TUESDAY 13TH APRIL 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Okonjo-Iweala: COVID-19 Vaccine Nationalism, Export Restrictions Threat to Africa African leaders rally for local jab production Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, yesterday deplored increasing COVID-19 vaccine nationalism and restrictions

placed on exports by producing countries, which she described as a threat to Nigeria and other African countries. She said, at a virtual conference with the theme: “Africa’s Vaccine

Manufacturing for Health Security,” that of about 700 million doses so far administered, only 0.1 per cent went to the continent. The African Union (AU) and Africa Centre for Disease Control organised the event.

Okonjo-Iweala said the global vaccine shortage and the resulting inequality in access were a challenge to Africa's effort, adding that the scramble for vaccines has already set in, while COVAX, the alliance fighting

for equal access, is occasionally outplayed, leaving low-income countries vulnerable. She said of the more than 670 million doses administered as of last week, only 0.1 per cent had gone to people in low-income countries, with

close to nearly a tenth of the world's population. She said: “Africa is the continent with the lowest rate of vaccine delivery, that's 1.1 doses per 100 people. In Continued on page 8

Printing Currency Could Hurt Economy, Analysts Warn FG... Page 6 Tuesday 13 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9501. Price: N250

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Let Voters, Not Court, Choose Our Leaders, Says Jonathan Seeks legislation to strengthen ballot Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday canvassed the overhaul of the electoral process to make the electorate the ultimate decision-makers in an election, saying winners should be decided through the ballot box rather than the court. He described the undue

intervention of the judiciary in the determination of election winners in the country as unhealthy for democracy. Jonathan, who was a guest at a youth foundation programme in Abuja, hosted by the Founder of TOS Foundation, Ms. Osasu Igbinedion, stated that the prevailing tough political Continued on page 8

South-east Govs Plan Legal Backing for Ebube Agu Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki South-east governors yesterday unfolded a plan to give legal backing to the formation of the region’s security outfit codenamed Ebube Agu. Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Uchenna Orji, told THISDAY yesterday

in Abakaliki that each of the five states in the zone would promulgate a law to establish the outfit in its area of jurisdiction, explaining that the law would be similar. This comes as a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr. Parry Osayande, has attributed the formation of regional security Continued on page 8

NO MORE WAR… Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose (left), and Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, during the South-west zonal congress of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osogbo…yesterday

Makinde Subdues Fayose as Arapaja Becomes PDP South-west Chairman... Page 5

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 • T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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NEWS

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

Makinde Subdues Fayose as Arapaja Becomes PDP South-west Chairman

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, yesterday subdued former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, as the governor’s candidate for the South-west zonal chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Taofeek Arapaja, defeated the

former governor's Chief Eddy Olafeso in the contest held in Osogbo, capital of Osun State. Arapaja, a former deputy governor of Oyo State, scored 343 votes while Olafeso, a former national vice-chairman of the party, got 330 votes. Total votes cast were 675 out of which 10 were voided.

BUA Group Targets Q1 2022 for Lafiagi Sugar Refinery Completion Obinna Chima The BUA Group yesterday set first quarter of next year target for the completion of its sugar refinery that is presently under construction in Lafiagi, Kwara State. The Senior General Manager, Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO), a subsidiary of the BUA Group, Mr. Abdulrasheed Olayiwola, told reporters during a tour of the sugar plantation and refinery site that the company has invested over $300 million on the project. He said when completed, the sugar factory and plantation will have about 5,000 direct staff and indirectly create over 10,000 additional jobs. He described the project as the fastest-growing Backward Integration Programme (BIP) in the country’s sugar sector. Olayiwola said: “We took over Lafiagi formally in 2014 and the project started in 2016. Since then, there has been no going back. This is the fastest-growing BIP project in the country at the moment. “As at the time we took over, what was attached to the sugar plant was just 5,000 hectares, but because BUA really has the intention of producing sugar in the country, we had to go for more land and we were able to get Lafiagi to 20,000 hectares and the soil composition is very good for sugar cane production.”

According to him, the project is an integrated factory, which will be four factories in one. “This is Greenfield project, which we started from scratch. We're building a mill - a 10,000 tonnes per day mill. That is the highest capacity in the country; we are building an ethanol plant. “We are not stopping at the mill because that is the brown sugar you see, but we are migrating to a refinery, we are going to be refining the sugar. So, we have the refinery under construction at the moment, and we are building a power plant- a 35 megawatts power plant and part of it would be solely for the refinery and part of it would go to the national grid. “So, in a way, BUA Group, with this plantation, is contributing to different sectors of the economy,” he added. Also, the Head of Project, LASUCO, Mr. Labaran Saidu, said apart from the plantation, which is the main attraction, the BUA Group had embarked on aggressive infrastructure development in its host communities, while also highlighting the corporate social responsibility projects it has undertaken in Lafiagi. “For us at the BUA Group, we believe whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. That was why we started this sugar project on a big scale.

In his acceptance speech, Arapaja thanked Makinde and Fayose, pledging to ensure the unity of the zone. “It's our party. We will work together and move the party forward. We want to reposition the party. I will work with my brother, Olafeso to achieve our aims,” he said. In his speech, Olafeso also conceded defeat and promised to work with Arapaja, saying: “The storm is over, there is a new beginning for our party. We have to thank God Almighty that despite odds, there is a new beginning for our party. The time is now. I thank everybody who supported me.” However, immediately after voting and before the declaration of the results, there

was tension at the WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, Osun State, venue of the congress as some thugs stormed the area and started shooting sporadically. Delegates who had cast their ballots and were waiting outside the hall scampered for safety on hearing the gunshots. However, security operatives quickly engaged the heavily armed hoodlums outside the premises of the congress. Led by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode, security operatives chased the hoodlums when they attempted breaking into the congress premises. Some security agents repelled the attack by firing gunshots and tear gas. This development caused commotion and panic in and

around the venue as at 6:45 pm on Monday. A notorious thug from Ibadan, Oyo State was alleged to have led some thugs to the venue and started threatening to kill Fayose. The leader of the hoodlums was also said to have rained curses on Fayose, threatening to attack him should they sight him. "Fayose, you are doomed. We brought your casket here," he said. It was gathered that shootings rent the air immediately Fayose left the venue of the congress. Fayose had earlier acknowledged Makinde as the leader of the party in the South-west. Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command said it has

arrested 10 armed hoodlums, who attempted to cause trouble at the South-West zonal congress of the PDP yesterday. The leader of the hoodlums apprehended was identified as Mr. Tiri Olowoposi, while his second in command was said to be known as ‘50 litres.’ THISDAY gathered that they were arrested alongside eight others with charms and amulets as well as pump-action rifles at the venue of the congress. Spokesperson of the state police command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident, saying they were already at the state CID for further investigation. She disclosed that as soon as the investigation is concluded they would face appropriate sanctions.

CONDOLENCE VISIT TO YOLA… L-R: Adamawa State Governor, Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, and National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, at the 3-day Fidau prayers for late Dr Mahmud Tukur in Yola…recently

Dangote: Our Ex-factory Cement Pricing, Fair, Just Says commodity cheaper in Nigeria than Ghana, Gambia Funmi Ogundare and Dike Onwuamaeze The Group Executive Director, Dangote Group, Mr Edwin Devakumar, yesterday defended its pricing policy for cement and dismissed allegations of extortionate costing, especially by its competitors. Devakumar, while fielding questions yesterday on the ‘Morning Show’ a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said the company had been fair and just in pricing the commodity given cost variables. He added that the company sells cement at a factory price of N2, 450 per bag, making the product cheaper in Nigeria than in Ghana and The Gambia. Devakumar said the company, in 2015, had reduced the price of its cement by 40 per cent, due to market forces. He stated that when the price was reduced in 2015, some people alleged that Dangote Group was trying to eliminate competition. He said: "For any commodity, prices may be different for

different players. For any player, they have the liberty to fix any price. In December 2015, we dropped the price of cement by 40 per cent. We didn't go around talking about dropping the price of cement. We went ahead and dropped it and at the end of the day, we were accused of dropping the price so drastically and trying to eliminate competition. “So, ultimately, I had to defend it in the media and we began to roll back our price gradually. "This was the reaction in the market then. Coming to our prices today, we are selling our cement at N2, 450 at the factory from Obajana, and Gboko is the same. The price at Ibeshe is about N2, 510, which is N60 more because the cost of production at Ibeshe is high; the limestone is high in moisture and the drying up process takes additional power and energy. “If you take today's parallel market price of N485 per tonne, the price comes to $110 a tonne, but the price of cement in Nigeria today, is relatively low, compared to Ghana and Zambia." According to him, despite

the rise in the prices of key ingredients used in the construction sector, the company has kept its price firm. He said: "The construction sector does not use only cement; the price of sand has moved from N3, 000 to N4, 500 which is a key ingredient in construction. The price of gravel has also gone up by 120 per cent from N1, 900 to 4,200 in the last 15 months and we have kept our prices firm. The price of tiles has gone up by 100 per cent; and 50 per cent. “So, the prices of all these ingredients have gone up substantially whereas the price of cement, we are selling at the same price that we are selling in 2019; and we have not increased the price by one kobo. In naira terms, we have not changed the price in 15 months and in dollar term, the prices have gone down very substantially." Asked on the purported report that the organisation exported cement to Ghana and sold at a cheaper price, he said it was the case a few years back. Also in a separate interview yesterday, Devakumar told journalists in Lagos that the price

of a bag of cement from the company’s factories and plants across Nigeria as at yesterday was N2, 450 in Obajana and Gboko, and N2, 510 in Ibeshe inclusive of VAT. He said the clarification was made in view of recent insinuations that the company was selling cement in Nigeria at higher prices relative to other countries, particularly Ghana and Zambia. Devakumar stated that while a bag of cement sells for an equivalent of $5.1, including VAT in Nigeria, it sells for $7.2 in Ghana and $5.95 in Zambia ex-factory, inclusive of all taxes. He said that though the company had direct control over its ex-factory prices, it could not control the retail price in the market. He added that it is important to distinguish Dangote’s exfactory prices from retailers' prices. He condemned what he described as intentional misinformation or demarketing, allegedly sponsored by some individuals, that Dangote sells its cement at higher prices in Nigeria relative to other African

countries. He described the allegation as false, misleading, and unfounded. Presenting copies of invoices from Nigeria and some other African countries - Cameroun, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Devakumar charged journalists to conduct independent investigations into the prices of cement across the West African coast. He added that while Dangote cement has a 60 per cent share of the market, other companies have the remaining 40 per cent. He said Dangote Cement had no control over the prices charged by other cement manufacturers or the prices charged by retailers. He explained: "Demand for cement has risen globally as a fallout of the COVID-19 crisis. Nigeria is no exception as a combination of monetary policy changes and low returns from the capital market has resulted in a significant increase in construction activity. To ensure that we meet local demand, we had to suspend exports from our recently commissioned export terminals, thereby foregoing

dollar earnings. We also had to reactivate our 4.5metric tonne capacity Gboko Plant which was closed four years ago and run at a higher cost all in a bid to guarantee that we meet demand and keep the price of Cement within control in the country. "Over the past 15 months, our production costs have gone up significantly. About 50 per cent of our costs are linked to the dollar. So, the cost of critical components like gas, gypsum, bags and spare parts has increased significantly due to devaluation of the naira and VAT increase. "Despite this, DCP has not increased ex-factory prices since December 2019 till date while prices of most other building materials have gone up significantly. We have only adjusted our transport rates to account for higher costs of diesel, spare parts, tyres, and truck replacement. Still, we charge our customers only N300-N350 per bag for deliveries within a 1,200km radius. We have been responsible enough not to even attempt to cash in on the recent rise in demand to increase prices so far.”

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NEWS

Printing Currency Could Hurt Economy, Analysts Warn FG Foresee worsening inflationary pressure James Emejo in Abuja and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos Analysts have expressed concerns over a recent claim that the federal government resorted to printing money to augment the monthly allocation to the three tiers of government, warning that it could heighten inflationary pressure with dire consequences for the country’s exchange rate and economy. The analysts, in separate interviews with THISDAY, warned that a sustained policy of printing the currency, if not well managed, would hurt the economy. The concern came on the heels of recent revelation by Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, that due to the dwindling revenue in the face of declining oil revenue arising from the growing sources of alternative sustainable energy, the federal government had to print money to augment the amount available for sharing by the federal, state and local governments during the March Federation Account Allocation Committee’s (FAAC) meeting. Obaseki stated that the federal government printed between N50 billion and N60 billion to top up what was available to be shared during the FAAC’s meeting in March. However, a former Director-General of the West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Prof. Akpan Ekpo, stated that globally, central banks do print money as the last resort when faced with fiscal challenges. "If you print it and don't manage it well, you are going to have too much money in circulation chasing after few goods. So, that creates inflationary pressure. "The inflation we are seeing in the country in the past few months is caused partly because of the printing of money. That is why you will see that even though agricultural production is going up, yet food prices are increasing. So, the impact is that it increases inflation in the economy, which is not good, especially for the poor," he said. According to him, inflationary

pressure heightens hardship in the economy. "Now, in our own case where you have sub-national governments, you now print and give to state governments, which are even worst. So, it is not good for the economy if not well managed," he explained. Also, Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng, said the development could lead to further devaluation of the currency and create further cost-push inflation, given that the country is heavily importdependent. He said the government would need to take some tough decisions in the future to address the impending fiscal crisis. He said: "Essentially what we are seeing is quantitative easing, which is a method used by governments to raise money outside taxation and borrowing. "The effects of this will undoubtedly be a further devaluation of the currency and create further cost-push inflation as we are heavily import-dependent." Shelleng warned that if the development continued, with no resultant uptick in production and growth, there might be a free fall of the naira. According to him, "Ideally, quantitative easing should be used to help stimulate growth by injecting the funds raised to key growth drivers of the economy. "However, in the Nigerian case, it is being used to fund an over-bloated government with no resultant increase in productivity. "The worst-case scenario (which we don't pray for) is this leading to hyperinflation as witnessed in Zimbabwe in the early 2000 or in post-war Germany." Managing Director/Chief Executive, SD&D Capital Management Limited, Mr. Idakolo Gbolade, said the CBN has its mandate to be the federal government's lender, adding that it will likely be over-financing the government if it resorted to printing more Naira notes for the government. He said: "This could mean

that Nigeria presently cannot fund itself and can lead to excess pressure on the private sector for taxes. "It could also lead to inflation because if enough revenue is not generated through oil and other targeted revenue heads for the government to fund its activities then we could be heading towards economic disaster." The Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, said the situation is a reflection of the weak revenue performance of government in the face of growing expenditure. According to him, the situation poses serious macroeconomic risks, some of which have started to crystallise in the form of rising inflation that hit 17.33 per cent in February and currency depreciation risks. On the way out for policymakers, he said: “Fiscal

viability is a function of revenue optimisation and governance cost-effectiveness. There is a correlation between investment growth and government revenue performance. "If the government creates a better investment climate for investors, it would stimulate investment and this would impact positively on government revenue. A quality investment environment would spur an increase in domestic and foreign investment which would invariably boost tax revenues. “A framework that brings more prosperous citizens into the tax net would enhance revenue. A market-driven exchange rate regime would grow government revenue. Broadening the scope of public-private partnerships will impact positively on revenue. “There are also the governance cost-effectiveness variables. These include the imperative of value for money in government

projects. Reducing governance cost without undermining government effectiveness, reducing debt exposure to moderate debt service burden.” The Director-General of the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Timothy Olawale, said the provision of enabling business environment for investors to thrive would be desirable in order to strengthen the government’s revenue to achieve its developmental programmes. Olawale stated that economies with little or no natural resources thrive by promoting friendly business policies and tax regimes that are attractive to investors. He, however, described Nigeria’s current industrial and trade policies as anti-investment rather than being the sources of revenue generation through taxes and other means. Olawale said: “With the

unpredictable nature of global oil prices and developments in the usage of alternative sources of fuel and modern technology, it is more appropriate to hasten the process of diversification of the non-oil economy in expanding the revenue sources away from oil. It is obvious that revenue from non-oil is more feasible than the oil revenue. “Addressing the shock experienced from our monodependence on oil revenues for earning foreign exchanges, making the economy vulnerable to the instability of the market forces, the country should implement policies to diversify further its export potentials, mostly the huge stock of natural resources in order to reduce pressure on the foreign reserves. Nigeria’s diversification approach should cover production and export, including agro-processing, manufacturing and services."

IN SEARCH OF SOLUTION… Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left), and Chairman, Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Oruku Crisis, Justice Harold Eya, during the submission of the commission’s report in Enugu…yesterday

Qatar to Invest $5bn in Nigeria, Says Onyeama Defends ambassadorial appointments Deji Elumoye in Abuja The oil-rich state of Qatar is to invest $5 billion in the Nigerian economy, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Godfrey Onyeama, has said. Onyeama, at a farewell dinner on Sunday in honour of Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to the State of Qatar, who is also the outgoing Director of Protocol (DOP) at the State House, Ambassador Yakubu Ahmed, stated that recent career ambassadorial appointments made by the federal government was based on merit, experience and professionalism. He said there had been discussions with Qatar on

partnership with Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund to invest about $5 billion in the Nigerian economy. He stated: ‘‘Qatar is a weighty and strategic country and very strategic in that part of the world and we are putting our best feet forward to advance the interest of our country economically and in other areas". He said President Muhammadu Buhari had visited the State of Qatar in 2016, while the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Tamim Bin Hammad Al-Thani, reciprocated with a state visit in 2019. Onyeama added that only trusted hands with a track

record of diligence, experience and professionalism in the foreign service were recently appointed career ambassadors by the federal government. The minister said the appointment of Ahmed and other career ambassadors were predicated on posting dedicated and keen foreign service practitioners to serve as image-makers of the country. He said: ‘‘Ambassador Yakubu Ahmed is a dedicated professional with a penchant for rigour and detail. He is very capable and one of the best in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is personable, affable, extremely friendly, dispassionate and objective.

‘‘He is going to head a very important mission, a very important country, reckoned to be one of the richest countries in the world, per capita, and there’s a lot we will be doing with the State of Qatar." Also, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Adeola Ipaye, described Ahmed as a ‘‘perfect gentleman, very even-natured and always well turned out.’’ Ipaye said he had no doubt that he would serve the country well in Qatar, adding that ‘‘we are further encouraged that when he completes this assignment, he would return to serve Nigeria in a higher capacity.’’ In his remarks, the Permanent

Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, while congratulating the outgoing DOP on his appointment, lauded Ahmed for excellent service to the State House and the nation. ‘‘He served this institution and the nation with the deepest sense of responsibility and it is very important that we establish a tradition where the system appreciates those who have served it well and those who will continue to serve it well,’’ he said. He urged Ahmed to keep fond memories of his time at the presidential Villa, assuring him of the prayers and goodwill of all the staff. Responding, Ahmed thanked

Buhari for the great honour and privilege of making him his principal representative in Qatar. He pledged to deplore his energy and skill to the promotion of the cordial relationship between Nigeria and Qatar, particularly in the areas of economic, political, cultural and consular affairs as well as other key areas. Ahmed, who joined Nigeria’s Foreign Service in 1993, said during his years in public service, he had learnt that ‘‘patriotism, selfless service, diligence, determination and perseverance will always result in the achievement of the desired objective.’’

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Editors Seek FG’s Intervention to Halt Media’s Collapse Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has asked the federal government to save the media business from collapse through, among others, the removal of tariffs on all imported consumables used in the production process. The editors, in a communiqué released after a Standing Committee Meeting of the NGE held in Enugu State, said the demand was not novel as governments had in the past saved ailing businesses after major global downturns, especially occasioned by the ravaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It acknowledged the sacrifices being made by media owners and journalists to sustain the survival of media business in these dire times; with the operating environment now almost unbearable. The guild urged the government to regard the media as providing essential services critical for national development and hence deserves to be treated like other essential services on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19. The communiqué, signed by NGE National President, Mr. Mustapha Isah, and GeneralSecretary, Ms. Mary Atolagbe, listed the removal of tariffs on newsprint and broadcasting

equipment as some of the ways to help protect jobs and ensure the continued existence and operation of media organisations. It urged government at all levels to stop seeing media operators as competitors or meddlesome interlopers, stressing that this will help erase suspicion and mistrust that have marred the relationship between governments and the media. The guild appealed to the government and state actors to always have recourse to relevant sections of the Nigerian constitution, which gives power, responsibility and legitimacy to the media to hold public office holders accountable to

the people. It deplored the harassment and continued detention of some journalists, contrary to freedom of the press and allied rights and privileges conferred on the media, to at all times, be free to uphold the fundamental objectives of freedom of expression as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. “The body of editors also points out that using public funds to finance private sector operations to save them from bankruptcy and collapse is not new and had been adopted in other countries, including the United States of America. “The government voted public funds to save the

US automobile industry, the banking sector and other sectors from insolvency during the financial crisis of 2008 and currently the $2 trillion bailout budget in 2020 for private equities amid the COVID-19 scourge,” the guild said. The meeting recalled that the Nigerian government had at various times in the past and during the COVID-19 era voted public money as intervention funds for other sectors of the economy, including the aviation industry, which at this moment is largely private-sector driven. It said, however, that the media appeared to have been excluded in all government interventions, through such

agencies as the Central Bank and the Bank of Industry (BOI). The guild endorsed the position of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), both of which have made strong appeals to the federal government for financial intervention to ensure that the media continues to discharge its constitutional duty, stressing that the survival of the media is essential in sustaining and deepening democracy. It expressed worry at the growing insecurity across the nation and urged security agencies to step up their efforts to contain the scourge.

Okonjo-Iweala urged Africa to set up a domestic financing framework for vaccine production for now and for future pandemics. In his remarks, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that Africa needs to forge sustainable partnerships with the developed and developing world, with expertise in financing and investment. According to him, Africa also needs a medical manufacturing facility of a continental scale, taking advantage of the large African market. He called on the private and public sectors to work together on capacity building,

strengthening its ability to respond to future pandemics. Also, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda said vaccine equity could not be guaranteed by goodwill alone, adding that Africa needs to expand production capacity for vaccines and other essential medical products. “It is important for Africa to forge important public/ private partnerships for vaccine manufacturing on our continent. Africa has to move from being sorry for ourselves, which is the case today. We need to overcome that and move away from what has not worked,” he added. In addition, the World

Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, expressed concern about the shortage of vaccines by African countries to cover all health workers or all at-risk groups, giving rise to shocking imbalances globally. With over 700 million doses worldwide, the WHO chief stated that 87 per cent was going to rich countries and middle-income countries while low-income countries are left with a miserly share. He said it was critical for manufacturing countries to remove obstacles and companies should share knowhow, intellectual property and data in low-income countries.

Jonathan said most political parties and Nigerians believed that men are stronger and more rugged to overcome the tough political terrain to win elections. According to him, political parties are desperate to win elections and as such will want to field male candidates for elections. Jonathan explained: "Nigeria’s political environment is very tough and because of this option of the winner takes all, it is a very dangerous option. People feel that on average, men are stronger in terms of struggling to win these elections. "They believe that considering our political environment, something that has not yet been sanitised properly, that it is easier for men to play more rugged

politics with all kinds of night meetings. They felt that men can do better. "So political parties are not very willing to send women, not that they don't allow the woman because they pass through the primaries, but since you must win elections to take advantage of the numbers in terms of proportional representation, political parties are not very willing to send women." Jonathan stated that though he tried to get more women into his cabinet during his tenure, putting them into elective offices was difficult. He said it was not easy influencing the governors to do one's bidding due to the semi-autonomous nature of the states. He also expressed concern over what he described as

excessive money politics in the country, adding that his experience with the monitoring of elections in neighbouring African countries showed that Nigerians spend more money in contesting elections than other countries. The former president also spoke on the failure of governance at the local government level. He said: "The greatest failure we have in this country is the failure of the local government administration. Our local government system has failed and we must admit it." Jonathan stressed the need to reform the local government system because it is only when things are functioning properly at the grassroots level that the country can develop.

those saddled with such responsibility. Speaking in a separate interview with THISDAY, a former Director of the DSS, Mr. Mike Ejiofor, said Southeast governors must address the issues of injustice and perceived marginalisation for such an outfit to be effective. He said leaders of the South-east should convene a larger meeting of all the stakeholders rather than an idea borne by politicians with larger implications for the future. Ejiofor said: "Setting up Ebube Agu security outfit is not the priority of the Southeast. What they have done is misplaced. They are talking of setting up security outfit to address security challenges and open grazing. What is the legal framework for it? Where did they have the law setting up Ebube Agu? You don't just do things because

other people are doing it. "What I expected them to do is to look at the immediate and remote causes. Why are the youth in the South-east agitating? Is it not because of perceived marginalisation and injustice? Where there is no justice, there will never be peace." Ejiofor said there was no law backing the security outfit. “I am not happy with the governors. I do not know why they should gather and set up such an outfit without a legal framework. “In the South-west, they backed theirs up with laws, provided, offices and operational vehicles. "You just come together and proclaim Ebube Agu. What they have done is not different from Eastern Security Network. They just made a pronouncement just like the IPOB did. No legal framework," he added.

OKONJO-IWEALA: COVID-19 VACCINE NATIONALISM, EXPORT RESTRICTIONS THREAT TO AFRICA North America, the figure is over 40. This is morally unconscionable and it's a serious economic hit. “The World Bank estimates each month of delay in vaccine access costs Africa $13.8 billion in lost output. Our WTO data shows that Africa merchandise export and import both fell by more than 8 per cent in 2020, more than the 5.3 per cent global average.” According to her, Africa's export is likely to grow by 8.4 per cent this year in line with the global average, though the projection relies on renewed demand for travel and oil, with imports estimated to grow by 5.5 per cent.

“So, between a steeper fall and a weaker rebound, Africa will have lost ground to other regions, particularly Asia. So, to boost trade and livelihoods, we need to get vaccines for everyone who needs them. I have said it before, the best global stimulus is equitable access to vaccines,” she stated. On manufacturing, OkonjoIweala said Africa represents 16 per cent of the world’s population, but with less than 0.1 per cent of global vaccine production. She added that this makes the continent vulnerable to export restrictions and has deprived the world of a more diversified vaccine production base.

While underscoring the need for more access to vaccines, she stated that Africa needs to boost its vaccine manufacturing capacity, adding that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) will be critical in achieving the target. She said open trade would remain critical for vaccine production, as some of the vaccines depend on inputs from several countries. She added that without trade, the vaccines cannot be made and that an immediate solution has to be found for trade restrictions, new manufacturing capabilities and encouragement of automatic access to vaccines by countries.

LET VOTERS, NOT COURT, CHOOSE OUR LEADERS, SAYS JONATHAN environment in the country has not helped the quest for more women's participation in politics. He said the judiciary had overreached itself by taking over the function of selecting elected leaders. According to him, the standard practice is that the electoral management bodies exercise the sole responsibility of returning candidates and declaring winners while the judiciary complements by either upholding declared results or nullifying flawed elections and ordering a rerun. He said: “I had already made a public statement on that to the effect that the ballot paper and not the judiciary should determine who wins elections or select political leaders. The ballot paper should be the only

basis for selecting political leaders.” Jonathan, however, stated that countries that conduct free and fair elections experience less election-related litigations while numerous court cases following elections are the hallmark of fragile democracies. He added: “I have said this before and I will always repeat it. I am not saying the judiciary is not doing well. But my point is that our laws should suppress the issue of the judiciary returning candidates. If a candidate is declared the winner after a flawed electoral process, what the courts can do is to annul the election and order a fresh one, where a winner will finally emerge through the ballot. The ballot paper should decide who holds any elective

office from the councillorship to the presidency. That is democracy.” According to him, "In Nigeria today, the judiciary selects political leaders and this is not the best. The ballot papers should be the basis of selecting political leaders. If it is the judiciary that will select, it means that we are not yet there." The former president, while admitting that some funds might be needed in elections, especially in the area of logistics during campaigns, frowned upon the negative way money is deployed in inducing voters, electoral officials and security operatives to subvert the electoral process. Speaking on the factors affecting women's participation in politics and governance,

SOUTH-EAST GOVS PLAN LEGAL BACKING FOR EBUBE AGU outfits in the country to injustice and the neglect of the Nigeria Police Force. Orji, whose state Governor, Chief Dave Umahi, chairs the South-east Governors' Forum, said though the law would be similar, each state governor would still be in charge of the operatives in his state. The South-east governors, in a communiqué issued on Sunday after a meeting in Owerri, had announced the setting up of the regional security outfit to battle insecurity. "There will be commonality and similarity of law across the states but it would still be manned by the state governors individually. Ebonyi State will also join other states to enact a law to legalise the operation of the outfit in the state,” he said. However, Osayande expressed concern about the clamour for regional security

outfits, which he attributed to the neglect of the police by the federal government. He accused the federal government of destroying the police with the creation of other organisations out of it, notably the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said the situation had left the populace at the mercy of criminal elements hence the formation of regional security groups for self-defence. Osayande told THISDAY that the federal government deliberately destroyed the police, adding that of all the police in the former Commonwealth countries, the Nigerian Police are the only one that have been decimated. He said: “They created

EFCC, DSS, road safety, NSCDC out of it. “They are funding them with what should have been funding for the police so the police are dead and the people are exposed. "So if the regionalists decide to defend themselves, what do you have against them? They are going to suffer it eventually. So you have four other forces competing with the Nigerian police. They are underdeveloped, under-trained. "We need to bring people that can rule the country properly, those who have the interest of Nigerians at heart.” He wondered why a police officer will be paid N30, 000 a month while a senator is earning N30 million a month. The former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) lamented the lack of commitment in resolving governance issues by

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TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 • T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

FAAN Alleges Plot to Attack Airports Chinedu Eze The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed the receipt of an alert from the Ministry of Aviation over planned attacks on airports in the country. These airports are those in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Abuja and Lagos State. A senior official of FAAN at its headquarters in Abuja, who confirmed the report to THISDAY, said the agency’s management was still awaiting the details of the threat from security operatives. The report of the threat was contained in a memo signed by FAAN’s Deputy General Manager of Administration and Logistics, S.M. Mamman, and addressed to airport chiefs of security. According to an online medium,

The Cable, the report was dated April 9, 2021, and airports on the list are those in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Abuja, and Lagos. “I am directed to convey an alert from the Ministry of Aviation regarding security threats by criminal elements against airports in Nigeria and to also request for the immediate enumeration of necessary countermeasures for the protection of all airports/facilities under your purview. “Specifically, the airports top on the list for which criminals are considering carrying out attacks include those in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Abuja, and Lagos among others. However, all airports are hereby alerted and requested to operate at a heightened threat level,” the

memo read. The airport chiefs have been directed to “submit a list of existing and additional countermeasures to address the threats, along with their cost implications where applicable.” Also, they are expected to urgently convene an emergency meeting of airport security

committees “to review the status of airport security, jointly recommend appropriate measures and share responsibility for effective implementation.” Meanwhile, FAAN has advised passengers, drivers and other airport users, particularly those at the General Aviation Terminal, Lagos, to always comply with

all laid down protocols on COVID-19 to ensure safety of all airport users. In a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, it said users must follow the COVID-19 protocols for the collective wellbeing of airport users and Nigerians generally.

The statement said: “The Authority will like to emphasise that in line with government protocols, arriving passengers are to walk down to designated car parks to board their vehicles. No driver is permitted to pick up arriving passenger(s) at the frontage of the terminals.

Katsina Community Kills Three Bandits,15 Passengers Abducted Francis Sardauna in Katsina No fewer than 15 passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle with registration number: KZR 345ZT, were on Sunday abducted by heavily armed bandits along the Tsakskiya-Ummadau road in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State. The incident, according to eyewitness, occurred at about 3pm, when the over 20 bandits ambushed the J5 bus conveying the victims, which were said to be returning from Jibia market. THISDAY reliably gathered that no fewer than 15 of the passengers in the ill-fated commercial bus, which was reported to be carrying 18 passengers, were kidnapped by the hoodlums. An eyewitness, Aliyu Rumawa, who confirmed the abduction of the passengers in a telephone interview Monday, said the hoodlums upon seeing the vehicle, started shooting sporadically into the air to frighten the victims before carrying out their mission. Rumawa, who expressed shock over what he described

as the audacious activities of bandits in the state, said: “Fifteen out of 18 passengers in the bus were taken away by the bandits, numbering about 20 and were heavily armed. The passengers were returning from Jibia market and most of them are traders.” He admonished security agencies in the state to intensify surveillance in villages and communities in Safana and other frontline local government areas of the state in order to ward off banditry, kidnapping and other nefarious activities bedeviling the state. However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, while confirming the incident, said only nine passengers were abducted by the hoodlums, adding that four had been rescued by the operatives of Operation Puff Adder. Isah, a Superintendent of Police, said: “It is nine passengers not 15. What happened was that yesterday (Sunday) at about 15:30 hours, bandits abducted about nine passengers in a J5 bus with registration number KZR 345ZT.

Pantami Denies Link with Boko Haram, Reports Newspaper to DSS, Police The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has denied any link with Boko Haram, saying he has been preaching against the sect for the past 15 years. He has also denied reports that the United States allegedly placed him on a ‘terror watch list’ for alleged ties with the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf. Pantami, has also reported a newspaper to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over a report that he had been placed on the United States terrorist watch list. In a letter signed by his lawyer, Mr. Michael Jonathan dated April 12, 2021 and addressed to the newspaper, the minister copied

the DSS, the police and the NIA. Pantami demanded a retraction and an apology from the newspaper, describing the allegations as false. The minister, who is an Islamic cleric, has been trending on social media since the report went viral. The minister, who is also an Islamic cleric, was alleged to have been a mentor to the founder of the militant Islamist group, who was killed in 2009 in the North-east. In an old video which recently went viral, Pantami is seen debating with Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in Hausa. But in the letter addressed to the newspaper as well as security agencies, Pantami stated that he had authored more than a dozen books and he was a respected cleric.

CHANGE OF BATON...

