WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE 2020

Concerns Mount over Transparency of 2020 Marginal Fields’ Bid Round Nigerians bid to sue Shell in UK over oil spills Deutsche Bank completes $3bn export credit deal for NLNG Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency reports Industry players have expressed concerns about the transparency and credibility

of the 2020 marginal fields' bid round process being handled by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory agency.

It was gathered that

the federal government is targeting to raise over $500 million from the bid round in terms of signature bonuses from the 57 fields, which will be auctioned.

This came just as some

Nigerians have asked British judges to give them permission to sue Royal Dutch Shell Plc in London for the environmental damage caused by the oil giant in Niger Delta.

Besides, Deutsche Bank

Luxembourg SA has completed a $3 billion export credit agency (ECA)-backed hybrid corporate financing for Nigeria LNG Limited.

The entire process for the 2020 bid round schedule,

according to the DPR, is supposed to start from June 1, commencing with the official announcement, to August 9, when payment of application, Continued on page 9

FG Woos Foreign Investors, Says Economy Resilient... Page 5 Wednesday 24 June, 2020 Vol 25. No 9207. Price: N250

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For APC’s NWC, Giadom’s Planned NEC Meeting at State House Illegal Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The gladiators in the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) locked horns yesterday over plans

to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to restore peace and order in the ruling party.

Earlier, the factional acting

National Chairman of the party, Mr. Victor Giadom, had issued a notice of the meeting, which he said he did with the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting is billed to hold tomorrow at the State House, Abuja.

But the party's National Working Committee (NWC) faulted his decision, saying as

a suspended member of the party, he lacks the power to convene the NEC meeting.

Also, Minister of Transportation, Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has waded into

the crisis in the Rivers State chapter of the party, especially in the wake of threats by his supporters to unleash violence Continued on page 9

Wike Withdraws from Reconciliation, Three Governors Head for Edo State No tax collector among us, NWC replies gov Party reports Rivers judge to NJC Another court stops Obaseki's exclusion from primary

Davidson Iriekpen in Lagos, Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin Efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve grievances arising from Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki's late entry into the race for its governorship ticket, suffered a setback yesterday as Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, withdrew from the reconciliation process.

Meanwhile, three PDP governors, including Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum; Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, governor of

Adamawa State are heading to Benin City to save governor Obaseki and plead with other governorship gladiators to give Obaseki a safe landing for the party's gubernatorial ticket tomorrow.

Wike, who is close to the leading aspirant of the party before Obaseki joined the race, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, cited the allegation that he masterminded Monday's court injunction restraining PDP from allowing Obaseki to join its shadow poll, slated for tomorrow, for his withdrawal.

The court restrained Obaseki from participating in the PDP's primary pending the determination of the suit.

Ogbeide-Ihama had filed Continued on page 9

Ghanaian President Apologises to Buhari over Demolition of Diplomatic Building... Page 8

FOR STRONGER TIES...

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, with Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh during Bala-Usman's visit to NIMASA, in Lagos...yesterday

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

FG Woos Foreign Investors, Says Economy Resilient Emefiele: CBN targeting NAFEX for exchange rate unification Awaits World Bank’s $2.5bn loan

Obinna Chima The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, yesterday urged foreign investors to take advantage of opportunities in the country’s fixed income market, saying the Nigerian economy remains resilient despite the external shocks it has experienced recently.

This is just as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said the banking sector regulator is targeting an exchange rate convergence around the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) rate, commonly known as the I&E window. The naira closed at N386.63 to a dollar on the NAFEX yesterday.

They both spoke during an investor conference call organised by Citibank that was monitored by THISDAY. The meeting also had in attendance, the Director General of the Budget Office, Mr. Ben Akabueze, as well as the Director General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha.

Ahmed highlighted measures the federal government has adopted to cushion the impact of the pandemic on households and business. She stated that the federal government recently unveiled the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan, which is expected to stimulate the economy by preventing business collapse and ensuring liquidity; retaining and creating jobs using labour intensive methods in key areas like

Nigeria Records 452 New COVID-19 Infections WHO endorses Dexamethasone for treatment of patients Martins IďŹ jeh Nigeria yesterday recorded 452 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 21,371 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

This is coming as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the fight against COVID-19 has received a boost following “the recent finding that the steroid dexamethasone has life-saving potential for critically ill COVID-19 patients.�

Announcing the new cases yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos recorded 209 new cases, Oyo, 67; Delta, 37; Ogun, 36; Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 22; Abia, 20; Enugu, 16; Bauchi, 15; Kaduna and Ondo, eight each; Osun, seven; Imo and Benue, three each and Borno, one.

It said: "Nigeria has recorded 21,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 7,338 persons have been discharged, while 533 persons have died."

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, at a virtual briefing from Geneva yesterday,

said the next challenge, after the validation of the efficacy of dexamethasone in the treatment of COVID-19, was to increase production “and rapidly and equitably distribute dexamethasone worldwide, focusing on where it is needed most.�

Ghebreyesus said although “the data on it is still preliminary,� the recent finding has given the world a muchneeded reason to celebrate.

According to him, demand has already surged, following the UK trial results showing “dexamethasone’s clear benefit�.

He, however, cautioned that there is no evidence that dexamethasone works for patients who are only mildly affected, or as a preventative measure.

WHO said dexamethasone “should only be used for patients with severe or critical disease, under close clinical supervision.�

The WHO chief noted that the steroid was already being produced by many manufacturers globally, and should be made available at an ‘inexpensive’ cost.

agriculture, housing, digital business services and direct labour interventions. “Our responses have been people-oriented. Our target has been to protect citizens’ lives, to create jobs and to increase growth. The healthcare system has a lot of shortfall and we are working together to ensure that this is upgraded. We have set up isolation centres and we are not overwhelmed by the number of cases. “The Nigerian economy is resilient and the private sector has been cooperative with the government to ensure the stabilisation of the economy.

We have a domestic market that is deep and we are inviting investors to consider investing in the Nigerian domestic market. We have at this time reasonable and adequate reserves to weather external shocks,� Ahmed said.

According to her, the country expects that when the board of the World Bank meets on August 6, the $1.5 billion facility the country requested for would be approved. “We have met largely all the conditions for the facility and we are on course. And the amount that we are raising in the first instance is $1.5 billion for the federal government

and around September or October, we are hoping to get the facility that is meant to support the state and the amount is between $1 billion and $1.5 billion,� the minister stated.

However, Emefiele, while responding to a question on exchange rate unification, said: “What we mean by exchange rate unification is moving towards the NAFEX. NAFEX is our dominant market for the purchase and sale of forex and it is a free market where everybody is free to sell their dollars and those who want to buy are free to buy dollars. “That means that whether you are a business man, a bank, CBN, and you have dollars, you can bring it to the market to sell and if you want to buy dollars you can come to the market. “Like some of you must have seen, three years before 2019, we saw a relatively stable forex market because the NAFEX rate and even the rate at which the central bank transacts business does outside the NAFEX were substantially close to each other. So, the CBN will continue to pursue unification around the NAFEX.�

According to him, the

parallel market is not a true reflection of the naira exchange against the dollar.

He said the parallel market was being patronised by people who want to do dealings that are not recognised by the authorities. “Unfortunately, you find out that some people who do not want to procure the type of documentations that are required would sometimes rush to that market. But we have used the period of this pandemic to prove that anybody dealing in that market today is dealing in an illegal business. “I give you an example: there is a global lockdown right now, particularly on travels and airlines are not flying. So, there shouldn’t be any demand for forex in that market. Notwithstanding the fact that airlines are not flying and there is lockdown, you still find that some people are dealing in that market. “So, we are not going to be talking about the unification of our exchange rate around rates for people who are dealing in corrupt practices. Everybody who wants to buy or sell forex is allowed to deal through our NAFEX market. That is the market that is recognised

and that is why we are saying unification is going to be around the NAFEX,� he said.

Emefiele, who noted that as a result of the pandemic and the drop in crude oil prices, the economy has been under pressure, said with reserves still at $36 billion, foreign investors should be comfortable to do business with Nigeria.

He said the central bank and the fiscal authorities were striving to reduce the size of the country’s import and encourage export. “I am sure in the next few weeks or more you would hear what we are doing to reduce import. We are making intervention funds available for people who want to go into large scale agriculture. We do know that food importation makes up a sizable chunk of our forex and we believe that if we encourage people to go more into agriculture, large scale agriculture, we would achieve a reduction in import and we might even be lucky to see exports that would improve our balance of payment,� he added.

Emefiele listed measures introduced by the central bank to support households and SMEs as well as interventions in the healthcare sector.

TOWARDS REGIONAL COMMON CURRENCY...

President Muhammadu Buhari during the Extraordinary Virtual Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the West African Monetary Zone, in Abuja... yesterday sunday aghaeze

INEC Vows to Obey Only Orders of Properly Constituted Court Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is closely monitoring pre-election litigations from the courts and vowed to obey all genuine court orders.

In a statement issued by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Voters Information and Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, the electoral body said: "the commission is closely monitoring the cases arising from the administration of political parties, the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates.

This notwithstanding, the commission restates its avowed

commitment to continue to obey all orders and judgments from properly constituted courts in accordance with the rule of law.

The clarification came against the backdrop of the intra-party legal battles in both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the attendant conflicting court orders arising from the multiple cases filed by the contending forces.

According to Okoye, "political parties should note that the organisation and scheduling of various activities and processes leading to the conduct of elections are complex and involve extensive and careful planning and any disruption of these processes comes at a

huge cost to the nation.

"The spate and tenor of pre-election litigations and the conflicting orders emanating therefrom can harm the smooth conduct of primaries and the upcoming elections.

"The commission is closely monitoring the cases arising from the administration of political parties, the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates.

This notwithstanding, the commission restates its avowed commitment to continue to obey all orders and judgments from properly constituted courts in accordance with the rule of law."

However, a source in INEC, while responding to THISDAY

inquiry on how the commission will determine which court order is valid or not without being seen as sitting in an appeal on the court orders or cherry picking, said Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act, which says no court shall stop the holding of any primary or main election pending the determination of the substantive suit, would guide the commission.

Section 87 (10) of the Electoral Act says: "Notwithstanding the provisions of the Act or rules of a political party, an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of this Act and the guidelines of a political party has not been complied with in the selection or nomination of

a candidate of a political party for election, may apply to the Federal High Court or the High Court of a State, for redress".

The source referred THISDAY to Section 31 (5) of the Electoral Act and Section 87 (9) of the Electoral Act to determine what constitutes an electoral grievance and the appropriate courts where such grievances shall be heard. He listed the courts to be Federal High Court, State High Court or an FCT High Court.

Okoye also said the commission reiterated that there would be no extension of the dates for primaries as well as the submission of names of candidates of political parties for the governorship primary

elections.

"The conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising there from will end on Saturday, June 27, 2020, while the submission of the list of candidates the parties propose to sponsor at the election and affidavits of validly nominated candidates will close at 6p.m. on Monday, June 29, 2020."

INEC said as part of its commitment to deepen the use of technology in elections, it would conduct a training programme for liaison officers nominated by all the registered political parties on the use of the INEC portal for uploading nomination forms of candidates.

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Ghanaian President Apologises to Buhari over Demolition of Diplomatic Building Omololu Ogunmade and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, yesterday tendered his country's apology to President Muhammadu Buhari over the demolition of a building in the premises of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana.

Senior Special Assistant to

the president, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said Akufo-Addo, in a telephone call to the president, said he had directed that the incident should be investigated and the culprits brought to book.

According to the statement, information at the presidency's disposal earlier in the day, showed that some suspects had been arrested in connection

with the demolition, and would be arraigned in court.

Armed men, led by a Ghanaian, had on Friday invaded the premises of the High Commission in Accra and pulled down a residential building, claiming that he owned the land on which it was built.

Consequently, the federal government summoned the

diplomat in charge of the High Commission of Ghana in Nigeria, Ms Iva Denoo, to explain the rationale behind the attack unleashed on Nigeria in her country.

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs' Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, equally demanded that the perpetrators of the unprovoked attack must be duly punished.

"We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building," the minister had said.

Reacting to the development, Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

said it had commenced a probe into the incident.

"Accordingly, investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book," the ministry said.

The demolition occurred five months after it was rumoured that Nigeria's High Commission in Ghana had been evicted.

House Wants FG to Retaliate against Ghana over High Commission Demolition Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday described the demolition of Nigerian High Commission building in Ghana as a direct attack on Nigeria as a sovereign country, calling for appropriate reciprocity.

A section of the staff quarters of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana was at the weekend demolished by people described as unknown

by Ghanaian Government officials.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who spoke on behalf of the House during an interactive session with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, over the breach of the country’s sovereignty in Ghana, said Nigeria should move away from this idea of gentleman big-brother, whom everyone can just trample on and nothing is done.

Gbajabiamila called for retaliatory measures against those who trample upon the diplomatic rights and privileges of Nigerians and Nigeria in foreign land.

He lamented that the situation has become a recurring decimal in the country's foreign policy engagements, saying many countries within Africa have taken the liberty of hurting Nigerians, while Nigeria looks the other way in the name of brotherhood.

The Speaker said: “We all have a responsibility to

make sure that we uphold the honour and integrity of the country that we serve.

The minister has explained what happened, and what they have done or still doing, but I think we should look at it from the premise that it was the Nigerian state that was attacked, not just a building. “Reciprocity is a legitimate instrument in foreign policy. And we can employ it, because if such had happened here in Nigeria, the individual will first approach the court to enforce his rights, and I want to believe that Ghana is a democratic country where laws apply, but this person didn't use the law to do this. So it's purely a predetermined attack on the Nigerian state.�

He added: "In terms of visibility and otherwise of the property, I want to say that it is trite to understand that all countries exist through their embassies in other countries. So for that reason, Nigeria was attacked by Ghana, because if anything happens in Ghana, it's the Nigerian High Commission that Nigerians will run to and get protection due to the diplomatic immunity that it enjoys. ''So let's face it. If the American Embassy was demolished, do you think the US will be asking for apologies and indemnity? Or the United Kingdom, Canada or any other Western country, they won’t ask for apology.

''Others may say that this is a sibling rivalry that is going on between Nigeria and Ghana, and we did nothing, but we must take a stand, because this has gone beyond court processes as the minister said. This diminishes Nigeria as a state because it's not a land dispute between Nigeria and any individual, but a diplomatic dispute

between Nigeria and Ghana, which should be handled accordingly, because the person who did this did it under the colour of their law.

"South Africa did it, we kept quiet; Ghana has done it, and still, we are not doing anything, but we want to show diplomatic maturity of asking for apology and claim damages. If this had happened

to the British High Commission in Ghana, all hell would have been let loose. I'm telling you this as a matter of fact.�

Gbajabiamila, however, added that whatever the minister decides to do as far as responses are concerned, the House will support in whatever way necessary.

Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Onyema, informed the Committee

on Foreign Affairs, chaired

by Hon. Yusuf Bubba, that diplomatic efforts had gone into resolving the current issue.

He also appealed to the lawmakers to sheath their swords, saying Nigeria and Ghana are regional brothers, and that the Ghanaian Government will bear the cost of rebuilding the demolished structure.

SEEKING EFFICIENCY OF OIL INDUSTRY...

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Wabote Simbi; President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Teslim Folarin, during a meeting on the implementation of Nigerian Content Development in the Oil and Gas Industry, in Abuja ... yesterday

Buhari Warns against Violating Due Process in Pursuit of Eco Currency Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday warned against failure to comply with laid-down rules in the pursuit of Eco regional currency by some member countries as it could put the agenda in ‘serious jeopardy.'

Speaking at a virtual extraordinary meeting of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), Buhari expressed concern about the decision of Francophone countries to form the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) to replace the CFA Franc with Eco without carrying other member states along.

A statement by the

president's media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the meeting discussed the implementation of the ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Programme (EMCP) as well as the ECOWAS Single Currency Agenda.

The president said: ‘‘We have urged our ministers towards an expeditious path to success. It, therefore, gives me an uneasy feeling that the UEMOA Zone now wishes to take up the Eco in replacement for its CFA Franc ahead of the rest of the member states. ‘‘This is in addition to deviating from the Community Act on a consistent attainment of convergence in the three years running up to the introduction of the

currency, and our subsequent reinforcing directives."

The president also expressed concern that ministers from French speaking West African countries had evolved a bill aimed at reforming CFA Franc, which had been passed in their various parliaments.

He noted that the Francophone countries had decided to outrun other member countries without engaging them in any discussion. ‘‘I am informed that the French ministers have approved a bill to reform the CFA Franc and most, if not all of the UEMOA member states, have already passed legislations in their various parliaments to that effect. ‘‘It is a matter of concern

that a people with whom we wish to go into a union are taking these major steps without trusting us for discussion,’’ he added.

However, he assured ECOWAS leaders of Nigeria’s commitment to the ECOWAS single currency, imploring them to critically consider the recommendations made by the Convergence Council and take a common position to safeguard the West African Monetary Zone from the pitfalls of a questionable union.

According to him, Nigeria’s support for a monetary union with the right fundamentals, which guarantee credibility, sustainability, overall regional prosperity and sovereignty remains constant.

The president told the forum that following

the potential contractions and even losses from the global COVID-19 pandemic, member states ought to be cautious and ensure compliance with the set standards.

He emphasised the need to be cautious in the pursuit of this agenda, noting that it will be ridiculous if the union disintegrates barely a moment after they entered into it.

He added: ‘‘We cannot ridicule ourselves by entering a union to disintegrate, potentially no sooner than we enter into it. We need to be clear and unequivocal about our position regarding this process. We must also communicate same to the outside world effectively.

"We have all staked so much in this project to leave

things to mere expediencies and convenience. My dear colleagues, heads of state and government, it is obvious that we are at a crossroads. ‘‘We must proceed with caution and comply with the agreed process of reaching our collective goal while treating each other with utmost respect. Without these, our ambitions for a strategic Monetary Union as an ECOWAS bloc could very well be in serious jeopardy,’’ he said.

However, following calls for caution by Buhari along with leaders of some other West African countries at the meeting, ECOWAS leaders resolved to convene an enlarged meeting of the regional bloc on the single currency issue.

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PAGE NINE WIKE WITHDRAWS FROM RECONCILIATION, THREE GOVERNORS HEAD FOR EDO STATE the suit at the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, praying for the exclusion of Obaseki, among other reliefs, from the party's primary.

However, in a fightback, Obaseki's supporters yesterday secured an order of an Edo State High Court, sitting in Ekpoma, which stopped the party from excluding the governor from the primary.

The party's National Working Committee (NWC) also refuted Wike's allegation that those he described as tax collectors among the NWC members were behind the accusation linking him to the restrained order against the PDP and Obaseki.

THISDAY, in an exclusive account of the Port Harcourt ruling on Monday, had reported that Wike's action was an extension of the power tussle between him and his predecessor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, who is seen as an ally of Obaseki.

Another Port Harcourtbased court had also granted the order stopping the political foes of Wike, led by Amaechi, from laying claims to the acting national chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) - a move that assisted Adams Oshiomhole, the embattled National Chairman of the ruling APC, and frustrated Amaechi in his bid to take control of the national structure of the party, ahead of the 2023 presidential election, which he is said to be interested in. .

Amaechi's protege, Chief Victor Giadom, was stopped by the Port Harcourt court from parading himself as the APC's acting national chairman, in an extension of the supremacy battle between Wike and Amaechi, that has now spilled over to Edo State where Obaseki was counting on the same Wike - a sworn political foe of his key supporter, Amaechi, - to assist him secure the PDP ticket.

In his reaction yesterday, Wike said he had pulled

out of the ongoing efforts to broker truce among the aspirants and described some members of the NWC of the party as tax collectors.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that such members of the PDP NWC behind the allegations, were sycophants and tax collectors who would never tell the truth.

He said instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo State, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him.

He said: “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along.

They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors. “They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible. “I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo State. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa and Delta States know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo State. “As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matter.�

Wike also threatened to go to court over the allegation. “They are tax collectors.

Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back,� he stated.

Wike said he would no longer participate in any reconciliation and wondered why the NWC wanted to consult governors of the party.

He questioned why the NWC did not consult with governors in the case of Bayelsa State.

The governor warned that if PDP was not careful, the

crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be a child’s play. “I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State. “Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally.

I will always continue to satisfy my conscience. “From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State,� he added.

NWC Members Not Tax Collectors, PDP Replies Wike In a swift reaction, the PDP said no member of its NWC sponsored any media publication to castigate and malign the Wike.

The party also refuted allegations by the governor that the members of the NWC are tax collectors.

The PDP, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said it wished to place on record that none of its members has acted like a "tax collector" in whatever meaning the term represents, either in the process leading to the Edo primary, or any other state.

"Our party holds Governor Wike and indeed all our PDP governors, who, of course, have been the pillars of our great party, with utmost respect and had always consulted them on all party affairs," it added.

The PDP said that it appreciated the efforts and sacrifices of its governors and would not allow enemies of the party, who are out to cause disunity in the PDP. "This time demands the unity of all our leaders in order to keep our political rivals, who are facing extinction, from importing their crises into our party," it stated.

PDP Reports Rivers Judge to NJC The PDP yesterday petitioned Justice Emmanuel Adema Obile of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, over his role against its governorship primary in Edo State.

Justice Obile gave the order restraining Obaseki from participating in the primary of the party.

But PDP, in a letter dated June 23, 2020, addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammad, and signed by Dakzel Longi Shamnas, demanded a probe into the judge's conduct.

In the petition entitled: “Petition Against Hon. Justice E. A. Obile of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court in Respect of Suit No: FHC/ PH/CS/6, the PDP noted that “the plaintiff in the above suit at the behest of some external forces has surreptitiously filed an action at the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court seeking to prevent the said Governor Obaseki from participating in the said election. “In respect of the said suit, we note that Hon. Justice E. A. Obile did not approach the matter with circumspection.�

The party alleged that the judge played into hands of unscrupulous politicians, notwithstanding the obvious red flags.

The letter read in part: “The subject matter of the suit is the gubernatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); therefore the PDP is the principal defendant as it would be most affected by any order to be made by the court. The headquarters of the PDP is in Abuja. “The screening of candidates for the gubernatorial election, which the plaintiff is complaining of in the suit, took place in Abuja.

The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is in Abuja. On the other hand, the primary election is to take place in Benin City; and the 8th defendant (Governor Godwin Obaseki) sought to be restrained from contesting the primary election is also based in Benin City. Thus, there is no nexus between the facts of this matter and Port Harcourt. “The plaintiff lives in Benin City. His address in the affidavits in support of his motions for substituted service and interim injunction is 14 Adesogbe Road, Benin City, Edo State. But he went to Port Harcourt to file the suit when there is a Federal High Court in Benin City. This should have made Hon. Justice E.A. Obile to be cautious. “The headquarters of the PDP is not in Port Harcourt and the Rivers State chapter of the PDP is not involved in conducting the primary election in issue; so, the Port Harcourt Division of Federal High Court has no connection whatsoever with the subject matter of this suit but just chosen to make it impossible for the defendants to have an appearance before the court and to have a fair hearing in the matter.�

The PDP urged the chief judge of the Federal High Court to “reassign the suit to a judge of the Federal High Court sitting at the Abuja Division of the Court; and immediate disciplinary action be commenced against Justice E.A. Obile of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court for invidiously assuming jurisdiction and taking sides in the political conflict in Edo State with a view to disrupting the political process.�

Respite for Obaseki as Court Stops Exclusion from PDP Primary

But less than 24 hours after the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt stopped Obaseki from participating in the governorship primary of the PDP, an Edo State High Court, sitting in Ekpoma, has restrained the party from excluding the governor in the election.

Justice J. O. OkeayaInneh, ruling in a suit filed by Felix Irioh and Tom Irehobhude, equally restrained INEC from preventing Obaseki and any of the aspirants who had been cleared by the party for the primary from participating in it.

In the suit which has the Chairman of PDP in Edo State, Mr. Tony Azeigbemi, PDP, Andy Ikhajiangbe, Peter Akhimien and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants respectively, the applicants had sought an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from refusing to recognise or accept the name of any of the aspirants named in paragraph 2 above, especially Obaseki as lawful aspirants having been lawfully screened and cleared by the party to participate in the primary, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

It said the aspirants screened and cleared by the party were Obaseki, Kenneth Imasuagbon, Ogbeide-Ihama and Gideon Ikhine.

In granting the orders, Justice Okeaya-Inneh said he found that the applicants satisfied the guidelines for the grant of the orders sought as enjoined in the landmark case of Kotoye v CBN (1989), 1 NWLR PT. 98, 419 at 441. he judge added: "The balance of convenience is in favour of the 1st and 2nd applicants and there is no undue delay in bringing this application. It is in that light that I find merit in this application."

The judge adjourned the case till July 1 for hearing of pending applications.

CONCERNS MOUNT OVER TRANSPARENCY OF 2020 MARGINAL FIELDS’ BID ROUND bid processing fee and submission of technical commercial bid will take place.

Industry sources told THISDAY that though a lot of efforts appeared to have gone into making a success of the latest round, which is coming about 17 years after the last one, many questions remained unanswered by the managers of the process.

To erase any lingering doubts about the transparency of the process, the sources noted that the DPR must show that those who are eventually selected have the cash and technical capacity to do business in the sector.

They also sought to know in clear terms , the prequalification criteria and how they will be weighted in selecting those that will participate at the application stage.

The industry players said they were also concerned whether the process is being independently handled by the DPR

devoid of any political manipulations, given that during the last bid round, a total of 24 fields were given out, with only nine operational till date and 15 abandoned due to political interference. “Some level of transparency will be required in the assessment during the pre-qualification assessment and the assessment of the technical and commercial submissions, to ensure that only the most qualified entities with the requisite (financial and technical) capacity are selected. “Moreover, it is unclear what the actual pre-qualification criteria are and how these will be weighted in selecting applicants that will participate at the application stage. “With the large number of submissions received by the DPR at this pre-qualification stage, it is essential that only companies with the capacity and financial reach are pre-qualified

with verifiable sources of funding and funding access. “This is essential so the government also meets with its objective of achieving a production target of 3 million barrels per day by 2023, by getting these assets to production swiftly and the country earns the accompanying royalties and taxes for the respective fields. “If this pre-qualification criteria are not strictly adhered to, it will open the door to a political crony system and insider dealing that have hitherto plagued the previous award system, thus stalling any meaningful development on the assets� they stated.

According to the sources, the most troubling issue on the minds of applicants is how the technical and commercial bids will be assessed. “Will there be a role for the licence operators, which for the marginal fields are largely joint venture concessions of the national oil company

– Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its upstream subsidiary – the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). “Or even their International Oil Company (IOC) Joint Venture (JV) partners (Shell, Mobil, Chevron and Agip) or in some cases like the IOC divested assets – the indigenous independents who took over these divested licences from the IOC’s? “A role for these operating entities in the assessment of the technical submissions adds an additional layer of credibility to the process, as they have historical understanding of the licence and the fields and can immediately assess the feasibility or not of a submission,� the operators noted.

They also sought to know if independent agencies like the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) will be given a line of sight of how

the process is handled from end to end, noting that it is important to give every participating entity a fair chance and ensure there are no loopholes, which parties can circumvent to gain undue advantage.

The industry players called for clarity in the criteria which will be utilised to segment nonperforming technical submissions, even if they offer a higher commercial premium in the form of signature bonuses and how the feasibility of commercial submissions will be assessed.

