazlur Rahman states, The Qur’an does not appear to endorse the kind of doctrine of a radical mind-body dualism found in Greek philosophy, Christianity, or Hinduism; indeed there is hardly a passage in the Qur’an that says man is composed of two separate, let alone disparate substances, the body and the soul (even though later orthodox Islam, particularly after al-Ghazali and largely through his influence, came to accept it).

If Imam al-Ghazali does accept the idea of a composite human—body and soul—it is an idea that is deeply rooted in the Qur’an.

For example, as mentioned above, the Qur’an reminds us that the spirit is a distinct nonphysical creation breathed into the physical body (see Q32:9, Q15:29, Q38:72, Q21:91). The spirit and the physical body of the human, this means, were two distinct entities when they were brought together. The Qur’an does not indicate that they lose their individual natures upon uniting.

Additionally, many hadiths clearly indicate that the spirit enjoys an existence that is distinct from the body, both before and after physical life. For example, “The spirits are varied troops.

Those who knew each other [precorporally] find familiarity, and those who were ignorant of each other find disharmony.” Many scholars use this narration as a proof that the spirits were created before the body. After the spirit enters the body, those who knew each other in the precorporeal realm experience familiarity upon meeting in this world, whereas those who were unknown to each other in that realm sense an estrangement upon meeting in the world.

As for the fate of the soul after death, we are told, among other things, that the spirits of martyrs live on in the bodies of green birds in Paradise. These and similar narrations make it clear that the spirit has an existence distinct from the body.

Once the human has been animated by the spirit, he can undertake his primary purpose: namely, to worship and to know his Lord. We read in the Qur’an, “I have not created the jinn and humankind except that they worship Me” (Q51:56). Many Muslim exegetes mention that this verse can also be interpreted to mean “that they know Me.” These two meanings are consistent with the nature of the human, as worship involves bodily actions associated with the physicality of the human, while true knowledge of God requires a metaphysical process.

To Be Continued

63

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS Join Barcelona Now, Okocha Tells Salah

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

TRANSFER

Former Super Eagles Captain and Bolton Wanderers midfielder, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, has urged Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah to join Barcelona.

The Egypt international has been delivering consistent performances for the Reds since teaming up with the club in the summer of 2017

from AS Roma.

The forward’s contribution helped Jurgen Klopp’s men win the Champions League and the Premier League which has eluded them for 30 years.

Following his eye-catching performances, the 28-year-old has been linked to top clubs in Europe despite still having two years left on his current

Athletics Stakeholders Want Gusau to Step Aside as AFN President

contract.

Liverpool are currently enduring a difficult time after losing four consecutive Premier League games. These were against Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City, Leicester City and Everton. Notwithstanding the run of poor results, Salah has been consistent with his impressive performances for the club, although his efforts have not been able to save his side from defeat in recent times.

The fleet-footed forward has bagged 24 goals, including 17 in the English top-flight and provided four assists

in 34 appearances across all competitions this season.

Okocha believes it is time the Egypt international left the Premier League side and advised him to pitch his tent with the Spanish giants.

“If there is a chance to join Barcelona, I advise Salah to go there. His energy has run out with Liverpool,” Okocha told ONTime Sports Kingfut.

“The situation is now regressing in Liverpool, and Salah must leave the Premier League. If there is any chance to join Barcelona, I advise him to go there,” stressed Okocha

who also don the colours of PSG in the French Ligue 1.

Salah will be expected to continue his sparkling performances when Liverpool take on Sheffield United in their next Premier League game on Sunday.

The recent poor form of the Reds has seen them drop off the top five on the league table after gathering 40 points from 25 games.

Salah previously starred for Al Mokawloon, Basel and Chelsea before joining AS Roma in 2016, where his scintillating showings caught the attention of

Mohamed Salah...urged to move to Barca Liverpool, who paid £43 million to secure his signature.

Hearings begin in the PUMA sponsorship deal Femi Solaja

As hearings begin today at the Magistrate Court in Wuse 2, Abuja in the criminal charges filed against the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Shehu Ibrahim Gusau, stakeholders in the country’s track & field have asked him to step aside until the determination of the case.