L-R: Outgoing Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. RT Usaha; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and incoming Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Brig. Gen. Yakubu Yahaya, during a visit by the duo to the governor in Ado-Ekiti…yesterday

Again, Gunmen Attack Ebonyi Community, Kill Four Persons Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki No fewer than four persons were allegedly killed when unknown gunmen at the earlier hours of yesterday attacked Ebele village in Ngbo community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The attackers invaded the Ebele village through Agila community, a border between Ebonyi and Benue states. Ngbo and Agila communites

have been enmeshed in protracted boundary dispute. A source said the attackers allegedly killed over four persons and razed about seven houses. The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Kelechi Igwe confirmed the attack. He noted that the attack was not carried out by Fulani herdsmen as being speculated in different quarters. “The Government of Ebonyi State is in touch with

the leadership of the Fulani herdsmen ( Miyetti Allah) who denied involvement in the attack. “The leadership of the Fulani herdsmen has assured government and people of Ebonyi State that they will not on any account perpetrate attack on any party of Ebonyi State,” Igwe said. He added that the recent attack on Ngbo was linked to the age-long crisis between the

community and their Agila neighbours of Benue State. The deputy governor stated that the Military and Police have been directed to move into the community to repel the attack and restore peace. The Commissioner of Police Ebonyi state Command, CP Garba Aliyu also confirmed the attack. He noted that officers of the command have been deployed to the area

Lagos Police Dismiss Officer for Allegedly Shooting Lover The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed and prosecuted one Sgt Eze Aiwansoba attached to the Special Protection Unit, Base 16, Ikeja, for firing and attempting to kill his lady friend, Miss. Joy Ndubueze. A statement from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, noted that the incident happened on October 8, 2020, at Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja of Lagos State. “The incident was referred to

the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Lagos State Police Command for investigation where it was revealed that the ex-policeman has a case to answer,” it added. The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, as ordering the orderly room trial of the suspect where he was found guilty and recommended for dismissal. “The approval for his dismissal was contained in a letter numbered PC. 458465/

LS/DFA/2, dated 2nd February 2021. “After his dismissal, ExSergeant Eze Aiwansoba, was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for prosecution via letter numbered AR:3100/LS/SPM/Vol.2/311 dated February 3, 2021. “The State CID had written a letter to the Director of Public Prosecution, Lagos State, for legal advice which was eventually replied, noting that the sergeant should be charged to court for attempted Murder

contrary to Sec 230, Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. “The ex-sergeant was charged to Magistrate Court, Yaba, on February 9, 2021, with attempted Murder of Joy Ndubueze; and the case is still on,” it added. Odumosu assured the general public that no erring police personnel would go unpunished as the command would not condone any act of criminality and unprofessionalism in all areas

FCT Police Arrest Eight Suspected Kidnappers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command yesterday arrested eight suspected kidnappers along Shengwu-Tunga Maje, Gwagwalada, Kabusa Village and Durumi axis of the territory. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mariam Yusuf, said the suspects were arrested during a coordinated intelligence operation by the police operatives from the command’s anti-kidnapping squad at Shengwu

Mountain on the border of the FCT and Niger State. It said the suspects provided useful information on the activities of the syndicate. The suspects include: Yakubu Ahmadu, 30; Ibrahim Mallam Musa, 25 and Bello Haruna, 30. “The suspects are members of the syndicate linked to the kidnap attempt on the Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association Gwagwalada Branch, Mr. David Aigbefoh,” it said. In a related development, the

unit has also arrested members of other kidnap syndicates operating along Gwagwalada and Kabusa Village. The suspects are: Ibrahim Haruna, 24; Sylvester Obeyi, 24; Peter Odo Junior and Raymond Musa, 26. The statement said they were identified by their victims and confessed to terrorising these areas. The police also arrested one Nwite Jideofor, 21, for staging his own kidnap along Durumi District of Abuja.

The suspect confessed to conniving with his ‘abductors’ to defraud his sister of the sum of N5 million. Exhibits recovered from all the suspects include three dane guns, seven cutlasses, one black- coloured Honda Accord, four mobile phones and other items. The statement said effort was underway to arrest other members of the syndicates at large. It said all the suspects would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation.

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Attahiru Tells House to Pass Arms Procurement Query to Predecessors Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru,

yesterday told the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee probing the purchase, use and control of arms, ammunition

DG PGF Gives APC Tips on Winning 2023 Presidential Election Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Director-General (DG) of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has said that for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win 2021 presidential election, it should field a candidate that has the same towering electoral profile like President Muhammadu Buhari. He warned the ruling party against what he described as “blind trust” in some of the leaders of the ruling party towards the 2023 general election. Lukman, in a statement yesterday, recalled how the ruling party lost the governorship election in some states in the 2019 general election. He attributed the losses to sabotage by APC leaders. He stressed the need to ensure that “appropriate conditions exist to regulate the conduct of political leaders especially elected representatives.” He stated that the absence of any problem during the internal

contest for the emergence of Buhari as the presidential candidate of the party in December 2014 was a major source of electoral strength, which made the party to win elections in virtually all the states in 2019, as well as majority seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Lukman, who highlighted Buhari’s electoral performances since 2003, stated that the president’s popularity even before gaining power in 2015 had been a force to reckon with. He said: “With such reality, it can be concluded, therefore, without any dispute, that the electoral advantage of the APC is more on account of the presence of President Buhari in the party. The question, which every APC leader and member needs to answer is; will the APC continue to enjoy such electoral advantage when President Buhari is not the presidential candidate of the party? Is there another leader in the APC with the towering electoral profile of President Buhari?

Presidency Reacts as Twitter Picks Ghana as African HQ

The Presidency has reacted as social networking service, Twitter yesterday announced the selection of Ghana as its African headquarters Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey disclosed that its African office would be in Ghana. “Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you Ghana and President Nana Akufo-Addo,” he tweeted. In his reaction, Ghana’s President thanked Twitter for its decision, adding that he had met with Dorsey and he was confident the move would be the beginning

of new things. He tweeted, “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is excellent news. The government and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country.” But in a swift reaction, Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu tweeted, “I pray Ghanaians would not allow their country to be used as a platform for the orchestration of nuisance on the African internet space.

and related hardware by the military, paramilitary and other law enforcement agencies to invite his predecessors to shed more light on the procurement. Attahiru stated this in Abuja when he appeared before the ad hoc committee investigating arms purchase in the last 10 years. Though, the army chief did not mention any name, but his predecessors during the year under review included, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), who was the COAS from September 2010 to January 2014; Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah (rtd), who was the COAS

from January 2014 to July 2015; and Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd) from July 2014 to February 2021. Attahiru said he was earlier invited before the committee but was unable to make it due to exigencies of duties, adding that he was either in the North-east or South-east or South-south trying to ensure stability in Nigeria. But Hon. Ejiofor Oghene, who was not pleased with the explanation given by the army chief asked him to apologise for not honouring the invitation extended to him earlier. He stated that everybody in

any position of authority works for Nigerians. Oghene stated: “The explanation all along is understandable considering the security situation in the country and knowing that your position demands a lot of your time going around. “So, one would have expected that today that you are able to honour this invitation, there would have been something that sounds like an apology for not being able to make it all along. What we have gotten is an explanation.” The lawmaker added that the House symbolises Nigeria and,

therefore, demanded that Attahiru apologised for not honouring the earlier invitation. But the army chief stood his ground, saying his explanation was as good as an apology. Attahiru said: “Mr. Chairman, just like the last speaker said that we are partners in progress and I believe that too. But you said I offered an explanation; it is as good as an apology. It only tells you the reasons I was not here and the reasons are cogent enough, even the blind man knows there are problems of internal security in Nigeria.

CONGRATULATIONS...

Director of Training and Development, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Hajia Maimuna Yangora (left), handing over to the newly appointed Director General of NCWD, Dr Asabe Bashir, in Abuja... yesterday

Ahmed: FG Deserves Value for Money on Infrastructure Investment Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed has stated that the federal government’s huge public investment in infrastructure requires a management system and structure that ensure that it gets value for money spent. To actualise this, the minister advocated the setting up of public investment management units. She explained that the task of strengthening public investment would become easier with commitment, loyalty and

collaboration between the National Assembly and her ministry. Speaking at a two-day retreat organised by the Budget Office of the Federation (BoF) in collaboration with the National Assembly Appropriation Committee on the Budget Process with focus on strengthening public investment management (PIM), Ahmed put into context, public investment management and why the federal government needed to increase its borrowing. The minister noted that recognising the importance of capital projects, from his first day

in office, President Muhammadu Buhari prioritised infrastructure provision and upgrade by ensuring that resources were adequately mobilised to actualise their provision. She said: “In a developing economy such as ours, the provision of infrastructure is usually a cardinal objective. This is mainly due to the multiplier effect of the provision of roads, rails, schools, hospitals, etc. on the growth and development of the economy.” According to Ahmed, engaging in such huge public investment in infrastructure therefore requires a management system and structure

that will ensure that government gets value for money spent hence the need to set up public investment management units. Ahmed stated: “This is even very compelling given that government has had to increase its borrowing to fund these public investments in infrastructure owing to revenue challenges. Thus, because public investment refers to government’s spending on infrastructure, its management literally means the process of handling expenditures to ensure that government gets value for its investments.”

Sultan Urges Muslims to Commence Fasting Kukah Urges Northern Govs to Lawan canvasses peace, unity, prayers for Nigeria Resolve Religious Crisis Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has declared today, Tuesday, April 13, 2020, the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan. He declared that the crescent moon was sighted in almost every part of the country earlier yesterday, Monday, which was the 29th day of the Month of Shaban and thereby signifying that today is the First day of Ramadan 1442. Sultan Abubakar, however called on the entire Muslim communities in the country to start fast today in accordance with the teachings of Islam This is coming as the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has urged the Muslim Ummah to stress messages of peace, love and national unity as the Holy

Month of Ramadan begins across the Islamic world The Sultan said the council got information of the moon sighting from many Islamic leaders across the country which he said signified the commencement of Ramadan fast. He urged Muslims to use this month of Ramadan to pray against the spread of COVID-19 in the country and work in line with the directive of government and all other relevant stakeholders in the country. He also called on the Muslims across the country to use the month of Ramadan to continue to pray for the leaders of the country and also against insecurity in the country. He implored Islamic clerics and leaders to observe the laid down procedures of Covid-19 by

maintaining social distance during the conventional prayers and other activities during the month. Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has urged the Muslim Ummah to stress messages of peace, love and national unity as the Holy Month of Ramadan begins across the Islamic world. Lawan, in a statement issued yesterday urged them to remember the Holy Month as a period of fasting, sober reflection, self-discipline and sacrifice. He said: “I urge us to remember our dear country in our prayers as we seek to overcome the challenges we are facing as a nation. This is in the realisation that Allah is the Almighty, kind and greater than all human problems.

Daji Sani in Yola Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic of Sokoto Diocese has called on the northern governors to resolve the lingering religious crisis bedevilling the region. Kukah stated this yesterday in Yola the Adamawa State capital, at the inauguration of Sangere-Marghi Housing Estate, a settlement constructed to accommodate Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) displaced by Boko Haram, who were taking refuge at the Catholic Diocese of Yola. The Bishop said a situation where the governors meet in Kaduna or in Abuja without properly addressing the religious problems tearing the North apart was unacceptable. He said the governors should

take decisive actions that would resolve the lingering religious crisis permanently in the North. Kukah also tasked the state governor, Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to remind his counterparts in the North that they should properly guide and lead the religious leaders out of the present religious intolerance in the region. “They should not only be talking about dialogue with Bishops, Imams and Emirs, sitting together and taking photographs and drinking tea but there should be concrete magnifications of ideas and innovations to address these problems permanently. “If the spirit of Islam and Christianity exist in Nigeria actually between members of the two Faith, we will not be fighting, shedding blood as we

are seeing today. “Nigerians are too religious in paper and not in practice and this has made religion to be a liability to us. “It is therefore important for both Christians and Muslims to appreciate what the Catholic Diocese of Yola has done today in bringing people of the two faith dislodged by the Boko Haram under one umbrella,” he said Also speaking, Fintiri tasked Muslims and Christians to co-exist despite their religious differences. The governor recalled that the issue of religious intolerance in the North began with the Maitatsene uprising of the 1980’s, noting with regret that since then, the religious crisis seems to have defied solutions.

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY •TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

COMMENT

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

UNENDING QUEST FOR MEDICAL TOURISM

Adewale Kupoluyi canvasses improved funding, and better planning of the healthcare system

espite the growing criticism against medical tourism by top government personnel to foreign countries, there seems not to be a way out of what has become a costly official indulgence. Just a few days ago, Nigerians staged a protest at the Nigeria House in London against President Muhammadu Buhari’s current medical trip to the country, as the President is expected to spend about two weeks for the ‘short rest’. This medical trip can be said to be ill-timed on the premise that doctors, under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) were on a nationwide strike to press home demands for better welfare and the imperative of fixing the nation’s deteriorating health system. What makes the President’s case disturbing is that he has allegedly spent over 200 non-consecutive days on medical tourism in the United Kingdom alone since he assumed office in 2015 and with huge expenses paid for with public funds. For instance, he once took a six-day vacation on the excuse that his doctors lived in England, after which he went back on a 10-day trip for an ear infection surgery that was later extended by three days. Again, he returned to the UK on a medical vacation after which he wrote the National Assembly by seeking an extension and when he finally returned to Nigeria, he did not resume work immediately, saying that he was ‘working from home’. Thereafter, he embarked on another trip to London and returned after more than 100 days. The President returned to Nigeria and it took him a while to get back to work because rats had reportedly damaged furniture in his office and restated that he would be ‘working from home’ before returning on a four-day “medical review”. These cases of top government officials jetting out of the country on the slightest medical issue did not start under the present administration. This was why the State House Permanent Secretary was seriously questioned while appearing before a Senate panel, to defend the 2021 budget estimates, where he gave a budget of N19.7bn for 2021, out of which N1.3bn was proposed for the State House Clinic. The Permanent Secretary had promised to put necessary arrangements in place to meet the medical needs of the President and other top public officers once the budget was approved. Not much has been heard in the public domain in this regard. As a result of the huge financial loss to the economy, the intention to invoke the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 on how much the President has spent on medical travels has not yielded much fruits by concerned Nigerians, but it is estimated that medical tourism could drain over $1 billion a year by leading to deficiency in the federal government’s health budget. The drastic drift in medical personnel from the country drew the attention of the UK General Medical Council, a government body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners, which raised the alarm that Nigeria has the third-highest number of foreign doctors in the UK at the expense of Africa’s most populous country. This brain drain has automatically created a vacuum and dearth of doctors at variance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations that for any country to claim to have enough doctors for its population, it should have one doctor for every 600 persons. This means that at an estimated population of about 200 million, Nigeria needs over 330,000 medical doctors, but presently has about 35,000 and leaving a deficit of about 295,000 qualified doctors! What this signifies is that the country has consistently failed to invest

A TIMELY MOVE WOULD INVOLVE THE HEALTH STAKEHOLDERS HELPING TO OPERATIONALISE THE NATIONAL HEALTH ACT 2014, TO DEAL PROFESSIONALLY WITH ISSUES OF CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, MEDICAL EDUCATION, DIAGNOSIS, RESEARCH, AND GENERALLY IMPROVING HEALTH CARE DELIVERY

in its health sector because of poor incentive to do so and largely due to public officials’ crave for patronising foreign hospitals at taxpayers’ expense. The result has been the almost total neglect and the poor capacity of this critical sector to effectively tackle preventable diseases and provide quality health services. The WHO alludes to the fact that the country has very high infant and maternal mortality rates such that the risk of a woman dying in pregnancy or childbirth is high when compared to what is obtainable in developed nations where democratic institutions are strong and the provision of basic amenities can be taken for granted. Without personalising issues and blaming the incumbent administration, our system should not be designed in such a way that public officials are not made to become a burden on state resources health-wise. As much as possible, only those that are fit and proper should be made to occupy public offices. The situation we have found ourselves in should be properly managed, hoping that it would serve as a learning curve for the future. The President should look inwards, resolve to prioritise health reforms, and set an example by visiting local hospitals as most of the ailments can be attended to in the country. The mindset that everything foreign is superior should be addressed. Once this is done, other public officers would naturally take a cue from that and things would fall in line provided that the political will is there to curb the practice. Recall that in 2016, President Buhari gave an assurance that he would shun medical tourism when he said that the federal government would not provide funds to any government official travelling abroad for medical treatment unless the case cannot be handled in Nigeria, saying “While this administration will not deny anyone of his or her fundamental human rights, we will certainly not encourage expending Nigerian hard-earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad, when such can be handled in Nigeria”. Similarly, the Senate also issued a warning to State House officials that henceforth, Mr. President should stop embarking on foreign trips for medical attention. The Upper Legislative House had reasoned that rather than allow the President to seek medical attention overseas, the government should explore local alternatives. The House of Representatives equally made a move in this regard through the sponsorship of “A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Health Act, 2014 to Regulate International Trips for Medical Treatment by Public Officers, to Strengthen the Health Institutions for Efficient Service Delivery; and for Related Matters”, which passed through the second reading in the House, showing the willingness to salvage the ailing sector. No doubt, Nigeria’s health sector has been plagued by a disturbing degree of deterioration traceable to past administrations notwithstanding the billions of naira expended on some tertiary hospitals, the challenge in the sector remains daunting. What we see are inadequacy of medical facilities, expensive cost of drugs, sub-standard medicine, weak work ethics, wrong diagnosis, high morbidity and mortality rates, and inadequate supervision by regulatory bodies. A timely move would involve the health stakeholders helping to operationalise the National Health Act 2014, to deal professionally with issues of clinical governance, medical education, diagnosis, research, and generally improving health care delivery. Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State

WHO’S AFRAID OF ABUBAKAR MALAMI?

The attorney-general of the federation is performing his duty professionally, writes Solomon Yamai

n a season of partisan frenzy, with many red-eyed politicians, rogue tendencies and unprofessional platforms focused on various power-grab and economic intrigues often dressed up as patriotic ventures discipline and rule-governed processes become threatened. The position of a country’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice carry considerable weight, especially in charting the course of informed engagement with the critical elements in a democratic mix. That the inherent powers of that office, its responsibility and authority have been serially targeted should worry level-headed, patriotic stakeholders. Surprisingly, in this quirky targeting game besides sworn detractors, political vampires and economic saboteurs - some online media and the occasional traditional press outlet are guilty. But these folks and tendencies shockingly misread the capacity, professional grit, poise and unflinching focus of the unassuming Honourable AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. As it were, with principle, pluck and discipline as watchwords, Malami is handling the latest offensive with his trademark maturity and verve. The issue revolves around a N159 billion Paris Club-related judgment debts owed by states and their local governments. Malami’s endorsement of the legitimacy of the indebtedness followed due diligence carried out by his office. Contrived efforts to controvert this basic fact are at the heart of the online publications offensive. Recently, some mischievous reports peddled by some online media, specifically Saharareporters and Premium Times, purportedly alleged

that the AGF was “pushing for payment of ”contradictory and incongruous figures regarding judgment debt and Paris Club refund. But easily noticeable by circumspect observers is that the reports peddled by the off-shore based and the local online media lacked merit as evidenced by not only contradictory submissions but also a hurried aggregation of specious data. In view of the lessons learnt from the fraudulent P&ID case, Malami and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari have been applying extra-ordinary due diligence to avoid whatever was suspected to be suspicious liability whose antecedents were rooted in past administration. During period of the past administration, both online media failed to question the issues or draw the attention of the general public to the matter. With respect to the enormous volume of the judgment sum and declining resources coupled with the policy imbibed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to save the government of frivolous liabilities the Office of the AGF&MJ embarked on extra-ordinary due diligence including directing for investigation of the matter by law enforcement and security agencies with a view to assess the veracity of the claim. What is the genesis of judgment debts in question? Clarity is important here. The judgment debts were based on the fact that some affected local governments and ALGON instituted action against the federal government in suit no: FHC/ ABJ/CS/130/13 – LINAS International LTD & 235 ORS V. Federal Government of Nigeria & 3 ORS to recover the sum of $3,188,079,505.96.

Judgment was delivered in favour of the plaintiffs on 3rd December, 2013 (years before President Muhammadu Buhari came to office and long before Malami was made AGF). There is more. Subsequently, a Garnishee Order Absolute was granted in 2016 directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as Garnishee to pay $3,188,079,505.96 to the local government. The Garnishee Order was granted by Hon Justice H.B. Yusuf. Significantly, both media chose to turn a blind eye on the judgment and its negative effect on the nation’s economy when it was delivered and in effect chose to attack AGF Malami who had exerted extra efforts in saving Nigeria from the scourge of consequential liability. Even when it became inevitable that the payment had to be effected with the consent of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and ALGON, the office of the AGF had to extract undertaking and indemnity from NGF and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in 2019. In consideration of the financial status and the volume of the transaction, due diligence relating to contractual undertones and the judgment were carried out by the Office of the AGF in order to guard the government coffers from being robbed by some unscrupulous agents like the case of P&ID. The AGF&MJ took steps to be doubly sure that about the engagements. The office wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Service and the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to furnish the HAGF with facts that will guide the legal opinions to be proffered by

the HAGF. It could be recalled that on August 29, 2018, the Office of the AGF through the then Director of Civil Litigation, E.O. Omonowa, ESQ wrote a letter (MJ/CIV/ABJ/440/16) to the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the ALGON seeking specific evidences to validate the resolution by ALGON to engage Ted Edwards/Edwards & Partners to recover funds related to the refund of Paris and London debt over-deductions and any amount so recovered by Ted Edwards/Edwards and Partners. The Office of the AGF&MJ also sought five other specific data to validate authorisations and resolutions by ALGON to ensure they were vested with legality. Conflicting with claims by the Premium Times report that a letter from ALGON dated 10th September, 2018 denied involvement of Ted Edwards/Edwards and Partners for the said project, seven years before the so-called letter. ALGON resolved to and did engage the parties for the project. The AGF’s office wrote letters to law enforcement and security agencies including the EFCC to conduct independent investigations on the issue. Sadly, both online media ignored the ethics that govern their sector but opted to be economical with facts by deliberating failing to present the foregoing facts to the public. The online media groups deliberately chose to misrepresent the public, by refusing to also inform the public that the EFCC and other security agencies had at the request of the AGF’s office investigated this matter. Yamai wrote from Jos, Plateau State

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

EDITORIAL SPECIAL COURT FOR BANDITS? It is not necessary. Judges should move with the times

slamic Leader, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, took his campaign for a solution to the challenge of banditry in the North West geo-political zone of the country to the South West penultimate week. His host this time was former President Olusegun Obasanjo. At the end of their meeting, the duo asked the federal government to “settle, rehabilitate and empower” bandits who are willing to surrender. The proposed idea is like the controversial programme being implemented for ‘repentant’ Boko Haram terrorists at huge cost. We commend both Obasanjo and Gumi for their effort to tackle the myriad of security challenges confronting the nation. But we see no solution in their proposition for a special court for bandits and kidnappers. Criminals are criminals and they should be treated as such. However, we understand the reason behind the call. What is at stake is the issue of delay in the Nigerian court for which some issues would have to be addressed. It is for instance unacceptable that in this age and time, Nigerian courts are still denied the benefits of modern information technology necessary for RECORDING JUDICIAL the expeditious and PROCEEDING quicker dispensation ELECTRONICALLY IS A WIN- of justice. Records WIN SITUATION FOR THE of proceedings and appeals are kept in COUNTRY. OUR JUDGES untidy files which WILL LIVE LONGER. oftentimes get LITIGANTS WILL HAVE missing. THEIR CASES DECIDED The main reason ON TIME. CHEATING BY why it takes so long JUDGES WILL BE REDUCED to decide a case is because the leadership of the judiciary has failed or is afraid to adopt new technology. Judges continue to take notes in longhand. In so doing, they punish themselves, they punish litigants and the society suffers. The question is, why do our judges want to write themselves to death? The answer is simple. It is common knowledge that unscrupulous judges derive benefit taking notes in longhand. It allows

Letters to the Editor

them to manipulate their records. Some high court judges have changed their records when summoned by the National Judicial Council (NJC). The only way to deprive judges the chance to tamper with their records is for court proceedings to be done electronically. Copies of the proceedings can be printed within minutes after the court session. Recording judicial proceeding electronically is a win-win situation for the country. Our judges will live longer. Litigants will have their cases decided on time. Cheating by judges will be reduced. This will in turn restore and boost conﬁdence in the judicial system.

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 TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

he judiciary should introduce electronic recording of courts’ proceeding otherwise the politicians will force them to do so. This is already happening. When politicians discovered that litigation would not allow them to enjoy a secure tenure, they amended the constitution and imposed time limit within which election petitions must be decided. Section 285(6) and (7) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides as follows: “An election tribunal shall deliver its judgement in writing within 180 days from the date of the ﬁling of the petition”. A similar restriction placed by subsection (7) of Section 285 of the Constitution provides that “An appeal from a decision of the election tribunal or court shall be heard and disposed of within 60 days from the date of the delivery of judgment”. Before the amendments, election cases and appeals took several years before conclusion. In most cases, the respondents (mostly the incumbents) would almost serve out their tenures when ﬁnal judgements were delivered, as witnessed in Ekiti, Anambra, Osun and other states. The politicians simply seized the initiative from the judiciary. Today, our judges are labouring to comply with this onerous time limit on determination of election petitions. That is a problem they could have corrected by merely ending their rules of procedure. Once these and other issues are addressed, criminal prosecution would not have to take forever to conclude. And there would be no need for a special court for bandits!

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciﬁc publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

JAILBREAKS IN CORRECTIONAL CENTRES

n five months 3,837 prisoners have been illegally freed from Nigeria correctional centres. In five months, 10 correctional centres have been attacked. In November, 2020 while counting the costs of the #EndSARS protests, Information Minister Lai Mohammed had said eight prisons were attacked, “with 1,957 inmates set free and 31 staff injured.” But Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured that the federal government would strengthen security at correctional centres across the country. Osinbajo gave the assurance while addressing newsmen at the Owerri Custodial Centre, Imo state, after inspecting the facility to ascertain the extent of damage by hoodlums who attacked the centre on Monday, April 5, 2021. The vice president who condemned the attacks on the correctional centre and the Police Headquarters in Owerri said the security architecture of the country would be rejigged. He further assured that all those responsible for the attacks would be uncovered and made to face the full wrath of the law. Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior is bringing reliable field-proven technology backed by professional expertise to safeguard correctional facilities and detention centres across Nigeria as soon as funds are made available. The technology will enable guards to monitor and track inmates, detect illegal activities, isolate and control violent incidents and prevent intrusion to secure correctional centres. But finance is the major problem of Aregbesola to execute his security plans for Nigeria correctional centres. The federal government is putting in place enhanced security measures in correctional centres, a slew of advanced equipment to further strengthen the existing arrangements. Aregbesola has planned

for security-related gadgets such as scanners, cell phone jammers and closed circuit television cameras, besides walkie-talkie sets for faster communication. Alongside improving security measures, the federal government is also putting in place many innovative schemes in correctional centres aimed at rehabilitating inmates and turning them into productive citizens upon their release. Just when many Nigerians thought the worst threat to the nation’s security in recent times was over with the cessation of the #EndSARS protests, some events in the last few weeks seem to suggest that the situation is not about to improve yet. Kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of banditry have escalated, culminating in the April 5, 2021 attack on the Owerri Correctional Centre by yet to be identified gunmen. The hoodlums not only set free 1880 inmates of the centre, they set the building and several cars on the premises ablaze. They had apparently taken their cue from the invasion of the Benin Correctional Centre in the thick of the #EndSARS protests during which 1957 inmates were let loose. A similar attack on the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos was resisted by security forces. Most of the freed inmates are hardened criminals. Some have returned to what they know how to do well: crime. He decried the spate of attacks on correctional facilities, warning that there may be more of such as in future. However, the authorities of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) say they are doing everything possible to fortify security at their facilities across the country. Sophisticated weapons, Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) and oth-

ers have been acquired to prevent further attacks, the Public Relations Officers (PRO), Francis Enobore, told The Nation. Enobore said the service is working with other security agencies to prevent attacks on correctional facilities. He said the service is currently facing the issue of encroachment, which is hindering security operatives from protecting some correctional centers. His words: “We have means of generating intelligence and also preventing crisis within or outside. We are increasing our collaboration with other sister security organizations across the country. They are increasing their personnel on ground for us. We have been able to reach out to heads of other security organizations and they have responded favorably. “They have also provided Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) and some other sophisticated weapons that can help us to fortify correctional facilities. For intelligence gathering, the services involved have also been forthcoming. We are increasing our reach and collaboration to ensure that these incidents do not occur again. Some of these facilities that have been attacked, they are located in areas that are now surrounded by private developers. These correctional facilities are supposed to have what we call buffer areas. And the buffer area is not supposed to be less than 200 meters round the correctional facilities… “We have been begging those that have built illegal buildings all over the place, and if you talk to them they run to court to get injunction, when the hard times comes, they may end up taking the bullet. So, these are avenues that we are employing to ensure that this crisis does not happen again and we have plans to relocate these facilities to a more conducive environment.” Inwalomhe Donald, Owerri, Imo State

ADVERTORIAL

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021

POLITICS

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

Umahi Braces Up to Tackle Insecurity The murder of over 20 persons in cold blood in three communities in Ebonyi State by suspected herdsmen and an enduring deadly clash fuelled by two inﬂuential politicians jostling for control have awakened the security instincts in Governor David Umahi, writes Benjamin Nworie

Osinbajo

uesday, March 30, 2021 was one of the saddest days in the David Umahi-led administration in Ebonyi State. Though, it has recorded pockets of communal clashes, the state has been largely adjudged one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. It has been relatively free from kidnapping, which seems to be major security challenge in the South-east. However, the pains and agony of the attack on three communities in Ishielu local government area of the state will remain for a long time. It was the first bloodletting terror unleashed on Ebonyi people by yet-to-be-identified herdsmen. Officially, over 25 persons were sliced to death in cold blood. The victims included children, women, men and a pastor. The attack came at a time the state is battling to resolve another dreaded communal clash between Effium and Ezza-Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area. The clash has claimed several lives. Both communities have almost been razed down and have been deserted. The clash which has entered the fourth month has taken a heavy toll on both communities. The carnage is monumental and outrageous. Though, currently under dusk-to-dawn curfew, the effect of the war maybe felt for years. The main actors are behind bars. The council Chairman, Barrister Clement Odah and member representing Ohaukwu North, Hon Chinedu Awo are said to have instigated the war for political control of the area. Odah is from Effium while Awo is from Ezza-Effium. The two men were arrested and released but when the clash became more severe, Umahi ordered for their arrest with a directive to the Commissioner of Police not to treat them. Since the killer herdsmen issue became a national discourse, Umahi has been deeply concerned about how best Nigeria can resolve the widespread clashes in different parts of the country. The govenor has advocated for national unity by insisting that herders who have lived in the state for decades should not be ostracized. This position, nevertheless, didn’t not go down well in some quarters. Some people had wished that all herders should leave the state but the govenor always holds a contrary view for the sake of Igbo people outside the South,east. So, the attack on Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu communities became the most unexpected and most shocking. It was shocking because the governor admitted that all the local herders vacated the local government before the incident. Thus, he suspected conspiracy on the part of the local herders, whom the governor may have seen as untroublesome and have lived peacefuly in the state. The reason for the attack was reportedly told as a retaliation for the murder of a herdsman over one year ago,

Umahi

which was even said to have been amicably resolved. The community never knew that the herders still harboured grievance in the heart. The attack was also shocking to Umahi because some of the local herders are political office holders in the state. They attend security meetings and were actively involved in the administration of the state. So, to contemplate and execute such carnage has become an eye-opener for Umahi. The attack has stinged Umahi to the bone and he has declared that he can’t control the consequences if another attack happens in the state. Ebonyi people are known warriors. If retaliation was an option, if allowed, the effect may have been catastrophic. But, the governor was proactive and the people saw his sincerity and the people have seemingly calmed down. He also appealed to the Federal Government for N5 Billion intervention fund for the families of the victims to help them shelter, feed and cloth themselves. Umahi said: “I want to thank you and thank Mr. President for this prompt action you have taken to visit this peace loving community. We are touched and we are encouraged by this visit. Your Excellency, we woke up in the morning of Tuesday 30th March to hear the shocking news of the unprovoked massacre of not less than 20 persons. Everyday, they continue to discover dead bodies from the bushes around.” “What happned was that these people divided themselves and were going towards the communities and so, every Okada with the passenger was hacked down. Initially, they

were using knives, so nobody knew what was happening until they got to the communities and that’s where they started shooting and that is the time the people got to know and the villagers mobilized and started pursuing them. “I am told when we visited over the attack that the murderers left a telephone, even three days later, the telephone was still ringing. If government fails to do something Sir, it will be on record that the people did their best by providing these very vital information. The killers are not hidden, they are there Sir with their pictures, the call logs.” “Your Excellency, we have made all effort to make peace between the farmers and herders in this state and by extension in South-east, they have a platform that involve even the herdsmen even in our local governance. There is no name the governors of South-east are not being called, they call us cowards and all kinds of names because we know there is need for peace in this country. We know that one crisis in any part of this country can degenerate to a very serious civil war, we don’t want another civil war in this country but it is in the hands of everybody.” “I am told this afternoon that another set of calls are going to the herdsmen that are in Ebonyi, that they should vacate, they want to attack again. Let me as the Chief Security Officer in this state say there will be serious consequences if another attack happens here in Ebonyi state because nobody will be able to hold the youths, nobody will be able to hold the people. It is very important that we

The attack on Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu communities became the most unexpected, most shocking. It was shocking because the governor admitted that all the local herders vacated the local government before the incident. This, he suspected conspiracy on the part of the local herders, whom the governor may have seen as untroublesome and have lived peacefuly in the State. The reason for the attack was reportedly told as a retaliation for a murder of a herdsman over one year ago, which was even said to have been amicably resolved. The community never knew that the herders still harbour grievance in the heart. The attack was also shocking to Umahi because some of the local herders are Political Office Holders in the State. They attend security meetings and were actively involved in the administration of the state. So, to contemplate and execute such Carnage has become an eye-opener for Umahi. The attack has stinged Umahi to the bone marrow and he has declared that he can’t control the consequences if another attack happens in the state

do everything very important to forestall any other attack not only in Ebony but in the entire South-east.” The Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo who visited the communities on behalf of the President assured that justice will be served. He was accompanied by Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Ogah. According to the Vice President, the massacre was very sad and very unfortunate. Osibanjo said, “This massacre is very sad indeed and very unfortunate. I am here not just myself, I am here also at the direction of Mr. President. At times when things like this happen, when people are killed, when incident like this happen, you feel particularly outraged.” “The reason is that those who have been mercilessly massacred are people like you who have hopes and aspiration; young ones, females and children who are people who woke up in the morning and expected to go about their normal business, they are expected to go out and fend for themselves but they ended up dead not because of anything they have done wrong but because of cowardly wicked act by some other people who live in the same community with them.” “I sympathize with not just the Governor and the people of Ebonyi state but in particular people of the communities that have been affected. These peaceful communities that have lived with the assilants for many years. I think that what we have seen here is very cowardly and all of us condemn it and we say that it must not be allowed to happen again.” However, the security situation in the state is highly troubling. Tension has reached fever pitch all over the state. Peddlers of fake news have a field day. Rumours of herders attack in other communities have increased. Gunshots and similar sounds, whether real or imaginary, filter into the town, as signal to another attack. But, Umahi seems prepared on all fronts. He is deeply prepared to save the live of every resident in the state outsiders. In the last enlarged security council meeting, the state government announced he immediate recruitment of 700 vigilantes to safeguard the 13 local government areas. Security agencies were seriously ordered to secure themselves, their facilities and the people. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government and Coordinating Commissioner, Dr Kenneth Ugbala noted that the state government would no longer rebuild any police station attacked by hoodlums. Solar light and closed circuit television will now be installed at police stations and strategic places. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021