They said: “What forms of commercial security will be acceptable? How will access to funding be assessed to mitigate secondary ‘marketeering’, where politically connected groups for example, secure the award then shop around marketing the same awarded asset to raise the money required for the signature bonus payment?�

The industry sources also Continued on page 10

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10

WEDNESDAY, ÍşÍźËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS FOR APC’S NWC, GIADOM’S PLANNED NEC MEETING AT STATE HOUSE ILLEGAL on the state.

He cautioned his supporters and Rivers people to steer clear of violence as that is not the best way to resolve any issue.

Giadom, in a statement yesterday, said: "I, Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorised by court order to act as national chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC, hereby and with the consent of the President Muhammadu Buhari (who is the leader of our party), reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on March 17, 2020, but was postponed.

"The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Venue shall be the State House, Abuja.

"However, in keeping strictly to the COVID-19 guidelines, the postponed NEC shall proceed by virtual means. The codes would be sent by text to the phone numbers of all NEC members. Those to be physically present at the State House, Abuja, would also be communicated."

But in a swift reaction, another acting National Chairman of the party, Mr. Hilliard Eta, said Giadom had no locus standi to convene the NEC meeting.

Eta, while responding to a question after the meeting of the NWC of the party, said Giadom had been suspended by a competent court of law.

He cited Article 25B (i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) which states that: "The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and/ or at any time decided by the national chairman

or at the request made in writing by at least twothirds of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than 14 days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned. “Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend."

Eta stated that Giadom was no longer a member of the NWC and has been suspended as a member of the party.

He said: "It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us physically as a faction. This is the National Working Committee NWC of the APC in Nigeria.

"I sit here on behalf of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the acting chairman of this party. If Victor Giadom is arranging a NEC, I believe that it is your responsibility as a member of the fourth estate of the realm to investigate his locus to find out whether he has the legal, the constitutional backing to be able to call a NEC meeting.

"As we speak, the membership of Chief Victor Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt this afternoon. Not only is he not a member of the NWC from today, his membership of the APC has been suspended. So, when you call him factional acting chairman, we wonder why."

Eta noted that the party

secretariat, which was sealed earlier yesterday by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, but reopened some hours later, has not become a battle ground.

He added that many people view disagreement and bickering in political parties as if it is war, but it is not.

Eta explained that the NWC was in receipt of communication from the Edo State chapter of the party over the suspension of APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, affirmed by the Court of Appeal on June 16.

He added that the communication came from both Ward 10 Etsako West Local Government and the Etsako West Local Government chapters of the party.

"We acknowledged the reciept of same and accepted the lifting of that suspension," he stated.

Police Unseal National Secretariat The members of the NWC were earlier yesterday denied access to the party secretariat by policemen believed to be acting on the order of Adamu.

The police, however, later allowed the APC members and staff access to the facility to conduct their business.

While the NWC members were prevented from gaining access to the party secretariat, the staff of the party were allowed inside the facility.

Journalists covering the party who were initially denied access were also subsequently allowed.

A team of policemen arrived at the secretariat at 10.50a.m and blocked the entrance with a vehicle to prevent vehicles from gaining access into the premises.

But the acting National Secretary of the party, Mr. Waziri Bulama, who arrived at about 12.25 p.m was allowed access to the secretariat.

Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said in a statement that the police deployed personnel in the party’s secretariat to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order following the rancour between the two factions of the party.

According to Mba, the presence of police personnel at the secretariat was not to seal off the place but to prevent any clash between the contending factions. “Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have been deployed to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, located at Blantyre Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. The deployment is a proactive move by the Force to maintain peace and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order at the secretariat. “The presence of police personnel at the secretariat is not to seal off the complex as has been reported in some quarters but rather to prevent any untoward situation within and around the APC national secretariat. “Members of the APC as well staff of the secretariat are therefore at liberty to conduct their legitimate businesses, in and around the secretariat as always,� the statement said.

Amaechi Warns Supporters against Violence Minister of Transportation, Hon Chibuike Amaechi has cautioned his supporters and Rivers people to steer clear of violence as that is not the best way to resolve any issue.

Amaechi was reacting to two viral videos of his alleged supporters in the state with one group inciting violence and the other dissociating him from the comments of the first group stating that he is a man of peace.

He addressed the issue during a TV interview yesterday, stating that the rule of law must be respected and upheld at all times.

He said: “First, if you say you’re my supporter, you’ll know that I don’t just respect the law, I fear the law. Breaking the law can put you in jail. Because of the kind of words used in that video, I may have to address it. “I believe that no matter how angry you are, no matter how institutions are manipulated, a judge once said ‘I’m allowed to be wrong, that’s why you have the Court of Appeal, that’s why you have the Supreme Court.’ So if you think that what the state judiciary is doing is wrong, then you go to the Court of Appeal, you go to the Supreme Court and ensure you exhaust the due process. No matter your frustration, you don’t have the right to take the law into your hands."

Asked about the crises in his party at both national and state levels, Amaechi said: “What is happening

in APC, I don’t know, what is happening in Rivers State, I don’t know. What I’ve done is to keep away from politics, even if I’m bothered, it'll be internally.

There’s nobody there (in the party) who is a child, we’re all adults. I don’t want to get involved in the politics. “Nigerians know me for being blunt and honest.

Some see it as arrogance, some see it as being brash, whatever it is. What do I need to say that I have not said before? It’s internal dynamics of politics, it’s internal struggle. So, I have said it several times, when we fought in 2015, I said this country cannot continue the way it is going. I’m not helpless, but I’m doing what they call ‘sidon look'.

"Why I’m responding to those videos is because they all said they are my supporters; those who made the comment and those who countered them.

My message to everyone is to tell everybody who is supporting me to please remain calm and get out of violence. Never be part of violence because I will not defend anybody when you get violent. The law will take its course. “Whatever is happening, if anything goes wrong in the high court, you go to the Court of Appeal; if anything goes wrong in the Court of Appeal, you go to the Supreme Court. But don’t you ever take the law into your hands, just like my children would never do that. My kids and my brothers know that I’m not a man who will come out to subvert the law. So I will not come and help you, if you’re my brother or my son, and you take the law into your hands."

CONCERNS MOUNT OVER TRANSPARENCY OF 2020 MARGINAL FIELDS’ BID ROUND raised issues over the legal challenges of revoking 11 marginal fields, adding that there are legal arguments around the government’s ability to also include recently revoked marginal fields in this process, given that there have been injunctions on the inclusion of the revoked fields. “If so, the possibility that the entire process could be stalled or go through the protracted issues of litigation, with the risk of not completing within the defined timelines exists,� the sources said.

A transparent and independent process, they stressed, would ensure that the emerging entities from the process are those with not only both the technical and financial capacity to handle the task ahead, but also entities with verifiable sources of funds. “If the government is intent on re-writing the relative failure of the first process two decades later, and intends to have a 90 to 100 per cent production commencement rate at the end of the first five years of this award, the ability of the process to adequately address the above unresolved questions and the steps taken in handling this process will form a critical element of that success,� they added.

Nigerians Bid to Sue Shell in UK

over Oil Spills Some Nigerians have asked British judges to give them permission to sue Royal Dutch Shell Plc in London for the environmental damage caused by the oil giant in Niger Delta region.

Bloomberg reported that lawyers for residents of the crude-rich region believe a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling last year against a Londonbased miner should set a precedent.

Shell, which has blocked the suit twice from entering British courts, said the litigation should be heard in Nigeria.

The UK’s apex court had ruled in April 2019 that a group of Zambians could proceed with their court action against Vedanta Resources Plc for the pollution caused by its copper-mining unit.

A partner at Leigh Day representing the Nigerian claimants, Mr. Daniel Leader, said the English courts should hold the oil major to account in their jurisdiction “for the devastating damage Shell has caused to their communities over many years.�

Thousands of spills largely caused by sabotage have destroyed the fishing and farming communities in the Niger Delta, including more than 40,000 people from the Bille and Ogale

communities who are trying to force Shell to pay compensation and clean up.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has maintained that most of the spills are caused by oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining.

SPDC said it saw a 40 per cent rise in spills over 100 kilogrammes related to theft and sabotage last year compared to 2018.

Following an earlier hearing in the UK, the judge said “the court has to be very careful before passing qualitative judgments on the legal systems of other sovereign nations.�

He said he’d seen no evidence the Nigerian judiciary wasn’t taking “concrete and effective steps to improve the speed with which cases such as this one are dealt with.�

But Day said there is “sadly no prospect of justice in Nigeria.�

The accusations brought by the communities should be dealt with in Nigeria, where judges have local knowledge and where the justice system is capable of dealing with the claims, SPDC’s spokesperson said. “Whether Royal Dutch Shell is responsible for the devastation of the Niger Delta has been one of the most prominent global environmental controversies for decades and this case goes to the very heart of

that issue,� Nigerians’ lawyer, Richard Hermer, said in court.

Their case “relies on RDS’s own published materials, claiming to investors, shareholders, consumers and the public-at-large that it acts to prevent or minimise precisely the type of damage sustained by the claimants,� he said.

Shell’s lawyer, Peter Goldsmith, said: “There’s no evidence that RDS did in fact take over, intervene, control or supervise the relevant operations� of the Nigerian subsidiary, which has over 3,000 employees of its own and assets worth billions of dollars.

Although two English courts ruled the Ogale and Bille communities failed to show that Royal Dutch Shell had sufficient control over SPDC, the Supreme Court’s subsequent dismissal of Vedanta’s bid to prevent a trial in the UK has provoked new hope.

Deutsche Bank Completes $3bn Export Credit Deal for NLNG Deutsche Bank Luxembourg SA has completed a $3 billion export credit agency (ECA)-backed hybrid corporate financing for NLNG. NLNG is a joint venture owned by Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, Total and Eni – to develop the NLNG Train 7 Project.

According to a statement, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. acted as Global Facility Agent, International Commercial Bank Facility Agent, K-SURE Facility Agent, SACE Facility Agent, K-Exim Facility Agent and Intercreditor Agent.

The statement added that this first hybrid corporate financing for development of an LNG project in Africa sets the benchmark for future LNG facility financing globally.

White & Case LLP advised Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. on the deal.

FG Moves to Review Domestic Gas Pricing Framework The federal government yesterday moved to review the prices of domestic gas in furtherance of its plan to encourage the penetration of LPG and CNG, which is expected to serve as alternatives to petrol.

A statement in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to the Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Mr. Julius Bokoru, said the minister, Mr. Timipre Sylva, reiterated the plan of the federal government during the virtual inauguration of a committee on Gas

Sector-wide Review of the domestic gas pricing framework.

Sylva noted that the committee was charged with the responsibility of evaluating and reviewing the prices of gas in order to align with the current realities.

He emphasised the need for an appropriate pricing system that would be of advantage to the manufacturing industry, for ordinary Nigerians and would boost activities in the gas industry. ‘'Without appropriate pricing, we can’t have it right. We have to ensure that gas becomes affordable. That is the only way our country can thrive. It is sad to note that we sell gas cheaply to investors while the price is high in the domestic sector to the extent that some Nigerians say diesel is cheaper than gas. ‘'Once we solve the issue of gas in Nigeria, we would have solved a lot of problems in the country. Luckily for us, gas is something we have in abundance,’' he added.

According to him, members of the committee are to review domestic gas price and benchmark, make recommendations for appropriate gas price for the respective gas sectors, make evaluations, technical suggestions and has 30 days to submit their recommendations.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

Low Revenue Poses Financing Risk for Nigeria, IMF Warns Obinna Chima and Dike Onwuamaeze The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Mission Chief and Senior Resident Representative for Nigeria, Ms. Jesmin Rahman has warned that Nigeria’s low revenue level remains a fiscal risk to the country.

Rahman, however, stressed that the country does not have a public debt crisis.

She gave the warning yesterday at a webinar titled: “Nigeria’s Fiscal Sustainability: Imperatives, Impediments and Options,” which was hosted by the Nigeria Economic Society Group (NESG).

The IMF representative therefore called on the federal government to ensure that it implements the Finance Act 2020.

Rahman added: “We did an in-depth analysis, public debt is projected to reach about 37

per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year and to remain roughly around that level in the medium term. We did various stress scenarios in our debt sustainability analysis and in all of those scenarios, public debt did not go beyond 50 per cent of GDP. “So, I will not say there is a public debt crisis or that it is extremely high, it is really a revenue issue. A very low revenue level is what poses a fiscal risk and there are sizeable financing risks in the next 12 months. It is good that there is high liquidity in the domestic market and a favorably borrowing cost.

“But going beyond the shortterm, there is a big Eurobond falling due in January. So, eventually Nigeria will have to go to the international market for borrowing and that is where the vulnerability is. But before that

happens, Nigeria need to make sure that the risk perception goes down.”

In terms of how to diversify the country’s revenue base, she advised the country to be aggressive with the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the company income tax (CIT) implementation.

“Also, excise duty on alcohol and tobacco are the most important pillars of tax system around the world and for Nigeria, revenue from excise duty is very little at about 0.04 per cent. There is also scope for sub-national taxation in property and personal income tax,” she said.

Her call for the implementation of the new Finance Act 2020, was supported by the Special Adviser on Finance and Economy to the President Muhammadu Buhari

and former Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Sarah Alade, who was also among the panelists.

Alade said: “Personally, I think the new law should not be dead on arrival. Let us just implement it. We already have relief measures and other fiscal and monetary measures that cushioned the severe economic condition I will think that we shall see how to implement the new VAT regime and make sure that it really takes root.”

She said that Nigerians should see the mobilisation of public revenue as every citizen’s responsibility and not a matter for government alone, adding that the government has been doing its best by reducing public expenditures

Similarly, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Mamman Nami, stated that those asking for the non-implementation of the new VAT were simply acting the Oliver Twist because the new law has taken away 60 per cent of the tax base and removed 800 items from the chargeable items.

Nani said the FIRS’ intention is to focus on indirect taxes, which the VAT is the best way to go. He added that the service is working to see if it would be possible to increase the threshold for exemption from VAT. He regretted that most firms charge VAT but did not remit it.

“This is a big challenge. We are also working on carbon emission tax.

“What we are trying to do at

the FIRS is to carry out reforms.

We are also modernising the tax administration process. Currently, we are working on certain amendments of our establishing Act that we hope to submit to the Minister of Finance for onward submission to the National Assembly as part of our 2021 budget estimate,” Nani said.

The Director General of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said that the state governments have realised the importance of professionalising and automating their tax administration system.

Speaking in the same vein, the Co-Chair of the NESG’s Fiscal Policy Roundtable Dr. Suleyman A. Ndanusa, said that the battle cry in Nigeria currently should be revenue.

Abductors of Dariye’s Father Demand N100m Ransom Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Kidnappers of the father of the former Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, have allegedly demanded N100 million as ransom.

A source close to the former governor’s family told journalists that the kidnappers had made contact with the family members and demanded N100 million ransom.

The source said: “The former governor is not happy over the kidnap of his father for the second time. They (kidnappers) have made contact with the family and they are demanding the sum of N100 million as a ransom.”

His father, Pa Defwan Dariye, who is over 90 years old, was abducted by unknown gunmen, who attacked his residence in Mushere community, Bokkos Local Government Area of the state last week.

The state Police Command yesterday said it has not received any report about the said ransom.

Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Mr. Ubah Ogaba, said: “No, we have not seen him. But our men and officers, who were deployed immediately after his abduction, are still searching for him.”

He said the search to free the father of the former governor was still ongoing.

Police Arraign Tailor for Allegedly Defiling Two Minors in Ekiti Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State police yesterday arraigned a 27-year-old man, Taiwo Odetunde, at the Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates Court over alleged rape.

The defendant of no fixed address is standing trial on a one-count charge of rape.

While being docked, the prosecutor, Inspector Monica Ikebuilo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on June 9, 2020, in Ado-Ekiti.

She alleged that the defendant allegedly defiled a 13 and 14-year-old girls during a deal.

Ikebuilo said the two victims were friends, and the defendant, a tailor, promised to sew face masks for them.

She said when the victims got to his house, he locked

the door and threatened to kill them with a knife if they shouted, adding that he defiled them one after the other, but was caught in the act when his neighbour intervened.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 2 (2) of Ekiti State Genderbased Violence (prohibition) Amended Law 2019.

She urged the court to remand the defendant in the Correctional Centre pending legal advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The plea of the defendant was however not taken.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Adefumike Anoma, consequently remanded the defendant at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till July 27, 2020 for mention.

DEEPENING DEMOCRACY...

L-R: Secretary of Edo State Primary Election Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Gbenga Elegbeleye; Acting National Chairman of APC, Mr. Hilliard Eta; and Acting National Secretary, Mr. Bulama Waziri, during the presentation of the report of Edo State governorship primary election to Eta at the party’s secretariat in Abuja... yesterday

ICPC Uncovers N250m Fraud in Usman Danfodio Varsity In its continuing effort to rid public sector institutions of corruption and related fraud, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered the diversion of N250 million belonging to the federal government into private pockets.

The amount was diverted from the personnel cost account of the Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto State.

ICPC said intelligence-led investigation revealed that the fraud was carried out when deductions meant for third parties, such as the state Board of Internal

Revenue and over-payment deductions were diverted on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and channelled into the private accounts of an individual and a company.

The commission has already taken into custody the alleged kingpin in the crime, who is an account staff of UDUTH. He is being questioned to unravel all those behind the fraudulent act.

The commission has also commenced efforts to recover the proceeds of this fraud through the seizure of exotic cars and real estate properties from the main culprit.

Checks by the commission on how a critical national

infrastructure such as the IPPIS could be compromised indicated likely negligence on the part of the management of the Teaching Hospital and other loopholes.

For instance, the failure to cross-check and reconcile the execution of its budget and allowing officers from the Finance and Account department to access another officer’s password on the platform, present real threats and vulnerabilities, it was learnt.

Further checks revealed that the suspect took advantage of the window of opportunity on the IPPIS platform that “allows Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to edit salaries that have been processed by the

Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) before they are finalized or paid” to substitute the genuine destination account numbers with those of his co-conspirators before payment.

Again, the ICPC findings indicated that the platform does not match account names with account numbers. This loophole created the opportunity for the fraudster to divert the funds successfully for the while that the fraud lasted.

Investigation into the fraud is ongoing and appropriate actions will be taken by the commission upon conclusion, it said.

Body of Teenage Girl Swept by Flood Water in Lagos Found, Buried Rebecca Ejifoma The body of a 19-year-old girl, Aisat, which was swept away by flood water from heavy downpour in Surulere, Lagos State, last Monday, has been buried

beside the Onilegogoro canal where her remains were found.

According to updates on last Monday flood caused by heavy rainfall, there were four other casualties-three are alive while one still missing.

The flood was said to have submerged the canal along Alapafuja close linking Bank Olemoh Street in Surulere.

However, yesterday, her body was later found at Onilegogoro canal in

Surulere around 8:30a.m. after futile search for her

by LRT and community members the previous day.

She was buried by the community members beside the canal at Onilegogoro in Surulere.

12

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Appeal Court Affirms N5.9bn Judgment against Multichoice Nigeria Davidson Iriekpen The Court of Appeal in Lagos has affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which awarded about N5.959 billion in favour of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) against Multichoice Nigeria Limited as damages.

The trio of Justices Ogbuinya Obande Festus, Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole and Balkisu Bello Aliyu dismissed the appeal filed by Multichoice Nigeria Limited on the grounds of being unmeritorious.

They noted that the appeal sought re-visitation and alteration of the judgment to reflect mathematical calculation of special damages against the

appellant and that it was totally divorced from seeking a reversal of the entire judgment.

The trial justices agreed that the application of the respondent has merit and succeeds and varied the special damages awarded by the lower court to N5,450,152,125:00.

Justice M.B. Idris, now of the Court of Appeal, had in his judgment in suit number FHC/L/ CS/1091/2011 delivered January 19, 2018, dismissed the suit filed

by Multichoice Nigeria Limited and granted the reliefs sought

by MCSN. The court agreed with the respondents that the claimant infringed/exploited musical works, which made up its repertoire, by communicating them for

FG to Secure Nigeria’s Anchorages with $195m Deep Blue Project Eromosele Abiodun In a move that will see the federal government take total control of the country’s maritime security, which includes anchorage, where all vessels calling at the various ports across the country berth, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) yesterday said the $195 million Deep Blue Project will handle all security matters when it commences.

Known as the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure or the Deep Blue Project, the security structure is designed to secure all anchorage areas in the Nigerian maritime domain.

As part of the project, the federal government had last year awarded $195 million maritime security contract to an Israeli firm, HLSI Security Systems and Technologies Limited.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday after a meeting with the Executive Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) led by the Director-General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, at the agency’s headquarters, the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, said the move would reduce the cost of shipping of goods into the country.

Also, the NPA boss disclosed that both agencies have agreed to work out modalities for effective removal of all wrecks and derelicts that may hinder navigations in the Nigerian waters.

NPA and NIMASA, she stated, are sister agencies, and should be seen to be collaborating more for the growth of the maritime industry and the country generally.

She also disclosed that arrangements are in top gear to berth the NIMASA floating dockyard permanently in order for it to commence operations in July.

According to her, “We had a range of discussions bordering on the Secure Anchorage Area which our supervising ministry desires the Deep Blue Project to provide security for all anchorage areas in the country. Aside saving the country a lot of money, it will ensure that the security of the Nigerian maritime domain is given a focal attention.”

Hadiza also disclosed that both agencies agreed to interlink the C3i of the NPA and C4i of NIMASA in order to interchange information that would assist the Nigerian Navy’s response to insecurity.

“We have the C3i Command, Control and Intelligence centre at NPA, and NIMASA has the C4i, while the Navy has falcon eye. We need to interlink these facilities, and we believe that this would assist the country in response to maritime security threats,” she said.

Also speaking, Jamoh reiterated the fact that there was need to harmonise most of the working models among all maritime agencies to avoid duplication of duties which also leads to more costs.

Three Persons Rescued, One Missing in Lekki Boat Incident Rebecca Ejifoma Three persons have been rescued yesterday while one is still missing after a boat capsised along Lekki Shoreline, Ladipo Ladinwo Close, Lekki Phase 2, Lagos.

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that four adult males on a local boat expedition were inside a boat

that capsised around 4:30 p.m. due to water turbulent.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that “quick collaborative effort of ‘responders’ in the area were able to rescue three alive while one person is still unaccounted for – missing.”

He said that the rescued victims were provided with medical care and released by the Bravo team of LASEMA while “search and rescue is still on going.”

the public, upon a fee, through satellite and pay TV broadcasting, without licence from nor payment of royalties to it.

He upheld claims by MSCN that it was the owner, assignee

and exclusive licensee of body of some musical works over the Nigerian territory.

The court held that the musical works were assigned to it by two international

organisations, Performing Rights Society (PRS) and Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), by dint of two reciprocal representation agreements.

Dissatisfied with the judgment of the court, Multichoice Nigeria Limited filed an appeal on January 1, 2018 and an amended notice of appeal dated September 10, 2018.

A BOOST TO AIRPORTS CONCESSIONING....

Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr. Chidi Izuwah (left); and Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, during the presentation of the Outline Business Case Certificate of Compliance for the concession of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano International Airports to the minister by the ICRC in Abuja...yesterday KASIM SUMAINA

EFCC Arraigns Indian Illegal Oil Dealer Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Lagos Zonal office, yesterday arraigned one Mr. Rahul Pathania, an Indian, and a vessel, M.V. Bount, before Justice Rilwan .M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on three-count charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The defendant was arrested alongside the vessel by the Nigerian Navy and subsequently handed over to to the commission for prosecution.

One of the counts reads: “That you, M.V.Bount and Rahul Pathania, on January 31, 2020, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in 45 metric tonnes of

petroleum products without appropriate licence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and punishable under Section 1(7) of the same Act.” The defendant pleaded guilty to the first count of conspiracy but not guilty to the others.

In view of his plea,

prosecution counsel, Usman Buhari, prayed the court for a date to commence trial and also asked that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS).

Justice Liman adjourned the matter to October 7, 2020 for commencement of trial and also ordered the defendant to be remanded in the NCS.

Group Attacks Malami over Demand for Magu’s Sack John Shiklam in Kaduna A group under the auspices of Kanuri Collective Agenda (KCA), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami.

In a statemen in Kaduna, the group accused Malami for alleged attempt to drag the reputation of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu in the mud.

The minister was recently reported to have written to Buhari, accusing Magu of allegations “raging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” and recommending his sack.

Malami was also said to have included a list of three candidates for consideration as Magu’s replacement.

The justice minister further accused the EFCC boss of disclosing a total naira recovery of N504 billion, but a close associate of the EFCC boss reportedly, said Magu actually lodge N543 billion in the Recovery Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), exceeding the disclosed figures

by N39 billion.

The KCA, in the statement signed by its spokesman, Malam Waziri Ibrahim, said the allegations against Magu, is ridiculous as it is a mockery of President Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

The group maintained that “By making such weighty allegation against Magu, the justice minister has only succeeded in telling the

opposition and the international community that Buhari’s anti-corruption war is a farce because the champion of the anti-graft war is corruptionpersonified. The allegation also implies that Mr. President is running a very corrupt administration.“ According to the statement: “Magu’s anti-corruption war has earned national and international accolades for this administration, which Malami has rubbished .

“With his memo to Mr. President, Malami has provided the opposition with enough weapons to attack Mr. President and his administration. ”Indeed, even the opposition could not have made such damning allegation against Magu because no one could have believed them in view of

his unblemished records.

“But when such allegation is coming from a key member of the administration who is believed to have insider knowledge of the key actors in government, the public may be inclined to believing such allegation. ”So, Malami has provided the opposition parties with weapons to rubbish Buhari’s anti-corruption war and take his administration to the cleaners”.

The group, therefore, urged the President “to sack Malami before he causes further damage to his administration.”

The statement added that “If Malami is so disgruntled with President Buhari’s administration, it will be more honourable for him to resign rather than engaging in media attacks on the reputation of the entire administration”.

Ndume Agrees to Stand Surety for Maina in Money Laundering Trial The senator representing Borno South senatorial district, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has agreed to stand surety for the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, who is facing trial on money laundering charges.

Maina, who was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja last year and was granted

bail, has been unable to meet the bail conditions, including the requirement that he reproduces a serving Senator as a surety.

Yesterday, his lawyer, Mr. Joe Gadzama (SAN) told the court, while arguing an application for further variation of bail conditions that Ndume has agreed to stand surety for his client.

Gadzama said his client was yet to fully comply with one

condition, which accounts for why the defendant is seeking a further variation of the bail terms which the court had previously reviewed.

He said the condition related to the aspect where the court required the surety must provide a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in relation to a landed property in Abuja.

Gadzama said: “In a desperate

move to get freedom and liberty, we filed an application before the court of appeal in Abuja.

“Finally, Senator Ndume agreed to stand as a surety which made us withdrew the appeal by filing a notice of discontinuance.

“The applicant has met all the conditions but only one, which is that the surety must have a certificate of occupancy.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Insecurity: Northern Govs Meet Security Chiefs, IG in Abuja Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Acting on the warning given to service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari to contain insecurity in the North last week, security chiefs have met with Northern governors to discuss insecurity in the region.

Making the disclosure after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Zamfara State governor, Mr. Bello Matawalle, told journalists that the meeting was held in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd.).

The meeting was a fulfillment of the promise made by the

NSA while briefing State House reporters after the security council meeting presided over by Buhari last week.

