SUNDAY 26TH APRIL 2020

COVID-19: African Leaders Insist on Two-year Debt Standstill WHO appoints Okonjo-Iweala special envoy Tobi Soniyi and Obinna Chima African Heads of State and Government as well as business leaders in the continent have expressed strong support for

a two-year debt standstill as a result of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic. The position emerged from a videoconference held

by African Union (AU) Chairperson and President

of South Africa, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, with some of the continent’s political and business leaders.

That was as the World Health Organisation (WHO) named Nigeria’s former

Minister of Finance and former Managing Director (Operations), World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Special Envoy for its newly inaugurated Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT)

Accelerator. Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, disclosed this during the launch of the ACT Accelerator, through an online conference that took place in Geneva.

The African leaders’ meeting

was held on April 22 but the communiqué was released at the weekend. The communiqué stated that African leaders would want creditor nations Continued on page 5

Obaseki Appoints Replacement as Chief of Staff Resigns ... Page 13 Sunday 26 April, 2020 Vol 25. No 9148

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Lockdown: FIRS Wants Your Taxes Paid Before Due Date Says telcos, financial services companies, manufacturers, e-commerce and supermarkets experiencing boom Nigeria's cases climb to 1,182 US closes in on 1 million cases with 54,144 deaths Kano’s unexplained deaths soar to 640 NPA denies staff infected Lagos gives 2-week deadline to claim corpses from mortuary Employers demand 60%salary support from FG to save jobs

Our Correspondents Amid the growing revenue strains, the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, has appealed to corporate bodies especially, telecommunications, financial services companies, manufacturers, e-commerce and supermarkets, believed to be experiencing increased business activities in spite of the current lockdown to pay

their taxes in time.

The total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases rose to 1,182 with 87 new cases recorded as at 11.55pm yesterday while the discharged rose to 222 and 35 deaths. The breakdown of the 87 cases are as folows: 33 in Lagos, 18 in Borno, 12 in Osun, 9 in Katsina, 4 in Kano, 4 in Ekiti, 3 in Edo, 3 in Bauchi while Imo recorded its index case.

Continued on page 5

Stakeholders Allege N5.5bn Fraud in NDDC over Supply of COVID-19 Kits Commission, firm deny allegation Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt A group of stakeholders in the Niger Delta has alleged that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) fraudulently awarded

a N5, 474,647,125 contract to a Port Harcourt-based company, Signora Concepts Services Limited. The contract was for the procurement of personal protective equipment Continued on page 8

OGUN PROTECTIVE GLASS BOX...

The protective glass box recently unveiled by the Ogun State Government is now in use by health workers in the State to collect samples for forward testing at the Ogun State Walk-in & Drive-through Testing Centre at the Ijamido Town Hall, Opposite Ansar-u-Deen Comprehensive College in Ota.

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PAGE FIVE COVID-19: AFRICAN LEADERS INSIST ON TWO-YEAR DEBT STANDSTILL and multilateral institutions to give the continent a two-year debt halt and address the issue of private debt. The Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to maintain a united, cohesive front in order to defeat the menace of COVID- 19.

To ensure a coordinated implementation of the Africa COVID-19 response strategy, the AU chairperson decided to convene a meeting with the Heads of State and Government who chair Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as soon as possible.

AU Heads of State and Government called on business leaders in the continent to establish a private sector platform to develop further proposals to support the continental response strategy for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Heads of State and Government and business leaders expressed their unwavering support for WHO under the stewardship of the Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the fight against COVID-19.

They noted the existential threat faced by the private sector in Africa, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The leaders welcomed commitments totalling $16.5 million in support of the fight against COVID-19, comprising $11 million for the

AU COVID-19 Response Fund, and $5.5 million for the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC), made on March 26.

During the meeting, Ramaphosa said he had undertaken a range of actions, including addressing the virtual Summit of the G20, holding teleconferences, and writing letters of appeal to various world leaders.

He said together with AU Commission Chairperson, Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, he addressed a virtual joint meeting of the World Bank and IMF on April 17. They urged the international financial institutions to do “whatever it takes” to avoid further human and economic costs from the unprecedented impacts caused by the pandemic. They also called for, among other measures, the allocation of more Special Drawing Rights Allocations (SDRs) to Africa to provide much-needed liquidity to central banks, the corporate sector, and SMEs. They called for the waiver of all interest payments from multilateral and bilateral debt, with a view for extension. This would provide the necessary fiscal space for African governments to devote all available resources to response and recovery, they said. Ramaphosa and Mahamat stressed the urgent need for a debt standstill as well as other support measures that should be extended beyond International

Development Association (IDA) countries, including both IDA blend and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) facilities for African countries.

Ramaphosa reiterated the urgent need for the provision of critical medical supplies and equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitisers, and ventilators. In addition to the public health crisis posed by COVID-19, he underscored the devastating socio-economic effect of the pandemic on African countries, and emphasised the need for rapid and concrete support from international partners, to ensure trade and investment flows are not further disrupted by measures not consistent with WTO rules during this extraordinary external global shock.

During the videoconference, Ramaphosa called on the Chairperson of AU Commission to brief the Heads of State on progress made in operationalising the AU COVID-19 Response Fund.Mahamat gave detailed explanations regarding appointment of a Board of Trustees as well as the legal framework outlining the governance and operational structure to ensure the transparency and accountability of the fund. He told the Heads of State and Government and business leaders about his consultations with the

chairperson of the bureau on the recommendation from the Permanent Representatives Council (PRC) on adding two members of the private sector onto the Board of Trustees of the fund. Mahamat also announced the AU/Africa CDC initiative, the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT), which is underpinned by the refrain, Test and Trace, and aims to increase testing capacity on the continent for SARS-CoV-2 by 10 million tests in the next four months.The Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, also addressed the meeting. Nkengasong provided the meeting with an overview of the COVID-19 situation on the continent, disclosing that 24,686 cases of COVID-19 infections have been reported on the continent and 1,191 people have died from it, while 6,425 have recovered.

He noted that since the implementation of lockdowns in African countries, the rate of new infections had slowed dramatically. However, this did not mean that the situation had stabilised, instead it showed that the lockdowns were effective, he stated. Nkengasong emphasised the important role of the private sector, including private laboratories, with regard to testing, logistics and transport of samples and materials, increase in local manufacturing of needed materials, and deployment of health workers for the

implementation of PACT.

Nasiru Maikano Bichi, Secretary, Student Affairs North West University, Prof. Aliyu Umar Dikko of Physiology department BUK and Ado Gwanja's mother among others.

The spate of the deaths has caused fear and confusion among the residents, which prompted questions on why government had focused on fighting coronavirus while people were dying in silence.

Some even suspected that the deaths may have been caused by coronavirus without being detected.

Most of the deaths had been attributed to high blood pressure, malaria, ulcer and even hunger, while dearth of medical doctors to attend to the patients in all the hospitals across the state has became a worrisome situation.

Residents of the state have been left wondering why the increase in deaths immediately after the state government imposed a total lockdown on the state as a result of the rising cases of coronavirus.

Deputy Coordinator, Kano State COVID-19 Response, Dr Sabitu Shuaibu had clarified that the 640 deaths were recorded in the last one week and not in two days as insinuated by some persons on the social media.

“Let’s say about an average of 100 deaths daily from Kano metropolis, but don’t forget that around 50% of the Kano population are within the metropolis. We can agree that there are deaths going on, but we also understand that there are deaths going on from other causes. We are saying that we are putting up a system to investigate if there is a link between COVID-19 and the deaths.

But Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in an interview, said only 13 people had reportedly died as against the rumours of mass death.

Ganduje said, “I would like to assure that it is not true; it is a rumor. We have people at graveside that are giving us information and they recorded dead people and the causes of their deaths.

“There were three deaths from Gwale, seven deaths in Kano Municipal, while three others

from Kumbotso. So, this is the actual figure that our staff at graveyards were able to record.”

But with 77 cases of people who tested positive for COVID-19, the Technical Coordinator of the COVID-19 task force committee, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini said, “though Kano has not recorded any case in three days, as at yesterday Friday, 45 people were added and 23 out of the new cases as at yesterday also.”

But Ganduje has agreed that the situation in the state was getting serious and the government was doing everything within its power to contain it.

He added that already, the state government has rented a hotel, where suspected cases whose blood samples were taken were kept, adding that the Isolation Centre at Sani Abacha Stadium could accommodate 210 people at the moment.

According to him, the Isolation Centre at Kurna Dawakin Kudu, where the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was situated was also active, though there were challenges of ventilators and other major facilities, while the 100 beds Isolation Centre at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist hospital was working.

Ganduje said the government was planning to produce one million facemasks, adding that once this was done, there might be need for making the wearing of facemask compulsory.

Acocording to the governor, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has promised to donate 5000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), ventilators and monitors.

Ganduje, who cried out to the federal government for financial assistance said the state would soon commence the second phase of distribution of palliatives, targeting 50,000 households, estimated to cost over N600 million.

Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo, who is the chairman of Almajiri Evacuation Committee, also told journalists that the government had so far evacuated 1098 Almajiris to Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna.

He said the Committee evacuated 419 Almajiri to Katsina,

Okonjo-Iweala: WHO COVID-19 Special Envoy As WHO Special Envoy for Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, OkonjoIweala, who is the Board Chairperson of GAVI Alliance, is to serve together with British business executive and former chief executive officer (CEO) of GlaxoSmithKline, Andrew Witty, in the same capacity. The former minister and Witty, who was CEO of GlaxoSmithKline between 2008 and 2017, are expected to mobilise international commitment to the ACT Accelerator initiative.

The initiative is an international collaboration aimed at accelerating the development, production, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 drugs, tests kits, and vaccines around the world.

Ghebreyesus explained, “The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis that has been met with an unprecedented global response.

Research and development have played a central role.

“Since January, WHO has been working with thousands of researchers all over the world to accelerate and track vaccine development – from developing animal models to clinical trial designs, and everything in between. We’ve also developed diagnostics that are being used all over the

world. And we’re coordinating a global trial on the safety and efficacy of four therapeutics against COVID-19.

“The world needs these tools, and it needs them fast.

Past experience has taught us that even when tools are available, they have not been equally available to all. We cannot allow that to happen.

Today, WHO is proud to be uniting with many partners to launch the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or the ACT Accelerator. This is a landmark collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for COVID-19.

“Our shared commitment is to ensure all people have access to all the tools to defeat COVID-19. The ACT Accelerator brings together the combined power of several organisations to work with speed and scale. Each of us is doing great work, but we cannot work alone. We’re coming together to work in new ways to identify challenges and solutions together.

“We’re also grateful for the support of many world leaders, who you will hear from today.

And I would especially like to thank Sir Andrew Witty and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for agreeing to act as Special Envoys for the ACT Accelerator.

We are facing a common threat, which we can only defeat with a common approach.”

LOCKDOWN: FIRS WANTS YOUR TAXES PAID BEFORE DUE DATE This is as Kano has continued to experience increase in the number of unexplained deaths, bringing the total estimated death toll to 640.

Also yesterday, the United States of America, the world's epicentre of the COVID-19 closed in on 1 million infected cases while the number of death crossed 54,000. With more than 2,920,738 infected cases worldwide and a total of 203,255 deaths reported according to Worldometer.

Back home, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) yesterday refuted reports that a senior member of staff at the agency had been diagnosed with COVID-19. A statement

by NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Jatto A Adams, described the report as baseless and unfounded.

In another breath, the Lagos State government has given Lagosians with dead relatives in mortuaries two weeks to bury them else it would give them up for mass burials. This followed alleged congestions in mortuaries in the state in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, worried by the effects of the lockdown on economic activities, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has unveiled a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, a plan that requires the federal government to grant the private sector some 60 per cent salary support till June 2020.

NECA, a platform for over 3,500 private sector employers, warned that failing to consider the scheme could compel private firms nationwide to take hard business decisions, which it said, might lead to the loss of several millions of jobs in the sector.

This notwithstanding, the Enugu State government has begun to pay additional 25 per cent COVID-19 allowance for all health workers in the state as part of its commitment to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the state as well as cushion the effect of the lockdown.

However, speaking on the

current economic downturn occasioned by the shutdown in the global economy to address the pandemic, Nami said the development had taken a huge toll on government's finances, thereby putting additional pressure on revenue generating agencies, including the FIRS to bridge budget funding gaps.

Specifically, he suggested that the identified businesses should commence the payment of their annual returns earlier than the due date, apart from their normal monthly obligations.

In a statement titled: "Update on Palliative Measures to Cushion Effect of COVID-19 on Taxpayers – 22nd April 2020", which was posted on the agency’s Twitter handle @ firsNigeria, Nami, said the move had become necessary to "ease some of the cash flow gaps being experienced by the government at this critical time".

While further acknowledging the difficulty faced by businesses due to COVID-19, he nevertheless urged them to "go the extra mile at this time to cooperate with us in making special arrangements to pay their taxes".

The FIRS boss, who had earlier announced some palliatives for taxpayers in the form of regulatory forbearance, noted that his latest appeal was to seek high level cooperation from taxpayers, whose sectors are experiencing a boom and significant increase in income at the present time.

Although he did not mention the names of the individual companies, he said processors of certain products among others were expected to comply.

Telecommunications service providers including voice and data services, financial services providers as well as online sales have witnessed a spike in commercial activities following the restrictions of movement by the government.

Nami had sometime in March, expressed the agency’s commitment to meeting the N8.5trillion revenue target for the year, despite the current economic challenges.

Addressing members of staff, he urged them to take up challenge and justify the confidence the country had

reposed in the service particularly at this "critical time, when virtually all the other sources of revenue for government are being challenged especially, by the coronavirus pandemic, the downward slide in the price of oil at the international market for as low as $30 per barrel against $57 benchmark used for the budget."

Nami therefore said several measures had been taken since assuming office to boost the welfare of staff as well as encourage them to give their best to improving its revenue profile, adding that, "We shall not relent in providing the right environment for you to succeed".

According to him, "When the federal government set the N8.5 trillion target, it must have realised that we are equal to the task. As hub of the operations of the service, you are therefore expected to deliver the bulk of the target while the other groups support you."

Kano’s Unexplained Deaths Soar to 640 and Four New COVID-19 Cases Kano State has witnessed spike in unexplained deaths to 640 within eight days according to estimates, of a lockdown order, and government is yet to come up with modalities to arrest the situation.

This is however coming as the state recorded four new cases of coronavirus according to NCDC figures released as at 11.55pm yesterday.

Also yesterday, over twelve prominent people were confirmed dead and buried at different cemeteries within and outside the metropolis.

The attendants and undertakers at cemeteries in the state said unknown number of people are dying everyday.

Among the prominent people that died in Kano yesterday were Professor Ibrahim Ayagi, Dr. Musa Umar Gwarzo, Alhaji Dahiru Rabiu (former Grand Khadi), Musa Tijjani (Editor of Triumph Newspaper), Adamu Isyaku Dal (former SUBEB Executive secretary), Alhaji Salisu Lado, Haj Shamsiyya Mustapha, Haj Nene Umma, Alhaji Garba Sarki Fagge, Dr.

524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna, adding that arrangements had been concluded to evacuate over 100 Almajiris to Bauchi State

by Monday.

He said the Committee collaborated with the Ministry of Health and ensured that all the evacuated Almajiris were not COVID-19 positive.

Chairman of Kano Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who is also the Deputy Governor, urged Kano residents to strictly observe the social distancing directive, personal hygiene and the stay-at-home order.

NPA: None of Our Staff Is Infected with Covid-19 The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has refuted claims in certain quarters that a senior member of staff at the agency had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

A statement by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Jatto Adams, described the report as baseless and unfounded.

“The fact is that a member of staff of one of the terminals at the ports, who has not been at the office since Friday April 17, 2020 had visited his fatherin-law and family during the weekend of Friday, April 17, 2020 and Sunday April 19, 2020. On arrival, he discovered that the medical practitioner father-in-law, his own wife and children had taken ill.

“On Monday, April 20, they were all diagnosed with Coronavirus as a result of which he decided to isolate himself and get tested. He wrote to the office to inform them about the situation and his decision to self-isolate.

“On Thursday, April 23,2020, he again wrote to inform the company that he had tested positive to Coronavirus and that the entire family was now receiving treatment at one of the isolation centres in Lagos.”

The NPA added that immediately on the same day, Thursday, April 23,2020, he wrote to inform and seek Continued on page 8

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NEWS LOCKDOWN: FIRS WANTS YOUR TAXES PAID BEFORE DUE DATE advice from the Coordinator of Health Ports Services in line with guidelines laid down by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for the report of COVID-19 incidents.

NPA said the company, in line with advice from Port Health Services, disinfected the premises, adding that all personnel, who interacted with the staff had been identified and asked to self-isolate.

“The Authority wishes to appeal to the media to verify information before going to press in order to avoid raising unnecessary tension. There are laid down procedures for the management of suspicions of COVID-19 incidents at the ports and the Authority will, in collaboration with all other government agencies, follow these processes through whenever the occasions arise.

The NPA thanks all stakeholders and Nigerians for their support, “it stated.

Lagos Gives 2-week Deadline to Claim Corpses from Mortuary Following congestions in mortuaries in Lagos State as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos State government has given Lagosians with dead relatives in mortuaries two weeks to bury them otherwise the government would give them up for mass burial.

Governor Babajide SanwoOlu of the state, who said this yesterday during his 8th update on the Covid-19 pandemic, made it clear that such funerals must take place within the next 2 weeks after which the government may resort to mass burials of unclaimed bodies.

According to him, "One of the outcomes of this lockdown is that many families and households have had to postpone funeral plans for loved ones, who have passed away before or during this period.

"As you might know, many Christian denominations do not carry out funerals during the Lenten Season. Funerals are typically kept on hold during this period, and scheduled for the period immediately following the end of Lent.

"Unfortunately, this year, the Covid-19 lockdown coincided with the end of Lent, which caused many families and households to further suspend or put off funeral plans.

"Because of this inability to hold funerals, occasioned by the restrictions on movement, the mortuaries in Lagos State are now full and in urgent need of decongestion. Let me make it clear at this point that these are not Covid-19 deaths."

Urging the media to be responsible in reporting the sensitive issue of funerals, Sanwo-Olu made it clear that, "The mortuaries in Lagos are not full, because of Covid-19 deaths. The total number of Covid-19 deaths in Lagos as at today is 20; the only reason the mortuaries are full at this time is because funerals are not being held, and have not been held for most of the last two months.

"I am now constrained to make this appeal to all Lagosians, who have the corpses of loved ones in the mortuaries, to please go ahead and schedule these funerals. Let me make it clear that funerals are on the list of activities exempted from the lockdown restrictions."

He added: "You can hold or attend funeral ceremonies in Lagos State as long as you comply with the requirements that we have outlined including the total number of persons at the funeral, including officiating religious leaders, must not exceed 20. Physical distancing must be maintained at the funeral ceremony. All attendees/ mourners must use masks and ensure they wash their hands after the ceremony.

"There must be no receptions or parties to accompany these funerals. Rest assured that as long as these directives are fully complied with, funerals will be allowed and encouraged to take place.

"If we are unable to see a decongestion of the mortuaries across the state in the next two weeks, the Lagos State Government will be compelled to carry out mass burials to achieve this. We do not want to be forced to do this, which is why we are asking for your cooperation in

this regard."

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu has ordered the release of 209 inmates from various correctional centres in the state in order to decongest them in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

He said most of the inmates are mostly those over 60 years of age, those who have less than six months to end their terms or have completed over 95 per cent of their terms.

The Governor, who is the chief incident officer on the pandemic in the state, stated that, "As at midnight yesterday April 24, 2020, Lagos State had a total of 670 confirmed cases of Covid-19, an increase of 291 cases since the last time I addressed you, on Monday April 20. What this means is that we have seen a 76% increase in our number of confirmed cases within 4 days, an average of 70 cases daily.

He said the state was in the community transmission phase, which he lamented was a very dangerous time in the fight against the virus.

"One, that we are now firmly in the community transmission phase of this pandemic in Lagos; Two, that our strategy of ramping up testing especially, within local communities is working, and three, that this is not the time for us to relax or to slow down in the efforts we are making to break the chain of transmission.

"On an uplifting note, the number of discharged cases in Lagos continues to rise. Only yesterday, we discharged another batch of 10 patients, who have been treated and have now tested negative for the virus.

“We have now discharged a total of 115 cases in Lagos since the outbreak of the pandemic.

We expect that the numbers of discharged patients will continue to rise and bring hope and optimism to all of us, not only in Lagos but across the country as well."

Edo Commissions 30-bed Isolation facility The Edo State Government has commissioned a 30-bed isolation centre at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City, which was completed in record 12 days, as it ramps up efforts to curtail the

spread of coronavirus.

Deputy Governor of the state and Chairman, Technical Sub-committee on COVID-19 Response, Comrade Philip Shaibu, who commissioned the facility, said the centre was built in record 12 days and would serve as a major centre for treatment of COVID-19 patients in the state.

“The Edo State Government furnished the facility with worldclass medical equipment. The medical personnel at the facility are well trained to manage the condition of patients, who develop complications from coronavirus.

“I want to assure Edo people that we are on top of the situation and have prepared for the worst but pray that the worst will not come.”

Shaibu used the opportunity to appreciate the health workers, whom he described as heroes, who are making serious sacrifices on the frontline, attending to infected COVID-19 patients.

“We want to salute our healthcare workers, who are the true heroes, leaving their families to work on the frontline and ensuring that those affected by the disease get well.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd, Adeleke Olanrewaju, who constructed the building, said the facility was built to international standard.

Enugu Pays 25% Allowance to Health Workers The Enugu State Government said it has paid additional 25 per cent COVID-19 allowance to all health workers in the state, as incentive in furtherance of its commitment to contain Coronavirus and cushion the effect of the lockdown.

The allowance, according to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, represents 25% of the basic salaries of the health workers as recently approved by the State Executive Council (EXCO).

The state government also announced the payment of salaries of all public servants in the state on April 23, 2020.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has come up with a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which requires the federal government to grant the private sector 60 per cent salary support till June 2020.

NECA, a platform for over 3,500 private sector employers, warned that failing to consider the scheme could compel private firms nationwide to take hard business decisions, which it said, might lead to the loss of several millions of jobs in the sector.

Director-General of NECA, Dr. Timothy Olawale explained the imperative of the scheme among other recommendations in a report released on Friday on the effects of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown.

Explaining the scheme in an interview yesterday, Olawale noted that the forum simply requested the federal government “to establish a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, where Government pays up to 60 per cent of private sector salaries until June as long as workers are not laid off.”

He added that the job retention scheme was similar to the policies the United Kingdom (UK), France and Denmark individually adopted “to reduce the negative impact on businesses and slow the rate of job loss. It is a social obligation on the part of the federal government.

“In Demark, the government grants 70 per cent salary support to the private firms. By implication, the private firms will only add 30 per cent. In our own case, we are only asking for 60 per cent salary support from the federal government while the private firms will bear 40 per cent to prevent massive job loss.

“Three days ago, South Africa announced similar package for its private sector apart from economic stimulus. If we cannot follow the example of Denmark, what about South Africa? Out of our 3,500 members, some of them are classified as essential services. Some may not apply.

But it is up to the government to come up with modalities for

support for the private sector,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the federal government “to provide stimulus to businesses. The announced stimulus, to a large extent, has not addressed the critical needs of businesses that will guarantee sustainability and protection of jobs.”

As canvassed in NECA’s report, Olawale said much more “can still be done now, not belatedly, to save jobs.

Such direct interventions as direct wage or income support, wage subsidies, tax credits or tax deferrals, short-term work schemes, and moratoriums on loan payments are needed to save jobs.”

NECA’s director-general however called for the relaxation of the lockdown or its outright removal, which according to the report, was essential to managing the socio-economic impact of the lockdown on businesses nationwide.

With a large population of the country in the informal sector and many surviving on daily wages, Olawale noted that the lockdown “has the tendency to further cripple businesses, hasten the rate of job loss, and increase the level of poverty with the consequential effect of increased insecurity.”

He argued that a relaxed lockdown with legislated state and national guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 “will go a long way in maintaining the gains of the past few weeks.”

He said the guidelines should include compulsory use of sanitisers, free protective wears (where necessary), maintenance of social distancing, increased education and awareness (posters, etc.), total banning of religious, political and social gatherings, limited number of passengers in public and private transportation and strict enforcement of same, amongst others.

