TUESDAY 30TH JUUNE 2020

IMF Advises Nigeria to Slow Down on Tax Drive Nume Ekeghe The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Nigeria to slow down on its aggressive tax drive due to the impact of the COVID-19 on businesses and households.

The fund, however, told the

federal government to continue to push for policies that are supportive of its citizens, even as it commended the monetary policies initiatives that have been introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to cushion the impact of the pandemic on the people.

The Director of the IMF’s African Department, Mr. Abebe Selassie, said this yesterday during a media briefing on the latest Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, held in Washington.

Selassie said: “Nigeria is an oil exporting country; so,

the impact of the pandemic is being compounded by the sharp decline in oil prices.

We are projecting that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth would contract around 5.4 per cent this year; so, it's a very significant hit to income.

“It will be very important

to have very nimble policy response to ensure that the hit to the economy is not compounded by policy challenges.

"This is not the time to be aggressively introducing new tax measures but there is a long-standing challenge

on the fiscal side of needing to have sufficient resources generated by the government from non-oil sources to provide investments in health, education, and infrastructure.

So, there is that long-term Continued on page 9

CBN Seeks to Safeguard Consumers of Financial Products...Page 8 Tuesday 30 June, 2020 Vol 25. No 9213. Price: N250

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FG Lifts Ban on Interstate Travels, Opens Schools for Graduating Students Extends ease of lockdown by four weeks Churches, mosques, open bars, night clubs, spas, gyms remain closed Nationwide curfew stays COVID-19 cases rise by 566 to 25,133 with 9,402 discharged, 573 dead It’s suicidal to reopen schools now, ASUU warns Omololu Ogunmade, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The federal government has approved what it called safe reopening of schools nationwide in phase two of the gradual easing of lockdown that was yesterday extended for another four weeks.

But only graduating students in primary six, Junior Secondary School three (JSS 3)

and Senior Secondary School three (SSS 3) will resume.

It has also lifted the ban on interstate travels with effect from tomorrow, provided such journeys are made outside the curfew hours of 10pm- 4am.

The federal government has also approved domestic flights’ resumption as soon as practicable.

However, it said given the Continued on page 9

INEC Vets Nominations for Edo Gov Election Today APC caretakers adopt six-point agenda to reposition party Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja With the closure yesterday of the dedicated portal designed for political parties to submit the details of their candidates nominated for the Edo State

governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will vet the nominations today, THISDAY was told last night.

This is coming as the

REPORTING PROGRESS...

L-R: Director-General, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu; Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; and President Muhammadu Buhari during the godwin omoigui Continued on page 9 Presidential Task Force on Covid-19’s briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday

Brace Up to Defeat Bandits, Buratai Tells Soldiers... Page 5

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

Brace Up to Defeat Bandits, Buratai Tells Soldiers Katsina Emir wants military barracks in frontline LGAs Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has challenged troops in the North-west theatre of operation to brace up for the final defeat of bandits and kidnappers terrorising the region, saying there is no excuse for failure.

This is coming as the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Usman, has called for the establishment of military barracks and cantonments in frontline local government areas of the state to tame insecurity.

Buratai warned the troops of impending grave consequences if they abandon their positions in the face of superior firepower from bandits, who have been launching deadly onslaughts on communities within the zone.

The COAS gave the warning on Sunday night in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, while addressing Special Forces fighting bandits in the area shortly after a special dinner with them.

Buratai is in Katsina State on operational tour to military formations, where he visited 17 Brigade, Katsina; 171 Battalion, Daura; Special Forces Camp in Batsari and the proposed military barracks’ site in Daura.

He also paid a courtesy call on Governor Aminu Bello Masari; Emir of Daura, Dr. Farouk Umar; Usman and the District Head of Batsari, Alhaji Tukur Mu'azu, among others.

He reiterated that there is no excuse for failure in military operations, urging the troops to adopt all the needed tactics and operational techniques required in the war to end banditry in North-west, particularly in Katsina State.

He added that the insecurity

bedeviling the states in the region is unpredictable and asymmetric in nature, hence the need for the personnel to use their training skills to end the scourge.

Buratai said the Nigerian Army had taken delivery of more equipment and platforms that would be deployed in various theatres of operations, including Katsina, to enhance the speedy completion of the ongoing war against banditry and insurgency.

He said: "There is no excuse for failure in military operations. Whatever happens, you must try your best to achieve results by applying all the techniques, tactics, and procedures that are required in battle craft and operational techniques.

"This is the best way for us to deal with these criminals.

I assure you that we have a lot of equipment that is on the way, including additional ammunition, weapons, platforms, and vehicles.

"This type of conflict is unpredictable and asymmetric in nature. In this context, you know that the best approach to handle the conflict is to apply the same asymmetric concept and that is why we made tremendous efforts to make sure that you received the special training.

"We will continue to train and motivate you to be able to handle this challenge squarely. We know the terrain is very wide; we know some limitations. We urged you to remain committed and continue to apply the training that you received to ensure that these criminals are dealt with."

He also assured the people that farmers displaced from their ancestral homes by the marauding bandits would soon

Court Strikes out Alleged Certificate Forgery Suit against Obaseki Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court yesterday struck out a suit seeking the disqualification of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, from the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the state over alleged certificate forgery.

Justice Chikere struck out the suit following the absence of the parties in court.

Some All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Edo State had early this month sued Obaseki, accusing him of forging his university certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification for the governorship election in Edo State.

The plaintiffs, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/553/2020 are Mr. Edobor Williams, Mr. Ugbesia Godwin and Mr. Amedu Anakhu.

They accused Obaseki of forging his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) certificate in Classical Studies from the University of Ibadan.

According to them, the action of the governor contravenes

section 182(1) (i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

They prayed the court to among others hold that Obaseki is “not qualified to run or seek election to the office of the governor of Edo State� in September 19, 2020 governorship election.

However, when the case was called yesterday, neither the plaintiffs nor their lawyers were in court.

Also, absent from the day's proceedings were the defendant and his lawyers.

In view of the development, Justice Chikere struck out the suit.

The Screening Committee of the APC had on June 12, 2020, disqualified Obaseki from participating in the party's primary that held on June 22, over what it described as anomalies in his educational credentials.

Obaseki rather than appeal the decision of the committee, resigned from the APC and defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he won the party's nomination for the governorship election.

return to continue with their farming.

Katsina Emir Wants Military Barracks in Frontline LGAs Meanwhile, the Emir of Katsina has called for the establishment of military barracks and cantonments in frontline local government areas of the state to tame the insecurity.

He said the existing barracks could not serve the

population of the war front and nearby local governments in circumstances that require rapid response.

The emir, while hosting Buratai in Katsina, stressed the need for urgent actions to be taken to establish the barracks to further enhance the security of the areas.

In the past month, more than 200 people have been massacred and scores kidnapped in fresh onslaughts orchestrated by bandits in frontline LGAs of

Faskari, Dutsinma, Danmusa, Safana, Batsari, Sabuwa, Jibia, Kankara, Dandume.

The renewed attacks have forced thousands of residents of the affected local governments who survived the deadly invasions to flee their ancestral homes to the headquarters of the council areas, including Katsina, the state capital.

Usman said: "These frontline local government areas are vulnerable to banditry and kidnapping due to low-

security presence. So, the establishment of the military barracks or cantonments will assist greatly in ending insecurity facing my people there."

According to the monarch, it is the sole responsibility of government to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

While lamenting the banditry in communities across the state, the emir said traditional rulers would continue to support the military to eliminate the bandits.

PEACEMAKERS‌ L-R: Chairman, APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni; Niger State Governor, Alhaji Sani Bello; and Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, during the inaugural meeting of the committee at the party's National Secretariat in Abuja‌yesterday enock reuben

Politicians Harassing Me over 774,000 Jobs, Says Keyamo Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has accused some political leaders of attempting to blackmail him into surrendering the innovative public works job creation programme meant to create 774,000 unskilled jobs.

He, however, vowed that only President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him can stop him from piloting the programme to a successful conclusion.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday at the inauguration of state selection committees of the federal government's public works programme, Keyamo warned the state chairmen not to compromise on the objective of the initiative to give the opportunity to the people.

He said any chairman that failed to adhere to the guidelines on the operation of the scheme would be removed.

"There have been attempts at blackmailing me in this particular programme too to make us also yield to political leaders and we have said no - not while I am here. “I have a pedigree; I have a background; I have where I am coming from. Before I

came into public office, I have a pedigree and what I stand for.

"Except Mr. President, who appointed me stops me, and who gave me the opportunity and rare privilege to drive this programme, except he stops me, no other political leader or person can stop me.

I am answerable only to Mr. President," he said.

The minister added that in the past, it used to be that certain people entrusted with such a programme would hand them over to political leaders as a form of patronage.

According to Keyamo, the public works programme is for all Nigerians and the federal government has structured it to be bipartisan in order to reach out to every Nigerian, irrespective of political leanings.

He said: “Before coming here today, there has been an attempt by certain political leaders to say I must come and see them behind the scenes first to determine who gets what and how, and I said no! I am ready at any time for a public debate on this with them.

"Ordinary Nigerians must have access to this programme.

Those who are thinking I must come and see them behind the scene to determine who gets what and how they get it, I am saying no; I will not do that.

"I think the chairmen can stand on their own; don’t go and hold meetings in the house of politicians to select; hold your meetings in NDE offices. Don't go and meet in any government house to hold any meeting, don’t go to any politicians’ house to do selections."

Keyamo explained that the programme, which is to run between October and December, would be supervised by the ministry through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

He said each participant in the public works programme would be paid N20,000 and a total of N60,000 for the three months.

While admonishing the state chairmen of the programme to be fair and avoid being compromised, the minister said: "Nobody should be given more than we allotted to the person. We are going to be strict in allotting to different sectors: civil society, market women wait for those directives; so, nobody should intimidate the chairmen.

I know the chairmen will stand their ground; I am also here to back them up. We are going to remove anybody who is dancing to the tune of anybody and undermining the

drive of this programme.

"All my life, I have fought for good governance; I have gone to court to ensure that things are done right when out of government. That is what gave me my name and pedigree before I came into government and I have a practice to go back to. I want to reach the zenith of my profession.

"So, nobody will come and dictate to me the work that Mr. President told me to do. So, I cannot come into government and then abandon all the principles I fought for while I was out of government. I will not do that.

Any attempt to intimidate or blackmail us here we will not give in except Mr. President tells me to stop then I will stop."

The minister added that in order to prevent undue interference in the selection process, the government has set aside 15 per cent of the slots from each local government area for political office holders.

A total of 111 members of the state selection committees with 20 from each state and the Federal Capital Territory charged with the responsibility of compiling the list of 1,000 participants from each of the 774 LGAs in the country were virtually inaugurated.

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CBN Seeks to Safeguard Consumers of Financial Products

James Emejo in Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday released the draft framework for the regulation of Sandbox operations.

The regulation seeks to set standards for live trials or demonstration of new innovative products and financial technology in the industry.

The CBN said the move became necessary in view of the increasing consumer appetite for payment solutions and emerging disruptive technology in the financial services space as well as the need to ensure new, more flexible ways of engaging with the industry.

The regulatory sandbox is a formal process for firms to conduct live tests of new, innovative products, services, delivery channels, or business models in a controlled environment, with regulatory oversight, subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards.

The draft exposure among other things highlights the set of consumer safeguards in order to mitigate the risk to consumers participating in the testing exercise.

The process will further outline the nature of the risks identified and will be proportionate to the impact and probability of the risks occurring or causing consumer disadvantage.

The apex bank in a circular to

deposit money banks and mobile money operators and payment service providers, which was signed by both CBN Director, Payments System Management Department, Mr. Musa Jimoh, and Director, Financial Policy and Regulation and Department, Mr. Kelvin Amugo, stated that the proposed framework would enable the bank to stay abreast of innovations while promoting a safe, reliable and efficient payments system to foster innovation without compromising on the delivery of its mandate.

The CBN said the framework further defined the establishment, rules, and operations of a regulatory sandbox for the Nigerian payments system in order to promote effective competition, embrace new technology, encourage financial inclusion and improve customer experience, with a view to engendering public confidence in the financial system.

The objective is to among other things, increase the potential for innovative business models that advance financial inclusion; reduce time-to-market for innovative products, services, and business models; increase competition, widen consumers’ choice and lower costs; ensure appropriate consumer protection safeguards in innovative products as well as clearly define the roles and responsibilities of

2.4m Farmers to Benefit from FG’s N600bn Loan Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sabo Nanono, has stated that the federal government has set aside N600 billion as a loan to support farmers.

Nanono said yesterday in Kano that no fewer than 2.4 million farmers would benefit from the loan, which has zero interest.

"I want to inform you that we have commenced the registration of farmers in the country; we are going to capture their information, the number of farms they have and also their locations.

"Also, any beneficiary will be monitored because we want to make sure that you utilise the opportunity so that by next year, other people will also be self-reliant through you," he told them.

The minister was in Kano for the launch of the 2020 wet season, which took place at Tofai community of Gabasawa Local Government Area.

According to the minister, the gesture is to support farmers to improve their productivity and boost the agricultural sector.

The agricultural project is under the Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project.

The minister commended the APPEALS project for supporting rice farmers in the state, especially in Gabasawa Local Government Area.

According to him, such will go a long way in boosting the country's agricultural sector, which is one of the priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.

He also appealed to the

beneficiaries to make proper use of the support, which include Urea and NPK fertiliser, varieties of rice seeds, treasure machine among other things.

"If you can make proper use of all these, other people can be employed under you, and whenever another support comes, you will not be forgotten," he added.

In his remarks, the APPEALS' Coordinator in Kano, Mr. Hassan Ibrahim, said the projects was a collaboration between the World Bank, federal government and six benefiting states, including Kano.

According to him, no fewer than 100 farmers across six riceproducing groups in Gabasawa Local Government Area will benefit.

He said the support was to complement the federal government policy on agriculture, which includes promoting food security, improving farmer's production and also increasing exportation.

"The APPEALS project in Nigeria is to enhance the agricultural productivity of small and medium farmers and improve value chains in the six participating states.

"The participating states include Kano, Kaduna, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Lagos and Kogi," Hassan said.

Hassan added that 480 tonnes of rice is expected to be produced by the 100 farmers across 120 hectares of land.

Speaking on behalf of the farmers, the Kano State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Zubairu Ibrahim, commended the gesture.

He said the association would do everything possible to see that the beneficiaries utilise the opportunity.

stakeholders and the operations of the sandbox for the Nigerian Payments System industry.

The guideline provides further a sandbox applicant to identify the potential risks to financial institutions and financial consumers that may arise from the testing of the product, service or solution in the sandbox and propose appropriate safeguards

to address the identified risks.

However, the CBN noted that in assessing the risks and evaluating the proposed safeguards, it would give due regard to the preservation of sound financial and business practices consistent with monetary and financial stability as well as applications that promote fair treatment

of consumers and protect the confidentiality of customer information.

According to the apex bank, promoters of new innovative financial offerings will be required to "set consumer protection safeguards, to guarantee consumer protection.�

It said: “Consumers participating in the testing phase

need to be made aware of their rights and especially, be provided with information and contact details of the sandbox to report any complaint or problem they experience.

"The participants shall ensure proper maintenance of records during the testing period to support reviews of the test by the bank.�

TEN BILLION NAIRA MANDATE...

L-R: Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Ms. Dupe Olusola; Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom; Acting Company Secretary, Mr. Chike Anikwe; and President/CEO of Transcorp Plc, Ms. Owen Omogiafo, during Transcorp Hotels’ Extraordinary General Meeting in Lagos‌yesterday

Buhari Mourns as Foremost Industrialist, Akindele, Dies at 87 Joseph Ushigiale in Lagos and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari last night described the death of foremost philanthropist and entrepreneur, Chief Bode Akindele, as an irreparable loss to the country.

The president, who described him as a man of many parts, noted that "he was a creator of jobs who demonstrated untiring love for the down-trodden," and "his philanthropic gestures knew no bounds, intervening especially in critical sectors of the economy."

According to a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, the president remembered that the late industrialist was one of the early groups of private individuals who supported government intervention in the fight against the COVID-19 scourge by making huge donations to the fund.

The president condoled with the government and people of Oyo State, particularly the Olubadan-in-Council on the loss of the Parakoyi of Ibadanland, whose immeasurable contributions to the development and progress of his community and country, he said, remained paramount till the very end.

Buhari also commiserated with the organised private sector on the departure of its key member, whose imprints in various sectors, he said, would remain indelible.

He urged the family, friends, and associates of the deceased to take solace in the fact that Akindele touched lives, wrote his name in gold and lived a life of accomplishments, praying God to grant his soul eternal rest.

The accomplished Ibadan traditional title holder, a foremost industrialist with chains of companies,

philanthropist and versatile business mogul died yesterday at 87.

Announcing his passing yesterday, the family, in a statement said: "It is with heavy heart and gratitude to God that the family of Chief Labode Oladimeji Akindele announces the peaceful passing of our husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, which took place on Monday, June 29, 2020. He was aged 87."

Born in 1933 as a privileged child to a well-known Ibadan family of the Laniyan Akindele, the first Chief Tax Officer of Ibadan Native Authority, and the Alhaja Rabiatu Akindele, a prominent merchant and the first lady in Ibadan to go on Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, Akindele’s journey through the university of life was in reverse mode. Rather than coming from grass to grace, his was a grace to greater grace story given his already privileged background.

Unlike his peers, who craved for university education, after his primary and secondary education in Ibadan and Abeokuta and thereafter, he, like the Bill Gates and Mark Zukerberg of Microsoft and Facebook of today, who dropped out of school, chose to enroll for overseas tuition correspondence courses in Secretarial skills, Accountancy and Business Management.

Rather than bask in his privileged upper-class background, Akindele chose the uncharted path of striving to be self-made. It was, therefore, not long that his gamble paid off handsomely and he was acknowledged as a respected industrialist.

But Akindele's rise to prominence was not just a stroll in the park. He first served under the tutelage of several multinational and blue-chip companies from

where he gained experience in accounting and marketing.

Between 1952 and 1956, he worked in various commercial enterprises including U.A.C Limited as a Trainee Manager; Ibadan Traders Association Limited as Personal Assistant to the Managing Director; Ibadan Bus Services Limited as an Assistant Accountant and later also as an Under-Secretary of the Western Nigeria Union of Importers and Exporters (Incorporated).

Having done work for people and armed with the requisite experience that would guide him in his personal business, Akindele founded Modandola Group, one of the largest Nigerian-owned conglomerates with interests across agriculture, beverages, food processing, manufacturing, maritime, and real estate and transportation sectors.

His company has its international headquarters in the United Kingdom where another of his companies, Fairgate Group, deals mainly in commercial properties and counts retail chains like Sainsbury’s and Asda Walmart as tenants.

As a man with deep foresight, Akindele visualized far into the future and founded Modandola as a commodities trading house in the 1950s.

When the Nigerian government enacted an indigenisation decree in 1972 that mandated British companies to transfer some equities to local businessmen, Akindele acquired a stake in Umarco, a leading shipping company controlled by the Rothschild family.

He was also part of a consortium that acquired the Stockholm-based tobacco company, Swedish Match in 1990, a company he later sold to Procordia two years later. Furthermore, he holds significant stakes in blue-chip

companies in the US, as well as a sizeable real estate portfolio in the country.

Within this same period (1956 and 1962), he established Oke’Badan Brothers & Company (Produce Merchants), moved its headquarters to Lagos as he felt that the then Western Region, consisting of what is now known as Mid-west and Delta States was becoming too small for his business.

He also ventured into property by establishing Modandola Investments Limited, which is into property development and later transformed to become the flagship and holding company of the following companies: Associated Match Industries (Nigeria) Limited, Coastal Services (Nigeria) Limited, Obelawo Farcha Fishing Industries Ltd, Standard Flour Mills Ltd, Standard Packaging (Nigeria) Ltd. Encouraged by the huge success that greeted him at home, in 1983, he set his sights on much higher business stakes, deciding to establish various businesses in Europe, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Pacific Regions.

By 1990, he confounded his competitors by successfully acquiring a major international conglomerate called Swedish Match, the world’s largest manufacturers of Matches and lighters with operations in sixty-two countries covering the five continents of the world.

He was also the founder of Bode Akindele Foundation (BAF) for Charity and Alhaja Rabiatu Adedigba Akindele Medical Centre (ARAMED) and served on the board of several international companies in Europe, Eastern and Southern African Regions.

He was the Parakoyi of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

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PAGE NINE IMF ADVISES NIGERIA TO SLOW DOWN ON TAX DRIVE agenda that needs to be addressed. Right now, fiscal policy can be supportive and needs to be supportive. “On the monetary and exchange rate front, there is a response that will facilitate the much-needed adjustment of the economy to these real shocks. Our projection of -5.4 per cent is contingent on an in-built policy response and avoiding some of the challenges that were experienced when oil prices declined in 2016 causing GDP to be depressed for an extended period. “Subject to a flexible and nimble policy response, we expect that there would be

some recovery but this year would be a difficult one for the country.�

Selassie, however, lauded sub-Saharan African countries for acting swiftly and aggressively to support their economies.

He added: “Monetary and prudential policies have been eased, with countries adopting a mix of reduced policy rates, added injections of liquidity, greater exchange-rate flexibility and a temporary relaxation of regulatory and prudential norms, depending on country circumstances. “On the fiscal side, however, responses have often been

more constrained. Even before the crisis, debt levels were elevated for many countries in the region. “In this context, and in light of collapsing tax revenues, the ability of governments to increase spending has been limited. “To date, countries in the region have announced COVID-19-related fiscal packages averaging three per cent of GDP. “This effort has been indispensable. But it has often come at the expense of other priorities, such as public investment, and is markedly less than the response seen in other emerging markets or advanced economies.

“Also, authorities in subSaharan Africa face a distinct challenge in getting support to those who need it most.

Around 90 per cent of nonagricultural employment is in the informal sector, where participants are usually not covered by the social safety net. “Moreover, a large proportion of this activity centres on the provision of services, which have been particularly hard hit by the crisis. Further, informal workers typically have few savings and limited access to finance. So, staying at home is often not an option; complicating the authorities’

efforts to maintain an effective lockdown.�

Selassie also listed some policy priorities that countries in the region should implement.

According to him, “First and foremost, the immediate priority remains the preservation of health and lives. But as the region starts to recover, authorities should gradually shift from broad fiscal support to more affordable, targeted policies; concentrating in particular on the poorest households and those sectors hit hardest by the crisis. “Looking even further forward, and once the crisis

has waned, countries should refocus their attention on transforming their economies, creating jobs and boosting living standards clawing back some of the ground lost during the current crisis. “As before the crisis, part of this effort will require putting fiscal positions back on a path consistent with debt sustainability; which will in turn require a renewed determination to implement revenue-mobilisation, debtmanagement, and public financial management reforms.

In addition, sustainable, jobrich, and inclusive growth will require private-sector investment.�

conditions by the Federal Ministry of Education.

ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made this position known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun State.

He urged the government to provide the ideal environment and meet the conditions spelt out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before reopening schools across the country.

Ogunyemi said: “The federal government must lead and show the ways by meeting the conditions for reopening of schools before any school can be allowed to open because COVID-19 pandemic is a health challenge. “When it comes to public health, it is something that should not be left in the hands of individuals but the federal government must take the lead.�

The ASUU president listed the conditions spelt out by NCDC to include the provision of materials for regular hand washing, provision of face masks, isolations spaces and hands sanitisers.

He said many governmentowned schools did not have the financial capacity to meet the outlined conditions.

He said: “It is suicidal to reopen schools now if the federal government itself could not meet the conditions spelt out by the NCDC and the World Health Organisation. The nation will expose innocent children to avoidable risks.�

Schools across the country

were shut in March to curb the spread of the pandemic.

FG LIFTS BAN ON INTERSTATE TRAVELS, OPENS SCHOOLS FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS rising wave of COVID-19 infections, churches, mosques, open bars, night clubs, spars and gyms would remain closed while the 10 pm to 4 am curfew was retained.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday during the briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Chairman of the task force, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the reopening of schools was meant to allow students in graduating classes to resume preparation for examinations.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), stated that the developments were contained in the task force’s fifth interim report, which was submitted to the President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said: “I am pleased to inform you that Mr. President has carefully considered the 5th Interim Report of the PTF and has accordingly approved that, with the exception of some modifications to be expatiated upon later, the phase II of the eased lockdown be extended by another four weeks with effect from Tuesday, June 30, 2020, through midnight of Monday, 27 July 2020. “Specifically, however, the following measures shall either remain in place or come into effect: “Maintaining the current phase of the national response, for another four weeks in line with modifications to be expatiated by the national coordinator; “Permission of movement across state borders only outside curfew hours with effect from 1st July 2020;

“Enforcement of laws around non-pharmaceutical interventions by states, in particular, the use of face masks in public places; “Safe re-opening of schools to allow students in graduating classes resume in person in preparati “Safe reopening of domestic aviation services as soon as practicable; “Publication of revised guidelines around the three thematic areas of general movement, industry and labour; and community activities; provision of technical support for states to mobilise additional resources for the response.�

Also speaking at the briefing, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said all primary schools and daycare centres nationwide would remain closed until further notice.

FG Considers Lockdown of 18 LGAs Earlier, Mustapha told State House correspondents after leading some members of the task force to brief the president that the federal government might consider locking down 18 out of the nation's 774 local government areas (LGAs) considered to account for 60 per cent of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria in the next phase of eased lockdown.

He said the affected state governments would implement what he called “precision lockdown.�

While noting that the nation has not reached its peak as far as confirmed cases were concerned, he urged all stakeholders to ensure compliance with all nonpharmaceutical interventions.

He also gave an insight into the reason behind the low fatality rate in Nigeria, saying 80 per cent of the infections are in the age bracket of 31 to 40 years, which he described as a very active part of the population.

Mustapha said the highest rate of COVID-19 cases was recorded in 18 of the LGAs. According to the SGF, 60 per cent of the total over 24,000 cases recorded as at June 28 came from the 18 local governments.

The PTF chairman said the COVID-19 cases would continue to rise as long as there is no vaccine or drug for its cure while the country's testing capacity has also increased.

He added that the only way the spread could be reduced is strict adherence to nonpharmaceutical prescriptions such as the use of face masks, social distancing, avoidance of overcrowded places, among other protocols already publicised.

The SGF explained that the mortality rate in Nigeria has been low when compared to the situation in most countries because most of those infected by the virus fall within the age bracket of 31-40 whom he said had strong immunity to fight the disease.

However, he said the PTF was only concerned about 20 per cent of the population whom he said might be

victims of the virus, noting that five per cent of them are likely to succumb to it because of their ages.

According to him, it is against this backdrop that the PTF is doing its best to protect those who fall within the category, noting that it is the reason they said those from 55 years and above should not go to worship centres.

FG Retains Nationwide Curfew The PTF National Coordinator, Aliyu, said the federal government had retained the nationwide curfew declared to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The curfew will remain in force between 10 pm and 4 am.

Aliyu added that the federal government had approved restriction of movements in high burden local government areas.

It’s Suicidal to Reopen Schools Now, ASUU Insists Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday stated that it would be suicidal for schools to be reopened by the federal government amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASUU has also kicked against any appointment and promotions carried out under what it described as the illegal Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The union said the government must make resources available in order for schools to meet proposed

ASUU Kicks against Promotion under IPPIS ASUU also kicked against any appointment and promotions carried out under IPPIS, saying it is illegal.

The union in a strike Bulletin 10 signed by Ogunyemi, and released to the press by the Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said the union would insist on the reversal of appointments and promotions during the strike for failing to meet established norms and procedures.

The union also lashed out at some vice-chancellors promising online delivery they cannot defend.

According to Ogunyemi, the union is happy when its members are promoted but not without following due process of academic elevation, stating that appointment through the IPPIS by some vice-chancellors will be reversed.

ASUU also asked members not to fill any form or document sent to them through their vice chancellors, alleging that some VCs are working with National Universities Commission (NUC) for 'fake' data collection.

Ogunyemi said the union was working to ensure that lecturers yet to receive their salaries for four months get paid while also working at getting new salaries and welfare packages commensurate with global standards for members.

INEC VETS NOMINATIONS FOR EDO GOV ELECTION TODAY Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted a six-point working document aimed at repositioning the party.

The committee has also promised to commence the process of reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels.

THISDAY gathered that the INEC’s portal closed automatically yesterday after the expiration of the deadline given to the political parties to submit the details of their candidates.

A source at the commission said the commission would today open the portal to know the number of political parties that met the deadline.

