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NNPC Floats New Subsidiary to Oversee Refineries Inaugurates board, plans 250,000 bpd facility Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday inaugurated the board of Greenfield Refinery Limited (NGRL),

a subsidiary of NNPC, to oversee the establishment and operation of new refineries.

Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, while swearing in the new board members in Abuja,

charged them to explore all options to bring an end to the current challenge of petroleum products importation.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr.

Garba Muhammad, quoted Kyari, who is also Chairman of the NGRL board, as having challenged members of the board to focus on profitability in order to remain afloat and avoid liquidation.

Kyari stated, “As a business, this is a big opportunity for us and this company’s balance sheet must change positively. Going forward, with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), I can tell you that if

you continue to post negative for three years, you are out.

So, there is really no excuse.”

He urged the board and management team of the new Continued on page 10

Atiku: Buhari Destroyed Nigeria’s Unity Fabric in Six Years... Page 5 Friday 20 August, 2021 Vol 26. No 9629. Price: N250

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FACES OF THE PIA IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE...

L:R: Representative of Department of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Nuhu Habib; a member, Prof. Mohammad Ahmadu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Sani Gwarzo; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Chairman of the Committee, Chief Timipre Sylva; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Dr. Aliyu Ahmed; Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Dr. Bello Gusau and Representative of the Minister of Finance in the Committee, Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, at the inauguration of PIA committee, at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Towers, Abuja...yesterday

NGF: 30% Frontier Exploration, Host Communities’ 3% Deplete Federation Account Says governors will exhaust all options before going to court Pledges to work with PIA implementation committee Presidency says concerns to be addressed through amendment Sylva: Upstream regulator, not NNPC will handle proceeds from Federation Crude Says only political N'Delta complaining about 3% host communities’ fund Act has shortchanged Cross River, Ayade cries out Kingsley Nwezeh, Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja; Nume Ekeghe in Lagos and Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Chairman of the Nigeria

Governors' Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, reiterated the state governors’ concerns about the 30 per cent allocation for frontier exploration and the three per cent for host communities as

contained in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Fayemi said those provisions in the law assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 16 greatly depleted the Federation Account.

Fayemi spoke in an interview with the ARISE News Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY. The NGF chairman, who is also the governor of Ekiti State, said the governors were not

carried along in the enactment of the law. But he pledged that the state chief executives would cooperate with the PIA implementation committee headed by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief

Timipre Sylva.

Fayemi said court action would be the governors’ last resort in trying to address their concerns over the PIA. Continued on page 8

President to Determine Fate of Repentant Bandits, Terrorists... Page 10

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 08033506821, 08097777322

JONATHAN HOSTS SIRLEAF...

L-R: The Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria, Prof. Al-Hassan Conteh; former Liberian President, Prof. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; her host, former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Executive Director, Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Ms. Ann Iyanu during a courtesy visit the former Liberian leader paid to the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Maitama, Abuja ...yesterday godwin omoigui

Atiku: Buhari Destroyed Nigeria’s Unity Fabric in Six Years Says nation’s harmony can’t be taken for granted, nothing is fixed We must restructure without upsetting the apple cart, Fayemi contends Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has all it has taken the Muhammadu Buhari administration was six years to tear down the unity fabric of the country, being built by the founding fathers since 1960.

Atiku, who reiterated his hope in Nigeria’s unity, however, said it must not and could not be taken for granted, because nothing in her unity was fixed or irreversible.

But the Ekiti State governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who claimed that the country could be resert without bringing down the whole house, said the challenge of how to restructure the country without upsetting the applecart is what must be given priority.

Speaking at the Public Presentation of a book, titled: "Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices," held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, Atiku, who spoke extensively on why development could not wait for nation-building, also said the Buhari government has failed in the area of nation-building.

The former vice president reiterated that there were deliberate attempts since the 1960s to forge a nation out of Nigeria, like the establishment of states creation, federal character, the NYSC, power rotation, unity schools, and multiple federal agencies.

"However imperfect, these were genuine attempts at giving each segment of the country a sense of belonging and a semblance of justice and equity and promote interactions among our peoples. All it has taken is one administration in six short years to tear up the fabric of that unity and make more Nigerians lose faith in Nigeria and question the rationale for having one united country.

One lesson there for all of us is the need to always be vigilant and be prepared to defend our democracy, for it is through the democratic process that we can more easily promote the unity of our country.”

According to him, "I strongly believe that Nigeria can and will

remain one strong and united nation with significant strides in economic development to improve the lives of our peoples.

However, we must not take it for granted. We must work hard at it and make necessary compromises to accommodate one another.

"Hardwork and compromises are necessary for restructuring the country, especially, in terms of the relationship between the centre and the constituent states and between the public sector and the private sector. We do not need to reinvent the wheel; there are numerous examples of success from around the world for us to borrow from while adapting them to our local conditions.

"This is why I find it amusing when people declare Nigeria’s unity as fixed and non-negotiable while doing everything in their power to destroy that fragile unity. Nothing in the relationships among peoples is fixed for eternity. You cannot declare your marriage as non-negotiable while doing everything to sow seeds of discord in that same marriage.

“Countries can be created by force. You can whip groups of people into forming a country but you cannot whip them into forming a nation. Nations are built through conscious or even unconscious agreement by peoples, who believe that being together is, on balance, more beneficial than being apart.

"Development and nation-

building do not happen by themselves. They are guided by people, especially, leaders – thoughtful, insightful, and visionary leaders, who are willing to make sacrifices and reach compromises. When people see their leaders making those efforts genuinely, and experience improvements in their lives, they are likely to follow. Over the past six years, the leadership of this country at the federal level hardly embarked on nation-building.

"They may have been making (utterly confusing and unproductive) efforts at economic development. However, it can be rightly argued that they have been un-building the nation by taking conscious and deliberate actions that not only make nation-building more difficult but also undo the achievements made in that regard by previous administrations," Atiku stated.

He also lamented the continued insecurity, kidnapping, and violence by non-state actors, saying, "Yes, the Chibok girls had been kidnapped and held in captivity 7 years ago. Yes, conflicts between herders and farmers had been with us before 2016. But who would have thought that our country would become a haven for kidnappers and all manner of bandits to the extent that their nefarious activities would become a major industry?"

He contended that they have been allowed to operate so openly and brazenly that it

would surprise no one if they applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

His words: "Five years ago, the Abuja-Kaduna Road was not a virtual no-go area. The Southeast was not a virtual warzone, and Amotekun was not needed to protect lives and property in the Southwest. These are among the clearest evidence that the issues that were the focal point of the book that brought us here more than five years ago have become even worse.

"The calls for restructuring have not been heeded. Constitutional provisions on federal character have been ignored and even symbolic gestures to make all groups feel that they are part of the Nigerian family have been scorned as though they are a sign of weakness. As a result, the agitations that turned more groups into ‘Biafrans’ have become even more strident and, in some cases, violent."

He said the book being launched, "Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices", went a long distance to complete the circle started with another book: "We are all Biafrans", written by Chido Onumah and launched five years ago .

"Permit me to point out that the contributors, while not agreeing on everything, have a number of key things in common.

These are their love for Nigeria, their desire that Nigeria remains

one united country, and their demonstration that Nigeria, in its current form, is not working for Nigerians and needs to be fixed urgently so it can do so."

"That fixing or restructuring will help in our nation-building project, because it will help to foster a sense of nationhood out of our disparate groups, cultures, religions, and regions. It is obvious that a country is not necessarily a nation. Nationhood has to be forged through what we do as a country, and leadership is critical in the process of nationbuilding.

"Leaders give direction and the example they set determines the extent to which their followers will trust them. Without trust, there’s no leadership. Without leadership, a country drifts and becomes more difficult to forge into a nation.

"Some contributors to the book have gone as far as to say that development will continue to elude us until we are able to forge that sense of nationhood, that is, until we deepen our nation-building process. This is understandable, because of the growing frustrations we all feel at the slow pace of development and reversals in nation-building," he stated, adding that, “In fact, neither development nor nationbuilding needs wait for the other.

Development can indeed help in nation-building. We can work and talk at the same time."

Atiku said Nation-building has not ended in the United States

of America, United Kingdom, Russia, China, and Belgium, to cite a few examples, yet, he maintained that they were among the most developed countries in the world, noting, therefore, that what Nigerians needed to do was work hard at both.

"In my view, we must restructure our country in a manner that allows various segments to develop at their own pace and not be held back by the centre or other segments.

Developed segments will spur development in other segments, because what they do well will attract the attention of others.

That may make a Nigerian union more attractive and nation-building easier. Our poor nation-building record should not be an excuse for developmental inaction or backwardness.

"Nation-building is not just what elites or government officials do. Trade, social and cultural exchanges by ordinary people are critical components of nation-building. In fact, you cannot build a nation out of people, who do not have meaningful interaction.

“And to facilitate meaningful interaction among peoples, you need infrastructure development, including roads, bridges, ports, markets, parks and so on. In these efforts, governments lead the way although the private sector has important roles to play once the government does the heavy lifting, provides incentives, and sets the rules for competition.

Buhari Okays Review of 368 Grazing Routes in 25 States Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday gave a go-ahead for the immediate review of 368 grazing reserves in 25 out of the 36 states of the federation.

This, he said, was in line with the recommendations of a committee earlier in the year to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

A release by the President's spokesman, Garba Shehu, stated that President Buhari's directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by his Chief

of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Among others, the committee had recommended the collection of field data on 368 grazing reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitisation.

The committee also recommended production of maps and geo-mapping/ tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on grazing reserves and operations.

The number of the grazing reserves and states were deduced from considerations of existing security concerns

and other pre-existing socioeconomic conditions.

The President, however, directed that the assignment be undertaken with dispatch to bring more understanding on the grazing reserves, and implementation.

Members of the committee included Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of NEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan, David Umahi; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Minister of Agriculture

and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono; Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar and Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye.

The Technical Sub-Committee consisted of representatives from the seven members of the main committee in addition to representatives from Ministry of Justice, Surveyor General of the Federation, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA).

The Terms of Reference of the Committee, which held its

inaugural meeting on May 10, 2021, included to collate from states and confirm the status of all grazing reserves, assess the percentage of available land and those with existing encroachment complications for case-by-case resolution in partnership with state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.

The committee was also expected to make recommendations for gazetting of ungazetted grazing reserves and also create a data base of National Cattle Herders as well as ensure that grazing reserves were well-communicated to all stakeholders.

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REMAKING NIGERIA: SIXTY YEARS, SIXTY VOICES...

L-R: Former Senate President and presenter of the book, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Chairman of the occasion and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and keynote speaker and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at the public presentation of Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices, at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja...yesterday

Akpabio: IOCs’ Indebtedness to NDDC Now $4bn Says agency's forensic audit report ready for submission to Buhari

Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has accused all international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country of being indebted to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the tune of $4 billion.

This is just as the Minister also disclosed that the forensic audit carried out on the activities of the NDDC has been completed and awaiting presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former Akwa Ibom State Governor also did not hesitate to assure the people of the Niger Delta region that the on-going rehabilitation of the East West Road would be completed by government in 2022.

Akpabio, who spoke yesterday, at the weekly ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House, Abuja, said the IOCs who are required to deposit three per cent of their annual budgets to the commission as their statutory contribution to its funding have failed to do so for several years.

He said: “NDDC is being owed $4 billion by the OICs unremitted funds. The federal government is owing a little bit of its own part that it should do to the NDDC. I believe that with the audit of the commission, we will begin to offset those things working closely with the ministry of finance.

“There are plans to pay those debts. I want to see a balance sheet of the NDDC that is bankable. The IOCs are expected to pay to the NDDC three per cent of their annual budgets. All of them have failed to do so at different times”.

According to him, the debt profile of the 21-year old NDDC stands at over N3 trillion, adding that no

significant project executed by the Commission matched the figure.

He explained that it was in a bid to unearth where the huge sums of money given to the NDDC had been utilised that led to the setting up of the forensic audit team.

Akpabio stressed that government's aim was to use the forensic audit report to correct all the ills of the past in the Niger Delta region, saying time has come for the Amnesty programme to end in order for the people to get better deal instead of the peanuts ex-agitators are being paid.

His words: "I haven't seen any major thing that has touched the lives of the people in the region done by the NDDC. We are still searching for the project they have done. The money given to the NDDC has not been utilised well.

"The major agent of intervention, the NDDC failed, that has been the problem".

"We (NDDC) have a commitment in the excess of N3 trillion. The forensic audit will clarify these things”.

Commenting on the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the Minister said the Niger Delta people are happy that President Buhari has shown commitment to their cause through the Act. According to him, the major concern about the law was not the amount of resources it will make available to the people in the host communities, but the way and manner the resources would be applied and those to be involved.

He, however, said the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as the ministry charged with the welfare of the people, would get in touch with the community trusts that would manage the funds and get them to properly focus the appropriations.

“The PIA when implemented is going to assuage the feelings of

the people of the host communities because they never had half a percent since 1956 when oil was discovered in Olobri.

“That is why I said that it is not the percentage that is the issue. Some communities could not even do this solar powered toilet, some had no drinking water, even water tankers supplying them water failed because they had oil exploration and exploitation had destroyed their water

system.

“But now with the PIA, they would be able to do certain things for themselves without waiting on oil companies, the federal government or the state to do it for them.

“My prayer is that the people would see this as a major step. People are arguing about percentages, I am not interested in that. We would manage this three per cent, but the major thing is to

use it well. Even the small percentages that used to come to the NDDC, at least, they did not utilise it well.

“We will do a lot of sensitization from the ministry, visit the people. When we look at the Act and know the composition of those who should be in charge of the money, we will also make our inputs and it should be mostly project based.

“It shouldn’t be like a normal contract. It should

almost be like direct labour.

It is a major leap forward,” he added.

On the East-West road project still under construction, the Minister said over N10 billion have been committed into the project by the current administration, adding that delays associated with the project include paucity of funds and the 15km Eleme, Onne sections which were not originally captured in the project.

More Work Required to Achieve Double-digit Growth, Says FG Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government has declared that a lot of work is required to build the Nigerian economy to a level to enable it achieve double-digit growth.

Nigeria posted a 0.51 per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2021, after a 0.11 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of 2020.

No nation, the federal government stated, attains an optimum infrastructural development without the efficient use of the capital market.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, at a national workshop organised by the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed noted that a cardinal focus of the ‘next level’ agenda of the current administration was to address infrastructural deficiencies/ gaps and improve the living standard of the average Nigerian.

She stated that the theme of the workshop, "Leveraging the Financial Markets to Achieve Double-digit Economic Growth for Nigeria," was apt and pivotal to the economic agenda of the current administration.

According to her, the Nigerian capital market has over the years provided access to significant long-term

development capital to the federal government, other tiers of government and the private sector.

She recalled that in an attempt to achieve consistent economic growth, earlier in the life of the administration, the government had developed the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017 2020.

The ERGP, she explained, was a medium term plan designed to foster growth and build a globallycompetitive economy through the diversification of the economy, increased investment in infrastructure, digitalisation of the economy, and improvement in the ease of doing business in the country.

Ahmed observed that year 2020 was like no other, as a result of the impact of COVID-19 worldwide, adding that a three-year continuous run of positive growth in GDP was truncated in the second quarter of that year by the harsh economic impact of the pandemic.

Explaining the pivotal role of the capital market, she said: "Our 2020 “Budget of Sustaining Growth and Job Creation” had to be amended in response to the fiscal pressures arising from the pandemic.

"We will recall that in 2020, the Federal Government of

Nigeria, through the Debt Management Office (DMO) raised N669.12 billion from the capital market, through its third Sukuk bond offering, with the proceeds used to construct and rehabilitate as many as 44 major roads across the country.

"Also worthy of note is the Offer for Subscription of the Federal Government of Nigeria Savings Bond (FGNSB)

by DMO and executed by Stockbrokers. In addition, the Federal Government of Nigeria accessed the International Capital Market (ICM) with Eurobond issuance to finance capital budget deficits."

The minister stated that as various budgetary allocations and policy pronouncements would attest to, the Buhari administration had demonstrated unprecedented commitment towards bridging the country’s massive infrastructure deficit.

"Just a few months ago, government approved the establishment of the Infrastructure Company (Infraco), which is envisaged to become a world-class infrastructure development vehicle for Nigeria.

"The company will serve as the platform for seamless public-private partnership in infrastructural financing in the country, effectively interfacing with institutions such as the Central Bank

of Nigeria, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, pension funds and other financiers home and abroad."

The minister therefore, pointed out that the pivotal role of CIS in capital formation in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised.

She added that it plays a vital role in the development of the capital market, being the professional institute established by Act 105 of 1992 to provide certification for professionals in stockbroking, securities and investment, fund and portfolio management, asset management, investment management, and other related fields. It is responsible for the regulation, training and disciplining of members of the profession in Nigeria.

Ahmed noted that over the years, her ministry has been working closely with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, adding that the ministry is statutorily represented on the Governing Council of the Institute.

She admonished the CIS to keep the flag flying, uphold the ethics of the profession and work assiduously to sustain investors’ confidence in order to bring back the good old days in the Nigerian capital market so as to attract the full participation of government at all levels.

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PAGE EIGHT NGF: 30% FRONTIER EXPLORATION, HOST COMMUNITIES’ 3% DEPLETE FEDERATION ACCOUNT However, the federal government yesterday clarified that the proposed Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC), not the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, will handle proceeds from the sale of crude oil accruing to the three tiers of government when the PIA becomes fully operational.

Fayemi said the forum believed the provisions of the 1999 Constitution should be adhered to with regard to concerns raised by the governors, including ownership structure, accountability, and transparency.

He criticised the federal government’s handling of repatriated loots, saying the management of such funds is not the exclusive preserve of the federal government since the monies ought to be part of the federation account originally.

Fayemi said, "This is a matter that the entire forum has discussed extensively, and we have come to certain conclusions about what is called frontier funds. Whether it is three per cent or not, our concern there is that whatever you are taking into these places is a depletion of the federation account, that money will not go to the federation account, it would be spread across the few areas that you described as volunteer basis, rather than to the entire federation.

"And we worry more about the entire federation not about selected parts of the federation.

For us as governors, that is a distinction without a difference.

We are talking about depletion from the federation account, whether it is three per cent or 30 per cent.

“It is money that should come to federation account, that should then be subjected to fair and equitable distribution on principles of sharing, rather than one that is going to be at the whims and caprices of this new limited company."

The Ekiti State governor said the forum would explore all available options before seeking legal interpretation. He said the Minister of Petroleum Resources had reached out to the forum to say that their concerns would be addressed as an amendment to the new petroleum law.

He stated, "It is not everything that we have to resort to court to resolve. We only do that when all options have been exhausted and we haven't secured a reprieve.

"On this particular instance, we will work with the implementation committee. And if there is any reason for us to take an alternative measure, we will cross that bridge when we get to that. But at least it has been acknowledged that these issues can be resolved, in some way, shape or form, as we are proposing. We will wait and see before we take any further steps."

However, Fayemi commended the president for signing the Act. He maintained that the constitutional issues the NGF raised before the bill was passed into law were not addressed.

He said, "As a matter of fact, we have commended these major developments in our country because it is something that has been on the cards for us.

“So, kudos to the president for finally working with the National Assembly to get the PIA in place.

“However, we also believe that whatever we are doing should be done in accordance with the constitution so that we do not have to blame ourselves.

"The issues that governors are concerned about, and which we made clear to the National Assembly when this bill was in

DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY VISITS MAKINDE ...

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; former governor of Anambra State and Pro-Chancellor Dominican University, Mr Peter Obi; Chancellor, Very Rev. Father Modestus Ngwu and Vice-Chacellor, Prof Anthony Akinwale, during the courtesy visit to the governor in Ibadan by the University management...recently the process of becoming an Act, relate to ownership structure and questions of accountability and transparency so that at the end of the day, we don't subvert the original intention behind the petroleum industries act."

On the issue of repatriated loots domiciled with the federal government, Fayemi said, "We believe that our president is a stickler to the rule of law and due process and sometimes he doesn't get a comprehensive advice from those who are the technical people in charge of some of these issues.

“When the matter around recovered loots came up, we communicated with the Attorney General of the Federation and raised our concerns about the source of the money that was allegedly looted anyway, which in our view, was from the federation account. It wasn't federal government money.

"So when you want to return the loots, you cannot just say you are returning to the federal government and the federal government decides to do whatever it chooses to do with it. We would have preferred a situation in which the funds are returned to the federation account.

"Whatever the government chooses to do with it, there are mechanisms in government that would allow governors to also partake in that discussion. That is why we have the National Economic Council, where we are members and the Vice President is the chair, where we take collective decisions on issues that are germane to both the federal and sub-nationals, and that's all we were pleading for.

It wasn't a case of being averse to whatever the government has chosen to do with the recovered loot, what we felt is, you cannot take a decision without our input as critical actors in the federation."

FG: Upstream Regulator, Not NNPC, Will Handle Proceeds from Federation Crude The federal government has said the proposed NURC, not NNPC Limited, will handle proceeds from the sale of crude oil accruing to the three tiers of government when the PIA becomes fully

operational. Briefing journalists after the inauguration of the steering committee as well as the implementation working group of the PIA, Sylva said being a Companies and Allied Matters (CAMA) entity, NNPC Limited may no longer be in a position to function in that role.

The minister said although the upstream regulator might not be directly involved in lifting federation crude oil, all the monies accruing from sales of the commodity would be handled by the commission, while NNPC would only get a percentage for carrying out the lifting.

However, the minister added that the committee, which he inaugurated, would thrash out areas of disagreement.

Sylva stated, “The next question is whether the commission, as a regulatory agency, can be involved in commercial activities? Yes, when I gave that answer yesterday, I didn’t have the opportunity to say everything.

“The other question should be whether NNPC, as a commercial body, registered under CAMA, can be in charge of federation crude? We have to find a way out of this. That crude belongs to the federation of Nigeria and when it is sold, it has to go to the federation account.

“So, the commission is not necessarily going to sell the crude, but will handle the crude.

If NNPC sells the crude on a commercial basis, the revenues accruing from the sales of the crude will now go through the commission to the federation account and NNPC will charge commission for that role.

“As a commercial activity, it will just sell and it is doing that as a commercial entity and the fund will be moved into the federation account. Those are all part of the issues that we will be discussing at the implementation level so that we have a seamless way of doing things.”

Sylva also spoke on the ownership structure of the proposed NNPC Limited, which the governors had alleged did not incorporate the states and local governments. He said, like other entities, the federal government would hold the equity in trust for all the other tiers of government.

But he revealed that negotiation was on with the

state governors on the issues.

According to him, “The other issue is the ownership of the NNPC, which has been raised variously by governors and we have also responded.

I think we are having an understanding, that is all I can say. I do not want to pre-empt that discussion. But, we are having an understanding. In this country there is the federal government of Nigeria and then there is the federation.

“The federal government of Nigeria can always hold something in trust for the federation. I can assure you that we are already discussing, and we are clarifying some of these issues. In this case, what the federal government is doing is to hold this equity in trust for the federation.”

The minister stated that this was not the first time that would be happening, explaining that the federal government is currently holding the equity in LNG Bonny in trust for the federation.

He stated, “If the federal government holds the equity in trust for the federation, it means it is holding it in trust for the states, for the local governments and by extension, also the communities.

“We are one country, everything flows out from this country, let’s not make it look like we are not one country. The federal government of Nigeria is the preeminent government among the tiers, the levels of government.

“So now, the federal government of Nigeria is in a position to hold equity in trust for the rest of Nigerians. And this is what we are doing in this case, and this is what federal government has also done in other cases.”

The minister also said while Nigeria was interested in more foreign investments, its focus now was on the IOCs in the country, stressing that a lot of projects on the verge of crystallising would now be fast-tracked since the new legislation has been signed.

He disclosed that a number of investors had reached out to the ministry post-PIA, maintaining that the oil companies, which the federal government has had a long relationship with, would be the first priority.

Sylva noted that while a number of IOCs had indicated

interest in divesting their onshore assets, there were still a lot of prospects offshore, including the ultra-deep offshore, beyond the current 2,000 metres.

He explained that even oil companies that were thinking of leaving onshore operations were still showing interest in the offshore of Nigeria as well as the ultra-deep offshore, which is still in frontier territory.

Answering a question on the alleged skewedness of the steering committee in terms of gender and ethnicity, he stated that members were supposed to represent their offices and not necessarily ethnic groups or a particular gender. But, he said those are some of the issues the PIA would correct.

On possible unrest in the Niger Delta due to the grouse over the three per cent allocated to the oil producing areas, he said the region had no reason to react badly, saying those that have been very vocal from the area were simply politicising the issues.

Sylva said, “I see a lot of politics, a lot of politicking, but I have not really seen very senior Niger Delta people that we all respect, that are apolitical, speak against this. If you look at it very well, you cannot really say it is only three per cent.

This per cent is on top of so many other things.”

He listed them as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the 13 per cent derivation and others, which he said amounted to a lot of money. But he noted that there were still issues surrounding the implementation of the funds accruing to the region.

According to the former governor of Bayesa State, “I can assure you that well-meaning Niger Deltans are not against this. It is the political Niger Delta that is speaking. And if the political Niger Delta is speaking, I am a part of that political Niger Delta and I will not want to join issues with them yet.”

Sylva stated that there was no role for the government in the administration of the community funds, stressing that it is different from the Frontier Basins Fund, which is an investment in getting more oil off the ground, and not targeted at the communities.

Earlier while inaugurating the

committees, the minister said the crystallisation of the 20-year petroleum industry reform journey called for accolades and celebration.

He said there should a deliberate effort by all and sundry to ensure successful implementation of the PIA in order to get the desired result.

Members of the PIA committee include Sylva, who’s the chairman; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Sani Gwarzo; Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Natural Resources, Dr. Nuhu Habib.

In the group also are a representative of the Ministry of Finance, Budget And National Planning, representative of the Ministry of Justice, External Legal Adviser, Olufemi Lijadu, and Executive Secretary, PTDF and Head of the Implementation Working Group/Coordinating Secretariat Dr. Bello Gusau.

Act Has Short-changed Cross River, Ayade Cries Out Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade, said the new law perpetuated injustice against his state. Ayade was quoted as saying this while receiving in audience some members of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), led by the state’s representative, Ntufam Eyo Nsa Whiley.

Whiley said they were in the state to sensitise the government and the people on the forthcoming stakeholders meeting with the leadership of the commission to collate views on the review of the current revenue formula.

Ayade expressed scepticism about the new attempt to review the revenue formula, saying it may not herald anything positive for the state.

Recalling how the Senate Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that toured the state failed to mirror the grievances of Cross River in the bill before it was finally signed into law, the governor said the Continued on page 12

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Lawmakers Fume over FG’s Plan to Borrow N5.62tn, Tackle MDAs Hiding Revenue As NPA, FRC disagree on N255bn liability

Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday expressed displeasure over the way some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) conceal their revenues, thereby denying the federal government the much-needed fund to fund its annual budget.

The Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke, who made this known at the ongoing public hearing on the 2022/2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), also condemned the federal government’s plan to borrow N5.62 trillion to finance the 2022 budget, while the MDAs starve the government of fund.

He said, "We are not happy with you with the way Nigeria is borrowing N5.62 trillion and we have some fund somewhere staying fallow without being used. For God's sake, let us build this country together for the sake of all of us."

The lawmaker said the House of Representatives would be more interested in how much government agencies could save, saying the major problem facing the country was revenue generation.

He stressed that if the committee discovered that any of the agencies’ capital projects were unnecessary, they would be removed in a bid to get revenue for the country.

The committee also directed the Nigeria Communication Commission to provide the turnover of the amount realised from all network operators from 2018 to 2020.

Faleke, said this would enable the committee to look at their records and be able to determine

if the revenue proposal for 2022 to 2024 would be good for the country.

Meanwhile, in its presentation, the Head of Monitoring, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Bello Gulmare, disclosed that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has not been keeping to date with the submission of its audited accounts.

He said, ''The NPA has only submitted up to 2018 audited financial statement. We are yet to receive 2019 and 2020.

Their liability is N255 billion.

Their general liability is N235 billion. In our record, we have remittances of N179.6 billion, that gives rise to net operating surplus of N255 billion."

But, NPA's General Manager Finance, Emeka Ezengwu, argued that the FRC has an outdated account, hence the N255 billion liability.

He also assured the lawmakers that the agency was on course in terms of revenue generation, adding that it was targeting N338 billion as revenue in 2022.

According to him, "2019

has already been approved by the board, 2020 is ongoing.

The FRC has not done any reconciliation with the NPA in the past four years. The figure he is brandishing does not align with what we have.

We have done reconciliation with Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC). We are also engaging the Accountant General Office right now and we have a letter from them inviting us for reconciliation."

In his ruling, the Chairman

of the Committee, Faleke, while stressing that said FRC was empowered by the constitution to monitor remittances, advised the NPA to reconcile with the latter before their report is laid before the National Assembly.

"By law, when it comes to remittances, this office (FRC) is superior to the Accountant General Office. This is a constitutional office, it is not just created by an act of the National Assembly. It is important that you reconcile with the FRC, you should be eager to reconcile them.

“If their report is laid before the National Assembly, and you are found wanting, it has consequences. So, reconcile within two weeks.

"We have ruled that we need a comprehensive list of all agreements reached by NPA with its tenant, indicating how much each of those tenants are supposed to be paying on a monthly or annual basis and copies of the agreements be attached. We need all the account details of the JVC accounts," he said.

CIS 2021 NATIONAL WORKSHOP...

L-R: Director General Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda; Chairman, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, and Minister of Trade industry, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, during the CIS 2021 National Workshop in Abuja...yesterday kingsley adeboye

Buhari to Determine Fate of Repentant Bandits, Terrorists Vows to overcome security challenges before leaving in 2023 Welcomes improved security situation in Northeast, Northwest Says he won't allow Nigerians wallow in hunger Deji Elumoye in Abuja Against the backdrop of concerns trailing government’s dispositions to terrorists surrendering to the Nigerian troops, only President Muhammadu Buhari would determine the fate of the repentant terrorists, bandits and other criminals in their mode, although he has yet to decide.

The president has, however, expressed optimism that he would leave Nigeria more secured than he met it in 2015 at the end of his eight-year tenure in 2023.

Buhari, who also expressed happiness with the improved security situation in both the Northeast and the Northwest zones has further assured the Nigerian people that he would not allow them to wallow in

poverty.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd), related the President's position on Thursday while speaking with newsmen at the end of the National Security Council meeting presided over

by President Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

Specifically, on what would become the fate of the Boko Haram members that have surrendered to the Nigerian troops, Monguno said President Buhari is yet to decide on it.

Some prominent Nigerians and groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), had recently frowned at the manner the federal government had received and treated the ‘repentant terrorists’, claiming its approach was insensitive to

the feelings of victims of terrorism and its mindlessness.

But Monguno, while clearing the air, said, “Yes, there are plans.

But I don't want to immediately divulge what has been decided on those plans till the president takes a firm decision on the plans.

But definitely that is one of the things that he intends to address with the number of people coming.

“And it's not just in Nigeria, even in northern Cameroon, you have equally large numbers of people, you know, surrendering to the bonafide agencies of government. But that is all as a consequence of the regional cooperation between the various countries and the agencies of those countries".

On the general security situation, he said the President

vowed to do whatever it would take to ensure that he did not leave the country in security crisis by the time his term of office ended while also expressing his readiness to make more changes in the security architecture of the country if necessary.

His words: "The President also made it very, very clear that he's not ready to exit government as a failure. He is not going to tolerate that he's made changes and is ready to make further changes if he is not satisfied.

He is completely determined to ensure that there's a turnaround in the fortunes in the theatre of operations".

He revealed that all the issues brought before the President centred mainly on the successes recorded in the operations in the Northeast and claimed that large

NNPC FLOATS NEW SUBSIDIARY TO OVERSEE REFINERIES company to set up a proper structure with the required skills, technology and finance to drive the company’s operations, adding that he is optimistic that the company would be able to achieve its mandate.

Kyari said, “Our company must grow and we can’t do well except we are able to process our production, whether it is the liquid or gas. If we don’t monetise it then we have done nothing. This is really a new chapter and we are committed to making it work.”

The NNPC helmsman stated that all the corporation’s initiatives in the areas of new refineries, condensate refineries and equity acquisition in credible private refineries were geared towards ensuring energy and security for the country.

In his remarks, Alternate Chairman of the board and Group Executive Director, Refinery and Petrochemicals, Mr. Mustapha Yakubu, declared that the operations of the company would be guided by the principles of cost effectiveness

in line with the new Act, noting that profitability would be the key focus.

Speaking also, Group General Manager, Greenfield Refineries and Project Division (GRPD) and Managing Director of the NGRL, Mr. Bege Talson, disclosed that the division was working with third party investors to establish greenfield, modular and condensate refineries with a combined capacity of 250,000 barrels per stream day Other members of the board

include: Group Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Umar Ajiya; Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Mr. Oluwaseyi Omotowa; and Managing Director of NNPC Retail, Mrs. Elizabeth Aliyuda.

Listed also as members are Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Mr. Muhammad Ali-Zarah; and Tolulope Olubommo, who is to act as Company Secretary and Legal Adviser.

numbers of Boko Haram were surrendering in the Northeast, noting, “never had such large numbers leave the terrorist camp, owing to the relentless activity of the security agencies.”

The NSA, who stated that there was good cooperation, synergy and intelligence-sharing among the armed forces, said President Buhari was happy with the briefs he received.

“The meeting briefed Mr. President, on the current security situation in the country. Well, I'll say from the last time we met till now, and all the issues that were brought before the president, were mainly issues arising from the successes recorded in the theatre of operations throughout the northeast.

“It is evident that a lot of successes have been recorded.

Large numbers of people are surrendering in the northeast as a consequence of the relentless efforts of the Armed Forces, intelligence and security agencies.

This is very, very evident.

“We've never had such large numbers of people defecting from the other side, back to the Nigerian side, mainly, as a result of many issues within the theatre, issues of infighting among the various factions of the terrorist groups.

“But the new drive of the Armed Forces, the police, the intelligence agencies, there's been greatest cooperation, greater

synergy intelligence sharing, as well as our partners in the regional intelligence fusion unit.

So, the president was briefed; the president is quite happy that there's been tremendous success, especially, with the advent of the new service chiefs and Inspector General of Police.

“And then also the issue of insecurity in the northwest, which is still, even though for those of us who are within the security system, we have seen a significant drop in the number of incidents of kidnapping and banditry, nevertheless, a lot has to be done.

“Because like I've always said in the past, as far as the people are concerned, there shouldn't be any incident of kidnapping, banditry, and other incidents of insecurity.

“So, the president is also aware of that. And he has also made certain assertions which I’m not willing to say right now, till you know, he's made the final decision on those things.

But generally, the atmosphere is improving, especially, in the north eastern part of the country.

The president is very, very happy with the drive in that part of the country,” Monguno said.

He, however, advised Nigerians to share intelligence to help security to deal with criminalities more decisively, saying citizens should shun mutual suspension.

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China’s Trade with Nigeria, Other Partners Now $1.35tn, Says Envoy Michael Olugbode in Abuja The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Cui Jianchun has disclosed that trade between China and countries in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) global partners (Nigeria inclusive) has hit $1.35 trillion.

Jianchun, who spoke in Abuja, during the BRI Symphony played

by China-Nigeria Orchestra, said 140 countries, including Nigeria have already signed into the programme.

The Chinese Ambassador also disclosed that trade with African countries was in the region of $1.35 trillion as of 2020.

He said: “We have 140

countries plus 30 International Organisations that have signed this document. In the African continent, we have 46 countries, including the African Union that has signed this document.

“Since 2013, we have recorded $130 billion investment. The third figure is about trade, we have accomplished $9.2 trillion in trade all over the world with the International partners.”

He added that: “Young Nigerians are very keen about e-commerce and I want to let you know that we have 22 countries that have e-commerce with China and I do believe that it can be done with Nigeria.”

The ambassador while

highlighting the importance of China’s BRI Initiative with Nigeria and other countries across the globe, said the Embassy was developing strategies to promote the BRI initiative between Nigeria and China.

He said: “The main essence of the BRI is about viable connectivity. First is about the policy coordination, second is about the facility connectivity.

“The third is about unimpeded trade, the fourth is about financial integration, and the last is about people to people bound. And I hope that everybody here today you could remember the five connectivity.”

He said: “There have been

great achievements of BRI in the past eight years. Now, we have 140 countries that have signed this document with the Chinese government, Nigeria is also part of the country.

“I also took part in the drafting of this document and I am very happy that Nigeria has signed this document in the year 2018.”

The Chinese envoy noted that trade remains important for BRI partners, while stressing that, “we need Chinese products, we also need products from the BRI partners.”

He said Chinese Embassy in Abuja under his leadership have developed a strategy termed the “5GIST” as a means of promoting

the future cooperation within the framework of the BRI between China and Nigeria.

He said: “In this strategy, the 5GIST means 5 Goals, 5Is, 5Ss and 5Ts which is the China-Nigeria GDP Strategy. The GDP means Growth, Development and Progress.”

He explained that: “The first five Goals are; political support, economic cooperation, military collaboration, international coordination and people to people bond.

“The second Five are: first is about infrastructure, second is ICT, third is about Industry; railway is key for the Nigerian people.”

He noted that, “without industry we cannot get rich, we cannot get strong, we cannot create more jobs, we cannot create income. We believe that industry in the agriculture, manufacturing, how they can be implemented.”

He added that the was about investment in agriculture, aquaculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, saying, “I think we really need investments and how to attract Foreign Direct Investments.”

He said the third S includes, security, saying, “we need structure, we need speed because we cannot be lagging behind in the 21st century. We need Synergy and supervision.”

AMCON: We Are Still in Charge of Jimoh Ibrahim’s Assets Obinna Chima The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) yesterday said it is still in charge of, “all assets of Jimoh Ibrahim and his companies including Nicon Insurance Limited and Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation.”

The corporation, in a statement signed by its Head, Corporate Communications Department, Jude Nwauzor, said the explanation became necessary due to false narrative spreading on the social media.

It further stated that Justice A. R. Mohammed of Federal High Court Abuja Division on Monday, had ordered AMCON; NICON Insurance Limited, Nigeria Reinsurance (Nigeria Re) and Ibrahim to maintain the status-quo-ante until September 8, 2021, when the court would hear all pending applications in the matter.

It alleged that Ibrahim’s current indebtedness to the corporation stood at about N70 billion, adding that the matter between the businessman and AMCON has been interminable since the loan was purchased by the government debt recovery agency during the first phase of Eligible Bank Assets (EBA) purchases from Union Bank in the early days of the corporation.

“AMCON and BPE, on July 21, received approval from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to constitute a new board and management of NICON Insurance Limited and Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (Nigeria Re).

“The change was to enhance the smooth running, efficient

and effective management of the two firms previously owned by the recalcitrant debtor and businessman,” it added.

According to the corporation, the reason for the changes in the board and management of the two insurance firms was sequel to the takeover of the major investor’s interests in the two organisations, and the BPE who worked in partnership with AMCON to bring the much-needed stability in the operation of the organisations.