While the risks of total relaxing at this time are real and present, Olawale said gradual relaxation could be considered under these stringent conditions “as done in Ghana, Germany and some other countries, although with a high sense of alertness.”

Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, warned that this exercise cannot be truncated. To quote him: ‘Those who took part in the grand conspiracy to loot the commonwealth are jittery that their misdeeds will come to light.

We wish we could sympathise with them. But it could have occurred to them that a day of reckoning will come. The fear of the impunity of their past misdeeds being brought to light is causing panic. In fact, the vultures are shivering. Let us place on record that no amount of intimidation, campaign of falsehood and breakdancing will abort this exercise.’”

Odili said the public should be prepared for more of these attacks against the commission.

He however warned, “The commission also wish to warn those agents of darkness from the Niger Delta who are hell bent on destroying every good thing in the region to change course.

The essence of the present IMC and the forensic audit ordered

by President Muhammadu Buhari are to reposition the commission to make it fit for purpose. Anyone with any evidence of wrongdoing should reach out to the IMC or the auditors. The forensic auditors should be allowed to complete their assignment so those who failed the region can be held to account.”

On its part, Signora Concepts Services Limited said it was never awarded a N5.5 billion

contract by NDDC to supply PPE to the nine states covered by the commission. The firm, in a statement by its Operation Manager, Patrick Ijeomah, accused IPDI of peddling falsehood and asked members of the public to disregard the claims.

Ijeomah said, "Our company has not been paid nor any of our account credited with any money in respect of the contract under COVID-19, contrary to insinuations being circulated in the media."

He explained that the commission had under a former acting Managing Director, Professor Nelson Brambaifa, earlier awarded to Signora Concepts and 21 other companies contracts on Lassa fever kits.

According to him, "Some of the materials are still in the warehouse of NDDC till date.

Amount paid by a former IMC Acting Managing Director, Dr. Joy Nunich, was N2.9bn and a balance of N972 million still outstanding.

"Contracts had various medical accessories ranging from Lassa fever kits, cholera vaccines and science equipment.

It is not true that these items were never supplied, as all the companies involved supplied the items and those items were dully inspected by officials of the commission and also distributed to the various communities.

Employers Want 60% Salary Support from FG to Save Jobs

STAKEHOLDERS ALLEGE N5.5BN FRAUD IN NDDC OVER SUPPLY OF COVID-19 KITS (PPE) for health workers in the fight against coronavirus in the nine member-states of the commission, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI) said in a statement signed by its National President, Ozobo Austin.

But NDDC and Signora Concepts Services Limited, in separate reactions, dismissed the claims, insisting that there is no such contract and no fraud in the interventionist agency.

IPDI alleged that Signora Concepts Services Limited received the sum from NDDC through the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to procure the equipment. It described the contract as fraudulent.

The group also published a letter with reference number NDDC/MD/HPU/20/4/ EHSS/05, purportedly signed by the Head, Procurement Unit of NDDC, Alex Enebeli, on behalf of the Acting Managing Director, awarding the said N5.5 billion contract to Signora. The letter, dated April 6, 2020, claimed the contract was for the company to supply the said medical materials and carry out sensitisation campaigns in 2,775 communities in the nine states covered by the commission within 15 days from the date of the award of the contract.

But NDDC issued a statement yesterday denying the issues raised by IPDI and insisting there

is no fraud in the commission.

The statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, disowned the letter allegedly awarding the contract to Signora Concepts Services Limited and said there was no fraud in the commission.

The statement read in part, “The online publications are circulating a letter purportedly issued by the Director of Procurement awarding a contract of N5.55 billion for the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other kits to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the Niger Delta region.

“We wish to unequivocally deny that contract. The document is simply fake or at best unauthorised. The letters for all contracts awarded by the commission are signed by the Executive Director, Projects, on the authority of the Acting Managing Director, who is the chief accounting officer of the commission. Neither of the officials is aware of the contract letter. It is inconceivable that a contract, and of such magnitude, could be awarded otherwise.

The commission has launched an internal investigation into how such a letter came to be issued and on what authority.

“For the purpose of transparency, we wish to confirm that the commission has just secured presidential approval to intervene by assisting NCDC in the supply of kits and the

building of isolation centres in the nine Niger Delta states.

“Also, the commission has disbursed N775m to assist the nine Niger Delta states fight the plague. We have also disbursed N270 million as palliatives to the youths, women and the physically challenged in the 27 senatorial districts of the region.”

Odili also denied claims that the present administration at the commission had spent huge sums of money on contracts to supply kits and drugs for the prevention of Lassa fever in the region.

He said, “We wish to state that this present management has not awarded any Lassa fever contract. From the records, the commission awarded three contracts for intervention against the Lassa fever scourge and all these took place in 2019, at least one year before the present management came into office.”

Odili added, “For the purpose of transparency, these contracts are as follows: in early 2019, there was an outbreak of Lassa Fever in Ondo and Edo states, which overwhelmed the capacity of the state governments to cope. The governor of Ondo State made a request to the commission for intervention. As a result, the then management, headed by Professor Nelson Braimbaifa, on 20th February 2019 awarded a contract for the procurement of 21,000 Lassa Fever prevention kits for the region in the sum of

N903 million. The items were supplied and distributed. The contractor was duly paid.

“As the scourge persisted, there was need for further intervention. Another 1,000 protective kits were ordered for N1, 092,283,500. This contract was awarded on March 11, 2019.

The last contract for Lassa fever was awarded on April 16, 2019 in the sum of N2, 425,242,248.

All the kits were supplied and distributed to the nine states.

As at date, the commission is yet to pay for this last contract.

Payments had been suspended on ministerial order due to the need for verification of past contracts. At no time did the IMC pay out more than N4 billion for Lassa fever contracts as alleged.”

Odili also said the commission had noticed an upsurge in attacks on it, the Interim Management Committee, and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs since the launch of a forensic audit into the affairs of the commission.

He said, “These attacks are meant to distract the commission from the task of holding those who looted the commonwealth to account. The Honourable Minister and the Interim Management Committee are determined to see through this audit. On Wednesday, April 22 when the relevant documents were handed over to the lead consultant for the forensic audit, the Acting Managing Director,

9

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž RIL 26, 2020

NEWS

Kingibe

Adamu-Adamu

Hammed Ali

Buba-Marwa

High-wire Intrigues as Kyari’s Replacement Sets Off Chuks Okocha

T

he pending replacement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s deceased Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, is already fraught with high-wire intrigues.

This is for no other reason than the fact that Kyari was believed to have wielded so much power and was credited with many things, both real and perceived, which conferred nearly impossible exercise of authority on him as much as his office.

But since he is no more, it is no-brainer that his office is now up for grab. Curiously, however, the rallying point this time is different as much as the tenor of the power game in the Villa, as Aso Rock, the seat of power is called is likely to change.

For instance, there’s a swirling belief that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is determined to ‘take back’ the Villa, protect her husband, the president and avoid an extension of the rancorous relationship she had with Kyari.

To this end, she is said to be rooting for someone that is amenable to her control in a sense, friendlier and who could give her husband a better perception both within and outside the Villa.

Of course, it is public knowledge that the first lady was up in arms against the former Chief of Staff, albeit in most cases, over personal differences carried over to the official corner. She is more determined now to play a defining role in who replaces Kyari.

There’s yet another power centre and that is the famed Mamman Daura, the Cabal-in-Chief, who is also said to be determined to influence, whoever secures the vacant position since that’s his main source of reaching out to his nephew, the president, especially after allegedly being ‘thrown out of the Villa’ by the first lady.

What this means to him is the importance of sustaining the continuation of the alleged reign of the cabal and what is often referred to by some critics of Buhari as ‘surrogate presidency’ of the last five years.

Nonetheless, the number of persons in consideration for the position has continued to increase everyday, although two have maintained consistent lead.

The fact is that knowing his nature, the President needs a very strong and efficient person to occupy the office of the chief of staff as the appointee is expected to manage the president’s schedule and correspondences, and any other duty that may be assigned to him by the president.

But again, it is yet to be seen if the president would allow the new chief of staff command the kind of powers and influence that the late Kyari had and which has made the office more attractive than even a governorship.

Some of the very important factors to ponder for the choice of the new Chief of Staff include the 2023 election, the alleged highhandedness of Kyari, which precipitated the controversies around him, the perceived failures of the administration and the health of the President.

At the moment, President Buhari is still mourning his friend of over 42 years, whom he described as “the best of us� and whenever he decides to appoint anyone to this all-important office, the following people are in the consideration of power brokers with their respective strengths and weaknesses, which will ultimately determine the lucky fellow.

The prospective candidates are the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; a renowned diplomat and former presidential running mate in the 1993 general election, Babagana Kingibe; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello; a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa; the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; a former governor of Borno State and Senator for Borno Central, Kassim Shettima and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.).

Adamu Adamu

Adamu is generally considered the first choice for the office. As a levelheaded person, he is deemed suitable for the position and has been entrenched in the Buhari camp for a long time. He had acted as Buhari’s speechwriter and was considered for the position until the last minute in 2015 and 2019.

A former columnist in Daily Trust and secretary to Buhari’s Transition Committee in 2015, Adamu is speculated as a top favourite for the position. He is said to be incorruptible in his current position, although not highly rated in terms of performance.

El-rufai

But one of his major setbacks is the claim that he is of the minority Shite Islamic sect, a factor that could be troubling for the majority of the Nigerian Islamic faithful, who belong to the Sunni sect. He is also said to have some health challenge, even though many held the view that if suitable for reappointment despite his health challenge, then, it would not be an issue now.

Babagana Kingibe

Often described as a cat with nine lives, Kingibe has always found a way to be in reckoning even when he was deemed forgotten. But some say he is too neck-deep in political intrigues and could upstage whatever political game his backers could be aiming.

As one veteran political analyst once said, “Kingibe is only loyal to Kingibe and believes in his name that one day, ‘KING -I-BE�.

He is, however, said to be very intelligent and highly connected with political network across the country and beyond, with a place in the intelligence community. Although unceremoniously removed as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by the late President Umaru YarAdua, who appointed him to that office, he is said to be the candidate of the cabal with eyes on 2023. He is from Borno State as Kyari.

His weaknesses include age, impression of being the face of the cabal and his past political indiscretions against the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, among others.

Hammed Ali

Currently the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ali had served as Buhari’s chief of staff prior to his inauguration as president in 2015. It was in an effort to shove him aside from continuing in that role that he was quickly appointed the CG of Customs.

Supporters of Buhari’s 2015 bid, however, believed it was the beginning of the demystification of Buhari. As Chief of Staff before the inauguration, Ali was said to have related with all the tendencies associated with Buhari, managed them effectively and created the enabling façade as well as the charm that followed Buhari before his ascension to power.

His failure to make any serious impression in the Customs is likely to count against him. He does not belong to any power bloc aside his personal relationship with Buhari.

Kashim Shettima

If appointed, the senator representing Borno Central and former governor of the state, would come to the job as a square peg in a square hole. The banker-turned politician could come in as a compromise between the First Lady’s camp and the Cabal as

Shettima

he is someone, who could manage both tendencies without bringing down the roof.

He had demonstrated that in his dealing with his one-time political patron, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, whom he managed for three years before they fell out.

But Shettima is believed to have higher goals and has been mentioned for the 2023 presidency. Thus, those who have eyes on the plum job could see his emergence as a threat to their aspirations.

Mohammed Musa Bello

The Minister of the FCT is a technocrat cum family member in filling the role of the Chief of Staff given his long relationship with the Buhari family. He is the son of one of Buhari’s closest friends from Adamawa State. Sources say he is one of those who have been highly recommended for the job.

The major threat to his choice could come from the cabal, which fears his seeming soft spot for Aisha, who is also from Adamawa.

Buba Marwa

Marwa, a former military administrator of Lagos State is another person, who has been mentioned for the job. His emergence would possibly help to instill a kind of old boy military spirit as he relates with Buhari, a former soldier.

But Marwa’s alleged political infidelity given his repeated switches from political parties is said to be counting against him. He is also seen as the main candidate of the Aisha camp and is therefore opposed by the cabal. Many think his appointment could also turn out a plot to upstage the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai, the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State arguably comes in as highly recommended given his pedigree. His organisational acumen and foresight would come handy in projecting a positive legacy for Buhari.

But would he abandon his governorship to becoming a presidential aide? This is very unlikely. But one thing is clear: it will bring him nearer to the number two seat, which he desires ahead of the 2023 elections, if power shifts to the south.

Regardless, he is considered as too rigid, obstinate and impatient for the office, perhaps lacking the requisite temperament to manage the attendant pressure in the office. His principles had reportedly put him against the two major camps scheming to make the appointment happen.

In 2016, he wrote a private letter on some of his objections to the cabal. He is also said to have not been very chummy with Aisha.

Sources say it could have flowed from his stance against the principles that guided the work of the Petroleum (Special) Task Force (PTF), where Aisha’s relation, Ahmad Sihajo was largely involved.

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APRIL 26, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

EDITORIAL

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

H EALTH WORKERS A ND COVID-19 Government should address the worries of health workers. They are important safeguards against the deadly viral disease

D

espite the high risks associated with being on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the country, health workers have not been adequately motivated. Their families are at risk. They work without the essential personal protective equipment (PPE). Majority are not insured. Even more worrying, over 40 health workers have tested positive to COVID-19, according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.

Healthcare workers have been raising the alarm that they are being exposed to the infection due to lack of PPE. In addition, many of them are not adequately trained on precautions to take while interfacing with patients In addition to the coming into their investment in hospitals at this period.

We hope the authorities PPE, workers on the frontline must will look into all these issues and offer comprebe identified and hensive measures that motivated. They go beyond the usual include cleaners tokenism. of isolation wards, Globally, no fewer than ambulance drivers, 30, 000 health workers laboratory scientist have been infected by the virus through exposure to taking samples, patients, while close to a nurses and other thousand have lost their support staff lives to the pandemic. Italy and Spain have reported the infection of almost 11, 000 health workers with at least 500 of them said to have died after succumbing to symptoms of the disease. In the United States also, infection and death rates among health workers treating COVID-19 patients are increasing by the day. If medical personnel in countries where they use PPE, including garments, helmets and goggles are still exposed to this disease, one can only imagine what happens within our environment.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) president, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, has canvassed that government should make available enough PPE for their members, review their hazard allowance and provide life insurance for them. In arguing that health

Letters to the Editor

I

workers across Nigeria should be provided with PPE, Sokomba queries why emphasis is placed only on COVID-19 treatment centres without much attention to those who work at referral centres even when patients don’t just find themselves in the treatment centres. Patients, according to him, “first of all go to the referral hospitals where they are seen and evaluated. Once they are found to be positive, they are transferred to the treatment and isolated centres. So, those people that do the initial evaluation are exposed and that is what happened to health workers at hospitals in Ilorin, Benin and Lagos.”

A

S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI 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 DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR 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

lthough the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi recently said one complete PPE costs N70, 000 and can only be worn once to an isolation ward, governments, including those in the states, must invest in this very essential commodity so that frontline workers are adequately protected. Abayomi had said: “Sometimes, a healthcare worker would need to enter an isolation ward four times in a day. Each time he or she enters, the personal protective equipment used would no longer be used; which means about N280,000 has been used in a single day by only one health worker.”

While we understand the expensive nature of PPE, no cost can be put on the lives of our health workers.

Failure to invest in their protection would mean gambling with their lives and that of their family members.

If they withdraw their services, we will not get the needed workforce to treat the growing spread of the virus in Nigeria. That will be dangerous for our country.

In addition to the investment in PPE, workers on the frontline must be identified and motivated. They include cleaners of isolation wards, ambulance drivers, laboratory scientist taking samples, nurses and other support staff.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and other health professionals should ensure the Memorandum of Understanding between it and the federal government for various allowances and incentives is binding, in addition to the life insurance cover by the Nigerian Insurance Industry for the frontline workers on Covid-19 pandemic. The states must be brought in to collaborate and strengthen a national approach. Other African countries, including Ghana, have since concluded on this important scheme.

We must understand that how we treat the health workers, especially at this most crucial period, will either make or mar the efforts towards tackling the challenge of COVID-19 in Nigeria. We should aim to win the war.

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 (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

Forensic Experts And Theft of Intellectual Property

ntellectual Property (IP) is generally considered as creations of the human mind which can include inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; symbols; images and even names which can be utilized for commercial purpose. Intellectual property is protected in law and aims to foster the flourishing of innovation and creativity of the human mind. Well known classification of IP includes copyright, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, industrial designs and geographic indications and these guarantee a wide scope for what can be regarded as an individual or organization’s IP right.

The theft of intellectual property involves stealing from or robbing people or organizations of their Ideas, innovations or expressions of creativity. Theft can also involve using someone’s IP without requisite authorization

or permission. Theft can cover IP rights on music, movies, software, products, designs, etc.; it can prove to be very damaging in some cases.

How can the theft of intellectual property be investigated? Where the theft of intellectual property is suspected and has to be investigated, there is the need to adopt a credible investigation process and this can be accomplished by a skilled forensics expert. As intellectual property mostly are in intangible form, the proof of its existence and by extension theft usually exist in the form of electronic evidence(s). Hence, forensic investigation and analysis can reveal the act of “improper misappropriation” of IP or trade secrets or the threats thereof.

Effectively investigating IP theft cases involve the following: Identify and preserve, engage

counsel and digital forensic expert. Step one involves identifying and preserving potential evidence. This includes defining and tracking all appearances of relevant evidences and the custodian of such evidence which can be potentially useful to the investigation. This can mean the following categories of people or media: Any person or persons with direct knowledge or control of relevant evidence to the theft; any person or persons that can identify and help preserve potential evidence. Example of this is IT personnel for the organization; any person or persons suspected of the misappropriation of the Intellectual Property (IP); any device or devices on which traces of evidence can be traced and discovered. The forensic analysis of electronic devices will reveal

timelines of the activities performed on identified devices relevant to the investigation.

Step two involves engaging the services of preferably an outside counsel and a digital forensics expert. Digital or computer forensic investigators are trained to identify, acquire, examine, analyse and present reports of digital investigations that are judged to be credible and forensically sound for Intellectual Property theft cases. Forensic experts involved with IP theft cases are able to identify and acquire both location and timeline-based evidences that prove knowledge of, occurrence and involvement of suspects in the theft of intellectual property or trade secrets.

What are location and time-based evidences? In theft of IP investigation cases, location-based evidences refer to the potential source, location or containment of the traces of evidence.

Investigators are able to identify all relevant device types and medium of

communication by which traces of IP artifacts can be found. This includes electronic devices that any of the relevant custodian may have had access to or the medium and channels of communication by which artifacts of IP are transmitted or exchanged between parties.

Timeline-based evidences are useful to indicate the length of time for which a nefarious activity may have been occurring. By piecing together digitally relevant artifacts that are identified as relevant to the case, skilled investigators are able to show historical picture of how long the occurrence of a crime may have persisted.

As trained investigators, digital forensic experts surely do have clear and relevant roles to play in the fight against IP theft.

––Dr. Ehiwe D. Dominic, Consultant, Digital Forensic & Open Source Intelligence

11

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ;˜ 2020

BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

Telecoms masts

Of Telecoms Infrastructure and Heroes of Digital Economy Demola Ojo

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he ongoing lockdown imposed by the Federal Government to halt the spread of the virulent virus, Covid-19 has presented an uncommon opportunity to reflect over the invaluable role of telecommunications in upholding the Nigerian economy.

Now that nearly every sector of the economy has been forced to a halt, Nigeria is able to see the value of the enormous investment that the private sector has put in the sector over the years, especially in the last decade and a half.

Without a warning, the industry has in the last few weeks become the Greek mythical Atlas efficiently bearing on its shoulders the burden of an economy robbed of its nimble limbs by a stubborn and rapacious contagion. To its credit, the industry has risen to the occasion and discharged itself creditably, thanks to the visionaries and heroes who saw tomorrow and had painstakingly put in the necessary investment to build a solid infrastructure Nigeria can be proud of.

The country has come a long way. It has been gruelling work building the expansive network that Nigeria now enjoys. It has come with its headaches for citizens too. But for anyone who has ever had to complain about the unending digging of the ground by telecom operators to lay

fibre optic cables, this is the time to see the value of that exercise and even encourage the industry to do more.

Fibre optic cables have revolutionized the world of network communications ever since their inception nearly four decades ago. They are a more advanced alternative to the traditional methods of networking which use metallic wires.

Indeed, fibre optic cables have been part of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure for decades. Any Nigerian who is about 40 years of age and with any technical background would readily recall the famous South Atlantic 3 (Sat-3) cable which the then National Telecom Carrier, NITEL, owned together with a consortium of over 30 telecommunications companies from across the world. It provided a link between Nigeria and the rest of the world. For many years it was the best thing that happened to Nigeria’s telecom sector and any misfortune that befell it by way of damage to it by ocean liners translated into massive disruption in Nigeria’s business environment, as many major companies relied either directly or indirectly on the connectivity provided by the infrastructure for their smooth operation.

One such incident in late July 2009, caused internet blackouts in multiple west African countries including Benin, Togo, Niger, and Nigeria. The banking sector was destabilised, as other sectors of the economy that relied heavily on internet connectivity for their operations.

The economy and security of Nigeria was threatened.

Thankfully, a year later, Nigeria’s Second National Carrier, Globacom, saved the country from this precarious situation by launching a higher capacity submarine cable called Glo-1, a wholly-owned facility that brought unprecedented bandwidth from Europe to Nigeria and other West African countries. The arrival of that facility marked the beginning of the crashing of bandwidth costs in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa, thereby facilitating more access to broadband internet. Besides Glo-1, there are a slew of other fibre optic cables criss-crossing the Atlantic Ocean and delivering international bandwidth to the West Coast of Africa.

Broadband penetration in Nigeria currently stands at about 38 percent, solely driven by major players in the telecom sector, such as Globacom, which has not only brought in the required international bandwidth, but has also invested generously in the infrastructure to deliver the last mile to end-users, while also breaking the cost barrier by introducing affordable tariffs. To be sure, Nigeria has not met its target yet. The private sector is required to facilitate the realization of the objective of taking Nigeria’s broadband penetration to 70 percent by the year 2021 by making additional investment. This explains why there will continue to be digging of the ground and laying of fibre optic cables across Nigeria.

Already, the industry has invested

massively in fibre optic deployment in the major cities and across the entire country. Nigeria’s second national carrier, Globacom, for instance, has a fibre optic cable network spanning thousands of kilometres covering almost every part of the country, giving its subscribers crystal clear voice calls and seamless internet connectivity. Together with the microwave network, the fibre network delivers the connectivity that people require to boost their productivity at work or enhance their entertainment at home or on the go.

People who are abreast of developments in the telecommunications sector would recall that Globacom equally recently announced that it was finalizing a massive fibre network expansion to cover more parts of Nigeria and contribute its quota to achieving the broadband penetration target of 70 percent by the year 2021. The operator which was the first to implement a nationwide 4G LTE deployment is expanding the ultra fast data network to cover the fringe cities and settlements across the country. Achieving the 70 percent broadband penetration target will provide internet access to millions of Nigerians especially in the hinterlands and this will in turn boost the economy as the link between broadband penetration and economic prosperity of a country has been conclusively demonstrated in many studies.

The unceasing fibre network expansion by the operators is also aimed at improving the experience of telecom users. In essence, when you see workmen trying to install fibre optic cable, there is nothing to be afraid of. They are working in the interest of every telecom user, nay, every Nigerian, because the service they are rendering directly impacts the lives of a man in the street with a phone in his pocket.

Even for people who do not use a phone, if any such person exists in today’s world, they are still beneficiaries of the telecommunications infrastructure in question in many other ways. For instance, the Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) that dispense cash to bank customers across Nigeria communicate with their back servers through the massive telecommunications infrastructure including the several thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cables that have been laid or will still be laid across Nigeria by the likes of Globacom. The old man or woman in the village who is able to talk to his children and grand children thousands of kilometres away in the US or Europe and see them via video calls is enjoying the benefits of telecommunications infrastructure.

So many cable television and streaming services that people are enjoying in the comfort of their homes or offices today are all riding on this self-same telecom infrastructure.

