TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2019

Investors’ Confidence in Insurance Stocks Resurges on Recapitalisation Sentiments Sector rises from N107.484bn in five months to N112bn Goddy Egene Investors’ confidence in insurance stocks has continued to increase as some of the companies in the sector have made positive efforts to

comply with the new capital requirements for operators in the industry.

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) had on May 20, 2019 raised the minimum paid-up capital

of insurance companies. For instance, companies that want to remain in life business will need a minimum capital of N8 billion from N2 billion; general insurance companies from N3 billion to N10 billion

while composite insurance firms’ new capital went up from N5 billion to N18 billion.

Also, re-insurance companies would need N20 billion as against the current N10 billion.

The insurance industry

regulator had last year announced a similar recapitalisation that was later suspended.

THISDAY checks showed that five months after that announcement, most insurance

stocks have remained resilient and gaining momentum as investors increased demand for them.

Consequently, the value of Continued on page 5

We Can’t be Intimidated, S’Court Tells CUPP over Atiku’s Appeal... Page 5 Tuesday 15 October, 2019 Vol 24. No 8954. Price: N250

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Oil Benchmark Lowered over Expected Crude Glut, Says Finance Minister Defence, education, police lead in sectoral proposals Crude price slumps below $60 over US, China trade deal Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and James Emejo in Abuja with agency reports The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, has said the federal government adopted a lower oil benchmark price of $57 per barrel for the 2020 budget as against the $60 per barrel in the 2019 budget because of the expected oil glut in 2020, as well as the need to cushion against unexpected price shock.

Ahmed, at a budget breakdown yesterday in

Abuja, said there were strong indications of an oversupplied oil market in 2020, adding that all three of the major forecasters – including the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), International Energy Association (IEA) and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) had predicted non-OPEC production growing by about two million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2019 and by more next year.

Continued on page 6

Labour Braces for Strike as Talks with FG Collapse Parties to hold decisive talks today Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The threat by the organised labour to embark on a strike tomorrow gathered momentum yesterday as the meeting between the federal government and workers failed to agree on the terms for the

implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage signed into law on April 18.

Following yesterday’s stalemate, both sides are expected to meet again today in what labour has described Continued on page 5

CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH… Chairman, Transcorp Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu (left), and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during the presentation of Certificate of Performance discharging Transcorp Plc of post-privatisation performance obligations in respect of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja by the vice president to the company chairman in Abuja…yesterday

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We Can’t Be Intimidated, S’Court Tells CUPP over Atiku’s Appeal Alex Enumah in Abuja In an unusual statement yesterday, the Supreme Court joined issues with the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), saying its serial attacks on the apex court over the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, would not deter it from performing its arbitration function without fear or favour.

“The Supreme Court, and by extension, the Judiciary, is an independent arm of government that can never be intimidated or dictated to by anybody,” it said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Festus Akande.

The apex court was expressing its displeasure with what it called the “campaign of calumny” being waged against it

by CUPP, through one Imo Ugochinyere, and asked the organisation to apply the brakes forthwith.

The court said being an independent body peopled by diligent minds, it remains focused on its goal of always ensuring justice irrespective of the individuals behind any case.

The statement read: “In the light of the blatant falsehood, misinformation and malicious rumour being generously peddled by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) through its spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, we wish to state clearly that the association is not and can never constitute itself into an agency of the Nigerian Judiciary or assume the role of an alternate Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“We have been watching rather cautiously the

drama of the absurd being exhibited on daily basis by this association, which sadly debases our collective morality and sense of decency as people from a civilized and well cultured society like Nigeria.

“Sensitive issues like the presidential election appeal should not, in all honesty, be taken to the altar of frivolous drama and misguided oration that is displayed on the screen of our national television with reckless abandon by people who ought to be some sort of role model to the younger generation.

“It will be recalled that even weeks before the presidential election appeal was filed at the Supreme Court, the CUPP had already, in its characteristic manner, constituted its own ‘panel’ for the Supreme Court and aggressively

brandished the list on television and newspapers.

“Shortly afterwards, when the appeal was eventually filed at the court, the coalition came out once again with another imaginary list of panel members and followed it with yet another malicious allegation against the Chief Justice of Nigeria of ‘handpicking’ them in contrast to the ’tradition’ of selecting the most senior justices of the court.

“Let it be known that the Supreme Court is not an assemblage of individuals with no defined purpose, vision and modus operandi.

“Our operations are strictly guided by the Constitution and extant laws. We are not an appendage of any individual or group of people, and we don’t pander to the dictates of anybody or association.

“The Supreme Court, and by extension, the Judiciary, is an independent arm of government that can never be intimidated or dictated to by anybody.

“The CUPP’s action only amounts to naming a baby before it is born.

We should be mindful of our utterances to avoid inflicting a devastating harm on the nation.

“This exhibition of unbridled utterances and prevarication will only endanger the progress and cohesiveness of our country.

“The Supreme Court has been entertaining presidential election appeals over the decades, but the unnecessary hysteria and superlative drama being woven around this particular one calls for caution and moderation.

“The constitution of any panel to sit on a matter

in the court is the sole prerogative of the Supreme Court and it is never an issue for the court to debate on the television or pages of newspapers.

“We are not a political party or social club and should never be dragged into any form of baseless pedestrian discussions that will drive valid reasoning aground. Enough of this orchestrated falsehood and campaign of calumny.

“We are here to serve the interest of the generality of the Nigerian masses and not a select individuals or groups with inordinate ambition.

“As soon as the presidential appeal panel is constituted, the public will be duly informed as Supreme Court is not a secret society. Let us always observe caution when disseminating information to the public.”

our proposal to the federal government before now and government is to respond. We believe that by tomorrow, we will get the federal government feedback and know the next thing to do.”

Asugwuni said yesterday's meeting afforded labour the opportunity to submit all the facts that the government needed to take informed decision on the full implementation of the minimum wage.

He, however, said that the organised labour would not accept anything that is not reasonable.

"Labour will not tolerate anything short of reasonable adjustment in

the ongoing negotiations," he said.

The NLC chief said the government team would also meet later yesterday ahead of today’s meeting which he hoped would help break the deadlock.

Asugwuni said the consequential adjustment was a matter of percentage, which requires give and take principle, adding, that labour has shifted ground beyond expectation.

According to him, "What government needs to do is to reciprocate by doing what is needful to appreciate the workers.

We are talking about compensation, salary and legitimate compensation for work done.

"Inasmuch as we believe in the consequential adjustment, it has to be reasonable. Otherwise, people will feel neglected.

Tuesday (today)’s meeting is the benchmark for labour action but mobilisation continues. The meeting will tell us the way forward because anything can happen."

Earlier, while welcoming the labour leaders to the meeting, Ngige had appealed to them to show understanding of the government's position.

He described the meeting as an exploratory one, which would afford both sides to share information and to understand the issues better.

LABOUR BRACES FOR STRIKE AS TALKS WITH FG COLLAPSE as a decisive moment, which will either result in the suspension of its planned industrial action on Wednesday or make it happen.

At the resumed negotiations chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, which had representatives of the labour movement in attendance, both the government team and the workers’ failed to shift their positions.

The expectation that either of the sides will agree to a new proposal for the consequential adjustment on the minimum wage did not materialise, at least as at the time their meeting

ended.

The government was still maintaining its position to offer 11 per cent for workers on grade levels 7-14 and 6.5 per cent for those on grade levels 1517, while labour remained insistent that it should be 29 per cent for grade 7-14 workers and 24 per cent for 15-17 workers.

Speaking to journalists on the outcome of yesterday's meeting, the Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Amechi Asugwuni, said the matter was yet to be resolved.

He said the meeting was a consultative one, which afforded labour the opportunity to present its

position to the minister and other officials of government.

He stated that the meeting was meant to present labour's position, which will enable the government to decide.

He said: "The meeting took into consideration the essential issues about the minimum wage that is still pending. With the consultation, we were able to share information with the Minister of Labour and Employment in order to ensure the success of tomorrow (today) meeting.

"We believe that the federal government will do the needful because ours is a straight forward proposal. We have made

INVESTORS’ CONFIDENCE IN INSURANCE STOCKS RESURGES ON RECAPITALISATION SENTIMENTS the insurance sector on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has increased from N107.484 billion to N112 billion, which is about 3.7 per cent.

This is a positive development considering investors’ apathy that had trailed the sector on the NSE over the years.

Market operators said given the bear run that has persisted since the beginning of the year, an appreciation in the value of the sector was an indication of growing investor confidence in the sector despite the recapitalisation worries earlier envisaged.

A stockbroker, Mr. Ayo Oguntayo, said while some investors had seen value in the stocks given their current low prices and were consolidating their investment, the recent approval by NAICOM of the recapitalisation plans of some operators had led to more confidence.

NAICOM had last month approved the

recapitalisation work plans of 26 insurance companies trying to raise more funds in their bids to meet the June 2020 deadline for players in the sector to shore up their capital.

According to the commission, out of a total of 57 insurance firms and two reinsurance firms in the country, 47 insurance firms and two reinsurance firms submitted their plans.

The regulator said 17 insurance firms with defective work plans were corrected and advised to resubmit new plans using paid-up capital and not shareholders’ funds in recapitalising.

Four insurance firms did not have the requisite 2018 financial statements and were advised to review their plans of using initial public offer (IPO) to raise funds.

Oguntayo said the update on the recapitalisation plans by insurance firms boosted more confidence among investors, who are now more hopeful that

significant number of the firms would meet the compliance deadline of 2020.

“Since, the recapitalisation directive was announced last May, most of the operators had seen the need to raise their capital requirements if they really want to remain competitive. That is why the opposition to the announcement was not sustained. Also, the time frame given to them to comply is considerate for any serious player to comply. And we can see the efforts being made from the announcement

by NAICOM, where it had approved the plans of 26 firms. This shows that the operators are willing to comply and remain in business. And given the low valuations of stocks, discerning investors are now increasing their investments,” Oguntayo said.

Some operators in the insurance had hailed the decision of NAICOM and

called on others to embrace the recapitalisation move.

One of such operators was the Managing Director of SUNU Assurances Nigeria Plc, Mr. Samuel Ogbodu, who said the recapitalisation would help to consolidate the sector and lead to the provision of the more buoyant opportunities for large ticket transactions.

He added that the exercise would also position insurance companies in the country as big players instead of serving as agents to foreign insurance underwriters.

According to him, the Nigerian insurance sector, if well positioned, would take its rightful place in the country’s economy, noting that insurance companies at the end of the recapitalisation programme would be able to take up opportunities hitherto taken by foreign companies.

Similarly, the President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mr. Eddie

Efekoha, commended NAICOM for initiating the recapitalisation, pledging operators’ support for the exercise, which he said would help grow the sector.

He said: “I have never seen a policy that only has the good side and no bad side and no timing can be right because it is only God’s time that can be the best. I think that the more we are positive about this recapitalisation exercise, the more chances we would have on overcoming some of the challenges that come with it.”

Also, the President, Institute of Loss Adjuster of Nigeria (ILAN), Mr. Femi Hassan, said: “I know the operators want this recapitalisation to take place, but the investors who have put their money into the insurance companies are the ones kicking against it. But nevertheless, I am optimistic that, in the long run, every party will see reasons for it.”

TOP GAINERS COURTVILLE FIDSON CHIPLC AXAMANSARD DANGFLOUR TOP LOSERS UACN UNITEDCAP FBNHOLDINGS

NGN NGN 0.02 0.22 0.35 3.95 0.02 0.30 0.10 1.70 0.80 23.00 NGN 0.50 6.65 0.10 2.03 0.15 5.25 ETI 0.20 7.20 WEMABANK 0.01 0.59 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,215.10 Volume: 129.078 million shares Value: N2.742 billion Deals: 2,595 As at yesterday 14/10/19 See details on Page 35

% 10 9.7 7.1 6.2 3.6 % 6.9 4.6 2.7 2.7 1.6

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Mele Kyari: Poor Maintenance Culture Crippled Nigeria’s Refineries Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, has blamed the moribund state of the country’s refineries on lack of proper maintenance of the facilities over the years.

He acknowledged that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of technicians in the petroleum sector in the world, but added that the experts have not been adequately engaged.

The NNPC boss said this revelation yesterday when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) in Abuja.

Answering a question on the technical capacity of the NNPC to properly manage oil exploration, refinery and sales, the NNPC boss admitted that there was enough manpower in the petroleum to develop the industry but that the experts had not been properly engaged.

“The oil industry is a technology-based industry and this technology evolves everyday. I can assure that in the entire global oil and gas industry, there is nowhere you would have gone that you would not find a skilled Nigerian working in the oil and gas industry. And indeed, we are probably the largest contributor to skilled

manpower in the industry of all the black nations of the world.

“Today in the industry, over 90 per cent of the technical personnel are sourced locally; they are run by Nigerians.

There is really no paucity of such capacity. What is true is that engagement of these people has not been optimised. And this is what we need to work with the Nigerian Content Development Board, to make sure that certain skills that come up from time to time on need basis are provided for, so that this industry continues to grow.

“Let me address the issue of refineries: the refineries didn’t fail because there were no skills, they failed because we are unable to take care of the refineries. And we don’t have to give excuses why we didn’t take care of them. We can blame anyone. But what we have decided to do is to make them work. There is no scarcity of skilled people.

“The will is there today and our plan is to get them to work. And I assure you that the plans we have in place will deliver these refineries. There is no issue around absence of skills, we have the best refiners in the world; anywhere you go in the world, they will attest to it that we have the best refiners who are Africans in this country.”

Also following the recent

Kyari discovery of oil in the Gongola basin, Mele Kyari further revealed that there are high prospects of oil discovery in Benue, Bida and Chad Basins.