AMCON also made it clear that the reconstitution of the board and management team of two insurance institutions in Nigeria was to ensure that the firms continue in their quest for transparent and accountable management of insurance in the country and continue to deliver value to its stakeholders.

“After the constitution of the boards, Jimoh Ibrahim belatedly approached the court to obtain an order seeking to stop AMCON from constituting the boards of the two insurance firms.

“But when the case came up for hearing on Monday the 18th of August, the Judge ruled that all parties maintain the status quo until September 8, which was agreed by both the counsel to Jimoh Ibrahim and co, C.I. Okpoko, SAN and counsel to AMCON A.U. Mustapha, SAN. “This, the Court took note of in its ruling on the application for adjournment and directed that all parties maintain the status quo as at date, pending the determination of the applications on September 8, when arguments will be heard on the motion on notice with a possible ruling,” it added.

Furthermore, AMCON stated

that the implication was that it is still in charge of all assets of Ibrahim and his companies including Nicon Insurance Limited and Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, “over their heavy indebtedness to AMCON following earlier court rulings, which gave AMCON the power to take over the assets ab-initio.”

“It was also from the courts that AMCON derived the power with which it appointed the Receiver

Managers over some of the companies and assets belonging to the recalcitrant debtor.

“It is unfortunate that Jimoh Ibrahim and his cohorts have continued to show wanton disregard to the court directive.

They have been misinforming the general public by mischievously misinterpreting the court resolution.

“They have used thugs to physically break into the

companies’ premises, to misappropriated documents and assets, and have had the audacity to parade themselves as the legitimate management in these companies.

“This is to reassure the general public and all stakeholders that AMCON is a law abiding institution and shall not be intimidated into surrender of its legal responsibilities.

“Moreover that these

insurance entities are public assets, striped and destroyed by persons with a known track record of mismanagement, criminality and outright disrespect to all that is prudent, ethical and normal.

“All stakeholders are assured that this mischief would be short lived as AMCON has rapprochement of the courts to deal with this rascality,” it added.

Lawan: To Survive Beyond 2023, APC Must Deepen Internal Democracy Says opposition parties have been supportive of govt Deji Elumoye in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has listed several conditions, including deepening internal democracy in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the party to retain power beyond the 2023 general election.

Lawan, who spoke Thursday while receiving a visiting delegation of the All Progressives Congress Youth National Lobby Committee in Abuja, also said the APC must ensure youth representation in governance to facilitate active participation in policy matters and decision-making processes.

The Senate President explained that concerted effort must be made by the ruling party to manage its successes by ensuring that it sustained practices that would deepen democracy at all levels.

According to him, delivering on key promises made to Nigerians ahead of 2023 elections, particularly, on the provision of critical infrastructure needed for

development, remained a way to further boost the confidence of Nigerians in the party.

His words: “When we sit at a table like this, and many decisions will be taken, why can’t we have youth representation, because that is what will help them understand the logic, the philosophy of such decisions when they are taken and, therefore, they are better prepared to be in a position to do the same when they eventually become leaders, rather than always asking them to go and deal with youth matters?

“You can deal with youth matters, but I believe that you should also be part of major circles of the party. APC, at the risk of being very partisan, is blessed more than all the political parties in Nigeria today, because we control the federal government, the two chambers of the National Assembly, we have about 22 or 23 states and majority of state members of the state houses of assembly, chairmen of councils

and councilors. This is a huge and massive blessing for our party but also a huge responsibility for it, because the party must succeed at the federal level.

"At the states that we control, we must continue to show the best examples on how good governance is enshrined and sustained and, of course, at the council levels. If we do that, we will be in power for as long as God wants us to be, and that will be a very long time. I don’t want to risk quoting a figure. PDP did and it became a curse.”

Lawan also disclosed that the unity of purpose among APC lawmakers was responsible for the cordial working relationship and support, which the party enjoyed from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the National Assembly.

His words: "Those of us of APC stock in the National Assembly, they understand right from the start that we had a date with history.

We had an opportunity to do what

is right, that is to work for the betterment of this country, work for our party in government to succeed, and ensure that Nigerians get the best possible dividend of democracy and, therefore, we decided to work together as ambassadors of the party.

“We have achieved that much and, because we are united, we are also able to have a very good and cordial working relationship with the opposition in the Senate and, indeed, the National Assembly.

Sometimes, some partisan things will be said, but it is very understandable.

“I was in the opposition for sixteen years, so, I know the kind of thing I said, when I was in the opposition against government that was in control then. So, I can understand some of the things the opposition may say. But by and large, even the opposition has been supportive of our administration to a very large extent, and that is because our house is in order,” Lawan said.

NGF: 30% FRONTIER EXPLORATION, HOST COMMUNITIES’ 3% DEPLETE FEDERATION ACCOUNT experience was enough “for us to express our deep and sincere distrust in the entire exercise and processes of RMAFC".

A statement from the governor’s office quoted him as saying, "As I spoke to the Senate Committee on PIB then, I will choose same to communicate the position of Cross River State, which is that we do not have faith in this exercise, neither do we believe that it will end properly."

With particular reference to the PIB, Ayade said, "As far as we are concerned as a state, we have been reduced to want in body in spirit and in soul,” adding, “There is no indication whatsoever that the review of the revenue allocation will be based on the principle of jurisprudence, equity and fair play."

He recalled, "When the PIB committee visited, I took my time and articulated in the best of professional grammar to explain to them that producing communities are not as delicate and sensitive as impacted communities. Cross River State bears the brunt of production, but today the PIB is signed into law, insensitive to the oil

impacted communities to which Cross River State belongs.

"In the same PIB, 30 per cent of revenue is set aside for frontier exploration, luckily the Calabar basin, which they refused to recognise in that category which stretches from all the mountain basins, cutting across the whole of Bakassi, Biase Odukpani, Okuni, Ogoja, Yala, is heavily impregnated with hydrocarbon. The geocoordinates have been issued by myself since 2016 to the federal government. Today, we watch and see how the 30 per cent set aside for the frontier exploration will be managed. And we will see what will happen to the Calabar basin."

Ayade queried a scenario, "where Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states; and Cameroon all have oil and Cross River will not have oil?

And you sit on this injustice and it goes on year after year after year?"

According to the governor, "The principle under which RMAFC is set out and the way they are operating so far is inconsistent with the provisions of the law that established it.

I would like to have this on

record that you have failed to use your mandate judiciously.

You have failed to understand that the law empowers you to review the formula not based on obnoxious principles."

The governor charged RMAFC to do what is fair, just and right, saying, ”Even as we come to articulate our position, if the majority of the people who are satisfied with the present situation carry the day, we would have spoken in futility and in vain.

"It is clear that the law has taken all our rights and vested them on RMAFC, so no matter how we shout and scream, the buck stops on your table.

Even the stabilisation funds that are now being shared among all the states, that was not the spirit and intent of the stabilisation funds. The basis for everything that the constitution had envisaged to balance the financially disadvantaged states is being taken off and that is the role of RMAFC." The committee, which has a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Barr Efefiom Ekong as chairman, has as members, His Royal Majesty Etim Okon Edet, chairman, Traditional Rulers

Council, Chief Gersh Henshaw, Professor Mike Okom, Stella Odey-Ekpo, Pastor John Ewa, Comrade Ben Ukpepi, Dan Obo, Betty, representative of the market women, among others.

Ijaw Youth Declare Buhari, Sylva ‘Unwelcomed’ to Niger Delta Anger over the PIA in the Niger Delta deepened yesterday with Ijaw youths from the six states of the region declaring that Buhari and Sylva are no longer welcomed in the region over their roles in the making of the new petroleum law.

The Ijaw youths, under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, had on Tuesday rejected the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that was enacted on Monday, saying it is an affront to the people of the region who had risen against the three per cent provision for the oil producing communities.

IYC spokesman, Mr. Ebilade Ekerefe, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, said the decision not to welcome Buhari and

Sylva to the region was a further show of their rejection of the law.

Ekerefe insisted that Buhari should have sent the bill back to the National Assembly for upward review of the three per cent equity share to host communities whose environments had suffered decades of degradation through oil exploration activities.

He said a substantial percentage to the host communities would have helped to address this age long cruelty to Niger Delta.

"Until that is done, there is nothing to celebrate," Ekerefe stated.

On the explanation offered

by Sylva on the three per cent, Ekerefe described the minister’s comment as an afterthought. He said what the minister should have done was to apologise and appeal “to the consciences of our people, rather than justifying an act which is politically tailored to favour the north and its allies in the industry.”

Ekerefe stated that it was “a rape to justice and equity for the National Assembly to pass three per cent equity share to

the host communities, while passing 30 per cent to frontier basins which in our view is grossly inadequate and it is against the unanimous 10 per cent agreement by stakeholders for host communities when the National Assembly visited the region.

“With the amount of speed the president used in signing the PIB without recourse to the stem stand by stakeholders from the region, the president has further demonstrated that the opinions of the Niger Delta people don’t matter in his government as we’ve witnessed in other areas that require urgent attention of his government.

“In the light of the forgoing, there’s no better time for the people of the Niger Delta region to intensify the struggle for resource control and selfdetermination. We believe strongly that that will be the only sure path upon which our God given natural resources can be managed by us, and not this impunity we’ve witnessed from a repressive federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari.”

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

NIGERIA’S GREATEST TOURIST ASSET Music is one of Nigeria’s chief tourist and economic assets, writes Folorunsho Coker

P

erhaps, the apotheosis of recognition of Nigerian creative expression in the global space in more recent times was the Grammy honours accorded to two Nigerian musicians, Burna Boy and Big Wiz (otherwise better known as Wizkid) in March, this year, both in the categories of Best World Music album and the Best Music video.

These awards appear as the culmination of the efforts of numerous artists from the country, whose various musical forms, idioms, and styles, have widely come to be acknowledged as touchstones of excellence, as they define standards, and set the artistic pace for a growing world community – whether in the genius of their productions, messages or unique add-ons, like dance accompaniments.

Prior to these monumental attainments of Burna Boy and Big Wiz, Nigerian music had been no new farer to global recognition or acknowledgment of its distinction, as evident in a long tradition of modern artistry – ranging, in no particular order, from Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to Haruna Ishola, Sonny Okosuns, William Onyeabor, Oliver de Coque, the Lijadu Sisters, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Orlando Julius Ekemode, and I.K. Dairo – which has been as remarkable in its diversity as in the virtuosity of the individual talents.

Further to these have equally been the industry and innovativeness of King Sunny Ade, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebey, Ebenezer Obey, Prince Nico Mbarga, Majek Fashek, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, Femi Kuti, among others. And closer to the present times, there have been 2Face, Nneka, Asa, D’Banj, PSquare, Banky W, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade; and, of course, Phyno, Timaya, Davido, Harry Song, and Sound Sultan (may the Almighty rest his soul), etc., who have all added an essentially Nigerian colour and spirit to the global sonic landscape.

While Nigerian tourism is about the allure of the palpable forms of the country’s experience, its people, cultures, material and mental artefacts, which draw those from far and near to partake in its charm and attraction, what has apparently made this pull stronger has been the huge expressions of Nigerian creativity – from music to film, and others, which made the Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, once remark that the creative industry is the country’s major tourist asset.

This is no mere academic designation, as the numbers are there to bear witness to the massive eruption of the creative industry and its patronage from across the world, with music – in its entire gamut, including shows, festivals and events – accounting for revenues in excess of N300 billion annually. Equally, filmmaking draws in about N140 billion every year; as comedy, dance and the performing arts constitute a N17 billion industry, spawning numerous events across the country all year round.

In creating an indelible mark on the moment, globally, Burna Boy and Big Wiz have become the newer redoubtable faces of a tradition defined by the profusion of abilities, and which had witnessed earlier canonising efforts, such as in the 1991 Grammy won by Babatunde Olatunji in the Best World Music category, for a collaboration on the Planet Drum album. And later on, the 2009 Grammy award to Sikiru Adepoju – alongside a medley of other artists – for the Global Drum Project as the Best Contemporary World Music Album.

In a resolve to shatter as many ceilings as possible, Burna Boy is the first Nigerian to be nominated back-to-back in Grammys, from 2019 to 2020 when he eventually won, even though Femi Kuti had been nominated at least four times prior to these feats.

There are crosscutting features of the sound of many of the newer

WHAT HAS APPARENTLY MADE THIS PULL STRONGER HAS BEEN THE HUGE EXPRESSIONS OF NIGERIAN CREATIVITY – FROM MUSIC TO FILM, AND OTHERS, WHICH MADE THE CULTURE MINISTER, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, ONCE REMARK THAT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY IS THE COUNTRY’S MAJOR TOURIST ASSET

generation Nigerian artistes, which is both distinct and a tad generic, sometimes inappropriately lumped under the rubric of Afrobeats – at times as derivate and inflection of the unique form fashioned out by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti – yet also a cross-mix and composite of the RnB, blues, pop and rap music genres. Particularly, for an artist Burna boy, his peculiar medley is described as Afro-fusion, comprising echoes of the classic Afrobeat sound, braided into something different with touches of reggae, dancehall, and RnB. One of the great architects of the new Afro sound is Michael Collins Ajereh, widely known as Don Jazzy, whose productions have been described as the hallmark of the efforts of a whole generation of music producers, once attaining a remarkably high note in the signature work – ‘Oliver Twist’, performed by D’Banj – which has headlined major musical fests to universal acclaim.

The implication of the Grammys for Nigerian music – extending to our tourism – is how it – in its protean forms – has become canonised as a compact of creative and cultural expressions. This is more so evident in the prestige and variety of world stages that our artistes are performing on, the quality of collaborations they are having, as attested to in those with acts of great transnational reckoning – from Snoop Dog to Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Youssou Ndour, Mafikizolo, and Diamond Platnumz, etc. – and the number of awards that our artists are garnering globally.

Presently leading the winning pack is Big Wiz, who has won 65 awards, and is considered as the “most awarded African artist in the BET history”, garnering the Best International Act laurels in 2012 and 2017. He is followed by Burna Boy, with 36 awards. Davido ties with D’banj in having collected 29 awards each, and Olamide has received 22 of these honours. 2Baba has 21 awards, while Tiwa Savage has 20; Falz, Patoranking, and Simisola have been awarded 12 times each.

Further to these, many of our prominent artistes, including Big Wiz, Burna Boy, Davido and Tiwa Savage have sold out concerts and played in international venues such as the 02 Arena, the Royal Albert Hall, and Brixton Academy in the U.K; the Apollo Theater in New York; Skyway Theater in Minneapolis; Le Trianon in Paris, etc. Also, a number of them have performed in major music events, including the Wireless Festival, Coachella, and Summer Jam, among others.

Music as a tourist asset certainly inspires the return physical visits of many to Nigeria, to feel the gritty yet enthralling reality of the messages encapsulated in the ‘Afro’ sound – with noteworthy examples in festivals such as Felabration, the Lagos Jazz Festival, etc., besides the ordinary pleasure-seeking visits. Still, at this juncture in a world negotiating its way around pandemics and public health concerns, touring Nigeria’s musical assets – and the country that motivates this – has taken advantage of the digital access mode, with humongous numbers attendant upon this.

Some of the figures compiled by the Mp3bullet in this regard show the appeal of a number of the most internationally sought after Nigerian artists, through data on the digital access of their works. Big Wiz is the most-streamed Nigerian artist on the Pandora platform, with a lifetime number of 102.5 million streams till date; followed by Davido, with 99 million streams. Mr Eazi has 68 million streams; Burna Boy, 35.5 million; and Yemi Alade, 18 million streams.

Coker is the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation

NERC AND ELIGIBLE CUSTOMER POWER SUPPLY REGIME Yemi Oke writes that policy inconsistency will do further harm to the economy

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he eligible customer regime depicts another policy summersault and regulatory inconsistencies in the power sector. It initially generated hiccups and was hotly litigated. It was initially introduced during the reign of Raji Fashola as the then supper Minister of Power, Works and Housing. Few years later, the policy implementers and bureaucracies suddenly realized the policy was hurriedly implemented at the time they did and have now decided to back-off.

As one of the sector experts, it is my considered view that this is another avoidable acrimonious policy distortion. Without doubt, one of the best policies promoted so far in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is the Eligible Customer Regulation 2017 (ECR).

The regulation on Eligible Customer Declaration was invoked late 2016 in line with the provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005. The minister was moved to do this following outcry of poor electricity supply services by industrial consumers in spite of the 2,000 megawatts stranded (unutilised) power available from the Generation Companies (GenCos).

This policy become even more rational realizing that Nigeria’s inflation rate of over 17 percent is driven mostly by high cost of goods and services.

There are over 10,000 MSMEs in Nigeria with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) estimating that its about 2,500 members spend 40% of production cost on self-generated power which is imputed into the prices of goods and services.

Nearly half of all electricity generated are from self-generated power. These realities contribute in constraining the growth of the economy and impede any plans to diversify it from over dependency on the oil and gas sector.

The policy makes it practically possible for 2,000MW unutilised power mentioned above to be transmitted directly to industries on a direct contract basis between a GenCo and company owners.

Therefore, reversing this laudable initiative will amount to a disservice to the Nigerian economy.

I must acknowledge that successful implementation of the legal framework enabling the process (Eligible Customer Regulation) has met some obstacles since 2017.The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) enacted the regulation in 2017 and aims to further promote this policy to enable a customer who is not satisfied with the services of any of the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) to opt to connect directly to a GenCo through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) or through a DisCo. This, in my consider opinion, brings about sector efficiency, healthy competition and operational efficiency.

The title of the regulation stems from the fact that the customer must be “eligible” to do this by ensuring that the facility is a large power consumer with two megawatts hour per hour (2MW/H) and above consumption capacity. They could be connected through a 33 kilovolts (kV) power distribution line or a 132kV transmission line. The parameters of “eligibility” is clearly spelt out and gives no room for conjecture.

For instance, if the TCN transmits power to such a consumer from a GenCo, then TCN will be paid an agreed Transmission Use of System (TUOS) charge, and if it is through a DisCo, such DisCo gets the Distribution Use of System (DUOS) charge.

The customer is expected to have a solid tripartite agreement with the GenCo, the TUOS/DUOS provider and itself with penalties and compensation for defaults in power supply.

The clause on penalties for defaults is an incentive that is not yet operational in the Nigerian Electricity Market (NEM). As such, industry owners including members of MAN expressed delight over this as they would have a better guarantee of power supply to their industries.

The DisCos had kicked against the policy from inception saying industrial customers are the key drivers of their revenue base. They complained that it will lead to ‘cherry picking’ of these customers by the GenCos and will adversely affect their liquidity.

Their apprehension appears untenable realising that, if properly implemented, DisCos tend to benefit more from the scheme. However, the consumers welcomed this idea and moved to key into it.

For the three eligible consumers that keyed into this in 2018 having contracting power from GenCos showed massive growth on overall improvement in their level of productivity which also impacted positively on national productivity outlook. The results were soon visible: Increased Electricity Consumption by 654% which of course led to an increase in productivity by 241%. The companies were also able to increase their staff strength, adding

a combined 1,759 direct jobs and most importantly, they consistently paid their bills, 100% without any government subsidy.

Presently, there are about 10 customers signed up as ECs and total consumption by these 10 ECs stands at approximately 45MW- (about 1% of overall electricity distribution capacity of 4,500MW in the country). The daily power supply records within three months between May and August 2019 also showed that those industrial customers had nearly 24 -hour power supply during the period – a testimonial that was good for the power sector and Nigeria as a whole.

For the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, this policy was fast changing the sector paradigm in terms of profitability and sustainability. For instance, it has impacted positively to facilitating healthy competition in the NESI. The policy has also led to promoting rapid expansion of generation capacity and opportunities for improvement of supply. It encourages third party access to investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure (as all the customers constructed their dedicated 132KV & 33KV lines, investments that the DisCos were unable or constrained from undertaking to improve the quality of service to these customers) and improving the financial liquidity of the electricity industry as a whole. The gains of the policy since it was introduced is now being reversed or undermined by the NERC. It is reported that the DisCos prevailed on the regulator to discontinue it.

Oke is Professor of Energy/Electricity Law, University of Lagos

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EDITORIAL

FRAGILITY OF THE NIGERIAN STATE Government should institute policies that engender a regime of justice

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he 2021 report on Fragile States Index (FSI) which ranked Nigeria as the 12th most fragile state in the world indicates that we have declined by two further steps. Last year, Nigeria was rated the 14th most fragile state. Compiled by the Fund for Peace (FFP), a Washington DC-based organisation, the FSI focuses on weak and failing states. What the report reveals is that not much progress has been made in the effort to remedy the political and socio-economic conditions that have been dragging the country down the slope. The assessment, which started 16 years ago, is an early warning system for analysing domestic threats that have the potential to escalate to major national crisis with international outcome.

The FSI, is a predictive model for signposting trouble spots that the international community must keep in view for quick intervention in the event of outbreak of conflict. The report this year identified Nigeria as one of the THE NIGERIAN STATE IS states the internaLOSING THE DOMINANCE tional community must keep in view, OF THE MACHINERY OF VIOLENCE TO NON-STATE having scored a relatively high figure ACTORS which places it in the “alert” category, trailed only by countries with long-standing political and security woes like Central African Republic, Sudan, Afghanistan, and the like. Individual FSI score is usually any number from zero to 10 that depicts the intensity of the pressure exerted by each of 12 social, economic, and political indicators on conditions within each of the countries on the index. The lower a country’s total score, the more stable it is.

Nigeria has for several years remained firmly rooted in the top 20 of the weakest states in the world.

When the assessment started in 2005, the country

Letters to the Editor

was ranked 54. That has remained the best. She has degenerated since then, sliding to 17th in 2007, 18th in 2008, 15th in 2009 and 14th between 2010 and 2012.

There is no disputing the fact that Nigeria merits her position. With the Boko Haram devastation of the North-east, wanton kidnapping and armed robbery, the rampage of violent herdsmen in most part of the Middle-Belt as well as separatist agitations in some parts of the country, Nigeria has fallen so badly short of the standards set for the various political indicators. It is clear that the Nigerian state is losing the dominance of the machinery of violence to non-state actors.

T T H I S DAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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 SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

he failure to protect the people is put squarely at the doorsteps of the federal government that has lost the capacity to rein in sundry cartels of gunmen who now terrorise several communities across the country, particularly in the North. To compound the problem, the prevailing economic downturn worsened by the Coronavirus pandemic has constrained the capacity of both the state and individuals, so much so that necessities of life, including food, medicare and shelter have gone far beyond the reach of most Nigerians. The conflicts are widening, and agitations are increasing by the day. What we need to debate now is how to apply the wedge and pull her back from the brink.

The first duty of any government is that of protecting the society from violence and invasion of their privacy by others, while the second duty is the protection, as far as possible, of every member of the society from injustice or oppression. When a government loses the capacity for both, anarchy beckons. We therefore urge the federal government to take the lead in instituting the appropriate social policies that would engender a regime of justice, a major requirement for the peace and security. The government could start with the restructuring process. It will resolve a lot of the pressures.

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

THE SENSELESS KILLINGS IN JOS

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he Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre is deeply concerned with the resurgence of violence that claimed the lives of 23 people in an attack on commuters in Jos, Plateau state, on Saturday 14th August 2021. The attack set the tempo for identity-related unrest within the state. Although the state government has imposed a curfew to restore order, the current Jos crisis is a clear testament to severe identityrelated conflicts within this state. From farmer-herder crisis to ethnoreligious wars and indigene-settler dichotomy, the state is a hill of identity-based violence.

Collated data from the Nextier SPD Violent Conflict Database shows that about 68 people have been killed in 17 incidents in the first half of 2021. The state periodically suffers from deep-seated violent identity and communal clashes.

CISLAC, the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, condemns these unwarranted and senseless killings as well as any other violent act across every part of Nigeria. This killing is one too many and must be investigated and perpetrators need to be brought to justice. Every Jos crisis is a reminder of unresolved violent identity-based conflicts that exist in the state. It is also a call to action, dialogue, and proactive peacebuilding measures that will blur ethnic sentiments, end group suspicion, and set the tempo of durable peace. On the government side, it indicates reactive security efforts that have come short of preventing attacks and reprisals. Therefore, increased intervention efforts must be centred on community-led approach to building peace and efficient securitisation of crisis-prone locations.

We urge the Nigerian government to cultivate the will to discourage identity crisis in the state. Highly regarded as a miniature Nigeria with about 50 ethnic groups, group-based feuds are likely to happen. In an article titled, Plateau: Where Peace is Murdered”, it is argued that the politicisation of identity markers such as ethnicity and religion add to the state’s deep-rooted violence. The publication further posits that identity has been used to launch political ambitions, which sow seeds of division and fierce group competition and discord. Such aggression has moved beyond the political space to literally all aspects of the civilian life; inter-group squabbles have turned violent, and reprisal attacks are always almost

inevitable. The weekend mayhem and revenge attacks that followed are evidence of this.

Increased efforts towards promoting justice and peacebuilding in communities will curtail the growing proclivity towards violence. Intervention focuses on deeply divided societies such as Plateau State should increase peace education at the grassroots level. To ensure sustainability and local ownership, there is a need to create change champions in communities where peace intertwined with strong education efforts is implemented. The imperative of peace education and peace ambassadors is to promote dialogues at the community level and maintain or even reinstall a sustainable path of peace.

Government’s approach to peace is very much the key in deeply divided societies. Governance measures must be seen as unbiased and not aligned to any group. This will promote public trust and come in handy in implementing conflict resolution strategies to forestall peace among groups. Additionally, community-based dialogue platforms are essential in triggering locally led peaceful approaches to conflict and contextualising inherent conflict types and people-led solutions. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), employing dialogue is essential for achieving peace, fostering mutual understanding, self-expression, and reconciliation. The central idea for community dialogues is to counteract the factors that promote rural violence and resort to meaningless revenge and fuel to the existing cycle of vengeance.

Lastly, security measures in Nigeria, especially in deeply divided states and violent-prone locations, must be proactive. Security measures must be adequately efficient to protect lives and livelihoods. Also, avoidable violence must be managed to avoid reprisals based on negative group perceptions or ethnic divisions.

Essentially, security agencies must implement early warning measures to prevent attacks and reprisals. Continuous violence in Plateau State is a clarion call to cultivate good governance, social justice, proactive peacebuilding, and proper securitising of violent vistas.

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) Executive Director, CISLAC, Abuja

DON’T CHICKEN OUT

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he ongoing COVID epidemic has cost us all so much, a number of deaths, ongoing illnesses, our freedom at times and often our jobs.

There is a real concern that it will take us a long time to recover our lives, but we must fight to achieve this. One minor story highlighted the extent of the problems that can occur - Nandos in the UK have had to shut a number of stores for a while because they can’t get chickens. If our food supply systems start to fail it will be a difficult time for all.

A common response to the shutdowns has been for people to get into growing their own vegetables, an activity that should always be encouraged. The real solution will be to stop the pandemic and that is beyond the individual and yet needs to be done at the national level with all individuals doing the right thing but so many haven’t yet.

I want to return to a world with the freedom to go and buy whatever food, good, bad or junk that I like and to continue working in my garden without being stressed. Everyone knows what to do and it’s about time they all started doing it.

Don’t chicken out of making the right choices.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021

POLITICS

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

AUTOGRAPH

Seriake Dickson: Tell-tale of a Rights Activist Turncoat Nseobong Okon-Ekong exposes the facade of Senator Seriake Dickson, immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, who appears to be using his erstwhile position as environmental rights activist to influence politics to his advantage

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ll eyes were on Bayelsa State in November 2019, as its governorship election was scheduled for that month.

The selection process to determine the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was managed by the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who currently represents Bayelsa West in the Senate. He was believed to be eyeing his current position then, therefore, he manipulated the primary to his advantage; shutting out key stakeholders. Like many firsts that he has scored in his political career, Dickson is on record as the first governor to preside over a political party primary in which his preferred governorship candidate and his running mate were Senators; simply because he was making room for himself to become a Senator. By reducing the democratic space with uneven decisions, the PDP lost the governorship election to the All Progressives Congress (APC); only miraculously snatching victory from the jaws of defeat on the eve of the formal swearing-in of the governor. This is why they call Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, ‘Miracle Governor.’ His victory at the Supreme Court is one of the Seven Wonders of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic!

But it was actually Dickson who was close to the disgrace of defeat. Had the Supreme Court decided against Diri, he would have retained his seat as a Senator.

And Dickson’s seeming wonderful political trajectory in the ‘Glory of all Land’, as Bayelsa is famously called, would have come to a shocking end. But Diri won.

So, everything continued as Dickson had cunningly planned with the combined infamy of his former trade as a policeman and the skill of a lawyer who can find his way around the law. He won his election for Bayelsa West Senatorial District. With this new designation, he has, arguably, completed some part of a cycle; having served as commissioner-he was Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Bayelsa State and member of the House of Representatives, representing Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency, before becoming a two-tenure governor in 2012.

But there are few unconquered territories, which Dickson, in the manner of a typical Nigerian politician will yet fight for. The championship belt for the Counclillor of his Ward is still his for the asking. And if he chooses to become the Council Chairman of Sagbama local government area or the legislator representing that state constituency in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who can stop him? He had only served one term, between 2007 and 2011 in the House of Representatives when former President Goodluck Jonathan took a liking to and supported him to become Governor of Bayelsa State.

The likes of Dickson have a conviction that having served in the top hierarchy of the Ijaw National Congress, which promotes the interests of that ethnic group in the Niger Delta, he is entitled to as many tribal crowns as he can lay his hands on.

To top it all, he will eventually become King of Sagbama!

In anticipation of these dubious honours ahead, Dickson is alleged to have amassed a fortune in money; in Naira and all convertible currencies of the world and choice property in major Nigerian cities and global centres of commerce.

At the rate he is going, he may dim the from-policeman-to-wealthy-man shine of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the famous man from Okada; only that he needs to marry more wives; so that his sons can be as many as the Sons of Jacob in order to sustain his legacy in Bayelsa. He has to do this to get close to the legend of the Esama of Benin.

Igbinedion’s property in the GRA of

Benin City, span across many streets.

Dickson is giving him a run for his money, in this respect. On Nelson Belief Road, in the Bayelsa capital, Yenagoa, a woman, Mrs. Benaebi Tubo Nyananyo recently caught the attention of the public when she approached the courts to stop Dickson and the Bayelsa State Government from forcibly taking over her family property to make room for expansion of Dickson’s private residence, under the guise of ‘compelling public purpose.’ The former Bayelsa governor’s House is already expansive by any standard, but it is beneath his fame.

As a former Chief Servant of an oil-rich state, his home should ideally stretch from one end of the Atlantic to the other. So, the Nyananyo property must be acquired because Dickson needs it. Everyday people like Nyananyo should not be seen as Dickson’s next door neighbour.

I cannot confirm the veracity of information in the public space alluding to foreign property and

assets illicitly acquired in London

by Dickson, which allegedly landed him in trouble with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently. I can say, however, that I covered the November 2019 Governorship Election in Bayelsa. I was in Dickson’s Toru Orua homestead and I saw the breathtaking complex which Dickson calls home. All the buildings were painted in white. It houses a mini-stadium, farm, library, residential quarters and office blocks.

It is simply a scandal to have such a complex in one man’s name. A few kilometres away is the University of Africa, which Dickson founded and established in his community. I foresee a future when the Dickson estate will become an annex of the university, whenever the people begin to ask searching questions. The narrow road leading into community ends at the Dickson estate. And when he blows into town in a convoy of siren blaring cars, the sleepy riverine town cows in obeisance to its son who

It is simply a scandal to have such a complex in one man’s name. A few kilometres away is the University of Africa, which Dickson founded and established in his community. I foresee a future when the Dickson estate will become an annex of the university, whenever the people begin to ask searching questions

has conquered and appropriated it. From his residence to the local health facility where he cast his vote on Election Day was about a five-minute walk, yet he was insensitive to the inconvenience that being driven with a retinue of aides and security men to the Polling Unit will cause the people. I watched as Dickson picked his way gingerly though rickety wood and stones placed in the flooded premises to enable him crossover to Polling Unit to cast his vote. If he was embarrassed that the only public health facility in his community was still under construction and flooded while his private residence stood out like a distinct paradise, I could not tell.

Certainly it was a contradiction to the status of the Founding Secretary of the Green Movement, an environmental rights group. All the while, Dickson was secretly a conservative, with a tendency to unscrupulously influence the outcomes in politics to his advantage. On paper he associated with the Green Movement, but not many can recall a Dickson activist intervention in the manner of Dr. Nnimo Bassey of Environmental Rights Agenda or the late Ken Saro-Wiwa. Apart from the university, there is a police station and a bank, which are so close to Dickson’s house that they could be mistaken as part of it. The Dickson complex in Toru Orua is a shameful tell-tale of an activist turncoat. He has already sabotaged the reputation of his people who don’t seem to care. This is the most regrettable irony of the Nigerian commoner. He applauds his oppressor. All the same, Dickson is in that ruling class who make themselves wealthier, not minding that their people are hungry.

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PERSPECTIVE

Why Taliban’s Triumph in Afghanistan is Biden’s Burden President Joe Biden of America has a difficult a time explaining the mismanaged withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, which has led to easy enthronement of the Taliban, writes Chido Nwangwu

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t’s been quite a week for U.S President Joe Biden! It has been quite a journey, the stories of past, current and unfolding human tragedies and events in Afghanistan.

The entire world saw the unsettling video of desperation and fear by thousands of Afghanis clinging to and running alongside an American military logistics cargo plane on a Kabul runway — about to take off. Chaos!

Amidst the tumult and collapse of the Afghani government of President Ashraf Ghani, hours later on August 16, 2021 from the East Room of the White House President Biden had to address Americans, its allies and the world.

His first core point, in my view: “They (Afghanis) have got to fight for themselves.” No more sending of America’s young men and women to senseless deaths in these wars without end! No more deployments for nation building!

The second most significant thing Biden said regarding the swift collapse of Afghani President Ghani’s feeble government : “We were cleareyed about the risk. We planned for every contingency. The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.”

In March 2020, former President Donald Trump approved an agreement with the leaders of the Taliban for U.S. forces to leave Afghanistan

by May 2021. Very telling that Donald chose not to deal with the Afghan government.

Biden had to give the reassurance that even amidst all the confusion and danger to local Afghanis who were interpreters for the United States, he had made the proper decision: to complete the draw down and departure of American forces. The Taliban quickly took over whatever remained of the posturing of a real and serious government. But the most worrisome Implications are showing now, live.

The respected Soufan Center notes in its latest security advisory that “The Taliban seizing control in Afghanistan is a multi-sector failure of policy, intelligence, capacity building efforts, and diplomacy. Grave concerns are rising for the humanitarian, human rights, and human security impact of Taliban control in Afghanistan, with observers anticipating

severe safety risks to civilians and particularly activists.”

For clarity, I’ll like quote, in extended form, President Biden’s point and a divergent view from Matt Zeller, an Afghanistan veteran, former CIA analyst and co-founder of an organization known as ‘No One Left Behind.’

Here’s Biden: “I want to remind everyone how we got here and what America’s interests are in Afghanistan. We went to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago with clear goals: get those who attacked us on September 11, 2001, and make sure Al Qaeda could not use Afghanistan as a base from which to attack us again.

We did that. We severely degraded Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We never gave up the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and we got him. That was a decade ago.

Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralized democracy. Our only vital national interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been: preventing a terrorist attack on American homeland.”

Zeller dismissed Biden’s claim to “plans we had put in place to respond to every… contingency — including the rapid collapse we’re seeing now” a “bold-faced lie.” He stated on MSNBC that “I have been personally trying to tell this administration since it took office, I have been trying to tell our government for years that this was coming.

We sent them plan after plan on how to evacuate these people. Nobody listened to us. They didn’t plan for the evacuation of our Afghan wartime allies. They’re trying to conduct it now at the 11th hour. The thing they were most concerned about was with the optics of the chaotic evacuation. Well, they got exactly what they were most concerned of by failing to do what was right when we could have done it.

(The Taliban is) making lists of people who used to work with us. We either take them now or these people are going to die.”

Evidently, Biden does not like the media framing and critical angle to his handling of the dangerous events unfolding in the country of Afghanistan known for its rare minerals, opium, mountains, caves and something of a hide-out residence for Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and other Islamic warlords.

But Biden cannot change the pictures we see. Almost every one is now blaming him — including his predecessor Donald Trump and Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (who signed the agreement with the radical, jihadist Taliban sometime in March 2020, requiring U.S. forces to leave Afghanistan by May 2021).

Today, Trump and Pompeo act and talk like they’ve never seen or heard that name: Taliban.

The games and lies politicians and nations play.

-Nwangwu is the Founder and Publisher, USAfricaonline.com

On NDDC, Azogu-Led OMPALAN Doesn’t Speak for the Niger Delta As Niger Deltans eagerly await the fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to inaugurate NDDC’s Senate-screened substantive Board upon submission of the forensic audit report, Igonibo Danagogo and Ofem Okang denounce a so-called OMPALAN, led by one Bishop Udo Azogu for its deliberate falsehood in stating that the Board, which has not yet been inaugurated was dissolved, while also reminding stakeholders that there is no court order against the 2019 Senate-confirmed Board

O

ur attention has been drawn to a recent newspaper report purported to have been made by a body styling itself as The Oil Mineral Producing Areas Landlords Association of Nigeria, OMPALAN, and signed by one Bishop Udo Azogu requesting Mr. President to constitute a new Board for the NDDC rather than inaugurating the NDDC Board which Mr. President appointed in October 2019 and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on November 5, 2019 and has been awaiting inauguration since then. The said Bishop Azogu went ahead to state that the “Board that was dissolved by the President on the grounds of incompetence cannot be retained and inaugurated”. This is false.

The substantive NDDC board has already been screened by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, was, in fact, on the verge of assuming duties at the commission before its inauguration was put on hold for the now concluded forensic audit to take place.

We can state authoritatively that the confirmed board of the NDDC was never dissolved by President Buhari because the board had not even been inaugurated in the first place and, even at that, a board that had not been allowed to work for even a single day could not possibly be dissolved on grounds of incompetence as claimed by the said Bishop Azogu of the so-called OMPALAN. This publication credited to the so-called OMPALAN, is a most toxic cocktail of shameful lies and barefaced falsehoods.

Even more lamentable is the fact that the so-called OMPALAN is obviously an exercise in political hustling being fronted by one Bishop Azogu, a self-styled “prophet” and “man of God” who had most ridiculously and highly irresponsibly once prophesied on October 1, 2020 that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would be removed from office before 2023!

This same Azogu had in that same year 2020 also predicted victory for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the last Edo Governorship election, and when Ize-Iyamu lost, he continued to prophesy that Ize-Iyamu would still become Governor by court decision! We all

We find it most unfortunate that these highly vexatious stunts are being pulled for personal aggrandizement and private gain with scant concern for the sustenance of the fragile peace of the Niger Delta region or regard for the feelings and sensibilities of its people who have had to put up with an NDDC they have neither representation in nor, accountability from

know how that turned out.