He added that contrary to reports that the portal was opened yesterday, the facility was opened since Saturday.

The source, however, added that the candidates of political

parties that didn’t invite the commission to monitor their primaries would be disqualified.

Confirming the closure of the deadline, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr. Festus Okoye, told THISDAY in Abuja yesterday that the commission did not extend the June 29 deadline fixed for the exercise, which ended at 6 p.m. yesterday.

He said the commission in line with fixed deadline and schedule of activities for the state election, shut down the dedicated portal at 6 p.m.

Okoye promised that the details of the nominations by the parties would be made public later. “The portal for the submission was closed on Monday at 6 p.m. For now, I cannot confirm the number of parties that meet up with the deadline, but I should be

able to do that by tomorrow (today),� he told THISDAY, adding: “We will process all the nominations tonight and by tomorrow we will make it public.�

INEC had earlier fixed June 27 as the deadline for the conduct of primaries and June 29 at 6 p.m. for online submission of names and details of nominated candidates for the Edo State governorship election, using a dedicated portal created by the commission.

The commission had earlier said 15 political parties had notified it of their intentions to conduct primaries for the state election.

APC, PDP Beat Deadline But THISDAY findings showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) met the yesterday deadline for the submission of the names of their governorship candidates and their running mates for the election.

APC submitted the name of Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Hon. Gani Audu as the governorship candidate and the running mate respectively.

A staff of the ruling party told THISDAY: "Yes, the name of Ize-Iyamu and his running mate have been submitted to INEC." Similarly, PDP also yesterday submitted the names of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as its governorship candidate, and Hon. Phillip Shaibu as the running mate.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed the submission in an interview with THISDAY. "Yes, we have submitted the names of our governorship candidate and his running

mate. We submitted around noon through e-submission as designated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

"We downloaded the designated forms and filled the form 001 and the governorship candidate and the deputy governorship candidate filled their academic details and thereafter we uploaded the forms to the INEC portal," Ologbondiyan stated.

APC Caretakers Adopt Six-point Agenda to Reposition Party Meanwhile, the Caretaker/ Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the APC has adopted a six-point working document aimed at repositioning the party.

Continued on page 35

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TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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12

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020

POLITICS

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

Setting an Agenda for Justice Dongban-Mensem Davidson Iriekpen highlights areas of attention from lawyers and appellants to the new President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem

J

ustice Monica Dongban-Mensem was penultimate Friday sworn in as the new President of the Court of Appeal (PCA). She succeeded Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa who retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

At the inauguration, which took place at the Supreme Court premises, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, charged her to maintain the credibility and integrity of the appellate court. He enjoined the new president to live up to expectations by maintaining cordial relationship with her colleagues on the bench of the Court of Appeal.

Specifically, the CJN counselled Justice Dongban-Mensem, who is the second female to head the Court of Appeal to ensure regular meetings with Presiding Justices in all divisions of the court as well as other Justices to enable them understand challenges that may face the court. He further tasked the new appellate court president to continue with her good character, behaviour and hard work, adding that the sky would not only be a limit but a stepping stone for her.

“From my personal experience, workload in the Court of Appeal, especially in the divisions is the highest. It is a home of work, it is a home of cooperation, but with your experience, hardwork and zeal, you will not find your new status difficult.

If you sustain your good character and conduct, your tenure will definitely be an excellent one. Try to be yourself and do not allow others derail you. Remain what we know you for,” CJN added.

In her remarks after her swearing in, Dongban-Mensem expressed joy over her confirmation as substantive President of the Court of Appeal. She added that she felt honoured and at the same time challenged to be appointed into the office of the President of the Court of Appeal, based in the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.

She assured Nigerians that she would do her best in ensuring that justice was applied at the appellate court, adding that she would build on the legacy left behind by her predecessors.

The Court of Appeal is the second highest court of record in Nigeria after the Supreme Court. It is by far the largest and most complex court system in the country with about 20 divisions and over 90 judges.

Even though many feel that the 63-yearold Dongban-Mensem who has till 2027 to retire from service is coming to the position with a huge experience, she is undoubtedly assuming the position of PCA at a time the image and reputation of the court and the judiciary in general is at its lowest.

Having been a registrar at the Plateau State High Court, magistrate, judge, Plateau State High Court and judge, Federal Capital Territory judiciary from where she was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2003, a daughter of M. B. Douglas-Mensem, a retired Appeal Court judge, observers believe that her background and experience would pale into insignificance if Nigerians do not see the impact of her office in the justice sector and the judiciary at the end of her tenure.

To show how bad things are in the judiciary, lawyers, retired judges and justices have all joined in criticising the rot in the third of government. They see what is currently happening as alien to them.

For instance, a few years back, a renowned retired Justice of the Supreme

Dongban-Mensem

Court, took an x-ray of the country’s judiciary and concluded that the institution was full of judges and justices who ought not to have been there in the first place.

He lamented that the all-important arm of government stinks of corruption, adding that until the bad eggs in the institution were flushed out, the justice sector would continue to witness retrogression.

He wondered if it was the same judiciary that produced the likes Sir Egbert Udo Udoma, Akinola Aguda and Olayinka Ayoola whose names vibrated and reverberated in the Halls of Chief Justices for great African countries that produces the current crop of judges and justices.

Therefore, as the new PCA settles down in office, many analysts, especially litigants and lawyers, believe that there are a lot of areas she has to carefully look into to change the wrong impression Nigerians

have of the court and the judiciary in general.

As she settles down in her new office, observers want Justice Dongban-Mensem to first address the challenges causing delays in the adjudicatory process in order decongest the courts. They want matters to be speedily and promptly dispensed in the interest of justice.

For instance, a cursory look at some of the recent cause lists of the court in Lagos show that appeals that were filed over four to six years ago, have still not been heard or dispensed. This is why observers believe that one way to overcome the challenges is to discourage the filing of frivolous applications mostly by the defendants by being tough on them.

To quicken justice delivery, many Nigerians want the new PCA to designate the courts into civil, commercial,

She assured Nigerians that she would do her best in ensuring that justice was applied at the appellate court, adding that she would build on the legacy left behind by her predecessors. The Court of Appeal is the second highest court of record in Nigeria after the Supreme Court. It is by far the largest and most complex court system in the country with about 20 divisions and over 90 judges. Even though many feel that the 63-year-old Dongban-Mensem who has till 2027 to retire from service is coming to the position with a huge experience, she is undoubtedly assuming the position of PCA at a time the image and reputation of the court and the judiciary in general is at its lowest

probate, land and criminal sections. They also want her to increase the number of courtrooms especially in the Lagos division from the current two to four.

This, they believe, will go a long way in helping to decongest the court and reduce the pressure on the judges, lawyers and litigants. Lagos being the commercial nerve centre of the country, comes with disputes that urgently need to be resolved by the court to give the judiciary a better image.

Another area where lawyers want the new PCA to carefully look into, is the lackadaisical attitude of some of the judges presiding over cases. While some judges deliberately absent themselves from courts without excuse or prior notification, others are in the habit of coming late to court, There have been instances where counsel and litigants come from far distances and early enough only to find out that the court would not sit.

Another area many analysts want Justice Dongban-Mensem to address is the problem of corruption and the growing culture of impunity which have over time destroyed the hallowed temple of justice. Though most times allegations of corruption and inducement are hard to prove, they can be seen either in the judgments delivered or the way a case was handled. This is why many are calling for proper investigation of any petition sent to her or any whistle blown in a particular matter. This, they believe would go a long way to debunk the impression many Nigerians have that for as long as an opponent has money, he or she is very likely to win a case.

Observers also call on the new PCA to address the conflicting and some times incongruous judgments emanating from the Appeal Court. Not only that the judges of the court in various jurisdictions deliver conflicting judgments in cases that are similar in nature, but sometimes outrightly overturn the decisions of the superior court - Supreme Court.

On a few occasions, justices of the apex court have had cause to upbraid the justices of the Court of Appeal for delivering judgments that are contradictory and sometimes defile logic and commonsense on matters that are similar in law and in fact.

To a lot of observers, the greatest task before the new PCA would how she handles the disputes that would emanate from the Edo and Ondo governorship elections but the 2023 general election.

As the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dongban-Mensem is responsible for appointing judge for election tribunals as well as election appeal tribunals. The PCA also constitutes a tribunal of first instance for presidential elections. This to many analysts is an important duty that assumes added significance with the approach of the 2023 general election.

This is why the task of constituting impartial tribunals now falls on her shoulders. Not only impartiality, but these tribunals are also expected to discharge their duties speedily.

The PCA should never forget that the entire imbroglio that led to the public spat between Justice Salami and the then CJN, Aloysius Katsina-Alu, had to do with election tribunals, which are considered to be “juicy” in Nigerian parlance.

Considering the intrigues that characterised her appointment, many believe that Justice Dongban-Mensem has no choice but to discharge duties with fairness and integrity. The intrigues almost led to denying the plumb job but for pressure from a cross-section of Nigerian. This is why they want her to always watch her back.

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T H I S D AY ˾TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020

POLITICS

The Race to Succeed Osinowo in Lagos East Senatorial District As the race for the vacant Lagos East Senatorial position has begun in earnest. Segun James in this report x-rays the contenders and their chances

Ambode

Ashafa

Dabiri-Erewa

Tinubu

A

why he got the senate ticket. In his one year at the senate, he was known for his taciturnity and refusal to contribute to robust debates on the floor.

With the death of Osinowo a vacuum has been created which requires a man who has the pedigree and ability to serve the interest of the state and the party in the upper house of the National Assembly. Until the coming of Pepperito, Lagos had always put its best foot forward in the National Assembly.

Although the district parades many APC gladiators with intimidating credentials who have begun underground lobbying, consultations and mobilisation ahead of the intra-party selection, most of the aspirants are also counting on the goodwill of Asiwaju Tinubu, who most believe will have the final say on who emerges the candidate.

Not surprisingly many of the aspirants jostling for the vacant seat are very close to Tinubu. So far the list include former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, from whom Osinowo took over the senate position, Chief Lanre Rasak, the Balogun of Epe and member of the State’s Governance Advisory Council (GAC) who stepped down for Osinowo in 2019 and a dark horse in the race, Mr. Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru, a former Clerk of the State House of Assembly among other formidable political heavyweights.

But the big poser is: who does the cap fits?

Without doubts, the party would decide the mode of the senatorial primary in Lagos East in post-Osinowo era. Another question is: will the party opt for direct and indirect primary?

Considering that Lagos East is still in mourning and many members yet to recover from shock following Osinowo’s demise, an acrimonious direct primary will be unlikely and may be interpreted as disservice to the memory of the departed senator.

The Aspirants Apart from the aforementioned contenders, others said to be eyeing the slot include former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, former Speaker of House of Assembly, Hon. Joko Pelumi, his predecessor, Tola Kasali, former commissioner, Hon. Ekundayo Alebiosu, former House of Representatives member, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of Diaspora Commission and Kunle Soname, former council chairman.

Also, unconfirmed sources said House of Representatives members Ademorin Kuye (Somolu) and Rotimi Agunsoye (Kosofe), and Muyiwa Adedeji, former Kosofe Council boss, are making some moves.

was instrumental in keeping the leader in the know about financial situation in the state under Governor Babatunde Fashola. He was retired with ignominy for disloyalty by Fashola.

But, he was later drafted to take over from Fashola as governor. But towards the end of his first tenure, he ran into political stormy waters and was denied a second term term ticket.

Ambode is yet to mend his relationship with the leader and the leadership of the party in the district. Although some leaders in the party believes that he should be compensated with the position for the perceived injustice done to him during the last governorship primaries of the APC, his chances at getting the ticket are slim.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa Ashafa was elected to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the ACN candidate from Lagos East in April 2011.

He was again inaugurated as a second-term senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District in the 8th senate on 9 June 2015. He was also a member of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress as well as the Vice Chairman (South West) of the Southern Senators Forum.

Ashafa was a former civil servant in the state and rose to the position of a permanent secretary. He went into politics after retirement.

He was rejected by the leadership of the party at the state level when he attempted a third term foray into the Senate.

Lanre Rasak Probably the most experienced and eligible among the contenders jostling for the ticket, Chief Lanre Rasak, former Epe Council chairman, Lagos State ex-Commissioner for Public Transportation and was persuaded by Tinubu in 2019 to step down for Osinowo in the keenly contested primaries.

He joined the Tinubu’s camp from the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) where he was a former National Deputy Chairman. If political seniority and maturity are factors, Rasak, who is a member of the Governance Advisory Council, the highest political advisory organ of the party in Lagos State should have no rival.

Rasak who is hugely popular is fondly referred to as KLM has been a stabilizing factor in the politics of the district and the state. Although his prospects were very bright in 2019, he withdrew from the race on conditions of honour and beauty by wholeheartedly stepping down for Osinowo in deference to Asiwaju.

Party leaders commended him for loyalty to the leadership and hailed his politics without bitterness stance on issues. Most Epe leaders who have been are clamoring for the zoning of the slot to Epe Division are believed to have Rasak in mind. He is a prominent Epe community leader held in high esteem by the divisional political class because of his pedigree as a philanthropist.

lthough the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains embroiled in a leadership crisis at the national level, many political pundits believe the party is undergoing changes that will determine its future in the country.

For those following the polity closely, a positive change for the nation should come with evolving political parties; a changing political landscape and a new orientation and attitudinal change by the political leadership.

But in Lagos State, the race for the vacant seat of Lagos East Senatorial district following the sudden death of Senator Bayo Osinowo is what is occupying the front burner at the moment.

In Lagos politics, the guardians of orthodoxy in the aquatic state are not given to a capricious change of mind even though change is constant. This can be attested to in the number of legislators that have represented the state in the National Assembly in the last 20 years.

But it is a change built on a system which confounds many.

To many people, the state has been pandering to the whims and caprices of one powerful man who has a hegemonic control over the political system, especially in the ruling APC. He is a former governor and the national leader of the. party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who, alongside his loyalists under the defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD and later the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN have retained power since the return of democracy in 1999.

But to other members of the party, if hegemonies are good for anything, it should be for ensuring harmony and stability in the system they dominate.

Before his demise, Senator Osinowo, who was elected last year after serving as a member of the State House of Assembly for 16 years was a power broker and political heavyweight in Kosofe, which is among the five local government areas that make up the Lagos East Senatorial District. Others are Ikorodu, Somolu, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe. Curiously, all the councils but Epe have produced a senator to represent the zone and this according to analysts, has become a major factor that will be considered by party leaders in the quest for which part of the district should produce the next candidate.

Osinowo was an influential and charismatic politician whose influence cut across the state and a strong loyalist of Asiwaju Tinubu. He was also a dependable actor in the state APC in who much trust and confidence were reposed.

Although Pepperito, as Osinowo was fondly called, was not the first to rise from being a member of the state House of Assembly to becoming a senator, one of his predecessors, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mamora did go to the Senate after his stint as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly; but he was the only one who spent 16 years in the state assembly before proceeding to the senate.

All these is no thanks to his reputation as a muscleman and a man who is not averse to violence. This may have been the reason

Akinwunmi Ambode Ambode, was the immediate past Governor of the state. He served only one term (20152019) in office. Before being drafted to contest for the governorship, Ambode was a career civil servant who had warmed his way into Tinubu’s heart.

As the Lagos State Accountant General, he

Although Pepperito, as Osinowo was fondly called, was not the first to rise from being a member of the state House of Assembly to becoming a senator, one of his predecessors, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mamora did go to the Senate after his stint as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly; but he was the only one who spent 16 years in the state assembly before proceeding to the senate. All these is no thanks to his reputation as a muscleman and a man who is not averse to violence. This may have been the reason why he got the senate ticket

Adeyemi Ikuforiji A former speaker of the State Assembly, Ikuforiji was a political godson of Tinubu until he pitched his camp with Ambode in the protracted and acrimonious battle for the governorship ticket last year. Until the battle for the vacant senate position commenced, Ikuforiji has not been active in the party politics in the state.

Ikuforiji was Speaker for 11 years. The former polytechnic teacher and lawyer holds a doctorate degree from a reputable institution abroad.

He is from the Eko-Epe section of the ancient town, which he represented before moving to Ikeja Constituency.

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

14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍąÍŽËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

COMMENT

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

OSHIOMHOLE AND THE SACKED NWC John Danfulani writes that the CPC’s weeding mode has been re-activated

T

he Sun set on the tenure of the former textile worker, unionist, former executive governor and party chairman Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and members of his National Working Committee of All Progressives Congress on 25 June 2020. Equally, that liquidated the protracted political brouhaha and razzmatazz that dominated the two remaining factions in APC (CPC and ACN).

By implication, the in-house skirmishes have annihilated the last cluster of the coalition partners that birthed the APC in 2014 viz the CAN - a faction under the tutelage of Jagaban of Borgu, the lion of Bourdillon, and the South West political Czar, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sometimes in 2018, the PDP cream of the coalition led by people like Waziri Adamawa and former Vice President Alh.Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President and Governor Dr.Bukola Saraki, Speaker (now Governor) Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Governor, Senator and minister Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Egnr Buba Galadima, Kawu Baraje, etc., walked away from the 2014 coalition.

When the Peoples Democratic Party bunch collectively and individually left, pundits predicted what happened on 25 June 2020. Their futuristic projection was greeted with utmost skepticism. Somehow, history has vindicated them. As of today, APC is under the absolute command of CPC hawkish elements formed by Gen.Muhammadu Buhari ‘s never say die supporters after quitting ANPP. Sacking of Comrade Oshiomhole and his team isn’t an accident, it’s an incident. It’s a manoeuvre from a 2023 electoral playbook of original CPC juggernauts. The mission is simple: flushing out the last standing coalition partner in other to avoid legit distraction of asking for a chance to present a presidential candidate in 2023. The initial agreement that helped the successful forging of a coalition was: Gen. Buhari will serve for a single term, only. For obvious reasons, that agreement was violated in 2019.

The ACN branch strategically resisted the temptation of making an issue out of refusing them a chance to present a presidential candidate in 2019. A perfect way of letting sleeping dogs lie. Succinctly put, they

WHAT IS THE CORE INTEREST HERE? THE QUEST BY THE CPC PARTNERS TO PRESENT THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE THIRD TIME. BECAUSE ACN’S INTEREST WILL IMPEDE ON THAT, THEY EMBARKED ON A CLEANSING PROCESS LONG BEFORE 2023

played the fool. Their refusal to protest denied the bellicose CPC’s power jackals the reason of saying they were not faithful to their accord. From all indications, that boxed CPC actors into a tight moral corner. Thus, deploying the only option left--going nuclear--which is, sinking Oshiomhole’s led NWC forcefully.

The sacking of the NWC under Oshiomhole is a hoax, the real target is Tinubu and his minions holding party offices at the national level.

In their next national convention, they will return officers that aren’t in Tinubu’s political tent. Similarly, offices that will be zoned to South West, anti-Tunubu’s team in Abuja that are mostly ministers and South West Governors like Akeredolu of Ondo and Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti will have the liberty of nominating officers from their states. Once that is done, it will be game over for the iroko of South West politics. The question is: will he/they hold-on till events soar to the height? We are all ears and eyes.

Politics at that high level is a game of actions and reactions by colliding forces finding a place to hoist their interests in rowdy and crowdy political fields. Will Jagaban of Borgu and his team let-go without punching back? One thing is certain: they have the muscle to return some blows inflicted on them. But knowing the viciousness and lethality of their opponents and instruments of government at their disposal, I see Jagaban and his team avoiding a head-on collision with the corrosive CPC elements. They will invest their energy to resuscitating one of their parties of origin - the ACN or AD. This development further justified the clichÊ that said: there are no permanent foes or folks in politics. What is permanent is interest. What is the core interest here? The quest by the CPC partners to present the presidential candidate for the third time. Because ACN’s interest will impede on that, they embarked on a cleansing process long before 2023. That sounds immoral and illogical, but that is the nature of the game.

As stated hereinbefore, they have taken an action. Let’s see the reaction of Jagaban and his people. One thing is undisputable; they will hear from Jagaban—from a nihilistic or survivalists standpoint.

Dr Danfulani wrote from Kaduna

FAROUQ AND THE N-POWER PROGRAMME

Ă‹ĂŽĂ“ĂŁĂ‹ Ă‹ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă› Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă— Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă”Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Emma Agu

I

f anyone ever thought that public policy would pass unscrutinised, such a person will be living an illusion. Even at the best of times, members of the public would have a field day, subjecting most public policies, to various forms of scrutiny and integrity tests. At moments of extreme disquiet such as the nation is passing through presently, with public cynicism at its highest level, it is almost predictable that a youth empowerment initiative, such as the N-Power programme of the Federal Government, would elicit rigorous public attention. With unemployment figures exploding exponentially, the N-Power programme has become, for many, a veritable access, not only to guaranteed employment but the prospect of further capacity building and post ‘internship’ self-actualisation.

It is therefore not surprising that, no sooner had the portal for registration, of the third batch of the programme, been opened than the media started beaming its searchlight on the process. In one such scrutiny, an online medium reported that 50, 000 forms, for enrolment into the N-Power Programme, had been issued in advance, to some legislators and politicians in the country. This situation, the story goes on to claim, would rob the ordinary people who are in the greatest need of the programme, of the opportunity to take advantage of it.

As it turned out, the story has been denied by both the office of the Senate President as well as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. In other words, we are dealing here with a genuine case of fake news. Unfortunately, such a concoction, presumably instigated by detractors of either the Minister or the Buhari Administration, amounts to a great disservice to the commendable watchdog role of the media in Nigeria; a role that has induced a serious drive towards greater transparency, accountability and inclusion.

In spite of the obvious falsity of the news report, there is still merit in interrogating the dialectics of a possible allocation of employment slots, to legislators and how such an action, if and when it happens, would constitute either a corporate governance breach or lead to inequitable distribution of public patrimony. Prior to that, it will seem to me that of equally great importance is the need, to appreciate the background to the present development. Of course, it is a known fact that the N-Power programme is one of the major pillars, of the ambitious social investment architecture, of the Buhari Administration.

With other programmes in the basket, the ultimate objective, according to the President, is to lift 100 million people out of poverty. So far, 500,000 youth, in two batches of 200, 000 and 300, 000, have

benefitted from the programme. What also is not in doubt is that the programme started in 2016 under the supervision of the Vice President before it was transferred to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, in September 2019.

It is perhaps correct to say that among the responsibilities inherited by Sadiya Farouq, the incumbent Minister, none compares in complexity and controversy, as the N-Power Programme. Two major problems have loomed large in respect of the programme. The first is that batches A and B participants have overstayed. Thus, the hordes of potential beneficiaries of the programme have had to anxiously wait as their compatriots monopolised what belongs to all. Second problem has been the delay in payment of allowances to beneficiaries; a problem that has always dogged the programme.

Not to mention the fraudulent and unpatriotic acts of a syndicate that, over time, perpetrated the ghost worker syndrome whereby dubious participants feed on the porous internal control mechanism of the programme, to short-change the system.

The foregoing is important to the extent that it provides a better pedestal to appreciate the enormous effort that has gone into repositioning the programme, for effective service delivery, since Sadiya Farouq assumed office as the pioneer head of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. The fact that the programme is now, in a position to discharge many of the participants into productive engagement, epitomises the painstaking, result-oriented approach adopted by the ministry, under the watchful eyes of this youthful minister whose somewhat gentle mien and unobtrusive style, are often mistaken for weakness. But ask anyone who works with her and you will be told that, here is a tigress who prefers to operate without the swashbuckling style of many a public office holder or the self-adulation of those who forget that only the President deserves the limelight.

As the popular saying goes, unless you wear the shoe, you will not feel the pinch. It was the late Robert Nesta Marley, aka Bob Marley, the reggae maestro of old who sang, “Who feels it, knows it�.

For the hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths who stand to benefit under Batch C stream of the programme, whose hope for a lifeline, no matter how tenuous, has been rekindled, this is indeed a great moment. Their anxiety has been broken; their hope rekindled; their frustrations assuaged. Will they get the job? Will they be side-lined by an unfair system?

What percentage of those who apply will get the jobs? No matter how these questions are answered, one thing is clear: Sadiya Farouq and her team have

broken the jinx; henceforth, the programme is moving away from the status of being constantly in motion without any movement.

It is also noteworthy that the programme is substantially up to date in the payment of allowances to most of the 500, 000 exiting participants of Batches A and B, the only outstanding being the 12, 000 members who, according to the Minister, were inexplicably excluded from the payment schedule by the GIFMIS platform of the Federal Government.

Of course, it is public knowledge that the issue of delayed allowances has always been a sour point, for the greater part of the programme’s existence.

The public expects that, going forward, this problem would have been effectively rectified. If the truth must be told, most members of the public consider it unconscionable to delay payment of the modest, I hate to say paltry, allowance that is all, that the participants are expected to live on; at a time when inflation has significantly eroded the purchasing power of the people.

Available evidence shows that, unlike previous batches, Batch C will start, riding on greater efficiency and purpose. For one, though no system can be regarded as fool-proof, there is greater assurance that, the new hybrid enrolment template introduced by the minster will, in addition to substantially eliminating fraudulent enrolment, reduce the hitches associated with payment of allowances to participants. What this means is that, for the first time since its inception, Nigerians will have the opportunity of experiencing seamless administration of this pace-setting programme. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the programme is not exactly all about problems; that if we look at it positively, rather than being half-empty, the performance glass that Sadiya Farouq is holding is, in reality, more than half full.

Of course, it goes without saying that Nigerians will not accept a situation where access to the programme is restricted to the children and wards of privileged members of the public. The people would expect that the ministry provides a level playing field for all applicants. But this legitimate expectation cannot be an alibi for misleading the public as the purveyors of the story have done. In their blind fury, to nail an innocent foe, in this case, the minister, they failed to realise that the dubious pictorial evidence they paraded amounted to nothing but a gargantuan hoax; that there is no provision for paper application and that applications for N-Power Batch C can only be filed through the official online platform.

To compound the falsehood, some of the forms in circulation have slots for N-Tax, a provision that is completely non-existent in the form. For emphasis, Batch C is focusing on N-Agro, N-Teach, N-Health

and N-Power, Creative and Tech. Perhaps this should serve as a warning to prospective applicants that, without prejudice to their right to seek assistance from willing benefactors, wisdom suggests that they restrict their dealings to the official portal for the programme.

However, as I indicated earlier, we lose nothing by interrogating the reasonableness of adopting diverse enrolment modalities, in so far, as the requirement of equity is not compromised. Agreed that the rules should not be bent in favour of any special group, it will appear that the peculiar nature of representative politics, in our system, provides a justification, even if somewhat tenuous, for certain actions. Here is a country where the electorate expects the legislator to fix their family members in jobs, pay the school fees of their children, underwrite medical expenses, provide public amenities like electricity and pipe-borne water and even bankroll weddings! Any legislator who is unable to do these things is regarded as a failure. Curiously, while theoretically, such privileged allocation of slots on the programme could be regarded as discriminatory, at the end of the day, the children of the less privileged end up filling these slots. We can think of two reasons for this development. First, most of the well-placed people will never send their children to the N-Power programme. No. They would rather leverage high net worth opportunities in the oil and gas sector, security, the financial services sector and the public service generally. For another, their sole motivation for corralling these opportunities is to boost their political capital by dispensing IOUs to be paid for, by the beneficiaries, at the next elections. Is that slavery? No. It is called patronage system. Is it morally defensible? That is a question I would rather leave to the philosophers.

For now, what is certain is that, to borrow a jargon that was commonly used by the military, Sadiya Farouq and her team have injected, a “new lease of life�, into the N-Power programme. That the present participants can now confidently exit into productive engagements, is a breakthrough of immense significance. That some of the many unemployed graduates, who have waited for years, to be enrolled into the system will now realise their dreams, is a reassuring development that cannot be ignored.

Finally, that the programme will now run on a robust digital platform that builds on the successes of the past, is a much-desired paradigm shift that builds greater confidence into the management of public policy. Hopefully, with much-needed understanding between the ministry and the National Assembly as well as other stakeholders, the programme will be assured of seamless budgetary allocation, to the benefit of all.

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T H I S D AY Ëž TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

EDITORIAL

SERVICE CHIEFS AND NATIONAL SECURITY The security chiefs have outlived their usefulness

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pparently bowing to public pressure about the near total breakdown of security across the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari recently summoned his service chiefs, for the umpteenth time, to express his disappointment with their efforts. He reportedly told them their best was not good enough. But pertinent questions remain: Is there any timeline for the generals to perform or be booted out? Or will they be retained till 2023 in spite of deteriorating security situation?