He said that while it was very true that Nigeria is very expansive oil and gas province, it is also true that the production targets have not materialised over the years.

Kyari stated: “Indeed the national target of three million

bpd and 40 million barrels of reserves have not been attained. What I can assure you Mr. Chairman, is that we are very focused today, we know this is possible, we are taking steps to realise this before the end of 2023 which is possible.

“A number of interventions are ongoing currently including our elaborate intrusion into the frontier basins which the chairman is aware that we just announced

the oil discovery in the Gongola basin.

“We expect many more to happen in some parts of the Benue trough, including Chad basin and Bida basin.

All these are possible, we have very good prospects and we know that the possibility of having attaining 40 million reserves is very possible.”

On increasing the production, Kyari said that NNPC was taking critical steps, but added that there are part of it that needs legislative intervention.

He noted that since 2007, there had been no significant investment decision in the sector, adding that the highest that was done was an investment of about $500 million.

“That means there is something responsible for this, one of them is fiscal clarity. As you are aware, effort to bring petroleum legislation on the table has not materialised and I know today that this Assembly is very determined to ensure that the petroleum legislation is put in place”.

He stressed the need to address the issue for fiscal stability because investors must be convinced that the fiscal laws must be stable, noting that resolving the issue of fiscal legislation would be an appropriate step towards getting partners to invest in the country.

Kyari added that there are

issues around security across the areas of operations, which he said had hindered some interventions in some of the onshore assets.

He, however, revealed that there is ongoing engagement by the security agencies in collaboration with industry stakeholders particularly the NNPC to make sure that those security issues are resolved.

The NNPC boss noted it was also true that presently, there is a ‘strong stealing of crude oil going on’, but he assured that there are ongoing effort to stop it, adding that within the record time, it would be contained which would lead to incremental value in production number that we have As a result of this intervention, Kyari said last week, production hit close to 2.8 million bpd, stressing that the country has not been able to reach that for the past two years.

He therefore urged the committee to sort out the issue of legislation, saying that without sorting out the issue of legislation, every intervention the House intends to make would amount to nothing.

Kyari explained that no investor would invest his money and put into upstream operation if he was not sure of getting back his money or what returns he is going to get.

and Interior with N219.46 billion.

For capital expenditure, the ministry of works and housing got the lion’s share of N259.20 billion, followed

by Ministry of Education with N162.74 billion while the Ministry of Power got N127.67 billion as well as transport with N123.07 billion.

The ministry of defence got N99.87 billion among others.

Brent and WTI rose more than three per cent last week, their first weekly increase in three weeks.

Reuters reported that there are also worries that further escalation along the Syrian and Turkish border could affect output or exports from Iraq, providing more support for oil prices.

Syrian troops entered a northeastern town yesterday.

The Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said oil exporters taking part in a global output deal between OPEC and its allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, were showing serious commitment to the cuts.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said there were no talks underway to change the OPEC+ deal.

Kuwait’s Oil Minister, Khaled al-Fadhel said it was too early to discuss a possible build-up in oil inventories in 2020.

Khaled al-Fadhel said a price range of $50-$70 per barrel would be acceptable.

The compliance of OPEC+ producers with the supply-reduction agreement was seen at above 200 per cent in September, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday.

China showed strong demand for oil, with its September imports rising 10.8 per cent from a year earlier as refiners ramped up output amid stable profit margins and solid demand for fuel.

OIL BENCHMARK LOWERED OVER EXPECTED CRUDE GLUT, SAYS FINANCE MINISTER She also listed the Ministry of Defence as having the largest share of recurrent expenditure in the 2020 budget with a total allocation of N778.59 billion, followed by the Ministry of Education with N490.20 billion, Police Affairs with N395.83 billion, Health with N336.32 billion and Interior with N219.46 billion.

She spoke on the day oil prices fell more than two per cent as scant details about the first phase of a trade deal between the United States and China undercut optimism over continued tension between the two countries that had helped lift crude markets by three per cent at the end of last week.

According to the minister, the US shale oil accounts for most of the total supply increase, adding also that new projects in Norway, Brazil and Australia will also contribute to the increase in non-OPEC supply.

She said market sentiments did not support an expansion in demand, adding that growth in demand for OPEC oil and condensates specifically were projected to slow down next year.

Ahmed added that oil production volume is projected to average 2.18 million barrels per day for 2020, even lower than the projected oil production volume of 2.3mbpd for 2019.

"We believe that this is a more realistic projection. For

2021 and 2022, the projections are 2.22mbpd and 2.36mbpd respectively. Actual daily crude oil production and exports have been below budget projections since 2013, despite installed capacity of up to 2.5mbpd, for a number of reasons.

"For 2018, actual production was 1.84mbpd and for the first half of 2019 it was 1.86mbpd (base production)."

On the key assumptions of the 2020 budget framework, the minister said the real GDP growth projections are 2.93 per cent, 3.35 per cent and 3.85 per cent for 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

She said even though this fell short of the ERGP projection, the trajectory remained in the right direction.

According to her, personnel cost (inclusive of pension costs) was estimated at over N3 trillion.

She, however, noted that the federal government was taking steps to contain the rising personnel costs, particularly the new directive to withhold salaries of individuals and institutions not enrolled into the IPPIS scheme.

Ahmed stated that aggregate revenue available to fund the 2020 budget is projected at N8.155 trillion, representing seven per cent or N561.2 billion more than the 2019 budget of N7.59 trillion.

She said in order to promote fiscal transparency,

accountability and comprehensiveness, the budget of 10 major GOEs (government-owned enterprises) are integrated in the 2020 budget.

She said in aggregate, 43.86 per cent of projected revenues would come from oil sources, while the balance is to be earned from non-oil sources.

The minister also said the overall size of the budget had been constrained by relatively low revenues.

She noted that of the N10.33 trillion budget for next year, recurrent (nondebt) spending is expected to total N4.88 trillion, reflecting increases in salaries and pensions, including the provisions for implementation of the new minimum wage.

According to her, capital expenditure, inclusive of transfers, GOEs capital and project-tied loans as percentage of federal government expenditure is 24 per cent.

Ahmed also said the N2.45 trillion set aside for debt service is 23.74 per cent of target expenditure, adding that the provision to retire maturing bond to local contractors increased by 169.09 per cent from N110 billion in FY2019 to N296 billion.

Among other things, she said the overall budget deficit of N2.175 trillion in 2020 represented 1.52 per cent of GDP. She said projected deficit

was still within threshold stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007, stressing that the budget deficit is to be financed mainly by borrowing N1.649 trillion, consisting of domestic sources at N744.99 billion and foreign sources of N850 billion, which will indicate a gradual shift from commercial to more concessionary financing.

Ahmed also said some projects were captured in the MTEF but not in the 2020 budget as laid in the National Assembly by the president.

These include the N61 billion allocation to the presidential power initiative, federally funded projects in the oil and gas sector to be implemented by the NNPC totalling N1. 22 trillion, as well as the N272 billion transfers to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for infrastructure projects in tertiary institutionsincluding the N82.35 billion transfer to Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSIA) for Public Private Partnership (PPP)/ Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

However, the Ministry of Defence has the largest share of recurrent expenditure with total allocation of N778.59 billion, followed by the Ministry of Education with N490.20 billion. Others are police affairs with N395.83 billion, health N336.32 billion

Oil Price Slumps Below $60 over US, China Trade Deal Meanwhile, oil prices fell more than two per cent yesterday as scant details about the first phase of a trade deal between the United States and China undercut optimism over continued tension between the two countries that had helped lift crude markets by three per cent at the end of last week.

While the global benchmark crude, Brent, dropped $1.52 to $58.99 a barrel, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude lost $1.45 to $53.25 a barrel.

Late on Friday, the United States and China outlined the first stage of a trade deal and suspended this week’s scheduled US tariff hikes.

But existing tariffs remain in place and officials on both sides said much more work was needed before an accord could be agreed.

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

Ahmed: FG, Benin Republic in Talks over Border Closure N1.4bn goods confiscated, says Customs boss

James Emejo in Abuja The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, yesterday clarified that the closure of all land borders manned by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies will not “last forever.”

This is coming as the Comptroller-General of NCS, Hameed Ali, yesterday said goods worth N1.4 billion had

been seized since the federal government partially close the country’s land borders on August 20 to tame the activities of smugglers as well as enforce compliance to anti-dumping practices by its neighbours.

She said discussions are currently ongoing between the government of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin on the need to comply with the various trade agreements signed by both

Police Rescue 300 Chained Persons in Katsina Rehabilitation Centre Francis Sardauna in Katsina Katsina State Police Command has uncovered a rehabilitation centre in Daura, the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari, harbouring no fewer than 300 people chained on their legs and malnourished.

This was coming barely two months after police uncovered a house in Rigasa area of Kaduna State containing another 300 children in the same manner.

The Katsina centre is located in Nasarawa Quarters of Daura Local Government Area of the state with six rooms accommodating the victims.

The victims, who were seriously tortured by their teachers with varying degrees of injuries and profiled by the police, are from Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba and Borno states as well as Niger Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Mali.

Among the inhabitants were children who confessed to have been abused homosexually, while the adults said they subjected to daily hard labour and torture “without” recitation of the Holy Qur’an as earlier agreed with their parents.

With chains on their legs and scars of injuries from torture, they disclosed that six of their colleagues died at the centre and were buried without notifying their parents.

One of the victims from Adamawa State, Fa’a Jibrila, said: “I have spent four years here with chains on my legs and my mother died while I was here. They claim to be teaching us Qur’an and Islam, but they do a lot of things here. They subject the younger ones to homosexuality.”

According to him, “This is supposed to be an Islamic centre, but trying to run away from here attracts severe punishment. They tie people and hang them to the ceiling.

But engaging in homosexuality attracts no punishment.”

He called on the state government to take disciplinary action against the owners of the centre including the proprietor, Malam Bello, to serve as deterrent to others.

Addressing journalists at the centre yesterday, Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, who bemoaned the situation, said about six rooms containing over 40 people each with chains, were subjected to all forms of dehumanisation and

hard labour.

He said: “This place, we understand from preliminary investigation conducted belong to Malam Bello and Malam Bello has been a Qur’anic teacher for about 40 years according to him and information gathered.

“And from there, he graduated to the level of harbouring children.

Some of them are under age, while some of them are of age. They were brought here by their parents for the purpose of rehabilitating them.

“Unfortunately, as you can see the place, about six rooms containing over 40 people with chains and subjected to all forms of dehumanisation is unbecoming of any civilised rehabilitation centre.

“This Malam, I understand started well but gradually the centre degenerated to this unfortunate stage. Six rooms accommodating about 300 people, it’s unheard of.”

He lamented that situation became so bad that the victims could no longer bear it. “So, I think it was yesterday (Sunday) that they revolted and started escaping from this facility.”

The Katsina State police chief added that the proprietor of the centre and two other teachers of the centre have been arrested and investigation was ongoing to unravel the rationale behind the establishment of the centre.

“So, we are going to investigate them and get to the root of the matter. We will find out the real motive behind this centre. If they are found wanting they will be charged to court. But first, we are evacuating all the people from this place to ensure that they are reunited with their parents,” he explained.

On his part, the Emir of Daura, Dr. Farouq Umar Farouq, while addressing the state commissioner of police on the matter at his palace in Daura, directed the police chief to ensure that justice prevailed on the issue irrespective of whoever is involved.

However, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, the proprietor of the centre said the centre was meant to teach people on Islamic values, saying all allegations of torture, dehumanisation and homosexuality were false.

He said: “They don’t do anything other than recitation of Qur’an, pray and worship God. Those chained are the stubborn ones who attempted to run away.

Those who didn’t attempt to run away were not chained.”

countries but which had been reportedly subjected to abuses.

The minister said even though the closure had so far recorded positive outcomes for the economy, the borders would be reopened as soon as there is compliance to the treaties signed by the neighbouring countries.

The President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Ahmed Mansur, had insisted that the continued closure of the borders could in the long run hurt the private sector as there appeared to be no end in sight.

This is as the minister also said President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered that no federal civil servants should be paid salaries henceforth, effective from October, until they are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

She explained that although the affected workers would not be disengaged from the service, the move is to compel those individuals and agencies who are reluctant to join the payment platform to do that.

Speaking at a town hall meeting on the breakdown of the 2020 budget proposals, Ahmed insisted that no agency of the government was exempted from the IPPIS,

stressing that though members of the polytechnics and universities had objected to being enrolled because of the peculiar nature of their operations, they are nevertheless to comply.

She said the platform was designed to plug revenue leakages in public finances.

It further emerged that the federal government is seeking to finance the 2020 budget with about N237 billion it hopes to recover from looted public assets.

The minister, however, disclosed that the sum of N450 billion has been earmarked for fuel subsidy payment or what has been renamed as under-recovery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

She emphasised that going forward, key reforms such as the Strategic Revenue Growth Initiative (SRGI) would be implemented with increased vigour to improve revenue collection and expenditure management.

Ahmed noted that in furtherance of the federal government’s objective of greater comprehensiveness and transparency in the budget process, its budget from 2020 will reflect the revenues and expenditures of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) and the multilateral/

bi-lateral project-tied loans and related expenditures.

She stressed further that achieving fiscal sustainability and macro-fiscal objectives of government would require bold, decisive and urgent action, saying: “The government is determined to act as may be required.”

Meanwhile, the ComptrollerGeneral of NCS, Ali, yesterday said goods worth N1.4 billion had been seized since the federal government partially closed the country’s land borders on August 20 to tame the activities of smugglers as well as enforce compliance to anti-dumping practices by its neighbours.