It is truly sad that the likes of Azogu and phantom associations like OMPALAN are the latest ruses those hell-bent on continuing with illegality and mismanagement of the collective property of the Niger Deltan people would be turning to in their desperation.

We find it most unfortunate that these highly vexatious stunts are being pulled for personal aggrandizement and private gain with scant concern for the sustenance of the fragile peace of the Niger Delta region or regard for the feelings and sensibilities of its people who have had to put up with an NDDC they have neither representation in nor, accountability from.

The much touted forensic audit, the reason given for the delay in inaugurating the NDDC board has been concluded.

Mr. President had assured the people of the Niger Delta that the board he had earlier constituted and had already been confirmed by the Senate, would be inaugurated immediately the forensic audit was concluded.

On the 24th day of June 2021, while receiving the Ijaw National Congress at the State House in Abuja, President Buhari said that the NDDC Board would be inaugurated as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted.

The President specifically said: ‘‘Based on the mismanagement that had previously bedeviled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021. I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board will be inaugurated” On Azogu’s baseless and ludicrous claim of litigations against the Board inauguration, it is on record that there is also no court order or judgement against the inauguration of the Board appointed

by President Muhammadu Buhari since it was confirmed by the Senate on November 5, 2019.

The truth is that the so-called claims and suits referred to by Azogu and his nondescript cohorts have not been upheld anywhere because they are false claims.

All these truly shameful shenanigans machinated to distract our President from doing the right thing must stop forthwith and the substantive board of the NDDC immediately inaugurated as promised by President Buhari.

-Igonibo Danagogo is the National President and Ofem Okang, National Secretary of the Coalition for the Restoration of Legality in the NDDC

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021

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We Can Fix the Trouble with Nigeria Ehi Braimah weighs in on the enduring conversation on the trouble with Nigeria

F

amous novelist, poet and critic, Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) was widely regarded for his magnum opus, ‘Things Fall Apart’, his first novel, which has been translated into several languages around the world.

Even in death, Achebe is still standing tall and he is perhaps the most dominant figure in modern African literature. As a critic, Achebe was unsparing – both in content and style. In his book, ‘The trouble with Nigeria’, Achebe wrote: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else.

The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.”

Although the book was written and published more than 20 years ago, Achebe’s thesis is still relevant and fresh as we worry about moving Nigeria forward in the “right direction.” In a nutshell, the prolific writer advocated for visionary leaders who have the reputational capital to create the enabling environment that can bring about “social and economic re-organisation.” But we must first change the thinking and social behaviour of Nigerians which must include a new set of values.

With good leaders, Achebe stated that Nigeria could solve its major problems such as tribalism, lack of patriotism, social injustice and the cult of mediocrity; indiscipline and corruption. The book was written to highlight these problems but it is important we solve them to protect the future of our children.

I also asked Toju Ogbe, a communications professional based in the UK on April 22 this year, to list what he considers to be Nigeria’s intractable problems. In my message to Ogbe who is currently a doctoral candidate in Leadership Studies with reference to Security and Development at the African Leadership Centre, Kings College, London, I said: “If we’re to fix Nigeria, kindly identify the key issues/problems framed in five broad areas.” This was his response: 1). Complex ethno-religious composition that gives rise to tribalism; 2). High power distance culture that makes institutional leaders see themselves as ‘Lords’ that cannot be questioned rather than as servants of the people; 3). Corruption on steroids; 4).

Weak institutions, and 5). High illiteracy/ poverty rate that makes it easier for the political elites to weaponise poverty.

As we can see, both Achebe and Ogbe are practically saying the same thing and it means we know what our problems are.

The issues they highlighted are not new but they have refused to go away. The solution is visionary and transformational leadership. I’m always passionate about discussing how to make Nigeria a better place. So when Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, Minister of Finance in the Second Republic, revealed recently that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) borrowed money from Nigeria in 1974, I found the story to be interesting and thought provoking.

He confirmed that he signed the loan agreement on behalf of Nigeria when he was Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Alhaji Alhaji went on to say that our over-dependence on oil and today’s huge cost of governance – at all levels of government – are some of the causes of the parlous state of the economy. There’s no doubt that our economy is still bleeding and we keep going in and out of recession. Unfortunately, the global pandemic has also not helped our situation.

We always knew that the winter season would come but how did we get here?

Bad planning, wrong choices/priorities, egregious greed and corruption are largely responsible for Nigeria’s fall from grace to grass. It does not require rocket science to decipher our problems as

Achebe and Ogbe did, nether do we need soothsayers or prophets.

Let us be honest with ourselves and take heed from what the former

Minister said. It does not matter that he‘s saying it now. Nigeria was so rich that we could borrow money to IMF. It is hard to believe because the

How Challenger Parties and Candidates in Nigeria Can Overcome Here are tips on how new political parties can triumph over leading ones in the 2023 national elections. Femi Odewunmi writes

W

e have had KOWA, Labour Party, YPP, and others, with the latest being Youth Party. I love the optimism these new political parties and candidates bring whenever we consider building a better society. It reminds us of how Nigeria can do better with leadership. That being said, I despise the work ethic (and in some cases naivety) that these fresh-faced parties and candidates bring to the task of overhauling Nigeria’s political leadership.

I can even argue that most of them are lazy, lusting after an Obama-style election success with a Jimi Agbaje work ethic. They are simply not ready. The first indication is how little effort these new candidates make when canvassing the votes they so dearly need.

It seems they can’t be bothered to understand basic things. First, legacy politicians will not simply roll over and let you win their seats. They fight, and if necessary, rig. Secondly, voter apathy is at all all-time high, so new candidates on the ballot need to give voters compelling reasons to go through the trouble of getting their PVCs, sacrifice their creature comfort on election day to come out and vote for you. Nigerian voters now more than ever need to be compelled that these actions are absolutely worth it.

I call youth politicians and new political parties insane because they keep doing the same thing in every election cycle, while expecting a different result....in fact, expecting a miracle. They show up a few weeks to elections, run a mediocre campaign and hope the streets to be full of voters (voting for them) on election day.

- No Polling data - No Canvassing - No lists of registered Voters with PVC status - No concrete strategy to beat dominant political parties at their own game.

- Little appreciation for how grassroots politics works (not how it is supposed to work).

The cycle is the same, go into the elections naive, come out crying on social media.

Fresh faced politicians can learn one lesson from Nigeria’s startup economy; every challenge is a profitable opportunity. Several startups in Nigeria have done well, despite monumental challenges.

They have done well, not by being lazy, not by hard work alone.. but by hard and (more importantly) smart work. They find success often relating to (and in some cases checkmating) regulators often struggling to keep up with the disruptive change these startups engineer.

APC orchestrated a significant upset in 2015 with strategic planning, long term canvassing and a stroke of luck. Why can’t our challenger political parties and candidates just study this successful political playbook and implement it? Even our apex opposition party, the broken giant, PDP, is acting like a JJC as we approach 2023.

As the months roll by, I do hope we can see more intentional parties and candidates. However, if the performance of the recent LGA Elections in Lagos and Ogun states are anything to go by, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

-Odewunmi is a Public Commentator and CEO, Creative Intelligence Group

story sounds like a fairy tale. It wasn’t that Nigeria won a lottery but the administration at the time went on a spending spree.

Nigeria had so much money in the 70s but we had just one problem: we didn’t know how to spend it. Why didn’t we turn Nigeria into an Eldorado? It was about the same period that Dubai, a famous destination for tourists, luxury shopping and eye-popping architecture, grew out of a desert.

At that time, our currency was very strong in the international market and you could exchange one US Dollar for 70 Kobo – less than one Naira. This was way back in 1974. Well, if you’re dreaming about this exchange rate compared to what we have today (about N520 to one USD while one pound sterling is exchanging for N715 – 47 years later), you better don’t wake up.

I raised this matter with my brother and associate, Akpandem James who is also the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Naija Times. James once worked in the forex department of a bank between 1980 and 1985 where he handled school bills.

He told me that in the 80s up till 1987, Naira was stronger than the Dollar but lower than the Pound Sterling.

At that time, Nigeria was using the Pound Sterling with the same value with Great Britain before 1973 when the currency was changed. Even then, Naira exchanged at the same rate with the Pound but the Kobo was not at the same level with the Shilling. There was no equivalent for Pence. Twelve Pence made one Shilling and 12 Shillings made one Pound, whereas 10 Kobo was equal to one Naira.

According to James, it was the Udoji Award that pumped more money into the economy which resulted in a slight inflation that affected the exchange rate of the local currency and gave the Pound a slight edge over the Naira.

That was also when the Dollar moved up from 70 Kobo to 75 kobo and subsequently to 80 Kobo. Our economy was strong and buoyant which explained why we could borrow money to the IMF. We relied more on the non-oil sector with favourable balance of payment.

Unfortunately, we could not manage our fortune. The land that was flowing with milk and honey began to gradually dry up and we have not recovered from it since the 80s. The economic meltdown began towards the tail end of the Gowon administration and the Murtala/Obasanjo regime which initiated and implemented the Indigenisation Decree.

The initiative did not take into account the strength of local entrepreneurs. If a proper SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis was carried out, GB Olivant, Leventis, J Allen, Lennard, Bata, Dunlop, BP, Essos and others would not have left Nigeria.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when the Babangida administration in 1986/87 swallowed the bitter IMF pills – the same IMF that borrowed our sugar-coated money in 1974 – of SAP, IFEM and SFEM hook line and sinker. If that wasn’t mismanagement of the economy, what do we call it?

The economy took a nose dive and hit the rock: the Naira lost its vitality and became weaker.

Our exchange rate came crashing down and no administration since the days of IBB could save the Naira which has remained in free fall since 1987. Today’s exchange rate is over N500 to one Dollar.

From all indications, the free fall is likely to continue and only God knows what the exchange rate will be at this time next year.

-Braimah is the Publisher/Editor-inChief of Naija Times (https://naijatimes. ng) NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021

21

PERSPECTIVE

Moghalu’s Idea of Nigeria’s Next President Professor Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, Founder of Moghalu 4 Nigeria Movement, has warned that playing politics as usual would not serve the best interest of Nigeria in her search for the next president in 2023, writes Nduka Nwosu

A

s the search for a true leader who would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari thicken, one of the contenders in the race Professor Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, has decried a situation where the country has spent five decades including 22 years of democracy since 1999, “chasing shadows because we have failed or neglected to focus on the question of leadership.”

Once again, Moghalu has called for the constitutional reordering of Nigeria, returning the country to true federalism including the devolution of powers to regions, arguing that it would improve leadership and governance by bringing governance accountability closer to Nigerian citizens.

Moghalu , who was the guest speaker in Awka, Anambra State, during the 10th Emeka Anyaoku Annual Lecture series, reminded the packed audience of politicians and technocrats that only the search for true leadership, not politics, will salvage the country out of its political morass and its ranking among the worst corrupt countries of the world and as a global poverty capital among other issues.

He added: “With countries like Malaysia and South Korea that were at par with Nigeria in the early 1960s now far ahead of Nigeria in economic and technological development, and with 100 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty, we face an urgent leadership crisis that we must confront.”

The founder of the Moghalu 4 Nigeria Movement continued: “Politics as usual will not do the job. We must accept that our democratic politics of the past 22 years since 1999 has not yielded, cumulatively, any significant dividends of democracy in terms of economic and political development.

“We must therefore return to the fundamentals. Leadership, not just politics, is the main driver of the progress of human societies.

“We must as a nation move from divisive politics that is making us poorer and weaker collectively, and now turn our politics into a search for real leadership that can unify our country and take it to prosperity.

Moghalu who was recently shortlisted among the presidential hopefuls to watch in an ARISE News ranking as a follow up to its interview with former military President Ibrahim Babangida, continued by insisting that for a government to be truly effective, it must have a leadership capacity that will enable it to deliver on the promises it has made, or on deliverables that are essential for effective governance.

These deliverables, he said, include security of lives and property on the one hand, and economic development-human development indices such as health care, education, and potable water supply, on the other hand. “This is what the Nigerian Constitution requires in section 14(2)(b) where it states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.

According to Moghalu, a responsible and effective all inclusive, transparent, and participatory government backed by respect for the rule of law and accountability to citizens, will not tolerate “the waste created, and efficiencies destroyed by the huge costs of governance in Nigeria across the board, at the levels of both federal and state governments, is a predominant aspect of bad governance in Nigeria.”

Moghalu called on political leaders to get beyond the current dominance of politics without governance, to politics that takes good governance as its purpose, as a priority of electoral platforms and candidates. “For example, candidate selection by parties for the presidential elections should prioritise aspirants who

are versed in the economy, nation building and international relations and foreign policy,” he advocated.

He added: “We need to focus on

the political education of citizens to know what they should be looking for, to make informed voting decisions. This is a necessary part

of a shift in emphasis from mere politics to elections as a democratic search in real leadership without which good governance will remain a mirage. Political education is a function for INEC, primarily, but also for political parties and civil society actors.

He also said non-partisan actors such as elder statesmen including Nigerian’s living former heads of state and government, as well as clergy, traditional rulers, civil society, and professional bodies must now begin to play a more robust role in leadership selection in Nigeria.

They can do this, he suggested, “through public statements, endorsements, or quiet recommendations. Every country must fashion its democracy to its unique environment. Politics is too important to be left to politicians alone.

“A recent positive example of the potential role of elder statesmen is the recent intervention by former military President, Gen Ibrahim Babangiida on the profile of a potential future president of Nigeria in a media interview to mark his 80th birthday.”

He concluded by noting that Nigeria’s development failures after 60 years of independence, with our country ranking at or near the bottom in every index of corruption, healthcare, education and human capital development, policing, state fragility and others, can no longer be casually shrugged off or explained away with excuses. “The Asian developmental states were also colonised at similar points in history but are today strong, capable as stable states,” he noted.

We Are Nigerianists, Not Just Nigerians Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, former presidential candidate and All Progressives Congress chieftain explains that a Nigerianists is a Nigerian who is fundamentally committed to the preservation of the unity of Nigeria

O

n April 22, 1990, Late Major Gideon Orkar in an attempted coup made a broadcast that North-eastern and Northwestern parts of Nigeria had been excised from the ‘main’ Nigeria.

In the early hours of the morning of April 22, my colleagues and I in the student/ youth vanguard movement, Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria (PYNN) were in a consultative meeting with the Leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). This was at the Nelson Mandela secretariat headed by its President Opeyemi Bamidele, who is now a Seantor, representing Ekiti Statein the National Assembly. I was part of the immediate past NANS Exco that just handed over to the Opeyemi’s leadership. Some excited students intoxicated by the repeated broadcast by Orkar who had seized control from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FCRN) in Ikoyi-Lagos, (when Lagos was still the seat of power), rushed to NANS Secretariat calling for support of the coupist.

Some of the students were arguing that after all, Orkar had offered NANS and the youth representatives’ seats in his provisional ruling council. Of course, in that era, every political group was wooing the leadership of the studentry which had, at that time, after the two weeks long anti-SAP uprising become effectively the main opposition movement in the country in alliance with a section of the radical intelligentsia and radical bar.

The students in record numbers came with assorted maps of Orkar’s new Nigeria, chanting solidarity and war songs. They were specifically infuriated by counter broadcast at the Bendel Radio by Colonel Odeleke, they demanded leadership from NANS to storm the broadcast station in Benin and chase Odeleke and his troops

away from the Bendel State Broadcasting Station.

After brief deliberation, we took a position against the coup, especially as it concerns the excisement of the North-east and Northwest of Nigeria. Our major task was how to contain the students in their numbers who were chanting ‘ACTION’.

It was my lot to bring these students under control and skillfully divert their energies to our point of view, it was a tough call as Bamidele approached me and said “Comrade you have the popularity as the hero of the last uprising, they will trust

you.” God helped me, I did the job; we contained the students. The NANS opposed the coup, rejected the offer of seat in Orkar ’s ruling council and the coup collapsed.

Why did we do what we did?

We did so because we are patriotic Nigerians; who despite our opposition to the military government of the day believed in the indissolubility and indivisibility of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We are not just Nigerians who love their country, we are Nigerianists, who are fundamentally committed to the preservation of the unity of Nigeria.

As it was then in 1990, our position on the unity of the country remains the same. We know that our country faces enormous challenges, but this is not because we are multi-ethnic; America and India are multi-ethnic too. We believe that whatever is it that is wrong with Nigeria can be corrected within Nigeria by devolving powers to the sub-national components of the Nigerian state (local and state government) for a more efficient federation.

With increased visionary leadership, elected into various offices and increasing enlightenment and attitudinal change of the citizens, the latant potential of this great Nation will be transformed into concreate reality.

We are firm believers in the possibility of the greatness of Nigeria, Africa’s best hope; that is why we are Nigerianists!

We believe that whatever is it that is wrong with Nigeria can be corrected within Nigeria by devolving powers to the sub-national components of the Nigerian state (local and state government) for a more efficient federation

22

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

OBB OVERNIGHT

16.75% 17.25 %

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

A U G U S T

S & P INDEX

1 9 , 2 0 2 1

S & P INDEX

CALL 1-MONTH

4% 6%

INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

547.96% 0.51%

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

2.00%

EXCHANGE RATE

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

2.8% -18.25%

N410.80/ 1 US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

L–R: Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina; Legal Director and General Secretary, Fan Milk and Danone Nigeria, Olakunle Olusanya; French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jérôme Pasquier; former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Plant Director, Fan Milk, Olasunkanmi Olumuyi; Project Manager, Fan Milk, Livinus Onyena; and the Consul General of France in Nigeria, Madame Laurence Monmayrant during a visit to the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo Farms in Abeokuta, Ogun State…. recently

Experts: Ground Handling Companies Lose N14bn Annually to Poor Cost of Services Chinedu Eze Aviation industry experts have said that ground-handling companies at the nation’s airports lose about $28,350,000 (about N14, 175 billion) annually to inappropriate pricing of their services.

Thus, experts have warn that if the current rates charged airlines by the handling companies; foreign and local, are not reviewed, the ground handlers may go under, while safety and security may also be jeopardised in the system.

It was learnt that the handling companies charge between $300 to $1000 to handle a narrow body aircraft, rather than $1,400 to $1600 charged in other African countries, while for the wide body aircraft, they still charge about $ 3,000 instead of $5,000 in sub-Saharan African countries.

There are indications that no fewer than 45 narrow body aircraft on regional and international routes, which include Boeing B737, Airbus A320, ER 135 and ATR aircraft are handled daily at the

nation’s international airports by the ground handling companies.

For wide body aircraft like B767, A330, B777 and B747, at least 20 flights are handled daily by the ground handling companies.

For instance, the average handling rate in other West African countries for a narrow body aircraft is $1,500, while it is about $300 to $1,000 per aircraft in Nigeria.

For wide body aircraft, at least 20 are handled daily across the nation’s international airports by the handling companies, while

600 of such aircraft are handled monthly and 7,200 annually.

The handling companies handle 45 narrow body aircraft daily, 1,350 monthly and 16,200 annually.

At least, 150 aircraft are handled daily by the ground handling companies in Nigeria. Investigation revealed that the domestic aircraft are still handled at the sum of N15, 000 to N20, 000 by the handling companies.

It was also learnt that the combined handling companies in the sector; Skyway Aviation

Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, Swissport Handling Company and Precision Aviation Handling Company Limited (PAHCOL) are striving to remain in business.

It was gathered that whatever revenue the ground handling companies generate at the moment is half of what they were supposed to earn either daily, weekly, monthly or annually.

Apart from the humongous loss by the handlers, the federal

government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is also losing revenues from the handlers.

FAAN earns 5 per cent total annual turnover from the handling companies.

However, industry players have called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to intervene in the situation to prevent the handling companies from collapsing and compromise Continued on page 24

COVID-19: Custom Agents Threaten Legal Action against Shipping Companies, Terminal Operators over N1.5bn Waiver Granted by FG Eromosele Abiodun Licensed customs agents in the country have threatened to sue Terminal operators and shipping companies over their refusal to refund the N1.5 billion waiver granted to importers, customs agents during the Covid- 19 pandemic by the federal government.

In a petition to the federal government through the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF) seen by THISDAY, the customs agents decried the flagrant disobedience of the federal government’s

directive that terminal operators and shipping companies refund the collection of demurrage and rents during the COVID- 19 lockdown.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), had directed that all terminal operators should suspend all applicable terminal storage fees (demurrage) on consignments for an initial period of 21 days effective March 23, 2020. It also extended the demurrage-free period by another 14 days from April 13, 2020.

In another memo issued on April 8, 2020, the NPA had said it would, “grant credit notes

commensurate to the rental reliefs granted by the terminal operators to importers within the 21-day free storage period.”

Also, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) had directed all shipping companies to suspend demurrage charges on cargoes during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown effective March 30th, 2020.

However, the customs agents in the petition claimed that the shipping companies and terminal operators have refused to refund the fees as against federal government’s directive.

National President of the

National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, Lucky Amiwero, lamented that: We hereby draw the attention of the Federal Government of the refusal of the Terminal operators and shipping companies to refund the waiver of thirty five(35)days relief granted the Importers/ Licensed Customs Agents under the COVID 19 Pandemic by the Presidency.

“The letter dated 13th January 2021 ECD/P/251/T/ VI addressed to the NCMDLCA

on waiver of both terminal and shipping companies waiver on the days of the lockdown, which cumulated to 35 days for the period, which conform with principle of force majeure restricting the movement of all agencies especially the importer and licensed customs agents who were mostly affected.”

The agents alleged that the terminal operators and shipping companies with the connive with Nigerian Ports Authority who are to implement the waiver process, refused to implement the directive from the presidency of the 35 days of waiver on

demurrage and rent for importer and agents.

This, they stated, is clear contravention of international maritime obligation on COVID 19 Pandemic and the presidential directive on the relief for licensed customs agents.

They added, “The total collection by the Terminals operators and Shipping companies on the waived rent and demurrage, was made possible by the NPA that allowed the Terminal operators and Shipping companies to collect all the 35 days, which Continued on page 24

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 1 9 , 2 0 2 1 FGN BONDS DESCRIPTION 11.150 FGNSB 11-SEP-2021 12.364 FGNSB 12-SEP-2021 12.175 FGNSB 10-OCT-2021 11.244 FGNSB 16-OCT-2021 10.296 FGNSB 13-NOV-2021

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield

Change (%)

100.51

2.89

0.01

NTB 26-Aug-21

2.49

2.49

0.00

100.61

2.91

0.01

NTB 9-Sep-21

2.80

2.80

0.00

101.22

3.48

-0.01

NTB 16-Sep-21

2.96

2.96

0.00

101.19

3.61

-0.01

NTB 30-Sep-21

3.27

3.28

-0.02

NTB 14-Oct-21

3.59

3.61

101.42

4.16

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

NGUS AUG 25 2021 420.93

2

NGUS SEP 29 2021 422.38

3

NGUS OCT 27 2021 423.83

0.00

4

NGUS NOV 24 2021 425.28

0.00

5

NGUS DEC 29 2021 426.73

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

UNCP CP III 27AUG-21 VAAG CP I 27AUG-21 TTNG CP II 31AUG-21 SIBP CP I 2-SEP21 NBRP CP XIII 2-SEP-21

3.72

3.72

0.01

9.68

9.70

0.01

4.14

4.14

0.01

3.70

3.70

0.01

4.38

4.38

0.01

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FRIDAY AUGUST 20, ͰͮͰͯ ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

PORT STAKEHOLDERS…

The Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko (3rd left); Assistant Inspector General of Police, Amadi John Ogbonnaya (2ndleft); Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Hon. Toyin Fayinka (left); Executive Director, Marine and Operations, NPA, Hon Onari Brown (4th left) and other Stakeholders during the interactive session on the enforcement of eto in Lagos

NNPC, TotalEnergies Push for More Revenue from Carbon Credit after Initial €1m Peter Uzoho

After earning the first income from carbon credit to the tune of €1 million through their gas flare commercialisation initiative, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and TotalEnegies Nigeria Limited have intensified efforts aimed at increasing revenue from the initiative.

This is just as the French oil giant has joined oil and gas stakeholders from within

and outside the country in congratulating and commending President Muhammadu Buhari on the landmark signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law.

TotalEnergies disclosed the ongoing effort being made by it and the NNPC to earn more revenue from carbon credit yesterday at a virtual parley with journalists, where it rolled out the company’s new identities in Nigeria and the key areas it was expanding into as

it transforms to an integrated energy company.

Fielding questions at the session, the Executive Director, JV District, TotalEnergies Nigeria, Mr. Obi Imemba, said the company and the NNPC achieved the first carbon credit earning through the project carried out at their Ofon Phase 2 project, through a transaction with a European buyer.

The NNPC through its subsidiary, the National Petroleum Investments

Management Services (NAPIMS) had in June disclosed that the federal government earned €1million from carbon credit through a project carried out in partnership with its Joint Venture (JV) partner, TotalEnergies, the first in the history of the nation’s oil and gas industry.

Imemba said TotalEnergies and the NNPC are already in discussion to push for more earnings from carbon credit through a number of projects

that are in the pipeline, adding that they partners were at an advanced stage to replicate the project at the Oil Mining Lease (OML 100) installation.

He said, “The €1 million that was earned from carbon credit was earned by Total and our JV partner, NNPC. Specifically, it was from the Ofon 2 project.

“We were able to stop the routine flaring of about one million standard cubic meter per day, and by commercialising this gas and exporting it to NLNG

and creating value from there, we were able to get this carbon credit with an European buyer who has been able to pay this money.

“And there are ongoing efforts, discussions to make sure that we get more carbon credit from this particular project. And going forward, we have other projects that we have in place. I think the DMD (of TotalEnergies Deepwater) mentioned in his presentation that in OML 100.

Absence of Translator Stalls Trial of Five Guineans Involved in Elephant Tusk Smuggling Eromosele Abiodun The absence in court of a translator stalled the arraignment of five Guinean nationals arrested by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly trying to export N22.3 billion worth of Pangolin scales and elephant tusks.

The accused were supposed to have been arraigned at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos on a four count charge raging from collecting, loading, exporting, transporting and keeping different kilograms of pangolin scales and Elephant tusk worth N22.3 billion.

The accused are Troare Djakonba, Muyribein Bereye, Isiaka Musa, Mohammed Bereta, and Sediki Berete.

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Aviation Editor Chinedu Eze Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development)

In a chat with newsmen, the Nigeria Customs Service legal Adviser, Smath Akande said the absence in court of a translator stalled the arraignment of the accused persons.

He said the accused are all Guinean national and that the charges were supposed to be read to the accused in a language

they understand.

Akande, said Thursday, August 26, 2021, has been set for a fresh arraignment and expressed optimism that a translator would be in court to read out the charges to all the accused persons.

“The charges are to be read to the accused in a language

they understand. Because of this the trial Judge, Justice Nicholas Oweigbo, graciously asked that the accused be brought back on August 26, “he said.

The NCS had on August 4, 2021, announced that it arrested three persons with different kilograms of Pangolin scales and Elephant tusks worth N22.3

billion in Lagos.

While displaying the seizures to newsmen in Lagos, the Controller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd.) said the 17,137.44 kilograms of Pangolin scales (196 sacks), 870.44 kilograms of Elephant tusks and 4.60 kilograms of Pangolin claws were evacuated

at a location on eastern side of Ijeoma Street, Lekki, Lagos State after proper examination.

According to him, NCS’s extensive collaboration yielded credible intelligence that triggered swift and comprehensive actions by the Customs Intelligence Unit and Headquarters Strike force.

Firm Reiterates Commitment to ICT Driven Trade Facilitation in Nigeria The Managing Director of Webb Fontaine Nigeria Limited, Mr Ope Babalola has reassured members of the trading public using the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) portal of the company’s unwavering commitment in ensuring excellent service delivery.

This reassurance is precipitated by recent temporary service interruptions experienced in the course of transactions by users of the NCS portal.

Cording to him, “At Webb Fontaine Nigeria we are looking to offer the best end user experience and to maximize the service availability in a very challenging (in a very particular) telecommunications environment. The recent interruptions were caused by factors beyond the control of Webb Fontaine Nigeria or its telecommunications partners.

Nevertheless, by working around the clock with our

telecom partners we were able to isolate and resolve this issues thus reducing the service interruption to a minimum.

“While we are yet to conclude if this was due to some deliberate vandalism or other causes, we have deployed our team of engineers, to ensure that every cause for a future breakdown is eliminated. Like in many other countries, where we operate, we are at the fore of providing solutions for trade

facilitation, powered by worldclass technology and artificial intelligence.

We also deliberately contribute in knowledge transfer through training and retraining of the country’s relevant manpower to achieve and sustain efficiency.”

He added that the NCS Integrated System (NICIS II) is a bespoke and tailor made initiative for customs efficiency.

The platform he stated has proven to be a home grown

technological innovation running on international best practices and delivering credible results “The NCS, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and many other government and private sector players in the import/ export community have leveraged on our provided solutions over the years.

COVID-19: CUSTOM AGENTS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST SHIPPING COMPANIES, TERMINAL OPERATORS OVER N1.5BN WAIVER GRANTED BY FG was supposed to be refunded to the Importers/ Licensed Customs Agents(LCA) “Nigerian Ports Authority aided the Terminal Operators and Shipping Companies by issuing the circular HQ/GM/ MRS/OP/L.1/VOLII/434 OF 14TH MAY 2020 on the

demand of the refund to the NCMDLCA after the ease of the lockdown, when the terminal operators, shipping companies have illegally and forcefully collected the rent of the 35 days without refund to the importers and licensed customs agents.”

The agents added that the management of the NPA was forwarded with the terminal operators and shipping companies receipt of payment made by the importers, licensed customs agents, “which falls under the date of the waiver of the thirty five days that

was illegally and forcefully collected, which was not paid up till date.

“The Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) being the agency of government that regulates the licensed customs agents and the legal Chief Law office of the

Federation recognize that their is no faction in NCMDLCA but manipulation by NPA who use the ploy to connive with the terminal operators and shipping companies to refuse the refund of the COVID-19 waiver to importers and licensed customs agents.”

EXPERTS: GROUND HANDLING COMPANIES LOSE N14BN ANNUALLY TO POOR COST OF SERVICES of security and safety in the sub-sector.

They also warned that if the authority did not intervene, the gains recorded in the civil aviation sector past eight years, might be jeopardised.

The pioneer Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Dr. Sam Oduselu said that

the current rates in the sub-sector were due for a review.

He described the current rates as “backward,” stressing that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic had further compounded the woes of organisations in the industry, including the ground handling business.

Oduselu insisted that the

rates were not sustainable and feared that apart from the safety and security implications; the federal government was also losing massive revenues from the sub-sector.

“When I was the Director of Airworthiness at NCAA, the directorate is called economic regulation and when you are

talking of economic, this is a part of it and that will dovetail into safety. Economic regulation is to ensure that whatever you are charging for air ticket, will be good enough to maintain your air ticket, maintain your equipment and pay your staff appropriately.

“But, under a low regime

handling rates, the ground handling company will find it difficult to function optimally and effectively. Also, government as it is, is not deriving the economic benefit they should derive especially from the foreign carriers. Those airlines know the handling rates they are paying in those countries they fly into,

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BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

Stakeholder Lists Causes of High Cost of Aviation Fuel Chinedu Eze As the price of aviation fuel, also known as Jet-A1, continues to skyrocket, oil marketers have made efforts to explain why the price of the product would continue to rise, until appropriate steps are taken to address the challenges.

The General Manager, TotalEnergies, Rabiu Abdulmutalib, attributed the high cost of the product in the country to the inability of airline operators to access Foreign Exchange (FOREX), non-refining of the product locally and high cost of aviation fuel handling equipment.

Abdulmutalib said that the challenges fuel marketers are facing are numerous, noting for example that an average refueller costs as much as N150 million.

Other challenges include cost of intensive fuelling equipment, airport taxes, importation, constant importation and lack of foreign exchange.

The General Manager noted that in view of the aforementioned challenges, the price of a litre of Jet-A1 would continue to rise in the country,

adding that a litre of Jet-A1 fluctuated between N305 and N315 depending on the airport the airline is buying from.

“For you to move a product from Lagos to Kano, you pay almost N23 per litre. So, you can imagine what that would mean to airlines and off course the airport taxes, high cost of aviation fueling equipment like refuellers, average size refuellers almost N150 million. These are all cost intensive devices for the aviation”.

Abdulmutalib therefore called on the federal government to intervene by making it easier for Jet-A1 importers /marketers to access Foreign Exchange (FOREX), stressing that there is the need for proper coordination among relevant government agencies in monitoring and enforcement of all standards along the supply chain to address these issues.

Abdulmutalib listed some of the agencies to include the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)

and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The TotalEnergies General Manager contended that to prevent the contamination of Jet- A1, organisations importing the product should not compromise any of the established international and local regulations on handling JET-A1 from refinery to aircraft.

He also advocated strict adherence to international specification checklist for aviation fuel recognised by major aviation fuel suppliers in the world and checking competencies and capacities of laboratories contracted for testing parameters of the product in the country are very important.

In his words, “There should be no compromise on any established international and local regulations on handling Jet A1 from the refinery to the aircraft”.

He suggested that there should be national sensitisation and awareness on monitoring filtration phase out from all aviation handling systems in Nigeria before the deadline of July 2023.

Air Peace Commended for Route Expansion The Oyo and Anambra state governments have commended Air Peace for its ‘N o city left behind’ programme, which links different parts of the country by air.

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who welcomed the airline when it made its scheduled flight operations to Ibadan Airport, said the coming of Air Peace to the state was a big relief to the teaming city travelers as the airline has immediately “crashed the airfare from Ibadan to Abuja to affordable level”.

Governor Makinde said the state would make the route an economically viable one for the airline.

“The coming of Air Peace will strengthen and enhance the economy of the state. We have a dry Port here that will facilitate the clearing of goods in record time. This will take the stress off importers in the state and neighbouring states and save them the stress of going to Lagos port to clear goods”, the Governor said.

Speaking, the Chairman

and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, promised to link Ibadan to every geo- political zone of the country. He also said opening of the Ibadan route is part of the airline’s “no-city-left-behind” aimed at interconnecting various cities across.

Onyema said, “Plans are already on to commence Port Harcourt to Ibadan flights. Abuja, Ibadan to Kano flight is also already in the pipeline. I believe in the oneness of Nigeria. As a nationalist, I am going to connect all cities in the country.”

“I will link Ibadan to the SouthSouth, South-East, North-East, North-West and every part of the country. I believe in the unity of the country”, he disclosed.

The Air Peace flight was received by the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Highness, Oba Saliu Adetunji at the Airport.

Other dignitaries who witnessed the inaugural flight included officials of the Oyo State Government, former National Assembly members, including Senator Kola Balogun and Chief Lekan Alabi, who delivered the

Olubadan’s welcome address.

On its part, the Anambra State government has also commended Air Peace for connecting different cities in different parts of the country in the last few months with rapidity.

The latest operations were opened in Gombe and Ibadan, Oyo State, within a space of three days.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the government said it is proud of the “development record, the pan-African vision and commitment of the airline’s leadership, particularly its Chairman, Chief Allen Onyema, a worthy son of our great state”.

In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, the government commended “the carrier for an aggressive route development programme when airlines across the globe are managing to remain afloat as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic which dealt a serious blow to not just the aviation sector but also the entire tourism industry.”

IATA Supports Avoidance of Afghan Airspace by Airlines The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that it supports the decision of airlines to avoid the airspace of Afghanistan in the interim.

The global body said safe and secure flight operations are the top priority for aviation, adding that it is closely monitoring developments in the country.

“Owing to recent developments, the Kabul FIR (Afghanistan airspace), which serves major traffic flows between Europe and Asia, is now without provision of a civilian Air Traffic Service.

Airlines have advised IATA that they are avoiding the airspace,” IATA said.

IATA said it is participating

in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Contingency Coordination Team (CCT), which has been activated.

This standard protocol for managing such situations combines the resources of ICAO and IATA in the regions involved, all affected States, and Eurocontrol.

Traffic through Afghan airspace is lower than usual because of reduced demand due to COVID-19. States near Afghanistan have indicated they can accommodate additional traffic. The use of alternative routes through these states will support safe and secure operations, but will have time, operational and

fuel impacts upon airlines.

Airlines normally using Afghan airspace and IATA are maintaining constant coordination and communication through the standard contingency protocols and sharing information via the IATA Global Tactical Operations Portal (ITOP).

Meanwhile, Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport has reopened on a limited basis, according to reports.

The civilian side of the airport had been closed until further notice after it was breached by desperate Afghans seeking to escape the country as the Taliban claimed control of the country’s capital last weekend.

Why Airline Operators Support Government’s Concession Plan Chinedu Eze

A

fter several years the major airport terminals in Nigeria have been managed by government agencies, most of the facilities still lack basic infrastructure like modern security equipment that are functional and attendant personnel, modern check in system, transit facilities and information and communication technology, which enables every passenger to connect to the Internet once inside airport terminal.

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) believe that if the airport terminals are concessioned in transparent manner to qualified investors, those basic needs would be provided by the concessionaire and this would enhance passenger facilitation, enable airlines to operate effectively and also provide needed equipment that could convey passengers from the terminal to the airside.

Former Chairman of AON, Captain Nogie Meggison noted that concession could be a solution to the myriads of the problems of airport infrastructure, including obsolete facilities, inadequate x-ray machines, inadequate technical personnel and others.

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace and the current Vice Chairman of AON, Allen Onyema told THISDAY that concession would help modernise Nigerian airport terminals and would be beneficial to airlines, which expect that state-of-the-art facilities would be provided to enhance easy passenger movement.

However, he said that airport workers must be sufficiently compensated and comprehensive severance packaged worked out in such a way that those who may want to leave the service would be happy, adding that in the long run well-arranged concession plan would add more workers as the airport facilities are expanded.

Industry stakeholders have noted that despite the various upgrades done over the years with locally and externally sourced funds and grants, the deplorable state of airports in Nigeria has not met the functional needs of passengers and airlines.

With the service provided to passengers by airports globally dramatically changing due to the advance in technology with the introduction of robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in some airports, passengers’ expectations have changed, as they now demand excellence as standards from airports they travel through. This is a tall order with airports in Nigeria as most are still deficient in terms of facilities.

This is what prompted the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to, in line with the Buhari administration, shift from the old norm of airport remodeling to take firm steps towards the concession of airport terminals.

The Minister said this is in tandem with the Aviation Master Plan and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected that the highest passenger traffic would be recorded in Africa and Middle

“Nigerian airports have enormous potential for high gross earnings if we will harness it.

Each airport has its peculiarity in terms of tourism, agriculture, mining and aerotropolis to better improve their viability.”

East, but expressed fear that these regions might not build airport infrastructure to meet the expected capacity.

This is one of the factors that have made concession a necessity and such growth, Sirika noted, could be enhanced with the collaboration of government and the private sector, which is expected to provide the funds for airport infrastructure expansion and modernisation through concession under the PPP arrangement.

At a recent stakeholders’ virtual meeting on concession plans for the airports, Sirika said the Ministry would not sell the assets that belong to over 200 million Nigerians and the future generation of this country as those that were sold in the past were lost. ‘’We in government believe that we should hold those assets for the Nigerian people in trust. We must make those assets better to provide the services that are needed. So, we said, rather than sell out rightly, we will concession. In other words, we would give it up to someone who would operate them and make them better’’, he stated.

