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Presidency Downplays GDP Contraction, Says Result Beats Forecasts Attributes outcome to measures to arrest economic decline Rewane seeks periodic adjustment of economy Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos The presidency has said that the 6.1per cent decline in the nation's Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) shows that the economy isn't in such a bad state as earlier projected by both domestic and international experts.

According to it, 6.1 per cent economic contraction

reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in the second quarter of 2020 beat the projected forecasts of 7.24 per cent decline by the experts.

It also beats most domestic and international forecasts

for other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and South Africa.

Presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, said in a statement yesterday that the

overall decline of 6.1 per cent (for Q2 2020) and 2.18 per cent (for H1 2020) was better than the projected forecast of 7.24 per cent as estimated by the NBS. He, however, attributed the

improvement to the various proactive measures put in place by the federal government to strengthen the economy and arrest the downward trajectory.

Continued on page 8

CBN Recommends Control Board to Boost Non-oil Export... Page 6 Thursday 27 August, 2020 Vol 25. No 9271. Price: N250

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Ahead of Today’s AfDB Poll, Adesina Rallies Support for Re-election... Page 5

Conclude Criminal Cases in One Year, Buhari Urges Judiciary Proposes 15 months for civil suits Frowns on multiple, conflicting court orders Lawyers shun boycott call, 24,000 participate in NBA conference Davidson Iriekpen in Lagos and Alex Enumah in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday decried what he described as the “terribly slow pace” of justice administration in Nigeria and proposed that criminal cases from the high court to the Supreme Court should be concluded within 12 months.

On the other hand, civil

cases should not last longer than 15 months, he said in a speech to declare open the Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The 60th AGC, with the theme, ‘Stepping Forward,’ was NBA’s first virtual gathering.

However, despite the Continued on page 9

Govs Won’t Fund Community Police, Says Akeredolu Warns South-west will resist FG over regulation of Amotekun Chuks Okocha in Abuja Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, yesterday dismissed the suggestion by the police high command that states will fund special constables to be recruited for

community policing.

Reacting to Tuesday's statement by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Research and Planning, Mr. Adeleye Continued on page 8

SEEKING SPEEDY JUSTICE… Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) delivers President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech at the virtual annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association 60th Annual General Conference in Abuja…yesterday

ECOWAS Demands 12-month Interim Govt in Mali... Page 5

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

ECOWAS Demands 12-month Interim Govt in Mali Ousted president no longer interested in power Coupists seek lifting of sanctions

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has demanded the installation of an interim government in Mali to be headed by a civilian or retired military officer for a maximum duration of one year.

Giving President Muhammadu Buhari update on the coup staged by the military last week in the country, which toppled the government of President Ibrahim Keita, ECOWAS Special Envoy to Mali and Buhari's predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, said his team told the new leadership

of the country that the interim government must organise elections within 12 months and restore full constitutional government to Mali.

A statement by Buhari's media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Jonathan, at a meeting with the president in Abuja, updated the president on his team's dialogue with the military coup leaders, whom he said demanded a three-year interregnum before origanising elections.

“They call themselves National Committee for the Salvation of the People. We asked them to allow ousted

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to return to his personal residence, where he would be given tight security, but they said he could travel abroad and not return to answer questions they may have for him.

“We also told them that what would be acceptable to ECOWAS was an interim government, headed by a civilian or retired military officer, to last for six or nine months, and maximum

of 12 calendar months. The interim government would then organise elections to restore full constitutional order," Jonathan stated.

He told Buhari that his team was allowed to meet with the ousted president, whom he said confirmed that he resigned voluntarily and he was no longer interested in returning to power.

Jonathan added that the

military leaders urged ECOWAS to lift sanctions imposed on Mali because it was already affecting the country.

“But we told them that the authority to do such was only in the hands of ECOWAS heads of state,” he added.

Buhari, in his remarks, stated that the priority in Mali now should be to secure the country, which he said had largely been occupied by terrorists.

He said: “About two-thirds of Mali is occupied by terrorists and it makes common sense to secure the country, rather than pursuing individual interests.”

According to him, the subregion would take a common position on the issue when the leaders meet tomorrow, hoping that an amicable and a generally acceptable position to all interested parties would be arrived at.

Presidency Takes over Funding of Forensic Audit of NDDC Approves N722.3m for auditors

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Disturbed by the continued delay in the passage of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) budget by the National Assembly, the presidency yesterday resolved to release N722.3 million to fund the forensic audit of the commission.

The amount is in addition to other estimated fiscal proposals for the forensic audit, which is expected to cover 12,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta in the last 19 years.

Briefing reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, Abuja, the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the decision followed the approval of a memorandum he presented to the council for the appointment of field auditors to commence the forensic audit.

According to him, aside from the appointment of the lead auditor earlier approved in March, appointments of eight more auditors have been approved for the forensic investigation.

He described one of the audit firms, Ernst and Young, as an international company which will coordinate forensic activities at the headquarters.

Akpabio said the output of the audits would be beneficial to the Niger Delta region because it would reveal the amount of monies released to NDDC in the last 19 years and determine whether such releases were commensurate with developments in the region.

The minister explained that the delay in the take-off of the audit was caused by lack of budget for the commission since 2019, despite the provision of N1.25 billion in the 2019 budget of NDDC. He said in view of the National Assembly's inability to sit now and consider the budget because of its annual recess, the president was compelled to order the release of the money from the budget of the presidency to enable the exercise to commence.

"By the time I assumed office in August 2019, we discovered there was no budget for the NDDC for the year 2019 up to that September. So, we submitted two budgets in November to the National Assembly, and it took quite a while until in April.

"The budget details were given out to the NDDC in April, to the end of May, less than six weeks. So, there was a provision of N1.25 billion in the budget of 2019 for the forensic audit exercise. So, basically what delayed it was the absence of a budget, not the absence of the will.

"Unfortunately, the National Assembly is right now on leave and the budget of NDDC for 2020 has not been passed. So, to enable us to move forward with the exercise and complete it on time, Mr. President graciously directed and approved that the payment for the forensic exercise should be undertaken through the presidency." he said.

Akpabio stated that the approval of N722.3 million

by FEC for the audit was an addition to the N318 million earlier approved, adding that the field audit would be completed within the next two weeks after which another group of eight auditors would be hired to conclude the exercise.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari had last year approved N2.5 billion for the audit and every amount to be spent would be within the approved figure but will be released by the presidency in view of the non-availability of the NDDC budget.

"So, the first amount that was approved for the lead forensic auditors was about N318 million and then for this batch of eight field auditors, N722.3 million.

We expect to complete the field audit in the next one or two weeks to conclude forensic audit procurement by bringing in further seven to eight of them because of the number of years - 19 years and that will conclude it.

"Earlier, Mr. President had last year approved an estimated amount of N2.5 billion. So, everything that we are spending now will come from that estimated sum. Initially, it should have come from the budget of the NDDC but because of the delay and the inability to pass the 2020 budget, the entirety of the amount that will be spent will come from the budget of the presidency," he said.

He stated that the output of the audit would serve as a benchmark for other development commissions such as the recently-established North East Development Commission (NEDC).

MINISTERS PARLEY… L-R: Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; and the Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Folashade Yemi-Esan, at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja...yesterday

Ahead of Today’s AfDB Poll, Adesina Rallies Support for Re-election Dike Onwuamaeze and Nume Ekeghe The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has called for unity within the institution in order to stabilise the bank to enable it to support the rebound of the African economy from the ravages of COVID-19.

This is just as the Board of Governors of the Bank are expected to elect the bank’s president today with Adesina being the only one standing for election.

Adesina spoke yesterday during the opening ceremony of the virtual annual meetings of the Board of Governors and Shareholders of the AfDB, which is being hosted in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Apart from being the sole candidate in the election, Adesina is the first Nigerian to occupy the role. The former Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture was elected for a five-year term on May 28, 2015, at the 50th annual meetings, which took place in Abidjan.

Nigeria recently paid in its new general capital increase commitment of $85 million, which almost doubled its voting rights in the bank to 15.52 per cent.

Speaking at the meeting yesterday, Adesina said: “Today, I stand before you with gratefulness for your strong and collective support over the past five years. We succeeded together and together we must also go forward, reaching for what lies before us to help

fast-track Africa's development by building on our collective achievements, strengthening weaknesses and deepening our impact.

“At this annual meeting, I offer myself to you, our governors, for the consideration of re-election for a second term as president of the AfDB. I do so with humility and with a strong sense of duty and commitment in the call to serve Africa and our bank selflessly to the very best of my God-given ability.”

The AfDB president said Africa needed a strong multilateral institution such as the AfDB to support the continent through the raging pandemic and help its economies rebound for healthier lives and livelihoods for its people.

He stated that the AfDB needed to work more closely with its shareholders.

He noted that COVID-19 pandemic was spreading fast and spreading much havoc and untold hardships through losses of lives, jobs and economic productivity, which are “too deep and too vast to even begin to fathom.”

This, he added, has made “our need for pulling together, uniting and staying focused together more important than ever. For in unity we build strength to overcome even the most challenging of obstacles. Pulling together has always been the strength of the AfDB.” Adesina stated that Africa has lost more than a decade of economic growth as a result of the pandemic, therefore,

“Africa's recovery would be long and difficult. Now we must help Africa to build back boldly and smartly by paying greater attention to quality growth, health, climate and the environment.”

He said the past several months had been challenging for the bank and thanked the governors under the leadership of the Chairperson of the AfDB Board of Governors, Ms. Mme Niale Kaba, for joining hands to steady the bank and pulling it together.

“I am proud of the AfDB and the strength of our governance system, I am proud of each and every shareholder of the bank who challenged and made us all better.

“Our experience has made us better and stronger. Our challenges, though difficult, have become our gain. But it has not been easy. I will reach out. I will engage and we will heal,” he said.

Adesina also used the occasion to highlight the gains of the High Five programme he launched five years ago at his inception as the bank’s president.

He said: “Time has gone so fast and fast has also been our impact in those five years for Africa's progress as 18 million people now have access to electricity; 141 million people have benefitted from improved agricultural technologies for food security; 15 million people have access to finance through private sector investments; 101 million people have access to improved transport and 60 million people have gained access to water and

sanitation.”

He thanked the board and staff at the bank for their hard work and the strong support that made the achievements possible, adding that they should not rest as the prize for good work is more work.

In his opening speech, the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, highlighted the unusual context of this year’s Meetings, taking place against the backdrop of the pandemic.

He also underscored the Bank’s critical support for his country and other regional members.

“This is an opportunity for me to acknowledge the African Development Bank, its President and Board of Directors, for the unwavering support, expressed in these difficult times to African states.

“Indeed, the Bank's COVID-19 Rapid Response Facility has made it possible to finance and support African countries in the fast implementation of plans to fight the pandemic.”

President Ouattara praised the “remarkable capacity to adapt that the Bank has shown by continuing its operations and functioning in virtual mode, since March 2020,” and the work accomplished by Bank President Akinwumi Adesina “who has successfully led the transformation of the African Development Bank and has given it great credibility and visibility, of which we are proud.”

President Ouattara wished Adesina good luck in his reelection bid.

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CBN Recommends Control Board to Boost Non-oil Export Zenith GMD harps on diversification of Nigeria’s revenue base Nume Ekeghe The Director of Trade and Exchange Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Ozoemena Nnaji, has called for the establishment of an inclusive export control board, comprising both government and private sector stakeholders to increase non-oil export in the country.

He spoke at a virtual trade forum organised by Zenith Bank, where its Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, stressed the need for the country to continue to push for policies to help in diversifying the country's revenue base.

The forum, which drew participants from the country's non-oil sector had "Prospects of non-oil export during and post COVID-19," as its theme.

In her contribution, Nnaji said: “You will agree that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is another opportunity for a wake-up call for this country, as it has once again exposed the

overdependence of the Nigerian economy on one product, which is oil.

"The slowdown in oil production and other disruptions due to the forced lockdown around the globe have caused a decline in the demand and price of crude oil bringing to fore again a renewed policy debate on the need for a deeper policy in the non-oil sector as a means of cushioning the impact of global shocks on the Nigerian economy.”

She stated that while the CBN as the monetary arm of government was doing a lot, a lot more needed to be done by other stakeholders in the non-oil sector.

“I think there should be an establishment of an inclusive export policy control board, which primary responsibility will be to tackle the bottlenecks being faced by Nigerian exporters in the export value chain.

"This will include followup and measurement of performance and outcomes of policies emanating from this collaborative effort.

These efforts should include the federal government and state governments, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, the NEXIM and other stakeholders in the development of export trade in the country.

“Some of the outcomes to be measured would be risks moderation in the export value chain, export credit services, investment maturity periods, port managements, lower transactions cost for exporters, export procedures and export financing for better terms for exports.”

According to her, the initiative will reduce risks related to exports, in the agriculture value.

She added: “We also think

there should be a Nigerian private sector collaboration to reduce or eliminate risks and waste within the non-oil export value chain, and get a better understanding of all the export ecosystem.

"I think there is a lack of information and for people that have goods to export, there are some bottlenecks and I think that a collaborative effort will ease some of these bottlenecks.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stifle international trade and disrupt businesses and supply chains, it is important that attention is paid to the non-oil sector for the economic stability of the nation.

"Optimal attention should be given to sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, information technology

and most importantly the SME sector, which can drive job creation, improve industrialisation, increase GDP performance and play a critical role in the process of economic growth.”

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Onyeagwu had said: “One of the areas the pandemic has affected us as a country is the fact that our earnings from crude have been seriously impacted. Our export earnings from crude is seriously under pressure and that is why we have foreign exchange challenges and the exchange rate is where it is because we have not developed our export potentials.

“For me, there two things to do in dealing with the foreign exchange challenges: Firstly, we need to change our taste

bud and secondly, we need to explore and do a lot more of exports.

“For anybody who is looking for a transition out of the pandemic, whether as an individual or as a nation, the anchor point and masterstroke you cannot make a mistake is to go back to develop our agricultural business.”

Also speaking on the impact improved non-oil export would have on the nation, he said: “Yesterday, we had a Bankers' Committee meeting and the call from the CBN governor was to go ahead and promote the drive for export. If you ask some people, they would speculate the increase in the exchange rate but exchange rate can have a reversal and the way for it to have a reversal is to increase export business."

FG Inaugurates Special Visitation Panel for UNILAG Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government has inaugurated the Presidential Visitation Panel saddled with the responsibility of looking into the crisis rocking the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who inaugurated the panel headed

by Prof. Tukur Sa’ad, on behalf of President Muhammad Buhari, yesterday in Abuja, however, warned members against interference with the activities of university management.

He urged all stakeholders in the university to fully cooperate with the panel and allow it to work unhindered.

He said: “I am confident that, as members, you will bring to bear your expertise in university administration in the discharge of this task, in order to bring the institution back to the path of progress and greatness.”

The minister, who noted that “councils are to lay down policies while managements are to implement them”, regretted that: “Over the past year, the ministry has been inundated with complaints and correspondences from the management and the governing council of the University of Lagos as well as the National Assembly, on lingering governance issues in the institution, including allegations of financial infractions and breach of responsibilities.”

He insisted that like he said about a month ago when he inaugurated the reconstituted governing councils of 13 federal universities, chairmen and members of the council

must ensure that they do not interfere with the day-to-day administrative activities of their respective university managements.

Recalling the crisis that bedeviled the UNILAG, Adamu regretted that, “The face-off has lingered on unabated, in spite of several interventions by the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education, many stakeholders and the National Universities Commission (NUC), eventually leading to the removal of Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe as Vice-Chancellor by the University Governing Council during its meeting on Wednesday, 12th August 2020.”

Adamu who noted that the university “governing council thereafter appointed an acting vice-chancellor to fill the void”, however, regretted that “The decision of the council, instead of stabilising the University of Lagos, only managed to open up a plethora of accusations and counter-accusations.”

“Due process was alleged not to have been followed in the removal and appointment of the vice-chancellor and the acting vice-chancellor, respectively.

“The President and Visitor to the University, after due consideration of the report of the crisis in the university, particularly the polarisation and unhealthy relationship between the Vice-Chancellor and the chairman and prochancellor and some members of the governing council approved the constitution of a seven-man Special Visitation Panel to the institution,” he added.

AMBASSADOR GOES HOME… Outgoing Ambassador of Norway to Nigeria, Mr. Jens-Petter Kjemprud (left), and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, during the Norwegian’s farewell visit to the minister in Abuja…recently

NERC Gives Conditions for Electricity Tariff Increase Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) said yesterday that there will be no arbitrary increase in the tariffs paid

by Nigerians for electricity until certain conditions are met by Distribution Companies (Discos).

Chairman of the regulatory agency for the power sector, Prof. James Momoh, stated that the principles laid down

by NERC would be strictly followed before any review would be effected.

Momoh spoke against the backdrop of reports that the NERC was set to begin implementation of a new tariff regime by September 1, after it was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, being a precondition for the release of a $750 million loan for the sector by the World Bank.

The regulator noted that due process will be strictly followed, including consultations with customers, increase in hours of supply per day, substantial metering of consumers and an overall improvement in quality of service.

Momoh said: “In response to media reports that there is an increase in tariffs for Nigerians, NERC wishes to clarify that tariff reviews going forward will only follow service-based principles.

“Under these service-based principles Discos will only be able to review tariff rates for customers when they consult with customers, commit to increasing the number of hours of supply per day and quality of service.

“In all cases, poor and vulnerable Nigerians will not experience any increase. In line with these expectations,

Discos are directed to engage with their customers on a Service-Based Tariff structure”.

NERC stressed that under the service based tariff structure, Discos can only review tariffs for customers under certain conditions, including that: “customers are consulted and communicated a guaranteed level of electricity service by the Discos based on hours of supply, customers are metered and no estimated billing through the strict enforcement of the capping regulation” It added: “This means that unmetered customers will not experience any cost increase beyond what is chargeable to metered customers in the same area.

“Even under the above conditions, there will be no change in tariffs for the most vulnerable as tariffs for

those consuming 50KW or less remain frozen. Customers receiving less than 12 hours of supply will also not experience any change in tariffs.”

It said that apart from that, the president had directed that there should be a nationwide mass-metering program in an effort by the federal government to put a stop to estimated and arbitrary billing for electricity.

“He (president) has also approved a waiver of the import levy on meters, so that those that do not have meters can be supplied as early as possible at reasonable costs.

“The general public and all stakeholders in the power sector are by this the statement urged to disregard any reports of an arbitrary tariff increase affecting Nigerians” NERC said.

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PAGE EIGHT PRESIDENCY DOWNPLAYS GDP CONTRACTION, SAYS RESULT BEATS FORECASTS But Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has said the federal government should explore periodic adjustment of the economy to avoid its contraction as manifested in the 6.1 per cent decline in the second quarter of the year.

Reacting to the NBS report released on Monday, Adesina said the 6.1 per cent GDP growth decline in the second quarter of the year ended "the three-year trend of low but consistently improving positive real growth rates recorded since the 2016/2017 recession."

He added that it was a consequence of the real GDP decline of 2.18 per cent year-on-year when compared with 2.11 per cent recorded in the first half of 2019.

According to him, the GDP growth decline in Nigeria during the quarter was far better than the GDP output recorded in many other countries during the same quarter.

He stated that the contraction did not only beat most domestic and international forecasts, but it also seemed to be "muted when compared to the outcomes in several countries."

He listed such countries with poorer economic performance during the quarter as more economically advanced economies such as the US which he said recorded 33 per cent decline; the United Kingdom (20 per cent), France (14 per cent) and Germany (10 per cent).

Other poorer contractions, he said, occurred in: Italy (12.4 per cent), Canada (12 per cent), Israel (29 per cent), Japan (eight per cent), South Africa (projection 20 per cent to 50 per cent), with the notable exception of only China with a growth rate of three per cent.

He said: "The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published on Monday, August 24, 2020, the 2nd Quarter (Q2) 2020 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates, which "measures economic growth.

Nigeria’s (GDP) declined by 6.10 per cent (year-onyear) in real terms in the second quarter of 2020, ending the three-year trend of low but consistently improving positive real growth rates recorded since the 2016/17 recession.

Consequently, for the first half of 2020, real GDP declined by 2.18 per cent year-on-year, compared with 2.11 per cent recorded in the first half of 2019.

"The overall decline of 6.1 per cent (for Q2 2020) and 2.18 per cent (for H1 2020) was better than the projected forecast of 7.24 per cent as estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics. The figure was also relatively far better than many other countries recorded during the same quarter.

"Furthermore, despite the observed contraction in economic activity during the quarter, it outperformed projections by most domestic and international analysts.

It also appears muted compared to the outcomes in several other countries, including large economies such as the US (33 per cent), UK (20 per cent), France (14 per cent), Germany (10 per cent), Italy (12.4 per cent), Canada (12 per cent), Israel (29 per cent), Japan (eight per cent), South Africa (projection 20 per cent to 50 per cent), with the notable exception of only China (three per cent)."

Adesina said the decline was arrested by various proactive measures, the federal government introduced to cushion the anticipated effects of COVID-19 pandemic, including the Economic Sustainability Programme (ESP) which helped to

curtail the effect of the pandemic on the economy.

The statement explained that fiscal measures put in place were deliberately conceived to raise revenues to support humanitarian assistance aside other intervention funds pumped into the health sector.

He added that adjustments to the national budget and emergency financing from concessional lending windows of development finance institutions also helped in supporting governments’ capacity to live up to its responsibilities.

"The government’s anticipation of the impending economic slowdown and the various initiatives introduced as early responses to cushion the economic and social effects of the pandemic, through the Economic Sustainability Programme (ESP), contributed immensely to dampening the severity of the pandemic on growth.

"On the fiscal side, a robust financing mechanism was designed to raise revenue to support humanitarian assistance, in addition to special intervention funds for the health sector.

"Adjustments to the national budget as well as emergency financing from concessional lending windows of development finance institutions were critical in supporting governments’ capacity to meet its obligations," he stated.

He also listed other monetary measures such as loan moratorium, credit support to both households and industries, among others, as parts of the efforts to control the effects of COVID-19 outbreak on the economy.

Other measures highlighted by Adesina included the ease of lockdown on interstate movements as well as

conscious management of the health impact of COVID-19 without overstretching the country's health infrastructure.

He said the decisions aided the confidence to reopen the country for international flights as well as commerce and international trade, adding that the trend also encouraged concerned authorities' resolve to reopen schools for the conduct of terminal examinations and imminent commencement of the next academic year.

"On the monetary side, moratorium on loans, credit support to households and industries, regulatory forbearance and targeted lending and guarantee programmes through NIRSAL were some of the measures implemented in response to the pandemic during the second quarter.

"It is equally worth noting that since the start of the third quarter, the phased approach to easing the restrictions being implemented centrally and across states have resulted in a gradual return of economic activity, including the possibility of international travel.

"More importantly, the anticipated health impacts of the pandemic have been managed without overwhelming the health infrastructure, which would have further compromised the ability to reopen the country to travel, commerce and international trade. Indeed, this has provided greater confidence and ability for authorities to initiate the conduct of nationwide terminal examinations and resumption of the next academic year," Adesina added.

Speaking on the forthcoming third and fourth quarter outputs, Adesina said: "It is anticipated that while the third and fourth quarters will reflect

continued effects of the slowdown, the fiscal and monetary policy initiatives being deployed by the government in a phased process will be a robust response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic."

Rewane Seeks Periodic Adjustment of Economy Rewane has, however, urged the federal government to explore periodic adjustment of the economy to avoid GDP contraction as recorded in the second quarter of the year.

He said enforcing price control was not the solution if the government was serious about boosting the country’s GDP and making it economically stable.

Rewane who spoke yesterday on ARISE NEWS, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said in order to achieve a rise in the country’s GDP, the government needed to deploy new strategies such as “saving national income; taking loan; and efficient deployment of resources in such a way that government must ensure that companies are producing and employing people in order to address the consumption needs of Nigerians, in addition to completing national projects in record time.”

Rewane stated that when these strategies are achieved, it will boost productivity and investments.

Reacting to the announcement recently by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on foreign exchange abuse and over-invoicing through the manipulation of Form ‘M’, Rewane said: “When there is a market imperfection in the system, gaps will be created and there will be abuse. The truth is that controlling prices will achieve nothing

just like we have seen in the past when the government introduced Money Exchange Anti-sabotage Decree, whereby having up to $10 in an individual’s account was a crime that attracted five years’ imprisonment.

That policy achieved nothing until Nigeria liberalised the market and allowed the exchange rate to move with market-determined forces.

That was when we achieved economic sanity.

“The CBN rules on foreign exchange will not address the situation because people will always find a way around it. We have the preshipment inspection rules that determine the origin and values, but the truth is that whether they buy directly from the exporter, the exporter can still inflate the price and pay in dollar while the dollar is resold in Nigeria at a higher rate to make more money.”

According to the economist, “we are aware of people who use their ATM cards to withdraw dollars in Lomé and come to Nigeria to sell the dollars because there is a huge disparity in the prices of the dollar in Lome and Nigeria, where the rate is higher in the parallel market. But for how long will CBN continue to trace these shadows with its monetary policies?

“What is appropriate for Nigeria is for CBN to periodically make adjustments on the economy, which will help close the gap between the two markets. So if the gap is closed then there will be no incentives for anybody or group of people to buy dollars from the bank and sell at the parallel market.

“Although I fully support what the CBN is trying to accomplish, as a core economist, I found it extremely difficult to believe that price control will address the challenge.”

Continued on page 9

GOVS WON’T FUND COMMUNITY POLICE, SAYS AKEREDOLU Oyebade, that states would fund community police, the governor said it will not be the duty of the 36 state governors to fund the programme when it becomes operational.

He added that the South-west security outfit, Amotekun, would not operate under the community policing arrangement, adding that there is a law guiding its operations, which is distinct from the police.

Oyebade, while featuring on a television programme, had said: “They are special constables and they shall be recruited as community policing officers and the process of recruitment shall be guided by Section 49 to 50 of the Nigeria Police Act. “So, the special constable is going to be an auxiliary police officer.

“We are expecting them to put in 16 working hours in a week and the remuneration is going to be paid by the state government after we must have trained and retrained and got them deployed in the local government where they have been recruited because they know the culture, the language,

the orientation and the topography of the area for them to be able to work with the police at that level.”

He had added that all other security arrangements in the country would fall under the community policing arrangement of the federal government.

But speaking yesterday on a television programme, Akeredolu faulted the police chief's statement that the states would fund the community policing network.

He said: “I am sure that they are taking this thing too far. Governors will have to pay? We have discussed this thing before and we told them it is not going to be possible. Are you increasing our allocations?