POLITICS

Can APC Allow Saliu Mustapha Make a Difference? The All Progressives Congress has demonstrated a willingness to saddle younger Nigerians with the responsibility of being in charge of strategic oﬃces. Chuks Okocha wonders if the political party will hand over its administration to a young person as National Chairman

new ideological thinking is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over generational change. The chairman of the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrashid Bawa is 40 years old. The Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Udman is in her mid forties. The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello is also in his mid forties. All over the world the idea is to give younger persons a chance. The youths are today champions of Information Technology.. They are in the driving seat of multi national companies churning out profits and turn over running into multi billion dollars. The last #Endsars campaigns showed that the unquantifiable bundle of energy available within Nigerian youths, given the chance and opportunity. One common phenomenon among the leadership of the major political parties is that their national chairmen is usually in their late sixties or in their seventies. Since 1999, none of the chairmen of the major political parties have been in his or her fifties. Would there be a difference with coming national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC)? Will the ruling political party make a difference by getting a national chairman who in his fifties. This explains why the aspiration of Mallam Saliu Mustapha to become the next national chairman of APC should not raise any eye brow. He has paid his dues in political party administration, starting the All Peoples Party (APP) in 1999 to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003. He was among those that followed President Muhammadu Buhari when they formed the Congress for Progressive Change ((CPC) and to the legacy party, the APC. In all his sojourn in the political terrain, he held various position getting to position of the deputy national chairman of the APC But apart from all his sojourn in the executive cadre of political party administration in Nigeria, spanning more than 20 years. The big question is who is Saliu Mustapha? Mallam Saliu Mustapha was born on 25th September 1972 to the humble family of Alhaji Issa Mustapha, a well respected indigene of Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State. He is an extremely competent politician of note who is driven by a belief in the need for purposeful and progressive leadership. For him the basic concept of social justice must be at the core of all vital decision making policies that will ultimately impact on the lives of the people. A highly principled man of good character and undeniable integrity his discipline and intuitive sense of equity, ethics and good governance has seen his rapid rise to the top of his profession in addition to significant accomplishments in other unrelated sectors. Propelled by an innate sense of duty and responsibility it was only natural that this exceptional and worthy son of Kwara State would ultimately live a life exemplified by service and dedication to others. After many years as a practical student of the political terrain under the outstanding guidance and tutellage of none other than His Excellency President Mahammadu Buhari, Mallam Mustapha formally embarked upon a life of public service when as an idealistic young man he served as an Aide to the Senior Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Intra Party from 2001-2002. By 2002 he was already the Protem National Publicity Secretary of the Progressive Liberation Party (PLP) after which in 2003 he became the First National Chairman of Progressive Action Congress (PAC). A remarkable feat for such a short length of time in politics. In addition he was a highly respected and valued member of The Buhari Organization (TBO) as well as a member of the ANPP Presidential Campaign in 2003 for the then General Muhammadu Buhari. In 2005 , Mustapha was appointed as the Organizing Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). He also played an active role in ANPP as an Aide to General Muhammadu Buhari during his

Mustapha Presidential Campaign in the 2007 election. Mallam Mustapha served as a National ExOfficio of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) from where he rose impressively to the position of Deputy National Chairman of CPC from 2010 to year 2014. As a result of his deep and abiding passion and determination to support growth and positive change in Nigeria, Mustapha naturally became a chieftain of the APC following the merger of numerous political parties of which his party the CPC was a major player. It is here that he continues to contribute significantly by promoting policies and programmes of the APC both at state and federal levels. Notwithstanding his level of exposure Mustapha’s heart remains firmly with his people and that bond is what continually guides

his decision making process. His trajectory is at all times intrinsically intertwined with the growth of his community and his personal success is only meaningful where it is involves the upliftment of his people. With an easy and amiable mien, this effortlessly charismatic politician is a popular and charming individual well loved wherever he goes. A man of strong morals his reputation for honesty, patience, humility and generosity precedes him. His is a life characterised by discipline and values as well as a firm and unflinching belief in the paramount importance of service to humanity. A man of uncommon empathy Mallam Saliu Mustapha is a philanthropist per excellence, whose humanitarian gestures and antecedents traverse Ilorin, his

Mallam Mustapha formally embarked upon a life of public service when as an idealistic young man he served as an Aide to the Senior Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Intra Party from 2001-2002. By 2002 he was already the Protem National Publicity Secretary of the Progressive Liberation Party (PLP) after which in 2003 he became the First National Chairman of Progressive Action Congress (PAC). A remarkable feat for such a short length of time in politics. In addition he was a highly respected and valued member of The Buhari Organization (TBO) as well as a member of the ANPP Presidential Campaign in 2003 for the then General Muhammadu Buhari. In 2005 , Mustapha was appointed as the Organizing Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). He also played an active role in ANPP as an Aide to General Muhammadu Buhari during his Presidential Campaign in the 2007 election. Mallam Mustapha served as a National Ex-Officio of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) from where he rose impressively to the position of Deputy National Chairman of CPC from 2010 to year 2014. As a result of his deep and abiding passion and determination to support growth and positive change in Nigeria, Mustapha naturally became a chieftain of the APC following the merger of numerous political parties of which his party the CPC was a major player

immediate community, across the entirety of Kwara State where he continues to positively impact peoples’ lives. This is achieved in the main through community interventions by way of educational and health programmes, trickling all the way down to the provision of basic amenities as well as infrastructural development and direct financial assistance where necessary. The informal sector is not left out as countless groups of artisans and petty traders are massively supported with aid to reinforce and bolster their businesses. He is also widely respected as a inspirational youth mentor. Without fanfare he has quietly initiated many noteworthy and commendable programmes designed to guide, encourage and harness the full potential of these young people whose contributions he recognises as being of paramount importance to the life blood of the nation. Mallam Saliu Mustapha’s intuitive understanding of the significance of education in the economic and social development of our society led to his special interest and focus on the need for a massive and empowering boost to our educational sector. To this end he has invested a great deal of time, energy and personal resources in supporting this sector including but not limited to partnering with the state government in this regard. He commendably seeks to change the narrative by placing special emphasis on the girl child who has historically been at a disadvantage. He is mindful of the fact that funding from the state and federal government’s alone cannot adequately provide the requisite quality and standard of education and that the private option is not within reach for a majority of the less privileged. Mallam Mustapha firmly believes that the challenges typically arising from inadequacies in the health and socio- economic and socio-political spheres of our lives can be greatly curtailed with the provision of adequate funding and the effective monitoring and dispersement of such funding. Indeed without the requisite reforms in the educational sector no one can provide or guarantee any appreciable sustainable development in any sector no matter how well intentioned. Mallam Saliu Mustapha remains resolutely determined to give the educational sector the much needed assistance. This has most recently been reflected in the laudable and progressive interventions of the Saliu Mustapha Foundation. A quick perusal of the wide ranging charitable projects and activities recently initiated by the Saliu Mustapha Foundation include but are not limited to the following: In pursuance of his pledge, the foundation has since 2012 organised tutorials and periodically purchased JAMB forms for intending candidates who would otherwise be unable to afford such fees. The foundation has also made countless monetary donations to petty business traders across the state to grow and support their businesses. Today some of them have multiplied the kind gesture by equally empowering others. In the same vein the foundation built bore holes in communities across the state to provide them with potable drinkable water. All these projects were deliberate acts borne of the founder’s belief that community development is indeed a collective responsibility. In April 2018 Mustapha donated a considerable sum of money towards the construction of a block of classrooms for an Islamic school. He also awarded cash scholarships to 150 final year students in tertiary institutions across Kwara State and gave charity to widows and elderly women in May 2018. A longtime champion of women’s rights he is also a strong proponent of affirmative action as well as an advocate for supporting rural women through small and medium grants. In June 2018, Mallam Mustapha, a devout Muslim likewise kindly donated a generous amount to Division One of the Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria in his customary show of support for the Islamic community. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021•T H I S D AY

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 • T H I S D AY

TUESDAY, ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Capital Market Operators, Stakeholders Hold First Meeting Goddy Egene

Committee (CMC) meeting in The meeting is scheduled to a medium for exchange of ideas feedback to the Securities and 2021 will hold from Thursday hold virtually. The CMC was among market stakeholders as Exchange Commission (SEC) on The first Capital Market April 15 to Friday April 16, 2021. primarily established to serve as well as an avenue for providing how to continuously address 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 09- NAV: Is value per share of the real estate shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Apr-2021, unless otherwise stated. assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

challenges, improve market operations and enhance the regulatory framework.

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 152.95 154.44 -5.47% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.51% Nigeria International Debt Fund 318.60 318.60 -16.62% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 109.00 109.00 -2.73% 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 1.06 1.08 17.99% ACAP Income Funds 0.65 0.65 -10.41% 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 3.91% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.35 3.51 -5.59% 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 100.00 100.00 1.66% Anchoria Equity Fund 126.04 127.51 -5.19% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.11 1.11 -16.54% 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 18.44 19.00 1.69% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 405.61 417.83 1.31% ARM Ethical Fund 35.79 36.87 6.16% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.19 1.20 -2.35% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.05 -6.96% ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 103.51 103.51 1.77% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 124.15 125.02 -1.60% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.33% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.05 2.05 -16.75% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.17 2.21 -9.86% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.29% Paramount Equity Fund 15.26 15.55 -4.55% Women's Investment Fund 130.15 131.52 -2.25% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.00% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 127.31 128.18 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.72 110.72 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 1.16% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.14 1.15 -5.06% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.38 1.38 -12.71% 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 2.46% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.32% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,181.12 1,185.96 -1.50% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,354.91 1,354.91 5.93% FBN Balanced Fund 183.97 185.23 -1.97% FBN Halal Fund 110.57 110.57 4.31% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.47% N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 124.05 124.05 3.01% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.07 150.05 -2.06% 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 1.70% Legacy Debt Fund 3.91 3.91 1.18% Legacy Equity Fund 1.54 1.57 1.25% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.15 1.15 1.34% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,786.95 3,836.59 1.03% Coral Income Fund 3,352.61 3,352.61 2.33% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 1.78%

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 N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.45% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.68 2.74 16.85% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 146.06 146.43 -6.04% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 5.33% 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 1.58 1.61 7.52% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.32 12.45 0.72% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.50% PACAM Equity Fund 1.55 1.57 -1.80% PACAM EuroBond Fund 109.96 112.75 0.55% 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 128.35 130.40 6.99% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 1.96% 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 3,114.64 3,138.41 -3.17% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 228.03 228.03 1.41% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.14 1.15 -2.97% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 298.65 298.64 1.35% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 211.69 214.38 -3.11% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.08% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,873.06 9,997.78 -5.99% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.25 1.25 1.54% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 113.03 113.03 1.76% 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 1.31 1.33 -4.14% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 1.65% United Capital Equity Fund 0.88 0.90 1.47% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.34% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.26 119.26 1.86% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.08 -2.05% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.03 1.03 2.72% 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 11.98 12.09 0.99% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.32 13.43 9.01% Zenith Income Fund 24.27 24.27 1.21% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.86%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

122.38 52.92

1.36% 0.99%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.36 118.91 93.36

12.46 118.91 95.10

-6.47% -2.32% -6.05%

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 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.60 5.52 16.66 1.00 18.65 170.09

3.64 5.60 16.76 1.00 18.85 172.09

-4.50% -2.96% 1.95% 2.11% -9.05% -22.69%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.30

13.11%

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.

LAWYER

WEEKLY PULLOUT

13.04.2021

KASTINA STATE GOVERNOR, AMINU BELLO MASARI, AFTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH SUSPECTED BANDITS

RANSOM: TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY?

2/DASHBOARD

13.04.2021

LAWYER

WEEKLY PULLOUT

13.04.2021

KASTINA STATE GOVERNOR, AMINU BELLO MASARI, AFTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH SUSPECTED BANDITS

G P U F H C ’ S C T P PAGE 4

RANSOM: TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY?

R V JSC S A B L PAGE 5

QUOTABLES ‘When we got information that some people are intending to negotiate with the bandits on our behalf, we issued a statement that we are going to trace these people and prosecute them, because aiding and abetting kidnapping by giving money, is an offence under the Penal Code.’ - Nasiru El Rufai, Governor, Kaduna State, Federal Republic of Nigeria ‘By the end of this year, total borrowings will be in excess of N15-16 trillion! I am worried that, we will wake up one day like Argentina.....The Naira will be N1000/2000 to $1.’ - Godwin Obaseki, Governor, Edo State, Federal Republic of Nigeria

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13.04.2021

Short Takes, A Long Way... We express our heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, on the death of her beloved Husband of almost 74 years, Philip Mountbatten, Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, the Duke of Edinburgh (June 10, 1921 - April 9, 2021). May God comfort Her Majesty, her family and the people of the United Kingdom for this great loss. Amen. Many of the solutions to the problems we are facing in Nigeria are crystal clear, but it seems that there is a strange phenomenon in the air, one that became apparent soon after this administration assumed office in 2015 - one in which, if even you allude to the fact that Nigeria is facing serious problems, you are immediately abused, denounced and labelled by Government Spokespersons as being Public Enemy No. 1 who doesn’t mean well for the country (like Bishop Matthew Kukah) (let alone anyone attempting to proffer workable solutions to those problems). Owerri Prison Break In the last six months, we have observed and experienced a new addition to the already high and unprecedented level of insecurity in the country destruction of Police Stations/Facilities and Prison Break! (See Edo, Imo and Bauchi States’ recent prison incidents). The Owerri Prison break of last week is particularly scary, as it again, puts the lives and property of citizens in jeopardy, with 1844 dangerous criminals who should be in the custody of the Correctional Service, on the loose and unaccounted for. The DSS and the Police are busy buck-passing, with the allegation that the Governor and Police were forewarned about an impending attack by the DSS, but they paid no mind to the warning, and took no proactive precautions to avert the attack, despite their foreknowledge. Yet, if anyone makes mention of this, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in his usual blasé manner, Mr Femi Adesina won’t chastise the person for being a rabble rouser and nay sayer - concentrating on what he would probably term as a ‘little negativity’, instead of trumpeting this administration’s achievements! Meanwhile, because our sloppy law enforcement and porous land borders, half of those escaped convicts may already be in Lagos and Dahomey by now! Origin of Nigeria’s Problems: Blame Game/ Buck Passing Where did Nigeria’s difficulties originate from? From the British Colonialists, with the amalgamation of Southern and Northern Nigeria in 1914, or is it the successive military regimes that are the cause of our problems? Is it the faulty 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2018)(the Constitution) that the military foisted on us, that is responsible for our misfortunes? Did the Military compound our woes by effectively perpetuating themselves in governance, dropping the military uniform when it became clear that military dictatorship was no longer in fashion, reinventing themselves by cleverly adorning the toga of democracy, when in fact, the ‘command and obey’ culture is too deeply ingrained in them to make way for true democracy? Can we deny the fact that some of these autocratic traits were seen during President Obasanjo’s time, though we seem to see them more often these days? Lest we forget, could it be the NPN and UPN Politicians who did their bit to popularise corruption, that are the cause of our problems? Or is it the fault of the PDP who held sway for 16 years, with their ‘fantastic’ corruption and kleptomania? Or the APC/this administration who are to blame for our woes? Can we truly separate APC from PDP, when at least half of APC comprises of ex-PDP members who jumped ship when PDP was sinking in 2014? To that extent, if PDP is responsible for our misfortunes, can APC realistically be absolved of blame, when the two parties are part and parcel of each other - six and half a dozen?! I think the answer to these questions, lies in a combination of all the aforementioned factors. All our successive Governments, are somehow culpable for the failure and anarchy Nigeria is experiencing today, more so this administration, because it is presently at the helm of affairs, and it came in on the mantra of change for the better, which we have not felt in many areas, at least not as far as security is concerned. My point? Though we are well aware that this administration has a penchant for passing

the buck to the PDP, we could play this blame game/buck passing from now till Armageddon, and it will take us nowhere. Government needs to spend its time gainfully - after all, it is only a bad workman that blames his tools. I’m sure I speak for majority of Nigerians, when I say that we are tired of listening to Government equivocating, shuffling around, and side stepping crucial issues. We want Government to start taking the right steps, so that we the people can lend them more support. As Lawyers, in our own constituency, the right step to take, is that Government should begin to show respect for the rule of law; if Government does so, half of the complaints that the people have, will become obsolete. Successive Governments and their Disregard for the Rule of Law The fact that this administration flouts the provisions of the Constitution and our laws, ignoring most of the dictates of Chapter II of our grundnorm with gusto and aplomb, makes a bad situation worse, because it is not just hypocritical, but an uphill task for a Government who does not particularly obey laws, to seek obedience to laws from its citizenry. I must say that this trait is not exclusive to this administration, as previous administrations also flagrantly displayed varying degrees of contempt for the rule of law, thereby breeding a fertile ground for general lawlessness. Consequently, this has been one of the main ingredients in the bitter recipe for the preparation of the dish of anarchy, which we now see playing out (see Section 1(1) of the Constitution on the bindingness of the Constitution on all persons and authorities in Nigeria, including Government). Appointment of the Inspector General of Police Let’s start with following the rule of law, in the matter of the appointment of the Inspector General of Police (IG). A few weeks ago, I wrote an editorial titled “President Buhari and Unlawful Appointments", in which I questioned the fact that there may be a loophole with regard to the IG, his tenure and retirement. But, with the appointment of 58 year old Acting IG, Usman Alkali Baba, I went back to peruse the relevant provisions of the law. I discovered that with a community reading of Sections 7(6) and 18(8) of the Police Act 2020 (PA), that is, that the tenure of an IG shall be four years, and the retirement of a Police Officer is at 35 years of service or age 60, whichever comes first, it is obvious that apart from the fact that a candidate for IG must not be less than the rank of an AIG (Section 7(2) of the PA), he or she must have a clear four years left to serve in the Police Force to be eligible for nomination. Relying on Section 7(6) to keep an IG in office beyond his or her ‘best before’ expiry date, makes nonsense of Section 18(8) of the PA and the Public Service Rules (Rule No. 020810 to be precise) - which could not be the intendment of the aforementioned Section 7(6) - as it leads to absurdity in this particular instance of Acting IG Baba who, either way, has a little less than two

Late Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, the Duke of Edinburgh

years to retirement. He was born on March 1, 1963, and enlisted on 15/3/88. See the case of A.S.U.U. v Federal University of Technology, Akure (Suit No. FHC/AK/CS/69/2011); See also the Literal and Golden Rules of Interpretation, particularly the Golden Rule ‘which tries to avoid anomalous and absurd consequences arising from literal interpretation’. We are also not aware if President Buhari took the advice of the Nigeria Police Council (NPC) before nominating Acting IG Baba, as mandated by Sections 215(1)(a) & 216(2) of the Constitution, unless he did so before he travelled to London or had a virtual meeting with the Council while in London. In appointing IG Baba, the President has flouted the PA which he himself signed into law in September 2020, by nominating an unqualified candidate! Let us wait and see what the Senate does - we know that so far, the Senate has been little more than a rubber-stamp for the Executive, though this issue involves a law which this NASS themselves, enacted last year. Is NASS going to be the first to flout it’s own law, by confirming an IG whose service in the Nigeria Police Force will expire on March 1, 2023, two years before the end of the four year tenure?! Supreme Court Alteration Bill 2020 The other day, I came across the Supreme Court Alteration Bill 2020 (SCAB). I admit that I haven’t read it in its entirety, but a cursory look at it shows that the SCAB seeks to alter the Constitution, to change the judicature of Nigeria as we know it. For starters, it seeks to replace parts of Sections 6(5) and 237 of the Constitution, by introducing a higher level Federal Court of Appeal (FCA), then the lower States’ Court of Appeal (SCA) and the Court of Appeal of the FCT (ACA). Appeals shall lie to the FCA from the SCA and ACA, the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court (proposed new Section 240 of the Constitution), thereby reducing the State High Court which was on par with the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court, more or less to the level of a Magistrates’ Court, since appeals from the State High Courts will now lie to their respective SCAs, through which they go to the FCA! This new scenario simply centralises the most important parts of the judicial process, on the Federal side, when Nigerians are busy calling for restructuring of the country and devolution of powers. Is it not bizarre that law makers are not feeling the pulse of the people they represent? Does it not follow that Judges from the Federal High Court, may be more favoured candidates for the FCA, and subsequently, the Supreme Court? Maybe a few from the SCABs, while those of the State High Courts will probably not feature, the same way that these days, even the best of the Magistrates do not progress beyond the Magistracy. The only positive aspect about the SCAB for some so far, at least for the proponents that Senior Advocates should be appointed to the appellate courts, is their inclusion and that of Professors of Law into the Judiciary, even at the Supreme Court level, wherein the SCAB provides that out of the 21 JSCs, two must be Senior Advocates nominated by the NBA, and the third, a Professor of Law well versed in Constitutional Law (proposed Section 230(2)(b) of the Constitution). Questions My learned colleagues, I urge you to avail yourselves with a copy of SCAB forthwith and study it. I would appreciate your comments on it, as soon as possible. Should the SCAB be allowed to see the light of day, or should it be shut down? Does the structure of the Judiciary have to change so radically, to accommodate the changes that the SCAB proposes? Should the State High Court Judges be reduced to Magistrates, and in turn, Magistrates to clerks? Can’t the structure of the Judiciary remain the same, but made more efficient by constituting the Supreme Court to its maximum of 21 JSCs, restricting the type of appeals that can lie to the Supreme Court, by terminating them at the Court of Appeal? Can’t more JCAs be appointed, so that the number of Panels constituted may be increased, and obviously, more High Court Judges appointed as well? Is the SCAB a clever plot by some, window dressed as a way to decongest the courts and make the Judiciary function more efficiently, when in fact, it is a grand plan to ensure that the Executive maintains control over the Judiciary, and the

“..... WE KNOW THAT SO FAR, THE SENATE HAS BEEN LITTLE MORE THAN A RUBBER-STAMP FOR THE EXECUTIVE, THOUGH THIS ISSUE INVOLVES A LAW WHICH THIS NASS THEMSELVES, ENACTED LAST YEAR. IS NASS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO FLOUT IT’S OWN LAW, BY CONFIRMING AN IG WHOSE SERVICE IN THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE WILL EXPIRE......TWO YEARS BEFORE THE END OF THE FOUR YEAR TENURE?”

Judiciary is never truly independent? Conclusion When a society is governed without much regard for the rule of law, it connotes arbitrariness and self interest of a small group of decision makers. One of Acting IG Baba’s first public statements was that he will fight bandits, kidnappers and ‘secessionists’, giving the distinct impression that he was chosen to be the IG not because of his qualification for the position, but more than anything else, his willingness to play out Government’s script. Though the right to self determination is enshrined in the Charter of the UN (as long as it is non-violent, I would imagine), our Government has a strong aversion to any talk of secession, and this position has been echoed by Mr Baba. Instead, I would have expected Mr Baba to say, he would fight insurgents! I have identified a few scenarios, in which Government has been given the golden opportunity to show that it can adjust its standpoint on respect for the rule of law. Let’s see whether it will take advantage of these opportunities.

4/LAW REPORT

Guilty Plea Under Federal High Court’s Summary Criminal Trial Procedure Facts The Appellant was charged before the Federal High Court for unlawful possession of 550 grammes of cannabis sativa, contrary to Section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act. On 3rd March, 2010, the Charge was read to the Appellant, and he pleaded guilty to the Charge after indicating that he understood the Charge. The court enquired from the Appellant, whether he had anything to say. The Appellant pleaded facts he felt could mitigate his punishment, and asked for mercy. The trial court convicted and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment, with hard labour. Unhappy with the decision of the trial court, the Appellant unsuccessfully appealed to the Court of Appeal. Still displeased, the Appellant further appealed to the Supreme Court. Without filing a Notice of Preliminary Objection at the Supreme Court, the Respondent raised and argued an issue on the competence of the Appellant’s Notice of Appeal. Issues for Determination The following issues, as extrapolated from the issues formulated by the parties, were determined by the Apex Court -

fully and/or substantially, with Sections 215, 218, 285 (1) and (2) of the CPA. On the third issue, counsel for the Appellant submitted that the swipe the Court of Appeal took at the Appellant’s Reply Brief occasioned a miscarriage of justice, and that if the Reply Brief had been considered, the course of events would have changed. He relied on the case of YADIS NIG. LTD. v GREAT NIG. INSURANCE CO. LTD. (2007) 3 NSCQR 495 at 510. Contradicting the position of the Appellant, counsel for the Respondent argued that the court discharged the responsibilities placed on it in observing the principles of fair hearing, and relied on the case of ALHAJA OLADOJA SANUSI v OREITAN ISHOLA AMEYOGUN (1992) NWLR (Pt. 237) 527.

Honourable Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC

1. Whether this appeal is rendered incompetent by virtue of the failure of the Appellant to personally endorse the Notice of Appeal, as required by the mandatory provisions of Order 9 Rule 3(1) of the Supreme Court Rules, 1985 (as amended).

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 18th day of December, 2020

2. Whether in the circumstances and on the facts of this case, the Court of Appeal was right in affirming the conviction by the trial court based on the Appellant’s plea of guilty, considering the summary jurisdiction of the trial Federal High Court and the line of decided cases of this Honourable Court.

Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili Olukayode Ariwoola Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun John Inyang Okoro Ejembi Eko Justices, Supreme Court SC.664/2016

Before Their Lordships

Between

3. Whether the Court of Appeal considered and properly evaluated the Appellant’s Reply Brief before the Learned Justices of the court, in order to accord him fair hearing. Arguments On the first issue, Counsel for the Respondent contended that the Appellant’s Notice of Appeal was incompetent, as same was signed by the Appellant’s counsel and not by the Appellant. He relied on Order 9 Rule 3(1) of the Supreme Court Rules of 1985 (as amended) and the case of RALPH UWAZURUIKE & ORS v A.G. FEDERATION (2013) ALL FWLR (Pt. 691) 520. In response, the Appellant opined that the Respondent’s first issue, ought to have been brought by way of Preliminary Objection. Countering the submission of the Respondent on the issue, counsel argued that the Appellant’s Notice of Appeal is competent, in view of the proviso to Order 9 Rule 3 of the Supreme Court Rules. He cited the case of ARUAEME v THE STATE (1964) LPELR 25 191. Arguing the second issue, counsel submitted on behalf of the Appellant that the provision of Section 33 of the Federal High Court Act which provides for the Summary Procedure of Trial at the Federal High Court, does not supersede Section 218 of the Criminal Procedure Act (“CPA”) which deals with recording the plea of guilty of an accused person during arraignment. Counsel contended that the conviction of the Appellant before the trial court on his plea of guilty, cannot be supported by law. He argued further that the substance he was said to have unlawfully been in possession of was not placed before the trial court as a prohibited drug, and so the facts were not placed before the court to allow the Appellant admit all the essential facts constituting the offence. Contrariwise, counsel for the Respondent argued that while the Federal High Court is expected to apply the provisions of the CPA in the exercise of its criminal jurisdiction, such application must not derogate from the summary nature of criminal proceedings before the court. Counsel contended that the trial court complied

Saliu Amuda

…

Appellant

And Federal Republic of Nigeria… …

…

Respondent

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC)

“..... IN SUMMARY TRIALS, ONCE AN ACCUSED PERSON PLEADS GUILTY, HE IS PRESUMED TO HAVE ADMITTED IN SUBSTANCE THE VERACITY OF THE FACTS ALLUDED IN THE CHARGE, AND IT BECOMES UNNECESSARY FOR THE PROSECUTION TO LEAD ANY EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE CHARGE WHOSE MATERIAL PARTICULARS THE ACCUSED ALREADY ADMITTED”

Court’s Judgement and Rationale Deciding the first issue, the Supreme Court quoted the proviso to Order 9 Rule 3 of the Supreme Court Rules which states that “provided that, notwithstanding that the provisions herein have not been strictly complied with, the court may, in the interest of justice and for good and sufficient case shown, entertain an appeal if satisfied that the intending appellant has exhibited a clear intention to appeal to the court against the decision of the court below”. The Apex Court held that the proviso gives the court the leeway or discretion with which to manoeuvre through in the interest of justice, to ensure that an Appellant is not shut out from ventilating his grouse on appeal, even though he was not able to sign the Notice of Appeal. The court relied on the decision in AMALGAMATED TRUSTEES LTD v ASSOCIATED DISCOUNT HOUSE LTD. (2007) LPELR 454 and concluded that the Appellant’s Notice of Appeal was valid, and within the provisions of Order 9 Rule 3(1) of the Supreme Court Rules. On the second issue, the Supreme Court held that by the provision of Section 33(1) and (2) of the Federal High Court Act, the Federal High Court is expected to exercise its criminal jurisdiction to apply the provisions of the CPA, in such a manner that does not derogate from the summary nature of the criminal proceedings before the court. Their Lordships considered the provisions of Sections 218 and 285 of the CPA which deals with recording the plea of an accused person during arraignment, and found that the trial court fully and substantially complied with the law. The court held that in summary trials, once an accused person pleads guilty, he is presumed to have admitted in substance the veracity of the facts alluded in the charge, and it becomes unnecessary for the prosecution to lead any evidence to prove the charge whose material particulars the accused already admitted. Further to the foregoing, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the conviction and sentence of the Appellant by the trial court. Regarding the third issue, the Supreme Court reviewed the Record of Appeal and found that the Court of Appeal considered the Appellant’s Reply Brief. Their Lordships noted the observation by the Court of Appeal, that the Appellant’s Reply Brief contained a repetition of the arguments in the main brief, and the court adequately dealt with the submissions in the Reply Brief. Appeal Dismissed. Representation Prince Abioye A. Oloyede with Asanika for the Appellant. J.N. Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services NDLEA with M.T. Kassa, Assistant Legal Officer for the Respondent. Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited ,Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An Afﬁliate of Babalakin & Co.)

13.04.2021

NEWS/5

Rhodes-Vivour JSC Showered with Accolades at Book Launch A select audience of some of the most notable legal practitioners in Nigeria gathered at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos venue of the book launch of the just retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour last Thursday. The event which witnessed the presentation of three books, had a larger attendees inking in by zoom. and was chaired by Aare Afe Babalola, SAN. Aare Babalola described Rhodes-Vivour as never absent from work for a single day for any reason in his 11 years at the High Court, 5 years at the Court of Appeal and 11 years at the Supreme Court. He advocated for increase in the retirement age of Judges,

Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour

and to allow them return to law practice after their time on the Bench.

In his remarks, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN said ‘if you ever saw Rhodes-Vivour

in court as DPP, you’d want to be a Lawyer. He had swagger, he had panache, and the courts in their days were vibrant, unlike today where they are bugged down with frivolous adjournments. Theformer AttorneyGeneral of the Federation Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN who reviewed one the books said ‘It is an established fact that in the annals of human society, the burden of shaping the trajectory and path of sanity as well as building the society into an egalitarian enclave, is placed upon the shoulders of some distinct individuals more than others; and L-R: NBA National Welfare Secretary, Mr Kunle Edun, NBA 1st this category of men and Vice President, Mr Martins Aikpokpo, Mr. Ebosetale David women who have the Aigbefoh, Chairman, NBA Gwagwalada Branch, Isah Aliyu sacred duty of serving It is on record that Lawyers Lawyers have been hacked as priests in the temple of have, in recent times, become GRZQ LQ WKHLU R΀FHV LQ YDULRXV justice, no doubt, have the the target of violent criminals parts of the country, includfor inexplicable reasons. In the ing Imo, Delta and Anambra higher burden of providSDVW IHZ PRQWKV RYHU ÀYH States. ing the right pathway for

NBA Gwagwalada Vice Chairman Attacked by Suspected Kidnappers The Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Ebosetale David Aigbefoh had deadly encounter with suspected kidnappers at his home recently. Aigbefoh who survived the ordeal, narrated his harrowing experience when 1%$ 1DWLRQDO R΀FHUV SDLG D visit to him last Thursday. He narrated how he was attacked by gun men in his house in Abuja. The Chairman of Gwagwalada Branch, Isah Aliyu, and the DPO of Zuba Police Station with his fellow R΀FHUV ZHUH SUHVHQW GXULQJ the visit. The DPO assured the 1%$ 2΀FHUV RI WKH PHDVXUHV taken by the Police, to beef up security within the area that their colleague stays.

societal orderliness and harmony’. The former AttorneyGeneral of the Federation described Rhodes-Vivour JSC as ‘remarkable gentleman whose private and public life epitomises a beautifully woven loop that combines the foregoing three distinct threads - an outstanding man in character and nobility with an illustrious pedigree; a prodigiously blessed Nigerian, and a quintessential jurist. ‘Going by the quality of the content, its rich language of delivery and graphical easy access layout, I consider this book which is not a biography, but an extract of the notable pronouncements of His Lordship, as a highly commendable contribution to the deepening of the frontiers of our jurisprudence and the Nigerian society in general. It is edited by a man who, as demonstrated in the work, writes with the commanding authority and lucidity of an expert in judicial matters, as he captures the reader’s mind by drawing it evocatively into a fascinating voyage of discovery in the judicial philosophy of His Lordship, vis-à-vis his orientation, value espousals, as well as the spirit, intent and principles of law. The book elegantly chronicles the plethora of landmark rulings and judgements (748) of His Lordship during a period spanning his eventful 27 years on the Bench, particularly from his days at the Court of Appeal and through to his

Stonewater Royal Estate Concerned Over Police Refusal to Transfer Case to FCIID The Stonewater Royal Estate Landlord and Tenants Association, has raised an alarm over an alleged compromise of the investigation of murder of one Mr. Ifeanyi Olebala who allegedly died on the 22nd February, 2021. This is contained in a statement made available to LegaldeskNG dated the 7th April, 2021, signed by Solicitor to the Association, Bartholomew Aguegbodo Esq. The Association accused Section D8 men of the Police Zonal Command Headquarters, Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, of refusing to transfer the murder case to FCCID Annex, Alagbon and the IGP Monitoring Team, Abuja. The Association narrates that, on the 22nd February, 2021 at “about 1am, one Mr. Charles who

claimed that he works for Mr. Udoye Nwabike as a bulldozer driver, drove a bulldozer within the Estate towards a security building by the gate known as Stonewater Royal Estate, AbuleAdo, Satellite town, Lagos. His intent was to demolish a structure (security building) by the gate of the Estate, erected by the Stonewater Royal Estate Landlord and Tenants Association. There had been been a prior contest, over who owns the land. “The security men at the gate upon noticing the approaching bulldozer accosted the driver, and ordered him to stop. He refused on the basis that he has the instruction of his master to demolish the structure. The security men on duty had a

heated verbal exchange, with the said Mr. Charles. He thereafter, called two other employees of Mr. Udoye Nwabike, one of whom was the deceased in issue, to join him. The security men insisted that whatever would be done would have to be in the day time, and not at that late hour. Noticing that they could not continue with their plans, they left the bulldozer by the gate and left. “At about 8am of the same day, some area boys with two armed mobile policemen came into the Estate, rounded up the security men found at the security house after shooting sporadically and sending other residents running for safety. The security men were taken to Trade Fair Police

Division, and later transferred to Festac Police Division. On 24th February, 2021 at the petition by Mr. Udoye, the matter was transferred to State CIID, Panti Street, Yaba for further investigation. While investigation was ongoing, Mr. Udoye Nwabike further petitioned the A.I.G Zone 2 Command headquarters, alleging bias on the part of officers investigating the matter at Panti. It will be interesting to note that aside the day the suspects were brought to State CIID, that Mr. Udoye Nwabike never returned to clarify issues about his petition until the matter was transferred to Zonal Command Headquarters, Zone 2, Onikan. The Association said it lost

confidence in Section D8 team of the Zone 2 Headquarters and accordingly petitioned both the Inspector General of Police and his Deputy, calling for constitution of a neutral body to investigate the matter. They expressed concern that despite the approval of the petition, Zone 2 wilfully refused to transfer the case file to Force CIID. They also expressed concern, that the issue of alibi raised by the detained suspect has not been investigated. The Association maintained their position, that an independent neutral body should investigate the matter instead, stating that the Security men of the Estate Association have no link with murder of the deceased.

days at the nation’s Apex Court - the Supreme Court. ‘The book is beautifully presented in very lucid and rich language and style. Each chapter is deeply combed and interrogates every critical juncture and phase of the judicial pronouncements and actions of His Lordship, and commendably EULQJV RXW WKH ÀQH GHWDLOV in an unambiguous honest manner, without undue embellishments. It comprehensively covers almost the entire gamut of our judicial system, brings to the fore in very simple and easy to connect with language and style, the prime place of enriching and dignifying noble personal convictions in the delivery of judgements, which are anchored on the sanctity and pre-eminence of the law. It is presented in six hundred and 658 pages, in two parts and 72 chapters; 3DUW $ EHLQJ WKH 3URÀOH of His Lordship and Part B which contains his Notable Pronouncements. Essentially, the book as noted in the foreword by Nigeria’s foremost female Senior Advocate of Nigeria and an outstanding amazon of the Bar, Chief Folake Solanke, OON, CON, copiously highlights the formidable judicial actions of his Lordship in a most compelling, authentic and impactful manner. Simply put, the book is very rich and outstandingly deep in content. The overall quality of the work is considered superb.’ The second book was reviewed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Ayo Atsenuwa. Also on hand to commend the Rhodes-Vivours ZHUH 1LJHULD·V ÀUVW IHPDOH Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Folake Solanke SAN, Captain of Industry, Oba Otudeko, AttorneyGeneral of Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, representing the Governor of Lagos State, a representative of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a representative of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a representative of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and many others.