He believed that concession is a win-win situation for all concerned, as the government will get more money, the people will enjoy better services from the concessionaire, the industry will grow and after a certain time, the airports would be returned to government control.

The Minister said that the airport terminal buildings to be concessioned would generate their revenues from non-aeronautical resources, while all other facilities at the airports and existing concessions, outside the airport terminals, would still be managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The Director, Commercial and Business Development, FAAN, Sadiku Rafindadi, said the agency is committed to adopting strategies that would increase the status of the facilities and increase revenue base, through aeronautical and non-aeronautical sources.

He said among the 22 airports in the country, Lagos airport led the pack in 2020 revenue earning by 58 per cent. Abuja airport had 21 per cent; Port Harcourt and Kano had four per cent apiece, and the rest managed 13 per cent.

Rafindadi said: “Nigerian airports have enormous potential for high gross earnings if we will harness it. Each airport has its peculiarity in terms of tourism, agriculture, mining and aerotropolis to better improve their viability.”

He said that FAAN was looking at increasing the share of non-aeronautical activities from below 30 per cent to 40 per cent, “by focusing on investments in airport infrastructures and technology solutions to drive cost optimisation, creating enabling environments and improving non-aeronautical revenue streams” However, some labour unions in the aviation sector, comprising of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professional (ANAP), hold the view that the concession of the four main airports would lead to them losing their jobs and hence opposed the move. They cited examples of past exercises carried out in other sectors to back their claim.

But, according to the Minister, this is far from the truth, as research and audit exercise of the facilities carried out, indicated that more jobs would be created for the sector as the system is presently understaffed.

He said the optimal usage of the various facilities would open up the sector for more job opportunities.

In order to ensure that the concession plan was realised in accordance to the Aviation Master plan, Sirika assured that the federal government would complete all outstanding aviation projects before 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to handover political power to a new government.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Of Manual Passenger Facilitation and Security Threat More than two months after SITA withdrew from providing advanced passenger processing, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), still conducts manual check-in for travellers. Chinedu Eze writes that besides causing delays and possible security threats, manual check-in damages Nigeria’s image at a time the world has embraced advanced method of passenger facilitation

S

ince May 31, 2021 that the SociétéInternationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (International Aeronautical Telecommunications Society), known as SITA, withdrew its service from Nigeria due to disagreement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the agency has failed to secure an alternative service provider despite the assurances that RESA, the Airport Data System, would take over in two weeks.

Before its exit, SITA was providing Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) to airlines that airlift international passengers from Nigeria. CUTE is an IT solution that enables multiple airlines to use existing airport facility to check-in passengers.

Investigations by THISDAY revealed that RESA engineers landed in Nigeria on August 15 to begin the installation of their equipment, which would take a minimum of 30 days.

Meanwhile, passengers and airlines are complaining seriously about the hiccups in passenger facilitation as boarding passes are written manually.

This, airline operators said, causes delays, exposes the system to infiltration, which is a major security breach and also hampers accurate recording.

PROLONGED FLIGHT DELAYS

The station manager of a major international carrier at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, told THISDAY that airlines that operate international flights from Nigeria were told by FAAN that RESA officials would start installation of their equipment on August 16, noting that installation and migration to the new system would take 30 days. This means that air travellers would suffer the predicament of manual check-in for another one month at least.

“Airlines are not finding it easy. This is a complete mess that passengers are departing this country with manual boarding pass. There is security risk to it because the boarding pass can be pirated.

“It delays passenger facilitation because extra time is spent on check-in. according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standard, each passenger should be processed in three minutes but with manual check in, it takes more than six minutes to attend to each passenger. Every airline has its schedule time it would arrive an airport and the time it would depart. It calculates each function, like check-in, security checks for each passenger and boarding. But now this does not happen as airline schedule them because of the manual processing of passengers. You have to write everything manually. Imagine writing boarding pass for 300 passengers.

“Also, the Nigerian Immigration Service personnel are not helping matters because they seem to purposely delay passengers while profiling them.

So at the end every airline leaves later that it plans.

That is why there is so much delay in departures these days,” the official told THISDAY.

HARROWING PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

Passengers have complained that the delay caused

by manual check-in was frustrating, forcing them to arrive their destinations later than planned. They complained that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in particular lacks passenger comfort because there are no seats and no resting bays. That means that when passengers arrive at the departure hall, they have no choice than to stand until they are checked in.

“Since the manual check-in started, passengers wait for four to five hours standing for big airlines that airlift over 200 passengers,” disclosed an official of a private security firm that provides facilitation support to airlines.

The Managing Director of Finchglow Travels and former President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Bankole Bernard, who just returned to the country last week, told THISDAY that it was a bad experience travelling out of the country because of the delay caused by manual check-in.

He said that although he checked in online, but so many passengers who flew with him complained bitterly about the delays, noting that it was not a good image for Nigeria as a country.

“Why did we cancel the deal with SITA when we were not ready with the alternative on ground? Many passengers complained bitterly about the delay. This has made life very difficult for passengers. And this is a country that is talking about airport concession.

The right thing should be put in place. You must measure up to accepted international standards to be respected and recongised,” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Ukoh, told THISDAY that he did not understand why “there was no plan B before plan A was removed. I cannot apportion blames because I do not have the details of what happened but what we are seeing is shambolic. We don’t know what happened in the contract but passengers have borne the brunt of that decision for over 60 days.”

RESA’S ARRIVAL

A source at FAAN told THISDAY that top officials from the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN, led by the Managing Director of the agency, Captain Hamisu Yadudu, travelled to France to meet RESA and its Nigerian representative, Arlington, to discuss how to hasten the take over of passenger facilitation at the international airports.

The source said the officials left a bit too late after more than two months that passenger processing was done manually.

“Manual processing has security implication.

You cannot be sure of your record availability and it can easily be tampered with. That was not a good thing for Nigeria’s reputation. It slows down facilitation but let’s hope that they

will install and migrate the system in time to provide service to airlines,” the source said.

REJECTION OF SITA

THISDAY learnt that FAAN rejected SITA after providing the agency services for over 10 years and chose RESA, represented by Arlington in Nigeria, but as at the time SITA withdrew its services, as was agreed with FAAN, Arlington was not ready to provide unobstructed succession, thus forcing airlines to revert to manual check-in that is fraught with delays.

SITA is a major provider of the CUTE system for passenger processing. Its withdrawal from Nigeria has global ramifications.

“You know that when you are travelling from country A to country B, the destination country should get information of the passenger ahead so that countries like the United State’s Transport Security Administration (TSA) will profile the passenger. If he is a security risk you will not get his boarding pass. Manual check-in is cumbersome and will not allow this to happen in time,” an airline official told THISDAY.

SITA RENEGED ON AGREEMENT

However, the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, told THISDAY recently that SITA was supposed to have continued to provide services till the end of August but the company abruptly shut down its system to paralyse passenger facilitation.

Yadudu acknowledged that the sudden withdrawal of services by SITA led to long queues and delays as airlines resorted to manual check-in but noted that SITA, which reneged on earlier agreement it reached with FAAN, betrayed the agency, which led to the disruption of facilitation.

He explained why FAAN decided to terminate its services with SITA. “I think the passengers are having the challenge right now because FAAN planned to upgrade and remove the exiting system, which was provided by SITA. It has been in operation for over 10 years.

The agreement was due for renewal and SITA did not participate creditably in line with the Nigeria procuring process and they are fully aware. We informed them much earlier of this. However, RESA of France participated and emerged as the only winner of that procurement process.

It was all done transparently.

“Towards the end of the contract, SITA requested for six months extension, which will make it easier for SITA to continue to operate. In addition to SITA operating, these self-service kiosks are also available to make sure things are going on as planned. We provided two systems that can be working to make sure things are going on as planned.

“So, by two months into the six months agreement, SITA said they would only do

three months. In the last month, they now put a lot of tough conditions, which were not part of the initial agreement. We knew something was amiss,” Captain Yadudu said.

He further explained that SITA was meant to operate till a new organisation took over and even three months after that take over.

“In addition to SITA, we provided a company with self-service kiosks to complement SITA. SITA was supposed to provide self-service kiosk, baggage reconciliation system, CUTE, Traffic Surveillance System (TSS) in Abuja and Lagos.

Abuja didn’t have that for the whole tenure of SITA. These were in the contract, but they were never provided by SITA. So, we decided that SITA should be there. FAAN ensured that SITA was still there for the facilitation of passengers and others. FAAN never wanted the ICTS to be the primary service provider if SITA would continue to provide services. We just wanted it to complement SITA, but when SITA pulled out, we decided to use ICTS as stop gap,” he said.

RESA HAS GLOBAL PEDIGREE

Captain Yadudu also said that RESA is a world-class company known for the provision of IT and communication solutions, just like SITA. “Whether you take my word or not, RESA and SITA are the most popular in the world.

They do 95 per cent of the service worldwide.

There is no question about whether RESA is good or not. As far as we are concerned, we did our due diligence and we were open.

“What is more, we had a contract that cuts across only two airports with SITA; Lagos and Abuja, while FAAN went for a much more comprehensive agreement. We went for five international airports with RESA. To us, it is a much more improvement and we added some services like the baggage reconciliation system and others for 10 years,” he disclosed.

The FAAN boss said the only time the agency owed SITA was during the Coronavirus pandemic, which everyone knew devastated the global economy, especially the air transport sector, adding that passengers comfort and easy facilitation are FAAN’s primary objectives.

“Our primary objective is to ensure that our passengers are safe and protected. Our safety cannot be compromised because of one singular act, but the delay is very unfortunate and we regret it. We can only appeal to our partners to please bear with us,” he said.

However, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, confirmed to THISDAY that RESA has brought its equipment and has been cleared for the Lagos and Abuja airports.

“The RESA Company the federal government engaged has brought in its equipment. The equipment has been cleared for both MMIA and NAIA. The technical team has started installation,” she said.

But while the installation will take few weeks to complete, passengers and airlines will continue to suffer delays as manual facilitation continues.

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FRIDAY AUGUST 20, ͰͮͰͯ ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

CVFF: Sad End to Indigenous Shipowners’ Drive for Financial Clout To address the lack of financial power of indigenous ship owners to acquire vessels, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) was inserted into the Cabotage Act of 2003. But after 18 long years of promising to disburse the fund, the federal government last week shattered the hope of shipowners to access the fund, describing it as public fund. Eromosele Abiodun reports

T

o say that maritime transport remains the backbone of globalized trade and the manufacturing supply chain is like stating the obvious. As a matter of fact, more than four fifths of global merchandise trade by volume is ferried by sea.

This has in no small measure enhanced growth in international maritime trade over the years.

According to a report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the review of the sector, in 2018, volumes increased at 2.7 per cent, below the historical average of 3.0 per cent from 1970–2017 and 4.1 per cent in 2017.

“Nonetheless, total volumes reached a milestone in 2018, when they achieved an all- time high of 11 billion tons,” UNCTAD said.

Over the years, despite its huge potential, Nigeria has been unable to contribute significantly to global merchandise trade due to the state of its shipping industry. It is not that efforts have not been made to redress this trend.

As part of efforts to address this challenge, the Nigerian Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003 was enacted to empower indigenous ship owners to take control of the nation’s coastal and inland shipping, otherwise known as Cabotage trade.

The Act was enacted to make Cabotage trade the exclusive reserve of indigenous ship owners, as obtainable in other climes. The law emanated after the realisation that foreign shippers dominated Nigeria’s Cabotage trade.

In passing the law, the lack of financial power of indigenous ship owners to acquire vessels was also put into consideration, which brought about the insertion of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF). The law, however, made provision for 2 per cent contribution by indigenous ship owners from every contract executed to develop Cabotage fleet and local shipping capacity.Since the Act was established, it has remained a sort of mystery to stakeholders in the nation’s maritime sector.

Since the law was promulgated, local ship owners have religiously paid their 2 per cent contribution to the CVFF. With an estimated N136.5 billion now in the pool, efforts to disburse the money to shipowners in line with the law has remained elusive. This is after failed promises by successive Director Generals of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the agency in charge of the fund, which is domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to disburse the fund.

In 2018, following relentless agitation by the ship owners, NIMASA promised that it would

commence the disbursement of the CVFF in 2019. It did not happen. Instead, the date was moved to 2020 and later the first quarter of 2021. We are now in the third quarter of 2021.

A GALE OF FAILED PROMISES

However, after 18 long years of promising to disburse the CVFF to deserving ship owners, the federal government last week terminated the disbursement of the fund, describing it as public fund.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed this during a ministerial retreat in Lagos, said despite the approvals by Mr. President and the Attorney General of Federation (AGF) for disbursal of the fund to ship owners, the minister of finance protested that the fund cannot be disbursed.

Her objection was upheld by the government.

Consequently, the hope of indigenous ship owners that they would soon have cheap and interest-friendly funds to enable them acquire ships and compete favourably against their foreign counterparts, has hit the rock.

Interestingly, this is coming barely one month after NIMASA said it has selected 11 indigenous ship owners to benefit from the fund, and that four Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) would midwife the process of the disbursement after the guidelines for the disbursement is developed.

However, Amaechi heightened the confusion by asking the Nigerian ship owners to write a protest letter to Mr. President and copy him.

“The president made approval to go ahead and disburse the fund, and the attorney general also gave go ahead because the law says it’s a private fund, and then, minister of finance protested that it is a public fund, so it cannot be spent. So, the owners of the fund should then write to the president and copy me. Then, I will go back to the president because the law says it’s not public fund,”Amaechi said.

On maritime security, the minister said vessels are not sailing to ports in Port Harcourt, Warri and other eastern ports due to high cost of insurance resulting from insecurity on the waterways.

“If we address the issue of insecurity, which is the root course of high insurance premium, we will reduce the cost of insurance on cargo and more business will go to

“If we address the issue of insecurity, which is the root course of high insurance premium, we will reduce the cost of insurance on cargo and more business will go to the South-South where we have other seaports.”

the South-South where we have other seaports,”Amaechi added.

It would be recalled that NIMASA had in March this year said it had received the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to disburse the CVFF to qualified indigenous maritime operators in line with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy and the CVFF Guidelines of 2006.

HAPLESS STAKEHOLDERS’ GROAN IN PAIN

Speaking on the matter, a Former Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, NIMASA, Dr. Ishaku Mabushi Shekarau rued the non-disbursement of the CVFF. Shekarau, in a paper titled, “Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund: An Un-Utilized but Veritable Tool to Spring Maritime Economic Growth,” expressed dismay over the poor implementation of the provisions of the Cabotage Act. According to him, the long delay in activating the funds, despite repeated promises by the authorities over the years has made the maritime industry lag behind in what he called “this season of buoyancy” and other several reasons.

He also listed the non-attainment of 24 hours cargo clearance target at the nation’s seaports; vehicular congestion at most of the ports; non-competitive port charges in relation to our sub-region and the non-implementation of the CVFF, as some of the ills plaguing the maritime sector of Nigeria’s economy.

He however called on the Federal Government to ensure that it addresses the disbursement of the CVFF before the end of the present administration.

His words: “I am persuaded (and I have good reason to believe that most maritime stakeholders share in this concern) that given the almost two decades span of Nigeria’s Cabotage Law and the humongous sums so far contributed by the operators in the name of CVFF, it is a major embarrassment that not a single ton has been added to indigenous shipping capacity via the financing of ships by this fund as intended.

“Abinitio, the underlining concern was that the Nigerian operators did not have cargoes to lift, even if they managed to secure platforms.This excuse is now anachronized by the fact that a good proportion of cargo in the petroleum industry inclusive of agro chemicals, construction, dairies, and so on is available for carriage by Nigerians.”

Shekarau, who is presently a maritime consultant, argued that besides the advantage of using the funds to purchase vessels or construct shipyards, it will directly or indirectly create employment and training opportunities for teeming Nigerian youths.

He was at a loss ass to why the CBN

can sponsor agro dealers with money not contributed by them and yet maritime operators are denied their statutory right to borrow from funds contributed by them.

He wondered what alternate purposes the funds are being applied and what is the relevance of this application to the country’s national maritime development objectives?

He called on President Buhari, Amaechi and the management of NIMASA to recognize the CVFF as a specialized tool, which should be applied only to its specific purpose.

He maintained that it would be a legacy of the present administration if it breaks the ice and disburse the CVFF justly and equitably to the desired beneficiaries.

SHIPOWNERS REACT

Reacting to the debacle, indigenous ship owners under the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) accused the Ministry of Transportation and NIMASA of tossing them around like babies under the guise of working towards the disbursement of the over $200 million CVFF. Speaking with newsmen, indigenous ship owners, who wouldn’t want to have their names in print, explained that just some few months ago, NIMASA had stated publicly that the CVFF fund is a public fund and is not owned by the indigenous ship owners.

According to the ship owners, “Recently, NIMASA during a media briefing said the money is a government fund. That statutorily, since they collect the money from ship-owners on behalf of the government, it is a public fund.

Now the Minister of Transportation is asking us to write a letter of protest as owners of the fund. Who is fooling who?

“When NIMASA had already said publicly that the money is a government fund, on what basis are we going to write to protest that the Minister of Finance does not want the money disbursed? A month ago, NIMASA said the CVFF fund is a government fund. A month later, the Minister of Transportation said we should write as owners of the fund. Are we babies? It’s like they have forgotten from whose people they collected the money.

“For the past two years, all our correspondences to NIMASA have not been replied. Even the Minister of Transportation has not replied to any of our letters to him on this issue. Why does he prefer to talk to the media about it and deliberately refuse to respond to letters sent to him on it?”

Also speaking, the President of SOAN, Dr. MK George Onyung, explained that the group is currently reviewing the minister’s statement and will come out with a position paper soon.

“We are currently reviewing the minister’s statement on the CVFF and why it has not been disbursed, and will come out with a position paper soon,” the SOAN President told the Nigerian Tribune.

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

NiMet, Earth Network Sign MoU on Total Lightning, Mesoscale Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Earth Networks (EN) Incontinental , USA for Total Lightning, Mesoscale AWS Network (NTLMAN) and enable EN forecasting services (ENcast).

NiMet noted that the realisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was preceded by a formal request for collaboration from Earth Networks Inc. to the Agency through a draft MoU by the International Director, Mr. Ari Davidou for the purpose of entering into a mutually beneficial collaboration for Network and Data Services Agreement between the two organisations.

In his remarks, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, informed that NiMet desires to improve its high impact weather forecasting

capacity through the utilisation of total lightening data and latest point forecasting techniques to provide related services to its customers and stakeholders.

Matazu, during the virtual signing ceremony in Abuja stated that Earth Networks (EN) developed a lightning detection and surface weather monitoring technology that detects a large portion of in-cloud (IC) and Cloud to Ground (CG) lightning.

He stressed that EN utilises data to enhance weather forecast and enable its proprietary products known as dangerous ‘Thunderstorm Alerts’ and pulse raid respectively, adding that EN also produces and delivers high resolution proof forecasts known as ENcast and other derivative products.

According to him, “The objective of this collaboration is to support the capacity of NiMet to further develop its service offerings/delivery through working together to

deploy EN Stations in various locations that will contribute to the Nigeria Total Lightning and Mesoscale AWS Network (NTLMAN) and enable EN forecasting services (ENcast).”

He observed that through the collaboration, NiMet will be able to access EN data for its internal use and public display in degraded form and to resell sensor data and derivative works to its customers.

“Therefore, NiMet and EN will collaborate to jointly deploy, and operate the NTLMAN and distribute

data and derivative services within Nigeria.

“This partnership will lead to a wide base of internally generated revenue for the Agency with the provision of needed services to various sectors of the economy.”

He disclosed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is for a term of five (5) years from the date of execution and may be renewed at its expiration for another term of five (5) years on terms to be mutually agreed by the parties.

The terms of the MoU he

reveal, include clearly defined objectives, scope, obligations of the parties.

The NiMet boss maintain that the MoU anticipates the realization of revenue through the deployment of EN Sensors in Nigeria which will lead to the sale of processed data and derivative works such as: “NiMet sales of EN processed Data in Nigeria, NiMet sales of Derivative Works in Nigeria, EN sales of NiMet Derivative Works based on the processed Data developed

by NiMet under this project.

In furtherance of the MoU,

he said that EN has already shipped some equipment to NiMet at no commercial value to it, stating that in the implementation of the MoU, the EN Sensors will be installed at NiMet facilities and partner institutions in Nigeria to enhance the quality of the data set required to fulfil their respective missions.

He said: “We are hopeful that this collaboration will help NiMet to improve its services to various stakeholders in different sectors for which it has the statutory mandate to render its services in Nigeria.”

Nigeria Set to Ratify Convention to Protect Migrant Workers Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

for the basic human rights of migrant workers, including Federal government said it migrant workers in an irregular is set to ratify International situation, and prevent irregular Labour Organisation (ILO) migration.

“Consequently, the nonConvention 143 migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) of ratification of Convention 143 1975, and Convention 181 on is affecting government capacity Private Employment Agencies to effectively promote good governance of organized labour of 1997.

Permanent Secretary, migration management in the Federal Ministry of Labour country.”

Tarfa also said that the and Employment, Dr. Yerima Peter Tarfa, stated this in Abuja, ratification of Convention 181 during the flagged off a two-day would “allow the operation of national sensitization workshop Private Employment Agencies on the ratification of conventions (PEAs), as well as the protection of the workers using their 143 and 181 in Nigeria.

A statement signed by the services, within the framework Deputy Director Press and Public of its provisions.

“Through this Convention, the Relations at the Ministry, Mr. Charles Akpan, quoted Tarfa to ILO seeks to assist its member have said that Conventions 143 States to establish clear policies, and 181 would promote the rights legislation and implementing and welfare of migrant workers; mechanisms for the effective and protect the workers using registration and licensing of Private Employment Agencies PEAs.” He added that when ratified, (PEAs).

He said the ratification of Convention 181 would help Convention 143 would strengthen develop “the appropriate “Government’s capacity and economic and legal environment cooperation efforts to protect in which all players in the migrant workers enhance private employment agencies remittance flow and optimize industry follow the same rules the benefits of organized labour and get an equal opportunity to operate,” and would also migration in Nigeria.”

The Permanent Secretary “curtail unfair labour practices further disclosed that Convention associated with outsourcing and 143 “seeks to ensure respect casualization.”

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION…

L-R: Brand Manager, Snacks, UAC Foods, Oluitan Mofiyin; General Marketing, UAC Foods, Adebola Williams; Lead Auditor, Halal Certification Authority Abdulazeez Ajala; MD/CEO UAC Foods Ltd; MD/CEO UAC Foods Ltd, Dr Oladele Ajayi, and General Manager Sales, UAC Foods, Chris Towoju, after the company was awarded the Halal Certification in Lagos

‘NIMASA Will Ensure Proper Maintenance Deep Blue Assets’ Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has reiterated that assets under the Deep Blue Project will be given necessary attention in order to maintain them to serve their purpose of providing security for Nigerian waters and the entire Gulf of Guinea.

Jamoh spoke in Lagos during the graduation ceremony of Pilots and other air assets trainees under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure.

About 43 officers and men of the Nigerian Air force received certificates for specialized training as pilots and copilots for the Special Mission Aircraft, special Mission Specific Equipment Operators, Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, operators for the Unmanned Aerial Systems, and C4i operators for effective platform manning.

Jamoh said the graduation of the air assets crew was another

significant leg of the Deep Blue Project, which he described as “our grand intervention in the area of our nation’s maritime security.”

He appreciated the Nigerian Airforce for their commitment the Project with particular reference to providing facilities for in country training of the pilots and others to complete the training module having successfully completed the technical component abroad.

He added that the challenge is not about deploying the assets but about its maintenance and sustaining the tempo of the project so that it can outlive the present generations and continue to be of benefit to future generations.

The NIMASA boss thus reiterated the Agency’s commitment to effective management of the assets.

Jamoh noted that the progress made so far is encouraging adding that intelligence gathering within the maritime domain has

reached new heights with recent video evidence of improper ballast water discharge in the nations waters.

This Project as you are aware, is the first of this kind and we are doing so many things for the first time as a civilian Agency of government working with the Armed Forces. Our commitment is unflinching.

Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao said that the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project has strategically repositioned the Nigerian Air Force to effectively support NIMASA to provide an investment-friendly environment through provision of adequate security.”

Air Marshal Amao, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations of the Airforce, Air Vice Marshal JMD Gwani commended the

Management of NIMASA for her commitment to seeing through the successful implementation of the Deep Blue Project.

In his words “I must say that the graduation of these Nigerian Air Force personnel today who will be operating alongside personnel from sister security agencies resonates with the CAS’ vision to “enhance and sustain airpower capabilities required for joint force employment in pursuit of national imperatives. I am glad to note that all these have strategically repositioned the Nigerian Air Force to effectively support NIMASA to provide an investment-friendly maritime environment through provision of adequate security”.

On his part, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Honorable Lucky Aiyedatiwa Commended the synergy between NIMASA and the Nigerian Armed forces to secure the nations territorial waters.

Mary Nnah

the company’s flagship brand, Gala Classic Sausage Roll, and the exciting new variant - Gala Spicy, further enriching the Nigerian snacking experience on the go.

Lead Auditor, Halal Certification Authority, Abdulazeez Ajala, noted that all consumers within Nigeria can be assured they are consuming a Halal compliant product that is safe and beneficial to their health.

He further emphasised the authority’s endorsement of UAC Foods Limited for its adequate compliance with all standard practices while also encouraging continuity.

The process of certification comprised an assessment of the

company’s beef vendors across the federation, including a review of the process of preparation and packaging of the beef for the sausage rolls, as well as an audit of material documentation.

While commenting on the receipt of the certification, UAC Quality Assurance Manager, Adaku Umeizu said, “UAC Foods Limited is very delighted to have received this certification after an extensive evaluation by the Halal Certification Authority of Nigeria. As the first sausage roll manufacturer in Nigeria to receive this endorsement, it is evident our commitment to quality is non-negotiable and second-to-none. I am certain

that our consumers will be more confident in our brands as they enjoy the tasty experience of our Gala variants - Gala Spicy and Gala Classic”.

Gala beef sausage roll remains a leader in the sausage roll category in Nigeria and is trusted by millions of Nigerians to provide the fuel required to keep going through the day, at great value for money. Currently, offered in the Standard and Cocktail ranges, Gala continues to win the hearts of all, irrespective of income or age.

The sausage roll is packed with nutritional wheat and beef to enrich its fans’ nutritional experiences.

OnePort Will Usher Radical Change to Africa’s Participation in Global Trade Gala Obtains HALAL Standards Certification for Quality Compliance

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

Co-founder of the OnePort 365 freighting company, Mr Hio Sola-Usidame, has stated that the purpose of floating the company was to usher in a radical change that will enhance Africa’s participation in global trade with a complete systemic transformation.

The Co-founder disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists during a virtual media parley organised by the freighting company for journalists.

Sola-Usidame explained that OnePort 365 is Africa’s digital channel to seamless containerised freight management that has streamlined the trade process

for African cross-border traders.

He said: “We have developed a freight management platform that integrates containerised freight processes in a simple, orderly and efficient format.”

Consequently, Sola-Usidame added that the freighting company’s pipeline channel has so far shipped over $15 million value of goods since its inception in June, 2019.

Acccording to him, “prior to the establishment of OnePort 365 in June 2019, we were traditional freight forwarders that shipped over 1,200 FEUs. Since the inception of OnePort 365, we have shipped additional TEUs in excess of 1,300 containers.

UAC Foods Limited, makers of Gala, has received HALAL certification, an internationally recognised standard, which guarantees that products are safe for consumption by both domestic and foreign consumers.

This has made Gala the first and only sausage roll in Nigeria to receive endorsement from the HALAL Certification Authority on its compliance with global practices on food safety.

The certification was presented to the management of UAC Foods Limited on July 15, 2021, after an extensive evaluation and audit of the manufacturing process for

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PERSPECTIVE

Resetting the War Against Piracy Francis Ugwoke

I

n international trade what determines the cost of shipment is the level of peace in the country and continent involved in every transaction. If conference liners decide to take the risk to ship goods to a country under security challenges, the shippers must be ready to bear the cost.

The liners are big time multinational ship owners involved in affreightment to any part of the continent. For countries under war or high security risk, ship owners impose war risk surcharge which could be triple of what should be the normal charge. Nigeria is one of the countries where war risk surcharge is imposed on shippers for close to a decade now.

The reason is the security menace on the nation’s territorial waters in the name of armed robbery and piracy. The liners are first confronted by the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) piracy before arriving the Nigerian waters where they do not feel completely safe for the same issue.

The pirate attack was at a stage an embarrassment to the country as the liners took a decision to have a contingent of armed guards on board ships during voyage to Nigeria for security reasons. In doing so, they passed the cost to the Nigerian shippers who also passed the cost to the final consumers of trade goods.

Perhaps the worst scenario is that nations under the grip of pirates are given bad name and subject to incessant rise in freight charges. A Nigerian security outfit, Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) had taken advantage of this issue to offer security services to ships bringing goods to the country.

The firm had enjoyed immense patronage from the multinational shipping agencies, charging as much as $2,000 for the first day and $1,500 subsequently daily to provide security for every vessel until the issue became a subject of controversy leading to the cancellation of the security contract. President Muhammadu Buhari had cancelled the contract after recommendation by the Minister of Transportation, Hon Rotimi Amaechi. The argument by Amaechi was that there is nowhere in the world where a private individual company is given such task of securing or protecting the nation’s territorial waters. Buhari while cancelling the contract had directed that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) should be saddled with such responsibility.

GULF OF GUINEA

Before now, Somalia held global record as the hottest spot for piracy. But the latest from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), is that the Gulf of Guinea has become the most dangerous in the world accounting for nearly half (43%) of all piracy incidents in the first quarter of 2021. IMB Director, Michael Howlett, warned that “pirates operating within the Gulf of Guinea are well-equipped to attack further away from shorelines and are unafraid to take violent action against innocent crews” He added,. “It’s critical that seafarers remain cautious and vigilant when travelling in nearby waters and report all incidents to the Regional Authorities and the IMB PRC. Only improved knowledge sharing channels and increased collaboration between maritime response authorities will reduce the risk to seafarers in the region.”

To buttress the concerns of the international shipping community over this problem, the United States recently dedicated one of its warships to West Africa to support the fight against piracy. The ship which is known as USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, according to the U.S. Consul General in Lagos, Claire Pierange arrived Lagos recently and specifically assigned to Africa to support in the fight against piracy in GoG. The crew will work and train with the Nigerian Navy on antipiracy, tactics, techniques, and procedures.

DEEP BLUE PROJECT

Although the fight against piracy has been on in the past few years of this administration, the cancellation of the secure anchorage area contract by the administration and the bad report from the GoG in respect of piracy may no doubt have compelled the management of NIMASA to redouble its efforts in the fight against piracy not only in Nigeria but beyond her shores. One critical area remains the GoG, which has a lot of negative impact on Nigeria’s shipping interest considering the high charges being imposed on Nigerian shippers by conference liners over security concerns in the GoG. Part of the war by NIMASA is the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, which was passed into law in July 2019.With the law, about

13 people have so far been convicted over offences relating to piracy and armed robbery.

The first case was the hijack of a tanker vessel in March 2019 involving three pirates.

They were later convicted in Port Harcourt Federal High Court. In another incident, it was the case of 10 pirates who boarded a Chinese fishing vessel off the Ivory Coast and kidnapped the crew. They were convicted by a federal high court in Lagos this year.

DEEP BLUE ASSETS

As part of the determination to check piracy in the country and GoG, President Muhammadu Buhari few months ago launched the deep blue project being spearheaded by the apex maritime agency, NIMASA. The deep blue project is taking security issues from all sides, including land, sea and air. It is also coming after President Buhari signed the SPOMO Bill targeted at checking piracy in Nigeria and GoG. Buhari had during the event said he was optimistic that the deep blue project will address all forms of maritime crime.

He also said the issue of piracy in the West African sub-region requires synergy among nations of GoG to safeguard the waterways. He said, ‘‘I am confident that the project, which provides a robust maritime security architecture, will enhance maritime domain awareness capability and improve law enforcement action, particularly in the prosecution of suspects under the SPOMO Act which I signed into law in June 2019. ‘‘This flag-off is an important step in the continuing shift in strategic action about regional maritime security. ‘‘It will serve as a benchmark for member states in the Gulf of Guinea and other relevant stakeholders to further develop innovative strategies and align efforts with the subsisting framework to improve maritime security in the region.

With shipping accounting for over 80per cent of transport requirements of the global economy, concerted efforts and innovative actions are required to address attendant security challenges”.

Among the security infrastructure assets for the project include two special mission aircrafts for surveillance of Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), three special mission helicopters for search and rescue and four unmanned aerial vehicles. The sea assets were identified as two special mission vessels and 17 fast interceptor boats.

Other infrastructure include the Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection for land operations; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol and about 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as Maritime Security Unit.

VOWS BY NIMASA

With the launch of the deep blue project, both NIMASA and Navy have vowed to deal with any security issues on the nation’s territorial waters. The DG of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh said with the deep blue project, there will be deployment of high-tech assets to deal with issues of piracy and armed robbery on the nation’s territorial waters . The high level security assets being deployed is also to respond to the increasing sophistication

of these maritime crimes, Jamoh said.

At a meeting with members of the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN)., he said vessels anchored on the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA), which are off the coast of Lagos were safe in what justifies the presidential intervention which cancelled an earlier contract SAA. He told the stakeholders, “I can assure you that there is no security vacuum in our waters. From what I know, the SAA is more protected than ever before.

The Nigerian Navy has recently deployed 14 warships to enhance security in the area and the wider maritime domain. Other assets, including Special Mission Vessels, interceptor

boats, and Special Mission Aircraft, are also being deployed under the Deep Blue Project”.

Jamoh had described the menace of maritime insecurity as an age-long challenge in the industry, adding that government was determined to address the issues, with continuous patrols by dedicated vessels to the SAA. t 6HXPLF JT &EJUPS JO $IJFG 4)*11*/( %": /&84 0/-*/& ."(";*/&

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

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ANALYSIS

The Battle for Cleaner Lagos Until recently, Lagos could hardly earn praises for a clean environment. It was dirty, polluted and unhealthy.

Segun James looks at the reforms taking place in the megacity waste per day, so each truck on average capacity 10 tons, which is what they will carry. So mathematically, you need 1300 trucks to ply Lagos. So, now we are 850 plus PSP trucks or about 900 confirmed PSP trucks that we regulate. Because we have 475 PSP operators, each of them is required to have two trucks each. So, if you multiply that by two it is now 900 plus. Let’s say 900 active PSP trucks as we speak. Then the governor has added 100 to our fleet, which makes it 1,000.”

L

ike every other nation, the COVID 19 pandemic struck the Nigerian economy that was already hard it by profoundly unsustainable social and environmental problems badly.

But in Lagos state, amid this problem, a silent revolution is taking place on the environment courtesy of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Over the years, Lagos had earned a moniker: “one of the dirtiest cities in the world.” For a megacity, this had worried successive governments in the state. All efforts to change the narrative had defied a solution.

But if things cannot go on as they were, the question remains, what policies should be implemented to change them and with what goals in mind? That was the question that agitated the governor’s mind.

Alarmed at the state of the environment when he took over, Sanwo-Olu activated all the agencies under the Ministry of the Environment to do the battle for a cleaner Lagos. Unlocking the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), KAI, LAWMA, LASPARK, Water Regulation and the Water Management Commission to ensure a cleaner environment, cleaner waterways, cleared the drainage system and ensure a flood-free city by the end of his first year in office. The Governor insisted that, “we must look ahead to the future where we do things differently.”

It was a daunting task, but he was determined to accomplish it. His team was led by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello who took up the task with determination.

Bello The environmental reform of the Sanwo-Olu administration is a complete rethink of how to manage a critical sector in a city where critical infrastructures are bursting at the seams due to population explosion and inadequate infrastructures. With over 1000 persons coming into the state every day without any intention to go back, it was a race against time.

With the state public sector facing huge financial pressure, much of which stemmed from declining revenue due to the global crisis caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, the Governor made it clear that the state cannot afford to leave the environment to the vagaries of the poor economic situation.

Particularly of concern to him is the mountain of garbage on the highways. After all, he was one of the eggheads that designed the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) and other agencies in the environment sector under Senator Bola Tinubu and Governor Raji Fashola. He was ready for battle on the sector.

He took the agency to task on this.

He warned that the next crisis will be environmental if it is not taken care of and that the outcome will not conform to old mental maps; adding that establishing partnerships with those who understand the new landscape is vital to prepare for it. Hence the deployment of technology to monitor garbage deployment around the state and environmental infractions by unscrupulous persons who would not follow the new ways.

Determined on this mission, the city monitor app was created for the monitoring of all infractions and specifically for environmentalrelated infractions across the state.

It was because of these that Mr. Ibrahim Adejuwon Odumboni, a former investment banker was appointed as the Managing Director of Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA).

While explaining the use of the app, Odumboni said, “Everybody can download it on Google Play, IOS whenever you see drainage problems, you take a picture of it or construction going on wrongly or somebody doing waste dumping, somebody burning their waste because that is not allowed. Anything that has to do with an environmental infraction, even if it is like wastewater over spilling. Because if your neighbour has a soakaway that has broken down and it is overspilling and the owners are ignoring it, or noise pollution, that is what it is meant for.

“Because all the agencies under environment, LASEPA, KAI, LAWMA, LASPARK, Water

Regulation, all of us will be using this app to monitor all infractions. So, it is a matter of you having it on your phone and then when you see anything that could create environmental impact or climate change impact, report, take a picture, what time, what location, date, and then you can enter your comment and then send it. once it gets sent, LAWMA’s own will come to LAWMA, LASPARK own will come to LASPARK. Like someone cutting a tree without bothering about the environmental impact of it and felling of trees illegally, that’s what the APP is for.”

WELCOME OPPORTUNITY For the LAWMA, today provides a welcome opportunity to take stock of where the state stands on the environmental infrastructure development and there can be no question that it is one of the foremost challenges.

To Odumboni, the basis for everything is self-responsibility. Everyone must be responsible for the protection of the environment. Another is respect for the rules of law by the people; and for the operators, respect for the policies and institutions, which creates enabling environment for the system to work.

Since he came, LAWMA’s operations have been decentralized into four districts. East which covers Lagos Island, Lekki, Ikorodu and Epe; West which covers Alimosho, Badagry, Ikeja and Agege; Central Which covers Apapa, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Oshodi and Shomolu and the Lagos Free Trade Zone, with each district having its manager to oversee affairs at that level.

Odumboni said that these allowed for a quick decision-making process and closeness to service areas, even though “with population increase, the amount of waste being generated is on a constant rise.”

He recalled that following the take over of garbage disposal system in the state

by Visionscape, a waste management company introduced by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration in 2015, the system broke down. it was given the sole responsibility of clearing garbage in the state, The state was faced with a sustained threat of outbreaks of the epidemic due to the mountains of the

garbage along major highways.