The Nigerian telecom industry has done pretty well in the circumstances and deserves deserve commendation. The telecom workmen out in the street labouring to put fibre optic cable in the ground are helping to build critical infrastructure that will help Nigeria to play efficiently in the fast emerging digital economy.

New technology indeed excites some level of fear in many people. In 1877, the New York Times published an article agonizing over what the writer called the ‘atrocious nature’ of the telephone that Alexander Bell had just invented.

The misgivings and phobia the article expressed were re-echoed by other writers of the time. Today the story is different.

Nigerians should ignore any message aimed at demonizing telecommunications infrastructure. Instead, all efforts should be geared towards prevailing on the state governments and other authorities to make it easier for the telecom industry to obtain right-of-way and other permits necessary to advance and expand the existing telecom infrastructure.

However, on the strength of what Nigeria has achieved in telecoms so far, one cannot but conclude that the Globacoms of this world deserve our undiluted adulation.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

12

NEWS LCCI, TI Demand Clarification on Subsidy Removal

Acting News Editor ÌÙãÏÑË ÕÓØÝËØ×Ó E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑ˲ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט͸΀͸΀͹΁΀;ͽ΁͸ ̙Ý×Ý ÙØÖã̚

Ask FG to come up with deregulation regime Seek equitable access to foreign exchange

Gboyega Akinsanmi The decision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to unilaterally remove fuel subsidy came under scrutiny yesterday as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Transparency International (TI), among others, asked the presidency to clarify terms for

the removal.

The pressure groups, also, questioned the resolve of the NNPC on the subsidy, expressing worry on which legal regime “is this declaration made enforceable since the Petroleum Industries’ Bill (PIB) is not in-sight anytime soon.”

The groups raised these issues in separate interviews

an Africa Independent Television (AIT) programme that the era of subsidy in the petroleum downstream sector had gone forever.

Specifically, on the programme, Kyari said: “There is no fuel subsidy anymore in Nigeria. It is zero subsidy forever. There will be no resort to either fuel subsidy or under-recovery of any

with THISDAY yesterday. They all expressed support for the removal of subsidy or under recovery regime in the petroleum downstream sector, but demanded appropriate deregulation regime to encourage dispassionate competition in the sector.

On April 7, the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari disclosed on

ECONOMY ON THEIR MINDS...

L-R: Minister of Works and Housing , Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Labour and Employement, Dr. Chris Ngige and Minister of State for Petroleum.

Mr. Timipre Silva, during Economic Sustainability Committee Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja recently GODWIN

nature. NNPC will play in the petroleum marketplace, just like another marketer in the space. But we will be there for the country to sustain the security of supply at market price.”

Subsequently, in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the NNPC announced officially that the removal of subsidy in the petroleum products and its decision to hand over the management of refineries to an independent body.

Consistent with the resolve of the NNPC, the LCCI agreed that the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector of the petroleum industry was long overdue, which it argued, would herald positive development.

However, LCCI’s DirectorGeneral, Dr. Muda Yusuf argued that NNPC’s pronouncement on the subsidy removal was not sufficient for the sector’s deregulation, thus calling for policies that would deepen investors’ confidence in the process.

He cited the price modulation framework, which according to him, was “quite inconsistent with a regime of deregulation.

There is no such thing as price modulation in the business of diesel or aviation fuel, which had been deregulated before now.”

LCC’s director-general explained that the call to end price modulation framework “is, of course, not to diminish the significance of a regulatory framework for investors in the sector. But regulation is not about price fixing.

“What is paramount in all of these is to ensure a level playing field for all players, especially regarding equitable access to foreign exchange for fuel importation, pending the time local refineries would come on stream,” he clarified.

Yusuf explained the significance of creating “a strong competition framework that is fair and nondiscriminatory. There is perhaps no better mechanism to prevent consumer exploitation than an unfettered competition.

“This is one of the most important roles of the state in a market economy. The recently created Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission [FCCPC] has a major role to play in this regard.

“Rather than policing operators and fixing prices, the federal government should ensure a regime of unfettered competition with many players. All institutional structures that are inconsistent with this strategy should be abolished.”

UNHCR Sets up $255m COVID-19 Fund for IDPs, Refuges Group commends Lagos approach to pandemic Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagos The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has established a $255 million appeal fund to urgently support its preparedness and response to the outbreaks of COVID-19 among the vulnerable worldwide.

In the same spirit, the Movement for a Better Lagos has commended the approach of the Lagos State Government to containing the pandemic, observing that the approach had contained its spread

to the vulnerable communities in the state.

UNCHR’s Senior Adviser, Mr. Khaled Khalifa explained the significance of the fund at the unveiling of the agency’s 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report in Qatar with emphasis on countries where UNHCR operates across the globe.

Khalifa, also UNCHR’s Regional Representative of the UNHCR to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), disclosed that since its establishment in 2019, over one

million people had benefitted from the Refugee Zakat Fund (RZF) globally.

He said: “In countries where UNHCR operates, COVID-19 is an emergency on top of an emergency.

Since its inception in 2019, the fund has been deployed to assist over one million vulnerable beneficiaries worldwide.”

Faced with the urgent push to curb the risk and lessen the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in vulnerable communities, UNCHR’s senior adviser said a $255 million

Tinubu: I’m Not in Self Isolation

Segun James

The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu yesterday disclosed that he was not in self-isolation contrary to some reports.

Rather, the APC leader clarified that he “has only been keeping faith with all the preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and not having contact with many people at this time.”

He made the clarification in a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Tunde Rahman, disputing claims that Tinubu’s Chief Security Officer, Alhaji Lateef Kareem, died of COVID-19 on Friday.

Raheem, 51, died Friday after falling ill on Monday. However, reports claimed that the deceased had a history of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Raheem had been on Tinubu’s team for over 20 years and was the only aide still left from his

time as governor of Lagos state from 1999 to 2007.

After his burial on Friday, reports claimed that Raheem died of COVID-19, thereby fuelling speculation that the APC leader had gone into self isolation.

Faulting the claims yesterday, Tinubu said in a statement that he “is not in self isolation. He is only keeping faith with all the preventive measures and not having contact with many people at this time.

“He is observing social distancing as it were. There is nothing to warrant self isolation.

It has not been proven that our Chief Security Officer, Alhaji Lateef Kareem, died of COVID-19.

“What we know is he was battling diabetes and high blood pressure before he died and he might have died of complications from both,” he explained.

After his death, the statement explained samples “were taken

from his body by medical experts from the NCDC in Lagos. We are still awaiting the results of the test.”

As a precaution, TheCable reported that Tinubu and his personal aides were tested for the coronavirus following the death of his chief security officer (CSO).

TheCable understands that before his burial on Friday, samples were taken from his body for laboratory tests to determine if he was infected with COVID-19.

On Saturday, samples were also taken from Tinubu and his personal aides. Results are expected on Monday, sources told TheCable.

In a tribute, Tinubu praised the late police officer who had been with him before he became governor of Lagos state in 1999.

“Lateef reported for work on Monday. Feeling a bit under the weather, he went home to rest. We spoke on Wednesday by phone.

He was in fine spirits and was looking forward to resuming

appeal fund “has been set up to support UNHCR’s preparedness and response in situations of forced displacement over the next nine months.

Specifically, the report cited the impact of the Refugee Zakat Fund (RZF) on the vulnerable communities worldwide, especially internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in countries where the UNCHR is currently operating.

In 2019, for instance, the report said the fund received over $43.165 million, saying the Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani

Humanitarian Fund donated over $35 million to the fund, which helped support 164,696 vulnerable families (875,000 individuals).

The report revealed that other donations to the UNHCR Refugee Zakat Fund “are from individuals, institutional partners and philanthropists, primarily from the Middlesex East and North Africa (MENA).

“These donations have helped provide life-saving assistance to a total of 191,497 vulnerable families and 1,025,014

refugees and internally displaced persons in Bangladesh, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Mauritania.”

Khalifa, thus, appreciated all donors to the RZF, which he said, had been deployed to supports over 1 million needy and displaced persons worldwide.

He said: “In view of the current global health situation, more refugees will require our humanitarian assistance, and Zakat and Islamic philanthropy can have a significant impact in responding to these needs.”

Put COVID-19 Taskforce under Osibanjo, CSOs Urge Buhari Tobi Soniyi A coalition of civil society actors and activists have urged President Muhammadu to strengthen the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 by including the Women Affairs Ministry and other stakeholders and place it under the direct oversight of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for better coordination and alignment.

In a letter to the President, the coalition said since Osinbajo was already overseeing the Economic Sustainability Committee, putting the taskforce under him would accelerate the success of the COVID 19 response through synergistic implementation of the various palliative interventions of the government in the interest of the majority of Nigerians who are on very low incomes.

The letter, which was signed

by 70 organisations and activists, read in part: “As we all work together to weather this storm, we are confident that we will beat COVID19 and emerge stronger as a people and a nation.”

They also urged the President to impose lawful consequences on those who recklessly endanger others by disobeying Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines so that such behaviour would not continue with impunity.

They said: “As such, we call for an investigation into, and prosecution of, the following groups of people: (1) the security personnel responsible for the extra-judicial killings of 18 Nigerians under the guise of enforcing the lockdown; and (2) those who organised and supervised the funeral of Mallam Kyari.”

They called for urgent adjust-

ments to the current lockdown policy and a revamped, peoplecentred approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

They appealed to the federal and state governments to expeditiously carry out extensive mass education and enlightenment campaigns on prevention of COVID19 using all the machinery typically deployed during electioneering campaigns especially radio, TV, town/ village criers etc.

They said: “This is a campaign for every Nigerian’s survival.

The campaigns should focus on educating Nigerians about COVID19, the use of masks, the need for physical distancing, hand washing, good hygiene practices, non-stigmatization of those who test positive for COVID-19, and what to do at home if people experience mild symptoms.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

13

NEWS Experts Ask African Govts to Unite against Racist China Gboyega Akinsanmi Experts in international affairs yesterday asked African Heads of State and Government to unite and speak with one voice against the inhuman treatment of Nigerians and other African nationals living in China.

The experts strongly condemned the allegation of discrimination and racism against Nigerians and black people living in China, pointing out that no country, not just China, should condone discrimination in inter-state relations.

In separate interviews with THISDAY yesterday, a former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof.

Bola Akinterinwa; Africa’s professor of international law, Prof. Akin Oyebode and a former Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Chidi Odinkalu canvassed these positions.

Viral videos had shown Chinese nationals abusing, harassing and maltreating Nigerians, Africans and black people living in the Asian country while the Government of China had not done much to protect them.

Consequently, the federal government and other African countries had accused China of racism and discriminatory practices against Nigerians and black people living the Asian biggest country following the outbreak of COVID- 19 in some parts of the country.

It claimed: “We have been engaging with China at various levels; at the level of our consulate in Guangzhou where the cases of racism and discrimination have been ongoing and also at the federal level in Beijing, through our embassy.

“We have made it clear to the Government of China in no uncertain terms that under no circumstance will we accept racial discrimination against Nigerians or Africans or black people living in China. That is a red line for us.”

Contingent upon these claims, Akinterinwa urged the federal government “to mobilise all the member states of the African Union (AU) against the inhuman treatment of Nigerians, Africans and black people in China. The mobilisation should start with ECOWAS for them to adopt common response.

“This should be the first

step to mobilise African leaders to maintain common stand and speak with one voice. In that case, African states must have good foreign ministers. People need to understand the dynamics of international relations.”

If the federal government can establish evidence of discrimination or racism against its citizens, Akinterinwa observed that the federal government “can raise on the basis of the principle of international responsibility.

“If a country does not perform its duties internationally, any sovereign state can lodge a complaint. Nigeria can raise

questions about the international responsibility of China at the level of UN General Assembly. The argument will be that no person is supposed to be discriminated against,” he said.

While the instrument of reciprocity could be deployed against China to protest allegation of racism, Akinterinwa warned against the instrument on the ground that Nigeria “does not have the kind of capacity or power China can wield.”

Under international law, he argued that Nigeria “can decide to reciprocate. But we must look at it at three levels. The first one

is government to government. At this level, Nigeria can retaliate against Chinese companies in Nigeria in the award of new contracts.

“We can deny them residents permit or rights of establishment.

The second level is people to people. If we make life difficult for Chinese here, China too can reciprocate. Under reciprocity, means is required. Nigeria does not have the kind of capacity China has.

“The federal government has to balance political differences with economic interest. Chinese are the ones constructing rail track

in Nigeria. They are the ones funding it. In this context, we must weigh our action.”

Unlike Akinterinwa, Oyebode called for retaliation, which according to him, implied hostile attitude by Nigerians to the numerous Chinese domiciled here while under retorsion, Nigeria can withdraw some privileges available to the Chinese in Nigeria.

If the allegation continues, Oyebode said: “We can send a strongly worded protest to Beijing, deprecating the treatment meted to some of our nationals in China which should sink into the heads of the authorities there.

Don’t Relocate to Lagos, Rivers Youths Tell SNEPCO Eromosele Abiodun in Lagos The Rivers State Youth Federation (RSYF) yesterday advised Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) to shelve its plan to relocate its headquarters to Lagos.

RSYF, an umbrella body of youths in the state, warned that decision of the oil giant to relocate to Lagos could stoke massive job loss among the youths in the host communities.

They expressed this concern while protesting at the Logistics Base of SNEPCO against the company’s plan to relocate its business operations to Lagos, even amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

The youths lamented that RSYF staged a similar protest in September 2018 in collaboration with the Onne Youth Council (OYC).

The President of RSYF, Saviour Patrick, who led the peaceful protest, lamented that SNEPCO’s relocation from Rivers State would lead to significant job loss

and render youths idle.

It was observed that the protesting youths observed strict social distancing and wore nose masks during the protest.

In its letter of protest, the group said its attention “has been drawn to your recent plans of relocating to Lagos State of Nigeria from Onne Port in spite COVID-19 lockdown without informing your host community in a clear term as to your reason.”

The letter, which was signed

by Patrick and RSYF Secretary General, Bishop Abhili Tam, said the firm took similar step in September 2018, against which the youths in the state protested citing the consequences of such decision.

The letter said: “We vehemently protested in our great numbers and which took the intervention of the Director of DSS Rivers State Command and HRM Ateke Michael Tom to avert. This development therefore is worrisome.

Nwogwugwu, Fasua to Discuss Post-COVID-19 Petroleum Reforms OrderPaper Nigeria has said the Managing Director of Arise TV, Ms. Ijeoma Nwogwugwu; founder of Global Analytics Consulting Limited, Mr. Tope Fasua and a petroleum industry expert, Mr. Joe Nwakwue, among others, will discuss post-COVID-19 petroleum reforms in its augural webinar series.

The Executive Director of the advocacy group, Mr. Oke Epia disclosed this in a statement yesterday, noting that the series would deliberate on the implica-

tions and way forward for the petroleum sector.

The statement said as the nation “grapples with the deleterious effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, OrderPaper Nigeria has set up a series of webinars to engage on the implications and way forward for the petroleum sector.

“The webinars will feature thought leaders in the oil and gas industry, economists, civil society leaders, academics and public affairs analysts, among others,

RELIEF FOR THE VULNERABLE R-L: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Special Duties & Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Tayo BamgboseMartins and Mr. Monsignor Oduntan while receiving cheque on behalf of the families of the 23 victims of Ado-Soba pipeline explosion at Alausa ... recently KOLA OLASUPO

Obaseki Appoints Replacement as Chief of Staff Resigns Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Crack in the cabinet of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki came to the fore yesterday with the resignation of his Chief of Staff, Mr. Francis Taiwo Akerele.

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters in charge of Edo North, Hon. Kabiru Adjoto was said to have thrown in the towel.

With Akerele’s resignation, Obaseki appointed Osaze Uzamere, the son of Senator Ehigie Uzamere, who represented Edo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011, as his Chief of Staff.

While Adjoto could not be reached for confirmation of his exit from the government, Akerele, in a statement confirming his resignation, said his exit was based on principles, administrative and governance grounds He wrote: “My decision to exit the government is based on administrative and governance grounds. I am solidly with His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki in his quest to transform Edo State.

His mission and vision resonates with mine.

“This is all I have to say: I will like to be given opportunity to go private as I part ways administratively with the government based

on principles.

“I thank his excellency for giving me opportunity to serve in this capacity and also, thanks to His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II for his immense leadership and support during the period I served in this capacity. May his reign be long and peaceful!”

Although Akerele said his resignation was based on principle, THISDAY learnt that there had been a long disagreement between him and his principal as well as other top government functionaries.

THISDAY also learnt that Akerele was always sitting on the fence in the political difference between his principal and

the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

A government source said: “This created suspicion between him and the governor as well as other top government functionaries, who now see him as a mole and decided to sideline him when critical decision are being taken. It was as a result of this he decided to call it quit.”

Speaking with THISDAY, Akerele said: “Whenever I am travelling out of the state, I always go along with my personal effects, because the way it is, I may be on the way to hear I have been removed. That is the way government is structured.”

A’Ibom Provides Relief Materials for Victims of Windstorm

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Government yesterday noted that despite the need to provide palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown in the state, it would extend similar aids to the victims of natural disaster.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo said this while presenting relief materials to the people of Ikot Udo Idem in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

The people of the community had sent a save-our-souls message to the state government for help

following windstorm that damaged houses and churches recently.

An on-the-spot assessment of the incident by the State Emergency Management Agency indicated that the windstorm had destroyed eleven houses and two churches in the community.

The deputy governor, who visited the area, directed that provision be made for the affected households to ameliorate their sufferings, especially during this lockdown.

He noted that the state government “is very conscious of its welfare obligations to the

people, especially given the present pandemic induced hardship, and would do everything possible to ensure the wellbeing of Akwa Ibom people.”

Ekpo, who was represented by the Desk Officer of the State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Isaac Umanah, restated the state government’s commitment to ameliorating the plights of the people.

He added that government would not fold its hands and watch citizens go through unwarranted discomforts.

He noted that although wind-

storm is a natural disaster, but as a responsible government, succour would always be extended to any affected citizen especially in such trying times as the entire world is currently facing.

He advised that big trees should not be planted close to residential areas to avoid casualties, noting that the donation was to help them renovate their houses.

The Chairman of Oruk Anam LGA, Mr. Ubong Idiong described the incident as a natural disaster, which could not be blamed on any person but rather appreciated God that no life was lost.

14

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

OPINION

CAMBRIDGE NOTES ABBA KYARI FORGOT Jimoh Ibrahim pays tribute to Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff to the President

Y

es, the dead man is committed to justice.

There is also no doubting the fact that the record of assessments on earth is essential for final judgement in heaven. In all of these matters relating to Abba Kyari, an institution is at the centre of attention. The University of Cambridge Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge) granted a Royal Charter by King Henry III in 1231 and today it is the fourth-oldest surviving university.

The University of Cambridge is committed to her objectives of providing enlightenment and precious knowledge. For instance, in 2019 of her fiscal budgets of £2.1billion (over one trillion Naira) the University committed £592.4 million (over 600 billion) for research grants. If you say that I am biased on Cambridge matters, you may be right having committed my time to two degrees: an MBA (obtained) and a PhD Management Science (ongoing and in the final year). Cambridge with over 100 academic departments organised into six schools, student population of 23,247 of which 10,893 are postgraduate students, is arguably the best university in the geo-centric political society.

Abba Kyari attended the university for his second first degree (meaning that he got a degree before his admission to Cambridge for another first degree); this is usually the practice for some people who, like Kyari, attended another university for a first degree. And, clean up before you are admitted for a first degree again in Cambridge. If you are very exceptional you can be admitted directly to the first degree without the need of going all out to have a first degree first. In any event, it is always good news that Abba Kyari went to Cambridge.

The joy of attending Cambridge is in the unending list of her first-class notable alumni. Of Isaac Newton, Oliver Cromwell, Stephen Fry, Bertrand Russell, John Milton, Charles Prince of Wales, Edward VII, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking.

Those incredible men created part of the excitement of the rush for going to Cambridge every year. And, unfortunately,

the university only admits about 2% of the applicants every year regardless of each of them holding a first-class degree of other universities in the case of postgraduate college. And, with A* A* and A in the three Advance level subjects result, my son was recently denied admission to Cambridge (He settled for LSE) as it is in the case of undergraduates. Cambridge wants the best of the best at all times and it could be disappointing if people would be privileged to attend Cambridge and would fail to use the knowledge gained for the good of society. And sometimes out of the excitement of appointment to best positions in government, Cambridge graduates forgot their university notes of knowledge. Or a case of government overwhelmed with Cambridge degree and offering positions not related to the degree. Abba Kyari was appointed Chief of Staff to the President with a degree in Law. He went to Germany to head Infrastructure committee funding power without basic knowledge of the convergence of complexities of major programme. He writes a memo to the President on a large project without anyone in his office with a degree in major projects! He presides over diplomatic meetings without knowledge of international relations and he even nominated the Foreign Affairs Minister and was involved in the posting of ambassadors.

On his knowledge of political power, one can ask if Abba Kyari forgot the trajectory of power and its unsustainable mantras. Did Kyari remember the peasant in the 15th Century and the end of the allegiance to the Roman Emperor? The loss of confederation

Let's be more faithful to knowledge and forget not our university notes on the powerlessness of power

of principalities in mind is Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic? Did he forget how the peasant obedience to the Pope as the head of Western Christendom ended? Is it still the case that individuals living in the feudal society were members of a dizzying array of interrelated political allegiance only of their state of the citizen? Did he forget that the royal power rises over the power of the minor? And were the Royal authorities left unchallenged? Duchies, baronies, and countries were subjugated by royal power, extinguishing threats to kingly power ‘from below’ and uniting a hodgepodge of fiefs in the county. Did he forget at least King Henry VII's rejection of papal authority in the 1534 Act of Supremacy? At least the church was freed as the supreme head of England State and from political intervention.

Which power is permanent to which anyone can defend at the expense of all? And if we got all in a short while in power and we lost all in a lifetime we never enjoyed the gains of power abuse.

Then, why attend Cambridge?

Abba Kyari is gone but Cambridge will continue her teachings in the place of global excellence. The lesson is to remember the rules of the powerlessness of power, and as my famous Professor from the University of Ife Professor Emmanuel Eshiemokia (of blessed memory) said, what do we gain from the destruction of people we can never create. Precisely Professor Eshiemokia said, “I wake up in the morning and I'm heavy, this is because I'm easily affected by the satisfaction that people derived from the destruction of men they can never create.”

Again, and unfortunately Abba Kyari's principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, is at peace with no pressure for personal prosperity that he cannot explain. And, to him the 150 cows in Daura are more than sufficient for life and peace of the living.

If Buhari knows you to be of obedience to the truth and loyalty, then you got him. But let's be more faithful to knowledge and forget not our university notes on the powerlessness of power.

Abba Kyari, good night!

––Ibrahim, OFR, CFR, is a PhD student at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

COVID-19 And Nigeria’s Enugbe Economy We must pay attention to the needs of those suffering outside the COVID-19 clinics, writes Oludayo Tade

U

nless we understand the sociology of interconnected livelihoods, we cannot understand the turn of event as the worst hit class react to the strains of COVID-19 through violent criminality and deviance to the lawful orders. As the reigning undisputed heavyweight poverty capital of the World, Nigeria(ns) cannot afford not to embark on everyday Diaspora struggles for a functional living. As the breadwinner lives home daily, the growing population of dependants, both within his/her immediate household and in extended network of relations pray for a fruitful return. It is in this everyday struggle that the survival of the commercial Danfo drivers and conductors rely on the workers, market people and commuters who board their vehicles. The filling stations earn their daily livelihoods from economically active and migrant vehicles. The fuel attendants will only earn wages if they open for business. The extortioneconomy of street urchins, also known as ‘area boys’ and the bad eggs in police are tied to a functionally active roads occupied by different road users from which they draw their victims every day. What about the ‘one-chance’ robbery gang? They are out of job since those who would have fallen victims of their antics have been instructed to stay at home. Let us not forget the child breadwinners who rely on their youthful strength to sell goods in traffic. Now that the roads are deserted, what will they eat along with their families who depend on their economic contributions? By the road sides are ice-cream vendors, pure water merchants, truck pushers, luggage porters among others.