Which state governor will accept that? Other states might say, ‘Yes, we will pay’, but we will not pay.

“Let’s be fair to ourselves; we are running a federal system. Where is that money going to come from when we are struggling to pay salaries? Nobody has ever come to us to say we will pay salaries (of community policemen) anyway and if they come,

we will write to say, no, we don’t have extra money to do that.”

On the issue of the police regulating Amotekun, Akeredolu said: “It will never be accepted; it is not our thinking. We have a law that sets this up. If the DIG feels otherwise, there is always a place for us to ventilate it. We are not afraid of this. The law says Amotekun will operate under its own law; it is not going to be subsumed under any set-up. No. “We will not collapse Amotekun for community policing. It will stand on its own. There is no intimidation.

We are not people that can be intimidated (or) that the IG will give orders to. We will not. Amotekun is different.

Community policing is different. If the IG does not understand, he will leave one day and other people will understand.

“We will work together; it is collaboration, not that it will be subsumed. The law is there and if anybody finds a fault in that law, we can go to court and ventilate whatever position in it. The DIG is totally wrong, Amotekun will

not be subsumed under the community policing.”

He also spoke on the plans for Amotekun personnel to bear arms, stating: “We are trying to make a case but we’ve not yet agreed as to what should be with the issue of ammunition. For now, we allow Amotekun (cops) to carry non-prohibited ammunition. There is some ammunition that is nonprohibited. But we know it can look suicidal trying to confront these criminals with non-prohibited ammunition; so, we are looking at other means.

“These are disciplined people and if they carry arms, it will be for protection. We will keep having this discussion with the police and at the national level. But if the Nigerian police find it difficult to prevent herders who carry weapons with their cows; some of them have prohibited arms like AK-47 and you have not been able to prevent that; so, what stops disciplined people like Amotekun (operatives) to carry arms for protection?

"At least when the civil defence started; they were

not carrying arms; they didn’t allow them to carry arms but a case was made and they now carry arms.

We will continue to discuss this.”

He called for a multilevel policing to effectively confront the security challenges in the country.

According to Akeredolu, “No state takes pride in insecurity and the governors will be committed to (state policing) because most governors are elected to secure the lives and property within their domains. So, which state will now have the police of its own and not deploy it to good use?

“Multi-level policing is the best for this country.

I am one of those who believe we cannot have central police and that security will continue to suffer until we devolve multi-level policing.

“Maybe people are afraid that the governors will take charge of it. No, the governors will not be the ones who will be solely responsible for state police. It will be a police council at the state level, the composition will be spelt out and people will be

there by the virtue of their offices. So, it is not going to be a command that will be headed by a governor but by the functionality of the state police council.”

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THURSDAY, ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Ekweremadu Flays Arbitrary Use of Executive Order

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed reservation at the arbitrary use of executive legislation through executive order.

He has, therefore, warned that the nation may be heading towards authoritarianism and possible dictatorship if it fails to do away with the practice.

Ekweremadu made this observation on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a paper entitled “Executive Order and Democratic Governance” at the ongoing 60th conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment cited Executive Orders 6 and 10 of the President Buhari Muhammadu administration as examples of overreaching

executive orders.

He reminded his audience that much as the president had good intentions to get the governors to implement the constitution amendment granting financial autonomy to States House of Assembly and States Judiciary, Harvard professors, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, warned in their book, “How Democracies Die” that the road to dictatorship is always paved with good intensions.

His words: “Part of that Executive Order, orders the impoundment of parts of monthly allocations of any state that fails to remit these monies to State Judiciary and State Legislature.

“This does not in any way represent what we amended in the Constitution. The Order is evidently contrary to the provisions of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and the position

of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Attorney-General of Abia State vs. Attorney-General of the Federation."

According to him, “Democracy envisages the division of governmental powers into three different arms, each with distinct powers and responsibilities clearly provided for in a country's grundnorm. The philosophy behind this compartmentalisation of powers is the need to preserve the liberty of citizens and prevent abuse and tyranny by one arm of government over the other.

“Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution provides that the legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in the National Assembly. The National Assembly is empowered to exclusively legislate for the peace, order, and good

government of the federation or any part of it with respect to any matter on the exclusive legislative list in the second schedule to the constitution.

“The only section in the Constitution that confers the executive with some form of quasi-lawmaking powers is section 315 of the Constitution, which provides that the President or the Governor, as the case may be, may modify the text of an existing legislation, as he considers necessary or expedient, to bring such law into conformity with the provisions of the constitution.”

“It must, however, be understood that Section 315 is not a blanket provision enabling a vicious incursion into the legislative domain of lawmaking.

“It is first, a transitional provision inserted into the Constitution upon the return

to democratic rule in 1999 to enable the government to fill in legislative gaps typically expected of a country transitioning from a military system to democracy.

Even more, the authority to modify legislations must be limited to existing laws and not to enact or make new laws.

“A proper understanding of the context of Section 315 and the reason why it was inserted in the first place will reveal that the provision has duly outlived its usefulness and ought not to remain a part of our body of laws” Ekweremadu explained.

He regretted that the constitution amendment bill to delete the provision from the constitution in the 8th National Assembly was not signed by the President.

Ekweremadu called on the NBA and other public interest groups to act as gatekeepers

by seeking the intervention of the courts at the earliest opportunity against any Executive Orders, which seem to be in violation of constitutional provisions for the principles of separation of powers in order to stop the executive from usurping the legislative powers of the federation.

“The judiciary must be active in the protection of the well acceptable principle of separation of powers and Nigeria’s choice of federalism as a most suitable governance model for a plural society such as Nigeria.

“In fact, the executive should mind their business as is stated in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution.

“I also propose that the executive seeks a resolution of two-thirds of both Houses of the National Assembly if there is a need for an Executive Order”, he stated.

Police Parade Killers of Uniben Student, Uwaila

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, yesterday paraded six suspects who allegedly raped 100-level Microbiology student of University of Benin, Uwaila Vera Omozuwa in a church in Ihovbe quarters in Benin City which led to

her death.

The suspects arrested are Nelson Ogbebor, Akato Valentine, Mrs. Tina Samuel, Mrs. Mary Ade, Nosa Osabohien and Collins Ulegbe.

Late Miss Omozuwa was said to have gone to the church to read when the suspects went into the church, raped and inflicted a very

serious injury on her that eventually led to her death days later in the hospital.

Kokumo said the police decided to intensify efforts in unraveling those behind the death of the student following the wide outcry it generated and also the interest put in by the Inspector General of Police.

He said, "The matter

was of great concern to the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu who sent to us here in Benin, Homicide experts to work with our policemen at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

"What we are seeing today, is a result of the united efforts of the police to get at the root of the crime and today. I

announce to you and making public through this medium that the perpetrators have been arrested", he said.

Kokumo said the postmortem results confirmed that the said Uwaila Omozuwa was raped.

"The postmortem results had actually confirmed that she was raped", he said.

He said he had earlier told

the people of the state and Nigeria at large that the police would do all in their powers to unmask those behind her death adding that the parade of the killer suspects has made good their promise.

"I assured the good people of Edo state that we will leave no stone unturned to unravel the mystery behind this", he said.

through the issuance of executive orders for better implementation of the laws.

Malami, who was represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), said his ministry had so far aided the recovery of $301 million looted funds, which has been “ploughed into the economy."

In his address, Usoro, the outgoing NBA president, commended members for remaining united and professional.

“Those who are bent on dividing the bar would not relent. But we must always remember that we are one united Nigerian Bar Association. We must continue to ensure that we remain a united bar association; we must not be divided along ethnic, religious and other lines.

It must always be ‘One is for all, and all is for all,” he stated.

The Dutse and Bauchi branches of the NBA had called for a boycott of the conference unless el-Rufai was re-invited as a speaker at the AGC.

El-Rufai was disinvited last Thursday following protests by lawyers over his human rights record and the poor handling of the recent killings in Southern Kaduna.

Following the disinvitation, some lawyers had also demanded the dis-invitation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo; ex-British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair and Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

But the NBA shunned their demands.

Despite the petitions, the number of lawyers who registered for this year’s AGC doubled to 24,003 from the over 12,000 in 2019, according to Usoro.

NBA’s President-elect, Mr. Olumide Akpata, in a statement, described the AGC as the “largest virtual conference in Africa”.

Chairman of the Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP), Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN), said the conference was a landmark event in the annals of the association, especially being the “first virtual conference ever to be organised by the NBA.”

official rate was higher than that of the parallel market, and that singular policy adjustment, stabilised the Nigerian economy for a long period.

“So, periodic adjustment is necessary to boost GDP and grow the economy and not through price control because people will always find ways out of it,” Rewane said.

CONCLUDE CRIMINAL CASES IN ONE YEAR, BUHARI URGES JUDICIARY calls for the boycott of the conference by the Dutse and Bauchi branches of the NBA due to the dis-invitation of Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, the number of lawyers who registered for the 2020 conference doubled from over 12,000 in 2019 to over 24,003.

While the physical attendance was in Lagos, other members were at the NBA headquarters in Abuja, with not more than 30 persons allowed at the venue.

Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), frowned on multiple and conflicting court orders, judicial technicality rather than “clear common sense” and what he described as the opaque process of appointing judges.

The president recalled how it took so long for the courts to decide and eventually dismiss the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential elections, adding that the Nigerian justice system should be reformed urgently.

He described justice administration in the

country as “terribly slow” and stressed the need for an urgent reform.

He noted how it took so long for the courts to conclude the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential elections.

He said: “In the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then, why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict and if I had won the case, someone who did not legitimately win the election would have been in office all that time.

“In 2019, I was no longer petitioner; I had now become a respondent in the case of Atiku vs Buhari and the whole process took barely six months - just over six months.

“What was the difference?

The law had changed since my own in 2003, 2007 and 2011. You had now introduced time limits for election petitions. Everything must be done within a six to eight-month period.

“My question then is why can’t we have a time limit for criminal cases? Why can’t we have a rule that will say a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must

not exceed 12 months?

“And why can’t we do the same for civil cases?

Even if we say that civil cases must not go beyond between 12 and 15 months.

I think that for me will be stepping forward.”

The president also condemned multiple and conflicting court orders, judicial technicality rather than “clear common sense,” as well as what he described as the opaque process of appointing judges.

Speaking on the issue of technicality, Buhari said: “Justice must make sense to lawyers and non-lawyers alike; as a matter of fact, more to non-lawyers because we are in the majority.

“Triumph of technicalities opens a door for all sorts of speculations about the true motives of the court and can only detract slowly but surely from the authority of our courts.

“My fourth issue is on the appointment of judges.

I believe that you must continuously improve on the selection processes for the appointment of the men and women who will serve as judges. We must cast our nets wider in search of

judges, especially at the appellate level. We must put in place primarily meritbased selection processes, including mandatory tests and interviews for all applicants for judgeship.

“While our constitution urges federal character for ballots in appointments generally, this is not an excuse for mediocrity.”

In his speech, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, challenged lawyers to strive to improve the legal system so that they can be leading lights of the nation.

Muhammad stated that the virtual conference underscores the fact that the bar is setting the pace in many areas of national life.

“For holding this virtual conference in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic exemplifies the doggedness of the bar under the able leadership of Paul Usoro SAN,” he added.

On his part, the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said Buhari had improved Nigeria’s legal system

PRESIDENCY DOWNPLAYS GDP CONTRACTION, SAYS RESULT BEATS FORECASTS Speaking on how periodic adjustment of the economy will work, Rewane said: “If CBN adjust the exchange rate to a particular level in order to close the market

gap, and then disburse between $3 billion and $4 billion to manufacturers, it will amount to taking away about N2 trillion out of the economy and nobody will

have the dollar to sell at the parallel market, from where they make a lot of money.”

He recalled that in 2008 when Prof. Charles Soludo

was CBN governor, the dollar moved up from N118 to N155 and for up to five weeks, people were buying money in the parallel market to sell to CBN because the

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THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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POLITICS

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

‘El-Rufa’i Will End the Crisis in Southern Kaduna’ Senator Uba Sani, who represents Kaduna Central in the upper chamber of the National Assembly is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions. He recently had a brief chat with some National Assembly Correspondents and spoke extensively on the efforts being made by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i to stem the insecurity crisis in Southern Kaduna and Kaduna Central

J

ust one year in the Senate and you have already been ranked as one of the hardest working Senators in the country. What is the secret?

What is propelling you?

I am not going to lie to you; it has not been easy. I was determined from Day One to hit the ground running. I did not have the luxury of time because my senatorial zone was lagging behind. We lacked quality representation in the 8th Senate. I am not the type that would want to dwell on the past, we have moved on.

Among other things, our Senator in the 8th National Assembly openly masterminded the truncation of a major loan that was already earmarked to upgrade health, educational and other critical facilities in Kaduna State and this was for no just cause other than petty, or if you prefer, childish politics. Some persons even called that act against our people activism. Working against the genuine and overriding interest of your people is not activism.

Activism is noble but I have a problem with glaring and blatant hypocrisy. Those who know me well, can attest to the fact that for most of my adult life, I have been an activist. Even today, you can freely refer to me as an activist in politics. I felt there was an urgent need to chart a different course for the progress of our people in Kaduna State as a whole. So, to answer your question, I am propelled by two critical factors: the first is that we (Kaduna Central) lost a whole lot of grounds in the 8th Senate hence the urgency to catch up fast in the 9th Senate. Secondly, I draw lots of inspiration from my boss, political associate and confidante, Mallam Nasir El- Rufa’i, the Governor of Kaduna State.

If the man who mentors you does not rest, I don’t think it makes sense at all to even think of resting. I have always known that we have so much to do improve the lot of the good people of Kaduna State but getting into the Senate has brought home this fact ever so succinctly. We are truly in a hurry to make Kaduna the envy of other states in Nigeria.

Records at the National Assembly even rank you among the three Senators with the most progressive bills.

These are bills that are receiving expeditious attention. You are obviously elated by this?

Yes, I am. But let me be sincere with you I am not carried away at all because there is still a lot of work to be done. Yes, I am happy that two of my bills have crossed all the requisite hurdles and have been passed into law. Like you may well be aware, the two bills are the the Bill for an Act to Establish a Federal College of Education in Giwa, which was passed into law on Wednesday July 15, 2020 and the second one, which I co-sponsored with Distinguished Senator Betty Apiafi, is the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2004 and to Re-enact the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act and Other Matters Connected Therewith 2020, which was passed into law by the Senate on Thursday, 23 July 2020. Like I have said elsewhere, my identification of education as a key priority was deliberate. Again other than the compelling need to shore up the educational sector in northern Nigeria in general and in Kaduna State in particular, my immediate push and inspiration for the conceptualization and the eventual huge work that went into the passage of the Bill into law was Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s Education Revival Programme in Kaduna State. His holistic approach

perpetually sabotaged. Even children in primary and secondary schools are well aware that the nation is facing a major national security crisis. It started from the North-east with Boko Haram insurgents and we flooded the northeast, particularly Borno and Yobe States with the gallant Officers and men of our armed forces as well as their equipment. My very strong belief is that hardened criminals and bandits capitalized on this over concentration of our security efforts in the Northeast, particularly these two states, to creep into other northern States. The Governor of Katsina States cries out almost everyday; we have had incidences in Benue, Nassarawa and Plateau States. And you are also aware that the Governor of Zamfara State also cries out regularly, the Governor of Kano State sometimes cries out about these criminals and bandits. But you know what, because of the peculiar history of Kaduna, when the criminals and bandits strike in Kaduna, it is immediately dubbed a religious or ethnic crisis.

Sani to reviving education has been widely acclaimed. Kaduna State has become a model for educational reform. I will never waver in following in the footsteps of our dear Governor. I am committed to doing all that is needed to ensure a better future for our children through education.

I am also confident that once the Federal College of Education, Giwa is established, it will boost the socio-economic status of Giwa and the neighbouring communities. Also very important to me is the efforts of members of my wonderful staff in actualizing the expeditious passage of these Bills into law. In particular, I remain exceedingly appreciative of the great efforts of Bello El Rufa’I, Abdul Azeez Ojelade, Yvonne Okeke, Olaitan Fajuitan, Eng. Jamilu Ahmed and of course our anchor man in our Kaduna Constituency Office, Abubakar Rabiu Abubakar. There are very many others. My office is like mini Nigeria. I appreciate all of them; they contributed immensely to my success in the Senate so far.

Are you not worried that in spite of the best efforts of the Governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai and other well-meaning persons like you, the view of Kaduna from the outside does not seem so alluring. The Killings in southern parts of the country seem intractable and has almost become an everyday occurrence. Are you not worried that the situation in southern Kaduna could slow or blur the vision of Mallam El-Rufai in Kaduna State?

We remain focused and totally committed to our vision and mission despite the unfortunate insecurity situation in Southern Kaduna. The State Government is deeply worried and taking all necessary measures to bring the situation under control. But you will agree with me that misperceptions and misrepresentations of the intentions of the government have not helped matters. Let me tell you, in life, nothing can be as discouraging as when you are misunderstood or when you are putting in not just your best but your all, to make a situation work and you are being

The Governor was emphatic that he was ready to welcome criticism, no matter how harsh, in any area anyone felt he had defaulted in the Southern Kaduna issue. All the persons who attended the Zoom meeting were shocked to find out the truth.

In fact, I just pity Mallam Nasir El Rufai. I have not seen a more misunderstood Nigerian leader.

Mallam Nasir El Rufai’s closest and most trusted aides are mostly Christians either from southern part of the country or Southern Kaduna. In fact, more than 15 per cent of members of Governor El-Rufai’s cabinet are not even from Kaduna State.

The Governor is being wrongly portrayed; totally misunderstood and I think this is unfair

Senator, are you saying that the crisis in southern parts of Kaduna has no ethnic or religious undertone?

I am fully on ground in Kaduna State.

I speak with my Governor everyday; I speak with community and religious leaders everyday, especially given that part of my constituency is affected by the unfortunate and totally unnecessary crisis. Now, the criminals would strike at communities in Kaduna, the way they strike in communities in Katsina, Nassarawa, Zamfara and other States in northern Nigeria and the next thing you witness in Kaduna is that persons who have been profiting from ethno-religious crisis would start capitalizing on the misfortune of our brothers and sisters and they will begin to instigate different religious adherents against each other just as they would instigate ethnic groups against each other. The right thing that ought to happen in these circumstances is for everyone to join hands with the State Governor and the nation’s security forces to chase these bandits out of our homelands. It is very dangerous to play politics with security. Kaduna State has suffered enough. The good news is that Governor El-Rufai has totally decentralized critical security meetings and briefings in Kaduna State. We now hold Zoom meetings that have all senior public and political office holders, irrespective of party, religion or location, participating. We just had one on Saturday, 15th August 2020. Everybody from Assistant Director cadre in either the Federal or State Civil Service; all political office holders – elected or appointed, we all brainstormed. The Governor was emphatic that he was ready to welcome criticism, no matter how harsh, in any area anyone felt he had defaulted in the Southern Kaduna issue. All the persons who attended the Zoom meeting were shocked to find out the truth. In fact, I just pity Mallam Nasir El Rufai. I have not seen a more misunderstood Nigerian leader. Mallam Nasir El Rufai’s closest and most trusted aides are mostly Christians either from southern part of the country or Southern Kaduna. In fact, more than 15 per cent of members of Governor El-Rufai’s cabinet are not even from Kaduna State.

The Governor is being wrongly portrayed; totally misunderstood and I think this is unfair.

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

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POLITICS

‘The Political Battle in Bayelsa is Between Brothers’ Nseobong Okon-Ekong discusses the vagaries of governance and politics in Bayelsa State with David Alagoa, one of the contestants for the Peoples Democratic Party governorship ticket in the 2019 election it is very sure that as a Nigerian you are not going to go beyond that and since I have been in the private sector and the only place I have not worked in is the public sector. I now saw that as an opportunity that could afford me the advantage of bringing my 25 years in the private sector into this new dimension that I am into. It was a career move from what I was used and an opportunity to serve and make a difference.

Alagoa

N

ot many people knew you before the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary in Bayelsa, where did you emerge from?

I studied diplomatic studies at KO University in England; I have since worked formally in a company called IPCO International Petroleum Company. I started off as a Procurement Manager went on to be the Administration Manager in Port Harcourt and eventually got promoted and transferred to Lagos where I became the Corporate Administration Manager. I actually took over that position from Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha who was the last Administration Manager before me.

I worked there for six years and I moved on to a company called Intels, it’s an abbreviation of Integrated Logistics company in Onne. It is more or less the same sort of job but this time it was called the Government and Public Affairs Manager. I moved on to be the Deputy General Manager Community Services which was a promotion and then eventually ending up as GM Community Services. I resigned in 2018 and since then I’ve been in politics. Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was our chairman. I was part of his presidential campaign. Not formally, but of course I was running around the country with him and then after that finished, I came into Bayelsa and ran the gubernatorial race and here I am today.

Looking at your resume, some of your degrees were obtained in Diplomatic studies in England. You studied Diplomatic Law and Practice, Politics of International Economic Relations and Strategic studies, how do these relate to politics?

Whatever is happening politically internationally in the micro it also happens in the state and in local government so really you are learning about systems so whatever system you learn, if you are leaning about security for example and you are talking about international security in terms of the US and Russia for example. That model also translates itself down to whatever models you are looking at even up to the local government level. So once you are learning about systems you now apply whatever is learnt in whatever system into or whatever context you like so it’s all related clearly.

You contested the Peoples Democratic Party governorship ticket. That was your first attempt in politics what gave you the motivation to venture into the murky waters of politics was it the fact that you had Alamiesiegha as a God-father or is it your name Alagoa that propelled you to join politics?

I am not sure I had a godfather. What I did was I had been in the private sector for the best part of 25years and I now got to a stage where I was GM, it’s a multinational company

Different reaction greeted the outcome of the PDP guber primaries, what was your initial reaction at the outcome of the primaries?

I was in support of it. In fact I had collapsed my structure into his Excellency Governor Diri so it was only enough to pray that he wins. Of course, he won because he was clearly the most popular candidate.

At what point did you decide to work with him?

I think to answer that, you have to look at the dynamics of what happened before the primaries. There were 21 of us and we were all hoping that any one of us will become governor.

As things went along we now heard from the incumbent governor at the time that three will be nominated. From then, it became clear that three cannot be in focus. If you think otherwise you may probably be deceiving yourself. Any of the three became an option to work with. What made me move towards His Excellency the governor was his humanity, the very fact that he was accessible. Three of them were there, none of them had ever come to talk to me, and none of them thought it important with all due respect to the others, His Excellency did that.

I am interested in your assessment of him, what are the things you saw in him aside being a humble and accessible person?

His humility. Sometimes when we have meetings, he will endeavor to greet everyone.

Some will come and make extremely arrogant statements during the interviews but he will smile.

The only court case that came out of the guber primaries was the one that was instituted by Chief Timi Alaibe and at the end of it all the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the incumbent governor Senator Douye Diri. However there have been some fallout from that judgement with the governor himself rejecting the congratulatory message that was offer to him by Alaibe and asking for a more acceptable posture from him at this point what comes first, is it personal interest or the state interest?

You also can not remove the personal. By my understanding, these two people have been very good friends from the past. If I have been loyal to you for example and I have done everything to please you and at the point at which I believe something is coming in my favour I would naturally expect that you will say oh, because it is you I might perhaps do it this way.

From my observation, that didn’t happen and so there must clearly be an element of, I was never appreciated. Or maybe there is an element of who is he any way, where is he coming from. Whatever it is, as much as we have this two divergent personal interest, there is indeed a common interest. You know that this battle was an internal battle in terms of party. I think there is a much better way to say we are brothers and let’s move forward.

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

‘No Governor Has Denied Collecting Money from NDDC’ Chief Obiaruko Christie Ndukwe, a Publisher and Founder of the advocacy group, Citizens Quest for Truth Initiative speaks with Nseobong Okon-Ekong and other journalists on recent developments in the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Senate probe

Y

our advocacy group has been in the news lately, what are you up to?

We are more or less focused on leadership. We focus on leadership and try to use it as a standard so that others can follow that path. I think the bane of the country has been bad leadership. We have the resources, we have everything but unfortunately, we lack the right leadership and I think the reason is because we have not taken time to assess those who should be in positions of leadership. We have also not taken time to identify those who serve creditably and even honour them. Unfortunately, those we look at are those who have money to throw around and use them as a standard. If we continue like that, things will not go the way we want. Secondly, we also look at news reportage, the fake news syndrome because lots of the stories you read are either adulterated or aimed at tarnishing somebody’s image. We are interested in searching for the truth. That is why we go in there to verify the claims to enable us and ultimately the society know the truth. Even though we have the Freedom of Information Act, it is not yet well implemented because a lot of public servants don’t want to release information, so we go in there to get such information to the best of our ability. That is basically what we do.

Why the interest in issues affecting the NDDC? We are not particular about the NDDC. We are not registered to focus on a particular region. We are focused on working in Nigeria for Nigerians. We are also allowed to partner with donor agencies, but we must have a starting point. They say charity begins at home, so for some us, where we come from should come first. We are barely one year and I can assure you that we have recorded lots of successes.

What has been your experience regarding the NDDC? I live in Niger Delta, I come from the Niger Delta, but I never knew that this kind of rot existed in the NDDC. I have never done any job with the NDDC, I only hear of the things happening there. Having come closer, I think it is not a delight for anyone at all. The stories are not palatable at all.

A lot has gone down. The government over the years has not been fair to the people of Niger Delta. How can you give out so much to cater for the people and fail to check whether the amount of work done is in commensurate to the funds given out. It is not enough to sack the NDDC boards over allegation of corruption. You need to find out whether anybody has been jailed from mismanaging such funds. How come people serially and severally accused of corruption have not been prosecuted? But thank God that today we have a president who has said no, we have to do things differently. We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again. That is where we are. I can tell you that many vested interests do not want the forensic audit ordered by the president to succeed. Whatever drama you are seeing is just to scuttle the forensic audit, nothing more. For us as a group, the forensic audit ordered by the president has to go on, but even in doing that, development of the Niger Delta must continue. We have an Interim Management Committee supervising the commission, for as long as they last, six months, one year, two years, I don’t know, but they should be allowed to continue with the development of the region. Why are you saying you want to check the books and

Ndukwe you stall the development of the region? We are still looking at them and I can tell you that we have a board that is transparent.

They are helping us with information and you know information is key. In the past, nobody will do that. For now, I rate them 80 percent in information dissemination.

We have a lot of documents and we have asked them a lot of questions on allegations raised. They have given us their responses.

Not only that, they have given us documents to back those information.

But the National Assembly is saying something to the contrary.