13.04.2021

The Future of Immigration Law and Policy in Nigeria (Part 2) The Keynote Address delivered by Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN on March 13, 2021 at the Inauguration of the Centre of Immigration Law Studies, Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, renamed Professor Epiphany Azinge Centre for Immigration Law and Policy in his honour. This Address is particularly pertinent today, in light of the inﬂux of criminal aliens causing mayhem across the length and breadth of Nigeria. The ﬁrst part of the Address, was featured last week. This is the second and concluding part Immigration and Challenges of National Security As earlier posited, our immigration Enactment did not provide for our extensive hand borders, and nothing offered for control measures and mechanism. The consequence of our porous borders and inadequate border control measures, is infiltration of migrants with arms and ammunition. Today, Nigeria’s challenges of insecurity are attributable to extensive porous borders across the country. Be they herdsmen, bandits, terrorist organisations etc, the position of those in authority is that, they are illegal migrants taking advantage of our porous borders. This is undoubtedly a major immigration challenge, and the future of our immigration law and policy must of necessity, formulate measures of addressing these security challenges. The issue of border control, is by no means restricted to proliferation of arms and ammunition. It is an integral aspect of human trafficking, and smuggling as well. United States of America grappled with similar challenges at the Mexican border, prompting former President, Donald Trump, to initiate the building of fence at the US-Mexico border. The fence was not completed before he left office, and President Joe Biden has, on assumption of office, stopped the construction of the fence. The Nigerian Government has a major decision to take, along this line. It may be economically overwhelming to think of construction of border walls or fences, but it is not impossible to equip the Immigration Service with vehicles and equipment to patrol the borders and stem the movement of traffickers, bandits, and armed herdsmen, as well as halt the proliferation of arms and ammunition. Immigration personnel and authority, have a duty to address border control issues. Comments seem to suggest that the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria, are inextricably related to responsibility – deficit on the part of Immigration Service. A clarion call for the Immigration Service therefore, is to strive to pigeon hole our porous borders, devise strategies for control, build capacity for detection and enforcement of migrants’ movement, and foster patriotic fervour that motivates personnel to give their best in the service of their fatherland. Immigration Fraud and Trans-Border Criminality Tangentially related to challenges of National Security, is the festering issue of immigration related fraud and trans – border criminality that is rooted in immigration principles and practice. Again, these are issues that will agitate the mind of immigration law and policy scholars. Whether it is organised crime, corrupt practices, money laundering,

terrorist financing, drug trafficking and illicit transactions etc. Trans-border criminality may take many colourations, the major attribute being that it has to cross the borders of two States. Similarly, criminal actions by ECOWAS Citizens equally qualify as trans-border criminality – this, independent of well and expressly chronicled offences, enumerated in the 2015 Immigration Act. In this era where Banks have branches in many parts of Africa and West Africa,

“THE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR POROUS BORDERS AND INADEQUATE BORDER CONTROL MEASURES, IS INFILTRATION OF MIGRANTS WITH ARMS AND AMMUNITION”

Bank fraud across borders have ingredients of immigration fraud, though not well captured by the Immigration Act. Future law and policies on immigration therefore, are expected to highlight and address Immigration fraud and trans-border criminality. Immigration and Economic Policies The future of Immigration law and policies, can never be far removed from the impact of immigration on economic policies. Recall that in 1983 and 1985, there was the issue of mass expulsion of community citizens (ECOWAS); and also border closure from April 1984 to February 1986, and also in 2020. All this was contrary to the spirit and letter of the ECOWAS Treaty. It is however, not in dispute that many community citizens seek refuge in Nigeria, in order to escape from abject poverty and the economic situation in their own country. The influx of these ECOWAS aliens aggravates Nigeria’s economic problems, and occasionally compels the government to react rashly. Rather than adopt a fire brigade approach in embarking in mass expulsion or seemingly erratic border closure, Government should revisit the issue of monitoring immigrants in the country. In a conference early last year in Ghana under the auspices of ECOWAS, Nigeria’s delegation was subjected to barrage of verbal attack and insults, for the closure of the border. For most ECOWAS countries, it was considered, as grave injustice, and the President of Ghana did not gloss over the matter in his remarks at the conference. For economic reasons, Nigeria has every right to shut its border. The challenge is to ensure that they adhere to the provisions of various Protocols stipulating procedures for expulsion of community member.

The Abuja Protocol provides necessary safeguards against rash reaction by host States, and clearly forbids mass expulsion of migrant workers and members of their families. In the same vein, the Dakar Protocol stipulates that a decision to expel any citizen of the community from the territory of a member State must be notified to the citizens concerned, as well as the Government of which he is a citizen and the Executive Security of ECOWAS. Nigeria must rethink its policies and actions in this regard, and a well thought out strategy devised to ensure that actions are not rash, but in concert with regulations and protocols. It cannot be denied that notwithstanding the ECOWAS Treaty and Protocols, countries often invoke the principle of reciprocity in matters relating to Immigration/Economic Policies. It is instructive to observe that, during the closure of the Nigeria border last year, Ghana was on the verge of expelling Nigerians and subjecting them to harsh business conditions, but for the diplomatic foray of some high ranking Nigerian officials. The Immigration service should study this aspect of Government policy closely, and advice appropriately. I have no doubt that this Centre of immigration Studies, will lead conversation in that regard. Technology and Immigration Technology, over the years, has remained an indispensable and integral part of immigration administration and management. Apart from processing of Passport Documents and Visa issuance, technology is critical for data processing and statistical analysis. The Immigration Service should be able to directly develop and source its own data, without recourse to the National Bureau of Statistics. Besides, the website of the Service should be able to upload relevant information, for easy access by the public. Vital information like annual number of persons entering and leaving Nigeria; number of passports issued each year, gender classification of travellers, number of ECOWAS citizens entering and leaving Nigeria, number issued right of residence and work permit; projected and actual incidences of smuggling and trafficking of migrants etc. These are indices for research and policy formulation, without which the future of immigration law and practice cannot be planned for. It is my respected view that, field operators be trained to key-in information directly to the information super-highway and centralised collation of data centre, that will help data processing and analysis. This is relevant information, which will help to boost the budget of the Immigration Service and reveal the challenges of the Service. Technology can also assist to make projections, in cont'd on page 7

13.04.2021

The Future of Immigration Law and Policy in Nigeria (Part 2) cont'd from page 6

standards of human rights.

respect off illegal migrants across our porous borders. Immigration and Related Laws Immigration Law is never discussed in isolation. It is globally, inextricably intertwined with other related laws. In Nigeria, Immigration Law is linked to many related laws, especially the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(as altered). The whole issue of citizenship cannot be discussed, without recourse to Chapter 3 of the Constitution. In this regard, the status of aliens married to Nigerian women comes to the fore. Constitutionally, marriage of aliens to Nigerian women does not confer on them a legal status, as is the case in some other jurisdictions. It does not confer Nigerian citizenship, or indeed, any special status for purposes of immigration. However, it should be argued that such a marriage makes the acquisition of citizenship a lot easier. Flowing from the above, it is obvious that the Matrimonial Act is one of the related laws to be considered for purposes of immigration. Other related laws include National Refuge Commission Act, NAPTIP Act, NDLEA Act, Money Laundering Act; Terrorism Act, Child Right Act, Company and Allied Matters Act (as amended), kidnapping and Abduction Laws, the whole gamut of Penal and Criminal Codes, Maritime Laws, Aviation Laws, Police Act, Labour Act, I.C.P.C Act; and Extradition Act. Other International Instruments considered related include, ECOWAS Treaty and Protocols, Diplomatic Conventions, International Laws and Conventions, Asylum Protocols, Interpol Agreements and Deportation Protocols and Bilateral Agreements. The future of Immigration Law depends on the updating of the above laws and protocols, to bring them in conformity with international standards. Judicial Review of Immigration Laws Earlier judicial interventions in the realm of immigration law, has hovered more around the precincts of Constitutional and Administrative Law. Not much has centred on interpretation of provisions of Immigration Act. The courts have not been activated, in that regard. The reasons could be attributed to the rather obsolete nature of the law, or disinterestedness of legal practitioners to activate the court in matters of immigration laws. To date, it is ironic that immigration practice in Nigeria, unlike in other jurisdictions, is not considered a ‘’ juicy’’ aspect of legal practice. This is flawed reasoning, given the fact that Nigeria has fast-tracked ease of doing business; investors and tourists are streaming into Nigeria, and many foreigners are now involved in developing of infrastructure in many parts of the country, be it in the railway, hospitality, road, building and oil related business. Mention must be made of oil conglomerates, who have resided in Nigeria for over 50 years. All these foreigners and members of the ECOWAS community, require the service of immigration law experts. So also are students, athletes, entertainers, skilled artisans (Domestic Cooks, Tailors, Hairdressers and Beauticians). The truth, which is evident, is that immigration law practitioners and scholars have not come together to give vibe and vitality to this special aspect of legal practice. The future of Immigration Law and Policy therefore, depends on building a

Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN

case law borne out of judicial pronouncements on immigration law provisions in Nigeria. Again, this will depend more on the readiness, willingness and capacity of Lawyers to test cases in court, and by so doing, develop immigration law jurisprudence in Nigeria. The 2015 Immigration Act is replete with plethora of new clauses, that readily invite judicial review and pronouncements. The powers conferred on immigration personnel and the Minister in charge of immigration matters, are enough reason to underscore that such powers should not exercised arbitrarily. All the offences established by the 2015 Immigration Act, is another basis for judicial intervention. The courts will be eager to wade into issues dealing with restitution and compensation for smuggled migrants; seizure, forfeiture and attachment of assets (including forfeiture of foreign assets). As earlier highlighted, there is enough room in the 2015 Immigration Act for judicial review of administrative action. More than ever before, the Immigration Service has been saddled with numerous investigative responsibilities, and these are areas that can warrant or necessitate review of such actions. Mention must also be made of the civil remedy that avails any person who is an object of the offence of smuggling, and who by law, has the right to institute civil proceedings against any person who subjected him to the act or conduct constituting the offence. The Immigration Act grants the court (section 95(1)) jurisdiction to entertain the action, and to order the provision of appropriate material or non-material remedy. Nigeria’s corpus juris in respect of deportation of aliens, is very rich indeed. But, a lot can still be achieved in terms of judicial intervention and pronouncement, in the area of deportation and expulsion. Only a vibrant and vitalised immigration law practice, can invoke the cutting edge activism necessary for achieving required judicial intervention. Nicholas Black has brilliantly enumerated what the future of judicial review of immigration cases will be, and I entirely agree with his prediction. According to him, the hope for judicial review is namely: (1) That the courts develop procedural

fairness in the context of expulsion cases, so that there is a clear opportunity to make representations and receive an answer before a decision to deport is taken (particularly for those without a right of appeal on the merit of the exercise of discretion). (2) That procedural fairness should not stop, when issues of national security are concerned. I would hope that the Judges will enter the fray, to the extent of telling us what national security really is in this context, what consideration of national security is sufficient to override human rights, the right of asylum, the right of family life. (3) That the development of the duty of fairness and the principle of legality will require greater transparency and publication of policies and practice and fuller disclosure of relevant materials, when the government responds to judicial review applications (4) That international human rights standard, and indeed, other treaty obligations of the State, are used more actively as the yardstick of the lawful exercise of discretion whether to depart from the rules or to make them in the first place. (5) That the courts will take on the principle of proportionality as a tool for more active intervention, in immigration cases concerning balance between a strict immigration policy and human rights. Immigration cases provide some of the most challenging questions of public law, as immigrants are one of the largest customers of the judicial review process. It cannot be denied however, that due to desperation, too many unmeritorious cases are brought which amount to little more than a plea for an extension of time, more than that given by the Minister or commanding heights of the Immigration Service. Immigrants however, have raised some of the most important constitutional issues. They have prevented habeas corpus falling into desuetude, and that represents a service of inestimable value to the law. Active and anxious judicial review of these sensitive issues, remains of great importance. A democratic State is not merely one that elects its politicians periodically; it also requires judicial protection of valuable aliens and immigrants, due process, and a regime consistent with international

Reforms With the 2015 Immigration Act, Nigeria now can boast of a piece of legislation that is in line with international best practices. That is quite commendable. But, the same cannot be said of policy considerations that dictate the approach to immigration issues in Nigeria. Nigeria’s liberal and non-discriminatory immigration policy which is based on the principles of ‘’accommodation’’, ‘’tolerance’’ and ‘’humanitarian’’ considerations, may not be easily jettisoned by successive governments in Nigeria. This is further accentuated, by the overwhelming effect of ECOWAS treaty and protocols. This is an aspect we must rethink for the future. National security considerations, must also be given top priority in immigration conversations and policy formulations. As already posited, the Immigration Service must brace up for the challenges of the future, by ensuring that it is properly equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets for effective monitoring of various immigration posts – especially in the control and surveillance of land borders considered to be very porous. In this regard, one will readily recommend the use of drones and satellite gadgets, to monitor movements across our land borders. Tangentially related to the above, is human capital development for the Immigration Service. The Service must relentlessly build capacity, to meet the challenges of the moment. Above all, more personnel will be needed to man the vast land borders in Nigeria. Government must provide for recruitment of personnel. In the same vein, the Immigration Service must be enhanced, for procurement of adequate infrastructure necessary for efficient performance by our Immigration Service. Deportation and expulsion, are generally the sore points in immigration cases. The decision in Shugaba Abdulrahaman v Federal Minister of Internal Affairs is ever heart warming, for the simple reason that the court was able to resist the politicisation of deportation matters. This must endure, if we are to develop an immigration law jurisprudence that is unfettered by political considerations. Finally, it is hereby suggested that apart from the capacity to trace illegal migrants, our Immigration Service must devise means of tracking legal migrants who may have breached conditions for their entry. This is the only way they can be sanctioned, for violation of immigration law. Once illegal migrants and ECOWAS citizens believe that our Immigration Service lacks capacity to enforce violations, the tendency is to honour our immigration law more in the breach than observance. Conclusion The vision of establishing this Centre is one that we must not only applaud, but also support in all ramifications. The future of Immigration Law and Policy in Nigeria, rests on centres of immigration studies like this pioneering Centre. In this Centre will ideas be generated, contending views crystallised, policies formulated, and case law critically dissected, all geared towards building a corpus juris of immigration law for Nigeria. The future of immigration law and policy in Nigeria therefore, lies in effective and efficient utilisation of the Centre of Immigration Studies, Gregory University, Uturu.

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C R O S S Ransom: To Pay Armed Banditry, Kidnapping, Insurgency and other related violent crimes have continued to thrive in Nigeria, despite eﬀorts by the security agencies and hapless Nigerians who are at the receiving end. Heartless criminals have spared neither defenceless school children nor innocent Nigerians from these violent acts, and there doesn’t appear to be any respite in sight. Some have argued that, as long as Government continues to negotiate and pay ransoms to the perpetrators of these dastardly crimes, kidnapping will continue thrive and be a lucrative enterprise for criminals. Others argue that, even if ransoms are not paid, there should be negotiation with the Kidnappers. The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El Rufai, however, recently vowed that he would never negotiate or pay ransom to bandits in his State, which is presently one of the epicentres of banditry, insisting that some of the Kidnappers are insurgents, and paying them ransoms will be akin to shooting ourselves in the foot, as it will only make more funds available to them to use to purchase more weapons to continue their onslaught against Nigerians. THISDAY LAWYER sought the views of a cross-section of senior Lawyers, on this complex and contentious issue. Should Government continue to negotiate and pay ransoms to criminals, or leave the victims to their fate? What other options are open to Government? Here is the CROSSFIRE! criminal and unlawful activities like kidnapping and banditry! Me, I don talk my own!’

NO, DON’T NEGOTIATE OR PAY RANSOM Negotiating and Paying Criminals is Self Indictment - Funke Adekoya, SAN ‘That the Government is negotiating with kidnappers and bandits and paying ransoms at all, is a statement of self - indictment. Paying bandits not to rob citizens, is paying ‘protection money’ to criminals. Section 14(2) of the Constitution states that: “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” – it is the reason that citizens give up some of their fundamental freedoms, to live together in organised society. As Hobbes said in his book Leviathan, in the absence of a central government, man would inhabit a state of nature where “ every man is enemy to every man” and “and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. Unfortunately these words seem to describe present day Nigeria, as Nigerians live in continual fear and in danger of violent death. Every Government worth its name, knows that to pay ransoms rewards the act of kidnapping and banditry and encourages similar behaviour by others in the future. A government that cannot protect its citizens, loses its legitimacy and the basis for its existence. With the announced production of drones in Nigeria by the Nigerian Air Force, the Government has no excuse for its seeming inability to rescue kidnapped citizens and secure the life and property of Nigerian citizens. It should have access to military grade heat seeking sensors, which together with the drones can locate the hideout of kidnappers and bandits. The inability to keep Nigerians safe, is why there is speculation that our security forces are either illequipped, or complicit in the present state of insecurity. If the government does not take immediate steps to ensure that Nigerian citizens are safe and protected, and thereby, restore its legitimacy, it should allow all Nigerian citizens to carry arms, so we can protect ourselves.’ Don’t Legalise Illegality - Sam Zibiri, SAN ‘It is unfortunate that Government would negotiate with criminals, and pay ransom. It is to me, legalising illegality. A lot more people will be encouraged, to venture into the business of banditry and kidnapping. Secondly, it means that the Government is saying they cannot fight the war against banditry, and would rather negotiate with criminals!’ No, Don’t Negotiate With Bandits – Aikpokpo Martins, NBA 1st Vice President ‘I tend to agree with the position of the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El Rufai, that Government should discontinue to negotiate and pay ransom to bandits and kidnappers. It is a misnomer in the first instance, that a Government whose primary duty is it to secure lives and property of her citizens will abdicate same, and turn around to rather reward those who have dared to breach the law. By institutionalising random payment by the Government, this will seemingly and inevitably be encouraging criminal elements to take up arms, establish gangs, and indulge in kidnapping as a trade with tremendous profit returns. The payment of ransom in itself will also encourage complacency in law enforcement, which will ultimately weaken and destroy law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies will simply wait for the Government to pay

Sheik Gumi negotiating with suspected Bandits on behalf of Government the normal ransom, instead of galvanising resources to investigate and apprehend the criminals. It may be argued that a refusal to pay ransom, will endanger the lives of victims in the custody of the bandits. However, we must realise that Nigeria is at the precipice. Do we out of fear for the lives of a few citizens, subjugate the nation to the antics and whims of rogue elements? We must liken the present situation to a war time situation, and this is a war we must win, to enable peace for the nation. It is common knowledge that in war, there is what is called collateral damage; there must be sacrifices for a larger reward. In this vein, therefore, as unpopular and difficult it may be, the decision not to negotiate and pay ransom to bandits is one of the main panacea to the incidents of banditry, as we are presently experiencing in Nigeria today. The Government must be made to secure our lives and property in the first instance, to eliminate

“THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NEGOTIATING WITH KIDNAPPERS AND BANDITS AND PAYING RANSOMS AT ALL, IS A STATEMENT OF SELF - INDICTMENT. PAYING BANDITS NOT TO ROB CITIZENS, IS PAYING ‘PROTECTION MONEY’ TO CRIMINALS”

incidents of kidnappings. In all, I agree with the position of the Governor of Kaduna State.’ By Paying Ransom, Government Shows Failure of Governance - Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN ‘Payment of ransom to bandits by Government, clearly shows failure of Government. Why should Government pay ransom to bandits? Why is Government not applying the full weight of the law? Government is culpable. For me, if Government is serious, it can root out bandits with all the available arsenal in its armoury. It only requires political will, to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to book. It should do it now.’ Use Ransom Money to Strengthen Security and Courts - Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN ‘We like to use fancy names to elevate criminality in our country. Laws abound, to deal with kidnapping. However, in order to be soft on white-collar crimes, we have failed to put adequate resources in our law and order architecture. Now, we cannot deal with criminality decisively. A weak policing system has been created, and a corresponding judicial framework that is not fit for purpose complement each other. Now, in order to survive, negotiating ransom payments have suddenly become the norm. This is arranged nonsense, and should not be. Corruption has deliberately weakened the system. Bandit negotiators will fuel more corruption, and weaken law and order further. The money for bandits should be used to strengthen the security network and the courts. Period.’ I Agree With El Rufai, Don’t Negotiate With Bandits - O.C.J. Okocha SAN ‘Kidnappers and bandits, are persons engaged in criminal and unlawful activities. I agree with Governor El Rufai, that Government should not continue to negotiate with them! Government should never negotiate with them. Instead of negotiating with them, Government should deploy its resources to the fullest to arrest, investigate and prosecute all those involved in kidnapping and banditry. In my humble opinion, if Government negotiates with kidnappers and bandits, Government would be sending out a very dangerous signal that will invariably encourage other criminal minded persons, to engage in such

Negotiating With Criminals Sets a Bad Precedent - Chief J.K. Gadzama, SAN ‘The negotiation and settlement of bandits and kidnappers by the Government, stems from a myriad of unresolved underlying issues which have metamorphosed into the current quagmire. A Government with a solid sovereignty and highly organised security system cannot be cowed into making a negotiation, unless on a platform of an internationally recognised body; in which case a treaty would be signed on terms agreed by both parties. In the case of the Nigerian Government, the settlement of kidnappers and bandits has not only been a frequent occurrence, but a coerced negotiation characterised with political undertones. Take your mind back to my first statement - there are a lot of issues, but I'll highlight some of them. Firstly, there's a political undertone to the situation. My reason for asserting this, is simple. Kidnapping occurs everywhere, in the country. Indeed, crime is not restricted to one part of a nation. While it is true that the indices, statistical reports and surveys may show that there is more occurrence of a certain menace in a particular region than another, the fact and most objective undeniable truth, is that crime in whatever form it is expressed is present everywhere, with the exception of Heaven of course. Now be that as it may, we can safely say that if crime is evenly ubiquitous, the technique for addressing it in a free and fair society should be the same nationwide. This to my mind is the reason for the enactment of one Constitution. Also, if you take a look at the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of the various States, you'll notice that States practically adopt the laws of other States with slight adjustments, which in my opinion does not necessitate a drastic variance in the manner a menace should be addressed. Against this backdrop, I rest my humble view that kidnapping has not been addressed in the same manner nationwide. Take for instance, the investigation and subsequent arrest of the notorious Evans in Lagos; if the Nigeria Police could tackle such a high profile kidnapper and bring him to trial without the slightest assistance of the military, I strongly believe that the Nigerian Military, if operating without political hegemony, has what it takes to tackle the kidnapping in this country. And resultantly, there would be no need for settlement or negotiation. Another perspective, still on the political undertone to the issue, is that some of the reasons for banditry and other nefarious violence in the country, are traceable to our electoral malpractices. Thugs mobilised for electoral mishaps, have to feed before the next round of elections. Thus, kidnapping becomes a temporal means of sustenance, whilst they await another election. A lot therefore, has to do with the role that our politicians and those who have been placed and trusted in top and sensitive positions, have to play. With the right orientation, and a patriotic outlook, we will eventually overcome. Another dimension to the subject, erupts from the socio-economic angle. The country in recent times, has faced a pandemic and a recession within which we saw a protest and looting of Covid-19 reliefs. It is obvious even to the layman, that the fragments of unity and peace holding the nationhood of the cont'd on page 9

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F I R E ! or Not To Pay? YES, NEGOTIATE AND PAY RANSOM

“.....THE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE’S

Pay Ransom, but Strike a Balance - Sam Ologunorisa, SAN ‘My view is that, Government should strike a balance between the two divides. The sanctity of life cannot be over emphasised, and even in advanced countries, Government negotiates to save lives. However, the balance is that very conscious efforts should be made to fight the menace, and not paying lip service or reacting to every onslaught by the criminals. Intelligence gathering must be processed and executed promptly. Inter-agency collaboration, must be encouraged. Payment of ransom should not be an end in itself, but a preservative approach while there is a zero tolerance for bandits and malcontents.’ Hostage Negotiators Should be Commissioned to Tactically Engage Kidnappers - Adeniji Kazeem, SAN (former Attorney-General of Lagos State) ‘Sections 14(2), 33 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution affirms a citizen’s right to life, personal liberty and general security, so, there is no question that Government has a responsibility to secure the release of kidnap or hostage victims. In developed jurisdictions, where there is a kidnap or hostage situation, you will sometimes have a hostage negotiator who attempts to negotiate the release of the hostage(s). I don’t see any reason why such tactics (if not already being done) cannot be employed, in the numerous kidnap and hostage scenarios that are emerging in Nigeria. The hostage negotiator must be prepared to use conventional and unconventional means, to secure the release of the captives, because security of citizens is one of the key deliverables of Government, and everything must be done by all means necessary to keep the citizen safe. Governor Nasiru El-Rufai is however, right that appeasement of criminals never pays, because it emboldens them to repeat the acts and then we will have total anarchy. In my opinion, State Government’s particularly, must step up their security apparatus by creating and funding well trained and equipped special cont'd from page 8

DELIBERATE POLICY NOT TO PAY RANSOM CAN BE TAKEN AS RIGHT, BUT, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN NEGOTIATIONS IF THE PURPOSE OR OBJECTIVE IS NOT FOR RANSOM”

Sheik Gumi with suspected Bandits

hostage intervention tactical units, to extract citizens from hostage situations with minimal or zero casualties. In the event that tactical intervention is not possible and conditional release is inevitable, then upon release of hostages the criminals must be hunted, arrested and publicly prosecuted for maximum sentence, to serve as a deterrent and to provide justice for the victims. There should also be heavy investment in CCTV technology across sensitive targets, and deliberate tracking of supplies and logistics of high volumes to particular locations as this may be indicative. Finally, it is important that the circumstances that have caused increasing number of persons to turn to the crime of kidnapping in recent years should be identified and addressed, in order to reduce incidents of what is now being cynically

referred to as a “Nigerian growth industry”.’ There is Nothing Wrong in Negotiating, but No Ransom – Charles Ajuyah SAN (former Attorney-General of Delta State) ‘My take on whether Government continues to negotiate and pay ransom, I will ask that we separate the issues. As for negotiations yes - with this Government can better understand the grievances of the kidnappers and deal with matters through social engineering. As for ransom, my take is that it will increase the business of kidnapping which is grievous and unabating. It’s like pouring petrol into a flame. Mark you, kidnapping is a business and you will be sustaining the business for the criminals. When a business becomes bad, it is abandoned. Those in Government, by now, should know

that appeasement does not solve social ills, as it is over time, not sustainable. Rather, money spent on paying ransom should be deployed towards fighting the social ills. Having said that, there is the issue of the victim and his/her immediate relations. They are agitated and traumatised, with fear of death of the victim. It may be difficult to persuade them, against payment of ransom. This is so because of the lack of trust in Government at all levels to offer protection to its citizens, apprehend criminals, prosecute and deliver appropriate punishment. For the people, they can only solve their problems the way they see fit, as the loss will be theirs. So, to answer your question, the Governor of Kaduna State’s deliberate policy not to pay ransom can be taken as right, but there is nothing wrong in negotiations if the purpose or objective is not for ransom.’

NO, DON’T NEGOTIATE OR PAY RANSOM

country has been more than threatened. This has sparked up many reactions. People no longer believe in the system. And this mistrust, has provoked utter indifference to the justice mechanism of the country. This is why crime has increased in recent times; because the general populace feel that there is nothing more to lose. A naked man has no pockets to hide his shame. Having said all this, bandits and kidnappers are criminals and are not fighting for a just cause. They're not asserting that an environmental right has been, is being, or is likely to be threatened. Thus, it is my humble opinion that they should not be negotiated with. If they have a good cause, they can express grievances by a peaceful protests. Negotiating with criminals, sets a bad precedent and makes the Government look weak.’ Don’t Negotiate With Criminals - Chief (Dr) Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, SAN ‘I called for an Amnesty for Boko Haram whilst I was the Chairman of the Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities (CAANU) several years back, but unfortunately, my call went unheeded and the nation missed the opportunity of stopping Boko Haram in its tracks. Today, the nation’s problems have been compounded by the menace of kidnapping and banditry, and Government has equally failed to nip these terrible nightmares in the bud. There is obviously a failure of intelligence. The nation’s security from internal and external aggression, is seriously challenged. How can one explain the kidnapping of persons in their hundreds, without trace? To my mind, kidnapping has become an “industry”, and it will take more than mere words to end kidnapping and it’s twin brother, banditry. I however, agree with Governor Nasir Ahmad El Rufai, that Government should not continue to negotiate with, and pay ransom to Kidnappers and Bandits. Government at all levels should create

information cells for intelligence gathering, and provide new information gathering technics, including the use of remote censoring, drones and other devices. There is the need for large-scale education of the population on emergencies, safety drills and selfdefence. A highly conscious populace, has the ability to substantially confront Kidnappers and Bandits. Government must invest in the Police and other Security Outfits, and licence more private security outfits that will provide the much needed intelligence, for a fee, to the Government. As always, the less said on matters of security, the better.’ Don’t Negotiate, Don’t Pay Ransom - Dr Livy Uzoukwu, OON, SAN ‘No sane Government, should negotiate and pay ransom to kidnappers and bandits. It is bad enough that due to lack of confidence in our security establishment, many Nigerians prefer to pay ransom to kidnappers and bandits to secure the release of loved ones. Negotiating and paying ransom to kidnappers and bandits by the Nigerian Government or any government, is a clear admission by the government of its failure or inability to protect life and property. It is an admission that the country’s security architecture, has crashed. By so doing, Government is rewarding, encouraging, promoting, and empowering kidnapping, banditry and criminality in general. That is also a concession that Nigeria is not only a Banana Republic, but that constitutionalism, which rule of law is an important constituent, has abysmally failed in Nigeria.’ Don’t Negotiate - Layi Babatunde, SAN ‘A rogue associate or staff, cannot be placated by mere increase in emoluments or salary. A dog that has tasted human blood, will not be placated by the offer of a whole chicken. I would think that it takes a lot more work, than just throwing money at the problem. A mixture of carrot and stick ap-

proach, may help. The security apparatus can do better. They should be supported and prompted to do better than our recent common experiences. Armed, Non- State actors seem to be dictating the pace, and this portends enormous danger to our collective survival as a country. With God all things are possible, but we need to play our part and play it well.’ It is Counter-Productive to Negotiate and Pay Ransoms - Ferdinand O. Orbih, SAN Since December 2020, bands of bandits and kidnappers seeking lucrative ransom have kidnapped a total of 769 students from three boarding schools and other educational facilities across northern Nigeria, in at least five separate incidents. It is clear from this trend, that kidnapping for ransom has become a big industry in Nigeria. The factors that are foiling these incidents of kidnapping in Nigeria, are largely due to the failure of the Nigerian Government to rise to the occasion, and tackle the problem of insecurity in Nigeria. It appears that the Government of Nigeria has forgotten that the primary function of government, is the protection of life and property of its citizens. There are two schools of thought on how bandits and kidnappers should be handled by the Government. The first school of thought is that of Governor El Rufai, whose view is that Government should not negotiate with bandits or pay them ransoms. He is of the view that security agencies should declare an all-out war on bandits, and they should be treated like the Boko-Haram group. The second is the Governor Matawalle school of thought, which holds the view that negotiating with bandits is the way to go, to solve the problem of insecurity bedevilling the country. This brings us to the question of these two schools of thought - which of them is the most effective? There is no doubt that negotiating with terrorists tends to give them legitimacy, and promotes the

view that violence has its rewards. It portrays the Government as weak and ineffectual, and hence, it is usually perceived as an early sign of a failed State. Negotiating with terrorists and payment of ransom for release of their victims, is a veritable source of much needed funding for the terrorists. Most security experts will tell you that the quickest method to defeat terrorists, is to starve them of funds. Most of the anti-money laundering measures put in place by governments around the globe, were informed by the need to checkmate the activities of terrorists and drug barons, by denying them much needed funding for their operations. It is therefore, tragic for some State Governors such as Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State, to adopt negotiation and payment of ransom to bandits and kidnappers as official State policy. Governor El Rufai should be taken seriously on this issue, because he has tried both approaches. It would be recalled that Governor El Rufai was one of the first Governors to open negotiations with bandits in Nigeria, during his first tenure as Governor of Kaduna State. Substantial sums of money were paid at that time to the bandits and terrorists, to pacify and change them for the better. But, did it achieve the desired result? Of course not. For the Governor to make a U-turn to advocate the exact opposite to his former approach, is an admission that it is counter-productive to negotiate with and pay ransom to kidnappers and bandits. I Agree With El Rufai - Prince Lanke Odogiyon (former NBA President) ‘I agree fully with Governor El Rufai on this issue. I think it's most inappropriate and improper, for Government to negotiate and pay ransom to kidnappers and bandits. I seize this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to formulate, put in place, and begin to execute proper polices that guarantee the lives and properties of people in this great country.’