They depend on people to be on the roads to earn a living. The burgeoning inter-state transport system across the country is feeling the heat of COVID-19 with the total lockdown imposed on the Lagos Megacity, Abuja and Ogun State. The many strains that COVID-19 imposed on everyday survival of the poor is the sociology of interconnected livelihoods. This ultimately gives birth to Nigeria’s ‘enugbe economy’.

Enúgbe describes an unpalatable state of deepened hopelessness and uncertainty to nourish ones’ stomach infrastructure.

Enugbe unpacks the complex state of scarcity and economic dryness which denies the mouth of moisturising contents. The poor and other vulnerable groups domiciled in the enugbe economy. On the flip side is enurínrin (the wet mouth). It literally represents a person who has eaten with groundnut oil surrounding the mouth region. In the present socio-economic quagmire, only the rich enjoy this enurinrin economy.

Nigerian hip hop artiste, Olamide Adedeji also known as ‘Olamide Badoo’, summarises the hardship in the country

in his song, ‘Oil and Gas’. Deriving inspiration from the streets, Olamide noted the unfriendliness of the street (Igboro o rerin) in relation to the strain, lack and inability for people to actualise their needs in our Enúgbe economy.

Olamide’s lyrical constructs lay bare the helpless situations that confront people living in Nigeria and the difficulties encountered in seeking help when they experience the enugbe syndrome. The insolvent Nigerians that are asked to stay at home seek help from friends and families but since they are almost at the same level of survival to offer any assistance, their woes are compounded. But you still have to try your luck hence, Badoo, says ‘oga mi enugbe, alayeenugbe, walahi enugbe’ (My boss I am broke, My guy I am broke. God sees me, I am broke). The rising cases of burglary, robbery, kidnapping, looting and violent attacks by hoodlums in some communities around the country attest to the loopholes in federal and state governments’ social welfare interventions. We now have the newly vulnerable yet to be targeted and captured. Unless this is done, fighting COVID-19 in an Enúgbe economy may spell further doom.

The social reality in Nigeria occasioned by the official steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 is restriction on human movement and trades within states (except food and medicine). The experiences differ depending on whether you are located in partially or totally lockdown states. As it is playing out, staying at home with limited resources to cope with everyday needs is moving the vulnerable from lockdown to knockdown. While State Governors will pay civil servants asked to stay at home, who will pay pastors and Imams, event managers, beggars and journalists that COVID-19 has knocked down their economies? Who will attend to the dependants these people now that their breadwinners’ economy has entered enugbe?

Interestingly, in this same economy, there are the people who are not experiencing drought all season. This group are in the enuririn economy. They are politicians, business moguls, and contractors. The enugbe economy does not affect the rich and influential ‘class’ who imported COVID-19 into the country before the poor are made to pay for their sins. Olamide seems to understand this dynamics that no private school will pay their teachers while on compulsory stay at home. Now at home, who will they look up to?

To Olamide, Africa’s Richest man, Aliko Dangote, APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Dapo Abiodun whose state is affected by the lockdown need to wake up and share the excess they have with those suffering in

Nigeria’s enugbe economy. He reckoned that these rich people have so much that can be shared with the hoi-polloi especially when their international travels are also on lockdown. Olamide maintains that ‘owowalowo yin, e ja ka bayinna, epowalowo yin, e je ka bayin la (You all have money. Let us spend it with you. You have more than enough; let us manage with excess with you)’.

However, the political economy of the rich’s welfare system has shown interventions patterned towards sustaining entrenched political and economic interests. Business tycoons with strong links to contract corridors donate to federal government while those deriving benefits from states donate to states. Politicians have turned sanitizers, bread, and rice distribution to constituency projects which privileges their party people. Churches and mosques that ought to take care of the poor still want to be counted as donors to the State. As this unfolds, the federal government does not realise that the list of the vulnerable has expanded beyond the “secret list” of people their social intervention program from which they claim to be disbursing intervention funds. This explains why the groaning of enugbe remains thunderous because the social intervention is yet to capture the real COVID-19 vulnerable populations.

When a man has food to eat, he is not a wretched but a man without food will die before COVID-19 will get to him. Now that the lockdown has been extended without paying due attention to alleviating the pains of the downtrodden, darker days are ahead. Already, residents in poor neighbourhoods are shunning social distancing to defend their communities that have been under siege from COVID-19’s violent class. This is happening in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.

This is dangerous and counterproductive to halting the spread of the virus at community level. We must understand that winning the war against COVID-19 will not be achieved in isolation centres alone. We must pay attention to the needs of those suffering outside the COVID-19 clinics. This is why we must retool and rethink our social intervention policies to capture the newly vulnerable groups. When this is done we will enable us to bring many in the enugbe economy out of their precarious conditions to faithfully observe the stay-at-home order.

Tackling the enugbe economy in this crisis is how we get the poor to truly support the fight against COVID-19.

––Dr Tade, a sociologist, sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

15

LETTERS

W

COVID-19: LESSONS FROM CHINA

e have suddenly crossed the 1000 mark! We already have community transmissions and with the NCDC ramping up tests, we should expect the numbers to increase.

I am not so overly bothered about the rising number of cases, my only worry is that we will never do what China did to contain the spread. So, I worry more by the fact that no one could tell when we will reach the curve.

Again, Melinda Gates' prediction of dead bodies on the streets of Africa, and the recent concern by the WHO that Africa could soon be the epicenter of the pandemic are the things that worry me more.

And much as we would like to wish such concerns away in our characteristic expression of uncommon mountain-moving faith, or tag Melinda and WHO enemies of blacks, who are merely expressing, from the depth of their hearts, the evil they wish for Africans, it is important to take their warnings seriously. Some reasons informed their concerns and those reasons like our squalor environment, our general attitude, and poverty rate are valid.

Going forward, the reality is stark, and the concern now should be what we can do to contain spread. In the wake of

Minister of Health, Ehinaire the Chinese victory lap over the defeat of coronavirus, I decided to personally interview a few people in China who had first-hand experiences of what transpired in China and how China was able to defeat a pandemic that had already turned the entire Italy, as at then, into mortuaries.

One of the people I interviewed was one Chidozie Ernest Udoh. I had actually set out on that mission because I wanted to get the assurance that with the Chinese victory, the rest of the world would have similar victory if they followed the

steps taken by China. However, after my first discussion with Chidozie, rather than be upbeat, I became worried and less hopeful about the rest of the world matching China.

I learnt the following: One, China succeeded because it is a communist nation which had no qualms trampling on residents' human rights to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The government made the orders, and as discomforting as they were, the citizens abided by them to ensure the containment of the virus. The citizens didn't really have much of an option.

In all sincerity, there is no way a nation like America, for instance, can score similar success over coronavirus with their practice of democracy.

I watched in awe recently as some Americans trooped out to the street to protest against the continued lockdown. For the crowd of protesters, there was no care about social distancing or even wearing of facial masks.

And this is a nation with more than 50,000 deaths already and counting. I couldn't contain my laughter when one female protester shouted amid the cacophony of voices that no one had any right to tell her when to go out and when not to go out.

Jesus! China would never have tolerated such stupidity.

Two, I learnt too that China saw the fight against COVID-19 more as a civic responsibility than a government responsibility. Chidozie informed me that if any Chinese, for instance, noticed someone who coughed, they would quickly get hold of the person and get the authority to get him checked. Whoever that is suspected to endanger others' lives by their acts were never ignored by the citizens.

I also learnt that in China, following the outbreak of the virus, the Chinese government shut down all pharmacies and stores that sold drugs. The implication of this is that every Chinese resident had only two options when they fell sick.... go to the hospital or die in their homes!

With such policy, the hospitals

COVID-19 Lockdown And Public Security

T

hese are, indeed, tough and trying times for the entire world, as the deadly COVID-19 pandemic fiercely rages on. Since the venomous virus broke out in China late last year, there is little or no sign of its receding yet. Infection and fatality cases continue to rise globally at an alarming rate.

As at the point of penning this piece, the virus has led to the untimely death of almost 200,000 people on a global scale with almost of 3million confirmed cases.

Not surprisingly, our treasured nation also has her own share of cases of the pandemic. As at Saturday, the country has more than 1000 confirmed cases of the pandemic across 26 States and the FCT while we have equally lost 32 of our compatriots to this evil virus.

Lagos remains the epicentre of the pandemic with over 650 confirmed cases while the FCT comes next with 138 cases. They are both followed by Kano, Ogun and Katsina. The rising profile of the pandemic in Kano is particularly dreadful, considering its huge population.

The worrisome progressive status of the pandemic in the country has led to the declaration of total and partial lockdown in some parts of the country. In Lagos, Ogun and the FCT, for instance, the federal government’s enforced lockdown has

gotten to the 4th week.

Explicably, the objective of the lockdown is to help in containing the spread of the rapid pandemic. This is in view of the fact that it spreads easily at large gatherings.

From the experience of a few nations that have successfully curtailed its spread, strict adherence to the principle of social distancing as well as staying at home clearly played a huge role.

At the initial stage of the lockdown experience, one essential issue came up. This is the need to cushion its economic effect through the provision of various palliative packages, especially for vulnerable and poor compatriots. Somehow, both the federal and respective state governments, with the support of many corporate and faith-based organisations and individuals, have been able to reasonably and creatively rise to the occasion.

However, just as efforts were being made to frontally address the palliative matter, a major challenge also came up. This occurred, particularly, in both Lagos and Ogun States where there were reported cases of security breaches by hoodlums who were on the rampage at some satellite communities of the two states.

The grudge of these criminal elements, according to reports, was that they were hungry. It has, however, been argued that

those hiding under the unfortunate COVID-19 crisis to foment trouble are nothing but common crooks and shameless opportunists.

One of those who hold this view is the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. According to the governor, it is yet to be seen how hunger could be the motivation for these rogues to terrorise and dehumanise fellow human beings. The logic behind this line of reasoning is this: How are the criminals sure that their supposed victims aren’t hungrier? No doubt, the impudent foray of these rascals, at such a time of edgy national crisis, only shows them as discreditable characters.

Fortunately, the two major states concerned, in collaboration with the federal government, have stoutly risen up to the occasion by beating the hooligans to their game.

In Lagos, for instance, over 100 of the miscreants were apprehended by the police, just as the Inspector-General Police (IGP) had deployed a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) from Abuja to lead a special force to burst criminal gangs breaching the peace in the affected communities.

Certainly, with this fresh strategy, in Lagos in particular, there is an increase in mobile police deployment in all trouble spots in the metropolis; as well as the police intensifying their patrols around residential

areas, boundary communities, and other critical areas of activities during the lockdown period.

At every given opportunity, Governor Sanwo-Olu has continued to reiterate the resolve of his administration to protect the lives and property of all residents in the state. At a recent fora, he summed up the intent thus: “As an administration, we will live up to our responsibility of ensuring the security of the lives and properties of all citizens.

We will not abandon this responsibility at any time.

There is no room whatsoever in Lagos for criminal gangs or miscreants of any kind”.

Cheerfully, the governor is not only talking tough, he is also working tough, as these criminals have been reasonably dislodged.

It is, however, crucial to call on every segment of the society to support the government and all the security agencies so as to enhance public safety across the country. An effective public security cannot be obtained without the active involvement, participation and support of every section of the society because public security is the responsibility of all individuals, groups, communities, organisations and other units that constitute the state.

––Tayo Ogunbiyi, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

were able to properly screen patients and referred properly those that were suspected to be infected by the virus.

We will appreciate the importance of the above policy when we realize the other day, that out of the 14 COVID-19 deaths recorded in Lagos, 12 reportedly occurred in private hospitals. How can the NCDC keep track of contacts and cases when private hospitals keep treating patients that could be carriers or when patients choose to self-medicate at homes? It's a difficult one!

I also learnt discipline and surveillance. Chidozie informed me that in all the years he has lived in China, over 15 years, he has never heard gun shots. Their police hardly bear firearms, and that there are no incidents of armed robbery. It sounded surreal to me; a Nigerian like me resident in Nigeria, where sounds of gun shots are no big deal! How did this help them? Police in China would never think of taking bribes to compromise the lockdown the government imposed. Citizens themselves never also attempted to compromise the police to have their way. Therein lies the difference.

Come to Nigeria, almost all the states are on lockdown, but it is lockdown only when you don't have money to pay your way through the borders and

checks within the states. For instance, to get to Port Harcourt from Lagos, you will pass seven states. These states either have their borders shut or are in total lockdown. Yet, every day, travellers come from Lagos to Port Harcourt, and others move from Port Harcourt to Lagos. It's just your money.

Isn't it so sad that all the governments succeeded in doing is enriching our security men who have no regard whatsoever for their own safety and the safety of their family members, much less that of the larger society they are charged to protect?

It is clear that to reduce the curve, the government of this nation will just have to take some drastic actions, especially when some confirmed positive patients would rather run away and infect others, or hide to treat themselves at home, and when indifference and compromise is all one can associate with our security.

Yes, not forgetting some acts of carelessness on the side of the government too, one example being the mishandling of the burial of the late Chief of Staff.

A government that should lead by example should not be seen to be flouting the same rules it made. The Chinese government wouldn't do that!

––Charles Kaye Okoye, Port Harcourt.

COVID-19 and The Internally Displaced Persons

T

he Pandemic of Covid 19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to nations of the world.

In this difficult time of self-isolation, social distancing, testing, recuperation and unexpected deaths, the human race is facing a great peril.

Countries all over the world are battling with leaping figures of Covid 19 victims. In Nigeria cities like Lagos and Abuja have been hit the most.

Now more than ever, displaced persons face greater risk of being affected by the pandemic due to overcrowding within the IDP camps. With over 1.8 million displaced persons in North East due to the humanitarian crisis caused

by Boko Haram, displacement camps in Nigeria are predominantly sheltering rural families in urban settlements who may not have access to proper information about the virus. This amongst many other reasons has made IDPs easy target, exposed and vulnerable to the pandemic as they are mostly dependent on supplies from humanitarian organizations and the government. In Maiduguri, Borno State, it was not until when the IDPs complained about total lack of support from the Nigerian government that efforts were made to fit a laboratory with tools and manpower

for people to be tested. An index case of Covid 19 reported in Borno further prompted the state government’s decision to decongest its IDP camps.

Although without a doubt, the Nigerian government has taken great steps in reducing the pandemic, it still needs to include IDPs in national plans and make greater efforts to provide for their needs. More attempts should be geared towards ensuring that IDPS are not marginalized or stigmatized in this critical time.

Better communication modes should be established to ensure that IDPs are adequately sensitized on Covid-19. More effective strategies should be adopted towards avoiding the spread of the pandemic within the IDP camps. Tips on sanitisation, disinfection and provision of basic healthcare wash facilities will go a long way in helping. Now more than ever, IDPs require easy access to essential supplies such as food and clean water.

In precarious times such as this, IDPs are more susceptible to increasing incidents of violence, rape, robbery and sexual molestation amongst other crimes.

This calls for more measures to be put in place to guarantee that their human rights are protected and preserved.

––Yewande Adeleke, Lagos

Now Caring?

I am getting annoyed with the number of companies now telling me how concerned they are for me during this COVID-19

virus time. Don't they care about me the rest of the time?

–– Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia.

16

AP ͺ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL US Foreign Policy of Withholding Assessed Dues to the WHO: The Reality of the Rhetoric

‘W

ho plays the piper necessarily dictates the tune’ is a common saying in day-to-day life. In the context of inter-personal or inter-state relations, it is implied that whoever gives or donates, by statutory obligation or voluntary consent, cannot but have a say in the use of such an assessed or voluntary donation. This is the context the withholding of assessed dues by the United States to the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be explained and understood.

In international relations, sovereign states belong to supranational associations or international organisation, and by so doing, do surrender part of their sovereignty. By virtue of the membership, there is a regulation to always abide with. First, membership of an organisation is of two types: full and associate membership.

Non-membership of an organisation, but with a window of participation, is also of two types: observer status with a permanent observer mission; and non-members without permanent observer missions, but which make use of full-member countries to oversee their interests. In this regard, the status of full and associate membership, grosso modo, necessarily requires payment of levies for the development and execution of the programmes of the organisation.

Put differently, membership, be it associate or full, of an organisation, always carries responsibilities and obligations, in sustaining the operational activities of the organisation in the attainment effort of its mandate. For instance, there is the required payment for sustaining the organisation, which is generally determined on the basis of capacity to pay. The payment is called ‘assessed contributions.’ Assessed contributions are mandatory.

Countries that are wealthier generally have to pay more than those that are generally less solvent. The determination of what is to be paid by a member is also a resultant of a scale of assessment which reckons with the wealth and population of a Member State. This is why some countries contribute more than others and that there are big and small contributors or players in any given organisation.

Without iota of doubt, this status of a big player is also acknowledged and compensated with the adoption of the principle of ‘weighted voting’ in the various UN agencies and international financial organisations. The principle simply means that whatever is contributed in terms of assessed dues should translate into a number of votes. In other words, the biggest amount necessarily translates into the highest number of votes. This is why, for example, at the level of the African Development Bank, for example, African countries enjoy numerical strength that translates to nothingness when it comes to voting. The few Euro-American investors in the bank have more money than the many African countries in the bank, and therefore, do have the domineering votes at the level of decision-taking processes. For obvious reasons, therefore, one major technique of managing and controlling global governance is the introduction of the principle of ‘weighted voting’ which enables the few and rich countries to always have their way, and the majority, poor countries, to also have their say.

But, in the context of funding of international organisations, and particularly at the level of the foreign policy of the United States, the principle of weighted voting is consciously used to protest against policies of organisations to which the United States belongs. It is also to influence decision-taking, and where it cannot be made possible, to undermine the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation, by particularly insisting on the resignation of the Chief Executive Officer in some instances.

It is when the foreign policy interest of the United States is perceived not to be well protected and there is little or no preparedness on the part of the affected organisation to dance to the tunes of the United States, that the Washingtonian authorities always withhold their funding of such organisations. Most unfortunately, however, the act of withholding such dues has been rhetorical and has always ended up being counter-productive. The reality of the rhetoric is self-defeating. It reduces US global influence rather than protecting its long-term national interest.

The Rhetoric

The United States has withdrawn from many organisations and multilateral agreements. It withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran Nuclear Deal), done in Vienna in 2015 by the Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council,

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General WHO Germany and the European Union. The deal was aimed at scaling back Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Even though the International Atomic Energy Agency, in its various reports made it clear that Iran was very compliant with the obligations of the deal, the United States opted to hold contrary opinion and the bad end of the stick. United States argued that the deal is ‘defective at its core,’ and by so doing, tried to hold former President Barack Obama responsible.

There is also the Paris Agreement on Climate Change from which the United States indicated withdrawal on November 5, 2019. The Paris Agreement, also done in 2015, requires the United States and 187 other signatories, to keep the rising global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Paris Accord even wants to limit it even more, to a 1.5 degrees Celsius rise. In the eyes of President Trump, the Climate Change is a hoax and ‘an unfair economic burden’ on the people of America.

Before addressing the United States decision to withdraw its funding of the WHO last week, is another US foreign policy rhetoric: withholding of funds and eventual withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1984 and 2019. Both the UNESCO and the WHO are agencies of the United Nations.

The UNESCO has the mandate to ‘contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue,’ essentially through the international circulation of ideas. In this regard, it ‘develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance...’ By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among nations. The UNESCO is head-quartered at 7 Place de Fontenoy in Paris.

In 1984, the Ronald Reagan administration alleged that the UNESCO was supporting the Soviet Union, that it was anti-Israel, and that it was also anti-free market. Consequently, the US refused to pay its assessed dues, amounting then to about $500 million to the organisation. The United States insisted on the resignation of the then Director General, Mr. Amadou-Mahtar M’bow, a Senegalese, who was appointed in 1974 and served two terms of six-years each as Director General. When US objective failed, the US eventually withdrew from the organisation in 1984, only to

The policy of withholding payment of assessed dues by the United States does greater damages than often imagined. As an instrument of US foreign policy, it has generally failed in its long-term objective, mainly because of the manu militari character of its implementation.

US withholding policy pronouncements often take the format of bullying and myopic calculations of the would-be impact.There is no significant evidence of impact on the affected organisations which have always sought alternative palliatives of survival. The reality is that whenever the United States refuses to comply with the organisational obligations, other interested countries, more often than not, quickly accept to fill the gap, a situation that also enhances their own voting status. For instance, following the suspension of US payment, the United Kingdom pledged an additional sum of £65 million to the WHO. Ireland increased its own by four times, etc. These measures make the US decision irrelevant. This is the reality of the US fund withholding rhetoric

rejoin in 2002 under the administration of George W. Bush.

In 2011, under President Barack Obama, the United States again suspended the payment of its assessed dues to the UNESCO on the strength that the UNESCO recognised the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, but the suspension of payments also meant a loss of voting power in 2013 for the US. On October 12, 2017 the United States announced again the withdrawal of its membership, and opted to become an observer without any obligation to pay any dues since then. When, on December 28, 2018, the UNESCO granted the status of full membership to the Palestinians, the United States was much infuriated. It decided to suspend its funding of the organisation.

This culminated eventually into withdrawal of its membership of the organisation as from midnight of January 1, 2019. This is in spite of the fact that the United States was an original co-founder of the UNESCO in 1946.

If the United States is not playing a hide-and-seek game, why join, withdraw, re-join, withdraw again, etc, from the UNESCO? Why engage in the politics of unnecessary rhetoric?

The truth of the matter is that US withdrawal has always had little impact on the organisation. True enough again, the United States accounted for 22% of the assessed budget, but was owing as much as $600m as at 2011 while Israel, which the US was fighting tooth and nail for, was then owing $10m. both the US and Israel stopped payments into the UNESCO coffers in 2011.

The rhetorical politics is also engaged in at the level of the WHO, which was founded in 1948 and given the mandate to direct and coordinate global health care within the United Nations system.

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 that he would stop the funding of the WHO for about 60-90 days, because of its ‘role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of coronavirus.’ In the eyes of President Trump, the WHO has been ‘China-centric.’

More important, President Donald Trump also has it that ‘had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China’s lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death.’

Additionally, but most unfortunately, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, complained in an interview he granted to the Fox News about the non-transparency of the WHO, saying that ‘we need transparency and we need the WHO to do its job, to perform its primary function, which is to make sure that the world has accurate, timely, effective, real information about what’s going on in the global health space, and they didn’t get that done here.’

Pompeo’s statement is most unfortunate because Donald Trump had, before Pompeo’s statement, eulogised the Chinese for their promptness of action and transparency in the management of the coronavirus pandemic. Why is there no coordination of the rhetorical arguments?

True, the United States has every reason to complain. It pays about $400-$500 million to the budget of the WHO, which is run on a two-year budget cycle. For the 2020-2021 cycle, the budget for the implementation of its programmes is $4.8 billion or $2.4 per year. In this regard, WHO assessed contributions are due and payable as of January 1, by all WHO full and associate members, numbering 194 full members and two associate members (Puerto Rico and Tokelau. Three quick observations are noteworthy at this juncture.

First, the total annual assessed contribution to be mandatorily paid by full and associate members is USD 200,000. Room is given to members that want to make Voluntary Supplementary Assessed Contributions (VAC). And true enough, the United States is a leader in the area of VAC. When compared to what is being paid by countries like China ($40m), Israel ($10m), etc, at the level of assessed contributions, the financial weight of the United States is quite heavy.

Secondly, the WHO provides budgetary allocation for emergencies. For instance, an additional sum of $1 billion for the current budget cycle was factored into the WHO’s budget in May 2019 as allocation for emergencies. It is within this framework that, for the 2020-2021 budget, the sum of $957 million is expected as assessed contributions and $4.9 billion is to be generated as voluntary contributions.

Thirdly, and more importantly, voluntary contributions have become more strategic in design and foreign policy application, particularly by the United States. In 2018 and 2019, the United States accounted for the lion share by contributing an assessed sum of $237 million, which represented 22% of the total assessed fees. In terms of VAC, the United States pledged more than $656 million for some specific programs ranging from Polio eradication, health and nutrition services, vaccine-preventable diseases to tuberculosis, HIV-preventing and controlling outbreaks.

One additional truth that is often neglected is the probability of a situation of insolvency of the United States under President Donald Trump, which actually might explain in part the withdrawal of the United States from many multilateral agreements. Donald Trump might be considering that Japan contributes 10.83% and the Russian Federation only accounts for 2.43% of the WHO budget.