Unable to manage the rubbish at inner streets, the state government encouraged the people to bring their garbage to major streets for pickups by Visionscape compactors. Soon, the rubbish started fighting for space with vehicles on the roads. The streets were polluted and the stench was choking. As it piles up, it became an eyesore.

According to Odumboni, “When Visionscape came, LAWMA was then rested, but everything went to the side, LAWMA was distorted, and a lot of things changed. The whole system collapsed, people were told to bring their waste to the street and not pay because the then administration wanted to introduce a levy to each household that will cover the cost of waste management.

“And because Visionscape doesn’t have the capacity to go to the inner streets, they don’t have the required number of trucks to do it and the manpower, they ask people to bring it to the street, so it is easier for them to cart away on the major road. So, people then became very used to that ideology of bringing the waste to the major road. The decision soon destroyed the environment. Today, the story has changed. The PSP operators who were withdrawn by the government of Governor Ambode are back.”

He added, “LAWMA was moving with Waste Management law until Visionscape came. Now, ensuring that the PSP has the required number of support, which is why we see a growth in the number of trucks the PSPs have. From 624 up to about 850 plus now by virtue of the enabling environment that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has created.

Because that was what helped to grow the way we managed waste in Lagos. If we generate 13,000 metric tons of

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES With the launch of the new trucks and bins come business opportunities for the local market, especially the manufacturers of the trucks. At the commissioning of the 102 locally assembled compactor trucks and 100 Double Dino Bins, the Governor promised that the trucks would be deployed immediately to serve several locations in the city. He also promised to assist the PSP operators to acquire new and better waste compactors.

Odumboni confirmed this. “I witnessed the PSP and FCMB entering an MOU. Where FCMB is going to borrow more than N4 billion to replace their fleet. So, most of our PSP operators have loans in commercial banks at about 22.9% and FCMB is giving them 7% cheaper. Before all of them are borrowing individually but now they are borrowing as a group. So, we witnessed and encouraged and introduced them.

“I was an ex-investment banker; we designed the product for them and ask the bank to come and see if they can do it for the PSP. What we do as a regulator is to monitor and ensure that everybody is treated fairly. So, if somebody gives you a loan and it is 7% cheaper than what you get elsewhere basically it is as if you are giving that person money.

And that is one other thing that he said as well. So you can either take that loan to buy a Dangote truck or take it to buy a used truck.

“But because of the cost and because of the design, it is wiser for them to go for newer trucks rather than used trucks. Because now that they are made in Nigeria it is way cheaper.

If you are buying one of those Dangote trucks, let say you are buying it for 28 on average, and then you are buying the used one for like two, then you ask yourself can I have three years warranty? Because those trucks have 3 years warranty.

“The good thing is that they are locally assembled, they were locally designed and the only parts you see that were imported were the ones that were not fabricated in Nigeria. But most of the parts were sourced in Nigeria. So we designed them, and we designed them in such a way that we put the needs of LAWMA into it. We looked at our dump sites and factor the challenges into them.

“Some of the trucks you see are very low, the majority of the trucks that comes to Africa, have spent 15 years in Europe before coming. By the time they come, they are low and they cannot compact. Our waste is wet, it is not dry. Because when it rains, if you don’t have a bin, all the waste is wet before LAWMA comes then it starts leaking.”

He added, “So, we designed a reservoir there that collects all the water from the truck.

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

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Toyin Adesola: Living with Sickle Cell and ‘Still Standing’

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COVER

Toyin Adesola: Living with Sickle Cell and ‘Still Standing’ In this interview with Sunday Ehigiator, the Executive Director of Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative, Toyin Adesola, speaks on how her recent book, ‘Still Standing’ would bring hope to people living with sickle cell. The resilient and social impact coach also revealed what her NGO has been doing to help those living with sickle cell Tell us more about your NGO? ickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative is basically here to help people with sickle cell live a healthy, productive and resilient lifestyle so that they can be the best that they can be.

We are here to help them overcome their challenges, support them, provide support services like free clinics, which used to be monthly but the COVID-19 did not allow it to be held monthly anymore because we have over 500 members and you can imagine the restrictions to 50 people, how many people will we accommodate.

So, we normally run a clinic providing free drugs, free consultation; sometimes even blood tests, malaria, etc. We also provide medical support like paying medical bills, that’s called ‘Wrescue’. We try to support people who are in need as much as we can considering the finances we have, we try to help them.

Then we place some people on health insurance (HMO), because we realised that it helps them with their bills, and their parents don’t have to worry about paying.

In fact, we had a lot of cases of those who are on it, so we try to raise funds again to put some more people on the HMO and then we also do awareness. When we do outreaches, we do free genotype, trying to get people to understand what sickle cell is about, stop the stigmatisation and then educate them that it’s important to know their genotype and why it’s important to know their genotype.

S

How long has the NGO been in existence?

It is 12 years now. We officially inaugurated in 2008. Then by 2014 we really picked up.

By then we had our own premises and everything, so we were able to really function as a structured entity.

What would you say has been the major challenge with people living with sickle cell in this part of the world?

I realise a lot of people don’t want to come out and talk on the issue. It’s like there’s silence among some certain people. I know there’s stigma but I remember there was stigma against HIV in those days till people started coming out to talk about it more and more.

I think that is one major challenge; the ignorance, the silence, the lack of understanding among government, corporate organisations on the issues and challenges at hand.

For NGOs like us, we need funds to do an enormous amount of education that is required.

Currently, we run free clinics, radio shows, and outreaches, but we need money for other mediums of education and awareness such as billboards, television, radio etc. which are quite expensive.

And it is only when corporate organisation and government actually takes it on as a campaign that it can really be effective, because you have to think of breaking it down into language and not just generalising.

This is because we found out that when we are relating with these people some of them don’t really understand, so you have to speak their language. You know, get it to them, how do you break down technical details of sickle cell, the blood and everything in their own language.

So, those are the areas I think still need work, we need a lot of awareness still, and we need people to stop sweeping the issue under the carpet and talk about it more. Yes, we have some people but that’s mainly in Lagos and Abuja.

I am aware you re-launched your autobiography, can you speak on this?

It’s a book run by my consulting firm and it’s my autobiography. I actually launched it 15 years ago. 2005 was when I first launched it, and that was what made me start the NGO, so there was a link.

When I first launched it, I started getting calls, most asking me to consider doing more to help living with sickle cells with my story.

So I started with the NGO. It was like a lot of people don’t know that this thing ever existed back then. The book wasn’t with a proper branding or marketing, however, it did make an impact as it were then.

Now, it has even been improved upon, rebranded, restructured, and now available for people to buy. The whole idea is to raise

Adesola funds. It is like a tool to get people to donate for the sickle cell course, and still hold something tangible after making their donations.

The book is inspiring. I mean, a lot of people who have met me after reading the book are people that I have never met in this world, and they gave good reviews of the book, and speak of how it inspired them.

In fact, there’s a part two, and it’s coming hopefully by the end of this year or first month of the year 2022.

There is a bill currently being deliberated about enforcing punishment on intending couples whose genotype are not compatible but still go ahead to get married, what’s your take?

I don’t think it is realistic. Apart from the fact of it being legally wrong, all the top lawyers I know, those who are non sickle cell, including my friends who are SAN, said first of all it’s against human right to restrict somebody’s choice of whom to marry.

Secondly, I look at it that it’s not possible.

Looking at the how many millions of people you are trying to control and some of them not even understanding what genotype

is because of the communication and language barrier.

So what would you rather advise?

I would advise education. Education should be put out there as heavily as possible and people should be given access to healthcares. They should be educated on knowing their genotypes, especially understanding what it means.

No penalty whatsoever should be given to people on the basis of their marital choices. We are not God. Even God is merciful else a lot of the things we do ourselves; God would have taken a penalty against us.

Back to the book, how much impact do you see the book making?

I see it make more impacts than it previously did when I didn’t even do any form of advert or anything as that.

The advert was organic generally, then I found myself on shows; Adesuwa shows, newspapers calling me here and there.

I hope it reaches a lot more people so they realize that yes you will go through some difficult situations in life, as God did not say we will never go through

Don’t give up, life may seem bad, but there is still light at the end of the tunnel, have faith in God and surround yourself with people who would encourage you, not people who would put you down, or people with sympathy. The worst thing you will need is sympathy because sympathy is all about pity, and it doesn’t help you mentally

situations, or go through challenges, God just said if you walk through the storm, I will be with you.

I want people to realise that challenges will come but it is your ability to bounce back and make something of your life that is more important.

So this is a message of hope, a message of resilience and purpose and positivity to bring you back in the consciousness, especially with this COVID, that nothing is lost.

Yes, we are going through a lot but we will be able to bounce back once you have the right mindset and trust in God. What inspired you to write a book?

The truth of the matter is, my great maternal grandmother of blessed memory inspired me.

In reality, I was like what is my own with a book, what have I achieved. And like every young mind, I felt that I have not achieved anything.

But she was always telling me that she was waiting for my book, but I was always like this elderly woman, leave me alone. However it was not until she passed on that I realised that this woman never got to see the book that she so eagerly wanted.

So I decided I was going to write the book.

In three month I wrote the book. Thankfully I keep a diary of my day to day experiences, so it aided me with the book.

What’s your message to living with sickle cell?

Don’t give up, life may seem bad, but there is still light at the end of the tunnel, have faith in God and surround yourself with people who would encourage you, not people who would put you down, or people with sympathy.

The worst thing you will need is sympathy because sympathy is all about pity, and it doesn’t help you mentally, and your mindset will now become who they say you are.

Surround yourself with people who would encourage you, if you don’t have it in your family, find it in a church group or mosque or even NGOs, as there are so many support NGO’s out there.

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Vetifly Introduces Fastest, Most Secure Way to Move around Nigeria Stories by Mary Nnah Nigeria is famous for its traffic gridlock, and some Nigerians tend to be worried about their safety and security as they think of traveling to and from different places across the country.

In addition, many Nigerians are looking for a seamless door-to-door travel solution that helps them save significant travel time, thus lending significant improvements to their productivity. As humans, our lives are measured in minutes and seconds; time lost can never be regained.

To address this challenge of lost time, Vetifly, Nigeria’s pioneering technology company, has announced the commencement of its on-demand mobility services in Lagos and across the country via a combination of helicopters, premium cars and other vehicles to save users of its service up to 80 per cent of their typical travel time.

This service would allow anyone to book a helicopter ride with the option of adding a premium car pickup and/ or drop-off, and/or other modes of transportation on their smartphone through the Vetifly app available in both iOS and Android versions.

This is a first-of-its kind service that enables Nigerians to move easily by combining different modes of transportation – air, water, land – in such a way that Vetifly’s users can save up to 80 per cent of their typical travel time, while traveling in style.

To be able to offer this unique service, Vetifly is collaborating with the best operators of helicopters, premium cars, boats,

etc. in Nigeria who are licensed by the appropriate regulatory agencies.

Speaking on the launch, Vetifly’s Country Manager in Nigeria, Abiodun OlawaleCole, explained that the service showcases how technology can solve the logistics frictions largely associated with populated states.

“From trucking to carpooling, to helicopter operations, algorithms can optimise many things, even as we wait for governments to deepen our infrastructural capabilities in Africa.

“We also understand the value of time and the importance of safety and security.

We want to help Nigerians reclaim their time to do what they cherish and love, instead of spending it stuck in traffic”, he said.

Olawale-Cole further mentioned that their users are those who cannot afford to be stuck in traffic and constantly seeking ways to move smarter and quicker adding “We are here to provide for them”.

He noted further that at its start, the services will be available on an on-demand basis, as well as the option for helicopter seat-sharing along key routes starting between Ikeja and Victoria Island, with plans to add more routes to cover Lagos, and eventually most of Nigeria.

There will be helicopter services to anywhere within Nigeria either on charter basis, on a seat-sharing basis on the routes Vetifly chooses to service based on demand from its customers, enabling Vetifly’s customers arrive in style without safety and security concerns, for a fraction of

the typical cost.

Also, Vetifly will provide white-glove services catering to peculiar needs of corporations. The service would allow anyone to book a vehicle (helicopters, cars and/or boats) on their devices and from the comfort of anywhere.

“With Vetifly, you save up to 80 per cent of your typical travel time and get to important meetings on time without the fear of potential delays from traffic congestion, fear for your safety and security.

You can also take advantage of our premium cars that are available for both pick-up and drop-off to and from different

approved helipad locations.

“Booking a helicopter ride is only a tap away on the Vetifly app - select your destination on any of our scheduled flights, book your seats and you’re on your way for only a fraction of the typical price. If you are a business person with a busy schedule, charter a helicopter of your choice on the Vetifly platform today”, Olawale-Cole added.

At the core of Vetifly’s tenet is passenger safety and security, as it is required that all operators implement a variety of measures to ensure the security of all passengers.

This includes mandatory pas-

senger identification checks at helipads, safety briefings and protocols.

Also, Vetifly focuses on offering superior customer experience, ensuring that each ride remains memorable and enjoyable.

Vetifly only invites bestin-class licensed operators to participate in the Vetifly network as well as works with all operators to ensure that they abide by the guidelines laid down by regulators in their domain, including ensuring that operators operate modern, well-equipped helicopters, cars, boats, etc. that are operated and maintained in ac-

cordance with all applicable regulatory and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) requirements.

Thus, Helicopter rides are now available in Nigeria, at the tap of a button. To book your first flight, download the Vetifly app on your Android and iOS devices on https:// vetifly.com/download.

You are likely to get the best prices if you book well in advance of your scheduled travel date. Prices are typically higher closer to the travel dates to encourage more advance bookings. You can book up to 90 days into the future via the Vetifly app.

One of Vetifly’s Helicopters

Ghanaian-born Nigerian, Dan Drizzy, Gets into His Stride Ghanaian-born Nigerian singer, Daniel Odum aka Dan Drizzy, ended 2020 in grand style when he crafted his first EP with a variety of African melodies.

The music artist, no doubt, got into his stride with the release of his debut Extended Playlist (EP) “Business with God”, early this year, making himself one of the artists to watch out for.

His outstanding melodies creating skills, sound arrangements, and song writing abilities have put him in the spotlight in Ghana and across Western Africa.

His urge to do music started when he lived with his father in Nigeria, who always listened to indigenous percussion influenced music.

Dan Drizzy joined a music group HOV Gang with some friends he met in his university days. Unfortunately, they never produced a song as they ended up disbanding.

Later on he moved to South Africa where he worked at a studio that made Kwesta, a South African rapper and songwriter.

Luckily for Drizzy, he had the privilege to watch Kwesta record his album.

This increased his interest in pursuing a career in music.

He had to move back to Ghana to pursue his dream, where he met Solomon Adu Antwi, a Ghanaian born celebrated Hip life expert who performs under the stage name Yaa Pono. Antwi immediately got Dan Drizzy involved in his Uptown Energy project.

Dan Drizzy has a lot of unique sounds and his style of music can be described as West African contemporary pop music. His music is real, urban and catchy mixed with the amazing African touch.

He has worked with a lot of big industry names since he released his hit single “Money Speaking”, featuring the award winning rapper and lyrical genius, Yaa Pono.

He later released his debut EP, “Business with God”.

“Business with God” is an Urban West African body of work that Dan Drizzy put together along with some top recording artists in Ghana and also in other parts of West Africa.

The EP consists of A list rappers, singers, disc jockeys and songwriters. Since this is Dan Drizzy’s debut EP, he

went all in as much as using over 10 African languages and also 70 per cent of English and broken English.

The EP consists of seven tracks alongside his recently released single “Money Speaking” making a total of eight.

Every track has a different vibe to it as Dan tends to connect the world to his newly found sound of Western Africa.

Dan Drizzy who has over half a million streams for his debut extended playlist “Business With God” which he released on January 1, 2021, would like to work with Burna Boy, Stonebwoy, Wizkid,

Daddy Lumba, Worlasi and a whole lot of creative musicians.

help to maximise the capacity of empowered women.

NKATA is a child of circumstance according to the founder and president General of the group, former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih (mni).

She feels that a year after the inauguration of the group, it is apposite to mark the one year anniversary of the group with an opportunity to invite

Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora to a round table conversation giving verve to the core mission of the group – NKATA, which in Igbo means Conversation.

The group feels that as women, they must maximize their potentials both in families, communities and nationally. This, the group believes, is the only pathway to development that the country desperately needs.

Dan Drizzy

NNII Holds Inaugural Annual Conference NKATA Ndi Inyom Igbo (NNII), the socio-cultural group of women is marking its one year anniversary with a Zoom event to be livestreamed by Njenje TV in all its social media platforms with the theme, “Enhancing Women’s Participation and Partnership in Governance and Development”.

This would take place on Saturday, August 21, 2021 by 12 noon. The event would

be in three sessions over a few hours.

A release signed by the National Publicity Secretary, NNII, Nnedinso Ogaziechi, revealed that the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District and Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe would be speaking.

A few other panellists would be discussing the various issues that are dear to the

women as equal stakeholders in national development.

The vision of the group is to galvanise women across regional and religious lines to intensify the push for complimentary leadership that can help to facilitate development especially after the global economic crisis in a pandemic that has triggered deeper problems in all sectors of national and global life.

This would be in line with

the Motto of the group, ‘Partnering for Development’.

The group seeks to let the impact of women be felt in all sectors of our nation from the family, regions to national levels.

This to Nkata would entail a revival of our valued cultures and moral ethos, a deeper socio-cultural impact, a better economic empowerment and good political inclusiveness that can fully

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

‘Elder’s Corner’ Reveals a Musical Portrait of the Past Vanessa Obioha writes that ‘Elder’s Corner’, the new documentary by musicians Ade Bantu and Siji Awoyinka, gives a sense of what the music scene was like in the halcyon days of Nigeria

The late E.C. Arinze in Elder’s Corner

H

ardly do we glean the history of Nigeria from a musician’s perspective, but in ‘Elder’s Corner’, a co-production of musicians Ade Bantu and Siji Awoyinka, Nigerian legendary musicians retell the story of Nigeria. The stories they tell are compassionate, reflective, intimate and resilient. Through their eyes, we see a country that was once the pride of Africa.

The compelling narrative parades the best musicians the country has ever produced while inviting us into their world. Told from the perspective of Awoyinka, a passionate music lover/musician, who also wrote and directed the film, these elders give their account of the Nigeria they grew up in, starting from the pre-independence era. We see their passion, their patriotism like that of Mary Afi Usuah, a soprano, who left a lofty career in Italy to return home to sing for Nigeria.

In telling the history of Nigeria, they also share the history of our indigenous music. It doesn’t focus too much on Fela’s Afrobeat, the most recognised sound from Nigeria; rather the director takes us through the origins of highlife, a genre the late music veteran Victor Olaiya described as the sound of West Africa. We meet the Oriental Brothers, late E.C. Arinze who lost his fiddle bass during the civil war. At the time of filming, Arinze was still alive. The producers limited their conversations to musicians who were alive at the time of production.

During those years, highlife music was the most popular genre along the coast of West Africa and Nigeria had a great share of her stars. Profound

storyteller, folk singer and poet, Jimi Solanke recalled that a standard song is recognised if it has an element of highlife. The prevalence of highlife music also gave birth to big bands.

They were ubiquitous: clubs, parties. And with the likes of Bobby Benson, new talents like Olaiya were discovered. Arguably, Rex Lawson is the most revered highlife musician in Nigeria who the late Afrobeat legend Fela considered a rival. Other prominent highlife musicians include Chief Stephen Osadebe, Etubom Rex Williams and Celestine Ukwu.

However, with the arrival of the Nigerian Civil War, the big bands trickled down. Dan Satch Okpara, leader of the Oriental Brothers band disclosed that the band’s music was littered with stories of Biafra.

Juju music emerged as the latest genre of music after the war, bringing to the fore notable musicians who decorated themselves with lofty titles. A good example is Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey.

But as the country descended into decadence, the relevance of these musicians was relegated.

They are almost forgotten.

The innovative musician Victor Uwaifo puts it this way: “It must be a devil’s trick to be born in a country where neither soul nor talent is appreciated.”

The images in the film are not exaggerated.

Marshalling a wealth of original and found material — clips, newspaper cuts, images — ‘Elder’s Corner’ gives a sense of what the

music scene was like in the halcyon days of Nigeria. It reminds us that music was not only a form of entertainment those days but serves as an educational medium. Musicians penned lyrics that reflected the happenings of the society as well as nuggets to everyday living. It, however, points out the importance of archiving our history. Most of the images according to Bantu were discovered outside Nigeria. More saddening is the fact that none of the musicians has their original recordings.

Therefore, Awoyinka and Bantu invited an American friend and producer Bill, to re-record with the band. The images of the veterans in the studio evoke a kind of nostalgia, particularly when one sees the resilience of Joni Haastrop, a member of the MonoMono band. Haastrop who suffered a stroke that affected his speech and left arm could be seen in the studio, playing with his band irrespective of his shortcomings.

‘Elder’s Corner’ also depicts the acceptance of female artistes into the male-dominated music industry. For instance, the popular Waka music veteran, Salawa Abeni reveals that it was difficult for them back then to put their foot in the door. The experience was no different for the Lijadu Sisters. The two alongside Usuah were the only female musicians featured in the over one-hour long documentary. Even though Nelly Uchendu, a prominent female highlife musician was already dead by the time the idea of the documentary was birthed, a mention would have sufficed.

Uchendu, who had a career that spanned four decades was among the prominent musicians.

One of her popular songs is ‘Wakabout’, a song that advises single ladies not to marry a man who is not purpose-driven.

Capturing every musician who made that era remarkable would have been a herculean task for the producers who embarked on the documentary in 2010 to celebrate the pioneers of Nigerian music. Famed musicians from the northern region like the late Dan Maraya and influential highlife musician Bala Miller. It was Miller who started a musical school in Kano to train young adults how to play music. Miller was also involved in the development of the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77), which was also featured in ‘Elder’s Corner.’

While the documentary highlighted the pride of Nigeria as the host of a historical event that pooled international stars like Stevie Wonder and the South African musical troupe Ipi Tombi, it also touched on the corruption that pervaded the organisation. Bantu and Awoyinka planned the documentary as a sort of ode to the pioneers of Nigerian music but ended up in a world of discovery and with a manual for the younger ones to study. As the title clearly depicts, ‘Elder’s Corner’ is a guide into the history of Nigeria’s indigenous sounds and the dexterity of the veterans who paved the way for future generations. But, it is also a reminder of how our history can easily be lost if not properly archived.

Nigeria’s Podcasts Making Waves on Spotify New data released by music streaming service Spotify showed that local podcasts are making waves on the platform. Top on the list is the popular ‘I Said What I Said’ podcast hosted by Jola Ayeye and Feyikemi Abudu. The duo is known for their frank discussions on issues affecting millennials.

From finance to mental health.

Topping the list too is ‘Articulate One’, a podcast by Adekunle Tolulope that encourages its community to share ideas. Inspirational and Christian themed podcasts also make the list of the top 10 most streamed podcasts. They include ‘Apostle Joshua Selman’ and ‘Divercity 1 Love Christian Network.’

Podcast listening became popular in Nigeria two years ago and for Spotify which recently entered the Nigerian market, the data released showed the popularity of its platform. In April this year, the company announced a

paid subscription platform for podcasters that gives them maximized revenue, wide reach, and discoverability. It was first launched in the U.S. Tech Crunch reported that the streamer’s podcast ad revenue increased by 627% in the second quarter while its paid subscribers are now 165 million.

Today, there are over two million podcast titles available to Spotify listeners in Nigeria.

On Wednesday, the company inked a new deal with WWE which will see Spotify as the exclusive home for WWE podcasts including a new original audio content developed by WWE and Spotify’s The Ringer division.

The new data also showed that the preferred topics and themes of Nigerian podcast listeners are extensive, from millennial experience to comedy, inspirational talks, lifestyle to religion. Other podcasts that made the list include ‘So Nigerian’, ‘TED Talks Daily’ and ‘Joel Osteen Podcast’.

Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye of ‘I Said What I Said’ podcast

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Why Daniel Craig Won’t Leave His Fortune to His Kids Vanessa Obioha The James Bond star Daniel Craig grabbed headlines during the week for his decision not to leave an inheritance for his children. According to the actor who is married to actress Rachel Weisz inheritance is such a distasteful word.

“Isn’t there an old adage that if you die a rich person, you’ve failed?” he said in an interview with the UK Candis Magazine for its November issue. “I think Andrew Carnegie (an industrialist) gave away what in today’s money would be about $11 billion, which shows how rich he was because I’ll bet he kept some of it too.

“But I don’t want to leave great sums to the next generation. I think inheritance is quite distasteful. My philosophy is: get rid of it or give it away before you go.”

Bond has two children: a three-yearold daughter with his wife, Weisz, and an adult daughter, Ella, from his first marriage to Fiona Loudon. Weisz also has a 15-year-old son, Henry, with director Darren Aronofsky. None of the children will inherit the accumulated wealth of the actor who has played Daniel Craig in four James Bond movies with an upcoming fifth one ‘No Time to Die’ slated for October. It is his last outing off doing these films very physically for the franchise. The 53-year-old actor and I never really stopped. These days I admitted that the action stunts were still do as many stunts as I can because beginning to take their toll. “I started I enjoy the physicality of it. I always

have, even before Bond. But I have got older and hopefully a bit wiser. I don’t bounce back as well as I did back then.”

Craig was reportedly paid $25 million

for the role and will make $100 million for his role in future ‘Knives Out’ movies which Netflix bought in a multimillion-dollar deal earlier this year.

An Unrestricted Arty Affair at danceGATHERING Festival Iyke Bede After the COVID-19 pandemic pushed danceGATHERING festival — a performance lab and anti-disciplinary convention for creatives from diverse backgrounds that cut across performance and visual arts — to the virtual world, it returned this year to a live audience.

The week-long festival welcomed creative minds to partake in its masterclasses and gain the basics of different art forms such as dance, drumming and painting while creating opportunities for collaborations.

The series of events culminated in a final day of live performances and visual art exhibitions pooled from over 35 creatives who trooped into Lagos from Enugu, Asaba, Benin, Jos, Kaduna, and Abuja, to showcase their unique art expressions on Lagos’ foremost business district, Broad Street, Lagos Island.

Kicking off at 3pm on Sunday, August 15, a sizable portion of the street was laid siege by these artistic rebels, who expressed

Qudus Onikeku of danceGathering festival

themselves in the most eccentric but highly engaging manner.

As the sun stood still, glowing with bright embers, performers took turns harness-

ing available spaces for performances. Certainly, there was no definite stage. The fluidity this arrangement provided became a standout feature

of the festival experience. Its unrestrictive nature allowed for both performers and the audience to actively partake in the various activities. At that moment, each person became a performer in their own right.

To experience the different performances, the audience and performing acts moved to an entirely different stage each time, following cues at the end of each presentation.

This relocation was done in an almost choreographed manner.

As the sun went to sleep that evening, the crowd came alive, echoing chants in support of their choice performers.

Askateboarder traversing the stretch, girls dressed in the latest fashion adorned in colourful head ties (gele), and dozens of influencers documenting the event in real-time on socials, one dance group to another mounted and disembarked the stage rendering a combination of dance moves dipped in different genres such as ballet, contemporary, hip hop, breakdance, sabar and so forth.

One of the evening’s top

A Starr is Born on ’19 and Dangerous’ Iyke Bede After gaining acclaim with the release of her debut eponymous EP – containing smash hit ‘Away’ – earlier this year, Sarah Aderibigbe, professionally known as Ayra Starr (pronounced eye-rah star), became the poster child for Gen Z dream chasers.

Backed with a streak of commercially successful singles and heavy promotion to match, the Mavin princess made an indelible imprint in the annals of the Nigerian music industry.

She surprises with the release of her debut album in the same year she turned 19. Mirroring the nomenclature pattern

that marks British singer Adele’s debut album ‘19’, which indicates the age when she recorded it, Starr reveals the significance her last year as a teenager plays in influencing the album’s context titled ’19 and Dangerous’. The coming-of-age account partitioned into 11 tracks arrived on music platforms on August 6.

‘Bloody Samaritan’, the lead single was released a week earlier before the album.

The Rema-esque track produced by Don Jazzy is braggadocio-filled to reflect her rebel teen spirit. Launching on sensual strings, it bursts with verve on steady racing beats. As exciting as it comes off on paper,

sadly, ‘Bad Samaritan’ lacks the oomph that defines a lead single. Despite being a good track, it is dated.

The album’s opener ‘Cast (Gen Z Anthem)’ would have made a better lead single. It is the album’s most relatable track, in terms of lyrics. It relays the outlook of the average Gen Z, and a portion of millennials not restricted to social bounds. It speaks to living one’s truth despite consequences. Structurally, it bears a similar semblance to ‘Away’, with its calm intro that develops into a big splash of a chorus, evoking an earworm effect.

The track that follows, ‘Fashion Killer’ (alternatively spelt as ‘Fashion Killa’) goes on to talk about

the vanity affair of people within her age demographic. It is a flashy track that validates the need to live in the present, with little care for the future.

Singing on a backdrop of afro-beats instrumentals, the stacks of harmonies woven in heighten the track’s sensuality.

From being a bold, outspoken but inexperienced teenager, she transforms into a susceptible one when topics on matters of the heart surface on ‘Lonely’.

All of a sudden, she admits being able to bleed like everyone through her words, “I be human being oh.” Here, she is hit hard in what is presumably her first relationship replete with unrequited love.

performances came from the night’s closing act, Reincarnation. Performing for close to a score minute, the two dozen dancers rendered a tribal performance punctuated by their all-black ensemble accentuated with headgears that projected massive horns. From this writer’s interpretation, their entire presentation was an expression and acceptance of self in a way that defies the norm. It was a conglomeration of rejects who found a voice in commonalities. It also was an expression of sexuality through dance moves ingeniously included with subtlety in mind.

Although Reincarnation’s performance ended the event, memorable moments in the form of folk music reimagined to evince a contemporary outlook, dotted the fifth edition of the festival. danceGATHERING, a concept of QDanceCenter reminded the entire Lagos metropolis of the might art still wields. Indeed, a sixth edition is a welcomed idea.

E-TREND BUZZWORD

OTTor VOD? The streaming era brought alongside two terms OTT and VOD that could be confusing sometimes due to their similarities.

OTT which means overthe-top describes a media service offered directly to viewers through the internet.

It bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms and is synonymous with subscription-based video-on-demand (SVoD) services that offer access to film and television content.

However, it should not be confused with video on demand.

While OTT refers to content streaming from start to finish without download, videoon-demand (VOD) allows you to download content and stream it whenever you want. Initially available on cable networks, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Showmax now apply the VOD mode on their apps.

Amajor difference between OTT and VOD is that OTT only transmits through the internet while VOD can be transmitted through cables and satellites.

E-TREND WATCHLIST

WWE Summerslam WWE wrestlers will be battling it out at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada tomorrow, Saturday, August 21, for one of the major pay-per-view events of the company, SummerSlam. Roman Reigns will defend his Universal Championship against the 16time world champion, while Bobby Lashley faces off with veteran wrestler Goldberg for the WWE Championship.

Sasha Banks is also looking forward to reclaiming her SmackDown Women’s Championship title from Bianca Belair. The wrestling event will be aired on DStv channel 128.

Nkoyo Although mired in controversies, the series created by Annie Idibia is entertaining.

The series tells the story of the titular character, a village girl who is married to a wealthy man in the city. Episodes are released weekly on Nevada Bridge TV. The Buzz Media personality Toke Makinwa is bringing the heat on Showmax with ‘The Buzz’. The fifth episode saw her and former housemate of Big Brother Naija, Dorathy Bachor discuss the happenings in the house. This week on BBNaija saw Kayvee exit the show due to mental health and Big Brother introducing a new twist that left some of the housemates eyeing Maria with green eyes. The Buzz is aired every Tuesday and Saturday.

Reminiscence Hugh Jackman is back on our screen this weekend with the science fiction thriller film. He plays a scientist who discovers a way to relive people’s past and uses it to search for his long-lost love.

The film will be showing in cinemas across Nigeria from today.

Ayra Starr

t$VSBUFE CZ 7BOFTTB 0CJPIB

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱͮ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Savouring Film Stills from 50 year-old ‘Things Fall Apart’ Weeks after the grand opening of the outdoor exhibition of the film stills from the 1971 movie set of Things Fall Apart, Yinka Olatunbosun juxtaposed the works with the city’s temperament

T

inubu Square Marina, named after Madam Efunroye Tinubu, the slave trader and aristocrat is the exhibition area for the out-door, large-format film stills from the 1971 movie titled, “Things Fall Apart’’ produced

by Francis Oladele.

The 73 photographs, taken in 1970 at the movie location and set of the movie by Stephen Goldblatt had attracted lots of passers-by including young ones-many of whom were not even born at the time of the film production. Walking past the monochrome images, the inner voice whispered, ’Watch your step’ as public spaces especially in market areas in Lagos had been notorious for open defecation.

Thankfully, the works were intact and the only unholy heap around was the accumulated waste that needed to be removed. A 34-year old trader named Ugochukwu Paul assumed the role of a tour guide even though he had mixed up the itinerary for the Festival of Forgotten Plays of which the exhibition is a part.

“They did very well. I don watch am. Very nice. The movie go drop on September 4,” he told this reporter in pidgin English, oblivious of the film screening at the Nigeria Film Corporation, Ikoyi which ended on August 8. Actually, the festival would end on September 4. But that little slip didn’t mean that he was completely ignorant of the message of the iconic work. He told this reporter what ‘Things Fall Apart’the book by Chinua Achebe that inspired the film- meant to him.

“I read the book in school. ‘Things Fall Apart’ is a very strong story. Every child will learn something good about the story. We are black.

We cannot compare ourselves with ‘Americans.’ Some girls dress provocatively. That’s not African tradition. We are Africans. We have our own culture,’’ he said with confidence.

Clearly, he understood the context of the movie.

A few moments later, the trickling urine from two men forced the reporter to quickly move to the other side of the square. The photographs were periodic documentation of the art, fashion and style of the 70s. Call it history in reels,

One of the film stills

the pictures rebirth curiosity in early film production process in Nigeria. To understand the significance of this outdoor exhibition in celebrating five decades of ‘Things Fall Apart,’ the archivist and Founder, ASIRI Magazine, Oludamola Adebowale explained why it was necessary, describing the project as ‘laudable.’

“Things Fall Apart is like everybody’s initiation to Nigerian literature. The importance of archives on that project was what really got me. I was surprised to see images that people thought were forgotten or long gone.

It is a fantastic initiative and we should have more of this. As an archivist and researcher, it was a good opportunity to interrogate the works. it is about putting history into public

spaces. Most times, history and archives are kept in private spaces-locked up. There are archive centres that we can’t access.

Some people don’t have money to pay for subscription or travel to UK or Germany to see some certain works, but if you have those works brought back into the country and you open it for people to see, it will create a system where we can continually interrogate, promote and showcase such body of works,’’ he said.

He also added that outdoor exhibition that can help to restore dignity to the use of public spaces. Indeed, exhibition areas, like performance spaces, should be rid of refuse dump, indiscriminate street trading and other forms of social menace.

The outdoor exhibition was curated by Berlin based Akinbode Akinbiyi and Gisela Kayser. The stills were obtained from the estate of Berlin filmmaker Jason Pohland, the director of the movie. The film itself was only screened in Nigeria fifty years after it was produced.

Starring Elizabeth of Toro, John Sekka and the co-founder of Freedom Park, Iyabo Aboaba.

At the opening of the exhibition, the founder, Modern Art Film Archiv, Mareike Palmeira explained why the outdoor show was curated.

“There were basic conditions: it should be an open-air exhibition, because of the pandemic and we also wanted to reach the people you don’t meet in galleries,’’ he said. The outdoor exhibition ends on September 4 but the virtual one continues till December 2021.

Heralding the New Reality Show, Queen of Ibile Quramo Festival ofWords 2021 Revs…

Yinka Olatunbosun

Yinka Olatunbosun A new television series titled ‘Queen of Ibile Pageant Awards and Reality Show’ is set to change urban culture in October. The show which has the support of the Lagos State government, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and other organisations was conceived on the need to promote indigenous culture from Nigeria to the global audience. The Queen of IBILE Pageant Awards and Reality Show seeks to redefine contemporary pageantry, empower the girl-child, educate and promote tourism, arts and while generating more employment opportunities, encouraging team spirit and arousing intellectual conversations. At a recent press briefing held at the Freedom Park, Lagos, the CEO, Platinum Entertainment and Executive Producer, Queen of Ibile, Olayinka Fatima Edu explained that the show was inspired by the beauty of Lagos with its unique festivals, myths and royal coronation.

“IBILE asides from being a Yoruba word meaning “indigenous daughter or son of the soil” is also an acronym derived from the five administrative divisions of Lagos State; Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe. These administrative divisions have distinctive cultures and tradition but unitedly contribute to the centre of excellence, Lagos State. Queen of Ibile is a community-based project that seeks to debunk the popular notion of the big city of Lagos as a ‘No Man’s Land’ but as an indigenous state with

Fasuhan (3rd), Fosudo (1st), Graham-Douglas (Founder, Beeta Playwright Competition, and John-Africa (2nd) at the Grand Finale of the competition

rich cultural values,’’ she said.

Targeted at girls between the ages 18 and 25, the show will kick off in October with 20 select contestants and run for eight weeks. With audition slated for September, the show will be curated in a location named Ibile mansion. Each contestant will strive to win the crown and be named the Queen of Ibile. Throughout their stay, they would be taught skills including indigenous language skills.

In addition, the Ibile Mansion would be retained as a research and tourist centre long after the wrap of the show each season. The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu expressed his satisfaction on the new project.

“This collaboration is an attestation that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture welcomes innovations that

complement the vision of this present administration for the advancement of Tourism, Arts and Culture in the State.

As rightly proposed by Platinum Entertainment, “Queen of IBILE Pageant Awards & Reality”, seeks to redefine contemporary pageantry, empower the girl child and promote tourism, arts and culture in Lagos State and beyond. “Beyond what Lagos is popularly known for in the area of commerce, trade and investment, it is also very instructive to emphasize the fact that Lagos State is a land of culture, arts and entertainment. Through this collaboration, we will be telling the entire world, what the spirit of Lagos truly represents. The story of Lagos and its cultural emancipation would be televised to the whole world with the intention of selling our rich cultural heritage to potential tourists,’’ he revealed.

Plans are underway for Quramo Publishing’s third edition of the Quramo Festival of Words, QFest 2021, with the theme: “Transcendence: Words Defying.”

In 2020, the Quramo Festival of Words was themed, Creativity Reset: The Future of Words, as a way of interrogating the adjustments resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, globally.

Ayear after, Transcendence: Words Defying will unravel how storytellers and creatives around the world, have modified words – for enlightenment and restoration, and as an effective tool in the fight for social justice and equality. In a statement issued by the Festival Director, Iquo DianaAbasi, the festival will explore some new frontiers of expression.