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13.04.2021

ast Thursday, April 8, 2021, a Book Presentation was held in honour of Honourable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, who retired from the Supreme Court on March 22, 2021 on his 70th birthday. The event which also held virtually, took place at the Civic Centre Waterside View, Victoria Island, Lagos. Here are some of the personalities who attended the event.... PHOTOS: KOLAWOLE ALLI

Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour and Hon. Justice Amina Augie, JSC

Mr Akin Kekere-Ekun and his wife, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, JSC

Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour and his children, Rotimi (left), Mrs Michelle Vivour Adesokan and Bode Jnr L-R: Hon. Justice O. Ajanaku, Mrs Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, SAN and Mrs Ajoke Delano

L-R: Mrs. Funke Adekoya, SAN, Former Chairman, Body of Benchers, Mrs. Hairat Balogun and Gbola Akinola

Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, SAN (left) and Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour

Book Reviewer, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN Bayo Ojo, SAN

Michelle Vivour Adesokan, her husband, Jide Adesokan and her mother-in-law, Mrs Sola Adesokan

13.04.2021

IMAGES/11

L-R: Chief Richard Ahuonaruogo, SAN, Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, Hon. Justice Amina Augie, JSC, Lawal Rabana, SAN, Dr Olumide Ayeni, SAN

Former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (left), Adeniji Kazeem, SAN and Dr Wale Olawoyin, SAN

Gbola Akinola (left) and Dr Ogbai Omo-Eboh, SAN

Hon. Justice, Amina Augie JSC and Editor, THISDAY LAWYER, Mrs Onikepo Braithwaite

L-R: Adesoyin Rhodes-Vivour, SAN, Honouree, Hon. Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Lagos State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, Akin Kekere-Ekun, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, JSC, Hon. Justice Amina Augie, JSC, and Chairman, Honeywell Group of Companies, Mr. Oba Otudeko

L-R: Kemi Balogun, SAN, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN. and Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, SAN

Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Onyia (left) and Mrs Ada Akpata

Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN

Hon. Tolu Akande Shadipe (left) and Mrs Ola Akande Okupe

Hon. Justice Olasunbo Goodluck

Ambassador Chris Okeke (left) and Mr Ken Oboh

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13.04.2021

EFCC and Other Regulatory Agencies’ Powers to Enforce Declaration of Assets (Part 3) Introduction

domestic law, to establish measures and systems requiring public officials to make declarations to appropriate authorities regarding, inter alia, their outside activities, employment, investments, assets and substantial gifts or benefits from which a conflict of interest may result with respect to their functions as public officials.” Regulations concerning the disclosure of assets and interests, can help prevent conflicts of interest among public office holders. Disclosure of information on private interests increases the transparency of decision-making processes, and thereby lays the foundations for the accountability of office holders for their actions. The disclosure of assets helps to provide a baseline, and thus, means for comparison to identify assets that may have been corruptly acquired, and that a public official may legitimately be asked to account for.

C The Legal Regime of Asset Declaration Let us, today, explore the legal organogram and regime of Asset Declaration. Whilst declaration of assets by public officials is mandatory (see Section 140; 142 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Paragraph11, Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), it is contended by many that public declaration is voluntary, and is not a legal requirement for public officials. Let us now explore the legal regime of asset declaration, to arrive at an answer. Section 140 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) provides as follows: “(1) A person elected to the office of President shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in this Constitution, and he has taken and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution. (2) The oaths aforesaid shall be administered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, or the person for the time being appointed to exercise the functions of that office.” Section 142 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) states: “(2) The provisions of this part of this Chapter relating to qualification for election, tenure of office, disqualification, declaration of assets and liabilities and oaths of President shall apply in relation to the office of Vice-President as if references to President were references to Vice-President.” Par II, Part 1 to the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution laconically provides that: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter – (a) at the end of every four years; and (b) At the end of his term of office, Submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.” Paragraph 3, Part 2, Schedule 5 of the Constitution thus, encompasses these public officers as the President, Vice-President, all members and staff of the National and State legislative houses, Governors and Deputy Governors, all judicial officers and staff of courts of law, all State and Federal political appointees, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other officers of Nigeria missions abroad, and DGs and Chairmen of all parastatals and agencies of Federal and State Governments, military, police, immigration, customs, prisons, political office holders and all Federal, State and Local Government civil servants. These public officers are mandated by the provisions of Paragraph II of Part 1 to the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution to declare their asset, and those of their unmarried children under 18 years to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), before and after their tenures. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), established in 1979, has the core mandate to check corrupt practices in the Nigerian public service, by ensuring public officers declare their assets to the Bureau. According to guidelines specified by the CCB, all public officers are not only required to declare their own assets upon assumption of office, but also those of their wives and children. “When filing the form, a person is required to provide detailed information, including, but not limited to, the number, types, address, value or properties so declared. and the date of acquisition as well as income derivable from the properties where appropriate,” it states. CCB: Public Officers must consent to release of forms While the Presidency maintained in the Buhari/Obasanjo’s cases only be handled by the CCB, the CCB has, in turn, passed the buck, when it said it needed the consent of public officers to provide such information. Section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act empowers citizens to require for information concerning public officials. It provides as follows: “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is established”. It was thus, surprising to behold the CCB come out to trenchantly defend the President and his vice, when an NGO, SERAP, had demanded for their declaration of Assets. The CCB had reputed thus: “Section 12(1)(a)(4)(a)(b) exempts production of infor-

EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa

mation relating to investigation for the purpose of law enforcement and such investigation carried out pursuant to Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act for the purposes of law enforcement. “referring breaches of Code of Conduct for public ofﬁcers to Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution is a matter of discretion of the bureau and not a matter of FOI… “Reasons being that asset declarations contain information of the declaring ofﬁcer. Nothing on the face of your request shows that the individuals to which the request relates have either consented to the release, or the information being sought for is one that is publicly available as stipulated by Section 14(2) of the FOI Act.” “Consequently, I am further directed to convey to you that the request in SERAP’s application for information on details of asset declarations by Presidents and State Governors since the return to democracy in 1999, is hereby denied on the grounds that it falls short of the requirement of the law”. CCB explained. International Experiences Asset Declarations as a Global Tool for Transparency The UN Convention Against Corruption provides as follows, in Article 8.5 (October 2003); “Each State Party shall endeavour, where appropriate and in accordance with the fundamental principles of its

“THE DISCLOSURE OF ASSETS HELPS TO PROVIDE A BASELINE, AND THUS, MEANS FOR COMPARISON TO IDENTIFY ASSETS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CORRUPTLY ACQUIRED, AND THAT A PUBLIC OFFICIAL MAY LEGITIMATELY BE ASKED TO ACCOUNT FOR”

The Transparency International notes that: “Asset and interest declarations, which require public officials to disclose information about their personal wealth and interests, are widely recognised as a vital tool to fight corruption and promote integrity in public service. They allow oversight institutions and the public to track the finances of those entrusted with the power to govern, and to scrutinise whether reported variations in wealth are justified. They also permit the public to monitor the outside interests of officials – such as secondary employment or business ownership – which helps avoid active conflicts of interest. “Most countries use asset and interest declarations in some form, but the design and quality of systems varies greatly. This is partly because, there are no internationally agreed standards for implementation. In addition, most systems are fully or partially paper-based, and the transition to electronic systems for filing and publishing asset declarations is “the area of greatest change now taking place in the world of financial disclosure”, according to the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) launched by the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)”. Transparency International had recommended that governments should apply to high-ranking public officials regulations that mandate the comprehensive public disclosure of assets and interests; introduce a digital system for the capture, cross reference and publication of asset and interest declarations; and empower an independent oversight body and relevant stakeholders to strategically verify and monitor declarations and freely investigate suspicious cases. Why Are Asset and Interest Declarations Relevant for Fighting Corruption? As well researched and written by Transparency International, “Asset and interest declarations have two purposes. “Firstly, they guard against the accumulation of illicit wealth, by allowing oversight of the financial activities of politicians and senior public officials. The disclosure of relevant financial information at regular intervals – before, during and after a public appointment – helps to reveal unusual or inexplicable increases in personal wealth. This data can be used by agencies, courts, the media and civil society to investigate impropriety – while the requirement of disclosure, also acts as a deterrent to others. “The second function of asset and interest declarations, is to monitor and prevent conflicts of interest. Decision-making by officials, which should serve the public interest, can be undermined by factors such as secondary employment, the ownership of shareholdings or the receipt of gifts and hospitality. Monitoring and disclosing the interests of public officials, helps to identify potential conflicts and mitigate them. Sometimes, the declaration of an interest is enough – for example, in a parliamentary debate – while at other times it is necessary to recuse an official from further business – such as when a procurement officer has interests in a company bidding for public contracts.” Asset declarations have since been recognised by the international community, as a tool to fight corruption. For example, Article 8 of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) requires parties to establish systems for public officials to declare outside interest interests to an agency. Additionally, Article 52 discusses systems for financial disclosure and sanctions for non-compliance, and provisions for sharing information to aid the investigation and recovery of illicit assets. In 2016, 90 percent of 176 countries surveyed by StAR, had asset declaration procedures in place. (To be continued). THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK “Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large, must come together to achieve this national objective”. (Pratibha Patil). “Public servants should be focused on serving the public - not any special interest group, and good governance should be an expectation - not an exception”. (Abigail Spanberger).

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ 2021

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

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

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

A P R I L 547.46% -1.21% - 2.03%

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

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2 0 2 1 - 2.03% -18.32 %

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Quick Takes Caverton Records N1.26bn Proﬁt

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, (NB Plc), Emmanuel Oriakhi; Reporting and Accounting Manager, Marcus Alves; Corporate Affairs Director, Sade Morgan and Company Secretary/Legal Director, NB Plc, Uaboi Agbebaku during the Pre-annual General Meeting media briefing held by the company in Lagos… SUNDAY ADIGUN

StakeholdersListMeasuresto DevelopNigeria’sGasSector Stories by Peter Uzoho Stakeholders in the Nigerian gas sector have listed a number of measures needed to be taken by both the government and operators to attract investments needed to develop the nation’s abundant gas resources and boost the economy. The stakeholders who participated at the recently held 12th International Conference/2nd virtual Industry Multilogue organised by the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) harped on the need for collaboration between government and operators to deliver Nigeria gas ambitions over the next decade. According to the communique generated at the conference which centred on: “Powering Forward: Enabling Nigeria’s Industrialisation Via Gas”, Nigeria must enhance the fiscal and operational policies required

ENERGY to attract the right investments to realise the objectives and aspirations outlined within the nation’s gas programmes. The communique signed by the President of NGA, Mr. Ed Ubong, enjoined the federal government to urgently resolve legacy debts, payment guarantees, and other commercial impediments, including power delivery bottlenecks in the Gas-to-Power programme. Panelists who made inputs at different sessions at the conference called for the adjustment of royalties on gas supplied and consumed in the domestic environment to encourage more supplies that catalyse more significant development in the overall domestic economy. They demanded for non-discriminatory pricing mechanisms that offer suppliers

equal opportunity for returns on investments and cost-reflective tariff structure across the gas value chain. There was a consensus among the stakeholders that gas supply industry must be anchored on a willing-buyer, willing-seller framework to unlock further investments in gas exploration and delivery infrastructure. They advocated for the removal of price controls and concessional gas tariffs for sections of the market that are critical to achieving overall economic growth objectives. According to them, the scope of the National Gas Transportation Network Codes (NGTNC) should be expanded to fully cover the domestic gas market in line with provisions already specified by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which regulates the industry. They emphasised the need

for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and development banks in the country to prioritise the gas industry, underpinned by concessional interest rates and guarantees for dollar-denominated transactions in gas projects to assure lender confidence. “PENCOM to make the $32 billion pension funds available to Natural Gas investors as priority funding for critical gas infrastructure, to bolster economic diversification and sustained industrialisation in the country. “The panelists agreed that cost reflective pricing mechanism, favourable fiscal regime, ease of repatriation of dividend/capital, stable exchange rate, financing, and national industrial policy stability are critical conditions for spurring equity and loan in the local gas market. Continued on page 24

FG Targets N7bn Annual Tax Revenue from Solar The federal government has highlighted some of the secondary benefits of the N140 billion solar power programme that is aimed at providing electricity to 25 million Nigerians through off-grid connections to five million homes. The Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman, who joined the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the launch of the programme in Jigawa State, recently, said the programme when fully implemented will generate additional N7 billion in tax revenue per annum and $10 million in annual import substitutions. Mamman, who was quoted in a statement signed by the Head

ENERGY of Communication and Public Relations, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Mrs. Olufunke Nwankwo, said the ministry would supervise the programme and would ensure the expansion of off-grid connections across the country. Speaking earlier, Ugbo said the company had already provided 20,000 units of solar home systems to households across the country. “Those 20,000 are working as we speak and then the government asked us to do another five million solar connections, that will include solar home systems and

mini-grid, off-grid solutions”, he said. The NDPHC boss also explained that the 100,000 solar home systems launch was the second phase of NDPHC’s ‘beyond the grid’ project. The Vice President, who launched the programme with the 100,000 Solar Home System in Jangefe, Roni Local Government Area of Jigawa State, said the programme which is part of the Economic Sustainability Plan, would not only provide electricity to Nigerians not connected to the national grid but would also create jobs for many Nigerians. He said the jobs will come from the areas of manufactur-

ing, assembling, installation and maintenance of the solar systems, among others. He said one of the challenges that became an opportunity for the government was the COVID-19 and that government’s response to that was the Economic Sustainability Plan. “The President’s vision around that plan was that rather than have situations where people lose jobs and opportunities; we could take the opportunities of COVID-19 to create more jobs. We could take the opportunities of the economic fallout to create more opportunities for the Continued on page 24

Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc has announced its audited results for the year ended December 31, 2020. The results showed a profit before tax of N1.26 billion and a profit after tax of N1.18 billion. The result came even in the face of the negative impact the Covid-19 pandemichadonbusinessoperationsinNigeriaandtherestoftheworld. Like every other business in Nigeria, Caverton had to battle with the lockdowns,travel/movementrestrictionsduetotheCovid-19pandemic which resulted to exceptionally low business activities during the year. Commentingontheresults,Caverton’sChiefExecutiveOfficer,Bode Makanjuola said it further highlights the continued commitment of, “streamliningouroperationsinthefaceoftougheconomicconditionsand reduction of activities by international and local oil and gas companies which continue to impact the service sector of the industry.” Makanjuola further stated that, “apart from our continued focus on cost efficiency, evident from the decline in operating costs by eight percent in 2020, (compared to 2019), we are equally focused on further expanding our business model and service offering. “OurMaintenanceRepairandOverhaul(MRO)facilityandourSimulator Training facility, both in Lagos, are almost ready to officially commence business operation in the second half of 2021 and when completed will herald a new age in the Nigerian aviation sector and better fortune for the company and industry at large. “While the marine service sector has been impacted negatively by thereductioninpatronageandservices,weareactivelyre-strategising and positioning the company to pursue opportunities within and out of the oil and gas sector.”

Qatar Opens New Engine Facility

Qatar Airways celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art engine facility as part of its vision to streamline the cost of its technical maintenance operations by more than $2.2 million per year, further supporting the airline’s growth despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. LocatedintheQatarAirwaysTechnicalMaintenancecomplex, thenew9,000sq.ft.enginefacilitywasofficiallyopenedbytheMinister ofTransportandCommunicationsHisExcellencyMr.JassimSaifAhmed Al-Sulaiti, in the presence of the President of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla NasserTurki Al Subaey, and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, along with other senior officials and VIPs. Qatar said it estimated the new facility would enable the airline to improve workflow by over 1,800 man hours per month, or 23,400 man hours per year, by centralising its engine production and engine parts storageprocesses,increasingthenumberofitsengineproductionlines from four to eight covering a variety of aircraft engine types. In addition to this, the ultra-modern facility is able to house a total of 80 engines of varying sizes in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, with two specialist ‘Dust Control’ rooms to limit the presence of dust and harmful particles, as well as a dedicated Supply Chain area to minimise waiting times for the ordering and transportation of spare parts. Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, said: “This achievement will boost the ongoing growth of the aviation industry in Qatar and contribute to localising that major industry.

Microsoft in Talks to Buy AI Firm

Microsoft Corp is in advanced talks to buy artiﬁcial intelligence and speech technology company, Nuance Communications Inc., at about $16 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter. According to Reuters, the price being discussed could value Nuance at about $56 a share, the source said. BloombergNews,whichﬁrstreportedthedealbetweenNuanceand Microsoft,saidtalksareongoingandthediscussionscouldstillfallapart. Burlington, Massachusetts-based Nuance whose voice recognition technology helped launch Apple Inc’s assistant Siri, makes software for sectors ranging from healthcare to the automotive industries. The deal with Nuance would be Microsoft’s second-biggest deal, after its $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016. Microsoft and NuancedidnotimmediatelyrespondtoReuters’requestforcomment.

“The beauty of clusters is that you have economies of scale by having shared infrastructure and common facility and will attract spill offs for other enterprises” DG, SMEDAN, Dikko Umaru Radda

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD STAKEHOLDERS LIST MEASURES TO DEVELOP NIGERIA’S GAS SECTOR “It was revealed during the sessions that the BOI has a $500 billion funding arrangement with the Bank of China (BOC) to finance import equipment for flare Gas capture, which requires the intending borrowers to advance about 25 per cent of their funding needs and import their equipment from China,” the communique stated. The stakeholders, however, enjoined players to foster good corporate governance, de-risking loans with equity contributions and mapping out clear funding outlines before initiating a project. They agreed that gas-based industries such as fertiliser and cement constitute key consumption centres that could grow the country’s domestic gas consumption and unlock the much needed economic growth required to take over 90 per cent of Nigerians out of extreme poverty. They noted the need to warehouse world class local capacity to adapt imported technologies for the local conditions to reduce overdependence on Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), improve local content knowhow, deepen innovations, curtail maintenance costs and the overall cost of production. “The conference highlighted the need to create and develop regional infrastructure across the West African economies to deliver gas supplies to markets through various marine, rail, road, and pipeline channels.

FG TARGETS N7BN ANNUAL TAX REVENUE FROM SOLAR Nigerian people. “So the president approved that we should do these five million solar home connections across the country which would mean that 25 million Nigerians would have power. “But not just that, there will be jobs around those who will manufacture, those who will assemble the solar systems, those who will install them will have jobs, those who will maintain them will have jobs and those who will also supply the payment systems and maintain the payment systems will also have jobs”, Osinbajo said. He said the federal government was determined to bring power to un-served communities as part of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan.

NEWS

Firms Seal Power Plants Maintenance Deal Peter Uzoho Technology group, Wärtsilä, has signed a five-year longterm optimised maintenance agreement with Paras Energy, covering power plants in three locations owned by the later, a 100-percent privately-owned Nigerian energy provider. The aim of the agreement signed recently, was to ensure the plants’ continued high levels of availability, reliability and efficiency, while providing important cost predictability for future budgeting purposes. A statement announcing the deal stated that the plants covered by the five-year agreement are operated with Wärtsilä 34SG gas-fuelled engines producing a combined total output of approximately 132MW. According to the statement made available to THISDAY, based on an average connected capacity of some 6,5 kW for each Nigerian home, this will represent the annual consumption equivalent of close to 20,300 domestic households. “We have worked successfully with Wärtsilä for twelve years, during which time, we have developed a strong spirit of mutual respect and trust. “Until now, we have managed and maintained these plants ourselves, but as we grow and expand our operations, we are convinced that Wärtsilä’s professional approach will provide the support needed as

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

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) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

expertise and experience with state-of-the art digital technology to create unparalleled customer value. “We are excited and honoured to take this step with an energy thought leader like Paras Energy.” Paras Energy is a privatelyowned independent energy supplier connected to Nigeria’s national grid. Availability of the generating assets is, therefore, a

key necessity and was a notable factor in the decision to sign the Optimised Maintenance agreement with Wärtsilä. The agreement has been specifically tailored to meet the needs and growth ambitions of the customer. In 2009, Paras Energy decided to benefit from the advantages offered by the Wärtsilä gas engines rather than using gas turbine

technology, which was at the time, standard in Nigeria. Today, this is well in line with the federal government’s integrated energy mix targets. The Nigerian Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) action agenda in the 30:30:30 vision document outlined a target of generating 30GW of power by 2030, with 30 percent from renewable energy sources.

BOOKLAUNCH

L-R:OniruofIruland,ObaOmogbolahanLawal;HakeemOgunniran;hiswife,AssociateProfessorofLaw,UniversityofLagos,Dr.IyabodeOgunniran,and andMD/CEO,LagosBuildingInvestmentCoPlc,OtunbaTobilobaLawal,duringthelaunchofthebook,“TheLawandPracticeofRealEstateInvestment Trusts” byHakeemOgunniraninLagos…recently

Richfield Launches Solution for Real Estate Financing Sunday Okobi and Emmanuella Adamu Richfield, a real estate development company with projects in various parts of the country, has launched an income generating investment platform called PropVest. The solution was designed to help Nigerians make short to medium term cash flow from real estate investment. The company also stated that it would also help to provide the much-needed funds for real estate developers to help mop up the massive housing deficit

in Nigeria. According to the Founder and CEO of PropVest, Samson Odegbami, in a statement made available recently, “The real estate industry is a renowned sector that has continued to experience unparalleled growth over the decades. Out of over 206 million Nigerians, over 17 million people are still without a home. “This is partly due to challenges that individuals face, such as lack of funds to build; inflation resulting in a constant hike in the price of building materials, and skilled labour among other issues. Propvest, therefore, proposes a

solution for all. “By harnessing the power of new-age technology and the management of our resources skills, we are established as a channel that concerts stakeholders’ effort and fund to develop real estate projects in Nigeria, bringing sustainable solutions to old enduring challenges.” He noted that the launch would see PropVest working alongside construction company, Calabella Constructions, a diverse network and groups of realtors; construction material suppliers, insurance companies, lineups of investment bankers and Nigerians

who seeking better ways to put their idle funds to use. “Investment options start at an entry point of N150,000, spanning various investment cycles of between six and nine months with returns between 10 percent and 54 percent. “We believe that PropVest will help move Nigeria forward by raising finance to build quality homes,” Odegbami In the statement, he noted that the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had in August 2012, estimated that Nigeria has a deficit of 17 million houses and requires 700,000 houses annually,

compared to less than 100,000 currently being constructed. In 2019, Pricewater Cooper (PwC), the second-largest professional services network in the world, supported this data and confirmed that the housing deficit in Nigeria is indeed getting worse. “As an emerging innovative change-maker in the real estate industry, Propvest is set to reduce the housing deficit in Nigeria by 500 units. This it is making possible by pioneering an inclusive investment and earning model that funds real estate projects across the country.

Stanbic IBTC Harps on Youth Empowerment Hamid Ayodeji

Group Business Editor

we develop our core business,” , Managing Director, Paras Energy and Natural Resources Limited, Yashwant Kumar, said. Also commenting on the deal, the Vice President, Africa and Europe, Wärtsilä Energy, Björn Ullbro, said: “This tailored agreement will strengthen our longstanding partnership with Paras Energy. It is another example of marrying our world-class

The management of Stanbic IBTC recently organised the 2021 edition of its annual Youth Leadership Series (YLS) which is aimed at engaging and empowering Nigerian youths and entrepreneurs across various sectors of the economy. The financial institution during the virtual conference with the theme: “Winning,’ held in Lagos, also stated that as an organisation it understands the crucial role

supporting and harnessing the potentials of Nigerian youths plays towards enhancing the nation’s economic recovery. Speaking during his opening remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Demola Sogunle disclosed that the innovative projects and technology disruptions championed by youths in virtually every sector were proof of their ingenuity, skill, brilliance and resourcefulness. “As I declare the fourth series of the YLS 2021 edition open, I

would like to reiterate that at Stanbic IBTC, our continued commitment and unwavering support for Nigeria and its citizens most especially the youth is paramount to us because Nigeria is our home, and we drive her economic development. “At Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, we believe in breaking boundaries, hence our tagline, ‘IT CAN BE’, which is hinged upon the premise that everything is possible as long as we are dedicated and put in requisite effort to make it work.

“Also, our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives at the organisation are hinged on three pillars which are: health, economic empowerment and education.” He added: “Meanwhile, the YLS rests on our economic empowerment and education pillars. “In addition, other youth interventionist initiatives worthy of mention are our university scholarship scheme and Together4ALimb, our flagship CSI initiative, which saw eighty eight

students who gained admission into several tertiary institutions across the country benefit from this university scholarship scheme.” On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Wole Adeniyi said the financial institution remains dedicated to ensuring Nigerian youths get all the support needed to enable them generate solutions and innovations which would help the nation attain an uninterrupted economic recovery.

Syringe Manufacturing Company Bags ISO Certifications Okon Bassey in Uyo The Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing (JSM) Company Limited situated in Akwa Ibom State, has been awarded the internationally recognised ISO certifications for its conformity with industrial quality and

management. The JSM factory inaugurated in September 2017, for the production of single use hypodermic, sterile disposable syringes was presented with the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certifications. The Managing Director of the Professional Evaluation and

Certification Board (PECB), Mr Olumicle Ajibawo, who made the presentation of the certificates said the International body was satisfied with the management and quality of product from the JSM firm. Ajibawo, who stood in for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

of PECB explained that, “by achieving the ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certifications the Jubilee Manufacturing company will benefit from the opportunity of improving efficiency and customer relationships, team’s cohesion, and cost containment. “By holding a PECB certificate,

you will demonstrate that you have the necessary capabilities to improve overall businesses performance, and shield yourself and your organisation against persistent, changing and undefined threats in a moderately challenging environment over a short period of time.”

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Migration to IPv6 Will Enhance Digital Economy, Says Pantami Emma Okonji The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, has stressed the need for Nigerians to migrate from the use of Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) address system to Internet Protocol version six (IPv6), in order to diversify Nigeria’s economy and prepare it for a digital economy transformation. The Minister who spoke as a special guest of honour at a recent webinar on the state of IPv6 deployment in Nigeria, organised by the IPv6 Council Nigeria, in collaboration with the Association of

Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said there was need for migration from IPv4 to IPv6, saying IPv4 was fast depleting in numbers, while the population of internet users in Nigeria is on the rise. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are assigned numbers on the internet, which are part of the underlying infrastructure of the internet. The former IP version four, which Nigerians are connected to, is fast depleting and the world is fast migrating to a newer version known as version six (IPv6). The Minister who was represented by the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone,

Prof. Muhammed Abubakar, said the conference on IPv6 came at a right time, when the federal government was focusing on economic diversification to drive the country’s national digital economy policy for a digital Nigeria and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025). “IPv6 is an important ingredient of our National Digital Economy Policy and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan. “The current Internet Protocol that Nigeria has, which is driving the use of internet, is the IPv4, which has a combined capacity of about four billion addresses, and it is already

reaching its capacity limit, which calls for the need to migrate to IPv6, with larger capacities. “The increase in the adoption rate of IPv6 will require the creation of policies and regulatory instrument that will encourage and drive its adoption. “So the federal government is putting regulatory instrument in place in line with the developmental regulation pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy. This will serve as a guide for both the public and private sectors to drive adoption of IPv6,” Pantami said. One of the keynote speakers,

CEO, MainOne Broadband Company, Ms. Funke Opeke, said Nigeria’s presence on the internet had been low even in the days of IPv4, adding that it calls for growth and increased access to the internet, being a critical foundation of Nigeria’s broadband plan. “One of the key ways to achieve Nigeria’s broadband target is to leverage IPv6. It is not possible to connect Nigeria ‘s large population of over 206 million people without IPv6 adoption. With IPv6, we can connect people, networks and devices.,” Opeke said. President of ATCON, Ikechukwu Nnamani, in his

welcome speech, said with the projection that by 2030, more than125 billion devices would be connected using Internet of Things (IoTs), which would put about 15 connected devices into the hands of each consumer, all the devices would therefore need a unique IP address to function efficiently. “The world has run out of IPV4, the initial IP addressing system. AFRINIC the only regional body in Africa that still has some IPV4 for allocation, recently indicated it has less than 1.8 million IPV4 available. The migration to IPV6 is therefore not optional at this point.

Expert Seeks Measures to Prevent Cybercrimes Sylvester Idowu in Warri A United States-based cybersecurity expert, Dr. Augustine Ohwobete has advised that as the pace of digital disruption accelerates and innovative new technology reach the market, organisations and other financial institutions should put measures in place to check cybercrimes. The Nigerian born Cybercrime expert said this during a webinar with the theme, “Cyber threat Landscape: Financial Services, 2021 and beyond,” organised by Information Security Society of Africa, Nigeria (ISSAN). Ohwobete listed the different cyber-attacks such as web-based attack, third party attack, insider threats attacks, and advised organisations to put resilient structures in place in order to understand the nature of attacks and when attacks are about to happen. For financial institutions to adequately check cybercrimes, he called on organisations to adapt and implement cyber security as a guide, recognise cyber security as big issue, appoint cyber security ambassadors, raise customer awareness, emphasise strong password and Multi-Factor Authorisation (MFA), adding that cyber security expert should be a member of decision making and re-emphasise third party vendor management. The cybercrime expert said a major transformational change of a bank platform used to take anything between two and five years but regrettably they are up against players with no legacy systems to upgrade and are forcing the pace noting that “the Covid-19 Pandemic is likely to cause a massive Wave of poverty, and that invariably will translate into more people resorting to crime including cybercrime, more economy crashing, local

currencies plummeting, more fraud targeting mostly BTC due to cryptocurrency being the most popular one”, saying however that cyber security can and should grow the system by taking its rightful place as a business enabler and not a cost center. Speaking also, the Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan advocated for the use of artificial intelligence to predict security threats and proffer solutions. Akinwuntan said Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be a game changer, stressing that the manual and semi-automated techniques of monitoring and responding to system issues of the past were grossly inadequate to take care of the risk of the future. He said, “the new normal of working from home has further exposed institutions to cyber-attacks and data breaches adding that a breach on one vendor could have ripple effects on the organisations.” The Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Aisha Ahmed, who was represented by the Director of Information Technology (IT) at CBN, Mrs Rakiya Mohammed said the conversation around cyber threat could not be more important than now, stressing that the apex bank was committed to strengthening the security framework of financial institutions to prevent the proliferation of such threats. She noted that, “the financial sector is particularly susceptibility to cybercrime, given its crucial roles in financial intermediation in a highly connected financial system,” adding that CBN is committed to strengthening it’s regulatory and supervisory framework for Cyber risk and vulnerability testing for the banking sector.

Stakeholders Commend Buhari over Reappointment of SMEDAN DG James Emejo in Abuja Stakeholders in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sub-sector have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for reappointing Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda as the Director General/Chief Executive of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) for a second term. Speaking to journalists in over the weekend, an Abuja based businessman, Alhaji Abubakar Toyin, on behalf of other stakeholders, expressed satisfaction over the commitment of the present administration to promote entrepreneurial culture in all segments of Nigerian society. He stated that the reappointment came to the MSMEs as a relief considering the fact that ongoing programmes currently spearheaded by the agency will be sustained.

He said: “We salute the courage of Mr. President to extend the tenure of Dr. Radda, as this singular act portends growth and progress for the MSME sector.” According to him, Radda, has indeed transformed the MSME sector positively, apart from repositioning the agency to become a household name in the country. He said within the first five years in office, the DG had revived major programmes and introduced new ones that have been impactful on the subsector. Specifically, stakeholders identified the Conditional; Grant Scheme (CGS) and the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) as part of the programmes making waves and great impact in the MSMEs subsector in the economy. Toyin, also praised the SMEDAN boss for initiating the MSME mass registration programme whose objectives

he said, are to develop a comprehensive database of all MSMEs in the country on the basis of products, sectors, geographical locations, size, and owners’ personal information. He pointed out that under Radda, the agency came up with initiatives targeted at women entrepreneurs as well as the national talent hunt meant to discover hidden talents in fashion and arts and craft. He, nevertheless, urged to continue in the entrenchment of entrepreneurial culture, industrialising of rural areas, enhancing industrial cluster development ideas to further increase MSMEs contributions to GDP and amplify the nation’s export potentials to the rest of the world. Toyin said: “That exploring the great potentials and quality of Dr. Radda at this critical time of our history is indeed a laudable effort of the government to

continually reposition SMEDAN as a critical stakeholder/agency in the diversification policy of the Buhari’s administration.” Buhari had last month reappointed Radda to head the agency for another term. A statement issued by Head, Corporate Affairs Unit, SMEDAN, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, stated that the appointment was contained in a letter dated March 12, 2021 and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha. Reacting to his reappointment via his verified twitter handle the DG had thanked Buhari for giving him another opportunity to serve his fatherland and for the confidence and trust reposed in him, which he said, had indeed served as a pillar to the unprecedented success recorded in the agency in his first term in office.