China only pays 5.14% of the budget, the United Kingdom pays 5.17%, while Germany pays 7.14%, and France accounts for 5.59%.

All these contributions are not much to write home about when compared with US Contributions.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

41

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ;˜ 2020

BUSINESS

Editor: Kunle Aderinokun 08033204315, 08111813084 Email:kunle.aderinoku@thisdaylive.com

Barrels of oil

‘Death’ of Oil and the Nigerian Economy In the last couple of days, oil has become a non-factor in Nigeria’s economic growth strategy. Indeed, oil has become a negative factor as global oil prices spiraled downwards across board. Nigeria is an oil-dependent country and not an oil-rich one. This distinction as well as the crash in oil futures make the need for economic transformation even more than imperative now. Nosa James-Igbinadolor reports

O

il is dead. It might yet rise again, but ‘petrocide’ was long prophesied at least with respect to the Nigerian economy.

Oil was going to finish someday in Nigeria, we had been warned. No one took heed. The allure of cheap rent money from the Niger Delta was just too sensually titillating to the rent collectors in Abuja for them to ever sit back and wonder what a Nigeria without oil would ever look like. In a nation where non-religious sociopolitical and economic counsels are quick to be dismissed by the lording authorities of the time as words of doom by false prophets, no one in government ever planned for a day like this.

The reality is that the oil market had long battling a convergence of multiple enemies over the last couple of months, including storage limitations, overproduction, low prices, and the Saudi-Russia oil war. Oil price

futures slipped into negative territory on Monday last week “an appalling oil-market initial, making previous doom and gloom forecasts of OPEC’s too-little-too-late production cuts now seem like sober predictions rather than overzealous fearmongering,” as noted by oil price.com, an oil and gas news platform. The market has been further overwhelmed by a growing supply glut as demand craters amid government’s orders for people to stay at home in order to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Western Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures settled at -$37.63 per barrel that same day, down $55.90 on the day. Not only was it the largest price drop for the commodity in history at some 305.97 per cent, it was also the first time the WTI futures market fell below $0.

The price of Brent crude oil, which is Nigeria’s and other producers’ benchmark fell to $15.98, its lowest level since June 1999, rising on Wednesday by $1.04, or 5.4 per cent, to settle at $20.37 a barrel.

As noted by The Star of New York, “since the start of the year, Brent has fallen about 65 per cent, while WTI has dropped around 75 per cent. The world’s major oil producers, led by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, attempted to wrest control of spiralling inventories by announcing a collective cut of 9.7 million barrels per day in supply in early April. But those cuts will come too slowly to offset rising inventories, which hit 518.6 million barrels in the United States last week, just 3 per cent off an all-time record.”

As it stands, the cost of production of crude in the oilfields of the Niger Delta, is more than the international market price. Evidence suggests the cost of production for most of the upstream companies to be around US$25-US$30 per barrel as such, at current oil prices, many companies will be loss-making, especially where there are huge overheads and finance charges. With revenue projections underperforming and inadequate to meet payment obligations, such com-

panies are unable to proceed with CAPEX plans which could potentially impact production volumes.

Indeed, energy experts project that OPEC producers, like Angola, Nigeria, and Iraq, who don’t have adequate refining capacity at home and don’t have solid long-term oil supply contracts with oil-importing nations are set to lose the most. If prices continue to fall below production cost, many oil producers may be forced to shut crude production, amidst difficulty in getting the cargoes sold.

Earlier in the month, global consulting giant, McKinsey & Company warned that the economy could contract by as much as 3.5 per cent in 2020, compared to the 2019 GDP growth rate of 2.27 per cent.

“That would represent a reduction in GDP of approximately $20 billion, with more than two-thirds of the direct impact coming from oil-price effects, given Nigeria’s status as a major oil exporter,” McKinsey & Company said in a report published

42

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ;˜ 2020

BUSINESS ‘Death’ of Oil and the Nigerian Economy midweek.

McKinsey further added that if the Covid-19 outbreak was not contained, the nation’s economy could contract by 8.8 percent or $40 billion this year alone given its limited fiscal space and huge financial obligations.

“The biggest driver of this loss would be a reduction in consumer spending in food and beverages, clothing, and transport,” according to Acha Leke, senior partner at McKinsey & Company.

Crude accounts for about 75-80 per cent of revenues with several transmission channels into incomes and economic output. Nigeria’s economy has for years relied on crude receipts for virtually all its foreign exchange. Recently rating giants, Fitch and S&P, downgraded Nigeria’s credit rating in recent weeks on the oil slump, with Fitch warning that all 10 Nigerian banks were at “severe risk” because of their exposure to the oil sector. According to Financial Times,“the previous time oil prices plummeted, in 2015, the country sank into a recession from which it has only recently, and barely, recovered.

Economists said that downturn was both exacerbated and prolonged by policy errors, including central bank resistance to what was an inevitable naira devaluation.”

The oil price drop has finally pushed the government to remove the petrol subsidy, which had fixed fuel at N145 a litre and absorbed billions of dollars in spending.

Economists have long advocated an end to the costly subsidy regime, of which economist Pius Okigbo III of Nextier Power, noted,“Every Nigerian leader since 1973 has known that the fuel subsidy is not sustainable.

However, they all lacked the temerity and tenacity to do the needful. These failures have resulted in a need for urgent reforms across all sectors of the economy even at a time when the country is very poor.”

The ‘death’ of oil has starkly exposed the inherent contradictions in the Nigerian economy driven by oil yet almost irredeemably poor. Nigeria’s oil has done very little to grow the economy and drive development, principally due to corruption.

Nigeria, as noted by former U.S Ambassador, John Campbell, “remains “Exhibit A” of the so-called resource curse. At the time of independence in 1960, the nation exported food to West Africa, but now, it is now a net importer. In 1960, Nigeria had a significant manufacturing sector, especially in textiles, furniture, and other goods. With the coming of oil, which began in earnest in the 1970s, fiscal and economic policy were distorted, and oil suckedup domestic and foreign investment at the expense of other sectors of the economy.

“Government borrowing when oil prices were low led to debt. Military governments punctuated by coups resulted in policy instability and uncertainty and facilitated whole-sale looting of the state. Government revenue increasingly came from oil.

With the coming of civilian government in 1999, there has been some recovery, but government revenue remains hostage to fluctuating oil prices. Corruption, if less chaotic and rampant now than under the military, has become institutionalised at almost every level of government. The bright spot, if small now, has been a proliferation of good governance presidential candidates and other Nigerians, who are challenging king oil, politics as usual, and are shining a light on systemic government corruption.”

Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva

So, while countries like Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and even Saudi Arabia used their oil wealth to develop infrastructure and spur development, Nigeria’s case was the contrary.

Billions of dollars of the country’s oil earnings found their way into foreign accounts of Nigeria’s leaders and civil servants. For a country that is oil dependent and poor, cheap rent monies from crude in the Niger Delta meant a small class of kleptocrats and corruptocrats, who perpetuated the country’s inability to break out of the poverty trap.

What this obviously means for the economy ahead, is the reality of heavily reduced income from crude receipts, heavily reduced income from taxes collected by federal and state revenue services, job losses in the oil and gas industry and associated sectors including banks, services as well as the public sector. In all this, there is no short, medium or strategic plan by the federal and state governments to deal with the coming economic cataclysm. The Nigerian government seeks to borrow its way through the crisis by taking over $7 billion from the IMF. Agreed, the government has no major option that to turn to the international financial institutions (IFIs), but it must go beyond just getting monies to spend on stimulus.

There must be critical reforms of the economy including a reform of the inefficient public sector that has been unable to provide efficient public goods all these years. In addition, the incentivisation of the private sector to invest heavily in manufacturing and production is perhaps the only way out.

Nigeria produce little to nothing and import some 90 per cent of its non-food consumption, a situation that depletes its already burdened FX reserve and makes the dollar, pound

OPEC Secretary General, Mohammed Barkindo

and euro very expensive compared to the naira.

What this means is that fiscal diversification would be difficult as weak corporate income and job losses would inevitably lead to incapacity to increase tax revenues from non-oil sector to reduce the reliance on oil revenues for financing spending.

Oil-related receipts continue to dominate budget revenues. Non-oil revenues remain largely unchanged as a share of non-oil GDP at about 3.3 per cent. This has occurred despite a flourishing non-oil sector due largely to the existing tax system, which comes across as cumbersome and ambiguous for tax payers to comply with especially as the country is a low-taxed economy compared to its peers. PwC estimates tax to GDP at 8 per cent, which “is the second lowest in Africa and fourth lowest in the world, compared to an average of 16% for emerging markets and 18% for sub-Saharan African economies.

There is massive room to improve tax receipts by improving compliance and broadening the tax base to include the informal sector which is estimated at 58 per cent of GDP.” While strong GDP growth in the past has been supported by rising government spending and financed by high oil revenues, the Nigerian government needs to expand its import substitution strategy measures to replicate the success of the cement sector which is now reported as in excess of domestic consumption.

While the prohibition of certain import items from officially assessing FX is also being touted as an import substitution strategy although it has been forced by the current economic climate, it has been argued by PwC Nigeria that “probably the greatest constraint in the implementation of the import substitution strategy is the

difficulty in the business environment in terms of trade and logistics infrastructure. From the point of registering a business to electricity, road and rail infrastructure, warehousing and a simplified tax system, it just has to be easy to do business in Nigeria for import substitution to work successfully.”

Furthermore, it was noted that “despite a diversified services sector from a GDP perspective, services exports remain a small share of non-oil GDP at 0.41%. Net service exports in Nigeria has historically been negative as services remain restricted to the traditional services with relatively low value added and limited export potential”.

As noted by Price Waterhouse Coopers, there are probably three essential reasons why Nigeria needs to genuinely pursue diversification.

“First, to insulate the economy from the risk of being vulnerable to a single commodity as the different oil price crashes have shown. Second, to create jobs that can raise the standard of living of an average Nigerian: oil and gas jobs account for less than 1 per cent of total employment and the young population can no longer be absorbed by the public sector. Third, to prepare for life beyond the oil resource.”

Nigeria’s intrinsic economic potential lies beyond oil. Nigeria has a large abundance of metals and minerals.

It has a bubbling retail sector and a young middle class that is starting to embrace e-commerce. It has a big domestic market for manufactured consumer goods. Sadly, over the years, diversification has been the subject of numerous plans and initiatives by the government, although the statistics are broadly unchanged at least from the revenue and export perspectives.

43

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ;˜ 2020

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

No Respite as Nigeria’s ,QÁDWLRQ 6SLNHV There are no indications that consumers will be relieved of the burden of rising commodity prices in the short to medium term as projection for inflation in the month of April suggests that headline inflation will further increase. For the seventh consecutive time, inflation surged year on year in March to 12.26 per cent as against 12.20 per cent in February. Meanwhile, palliative measures being planned by the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria might just be the only hope of survival for the increasing poor population in Africa’s biggest economy. Bamidele Famoofo reports

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ccording to experts, headline inflation is expected to increase by 0.98 per cent month on month, cascading into 12.30 per cent year on year in April 2020. This, definitely, is not a good news for a very large number of the Nigerian population, who wallow in poverty, finding it very difficult to feed themselves and fend for their families especially in this turbulent economic times occasioned by falling oil prices and the Covid-19 malady.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), last week revealed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation recorded an increase of 0.06 percent in March, expanding to 12.26 percent compared to 12.20 percent recorded in February.

The increase in March was the seventh consecutive time headline inflation will rise year on year in Nigeria.

This is the highest inflation rate to be recorded by the economy in the last 23 months. The last time the index was as high as this was in April 2018 when the inflation rate was put at 12.48 per cent.

The report said the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states, which started in April and various major disruptions in normal economic activity in several states would not have any major impact on March inflation, which the report focused on.

Analysts at Cordros research have however said the spike may not abate before long given the present economic realities triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic that has disrupted plans for economic growth globally.

Short-term Outlook Against the rising cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, President Buhari, at the twilight of March, announced lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun in an attempt to flatten the curve of new cases. But from Cordros’ channel checks, “We understand that the impact of the preceding is stoking upward pressure on food prices in April, owing to the disruption of the supply chain in the agriculture sector and the frontloading of food items purchases by consumers.” As new cases grew further, the FGN extended the lockdown by another two weeks, thereby worsening the case for consumer prices, given thinner market supply. Already in March, analysts disclosed that they saw evidence of price pressure in Ogun where food inflation has increased by over 130 basis points year on year. The situation in the Federal Capital Territory, according to analysts was better than Ogun as food inflation only moved up by +80bps y/y, occasioned by the lockdown-induced price increases. “By implication food inflation is expected to grow faster in April by 16bps to 1.10 percent m/m. On balance, core inflation is expected to print 0.83% m/m – 3bps higher than the previous month,” Cordros said.

Inflation Drivers The volatility witnessed in the foreign exchange market in recent times, occasioned by deteriorating macroeconomic picture,

Emefiele

according to experts is responsible for the current spike in inflation. It bled over to both core and food inflation in the review period.

In its last inflation update, analysts at Cordros had expected the still healthy FX reserves would support the CBN currency defence mandate amid the precipitous decline in crude oil prices, occasioned by the COVID-19 outbreak. However, following the Saudi-Russia price war, which worsened the case for oil prices, the CBN announced a “re-alignment” of the currency, moving the official rate upwards from NGN305.00/USD to NGN360.00/USD. The CBN also effected a non-parallel upward shift along the rates sold at different FX windows. Meanwhile, the Naira, which had held steady in the parallel market for more than two years, depreciated by 12.8 percent against the greenback to NGN415/USD in March 2020 alone.

“Elsewhere, we understand that the FGN has further downwardly revised PMS pump price by another 1.2% m/m, due to lower global oil prices. While the foregoing should have ordinarily impacted

the core basket favourably, we believe further FX depreciation at the I&E window and parallel market will bleed over to the core basket in April, and thus, neuter gains from lower PMS prices,” Cordros noted.

Economic Stimulus to the Rescue?

The federal government is not resting on its oars to develop measures to make life bearable for Nigerians in these hard times.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, on March 30, set up the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) headed by the vice president to develop a clear economic sustainability plan until 2023. The committee was tasked with identifying fiscal and monetary measures to enhance oil and non-oil revenues in order to fund the plan; develop a stimulus package and come up with measures to create more jobs while keeping existing ones. Buhari had also approved an initial economic stimulus package of N500 billion. The global economy is expected to go into recession in 2020 while the IMF has predicted that Nigeria will go into recession to a level of negative 3.4 per cent.

Also, barring any last-minute change in

plans, the disbursement of the first tranche of the Central Bank of Nigeria N50billion targeted credit facility was planned to take effect last week. The fund, which is being managed by the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, has received over 80,000 applications.

The Managing Director, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, Mr. Abubakar Kure, confirmed the development to the media recently.

Kure, who did not provide the amount to be disbursed in the first tranche, said that those whose applications were successful would start receiving their fund from Thursday.

He said, “But we are hopeful that towards Thursday or Friday, the disbursement of the fund would commence.”

The CBN had introduced the N50billion Targeted Credit Facility as a stimulus package to support households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The N50billion intervention is being financed from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund. In terms of limit, the loan amount would be determined based on the activity, cash flow and industry size of beneficiary subject to a maximum of N25millio for SMEs.

44

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÍžËœ 2020

BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

AfDB: Why Adesina Deserves Another Term

By Lewis Chukwuma

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he African Development Bank Group (AfDB) isAfrica’s premier development ďŹ nance institution.

It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 37 African countries with an external ofďŹ ce in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

Currently, at the helm of this continental behemoth’s affairs is Dr.Akinwumi Adesina, renowned development economist and a former minister of agriculture in Nigeria and is the eighth elected President of theAfrican Development Bank Group.

He was elected for his ďŹ rst term as president of the development ďŹ nance institution on May 28, 2015, by the Bank’s Board of Governors at its Annual Meetings inAbidjan,CĂ´te d’Ivoire.The ďŹ rst Nigerian to occupy that position,he has announced his intentions to pursue a second term in ofďŹ ce at the bank’s annual meeting in Equatorial Guinea.

SigniďŹ cantly, his proposed candidacy for second tenure as AfDB president has drawn the ďŹ rm endorsements of President Muhammadu Buhari, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Perhaps,this may not be surprising becauseAdesina has demonstrated with his life’s trajectory that development economics fundamentally addresses transformation of the human condition for good.

While the ECOWAS decision backingAdesina’s second tenure was announced at the end of the 56th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, held recently in Abuja, Nigeria, the Executive Council of AU proclaimed its support during the 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, held during the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6-7 February 2020.TheAfrican Union Executive Council comprises 55 ministers of foreign affairs representing the member states of the African Union.

According to the ECOWAS,“In recognition of the sterling performance of Dr.AkinwumiAdesina during his ďŹ rst term of ofďŹ ce as President of the African Development Bank,theAuthority endorses Adesina his candidacy for a second term as the President of the bank,â€?ECOWAS said in a communique issued after the meeting.

The ECOWAS summit included a progress Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development report on the region’s economic performance. It from 2011 to 2015, a career stint that was widely noted the role of the African Development Bank praised for his reforms in the agricultural sector. in the continent’s transformation and called for The former minister brought the same drive to the greater cooperation in order to fund projects in Bank, making agriculture one of the organization’s priority areas. In 2017, he was awarded the World West Africa. “The Authority takes note of the region’s im- Food Prize.

The World Food Prize Foundation lauded Adproved economic performance, with ECOWAS real GDP growing by 3.3% in 2019 against 3.0% esina’s qualitative leadership and his visionary roles in 2018, in a context characterised by a decline in over the past two decades in promotingAgriculture inationary pressures and sound public ďŹ nances,â€? with the Rockefeller Foundation and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). the regional body further said in a statement.

During his tenure, the bank has seen its fortunes More, the Authority commended efforts made on currency and monetary policy convergence rise on several fronts, including the largest general in ECOWAS and laid out plans to advance the capital increase in its history with a capital base of movement. These efforts are a key part of the $208 billion dollars. In the 2018,AidTransparency regional integration agenda championed by the Index Report, released by‘Publish WhatYou Fund’, African Development Bank, as exempliďŹ ed by the the African Development Bank was ranked 4th African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims among 45 development organisations around the world. to become the world’s largest free trade zone.

In Johannesburg in 2018, the bank launched Meanwhile, as COVID-19, the viral global pandemic sweeps the globe, Sub-Sahara African the Africa Investment Forum, a fully transactional region is no exemption to the economic shock. It’s platform, to attract investment into Africa, with worth noting that in its analysis,Renaissance Capital participation from private sector investors, revised down the growth forecast for Sub-Sahara pension and sovereign wealth funds, Heads of State and government ofďŹ cials to discuss speciďŹ c Africa from 3.5 percent to 1.3percent.

A proactive AfDB Group, under Adesina’s adroit investment deals.The Africa Investment Forum leadership has also risen to the challenge and was an outstanding success by all measures.The has announced a $10 billion facility support for forum delivered an impressive US$38.7 billion in African countries. In no small way, this has helped investment interests, all done in less than 72 hours!

However, an apparently contrived crisis is stewscale up a $3 billion COVID-19 social bond on the London Stock Exchange to help Africa deal ing at the Bank.The AfDB president’s unopposed with the economic and ďŹ nancial fallouts of the second term nomination doesn’t appear to sit well pandemic. Industry observers have commended with some non-African shareholders,one of which AfDB president,Adesina,who under his leadership was strongly opposed during his ďŹ rst term election. Recently, there had been some strong Board has made this support a reality.

Adesina has served in a number of high- resistance by a number of non-regional member proďŹ le positions internationally, including with countries who were opposed to the COVID-19 the Rockefeller Foundation, and was Nigeria’s support facilities and the lifting of partial sanctions

for countries such as Zimbabwe and Sudan.

Besides the dispute over the pandemic support fund, there is complaint by some members of the AfDB staff against Adesina’s running of the bank.These allegations which were looked into conďŹ dentially by the Bank’s Ethics Committee, have been circulated widely and against Bank rules by a certain non-regional Executive Director who it is reported has never hidden his opposition to Adesina.

Among several allegations are that Adesina intends to‘Nigerianise’the AfDB by giving compatriots key positions and granting lines of credit to leading Nigerian companies with ease.�

Facts on the bank’s website contradict this as an approved list of projects show that Senegal, Cameroun,Tanzania,Rwanda,Namibia and others are key beneďŹ ciaries of about 75 projects worth $64.5bn.These countries have projects speciďŹ cally targeting them, while Nigeria beneďŹ ts more from multiple-country focused projects.

The publication of the allegations in a prominent French newspaper is providing credence to the perspective that this is a concerted effort by some forces to undermineAdesina’s credibility and thwart his deserved re-election. Interestingly, about a month ago,on March 13,a break-away group from the rank of petitioners ďŹ led a complaint against a key non-African Executive Director for allegedly misleading and manipulating the members of the group against Adesina.

Throwing more light on the botched plot to derail Adesina’s reelection, a staff group clariďŹ ed their position:“We were members of the group called‘Group of Concerned Staff Members’until we understood that we were being manipulated by a group of non-regional Executive Directors, not for the good governance of the African Development Bank but to discredit the candidacy of the current

President for his re-election.�

They further expressed outrage at the actions of an elected staff member, the Executive Director, who uses a group called‘Group of Concerned Staff Members’to take the AfDB hostage.

More, the breakaway group contended there are serious and repeated breaches of the Code of Conduct by the said Executive Director. The fact that the said Executive Director had breached the conďŹ dentiality requirements of the rules and regulations of the Ethics Committee, by providing“exhaustive reports of all discussions (during meetings or by email) between members of the Ethics Committee,â€?was damning.

Adesina, in a formal response to the allegations, insisted that:“TheAfrican Development Bank has a very high reputation for good governanceâ€?, adding that he has conďŹ dence in the Board of Governors of the Bank and pleaded that the Ethics Committee should be allowed to do its job without interference.

It is beyond doubt that Adesina will certainly have his day to defend himself. The emerging consensus is that on every single allegation, he is conďŹ dent that he will be vindicated.

According to Henry Louis Gates, former leader of the African and American Research Institute at Harvard University,“People are afraid, and when people are afraid, when their pie is shrinking, they look for somebody to hate.They look for somebody to blame. And a real leader speaks to anxiety and to fear and allays those fears, assuages anxiety.�

Within the limitations of the continent’s extant peculiar political and economic milieu, in his ďŹ ve years in ofďŹ ce and counting,Dr.Adesina has spoken to continental anxiety and to national fears and allayed those fears as well as assuaged the anxiety.

This is his forte.

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A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

26.04.2020

SENATOR LANRE TEJUOSO

Lessons of Being a Grandfather at 49 Senator ‘Lanre Tejuoso, a former chairman, Senate Committee on Health, grew up amidst affluence and opulence. That sheltered reality has by no means obscured his determination to pursue the public good and render selfless service. That fact also did not imbue him with an insufferable pride common with wealth. Royalty flows in his blood as the first son of Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso. Rather than living an indulgent life, Tejuoso upon graduating from medical school at 21, was one of the youngest doctors around.

His thirst for public service saw him go into politics serving as a commissioner for the Environment in Ogun State. Thereafter, he represented his senatorial district in the last National Assembly. A successful businessman, medical doctor, politician and a committed family man. In this interview with Funke Olaode, Tejuoso talks about the coronavirus pandemic and the realities of being a family man

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As a health professional and former lawmaker, one would expect you to join forces with the government to support the lean team of health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. What have you been doing? ell, I was a government official that had a four-year tenure when I was elected to represent my State, Ogun in the last dispensation. I later held the position of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health.

Now, there is another person occupying the same position in the senate. All I can do at my level since I have access to him, the minister and other stakeholders, is to contact them and give advice where necessary. It is not that I have been folding my arms, I am working behind the scene giving advice, my observations, and recommendations where necessary.

COVID-19 that is ravaging the entire world requires collective fight and all hands must be on deck.

From the Spanish Influenza to Ebola, throw HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,

malaria, etc., in the mix, will you say the state of global health isn’t something to be worried about?

Of course, there are so many theories but nothing has been confirmed. But what is important is that it is a wake-up call for nations generally to attach a lot of importance to their health infrastructure, to attach importance to how they prepare and have the workforce that are skilled to respond to any kind of emergency like this. You know human beings don’t pay much attention until an emergency like this occurs.