According to Matawalle, the meeting which was attended by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, along with other security chiefs, dwelt extensively on insecurity in the North.

He said after the meeting, the chief of staff invited him to the State House to brief him (Gambari) on security situation in Zamfara State.

He said: “I am here to see the Chief of Staff because of the issue of security that is bedeveling Zamfara State. We have

discussed extensively about the issue of insecurity in the Northern Nigeria not just Zamfara State.

Today, we met in the National Security Adviser’s office with Northern governors and the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies.

“We discussed seriously on

the issue of insecurity and the Chief of Staff invited me today to come and brief him about insecurity in my state which I did. We have discussed about it and understand where we are going. Zamfara State government and the security (agencies) are doing their best to ensure we

contain insecurity.”

The governor also spoke on insecurity in Zamfara State, saying security agencies are working hard to put the situation under control.

He said notable improvements had been witnessed in the state following the deployment of

some security operations.

He also said such operations were still ongoing in the state with the state government giving the security operatives the necessary support and expressed optimism that greater results are expected within a short while.

Doctors, Nurses Embark on Strike in Ondo James Sowole in Akure Resident Doctors at University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complexes (UNIMEDTHC) in Akure and nurses under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, yesterday embarked on an indefinite strike from today (June 24) to protest the alleged uncaring attitude of the Ondo State Government.

The health workers accused the state government of being insensitive to their welfare and non-payment of salaries and nonprovision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The strike was announced to journalists during a news conference that was held at the hospital complex in Akure.

The leader of the Association of Resident Doctors of UNIMEDTHC, Dr. Taiwo Olagbe, disclosed that they have been frustrated by the management and state government who have failed to pay their salaries.

Olagbe alleged that 49 of their members were owed September, October and November 2019 salaries while they were only paid nine months salaries in January.

All of them were owed March to May salaries.

The angry doctors said the state government should enlist them in central pay system pending the financial autonomy of the hospital.

He alleged that their members

working at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) and Isolation Centres, had no PPE and disclosed that one of their members had been infected with COVID-19 pandemic disease.

The doctors lamented that it has become a recurrent situation for them to go on protest before they would be paid their salaries It was also alleged that a number of the doctors in the teaching hospital had dumped the hospital for better appointment elsewhere due to irregular payment of salaries at UNIMEDTHC. The doctors wondered why the hospital could not generating enough revenue to cover its 30 per cent contribution of the staff monthly salaries while the state government takes care of 70 per cent of their monthly wages.

They, however, vowed not to return to work until all the outstanding salaries were paid and strong arrangement put in place to ensure the regular payment of their salaries like other medical workers in other health facilities in the state.

Nurses working at the Mother and Child Hospital also protested that they were being exposed to danger due to the failure of the state government to do contacttracing of all medical workers who had contracted COVID-19 among them.

FG Presents Guidelines on Schools’ Reopening to N’Assemby The federal government yesterday presented the proposed guidelines on the reopening of schools to the National Assembly.

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba made the presentation during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he intimated the lawmakers of the ministry’s plans for students to resume across the country The federal government had in March shut schools across the Federation as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.

At the presentation today, the minister said, “In the document provided, we have suggested how we can move our education sector

forward during this pandemic.

“We don’t want to make it known at this time so that some people will not take our proposed guidelines for school reopening.

“Even if the Senate has not called us, we would have come to you to discuss with you because we have already discussed with the House of Representatives.

“The documents were presented to you so that you can criticise and make inputs as major stakeholders.”

Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Akon Eyakenyi, who presided over the meeting, expressed fears that the academic calendar could be distorted in public schools where no visible arrangement was being made to teach pupils and students at home, unlike their private school counterparts.

DECENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT...

L-R: Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, Mr. Okwuasa Emmanuel; Comptroller of Nigerian Immigration Service, Kwara State Command, Mrs. Edith Onyemenam; Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; representative of Commandant, Nigeria Correctional Service, Kwara State, Mr. AF Adebisi; Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State Command, Mr. Ambrose Umaru; and representative of Acting Brigade Commander, Major John Taiwo Stephen; during the inauguration of the Nigeria Immigration Service Kwara State Command’s new office in Ilorin...yesterday

House Summons Minister, SON over SixYears’ Unaudited Financial Accounts Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo and the management of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to appear before it over the audited financial account of SON for six years.

The minister and the management of SON were summoned to appear before

the House Committee on Public Account summoned on Friday following an unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Fredrick Agbedi, during an investigative hearing yesterday in Abuja.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Wole Oke, said that SON had refused to honour several invitations to appear and explain why it had failed to render accounts from 2014 to 2019.

Oke ruled that they were to appear unfailingly on Friday by 11 a.m. or the committee would be forced to invoke the relevant sections of the law.

He stated: “The SON has refused to render account and even to appear before the committee for an investigation bothering on none rendition of account.

“This agency has repeatedly refused to appear before this

parliament. We do not believe that SON is bigger than the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or above the law of the land.

“If they have nothing to hide, they should appear and tell us why they have refused to render account to the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF).”

Oke said that SON is holding the AGF hostage by not rendering accounts.

Court Martial: Otiki’s Lawyers Weigh Options, Await Army Council’s Decision Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Counsel to the immediate past General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Sokoto, Major General Hakeem Otiki, who was convicted and sentenced last week on various charges after soldiers serving under him absconded with N100million belonging to the army last year said the legal team is weighing available options before taking the next line of action.

Otiki’s conviction by the Lt. General Lamidi Adeosun-led court-martial is subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Army Council.

Otiki’s fate presently hangs on the final decision of the

Army Council before taking the next legal steps.

Otiki was last week convicted on all five count charges brought against him by army authorities and demoted to the rank of Brigadier-General by the army court martial.

It also dismissed the former GOC with “disgrace and dishonour”.

Counsel to the convicted senior army officer, Mr. Israel Olorundare (SAN), said in a statement that the conviction and sentencing by the General Court Martial “did not reflect the realities on ground, facts, witnesses called and evidences tendered” hence they looked forward to a favourable

response from the Army Council on the matter.

Some retired and serving military officers who analysed the conviction and sentencing but preferred anonymity said Otiki may get a reprieve at the Nigerian Army Council as he was not directly linked to the money stolen by soldiers but “had to be convicted to make the army look good in the eyes of the public and also because of his role as the accounting officer of the funds”.

“There was too much misinformation about the actual amount stolen by the deserting soldiers and the army authorities do not want to make it look

like they are shielding one of their own before the public but the facts have now been revealed as N100million stolen and not N400million by the deserting soldiers.

“Otiki was only indicted using the Manual of Financial Administration for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (MAFA) 2017 because the funds, though being conveyed by soldiers, were deemed to still have been under his custody as the chief accounting officer of the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto,” a military source knowledgeable on the matter said.

Ogun Court Reverses Demotion of 75 Monarchs Appointed by Amosun The Ogun State High Court sitting in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, yesterday reversed the demotion of 75 coronet Obas appointed by a former governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

The court ordered that

the affected monarchs, who were sacked by Governor Dapo Abiodun, should be allowed to operate pending the determination of the suit against the state government’s action.

Justice Abiodun Akinyemi in his ruling on the interlocutory

injunction filed by the 75 coronet Obas through their counsel, Olumide Oniyire, insisted that the status quo of the appointment of the traditional rulers be maintained.

Akinyemi explained that the relationship that existed

between the claimants and the defendants prior to the termination of their appointments and promotions on February 6, 2020 should be maintained pending the determination of the suit before the court.

14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

COMMENT

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

MUSINGS ON CULTURAL NIHILISM There is no difference between sense and nonsense, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

O

urs is a confused generation. It is only content with addressing symptoms of the problems rather than the root causes. The State is driven to despair by ills of contemporary society. Our civilization is imperilled today principally due to the breakdown of the pillars of society.

Our body politics is badly diseased. It is yet to be freed from the stranglehold of men of unruly passions and creatures of appetite.

These are symptoms of a failed culture. The surest way to be ruined by democracy is to take for granted that it will yield its dividends in due time. But there is no in-built success mechanism in a democracy that always propels it to produce the desired dividends. All countries which have achieved success with their democracy have always worked hard to achieve the success. Therefore if Nigerians really and truly want to derive any benefits or dividends from their democracy they must work hard. Therefore when huge billions of Naira are being sunk in renovating the National Assembly to the utter neglect of the critical health and educational sectors, you should not be seen to be raising an alarm. Why? Because they will never get it right. A withered tree cannot bear fruits.

Besides our failed democracy, our shredded social order poses a more intractable problem. First, the foundational pillar of society called the family has disintegrated resulting in disastrous social consequences such as corruption, stealing, juvenile crime, drug abuse, alcohol-related diseases, breakdown in extended family system, breakdown in economic solidarity, abandonment of the elderly, loss of our humanity, inability to differentiate right and wrong, lack of sense of value of human life and so forth. This is why someone or a group of persons can blindfold an innocent three-year- old girl and machete her to death, an aftermath of the Southern Kaduna inter-communal clashes. Oftentimes we complain that Nigeria is not making progress. But a country like Nigeria which indulges in the barbaric pastime of spilling the blood of the innocent cannot make progress for their hands are still stained with innocent blood. We are all witnessing at the moment the eruption of violent riots across the world owing to the spilling of the blood of George Floyd. Were George Floyd a Nigerian murdered in Nigeria by the Nigeria Police the murder case would have been closed by now. The Nigerian public would not have protested. Yes. Nigerians are sheepishly submissive to their wicked leaders. Life is cheap in Nigeria. No premium is placed on human life.

Worst still, in our attempt to copy the white man’s erotic culture we have abandoned the enviable Nigerian cultural heritage. In these times we can hardly differentiate sense from nonsense. We now live in a sexual state. By virtue of our 1999 Constitution, the state ought to promote public morality in Nigeria. But what is the Nigerian State promoting at the moment? It is promoting the so-called adolescent sexual and reproductive right, a euphemism for sexual gratification for teens. Our Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, in conspiracy with foreign organizations and NGOs such as UNFPA, UNICEF, Guttmacher Institute, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others, is freely masquerading about and corrupting young Nigerians by telling them that “safe-sex� or the so-called “condom-safe-sex� is their right, and, that not even their parents can deprive them of this right to sexual gratification. In other to ensure that school pupils including highly-impressionable school kids in JSS1-111 are properly sexualized, some literature in English textbooks such used in teaching our school children contain explicit sexual, erotic and corruptive lewd materials are not being used in some public schools to teach our children in order to lure them into early sex, dating and pornography.

LIFE IS CHEAP IN NIGERIA. NO PREMIUM IS PLACED ON HUMAN LIFE

There is no doubt that Nigeria will continue to gravitate from bad to worse until the country is re-ordered to a higher culture and a higher loyalty. Man, philosophically speaking, is not a mere matter: he is much more than that; a true understanding or correct view of the human person, his unique dignity and rights dictates that he is also endowed by God with spiritual and immortal soul. Therefore we have to cater for both the material and spiritual aspects of man. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the human society had been devastated by other forms of pandemic especially hopelessness, real or imaginary fears, collapse of marital relationships, drug abuse, kidnapping, terrorism, racism, rape and sexual violence. Talking about rape, on April 27, 2020, an 18- year-old girl simply called Jennifer was raped and murdered in Kaduna. On May 27 2020, a 22-year-old Miss Uwaila Vera Omozuwa was raped and murdered in a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Benin City. On June 1, 2020 another female student, Miss Baraka Bello, was raped and killed in Akinyele community, Ibadan. Last Saturday, a 21-year old student Grace Oshiagwu was raped and macheted to death inside a church mission building in the same Akinyele Local community, Ibadan.

These gruesome killings have sparked off a blaze of indignation and repugnance about the rape epidemic in Nigeria. A member of the House of Representatives, Abuja had moved a motion for the castration of rapists in Nigeria. But the House overruled him. I have always argued that if we are really determined to remedy the problems of our time, we need to uproot the roots of the problems rather than just fighting symptoms. Rape is not the problem: it is a symptom of deep-seated myriads of problems. Therefore exerting energies fighting symptoms is sheer waste of time. We need to tackle the problems from their roots in order to uproot them. If the Nigerian families are fast disintegrating, why are you surprised that families are now producing rapists? So, first things first. We must first of all fix the family. Another main cause of rape and sexual violence in Nigeria is the sexualisation of the Nigerian State. This must stop. Government cannot pretend to be fighting rape when in actual fact it is promoting sexual promiscuity otherwise called adolescent sexual and reproductive right among Nigerian teens which triggers off rape. If women bodies are portrayed as sexual tools for sexual gratification in TV ads, fashion, video games, and, if pornography is easily accessed everywhere, why are we surprised about the rape epidemic Nigeria? You see, a society reaps what it sows. If our school children are taught in open classroom that self-control is unnecessary and repressive, why are surprised that many of them end up graduating as rapists? The European Journal of Development Psychology states that findings reveal that reading and viewing pornographic materials trigger off sexual violence for both male and female adolescent.

We need men with chests in Nigeria. We should learn to train the mind to appreciate and understand the truth about the human person.

We should learn to cultivate the human soul. In the apt words of C. S Lewis in The Abolition of Man, “...You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the statement that what our civilization needs is more ‘drive’, or dynamism, or self-sacrifice, or ‘creativity’. In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise.

We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful�.

NO LIFE IS WORTH THAT CONCERT Akin Ogunsakin ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ“ Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂžĂ’ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?

R

esidents of the FCT woke up on Sunday, 14th of June to the vexing and irritating news of a concert that took place at the Jabi Lake Mall the previous evening, in which all the established COVID-19 prevention protocols were brazenly violated by the attendees of the event.

Even more annoying is the fact that the artiste headlining that concert was not Abuja based but a controversial character who travelled from Lagos, to Abuja despite the ban on interstate travel across the country. The penalties being paid for that singular act of misbehavior by all the actors involved had been quite high, except of course for the main culprit who it seems possesses nine lives and has not even received (as at yet) a slap on the wrist.

The mall was shut by the order of the court for two weeks (it has now been re-opened), the airline that ferried the group to Abuja has been suspended indefinitely with the owner suffering the indignity of apologizing twice to the aviation authorities.

Public anger was directed at everyone remotely or closely connected with the case and for a while, the FCTA, the Ministry of Aviation and the security agencies both in Lagos and Abuja became the butt of jokes.

While reacting to the issue, the FCT Minister was clearly upset with the people who attended that concert in the FCT despite all the efforts made by the government to sensitise them and explain in so many ways, the dangers posed by the Coronavirus to their health and the health of their loved ones.

And the man is quite right. That concert was

held in one of the most elitist locations in town designed for those who can afford the many luxury goods and services it showcases. The concert was also targeted at the crème de la crème of the society.

To attend, you must own a car (it was a drive-in concert) and you must be able to afford the N20,000 -N250,000 ticket cost.

Now, this is where things get interesting. The attendees of that concert certainly had access to all the information about COVID-19 and the devastation it has wreaked on several countries across the world (after all, anyone who can book for, and purchase a concert ticket online should also have access to the various social media platforms where COVID-19 matters have held sway for the better part of five months now).

Yet, these people chose to ignore all the warnings and decided to risk it all to attend the concert. The FCT Minister, while reminding residents that they should be responsible for their health and those of their loved ones, wondered painfully aloud and quite perplexed like so many right thinking Nigerians, if that concert was worth the lives of the attendees.

The answer, really, is a resounding NO. Like Malam Bello said, no life is worth risking for the thrills of a few hours at an illegal concert. It is really perplexing for many people and really quite frustrating (I can imagine) for the health workers and those on the frontline in the battle against COVID -19 how people can so willingly ignore the numerous warnings. The guidelines for everyone are simple enough. Wear face masks while in public,

wash your hands regularly with soap and water and unless absolutely necessary, stay at home. For those who still think the COVID -19 pandemic is an “audio virus� or a “scandemic�, please, visit any media site and verify the figures. Almost nine million infected worldwide and almost 500,000 deaths! If these figures seem so far-fetched perhaps, the Nigerian figures will strike some resonance. On April 22, 2020, Nigeria recorded 782 cases. By May 22 Nigeria had 7261 cases and by June 22 the figures had spiked to 20,919. This is an exponential increase of over 2000% (yes 2000%) in just 60 days!!!

And these figures will keep rising if we keep on the way we are carrying on. It should also be remembered that the higher the numbers of infected persons, the higher the number of fatalities.

What is really baffling is why the leaders at the third tier of government in the FCT are acting as if the entire COVID fight is none of their business leaving, it seems, all the heavy lifting to the FCT Administration alone.

The FCT Minister had to call a meeting of the Area Council Chairmen and traditional rulers to clearly spell out their responsibilities in this fight and even brought in the big guns from the NCDC and the PTF for good measure. Dr Sani Aliyu, National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 and the NCDC Director General Dr Chikwe Ihekwezu both echoed the position of the FCT Minister that the roles of the traditional institutions and the political leaders at the grassroot level are invaluable. Compliance at the grassroot is the only way to stop community transmission which

has clearly gone out of hand and sensitization of the local populace needs to be stepped up tremendously the experts reiterated.

Area Council Chairmen, councilors and ward leaders will do well to use their political structures which they deploy effectively during campaigns to spread the message about COVID-19.

The message should be, like Malam Bello has often reiterated, that everyone should take personal responsibility for their health. It is not enough for one to obey all the protocols and watch as a careless and thoughtless neighbor or fellow shopper in the market or shop puts one’s life at risk by not wearing a face mask.

You owe it to yourself to call that person to order.

It is in that same vein that very little sympathy should go to the other shop owners at the Jabi Lake Mall whose businesses have been negatively impacted by the closure of the mall.

None of them can feign ignorance that the concert was going to take place on their premises. They ought to have taken responsibility for their own lives and businesses and alerted the authorities as to what was about to take place. By keeping quiet, it simply implies that they somehow sanctioned it, perhaps because of the anticipated increase in sales that the concert might generate for them.

Hopefully, the Jabi Lake Mall incident will be a lesson to everyone concerned. But just like the Minister of the FCT has said, no life is worth risking for a concert or a few hours of excitement and musical thrill.

Ogunsakin wrote from Gwagwalada, FCT

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

EDITORIAL COVID-19 AND GROWING LAWLESSNESS All those who wilfully breached the law must be sanctioned

I

n a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the federal government had since March 2020 put in place a number of measures.

A Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was established headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. The committee has also on daily basis given updates, including conditions to be strictly followed by Nigerians as government implements the partial lockdown of the country.

The conditions for partial lockdown include ban on inter-state travels, ban on public gathering as well as ban on both local and international air travels.

However, some recent events in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) appear to show a clear breach of these conditions. Two examples will suffice here.

One, a musician, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, flew from Lagos to Abuja to perform despite restrictions on air travels and gathering of crowds. The event, a ‘drive-in concert’, held at Jabi Lake Mall car park with tickets sold for between N20,000 and N250,000. Not surprisingly, attendees defied the social IN A DEMOCRATIC distancing order as ENVIRONMENT, ALL stipulated by the PUBLIC OFFICIALS MUST Nigeria Centre for BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE Disease Control (NCDC). In the LAW wake of that scandal, the federal government suspended ExecuJet, the airline that conveyed Marley to the Abuja concert.

According to the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, the flight was approved for a different purpose.

But perhaps the bigger breach of the presidential order to contain the spread of COVID-19 happened right in the seat of government, Aso Rock. It was brought to light with the face-off between the First Lady and a presidential aide who travelled to Lagos at a time other Nigerians were placed on restrictions.

While we are not interested in the altercations between the different Aso Rock factions, questions must be raised about why some public officials act as

though above the law that bounds other Nigerians without any consequences. Impression is now gaining ground that the lockdown and restriction orders were designed only for poor people.

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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

hese two examples clearly indicate a gross violation of the rules spelt out by the Presidential Task Force to curb the spread of the pandemic and the proclamation by President Buhari. Although the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authority sealed off the premises of Abuja Lake Mall for the concert held by Marley, it will still need to find out who among its officials gave approval for the concert in the first place. In the case of Naira Marley, there is the real need for a proper investigation of what really transpired. Appropriate sanctions must also be meted to whoever is found culpable.

In a democratic environment, all public officials must be accountable to the law. That responsibility falls more on those who serve at the highest echelon of government. At all times and in all circumstances, they must be seen to be above board. A situation in which presidential aides are the ones cynically breaking the law made by their principal is unacceptable. There must also be a strict adherence to high standards of professional code of ethics and conduct of security personnel in Nigeria’s number one seat of power.

Perhaps because of President Buhari’s laidback approach to critical national issues, it is little surprise that we have witnessed an inexplicable retreat of federal authority in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that still does not excuse the recklessness that we see across the country today.

The time has therefore come for the president to assert his authority to check the drunken rampage of those who display scant regards for the regulations he put in place to help the country overcome the challenge of COVID-19. And his charity must begin at home!

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

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OSUN PDP CRISIS: Matters Arising

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s the acrimony within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lingers in Osun, with attendant accusations and rebuttals, political watchers have continued to analyse the crux of the friction, especially from the prism of the countdown to the 2018 gubernatorial election in the state.

Many pundits believe that a silent war broke out between the party and the Adeleke political dynasty immediately after the keen and rather controversial primary election that produced Ademola Adeleke.

It was further alleged that the purported removal of the former Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Soji Adagunodo was a clear-cut vendetta of sort. A reliable source within the party said: “The problem of our party starts and ends in Ede. I warned some of our members against this plot to call dog a bad name purposely to hang it. “ To tell you how desperate some people could be, they were still not comfortable with the exit of Adagunodo, they felt threatened by the intensity of support for him amongst our members, hence, the trumped-up allegation of embezzlement.”

Meanwhile, a close ally of Adeleke political dynasty, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in a swift reaction recently defended Dr Deji Adeleke, whom many have accused of fuelling the crisis within the party. He explained that Adeleke, more than anybody has contributed to the survival and growth of the party and continued to work towards peaceful resolution of any conflict.

Meanwhile, Adagunodo, in a press statement in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State described allegation of financial impropriety against his person as baseless.

“My initial resolution was to ignore the content and allow the organiser(s) of the Press Conference to continue the naked dance embarked upon in the market square. One wonders at what quality of auditor, worth his salt, would not be specific about quoted figures.

Besides, is it possible that the said auditor was hired and completed his hatchet assignment, if he did any at all, within 24 hours and as such could not provide exact figures? Whatever the case maybe, why were the figures not stated anywhere? Meanwhile, contrary to the lies and claims that a report has been sent to me, I wish to state categorically that nobody has contacted me till this moment neither was any report sent to me. I only read about the audit in the news feed”, Adagunodo said.

He faulted the process of purported probe adopted by the party, adding that such approach negates best practices and accounting management anywhere in the world.

He added, “In all, the Acting Chairman needs not be told that the Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Internal Auditor of the party are still members of the SWC. I am fairly certain that they should have cooperated with the External Auditor, if he exists outside the imagination of the conjurers. Everyone behind this ridiculous turn of events is by this statement reminded that different officers are saddled with the responsibilities of keeping financial records.

“It will also be interesting to know which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Investigation by the NWC or SWC? “This desperation and drives to tear the party apart to please an individual on a self-righteous vengeance and vendetta mission does not smell right. Did this auditing begin before the step-aside order or

after the step-aside order?

“Knowing full well that the basis of my being ordered to step aside are outright lies, some people are seriously looking for a means to cover up their dastardly acts. I know what to do but if I respond appropriately, the credibility of our great party may suffer severe damage.

I have decided to wait and let them expose themselves to the whole world to know who actually is hell-bent on ruining our party in Osun.

“It is interesting that, at this juncture, the whole of the State Working Committee feigns ignorance of all the expenses of the party that we executed between the 25th March, 2018, when we were inaugurated, and October 6th, 2018. This was the period fund was raised and expenditures incurred. Let me state unequivocally that between then and when I was told to step aside on April 30, 2020, I was the major financier of the party.

The list is long but among others, the following party programs were undertaken between May and October 2018: Southwest Mega Rally, three ad-hoc Ward Congresses, Local Government Congresses, State congress for the PDP gubernatorial primary, Senatorial rallies, MEGA rally for the gubernatorial campaign, three ad-hoc ward delegates congresses again, for State and National Assembly primaries, Local Government Congresses, Gubernatorial campaigns and consultations, Gubernatorial elections, Senate primaries, House of Representatives primaries, State Assembly primaries, National Convention, National Assembly and Presidential campaign, State House of Assembly Campaign, National Assembly and Presidential elections, State Assembly elections.

Omolola Adubi, Osogbo

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FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08038901925

Race Back Home to Beat COVID-19 David-Chyddy Eleke in this investigative report writes that as a result of the rise of COVID-19 cases in Kano and Lagos, most Anambra indigenes have sneaked back home with their families to avoid the risk of infection, thus beating the border closure

Travelers attempting to cross Anambra border on foot, after alighting from commuter buses

Anambra State Commissioner for Transport, Dr Christian Madubuko querying security agents over the porosity of the border

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that in most towns where the security men are strict with allowing travelers, they sometimes use local youths who know the terrain well enough to drive through the communities into the next state. “It is more prevalent in Benue State. Once you get to the borders, you will see a lot of youths who will be asking drivers if they want help. Sometimes you have to pay as much as N5,000 for them to take you through the inner villages and now show you how to get out of the state, before you start heading to Kogi State,� he said.

In Anambra too, it was gathered that to get into the state from Enugu, vehicles loaded from the north use community youths to by-pass the Amansea border, by going through communities in Enugu State, and now enter Anambra to several other communities in the northern parts of the state before bursting into Awka.

ithin the neigbourhood where this reporter lives in Awka, the Anambra State capital, there have been increasing number of new faces, despite the lockdown in the state, and the ban on commuter vehicles bringing in passengers into the state from other states.

Nne, an 19 year old girl, tall, fair, beautiful and well built looks far bigger than her age. One thing struck this reporter about her. She had the local tattoos drawn on her hands, the type more commonly seen among northern ladies. In a shop where she came to buy noodles in the neighbourhood, this reporter chatted her up after observing that she was new in the area. “Yes, we came back two weeks ago from Kano,� she said. She told this reporter that her father is an importer of tiles in Kano, and that two weeks ago, she and her family, consisting of her father, mother, only sister and only brother returned to Awka where they are a native of. “My daddy decided we should come back to Awka when several people began to die in Kano. We hope to go back when things are normal,� she said.

Though she refused to speaka further when this reporter started showing more interest in her family and their return to Awka, but the shop attendant, Mrs Blessing Obasi volunteered information about her.

She said Nne and her family have been patronising her since two weeks that they returned, and that sometimes she comes to her shop to sit and make phone calls to her friends, who she said were also Igbos and had left Kano because of the mysterious deaths that recently hit the town.

Nne and her family are not alone in this race for survival. Also, Mr Lawrence Nweze, a trader in Onitsha during a telephone conversation told this reporter that he has evidence that Igbos in Kano and Lagos State have been relocating their families back to the east because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the areas.

He said, “My brother, what is happening now among our people in Lagos, and especially Kano is like the Oso Abiola period. (this is a term in Igbo used to describe the 1991 crisis, when Igbos ran back home from all over the country for fear that MKO Abiola declaring himself as president of Nigera may trigger war). Anambra State government say their borders are closed to visitors, but just go to bridge head and see what is happening there.