While the president seemed undecided on what to do with the service chiefs, the security situation across the country is alarming. The last few months were exceptional. The Northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have been susceptible to frequent attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents and their more vicious variant, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In this month alone, violence had risen precipitously, as more than 100 attacks had reportedly THEY, LIKE THE been launched on communities and PRESIDENT SAID, HAD military posts by DONE THEIR BEST. BUT THEIR BEST IS NOT GOOD the insurgents. But many of the attacks ENOUGH. WE CANNOT were not reported, AFFORD TO RETAIN A perhaps because LOSING TEAM of the prominence Covid-19 pandemic has imposed on all. Some local governments reportedly had fallen back into the hands of the vicious sect. While the insurgents are on the rampage in the Northeast, bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and all manner of criminals are holding the Northwest and other parts of the country by the jugular.

Only last Saturday, nine Nigerian soldiers on escort mission to Damboa, some 85 kilometres south of Maiduguri in Borno State, were killed when their truck ran into an ambush by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. While the attack seemed aimed

Letters to the Editor

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 TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

at the military perhaps because of the truck and ammunition, the one on Faduma Koloram in Gubio local council in same Borno State a week earlier was horrendous. Suspected militants descended on the rustic town in broad daylight and killed 69 innocent civilians, causing many of the survivors to flee.

Such untold and frequent mayhem undermine popular support for leaders. Many northerners who initially warmed up to the president are becoming increasingly disconcerted. Indeed, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as well as Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have accused President Muhammadu Buhari and Northern governors of having completely lost control of their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property. Convener of the NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi said, “Bandits and insurgents appear to sense a huge vacuum in political will and capacity which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.�

But it is still not clear how the president intends to tackle the security crisis that is evidently going out of hands. If there is any inference from the visit of the Senate President Ahmad Lawan to the seat of power last week, it is that the service chiefs will still keep their jobs, in spite of their woeful performance. In very clear terms, Lawan canvassed for the retention of the service chiefs but with increased resources to fight the insurgency. But the questions remain: for how long? What does a commander-in -chief do to non-performing subordinates?

We agree with Lawan, up to a point. If we must pour more resources, it should be to another team of military leaders, not to an incompetent team that had failed again and again. Many believe the present security top brass have reached the peak of effectiveness and the right thing at this moment is to ease them out. We buy into that argument. The generals are tired and incapable of leading the war against the insurgents. They cannot inspire followership. They are being retained, perhaps against their will. They are all beyond their retirement age. They, like the president said, had done their best. But their best is not good enough. We cannot afford to retain a losing team.

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

FCT, ROAD TRAFFIC SERVICES AND COVID-19

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t is a well-known fact that the Federal Capital of Abuja is in reality considered as a state despite hosting the seat of power. Though it is accorded a special status as a federal capital territory and under the leadership of a minister, the territory still receives monthly federal allocation like the states and initiates measures toward generating revenue internally. The minister of the territory also sits in the federal executive council as a member.

Now running a capital city of a global standard demands that the various activities of government are carried out according to global standards, while citizens are expected to always fulfill their own obligations without prompting from designated government officials or agencies. Incidentally in Nigeria the practice of voluntary compliance with the rules governing a city by the citizens is usually observed in the breach, and in the case of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services they have to always stamp their feet on the ground for the rules to be obeyed.

Oftentimes, the non-compliance with the laid down rules and procedures may not be deliberate, hence a government agency like the Federal Capital Directorate of Road Traffic Services or what is known as the Vehicles Inspection Office in the states owe it a duty to not only enforce the bye laws but use their city patrols, stop and check of vehicles and documents to remind owners of vehicles the importance of obeying government rules as they affect their vehicles.

In the case of the Federal Capital Abuja the Directorate of Road Traffic Services has under the leadership of its director Mr. Aliyu Wadata Bodinga discharged its responsibilities diligently to the admiration of FCT residents. A lot has been achieved by the DRTS on the use of Information and

Communications Technology in its operations as over 90 % of their activities have been put online in line with the federal government’s directive that all service agencies must go online before the end of 2019. Additionally four inspection centres have been opened in different parts of the territory.

They include Onex, Lugbe, Kugbo, and Gwagwalada.

Among the responsibilities of the DRTS are drivers’ licence renewal, ensuring compliance of the availability of vehicle insurance thereby reducing the cost that a motorist will incur in the event of an accident; ensuring compliance with traffic rules by drivers, discouraging improper parking of vehicles and exceeding of speed limits. The agency also ensures that vehicle drivers obey traffic signs, road markings and avoid wrong way traffic.

Similarly the DRTS has started the use of technology for the thorough inspection of vehicles, including buses unlike the manual practice being used in the past. Once again this shows that the FCT DRTS is rapidly adapting to innovations that will not only enhance their operations but help to save lives of vehicles users.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the Directorate of Road Traffic Services in the FCT has far-reaching mandates in the area of carrying out their responsibilities. It should be noted that the agency also undertakes the testing and training of drivers, as well as ensures adequate and accurate documentation, reliable data base of vehicles and their owners, registration of vehicles, change of categories and ownership.

They also carry out pre-registration and routine inspection of vehicles and tricycles for their road worthiness, accident/ special inspection and issuance of relevant certificates.

The Motor Licensing Authority mandate unit of the FCT Directorate of Traffic Services is responsible for all accruable revenue from motor vehicles related activities and all the mandate units are answerable to a central command under the director, Mr Bodinga who tirelessly ensures that the desire of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mallam Muhammad Bello to see a reformed Directorate of Road Traffic Services is realised.

On a daily basis he mobilizes his team across the federal capital territory so that they put the safety of the lives of the citizens first in the discharge of their responsibilities.

For example the outbreak of the novel coronavirus came with some challenges to the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services as they had to innovate ideas on the seating arrangements in the commercial vehicles in the city. With the cooperation of the FCT Task Force on Covid-19, the DRTS embarked on the enforcement of total compliance by drivers to a specific number of passengers in each vehicle in accordance with the NCDC approved protocols for the control of spread of the pandemic. With the strict enforcement of the Covid-19 protocols as they relate to number of vehicles’ passengers, the residents of FCT have imbibed the consciousness and this has reduced person to person transmission of the dreaded disease.

Still in the same spirit of delivering on the mandates of the directorate, last week, the Bodinga- led FCT directorate unveiled its self-service portal to enable motorists and other members of the public to access its services from the comfort of their homes, offices or any part of the globe. r$IVLXVEJ &OFLXFDIJ +1 ,XFDIJT !ZBIPP DPN

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TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

30.06.2020

THE RAPE SCOURGE IN NIGERIA

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30.06.2020

Dangers of Postdated Cheques for Loan Facilities OFI Loan Facilties and Post-dated Cheques Last week, a client requested that I review an offer letter from a Financial Institution (not a Bank, but Other Financial Institution)(OFI/ the Lender), for a loan facility. As a condition precedent for the disbursement of the facility, one of the securities that the Lender demanded for was post-dated cheques, not only from the Borrower, but also from the Guarantor of the facility. When I questioned this pre-condition, my client informed me that the Lender had claimed that this requirement was a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy. I told my client to request that the Lender provide a copy of this policy requirement, as I could never believe that any CBN policy or guideline could insist upon such a bizarre and problematic stipulation. To date, we are still awaiting the details of that supposed CBN policy from the Lender; which I suspect, we may have to wait till ‘hell freezes over’ to receive, because to the best of my knowledge, no such policy exists. And how can it? Which Apex Bank would prescribe a policy, which could potentially lead to an offence?

Anyway, to earn my fee, I still looked through some of the relevant laws. I perused the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), Part II Sections 58-63 which deals with OFIs, and I saw that the provisions deal primarily with the licensing of OFIs, and there was nothing contained therein that supported the Lender’s demand. I looked at the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (MLA), and also drew a blank there too - there was no provision there about post-dated cheques being a CBN requirement for OFIs to be able to disburse loans. Though Section 3(4) of the MLA provides inter alia that OFIs should take measures to manage and mitigate risks, these enhanced measures are in respect of due diligence to avoid suspicious, illegal transactions passing through them, not to engender offences!

To cut a long story short, I did not find any such CBN or legal requirement anywhere. What I did discover, is that this requirement of postdated cheques seems to be a dubious practice employed by OFIs and DNFIs to blackmail MSMEs and Entrepreneurs who desperately require money for their businesses, in the event that they default on repayment; as this is the easiest way to engage the services of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) - by presenting the dishonoured cheques and accusing the borrower of a multiplicity of offences including, but not limited to, Obtaining Credit by false pretences contrary to Sections 419A(1)(a) and 419B(b) of the Criminal Code Act, a felony which, if the Borrower is found guilty, is liable to three years imprisonment.

Naturally, I advised my client against making such a grave mistake of providing post-dated cheques to the Lender, because of the dire consequences, in the event of default. What if the client was truly expecting some revenue to be credited to it within the specified period of the date of the post-dated cheque, and through no fault of the client, the inflow failed to come?

Under this suspicious arrangement, such a Lender would go to any length to ensure that the client is still held liable, even if it means going to prison.

Take for example, an airline that took a loan in December 2019 to enhance its working capital; the first repayment of the facility was due to be made in June 2020, and a post-dated cheque had already been issued for June 30, 2020. Considering the fact that there has been no travel since the end of March because of the Covid-19 pandemic - the ban on flying and the closure of all the airports in the country, and even before that, people had started to wind down on travel, especially to popular spots which Nigerians visited in droves like China, from where the virus was said to have emanated, and even London, it would be a long shot to expect that the airline would be able to meet that obligation fully - even by September or December 30. Apparently, profit margins in the airline business in Nigeria are nothing to write home about, and not only in Nigeria, also worldwide, many airlines started to lay off their staff immediately the lockdown began, due to their inability to pay salaries without operating services. Some airlines have even declared bankruptcy, and folded up. Would the

management of the airline then be prosecuted, if it’s post-dated cheque bounces?

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, rents on residential accommodation had somewhat declined. If a property development company had taken a loan facility from an OFI to complete the construction of its building, pledging the expected rental income which obtained at the time to repay the loan, and issued post-dated cheques in that regard, what would happen?

Many residential properties have remained empty for long periods, while those that are able to secure tenants, are in some cases, accepting less than half of the usual rent.

The Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act The question is, why does CBN allow OFIs to carry out this unwholesome practice that is akin to unsupervised, unregulated loan sharking, when CBN is duty-bound to regulate OFIs and ensure that they operate well within the confines of the law? The Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act 1977 (DCA) was enacted for the purpose of making it an offence to settle a lawful obligation, by issuing “a cheque which when presented within a reasonable time is dishonoured on grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to the credit of the drawer of the cheque.....”. Section 1(1)(b) makes the drawer of such a cheque presented not later than three months after the date of the cheque, guilty of an offence, which upon conviction (i) two years imprisonment without the option of fine for an individual and (ii) in the case of a body corporate, a fine of not less than N50,000.

Section 2 of the DCA provides inter alia that, in the case of a body corporate issuing a bounced (dud) cheque, officers like the Director, Manager and so on, shall be held liable, as in the case of an individual drawer.

The only defence to this offence, is if the drawer can prove to the satisfaction of the court, that when the cheque was issued, he/she/it honestly believed that it would be honoured, if presented for payment within the specified period of three months of the date on which the cheque was issued (Section 1(3) of the DCA).

Now, how does a Borrower prove this, when at times, a Borrower has to sign not even postdated cheques but undated cheques, and is not given any notice before they are presented?

Notification before presentation is key, whether the cheques are post-dated or undated. What if the Borrower has insufficient funds in the account that the undated cheque was drawn on six months prior, but has funds available in another bank account? In the alternative, could the fact that the cheques may be undated work

to the advantage of the Borrower, especially if they are not given notice before the Lender presents them? - that if I didn’t know when the cheques were to be presented for payment, how could I ensure that the account was funded?

Food for thought!

Better Monitoring by Lenders This is not to say that one is condoning people borrowing money which they have absolutely no intention of repaying, but surely, loans can be secured by more lawful means, for instance, by the Lender placing a lien on a Borrower’s goods and warehousing them (if the transaction is in respect of tangible goods), or the Lender having direct access to the proceeds from sales, rents and that kind of thing, apart from having the Borrower use landed property as collateral to secure facilities, depending on the quantum of the loan facility.

I say this because, while Nigerians are quite adept at defaulting on repayment of their loans (sometimes having diverting the borrowed funds to marry new wives and live lavish lifestyles), every so often, there may be genuine reasons for the inability of Borrowers to repay, as at when due. For this reason, it behooves on Lenders to ‘know-their-customers’ very well, in order to separate the wheat from the chaff, and also to monitor the activities of the Borrower from the beginning to the end of the transaction. To avoid funds not being deployed for the purposes for which they were borrowed for in the first place, Lenders need to take more of a keen interest in the business operations of their Borrowers, as opposed to just granting loan facilities and waving Borrowers goodbye until it is time for repayment. Instead, they may, for example, set pre-conditions such as, Lenders being the one to disburse funds to suppliers of raw materials, directly. These type of measures, may assist in making the loan transactions sail more smoothly.

According to the the Statistician-General of the Federation and the CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics, 41.5 million MSMEs were registered in Nigeria as of 2017. He also mentioned that “MSMEs offered job opportunities to drive job and wealth creation, as well as income redistribution within the society”. However, access to finance remains one of the biggest impediments to securing the growth of such a viable sector in Nigeria, to make the desired impact on our economy and country, in general.

Many of the MSMEs lack sufficient start-up capital and/or working capital, especially because the banks are not usually favourably disposed to lending them money, particularly SMEs for start-ups.

The Secured Transactions in Movable Assets

“THE QUESTION IS, WHY DOES CBN ALLOW OFIS TO CARRY OUT THIS UNWHOLESOME PRACTICE THAT IS AKIN TO UNSUPERVISED, UNREGULATED LOAN SHARKING, WHEN CBN IS DUTY-BOUND TO REGULATE OFIS AND ENSURE THAT THEY OPERATE WELL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW?”

Act 2017 The implementation of the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act 2017 (STMAA), whose objectives are to, inter alia: “.....1(a) enhance financial inclusion in Nigeria; (b) stimulate responsible lending to MSMEs; (c) facilitate access to credit secured with movable assets.....”, is imperative. This way, MSMEs and Entrepreneurs can use movable assets like motor vehicles, machinery etc as collateral for loan facilities, as long as they are well described, documented and registered as security interests in the National Collateral Registry, established by the CBN. It is a common occurrence to hear Lenders, whether Banks or OFIs, refuse to accept movable assets as collateral for loans.

This should not be so. It is curious that, while a nebulous non-existent so-called CBN policy is allowed by the authorities to be used with gusto and aplomb, the lawful STMAA has not really been allowed to see the light of day, in order to facilitate economic growth in the country!

One thing is certain, as the economy slowly starts to reopen after the Covid-19 lockdown, as a country, one of our priorities should be a re-appraisal of our financing strategy, whether for Banks or OFIs (end this bizarre practice of post-dated and undated cheques as a form of collateral), as it is obvious that, what we presently have is antithetical to economic growth. There really cannot be any ease of doing business, if access to funds remains as uphill a task as it is, in Nigeria.

LAW REPORT/3

Effect of Failure to Tender Weapon used in Commission of Armed Robbery reasonable doubt, and the Court of Appeal was right in affirming the conviction of the Appellant.

Facts

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n 23rd October, 2007, a certain Adeyemi Adeyemo (PW1), while driving a Toyota Starlet taxi along AYA, Asokoro, Abuja stopped to pick up four men going to Mpape, Abuja. On getting to Mpape, close to a filling station, one of the men told PW1 that he wanted to alight from the car. PW1 therefore, parked the car, but he was dragged to the back seat after a gun was shown to him, and one of the other men took over the steering. PW1 was later thrown out of the car, while the men drove away. Subsequently, PW1 reported the incident to the owner of the car, one Julius Sangotoye (PW4), and the two reported the robbery to the Police at AYA Police Station. As they stepped out of the Police Station at AYA, PW4 spotted the stolen car and pursued it. The car and the passengers, including the Appellant, were arrested and handed over to the Police, while one of them was shot dead in the process of trying to escape being arrested. A bag, containing a berretta pistol and a jack knife which the Appellant admitted to be his, were found in the car. The Appellant wrote a statement, at the Police Station. He was subsequently charged to court with two other accused persons. However, an alleged receiver of the stolen vehicle, was charged as the fourth accused person.

At trial, PW1 and PW2, were called as witnesses.

In their evidence, while one described the gun found with the Appellant and the other accused persons as a berretta pistol, the other described it as a locally made pistol. The trial court however, convicted the Appellant along with two others, for the offence of armed robbery and sentenced them to death. The alleged receiver of the stolen vehicle was however, discharged.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Appeal against his conviction to the Court of Appeal, was unsuccessful; hence, his further appeal to the Supreme Court.

Issue for Determination In resolving the appeal, the Supreme Court considered the sole issue thus: Whether from the evidence at the trial court, the Court of Appeal was not in error in upholding the conviction of the Appellant for the offences of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery, when the prosecution did not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant contended that, the available evidence before the court fell short of proof beyond reasonable doubt. He argued that, there were conflicts in the evidence of the prosecution, and that the weapon used in the commission of the crime was not tendered in evidence. He argued further that, the extra-judicial statement of the Appellant admitted as exhibit by the trial court, did not meet the crucial test of a confessional statement. He relied on the case of R v SYKES (1976) 8 CAR 233. Counsel submitted further that, the inconsistency in the testimony of PW1 as to how he was robbed made his evidence unreliable, and could not be used by the court to come to a finding that the prosecution proved its case, as required by law.

He cited the case of AKALONU v STATE (2002) 12 NWLR (Pt. 643) 161.

In response, the Respondent argued that, the proof required in establishing the offence of armed robbery is proof beyond reasonable doubt, which does not mean beyond all shadow of doubt. He cited the case of NWATURUOCHA v STATE (2011) 6 NCC 462 at 480. He contended that the Appellant’s defence of alibi cannot avail him, as same was not raised at the earliest opportunity so that the police could investigate it. He relied on the case of EBERECHI v STATE (2009) 37 NSCQR 799 at 808. Counsel stated that, it is not mandatory for the weapon used in the commission of armed robbery to be tendered, before the prosecution can sustain a conviction on a charge of armed robbery, as what is expected is the evidence to be adduced as to the use of the offensive weapon, or being in company of any person with the weapon in the commission of the armed robbery. Further, he

Honourable Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 7th day of February, 2020 Before Their Lordships

Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili Musa Dattijo Muhammad John Inyang Okoro Amina Adamu Augie Paul Adamu Galinje Justices, Supreme Court SC.263/2017 Between Mohammed Ibrahim …

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Appellant

…

… Respondent

And Commissioner of Police

…

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

contended that there was no contradiction in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, and that where an accused person made a statement and later retracted the confessional

statement in court, it does not make the statement inadmissible in evidence.

He concluded that from the totality of facts before the trial court, the prosecution proved its case beyond

“THERE IS NO PRINCIPLE OF LAW REQUIRING THAT THE WEAPON OF AN ALLEGED ROBBERY MUST BE TENDERED, BEFORE THE GUILT OF THE ACCUSED PERSON CAN BE ESTABLISHED”

Court’s Judgement and Rationale Determining the sole issue, the Apex Court held that, in a criminal action, proof beyond reasonable doubt is neither proof to the hilt, nor proof beyond the iota of doubt. Where all the essential ingredients of the offence charged have been proved or established, the charge is proved beyond reasonable doubt. In order to prove the offence of armed robbery, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that – (i) there was a robbery or series of robberies; (ii) each robbery was an armed robbery and (iii) the accused took part in the robbery or series of robberies.

On the Appellant’s defence of alibi, the Apex Court noted that, the defence of alibi raised by the Appellant while defending the charge at trial runs contrary to the law, as it was not raised at the earliest opportunity for the prosecution to have leeway of investigating its correctness or otherwise. Where an accused person is unequivocally pinned or located to the scene of crime, the defence of alibi, which alludes that he was elsewhere at the material time, is naturally destroyed as the evidence proffered had fixed him to the locus in quo - OGUNRO v STATE (2012) 7 NCC 499 at 469 – 470. In this case, the defence of alibi is destroyed, as there was evidence which fixed the Appellant to the scene of the crime.

In respect of the Appellant’s argument on the failure of the prosecution to tender the weapon of the crime, the Supreme Court held that, there is no principle of law requiring that the weapon of an alleged robbery must be tendered, before the guilt of the accused person can be established. Requirement of tendering the weapon with which an accused person is alleged to have committed a robbery, depends on the circumstances of a given case. If the evidence before the court indisputably supports the fact that armed robbery occurred, the absence of the weapon in court would not change the course of events - OLAYINKA v STATE (2007) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1040) 561 at 565.

As to the parties’ arguments on the contradictions in the evidence of Appellant’s witnesses, the court held that, it is not every discrepancy, contradiction or any form of inconsistency, that will affect the substance of a criminal charge which has been proved with credible and unchallenged evidence. Contradiction or inconsistency which will upturn a decision, would be of such magnitude that it would go to the root of the evidence of a witness, and would fatally impact on the case that would be taken seriously. The court cited the case of ADEKOYA v STATE (2012) 7 NCC 1 at 34 and stated that, the fact that one witness described the gun as a berretta pistol and the other witness described it as a locally made pistol does not substantially change the evidence, as the discrepancy is clearly minor.

With regard to the Appellant’s confessional statement which he sought to impugn, their Lordships held that, where an accused person made a statement and later retracted the confessional statement in court, the statement remains admissible - OSETOLA v STATE (2012) 50 NSCQR 598 at 605. In this case, where there were other pieces of evidence which corroborated the confessional statement of the Appellant, it proved the confession as true, and the trial court was right to act on it. In view of the Appellant’s confessional statement which is corroborated by the evidence of other prosecution witnesses, the offence of armed robbery was proved beyond reasonable doubt. More so, the fact that the vehicle was found driven by the Appellant in the company of the co-accused persons, proved that their criminal act was done in pursuance of an apparent common criminal purpose.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation Akin Adewale and Mercy Omanijo for the Appellant Simon Lough ACP, Chinyere Moneme and O.T. Lough for the Respondent.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)

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The Rape Scou Is it that the crime of rape, especially against women and the girl child, has suddenly taken on unimaginable proportions and dimensions in the past few months, or countless rapes have simply been going unreported?

Some have even attributed the astronomical increase in this heinous crime to the lockdown occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, though experts say the problem had been with us long before the lockdown.

What can possibly make a sane adult male rape anybody, talk less of a girl child who is only a few weeks old? These days, male children too are not spared, as the menace of abusing and sodomising boys, is also on the rise. Prof Joy Ngozi Ezeilo and Omolara Oriye, both experts in gender based violence, delve into the thorny issue to examine and proffer practical legal solutions to this worrisome trend

Rape and the Law in Nigeria: Blaming, Stigmatising and Silencing Victims in Search of Justice Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo OON

Rape Across the Country

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he rise in rape cases in Nigeria is scary, worrisome and an ugly phenomenon, especially the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors, that is under-aged girls.

It is nothing short of impunity, and is being perpetrated with such rampancy and violence that has left many wondering and asking what is really amiss? It is becoming clearer that we are not just fighting the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, but also the rape epidemic happening upon the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 26th June, the Katsina Police Command reported arrests of 40 suspected rapists within this period of the Covid-19 lockdown, between April and June, 2020. In the same vein, on 24th June, 2020, the Akwa-Ibom Police Command in a press briefing, informed the public about how they have arrested within seven days another Pastor and 11 others, for rape and defilement.

Investigation further revealed that, the said Pastor, who lives with eight other girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in his so-called deliverance centre at the said address, severally had unlawful carnal knowledge of one of the minors who is a 15 year old. The Akwa-Ibom Police’s arrest, included two fathers who committed incest with their daughters. It also revealed the violence rapists deploy these days, to coerce or force sex on their victims. In two cases out of the 11, a gun and a machete were used, and a deep cuts and grievous bodily harm were meted out on one of the victims.

In Enugu, in one of the nine cases that was reported and handled this June by Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), a gun was also used to intimidate a 16 year old girl at Nsukka, to succumb to the rapist's unwarranted sexual attack.

In another case, WACOL received in April, a report that a father started to have unlawful sex with the daughter as a minor, and it continued to her adulthood, and she had been impregnated by this father and forced to abort two pregnancies until she ran away and reported to us through our online services in April, 2020.

There have been tales of woes for women and girls caught up in the web of the pervasive violence in public and private spaces, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. Why is the world watching this impunity grow daily? What are the Nigerian Government and other stakeholders doing, to immediately halt this trend of increasing sexual and gender-based violence? The crux of the matter

Nigerian women protesting against Rape

is that, there is low accountability to violence perpetrated against the female gender. Today, it is Uwa Omozuwa (Benin, Edo State), yesterday it was the ultimate betrayal of defilement and torture on a three- month old baby in Nasarawa, a year ago in 2019, it was about a 17 year old salesgirl being gang raped to death in Edo State.

The year before in 2018, it was the case of young Ochanya Ogbaje, a 13 year old girl who was allegedly raped to death by her uncle and his son in Benue State. In 2014, it was an 8 year old girl named Evidence, who was raped and murdered in Enugu, and she became a body of growing evidence of the heinous crime of rape and sexual assault against womanhood.

And on and on, the list goes.

There exists an unaccountable number of other victims who are violated every day, every week, every month and every year, in Nigeria. In 2014, it was the Chibok girls (Borno), later on the

“WACOL RECEIVED IN APRIL, A REPORTTHAT A FATHER STARTED TO HAVE UNLAWFUL SEX WITH THE DAUGHTER AS A MINOR, AND IT CONTINUED TO HER ADULTHOOD, AND SHE HAD BEEN IMPREGNATED BYTHIS FATHER......”

Dapchi girls (Yobe), and on and on the list goes, until we can count no more. It is not a myth; it has become women’s lived reality. Women’s body has become a site of struggle, and the personal has become political.

Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) which I founded as an extension of WACOL services that was funded by the then Justice for All (J4A) Programme of the Department for International Development, (DFID), UK, recorded within two years of its operation from 2014 to 2016 about 641 clients - victims/survivors of sexual violence. Of that number, 401 were minors (under the age of 18), of which 183 of them were under the age of ten, while 240 were above the age of 18.

From the 641 clients we responded to, 629 were females, while 12 were male clients. In addition, 24 clients treated were persons with disability of various categories, and were all females. The statistics from this Centre in just one city of Nigeria sheds some light on the prevalent rate of sexual violence, and the culture of silence and impunity on the issue.

In fact, Mirabel Centre and the Lagos State Domestic Violence Response Unit, have recorded thousands of sexual assault cases in Lagos State alone.

The truth is that, there is no safe space for women and girls anymore in Nigeria. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, women and girls face disproportionate forms of sexual and gender based violence in the forms of rape, defilement, trafficking, sexual harassment, wife battery, domestic abuse, female genital cuttings/female circumcision, early and forced marriage, widowhood practices, including denial of inheritance rights, torture, acid attack, abandonment without means of livelihood, denial of custody rights etc. It is now an epidemic, within a pandemic of Covid- 19.

Within the months of the April and May Covid-19 lockdown period, WACOL received and handled about 156 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), out of which were 25 cases of sexual violence bordering on rape,

defilements and sexual assault of under-aged girls. The complaints received included, six cases of defilement and gang rape of girl-children who are under-aged. Of these child sexual abuse cases two resulted in pregnancy, including of a twelve year old now seven months pregnant, and about to be forcefully married to the rapist who stole her innocence and disrupted her education and personal development.

Following our intervention and petitions to Police on cases involving rape, defilement and sexual assault of under-aged girls in June, 2020, five arrests have been made in Enugu by the Police, while the other three cases are still under Police investigation, with the hope for imminent arrest of the culprits by the Police, as WACOL follows up diligently on these cases.

What is going on?

Again, and for the umpteenth time what is going on? Is there still a safe space for women, with the incessant rape and murder? The audacity of rapists and pedophiles have taken dimensions, hitherto uncommon. Why are they getting bolder, and defying the public outcry for an end to this heinous crime of rape? The upsurge in rape cases even in this Covid-19 crisis, is indeed, scary and adds to the anxiety and anguish caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the increase may well be an indication that we are succeeding in breaking the culture of silence that hitherto, shrouded open sexuality discourse. It may also mean that, Nigerian women and girls are coming to terms with their own “me too” movement.

The world is a global village, and increasingly, people are empowered, especially by social media to speak out and stand in solidarity to deal with social ills that affect them.