Why are African public health organizations, scientists, and government not so keen on research and development that can lead to the invention of vaccines and cure of many of the diseases ravaging the tropics?

In my sojourn at the last senate, I discovered that the funding for research work was very insignificant. So if you don’t fund research there is no way you can get results? The mentality of the government must change towards increasing funding for research work. We have a very good array of professors in Nigeria, good intellectuals who can carry out research but funding has been an impediment. I believe with the intelligence of professors we have in Nigeria,

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

46

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

COVER

How Government Can Avoid Deepening Poverty Through COVID-19 Lockdown we are going to do wonders in the area of research. Generally, it is an issue of funding deficiency.

use mask, cough and sneeze into your elbow, we should have lockdown and we shouldn’t go out. Fine. It is working for them. But here in Nigeria, we have a peculiar problem of the poverty situation and therefore, should modify our approach to avoid hunger being more dangerous than Covid 19. We can adopt the approach that everybody should use mask when they are outside so that they can still go out for minimal existence process, for them to be able to buy something to eat and those who rely on daily income can attend to their businesses. So we are not comparable to the western world so we have to create our own solution.

COVID-19 is the rave of the moment in the world but with the Ebola virus, Africans are still staring down the barrel.

What do you think?

Nigeria’s response to emergency situations is very good. We managed Ebola effectively when it came and we thank God that Ebola has gone. What we are now doing today by wearing masks and using sanitizer began when the Ebola epidemic broke out a few years back, and immediately Ebola left we went back to the basics. We started seeing empty sanitizer cans in hotels and public places. With COVID-19 now, again we are seeing sanitizers everywhere with people adhering to basic health hygiene and rules. Let’s pray that after COVID-19, we will continue the culture.

There are fears though subdued about confirmed cases of COVID-19 exploding in Lagos. The state government is applauded for what it’s been doing so far. What still needs to be done to fight the virus head-on?

World Health Organization (WHO) has applauded Nigeria and the Centre of Excellence, Lagos State, for the way it has handled the COVID-19 cases so far. Kudos to governor Sanwo-Olu and his team led by the highly-respected Prof. (Akin) Abayomi for their swift effective response. Again, we are lucky and God is with us really that we are not having the kind of outbreak we are seeing on television happening in other countries.

And what needs to be done? In my own opinion as a medical practitioner, I think the government should upgrade our primary health care centres to function maximally.

We are such a large population with a large populace in different geographic locations all over the country. You will be surprised that there are regions or locations that don’t even know what is called COVID-19 today because of their distance to the urban centers.

The country is well-spaced out on paper in terms of local governments and wards. So we expect that every ward must have a functional primary health centre. We expect that with a primary health centre that is well-equipped with drugs, basic equipment and skilled workers, anyone that has simple complaints like fever, diarrhoea, etc can go there and be given immediate attention. Not only that, we expect to have a functional laboratory that is close by to carry out tests and identify the diagnosis. When I was in the Senate, we fought for the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, a game-changer for the health sector of Nigeria. This fund, according to the law we introduced, is to ensure that every primary health care centre in the country is funded maximally and directly by the Central Bank of Nigeria avoiding all the bureaucracy of government. The centers would be able to receive any low or highincome earners and our elites in the country for basic health care services. For instance, if we had such in place today, we won’t be struggling to look for locations to receive our suspected covid 19 patients for their first management when they present with symptoms.

Nigeria’s health system, largely, at private and public levels have been in shambles. National and subnational budgetary allocations to health leave much to be desired. Why do you think health is one of the least important items on the government’s menu even though every leader parrots, ‘health is wealth’, ‘life has no duplicate’?

The answer to your question is being seen with the scenario created by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can see that now that it is affecting everybody, the low, high and mighty, government at every level has risen to the occasion working on how they would make the health system work. At the National Assembly, as earlier mentioned, a law was introduced called the Health Act of 2014 wherein we declared that a minimum of one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the country must be set aside into a basket for the health sector to offer basic health care provision to all Nigerians. It was signed during President (Goodluck) Jonathan but since then the government did not recognize or obey the law until we pushed

What’s your thought on Nigeria’s political system?

I want to encourage the technocrats to get interested in politics, leadership positions, and government. It is not everybody that will go for political office contesting this and that. What I am saying is that they should identify with a political party and contribute to the process of presenting qualitative candidates for elective posts. Sometimes if you read these people’s robust analysis on social media, you would be amazed on how knowledgeable and intelligent Nigerians are. Such people will be influencers in the political party if they do not want to present themselves for elective posts. If they get involved in politics their ideologies can help in piloting the affairs of the country through the right candidates presented by their party after rigorous screening.

From medicine to business then politics and now private life. What have you been doing since you left the senate?

I have been very busy developing myself in my professional field which is medicine. I have been involved in online courses, getting information on how to develop the health sector, health financing, etc. And of course, trying to be useful when I am invited to give advice by individuals, government and private organizations as a consultant. Also, I have two beautiful grandchildren that keep me busy. So I have been very busy. I also try to develop myself spiritually.

Senator Lanre Tejuoso

for it in 2016/2017. For the first time, the one percent was put into the budget in 2018 and also 2019. For me, to have a robust health care system, the private sector must be involved even with management. When the banks, telecoms companies, etc become privatelyrun in Nigeria they became successful. Also, the fortune of companies once owned by the government changed positively when they were privatized. We can replicate that in the health sector. We need the private sector to get involved in our health sector and the management should be removed from the government. Let’s run the primary health centres the way we are running our banks and everyone will enjoy going to see doctors and nurses as we know that the private sectors don’t joke with their businesses.

Would the poor be able to afford privately-funded primary health care centres?

It can work. Today, both the rich and the poor have mobile phones. Both the rich and the poor have bank accounts, even if it’s only N500 that’s in it. Health sector financing will be robust, being a volume business, if supported by mandatory health insurance with every Nigerian paying a token of N200 per month. If 20 million out of 200 million Nigerians decide to pay N200 every month, for example, that is N4 billion per month.

This translates to N48 billion per annum which is greater than the capital budget of the health ministry ever. Tell me, how much do they want to spend in one health care centre? Okay, the health workers’ salaries, basic medical drugs, power, and water maintenance. Then who is going to run it? This is why the private sector must get involved and management revolving round a health practitioner and administration by the private sector. The government should just create an enabling environment. This mandatory health contribution was injected into the new health insurance commission bill that we passed in the 8th senate and still awaiting conclusion.

It has become a status symbol for Nigerians to go abroad for a medical check-up. Are we in a hopeless situation where a President, governor or lawmaker seeks health care abroad and the have-nots languish in ramshackle clinics fighting for bed spaces or medicines?

Nigeria is the greatest beneficiary of this COVID-19 pandemic because we are forced to upgrade our health care facilities and practise what we have been preaching. We have good theory and documentation on how to run hospitals and primary health care centres, policies introduced year in year out but we lack the practical aspect but now, we are forced into the practical aspect.

So our situation is not hopeless if the right things are put in place. Even the donations received so far can be used for the cause but at the same time, part of it can be used to strengthen and upgrade our primary health centres through the basic health care provision fund. It will help the country in case of any emergency.

Apart from the one percent separate funding, do you think the five percent budgetary allocation to health is sufficient?

Well, as said earlier I am no longer in the senate and can’t say what is going on now in terms of budgetary allocation being given to the Federal Ministry of Health every year.

As said earlier, the one percent fund was signed into law in 2014. This fund will be run by a separate entity so that all monies coming to Nigeria will go into that basket.

The donations for COVID 19 could also be managed through this channel.

What is the way forward in view of the COVID-19 pandemic? Advice to the world?

Well, all the processes that we are adopting in Nigeria today for COVID-19 are the lessons we are learning from the international community; that we should

You have one of the best restaurants in Nigeria, located in Abeokuta, Ogun.

Why did you go into the ‘food’ business?

The restaurant is a mixture of everything.

We have Chinese and continental. One is Royal Mandarin Restaurant and Mayfair Executive which is an exclusive membership club with a gym, etc. I moved to Abeokuta over 10 years ago and with my experience in Lagos and other countries, I said there is no point moving somewhere and not improve on your immediate environment and get what you see in other developed societies. My wife, Princess Moji Tejuoso, decided she would run such an enterprise and I supported her. We have been seeing such beautiful projects in Lagos, London, Paris, etc and we felt it would be a nice idea to replicate in Abeokuta. It’s a good feeling to put smiles on people’s faces.

You got married at 22 and became a grandfather at 49, what have you learnt?

I consider myself very lucky to have become a grandfather at such a young age when some of my contemporaries are still raising their children.

It is not by my power but by the grace of God. One of the major lessons that l have learnt is that such privilege comes with a lot of responsibilities. For instance, knowing that you have young grand children help to guide your behaviour on how to present yourself among your peers especially in politics. I find myself in contest with much older people desperate for positions but my grandfather status, that they don’t have, make me concede as I assume they are still growing. A form of consolation for me.

Grand fatherhood also inspires you more to develop a nation that these grandchildren will inherit because most people pray that ‘they want to do such development right so that the generation yet UNBORN will inherit’...By the special grace of God my own generations are already born and I am young enough to see even more generations by the special grace of my God. I thank Him that He has allowed me to see my next generation and I have an urgency attachment of my own perception of bequeathing a better nation.

Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

47

High Life

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

The Return of Jimoh Ibrahim

Sad...Businessmen, Socialites and Pillars of High Society Mourn Globe Motors Boss, Willy Anumudu

here’s no gainsaying the observation that the Covid-19 pandemic is rending many economies and social spaces in a variation of colours, from harsh hues of starvation and death on one end, to sharp shades of appreciation and fortuity on another. Jimoh Ibrahim, with his gesture of goodwill and charity, just got himself invited onto the right end of the pandemic’s spectrum of consequence.

One of the most recently encouraging news bit from the Sunshine State, Ondo, was the #40 million donation to the government from the coffers of none other than former gubernatorial candidate, Jimoh Ibrahim. This was Mr. Ibrahim’s contribution to combating the deadly virus in Ondo State, and that singular gesture catapulted him from the cocoon of private life he had swerved into, to new heights of popularity and acclaim.

The business boss personally presented the cheque to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and suggested that the money be included in the government’s enviable efforts to provide and assist private health facilities in managing the virus and the scars of its outgrowth.

In response, Governor Akeredolu greatly appreciated the symbol of goodwill, assured Mr. Ibrahim of spending every penny judiciously, and explained that isolation centres had already been established in the three senatorial districts of the state, and his contribution will go a long way towards getting big private hospitals at the local governments involved.

Recall that this is the same Jimoh Ibrahim who danced away from the high roads after repeated allegations and accusations in his business and enterprising. It was the very same Jimoh Ibrahim who attempted the governorship seat in 2003, and failed to attain it.

But all these did not damper his spirit, as his ventures continued to grow and enjoy the veils of controversy.

This very same Jimoh Ibrahim has now bounced back, with goodwill on the left and his vast mintage on the right, gone are the days of keeping a low profile.

Transitions, changes and every other phenomenon of related ilk quite evidently exist for some purpose or the other in this world. Yet, on no other subject under the sun has humanity had cause to express ignorance and morbid embarrassment.

In death, for instance, one is faced with an opponent that would sooner rend the cards than deal them, sooner crush its guests than coddle them, sooner take away all things than leave any behind. A new card has been taken away from the Nigerian peoples, the man that was Willy Anumudu.

The ranks of Nigerian high societal class have been thrown off course with grief over the passing away of automobile superman and salesman, the very accomplished Chief Willy Anumudu. This is the renowned figure whose enterprising operations were behind the founding and management of one of Nigeria’s biggest car-dealing establishments, Globe Motors.

The news of Anumudu’s death was reported by the distinguished publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu. He it was who reported on Twitter that the giant

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Ibrahim

of car sales had passed on following health challenges. It has also been reported that Anumudu’s passing is not to be credited to the dreaded Covid-19 virus, because Chief Anumudu had been tested and found without it.

Regardless, in a bid to treat him, plans had already been launched to have Anumudu air-lifted to Germany.

Unfortunately, it was for nought as the man – who is described by Dele Momodu as a popular socialite, and so jolly a good fellow he was everybody’s friend – gave up the ghost in the early hours of Tuesday, the 21st of April, at the age of 69.

Countless dignitaries and members of the society have taken it upon themselves to console the family of Chief Anumudu, comprising his wife Nkiru (who was in London when Anumudu passed on) and his kids – Uzoma, Eyinna, Zinna and Zikky.

Chief Willy Anumudu will not be forgotten easily. His life is one narrative of desire and determination, foresight and genius, and a robust idealism that saw dreams take form.

Anumudu

......Willy Anumudu Took Battle with Elizade Boss, Ade-Ojo to Grave

Ade-Ojo

People are fond of saying that the truest friendships are as sturdy vessels riding on the high seas and bearing under even the harshest of weather conditions. That might be true.

History however teaches that the truest

friendships can be fractured from the inside, and then the storms that rage against them are simply from larboard to starboard. And when one port gives way, doesn’t the ship sink? It absolutely does.

The friendship of the late Globe Motors boss, Chief Willy Anumudu and his counterpart, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, the Chairman of Elizade Motors, was shredded to planks and nails on the desktop of business. Although, following reports in that regard, it was never that strong to begin with (even though it lasted more than two decades and a half), their spat and alleged mutual disdain for each other pushed them farther apart and further than even business would allow or benefit from. With Chief Anumudu having gone past the posts of this life, that animosity is something he left unresolved.

The story goes that while Anumudu

Joy of a Father…As Nigeria’s Biggest Philanthropist, Femi Otedola Serenades Daughter They say that a daughter may outgrow her father’s lap, but she’ll never outgrow his heart. Having watched – with apprehension first, trust later, and joy now – his little girl grow to be an awesome lady, philanthropist and mintage merchant, Femi Otedola has taken his celebration of his eldest girl, Tolani, to heart. This is in spite of the pandemic that is ravaging the country – proof positive that a father’s love outclasses everything else.

Tolani Otedola is the eldest child and daughter of Femi Otedola, the business mogul that is globally acclaimed for his investment genius and insight into the affairs of enterprise. A singer, Tolani’s position as first child – and daughter – undoubtedly fixed her into the permanent position of daddy’s girl.

And so her adding a year to already merry years on Tuesday the 21st of

Otedola and his daughter, Tolani

April was a milestone in the Otedola household.

and Ojo Ade were not exactly chummy in the old days, they still rode the same waves, with considerable clout divided between them in the Nigerian automobile industry. That changed when Toyota allegedly decided to abandon Anumudu and deal more explicitly with Ojo Ade. Of course, the narrative is divided here: some sources have Anumudu immediately taking umbrage at Ojo Ade’s alleged involvement and masterminding of the action, while other sources have Anumudu insistent on his rights as a major deal of the brand. However, all the sources agree that, that incident was the storm that blew the wraith of a friendship to even ghostlier ends.

At the time of his death, Chief Anumudu reportedly remained resolute in his disregard for Chief Ojo Ade, and the feeling remained mutual. Score one for animosity over amity.

Celebrating her, Femi Otedola posted “Happy Birthday to my angel”, showing that even giants of merchandise can grasp at the little things of love, affection and devotion.

Tolani Otedola is only in her late twenties (so shout-outs to scheming bachelors) and an Afro-inspired singer. She is the first among four others, including Florence Ifeoluwa (the renowned and award-winning DJ Cuppy), Elizabeth Temi, and Fewa (the only male boy of the Otedola tribe).

For those who know Femi Otedola, his family is the basic foundation of his successes and business endeavours. Their family is a close-knit tribe, with the children Otedolas allowed to walk their own paths and find their own El Dorados.

On his own, father Otedola is an accomplished businessman, a notable presence in the oil sector – until he decided to man the industry of power, a smart decision.

His loyalty to his family however demonstrates that he is first a father, before his other handles of mint mogul, philanthropist, and ready investment merchant.

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Orji Uzor Kalu Glides into Sexagenarian Club in Prison

How BUA Boss Abdul Samad Rabiu is Leading Fight Against COVID-19 It’s not just about the megabucks.

The billionaire businessman and founder of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, is always one step ahead in life and enterprise. As a visionary industrialist, he’s driven as much by creating more wealth and helping humanity to become better; not essentially by publicity-driven philanthropy but by an innate desire to save the world.

To illustrate, Abdul Samad Rabiu was the first Nigerian moneybag to make a voluntary and humongous donation to the government to stop the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic as it berthed in Nigeria.

Without mincing words, in that case, and many others, the industrialist set the pace.

A leading voice in commerce with a conscience, the business magnate has again gone a step further to make a public service advert to keep his millions of compatriots safe as COVID-19 ravages the world and threatens humanity. Of all values Rabiu hold sacred, the value for human life comes first.

The BUA boss, since the first case of COVID-19 in Africa, has committed over N3 billion in cash, food items, medical supplies and infrastructure to various initiatives in this fight.

His conglomerate, the BUA Group, which he personifies, has become the rallying point for corporate Nigeria.

In a recent video advert, first of its kind by many standards among Nigeria’s teeming billionaires, Rabiu said, “Africa is recording an increasing number of COVID-19 cases daily and we cannot afford to enable the spread.”

In the video, he admitted: “If there is one thing we have learnt about this virus it is that it does not respect race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, or status.”

Not one to give up in a fight that involves saving humanity, the BUA boss urged Nigerians to stand together to defeat the virus, saying: “But one thing is certain: we can break the cycle if we all come together and fight it. No one person can do it alone. And now more than ever we need each other to come together and fight this virus.

“Stay home. Wash your hands regularly. Report any suspected cases immediately. Follow instructions of the health authorities and of course always observe social distancing.

“Together, we can win this fight.

Please stay home and stay safe. My name is Abdul Samad Rabiu and I am committed to this fight. Are you?”

Rabiu

Kalu

When the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzoh Kalu clocked 60 last week Tuesday, it was without any fanfare.

But for the COVID-19), there would have been multiple parties at Igbere (his hometown), Lagos, Abuja, London, New York and Dubai.

Besides, many of his fans would have spent millions of Naira to place congratulatory adverts in newspapers, especially The Sun and New Telegraph. But, at times, life could be a lone journey!

Kalu, who is regarded as one of Nigeria’s richest men, was not celebrated even by his socalled friends or political associates, a situation that suggests that he has somehow begun to taste the cold side of powerlessness since he was tried and convicted for corruption.

In other words, the attention he used to get unsolicited has dwindled. The number of his friends and hangers-on has also dropped.

And as proof of the transient nature of power, his birthday celebration was reportedly devoid of the usual fanfare.

Until recently, OUK as fondly called was one of the most powerful and prominent politicians in the country, following Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

The former Abia State governor was said to be so powerful that he reportedly installed his preferred and anointed candidate, Senator Theodore Orji, as his successor.

In fact, as a former governor, and a political godfather, many kowtowed to him.

His political career further got a boost when he joined the ruling party, the All Progressives Party, APC, where he contested and won election into the Senate.

Thereafter, he became a political idol and was said to have even been nursing the ambition of becoming the number one citizen of the country in 2023.

Indeed, life couldn’t be any better.

But this crashed abruptly when his case with the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was reopened.

He was subsequently convicted and jailed.Since his political descent, so many things have begun to change in his life.

“None of those who used to swarm around him like bees to nectar deemed it fit to drop at least a word for him in any of the newspapers, if only to show him that they are still with him. This is a lesson that power, indeed, is transient,” a source said.

First Bank Chair, Ibukun Awosika Bereaved Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, First Bank Plc, has been in mourning since death, in its raw wickedness, plucked life out of her father, Abdul Moshood Adekola, on Monday, April 20, 2020.

Ibukun, also an author, announced the passing of her dear father with a long emotional tribute and a picture of him on social media.

The deceased, born a Muslim, converted to Christianity at 60 and died at 87. The motivational speaker thanked her dad for teaching her siblings and herself the value of hard work and contentment, saying “ABDUL MOSHOOD ADEKOLA 12th of December 1932 to 20th of April 2020. My father, my teacher, my cheer leader. It’s tough to think that you are gone forever.

“Though I always knew that the day will come and thought I was prepared for it, yet I must confess that it’s really hard.

“Thank you daddy, for teaching us the value of hard work and about living a decent

honorable life. Thank you for the courage to let us all express ourselves in our own way. “Thank you for being unconventional enough to let me pursue my own goals in seasons when it was not popular to do so. “Thank you for teaching my siblings and I that we could pursue our goals without any consideration for our gender.

“Thank you for teaching us the humility of loving all men. Thank you for teaching us contentment. Thank you for showing me the courage of conviction by having the audacity to give your life to Christ at 60years of age , and serving God as an usher in church for so many years. Thank you for standing as our diligent single parent for 19 years since mummy passed in 2001.

“I thank God today for everyday of your 87 years of life. Glad that heaven has truly gained a good soul today. Love you my daddy. Enjoy heaven!( sic).”

Awosika

COVID-19: Zinox Group Boss, Leo Ekeh’s Succour for the Needy By virtue of his rare accomplishments, Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group , is one of the few businessmen who have written their names in gold.

The string of industry awards that litter his ornate office is evident of his success story in the sector.

So far, it can be said that Providence has been fair to him, especially when you consider his intimidating resume, international connections and riches.

The Imo State-born billionaire, without a doubt, is also one of the few Nigeria’s businessmen who can rub shoulders with other top businessmen around the globe.

Interestingly, in addition to his uncommon feats as a businessman, he is also one of the few in the country whose love for fellow human beings beggars description on account of the fact that he gives freely without creating unnecessary attention about it.

Society Watch gathered that in a bid to ameliorate the impact of the lockdown occasioned by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic in most states of the federation, the Zinox Group has committed to Again, Otunba Yemi Lawal, Chairman, Seagle Property Development, last week, showed what might be described as an act of fellow feeling to the underprivileged in the Oshodi and Oniru areas of Lagos, in line with his avowed commitment to cushioning the effects of the lockdown occasioned by the global Coronavirus pandemic, while also supporting the efforts of the government

Ekeh

feeding over 7000 Nigerian families for two weeks through its staff spread across the

various states in Nigeria.

The ingenious initiative is also targeted at supporting the efforts of the federal and state governments in reaching the needy Nigerians across the country.

To this end, the management of the Zinox Group, which includes Zinox Technologies Ltd, TD Africa, Task Systems Ltd, TD Plus, TD Life as well as the Konga Group( with its growing subsidiaries such as Konga Travel; KongaPay; and Kxpress, among others ), will be deploying its staff across all its network of branches to reach the under-reached and under-served populations.

The initiative, it was learnt, was borne out of the hardship and suffering he witnessed during his visits to various rural locations and suburbs, recently.

Consequently, the Zinox Group has set up a special palliative fund running into millions of Naira, from which all employees across the Group will have their accounts credited.

Top Property Merchant, Yemi Lawal’s Fellow feeling stimulus relief package prepared for the citizens.

The respected businessman and the Imole Adinni of Lagos shared cash and food items to the people of the communities to lessen the excruciating effects of the lockdown on the beneficiaries.

According to him, “the governments, at all

levels, are trying their best at this challenging time.

So, well-meaning individuals should assist and come to the aid of the people, most especially their immediate constituents. “ Lawal floated Seagle Property in 2007, after practicing as a banker for 18 years.

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with JOSEPH EDGAR ̡͸΁͸΁ͽͻͺͽͿ΁͹̢

Abba Kyari – A Very Solemn Goodbye Me, I don’t have too much power that is why I have waited a bit before sending my own condolence. My senior colleagues, Chief Femi Fani Kayode and Simon Kolawole who were quick off the mark to send very sincere tributes ran into a hail of turbulence. So me that I am struggling to hide from the Covid wahala will now come and be letting people who should be in self-isolation to come and be abusing me?

For me, I really do not think or believe you deserve all that noise simply because as a political scientist who attended all my classes I understand perfectly

the role you played in the system during the last years of your life. Let me just educate some people small. You see, politics is all about relations to power by contending forces. These relations are all the more strident in this our situation where there is a major concentration of resources centrally. So the ‘fight’ for power is usually fierce because it comes also with control of centrally controlled resources.

By your appointment, you found yourself the gatekeeper to that source of power that is why you see the situation where you are next to God to some and

to others you are the first cousin of –make I no talk the name depending on where they stand in the ‘food chain’. Our people get very emotive in their reaction to things like these. They throw facts and logic out of the window and will be shouting with spittle everywhere without really making points that can withstand intellectual scrutiny.