Inspector General of Police filed the charges against Gusau at the Magistrate Court in Wuse 2, Abuja.

THISDAY learnt yesterday that hearing in the case is scheduled to start today at the Magistrate Court 14 in the case in which Gusau and a former technical director of the federation, Sunday Omotayo Adeleye and his company, Dynamic Sporting Solutions have been alleged to have “fraudulently induced PUMA based in Doha, Qatar to pay the sum of $75,000.00 USD into Account No. 0015296488 operated by Dynamic Sporting Solution Nig Ltd in the guise of sponsoring the federation sporting activities” which they then, allegedly, converted to their personal use.

It is in the light of the trial that stakeholders in track and field in the country have called on Gusau to step aside as president of AFN because the case against him is criminal in nature and can affect the corporate image of the federation.

“This is really a no brainer.

You cannot have the president of the AFN charged to court for criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust and

expect the public including corporate Nigeria to want to do business with the federation.

“The fact that he is in court on these charges has damaged the corporate image of AFN. I will advise he steps aside for the good of the sport,” said Samuel Fatunla, Chairman of Ekiti State Athletics Association and member of International Association of Track and Field Statisticians.

Corroborating Fatunla’s sentiments is Chief Falilat Ogunkoya, arguably the most successful Nigerian athletes of all time.

“I don’t think there should be any argument on the matter. It is bad enough that the president of AFN is in court for alleged criminal conspiracy and misappropriation charges.

He should step aside until the case is determined,” said the Atlanta 1996 Olympics 400m bronze medallist.

EUROPA LEAGUE (Results) Leicester PSV Leverkusen Roma D’Zagreb Club Brugge AC Milan Man Utd Arsenal Villarreal Shakhtar Hoffenheim Napoli Rangers Ajax

0-2 Stlav’ Praha 2-1 Olympiakos 0-2 Young Boys 3-1 Sporting Braga 1-0 Krasnodar 0-1 D’ Kyiv 1-1 C’ Zvezda 0-0 Sociedad 3-2 Benfica 2-1 Salzburg 1-0 Mac’ Tel Aviv 0-2 Molde 2-1 Granada 5-2 Antwerp 2-1 Lille

Igbobi College, Government College in Principals’ Cup Opener All is set for the ceremonial kick off of the National Principals’ Cup today with the clash between Igbobi College, Lagos and Government College, Kaduna at the Agege Stadium, Lagos.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, is expected to take the ceremonial kick off, even as Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Ibrahim Shuaibu, Chairman of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname are expected to grace the event.

According to the Director

of Grassroots Sports in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Dr Ademola Are, the revival of the Principals’ Cup is one of the cardinal programmes of Mr Dare, aimed at reviving school sports development and grooming of young talents in the country.

Apart from Football, Tabletennis, Badminton and Athletics will be competed for among all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The State Finals will hold from between March 8th and 12th while the Zonal Finals are scheduled for between March 18th and 22nd.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (left) opened scores for Arsenal in their Europa League second leg, Round of 32 clash with Benfica that ended 3-2. The North London Gunners qualified for the next round aggregate 4-3

2 0 1 0 N B A F I N A L S FA L LO U T

Toronto Raptors’ Ujiri Vows to Fight for Wrongly Accused Persons Toronto Raptors President, Masai Ujiri, has vowed to fight for the wrongly accused in the society after a law enforcement officer robbed him of his championship moment following the 2019 NBA Finals.

During a Good Morning America interview with Robin Roberts on Wednesday morning, Ujiri spoke about that night’s events from his perspective.

The Nigerian NBA executive was sued after a chance encounter with Alameda County Sheriff Deputy Alan Strickland turned physical.

The officer had refused to let the ex-Nigeria international basketball player join his

Masai UJiri...in defence of minority rights

team just after they defeated the Golden State Warriors in California to end the series triumphantly.

Last week, Ujiri released a powerful statement and video in which he reflected on his own experience.