He also revealed that the Republic of Niger, one of Nigeria’s northern neighbours, had recently banned the export of rice into the country as a fallout the latter’s border closure.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Customs boss revealed that 317 smugglers had been arrested, adding that 21,071 bags of 50 kilogrammes of parboiled rice were impounded.

Ali further foreclosed any plans to reopen the borders soon, adding that diplomatic engagements were ongoing with neighbouring countries on how to comply with established trade protocols.

He noted that the partial land border closure had affected all goods, advising that anyone who hitherto imported and exported legitimate goods could still do so through the seaports and other manned outlets for now.

Ali also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved an e-customs project, which involves using drones and geo-spatial technology to further fortify the borders.

On why the security agencies are not putting free movement protocol of ECOWAS into consideration in the border closure issue, Ali said: “When we talk of security, human rights take a back seat. We want to secure our country. Nigeria must survive before you talk of rights and doing business.”

He noted that all the agencies involved in Exercise Swift Response (ESR) as coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) have been duly briefed on the target of the operation, especially in the area of using minimum force.

However, he said the government, through diplomatic channels, would continue to engage neighbours to agree on compliance with ECOWAS Protocol on transit.

STRENGTHENING COLLABORATION...

R-L: Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; representative of ECOWAS and Regional Director, Nigeria Regional Hub, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Mr. Jean Bakole; and Minister of State in the ministry, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu; during a courtesy visit by Bankole to the ministry in Abuja... yesterday

35 Abuja Judges to Handle 16,000 Cases in New LegalYear The 35 judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja are to contend with over 16,000 cases in the new legal year, the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Ishaq Bello, has said.

Justice Bello said on the average a judge of the court has about 850 cases in his or her docket and decides about 387 cases in a legal year.

He spoke at the special court session ceremony marking the

beginning of the new 2019/2020 legal year, where he also lamented the caseload the judges of the court had to grapple with.

He said, “Bearing great relevance to the duty of adjudication is the quality and quantity of our work as judges.

“Thus, as our disposal rates increase, so should the quality of our judgments. By any standards, the caseload of the judges you see here today is among the heaviest and the

most complex across many jurisdictions in the country.

“This is understandable as litigants prefer to litigate in the FCT on grounds of the confidence we have built over time.

“Workload at times put pressure on our human and material resources. You should, therefore, understand with us where your expectations are not completely met.”

According to the statistics of

cases reeled out by the Chief Judge, there are a total of 16,621 cases pending in the court, while he also noted that the court lost two judges – Justices Valentine Ashi and C. U Ndukwe, to death in the last 2018/2019 legal year bringing the number of judges down to 35.

He said the court had 30,582 pending cases last legal year, out of which 16,396 were fresh cases and 14,186 were carried over from 2017/2018.

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NEWS

Olam Pays N120bn to Acquire Dangote Flour Mills Shareholders of Dangote Flour Mills Plc (DFM), yesterday unanimously approved the acquisition of the company by Crown Flour Mills Limited, the Nigerian subsidiary of global food and agri-business conglomerate, Olam International Limited after a whopping payment of N120 billion to the shareholders.

Olam International has made an offer for the acquisition of 100 per cent equity in Dangote Flour Mills Plc for a consideration of N24.00 per share. The acquisition was carried out through a Scheme of Arrangement.

Most of the shareholders who spoke at the meeting lauded the company’s management for the noble decision, describing it as one, in the best interest of the shareholders.

Nona Awoh, a notable financial analyst and one of the shareholders of the company thanked the Management on the offer of N24 per share and reminded other shareholders that the last time the share price of the company increased significantly

to N20 per share was in the year 2010.

Another leader of the shareholders group, Mr. Boniface Solomon, described the deal as a very good one for the shareholders.

He said the stock has really been struggling in view of the current realities in the nation’s economy, stating that the N24 per share is indeed a good price for his members.

The Managing Director of Crown Flour Mills Limited, Anurag Shukia said his company intends to maintain and expand DFM’s business as well as provide enhanced manufacturing capacity and create synergies to deliver improved products to customers across the country.

With the acquisition, the entire 4,994,886,771 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in DFM held by the scheme shareholders of the company will be transferred to Crown Flour. The N24 per share that will be given to the shareholders for 50 kobo shares held represents a 124 per cent premium on the share price of

DFM as at the close of April 18, 2019 being the last business day prior to the date the proposal was received and announced on the floor of the Exchange; and a 145 per cent premium on the three-month weighted average

share price of the company as at 18 April, 2019 Benefits to the shareholders include but not limited to: opportunities for shareholders of DFM, other than Crown Flour, to enhance the value of

their investment in the company and exit at an attractive pricing; in addition, the Scheme is expected to create valuable synergies between the operations of Crown Flour and DFM, to ensure improved revenue generation capacity,

reduced operational costs, and enhance profit.

It will also enable Olam focus on the flour business, to provide the necessary financial and technical support required to maintain and expand the business.

Why We are Amending Production Sharing Contract MEETING… Law, Says Senate President CONSULTATIVE L-R: Senator Victor Umeh; former Governor of Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Governor Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan yesterday justified the current move by the Senate to amend the law on Production Sharing Contract in the oil industry.

Lawan said: “It has become absolutely necessary for us to do so as a country so that we can generate more revenues from our endowments.”

He stated this while declaring open a public hearing on the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract 2004(amendment) Bill 2019 sponsored by Senator Albert Bassey Akpan.

The public hearing was convened jointly by the Senate Committees on Petroleum (upstream), Gas, Finance and Judiciary.

The Senate president said the Senate will, in the process of carrying out the amendment, be mindful of the need to maintain a competitive environment for businesses to continue to thrive.

The Senate, he said, would also ensure that the oil and gas business in Nigeria remain profitable.

The bill seeks to amend Section 5 of the PSC Act to bring the provisions of that section into conformity with the generality

of provisions of the Act and into congruence with the intendment and essence of Production Sharing Contracts.

Lawan said: “We want to attract more investments, and therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we engage in a process that we produce a win-win situation” for Nigeria and the business concerns in the oil and gas industry.

“Let me assure everyone here that the National Assembly is determined to pass this bill, and of course, that will be a precursor to our determination to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) next year,” Lawan added.

The PIB was first introduced in 2007, and it is yet to be passed in its entirety.

The Senate president said the National Assembly would now adopt a different approach to make the passage of the PIB a reality.

“We want to see a situation where the legislature and the executive would work very closely to have a PIB that will attract investment into the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

“An investment climate that will be competitive; we know we have other countries which have this product, and therefore, we have to be competitive and have an environment where the businesses make profit.

Glo Empowers Onitsha Indigenes at 2019 Azu Ofala Celebrations Globacom has empowered five indigenes of Onitsha with five brand new tricycles, which is popularly known as Keke, to mark the successful celebration of the traditional Ofala Festival of Onitsha town in Anambra State.

The beneficiaries of the keke were Ekpechi Henry, Okey Eneh, Ifeanyi Deluo Ike, Emeka Henry Chidi and Mofunanya Onochie.

They were selected at a live draw held at the Onitsha Ime Obi

arena, which was observed by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Agbogidi Nnaemeka Achebe, alongside his palace chiefs and other dignitaries.

Another five indigenes of the Onitsha had won LED TV sets at an earlier consolation prize draws that were done electronically.

Three of the five, Ebirim Akunna Cynthia, Ikechukwu Mmadular and Ogbunando Adaeze, were present at the arena to receive their prizes.

David Umahi of Ebonyi State; Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Bishop Callistus Onaga of Catholic Diocese of Enugu; and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, during the meeting of the South East Governors Forum with leaders of the zone at the Government House, Enugu… yesterday.

EFCC Storms Underground Night Club in Osogbo, Arrests 94 Cyber Fraudsters Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday stormed a secret underground night club in Osogbo, Osun State, and arrested 94 suspected internet fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo Boys’.

It said the Osogbo-based club is popular for hosting parties for internet fraudsters.

The Commission said the raid was sequel to intelligence gathered to the effect that the suspects

were organising a night party to celebrate their loots.

A statement by the anti-graft agency said 19 exotic cars, laptops, scores of sophisticated mobile phones and other items were recovered during the raid.

According to the statement, “Operatives of the EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on October 14, 2019, raided an Osogbo-based nightclub notorious for hosting parties for suspected internet fraudsters.

“The raid led to the arrest of 94 suspects and confiscation of

19 exotic cars, laptops, scores of sophisticated mobile phones and other items.”

The agency said the night club “popularly known as ‘Club Secret Underground’ is located on the Ibadan-Iwo expressway of the Osun State capital.

“The wee-hour operation was sequel to an intelligence report hinting that the suspected internet fraudsters were organising a night party on October 13 during which some of them intended to celebrate their loots.”

The statement which was signed by the spokesman of the Commission, Wilson Ewujaren, said a discreet operation on the club had earlier been carried out to ascertain the authenticity of the intelligence, adding that “the confirmation led to the mega raid effected on Monday.”

Ewujaren said: “The suspects are currently undergoing further interrogation, and those indicted would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”

Insurgency: Yobe Govt Re-opens Gaidam Market after 10 Months, Relaxes Curfew by Four Hours Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State yesterday announced the re-opening of Gaidam Town’s Market, one of the largest markets in the state which was closed down over 10 months ago by the military due to the Boko Haram insurgency.

The governor also announced that the 12-hour curfew in the town has been relaxed by four hours from 6 p.m. to 10p.m. daily.

The governor, who visited Gaidam town yesterday and held a townhall meeting with the people and the Emir of Ngazagamo Alhaji Tijjani Ibn

Saleh, said the reopening of the market became necessary considering how its closure had caused untold hardship on the people many of whom depend on it for their livelihood.

Governor Buni prior to his visiting Gaidam town for the re-opening of the market, he has met President Buhari, Army Chief Buratai, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu and other top echelons of the nation’s security to confer with them and brief them on the situation in Gaidam town and how the closure of the market had affected the people’s

wellbeing.

The governor observed that while security reasons were cited for the closure of the market, the closure had the potential to cause even more security challenges when you have youths who otherwise depend on the market for their livelihood roaming the streets and doing nothing.

“I have pledged on your behalf that security is and will remain everybody’s business. Everyone in Gaidam and environs will chip in and contribute to security by cooperating with the security agents and by promptly reporting

any suspicious persons or activity to the security agents,” he said.

Governor Buni also revealed that he has granted permission for the Gaidam Local Government Area to recruit 150 more vigilantes who would work especially on Gaidam Market Days to ensure that market activities are conducted peacefully and ensure that any suspicious persons are apprehended.

“It is not just the chairman of the local government or the vigilantes. All of you in the town would to do your part,” he said.

Court Strikes out Chevron’s Objection over Missing Crude Oil Revenue A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday struck out a preliminary objection filed by Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, an arm of Chevron Nigeria Limited, against the federal government over undeclared crude oil shipment between 2011 and 2014.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa, in dismissing preliminary objection filed by the oil and gas company, held that it lacks merit.

The judge held that there is sufficient cause of action against the company as claimed by the federal government and asked

the company to answer the case against it.

The judge then adjourned the case to December 5, 2019 for trial.

The federal government had sometime in 2016 through its counsel, Professor Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), instituted actions in court

against some international oil companies (IOCs) to recover lost revenues allegedly arising from undeclared and underdeclared crude oil shipments from Nigeria to different parts of the world between 2011 and 2014.

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Enugu Airport: S’East Govs, Leaders to Meet Buhari Christopher Isiguzo and Gideon Arinze in Enugu Worried by the dearth of infrastructure in the South East Zone as well as the closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the governors in the zone rose from an emergency meeting in Enugu yesterday with a resolution to hold an allimportant “strategic meeting” with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Addressing journalists at the end of the three-hour closeddoor meeting, the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi said the content of the proposed meeting would be made public “in due course”.

He, however, refused to give further details about the closed-door meeting.

“My dear brothers and sisters, we just finished our meeting, South East governors meeting with our leaders, and we resolved that we are going to see our president for the welfare of our people in South East; that is what we resolved.

“When we come back,

we’ll give you the content of our meeting with the president, thank you and God bless.”

Apart from Governor Umahi, other governors present include Governor of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State was represented by his deputy, Gerald Irona.

Other notable Igbo leaders present at the meeting were the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Calistus Onaga; and other religious leaders.

THISDAY gathered that among the issues that would possibly top the agenda of the planned meeting with the president include the closure of Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

The airport was shut on August 24, 2019, and up till the time of filing this report, no meaningful activity has taken place at the airport.

It was also gathered that the slow pace of reconstruction

work at Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway May also form

part of the agenda of the meeting.

Sources also said the

governors also plan to table the issue of the increasing spate of ecological challenges

in the zone especially in Abia and Anambra states with the president.

TACKLING TANKER MENACE...

R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Chairman, Ijegun-Egba Tank Farm Owners and Operators Association/Managing Director, Emadeb Energy Services Limited, Mr. Adebowale Olujimi; and Managing Director, Chipet Oil, Mr. Peter Chinedu, during a courtesy visit by the members of the association to the governor at Lagos House, Alausa... yesterday

Double Registration: Akpoti Asks Ekiti Assembly Reinstates Suspended Council Chairmen, Court to Disqualify Bello as Kogi Councillors Ekiti State House of Assembly were: Ikere, Ise/Orun, Oye, Ekiti 2018 on the allegation of gross 2011 and enact the Ekiti Gender Governorship Candidate yesterday reinstated the East, Ilejemeje, Emure, Efon and misappropriation of over N4bn. Based Violence, (Prohibition) Bill, Davidson Iriekpen in Lagos and Alex Enumah in Abuja A governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying for the disqualification of Governor Yahaya Bello as a candidate in the forthcoming November 16 governorship election in the state.