But let me don’t talk too much, so that you can concentrate wherever you are and in whatever you plan to achieve where you are. Sleep well my lord and may Allah find you worthy of his Grace. I hope that is how they say it. Sleep well sir.

Kyari

El-Rufai

Chugbo

Agoda

Ganduje

EL-RUFAI – WELCOME BACK You know as we say it in Shomolu, fear be one catch me o. Since the people who reportedly contracted this Covid with him had all come out and I hadn’t heard from my lord, I had started getting worried. I started looking for information on his state of health. Thankfully, they released a picture of Mallam showing that he was fighting and would soon defeat the illness. I noticed small grey beards, that one we used to call ‘gemu’ and was very sure that we would soon get the good news. As expected, the announcement came that we had tested negative twice and as such the worst was over. A huge sigh of relief was sent out and mighty thanks to Almighty Allah for his love and support. Well-done my lord but don’t vex that I am throwing this at you so early but this was one of the reasons I was waiting for you.

Help us have a sit down with that your boy, I cannot remember his name just yet and truthfully I do not really care. He has been reported to have gone on social media abusing people’s mothers like a man without the requisite upbringing. I know you will not tolerate this and I want to believe that he took advantage of your isolation to run rampage. I know you very well na, all the abuse OBJ and Atiku have heaped on you even writing a book you have never one day been reported to have attempted to jump on their mothers and pass them around like has been reported.

This kind of behaviour is not good and I expect that with your newfound energy, you will stamp this out urgently. Please my lord do not forget your drugs and don’t be jumping

on top pole like Oshio baba who has been all over social media posing up and down and making young girls be asking their boyfriends if they have that kind of stamina. Please take it easy and when lockdown is over, I will send Afang to you. Stay calm.

have taken it upon themselves to redress this great damage by sending out the truth. For me, Dr, Chugbo remains an unsung hero in the hearts that he touched and history will vindicate him. So no worries. Sleep well my brother in the very warm bosom of the Lord.

DR. EMEKA CHUGBO – GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL This kind-hearted doctor has been badly maligned in death or so, as his many friends want us to believe.

They say the narration surrounding his very painful passing is totally wrong and has done his legacy a great injustice. What was peddled in the media from so-called official sources was that the good doctor had gone to take care of a Covid 19 patient against statutory procedure in a private facility and in the process contracted the illness from where he lost his life. Well, newer information coming out shows that as a prominent Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist there was no way he could have been called in to manage Covid 19 which is a respiratory illness. Furthermore, we have also found out that he was called upon to come and handle a Caesarean Section case which was complicated. The case according to sources was even pro bono.

The good doctor jumped in not realising that this was a patient with Covid. So the doctor lost his life in service to humanity, an oath he swore to when he first qualified as a medical doctor. It is really sad that his legacy would face such a whitewash, really sad. Luckily the doctor has touched so many lives with his humanity.

Kindness and zest for lives and they

FRANCIS AGODA ‘S MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS I am sure a lot of you will not recognise him with this name but with his stage name – I go dye. I hear he has just donated his brand new Mansion to the Edo State Government to use it as an Isolation Centre for patients with this Covid 19. This gesture is really very very touching especially when you compare this action with those of his other colleagues who are going around doing party and jumping into courts and are now forcefully sweeping main road. My brother thank you so so much for this kind gesture. God bless you too much.

GANDUJE – I AM WORRIED When the index patient landed in Ewekoro, people were just panicking anyhow. You know me I can think far, my own was just that make the thing no reach Kano. That is when we will really see fire. Today, it has entered Kano and in less than a week, they are on the top of the table with one of the highest infection rates. As if that is not enough, we are hearing reports of mysterious deaths in the state. I have even seen a report of about 190 people being buried within a four-day period. You know I am very careful of news reports with the spate of fake news everywhere and everybody now

turning into emergency journalist so I first did not believe until I saw it on NTA. My brother, what is really going on, why are people just dropping dead like that? This is scary o. One does not even know what to pray for again. You find yourself subconsciously praying that it is not Covid 19 but what does it matter?

Death na death. No matter the cause, these are really perilous times and I hope these leaders can just stop running around confused and truly provide direction. God help us.

EJIRO EGHAGHA – CONGRATS IN ADVANCE I set out today not to write anything about Covid. It’s just so depressive and suffocating. But as you can see, I have spent almost 90% of the column talking about it. So I am kind of very happy to talk about this my childhood friend. By the time you read this, he would have emerged new President of our Alumni Association. Our set o. The set of 84. The election has been fun, healthy and very competitive like it usually is.

Come and see English everywhere.

He is competing against another great guy Dele Vincent. As the Duke, my heavyweight is with Ejiro so failure is not an option. Na the confidence dey make me write now before election cos I am so sure of victory. Well, if he lose, no problem na. After all Atiku lose reach Supreme Court, he no go psychiatric hospital. So if Ejiro lose, he go just go bath sleep and retire to Ughelli where he come from. Anyways, just to say well done, you have put up a good fight. Bless you

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

26.04.2020

IN NEW YORK AND SMACK IN A PANDEMIC Tony Nsofor beside one of his yet-to-be-completed works

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

ARTS & REVIEW\\VISUAL ARTS

IN NEWYORK AND SMACK IN A PANDEMIC The allure of the New York art season sees Nigerian artist Tony Nsofor visiting the city at a time the coronavirus pandemic has forced the bustling city into lockdown. Now, he is compelled to review his creative process to adapt to his current realities, writes Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

I

t’s such a cold, dreary Tuesday morning in Manhattan.

A thunderstorm, according to the weather forecast, is threatening to unleash its ire sometime later in the day.

But now, it’s still 7 a.m. and Tony Nsofor, though feeling groggy – having barely just woken up from a four-hour sleep –, assures his interlocutor at the other end of the line that the weather is usually this cold even when the sun is up. Indeed, he affirms that today (Tuesday, April 21) is particularly slower than usual.

This, for the dreadlocks-sporting Nigerian-born artist, would be the fourth visit to New York City. It is a visit, during which he seems to be witnessing the unravelling of his artistic dreams.

This is as he helplessly watches things head south. He had come to this world-renowned vibrant city with the high hopes of leveraging on the art season to gain access to its local art community. “Most of the shows open around now in the over 1,500 art spaces in New York alone,” he says.

But then, COVID-19 happened. Something nobody could ever have imagined would happen. And New York like the rest of the world has shut down. Consequently, Nsofor is hunkering down like virtually the rest of humanity, hoping it would all soon blow over like a nightmare and things would return to what they used to be.

The 1997 University of Nigeria, Nsukka fine and applied arts graduate’s first time in New York was in April last year. He had been invited by Thought Pyramid Art Centre to participate in the New York art fair. A high point of his travelling life, he calls it. “I was ecstatic. Apart from the time difference and jet lag, I walked every day in a stunned state, gushing at the splendour of Manhattan. I had sold a few paintings before coming, so it was convenient to stay in Manhattan for 10 days.”

The enchanting dazzling lights of Times Square suited Nsofor's restless and roving disposition so much that he had spent the first four hours after his arrival soaking in the impressions. Besides trying to visit as many art spaces as he could in less than two weeks, he felt this oneness with the bustling city.

He was thrilled to be part of its multi-racial hordes of people in the streets. He marvelled at the workmanship of the impressive skyscrapers. Like the typical travellers, he snapped away with his camera, storing away these priceless memories for another day when he could wring coherence from out of them in quietness.

“I felt at one with Manhattan,” he muses. “Something about the ambitions that drive the city resonated with me. My Nigerian friend, Chisimbili who now lived here with his wife and kids, said it: I belonged here. I started dreaming of perfect bliss. It was to own an apartment in the centre of Manhattan surrounded by all the art spaces. That was the dream. Now, I am living it. Unfortunately, it is as they say, ‘Be careful what you wish for’.”

So, he is back – a year later – in Manhattan, staying in a friend’s apartment in Greenwich Village. Indeed, some elements of his dream did come true. But, there are things he wouldn’t have factored into this dream. Sure, the looming skyscrapers are still very much around. And there are hints of life: cars parked on the streets, flashing lights of the display windows of the neighbourhood shops, some homeless people trudging on and lugging along their luggage on the streets and some people with cameras snapping away. Besides these, a haunting silence reigns in the city.

Like in every city in lockdown, New Yorkers are advised to wear masks, regularly wash their hands and maintain social distancing if they must come out to exercise or buy groceries.

Ideally, the authorities would be happier if everyone (except front-line workers) stayed home.

“Here I am in my dream apartment in the heart of New York City and the silence is stifling,” the artist moans. Of course, he would occasionally stroll by Chelsea and pass by shops with their glittering displays. “The neon lights still flashed in the city, only that this time it was broken by the flickering red lights of ambulances dashing through empty roads to somewhere.

The buildings advertised the art events that had started a few months earlier. One could peep through barred glass windows at the exhibits inside some of the buildings. Like a dream turning into a nightmare, New York seemed to be falling asleep on everyone…”

So, here goes his plan to visit friends and relatives in five

Tony Nsofor in a Manhattan appartment

at one end of the park on some days if I wasn’t taking pictures.

I met Sufi, David, JP and Cornbread (I wonder the story behind that unusual name).

Sufi is a Muslim immigrant, who lives in the basement of a Catholic church. The first thing he did when they gave him space was to ask that the crucifix on the wall of his room be removed. David seems to have no story. He floats through the park and would disappear for days. JP is an elderly ex-military man who had fought in Vietnam. He is a ranked chess player. Cornbread is the rough-and-tumble brother who loudmouths everyone and enjoys provoking JP the alpha male of this group of chess players, who gives lessons for a donation.

It is all love. People just have a different way of living it.”

But the difficulty in working in the quiet apartment Tony Nsofor's working space in Manhattan persisted. So, he volunteered different states during his current visit to America. “I planned to to walk fellow tenants’ dogs by joining a group formed to help paint some family portraits also, to keep busy. I came with some people to deal with the solitude. “It was after several conversations with friends and a mental health worker that it finally art materials because I was preparing for a solo show at the dawned on me how to rejig my creative process,” he says. “For National Museum [Lagos] sometime in July.” in these strange times, the silence became a disruptive, loud Now, here is an artist whose creative process thrives in crowded, noisy spaces. He files away his experiences from visits noise. That was how I started to work again. I started ‘populating’ the apartment with ‘people’. [This was] through seeing and journeys to crowded markets and malls, live band events, them in the lifestyle magazines that a friend sent me...” bars and densely-populated streets of Abidjan, Johannesburg, Now, Nsofor has started producing art again. He finds Lagos, Istanbul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Broadway as himself working simultaneously on different things: writing his invaluable raw materials. “The experiences usually lead me a poem as well as an essay about his experiences during the to isolation in my studio where I reenact all the energy of the rat residency in Singapore, producing collages on watercolour race, relocating them into my work.” paper and canvas. “I usually don’t work with a sketch, so the The prospect of sitting around the apartment twiddling his work kind of growing out daily. Its end is a process of erasing, thumbs was appalling. The loneliness weighed down on his layering and acceptance. I try to work with the most malleable sensibilities. He had, upon arrival in New York, ordered more materials from pigments and watercolour to pasting magazine art materials from Blicks. But, even their arrival a few days later cuttings (chosen sometimes for the subtle colours). It is amazdid nothing to put him in work mode. Walking around Washing the number of whites one can see in one magazine. Or, it’s ington Square Park to watch the street performers, the people for their colour nuances torn out of clothes, and parts of human exercising and walking their dogs helped. “I also played chess bodies placed beside other body parts like a jigsaw puzzle. I am always thinking of motion as a character of living, a liveliness similar to the scene sets of a movie. I also want to integrate subsets to every theme that allows the audience the participation that may wander away from the crowd, thus making the interpretation of the work personal.”

Yinka Olatunbosun birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Meanwhile, news filtering in from Nigeria into groups to raise funds to support jazz artists and This year, the celebration of JAM will be is unsettling. “Through the deafening silence, venues while others performed online. virtual. Courtesy Jazz Philadelphia, V-Jam I can actually hear myself walk through the April had been selected as the Jazz Appreciation radition had been broken. April Philly will enable the Jazz community to come past, evaluating all those relationships that are Month because many jazz greats such as Duke is observed globally as the Jazz together and show strengths, celebrate talents disappearing into coloured memory remakes.

Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Herbie Appreciation Month in honour of and give jazz lovers the music they crave I anxiously await the news that maybe one of Hancock, Carmen McRae and many more had been using live stream concerts, blog posts, photo jazz heritage. Created in 2001 by my paintings has been sold and I will get paid. born in this month. series and fund raising activities, the Jazz John Edward Haase, curator of the I mainly worry daily about meals. I also worry Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) aims to community is united in exuding resilience.

Smithsonian’s National Museum whether I will remain constant in paying for encourage people to learn the history of this music In Lagos, the Lagos International Jazz of American History, the concept of Jazz Apmy son’s upkeep and some other bills. I already genre. In 2018, as part of the JAM, NRW Kulture Festival has been cancelled for the year and told my manager to inform the landlord of my preciation has been celebrated across the world Sekretariat hosted six select international journalists in the past week, its founder, Ayoola Shadare apartment in Abidjan, that all payments for rent with concerts, festivals and artist talks. But some to visit Bonn, Germany to explore the heritage of the had taken to the social media to share pictures will be suspended until further notice.” music genre. One of the tourist sites visited was the fractions of the jazz community has organised from the maiden edition of the festival.

MUSIC

Covid-19 Blows Jazz out of Town

T

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

52

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

One of the new isolations centres by the Lagos State gvernment being prepared for operations

Covid-19: Is the WorstYet to Come?

As government faces the tough battle of whether to extend the lockdown and enforce it across the nation this one time, Samuel Ajayi writes on some of the warnings of experts that the worst might yet to come concerning the spread of the highly contagious and deadly Coronavirus

A

s at March 24, the Coronavirus cases in Nigeria were just 302. But by April 24, exactly 31 days after, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 1095 and quite naturally, the alarm buttons were pressed, both with the authorities and the populace, especially, when the Lagos State commissioner for health, Prof.

Akin Abayomi, declared, rather ominously, that the pandemic has not even peaked in the country.

In the same vein, many are of the opinion that the slow rate of tests in the country might have given the nation and those in authority the false hope that the pandemic was not spreading in the country.

As at the time of filing this report, the country has done less than 20,000 tests. Yet, Ghana has done over 60,000 tests, recorded less than 3,000 cases and less than 100 deaths. Now the country would be relaxing the lockdown soon and reopen the economy.

From all indications, it is like the nation is yet to see the worst of the pandemic at all. And this has raised the question of whether the lockdown would have to be extended or would be extended and extended to other parts of the country.

An insider in government told THISDAY last week that the biggest mistake the President made was limiting the lockdown to Lagos alone.

“I think the President should have just declared a total lockdown in the country instead of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State,” he said, adding that such a notion is now relative, given the situation report.

Perhaps, he has a very massive point. Taraba State was one of the few states that were yet to get any case of the virus within its boundaries. But that enviable status was lost last week, when it recorded its index case. And from investigations, the index case had actually travelled from Kano to Jalingo, the state capital. In other words, what happened in Taraba was not community transmission but a locally imported case.

Same thing was applicable to the pregnant woman, who sneaked into Ekiti State and first checked into the Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti.

Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital last week, the governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, gave a comprehensive load-down of how the new case came into the state.

The governor, who was visibly angry, said those who were saddled with the task of manning the state’s entry points had displayed “infidelity”. His words: “Sadly, Ekiti State has confirmed a third COVID-19 positive case. This new case is a pregnant 29-year-old female Community Health Worker in Ikorodu, Lagos State, who sneaked into Ekiti State overnight on Friday, April 10 2020, suspectedly to take advantage of our free maternal health care in spite of the lockdown.

“She presented at a State Comprehensive Primary Healthcare facility in active labour on Monday April 13, 2020. After a prolonged labour with fatal distress, she was referred to a teaching hospital but decided to go to a private hospital instead.

“A caesarean section was performed on the patient and the baby was delivered safely. However, she suffered a cardiac arrest and was referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital Ido Ekiti, where she is currently unconscious. The suspicion of COVID-19 infection and subsequent testing was at the Federal Tertiary institution.”

He said the state COVID-19 Taskforce has already commenced contact tracing of the new case immediately.

“We have over 30 primary contacts on our list already. The baby is alive and under surveillance while the private clinic has been sealed off and medical personnel, who interacted with this case during her obstetrics and gynaecology emergency have been contacted and put in self-isolation. By the time we include secondary and tertiary contacts, this one case may have put hundreds of unsuspecting people at risk of COVID-19 infection in Ekiti State.”

The good news, however, was that virtually all those that the woman came in contact with at the Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, came out negative when they were tested.

And now, the governor had ordered physical closure of all entry points to the state. In other words, not only would the entry points be

manned by security agents, they would be blocked physically.

Another major development that got Nigerians worried was the death of almost 170 people in Kano, especially in the slum of Fagge area of the metropolis. In the absence of no official or rational explanation for the deaths, many people, especially those outside Kano, concluded that the deaths could have been as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Abdulahi Ganduje as well as health experts have come out to explain that the deaths have nothing to do with COVID-19.

Even at that, the nation still eagerly awaits the report of investigations to the deaths. Those, some sources said, might be traceable to acute malaria.

While the nation needed to test 3.9 million people and is yet to reach even the 100,000 mark, a big decision faces President Mohammadu Buhari as the second 14-day lockdown expires tomorrow. Health experts have said it warned that the best way to go is to declared additional 14-day lockdown and extend it to all over the country with strict enforcement.

According to them, since the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC), had ramped up tests and the nation now at the stage of community spreading of the virus, there is need to maximise the fresh fourteen days, ensure that inter-state travelling is totally banned (governors across the country have already advocated for a two-week ban on inter-state commuting) while tests are ramped up to determine as many cases as possible and stem the tide of community spreading of the highly contagious virus.

Though the economic cost of this on the already traumatised poor Nigerians would be extremely massive, right now, many families are complaining of hunger as palliatives promised by both state and federal governments have not been forthcoming. And even where provisions were made, it was nothing to put up with.

As the nation races against time to stem the spread of this virus, there seems to be tough days ahead, even without an extension of the lockdown.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

Between the South and North Palliatives

T SGF Boss Mustapha

here’s an unpleasant debate going on between the Southern and Northern people of Nigeria, which seeks to suggest favouritism even in this period of a pandemic. It is the claim that more attention has been paid to people in the north, the poor in this instance, than their southern counterparts.

That, without doubt, should be a disturbing discovery more so that everyone is in this together. But, again, many factors seem to be playing differently in the two sides. While there are claims of diversion and some-

times, short-changing on the part of those in charge in the South, no such obnoxious stories have been heard from the north. Empathy and compassion are driving one, while greed and selfishness are driving the other.

This is why there is a need for circumspection by all concerns and not ignorantly advance what may be incorrect narratives, riding on the back of a critical fault line in the larger interest. It is also important that whilst the lockdown subsists, government must pay attention to these rather sensitive issues that are meant to aid compliance of the vulnerable.

53

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

BRIEFINGNOTES Reminiscences of Okar’s Coup 30 Years After Fueled by their disapproval for domination and marginalisation, some disgruntled young military officers led by Major Gideon Orkar, took up arms against the General Ibrahim Babangida government in 1990, although they ended up early in their graves, the spirit behind their coup is still very much alive, writes Shola Oyeyipo

S

ometime in the wee hours of April 22, 1990, martial music rented the air through the frequency of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Lagos, and then, the late Major Gideon Orkar announced a purported overthrow of the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida-led military junta.

That was the last known military coup in the Nigerian political history, masterminded by Orkar and some young officers.

Last Wednesday, April 22, 2020 marked exactly 30 years after that incident, but the question is: have successive leaderships learnt lessons from it at all?

Yes, the coup eventually failed. The military authority overpowered the coupists and ended up putting 66 men to death for their involvements, but the incident has remained a recurring decimal in the annals of Nigeria’s political history for many reasons.

First, the salient issues against the government of that day and second, the need to continue to reexamine if Nigeria is making any significant change to those issues.

Judging from the opening statement Reminiscences of Okar’s Coup 30 Years After of his speech, which states: “On behalf of the patriotic and well-meaning peoples of the Middle Belt and the Southern parts of this country, I, Major Gideon Orkar, wish to happily hijacked by what he described as “the all-powerful clique”, wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari made bold statements, when she inform you of the successful ousting of the dictatorial, corrupt, drug came public and alleged that a cabal had hijacked her husband’s baronish, evil man, deceitful, homo-sexually-centered, prodigalistic, administration. un-patriotic administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi BabanOrkar stated that, “Other countless examples of the exploitative, gida,” and other allegation against the Babangida leadership, the oppressive, dirty games of intrigues of its class, where people and action plans of the elements behind the coup and some of the issues stooges that can best be described by the fact that even though they agitating the minds of Southern and Middle Belt leaders today, it is contribute very little economically to the well-being of Nigeria, obvious that sectional interest spurred those young officers. Those they have over the years served and presided over the supposedly interests are still present today. national wealth derived in the main from the Middle Belt and the Regional bodies such as Middle Belt Leaders Forum (MBLF), southern part of this country, while the people from these parts of Afenifere, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Southern and the country have been completely deprived from benefiting from the Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), Ohaneze Ndigbo and several resources given to them by God.” other minority groups have continued to lament the haphazard Every Nigerian knows the reason behind the militancy recently configuration of Nigeria, which seems to favour the northern witnessed in the Niger Delta region; the people are aggrieved that oligarchy over every other section of the country. This is very similar they are being marginalised in the larger Nigeria despite the fact that to what the coupists fought for.

This has been the reason behind the incessant calls for restructur- the country’s national wealth is sourced from their region.

Truth is, while it may be right to say the militancy has been ing, which some forces in the north consider a ‘civilian coup’ rather quelled, no one will say for sure that an average Niger Deltan is than a justifiable means to stabilise the contraption tagged Nigeria. pleased with the state of affairs in the country.

Orkar blamed the coup on so many anomalies but he listed An insider account of some of the reasons some of the officers among the major reasons for the attempt to change the government, committed themselves to the coup had it that, when Major Saliba the need to stop “intrigues, domination and internal colonisation of Mukoro came first in the army promotional exam, he was not sent the Nigerian state by the so-called chosen few”, saying, “This, in our abroad for the course, but instead, a northern officer that came 9th view, has been and is still responsible for 90 per cent of the problems was selected and that when Captain Tolofari, a very brilliant officer of Nigerians.”

Describing as “distasteful”, the soldiers were particularly appalled was even insulted by his junior, when he punished the officer, he was transferred to a smaller unit meant for someone lower than him. by the treatment meted on the then longest serving Nigerian general This narration contained in ATQNEWS had it that, “The in the person of General Domkat Bali, the removal of Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Professor Tam David-West, Mr. Aret Adams and others northern officers were so undisciplined that they had the right to disobey superiors and nothing could happen, as long as that superior from office. is not northern. Their attitude gave them the nickname “Junior The President Muhammadu Buhari leadership has been facing AFRC” A term that was taken from Armed Forces Ruling Council. heated criticisms by various Southern groups over the lopsidedness To show their power.” in his appointments of heads of the various security agencies in Perhaps it was what prompted Orkar to say, “Our history is the country, which did not take cognisance of the federal character replete with numerous and uncontrollable instances of callous and principle and yet, the president has turned deaf ears to demands insensitive dominatory repressive intrigues by those, who think it is for change. Fourteen heads of Nigeria’s 17 security agencies mostly their birthright to dominate till eternity the political and economic appointed by President Buhari are Northerners while only three are privileges of this great country to the exclusion of the people of the from the south.

Middle Belt and the south.

In fact, early this year, the House of Representatives and the “They have almost succeeded in subjugating the Middle Belt and Senate both passed a resolution calling on President Buhari to sack making them voiceless and now extending same to the south. It is his service chiefs, particularly because of their failures to address the our unflinching belief that this quest for domination, oppression and Boko Haram insurgency, but the president has ignored such calls. marginalisation is against the wish of God and therefore, must be Despite the outcries, the current government suspended the resisted with the vehemence.” former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, and forced Even though Nigeria no longer runs a military government, him to resign, in what many considered an attack on Southern more so that Nigerians have never been disposed to it, the resentment Nigeria. against the government over the unabated violence and countless Just as Orkar alleged that the Babangida administration was

killings by Fulani herdsmen across the Southern states is better imagined. This is similar to the underbellies that fueled the 1990 coup.

