THURSDAY 11TH JUNE 2020

President Directs NPA to Respect FG’s Land Lease Pact with LADOL Obinna Chima President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to comply with the federal government’s approval of a 25-year lease agreement with the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base

(LADOL).

To this end, it is expected that the NPA would restore the land lease agreement with LADOL, which was terminated earlier this year.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami

(SAN), conveyed the president’s position in a letter titled: “Re: Brief on the LADOL Free Zone Disputes and the Need for the Federal Government to Intervene Urgently,” dated June 3rd, 2020, that was obtained by THISDAY yesterday.

The letter was addressed to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It read: “I wish to refer to a letter Ref No. PRES/97/ HAGF/93 dated 27th May, 2020 from the State House, Abuja and to convey Mr. President’s directive as follows:

That NPA complies with Mr. President’s subsisting approval for 25 years lease covering 114,552 hectares granted to Messrs. Global Resources Management Limited (GRML) in 2018.

“That all relevant agencies comply with the legal opinion

attached hereto which is geared towards resolving the dispute, restoring investor confidence to the industry and bringing NPA’s actions in conformity with the extant laws and federal government’s policy Continued on page 9

Kyari: NNPC to End Oil Sale Discounts July... Page 5 Thursday 11 June, 2020 Vol 25. No 9194. Price: N250

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Buhari Expresses Shock as Death Toll in Borno Attack Hits 81 Bandits murder 66 in Katsina Attack barbaric, says Borno gov Army vows to hunt down killers Omololu Ogunmade, Kingsley Nwezeh, Udora Orizu in Abuja, Micheal Olugbode in Maiduguri and Francis Sardauna in Katsina President

Muhammadu

Buhari yesterday expressed shock over Tuesday's deadly terror attack on a village in Borno State, whose death toll has now risen to 81.

The attacked village, Foduma Kolomaiya, which

is about 11 kilometres away from Gazaure town of Gubio Local Government Area of the state, is not near any major highway.

Residents of the village told the Borno State Governor,

Prof. Babagana Zulum, during a visit to the scene of the attack that the number of those killed had risen from the initial 70 to 81.

Also, in the president's home state of Katsina,

some 66 people were killed when bandits attacked some communities in Faskari Local Government Area.

The Nigerian Army, which regretted the attacks on communities in the two states,

has vowed to apprehend and neutralise them.

In a statement yesterday by presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Continued on page 8

Obaseki Was Our Student, Graduated in 1979, Says UI APC insists gov's sworn affidavit that claimed he graduated in 1976 still an issue Burden of proof could favour governor, say analysts Party screens Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, Ogiemwonyi, Obazee, Odubu Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI), the alma mater of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, yesterday laid to rest the controversy over the governor's certificate with a declaration that he attended the nation's premier university and graduated in 1979.

UI, in a statement by its Registrar, Mrs Olubunmi O Faluyi, said Obaseki gained admission into the university in 1976 to study Classics and

graduated in 1979 with a Second Class Honours, Lower Division.

In his reaction to the authentication of his certificate, Obaseki said posterity would always vindicate the just.

The governor, who is seeking a second term on APC platform, has been severally accused of possessing dodgy credentials.

Party chieftains and others have been raising queries over his credentials.

Among the inconsistencies cited in Obaseki’s certificates are that his O/Level results showed that he has three Continued on page 8

House Passes Revised Budget, Increases Sum to N10.805tn... Page 5

COMPARING NOTES ON NATIONAL AFFAIRS...

Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola (left) and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, in Abuja ….yesterday godwin omoigui

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

Kyari: NNPC to End Oil Sale Discounts July Nigeria to comply with OPEC output cut quota by July

Emma Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho with agency report The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has set a July deadline to end its crude sales discount regime.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, in an interview with Bloomberg TV yesterday, said the corporation was looking at achieving the target by June 30 or latest by July.

He added that if oil price settled at the current $42 or thereabout, it is still a good business for NNPC and the country.

Kyari’s interview was conducted at a weekly programme tagged ‘HalfTime Talk’ organised by Gulf Intelligence, a United Arab Emirate-based communication and research firm.

Kyari also said though Nigeria did not fully comply with a pact by oil producers to rein in output to balance markets, it would make additional cuts to make up for the lapses by mid-July.

The crash in oil prices a couple of months back due to heavy decline in demand for crude, which was a major fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic impact, led the NNPC into offering oil traders huge discounts on Nigerian crude oil grades.

Two of Nigeria’s banner grades, Qua Iboe and Bonny Light, were to sell at discounts of $3.92 and $3.95 respectively to dated Brent.

Responding to a question

on whether the NNPC would continue offering discounts on crude oil as the price recovers, Kyari said: "Absolutely not, discount will go away, definitely within the shortest period of time. As you know, what we did in the last two months was to close that gap much shorter than what it was, and by the end of June or July we will see a situation where we can take out that discount because it's no longer necessary."

On the significance of the decision of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies under the OPEC+ family to retain their earlier production cut agreement, Kyari said that was intended to bring about rebalancing in the market. He added that they have started seeing the sign of its workability.

"What this means is that this will give us the rebalancing of the market, we can see a rebound in prices with time so that we don't have to produce oil and give out for free. And we have started seeing the sign that this works.

"We are pulling down the supply and getting a balance that will come to a situation where we can at least recover our costs and get some margin out of these businesses, which is a good thing to do," he stated.

He explained that the OPEC+ effort was to bring stability to the market and to see the probability of oil price settling between $42 and $45 per barrel.

He said: "What we did to oil price was to bring some form of stability by the end of the year, probably we can see settling

at $42 to $45 at the end of the year. And you can see the short term response as a result of the OPEC+ intervention and I don't think that is completely sustainable save the production cuts are implemented in full by the end July.

"If that happens, we see sustenance of the current level of $42 to the Brent and potentially grow to a region of $42 to $45 by the end of the year. I don't think we will see any sort of $30 oil in the near future if this situation is sustained."

He noted that with such a price margin, the corporation would still have a good busines.

"Well, some of our assets produce at less than $30, so it's good business today that we produce at less than $30 and we are selling at $42 or $40, then we are at comfort zone. “The recent drive we have seen in the price of crude is largely driven by sentiments than demand because we have not seen the significant rise in the demand. There is no 100 per cent conformity with the cut and that means that the volume is still there. The price jump appears cosmetic to me and if we don’t contain the supply, we could slide to

the early March price level,� he said.

On Nigeria's compliance with the OPEC output cut, Kyari said the country recorded marginal under-compliance of less than 100,000 barrels per day, adding that current numbers in the last 10 to 15 days indicated that the country is "on over-compliance by position."

"So definitely by the end of June, we will see full compliance from Nigeria and in the worst case scenario may be half of July, otherwise we are in position," he stated.

He reaffirmed the resolved of the corporation to cut down its capital expenditure, saying that it has started doing that.

He said: "Our target is to bring down cost to $10 by the end of 2021. We have insisted on making sure that our partners and all our suppliers to cut their costs to at least 30 to 40 per cent and that will significantly bring down our costs and it's very realistic and we are realising that."

According to him, Nigeria aimed to cap production costs at $10 a barrel by 2021 in order to remain competitive. “If you can’t do this, you walk away, this is not a

business of subsidies,� he added.

On whether the NNPC will be able to escape job cuts as it tries to reduce costs, Kyari said it would not experience job losses despite the situation.

"We will escape this year without job cuts in NNPC. We are reviewing other heavy cost areas that can bring our cost to normality. But I know also that in terms of our partners, many of them are looking at a situation whereby job cuts will be unavoidable. But what is informing that, much more than the cost, is actually the issue of efficiency that we have seen in the last couple of years," he stated.

On his outlook for the global economy with prevailing lockdowns and movement restrictions, Kyari said the lockdown did not have much impact on Nigeria due to the dominance of the informal sector of the country's economy.

He, however, said unlike some jurisdictions, Nigeria did not witness massive decline in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast.

He said: "For us now, let me take it from a local level, in our country here today, we have a very largely informal

economy. The lockdown has not really completely locked down our country. You can see that the consumption didn't go down to zero kind of level that we see in other jurisdictions.

"And then of course, the net effect is that we have not seen those massive declines in GDP growth forecast that other countries have seen. What this means for us is that our consumption will grow, our local demand will grow with time and it will come back to normalcy much faster than most jurisdictions.

"But for the widely world, particularly for Europe and the United States, there are still doubts if you will have that big turnaround on demand and that means that the consumptions will clearly remain in the far East, in China and India, and of course that's where the market can be for the next couple of months."

He explained that the biggest risk for the oil market in the coming months was how to bring demand back, adding, "with all the issues that you have seen in the United States and across the globe, you are still going to have problems bringing demand back on the table."

COVID-19 Cases Rise to 13,873 with 409 New Infections 4,351 discharged, fatalities jump to 382

Martins IďŹ jeh Nigeria has recorded 409 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 13,873 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

The nation has also recorded 17 COVID-19-related deaths, raising the tally from 365 to 382 in the last 24 hours.

Announcing this yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos

recorded 201 new cases, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 85 Delta 22, Edo 16, Nasarawa, Borno and Kaduna 14 each, Bauchi 10, Rivers nine, Enugu and Kano five each, Ogun and Ondo four each, while Bayelsa, Plateau and Kebbi had two each.

It said: "Nigeria has recorded 13,873 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 4,351 persons have been discharged with 382 deaths."

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE...

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum (second left), with other government and security oďŹƒcials during a visit to Fanduma Koloram, attacked by insurgents... yesterday

House Passes Revised Budget, Increases Sum to N10.805tn Approves $5.513bn external loan Senate to consider amended fiscal bill today Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday passed the revised 2020 budget, increasing the sum from N10.59 trillion to N10.805 trillion.

The Senate is expected to consider the revised fiscal bill for possible passage today.

The budget was passed after a clause-by-clause consideration of the report submitted by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Mukhtar Betara.

While considering the budget, the House included N4 billion vote to address the hazards and

welfares of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) who are threatening to embark on strike, thereby increasing the figure submitted to the House by the committee.

The House also approved the request

by President Muhammadu Buhari for the federal government to obtain external loans totalling $5.513 billion to finance budget deficits.

During the consideration of the budget, Betara said the increase in the revised budget was for interventions to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country.

In the legislation entitled: 'A Bill for an Act to amend the

Appropriation Act, 2020 to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum of N10,801,544,664,642 (raised by N4,000,000,000),' N422.77 billion was allocated for Statutory Transfers and N2.951 trillion for debt service.

Also, N4.938 trillion is allocated to recurrent (nondebt) expenditure while N2.488 trillion is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.

The Public Complaints Commission took N4.700 billion; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) N36 billion; National Human Rights

Commission N2.250 billion; North East Development Commission N20.944 billion while Basic Health Care Fund got N25.560 billion.

For statutory transfers, the National Judicial Council got N110 billion; Niger-Delta Development Commission N44.200 billion; Universal Basic Education N51.120 billion and the National Assembly N128 billion Out of the N2.951 trillion allocation for debt service, domestic debts got N1. 873 trillion; foreign debts N805. 470 billion and sinking fund to retire maturing loans allocated N272. 900 billion.

The e Senate will today

consider the revised 2020 budget for possible passage.

The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, gave the hint yesterday during plenary after the Committee on Appropriation submitted the report on the 2020 revised budget to the Senate. “Tomorrow (today), we can receive and consider the report to ensure that we don’t delay anything as important as that.

So, this is the essence of altering the order paper,� Lawan said.

The Senate on Tuesday had deferred presentation of the report over a delay by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, to provide details for N186

billion, an amount which is part of the N500 billion COVID-19 intervention fund.

Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Barau Jibrin, also on Tuesday, had told his colleagues that the finance ministry was yet to comply with the request of the committee to attach details for the amount to be captured as part of the 2020 budget amendment bill.

However, Lawan yesterday said the ministry had provided the details for the outstanding N186 billion.

The development, according to him, makes it expedient for the Senate to consider the revised 2020 budget today during plenary.

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ECOWAS Leaders Reaffirm Confidence in AfDB President, Adesina Departing AfDB VP hails bank's helmsman

Obinna Chima The Heads of State and Governments of the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states have restated their “full confidence� in Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The West African leaders made their position known in a statement signed by President of Niger, who is also ECOWAS President, Mahamadou Issoufou, dated June 5, 2020, that was obtained

by THISDAY yesterday.

The ECOWAS leaders also welcomed “the excellent achievements of the AfDB under Adesina’s leadership.�

The statement recalled that at an ECOWAS authority of Heads of State and Governments meeting on December 21, 2019, in Abuja, the body had approved Adesina’s candidacy for a second mandate as president of the AfDB. It stated that the ECOWAS leaders noted that of recent, some whistleblowers had questioned the management and impugned the moral standing of the president of the AfDB. “The allegations refer to presumed unethical conduct.

These allegations, relayed by the international press create a harmful climate which can erode the credibility of this African institution, whose reputation and financial strength are deep-rooted,� it added.

It stated that the AfDB enjoys a recognised credibility, especially in the light of its rating, earned from the most prestigious rating agencies and

maintained for several years. “Actually, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and the Japanese rating agency, have awarded it AAA rating for its long-term privileged debt and AA+ rating for its subordinated debt. All relating rating outlooks are stable and reflect the bank’s shareholders’ strong support, a good capital adequacy, its preferred creditor status and a sound financial position. “Moreover, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government note that the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors has rejected all the allegations against the president and fully cleared him. “For their part, the ECOWAS member states and their citizens welcome the support of the AfDB in their economic and social development efforts,� it added.

It said the bank had launched some major initiatives for the construction of infrastructure in the region, including the “Desert to Power Initiative,� to develop 10,000 megawatts solar energy that would supply electricity for 250 million people, railways, ports, airports, irrigation canals, as well as information and communication technology.

The bank also works closely with the ECOWAS Commission to build the historic LagosAbidjan road, a project key to improve regional trade, it stated.

ECOWAS leaders also noted that “in the footnotes of his illustrious predecessors, the eight President, Dr. Adesina, has further strengthened and accelerated the institution’s development.�

According to them, in the last five years of his first

mandate, his achievements have been impressive.

They said: “After providing a new vision for the bank’s missions, President Adesina has worked closely with all bank’s shareholders to reach the highest capital increase since the bank’s creation in 1964, from $93 billion to $208 billion, an increase of $115 billion. “More recently, under his leadership, the AfDB has launched a $10 billion crisis response mechanism to help Africa fight the COVID-19 pandemic, with the support of all shareholders. “Heads of State and Government of the 15 ECOWAS member states strongly welcome the excellent

achievements of the AfDB under Adesina’s leadership. For the reason above, the ECOWAS authority of Heads of State and Government, meeting on December 21, 2019, in Abuja, approved his candidacy for a second mandate as President of the AfDB. “Through the present statement, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government reaffirm their full confidence in the leadership of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the Head of the African Development Bank.

They reiterate their collective support for his re-election for a second mandate as president of the bank.�

Departing AfDB Vice President

Hails Adesina Meanwhile, the departing Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the bank, Jennifer Blanke, has extolled Adesina’s leadership qualities.

Blanke will be leaving the bank on July 4, 2020. She joined the bank in 2017 and has overseen some of its key programme.

In a statement yesterday, she thanked Adesina for "his strong leadership qualities, guidance and support which have undoubtedly motivated and helped my team and I to play a key role in the transformation of the bank."

She said she was privileged to contribute to the bank’s

agenda for accelerating Africa’s social and economic transformation. “I am leaving purely for family reasons to rejoin my family in Switzerland, after a very fulfilling time at the bank. I will miss the bank and the excellent team we have built, and I will continue to strongly support the bank from wherever I am,� she said.

In his response, Adesina said he was delighted to have worked with Blanke.

He added: “She demonstrated genuine leadership skills and moved the needle on so many fronts, especially in the areas of food security, women’s financial empowerment, and job creation.�

FOCUSING ON OTHER MATTERS...

L-R: Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Dr. Las Ritchter, during the inspection of construction work at Rebisi Flyover in Port Harcourt....yesterday

Buhari: N’Assembly Has Brought Dignity, Honour to Nigeria Ndume calls for part-time legislature, cut in lawmakers' salaries Omololu Ogunmade and Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday hailed the leadership of the ninth National Assembly for leading the federal legislature to positively impacted on the lives of Nigerians in the last one year and bringing dignity and honour to Nigeria.

The president, in his assessment of the legislature to commemorate the first anniversary of the extant session, hailed what he described as the assembly's sense of duty and diligence in handling national issues.

On his part, a former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, canvassed part-time lawmaking as well as a slash in the salaries of legislators in the wake of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Buhari, in a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, praised what he described as the sense of maturity and passion with which the federal legislature has passed bills that impacted on the lives of Nigerians.

He thanked Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for deploying their wealth of experience to enhance the working relationship with the executive and the judiciary.

The president said the National Assembly had brought dignity and honour to the country, and solicited the continuous cooperation of the parliament in the years ahead.

"On behalf of Nigerians, and the Federal Executive Council, President Muhammadu Buhari sends warm greetings to the leadership and members of the Ninth National Assembly on their first anniversary, extolling the sense of duty and diligence in handling issues related to the development of the country.

"President Buhari salutes the vision, courage and patriotism of the Assembly, noting, with appreciation, the understanding and maturity of the lawmakers in speedily processing bills that directly impact the welfare

of Nigerians, courageously finding common grounds to move the country forward, and passionately carrying out their oversight functions with justice and fairness.

"The president presents his goodwill to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, congratulating them for using their wealth of experience, wisdom and knowledge to ensure a peaceful working relationship among lawmakers, between both chambers, the judiciary and the executive, by always focusing on the larger picture of nation building.

"As the Ninth National Assembly commemorates the landmark, President Buhari believes the legislature has brought dignity and honour to the country, and looks forward to more years of harmonious working relationship, with focus on improving the livelihood of citizens, and creating an enabling environment for a prosperous nation where both the young and old can

fully realise their dreams," the statement said.

Also yesterday, Ndume advocated a part-time lawmaking as well as slash in the salaries of legislators in the wake of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Ndume told reporters that it would be proper if the current National Assembly is on parttime with legislators' salaries slashed since the two chambers now sit for a maximum of two days in a week.

He said: "As far as I'm concerned, we can make the National Assembly a part-time arrangement for now since we conduct our sitting once or twice in a week these days.

"For example, even we in the National Assembly, for the period of this pandemic, I strongly advocate that the work of the legislature and other people should be made part-time and therefore, pay them on part-time basis to reduce the cost.

"If we make it part-time, that means our salaries must be reduced. The reality is that we can't continue in a situation like this where 70 per cent of

the country's budget is going to personnel and recurrent expenditure as if everything is okay. This is a time when we are borrowing to fund the budget.�

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, expressed his preference for parliamentary system of government as against the current presidential system.

He said: "I even believe in the parliamentary system of government. When Prof. Ango Abdullahi said Nigeria should revert to the parliamentary system of government, I said I support it because the presidential system of government is not for poor countries like us. Today, if Nigerians demand a reversion to the parliamentary system of government, I will support it."

Ndume also clarified his recent call on the federal government to slash the salaries of civil servants, saying he was quoted out of context.

"When I was asked about the revised budget, I said we should fasten our belt during this pandemic due to the fall in the prices of crude oil

which is the main stay of our economy. I said the federal government should critically look into cutting down of cost of governance. I called for the reduction of overhead cost, salaries of senior public servants and the recurrent expenditure. That is what I said and I still stand by it.

"Taking cognisance of the fact that the salaries of the lower cadre civil servants are too small, I couldn't have called for its further reduction. As a matter of facts Nigerian civil servants deserve palliative from all tiers of government, even with their salaries.

"I maintain that since most of us who are public servants across the three arms of government are not working full-time for now, our salaries should no longer be paid 100 per cent. Overhead should also not be 100 per cent again.

All those travel allowances should stop because we are not travelling again. We are operating from online now, the provision for stationery should be stopped. By that, so many expenditure would have been moved," he stated.

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PAGE EIGHT OBASEKI WAS OUR STUDENT, GRADUATED IN 1979, SAYS UI credits but despite that he spent only three years to allegedly bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, in 1976, without an A/Level result.

A/Levels are required for a three-year direct entry course in Nigerian universities.

The queries over Obaseki's credentials is fallout of the crisis in the state chapter of the party that has pitted the governor against the APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

The party yesterday screened Obaseki and four others ahead of the primary slated for June 22.

The UI, in the statement, said the governor's records of his admission and graduation were intact in its archives of the university.

However, notwithstanding the university's clarification, trouble seems not yet over for the governor as some party chiefs said he still had query to answer on the sworn affidavit he submitted to INEC through the party, claiming he graduated from UI in 1976 as against 1979 which UI confirmed yesterday was his year of graduation.

In the affidavit, Obaseki had allegedly claimed he entered UI in 1973 and graduated in 1976.

Party sources told THISDAY that the sworn affidavit was still an issue that only the governor can address as it borders on perjury.

In a petition to the Chairman of the Screening Committee for Edo State Gubernatorial Election, some concerned members of APC in the state, Mr. Edobor Williams, Ugbesia Godwin and Amedu Anakhu, had said the Abuja High Court, in a response to a request by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had suspected foul play over the documents submitted to INEC in 2016, had in a letter to PDP, dated September 28, 2016, “clearly established the element of false affidavit on the part of Godwin Obaseki, which makes him disqualified.�

But some legal analysts have said until the claim of perjury is properly established against the governor, and to

the satisfaction of the court, it would not stop his second term bid.

They added that the onus is on the accusers to prove the alleged inconsistencies in Obaseki's credentials.

APC Screens Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, Three Others The APC yesterday commenced the screening of Edo State governorship aspirants ahead of thevJune 22 primary.

Apart from Obaseki, others screened at the party's national secretariat in Abuja were Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Hon. Osaro Obazee, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Dr. Pius Odubu.

The seven-man screening committee commenced work at about 1 p.m.

Obaseki had earlier arrived at the party national secretariat at about 1:10 p.m, but left about five minutes later, after making an appearance at the conference room, venue of the screening.

He returned at about 8pm and was grilled for over two hours.

"One of the questions that I was asked was that why did I issue a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct elections in Edo State - that did I not see it as an anti-party activity? I just felt that if we put politics above the lives of the people of Edo State, we may be missing the point."

The two-day screening will continue today with the sixth aspirant, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, expected to appear before the committee.

Speaking during the screening of the aspirants, the Chairman of the committee, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, said that the committee took the challenge not because it was complex, adding that the integrity of the committee members are at stake.

He noted that the committee is not a judicial committee, neither is it investigating the aspirants.

He added that the job of the committee is to verify information about the six aspirants based on evidence and facts.

I'm Not Expecting Obaseki Faction to Get Justice, Says Writes INEC, Challenges Obaseki Oshiomhole over The governor, after the screening, expressed doubt if Secretariat he would get justice from the committee because Oshiomhole is an interested party in the Edo primary.

He stated: "The last time I came here, I asked that Oshiomhole recuse himself from the process in the interest of peace and justice. But as a party man, I have had to go through the screening like everybody else. "Since he is the judge and the jury in this matter, I will just wait for the outcome of the screening. I have given them all the information they need; the controversial certificate from the University of Ibadan has been tendered.

"Like I said, as a party man, I have gone through the screening process but I do not believe that I will get justice because Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an interested party in the Edo process.

A faction of the party loyal to Obaseki has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that Oshiomhole lacks the power to change the address of the party in the state ahead of the governorship primary.

Oshiomhole, in a letter to the electoral body on the May 29, 2020, had notified the commission that the party had purportedly changed its address in Edo State to a new secretariat.

However, the factional Chairman of the party loyal to Obaseki, Mr. Anselem Ojezua, in a letter dated 9th June, 2020, titled: "Re: Notification of Change of Address, Violation of Relevant Constitution of the party and an attempt to Circumvent Subsisting Court Order", said Oshiomhole lacked the power to change the address

of the party in the state.

The letter was copied to Oshiomhole, the Commissioner of Police Edo State, Director of DSS, Edo State, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State.

Ojezua cited Article 8 of the party's constitution, which stipulates that: "The registered office of the party shall be located in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, while other offices in the state capitals, local government area headquarters, wards and other places shall be determined by the appropriate executive committee and approved by the National Executive Committee."

Ojezua stated: "Permit me to remind you of the repeated admonition by the superior court of records in this country that political parties must imbibe the culture of obeying or acting in conformity with the provisions of their constitution.

"Surely, the State Executive Committee is the appropriate executive committee contemplated by the said provision and not the person or office of the national chairman of the party.

"This, by the clear provision of our constitution, the national chairman of our party not being a sole administrator thereof, has absolutely no role to play on the issue of the location of the state secretariat in Edo State.

"The action of the national chairman is a ploy to avoid compliance with the consequential effects of the order of the Benin High Court in Suit No. B/277/0S/19: Anselm Ojezua & Others v. Col. lmuse & Ors which granted an injunctive order preserving my status as the state chairman of Edo State chapter of our party."

Ojezua noted that High Court and the Court of Appeal in Benin have refused the applications by the defendants to set aside the preservative order of injunction which is and was still subsisting in his favour.

He told INEC that members of Edo State Executive

Committee of the party, led by him, were duly elected at the last congress held by the party in 2018, noting that INEC has the records of those elected at the congress.

Reacting to the letter, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Education and Information, Mr. Festus Okoye told THISDAY that the commission does not deal with state chapters of political parties.

He said: "In all issues, we deal with the national chairman and national secretaries of political parties. “This is the position of the commission in line with session 220 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. During the registration of political parties, it is the highest elected officials of the parties that we deal with in all our correspondences with any political party " Moreover, the matter on the mode of the Edo State APC governorship primary is in the court and as a policy, INEC will not dabble into any issue before the court. That is prejudice. We can only obey court orders."

Party Factions Bicker over Alleged Contempt of Court Ojezua also yesterday said the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu; Chairman of the faction of Edo State APC loyal to Oshiomhole, Col. David Imuse (rtd) and Mr. Chris Azebamwen risked arrest and imprisonment for contempt of court over violation of court orders.