“With the popularity of transmedia tools such as Podcasts, Zoom, Instagram, Club-House, WhatsApp, and many other virtual platforms for expression, words have taken on different forms; from written texts to audio documents and visual texts, as such, this festival will explore the effectiveness of these new forms in the age of clampdowns.

“From social media bans to worsening inflation, brain drain and numerous killings across Nigeria and Africa, Quramo Festival of Words, QFest will look at a dynamic range of human issues in the throes and aftermath of a pandemic, and how different artists explore these issues and cope with

Mrs. Gbemi Shasore

the harsh impacts of the pandemic on the creative industry,’’ she stated.

Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, Executive Publisher, Quramo Publishing, and convener of QFest 2021 explained the rationale behind this year’s thematic focus.

“This year’s theme, Transcendence: Words Defying is apt, as it captures the struggles of creative’s who, though amongst the worst hit and the most stifled, during and after a pandemic, are constantly seeking meaning and restoration through all the traditional and alternative modes of creative expression that words allow.”

This year’s edition of Quramo Festival of Words (QFest) will explore its theme through poetry, book chats, panel discussions, film and more. The guest line up of fifty includes Professor Ahmed Yerima, Dike Chukwumerije, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Femi Odugbemi, and many more exciting creative voices.

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Alvin Ukpeh: Discovering Passion for Photography in Solitude Alvin Ukpeh is a 26-year old Nigerian graduate of Agribusiness Management from the University of West Virginia. Born in America, he moved back to Nigeria where he now lives and works while also honing his new found passion and creativity in photography. Before now, Ukpeh was at a desolate point in terms of a career path, having studied Agribusiness Management abroad but had gone into oil and gas on his return to Nigeria.

At this point of ambivalence, he went into a state of solitude during which he found his passion in photography.

The result of this was an assembly of creative visuals at a recent photography exhibition he titled “Solitude”. In this interview with MARY NNAH he talks about his inspiration, challenges and aspiration back then from Uyo where I spent most of the lockdown period and then a few more months with my family I came back to Lagos and then decided to take the trips because I haven’t travelled in almost two years. So, I need that time for myself.

What informed the title of the exhibition “Solitude”? t is titled, “Solitude”, because at a specific time in my life that was how I was feeling and that is what shaped a lot of my pictures that you see here today.

So this exhibition is very intimate to me and that was what gave me the concept to shoot most of these pictures.

I

Can you tell me about your educational background?

I studied Agribusiness Management at University of West Virginia. I went to high school in Lekki British School, Lagos and I went to primary school at The Rock Montessori School in Lagos as well.

So, can you share a bit of that intimate experience that brought about this?

You see, at a time, I was also influenced by lockdown, so I had to be by myself for about four months and after that I took a trip to about three countries and seven cities including New York, USA; Maryland, USA, California, Puerto Rico, which inspired most of these pictures here today. I just went on a photography trip just for myself and just to collate how I was feeling, the state of my mind and so, I was just shooting how I felt which you see in a lot of these pictures that have one person in them.

Subconsciously, I was shooting but did not realise until when I was going through my recent shoots and found out that this is how I was feeling. I really believe in the quote

by David Alan Harvey, “Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like” and that’s how I take my pictures and my angles.

You studied Agribusiness and now you are going far apart from your first interest.

How do you reconcile that?

So I did study Agriculture but when I moved back to Nigeria I got into oil and gas. I have been there for the past four years. I have learnt a lot and I appreciate my company for that, and then I decided to leave them and chase my dreams.

At what point exactly did you discover the passion for photography?

I have had this passion since I was a child but I just never took it seriously until about two years ago when I decided to take it up fully and it came easy to me… like it brought out my artistic nature and I was able to express it through photography very easily.

Talking about being in solitude even when you had your parents and family around you, one would wonder what really made you feel alone and cut off.

Yes, you can have people around you and still feel alone. I am not saying that I do not appreciate the presence of my parents but I was still by myself. I was still thinking about my life and about things that I had to do.

It is great to have people around but you can still feel alone even with the presence of so many people around you even if it’s family or friends.

Most of your works are tagged 2021?

That means you just started this journey.

This is a collection of works starting from between January and February, this year when I travelled and when I was in the solitude state of mind. So, yes, I started collating all the pictures displayed here six months ago.

How was it that easy to compile all these within the space of six months?

I shoot a lot. I got a lot and I just shoot random things. I shoot what makes me feel sad and what makes me feel happy and what makes me feel like I am in a state of solitude. And they just came naturally to me.

What does photography do to the mind?

There is a saying that pictures speak a thousand words, so when you look at the pictures, you first connect to the picture mentally, and then you have a story in your head that makes you connect to the picture and that affects your emotion and then you equally get joined with the picture or it reminds you of someone, something or somewhere you were in life or about an event or something really important to you.

That’s how powerful pictures are.

What challenges did you face in the course of compiling these pictures?

The only challenge I had was selecting my favourite pieces that I will display here.

That was the most challenging task because I shot a lot of pictures that expressed how I felt at that particular time.

Are you into this for the financial gains or for passion?

You didn’t take it seriously in the past. Was it connected to family?

No it wasn’t about my family. It was a hobby but I didn’t take it seriously because in our culture, there is this one way of thinking … where it is to go to school, come out, get a secured job and all of that. I was scared to deviate from that but when I finally decided to do it, I felt a lot of joy, freedom, happiness and now we are here.

Alvin Ukpeh

It is titled, “Solitude”, because at a specific time in my life that was how I was feeling and that is what shaped a lot of my pictures that you see here today. So this exhibition is very intimate to me and that was what gave me the concept to shoot most of these pictures This is my passion and I found this is my talent. It comes easy to me and I enjoy it. So, I am doing what I love.

Was it your state of solitude that drove you into this passion or you’ve always had it?

No. The thing is that I have always had a passion for photography. I have always known that I am artistic. I used to write but I didn’t know how to do that art or how to express my mind until I decided to try putting it into photography, which I had already had a passion for. That’s what drove me to

actually fully indulge in it.

So, do we see you taking up this as a source of livelihood, maybe in future?

My brand is NYV. It is going to be a conglomerate of companies that are involved in fashion design, a collection of photographers and a collection of curators.

It is going to be a one-stop shop for the entertainment and corporate industries and this is the starting point for that.

Where were you before you embarked on your photography trips?

I was staying in Lagos. I just got

So what do you think about such a culture of always making us think the proper thing to do is to make us go to school, get a certificate and then get a job?

You do need to go to school, study something good, and get your certificate.

Our generation is already doing that but our generation is changing the landscape in terms of we are beginning to explore our creative side; our art and art is beginning to become more accepted. And our generation is starting to push that narrative that you can do what you love to do and you can express yourself in art without having to go through the norms. You can be an alternative and that is accepted.

Solitude is a very personal experience for you and it has been able to bring peace of mind to you but for those who just walk into a place and see your photographs without really knowing the genesis, how do these pictures help them?

Solitude is basically being alone and at that moment of being alone is reflecting on yourself, thinking about your life, taking your day one step at a time, and making plans to better your future. That’s how I will say my exhibition affects Nigerians.

How often do we expect to see such an exhibition?

I will be holding such exhibitions as often as I’m inspired to do one because I’m not doing it for money. I am doing it because I love it and I want to show people a different side of photography – the conceptual side of photography. So whenever I am in my space, and I have come up with a beautiful concept that I think can help people and help social issues, I will do an exhibition and everybody is invited to come.

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Silent Heroes to Award Elumelu Matriarch, 21 Others for Impacting Humanity Chiemelie Ezeobi Come Saturday, August 21, 2021, about 22 Nigerians would be recognised by the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards (NSHA) for their silent contributions to the development of the society at large.

Themed ‘Celebrating Silent Icons’, the award, which is in its third edition, will take place at Sheraton Hotels, Abuja by 5pm.

According to the Convener, Mr. Odita Sunday-Udemaguna, the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards was anchored on a process of identification, recognition and celebration of those whose life activities have positively impacted humanity within or outside their immediate environment.

He said: “The award Silent Heroes is all about celebrating excellence and achievements.

We love all our deserving awardees.

“A lot of people are over celebrated, while hundreds of Nigerians doing very heroic things are under-celebrated.

This is the reason I founded the Silent Heroes Awards Initiative, an NGO set up to celebrate unsung heroes. ‘’Permit me to say that those we are celebrating were carefully nominated among millions of others given the outstanding contributions they have made over the years in their various spheres to add value to humanity. “ In all honesty, I must say that the awardees of today in their capacities and activities,

particularly in the public space, have remained humble and not audacious in self-praise in spite of their outstanding achievements’.”

Among those to be honoured include the matriarch of the Elumelu family, Mrs. Suzanne Elumelu, who will be awarded with the SILENT HERO IN MOTHERHOOD award for bringing up her children diligently despite the loss of her husband at a very young age.

Among her children are Mr. Tony Elumelu, a celebrated banker and global entrepreneur, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, an astute politician and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Other personalities include the Group Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia; Managing Director of Technocrime Security Limited, Chief Tony Azuya; and Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Also, Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Pauline Tallen; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Women Leader, Alhaja Salamatu Baiwa; Dr. Musa Mohammed, National President RTEAN; Chioma Okezie-Okeh, Assistant News Editor, The Sun Newspapers; CP Ari Mohammed Ali, Delta State Commissioner of Police; Dr. Salisu Abdullahi A. Onipe, Chairman / CEO Epino Consulting Limited; Chief Paulinus Ozonnagbo, Chairman/CEO Polystar

Electronics Limited; Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammad, Manager, Insurance National Petroleum Investment Management Services; are being honoured as heroes in different categories.

Also included are Adizua Nwakuche, CEO of Kaizen Global Limited; Mathew Enemali; Rt. Hon. Hassan

Abdullahi; Dame Joy Nky Okoro, acting General Manager, FCT Water Board , Abuja , Nigeria; Dr. D.K. Olukoya, General Overseer MFM; Asiwaju Mashood Shittu, National Chairman Alliance National Party (ANP) and Chairman/ CEO, Mash Construction Company Limited; Anne

Nwaghodoh, Channels Tv; Jon Tudy Kachikwu, CEO John Tudy Interbiz; and Dr. Stephen Akintayo, CEO Gtext Global. The maiden edition of the award, which was chaired by a former Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) of Immigration Service, Dr. Brasca Ifeadi was held at the Best Western Elomaz Hotel, Asaba

in December, 2019.

The 2020 edition, which was the second in the series, took place at Nicon Hotel, Abuja under the Chairmanship of former Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Epiphany Azinge, who is expected to also chair this year’s event.

Prof. Epiphany Azinge presenting Silent Hero award to representative of Tony Elumelu Foundation, last year

Schneider Electric, Others Reiterate Need forTech Deployment to Ensure Energy Security Chiamaka Ozulumba Schneider Electric has reiterated the need for deployment of technologies to ensure energy security and sustainable development in Nigeria.

General Manager Sub-Saharan Africa for Schneider Electric Process Automation, Mr. Ajibola Akindele, stated this at the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE), with the theme: “The Future of Energy – A Trilogy of Determinants: Climate Change, Public Health, and the

Global Oil Market”, which held in Lagos.

Speaking on a panel on “Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, Akindele noted that energy security is about availability, accessibility and affordability, adding that it is also about meeting today’s challenges without negating the requirement for tomorrow.

According to him, energy security is the life-blood of a country’s economy; but he bemoaned the general lack of energy efficiency in Nigeria – getting energy to the right place at the right time.

This, he said is where technologies come in.

He averred that technology is an enabler and not an end itself, noting that the use of technology helps in good decision-making, transparency, increased production, and cost reduction.

Akindele also noted that there are several technologies available today, which can help players in the oil and gas industry to make better decisions, ensure transparency, increase energy production and reduce cost.

He listed predictive analytics, digital twins, IoT, 3D printing, ro-

botics, machine learning, blockchain, big data and drones deployment as some of the technologies that will continue to matter in the future with respect to operations in the oil and gas industry.

“All of those technologies are coming upstream and we are going to see more and more of those technologies. What do they do? Essentially, when you look at Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, blockchain and Big Data, they help you with better decisionmaking, transparency – so that ultimately you can out-produce more energy at a cheaper price.

You are making it more affordable, hence it becomes more accessible and more available,” he said.

He also listed some of the challenges that may affect the Oil and Gas companies from adopting these technologies as costs, lack of infrastructure backbone and exposure to cyber-attacks. However, he stated that all of these challenges can be successfully mitigated and overcome.

On the challenge of upfront costs, he suggested that these technology services can be provided on a subscription model thereby reducing upfront costs.

He also stated that cyber-attacks while becoming increasingly common, can be mitigated by applying the appropriate technology solutions and constantly educating employees on the threat of cyber-attacks and ensuring vigilance within the organisation.

Akindele concluded by stating that “the use of technology has a big role to play in ensuring energy security and sustainable development in Nigeria”.

He urged organisations to embrace the use of digital technologies where possible for operational efficiency improvements.

Cellente Launches Pro Bono Services for MSMEs to Fight Poverty, Unemployment in Nigeria Chiamaka Ozulumba Cellente Limited is a business management consulting firmthat partners with corporate and personal brands across Africa to grow into desirable global brands by working with these firms and individuals in varying phases of the business cycle; usually from ideation to maturation.

The creative business advisory firm aims at stabilising micro and small businesses in their initial stages of development, enabling these business owners, their customers and the economy to flourish in the current economic climate.

When the world is going through a tightening economic strain, compelling MSMEs to either shutdown or charge higher rates and pushing customers to compensate beyond their budget, Cellente introduces a Pro Bono service that helps level the playing field for small business owners

to continue to thrive, thereby extending these benefits to their clients.

The Director, Cellente Limited, Victoria Odimba shares how her passion compelled her to start up Cellente to provide business advisory and marketing communication solutions to help businesses and individuals thrive in the business world, especially small business owners who cannot afford the basic business requirements to set the business going smoothly.

“I have seen too many micro and small businesses go under due to various challenges such as high operating costs, human resources, inadequate knowledge or lack of business strategy, operational skills and capital to run the business successfully, this is a major concern for me and I knew something had to be done, one MSME at a time.

This led to the birth of the Cellente SME Drive designed to create viable businesses that

Director, Cellente Limited, Victoria Odimba

will drive economic growth.

Cellente aims to partner like minds across various industries to provide financial aid and or products for goods-based businesses and organise regular trainings for these business owners

who are unarguably a vital part of the economy and employment, to enhance growth and sustainability.

After a careful review of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the current situation in most African countries, Cellente

Limited decided to tackle seven of the 17 SDGs with the aim of taking a stand and joining forces to achieve these goals by 2030.

Despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy, challenges still persist that hinders the growth and development of the sector.

According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria have contributed about 48 per cent of the national GDP in the last five years.

With a total number of about 17.4 million, they account for about 50 per cent of industrial jobs and nearly 90 per cent of the manufacturing sector, in terms of number of enterprises.

Though significant growth has been achieved in the MSME sector, there is still much to be done. According to an article on “developing Africa through effective, socially responsible investing”, “there still exists a ‘missing middle’, which finds

it hard to access funds due to the category of funding they belong to.”

Other challenges encountered by the sector include lack of skilled manpower, multiplicity of taxes, and high cost of doing business, among others.

Cellente has introduced its SME Drive with the mission of “challenging the status quo” and seeking to reduce the current state of poverty and unemployment to the barest minimum by partnering and empowering small businesses that have proven beyond doubt to be backbone of the economy and eradicating unemployment, to create viable business solutions, increase revenue, enhance growth and sustainability.

If we are to meet the number one Sustainable Development Goal- to Eradicate Poverty by 2030, “more people will need to be financially empowered; via knowledge acquisition and financial support” Victoria Odimba further added.

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METRO

…Your city life in print

A Voice for Artisans Inthefaceofrisingunemployment,poorfunding, and a pandemic, Goldberg’s Isedowo gives artisans a voice, Chiamaka Ozulumba reports

The Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries with Mai Atafo

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rtisans are storytellers. Through their sheer imagination and craftsmanship, they tell evergreen stories. And while they exist in billions with individual differences, their works have a specific connection to their roots or sensibilities that can only be described in three words: local, ethical, and original.

Artisanal works are usually bespoke. Whether it is the baker down the street, who is famed for his milk bread; the blacksmith who makes life-size sculptures that immortalise people, art, and culture, or the simple roadside hairstylist attending to a long list of clients waiting to get their hair braided into beautiful patterns that reflect their unique personalities. The artisan’s handiwork sets them apart from commercially made products or services.

Artisans are not a new feature in society, though. They form the very backbone of the informal economy since the medieval times.

In recent years, artisan enterprises have continually steered the economies of many countries into prosperity by providing employment. And unlike the formal sector that has a proclivity to favour the male gender to secure a career, the artisanal space is somewhat gender-neutral, serving as an empowerment platform for women and children, pre and post-independence.

Globally, the artisan sector is the second-largest employer in developing countries like Nigeria. Artisans are embedded into the informal sector that accounts for about 65 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), which makes it surprising that the informal sector does not adequately benefit from sufficient funding or an enabling environment.

Compounding the sector’s woes is the influx of foreign commodities manufactured at an industrial scale. Due to the relatively cheap value of imported commercial goods, most individuals tend to forgo locally made products, leaving the local artisan economy to dwindle.

Beneficiaries with Kelechi Amadi But despite these daunting challenges, the artisan space continues to expand due to the low capital investment required, accessibility provided by e-commerce avenues, and the distinctiveness of each product, consumers are now drawn to artisanal works, now more than ever. As of 2020, the global artisan market was valued at US$ 718 billion, almost doubling from its 2017 estimate of US$526.5 billion.

On the home front, the federal government, in its bid to ensure that local artisans have a piece of the ‘artisanal’ pie, encouraged local artisans with one-time grants through its Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP).

Similarly, pioneer brewing company, Nigerian Breweries, under its Goldberg Isedowo initiative, has since 2017, provided local artisans in the southwestern region of Nigeria with non-repayable grants, to tackle the problem of funding and help artisans bolster production to meet demands.

In a sit-down with Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kehinde Kadiri, described Isedowo as a lifeline for artisans. Furthermore, she noted the progress the initiative has

attained through grants and the recent mentorship program.

“As a brand that has immense prominence in the South-west of Nigeria in terms of shares in the beer market, we are pleased to see the number of people who are eager to receive these grants and support their businesses”.

“It is important to not just give people monetary support but to show them how they can utilise it. The brilliant approach of the initiative was pairing them with experts in their field, who will help them improve their skills leveraging the years of invaluable experience,” she added.

Since its inception, the program has empowered over 750 businesses across the region. The 2021 edition visited 10 locations that included Agege, Abeokuta, Ikotun, Osogbo, Ikorodu, Saki, Lakowe Epe, Ibadan, Ado Ekiti, and Akure. At each location, ten winners emerged, with each of them getting a reward of N200,000.

With all locations visited, the initiative has disbursed a total amount of N20,000,000.

One of the winners, Princess Akinlayo, a fashion designer, embodied the vision of the initiative to empower artisans, who in

Since its inception, the program has empowered over 750 businesses across the region...from providing grants to businesses, Goldberg’s Isedowo also emphasises the potential mentoring artisan has in improving their skills to compete with their counterparts on the international stage

turn will empower others. After receiving the grant, she revealed how she plans on absorbing new trainees under her tutelage. She said: “With the seed money, I can empower some youths who want to be fashion designers but do not have that privilege.”

Her focus on empowering others comes at a time (pandemic) when most individuals are seeking means to secure a livelihood. Data from the World Bank shows that 42 percent of overall job losses in April/May 2020, could be traced to COVID-19, with a higher percentage of lost employment among the poorest (49 per cent) and urban (48 per cent) households. The last quarter of 2020 also revealed an increased unemployment rate to 33.3 per cent (23.3 million), up from 27.1 per cent in Q2 2020.

Further from providing grants to businesses, Goldberg’s Isedowo also emphasises the potential mentoring artisan has in improving their skills to compete with their counterparts on the international stage.

With this objective, it handpicked individuals from the field of photography and fashion design to enroll in a mentorship program. Each mentee is currently working under Fashion Tailor Mai Atafo, and Photographer Kelechi Amadi respectively.

It is no surprise that Goldberg Lager Beer is taking this route of preserving culture and history through artisans whilst improving livelihoods. In recent times, it launched Ariya Repete, a music talent show that scouts for talent who make indigenous music peculiar to the southwest region.

With its investment in artisans, Isedowo kick-starts a chain reaction that ensures artisans are well equipped to express their creativity, and in turn, realise a livelihood. While enjoying the progress, the Isedowo initiative impacts directly on their businesses, these artisans will continue on their roles of contributing immensely to the creative world, preserving culture, and more importantly, boosting the overall economy.

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Celebrating 40 Years Custodianship of Eggon Nation The Eggon people of Nasarawa State recently celebrated their royal father, HRH Dr. Bala Abaine Angbazo, as he marked 40 years on the throne of Eggon Nation, reports Igbawase Ukumba

Governor Sule (left) paying homage to the Aren Eggon during the anniversary celebration

L-R Senators Akwashiki, Adamu Al-Makura at the event

The Aren Eggon, Bala Angbazu

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On July 11, 1981, Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo was selected to occupy the exalted stool of Aren Eggon by 22 kingmakers. The stool became vacant following the death of Alhaji Abdullahi Idde, his predecessor, on May 6, 1981.

On July 30, 1981, the executive governor of the then Plateau State, late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, gave official approval to the selection of Bala Angbazo as the paramount ruler of the Eggon people.

It was only fitting that on July 11, 2021, the Eggon people and their well wishers witnessed their traditional ruler, HRH Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo clock 40 years on the throne of his ancestors.

Consequently, the Aren Eggon’s Palace at Nassarawa Eggon town in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State was filled to capacity on that day as people travelled from far and near to the traditional home of the Eggon nation to celebrate the Aren Eggon’s 40th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, the Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), thanked God for sparing their lives to see that day; the 40th anniversary of the Aren Eggon, Bala Abaine Angbazo, on the throne of the Eggon nation.

According to him, “I was privileged to witness when Baba (Bala Angbazo) was installed as the Aren Eggon 40 years ago, because when Baba (Bala Angbazo) was chairman of the then Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in Keffi, my own biological father; was his very close friend and associate, chairman of the NPP in Lafia. Because of that relationship, I became very close to Baba (Bala Angbazo).

“Each time my father was to visit the Aren Eggon, I came along with him, over 40 years.

And that time I had already graduated, I had already passed through the law school. But my father will insist each time he visited the Aren Eggon, I must be there. Baba embraced us like he did to James and the others of his children.

We pray God to give him long life so that we will continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience.”

For the senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, it was a congratulations to one of the longest serving traditional rulers in Nasarawa State and one of the longest living true citizen of Nasarawa State, Bala Angbazo; the Aren Eggon.

Al-Makura said he wanted to “congratulate the Aren Eggon on his 40th anniversary and by the special grace of God, to celebrate with the royal father, and also to recognise him and appreciate him for what he has done to humanity. Al-Makura’s thought was that the day was an opportunity to extol the qualities of a good leader and qualities of citizenship that the royal father has attained

In the last 40 years, the Aren Eggon has championed peaceful and cordial neighbourliness between his people and their neighbours over his 80 years on earth.

Al-Makura, who is the immediate past governor of Nasarawa State said: “His Royal Highness, the Aren Eggon, has been a frontliner in bringing about development in different facets of life not only in Nasarawa State, but in the former Benue-Plateau State, in the former Plateau State and now Nasarawa State.

“The Aren Eggon has paid his dues in terms of commercial activities by expanding the scope of business across the state right from when he started in Keffi to when he reached his optimum when we were in Plateau State. He also contributed to the physical development of Nasarawa State by being one of the best contractors Plateau State has ever had.”

“Aren Eggon has also tremendously promoted educational development in Nasarawa State by establishing a school that many citizens, not only of Eggon land but beyond, have benefited. And what is more, His Royal Highness has contributed to the development of politics; politics without bitterness, politics with a focus, politics with a vision which some of us who were in NPN then had very special respect to the Aren Eggon.”

Not only that, Senator Al-Makura continued that he was privileged in his growing years to be part of an entourage in which His Royal Highness led with other leaders of Plateau State to go and organise the first trade fair of Nasarawa State. He explained that that was way back in 1982.

“The Aren Eggon was one of the leaders that led us across the world from London to America, Japan, Korea and Taiwan to organise the first trade fair that Plateau State would ever remember as one of the best outings the state has ever had.

“On this note, I want to associate myself with the earlier speakers who have extolled the good qualities of the Aren Eggon, and also pray for his good health, wisdom and also pray for his domain that may the Almighty continue to give peace and stability in Eggon land and in Nasarawa State,” Al-Makura prayed.

“For the 40 years Bala Angbazo has been on the throne of his ancestors, he remains grateful to God for the respect accorded to him by his people.

Very importantly, is the peace prevailing over the Eggon nation,” these were the words of chairman of the event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Aren Eggon, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Senator Adamu, who was the first executive governor of Nasarawa State, said God called Bala Angbazo to be the platform for the peace and unity being enjoyed in the Eggon nation. However, he said there was bound to be little skirmishes here and there occasionally which is not peculiar to any group. He however said when such arises, the Aren Eggon and the Eggon people would not allow it to fester too long.

Abdullahi Adamu, who is the senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, added: “One of the greatest calls he (Aren Eggon) often makes and to which the people have heeded and have been acting on is the call to send children to school. In the last 40 years, the Eggon have recorded giant strides in the educational attainment. He (Aren Eggon) is often happy about the feat the Eggon people have been recording in different fields of education.

“In the last 40 years, the Aren Eggon has championed peaceful and cordial neighbourliness between his people and their neighbours. To God be the glory, the Eggons are found in every local government in the state as farmers. Therefore, every ethnic group in Nasarawa State is a neighbour to Eggon people, and his (Aren Eggon) message always is that the Eggon people must embrace peace at all times. Thank God they have heeded to the call and this has paid off very well.”

Senator Adamu, who is the Turakin Keffi, stated further that the Eggon community had had its sad moments which is natural and human as within the past 40 years, the Aren Eggon experienced a few hiccups. Adamu continued that one of Aren Eggon’s saddest moments in the past 40 years, precisely in 2007, “was when devil planted the seed of bitterness in some few disgruntled youths to set fire on their traditional ruler’s palace which destroyed quite some valuables. So much historical documents were lost in that fire.”

“The Ombatse saga was indeed a terrible nightmare to the Aren Eggon. It is a development he prayed would never occurred again. The palace was overwhelmed during the period it lasted right through the panels of inquiry.”

Nevertheless, the Turakin Keffi stated that the only directive that the Aren Eggon issued to his people which had been kept in the bridge was the bride price he pegged at not more than N15,000; the educational or social standing of the girl not

withstanding.

“The issue has been of great concern to him (the Aren Eggon) because it is not giving a good image to the people. Aren Eggon however believes that his people will soon respond to that directive and act appropriately,” Senator Adamu maintained.

Perhaps, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State was one of the happiest person on that day to learn much how much the Aren Eggon has touched the lives of many, adding that the Aren Eggon also touched his life too.

Acccording to Sule, “my father didn’t meet him (Aren Eggon) in the area of politics. My father has been a friend to him in the area of carrying out their contracts. I have the opportunity to see one thing that he had done for my father. The very first brand new 404 Peugeot that my father drove, he was the person that bought it for him. And that is one thing that I have never forgotten. And that is why time and again I used the opportunity when I was passing by to stop and see him, and everytime we remember the good old periods of that time.

“Unlike our father the Emir of Lafia, my father was in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), but they were the best of friends even though he was in the NPP. One of the greatest thing Baba (Aren Eggon) has done to me today is changing my tittle from “Alaku” to “Madauci”. What a wonderful tittle to give me on a day like this. The only day I received this kind of emotional tittle was in Kwandare when I was been made and given tittle the same time with the man I so much love, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, being the “Sardauna”.

“I pray that God will continue to unite people of the state. We must be united. We must continue to respect each other. We must have peace for one another. There is time for everything; there is time for politics, there is time for governance. This is the time for governance, let us keep politics aside and let us continue to embrace the unity of this state, and the development of this state.”

Sule said Nasarawa is a state with great potentials, with talented people and they must be able to utilise all the available resources they have to develop the state. He therefore called on people of the state, especially in Nasarawa Eggon, to come together and embrace peace.

“I want to congratulate my brother, Danladi Envulanza, who was mentioned here that he is single handedly renovating the Aren Eggon’s Palace.

And it will be a great honour for me to come and commission this palace,” he concluded.

The celebrant, HRH Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo, said the last time he did an occasion like this was in 2009, adding that on July 11, 2021 was the next time he was doing it. He prayed for long life on earth to enable him turban the Madaucin Eggon himself.

According to him, “the day Governor Sule will commission the renovated Aren Eggon’s Palace, will be the day that I will turban him as the Madaucin Eggon.”

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Senator Nnamani Goes Back to School as Visiting Professor of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Chiamaka Ozulumba The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has embarked on its 2021 annual recess and barring any unforeseen circumstances that may warrant emergency resumption, the recess will last for two months.

It offers opportunity for the federal lawmakers to return to their constituencies to give account of their stewardship, retrospect or review the journey so far in order to project into the future. This is ordinarily the norm.

However, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone, a medical doctor and teacher is taking a different perspective.

While most senators embark on the vacation, Senator Nnamani goes to Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) to teach in the Department of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine. He will however do so pro bono.

In March 2020, the foremost state university appointed Senator Nnamani as a Visiting Professor of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology. This, ESUT said “is in approval and recognition of his works, research and promotion of maternal and child health”.

The university Registrar, Dr. Leonard O. Khama confirmed this in the appointment letter to Senator Nnamani.

In the letter, the Registrar told Senator Nnamani that “as a Visiting Professor, your duties include block teaching, students supervision and research in your department and such other related assignments as are consistent with your status.”

Reacting to the appointment, Senator Nnamani said it is another window to contribute to health sector by helping to train medical personnel and giving back to the society.

The two time Governor of Enugu State stated: “I will make my contributions to the university

Nnamani

using the available time during recess in Enugu to provide teaching, research and guidance to students.”

He said he would focus on maternal and fetal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology and medical physiology as well as special clinical areas such as fetus surveillance and complications in pregnancies.

The appointment as a professor, he reiterated is another opportunity to impact knowledge on the younger generation of

health care providers bringing his American health system and Nigerian experiences to bear. The twin advantages, he hopes would enrich the knowledge of his students.

Senator Nnamani, a graduate of University of Nigeria, Enugu Medical School is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

He belongs to a number of professional societies such as the Society for Perinatal Obstetricians, American Society for Cell Biology, and Society for Gynecologic Investigations amongst others.

It is to his credit as the governor of the Coal City state between 1999 and 2007 that ESUT moved from the old campus in Enugu to its new permanent site in Agbani built by him.

Senator Nnamani also transformed the then Parklane Specialist Hospital into a modern and well equipped Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine for ESUT. It should be noted that since his return to the Senate in 2019, Senator Nnamani has made the issue of maternal and child health the centre of his legislative advocacy. He is also an unrepentant promoter of education for the girl-child.

He is in the forefront of the campaign against violation of women and children’s rights. He abhors all forms of discrimination against women such as early or forced marriage, child labour as well as obnoxious harmful cultural practices including genital mutilation and denial of right to inheritance.

Informed decisions through sincere dialogue and legislative advocacy, Senator Nnamani believes would put Nigeria in a better stead for the good of all.

Hate or love him, Senator Nnamani is a phenomenon, an ideas man and an irrepressible stakeholder in the politics of Enugu State since the return of democratic rule. His Ebeano political empire has continued to produce the state governors, senators and virtually all the political office holders in the Coal City state since 1999.

Even in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, it is almost certain that the Ebeano family would dictate the pace in Enugu politics based on the political arithmetic.

Nnamani unarguably holds sway.

Celebrating the Life andTime of Hon. Emma Osigwe Ingram Osigwe According to Abraham Lincoln,”in the end, it is not the years in your life that counts, it is the life in your years” The above underpins the life trajectory of the late Hon. Emmanuel Osigwe.

Born 88 years ago in Umuopia,Akokwa, Ideato North local government area of Imo, the late Osigwe was an educationist who encouraged many young people to embrace education.

Not only did he preach the gospel of education through out Akokwa, as a headmaster, he was instrumental to the establishment of a primary school at his immediate community, Umuopia.

As a bridge-builder, he not only ensured that Akokwa kids got quality education, he also collaborated with his friend and traditional ruler of the neighbouring Umuchu in Aguata LGA Anambra State , HRH Igwe Ignatius Offorbuike( Ezeora)of blessed memory to ensure that many got admitted to Umuchu High school.

In the same manner, it was through his instrumentality and friendship with the late Umuchu monarch that several Akokwa indigenes got employed as teachers in Anambra State.

A one-time councillor in Ideato North local government, the late Hon. Osigwe was a stickler for discipline and honesty, virtues he wore like a garb through out his 88 years on earth.

He was indeed an embodiment of the virtues of honesty and integrity.

As a political leader, he held tightly, stubbornly to these virtues and applied them to his everyday conduct.

For example, piqued by the corruption that oozed from the Ideato North local government then, Hon. Osigwe had petitioned the then Imo state Military Administrator over the frivolous spending of the council Chairman, a situation that was to cost him his position as councillor, salaries and comfort.

As a politician and community, Hon Osigwe was a sincerely altruistic person, never known with no attachment to material things. He served his people selflessly, attracting development to them.

He was contented with his pension and never

Osigwe

longed for ostentatious, ill acquired wealth.

Sadly, the country he served meritoriously denied his pension to the end.

As a loving husband and father,Hon. Osigwe greatly brought his virtues and philosophies of life to bear on his household.

No wonder all his children turned out shining stars in their various areas of endeavour.

Right from their young age, the late Hon. Osigwe had ensured that all his children imbibed the value of education.

For example, they all grew up to see the massive library in the house which he got International Organisations to equip with

books.

He would later strive to ensure that all the kids got quality education up to university level.

Emma was born when education had started to make meaning to Akokwa people. He was bracing up for the white man’s education when his father Osigwe, died in December 1940. Emma was just eight years old.

Together, his most senior brother Celestine, and their mother Nwanebe saw him through primary education. The young Emma obtained the then respected Standard Six

Certificate and had a stint in teaching before proceeding to a Teachers Training.

Born in 1932, the late Hon. Osigwe was trained as a teacher at Azaraegbelu Teachers Training College where he obtained grade- three teacher’s certificate and then became a full fledged teacher.

He later did a required one year course in Education and became a grade- one teacher(an equivalent of today’s NCE) His last posting was to Community Secondary School, Osina in Ideato North, Imo State from where he meritoriously retired in 1997.

Hon. Emma Osigwe spent his retirement life farming (on a higher scale), reading and writing as well as in rendering some humanitarian services.

His zeal for selfless community service was unwavering. For example, on retirement in 1997, Emma Osigwe took it upon himself to continue to check the devastating erosion from central school (near his house) to Ama-Agba junction.

To crown it all, in 2011, Emma used both his Federal and State Pension to construct deep gutters on both sides of the said road up to a point.

The news of this uncommon patriotic act got to the leadership of the Umuopia Development Union of the time. The President- General then, late Chief (Sir) Anthony C. Okpara (Aputaifeadi) approached the Opia of Umuopia, Eze (Dr) Don Opurozor who approved of a well-worded letter of commendation to this icon.

A consummate family man, In 1965, Emma met his heartthrob, a fashion- designer of all-time, late Mrs Ifeoma Osigwe (nee Munonye-Asiegbu) from Umuojii Umukegwu- Akokwa. The union was blessed with five surviving children- all with family.

Astrong- willed personality, few heart rending occurrences in his later life were to directly tugged at Emma’s heart.

These were the death, almost in quick succession of two of his children- both science graduates- and then that of his dear wife after a protracted illness few years later.

Emma succumbed to the vagaries of old age on February 26, 2021 and was immediately buried in accordance with his last wishes.

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FG Urged to Provide Investments Platform for Indigenous Iron, Steel Manufacturers Hammed Shittu ÓØ ÖÙÜÓØ The Chairman, Basic Metal, Fabricated Iron and Steel Products, Mr Kamoru Yusuf has advised the federal government to provide investment platform that would assist the indigenous manufacturers of iron and steel of doing business in order to boost economic growth of the country.

Yusuf who is also the Chief Executive Officer of KAM Wire Holdings, Ilorin gave the advice while speaking at the meeting of stakeholders in iron and steel sector in the country held in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

The meeting was organised to deliberate on status of the industry and propose strategies for the development of the sector and was attended by relevant government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as local and foreign chief executives of iron and steel companies.

He said it is high time the government holds only marginal interest and the indigenous investors get major interests in order to accelerate the growth of steel and iron sector in the country.

Yusuf said that future of iron and steel business in Nigeria will heavily be dictated by the policy thrust of the government, which,

he said, must be tailored towards rendering necessary support and ease of doing business to investors in the sectors.

He said it is the position of the general public that Ajaokuta steel plant should work again in the hands of local investors.

Nigeria, he said, needs to pride herself as the giant of Africa by making judicious use of her highly talented, patriotic and committed indigenous investors with adequate recognition of the stakes of the government.

He said, “Without mincing words, the assets should not be handed over to foreign investor(s), rather, it should be managed 100 per cent by a competent indigenous investor who had demonstrated capability with evidence of success stories on existing steel plants and wire processing factories.

“With this, government can and may own 40%, while the investor will own 60%. This will no doubt, enhance easy, sustainable, and rewarding business fortunes for the nation.

Every phase and processes of the investment must be given cognizance attention and priority.”

Yusuf also said that the nation is assured that the capital and proceeds would remain here

and will be re-invested into our economy, if indigenous steel investors are given the chance to resuscitate Ajaokuta.

He said that FG should take a cue from its developed counterparts by allowing Credit Insurance Underwriters to operate in Nigeria, adding that investment in the iron and steel business is capital-intensive with huge risks.

He noted further that, “We believe that with policy shift, some benefits will accrue.

This would complement the Backward-Integration Policy of the Government, which seeks to preserve our scarce foreign exchange and create employment for millions of Nigerians directly and indirectly.

“There will be more liquidity in the Nigerian economy and Nigeria would have the opportunity of competing with her peers in the continent and across the globe. It will minimise brain drain to foreign countries in the name of search for greener pasture, especially among our teeming youths. Nigeria would be able to participate successfully in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and compete favourably among countries in the continent, “he said.

Stanbic IBTC, EDC Train over 3,500 Entrepreneurs Head, Enterprise Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Emeka Obasi has reiterated the bank’s commitment to providing the proper support and solutions for individuals and businesses to achieve their goals.

In a statement, he said Stanbic IBTC established SME Capacity Building series, which has trained over 3,500 entrepreneurs in the country.

“As part of its commitment to help stimulate and grow a solid and active small and medium scale enterprises sector in Nigeria, the bank established SME Capacity Building series, which has trained over 3,500 entrepreneurs in the country.

“To further strengthen the initiative, the Bank, in 2019, entered a partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Lagos Business School. This partnership aims at equipping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with skills and competencies needed to manage their businesses profit-

ably, develop and pitch viable business proposals, maximise their business capital, trade and prepare them for easy access to finance.