When you are an interested party in a matter, what do you think the judgment will be like? The budget of NDDC is harmonized by the same National Assembly by the two committees on NDDC. Of course, there are vested interests. For the first time, the NDDC board and the supervising minister told us that members of the National Assembly, past and present have been involved in the sleaze. If they are involved, it means that somebody is protecting them or they are protecting themselves and deny Nigerians access to the truth. While we support their looking into the books, they should also allow those who have been accused to be probed. Before the motion to probe the so-called missing N40 billion in NDDC, did they have enough evidence because one of them claimed that the information supplied by the Minister was not enough to probe anybody? If the Minister has accused past and present members of the National Assembly in the looting of NDDC, it behoves the leadership of National Assembly to ensure such people are made to face the law. The IGP should move in and begin to investigate these people based on available documents. I don’t want to believe the minister was joking. He has made available the documents and some of us have managed to get these documents.

A situation where a Senator or House of Representatives member is influencing over 50 contracts in a year is worrisome. I think Nigerians should be worried. We expect the EFCC, NFIU to trace the movement of funds from the account of contractors some of them allegedly nominated to see where the monies ended up because as a public officer you cannot nominate your company to do contracts. The National Assembly needs to make the probe of members accused as transparent as possible. It is very easy to do if they have the political will.

But if we continue to dance around, trying to shield some people from probe,, we are yet to start the much anticipated journey.

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

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COMMENT

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

TRUMP IN MALI

Okello Oculi urges leaders of ECOWAS to enthrone peer review mechanism

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hinua Achebe once described Ibadan as ‘’China in the Sun’’. He may have viewed the second week of events in Mali’s capital, Bamako, as “Churning Stew in the Sahel’’, as angry demonstrators called for the head of President Boubacar Keita. Their besieged ruler sat hidden in the recesses of the architecture of political power.

That political alchemy was exciting imagination in military barracks.

Several weeks earlier, President Donald Trump in far away moustache of the Atlantic Ocean, had called a military unit to fumigate a rude crowd with teargas and batons so that he could trek to a holy spot for cameras to eat his spirit and spit it out to his admirers. He needed their warm in the face of the hostility crowding him in his citadel. The president of Mali had followed his example. The 20 Malian demonstrators killed by his police acted like smoke from dry cow dung inciting clouds of honey bees to raw anger. Trump’s vaccine for taming wraths of democracy had yielded ‘moboCrazy’ on this bank of Sahara’s sand dunes.

In Mali a man of voodoo lit candles inside religious pools. His followers knew chants, not the tediousness of dialogue and speech as the palm oil with which democracy is cooked, as Chinua Achebe might say. They danced and chanted till dry gun powder exploded inside military stomachs hungry for food inside television sets.

President was accused of not sitting down to do his job of farming security, weeding education crops, and weaving roads. The chanters shared President Barack Obama accusation of Trump of Not beating the enormous drum of presidenting ‘’because he can’t’’; working to put America’s democracy under threat.

Kamala Harris accused Trump of being invisible.

Said she: ‘I know a President when I see one’’. Her doctrine that ‘’there is no vaccine for Racism’’ would have served the angry demonstrators in Bamako if she said to them that there is no vaccine for Bad Governance; Africans have to work hard to build good politics. The exasperated messengers of governments in ECOWAS were telling the same truth to angry crowds in Mali.

The last time that soldiers gave Malians a military coup, long fingers of Al-Qaida rushed in large bundles of foreign currency earned from selling oil in the Persian Gulf to pay poor unemployed youths to hire their wrath for whipping and gunning down local critics. They surged south to grab power in Bamako. The arrival of Al-Qaida was also linked to wishing to compete with American, French, British

and Chinese companies for digging up gold and uranium from under the feet of Malians; asking with salted ancient arrogance: ‘’Why is their gold and uranium under the sand of Malians?’’

WHEN IN 2012 THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA SENT ME TO GHANA TO ASSESS THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDED REFORMS, I WAS IMPRESSED BY HOW THEY HAD TAKEN PEER REVIEW PROCESSES TO WARD LEVELS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Perhaps the angry mouths and restless feet in Bamako are also hired with funds. That proposition may be both too simple and misguided. The seeds of wrath which flourished in Algeria and Sudan were contained in the thrill of throwing up hidden political courage and intellectual lucidity by young highly educated women. In Sudan women addressed crowds as they wore garments with historic roots in the bravery of great grandmothers who had fought against enemies of their freedom: glorifying humanity. They knew the power of memory and symbolism.

The leaders of ECOWAS would do well to enthrone that product of African genius for building good politics known as ‘’Peer Review Mechanism’’.

Its rules of operation are simple. Experienced experts drawn from all over Africa constitute a team which studies affairs of governance in a country to be reviewed. The Secretariat of the African Union helps in assembling background information for the team. After studying this body of information the team visits a country and shares views with local ‘’stakeholders’’, notably: academics, professional associations, media workers, trade unionists, religious groups, civil society groups, women associations and public intellectuals.

The primary team of Peer Reviewers draft a preliminary report which they submit to government for comments. The final report is distributed to other African governments for their interest and comments. A Committee of Heads of State would meet with the government of the country under review for an open-ended exchange of opinions, including commendations and recommendations of what should be done.

One vital element in this process in the participation of individuals and groups outside government in the Research which guides judgement; their input into what is to be done, and their involvement in oversight of implementing recommendations.

When in 2012 the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa sent me to Ghana to assess their implementation of recommended reforms, I was impressed by how they had taken peer review processes to ward levels of local governments.

Delegations from Mozambique and Botswana and Nigeria had come to learn from this novel initiative.

ECOWAS should make it a Lingua Franca.

PONDEI IS A SERIAL ACHIEVER

The NDDC acting managing director is a committed professional. He should be encouraged to finish the work he started, writes Dumbo Hinks

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he NDDC acting managing director is a committed professional. He should be encouraged to finish the work he started, writes Dumbo Hinks.

Results-focused managers know that execution is everything, they do not always wait on the side-lines or try to leverage excuses to dodge results or expectations; they are driven by results, they enjoy making progress, and making it count when it mattered.

The Cheshire Cat, a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, often said that it really does not matter which road you take if you do not know where you are going; in other words, no one can actually measure results when you do not know what you want to achieve or working at.

Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, is focused on results and has so far lived that out at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) where he just began to head, which is why it is easier to measure his outputs in the short time he has led. Pondei came prepared for the job he was given, and he immediately went about it.

Since he became the Managing Director of the regional interventionist agency, Pondei, a fine professional whose distinguishing character in public service is well-documented, has gone about living out the long-held principle of achievers that, ‘execution is everything’.

In my assessment of Pondei’s time so far at the NDDC, I get the

profound impression that he came prepared and conceivably chose to lead the commission using the resultbased management (RBM) approach.

When you choose to lead with the RBM model, you essentially start with a clear understanding of what you want to do and how you want to do it. You also focus resources - time, money, talent and others, on the right tasks.

With RBM approach, you also raise corporate loyalty, which is key to reducing inefficiencies, expose weak links that could jeopardise goals, and galvanise talents that would deliver results. Pondei, a staunch go-getter knows this and has used it wisely to reposition the NDDC. He should be allowed to finish the process he started; the NDDC and Nigeria will be better for it.

The NDDC was established as a successor to the OMPADEC in 1999 but it had never operated from its own building. For all the years that the NDDC has existed – about 20 years now, it has done all its businesses from a rented location; a practice that showed the commission’s lack of locational stability. Pondei has since changed that inexcusable tradition.

Universally, locational stability is recognised as germane to accomplishing institutional efficiency which is diverse. For the 20 years that the NDDC has existed, it paid rents on 167 Aba Road Port Harcourt which housed its operations. All its previous managers were aloof to completing its permanent operational base located

on Eastern By-Pass, Port Harcourt and moving its operations there. Pondei, who however recognised the value an owned headquarter building could bring to the operations of an entity, has however made this happen. He has created a new path for the commission to now follow.

Within few months after resuming at the NDDC, Pondei successfully moved its operations away from a rented to a permanent location.

By this, he clearly brought to the commission the geographical stability it has always lacked but needed to serve communities and people in Niger Delta well above what they were getting.

Such locational stability as a matter of fact, offers the NDDC an opportunity to build-up its community attachment and local knowledge; I am sure this pleases the people of the region.

Indeed, anyone who recognises the worth of this would also appreciate Pondei’s creative use of resources and time to accomplish what many had failed to do in 20 years.

I recognise that the 13-floor NDDC building isn’t fully furnished yet – there are bits of finishing touches left to make it a one-stop edifice housing medical facilities, malls, banks and offices amongst others, but I am also delighted that Pondei, a serial achiever who delivers tested results on responsibilities he is given, was emphatic in stating his commitment to complete the headquarter building soonest.

As a professional with credible track records, Pondei realises that to fully

live out its mandate, the NDDC has to cut such wasteful opportunities as rents on properties, create a stable working atmosphere, and make the most of its resources; such strategic thinking are what serial achievers do all the time to bring results that matter.

Managers who focus on results are often with good track records of consistently achieving high outputs.

They are always mentally oriented to continuously push for the finish line on any course they take while setting for themselves and their team ambitious goals.

In Pondei, the federal government has found an ethically strong and committed manager for the NDDC who should be encouraged to push forward to the finish line on the works he has started.

Clearly, what Pondei has done with the completion of the headquarter building of the commission on one hand is to provide clear and succinct direction, build sustainable productivity momentum for an agency which has had its share of bad growth, and inspire confidence in leadership and achievability of the goals of the NDDC. Pondei is a fine manager; he deserves to stay on this job to bring good times to the NDDC for the first time since its setting up. The federal government should stay on the same lane with him. rHinks, a businessman, wrote from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

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EDITORIAL

‘REPENTANT’ INSURGENTS AND THEIR VICTIMS The reintegration of some Boko Haram members into the society is ill-advised

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he recent revelation that 603 ‘repentant’ Boko Haram insurgents who had completed the de-radicalisation programme would be reintegrated into the communities calls to question the sincerity of the federal government towards securing lives and property in the country. We also share the misgivings of the neglected widows and other victims of the insurgency who query the wisdom of the decision at the expense of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). That the federal government would be expending huge resources on some ‘repentant’ insurgents while neglecting their victims is to say the least unconscionable.

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume recently added his voice to that of other critical stakeholders who condemned the policy. Ndume, who is currently chairman of the senate committee on army, alleged THE ISSUE OF ‘REPENTANT’ that most of the insurgents recently BOKO HARAM MEMBERS integrated into the BEING HEAVILY FUNDED BY community had THE GOVERNMENT RAISES gone back to their A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT old ways. “Many among those DEMAND ANSWERS released have since run away. They will never repent,� said Ndume. “The government should know what to do about them, but not reintroducing someone to you, who has killed your parents or your relations�. He argued that the insurgents believe the government has failed “and that is why they are being pampered. This government’s programme is unacceptable to our people.

The right thing is to stop it forthwith.�

Against the background that the humanitarian situations in the IDP camps across the country beg for attention, it is indefensible to be spending billions of Naira on some ‘repentant’ killers. With thousands of displaced Boko Haram victims reportedly sleeping in the open and living in extremely overcrowded and deplorable conditions, the plight of the IDPs is dire, harsh and

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DEMOCRACY AND THE GRASSROOTS

r$ontinued from backpage

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increasingly becoming critical. It is estimated that 1.8 million people, of which women and children constitute 87 per cent, are affected by the continued widespread insecurity and hostilities. It is criminal to ignore these most vulnerable citizens and then begin to pamper those who put them in the situation they are in.

Dislodgement of populations by Boko Haram insurgents and resettlement in makeshift locations have over the years created economic and environmental degradation that has helped to promote communicable diseases and make life unbearable for the displaced citizens. There are also reports of the startling abuses to which women and girls are subjected in the camps. Many of these victims of insurgency also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders and increased rates of infectious diseases.

Thousands of children born in these camps do not have access to education. Hunger walks naked in many of the camps. Medicare is in short supply even as shelter, clothing and water are essential commodities. The deplorable condition of the displaced persons is amply captured in a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which stated that “The vulnerable host populations are in critical need of humanitarian interventions that include food, water, sanitation, protection, education, shelter and health services.�

Despite expectations that the authorities would work for the restoration of lasting security in the Northeast so that people in the IDP camps can return to their communities to pick up the bits and pieces, they are now being further traumatised to learn that their tormentors are considered more important than them. On the security front, we believe that changing the service chiefs and command structure of the military will boost the morale of soldiers fighting the insurgents. But the issue of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members being heavily funded by the federal government raises a lot of questions that demand answers. We join Ndume and others who say that the programme is ill-advised, provocative and must be terminated.

n October 2016, the ruling APC won the chairmanship positions in all the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs in Ogun State. The party also won 346 out of the 349 councillorship seats. In January 2018, the ruling APC cleared all the 389 councillorship positions in Osun State. In the May 2018 poll in Oyo State, the then ruling APC won all the chairmanship seats in the 33 local government councils and the 35 local council development areas.

In October 2018 in Plateau State, LG poll held in 13 of the 17 LGs, APC was declared winner in 11 (no figures were announced) with the remaining two stalemated, leading to a violent protest. In June 2018 in Rivers State, the ruling PDP won all the 23 chairmanship and 302 councillorship positions. In Sokoto, the then ruling APC (now PDP) won all the 22 chairmanship and 234 councillorship seats at the March 2016 local government elections. In June this year, after the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) chairman, Dr Phillip Duwe declared PDP candidates the winners for both chairmanship and councillorship positions in all 16 local government councils, he urged the defeated candidates and parties to understand that ‘leadership comes only from God.’ But after the February 2017 LG poll in Yobe, the state electoral commission chairman did not beat about the bush: “Having received and compiled the election results, all the 17 candidates of the APC in the chairmanship category are declared winners.�

And in the LG poll conducted in April last year by the then outgoing Governor Yari of Zamfara State, his APC cleared all the 14 chairmanship and 147 councillorship seats.

What the foregoing clearly shows is that our governors lack democratic temperament. In the name of elections, they simply compile a list of cronies and hand it to those who preside over their state’s electoral commission for them to announce after

hollow rituals. The essence of voting is for citizens to decide how they are governed. But in a situation in which Nigerians have been conditioned to believe that exercising their franchise in local government elections is simply a waste of time, then something is wrong with our system. There is therefore an urgent need to reform the institutions and practices that have placed structural roadblocks in the path of our democracy at the grassroots level.

The only way to do that is to disempower the few who lord themselves over the many.

In order to change the trajectory of our country, there must be institutional reforms, beginning with the charade we now call local government elections. Aside wasting enormous resources on these meaningless elections, the governors do not even pretend that they consider them serious. In Gombe some years ago, the state government engaged a contractor to supply ballot boxes for the LG election. He went to China for the procurement but the election was conducted and winners declared before the ballot boxes were eventually delivered. In Bauchi State, a former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly was once appointed chairman of the commission!

In their book, ‘How Democracies Die’, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that while there is a general tendency to believe that a democracy is imperilled only by military adventurers, it is now the elected leaders who most often subvert the very process that brought them to power. These are men who have no qualms “rewriting the rules of politics to permanently disadvantage their rivals�, the authors wrote before adding, “The tragic paradox of the electoral route to authoritarianism is that democracy’s enemies use the very institutions of democracy— gradually, subtly, and even legally—to kill it.�

It is in the enlightened self-interest of the governors to change the current narrative on local government elections in the country. r0MVTFHVO "EFOJZJ "CVKB

AMOKACHI, TAGWAYE ARE MUSLIM CONVERTS?

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aniel Amokachi was a former Nigerian international football star who is of the Idoma stock of Benue State. MC Tagwaye, whose real name is Simon Obinna, is a stand-up comic of the Igbo tribe who until just recently was a long-term resident of Bauchi State. There is something that connects this duo and that something is that both these fellows have found great favour with President Muhammadu Buhari and it is whispered that these young men have also cultivated what passes as personal relationships with the president.

It is the oddity in this situation that is striking; Buhari befriending an Idoma man and an Igbo man in the current dispensation when the Idoma and the Igbo tribes decry Buhari’s weak leadership. This sure would raise an eyebrow. But it is no mystery anymore when one recalls that Daniel Amokachi and Simon Obinna are reported to be Muslim converts who have turned their backs on Christianity. Amokachi just got rewarded with a special assistantship at the presidential level whilst Obinna just got rewarded with a Muslim wife who is the daughter of a federal official in charge of disbursing billions of naira to “indigent� Nigerians. No wonder Buhari loves them so. r4VOEBZ "EPMF +POBI %FQBSUNFOU PG 1IZTJDT 'FEFSBM 6OJWFSTJUZ PG 5FDIOPMPHZ .JOOB /JHFS 4UBUF

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FEATURES

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

Mirabel Centre Leverages Technology to Curb Rise in Sexual Violence in Nigeria Rebecca Ejifoma In a bid to curb the growing spate of sexual violence in Nigeria, the Mirabel Centre, Nigeria’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre, has leveraged partnerships with ride hailing company, Bolt and emergency reporting app, Aabo.

The lockdown owing to COVID-19 brought numerous unfortunate realities to bear, one of which was the erratic increase in the rate of sexual violence across the country.

Earlier in June, the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Adamu was reported to have disclosed that the Nigerian Police recorded 717 cases of rape between January and May

2020. In a statement credited to the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development as reported by Premium Times, Nigeria recorded over 3,600 cases of rape during the lockdown. This is a pandemic within a pandemic.

Speaking on the rise in rape cases during the COVID-19 lockdown, Itoro Eze-Anaba, the founder of Mirabel Centre, said, “Before COVID-19, rape was a pandemic. When we started in 2013, we used to see an average of 20 people a month. Sometime in 2015, the number started to increase to the extent that before the pandemic, we were seeing 85 Eze-Anaba people a month, sometimes 100.

“And it was becoming routine increased during COVID-19 so to see a 100 or more every month. people were encouraged to speak The only thing is that the reportage out.”

Foundation Launches $1Million 'Better Life for Rural African Women' Relief Fund

At the heart of these partnerships with technology based organisation, Bolt and Aabo, is the

drive to prevent cases of sexual violence, rescue individuals from dangerous environments, and provide immediate support to survivors of sexual violence.

The Mirabel Centre partnership with Bolt will help the sexual assault referral centre solve the challenge of mobility and getting survivors to the centre in a way that is safe. Survivors who require help or individuals who are in environments they need to immediately remove themselves from can contact the Mirabel Centre and have a ride hailed for them with a unique code that ensures they are taken directly to the centre at no personal cost to them.

On the other hand, Aabo is an application that allows

survivors report cases of sexual abuse by clicking on one button.

Reporting via the app triggers an emergency alert that helps the Mirabel Centre pinpoint a survivor’s location and inform a trusted contact while providing evacuation support in cases where it is needed. The ‘Aabo’ app is available for download on Google Play and AppStore.

Mirabel Centre, managed

by Partnership for Justice, is the pioneer Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Nigeria with a mandate to provide free medical care and psychosocial support for survivors of sexual violence in Nigeria. Since its inception in 2013, the Mirabel Centre has served over 5,600 survivors of sexual violence.

WARIF, ACT to Enlighten Religious Leaders on Gender-based Violence Mary Nnah

The third cycle of the Women at Risk International Organisation (WARIF) Gatekeepers Project is set to commence in partnership with the Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation.

This project aims to eradicate gender-based violence (GBV) through the training of gatekeepL-R: Billy Mitchell of Georgia House of Representatives, President Felix King Foundation, Dr. Felix King, and ers across local government areas Roger Bruce of Georgia House of representatives during the confinement of Honorary Georgia citizen on Dr. in Lagos.

King by the senate of State of Georgia, USA recently These gatekeepers who consist of Traditional Birth Attendants released for the Edo State phase, supported with 10,000 naira and (TBAs) and law enforcement Mary Nnah which is scheduled to kick-start 20,000 naira feeding money in agents will now include religious in September, as approved by additional to a huge support leaders of all faiths from the given to Edo State government community.

The Felix King Foundation has the governing board.

On how the balance will be COVID-19 relief scheme. Prior to The project was launched in reinforced its rural community engagement programmes for raised, Eiremiokhae mentioned the establishment of the Felix King 2017 with the successful training African women by setting aside a that the balance of the funds will Foundation, Dr. Eiremiokhae, an of 1000 traditional birth attendants new $1million fund for the better be raised through a dollar for industrialist and philanthropist across 15 Local Government Areas of international repute had com- (LGAs) in Lagos State who served life for rural African women. This dollar match system.

Speaking on the empowerment menced philanthropic works as first responders to cases of scheme is to ensure that the most rape and sexual violence. vulnerable women are not left of women, he said, "We believe early in life.

In 2018, Eiremiokhae, the CEO The second cycle the following behind in this recovery process. that when you provide women This programme is the continu- with capital and convening op- of Nigeria's only 100 percent year was an equal success with ation of the ‘rural market moni’ portunities to network, you have owned multi- billion naira the inclusion of law enforcement scheme but now rechristened empowered voices that speak and biscuit company, MABISCO, agents as secondary gatekeepers; “Better Life for Rural African make the communities peaceful, earned the Honorary Georgia these officers were trained on the Citizen, USA, and a recipient right protocols to address cases Women”, in line with the present prosperous and great."

"The programme will help of President TRUMP'S lifetime of sexual violence as well as the objective of ensuring that women, mostly, in rural communities secure a place for rural African achievement award, as well as importance of sensitivity when have a platform to reset their lives. women to thrive and lead their Honorary Doctorate from Trinity addressing the affected survivors.

Cycle 3 of the Gatekeepers According to the Founder of families, communities, and the University USA. Felix King Foundation was Project recognises the role and the foundation, Dr. Felix King continent into a new arena of Eiremiokhae, “rural communities hope and progress, as nations set up in 2014 by Eiremiokhae importance of religious leaders in and his wife, Aderonke in his rural communities across Nigeria. are the most hit during this period recover from COVID-19."

He said that women will be desire to see that no woman It emphasises the large circle of with cases of malnutrition and malaria rising in numbers, and supported through a cooperative is left behind. The foundation influence these community leadbased programme, which has has been involved in several ers hold in their respective places sources of income depilated.”

In 2019, the foundation been an old age tradition women programmes such as the an- of worship, in their communities.

With the inclusion of these launched its goal of 36, 000 by use to support each other in the nual International Widow’s 2029. This initiative is a target rural communities, adding that Day symposium to address leaders, an anticipated increase to reach and impact thirty-six registration of meeting groups the challenges of widowhood in the level of awareness is thousand women in 10 years is starting the first week in in Africa, the Widows Market expected with a significantly and despite the effect of the September and Edo State will Moni, Rural Women Cooperative higher number of cases of sexual Scheme and The Startup Africa violence being reported. WARIF pandemic, the foundation still be the launching pad.

To achieve this, meeting groups conference aborted by COVID-19 believes this goal will be readily believes in the goal. achieved with the inclusion of He said, “Much has been will align women of common pandemic in March 2020.

Eiremiokhae, a firm believer these new trustworthy and achieved through the rural interests into a meeting group women market moni and and pitch their group's interest in the empowerment of rural respected tertiary gatekeepers WIFARM schemes, but with for the foundation to attain to African women, believed that and will make an impact on a COVID-19 pandemic, the need to their needs according to these Better life for rural African women wider reach of men and women will bring hope, progress , pros- in the society at large. re-access the programme with a groups’ interest.

In the early days of the pan- perity and development to the Sponsored by ACT Foundation, strategy that works with present reality made it possible to this demic in Nigeria, the foundation hardworking but disadvantaged the project saw the fostering modification.” To hit the ground had announced a N25million pal- women and their communities of good relationships between running, the founder revealed liative emergency programme in as the world recovers from the TBAs and law enforcement agents in previous engagements, that an initial $350,000 has been Edo State that saw lots of women COVID-19.

WARIF’SFounder,DrKemiDaSilva-Ibru

ensuring that survivors received the assistance that was needed and cases were reported in a timely fashion.

Speaking on the inclusion of religious leaders in this cycle, WARIF’S Founder, Dr Kemi DaSilva-Ibru noted, “following two successful cycles of the Gate keepers community based project, sponsored by ACT Foundation, community leaders such as the TBAs and law enforcement officers were engaged and trained on becoming first responders in cases of gender based violence.

“This led to an increase in the awareness of this menace in their respective communities and a documented increase in the number of cases reported to the WARIF Centre.

“We anticipate that the addition of Religious Leaders who are respected community mediators as our tertiary gatekeepers in this project will lead to an increase in awareness, a change in the prevailing mind set of the community and a subsequent reduction in the number of cases of violence against women and girls reported.”

While also commenting on the WARIF Gatekeepers project, CEO of ACT Foundation, Mrs. Osayi Alile, noted, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world saw a rise in cases of gender-based violence.

This showed us, that while many strides have been made to end violence against women, there is still a long road ahead of us.

“Programs like the Gatekeepers project are so important when it comes to protecting women, because they address the root

causes of gender-based violence, and work with communities to break down the stereotypes and negative norms.

“By working with religious leaders, who often hold a significant amount of influence in their communities, the program ensures a wider and more effective reach. At ACT Foundation, we are committed to supporting women, at all levels, and we are excited to play our part by supporting WARIF.” A total number of 600 Gatekeepers will be trained in this cycle who will be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to raise awareness, support survivors of rape and refer these cases immediately WARIF for treatment and to the Law Enforcement, for apprehension of the perpetrator and prosecution.

WARIF is a non-profit organisation, established to raise awareness and address the prevalence of rape, sexual violence and trafficking of young girls and women in communities across Nigeria.

This the foundation achieves through the development and implementation of a series of initiatives which are impactful, measurable and sustainable, targeting both the intervention/ treatment of these affected women, as well as providing preventive measures to reduce the high incidence. The foundation seeks to re-dress the adverse effects seen because of Gender Based Violence.

ACT Foundation is a nonprofit, grant making organisation that supports local, national and regional non – profit organisations working to address challenges and associated vulnerabilities across the African Continent.

The foundation aims to leverage relationships to create effective social impact solutions across Africa, and to build sustainable societies by engaging initiatives that unleashes potential and empowers beneficiaries.

ACT Foundation focuses on the areas of health, environment, entrepreneurship and leadership.

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FEATURES

Emefiele as Nigerian Farmers’ Best Friend Jackson Ugbechie

W

hen in May, this year, President Muhammadu Buharireappointed Godwin Emefiele as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the loudest commendation came from Nigerian farmers. It was not for nothing. Emefiele has through the Anchor Borrowers Programme, ABP, launched in November 2015 byPresident Muhammadu Buhari re-written the sour narrative on local agriculture.