He said in a statement that the three officials had disregarded a court order recognising him as the state chairman of APC. The three APC chieftains were sued by Ojezua; Deputy Chairman, APC Edo State, Kenneth Asekhomhe and State Organising Secretary, APC, Edo State, for disobeying the interim injunction directing that parties to maintain status quo as 10/11/2019, on the chairmanship of the APC, Edo State chapter, pending the hearing and determination of

the motion on notice praying for interlocutory injunction.

Ojezua noted that in furtherance of this, in a form 49, the three personalities were served with papers to "take notice that the claimants/ applicants will on the 18th of June, 2020 at the hour of 9 o'clock in the forenoon apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the order of the High Court of Justice, Benin City, Edo State presided over by Hon. Justice V. O. A. Oviawe."

He stated that going by the documents Issa-Onilu, Imuse and Azebamwen, breached the court order by parading Imuse as the state chairman of the APC against the orders of the court.

But the Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation has dismissed the claim by Ojezua on the chairmanship tussle.

A statement by the Director of Communication and Media, Mr. John Mayaki, said there was no such order by the court. “How can a case that was never filed, never heard and without participation by lawyers be said to have been ruled on?

The simple way to dismiss this falsehood is to ask those peddling the news to provide basic details such as case file number, legal representatives, and Presiding judge,� he added.

Meanwhile, the Edo State chapter of APC loyal to Obaseki has accused Oshiomhole of a deliberate attempt to hand over the state to the opposition by continuously causing crisis in the party.

Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr. Joseph Osagiede, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, called on the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) and the presidency to rein in Oshiomhole and stop him from gifting Edo to the opposition, like he did in Zamfara, Rivers and Bayelsa, among other states.

Osagiede, who described Obaseki as the best man for the job on account of his massive infrastructural and developmental strides in the state, said the governor had performed well and would be re-elected.

BUHARI EXPRESSES SHOCK AS DEATH TOLL IN BORNO ATTACK HITS 81 president said he was appalled by the brutal killings of scores of people by the Boko Haram/ Islam in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Gubio village of Borno State.

He described the attack as one of the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people from the North-east.

The statement said the president was awaiting a detailed briefing on the incident from Zulum, based on the outcome of his visit to the affected communities.

"The primordial nature of the killings is particularly shocking because it happened not long after the Ramadhan and Eid, and the country is preparing to celebrate the Democracy Day,� the president said.

He condemned the incident and charged the armed forces to sustain their recent string of successes against the terrorists "to extract a heavy price from the attackers, and bring back all those they kidnapped as well as the large number of cattle rustled."

The president expressed condolences to the bereaved families, communities, the government and people of Borno State.

Earlier, villagers told Zulum, during his visit to Gubio to sympathise with them and assess the damage, that the casualty figure had risen to 81.

A statement by the governor’s spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau, quoted the villagers as saying that the insurgents abducted a village head along with six others. “A survivor told Zulum that 81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including village head was abducted,� the statement added.

One of the villagers had earlier told reporters on the phone that the insurgents operated for about two hours unchallenged with the initial bodycount put at 70 while 300 cows were also killed in the attack and over 1,000 cows rustled.

A top security officer who spoke anonymously to THISDAY yesterday, said the news of the attack was broken to them in Maiduguri, the state capital on Tuesday night.

He said: “We were told over 70 people were killed

by Boko Haram in the attack on a village in Gubio Local Government Area.

“I am heading there with other security teams to assess the loss. We are on our way with the governor who is going to the town this morning (Wednesday).�

A credible source in the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) had earlier told THISDAY that the attack was launched about noon on Tuesday.

He said the terrorists arrived in vehicles and motorcycles, shooting sporadically with AK-47 rifles, razing the village and stealing 1,200 cattle and camel.

He said the insurgents accused the residents of sharing information on Boko Haram’s movements with security authorities.

The village was overwhelmed as the insurgents came in large numbers with sophisticated weapons.

He said the people killed were about 70, with the assailants rustling about 1,000 cows and killing over 300 others.

He added that the attack lasted over two hours with some houses torched.

Some of the residents that fled to Gubio told THISDAY on phone that it was a sad tale as no one came to their

rescue during the attack.

One of them, Modu Habu, said: “They (Boko Haram) came in drove and started shooting indiscriminately at us, they killed old and young, women, men and children.

Even our animals were shot at. “Some of us had to flee for our lives as the assailants had no intention of showing mercy to anyone and there was no rescue in sight. “It is difficult for me to exactly state the number of people killed, and other losses, as we were all in shock and I was lucky to be among the few that are alive to narrate the story. “All I could say is that over 70 persons were killed, over 300 cows fired and around 1,000 lined up and carted away.�

The attack in Borno is coming a few days after the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, returned to Abuja from Maiduguri after spending two months coordinating the war against insurgency.

Buratai had said troops killed over 1,000 insurgents within the period.

Zulum was in Faduma Kolomdi yesterday to

assess the situation and to commiserate with the injured and bereaved families.

A survivor told the governor that 81 residents were killed during the attack with 13 persons injured and seven others, including the village head, abducted.

While sympathising with the people over the attack, Zulum described the attack as babaric and unfortunate.

He evacuated five injured persons in his convoy, for treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

"Last year, about same number of people were killed in Gajiram like it happened again. This is barbaric. It is very unfortunate. The only solution to end this masacare is by dislodging the insurgents in the shores of Lake Chad. Doing so will require collaborative regional efforts," Zulum said.

A villager, described as the only survivor of the attack, told Zulum the insurgents operated for about six hours.

"They gathered us and said they wanted to deliver religious sermon to us. They asked us to submit whatever arm we had. Some villagers gave up their dane guns, bow

and arrows. The insurgents pretended as if they were not there for any violence.

Suddenly, they started shooting at will. "Even children and Continued on page 9

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NEWS

NCC, FIRS Partner to Verify VAT on Telecoms’ Transactions

Emma Okonji

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to ensure the tax agency ascertain accuracy and completeness of value added tax (VAT) elements and other taxes payable in the transactions of telecoms operators.

With the MoU, the FIRS

will be able to integrate an application programming interface (API) technology solution with the systems of telecom operators for independent verification of the amount of VAT that should be paid by mobile network operators (MNO) rather than relying entirely on the operators’ books of accounts.

A statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, quoted

the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, as saying during the MoU signing in Abuja on Tuesday, that diligence and appropriate due processes were undertaken to conclude the MoU, as the commission took its time to understand the import of the MoU. He said: “Our concern, as regulator of the telecoms industry, is that we needed to be sure that it is not another way to

tax telecoms operators, who are already dealing with multiple taxation issues. We have also ensured that the integration of the solutions with telcos’ transactions systems will not, in any way, impact the cost and quality of service delivery by the operators to telecoms consumers.�

Danbatta assured telecoms consumers and stakeholders that the integration of FIRS solution with the operators’

systems was to ascertain the accuracy of the VAT elements being paid by the operators on their transactions and will not, in any way, degrade the quality of service delivery or lead to high cost of service to the consumers.

The Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, who thanked the NCC for accepting to collaborate with the tax agency, said the MoU

was to ascertain completeness of tax transactions of mobile service providers to the federal government due to the shift of physical businesses to electronicbased business activities. “The API, which was developed in-house, is transaction-based and all we are trying to do is to ensure we have the basis for determining the completeness and accuracy of VAT elements in telecoms transactions,� he stated.

Court Voids Finance Minister’s Power to Amend Taxes, Levies Act Davidson Iriekpen

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has voided the Minister of Finance’s power to amend the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act 2004.

Justice Ayokunle Faji nullified the amendment and held that the minister lacks such power and pronounced the amendment null and void.

The judge held that “any purported amendment� to the Act 2004 by the minister, “is null, void and unconstitutional.�

The judge upheld the argument of The Registered Trustees of Hotel Owners and Managers Association that “only the National Assembly can amend laws. No other body can do so.�

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Finance were the defendants in the suit.

The federal government through the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on May 26, 2015, had amended the Schedule to the Act following pressure to harmonise taxes

and levies payable in Nigeria.

The amendment introduced “a taxing power� to state governments over “inter alia: hotels, restaurants or event centres’ consumption tax, where applicable.�

But The Registered Trustees of Hotel Owners and Managers Association, whose members in Lagos State are charged with the responsibility of collecting consumption tax from its customers on behalf of the government, filed Suit No: FHC/UCS/1082/19, challenging the minister’s action.

The judge agreed with the plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Salihu Bello that, among others, the amendment â€œâ€Śaffects the business of plaintiff and its members particularly as regards payment of taxes. “It affects them directly. It seems to me that they are entitled to challenge a law which seeks to determine the point of payment of tax as regards their business if they think that law is unconstitutional.â€?

The judge granted all the plaintiff’s four declarative reliefs.

Justice Faji held: “By

virtue of Section 4 of the Constitution‌the legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are vested in the National Assembly “The Minister of Finance, being a member of the executive arm of government, lacks the constitutional power legislative competence) to amend an Act of the National Assembly or any part thereof. “Section 121 of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for collection Act Cap T2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which vests the Minister of Finance with the power to amend

the schedule to the Taxes and Levies Approved list for Collection) Act, is inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution‌and therefore, unconstitutional, null and void. “Any purported amendment to the taxes and levies (Approved List for collection Act Cap T2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 by the Minister of Finance‌including but not limited to the ones and Levies (Approved List for collection) Act (Amendment) Order, 2015 is illegal constitutional, null and void.â€?

without recourse to NPA. The firm was alleged to have collected $45 million (N16.2billion) from Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited (SHIN) for the 11.2426 hectares of land for which it paid only $524,105 (N37.73 million) to NPA. Documents exclusively obtained by THISDAY revealed that whereas the NPA charged GRML a rent of $104,821.95 per

year for five years on 11.2426 hectare for the head lease, GRML charged the sublease (SHI) $9 million per year for five years for the same portion of land, collecting a total of $45 million.

When contacted, LADOL’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kunle Kalejaiye, had said he was not authorised to speak on the matter, which he said is currently in court.

On the banditry in the North-west, the army attributed the escalation in attacks on Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara on interstate movements by the bandits.

It said: "It has come to our knowledge that some bandits are shifting base and venting their anger on hapless citizens because of the ongoing operations in Katsina State. While we sympathise with fellow Nigerians and the good people of Borno, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States in particular, on these unfortunate incidents, we would like to assure all of our unrelenting effort in engaging with communities to rid our society of any and all remnants of these criminal elements.

"We would like to assure that these types of heinous crimes will not go unpunished and will not be allowed anywhere in our country."

to provide support to the villages.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance, titled, 'Boko Haram attack in two villages of Foduma Koloram and Ban Ngudorum Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State,' sponsored by Hon. Usman Zannah Moving the motion, Zannah said the Boko Haram killed about 96 people on Tuesday.

The lawmaker raised concern about the renewed spate of attacks by the insurgents in recent time and the vulnerable state of the communities.

Adopting the motion, the House members observed a minute silence in honour of the dead.

Similarly, the House while adopting a motion titled 'Need to come to the aid of communities in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, ravaged by rainstorms,' urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assess the damage caused by the rainstorm of May 31, 2020 and provide relief materials to the affected families, places of worship and businesses to cushion the effect of the disaster.

It also mandated its Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to ensure compliance.

The motion was sponsored

by Hon. Kpam Jimin Sokpo.

PRESIDENT DIRECTS NPA TO RESPECT FG’S LAND LEASE PACT WITH LADOL on local content. Accept the assurance of my warn regards, please.�

The NPA had sanctioned LADOL for allegedly violating the terms of the land lease at Tarkwa Bay, near Light House Beach in Lagos. The agency revoked the lease via a letter dated November 14, 2019 and addressed to the Managing Director of GRML, the parent company of LADOL.

The letter, signed by NPA’s General Manager in charge of Land and Asset Administration, Mr. Yusuf Ahmed, had reminded LADOL that, “Clause 4.5 (a) of the agreement prohibits the lessee (LADOL) from subletting any part of the premises without written approval of the lessor (NPA) and stipulates that any contravention ‘shall result in the automatic cancellation of

this lease.�

The NPA had alleged that its investigation revealed that LADOL executed a sublease dated September 13, 2013 with Messrs SHI-MCI Fze (representing Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria) without the required approval or recourse to the lessor. “Your actions in that regard led to the current impasse with resultant negative attention

within and outside the country. “Consequently, the authority has reviewed the events and decided to exercise its rights under the lease and hereby revokes it with immediate effect,� NPA had stated.

LADOL was also alleged to have shortchanged the federal government by sub-leasing 11.2426 hectares of land out of the total 121 hectares leased to it at outrageous amount

BUHARI EXPRESSES SHOCK AS DEATH TOLL IN BORNO ATTACK HITS 81 women were not spared.

Many were shot at close range.

Many started running. At the end end, many persons were killed. We have been burying people from 10:00pm last night to about 6am this morning. We have buried 49 corpses here while another 32 corpses were taken away by families from the villages around us. The insurgents abducted seven persons, including our village head. They went away with 400 cattle,� he said.

Bandits Kill 66 in Katsina Communities The rampaging bandits who stormed the five communities of Kadisau, Kabalawa, Kwakware, Wahabi and Raudama in Katsina State, also forced thousands of residents to flee their ancestral homes.

The bandits were also reported to have killed 10 people in Maiganguma, Makera and Unguwar Zango villages of Dandume LGA of the state.

The former Chairman of Faskari LGA, Mr. Bala Ado, who confirmed the attacks to THISDAY in a telephone interview yesterday, said the bandits left over 30 persons with varying degrees of injuries during the attacks.

According to him, the bandits, numbering over 150, and riding on motorcycles, simultaneously attacked the affected communities.

He said they killed 38 persons in Kadisau community and injured 30 people, mostly women and children, who are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Funtua.

He added that the bandits also rustled hundreds of animals, set ablaze thousands of houses, shops, grains stores and kidnapped many women and children.

He said: “The bandits arrived Kadisau community at about 5.24p.m on Tuesday when most children were playing football and started shooting sporadically. They killed 38 people on the spot and injured 30 others who are currently receiving treatment at Funtua General Hospital. “They also killed nine people in Kabalawa, five in Kwakware, three in Unguwar Wahabi and one person in Raudama village respectively. The bandits burnt grains stores, shops and rustled unspecified number of cattle. “They spent over two hours carrying out the attacks without any intervention from security personnel. They moved to Sabon Layin Galadima and Maigora villages and rustled hundreds of domestic animals belonging to residents of the areas. “These notorious bandits also killed 10 people in Makera, Unguwar Zango and Maiganguma villages of Dandume Local Government.�

He alleged that the bandits

terrorising Faskari communities were from Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. “These bandits are from Tsafe Local Government of Zamfara State; their leaders are often seen in Tsafe town, Munhaye Daji and Dangibga communities of Zamfara State,� he added.

The spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, Mr. Gambo Isah, a Superintendent of Police (SP), however, told journalists that the bandits killed only 20 people in Kadisau community.

He said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), we received a report that armed bandits, numbering over 200, attacked Kadisau village of Faskari Local Government Area. “According to the report, the bandits went there with the intent to steal food items and other materials from the villagers but the youths and other people came out resisted these bandits as a result of which they started shooting sporadically and killing instantly 14 members of that community and injuring 26 of them. “The injured were taken to the hospital and this morning and we received another report that six among those victims died while receiving treatment making the number to 20. Members of the security agencies are currently in that

area�.

He added that security personnel had captured many enclaves of bandits in Danmusa and Batsari Local Government Area.

According to him, “what we are witnessing in the upsurge of this crime is as a result of the declaration made by the federal and the state governments that there should not be any space for any bandit to operate in this country. “We are not going to relent; we are going to continue persistently with our mission to ensure that all the bandits’ enclaves are destroyed to ensure that banditry in Katsina is no more.�

Army Vows to Hunt down Killers Reacting to the attacks yesterday, the Nigerian Army expressed sadness over the incident and vowed to apprehend the attackers.

A statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, said troops had been deployed in Faduma Koloram village to deal with the perpetrators.

"We have also mandated the Theatre Command, Operation LAFIYA DOLE to enhance security, dominate the area and reassure the affected communities of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protect the population," he stated.

House Urges Armed Forces to Patrol Vulnerable Communities The House of Representatives has called on the armed forces to intensify patrol of all the vulnerable communities in the hinterland and ensure the protection of such villages from Boko Haram insurgents.

It also urged the North East Development Commission

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POLITICS

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

‘We Will Never Compromise Our Legislative Powers’ Deji Elumoye was part of a team of journalists who interacted with the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, on a wide range of issues of national importance including the number of bills at various stages of legislative work in the Senate, as well as, various interventions by the Ninth National Assembly in the last one year under his leadership

W

hat has the Ninth Assembly done differently in the last one year compared to the Eighth Assembly?

I don’t like this comparison of what the Ninth Senate has done differently compared to the Eighth Assembly.

We thank God for being alive to be able to discharge our responsibilities as the situation permits. Right from the beginning we’ve said consistently that we are going to work for a united Senate, for the purpose of providing a very efficient service to Nigerians who voted for us in the first place. I’m pleased to say that we’ve done so much. We’ve been working with the government very closely in such a manner, that the productivity level in the Senate is higher than most other sessions because we have more time to focus and concentrate in delivering legislative interventions as maybe required. I think we’ve done significantly very well compared to most of the previous sessions of the National Assembly. I’m not talking about the number of Bills passed. From February to June, unfortunately with the COVID-19 pandemic it is clear everybody is working far below capacity even as individuals because of the situation that requires lockdown. The National Assembly or the Senate cannot be different. At the moment, we will sit once in a week or two days in a legislative week.

It’s not the way it should be but because of the current situation there’s hardly anything anybody can do in the situation of this pandemic. But I’m happy to say that even in this situation the Senate has done fairly well, we’ve over 400 bills in different stages of legislative processing, we’ve done so much confirmation than any other senate in one year, about 27 or 28 confirmation requests from the Executive arm of government.

We consider that very significant because it’s the way to make government more efficient, when you have the governing council in place as against an individual somewhere probably a Minister or someone who will take advantage of no governing board. In order to sustain the relationship that enhances our productivity we have a special committee, this special committee is between the legislative and executive arm of government that works behind the scene, it’s not an official body, you cant see it or hear about it. But it’s very effective and efficient. The Senate leader, House of Representatives leader, the senior special assistant to President in both chambers of the National Assembly are members, the office of the Attorney General has a representation and relevant committee chairmen. So,when there’s a Bill that has to do with an area the committee oversights and this is a decision the legislature and executive, that whenever there’s going to be a Bill that’s significant and could cause misunderstanding, the executive should bring that bill, we sit down let them explain to that committee, let them work on it, where the legislature will feel no this is too obvious we cannot accept this, this is where we think it should be, and then we have a Bill that will eventually come to the National Assembly and when it comes most of the areas that have the potential to cause friction would have been resolved, it doesn’t mean that once a Bill comes it will be passed, because we still have majority of the National Assembly who have their say, at least the possible areas of misunderstanding would have been reduced to a minimum, the main grey areas would have been settled and of course the relationship will continue to be good enough for us to operate and work to the benefit of Nigerians. I commend my colleagues in the Senate for keeping Nigeria in the front banner, we remain focused on our promise to Nigerians, because there’s

Lawan no better focus. This National Assembly is a representation of 200 million Nigerians or so, therefore anything we do must be something that will ensure that there’s protection of their liberty, that there’s efficiency in governance. We had a situation in the past in some of the sessions of the National Assembly where most of the time some of the important bills will come and there will always be a deadlock, though they may be so important to making Nigeria better but because of serious misunderstanding and the inability to create the environment for the legislature and the executive to resolve the issues such Bills are either stagnated or probably if they originated from the National Assembly, assent will be withheld. And we believe that this is a challenge for the present National Assembly and mistakes can remain costly only if no lessons are learnt from them. But if you’re able to learn some lessons then there would have been benefits.

We believe that this is as a result of what we’ve experienced in some of the National Assembly sessions. That gap between the legislature and the Executive that will not be resolved or narrowed easily has created so much loss to the country. It’s our challenge and this is an arrangement between us and the executive arm of government.

Where do you draw the line in protecting the principles of separation of powers?

Well, what I described here in terms of the relationship doesn’t mean there’s no principles in separation of powers, actually because there’s principles in separation of powers that’s why we try to reduce the potential areas of friction. The principle of separation of powers is what establishes and sustains the government especially in democracies that believe in that. You know that in Britain they don’t have that separation of powers, it still works for them but our system is a replica of what obtains in the United States of America. I believe in it strongly, the legislature should always be there to provide the legislative intervention, but I also believe that separation of powers should always be considered alongside checks and balances, that’s what makes the separation of powers more effective in terms of ensuring that there’s good governance.

That’s to say that there’s absolute application of the legislative interventions of parliament and particularly when it comes to checks and balances you will be looking at how the parliament oversights the executive arm of government so that it prevents or stops possible recklessness. That’s what we are doing and it’s something we fought for

How many men and women do we have in the Nigerian Army? It’s so low that today almost all personnel are in one operation or the other, we don’t have any reserve, and because we are not able to have any reserve, nobody rests and everybody is overstretched. You can’t fight insecurity with inadequacy, even if we cannot get to the level of adequacy, we should get to a better stage where the personnel is more, better trained and resources available to them to fight are better. And I think federal government is trying to do that. I commend our armed forces for doing so much with the very little and Nigerians appreciate what they are doing

since we came to the Fourth Session of the National Assembly, of course at that time we had a head of the executive who, I think, at that time either wasn’t probably advised on the provisions of the constitution as to the independence of the legislature or that they felt the legislature was an unnecessary appendage. We insisted that we had to do our jobs, and what are these jobs; oversight, legislation and representation but the oversight aspect is the one that keeps the Executive on its toes. So we’re not in any way compromising our legislative powers.

We will never do that. But one thing I will always emphasize is my personal understanding that the principle of separation of powers means the specialization of functions.

Specialization is, as a legislator you make laws, executive you implement the laws, and judiciary you adjudicate and interpret the laws. None of the three arms can form a government, none of the three arms can work to produce any results as a government so it means that there must be interdependence, cooperation between the three arms particularly the legislator and the executive because that’s where the day-to-day running of affairs of government lies, and there must be mutual respect. The legislature must be given its due respect by the executive arm of government. There must be partnership, the government is one and the separation of powers only tries to ensure that there’s efficiency in service delivery to the people, that the citizens liberty is protected, so this should be our target. Therefore anything that will not undermine the independence of the legislature but will enhance the ability of government and the entire system, I’m for it. I don’t believe that the National Assembly or the legislature should succumb to the desires of the executive but I believe in cooperation. Governance is about those who are governed, what are you able to do to improve the lives of the ordinary citizens?

What is expected of any leadership whether it’s in the legislature, in terms of representation or the executive arm of government is transparency, probity and accountability as leaders of society.

Last year when you were talking about your legislative agenda, you were specific about Petroleum Industry Bill and hopefully by 2020 it would have been passed, this is June 2020, what has become of that Bill?

We promised so many things, like turning the budget cycle and of course the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill before the end of 2020. When we said we will pass the budget before Christmas or before we go on Christmas break, thank God the Executive worked so tirelessly and the budget was brought in October and by the grace of God we applied ourselves fully and we passed the budget before Christmas.

The Petroleum Industry Bill is not yet in the National Assembly but I know the executive arm of government has been discussing with us on what they are doing about the Petroleum Industry Bill. COVID-19 does not leave anything out and therefore the Petroleum Industry Bill probably will be submitted within June, I am not sure, but I’m optimistic. It has not come to the National Assembly because of the infraction we suffered from COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve been talking with the executive especially those that are in the petroleum industry, the Minister of Petroleum and Minister of State Petroleum Resources, the GMD of NNPC, and others who are involved in this.

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

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POLITICS

‘You Cannot Achieve Economic DISSENTING VOICE...IN HIS OWN WORDS Development Without Investing Buhari Should Comply in Infrastructure’ with the NDDC Law Olawale Ajimotokan holds a discussion with Mr. Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture on the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the first year of its second term in office

H

ow would you assess the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s performance in the last one year in the fight against insecurity?

Sometime late last year, the Federal Government took some decisions- what we call border drill- which many people called border closure. One of the major successes of the border closure is that it drastically reduced the importation of small arms into the country and that has also impacted on the incidence of armed robbery, banditry and kidnapping because before then our porous borders were veritable avenues for smuggling of arms and drug trafficking. You will also notice that in the last couple of weeks and months, our armed forces have taken the battle to the Boko Haram insurgents and the combination of the air force, air fire power and the new morale of the army have resulted in not just routing of the Boko Haram insurgents but in the surrender of many of their commanders.

I think clearly the last couple of months has witnessed a lot of success in our battle against the insurgents and then of course the bandits, the kidnapping is also being checkmated. Yes it might not been completely eradicated but compared to what it was this time last year to what it is today, there are some isolated cases of bandits and kidnapping but the kind of cattle rustling, the kind of kidnapping that was rampant a year ago, is not what it is today.

What of infrastructure?

I think the government remains focused and convinced that you cannot achieve economic development without investing in infrastructure and I will start with power. Government took one of the boldest moves to improve power situation and banish power cuts, when in July 2019, it signed agreement with Siemens of Germany to give us in the first instance by the end of 2021 to ramp up our power supply to 7,000megawatts, by 2023 to ramp up power supply to 11,000 megawatts and there after we would have addressed the challenges of transmission, distribution, scale it up to 25,000 megawatts. If you don’t take it into context you will not appreciate that these are landmark achievements.

Although, we have capacity to generate 13,000 megawatts but in truth, what gets to our households and factories is about 3,400 megawatts. With the agreement we signed with Siemens and the cooperation of our discos, we are confident that by the end of next year power that will reach our homes on a regular basis will be about 7,000megawatts, that is more than double what we are having now and it will impact on our economic and social lives, create more jobs and at the same time improve outputs of our factories and manufacturing.