ACCI Advocates Qatari-African Chamber of Commerce to Boost Trade James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar has called for the establishment of the QatariAfrican Chamber of Commerce to facilitate and establish strong trade groups covering several industrial and trade sectors. He said the launch of the chamber was pertinent and apt within the context of African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA) with to leverage on historical relationship to create synergy between Qatari and African businesses. Al-Mujtaba made the call, while delivering his keynote address at the Qatari-Africa Business Forum over the weekend. He said, the chamber will exist in all African capitals, focusing on expanding partnership between Qatari and African businesses. He gave the assurance that ACCI was ready to spearhead the formation and hosting of the proposed Chamber of Commerce.

While calling for more international businesses to explore the vast opportunities in Africa, Al-Mujtaba stated that the continent has the youngest world population, with strong digital orientation. In a statement by ACCI Media Officer, Latifat Opoola, he said: “Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies. While many world economies are down, many African states are still recording growth even as the effect of the pandemic has been smartly man-

aged by many African nations. “A continent booming with several landmarks’ infrastructural projects, Africa is home to new ports. Airports, trans-continental railways and Trans-African highways. “This is a continent with Agenda 2063, an African Union continental development agenda which nation states in Africa are actively implementing.” He further noted that it was high time Qatar invested in industrial parks, special economic zones and several greenfield and

brownfield infrastructural projects in the country. He said: “Qatar should also show interest in the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063. The agenda has strong multilateral segments. It also has a private sector component. African leaders are presently seeking partnership for the Agenda which covers all sectors. “The African Union also has a Business Partnership Alliance which focuses on liaising and linking African business with related financing and partner-

ship opportunities in African projects. Again, Abuja Chamber of Commerce will be ready to provide full support for Qatari businesses on how to tap into the Agenda 2063 projects.” Also, speaking at the occasion, the IBD Director for International Network, Mr Vineet C. Nambiar while speaking on IBD QatarAfrica Forum Initiatives said Africa has been singled out to be the most exciting opportunity for investment, adding that the need for reliable partners has become expedient more than ever.

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Adegbite: Investment on Mining Exploration Project Coming True Minister of Mines and Steels Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, in a recent interactive session with journalists in Lagos, spoke on a number of projects being carried out by the ministry to accelerate the development of the value chains in the mining sector. Peter Uzoho presents the excerpts:

hat is the update on the rehabilitation of Ajaokuta Steel Plant? It is always good to let the people know what we are doing even when these things are not obvious. We have had some misfortunes especially since I came to office. We started out very well with the promise to achieve certain goals from inception. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of our plans in abeyance, chiefly the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. It was one of our major targets to achieve that. Our target was to start the Ajaokuta plant before President Muhammadu Buhari will leave office. We went to Russia in 2019 and shortly after I became a minister in October 2019, when we had the Russian African Summit, and on the sideline of that summit, we had bilateral talk with the Russian Federation. One of the proposal or request put forward by our Nigerian side was for the Russian Government to help us resuscitate the Ajaokuta plant, especially been that they were the original builders, and they acceded to that request. Work started in earnest from that October; a lot of paper works went back and forth which was supposed to lead to what you call a technical audit that was supposed to take place last year March. The technical audit is a 90-day exercise where you have professionals on ground to look at the plant the way it is and to look at what needs to be replaced, what needs to be changed. But as God will have it, the pandemic set in and even as we speak, with waves after waves, the Russians are yet to come. The 60-man team that was supposed to come down, we have prepared for them accommodation and transportation, everything is in intact. Has the government given up on that? We have not totally given up on it. I’m praying and hoping we could start something that would become irreversible; because the plan given to us possibly is about two and half years thing. So, we thought starting from 2020, which means by the end of 2022 or middle of 2022, we would have finished. So, we are thinking the opening will start around 2022 third quarter. But if we were to start again, I don’t think this government has up to two and half years to go, but I pray and hope that we will be able to start something that is irreversible so that even if PMB has left office, the Ajaokuta Steel plant we still come on and Nigeria will be better for it. What project is the ministry currently carrying out to enable the mining sector survive post COVID-19? During the pandemic when everyone was locked down, the administration said, look: what can we do in the sector as a post COVID-19 palliative because everybody knew the debilitating effects of the pandemic on businesses on every sector? So, government called us and said, look at what can be done in your sector to ameliorate some of the situations that had happened post COVID-19, something to help to kick-start the sector again. We submitted a proposal and we were given some funds to do that and that is what has led to what we have started doing now –the money has been released. We are doing what I will call regional projects in the six geopolitical zones of the country. So, we look at each zone and look at their strength and decide what we will do. Looking at the North-east, we chose Bauchi. Bauchi is very rich in Kaolin. This

Adegbite is another policy of government. We have a lot of minerals that are used in the industrial cycle but the problem had been that people just exploit those minerals and send them out as raw materials and later bring them back to Nigeria as semi-process industrial materials. So, we look at Bauchi for the North-east zone and said, look, we have kaolin; kaolin is used in the pharmaceutical and the paint industry. So, we are building a plant now to process kaolin in Bauchi. That is our project for the Northeastern region. Upon conclusion of this, we should be able to beat our chest and say, yes, Nigeria should not import indus-

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of our plans in abeyance, chieﬂy the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. It was one of our major targets to achieve that. Our target was to start the Ajaokuta plant before President Muhammadu Buhari will leave ofﬁce

trial kaolin again. All the local requirements we should be able to satisfy from that end. If you go to North-central, we chose Kogi. Kogi has gold, so, to help the artisanal miners there, we decided to have gold smelting plant in Kogi, which is the project for Kogi. They get their gold and they have some crude methods of smelting which often lead to disaster. You have the leaching in the water, into their stream and all this undesirable chemicals. Of course, we had a lead poisoning in Zamfara. These are some of the local methods of extracting gold. You know, when you find gold you don’t find it in pure form, it comes with a lot of dirt. So, to extract it that is what causes all that. We are building a modern gold smelting plant that will avoid all this harsh chemicals for them in Kogi. For the North-West, we have chosen Kano and what we are doing in Kano is essentially a gold souk (by the way souk is just a name for market, an Arabic word for market). We are doing a gold souk in Kano. Kano has been known for gold trade along the international gold trade routes in West Africa. Kano was part of that route, so we are just trying to bring the whole glory of Kano back by creating a gold souk in Kano. But not just that, we find out that a lot of our gold when it’s exploited, when it’s smelted and you have the door bars, what do we do in Nigeria? We smuggle them out mostly. I used that world deliberately because very few of them come to the process they take them out. Yes, you are allowed to take out your gold if you

want to trade and all that but if you come through government we give you an export certificate and then of course you pay some royalty and you can take out your gold safely. But a lot of people will choose to ignore that part and they take the gold (doorbars) to mostly Dubai. What you realise is, you take a gold worth N100,000 to Dubai as a door bar, with that ounce of gold, with some expertise, skills, you turn that same gold into jewelry. You could sell that for a million naira. So we were losing value to Dubai. You got gold worth a N100, 000, all you need to make that gold N81 million is skill; you are not adding any gold; you could turn it to earring, into bangle, necklace, even cufflinks and into so many things and we are losing a lot of value on that. So what we are doing in Kano, essentially is not just a market, we are going to have people in the market who can turn the gold into products. We are training people for this as well and it’s another programme we are going to have this year. For the South-west, we have chosen Ibadan and we are building a gemstones market in that area. A lot of gemstones are found around Ibadan. In fact, there is an existing market for gemstones. It’s an international market; people come from far and wide. It’s an informal market, so people come from West African countries and China to come and buy gemstones there. But then, like I said, it’s an informal market –it does not involve government, CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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ADEGBITE: INVESTMENT ON MINING EXPLORATION PROJECT COMING TRUE government loses a lot of revenue there. So, what we are doing is organising the same market under a roof for formalizing it, so that the market takes place in more secure and serene environment and at the same time, government gets its value. Gemstones is mined generally around Ibadan, Ife, Oyo axes and that is not to say there are no gemstones in other parst of the country. So, we are building a gemstone market in Ibadan and we are adding value in Ibadan as well. Few Nigerians are already into it, apart from doing jewelries, the stones are set as additional ornaments and that stone is found in raw form in Nigeria. What makes it to that ring is what is called cutting and faceting –you cut it into shape, you polish it and it comes glistering and you fix it on the ring, pendance, earring and then adding value. We are also doing that in Ibadan. It’s not just to sell the gemstones, there are going to be people in that market who would add value to the stones. They will cut them, polish them and make them ready. Some of course will sell them into jewelries, most cufflinks have their stones and they set them and sell, we are doing that in Ibadan. For the South-east, we have chosen Ebonyi State for its lead. The lead found in Ebonyi is probably one of the purest in the world. But it is exported in that raw form with its impurities there. What we are doing simply is to build a processing plant in Ebonyi for lead, so that what we are going to be exporting from Ebonyi is what you call lead ingots. Ingots are simply when all the impurities have been removed and when you are saying: this is lead ingots, it’s not lead. What you find from the ground could be 84 percent lead and some other impurities, at times it comes with silver. We are going to extract the lead and make it into ingots, so that when you are selling, you cannot be cheated; so that when you say you are selling lead, you are selling 100 percent lead. So we are building a plant in Ebonyi for that. And for South-south, we are doing barite around Ogoja. Barite is something that is used in oil industry. It’s part of the drilling mould that is used for oil exploration. Nigeria imports to the tune of about a $300 million annually for barite mostly from North Africa. I think it comes mostly from Morocco. We do have the barite in Nigeria. The problem has been taking the barite from its raw form when it’s exploited from the ground to what is acceptable in the market. We have done a lot of work on this now. We got all the stakeholders involved, the end users are involved. We got people who are mining the barites; we got companies who got their own plants to process it. Basically, barites come like chunk of rock when they mine it. So, these plants will crush and mill them and we have been given a specification. They have to mill to about 0.003um, the plants will do that. Then they will be bagged and sold to the companies. So what we have done as a government is to say: okay, you are the miners, you got the barites. We have identified about three companies now that have a milling machine that can do this. Then, we got some interested entrepreneurs who are making the bags, because there has been an attempt in the past to bring Nigerian barite to the market but these are the failures: they will say, it was not milled properly, the bagging was poor and when they want to use on site, it split up and then, the barite is wasted. So we are taking care of all these snags that have been identified. We have got the private sector people involved in this and we are just taking the barites from the mines to the market with government being a facilitator. That is essentially what we are doing in Cross-River. Those are the six programmes that we are doing and by the grace of God we should bring them to fruition this year. Data is critical in investors’ business decision. So, what is the ministry doing to avail prospective investors in the nation’s gold sub-sector all the relevant information they need as they decide

Adegbite on whether to invest in the country or not? So, this year and into the following years, our exploration project –National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project (NIMEP) has been on course. NIMEP came on board because mining is all about data, gathering data and this is data that you offer to some interested people. It’s not good enough to say I have gold. People want to know the quantum of your gold and whether it’s worth their time and investment. If it will cost you about $200 million to get to where the gold is and you find out that the gold there is worth just about $150 million, it’s a loss. So if I have an idea that the gold deposit there is worth about $10 billion, then I can spend my $250 million going after it. So this is data that we need to acquire in other to attract the right investors and that is the programme we are doing all over the country. It’s a N15 billion project, about $50 million as at that time and the results are coming true; it’s looking very promising. In fact, when we went to Canada last year, before the onset of the pandemic and when we were in South Africa in February, these are the data we were marketing to investors and there were a lot of interests. People were already asking to come to Nigeria and all

When the refineries come up, they will be able to refine gold locally. Like I said, the one that was given to Mr. President, the final leg of it was melted to get to door bars but we were able to take it to bullion standards in Turkey

that but for the pandemic. Though, we hope to continue to market this data so that people can come. This data will not be free; it will be put in a bid auction because we have spent so much money. So, we need to recoup the money and use the money in doing further exploration. What effort are you making to develop the country’s gold refining capacity and improve the value of the gold resource to the economy? Most of the gold that is used or that you found around that is used to make jewelry and all that; they are from the door bars. Door bars is about 93 per cent purity, but when you want to take gold as a measure of wealth as is recognized intentionally, you have to take to what is called bullion standard. That is the gold standards they called 99.99 that is bullion. You would recall that sometimes in August last year, we presented bullion to President Buhari at that time. That was a proof of concept to show that yes, we have gold in Nigeria and we could take it to the bullion level; the bullion is what the CBN or even an individual can keep. If you have bullion now, you can know the value from the price quoted on the New York Exchange, price of gold is quoted daily. So if you have one bullion, you know that the one we presented to the president was worth about N168 million for 12.5kg. We gave it to the president and the CBN purchased it and did a presentation of the cheque that the CBN governor gave to the president and there was a big dummy cheque that was made for that. So that is gold from Nigeria which was sold to CBN and the CBN said, wow! Nigeria can add to its foreign exchange level not just through oil and gas but through gold; not in door bars but through bullion. Putting that bullion in the vault of CBN increased our foreign exchange reserve. So that is another thing we are trying to do. That particular bullion, the final leg of it to take it to bullion was done outside the country, it was done in Turkey. Now, we

have licensed two institutions. The third one is just recently licensed so that one is just starting. But two of the people that we licensed to build refineries in Nigeria have gone far: one is in Abuja, and one is in Mowe, Ogun State. This people will be able to refine gold to bullion standard and of course, individuals can buy gold. If you want to keep your money in gold, may be because you think inflation rate is going so fast and you want to keep your money instead of the cash, you can keep it in gold; that is legitimate. You can put it in a save in your home or if you are afraid thief may come, you can keep the bullion in a vault in the bank. And of course, the value, like the one I was saying was N168 million that the CBN paid for, it was very good for CBN because within a few months, prices of gold went up and it became about $250 million because price of gold kept moving per ounce. Because the price of gold is measured in ounce and it went up to about 2200 per ounce at the stock exchange. What CBN bought essentially with about N168 million went up within a few months to about N250 million at the time. That is gain for the country because if we had kept that cash, you would still have the same value (the N168 million). But by putting it in gold, you have enhanced the value of that cash to about N250 million. So’ it’s also part of the things we are trying to do. When the refineries come up, they will be able to refine gold locally. Like I said, the one that was given to Mr. President, the final leg of it was melted to get to door bars but we were able to take it to bullion standards in Turkey. We sent the door bars to Turkey, they did for us and then they sent it back and then we presented to the president. We have licensed three refineries in Nigeria which will be able to do these bullions for us in Nigeria. So, these are some of the things we are pursuing for this year and, hopefully, like I said, before we leave office, we will be able to give you a good account of our time in office.

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Adegunwa:ImmenseInvestmentOpportunitiesaboundinNigeria Managing Director of the Rite Foods Limited, Mr. SeleemAdegunwa, in a recent engagement with journalists spoke about the ability of the company to stand competition. Dike Onwuamaeze brings the excerpts: What is the background of Rite Foods’ success in the sausage and beverage market? You cannot talk about the Rite Foods Limited (RFL) without going back to ESSAY Holdings Limited (EHL), which is our parent company. I said this because a lot of people think that we just stepped into the market because they do not know much about our past. If you have ever taken photographs in the past four decades you would probably knew about the Fototek Industries Limited, the Photo Palace Limited, Photo Production Division and the Prints Specialty Limited. And if you have checked the back of those pictures you might have seen this name: AGFA. So, that is where it all started. We were also known to be the largest photographic establishment in the country and the entire West Africa as well. We actually had no competition. The EHL were responsible for the distribution of AGFA Films and photo materials. The worldwide number one film maker at a time was Kodak. It was followed by Fuji. It was only in Nigeria that AGFA was number one not so much because of the brand but because of the distributor. So, you can see that for us beating the multinationals is not a big deal. It is in our heritage. Part of what we did then was that we had 60 outlets throughout the country with photo labs. This is important because in terms of our heritage covering the country is not an issue. When people say how come Rite Foods are all over the country, they forget that we are already used to it through the EHL. The success of the EHL in those days gave us the edge to cover eight West African countries. I was the general manager for sales in those days. I will get into a car with the driver and we will drive from Lagos to Cotonou, cross the border into Togo and drove to Kumasi in Ghana; then we will drive down to Burkina Faso selling photographic materials. Those were the good days of security and safety. And also to cover West Africa, we acquired a property that helped us to take care of the West African market. Most at times I do not think that Nigerians appreciate enough the country we have as in God given resources. My experience travelling around the West African countries showed that if Nigerians would put in Nigeria the amount of efforts we were doing in these West African countries the success will be great because there are some states in Nigeria that are bigger than these countries. What made you think that Nigerians do not appreciate what we have in this country? Nigerians need to understand that we are extremely blessed and we just need to take hold of our own economy ourselves and stop leaving the whole space for the multinationals. One thing that is common most of the times that I had meetings with foreign businessmen is that they keep talking about the opportunities in Nigeria but when I talk with Nigerians it is always complaints. Yet, we are all in the same country. So, it is all about mindset. How we see things will change everything. How did the Rite Foods get the courage to challenge the multinationals? Yes, Rite Foods Limited is relatively young but it is coming from the pedigree of business that is actually 58 years old. Our destination is to join the Club 100 years’ old businesses of the CNN by the grace of God. What happened was that as time goes on, the EHL decided to diversify into food and beverages, which are the ones I am heading. I have a lot of passion for food. I see a lot of opportunities there. So, in 2007, we decided to start the Rite Foods Limited, an organisation with the mentality and spirit of lions. So, to be part of the Rite Foods you must have a lion mentality, which is nothing but a fearless spirit. This is important because we were coming into a space that was dominated

Adegunwa by the conglomerates and multinationals. I remembered that when we started the first thing we wanted to do was sausage. At that time the biggest competitor was the UAC Foods, which was probably 42 years old. And people were asking us why do we want to compete with an institutionalised brand? Not a single person gave us a chance. They just thought that it was the most stupid thing to do because we cannot beat this brand. Apart from the UAC, there were the Leventis and the UTC that were large conglomerates in their businesses. So, you need to have a fearless spirit to be in that space. We are of the fearless mindset not because they were not doing a good job but we believed strongly that there is nothing that cannot be improved. You can always get into a space and improve it by giving a good offering. That exactly was what we did. We went into the space where there was a particular type of sausage roll and we introduced more variants and that automatically changed the entire game. Those of you that toured the bakery have seen that our facilities are 21 century technology. We have introduced the chicken, the beef and the spicy sausage rolls. We are extremely innovative to improve the offerings for the benefit of the consumers. That is what that really keeps us alive. We know that when we come into a space, we end up giving consumers much more and at the end of the day it is better for us as well. At the time we launched our sausage Nigeria had a docile market and believe that things cannot change. At a time it was like what is this? Nobody wanted it and nobody was taking it? I remembered that if I send a truck to Onitsha for example and include some cartons of our new innovative sausage variants, the distributor could return the entire truck back to us because of these new ones. That was how hostile the market used to be. But today guess what the reverse is? When we send that truck today the new variants will be 700 cartons while the traditional sausage will be 300 cartons. It is all about having the mindset that a thing can be changed. And it does not matter how hard or difficult or impossible they will tell us it is going to be, we believed in one thing: If the product is good and we keep being persistent and have strong tenacity we will always succeed.

That has always been our story and the story of our sausage line. Today we are the number one sausage in the entire industry. Let me explain this to you. We are 100 per cent indigenous. You see, one of the things that is extremely important, and I think that we need to learn this within our society, is for us to be behind our own because every Nigerian success is all Nigerians success. One success translates into millions of successes. When I said that we are now the number one in the industry Nigerians have to take it as their own success. What led the Rite Foods into the beverage segment? At a time we saw that people get thirsty as they consume sausage and we said let us look at the beverage sector and we saw gaps in the sense that there were just very narrow offerings, extremely narrow offerings. And we thought that we can certainly do it better. But then, we also noticed that we have outgrown our Opebi location in Ikeja where we started the sausage rolls at the Adebola House. We then decided that we should do it more properly by acquiring a bigger space. That is how we came to our present site. We have just developed about 20 per cent of the land. So, in terms of growth there are still a lot of opportunities available. It is about thinking 100 years ahead and believing that we can do it. It is about having that mindset and knowing that by the grace of God when we put in the hard work success will follow as we continue to give good offerings. At the time we are doing this new place it was the same old skepticism. Because it was at a time people do not invest. Look around our country and ask yourself who is investing? The answer is mostly foreigners. Nigerians do everything except investing in Nigeria. I knew a number of people that had houses in the United States of America during the era of President Donald Trump that were refused visa. And the lesson from that is that Nigerians should invest their money in Nigeria. The thing is that if we do not improve our own economy, nobody is going to do it for us. We can continue complaining and complaining, which is just whining. What we have to is to take action and stop complaining. I do not also believe that we

should support the Nigerian brand for Nigerian brand sake. The Nigerians must step up and give absolutely world class offering and when we see people that have done that then we owe it to them to support them. We have to. It is one of the things that we have to learn from foreigners. You will not get an American buying a British product over an American product. Donald Trump’s slogan was “Americans first.” So, what are we waiting for to turn it around to “Nigerians first.” We met the soft drink beverage market from where it was just kola, orange and one more flavour and said no that they were not enough. Our people deserved more flavours like ginger, cherry, tropical and the tamarind, etc. because we are thinking about the consumers. I am going to tell you something: profit follows when you fix a problem. Our goal is to give to the consumer offerings that are available elsewhere in the world without shortchanging or compromising them. I can tell you with absolute certainty and confidence today that we are not using artificial sweetness or anything else that will compromise our products. So, I know that we do this extremely well. What were the initial challenges the Rite Foods had in the beverage market? We are extremely a world class organisation, which didn’t happen by accident. We were intentional about it. But we knew when we went into this space that we were coming with a big disadvantage, which, sadly, is the Nigeria’s flag we placed on our bottles. Everyone and all of them Nigerians, told me don’t do it because buyers will think it is an inferior brand. This attitude left me both insulted and challenged at the same time. I accepted the challenge to change the mindset because the philosophy was wrong. I knew at that moment that we need to start changing the philosophy about how we perceive ourselves because if we can change the philosophy, we can change the mindset. And once we start changing the mindset, attitude will change and immediately the behaviour will also change and that will lead to positive action. So, five years ago I went against every advice and said no we are going to do it. We put the flag on our bottles to the misery of most of my team. Initially, the first six months we could not sell and the naysayers chorused “we told you.” It was difficult. But guess what happened four, five years later? Not only has it been extremely successful and we give glory to God, today our multinational competitors are putting the Nigerian flag on their products. We are talking about giving pride to ourselves. Now, we have a situation where we have forced them to start putting it the national flag on their bottles. It is quite an achievement. We come to the table with absolute world class products so that we are not going to let the people down and if for anything they will get more value. What philosophy drives your success? Integrity is our watch word and those dealing with us do not need to bribe or know anybody to get things done. It is one of the things we must get right. The West did not get to the point they have attained by chance so there are certain disciplines that we must have and these principles are our philosophy. Excellence is the second thing that we take very seriously. We will continue to innovative in what we do to ensure that we keep leading the pack and see that our consumers keep having products that they are absolutely satisfied with. We are also endeavouring to leave a worthwhile legacy because this is not all about today. People have told me that the problem with Nigerian businesses is that they do not live beyond their founders. But we have already done that. We are in our second generation and are already planning beyond that. Moreover, the impact of our businesses within the society is unbelievable. Without mincing words, I do not care who the company is, they cannot do it in Nigeria as a Nigerian would.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ, ͰͮͰͯ

IMAGES

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Fun seekers celebrating Easter in Lagos...recently

L-R: Director of Federal Highways Project, South-West, Ademola Kuti; Project Manager, CCECC, Eric Zhu; Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Olukayode Popoola; and Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, during the inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation of the Outer Marina Road and Eko Bridge in Lagos...recently

L-R: Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; District Governor, Lions club, Elder Sunday Eloma and President Abuja Metropolitan lion Club, Mr. Charlz Opusunja; during the Commission of 20 Bedded Cancer Hosipital complex in Abuja.. recently

L-R: National Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Mr Olusegun Adeyemi; New Chairman of NIEEE, Ibadan Chapter, Mr Olayiwola Oyelade; his wife Olusola; and former Chairman of Ibadan Chapter, Mr Ajuyah Omajuwa, during the Investiture and Lecture of 4th Chairman of the institution in Ibadan...recently

An accident scene at Coker Bus Stop on Lagos Badagry ExpressWay ...recently

L-R: Personal Assistant to the Director General, National Centre for Women Development, Mitchelle Ushie and Director, National Center for Woman Deveiopment, Mary Ekpere-Eta, brieﬁng newsmen on the achievement of the center in the last four years in Abuja...recently

-R: National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Presidential Award of Excellence and Remarkable Achievements awardees, Dr. Kolawole Toba; Seriki Adetutu; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and awardee Ayodele Olubusayo; when the Governor formally received the awardees in his oﬃce in Ado-Ekiti...recently

L-R: Delta Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa presenting a wedding card to newly weds , Mr. and Mrs. Obatarhe Marshal Umukoro, during their Holy Matrimony at St .Anthony’s Catholic Chaplaincy, Delta State University, Anwai Asaba Campus...recently

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Sterling Homes Plans Massive Housing in Six Geo-political Zones Bennett Oghifo

seasoned real estate development firm, Sterling Homes Limited intends to engage in publicprivate-partnerships/partner government, as it executes a unique plan to build many homes in all six geo-political zones of the country. This is a bold new strategy that has evolved from Sterling Homes’ near 11 years foray in the housing industry, said the company’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, as he unveiled their next value-added move and a befitting new brand identity at a media event in Lagos, recently. Adeyemi said he is not unmindful of the huge task ahead, particularly with documentation from government, but that his desire ultimately is to help reduce the housing gap, which is put conservatively at 20 million and growing. He said the company intends to work fast at constructing the buildings but would definitely retain its knack for excellence

and flexible payment structure. Adeyemi said Sterling Homes focuses on “a unique structured installment payment plan for all our projects some at zero interest because, I keep mentioning, beyond the business we are out to add value.” The first set of the rapid home development began at the weekend with a groundbreaking ceremony for 50 housing units, according to Adeyemi. “It is going to take us about just 90 days to deliver that project. One thing about Sterling in this new dispensation is speedy delivery and touch of excellence in everything we do.” He said after the 50 housing units, “we will go over to another project that is going to accommodate over 100 people at Ogudu. So, our target audience will cut across the middle-class and, of course, the apex of the pyramid and this is what we are passionate about.” To enable them realise their new vision, he said the company has gone into a new phase that would be driven by the new logo and a new brand, and the beginning of

their spread to other cities in the country. “At the moment, we have our head office in Lagos, but before the end of the year we will be in Port Harcourt and, of course, actively playing in Abuja. Adeyemi, who is the General Secretary of the Real Estate Developers Association (REDAN), South-west Zone, said “We want to ensure we partner with the government to reduce the housing deficit we presently have in Nigeria.” He said, “We support 100% the government’s idea of housing delivery. I mentioned earlier that we want to partner and ensure we reduce the housing deficit, so part of what we are embracing in this new dispensation is PPP, we are going to be doing a whole lot of stuff with the government. So, we are embracing Public Private Partnership and that is why we are extending our tentacles to the six geo-political zones that exist in Nigeria at the moment.” He said the company has a long-term goal. “Now, we have what we call Pocket Piece Initiative. We have the

primary area, the developed area, the developing area, and the under-developed. Our target in this new dispensation will be targeted towards the developed and prime areas. So, our Pocket Piece Initiative is designed to build within a developed area. Taking Lagos as an example, we are targeting prime areas and some developed areas like

G.R.A Ikeja, like Ogudu, like Surulere, like Yaba and some other prime areas.” He said before the end of this year they intend to build another 150 units somewhere around the south-south region. “At the moment it’s speculated, south-south is Port Harcourt, so we are putting off that. I mean, not until we have a

clear understanding about the security challenge presented, so that’s the reason we didn’t even jumpstart the project. The necessary preliminaries are already in place for us to start, but because of the present prevailing security challenge we are putting a hold on that until we get the clarity and that will be in no time.”

L-R: Sterling Homes Brand Manager, Dawn Ashiedu; Managing Director, Kunle Adeyemi; and Executive Director, Ebunoluwa Jegede, at the launch of the company’s new Brand Logo…recently

TAF Africa Global Plans 1m Homes Across SSA Bennett Oghifo The Owner/CEO TAF Africa Global, Mustapha Njie has said his vision over the next 20 years is to build a million homes across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Njie, who is the promoter of the Golf Estate in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said this in a television programme in The Gambia, recently. Taf, as he is popularly known, said, “Anything (housing project) that’s under a thousand (units), I’m not interested, because my vision over the next 20 years is to develop one million homes across Sub-Saharan Africa and that’s why we are in Nigeria.” According to him, Nigeria has a deficit of close to 20 million homes, stating that the company got a cautious reception when they tried to stake their claim.

“When we came here very few people believed in us. They felt oh no, no that’s another you know, fly by night or a ‘419’, as we say in Nigeria, oh he’s a scammer you know he’s saying he doesn’t need any money all he needs is just the land, oh give him the land, let him see. “And actually, even the land that I was given was all muddy, you know, this is Rivers State, in Rivers State there’s no land so we had to sand-fill using 650,000 cubic meters of sand.” He said the whole Golf Estate is built on 40 hectares, saying “this is the first project I’ve done outside of the Gambia, big project and it is in Rivers State, Port Harcourt which is called the Garden City. We’ve built over a thousand houses. “Over 6,000 We have the apartments which are over 600

hectares, 600 and over units, you know we have town houses, we have villas you know in total, when everything is ready we have over a thousand, 1,100 and so on. You know I am a made in Gambia product, I’m an African product everything I know, everything I have, everything I’ve made in my life, I made it in Africa.” On his partners, he said that question was asked him very often but he said, “I don’t need a partner I can do probably what anybody can do, who is of a different race, but in Africa today anything big like this that you want to do, they think that it’s done by somebody as we call it in Nigeria ‘Oyinbo’, meaning a white guy or the Chinese and if you look at Africa today we need to be very careful, you know because the Africa Continental

Loss of an Audacious Voice for Nature: Adieu HRH, Prince Philip- Friend of NCF Izoma Philip Asiodu The Board of Trustees, National Executive Council and Management of Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) commiserate with Her Majesty, the Queen and the Royal Family on the passing away of HRH, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, on Friday, 9th April, 2021 at the age of 99. Prince Philip was a friend to the late Chief S.L. Edu, the founder of NCF. As then

President of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), he supported Chief Edu in establishing the NCF and continued to give his support to the organization until it became fully fledged. At the instance of NCF, Prince Philip has visited Nigeria on a number of occasions and thereby bringing to global prominence some of Nigeria’s rich natural heritage. The international recognition that the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands first received was as result of his efforts. The area is

HRH, Prince Philip and Chief S.L. Edu, founder of NCF

now officially recognized by the United Nations amongst the Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar site) and is part of the Nigerian National Parks System. On 18th February 1989, he laid the Foundation stone of the Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC), which was jointly developed by NCF and Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL). He also commissioned the Centre after its completion. We join the rest of the global community of environmentalists in mourning the loss of such an audacious voice for nature and one of the pioneer wildlife conservationists. His death has no doubt left a big vacuum in the Nature conservation arena that is difficult to fill. But his legacies live on. -Izoma Philip Asiodu, CON, President, Board of Trustees

Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is on, it started 1st of January and you are going to have a population of 1 billion people. It is the biggest economy in the world, but what have we seen recently? We have seen all the big players, all the first, you know, the big players, like big countries are now forging partnerships with Africa. You know Africa, China initiative, Africa US, Africa British, Africa Europe, that is to get now

Africa, you know these guys still coming in and you know controlling our economy. “It’s high time that as Africans, we take ownership and we hope that the African continental free trade area will empower Africans, you know to take over the economy of Africa and it can be done, you know, look because we are an African out-fit we don’t see borders. “And I think that’s what the AfCFTA is all about that Africa

without borders. So any African that is qualified that can add value to what we are doing, we would take you on board, let’s not wait for others to come and exploit all these opportunities.” He said the problem in Africa is bad leadership. “The thing that is bringing Africa down is poor leadership. If our leaders do the right thing, then Africa will shoot-up. So, if there is one thing we need to address, we need to address leadership.”

Digital Landlord Adopts AI in Short-let Home Rentals Fadekemi Ajakaiye With the emergence of technological and its contributions to ease of doing business, a myriad of investments across sectors have taken the charge to leverage technological offerings to advance their businesses. Nigeria ranks very high among the list of nations where entrepreneurs and established businesses are powering their trade with the use of technology. While internet penetration is currently witnessing rapid increase with more than 104.4 million internet users in Nigeria in January 2021, an increase number of 19 million (+22%) between 2020 and 2021, the level of penetration in Nigeria stood at 50.0% as of January 2021. This currently availa industry players needed boost to tap into the opportunities to provide services for varying end users. The technological advancements and improvement in number of internet users has greatly worked in favour of players in the short-let homes industry, one of which Digital Landlord is a major player. The firm recently adopted the use of artificial intelligence to drive rentals of its short-let apartments where it witnessed a great increase in the number of requests since it launched. Commenting on the move,

the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Mr. Keji Giwa disclosed that his firm investied heavily in improving the customer experience on all Shortlethomes digital platforms “taking advantage of AI Chatbots to automate responses, creating a virtual agent to take bookings and deal with customer service issues 24-7.” According to him; “This will maintain an instant response time and a 100% response rate without the need for a human agent except for escalating 2nd line or 3rd line sales or customer service issues while at the same time making room for a personalised and fully customised native IOS and Android app by year end 2022.” He noted further that with the aid of technology; “We aim to increase our short-let portfolio to accommodate the 98 per cent of extra booking opportunities the company was not able to fulfill in 2020 due to its limited number of properties. In that short space of time, the company has taken bookings from just 500 guests out of it’s 25,200 booking requests in a year due to a limited number of properties, accounting for only 1.98 per cent of total booking enquiries in a year.” With more investment opportunities becoming available

for investors in the real estate and short let homes sector, Keji Giwa has predicted stated that in 2020, investors in his firm through Digital Landlords scheme received a 17 per cent short let rental net income on all properties. He argued that such investors are set to experience the same in 2021. “In 2020, all existing Digital Landlords received a 17% short let rental net income on all their properties and are set to experience the same in 2021. Compare this to local rental income rates of around 3%-4% in Nigeria, that’s a whopping 425% – 566% difference in margins. Digital Landlords can expect to get back their return on investment in just 5.8years compared to 20yrs for local rental income and then experience year on year profit after each consecutive year. “These market dynamics suggest a less competitive, untapped market gap and therefore more attractive investments in increasing Shortlethomes short let apartments in Lekki, Victoria Island, Osapa London, Oniru, Ikoyi and Ikate. The brand aims to increase its short-let portfolio to accommodate the 98% of extra booking opportunities the company was not able to fulfil in 2020 due to its limited number of properties.”