For far too long, victims have been re-victimised, and doubly jeopardised by society and in the administration of criminal justice. A woman who alleges rape is seen as a liar, even before the law, hence, all the bottlenecks in accessing justice.

Speaking on rape and stereotypes, Justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, of the Supreme Court of Canada observed in the case of R v Seaboyer (1991) that: “The woman who comes to the attention of authorities, has her victimisation measured against the current rape mythologies, i.e., who she should be in order to be recognised as having been, in the eyes of the law, raped; who her attacker must be in order to be recognised, in the eyes of the law, as a potential rapist; and how injured she must be, in order to be believed. If her victimisation does not fit the myths, it is unlikely that an arrest will be made or a conviction obtained.

As prosecutors and police often suggest, in an attempt to excuse their application of stereotype, there is no point in directing cases toward the justice system, if juries and judges will acquit on the basis of their stereotypical perceptions of the ‘supposed victim’ and her ‘supposed’ victimisation”.

People in position of power, including artist/ stars use their position of authority or celebrity to suppress rape accusations against them, and even intimidate their victims and complaints. The recent case of D-banj - a popular musician and celebrity who was accused of rape by a young woman named Seyitan Babatayo through social media, that she was raped by him in December 2018. In a sad twist of events, she was arrested cont'd on page 6

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rge in Nigeria Suggestions towards the Eradication of Sexual Violence Against Nigerian Women

“THUS, ABOUT 77% OF RAPE CASES GO UNREPORTED.....FROM THE STUDY, REASONS FOR NOT REPORTING RAPE CASES INCLUDE: POLICE INSENSITIVITY (32%); FEAR OF STIGMA (21%); ACCUSED MAY NOT BE ARRESTED (21 %); AND POLICE CORRUPTION

Omolara Oriye

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iolence against women, especially violence of a sexual nature has been an epidemic in Nigeria.

It has become increasingly evident that there are no safe spaces to live and thrive as a woman in Nigeria, without the fear of gender-based violence of a sexual nature. The recent cases of the brutal rape and murder of Nigerian women and girls, have shone a fresh light on this epidemic. The Nigerian Police in a recently released statistics, report that 717 cases of rape have been reported between January and March, 2020. This occurs, while the world grapples a global pandemic. Women and girls are always in danger, and factors such as a public health emergency exacerbates these existing insecurities. It is important to bear in mind that, the statistics provided by the Nigerian Police consist only of reported cases. It is crippling to imagine the vastness of unreported incidents of rape and sexual violence, especially cases in which women and girls have no choice than to continue to live with their abusers.

A few weeks ago, news broke of the rape and murder of Uwaila, a university student brutally raped and murdered in a church where she conducted private study; Barakat and Grace were raped and murdered in their homes. It is important to say the names of these victims of sexual violence and murder, not only because we need to humanise women, but because it must be stated that the system failed these women, and maybe by remembering them, we can make a promise to make concerted efforts towards building a society that considers women humans and worthy of protection under the law and in social and cultural settings.

Negative Mindset: Discrimination Against Women Social, cultural and unfortunately, intellectual circles in Nigeria, are rife with sexual violence and women are automatically blamed for the occurrence of this violence. This is easily traced to patriarchal and misogynistic structures that dehumanise women, through the deification and/or vilification of womanhood. Abrahamic religions continue to reinforce the notions around women — A woman can either be perfect or bad, she cannot just be a human being with rights and agency. This problematic view of women and womanhood, is seen in the immediate uprising which occurs once a rape case is mentioned either to the authorities or on social media. Women who report their abusers are immediately taken apart and their lives scrutinised in bits, while society looks frantically for factors that justify the actions of the abuser. This level of scrutiny is rarely extended to the male perpetrators of rape, patriarchal privileges affords male abusers a misplaced benefit of the doubt.

Rape culture which is endemic in Nigeria as with any other clime, is rooted in patriarchy and the need to contain, suppress and punish women. It must be reiterated that, even though rape is violence of a sexual nature, it is not rooted in sexual behaviour and gratification, it is a weapon employed by socio-legal and socio-cultural structures, to punish women.

A quick look at the Criminal Code and Penal Code in Nigeria, provides the evidence of the ways in which discrimination against women is

Teenage rape victims

endemic. The Criminal Code Act and the Penal Code Act exempt married women from being raped, the Penal Code being more literal and unapologetic about this exemption. These criminal provisions are not only relics of colonialism, they also perpetuate the idea of women’s inferiority and suppression, all rooted in the patriarchy.

Thus, sexual violence against women cannot be removed from society, without the full and substantive liberation of women. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) tries to fix this lacuna in the law, the definition of rape in the VAPP Act can be read to provide protection in cases of marital rape, but this inadvertent, bare minimum protection is inadequate and problematic. The protection of all Nigerian women must be intentional, finding its root in the Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa, and other international human rights instruments ratified by Nigeria.

Extant Laws It is not illogical to assert that, the prevalence of rape and other sexual violence is not solely due to a lack of relevant criminal laws under which perpetrators can be brought to book.

Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act applicable in Southern Nigeria, defines rape as ‘having unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl without her consent’, the absence of consent includes consent obtained by force, through threats, intimidation and deception. Section 358 of the Criminal Code, prescribes life imprisonment as punishment for a conviction on rape.

Section 282 of the Penal Code applicable in the Northern Nigeria equally prohibits rape, but limits the scope of consent to the absolute absence of consent and consent obtained by the threat of death or harm. There is a plethora of State criminal laws across the Federation, prohibiting and prescribing punishments for the offence of rape. The Violence Against Persons Act which expands the scope of sexual offences to include men and married women, prescribes life imprisonment as punishment upon conviction. The law seems clear, but the presence of impunity is clearer.

Impunity is fuelled by a failing criminal justice system, in tandem with social and economic inequalities. The lack of data on sexual violence and sexual offenders in Nigeria, makes it almost impossible to assess the level of impunity caused

by the criminal justice system. However, recent records shows that, there have only been about a paltry 65 rape convictions in the Nigerian courts between 1973 and 2019. The juxtaposition of this number with the number of reported cases, over 700 reported cases in the last five months, is a cause for alarm. In addition to a failing criminal justice system, inequalities both in rights and socio-economic access, continue to afford perpetrators with economic and social privileges to intimidate and silence victims of rape many times, using the Nigerian Police.

In a system where inequalities are deeply entrenched and justice is but an illusion, the further intimidation and re-traumatisation of victims of sexual violence by perpetrators and the justice system, is only a symptom.

Considerations and the Way Forward In discussing the scourge of rape and its re-entry into public discourse in Nigeria, one must consider the offence of rape in a subjective manner. The socio-legal framework in Nigeria considers rape simply as a social ill, it is not looked at through the lens of a violation of rights. In many ways, rape is considered a crime against everyone but the victim, which is usually a woman. There is a need to consider rape and other forms of sexual violence, as a violation of fundamental human rights which entitles women and other human beings protection from cruel, degrading and inhumane treatments. The consistent consideration of rape as a ‘societal ill’ or simply a crime against the State is no longer sufficient, there is a need to centre the victims, the law and conduct of the Nigerian society must seek to protect human beings, shifting the implications of an offence on the State, as a secondary but important component. Therefore, in dealing with rape and sexual violence in Nigeria, it is imperative to consider a victim centred response, employing a careful combination of retributive and restorative justice. The mental and physical wellbeing of the victims of sexual violence must be a key consideration, in the measures employed in the prevention and response to rape. This begs the question; how do you build justice around a people considered less than human?

There is a need to engage the Nigerian legal, social and cultural systems, albeit deeply flawed simultaneously, in the fight against rape. This is achievable using the simultaneous engagement public education, accountability and women’s liberation. Writers have argued that, there is need

for public education and sensitisation on topics of sexual violence - this goes without saying. To re-socialise a people, there is need for new and superior information, the introduction a new approach to gender and civic education is required.

However, public education and sensitisation, cannot stand alone. The component of accountability and the effective liberation of women both as an idea and as human beings is important, and without these, public education will be largely futile. Awareness creation and sensitisation on rape and rape culture will only amount to the mollycoddling of perpetrators, a coaxing of someone sort, an appeal to reconsider their stance. This is grossly insufficient, and in fact, an insult to the existence of women - perpetrators must be disarmed. The conversation around rape cannot be had, without a clear plan for accountability.

Rape culture is not a new phenomenon, and conversations around rape and sexual violence are not new. Even though these conversations are being had, there is an increase in the bold perpetration of sexual violence and the killing of women— it is clear that there is a missing factor.

The argument presented on the importance of awareness creation on rape is grossly incomplete, inadequate and misguided, if it does not include sufficient and efficient accountability measures on the part of perpetrators, and ultimately, the liberation of women from social, cultural and legal discrimination.

In recent times, there have been calls for stricter punishment for rape perpetrators; this has included the call for chemical castration of convicted rapists. First, a legal framework exists, it may need refurbishment under the circumstances; there is an urgent need for the implementation of these laws pending possible amendment. Secondly, ideas such as chemical castration continue to entrench notions that rape is a violation which finds its centre in sexual behaviour, but it is not so. Rape is about the power, privilege, punishment and control, and to effectively eradicate sexual violence, a more robust approach as enunciated above, must be employed. We must be able to rid our society of sexual violence without descending into crudity, such as castration and the death penalty. To disarm rapists, is to disarm the structures of privilege and power which subjugate women and continue to enable men to rape and kill women, this is achievable through awareness raising, accountability and the liberation of women.

Itunu Omolara Oriye, Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate, Feminist, Writer and Documentary Photographer, passionate about Human Rights and Equality

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NIGERIA “THE CRIMINAL CODE ACT AND THE PENAL CODE ACT EXEMPT MARRIED WOMEN FROM BEING RAPED, THE PENAL CODE BEING MORE LITERAL AND UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT THIS EXEMPTION. THESE CRIMINAL PROVISIONS ARE NOT ONLY RELICS OF COLONIALISM.....”

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and detained by Police, intimidated and allegedly forced to delete some information in relation to that from her social media handles. Furthermore, she was slammed by his Lawyers with a demand letter to pay a sum of N100 million within 48 hours, as compensation for falsely accusing him, or risk legal action. What a country! Where the victim becomes the villain, and the perpetrator gets away with blue murder in daylight? As rightly, observed by Laila Johnson-Salami of ARISE NEWS Channel in her insightful piece of 23 June titled: “D’banj, Apologists and Why Women Aren’t Reporting Rape”, - “…Speaking up remains highly theoretical, and there are several dynamics to Nigeria’s rape culture that we need to deconstruct for women to be safe. Firstly, both men and women have to start holding people accountable for rape and sexual violence, there are far too many rape apologists in our society today. The constant watering-down of the conversation, excuses made for people’s actions and denial, needs to stop.”

Nigeria’s Rape Culture Sadly and truly, Nigeria’s rape culture has been in existence and tolerated for decades, and often shrouded in secrecy due to ingrained patriarchal sex stereotypes, structural and systemic oppression women face, including prevailing social norms and media portrayal that culturally treat women as sex objects and discourages open sexuality discussion, and stigmatises women who dared to speak out about their victimisation. Undoubtedly, there is a need to break the culture of silence, especially now that more women are beginning to have courage to speak out about their victimisation.

Rape Impunity: Facts, Figures and Extant Laws in Nigeria Women and girls in Nigeria, from available statistics suffer from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in different spheres of life, from different actors. A National survey on torture in Nigeria carried out by WACOL, indicates that rape and sexual abuse, are amongst the forms of torture experienced by women. The survey puts the rate of women’s rape and sexual abuse, at 65.4%. CLEEN Foundation National Crime and Safety Survey 2012 carried out in all 36 States of the Federation, revealed that only 23% of rape incidents in Nigeria were reported to the Police.

Thus, about 77% of rape cases go unreported, and those who manage to report their cases had no treatment or better services from the Police and other actors, including health care providers.

From the study, reasons for not reporting rape cases include: Police insensitivity (32%); fear of stigma (21%); Accused may not be arrested (21 %); and Police corruption (14%).

Reports from WACOL legal clinics show that rape, sexual exploitation and abuse of young girls is on the increase, and yet unacknowledged and discussed in low whispers. The truth about sexual violence against women in Nigeria, 2003 WACOL Publication where the survivors of rape and victims of sexual violence told their stories in a national mock women’s court we organised in Abuja on 14 November, 2002 at the National Centre on Women Development, revealed that victims rarely break their silence to report their victimisation largely due to shame, stigma and fear. Consequently, they suffer in silence, mostly, mentally depressed and confused, contract HIV/ AIDs /STI, and worst of all, unwanted pregnancy may occur thereby endangering the health and future of survivors.

There is a correlation between SGBV and women’s predisposition to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDs. The percentage of women living with HIV increased slowly from 51.7% in 2013 to 53.1% in 2016, but that of men was decreased slowly from 48.3% in 2013 to 46.9 % in 2016 (NACA).

The emergence of the Boko Haram terrorist group has escalated SGBV in the form of sexual slavery, abduction, kidnapping and trafficking of girls as mercenaries and comfort women to provide sex for the insurgents, forced marriage to terrorists and ‘sex-for-food’, especially in the North East of Nigeria that is having significant impact on womanhood, and the perpetuation of the miseries suffered by women on the basis of gender.

Rape is the most serious form of sexual assault.

Section 358 of the Criminal Code imposes life imprisonment with or without caning, while Section 359 defines an attempt to commit the offence of rape as a felony punishable by imprisonment for fourteen years, with or without caning.

Under the Penal Code the punishment for rape is a term of imprisonment which may extend to fourteen years, in addition to a fine.

The punishment for rape under the PC appears softer or lighter, when compared with the life imprisonment which the same offence attracts under Section 358 of the Criminal Code. Hence,

the call for stiffer penalties, especially in Northern Nigeria.

However, the punishment for rape under recent legislations like the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of FCT, 2015 and various States’ Violence Against Persons Prohibition Laws, is stiffer. In fact, under the VAPP Act, 2015 applicable to the FCT, a person commits the offence of rape if he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person, no matter how slight, with his sex organ or any other part of his body or anything else, once the sex is without consent or consent was obtained by force or duress.

The punishment for rape under this recent legislative jurisprudence, is life imprisonment.

Importantly, an offender gets a minimum sentencing of 12 years imprisonment without option of fine; and in case of gang rape by group of persons, the offenders are liable jointly to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment, without option of fine.

The idea of minimum sentencing is very good.

However, the problem is not with the law alone, but rather the lack of effective enforcement of extant penal laws, including judicial interpretation of ingredients or elements of the offence of rape like consent, corroboration, penetration and capacity to commit the offence of rape. If there are no marks of injury, broken hymen or evidence of torn clothes etc, the case even if reported, may not be prosecuted, and if prosecuted, there may be no conviction because of lack of corroboration.

Yet, the victim might have been terrorised into submission with no marks of violence appearing.

Recently, the Upper Shari’ah court sitting in Tudun Wada, Zaria sentenced three rapists to one year imprisonment with an option of N7000 fine, with 20 strokes of the cane, for raping two girls aged 9 and 10 on their way to school (Daily Trust April, 27, 2019). The sentence has generated a lot of controversy, about what should be an appropriate sentencing.

In Upahar v The State (2003) in confirming the sentence pronounced upon a rape convict by a lower court, the late Hon. Justice Nzeako JCA, commented thus: “befitting punishment must be meted out to persons who seek to defile and degrade womanhood, and in particular, the ever so helpless girl-child. This will act as a deterrent to others”. It was in the news that a Kaduna State High Court in the last few days, sentenced one Usman Shehu Bashir to death by hanging, for raping to death a two year old girl.

The VAPP Act/ Laws, introduced and legalised the concept of minimum sentencing. Otherwise, rapists will be getting away with light sentencing or payment of fines. Notwithstanding, the problem is still with the trivialising of the serious crime of rape/ defilement, stigmatising and blaming the victim or rape survivor.

Protective Measures for Rape Victims: Lack of Use of Technology It is pertinent to mention that, various protective measures and remedies for victims and survivors of rape provided for in recent laws, are not fully explored or utilised by administrators of criminal justice system. Take for example, hearing in camera in rape cases, witness protection before, during and post-trial, and also the possibility of compensation during the criminal trial of rape cases. The Evidence Act 2011, allows for admissibility of electronic evidence. Yet, the court prosecutors and defence counsels, including the courts, are reluctant to admit electronic evidence or allow

hearing in camera (recorded video of victims of rape), instead of insisting on physical appearance that tends to shame, stigmatise and re-victimise the victim or rape survivor all over again.

Importantly, there is a lack of use of technology to fight this crime. Forensic evidence is the ultimate evidence required, to corroborate rape cases. So, if we have functional and state of the art DNA laboratories in every State that is linked to Police, court and the Ministry of Justice, it will aid investigation and prosecution of these cases.

The country has failed to take full advantage of advancement in technology, to solve crimes and bring perpetrators to account.

Proof of Rape As it were, offenders get away with their crimes for want of evidence and the cautionary rules Judges of commonwealth jurisdiction often adhere to, especially in the Nigerian jurisdiction.

The problem is with the elements of the offence of rape invoked in proving rape, and lack of appropriate knowledge and information on how to preserve those evidence. In particular, early reports and medical examinations to document the forensics. Law reform is called for, to mitigate these stringent requirements. If such is not done, more rapists will be set free, as a result of technicalities.

The crime of rape as it is currently applicable in most States of the Federation, does not recognise the act of sodomy performed upon a woman without her consent; or the insertion of objects in her genital or anal cavities cannot be defined as rape, nor can sexual attacks by a man against another man or by a woman against another woman. Luckily, the new Violence Against Persons Laws adopted by some States, have taken care of this in those States.

Protests In fact, well-meaning Nigerians are supporting women’s groups and civil society, in protesting the spate of rape cases and the new trend of rape and murder. Dozens of protests and demands for declaration of a state of emergency on rape have been organised around the country, including

by WACOL in collaboration with Action Aid Nigeria (AAN) and by several other partners of AAN, including FIDA, FOMWAN working under the auspices of Women Voice Leadership (WVL) with funding support from Global Affairs Canada, and in solidarity with women’s groups to condemn the heinous crime of rape.

Women during the current spate of protests used different graffiti to communicate their demands for justice, whether for Uwa or for other victims, including for support services for victims. I was particularly enthused to see in our Enugu protest march to the Government House, a banner with the following message “Don’t tell us what to wear, tell them not to rape”. This message is a direct challenge to the commonest and highly rebuttable excuse for rape that tends to justify rape - on indecent dressing by young women. What a fallacy, when the reality shows that, even babies and toddlers without any revealing curves and cleavages are ravaged in most barbaric tortious assault.

In the Nasarawa State case, it was reported that the rapist had violated three other minors previously, and the baby Rukayya, three months old, was his fourth victim, yet this pedophile escaped being prosecuted and held accountable until now. As one of the banners I saw in one of the women’s protests in social media read: “An

erection must be given direction” I think I can quickly re-write that to say: ‘Control that erection or get castrated and jailed.’ Some commentators posited that the male sex organ should be cut into pieces never to enter anywhere ever, and I sanction that? Yes, cut his “P…” if the wrong erection comes your direction.

Ikechukwu Ekenta, 43 years old, was arrested in Anambra State for raping his three year and ten months old daughter on 28 April, 2020, the same day his wife put to bed with another child.

This is sickening, and those who perpetrate such gender crimes should be made to languish in jail for a long time, as long as possible. Incest and sexual abuse of minors, is the ultimate betrayal.

The impunity, must be brought to an end.

Creating Awareness There is an urgent need to embark on mass sensitisation and campaign, to create awareness to break the culture of silence on rape and other sexual violence. Without education, even victims and their families will not be aware of the procedure to follow, in the event of rape. We hope that through public education and sensitisation, especially at the grassroot level about extant provisions of law, that would aid and bring succour to those affected and seeking for redress to demand for full implementation of these recent legislation, such as the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act, in 2015; which has been domesticated in about 14 States, including: Anambra, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Cross Rivers State, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, and Ogun States. Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which entered into force in 2015. Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act (NAPTIP Act), which entered into force in 2015. The National HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma Act, in 2014; Child Rights Act, 2003 and its Child Right Laws of two-thirds of the States of the Federation.

States that are yet to domestic this law, should urgently do so. This is the minimum that they can do to protect women and girls in Nigeria, and demonstrate that they are against this impunity.

Beyond declaration of a state of emergency, which is a welcome development by both the Governors Forum and the Federal Government of Nigeria, we need to see action and commitment of funds to scaling up information geared towards prevention.

Government at all levels, if serious, should put their money where their mouth is.

An obvious need exists to change the attitude of communities towards SGBV violence, by making community members and especially service providers, more aware of the tremendous burden placed on numerous women affected, due to the woeful inadequacies of services and unresponsive State policies. There is need to embark on massive public education and sensitisation, for the public to take action and stop the rape. Such education will emphasise that it is in our hands to reform our laws and procedures; it is in our hands to take appropriate measures to protect women and girls’ against rape; it is in our hands to break the culture of silence, not to stigmatise and blame the victims. Prevention is key, and there is need to increase awareness, especially on punishment for rape, and encouraging victims and survivors to speak out. Ensuring that the accountability stake, is raised. No settlement of rape cases outside the court, especially in cases involving minors. It has to be, zero tolerance.

Nigerians, especially civil society organisations and women’s groups, must come together to end the impunity of rape and gender-based violence, by transforming the culture of sex stereotypes and advocating for enforcing laws that protect women’s cont'd on page 7

30.06.2020

NEWS/7

Indian National Arraigned for Allegedly Dealing in Petroleum Illegally Peter Taiwo

A Federal High Court at Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday remanded one Indian national at the correctional facility for allegedly dealing with 45 metric tons of petroleum product, without the appropriate licence.

Rahul Pathania was charged alongside a vessel named MV BOUNT, on a three count charge bordering on dealing with petroleum product without the appropriate licence; and without appropriate licence attempting to export petroleum product which are contrary to Sections 3(6) and 1(19) and punishable under Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous

Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Prosecutor, U.U Buhari, told the court that the Defendant without appropriate licence dealt with 45 metric tons of petroleum product.

The Prosecutor further alleged that the Defendant, on the January 31st, 2020, without appropriate licence attempted to export 45 metric tons of petroleum product with the vessel named MV BOUNT. According to a letter received by the Commission on the June 5th, 2020 from the Nigerian Navy Ship, Beecroft, which

Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva

stated that the Navy intercepted and arrested

the vessel MV BOUNT for illegal possession of

45.9MT of AGO with a crew member of five, all

of Indian nationality at about 48 nautical miles south of Lagos Fair Way Bouy.

The Defendant pleaded guilty to the first count, and pled not guilty to the other two counts preferred against him by the EFCC. Following his plea, the Prosecutor urged the court to fix a trial date, and asked that the Defendant be remanded in the correctional facility.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa thereafter, remanded the Indian national at the correctional facility pending commencement of trial.

The case was further adjourned till October 7th, 2020 for trial.

Second Female Senior Advocate Usoro Commissions Ultramodern NBA Ikeja Bar Centre of Nigeria, Phoebe Ajayi-Obe, Last Tuesday, the President of Centre, in 2006. He narrated Onigbanjo, SAN, were present Passes On the NBA, Mr Paul Usoro, SAN, how successive Bar leaders had at the commissioning of Ikeja commissioned the new NBA planned to build the Centre Bar Centre on Tuesday.

It was a historical feat in 1989, when a second female Lawyer, Chief Mrs Phoebe Chiadikobi Ajayi-Obe, was admitted into the Inner Bar and conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, second only to Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, who had set the pace in 1981.

As at the time of going to press, THISDAY LAWYER learnt of the passage of the legal matriarch and mentor to many female Lawyers, at the ripe old age of 92.

Born on March 21, 1928 of Igbo parentage (Okija, Anambra State), Mrs Ajayi-Obe was called to the Bar in1969 after she obtained her LLB from the then University of Ife, and BL from the Nigerian Law School.

A die-hard gender rights activist, she is on record to have started the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), ,EDGDQ %UDQFK WR ÀJKW IRU women and children’s rights and protection.

Ikeja Branch Ultramodern Bar Centre. A former Chairman of Ikeja Branch of the NBA, Mr Adekunle Ojo, on Tuesday narrated how Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN assisted the Branch in securing the land where the Bar Centre is built.

Mr. Ojo said this at the commissioning of the Centre. He was the Chairman that laid the foundation of the Bar

but could not do so, because Government only allocated the land for use of the Lawyers.

The Branch had no authority over the space.

Ikeja NBA Chairman, Dele Oloke, former NBA General Secretary, and Presidential Candidate, Dele Adesina SAN, immediate past Lagos AG, Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN, and Lagos AG, Moyosore

Mr Ojo narrated to the audience how Professor Osinbajo, then Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, took him to the then Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the problem. “Tinubu called the Surveyor-General and directed that the papers of the land be given to us. That was how we were able to lay the foundation�.

Chief Mrs Phoebe Chiadikobi Ajayi-Obe, SAN

She also instituted the Ajayi-Obe Prize for the best graduating female student at her alma mata, University of Ife, and THISDAY LAWYER pioneer Editor,

Funke Aboyade, SAN, had the privilege of clinching that prize from the institution in 1982.

May her soul rest in peace.

Amen.

L-R: Former A-G Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, Dele Adesina, SAN and A-G Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN

THE RAPE SCOURGE cont'd from page 6

rights and changing the attitudes that condone violence against women.

I am against the death penalty, but will not hesitate to be in support of stiffer punishment and promotion of laws that provide for maximum sentencing in rape, and not leaving the discretion to the personality and idiosyncrasies of Judges, some of whom have trivialised this serious offence that

has been ruled to constitute a crime against humanity, in international criminal court jurisprudence.

Nigerians are now in favour of extreme punishment, like castration – removal of testicles. This should not be off the table, because as an Igbo adage says “If a bird learns to fly without perching, then the hunter will learn to shoot without stopping�. The rapists are not just committing the heinous

IN

crime of rape, but also homicide. They are raping, ruining lives and killing their victims, and this calls for urgent measures, drastic action, prosecution and appropriate punishment, as effective deterrents. Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, should be a deserving punishment for dangerous sexual offenders as defined in the new VAPP Laws. Enough is enough! It is not a crime to be born a woman.

NIGERIA Stop the rape! Put the rapists in jail, where they belong. We cannot afford to wait a minute longer. The time is now to end this impunity of rape, that is fast becoming an every day crime reported across Nigeria in their numbers.

STOP THE RAPE! THIS IMPUNITY HAS GONE ON FOR FAR TOO LONG. Professor Joy Ezeilo, Professor of

Public Law, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria; Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human TrafďŹ cking; Member, United Nations Civil Society Advisory Board on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; Founding Director, Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL)/ Tamar Sexual Assault and Referral Centre and the Chairperson, Sexual Assault Referral Network, Nigeria.

8/

30.06.2020

Nigeria’s Legal Framework on Covid-19

Introduction

the National Economic Reconstruction Fund, to correct inadequacies in the provision of medium to long-term financing to small and medium-scale industrial enterprises; provide medium and long-term credit to commercial banks for on-lending; and for matters connected therewith.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria, have been hard hit the most in Nigeria.

This Act requires urgent amendment, so that its elaborate aims and objectives in Section 2 shall include provisions for loans for small and medium scale businesses, during government-ordered lockdowns.

Similarly, Section 2 thereof should also be amended to include provision of loans and social welfare packages for citizens during lockdowns or forced quarantine.

Conclusion New emergent socio-economic and political challenges, rapid medical and technological advancement, raise multifarious moral and legal questions. These occurrences in a new post Covid-19 world order now necessitate constant reforms of our laws, to ensure that our justice system meets with these new unaccustomed challenges.

Lord Denning, MR, it was, who once famously said, in PARKER v PARKER (2003) All ER (D) 421: “What is the argument on the other side? Only this, that no case has been found in which it has been done before. That argument does not appeal to me in the least. If we never do anything which has not been done before, we shall never get anywhere. The law will stand still while the rest of the world goes on, and that will be bad for both”.

Covid-19 has thus, afforded us a historic opportunity to think outside the box. NOW.

P

rior to the global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there already existed in Nigeria, some legal framework associated with pandemics. Some actions currently being undertaken by the courts, Federal and State Governments, are grounded on such framework already in existence.

This work is targeted at appraising some of those laws, with a view to unearthing the many legal challenges of our time, and creating room for a better anti-covid-19 legal regime.

Make no mistake about it. The current ravaging Coronavirus pandemic, has changed the face of the world forever. Mark my prophetic words: The world we left behind in March, is totally different from the world we just entered into.

The Legal Framework of Covid-19?