They just opened supermarkets for security agents who collect money and let visitors in, or let out travelers. Even as I speak to you now, I know people who came in from Lagos last night, yet the borders are closed.�

Visit to the Border THISDAY visited Amansea, a border town between Anambra and Enugu State, which serves as an in route into the state from the northern part of the country, and found that even though they were barricades on the border, travelers devised means to beat it. They get to the border, alight from their commuter buses and walk past the barricades casually, into the Anambra end of the border and then board a taxi into the state. Same also applied for people in

Anambra who were travelling out of the state, either to Enugu, Ebonyi or the northern part of the country. They simply take a taxi to the border of the state, while ensuring that they are travelling light, they cross the border on foot and join commuter vehicles who take them out to their destinations.

For those who travelled in their cars, THISDAY closely observed as they made deals with the security agents, by giving tips and they are allowed out of the state, and this reporter suspects that it may be in the same way that travelers from far away Kano get back to the state, because of its relative safety as only few cases of COVID-19 patients have been registered in the state, and also treated and discharged.

Anambra Government Expresses Worry As at when this story was written, the arrival of the Anambra State Commissioner for Transport, Dr Christian Madubuko was a shock to the security agents as they immediately sat up, closing up the barricade and denying everyone access to the road. The commissioner noticed that some vehicles had passed through the border and queried an agent of OCHA brigade, a paramilitary agency of the state.

The agent who gave her name as Mrs Agalo Ifeyinwa stated that some of those who were allowed to drive past the barricade were on the instruction of the police, and that she is not aware of what transpired between them, but she and her team simply took the orders because they see police as a superior force to theirs.

However, the commissioner expressed unhappiness that the border had become so porous. “The security people are not doing anything here. They only sit up when I am here, but once I leave to go to other borders, they start doing what they like.

You can see we just arrested a man who came in from Lagos and was trying to sneak into the state. “We will keep him here until the commissioner for health comes and certifies his health status. If we are not satisfied, he will go into quarantine, because he is coming from a high risk state. We are appealing to the security agents to try and make this border closure to work,� he lamented.

How Transporters Ferry in Indigenes Despite the inter-state lockdown, a transporter who spoke on condition of anonymity from a highly rated transport company said they still load to Lagos at night. “From Nnewi to Lagos is N16,000 to N18,000 depending on the kind of bus, and from Awka to Lagos is N18,000 to N20,000. We do not do it openly, and the driver has to go to the house of the traveler and pick him once its dark, and the journey commences by 9pm or 10pm sometimes.�

He denied that it was a period of boom for the company, saying that sometimes it takes two days to get to Lagos because they have to sleep in some towns and move again by night, while most of the monies collected are used to ‘settle’ security agencies on the road to allow them get past the border of some states.

Community Youths Find Brisk Business THISDAY gathered from the transporter

Measures to Check Inux of Travelers Because of the porosity of the borders, Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, ordered all government appointees in the state to resume work at their respective borders to ensure compliance to its closure. A circular signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, ordered all government appointees to immediately comply to ensure that all the borders are closed.

"Following ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and observed continued influx of persons into the state especially through informal border routes thereby exposing the state to the risk of imported community spread of the virus, government has resolved to strengthen enforcement of the border closure by involving community efforts. “In this wise, the following political appointees, majorly Special Assistants to the Governor are hereby posted to designated border locations to support enforcement actions by the police and other security agencies. Likewise, porous and informal border points identified in various local communities with little presence of formal security will henceforth be manned by the following youths who will help prevent any form of movement into the state from those locations."

COVID-19 Giveaway Also, as if to check the recent trend of families sneaking into the state from high risk states, the Anambra State Digital Entrepreneurship Office (DEO)has launched what it called COVID-19 Giveaway.

Mr Ifeanyi Aniagoh, the Director General of the office said the scheme was meant for residents to identify people who returned to the state after the borders have been shut, for them to win cash prizes. This he said will help identify those coming in from high risk states, with a view to check the spread of the virus in the state.

He said, “To support government’s effort to curb possible spread of COVID-19 pandemic and any form of influx of persons into Anambra especially through informal boundary routes thereby exposing the state to the risk of imported community spread of the virus, we are starting a special giveaway tagged "Report and Win". “ It's a simple game that will contribute

a lot to stopping the infiltration of our dear state by friends and family whose entry into the State at this time could lead to the deaths of thousands if they end up spreading the deadly pandemic. “To win is simple; just follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @DEOAnambra and report anyone who enters into Anambra starting from May 1, 2020.

It's through inbox and highly confidential.

For every complete details of a returnee, you get N5,000; and if the person is tracked down by the security agencies, you get N10,000. “Anyone can win as much as possible.

Note that entering into Anambra State at this time is an offence and every returnee has family and friends. So, anyone who enters with the virus undetected can easily trigger a community spread especially now that lockdown has been eased.�

Speaking with Aniagoh, he said, “Yes, people have been responding. Up to five people have reached out to us, and we have also passed the information concerning the people to security agencies, and we hope that they will be picked up.�

Fate of the Dead Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman board of trustees, International Society for Civil Liberty and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a rights group based in Onitsha corroborated THISDAY investigation, revealing that Igbos in Kano particularly, were not only sneaking home every day to avoid contracting the pandemic, but also bringing back the corpses of their loved ones who died in the town.

He said, “From several independent sources, it is reliably confirmed that corpses of Igbo citizens, resident in the North particularly in Kano State are being smuggled into old Eastern Nigeria in body bags. The body bag haulage of the corpses is so syndicated that in most cases, the travelers, except the relatives of the corpses are not aware that the long passenger vehicles with which they are traveling, are carrying body bagged corpses. “Properly sealed with anti stench chemicals sprayed, their haulage arrangements are struck and sealed at loading points between the drivers of the long passenger vehicles (undertakers) and the dead victims’ relatives. To avoid open suspicion, not more than two-three corpses mixed with ware-billed goods are carried and conveyed per long passenger vehicle,� Umeagbalasi said.

Igbos have a long standing culture of not burying their demised loved ones outside their ancestral root. He said his investigation has revealed that some relatives pay as much as N100,000 for the bodies to be transported back to their villages, and that the bodies are loaded early enough before passengers begin to arrive for the journey to the east.

He called on the security agencies at the border to sit up to avoid mass death as a result of what he called mass importation of the pandemic into the state, and also called on the governors of the South-east to intensify efforts to get the federal government to establish more testing centres in the state, as most persons may be living with the virus without knowing so.

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Inching Towards a Drug-free Society Iyke Bede writes that the MTN multi-sectoral Anti-Substance Abuse Program is steadily inching towards a drug-free society especially with the forthcoming World Drug Day tagged ‘Better knowledge for better care: an ally against drug abuse’

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n 2018, the MTN Foundation rolled out the multi-sectoral Anti-Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) to augment the efforts of various bodies and sectors focused on preventing first-time drug use and curbing the culture of drug abuse. In order to effectively reduce drug abuse through sensitisation, it employed the strategy of ‘catching them young’.

This is a well-structured plan implemented to provide programs to educate individuals between the ages of 10 and 25 on substance abuse. Although its outreach goes beyond this age bracket, it made this group its primary focus.

One of the highlights from the past year was the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug and Illicit Trafficking held on June 26, 2019 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The event ran concurrently with various international organisations observing the date set by the United Nations.

As with the tenets that guides this multisectoral ideology, the MTN Foundation collaborated with various law enforcement bodies and international organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Other relevant organisations such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), faith-based organisations, government agencies amongst others also joined in the drive to deliver the message against substance abuse.

As a marker of success, the event recorded an impressive number of major stakeholders, government officials, and seasoned panellists in attendance, where they deliberated on drug abuse and how it plagues the teeming youth population, and as well as providing logical solutions.

To mark the event this year, MTN Foundation, which is the social investment vehicle of MTN Nigeria, is taking a page from its own book by hosting an online/virtual event tagged Better knowledge for better care: an ally against drug abuse to mark this year’s World Drug Day scheduled for Friday 26, 2020. It also brings to the table new collaborators: MTV Base Africa, Netng, Business Day newspaper, etc. – proving the ASAP campaign has grown.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that has sent most countries into economic shutdown, the ASAP train keeps moving at full momentum as it returns for its second commemoration of the World Drug Day. An apt speech by Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Chairman, MTN Foundation, succinctly explains the necessity for observing the event this year amid a pandemic. He says:

Towards a drug-free society “We are surviving in uncertain times.

COVID-19 has disrupted the familiar everyday patterns. The pandemic and its attendant effects such as loss of jobs and closure of schools have further exacerbated vices such as substance abuse among the young ones. In a situation where people are idle, they might be induced to use drugs. It is therefore crucial to deliberate on the scourge of substance abuse that is gnawing at the future of our country.

The young generation is vital to building our society and we must do all we can to protect, inform and equip them with the knowledge to make the right choices.�

Running with the theme “better knowledge for better care�, the idea the UNODC wants nurtured is one that helps individuals from all occupations understand the drug problem the world currently faces. This approach provides the insight needed to foster local and international cooperation on countering the impact of drug abuse on health, governance and security.

To help drive home these points in a simplistic fashion is a panel of discussants that includes Ag. Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya; UNODC Country Representative, Oliver Stolpe; Country Manager, ViacomCBSNetworks Africa, Bada AkintundeJohnson; actress, DakoreEgbuson-Akande, etc.

To mitigate the scourge of drug abuse, discussants will expound on the use of evidence-based methods such as counselling/ educating potential first-time users on drug abuse, and rehabilitation means for individuals with substance abuse problems. Various experts will elaborate on the drug abuse situation in the country using well researched data. The panellists from the entertainment industry will share their take on the influence of

African pop-culture, hip hop music and the repercussions – short and long term.

To aid this process, videos on drug abuse were released to the public to precondition the minds of participants and help them provide constructive questions influenced by their own perspectives or experiences. These videos were pivotal to aspects of the success of the pilot edition, with students sharing it amongst themselves to educate their peers, and schools using it as a reference point for public education on drug use.

On the other hand, these videos provide an experiential process. The documentaries chronicle persons living with substance abuse problems and their journey to becoming reformed persons. As simple as that sounds, this window exposes their struggle and the slow and painful walk back to normalcy.

Another type of visual that has proven an effective tool is the informational videos that have experts discuss different substances, mode of usage and abuse, and the effects it has on their victims in the long haul. Through these mediums, youngsters are exposed to the realities of real people that have real problems of substance abuse.

Just like it did last year by harnessing the star power of local celebrities, more personalities have been invited to the ASAP platform to make an impact through their artistry and personality. Using his music in the pilot phase, David Jones David (DJD) toured several states delivering back-to-back impassioned performances that enthralled students whilst educating them on substance abuse in the same breath.

Though the current run has been limited by social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, DJD will

make a comeback with monologue speeches on drug abuse ahead of the main event. Also, he will be joined by the likes of actress, Dakore Egbuson-Akande; actor, Chinedu ‘Nedu’ Ani Emmanuel; singer, Praise ‘Praiz’ Ugbede Adejo, and, actress and ViacomCBS Networks presenter, Folu Storms - who will anchor the first session powered by MTV Base Africa.

While there are certain limitations that come with the current pandemic, there were none in 2019. Hence, the MTN-led ASAP, through collaborations, visited five states (Lagos, Imo, Rivers, Bauchi, and Kano) and Abuja (F.C.T.) for state activations. On the platform of Assembly Xtra and Brighter Life (campus), it reached out to thousands of students, educating them on substance abuse using interactive fun sessions.

Away from schools, it also focused on the grassroots by visiting markets to educate traders and held town hall meetings where village heads and rulers are brought up to speed by a team of facilitators.

To amplify efforts, professionals from different fields have been trained by the UNODC through the influencers training initiative. This arms them with the proper tools to become ASAP ambassadors in their respective communities. In order to stay in touch and share vital information in an online age, it launched a microsite that serves as a hub for informational videos, tit-bits from the nation-wide initiative and substance abuse focused articles to help promote the education on drug abuse with the hopes of witnessing a substantial decline in number of cases.

The upcoming event affirms MTN’s vision to enable the youths to become capable leaders of tomorrow. Like the company’s Youth Empowerment Development Programme (YEDP), Scholarship schemes that has 3,829 scholars so far, the ASAP initiative is one of many youth-oriented campaigns under the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) umbrella, and it has proven to be an effective tool towards structuring and positioning the young population to achieve their potentials.

If the intense conversations that the #MTNASAP hashtag has lit up on Nigerian Twitter is any indication, young Nigerians have been ready for this conversation for a long time and are fully expecting to be heard and understood. The previous year was just a tip of the iceberg, and with restrictive movement, the initiative has moved gears and become solely virtual, moving to a domain that gives its target - the young vibrant Nigerian - the freedom of expression and the support of millions of like-minded individuals across the world. It will be interesting to listen to the Drug Convos explode into the conversations it promises.

The ‘Drug Convos’ is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Friday, June 26, 2020.

COVID-19: CACOVID Highlights Importance of Personal Safety

"T

he war has shifted to the community and it is up to the people who are now responsible for protecting themselves, their families as well as the community and the country," those words of Dr. B. Calinawagan aptly captures the grassroots awareness campaign recently initiated

by CACOVID. The campaign is aimed at deepening sensitisation in semi-urban and rural areas to educate and sustain the gains of government initiatives to curb community spread of the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in Nigeria.

As confirmed cases in the country rise, along with skepticism of people, especially in the semi-urban and rural communities fueled by beliefs that the COVID-19 disease is a “big man's sickness� that can only affect people of means, it has become increasingly important to reiterate and take the message directly to the people as it is crucial to help the people know that staying safe and alive is also a matter of personal responsibility.

To this end, the private sector Coalition

AgainstCovid19 (CA-COVID), a group of more than 50 private sector corporations in Nigeria initiated a grassroots awareness campaign to sensitiseeveryone in every corner of the country.

In its pilot phase that was flagged off on Monday, 8 June, 2020, the grassroots awareness campaign was taken to suburbs in Lagos, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory.

From Ajah, Ogombo, Oko-Oba, Makoko, Abatoir, Aginliti, Isawo, Mosafejo/Amukoko in Lagos State to Abuloma, Bundu, Agbonchia, Omarelu, Onne, Elele in Rivers State and Nyanya, Kutunku, Mpampe, Gwarinpa and Kubwa in Abuja, the direct grassroots engagement has made same impact, complementing the efforts of both the federal and state governments at keeping Nigeria COVID-19 free. As the train moves simultaneously across Lagos, Rivers and the FCT, with the mandate to educate people in the rural areas on the importance of handwashing, social distancing and wearing of face masks, Nigerians have come out to pour encomiums on the awareness initiative.

In Rivers State, the market chairman of OkuruamaMarket, Mr Boniface Isa commended the

grassroots campaign team and suggested that the initiative should be sustained for impact even as he suggested that additional tangible items should be distributed to further encourage the people to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their community.

On his part, the General Manager of Treasure 98.5FM, Port Harcourt, Mr. Fred Onyeka Nwaulune, who also commended the campaign initiative, assured the campaigners that the radio station on its part is also committed to ensuring that the message of responsibility is well disseminated. He urged the teams to ensure they engage with the people as best as they can at this time to achieve desired results. At the palace of the paramount ruler of Rumuobiakani, Eze Wopara Ejims, the teams were assured of the commitment of the people to accommodate and take heed of safety tips.

Tony Chiejina, the Group Chief of Communications at Dangote Industries who also doubles as Coordinator of the campaign, described the pandemic as wild bush fire. He said the effectiveness of the campaign will have direct

impact on the whole of the country, because if just a few people are ignorant of the consequences of bad hygiene at this time and they behave irresponsibly, it can compromise the effort of every other person just like a small burning twig can reignite a whole forest even after the fire has previously been doused.

This campaign is critical to CA-COVID’s overarching mandate. Even though the private sector led coalition has so far provided billions of testing supplies, and isolation and treatment centers, in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Abuja, Enugu and all the other States of the Federation along with fully functional medical supplies and trained personnel to cater to affected persons, it will all be overwhelmed and eventually come to nothing if more people get infected. That is why the words of Dr. B. Calinawagan quoted in the beginning should never be dismissed in a hurry. Every Nigerian, no matter their tribe , tongue or religion deserves to know that the war against Covid19 has shifted to the community and it is up to the people to protect themselves, their families as well as the community and the country.

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MIDWEEKPOLITICS

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

A N A LY S I S

The Challenge of Distance Spacing in an Election Season

Chuks Okocha writes that all stakeholders in the electoral process are eager to see how the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would ensure that political parties adhere to the COVID-19 protocol of distance spacing during campaign

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ven if rancorous, the political parties involved in the Edo state governorship election have commenced primary elections to elect their flag bearers for the elections slated for September 19. A similar process is expected to take place in Ondo State.

If not for the outbreak of the Coronavirus, activities at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be in top gear on how to conduct the polls in Edo state on September 19, while that of Ondo will take place on October 10, 2020.

In Edo state for instance, political parties were scheduled to conduct primaries between June 2 and 27, while the exercise would hold between July 2 and July 25 in Ondo state.

Though, there are still chances that elections could take place as scheduled.

Similarly, public campaigns by various parties in Edo would begin on June 21 in Edo and July 13 in Ondo, while they are expected to end two days to the elections in both states.

The commission had said also that it would be conducting bye-elections in three constituencies as a result of the deaths of some serving members of the National and state assemblies.

It also said that the Speaker of the House of Representatives had declared a vacancy in Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency of Niger State.

It further said that the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly had declared a vacancy in Patigi State Constituency while the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly has declared the Kebbe State Constituency vacant.

The commission also said that these byeelections will hold simultaneously in the three states of the federation adding the detailed timetable and schedule of activities will be published on its website and social media platforms shortly.

The earlier advertised dates have been over taken by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. New dates are expected to be announced by the commission.

Apart from these, there are outstanding by-elections in two senatorial districts in Bayelsa state to replace the governor and deputy governor who were senators before the November 16 2019 gubernatorial election.

The incumbent Bayelsa state governor Douye Diri, represented Bayelsa Central while his deputy, Ewhrudjakpo, represented Bayelsa West.

INEC is also expected to announce dates to replace the vacancies as a result of the death of of the following senators, Ignatius Longjan, who represented Plateau South Senatorial District, Rose Okoh from Cross River State and Benjamin Uwajimuogu from Imo State.

INEC had fixed 17th of September for the end of campaign, stating that “Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides 90 days for the commencement of campaigns by political parties and end of same 24 hours before polling day.”

INEC said that the tenure of the governors of Edo and Ondo States will end on 12th November 2020 and 24th February 2021 respectively and that this is pursuant to the provisions of Section 178(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 25(8) of the Electoral Act 2010, elections cannot hold earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of an incumbent governor.

Accordingly, the Commission had fixed Saturday 19th September 2020 as the date for the governorship election in Edo State and Saturday 10th October 2020 for Ondo State. Detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the two elections, it said would be published on its website and social media

Yakubu

platforms shortly.

One of the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic is how to meet a vital protocol of COVID-19, which is distance spacing. Elections and campaigns always go together. It is like a market square activity.

Campaigns are always inseparable from elections. The contestants have to go out to meet the electorate, soliciting their votes.

Even, during the primary elections, the electorate usually come to meet with the contestants, for a necessary session of mingling with each other. And this involves a lot of eating, dancing and noise making, usually under very heavily crowded atmosphere.

All these activities are almost impossible now as it would be difficult to carry out campaigns and rallies without people gathering. In some places, the success of politicians winning an election is always associated with the crowd that the politician or political parties is able to pool at campaigns.

In most cases, the gathering or political rallies can be likened to markets. There are issues like haggling and shouting. The big question now is how do politicians campaign, because the presence of a crowd is used to guage the success of political parties and their candidates in winning elections.

Candidates of political parties always brag about how many people attended their campaigns. In other climes like the United States and the United Kingdom, where electronic campaigns are in vogue, with billboards, elections are conducted without the type of the campaigns observed in our society. Nigeria

and other sub-Saharan African countries have not attained the stage of campaigns through high powered electronic billboard.

How would the rice, sugar and other food items that have become staple tokens of exchange during electoral activities be shared?

What is in vogue in the Nigerian setting is the spectacle of crowded rallies. Many are waiting to see how campaigns would be conducted without rallies in this era of distance spacing.

INEC has not been specific on the resumption of its daily activities.

At its last meeting, the management of the commission put a limit on its staff that would be allowed to commence work.

The commission deliberated on protocols for the resumption of activities and operations, stating that staff above the age of 57 and others with serious underlining illness should not resume duty yet.

According to the spokesperson of INEC, Festus Okoye, “Only the staff below 58 years of age with no serious underlying health issues will resume, while pregnant women, nursing mothers and all other staff with underlying health conditions should remain at home for the time being.”

The commission, further explained that it had also discussed preparations for the conduct of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections and other pending legislative bye-elections.

According to Okoye, the commission will also resume engagement with political parties, civil society groups and organisations, the media and other stakeholders in relation to the

How would the rice, sugar and other food items that have become staple tokens of exchange during electoral activities be shared? What is in vogue in the Nigerian setting is the spectacle of crowded rallies. Many are waiting to see how campaigns would be conducted without rallies in this era of distance spacing. INEC has not been specific on the resumption of its daily activities

Edo and Ondo state governorship elections.

“The modalities for these engagements will be worked out and considered at its next meeting.”

Okoye added that the commission will work out modalities for ramping up of activities in Edo and Ondo states where it has governorship elections and will liaise with the security agencies and health authorities on the resumption of work in the two states as soon as possible.

He said the commission would issue comprehensive guidelines for the first phase of its resumption in compliance with the directives of the federal government and health authorities, adding that these guidelines will be posted on its notice boards and uploaded on the website of the commission on Monday.

Other resolutions of the management of INEC included carrying out a comprehensive decontamination of its national headquarters, the annex at Blantyre Street, the Electoral Institute and its Area 10 office housing its staff clinic.

But how would these affect the preparation for all the elections lined up on its schedule of activities including the Edo and Ondo states governorship elections? How would its reviewed timetable conform to observance of protocols on Coronavirus?

One clear message from all the commission is saying is that the full resumption of activities would be based on the announcement by the Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19.

And yet this is where the problem lies. The number of the infected Nigerians is on the increase with some calling for a fresh lockdown.

The commission recently updated the guidelines for voters during the two governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. According to Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, the INEC national commissioner in charge of electoral operations, “Wearing of face mask at Polling Units and all election locations is mandatory. Please make provision for your own face mask. Face masks must be worn at all times, but an election official may request you to lower your mask for proper identification when necessary and anyone that is symptomatic to COVID-19 would be isolated immediately.” He explained hat voting starts by 8.30 am and stops at 2.30 pm.

He further said that, “There shall be two queues formed at each polling location (Polling Unit or Voting Point). The first queue (the outer queue) will be outside, from which an election official shall bring voters into the voting area in batches. The second queue (the inner queue) will be formed in the voting area.

“By 2.30 pm, an election official shall stand at the end of the outer queue indicating that the queue is closed. Any voter on the outer queue by 2.30 pm shall be allowed to vote.

Queues must be orderly and voters on a queue must maintain a distance of two meters (6 feet) from each other.”

According to INEC, “Any voter showing symptoms of COVID-19 such as high temperature, coughing, sneezing, etc. will be requested to leave the queue or voting area and shall be attended to by designated officials.

“Please obey all directives by the officials to keep yourself and others safe. Report any health emergencies urgently to an official at the Polling Unit.

Avoid unnecessary touching of surfaces or leaning on walls and other surfaces at the Polling Unit. You may request for hand sanitizer which will be given to you if available.”

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

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BUSINESSWORLD

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

ÍŻ ͡ Ëœ Í° ÍŽ Í° ÍŽ MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

REPO 16.67 15.17

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ͯͲ˛ͳ͎ 12.50 13.75

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

536.08% 2.31% 3.50%

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

15.12% ͯͯ˛ͲͯϹ

EXCHANGE RATE ͹ʹͯ˚ͯ ̊ ̊

Quick Takes Lagos Pays N1.157bn Accrued Pension

ENHANCING PORT EFFICIENCY

L-R:Vice Chairman, ENL Consortium,Vicky Haastrup; former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Board Chairman, Emmanuel Adesoye; MD, NPA, Hadiza BalaUsman,andChairmanNPABoard,AkinRicketts,duringtheinaugurationoftwotugboatsinLagos...recently

NIMASAto Push forFleet Expansion toSupportEconomic Growth Dike Onwuamaeze The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has said the agency will aggressively push for the implementation of policies that would support fleet expansion in the country.

He also said NIMASA would ensure that financial bottlenecks that hindered ship acquisition and ownership in the country are eliminated.

Jamoh, who said this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos recently, explained that the initiative would help improve economic activities and stimulate growth. “We have to expand our fleets. Over the five years, we have looked at our ship owners to find out if there ship is increasing or reducing? Most of them are reducing,� he said.

Furthermore, he revealed that the agency would launch its floating dockyard that would earn N1 billion from repair ships every month.

Jamoh said NIMASA has been collaborating with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to launch the dockyard.

Jamoh said the floating dock-

ECONOMY yard would help stakeholders in cabotage trade that do not have facilities to repair their vessels.

He said: “You are aware the NIMASA took a proactive step and constructed the N17 billion floating dockyard last year. “We entered into agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority to give us its continental shipyard. Our plan is to create an arrangement where the NPA will provide its continental shipyard as the owner of the platform while NIMASA owns the floating dockyard. “We expect that before the end of September we will be able to achieve this. The dockyard will earn a revenue of N1 billion per month with the capacity to employ 350 youths.�

The dockyard, according to Jamoh, would be a multipurpose facility with five essential sections that include “mechanical, electrical and surveying. We will also bring students from Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron and the Nigeria Maritime University, Okrenkoko, for training within the facility. It

is a multipurpose facility with bright future for Nigeria and younger generation.�

He also disclosed that NIMASA has commenced the revival of ship building in Nigeria and is currently understudying how many ship building companies we have in the country, their original capacity and how they have been operating till now. “From our preliminary investigation, everything so far is negative. So, we are trying to know from research why things are so. It may not be disassociated from the general economic situation all over the world. But we will know how to address it when we get the report of the research,� he said.

He said the federal government suspended the Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund because many Nigerians that accessed it failed to repay their loans.

The director general said the fund was replaced with the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), which was created by the Cabotage Act of 2003.

However, Jamoh noted that the guidelines contained in the Act made it totally impossible for stakeholders to appropri-

ate the CVFF. “Now we are having problems. From 2003 to date we have not disbursed a single fund from the savings we have with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) due to a lot of bottle necks.�

He pointed out that the directive that banks should contribute 35 per cent and at the same time guarantee the 50 per cent NIMASA contribution to the facility hindered the utilisation of CVFF. Jamoh said: “The Act directed that we have to get primary lending institutions like the commercial banks.

Its disbursement must be 50 per cent from NIMASA, 35 per cent from the bank and the 15 per cent from the beneficiary of that loan. From experience we have lost a lot of money to ship building and acquisition fund.

So, the Act provided that banks must guaranty NIMASA’s 50 per cent in the event of failure. So, it became difficult to disburse the investment.�

He said that the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, requested and got President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to disburse of the fund in November last year.

Report: States, Firms’Implementation of Wage Increase Unlikely Peter Uzoho In view of the present economic condition, a full implementation of the approved minimum wage increase by state governments and the private sector is increasingly unlikely, a report has predicted.