Of course you are aware that even before now we have always pride ourselves as the administration that has delivered most on infrastructure, either you are talking about roads, bridges, power and despite COVID-19, I know that we are resuming work in 50 sites in 26 states in the next couple of weeks, directly by the Ministry of Works and Housing, including the Abuja-Kano roads, Port Harcourt - Enugu expressway, Lagos - Ibadan among others and similarly the Federal Roads Management Agency (FERMA) is also resuming work in 92 locations spread across to 24 states in

Damian Nwikinaka, a rights activist, argues that the only thing that can return sanity to the Niger Delta Development Commission is for President Muhammadu Buhari to insist that the agency be run by its established governing laws

T Mohammed the federation and work has already resumed on the laying of rail tracks on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge, as a matter of fact we have already started test run.

What is your take on job creation in the last one year?

One of the major things about the economy is job creation. The N-Power is being upgraded and only recently the Federal Government directed the Ministry of Labour and Employment to engage 1,000 workers from each local government of the federation, making 774,000 young men and women for the initial period of three months. They will be earning a salary of N20,000 a month for those three months. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic which has actually affected not just health but also the livelihood of Nigerians, government has put in place some palliatives meant to cushion the effect of the pandemic ranging from interest reduction to interest waiver, to providing bulk sum to cushion the effect of the pandemic on Nigerians, there is the N50 billion fund that the CBN has put aside for households and the SMEs, another N1.3trillion put aside for pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing. And I think one of the first things Mr. President did during the lockdown was to engage the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment to ensure that industries, manufacturers operate without any hindrance and that raw materials, both agriculture and otherwise, reach the factories in good time. Like every economy in the world is affected by the pandemic, I don’t think there is any aspect of the economy whether it is travels, whether it is the oil industry that is not affected but despite that government has taken steps to ensure that the impact would be not as devastating as it would have been and that’s why the government had to rejig, bring down the size of the budget to a level that would be manageable with its resources because we all know that the price of crude went down to almost $10 at a time, fortunately for us it is climbing up again to $40 a barrel.

This is a time that we need very astute management of resources.

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

he current drama that has enveloped the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is needless.

It has come about because the current administration has treated the Niger Delta Region as a conquered people to be disregarded and treated without dignity.

So, the law governing the NDDC has to be set aside to accommodate an illegal contraption such as the Interim Management Committee, and to do this, spools of tales of misdemeanors must be spun to paint a picture of a people against themselves. Yet, all the President needed to do to address whatever defects there are in the NDDC is to order a forensic audit, like it did in the NNPC, while keeping the Governing Board in place in line with the law. No other section of this country has been treated in such a manner where an external audit of a development agency becomes a basis for setting aside the law setting up the institution, which provides for a Governing Board to ensure fairness and inclusion across the region.

Institutions such as the NNPC, NPA and others are audited regularly, even forensic audits, but no drama attends them. Their Governing Laws were not set aside. Their Governing Boards were not put on hold.

There were no orchestrated media campaigns.

The North East Development Commission is operating in line with its Governing Act but the NDDC Governing Act must be set aside for an illegal interim management committee to operate! It is even more laughable that the only reason for putting up this IMC and robbing the Niger Delta people of the full breadth of Board representation of the nine constituent states in line with the NDDC Act is an external audit. Excuses have never come cheaper!

The NDDC was set up in 2000 directly under the Presidency to push the development of the oil producing Niger Delta, following years of neglect. The transfer of the NDDC to the Niger Delta Ministry under the current Minister Senator Godswill Akpabio last year is what has created more problems, with the minister insisting on running it like his own personal fiefdom. Desirous of controlling the management directly, he subsequently manipulated to have the Board put on hold, while he appoints and shuffles the IMC at will, with the strange argument of supervising the forensic audit.

An external audit is a regular activity in most organisations and they do not come at the expense of the law and due process.

Again, on the NDDC, this is one of those knee-jerk actions of the Muhammadu Buhari administration that can’t be understood.

How does the setting aside of the law of an agency guarantee a process that leads to transparency and positive outcomes? In any sane society the disregard for the law governing an institution raises red flags for the integrity of that institution and every action taken during that period. Put differently, what message does the disregard for the law send?

Over the last six months since President Buhari approved the appointment of the IMC in willful disregard for the NDDC Act, there has been an attempt to justify the illegality on two main planks, the first being the powers of the president to appoint anyone to an office, even if in breach of the law setting up that office; and the second reason is the corruption at the NDDC, which necessitates breaking the law setting up the Commission.

On the first reason, some have argued that the president has almost limitless powers to appoint whomsoever he desires to head a federal agency even when that agency has a

Buhari clearly defined law governing its operation.

This position is, sadly, a throwback to the period of military rule when the Nigerian Constitution was suspended and the military junta could virtually carry on as it pleased.

Nothing in a democratic regime gives the President the powers to abrogate the laws governing a federal institution. In fact, the deliberate, willful, disregard for the law is a violation of the president’s oath of office, which states, among others, “that as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will discharge my duties to the best of my ability, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the law.” We do not want a throwback to the period of military rule where might is right, even as an affront to the law and due process.

The second excuse that the IMC is necessary to supervise the audit is even more tenuous.

An external audit is a regular activity that does not demand the putting on hold of a board. It is not even healthy, as those who understand governance systems would confirm, to have a sitting management, whether statutory or interim, supervise the external audit. In fact, no external auditor worth its salt would subscribe to that kind of arrangement. What then is the basis for not having the NDDC Governing Board in place, especially if that board is nouveau, in which case its operation is not being audited? If it is not ignorance, the motive can only be sinister. It may be, perhaps, to have the external forensic auditors deliver a compromised report especially as the appointors of the IMC and the auditors have been named as godfathers of some of the managements being audited!

While he was Governor of Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2015, Akpabio nominated a Chairman, Managing Director, Executive Director and State Representatives for the NDDC, who practically ran the Commission as his proxies. Whistleblowers have named companies linked to Akpabio that received NDDC contracts running into several billions of naira while he was Akwa Ibom State Governor but did not execute them. Those managements and companies are also supposed to be the subject of the forensic audit but the minister is shielding them using the IMC and his handpicked auditor. To use the words of Darlington Nwauju, the spokesman of the Niger Delta Rights Advocates, in a statement by the group: “Our fears are daily heightened that leaving the NDDC in the hands of an unpatriotic and gluttonous cabal will spell doom for the collective development aspiration of the peoples of the Niger Delta.”

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍŻËœ 2020

COMMENT

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

SETTING THE RIGHT TONE FROM THE OUTSET Ola Awoniyi writes that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is committed to the good of the people

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he gripping electoral drama of the day fittingly climaxed weeks of a political game of wits in Nigeria. That was on Tuesday 11 June, 2019, the day the Ninth National Assembly was inaugurated and its presiding officers were elected.

At the Senate chamber, the brightly clad Senators-elect were already seated well ahead of the 10 a.m schedule start of proceedings. When it was time, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, read out the Presidential Proclamation for the inauguration of the Ninth Senate. After the roll call of the Senators-elect was taken, the first business of the day followed swiftly - the election of the President of the Senate. This was to be followed by that of his Deputy.

Given that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a clear majority in the Senate, the two elections should ordinarily be a formality of the coronation of its anointed candidates. But the party harboured no such illusion as had happened four years ago when APC first took government. On that occasion in 2015, it was left with a bloody nose as some of its members had cut a deal with the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to snatch the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly. That hostile takeover would later shape relations between the two elected arms and affect the performance of the federal government. Wary this time about history repeating itself, the APC leadership had worked assiduously to unite the party’s caucuses in the two chambers behind the party’s consensus candidates. Leaving nothing to chance, the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was there alongside other party chiefs to watch the proceedings and ensure no surprises this time around.

While the event was in progress at the Senate chamber, President Muhammadu Buhari was at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, about a kilometer away. It was the venue of an anti-corruption forum sponsored by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was also at the forum, and like the president, his mind was apparently far away at the Senate chamber.

The day’s proceedings at the Senate chambers kicked off smoothly, until the announcement of the mode of elections. The APC had prepared for open balloting. But the Clerk of the National Assembly decided otherwise. Relying on what he called the extant rules of the Senate, Sani-Omolori said the election would be by open-secret ballots. This was completely against the expectation of the APC leaders and understandably made them very uncomfortable. The party sensed another ambush as the secrecy of the ballot meant it would not be able to monitor how its members voted. This reporter was at another location monitoring the TV live transmission of the Senate proceedings and posting, via WhatsApp, a blow-by-blow account of the unfolding events to an aide of Asiwaju Tinubu who in turn was updating his principal.

When the final tally was announced, which gave Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan an overwhelming victory as the new Senate President, Tinubu’s aide whose eyes were glued to his phone all through, scribbled a note on a small piece of paper and passed it to his boss. Tinubu, heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn’t keep the “breaking news� to himself; he stretched his right hand and passed the piece of paper to Buhari. The president responded to the information from his staunch political ally with a gap-toothed smile of relief.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the guest speaker at the forum, was seated next to Buhari but was oblivious of what was playing out. He wouldn’t understand our local politics. This was what the Nigerian ruling party had wanted in 2015. Nobody prayed for a repeat of that episode because of its negative consequences on governance.

Ahmad Lawan’s emergence as President of the Ninth Senate has gone some way in restoring party supremacy in politics and enhanced cooperation within the federal government. No more tension. No more

AS A LEGISLATURE WE KNOW WHERE OUR LIMITS LIE IN TERMS OF COOPERATION AND IN WORKING WITH THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT. BUT WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM EVERY POSSIBLE LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT THAT THEY REQUIRE TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY BETTER AND GREATER

acrimony. The cat and mouse relationship between the federal legislature and the executive has given way to harmony and mutual respect as the two elected arms of government are again learning to sing from the same hymn book. Since then, presidential nominees for appointment have been screened without delay. Budgets and other executive bills and communications have been receiving deserved attention in the Senate without slowing down the activities of government.

Pundits, who love politics as a bloody game, gave this new development in inter-arms relations a wrong interpretation. They christened the legislature a rubber -stamp. To this misconception, Lawan unapologetically once responded: “We are so terribly misunderstood that when we say that we are going to work with the executive arm of government in a very harmonious and productive manner, some people, some out of misunderstanding, some out of mischief, say it’s a rubber-stamp National Assembly. But let me say this: no amount of distractions or blackmail will stop us from being united in the National Assembly for the benefit of Nigerians who elected us and nothing will discourage us from working with the executive arm of government for the betterment of our country. “As a legislature we know where our limits lie in terms of cooperation and in working with the executive arm of government. But we are going to give the President and his team every possible legislative support that they require to make this country better and greater. Where we feel that there is a breach of procedures and processes by the executive arm of government, we will insist that the right things are done. So it doesn’t mean that because we are peaceful and that we are cordial with the executive arm of government that we are rubber-stamp but that is something that will not distract us.�

After one year of its coming to existence, people are appreciating the perspective of the legislature from the results that have been achieved that governance is enhanced when agencies cooperate rather than when they dissipate energy and resource on mutual antagonism. Setting that tone in his acceptance speech after his election, the new Senate President said: “Within us as a Senate, our leadership will commit to partnership rather than partisanship and between us and the executive arm of government, we will choose unity of purpose over conflict and discord while also working towards further strengthening and guaranteeing our independence and that of judiciary.�

Lawan has remained focused on that path of building trust and cooperation between elected arms in the past one year, more so that the two arms were elected on the same political platform. He has also ensured that the voice of the minority is not muted in the chambers. Senators of the opposition parties have been accorded full respect and recognition as representatives of their constituencies and allowed full participation in decision-making. The Senate under the leadership of Lawan has adopted a multi-partisan approach to decision-making and spoken with one voice on issues of national importance.

Before he assumed the leadership of the National Assembly, Lawan had an idea of the gigantic burden it entails. He has resisted anything that could distract his concentration on the job. Even when the leadership of his party asked him to chair a committee saddled with resolving intra-party disputes and reconciling aggrieved members, Lawan politely turned down the assignment despite expressing full support for the party’s decision to set up the panel. Lawan’s only reason was that his duty at the National Assembly would not allow him to give the assignment the necessary attention. The party leadership understood his point and commended his forthrightness.

Awoniyi is the Special Adviser (Media) to the President of the Senate

ISHAKU AND THE CRISIS IN SOUTHERN TARABA Ă“Ă Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă•Ă&#x;Ă˜ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ù××ÓÞ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? Sam Adamu

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ropaganda has, unfortunately, taken the centre stage in the on-going crisis between the Tiv and Jukun in Taraba State and has thus rendered truth the major casualty. A lot of truths that would have helped the quick resolution of the crisis are buried under the fiery propaganda machinery of the Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA), and its several affiliates. This has gravely hindered public understanding of the issues involved and the efforts being made by government, especially, the Taraba State government, and other stakeholders to ensure quick resolution of the crisis.

Even after some “very successful� attacks on Jukun communities by the Tiv militia forces, TCSA members come out in their usual style crying the loudest and bandying fake figures of casualties they ostensibly suffered, just to win them public sympathy. True, they’ve got a lot of crocodile tears and are very skilful in the art of shedding them to deceive the public.

The next thing they do is to pick on Gov Darius Dickson Ishaku whom they always falsely accuse of sponsoring genocide against the Tiv in Taraba. That has been their style and I believe that if this impression that the TCSA members always deliberately create about the crisis and Ishaku’s role is not quickly corrected, a lot of people may go away with the wrong notion. This intervention is, therefore, to help state the facts about the crisis and the role of Gov

Ishaku in the crisis, most especially, the efforts he is making to achieve enduring peace and the prospects of these efforts in achieving the desired goal.

Since the first day of June this year, the Tiv militia groups have been in the trenches, killing and maiming and burning houses in Jukun communities in Taraba Central Senatorial Zone. This is the very major step to export the crisis beyond Southern Taraba communities. The worst affected communities are Maigoge and Tunga where nine persons were killed. Many houses including those of the traditional ruler and a youth leader were razed.

A week earlier, the same Tiv militia group had sent their killer squad into Mararaba, Southern Taraba, where they killed Pastor Emmanuel Bileya of the CRC-N church and his wife, Juliana. The two were attacked while working on their farm. It is important to note that all the communities attacked and the people killed are Jukun.

The next thing the Tiv groups did after inflicting these injuries on the Jukun was to send their propagandists to Abuja to cry before a national media audience to win sympathy for their false story of a plot by the Jukun to annihilate the Tiv in Taraba State. This has been the familiar style for the Tiv groups. They have consistently shown no interest and support for the peace efforts of the Ishaku administration but would rather blackmail him with false stories of support for the Jukun.

The Tiv/Jukun crisis in Taraba State has a long

history. It is more than 40 years, yet when the Tiv speak about it, they create the impression that it is the creation of the Ishaku administration. They do so to deliberately blackmail Gov Ishaku. I have also noticed that they deliberately avoid mentioning, each time they tell the story of their war against the Jukun, the very profound first step Gov Ishaku took on assumption of office to give the Tiv in Taraba a sense of belonging.

Gov Ishaku had ordered that all Tiv people who had been forced to flee their homes as a result of the crisis between them and the Jukun before he took over as governor to return to their homes. Today, they pretend that no such thing happened. Govornor Ishaku whom they praised then for welcoming them home with open hands is the same person they are now accusing of prosecuting genocide against them. How ungrateful! In the history of the Tiv/ Jukun crisis that spans over 40 years, no governor or political leader by whatever name called, has done half as much as what Ishaku has done so far to ensure peace between the two warring groups in Southern Taraba. In the five years that Ishaku has been in the saddle, the administration has organized not less than 10 peace meetings to resolve the issues.

Most of the time, it was in collaboration with his Benue Sate counterpart, Samuel Ortom.

Each of those meetings always ended with a peace accord usually very carefully couched to assuage bitter feelings. They were signed by leaders of com-

munities from the two sides as well as other critical stakeholders from Benue and Taraba States. These were meetings in which the two governors – Ishaku and Ortom - attended and personally presided.

There were numerous other peace meetings in which they were represented by their deputies.

Sometime last year also, a similar meeting of stakeholders was held in Abuja. It was also at the instance of Gov Ishaku and Gov Ortom. A high-powered federal government delegation led

by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, was in attendance. No sooner did participants at this crucial and highly successful meeting return home than the Tiv launched yet another attack on Jukun locations to show their displeasure and rejection of the outcome of the meeting.

This attitude raises the very important question of how long will the Tiv continue to reject peace efforts in preference for war that everyone, except they, believe is unnecessary? It takes two – Tiv and Jukun – in this case, to end the crisis. The two must, therefore, show an unflinching resolve to support efforts being spearheaded by the Ishaku administration to ensure lasting peace between them. I am aware that prominent Tiv and Jukun leaders are part of this process. Even as an outsider (I’m not a government staff) I know that the governor has demonstrated a lot commitment to this peace project.

Adamu wrote from Jalingo

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

EDITORIAL WHO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES The world health body should prioritise its interventions

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ollowing weeks of threats on Twitter, President Donald Trump has finally pulled the United States from membership of the World Health Organisation (WHO). He cited as main reason the body’s alleged favouritism to China, the first epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. On specifics, the US accused the WHO of consistently ignoring credible reports of the virus spreading from Wuhan city in China in early December 2019 to other countries, referencing an ‘article’ in The Lancet medical journal where the alleged warning was made. It also said the body has shown an alarming lack of independence from China: it opposed early travel restrictions by the US and other countries, and allegedly declared in January that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 when there was a clear finding to the contrary. With those allegations, the US not only severed its membership of WHO, it has also halted all financial contributions to it.

While questions remain about the motive for the decision and AS ONE OF THE UNITED timing, some of the NATIONS’ SPECIALISED claims by the US AGENCIES, THE WHO IS against WHO have VERY STRATEGIC FOR THE been punctured, HEALTH OF OUR WORLD. including a response IT MUST NOT BE ALLOWED by the Editor of ‘The Lancet’, Richard TO DIE Horton that there was nowhere in its journal where it published any report in December about the Wuhan virus or the global health body ignoring credible reports. But the impact of US withdrawal, which for decades was the biggest financial contributor, is huge. And with WHO in the middle of managing COVID-19 pandemic, there is no gainsaying that it needs all the support it can get, mostly from big contributors like the US that had financed almost half of its interventions since it was formed.

While it is unclear whether US can formally leave the WHO considering the UN body’s constitution, that the successful severance of membership by any country takes a one-year process with all outstanding dues paid, there is need for the WHO to immediately commence alternative ways to manage the void. This is against the background that the world is yet to wriggle its way out of the COVID-19 outbreak that has infected over seven million people and killed more than 400,000 persons.

C T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA

onsidering that the WHO is in the middle of a pandemic, it must on the short term, re-organise its resources, raise funds to deal with extraordinary public health emergencies, and prioritise its interventions with the present pandemic taking a major focus. As part of its COVID-19 response plan, the WHO said it needed an initial $675 million to support countries at risk. As of April 9, it had received about $356 million, with another $61 million pledge from various donors. The US contributed only about four per cent to the sum before it fell out with the body. It is owing the WHO $198 million in unpaid membership dues.

While many believe the action of the US especially at this point is not in good faith, there is no denying the fact that there are challenges within the global health institution. For WHO’s survival, it must put in place necessary reforms by learning from the experience of COVID-19. It is also important for WHO to put in place machinery for generating resources for emergencies and other global interventions. Such reforms should include getting pool of funds in time before another pandemic comes, as its independence is vital to managing health crisis around the world. That would help in eliminating doubts about biases, as seen with US, and recently, Brazil which has also threatened to leave the body for the same reason.

As one of the United Nations’ specialised agencies, the WHO is very strategic for the health of our world. It must not be allowed to die.

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GLASS ROOMS: The Misinformation

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n its website, the introduction of this exhibit opens with: “What happens when we increasingly rely on social media and the web for our news and information? What information do we see, and what do we miss?

How do we know if content is genuine? And what can we do if we can’t be sure?”

And many will agree these are valid questions and concerns, especially in the face of the current public onslaught at scale against knowledge and experts (not to be confused with expats) which has been amplified by the corona virus pandemic.

It would seem that the mainstay of internet trolls (people and bots created and owned by people) deliberately creating misinformation for varying purposes – political, economic, religious and social – have gone mainstream and our devices – those smart tvs, smart watches, smart phones and other smart electronics in our lives are helping, if inadvertently, to sustain the continued flow of (mis)information.

Misinformation, that is so real that a lot of people don’t even know how to differentiate any more.

Making matters worse is the fundamental design of the internet or what one can argue it has become – where personalisation, an attempt to ensure the internet serves each one of us in the best way possible, has developed a dark side of creating a personalised bubble for each one of: where one’s

biases subtly introduced in one’s search terms and social media consumptions and even in conversations before some of the listening techs all around us, is reinforced in what is subsequently presented to the user. Haven’t you noticed that you only get search results that you are more likely to click on than you are not (this is good from an efficiency point of view, but it still reinforces the idea of the knowledge bubble) and how you only hear from the same set of people on Facebook, even though you have hundreds of friends? Yes, that’s the bubble.

Further exacerbating the challenges occasioned by our technologies is the sudden rise in popularity of unethical leadership – as is currently evidenced in the handling of George Floyd’s murder in the United States. This exhibition seeks to redeem the young who are potentially yet to be irreversibly tainted and may still be open to pragmatism to “explore how social media and the web have changed the way we read information and react to it.”. And to learn why finding “fakenews” is not as easy as it sounds, and how the term “fake news” is as much a problem as the news it describes.”

The exhibition will be seen in 40 events across eight European languages and more information about this can be gleaned at the exhibitions’ home page here: https://theglassroom.org/misinformation Oluwakorede Asuni, co-convener of dotCIVICS, Johannesburg, South Africa

Who Knows How The Lord Works?

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n Port Harcourt, Samson Terlumun Ayooso worries to frenzy. “Is that not your land that someone is building on? He asks. I say nothing.

You see, I read many books, that teach you to say a thing, proclaim it and it is yours. One of such is “Think and grow rich.”

Every so often, I tell Samson, that “I will build a mansion on this property, a part will be my home office and I will employ many people.” The trouble is that I do not have money in my bank account to purchase the massive land; neither do I have any plan other than hopeful thinking to buy the land. I know when people quip. I say nothing. The pastor on radio says, two people went to the altar to appeal to The Lord. “Give me a loaf of bread for today,” one asks. “Give me a bakery,” the other prays. “Who do you think the Lord would answer quickly? The pastor asks. “Of course the man who petitions for a bakery,” he says.

“White lie, for no-one knows how the Lord works, besides how are we to know the intention of the latter?” I say aloud. I have yet to finish my hissy-fit when the man near me responds. “Don’t belittle the word of The Lord especially from a pastor,” he says.

His puritanical brow puckers.

We argue and I say that every Christian should be a pastor, and I read five chapters of the Bible daily and the pastor’s message is not scriptural. Mum is the word. They cannot show me anywhere in

the Bible where the actions of The Lord are known beforehand especially in the areas of supplications.

We do not question preachments, some highly dangerous. The reason many pastors take worshipers on jolly good rides. No raucous claque, congregants hear (passive) but they do not listen (active) to the lies fobbed off. The lady and this man were in love.

Trouble is that the man is broke. She bumps into a rich man and together they leave for Canada. Twenty three years after, there is no child in the marriage.

Then she travels for a wedding ceremony in Nigeria and accidentally bumps into her childhood lover.

Something gives, they cannot wait any longer, and they seek refuge in a hotel after the ceremony. Soon after, she travels to Canada only to return two months afterwards with news that she is pregnant for same youthful lover and not for her husband of 23 years, an abomination. The lover asks that she files for divorce and decides to marry her. He has two wives and children. She will be the third wife.

The husband in Canada accepts the notice of divorce after a fight. The lady now has four children from this marriage. I must ask,” how come it, for 23 years, no child until she meets her childhood lover?

Could her children have come from Heaven or Hell?

Do not preempt The Lord on prayers. Let His will be done.

If wishes were horses, I would be a billionaire now.

Simon Abah, Abuja

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FEATURES

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

Is Your Next-of-kin Your Heir?

Backed by authorities, Davidson Iriekpen attempts to explain the common mistakes Nigerians make in properly understanding the difference between next-of-kin and heir

F

unke Daowdu (not real name) had been living in delusion. For over eight years, she had watched her brother, Fusho Daowdu sign documents many times with her name as his next-of-kin. With the assets Mr. Daowdu, who was not in a hurry to get married, had accumulated, she was sure that he was very rich and that if anything untoward happened to him, she would be the beneficiary of his properties since it was just the two of them their parents had before their demise.

Even when, Mr. Daowdu later got married with two children, most of his documents still bore his sister’s (Funke) name as his next-of kin.

Then suddenly, one evening, after returning from work, he slumped. Before they could rush him to the hospital, he had passed on, throwing his entire family into mourning.

An autopsy conducted on him showed that he died of natural causes. In fact, results showed that he died of acute hypertension.

This occurs when one’s blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels. Apparently, he had not been paying attention to his health by undergoing regular check-ups.

Two months after Mr. Daowdu’s demise, two men from a reputable law firm suddenly showed up with a Will signed and registered.

He didn’t will his assets to his sister.

Funke Daowdu is not the only Nigerian living with such delusion. With a snap of the fingers, a majority of Nigerians know whose names to write as their heir after their death. They don’t even have to think about it. They are always happy each time they find themselves in a situation requiring a full disclosure of their next-of-kin, like when supplying information to financial institutions, travelling documents and hospitals.

As they readily make their choice, they feel that the persons they name as they next-of-kins would naturally benefit from their wealth or entitlement in the event of their demise. But there are questions: Do you think by merely picking someone as your next-of-kin you have made that person a beneficiary to your wealth or entitlement(s) in the event of your death?

What is the implication of making someone your next-of-kin?

When you name a person next-of-kin, how much authority are you giving to that person, what should you expect of him, what is he empowered to do?, asked Chioma Unini in an article titled: ‘Clarifying The Misconception About next-of-kin in Nigeria.’ Unini, a lawyer, posited that when a person dies leaving behind a Will (testate), the matter of next-of-kin becomes superfluous. This is so because once a person makes a valid Will, he exercises his right to choose the beneficiaries of his wealth and the issue of locating his next-of-kin for the purpose of succession will not arise. So, the best that can be done in the circumstance is to share the wealth in line with the contents of the Will.