ABP is a low-interest loan scheme which gives ample room and flexibility for payment. Interest was as low as 9 percent but with the advent of the Covid-19, the interest has been adjusted to as low as 5 percent. The loans are disbursed through any of the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Microfinance Banks (MFBs), all of which the programme recognises as Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs).

Through the ABP, the CBN governor did not only change the script from the old unimpressive order, he gave force of action to its performance. He has thus become the best friend of the Nigerian farmer who hitherto had struggled for lack of funds to expand operations.

The ABP was to provide farm inputs in kind and cash to small-holder farmers (SHFs) to boost agricultural production which had been neglected through years since Nigeria discovered that huge cash comes from crude oil. The whole scale dependence on crude oil receipts by successive Nigerian governments created a very unhealthy balance of payment between the country and other nations. The ABP was therefore aimed at reversing the negative economic trend aside achieving food security.

Categories of farmers captured under this programme include those cultivating cereals, cotton, roots and tubers, sugarcane, tree crops, legumes, tomato and livestock. If there is one sector that the Buhari administration has scored the bull’s eye, it is in agriculture.

It’s revolutionary and the indices speak for themselves.

Because of this new push by CBN in the area of agriculture, the nation has witnessed a leverage and quantum leap in agricultural produce. Rice, yam, sundry grains, poultry and livestock among others have enjoyed increased production with some farmers exporting their produce. With this has also come a significant improvement in the value chain. More and more farmers have upped their game by producing in the farm and processing for the table.

Thus when Emefiele was reappointed, it was the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), the umbrella body of farmers in the country, that was among the most vocal voices that commended President Buhari for his faith in the CBN governor. AFAN said the reappointment of Emefiele portrays the President as `agriculture friendly’.

Chief Daniel Okafor, the National Vice President of the association, while commending the President for the re-appointment, appealed to Emefiele to continue with the Anchor Borrowers Programme and to ensure that all agriculture commodities associations benefitted from the scheme in his second tenure.

He appealed to the CBN governor to ensure the reduction of interest rates on agriculture loans to between three and five per cent. He wants Emefiele to initiate other agriculture-friendly programmes as well as support the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) with funds to enable farmers access agriculture loans.

Without a doubt, farmers want the Anchor Borrowers Programme to continue, stressing that CBN has been agriculture friendly since Emefiele’s tenure. Expectedly, CBN under Emefiele is already thinking ahead. Emefiele himself is an unrelenting crusader for backward integration. On several occasions at different meetings with stakeholders including the media, he has never shied away from making a

Emefiele

case for local production. The CBN ban on the importations of scores of goods, some of which can be describedas low-hanging products for Nigerian entrepreneurs, and Emefiele’s determination to follow the ban through showed the character and the will of a central banker committed to rescuing his local economy from the treacherous vagaries of a globalized marketplace.

To make good its determination to push beyond the limits in the pursuit of food security and economic sovereignty, the CBN said it would fund 1.6 million farmers across the country in the 2020 wet season through the ABP. CBN’s Director, Development Finance Department, Yila Yusuf, disclosed this during the flag-off of Farm Inputs Distribution for cotton farmers for the 2020 planting season in Kwali, Abuja . He was represented at the event by Ayoola Quadri. According to Yusuf, the bank would finance the farmers under the bank’s 10 focal commodities which would cut across the value chains.This, he said, would help to create an impact that would guarantee food security in the country.

Through the ABP, CBN had already engaged 256,000 farmers in cotton production for the 2020 planting season, besides other farmers. The CBN commitment to cotton production way back in 2018 is already yielding results. One discernible result, according to operators in the nation’s textile industry, is that in 2019, textile industries had enough supply of cotton produced within the country for their raw materials with some still lying in their warehouses.

“CBN is trying to bring back the glory of textiles of those days where the industry used to employ 10 million people across the country.

“In the 80s, we lost that glory because of smuggling where our country was turned to a dumping ground of textiles materials.

It is an unfortunate situation, about five billion dollars was spent annually on the importation of textiles,” he said. Ordinarily, this is money that would have been ploughed into the development of infrastructure.

But Emefiele and his team are working hard to reverse this economic hemorrhage by ensuring that the entire value chain in the industry was funded for the benefit of the people and the country. Many Nigerians have lamented the total neglect of the textile industry. Before the introduction of the ABP, most of the textile factories across the country had closed shops. Some had both the factory floor and their numerous houses converted to car lots by car dealers; some as warehouses for imported rice and other exotic products.

In the aspect of growing local rice, the impact of ABP has been outstanding. Conservative estimates by international agencies place Nigeria’s annual rice production at 3.2 million metric tonnes. However, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RiFAN) claims it has established that Nigeria now leads local rice production in Africa. RiFAN President, Aminu Goronyo, insiststhat Nigeria has two rice farming seasons in a year. In each season, 4 million metric tonnes of rice is produced. RiFAN says a good 12 million Nigerians are engaged in the production of the 8 million metric tonnes.

By extrapolation, it means that in the rice value chain, about 12 million Nigerians have been positively impacted by rice production alone. These same people still have other engagements in farming aside rice production.

For clearer understanding, the rice value chain actors includeinputs dealers, farmers, paddy traders, parboilers, millers, milled rice marketers and consumers. A study on value chain analysis of rice in Kano River Irrigation Project (KRIP) Kano State,

by Isma’ila Yunusa Ilu explained the true essence of the rice value chain to include

both male and female, literate and the illiterate. The study covered an average farm holding of 2.6 hectares withyield of about 2.9 tons/ha.

Further breakdown of the study outcome showed that more than 80 percent of the estimated 189,630 tons of paddy produced in the study area was sold. The remaining was used for home consumption and seeds.

About 156,000 tons of paddy wasinjected into the market through wholesalers (65%), rural assemblers (15%) and rural retailers (2%). The paddy moved to the millers for milling. The milled rice is sold to both urban and rural wholesalers. This is how a typical rice value chain looks like. It is a wide network of gainful employment for different categories of persons. This is the sense in which the 12 million persons engaged in the rice value chain is feasible.

Aside the statistics, the reality in the markets speaks to the rice revolution. For the first time in our history, Nigerian rice are sold in neighbourhood open markets and in mega stores. For the first time, our local rice gets to the market well packaged and properly branded. Rice millers are not ashamed to emblazon their names and addresses on rice bags. For the first time, a functional and effective value chain has been created.

Rice distributors are busy. And retailers are confidently urging consumers to buy local rice. Nigerians must not overlook the contribution of CBN. Emefieleand his team at CBN have set the nation on the path to self-sufficiency. Not yet Eldorado, but if the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, Emefiele and his team have paved the path for the nation. The next is sustenance to ensure that locally produced agricultural goods are readily available, accessible and easily affordable. t6HCFDIJF B QVCMJD BGGBJST BOBMZTU XSPUF JO GSPN "CVKB

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T H I S D AY ˾ AUGUST 27, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S

A S

MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A T

REPO 2% 2.63 %

CALL 1-MONTH

1.75 % 2.50 %

A U G U S T S & P INDEX INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

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

2 1 , 2 0 2 0 S&P

588.62 % -0.61 %

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE 4.58 % 22.33 %

N381/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes Groups to Host Governance Confab

BudgIT, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE Nigeria) and Paradigm Initiative (PIN)wouldjointlyorganisethefourtheditionofthebi-annualpan-African NewMedia,Citizens,andGovernanceConference(NMCG).

The virtual conference is billed to hold October 20 and 21, 2020, the organiserssaidinastatementrecently.

Africa’s civic space is evolving with the application of new technologies and methods to strengthen advocacy and foster active citizenship.The emergenceofnewmediahasalsoimpactedonneworganisationsthatare reachingouttocitizenstodemandaccountabilityfromthegovernment withresultsandthesethreeorganisationshaveeffectivelyusednewmedia todrivesocialimpact,creatingsocietalchangeacrossdifferentcontexts.

According to the statement, “With the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging technologyhasbecomethenormandit’sappropriatethataconference focusedonnewmediawillbevirtualthisyear.Thetwo-dayvirtualconference willholdwiththetheme:‘NewMediaandVoice:Hashtags,ActionandPeople’.

AccordingtoBudgIT’sDirector,OluseunOnigbinde,“Ourrealityischanging, andthepandemichasledtotheemergenceofanewcultureofengagement in all spheres of life including civic and political matters.There are other salientissuesthatarespin-offsfromthepandemic.

“Oneoftheseincludestherecentgagonfreedomofspeechandexpression bygovernmentsacrosstheworld,therisingcasesofsexualandgenderbasedviolenceacrossAfricahavealsobecomea‘shadow’pandemic.”

Firms Partner to Deliver Free Courses

BUSINESS EXPANSION

L-R: CMO/ Co-Founder TAJBank, Mr Sherif Idi; SSG, Sokoto State, Malam Sa’idu Umar; COO/Founder TAJBank, Mr Hamid Joda; Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; and Chairman TAJBank, Alhaji Tanko Isiaku Gwamna, at the inauguration of the bank’s branch in Sokoto State...recently

Report Estimates Telcos to Rake in N2.9trn Revenue in 2020 Stories by Emma Okonji Agusto & Co. Limited recently released its 2020 Telecommunications Industry Report, which focused on voice, data, auxiliary services as well as the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the quality and affordability of telecoms service in Nigeria.

According to the report, the entire telecoms market in Nigeria was estimated at approximately N2.5 trillion in 2019 with MTN accounting for nearly half of the industry’s revenue in the same period.

The Agusto & Co report, however expects Nigeria’s telecommunications industry revenue to maintain an upward trajectory in 2020, estimating an increase by at least 15 per cent to around N2.9 trillion on the back of the exponential voice and

TELECOM data traffic witnessed in April 2020,3 during the five-week long restrictions on movement to curb the spread of the pandemic.

According to the report, “Coming out of the pandemic, millions of users in Nigeria are more connected, better educated and familiar with digital tools. In the same vein, network operators have gained first-hand experience in dynamic network traffic management, while businesses and their telco partners have a better understanding of the challenges of homeworking.

“While the advent of the COVID-19 has somewhat fasttracked Nigeria’s digitisation, particularly at the user experience level, the operational issues that have held back the country’s

broadband penetration persist.

“Operators are grappling with the stifling effect of high business costs occasioned by ballooning interest expense on borrowings and a burdensome tax regime, while the long delays in processing right of way permits and their arbitrary costing models are the main reasons for the prohibitive cost of leasing transmission infrastructure in the country.

“This is in addition to the incessant cost of repairing damaged fibre infrastructure as a result of cable theft or damage during road construction, and insufficient electricity supply requiring operators to invest heavily in alternative energy projects to power base transceiver stations (BTS).”

The report further explained that the network congestion

witnessed during the COVID-19 lockdown owing to the spike in data traffic brought to the fore the inadequacies in the country’s communications infrastructures.

While discussions around additional spectrum for network operators and the declaration of communications infrastructure as critical national assets continue to dominate debate within the Industry, the Agusto & Co. report believes addressing some of these operational challenges will improve the accessibility and affordability of telecom services in Nigeria and ensure sustainable growth for key players.

Based on available global indices, the report said it would expect telecom services playing a new “Super-Utility Role” in Continued on page 22

‘Digital Infrastructure Will Enhance Africa’s Economic Recovery’ The Regional Director, Microsoft 4Afrika, Amrote Abdella, has stressed the need for African governments to invest in digital infrastructure, insisting that such investment can make the difference to Africa’s economic recovery.

According to her, Africa faces many challenges on its path to becoming a global economic competitor, but explained that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Africa’s development could either be a massive barrier to advancement or the spark that would light the fire of innovation and investment across the continent.

“There’s no denying that for most of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed digital adoption forward in vast leaps

TELECOM in a very short space of time.

What the pandemic has also made apparent is the disparities of infrastructure across Africa, as well as gaps in adoption and policy. It’s now a necessity, rather than a luxury to fast-track the adoption of technology. By increasing productivity and facilitating innovation, technology is a key sector for the economic development of any country, and those who have embarked on their digital transformation journeys are better equipped to handle the obstacles that arise,” Abdella said.

She cited a recent report by McKinsey and Company on Africa in the wake of COVID-19, which suggested that to expedite

Africa’s economic recovery beyond the pandemic, the continent would need to accelerate its digital transformation. The report urges governments and social sector institutions to expand and broaden digital offerings, foster an enabling environment for rapid digitisation and speed up infrastructure investments, among other things.

Addressing the importance of access to digital infrastructure, Abdella said many countries were below the 20 per cent critical mass necessary to achieve improved efficiencies and enhanced information flows for economic growth and innovation. “Consumer demand for wireless connectivity is surging and spectrum is a finite source.

It is critical to intensively share

underused spectrum bands. As the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced social distancing and lockdown orders across the continent, the need for digital connectivity is more essential than ever, Abdella said, adding that as the pandemic spreads beyond major cities into peri-urban and rural areas, unconnected or under-connected populations risk becoming more vulnerable and isolated as they lack the digital means to access essential services.

“Wifi hotspots can provide effective connectivity solutions to COVID-19 testing stations and field hospitals, and can support remote working and learning,” Abdella added.

Continued on page 22

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, a provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, has announced a new partnership with edX, a trusted Harvard and MIT-founded online learning platform used by 30 million learnersaswellastheworld’stop-rankinguniversitiesandindustry-leading companiesglobally.

ThepartnershipwillofferagrowingseriesofCheckPointcyber-security coursesandcontenttosecurityandnetworkprofessionals.

CheckPoint’scyber-securitycourseswillnowbeaccessiblethroughthe edXplatform,includingtheCheckPointJumpStartseries,whichfeatures networkandhyperscalenetworksecuritycourses.

Accordingtothesecuritycompany,furthermoduleswouldsoonbeavailable onCheckPoint’sCloudGuardcloudsecurityandSMBsecuritysolutions.

AllcoursesaimatupskillingstudentsorITprofessionalsoncyber-threats andsecuritymanagement,aswellasthoselookingtostartanewcareer inthesector.

AllCheckPointcoursesavailableontheedXplatformarefreeofcharge toremovethebarrierofcost,location,andaccesstohelpreducetheskills gap, the company said, adding that recent research shows that nearly two-thirdsoforganisationsreportedashortageofcyber-securitystaff last year, with 36 per cent citing a lack of skilled or experienced security personnelastheirnumberoneworkplaceconcern.

VicePresidentofLearningandTrainingatCheckPointSoftwareTechnologies, LiatDoron,said:“PartneringwiththerenownededXplatformenablesusto helpclosetheongoingcyber-securityskillsgap.Withtheglobalshortage havingpassedfourmillion,organisationsneedtoaccelerateeffortstotry andhelpchangethisongoingissue.

Lejeune Gets New Role at HMD

HMDGlobal,thehomeofNokiaphones,hasannouncedtheappointment ofAlainLejeuneintoitsglobaloperationsleadershiprole.

Lejeunebringswithhimmorethan25years’experienceintelecommunicationsandisaseasonedglobaloperationsleader.HejoinsHMDGlobalfrom OneWeb,wherehewasaspecialadvisorfocusedontheoperationsstrategy.

HewillberesponsibleforoverseeingalloperationsforHMDGlobaland leadingengineeringandsupplychainmanagementeffortsforthecompany.

He will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer at HMD Global, FlorianSeiche.

Lejeunesaid:“IamdelightedtotakeonthisnewchallengeatHMDGlobal, thehomeofNokiaphones.Havingworkedinthemobileindustryforover twoandahalfdecades,Ihavewitnessedhugeshiftsinthewayscompanies operateonaglobalscale.

“Theneedtoadaptandmovequicklyhasneverbeenmorebusiness-critical ascompaniesadjusttoaworldpost-COVID-19.Steadfastoperationsplay apivotalroleinmaintainingequilibriumforanimblestartupsuchasHMD Global, and I look forward to helping the business maintain momentum andnavigatechangenowandinthefuture.

“Nokiaphoneshavealoyalandfast-growingfanbase,andI’mexcitedtohelp thecompanycontinuetodeliverthehighlevelsofqualityandaffordable mobileinnovationspeoplehavecometoknowandlove.”

“Africa is on its path to becoming a global economic competitor, but the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Africa’s development could either be a massive barrier to advancement or the spark that would light the fire of innovation and investment across the continent” Regional Director, Microsoft 4Afrika,

Amrote Abdella

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BUSINESSWORLD REPORT ESTIMATES TELCOS TO RAKE IN N2.9TRN REVENUE IN 2020 the COVID-19 era.

The report said global evolution from voice and short message service (SMS) to data services had continued to disrupt traditional telecommunications business models globally.

“This has been amplified during the coronavirus (COVID-19) induced lockdown as “work from home” and “social distancing” became the buzzwords in the current business landscape, with the telecoms sector being the invisible hand driving the shift to remote working, video conferencing and streaming services,” the report added.

It also cited statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on the number of active mobile-broadband subscribers, which NCC said it rose sharply by 17 per yearon-year to 143.3 million as at 30 June 2020, to become the fastest growing segment of the Nigeria Telecommunications Industry.

‘DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ENHANCE AFRICA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY’ According to her, Microsoft has been championing the use of TV White Spaces (TWVS), which uses unused portions of spectrum for television broadcasting to bring broadband and internet-connected solutions to remote and underserved communities at an affordable cost, since the launch of 4Afrika Mawingu’s pilot project in 2013.

The sustainable nature of this type of spectrum use makes it very cost efficient to implement, which is extremely beneficial for rural, underserved and developing areas. With TVWS, people are now able to access the internet for less than five per cent of the average household income.

“As much as we talk about the need for intensive ICT investment into infrastructure and the technology that will support Africa’s engagement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), this will not happen without the human infrastructure to support the technology.

For Africa to fully realise the opportunities brought about by digital transformation and 4IR, it is vital we have strong ICT skills.”

Group Business Editor

NEWS

Pay TV Operators Defend Subscription Fees’ Hike Raheem Akingbolu As Nigerian businesses battle tough economic conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, inflation, naira devaluation, VAT increase and a host of other factors, consumers are beginning to feel the pain of paying significantly more for essential commodities and luxury goods and services.

MultiChoice Nigeria, the country’s leading Pay TV operator recently notified customers of an increase in the subscription price of its DStv and GOtv packages which becomes effective from September 1, 2020.

The adjustments, according to the company, would only affect the packages in the upper tiered premium, compact plus and compact packages with about 13 per cent change, while the prices of other packages Confam, Yanga and Padi in the lower cadre remain unchanged.

According to Multichoice, the high cost of operating its business in Nigeria has increased significantly in recent times due to several unfavourable economic factors which include: naira devaluation, the effects of COVID-19, inflation at 12.82 per cent and increase in VAT to 7.5 per cent.

“We periodically review our pricing, taking into consideration factors such as inflation and operational costs. We

acknowledge that the people of Nigeria are living under increased economic pressure and we have made efforts to freeze the subscription prices in the last year, barring any extreme factors such as devaluation of currency and changes to VAT mandated by the government,” the company said in a message to customers,” he explained.

Similarly, Startimes, the nation’s

second biggest Pay TV operator, also raised prices of its subscription plans by an average of 22 per cent effective August 1, 2020.

In explaining the price increase, Startime’s Brand and Marketing Manager, Viki Liu, said it was due to increased value-added tax (VAT) from five per cent to 7.5 per cent, as well as the foreign exchange rate which has impacted its cost

of operation.

“Our business is not exempted from the effect of the naira depreciation affecting all businesses in the country. All of our foreign content is bought in dollars and to continually serve our subscribers the best content, the subscription price has to be reviewed upwards,” Liu added.

Factors such as inflation,

devaluation and slowed economic growth in 2020 have been threatening the survival of businesses in Nigeria, and forcing organisations to either take the hard decision of reviewing their prices to maintain a balance amid the turbulence, or lay off hundreds of workers to trim down their wage bill as running costs take the larger chunk of revenue.

GOLD CONFERENCE

Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero (left), speaking with Alhaji Nasir Wada at the closing ceremony of the Gold Durbar Kano, held in Kano...recently

Ericsson Joins Coalition to Achieve Zero Carbon Emission by 2050 Stories by Emma Okonji Ericsson has joined The Pathways Coalition, a group of innovative companies representing the infrastructure, utilities, transportation and retail sectors, with the objective to accelerate decarbonisation of heavy transport and reach the objective of zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions latest by year 2050 or earlier.

The objective to reduce carbon emission is in line with The Paris Agreement, and Ericsson is expected to support the coalition with its

unique expertise.

Today, transport is the second largest source of global CO2 emissions and currently contributes nearly a quarter of all global emissions. Within this, commercial heavy transport represents a significant share of the pie, and in order to reach the climate target set in The Paris Agreement, it is essential to fully decarbonize commercial heavy transport by the year 2050 or earlier, the coalition said.

The Pathways Study concludes that a transition to decarbonized heavy transport

is not only possible, but also financially attractive from a societal perspective. However, to tackle the challenge and speed up the pace of change, cooperation across sectors is necessary, the coalition said in a statement.

The four companies that have formed The Pathways Coalition include E.ON, H&M Group, Scania and Siemens, and they represent different parts of the value chain for electrified transport such as energy infrastructure provision, energy solutions and supply, vehicle manufacturing, as well

as retail with the transport buyer perspective.

The coalition is of the view that with Ericsson from the digital sector now joining the group to share its expertise within digitalisation and advanced connectivity, it will add a missing piece to advance the pace of change necessary across the crucial sector.

Ericsson is meant to bring its experiences as a major buyer of transport services for the global distribution of its mobile network equipment and the successful work to reduce CO2 emissions in its own supply

chain.

Head of Sustainability at Ericsson, Mats Pellbäck Scharp, who is responsible for the organization’s cooperation with the coalition, said Ericsson’s unique cross-sector setup would be the key to success.

“The coalition is unique from the perspective that we have a cross-value chain approach instead of a within-industry approach – most industry associations like this are comprised of members all from the same industry and are focused on working with your peers in the same industry more or less.

Oracle Proffers Solution for Workforce Repurposing after COVID-19 Strategic Business Solutions Engineer at Oracle, Mike Rob Bothma, has said the global COVId-19 pandemic brought increasingly difficult financial decisions into focus for many organisations.

According to him, the situation calls for organisational realigning, stretching and strategically redeploying human resources, alongside cost containment initiatives.

According to him, staff have

been redeployed into new areas to meet the critical business priorities often at short notice and under pressure.

“A recent example we heard of has been happening in hospitals.

Nurses who do not normally work in intensive care wards have been trained to work in these new wards, as they became the key care priority during the COVID-19 crisis,” Bothma said.

He explained that by repurposing human resources and

retraining, business priorities could be met while ensuring critical skills and experience built up over time within an organisation is not lost.

This human capital, he said, may be required now, or it may be needed in the future.

Repurposing can provide resource flexibility and agility to companies managing cost.

It can deepen and enlarge a company’s skill inventory, as well as securing ongoing

employment for affected staff.

According to Bothma, repurposing considerations may involve: Senior executives and Human Resources (HR) reviewing the strategic resourcing requirements of the organisation; Ensuring all key roles have comprehensive succession plans in place; Identifying work priorities and key roles; Assessing the work being performed; Understanding and assessing individual skills set;

Management of the individual impact of change; Reskilling or upskilling; and Measuring and monitoring the implementation and impact.

Addressing the need for repurposing and retraining talent at speed, Bothma said: “Organisations, which normally operate in highly volatile situations may already be well-versed and experienced in repurposing and redeploying their workforce to maximum effect.

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

Experts Forecast Increased Offshore Wind Capacity The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), during its recently concluded Global Energy and Utilities Digital Week, which held virtually, predicted that additional 205GW of offshore wind capacity would be installed by 2030, to complement the over 650GW of wind capacity already installed at the end of 2019.

GWEC forecasted that the project would gulp $16 trillion,

with the hope that physical incentives, structures, government and technologies, will make it happen in the next 20 years.

The Council therefore called on governments globally to look at energy efficiency and infrastructure in the next 10 years and treat them as a primary energy resource alongside other energy sources in the global economy.

Policy and Operations

Director for the Global Wind Energy Council, Joyce Lee, said more than 80GW of additional wind energy capacity would be expected to come online in 2021.

Speaking during Global Energy and Utilities Digital Week, Lee said due to a delay with projects in 2020 as a result of the CCOVI-19 pandemic, a record year is expected in 2021 in terms of new wind capacity coming online.

“Due to COVID–19, we have downgraded our projection for 2020, which was supposed to be a record year, as a result of disruption to supply chains, delays in construction, which we estimate a downgrade of 19 per cent mostly in onshore wind.

“Covid-19 has led to commissioning deadlines for wind projects being extended in prominent markets such as

the US, India, Germany and France in 2020, and because of that we expect new installations to bounce back next year,” Lee further said.

Lee revealed, citing GWEC’s latest data, that by the end of 2019, 651GW of wind power was installed world-wide. Onshore wind accounted for the vast majority of this, 621GW, with offshore wind installations accounting for 29.1GW.

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T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Marinho: Access to Finance Survey Rates Employers Remains Challenge for Start-ups High on Trust Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fiam Wifi, Mr. Akin Marinho, in this interview, speaks about how majority of Nigerians are penalised for buying data in small bits, and the need to make internet access affordable for rural dwellers. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:

Raheem Akingbolu reviews the Edelman Trust Barometer on Nigeria and concludes that Nigerians still distrust Government but believe employers more.

How commercially viable is this business especially your areas of coverage?

Our initial target market is Lagos and other high-density cities outside Lagos. Our strategy is to create a community network.

Currently, we operate in Ajegunle and 90 per cent of our staff for Ajegunle business FiamWifi AJ City Internet, all live in Ajegunle.

This means our customer engagement team, our site and technical maintenance teams are all residents of Ajegunle, so we create additional employment in the communities we serve. This is the model we will roll out across Lagos and beyond.

What makes us unique is our strategy.

We drive down the cost of delivering connectivity to communities and ensuring we integrate into the communities we serve.

Marinho

Y

ou recently launched an internet connectivity service in Lagos with plans to offer the service in densely populated communities.

Why target rural communities?

I started Fiam WiFi in 2017 after leaving Capcom Telecom as Head of Business Development and Strategy in 2016. There are two co-founders, Robert Jibunoh, a former colleague from my time at FBN Capital, who is our chief financial officer (CFO) and Tola Fadeyibi another former colleague of mine from my days as a lawyer and she is our chief operating officer (COO). We currently have about 80 employees.

Fiam WiFi provides internet connectivity by installing Wifi hotspots to high density lower income communities and rural communities. We were licensed by the NCC in 2018. We commenced full commercial operations this year after spending the last few years perfecting our business offering. We have installed 25 WiFi hotspots in Ajegunle, with plans to install another 150 in Ajegunle before the end of the year.