Since people cannot carry arms against the government, they however want restructuring. Today, most other sections of Nigeria is agog with cries of marginalisation, restructuring and there are secessionist tendencies. These are at the core of cries for justice in the most populous black African country.

Perhaps, if Orkar was not carrying out a coup at that time, he probably would have said ‘restructuring’ when he stated in his coup speech that, “In the light of all the above and in recognition of the negative face of the aforementioned aristocratic factor, the overall progress of the Nigerian state, a temporary decision to excise the following states namely, Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, Kano and Bauchi States from the Federal Republic of Nigeria comes into effect immediately until the following conditions are met.”

On the contrary, nationalist Nigerians, who don’t want the country torn apart are calling for restructuring and yet, those states who don’t want it are still adamant at the detriment of other Nigerians. It is, therefore, right to say nothing has really changed.

Some participants in the coup, who are still alive, are not regretting the actions they took. To them, it was needed to correct what they considered the ill treatment of other Nigerians and since these ill treatments are still present, it will be wrong to assume that these sentiments have faded.

A Nuclear Medicine Scientist in United States, one of those, who spearheaded the coup, Lieutenant S.O.S Echendu, said the reason he got involved with the coup was, because the country was being administered the wrong way and that there were sufferings and Nigerians were being abused and marginalised by the Babangida administration.

“Injustice should not be tribalised and sectionalised. What was going on, then, in our beloved nation state wasn’t good. It was atrocious in the Nigerian army, where the elite ruling class was marginalising certain ethnic groups. For instance, to become an adjutant or admin officer in a unit, you had to be related to a Northerner or somehow be connected to the oligarchy.

“It wasn’t nationalistic. So, what we did, in a way, was to try to correct some of the unpatriotic things that were going on, including but not limited to, god-fatherism culture in the Army. To advance in the army, you had to be connected, know a retired or senior serving army officer, a chief, Alhaji or a businessman, who had money… that wasn’t bringing out the best in our army officers and Nigerians.

“We knew something was wrong. And we knew something had to be done; but then, did we the people, have the courage to deal with it? That was our problem. I was glad that within the army, I was connected to officers, who had the courage to pay the ultimate prize in making sure we got it right.”

NOTES FOR FILE

What’s Killing Them in Kano?

DG of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu

Between Friday and Saturday of the last two weeks, over 150 people, reportedly died in Kano State and were buried in three cemeteries. This, though naturally heightened fears that the deceased must have died of a strange ailment, the possibility of Covid-19 spreading and taking its huge toll was not also ruled out.

Reports had it that though undertakers, who doubled as gravediggers, also complained about the frequency at which they received corpses as against what obtained before the coronavirus

outbreak, the fact that this is happening at a time of a pandemic accentuates the fear.

Curiously, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has not been forthcoming amidst contemplations of what might be responsible, the governments, both at the state and federal level cannot keep quiet about this situation as the so-called ‘strange ailment’ is beginning to spread to other parts of the North.

Action is profitable…a stitch in time could also save more than nine!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 26, 2020

54

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Lee In-Tae

Our People Cooperated to Fight Covid-19 Korea is one of the few countries that have achieved a measure of stability in the battle against Covid-19, which has claimed over 2.5million lives across the globe. In this interview with Onyebuchi Ezigbo, the South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Lee In-Tae, tells the story of how his country has been able to flatten the curve of Coronavirus. Excerpts:

S

outh Korea is presently showing a flattened curve in the spread of Covid-19.

What is the situation report in your country and how did you arrive at your current station?

As you mentioned, there has been some success in Korea’s efforts to curb the spread. The increase in number of new COVID-19 cases has stabilised, and the number of people recovering from the disease continues to exceed the number of newly confirmed cases.

Early this year, Korea was among the countries that was most affected by the pandemic. But now Korea is one of the few countries in the world that is considered to have brought the disease under control.

So, how did you achieve this?

I believe the Korean government’s “quick and preemptive” response from the early stage was crucial. The strategy includes robust testing and contract tracing, which enabled timely treatment alongside isolation. It can be summarised as “Three Ts: test, trace, and treatment.”

Among the three Ts, testing played the key role.

The government ensured sufficient emergency supply of diagnostic kits to enable massive tests in the early outbreak by granting extraordinarily quick approval for newly developed COVID-19 test kits, which normally takes about a year.

As a result, Korean medical companies are now producing quality diagnostic kits and responding to high global demand. South Korea has shipped more than a million test kits to the world including to the United States.

Full transparency of real-time information has also played a pivotal role in raising awareness of the public and to bring active cooperation from the people with regards to government’s preventive measures such as social distancing and self-isolation. It also enabled people to avoid panic buying, as they trusted the government.

In addition, the medical community came up with innovative methods such as drive-through and walk-in test stations that helped reduce the time of testing and at the same time protect health workers from potential infection.

As a result, Korea ramped up its testing capacity to about 20,000 tests per day.

I am aware that despite the success of Korean government’s efforts, some have raised privacy concerns over the government’s active tracing methods. However, Korean domestic law provides clear and sufficient legal grounds for the government of Korea to take certain measures, when conducting epidemiological investigations, such as collecting information related to confirmed cases or disclosing information about the routes of patients.

Also, the Korean people have shown a high level of civic awareness and been willing to support the government’s policy for the sake of a greater cause in fighting a global pandemic.

It’s also notable that South Korea did not impose mandatory lockdown or restriction of travel.

As one of the most vibrant democracies in the world, Korean people cherish the principles of openness and transparency. As a democratically elected Government, “respecting the people’s basic rights,” has always been a central philosophy, which also applies to the freedom of movement in response to COVID-19.

The idea of mandatory blockade would have been contrary to such principles and that is why my country did not impose one.

Korea has also been consistent in stressing the need for essential economic exchanges for the rapid recovery of the world economy. The government is providing special entry procedures for business people.

Curiously, South Korea held a successful general election, amid COVID-19. How was this possible?

As I mentioned, Korea is one of the most vibrant democracies in the world. I believe the elections again demonstrated the value the Korean people place in our democracy as the turnout rated 66.2 per cent, the highest for general election in 28 years.

At the same time, people adhered to every word of government guidelines to prevent the risk of COVID-19.

At the polling stations, people maintained three-foot intervals, wearing masks. The government supplied gloves and carried out temperature screening before

Lee In-Tae entering.

The government also came up with measures to allow voting for the people, who were quarantined or under self-isolation. Specific voting places and time were set up for them so that they would avoid contacting others. This shows how much the government cares about securing the voting rights of the Korean people.

There remained some risks since the elections entailed unavoidable contacts and gathering of people. We remain optimistic as the first week after the election passed smoothly with single-or low-double digit of new confirmed cases. Yet the government remains vigilant and is trying its best to ensure that there are no loopholes in the nationwide efforts to prevent COVID-19.

Is there any lesson the South Korea can share with the world?

Korea was also in a difficult situation, recording a high number of confirmed cases for several weeks. But the government and the people altogether have wisely dealt with the crisis. I think I’ve already detailed out the government‘s roles and strategy, so this time, I would like to emphasise the role of the Korean public as the main body to fight the pandemic.

Korea has shown that voluntary and active participation of the people can enable effective response to curb the spread of COVID-19 without any lockdown or curfew. Even the most perfect guidelines will not work if the people refuse to cooperate.

Every word from health advisory needs to be completed by deed: washing hands, maintaining physical distance, reporting and self-isolating based on awareness of contact or suspected symptoms, cooperation with the health authorities, etc.

As COVID-19 is a pandemic, solidarity and cooperation

is essential. As Korean Ambassador, I will always be open to sharing knowledge about Korea’s health system, experiences and know-hows we have learned while joining global efforts to fight this disease.

How are you cooperating with Nigeria?

As the Korean government is sharing its experiences and know-hows gained during the response to the COVID-19 with friends and partners around the world, I am communicating with relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Special Duties, and Ministry of FCT. Korean doctors are actively engaging with the world through tele-conferences with medical staff and doctors in other nations. I’m ready to arrange one between Korean and Nigerian doctors so that they can share useful information and experiences.

I am also discussing with my colleagues in Seoul to figure out possible ways to support Nigeria’s fight against COVID-19 in light of the need for test kits and other necessary equipment.

I’m pleased to inform that the government of the Republic of Korea will make a contribution of the total of half a million US dollars for Nigerian’s COVID-19 response through the United Nations channel.

Korean companies in Nigeria are also pursuing CSR (Company Social Responsibility) activities by supporting the purchase of necessary items such as diagnostic kits.

As Korea and Nigeria have maintained and are building up longstanding friendship and partnership, I would like to express Korean people’s solidarity with Nigerians. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Thus, we will keep fighting together and Korea will continue to support Nigeria’s efforts. The virus cannot beat the human race. Together, we will surely overcome this challenge.

55

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ RIL 26, 2020

FOCUS

Abdulrasaq Ramps Up Measures to Contain COVID-19 Spread in Kwara Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

T

he administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in Kwara State has left no one in doubt that the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic has no place in the ‘State of Harmony’.

The unexpected spread of COVID-19 in the state began with a Kwaran who went to the United Kingdom to attend the graduation ceremony of one of his children was allegedly masterminded by a senior consultant of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital who allegedly refused to disclose the medical and travel history of the patient. The patient afterwards died.

Apart from this, the four medical workers at the teaching hospital that attended to the patient also tested positive for COVID-19 and thereby putting more strategic measures on the part of the administration to work day and night to curb the menace.

As this was going on, the state also recorded another two index cases of COVID-19, putting more pressure on the government to continue to fashion out how the spread of the virus can be contained.

In a twinkle of an eye, the administration decided to embark on more sensitization on radio and television on the need for residents of Kwara State to stay safe and observe all medical protocols aimed at curtailing the spread of coronavirus.

The Kwara government also ensures full compliance with the lockdown order in the state. The development, however, prompted the government to fully involve security agencies in the state. This effort allowed the security agencies to man all the entering points leading into the state while vehicular movements within the state were restricted.

The state government also put in place a mobile court that arraigns any violators of the lockdown order. During the period under review, about 50 people were arraigned for violating the order and sentenced to carry out community services for one or two weeks in the state.

Governor Abdulrasaq took another giant stride to curtail the spread of the coronavirus by setting up isolation centres in the state. At Sobi Specialist Hospital, one of the centres in the state, the governor increased the hospital’s bed space from 25 to over 300.

The administration also secured the National Youth Service Corps camp at Yikpata in Edu local government area with 2,000 facilities while the Hajj camp located at the Adewole area in Ilorin with 600-bed space was acquired and equipped with necessary medical tools.

These strategic measures also exclude 100 makeshift isolation centres promised by billionaire Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the state. All the moves are to ensure that the state’s compliance with the federal government directive to have more isolation centres in the state.

The governor in its move to ensure that coronavirus does not have a place in the state, his administration has concluded plans to collaborate with the Kwara Tailors Association in order to produce one million face masks for the people of the state. This, he believes would go a long way to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Other steps taken by the administration to mitigate the lockdown order in the state include the provision of soft loans to transport operators like Keke NAPEP, and Okada riders registered farmers, petrol stations, hospitals and pharmacies, the government had earlier exempted vehicles carrying foods, drugs and essential workers such as health workers and journalists from the restriction order.

Speaking at the flag-off of the disbursement of the loan in Ilorin recently, Governor Abdulrasaq said over 20,000 transport operators that have completed their biometric registration have been slated to receive soft loans to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Abdulrazaq said at least N100 million would be dispensed as a non-interest loan to 20,000 transporters after the enumeration that is going on across the state under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme — which components include conditional cash transfer for the aged (Owo Arugbo), market moni for petty traders, and K-power which targets the youths and unskilled segments of the society.

The soft loan to the transporters is a first in the country to lessen the impact of the lockdown.

Abdulrazaq also announced the extension of the lockdown of the state by another 14 days to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic — in accordance with the position of the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

He added that Kwara recorded two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 11.

The two new cases are contacts of the previously confirmed cases, said Abdulrazaq shortly after flagging off the enumeration exercise for the transporters at Government Secondary School Maraba.

“The lockdown for another two weeks is to reduce the number of cases. As you can see, Kano is going up, Lagos is going up. Even in Kwara, we have two more new cases.

“So, there is a need for boundaries to lockdown.

Essentially, each state has different policies on lockdown but we want to ensure that people are not moved across boundaries to transmit the virus,” he said.

He said the restrictions on vehicular movements in

Abdulrasaq the state remain in force while the government steps up measures to gradually lift the restrictions and rejuvenate the economy, including mandatory use of face masks which would soon be distributed.

The governor said the beneficiaries of the loan, who might get between N5,000 and N10,000, are to refund the money in trickles long after the COVID-19 crisis is over, adding that the exercise also offers the government an opportunity to get accurate data of people in the informal sector for proper planning.

Abdulrazaq said the programme is going on simultaneously with other components of the KWASSIP to lessen the impact of the economic downturn on the people.

“We’re happy to be here to fulfil our promise of having some form of a safety net (for the poor). This is about carrying everybody along and leaving no one behind,” the governor said.

“The social investment programme is a key programme of President Muhammadu Buhari and I am one of those who believe in his programmes. During the campaign, the Vice President was here to launch market moni and trader moni programme. I was with him and saw the impact. Then, after the electioneering campaign, “I went to the villages and saw indeed that there was a real impact. The N-Power and other programmes were really impactful and based on that we decided to

set up the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP).

“This programme for Okada riders and other transport workers was not originally part of the programme. It was meant to be at the back end of the programme but we quickly activated it because of the impacts of COVID-19 and the stay at home order on businesses and the poor.

“That is why we decided to enumerate them and give them aid to survive under the lockdown. This will also be extended to other segments of the economy. We have to drive our economy. Various programmes are going on. We have over road constructions which will be inaugurated by 29 May. “We have school rehabilitation programmes ongoing.

So, essential work will go on. We have also allowed our farmers to go to their farms. So, we are not allowing the economy to grind to a halt.”

Apart from registered farmers, petrol stations, hospitals and pharmacies, the government had earlier exempted vehicles carrying foods and drugs and essential workers such as health workers and journalists from the restriction order. Apart from this, with the various relief package being given to the residents of the state to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, the state would soon witness economic boom which will go a long way to accelerate the socio-economic growth of the ‘State of Harmony’ called Kwara.

Sunday April 26, 2020

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MISSILE

CSOs to FG and States “Any plans for a prolonged lockdown without efficiently and transparently administering safety nets could create a cure that is as bad as the illness” –Civil Society Organisations in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari expressing grave concern over the hardship placed upon Nigerians by the current lockdowns.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Is It Time to Lift the Lockdown?

P

erhaps the biggest COVID-19 debate in Nigeria today is: should the lockdown be lifted? Residents of Lagos state and the federal capital territory (FCT) have been under a lockdown since March 30. The aim is to slow the spread of the virus by limiting public interactions. It was also to allow those who had contracted the virus to stay at home and manifest symptoms. It typically takes between five and 14 days for symptoms to show up. The federal government also wanted to test more Nigerians during the period. Lagos and FCT were picked because they had most of the confirmed cases. Ogun state was included five days later. Many governors have also locked down their states.

The night the lockdown started, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported a total of 131 confirmed cases and two deaths.

There were 81 cases in Lagos, 25 in FCT and three in Ogun. As of Friday, almost four weeks later, total confirmed cases had gone up to 1,095, with 32 deaths and 208 discharged.

Lagos cases had hit 657, FCT 138, Kano 73 and Ogun 35. Statistics, on their own, can be deceptive. Someone could look at the figures and conclude that the lockdown has caused more cases and more deaths! The counterfactual, though, is that if we had not locked down, maybe the figures would have been double or triple or quadruple what we have today.

As the two-week extension ends tomorrow, all eyes are on President Muhammadu Buhari. Will he extend again? Will he relax things? Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has made a robust economic case for African countries to lift the lockdown in a widely circulated article.

His argument is basically that the continent cannot afford to copy advanced countries.

Africa’s economy is fundamentally informal and the governments do not have the resources to pay their citizens to stay at home as the US and EU countries are currently doing. There could be a socio-economic disorder in Africa if these lockdowns continue.

Yet, on the basis of evidence, a strong argument can be made in favour of lockdowns.

Wuhan, the Chinese city that afflicted the world with the novel coronavirus, was under lock and key for 76 days and is now virtually free of the disease. In fact, China itself has not reported a single death in the last eight days and new infections are now in single or double digits for most days. Italy and Spain were badly hit but are finally flattening the curve after lockdowns. Greece, next door to Italy, offers a good success story. It started locking down in February before recording a single death. It now has a total of 2,490 cases and 130 deaths. In contrast, Italy has over 26,000 deaths and Spain almost 23,000.

Indeed, we can argue that countries that did not quickly adopt the lockdown option are now paying a heavy price. The US is the most pathetic. It has gone above one million cases and recorded over 52,000 deaths after leaving its borders open for much too long as the pandemic travelled round the world.

You may argue that given the population of the US, the confirmed cases and the death rate are not as bad as they appear but if President Donald Trump had been more decisive in February, Americans could have been spared some agony. The UK was also slow in locking down, choosing to pursue its famous “herd immunity” option. It now has over 20,000 deaths.

Nigerians are getting restless over the lockdown. As things stand, only the well-to-do can cope. They are well-resourced to stay at

Buhari home. They live in spacious houses, meaning they can really do physical distancing even at home. Their food stores are well loaded and can keep getting replenished for weeks and months. They have the savings to keep running their lives at least for the foreseeable future.

For the poor, who are in the vast majority, everyday they stay at home makes them sink deeper into poverty. The self-employed traders, bus drivers, mechanics, barbers, tailors, hair dressers and bricklayers cannot afford to be home endlessly. They are crying.

The poor welfare delivery system in Nigeria has made it difficult to have an organised way of providing palliatives. Unlike in advanced societies where databases are comprehensive, our attempts to target the poor for direct transfers started not too long ago, possibly with Owo Arugbo (old people’s stipend) in Ekiti state in 2012. The social investment programme (SIP) of the federal government later came on board. These are limited to the extreme poor and clearly inadequate to reach the informal sector as well as those who depend on daily takings for survival. Above all, the government is broke and needs palliatives itself. So we are in a terrible corner.

What then? Should the lockdown be lifted for Nigerians to revive their economic lives so that we can avoid a certain social disorder ahead of us? I will argue that from what I have learnt about the behaviour of the coronavirus so far, lockdowns are effective — but they cannot be sustained, not in Nigeria where the bulk of the population are self-employed and the government is not buoyant enough to “pay them to stay at home”, as Soludo put it.

More so, with confirmed cases going up on a daily basis, we may have to make certain assumptions and accept certain conditions in whatever strategies we decide to adopt to tackle this destructive and disruptive pandemic.

There is a basic assumption we have to make in fashioning out the way forward. That is, until there is a solution in form of cure or vaccine, we will continue to record new cases and deaths, lockdown or no lockdown. We are still nowhere near getting the vaccine or treatment. Trials are ongoing, but the most optimistic projections still indicate that we may have to wait till 2021 for the vaccines to be available for general use. Now you would agree with me that we cannot keep Nigeria locked down till 2021. We cannot even afford it. Most of those who are comfortable today

may also run out of resources if this lockdown lingers much longer. The lockdown needs to be strategically reviewed.

So, these are my thoughts. Bearing in mind that there will continue to be new cases and deaths, what we should aim at now is slowing things down as much as possible. One, it’s been proved statistically that the elderly and those with underlying medical issues are the ones most likely to die from the disease. In the meantime, we must aim to protect these categories as a matter of priority. Protection could come in form of keeping them isolated or physically secure while targeting them with palliatives. Efforts should be concentrated on identifying the vulnerable and managing their health and safety so that infections among them can be kept at the minimum.

Two, since most people who catch the virus will survive in any case (in Nigeria, only 3 in 100 infected persons will die), we must roll out a programme to boost the immunity of Nigerians. We currently give immunisation and certain drugs free of charge. We can begin to give immunity-boosting drugs for free as well. This will prepare our bodies to fight the infection while we await the final solution.

Nigerians should be vigorously educated on the fruits, foods and leaves that boost immunity.

This should be the subject of mass orientation.

If we do this successfully, we will be able to reduce infections and improve survival rates among the not-so-vulnerable Nigerians who catch the virus.

If we decide to lift the lockdown to reopen the economy, we should continue with strict social distancing rules: eateries must sell only take-away; no handshakes; no hugs; and religious/social gatherings should be limited to certain numbers with adequate spacing. We should continue with other hygienic measures: no spitting in public; no shouting (because of the droplets); frequent hand washing; use of hand sanitizers; and proper use of face masks in public, among others. Remember there will still be new infections; all we can do now is slow things down until a solution is found.

If we keep the vulnerable safe and boost the immunity of Nigerians, we can slow down the virus.

Also, government must do a number of things: make testing readily available so that the infected can go into quarantine; increase bed spaces at isolation centres; and engage more frontline health workers and pulmonologists for critical cases. We have to be realistic: we cannot sustain the lockdown. As a result, we must ask ourselves: how do we make sure fewer people get infected when the lockdown is lifted? How can we protect Nigerians who have underlying medical issues? How can we build the immunity of Nigerians against the virus? How can we improve hygienic practices?

Since most who get infected will survive, we will have to lift the lockdown sooner than later.

However, let us keep this in mind: whatever decision we take, there will be trade-offs. If we continue the lockdown, we will be in a better place to control community spread. We can intensify testing and treatment. But the poor people will continue to suffer and the economy will keep taking the hit. If we lift the lockdown, the economy will start to pick up and people’s livelihood will bounce back.

But there is a danger: what if new infections get out of hand? For a country of 200 million people with highly limited healthcare facilities, the consequences of an explosion will not be pleasant. Whatever decision the federal government eventually takes, let it be based on sound reasoning and advice.

And Four Other Things...

LOVE AND HATE I was overwhelmed by the reactions to my article on Mallam Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Buhari, last Sunday. Most people spoke along the same line: “Thank you, Simon… I never knew the man beyond the bad things being said about him…” Of course, a lie can travel for a thousand years, but the truth will always catch up. As the eulogies are being poured on Kyari home and abroad, it still hurts me that he will never be able to tell his own story. Regardless, those for and against him should continue to feel free to say their minds. It’s part of their fundamental human rights. In the end, you can’t be loved by everybody — just as you can’t be hated by everyone. Life.

CHIEF OF STAFF There has been a lot of speculation as to who will be the next chief of staff. Caution. That you are chief of staff does not mean you will have enormous influence on the president.

The president determines whom to trust with power. The person with the biggest influence on President Olusegun Obasanjo was a personal aide, not the chief of staff. For President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, it was an adviser. For President Goodluck Jonathan, it was a minister. Under Gen. Sani Abacha, it was the secretary to the government that initially ran things before his chief security officer took the stage. Being chief of staff does not automatically confer you with trust and influence. Fact.

TOUGH TIMES May I seize this opportunity to implore Nigerians to fasten their seat belts — there is serious economic turbulence ahead, caused mainly by the pandemic. Crude oil, our livewire, is in dire straits. We needed it selling at around $70 per barrel to be more comfortable but it is going for $25. Worse still, we don’t have anybody to buy the oil and that means we will have to stop producing.

With crude oil prices down, forex inflow will drop, foreign reserves will dip, federation allocation will be badly hit (watch out from July) and government will struggle to pay salaries. I forgot to talk about the value of the naira — which cannot be sustained with the current level of forex inflow. Damn!

RICE KILLER There is always an odd story coming from Kano state these days. Tiamin Rice Ltd practically accused the state government of playing politics by shutting its milling plant on the excuse that it was “disturbing” COVID-19 patients. “There are nearly 30 rice mills operating in Kano state, but Tiamin Rice Limited is the only company affected by the order, despite its distance of over 20km from the isolation centre at Sani Abacha Stadium,” it said. The mill produces 320 metric tonnes of rice daily and employs 223 workers full-time and 100 part-time.

If indeed the closure is political, the state government should seriously consider the implications for the economy. Important.

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