But what if the deceased left no Will (dies intestate)? Does it mean the person mentioned as next-of-kin automatically steps into the shoes of the deceased? Well, the answer is no. At best he can only be contacted to be notified of any happening or be asked to give some information about the deceased, but not for him to inherit or benefit from anything.

Generally, the question as to who to inherit one’s wealth after demise is determined by law, that is, customary law, or Islamic law or English Law or the Administration of Estates law (or equivalent legislation). And the law to be applicable in distributing the estate of the deceased shall be determined by the incidence of marriage of the deceased. It follows therefore that where a deceased contracted marriage under the Marriage Act, customary law is excluded, and succession to his wealth will be effected in accordance with either the English law or the Administration of Estates Law (or equivalent legislation), depending on the jurisdiction. See Obuzez V. Obuzez (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt. 1043) 430.

Under English Law and the administration of

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estate laws of various state, the surviving spouse together with the children of the deceased stand at the apex of the hierarchy of the beneficiaries of the wealth of a person who dies intestate (without a will). They inherit his estate to the exclusion of every other person. See the cases of Salubi V. Nwariaku (2003) 7 NWLR, (Pt. 819) at P. 452, Paras. D-E and Williams v. Ogundipe (2006) 11 NWLR, (Pt. 990) 157.

It is also settled that the surviving children take in equal shares, irrespective of their sex, and that the so called illegitimate children stand in equal pedestal with those born during the continuance of a statutory marriage, provided their paternity was acknowledged by their putative father. See section 42(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which prohibits discrimination based on the circumstance of one’s birth. See also the following cases: DURU v.DURU 2016) LPELR-40444(CA), Igbozuruike Vs. Onuador (2015) LPELR – 25530 (CA), Ukeje V Ukeje (2014) LPELRThe parents of the deceased take next after the surviving spouse and children, followed by brothers and sisters of the full blood, brothers and sisters of half-blood, grandparents, aunties and uncles of full blood relation to the parents of the deceased, etc. See Kekereogun & Ors v.

Oshodi (1971) LPELR-1686(SC) subject however to contrary provisions under the administration of estate laws of various states.

Where customary law is applicable, the next-of-kin of an intestate are those who are under native law and custom entitled to inherit his estate. Since customary law in Nigeria is not uniform, it will suffice to say that a deceased person cannot, while alive confer inheritance rights on persons not so entitled under customary law by naming them his next-of-kin.

Therefore, under the Nigerian law of intestate succession, one cannot choose his heir under the pretext of next-of-kin; the law imposes heirs on him. For example it is the surviving spouse and children of an intestate who married under the Act that are his heirs. The intestate cannot therefore, by naming only one of them or any of his other blood relatives his next-of-kin, scheme them out of inheritance as the act of naming his next-of-kin does not amount to testamentary disposition.

According to Unini, next-of-kin is not in any way entitled to inherit one’s estate if anything happens to him or automatically qualified to inherit his wealth or superior to the beneficiaries named in a Will or exempted from the legal processes and laws of inheritance. “Next-of-kin is merely the first contact point if anything happens to anybody. He is someone empowered to make decisions for the person in times of emergency or where the person is not readily available or unable to make the decisions himself/herself. He is someone empowered to provide necessary information about the person where needed such as confirming his identity. He is also someone positioned to make medical decisions such as providing consent for a medical procedure,� she explained Unini posited that at best, what a next-ofkin can do after the demise of the deceased is to ensure that necessary steps are taken towards obtaining letter of administration from the probate, adding that the typical Nigerian’s conception of the term, ‘next-of-kin’ is therefore erroneous.

Citing a Court of Appeal decision in JOSEPH V. FAJEMILEHIN O. O. & ANOR (2012) LPELR-9849(CA), she said further: “Let it be placed on record that the term “next-of-kin� can be used in three senses.

Firstly, it can be used to simply refer to the nearest blood relative or secondly, the person who to be notified in case of any eventualities of life such as an accident, emergency or death. Secondly, he may be required to make medical decisions such as providing information or consent for a person who is incapacitated or thirdly, the term can be used to refer to an heir. “The first and second senses are straightforward and would hardly be an issue. Therefore little or no harm would be done at all if they are not discussed here. The problem however is the third sense of the term. Under what circumstance can a next-of-kin be an heir and in what circumstance can he not be?.�

Corroborating Unini’s position, another lawyer, O. G Chukkol, said a next-of-kin can inherit assets only if he is named in a Will as a beneficiary or by his status he is entitled by law to inherit but not actually because he is named as the next-of-kin of the deceased in a bank or place of work.He went further to

state that under the Nigerian law of intestate succession, one cannot choose his heir under the pretext of next-of-kin; the law imposes heirs on him.

In attempting further legal perspective based on two factors, Chukkol considered whether the deceased has a Will or without a Will.

According to him, in law, when a person dies leaving behind a Will, he is said to have died testate, and in such a circumstance, issue of next-of-kin becomes useless. He added that the reason was that the wealth of the deceased will simply be shared in line with the contents of the Will.

He said: “Are you among those that think by giving a name to financial institutions (bank for example) as next-of-kin you have chosen that person to automatically inherit your wealth in the event of your demise? In other words, do you think by merely picking someone as your next-of-kin you have made that person as a beneficiary to your wealth or entitlement(s) in the event of your death? “Under the Nigerian law of intestate succession, one cannot choose his heir under the pretext of next-of-kin; the law imposes heirs on him. For example it is the surviving spouse and children of an intestate who married under the Act that are his heirs.

The intestate cannot therefore, by naming only one of them or any of his other blood relatives his next-of-kin, scheme them out of inheritance as the act of naming his next-of-kin does not amount to testamentary disposition. “There is nothing special about next-of-kin as far as succession is concerned. Next-of-kin is merely the first contact point if anything happens to you. He is someone empowered to make decisions for you in times of emergency or where you are not readily available or unable to make the decisions yourself. He is someone empowered to provide necessary information about you where needed such as confirming your identity. He is also someone positioned to make medical decisions such as providing consent for a medical procedure.

At best, what a next-of-kin can do after the demise of the deceased is perhaps to ensure that necessary steps are taken towards obtaining letter of administration from the probate.

The typical Nigerian’s conception of the term, “next-of-kin� is therefore erroneous,� he said.

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Quick Takes CWG Partners Clari5

STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIP

L-R: Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta; Board Secretary, FIRS, Ms. Nneka Ifekwuna; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Ubale Maska, and Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, during the signing of an MoU between the two agencies at Abuja... recently

Stakeholders Insist on Executive Order to Protect Telecoms Infrastructure Stories by Emma Okonji Some industry stakeholders have said a presidential directive remains the only step towards achieving protection of telecoms infrastructure.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave a directive for the protection of telecoms infrastructure across the country.

According to the stakeholders, the clamour for an Executive Order that would declare telecoms infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure, is what the industry needs and not a directive.

According to them, the high level of incessant disruptions of telecoms activities across states, coupled with the willful destruction of telecoms facilities by social miscreants, could

TELECOM only be addressed through the signing of an Executive Order by President Mohammadu Buhari, because of the legal backing that comes with Executive Orders.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said: “On the Presidential pronouncement directing protection for all telecom installations and infrastructure, this is a step in the right direction, we are grateful for this and as evident following the pronouncement that some states are reducing and some eliminating Right of Way (ROW) charges, it is now obvious that we have more stakeholders joining us

in ensuring further development of telecommunications in Nigeria towards realising our National Broadband target. We are grateful to Mr. President and we earnestly look forward to an Executive Order backing this pronouncement.”

Given the depth of destruction of telecoms facilities and the obstruction of telecoms activities across states, telecoms operators said they have suffered so many losses to vandalism of telecoms facilities, which they said could only be fully addressed through the signing of an Executive Order that would declare telecoms infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.

President Buhari recently approved the request by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa

Ibrahim Pantami, to provide security for telecoms infrastructure nationwide.

According to a statement signed by the spokesperson to the Minister, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic led to a massive migration to digital platforms and has increased the level of importance of critical national infrastructure to the sustenance of our economy and the security of the nation.

“The minister is delighted to inform stakeholders in the telecommunications industry that President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved and also directed that necessary physical protective measures be emplaced to safeguard telecommunications infraContinued on page 22

‘Govt Policies Essential for Digital Development’ The Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Vertiv, Mr. Pierre Havenga, has called on African governments to come up with policies that are essential for digital development and advancement among African countries.

Havenga, who spoke at a recent webinar meeting organised by Vertiv, said such policies became necessary in the areas of smartphone penetration, mobile money adoption, internet connectivity/social media and digital transformation, owing to the huge population African, which he said, has always been an advantage for the continent.

According to him, smartphone penetration in sub-Saharan Africa is the second largest, with an estimated smartphone adoption 67 per cent by 2025, up from

TELECOM 45 per cent in 2018.

He estimated there would be more than 600 million new smartphone subscribers in 2025, with nearly two-thirds coming from Asia Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa.

Giving the African statistics of mobile money adoption, Havenga said in 2019, subSahara Africa alone recorded 469 million registered mobile money accounts, which was an increase of 45 per cent and that 181 million of the total registered accounts were active, representing 49 per cent, with a transaction volume of 23.8 billion, representing 64 per cent and $456.3 billion value of transaction, representing 66 per cent.

In the area of social media and internet users in Africa, Havenga said the statistics shows that with a population of 1.32 billion people on social media in urban Africa, representing 43 per cent, the population of mobile phone connections alone was 1.08 billion, representing 81 per cent, while penetration of internet users reached 453.2 million, representing 34 per cent, and the active social media users in Africa, reached 217.5 million, representing 16 per cent penetration.

According to him, collocation data centres would be the hidden nexus of Africa’s digital revolution, with multi-tenant data centre predicted to increase in Africa.

He therefore said that government support, through

key policies, would be essential for capitalising on digital development and advancement, considering the huge population of Africa.

With Africa’s digital economy taking off exponentially, the continent must ready itself to maximise the potential dividends of the Continental Free Trade Area agreement, experts had said. Key to this effort will be connectivity, data and digitisation and innovation among others, according to a report by the African Development Bank.

“Africa can achieve a digital single market...It is a journey and we need to break it up into doable bits, “African Development Bank Vice-president,

TheCWGhasannouncedapartnershipwithbankingenterprisefinancial crimeriskmanagementproductscompany,Clari5,tohelpAfricanbanks combatenterprisefraudandmoneylaundering.

Through the partnership, CWG and Clari5 would provide solutions to Africanbankstocounterenterprise-widefraudandmoneylaunderingrisk.

Announcingthepartnership,theGroupCEO,CWG,Mr.AdewaleAdeyipo,said: “WearetremendouslyexcitedtopartnerwithClari5.Thepan-Africanfraud andmoneylaunderinglandscapehasbecomealarminglysophisticatedover thelastfewyearsandclearlybanksareseekingmoreefficientsolutionsto combatthescourge.“Butdealingwiththenewrealityisbeyondtheleagueof conventional,siloedanti-fraudsolutions.WithClari5,banksnowthepower ofaworld-classenterprise-widereal-timefinancialcrimemanagement solutionthathasbeenchangingthewaybanksfightfinancialcrime.”

Clari5CEO,RiviVarghese,said:“Webelievethatthebestwaytocombat fraudandmoneylaunderingiswithasolutionthatcanbehavelikethehuman centralnervoussystemtosynthesiseintelligencefromacrossallchannels ofthebankinthatverymomentwhenitmattersmost.

“Clari5’sprovenreal-timeproductcapabilityinthwartingfinancialcrime, coupledwithCWG’sunparalleledmarketreachandrichlegacyofengagement successesmakesitacompellingvaluepropositionforinnovativeAfrican bankstopreventbottom-linelossestofinancialcrime.

“We are both proud and delighted to partner with CWG – the legendary Africantechnologyleader.”

WithovertwodecadesofcontributiontotheInformationandCommunication Technologysector,CWG–anISO9001certifiedtechnologyconglomerate has set a benchmark for technology and service excellence in Africa by consistently delivering service excellence using global best practices.

MTN Empowers Business Owners

MTNNigeriahasempoweredbusinessownersinLagoswithequipment worthmillionsofnaira.

ThetelcosaidthegesturewaspartofeffortstoimprovelivesforNigeriansthroughitsMTN“TurnItUp”YouthEntrepreneurshipDevelopment Programme (YEDP) and cushion the effect of COVID-19.The company hadearlierlaunched‘TurnItUp’,athematiccampaignmeanttoencourage Nigerianstolookwithinandamplifytheirinherentpotentials.Individuals whowantedtoimproveontheirbusinesswereidentifiedinLagos,Abuja andAba. Some of the items distributed to the SMEs include Industrial Sewing Machines,DeepFreezers,Mixers,DieselGenerators,WeavingMachines and Digital Cameras. Subsequently, the company plans to reach out to otherrecipientsinAbujaandAbainafewweeks.

Speakingontheredemption,GeneralManager,BrandsandCommunications MTN Nigeria, Richard Iweanogie said: “These are trying times for businesses. Nobody expected what we now know as COVID-19, and it hasaffectedalotofpeople.

“Wethoughtthiswasthebesttimetohandthisequipmenttothebusinesses we identified earlier in the year. A lot can still be achieved if we help each other.Ihopetheseitemshelpthemgrowtheirbusinesses.”

AhmaduJapheth,aresidentofAlausa,Ikeja,Lagos,afterreceivingasewing machine and weaving machine said: “I remember when I was fortunate enough to be at the mall in Ikeja in January, where I shared my story with MTN andtoldthemwhatIneededtoturnupmybusiness.ImmediatelyI did, IknewtheyweregoingtohelpmeandIamgrateful,thisiscomingata perfecttimebecauseIhavebeenhomedoingnothingsincethispandemic started.NowIcanfocusfullyonmycraftallthankstoMTN.”

Start-ups Shortlisted for Online Contest

Three Nigerian start-ups are among the 11 selected to pitch at Sanofi’s AfricaTech Challenge holding online on June 11, 2020. This followed the cancellationofthe2020editionofVivaTechnologyorganisedbySanofi.

TheobjectiveistocontinueSanofi’scommitmenttoencourageinnovation inAfrica,improveaccesstohealthcareandtransformthehealthecosystem throughoutthecontinent.

Forthisthirdedition,Sanofihasreceived268applications,comparedto 222itreceivedlastyearfrom34countries.

Inall,11finalistswereselected,basedonfivecriteria:projectmaturity,early results,relevanceofthesolution,marketpotentialandbusinessmodel, aswellastheskillsandexpertiseoftheteam.

“On the Presidential pronouncement directing protection for all telecom installations and infrastructure, this is a step in the right direction, we are grateful to Mr. President but we earnestly look forward to an Executive Order backing this pronouncement” Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),

Gbenga Adebayo Continued on page 22

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STAKEHOLDERS INSIST ON EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PROTECT TELECOMS INFRASTRUCTURE

Chemical Union Advocates for Tax Holiday

structure deployed across the country.”

“The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have been notified of Mr. President’s directive.

“We are also working towards the reinforcement of these directives through appropriate regulatory instruments. Pantami specially appreciates the security institutions, and commends the commitment they have demonstrated in securing these infrastructure,” the statement added.

Suleiman further explained that Nigerian telecommunications industry, depended on a number of infrastructure that play a critical role in the smooth delivery of telecoms services.

These, she added, were part of critical national infrastructure because of the important role they play in ensuring security and in the delivery of other essential services.

The National Union of Chemical Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) has asked the federal government for a tax holiday and other measures to help cushion the impact of the Covid-19 on the sector.

According to the President of the union, Goke Olatunji, the effects of the pandemic on the private sector could be severe enough to cause the closure of companies and massive job losses. The union requested a tax holiday to boost to enable them pay wages as well to encourage investment.

Olatunji urged employers of labour in the sector not to layoff, adding that the union was ready to hold talks with the employers.

He lamented that the worst hit with even those on the frontline, and at homes living in fear of non-payment of their salaries and other benefits as well as the security of their jobs after the pandemic, and urged the federal government to guarantee job security.

Olatunji asked the federal government to ensure protection of job across the country even as it advocated for intervention for the sector.

“Covid -19 has affected our lives in such a way that it is as if the country is starting life

‘GOVT POLICIES ESSENTIAL FOR DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT’ Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation Pierre Guislain, had said.

Also, the World Bank Digital Director Dr. Boutheina Guermazi said: “ICT and digital literacy is not a luxury. It is an integral part of how we view development,” adding that the foundations of the digital economy - connectivity, data and voice, would depend on a fully integrated digital infrastructure.”

With the ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, the possibility of new markets offer tantalising new avenues for tech start-ups and e-businesses and a combined GDP of over $600 billion.

The internet has opened doors to access information and technology, a key component of accelerating the pace of the digital economy and connecting markets. Interconnection and interoperability create bigger markets which in turn attract investors.

Raheem Akingbolu

afresh. To this end, we must together- government, employers and workers to give all to rejig our economy to avoid the looming acute recession by attending to the following.

“Consequent upon this Covid-19, many workers might eventually lose their means of livelihood. We call on government to protect the workers from some uncharitable employers. Workers should not

be made victims of convid-19.

Similarly, it has been brought to our knowledge that some employers are saying they cannot pay salaries for the duration of the COVID-19 lockdown. It is evil and inhuman to come up with such decision. This is the time individuals and organizations should show that workers are partners in progress.

“COVID 19 has once again

brought to realisation that any economy dependent on a sole commodity is incapable of taking that country out of the wood. Nigeria must take advantage of her natural and human resources now.

Diversification and incentives from government are key to successful industrialisation.”

“We call on government at all levels to exploit the potential of the agricultural sector. The

Small and Medium Scale businesses (informal sector) should also be encouraged because of the critical role it plays in employment generation,” Olatunji said.

The President also called for improved infrastructure amenities such as good roads, effective power supply and adequate good medical facilities that would carter for the upsurge in the population.

CSR-IN-ACTION

L-R: Commissioner for Housing, Anambra State, Mike Okonkwo; Regional Bank Head, Fidelity Bank Plc, Henry Asiegbu; Deputy Governor, Anambra State, Nkem Okeke; Commissioner for Health, Vincent Okpala; and Representative, Aguata 2 Constituency, Anambra House of Assembly, Okechukwu Okoye, during the hand-over of the 50 - Bed COVID-19 Isolation Centre renovated and equipped by Fidelity Bank at Ekwuluobia General Hospital, Aguata LGA, Anambra State...recently

Industrialist Harps on Economic Diversification Raheem Akingbolu The Chief Executive Officer of a power generating company, Century Power Generation Limited, Dr. Chukwueloka Umeh, has called on the federal government to take definitive and courageous steps towards diversifying Nigeria’s economy.

Speaking during an online interactive session with the media, Umeh said it was still unthinkable that despite the fact that Nigeria has the world’s ninth-largest deposit, it still grapples with power generation and distribution issues in spite of millions of dollars spent on foreign experts, countless committees, publicprivate stakeholder meetings, and so on.

He said: “In the face of the cyclic oil prices, we must now see a Nigeria without

oil and immediately start diversifying to agriculture and manufacturing. In order to do this successfully, the gas and power industries need to be unshackled and supported to encourage substantial private investments and growth.

“Nigeria should essentially be a gas-producing country that happens to produce some oil. It is time to do things differently. We should stop the endless committee meetings, conferences and engagements.

“Pick a set of regulations, such as the ones that birthed the only project-financed power plant in Nigeria to date, Azura power, respect contracts and the rule of law to give local and foreign investors comfort, and just get it done.

“We have all the expertise we need to make the industry work, so let’s stop searching for

the perfect solution elsewhere.

Take whatever we have, and just make it work.’’

He said investors are not putting the much-needed resources into gas and power projects for several reasons, including constantly changing regulations, difficulty in enforcing agreements, ease of doing business, and unrealistic tariffs.

According to him, the federal government needs to relax its regulations enough to incentivise investors in gas and power sectors.

Market forces and competition should be allowed to drive gas and power tariffs rather than allowing the prices to be set by a regulator, he said.

He argued that government’s role should be limited to providing appropriate regulations that will catalyze private entities to drive the much needed

diversification in the country.

He cited the example of several private estates in Lagos where steady, uninterrupted power is being supplied to as a result of the cost reflective tariffs that the residents pay, which is far less than what they would have paid to operate fuel or diesel generators with the related health and safety hazards they come with.

This, according to him could be replicated on a larger scale across the country if the companies within the entire gas and power value chain are allowed to work under relaxed regulations as well as charge cost-reflective tariffs.

Speaking further on the issue, Umeh hailed the federal government’s efforts so far to deregulate the power sector, but urged them to do more and do it with more urgency to

help stem the alarming growth in unemployment rate in the country.

Umeh argued that once the power industry is working and adequate power supply is guaranteed, investors would begin to see the country as an investment destination.

“We must however understand that the privatisation of power does not guarantee immediate availability of power because it takes at least three years to build a power plant from ground breaking to actual generation.

“Private companies should be encouraged and incentivised to build power plants as well as strengthen transmission and distribution networks knowing that their investments will eventually be recovered through cost reflective tariffs,” he added.

Expert Seeks Deployment of Internet Protocol for National Devt Emma Okonji

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mr. Muhammed Rudman has explained the need for industry stakeholders to embrace the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) for national development.

Rudman who doubles as the chairman, IPv6 Council Nigeria, gave the insight at the 2020 Digital Rights Series Webinar on Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable hosted

by ITREALMS in collaboration with DigitalSENSE Africa Media, with the theme: Role of IP in 5G v COVID-19 Debate.

Rudman, whose paper was titled: “Role of IPv6 in 5G v

Covid-19”, noted that every device connected to the internet needed a unique number, known as an IP address, which he said, would always come in two categories of addresses as the IPv4 and IPv6.

He also said at inception of the internet when connectivity to the commercial internet was in its infancy, “the pool of around 4 billion IPv4 addresses seemed huge. No one could have predicted the impact the internet had on our lives and it soon became clear that the pool of IPv4 addresses was not going to last as long as was hoped.”

For this fact, he said, “IPv6 was developed as the solution. The pool of IPv6 addresses contains

2128 IPv6 addresses, which is about 340 trillion, trillion, trillion addresses.”

On why a new IP is needed in today’s world, Rudman said its only compelling reason for more addresses to be made available to the world.

This, he pointed out would help in addressing the future of global population, which is estimated to be at 9 billion by 2050.

For billions of new users, he cited that in China and India among others, “there is about 4.7 billion people already connected to the internet, across Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, cars, appliances to name a few. In addition to over 300

million registered domains, there is need to make provision for some billions of new devices, at least for the Internet of Things.”

IPv6 features, Rudman said included scalability of 340 trillion, trillion, trillion, improved security, real time application, auto-configuration, mobility, addressing and routing and extensibility, among others.

On the link between IPv6 and Fifth Generation (5G) the chairman pointed out that with the Internet of Things (IoT), which is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring

human-to-human or humanto-computer interaction, citing some instances under this object to include connected security systems, thermostats, cars, electronic appliances, lights in household and commercial environments, alarm clocks, speaker systems, vending machines and more.

Currently leading the pack in deployment of 5G, he said, is South Korea with coverage in 85 cities. China takes second place with 57 cities, followed by the United States of America with 50 and the United Kingdom with 31. While the remaining countries in the top 10 for 5G are Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, Germany, and Romania.

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T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 11, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Tasks Before Danbatta Emma Okonji writes on the expectations from the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba, who was recently reappointed for a second term in office by President Muhammadu Buhari

T

he Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, which supervises the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) last week announced that President Muhammadu has approved the reappointment of Professor Umar Garba Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC for a second tenure.

According to some industry stakeholders, the reappointment will not only help Nigeria in achieving its proposed 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025 as enshrined in the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), but will also deepen broadband penetration across the country that is expected improve broadband infrastructure and access for faster internet connectivity.

On his first appointment in 2015, Danbatta had released a working document tagged ‘The 8-Point Agenda’, where broadband access and penetration were explicitly emphasised in each of the agenda. He was able to drive industry operators in achieving beyond 40 per cent broadband penetration in his first five years in office, from nine per cent broadband penetration as at 2015.

Industry views The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the reappointment was a sure hope of attaining ubiquitous broadband penetration for Nigeria, especially in addressing the business challenges created by COVID-19 pandemic that has grounded global economies.

According to Adebayo, “We are very pleased about his appointment for a second tenure and we congratulate Prof. Danbatta as this is a testimony of his good leadership under which the industry has made significant progress and positive impact on our economy.

“We are very delighted and we join other stakeholders in wishing him more success.

We also thank the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy for his recommendation to Mr. President in securing his second term. Most of all on behalf of our members we thank Mr. President for re-appointing him for a second term.”

Adebayo added: “We look forward to continuity of the stable regulatory environment. We also look forward to a more robust regulatory and policy environment. Regulator need to protect the smaller players and ensure they survive in the interest of competition and the consumers. We know that his second term will bring about consistency for the progress of the industry.”

Also, the President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON). Mr. Olusola Teniola, said: “The Association sees his recent reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, following the recommendation by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as a reward for his dedication and determination towards changing the narrative of the Nigerian telecom industry landscape through the implementation of programmes and projects that were carried out under its supervising ministry and have been adjudged to be enhancing and improving the lives of Nigerians.

“We know that his recommendation is predicated on him being a technocrat, a professional and a promoter of human relations and human capacity who has over the years initiated and implemented successful policies that have positive impact on businesses and Nigerians and we are very confident that he is equal to the task ahead.”

Teniola pledged the commitment of ATCON members to work with Danbatta and the NCC and by extension, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to sustain and accelerate the growth and development of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

According to a statement released by the ministry, the federal government expect the NCC under his watch to significantly improve on the overall performance of the Commission as well as ensure that adequate mechanisms are put in place to facilitate the implementation of all policies of federal government through

Buhari

Danbatta

the ministry.

It also enjoined him to ensure that the interest of telecommunication consumers, Nigerians and investors are adequately protected.