In the Wednesday interview he said, “I say it as humbly as I can: the privilege of the job I have is to fight for this.

They are wrongly accused, there are no body cams, nobody sees what happens, and they are incarcerated or they are accused or they are charged. We have to fight for them.”

The Nigerian NBA executive was sued by Strickland even though video evidence from Strickland’s body cam later showed that the officer shoved Ujiri twice as he was trying

to step onto the court, before Raptors guard Kyle Lowry pulled him onto the court to celebrate. The Raptors president counter sued Strickland for lying.

Strickland and Ujiri both dropped their lawsuits against each other earlier this month.

“As much as we say, ‘Yeah, this happened to me,’ there’s worse that’s happened to other people, right? I lost a moment.

People have lost their lives,” Ujiri added.

Donovan Dooley of Deadspin. com would add: “Ujiri has a firm understanding of what it means to be a black man with privilege in this country.

Hennessy Becomes NBA Global Spirit Partner Hennessy, the world’s best-selling cognac, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) yesterday announced a global expansion of their partnership, making Hennessy the “Official Spirit of the NBA” worldwide.

The multi-year agreement which marks the league’s first-ever global partnership with a spirits brand, ushers in the next chapter of Hennessy’s relationship with the NBA and expands on the North American dealthat was announced in February 2020.

“We are honoured by the distinction as the first global spirit partner in the NBA’s history,” said Julie Nollet, Hennessy global CMO. “The NBA is more than basketball, and Hennessy is more than cognac. We represent global communities, and this partnership empowers us to support a game and culture that brings people together through entertainment and camaraderie despite the current challenges faced by fans around the world.

“We share the NBA’s core

values of integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation, which are more powerful than ever as we work to inspire and unite people across the globe.

“This partnership expansion marks an exciting milestone for the league as Hennessy becomes the NBA’s first-ever global spirits partner,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Media and Business Development, Dan Rossomondo.

“We look forward to continuing to celebrate the game of basketball alongside

this iconic brand and our fans around the world.”

The expanded partnership will tip off in Africa, AsiaPacific, Europe and South America with the launch of an adaptation of the “Hennessy x NBA: Lines”campaign that celebrates those who push the game forward.

According to the brand, Fans around the world will be able to toast with new exclusive Hennessy VS and VSOP Limited Edition bottles, specially designed to commemorate the partnership.

Friday February 26, 2021

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Niger Govt to FG “So, where is the support? At the moment we have not seen any federal support here since this incident occurred. Yes, we had a delegation that came to commiserate with us, but we are left to ourselves.”

– Niger State Government accusing the federal government of not doing enough to assist the state in rescuing the kidnapped students.

PATUTOMI GUEST COLUMNIST

Truth, Talk and Emotions of Drumbeats of War

A

s America descended into tribal war in the final days of the Presidency of Donald J. Trump, Nigeria, about which the traditional ethnocentric social scientist in my graduate school days there, 40 years ago, would explain ethnic conflict as tribalism, sunk further down the gutter of parochial contention of everything, from security to restructuring, a field of multiple tribal warfares. Instead of turning to Joshua Greene who directs the Centre for Moral Cognition at Harvard, and who gave us the perceptive interrogation of these matters in the book: Moral Tribes- Emotion, Reason and the Gap between us and them.

I actually turned to an old storehouse of wisdom, Holy Scripture. Nigeria is charged.

Apparent drumbeats of war almost everywhere because, instead of rational discussion of issues, emotions are aroused. How shall we tame this dreadful monster mushrooming into an existential threat?

I thought of the many moral wars I have fought and how remarkably my turning the other cheek for a slap enabled my winning later victories. This was never the wimp’s turning of the other cheek but that of one inclined, with the courage of a bold vision of tomorrow, to delayed gratification.

None of these legions of battles I have contended with stuck out on the matter more than my long relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

I recall walking down the corridors of a hotel in Moscow about two years ago, in the company of a friend who served in the Obasanjo cabinet and then suddenly, there was General Obasanjo. He was just arriving for the conference. We walked up to him to say welcome. Then accompanied him to his suite.