“Stanbic IBTC’s commitment to building capacity among enterprises stems from our deep understanding of the important role these enterprises play in providing linkages to industries, employment generation and driving growth of the Nigerian economy,” he stated.

He added that participants are trained in essential topics such as Understanding your Market (Competition Analysis, Marketing Plan, Segmentation); Operation and Business Model; Business Plan (Template review and Development); Taxation; and Marketing, Business Management; among other relevant topics.

He said Stanbic IBTC Bank boasts of highly trained and motivated staff with the requisite expertise in enterprise financing and support.

Executive Director, Business and Commercial Clients at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Remy Osuagwu, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting enterprises.

According to Remy, “Our key mandate of financial intermediation ensures that we are mindful of providing the right support and solutions for individuals and businesses to achieve their goals and this workshop series represents another opportunity for Stanbic IBTC Bank; to help develop and sharpen participants’ business skills.”

He explained that as part of its support for small and medium scale enterprises, Stanbic IBTC regularly organises training for enterprise operators. This is among other benefits, and the trainings seek to equip enterprise operators with financial, marketing, and management skills that they can readily apply to transform their businesses to grow their bottom lines and ensure business continuity.

Nirsal MFB Denies Alleged Extortion of Loan Applicants James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB) yesterday denied claims that its staff had extorted applicants and promised to grant them approvals for their loan requests.

In a statement, the bank management described the accusation as not only spurious but unfounded as “NMFB frowns at any form of unethical practices or unprofessional conduct which contravenes our policy and core values”.

Some aggrieved individuals who applied for loans under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Agribusiness Small & Medium Enterprises Scheme (AGSMEIS)

had alleged that the bank conspired with Entrepreneurial Development Institutions (EDIs) to extort money from applicants with the promise to grant them approvals for their loan requests.

“NMFB has repeatedly warned applicants, through various social media platforms, that the AGSMEIS loan application process is individual-based, after the completion of a N10,000-cost training exercise by NMFBaccredited Entrepreneurial Development Institutions, EDIs. “The business plan, which is also automatically generated on the portal, has two options - a free application and another that cost N5,000. Applicants have the liberty to use any of

the two business plan options.

No EDI has the right to charge extra cost,” the statement added.

The bank further urged applicants to report any observed anomalies or form of solicitation directly or through its whistleblower channels.

It also said that applicants who were recently sent a decline application message due to their inability to meet our set current risk assessment criteria that they could re-apply with a business plan tailored to the new maximum of N3 million threshold at no cost to them.

“Once again, we remind all Nigerians that the AGSMEIS loan is not a grant but a loan” it added.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT THURSDAY, 15 JULY 2021

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $73.15 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $75.29 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

43

T H I S D AY FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021

MARKET NEWS

Stock Market Reveres Negative Investors’ Sentiment, Gains 0.32% Darasimi Adebisi The Nigerian equities market yesterday reversed previous day’s negative sentiment to appreciate by 0.32 per cent on bargain-hunting activities in MTN Nigeria Communications and 22 others.

The positive performance was buoyed by investors’ increased buying interest in some recently depreciated large and medium scale stock prices.

In summary, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) AllShare Index (ASI) grew by 124.62 basis points, representing an increase of 0.32 per cent, to close at 39,670.29 basis points from 39,545.67 basis points.

Consequently, the overall market capitalisation value gained N65 billion to close at N20.669 trillion from N20.604trillion it opened for trading.

The market breadth closed positive with 23 gainers and 16

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

losers. Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals and NAHCO recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent each, to close at N1.87 and N2.97 respectively, while Honeywell Flour Mills followed with a gain 9.96 per cent to close at N2.98, per share.

BOC Gases rose by 9.90 per cent to close at N11.10 and Pharma Deko Plc went up 9.79 per cent to close at N1.57, per share.

On the other hand, Nigerian

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Breweries led the losers’ chart by 8.77 per cent to close at N52.00, per share.

Consolidated Hallmark Insurance followed with a decline of 6.67 per cent to close at 42 kobo, while Sovereign Trust Insurance lost 3.70 per cent to close at 26 kobo, per share.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) declined 3.64 per cent to close at N5.30, while FCMB Group shed 3.50 per cent to close at N3.03, per

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

share.

The total volume of trades increased by 52.8 per cent to 201.840 million units, valued at N1.680 billion, and exchanged in 3,274 deals. Transactions in the shares of Courteville Business Solutions topped the activity chart with 34.829 million shares valued at N10.1 million. ETI followed with 18.675 million shares worth N102.119 million, while Transnational Corporation

O F

of Nigeria (Transcorp) traded 12.785 million shares valued at N12.472 million.

NAHCO traded 11.271 million shares valued at N31.774 million, while Honeywell Flour Mills transacted 10.981 million shares worth N32.722 million.

Analysts at Afrinvest Limited said that “We expect the positive sentiment to dominate tomorrow’s trading session amidst bargain-hunting opportunities in some large-cap stocks.”

1 9 / 0 8 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

44

˾ FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021

Friday, August 20, 2021

s

Thisday 4040 Index rose byby 8bps ThisdayAfrinvest Afrinvest Index fell 14bps The The dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ϴďƉƐ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϲϳϮ͘Ϭϵ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

points due topoints buying due interest in ZENITH ;нϬ͘ϮйͿ͕ MTNN ;нϮ͘ϲйͿ͕ at 1,674.89 to sell-pressure on ZENITH (-0.6%), and WAPCO ;нϯ͘ϴйͿ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ

WAPCO (-1.3%), and UBA (-0.7%). These stocks cumula16.3%.

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘Ϯй͘

Yesterday, ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ WAPCO zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ bargain-ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ƵƉƟĐŬ MTNN ŝŶ ;нϮ͘ϲйͿ͕ ,KEz&>KhZ (+3.8%), ACCESS (+1.1%) drove ĂŶĚ gains & E, on the local bourse, as (+9.8%),and E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ (+0.7%) bolthe All-Share index (ASI) advanced by ϯϮďƉƐ ƚŽ ϯϵ͕ϲϳϬ͘Ϯϵ

stered ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ the local bourse as the All-

points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ to -1.5% while market

Share

index

rose

by

ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ േϲϰ͘ϵďŶ ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϳƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ

Price Change Index to Date

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

Ticker

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,672.09

0.08%

13.9%

67.2%

15.0%

3.5%

750.00

0.0%

29.4%

-12.0%

-12.0%

12.3%

4.4%

68.00

0.0%

10.5%

-12.1%

-12.1%

19.1%

11.2%

32.7x

6.2x

28.00

-0.2%

8.6%

-13.4%

-13.4%

26.6%

4.3%

4.0x

1.0x

10.7%

24.8% 30.6%

,ƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ĂƌŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ DdEE Θ t W K ƐƉƵƌƐ 'ĂŝŶƐ͘​͘​͘ ^/ ƵƉ

ASI up 11bps as DANGCEM Gains 3.3% 32bps

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Current Price

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc 3 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC 5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

5.2x

0.7x

5.6%

ot Applicable

2.2%

14.5% 3.1%

24.25

0.2%

7.0%

-2.2%

-2.2%

23.1%

2.9%

3.3x

0.7x

12.4%

249.60

0.0%

6.5%

1.9%

1.9%

44.7%

17.5%

12.5x

5.4x

6.4%

8.0%

176.50

2.6%

5.4%

3.9%

3.9%

143.0%

12.4%

14.2x

18.0x

5.9%

7.0%

1,400.00

0.0%

3.9%

-7.0%

-7.0%

143.5%

17.1%

28.4x

48.6x

4.3%

3.5%

23.00

3.8%

3.9%

9.3%

9.3%

9.9%

7.1%

10.3x

1.0x

4.5%

9.7%

9.10

1.1%

3.2%

7.7%

7.7%

16.4%

1.4%

2.8x

0.4x

8.8%

36.2%

11bps to 39,550.36 points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ŝŵͲ

8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

proved to -1.8% while ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

7.60

-0.7%

2.5%

-12.1%

-12.1%

2.2x

0.4x

6.8%

44.8%

7.40

0.7%

2.7%

3.5%

3.5%

10.6%

1.0%

3.5x

0.3x

6.1%

29.0%

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

52.00

-8.8%

2.0%

-7.1%

-7.1%

5.6%

2.2%

43.6x

2.5x

1.8%

2.3%

41.00

0.0%

2.3%

8.6%

8.6%

20.7%

2.9%

7.3x

1.4x

8.4%

13.7%

-5.9%

-2.5%

ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ ϱϮ͘ϴй ƚŽ ϮϬϭ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ while ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϯϳ͘Ϯй ƚŽ േϭ͘ϳďŶ͘ The most trad-

േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ed stocks by volume were COURTVILLE (34.8m units), ETI (18.7m ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ Ϯϭ͘ϲй ƚŽ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ value units), and TRANSCORP ;ϭϮ͘ϴŵ ǁŚŝůĞ ƵŶŝƚƐ MTNNǁŚŝůĞ ;േϱϰϯ͘ϴŵͿ͕ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ďLJ ϴϴ͘ϱй ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ The most ůĞĚ traded ZENITH ƌŽƐĞ ;േϭϰϬ͘ϴŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ GTCO ;േϭϭϵ͘ϬŵͿ ďLJ stocks ǀĂůƵĞ͘ by volume were dZ E^ KZW ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ & E, (11.1m Mixed Sector Performance ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕ Across sectors under our coverage, ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ performance was mixed as E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K 3 indices gained while 3 indices ůŽƐƚ͘ dŚĞ &Z-/ d ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĚ the

gainers chart with a 1.4% gain, driven by buying interest in

Bearish Sector Performance COURTVILLE (+7.4%) and MTNN ;нϮ͘ϲйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ and /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ indices by 0.8% ĂŶĚ ϮϮďƉƐ was ƌĞͲ Across sectors under ouradvanced coverage, performance ƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJas 4ŽŶ ƚŚĞ lost, ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ gained ƉƌŝĐĞ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &Z-/ d ƵƉƟĐŬ ŝŶ AIIbearish indices 1 index CO ;нϯ͘ϮйͿ͕ WAPIC ;нϮ͘ϭйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ WAPCO ;нϯ͘ϴйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞͲ

ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ

ly, ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž lost the most, down 1.7% due

er 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ Insurance indices, down 4.6% and

to sell pressure on NIGERIAN BREWERIES (-8.8%) and

ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> (DANGSUGAR (-Ϭ͘ϲйͿ͘ ůƐŽ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ fell

9.1%),

hE/> s Z

(-3.5%),

>/E< ^^hZ

(-6.4%),

ďLJ ϳďƉƐ ĂŶĚ ϲďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĂƐ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ

and D E^ Z (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ ETERNA (-Ϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ ETI (-3.6%), and FCMB (-3.5%). ing indices fell by Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K (-0.8%), E/d, (-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ Investor ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 16 SEPLAT Energy PLC 17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

0.0%

1.4%

-16.0%

-16.0%

0.0%

1.2%

11.5%

11.5%

759.70

0.0%

2.1%

88.8%

0.0%

19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC 24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC 28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC 30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance 32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 Total Nigeria PLC 34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC

3.1%

1.7%

7.4%

3.2%

er, up 1.8% driven by price appreciaĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ ϭ͘ϱdž ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϭdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ

T ic k er

ƟŽŶ in ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ E' D (+3.3%). ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϯ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ

5.7%

20.2x

0.6x

5.8%

5.0%

0.0%

1.0%

20.9%

20.9%

37.4%

23.6%

8.1x

2.8x

6.7%

12.3%

-0.8%

0.7%

-4.8%

-4.8%

11.4%

1.1%

2.4x

0.3x

9.1%

41.8%

5.30

-3.6%

0.6%

-11.7%

-11.7%

1.5%

0.1%

17.7x

0.2x

17.85

-0.6%

0.6%

1.4%

1.4%

25.6%

12.1%

6.9x

1.6x

8.4%

14.5%

5.7%

3.03

-3.5%

0.5%

-9.0%

-9.0%

1.52

-1.3%

0.3%

-25.5%

-25.5%

8.9%

0.8%

3.8x

0.3x

3.3%

14.65

0.0%

0.4%

1.0%

1.0%

20.7%

5.9%

14.6x

3.0x

2.8%

6.8%

0.98

2.1%

0.4%

8.9%

8.9%

-1.3%

-0.3%

0.6x

1.0%

-2.2%

72.60

0.0%

0.3%

2.3%

2.3%

17.9%

7.3%

2.3x

2.7%

15.00

0.0%

0.2%

7.9%

7.9%

-6.2%

-4.1%

6.00

0.0%

0.2%

13.2%

13.2%

6.85

-1.0%

0.3%

45.4%

45.4%

35.5%

4.2%

31.80

0.0%

0.4%

67.4%

67.4%

-17.8%

-9.0%

6.40

2.4%

0.2%

9.4%

9.4%

24.7%

7.5%

3.2x

0.8x

0.98

3.2%

0.2%

-13.3%

-13.3%

20.5%

3.3%

3.0x

0.2x

199.20

0.0%

0.3%

53.2%

53.2%

25.00

0.0%

0.2%

41.9%

41.9%

18.3%

2.4%

5.0x

26.1%

1.2%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.2%

34.1%

5.0%

13.8x

1.4x

5.2x

1.7x

10.1%

8.6%

15.8%

0.8x

1.6%

19.9% 20.3%

0.7%

4.9x

0.5x

4.6%

7.5%

0.9%

5.8x

0.6x

4.8%

34.1%

14.5%

2.6%

2.1x

0.3x

5.4x

0.7x

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-38.7%

-9.5%

0.1%

-4.4%

-4.4%

12.8%

8.7%

3.92

0.0%

0.0%

8.9%

8.9%

#VALUE!

#VALUE!

2.1x

-21.2% 2.0%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

NA HCO

2.97

10.0%

C OUR T VILLE

34.8

7.4%

N EIM ET H

1.87

10.0%

ET I

18.7

-3.6%

15 stocks declined. NEIMETH (+10.0%), NAHCO (+10.0%), and

H ON YF LOUR

2.98

10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

12.8

2.1%

HONYFLOUR (+10.0%) led the gainers while NIGERIAN BREWER-

B OC GA S

11.10

9.9%

NA HCO

11.3

10.0%

P H A R M D EKO

1.57

9.8%

H ON YF LOUR

11.0

10.0%

LIN KA SSUR E

0.63

8.6%

UB A

10.3

-0.7%

ĞƌƐ͘ tĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ĚŽŵŝŶĂƚĞ ƚŽŵŽƌƌŽǁΖƐ

C OUR T VILLE

0.29

7.4%

FB NH

8.8

0.7%

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ 1.6x trading session amidst bargain-ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ƐŽŵĞ

P R EST IGE

0.47

6.8%

SOVR EN IN S

8.7

-3.7%

C A VER T ON

1.82

5.8%

M B EN EF IT

7.5

0.0%

5.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

7.3

-0.8%

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ stocks large-cap stocks

R EGA LIN S

0.42

18.4%

0.7x

P ric e C hg %

IES (-8.8%), CHIPLC (-6.7%), and SOVRENINS (-3.7%) led the los-

17.2% 46.8%

P ric e

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

31.7% 33.6%

11.7%

0.0%

19.1%

2.1%

26.1%

62.50

7.3%

-20.4%

1.0x

6.3x

52.95

26.1%

-4.6%

-100.0%

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ

-12.8%

0.7x

2.40

4.96

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

88.8% -100.0%

0.9x

110.00

0.87

36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC

ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ

5.00 29.00

advanced while 15 stocks declined. MRS (+9.9%), MAYT o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

BAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) led gainers while ABCTRANS (-8.3%), LASACO (-6.7%), and LIVESTOCK (-4.8%) led losers. Today, we expect the market ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŵŝdžĞĚ͕ ĂƐ earnings season gradually winds up.

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

NB

52.00

-8.8%

M TNN

543.8

2.6%

0.42

-6.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

140.8

0.2%

119.0

-0.2% -3.6%

C H IP LC SOVR EN IN S

0.26

-3.7%

GT C O

ET I

5.30

-3.6%

ET I

102.1

FCM B

3.03

-3.5%

N EST LE

89.5

0.0%

ET ER N A

6.18

-2.7%

UB A

78.2

-0.7%

N EM

1.94

-2.0%

A IR T ELA F R I

69.5

0.0%

J A P A ULGOLD

0.50

-2.0%

FB NH

64.9

0.7%

C OR N ER ST

0.53

-1.9%

SEP LA T

41.3

0.0%

ST ER LN B A N K

1.52

-1.3%

H ON YF LOUR

32.7

10.0%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu| dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 • T H I S DAY

45

MARKET NEWS 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

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 18Aug-2021, unless otherwise stated.

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 156.10 157.45 -3.57% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.85% Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.48 317.48 -17.60% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 110.47 110.47 -1.44% 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A 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 7.51% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.28 3.44 -3.40% info@anchoriaam.com 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 7.76% Anchoria Equity Fund 141.09 142.72 6.07% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.12 1.12 -15.45% 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 19.61 20.20 8.14% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 431.03 444.03 7.66% ARM Ethical Fund 38.15 39.30 13.18% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 -1.08% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.97 0.97 -7.59% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.21% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.76 105.76 3.98% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,018.52 1,018.52 1.85% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.64% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.02 2.02 -10.02% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.13 2.17 -7.96% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.03% Paramount Equity Fund 16.55 16.85 3.47% Women's Investment Fund 136.44 138.02 2.53% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.59% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 119.07 119.83 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.95 107.95 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 N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 8.37% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 7.68% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,145.51 1,161.36 -0.55% 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 Bonds Fund 1,403.91 1,403.91 11.25% FBN Balanced Fund 191.18 192.53 1.87% FBN Halal Fund 111.91 111.91 8.41% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.49% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

126.72 156.37

126.72 3.79% 159.67 3.43% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.95 1.56 1.17

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 3.68% 3.95 2.17% 1.60 2.71% 1.17 3.24% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,716.55 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,771.31 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn -0.74% 2.50% 3.71%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.86% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.68 2.74 -6.05% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 152.33 152.61 -2.04% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.27 1.31 1.06% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 0.95% 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 1.42 1.44 4.17% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,144.80 1,144.80 5.44% 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 11.48 11.51 9.54% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 7.62% 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 1.67 1.69 7.15% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.53 11.52 -5.19% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 5.44% PACAM Equity Fund 1.65 1.66 4.16% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.80 114.63 2.67% 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 131.76 134.35 8.60% 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 1.05 1.05 10.11% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,280.28 3,315.13 2.13% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 232.35 232.35 3.34% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.21 1.23 3.39% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 305.99 305.99 3.85% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 224.09 227.42 2.68% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.16% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,394.07 10,545.07 -0.94% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.27 1.27 3.44% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 115.30 115.30 3.80% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 103.08 103.08 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.30 1.32 1.75% United Capital Bond Fund 1.91 1.91 4.19% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 9.42% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.29% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.80 119.80 4.67% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 3.78% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 5.97% 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 12.88 12.99 8.54% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.22 14.35 16.40% Zenith Income Fund 24.28 24.28 1.26% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.22%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

125.34 51.90

10.92% 2.86%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.28 122.09 97.23 17.45 18.27

13.38 125.13 99.36 17.55 18.37

0.45% 1.54% -2.00%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.91 5.66 17.57 1.00 19.68 154.04

3.95 5.74 17.67 1.00 19.88 156.04

3.49% -0.54% 8.23% 6.31% -4.10% -29.80%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

46

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 • T H I S D AY

47

48

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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50

FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Wike Signs VAT, Open Grazing Prohibition Bills into Law Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, yesterday, signed into law bills on Value Added Tax (VAT) collection, Open Grazing Prohibition in the state.

Wike who spoke shortly after signing the bills into law at the Government House, Port Harcourt, said that the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had sufficiently addressed the

illegality perpetrated by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) on behalf of the Federal Government in the collection of VAT in States.

Other bills that were signed into law by the governor include the Valued Added Tax Law No. 4 of 2021; The Open Rearing and Grazing Prohibition Law No 5 of 2021; The Child’s Rights Amendment Law No 2 of 2021; The Residents Registration Agency Law No 6 of 2021 and the Naming and Renaming of Infrastructure Law No3 of 2021.

The signed bills were recently passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Wike pointed out that when agencies of the federal government are allowed to illegally demand and collect taxes meant for the state government to collect, they

strangulate the state financially and turn them to be beggars.

He said: “But we (Rivers State) are standing on the part of history as representatives of the state to have taken the bull by the horn to challenge the illegality of the Federal Government through the Federal

inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

“Of course, we are all aware that the states have already been strangulated. Most states depend on allocation from the federation account. States have been turned to beggars. Hardly will any day pass that you won’t see one state or the other going to Abuja to

beg for one fund or the other.”

He said no campaign of calumny or blackmail on the part of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would make what is illegal become legal. He dismissed the FIRS’s propaganda that 30 states will suffer if some states are allowed to collect VAT.

Muhammed Fawehinmi Died of COVID-19, Says Family Segun James, Wale Igbintade and Sunday Ehigiator The Gani Fawehinmi family on Thursday confirmed THISDAY’s report that the son of the legal luminary, Muhammed Fawehinmi died of complications from Covid-19.

Even though the family had earlier claimed that Mohammed died of an undisclosed ailment at a private hospital in Lagos, THISDAY, however, reported that he died of complications arising from Covid-19.

However, addressing a journalists yesterday at their Remi Fani-Kayode Street, Ikeja GRA residence, Saheed Fawehinmi, who is the younger brother of the deceased, confirmed that Mohammed died from COVID-19 related complications.

According to him, the family could not immediately disclose the cause of Mohammed’s death because they “wanted the information to be based on factual medical details especially as may be contained in the death certificate.

He lamented that his late brother, Mohammed, was not vaccinated against COVID-19 disease.

“Today, however, we are in a position to inform you that our dear brother died from COVID-19 related complications”, he said. The cardinal point of this press conference is to tell Nigerians that we have to get this vaccine. It is better to tread the path of caution because if he (Mohammed) had taken the vaccine, maybe he would have been alive today’’.

Kogi West Elders Forum Calls for Power Rotation The Kogi West Elders’ Forum (KWEF), a non-profit sociocultural group comprising leading personalities and opinion leaders of Kogi West Senatorial District of Kogi State, has called on the Governor Yahaya Bello to support power equity and measured balance in favour of Kogi West Senatorial District to complete his administration principle of EBIGO which has been popularised to manage the power-sharing complexity of the confluence state.

KWEF made the call in a communique signed by its chairman, Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd). In the communique, the forum

expressed dismay over the skewed political power play in the state that has denied the good people of the west, despite their good intention and active participation in previous elections, the ability to produce an Executive Governor of the state since the creation of the state in 1991.

“In contrast, the two other senatorial districts of East and Central have occupied the seat of the state governor for about 21 years now and 25 years by the time the incumbent leaves office in 2023. It is in the light of the above that the forum states that political parties should consider candidates from Kogi West Senatorial District.

Jos Killings: Nasarawa CAN, JNI Leaders Take Steps to Avert Spillover Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia The leaderships of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasirl Islam (JNI) in Nasarawa State yesterday took steps to avert a possible spillover of the Jos, Plateau State, crisis which claimed many lives and inflicted injuries on some travellers in Plateau State, to Nasarawa State.

Consequently, the Nasarawa State leaderships of the CAN and JNI met with the state

Commissioner of Police, Adesina Musbau Soyemi, at the deputy governor’s office, with the assurance to citizens of the state that security agencies were alerted to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, the SecretaryGeneral of the Nasarawa State JNI, Iman Mohammed Ali, said: “The meeting condemned the killings of innocent travellers that took place in Jos, Plateau State, in its entirety.

NICE TO HOST YOU…

L-R: Managing Director, ARISE TV, Ms. Ijeoma Nwogwugwu; Deputy Managing Director, Emmanuel Efeni; Director, Programmes and Orientation, Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry (CADAM), Mrs. Funke Salako; Director-General, CADAM, Mr. Dokun Adedeji; and Director of Finance and Corporate Services, CADAM, Mr. Sola Odewabi, during CADAM’s courtesy visit to ARISE TV in Lagos... yesterday

Lagos Police Arrest 889 Suspects in Eight Months Sunday Ehigiator The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has revealed that the command arrested a total of 889 persons for armed robbery and cultism between January and August, 2021.

Odumosu made this disclosure yesterday while hosting the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Zone 2, AIG Johnson Kokumo, who was on a familiarisation visit to the state police command.

He said that 490 suspected armed robbers and 297 suspected cultists were arrested at different parts of the state within the period, stressing that no personnel of the command was killed within the same time.

According to him, 173 assorted arms, 239 ammunitions of various calibers were also recovered from the suspects.

“Forty Two cars stolen by criminals were recovered within few days of theft and were subsequently handed over to

their owners,” he said.

The police boss also revealed that the command was embarking on the construction of 50-bed space to house some junior officers of the command, stressing that they got resources from law-abiding and willing individuals, associations and stakeholders for the project.

According to Odumosu, the project became necessary in view of the accommodation problem faced by his personnel, stressing that any police posted to Lagos

command henceforth, would have a place to stay.

On his part, AIG Kokumo commended the CP, officers and men of the command for reducing crimes in the state, urging them to do more.

Kokumo, however expressed worries over the traffic situation in the state, and called on the CP and his men to rise to carry out an “Operation keep the traffic moving”, adding that traffic was also responsible for some robbery incidents in the state.

Amotekun Arrests Herder, Underaged Sons, 49 Cows James Sowole in Akure The Ondo State Security Agency, Amotekun Corps, have arrested a 52-year-old man, Mr. Ibarahim Musa, his two underaged children as well as 49 cows, he was tearing.

The herder and his children were arrested for harassing a septuagenarian in Kajola area of Akure South Local Government area of Ondo state.

It was gathered that the underaged children: Audu Ibrahim and Musa Ibrahim who were six years old threatened one 70 year-old Mrs. Victoria ANarrating her experience, the septuagenarian said she was in her house, when her grandson living with her called that cows have invaded their farm.

“That evening, I was resting after taking my drugs because

I was under medication for hypertension. My little boy called and said there were cows in our farm. I saw a man standing afar, while the two little boys were with the cows.

“I asked them to call on their father as they gave deaf ears to my words and looked at me angrily.

“As I was trying to make the children understand they should take the cows out of my farm,

one of them brought out cutlass and pointed it to my face. Then I knew I was in for big trouble.

“I quickly called my little grandson and went inside and shut my door. They were there for hours as I watch the cows ate my vegetables, pepper and also watched how they dug my heaps of yams with their legs and eat my long-awaited ready-to-be harvested yams.

Editors Congratulate Ex-president on Appointment as NNPC Spokesman The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has congratulated one of its former Presidents, Garba Deen Mohammed, on his appointment as the Group General Manager (Public Affairs) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

In a statement signed yesterday by its President,

Mustapha Isah, and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the umbrella of all the editors in Nigeria said Mohammed is eminently qualified for the position, considering his experience both in the media and the oil and gas sector.

The group said: “We commend the Minister of State

for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, for making the right choice.

Garba Deen Mohammed’s appointment comes at a time the NNPC is undergoing a transition following the signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Bill by

President Muhammadu Buhari.’’

While thanking the outgoing NNPC spokesperson, Dr. Kennie Obateru, for his excellent relationship with the Guild during his tenure, the editors said they look forward to working with Mohammed to deliver on his onerous assignment.

Olu of Warri Coronation to Hold August 21 Sunday Okobi and Rebecca Ejifoma The coronation ceremony of the 21st Olu of Warri Kingdom, Omoba Emiko Tsola, will hold on August 21, 2021, at the OdeItsekiri Island in Delta State.

This was announced in a statement yesterday after

Tsola successfully completed his Idaniken Rite of Seclusion.

According to the Prime Regent of Warri Kingdom, Prince Emmanuel Okotiebo, the coronation of Tsola will bring good fortune to the people of Itsekiri and Delta State in general.

“From that August 21, it is

going to be a new beginning in Delta State and Itsekiri land; more progress and love will follow,” Okotiebo said.

Speaking also on behalf of the Council of Chiefs, the Secretary of Warri Council of Chiefs, Dr Eugene Ikomi, highlighted that a visit to the coronation site shows very clearly that they

were on course.

He emphasised: “The amphitheater is almost complete and the city itself is agog with activities. Certainly, August 21, 2021 is sacrosanct.”

The indigenes of Itsekiri recalled that in 1480 when the Kingdom was founded, Warri had a diverse lineage of royals.

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Prosecute Surrendered Boko Haram Terrorists, Baptist Church Tells FG Seeks improved security in Jos Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Men’s Missionary Union of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) has asked the federal government to prosecute all arrested Boko Haram terrorists including those who have surrendered.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the 41st Annual Congress of MMU and read by the newly elected President of MMU, Dr. Soye Asawo, the union urged the National Assembly to amend

the constitution to accommodate State Police.

“Congress urges the government to prosecute all those arrested, captured or who surrendered over insurgency, banditry and all forms of criminality.

“Congress supports state police, and ask the National Assembly to quickly amend the constitution in this to give effect to the yearning of the Nigerian people”, the communiqué said.

While urging the government

to deal decisively with kidnappers, the union asked the federal government and Kaduna State government to compensate all the families of kidnapped Bethel Baptist

High School children and other kidnapped victims.

“Congress note with dismay the state of insecurity nationwide, and ask the federal government to deploy more security personnel

to fight the war as Nigeria is presently at war against insurgents, Boko Haram, banditry and ISIS, so that citizens do not resort to self-help in order to defend themselves.

While commiserating with families of victims of Jos killings, MMU urged the government to deploy more security personnel to protect lives and property in the city.

17 People Killed by Armed Invaders in Benue George Okoh in Makurdi About 17 people have been killed in different villages of two Local Government Areas in Benue State.

According to residents of the area, who spoke on telephone to reporters, the separate incidents happened within the past three days in Agatu and Kastina-Ala LGAs respectively.

Witnesses said 15 people were allegedly killed in Kastina-Ala communities by armed invaders while the remaining two lost their lives in Agatu in circumstances which some blamed on the activities of cultists.

The residents of Katsina Ala, alleged that though the town may recently appeared peaceful, however, there are deserted rural communities where the remaining inhabitants were still being killed.

“Let no one lie, the killing is still ongoing in the rural areas most especially in Mbatyula, Mbayongo and Yooyo council ward of the Kastina-Ala LGA. “Not less than seven people in Mbatyula council ward were killed on Tuesday while Emmanuel Apever’s wife from Kenvanger was abducted to an unknown destination. In Tse Ate, three persons were killed and another two persons also killed at Saawua compound while three were reportedly killed in Tse Asaa.

All in Mbagbeentya community of Mbatyula council ward,” a resident alleged.

Information Officer of the Kastina-Ala Council, Tertsea Benga, confirmed the development, saying that some armed invaders were killing villagers despite the success recorded so far by security operatives drafted to the area.

FOR IMPROVED ECONOMY…

L-R: Governing Council Member, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Dr. Umaru Kwairanga; Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; President/Chairman of Council, CIS, Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, during the 2021 CIS’ National Workshop in Abuja…yesterday

PSC Raises Panel to Probe Allegations against Kyari Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday set up an inhouse panel to study in details available documents related to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force indicted by a report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the

United States.

A statement signed by the spokesman of the commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, said the panel is expected to examine the facts of the allegations as contained in the FBI indictment and also look at the extant rules as a means of keeping abreast of the matter pending the submission of the report by the police investigative panel.

The panel headed by the

Director, Department of Police Discipline in the Commission, Mr. Tijani Mohammed, has as its terms of reference; to gather and document relevant information on DCP Abba Kyari in view of his disciplinary matter and to analyse the information gathered and make appropriate recommendations to the commission.

“The panel which was inaugurated by the Permanent

Secretary/ Secretary to the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Ismaila, has started work while the commission awaits the report of the DIG Joseph Egbunike Police Investigative Panel on the matter.

“The report of the in-house panel is expected to assist the commission take an informed decision when the police investigative panel report is submitted for the commission’s consideration”, it said.

The Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, yesterday compensated a journalist with the African Independent Television (AIT), Nagari Damina Yusuf, who was assaulted and wounded by some police officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad while on official duty

The police attack on the journalist incurred the wrath of the media in the state as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) ordered a media blackout on the state police.

The state police boss presented new laptop computer, two smart phones and camera which were lost by the AIT journalist during the incident.

leadership of the NUJ in the state for jettisoning its planned street demonstration against the action of the police following his sympathy visit to the union secretariat.

He also appealed to the union to lift the ban on the coverage of the Nigeria Police activities in the state so that their operations could be publicised.

of the police command to work harmoniously with journalists for the good of the people of the state.

While responding, the state Chairman of the NUJ, Umar Sa’id, lauded the police commissioner for his concern over the plight of the victim and for redeeming his pledge to offer compensations.

Delta Police Deny Kidnap of Ijaw Chief, 26 Bauchi Police Compensate Assaulted AIT Journslist Community Leaders three weeks ago.

Alabi commended the Ajayi reiterated the readiness Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Delta State Police Command has debunked media reports alleging that 26 persons, including a senior traditional chief in an Ijaw community in Delta State, had been abducted by unknown gunmen following disagreement over who becomes the community development council (CDC) leader.

The state police command spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, said in a statement yesterday that the reported Ijaw high-ranking community chief and the traditional Prime Minister of Tuomo community in Bomadi Local Government Area of the state, Chief Mike Loyibo Ekayama, was neither assaulted

nor abducted as erroneously reported in the media.

The state police spokesman explained that security personnel deployed in the venue of the aborted election into the community CDC decided to take the traditional leader away to a safe place when the atmosphere at the proposed election venue became charged, and it became clear that no meaningful voting exercise could take place in such a rowdy situation.

The police further alleged that one of the interested parties in the tussle for the chairmanship of the community development council had hired thugs apparently in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the exercise.

Buhari Ratifies Nigeria’s Membership of International Coffee Organisation Deji Elumoye in Abuja Nigeria has been formally accepted as a member of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO).

This was sequel to President Muhammadu Buhari’s confirmation and ratification of the International Coffee Agreement, 2007, last Tuesday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of

Nigeria’s membership of the ICO. According to a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman to the president, Garba Shehu, the FEC meeting had drawn a conclusion on the agreement on October 21, 2020, with emphasis on Conclusion 10 which approved the preparation of the Instrument of Ratification of Nigeria’s membership of the ICO and International Coffee Agreement of 2007.

Implement Laws against Discrimination of Physically Challenged, Don Tasks Govt Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Former Dean of School of Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, Prof. Sabit Ariyo Olagoke, has said the full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 by the three tiers of

government in the country is the remedy to integrating the physically challenged in all areas of human endeavour.

Olagoke, while speaking yesterday at the Celebrities Plus Conference organised for persons with disabilities (PWDs), said the integration of the physical challenged would reduce

discrimination, marginalisation and oppression of PWDs across the country.

According to him, the law which was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2019, was aimed at ending discrimination against persons with disabilities across the country, lamenting that the

law is not yet effective.

He insisted that the only way to end discrimination, marginalisation and oppression of persons with disabilities as provided in the law is for government at all levels to integrate them in areas such as education, health, economy and social activities.

Let VP’s Office, NCP Implement PIA, FG Advised Nume Ekeghe Sequel to the appointment of members of the implementation committee of the Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA) panel, energy analyst and former Senior Technical Advisor to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Dan Kunle, has urged the federal government to reside the

implementation of the PIA at the office of the vice president and the National Council of Privatisation (NCP).

He noted that the VP’s office should spearhead the panel with the NCP, and as a matter of urgency, also include the Ministry of Finance as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor if it is to attain its obligation.

The energy expert stated this yesterday when he featured on the Morning Show of Arise News television, THISDAY sister broadcast station. He added that the oil and gas industry may be stranded in the next two years, with the technicalities and reforms stated in the PIA as well as the implementation panel.

Kunle said: “On the panel, I

was very uncomfortable with the list of members. I was wondering why apart from Femi, a lawyer, who is as outsider, other members are all from the corridor of power, but not including the vice president, who is the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation and the chairman of the National Economic Council; it was very strange.

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In New List, INEC Excludes APC, PDP Candidates, Enlists Soludo for Anambra Poll Jubilation as APGA hails news Umeoji kicks

Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Udora Orizu in Abuja and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Caught in multiple web of litigations against the candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Andy Uba and the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP), Valentine Ozigbo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday excluded them from the new list it just published.

The commission, however, enlisted candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Soludo in the new list.

Not unexpectedly, the news was well received by the leadership of APGA, whichcommended the INEC for listing Soludo and his running mate, Dr. Onyekachikwu Gilbert Ibezim, for the November 6, 2021 Ananmbra State Governorship Election. This is as there was jubilation in some parts of Anambra State, yesterday, especially, among government

officials, over the renewed hope for Soludo as the APGA candidate.

But the governorship candidate of the Jude Okeke-led faction of APGA, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji, has rejected the list released by INEC, declaring Soludo as the party’s authentic candidate.

Justifying its action, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education

Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, said the “Commission was served with the judgement of the Court of Appeal (Kano Division), which set aside the judgement of the High Court of Jigawa State on the leadership of APGA and the nomination of its candidates for the Anambra Governorship election”.

The court of appeal had

quashed the order of the Jigawa State High Court that earlier excluded Solidly as the APGA candidate.

Okoye, however, explained that the published list was not the final list as the final list of candidates would be published on October 7, 2021 as provided in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.

Hushpuppi: Court Refuses to Stop Kyari’s Extradition to US Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Thursday, turned down request for the stoppage of the arrest and subsequent extradition of embattled ‘super cop’, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari.

Kyari is wanted in the United States of America in connection with a multimillion naira fraud confession by one Ramon Abbas, a Nigerian, who was popular with the name, ‘Husppupi’, and currently serving in detention in the US. But, the Incorporated Trustees of Northern Peace Foundation, had approached the court for

an order restraining the Police and the Attorney General of the Federation from arresting Kyari and extraditing him to the United States to face charges.

In an exparte application argued on Thursday, the foundation through its lawyer, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, prayed the court to halt Kyari’s extradition pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit. The ex-parte application dated August 9 was supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit of urgency.

However, after carefully listening to the lawyer, Justice Mohammed refused to grant the request to stop Abba Kyari’s arrest and extradition through ex-parte means.

Ehanire: Health Sector Package Plan to Lift Nigerians Out of Poverty Onyebuchi Ezigbo andFolalumi Alaran inAbuja Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said the federal government considered the health sector as one of the key priority areas that would help achieve the goal of alleviating poverty among Nigerians.

Ehanire, who spoke at the induction ceremony of 879 foreign trained medical and dental graduates held at the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in Abuja, added that the federal government has started implementing a strategy towards the realisation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s June 12 promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years.

According to Ehanire, the health sector was charged with the priority area of Human Capital Development (HCD) to improve health outcomes among other deliverables. In order to achieve this, the minister said the federal government has set nine deliverable targets in the health sector for the second tenure of the Buhari administration.

He said the priority areas included mandatory and universal health insurance in collaboration with state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration; operationalisation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) in collaboration with relevant Agencies and Partners; Recruitment and deployment of Community Health Extension Workers.