I have 25 years legal, investment banking, private equity and telecoms experience gained from working in the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria. In the United Kingdom, I worked for one of the largest law firms in the world working on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. I also worked at FBN Capital, the investment banking arm of First Bank as General Counsel and Company Secretary for a few years and RMB Nigeria as one of the pioneer staff. I left banking as a deputy general manager. My seven years of work experience motivated me into launching Fiam WiFi. Why did you decide to go into WiFi hotspot?

The majority of Nigerians access the internet through a smart or feature phone and they typically buy data as and when they need it and usually 1GB at a time. The price for 1GB typically ranges from N300 to N1000 and these plans are usually time sensitive such as daily or weekly validity. People who can afford to pay N10,000 or N20,000 at a go for a monthly plan will pay about N150 per GB depending on which network they are on. In addition, the average Nigerian who earns N30,000 or even N50,000 a month won’t be able to afford a N10,000 unlimited data plan as they have other expenses to take care of. Therefore, the vast majority of Nigerians are penalised for buying data in small bits. This we believe is unfair. Access to high speed internet should be available for all irrespective of ethnicity, class, gender and age. The benefits of high-speed internet are well proven and the World Bank, the United Nations and other organisations such as our partners at the Alliance for Affordable Internet, the United States based non-profit, have studies which show this and that 1GB needs to be priced at below 2 per cent of income. We will be, subject to NCC approval, offering 1GB at less than one per cent of the national minimum wage - N200 for 1 GB of data. Our pricing is clear, simple and transparent and we don’t have time sensitive plans. Our data plans have no expiry or validity period.

How will people be able to pay to access your hotspot service?

We have a dedicated team of sales agents on the ground and we have a number of recharge sellers who also sell vouchers for other networks. Customers will also soon be able to buy vouchers online.

What is your rollout plan and roadmap, since you are beginning from Lagos State?

We plan on covering as much of Lagos State as possible over the next 18 months. We will have operations in every local government in Lagos. We get messages everyday from people who have used our service or heard about our service asking us when are we coming to their community. In addition, we are also looking at places outside Lagos.

How much are you investing into your expansion both on the short and medium terms?

To date we have boot-strapped to about $1 million, which has come in mostly from the founders and some friends and family.

We are looking to invest about $10 million over the next few years via a mix of debt and equity.

In developed cities across the world, WiFi hotspot is the easiest way of connecting people to the internet. Why is Nigeria lagging behind?

Power is one issue, the issues of limited grid power in Nigeria is a problem for all businesses so we power each of our hotspots using solar, inverters and batteries. Access to affordable smart phones is another factor.

Recent studies have shown that in Africa it can take someone 100 days to work to afford a smartphone whereas abroad it is likely to be a few days. Access to finance for companies like ours is another issue. As a former investment banker, I was surprised at the number of times over the last year we have had meetings and discussions with banks and other financial institutions and they all declined to provide capital to our company to scale the business. Even though we had invested $1 million of our own money with a clear business model which was being executed and which was generating revenue. The common feedback was we don’t lend to start ups or your revenues are not significant enough or this or that reason or they ask you to bring collateral. I think this is the challenge many entrepreneurs face trying to start disruptive business in Nigeria. It is much easier also to find angel investors and institutions abroad who are prepared to take a risk on a start up in a capital-intensive business like ours. Rejection made us strive harder and we wouldn’t be where we are today if the road had been easy.

What do you think the government and investors should do to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria?

My view is that government can’t do everything, but it should create an enabling environment for business to operate and thrive. It’s only private finance that can bridge the digital divide. The larger telcos all mention Right of Way as an impediment to bridging this digital divide. Lagos State is at the forefront of this with its Unified Duct Initiative, Ekiti State and some other states have reduced its ROW charges. So, things are moving in the right direction.

T

he 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer on Nigeria has revealed that, of the four mainstream institutions of government, business, media and non-governmental organisations, government remains the least trusted with Nigerians having no confidence in the ability of current leaders to successfully address the country’s challenges.

Conversely, Nigerians’ trust in Chief Executive Officers of businesses as positive change agents rose while trust in NGOs and the media also increased.

These revelations amongst others were contained in the 20th Edelman Trust Barometer Survey Report themed ‘Competence and Ethics’ unveiled virtually by Edelman and its Exclusive Nigerian Affiliate, Chain Reactions Nigeria, in Lagos recently.

The Edelman Trust Barometer is the annual global trust and credibility survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence, the independent research arm of the Edelman global network testing how well people trust those four critical institutions of the society to do what is right. This year’s survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence between October 19 to November 18, 2019, sampled more than 34,000 respondents across 28 countries.

The presentation done virtually saw the Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Africa, Jordan Rittenberry, present the global 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer and the Impact of COVID-19 on Trust reports. A Consultant at Chain Reactions, Adekunle Dixon Odukoya, presented the supplementary data for Nigeria.

An all-female panel drawn from government, media, business and civil society also discussed the survey report and its implications for Nigeria in line with the theme, “Competence and Ethics.�

They were Special Adviser to President MuhammaduBuhari on Social Protection and former coordinator of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP), Mrs. Maryam Uwais; Director, Public Affairs, Lafarge Africa Plc, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem; Director of News, TVC, Stella Din Jacobs; and the Convener, Enough is Enough, YemiAdamolekun. Erstwhile Assistant Director of Programs at The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Funke Treasure-Durodola moderated the presentation.

The supplementary data for Nigeria showed that while trust across the four mainstream institutions in the country increased compared to 2019, business still led with 91 per cent followed by NGOs with 87 per cent. The media was the third most trusted institution with 84 per cent while government only had 55 per cent.

The 55 per cent level of trust in government in Nigeria is actually better when put into context against the global average with a general level of distrust of government in 17 of 28 markets that recorded 45 per cent and lower. interestingly, South Africans returned a 20 per cent level of Trust in their government.

In a further vote of confidence in private sectors leaders, the survey revealed that 87 per cent of Nigerians trust CEOs to successfully address the country’s challenges while 86 per cent trust journalists. 82 per cent trust religious leaders, 75 per cent believe in capability of scientists while only 51 per cent trust government leaders. Again, the least trusted set of leaders in the society.

90 per cent of the respondents believe that CEOs should take the lead on change rather than wait for government to impose it; while 82 per cent said it is important that their CEOs speak out on critical issues including ethical use of technology, automation’s impact on jobs, training for jobs of the future, diversity, income inequality, climate change and immigration.�

On the future of work and imminent threats to their livelihoods, Nigerians expressed an overwhelming level of worry about losing their jobs because of the looming economic recession and a lack of enough skills or training with 90 per cent, and 91 per cent respectively.

Furthermore, 84%, 83 %, and 78% are fearful of the threats posed by cheaper foreign competitors, jobs moving to other countries, and immigrants who work for less respectively.

Concerning trust in media sources, Traditional media at 66% is the least trusted by Nigerians.

Privately owned media channels remain the most trusted at 90 per cent, followed by Search engines at 83 per cent, with social media sources coming third with 75 per cent. On the quality of information, 30 per cent believe that the media they use is contaminated with untrustworthy information, while 57 per cent worry about fake news being used as a weapon.

On the interplay between competence and ethics, the theme for this year’s edition, none of the four institutions of society was considered as both competent and ethical by Nigerians.

However, the Ethical drivers of Integrity, Dependability and Purpose, together with combined 76 per cent were believed to be three times more important to the earning of people’s trust than mere competence at 24 per cent.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the report further showed, increased trust levels in the four institutions, with government (63%) emerging as the most trusted. Business (62%), NGOs (62) and media (46%) followed in that order.

Rittenberry however noted that the increased levels of trust will revert to the pre-COVID era once the virus is tamed. “In times of crises, when trust increases, it’s a bubble. It falls back to pre-crises levels after,� he said, adding that the pandemic will lead to changes globally. “As horrible as it is, this pandemic will lead to valuable innovations and changes for the better in how we live, work and treat each other as people. Recovery will not be immediate, but how businesses respond now will have an impact for years to come,� Rittenbery noted.

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Examining NSIA’s Strategic Health Sector Investments The recent establishment of diagnostic centres in Abia and Kano, and the commissioning of a state-of-the-art cancer centre in Lagos by the National Sovereign Investment Authority have opened another vista of hope for Nigeria’s ailing health sector as well as the country’s bid to end medical tourism, writes Martins Ifijeh

Orji

I

f there are two major areas of healthcare that have spurred Nigerians towards seeking medical tourism abroad, they are lack of good diagnostic centres and poor cancer management structures in the country.

For many, they would rather access diagnostic care where they are sure of appropriate and evidence-based results, as is the case with healthcare in developed nations, than seek diagnosis in Nigeria in many cases ailments are being misdiagnosed. This, no doubt has led to deaths of several Nigerians.

For example, late Serah Osabuohien died in 2018 of colon cancer, not because she didn’t approach health facility on time for diagnosis, but she was rather told she had ulcer instead of cancer; a result that delayed her from tackling the actual condition.

Also, with Nigeria once notorious for having only one functional cancer machine for its over 200 million population and over 2.1 million persons living with cancers in the country, it was no brainer that by default, people who could afford cancer care abroad never considered staying back for treatment when they were sure of getting better care abroad. These healthcare concerns cost Nigeria at least $1 billion annually in returns every year.

But the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is changing the narrative by ensuring Nigerians no longer worry about misdiagnosis and the high rate of cancer deaths due to poor management.

Specifically, the NSIA which hopes to achieve its aim through a series of healthcare investments, has established two world-class diagnostic centres in Abia and Kano State respectively.

It has also established a state-of-the-art NSIA/ Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Cancer Centre in Lagos to address the burden of cancer in the country.

Speaking during the inauguration of the NSIA/Umuahia Diagnostic Centre in Abia State recently, the Chief Executive Officer, NSIA, Uche Orji described the facility as a world-class diagnostic centre that can match the ones seen in developed nations.

Orji said: “Following years of project development, the NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Center was built in 18 months and at a cost of approximately $5.5 million. Once fully operational, this will be the largest and most modern diagnostic centre in the South-east and South-south region of the country.

“This project was executed as a Build-OperateTransfer (BOT) through a Special Purpose Vehicle owned 90 per cent by the NSIA and 10 per cent by the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia (“FMCU”). After a 15-year period, the period over which we anticipate the NSIA will have recouped its investment, and full ownership of the SPV and its assets will revert to FMCU.” He said Statpath, which is a joint-venture between Synlab, a global leader in pathology and Crestview, a tier-1 radiology company in Nigeria, will operate the centre and facilitate skills and knowledge transfer to the FMCU pathology and radiology teams, adding that

Entrace view of the NUDC

with a public-private partnership structure, NSIA will ensure that the center was maintained to the highest standards, and that FMCU benefits both financially as well as through training of its staff.

He said: “Within its first year of its operations, the center is expected to serve as many as 70,000 clients and provide direct employment opportunities to about 47 people.”

He said the Centre was designed to serve the South-east and South-south regions of the country, adding that it was the third facility in NSIA’s expanding healthcare portfolio alongside the modern diagnostic facility also established in Kano, which is the NSIA Kano Diagnostic Centre (NKDC) and the NSIA LUTH Cancer Centre in Lagos.

The Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu described the investment as a timely intervention, especially as the world was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “Health is wealth which ultimately reminds us that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Policy position of successive governments at all tiers must prioritise healthcare.

Investments must be made, and laws must support integrating in the underserved mostly from low income homesteads.

“As a city, Umuahia has existed for over 25 years and is recognised for many things especially its strength in industrialisation. But, with my administration’s efforts and the renewed attention from the federal government, we will also, going forward, be lauded as a centre for excellence in healthcare. Added to our broadened policy implementation in healthcare, we are pleased that the federal government through the NSIA is complementing our efforts by establishing a centre of healthcare excellence in Umuahia which I trust will be the first of many.

“I was pleased to learn of the establishment

of a cancer centre in partnership with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital which the President commissioned in Lagos. Following the establishment of the cancer entre, the state was convinced that the decision to consider Umuahia for a diagnostic centre will serve not only the Southeast region but the South as a whole and complement the growing stock of healthcare infrastructure in other parts of the nation.”

He said the NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre was a full-service facility that will provide comprehensive radiology and laboratory services to ensure the highest quality of care for all Nigerians.

In her keynote address, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said “President Buhari’s administration is placing a focus on greater investment in the healthcare sector and working to ensure increased access to safe, high quality service for every Nigerian.”

She further highlighted the fact that “investment in healthcare is critical to a thriving economy as a healthy people are an enabler for productivity”.

In his remarks the Minister of State for Health, Senator Adeleke Mamora urged the Centre’s management team, “To take up the challenge of ensuring that the confidence reposed in them is earned by guaranteeing that the quality of service at the facility is never allowed to deteriorate “As a medical doctor, I understand the challenges of operation with sub-par equipment.

Government is stepping in to address this difficulty and therefore the team running the centre must justify the investment,” he said.

While the diagnostic centre in Umuahia will serve the Southeast and South-south pending when other centres are built in the region, the one established in Kano will serve theNorthern

region pending when more centres are established across board.

Speaking during the commissioning of the world-class facility in Kano, Minister Ahmed had said the investment was one of the practical measures taken by the federal government to check the rate Nigerians seek for medical tourism overseas.

She had said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to replicating the development of such a modern diagnostic centre in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.

She revealed that a special scheme had been floated by her ministry to enable less privileged Nigerians access services at the centre. She also commended the management of the NSIA for the timely completion of the project, noting that the Kano Centre would be serving all the states in the Northwest geopolitical zone of the country, as well as the neighbouring Niger Republic.

As part of efforts to spread its investment reach across healthcare areas, it also focused on addressing the burden of cancer in Nigeria that kills 21 Nigerians every hour. On specifics, it established the NSIA/LUTH Cancer Treatment Centre in Lagos, which was commissioned by President Buhari 2019 to avoid the poor narrative around cancer care in the country.

Buhari had during the commissioning referred to the centre as a world class facility that would mitigate the burden of cancer in Nigeria, as well as reduce medical tourism.

The centre, which houses three linear accelerators and brachytherapy machines and built on the tune of $11 million, has been dubbed the biggest cancer treatment centre in West Africa. It has the capacity to attend to 100 persons daily.

With these three investments by NSIA, there seems to be hope for Nigeria’s healthcare.

Samsung, SIMS Celebrate 27 Years Partnership Emma Okonji Samsung Electronics, West Africa, in partnership with one of its major sales and distribution partners, SIMS Nigeria, has announced the commencement of a loyalty promotion aimed at rewarding its consumers in commemoration of their 27 years of partnership.

The nationwide promo will see consumers enjoy discounts, free delivery and installation, gift vouchers and other goodies on select Samsung electronics, purchased from SIMS Digital Centres. The offer runs from August 10 to August 31, 2020.

Managing Director, Samsung Electronics Nigeria, Mr. Caden Chiyeon Yu, who announced the special rewards, said the success story of the strategic partnership

and the achievements recorded over the last two decades, especially in fostering availability and access to the brand’s wide array of quality products, would not be complete without the support and loyalty of its customers.

“The patronage received over the years has kept the partnership with SIMS Nigeria waxing stronger and the company is thrilled to celebrate this milestone by rewarding consumers for their loyalty to the brand as well as to SIMS Nigeria,” Yu said.

According to him, “Nigeria is a very important market with high potential and it is very rewarding to know that our consumers trust the brand and support our business.

The longevity of the partnership with SIMS Nigeria is a testament

to the strength and premium quality that Samsung represents as a brand in the country and the overwhelming trust and loyalty built over the years. “We are honoured and elated to be celebrating this very important milestone of our journey here in Nigeria with our esteemed customers.

“In line with our commitment to continually avail consumers with ultramodern home and office appliances, Samsung is set to launch a range of exciting products into the Nigerian market.

“From new 2020 models of T-Series TVs that come packed with thrilling features, new sleek designs, exceptional picture quality and sound to Air Conditioners with Wind-free Technology, Refrigerators and Washing Machines with

improved functionality. This is clearly an exciting period for our consumers.”

Executive Director, Operations at SIMS Nigeria, Ike Eyisi, said: “Customers are at the heart of our partnership with Samsung. This commemoration is really about our customers who have made it possible for us to remain in business.

“So we implore our customers nationwide to avail themselves of this opportunity to purchase quality electronics between now and August 31 at discounted prices, receive gift vouchers and obtain free delivery and installation of the appliances purchased. This is our way of saying thank you to our loyal customers for their unflinching support over the years.”

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ͵˜ ͰͮͰͮ

IMAGES

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L-R: Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB) Capt. Akin Olateru; Air Safety Officer, (AIB), Miss. Yetunde Arowolo and Managing Director, UNILAG Consult, UNILAG, Akoka, Lagos, Prof. Adebayo Otitoloju at the closing ceremony of a two week training of Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB) on flight drones held at UNILAG, Akoka, Lagos...recently KOLAWOLE ALLI L-R, Principal, Opebi Senior Grammar School, Mrs. Olugbewesa Kofoworola; Executive Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King; Chief Executive Officer, X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko; and Director, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Grace Akinfoyewa, representing the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo at the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Hand Washing Station /facility donated to the school by X3M Ideas as the agency’s 2020 CSR intervention project to commemorate its 8th year anniversary in Lagos....recently

L-R: SSA to the Governor of Delta State on Health Monitoring, Dr Michael Nwoko; Initiator, Eradication of Malaria in Africa, Prince Ned Nwoko; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva; and Project coordinator, Mr Chukwuebuka Anyaduba, at the presentation of Malaria project by Prince Ned Nwoko foundation to the Honourable Minister in Abuja...recently L-R: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner, Ministry of Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm; and Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Olatubosun Alake, at Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) grant award ceremony in Lagos recently ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Okiye; Edo State Deputy Governor and running mate, Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu; Ojuromi of Uromi, HRH Anselm Aidenojie; Edo State Governor and governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, during the governor’s courtesy visit to the monarch, in Uromi, Esan North East LGA, Edo State...recently

L-R; Winner of Capitis Thrift &Credit Saving Promo, Omoye Okoror; An official of the Company, Ussaini Isah Soji and Chief Executive, Capitis Thirft & Credit Cooperative Society Ltd, Mr. Peter Adejoh during the presentation of gift to winner in Abuja...recently

L R : Communicaton Head of Dangote Group, Mr. Tony Chiejina; Brands and Marketing, Dangote Group, Yetunde Ogunnowo; Group Head, Cororate Communicatons, Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Okobi; Sponsorship Mareting Lead, Dangote Tunde Oladipo and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote Foundation and Administrator Cacovid, Zouera Youssoufou, during the Flag-off Campaign by Coalition Against COVID 19 in Lagos ... on Wednesday

L-R; Managing Director/CEO AfriGlobal Insurance Brokers, Mr. Casmir Azubuike, President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe, Chairman, Membership Committee, CIS, Alhaji Garuba Kurfi and Mr. Adedeji Ajadi, Registrar and Chief Executive, CIS, at signing of MOU Stockbrokers’ on Group Life Assurance by CIS and AfriGlobal Insurance Brokers in Lagos...recently.

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T H I S D AY ˾ AUGUST 27, 2020

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

IHVN and Push for Continuous Research against Disease Outbreaks Although the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria has had its footing in HIV/AIDS prevention and management in Nigeria, its expansion into the provision of research platforms against diseases hopes to change the narrative against disease outbreaks in the country. Martins Ifijeh writes

N

ine months after the discovery of COVID-19 in China that has now spread to all continents of the world - killing almost a million people and infecting 24 million persons across the globe - the world seems to be racing against time for vaccines and curative drugs to stop its growing spread and the accompanying devastation it is leaving behind.

To be fair, many nations, including the United States, Russia, China and the United Kingdom have put their research prowess to work in the development of solutions against the disease, with many of them already in the final stages of clinical trials and hoping that by the beginning of 2021 the world will heave a sigh of relieve.

While this appears to be a blister of hope for the world, there is a possibility countries manufacturing these vaccines and curative drugs will first turn the solutions to their own citizens before ‘saving the world’; putting nations that were unable to put their own initiatives to work at disadvantaged points.

One of such nations is Nigeria, who despite having several research institutes and highly profiled global researchers, is unable to initiate, not to mention complete a vaccine research against COVID-19 that has killed over a thousand persons and infected more than 53,000 persons in the country.

But to close this gap and prevent being handicapped in future in producing vaccines against disease outbreaks, epidemic preparedness, among others, the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), established by the Institute for Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN), hopes to change the narrative by putting under one roof medical research facilities and world class researchers under one roof to help the country address disease co For clarity, IRCE will provide a common world-class platform for the implementation of research and clinical trials at the international standards as part of global networks. It will also foster collaborations and synergism between Nigeria’s finest researchers and their counterparts at international research institute and universities and also provide safety net that protects IHVN and its collaborators from liability by proactively ensuring that research conducted at IHVN is under the highest scientific and ethical standards.

Speaking with THISDAY recently, the Chief Executive Officer, IHVN, Dr. Patrick Dakum explained that IRCE will provide training and engage new researchers in its mentorship programme, as part of plans to conduct biomedical research focusing on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, and other emerging

Olalekan

Dakum

Abimiku

diseases, noting that IHVN builds the capacity of healthcare providers and ancillary workers across all implementation and research activities.

The multi-billion naira medical research which is almost ready to launch out is located in Abuja, and it is one of the three centres of IHVN that has conducted trainings and mentoring on global health education, laboratory and research methodology, statistical methods in epidemiology, scientific and medical ethics, and the principles and practice of clinical trials in collaboration with the faculty members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and other international faculty.

Dakum said: “IRCE will provide opportunities for young Nigerian researches to develop and execute research projects being mentored by more experienced investigators at IHVN, Nigerian universities, the diaspora, and international research institutions and universities.

“In addition to a clinical trial unit, IRCE will host seven laboratories in one building for the diagnosis of infectious diseases like HIV, drug-resistant tuberculosis, Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, among others. These laboratories are bio-repository, molecular diagnostics, chemistry, hematology and microbiology, clinical pathology, immunology and vaccinology, genomics resource centre and proteomics and metabolic laboratories,” he said.

He opined that the institute was also involved in more of implementation science research. “By that, we are looking at best ways to carry out proven science, how we can scale up the best practice in delivering services that we already know. Using HIV as an example, how do you deliver care to the patients that are in remote areas? So we came up with research related to looking at how to decentralise services and whether services would be easily delivered at a

lower level other than teaching hospitals only.”

The expert continued: “we look at how we as an institute can properly establish to continue to partner with the government in delivery of healthcare in Nigeria. Implementation with the government and other partners is something we want to be indigenous with. Routine implementation should not be carried out by implementing partners but by the government. So our role is to strengthen them to be able to do that.

“We will continue to be technical support and also participants in the research field. The goal of the IRCE is to be a partner with the Nigerian government and to research institutes around the country, especially in universities to support them in areas where they lack capacity in diagnostic and also in tools. We also bring together world-class scientists that will work alongside other scientists here in Nigeria in partnership to advance the frontier of science as far as health care is concerned in Nigeria.” On his part, the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of IHVN, Charles Olalekan the establishment of the research edifice will help put smart Nigerian scientists together to use its available platform and technology to provide research breakthroughs for the country, and West Africa by extension.

He added, “A lot of the laboratories in Nigeria require uninterrupted 24 hour power supply.

So our idea is to replicate all our laboratories in one place. We have laboratories in Jos, Zaria, Asokoro, Gwagwalada, and so on. While these labs will be maintained, we needed to replicate all in one building, which is the edifice we are talking about. This will bring brilliant minds in Africa to come here for research.

“For instance, on COVID-19, nobody is travelling out of Nigeria, so how do we develop vaccines?

How do we know if chloroquine is effective or

not? Nobody is testing it. If we set the edifice up, put heads together with smart Nigerian scientists, we will come up with solutions because they will not have to worry about power or other things. The platform will bring our bright scientists together,” he added.

The Executive Director, IHVN, Prof. Alash’le Abimiku said IRCE, among other things have deliberately established a Clinical Trial Unit for an unbiased scientific rigor whose data cannot be disputed anywhere in the world.

She said: “We have made it very clear to the Nigerian government, Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD)and other research institutes that we have the basis for unbiased scientific rigor, that we can say: here is the unbiased scientific result or date that the world will believe.

“In the last two or three years, we have had some progress where we have met with those institutions and we have shared with them the infrastructure that we have that would support them to be able to do those clinical trials because IHVN has the capacity to run clinical trials at international standard and is an independent body, with the expertise, that can be compared to any clinical trial run anywhere in the world. So, what needs to happen is that our efforts will ensure government can confidently say it is now part of global efforts towards testing or producing certain solutions against diseases.’’

The professor of Medicine, University of Maryland, US called on the government to engage with institutions like IHVN and make them its scientific partner for clinical trials with scientific rigor that would be accepted anywhere in the world, even in Geneva or US.

Patients Lament NDDC’s Delay in Funding Medical Referrals Emmanuel Ugwu ÓØ ×ßËÒÓË The delay by the management of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to release funds for NDDC Medical Referrals Batch 8 2019 has continued to endanger the lives of patients.

NDDC is known to routinely undertake medical interventions by releasing funds for treatment of persons with chronic ailments, who had been referred to various specialist hospitals, in some cases abroad.

However, since 2019 when approval was given for Medical Referral Batch 8, no funds have

been released to those battling with critical medical issues to enable them seek proper medical treatment.

Speaking with THISDAY, the spokesperson of the NDDC Batch 8 Medical Referrals, Friday Nwachi, who is battling with an eye disease, said he had already lost one of his eyes while waiting for NDDC to release the approved funds for his treatment.

He stated that his second eye had already degenerated to the extent that he could barely see, adding that his vision has been grossly impaired.

“I am afraid I may

completely lose my sight any time soon unless NDDC can hasten the payment of the money approved for my treatment,” he said.

Nwachi, who hails from Ukwa West, the oil bearing area of Abia State lamented that some persons listed in Batch 8 medical referral had already died while waiting for the release of funds needed for their treatment.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and prevail on NDDC management to release the funds so as to avoid further loss of lives.

Operation Blessing Donates Hand Washing Station to Nigerian Red Cross Sunday Ehigiator Operation Blessing, a humanitarian arm of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), popularly known as 700 Club, has donated a hand washing station to the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Red Cross, to support efforts aimed at curtailing further spread of COVID-19.

At the commissioning of the pedal-controlled station held in Lagos recently, the Head of Partners Relations Department, CBN Africa, Enoch Oyeduntan, revealed that the donation

was necessary considering the astronomical rate at which the pandemic was growing in Nigeria. According to him, “It is very important we care about the lives and safety of the rural dwellers considering the astronomical rate at which the pandemic is consistently growing in the country, and also the hygiene deficiency in this type of environment.