Analysts at FBNQuest stated this in a report titled, “Consumer goods steering a COVID induced path,� obtained yesterday.

The report noted that presently, some of state the governments are already constrained and remain under pressure to clear backlogs of salaries.

The firm further disclosed that

ECONOMY findings from an independent survey conducted by REACH Technologies which used a sample size of 100 adults in urban settings, also revealed drop in consumer confidence.

To complement REACH findings, the report also referred to a COVID impact survey recently published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The referenced surveys indicated that consumer sentiments have turned sourer as only three per cent of the

respondents stated that they were benefiting from the pandemic. “Looking at macroeconomic indicators, relatively slow economic growth, high unemployment and rising prices will remain barriers to consumer spending this year. “Given the cutback in fiscal spending on account of weaker oil prices and the slump in demand faced by the private sector, we see a shrinking job market hurting overall income levels in 2020. “In view of the present climate, a full implementation of minimum wage increases across the state governments and the

private sector is increasingly unlikely. “At present, some of state the governments are already constrained and remain under pressure to clear backlogs of salaries. “As such, managing recurrent expenditure with lower federal allocations over the coming months will be prioritised over salary increases,� it stated.

The analysts stated that they do not believe that the upside from the pay rise in December has filtered through to spending, adding that thus far, a large cross section of employees were left out of the increase.

The Lagos State government said it paid accrued pension right of N1.157 billion to 368 public service retirees.

TheDirector-GeneralofLagosStatePensionCommission,LASPEC, Mr.BabalolaObilana,disclosedthiswhileprovidingupdateonpension payments for the month of May, 2020.

The director-general further informed that arrangements had been concluded to release all Bond CertiďŹ cates for the month of May to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

The PFAs are expected to invite beneďŹ ciaries for an exit meeting and grant access to their Redemption Savings Account (RSA) for the computation of their lump sum and monthly Pension.

He said this was important in view of COVID-19 pandemic so as to ensure safety of beneďŹ ciaries. He also assured retirees who were yet to collect their bond certiďŹ cates, of due payment, stating that payments are being structured based on date of exit and grade level. “They are neither forsaken nor forgotten. I urge you to be careful on how you invest your money, so that you can live a stress free life in your old age,â€? he said.

Obilana, promised to improve on the foundation his predecessor had laid. He commended Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu over the prompt payment of retirees’ entitlements.

Polaris’ SurePadi Impacts Households

Polaris Bank Limited said its agency banking initiative, SurePadi, has serviced over half a million customers impacting directly an estimatedtwomillionhouseholdsacrossthesevenbusinessregions of the bank nationwide since its introduction.

Beyond the direct impact on customers and households in Nigeria, thesheervolumeandvalueinďŹ nancialnumbersonthegrossearnings ofthebankhasbeensigniďŹ cantastheagencyrecordedgiantstrides in the number of services and transaction volumes it processed which was valued N10 billion, the bank revealed.

The bank in a statement quoted its Chief Digital OďŹƒcer (CDO), Mr. Dele Adeyinka, as explaining that, in the ďŹ rst 100 days of introducing SurePadi,carriedoutover500,000services,andtransactionvolume above N10 billion directly servicing over two million households, giving them easy access to cash for businesses and family needs.

According to Adeyinka: “As a result of this milestone, SurePadi was rankedďŹ fthintheďŹ rstquarterof2020bytheSharedAgentNetwork Expansion Facility (SANEF) report—an indication that it is bridging the gap and helping people to meet their needs of accessing funds; as well as sending money to their loved ones.â€?

The CDO further stated that: “This is also part of Polaris Bank’s ongoingeorttodriveďŹ nancialinclusionamongtheunder-bankedand unbanked in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulatory mandate; intimating that ‘from what we have seen so far, we are already making signiďŹ cant progress in this regard.

Facebook Launches Messenger Kids

FacebookhasrolledoutMessengerKids,avideochatandmessaging app that helps children connect with friends and family in a fun, parent-controlled space.

Available to download from the Apple App and Google Play Stores, Messenger Kids has been designed for children between the ages of 6 to 12 years, with the app including two new features aimed at helping kids connect with their friends and family.

Helping to shape the Messenger Kids app, Facebook said it has worked closely with Youth Advisors over the years, made up of experts in online safety, child development and media.

Facebook said it also consulted with child safety advocates and educators across Africa to ensure that its providing a service that balances parental control with features that help kids learn how to connect responsibly online.

Messenger Kids is made for Kids but controlled by parents, the app is full of features for kids to connect with the people they love. Once their account is set up by a parent, kids can start a one-on-one or group video chat.

The home screen shows them at a glance who they are connected to, and when those contacts are online.

“We are delighted with and welcome S&P Global’s decision to affirm the bank’s AAA/A-1+ rating. It reflects the bank’s very strong financial position and risk management�

President, AfDB,

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina

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Akwa Ibom Cocoa Farmers Receive Seedlings, Farm Inputs Okon Bassey in Uyo Akwa Ibom State Government has distributed 500,000 cocoa seedlings and other agro-based farming inputs to farmers in the state.

The exercise which marked the commencement of the new cocoa planting season was in line with the determination of the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel to boost agriculture and food security for the people of the state.

The Commmissioner for Agriculture and Women Affairs, Dr. Glory Edet, made the presentation recently, on behalf of the Governor at Odoro Ikpe, Ini LGA Cocoa nursery farm.

Edet, said Emmanuel’s support to cocoa farming has made the state the largest cocoa producing state in Nigeria.

“Beyond ensuring abundance in cocoa production in the state, Akwa Ibom now has the best variety of cocoa in the country. “The governor has ensured that agro chemicals are also distributed to the farmers to wade off pests while fertilizers and sprayers have also been provided to the cocoa farmers to increase their yields,� she stated.

The State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, ALFAN, Otoinwang Bassey Inyang, in a goodwill message thanked the governor for the consistent support to farmers.

He noted the regime of Governor Emmanuel has witnessed the best intervention in the growth of agriculture business in the state.

The Chairman of Ini local government, Mr Isreal Idaisin, thanked the state governor for

appointment of their daughter as Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Women Affairs, maintaining that it was a plus to the status of the area as the food basket of the state.

He thanked the state for the 14km Ikpe Ikot Nkon -ObotmeArochukwu Road, the Cocoa Fermentation Factory and other infrastructure in the area.

In their seperate reactions, the Village head of Ikpe Ikot Nkon, Eteidung Ndueso Bassey Udowo, and two cocoa farmers, Chief Monday Solomon Udoh from Ikoi Eben Obon and Mrs. Uduak Aniekan Akpan from Odoro Ikpe, all of Ini LGA, expressed appreciation to Governor Emmanuel for his love and interest in Cocoa farmers as demonstrated in the provision of free improved cocoa seedlings and farming inputs to them.

ITF to Establish Demonstration Farms to Boost Agric Training Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has concluded plan to identify arable lands owned by the Fund to establish demonstration farms, which will be used for the training of extension workers and youths nationwide.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Suleyol Fred Chagu, head of public relations of ITF. Chagu said the demonstration farm was just a part of a wider plan of the Fund’s continued efforts to improve its service delivery and facilitate the actualization of its mandate of equipping Nigerians with requisite skills for employment.

According to Chagu, the Fund has concluded arrangements to begin the implementation of its second phase of its plan, christened ‘ITF Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Mandate Actualization’ of which the farm is just a part.

The first phase of the plan,

which was implemented between 2016 and early 2020, according to the statement, equipped over 500,000 Nigerians with skills, 70 percent of which are now gainfully employed or are successful entrepreneurs.

She said that the Director General of the Fund, Sir Joseph Ari, while unveiling the plan during an engagement with top management of the Fund, said he was expecting ‘hundred percent homegrown’, targeted at rectifying the pitfalls observed in the implementation of the first phase, while also seeking to build on the achievements of the first phase and support the initiatives of the Federal Government, especially in the Agricultural sector.

Chagu explained further that, “The DG disclosed that the plan, which implementation will commence immediately and terminate in 2024, will focus on nine key areas of the Fund’s activities namely: Direct Training Services, Revenue Generation and Sustainable

Funding, Resource Utilization, Special Intervention Programmes, Human Capital Development, Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), Research and Development, Automation of Business Processes and other Programmes/Services. “Under the Direct Training Services, which is the core mandate of the Fund, the DG said the ITF would focus on Curriculum Development, E-Learning, Consultancy Services, Standardization and Certification, Re-engineering Business Development Support (BDS) Services for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Technical and Vocational Skills Programmes, Certification of Apprentices, Technicians and Craftsmen as well as Performance and Productivity Improvement Training, while training programmes will be developed for the Maritime and Oil and Gas sectors that were hitherto not given priority attention by the Fund.

Old Mutual Partners Lagos on e-Learning for Schools Ebere Nwoji Old Mutual Insurance has announced the donation of learning materials and financial support for the ongoing e-Learning system introduced by the Lagos State Ministry of Education for school children.

The company, said it made the donation to help the state government fast-track the adoption of virtual learning especially amongst children from vulnerable communities across the state.

The firm, which is the Nigerian subsidiary of the pan-African insurance firm and global financial services provider, Old Mutual Limited, said it would be collaborating with states through digital and some traditional means of

education, which include support for Math on the Ministry’s digital platform ‘Roducate’ to providing radio sets for more traditional forms of engagement.

In addition, the firm said it would be launching a financial education series for teachers across Lagos state public schools to boost their capacity to impart financial literacy for students and to help them build financial security for themselves.

Speaking during the signing of the partnership deal and presentation of the support materials to Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, in Lagos, the Managing Director, Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Company Limited, Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, said: “For us, it is a fulfilment of

one of the values we hold very dear at Old Mutual. As an institution, there are five pillars of responsibilities; one of which is the responsibility to our people and the community where we operate. “This step is in alignment with these principles that are very dear to us. We are happy to partner with the Lagos State government, particularly in the quest to drive virtual learning among school children.�

Omosehin, noted that the Lagos State government has been very proactive in providing education, and as an organisation, his company understands that the children have a chance at a better future when provided with requisite and global standard learnings at a very early age.

Overcoming Sexual Harassment at Work We have all learnt via various media in recent times about girls being sexually harassed or raped. The latest one is the story of a popular musician who on social media was alleged to have sexually harassed a young lady. He was also accused of intimidating and trying to coerce the girl he allegedly raped to recant her story. There are several reports where the perpetrators of this dastardly act also murder their victims.

We’ve also read about notable sexual harassment cases outside of Nigeria and the sort of redress the victims have been able to garner when cases were reported, investigated and resolved either by punishment, settlements or sacking to bring the matter to a close.

In Nigeria, sexual harassment is rampant but hardly ever reported. I remember earlier in my career, a senior colleague hit my behind. To say I was shocked at his behaviour, was an understatement because he was someone I respected. I gave him a stern warning and he never repeated the mistake. However, not everybody is as lucky as I was. Men and women have suffered terribly from sexual harassment and have had to bear all kinds of negative comments and psychological trauma to overcome their situation. Many have had to resign in order to get away from the situation and those who have managed to report had to resign because of retaliations.

A 2015 Cosmopolitan survey found that about one in three women report that they’ve been sexually harassed in the workplace.

Like me, 38 per cent said the harassment came from a male boss. More than 70 per cent, however, did not report their abuse.

According to Donna Ballman, a respected employment lawyer and author of Stand Up for Yourself Without Getting Fired. “It’s extremely hard to prove and win a sexual harassment claim, I’ve found that retaliation seems to be the norm, rather than the exception, when it comes to sexual harassment.�

The data bear that out. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), charges of retaliation linked to discrimination claims more than doubled from 1997 to 2015, to just under 40,000, overtaking charges of racial discrimination.

That said, Ballman continued: “Women (and men) are justifiably afraid to report sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is not about sex. It’s about power. If you don’t speak up about a sexual harasser, he or she will keep doing it and accelerate their behavior.�

environment,� is way more common than quid pro quo. Hostile environment is where you’re being harassed due to your gender.

This could be comments about your gender being inferior, sexual comments or treating people of your gender differently than the opposite sex.

If the harasser is making comments or treating you differently, he or she may also be targeting others of your sex. Watch carefully and take good notes of comments directed to you and to others. Again, include date, time, place and any witnesses. If it’s just you, then still document it.

8 Steps to Take Here’s Ballman with her eight steps to take if you believe you’re the victim of sexual harassment at work: 1. Document any quid pro quo. One type of sexual harassment, called “quid pro quo sexual harassment,� is where you’re offered a job, promotion or favours if you submit to the harasser — or are threatened that you’ll be demoted, fired or disciplined if you don’t. So if any offers or threats are being made, write down the date, time, place and any witnesses.

Don’t worry if there are no witnesses.

Harassers are usually too smart to do it in front of others.

2. Document any comments and different treatment you’ve received. The other type of sexual harassment, called “hostile

8. Get the heck out. If your company won’t do anything and you don’t feel safe there, start looking for a position elsewhere.

Don’t let the harasser bully you out of a job before you’re ready, but don’t feel trapped either.

Kerry Hannon said, “If you don’t report sexual harassment, there will be other victims and the behavior will get worse.

Stand up for your right to a safe workplace.

Your employer has a duty to keep your workplace free of sexual harassment. It’s the law.�

3. Keep your notes in a safe place. Don’t put them on your work computer, in a desk drawer or somewhere where your employer can take them. Instead, keep them in a purse or briefcase or write them on your home computer. If you’re fired, you’ll be prevented from taking your notes from your work computer and they may be conveniently “lost.�

4. Gather your evidence. If the harasser is texting, emailing or sending cards or notes, keep copies. Don’t delete them.

Make sure you take a screen shot of any texts or Snapchats and print them so you don’t lose them if your device crashes or you buy a new one. Print out emails, too, and keep them in a safe place.

5. Report the harassment at work. Reporting sexual harassment is a requirement before you can sue. You have to give the employer a chance to correct the situation.

Make sure you’ve followed the company sexual harassment policy, if there is one, and reported your concern to the correct person. The employer should have alternate people to report it to in case one is your harasser.

I suggest reporting it in writing. If you’ve only reported it verbally, follow up in writing. Write something like, ‘This will confirm our conversation on June 15, 2016 in which I reported sexual harassment by my supervisor. Mr. Lagbaja. I reported the following instances of sexual harassment to you: [list them]. Please take prompt action to investigate this matter and address this situation.’ Remember, the employer doesn’t have to fire the harasser or tell you what action was taken. They only have to make it stop.

If he or she does it again or retaliates, report it. Once the company is on notice that a person is a harasser, it will be strictly liable if they don’t stop him or her.

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Kallon: Nigeria Remains Critical Economic Hub in Africa The United Nations Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon, in this interview says Nigeria remains Africa’s economic hub and will continue to enjoy support towards realising its economic potential. He also shares his views about other aspects of the Nigerian economy. James Emejo brings the excerpts: Nigeria continues to experience both natural and human-made disasters which expose communities to long-term risks and conditions that jeopardise their rights to safety, dignity and livelihood, thus limiting their ability to achieve development goals.

In response, therefore, the UN system is contributing to scaling up the response for IDPs, returnees and host communities, including children and adolescents facing vulnerabilities such as detention, harassment and forced recruitment.

The UN system is supporting the government to develop and enhance productivity in agriculture, manufacturing and services, thereby reducing the dependence on crude oil sales for revenue and foreign exchange. The focus is on supporting the government to creating economic opportunities, empowering youths and women, integrating rural communities, creating decent jobs and reducing poverty. We are also supporting the development of appropriate policies and frameworks for safeguarding the environment and ensuring food security.

No doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on Nigeria’s economy.

What is your assessment of developments in the country since the outbreak of the virus?

The prevailing economic situation is dire not only in Nigeria but across the world. Nigeria’s situation is very serious because of her reliance on oil, the prices of which has hit rock bottom because of the pandemic. However, Nigeria is a resilient country as proven over the years. Therefore, I believe the country would come out stronger from the current economic situation. Nigeria just needs to pursue economic diversification more vigorously in the post-COVID era. The power sector should be fixed to enhance MSMEs and create jobs.

How can the Nigerian government effectively manage human incidences resulting from the pandemic?

The federal government needs to scale up social protection and safety programmes targeting the vulnerable and the urban poor affected by COVID-19; scale up economic stimulus packages for key sectors of the economy, particularly the agriculture sector that is currently experiencing both demand and supply-side shocks. Government should implement generous tax cuts for private sector firms willing to continue paying their employees despite the lull in business activities.

What is your assessment of Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis?

The humanitarian situation in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe remains amongst the most acute crises in the world. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations is extremely concerned about the situation of the most vulnerable people in the country, including the 7.9 million affected by the humanitarian crisis in the north-east.

We are encouraged by the commitment of all stakeholders including the Government of Nigeria and the international community to continue to work together in addressing the massive humanitarian needs particularly for women and children and laying the foundations for recovery of the region.

Over the past year, we have seen a resurgence in violent attacks, and civilians continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. Aid workers have also become a direct target and 12 of our colleagues have lost their lives in 2019. We must also remember that two female aid workers, Alice Loksha and Grace Taku, are still being held hostage, after too many months in captivity.

The escalating attacks also mean that it is now more difficult – and in some locations impossible – for aid workers to reach some of the people who desperately need their assistance, particularly in Borno State (Kala-Balge, Marte, Kukawa, Nganzai, Magumeri, Guzamala). Despite the challenging operating context, the humanitarian community was able to reach 5.2 million people with life-saving assistance in 2019, including 2.4 million people who received food assistance every month. Aid workers save the lives of more than 650 malnourished children every day in 2019.

In 2020, aid organisations stand resolute to continue our engagement towards the most vulnerable people in Nigeria, in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

What is the quantum of the UN’s intervention in the country both in kind and cash?

The United Nations system in Nigeria is big with 23 UN agencies carrying out life-saving interventions; and effectively responding to national development initiatives of Nigeria But, let me first establish that our conduct as international civil servants and activities as United Nations system in Nigeria are guided by the United Nations Charter which stipulates four purposes of our existence: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to work together to improve living conditions of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms; and to be a forum for helping nations

Kallon achieve these goals.

The modality and the framework of UN engagement at the country level is the same across the member states. The UN’s support to the government and people of Nigeria is embodied in a Common Country Programme Document called the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (UNSDPF). This UNSDPF: 2018-2022, the 4th in the series which started in 2002, outline the strategic direction and results expected from the cooperation between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the UN System in Nigeria. The UNSDPF (2018-2022) serves as a collective support and response of the UN system to the national development initiatives of the Government in implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Africa Union Agenda 2063 and other internationally agreed declarations. The Partnership Framework, as we call it, is built on effective partnership and the UN programming principles of human rights, inclusive development, gender equality and women empowerment, sustainable development and resilience, and accountability.

It also places emphasis on capacity building for government institutions which provide basic services, as well as on communities emerging from crisis, including those in the north-east.

In broad terms, the Sustainable Development Goals framework of 17 Goals hinged on 5 Ps (People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity and Partnership), forms the basis of the UN interventions in Nigeria since January 2016. To that extent, UN’s interventions in the country are crystallised into three results areas: Governance, Human Rights, Peace & Security; Equitable Quality Basic Services; and Sustainable and Inclusive Growth and Development.

We do a lot to promote good governance and the rule of law in Nigeria. The UN system in Nigeria places premium and special focus on increasing citizen’s confidence and engagement in governance and public service delivery mechanisms, by supporting the fight against corruption and reinforcing the accountability frameworks. The National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria in partnership with the United Nations and with the support of the United Kingdom, launched the report on the Second Survey on Corruption in Nigeria in December 2019. Women’s representation in decision making positions is another area of intervention by the UN in Nigeria. We support the government in building the capacity of the judiciary for improved handling of corruption cases and the National Assembly for enhanced oversight functions; as well as empowering the civil societies, including women and youth groups, religious leaders and traditional rulers, trade associations, local communities and persons with disabilities for increased participation

in anti-corruption campaign.

All UN’s interventions in Nigeria are guided by the spirit and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We work closely with the National Human Rights Commission to ensure that government and its agencies as duty bearers, uphold at all times, the fundamental human rights of rights holders.

The UN is addressing the violent conflicts and attendant insecurity as development challenges in Nigeria. We leverage on our global network of expertise, and partner with the government and other stakeholders at all levels to provide quality advisory service, youth and women participation in peace processes, capacity strengthening, and technical support for conflict prevention, mediation and reconciliation, psychosocial support through the establishment of early warning mechanisms and the national peace architecture. On the peace architecture, the UN is ready to support the government of Nigeria to create a National Peace Commission and the Senate has passed a bill for the Act providing for the establishment of the National Commission for Peace, Reconciliation and Mediation. I have written to the SGF expressing our readiness to support both the Executive and Legislature to make this process more inclusive and consensual. As regards provision of equitable quality basic services, the UN in Nigeria and partners, including the line Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government at the federal and state levels, private sector and local and international NGOs, are focusing on most disadvantaged, and ensuring that Nigerian citizens have access and use quality health, nutrition and HIV & AIDS services.

It is important to note at this point, that the UN in Nigeria supported the HIV/AIDS prevalence survey, which helps in understanding the prevalence of HIV AIDs in the Country.

The UN, through learning and skills development interventions, is working in the areas of strengthening the education systems’ capacity to deliver and contribute to scaling up quality services within safe learning environments, using a life cycle approach from early childhood development to post-secondary levels. These interventions provide children and young people with the skills for live long learning and for contributing to greater social cohesion and economic development, in partnership with communities.

In the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector, the UN works in the areas of advocacy for greater political commitment and accountability.

We also see to capacity building at both national and subnational levels to legislate and formulate evidence-based plans and budgets, as well as coordinate, monitor and mobilise resources for scaling-up equitable WASH interventions.

SpeciďŹ cally, what has been the UN’s response to the humanitarian/economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria?

It is no longer news that COVID-19 has depleted global economy and Nigeria’s is no exemption.

National economy and individual businesses are creaking under the pressure of coronavirus pandemic.

The UN’s response to COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria has been comprehensive and well-coordinated with the Government of Nigeria. The first step we took as the UN in Nigeria, was to raise the UN COVID-19 Task Team for the coordination of One UN response.

The UN system quickly reprogrammed US$ 3.2 million and procured in a timely manner essential medical supplies including 50 ventilators, 25,000 test kits, 5 ambulances and thousands of PPEs for immediate support to government’s Response.

We knew that for the national COVID-19 response to be efficient and effective, we must cooperate, collaborate and coordinate with government and development partners. Therefore, on 23 March 2020, the UN Country leadership engaged with the national COVID 19 leadership of Nigeria (comprising of Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Nigeria Disease Control Centre (NCDC), and the Ministry of Health) and key multilateral and bilateral donors to discuss the unfolding emergency. We collectively agreed to adopt the “Four Ones� guiding principles of engagement for national authorities and partners to respond to the pandemic: One National COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Response Plan; One COVID-19 National Coordinating Authority with a broad-based multi-sector mandate; One COVID-19 M&E System for tracking and reporting progress; and One COVID-19 Financing and Investment Platform.

Having recognised that the scale of the response must match the magnitude of the pandemic, the UN in Nigeria and the federal government established the Nigeria/ UN COVID-19 Basket Fund. The Basket Fund was jointly launched on 6 April, by the UN, the Government of Nigeria, the multilateral partners and the private sector. Multilateral Donors like the EU have welcomed the Basket Fund and confirmed Euro 50 million to the Basket on 5 May 2020 through UNDP. UK (DFID), Switzerland and Germany and other bilateral Donors are also considering contributions to the Basket. The Private sector foundations are also considering contributions to the Basket. For example, APM Terminals has contributed $200,000, the Dangote Foundation has also made an initial contribution of N1.5 billion ($3.8 million) to the UN Basket on 7 May 2020.

Other Foundations are awaiting due diligence. Total Funding mobilised for the COVID 19 response to the UN Basket as of 26 May 2020 is $ 60.2 million.

To strengthen the Nigeria healthcare system to enable it to cope better with the threat of the pandemic, the UN has further donated to the Government of Nigeria, thousands of essential clinical management, surveillance, and preventive and control items, from the COVID-19 Basket Fund.

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

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Smart: TechnologyWillImproveServiceDelivery inInsurance Sector The outgoing Chairman, Nigeria Insurers Association, Mr. Tope Smart, in this interview speaks about the relevance of technology in service delivery in the insurance sector, the challenges facing the sector, as well on other issues. Ebere Nwoji provides the excerpts: You have been piloting the affairs of the Nigeria Insurers Association (NIA) in the past two years, what are the major achievements the industry recorded within the period?

With all sense of modesty, the insurance industry has achieved a lot in the last two years. I will attempt to highlight a few of them. For me, the greatest achievement is the recognition of the insurance sector by President Muhammadu Buhari. This is the first time in the history of the insurance industry in Nigeria that our sector will get the attention and commendation of the number one citizen of Nigeria. This is a big deal and we are building on this so that the insurance industry can take its proper place in the configuration of the country. This is not a mean feat when you look at how the sector has been bastardised in the past. Apart from this, other achievements are our intervention with respect to Covid-19 that came in two parts. We arranged a life insurance cover for up to 5,000 health and frontline workers all over the federation. We collaborated with other stake holders in the industry and donated the sum of N500 million to the federal government to further contain the spread of the virus. We worked tirelessly, towards the construction of NIA building and it has reached an advanced stage. On recapitalisation, we are in full support of the exercise and we embarked on various engagements with critical stakeholders such as NAICOM and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). We used the opportunity of our engagement with NSE to solicit the support of capital market operators for our members. We pursued with renewed vigor, the tax law which was unfavourable to the insurance industry. We escalated the issue up to the National Assembly and thank God, the tax law has finally been amended through the 2020 Finance Bill. In the area of corporate social responsibility, we carried out a renovation of the school hall of Baptist Junior Secondary School in Obanikoro. In the area of professionalism, we are working with another arm of the industry to develop a framework to ensure that the business of insurance is done with utmost professionalism.

The implementation of this will soon start.

We also developed the Promotion of Nigeria Insurance Industry Database (NIID) and Nigeria Insurance Industry Platform (NIIP) platforms to eradicate parallel markets from our environment.

The economy is projected to go into recession by the end of 2020. What measures should insurers adopt to cushion the impact on their operations?

My advice is that this is the time to eliminate unreasonable expenses and conserve resources as much as possible in preparation for economic downturn. In addition, the risk management mechanism of each company must be activated in order to withstand the headwinds that may come.

The insurance industry has a new Commissioner. What are some of things you want him to focus on to transform the market?

Once again, let me use this opportunity to congratulate the new Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas on his appointment as the Commissioner for Insurance. He is a thorough bred professional and a round peg in a round hole. For me, his priority should be market development. He should come up with strategies to develop the market. By so doing, we shall increase market penetration and also increase our contribution to the GDP. The second area is to focus on confidence building in the minds of the insuring public.

Insurance companies must meet their obligations as and when due. Once this is done, members of the public will be motivated towards embracing insurance. Rules should be designed and companies who fail to play by the rules should be sanctioned. The third

The industry will continue to partner with governments at various levels in the task of nation building. We will ensure that the benefits of insurance are made available to all the policy holders so that we can continue to perform our role as the bedrock of the economy.

NAICOM said it will come up with fresh guidelines on recapitalisation after Covid-19. However, some NIA members said they would have been better off with the tier-based recapitalisation. Is the NIA likely going to request that it should be revisited in place of share capital increase?