TOTAL ENERGIES UNVEILLED…

L-R: Non-executive Director, Total Nigeria Plc, Mr. Tejiro Ibru; acting Chairman, Alhaji Rufai Sirajo; Managing Director, Mr. Imrane Barry; and the Company Secretary, Mrs. Olubumi Popoola, at the unveiling of new Total Energies Marketing Nigeria Plc logo in Lagos…yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

EFCC Interrogates Ex-gov Theodore Orji, Son Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja A former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

THISDAY gathered that the ex- governor, who has been on the commission’s watch list, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 10.00 hours

yesterday and taken to the headquarters of the EFCC at Jabi, Abuja, for the continuation of his interrogation.

A source said: “He was quizzed alongside his son, Chinedu, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, who turned himself in this afternoon upon learning of the arrest of his father”.

“Senator Orji and his sons, Chinedu and Ogbonna, are under investigation by the

EFCC for offences bordering on misappropriation of public funds and money laundering”, the source said.

The ex-governor is alleged to have collected N500 million monthly as security vote for eight years as governor of Abia State between 2007 and 2015.

He was also quizzed over other issues related to the alleged mismanagement of N2 billion Ecological Fund and conversion

of Sure-P funds.

EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the former governor.

Meanwhile, Orji was released late last night and was asked to report back on Friday (today) for the continuation of his interrogation.

According to the EFCC, Orji is being interrogated over corrupt financial dealing while serving as Governor between 2007 and 2015.

Edo Warns against Planned Coronation of ‘Sultan’ in Benin

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Edo State Government has condemned, in strong terms, the planned coronation of Idriss Addano as the ‘Sultan of Shuwa Arab of Edo State’, describing the purported move as sacrilegious and a threat to peace and security in the state.

In a statement, Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, assured the citizens that a

firm and decisive action would be taken to prevent the actualisation of the illegal and sacrilegious act.

The statement read: “The Edo State Government has been inundated with complaints from indigenes and residents of the state over the purported move to embark on the coronation of one Idriss Addano as ‘Sultan of Shuwa Arab of Edo State’.

“The Edo State Government wishes to state as follows: That

whether or not this event is held at the said, or any other location within the state, it would constitute a direct assault on the traditions, custom and culture of the people of Edo State, by individuals, who clearly have sinister motives and are trying to abuse the well-known Edo hospitality by their act of sacrilege.

“That it is a potential threat to the peace and security of Edo State, with the capacity to cause

a breakdown of law and order as citizens of the state are likely to be provoked by the obnoxious ceremony.

“Under the Edo State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, it is an offence for anyone to proclaim himself, or allow himself to be proclaimed as the holder of any traditional title not recognised under the said law and/or without the approval of the appropriate authorities.

We’ll Continue to Make Agriculture, Panacea to Eradicating Poverty Re-emphasised Businesses Thrive in Oyo, Says Makinde Emmanuel Olorunda-Otaru

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, reiterated his administration’s determination to continue to make businesses thrive in all the nooks and crannies of the state.

The governor, while receiving the management and governing board of Dominican University, Ibadan, led by its Pro-Chancellor and former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, at the Courtesy Room of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan, assured his guests that following his administration’s efforts to upgrade the Ibadan Airport, more airline operators would commence operations at the Airport soon.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying his administration would partner Dominican University to improve the educational system of Oyo State and that the government would look into the demands of the University.

He said: “First, let me thank you for your support during my election. The Catholic community supported me 100 per cent and I know where the University is. I have had meetings and I believe it is the Teachers’ Institute that is located around that place. So, I have taken the road before and I am sure we need to do something and we will.”

The Director, Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Alhaji Tijjani Borodo, has said that Agriculture has been recognised to be one of the most promising mechanisms for reducing poverty and fortifying local livelihoods worldwide.

“One of the dire conditions

required of the agricultural sector is to ensure that good governance structures and related policies are in place at all levels. Majority of the crises experienced by most organisations is anchored on poor corporate governance practices.

“Where the tenets of corporate governance including accountability, fairness, transparency and responsibility

are adhered to and executed effectively, it can prevent corporate scandals, fraud, and the civil and criminal liability of a company”, he said further.

Borodo made this comment, at the Validation Workshop to review the survey report on corporate governance and board structure of the agriculture sector in Nigeria, organised by

the SCGN in Lagos recently.

“Agriculture has been recognised to be one of the most promising mechanisms for reducing poverty and fortifying local livelihoods worldwide. One of the dire conditions required of the agricultural sector is to ensure that good governance structures and related policies are in place at all levels”, he said.

Police Nab Killer of Final Year Student in Rivers Blessing Ibunge inPortHarcourt The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the killer of a final year student of the Rivers State University, Orowurokwo, Port Harcourt yesterday.

The victim, a student in the Engineering Faculty of the institution, was said to have been allegedly shot death by one ‘Peruzi’,

a level 300 student in the Faculty of Management Science.

A source disclosed to THISDAY that the suspect (Peruzi), who was later apprehended by the school security and officers attached to Nkpolu Divisional Police headquarters, is suspected to be a member of Vikings cult group while his victim is alleged to be a member of Ku Klux Klans (KKK)

cult group.

It was gathered that the victim was shot dead in a canteen within the premises of Management Science in the company of his friends.

A source, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the second year student of the Management department was among the suspects that shot the deceased

victim on his head, adding that the shooting resulted in pandemonium as students and staff scampered for safety.

The source further disclosed that the arrested killer among others were on the move to escape from the scene of crime before security operatives apprehended the third year management student believed to be involved in the killing.

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EFCC Warns Banks against Election Financing, Forex Malpractices Goddy Egene with Agency Report The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, has warned financial institutions against fraudulent election financing, foreign exchange(forex) malpractice and money laundering.

Baba gave the warning yesterday during an interactive session with managing directors of banks in Nigeria at the Lagos Zonal Command of the commission.

This is contained in a statement issued by EFCC Head of Media, and Publicity, Wilson

Uwujiaren.

He said it was important to bring the financial institutions in the country up to speed with the evolving policies in the commission, in line with the United Nations’ categorisation of the fight against corruption vis-à-vis prevention, enforcement and assets recovery.

“At the EFCC, we want to place more emphasis on prevention. We want to lay less emphasis on enforcement, which is investigation and prosecution and put our energy more on prevention and asset recovery.

“In addition, some of the issues we have identified include foreign exchange malpractices and fraudulent

election financing.

“As you all know, in 16 to 18 months, Nigeria will be preparing for another round of elections, and the government will not want what happened in the past to repeat itself,” Bawa said.

The EFCC boss said it had become necessary to put bankers on their toes, particularly as the 2023 general elections approached.

Bawa also stressed that the “new EFCC” under his leadership believes that the financial institutions have an important role to play in the Commission’s efforts to rid Nigeria of economic and financial crimes.

Mantu, a Fantastic Political Strategist, Says Ita Giwa Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has condoled with the families of late Senate Deputy President, Ibrahim Mantu, describing him as a nationalist and a fantastic political strategist, who paid his dues for his people and the country.

In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos, the former senator recalled the critical roles Mantu played in

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known and address as OVUIKE ONYEKA UGOCHI, now wish to be known and address as ONODU ONYEKA UGOCHI. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note.

advocating for separation of powers while also encouraging a collaborative synergy between the legislative and executive arms of government.

She noted that the late Mantu was patriotic and carried himself with dignity, and was always eager to carry out all assignments diligently.

According to her, “On behalf of myself and the good people of Efik Kingdom, I heartily commiserate with the family of late Mantu, whom I worked with in different capacities as a colleague in the Senate.

“Senator Mantu was a political colossus, an icon and a fantastic strategist whose name would continue to resonate wherever and whenever any political discussion happens.

I, formerly known and addressed as TOYE AJOKE REGINA now wish to be known and addressed as OKHAVHE REGINA AJOKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as PRISCILLA GBENOBA, now wish to be known and address as PRISCILLA OKOLOKO. All former documents remain valid. Please public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AKPAN SUNDAY DAVID now wish to be known and addressed as AKPAN DOMINIC UDOMA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ANGELA NWAGBOGWU now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ANGELA ELVIS –ALIOGO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as AMIEHI TOLULOPE IGHODALO OJIE, now wish to be known and addressed as AMIEHI TOLULOPE ABIKE IGHODALO. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS TAIYE CONSTANCE OKOYE ANUNOBI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS TAIYE CONSTANCE OKOYE ISEDEH. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AMARACHI FLORENCE IWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AMARACHI FLORENCE EZENWABACHILI. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS DORCAS ANIKE JOSEPH now wishes to be known and addressed as MRS. DORCAS ANIKE GBOLAHAN. All documents remain valid. General public, please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ODUOLA ADERONKE MONSURAT, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OGUNFOWOKAN ADERONKE MONSURAT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLAOLUWA MOJOLAADURA MARY now wish to be known and addressed as ADEFISAN MOJOLAADURA MARY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as TOYE AJOKE REGINA now wishes to be known and addressed as OKHAVHE REGINA AJOKE. All documents remain valid. General public, please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OGON BETUNKPA ASU now wishes to be known and addressed as OGON BETUNKPAOSOWO LUCIA. All documents remain valid. General public, please take note.

He has paid his dues for his people and country.

“Most importantly is the fact that he was an ardent advocate of separation of powers and still ensured a close working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

“He will be missed, and I pray that the Almighty God will grant repose to his soul and give his family the fortitude to beat this great loss.”

PTAD: We Won’’t Allow Any Pensioner to Suffer Deprivation Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia The Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, has stated that the agency would not allow any pensioner to suffer deprivation after giving their best in service of the country.

She gave the assurance yesterday while speaking with journalists in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, at the ongoing mop-up verification of pensioners, saying every qualified pensioner under the defined benefit scheme would be captured in the data base for seamless payment of pensions.

According to her, “We don’t want to stress our senior citizens.

We believe they deserve the best hence the need to take the mop-up verification to all the zones,” adding that there is provision for mobile verification to capture bedridden pensioners.

The PTAD boss, who was in Umuahia to monitor the mop-up verification exercise for pensioners domiciled in Abia and Imo States, said it was expected that about 600 pensioners, including state pensioners with federal share, would be verified and captured.

The PTAD executive secretary explained that the agency decided to embark on the mop-up verification exercise in all the zones across the country after receiving complaints from pensioners, who were not captured in the verification exercise carried out in 2019 for pensioners in agencies and parastatals.

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Sacred Emigration By: Khalid Mahmood/IslamiCity Emigration is an important phenomenon in human history. Besides its general relevance to the establishment of civilizations, it has special significance in connection with the ‘holy ones’, those chosen to carry light throughout the world.

F

irst of all, every individual is a traveler and therefore, in some sense, an emigrant. His journeying starts in the world of spirits and continues through the stations of his mother ’s womb, childhood, youth, old age and his grave, and from there to a completely new world. Although, he is among millions of people, each individual is born alone, lives his own life. endures his own death, and will be resurrected alone, Likewise, each of those men of high stature who throughout history have guided mankind started his sacred mission from his single self, then disseminating light from the torch be carried and illumining the minds and hearts of others, inculcating hope and faith in his followers and transforming the lands once submerged in darkness into pools of light. And each one of these guides had to emigrate from one place to another for the sake of his cause.

Belief, emigration and holy struggle are the three pillars of a single, sacred truth.

They are the three ‘taps’ of a fountain from which the water of life flows for the ‘holy ones’ to drink from so that they may convey their message without being wearied, and, when the opposition is too formidable to overcome, set out for a new land without regard for their home, property or family.

However sacred the cause, however useful and original the thoughts or brilliant the message, those who hear it for the first time are naturally bound to question and oppose it. For this reason, the one who wants to arouse the people to new sentiments, new faith, new love and new ideas must, either persist in his mission in his homeland in the face of all kinds of resistance or set out for new minds and hearts to pour out his inspirations, to offer his message.

Every new idea or message has always been resisted where it has appeared, and those who have offered it have usually been welcomed in new places where their pasts were unknown. It is for this reason that the fate of the ‘holy ones’ is almost the same: they begin with belief and love, followed by struggle against the deviation and error of the masses, and then comes the turn of emigration for the sake of the well-being of mankind, even at the cost of sacrificing their own homes and families.

In every movement of revival, prior to emigration, two stages are of great importance. In the first stage, a man with a cause develops his character, overflows with belief and is inflamed with love, and surpassing his own self, grows into a passionate slave of The Truth.

He struggles, in this stage, against the temptations of his carnal self to build his genuine, spiritual character. This is called ‘the major or greater struggle’-- al-jihad al-akbar. Then he rises, in the second stage, to radiate the lights of belief to the world around him. This stage is, in fact, the door to emigration.

Emigration should not, of course, be understood only in the material sense. Rather, a man experiences emigration throughout his life in the spiritual sense. Each inner intellectual or spiritual transformation, from indolence to action, from decay to self-renewal, from suffocation in the atmosphere of sinfulness to exaltation in the realm of spirit, may be regarded as an emigration.

It is my conviction that only those who have been able to actualize these inner emigrations can find in themselves the strength and resolution to leave their

homes and families for the sake of a sublime ideal. It is almost impossible for those who have not succeeded in emigrating’ from the carnal self to the realm of spirit, from the pomp and luxury of the world to the riches of intellect and spirit, and from the pleasures of selfhood to an altruistic life, to emigrate for the good and welfare of humanity.

Emigration with its two dimensions, spiritual and material, was first represented by the great Prophets, Abraham, Lot, Moses and Jesus, upon them be peace, who shone like suns, on the horizon of humanity, and in its most comprehensive meaning and function, was realized by the greatest of them, namely the Prophet Muhammad, who is the pride of mankind, upon him be peace. The door to emigration has since been open to all those who would walk in his footsteps.

Emigration in the way of Truth and for its sake is so sanctified that the community of holy ones around the Last Prophet, who sacrificed their possessions and souls for the sake of the cause they believed in, and of the matchless representative of that cause, were praised by God as (and have since been called) ‘the Emigrants’. We can see its importance in the fact that the beginning of the sacred era of this holy community was marked, not by the birth of the Prophet or by the first revelation or such victories as Badr or the conquest of Makka, but by the emigration to Madina.

Every individual who has emigrated for the sake of a sublime ideal will always deeply feel the pressure of the ideal which urged him to emigrate and design his life according to that ideal. Secondly, he will be freed from the criticism regarding some faults he might have made in childhood or youth. Whereas, in his own land, he is probably remembered and criticized for past faults, and has little influence upon people because, besides the factors mentioned, he is an already familiar one in his society. In the land he has emigrated to, he will be known for his spiritual brilliance, unadulterated ideas, pure intentions and extraordinary sacrifices. For these and other reasons, it has almost always been emigrants who changed the flow of history and started new eras in the life of humanity.

Toynbee, the renowned British historian, mentions twenty-seven civilizations founded by nomadic or migrant peoples.

This is because no one can overcome such dynamic people. They are not habituated to ease and comfort, are ready to sacrifice everything worldly, used to every kind of hardships, and always ready to march wherever their cause requires them to go.

The ‘holy ones’ around the Last Prophet, who were elevated from the darkness of ignorance and savagery to become the founders of the most brilliant civilization in human history and the first teachers of a universal religion, which is still the hope of mankind for a happy future, set the best example in this matter for those coming after them. Those who later walked in their footsteps found ease and serenity in fighting with difficulties, found vigor and life in despising death and everything worldly, and eternity in constant renewal in thought, spirit and action. They migrated from land to land to convey knowledge, morality and civilization everywhere that they settled.

It is incumbent upon us to save the young generation from indulgence and attachment to the comfort of life, and in doing so to equip them with lofty ideals so that they know how to suffer with the pains and sorrows of mankind.

It is only when this is accomplished to a significant degree that our old world will be able to witness an over-all felicity.

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FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Eguavoen Laments Home-based Super Eagles Loss to Mexico Says: “Eagles have good AFCON 2021 pairing in Group D Duro Ikhazuagbe Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Austin Eguavoen has lamented Nigeria’s 0-4 defeat

by Mexico as it has further act as damper to quests to have more home-based players in the senior national team, the Super Eagles.

Players from the domestic NPFL were thrashed by the Mexicans in an international

friendly played in Dallas last month.

While fielding questions in Lagos yesterday on the possibility of having more players from the domestic league in the team, Eguavoen who is a former Captain and Coach of the Super Eagles, said the experiment in America was a painful one to those pushing the case.

“We all know the Mexicans are ranked 11th globally by

FIFA but that defeat has made it worse,” stressed the ex international fondly called Cerezo in his days with Eagles.

He admitted that part of the problem was that “any player coming up and showing signs of quality in the domestic league is quickly snapped up by foreign clubs. You really cannot blame the players who are seeking greener pastures abroad.

“Take the case of Enyimba’s Anayo Iwuala and John Noble

who just made the grade to the senior team from the NPFL. As we speak, Iwuala is already an Esperance of Tunisia player,” observed the coach.

As technical director of the NFF, Eguavoen promised to always push for the best of Nigerian players to be in the Super Eagles and other teams.

He dismissed insinuations that Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr does not listen to advice from the Technical

Committee.

“Since I joined the NFF as Technical Director, I have not experienced forwarding any observations to the leadership of the federation and be shoved aside. I am doing my job in my capacity as TD and will keep supporting all the teams.

Asked for his comments on Nigeria’s AFCON 2021 pairing in Group D along with seventime champions Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau, Eguavoen

insisted that it was a fair one where Eagles should be able to flourish.

“There is nothing wrong with the Group D pairing. I believe that our team should be able to flourish and move into the knock out stage.”

Eguavoen is unfazed by the presence of Mohamed Salah in the Pharaohs’ line up. “We also have our stars playing in same league as Salah,” concludes the ex international.

Nigeria's 25-year Wait for World U-20 100m Gold Extended Godson Oghenebrume's bid to end Nigeria's 25 year wait for a World Athletics U20 Championships gold medal failed yesterday on the track of Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, Kenya where the 18-year old stumbled out of the blocks and never found his ryhthm in a race he was joint favourite to win with Botswana's Leslie Tebogo.

The Nigerian came to the

Godson Oghenebrume...poor start costs him dearly in 100m final

championhips as the fastest man in the field (10.13s) and won both his first round and semifinal heats to set up a showdown with Tebogo who ran 10.11 seconds in the semifinal to set a new national record.

Oghenebrume’s 10.22 put him in good stead to make the podium in the final.

However, in the final, young Delta lad staggered out of the block in an awful start and failed to recover until finishing last (eighth) in 10.74 seconds.

Tebogo ran 10.19 seconds to win Botswana's first ever global 100m title.

The last time Nigeria made it to podium in the event was 25 years ago when Francis Obikwelu made his history as the second man after Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Boldon to win the 100 and 200m titles.

In the women's final, Praise Ofoku also came up short and failed to end a 35-year wait for a gold medal.

Like Oghenebrume, Ofoku also had a bad start but recovered to finish fourth outside the podium in 11.53 secods, just two hundreth of a second outside Switzerland's Melissa Gutschmidt who placed third (11.51s).

Jamaica's pre-race favourite Tina Clayton ran a new 11.09 seconds personal best to win the gold with Tokyo Olympics 200m finalist, Namibia's Beatrice Masilingi second (11.39s).

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has sent words of encouragement to the duo of Praise Ofoku and Godson Oghenebrume.

Dare would rather pick some positives from both athletes' outings, urging them not to drop their heads and shoulders.

"No body wants to lose in a final or fail to finish outside the podium especially after working and preparing so hard. I know Ofoku and Brume are so unhappy with themselves right now but I want them to know that I am proud of them," the minister noted.

Taiwo Awoniyi (right) giving thanks to God for his brace against Finnish side kuPS in the Europa Conference League Playoff...last night

Four Home-based Players in D’Tigers FIBA Afrobasket Final Roster D’Tigers Head Coach, Mike Brown has included four home-based players in his final 12-man roster for the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket holding in Kigali, Rwanda.

The four players include; Rivers Hoopers point guard, Ikechukwu Benjamin as well as Koko Victor Anthony.

The duo of Nwafor Celestine Joseph (Kano Pillars) and Agu Ibe Aguchi (Gombe Bulls) complete the list of invited players from the Nigerian league.

Leading the cast of players based abroad is Daniel Utomi who plies his trade with Vichy Clermont in France. He will be joined by Ikenna Ndugba, Emmanuel Omogbo of Apoel BC of Cyprus and Benjamin Emegolu (Rouen Basket Metrople, France) after days of training in the United States of America.

TK Edogi makes a return to the team after missing out of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo alongside Stephen Domingo (Lake land Magic - G League, USA), Jordan Ogundiran and Jeremiah Mordi.

The team is expected to arrive

in Kigali on Sunday, 22nd of Augustahead of their first game against Mali on Wednesday, 25th, August.

The number one ranked team in Africa will face Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire in Group C in a quest to improve on the silver

medal won at the 2017 edition in Tunisia.

Coach Ogoh Odaudu who led Rivers Hoopers to the inaugural edition of the Basketball Africa League has also joined the team as one of the assistant coaches.

Awoniyi Fires Brace in Union Berlin’s Win in Europa Playoff Former Nigeria’s Golden Eaglet, Taiwo Awoniyi, was in excellent form last night as he helped Union Berlin gain advantage with Union Berlin’s 4-0 thrashing of Finnish side KuPS 4-0, in the Europa Conference League first-leg play-off.

Awoniyi scored two goals and provided an assist as Union Berlin have less worry

going into the second leg.

The former Liverpool player has now scored three goals in his last two games for Union Berlin.

He scored the only goal in Union Berlin’s 1-1 home draw against Leverkusen, in their first Bundesliga game of the season.

The Nigerian striker opened the scoring in the

7th minute and got his second goal on 31 minutes to make it 3-0.

He provided the assist for Union Berlin’s second goal scored by Max Kruse in the 29th minute.

The return leg comes up in Germany next Thursday and the winner over two legs will progress into the group stage.

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SPORTS

Olympians Unveil 2021 ADRON Games in Lagos The 2021 ADRON Games got a huge boost yesterday as Olympic gold and silver medallists, Daniel Amokachi and Falilat Ogunkoya were part of the cast of elite sports personalities that graced the colourful unveiling ceremony of its logo and jerseys in Magodo, Lagos.

Also present at the event was former Super Eagles Captain and Coach, Austin Eguavoen and actress Bimbo Thomas, as

the estate and property firm announced the fifth edition of the Games, scheduled to hold between November 18and 20.

According to Group Managing Director, Adron Homes, Adetola Emmanuel-King, who was represented on the occasion by the company’s Director, Public Affairs, Isidora Sonariwo, the opening ceremony of this year’s Games is scheduled for the Sagamu International Stadium,

Sagamu, Ogun State.

The Adron Homes CEO added that the property company was using the Games as a catalyst to encourage more government and corporate participation in sports.

“Sport has a rallying effect in most cultures, and it is big business all over the world.

We created these Games as a means of fostering friendship and unity among us as a corporate

organisation, and also among us as a nation. To that end, the Games are held in a different state every year, on a rotating basis,” he said.

Amokachi, an ambassador of the event, hailed the property firm for organising the event, adding that it will keep their staff very fit.

“I’m honoured to be part of the Games in its fifth year. We appreciate the private sector

support for sports and that’s what Adron Homes is doing.

What’s important is to keep fit.

Some members of staff might end up with fine times in the sprints and get discovered. That’s why it’s important to keep doing what you are doing,” Amokachi, a Special Assistant on Sports to President Muhammadu Buhari, said.

Some of the events lined up for the 2021 edition include;

wrestling, cycling, track and field – which has athletes split into four teams -- and an eightteam football tournament.

Former Super Eagles forward Waidi Akanni, CEO of Match International Limited, is the consultant to the Adron Games.

Other ex internationals present at the event include; Friday Ekpo, Wasiu Ipaye, Friday Elahor, Victor Agali, Loveday Omoruyi and former Olympian Henry Amike.

Organisers Raise the Bar with Pre-qualifiers Scheduled for Aug. 28th

L-R: Atlanta '96 Olympic Silver medalist, Mrs Falilat Ogunkoya; Technical Director of the NFF, Austin Eguavoen; Sports Ambassador and Special Assistant on Sports to the President, Daniel Amokachi and Director, Public Affairs, ADRON Homes, Mrs Isidora Sonariwo at the unveiling of logo and jerseys for the ADRON Games 2021 in Lagos... yesterday

As the preparations for the 2021 Nigeria Cup series of golf competitions gather momentum, there are indications that this 24th edition will raise the bar for the annual tournament.

Already, the Golf Practice Range of the Ikoyi Club, (Golf Section), the venue of the annual competition, is already crowded with golfers who want to hone their skills before the tournament’s qualifier hold on August 28th.

Corporate sponsors of the Nigeria Cup have also been making inquiries with respect to being part of the show.

The tournament’s Organising Committee headed by Mr Frank Igbene and assisted by Mr Tade Adekunle and Mrs Ronke Iyola, has been set up to run the show.

The Committee which has been working to provide the best Nigeria Cup tournament ever, has the responsibility to raise funds and execute plans for the week-long competitions.

The Nigeria Cup series of golf competitions for six different categories of golfers, is organised annually by the Ikoyi Golf Community Nigeria Association (IGCNA) and hosted by Ikoyi

NIGERIA CUP Club 1938.

The event was set up to celebrate Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary.

Ever since its debut in 1997, The Nigeria Cup has grown to become the most popular and glamorous amateur golf event in Africa.

Apart from the golf course competitions which will involve staff, caddies, professional golfers, male and female golfers of Ikoyi Club, the Nigeria Cup has become a financial vehicle which impacts on its immediate environment through strategic investments in the golf infrastructure of Ikoyi Club Golf Course, as well as donating to charities in Lagos State.

This year, the objective is to donate an automated irrigation system to the Golf Section of Ikoyi Club.

In consonance with the present community health conditions and objectives of the times, the 2021 Nigeria Cup will be held with the observation of full and strict Covid 19 Protocols.

SPORTS Dallaji: On a Mission to Make Nigeria Sports Greater PEOPLE Fred Edoreh

T

he Aminu Kano Stadium hosted, perhaps, the biggest sports party Kano City has witnessed in recent times last Sunday.

The crowd was wowed with the role call of artistes - Yemi Alade, Peter Okoye, Reekado Banks, Di’ja, home-boy Sani Danja and other local performers who would ever cherish sharing the stage with the top stars. On the anchors were celebrity comedian, AY, and star dancer, Kaffy.

In the A-list of attendants were ex-international sports icons like Tijani Babangida, Garba Lawal, Emmanuel Babayaro and more.

Also in the house was Nollywood fine guy, Francis Duru, who coordinated from the sides.

It wasn't a Kano Pillars’ game. It was the finals of the Noah Dallaji U-17 Basketball Tournament for youths in the Northern conference, a programme of the Noah Dallaji Legacy Project organised in conjunction with Olumide Oyedeji Foundation.

Sponsored by the African Children Talent Discovery Foundation presided over by Engr. Noah Dallaji, the programme featured youth mentoring and life coaching in which the music, movie and sports icons engaged the participants, to provide them insights on various career paths in entertainment and sports, pointing them to the big future ahead, according to their talents and passion, and teaching them

All the participants in the just concluded Engr. Noah Dallaji Legacy U-17 Basketball Tournament in Kano how to climb the ropes.

Oyedeji, former Captain of D’Tigers, Nigeria's senior men’s basketball team, and current President of the Nigerian Olympians Association, said he shed tears of fulfillment when some of the players walked up to tell him that the experience was the best thing ever to happen to them.

But, in the plans of Noah Dallaji, it was only the beginning of great things to come towards changing the perfection, reach and fortune of youths in the North.

“Our mission is to build a great nation through the discovery and development of young talents in virtually every field of endeavor and supporting them to fulfill their destiny. We have been doing this in the education and entertainment sector. We provide scholarship for about 70 students yearly to study in American universities.

This has been made possible through our facilitation of a sister-city relationship between the city of Oakland and Bauchi.

Now we have come to sports,” Dallaji explained.

Oyedeji reveals that in line with Noah Dallaji's vision, 14 players from the Kano tournament have been penciled down for further grooming.

“The plan is to nurture, guide and support them to attain fulfilling careers in basketball," he said.

"The serious ones among them will be sent on scholarship to various American colleges and universities to ensure that they effectively combine sports and education in the most enabling environment. While some may succeed in achieving a career in basketball, others may end up as professionals in other fields."

Dallaji explained the commitment

in clearer perspective: “It is our way of changing lives not only for the youngsters but for their families, communities, society and the nation in general. We believe that their success will inspire those behind them to aspire to achieve same heights and this programme will be sustained through the years to provide a platform to lift up talented youngsters from the inner communities and villages."

Oyedeji pointed out that the success of the Kano 2021 programme was especially significant towards redirecting the minds of Northern youths from banditry and various social vices, guiding them away from the lure of criminality by offering them a better platform for self development, life achievement and the attainment of economic independence.

Even for those not selected among the best 14 or top 5, Oyedeji

has a word.

“When I was in the University of Ife, I was not good enough to play in the school basketball team, but by self determination and continued hard work, I grew to play in the American collegiate, in the NBA, various clubs in Europe and Asia and became captain of the Nigeria senior basketball team, D’Tigers. So, even though we have selected those we consider to be the best players, it is important to note that we saw many talented players who may not have necessarily excelled in the tournament. You can be talented and not play well at the beginning but with more training you can distinguish yourself.

“That is why, beyond the training and scouting, I consider the mentorship aspect of the programme even most important as it strengthens the mind and psychology of our young persons

to go through life.

“The introduction of entertainment was to feed the passion of the youth and show them that sports is fun. The NBA long adopted the strategy of marrying basketball and entertainment and that enabled them to draw out youngsters from the crime infested inner cities to embrace basketball. We took it a notch further by bringing the entertainment icons to interact at close and personal range with the participants.

"They now return home not only with the free basketball equipments distributed to them to enable keep on training but with a new insight on the game, career paths and possibilities and a more positive outlook towards the feature.

"I cannot thank Engr Noah Dallaji, his Legacy Projects initiative and the ACTDF enough for making this huge investment towards lifting our young persons. When they succeed, they and their families and communities will always remember that he gave them his shoulders to climb.”

Interestingly, Dallaji says it is all for nothing but the good of the nation.

“We are a non-profit, nonbusiness organisation and we have no strings attached in what we do. What we aim at is a greater nation through lifting and building greater youths by supporting them to develop their talents and passion.

What we only ask of them is that, when they succeed, they should help others also to succeed. That way we all join hands with one another to build a greater nation.”

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Friday August 20, 2021

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Price: N250

MISSILE EDSG to Troublemakers “Under the Edo State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, it is an offence for anyone to proclaim himself, or allow himself to be proclaimed as the holder of any traditional title not recognised under the said law” – Edo State Government condemning the planned coronation of Idriss Addano as the Sultan of Shuwa Arab of Edo State.

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26 years

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

IBB Disappoints Again “He came and he said, ‘I just annulled June 12.’ We both looked at each other and we looked at him, and said: why would you do that? And he said ‘you are too young to understand the intrigues of governance.’

And we said, but it is about you and your administration. And he said, ‘well, perhaps, this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life....So, you could see that his hands were tied. He was limited. He couldn’t do what he would have wished to do. And this is probably a story most Nigerians don’t know” –Mohammed Babangida “It is a decision we took. I had to take that decision, I did that to the best of my knowledge, in the interest of the country…

‘I did the right thing. I can sit back and say some of the things I said manifested after I had left. We had the coup and that coup lasted for five years.’ According to the ex-Nigerian leader, the citizens complained that they were tired of elections, thus paving the way for Sani Abacha who ruled the nation for five years”...“If it materialised, there would have been a coup d’état – which could have been violent. That’s all I can confirm. It didn’t happen thanks to the engineering and the “Maradonic’ way we handled you guys in the society. But that could have given room for more instability in the country” –Ibrahim Babangida

T

he two excerpts above constitute a critical resource for any obligatory and sympathetic assessment of former President Ibrahim Babangida. It is always difficult to write dispassionately about a father figure let alone one who looms so large and controversial in the Nigerian public space. I generally cringe from hagiolatory and believe that the true test of goodwill and friendship is the extent to which one can offer critical acclaim without pandering and sycophantic ingratiation. As we are all human, this is easier said than done and kindred sympathy would readily supplant objective detachment. Great ambitions are often inspired by a commensurate sense of inadequacy and insecurity. Think of the short man syndrome and what has come to be known as the Napoleon complex-’where a man feels inadequate because of his short height and may try to overcompensate it with overly aggressive behaviour’. It is what the Yoruba call okùnrin kúkúrú bìlísì roughly translating to the slang ‘short man, plenty wahala’.

The most dominant deity in the Yoruba pantheon, Orunmila, is called akéréfinúshogbón (the all wise tiny man) and okùnrin kúkúrú òkè gètí (the diminutive man who resides in òkè gètí, ilé Ifè). With reference to the famous world historic military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte the more human variant is called the Napoleon complex. Like the latter, Babangida is of short stature and has earned a Nigeriawide fame as an accomplished military officer.

Before he acquired the defining reputation of foremost military politician he had acquitted himself as a brave soldier in the battlefied.

‘Earlier in his career, he had on the battle field risked his life to save his colleague Duba who was mortally wounded unless evacuated.

Babangida, risking his own life volunteered to go and carry Duba’. And while he was hospitalised on account of the deep injuries

Babangida he sustained, he demanded a quick discharge and return to the battlefied even before his injuries healed. And if you are a zodiac sign believer, he is meaningfully a Leo. I have taken recourse to this (psychoanalytical) personality profiling because it is otherwise difficult to be fair and charitable towards the former president without a subjective knowledge of his personality. Above any other character trait the one that stands out the most is wanting to be liked by people and the closer you get to him the more difficult it equally becomes not to like him. It is the reason why he is such a perfect family man and a passionate godfather. If the Maradona appellation suits him like second skin, it is because it derives from a trademark inability to say no to any personal request. Finding himself, quite naturally, unable to fulfil the father Christmas dimensions of this trait, he had to perfect the art of wriggling out of difficult situations.This trait can be a great flaw within the context of governance and statecraft where decisions should be taken solely on the merit of public interest with little regard for personal considerations. For me, the abiding paradox of his life is how to reconcile his charming, pleasant and inoffensive nature with being

in the thick of the sanguinary environment of military campaigns; how he was so strong and brave in the line of real life fire but not so brave in the seat of military president and when it mattered the most in his public life.

There cannot be an adequate accounting of his military career (and that of his generation from the North) without allusion to the role of the Northern regional political leadership.

Joining the Army was a decision made for them by the regional patriarchs who envisioned, like Chairman Mao and Secretary Josef Stalin, that power flows from the barrel of the gun. And the vision has proven to be quite predictive and ample in the rewards of the strategic anticipation of the role of balance of terror in Nigeria’s power politics. In contrast to its rivals, this was at a time the ‘the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) had a limited vision for the security services and the Action Group (AG) wanted to disband the military altogether and set up a more modest paramilitary force’. To this day it still befuddles me how an astute and visionary political leader like Chief Obafemi Awolowo could have missed out on the fundamental instrumentality of this potent instrument of power politics in his political calculations.

The folly of this omission would sooner play out in the run up to the civil war when the dominant Northern faction of the Nigerian Army refused to cede the occupation of the Western region in compliance with the agreement reached at the conference of Nigeria’s leaders of thought.

In the opinion of the Shehu Yar’Adua Foundation ‘Joining the army in 1962 was a statement of political faith. A politically better informed Northern elite had come to recognise the neglected significance of the military in independent Nigeria. According to President Muhammadu Buhari, “The Emir of Kano told one of us that if soldiers could overthrow a line of kings descended directly from the prophet, it could happen anywhere. So we should go and join the army”. In corroboration, General Garba Duba recounted that.. “I had never deamt to be a soldier. But when I finished my secondary school, my uncle, the Emir of Gwandu, had received a letter from Sardauna requesting him to give one of his sons to join the army as an officer. And that is how I was taken”. In their flair for military intervention in Nigerian politics it is useful to recall that the major players of the Nigerian Army were

The pity here is he keeps repeating the same self-destructive error of snatching defeat from the potential biggest victory of his life. This corrosive self-abnegation is what he keeps doing to himself by declining to admit to the conspicuous error and choosing, instead, to insult the intelligence of Nigerians with obtuse and escapist non arguments. Could it be that he is sworn to an oath never to admit that white is white and black is black where it concerns the annulment?

politicised rather than socialised into the Army.

Babangida is a personification of this pedigree.

Still how do you reconcile the revelation of Babangida’s true and intimate feelings that the annulment of the June 1993 presidential election was a mistake (to his children for instance) with his public posturing of persistent justification and tortuous rationalisation of a conspicuous wrongdoing? In what way could the annulment possibly be in the best interest of the country?

How did his voluntary submission to being held captive and held to ransom by a cabal of pampered power hungry military officers be rationalised as doing the right thing? If this selfish and bad company would not let him honour the result of the election today, what is the guarantee they would allow him to do so in five months or five years time?

The pity here is he keeps repeating the same self-destructive error of snatching defeat from the potential biggest victory of his life. This corrosive self-abnegation is what he keeps doing to himself by declining to admit to the conspicuous error and choosing, instead, to insult the intelligence of Nigerians with obtuse and escapist non arguments. Could it be that he is sworn to an oath never to admit that white is white and black is black where it concerns the annulment?

At 80 years and given the contextual extenuation provided by the comprehensive failure of his rival, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, there is hardly a better politically opportuned moment to secure a less hostile reckoning of posterity. To the contrary, he appears oblivious of ceding the initiative to his adversaries on the narrative of the annulment debacle. Which was what all the insincere razzmatazz of the symbolic reinstatement of June 12 as Nigeria’s icon of democracy by the incumbent administration was all about. His loss on this occasion is the gain of his fellow contender. Indeed, “how does IBB feel today, now that Buhari has recognised June 12 and MKO Abiola?” Ironically, let us not forget that while the personification of the June 12, 1993 watershed election, Chief Moshood Abiola, was languishing in Abacha’s gulag, General Buhari was serving as his right hand man as the executive chairman, Petroleum Tax Fund (PTF). And so enamoured was he of Abacha, that up till now, not even the Swiss and Cayman Island banks can convince him that “Abacha stole any money”.

Perhaps more than any area of comparison and contrast, it is in his liberal cosmopolitan adherence to the reflection of federal character and geopolitical balancing (nation building prescription) that Babangida towers above an antithetical Buhari. He once sat me down to explain how he couldn’t be adjudged as running a regionally discriminating administration. It may have been an exaggeration but there was the element of validity to his claim that his kitchen cabinet, headed by the chairman of his Presidential Advisory Council, Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, was predominantly Southern in composition. In the end, explanations for his ‘I did right and did no wrong’ posture in the annulment of the 1993 presidential election can be found in such ruinous sychophancy as one encapsulated in this rendition by Chief Duro Onabule “the most uncharitable critic of IBB, after experiencing four other administrations (Shonekan, Abacha, Abubakar and now Obasanjo) readily concedes that but for the annulment of June 12, 1993, IBB would have been an untainted hero.”

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