“The Red Cross society here in Makoko area of the state is very strategic, as the people definitely look up to them especially in this period.

“This initiative would help

in further curbing the spread of the virus, especially as regards Makoko dwellers and visitors, and would facilitate a bit of hygiene orientation and consciousness among them.”

In his remarks, the Secretary, Nigerian Red Cross, Lagos State Branch, Olakunle Lasisi, expressed gratitude to CBN Africa for the kind gesture. He said, “I am optimistic that this would go a long way in helping the members of this community in maintaining safety hygiene and keeping themselves safe from the ravaging pandemic.

T H I S D AY ˾ AUGUST 27, 2020

27

INTERVIEW

‘Nigeria’s Public Healthcare Needs Compassionate Rescue Mission’ Dr. Folarin Olasogba is the Chief Project Officer of PreDiagnosis Telehealth Consult. In this interview with Nseobong Okon-Ekong, he spoke on the challenges confronting public health management in Nigeria and how these can be surmounted. He also talked on how PDT hopes to deliver affordable basic healthcare services to 20 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians by 2030

W

brand Mantra. Under our Reach, Rescue and Fortify Mission, PDI has the target of helping Nigeria to deliver qualitative healthcare services to, at least, two million Nigerians annually between year 2020 and 2030 using technologydriven but largely grassroots focused platforms and model. This, in a nutshell, is what we have termed Project RRF 20-2030.

This Project RRF 20-2030, which is the core of our mandate, aims to deliver quality healthcare services to the remotest, under-served areas across the length and breadth of Nigeria by leveraging technology to maximize the scarce human resource for health (HRH) through effective and efficient use.

At PDI, we believe that our mission would not be fulfilled until when quality health services have reached the hard to reach areas; when location, economic and social status do not dictate access to quality health services; when the have and have not’s have equal access to basic healthcare services; among others.

ith the ravaging COVID 19 putting all nations of the world on their toes, do you think Nigeria is doing enough

to curtail the pandemic?

My personal assessment of the country’s emergency response to this current health crisis is very positive. To the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic is a novel experience that caught the whole world unawares and to the extent that even the world’s best, in terms of health management systems, have been struggling with the pandemic, Nigeria, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has provided a mature, organised and commendable plan for managing the pandemic. I am sure our experience, knowledge and systems will improve tremendously from this turn of events.

Are there lessons learnt by Nigeria at all from this pandemic? If yes, what do you think can be done to institutionalize and domesticate them as policies for the future?

It is not an exaggeration to say that COVID-19 has exposed the soft underbelly of our country’s healthcare system. No thanks to our ill-preparedness for outbreaks of such magnitude. More than anything else, the deadly disease has practically showed the necessity for greater collaboration on health issues as well as the power of data and digital tools to combat the outbreak of pandemics or even some opportunistic infections. It has also reinforced the need for targeted digital health strategies to help countries like Nigeria get the most out of digital technology tools. Without the right strategies and technical and resource support, it is now increasingly clear that the gap in the digital divide will produce nothing but failing health outcomes.

Across the world, digital health is fast becoming the fad especially among low and medium income countries with the huge responsibility to overcome traditional barriers to better health care, which includes dearth of medical staff and professionals and other physical resource constraints.

What role do you see medical intelligence and surveillance playing in prevention and management of deadly infections and diseases in Nigeria?

Sadly, despite Nigeria’s strategic position in Africa, it is highly under-served in the healthcare delivery sphere. Health resources such as facilities, personnel, and medical equipment are inadequate, especially in rural areas.

Significantly, public healthcare delivery is hampered more by inadequacy of healthcare resources particularly personnel, drugs and other medical equipment needed for holistic patient treatment. For instance, the doctor to patient ratio is currently 1:6000. Most of the available qualified doctors are concentrated in urban cities and towns while the rural areas have next to nothing, thereby leaving room for self-medication and also for quacks and other unqualified hands to tend citizens’ health needs. As at today, most PHCs, especially in rural areas, rot away due to lack of capable personnel to man them.

Given the above scenario, the primary challenge confronting the country’s public health system today is how to create and sustain an information-rich and patient-focused health care system that reliably delivers high-quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services that can ride on strong deployment of technology to strengthen healthcare accessibility at the grassroots.

Is the current model of public healthcare

Olasogba

delivery in the country working?

Healthcare services delivery must undergo a transmutation from the physical, brick and mortar format to a more tech-driven approach.

This means the concept of tech-for-health or health ICT must be elevated and Nigeria, now more than ever before, must confront using technology to transform her healthcare delivery system in a way that ensures a win-win for all.

How can Nigeria address issues around healthcare financing?

Over the years, public health financing has been a major barrier to building a strong healthcare system in many countries, not just Nigeria alone.

Regarding Nigeria, at the moment, the total health expenditure is derived from the allocations for health and allocations for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which is put at one per cent of the consolidated revenue fund. Since the inception of BHCPF, however, its allocation has always been below the earmarked one per cent; the allocation in 2020 is about 50 per cent less than the value of the one per cent of CRF. Because of the worsening financial capability of the country, expecting additional government funding for the health sector is a mirage; and without something significantly revolutionary being done in this ugly circumstance, demand for healthcare services, especially critical care services, may become overwhelming for the public health sector. This is likely to have long-term consequences for the health sector, as well as spillover effects to the rest of the economy in many ugly forms.

From your experience, how possible is it to deliver affordable healthcare, most especially for the poor and vulnerable people in rural areas?

It is very possible and cheap, too. Remember that modern day public healthcare is efficient only when health services can reach the hard to reach areas, when location, economic and social status do not dictate access to quality health services, when the have and have not have equal access to basic healthcare services and only when all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services they need in sufficient quantity without exposing them to financial hardship as declared by the World Health Organisation.

Could you be more explicit on how these

efforts could benefit the poor and vulnerable in the society, given the general poverty level they face?

At the center of our commitment is the deployment of ultra-modern technology to create the PDI Telehealth Hub and the PDI Telehealth App for macro and micro management of public health delivery. The PDI Telehealth Hub is a Community health platform in the form of a solar-powered mobile clinic that can be placed anywhere and manned by a specially trained staff recruited from the host community. The hub is connected to the expansive PDI telehealth central control room where doctors are available 24/7 to micromanage these hubs. The result is delivery of continuous medical services on the ground within a community (remotely) by our medical doctors, leveraging technology but totally adapted to the culture, lifestyles and worldview of the host communities.

On the other hand, PDI has also harnessed technology to develop an app that allows individuals to consult and receive wholesale treatment for many minor and major health challenges from doctors via the cellphone without physically visiting the hospital. The PDI App is available on Google play for download by android phone users. It is an interactive mobile application that gives users immediate access to highly trained and experienced doctors.

What stands PDI out among the list of healthcare providers in the country?

Our organisation, PreDiagnosis International, is a semi-philanthropic, hybrid telehealth service provider founded in 2018 to help in bridging the dangerous and widening gap in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system. We operate as a quasi-charity entity and not strictly a business-for-profit concern. So, we are on a compassionate national rescue mission.

PreDiagnosis International’s goal is to offer cheap, affordable and innovative telehealth solutions that would be at the forefront of reducing the disparity that exists in the availability, accessibility, and affordability of quality healthcare services in the urban and rural areas on the one hand, and between the elites and the poor and most vulnerable citizens, on the other hand.

What are PDI’s target projections for the health sector?

The Vision, Mission and Target of the PDI initiative is encapsulated in the PDI RRF 20-2030

How best can we take advantage of partnerships, especially as it relates to COVID 19?

Stakeholders in the health sector need to collaborate on diverse levels as a way of bridging the gap in the nation’s health delivery landscape.

A robust alliance between the public and private sectors for overall healthcare services development in the country should be of primary concern to all. For instance, under our Corporate Initiative, PDI has a thriving collaboration with the Project ECHO Institute of the University of New Mexico, ALBUQUEQUE, USA. Project ECHO which stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes is a collaborative model of medical education and care management programme designed to empower local clinicians (Consultants, Doctors, Nurses, Technicians, etc) to deliver better care and treatment of chronic, common and complex diseases, especially in remote and underserved locations. PDI is the Nigerian Official Replication Partner with the Project ECHO Institute of the University of New Mexico.

How does Nigeria stand to gain from projects and collaborations like Project ECHO? The mission of PDI in undertaking the Project ECHO is to assist the country develop the capacity to safely and effectively treat chronic, common, and complex diseases in rural and undeserved areas across Nigeria and to monitor outcomes of this treatment while leveraging our Telehealth consult platform.

The Project not only uses innovative technology to bridge the gap between urban and rural healthcare specialists and providers in the country; it helps health services providers to undertake co-management of patients’ treatments, thereby fostering knowledge depth and technical competencies, in addition to reducing professional isolation. By encouraging collaboration and communication between rural and urban service providers and specialists, the Project helps health professionals in the country to become highly skilled in the treatment of diverse chronic and complex diseases, thus creating a center of excellence in many remote communities.

This means with the PDI Project ECHO Initiative, we are committed to building a Clinical Knowledge Platform that combines authoritative contents and shared experiences drawn from the expertise available in the Nigerian healthcare community and across the world so that Physicians, medical students and other healthcare workers will be able to tap into Nigeria’s largest, most powerful Continuous Professional Development (CPD) network to resolve challenging questions at the point of care for mostly lower-income patients for different diseases.

Nigeria needs more initiatives like this to truly create a modern health service sector post COVID-19.

28

T H I S D AY ˾ AUGUST 27, 2020

NEWS

Access Bank Upsurges COVID-19 Resilience with Tier-2 Loan Facility Mary Nnah In its continued efforts to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, Access Bank PLC, Nigerian banking giant, recently signed a Subordinated Syndicated Loan Agreement totalling $93.8 million with the Dutch development bank (FMO), the French private sector development bank (Proparco), and leading investment firm, Symbiotics.

The facility, according to Group Managing Director, Access Bank PLC, Herbert Wigwe, will enable the bank to continue on its strategic path to becoming Africa’s gateway to the world even after the unexpected

simultaneous surfacing of the two ‘Black Swans’ in 2020: COVID-19 and the international oil crisis.

The tier-II capital facility was structured as a “10 years non-call five years” subordinated debt instrument, benefitting the bank for a period of 5 years.

“This deal is in line with our strategy to deepen Access Bank’s footprint in the retail segment as well as increasingly support local Micro, Small, and Medium-size Enterprises, thereby supporting job creation in the Nigerian economy”, Wigwe noted.

“The need to boost capital is extremely important today in the context of the negative socio-economic impact of

COVID-19, hence, the $93.8 million Tier-II capital eligible loan will help us continue to sustainably support businesses that need finance.

“These businesses will be able to continually provide essential products and services thereby achieving sustainable and inclusive growth”, he stated further.

“The transaction is evidence of Access Bank’s commitment to facilitating economic growth and development in Nigeria and Africa as well as creating business opportunities for all stakeholders including women, across its entire value chain.

We are truly inspired and we remain committed to our goal

of being Africa’s gateway to the world,” Wigwe concluded.

Reiterating Wigwe’s statement, Chief Investment Officer at FMO, Linda Broekhuizen, said: “Once a very small player in the Nigerian financial services sector, Access Bank has become the largest bank in Nigeria with a wide array of financial services, including some very exciting gender finance work.

“We have been proud to support the team at Access Bank all those years, during good times and more challenging ones, like today. We are grateful for the opportunity to support our partners at Access Bank again, helping them weather the impacts of COVID-19 and

the international oil crisis.”

Commenting further on the partnership, the PROPARCO’s Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Clemente said, “We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Access Bank, a top tier African financial institution committed to mainstreaming sustainable business practices in its operations.

“This transaction illustrates both Proparco’s commitment to foster the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa thanks to its partnership with African financial institutions within the Choose Africa initiative as well as our renewed support to our existing clients in a challenging economic

environment. This additional Tier II capital will give Access Bank the needed flexibility in the current context.”

For its unwavering drive to promote women economic empowerment, the bank was recently named among qualifiers for the 2X Challenge. The 2X eligibility criteria were based on efforts put towards employment, leadership and consumption.

Head of Investments at Symbiotics, Daniel Schriber, said: “We are delighted to partner with Access Bank in a crucial time when support to micro, small and medium enterprises is critical to maintain jobs and strengthen livelihoods in Nigeria.”

CHINT Donates 10,000 Face Masks to Paelon Memorial Hospital Martins Ifijeh CHINT Group, a leading global provider of energy solutions, has donated 10,000 face masks to Paelon Memorial Hospital as part of efforts to support the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Paelon Memorial Hospital is among the four private health facilities accredited by the Lagos State Goverment to manage COVID-19 patients.

Announcing this during the presentation of the personal protective equipment in Lagos recently, the Nigeria Country Manager, CHINT Group, Michael Chen said with the rising cases of the virus in the country, it was important that Nigerians wear face masks to help slow down rate of the infection.

He said: “2020 is a tough year.

COVID-19 has spread to almost every corner of the world and killed hundreds of thousands of lives. Till today, there are more than 53,000 cases of COVID-19 infections in Nigeria, and the number keeps increasing. We all

know that the medical workers, especially doctors and nurses are fighting this virus directly and facing the risk every day “With the recommendation from Chinse general consulate in Lagos, we finally chose Paelon Memorial Hospital to accept those face masks. This hospital is one of the very few private hospitals accredited by the Lagos State Ministry of Health to provide care to people with COVID-19. Since the outbreak, Paelon Memorial has been fighting professionally and bravely.

“We will donate another 10,000 face masks to two other companies in Lagos soon,” he added. He said CHINT, founded in 1984, was a leading global provider of smart energy solutions, adding that it is actively deploying “4+1” industrial sectors including smart electrics, green energy, industrial control and automation, smart home and incubator, forming an integrated whole industry chain of “power generation, storage, transmission, substation, distribution, sales and consumption”.

Sanofi Reinforces Commitment As WHO Africa Region Becomes Free of Wild Poliovirus The independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC), the body responsible for certifying the eradication of wild poliovirus in the WHO Africa Region (WHO-Afro), has granted the region ‘wild poliovirus free’ status. This follows after Nigeria, the last wild poliovirus endemic country in the region, recorded no new cases in three years – therequisite period – since it last reported cases of wild poliovirus.

Sanofi Pasteur, the world’s single largest producers of vaccines, is proud to be associated with this major milestone for Nigeria, WHO Africa Region and the overall global efforts to free the world of polio.

In Nigeria, Sanofi Pasteur has been working in collaboration withstakeholders such as the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency

(NPHCDA), WHO, UNICEF and several multi-lateral and non-governmental organisations in the national immunisation programmes for children under five years of age.

Charles Wolf , Vaccines Head for Africa, said: “The ambition toeradicate polio from the world has been a long journey.

“The recent declaration by ARCC certifying the WHO Africa region as free of wild poliovirus is a watershed for the WHO and all partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

“For over three decades, we at Sanofi Pasteur have been supporting the global public health coalition on polio through our expertise and the provision of innovative vaccines to support national, regionaland global immunisation programs for children under five years of age”.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Paelon Memorial Hospital, Unoma Grant; Pharmacist, Modeola Odedeyi; Medical Director, Paelon Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ngozi Onyia; Nigeria Country Manager, CHINT Group, Michael Chen; and Sales Manager, CHINT Group, Allen Jia, during the presentation of 10,000 face masks to Paelon Memorial Hospital in Lagos yesterday.

UNICEF, NOA Kick against New Trend of Massaging in FGM Amby Uneze ÓØ áÏÜÜÓ The United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) and National Orientation Agency (NOA) have kicked against the new trend of massaging adopted by people to achieve female genital mutilation (FGM) in parts of Imo State communities.

The two organs revealed that massaging is the worst form of FGM prevalent in the state as the various communities have shifted from performing the act with scissors, razors and knives to massaging the clitoris through the application of petroleum jelly popularly called “blue seal”.

The revelation was made

by UNICEF consultant on FGM Imo and Ebonyi States, Benjamin Mbakwem while making a presentation at the local government areas forum with community leaders to accelerate the abandonment of FGM in 14 communities in Owerri West and 18 communities in Ehime Mbano council areas respectively.

According to him, doctors, nurses, midwives and mother in-laws serve as impediments to ending this form of FGM, which involves the usage of petroleum jelly, menthol ointments and hot water to render the clitoris numb and push same back to the body.

He cautioned mother in-laws

and health professionals to desist from this obnoxious practice as anyone caught in the act risks jail term of 14 years imprisonment or fine of N250,000 or both in line with the Imo State FGM (Prohibition) Law 2017.

He submitted that women are divinely created as their beauty cannot be altered by anybody due to obnoxious cultural and religious belief is as created by God, adding “it is an abomination for any mortal to remove any part of the body of a girl child knowingly or unknowingly”.

Mbakwem explained that UNICEF believes that changing of social norms is a core strategy, towards FGM eradication in the society. He encouraged the various communities to flow with the dynamism of culture and not to hold rigidly to cultural norms that are not beneficial to the people.

His word, “UNICEF in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have been consistent in disseminating information in respect of the dangers inherent in the performance of FGM. The messages have gone global and almost everyone is aware of the war against this ugly trend”.

The UNICEF consultant however submitted that ignorance of the law is not an excuse as

anyone found culpable will be visited with the full weight of the law. He stressed that culture is created by man and should not be seen to be static and urged the various communities to flow with the dynamism of culture.

He, however, enumerated the dangers inherent in FGM, as excessive bleeding which could lead to death, urinary incontinence, prolonged labour and delivery complications coupled with infection of the genital area, especially the development of fistulas.

In his remarks, Director of NOA, Mr. Vitus Ekeocha charged the various community leaders to key into the UNICEF crusade of eliminating every form of FGM in the state as according to him, all over the world it is believed that this practice is harmful to the girl child and does not serve any useful purpose in the society.

He stressed that FGM should be abolished entirely in line with the position of UNICEF and advised community leaders to champion the total elimination of this ugly practice and pass on the message to the their various communities with the view of seeing the need for paradigm shift.According to him, culture should be viewed with the aim of finding out if the continuous hold to such culture, is beneficial

of harmful to the people.

The NOA Director highlighted that the believe in certain quarters that any girl child and woman, not circumcised are likely to be promiscuous as false and said that there are no scientific proof to the effect.

Speaking, President General Orogwe autonomous community in Owerri West council area, Pastor Jerry Atuzie described the programme as highly enlightened and informative, as the issue of massaging which is done by the women secretly, has been made public.

According to him, this methodology of pressing the infant clitoris is done in secret with some kind of deceit and advised fathers to be more vigilant and monitor their wives and mother in-laws and pay attention to the girl child at their infant stage.

He advocated for total engagement with the perpetrators, so as to draw their attention to the negative effect of massaging the girl child clitoris.

In her contribution, MariaCeline Okere, woman leader, Umuanunu community, stressed that she will pass the message in respect of the negative effect of FGM coupled with the fact that massaging and application of hot water are not good for the health of the girl child.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 • T H I S D AY

29

30

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍľËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Again, Nigeria’s Manufacturing Index Declines The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 48.5 index points in August, indicating contraction in the manufacturing sector for the fourth consecutive months.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed this in its PMI report for August posted on its website yesterday However, the report showed that of the 14 sub-sectors surveyed, six reported expansion (above 50% threshold) in the review month in the following

order: nonmetallic mineral products; cement; plastics and rubber products; transportation equipment; chemical and pharmaceutical products and textile, apparel, leather and footwear.

On the other hand, the remaining eight sub-sectors reported contraction in the following order: printing & related support activities; electrical equipment; petroleum & coal products; primary metal; furniture & related products; paper products; food, beverage & tobacco products;

and fabricated metal products.

According to the report, at 49.2 points, the production level index for the manufacturing sector showed contraction in August 2020 and for the fourth consecutive months.

It revealed that of the 14 sub-sectors surveyed, five recorded expansion in production level, three sub-sectors reported same level of production, while six sub-sectors recorded contraction in production in August 2020.

FSDH Predicts Continued Sluggish Economic Activities in 2020 Analysts at FSDH Merchant Limited have anticipated that the sluggish economic performance recorded in the second quarter of the year will continue for the rest of the year.

This, the Lagos-based bank attributed in an economic report it released yesterday, to the lockdown of key sectors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tough business climate and persistent challenges in the economy.

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2020 contracted by

6.1 per cent, which was the first negative growth since the first quarter of 2017.

The contraction in GDP was as a result of the decline in crude oil price and the implementation of lockdown and movement restrictions due to COVID19.

The country joined the list of countries - South Korea (-3.3%), Singapore (-41.2%), US (-9.5%), Germany (-10.1%) that experienced GDP contraction inQ2.

Furthermore, FSDH Merchant Bank estimated that Nigeria’s

foreign exchange challenge would play a major role in shaping economic outcomes in the second half of the year. “Already, there have been limited foreign exchange supply which has resulted in depreciation of the currency in the parallel market. “More recently, the CBN has embarked on foreign exchange rationing and exchange rate adjustments, among other measures, to reduce pressure on the naira and maintain a stable exchange rate.

NEXIMBank,YobeSignExportDevelopmentPact James Emejo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Yobe State Government to facilitate exportrelated industrialisation and attract investments that would utilise local resource endowments in the state.

The partnership is also aimed at creating sustainable economic development in the state as well as fulfil the Bank’s its mandate of promoting non-oil export development across the country.

At a ceremony in Abuja, Managing Director of the bank Mr. Abba

Bello expressed its willingness to progress partnership opportunities with the state to drive the bank’s economic diversification efforts and to promote the development of exportable agricultural products in the state In a statement by NEXIM’s Head, Strategy and Corporate Communications, Mr. Tayo Omidiji, the MD was quoted to have said the Bank had launched the Regional/State Export Development Fund whereby at least N1 billion had been earmarked per state towards developing at least one commodity of export significance in furtherance of the

federal government’s objectives under the One State, One Product Programme, adding that the proposed partnership will also support jobs creation and economic development of the state. The Executive Director (Business Development), NEXIM Bank, Stella Okotete, while presenting some of the bank’s products and initiatives reiterated the objectives of the State Export Development Programme, adding that the bank’s intervention is targeted at developing all aspects of the export value chain from production to processing, under its new philosophy of PAVE

ExecutiveInterventionConsultCommencesOperations Maduabuchi Ubani The Executive Intervention Consult (EIC), a consulting firm yesterday launched its operations.

The EIC is primarily focused on improving businesses’ operational efficiency, help organisations deliver profitability, sustainability and summarily get them back to their full potential. EIC also provide support for organizations interested in buying investment assets such as Investment institutions, Portfolio Managers, Asset, and Fund Managers etc.

Speaking the launch of the firm in Lagos, the Lead Consultant of EIC, Mr ‘Leke Olufade, in his

address pointed out the need for executive competence in business success and the lack of which has been the bane of business sustainability with retinue of business failure in Africa.

He said the EIC was taking bold step to reverse this narrative by providing executive management skills and competences to organisations and businesses that support them to achieve their objective and satisfy their stakeholders. He expressed EIC’s readiness to be the leading turn around consulting firm in Nigeria through executive intervention.

The Principal consultant, Dr. Joe Dada, in his address restated

the timeliness of the launch as businesses figure out way out of the current economic challenges in Nigeria which has been further exacerbated by the global COVID – 19 pandemic and its unfolding negative impact on businesses.

He said the EIC was poised to provide effective executive support services by leveraging on people, process and technology with the cream of his experienced and tested professionals in every aspect of business operation management who have acquired executive competences through exposures in the leading corporate culture in Nigeria.

Ikeja Electric Marks ‘Bilateral Power’ First Anniversary Nume Ekeghe Ikeja Electric Plc (IE) is celebrating the first-year anniversary of its Willing Buyer- Willing Seller initiative also known as bilateral power by customers.

The company’s Bilateral Power service which was launched last year promises customers a minimum of 20 hours power supply and improved service in exchange for cost reflective tariff.

This initiative, which kicked off

in August 2019 was first implemented in Magodo Phase 2 and was subsequently adopted by Diamond Estate, Magodo Brooks, Ogudu GRA, Ikeja GRA, Abule Onigbagbo, G. Cappa, Omole Phase I&II, Maryland Crescent, Shonibare, Hilltop Aboru, River Valley and Adebowale Senbanjo Estates all in the Ikeja Electric network.

According to the Disco, since the commencement of Bilateral Power in Magodo Phase 2, a year

ago, it has consistently delivered an average of 22 hours power supply, in addition to dedicated customer service help desk and technical fault clearing crew.

Speaking on the first anniversary of Bilateral Power, Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, Mrs. Folake Soetan, said results achieved so far

by Ikeja Electric through the service speak volumes of the sustainability and reliability of this model.

L-R: Non Executive Director, Mixta Africa, Mr. Sadiq Mohammed; Non Executive Director, Mrs. Nike Anani; Company Secretary/ Representative of ARM Trustees Ltd, Ms. Kariba Spiff; and Chairman, Mixta Africa, Mr. Oladapo Oshinusi, at the 12th annual general meeting of Mixta Africa, held in Lagos...recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

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

11,007,422.79

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

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

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Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ Í°Íł Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $45.87 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $45.19 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

31

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Stockbrokers’Institute Launches Life Assurance for Members Goddy Egene The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has launched a life and personal accident insurance for its members to address their physical, mental and financial challenges associated with Nigeria’s tough operating environment.

Under the combined group life assurance scheme and group personal accident insurance cover,

every member is immediately entitled to a sum of N1,000,000 compensation in the event of death or permanent injury while there is a specified amount for medical bills for injury sustained.

Already, the policy, hailed by market watchers as a succor to stockbrokers given the rising cases of deaths in the society, has become effective with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

by the Institute and insurance firm, AfriGlobal Insurance Brokers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the President, CIS, Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe, explained that the group insurance scheme was part of the initiatives to create enabling environment for the members and would be extended to their families soon. “One of our desires as an institute is to continue to cater

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

QUANTITY TRADED

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for the welfare of our members and their families. The institute has decided to put in place life insurance policy for its members such that the families can be taking care of in the event of inevitable. This is historic for the institute after over 27 years of our existence, we see this as a stepping stone and we are hoping to do more by extending the benefits to family members of our members in the nearest

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

future,� said Amolegbe.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Membership Committee, CIS, Alhaji Garuba, said at any point in time, value should be created for the members. “It attracts other people to show the willingness to join an organisation. We believe this the right step and we are starting with the members for now but hope to include family members in the future. More members will

O F

join the benefit fold very soon while we are expecting other professional bodies to follow suit,� Kurfi said.