“The proposed target of 120,000km of optical fibre cable network deployment in the country, is of key interest to the commission.

As you are aware, optical fibre cable network is vital to the advancement of information and communications technology (ICT), and the fourth industrial revolution is rested upon information and communication technologies. Therefore, the role of NCC in building resilient infrastructure for the ICT sector is now more critical.

“In this regard, the commission as the sole regulator of commercial telecommunications activities in the country, through its strategic vision plan and the 8-point Agenda, has taken laudable strides towards achieving government’s vision and policies by initiating and undertaking actions geared towards achieving same.”

Danbatta listed some of the policy implementations to include: Deployment of Optical Fibre Infratsructure; Right of Ways (RoW) across states; Wireless Infrastructure Policy Direction; Education Infrastructure; Telecoms Infrastructure; among others. The industry has also recorded growth since 2015.

For instance, despite recession and other macro-economic challenges, the telecoms segment’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)’s contribution alone increased from 8.50 per cent in August 2015 to 10.88 per cent as of first quarter (Q1) 2020. However, the entire ICT contribution was even higher at 14 per cent as of the first quarter of 2020, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Active mobile voice subscribers increased from 151,018,624 in 2015 to 189,282,796 as at the end of March, 2020. Between August 2015 and February 2019, when teledensity was measured against the 140 population in Nigeria, teledensity increased from 107.87

Broadband initiative In order to boost broadband penetration in the country, the federal government, in 2013, inaugurated the first National Broadband Plan (NBP) from 2013 to 2018, with a target to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration by the end of 2018. To further boost broadband penetration, Danbatta, on assumption of duty in 2015, came up with an agenda with broadband as the major focus.

From a lowly state of less than nine per cent penetration in 2015, NCC, through the supervision of Danbatta, was able to increase broadband penetration to 37.8 per cent as at December 2019. Through the commitment of industry players, NCC was at first, able to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration in December 2018.

The federal government, last year, set up another broadband committee, with a five-year mandate (2020-2025) to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.

Building resilient infrastructure Danbatta’s led NCC has been at the forefront of building resilient infrastructure to promote sustainable broadband development that will support industrial growth.

At a forum in Kano last year, Danbatta, had said: “It is staggering that more than four billion people in the world still do not have access to the internet, and 90 per cent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is therefore crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, and as a consequence, foster innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth.

to 124.05 per cent. However, after rebasing the country’s teledensity to 91 per cent in February, 2019, in line with international best practice and economic reality, teledensity has impressively increased from 91 per cent to 99.16 per cent as of March, 2020.

Internet subscribers increased from 90 million in 2015 to 136.2 million as of March, 2020.

Also, the number of subscribers that have subscribed to Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service increased from 385, 617 in August 2015 to 1075047 as of March, 2020. All these were due to increased public education and awareness by the Commission’s head office and its zonal offices, as they intensified awareness on the availability and usage of MNP across geo-political zones. The total number of telecoms subscribers that have subscribed either partially or fully to the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) service introduced

by Danbatta –led NCC has increased from zero to close to 30 million till date.

Other achievements by the NCC so far include auction of six slots of 2x5 megahertz (MHz) in the 2.6 gigahertz (GHz) Band, re-planning of the 800 MHz band for Long Term Evolution (LTE), licensing of two slots of 10 MHz each in the 700 MHz band, as well as the opening up of the E-band spectrum 70/80 GHz band for both last-mile and backhaul services. Other regulatory instruments by the commission in this regards include the Spectrum Trading Framework, among others.

“We will develop and implement flexible, market-oriented spectrum regulatory policies that promote highly efficient use of spectrum in ways that stimulate innovation, investment, and job creation and increased consumer benefits,” he said.

Accordingly, Danbatta has, among others, projected greater prospects ahead for the industry, especially in the area of broadband penetration to accelerate the transformation of Nigeria into a truly knowledge and digital economy.

Quality of service In line with its continuous commitment to ensuring that telecoms operators deliver consistently, improved quality of service (QoS) to their subscribers, the NCC embarked on a series of initiatives that have relatively helped in boosting the quality of service delivery across mobile networks. Through continuous monitoring of operators’ compliance with the Key Performance Indicator (KPS) on Quality of service on a state-by-state level, as against measuring operators’ compliance on a national average basis, the regulator helped to boost QoS delivery in this regards.

Also, under Danbatta’s watch, the commission stepped up stakeholder engagement and collaboration both within the private and public sectors of the economy to address salient issues affecting the industry and it continues to make remarkable inroads in this direction.

Nokia Unveils New Smartphone Emma Okonji HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has announced the Nokia C2, bringing long lasting entertainment and creative photography to fans, combined with 4G connectivity at the most affordable price point for a Nokia phone.

The Nokia C2 comes with a large 5.7” HD+ screen, a front facing camera with flash and HDR photography to brighten up your selfies and enough battery life to last from sunrise to sunset.

Fans can watch YouTube videos offline with YouTube Go and keep their memories automatically organized, easy to find, edit and share with Gallery Go.

Announcing the latest mobile phone, its General Manager, West, East and Central Africa, Mr. Joseph Umunakwe, said: “One of our main objectives is to bring great smartphone experiences to as many fans as possible across markets and price points. We know that people are looking for a reliable way to upgrade to a 4G smartphone experience.

Complementing the popular Nokia C1, with the Nokia C2 we deliver on our commitment to creating quality devices you can trust, while offering a more accessible path to 4G for selected markets. We’ve added features like the large HD+ screen, front camera with flash and HDR photography, to allow fans to fully

explore creating and enjoying content on a 4G-enabled device, optimized with Android 9 Pie (Go edition).”

The Nokia C2 helps customers to discover a crisper, more immersive way to watch your favourite shows. Introducing YouTube Go, a brand-new way to help you download, enjoy and share videos. The app is designed to work well even with limited storage or slower network speeds, so you can watch your videos offline.

The Nokia C2 allows customers to store up to 3000 songs or 13 hours of HD video thanks to lighter apps on Android (Go edition). For those who want even more, just add a memory

card to make room for even more photos, videos and music.

Keep the chat and apps going from sunrise to sunset with the 2800mAh battery,” Umunakwe said.

“Take your selfies to the next level with the Nokia C2’s front camera and flash. Shoot shareable selfies even after sundown. HDR photography is made possible using the rear camera for that extra level of detail.

“The Nokia C2 brings Gallery Go to benefits to even more people, so they can edit their favourite photos with just one simple tap. Plus, find and manage shots faster with automatic organisation,” Umunakwe added.

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍŻ, 2020

Breaking Diaspora Remittance Players’ Monopoly Breaking the monopoly in the remittance market by including Bureaux De Change in the payment channels will be a big win for the Nigerian economy, writes Hamid Ayodeji

N

obody saw the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic coming.

Business and political leaders that even knew when it started, underestimated its heavy impact on their businesses and economies.

For Nigeria, the impact has been devastating, especially in the inflow of oil revenue and Diaspora remittances into the economy. The World Bank even estimates that Diaspora remittances into global economies will drop by 20 per cent this year and Nigeria, which earned $25 billion in 2019 from the remittances market needs to open up more channels to boost collections.

The 2019 earnings for Nigeria was an eye opener to many people that migrant remittances is the backbone of the country’s foreign exchange inflows and should be protected. But protecting the remittances market will require policy shift including breaking the current monopoly that limits funds receipts to only ‘few lucky’ players at the detriment of the economy.

President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe insists that now is the time to break the current industry monopoly that puts the remittances market in the hands of few players depriving others from tapping into the goldmine.

For him, there is urgent need to get more players join the remittance collection market including getting BDC operators approved for the business.

For him, making Bureaux De Change (BDCs) one of the channels through which Diaspora remittances enter the economy will give depth to forex market and boost BDCs operations.

The ABCON boss insists that for Nigeria to get the full value of what is due to her in the remittance market, BDCs have to be included in the remittances payment channels and allowed to receive funds from Nigerians in Diaspora. The BDCs are to perform this role through contactless and digitised channels to make collections easy and seamless. “Now is the time for government and financial sector regulators to promote contactless payment channels, leveraging on digitization in the receipt of migrant remittances. The first win will be getting BDCs included in the payment channels to break monopolies of the fewer players, use of Simple Virtual Know Your Customer rule for beneficiaries and implementing supportive regulations,� Gwadabe said.

The ABCON boss also called for the establishment of training institutes to enhance capacity and infrastructure in the industry and broadening players’ business scope with cash-back incentives for those that patronize BDCs while also implementing a less cumbersome and complex documentation requirements for end users.

World Bank Group President David Malpass, said remittances are a vital source of income for developing countries. The ongoing economic recession caused by COVID-19 is taking a severe toll on the ability to send money home and makes it all the more vital that we shorten the time to recovery for advanced economies. He explained that remittances help families afford food, healthcare, and basic needs.

Also in 2021, the World Bank estimates that remittances to low and middle-income countries will recover and rise by 5.6 per cent to $470 billion. The global average cost of sending $200 remains high at 6.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, only slightly below the previous year. Sub-Saharan Africa continued to have the highest average cost, at about nine percent, yet intra-regional migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa comprise over two-thirds of all international migration from the region.

Gwadabe said the entry of BDCs into the remittance market will reduce such high cost of receiving money and deepen the job market.

Besides, 90 per cent of the total World Bank estimate of about $18 billion is trading outside the official window while majority of the registered International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) partronize the informal market because of the higher margin and post funding settlements method of the unlicensed agents.

Opportunities in Diaspora Remittances According to Gwdabe, there are over 1.24 million Nigerian Migrants abroad and 50 per

Gwadabe

EmeďŹ ele

cent of them lives within the African neighbour hood, and the figure is expected to rise in the coming years.

The migrants’ cumulative remittances figures into the Nigerian economy by the World Bank estimates indicated $22 billion in 2017, $23 billion in 2018 and $25 billion in 2019. However there is a huge differential between the Word Bank statistics and the local sources due to lack of data and operators indulgence in non reporting and non rendition practices to the official window.

Gwadabe listed importance of migrant remittances to the economy to include serving as a lifeline for the recipients small house hold in the economy and used for health, nutrition, education and societal needs.

The remittances are also higher than both Foreign Direct Investment and foreign aids flow to the economy and still, are cheaper sources of funds.

He said that remittances can be used infrastructural developments as seen in India and Lebanon while in the Dubai UAE, the remittances are stable sources of liquidity in the Market. The remittances, he added, can also serve as excellent source of investments funds in the economy even as it represent 83 per cent of the Federal Government budget in 2018.

The remittances were 11 times higher than the FDIs in the same period and 7.4 per cent larger than the net official development assistance received in 2017 of $3. 34 billion in the economy.

Still, some factors, have been listed as responsible for the drop in migrants remittances to Nigeria. Gwadabe said, they include, limited payers in the cash out-cash, cash-in the industry, lack of capacity and infrastructures to receive the funds, uncompetitive forex rates, as well as competing fixed and parallel market rates. There has also been inhibitive regulatory policies, over reliance in cash and complex distribution and handling nature of cash, activities of unlicensed operators and manual Know Your Customer (KYC) plans.

sustain operators’ businesses.

He said that ABCON and its over 5,000 members nationwide are behind and in support of the various CBN measures to deepen and Revoulutionalize the supply of foriengn currency to the retail critical end user needs in the market.

Gwadabe said the BDCs will continue to support Nigeria’s growth agenda and CBN’s commitment to exchange rate stability. To continue to play these roles creditably, the BDC industry needs improved access to foreign exchange.

CBN’s Supportive Policy Direction The CBN has for years, implemented robust and friendly policies to deepen the players in the market and remains the first regulator in the world to ban exclusive contracts of the dominant players.

The CBN Management led by Godwin Emefiele remains proactive and is taking steps that promote more Diaspora remittances inflow into the economy.

Such move, he said, will address the dwindling outlook of the naira in the post COVID-19 era and help in achieving the vision of making the local currency sovereign in the west African Market.

Gwadabe said the CBN forex policy has brought stability to the BDC industry and helped operators to embrace automation which is the standard best practice globally and adding the BDCs to one of the channels through which the Diaspora remittance funds come into the country will be a good way to reduce the reliance of rate differentials to

Understanding Diaspora Remittances Gwadabe said BDCs remain at the centre of economic development and have the capacity to attract needed capital for the development of the Nigerian economy.

Findings have also shown that forex remittances from Nigerians in the Diaspora far exceeded the country’s earnings from crude oil export last year.

For instance, that the total oil earnings of the

nation stood at $15 billion in 2018, while the total remittance from Nigerians in Diaspora amounted to $25 billion in 2018. Nigeria earned a total of N5.54 trillion ($15.4 billion) from oil revenue last year, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Gwadabe said the CBN forex policy has brought stability to the BDC industry and helped operators to embrace automation which is the standard best practice globally and adding the BDCs to one of the channels through which the Diaspora remittance funds come into the country will be a good way to reduce the reliance of rate differentials to sustain operators’ businesses. “Nigerian BDCs operators have also identified with the immense opportunities presented by Diaspora remittances and want to play greater role in attracting more foreign capital into the economy. Reason being that remittances are known to help poorer recipients meet basic needs, fund cash and non-cash investments, finance education, foster new businesses, service debt and essentially, drive economic growth,�

Gwadabe said.

He said that Nigerian BDCs, like their counterparts in other emerging or developing economies, have what it takes to deepen the forex market through remittances and collections. “When that happens, it will not be the first time that BDCs were given the opportunity to turn the remittances market around for good.

In India, the BDCs generate over $30 billion from the Diaspora remittances. In United Arab Emirates, the entire banking needs of banks are met by the BDCs. The working of the Lebanon economy is highly dependent on the activities of BDCs in that country. Therefore, Nigeria can also achieve higher revenue through BDCs given the opportunities we seen in the remittances market,� he said.

Besides, financial institutions’ long procedures, complicated forms, and history of poor service quality means BDCs entry into the market will change the dynamic for good because they are not only simple in their operations, but are closer to the people needing the remittance funds.

9mobile Repositions, Appoints Sinfield CEO Emma Okonji In a new reposition strategy, the Board of Directors of Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited (EMTS), trading as 9mobile, has appointed a seasoned telecoms expert, Alan Sinfield as its new chief executive officer (CEO).

He succeeds Stephane Beuvelet, who held the position in an acting capacity when the new board took over the company’s management in November 2018.

Sinfield brings a wealth of global operational expertise having held leadership roles at numerous mobile, fixed-line and broadband data operators as well as retail, media, and wholesale distribution businesses across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Sinfield has been a CEO since 2006. He brings extensive international and operational experience from wireless telecom, fintech, and banking sectors to his new role at 9mobile. His global experience covers countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Iraq, Qatar, Myanmar, South Korea, Cambodia and Hong Kong.

He was previously the CEO at Amara Communications Co. (ananda), a 4G LTE mobile broadband operator in Myanmar, and before this,

he was the Chief Executive Officer of Cadcomms (qb), in Cambodia.

Other earlier roles included being CEO at Ooredoo (Starlink), a subsidiary of the listed Qatari Telecommunications Group, operating in Qatar and regionally, and also as Chief Information Officer and Chief Customer Services Officer at Orascom Telecom (IraQna), a subsidiary of the listed Egyptian Telecommunications Group, operating the first mobile network in Baghdad and surrounding territories providing voice and nascent data and satellite services.

Sinfield began his career in the banking sector at Bank of America, where he was fast-tracked through a management trainee programme, later becoming a programmer and business analyst where his desire to work overseas allowed him to close out the IT systems at Bank of America in Frankfurt, Germany. Afterwards, Sinfield joined Barclays Bank in South Africa and spent three years there as a Technical Manager. He also worked for various other Banks in Portugal, Slovakia, and Hong Kong before his first foray into the telecom industry in Korea with SK Telecom, which led to an M&A role with the merger of SK Telecom & Shinsaegi Telecom.

Chairman of 9mobile, Alhaji Nasir Bayero, said: “Alan’s wealth of experience of building high performance

and high-growth organizations will play a pivotal role in strengthening 9mobile’s market position in the highly competitive telecommunications industry. He brings with him the vision, passion and years of experience from diverse environments, which will consolidate our priorities to provide superior customer experience and sustained network quality. He is expected to work closely with the Board of Directors and all stakeholders to define credible and achievable long-term business plans, through the introduction of solutions to address the evolving needs of the Nigerian telecommunication market.�

According to Sinfield: “The Nigerian telecoms industry is characterised by strong competition, but it is also an industry that is important to people everywhere. Nigeria is rich in diversity and boasts of energetic, resilient, friendly and hardworking people. I am delighted to join the 9mobile family and I look forward to using my experience and unique value propositions to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey.

The goal is to build on the existing strong foundation of the company to create value that will transform the Nigerian telecoms sector. I also look forward to embracing the people, the culture and the unique knowledge that Nigeria has to offer.�

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍŻ, 2020

NERC: 77 Nigerians Killed in Electricityrelated Accidents in 2019 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that at least 77 Nigerians, including industry technicians, died due to electricity-related accidents in the cumulative four quarters of 2019.

Giving the breakdown in its latest report, the regulatory agency noted that 10 persons lost their lives in the first quarter, 37 in the second quarter, 17 in quarter three, while 13 persons died in the last quarter of last year.

The organisation noted that while enforcement action had been taken in six of the cases, the rest were still under review.

Also, the number of injuries for the period under review peaked at 42, with quarter two having the highest number of 18, the last quarter of 2019 with nine while Q1 and 3 had seven and eight cases of injury respectively. “The commission received a total of 115 health and safety reports from the operators in the fourth quarter of 2019. These reports were used in line with the provisions of section 32 1(e) of EPSRA for monitoring and evaluation of health and safety performance of licensees in order to ensure that operators keep up to their responsibility of delivering safe electricity services to consumers� it said.

NERC said there was a slight improvement in the health and

safety performance of the operators during the fourth quarter of 2019 as the number of deaths decreased by four persons from the preceding quarter.

However, it said the number of injured persons increased by one during the fourth quarter, adding that approximately two persons died of electrocution every fortnight during the fourth quarter of 2019, as compared to the third quarter where roughly three persons died of electrocution fortnightly. “The commission, in line with its mandate to ensure licensees’ commitment to safe energy delivery, has commenced hearings on some of the incidences involving various health and safety breaches during the quarter. “However, due to the complexity of many of the cases, enforcement actions and appropriate penalties were not finalised during the quarter under review� NERC stressed.

On the other hand, it said that the commission continued to work on a framework for penalties and compensations guidelines in order to stop the utilities’ discretionary payment of compensations to victims or victims’ families. “Moreover, in line with its 2017-2020 strategic goals, the commission has continued to intensify efforts at implementing various safety programmes aimed at eliminating accidents in the industry.

Smile Revamps Data Plan to Boost Customer Experience Emma Okonji Smile has announced some significant changes to its data plans as a measure to cushion the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its customers and the nation’s economy.

On offer, is a range of data plans with tenor that range from Daily, Weekly, Monthly and even Yearly. The Daily and weekly offers boast of varying validity periods of 1day, 2days and 7days. The price tag, in this category, ranges from N300 to N1,500 while the GB is between 1GB and 6GB. For the monthly offer the validity period is 30 days and is usable anytime of the day.

The price range is from N1,000 to N18,000 and the GB offer is between 1.5GB and 100GB. The validity period for the BumpaValue offer is in three parts; 60days, 90 days and 120 days with GB offers of 50GB, 80GB and 100GB. The crowning glory is the 1 year package with price range of N8,000, N16,000, N36,000, N70,000 and N120,000 and GB offer of 15GB, 35GB, 90GB, 200GB and 400GB. Smile’s resolve to revamp its data plans, according to its chief marketing officer, Abdul Hafeez, is to lessen the burden on families whose wards have been taking online classes at home and businesses whose workers have been working remotely by availing them the most competitive data offers in the market. “We are revamping all our data plans making them the BestValue, and usable anytime of the day,� Hafeez said.

A cross section of customers on the Smile network has already commended the company for introducing more value, anytime use and greater affordability through the revamped data plans.

To Oluseyi Balogun, a Smile customer based in Anifowose Area of Ikeja, the revamped data plans will help cushion the biting effect of the inclement economic times. He gave kudos to Smile for always looking out for the best interest of its customers. Ngozi Madukor, an undergraduate in one of the higher institutions in Lagos opined that the revamped data plans is pocket friendly and exactly what is needed by the teeming Nigerian youths whose disposable income is daily being depleted by contending needs.

Hafeez, while noting that the range of the revamped data plans on offer are unsurpassed in the value, further explained that the revamped data plans are very robust, wide ranging and versatile. Each of the offerings is tailor-made for both the individual and corporate users. He urged forward-looking customers and prospects alike to embrace any of their preferred offerings and savour the benefits inherent in any of the revamped data plans.

Market watchers are unanimous in their view that Smile is continuously innovating to beat existing market benchmark all in a bid to provide products that will serve their customer’s best interest in the present turbulent market landscape.

They urged the company to continue to innovate so as to always meet the demands of their customers and consumers.

IATA Seeks Implementation of ICAO COVID-19 Guidelines Chinedu Eze The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged governments to quickly implement the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) global guidelines for restoring air connectivity.

IATA described the ICAO Council approved Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis (Takeoff) as an authoritative and comprehensive framework of risk-based temporary measures for air transport operations during the COVID-19 crisis. “The universal implementation of global standards has made aviation safe. A similar approach is critical in this crisis so that we can safely restore air connectivity as borders and economies

re-open. “The Takeoff guidance document was built with the best expertise of government and industry. Airlines strongly support it. Now we are counting on governments to implement the recommendations quickly, because the world wants to travel again and needs airlines to play a key role in the economic recovery. “And we must do this with global harmonization and mutual recognition of efforts to earn the confidence of travelers and air transport workers,� said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

Takeoff proposes a phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures.

In line with recommendations and guidance from public health

authorities, these will mitigate the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus during the travel process.

IATA said the measures include physical distancing to the extent feasible and implementation of, “adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins.�

It also includes wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers; routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission; health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation, “conducted by health professionals.

Others are contact tracing for passengers and aviation employ-

ees, “updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration, and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals; passenger health declaration forms, including self-declarations in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper; testing: if and when realtime, rapid and reliable testing becomes available. “This layering of measures should give travelers and crew the confidence they need to fly again. And we are committed to working with our partners to continuously improve these measures as medical science, technology and the pandemic evolve,� said de Juniac.

Airport

Declare State of Emergency on Gender Violence, NGO Tells FG Ugo Aliogo A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Actionaid Nigeria has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency on gender-based violence following the increase in reported cases of rape and killings of women and girls, especially in May. In a statement, the Country Director, Ene Obi, said the organisation has never been more alarmed about the cases of Gender Based Violence in Nigeria than in recent times, adding that women and girls (young and old) now live in fear as they are no longer safe even in their own homes. “Since the lockdown in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19

pandemic, ActionAid Nigeria and her partners have documented a total of 253 cases of Gender Based Violence in Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kebbi and Kwara States,� she stated.

Obi commended efforts of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for swinging to action to investigate and arrest some of the perpetrators.

She explained that the organisation was deeply concerned that arrest is no longer enough to serve as deterrent as this is now almost a daily occurrence, “moreover, most of these cases are settled out of court and there is no real justice for the survivors and their families.�

According to the statement: “ActionAid Nigeria hereby call on the government at all levels to rise and put an end to gender

based violence. We call on the presidency to declare rape as a crime without options of bail or out of court settlement. “We urge the presidency to declare state of emergency on gender based violence, as this is the time to take concrete actions before Nigeria comatose into a state of anarchy where women and girls are left to wallow in hopelessness. “Gender based violence is no longer a women issue, but a national issue; pointing out that recently, in Lagos, 16-year-old Tina Ezekwe was shot by a triggerhappy police officer, she died two days later. In Kaduna, I8 year old Jennifer remains traumatized after she was gang raped by 5 men who drugged her. “In Bauchi, a 15 year-old-girl

was raped repeatedly by four men to the point that she could barely walk and had to undergo surgery. Another 12-year-old girl was raped by 11 men in Jigawa and all of them confessed to have violated the little girl at different times. Also, in May, 22-year-old Uwavera Omozuwa, an undergraduate was raped while she went to read in a church near her home, she died three days later. “As a community rooted organisation, we have documented cases on men violating their own daughters and we attest to the fact that this list is in exhaustive as more cases are reported almost on a daily basis and we worry for the safety of Nigerian girls and women as even our grandmothers are not spared.�

Social Media Users Get New Ranking App Raheem Akingbolu Lagos-based marketing technology company, Plaqad, has launched a new social media ranking tool that would help online users measure their level of influence and reach, across Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

The tool called SocialCred is a free point-based social media clout-ranking tool created to help social media users calculate your influence on social media. Depending on

your total accumulated points, you get one of ten (10) ranks and a cool, funky badge you can share with your fans.

As the influencer marketing space continues to grow, more users are becoming conscious of the monetization potential their regular online engagement within a niche or wider audience holds for them, given that more brands are looking for voices who can help them drive their messaging in very engaging ways. This realization has led

to what we now refer to today as ‘clout chasing’, where most people try to force conversations in order to extend their reach and drive engagement.

SocialCred helps social media users determine how well they are doing in building clout online, using metrics such as average engagement rate, impressions, even average audience sentiment. With the app, each user gets a rank that shows what level of influence they have among their audience

based on how their engagement numbers. For each rank, the user gets an appropriate badge, which they can display to fans and brands alike, as a way to better market themselves.

For brands, this tool is expected to be really helpful for making a decision about what influencers to work with and what their worth really is, in terms of the reach they can get for each brand or the level of action they can make users take.