Akpoti who is the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the state, in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/122/2019 filed yesterday, anchored her prayer on Bello’s alleged double registration as a voter.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who filed the suit on her behalf, contended that Bello’s act of double registration as a voter grossly violated section 24(e) of the Electoral Act. Apart from disqualification, the plaintiff also asked the court to bar Bello who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming poll, from holding public office for 10 years.

She also prayed for another order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “thoroughly investigate the act of double registration” and “to immediately prosecute him upon the expiration of his first tenure of office as governor of Kogi State in January 2020”.

Her lawyer, Ozekhome, in the Originating Summons, argued as part of the grounds of the suit, that “by his willful act of making double registration”, Bello as APC’s candidate, “is not a fit and proper persons to be allowed by the 2nd defendant (INEC) to vote or be voted for in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election, having committed acts of electoral fraud.”

The senior lawyer also maintained that Bello underwent

double voter registration as a voter in gross violation of the electoral law, and that INEC had sacked two of its employees who allegedly “aided and abetted Yahaya Bello in his act of double registration as a voter.”

Only Bello’s party, the APC, and the INEC are made defendants.

In the affidavit sworn to by Akpoti, in support of the suit, she said she contested the March 23, 2019 Kogi Central senatorial election but lost.

She noted that she had emerged as the SDP candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state but was unjustifiably disqualified by INEC. She described herself as “an indigene of Kogi State, a legal practitioner, an astute politician, a political reformer, a pro-masses advocate, a philanthropist and one deeply involved in and concerned with the parlous state of affairs of Kogi State people and Nigerians alike.”

Akpoti alleged that Bello first registered as a voter in Abuja in 2011 and procured the second voter registration in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital in May 2017.

She added that as a confirmation of the alleged infraction by Bello, the governor subsequently transferred his Permanent Voter Card from Abuja to Lokoja while the second registration done in Lokoja was still subsisting.

The plaintiff also said INEC had severally threatened to prosecute Bello for the said act of double registration with the commission but failed to take any discernable action in stopping him from contesting the governorship election.

Akpoti stated, “The transfer was carried out and his Permanent Voters Card was issued to him on February 26, 2018, while his second registration at the government house, Lokoja was and is still subsisting.

remaining eight local government chairmen and their councillors who had earlier been suspended.

The chairmen and councillors were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The assembly, in a unanimous resolution during yesterday’s plenary resolved that the affected chairmen and councilors should be reinstated.

The council chairmen reinstated

Ido/Osi. The reinstatement followed the adoption of the report of the House Joint Committees on Public Petition and Public Accounts at the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye.

It would be recalled that they were among the 16 council chairman and 177 councillors suspended on December 18,

But, following a petition written by the chairman of Ekiti ALGON, Mr. Dapo Olagunju, on behalf of others, appealing for reinstatement, the Assembly on July, 4, reinstated chairmen and councillors in Ijero, Moba, Gbonyin, Ado and Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ekiti South West and Ekiti West.

The assembly also passed a Bill to repeal the Ekiti Gender Based Violence,(Prohibition) Law,

2019.

The passage of the Gender Based Bill followed the adoption of the report of the Committee of Women Affairs and Social Development read by its Chairman, Mrs Adekemi Balogun.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Mr. Funmimiyi Afuye applauded the committees for carrying out its task within the stipulated time.

Scores Killed as NAF Bombard Boko Haram’s MeetingVenue Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Boko Haram insurgents suffered a major casualty on Sunday when the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jets bombarded their meeting venue in Boboshe, Borno State.

According to a statement signed by the Director Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, scores of Boko

Haram fighters were killed in the air raid.

According to the statement made available to journalists, “the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has decimated a location at Boboshe on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, being used

by Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) as a meeting venue.

“The attack was conducted following successive days of

Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, coupled with Human Intelligence reports, that established that a building within the settlement was being used as a rendezvous by the BHTs where their commanders assemble to take instructions before launching attacks against our troops and innocent civilians.

“Accordingly, the ATF

detailed its fighter aircraft to attack the hideout, scoring accurate hits within the designated area leading to the decimation of the target structure. Several BHTs were also killed as a result of the strikes.

“The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the terrorists in the North-east.”

Tinubu Pays Tribute to Justice Jinadu Idowu Sowunmi The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday described the former Solicitor-General of the Federation, Justice Yahaya Abiodun Jinadu, who died last Thursday at 93 as a “man of unimpeachable character, competence and courage’.

He said the late Justice contributed immensely to the judiciary and jurisprudence as much as he gave to his community and humanity generally.

In a condolence letter to

Justice Jinadu’s wife and children, Tinubu recalled that the late judge who was elevated to the High Court Bench in Lagos State in 1973 from being the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation, resigned from the bench in 1984 on principle.

“Please accept my deepest sympathy and condolences over the passing of Justice Jinadu, the patriarch of Jinadu Family and former SolicitorGeneral of the Federation, on Thursday, October 9, 2019.

“Justice Jinadu contributed immensely to the judiciary and jurisprudence. He was a man of unimpeachable

character, competence and courage, which would have accounted for why he was elevated to the High Court Bench in Lagos State in 1973 from being the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation “Whether at the Federal Ministry of Justice or on the bench, late Justice Jinadu conducted himself with respect and dignity. He believed strongly in the independence of the judiciary and it’s on record that he retired from the bench in 1984 on principle.

“A devout Muslim, he gave to his community and mankind generally as much as he gave to the legal profession.

“His death is a loss to the judiciary, to the legal profession, to Lagos and Nigeria and to humanity generally for he was a exemplary judge and an excellent human being.

“We give gratitude to God that he lived to a ripe age of 93 and left behind good children and good deeds. My prayers are with you, children and other members of the family. May we all find the strength to continue with the good works of Justice Jinadu and all that he represented,” Tinubu said in the letter.

He prayed Allah to grant him Aljanna Firdaus.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

ICC Visits Nigeria, Investigates Activities of Insurgents in North-east Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja A delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) visited Nigeria yesterday to commence a preliminary investigation into the activities of insurgents in the North-east.

A statement by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s spokesman, Mr. Laolu Akande, said the vice-president received the ICC delegation led by its Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, in the State House.

According to the statement, the vice-president told the delegation that the Nigerian government remained committed to its obligations in ICC under the Rome Statute.

Akande quoted Osinbajo as saying that in line with the commitment of Nigeria to

fulfil its obligations to ICC, it will respect the process that the ICC is undertaking in Nigeria and willingly cooperate with it.

“We have done quite a lot to prove that we are determined to fulfill our obligation under the Statute. And I want to say that, on behalf of the Nigerian government, we respect the process, and there is no reluctance on our part at all,” Osinbajo said.

Akande also said the vicepresident referred to a judicial inquiry instituted by the federal government to address some of the preliminary issues being examined by the court.

He further quoted Osinbajo as saying, “Again, let me say that Nigeria is committed to our obligations and the process under the Rome Statute; we are strong supporters of the Statute

and the work of the ICC.” The statement added that the ICC Prosecutor, Bensouda, on her part noted that since the global court started the preliminary

examination, “we have had full cooperation and support from the Nigerian government and authorities, we have also engaged as much as possible.”

The statement listed other government officials at the meeting to include the DirectorGeneral, Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi and

the Solicitor -General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Akpata.

Sylva: Non-passage of PIB Stagnates Nigeria’s Oil Reserves Since 2007 Deji Elumoye in Abuja The non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which was sent to the National Assembly in 2007 as an executive bill by late President Umaru Yar’adua, has been identified as a major factor militating against required investments in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timpre Sylva, who attributed the stagnation of the nation’s oil reserves at between 37 and 37.5 billion barrels in the last 12 years to the non-passage of the bill.

Sylva disclosed this yesterday at a public hearing session that was organised by the Senate’s Joint Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Finance, Gas and Judiciary on Deep Offshore and Inland Basing Sharing Contract (Amendment) Bill 2019.

He declared that while the oil reserves increased from 22 billion barrels in 1999 to 37billion barrels in 2007, only 500 million barrels were added to it between 2007 and 2019 due to lack of additional investments.

His words: “Perhaps as a result of some level of regulations, from 1999 to 2007, we grew our oil reserves from 22 billion barrels to 37 billion barrels, which however got stagnated between then and now ( 2019) with 37.5billion barrels , meaning that for 12 years , only 500million barrels were added to the reserves.

“If you compare it with the growth between 1999 and 2007 you will notice that the only difference is that there was a clear regulatory environment then but between 2007 and now, there has been quite unclear regulation because the law to govern the oil industry was not passed.”

The Minister of State, however, was delighted that the growing national consensus is demanding that the regulatory environment in the oil industry must be cleared.

“The National Assembly is on the same page with the executive and I hope that with this engagement with the industry, even the industry will be on the same page with the National Assembly and the executive. As we come together, we will have a law that will be to the overall interest of all of us as a country and industry players,” Sylva said.

He, however, commended the Senate for setting machinery in motion to revisit the passage of PIB very soon. “The public hearing being held today on Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract ( Amendment ) Bill 2019 by the relevant senate committees, will no doubt serve as precursor for consideration and passage of PIB in no distant time,” he added.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, reiterated the commitment of the Ninth National Assembly to pass the PIB next year.

Lawan stated that the bill, which appeared jinxed since 2007 when it was sent to the 6th National Assembly up to the 8th Assembly when it was passed but not assented to by the President, would see the light of the day during the current assembly.

“Collaborative approach between the executive and the legislature is being considered in getting the PIB passed and assented to this time around because the bill is highly needed to attract investors into the sector and widen our oil reserve base,” he said.

He added that the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Bill would also be passed as a required precursor for the PIB. On his part, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Albert Akpan, noted that the need to put in place required legislations on Production Sharing Contracts ( PSC) necessitated the motion that gave birth to the bill for a win - win arrangement for all stakeholders.

EMPOWERING THE YOUTH…..

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Business Incubation Platform, Mr. Frederick Schreurs; Coordinator, Community Relations, Mr. Olasoji Fagbola; President, Youth Advocates of Nigeria (YAN), Tolulope Aina; and founder, Ajaoko Agrictech Limited, Mr. Nicholas Alifa during the summit organised by YAN at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State… recently

Nobody Attacked Oshiomhole, Edo CP Insists Rights activist calls for order to avert bloodbath Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city The Edo State Commissioner of Police, DanMallam Muhammed, has restated the state Police Command’s position that there was no attack on the person or residence of former state Governor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

This is coming as a human rights activist, Patrick Eholor, yesterday appealed to the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and Oshiomhole to shun acts likely to stir bloodbath in the state, and unite for peace, progress and development ahead of the 2020 governorship election in the state.

Meanwhile, the police commissioner, who said this in a chat with journalists yesterday, debunked allegations of an attack on the former governor, as he warned troublemakers to steer clear of the state.

He said the police beefed up

security around the APC national chairman when he visited to the state, during which no attack was recorded.

“To the best of my knowledge, no one had access to the house of the APC national chairman.

When he came into the state, we beefed up security around him, from his house to the Oba’s palace, from there to the airport before he left for Abuja.

“Let me use this medium to warn troublemakers that Edo State is very peaceful and calm. The state is the most peaceful in the South-south region of Nigeria.

Therefore, we will do everything according to the law to ensure that the peace the people of the state enjoy is not truncated, and any attempt by anyone to cause trouble in the state would be resisted with maximum force,” Muhammed stated.

A Chieftain of the APC in the state, Charles Idahosa, described the allegations as efforts by

unscrupulous elements to heat up the polity “so that evil elements can have their way.”

According to him, “The state Commissioner of Police has come out to state categorically that there was no such attack on Oshiomhole. The state government has also denied knowledge of such attack. But these people keep insisting that the former governor was attacked. They have brought in other actors to corroborate what never happened.

That is the height of the spread of fake news.

“It is obvious that they are concocting these attacks to get public sympathy. They should quit the charade. We want to warn them not to heat up the polity. The Edo State Government is led by a man who puts a premium on law and order as can be seen in Obaseki’s numerous reforms as well as other public engagements.”

Another party chieftain, Dr. Peter Ologun, said it was

regrettable that a national chairman of the ruling party would resort to spreading fake news to draw sympathy to himself.

Insisting that it was instructive that the police have come out to debunk the allegation, he said: “We are very certain that the state government has nothing to do with the supposed attack, which I am sure never happened.

“A man of Oshiomhole’s calibre shouldn’t be a party to such an act of calumny.

Edo remains a peaceful state, as the Commissioner of Police has stated in his criticism of the allegations. So we caution against spreading of fake news and misinformation to cause unwarranted tension.”

Also, Mr. Oteghe Adams, another stalwart of the APC, said the matter is a case of crying wolf where there is none, urging political actors to be circumspect when they angle for political relevance.

House Expresses Concern over Slow Pace of Justice Delivery, Promises Reform Adedayo Akinwale ín Abuja House of Representatives has expressed concern over the slow pace of justice delivery and backlog of legal matters in the various court of law in the country.

Against this background, the green chamber has promised to work with relevant bodies and stakeholders to carry out a lot of reforms in the judiciary.

The Chairman House Committee on Judiciary, Onofiok Luke, disclosed this yesterday

at the inaugural meeting of the committee, where he revealed the desire of the committee to repositioning the judiciary and addressing the challenges confronting it.

He said over-sighting the judiciary entrusted to the committee an enormous task, adding that the enormity of the task was more demanding and pronounced in a developing democracy like Nigeria, where the independence and operations of the judiciary has constantly been under threat.

The chairman noted that by the Standing Order of the House, the committee has the legislative authority to oversight the following matters: judicial matters generally; federal judicial institutions including but not limited to Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, National Judicial Institute and National Judicial Council.