The tier-based capital introduced by NAICOM was no doubt a very good model but it failed because of the way the model was implemented. Frankly speaking, I see it as a very good model that will enable operators play according to their different capacities.

Also, the model is aspirational in nature. The fact that you are a tier-2 company today does not preclude you from aspiring to be a tier-1 company which can be achieved if you bring in additional capital. Unfortunately, we can’t go back to it as NAICOM has moved from there to minimum paid up capital.

Smart area of focus should be on digital technology.

Technological advancement at NAICOM and also at the level of operators should be a front burner issue for the commission.

What were the challenges encountered in the course of your tenure as NIA Chairman?

I faced a number of challenges during my tenure as Chairman. I will highlight a few of them.

The first was getting every player to key into some laudable initiatives I considered very germane to the upliftment of the industry.

Some of our members allowed their selfish motives to override the overall corporate interest of the industry. Until we are able to promote corporate interest over our individual parochial interests, the industry may not be able to reach its full potential. The second one was having to sacrifice the interest of NEM because of my position as the chairman of the association.

This I did in a number of ways but I have no regret whatsoever because each time I had to take these decisions, I was focused on the bigger picture. Another challenge was that I had to share my time and devoted more time for the affairs of the association. As a leader, you have to be there for your members. Most of the time, I had to sacrifice my time, energy

My advice is that this is the time to eliminate unreasonable expenses and conserve resources as much as possible in preparation for economic downturn.

In addition, the risk management mechanism of each company must be activated in order to withstand the headwinds that may come

and also resources in the overall interest of the industry.

You came into the leadership of NIA when the industry was under trial in terms of response to payment of claims, how much were you able to address this situation during your tenure?

This issue has been largely addressed as I constituted a disciplinary committee and defaulting companies were invited to face the committee and errant members were given a deadline to pay their claims or face expulsion.

With this, the response of our members have improved significantly.

What is the level of progress at the ongoing construction of the NIA building?

We are making significant progress with regards to NIA building. But for the lockdown on account of Covid-19, the edifice would have reached about 80 per cent completion by now. Notwithstanding, our contractors have mobilised to site after the relaxation of the lockdown and work on the edifice is progressing.

What support is NIA offering members with the Covid-19 to ensure they survive the recapitalisation?

We have engaged our regulator (National Insurance Commission) to consider the disruption to the process of capitalisation on account of COVID-19. Through our engagement, NAICOM has amended the original recapitalisation circular by extending and segmenting the process into two phases. Members now have up to 30th September, 2021 to comply with the new capital requirements.

With pandemic disrupting global businesses, what can the insurance market in Nigeria do differently to improve lives of policy holders and deepen insurance penetration?

Despite the pandemic and the lockdown, our members have continued to meet their claim obligations even during the lockdown as our members worked throughout the period, albeit remotely. Our policy holders were quite impressed with this, and this action has given them more confidence in the insurance industry.

What should the industry do to fully maximise its potential?

Customers are still complaining of poor service delivery. From the NIA viewpoint, what should companies do?

Technology is one of the ways to improve service delivery. At our recent retreat, we advised our members to upscale their technology in order to improve service delivery.

Can we have a peep into the audited ďŹ nancial statement for NEM Insurance for 2019?

A review of our performance shows that gross premium last year grew by 13 per cent from N15 billion in 2018 to N19.8 billion in 2019. Net premium also increased by 18 per cent from N10.6 billion in 2018 to N12.6 billion in 2019. Shareholders fund also increased from N12.4 billion in 2018 to N14.1billion in 2019.

Net claims paid during this period increased by 54 per cent from N2.5 billion to N3.9 billion while investment income decreased by eight per cent, from N953 million to N878 million, due to low yield on investments. The huge claims paid during the period had a negative impact on our bottom line as profit before tax came down from N2.6 billion to N1.9 billion, a decrease of 29 per cent. However, profit after tax increased from N2 billion to N2.4 billion, an increase of 18 per cent due to deferred tax asset. From our associate in Ghana, we achieved an increase in profit from N21.2 million in 2018, to N21.4 million in 2019. We are confident of improving on this next year.

Can you share your best moment during your two-year tenure as NIA Chairman?

Despite all the challenges, I must admit that I enjoyed my time as chairman of the association. The fact that given the time limit, I was able to achieve some of my dreams for the industry gave me so much joy. The intervention initiative of NIA/Industry for which the President personally acknowledged was one of the best moments of my chairmanship. Aside this, as chairman, I had and enjoyed a very good relationship with our regulator. By the grace of God, I was able to get a lot of concessions from the Commission for our members without any rancor. This gave me so much joy and fulfilment. I believe that these modest achievements I recorded have enabled me to take the industry to a new level by the grace of God, without whom all of these would not have been possible. I will also use this opportunity to thank my wife and children, the Board of NEM and all my colleagues who gave me all the support even when I had to sacrifice the interest of NEM because of the industry. I must equally thank all my colleagues in the industry for the massive support I enjoyed during my tenure.

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IMAGES

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×

Members of FCT Covid 19 Emergency response team, including Sample collectors, and laboratory scientist during a protest on the non Payment of their three month Hazard allowance at the Entrance of Federal Capital Territory Authority in Abuja...recently

Concern APC Members, protesting against the conduct of APC National Working Committee(NWC) at the gate of APC national secretariat in Abuja...recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

L-R: A trader at Oba Market; Governor Godwin Obaseki and Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo during the governor’s on-the-spot assessment of parts of the market that was razed by ďŹ re...recently

Ondo State governorship aspirant, Mr. Duerimini Isaac Kekemeke (middle) and other APC members from ondo state addressing the journalists after the collection of interest forms at APC secretariat in Abuja...recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

L-R: Minister of Labourand Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; Governor Sani Bello of Niger State and Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa  at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...recently

L-R: Second Secretary, Australian High Commission to Nigeria, Greg Klemm; Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor; Australian High Commissioner, Claire Ireland; and Special Adviser to the Minister, Priscilla Achakpa, during the High Commissioner’s visit to the Minister’s oďŹƒce in Abuja...recently

Students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria who just graduated from China in Railway Engineering, during the ceremony in China...recently

L-R: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Health. Dr. Osagie Ehanire; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, at a news conference on the strike by the National Association of Residents Doctors, in Abuja...recently

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EDUCATION ‘Oyetola Administration Has Restored Lost Glory of Education in Osun’ Hon. Jamiu Babatunde Olawumi, the Special Adviser on Education to Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State recently attended a special education summit in Ilorin, Kwara State capiital. He spoke with some journalists, including Hammed Shittu on the state of education in the state and country in general. Excerpts:

T

here was an issue about the federal college of education that was approved by the federal government for Osun State.

Initially there was controversy over where it was located, as the host government, what is the situation now?

The state government has no position and the federal government owns its college. It has been given to Iwo and I have visited Iwo, myself and commissioner to look at what they can offer about permanent site and temporary site. And Iwo people have positioned themselves to receive the college.

So since the federal government is the owner of the college, we are only to host. They didn’t allow us to choose a site for them, they announced the location, if they had announced that Osun Governor, Alhaji Oyetola go and decide, it’s a different story. But the baby was given birth to and the name was attached to the arms as Federal College of Education, Iwo and so be it.

When you came into ofďŹ ce, what were the agenda of the government and how has it been so far?

Before the inauguration of the present administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola, we made wide consultations across the state. First, we went on a thank you tour in December 2018, we tagged it ‘meeting of the people at the constituency’. When we got there, the governor expressed his gratitude for all their support and we also listened to them as they made input into what the government should do in each of the constituencies. Eventually we relapsed into town hall meetings which were conducted to draw people into government.

The essence of the town hall meeting is to enable all Osun residents and citizens to make a checklist of what is demanded of the government and what the government is able to do at the end of the term. So in the town hall meetings, policies of the government for the past eight years then were looked at, and where we think we should readjust coming from the people so that they can say they are enjoying the dividends of the democracy because the first reward you have in the government is that you have your mouth there. Whatever your idea is, the government is listening so at the end of it, we collated the repertoires for the constituencies, the needs of the people and those needs form the agenda for the government to run. So what the governor did in the first year was to try to situate these demands of governance and those informed his choices of cabinet members so that whoever is coming in, has an agenda already drawn by the people or the governor himself. So that was how we started, education was given the mandate of what to do as demanded by the people and so on and so forth. Before I came into office, there was Department of Foreign Development (DFID), I also consulted on the needs of the people across the state and then their report, as concerned education was also forwarded to us and those requests from the people and the DFID also corroborated the town hall meeting report. So for instance, all the policies in education that we are looking at today were drawn from the town hall meetings and DFID reports.

What is the policy of your administration on education?

In our first memo to the executive council, myself and the commissioner diligently discussed those issues, our memo is a sixpoint memo to the executive council. One of those issues there is the National Policy on Education, the policy is 6-3-3-4 meanng six

Olawumi years in primary school, three years in junior school, three years in senior school and four years in tertiary education as applicable. For eight years, Osun State did not run 6-3-3-4 but 4-5-3-4. Let me explain that; it means that primary five and six were moved into secondary school prematurely. If you look at the age grade expected in junior secondary school, you don’t expect anybody below age 10 and if you go by the policy that a child must be six years before he starts primary school, so by 12 or 13, that’s when a child should be in secondary school and if you look at the morphological development of individuals at a particular age, a particular person can’t operate higher than his or her age. It means what we had then was having a nine-year-old in secondary school meeting with those who are older who could be bullies and exposed to some other things beyond the age of that child. The surprising aspect of it is that while the government is running 4-5-3-4, the private schools which are more than the public schools with over 4,000 schools; these private schools were not running government programme because it was not enforced. it means children of the poor were made aliens in their fatherland, they were running a programme that was not in the interest of their future for eight years. One of the negative takeaways of that was that we did not award primary six certificate in Osun for eight years. If you want to join military, they’ll ask for your primary six certificate so those who graduated in primary school at that point in time didn’t have the primary six certificate which you and I had so that policy can’t be sustained again. It is one of the policies we reviewed and anyone who thinks leaving primary school without certificate is a norm

will have a problem convincing Nigerians.

One of the policies is making a unisex school coeducational, for instance, there is Baptist Girls High School and St. Charles Grammar School in Osogbo. St Charles is male only while the former is for female, if you now bring boys to Baptist Girls or girls to St. Charles and when they write WAEC, that will create confusion when an individual named Demola Johnson graduates from Baptist Girls High School which is for females. So if our government did not at that point think through what they were doing and people across the state, parents, stakeholders and even the children themselves are saying that we are making their future too challenging, help us revert it and I don’t think we’ve done badly. Another one is the structure itself, the 4-5-3-4, our reason at that time was because we were feeding primary one to four, we don’t want primary five and six to be traumatized, so we moved them to secondary school, good reason, sociological reason but it is not sustainable because it doesn’t help their future, food is not everything. By the way, let me inform us that the Oyinlola government started school feeding. It was not started by APC, it was inherited by our administration, so anybody who thinks that it was created by APC government perhaps doesn’t know the history of that programme. So if you now say because primary five and six will be traumatised because they were not fed, they should be moved on to secondary school without certificate because of food so it could be impulsive when we were taking the decision but in fair fact, it is for the good of all. So we are talking about policy that will make our party sustainable and remain in the heart of the people as a very better party because we have two contending parties, APC and PDP. In the past administration, there were some discrepancies in terms of certain policies, for instance, the mixing up of schools and the 6-3-3-4 system. Is there anyway these errors will be corrected in the future?

After our memo to the council, the governor raised another committee to look at the crucial issues. One of them is the mixing of schools and non-conformity of some local governments to the 6-3-3-4 system.

Education anywhere in the world cannot be funded by government alone, there are stakeholders who support the government.

For example, the old students association who have assisted in providing certain infrastructures for some schools. The review committee succeeded in reverting the names of some schools to their old names. The panel was made up of emeritus professors and educators who were not politicians.

These people gave us professional advice on what to do. This is not about anybody but the future of future leaders.

Pundits believe that the governor was part of the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, what was his mind at that point in time on advising his principal on the policy that was currently reviewied?

I am currently the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education and the best I can do if he doesn’t do my bidding is to throw in the towel. The governor tells you what he wants to achieve and as a supporter, you assist him in achieving those goals.

Aregbesola’s administration achieved so many things in eight years. Everybody was given a bit of governance which did not allow them to match the space, so as to encourage him to take another look at those policies. As the current administration, we must do whatever we can do to adjust those policies.

What has your administration been doing to woo teachers towards moving education forward?

Myself and the Commissioner for Education, Folorunsho Adedoyin started a stakeholders meeting, we met with NUT, ANCOPPS, forum of old students association. We also met with principals, headmasters and so many of them. We shared our ideas with them and they also shared theirs. They told us their problem. Then after we reassembled secondary and primary school teachers together and we apologized profusely to them for what they passed through in the hands of our administration. For half salaries to some and full to some. After the meeting, we gave all of them our phone numbers. And it was the first time teachers would ever have access to government on how to run schools. And today no parent or guardian can ever come to assault the teachers; it was the assault teachers received that led to the lockdown of schools in the state. Let your teacher know the worth of what he/ she is doing, give your teacher integrity let him/her know the qualities of a teacher is inside him/her. By doing this he/she will teach well. One of the problems we had when students became unruly was that almost all school wore the same uniform, no polices for uniform recognition, hardly do you know the difference between each schools uniform and this act resulted to something bad. For example a politician who is against the government can use that as an allegation. And cultists use them for causing harm in the state. If Aregbesola were to be here it would have been fixed.

School badge on the uniform couldn’t help because you have to move closer to see the name of the school. Now market women, textile dealers and the tailors make more profit from that, using materials. But by next academic session every school would go back to its own uniform. Those who were tempted to sell during the single uniform were taken to Ilesha and were remanded in prison for adulteration. The economic aspect that has been lost has been restored.

Edo Varsity Iyamho Promotes Three to Professorial Cadre Sunday Ehigiator The Vice-Chancellor, Edo University Iyamho, Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, in a virtual Senate meeting held on June 16, 2020 announced that the Edo University Iyamho Governing Council has approved the promotion of three of the university’s staff to the rank of professors The vice-chancellor stated that the exercise was in line with the

university’s culture of promoting excellence, hard work and dedication to duty.

A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Barrister Betcher Ekhosuhun, said the staff whose papers were sent out for external assessment by the university management and were returned positive and subsequently elevated include Dr. Simon Olufemi Abifarin of the Department of Public

and International Law, promoted from associate professor to Professor; Dr. David Umoru of the Department of Economics, promoted from associate professor to professor; and Dr. Dawood Omolumen Egbefo of the Department of History and International Studies promoted from associate professor to professor.

The vice-chancellor congratulated the newly promoted staff for their hard work and contributions to the

development of the university and charged others to commit themselves to hard work as the university management will always reward hard work and dedication to duty Edo University Iyamho is currently in session online via her CANVAS Learning Management System, despite the COVID-19 pandemic in order to be able to graduate her students in line with the university calendar.

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T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 24, 2020

EDUCATION

Before UNICAL’s Governing Council Appoints a NewVC AK Agbor

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he appointment of a vicechancellor of a university is a critical task entrusted to the governing council of each university as stipulated by extant laws governing the running of ivory towers in Nigeria. Although such powers to appoint are clearly vested on the university’s governing council, the roles of other critical stakeholders such as the visitor - often the president and minister of education have likewise been imminent.

In recent past, there have been frantic efforts to stem out the meddlesomeness of the federal government in the appointment of vice-chancellors across federal universities. Because of the delicate nature of university leadership and politics, the appointment of a a substantive VC has also been focused on appointing an insider within that particular university.

Such a candidate is believed to have the requisite knowledge and understanding of the workings of the university at stake.

The trend of bringing or appointing an outsider from the university as VC has been fought and frowned against vehemently.

It is within the prism of these set standards and modalities that the forthcoming appointment of the University of Calabar should hinged on. Since its establishment in 1975 as a citadel of learning and as a campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the university has continued to grow even beyond bounds, producing and moulding great individuals who have also continue to add value to society. The university at some stage had challenges and controversies, particularly with the appointment of persons outside the catchment area of the school; much of the policies - specifically in admission were even titled against Cross River indigenes. But since the era of Professors Kelvin Etta, Ivara Isu, James Epoke and the outgoing tenure of Prof. Zana Akpagu, the clock of positive change in UNICAL has been unrelenting, and has been for good.

Thus, it is on that note that the appointment of the next vice- chancellor of the University of Calabar is so crucial and critical. Critical because, university education in Nigeria has naturally become part of our national and global identity. So much that, the competitiveness among public and private universities has reached a crescendo. With the stellar performance of Prof. Akpagu, such as introducing new courses and departments, like Food Science and Technology; Mass Communication; Theatre, Film and Carnival Studies; Dentistry and Dental Science among other courses, the university has created a peculiar niche for itself in many ways.

Also, the proximity of University of Calabar to Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic has automatically situate the university as a global institution of learning. And as more universities spring up even within the Cross River area, efforts must be put in place to scale up the standards and value-added policies that will be sustainable in the long run. What is needed now is to further digitalize the school in order to project it to the rest of the world. Instructively, the era of running a university like UNICAL on analogue platforms is over.

Further, if we all agree that to move the University of Calabar forward to a digitalized and globalised citadel institution of education, an impeccable and reputable global scholar must therefore lead the university, then, we have solved future challenges headway. Granted, several candidates have already made their interests known, but the interest of Prof. Florence Obi has attracted so much rap attention that the governing council need to painstakingly look at the recruitment of a new VC closely.

While it’s not the duty of any individual or group of persons to influence, persuade or brow beat the university’s

Prof. Obi governing council to submission in the appointment of the vice- chancellor, the idea of head-hunting the best candidate should be paramount above all other factors. Yet, the council must take into cognisance candidates vying for the post of the VC, their academic standing,

capabilities, global exposure, acceptability, industry experience and network and the requisite knowledge of the university community before picking a substantive vice- chancellor. Therefore, the task before the University of Calabar’s Governing Council is and should not be embedded or align with satisfying primordial or village square exigencies, but to root for a candidate with the prerequisite capacity to project the university into the future as a global institution of learning.

More so, the experience of Prof. Obi aptly fits into the equation as far as the search for UNICAL’s VC is concerned.

As a Professor of Special Education with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Jos and a doctorate degree from University of Calabar, and certification from the globally acclaimed University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, Obi fits the billing of leading the University of Calabar to more glory in all fronts.

As a former Commissioner of Women Affairs in Cross River State Government and consultancy jobs with several United Nations (UN) agencies such as UNESCO and UN Wild Life, the chances of the university transforming to a global centre are legion.

Another salient issue the governing council should look at closely is the issue

of attracting funding, raising funds and instituting university endowment projects.

As public funding of universities shrinks by the day, due to global economic downturn, the task of the VC has gone beyond waiting for handouts and crumps from the federal government. The office requires one with the global network and reach to galvanize alumni, the private sector, philantrophers and critical stakeholders to privately fund the university.

In summation, in its 45 years history, the University of Calabar deserves an astute scholar with the touch of gold and the foresight to peep into the future through the implementation of discreet policies and increase in infrastructural projects. And in a world where global institutions are beginning to lean towards women to chart the course of sustainable development, the candidature of Prof. Obi glaringly fits into that bill and scale. Yet, the choice to elevate University of Calabar to a global academic institution lies with the governing council and the decision on who they tilt towards to. The task ahead is onerous and critical; but only the best is and should be good enough for the University of Calabar.

-Agbor, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Calabar

Corona College of Education Holds First Virtual Matriculation Ceremony Uchechukwu Nnaike Corona College of Education, Ilupeju recently held its first virtual matriculation ceremony for the first cohort of the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Care Education for 2019/2020 academic session.

A total of 40 students were successfully admitted into the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Care Education programme.

In his remarks, the Provost, Dr. Martin Obinyan, congratulated the students for being the first set in the history of the college to hold a virtual orientation programme and matriculation ceremony.

He stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the college had moved its lectures online using virtual learning platforms and other online educational resources. “I sincerely salute the commitment and passion of the Corona

Schools Trust Council and the management for the growth of this great college. I must confess that this multi-dimensional support from all stakeholders has been responsible for our continued determination to making the college one of the best performing college of education within the short period of its establishment. “We recognise that in our bid to achieve world-class status, the quality of our students is an intrinsic point of the equation

which accounts for the high diligence and premium we place in teaching and learning.�

He therefore assured everyone that the college would do well to provide the best learning experiences for the students through the use of educational technologies and therefore, expects all students to make the best of the unique learning opportunities now available to them while also respecting the rules and regulations of the college as they remain focused on their studies.

LSUBEB Kicks against Child Sexual Molestation, Holds Sensitisation Walk Funmi Ogundare The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) has appealed to all relevant stakeholders to be involved in the fight against sexual assault and child molestation.

The Chairman of the board, Wahab Alawiye-King made this appeal at the commemoration of the International Day of the African Child, with the theme, ‘Access to a Child-friendly Justice System in Africa’, held recently, The event was preceded by a sensitisation walk around Maryland, Ikeja to create awareness against sexual assault and child molestation.

Alawiye-King expressed concern about the exponential rise in cases of abuse against children, the perpetuating culture of silence, and the

impunity enjoyed by the doers of these evils.

He said this was what informed the decision of the state government, through LASUBEB to join other member states to advocate for a justice system that is accessible, age-appropriate, speedy, diligent and focused on the needs and rights of the Nigerian child.

He added that the theme was apt considering the alarming rate of reported cases of sexual abuse and molestation in the society, while reiterating the state government’s stance on the protection of rights of children. “In Lagos State, the rights of children are well encapsulated under the Child’s Rights Law 2007, a law designed to enforce the rights and advance the welfare

of children. However more needs to be done to ensure the adequate implementation of the law to guarantee a truly child-friendly justice system,� he said.

Alawiye-King enjoined the society to lend their voices against child molestation, noting that children deserve to have their rights and dignity protected. “Children are the future of our nation; we must ensure that their voices are not drowned.

They deserve to have their rights protected and preserved to grow into responsible adults. A child whose rights have been constantly violated, will likely grow up to become an adult who does not respect the rights of others.’’ The chairman reiterated that the board remains committed to

providing quality education and a child-friendly educational system for the pupils of Lagos State, while ensuring that public schools runs a system and structure that protects the best interest of young pupils by keeping them safe from all forms of abuse and increase their confidence in speaking out when oppressed.

Mrs. Folusho Ajimoti, Board Secretary, LASUBEB in her remarks said the programme was organised to create awareness in order to tackle the prevalence of child abuse in the society. “What we noticed in our society today, is that child molestation is on the increase especially sexual abuse as the media has been awash with gory tales. In fact, about 717 cases has been reported in the last five month.�

COVID-19: Special Educators Make Case for Special Needs Children Uchechukwu Nnaike As the world grapples with the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, some special educators have called on governments, teachers and caregivers to help reduce the educational inequalities of children with special needs A special educator and former Head, Department of Special Education at the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Fakolade, made the appeal while speaking at the recent webinar on Supporting Children and Persons with Special Needs During COVID-19 Pandemic, hosted by a Lagos-based frontline non-governmenal organisation on special education, the Inclusive

Education and IEP Centre (IEIEPC). “In a health crisis as COVID-19, persons with disabilities are often provided with less help. But it is the collective responsibility of governments, teachers and caregivers to help reduce educational inequality for students with disabilities, especially during a time of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic,� he said.

Fakolade, while noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the education of special needs children, decried the lack of ICT skills and knowledge by special educators, a development which currently hampers their effectiveness. “They are negatively affected by

the classroom shutdown because of the unavailability of resources such as equipment, internet access, specially designed materials and trained manpower support. Again, they cannot relate and socialize with their friends, which is equally important for their learning and development.�

Speaking also, Dr. John Oyundoyin of the Department of Special Education, University of Ibadan, said government at all levels must play active roles in ensuring the development, training and general wellbeing of people living with disabilities especially in the COVID-19 era.

The renowned special educator tasked the federal and state governments to urgently look into

all factors that hamper access to quality education of special needs individuals, including policy legislation, financing, human resources and data.

Oyundoyin also called on the government to recognise caregivers as essential service providers. “There should be recruitment of caregivers and disability organisations workers into the COVID-19 taskforce because they have a better understanding of these categories of people. Government at all levels- local, state and federal should involve the caregivers in homes, institutions and organisations as part of the systemic, long-term plan to improving the quality of life of these categories of people,� he stated.

26

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

EU, UN Deliver $22m Essential Medical Supplies to FG James Emejo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) have delivered essential medical supplies to the federal government of Nigeria to help the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The shipment, along with others coming soon, are procured through the One UN COVID-19 Basket Fund with a significant contribution from the EU - and will be valued at more than $22 million.

According to a statement, the current shipment includes, among other items, 545 oxygen concentrators, more than 100,000 test kits, infrared digital no-touch thermometers, numerous personal protective equipment (PPEs), laboratory supplies and emergency health kits that will boost the Nigerian Government’s efforts COVID-19 response and care for those affected by the

coronavirus.

The essential medical supplies would enhance efforts of the frontline responders providing care and treatment to people affected by the virus, increase testing capacity and early detection of those affected by the virus, and support the hospitalisation and management of COVID-19 cases.

The supplies were handed over to the government through the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the NPHCDA and was officially presented to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 at an event attended by high-level delegates from the EU, Ministry of Health and UN. The UN’s Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon said: “The arrival of the medical supplies will be a boost to the government’s efforts to provide an efficient and effective healthcare response for those affected by

the virus. “These vital supplies co-funded by the EU will help us to both protect healthcare workers and ensure people are tested and treated as quickly as possible to save lives.�

The European Union has contributed â‚Ź50 million through the Nigeria One UN COVID-19 response, which serves as One COVID-19 Financing and Investment Platform, through which different stakeholders (including UN, other multilateral and bilateral donors, as well as private sector donors, foundations and philanthropists) can channel their financial support to the multi-sectoral efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Response.

Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, said: “Today we take a vital step in the response to the pandemic.

Taxtech Seeks Data Protection for Public Institutions Taxaide Technologies Limited (Taxtech), a National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)-licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisation (DPCO) and an ISO 27001:2013 certified organisation has emphasised the need for public institutions to take the subject of Data Protection more seriously.

The NITDA in pursuant of its powers under the NITDA Act, on the 18th of May 2020 has also issued the guidelines for the management of personal data by public institutions.

Also, as the filing of data protection audits by data controllers nears the June 30 deadline,

the NITDA in pursuant of its powers under the NITDA Act, has issued the guidelines for the management of personal data by public institutions.

Partner, Data Protection Compliance Services, Taxtech, Oyeyemi Oke, while addressing journalists stated that it was imperative to take the conversation of data protection beyond just private organisations.

He emphasised that public institutions are custodians of an immense volume of data and without due processes in place, there are higher chances of data breach and abuse of privacy of the data subjects. “The NDPR has provided

a means to ensure the data of Nigerian citizens and all persons living within Nigeria are protected and the regulations must be adhered to by all and sundry if we are to achieve the highest standards of data privacy as a nation. There should be no sacred cows whether in the private or public sector,� Oke added.

Data Controllers are required to engage the services of DPCOs to assist with the compliance process of filing their Statutory Annual Data Protection Audit with NITDA or risk the penalty of N10 million or two per cent of their global revenues, whichever is greater in the event of a data breach.