S

26

IMAGES

L-R: Founder & C.E.O, Recycle Point, Mazi Ukonu; Public Aairs, Communications and Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe; Recipient of Coca-Cola World Without Waste buy back Incentive Scheme, Mrs. Abidemi Salau; and Public Policy Analyst, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Emeka Mbah; as RecyclePoints rewarded Word Without Waste Champions in celebration of World Environment Day, in Lagos...recently

L-R: Rt. Hon. Benjamin Isa; Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq presenting a card to Senator Sadiq Umar on his 50th birthday anniversary and Member-designate Federal Character Commission, Mr James Kolo; at the Kwara Lodge in Abuja...recently

Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Senator Basheer Mohammed (2nd left) and some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during the launch of #FaceMasksByIDPs campaign in collaboration with the Skilled Women Initiative, to protect the IDPs from COVID-19 pandemic at Durumi IDPs Camp in Abuja...recently

.L-R: Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Public Account (PAC) Oluwole Oke; Deputy Chairman of the committee Abdulkareem Sa’ad and a member Edun Olanrewaju, during a meeting with members of the covid-19 Task force at the National Assembly, in Abuja....recently

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ ÔËÖË Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

Governor. Umar Ganduje of Kano state (middle) and some members of the Kano Chinese Business Community Association (KCBCA) during their donation of protective materials to Kano State Government to ďŹ ght against COVID19 pandemic in Kano...recently

L-R: Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Political Matters, Edo North Senatorial District, Alhaji Kabiru Adjoto; Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Moses Agbukor; Edo State Deputy Governor, Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Senator Lawrence Ehwujakpo, during Ehwujakpo’s courtesy visit to Government House, in Benin City, Edo State capital...recently

L-R; President, Afrodezt Global Services ltd., Mazi Emmanuel Olugbuo; Comptroller-General, Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr Ibrahim Liman; Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs Georginia Ehuriah, during the inauguration of the newly procured 10 Digital Fire Trucks at the FFS headquarters in Abuja...recently

L-R;: Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Adeleke Adewolu; Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami; and Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Alhaji Ubale Maska, during a courtesy visit by the Executive Management of the Commission led by Danbatta to the Minister in Abuja...recently

27

T H I S D AY ˾ , JUNE 11, 2020

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Dakum: For Strict Implementation of COVID-19 Protocols, Govt Should Involve Community Gatekeepers Dr. Patrick Dakum is the Chief Executive Office of the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria.

In this interview with Martins Ifijeh, he said Nigeria can defeat COVID-9 pandemic if all hands are on deck, including government’s involvement of community gatekeepers. Stressing that the use of facemasks, adherence to social and physical distancing, and avoidance of large gatherings can halt the spread of the virus, he also buttressed on IHVN’s role in addressing HIV and TB amidst the pandemic, and why immune-compromised persons living with HIV must continue to use their antiretroviral drugs to reduce their viral loads. Excerpts: Nigeria’s COVID-19 numbers are growing by the day. How can we stop community spread of this virus, especially as the country is gradually relaxing lockdown protocols?

I think the fact that community spread is now existing is a thing that has been established and by community spread we are talking about coming down with COVID-19 that they cannot point specifically to wherever they got it from, meaning that somehow somewhere they came in contact with the virus without knowing it and they picked the virus within their everyday lives. It means that we are on a situation that if care is not taken, we will be overwhelmed. Now the measures that are used for prevention of COVID-19 are time tested methods for infectious diseases especially respiratory diseases.

First of all, you don’t catch the virus just by touching somebody only. It is a droplet infection.

By droplet, it means it comes from the respiratory tract either by breathing, by coughing or sneezing and then you take it into your own respiratory system or membranes of eyes, ears, nose or mouth, either by touch of your hand on a surface or by breathing it in. So, what do you do? We institute mechanisms for putting a barrier between the virus and human beings.

First of all, I think it should be clear that large gatherings portend danger because close contact is high. It means then that every state and every community must be wary about large gatherings in market, mosques, churches, festivals and parties.

If those ones can be maintained as a no-go area for now, we have reduced that close contact. Market is extremely difficult because people will have to eat; churches and mosques are possible because they can be broken down into smaller units.

Next is that you have to come in contact with people so what do you do? The issue of face mask is something that we have talked about severally.

Apparently, people are yet to get the fact that the use of face mask is extremely important as far as prevention is concerned. So, we must figure out a way to involve community gatekeepers to accept the idea. It is not normal. Let us not assume that we will throw face masks on them, ‘prevent this, wear this’ and they will go ahead and wear it, no.

They need to understand its importance. They need to believe this disease exists. People that will enable them believe are those they hold in high esteem in the communities. At IHVN, we have worked with community gate keepers in various programmes, either with our Orphans and Vulnerable Children programme, or our HIV programme, or our tuberculosis or malaria programme.

Let the leaders catch the vision, agree to put on face mask in a correct way and then people will follow. What will be our role? Our role as an institute will be promoting these in the communities that we are working with, and then in work places.

As people talk about communities, sometimes, they forget that even though your office and store and the little places you have are not a big spaces, it is also a place that people come in and out.

People come, cough, and put their droplets on tables, rails, among others.

For our institute, the protocol is that as you arrive, whether you are the CEO, COO/MD or ED, you go and wash your hands with soap and water. The CEO cannot enter the building without a face mask. The security will not allow me in.

Secondly, the protocol also requires that as you are getting up from your desk, and you are visiting another office, you put on your face mask. In offices, there should be strict protocols. When I

lab investigations but now we are beginning to get around that. So the challenge they have faced is, as a result of lockdown are addressed.

We understand IHVN is spearheading the public private sector partnership against TB and drug-resistant TB? How much progress have you made in engaging the private sector?

We have done a lot in terms of reaching out to private sector and private not-for-profit. We work in partnership with several organisations, the CARITAS Foundation is our partner in supporting the TB interventions in the faith-based organisation, that is private, not-for-profit and then we do have the German Leprosy and TB Relief Agency and the Netherlands Leprosy Relief and four others that we utilize.

We also use our services directly in private sector hospitals. We have already set up the system with patients already being seen in some of these places. We are beginning to see about 10 to 15 per cent increase in total case detection in the country as contribution from the private sector as a result of the Global Fund support. Now we are moving into utilising technology for the purpose of reporting. So that our reporting will be more error free and will be more real time. We have an app called MATS which will be deployed to the private sector healthcare providers so that real-time and online information can be obtained.

Dakum

hear somebody is coming to my office, I quickly put on my face mask before the person enters.

Offices must have protocols that work. Markets must have protocols that work. Community gatherings must have protocols that work.

In my church community now, we are having a meeting. Once they say that church must be reopened but here are the protocols, what do we do, we are looking at places and saying where do we put soap and water. What are the toilets like?

We are also looking at the possibility of breaking down the services into four services so that in the event they say only 50 people or 100 people can gather and those 100 people must maintain social distancing. Our church, with social distancing of six feet apart can take up to maybe 250 or thereabout so it means then that we can only have a maximum of 250 and the congregation is like 800 so we will have just short one hour services with a one hour break for cleaners to disinfect places before the next service comes. So, community transmission is here and what the government by relaxing this lock down is telling you and I, is that our lives are in our hands, we either protect them or throw them off.

Many Nigerians do not adhere to NCDC protocol and some believe COVID-19 is not real. Yet, government is relaxing lockdown.

Are we moving towards herd immunity?

On the long run, yes you can talk about herd immunity and that’s a very long shot. When I say long, I am talking about long in terms of years. To have immunity will require that 80 per cent of the people would have had the virus and developed anti bodies against it.

For vaccine, which is to develop mass immunity, we are yet to know when this will be out. Are we going to have a vaccine that will be long acting? Will it be like a flu shot that would only act for that season, and next season you need to get it again? Will it be something that will be administered easily, transported easily and made available? In terms of vaccine, I don’t think we

would be talking about getting vaccine to the population of Nigeria anywhere less than the next two years. It means that that is also a long shot. So, we should be headed in the direction of personal protection or neighborhood protection rather than thinking about life immunity as the way out because that is still a long shot.

It’s easy to forget other areas of healthcare with COVID-19 being the major focus for now. For people living with HIV and TB, do you have measures to ensure they are not being neglected?

For IHVN, there are measures. We have a lot of measures that span around case detection and we are still working in the communities using all kinds of methods to ensure that we still go on with identifying people. We use patients themselves to reach out to others. We use community-based organisations for continued case detection. We use what we call key population to continue case detection in the COVID-19 era. The most important I think is that every patient that has TB or HIV still continues to get their drugs uninterrupted. We use all kinds of methods to get to them. Sometimes, we use the patients themselves to get to other patients. We are in partnership with the Network of People Living with AIDS and we are utilizing their people in the clinics, where they get their drugs. We also utilize what we call support group members meaning that I collect from five people within my support group.

How has COVID-19 pandemic affected treatment, care and support for people living with HIV in places where you have interventions, especially in Rivers State where you are the leading HIV implementation partner?

Initially, we had challenges with patients coming to pick up their drugs. But like I did say, we have been able to surmount that now by using their network and other methods to get to them. We also had challenges of patients coming for their

Last year, Nigerians celebrated reduction in HIV prevalence. What role did IHVN play on this, and what further plans are you putting in place to ensure the country comes down to the barest level of HIV burden?

We are involved in prevention, care and treatment.

Right from 2004 with the University of Maryland, IHVN has been involved in prevention, care and support for HIV. We started intervention in 23 states in Nigeria and then as a result of delineation by the funding agencies, we came down to four states. We are currently working as partners with USAID and we are scaling up in states, both in the North-east and also in the North-west. So cumulatively over the years, we have been part and parcel of the behavioral change communication strategies that have been developed in terms of policy.

When it comes to treatment, one of our signature contributions will be developing the capacity of healthcare workers in the detection and monitoring of HIV/AIDS through the laboratory infrastructure.

Over these several years, IHVN has been involved in providing treatment for almost 250,000 patients or close to 300,000. We have handed over some of the sites with the patients to other partners. I think treatment is also prevention because if you are virally suppressed, you do not transmit the disease to another person. We have also contributed through research, which has contributed in knowledge and guiding the epidemic thus far.

We know those that are immune- compromised are more at risk of dying of COVID-19, are there special drugs people living with HIV are taking or can take to reduce the effect of COVID-19 in their system?

Not that I am aware of, but I do know that being immuno-compromised makes it worst for you and therefore, if you take your anti-retroviral medications as a HIV patient, your immune status is better and therefore, you are able to fight disease better. I think for any advice to the HIV community is to ensure viral load suppression amongst patients so that their immune status will be high enough for them to fight whatever comes their way.

28

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍŻËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Agro Commodity Stakeholders Rally Support for AfDB President James Emejo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) yesterday declared its unwavering support and confidence in the embattled President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

The association said it believed that the ongoing persecution of Adesina, concerning the allegations of ethical misconducts made against him by a group of whistle-blowers, were mere attempts by vested interests to discredit the person and office of the AfDB president.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, FACAN Deputy President, Mr. Sheriff Balogun, alongside other leadership of relevant commodities associations,

said Adesina’s achievements as Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development as well as his bold and unprecedented reforms at the AfDB since 2015 were exemplary.

He said his visionary leadership has in the course of five years ensured that the AfDB is strategically positioned both globally and regionally to steer the development agenda of Africa.

According to him, the AfDB president’s bold efforts to drive significant investments into Africa has substantially repositioned the continent for revolutionary accomplishments.

He said: “FACAN is immensely proud of Adesina and will continue to support him as he leads the charge to transform the African continent.

“We have looked at all of these and analysed it and we know Adesina is a man of integrity and we stand by him. “We have full unflinching support for Mr. Adesina. We support him for all that he has achieved even when he was agriculture minister and for the good works he’s been doing at the AfDB. “And we think what is happening is just a matter of vested interests to destabilise his purpose and mission and the good works that he is doing. “We have written the board of governors of AfDB expressing our support for Dr. Adesina and also expressing our dismay and disenchantment with what we think is a ploy trying to stop him from coming for second term.�

Adesina

UnityBankPosts N44.5bn Gross Earnings for 2019 Unity Bank Plc has announced gross earnings of N44.59 billion for its 2019 financial year, up from the N34.65 billion it recorded in 2018.

The audited 2019 full year results made available on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), showed that the bank recorded a profit before tax (PBT) of N3.64 billion, while profit after tax (PAT) closed at N3.38 billion.

Its net operating income for the year under review rose by 76.39 per cent to N23.211 billion, up from N13.159 billion in the corresponding period of 2018.

Furthermore, net interest income also grew by 18.06 per cent to N16.493 billion, from N13.970 billion the previous year. This is even as the bank’s total asset saw a 71.93 per cent increase to close at N293.052 billion, from N210.80

billion in the corresponding period of 2018.

In addition, the retail lender also recorded a total comprehensive income of N5.52 billion while earnings per share stood at 28.94 kobo.

The result further showed that the bank grew its loan books by 135.87 per cent to N104.02 billion in 2019 as against the N44.10 billion realised in 2018.

The bank had embarked on cost minimisation initiatives that have continued to yield positive results. These led to a decrease in its total operating expenses to N19.57 billion in 2019, from N20.71 billion in 2018.

The bank stated that it would continue to implement measures aimed at building processes that attract efficiency gains in resource allocation in order to boost profitability and bring more value to

shareholders.

Commenting on the results, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Unity Bank, Mrs. Tomi Somefun said, “the potential in many aspects of the business as reflected in growing balance sheet of the bank is indicative of market confidence in our repositioning efforts.� “It is also noteworthy that playing in the agriculture sector as part of growth strategy and as bulwarks to drive value chain businesses in many segments of the retail market has continued to pay off. “Looking ahead, we shall consolidate on the gains in the agribusiness, capitalising on the growing profile in the sector, whilst also focusing on the youth market with increased investment in technology,� she further stated.

PenOp Elects Odutola President Ebere Nwoji The Pension Fund Operators Association (PenOp) has elected Mr. Wale Odutola as its new president. With the election, he would oversee the affairs of the association for the next two years.

Odutola, who is the Managing Director ARM Pensions emerged president along other new Executive Committee members who were elected at a recent poll conducted by the association.

He was previously the association’s Head of Media and Branding, prior to the election.

Odutola takes over from Ronke Adedeji, the erstwhile President and CEO of Leadway Pensure Limited who piloted the affairs

of the association in the past two years. Accepting the new office, Odutola thanked Adedeji for her strong and visionary leadership over the last two years and pledged to continue the work that she and the previous executive committee started.

He further stressed that the focus of the industry under his tenure would continue to be in ensuring wider coverage of the scheme, promoting ethics within the industry, ensuring that the pension industry contributes to National development, greater engagement with the government and regulators and general upskilling of pension operators.

Other members of the newly elected Executive Committee are

Akeeb Akinola, (CEO of Shell Closed Pension Fund Administrator) who was re-elected as the Vice President of the Association; Bayo Yusuf (CEO of UBA Pension Custodian Limited), who retained his position as the Treasurer of the Association; Eric Fajemisin, (CEO of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited) elected as the Head of the Technical Committee of the Association; Amaka Andy – Azike (CEO of Fidelity Pension Managers Limited) as the Head of Media and Branding Communications for the Association, and Glory Etadouvie (CEO of IEI Anchor Pension Managers Limited) steps in as the Head of Legal, Regulatory and Ethics Committee for the Association.

Foundation Offers N4bn Educational Support Ebere Nwoji Regenesys Foundation said it is offering a N4 billion lockdown education support initiative to new students who wish to register for online qualifications into the Regenesys Business School.

The Foundation pledged to support 500 students with 60 per cent of their school fees.

The offer which commenced this month would last till August 1, 2020.

A statement by the spokesperson and representative of the school in Nigeria, Mr. Kiri

Tamuno, said the N4 billion school support initiative was targeted at supporting disadvantaged youths yearning for higher education in Nigeria. “We wish to help those affected by pay cuts and job losses to develop a competitive edge or to start their own new ventures so that they bounce back from the pandemic “, the statement said.

It further said students from anywhere in Africa who qualify to enter into the school’s MBA, Bachelors, postgraduate diplomas and certificate programmed will be allocated places on a

first-served basis.

It further said the Regenesys community of alumni, students, faculty and friends from 20 countries had worked hard to make the initiative possible.

Most of them according to Tamuno have pledged supports ranging from financial contributions and salary sacrifices as well as contributions in kind through lecturing, tutoring, and assessment, research supervision, mentoring and coaching.

The Regenesys Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation based in South Africa.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

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

11,007,422.79

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

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ ͡ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $37.09 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $38.89 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

29

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍŻËœ 2020

MARKET NEWS

NSE CEO, Others Highlight Global Stock Markets’Resilience Goddy Egene The Chief Executive Office, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; CEO, World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), Ms. Nandini Sukumar; CEO, London Stock Exchange (LSE), Mr. Nikhil Rathi; and CEO, Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE), Robert Scharfe have said global stock markets have remained resilient amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to them, global

exchanges continue to focus on providing robust and resilient markets to support issuers and investors in raising capital and investing across asset classes.

They spoke during the ‘Capital Markets in a Pandemic’ webinar hosted by the NSE, yesterday. Onyema said the brink of the crisis, they received requests from investors seeking clarification on the exchange’s business continuity plans and ability

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

to keep the market open. “This was clarified early enough as details of our robust response to COVID-19 was communicated to all stakeholders and we have enjoyed seamless remote operations since. This is, however, possible because of our commitment to digital transformation which began several years ago and continues to evolve with today’s emerging trends,� he said.

On his part, Scharfe said:

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

“Over the last few months, we have seen the green bond market shift quickly towards social bonds. We have seen over $20 billion raised in response to COVID-19. This is an indication that investors are interested in these types of investments and I think this is just the beginning of the shift for shift ESG investments from a niche asset to the mainstream.�

Also speaking, Rathi said: “We anticipate a change in

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

the nature of investing with ESG considerations featuring across asset classes. The LSE is, therefore, excited over our foresight in building a dedicated Green Bond Segment and introducing a green economy classification for equities. In fact, our first listing for the year was a green energy company.

It will, therefore, be interesting to see how this plays out over the next ten or so years even as issuers respond to investors’

O F

demands to build a better world.�

Sukumar of WFE said: “The focus today is on rebuilding the economy. Exchanges have made the requisite investments to keep markets open and maintain fair and orderly markets during this pandemic. They will remain fundamental to capital market stakeholders who require access to capital to build, grow and develop the various sectors of the economy.�

0 9 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

30

ଂ

ଂ

ଂ

ଂ ଂ

ଂ

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 R O X P H

7 R S * D L Q H U V P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

P R EST IGE

0.77

10.0%

GUA R A N T Y

69.4

0.6%

B ER GER

7.70

10.0%

M B EN EF IT

51.8

9.1%

N EIM ET H

2.34

9.9%

FB NH

31.2

0.0%

M B EN EF IT

0.24

9.1%

J A P A ULOIL

18.7

-8.0%

16.4

-1.8%

T ic k er

T ic k er

R OYA LEX

0.24

9.1%

Z EN IT H B A N K

UP D C R EIT

3.80

8.6%

FCM B

9.6

0.0%

C OR N ER ST

0.54

8.0%

UB A

5.3

0.0%

UN ION D A C

0.30

7.1%

VIT A F OA M

5.2

-1.8%

C H IP LC

0.49

6.5%

D A N GSUGA R

3.5

-1.0%

67.00

4.7%

IN T B R EW

3.4

-1.1%

OKOM UOIL

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 D O X H

7 R S / R V H U V T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

-9.4%

GUA R A N T Y

1677.0

0.6%

-9.1%

Z EN IT H B A N K

274.9

-1.8%

0.23

-8.0%

D A N GC EM

235.5

0.0%

R ED ST A R EX

3.30

-7.3%

FB NH

167.7

0.0%

C UT IX

1.60

-5.3%

M TNN

133.0

0.0%

41.50

-3.9%

NB

97.8

0.0%

87.6

-0.6%

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

C ILEA SIN G

4.80

UA C N

7.50

J A P A ULOIL

B UA C EM EN T

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

LA SA C O

0.25

-3.8%

ST A N B IC

GUIN N ESS

17.50

-2.8%

OKOM UOIL

73.1

4.7%

H ON YF LOUR

0.97

-2.0%

D A N GSUGA R

52.6

-1.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

16.60

-1.8%

GUIN N ESS

40.3

-2.8%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Ola Belgore | obelgore@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com Oluwarotimi Ashimi | oashimi@afrinvest.com

Adedayo Bakare | abakare@afrinvest.com

32

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Standard Chartered Supports Women in Tech for Economic Growth Goddy Egene Standard Chartered Nigeria has announced the winners of the first edition of its Women in Technology Incubator. Launched in June 2019, the SC Women in Tech Incubator was established to support and

promote the economic and social development of women in Nigeria through innovation or technology led entrepreneurship.

According to the bank, from over 600 applications, 10 candidates with the most compelling ideas were selected to go through the

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

programme. And at the end of the training period, five winners emerged and received $10,000 each to support the growth and sustained expansion of their businesses.

Commenting on the success of the first edition, Head Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing,

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 09Jun-2020, unless otherwise stated.

Nigeria, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Dayo Aderugbo, said: “We are pleased about the successful completion of the first edition of the SC Women in tech incubator and congratulate the winners who have emerged from this session. We are optimistic about

the impact this programme will have on their businesses. The resources the beneficiaries have received from the sessions will go a long way in ensuring the sustainability of their businesses while creating employment for more women and youths in the country. We are excited about the

endless growth opportunities and ripple effect this growth will have on the economy. This initiative builds on the Bank’s track record of increasing women’s access to entrepreneurial finance, employability and supporting adolescent girls and women through financing and capacity building.”

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 113.03 114.32 -23.63% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 7.64% Nigeria International Debt Fund 310.84 310.84 -1.37% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.93 0.94 3.11% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 10.16% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.50% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.63 2.69 7.05% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 14.68 15.13 -4.14% ARM Discovery Fund 341.17 351.45 -1.23% ARM Ethical Fund 30.38 31.30 4.48% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.25% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 95.48 96.15 -0.63% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.21% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 0.07 0.05 6.96% Paramount Equity Fund 11.40 11.83 -8.04% Women's Investment Fund 109.39 110.19 -1.00% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.59% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 97.66 97.88 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 107.23 107.48 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.05% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.91 0.92 -1.53% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.42 1.42 7.14% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 4.17% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 4.35% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,227.15 1,236.75 5.92% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,288.20 1,289.27 6.05% FBN Balanced Fund 147.41 148.50 0.40% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.06% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 115.63 116.30 0.18% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 116.00 116.75 -0.01% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 119.32 120.76 -8.31% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.88% Legacy Debt Fund 3.76 3.76 3.02% Legacy Equity Fund 1.09 1.11 -3.33% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.11 1.11 2.25% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.28% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.28 2.32 3.87% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 10.03% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 143.58 144.13 0.12% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.22 1.24 4.53% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,130.19 1,130.19 4.82% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.40 1.42 14.30% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.88 11.94 5.50% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.15% PACAM Equity Fund 1.07 1.08 PACAM EuroBond Fund 106.38 108.62 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 116.83 119.78 -0.87% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 3.72% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 3.89% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 3.29% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 -0.56% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 3.76% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 2.42% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.54% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 -1.61% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 2.48% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.41 10.54 1.34% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.09 12.22 4.10% Zenith Income Fund 23.44 23.44 5.39% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.75%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

3.50 114.44 52.79

-63.85% 2.22% 1.42%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

8.94 91.86 69.73

9.04 93.74 70.96

2.72% -0.71% -5.46%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

2.99 4.23 11.71 12.16 181.05

3.03 4.31 11.81 12.36 183.05

-15.61% -28.18% -3.38% 16.91% -3.68%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.29

16.90%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 • T H I S D AY

33

34

THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

23 Persons Killed, 32 Suspects Arrested in Adamawa Communal Clash Daji SaniinYola Twenty three persons have been allegedly killed as five communities were equally burnt down in

Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State following a skirmish between two tribes of the Lunguda and the Waja.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of

Bello Kicks as Gunmen Kill Two Persons, Abduct Several Others in Kogi Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has condemned yesterday’s attack on commuters on the Lokoja-Abuja highway, which claimed many casualties.

Barely seven days after an armed robbery gang attacked a police station and a commercial bank in the state, and killed nine persons, including eight police officers, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers yesterday struck at Gegu, killing two persons and abducting other passengers on Lokoja-Abuja highway.

The incident occurred at about 6.30a.m. between Acheni and Gegu in Kogi Local Government Area where many persons were

Senate to screen Justice Dongban-Mensem

President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday cautioned Nigerians against engaging in issues that would divide Nigerians and cause chaos in the country.

This is just as the upper chamber decided to fast track the screening of the acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, for confirmation as substantive president of the court.

Lawan spoke on the backdrop of the motion of urgent national importance moved by the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Emmanuel Bwacha.

The Senate president, therefore, called on leaders in the country to take advantage of the country’s

diversity to wield the required strength to foster unity, peace and development.

According to Lawan, “We should ensure as leaders that we use and weave this diversity into strength, and which is attempting to provide leadership regardless of geographical, ethnic and religious differences. Many of our leaders are trying to do that, so I think you tried to deviate a little bit and it almost turned out controversial.”

Bwacha, who came under Senate Standing Rule 43 to move his motion, had said: “I rise on Order 43 to make personal explanation like the matter of COVID-19 which is a matter that got the world’s attention; the protest against racism which was ignited by the action of the police in Minneapolis, United States of America.

PSC Considers 95 Police Disciplinary Cases, Promotions Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Police Service Commission (PSC) is considering 95 police disciplinary cases, promotion of police officers at its ongoing 8th plenary meeting.

The virtual meeting powered

by Google Zoom is presided over

by Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General (IG) of Police.

The meeting, according the commission, is expected to take far-reaching decisions on pending police disciplinary cases, police promotions, recommendations on concluded police investigations and several other pending matters.

The meeting, which began

Also, an eyewitness from the affected areas revealed that the indigenous ‘Lunguda’ tribe and their ‘Waja’ settlers in Lafiya town in Lamurde LGA engaged each other in a battle overnight over farm land dispute.

According to him, the skirmish resulted in the death of 23 lives, while five villages of Momsurmi, Boshikiri, Zakawon, Burti and part of Lafiya town, were burnt to

ashes. “Domestic animals and foodstuffs were also destroyed in the skirmish which lasted for several hours before the intervention of the military mobilised to bring the situation under control,” he said.