Others are Federal Judicial Service Commission, Body of Benchers, all courts/tribunals

howsoever called, funded by the federal government through the first line charge or howsoever described; notary public; and annual budget estimates.

Luke said: “The slow pace of justice delivery and backlog of matters is a cause for concern.

Some matters spend a minimum lifespan of 10 years before their final adjudication at the apex court – Supreme Court. Part of this problem is that our legal system allows all matters to travel to the Supreme Court without limit.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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COMMENT

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

SEX -FOR- GRADES AS QUID PRO QUO Victor C. Ariole argues that University of Lagos has in place checks against abuse

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uid pro quo is somehow used in French as awkward phenomenon or a mismatch of input and end result like one always notice in some policies in Nigeria designed to have a great positive impact but end up disappointing. However in hearing it as the impeachment inquiry process was started in USA it clearly sounded like one compromising his or her position of trust and in effect as lawyers say, a breach of fiduciary duties. In deed any intent of sex-for-grade in any university that worth the name must be seen as institutional compromise or the abuse of power conferred on that institution to award degrees in character and learning. A brand name is at stake and members of that institution must wake up to their responsibility to defend their image and it goes very much with internal processes to nip in the bud such explosive issues especially that universities worldwide are competing to gain reputation for either winning research grants or attracting international students and exchange programmes.

Every member of an institution owes that institution a fiduciary duty and makes sure their personal interest is not in conflict with that of the institution and such interest must be well defined and made known to the individual at the time of engagement.

So, no matter who is in position of authority in that institution every member must contribute their quota to make that institution a success; more so that a university is always, collectively, owned for the propagation of knowledge and development of minds for ever changing world.

Even the so-called private universities are also subjected to collective accreditation as stakeholders are beyond the so-called proprietor. Hence for any university the internal mechanism to keep excesses in check by any member is not in doubt.

One has served as external examiner in almost six universities in Nigeria and it is unmistaken to state that UNILAG could boast of being the most diversified in terms of gender, federal spread and foreign students. The latter is basically where most Nigerian universities lag behind due, basically, to external propaganda on insecurity. If not for such issues some of the first generation and second generation of federal universities ought to rank among the first hundred in the world as their products are seen teaching in some big universities abroad.

And lack of that diversity as it relates to foreign students and foreign lecturers create problem of universal best practice issues. Personally as a student I was taught in Nigeria by many foreigners – French, American, German, Swiss, Ghanaian, and Indian amidst Nigerians. And they all sat as examination board members of faculty to determine the validity of results deposed by a lecturer. Even if a university decides to be highly nationalistic like it is in Iran and Cuba, it ought to work harder than others to project a better image of itself through its products seen outside, like people talk about Cuban doctors outside Cuba. It should also be in character and in learning. It is rare to hear about character smear of Cuban doctors seen in most of African and south American spaces. In all the character side of a given license or degree to go out and serve humanity with all the confidence that you went through university and university went through you matters. It is also where tolerance for diversity comes in as you go through disciplines that have almost the same contents like musical keys.

Characters can never be seen as good if not tested; and in any environment where the two sexes exist, sexual harassment cannot be said to be unimaginable; it can only be checked so as not to make humans look like robots. However, for great ethical reasons sex-for-grade could be rendered inexistent nay unimaginable if assessment processes respect artificial

UNILAG HAS A ROBUST SYSTEM OF CHECKING RESULT INPUTS AND NO FEWER THAN SIX LECTURES HAD BEEN SENT PACKING IN THE PAST SIX YEARS FOR TRYING TO BREACH THAT PROCESS AND THEY DID NOT CONTEST THEIR SACK TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE

intelligence process or 50/50 human and AI process.

Conferring a degree that carries the tag of ‘honours’, there must be rigorous process to the end outcome. No university worth its salt should take that with levity and it must not be at the discretion of one person; that was why when the Nigerian Military, during their rules, appointed sole administrators in the universities there was no degree awarded till that condition was reversed. Remember General Kontagora as Sole Administrator of ABU and Prof Shehu as Sole Administrator of UNN, and so on. It was a quid pro quo phenomenon, corrupt in itself as to negate any degree signed by such people. It applies to claiming that only one lecturer decides the grades a student gets.

It is the same as stating that a private bill tabled on the floor of a National Assembly sailed through all stages without the input of committees or the members of the Assembly.

Examination of courses in a university could be by one or more lecturers depending on the value or credit units attached to that course.

I am not saying that some bogus institutions claiming to be universities are not in breach. Even when a lecturer is the sole examiner, a chief examiner is there to vet the result before even submitting it to a larger assembly of faculty members who decide whether it is valid or not.

Note that as they see the entire performance of each student made available on a broad sheet / excel sheet, exceptionalities or absurdities could be seen to call for questioning before final approval which makes any result the collective agreement of the members of Senate hence quite absurd to propagate a hashtag sex-for-grade. It is a collective agreement hence not one person’s burden notwithstanding any intent of sexual harassment. It still remains an institutional quid pro quo if no oversight function is brought to bear on the final outcome of inputs of raw scores.

Recently some Nigerian universities had noticed that results that came out of immersion programmes in China see almost all the students scoring 70% and above and they seem to be concerned about it. The results are always revisited to suit the right measurement tools as obtainable in Nigeria. It is like evaluating what is large size in America and what it is in China.

It is also the same thing one observed in an interview granted by a former vice chancellor who said that during his student days abroad he scored 70% in a semester and he was called to be warned that if he continued like, he had better be ready to drop from the university and it shocked him. It should be about 45 years ago or thereabout given the age of the vice chancellor. He was expected to score 80% to prove a good student. In effect as are now tagged in foreign institutions as A or A* or A** to show good, better, best students and in Nigeria no one is grasping the intent of such scores. In some places where education is valued, coming to classes and contributing enough could earn the student 50% so as to de-emphasise examination and such participation and attendance are at the glare of fellow students so as not to be seen as biased or applying sex-for-grade measurement tool.

In effect UNILAG has a robust system of checking result inputs and no fewer than six lectures had been sent packing in the past six years for trying to breach that process and they did not contest their sack to the best of my knowledge; hence sex-for-grade could be an unfair smear on UNILAG. Harassment is human and could be punishable but sex-for-grade is a quid pro quo that could not be levelled against an individual outside the gates of a true university.

Ariole is a Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Lagos

ECHOES OF FREE EDUCATION IN OGUN Soyombo Opeyemi lauds Ogun State government’s educational policy

“The future of Ogun West must be great. I will not rest until our youths are gainfully employed, our roads are fixed and our educational standards are improved. Our forefathers will never forgive us if we do not improve on what was left behind.” – Senator Tolu Odebiyi

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oth Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of the Action Group and Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, another chieftain of the party, were elected into the Western House of Assembly in 1951, following the promulgation of the Macpherson Constitution. Chief JAO Odebiyi, father of the Senator representing Ogun West in the current ninth National Assembly, Chief Tolu Odebiyi, later emerged the Minister of Education in the year when the Western Region became self-governing under the able and forthright leadership of Chief Awolowo as Premier.

A foremost educationist, Chief JAO Odebiyi became the pioneer principal of Egbado College, Ilaro in 1951. He facilitated the eventual establishment of the famous Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro in the Egbado Division of Ogun State. Only a few compatriots may probably be aware that the teaching and learning of Social Studies in Nigeria began from this prestigious college.

Before Awo became the Leader of Government Business in 1952, the colonial government of Nigeria had never awarded up to 20 varsity scholarships in a year to its students. But by 1952, the government of the Western Region awarded 200 university scholar-

ships to the students that hailed from the Region, the very first of such in the country.

The Western Region blazed a trail when it launched the first ever Free Universal Primary Education in the country on January 17, 1955. The policy paper of the Action Group on the free education scheme was adopted at the first conference of the party in Owo, where Chief JAO Odebiyi and other prominent members of the AG were in attendance.

In his radio broadcast to the people of the West on the momentous occasion of the inauguration of free education, Chief Awolowo underscored the foresight of his administration: “The opportunity which the Government of this Region offers to all of us in the way of education of our children is far-reaching. I appeal to all of you to seize this opportunity in real earnest. I do not at all minimize the problems that are bound to confront us as we proceed with the execution of all our educational schemes. But if all of you will cooperate, in a spirit of willingness and loyalty with the Government, the task of tackling and solving any problems that may arise will, God being our helper, be considerably lightened.”

The free education programme turned out to be a huge success. And the beneficiaries of the scheme are leaving no stone unturned in order to expand access to education. Just recently, the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, abolished all forms of payment in all public primary and secondary schools as well as technical colleges across the length and breadth of the state. It reduced the cost of Transfer Form to public primary and secondary schools from N20,000 to

N5000. The new administration also restored payment of running costs to the schools.

During the silver jubilee of the historic launch of the Free Universal Primary Education in January 1980, Chief Obafemi Awolowo addressed the government and people of Ogun State at the Ogun State House of Assembly. He emphasized that “Education is a fundamental right, and it is the inalienable right of every Nigerian citizen to be educated free by the state.

To treat education as a privilege, the opportunity to acquire which is limited to the children of the well-todo and the rich, or which must be paid for from loan given to the student by the state, is a most misguided policy. For the avoidance of doubt, by free education we mean the abolition of not only of fees but also of all kinds of levies, by whatever name called that are still being imposed and collected in some parts of the country.”

Unfortunately, due to the misguided foray of the military into governance, which led to proliferation of states, take-over of schools (voluntary agencies, as they were then called) and other debilitating consequences, delivering free education at all levels in the contemporary Nigeria would be nearly impossible except there is a surgical restructuring of the nation.

Therefore, we must praise those state governments that have accorded free elementary and secondary education with abolition of all fees a priority. And those individuals and public office holders who, through scholarships, offer free tertiary education to members of their own constituencies deserve all our praises.

Most often, the children of the poor in our society are disadvantaged. Shouldering the burden of tertiary education of their wards is difficult. Hence, cases of talented students dropping off from school or experiencing poor performance on account of lack of fund are not new in the Nigerian system. Given this background, the latest intervention by the scion of Chief JAO Odebiyi, Senator Tolu Odebiyi, representing Ogun West senatorial district, deserves plaudits.

Friday, October 11, 2019 remains a red letter day in the annals of Ogun West. It was the day Senator Odebiyi in one fell swoop gave university scholarships to 50 students who hail from Ogun West. These students, who “show promise – with minimum of Second Class Lower”, constitute the first batch of Ogun West indigenes to benefit from the scheme, which is from the second year till graduation. Expectedly, the joy of these students and their parents knew no bounds at such a unique ceremony filled with nostalgia of the golden days of the Western Region. A new lease of life has been provided for these children of the masses.

Just like his father, the venerable JAO Odebiyi, Senator Tolu Odebiyi has always identified with the ups and downs of his people. The latest kind gesture will surely reverberate and produce ripples among the community of Yewa/Awori youths. The passion to excel in order to get a free university education will now define the times of students of Ogun West extraction.

Soyombo, a media practitioner, sent this piece via densityshow@yahoo.com

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019

EDITORIAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND SECURITY VOTES Security votes should be transparently spent

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he recent altercation between the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State over the use of security votes has once again brought the contentious issue into public consciousness.

Both men sharply disagreed while speaking at the second quarterly anti-corruption policy dialogue on accountability for security votes.

While Buratai, who echoed the misgivings of many Nigerians on the legality and propriety of security votes, advocated the need to subject such spending to audit, Fayemi, current Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), faulted the submission of the army general, describing it as an “incorrect narrative.”

In contrast to the assumption that security vote is spent on security by heads of executive arms of government, Buratai argued that the money is usually spent on things that THERE SHOULD BE A cannot be classified LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR under security. He ACCOUNTABILITY AND therefore insisted AUTHORISATION OF BOTH that security vote must be made a THE ALLOCATION AND UTILISATION OF SECURITY constitutional allocation with proper VOTES guidelines on its utilisation duly spelt out. He said until this is done, controversies generated by the vote will continue to fester. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, agreed with Buratai on the abuse to which security votes were being subjected. Magu added a dangerous dimension to the issue when he said some governors “now covertly promote insecurity as justification to inflate their security vote.”

While we understand the position of Fayemi that security votes cannot be eliminated, we urge a measure of accountability. For a government that is prosecuting some officials of the previous administration over the manner security votes were allegedly

Letters to the Editor

diverted for political ends, it is disappointing that President Muhammadu Buhari has no legislative agenda on this throw-back from the military era.

As rightly noted by Mr Robert Clarke, security vote is not provided for in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Its allocation and use therefore underscore a gross violation of the extant laws which stipulate that no amount of money can be spent by the executive at the federal or state level unless it is appropriated by the legislature.

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

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THE ELUSIVE MINIMUM WAGE

LAGOS FLOODING AND THE TRAFFIC CRISIS

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hese are not the best of times for Lagosians and for very obvious reasons.

The level of utter discomfort that commuters in Lagos have had to deal with in transit these past few months is overwhelming. Journeys that should typically take minutes are now guaranteed to take hours.

The issue of flooding is becoming the single most disturbing menace in Lagos. With every torrential rainfall, productivity is drastically reduced. The concomitant adverse effects include a colossal waste of productive time, loss of money to vehicle repairs and inability to meet up with commitments – both private and business-related amongst other inconveniences that the gridlock causes.

This situation is not helped by the abysmal state of roads generally across the state. There is hardly any stretch of road without a pothole, further made worse by the blocked drainages leaving the water no choice but to cause an entire mess on the road.