COVID-19: NDIC Shuts Head Office for Decontamination Exercise Nigeria Deposit insurance Corporation (NDIC) has announced the commencement of routine de-contamination of its corporate head office building leading to temporary closure of business activities.

The exercise which took effect from June, 22, 2020 is expected to last till June 24.

However, normal business will resume on June 29, according to a statement issued by NDIC Director, Communications and Public Affairs. Dr. Sunday Olufemi.

He noted that the exercise was part of the recommended

guidelines for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement read: “As part of the measures put in place to safeguard the life of staff, other occupants and visitors, the corporation commenced the routine decontamination of the NDIC Head Office Building on Monday, 22nd June, 2020. “To enable the impact of the chemical used for the decontamination wear out completely and ensure a conducive working environment for staff, the Office will be opened on Monday, 29th

June, 2020. “As a responsible institution which places high premium on the health and general welfare of its workforce, members of staff have been directed to remain at home and work remotely for the duration of the exercise. “The management of the Corporation regrets any inconvenience the temporary closure of the head office will pose to the general public.�

According to the corporation, the last decontamination of the building was carried out in April, 2020.

Netflix Partners EbonyLife on Content Devt Netflix and Mo Abudu, a Nigerian producer, have entered into a groundbreaking multi-title partnership expected to growing the company’s investment in Nigerian content.

Under this partnership, Mo Abudu - through her production company, EbonyLife - would create two Netflix original series as well as multiple Netflix branded films and a series that have been licensed to the service. According to a statement, a major highlight of the partnership would be the

on-screen adaptations of literary works by two critically-acclaimed Nigerian authors: a series based on contemporary author, Lola Shoneyin’s best-selling debut novel, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, and a film adaptation of Death And The King’s Horseman, a play by 1986 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, author, poet & playwright, Wole Soyinka. “Mo is at the forefront of creative storytelling in African television. Her passion for creating high-quality, riveting multi-genre

films and TV shows that capture the imagination while showcasing the diversity and richness of Nigerian culture is evident in her impressive body of work,�

Netflix’s lead for Original Series in Africa, Dorothy Ghettuba said. “We’re thrilled about this first-of-its-kind partnership in Africa that will bring some of Nigeria - and Africa’s most iconic storytelling to screen. We look forward to supporting Mo as she brings all these diverse Nigerian stories to the world .�

L-R: Assistant Head of Sales, Amber Drinks Limited, Mr. Korede Omole; General Manager, Ms. Lola Adedeji, and Head of Sales, Temitope Adetiba, during the launch of Amber Energy Drink in Lagos‌recently

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

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͰͰ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $38.96 a barrel on Monday, compared with $39.45 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), 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

27

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

MARKET NEWS

All-Share Index Falls 0.02% on Continuing Bearish Trading Goddy Egene The bears remained in control of the market yesterday as sell pressure continued. Owing to this, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) fell by 0.02 per cent to close at 24,750.06, while market capitalisation shed N2 billion to close at N12.9 trillion.

However, the decline was marginal considering the depreciation of 0.29 per cent

recorded the previous day.

Although a total of 23 stocks depreciated compared with nine that appreciated, gains by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Zenith Bank Plc mitigated the losses. Hence, the relative lower decline witnessed by the benchmark index yesterday.

Unity Bank Plc led the price losers with 10 per cent, trailed

by Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc with 9.8 per cent. Ikeja Hotel Plc shed 9.5 per cent. Neimeth

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

International Pharmaceuticals Plc went down by 9.3 per cent as investors continued to take profit in the stock.

Neimeth had jumped by over 102 per cent within two weeks when the company announced a growth of 939 per cent in profit after tax for the six months’ results.

The company had recorded growths across its two business segments of pharmaceuticals products and animal health

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

products with the animal health products showing strong prospects for the top-line with 897.5 per cent growth during the period.

And the Managing Director, of the company, Matthew Azoji, had said the half-year showed early gains of the company’s five-year strategic plan, noting that the company would vigorously expand and reposition its businesses to cement its position as a leading player in not only

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Nigeria’s healthcare industry but also in the wider West African region while simultaneously ensuring good returns on investment to shareholders.

However, after a record gain in price, some holders of the shares are now selling to lock in part of the capital gain, a development that has led to a decline in the stock price since last week.

Chams Plc also declined yesterday, shedding 8.7 per

O F

cent, just as AIICO Insurance Plc dipped by 7.2 per cent. The insurance firm last week applied to raise additional funds from existing shareholders through a rights issue.

On the positive side, UACN Property Development Company Plc led the price gainers with 7.6 per cent, followed by Transcorp Plc with 2.8 per cent. Oando Plc and MTN Nigeria Plc chalked up 2.0 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively among others.

2 3 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

28

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020 •T H I S D AY

29

WEDNesDAY, june 24, 2020 • T H I S D AY

mARKET NEWS

FMDQ Admits N23bn Debt Securities as Corporate Benefit from Market Goddy Egene

Nigerian financial market, pandemic has seen most provides a choice platform corporates and business FMDQ Securities Exchange for the registrations, listings, entities look to the debt capital Limited has admitted N23 quotations, and trading of markets as a viable avenue billion debt securities on debt securities. The current to efficiently raise capital in the platform as part of business climate, marred by order to meet their financing towards business efforts to empower the the impact of the coronavirus needs A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, Guide to data: etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 22shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Jun-2020, unless otherwise stated.

expansion and/or working Bank Funding SPV Plc Series capital management, amongst 1 N5.00 billion Fixed Rate others.

Senior Unsecured Bond, and And FMDQ said it has Coronation Merchant Bank listed a total of N23 billion Limited N6.00 billion Series debt securities. For instance, 9 and N9.00 billion Series 10 it listed FBNQuest Merchant Commercial Paper (CP) notes 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.

under its N100.00 billion CP Issuance Programme as well as the Mixta Real Estate PLC N3.30 billion Series 20 - 23 CP notes under its N20.00 billion CP Issuance Programme.

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 113.84 115.22 -23.06% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 6.12% Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.31 317.31 3.05% 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 3.58% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 10.25% 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 2.73 2.79 10.81% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED

Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 5.88% Anchoria Equity Fund 97.43 97.76 -4.62% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.25 1.25 8.80% 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 14.36 14.79 -6.24% ARM Discovery Fund 337.04 347.20 -2.43% ARM Ethical Fund 30.20 31.11 3.84% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.42% 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 93.04 93.69 -3.16% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.08% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.07 2.07 17.17% 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 6.71% Paramount Equity Fund 11.10 11.30 -11.32% Women's Investment Fund 108.22 109.02 -2.06% 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 5.25% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.26 98.48 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 103.42 104.21 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 3.88% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.91 0.92 -1.53% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.47 1.47 10.76% 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 4.09% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 4.35% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,224.87 1,235.38 5.77% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 148.06 149.13 0.84% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.05% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 116.19 117.09 0.65% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 116.52 117.42 0.43% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 116.07 117.05 -10.80% 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 4.57% Legacy Debt Fund 3.77 3.77 3.19% Legacy Equity Fund 1.08 1.10 -4.57% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.11 1.11 2.40% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,042.79 3,076.22 2.00% Coral Income Fund 3,176.85 3,176.85 15.88% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 5.45% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.70% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 119.77 120.48 11.62%

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 4.36% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.25 2.28 2.50% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 9.74% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 143.95 144.50 0.37% 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 1.23 1.25 5.38% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,132.82 1,132.82 5.05% 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 1.39 1.42 14.04% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.93 11.99 5.88% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.73% PACAM Equity Fund 1.04 1.05 PACAM EuroBond Fund 106.62 108.91 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 112.40 115.24 -3.73% 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 1.02 1.02 4.95% 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 -0.29% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.23% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 -0.57% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 0.26% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 0.34% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.17% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 -0.17% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.16% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.14 1.16 -5.17% United Capital Bond Fund 1.81 1.81 4.65% United Capital Equity Fund 0.64 0.66 -8.54% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.67% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.47 115.47 3.21% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 -2.31% 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 10.25 10.38 -0.26% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.93 12.06 2.76% Zenith Income Fund 23.48 23.48 5.60% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.51%

REITS

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

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

Bid Price

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

Bid Price

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.50 115.67 53.01

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

NAV Per Share

9.08 88.90 67.97

2.87 4.41 11.46 11.91 187.91

9.18 90.72 69.17

-63.85% 3.25% 1.84% 4.29% -1.70% -1.54%

funds@vetiva.com

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.29

16.90%

2.91 4.49 11.56 12.11 189.91

-19.03% -25.16% -5.40% 14.52% -0.30%

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.

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NEWSEXTRA

Naira Marley Concert: FCT Court Unseals Jabi Lake Mall Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Mobile Court has ordered the unsealing of Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja, which was shut down on June 14 after the management contravened the Presidential Task Force (PTF) protocols on COVID-19 by allowing its premises to be used for a Drive-in-Concert that featured Naira Marley.

The Mobile Court Magistrate, Ms. Idayat Akonni, who earlier gave the 14-day shutdown order, considered a plea by the management of the mall that asked the court to set aside the earlier ruling in the overriding

economic interest of the retailers, employees and their dependents.

Akonni said the management erred by allowing the upscale mall to be used for the concert in violation of the PTF safety guidelines on COVID-19.

She said the court granted the application for the re-opening of the lakeside mall on compassion, having considered the effects of its continual lockdown on the retailers, employees and other tenants, who were not co-offenders in the matter and may have their fundamental human rights infringed upon.

Akonni also said the management had shown

substantial remorse for their action. She asked the management to tender an apology to the Federal Government and the FCT Administration in some national dailies.

An officer of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Mr. Ibrahim Are, unsealed the mall at about 11.30 a.m. in compliance with the court order.

The Counsel for the Applicants,

Mr. Nnamdi Ekwem, expressed gratitude to the Mobile Court for considering the pleas in the overwhelming interest of the dependents of the mall in reviewing its judgment.

The Chairman of FCT Ministerial Task Force, Mr. Ikharo Attah, said the FCTA had no objections to the court ruling because it wants to remain a model in obeying rule of law.

NCDMB, NLNG Meet on $7.6n Train 7 Project Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited yesterday formally commenced the Train 7 project with a meeting on the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) components of the project.

Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, said the event which was held virtually, provided an opportunity for key NCDMB officials to clarify some technical details relating to the Nigerian content components of the project.

Describing the NLNG Train-7 project as a record-breaking, Wabote said the journey had been marked with many firsts, particularly in methodology, stakeholders’ awareness and participation, and speed of completion of the regulatory approvals by the board.

He further described the signing of the Train-7 contract in the middle of COVID-19 as

a global record, adding that it gave Nigerians the must-needed boost in the midst of the current challenging times.

Wabote challenged the lead contractors-Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo (SCD) joint venture-and subcontractors to set Nigerian content records during the project implementation phase.

According to him, “We must not just limit ourselves to the Nigerian content levels contained in the Nigerian Content Plan (NCP) and the Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate (NCCC), we must push the boundaries so that upon completion, we can brag about the values that the project would have added to the oil and gas industry as well as the country at large.”

He charged the contractors to adopt the winning spirit in respect to jobs creation, trainings for new skills, in-country capacity utilisation, addition of new capabilities, research and development as we as uncommon innovation into territories uncharted.

Alleged N1.5tn Fraud: CSO Slams 16 Suits against Govt Agencies AlexEnumahinAbuja A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), yesterday disclosed that it has instituted no less than 16 different court cases against some federal government agencies over alleged embezzlement of public funds to the tune of N1.5 trillion.

Lead Director of the Centre, Eze Onyekpere, who made the disclosure to journalists at a virtual media briefing, said the court actions were instituted on accounts of the centre’s stand against corruption and the need to recover the alleged looted funds to support developmental projects in the country.

Onyekpere lamented that while Nigeria suffers under huge foreign loan burden, revenues which ought to be deployed towards financing annual budgets and other key projects are allegedly embezzled by government agencies.

To stop further embezzlement of public funds by public officers, the lead director said the centre has resolved to make public its litigation docket as a way of exposing the degree of corruption going on in the country.

Some of the cases, which according to him, are in different stages in the Federal High Court in Abuja, include

that against the director-general of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over alleged non-remittance of N2,297,199,080.00, representing 25 per cent of the internally generated revenue (IGR) realised in 2015 and 2016; a freedom of information and public finance management suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/369/2020 against the director-general of Centre for Management Development (CMD) over non-remittance of N59,274,180.66, being 25 per cent of the IGR realised in 2016; suit against the director-general of National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) over non-remittance of N135,200,215.84; suit brought against the director-general of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) over allegation of non-remittance of N14,720,396,432.43 and that against the director-general of National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) for alleged failure to remit the sum of N18,575,455.48 for Value Added Tax (VAT) and N19,493,613.72 Withholding Tax (WHT) deducted from payments made to contractors in respect of supply of goods and services as contained in page 122 of the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on the Accounts of the Federation of Nigeria for the year 2017.

BACK TO THE TRENCHES...

L-R: National Chairman, Democratic Alternative (DA), Mr. Frank Nkenga; Secretary, Mass Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Comrade Ali Abacha; Spokesperson, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Mr. Ugo Chinyere; and National Chairman, Action Alliance (AA), Mr. Kenneth Udeze, during the CUPP’s press conference on the arrest and release of their spokesperson in Abuja... yesterday ENOCK REUBEN

Airports Concession: Sirika Receives Certificates of Compliance from ICRC Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The federal government’s plan to concession its four international airports yesterday received a boost as the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, received the Outline Business Case Certificate of Compliance for the concession of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano international airports from the Infrastructure Concession

Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

Receiving the certificates of compliance from the DirectorGeneral of the Commission, Chidi Izuwah, in his office, Sirika stated that with these certificates of compliance, “we will go ahead to the Federal Executive Council (FED) for approval for the full business of concession to proceed, and that will turn the airport terminals to its full potential

in private hands as millions of dollars would be pumped into these airports.”

He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier approved the Aviation Sector Roadmap which the ministry has been following and operating diligently and part of which was airport terminal concession.

Sirika in a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Public

Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, Mr. James Odaudu, commended the ICRC, which, through its the mandate, has guided the ministry throughout to ensure compliance and value for money, transparency, equity, and fairness.

He also expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done by the transaction advisers that culminated in the release of the certificates by the ICRC.

Pharmacists Decry Incessant Attack on Members’ Premises The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, to take urgent steps to stem the rising cases of deadly attack on pharmacy premises in the country.

The call was made by the ACPN, the umbrella body of registered Community Pharmacists in Nigeria (CPN), in the wake

of the gruesome murder of the National Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr. Sunday Ike, in Abuja.

According to a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of ACPN, Sam Adekola, and National Secretary, Bose Idowu respectively, Ike was murdered on June 19, 2020, at his pharmacy premises, Suncell Pharmacy at 3rd Avenue, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

“Late Sunday Ike, a diligent and passionate community pharmacist, was on duty as a frontline health worker rendering pharmaceutical care services through vital interventionist measures calculated to save other people’s lives when agents of darkness cut short his promising life right in the precincts of his workplace,” the statement said.

ACPN, who decried the rising

cases of attack and murder of pharmacists in Nigeria, expressed worries over “the waste of valuable human resource at a time the country continues to search for its best hands to salvage the remains of the country economically, politically and socio-culturally.

“The Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security

Imo Pensioners Barricade Govt House in Protest over Unpaid Pensions Amby Uneze in Owerri Hundreds of hunger-stricken pensioners in Imo State yesterday took to the streets of Owerri, the state capital, to protest against their unpaid pensions and gratuities owed them by the state government for over four months.

This is even as the senior citizens were equally mourning the

deaths of 42 of their members, who they said had died of hunger and lack of medication in the past four months as a result of non-payment of their pensions.

The pensioners, who carried plates begging food from motorists, sang songs of lamentation over their predicament while also carrying placards with inscriptions such

as ‘BVN saga, a ploy to steal our money’; ‘Retirees demand their pensions’; ‘What offence did pensioners commit?’ among others to explain their agitations.

Their protest shut down the state capital, particularly the Government House axis, for hours while security operatives were on ground to forestall breakdown of law and order.

Speaking to journalists on

behalf of the protesters, the Chairman, Pension Intervention Committee of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Iyke Ohaneje, expressed grievances over the arrears owed them.

He claimed that pensioners in the state were owed a backlog of pension arrears over a period of four months from February till date.

Impeachment Scare Rocks Ondo Assembly James Sowole in Akure Workers at the Ondo State House of Assembly were gripped with tension yesterday as police personnel early stormed the Assembly Complex.

The tension came less than 24 hours after the National Chairman of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus, formally received Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi to the party from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The State Working Committee (SWC) of APC had on Monday issued a statement that asked Ajayi to resign his position

honourably as deputy governor of the state.

A source within the assembly said that many workers packed their personal vehicles outside the Assembly Complex out of fear that there may be crisis.

However, some of the workers who witnessed the scene said the police visit to

the Assembly Complex lasted for a brief moment, adding that the 26 state lawmakers were on recess.

It was learnt that the police had received instructions to provide security to the lawmakers who would soon begin the impeachment process of the deputy governor.

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24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

PDP Primary: Why Ogbeide-Ihama Wants to Scuttle Obaseki’s Chances Nseobong Okon-Ekong Fressh facts have emerged on why the House of Representatives member representing Oredo Federal Constituency and a leading contestant for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket in Edo State, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, initiated legal proceedings to halt Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from contesting the party’s governorship primary.

A very reliable source close to the Ogbeide-Ihama’s camp who wished to remain anonymous, told THISDAY that the federal lawmaker went to court a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in frustration after efforts made by him and another top contender for the Edo PDP governorship ticket, Mr. Kenneth Imasuagbon to broker a deal with Obaseki were rebuffed.

Accusing fingers for the failed attempt for a meeting with Obaseki were pointed in the direction of Senator Mathew Urhoghide, the senator representing Edo South.

He was accused of thwarting all efforts by Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuagbon to meet with Obaseki.

“Urhoghide believes he does not need key PDP stakeholders in Edo who have been keeping the party alive and did not allow it to die a natural death, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) became the ruling party in the state. These are the men who funded the machinery of the party in the state and kept it afloat. It is unfair for Urhoghide to think that

he can close a deal as important as party in the national headquarters not spoken to them to drop their contesting? What I understand are the only ones who understand who flies the party’s governorship welcome Obaseki who are we ambition. They are entitled to it. is that the court has not said we what they mean by the ones who flag without involving these men, to distance him? Ogbeide-Ihama No one has tried to muscle them can’t go ahead with our primaries. held the party together. I have been just because he has access and Imasuagbon are junior to me, out of the race; so, why should Of course, everyone who bought a in this party longer than either of to officials at the National with due respect to them. I have anyone try to stop Obaseki from nomination form is in the race. They them.”

Secretariat of the PDP.” He said further, “The election is not going to be held in Abuja.

It will be held in Edo. Even if Obaseki is going to become the party’s governorship candidate, those who held the party together until he arrived should be involved in the negotiations and carried along.”

A member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan declined comments when asked if the party will deploy ‘political solution’ to resolve the Edo quagmire.

The rescheduled Edo PDP governorship primary holds on Thursday, June 25.

Reacting to the accusation in a telephone conversation with THISDAY, Urhoghide said it was laughable that such unwholesome charges would be levelled against him.

Policemen turning back visitors at the entrance gate of the National Secretariat of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja ...yesterday He explained, “in the 12 ENOCK REUBEN years that the PDP has been in opposition in the state, there is a clamour to win Edo State back. If we are able to get a big fish like the governor to join the James Sowole in Akure But few hours after Ajiboye’s Chief of Staff to the Governor, Assistant, Special Duties, Mr. party, why should someone seek Olomu Bayo; Special Assistant, statement, the sacked Deputy Chief Mr. Olugbenga Ale within 24 to exclude him from the primary? There was confusion at the Ondo Photography, Mr. Olawale Abolade Press Secretary, Okeowo released hours.

There has been a precedence where State Government House in Mukaila; Deputy Chief Press a statement reappointing the aides.

But Okeowo in his statement, governors Aminu Tambuwal of Akure yesterday as the Deputy Secretary, Mr. Babatope Okeowo; Though no reason was given by said the deputy governor has Sokoto State and Samuel Ortom Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi Special Assistant, New Media, Mr. Ajiboye for the sack of the aides, the approved the appointment of Mr. of Benue were in the APC before reappointed all his seven aides Allen Sowore; Personal Assistant, action may not be unconnected with Allen Sowore as Media Adviser they switched political camp to the who were sacked by Governor (Deputy Governor), Mr. Sam. the defection of the deputy governor with immediate effect.

PDP. No one said they could not Oluwatotimi Akeredolu.

Okeowo, who is the Chief Ogunmusi; Special Assistant to from the ruling All Progressives run. “If those who administer the The Chief Press Secretary to the wife of the Deputy Governor, Congress (APC), to the Peoples Press Secretary to the deputy governor, said in the meantime, Akeredolu, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, Mr. Omotunmise Tokunbo; and Democratic Party (PDP).

The statement advised all affected the aides were appointed by had released a statement sacking Mrs Erifeyiwa Shola Akinnugba, (Special Assistant, Photography, aides to submit all government’s the deputy governor as his the aides. properties in their possession to the personal aides.

The affected aides were: Special wife of the Deputy Governor ).

AVERTING BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER...

Confusion as Ondo Deputy Gov Reappoints Sacked Aides

DPR: Govt Authorities Flouting Pandemic Protocols Peter Uzoho The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has declared that some officials of the government in the oil and gas industry are disregarding the protocols established to manage and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The DPR in a circular issued yesterday to oil and gas industry operators on the management of COVID-19 outbreak forth update, however, stated that the industry has sadly recorded COVID-19 cases in some offshore and remote locations, with many of them linked to non-adherence to established protocols.

“We wish to commend your efforts in implementing stringent measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in your immediate environment and areas of operations in line

with the government’s directives and circulars issued by the DPR. “In spite of these efforts, the industry has sadly recorded COVID-19 cases in some offshore and remote locations, many of which are linked to non-adherence to established protocols.

“It is worrisome to note that some personnel of the government authorities do not subject themselves to the controlled isolation period which forms part of the protocol for the management of COVID-19 by operators prior to embarking to these locations,” DPR said.

According to the agency, “This act of non-compliance can severely disrupt activities in the industry, which is a critical sector of the Nigerian economy.

Additionally, non-adherence to protocols puts everyone at risk as COVID-19 does not recognise profession, level or cadre.”

COVID-19: Delta Shuts SSG’s Office, Information Ministry, Others Following the contraction of COVID-19 by the Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Mr. Chiedu Ebie, and the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, the state Ministry of Information complex, Office of the SSG, Office of CPS, and others have been shut down.

Besides shutting down the

offices and complexes headed by both officers, permanent secretaries in the offices and the directors who work closely with them have all been directed to go on self-isolation for a period of 14 days.

Also, the office of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika has also been shut down forthwith.

How PDP Constitution Guarantees Waiver for Obaseki, Shaibu Chuks Okocha in Abuja Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said the waiver granted to the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, was in line with the constitutional provisions of the party, and that it followed due process.

A top official of the party, quoting sections of the PDP constitution, said Section 29

provides that: “In consideration of waiver applications for political appointment, the appropriate authority for federal, state and local government political appointment shall respectively be the National, State and Local Government Area Executive Committees of the party.”

The party constitution further said: “Where the appropriate committee rules to the contrary, the ruling must be approved by

the immediate higher Executive Committee, save for the National Executive Committee which is the final authority.”

On qualifications for contesting election, the party constitution states that: “Candidates for party positions must possess a minimum of secondary school certificate or its equivalent as requisite qualification to be eligible to contest except waived by the Executive Committee concerned.

The demand for literacy as a qualification is not mandatory at the ward level.

“No member of the party shall be qualified for nomination or election or appointment into any of the offices of the party unless he or she has been a registered member for at least 18 months, and is of good financial standing in the party, except there is a waiver by the appropriate Executive Committee.”

13 Imo Lawmakers Test Positive for COVID- 19 At least 13 members of the Imo State House of Assembly have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Spokesperson of the Imo State COVID-19 Task Force, Mr. Chimezie Iwuala, revealed this in Owerri, the state capital yesterday.

He disclosed that the results followed a number of tests carried out on samples of members of the House by the Nigeria Centre for

Disease Control (NCDC).

Iwuala said the affected lawmakers have been instructed to go into self-isolation.

Also, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Judiciary, Hon. Nelson Ezerioha, also confirmed the development but added that he did not have the exact figure of his colleagues who tested positive

for the disease.

“You know it is against the law to disclose the identities of the carriers of the virus. The truth is that 26 out of the 27 of us, including the speaker, were tested and we have been receiving calls from the NCDC officials about our statuses.

“There are some of us who the NCDC told to go into

self-isolation. I don’t know the figure and I am not going to speak on that. I was told

by NCDC officials that I am negative.”

The Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Collins Chiji, had last week ordered a total lockdown of the Assembly complex after one lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19.

Enugu Grants Tax Relief to Residents In furtherance of his administration’s efforts in cushioning the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents of Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has granted tax relief and incentive to taxpayers in the state.

The governor’s decision was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Emeka Odo.

Odo noted that: “The Enugu State Government has since the inception of the current administration, in May 2015, waived the payment of Personal Income Tax as well as Market Tax, for all traders in the major markets of the state”.

The Chairman added that the waiver “which is part of the administration’s pro-poor policies” is still in force and will be sustained till the end of the tenure.

Other COVID-19 tax relief and incentive approved by Ugwuanyi, according to Odo, are as follows: “The deadline for the submission of Form A for employees and Annual Returns in accordance with Section 41 (3) and 81 (1-3) of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 as amended for companies and institutions operating in Enugu State has been extended to 30th July, 2020.

“A waiver of penalty and interest charged for late remittance of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions is hereby granted from January to December 2020 for all sectors. A 50 per cent discount on all assessed Capital Gains Tax (CGT) from now till December 2020. A 50 per cent discount to all Personal Income Tax Assessment issued to owners of Schools and Hotels for Year 2020.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Senate Blames FG for Insolvency of Power Sector Decries MDAs’N288bn debt to power firms Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday blamed the federal government for the current state of insolvency in the power sector, saying ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are owing Distribution Companies (Discos) over N98 billion for electricity consumed.

This is just as the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) claimed it was being owed N190 billion as at the end of May 2020 for power generated from its plant at the national grid.

Speaking at the end of a three-day investigative public hearing entitled “Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic,” the Chairman of the Senate committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam,

declared that the problem with the power sector was insolvency.

According to him, the Discos are being owed N98 billion by the MDAs “and unfortunately the Discos have not been able to collect the debts being owed them over time”.

Suswan further said: “We are spending huge amount of money paying for debt that is already owed.

We must begin to focus on how to address the issue of infrastructural deficits in the power sector. Let’s spend money on metering. Let’s at least meter about 80 per cent of those connections leading to the network and then be able to collect enough money to make the sector liquid.

There are a lot of issues and those issues must be aligned. And that is what we are trying to do in this public.”

Suswam also blamed the federal government as well as the stakeholders for the lack of sincerity of purpose in the power sector.

According to him, “the blame game among them has to stop.

Once there is an alignment and proper coordination, that yes, if we

generate 13,000 megawatts, and transmission is able to transmit at least 10,000 megawatts, and discos are able to absorb the 10,000, and there is proper tariff, it makes the sector solvent.