In his comments, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, AfriGlobal Insurance Brokers, Mr. Casmir Azubuike, said:“We are pleased to be part of this signing ceremony. We are honoured to be the provider insurance intermediation services to this highly esteemed Institute.

2 5 / 0 8 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

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32

THURSDAY, ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Q4: Cornerstone Insurance Projects N611m Profit after Tax Goddy Egene Cornerstone Insurance Plc has

projected gross premium of N2.612 billion for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2020. In a notification

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

to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday, the company also said it would post a profit before

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 25Aug-2020, unless otherwise stated.

tax of N873 million and profit after tax of N611 million.

The company had announced

a bonus shares of in the ratio of seven new share for every 30 existing shares held by shareholders whose

names appear in the Register of Members at the close of business on Wednesday, 12thAugust 2020.

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 N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.92 0.93 1.92% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 10.23% 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 5.82% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.96 3.04 20.63% 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 3.92% Anchoria Equity Fund 98.96 99.30 -3.00% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.28 1.28 10.94% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 14.38 14.81 -6.12% ARM Discovery Fund 340.49 350.76 -1.43% ARM Ethical Fund 30.35 31.27 4.38% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.15 1.15 15.02% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.08 1.09 8.27% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.48% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 97.23 97.91 1.20% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.69% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.13 2.13 16.36% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 1.85 1.87 5.68% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.41% Paramount Equity Fund 11.35 11.55 -9.34% Women's Investment Fund 110.55 111.51 0.12% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.69% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 104.85 105.18 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 109.12 109.42 Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 102.79 102.79 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.39% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.95 0.96 2.32% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.55 1.55 16.88% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 4.28% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 4.45% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,168.21 1,178.87 5.29% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,391.81 1,393.51 14.07% FBN Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Halal Fund 107.25 107.27 7.25% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.47% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 119.35 119.79 3.30% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 119.59 120.02 2.99% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 114.95 116.74 -11.67% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.46% Legacy Debt Fund 3.81 3.81 4.29% Legacy Equity Fund 1.13 1.15 -0.07% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.12 1.12 3.31% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,118.36 3,152.48 2.54% Coral Income Fund 3,186.96 3,186.96 3.62% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 4.51% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.01% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.29 2.33 4.46% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 8.62% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 149.83 150.57 4.53% 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 1.25 1.27 7.08% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,130.73 1,130.73 6.81% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.39 1.41 13.42% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.93 12.00 5.92% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.80% PACAM Equity Fund 1.09 1.10 PACAM EuroBond Fund 107.80 110.33 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 114.57 116.70 -2.49% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 6.44% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 2.81% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.99% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 2.87% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 1.22% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 1.72% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.27% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 0.61% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.78% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.15 1.17 -3.59% United Capital Bond Fund 1.84 1.84 6.67% United Capital Equity Fund 0.65 0.67 -7.22% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.79% United Capital Eurobond Fund 114.19 114.19 4.52% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.02 1.03 -2.33% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.30 10.41 0.19% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.65 11.71 0.03% Zenith Income Fund 24.53 24.53 10.16% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.46%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

117.83

5.06%

53.40

2.59%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.07 86.21 67.14

9.17 88.04 68.35

4.16% 1.44% 1.72%

Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.06 4.21 11.94 1.00 11.13 183.42

3.10 4.29 12.04 1.00 11.33 185.42

-13.74% -28.58% -1.53% 3.13% 7.09% -2.51%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.03

15.02%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

33

NEWS

Shaibu, Edo APC in War of Words over Alleged Attack on Campaign Rally Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Edo State Deputy Governor and the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Hon. Philip Shaibu, and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday engaged in war of words over an alleged attack on the APC campaign rally in the state.

APC fired the first salvo when it accused Shaibu of arming thugs to disrupt its rally in Jattu, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

But in a swift reaction, the deputy governor, said: “The latest cry of the APC is akin to the cry of a drowning man holding on to the last straw”.

The alleged thugs, according to a statement issued by the Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, were chanting war songs, destroying chairs and canopies to prevent the APC rally from holding.

He said, “The Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, is keen on demonstrating his capacity for violence to Governor Godwin

Obaseki and other members of the PDP who are battling him for the control of the PDP campaign funds.

“The armed thugs in a convoy were personally led by Mr. Philip Shaibu at Jattu junction where they proceeded to the venue of the APC rally, shooting recklessly and causing terror.

“Some residents are presently fleeing the area for safety as some

of the thugs pour on the streets reportedly seeking out leaders of the APC to attack.”

But Shaibu, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Musa Ebomhiana, debunked the allegation by the APC that he (Shaibu) masterminded the attacks on its campaign venue in Owan East on Tuesday, stressing that it was impossible for the deputy governor who was campigning

in Ovia North East on the day in question to also be at Owan East at the same time.

“The APC has stored so much arms in the system, they are now turning the arms against themselves.

“In Ikhin, Owan East, APC gave N500,000 to the youths to go and share in Afuze after their campaign on the 14th of August; they disagreed and in the process,

Ibira youths they bought killed two Afuze youths. The Afuze youths in retaliation, mobilised to Ibira camp in the area and killed three Ibira youths, bringing the total killings to five.

“They know that this battle has been fought and won in the spiritual realm. We are only waiting for the manifestation in the physical on September 19”, Shaibu said.

PDP Berates Buhari over Alleged Empty Agenda for Next Three Years Nigeria on right trajectory of growth, APC insists

Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday berated President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged attempts by his handlers to cover the failures of his administration by rolling out another round of ‘empty promises and blank agenda’ to members of the international community.

But the All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that the country is on the right trajectory of growth and development under Buhari’s government.

However, PDP has described as tragic that President Buhari, “who can no longer face Nigerians due to his unfulfilled promises, now seeks a face-saving measure of presenting yet a fresh list of vacuous agenda to foreign envoys, who are already aware of the failures of his government.”

According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, “It is embarrassing that after five years in office, President Buhari is still in campaign mood, reeling out empty promises at a time other world leaders are showcasing their achievements, a development that further confirms that his administration has nothing to show in the last five years.

“The world needd not be reminded that the president and his party, the APC, packaged a litany of false promises with which they swayed Nigerians in 2015, only to renege on assumption of office.”

The PDP explained that President Buhari and the APC had promised to pay N5, 000 monthly allowance to indigent Nigerians; provide massive employment, free houses; monthly allowances to discharged Corps Members; reduction in price of fuel; revamp the refineries; bring the dollar to the same value as the naira, and other bogus promises “which have today become streams of mirage.”

On assumption of office, the spokesman of the PDP said that President Buhari

reduced the litany of promises to three cardinal undertakings of ending insurgency and insecurity, fighting corruption, and improving on the economy.

However, the PDP said it is no longer news that President Buhari has failed in all the three undertakings to Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the APC has said the country is on the right trajectory of growth and development under Buhari’s government.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement issued yesterday, said Buhari has listed nine people-focused priority areas that his administration would focus on in its remaining time in office.

He stressed that the party would join well-meaning Nigerians in supporting and ensuring the achievements of Buhari’s priority areas, which he said would see among others, improved access to quality education, affordable health care, enhanced productivity, a thriving and sustainable economy, enhanced social inclusion and poverty reduction; enlarged agricultural output, energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products; expanded transport and other infrastructural development, business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialisation; fight against corruption; improved governance, social cohesion and improved security for all.

Nabena said: “However, the failed PDP chooses to dwell on its ignominious past and practices where voodoo economics, abandoned projects, institutionalised corruption among other frauds were the order of the day.

“At this point, it will be a complete waste of time joining issues with the PDP, which failed as a government and has become shockingly rudderless as a supposed opposition party. One thing is clear; we are reminded why the PDP should never be allowed to direct the country’s affairs again.”

HONOUR TO TOP BANKER...

L-R: Former Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola; First Vice President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Ken Opara; Pioneer Managing Director, GTBank Plc, Mr. Fola Adeola; President, CIBN, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi; and Registrar, CIBN, Mr. Seye ETOP UKUTT Awojobi, during the conferment of honorary fellowship on Fola Adeola at the Bankers House, Lagos ...yesterday

Access Bank Investigates Fire Incident in Lagos Branch Sunday Ehigiator Access Bank Plc has commenced investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the fire incident that destroyed truck-laden with 33,000 litres of diesel and a stationary car at one of the branches in Victoria Island area of Lagos State.

The Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi OkeOsanyintolu, in a statement issued yesterday, confirmed

that the fire incident claimed no life.

According to him, “on arrival at the incident scene, it was observed that a fullyloaded 33,000 litres Diesel tanker registration Number: AKD 637 XP, and a car stationed beside it - AKD 234 FA were completely ravaged by the fire.

“Investigation conducted at the scene revealed that the tanker was dispensing fuel for the generators in the bank premises and inadvertently caught fire.

“A combined intervention of the emergency responders (LASEMA Response Team, Eko Hotel, LASG fire, UBA Fire Service and Federal fire), were able to arrest the fire and stop it from escalating further the building in the premises.

“No loss of life recorded, damping down is ongoing,” he said.

Reacting to the incident through a statement by the Access Bank’s Group Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Amaechi Okobi, the bank said investigation was ongoing

to ascertain the cause of the outbreak.

“Investigations have commenced to determine the immediate cause of the fire.

“Upon completion, the bank will establish updated protocols to avoid a recurrence of similar incidents. In line with our established safety protocols, all personnel (customers and staff) were immediately evacuated to safety.

“The fire has now been extinguished and there were no casualties recorded.’

Buhari Appoints CEOs for NAN, APCON, National Theatre, Others Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointments of Chief Executive Officers for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), National Theatre, Lagos, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), and six other agencies under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

The letter approving the appointments was conveyed last Tuesday to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof.

Ibrahim Gambari.

According to the letter, Mr. Buki Ponle was appointed the managing director of NAN; Mr. Ado Mohammed Yahuza was appointed the executive secretary/CEO of NICO, while Mr. Olalekan Fadolapo was

named the registrar/CEO of APCON. Other appointments are Mr. Nura Sani Kangiwa, the director-general, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism; Prof. Sunday Enessi Ododo, general manager/CEO, National Theatre; Mr. Francis Ndubuisi Nwosu, the executive secretary, Nigerian Press Council; Mr. Ebeten William Ivara, director-general, National Gallery of Arts; Prof. Aba Isa

Tijjani, director-general, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and Mrs. Oluwabunmi Ayobami Amao, director-deneral, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization.

According to the statement signed by the Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, the appointments will take effect from September 1, 2020.

Labour Mobilises Workers against States, Employers Sacking Members The organised labour said it was mobilising against state governments and other employers using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to sack workers and undermine their rights.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said workers were being used as scapegoats for the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the Central

Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the NLC held yesterday, Wabba said that labour and its allies would tackle any infraction on workers’ rights.

“We are having this meeting at a time when workers are going through various challenges. We expect to make far-reaching pronouncements on how we are going to engage employers of labour that have tried to undermine the fundamental rights of workers, especially state governments.

“You remember we had written to two state governors on the issue, while one had responded, the other has not.

We are going to tackle them headlong because we believe that people must respect the rule of law, especially those in authority.”

The labour leader stated that congress would not condone the violation of workers’ rights, adding that the labour unions would take a position on issues affecting Nigerian workers.

Wabba recalled that the

labour movement had recently intervened in disputes in the aviation sector, banking sector, manufacturing industry and others that had tried to sack workers and trampled on their rights in the guise of responding to the challenges of COVID-19 without recourse to due process of law and collective dialogue.

“The CWC meeting will afford us the opportunity to prioritise our engagements and to decode areas to tackle first,” he added.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

34

NEWS XTRA

COVID-19: After Six Months, Nigeria’s Cases Decline Martins Ifijeh It is exactly six months since Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire had at the dead of the night of February 27, announced that an Italian, who flew into the country from Turkey three days earlier, had tested positive to the disease, and that he had had contact with a couple of people both in Lagos and Ogun states.

That announcement threw the nation into panic mode the next morning, with many Nigerians fearing that the worst could happen, especially since reports from mostly China, Spain and Italy at the time suggested that the virus had the capacity to spread in droves, kill many people on its way, as well as devastate even the best of economies.

With the devastation, tears, and sorrows in these nations, there was no hope that Nigeria could manage the pandemic, given the years of neglect of the health sector.

Hurried Lockdown As predicted by people who believed Nigeria may not be able to halt the spread of the virus, the number of infections gradually rose to 60, prompting the Nigerian government to hurriedly close all international airspaces by March 23, as it was clear most infections were being imported by foreigners and Nigerians who had returned to the country from nations battling the virus.

By March 30, the number of infection had reached 131, mostly from Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a development that prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to make a nationwide broadcast announcing the total lockdown of the two states and the FCT. The lockdown affected the movement of people across the states, except for people in the essential services sectors. Offices, schools, markets, religious homes were all closed.

People were mandated to stay in their homes.

By April 13, the number of infection had almost tripled.

Within 14 days, COVID-19 cases moved from 131 to 343, while 10 people had been confirmed dead due to complications from the virus.

Exodus of Foreigners This continuous increase in cases was all many foreigners needed to impress on their embassies to organise their evacuation out of Nigeria. From the United States to Europe, China, India,

among others, embassies began to organise evacuation flights for their citizens to leave Nigeria.

To them, it was getting close to the point where people in the country would start dying in droves, partly because the country has one of the worst healthcare in the world, with several indices suggesting Nigeria would not have the capacity to manage COVID-19 cases more than 1,000.

Between March 21 and March 30, Germany, France, Israel and US had commenced evacuation.

Their belief was that it would be better for their citizens to get infected in their countries where they would get better healthcare than in Nigeria with one of the worst health facilities.

Community Transmission As part of measures to update Nigerians on the level of management of the disease, and to discourage panic, the federal government set up the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, with a mandate to provide daily updates to Nigerians.

There was panic when the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced that the country had entered the phase of full-blown community transmission.

The CEO of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu had announced that epidemiologists and staff of the agency, as well as other health officials were actively searching for over 6,000 persons who came in contact with confirmed cases.

Peak of COVID-19 Between May and early June, the number of cases peaked. It recorded its highest number on June 20 when cases moved towards 800 in a single day.

The Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi at the time even announced that the peak was most likely going to continue until August when it would start flattening, although he was quick to add that it was only a modeling, adding that the situation could either go as predicated, escalate or even decline.

Decline in Cases To the surprise of most Nigerians, six months after the Italian index case was identified, the country’s COVID-19 burden has not deteriorated to the point of having hundreds of thousands of cases or having Nigerians die in droves as seen in the United States, Brazil, China, Spain, Italy, Russia, and a host of other countries.

Falana Seeks Release of Six Prison Inmates Granted Amnesty Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has urged the federal government to release six convicted prison inmates currently in the custody of the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre, Lagos.

Falana said the request was made pursuant to the general amnesty granted them under the Thai Royal Amnesty Decree in 2016 and 2919.

The request was contained in a letter dated August 25, 2020, and titled “Request for the Immediate Release of Henry Azukaeme Titus, George Chibuike Onyeama, Kenedy Tanya, Yakubu Yahuza Mohammed, Mrs. Gloria Ogbonna a.k.a. Chola Mulenga; and Wasiu Amusan

a.k.a. John Smith from Prison Custody” written to the Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

Falana regretted that the federal government, which facilitated the transfer of the convicts from Thailand to Nigeria has abandoned them in the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre.

He said the six prison inmates were convicted in Thailand for drug-related offenses at various times between 1998 and 2006.

According to him, they were later transferred from Thailand to the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre to complete their prison terms following the Prison Exchange Treaty of 2012 between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Speaking recently during one of the PTF’s daily updates, the Chairman of the taskforce and the SGF, Mustapha announced that number of infections was declining, while attributing the success to adherence to health protocols and the quality of management from health workers.

He said: “Nigeria’s COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is continuously declining. The decline has been consistent for four months. Sample collection across the country remains. States should ramp up testing to meet targets and know the actual number of persons with infection.

Nigeria has crossed the 1,000 fatality mark at the weekend.

This should be a reminder of the dangers facing humanity.

“We are studying the CFR and we note that it has been on a steady decline over the last few months: April 30: three per cent; May 31: 2.8 per cent; June 30: 2.3 per cent; July 31: 2.0 per cent; and August 22: 1.92 per cent. We are however convinced that our sample collection is still low. We, therefore, encourage states to ramp up their testing and to declare correct results because early detection will ultimately translate to treatment and ultimately leveling of the

curve. These records are not just numbers as they vividly remind us of the dangers that we still face,” he said.

The cases have continued to decline with the country recording only 221 new cases of the pandemic yesterday, bringing to 53,021 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

NCDC said Plateau recorded 60 new cases; FCT, 33; Kaduna, 26; Rivers, 18; Lagos, 17; Enugu, Kwara and Ondo, nine each; Nasarawa, six; Gombe and Anambra, five each; Delta and Abia, four each; Imo, three; Edo, Ogun, Oyo and Osun, two each, while Bauchi and Kano recorded

one each.

It said: “Nigeria has so far recorded 53,021 cases of COVID-19. 40,281 patients have been discharged, while 1,010 persons have died.”

With today marking the 6th month since the start of the pandemic in Nigeria, it is clear Nigeria has defiled all odds to keep the number of infections at less than 54,000 with 1,010 deaths.

But the country can truly overcome the scourge if it increases testing capacity to mop up infections not yet captured, and Nigerians adhere to health protocols by the government.

IN PURSUIT OF SIMPLE AGENDA...

L-R: Former National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole; deputy governorship candidate of APC in Edo State, Mr. Gani Audu; and APC governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, when Ize-Iyamu presented his running mate to the people of Iyakpi Ward 5 in Edo State...yesterday

Ndume: B’Haram Murdered 75 Elders in My Hometown Says he can’t go home any longer The Senator representing Borno South and Chairman of Senate Committee on the Army, Ali Ndume, yesterday narrated how Boko Haram insurgents killed 75 people in one night during a raid on his hometown in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Ndume disclosed this yesterday at a meeting organised by the Senate Committee on Special Duties and the North East Development Commission

(NEDC) in Maiduguri.

According to the senator, he can’t go to his hometown because it is not safe.

“If the senate committee would take time during their stay to go round some of the camps and even the nearby Konduga Local Government Area, we would all better appreciate what the people are facing,” he said.

“Even as a serving senator, I still cannot go to Gwoza my

hometown because it is not safe.

“Our security operatives are trying their best, and we have to give it to them. But the situation is overwhelming.

People are dying every day, either from attacks or as a result of hunger. We have lost many lives here.

“There was a time in my hometown, Gwoza, that about 75 elders, most of whom I know personally, were dragged by Boko Haram

to the town’s abattoir and slaughtered like animals. Only two persons survived because their bodies were covered with other people’s’ blood and the assailants thought they were dead.

“In the same Gwoza, Boko Haram had in a single day lined up young men and summarily shot them dead.

These were just some standout cases,” The Cable quoted the senator as saying.

Makinde: FG Won’t Control Amotekun

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde ,has declared the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun,’ will not be under the control of the federal government.

Instead, he said it will be fully owned, managed and controlled by the state government.

He also gave a marching order to caretaker council chairmen to set up security

committees in their various domains to tackle the spate of insecurity in the state.

The governor spoke during a meeting with caretaker chairmen and chairpersons across the 33 local government areas and 35 Local Council Development Areas of the state.

Makinde said: “From where we are here, the biggest challenge that we have seen so far is in the area of security.

Even here in Ibadan, two days ago, a gentleman lost his life very close here. He went to the

bank and they trailed him and for a small amount of money, he got killed.

“Yes, we are entering the ember months in a few days now and it is always the season when people who haven’t worked through the year but would want to have a Merry Christmas; so, we expect that we see a spike in criminals activities.

“At Okeho the other day, armed robbers went and robbed a bank but thankfully the community rose to the

occasion and they assisted to apprehend those people and they combed the forest and that is why I will continue to say and I am saying it for the whole world to hear that Amotekun is here to stay with us and it will not be under the control of the Federal establishment.

It will be under our control.

“Security of our people is extremely important and nothing can take place as far as we are concern in an atmosphere of insecurity and Oyo State is a very large area.”

Fayemi Lauds Late Olumilua for Enlisting Ondo as Oil State Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has lauded late former Governor of the old Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, for his efforts to enlist Ondo as an oil producing state, during his time as governor.

Fayemi said the outstanding political will and courageous action taken by Olumilua as the governor of the old Ondo State between 1992

and 1993 led to revenue breakthrough engendering infrastructural face-lifting for the neighbouring state today.

The governor stated this during a commendation service held for Olumilua in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, yesterday.

The elder statesman, Olumilua, an indigene of Ikere Ekiti, died on June 4, 2020, at the age of 80.

The old Ondo State comprised the present Ondo

and Ekiti States before the latter was carved out by the military regime of General Sanni Abacha in 1996.

In his tribute at the service held at the palatial Adetiloye Hall in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said: “One important legacy of the administration of Evangelist Olumilua as a governor was the eventual enlistment of old Ondo State as an oil producing state.

“He worked relentlessly to actualise this. He also

facilitated the establishment of the Oil Minerals Producing and Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1992.

“He had a star-studded team, and in fact, his then Attorney General, Chief Wole Olanipekun(SAN), practically drafted the bill that established the commission. He worked hard to get the commission, which has now been replaced by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), established.”

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NEWS

Senate Urges AGF to Probe Nigeria’s $18bn Dividend from NLNG

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Senate yesterday mandated the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to probe the reported payment of the sum of $18,323,032,261.03 as dividend from Nigeria’s 53 percent investment in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) between 2004 and 2020.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Olamilekan Adeola, gave the directive following disclosures made by an NLNG top official at the public hearing on revenue generation drive for the 20212023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

He asked the AGF, Ahmed

Idris, to among others, confirm if the amount was actually remitted to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which represents the interest of Nigeria in the NLNG. Other terms of reference of the Accountant General, according to Adeola, include to determine how much was actually remitted to the Federation Account, and to also find out if there was any deduction by NNPC; how much was deducted and who authorised the deductions and the exchange rates applied for the amount that was remitted over the years under review.

While giving the AGF two weeks to complete his assignment, the committee chairman inquired from him

if he can confirm the payment of the humongous dividends to the Federation Account.

Responding, Idris said such cannot be immediately verified as the dividend is usually paid to NNPC, which is the representative of Nigeria in the company.

The General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development of NLNG, Mrs. Eyono Fatai-Williams, had earlier presented a financial summary of the company from 1999 to 2019 indicating that it had paid a dividend of over $18 billion to Nigeria from 2004 to 2020, stressing that NLNG is committed to a culture of transparency and integrity.

Private Sector Operators Back Cost-reflective Tariffs Dike Onwuamaeze and Chris Uba

Some representatives of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have welcomed the approval of cost-reflective tariffs for the electricity sector by President Muhammadu Buhari.

THISDAY had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had finally approved the official implementation of cost-reflective tariffs for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

The new tariff, which will now formally commence on September 1, 2020, was one of the preconditions given by the World Bank for a $1.5 billion loan for Nigeria.

Speaking in a chat with THISDAY, the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),

Dr. Muda Yusuf, described the proposed introduction of cost reflective tariffs for the pricing of electricity supply as inevitable and the only alternative to the unsustainable subsidisation of electricity consumption in Nigeria.

Yusuf said that payment of “cost-reflective tariffs is a difficult option, especially given the prevailing economic conditions. But it is the most sustainable option that would salvage the power sector and attract investment.”

He, however, advised that it was important to fix the numerous inefficiencies that characterised the entire power sector value chain and inspire the confidence of electricity consumers through a robust metering programme and

guarantee of value for money.

Also, the Director General of Nigeria’s Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Timothy Olawale, said businesses would not be opposed to the payment of costreflective tariffs, if electricity would be provided.

He, however, recommended that, “a staggered approach to cost and service-reflective tariffs. This will allow the Discos to enter into agreements with ‘customer clusters’ for cost-reflective tariffs pegged at an improved quality of service level. These customer clusters will act as test cases for the success, failure and adaptability of the cost and service mechanisms instituted under the service level compacts.”

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THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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FG Approves N10bn Palliative for Transport Operators Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The federal government yesterday disclosed that it has approved a N10 billion survival fund for transport workers and operators in the country.

The Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola

Saraki, made the disclosure when the President of Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA), Isaac Uhunwagho, led the association National Executive Committee and Trustees to pay her a courtesy call in Abuja.

Saraki, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja

Court Suspends Operation of Buses in Kano

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

A Chief Magistrate Court, sitting at Gidan Murtala, Kano presided over by her Justice Rakiya Lami-Sani yesterday restrained luxurious buses owners from operating in the state.

The verdict was passed upon hearing of an exparte application, moved by the Principal State Counsel, Kano State Ministry of Justice, Mutawakkil Muhammad, alongside Secretary/Legal Adviser of Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), seeking the court to suspend the operations of luxurious buses in the state pending hearing of the motion.

The decision to take the legal action followed the alleged failure of the luxurious bus operators to obey the directive

of KAROTA to relocate to Unguwa Uku Motor Park.

Reacting to the ruling, the Managing Director of KAROTA, Baffa Babba-Dan Agundi, warned that any luxurious bus owner that violates the court order would be dealt with.

He said, despite not obtaining permits to operate in the state, the agency allowed the bus owners to relocate to the new park to continue their businesses but they decided to disobey the agency’s order, which necessitated the legal move to avoid further crisis.

He urged those involved to comply with the court order for peace and orderliness in the state, according to a statement issued yesterday by the KAROTA’s spokesman, Nabilusi Abubakar.

by the Director of Press of the ministry, Eric Ejiekwe, informed the delegation that the funds which would help cushion the sufferings encountered by road transport workers and operators as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, is domiciled with the Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, adding that

the Ministry of Transportation is currently working on the modalities for its disbursement.

While appreciating the fact that 90 of Nigerians travel by road, Saraki stated that the government would soon initiate a master plan that will reform the sector, therefore, solicited the buy-in of all stakeholders.

Reacting to challenges

operators face from state governments and other stakeholders, the minister gave the assurance that she would discuss the issues through the National Transport Commissioners Forum.

Also, the minister disclosed that she was in talks with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on the concessioning

of some routes which she thinks is the best way to go so as to increase that government revenue.

She further enjoined them to avoid duplicity as well as formalise their structures in an organised manner for better engagements with the ministry and other relevant agencies.

FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC...