This cannot continue as we are witnessing a gradual if not complete degeneration of our road infrastructure. The pressure on our roads calls for concern but the unfortunate twist is that Lagosians are not left with so many viable options although there are a few positives. Just recently, the government

ccountability is one of the hallmarks of constitutional democracy. Therefore, a situation where public officials are allowed to draw money from the federation account under the guise of security vote without any mechanism for accountability is antithetical to the spirit and letter of democracy. Since it has become an avenue for the heads of the executive arms of government to siphon money, there is an urgent need to examine the idea. It is instructive to note that security vote crept into Nigeria’s democratic system from the previous military intervention in our politics. As explained by Clarke, military junta created the fund to assist them in fighting and foiling coups d’etat by members of the armed forces.

However, unlike the situation now where the source of the fund is shrouded in secrecy, security vote during military era was prepared by the budget office and approved by the Supreme Military Council in accordance with a military decree. But when democracy returned in 1999, the fund was not incorporated into the constitution and this notwithstanding, politicians opted to entrench it into our political system without any authorisation.

We, therefore, challenge the federal government to properly prepare a legal framework for accountability and authorisation of both the allocation and utilisation of security votes. This will stop the abuse and corrupt platform it has provided for public officials at all levels as it will enable the relevant authorities to monitor its use and bring those who abuse it to justice.

announced the commencement of a ferry service by a popular taxi service on our waterways. The use of motorbike service is also on the increase; anything just to avoid the horror of what can now be best described as ‘traffic crisis’ in Lagos.

The government is aware of this menace. The governor had given assurances that the situation of things would be better as soon as the rainy season is gone. But who knows when that would be? The current situation with the climate is unprecedented in the history of the world. The world as we know it is fast-changing and we must be prepared for these changes.

We would need to declare a state of emergency on public infrastructure in Lagos. We need to confront this crisis dutifully with a permanent solution in mind. Responsibility to turn the tide of things rests on the shoulders of the government and the citizens. A complete rehabilitation of major and connecting roads across the state must be the Number one priority of both state and local governments at this time. In the past few days, there has been some commendable development in this regard. The Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) has also announced a roll-out plan for fixing some roads.

Samuel Akinnuga, Lagos

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t may be recalled that on May 14, the federal government inaugurated a relativity and consequential adjustment committee which incidentally created a sub-committee that is to work out the template on the adjustment of ‘public labour force’ salaries.

However, the implementation of the new minimum wage is being barricaded with minor relativity and consequential adjustments. Recently, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) made a declaration that they cannot afford to pay what they don’t have, acknowledging that even though it is consequential to make this adjustment in salaries of workers at the lower levels, it will harm the economy.

Well, history has documented that the demand for the increase in minimum wage started in 1947 - when workers staged the famous 45 days general working strike for the Cost of Leaving Allowance (COLA). But agreements reached with federal government were seldom implemented or always distorted during implementation.

All over the world salary increase in the public sector is underlined by the principle of equity and the need to bridge social inequality in the face of economic and social gaps amongst citizens of a country. The minimum wage saga has been in

the news and has created so much clamour that workers are getting more apprehensive.

Similarly, there has been outcry that civil servants in Nigeria earn appallingly low wages, while Nigerian political office holders earn one of the biggest wages in the world- according to analysts. However, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has since the 18 April 2019, when the new minimum wage was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, been at odds with the federal government over its proper implementation.

In such view, the new minimum wage of N30,000 is to replace the former N18,000 and to set a new track in the interest of the least paid workers who can be said to be the most economically vulnerable. But the new wage is yet to be implemented as a result of vague disagreements and has in turn made it elusive to certain extent.

This is because the federal government on its own part has offered to pay 5.5 per cent to those at levels 15 to 17 and 10 per cent increase to workforces at grade levels 07 to 14, and the civil service unions have rejected the FGs’ offer. On their part, the union wants an increment of 25 per cent in the salary of the upper level’s employees and 30 per cent for grade levels 7 to 14 employees.

Isah Ismaila Gagarawa, NYSC, Abuja

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019

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POLITICS

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

Highlighting David Lyon’s Burden in Bayelsa Guber Race Emmanuel Addeh writes that the seeming absence of Chief David Lyon, Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the November 16 election has given room to growing disquiet among his followers

Dickson

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is name is David Lyon, but his loyalists choose to call him Lion.

Taciturn, reclusive and generally cloistered, his name didn’t really ring a bell until about a week before the closure of the purchase and submission of the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination forms for the Bayelsa governorship primaries early September.

Indeed it was the first time, that the media savvy was seeing pictures of the man who would eventually become the party’s candidate in the Bayelsa APC internal poll that has been described as not only controversial, but something resembling a magical wand swung by the party’s state leader, Chief Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa and Minister of State Petroleum Resources.

Following the new ministerial portfolio and his subsequent withdrawal from the race for the APC governorship ticket in Bayelsa, Sylva made deft political maneuvers to ensure his strangle hold on the party. A few days before the primaries which bookmakers predicted was a straight fight between him and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, ex-Minister of State, Agriculture, Sylva masterminded Lyon’s emergence, which looked like something from the fairies.

In the end, the party leadership endorsed his election though his major rivals, Lokpobiri and Preye Aganaba still contend that no election took place all over the state. They are still in court in a bid to quash the September 4 poll.

Lokpobiri, who looked the most prepared to give a good fight came a distant fourth with about 500 votes to Lyon’s 45,000, a development that has confounded even the most experienced political pundit in the state.

It’s about six weeks to the much talked about November 16 governorship election in which Lyon is expected to attempt to wrestle the reins of power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has been in control of the state since the return of democracy in 1999. The question on many lips, however, is where is Lyon or Lion , king of the jungle?

Prior to the primaries, not much was heard of or from him. Yet, it has been over six weeks since he won the internal poll and the pattern seems to have continued.

His seeming absence appears to be causing some impatience among some of his loyal supporters, though they claim to have benefitted from his philanthropy. However, not a few believe that governance goes beyond goodwill. After all, even Public Relations experts readily espouse that goodwill can be a diminishing social asset.

A fierce defender of the APC candidate, exagitator in the Niger Delta and now chieftain of the APC, Eris Paul, also called Ogunboss, recently spoke publicly about the seeming frustration of party supporters who are waiting for political structures to key into.

That outburst resonated resoundingly with several party faithful, causing a lot of frenzy

Lyon in the state’s political social media even many days after.

“I am shocked when some party faithful claim that we have the crowd, the number and even the publicity is on our side. But that does not get the job done,” the APC leader began.

“Elections are won by structures not by number of defectors. The same way theatres and actors were required for the creation of the world, so are structures required to win a governorship election. Where are our structures? Where are our theatres and actors to win the elections? He queried.

While sounding a note of warning to the party, the APC chieftain said that to defeat Governor Seriake Dickson and his party, the PDP, the APC must be ready to work day and night to uproot the PDP structures and erect new ones representing the opposition party.

“I repeat, Dickson is not an easy fight during an election. You’re going to territories that were once structured by PDP and they are surviving like old monuments or quaint customs.

“This is time to break tombs, smash quaint customs, kick structures to build structures or it’s medicine after death. Efforts and courage alone are not enough to win an election, this is time for direction, know your job, go down and kick-start the job,” he advised.

To be sure, Lion, David Lyon, appears to have an uphill task before him. Defeating a party that

The APC needs to find its rhythm in the state.

Its leaders must be accessible. The notion that APC has already won the poll without casting a ballot must be jettisoned. The party’s standard bearer must show leadership. He must stop always being on the defensive, mostly about his character and personal flaws and foibles which the PDP continues to latch on

Sylva has successfully perpetuated itself for 20 years and has been described as an Ijaw party by its leaders will not come without a fight, a strategic one at that.

Beyond Southern Ijaw, the local government he hails from, Lyon, it is generally believed, needs to reach out to other parts of the state, even as time continues to run out. He would need the entire state.

For now, the APC needs to find its rhythm in the state. Its leaders must be accessible. The notion that APC has already won the poll without casting a ballot must be jettisoned. The party’s standard bearer must show leadership. He must stop always being on the defensive, mostly about his character and personal flaws and foibles which the PDP continues to latch on.

The party led by Governor Seriake Dickson, has taken advantage of this seeming loophole, throwing jabs at the oil and gas contractor and his party which has even drawn the attention of the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who had to intervene and come to the defence of the party’s candidate who had been described in various, not particularly flattering ways by the governor and his team.

In one of the attacks last week, Dickson accused an international oil company operating in the state of outsourcing terrorism to the APC candidate, who he alleged earns over N1 billion per month from his contract with the company. He said the candidate of the APC was using the funds to raise his own army and run a parallel government.

“What they have done is to outsource terrorism to the so-called candidate of the APC, Chief David Lyon, and I think in the next couple of days when you see some images you will be appalled.

“What has happened is that the oil companies are giving surveillance contracts to these young boys most of whom are outlaws that they are creating, and I have said it several times that they are working towards having a Mafia-like hold in our communities, particularly in Bayelsa State,” Dickson said in one of the several occasions.

But in his intervention, Oshiomhole said the governor was afraid of not just his shadows, but the loss that awaits him. “I think he (Dickson) has allowed his fears and lack of self-confidence; the fear of his imminent defeat of him and his party to becloud his sense of judgement as he resorts to using inelegant language to describe his fellow citizen of Bayelsa,” he said.

The governor and the PDP candidate also on Monday during the flag-off of the PDP campaign in the state mocked the APC standard bearer of not being able to express himself, picking out some alleged verbal blunders during the few public appearances the APC candidate has made since his announcement as the party’s candidate.

But a spokesman to Lyon, Gift Ebiki, while reacting to the comments deriding Lyon, said that the job of developing the state was deeper than using flowery and enticing words in the public.

“We won’t speak too much grammar about

it. We will simply roll up our sleeves and get to work. It is on record that those who talk too much have little or no action. Most of them abuse public resources, divert our commonwealth to their private and family pockets and then use beautiful grammar to cover up. For me and my team, our actions and performance will do the talking,” he said, quoting his principal.

Grammar or no grammar, elocution or not, Lyon has said his job is to lift the state out of poverty and promised not to fail if elected . He spoke during the opening of his campaign office in Yenagoa, the state capital, in one of his very few public appearances.

He stated, “Bayelsans, I would not disappoint you. What I want to tell elders of our party is that we have to take this campaign to the grassroots in our local government areas. We want to make a change in the governance of our people. Bayelsans are suffering” Lyon continued, “ I assure you that by November 16 the story of poverty in this state would end.

I plead with Bayelsans to follow the right track.

The journey has started and we must get positive result in this journey. By the grace of God we will win this election but we should not slack. We have to work hard; the task ahead of us is big.”

Also, the Minister of State for Petroluem and leader of APC in Bayelsa, Sylva assured party members and the people of the state that the days of suffering were over.

“Today is just a tip of the iceberg. Anybody who thinks we are joking is the one joking. We have already won the Bayelsa governorship election. Our prayers have been answered. A new chapter is being opened in the history of Bayelsa State. I want to talk to you as a prophet that prosperity is coming. After the years of the locusts, prosperity is coming your way” he told the party’s supporters.

However, beyond public assurances of a crushing defeat for the PDP by its leaders, close observers maintain that the APC must wake up from its current slow and lacklustre approach to the governorship poll if indeed the party is to do well in the elections taking place a few weeks from now.

If the words of an erstwhile chieftain of the APC, Chief Miebi Bribena, is anything to go by, then the party must reinvent itself in the coming weeks.

Dumping the party on Monday for the PDP in Yenagoa, Bribena, a vocal ex-APC stalwart had scathing words for the broom party he once defended.

“They (APC Bayelsa) don’t have a vision and a mission statement. They don’t have a modus operandi. What they know how to do is jamboree and road blocks. As a Pastor, I can’t continue with a system like that.”

If anything, the party must prove people like Bribena and others who hold such views wrong, in the coming days if its impact would be felt during the poll.

T H I S D AY TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019

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POLITICS

Concern Mount Over Imminent Violence in Kogi Governorship Election Ibrahim Oyewale writes that many stakeholders have expressed fears over possible breakdown of law and order before, during and after the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State

Bello

Yakubu

Wada

IGP Adamu

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election is critical and women should not be relegated to the background by men.

However, the Election Management Body, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently trained security personnel across the three senatorial districts with a view to curb possible electoral violence during the election in November.

The two - day training was organised for security personnel in Kogi State by the INEC in collaboration with European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) in Okene the headquarters of Kogi Central Senatorial district, Idah in Kogi East and Lokoja in the Western Senatorial District respectively.

The facilitator, Mrs. Garba Sefia identified some of the factors both internal and external impacts on electoral security.

According to her, the electoral security environment refers to the totality of factors embedded within INEC and outside INEC that determine or impact on electoral outcome. She maintained that there are distinctions between factors internal to electoral management body and those that are external to electoral management body.

“It is very important that that security agencies need to be aware of how the environment determines specific challenges in the electoral process that need to be factored into security of electoral process. While some of these environmental factors contribute to the success of elections, others could be the sources of tension and even violence in the electoral process,” she stressed.

Garba who is also a certified trainer with INEC noted that Nigeria’s electoral environment

has not been static since return to civil rule in 1999, adding that some changes that have taken place are positive, while others are not complimentary to the aspiration of Nigerians to conduct free and free and fair elections that can contribute to the consolidation of electoral democracy.

“On the other hand, high level of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment continue to pose threats to democratic elections in the country, adding that the first past system inherited from British colonial rule continues to engender cut throat competition in the electoral process.”

Against the backdrop of the imminent violence that may erupt before, during and after the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State, the Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul urged the security agencies to engage all political parties with a view to preventing violence during the forthcoming election.

In a statement issued to journalists in Lokoja, Miliki expressed worries over hate speech and character assassination that characterises the pre-election campaign in the state.