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

NCF Intensifies Campaign on Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade Fadekemi Ajakaiye

he Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) organised workshops tagged ‘Regional Common Action Plan on Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) in Abeokuta and Kano to improve awareness on the Illegal Wildlife Trade issue with vulture as target species. According to NCF, the awareness campaign was to bring to front burner, the common challenges and limitations against enforcement of wildlife laws in Nigeria, sensitise the enforcement and border control agencies on the need to get more knowledge, understand the law and intensify efforts on enforcement. Illegal wildlife trade as fourth transnational crime in global rating poses threats to biodiversity comprising iconic animals such as elephants, rhinos, leopards

and pangolins while birds such as vultures and African grey parrot are not exempted from this threat. It was revealed that the Nigeria Customs Service, made several seizures by profiling the containers, elephant tusks, pangolin scales, rhino horn. It was also revealed that majority of 1,169 forest reserves in Nigeria suffer neglect, degradation, poaching and are not properly managed. Some of the challenges against curbing the menace of Illegal Wildlife Trade include shortage of forest guards, high rate of poverty among forest dwellers, overdependency on the forest resources, lack of modern facilities and equipment to manage the forests and lack of environmental education among Nigerians. Reviewing the existing laws to make penalties stiffer and enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies

in proper prosecution were identified as major ways to combat transnational and national illegal wildlife trade in Nigeria. Environmental education, increased awareness campaign, training and re-training of security agents and more were other solutions proffered at the workshops. The workshops had in attendance representatives of the Judiciary, Nigeria Police; Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Nigeria Immigration Service; Nigeria Custom Service (NCS); State Departments of Forestry; wildlife conservationists among others The workshops were highly enriching with presentations from seasoned facilitators such as Dr. Muhtari AminuKano, Director General of NCF; Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director of Technical Progs; Mr. Timothy Daniel John, CITES National Focal Point; Mrs.

Abimbola Animashaun, NCS WCO Regional Intelligence Focal Point (West Africa) on IWT; Mr. Joseph Assam,

Conservator of Parks, Old Oyo National Park; NESREA Zonal Coordinators Southwest and Kano State

and others. The project is sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service and BirdLife International.

Representatives of security agencies at the workshop in Kano... recently

‘Gbaramatu Spill: Chevron’s Failure to Accept Responsibility Deliberate’ Sylvester Idowu in Warri National Coordinator of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade has lamented that the failure of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) to accept responsibility for the Gbaramatu oil spill was a deliberate plan to undermine the wellbeing and environment of the people living in the affected communities. Mulade, who made this known in a chat with

journalists, said Chevrons claims that the spill is not from its facilities because the pressure in its control room did not indicate that there was a leakage or a drop somewhere was not tenable. The environmental activist said Chevron should be honest enough to re-examine it claims as there could be system failure that had made it difficult for it to detect the leakage from its facilities in the affected area. He noted that he is aware

that Chevron shares facilities with the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) field in Jones Creek flowstation in the affected area but the Chevron’s 16 inches Crude Line runs from Makaraba, through Otunana to Abiteye and the leakage is between Otunana and Abiteye. According to him, detailed investigations carried out by his NGO- Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, on the oil spill, the leakage was at the centre

Minister of Environment calls for Transformation of Food System Michael Olugbode in Abuja Minister of Environment, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar has called for the transformation of the food system to aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers. Speaking at the 14th National Council of Environment virtually held with the theme: “Managing Emerging Environmental Challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in Covid-19 Era and Beyond,” the Minister said: “There is urgent need to transform our food system which has been the major factor in the issue of loss of biodiversity, fresh water and deforestation with its attendant effects on climate change. It is therefore, expected that pertinent issues of climate smart agriculture and agro ecological practices that will aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers, among others,are discussed during this meeting.” He noted that giant strides were achieved in the sector since the last Council meeting. He said. “I am pleased to report that steady and modest progress is being made in accomplishing relevant goals related to the

development of the sector, in alignment with the resolutions of the past Council meetings. Accordingly, the deliverables from the priority projects and programmes of the Ministry are being pursued with vigour.” He said there are plans to accelerate implementation of the Ogoni clean-up; accelerate implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme, and promote and set targets for tree planting towards meeting Mr. President’s declared commitment to planting 25 million trees in 2025. The Minister also said there are plan to prioritize and enforce the implementation of the Gas Flare (prevention of waste and pollution) Regulations, 2018; the extended producer responsibility framework and implementation of a comprehensive programme on the domestic use of liquefied petroleum gas. He said the Ministry is working with the National Assembly to promote the passage of relevant legislation on recycling waste and restrictions on the use of plastics and wood-fuel in line with global agreements; and actively collaborate with the private sector to create a

large number of well-paying jobs for Nigerian Youths; and implement a strategy towards the realization of Mr President’s June 12 promise to take 100 Million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years. He said it was important for him to re-emphasize the need for dispassionate discussion on the memoranda presented, in order to maintain clear focus towards combating our numerous ecosystem challenges with a view to maximally optimise the developmental potentials of the sector, particularly now and in the post COVID-19 era. On her part, the Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor said she has no iota of doubt that the Council meeting will foster cross fertilization of ideas on best practices and policies that will enable the nation concertedly address her wide range of environmental issues, through resourceful deliberations, networked knowledge management and information exchange, as well as produce outcomes that other African countries could learn from.

of Nana River, located between Kokodiagbane and Benikrukru. “The two communities are adjacent and opposite each other, while in-between them is the Nana River that is a ship line route, where all vessels pass through to Sapele, Koko and Lagos ports. “If you do an over flight

like I heard Chevron did, you may not be able to see the point of leakage because the spill is deep under the river and you may not see it when you move around but only when the tide slows down. “And because the spill is gas pressured, you stand a chance of being suffocated in the area if you stay there

for more than five to ten minutes. That is the extent to which the spill is dangerous,” he added. Mulade described multinationals oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region as ‘civilized evil’ in the land, that are only committed to environmental sustainability on paper and not practical.

Osborne Foreshore Residents Association Allegedly Attacks Lekki Gardens’ Contractors The executive members of Osborne Foreshore residents’ association in Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly locked out the contractors of a housing development company, Lekki Gardens, over a lingering dispute that the Lagos State Government has been trying to resolve. Lekki Gardens said it sought and got permission from the Lagos State Government to build housing units at Osborne Foreshore but the residents association believe the developer went beyond their brief, and so want them to stop work. A statement issued by Lekki Gardens yesterday described the association’s stance as “baseless and desperate vendetta”, saying they took the issue to a new dimension when they allegedly “resorted to violence by

attacking the contractors and staff of the developer. “This is coming up barely a week after the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ministry of Planning and Urban development where stakeholders were advised to engage and resolve all issues. “The developer had mobilised her contractors to some of its sites following approvals recently received from the state government only for the contractors to be prevented from gaining entrance into the estate by OSFRA. They were only allowed in following the intervention of the authorities to which the developer appealed in her bid to maintain the peace. “Feeling thwarted in their plans to frustrate the developer by constituting a major nuisance at the gate of

the estate thereby disturbing free flow of movement into the estate, the association, led by the chairman mobilised touts and stormed the site of the company where they resorted to rough-handling and beating up of everyone they saw on site, insisting the contractors must leave the site. “It has become very clear that the association will stop at nothing including ignoring constituted authorities and resorting to self-help to get their way.” The developer said it was unfortunate that the association was “standing in the way of progress and development or preventing legitimate business owners from accessing their investments all for the achievement of their personal agenda at the detriment of the common good of Lagosians.”

River is Granted Official Rights, Legal Personhood in Canada Bennett Oghifo The Muteshekau-shipu Alliance has announced the granting of legal personhood to the Magpie River, through the adoption of two parallel resolutions by the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit and the Minganie Regional County Municipality (RCM). The river is thus assigned nine

rights, as well as potential legal guardians responsible primarily for ensuring that these rights are respected. This is the first such case in Canada. The announcement was made in partnership with the International Observatory on the Rights of Nature (IORN), based in Montreal, Canada, which drafted the resolutions in collaboration

with the Alliance. The two resolutions, more than ten pages each and crammed with references, rest on multiple legal bases in national and international law and will help protect the river. The initiative is part of a global movement – particularly active in New Zealand, the United States and Ecuador – to recognize the rights of Nature.

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ APRIL 13, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CBN to Enforce Credit Risk Mgt System in MFBs, Others Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given Microfinance Banks (MFBs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) and Finance Companies (FCs) up to May 14, 2021, to ensure full compliance with its Credit Risk Management System (CRMS). The central bank gave the directive in a circular address to operators in the aforementioned sub-sectors, dated April 8, 2021, which was signed by its Director, Financial Policy and Regulation

Department, Dr. Kevin Amugo. To ensure full compliance, the banking sector regulator advised the Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) operators to conclude the tagging of all live credit files of individuals and non-individual borrowers with Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and Tax Identification Number (TIN) respectively, by May 14. It explained: “As part of efforts to promote safe and sound financial system in Nigeria, the CBN introduced the CRMS to improve risk management in commercial, merchant and non-interest banks as well as to prevent predatory

borrowers from undermining the banking system. “With the successful implementation of the CRMS in deposit money banks, it has now become expedient to commence the enrolment of OFIs on the CRMS platform. Accordingly, all Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), MFBs and FCs are required to report all credit facilities (principal or interest) to the CRMS and to update same on monthly basis. OFIs shall note that BVNs and TIN are the only basis for regulatory renditions.”

BOI Grows Assets to N1.86tn in 2020 The Bank of Industry (BOI) Group concluded 2020 financial year on a strong note with growth of assets from N1.04 trillion to N1.86 trillion between 2019 and 2020. The development financial institution in its financial statement described the feat, “as a resounding success in a period of significant challenges in the operating environment on account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.” According to the BOI, the positive result was a demonstration of its resilience and strength. “It also indicates synergy with the various interventions developed by the Federal Government, the Central Bank as well as other strategic partners towards ameliorating the impact of the pandemic on Nigerian enterprises,” a statement by the bank yesterday added. It explained that, “The 78.9 per

cent increase of the Group’s assets was driven to a large extent by the successful debt syndication of €1 billion and $1 billion that were concluded in March and December 2020 respectively.” The group’s total equity also increased by 14.8 per cent from N293.08 billion in the previous year to N336.48 billion in 2020. As a reflection of the adverse impact of the challenging operating environment on growth of new facilities, loans and advances grew marginally in 2020 by 1.3 per cent to N749.84 billion from the 2019 position. Although it profit before tax fell by 9.6 per cent from N39.34 billion in 2019 to N35.54 billion, the bank explained that it was largely due to the economic slowdown in the year as well as the various interventions and support initiated by the bank for its customers were responsible for this result.

In line with the directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) towards supporting Nigerian enterprises following the adverse impact of COVID-19, the bank reviewed and restructured all its managed projects under the CBN intervention programme with interest rate reduction from nine per cent to five per cent per annum for a period of one year and moratorium extension of three months (with a possible extension up to 12 months). The bank also directly implemented the following palliatives for its customers in the year: Reduced interest rates on all BOI-funded projects from 10 per cent to eight per cent per annum with effect from April 1, 2020, for one year and extended additional moratorium of (3 months) on principal repayment. This palliative led to a reduction of the bank’s Interest Income by N6.3 billion.

Specta Records N100bn Consumer Lending Milestone Nume Ekeghe Online instant lending platform, Specta and PaywithSpecta, a digital credit solution introduced by Sterling Bank has disclosed that it has disbursed over N100 billion in digital loans and about N5 billion digital credits, respectively.v Both solutions make loans and digital credits available in less than five minutes to banked Nigerians, irrespective of their bank, without paperwork and collateral. But above all, they are also the best in the segment for providing the best lending rates and interest free funding up to 90 days for online and offline purchases. Divisional Head, Retail and Consumer Banking at Sterling Bank, Mr. Shina Atilola, in a statement made available to THISDAY explained: “Specta has

disbursed about N100 billion in digital loans in three years. It is an important milestone worth celebrating by a platform that revolutionised and opened digital lending space in Nigeria. “PaywithSpecta, the digital credit solution extension of Specta has also exceeded expectations. In a few months, it has provided over N5 billion in digital credits to Nigerians. “We are proud to be at the forefront of deploying innovative solutions that meet the needs of everyday Nigerians and small businesses. Our profound gratitude to our esteemed retail customers and business owners for their loyalty that has made Specta and PaywithSpecta the country’s undisputed market leaders in digital lending and credit solution segments.” Specta, an instant lending

platform that offers up to five million naira consumer loans in five minutes, was unveiled in 2018 by Sterling Bank Plc. The lending platform uses proprietary data and analytics to process and disburse consumer loans to borrowers who belong to pre-approved communities in less than five minutes without paperwork and collateral. The types of loans offered include personal, payday, wedding finance, rent, education, and medical finance loans, among others, to salary earners and business owners. Following the success of Specta, Sterling Bank recently creed another variant of it known as PaywithSpecta to enable customers to pay for goods in instalments. At the same time, Merchants are credited instantly, thereby helping businesses to increase sales.

InterswitchCommencesSaleofJAMBePINs The Interswitch Group has announced the opening of its platform for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registrations. According to a statement, parents and guardians of prospective candidates intending to register for the 2021 UTME can now obtain their ePINs from enabled Interswitch platforms such as Quickteller Mobile App/Web, Quickteller Paypoint (Agents), via payment with Interswitch WebPAY on JAMB’s website

and through payment using Interswitch Paydirect at any bank branch nationwide. The sale commenced last Thursday. It explained that the Interswitch platforms simplifies the registration process and eliminates the cumbersome JAMB registration process faced by many candidates nationwide. “Registration for the exam UTME will last for six weeks and end on Saturday, May 15,

2021. Candidates are advised to optimise this registration period. “For a seamless registration process, prospective candidates including those registering from foreign countries should follow these easy steps: Candidates should obtain the National Identification Number (NIN), this is mandatory; SMS ‘NIN’, space, & your 11-digit NIN number to 55019 e.g [NIN 00123456789]. Note that there should be a space between the word ‘NIN’ and your 11-digit NIN.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

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Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͷ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $61.14 a barrel on Friday, compared with $61.22 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

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Unilever Grows Revenue to N62 Billion, Reduces Loss to N4 Billion Goddy Egene Unilever Nigeria Plc has recorded improved performance for the year ended December 31, 2020, showing increase in top-line and reduction in loss for the year. Adopting cost-saving strategy and efficient management of resources Unilever Nigeria’s efforts showed resilient considering the challenging operating environment that prevailed in 2020.

The audited results showed that the company recorded a revenue of N61.9 billion, up from N60.78 billion in 2019. Cost of sale declined by 11.6 per cent from N54.089 billion to N47.79 billion in 2020, leading to a gross profit of N12.8 billion, compared with N6.672 billion in 2019. Marketing and administrative expenses declined from N13.218 billion in 2019 to N12.99 billion, while selling and distribution expenses fell from N3.152 billion

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

to N2.82 billion in 2020. Overall, loss after tax for the year reduced by 53 per cent to N4.0 billion from the loss after tax of N7.4 billion in 2019. Commenting on the results, the Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business Director, Mrs. ‘Soromidayo George, stated that even though 2020 was a year of significant disruptions and volatilities impacting the operating environment, Unilever Nigeria continued to build its

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resilience to navigate the impact of headwinds. According to her, the company remains focused on its strategy to deliver sustainable growth both in the medium and long-term riding on the pillars of operational efficiency, cost optimisation, purposeful brands and increasing market share across key categories. “We continue to monitor the business environment and respond appropriately to volatilities in the operating environment as well

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

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as disruptions fromthe Covid-19 pandemic,” George said. The Chairman of Unilever Nigeria, His Royal Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, had told shareholders that although they did are not declareg dividend for 2019, they were optimistic because the business had made progress in some other critical areas of their operations. “This speaks to the fact that we are on the right path to growing our business for profitability and

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better returns on investment for our shareholders. Therefore, the task before the board and management is to drive our strategic objectives that would not only keep the business afloat but also ensure it operates efficiently,” Achebe had said. Meanwhile, trading at the domestic equities market started the week on a bearish note as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index declined by 0.4 per cent to 38,712.55.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ, ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430

Entrepreneurship Skills for Growth-oriented Start-ups Rebecca Ejifoma reports that in a bid to help start-ups navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship in Africa, the Project Management Institute collaborated with The Tony Elumelu Foundation to create a six-part series on “Idea to Reality: Project Management for SMEs”

ueled by the mass adoption of digital technologies, the globalisation of markets, and demographic shifts, the world of work is rapidly changing. The days of learning as one distinct phase of life are long over; today, talent must commit to continuously developing new capabilities and knowledge. In particular, entrepreneurs must continuously up skill to ensure the success of startup ventures. A Harvard University study found that as much as eighty-five per cent of job success comes from having well developed people-centered capabilities – what we have often called “soft skills.” Given how critical they are today, a better term is “power skills” – as technology continues to automate more routine parts of work, a higher premium will be placed on talent who can effectively communicate, collaborate, and lead teams. In view of the critical role that small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) play in any nation’s economic development, it becomes imperative that startups leverage such power skills to optimise business performance. Technical skills, involving the use of knowledge and tools to complete high-level tasks, will always be an essential component of work. But the ways we work are also shifting rapidly, as technologies like artificial intelligence automate routine parts of work and practices like citizen development demystify practices like coding which were previously only accessible to those with highly technical skill sets. In this new paradigm, it’s simply table stakes to master the technical side of work; even more crucial is cultivating enduring human-based capabilities and creativity. Such power skills profoundly shape how an individual interacts with others and achieves their goals. Think of capabilities like leadership and strategic communication that can’t be easily automated by machines. After all, no matter how advanced computers become, they still lack the ability to rally a team around an inspirational shared vision in the face of challenges. Although the mastery of technical and people-based skills alike are necessary to successfully perform and advance in the marketplace, the acquisition of hard skills is too often over-emphasized at the expense of other skills that may be more challenging to quantify and measure, like resilient leadership. Collaboration In a bid to help startups navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship in Africa, The Project Management Institute (PMI) collaborated with The Tony Elumelu Foundation to create a six-part series on “Idea to Reality: Project Management for SMEs”. The fifth installment of the masterclass session titled “Idea to Reality: Power Skills” explored a range of power skills that helped organisational leaders and teams stay focused, engage, drive efficiency, and produce business value. George Asamani, business development lead, Africa at the Project Management Institute (PMI) was a facilitator for this session. He shared from his wealth of knowledge as an industry expert offering project solutions that develop skills, drive efficiency and deliver impact to institutions across sectors on the continent. He reiterated the message that successful project management requires

with the requisite training as this will help increase overall business performance – and ultimately deliver a higher return on investment. Project Management Institute Project Management Institute, Nigeria is a professional project management membership organisation in Nigeria that has over 700 members and was founded in 2005 with members from all facets of projects and from all industries. As one of the world's largest not-forprofit membership associations for the project management profession, PMI Nigeria holds events at major cities in Nigeria and is active in promoting project management to industry and government organisations. Their professional resources and research empower more than 700,000 members, credential holders and volunteers in nearly every country in the world to enhance their careers, improve their organisations' success and further mature the profession. PMI's worldwide advocacy for project management is reinforced by globally recognised standards and certification program, extensive academic and market research programs, chapters and communities of practice, and professional development opportunities.

George Asamani

more than the mastery of technical skills; it also requires a special set of skills to align the deployment of all resources toward the desired goal, achieving set objectives. Porter’s Value Chain To buttress his point on the often overlooked yet strategic impact of power skills, he examined relevant power skills using Porter ’s value chain - a framework that breaks an organisation's activities down into strategically relevant pieces. The primary activities of Michael Porter's value chain are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service. The goal of the five sets of activities is to create value that exceeds the cost of conducting that activity, therefore generating a higher profit. He further stressed that incorporating soft skills such as negotiation, business ethics, strategic thinking, adaptability, resourcefulness, creativity, persuasion, tenacity, emotional intelligence and logical thinking into activities on the value chain provides a source of differentiation and competitive advantage for startups. In a data-driven world, power skills have been somewhat de-emphasised. This is a grave mistake when it comes to project management, where a combination of skills is necessary. Now more than ever, due to unprecedented workplace evolution and complexity,

the future of the workplace requires agile, change-ready teams—led by strong power skills including collaboration, empathy, creativity and innovation. Power skills allow entrepreneurs to apply their technical understanding within the context of a particular situation. Talent Triangle The Project Management Institute has developed the Talent Triangle, a model for the ideal project manager skill set that includes a mixture of the capabilities needed to succeed. The talent triangle focuses on the areas of leadership, technical project management, and strategic and business management. Each part of the triangle is of equal importance. “When you consider the challenges of the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship and the technical skills versus power skills debate, you realize that technical skills are not enough neither are power skills. You need both to thrive on your entrepreneurial journey” said George Asamani, as he further revealed that “people are a startup’s most valuable commodity. You get more value in your business when you diversify your team by adding complementary power skills.” Although many of these power skills derive from innate ability, the organisation culture plays a considerable role in developing it. Startups should develop employee soft skills

When you consider the challenges of the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship and the technical skills versus power skills debate, you realise that technical skills are not enough neither are power skills. You need both to thrive on your entrepreneurial journey

Tony Elumelu Foundation The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa whose objective is to empower women and men across the continent, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and ensuring job creation. They believe the private sector’s role is critical for Africa’s development and that the private sector must create both social and economic wealth. Founded by African investor and philanthropist, Tony O. Elumelu, and representing his personal commitment to creating a new generation of entrepreneurs, through his investment company, Heirs Holdings, the foundation is active in all 54 African countries. Accordingly, their mission is implemented through programmes, research, communities, advocacy and convenings, including the annual TEF Forum, the largest gathering of entrepreneurs in Africa, and TEFConnect, Africa’s digital hub for entrepreneurs. The foundation leverages its strong relationships in the public, private and development sectors to drive its mission of creating prosperity for all. In 2015, the foundation launched the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, a $100 million commitment by Tony Elumelu to empower 10,000 African entrepreneurs over 10 years. Building on the programme’s success and its unique ability to identify, mentor and fund entrepreneurs across Africa, the foundation is increasingly sharing its robust delivery platform and working in partnership with institutions such as United Nations Development Programme, the African Development Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross, GIZ, and United Bank for Africa Plc, to create meaningful and permanent impact across Africa. Thus far, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has trained, mentored, and funded over 9,000 young African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries through its Entrepreneurship Programmes, and provides capacity-building support, advisory and market linkages to over 1million Africans through its digital networking platform, TEFConnect.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ, ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

The Pandemic that Birthed a Fresh Consciousness of Globalisation Sinmi Olayebi

An initiative borne of a partnership between my organisation, My World Of Bags (MWOB), and Mastercard Foundation, SafeUp began to produce and distribute personal protective equipment to hospitals, NGOs, schools, markets, and large swathes of the general public in late 2020. With a 2.5 million item target, this initiative was designed to curb the spread of the virus by encouraging and sensitising Nigerians on the importance of non-medical solutions like PPE. Considering the dire state of our healthcare system, and as the vaccine remains mired in skepticism and in limited availability in many developing countries, the use of PPE is potentially our least costly and most sustainable long-term solution.

he nature of pandemics, as we’ve seen throughout history, is that between its onset and its containment, there is a constant fluctuation - sudden dips and sudden spikes in cases, and government responses and reactions; the only constant is the permanent state of uncertainty in which nations and their citizens live. Certainly, we can all agree, the COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. One year after the pandemic came into full effect, by March 2021, with a second wave and multiple strains of the virus under our belts, the world had recorded a total of over 124 million cases and 2.7 million deaths. The point at which we currently find ourselves, however, is nearing the end of this long and dark tunnel. For starters, vaccines are being rolled out in 41 countries — the United Kingdom was the first country in the world to kick off the administration of vaccines to its citizens in December 2020, followed by countries like South Africa, Germany, Canada, the United States, and more recently, Nigeria. Now, case rates are dropping; lockdowns have been lifted; and the world is returning to a semblance of normalcy - pesky face masks included. Yet, there is a lot of doubt as to whether we truly are coming out of the pandemic, and if so, how this end and its aftermath will likely play out. The answer, I believe, lies in how we got here in the first place. The Onset It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that much of the world was in a state of disconnect when the COVID-19 first emerged in December 2019, in Wuhan, China. That quickly changed: by January, Japan reported its first case, followed closely by the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore. By the end of March 2020, 114 countries had reported a total of 118,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths - the situation had devolved into a full blown pandemic. In Nigeria, despite the initial skepticism around COVID-19, the first case was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020 in Lagos State — patient X, an individual from Italy who had potentially come in contact with no less than 200 individuals. Within the next three months, things escalated rapidly, as we recorded a grim milestone - 10,000 cases, and nearly 300 deaths. In hindsight, as many health professionals have stipulated, it is higher than likely that the spread of the virus to the rest of the world began much earlier than January 2020. And that highlights the first error made by our world leaders - detachment. Globalisation has made it such that countries are much more connected than they ever were in the history of the world. Cross-border business relationships and mass migration have made it such that economic trends, as well as environmental and socio-cultural developments in one country, amongst other factors, now have ripple effects that have the potential to impact citizens in completely different hemispheres. Thus, a fast-spreading virus in a region in China - the world’s most populous nation and one of the world’s leading business hubs - is inevitably bound to have far-reaching effects. The scale of the

Olayebi

pandemic and its rapid spread, was birthed in the limited response to that initial development. The Side Effects In the throes of the pandemic, as countries began to lock down to curb the spread of the virus amongst citizens on their shores, industries suffered enormously. For starters, there was the aviation industry - from the mass grounding of air traffic to border closures and shelter-in-place policies across the globe, airlines have lost a significant amount of income. Moreover, reports show that one-third of the world’s 50,000 air routes were lost to the pandemic, and while new local routes have been introduced, the margins are much lower. The food and entertainment industry has also seen significant drops in profit margins due to restaurant, theatre, and cinema closures; despite the increased patronage of farm-to-table suppliers, and video-on-demand services, many brick-and-mortar establishments haven’t had a single walk-in customer for a full year and have had to rely on government support, particularly in developing countries. The sports industry saw its biggest blow with the cancellation of the Summer 2020 Olympics and the restriction of spectators at matches and games. In Nigeria, the informal economy which is vast and encompasses a host of activities ranging from

agriculture, food production, transportation, and accommodation, amongst others saw a significant reduction in patronage, particularly at the onset of the pandemic. Data from a Centre for Financial Inclusion (CFI) survey of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Lagos revealed declines in the number of operating businesses, profits, and employment - specifically, about nine per cent of businesses have closed since the pandemic started in Nigeria. The mass shutdown of businesses consequently brought down employment by 51 per cent. Furthermore, the Nigerian Stock Market was affected as a result of the decisions of investors to pull out their investments into safe havens like US treasury bonds. By March 2021, the country’s inflation rate had hit 17 per cent from 16.47 per cent in January of the same year; national unemployment rates went up to 8.39 per cent from 8.1 per cent in 2019. Yet, despite - and perhaps, because of - the times we found ourselves in, businesses and individuals alike were forced to identify new ways to exist and to thrive. In an article published by the Lagos Business School (LBS), they described how many tailors that jettisoned their product focus to start producing medical and nonmedical PPE. This is similar to the foundation on which Project SafeUp was built.

Globalisation has made it such that countries are much more connected than they ever were in the history of the world. Cross-border business relationships and mass migration have made it such that economic trends, as well as environmental and socio-cultural developments in one country, amongst other factors, now have ripple effects that have the potential to impact citizens in completely different hemispheres

Looking Ahead The global challenge of a sufficient investment in healthcare industries will need to be tackled intensively and consistently. Many countries struggled under the weight of limited infrastructure to manage the pandemic - even in developing countries. How much more in Nigeria where our primary problem is the availability of doctors? The realisation of the importance of our healthcare sectors - albeit late - is necessary for our ability to navigate future pandemics, which according to scientists, is potentially inevitable. In Nigeria, that task is significantly more mountainous, as we struggle with access to decent healthcare for all segments of society, talk less of those at the bottom of the pyramid. Beyond the financial investment, there is a desperate need for upskilling. The rollout of vaccines at home is certainly a decent start. Training our primary healthcare providers effectively to administer the right education and healthcare management to their communities, alongside the vaccines will inevitably begin to solidify a foundation for basic healthcare access. Truthfully, reports show that over half our nation lives beneath the poverty line, but in truth, when it comes to healthcare, nearly 100% of us are poorly-positioned for the healthcare access we need. Most of all, as with the onset of the virus, the risk - and the pandemic - remains for as long as the virus remains present in any single country on our planet. Thus, the question of how we proceed into the aftermath must be answered and addressed as collectively as possible. Vaccine access goes beyond handouts - it involves empowering local manufacturers and scientists, and provides a means to create additional income sources that keep developing countries from a consistent reliance on the West for salvation. The fact is, until a broader means of creating access is adopted, this vaccine ‘scarcity’ will remain prevalent. A prevalence of vaccines in the United States or in Germany or even Nigeria while numerous other African and Latin American countries remains seeking will not be solved by banning travel from country X or Y, because inevitably, the spread will drift into other countries, and we will be right back where we were in February 2020 - completely in the dark, without even knowing it. ...Olayebi, is the Director of Social Programs at My World of Bags/FemiHandbags.

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Ortom Consoles Buhari, Apologises to Deceased Families as 12 Slain Soldiers Buried Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom yesterday consoled President Muhammadu Buhari and apologised to the families of the 12 soldiers killed by local bandits at Bonta village in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State last week. The remains of the 12 fallen

heroes were yesterday laid to rest at the Military Cemetery, Wurukum in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. Eleven soldiers and one officer, Captain Adeolu Adebayo were killed while on a peace mission to the troubled Bonta Village in Benue State on Easter Monday.

Yinka Odumakin for Burial April 24 The remains of the late Afenifere spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, would be buried on Saturday, April 24. His wife, Dr Okei-Odumakin, made the announcement of the order of funeral rites yesterday in Lagos. According to her, the rites will span three days, starting from Thursday, April 22; Friday, 23 and Saturday, April 24. “There would be day of tributes and Service of Songs at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, while his body lies in state on Thursday, April, 22. “On Friday 23, his body departs Lagos for Moro, his country home, in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State.

“There will be a Christian wake keep by 5:00 pm at the Origbo Anglican Grammar School, Moro, which will be followed by a candle light procession,” the widow said. Okei- Odumakin disclosed there would be Lying-in State at Origbo Anglican Grammar School, Moro by 8: 00 am on April 24 “This will be followed by a funeral service by 10 am after which his remains will be committed to Mother Earth at a private interment,” she said. The late Afenifere spokesperson, 54, died on Friday, April 2, after battling with respiratory problems occasioned by COVID-19 complications.

In his oration, Ortom condoled with Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff over the death of twelve military personnel. Ortom also apologised to the families of the slain soldiers. The governor vowed that his government would collaborate with security agencies to ensure that all the perpetrators of the act were apprehended and brought to book. The governor regretted the soldiers had to die in the hands of the militias while trying to maintain peace in the troubled

areas in the state. “I condole with Mr. President who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Chief of Army Staff and indeed the leadership of our security forces in the country. “On behalf of government and people of Benue State, we condemn the killing of our innocent soldiers who were out there to keep peace in our state. “It is unfortunate that this incident took place. I want the Nigerian army, the families of the deceased and indeed all Nigerians

to know that the attack on security personnel is an attack on all. “This attack was unwarranted, it was not needed because all these patriotic soldiers were there to keep peace and that was why they were ambushed. Otherwise, we all know what soldiers can do and the capacity they have to defend themselves “So we condemn this and we want to assure everyone that my government will join hands with the security forces to ensure that all those who perpetrated this sad act are brought to book.

“I equally want to apologize to the bereaved families. In the course of my trying to manage this challenge, if I said anything that was offensive to the families of the deceased, I want to say that I am sorry. “As a leader, I needed to say something, the people needed to hear from me, and as at the time that I made the comment that it was two soldiers that were missing, it was based on the information that was made available to me.

Police Arrest Three Suspected Kidnappers on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Ogun State Police Command has arrested three members of a kidnap syndicate, who have been terrorising commuters along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The suspects Nathaniel Jacob, 24, from Nasarawa State; Isah Danladi, 22, from Kogi State; and Abubakar Rabiu, 23, from Niger State; were arrested on Thursday, at Fidiwo area along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state , Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this yesterday in a statement. Oyeyemi said the arrest of the

suspects followed a tip-off from some hunters, who sighted the suspects in the bush where they were planning on how to strike along the expressway. He said, “The hunters quickly alerted the police, who rallied other stakeholders such as So-Safe Corps, hunters group and stormed the Fidiwo Alapako bush. “On sighting the police, the suspects took to their heels in the bush, but, luck ran out of the three and they were subsequently apprehended, while three others escaped with their arms “On interrogation, the suspects

confessed to have been in the bush for the past ten days, waiting for a convenient opportunity to strike. “It took them that long because of heavy presence of policemen in the stretch of the expressway. They stated further that, they are six in number that make up the gang and that the escaped three are in possession of their arms. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang was responsible for the series of kidnapping along the expressway. “Recovered from them are cutlasses which they claimed

were seized from farmers they saw in their farms.” The PPRO added that the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to anti-kidnapping unit of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation. He added that the CP also assured members of the public that, all the kidnap cases in the state will not go unresolved, as the command is working assiduously to bring the perpetrators to book

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

29 Licensed Nigerian PayTV Platforms Not Profitable, Says FG Olawale Ajimotokan The federal government has disclosed that only one out of the 30 Nigerian companies licensed by the National Broadcasting

Commission (NBC) to operate pay-TV was financially viable despite the amendment of the broadcast code to curb monopoly and exclusivity of programme content.

FG Seeks Global Action against Drug Trafﬁcking, Terrorism The federal government has called for a well-coordinated international cooperation to tackle the links between drug trafficking and all forms of organised crime like terrorism. Spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Babafemi, said in a statement yesterday that this was one of Nigeria’s demands at the ongoing 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), holding in Vienna, Austria, presented before the global audience also yesterday by the Chairman/ Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd). “Nigeria calls for robust international cooperation to address the links between drug trafficking and terrorism, illicit financial flows, smuggling

of migrants and other forms of organised crime,” Marwa stated, while adding that “we underscore the importance of technical assistance by UNODC, which has greatly assisted practitioners of beneficiary countries and positively impacted global efforts to counter and address the world drug problem, and urge for their continuation.” While explaining that Nigeria has continued to adopt her drug control policies and strategies to respond to emerging and evolving realities, the NDLEA boss said “despite the implementation of our framework and strategic action plan, trafficking and abuse of controlled substances persist. First, the cultivation and high traffic of Cannabis and its abuse has been on the increase.”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed revealed this yesterday during the ministerial Digital Switch Over (DSO) task force’s engagement with stakeholders in Lagos. He attributed the unprofitability of the Nigerian Pay-TV companies to the entrenched monopoly of the broadcast industry by foreign companies.