The legal framework is embedded in the following laws: The Quarantine Act, Cap Q2 LFN, 2004 The Quarantine Act came into force in Nigeria on 26th May, 1926, to regulate quarantine matters, prevent the introduction, spread and transmission to, from, and within Nigeria, of dangerous infectious diseases. The Act is currently undergoing amendment by the National Assembly, in a dangerous form, which I have since rejected and described as containing “satanic verses”.

Section 2 of the Act provides that: “dangerous infectious disease” means cholera, plague, yellow fever, smallpox and typhus, and includes any disease of an infectious or contagious nature which the President may, by notice, declare to be a dangerous infectious disease within the meaning of this Act.” Section 4 provides that the President may make regulations for, inter alia, prescribing steps to be taken within Nigeria upon any place, declared to be an infected local area”. He may do this by proscribing the introduction and preventing the spread of any dangerous infectious disease into Nigeria or any part thereof from any place without Nigeria, whether such place is an infected local area or not; preventing the transmission of any dangerous infectious disease from Nigeria to any place outside Nigeria; prescribing the powers and duties of officers in charge of carrying out such regulations; and also provide sanitary stations, buildings and equipment for such. He can also fix the fees and charges to be paid for matters connected with the regulations; and also prescribe penalties. Under the Act, where regulations under Section 4 have not been made by the President, then, the Governor of a State may make such, subject to the same conditions and limitations imposed on Mr President.

Issues Arising from the Quarantine Act Perhaps due to the fact that this antiquated law came into force in 1923, contemporary issues were not reflected in it. The following are some of them: Mode of Transportation If an area is quarantined as provided by the Act, should members of the public not enter into pubic vehicles? If they do, how many persons should be permitted?

Purchase of Goods and Services?

The Act fails to explain how citizens would survive when an area is under quarantine in relation to purchasing food, goods and services, which human beings survive on.

Caring for Citizens during Lockdown The Quarantine Act has no provisions for payment of salary to workers who are quarantined, and thus, unable to work.

Mr President’s Covid-19 regulations did not provide for funds for the upkeep of indigent Nigerians; payment of workers’ salaries; downsizing of workers when the need arises; and how to improve the social capital of citizens during quarantine periods.

Section 8 of the Quarantine Act makes it clear that the President must allow State Governors formulate polices that protect the airspace and sea space of their States, for the good of the people.

Such decisions of the States should therefore, be made to take precedence over decisions of Mr President, due to the proximity of State Governments to the people. We witnessed the ugly scenario that unfolded between the Federal Government and Rivers State Government, regarding flights that forcibly landed in Port Harcourt. Such is antithetical to Federalism.

The National Population Commission Act Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has been debating issues about population control. Many people across the world believe that the virus outbreak was deliberately orchestrated by a group of people (led by Bill Gates), who desire depopulation of the world. Section 6 of the National Population Commission Act states the powers of the Commission regarding enumeration, census, surveys, registration of births and deaths, house numbering, population information data; and advising Mr President on population matters.

The deficit is that, the Act failed to emphasise the importance of population control and makes no provisions for what the President should do to control population. The law also does not state the critical role expected of citizens, in controlling astronomical population growth.

Overpopulation is a huge challenge in our contemporary world, as it affects the quality of life. The Act failed to treat this. Fearing

Farewell, Glanville Abibo, SAN – An Elegy Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire

population explosion in China, the Chinese government implemented a “one-child-per family” policy, birth control programmes and incentives for families with fewer children. Can the law intervene in Nigeria in this regard? Discuss please.

The Social Development Act The Social Development Act, 1972, is a law that establishes the Social Development division of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity.

Section 2 of the Act prescribes, inter alia, functions that include co-ordination of inter-governmental and inter-state social development activities; training of professional social workers; international casework and adoption inquiries; relations with voluntary organisations at national and international levels; overseas and national repatriations; organisation of national youth activities; and maintenance of the National Relief and Rehabilitation Agency.

Section 2 of the Act, requires immediate amendment. With the outbreak of Covid-19, the health consciousness and social responsibilities of citizens during and after an outbreak (such as Covid-19), have to be captured in a subsequent amendment.

Such should also provide for the rights and liabilities of citizens to meet with their social responsibilities brought about by health pandemic, such as Covid-19.

Section 3 of the Act, also requires urgent amendment. The National Advisory Committee should be able to appoint a team of experienced human capital development experts with in-depth knowledge on social capital matters, regarding how best to manage any sudden negative impact on citizens caused by outbreaks of pandemics, such as Covid-19.

The National Economic Reconstruction Fund Act The National Economic Reconstruction Fund Act, 1989, established

“WE WITNESSED THE UGLY SCENARIO THAT UNFOLDED BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT, REGARDING FLIGHTS THAT FORCIBLY LANDED IN PORT HARCOURT. SUCH IS ANTITHETICAL TO FEDERALISM”

Glanville Isetima Abibo, SAN’s death is hurtful and traumatic to me as a person. It gave me an unpleasant “delayed shock”. I had met Glanville for the first time about February, 2017. Himself, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN and my humble self, formed a troika, working together for, and defending some common clients. I met a man who was at once luminous, pleasant and unassuming.

Abibo wore humility like a second skin. Nothing seemed to hurt, bother or strain him. His affability and geniality, shone like a million stars. His friendliness was simply infectious. He laughed always, at times, with a guffaw. He expressed himself more in rib-cracking pidgin (broken) English, in the studied format of a “home boy”, with native intelligence. He was simply gregarious and effervescent, bubbling with the sap of life like a yam tendril in the rainy season (thank you, Chinua Achebe, “Things Fall Apart”).

Glanville had a bagfull of wisecracks and sheer wittism. “O boy, leave mata”, was his common dismissive reaction to issues that troubled us as a team.

His selflessness and generosity, were nullus secondus. It was Abibo who first took Adedipe, SAN, and I, in 2018, to a restaurant on Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos, to eat abula meal, a Yoruba delicacy, comprising ewedu (draw vegetable soup), obe ata (stew) and gbegiri (bean soup); all mixed together as a cocktail. This favourite meal of mine has since metamorphosed into a national menu in the genre of edikangikong, tuwo shinkafa, ofe onugbo, omhi saghue, efo riro, afang, egusi, ogbono, jollof rice, miyan kuka, nkwobi, etc.

Abibo was always calm, tranquil, extremely hardworking, intelligent and penetratingly analytical. His forthright and courageous approach to legal matters greatly endeared him to me, such that we became close friends. Abibo was classy, sartorial, urbane, debonair, avuncular and accommodating. He was simply a good Homo sapiens.

His transition is an irreplaceable loss to the NBA, the Okrika and Rivers State people, and the entire legal profession. Abibo’s contributions to the legal profession, humanitarian causes, young Lawyers and youth mentorship, can never be forgotten. They are simply in-erasable.

This is the great man, that the cold hands of death have snatched away. Just like that. But, death itself must die one day. Said John Donne, “death, thou too shall die”.

Glanville, you have “fought the good fight; finished the race and have kept the faith” [2 Tim 4:7]. Your survivors must therefore, take solace in the words of Bhudda: “even death is not to be feared, by one who has lived wisely”. O death, where is thy sting? O death, thou art ashamed. Glanville, you have gone to rest in the eternal bosom of the Lord, free from the daily stress of this vain-glorious world of iniquity, vanity and futility. Yes, in the words of David Mazzuchelli, “life is stressful, dear. That’s why they say, Rest in Peace”.

My dear friend, brother, colleague and companion, REST IN PERFECT PEACE, till we meet to part no more. AMEN. For his lovely wife, children, extended family, friends, associates, and community that Abibo left behind, be consoled that he lived a fruitful life worthy of emulation. Adieu Glanville. Farewell, Isetima.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable”. (Louis D. Brandeis).

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BUSINESSWORLD

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Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

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Quick Takes Ecobank, JA Promote Financial Literacy

PROMOTING E-LEARNING

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (right), being presented with the Roducate e-learning device by CEO, FirstBank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, in Lagos‌recently

Discos: 40% of Electricity Users Don’t Pay Bills Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja Electricity distribution companies (Discos) in Nigeria have said that over 40 per cent of the country’s citizens who use their services do not pay for them every month, thus accumulating for them over N30 billion worth of financial loss.

The Discos equally claimed that they lost an average of N500 million each during the period the federal government imposed a lockdown on the country to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Discos explained that often, this set of electricity users engage in energy theft, meter by-pass, vandalism of power distribution assets as well as willingly choosing not to pay off their monthly bills.

According to the Executive Director for Research and Advocacy of the Discos umbrella trade body, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors

ENERGY (ANED), Mr. Sunday Oduntan, the Discos made this known to the Senate Committee on Power which had a public hearing on the state of Nigeria’s electricity industry.

Oduntan explained that the challenges form the major part of the Discos’ Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses.

He noted that the Discos want an effective legislation from the National Assembly against energy theft to safeguard revenues and improve service performance in the sector. “There is a need for effective legislation by the National Assembly to checkmate energy theft in the country as the practise is costing the power sector billions of naira monthly. The power sector is currently grappling with a liquidity shortfall of over N1.5 trillion

occasioned by a combination of adverse conditions among which is the high rate of energy theft,� said Oduntan.

He stated that: “Recently, one of our members had to publicly declare how much they are losing monthly from energy theft. They lose N3 billion monthly. That is a lot of money and this is from people who illegally bypass their connections, those who take energy from the grid without paying as well as those who engage in acts of vandalism.�

According to him, the Discos during the public hearing of the senate showed an instance where out of N27.7 billion which was billed for energy consumed in 2019 by unmetered customers, only N5.2 billion was recovered. “On (the) average, each Disco loses about N3 billion every month on these challenges and for the 10 Discos who are our members, the monthly losses are over N30 billion.

“The Discos are struggling to improve revenue collection but there are over 40 per cent of their customers that hardly pay for the electricity that they consume.

Some of them are involved in the by-passing of meters and even outright energy theft. “The sector cannot continue like this. There is no sector in the world where criminal acts affecting critical sectors are not given special treatment. Until people know that there are penalties for the specific crime of energy theft, this is not going to stop,� he added.

Oduntan further stated that: “On the part of the Discos, we are working hard to ensure the availability of meters so that there is greater transparency which will certainly build customer confidence. However, this has to be complemented by specific legislation.

Continued on page 18

Gencos Want FG to Develop Data for Efficient Planning in Power Sector Electricity generation companies (Gencos) in Nigeria have attributed most of the challenges in the country’s electricity industry to the lack of useful data for efficient planning.

In a note shared with THISDAY, the Gencos called for an efficient data collection and management system in the sector by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), adding that without such practices in place, expectations of service level improvements would be unmet. The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji, explained that the Gencos were pleased with the recent plan of the NERC to allow the 11 electricity distribution companies

ENERGY (Discos) in the country implement service-reflective tariff in their networks. But she suggested that the plan should be backed with efficient data management system for optimal results.

Ogaji, explained that electricity in Nigeria has always been considered a public utility to be provided by the government. Owing to this, electricity prices have continuously been subsidised by the government.

According to her: “Research shows that prior to the advent of the privatisation experiment in the power sector, electricity was a social service, with little emphasis on accountability and profitabil-

ity. Financial requirements for infrastructural development was derived from the government. “Under this scenario, there was little or no emphasis on data, as nothing depended on it; investments for the growth of the generation sub-sector did not depend on the returns from the distribution sub-sector.�

She stated that the federal government routinely intervened or invested to ensure the development and sustainability of the sector, thus major indices such as customer population, customer demographics, energy demand requirement per customer, billing and collection efficiencies, Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) loss factors that should drive monitoring

and evaluation (M&E) were not available in the right quantity and quality.

In the absence of these, Ogaji said that: “The government was throwing money and other resources at the problem with little or no understanding of the magnitude or type of problems that existed.� “The diagnosis was wrong, and hence the deployed solutions were imprecise and failed to target or tackle the underlying issues,� she added.

Ogaji noted that the service reflective tariff model introduced by the NERC would prompt more investments into the electricity distribution segment, making the Continued on page 18

The Junior Achievement (JA) Africa and the Ecobank Group have announced a new partnership, “Banking on Africa’sYouth.�The partnership would undertake a campaign which would tap into JA’s vast online community, comprising over one million young social media followers spread across Africa.

It would educate and mobilise over 600,000+ young people with ďŹ nancialliteracyknowledge,aspartofEcobank’sJuniorSaversinitiative which in part seeks to grow ďŹ nancial inclusion for young Africans using Ecobank’smobile/digitalresources.Thepurposeoftheonlinecampaign istoempowerpotentialandexistingJuniorSaversaccountholderswith the requisite ďŹ nancial literacy knowledge to understand and begin to build a culture of savings as part of their personal ďŹ nancial habits.The campaign targets youth groups, online inuencers and communities with knowledge of some basic ďŹ nancial concepts. “The Ecobank Group is committed to building ďŹ nancial literacy and money management skills amongst the youth as they transition into Africa’s productive workforce,â€? the Group Consumer Banking Head at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Nana Araba Abban said. “Our collaboration with JA Africa will enable us positively impact young citizens who are our investment in the future of the continent.â€?

Speakingabouttheprogram,JAAfrica’sCEO,ElizabethElangoBintli, said, “This partnership with the Ecobank Group reinforces both JA Africa’s and the banking group’s commitment to ďŹ nancial literacy and inclusion for all Africans, especially the youth.We believe in educating a new generation of leaders with the knowledge they need to navigate their economic futures while giving them the tools to succeed.â€?

Africa’s youth today are growing up in a new ďŹ nancial world where technology plays a big role in in their lives. This partnership will go a longwaytoreachandinuencebehaviorofmillionsofunbankedyoung people on the African continent by giving them the requisite ďŹ nancial literacy skills to become ďŹ nancially informed adults in the future.

CIBN Exams Hold October

TheCharteredInstituteofBankersofNigeria(CIBN)hasrescheduled its April diet examinations which was to take place from April 7th to 9th 2020. The exams are now to hold along with the October diet examinations.

AccordingtoastatementsignedbyitsHeadCorporateCommunication and External Relations, Mr. Nelson Olagundoye, the examination was rescheduledtoensurethesafetyofthestudentsandotherstakeholders that would participate in it.

He also explained that, the decision to reschedule till October 2020, was in line with the uncertainty surrounding the full relaxation of the measures imposed by the federal and state governments to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. “The institute regrets the inconvenience caused to the candidates who had registered for the April 2020 Examinations and spent time preparing,� the statement explained.

The institute had on March 21, 2020, indeďŹ nitely postponed the examinations as a result of the pandemic which forced the federal and state governments to introduce stringent measures such as social / physical distancing protocol, limitation of gatherings to a maximum of 20 people and total lockdown of economic and social activities. “By this decision, it means the Institute’s examinations will hold only oncethisyearatadatetentativelyďŹ xedforOctober6-8,October,2020. “Allthestudentsintendingtowritetheexaminationsareencouraged to register on the institute’s website,â€? the statement added.

Intelsat Partners Liquid Telecom

Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network has announced an extension of its partnership withLiquidTelecom,apan-Africantelecomsgroup.Thetwocompanies havecollaboratedforfouryearstodeliverLiquidTelecom’smulti-awardwinning very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) service over Intelsat’s high-throughput satellite eet, providing a robust, secure and reliable communications network to communities, schools and businesses in 20 countries across the continent.Through the partnership extension, LiquidTelecom would be able to connect more than 2,000 additional VSAT terminals across the continent.

“One Partner Programme could also serve as a source of income for employed persons who have a good network�

Divisional Head, Retail and Consumer Banking, Sterling Bank, Mr. Shina Atilola

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BUSINESSWORLD DISCOS: 40% OF ELECTRICITY USERS DON’T PAY BILLS “Everywhere you go today, the incidences of meter bypass is rife. If people are metered and they still steal energy, it shows you that the problem is not entirely availability of meters. There is a mindset that stealing electricity is okay and that needs to be corrected through the enactment of appropriate legislation.�

He noted that the practice of non-payment for electricity bills got worse during the lockdown imposed by the federal government to curtail COVID-19 spread in the country.

According to him, from April 2020 when the lockdown kicked off, the Discos lost an average of N500 million a month in revenue due to customers insistence on free electricity supply.

He said ANED was in collaboration with security agencies in the country and the judiciary to enforce legal actions against energy theft.

GENCOS WANT FG TO DEVELOP DATA FOR EFFICIENT PLANNING IN POWER SECTOR Discos become responsible and bound to make the necessary investments to improve their networks to guarantee their supply commitments to customers. “It will also bring a breath of fresh air compared to what is obtainable under the present MYTO regime, which has given the Discos the latitude to make all sorts of claim. It will also reduce the problem of load rejection by Discos and increase the utilisation of stranded generation capacity.

Customers of the Discos will greatly benefit with assured guaranteed hours of supply,� she explained, while calling on the NERC to however invest in ownership and management of data for monitoring of Discos’ commitment to quality service delivery.

According to her, such data ownership and management will support NERC’s regulatory oversight on the industry. “From the foregoing, tariff and service delivery cannot work independent of the other.

There has to be mechanisms put in place to monitor and evaluate the Discos operations to ensure that they are performing optimally.

NEWS

Agribusiness Investors Count Losses as Hospitality Sector Remains Closed Oluchi Chibuzor Agribusiness investors are lamenting low patronage and glut of products due to the closure of businesses by operators in the hospitality sector as a result of the Covid-19.

According to them, the situation is causing them untold economic hardship.

This is because hoteliers, event centre owners, bar, among others are their major customers.

Speaking recently, the Managing Director, Agrecourse Limited, a crowd-funding platform for agriculture, Mr. Ayoola Oluga, said the traction gained by the agricultural sector in the last one year since the government closed the border must be sustained by reopening the hospitality sector.

He said many smallholder farmers had reaped the benefits of increased production and increased income due to the border closure. He, however said with the continuous closure of the hospitality sector they are now experiencing low patronage. “With the advent of the coronavirus, another set of problems have risen. Some farmers have continued to find it difficult to sell their products, especially fish farmers. This is mainly due to the shutdown of the hospitality sector, where you find the major off-takers,� he said.

On his part, the General Manager of Linace Farms, Imo State, Mr. Azubuieke Chiemeka, said most off-takers are presently

off business, due to uncertainty of business sustainability. “There is also a glut of products now, and everybody is selling at lower prices, as people are afraid to re-stock because they cannot sell their old products,� he added.

On his part, the Chief Technology Officer, ThriveAgric, another crowd-funding platform for agro-allied investments, Mr. Ayo Arikawe, explained that chickens from their farms are

mostly sold to “processors, who, in turn, sell to restaurants and hotels� “We know this affects their sales, making them keep more stocks in cold rooms unnecessarily, and there is an increased logistics cost for them. We essentially reduce the birds stocked this period to match off-takers’ demand,� he added.

Explaining measures put in place to cushion the effect of the Covid-19, the CEO, Agro

Park, Mr. Ayodele Alabi, said as a result of the restrictions across the country, a good number of their partners had either reduced or totally shut down their operations.

According to him, “We are diversifying into staple crops like maize, sweet corn, soya, rice, beans, and we have cultivated about 130 hectares of maize; 10 hectares of sweet corn; 40 hectares of rice; 85 hectares of land is ready for second ploughing for

soya; 100 hectares of land is at 65 percent completion for beans cultivation and for, livestock, we have signed contracts with off-taker partners with a strong ecommerce platform, which has taken about 20 percent of our stock in four weeks.�

The moves, he added, were done, “because we understand that post Covid-19, the demand for food will rise, and we are strategically positioning to take a huge market share.�

Obabori Urges FG to Further Loosen Restrictions to Protect Livelihoods Chinedu Eze The Group Managing Director of Red Star Express, Dr. Sola Obabori has said for Nigerians to survive under the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, the federal and state governments have to re-open the economy.

Obabori, who made this known during exclusive interview with THISDAY in Lagos, said Covid-19 started as a health problem, but now has also become an economic problem, thus subjecting the world and Nigeria to both economic and health crisis.

He also said the pandemic has also become humanitarian

and security problems because those who are economically displaced would need palliatives and rehabilitation in addition to providing for those who may be forced to become criminals in the desperation for survival. “The economy has to open up so that all of us can survive.

This is because if you look at the totality of the Covid-19 problem we are dealing with right now, it started as a health crisis, one virus came to town, some people are infected, about 493, 000 people have died globally. “So it is a serious health issue and we are all running away from dying. And from the economic crisis it become a

humanitarian crisis. “We are not making money and yet we are going to distribute rice to give to people in our neighborhood so that they don’t become a nuisance to us, and then it now became a security problem.�

He added: “I have never seen it in the magnitude that I have seen it in the last few weeks; that criminals are all over the phones now. “These days you get a text message and somebody will be asking you to put your pin somewhere or somebody has broken into your Whatsapp platform,� he said.

The Red Star Express boss said the new world order would

shape the future of the global economy and Nigeria, saying that to mitigate the situation before it gets out of control, government should lift restrictions. “You have a health crisis leading to economic crisis, leading to humanitarian crisis, people begging for food and you are going to have security crisis surrounding that. So all of these elements are the things that will shape the future of our country and the entire world. “There is a struggle between our being alive and our livelihood. And the government has struggled a lot with that, and that is why they are easing the system gradually.

“I thought that they would ease the airport on June 21, 2019. If that had happened the economy can pick gradually from there and as they open up more, economic activities will also follow suit. “That is because people work at the airport, some of the people who have been home for three months without working they can earn an income. When they earn income they can pay their rents, when they pay their rents their children can go back to school and then they can pay the teachers,� he added. ere. And that is the same scenario that plays around the entire world,� he said.

Standard Chartered Pledges Support for African Entrepreneurs Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor ((Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (ICT)

Hamid Ayodeji Standard Chartered has expressed its commitment to continue to introduce solutions to alleviate the financial burden inflicted on businesses by the Covid-19.

To this end, the bank said it has launched a series of funds and financial assistance to the tune of $1 billion to finance African businesses that are affected by the pandemic.

The global financial institution in a statement made available to THISDAY, disclosed that as part of its efforts to ensure a sustainable economic development, it

recently launched a $50 million global relief fund to directly aid those impacted by the pandemic and support emergency efforts led by charitable organisations across the globe.

The Regional Head of Corporate Affairs and Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Africa & Middle East, Olga Arara-Kimani stated that the organisation has also initiated measures ranging from short-term payment holidays, the extension of the tenure of a loan, the option to pay interest only on the component of the loan or offering discounts on domestic

payments in order to stimulate the market.

Arara-Kimani added: “At the bank, we are continuing to present a united front against this common threat. As of May, our donations to philanthropic organisations, such as the Red Cross and UNICEF, as well as local non-government organisations and government partners in Africa and the Middle East totalled $11.8 million. “These funds were directed to provide emergency relief in countries across the region impacted by the pandemic.

Funding to UNICEF for example will support the immediate

protection and education of vulnerable children in Pakistan and eight markets in Africa and other such activities remote education via TV, radio, online and mobile platforms. “The capital will also aid in funding child protection measures, including alternative care arrangements and family tracing services for children separated from their families due to Covid-19, training for social workers to conduct home visits to vulnerable children for mental health support, and alternative care and protection services for children of parents or caregivers affected by Covid-19.�

The statement further noted that, “to continue adding value during the crisis, companies need to shift their thinking.

Public-private partnerships are emerging, supported by a surge in solidarity funds across the continent. Covid-19 is creating new needs, while enforcing enormous financial pressures across a broad spectrum of society. “As the fallout from the crisis continues, the private sector must continue to partner with non-profit organisations and government institutions to ensure the resiliency and stability of local communities.�

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ANALYSIS

Enhancing Food Security through Public Private Partnership

Okwuosa Highlights Benefits of AKK Gas Pipeline Peter Uzoho

FACTORYTOUR

L-R:GroupCEO,GBFoods,Mr.IgnasiRicou;CorporateAffairsDirector,Africa,Dr.TeddyNgu;KebbiStateGovernor, Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, and Project Director Kebbi Farm Factory Project, GBFoods, Mr. Ignasi Garcia, during a visittotheGBFoodsTomatoprocessingfactory&farminKebbistatebuiltinpartnershipwiththeCentralBankof Nigeria(CBN),KebbistategovernmentandtheEmirateofYauri‌recently Oluchi Chibuzor

T

he agriculture sector provides sufďŹ cient opportunity for Nigeria to diversify its economy, making it less susceptible to the volatility of oil prices.

In pursuing its new agro-centric policy, the present government has intervened through several measures. In recent times, the government has begun to deploy a Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) to develop the agriculture sector. These attempts at the use of PPPs in the agriculture space are gaining ground as some projects have earnestly commenced, and some recently completed. This has already cascaded to the state levels as we have seen some states driving economic revolution in agriculture through private partnerships.

A recent example was the Kebbi State Government’s partnership with GBfoods to build a N20 billion Tomato Processing Factory. It is the only fully backward integrated tomatoes processing plant in ECOWAS – and has the largest single tomatoes farm in Nigeria.

The world-class factory and adjoining farm, include drip irrigation and fertigation infrastructure, greenhouses, seed planting robots, incubation chambers, and an abundance of agricultural machinery. The farm will serve a dual purpose, it will produce industrial tomatoes in the dry season and soya beans in the raining season.

The Kebbi State government has expressed optimism that the collaboration will result in a win-win situation for the State, the private sector and all stakeholders in the agriculture sector in such a way that food sufficiency and safety will be guaranteed. The Governor has restated his commitment to working with the private sector to facilitate food security by harnessing public and private investment to create a strong, mixed sector economy that can provide jobs for all and create the base for expanding social services and environmental sustainability.

The Country Manager, GBfoods Nigeria, Mr. Vincent Egbe, stated that the company has been working hand in hand with federal and state governments to make Nigeria a shining example of food security and also become the food basket of Africa. For instance, the federal government encouraged and supported GBfoods to engage with the CBN, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to ensure the successful completion of the Tomato Factory.

According to Egbe, the partnership yielded positive results with the completion of the N20 billion Tomato Factory. He commended the Kebbi State Government for leasing the land for the project and the host communities, especially the Emir of Yauri and the Ngaski Local Government authorities for being supportive.

The company is dedicated to developing the value chain to improve revenue streams for Tomato Farmers. Over the past three years, in the three states of Kaduna, Katsina, and Kebbi, GBfoods has worked with smallholder out-growers to boost their incomes by providing seedlings, fertilizers, training, and irrigation

pumps. Egbe reiterated that the company would continue to work with the Government at all levels towards food security, local production, and processing of fresh Tomatoes.

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who is also Vice Chairman of the Federal Food Security Council, has repeatedly, through performance, exemplified the commitment of his administration towards the attainment of food security with the partnership and collaboration of organisations in the state just as he has demonstrated with GBfoods in completing the N20 billion Tomato Factory.

The state government has constantly assured prospective investors in the agriculture sector of a conducive business environment.

Undoubtedly, most traditional PPP projects are focused on the provision of infrastructure.

It is important to give more attention to the next critical area where PPPs will be useful, which is the optimization of land use and the provision of agriculture infrastructure like irrigation, agro-processing, and storage facilities. These are essential components of the agriculture value chain. In most cases, private sector farmers are unable to build this infrastructure themselves due to their high capital expenditure that is required and the unlikelihood that the investors would be able to recover the investment throughout the lifespan of the infrastructure. The government may have to evaluate which of the critical agri-business infrastructure it subsidises to accelerate national development through the agricultural sector.

The federal government in its recently unveiled Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan intends to undertake a mass agricultural programme that is expected to bring between 20,000 and 100,000 hectares of new farmland under cultivation in every state of the federation. The aim is to create millions of job opportunities, directly and indirectly, over a 12-month period. “This project which will take place over a period of 12 months and is intended to expand existing production in the agricultural sector and stimulate the establishment of new farms in partnership with State Governments, the private sector and individual citizens. “The intention is for the project to create 5 million jobs by focusing on increasing land under cultivation with State Governments contributing between 20,000 to 100,000 hectares from a combination of aggregated smallholder farms and utilisation of abandoned states farm settlements and agricultural projects. “The project will span the entire agricultural value chain, from ‘farm to table’ as it were. It will support small holder farmers directly or through out grower schemes with services and inputs including land-clearing, ploughing, provision of seeds, saplings, fertilisers, pesticides as well as extension services, storage to mitigate post-harvest losses and equipment. Farmers will also be linked to low-interest input financing,� the government stated in the plan.

The Group Chairman of Oilserv Limited, Dr. Emeka Okwuosa, has stated that the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-KadunaKano (AKK) Gas pipeline, is positioned to help realise the long held dream of building the nation’s biggest domestic gas transmission infrastructure.