The affection and camaraderie flowing from the former President to me were so effusive that when we left him my friend who had served in his government felt confused. When we were in government, he said, anytime your name was mentioned, the man almost went into a feat of convulsions.

I assured him I knew that.

I then felt a need to bring him up to speed on many encounters with President Obasanjo which could be traced all the way to my time as a 21-year old Youth Corper, serving as a Reporter. But, I typically prefer to start the story from when General Obasanjo was imprisoned in the Abacha Gulag.

A few of his friends worried that he would be killed or just die there, like his erstwhile deputy, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua reached out to several people including me. Some asked if I could deploy some of my contacts in foreign capitals to put pressure on the Abacha government.

It was obviously the right thing to do. So I promised Alhaji Ahmed Joda that I would set up meetings for him in Washington. I flew there, at my own expense, and pounded a few corridors on the cause. Then I went on to set up some appointments for Alhaji Joda.

In a number of meetings with Obasanjo after he was freed by the hand of God, I never as much as mentioned that I played a role in trying to free him. But, shortly afterwards, General Obasanjo called a meeting of who was who in public life in Nigeria to reflect on the 38 years of Nigeria’s independence. This was in Otta, on September 30, 1998.

A small group of ‘younger’ people, including Olisa Agbakoba, Bilikisu Yusuf, Clement Nwankwo and I were invited.

Obasanjo An act of natural selection led us to cluster unto one table at lunchtime. Our host managed to select our table to spend the most time. One of the statements that afternoon was that his greatest regret from 1979 was that he could not gather people like us and hand the country to us to lead.

When shortly after, he called to invite me to serve on a policy advisory team, after ‘the holy spirit finally asked him to contest the Presidency’ I assumed it an outgrowth of his 1979 regret. If it would do Nigeria good, I found no harm in contributing. One wellknown Economist at the University of Ibadan rejected the invitation with a letter saying he was opposed to the Obasanjo candidacy and so could not, in good conscience advise him.

But I thought differently.

It was part of a life service.

As things turned out I would end up the leader of that team of Advisors.

The story of daily meetings with Candidate Obasanjo by our group, in Orta, from his living room to his bedroom, when the crowds overtook the living room, is stuff for memoirs.

As expected, we fought a lot over ideas.

But, I got to respect his ability to recognize superior ideas even if he is not quick to admit he had switched his position. His views on Privatization remains my favourite example.

By the time he was sworn in as President, I had also come to play a similar role to the then Governor-elect of Lagos State. I would learn later, that association with Senator Bola Tinubu displeased the President a lot. But that mattered little to me, so long as my efforts in Lagos added up to the advancement of the common good.

From time to time, friends of mine like Waziri Mohammed and Oby Ezekwesili would ask how come I joined AD. I would tell them I did not belong to any political party. But someone had told the President I was in AD and said so to whoever cared to listen, it seemed. But I stated the reality to those that asked me.

And they would say it seems to upset the President.

To that, I would respond that I had the right to join any party I liked and owed Obasanjo no explanation.

What is important about the story is how the first apparent ceasefire in this unsolicited state of belligerence between us produced what may be one of my true legacies.

It came when, after a few months in office, the

Obasanjo administration was widely criticized for lacking economic policy direction.

Part of the response of the President was to invite me to dinner.

I could have chosen not to honour the invitation, but I thought it polite to.

When I arrived, I found it was not dinner for two. All the heavyweights of the government, from the VP to the SGF, Finance Minister, Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Economic Adviser were there.

Not sure why I was there I settled down to ‘awoof’ dinner and was enjoying the free food until the President turned to me and asked how people could be saying he had no economic policy when he and I had worked on that.

I figured I had been set up. Knowing me as the President did, I thought he desired a straight to the face frank speaker to tell his team the truth point blank and imagined I was cut out for such. I decided I was not going to blame the old men who were of a different age of ideas not because of when they were born but because of the prisms through which they viewed the rainbow.

A dirigiste crowd trying to fix an economy in the age of globalization surely would have trouble.