He also described the weakening of the indigenous companies from competing and the exclusion of many Nigerians from enjoying or having access to premium content, especially in the area of sports and movies as unacceptable. Mohammed noted that with the amendment to the Broadcasting Code, it was binding on anyone

owning any sports rights to make such available to other parties in the country, who may be interested in acquiring these rights. He added that this also extended the opportunity for TV sports content to indigenous players. He stressed that under the new the amendment, for a programme to qualify as local content, it must be authored,

directed and produced by a Nigerian, adding that at least 75 per cent of the leading actors and major supporting cast must be Nigerians while a minimum of 75 per cent of its programme expenses and 75 per cent of post-production expenses paid for services be provided by Nigerians or Nigerian companies.

SHOWCASING POTENTIALS…

L-R: Chairman of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Dr. Babangida Nguroje; Executive Secretary, Ms. Yewande Sadiku; Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Mariam Katagum; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo; and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu, during the launching of ‘Book of States,’ showcasing the investment prospects across the country, in Abuja…yesterday

Defect and Lose Your Seat, Yari Warns PDP Commences Screening Matawalle of Aspirants for Anambra Guber Election Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday commenced the screening of its aspirants for the Anambra State governorship election ahead of its primaries scheduled for June 26, 2021. The screening, which is scheduled for yesterday and today, took place at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. Some of the guidelines for the screening exercise include up-to-date payment of three years tax, academic background with certified copy of academic credentials, work experience, and relationship with party in the state and stakeholders.

The Screening Committee, chaired by former Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, pledged that the committee would follow the party’s guidelines and regulations for the screening exercise. “We are going to be diligent, honest, thorough and transparent; so we seek the aspirants’ cooperation in that regard,” Wada said. The party National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), said the exercise was to screen all the aspirants ahead of the primaries, to elect a candidate that would lead the PDP to victory in the November 6 election.

Bandits Demand N10m Ransom to Release Niger Pastor ELaleye Dipo in Minna The kidnappers of the Pastor in-charge of a Baptist Church in Yakila town, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, Bitrus Gyang, have demanded a N10 million ransom to release the clergyman. This is coming as bandits in the early hours of yesterday raided communities near Yakila town, during which three villagers were kidnapped. Gyang, who was abducted about three weeks ago, THISDAY learnt, had been taken into Zamfara forests by the bandits following the involvement of local vigilante in his initial release plan. When the cleric was kidnapped,

a reliable source in the church said his abductors demanded two brand new Bajaj motorcycles each costing N500,000; 100 litres of petrol and recharge card of any network valued at N100,000, but after negotiation, the bandits agreed to half the demand. THISDAY was told that when the ransom was taken into the forest, they were unaware that some local vigilantes were following behind, and immediately the ransom was collected, the vigilance group members opened fire on the bandits killing two of them instantly. However, other bandits were able to escape with the ransom but didn’t release Gyang, it was learnt.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja Despite assurances given by the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, that he would not defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), former state Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, has cautioned the incumbent governor that he would lose his seat if he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) going by the Supreme Court verdict that brought him to office in 2019. Yari disclosed this at the

secretariat of the APC in Gusau, the state capital, last Sunday during the distribution of N1.3billon worth of assorted grains he purchased for the party’s supporters for Ramadan. The former governor, who was represented by Senator Kabiru Marafa, however, said nobody had informed them either in writing or verbally that Matawalle was planning defection to the APC. In video clips made available to THISDAY, Yari, however, warned that the Supreme Court nullified

the election of the APC candidates in 2019 and declared the PDP candidates as winners. The former governor explained: “As such, until after that period, any PDP elected officer who defects to another party must also vacate his seat going by the court judgment.” According to Yari, Matawalle was being misled by some people to join the APC, “forgetting the circumstances that made him the governor of the state.” Recent reports had alleged that

Matawalle had concluded plans to dump the PDP after some APC governors visited him. However, the governor’s participation at the PDP governors’ meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, last Friday appeared to have disappointed those who peddled the rumour that he was about to defect to the APC. Matawalle was in high spirits when he met with his colleagues, and commended the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for being a wonderful host.

Senate Summons NICON, AIICO, Others over N17bn Pension Fund Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Senate Committee on Public Accounts yesterday summoned NICON Insurance Plc, AIICO Insurance and other insurance companies over their reported failure to remit N17.4 billion Pension Fund to Pension Transactional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD). The Senate based its summon

on the 2016 report of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF), which unraveled the non-remittamce of N17.4 billion Pension Fund to PTAD. The Auditor General’s report had said, “Returns on pension funds totaling N17.4 billion forwarded by the underwriters were not accompanied by the following documents: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Bank Certificate of balances as at the close of

accounts. Accounting Statement showing the following: (a) (b) (c) Actuarial Value of Assets: Valuation of Assets at the lowest cost. Actuarial surplus: Excess of ssets over Liabilities Actuarial Liabilities /deficiency: Excess of Liabilities over Assets A minimum of 3 years Annual Financial statements. Major Policy files and associated investment ledgers, if any. “The submission of the

above-mentioned records/ documents will facilitate the perusal of their claims and reveal the fairness and transparent position as at close of business before PTAD took over.” In her response, the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, informed the committee that PTAD took over the Assets and Liabilities of Defunct Pension offices without a formal handing over.

Makinde is Our Leader, Fayose Declares Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, yesterday affirmed that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, remains the leader of the party. Speaking at the Southwest zonal Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress held in Osogbo, Osun State, Fayose, who addressed the delegates, said: “Seyi Makinde is our leader. “Our supporters and lovers should not continue to put

wedge in between us. Either ways this election goes, I will accept it.” Fayose noted that even though “Taofeek Arapaja has abused me so much, I will be the first person to visit him in Ibadan.” According to him, “Nobody has offended me and if I have offended anybody, I sincerely apologise. Seyi Makinde remains our father come what may. However, when Fayose stormed the venue of the event, he went straight to where

Makinde was seated and greeted him. Both of them had a warm hug. In his remarks at the congress, Makinde stressed that: “This is a family affair. It is an attempt to reposition our party in the South-west region. “It has ramifications for our party nationally. Whatever the outcome is, we will take it in the spirit of a family contest. We don’t want to defeat ourselves; we want to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“At the end of this exercise, there will be no victor, no vanquish. As the only governor of the party in the zone, whoever emerges, I will work with them to reposition the party. I thank you for the peaceful conduct.” Also, in an interview, he said: “We started from a storm yesterday when the city was invaded by thugs but along the line, the security operatives have done their bit to keep this place calm.”

TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

Buhari: Nigeria Very Close to Production of Local COVID-19 Vaccine Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that Nigeria ws very close to producing local vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19

pandemic. This is just as he also disclosed that the outbreak of the pandemic last year exposed the potentials and creativity of the Nigerian scientists.

Gbajabiamila Blames States for Delayed Autonomy of LGs The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday disclosed that the state Houses of Assembly should be held responsible for the delayed autonomy for local government areas in Nigeria. Gbajabiamila recalled how the 8th National Assembly passed a bill to grant autonomy to the LGs but the proposal did not get the nod of two-thirds of the states to scale through. The Speaker made this known in Abuja yesterday when answering questions from journalists, at a leadership training sponsored by the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, for LG chairmen and councillors

from Delta State. Gbajabiamila was asked what the federal parliament was doing to prevent the third tier of government from going into extinction. He said, “It is not for us as legislators (of the National Assembly) to do that. I am sure you are surprised, but it is actually for the people to address, the reason being that we have a constitutional amendment, we will throw it to the people and they will make their decision. “We did it the last time but we went back to the states and we couldn’t get two-thirds. There is a process; we followed due process. We amended it (the Constitution) the last time but two-thirds of the states did not agree with us.

Speaking yesterday at a forum organised by the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, the President who was virtually represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while giving an update on production of a local vaccine, noted that the African Centre of Excellence for the Genomics of Infectious Disease located at Redeemer’s University Ede, had “developed an efficacious rapid test for COVID-19 and have been working on a vaccine in collaboration with DIOSynVax

(Digital Immune Optimised Synthetic Vaccines), Cambridge UK, using the DIOSynVax genomic based technology.” He said: “There are also efforts going on therapeutics of various kinds.The development of vaccines, tests and therapeutics these days are aided by automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence. So, this is a strong point of synergy between science and engineering.” The President described the Nigerian scientists as worthy

assets to be nurtured, saying the COVID-19 pandemic had revealed the potentials, talents and the creativity of the nation’s scientists, while commending the Nigerian engineers for the diversity of their experience and competence. According to him, “I think the pandemic has truly opened up the immense talents and creativity of Nigerian scientists and engineers and if the current momentum is supported, the next few years could be incredibly exciting.”

He commended the Academy and its membership saying, “we are proud of Nigerian Academy of Engineers; your membership is made up of accomplished Nigerian engineers across all disciplines industry sectors of engineering in Nigeria and in the diaspora. This provides it with the depth and diversity of experience and competence to provide advice on virtually all areas of engineering in the country.”

Kaduna Justiﬁes Alleged ALL EYES ON HIGHER RETURNS… Mass Sack of Workers L-R: Chairman, Ardova Plc, AbdulWasiu Sowami; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Olumide Adeosun; and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Moshood John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has stated that the dwindling finances and high wage bill of the state were responsible for the sacking of workers on its payroll. In a statement issued yesterday, the government declared that it had no other choice than to reduce the workforce due to high wage bill without corresponding revenues from the Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC). The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had last week Wednesday press conference kicked against the ‘mass sack’ of workers, calling on the state government to

“reverse this unpopular decision and seek alternative means of running the government without inflicting additional pains on the public.” The statement signed by Muyiwa Adekeye, the spokesman to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, said: “Government finances have been severely stretched by higher wage bills at a time when revenues from the Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) have not increased.” Adekeye explained that what the government has been receiving from FAAC since the middle of 2020, like most other sub-nationals, can barely pay salaries and overheads.

Businessman Recovers Lekki Property from ‘Trespasser’ A businessman, Mr. Adedayo Mumuni Shittu, has recovered from an “unknown individual”, his plot of land at Block B Plot 2 Victory Park Estate Igbokushu, Lekki Phase I, Lagos, following a court order. The land, delineated by Survey No. DK/0332/014/20011/LA, was registered at the Land Registry of Lagos State as No. 61, Page 61 Volume 2467. Shittu’s lawyer, Ojumetor Agha of Pistis Partners LLP, said the recovery, which occurred at the weekend, was in execution of a Lagos High Court injunction restraining a ReceiverManager appointed by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) from encroaching on the land. Justice Kudirat Jose had on October 24, 2019, dismissed AMCON’s notice of preliminary objection and granted an interlocutory injunction in favour of Shittu and More & S A More Limited authorising them to protect their interest in the property at Victory Park Estate. Dissatisfied, AMCON challenged

the ruling with Shittu, More & SA More Ltd, Knight Rook Ltd and Mr. Lanre Olaoluwa as first to fourth respondents in the suit marked CA/L/1266/2019. But, on December 15, 2020, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal with Appeal Court President, Justice Monica DongbanMensem presiding, dismissed AMCON’s appeal and affirmed Justice Jose’s grant of interlocutory injunction in Shittu’s favour. Agha said following the discovery that an unknown individual was attempting to seize Shittu’s property, he petitioned the Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police, Force CID, Area 10 Garki, Abuja on March 28, 2021, inviting the police to investigate the ‘Flagrant disobedience of court orders, threat of violence, unlawful interference’. According to the petition, sometime in September 2017, AMCON officials claimed ownership of plots in the estate and asked the occupants to repurchase their plots. But Shittu’s plot was spared.

Olajide during the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the Company in Lagos…yesterday

ABIODUN AJALA

Bayelsa Resolves Land Dispute Involving Nigerian Navy Following the intervention of the Bayelsa State government, the dispute between some landlords and the Nigerian Navy at Agudama-Epie community has been peacefully resolved. Speaking in his office in Government House, Yenagoa, when he received the report of the committee set up to look into the issues on Monday, Governor Douye Diri stated that available facts showed that the Navy were

the rightful owners of the land, which was in dispute. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as commending the committee headed by Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Konbowei Benson, for doing what he described as a good job, which according to him prevented a bloodbath. The governor also commended the Navy for its patience during

the period of the committee’s work and stressed the need for individuals and groups, particularly security agencies, to work with the government to sustain the prevailing peace in the state. He said the government was committed to the peaceful co-existence of residents of the state just as he lauded the former landlords for not taking the laws into their hands but

instead reported the issue to government for necessary action. “We would have had a bloodbath but the work of the committee averted that. We are here not just receiving the report. Actually the report is that there was no dispute between the Navy and those who bought the land without first of all ascertaining if it was encumbered.

France to Open €3.5bn Initiative for SMEs in Nigeria Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja The French Minister of Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Franck Riester, had arrived in Nigeria to open the ‘Choose Africa’ conference, a €3.5 billion initiative by the France President, Emmanuel Macron, which is dedicated to supporting the development of start-ups and SMEs in Africa. Riester said the initiative would enable the continent to benefit fully from the opportunities of the digital revolution.

A statement issued by the Press Officer of the French Embassy Nigeria, Onyinye Madu, said the visit was a follow up on the priorities set by Macron during his official visit to Nigeria in July 2018 as well as his desire to build a new partnership between Africa and France. According to the statement, “As the largest economy in Africa and the economic engine of West Africa, Nigeria is indeed a major partner for France-the first in sub-Saharan Africa with bilateral trade amounting to a

total of $4.5 billion in 2019 and $2.3 billion in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘’The minister will have several official meetings in Abuja and Lagos to underline the importance of the bilateral economic relationship and to prepare the summit on the financing of African economies in Paris on May 18, 2021.’’ The objective of the minister’s mission, who will be in Nigeria between April 12 and 14, the statement said, was also to further strengthen the links between the French and Nigerian private

sectors. “In this regard, the minister will have in-depth discussions with the main Nigerian economic actors to strengthen bilateral cooperation and investments, both in Nigeria and in France, particularly in the logistics sector,’’ it added. He is expected to also meet with young Nigerian entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sector to discuss the major role of their country in African creativity and the development of the African entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the support of France.

Samsung,Vision Care Begin Fresh CSR Activities, Earmark 12,000 Masks for Nigeria Peter Uzoho Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited (SHIN) and Vision Care, an international relief organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness, have launched fresh Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to help Nigeria mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Vision Care is a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB),

and participant of ‘VISION 2020’, a global initiative of the IAPB and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Vision Care has since conducted more than 25 Vision Eye Camps yearly and has grown into an international non-profit organisation serving 38 countries throughout Asia, Africa and Central-South America. Since 2015, SHIN has worked with Vision Care in the yearly Eye Camp as part of its Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) to provide free cataract surgeries to Nigerians who cannot afford the payment. SHIN has been sponsoring the eye surgeries of Nigerians on a yearly basis. In 2019, SHIN sponsored the eye surgeries of at least 115 Nigerian patients and 224 outward patients as part of its CSR in Nigeria. Since it started the programme, SHIN has sponsored the eye surgeries of 572 Nigerian patients, 1,593 outward patients and has also

donated glasses to 99 patients. Due to outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the yearly Eye Camp for 2021 had been called off to adhere to Federal Government’s measures in response to the virus. Consequently, SHIN and Vision Care came up with a fresh CSR initiative this year to donate 496 bags of rice (25kg) and 12,000 reusable face masks to three states in the country to fulfill their commitment of contributing to the society.

˜ ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Adekuoroye Promises Wrestling Gold Medal from Tokyo Olympics One of Nigeria’s biggest medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, Odunayo Adekuoroye has set sight firmly on winning gold medal for Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer in Tokyo, Japan. Adekuoroye who was ranked the world number one freestyle wrestler in the 57kg after winning

Odunayo Adekuoroye...eyes on wrestling gold at Tokyo Olympics

her sixth consecutive African Championships crown in February last year also won her event at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival and admitted that her preparations are on course towards making history in Tokyo. “The Sports Festival is part of my preparations for the Olympics and I will like to thank the Honourable Minister for Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, for ensuring we have the festival despite several postponements occasioned by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Adekuoroye. She also heaped plaudits on Chief Dare for providing the enabling environment for her and others to have good preparations for the Olympics. “I am going to Tokyo with the sole aim of winning the gold,” she restated after winning her event with relative ease.

Adekuoroye also praised President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Dr Daniel Igali for his immense contributions to the development of wrestling in Nigeria. “Our President has been a God-sent and his presence and contribution have been very impactful. Wrestling has become a major sport Nigerians

are looking at for medals at the Olympics and we shall, by the grace of God make history by winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.” Igali won gold for Canada at both the World Championship in Ankara,Turkey in 1999 and at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Since his return to Nigeria, the Bayelsa-born former mats-man

has committed resources to lifting the athletes and the sport to world standard such that a few of the athletes wrestlers are now looked as potential medallists at the forthcoming Olympics in Tokyo. Nigeria has won 25 medals at the Olympics with athletics providing 13 of the medals including two of the three gold medals while Football has

provided three medals, a gold, a silver and a bronze. Six medals were won in boxing, two from Weightlifting and one from Taekwondo to complete the list of sports where Nigeria has made the podium. Wrestling, Adekuoroye is confident will be added to that list come Tokyo 2020 starting this July through August.

Edo Plans Colourful Closing Ceremony for 20th NSF Host state wins double gold medals in men and women’s football events Duro Ikhazuagbe As curtain falls on the 20th National Sports Festival, Edo 2020, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has concluded plans to stage a colourful and memorable closing ceremony for the event which started on April 4 in Benin City. The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, who is also the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, told journalists covering the festival that the cultural heritage of the state would again be highlighted at the closing ceremony. He noted that some logistics affected the opening and the closing would be much better. Shaibu said: “We had a nice time at the opening ceremony despite some logistics including the downpour but for the closing we will bring in more entertainment to make everyone happy. “Edo has a rich cultural heritage and we will again

display that to the world on Wednesday.” The Closing ceremony of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival takes place on Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. Meanwhile, the host state Edo won the two available gold medals in the men and women’s football events yesterday at the University of Benin Sports Complex in Ugbowo. In the earlier Women’s final between Edo and Lagos, the host won 1-0 to pick the gold while Lagos and FCT settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively. Edo later returned to pick the men’s football event gold medal after coming from two goals down to claim a 3-2 nail-biting victory over the Centre of Excellence state. Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu played the last four minutes of the game to become the first sitting Number Two citizen of any state to win a National Sports Festival gold m e d a l .

Team Delta’s Grace Nwokocha yesterday added the 200m title to the sprint gold she won earlier at the weekend PHOTO: Courtesy Making of Champions

Team Delta’s Nwokocha Adds 200m Title to Sprint Gold, Qualifies for Olympics Delta State’s Grace Nwokocha showed no sign of relenting as she romped to the 200m women’s title at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Benin City. She had earlier won the women’s 100m gold at the weekend. Nwokocha who last month qualified for the 100m event

Team Oyo camp was thrown into jubilation last night following the overwhelming performances of all their players in the chess team events of the National Sports Festival. The event held at the Banquet hall of the University of Benin. Team Coach and International Master, Bunmi Olape, stood tall among his peers as his teams won in both categories of play with 25 states on parade in the men section and 19 in the women’s category. “We had a solid preparation before the festival and I’m happy that everything worked

according to plan. We had a mixture of experience and youth players. The plan was to ensure that we continued from here and not rest on our oars because Governor Seyi Makinde will definitely be proud of what we have achieved here,” the World Chess Olympiad veteran responded in a post-match interview yesterday. To reach the summit, the men’s team defeated Akwa Ibom 2.5-1.5 to secure 17.5 accumulation points while their women’s counterparts secured 4-0 win against Bayelsa in the final round to have 18 points to their credits

Praise Ofoku also getting on the PB train to take the bronze in 23.74secs. Delta showed her dominance in the track and field as defending champions of the women long jump, Ese Brume, retained the title she won in Abuja in 2018. Meanwhile, it was a balance

honour for Team Delta and Team Edo in the relay races as they both won the gold in women and men’s races respectively. Brume led the Delta women’s quartet to the title in 44.37secs while Team Lagos won the silver in 45.01secs as Bayelsa secured the bronze in 45.70secs.

Omo-Agege Hails Efe Ajagba for Knocking out American Howard Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie OmoAgege, has congratulated Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Efe Ajagba, for defeating American Brian Howard, stressing that he is a rising star. The 2016 Nigerian Olympian and rising heavyweight contender at the weekend made another strong statement with the 12th knockout win of his

Oyo Dominates Chess, Wins Men and Women’s Team Events Femi Solaja

of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games clocked a 22.79secs Personal Best as she secured the 200m Olympics ticket also. Bayelsa’s Tima Godbless, who has been growing in confidence since her bronze medal in the 100m, ran a new Personal Best (PB) of 23.65secs to place second, with Delta’s

and top the section. Kennedy Onopete on board one defeated White Unwana just as Abimbola Osunfuyi drew with Eugene Uwana on board two but Abdulrahaman Akintoye extended the lead on board three against Justice Evans but Efukanem cut short Oyo’s win with victory against Akinseye Abiola on board four. In the female section, the quartet of Deborah Akintoye, Perpetual Ogbiyoyo, Emmanuela Enomoh and Samson Peace respectively won their games against Gbose Mirah, Amarachi Agiri, Glory Charles and Deborah Quicpen of Bayelsa.

career by delivering an emphatic third-round knockout of Brian Howard in front of a sold out crowd at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Omo-Agege, in a congratulatory message by his Media Adviser, Yomi Odunuga, described the Ughelli-born boxer as a rising star not only of the Urhobo nation in particular but also of Delta State, Nigeria and Africa as a whole. He stressed the need for the

youth to emulate Ajagba’s can-do spirit by pushing themselves to the limit adding that there will be no basis for stopping them. The ranking Senator said: “Efe Ajagba is a proud son of Urhobo. We are known for our resilience, bravery and high level of competitiveness in all walks of life. He holds the record for the fastest victory in boxing history after his opponent was disqualified for leaving the ring one second after the opening

bell. As an Amateur, he won gold medal at the 2015 African Games and bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. “We are proud to be associated with his success over the years as we look forward to more victories from him in the near future. We use this medium to call on our youth to learn and emulate the Ajagba spirit of never giving up even in the face of challenges,” concludes the deputy senate president.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Without Lewandowski, Kimmich Believes Bayern Can Beat PSG Tonight

Tuchel dreams instant success as Chelsea take on Porto for semis berth

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich is convinced the holders can beat Paris SaintGermain at the Parc des Princes tonight in their Champions League quarter-final second leg to reach the last four. “I believe that we will progress, because we’re the better team,” Kimmich told the club’s website yesterday evening. Bayern need to overturn a 3-2 defeat from last week’s first leg in Munich. “We were the better team in

the first leg, but unfortunately the result didn’t correspond to the performance,” added Kimmich. “Nevertheless, I’m confident that we can still turn it around in the second leg.” Despite peppering the PSG goal with 31 shots, 12 on target, Bayern lost the first leg at home after Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Marquinhos also hit the net as PSG had just four shots on target. “In the first leg, they threatened three times and scored three times,” said Kimmich.

“Apart from that, I don’t remember Paris having that many chances. “Overall, our attack had more possession and more chances. Now we have to take these chances.” Bayern are without injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry after he tested positive for Covid-19. However, Bayern coach Hansi Flick says Leon Goretzka, Lucas Hernandez, Jerome Boateng and Kingsley Coman have shaken off knocks and should be fit.

Tuesday April 13, 2021

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N250

MISSILE Jonathan to Judiciary

“In Nigeria today, the judiciary selects political leaders and this is not the best. The ballot papers should be the basis of selecting political leaders. If it is the judiciary that will select, it means that we are not yet there” – Former President Jonathan urging that political leaders should be decided through the ballot box not court.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI New IGP, Ebube Agu and Other Stories T abati1990@gmail.com

he removal of former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu by President Muhammadu Buhari 27 days to the end of the three months extension that the President granted him on February 4, is now seen by those who opposed that extension as a vindication of their position. The official excuse at the time was that the President needed a period of three months to look for a proper replacement. or as Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi put it, to “ensure a smooth handover”. This was pooh-poohed as a sign of absent-mindedness and sloppiness on the part of government. Adamu’s date of retirement was well known, and in line with standard practice, he must have served notice of his retirement. The Police Act states clearly that the age of retirement for a serving officer is the age of 60 or 35 years in service or whichever comes first. This is on all fours with Civil Service Rules and Regulations. How on earth then would any one claim that more time would be needed to find a replacement? Adamu enlisted in the Nigerian Police Force on February 1, 1986. Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Femi Falana, Mike Ozekhome and Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa and others waded into the matter and argued loudly that the law does not contemplate a situation whereby a retired police officer will be appointed the Inspector General of Police and that effectively, Adamu’s continued stay in office meant that Nigeria did not have an Inspector General of Police. The Federal Government had its way. Adamu remained in office. But the Nigeria Bar Association went to court. The lawyer representing the NBA, argued that Adamu’s continued stay in office was in contravention of Section 7 (3 and 6), and 215 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 18(8) of the Police Act and hence to that extent, the extension of his tenure was unlawful, null and void. The lawyers representing the NBA asked the court to direct Adamu to stop functioning as the IGP of Nigeria. Before the NBA suit, there was also a suit, with similar prayers, filed by Maxwell Opara Esq. Nigerians were however shocked when the now erstwhile IGP engaged the services of his own lawyers who purportedly argued that it is the President’s prerogative to hire and fire within the purview of Section 171 (1-6) of the 1999 Constitution, and hence nothing unlawful had been done and that in fact IGP Adamu’s tenure would not end until he has served for complete four years because the Police Act 2020 defines the tenure of an IGP to be four years. Adamu became IGP on 15 January 2019. The new Police Act 2020 was signed into law by President Buhari on September 16, 2020. The fact that laws do not have retroactive effect is one of those elementary things sophomore law students understand. But here in the Adamu case, senior lawyers had the temerity to stand that principle on its head as an argument. In the NBA case, the Federal High Court has since fixed April 16 for judgement in the suit, after parties to the case adopted their written addresses. But with the removal of IGP Adamu on April 6, that case has now become mute and academic. The same Section 171 (1 – 6) that Adamu’s lawyers quoted in part, has now been used to “fire” him. I hope Adamu would not make the mistake of saying he would challenge his removal in court because these days, you never really know. There are many ambulance-chasing lawyers out there who would take on any brief and offer legal advice that fly in the face of the law and common sense. The Nigeria Bar Association should look into that. And while it is useful to test the law, judges must be firm in rebuking counsel who approach the courts with frivolous and vexatious

IGP, Usman Alkali Baba cases that constitute an attempt to waste the time of the court. As for former Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, would it not have been better if he had taken his exit, most honourably, on February 1, the exact date he was supposed to leave service after 35 years? He could claim he was not in a position to disobey the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and President of Nigeria. but how about the greedy part of him that came forth, with the argument by his lawyers that he could stay in office till 2023? Wherever he is at the moment, he must be disturbed by the embarrassing manner of his exit last week. He was treated so shabbily he deserves our sympathy. But he is not getting any sympathy. The former IGP was on active duty in Owerri, Imo State where a group of yet unidentified gun men practically sacked the entire state and instilled fear into the people. In Owerri, they attacked the prison and set over 1, 800 inmates free. They burnt down vehicles at the Police Headquarters. They made an attempt on Government House. They later attacked police stations in Mbaitoli, Orlu, and Ehime Mbano and other LGAs. The audacity and the impact were devastating. In neighbouring Abia state, the state Governor had to take a precautionary and pro-active step to impose curfew on two major cities of Umuahia and Aba. The South East was literally turned into a battlefield. The then IGP blamed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) for the attacks. IPOB and ESN disagreed with him. They rejected the attempt to link them to the attacks. The former Inspector General of Police had gone to Owerri for an on-the-spot assessment when his removal was announced. Nobody alerted him. He left Owerri without the authority of the office that took him there. What makes it all sad and ugly is that Mohammed Adamu is now more likely to be remembered as the police chief who presided over police brutality, the #EndSARS melodrama, the failure of the police to ensure the safety of lives and properties under his watch, and as the police chief whose tenure was unlawfully extended and who eventually got disgraced out of office. Future Inspector Generals of Police should learn from his humiliation. It would not be wrong to say that he left the Nigeria Police Force worse than he met it. Adamu’s successor: Usman Alkali Baba has since assumed office as the 21st indigenous Inspector General of Police. Unfortunately, this new IGP is starting off on a more controversial note. By appointing him, even if in an acting capacity, a number of questions have been raised – (1) about religion: why another Muslim as IGP of

Nigeria, and (2) ethnicity: why does the President appoint only Northerners as IGP since 2015? and (3) competence: who is Usman Baba, what has he achieved? What is so special about him? and (4) abuse of due process: why does the President appoint Inspector Generals of Police without the involvement of the Police Council as stated in the Third Schedule, Section 215 (2) of the 1999 Constitution? Religion remains a very sensitive subject in Nigeria. Muslims do not trust Christians and vice versa. The dividing line between the two major faiths in Nigeria has never been so sharply drawn as is now the case. Ethnicity is also a problem. President Buhari has been accused of a Northernisation and Islamisation agenda by his fiercest critics. Each time he makes an appointment, they draw attention to the religious and ethnic affiliation of the appointee. His aides have tried to debunk this but they have been most unsuccessful in getting the critics to change their minds. In governance, perception often times is more enduring than actual substance. However, with regard to the appointment of the IGP, it is a matter of fact that since 2015, all the three IGPs appointed by President Buhari have all been Muslim-Northerners: Ibrahim Idris (2016 – 2019); Mohammed Adamu (2019 – 2021) and Usman Baba (2021 - ). It has also been argued that the North has produced more IGPs than the South since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Well, that is not true. The South since 1999 has produced six IGPs (Musiliu Smith, Mustafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro, Ogbonna Onovo and Solomon Arase). Before now the North had five IGPs (Hafiz Ringim, Mohammed Dikko, Suleiman Abba, Ibrahim Idris and Mohammed Adamu). Usman Baba is the sixth from the North. There you have it: it is now 6 -6. However, it seems to me that given all the concerns expressed about the South East and the marginalisation of the region, it would have made more sense to appoint a South Easterner as Nigeria’s new IGP. Or are there no Igbos in the top hierarchy of the Police? Since 1999, only two Igbos have made it to that top position (Okiro and Onovo). An Igbo IGP at this time would have been a wise choice. On the question of competence, Usman Baba has impressive credentials on paper. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration. He was until his appointment, the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Police Headquarters. Before then, he served as Force Secretary. He has also been Commissioner of Police in Delta State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and AIG in Zones 4, 5 and 7. When I reel out these credentials, the question most people ask is: And so? What exactly has he done?, they ask. A significant proportion of the people that Usman Baba is expected to serve express doubts about him. His media team has a lot of work to do. He himself has a lot more to do. The remaining question is due process. The new IGP was appointed without any recourse to the Police Council. The President, after a fashion, took a unilateral decision to appoint Usman Baba as the Inspector General of Police of Nigeria. The problem continues to repeat itself in this regard. It is not enough to rely on Section 171 of the Constitution. No section of the Constitution exists in a silo. The Constitution should be read conjunctively, and here Section 171 stands in relation to Section 215 (1)(a) and Section 216 (1) of the same Constitution. The Police Council is the highest policy making body for the Police. It is a creation of section 153 of the 1999 Constitution. The Police Council has the President as Chairman, with all the 36 State Governors as members. The whole idea is that

an Inspector General of Police appointed by the Police Council based on the recommendation of the Police Service Commission would understand the gravity of his mandate, and get the message that whereas he reports to the President, state governors, who may have no control over police operations are nevertheless, major stakeholders in the task of policing the country. The reduction of the Police Council therefore, to a rubber stamp assembly, if and when it suits the President is in part the source of the “powerlessness” of Governors in their relationship with the Nigerian Police. Besides, there is really no indication that the Police Service Commission had a hand in the appointment of this new IGP. Members of the Police Service Commission apparently just heard the news on radio like everyone else. This abuse of due process, when measured in terms of costs, is a great disservice to the nation. It amounts, as counsel to NBA in the Mohammed Adamu case pointed out, breaking the laws of the land. Usman Alkali Baba has assumed office at a very difficult time. There is widespread insecurity in the land. The police are ill-equipped and understaffed. The people do not trust them. Police men themselves are “at war” with the same people they are paid to protect. It is not for nothing that police reform, police restructuring, or the creation of state police is part of the on-going Nigerian debate. It is most unfortunate, however, that IGP Baba has not shown any early signs that he understands the gravity of the problem he faces. On Friday last week, he reportedly held a meeting with “strategic zonal commanders” of the Police – whatever that means! He told his men that his priority is to “rejig police operations nationwide”. With due respect, this new police IGP should resist the temptation to turn the mouthing of “platitudes” into a habit. Nigerian security chiefs out of a lack of imagination and perhaps the narrow scope of their vocabulary tend to use the same phrases annoyingly: “rejig”, “architecture”; “operational rules”. Buba says he wants to “leave a legacy of policing with human face”. The way they abuse these words, we may need to launch a campaign to stop them from using words that either they do not understand or that mean nothing. In about 48 hours after his assumption of office, IGP Usman Baba was presented with something to worry about when the five South East Governors and a few Igbo leaders at the end of a meeting on security in the South East declared the establishment of a security group to be known as “Ëbube Agu”. Nigerian Governors must be fascinated with animals, and their skills. In the South West there is a security network named “Amotekun”, the Yoruba word for Leopard. In the South East, “Ëbube Agu” means the glory or greatness of a Lion. In 2020, when the same South East Governors had tried to set up a regional security outfit like Amotekun in the South West and Shege Ka Fasa in the North, the erstwhile IGP told them to bury the thought. In December 2020, the Indigenous People of Biafra, the group led by Nnamdi Kanu and other non-state actors established the Eastern Security Network (ESN). What would be IGP Usman Baba’s response to “Ebube Agu”? The timing of the initiative is striking. The South East Governors did not even give Baba enough time to settle down in his new office. Given the worsening security situation in their region, they stand on a high moral ground. But the details are fuzzy. “Ebube Agu” is nonetheless a fine case of the people trying to help themselves, a commentary on the failure of Nigeria’s centralised Police and an indication that state Governors are not as helpless as they claim to be in managing security.

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