President Muhammadu Buhari will today flag off the construction of the 614 kilometer gas pipeline in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, conceived to provide the highly desired stimulus to domestic industrial growth.

The project will be delivered by a consortium of indigenous and international engineering firms including Oilserv Limited.

Okwuosa said the company was honoured to part of the historic AKK project and he welcomed Nigerians to witness the event.

The project will also promote the Nigerian Content Policy goals.

The president inaugurating the project would be turning to reality, some of the nation’s

long term economic aspirations of boosting domestic energy infrastructure, deepening local gas market, creating industrial corridors with cleaner fuel and commercialising the country’s abundant gas resources.

According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the gas infrastructure would significantly curb gas flaring in the Niger Delta and guarantee better air quality in the oil producing region.

Furthermore, the pipeline which was conceived to connect demand from the northern part of the country with supply from the south, would be the biggest infrastructure development in the country’s recent history.

It will also mark a significant shift in the nation’s energy policy; from revenue targeted export programmes to development focused domestic supply programmes.

Significantly, the $2.8 billion project is set to break through after seven years of rigorous processes that morphed from policy conception through implementation strategy de-

signs, master-plans and solid implementation programmes.

However, the biggest value to the economy is the participation of indigenous engineering firms led by pipeline giant, Oilserv Limited, in the delivery of some of the phases of the project.

The company has successfully delivered over 17 similar challenging projects in the country including the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the 67 kilometre Obiafu/ Obrikom to Oben (OB3) 48 inch diameter Gas Transmission Pipeline System.

The Oilserv consortium is slated to deliver the first 200 kilometre phase of the AKK pipeline which covers the section between Ajaokuta and Abuja, after securing the EPC contract in April 2018.

Nigeria’s Presidency had confidently asserted that, the AKK “pipeline project is itself a section of an ambitious pipeline project to supply gas to Europe through the proposed Trans Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGP) and Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipelines.�

Report: IXPN Achieves Internet Traffic Milestone Emma Okonji The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Nigeria’s internet exchange gateway has achieved a milestone in its efforts to ensure that internet services providers in the country exchange their traffic locally by exchanging 125 Gbps traffic in 2020, according to a recent report released by Internet Society.

According to the report “IXPN grew from carrying just 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) to peak traffic of 125 Gbps in 2020, and cost savings increased 40 times to $40-million per year.

The latest report gave an update on a study published by the Internet Society in 2012, which examined two of Africa’s more advanced IXPs at the time - KIXP in Kenya, and IXPN in Nigeria.

The growth recorded by IXPN according to the report has put Nigeria in a better position than ever before to cope with and contribute to the digital

revolution that COVID-19 has accelerated with internet becoming a lifeline for many people.

Analysing the report, Senior Director, Internet Technology and Development for the Internet Society, Michuki Mwangi, said: “It’s clear Africa is ready to embrace the digital revolution to spur economic development.

But reaching this goal will depend on our community of passionate people on the ground, policymakers, regulators and businesses embracing IXPs and working in collaboration to create these essential local traffic anchors,�

The report commended Nigerian government for not only making it easier for different service providers to develop submarine cables, but also adopted data protection regulations that spurred confidence and attracted international service providers.

Commenting on the report, Managing Director, IXPN, Muhammed Rudman, said:

“We are indeed very excited about the recent ISOC report.

It captured our growth and the impact we’ve made in the last eight years. “The over 400 fold in growth of local traffic is significant, which translates to about 70 per cent traffic for most of the service providers connected to IXPN. We hope to sustain this trajectory and to provide similar services to other regions within the country.�

He attributed the growth to level of awareness among Nigerians of the impact of local hosting to the economy, cost of internet as well as quality of service.

According to Rudman, “A lot of Nigerians are now hosting their servers locally and we have attracted some of the big players in internet content into the country, such as Google, Facebook and Alkamire and presently we are trying to bring other bigger ones to the country.�

Firm Launches Solution against Online Fraud Emma Okonji The IderaOS has said it is introducing its flagship product, ListBuy, a free e-commerce software platform with escrow payment technology that can protect online buyers from fraud, sell virtually anywhere, while accepting all kinds of local payments and e-commerce delivery to customers.

Listbuy guarantees that customers get exactly what they ordered as it leverages on the software’s product verification system and escrow service that is built in for every merchant’s store. This way IderaOS makes online selling more secure for customers and merchants.

IderaOS is derived from the Yoruba root word “Idera� which means ease.

Designed for small and medium enterprise business (SME) owners and Droopshippers, among others, ListBuy is an e-commerce platform that helps users sell products with ease.

This platform enables businesses manage their storefront from one control panel. It allows a user to customise its storefront, display and organise its products, accept a wide range of payment options from buyers and, fulfill orders without the typical delivery hassles that the sector is facing presently.

The IderaOS software solution also aims at bringing

transparency to the online business sector in Africa and in no distant time become a one-stop shop for starting an online business. It intends to get at least 5,000 businesses up and running and these businesses can keep making money, daily.

Founder of IderaOS, Mr. Olalekan Quadry, who has over 10 years experience working with international companies like Accenture and Unicom Engineering, said: “We chose to work on this idea because it presents an opportunity to reduce poverty and create prosperity by accelerating the creation and expansion of small businesses.

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FEATURES

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

When Diligence, Integrity Speak for Okunbo Sylvanus Ojeh pays tribute to renowned businessman, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo for the numerous awards and recognitions he has received for his great accomplishments in his chosen businesses

"S

eest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.� Proverbs

22.29.

The above eternal words from the wisest man that ever lived in Bible times, King Solomon, ring true of Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, the Benin-born billionaire business mogul, who straddles the socio-cultural, economic and political topographies of not only Edo State but also a vast sphere of the nation like a Colossus.

Without being immodest, Capt. Hosa as he is fondly called, extends his conquistador ’s inclination and preeminence over the air, the sea and the land to the global sphere. This is the reason approbation and recognition continue to flow into his kitty from within and outside the country for his industry, uncommon value-addition to service delivery, as well as contribution to peace and charity.

The confetti of honours has been overwhelming, bursting his kitty at the seams and creating tributaries of enviable praises about the man whose great accomplishments in his chosen businesses are writ-large. Both his admirers and traducers can see how far this phenomenal Benin icon of nobility has come and how well he has comported himself, peacefully, honestly and with dignity in his innovativeness.

Capt. Hosa is a quintessence of diligence and integrity. He is singleminded and unwavering in his pursuit of excellence. He derives his badges of honour from sticking to principles and good conducts. For instance, in 2007, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of peace and good governance as well as development of his community, he was honoured with the Justice of the Peace (JP).

If that succinctly underscores the profundity of the aphorism that places premium on charity beginning from home, then it is a good narrative which strengthens the foundation on which the substructure of so many other honours and recognitions have been built. And there are so many honours and awards that Capt. Hosa has been conferred with.

In 2012, the American Congress honoured him with the “Black Titan�

Award for being a voice of the Niger Delta people through his movie: “Black November�, which he, singlehanded, bankrolled. Such interest and passion for liberation and community development that put humongous pressure on personal funds are rare in our societies. Without a history of public office, Capt. Hosa’s propensity for eleemosynary acts is breathtaking.

And, wait for this: in September last year, he was conferred with a peace award in Geneva on the United Nations’ Day for global peace by the Order of Lafayette by H.E. Robert Blum with all the international diplomats in Geneva present at the President Wilson Hotel. It was a momentous occasion for a Benin leading light on a global pedestal.

The significance of the global recognition was succinctly captured by the Otaifoh of Uromi land, Chief Owen Chamberlain Obaseki, JP, whose tribute to Capt. Hosa on that occasion was stimulating. Read him: “the successes of Captain (Dr) Hosa Okunbo has gone beyond human reckoning. Only one thing can therefore be said about this icon with a superhuman charisma and propensities; if God be for us, who can be against us? The life of

Hosa

Capt. Hosa is nothing short of a life with a divine touch. “Capt. Hosa has, once again, been honoured with a Global Peace Award in Geneva by H.E. Robert Blum, in recognition of his efforts in global peace and business innovations; and, this is coming a few days after signing an $876 million Financing and Technical Service Agreement (FTSA) with NPDC on the development of OML 65 Oil and Gas NPDC asset, which held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai. “The eminent Benin son has found his pride of place in this world and even now, lines keep falling unto him in pleasant places. Through sheer hard work, he carved himself a niche, and through the blistering heat of life and the test of fire, he has emerged a refined gold; gold at heart, gold in deeds, in innovations and in the world of merchandise and service delivery‌â€?

Significantly, the part of the tributes in which the Otaifoh described Capt.

Hosa as a man of few words but great deeds aptly mirrored and still mirrors him through the eternal words of the Bard of Avon, Williams Shakespeare, who once wrote: “men with few words are the best men.� Capt. Hosa is a man with few words; his actions and large-heartedness are more than his words.

His responses to situations and circumstances that put pressure on him or threaten his interests or assail his character either in the competitive or rivalrous business circles or in the public domain/media space are dealt with in measured cadences. He does not rush his responses when it

becomes necessary to issue any. He weighs his actions; he polishes his responses before releasing them for public consumption.

Three things are always of overriding considerations in his decision to respond: his children for whom he has built a good name (and wants to leave a good name); the youths to whom he is a role model; and, posterity, which is the ultimate judge of human actions and inactions after leaving the earthly stage.

Consider how he handled the recent case of Hon. Marvelous Muhizu Zibiri, who took to the social media space a few weeks ago to maliciously defame his character when he insinuated that he was a drug baron. Without solicitation, so many people joined issues with Zibiri, a aide of the Governor of Edo State, in the media in defence of Capt. Hosa. That speaks volumes of someone who has affected so many people positively.

But as a law-abiding citizen and respecter of the rights and dignity of the significant others, he simply reported the malicious, vicious and injurious publication containing the allegation to the Police so that Zibiri could be interrogated. Interestingly, that gave Zibiri the opportunity of introspection and was able to admit to the investigators that he had no evidence to validate his allegation.

Strategic in his approach, Capt.

Hosa was exhausting the necessary processes, procedures and due diligence, preparatory to pressing charges against Zibiri. The astute businessman had issued a statement in the media to rationalize the 1995 saga with the NDLEA that had nothing to do with

narcotic drugs, but rather a petition premised on his ownership of a mansion in Opebi, Ikeja in Lagos and his enviable life style. By the time the matter was brought before the Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal, Lagos, it was established that prosecution had not made out a prima facie case against him that would even warrant him to defend himself. He was discharged and acquitted of all charges on a “no-case� submission.

Knowing that he would stand no chance of being vindicated on the grounds of fair comment, Zibiri and his lawyers decided to pursue a settlement option. And they were able to pull it through courtesy of Capt.

Hosa’s compassion and magnanimity.

Though apparently angry, yet, he was ready to welcome their overtures for a settlement option.

Zibiri, apparently convinced that those whose political bidding he was doing when he made the Facebook post about Capt. Hosa did not really love him, has been on the rampage on the various social media platforms to retract his malicious, defamatory and malodorous publication. He repudiated it as baseless and not grounded on provable facts.

If he were not dancing to the drumbeat and tune of some paymasters, he certainly would not have made the post that had done incalculable damage to the hard-earned reputation of a man who has enjoyed the trust and respect of domestic and global business partners. It is a measure of Capt. Hosa’s God-fearing and mancaring disposition that he merely set out what Zibiri had to do in atonement for his sin.

Zibiri did a handwritten apology and a letter of undertaking that he would cease henceforth to defame or undermine Capt. Hosa in any manner and in whatever guise, having realized that the content of the defamatory publication as authored by him was false. He had also undertaken to make wide and copious publications of his retraction in both print and social media, “recanting, withdrawing and disclaiming (the) slanderous publication.�

On Tuesday, June 23, 2020, Zibiri, in a social media post, titled: “Re: The Big Revelation and How a Drug Baron is Funding the Political Class in Edo State�, wrote: “This is to inform the general public that the earlier publication on the above subject is hugely regretted and I hereby give notice that it was a publication made out of oversight; (it was) baseless and not grounded on provable facts. “To that extent, I hereby withdraw the publication in all sincerity and urge all to kindly disregard the content therein as being false, without verifiable facts. I greatly regret any inconveniences the false content of the publication may have caused our father and highly respected brother, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo and his family. “Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo has greatly distinguished himself (to be) worthy of our recognition and respect.

I therefore use this medium to urge him to kindly forgive me as a son.�

Without a doubt, Zibiri’s latest trajectory is the best for him in the circumstance. On his part, Capt.

Hosa has safeguarded his honour, defended his reputation and preserved his diligence. These are virtues with which he has staved off the fiery darts of business competitors and the shenanigans of some desperate politicians whose pastime is to blackmail him for not supporting their aspirations.

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FEATURES

Enugu Govt's Proactive Responses to Spike in COVID-19 Cases Samson Ezea

U

ndoubtedly and glaringly, Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has continued to set the pace with his administration's proactiveness, commitment and outstanding initiatives in tackling the spread of the COVID-19 in the state since it's global outbreak.

It would be recalled that immediately Nigeria recorded the index case of COVID-19 virus, Ugwuanyi's government quickly moved into diverse actions to ensure that Enugu is kept free of COVID-19 virus case or spread.

To achieve this, Ugwuanyi immediately released the sum of N350m to Enugu State COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Rapid Response Team, set up by his government and made up of renowned health professionals and government functionaries. The state government built and equipped Treatment and Isolation centres at (GRA) Nsukka and ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane Enugu. The ultramodern Enugu State Medical Diagnostic Centre was equipped and designated as Treatment and Isolation centre. The agelong dilapidated and abandoned Colliery Hospital Enugu, which has been undergoing construction and reconstruction, courtesy of Ugwuanyi's administration is nearing completion and will also serve as Treatment and Isolation centre after completion.

To ensure that the medical and health personnel at the frontline put in their best in the fight against the pandemic, Ugwuanyi improved their welfare package and approved Life Assurance for them, which was the first of its kind in the country when the pandemic broke out.

Ugwuanyi's government also fumigated and decontaminated all the markets and public places in the state. Even before the presidential directive on ban on inter-state movement and curfew of May 4, Gov. Ugwuanyi has on March 31 by 6pm closed all state boundaries, markets, churches, directed and mobilised all political appointees, House of Assembly members, Council Chairmen, councillors, traditional rulers, President-Generals of town unions, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the state to embark on massive mobilisation and sensitisation campaign on preventive and precautionary measures against the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The exercise which is still on now, was massive, aggregate, inclusive, momentous, sustained and successful. It yielded positive results with the state recording low rate of COVID-19 cases, even after the index case of a couple that returned from overseas. Not resting on his oars and never carried away by the success achieved or recorded in the containment of the spread, Ugwuanyi's administration moved further to provide over one million free locally produced face masks for the people of the state, which was distributed to them through the local government areas.

With the presidential directive on ban on inter-state movement, curfew, lockdown and other preventive measures, which inflicted undue hardship on people, Ugwuanyi's administration embarked on massive provision of palliatives to the people to cushion the effect of the pandemic palaver. The State government's palliative team led by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, took the palliatives which included food items such as state-produced bags of rice called coal city rice, bags of beans, cartoons of noodles, spagetti, bags of millet, cartoons of milks, cash and others to virtually every calibre of person or groups in the state. They include the less privileged, the vulnerable, Keke riders, Okada riders, traders, religious faithful, journalists, workers and others. It is one palliative too many, considering that many people were beneficiaries of it and it is still ongoing.

Along the line, it was discovered that despite the ban on inter-state movement, closure of state borders and other preventive measures, some desperate and unscrupulous elements were breaching it nocturnally and diurnally in collaboration with some security agents and indigenes of border communities for selfish reasons.

There were cases, where corpses of persons whose causes of death were not known were aided and smuggled in from

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi during one his unscheduled visits to state borders to monitor compliance on inter-state movement ban other states into Enugu state against the State government's directive.

Suddenly, Enugu State started witnessing gradual rise in COVID-19 cases, mainly because of people who were illegally sneaking into the state unhindered from COVID-19 high risk areas and states. At this point, Ugwuanyi intensified his unscheduled visits to the state boundaries to monitor and ensure total compliance on borders' closure and ban on inter-state movement. But to the Governor's surprise and shock, many motorists and commuters, who were desperate to come into the state, were caught and turned back by him on several occasions at the borders.

Worried by this ugly trend which brought about the gradual increase in COVID-19 cases in the state, Ugwuanyi addressed a press conference, where he raised the alarm and warned those who sneaking into the state and their collaborators to desist from such act in the overall interest of Enugu people. His government further directed and provided iron gates to all the local government areas in the state to be mounted on strategic locations and roads in their areas to ensure total compliance on inter-state movement ban within the state.

Disappointedly, while all these spirited efforts were being made by Ugwuanyi's administration, some cynics and sceptics in their anti-establishment postures, mischief and crass display of ignorance, even with their education and exposure were busy peddling falsehoods and propaganda among the people, especially the illiterates and the less privileged in the rural communities, misinforming them that COVID-19 virus is not real and is a scam that government uses to siphon public fund.

Trust some gullible Nigerians, this was one narrative they did not hesitate to buy into completely. Expectedly, some people in Enugu, especially in rural areas, who bought into this cheap propaganda, started to spread it and began to breach all the established protocols, preventive and precautionary measures against the spread of the virus. Some of them were even attacking governments and its functionaries, accusing them of imposing lockdown in the face of ravaging hunger, stressing that hunger is more dangerous than COVID-19 virus. This false narrative also gained momentum on social media platforms and public discussions. Then people began to mount pressure on governments at all levels to lift lockdown, reopen markets, churches and allow people to go about their normal businesses unperturbed.

In view of these and being a listening government, Ugwuanyi's administration after due consultations and putting in place measures to curb the spread of the virus, partially reopened the markets in the state with specific directive on strict adherence to all COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures.

Gauging the pulse of the people and seeing that these developments might trigger community transmission of the virus, Ugwuanyi's administration quickly

took another proactive steps by awarding contracts for the immediate and massive construction of 7 units of type 3 Primary Health Care Centre in seven local government areas, upgrade and rehabilitation of the Ogrute, Enugu Ezike and Nsukka District Hospitals, and reconstruction and re-equipping of 34 health centres across the 17 local government areas in the state within 90 days to enable them complement the existing ones in the handling of COVID-19 related cases and other health issues in rural communities.

Also awarded by Enugu State government alongside these was contract for the immediate purchase of 200 unit of ultra-modern automated handwashing machine and hand sanitiser from Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu for onward distribution to 17 council areas, markets, schools and designated public places to encourage proper hygiene in line with the health protocol of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

With the recent establishment of the COVID-19 virology laboratory at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku Ozalla Enugu, coupled with the sudden and worrisome spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Enugu and the increasing number of COVID-19 related deaths across the country, which has proven the doubting Thomases and cynics wrong, Ugwuanyi approved the immediate constitution of an Ad Hoc Expert Medical Advisory Committee on urgent and effective measures for deescalation of the pandemic in the state as recommended by Enugu State chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

According to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof.

Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, the committee will engage leaders of various religious groups, market associations, professional associations, labour unions, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Enugu Chapter, National Association of Tricycle Operators Enugu State Chapter, Civil Society Groups, Organised Private sector and other relevant stakeholders and recommend urgent and effective measures for de-escalation of the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in Enugu State, with due regard to all extant Nigeria Centre for Disease Control protocols for containment of the spread of the virus.

The ad hoc committee, which has a consultant cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Prof. Emma Ejim as chairman, will also take any other reasonable steps that may be incidental to the attainment of the above objective. The committee which has two weeks to submit its report has other renowned health experts and medical professional as members.

Despite the fact that Ugwuanyi's government waived tax payment for owners of small and medium scale businesses and petty traders in the state since coming into office in 2015, the governor has again in furtherance of his administration’s efforts in cushioning the effect of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic on residents granted tax relief and incentives to taxpayers in the state.

The governor’s decision was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Prince 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 waivers “which are part of the administration’s pro-poor policies” are still in force and will be sustained till the end of the tenure.

Other COVID-19 tax relief and incentives approved by Gov. 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% discount on all assessed Capital Gains Tax (CGT) from now till December 2020. A 50% discount on all Personal Income Tax Assessment issued to owners of schools and hotels for Year 2020.

“A 50% discount on all assessed Land Use Charge payment for Year 2020. This discount will expire on 31st of December 2020. A waiver of penalty and interest on Land Use Charge for Years 2018 and 2019 once payment is made before December 2020”.

The Chairman stated that “all our esteemed taxpayers are encouraged to obtain their Enugu State Social Benefit Number (ESBN) as it remains the unique identity prerequisite for obtaining electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (e-TCC)”, stressing that “ESBN is free”.

He pointed out that “our liaison offices at Abuja and Lagos are open on a daily basis except weekends and public holidays for easier access to taxpayers” and went further to ask all taxpayers to “make their payments into any Commercial Bank with ENSG IGR Paydirect Platform”, warning: “You must not pay by cash to anyone”.

It is relieving and heartwarming that this kind gesture came from Ugwuanyi's administration at this trying time that people are struggling to make both ends meet due to hardship occasioned by COVID 19 pandemic.

It is also surprising that Ugwuanyi's government granted such relief at a time many governments are struggling to meet up with their financial obligations, due to the dwindling revenue triggered by the COVID-19 health challenges that crippled global economy.

So commendable and cheering is the fact that since the outbreak of the pandemic and its concomitant challenges, Ugwuanyi's administration has been paying workers, political appointees and others' salaries and entitlements as at when due.

Road construction and other government projects across the state are rapidly and consistently ongoing. Unlike in some other states since the outbreak of the pandemic, salaries and entitlements of workers, political appointees and others have not been owed or slashed by Ugwuanyi's government.

Many within and outside the state are confused, baffled and worried about the magic Gov. Ugwuanyi is doing that made it possible for his government to be financially solvent to meet its financial obligations at this trying times. This is despite the fact that Enugu State is not oil producing state, but a civil service state.

But by all findings and indices, there is no magic Gov. Ugwuanyi is doing now, except the financial prudence, fiscal discipline and transparency, which his government instilled, promoted, inculcated and has abided by since coming into office in 2015, amidst several daunting challenges.

This is paying off now. That is what Ndi Enugu is witnessing and enjoying today, because they have a prudent and transparent manager of material and human resources as their governor. Lucky them.

-Ezea, wrote from Independence Layout, Enugu.

26

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąÍŽËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

With Limited Asset Classes, FSDH Urges PFAs to Invest in Private Equity Firms Obinna Chima Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) have been advised to tap into the inflation-adjusted returns in the private equity (PE) and Venture capital space.

Analysts at FSDH Merchant Bank gave the advice in a report titled: “Nigerian PFAs Conundrum: Robust Liquidity, Limited Asset Classes,� obtained yesterday.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had last year barred PFAs from investing in OMO instruments, thereby limiting the investment vehicles available for the firms.

As at April 2020, data available from Pencom showed that PFAs were holding 66.25 per cent of their assets in FGN securities with FGN bonds getting 54.55 per cent and Treasury Bills (including OMO) getting 10.67 per cent. “This huge exposure has left pension managers in a tight space, given the CBN has banned non-banking local corporates from accessing the OMO market of which holds over eight per cent (c. N1 tn) of their total assets. This implies these funds must be rotated to different asset classes,� FSDH analysts stated.

The Lagos-based financial institution noted that the con-

tribution of PFAs to growth of the venture capital and private equity ecosystem remains quite abysmal.

PFAs exposure to PE funds stood at 0.31 per cent of total pension assets, according to the report.

It pointed out that the PE and venture capital space had been left for foreign investors to dominate and reap the successes. “Considering the increasing success stories being recorded and the technology age of the Nigerian economy, supporting PE firms with a focus on using technology to redefine and disrupt processes, would be very viable. \“Examples of recent success stories include; Interswitch, Iroko TV, Flutterwave, Paga, Hotels.ng, Paystack, Farmcrowdy, Thrive Agric etc. While these ventures are riskier and do require long term patience, we believe PFAs whose asset base typically consist of long-term funds are well poised to tap into the impressive inflation-adjusted returns in the PE and Venture capital space,� it stated.

PFAs and Nigerian institutional investors have had to combat sustained pressure on generating above inflation returns, on their clients’ Retirement Savings

Accounts (RSAs), in the face of growing liquidity and reducing investment opportunities.

According to data from CBN, over the next 6 months, N7.6 trillion (US$20.1bn) worth of T-Bills and OMO instruments would be maturing. The analysis of data from the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) estimated that PFAs’ share of this sum is about 15 per cent, which implies an absolute value of N1.1 trillion, of which about N867.1 billion of the sum are open market operation (OMO) instruments.

FSDH in the report also pointed out that when the organic growth of pension contributions and possible half-year dividend payments from major banks are factored in, PFAs would be awash with robust liquidity in third and fourth quarters. “Most PFAs are already significantly exposed to FGN securities, particularly bonds.

Thus, similar less risky instruments for consideration, are corporate debt and money market instruments. Nigerian PFAs currently have a 1.44 per cent and 6.53 per cent exposure to commercial papers and corporate bonds respectively, which leaves some room to increase exposure.

FCMB Group to Acquire 96% Stake in AIICO Pensions The FCMB Group has notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange that its pensions arm, FCMB Pensions Limited, has entered into an agreement to acquire 96 per cent stake in AIICO Pensions Limited.

The move has been described by analysts as a deliberate strategy to grow the Group’s investment management portfolio and build on the inherent synergies between this and banking.

FCMB Group had increased its stake in Legacy Pensions (now FCMB Pensions) to 91.6 per cent in 2019 and now has full control of the business.

FCMB Pensions has since grown its assets under management (AUM) to N325 billion with 350,000 customers as at March 2020, while that of AIICO Pensions is estimated at N126 billion with over 240,000. According to

a statement, a combined AUM of N451 billion and almost 600,000 customers would take the entire Group’s customer base to 8,000,000 and its total AUM (inclusive of all investment management activities) to over N560 billion.

In addition, the enlarged pension business will benefit from FCMB’s extensive distribution platform, comprising of 205 branches, a strong web and mobile presence; and the recent the launch of its Pensions’ online enrolment platform. “This acquisition is one of several proactive steps, along with digitisation, that the company has embarked upon to enhance its market position and competitiveness as the industry braces itself for the commencement of Retirement Savings Account (RSA) portability,� it added.

Investment funds’ performance is also receiving greater attention especially in the low interest rate environment.

In this regard, FCMB Pensions has strengthened its investment committee with the addition of Mrs. Titi Odunfa Adeoye to its Board of Directors. Adeoye is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Sankore. The new Director holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a BBA in Accounting (summa cum laude) from Howard University and is a Certified Public Accountant (Gold Award). Mrs. Adeoye’s skills in investment strategy were honed at firms like Goldman Sachs in New York.

Her area of expertise is strategies for the creation, growth and preservation of individual or family wealth with a focus on “alternative� asset classes.

Coronation Capital Organises Corporate Finance, Business Valuation Training Coronation Capital Limited is set to host the second edition of its Corporate Finance and Business Valuation online training (Valuation Master Class).

The four-day event is scheduled to hold on 2oth, 21st, 27th and 28th of July, 2020, and was designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of corporate finance, valuation methodology and financial statement analysis with a key focus on appraising the business impact of financial decisions on the organizational performance.

A statement from the organisers explained that, the Master Class would be headlined by the globally renowned Professor Aswath Damodaran: a Professor of Finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “Over the years, he has been

referred to as Wall Street’s “Dean of Valuation� and is widely respected as one of the foremost experts on corporate valuation.

Damodaran has published several books and articles on equity valuation and corporate finance and has been featured in the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Review of Financial Studies. “Professor Damodaran has been voted ‘Professor of the Year’ by Stern’s graduating MBA class five times and has been awarded NYU’s Excellence in Teaching and Distinguished Teaching award; Coronation is delighted to bring him to Nigeria for a second time,� the statement added.

Furthermore, it described the Valuation Master Class as a thought leadership and

capacity building initiative of Coronation Capital. “Lecture sessions will be hosted virtually and will also feature an engaging one-on-one fire side chat with Professor Damodaran on various topics including his views on the current global business environment and the Nigerian economy - opportunities for growth and investment. “The Finance guru will train employees of Coronation Capital as well as related companies in the Coronation ecosystem which covers insurance, investment banking, asset management, technology and venture capital.