“Once there’s money in the sector, the other potential investors

will come in. The banks will be able to also put in more money, so that the sector will begin to run on its own. But where we are now, it will be unthinkable that government will stop providing the intervention. Once that stops, everything will collapse”.

In his presentation at the public hearing, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria (NDPHC), Mr Chiedu Ugbo, said over N190 billion was owed the company for electricity generated.

Rivers Urges IG to Move against Amaechi’s Loyalists over Threat Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Government has called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, to take actions against supporters of former Governor of the state and now Minister of Transportation, Chibuike

Amaechi, for threatening the peace of the state.

In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, the state raised the alarm that Amaechi’s supporters in a video that had gone viral on the social media had threatened

the people of the state should the former governor be unfairly treated in the crisis currently rocking his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“While it is not in our place to advise people on who to support or otherwise, we take very strong exception to the provocative and incendiary language used by

the leader of the group, where he threatened the peace of the state and invoked fire, brimstone, death and destruction on Rivers State and our dear Rivers people, should any unfavorable judgment and action befall their leader, Amaechi, in the current crises rocking the fractured state APC,” he stated.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 • T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS Fasuba Surprised His 14 Years Old African Sprint Record Yet to be Erased

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

Duro Ikhazuagbe Fourteen years after Olusoji Fasuba set the African 100m record of 9.85secs in Doha, Qatar, the Royal British Navy logistic personnel is surprised that the continental sprint title is yet to be erased by any of the current runners.

The former Nigerian sprint king who also in 2008 became the first African to win the World Indoor Championship 60m gold in Valencia, Spain said yesterday on FUBS WhatsApp platform that given the promise shown by some sprinters, particularly South Africa’s Akani Simbine, that his 9.85secs is still standing remains a surprise.

“I am still surprised that the (African) record is still standing because we have the South African (Simbine) running a lot of 100m under 10sec and he has come closed on two occasions to breaking it,” observed Fasuba who is now based in the UK since dumping track and field for a career in the British Navy.

Simbine who competed

in the 100 metres event at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia and the 2016 Summer Olympics won the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m final gold in Gold Coast, Australia. Simbine finished fifth in 9.94 seconds in the 100m final of the Rio 2016 to leave impression that Fasuba’s African title was a matter of time. It remains a Bridge too far.

Looking at how he achieved the feat in 2006, Fasuba insisted it was hard work and meticulous planning.

“It didn’t start too good for me because I had hopes of winning the World Indoor title that year in Moscow but finished in the sixth positions due to some technicalities,” observed the African record holder who is the only Nigerian sprinter to win three successive African Athletics Championship sprint titles to date.

“Without working on my top end speed, I went to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games and surprised myself with a silver medal in the 100m,” recalled Fasuba.

“I flew back to Nigeria happy

Ndidi Dreams UEFA Champions League Spot Despite Draw with Brighton Nigeria and Leicester City defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi has called on his Foxes teammates that qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League is a target that must be achieved.

The former English Premier League champions are third on the log behind run-away leaders Liverpool and second placed Manchester City.

Leicester last night threw away the chance of consolidating on the third spot as the played a barren draw with Brighton to remain on 55 points from 31 matches with just seven games to end of the season.

Fourth placed Chelsea on 31 points from 30 games are on 5he heels of the Foxes with fifth place Manchester United also gunning for a place in the top four and the chance to earn the cash from the Champions League.

Speaking in a video message posted by Football Daily yesterday, Nididi believes more work is needed to make the dream a

reality.

“It will be a plus to us as players, in our careers, if we can play in the Champions League.

But it is something we have to work for,” Ndidi said in the video interview.

“It is not about what we have done in past matches.These eight games remaining, it is important for us to actually fight hard and pick the Champions League ticket.

“It is something we have to work for, we have to stay there. If we do our best and get the points, then we will get there,” observed the midfield enforcer who is on shopping list of some top clubs in Europe.

In last night game against Brighton, Leicester’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saved Neal Maupay’s penalty in the drab Premier League goalless draw at the King Power Stadium.

Frenchman Maupay, Brighton’s hero in the previous game with a late winner against Arsenal, had his first-half spot-kick brilliantly held by Schmeichel low to his right.

NOC Celebrates 2020 Olympic Day The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) joined other National Olympic Committees across the globe to take part in the 2020 Olympic Day celebration.

The first Olympic Day was celebrated on 23rd June, 1948 with the aim of promoting the Olympic Movement and it has become a yearly event ever since.

All NOCs joined a digital Olympic Day celebration to deploy sports through the main pillars which are move, learn and discover and in view of this, the Nigeria Olympic Committee marked this years with few Olympians and NOC employees in order to spread the noble ideals of Olympism bearing in mind the challenge

of the Covid 19 pandemic.

The President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel said the NOC is quite aware of the various guidelines put in place by the Federal Government as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic and therefore organized a virtual Olympic Day celebration.

“We are only limiting today’s celebration to aerobic exercise and walking which is taking place at the front of the Nigeria Olympic Committee Secretariat.

We hereby encourage the general public to stay active, stay strong, stay safe and obey all the Covid 19 regulations even in the midst of our celebration”, Gumel concluded.

but determined to work harder and three weeks before the African record, i did personal best in the 80m, 120m and 150m time trials my coach, Frenchman Pierre Jean-Vazel set for me. He’s also a statistician,” he noted.

But two days after these wonderful performances in training, Fasuba was to fall sick and was unhappy that his beautiful form was going to waste without any tangible result.

“Two days latter (after running PB in the 80m, 20m, and the 150m), I fell sick and was so unhappy because I knew I was ready to do something great. My coach had to reduce my training workload and gave me more tempo runs.

“On the day of the competition (Doha Grand Prix), I remembered getting to the track and after I started my warm-up, I broke down crying, telling my coach, that I feel ready to do something great but my body didn’t feel like mine at all. “He didn’t panic. He started giving me some different kinds of stretches to put my mind at ease. As we say, the rest is now history after the race with the African title in the bag,” Fasuba stressed on how he dethroned Namibian Frankie Fredericks to

become Africa’s fastest man ever, 14 years down the line.

Although he praised the current generation of Nigerian sprinters for putting through

the difficult environment in the country to achieve whatever modest achievements that they have recorded, Fasuba insists that “the male sprinters are

not coming to either Europe or working on getting scholarships to make themselves get better.

Most of them are comfortable sitting back home.”

Olusoji Fasuba...remains Africa’s fastest man in 14 years

Falode, NWFL Set to Evolve into a Global League Brand The Head of the Management Committee of the Nigeria Women Football League, Aisha Falode, has affirmed that, the women’s league body has the mandate to evolve into a global league brand, capable of competing favourably with top women’s leagues across the world.

Falode, said this at the NWFLLaLiga Coaches Online Training Masterclass aimed at taking coaches in the various women’s clubs in Nigeria to greater heights.

The training programme in partnership with Spanish LaLiga is a step further in the development of the women’s game with the LaLiga women’s league, one of the activation points of the MoU signed in 2018 between the NWFL and LaLiga.

Falode in her opening speech at the online training programme on

Monday, expressed her gratitude to LaLiga, most especially to Pedro Malabia, Head of La Liga Women Football and the entire LaLiga team for their help and commitment making the training programme a reality.

She noted: “The NWFL began in 1990 and its 30 years in 2020. One of the best ways to celebrate is to improve the quality of play in our clubs. That is to play beautiful, modern and progressive brands of football that will help develop quality of the league and attract more fans to the clubs.

“We have a mandate at the NWFL, to evolve into a global league brand that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of Europe’s best. It requires a lot of work and you coaches are a very big part of making that

vision a reality.

Technical development of the league is a very important part of our plan to evolve the NWFL. As the NWFL evolves, the coaches too must evolve.”

She added that: “We have therefore taken this first step to help broaden the knowledge of our coaches and open the door to a wide range of opportunities for them to further develop themselves.

Falode, who is also a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation, stressed that, the coaches must take up the responsibility to improve themselves and their teams, so as to improve the quality of play as well as their professionalism.

IN the long run, this will reward the fans with good football and talent development. And together

we can deliver the NWFL of our dreams.

Meanwhile, Pedro Malabia, Head of La Liga Women Football in his address stated that, Laliga started working with women football in 2015.

“There is big potential in Africa and Nigeria is one of the leading countries for women football in Africa and LaLiga is lucky to have the partnership with the Nigeria Women Football League.

“I can remember clearly when Aisha Falode and Timi came to Spain two years ago if I remember correctly, the passion, energy and dedication was very visible.

“Because we have the same vision, we signed the MoU with the NWFL to develop women football in Nigeria and in Spain.

Djokovic Latest Tennis Star to Test Positive for Covid-19 World number one Novak Djokovic has become the latest tennis player to test positive for Covid-19.

It comes after Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all revealed they had coronavirus after playing at Djokovic’s Adria Tour competition.

Djokovic, 33, played fellow Serb Troicki in the first event in Belgrade.

The remaining Aria Tour events in Banja Luka and Sarajevo have now been cancelled, Djokovic’s brother Djordje has confirmed.

“Unfortunately, due to all the events that happened in the last few days, we have decided that the most important thing right now is to stabilise the epidemiological situation, as well as for everyone to recover,” said Djordje Djokovic, who is a

director of the tournament.

Britain’s Andy Murray said the positive tests were a “lesson for us”, while Australian Nick Kyrgios called playing a “bone-headed decision”.

A statement on Djokovic’s website said: “Immediately upon his arrival in Belgrade [after the second event] Novak was tested along with all members of the family and the team with whom he was in Belgrade and Zadar. He is not showing any symptoms.”

There have been no ATP Tour events since February because of the global pandemic and the Adria Tour, which is not an ATP Tour event, was one of the first competitions to be staged since then.

The first leg in Serbia attracted 4,000 fans, and players were later pictured dancing close together in a

Belgrade nightclub.

Bulgaria’s Dimitrov played Croatia’s Coric on Saturday in the second leg in Zadar, Croatia.

With Croatia easing lockdown measures, players were not obliged to observe social distancing rules and were seen embracing at the net at the end of their matches.

Pictures on the tournament’s social media site from Friday showed Dimitrov playing basketball with Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic, while he also put his arm around Coric before their match.

Zverev, Cilic and Andrey Rublev, who also played in the Adria Tour, have tested negative, but suggested they will all now self-isolate for up to 14 days.

The ATP Tour season is set to restart on 14 August and the US Open will be held without fans from 31 August to 13 September, despite some players voicing concerns about travelling to New York.

Novak Djokovic...latest tennis star to test positive for Covid-19

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Ëœ ÍşÍźËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Premier League Likely to Keep Summer Transfer Window Beyond Oct. 5 The Premier Leaguecould defy the wishes of UEFA by keeping this year’s transfer windowopen beyond the proposed October 5 cut-off.

Top-flight clubs will discuss four proposed timetables for this summer’s window at their shareholders meeting on Tuesday, two of which would be longer than that recommended by UEFA, and could hold an immediate vote to clarify their player trading plans.

UEFA asked all member associations last week to close their transfer windows no later than October 5, because they want all deals to be completed before the deadline for registering squads for the Champions Leagueand Europa League, which falls on the following day.

The Premier League have taken UEFA’s request into

account when formulating their own plans.

But they will leave the final decision in the hands of clubs, who have the following options: A 12-week window opening running from July 13-October 5, which would involve a two-week overlap with the end of this season A 10-week window from the end of the Premier League season on July 27-October 5 A 10-week window from the end of the season to October 5, plus an additional two weeks for completing domestic transfers.

A full 12-week international window from the end of season until October 19.

The latter two options would be against UEFA’s wishes and could give Premier League clubs an advantage in the market of their European rivals

as they would have more time to sign players.

Ironically for the last two years the Premier League

have been at a disadvantage after opting to close the window before the start of the season, a rule change

the clubs voted to abandon this summer before the disruption caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

A vote could be held on the latest proposals on Tuesday if the clubs are seeking immediate clarity.

LMC, Club Owners to Decide How to End NPFL Season Today Pursuant to the NPFL Framework and Regulations, the League Management Company (LMC) has scheduled an expanded meeting between the leadership of NFF, LMC, and NPFL Clubs for today, June 24, 2020 by 1pm via video conferencing (Zoom Meeting ).

A message from the LMC secretariat last night said both the LMC and the NFF may also invite some stakeholders as observers to the meeting. “The Agenda is to discuss the Conclusion of the 2019/2020 NPFL Season as voted by the clubs and forwarded to the LMC,� the statement said.

The NFF President and other football leaders in the country are expected to be part of the meeting. “All NPFL clubs Chairmen are expected to attend and if unavailable are to please nominate a proxy to represent the club to the LMC through the club owners before 10am of June 24, 2020.

On Sunday evening, 17 chairmen of Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs voted that the 2019/20 season should come to an end with the top three clubs representing Nigeria at the CAF interclubs competition in the next season A statement issued at the

end of the voting session by the Executive Secretary of the Club Owners Association, Alloy Chukwuma, showed that only Rangers International of Enugu voted for the Super 6 option for the winners to emerge as well as the three clubs to represent the country in next season’s continental campaign.

Akwa United of Uyo and Lobi Stars of Makurdi abstained from voting.

The 17 clubs also voted for neither promotion from the lower cadre nor relegation of any of the NPFL clubs.

The votes by the clubs chieftains was one of the four options tables by the League Management Company (LMC) on how to end the season disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shehu Dikko...LMC Chairman

Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane celebrating his goal against West Ham United...yesterday

West Ham’s Relegation Fears Grow after Defeat at Spurs West Ham United’s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a cruel blow as an own goal by midfielder Tomas Soucek and Harry Kane’s first goal since December condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

The visitors were fortunate

just before halftime when VAR ruled out Son Heungmin’s goal for offside, but their luck deserted them after the break at an empty Tottenham Stadium.

When a corner was swung over in the 64th minute the ball flew through a crowd before striking Soucek’s leg

and spinning past helpless keeper Lukasz Fabianksi.

West Ham responded well and Jarrod Bowen was denied an equaliser by the upright before Kane was played through on goal and beat Fabianski with a trademark finish.

Defeat left West Ham above the relegation zone on goal

difference from Bournemouth who have a game in hand.

Tottenham’s first win in eight matches in all competitions kept them in the hunt for a Champions League qualification berth. Jose Mourinho’s side are seventh with 45 points, one behind fifth-placed Manchester United

La Liga: Atletico Move up Third on the Log, Win at Levante Atletico Madrid continued their surge towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday by winning 1-0 at Levante to climb to third in La Liga.

Since matches restarted in Spain almost two weeks ago, Atletico have taken 10 points from a possible 12 and moved six points clear of fifth, as their top-four rivals have crumbled around them.

One of them is Getafe, who continued their postsuspension slump as they were held to a 1-1 draw against struggling Real Valladolid. Getafe are fifth but without a win in the four games since La Liga resumed.

Atletico have been among

the clubs worst affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic and they would reportedly stand to lose 200 million euros ($226 million) if they missed out on the Champions League next season.

But while their place in the top four looked in serious danger three months ago, Atletico’s return to form means they are now firm favourites to finish third, let alone fourth.

Marcos Llorente, the hero of their momentous victory over Liverpool in the Champions League, has flourished in his new role in attacking midfield and it was his turn and cross that was turned in by Bruno

Gonzalez for an own goal on 15 minutes.

Diego Simeone’s side had plenty of chances to make the win more comfortable in the second half but instead Levante threatened an equaliser late on, with Atletico having to hang on for the victory.

Yet this has been the kind of gritty performance, so often associated with Simeone’s side, so lacking this season, especially away from home, where their results have been particularly unreliable.

They started fast and took the lead when Thomas Partey’s free-kick hit the wall and the follow-up was slid into Llorente. He collected, twisted and turned into the

penalty area in one smooth action before pulling a cute ball back that was turned in by Bruno under pressure from Diego Costa.

Thomas smashed in off the crossbar after halftime but Costa was offside while Levante’s best chance fell to Roger Marti at the back post but he failed to connect cleanly.

Atletico clung on and their victory was made sweeter

by Getafe slipping up at Valladolid, where Enes Unal’s penalty in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the first half rescued a valuable point for the home side.

Jaime Mata had put Getafe in front by firing in at the near post.

Serie A: Napoli Consolidate with 2-0 Win at Verona Arkadiusz Milik and Hirving Lozano both scored headers as Napoli followed their Italian Cup triumph with a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona in their return to Serie A on Tuesday.

Napoli beat Juventus on penalties in the Italian Cup final last week after eliminating Inter Milan in the semifinals, but this was their first league match since beating Torino on February 29 before the coronavirus lockdown.

Almost four months later, they extended their Serie A winning streak to four games against one of their rivals for a European place, while keeping their slim hopes of Champions League qualification alive by moving to within nine points of fourth-placed Atalanta.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side remain sixth, three points behind fifth-placed Roma, who play Sampdoria on Wednesday, and four points ahead of eighth-placed Verona.

“We can’t relax, we don’t even have to think about the Champions League,� said Gattuso, whose side face struggling SPAL on Sunday. “We must continue on this path, believe that work gives us important things, as happened in the Cup. “I don’t know if these 11 games will be enough for us to get into the Champions League, we must already think about the challenge against SPAL.�

Polish forward Milik opened the scoring on 36 minutes,

nodding in Matteo Politano’s corner.

Davide Faraoni thought he had equalised for the hosts after an hour, but his goal was ruled out for a Mattia Zaccagni handball in the build-up.

Lorenzo Insigne missed a chance for a second for the visitors with 10 minutes remaining by curling a shot over.

But Mexican international Lozano, on as an 84th-minute substitute, rose high to head home a Faouzi Ghoulam cross

six minutes later.

Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina denied Samuel Di Carmine and Miguel Veloso as Verona suffered their first defeat since the league returned to action.

Gattuso’s side honoured club record goal scorer Dries Mertens with a special badge on their jersey: “Dries Mertens, Napoli’s All-Time Top Scorer.�

The Belgian, who has scored 122 goals for the southerners, came on for the last 20 minutes.

Cagliari, meanwhile, earned their first league win since December 2 with Giovanni Simeone scoring three minutes into injury time for a 1-0 win over SPAL. The Sardinian side move up to 10th place with SPAL second from bottom and facing relegation to Serie B next season.

Torino and Udinese play later on Tuesday in a match between two sides fighting the drop and struggling Genoa host Parma.

Wednesday June 24, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Ize-Iyamu to Obaseki “I want to salute my brother, the governor of the state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. I will like to appeal to him to return to the party. In every family, you have disagreements. Let it not be said that it was this disagreement that pushed him out” – Governorship candidate of the APC in the September 19 Edo State election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, taunting Governor Obaseki to return to the party.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE THE HORIZON

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

In Search of Nigeria’s Voice “Nkan ti a ba ni gba l’olowo, talika ni a ti nko”. (You had better reject as a poor man what you would find unacceptable as a rich man.) – A Yoruba saying

F

ormer Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Gadio threw a challenge two days ago at a webinar that should interest Nigerians as they ponder worsening internal problems and the place of their nation in the world.

Gadio said that the debate was virtually settled about the leadership position of Nigeria in Africa. The challenge, according to the tested pan-Africanist, is for Nigeria to rise up to the occasion and give a voice to the condition of Africa and the black world.

Obviously overwhelmed by the problems at home, even some of those whose business is to think and produce knowledge sometimes seem to suggest that bothering about “external issues” is a luxury Nigeria cannot afford at the present.

In contrast to this perspective, the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) is drawing attention to these global developments and thinking about what should be the appropriate response.

In the discussion of the many problems of Nigeria, it is not often realised that independent bodies such as ARCAN constitute veritable reservoirs of ideas for proper policy conception and articulation.

Just imagine the goldmine of ideas embodied in a well -organised platform of technocrats (in the true sense of the word!) who have garnered experiences globally while they served the country professionally.

Unfortunately, the government does not optimise the use of the abundance of moral and intellectual resources from Nigerian think tanks and other organised bodies including even the ones established by laws and publicly funded.

Politicians in power are more comfortable with the opinions of foreign consultants and the ratings of foreign experts. A statement made by a former American ambassador who served in Nigeria for two years would likely be taken more seriously than a position paper put together by a Nigerian professional body on any issue.

It was indeed a harvest of ideas on Monday as ARCAN staged the debut of its seminar series.

The theme explored was this: “The Global Struggle for Racial Equality: Any Lessons for Nigeria’s Domestic and Foreign Policies.”

Now, there is the resurgence of racial injustice against black people around the world.

The resistance to this iniquitous trend is global.

Curiously, however, there is a discomforting silence from Africa on this development.

Nigeria’s voice is notably absent.

Gadio was a panellist at the webinar moderated

by Ambassador Joe Keshi, second vice president of ARCAN, who retired as a permanent secretary from the ministry of foreign affairs.

Other eminent members of the panel assembled to interrogate issues were Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, former foreign minister; Professor George Obiozor, former Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America and Israel; Professor Akin Oyebode of the faculty of Law, University of Lagos; Associate Professor Bukola Adesina of the University of Ibadan and Mr. Owei Lakemfa, a progressive journalist and labour leader.

There have been protests and other forms of reactions against racial injustice and inequality in different parts of the world since the death of an African American, George Floyd, a victim of police brutality in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.

Some analysts have attributed the silence from

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama the home of black people, Africa, to the fact that African countries have skeletons in their cupboard in matters of social injustice, according to Keshi.

But he quickly added that African countries are not the only ones burdened with internal issues.

As the topic was rigorously dissected, multiple perspectives inexorably emerged. However, a common thread was that Africa should look inward to see why it could not find its voice when a global campaign is raging that “ black lives matter.” Even in declarations against racism, African governments are shy to mention the name of the United States.

Different explanations came up in the webinar.

Speaking from Dakar, Senegal, Gadio emphasised the importance of pan-Africanism. At least his pan-Africanist political party in Senegal issued a statement and he spoke in a programme on Radio France International against racism. Gadio agreed with others on the need for Africa to focus on internal development so that its voice could be strengthened in the global arena. He suggested a pan-Africanist approach with Nigeria as the leader.

Others introduced angles to the topic that are also very relevant to the present and the future.

Ajumogobia pinpointed “credibility.” According to him, it was because Nigeria had credibility in early 1960s that former Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa addressed the U.S. congress to a great applause. There was hope and confidence in the air about the future at that time. There

was also enough credibility for Nigeria to be taken seriously.

Similarly, Nigeria played a frontline role in supporting the liberation struggles in southern Africa because it had the immense credibility to do so, according to the former foreign minister.

Ajumogobia recalled that the first foreign minister, Jaja Nwachukwu, was fond of saying that “charity begins at home.”

For Obiozor, at the root of the problem is the tendency for Nigeria “to put forward Lilliputians in a game of giants.”

Oyebode underlined the dialectical link between good governance at home and respectable image abroad in the dictum that “as domestic policy goes, so the foreign policy.” He reminded the forum that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe spoke about the “manifest destiny” of Nigeria, a point the former Senegalese foreign minister seemed to have now reiterated.

Adesina emphasised that it would be difficult to mobilise the victims of injustice at home for solidarity with the black people who are victims of racial injustice elsewhere.

Lakemfa traced the lack of capacity to mobilise for solidarity against injustice to the disruption in the political economy caused by the structural adjustment programme in the 1980s. Labour, students and progressive intellectuals have lost the capacity to focus on the larger issues of social justice, freedom and the dignity of the human person. He added that the spirit of pan-Africanism, which was alive in the early decades of independence, has been weakened by the upsurge of xenophobia in South Africa and other parts of the continent.

Scores of Nigerians have been killed in South Africa by black xenophobes.

The response from South African leaders have never been decisive in curbing the barbarism.

Pan-Africanism cannot flourish in such a killing field. How can the victims of xenophobic attacks be in solidarity with their attackers for whatever purpose? That would be difficult to achieve.

It is even more ironic when the country of the victim supported the fight for the freedom of the country of the attacker.

Yet, this was the same continent for which Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah was advocating in 1963 one African government. Africa once had leaders with vision.

Mauritania only abolished slavery officially in 1981. Traces of slavery are still being reported in parts of the continent.

Morocco is still blocking the path of the people of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in their quest for statehood.

In the particular case of Nigeria, the facts of

crisis of governance and socio-economic and political underdevelopment are too obvious to require here further elaboration. While blacks in America and Europe are confronted with racism, Nigerian politics is riven by ethnic contradictions and manipulations. Not a few perceive ethnic discrimination, prejudice and hatred as local equivalents of racism. Poverty and inequality constitute the lot of a majority of the people.

These societal scourges are laced with the social toxins of injustice, lack of respect human dignity and denial of freedom. Insecurity defines people’s daily lives in many parts of the country. Some parts of Nigeria are practically ungovernable territories due to a noxious mixture of the activities of terrorists and bandits. Thousands have been killed. Millions are still displaced.

Yet, Nigeria has the largest concentration of black people in the world. So, something is definitely wrong if Nigeria’s voice is lost in the global campaign against racial injustice against black people.

As the Yoruba epigram above puts it, you don’t have to wait until you are materially endowed to assert your human dignity. Internal problems cannot be a sufficient excuse for this loss of moral direction and lack of a sense of history in the way the 21st Century Nigeria sees the world.

Development is not only in economic terms.

There are also moral, cultural and intellectual aspects of development at the intangible level.

Nigeria was certainly not developed when it was known globally as a “frontline state” in the anti-colonial struggles in southern Africa . Nigeria was politically and diplomatically considered a “frontline state, ” although this West African country is geographically miles away from southern Africa.

The pull then was the influence of the panAfricanist ideology which is consistent with the promotion of human solidarity, social justice and human progress. That was when Nigeria was the Mecca for freedom fighters and leaders of the liberation movements. Some of those to whom that Nigeria played host in the 1960s and 1970s later became presidents in their countries.

Looking back at what has been rightly described as the golden age of Nigeria’s foreign policy, it is certainly retrogressive that Nigeria is now silent when the condition of the black man in the diaspora is in focus.

To reverse this trend of silence when Nigeria’s voice should be loud, the country’s foreign policy has to be imbued with a sense of mission and historic purpose.

This, of course, has to be rooted in social justice, people-centred development and popular democracy at home.

What If There is No COVID-19?

Issa Aremu

It is a trite to ask: “What if there is no COVID-19”?

This question, of course, lacks freshness precisely because we are into the seventh month of the global pandemic.

The world (possibly, minus ever denying Bolsonaro’s Brazil and Donald Trump’s USA) is brazing up for the second wave of the notorious pandemic.

I agree with Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that contrary to the fairy tales from Kogi and Cross Rivers states, no corner of the globe is immune from the pandemic.

The Secretary to the Government of the

Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha had further raised the noise level of the Virus spread. And with attendant hysteria too! According to him “the country might start to count bodies in their hundreds in the next three weeks following the spread of coronavirus in the country.” With an alarmist Presidential Task Force (PTF) Chairman like Boss Mustapha, it’s purely academic to ask “What if there is no Covid-19? .

The plague is already leading humans to mass graves with survivors in captivity of face masks and mobile sanitizers. More than ever before “A dry cough is the trumpeter of death!”. And that is the issue! My interest in national and global response to Covid-19 is purely academic. The

recent global frenzy has confirmed the old saying that “health is not valued until sickness comes” .

The 1999 constitution with all its limitations, underlines the importance of public health, safety and public welfare for nation building. Section 14.

(1) of the Chapter II dealing with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy says (b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government: and that (c) the health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused; d) there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons: NOTE: Read full version in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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