Chairman of Amaecom Group, Dr. Amaechi Ofomata (left), and the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State, Mr. Emma Ifesinachi, during the presentation of COVID-19 gift pack to the executives and members of the NUJ, who paid the Amaecom boss a courtesy visit in Awka... yesterday DAVID-CHYDDYELEKE

Flooding: Borno to Demolish Telcos Record 9,077 Service Outages in Q2 1,300 Structures Emma Okonji

Michael Olugbode inMaiduguri Borno State Government yesterday said 1,300 houses on waterways and river banks in the state capital, Maiduguri, have been marked for demolition.

Parts of the state capital in the last two months since the commencement of the rainy season have been submerged by flood.

Speaking during at a press conference yesterday in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary of the Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bababe, said the situation has called for urgent attention, and illegal structures built on waterways just have to give way.

Bababe added that his agency, which was inaugurated about five months ago, has been able

to generate about N200 million as ground rents since it came on board.

The BOGIS boss, who said about a billion naira revenue is being targeted before the end of the year by the agency, cleared the air on proposed demolition of certain churches which was given religious connotation in some quarters, noting that mosques built on waterways are equally marked for demolition.

He said: “There is nothing like witch-hunting or religious sentiment in the demolition exercise, as we had had fruitful discussions with the leadership of the state Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and they showed understanding that the action is to save homes from being submerged by flood.

NECO : We Are Not Responsible for Non-registration of Schools Kuni Tyessi in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna The National Examination Council (NECO) has said that it was not responsible for the inability of some candidates to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which commenced nationwide last Monday.

Some schools across the country have complained that their students were not able to write the examination due to the lack of adequate time for the candidates to be registered.

But NECO said in a statement signed by its Head of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani that: “Opportunity was provided well in advance for all schools to register their candidates. “This

was given that some schools and/or candidates may have faced difficulties in the course of the registrations.

“Due largely to this, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council extended the duration for registration to 12 midnight of Friday, August 21, 2020. The extension was widely publicised through various platforms.

“The aim was largely to accommodate late registration.

“It is regrettable that despite these measures, some schools failed to complete the registration or enrollment processes. It is therefore instructive to restate that the closure of the Portal on the said date was not punitive or designed to undermine registrants and schools,” Sani said.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, has revealed that major mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country have recorded 9,077 cases of service outages on their networks in the second quarter of the year.

According to NCC, the service outages resulted in unexpected disruptions to operators’ network

quality of service delivery and intermittent quality of experience by the users in the second quarter of 2020.

The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, disclosed this in a presentation delivered during the first Virtual Telecoms Consumer Parliament hosted by the commission in Abuja recently.

According to Adewolu, of the 9,077 service outages

recorded by the operators, 3,585 were caused by incidences of denial of access to telecoms sites for maintenance; 4,972 were triggered by incidences of fibre cuts from construction activities and vandalism, while 520 cases were as a result of incidences of generator and battery theft at sites.

Adewolu, however, noted that in a proactive step to mitigate the challenges, the commission had swiftly responded by taking

some major decisions to mitigate any unforeseen challenges that may cause serious disruptions in service delivery to the users throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “The commission approved resource sharing by operators throughout the period of COVID-19 pandemic. These include fibre optic cables and other resources in the event of cable cuts and other unforeseen developments.

Eze Hails Ayade on Industrialisation, Seeks Investment in Ginger Production An industrialist, Prince Arthur Eze, has lauded Governor Ben Ayade-led administration in Cross River State for the high level of industrialisation in the state.

Commending Ayade for his vision and foresight, the business mogul said nowhere in Africa has he seen such widespread industries undertaken by a state government.

Speaking shortly after inspecting the various industries already completed at the Ayade Industrial Park, Eze said: “I have never seen such a thing anywhere in Africa. I have travelled round

East, West and North Africa, but I haven’t seen such. The people of Cross River are lucky to have this young man as governor who is creating a lot of jobs for the teeming unemployed young people with the intent to create even more and this gives hope for the future.”

He further added that “Ayade is indeed a wonderful human being and God will bless him for what he is doing in Cross River.”

Noting that the feat accomplished by Ayade could only be likened to extracting

water from a rock, the billionaire businessman said: “This state had oil wells, but those wells were long taken away and given to another state, but God sent you a good leader to take care of you and chart a new course for Cross River State. Ayade has used the wisdom God bestowed on him to run the affairs of this state and I urge you all to join hands with him and build something that will be even more long lasting than oil, which is agriculture.”

Disclosing possible areas of collaboration with the Cross River State government, Eze

who has placed orders for the supply of face shields produced from the state’s garment factory, said: “Whatever Ayade does, I am interested in it; in fact, anyway he needs me, I will follow him because he is a young man with so much wisdom and energy.”

While being conducted round the rice seedling and seeds multiplication factory, Eze promised to support the factory with 1,000 bags of rice seeds, just as he requested land for the cultivation of ginger for export.

Correctional Service Implements New Law, Trains Officers Amby Uneze in Owerri The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has commenced the implementation of the new law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari last year, which changed the name from ‘Prisons’ to ‘Correctional.’

The Controller General of NCoS, Mr. Ja’afaru Ahmed, disclosed this yesterday at the opening of a three-day training of trainers’ course on

Non-Custodial Measures, as part of input to human development of the men and officers of the service held at the Correctional Armed Squad Training, Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Ahmed said that the service had gone into another stage of expanding training of its officers so as to get them abreast of the contents of the new law.

The NCoS boss was represented by the Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone

E, ACG Ifeanyi Isaiah Amaliri whose oversight functions cover six states of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa.

He disclosed that the training was an effort to professionalise the NCoS , adding that the new law does not restrict the activities of the services to a particular sector in implementing the non-custodial measures.

According to him, “you

are aware that we have changed name from Prisons to Corrections, the act was signed into law by Mr. President in July last year and the Controller General did not waste time in operationalising the law, making sure that the contents of that law is already being implemented because it has changed our status quo and scope and area of coverage. It has also expanded our base of oversight.”

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Elders Making Money from Conflict in Southern Kaduna, JNI Alleges The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has said that, unguarded utterances of some citizens, including elder statesmen, whom it said were making economic fortunes out

of the Southern Kaduna crisis, were making peace difficult in the region.

The apex Islamic body in the north, also said some individuals and groups it described as ‘crying more than the bereaved’

UK Spends £1.7bn to End Polio in Nigeria

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The United Kingdom has disclosed that it invested the sum of £1.7 billion since 1995 to help end polio virus in Nigeria.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) last Tuesday at a virtual session of the 70th Regional Committee announced that Africa was free of the wild polio virus.

The Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer of the British High Commission, Abuja, Mr. Christopher Ogunmodede, said UK played a major role in Nigeria’s journey to becoming polio-free.

He said: “The UK is the second largest governmental donor in Nigeria after the United States Government in the fight against infectious diseases such as polio virus.

“As a longstanding

supporter of the polio programme, the UK has invested £1.7 billion to help end polio since 1995. Our most recent pledge was of £400 million in 2019, which will help to vaccinate 400 million children a year against the disease in the period of 2020 to 2023.

“While our funding to GPEI at a global level is unrestricted, we estimate that in the last decade, WHO Nigeria received the equivalent of $155.5 million (£120 million) of UK’s contribution to support various GPEI projects in the country, with an estimated contribution of $10.2 million just for 2020.”

Nigeria was the last country in Africa to be declared “wild polio-free,” and last recorded the presence of wild polio virus in 2016.

over Southern Kaduna killings, were sabotaging government’s efforts in bringing peace to the region.

JNI, which stated these yesterday in a press release signed by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, however called on both the federal and state governments to act fast to ensure that such groups do not jeopardise the already fragile situation.

According to the statement, “It is very clear that some interest groups cried wolf than the bereaved in the present circumstance and thus, the

need for government to quickly act before such interest groups exacerbate the already precarious situation that could jeopardize frantic efforts aimed at restoring law and order through dialogue and commitment for peace with all relevant stakeholders in the state.

“The JNI observed carefully with serious concern the unfortunate unfolding events of blood-lettingw and serial killings, as well as the resultant inflammatory commentaries being aired which are utterly condemnable in their entirety.

We strongly believe that the

politically-driven crisis is being deliberately turned into ethnoreligious conflict of worrisome dimension.

“Thus, we call for caution and restraint from all parties involved. It should however be noted that ethno-religious conflict isn’t easily manageable and hence, we must all rise to the occasion to forestall its recurrence in Kaduna State, as it is often said, a stitch in time saves nine!

“We have nonetheless observed with dismay the unguarded utterances of some citizens, including elder

statesmen, who through the print, electronic and social media, are at best should be doing everything possible to curtail the tensed situation but instead prefer to serve as conflict entrepreneurs in exasperating the already worsened situation.

“Therefore, all hopes should not be lost in tackling the matter, government should do more and whosoever is found wanting should accordingly be brought to book, as Nigerians are tired of the lingering crises bedeviling the Southern Kaduna region and by extension the entire country.

Fani-Kayode Apologises for Allegedly Assaulting Journalist Faith Akah A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has apologised for describing a journalist, Eyo Charles, as “stupid”.

Fani-Kayode, who apologised in a statement he issued yesterday, however, denied threatening to harm the Daily Trust reporter.

He said, “I met with my advisors till late last night and I wish to say the following.

I hereby withdraw the word ‘stupid’ which I used in my encounter with a journalist in

Calabar. I have many friends in the media who I offended by losing my cool and using such words. I hereby express my regrets for doing so.”

“I do, however, wish to state categorically that no threat of physical harm was ever made to the journalist in question and neither did I send anyone to threaten him.

Anyone that says otherwise is lying and I challenge them to bring the proof.

“I would never seek to physically harm a journalist.

For the last 30 years I have defended and worked with

journalists and fought for the right of freedom of expression,” he said.

Fani-Kayode said he remained a friend of the media and would be the last to seek to disparage those that are honourable and noble within its ranks.

“I am saying this on live TV. What type of stupid question is that? Bankrolling who? Do you know who you are talking to? I will not take any questions from this man. What type of insulting question is that?

Which bankroll? To do what?

Who can give me money for anything? Who do you think you are talking to? Go and report yourself to your publisher? Please don’t insult me here. I don’t want to take any questions from this man.

“I could see from your face before you got here, how stupid you are. Don’t ever talk to me like that. Who do you think you’re talking to?

Bankroll who? You think I am one of those ones you… from who, when, how? You have a small mind, very small mind. Don’t judge me by your own standards.”

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THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS Money Not Reason I Joined Napoli, Says Osimhen

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Duro Ikhazuagbe Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, has insisted that he did not join Napoli in club record 70million Euros move just for the love of the cash but to give his best and advance his career.

Speaking at his first press conference since arriving at Naples

from Lille in France, the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup top scorer, said joining Napoli remains a big leap for his football career.

“The highest paid player at Napoli? Being here means that I have taken a big leap. I’m not interested in money. I intend to give my best (for Napoli). ”Joining Napoli is a dream

come true. I am happy to play in any role, I’m happy to be here.

I have fantastic teammates.”

“Being here means that I have made a big leap in career. I want to do well in this blue jersey.”

“For a young player like me, motivation is important. The president and the coach made me feel at home immediately.

“I have always been convinced that Napoli was the best choice for me and for my future.”

Osimhen who mid way into discussion almost backed out due to fears of racism against black players in Italian football, admitted that meeting manager Gennaro Gattuso and club President, Aurelio De Laurentiis changed all that.

“Racism issue? I admit I was skeptical, then I went to Naples.

My point of view changed after visiting the city and speaking with Gattuso and De Laurentiis. Racism will not be a limit on my career.

I will go further thanks to the fans,”he added.

“I have an excellent relationship with Gattuso and De Laurentiis,

for me they are like fathers. I have received great affection from the fans.

“I spoke to Gattuso and De Laurentiis, and that was the moment that I decided to accept Napoli. I received love from them. Motivation is fundamental,” concludes the Nigerian international.

Messi’s Father Arrives Manchester ahead of City Switch Lionel Messi’s father is already discussing terms with Manchester City, according to several reports.

It was revealed on Tuesday night that the Barcelona captain wants to leave the LaLiga club this summer, after a disappointing season in Spain which resulted in no trophies.

Several top European clubs have been placed on high-alert, including Pep Guardiola’s City and Paris Saint-Germain.

And according to RAC1 and TyC Sports, Jorge Messi has already touched down in Manchester to discuss terms with the Premier League side.

The reports say that the player’s father is discussing a two-year deal with City, though there are still question marks over whether the Premier League side will have to stump up a transfer fee for the Argentinian superstar.

Messi believes that he can activate a clause in his contract which makes him a free agent at the end of a Barcelona season.

However, Barcelona insist that the clause expired in June, which would mean either Messi or City would have to pay the player’s £630million release clause at the club.

There is confusion over the clause as the 2019-20 end of

season date, which would normally be in June, was pushed back until August due to the coronavirus hiatus in the middle of the campaign.

If City do not have to pay the hefty release clause, then the Premier League side will still have to cover Messi’s extortionate salary, which could rise to £94million-a-year.

Messi’s fixed salary totals £64m (€71m) but bonuses for signing, for staying, and for winning trophies takes the figure well above that.

Just by playing 60 per cent of games until the 2021 date his contract ends sees Messi earn on average £95m (€106m) a season but the potential – if he were to win the treble and win FIFA’s player of the year award – exists to push the final figure over the £110m (€122m) mark.

A move to Manchester City would see Messi reunite with ex-Barcelona coach Guardiola in England.

The pair won three LaLiga titles, two Champions League trophies, two Copa del Reys and two Club World Cups with the Catalan club.

Should Messi leave the Camp Nou this summer, his overall Barcelona record will stand at 634 goals in 763 matches.

Victor Osimhen giving thumb ups to press photographers shortly after completing his first full training session with Napoli on Tuesday evening

AFN Congress, Board Deny Amendment of the 2017 Constitution Members of the Congress and Board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) are yet to come to term with the purported amendment of 2017 constitution as claimed by the federation Preident, Ibrahim Gasau recently.

The AFN boss had in a memo to 37-member state associations including the Federal Capital Territory on August 7th, 2020 said that the 2017 constitution was amended at a congress of the federation in Awka, Anambra State on December 4th, 2019 and that the constitution ‘’that was forwarded to the

World Athletics (WA) was the AFN Constitution 2017 (as amended).”

But African 400m record holder and Olympics 400m and 4x400m medallist who is also the chairperson of Ogun State Athletics Association, Falilat Ogunkoya, rejected Gusau’s claim in the memo.

‘Which constitution was amended? I didn’t receive any proposal from the AFN to that effect. The constitution of the AFN is clear on how and when the constitution can be amended,” observed Ogunkoya.

In the same vein, the Chairman of Ekiti State Athletics

Association, Samuel Fatula, said the reports of the purported amendment is a joke carried too far.

“The AFN constitution that was adopted in 2017 made it clear that member-state associations must receive any proposal for the amendment of the constitution at least three months before the congress where the amendment is sccheduled to hold.

“I am the chairman of Ekiti State Athletics Association and a member federation of the AFN. I want to categorically state here that I did not receive any proposal for the amendment,”

said one of the two Nigerian track and field statisticians recognised by the international body of statisticians. ‘’The only correspondence I got was the notice for the congress in Awka but didn’t attend because it ran foul of the provisions of the AFN constitution which stipulated a 60-day notice before a congress could be convened,” added Fatunla.

While national 5000m record holder and Chairman of Plateau State Athletics Association, Timon Gunen, corroborated Fatunla’s claim and denied receiving any such proposal.

NPFL 2020/21 SEASON

Warri Wolves Banking on Rookies to Shine Lionel Messi...May Join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City

Onazi Returns to Italian Serie A with Crotone Nigerian international, Ogenyi Onazi has returned to Italy to sign a three-year contract with newlypromoted FC Crotone in Serie A. The experienced midfielder joined as a free agent after he terminated his contract with Turkish Super Lig club Denizlispor over unpaid wages.

He will play alongside compatriot and striker ‘Simy’

Nwankwo, who was with him at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and finished as top scorer in Serie B this past season.

Onazi previously played in Italy with Lazio before he headed out to Turkey with Trabzonspor.

He was released by Trabzonspor in January after a long-term injury to join Denizlispor on a short-term deal.

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Warri Wolves would be advancing the building of their squad around young players scouted from the club’s academy and other grassroot teams The club’s General Manager, Moses Etu spoke of the policy the team adopted last season and which he pointed out got them results away to established sides like Kano Pillars, Akwa United, Sunshine Stars and MFM. While admitting that some of the players groomed last season have been lured away by richer clubs, Etu noted that it’s a common trend in football business for players to seek greener pastures.

Likening players to commercial assets, Etu declared,

“we are surely going to see new faces. Players are like prostitutes but I know that soldiers go and come but barrack remains. With our performance last season, clubs with fat pockets are seriously after my players and we are also after some players. I cannot mention names now because we are still negotiating with them” Reiterating their resolve to build a squad of young players, the Warri Wolves General Manager quipped, “We will go for young players who would be hungry to make names for themselves. At Wolves, we are used to that because we have realized that names ordinarily don’t play football.

“We did it last season, won two away and drew four away

against highly rated clubs away like Kano Pillars, Akwa United, Sunshine Stars and MFM. So we look forward to rattling some of them this time also”, Etu said boastfully.

He would also lament the toil the Covid-19 pandemic has taken on their overall plans, saying, “It has really affected us especially with our players scattered all over the country which has made it difficult to monitor them.

But we cannot flout the order of the Federal Government banning football activities.

So far, the Technical Adviser who is in Benue, has sent his training programme but we cannot implement it effectively now.

Etu also spoke on the club’s plans to secure certification for

the season in line with the Club Licensing Regulations, noting that Wolves are no strangers to the process.

“We are not new to any aspect of Club Licensing. I dont need to set up a committee but we are working as a team the same way we implement other programs of the club.

“So far, we have inspected the facilities and discovered that our medical equipment are intact. We have contacted the necessary agencies like the Police, the Fire Service and others and we are working towards meeting the requirement. Our two ambulances vehicles are in satisfactory condition and we are only looking forward to the testing of players and officials when the go-ahead is given”.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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Thursday, August 27, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE Akpabio to Niger Delta People “As a governor, I knew there was something wrong with NDDC but I couldn’t pinpoint it. So when I became the Minister of Niger Delta, that’s when I found out that the symptoms of failure that I used to see here are all about corruption. It was like an ATM for people to make money to go and contest elections� – Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, on the monumental corruption in NDDC.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Democracy and the Grassroots W

ith little more than six weeks to the Ondo State gubernatorial election scheduled for 10th October, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu should ordinarily be focused on his re-election bid. But as governors are wont to do on the eve of either their re-election or departure from office, Akeredolu decided to conduct local government elections last Saturday.

In the end, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state was declared winner of all 18 chairmanships and 194 of the 198 councillorship seats. While this is a familiar story, we should all be concerned by the bastardisation of local government administration that has gone on for the past 21 years in Nigeria.

The 1999 Constitution (as amended), provides that each of the 774 local governments in the country is vested with powers to establish and maintain cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the destitute or infirm; license bicycles, vehicles, canoes, wheel barrows and carts; regulate slaughter houses, markets, motor parks and public conveniences as well as construct and maintain roads, streets lightings, drains, parks, gardens, open spaces etc. They are also to register births, deaths and marriages and name roads, streets, and houses, while providing and maintaining public conveniences and refuse disposal among other functions. Perhaps most significantly, local governments are expected to provide and maintain primary, adult and vocational education and health services.

These, no doubt, are heavy responsibilities for which 20.60 percent of our total national earnings is allocated from the federation account. That is one fifth of the entire resources accruing to the nation. Sadly, local governments are not playing their roles. Sadder still, they cannot account for the humongous amount of money allocated to them because governors have conspired to render local government administration in Nigeria completely prostrate. Not only have they hijacked local government funds, they recruit their personnel as well.

The national president of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel once argued that “the concept of bringing governance closer to the people through a third tier participatory form of government has not materialized in Nigeria.� His reasoning included lack of capacity on the part of council officials, an inappropriate fiscal base, usurpation of the right to raise internal revenue, and manipulation of the state joint local government account by governors.

After tracing the history of reforms of local government from the Dasuki Committee of 1976 to the Etsu Nupe report of 2003 and several Supreme Court rulings, Khaleel gave a damning verdict: “there is no state in Nigeria where one form of illegality or the other is not committed with the funds of local governments. Through over deduction of primary school teachers’ salaries; spurious state/local government joint projects, sponsoring of elections, taking over the statutory functions of local governments

Kayode Fayemi, Chairman, Governors Forum

and handing them over to cronies and consultants; non-payments of pensioners and non-utilization of training fund despite the mandatory deduction of stipulated percentages for these purposes, we can go on and on. Most of these shameful activities are known to all of us.�

Designated with various nomenclatures (municipality, district, province, region prefecture, borough, parish etc.) government at the lowest tier is common to all countries.

In a federal state like Nigeria, it is practically impossible to deliver the public good without a functional government at the grassroots.

That we have failed in this direction is evident in the lack of security and amenities in most of our communities that are now being deserted. It is also the reason we have as many as 14 million children out of school, according to the latest figures by President Olusegun Obasanjo. Yet, available information reveals that about N25 trillion have been shared by the 774 local governments in the past 21 years. Even if we use the prevailing exchange rate, that will still fetch us about $60 billion!

To be sure, local government administration in Nigeria has always presented a challenge, but it has never been as bad as it is now under the current dispensation. Even though democracy is a never-ending process of inquiry that requires the validation of voters, in Nigeria, catch phrases such as ‘the will of the people’, ‘the people have spoken’ have, over the years, become no more than false constructs, especially regarding local government elections. If our democracy is to thrive, we must examine this charade.

For the benefit of readers, let me highlight results of the last local government polls in all the 36 states of the federation (in alphabetical order).

In December 2016, the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission conducted LG polls, where almost a million people were recorded as having voted. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state won all 17 chairmanship and 292 councillorship seats. “There was no election anywhere in the state,� the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secretary, Sunday Onukwubiri, told

reporters. A year earlier during the 2015 general election, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had secured 264,713 votes (representing 59.4 percent of total votes cast) to defeat Dr Alex Otti, the then APGA candidate who secured 180,882 votes (representing 40.6 percent of total votes cast). Yet, APGA could not win any seat at the LG polls. That has been the pattern in all the states where the Independent National Election (INEC) results are at variance with the figures churned out by the state electoral commission that conducts LG Polls.

Last December (2019) in Adamawa, candidates of the ruling PDP in the state won all the 21 chairmanship and 226 councillorship seats. Akwa Ibom is billed to conduct the local government election on 31st October this year but the APC has already seen the handwriting on the wall and threatening a boycott. In the last one conducted in December 2017, PDP won all the 31 chairmanship and 329 councillorship seats. “Details of scores will be made available by the field operations/logistics department of the commission,� according to the chairman, Aniedi Ikoiwak, who only gave round figures without providing any breakdown of the results!

In Anambra State where LG polls have not been held in the past six years, businessman, Chief Arthur Eze, has issued a stern warning to Governor Willie Obiano: “I want him (Obiano) to know that since he has refused to hold local government elections, he must be ready to vomit all the allocations and revenues of the councils at the end of his tenure. He will not go free. I have taken up the matter formally in writing with President Muhammadu Buhari concerning all Southeast governors who have refused to organise council elections, but chose to unilaterally usurp the functions and finances of that level of government. They will all be called to account. None will get away with it.�

It will be interesting to see how Eze executes his threat but in the last LG polls held in January 2014 under Governor Peter Obi, the ruling APGA in Anambra State was ‘magnanimous’ enough to cede some councillorship seats after taking all the 21 chairmanship positions. In Bauchi State where Governor Bala Mohammed had promised to conduct LG polls in June this year before COVID-19 put a spanner in the works. But in the last one conducted 13 years ago, it was 100 percent victory in both the chairmanship and councillorship positions for the then ruling PDP in the state!

On the eve of the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election last year, the PDP government at the time conducted the LG Polls, winning all eight chairmanship positions and 105 councillorship seats. A few weeks later, it was the APC candidate who won the gubernatorial election conducted

by INEC with a comfortable margin. It took the intervention of the Supreme Court for the PDP to win back the state on technical grounds that had nothing to do with how the people voted. In Benue state, COVID-19 did not prevent the LG polls from holding in May this year with the ruling PDP winning all the 23 chairmanship and 276

councillorship seats. But in deference to the pandemic, Borno State has postponed its own LG polls. In June this year, the ruling PDP won all the 18 chairmanship and 196 councillorship positions in Cross River State.

The January 2018 LG polls in Delta State produced an interesting outcome. After winning all the 25 chairmanship seats, the ruling PDP in the state conceded a single councillorship position in Ward 2, Aniocha North local government area, the home base of the then minister of state for petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to APC, winning the remaining 424 councillorship positions. Ebonyi will hold its LG polls this Saturday. In the last one conducted in April 2017, PDP won all the 13 chairmanship and 171 councillorship seats.

In Edo State in March 2018, the then ruling APC won all the 18 chairmanship and 192 councillorship seats. In Ekiti State, the last local government poll held in December 2017 and predictably, the then ruling PDP won all the 16 chairmanship and 177 Councillorship seats. In Enugu State where the poll held in March this year, the ruling PDP won all the 17 chairmanship and 260 councillorship positions. In Gombe State, the then ruling PDP won all the 114 councillorship and 11 chairmanship positions in the February 2017 LG polls. In Imo State, in August 2018, the ruling APC won all the 27 chairmanship positions and 636 of the 645 councillorship positions. In June 2019, the ruling APC won all the 27 chairmanship and 286 councillorship positions in Jigawa State.

In May 2018, what perhaps remains the only semblance of a competitive election was conducted by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM). At the end, the ruling APC won in 12 local government areas, the PDP won in five local government areas, with results from three local government stalemated. In February 2018, the ruling APC swept all the 44 chairmanship and 484 councillorship seats in Kano State. In August 2014, the PDP cleared all the 34 chairmanship and 361 councillorship seats in Katsina State. In October last year, the ruling APC in Kebbi State won the all 21 chairmanship and 223 councillorship positions.

The last local government polls in Kogi state was held in 2013 and the then ruling PDP cleared all the 21 chairmanship and 225 councillorship positions. In Kwara State, the November 2017 LG polls also produced the then ruling APC as winners of all the chairmanship but conceded nine councillorship positions to the PDP. Elections into the 57 Local Governments/ Local Council Development Areas of Lagos State were conducted in July 2017 with the ruling APC winning all the chairmanship positions. The party also won 369 councillorship seats while the PDP won four seats, and Accord Party, the remaining three. In May 2018, the ruling APC won all the 26 chairmanship and 147 councillorship positions in Nasarawa State.

In December last year, APC cleared 24 of the 25 local governments in Niger State with PDP winning one. r/05& 1JFDF DPODMVEFE PO QBHF

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