The activist explained that election is a competition that has different participants and different processes, as different political parties are billed to participate in the coming governorship election slated for November 16.

“Based on our early warning signs, assessment and analysis, it has been discovered and revealed that various political parties across board in Kogi state are involved in character assignation, inflammatory statements and unguarded utterances in their campaign. These, he said can trigger violence. It is worrisome that politicians are not telling the electorates what they intend to do, how they wants to do it, when they want to do it, so as to encourage public tracking.

“We are very worried that if these ugly trend is not check it can lead to monumental electoral crises as we move towards the November 16 governorship election. We call on the security agencies across board, to intensify efforts in engaging political parties, their supporters and all the candidates in this governorship election on the issue of unguarded and inflammatory statements.

“INEC should consistently engage relevant stakeholders and make available all electoral guidelines that can help to curb electoral violence in this crucial election. Every stakeholder should know that there is life after election.

In the same vein a governorship candidate on the platform of Change Advocacy Party (CAP), one of the registered political parties contesting the Kogi state November 16 governorship election has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar to order mopping up of arms in the state before commencement of the election.

Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja recently, Comrade Ismail Imam Umar noted with apprehension the rate at which guns are being distributed across the state in preparation for the governorship election. He alleged that “the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state

has embarked on campaign of arms distribution instead of convincing the electorate for their votes.”

He further alleged that in the last elections, armed thugs were used to intimidate voters and snatch ballot boxes at polling units which were taken to unknown locations and fictitious results presented at various collation centres.

The CAP candidate also said that the INEC ad-hoc staff were equally harassed and in some instances kidnapped along with the electoral materials. He therefore appealed to the Inspector General of Police and other heads of relevant security agencies to brace up and save the people of Kogi state from the impending onslaught that awaits them on the day of the election.

However, the CAP candidate said his party “is set for the election despite the intimidation, threats and use of power by the ruling party as we have grassroots support and connections.

We are on a rescue mission to redeem the state from evil forces that have held the people of the state hostage for almost four years.

Reacting to the insinuation that the ruling All Progressive Congress will perpetrate violence to win November election, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Muhammed Onogwu stated that everybody knows that the people of state are enjoying peace now than the period of PDP, stressing that the Governor Yahaya Bello will do everything to ensure security in the state.

He said that all allegations against the present administration were unfounded, based on falsehood and could classified as hate speech.

He said that the government will not succumb to undue pressure from any group of persons or individuals.

Onogwu added that the people of Kogi state parted with PDP in 2015 as result of bad governance and insecurity. He said the state suffered during the years of PDP rule, while we can not stop them from crying because they have nothing to offer the people of the state.

They have lost the people. They have lost their supporters. They are wailing, let me remind them that propaganda will not win an election.

They should stop telling lies. They should try and tell the people of Kogi state the truth if they still have confidence. It is not by propaganda.

“It is on record that the this government came to correct all the iniquities of their administrations in the state. Kogi State used to be place where thuggery, armed robbery thrives. Now, talking on violence, in hjs inaugural speech, the PDP governorship candidate, Musa Wada immediately after primary said he would match violence with violence on election day.

“We are ready for the conduct of another peaceful election, no amount of their intimidation can stop people to cast their votes for APC. In the last three years of Governor Yahaya Bello, they have seen what it means to have good governance , they have seen what infrastructure means and they have seen what development means .The Allegation that the government wants to perpetrate violence is false. This is a figment of their imagination. The November 16 governorship election will be conducted under a free and fair atmosphere,” he said.

head of the November 16 gubernatorial election in Kogi State, critical stakeholders have continued to express concern over imminent political upheaval that may characterise the election process in view of the early warning signs in the build-up to election day.

Kogi State has always been referred to as one of the flash points during the previous elections based on various electoral violence that hitherto recorded in two senatorial districts of the Confluence State, particularly in Okene, headquarters of Kogi central senatorial district in 2007 and political skirmishes recorded during the last general election in Kogi East, in such places as Ayingba, Ejule, Idah to mention a few.

To this end ,the state government and other security agencies have pledged to be on top of security situation for the November gubernatorial election to be conducted under peaceful atmosphere. The security agencies pledged their determination to secure life and property before, during and after election in the state.

Be this as it may, there will be deployment of security personnel from Abuja to fortify the security architecture of the state as a measure to prevent violence before, during and after election.

At a public function recently in Lokoja , the the Resident Electoral Commissioner, James Apam expressed fears over the possible break down of law and order before, during and after election, calling on the relevant stakeholders to play the game by its rule to avoid violence.

Apam disclosed his worries on the November governorship election in the state centred on violence. While speaking at the Unveiling/Multi Stakeholders Consultative Meeting On Curbing Violence Against Women in Politics , VAWIP, which took place in Lokoja The Resident Electoral Commission (REC) noted that it was sad that some hoodlums storm polling stations and disrupt the elections.

He stressed that all efforts put in place by INEC to organise free, fair, credible election was always jeopardized by some people and that these constitute a setback to the process.

He called on parents to educate their wards against violence and see how the November governorship election can be free and fair.

“INEC is doing everything possible to organise a free, fair and credible governorship election in November, we have met with traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the state on the way forward.

“People always blame INEC when there is a problem, but the truth of the matter is that in most cases, the electorate and politicians are responsible for the problem. On our part, we normally encounter some problems but I can assure you that some of these problems will be solved before, during and after Kogi governorship election.”

Earlier, the Executive Director, Challenge Parenthood Initiative, Eunice Agbogun in a welcome address said the programme was organised as the state is getting set for the November governorship election, stressing that the coming

Based on early warning signs, assessment and analysis, it has been discovered that various political parties in Kogi state are involved in character assignation, inflammatory statements and unguarded utterances in their campaign and these can trigger violence

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FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08152252325

Revolutionising Farm Production through Greenhouse Technology Adibe Emenyonu writes on the expression of interest and readiness by the United States Government to partner the Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms in Benin City to boost food production using hydroponic technology

Wells Hosa Greenhouse Tomato Farm, Benin City

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he Nigeria economy overtime, has grown three times its size with the agricultural sector contributing about 27 per cent of this expansion. Even with this feat, the sector accounts for only nine per cent of exports earnings to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

From the statistics above, there is no gainsaying that what has been achieved still remains a far cry from what should be realisable. This is so because most of the farm produce rot away due to lack of storage facilities and the application

The company’s target is to meet up local demand and export of tomatoes by producing an estimated 4,200 tonnes valued to generate $6 million yearly. This project is set to create direct employment for about 500 people and another 2,000 people indirectly

Members of United States Trade Agency with the US Consular General, Claire Pierangelo; moving round the greenhouse farms premises with Bright Okunbo, leading the entourage of modern technology in crop production.

In order to overcome this challenge, the Wells Okunbor Greenhouse Farm was borne sometime in September last year, a private initiative of Captain Idahosa Okunbor, with its first harvest of vegetables such as tomatoes, pepper and cucumber.

In a speech during the harvesting ceremony, the Chief Executive of Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms, Captain Idahosa Okunbo said "The company’s target is to meet up local demand and export of tomatoes by producing an estimated 4,200

tonnes valued to generate $6 million yearly.”

This project, he added "is set to create direct employment for about 500 people and another 2,000 people indirectly. Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms also has plans of replicating this scalable and modular means of farming in other parts of the country to engage in the production of various types of vegetables.

"It's a pioneer project, presently the largest of its kind in west Africa which incorporates various system integrated by irrigation, fertilisation and pest control with an estimated production

value of 4,200 tons per year and its projected revenue of 6 million dollars (USD) per year with 500 direct employment while indirectly employing thousands of youth and women”.

The Wells Hosa Okunbo farm is located on a 27 hectares of land in Benin, Edo state designed to accommodate 28 hydroponic greenhouses which are 5,440 square metres each, making it the largest of its kind in West Africa.

Presently, 14 of the hydroponic green housed have been planted.

Hydroponic technology is a method of grow-

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FEATURES ing plants in a controlled environment using mineral nutrients in the water. This method of farming does not require soil or direct rainfall. The technology is created using different systems like irrigation, fertilisation and pest control, to obtain an increase in a plant’s growth and nutrients, as compared with traditional open field methods which are subjected to the vagaries of natural weather such as rainfall, soil, wind etc as well as traditional farming tools and pests.

Therefore, with this technology, farmers will no longer go through the rigours of bush clearing, burning, soil setup and other testing troubles associated with traditional farming methods.

There is no mulching, tilling, changing of soil or weeding required. Plants can grow anywhere and it uses about 20 times less water than soil-based farming. It requires the use of 20 per cent less space for growing and the farmers can have complete control over nutrient balance by using Dyna agro Nutrition Solutions.

The system of water, explained Bright Okunbo, Managing Director of the farm, "is such that it can be reused to enable us to conserve water. In the farm, we do not worry about using pesticides because the environment is sterile and controlled.

Harvesting will also be a lot easier and we can grow crops all year round here."

Since the harvest of its first set of tomato, pepper and cucumber, the Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms is said to be well positioned to revolutionise the Nigeria's tomato industry with the use of this technology.

Besides, it will also contribute to the overall growth of the agricultural sector more so as it is estimated that Nigeria though second to Egypt in Africa in the cultivation and production of tomato, still imports $360 million worth of tomatoes annually.

Spurred by the innovative farming system, the United States Government recently visited the farm and commended the management for deploying biotechnology, adding that such an investment in Nigeria is the best way to go in order to increase food production and sustain employment opportunities.

United States Consular General to Nigeria, Claire Pierangelo, who spoke when she led a delegation of her country's Trade Development Agency to the farm in Benin City, described the facility as unique, special and revolutionary.

Elated by what she saw, Pierangelo who inspected the Greenhouse farm disclosed that the company's Managing Director, Bright Okunbo, would be participating during next month’s trade fair under the auspices of the Trade Development Agency in the United States, adding that the two most important issues in Nigeria is to increase food production using technology and education.

According to her, "We are happy to come to Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms today to see the state of the art greenhouse operation. This is something unique, and special and revolutionary in Nigeria. Next month, Wells Hosa Farms Ltd will be participating in a trade fair being organised by the US Trade Development Agency. He will visit four states in the US to look at the way we do business, develop new partnership and offer new products.

“We are excited about his vision not just his company here, but his company across

We want to improve on what we have. To see how we can expand this greenhouse to spread all over the country. That is our goal, that is the mission we hope to achieve. This is because food security is very important.

We have been able to use technology and agriculture to produce tomato and pepper here in Edo State

Bright Okunbo, MD, Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms (r) conducting Claire Pierangelo, US Consular General and members of United States Trade Agency inside one of the tomato farms

Tomato Farm

Claire Pierangelo, United States Consular General to Nigeria with MD, Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farms, Bright Okunbo inside one of the greenhouse farms in Benin City the country. What is possible in Nigeria is to increase food production using technology and education spreading it across the country to feed your industry.

“This is pure Nigeria investment and we are interested about it. We have the technology, we have the products, we have the partnerships.

We are hoping to work with them and others.

Nigeria investment here is the best way to go".

On his part, Okunbo said the company is

a pioneer in greenhouse technology farming in the country that began production in 2018.

Okunbo stated that his visit to the US would be to see on how to tap more on the right technology and get partners so that they could improve on what they are already doing in Nigeria.

“We want to improve on what we have. To see how we can expand this greenhouse to spread all over the country. That is our goal,

that is the mission we hope to achieve. This is because food security is very important. We have been able to use technology and agriculture to produce tomato and pepper here in Edo State", he stated The US entourage inspected the nursery, service model with computerised irrigation house to regulate water requirements of the plant; crop production section and the market plant where produce are sorted out and packaged for sales.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2019 •T H I S D AY

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

15.10.2019

#SEXFORGRADES:

BBC OPENS A CAN OF WORMS

UNILAG Lecturer, Dr. Samuel Oladipo

BBC Reporter, Kiki Mordi

UNILAG Lecturer , Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu

10/COVER

15.10.2019

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS MUCH MORE ABOUT POWER THAN SEX are advantages and disadvantages for not cooperating with the harasser, and this puts the victim in an awkward situation. This is the reason why mechanisms must be in place, to prevent those in authority from abusing it to the detriment of the students or those under their control.

The perception that staff-student relationships are common, may give the impression that there is some level of acceptance by all parties involved. And, there are cases where the female interest is also capitalising on the relationship with the Lecturer, but, as the research shows, majority of cases are abusive and the main cause of stress and threat to academic performance, for female students.

(Ladebo, Sexual Harassment in Academia in Nigeria: How Real? (2013)). There are also cases, where young women have also approached Lecturers for relationships. The duty is on the Lecturer, to abide by the ethics of the profession and code of conduct of the school, not to encourage such behaviour.

This kind of situation also raises conflict of interest, where a Lecturer in a position of advantage to facilitate benefits to his love interest, is obligated to declare such conflict of interest. Engaging in such a relationship with the student, without declaring conflict of interest, would be gross misconduct.

While it appears that the phenomena of sexual harassment were largely under-researched and underreported (Adamolekun, Sexual Harassment on Campus: A Counsellor’s Reflection (1989)), in recent times, thanks to technology for evidence collection and work of NGOs in this area, it is becoming easier to report it and get justice.

Monica Osagie v Professor Richard Akindele When in April 2018, Monica Osagie, a postgraduate student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, recorded and shared a telephone conversation of Prof Richard Akindele, Lecturer in the Department of Management and Accounting, soliciting sex from her to pass a course, there was a lot of rancour. It took the intervention of pro bono Lawyers, the support of Women Advocates Research and Documentation (WARDC) and public outcry, for the University to hold an investigation into the incident. The Lecturer was promptly dismissed when found guilty, and subsequently, was tried at the High Court in a suit instituted by Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) who accused the Professor of acting contrary to Sections 8(1)(a) (ii), and 18 (d) under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 for corruptly asking for sexual benefits. He was sentenced to two years in prison, for misconduct.