Given that there is limited space, participation will be extended, by invitation only, to finance practitioners in the media and public sector as well as Coronation counterparties,� further stated.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

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

11,007,422.79

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

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ Ͱʹ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $37.99 a barrel on Friday, compared with $37.18 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

27

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąÍŽËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

MARKET NEWS

Transcorp Hotels Shareholders Approve N10 Billion Rights Issue Goddy Egene Shareholders of Transcorp Hotels Plc, owners of Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Transcorp Hotels Calabar yesterday authorised the Board of Directors to raise N10 billion through rights issue to fortify its balance sheet.

The approval was given at the extraordinary general meeting of the company held in Lagos.

The company will issue 2,659,574,468 ordinary shares of

50 kobo each by way of a rights issue to the shareholders based on seven new shares every 20 shares 50 kobo each at a price of N3.76 per share.

Speaking at the EGM, the Chairman of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom said: ‘�This approval and endorsement of shareholders empowers the Board and management to look to the future with confidence despite the current harsh operating environment.�

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Also speaking at the meeting, Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mrs. Dupe Olusola, said: “Our track record of excellent service delivery has positioned us as the first choice for international and local guests alike noting, we are not resting on our oars but working round the clock to innovate new products and services to further delight our guests, notable of such is the launch of asset-light strategies to deepen our hospitality footprints

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

across Africa.�

According to her, the world has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the hospitality industry being one of the hardest hit. “However, we are optimistic about a great recovery for the sector and your approval today shows that you also share in this mindset. We will continue to play our part in ensuring a significant recovery to the Nigerian hospitality industry, “

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Olusola said. A non-executive director of the company, who also represents the Ministry of Finance Incorporated on the board, Mr. Alexander Adeyemi mni, said: “Given the challenging times the hospitality industry faces, it has become critical to inject funding into the business for a stronger balance sheet. Transcorp Hotels has maintained a history of excellent performance in the hospitality industry, and this is a bold step towards the achievement of its

O F

long term goals.�

Meanwhile, trading at the stock market opened for the week on positive note as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) rose 0.12 per cent to close at 24,858.82.

Similarly, market capitalisation added N15.6 billion to be at N13 trillion. Activity level was mixed as volume traded advanced 24.8 per cent to 158.7 million shares while value traded fell 24.1 per cent to N1.6 billion.

2 5 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

28

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 • T H I S D AY

29

30

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 •T H I S D AY

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

31

NEWSXTRA

N’Assembly, Discos Defer Proposed Hike in Electricity Tariffs Till Early 2021 Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja The leadership of the National Assembly yesterday evening took a decisive step as regards the proposed hike in electricity tariffs scheduled for July1, 2020 by convincing the Distribution Companies (Discos) to defer the plan till the first quarter of 2021.

This was the outcome of a meeting between the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and other principal officers of the two chambers at the

National Assembly, as well as the chief executives of the government electricity regulatory body and the Discos across the country.

The National Assembly leaders were emphatic at the meeting that the timing of the planned hike was wrong even though they had no issue with the need to introduce a cost -reflective tariffs for the power sector to attract the much needed investment.

In the course of the meeting, the Discos too admitted that they were not well prepared for the planned hike in tariffs even though they so much desired the increase.

The meeting agreed to defer the planned hike till first quarter of next year while the leadership of the National Assembly promised to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue.

Commenting on the matter, after the meeting, Lawan, who is also the Chairman of the

National Assembly, said “the agreement here is that there is not going to be any increase in the tariffs on July 1.

“The Speaker and I - we are going to take appropriate action and meet with the president. We are in agreement here that there is no question on the justification of the increase but the time is

simply not right and appropriate measures need to be put in place “So, between now and the first quarter of next year, our task will be to work together with you to ensure that we put those blocks in place to support the eventual increase in tariffs.”

According to him, government has been doing a lot as part of

its obligations to provide some form of intervention.

“I’m quite aware that for this year, probably starting from last year, over N600 billion was earmarked for this sector to improve. The potential increase in the tariffs is definitely something that will be of concern to us in the National Assembly.

Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Rise By 566 to 25,133 Martins Ifijeh Nigeria has recorded 566 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 25,133 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

Announcing this yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos recorded 166 new cases; Oyo, 66; Delta, 53; Ebonyi, 43; Plateau, 34; Ondo, 32;

Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 26; Ogun, 25; Edo, 24; Imo, 15; Bayelsa, 13; Benue, 12; Gombe, Kano and Kaduna, 11 each; Osun eight; Nasarawa seven; Borno, five; while Katsina and Anambra recorded two each.

It said: “Nigeria has recorded 25,133 cases of COVID-19. 9,402 persons have been discharged, while 573 have died from the virus.”

Buhari Appoints New Personal Security Officer Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja appointed a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Aliyu Abubakar Musa, as his new Chief Personal Security Officer (CPSO).

According to presidential

spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, DCP Musa, who until his appointment, served at the Nigerian Police Force Zone 5, Benin City, hails from Niger State.

He said Musa would replace Abdulkarim Dauda, a Commissioner of Police (CP), who has been redeployed.

Saudi Arabia, Nigeria Review Oil Output Cut Agreement Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman held a telephone call yesterday with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

During the call, they reviewed the progress of the OPEC+ agreement and various aspects of cooperation to enhance the stability of oil markets.

Arab News reported that they also discussed bilateral

relations between the two countries and opportunities for their development.

The Saudi crown prince also held a phone call with the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramabusa, where he also discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries and opportunities for developing them.

They also discussed a number of issues of common concern.

Lagos Approves Seven Private Labs for COVID-19 Tests Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across Lagos State, the state government has approved seven private laboratories to commence sample analysis for the virus.

The laboratories are: Total Medical Services, SynLab, 54 Gene, Medbury Medical Services, Biologix Medical Services, 02 Medical Services and Clina Lancent Laboratories.

In a statement issued last night, the state Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi said the laboratories were selected and approved to carry out

COVID-19 testing after a rigorous accreditation and validation process by the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) and the Lagos State Bio-Bank.

He said: “A key element in the next phase of the state’s response strategy is to expand diagnostic testing to strategically ensure a larger number of people have access to COVID-19 test. We have developed an inclusive strategy that aims to harness the public and private sectors to rapidly expand the state’s capacity to meet the growing demand for testing in the next stage of biosecurity road map.

MOVING AGAINST BANDITRY...

Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai (left), and the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk, during the Buratai’s courtesy visit to Katsina State... yesterday

Court Fines Police N15m for Killing Three El-Zakzaky Followers A Federal High Court in Abuja has awarded the sum of N15 million against the Nigerian Police Force over the killing of three members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

In the judgment delivered yesterday, the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, also ordered the National Hospital in Abuja to release the three bodies deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

Ahmad Musa, Ibrahim Abdullahi and Yusuf Abubakar Faska had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the police, claiming the killing of their brothers, Mahdi Musa, Biliaminu Abubakar Faska and Suleiman Shehu, was an infringement of their rights to life and liberty.

The applicants alleged that the deceased were killed on July 22, 2019 while on a peaceful protest to

demand the freedom of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, their leader, and his wife, at the federal secretariat in Abuja.

They also asked the court to direct the police to issue an apology to the group in two national newspapers.

The Inspector General of Police is the first respondent while the medical directors of the National Hospital, and

Asokoro District Hospital are both second respondent in separate suits.

The bodies of the deceased were said to have been deposited at the National Hospital.

Throughout the duration of the proceedings, the police never made legal appearances neither did they file any affidavit to counter the reliefs sought by the applicants.

EFCC Releases N1.25bn to Benue Govt, Aso Savings, Insurance Firm Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has facilitated the release of N1.25 billion to Benue State Government, Aso Savings and Loans Plc and International Energy Insurance Company Limited.

The commission had launched an investigation following the receipt of petitions alleging that huge funds were fraudulently diverted from their original purpose.

The sum of N1.25 billion was later recovered by the EFCC following detailed investigations and tracing of the funds from different bank accounts.

The commission subsequently released the diverted funds to Benue State Government, Aso Savings and Loans and the International Energy Insurance, sequel to their letter of request.

THISDAY gathered that the commission recovered N275.47million from members

of the Benue State House of Assembly during the first term of incumbent Governor Samuel Ortom and later approved the release of the money to the Benue State Government, sequel to its letter of request dated October 17, 2019 with Ref No: MOF/S/ GEN/310/Vol.1/165/203.

In the case of Aso Savings and Loans Plc, the EFCC recovered a total sum of N700 million and has so far released N400million to the insurance firm, following its

letter of request dated July 31, 2019 with Ref No Aso Legal/2019/400.

It was further gathered that the remaining balance of N300million was being processed by the commission and would soon be released to Aso Savings.

On the recovery made on behalf of International Energy Insurance, a total sum of N450million was recovered by the EFCC while the sum of N350million was released to the insurance firm.

Appeal Court Reserves Judgments on Kogi Gubernatorial Election Alex EnumahinAbuja Any moment from now, legal contenders to the seat of power in Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Mrs. Natasha Akpoti of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would know their fate following the reservation of a date for judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

A five-man panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro yesterday

reserved judgments to a date to be communicated to the parties in two separate suits challenging the decision of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the election of Bello as the governor of the state.

In the first appeal, Akpoti and SDP submitted that the tribunal erred in law by not taking into consideration the evidences and exhibits that were tendered as proof that the petitioner was excluded from the Kogi State governorship election held on

November 16, 2019.

But lawyers to the respondents, Joseph Daudu (SAN) for Bello; Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) for APC, and Mallam Ahmed Raji (SAN) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in their separate motions challenging the competence of the appeal, urged the court to hold that the entire appeal is incompetent and should be accordingly dismissed.

Responding, the appellants’ lawyer, Mr. Reuben Egwuaba,

asked the court to dismiss the respondents’ preliminary objections for lacking in merit.

On the main appeal which was filed on June 19, 2020, Egwuaba prayed the court to allow it and upturn the decision of the tribunal.

Izinyon, while adopting his brief of argument, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit. Same with Raji and Daudu, who prayed the court to dismiss the entire appeal for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

32

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

FMDQ CEO Relishes Admission of Dangote Cement Bond and MTN CP Goddy Egene The Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ Group, Mr. Bola Onadele. Koko, has said admission of Dangote

Cement Plc N100 billion bond and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc N100 billion commercial paper (CP) shows the untapped and great potential of the Nigerian capital

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

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

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

market to support the growth of nation’s economy.

Dangote Cement Plc and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc recently successfully tapped the market, raising

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

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

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

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 26Jun-2020, unless otherwise stated.

the largest corporate bond and CP respectively despite the economic downturn and realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on the

development, Onadele said: “The market has been yearning for corporate benchmarks for pricing and valuation of securities in the debt capital market,

and coming at a time when the resilience of the Nigerian financial market is being tested by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is even more commendable.

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

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

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 114.01 115.43 -22.93% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 2.41% Nigeria International Debt Fund 324.44 324.44 7.62% 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 0.93 2.69% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 10.29% 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 2.79 2.85 13.25% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 5.91% Anchoria Equity Fund 97.15 97.48 -4.92% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.27 1.27 10.23% 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 14.31 14.74 -6.59% ARM Discovery Fund 336.13 346.26 -2.69% ARM Ethical Fund 30.30 31.21 4.19% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.22% 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 92.92 93.57 -3.29% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.13% 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 2.11 2.11 20.03% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 1.81 1.83 -10.51% 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 6.61% Paramount Equity Fund 11.02 11.26 -11.80% Women's Investment Fund 108.20 108.99 -2.08% 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 5.27% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.36 98.59 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 100.48 100.72 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.80% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.91 0.92 -2.34% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.49 1.49 12.44% 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 4.16% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,241.22 1,251.54 7.16% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,332.06 1,333.38 9.45% FBN Balanced Fund 147.67 148.72 0.58% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.91% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 116.71 117.31 1.08% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.04 117.64 0.86% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 114.87 116.32 -11.73% 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 4.46% Legacy Debt Fund 3.77 3.77 3.30% Legacy Equity Fund 1.08 1.10 -4.71% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.11 1.11 2.49% 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 3,046.63 3,079.77 2.12% Coral Income Fund 3,179.28 3,179.28 15.97% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 5.41% 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 4.48% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 119.80 120.51 11.42%

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 4.55% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.28 2.32 4.28% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 9.84% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 146.32 146.87 2.02% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.22 1.24 4.53% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,134.07 1,134.07 5.16% 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 1.41 13.52% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.94 11.99 5.94% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.70% PACAM Equity Fund 1.03 1.04 PACAM EuroBond Fund 106.69 109.00 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 122.61 115.46 -7.12% 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 5.06% 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 -0.64% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.31% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 -1.70% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 0.35% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 -0.65% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.41% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 -0.92% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.22% 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 1.13 1.15 -5.79% United Capital Bond Fund 1.83 1.83 5.32% United Capital Equity Fund 0.64 0.66 -9.30% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.57% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.61 115.61 3.33% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.07 -2.12% 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 10.18 10.30 -0.95% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.86 11.98 2.10% Zenith Income Fund 23.60 23.60 6.10% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.48%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

3.50 115.88 53.01

-63.85% 3.43% 1.84%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.10 87.88 67.40

9.20 89.68 68.59

4.51% -2.82% -2.36%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

2.87 4.29 11.38 1.00 11.85 192.31

2.91 4.37 11.48 1.00 12.05 194.31

-18.96% -27.25% -6.03% 5.34% 13.92% 1.87%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.29

16.90%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 • T H I S D AY

33

34

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Corporate Governance is Life of a Growing Business, Says Idowu-Agida Dradrock Real Estate limited, a Lagos based real property development firm, recently unveiled a fiveman board of directors that will grow the company through improved corporate governance. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company, Oladipo Idowu-Agida speaks on the goals that motivated his organisation to embark on this new phase of action that is poised to institutionalise different aspects of good corporate governance across all areas of their operations

T

ell us what Dradrock has been doing particularly at this time of COVID-19?

As a leader of a growing organisation, I have to naturally put my eyes and ears to the ground to note what is going on in the economy and to identify and interpret the possible impact on our organisation so that we can make decisions for the future. We have been quite conscious of how we can make adjustments in our decisions, product offerings, and operations by adapting to remote work. Indeed, the last few months have required a period of adjustment, innovation, and forward-thinking. After this interaction, we intend to undergo some hours of brainstorming and strategy sessions, because we need to put more efforts into what we are doing since things are changing rapidly. It is no longer business as usual, because the way people live, spend, work, and do business has changed. We must identify how we can expand our presence, get more customers, and be more relevant to ensure that our goals and objectives are better achieved.

Looking at the economy, where do you see opportunities in the industry from investment growth within Nigeria and outside?

Let us start with Nigeria, because it is a growing economy (irrespective of COVID 19 or even after the virus). As the country develops, people will come in to invest, do business, or establish companies. Therefore, there will be real estate needs, be it a guest house, residential quarters, and many other areas. No matter the type of business, there will always be a need for real estate, and people will need to buy land for their investments, plan where they will stay, or locate their businesses. Regarding the international angle, there are various levels of opportunities, especially among Nigerians in diaspora. Many of them are looking at how they can be part of the sector, either in terms of purchasing a personal residence or investing for good returns; these are areas with remarkable opportunities.

Would you collaborate with foreign institutions and local agencies to solve housing challenges in Nigeria?

There must be collaboration even with government agencies to tackle the huge deficit in Nigeria’s housing needs. Recently, the Lagos state government inaugurated a body to look into real estate transactions. Currently, we are in the process of perfecting our registration with them. This body will enable the government to weed off the fraudsters and others who are not serious players in the sector. Such an initiative will open up positive fronts for genuine investors to enter. We are also open to partnerships, even with other real estate organisations. Note, the challenges are at different stages such as financing and regulatory activities that make it difficult to get land titles and many others. Hence, we are engaging at various levels to see how we can join hands with others to tackle many of these challenges.

Most middle and low-income earners in Nigeria are always suspicious of real estate companies. What can you say to cushion their fears?

Validation from regulatory authorities like the Lagos state real estate regulatory authority (LASRERA) will help check non-compliance follow up and get justice when there is a funny development. Secondly, organisations like ours make a conscious effort to grow corporate governance, best practice in compliance with the government’s laid down rules. That is why we are inaugurating a board to improve corporate governance and deepen trust in the industry.

Apart from these, are there ways stakeholders can help this segment tackle their huge

Idowu-Agida housing challenges since over 80 per cent of the middle and low-income group have housing inadequacies?

This issue came up in a webinar I was involved in last week. The major challenges that we have in Nigeria are housing inadequacies and affordability.

How many Nigerians can pull out money from their pocket and buy a house? Affordability is a serious challenge, and the capacity to pay is quite limited. Even helping many people access the available housing scheme poses a challenge, as a high percentage of Nigerians do not work in a corporate structure, where you can track their earning capacity and capability. Yes, some of them make good money, but their investments and earnings are not formally captured, packaging anything that will involve flexible payments becomes risky and quite difficult, as the capacity of payment cannot be determined.

However, Dradrock has not given up on this. We have created opportunities for flexible payments so that people can own properties, paying via installments from their salaries, savings, or investment. But, we cannot cover much because of the enormous cost of our funds.

It does not allow us to offer more than 3 or 4 years of segmented payment plan. What we need is a system that can take up to 10 years or more. Just as an organisation, we might be limited here, so some local and international partnerships would be vital and enable us to take on many more people and gradually ease off this problem.

What are your reasons for having a new board and the benefits expected here?

One fact I have taken away from vast entre-

preneurship training is that when building a sustainable business, the company must have a life of its own to grow. One key element that nurtures and sustains an activity is corporate governance. Corporate governance is the life of a growing business, and the lack of it has killed most businesses in our environment. A well-structured corporate organisation is what investors, institutions, and customers look out for.

Investors want to know that they are investing in an institution, not an individual; they want to visualise a predictably sustainable organization.

Sometimes you see a company that the founder is not even on the board, probably he has moved on to another thing, and the investment is growing from one generation to another. That is what good corporate governance in an organisation can do. When we started Dradrock, our goal was to build an indigenous company that will grow a multinational organisation with a board that will develop a process that ensures growth and sustainability.

What are those defined objectives of this board?

The board was assigned to drive the organisation’s corporate governance standards and create long-term value by leveraging its expertise in transforming it from a one-man to a multinational company transformation. Having a board that will develop a process that will ensure full corporate governance, industry best practices, and growth that will take the organisation to the next level is the focus now. When these objectives are achieved, they provide guarantee and tangible assurance to investors that their investments are secure; to buyers, that their funds will not be mismanaged. It also gives the guarantee that our quality management system, processes, and structures are intact. With this, we can position the company for foreign investments and grants.

Our compliance with regulatory authorities will be unimpaired, thus assuring future growth.

What motivated you to bring these eggheads into your board?

On the board, we have a blend of experienced and young entrepreneurs, committed to adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance, corporate responsibility, and risk management to direct and control the business to ensure diversity in making impactful business decisions. The company’s journey is still a long one, and it would be difficult to achieve anything meaningful without corporate governance, where the organisation’s

overall interest is the primary goal. Leading the board as chairman is Engr, Abimbola Odubiyi, an electrical engineer of over 20 years with extensive experience in the power industry operations. He has worked for Powergen UK, the Ibadan and Yola electricity distribution companies in various capacities. He is also an expert in the electricity regulations industry, having worked with the Nigerian electricity regulatory commission as pioneer commissioner and board member for five years. Bola had one time been a visiting lecturer at the University of Lagos and part-time at the University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, South Africa, where he taught post graduate courses in power systems economics and energy trading risk management. He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in international business from Aston University, UK. He is a member of many societies and professional bodies. Also, on the board is Mr. Obabori Peter Olusola, a seasoned administrator, technocrat and an astute management professional, with over 20 years in sales and marketing, accounting and finance and business development, having risen through the ranks to become the managing director, chief executive officer of red star express in April 2016, where he is still a director. Dr. Henrietta Onwugbuzie, a top-notch leader/instructor in entrepreneurship on the MBA and executive programmes at Lagos Business School (LBS), is another member of the board. She has an MSC in economics and business administration from the University of Navarre, Spain, an MBA from Lagos Business School, Nigeria, and a PH.D. in entrepreneurship, from Lancaster university, UK. Tosin Olaseinde is the founder of money Africa, a personal finance platform. She is a chartered accountant with over ten years of experience in finance and has spent much of her career writing, reporting, and talking about money. Her youthful impact will yield innovative growth at Dradrock.

Why are you convinced real estate is not endangered even with this pandemic?

I know that real estate will always be relevant.

During the lockdown, people were not locked down anywhere but their houses. It was in existence from the creation of the world and will remain till the end, as one basic necessity of life. Great opportunities for expansion, new products, and new ideas will continue to exist for a long time in Nigeria, across Africa and the world. Dradrock will grow, expand, and navigate with great creativity.

RunGas to Produce Gas Cylinders in Alaro City to Promote Clean Fuel Bennett Oghifo RunGas Group, a Nigerian gas infrastructure company pioneering the deeper penetration of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) across Africa, has expanded its operations in Nigeria by locating its new composite cylinder manufacturing facility in Alaro City, Lagos State’s new city in

the Lekki Free Zone.

A statement by the company said the RunGas plant would be used for the integrated manufacturing of LPG cylinders, gas storage, bottling and distribution.

The company said after it launched, in January, the largest ready-to-eat therapeutic foods factory in Africa, built by Ariel Foods FZE, in Alaro City, more

than 20 businesses have signed up to establish their presence in the new satellite city.

The Chief Executive Officer of RunGas Group, Lanre Runsewe said the company identified Alaro City as the perfect place for its expansion plans due to the city’s award-winning masterplan and the speed with which infrastructure was being rolled out in the new

city. “As RunGas makes progress on our goal of increasing the use of LPG in Nigeria and Africa, such partnerships with businessfriendly locations like Alaro City are critical,” he said. “We will use the five hectares acquired in Alaro City for the production and supply of quality certified, durable, standardized and technologically advanced gas cylinders.”

Firm Promotes Environmental Protection at Workplace Fadekemi Ajakaiye AXA Mansard Insurance plc, a member of AXA, a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management has announced its commitment to promote environmental protection awareness as it joins the world to celebrate World Environment Day. World Environment Day is

celebrated on 5th June every year.

The theme for this year’s celebration is, ‘Time for Nature,’ with a focus on its role in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and human development.

In his statement, Chief Executive Officer AXA Mansard Insurance Plc., Mr Kunle Ahmed said, “At AXA Mansard, we aim to reduce the environmental impact of our

operations through the management of energy, paper and water consumption as well as reducing our overall emissions and waste.

AXA Mansard therefore reiterates its commitment to, reduce our energy consumption through a focus on energy efficiency solutions that optimize the usage in our buildings.

Reduce office paper consumption and minimize the use of paper for

our marketing and distribution activities whenever allowed by local requirements and regulators.

To reduce our water consumption in all AXA Mansard’s facilities.

Reduce the emissions derived from our business travel by minimizing the number of long-distance trips of our employees, stimulating the use of alternative means of communication.

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

35

NEWSXTRA

Bandits Kill Nine Persons in Fresh Attack on Katsina Community NAF kills scores of terrorists in Borno

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Francis Sardauna in Katsina Bandits have again killed nine persons in fresh attack on Bakkai community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

This is coming as air strikes carried out by fighter jets of the Air Task Force of Operation

Lafiya Dole yesterday killed many fighters of terrorist group, Boko Haram and destroyed many structures of the group in Warshale, northern Borno State.

The bandits were said to have stormed the community at about 1.00a.m on Sunday.

Locals said the bandits had earlier threatened to attack the

community through an open letter, which made the villagers to invite vigilante officials for protection.

They said the bandits on arrival, shot sporadically, overpowered the vigilante officials and killed

the victims on the spot.

The hoodlums also injured many other residents during the deadly invasion and rustled unspecified number of animals.

The remains of the deceased were buried yesterday morning according to Islamic rites after funeral prayers.

The Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah

was yet to respond to enquiry as of press time.

Meanwhile, locals said four aircraft of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) were seen hovering the forest and drooping bombs.

Police Arrest Kidnappers Who Killed Victims after Collecting Ransom Rescue three stolen children, seek parents Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Police detectives yesterday paraded three kidnap suspects, who kidnapped and killed an Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr. Benedict Audu, his son and a family friend after the payment of N7.5 million ransom.

Audu, 70; his son, Iramon, 32, and Samaila Akenjinba, 30, a friend of the Audu’s family were abducted as they were travelling to Abuja from Takum in Taraba State on March 26, 2020.

This comes as it called on parents of three stolen children rescued by the police to come forward for identification.

Parading the suspects in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Frank Mba, said the three kidnappers killed the

victims even after collecting the sum of N7.5 million as ransom.

“The criminals ambushed and took Dr. Audu, his son and a family friend, while they raised a N7million cheque and cash totaling N7.5 million as ransom.

“In spite of that, they went ahead and killed and buried them in a shallow grave,”Mba said.

The suspects are Ola Opoku, Gwa Tekura and Henry, while other suspects identified as Gana and Tan are on the run.

Police at the force headquarters also paraded another kidnap syndicate terrorising Okpoku town in Benue State. The kidnap gang killed Victoria Agbo popularly known as Jamaica.

Mba said the kidnappers killed her after collecting N2 million ransom.

Lagos Doctors to Commence Strike on July 13 Martins Ifijeh Medical doctors in the employ of the Lagos State Government yesterday served a two-week ultimatum to begin a three-day warning strike from July 13.

In a statement issued yesterday, the doctors, under the auspices of the Medical Guild said they hoped within the two weeks’ window, the government would address their concerns.

According to the Chairman of the guild, Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo, the issues include; salary disparity, shortage of doctors, COVID-19 response and Medical Residency Training Act, among others.

He said: “At the end of the emergency congress held on Saturday, we have resolved that the state government should be given two weeks more ultimatum,

starting from Monday, June 29, to meet at least 70 per cent of the demands or we will embark on a three-day warning strike.

“COVID-19 response issue that affects our members are still there and non-inclusion of the Medical Guild in the activities; there is an issue of the Lagos State minimum wage, salary disparity between the federal government and Lagos State Government doctors, memorandum of understanding between the federal government and healthcare workers unions on COVID-19 allowances; shortage of doctors and the Medical Residency Training Act, among others.

“If these demands are not met by then, an emergency representative council meeting should be held for immediate activation of Medical Guild three days’ warning strike.”

COVID-19: PDP Raises the Alarm over Kogi, Queries Gov’s Inaction Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday queried the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over his apparent laidback attitude towards COVID-19 prevention and management protocols, resulting in the spread and avoidable deaths in the state.

According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, “Our party is deeply worried over alleged unreported cases of COVID-19 as well as issues of ‘silent deaths’ in the state, which have become scary.”

The PDP noted that issue of unreported cases of COVID-19 in the state has put the citizens in fear especially as the governor’s administration has remained nonchalant and unresponsive on the matter.

The party lamented that the state government has failed to engage in expected campaigns, public enlightenment as well as the establishment of adequate treatment facilities and protocols to guarantee public health and disease management, “while Bello continues to move on as if the lives of the Kogi people do not matter.

PANDEMIC ON THEIR MINDS...

L-R: Chairman of Expert Medical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 in Enugu State, Prof. Emmanuel Ejim; Secretary of the committee, Dr. Daniel Onwuliri; and Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chidi Aroh, during a press conference on progressive escalation of COVID-19 positive cases in the state... yesterday

Atiku: Insecurity will Affect Food Security in Nigeria Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lamented the rising case of insecurity in the northern part of the country, saying the situation would affect food security nationwide.

He called on the federal and state government to rise against the tide of insecurity, so as to address food scarcity in the country Atiku in his verified tweeter handle said that farming remains

the major occupation in the northern part of Nigeria, stressing that this occupation is greatly been affected by the insecurity in both the norteast and north- west.

“Farming is not just an occupation for the majority of the people of Nigeria, but also, the lifeblood of the North.

Northern Nigeria is synonymous to agriculture”.

The former vice president said that the insecurity the region is hampering any meaningful farming

activities.

Atiku said, “As someone engaged in agriculture myself and whose company is dependent on products from farmers, I know that denying the people the freedom to farm in a rainy season as we are experiencing now, is the greatest disservice to the region and by extension, the whole country”.

“Hence, I urge the federal government in collaboration with the governments of the states in the region to take the security

challenges seriously, because, failure to overcome this will be problematic for the whole country.

A hungry nation is a troubled nation”.

“While we hope and pray for our security agents to overcome these challenges, citizens should organise themselves and also be vigilant in detecting the movements of criminal elements in their areas. Hard times don’t last forever. Together, we shall overcome our challenges.”

INEC VETS NOMINATIONS FOR EDO GOV ELECTION TODAY The committee has also approved the composition of Edo State governorship National Campaign Council, as well as Consultation/Reconciliation Committees for Edo and Ondo States ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, said in a statement yesterday that the meeting, held at the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja was attended by all the 13 members.