So, I said it was possible he had not shared with them well enough the ideas he and our team, which included Dr. Ayo Teriba and Ifueko Omoigui, had worked on.

To elevate the pitch I talked about the importance of shared ownership of ideas.

Building shared values on economic direction among a national elite, I offered, was important.

That moment at the dinner would turn out to be what I would call my Habermas moment.

I had long been an admirer of contemporary German Philosopher Jurgen Habermas whose point about Democracy and Modernity have been that at their core is rational public conversation.

I began almost right there to think of how I could help build up the public square with contending informed opinions.

Within a week, I had borrowed some formats from two US talk shows, Capital Gang, and McLaughlin and Company, and BBC’s Hard Talk, adding some original ideas like the Parliament, Field reports from the arena of practice and a vox pop. We soon had a 90 minute Magazine show we would call Patito’s Gang which would have been on air for 21 years this Summer.

The irony here is that even though the programme was conceived to bring together a spectrum of views to facilitate consensus building, the gossips were quick to ferry back to President Obasanjo that the show was routinely having him for lunch in its feast of criticisms. On account of those gossips, a vexed reaction included unsavoury references to me that peaked with a National Honor encounter.

In National Honors selection sometime in the 1990s, the Private Sector was mandated to present its candidates for honour. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce nominated me and called on me to sign off. I politely told the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry that as a matter of principle I found having to sign to be like I was applying for an honour and that if anyone found me worthy of honour it should come as a surprise like the living legends and other honours I had received. But Sir Remi Omotosho would not accept my no. He persisted until

the closing Friday when I buckled only as a mark of respect to the Lagos chamber and my long friendship with Sir Omotosho.

A few weeks later, I was in Abeokuta to give a talk and ran into Justice Bola Ajibola who congratulated me warmly. But I could not tell him I was unaware of what he was congratulating me about, as he said, no one would be more worthy of the honour. I would find out later that I had topped the private sector nominations list and it had apparently been in the press. The day before the release, I was told, President Obasanjo ran his pen across my name.

Not long after, I was in New York at the UN office of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari. As the then UN Under Secretary-General and I bantered on the troubles of Nigeria, I mentioned the joke of the ‘national honour revocation’. Prof.

Gambari told me he had suffered a similar fate with President Obasanjo. After his own nomination was cancelled by the President, friends had urged him to get some people to intercede. On account of the intervention, his award was restored the next year. I also found Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe suffered similarly on the same matter from the same person.

I told Prof. Gambari I would never even behave like I knew what happened. I never let it affect my relationship with the President even though it reinforced my low regard for Nigeria’s National Honor system for role modelling.

Titles had never defined me and I did not think much of many of the people who had Nigerian national honours, but I just told Prof.

Gambari that I did not think national honour was worth my making a case as his friends did.

It therefore must have shocked a few when General Obasanjo was being shredded as Divider-in-Chief last year that I put up one of the most sturdy defences of the former President on the same Patito’s Gang that those who gossiped to him said was the platform to shred him.

Dr. Christopher Kolade who watched that episode of Patito’s Gang just as he readied to go to Abeokuta to see the former President made a point of mentioning it to me.

The point of it all is that it’s not about liking or disliking Obasanjo, in spite of his own past conduct. It was about the issue at hand and the effect of his position as it affects the common good. If it is, in my perception, driven by self-love and harms society, he will hear strong words from me. If his view supports justice, I would give him a thumbs up even if he was uncharitable to me today or yesterday.

I have a feeling that such an approach to public conversation may help lessen the emotion of the current state of utterances by those who claim to be leaders today who are managing to push us to the brink.

As emotion-laden voices try to crowd out rational thoughtful ones in this season of anomie a few good men and women ought to be raising their voices to construct a future that is just, fair and gives room for win-win outcomes and solutions while others are looking spoil for war.

Looking back, I find much to teach from this tradition I have upheld for averting the looming anarchy.

Pat Utomi, Political Economist and Professor of Entrepreneurship is the founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership.

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