Another source from the area said the crisis between the two tribes was sparked by an argument over farmland ownership which has been lingering on for many years.

The state Deputy Governor, Crowther Seth, in company of the Brigade Commander of the 23 Brigade in Yola, Brigadier General Sani Gambo Mohammed, visited the scene in the early hours of yesterday.

The deputy governor, who assured the people that the government would investigate and bring the perpetrators to book, warned against further escalation of the violence.

kidnapped The victims of attack included a business mogul and owner of Chucks Supermarket in Lokoja, Mr. Nicolas Ofodile, and one other commercial driver from Gegu town.

THISDAY gathered that Ofodile was travelling to Abuja from Lokoja in his private Lexus SUV with registration LKJ 658 PU when he ran into the gunmen’s road block at Gegu, as they were shooting at oncoming vehicles, while the other victim was also killed in the same manner.

Sources hinted that about eight vehicles were involved in the attack with several passengers seriously injured while trying to run for cover.

Lawan Cautions Nigerians against Divisive Utterances Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

the state police command, DSP, Suleiman Nguroje, has said 32 persons have been arrested in connection with the communal clash between the two warring tribes. Nguroje said the police had deployed a team from the Criminal Investigation Department( CID to the areas, adding that the number of dead is yet to ascertain.

He said many houses and valuables were destroyed, including food items.

on Tuesday is expected to end today, June 11, 2020.

The 8th plenary meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 24 and 25, 2020 was put off indefinitely.

The suspension was in accordance with the containment/safety measures off the federal government in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A statement issued by the spokesman of the commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, said the plenary meeting is the highest decision making body of the commission and it “considers recommendations from its different standing committees”.

CORRIGENDUM Our story captioned ‘Ekiti Assembly to Invite Fayemi over Alleged Embezzlement of Funds,’ and published in our Tuesday, June 9, 2020 edition, should have read ‘Ekiti Assembly to Invite Fayose over Alleged Embezzlement of Funds.’ The error is regretted.

r &EJUPS

ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION....

L-R: Executive Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Agric Business, Dr. Debo Akande; Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde; Head of Service, Mrs. Ololade Agboola; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun; and Deputy Governor, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan, during the flag-off of Oyo State Youth in Agric Business Project at Awe...yesterday

FG Reads Riot Act to Rapists Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government rose from its fourth virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday with a resolution to decisively move against rapists whom they accused of destroying the lives of women and minors.

Describing the trend as horrific, embarrassing and unacceptable, Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, said the situation had only been worsened by lockdown in the past few weeks as a result of COVID-19.

Mrs. Tallen who said FEC’s decision to aggressively fight the scourge was the fallout of the memorandum of understanding that she presented to the council, following the alarming cases of rape and gender-based violence since the outbreak of COVID-19.

She said the number of rape cases in recent times had tripled what it used to be, noting that of every one case reported, there are 10 others that do not come to public knowledge, lamenting that judiciary had not helped the matter as hundreds of cases before the courts are

not addressed.

According to her, the council unanimously resolved to deploy power at the highest level to combat the scourge adding that different strategies had been conceived to achieve this.

She said one of the ways the federal government would fight the scourge is to ensure the domestication of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, (VAPPA), 2015 in states.

She said: “I’m sure you are aware that for the past few weeks, the country has witnessed a lot of outrage and outcry because of the pandemic

within the pandemic that we are facing. I know before COVID-19, we have always had pandemic of rape cases and gender-based violence.

“But with the lockdown due to COVID-19, women and children are locked down with their abusers and the number has escalated three times. There is no state that is an exception. This has reached an embarrassing situation that a memo was presented in council, calling for immediate intervention, legal and prompt dispensation of justice in the cases.

NIMC: Over 100m Nigerians Have No Form of Identification The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Aliyu Aziz has disclosed that more than 100 million Nigerians have no form of identification.

The NIMC boss disclosed this during a Zoom meeting with editors .

Aziz, who spoke on the topic: “Strategic Roadmap for ID Development”, said less than 50 percent of the country’s population is not enrolled in the commission’s

database.

“Over 100 million Nigerians have no identity (ID). These include the poorest and the most vulnerable groups, such as the marginalised – women and girls, the less-educated people, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, people with disabilities and people living in rural and remote areas,” The Cable quoted him as saying.

“The estimated population of Nigeria stands at 200 million.

Only about 38 per cent of the population have any form of ID.” According to the NIMC boss, the commission has issued 41.5 million unique identifiers, known as national identification numbers (NIN), since the commencement of identity registration and enrolment in 2012.

He also said the commission registers all Nigerian citizens within and outside the country, as well as legal residents.

“Between 2012 till date, only 41.5 million citizens and legal residents have been enrolled into the National Identity Database (NIDB) and issued unique NIN, an average of 5.2 million enrollments per annum,” he said.

“At this rate, it will take a long time to enroll the remainder of the people currently living in the country today, and by that time, about 292 million more people would have been added.

Gbajabiamila: Most Comments on Infectious Diseases Bill Ill-informed, Outright Malicious Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated that a lot of engagement on the proposed Infectious Diseases Bill brought forward a month ago for consideration has been ill-informed and outright malicious.

Gbajabiamila stated this yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the public hearing on the bill to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases Act. He emphasised that one month after the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill was first brought forward for consideration, the House had witnessed an unprecedented

amount of engagement by a cross-section of the Nigerian public, adding that the House welcomed the enthusiastic participation of the citizens in the legislative process.

Gbajabiamila stated: “However, it is necessary to note that a lot of the engagement on this proposed legislation has been ill-informed and outright malicious. There are

those in our society who benefit from promoting the falsehood that every government action is cynical, and every policy proposal must be the product of malignant influence.

“We must never succumb to the impulses that these elements represent, and we must reject them always, as doing so is an act of excellent service to a nation we love and are beholden to.

35

THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Falana Urges Buhari to Appoint Supreme Court Justices without Delay Peter Uzoho Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to speed up the appointment of additional four Justices of the Supreme Court who have been recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) since October 2019.

In a letter he sent to President Buhari, which was dated June 9, 2020, Falana argued that the delay in the appointment of the justices for the apex court would worsen prison congestion.

According to the senior lawyer: “Sometime in October, 2019, the National Judicial Council did recommend four Justices of the Court of Appeal

namely Justice Adamu Jauro, Justice Emmanuel A. Agim; Justice C. Oseji; and Justice Helen M. Ogunwumiju for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“But for reasons best known to Your Excellency, the names of the four justices have not been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation as required by Section 231(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

“However, it may interest Your Excellency to know that the number of justices on the Supreme Court bench has been depleted to 12, contrary

to Section 230 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that the Supreme Court of Nigeria ‘shall consist of such number of justices not exceeding 21 as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly’.

“The need to ratify and forward the names of these justices to the Senate for confirmation becomes more crucial and urgent if viewed against the backdrop of the clamour for prison decongestion being championed by Your Excellency.”

Falana argued that “one of the main causes of prison congestion is that the Supreme Court has not been able to hear and determine many criminal appeals due to lack of enough justices.”

Senate Moves to Protect Rape Victims against Stigmatisation Chuks Okocha and Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate took a bold step to control sexual harassment against women yesterday when it considered a critical bill seeking to protect victims of rape against any form of stigmatisation in the country.

The bill, which scaled second reading on the floor during plenary, also provides for prosecution and punishment of any person or group of persons who stigmatise such victims.

The bill seeks to uphold and protect their fundamental right to dignity and Freedom of Association as provided by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The piece of legislation entitled: “Rape and Insurgency Victims Stigmatization (Prohibition) Bill 2019,” was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East).

Leading the debate on the bill during plenary, Senator Musa said if passed into law, the bill would among other things, encourage victims of rape to testify in court.

The bill which contains 11 clauses, according to the lawmaker, would also ensure the re-integration of victims of insurgency into the community of their choice.

“Mr. President, you are all aware of the scourge of the

instabilities in most of our communities in Nigeria, ranging from insurgence, banditry and violence against women, children and even men.

“Presently, rape is now a common phenomenon and occurs worldwide. In fact, available data suggests that in some countries one in five women report sexual violence or being raped by an intimate partner and up to a third of girls report forced sexual initiation. This also cuts across diverse age range of victims ranging from young toddlers and children to even older victims aged 70 years old, with over 70 per cent of the victims under 19.

Attempted Rape: Court Frees Girl Who Killed Her Father’s Friend Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday discharged and acquitted a 15-year-old girl accused of murdering her father’s 51-year-old friend, who tried to rape her.

Magistrate Philip Adebowale Ojo struck out the murder charge filed by the police against the Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 pupil, following advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) had on March 24, 2020, in a charge marked C/51/2020, alleged that the teenager stabbed Mr. Babatunde Ishola to death on March 7.

The incident occurred in

his home on Nwadolu Street, Aboru, Lagos.

Ishola was said to be employed as a guard at a school in the community and lived alone. The police said the girl’s act contravened Section 225 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

It obtained an order for the pupil to be remanded at the Lagos State Correctional Home for Girls, Idi Arabia, while the case was adjourned for legal advice from the OPD. The plea of the teenager, who was represented pro bono by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD), was not taken.

At the resumption of

proceedings yesterday, Ojo said the court had received the DPP’s report.

He said the report corroborated the facts of the matter as set out in the case file, that that there were “insufficient facts to establish a prima facie case of murder against the suspect.”

He discharged and acquitted the suspect.

OPD Director, Dr. Babajide Martins expressed satisfaction with the verdict, adding that “the professionalism, diligence and timely advice of the DPP on the matter made it possible for the girl to be released, because no prima facie case was established against her.”

Prince Adedoyin Lipede Passes On A death has been announced of Prince Adedoyin Olufolahan Lipede, a Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).

Prince Lipede, who died on June 3, 2020, grew up in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

He attended Comprehensive High School Aiyetoro for his secondary education, the Polytechnic Ibadan for ‘A’ levels and the University of Ibadan for his first degree in Geology.

He graduated in 1980 and started his NYSC in Bendel State but completed it in Lagos State.

He joined the services of the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Department of Petroleum Resources in 1981. He was a strong player in the upstream oil and gas industry with 35 years of meritorious services between the DPR and ExxonMobil. He retired from ExxonMobil in 2016 and was immediately contracted

by Lekoil as a senior commercial adviser.

Prince Lipede was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society and also a co-founder of DatosGeologia Limited.

He is survived by his wife,

children and siblings. Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.

Prince Adedoyin Lipede

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THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

FEC Approves N120bn for Roads, Water Projects Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved over N115.5 billion for road construction in different parts of the country as well as another N5.021 billion for water projects in Zungeru in Niger State.

The council also said the Federal Fire Service had been reformed and rebranded in recent times, and had consequently saved property valued at N1.691

by President Muhammadu Buhari in the State House, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the approval was sequel to two memoranda he presented to the council.

He listed the projects as Jebi-Lamba-Bele Road in Adamawa State at the rate of N26.829 billion; Achingali-UdobiUdona-Umuwana-Ubakala Road in Abia State, including a bridge across the Imo River in Imo State at the sum of N11.540 billion and Jarmai-Bashar-Zuruk-Karim Lamido Road linking Plateau and Taraba States at the rate of N77.279 billion.

Explaining the importance of the roads, Fashola said the road linking Plateau and Taraba States, for instance, when completed along with the Ibi bridge, would President of the Senate, Dr. reduce the journey duration Ahmed Lawan, in his comments, from Abuja to Jalingo in Taraba wished the new appointees success in their endeavour as members of RMAFC. The upper chamber, however, deferred the nomination of Emmanuel Nwosu (Imo) due to the reports from the Department of Security Services (DSS) over petitions against him.

The Senate also approved the nomination of Lamidu Abubakar Yuguda (Gombe) as DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Others whose nominations were approved as full-time commissioners in SEC include Reginald Karawusa (Imo), Ibrahim Boyi (Katsina) and Obisan Joseph from Lagos State. trillion and 724 lives.

It also said a leading information technology global company, Huawei, had been engaged to develop e-border technology that will enable security operatives to monitor land borders from any part of the country with a view to stopping influx of foreigners into the country.

Briefing reporters after over seven hours of virtual FEC meeting presided over

Senate Approves Six RMAFC Board-nominees, Rejects One for Security Reasons Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Senate yesterday approved the nominations of six out of seven-member board of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) but rejected the nomination of Emmanuel Nwosu due to security reports.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 5 sent their names to the Senate for confirmation.

Those whose nominations were approved are Salamaru Mohammad Bala (Adamawa); Adamu Shettima Yuguda Final (Borno); Alfred Egba (Bayelsa); Oladele Gboyega(Osun); Bello Wamako(Sokoto) and Ahmed Yusuf (Taraba)

No Governance in Ekiti under Fayemi, Buhari’s Aide Alleges Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Affairs, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has accused the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of laxity and underperformance in governing the state since assumption of office in 2018.

Ojudu also scolded Fayemi for allegedly running the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) like his own personal fiefdom.

According to him, “He is running our party like a one-man show, also like a puppeteer.”

The senator, who represented Ekiti Central in the seventh Senate, stated this in a telephone chat with journalists in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday.

Ojudu said: “Where is the focus on the people now? Is it roads that the government is constructing? Is it providing employment or foods? Where is the governance in the state?

I want you to do a search on Google and tell me where the projects are.

“You can compare Borno and Ekiti States. Look at what the Borno State Governor, Professor Zulum, has done since he was sworn in, and then take a look at what Fayemi has done since he entered office as governor.

“Let us compare the two leaders! Some people might tell you that there is no money, but is Zulum in charge of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or is he receiving more than what Ekiti State governor receives?

Woman, Three Children Burnt to Death in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna A mother and her three children, including a one-month-old baby, have been burnt to death in a fire that gutted their home in the Nkangbe area, a suburb of Minna, the Niger State capital, last Tuesday night.

The mother and her children were said to be asleep when the fire broke out according to eyewitnesses, who also claimed that the husband of the woman was away in Abuja, and therefore, escaped the disaster.

It was learnt that the second wife and her two children were reported to have been rescued by neighbours, and are now receiving treatment for burns at the Minna General Hospital.

The cause of the fire is not

yet known, but people around the area said it couldn’t have been from electricity surge since there has been no electricity supply to the area for two months as a result of the faulty transformer supplying the area with electricity. The bereaved family, it was learnt, didn’t switch on their power generator that fateful night.

According to the eyewitnesses, the deceased would have been rescued alive but for the security proofs fixed on their windows and doors which made the residence inaccessible.

“Men of the state fire service responded promptly to the distress call, but the burglary proofs on the windows and doors hindered their work,” he said.

from the current 12 hours to about eight hours. “It will be a significant reduction in journey time and also the other roads will be equally beneficial in bringing down cost of goods, cost of transportation and cost of doing business,” he said.

In his own briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Malam Adamu Suleiman, said: “As part of our efforts to complete projects that we inherited but have huge socioeconomic impact on the lives of the people, today, we presented to council, a request for approval of revised estimated total cost for the completion of ZungeruWushishi Water Supply Project in Niger State in favour of Messrs R. Services, Zilon Construction Services Joint Venture in the sum of N5.021bn, raising the project from N1.93 billion to N6.955 billion, inclusive all taxes.

“This is a project that was started in 1998 by Niger State Government. They couldn’t continue. Eventually, it was transferred to Federal Government,” Suleiman explained.

In his own briefing, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, who presented his ministerial scorecard to the council, disclosed that in recent times, the newly repositioned Federal Fire Service received 2,615 calls during which he said the Service saved assets worth N1.69 trillion as well as 724 lives.

He said fire fighters were trained to assess and evaluate the values of property, explaining that the evaluation was carried out within the professional capacity of the Service.

He said: “The Federal Fire Service responded to 2,615 fire calls, saved 724 lives and

assets worth N1. 629 trillion between June and October 2019.

We evaluated this within the operational competence of the fire service to evaluate worth of property so as to put clear information and message of their activities and what they have done. In their intervention therefore what this means is that they have prevented destruction of assets worth N1. 629 trillion between June and October 2019,while saving 724 lives and responded to 2, 615 fire calls.”

He also said 14 operational forward bases had been established by the ministry along with armed patrol at Nigerian land borders.

According to him, a Huawei had been engaged to develop e-border land management system to handle border issues with a view to addressing porosity in Nigerian land borders.

WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNER...

L-R: Staff of World Bank, Mrs. Ngozi Udolisa; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; and World Bank’s Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, during a courtesy visit to Government House, Owerri...yesterday

House Seeks Review of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy to End Racial Oppression Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday mandated its Committees on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to collaborate between themselves and organise a conference of local and international stakeholders towards fashioning comprehensive approaches to the festering challenge of discrimination, annihilation and racial cleansing, being perpetrated

against Nigerians and black people all over the world.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion entitled: ‘Urgent need for a review of Nigeria’s foreign policy towards liberating the black man from racial oppression and discrimination across the world’, sponsored by Hon. Garba Datti Muhammad.

Moving the motion, Muhammad recalls that Nigeria attained independence in October 1960 after the British

colonial rule that spanned over a century, and only after a bitter struggle lasting decades, made possible by the contributions of nationalists like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello among others.

The lawmaker also recalled that the dehumanisation to which the Nigerian people were subjugated to left an indelible yearning to confront denial, discrimination and oppression of any form but

particularly on account of the colour of their skin.

He said the House is aware that for the aforementioned reasons, on attainment of independence, Africa became the centerpiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy.

Muhammad expressed concerns on the continuing and increasing dehumanisation of Nigerians, Africans and black people across the world particularly in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Fayemi Attracts $50m Investment to Boost Agric Sector Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The giant strides taken by the Ekiti State Government to revamp the agriculture sector has started yielding results, as the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has attracted investment worth $50 million to increase production and create employment in the sector.

The state recently issued a Certificate of Occupancy to Stallion Group for a $10 million rice mill in Ado-Ekiti, the state

capital, while Dangote Group is also finalising plans to locate a $5 million mill within the same location, which is now being seen as the rice processing hub of the state.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Trade and Innovations, Mr. Akintunde Oyebode, the investments attracted to Ekiti State are early results of the government’s focus on building an enabling environment for

business to thrive.

According to him, in the cassava value chain, FMS Farms is finalising plans to set up a $10 million starch processing plant and farm in Ikole council area, and has already commenced farming activities.

He added that another agrobased firm, Promise Point, has also invested $15 million in its starch processing facility within the same area, which has also been designated as part of the Special Agro-Industrial

Processing Zone.

This, he said, was coming after the $5 million investment

by Promasidor to renovate and operate the moribund Ikun Dairy Farm, and another $5 million investment by JMK Foods to build a rice mill in the state.

Oyebode said many of these investors only have to deal with the Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA) to process their land titles and other requests.

Bauchi Dep Gov Tests Negative for COVID-19, Discharged Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela, has been discharged after testing

negative for COVID-19.

The Executive Chairman of the state Primary Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, disclosed this

during the routine update on COVID-19 at the Government House in Bauchi yesterday.

Muhammad, therefore, congratulated the deputy

governor for his quick recovery, as the deputy governor, Senator Baba had tested positive of the virus on June 2, 2020.

THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Kogi West: Tribunal Upholds Election of Senator Smart Adeyemi Alex Enumah in Abuja The Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal yesterday upheld the election of Senator Smart Adeyemi as the Senator representing Kogi West

senatorial district in Kogi State.

A three-man panel led

by Justice Kashim Kaigama in a unanimous judgment dismissed the petition of former Senator Dino Melaye for lacking in merit.

The tribunal had in March

Medical Doctor Arrested for Raping 11-year-old Girl in Benue George Okoh in Makurdi A medical doctor has been arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl in Otukpo, Benue State.

The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday night behind Joy FM, Otukpo.

It was gathered that the 11 year-old-girl was brought from a village in Obi Local Government Area to babysit for the doctor.

The girl (names withheld) said that the doctor’s wife traveled to Kaduna the day she was molested.

The girl said: “It all started two days back. His wife traveled to Kaduna. That night, he came home acting drunk. He tried to touch me but I ran out.

“Yesterday night, he came back again and whisked me

away from where I was sleeping to his room and forced himself on me. I sustained injures in my private part, neck and mouth because we struggled for some minutes before he overpowered me.”

The doctor blamed the rape incident on the influence of since it was never his intention to molest the young girl.

He is currently in custody of the vigilante security in Otukpo.

Reacting to the incident, the Spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Superintendent Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident and said that the police has commenced an investigation into the crime.

Anene gave the name of the medical doctor who raped girl as Dr. Ebele

reserved judgment on the petition filed by Melaye challenging the emergence of Adeyemi as winner of the Kogi West senatorial rerun election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeyemi as the winner of the November 2019 rerun election after winning majority of lawful votes cast at the Kogi West senatorial poll.

Not satisfied Melaye had approached the election tribunal to challenge the results of the election.

Melaye had asked the tribunal to nullify the election of Adeyemi and declare him winner of the poll claiming he scored the highest number of valid votes.

Meanwhile, Melaye in the petition claimed that the November 16 senatorial return election was marred by violence, over-voting, manipulation of figures and other irregularities and called for total cancellation of the affected areas and thereby declare him the winner of

the election.

But delivering judgment in the petition yesterday, the panel in a unanimous decision held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the panel, the evidence of witnesses called by the petitioners were contradictory and as such unreliable.

The panel further held that the claims of overvoting and other alleged

electoral malpractices were not substantiated both from documents presented and testimonies of witnesses.

The panel accordingly dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.

Adeyemi had pulled 88,373 votes to defeat Melaye who scored 62, 133 votes at the election.

But Melaye claimed that the election was marred with irregularities in 564 polling units in the senatorial district were election held.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY....

L-R: Secretary to Rivers State Government (SSG), Hon. Tammy Danagogo; Eroton official, Mr. Emmanuel Tobi; Community Affairs Manager

Eroton, Mr. Joshua Mitchell; and Director of Operations, Eroton Exploration and Production, Mr. Emmanuel Thompson, during the Senate Committee Tasks Appeal ofdonation of medical and other equipment by Eroton/NNPC Joint Venture to Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt...yesterday Court President-nominee on Injustice Amotekun Begins Oyo Operation in July

Chuks Okocha and Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Senate has urged the nominee for the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, to stand up against injustice in the country’s judiciary if her nomination is eventually confirmed.

This is as Justice Mensem vowed to make the court Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliant if she is confirmed as the President of Court of Appeal.

The Senate urged Mensem to stand up against injustice when she appeared before the committee for screening as substantive President of the Court of Appeal following the request

by President Muhamnadu Buhari that she should be considered for the position based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Specifically, the Chairman

of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matter, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) said the enthusiasm with which Nigerians greeted her nomination and the respect showed by the Senate by suspending its rule for expeditious screening, would be in vain if she failed to tackle injustice after being confirmed.

“Your Lordship must ensure that justice is not only delivered but in timely manner because justice delayed is justice denied,” Bamidele said.

He added that the budgetary allocation to the judiciary required urgent upward review because the welfare of the judicial officers is nothing to write home about currently.

According to him, inflationary pressure has completely eroded the benefits of the review of the salaries and emoluments of judicial officers that was carried out in 2008.

Rainstorm Destroys over 100 Houses in Plateau Seriki Adinoyi in Jos More than 100 homes and properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed yesterday by rainstorm in communities of Kanke Local Government Area (KLGA) of Plateau State.

The rainstorm, which started on Tuesday night, lasted till the early hours of yesterday and was accompanied by heavy windstorm that blew off rooftops of several houses and rendered many families homeless and stranded.

Mr. Titus Bitrus from one of the affected communities placed the figure of the destroyed houses at

over 100, adding that properties destroyed include shops and worship centres. Bitrus said that in a private secondary school was also brought down by the wind Amper town.

He said: “This recent downpour has caused devastating effect on residents as the storm has removed roofs of many buildings.

“The havoc caused by the rainstorm needs urgent attention from the Plateau State Government as well as spirited individuals and organisations in order to ensure that victims return to their various homes as early as possible.”

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State yesterday said Operation Amotekun would become operational in July.

Makinde stated this in his address at the first anniversary of the Oyo State House of Assembly at Agodi, Ibadan.

The governor said, “We are constituting the Amotekun Corps which, as you are aware, will complement the efforts of the federal security in securing our state. Within the next one month,

they will be fully operational.

“Once the House of Assembly approves the choice of the commandant and chairman, it will be operational.”

On the incessant rape cases in the state, Makinde said the government would strengthen the legislation to address it.

He stated that he had sent an executive bill to the House, adding that the bill would soon be transmitted by the House.

He said, “I commend the

moves by this legislature to review the laws on rape and sexual assault. We all know that one of the best ways to address any type of crime is to strengthen the legislation around it.

“On our part, we will do well to enforce the laws as requested by the judiciary.

All the arms of government must continue to show zero tolerance for sexual violence.

Only in this way would we

honour those who have been victims of the heinous crimes and ensure that the rest of the people are protected.”

Earlier, under the matter of urgent public importance, the lawmaker representing Kajola state constituency, Akeem Mustapha, and that of Akinyele 11 state constituency, Ayo Fatokun, canvassed “Urgent need to stem the alarming rise in tide of gender and sexual-based violence in Oyo State.”

Kano NLC Vows to Resist Any Attempt to Slash Workers’ Salaries The Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Kabiru Ado-Minjibir, has cautioned against any attempt to slash salaries of workers in the country.

Minjibir, who gave the warning in an interview with journalists yesterday in Kano, said any attempt to reduce the workers’ salaries would be met with stiff resistance from workers in the country.

The NLC chairman was reacting to the advice given to federal and state governments by a lawmaker representing Borno South in the Senate, Sentor Mohammed Ali Ndume to slash the salaries of workers.

He described the advice by the lawmaker as `ill-timed’ considering the situation in the country.

“It is not the right time for the lawmaker to give such advice because it’s not the right time

to reduce workers’ salaries as they are not being given any palliative.

“Since workers are not being given palliatives, their salaries should not be tampered with,” Ado-Minjibir said.