He said, members present at the inaugural meeting of the committee included the Chairman and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; Niger State Governor, Alhaji Sani Bello; former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Sen. Abubakar Yusuf; Hon. Akinyemi Olaide; Mrs. Stella Oketete; Dr. James Lulu, Chief David Lyon; Senator Abba Ali; Prof. Tahir Mamman, Mr. Ismail Ahmed; and the Secretary Senator John Udoedehe.

The ruling party was, however, silent on what the six-point document to reposition the party entails.

Nabena said: “The meeting unanimously adopted a six-point working document aimed at repositioning the party.

“Members also renewed their commitment to work as a family

in the interest of the party and appealed to all leaders and members to give full cooperation to the committee in the discharge of its duties/mandate.”

The chairman of the committee, Buni, said the committee would commence the process of reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels.

Speaking during the swearingin of the other members of the committee, the Yobe State governor said the decision of NEC to constitute the committee would mark the beginning of a new chapter in the party.

To achieve this, he urged all party members to heed to the appeal by President Muhammadu Buhari that all aggrieved members who had instituted various cases in the courts to should withdraw such cases in the interest of the party.

The chairman noted that what happened in the last few months was not totally strange in a big political party like APC, stressing that internal disagreements are common in all political parties and APC is not an exception.

He said: “lt is time for this committee, therefore, to commence the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels. It is our belief that the decision by NEC to constitute this committee will mark the beginning of a new chapter in our great party.

“Change is inevitable and disagreement on issues and concepts are an integral part of human and institutional relationships. As a political party built on strong ideology and, parading men and women of enduring principle and integrity, we must prepare for real and anticipated changes and their consequences. The outcomes of changes that evolve in our party politics must be decided by us.

“As the interim managers and leaders of our party, our priority would be the recognition of the need to act appropriately and acceptably in the overall interest of the party. Our actions in the next few months would be proactive and responsive.

“From now onward, we will concentrate on medium and long term development of our strategies and internal organisation to support our public standing as well as our chances of electoral success in all future elections.

This is the time for us to focus with determination to create adaptive institutional capacity to weather the current divisions in our party.”

Buni commended all party stakeholders who stood by the party in the time of turbulence, especially former NWC members who showed maturity and belief in the party unity by accepting the NEC resolution in good faith.

The chairman noted that

what separate APC from other political parties and endeared the ruling party to Nigerians, are the sincerity of purpose, its principles of internal democracy and the unblemished integrity of the founders of the party.

Also, the immediate past Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mr. Victor Giadom, while speaking with journalists after his official handing over to Buni, said the party had been repositioned to a greater height with the calibre of people in the committee.

“I’m grateful to God, President Muhammadu Buhari, and leaders for rescuing our party from what would have befallen the party. Today, our party has been repositioned to a greater height and I can assure you with the calibre of people selected by the NEC to pilot the leadership of this party into the national convention. I feel indeed grateful and reassured that our party will remain strong and stronger and come out from the crisis, which we were all in these past few months. I’m more grateful to the members of our party and decision of NEC,” he stated.

He added that all the immediate past NWC members should be able to learn from mistakes made and also join hands with the committee to strengthen the party.

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TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

NGF Committed to Financial Autonomy of Legislature, Judiciary, Says Tambuwal Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) is poised to make the implementation of the financial autonomy of the legislature and

judiciary across the country a possibility.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Sokoto State Governor, Mr. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, when he swore-in the new Grand Khadi of the Sokoto State Sharia

CAC Certificate to Contain Tax Identification Number Dike Onwuamaeze The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has further simplified the process of registration of companies under the Part A of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) by stating that the Certificate of Incorporation of Companies issued by the commission would henceforth carry Tax Identification Number (TIN) that is issued by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

A public notice that was issued by the CAC yesterday stated that: “This is to inform our esteemed customers that as part of the Ease of

Doing Business Initiative, Certificates of Incorporation of Companies registered under Part A of CAMA will henceforth carry TIN issued by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

“This has dispensed with the need for companies apply (sic) for the issuance of TIN from the FIRS after incorporation.”

The Head of Tax and Corporate Advisory Services of PwC Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, told THISDAY thatthenewdirectivehas removed the cumbersome process that required companies to start queuing at the FIRS for their TIN after they have been incorporated by the CAC.

Court of Appeal, Muhammad Tambari Usman, at Government House, Sokoto.

Tambuwal, who is also the Vice Chairman of the NGF, said: “I assure you and the rest

The Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) has called for strict implementation of rape laws and acceleration of rape cases in the courts as ways of tackling the increasing the number of rape incidents in Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

The LSHA also called for the cancellation of stigmatisation of rape victims and handing out of severe punishment for rapists.

The call followed the House of Assembly Motion No. 20, titled “Need to Curb the Incident of

Rape, Defilement of Minors and Other Sexual Abuses” that was moved yesterday by Hon. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay (Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1) along with 12 others during plenary.

“The LSHA notes the alarming rate of domestic violence, rape, defilement of minor and other sexual abuses, particularly Lagos State.

“We further note that some victims of sexual assault who were either children of less than twelve years, adults or aged females are left to their fate in the society while the culprits moved freely without

A Dutch diplomat has lost his position after comments about alleged unethical conduct and corruption indulged in by the country’s businesses operating in Nigeria, a Dutch newspaper has reported.

Hans Smaling, who was Dutch economic envoy to West Africa between 2015 and 2018, was summarily made to leave his office after he complained about how the government and companies from the European country are involved corruption, he told NRC. “In fact, on behalf of the Dutch government, I had to push the interests of the Netherlands, for

fear of being apprehended and prosecuted,” Alli-Macaulay said.

She said the LSHA is concerned by the ordeals of victims of rape and related cases, which includes emotional trauma, shame, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and committing suicide for fear of social stigmatisation.

The legislators, therefore, called on the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the judiciary to ensure that perpetrators of any form of rape and defilement of minors are prosecuted speedily in line with extant laws of the state.

EFCC Arraigns BDC Operators for Laundering $1.6m The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Bureau De Change (BDC) operators for allegedly laundering $1.6million, said to be proceeds of smuggling.

The defendants – Chris Ogbonna, and Sulaiman Jibbo – were arraigned alongside two firms – Kur and Sule Nigeria Enterprises; and Sunchrist Trans Nigeria Limited – on five counts before Justice Ayokunle Faji.

The anti-graft agency said they ought to have reasonably known that the $1.6million, which they allegedly removed

from jurisdiction sometime in 2017, “formed parts of proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: smuggling”.

Ogbonna and Sunchrist Trans Nigeria Limited were also accused of transferring a total of N607.2million, being proceeds of smuggling, to Kur and Sule Enterprises.

Jibbo, on his part, was accused of making a cash payment of $52,287 to one Fredrick, “which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law”.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Kufre Uduak, told the court that the defendants acted contrary to sections 18(c), 15(2), 1(a), and

16(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and they were liable to punishment under sections 15(3) and 16(2)(b) of the same law.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following a bail application by their counsel, Chuks Nwana, Justice Faji admitted each of them to bail in the sum of N10million with two sureties in like sum.

Among other conditions, the judge barred the defendants from travelling outside the country, with an order that the EFCC should notify the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) about them.

28Years after, Kaduna Moves to Issue White Paper on Zangon Kataf Riot John Shiklam After 28 years, the Kaduna State Government yesterday set up a committee to draft a White Paper on the reports of the Justice Rahila Cudjoe Commission of Inquiry into the Zangon-Kataf riots of February and May 1992.

A statement issued by the spokesman of the state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the White Paper Drafting Committee would also consider

the 1995 report of the ZangonKataf Reconciliation Committee chaired by Air Vice Marshall Usman Muazu, a former military governor of the state.

The statement said: “The Kaduna State Executive Council has resolved to find a permanent solution to the perennial crises that keep erupting in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area.”

This is coming on the heels of recent clashes in the area which scores of people were reportedly

the independence of either the legislature or the judiciary.”

He stated that he is personally in support of the process as a former legislator pointing out that “it is only a question of

working on the framework because the Order 10 of Mr. President came up with a framework for the judiciary,” to the exclusion of all the state legislature.

Diplomat Sacked for Criticising Dutch Companies over Corruption in Nigeria

Lagos Assembly Seeks Stringent Punishment for Rapists Eddie Alegbe

of Nigerians, who are having some concerns that governors are opposed to the financial autonomy of these institutions, that I am yet to see or come across that governor that is opposed to

killed.

Following the clashes, Zankon Kataf and Kauru Local Government Areas had been under curfew since June 11, 2020.

Adekeye said the committee would draft White Papers on the two reports of the Justice Cudjoe Commission of Inquiry.

He said the recommendations of both the Cudjoe Commission of Inquiry and Muazu’s reports had not received comprehensive response or attention.

example, and indirectly facilitate forms of possible corruption.

Ridiculous,” the newspaper quoted the former diplomat as saying.

The new revelation comes not long after another report revealed how a former Dutch ambassador in Nigeria, Robert Petri, was engrossed in similar ethical scandal in a relationship with Shell that officials felt it was

too close for comfort.

Premium Times reported how the NRC, a Dutch online news outlet, reported that at the end of 2017, the Dutch ambassador to Nigeria leaked the confidential information to oil company, Shell.

An investigation into Petri’s tenure as Ambassador to Nigeria was prompted by a complaint of integrity received by the country,

the report revealed. The leakage of the confidential information fueled tensions at the embassy.

After two internal investigations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled Petri back to the Netherlands in early 2019. The investigations revealed, among other things, a sick working atmosphere at the embassy.

Tragedy as 36 -year-old AEDC Contractor Electrocuted in Kogi Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The life of a 36 year old linesman with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Mr. Adesina Adeleye, came to tragic end when he was electrocuted while rectifying a fault in Zango area of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The diseased was said to be in company of other staff including the Area Operation Officer of Barracks Zone, Lokoja, when he was detailed to climb the pole to

fix the fault.

Eye witness account told THISDAY that Adesina was climbing to the top of the pole when power was suddenly restored to the area.

It was gathered that the victim was said to have been drawn by the high current and immediately got electrocuted and dropped his lifeless body on the ground in full glare of other staff and passersby.

Considering the circumstances leading to the death of the

deceased, the irate youths mobilised to attack the offices of AEDC in Lokoja.

But the quick intervention of men of the State Police Command averted what could have been a reprisal attack on Saturday when sympathisers stormed the area office of AEDC in Lokoja.

One of the sympathisers who spoke to THISDAY and pleaded for anonymity said that this is the second case of electrocution in the last three months.

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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TUESDAYSPORTS

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

Osimhen Voted Best African Player in France Duro Ikhazuagbe Nigeria and Lille forward, Victor Osimhen, 21, has emulated his compatriot Vincent Enyeama, emerging the best African player in the French Ligue 1.

The 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets was yesterday voted the winner of the 2020 Marc-Vivien Foe award instituted in memory of late Indomitable Lions of Cameroon player, Marc-Vivien Foe who slumped and died in France during a Confederation Cup tournament in 2003.

Interestingly, Osimhen who

succeeded 2019 winner Nicolas Pepe at Lille is also the second Nigerian to win the top honour after Enyeama emerged African Best player in France in 2014.

Pepe left Lille for Arsenal.

Enyeama who is a former Nigerian Captain was outstanding between the sticks for Lille that year to be so honoured.

Osimhen who won the award ahead of established Monaco’s Algerian striker Islam Slimani and Reims’ Moroccan Yunis Abdelhamid, becomes the youngest winner of the trophy at just 21 years.

The Super Eagles forward

now on the radar of several top European clubs due to his outstanding first season in the French topflight joined Lille from Charleroi In the Belgian Jupiler.

He scored 13 goals with four assists in 27 Ligue 1 matches for Lille before the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was voted as the winner by a panel of 100 journalists, according to the award

organisers French radio station RFI and television station France 24.

They say they decided to keep this year’s award despite the Ligue 1 season ending in April, before its completion, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Osimhen who returned to France at the weekend after the burial of his late father, Patrick Osimhen is yet to resume training with Lille.

PAST WINNERS OF THE AWARD INCLUDE;

2019: Nicholas Pepe (Ivory Coast, Lille) 2018: Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon, Angers) 2017: Jean Michael Seri (Ivory Coast, Nice) 2016: Sofiane Boufal (Morocco/Lille) 2015: Andre Ayew (Ghana/Marseille) 2014: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria/Lille) 2013: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Saint-Étienne) 2012: Younès Belhanda (Morocco/Montpellier) 2011: Gervinho (Ivory Coast/Lille) 2010: Gervinho (Ivory Coast/Lille) 2009: Marouane Chamakh (Morocco/Bordeaux)

Transfer: Everton, West Ham Show Interests in Ola Aina Everton and West Ham United are set to be on alert, with Torino now willing to cash in on full-back Super Eagles defender, Ola Aina.

The former Chelsea star has established himself at the Italian Serie A club after Torino splashed out â‚Ź10m to sign him permanently from the Blues following a successful loan.

According to insidefutbolOla Aina has been linked with a move away from Torino, with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton and David Moyes’ West Ham reported to be interested in the versatile defender who can fit into anywhere in the back four.

His penchant for joining attack appears an added edge for the Nigeria player.

Now Torino have decided

that they will listen to offers for Aina in the next transfer window, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.com.

The Italian side have been unimpressed by what they feel has been inconsistency shown by Aina in Serie A this season.

They are willing to consider offers to sell him, but will not accept a loss on the â‚Ź10m they paid to sign him from Chelsea.

Aina has made 23 appearances for Torino in Serie A this season, picking up six yellow cards in the process.

The 23-year-old provided an assist for his side in their 4-2 loss against Cagliari in Serie A on Saturday.

Torino sit in 13th place in Serie A, six points above the drop zone with ten games left to play.

La Liga Trains Women Football Coaches in Nigeria In its continued commitment to women’s football, Spanish La Liga recently provided two Master-class sessions for coaches of the Nigerian Women Football League.

La Liga has through this has further strengthen the relations between both institutions with these online classes, within the existing MoU with the highest competition in the African country, the NWFL. These sessions consisted of some adapted and selected contents that are part of a new comprehensive programme developed by La Liga, called “La Liga Women’s Football Coaching Methodology�.

The original programme consists of a series of in-person courses organised into different levels of complexity, from the grassroots to the elite, focused on the specialties of women’s football.

According to NWFL Chairperson, Aisha Falode: “The NWFL and La Liga have identified common grounds in our goals and vision for the future. Progress has been made and grounds covered in our partnership with La Liga since we signed the MOU in

2018. “Although a lot of work has gone into the activation points of the MOU in the last few months, the training-thetrainers programme is the first engagement entry point into many more activations to come within the scope of our MOU. “Our goal here at the NWFL is simple and direct and it aligns with La Liga’s, “to be a global league brand and among the best women leagues in the world�.

La Liga Delegate in Nigeria, Guillermo PĂŠrez, said “At La Liga, we are extremely happy about the success of this first edition of the online master classes.

NWFL is one of our key partners in Nigeria and, activating the MoU between both entities, was one of our priorities for this season. The fact that Nigeria was the first country in which we’ve trained through this new format and methodology, proves how important Nigeria is in La Liga’s international development and how committed we are to the local football development.

We hope this will be the first activation of many more to come with NWFL.

Victor Osimhen voted Africa’s Best Player in France

FIFA Ban: Rivers Utd Clear Outstanding Liabilities Owed Former Player The management of Rivers United Football Club have cleared all outstanding liabilities owed their former player, Samuel Akurugu, The indebtedness had prompted a three-window transfer ban by the world football governing body, FIFA. Rivers Commissioner for Sports, Boma Iyaye, who disclosed this when he received the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Hon Samuel Nwanosike on a courtesy visit, noted that management of the team no longer owes the player any money.

Iyaye stressed further that with the payment, Rivers United would not serve any ban as FIFA had stated that the sanction would be lifted “immediately and prior to its complete serving, once the due amount, plus interest is paid.�

Said he: “With this clause in the letter from FIFA, it is our hope that it will be lifted immediately as the club prepares for continental and domestic football calendars.�

He informed the council boss that the Rivers State Government was re-jigging grassroots sports development, hence the willingness of the sports ministry to partner stakeholders and local

governments to unearth talents that would represent the state at all levels of sports competitions.

According to him, but for the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, Rivers would have been done organizing the state sports festival aimed at bringing out the best from those at the grassroots but was quick to add that the fiesta would still hold.

The sports commissioner commended the council boss for seeking partnership with the ministry, saying it was the first time a local government chairman was embarking on

such engagement to optimize the energies of youth at the grassroots. “We shall grant you support and expertise and treat your local government as a pilot in our avowed commitment to positioning the grassroots as the bedrock for sports development in Rivers State,� he stated.

Earlier, the chairman of Ikwerre local government area, Hon Samuel Nwanosike had unveiled his sports development, pointing out that sports represent a major platform to harvest the time of youth and convert it into a

profitable venture.

He added that his administration was already constructing facilities for football, swimming, wrestling, table tennis, basketball, cycling among others, hence the reason for the visit and request from the ministry for technical and professional assistance.

Nwanosike disclosed plans to construct a sports academy in the area and called for inputs from the ministry in terms of technical advisory and expertise in sports management.

L-R: Permanent Secretary in Rivers State Ministry of Sports, Sir Honour Sirawoo; Rivers Commissioner for Sports, Hon Boma Iyaye; and Ikwerre Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike during his courtesy visit to the commissioner.... yesterday

Tuesday June 30, 2020

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MISSILE Atiku to FG

“I urge the federal government in collaboration with the governments of the states in the region to take the security challenges seriously, because, failure to overcome this will be problematic for the whole country. A hungry nation is a troubled nationâ€? – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lamenting that the rising case of insecurity will aect food security nationwide.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

The Politics of Ajimobi’s Death

E

xcept something else occurs that grabs the headlines and dominates Nigerian social media, the big news of the past week would probably be the death of Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the political drama that it has generated. Senator Ajimobi served as a Senator between 2003 -2007. He was Governor of Oyo State between 2011 – 2015, 2015- 2019. He achieved the distinction of being WKH ÀUVW *RYHUQRU LQ WKDW VWDWH WR EH HOHFWHG IRU D VHFRQG WHUP LQ R΀FH +H EURNH WKH MLQ[ +LV tenure as Governor was quite controversial with mixed results and divided opinions. He was a very frank and outspoken Governor who was also very conscious of his social status and the SRZHUV DWWDFKHG WR KLV R΀FH +H ZDV DOVR TXLWH audacious. He engaged the Olubadan in an open battle when he chose in one instance to transform some high chiefs of the Olubadan-in-council into beaded kings.

There was also his infamous confrontation with students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) who had stormed Government House to protest the prolonged closure of their school. Ajimobi hushed the students up and told them harshly that they should remember that they were in the presence of “the Constituted Authorityâ€? of Oyo State. The Oyo State Government under his watch owed arrears of salaries. By the general election of 2019, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stood no chance in the elections. It was generally believed that the “Constituted Authorityâ€? had alienated the people he governed so much they were bound to reject the country’s ruling party in the state. As expected, the APC lost the Gubernatorial election to the rival, People’s 'HPRFUDWLF 3DUW\ 3'3 ZKRVH Ă DJ EHDUHU (QJU Seyi Makinde is the incumbent Governor of the state.

In 2019, Ajimobi also sought election into the Senate. Nigeria’s Upper Chamber is increasingly an old people’s home for retired Governors.

But he lost the Oyo South Senatorial bid to the candidate, again, of the PDP. He took his case to the Election Petition Tribunal. He lost again.

In the face of this rejection, the APC consoled itself with the conclusion that the performance of their party in Oyo state did not amount to a rejection of the APC by the people, but a rejection of Ajimobi’s politics! The same party would later reward Ajimobi with the position of Deputy National Chairman, South West. His admirers insist that he was a hero, a bridge-builder, and an illustrious Ibadan son and politician who made his own contributions to the development of his state and country. His style may just have been a bit brash, they admit.

Man lives. He dies. It is in the nature of all living things to die. Human experiences like love, achievements, social status can bring an LQGLYLGXDO PXFK IXOÀOPHQW EXW GHDWK LV WKH ELJJHVW HYHQW RI RXU OLYHV ,W GHÀQHV RXU PRUWDOLW\ ,W LV arbitrary and tragic, because it marks the end of everything. It is not a form of completion, because nobody ever completes life, even a man of 100 still nurses hope, but with death, HYHU\WKLQJ LV ÀQLVKHG 'HDWK GRHV QRW JUDQW the dead a say in what happens to him or her: but there is a form of survival to it. The dead survive in social contexts: in the memory of those who love or hate them, and each recollection is absolutely beyond the control of the dead. The dead exist only as social identities. Culturally, we are expected to respect and honour them.

This is seen as a moral obligation. We are also OLNHO\ WR IHHO RÍżHQGHG LI WKH SHRSOH EHVPLUFK their memory.

But what we often see is that this moral obligation is merely socially constructed. It cannot

Late Ajimobi be imposed. It is determined by context and relationships. We have seen this at play with WZR UHFHQW KLJK SURÀOH GHDWKV WKDW RI IRUPHU 3UHVLGHQWLDO &KLHI RI 6WDͿ 0DODP $EED .\DUL whose death generated so much emotion that it has now formed the substance of a book titled: Abba Kyari –Portrait of a Loyalist: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Sides of Public Service in Nigeria edited by Magnus Onyibe. And now: the death, at 70, of Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Both men died as a result of COVID-19 related complications.

Both died in the same hospital: First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos. But if anyone thought Kyari’s death was controversial, that of Senator Ajimobi would seem to be even more so.

At the centre of the latter is the ugly and WRWDOO\ DYRLGDEOH FRQĂ LFW EHWZHHQ 0UV )ORUHQFH Ajimobi and the Seyi Makinde administration

F

in Oyo State. During a condolence visit to the Ajimobis led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Mrs Ajimobi turned on the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, and accused the Governor, Seyi Makinde of “playing politics� with her husband’s death.

She said: â€œâ€ŚHe didn’t call me. Even if he had called me, I never had his number. He should have sent text messages for record purposes. The Governor of Oyo State never called me. He never signed a condolence message. Never called even when my husband was on sick bed for one month. What politics are you playing please..?â€?

The outburst was recorded in a video that has gone viral. The Oyo State Government and the Governor have responded almost in equal measure. The revelations have been unpalatable.

It turned out that there was some disagreement over where the former Governor should be buried.

The Government says the preferred location by the family in Agodi GRA is a land that is under litigation. The permit that was eventually granted to allow Ajimobi to be buried in his Oluyole GRA home, we are told, was even in violation of an existing law. Really? Governor Makinde’s administration should not form the bad habit of breaking the law, no matter what! It was further established that the Governor issued a signed FRQGROHQFH VWDWHPHQW DQG KDG DOVR PDGH HͿRUWV to reach out to Mrs. Ajimobi. He also ordered WKDW WKH à DJ VKRXOG EH à RZQ DW KDOI PDVW LQ honour of the deceased.

When Mrs Ajimobi watches that video again in the future, she may regret speaking too hastily.

She only needs to do a review of the reactions to her outburst by the public. She has been accused of having “a sense of entitlement�. “Who does she think she is?�, some asked.

The Agodi GRA property where she wanted her husband buried has also become a subject of many uncomplimentary remarks about her husband’s integrity. She has even been told that

if she loved her husband that much, why didn’t she shut down her own shop the day her husband was buried? Ordinary Nigerians are not always nice to political leaders dead or alive. Social media has given them such voice and freedom that has turned them into a “Constituted Authorityâ€? of their own. But the Oyo State Government should sheathe its sword and not add to Mrs Ajimobi’s grief. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in a book titled “On Death and Dyingâ€? wrote about the “Five Stages of Grief,â€? and although the emotions of JULHI DUH QRW VFLHQWLĂ€FDOO\ FKURQRORJLFDO DQJHU is one of them. When people lose loved ones, they tend to be angry for various reasons, until they come to terms with reality. Mrs Ajimobi deserves support, not abuse at this time.

More people will probably still disappoint her, but if she must be angry, I believe that the people she needs to be angry with are members of the APC National Working Committee who used her husband as a means to their own political ends.

By June 16 when Senator Ajimobi was named $FWLQJ &KDLUPDQ RI WKH SDUW\ DV WKH LQ ÀJKWLQJ between factions raged, Ajimobi was said to be on life support. Didn’t they know that? Party spokespersons lied that he was recuperating.

By June 18, Fisayo Soyombo, an award-winning journalist had gone on twitter to announce that the Senator was dead. He was challenged. He stood by his story. He said his source has never failed him. On June 25, the National Executive Committee of the APC dissolved the party’s NWC and set up a Caretaker Committee. The same day, Ajimobi’s death was announced. What manner of men are these who will do political 419 with dying and death and turn a man they claim they love into a pawn? Fisayo Soyombo has been vindicated. A jou rnalist is as good as his or her source. He deserves another award for his investigative journalism. And may God, the only “Constituted Authority�, over and above all things, grant Senator Ajimobi, peaceful repose.

To Save LAWMA

or more than a week, the refuse bins across the streets were filled to the brim, surrounded by bulging refuse packs.

Garbage collectors who are contractors of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), under a PSP arrangement, were said to be on strike over the non-payment of their salaries for three months! Street sweepers, with their ubiquitous orange overalls, helping to keep Lagos clean were also nowhere to be seen.

In the middle of a global public health crisis like COVID-19, and with hygiene as one of the recommended safety responses, I thought Lagos had a big problem on its hand. Waste managers going on strike, in a state that is the epicenter of the pandemic in Nigeria? Many Lagos residents were outraged. Why won’t LAWMA pay waste managers?

Before long the media focused on the story.

The facts as reported in summary are as follows: In May, Governor Babajide Sanwoolu, as part of efforts to reposition LAWMA, was said to have ordered an audit of the agency. The auditors reportedly stumbled on damning irregularities, wastages and leakages within the system. These include the discovery of sharp practices by PSP contractors, the middle men who interface between LAWMA and street sweepers/refuse collectors.

LAWMA has 652 of such operators who in turn engage 15, 498 workers, who manage 600 routes across the state. The contractors were accused of padding their bills, and passing their cost to the state government. In LAWMA’s record, a

sweeper is paid N25, 000 per month as salary, while a supervisor is paid N40, 000 per month.

In reality, the contractors don’t even pay their staff up to this amount. As the agency’s wage bill rose from N540 million per month to N1 billion, the Governor asked the former MD to step aside and insisted on an audit. Many of the contractors were found guilty, with the most notorious among them identified as “The Iron Lady�. As part of the reform process, the state government appointed a new Managing Director to oversee the changes that needed to be made.

It was at this point that hell broke loose.

Contracts were terminated including that of the “Iron Lady� who alone managed 66 routes.

There were attacks on the new management of LAWMA by street sweepers who publicly discarded their orange overalls, and took their case to the social media. They had my sympathy.

Not to pay these hapless workers, who risk their lives every day for mere pittance didn’t look good. But it soon became clear that this was not about LAWMA but some powerful contractors and middle men who were determined to resist and frustrate the proposed reform, insisting that they are untouchable.

Anyone who is familiar with the waste management process in Lagos will attest to the fact that this is one of the major areas reserved for the purposes of political patronage. The contractors are not necessarily independent. They are either party stalwarts, or their representatives, being rewarded for their contribution to election victory.

They have behind them Godfathers who also report to Godfathers. Governor Sanwoolu is right to have ordered an audit, and to have asked the former Managing Director to step aside.

But the audit must be fair and it certainly can’t go on endlessly. Yesterday, I saw a few street sweepers back at work. There must be some honest contractors whose staff do not deserve to be out of work and whose salaries must be paid. But there must also be a strong monitoring mechanism in place. No contractor should be paid for work not done or be allowed to pad bills. The new man at LAWMA, that is the Acting MD, will need the personal support of the Governor and that of the Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello under whose Ministry LAWMA falls. Both Sanwoolu and Bello have been long enough within the system to know where the corpses are buried.

The Governor should be firm and tread carefully though. One of the reasons adduced for the humiliation of his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode was that he too tried to change things at LAWMA. In so doing, he stepped on very powerful toes and burnt bridges. The contractors and Godfathers that he displaced never forgave him. They blackmailed him. In the course of the current face-off, I have noticed garbage being dumped, seemingly deliberately, on the streets of Lagos. Governor Sanwoolu should be watchful.

Nobody, Iron Lady, or Caterpillar Man, should be allowed to play politics with public health and hygiene in Lagos.

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