Reacting to the ultimatum the NLC gave to the Kano state government to refund salaries it deducted from its members or face strike action, Ado-Minjibir said the deadline would expire on Monday, June 15.

He said committee set by the state government under the leadership of Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman had met twice with labour representatives with a view to resolving the issue amicably.

“Discussion is still ongoing on the issue and we will come up with our resolution on Monday, June 15 when the deadline given to the state government would have expired,” he said.

DG VON Cautions Oshiomhole against Utterances on Edo Election Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie Ahead of the 2020 governorship election in Edo State, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has called on the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole to guide his utterances in order not to mar the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

Okechukwu who is the

Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) also called for the easing out of Oshiomhole from the political party.

Okechukwu made this known yesterday, when he appeared as a guest on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, a sister broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers.

He noted that he had nothing against the party’s chairman, but however said the political party has a better role to play

and should not be misled by the utterances of its national chairman.

“We are not accusing him that he is responsible for the crises rocking the APC party in Edo State, but when you want to lead a party like the APC, you should be openhearted; more consulting and less dictatorial. If that was the case, we would not have the crises we have on our hands in the state.

“I do not know of any state in the federation where he has driven in to call all the contending forces to ask what the matter is. That is the supposed role of a party chairman. I have not seen him making efforts to utilise all the organs of the party to meet. A chairman that is rational and not narcissist could have been begging the leadership of the party to meet but this is not the case.”

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THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Govs, NLC, NMA, Others Kick against Infectious Disease Control Bill The Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) yesterday kicked against the Infectious Disease Control Bill for which the National Assembly held a public hearing.

The bill to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact the Control of Infectious Disease Act passed second reading on the floor of the House on April 28 and was referred for Public Hearing.

The NLC represented by its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, highlighted 17 grey areas in the bill.

Wabba, who spoke on behalf of three organisations NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and ASCAB, said: “Having read through the Bill, the only reinforcing and overwhelming voice is that of dictatorship.

“In presenting this memorandum, we choose to uphold our concern that the claim of commitment to protection of public health and safety, does not turn out to be an excuse for the provision of a tool in the hand of an autocrat, empowered to ride roughshod over the fundamental rights of the Nigerian People.”

NGF was unsparing in its condemnation.

Chairman of the Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who represented other governors, said: “The Act gives governors very scant operational space to maneuver and regrettably, the proposed Bill took away even that.

“This Bill takes away the only authority the governors have to take specific steps and measures in their domains during an outbreak of an infectious disease.

“As far as the NGF is concerned the bill is undemocratic as it is in conflict with some aspects of the constitution and negates the provision of human rights.”

He agreed that the House may have presented the bill in the interest of the people due to the exigency of the times, but doubted the piece of legislation can be held up to the light of standard legislative analysis.

He argued the bill invests too much power on the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and takes away power from states and local governments “The House of Representatives in the exercise

of powers vested in it by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is in the process of enacting the Control of Infectious Disease Act 2020 (The Bill).

“The Bill in section 77 seeks to repeal the Quarantine Act of 1926 (The Act) which has

become obsolete. The Bill when passed, would also repeal the Nigeria National Health Act, 2004, National Programme on Immunisation Act, Cap N71, LFN 2004, Environmental Health Officers (Registration ETC) 2002.

“The NGF posits that any

disease with significant threat to public health that would require authorising measures that may potentially infringe on otherwise reserved human liberties, the proposed measures must take into account some key ethical considerations which include:

“Public Health necessity: the measures must be exercised on the basis of a confirmed or suspected threat to public health of the country Reasonable and effective means: the means by which these measures would be implemented must be effective to prevent or reduce spread.”

ALL EYES ON AKEREDOLU’S SEAT…

L -R: Chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Chief Wumi Akinduro; gubernatorial aspirant, Mr. Bamidele Akingboye; and Chairman of Bamidele Akingboye Campaign Committee, Prof. Oluyemisi Akinyemisi, briefing journalists after the aspirant obtained his 2020 Ondo State PDP Governorship Nomination and Expression of Interest forms at the PDP National Headquarters, Wadata House, Abuja...yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUIOMOIGUI

NLC Calls for Decisive House Asks Contractors to Resume Work on East-West Road Actions against Rapists Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Muslim women in Bayelsa want rapists castrated Onyebuchi Ezigbo inAbuja and Onungwe Obe inYenagoa Organised Labour in Nigeria has condemned the current epidemic of rape, sexual and other forms of violence especially against the female gender.

It also urged the National Assembly to quickly domesticate the International Labour Organisation newest Convention‘Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment of Workers’.

In a statement signed by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba, yesterday, the workers’ apex body demanded more effective measures by the law enforcement agencies and social institutions to tackle challenge.

“We call on the law enforcement agencies and social institutions to rise up to this challenge. It is

our collective duty to protect our mothers, daughters, sisters and brothers from the deadly fangs of rapists. If we fail in this onerous duty, then we would have truly failed,” it said.

The statement added that it is alarming that “our age-long culture of respect for women is being torn into shreds by criminals who believe that the female body is theirs to seize, ravish and devour at will without consequences.”

The labour movement sited the recent rape and killing of Ms. Uwaila Omozuwa, 22, 100 level student of the University of Benin, Edo State, on May 27, 2020, describing it as a cruel addition to the long list of Nigerian women and girls who have had their body privacy and their lives desecrated and destroyed by rapists.

Ooni Donates Decontamination Machines to Rivers

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has donated two motorised fumigating machines to Rivers State Government.

Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who was represented by Princess Fadekemi Fadojutimi at the presentation of the machines to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at Government House, Port Harcourt, said the machines, which were locally fabricated, were part of efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic disease in the country.

Fadojutimi, who is a member of Ooni of Ife COVID-19 Taskforce, said the

machines, which uses sodium hydrochloride solution would assist the state government alongside other measures put in place to contain the pandemic.

The Ooni commended the state governor for his pragmatic approach in the fight against the pandemic in the state.

Wike received the machines and thanked the Ooni for the kind gesture to the state government at a time when all hands are on deck to fight the global pandemic.

Wike, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Princewill Chike, also commended the monarch for the patriotic zeal which inspired him to make the donation.

The House of Representatives has called on the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to direct Setraco Construction Company and other contractors handling the East-West road to immediately return to site.

It also called on the ministry and Setraco to rehabilitate the most threatened sections in Rivers/Bayelsa and Bayelsa/

Delta axis immediately to avoid cutting off these sections on the road.

The House, therefore, urged the federal government to redeem all liabilities owed contractors constructing the road.

It urged “the federal government and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to complete this important economic road without any further delay.”

The resolution of the

House followed the adoption of a motion on the need to immediately repair the failing sections of the road, particularly the Bayelsa/Rivers and Bayelsa/ Delta axis, and complete the construction of the road, moved

by Hon. Steve Azaiki.

Moving the motion, Azaiki said the East-West road, which was constructed decades ago, is one of the most important roads in Nigeria, as well as its

contribution to the economy, stressing that its development of the country cannot be overemphasised.

The lawmaker noted that the East-West road spans five states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River, saying the road is in the heart of the oil rich Niger Delta where the oil revenue is derived, and hence very vital to the economic wellbeing of the country.

Kano Police Arrest Man Who Raped over 40 Women The Kano State Police Command has disclosed that it has arrested a man who allegedly raped 40 people within one town in the state.

The spokesman of the

command, Mr. Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest yesterday.

“It is true. We have him in our custody. We are parading him soon,” he said.

Haruna added that the suspect

fled but was caught by neighbours who chased him after a woman caught him in her children’s room in Dangora town of Kano State.

“People of Dangora are so happy at this time and we

hope justice will be served appropriately,” a resident of the area said. The suspect had become very popular in the state and was known as “mai siket”, meaning “man in skirt”.

Flying Doctors Unveils West Africa’s First Isolation Pod Ugo Aliogo Flying Doctors Nigeria yesterday unveiled the latest addition to its impressive catalogue of medical equipment - the isolation pod.

A statement issued to THISDAY, said the isolation pod, known in the medical field as the biological isolation transport unit, is a temporary shelter used to provide medical

isolation for patients with infectious diseases, The statement also noted that they are capsules primarily used to provide isolation when transporting patients by either air or land.

The statement further explained that the isopod is designed to enable an efficient air transfer of patients with highly contagious diseases, like the COVID-19, while ensuring

the absolute safety of both the medical and aviation crew.

Speaking at the unveiling cereomony, the Medical Director for Flying Doctors, Dr. Jibayo Oyedele, noted that the event is another demonstration of the organisation’s innovative and forward-thinking mien.

According to him, “from the conceptualisation of the business over a decade ago, to our remarkable success over the

years and now the availability of the Isolation pod – our focus has always been to ensure that exceptional healthcare services are available to people in their locations of choice. With this Isolation pod, we are now able to evacuate and transport COVID-19 patients to their preferred destination to access medical care without the risk of cross-infection to the medical and aviation crew.”

I Remain APC Chairman in Bauchi, Uba Nana Insists Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Chairman of the Bauchi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Uba Ahmed Nana, has dismissed his purported expulsion from the APC as the “joke of the year and an effort in futility.”

Nana, who was reacting to the purported dissolution of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the party led by him by a group within the

party yesterday evening, declared that “nobody has the constitutional right to dissolve an elected executive without following the due process. We have a constitution in the APC, which must be duly applied before such a thing can be done.”

He described those who allegedly announced the dissolution the SEC as a group of failed politicians who lost out during the party’s congress that was conducted in 2018. “They

left the APC for somewhere else. As I am talking to you we are not aware that they are back into the fold of the APC. Maybe that is their way of trying to come back through the back door,” he said.

The state’s chairman of APC also dismissed all the allegations leveled against him and other members of the SEC as false and promised to respond to them at an appropriate time.

He, therefore, called on all

loyal members of the party to disregard any information that did not originated from the party’s state secretariat and urged them to remain focus and faithful to the APC. He also assured them that the APC would recapture Bauchi State in 2023.

Nana also denied any knowledge of the purported suspension of Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa by his ward in Azare, which was also denied by the ward’s chairman.

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Ëœ ͚͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

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

B AT T L E O F B R I TA I N

Joshua, Fury Reach Financial Agreements for Two-fight Deal Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have agreed to face each other not once, but twice, after talks between both camps, promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed.

Discussions over a mouthwatering ‘Battle of Britain’, which would see all four major world heavyweight titles on the line, have been ongoing for months.

And now Hearn, who represents Joshua, has confirmed that the financial elements of a mega-money two-fight deal have finally been agreed. ‘We’re making great progress,’ Joshua’s promoter Hearn told Sky Sports News. ‘There is still a lot to overcome.

We are looking at venues and dates. ‘We have the Dillian Whyte mandatory which is due before this fight. ‘It’s fair to say (Joshua and Fury) are in agreement regarding the financial terms of the fight. ‘We’ve been talking to (Fury’s management team) MTK, giving them the assurances from Joshua’s

side that all the details on the structure of the deal is approved from our side. And it is from Fury’s side, as well. ‘We’re in a good place. It’s fair to say that, in principle, both guys have agreed to that fight. Two fights. ‘A lot to overcome in the meantime. We’re moving in the right direction. I’m confident that both guys have giving their blessing for the fight to go ahead.’ A showdown between the British heavyweights has been talked about for years, but scheduling and contractual issues have so far prevented it from happening.

Hearn, however, is confident that contracts will be finalised early next year, with the pair going head-to-head for the first time in the summer of 2021.

He added: ‘The point of Fury, Joshua and the teams agreeing to the structure of the deal? The first fight could happen next summer. It will be 2021. ‘There is a big period of time where Whyte should get his shot at the title. That’s important to us.

‘The main positive news is that Joshua and Fury have agreed to a two-fight deal, in essence. ‘The most difficult part of any deal is the financial element. I believe we’re in a great place where both guys have agreed to what that should be. ‘We have not signed contracts because there are still things to be worked out. We’re pushing towards a place where they can be drafted, for 2021. ‘Both guys are in agreement.

The structure of the deal has been put forward, and agreed to by both parties.

‘There is a model in place that both parties are happy with.’ Joshua, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, faces a rearranged defence of his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Kubrat Pulev and must also get through a rematch with old rival Whyte by February of next year before he can take on Fury.

The Gyspsy King, meanwhile, is preparing for a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder after comprehensively beating the previously undefeated American to claim the WBC

belt earlier this year.

But while those fights will attract a global audience, Hearn expects the showdown between Fury and Joshua to be the biggest fight in decades. ‘It’s the biggest fight ever in British boxing,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t get bigger, and there will never be a bigger fight in our generation. ‘Two guys, very different, who fight differently, have experienced different things and have come back from adversity.’ Hearn also refused to confirm that the first fight

would be held on UK shores, with Las Vegas and the Middle East likely to be among the options. ‘There are discussions with various sites,’ he added. ‘From a common-sense point of view and without knowing how a deal works, everyone will say Britain is the place to hold the fight. But it is the world heavyweight championship - there will be all sorts of offers from across the world, and there have been already. ‘The venue is another obstacle to overcome.’

Dare Inaugurates Task Force to Roadmap Rehabilitation of Sports-city Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Moves to restore the dignity of the National Stadium in Lagos abandoned for over a decade has began with the inauguration of a Ministerial Task Force to drive the rehabilitations of the edifice.

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, said the committee has a mandate to help government commence the initial steps to bring back the lost glory of the edifice. “The National Stadium in Lagos holds a lot of fond memories for our sportsmen and sportswomen and indeed millions of Nigerians. “Government shall no longer allow our sporting infrastructure to lie waste.

President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to completing abandoned infrastructure and also maintaining the ones that have deteriorated. “The Moshood Abiola, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo stadiums shall be restored and made available to serve our athletes. “Through a robust Public and Private Partnership (PPP) model of concession and the Adopt-a-Sports Centre Initiative, these stadiums are set to enjoy some new lease of life.. “The concession process of the Athletes’ Hostel in Abuja and the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos as approved by the federal government is now on a fast track.

“Before the process is complete, we need to restore sanity to a place like the National Stadium in Surulere.

So, the work of the task force is cut out. “In the past, we had interlopers, now it is going to be fixed to serve our teeming youth. The task force will carry out its assignment according to the law of the land.�

The terms of reference of the committee include; carry out audit of approved tenants; Verify details of tenancy agreement; Come up with list of all approved and unapproved physical structures; and approved constructions; List of all squatters and their businesses; Carry out a detailed analysis of all revenue generated at the stadium and take inventory of all shops and businesses within the stadium premises.

The committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of You and Sports, Gabriel Aduda, is made up of 13 members drawn from the Ministry and the organized private sector and with the full compliments of security agencies. The committee has three weeks to complete its assignment.

In January this year, the Minister directed the facilities department to issues forms to all occupants of the stadium to provide important information about their businesses and activities within the facility.

This documentation will form the major working document of the task force.

Anthony Joshua (left) and Tyson Fury have sealed a two-fight deal for next year

Amodu, Keshi: A Tale of Two Coaches Bonded Even in Death Kunle Solaja Was it a sheer coincidence?

Former Nigeria’s coaches, Stephen Keshi and Amodu died one after the other and in the same city, Benin four years ago.

It was on this date, 10 June 2016, as the nation was still griping with the passage of Stephen Keshi, then came another deadly blow as another former national football team coach, Amodu Shaibu was pronounced dead.

For some days, both shared the same morgue in Benin.

Both had worked together with Bonfrere Johannes as assistants in guiding the Super Eagles to the final of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations before taking over midway in the qualification series for

Amodu Shaibu (left) and Stephen Keshi on duty for Nigeria before their deaths four years ago

the 2002 World Cup. Sadly both Keshi and Shaibu worked together as national team coaches, guiding Nigeria to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, only to be dropped.

That was an attribute they both shared as Keshi later qualified Togo to the 2006 World Cup

and suffered the same cruel fate.

Shaibu qualified the Super Eagles and was also dropped from guiding the team at the final tournament.

Added to the cruel fate he suffered was the fact that Shaibu also qualified Nigeria to the Beach Soccer World Cup

in Brazil, but was unable to take the team to the tournament.

Like Keshi who died three days before him, Shaibu also died in Benin. He was a recurring decimal in the technical crew of the Super Eagles having been appointed a record five times.

He got into prominence when in 1989, he guided BCC Lions to break a 36-year jinx that afflicted Northern Nigerian teams at the then national cup, the Challenge Cup. His BCC Lions against formbooks, beat the rave of the moment, Iwuanyanwu Nationale to win the cup. It was the first time since Kano’s victory of 1953.

In achieving the feat at age 29, Shaibu became the youngest coach to win the Challenge Cup.

Gov. Ortom Appoints Veteran Sports Journalist Ediba as SSA George Okoh in Makurdi Governor Samuel Ortom has appointed a veteran Sports Journalist, Law Possible Ediba, as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Sports.

According to the appointment letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof.

Anthony A. Ijohor (SAN),

the appointment takes effect from 8th June, 2020.

In the appointment letter, Governor Ortom explained that the choice of Ediba as a SSA was purely on merit and stressed that it is also, a call to national service.

He therefore urged the newly appointed SSA to mobilize all his qualities which singled him out for

this appointment to justify the confidence reposed in him.

Reacting, Mr. Ediba expressed glory to God and gratitude to Governor Samuel Ortom. He assured him that he will discharge his duties and responsibilities with absolute commitment, high sense of responsibility and diligence to justify the confidence reposed in him.

Ediba, who hails from Adim-Akpa, Allan Ward of Otukpo Local Government Area of Venue State has been involved in sport reporting in the last 60 years with several newspapers.

He also held several positions at different times in the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

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MISSILE Philonise Floyd to US Lawmakers “Make law enforcement the solution and not the problem. Hold them accountable when they do something wrong, teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what necessary force is. Teach them that deadly force should be used rarely and only when life is at risk. George wasn’t hurting anyone that day. He didn’t deserve to die over $20” – Philonise Floyd at the US House Judicial committee hearing on the death of his brother.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Blood in the Banking Halls I

n most countries, including those with high crime rates, men of the underworld avoid killing police personnel because it would bring too much trouble. In Nigeria, criminal gangs not only engage police in frequent combat, they sometimes target them for attack before carrying out their nefarious activities. The situation is so bad that on 23rd November 2016, the then Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris publicly admitted that “in the past three months, the [police] force has lost 128 personnel in various parts of the country due to (the) activities of undesirable elements in our communities.”

Last week in Kogi State, dare devil armed robbers invaded Isanlu community to raid a bank. On arrival in broad daylight, the armed robbers first went to the police station where they gunned down the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and six other personnel (four males and two females) on duty. They then killed another policeman within the premises of the bank they robbed. This has become an all too familiar pattern.

With reports of ransom paid to kidnappers to secure the release of abducted policemen, it is evident that the capacity of the force to protect itself is increasingly being called into question. That eight police personnel and a civilian would be so casually executed by criminals is symptomatic of the state of insecurity in our country. But the concern here is not just the weakness of the police but the growing number of bloody bank robberies in our country. Statistics of fatalities from such robberies is quite chilling and no bank has escaped the scourge. The choice of location, audacity of attack and the ease with which these hoodlums get away are some of the issues security agencies must begin to address.

They must also look at the complicity of some rogue policemen and that of compromised bank officers.

According to CBN and NDIC records, there were 27 bank robberies across the country in 2019 with 12 of them at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) branches. Access Bank and Sterling Bank had four robberies each.

Union Bank and Polaris Bank had two each.

GTBank, Fidelity and Wema had one each.

The highest haul in these robberies was N53.9 million carted away on 24th January 2019 at Polaris Bank in Ila Orangun, Osun State (a policeman and two civilians were killed) followed by N21.8 million taken away from Wema bank in Ise Ekiti (a policeman was killed) on 3rd October 2019.

In total, from what I gathered, as much as N180 million was lost to the 27 bank robberies last year. This of course is no more than a mere token when compared with the quantum of money being stolen by smart Alecs who sit behind computers to rob these same banks and their customers. But that is not the issue here. From the attack in February this year in Ile Oluji, Ondo State, which claimed several victims, including two policemen to the latest in Kogi State, it is clear that bank robbers in Nigeria are not content with simply carting away money. They are also eager to leave a blood trail. That is what should most concern authorities, especially at a time like this.

Ordinarily, there is nothing unusual about

Emefiele...CBN Governor bank robberies nor are they peculiar to Nigeria.

In the United States of America, hundreds of such robberies are recorded annually. But bank robberies are hardly ever bloody in the US and the culprits are also almost always caught and brought to justice. On 18th January last year, the New York Times published the story of a California bank robber named ‘Travelling Bandit’. He had been declared wanted by the FBI allegedly for robbing at least seven banks in six states within a month. According to the FBI, the man normally approaches the counter, presents a note demanding money with threats that he held a gun and after taking cash, he would walk away. Exactly five days later, the suspect, Jason Lee Robinson, was arrested. Those are the kind of bank robbers they entertain in America. In contrast, bank robbery in Nigeria is an organised crime that is hardly ever resolved and now costing many police personnel and other civilians their lives.

On 5th April 2018, several armed robbers stormed Offa, Kwara State, raiding five commercial banks, after first attacking the police station where they took out nine officers. The death toll from the attack lasting several hours is now as high as 30. Despite a subsequent breakthrough in the investigation aided by security cameras in one of the banks, nobody has been brought to justice. Meanwhile, the principal suspect, a former SARS operative, died in custody under controversial circumstances.

Four months later on 9th August 2018, no fewer than 10 persons were killed following a robbery attack at two banks in Igarra, Edo State. On reaching the community, the robbers first paid their ‘customary’ call at the police station where they killed personnel before launching their robbery operation at the bank where they also killed four security men.

And on 19th November 2018, two policemen, a bank security guard and a bank worker were killed when armed robbers invaded a new generation bank in Ijero, Ekiti State.

They used the same playbook of ‘visiting’ the police station first.

The foregoing represents just three of several documented cases of bank robberies that have claimed hundreds of innocent lives

(police officers, bank workers/customers and bystanders) in recent years. In a country already grappling with insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other associated crimes, a situation in which armed robbers now use dynamite to break security doors, force their ways into banking halls and kill innocent people, cannot be allowed to continue. Not only has it impacted negatively on economic growth and development at the grassroots, it has put the whole financial inclusion idea in serious jeopardy.

In 2012 when a certain Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was governor, the CBN launched the first National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) with the aim of reducing the amount of cash transactions in the system and expanding access to financial services for more Nigerians.

His successor, Godwin Emefiele has done much in the past six years to consolidate this goal. But his target of having 95 percent of Nigerians financially included by 2024 seems farfetched. While that aspiration can be achieved substantially in major cities, the rural areas where the majority of our population still reside remain the issue. The challenge is that as armed robbers target banks domiciled in these communities, people will be further excluded from financial services.

That Nigeria remains a cash economy is a major bane. It is also the reason why corruption thrives. In its report, ‘Financial Inclusion in Nigeria: Data and Hard Facts’ published on 28th September last year, Nairametrics highlighted how financial exclusion has contributed significantly to poverty in our country. “The wealthiest 20 percent of households are at least eight times more likely to have an account than the poorest households. It is no wonder that the poorest states in Nigeria are in the northern region of the country where banks

have little to no presence...In spite of these statistics, the majority of the food produced in Nigeria comes from the North,” the report states. In a 2011 poll of unbanked Nigerians, according to Nairametrics, “61% expressed a desire to have an account, but there was no bank close enough to make their simple wishes a reality. Farmers consequently are reliant singly on cash availability despite their wide range of financial needs—for both agricultural activities and family life.

They end up indebted and access financial services from informal sources because they cannot access credit from institutional and non-institutional sources.”

With the increasing rate of violent armed robberies that claim lives, including of their staff, it is understandable that many of the banks are not keen to expand their branches to rural communities. But we need to make the right calls to create incentives for growth. And there is nothing more urgent than financial inclusivity for our people, especially those living in rural areas. That won’t happen if armed robbers believe they can continue to invade our communities, kill policemen and walk into the bank tills to cart away money they did not deposit.

The threats posed to our country by the COVID-19 pandemic will manifest beyond the health sector. One of the areas we must pay special attention to is security. The crime rate among young people is already high and desperation will push many more into armed robbery. That will render banks in remote areas of our country vulnerable to opportunistic attacks. Authorities at the CBN, NDIC and the Bankers Committee must begin to dialogue with security agencies as to how to combat this major challenge to the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.

Remembering ‘Apo Six’ Last Sunday marked exactly 15 years since six young Nigerians (a woman and five men) lost their lives in the Apo area of Abuja in one of the most gruesome extra-judicial killings ever perpetrated by police. That the families are still crying for justice for what happened on the night of 7th June 2005 says so much about the rule of law in our country. Although six police men were involved in the premeditated murder, only two were eventually found guilty for their roles and accordingly sentenced to death. But the acquittal of Mr Danjuma Ibrahim (now an Assistant Inspector General of Police) has continued to generate controversy. A Deputy Commissioner of Police at the time, Danjuma led the gang that was indicted for the crime.

Both the police probe panel, chaired by then Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr. Mike Okiro (who later became IGP) and the federal government judicial panel of inquiry, chaired by Justice Olasumbo Goodluck, found all six policemen culpable.

There were also cover-up attempts that resulted in the murder of a policeman by poisoning. This was exposed during the

investigations that followed the Apo killings.

While Okiro recommended the dismissal of the six officers, Justice Goodluck asked the federal government to tender a public apology and pay N3 million compensation to each family of the deceased. The financial compensation has since been paid but there can be no closure until all the police officers involved in that unprovoked extra-judicial killings are brought to justice.

Incidentally, in April 2012, the Centre for Victims of Extra-Judicial Killings and Torture (CVEKT) had reported that between 2008 and 2011, a total of 7,198 extra-judicial killings were carried out in Nigeria by the police.

It was that culture of total disregard for human life that emboldened a murderous police gang to do what they did to some young people who were returning home from nightclub on 7th June 2015.

Since there seems to be an agreement between the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and police authorities to allow ‘the sleeping dog to lie’ on this matter, families of the victims are now completely helpless.

But that tragedy remains a permanent stain on our collective conscience as a nation.

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