Whether a victim is believed or not, is influenced by society’s values and gender stereotypes about women and men’s participation in sexual conduct. The ages of victims also play a role in whether the case is believable, due to vulnerability such that, when little children are concerned, society is more indignant than when a young adult is the victim. Victim blaming, has largely kept the issue in the closet. A major cause of this, can be linked to attitudes about dress codes. In many Universities in Nigeria, there are several dress codes with girls and young women having a longer list, compared to their male counterparts. This research reviewed at least 8 dress codes (Redeemers College, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Abuja, Delta State University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, University of Ilorin, Nigerian Law School, Bowen University) being implemented in the country’s institutions of higher learning. With such an emphasis on dress code, one can imagine how fearful a female student would feel about approaching the institution, when she feels already that she would be judged and or misunderstood.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

BBC Reporter, Kiki Mordi

Duty of Care by Educational institutions There are different opinions, about the degree and extent of the fiduciary relationship that could exist between educators and students.

A fiduciary is “one who owes to another the duties of good faith, trust, confidence, and candour” (Black’s Law Dictionary).

Differences based on the degree of duty and potential harm that could be caused, based on the breach. It has been argued that in cases of sexual harassment, because there is a high degree of duty, should the boundaries be crossed, will have a higher potential to cause harm, and this lends credence to why the courts would be more willing to find a fiduciary relationship between Universities and students requiring a higher standard of behaviour and decorum (Scharffs, Welch, 2005 <https:// digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi? article=1204&context=elj>; See also Schneider v Plymouth State College (1999) Supreme Court of New Hampshire).

Existing Laws and Policies Applicable to Nigerian Tertiary institutions Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), prohibits discrimination based on gender. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination, because it is harmful and targets others based on gender, which must be discouraged in Nigerian tertiary institutions. There have been attempts in the past, to pass laws punishing sexual harassment. Senator Chris Anyanwu, in 2008 sponsored a Bill for an Act to Punish and Prohibit Sexual Offences and Other Related Matters 2008, and in 2013, the Sexual Offences Bill 2013. Both containing provisions on sexual harassment. In 2015, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act was finally passed, which prohibited all forms of violence including sexual harassment and sexual intimidation. It also provided punishment for specific acts that can amount to sexual harassment, such as stalking (Section 17), emotional, verbal and psychological abuse (Section 14), offensive conduct (Section 5) and coercion (Section 3).

As long as the acts lead to the detriment of the victims’ physical, psychological wellbeing, it is an offence punishable under the Act. However, the VAPP is only applicable in Abuja, and the States in Nigeria that have domesticated it.

“BY FAILING TO ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHEN IT HAPPENS, THIS CAN LEAD TO VICTIMS SUSPENDING THEIR STUDIES OR LEAVING SCHOOL COMPLETELY, FAIL COURSES SEVERALLY IN SCHOOL FOR REFUSING ADVANCES OF LECTURERS, AND CONTINUED PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS......”

A standalone bill for an act to make provision for the prohibition of sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary educational institutions, and for matters connected therewith, was sponsored

by Senator Ovie A. Omo-Agege in 2016. It did not pass, at the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. Following from the reactions to the BBC Africa Eye documentary, Senator Omo-Agege (currently the Deputy Senate President), is making plans to submit the bill for consideration once more.

Nigeria is also signatory to various international human rights treaties, which require the country to combat sexual harassment.

Article 12(c) and (d) of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women’ in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) requires State Parties to take all appropriate measures to protect women, especially the girl-child, from all forms of abuse, including sexual harassment in schools and other educational institutions, and provide for sanctions against the perpetrators of such practices; and provide access to counselling and rehabilitation services, to women who suffer abuses and sexual harassment. This also reinforces rights to equality (Article 2), education (Article 17) and freedom from gender discrimination (Article 18(3)) in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is also a part of Nigerian law in Chapter A10, Laws of the Federation 2014.

During this research, it was discovered that, some Nigerian Universities, both private and public e.g. University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Covenant University, have policies combating sexual harassment. There are some differences in scope and focus, but, essentially, they capture the fact that sexual harassment is an unethical conduct which the University disapproves of. It would be beneficial to curbing the practice, if there are means to assess the strengths and weaknesses in the policy implementation, by each institution. For example, by evaluating how many cases have been formally reported and dealt with by these institutions, and whether the adoption of these policies have alleviated the situation.

Covenant University Interestingly, there are some provisions in these policies that may not adequately address the concerns and risks students face, when dealing with sexual harassment. Section 3 of the Covenant University Policy Document on Ethics and Harassment which deals with lodging complaints, provides in paragraph 3 of that Section that, students are encouraged to bring up the matter through administrative review within 7 days of the alleged harassment. While there may be other options in the student’s handbook at that University, it creates the impression that after 7 days, the student may no longer have the option to report. The University is open to resolving the matter through mediation, investigative

or grievance procedures (Section 3.7). The severity of punishment depends on whether it is a looking, language [verbal] or touching offence, with sexual assault having the most severe punishment which is termination of appointment for offending staff or end of studentship for offending student (Section 4.2).

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan has a Gender Mainstreaming Office, tasked with receiving complaints. Complaints may be informal or formal, and different procedures apply to each. Penalties depend on the gravity of the offence, and may include counselling and/or therapy, oral admonition, written warning or oral reprimand, referral to Staff/ Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) as the case may be, or any other disciplinary action which the University may deem fit.

(Section 12, University of Ibadan Sexual Harassment Policy).

University of Lagos The University of Lagos Policy on Sexual Harassment, Sexual and Romantic Relationships is quite extensive and was adopted 30 August, 2017. It offers a variety of options for complainants as to who, where or how to make their complaints, ranging from head of department, Servicom officers or religious Chaplain or Imam (Section 25). It also recognises that, a breach could have occurred either on or off campus. (Section 24(a)). Penalties for offenders include: a) Verbal or Written Warning, b) Counselling or Therapy, c) Campus Access Restriction, d) No contact directive, e) Loss of privileges, f) Loss of oversight, teaching and supervisory responsibilities, g) Probation, Demotion, Loss of pay increase, h) Revocation of Offer of Admission or Employment or Licence to trade in the case of vendors on Campus), i) Rustication, j) Nullification or Revocation of Degree, k) Termination of contract for Contractors, l) Termination of Employment, m) Referral by the University to Law Enforcement Agents for Prosecution.

(Section 39). The University also recognises that, other laws may be violated as a result of the breach: “Where sexual harassment is prohibited by law, in addition to the internal processes, an individual may pursue complaints directly, with any appropriate formal agency authorised to receive such complaints by law. The University will offer appropriate support, to lawful external processes. However, a violation of this policy may exist, even when the conduct in question does not violate the law” (Section 41).

By failing to address sexual harassment when it happens, this can lead to victims suspending their studies or leaving school completely, fail courses severally in school for refusing advances of Lecturers, and continued psychological stress while contributing to CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

15.10.2019

COVER/11

IS NIGERIA READY TO BATTLE SEX FOR GRADES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Exploring Practices, Ethics and Agency’, already understood this, that fighting sexual harassment in tertiary institutions must be located within the fight against corruption, and that this issue was a challenge to our democracy, not just entrenched gender and social norms that are reinforced by patriarchy.

In 1981, the Cookey Commission, a Presidential Commission set up to review salaries and conditions of service for Universities, was the first official mention of sexual harassment in Nigerian Universities. This was 38 years ago.

The Commission was concerned, due to the number of allegations of harassment by female students who were being failed not because they weren't smart, but because they refused to be sexually exploited. Can you imagine the number of women scholars we have lost to gender-based discrimination and violence, that went unchecked?

The Commission recommended that, structures be put in place to address sexual harassment.

Some Statistics And, yet, in 2011, a study carried out by Eme T. Owoaje and Omolara Olusola-Taiwo found that 69.8% of the Respondents had experienced sexual harassment, and most often, the perpetrators were their peers and teachers.

48.2% of the young women experienced physical forms of harassment while 57.8% experienced verbal forms such as sexual comments and requests for sexual favours, in exchange for higher grades Facing the Challenge: The Way Forward The question is, are we angry enough for real change? Real change that addresses the roots of this problem, not just the symptoms. There is the temptation to respond quickly, without truly challenging the rot within the system.

Kiki Mordi through this documentary, provided a mirror and we, as a nation, not just not tertiary institutions, must be unflinching in looking deeper past the façade of a few bad eggs. To

Convicted OAU Lecturer, Professor Richard Akindele

see the system as it is, an enabling environment for violence that protects predators, rapists, and enablers.

In the journal article mentioned above, Dr. Periera asked if those working with and for Universities, are up to challenge. The question must be repeated today, in light of the many journal articles, newspaper articles, and stories. And now Kiki Mordi is also asking Nigerians so powerfully and eloquently with the Sex for Grades documentary, if we are up to the challenge. For me as a Nigerian, this means going beyond passing the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions Bill, which although a step in the right direction, requires more work to make it survivor-centred and possible to implement. It goes beyond criminalisation, and the sacking of a few predators.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS MUCH MORE ABOUT POWER THAN SEX the discrimination women and girls face in accessing education. It also violates the very principle State Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) commit to when they agreed to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women, in order to ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education, and in particular, to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women the same conditions for career and vocational guidance, access to studies in educational establishments, including higher education (Article 10(a) CEDAW).

On 6 October, 2019, the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) issued a press release welcoming the termination of employment of 15 staff of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), for alleged sexual harassment and corruption (http://fccpc. gov.ng/news-events/ releases/2019/10/09/ termination-of-employment-of-15-staff- ofahmadu-bello-university-abu-for-alleged-sexualharassment-and-corruption/) citing Section 17 (p) and (s) of the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA). In the statement, the FCCPC stated that, it is keen to “ensure that students, as consumers, are afforded the necessary protections, and our campuses are safe and secure always”.

Positive Obligation to Create a Safe and Enabling Environment free from Sexual Harassment The cases of sexual harassment in Universities, is not a new phenomenon. It did not just creep up on us, suddenly. Women and girls have been talking about this for many years, but have been ignored by their families, the society, the schools, the authorities, everyone. It was brushed aside, as insignificant. The issue was de-personalised, and rendered inconsequential.

The ineptitude in addressing these complaints, either by failing to put measures to prevent

it, or punishing perpetrators to deter further abuse, is what has led to the sheer audacity of predators today.

The scale of the issue and magnitude of the problem shows that, Nigerian tertiary institutions need to treat sexual harassment in schools as a serious issue, demanding a holistic review of current polices and a firm commitment to justice.

Since the release of the documentary, Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a former sub-Dean of Faculty of Art and Senior Lecturer of the Department of European Languages and Integrated Studies, Faculty of Arts, and Head Pastor of a local Foursquare Gospel Church; and Dr Samuel Oladipo is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria, have been suspended and are facing a panel.

Similarly, in Ghana, the Anti-Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Committee at the University of Ghana, is investigating the allegations against the two Lecturers mentioned in the BBC Africa Eye documentary: Prof.

Ransford Gyampo of the Political Science Department and Dr Paul Kwame Butakor, a Lecturer at the Department of Teacher Education of the School of Education and Leadership. These steps taken by the Universities, show a strong intent to discourage this sort of behaviour and practice.

Research shows that, the environment plays a role in acceptance or tolerance of inappropriate behaviour. An institution that takes actions against harassing behaviours, sends a clear and strong message that there are consequences, which is likely to discourage a person from engaging in such behaviours in the first place. (See Chapter: 2 Sexual Harassment Research in Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018)) https://

“KIKI MORDI THROUGH THIS DOCUMENTARY, PROVIDED A MIRROR, AND WE, AS A NATION, NOT JUST NOT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS......

TO SEE THE SYSTEM AS IT IS, AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR VIOLENCE THAT PROTECTS PREDATORS, RAPISTS, AND ENABLERS” There have been so many panels and committees created, but the problem is pervasive and deeply rooted, more

needs to be done beyond setting up a panel. Even though I am looking forward to the panel set up by the University of Lagos, because it is being chaired by Prof Ayo Atsenuwa, who is one of our brightest legal minds and an amazing woman. Addressing this issue beyond lip service, requires enforcing and promoting an enabling environment that guarantees the safety, security, and health of students, in particular, women and girls, in every University, Polytechnic, College of Education, etc. And, not ignoring the fact that female Lecturers in these institutions, are also harassed by their male peers. And that, non-teaching staff also harass students.

Beyond the bill and the panels, the National Universities Commission needs to be mandated through the Gender Unit, to collect age and gender-disaggregated data on sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence, and also on the dropping out of students, especially female students. And that the data needs to be used during accreditation, for quality assurance processes. Part of the minimum standards for accreditation and reaccreditation should be that institutions of higher learning must put in place, policies, protocols, contracts, and coordinated response mechanisms, to address sexual harassment and other rights violations. They must also be able to demonstrate the implementation of the policies, and the institutionalisation of the response mechanisms. Tertiary institutions should not be accredited or re-accredited, if they cannot meet this minimum standard. There should be consequences, we need to demand more of our ivory towers. They must not only rise to the challenge of providing education fit for the 21st century, they must also find the courage to create and reimagine institutions free of all forms of violence, especially violence against women and girls. Are our institutions up to challenge? Are we Nigerians up to the challenge?

Olabukunola Williams, Executive Director, Education as a Vaccine

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 www.nap.edu/read/24994/chapter/4#50) A Plea to Move Forward Sexual harassment, is violence. It affects the wellbeing, mental and physical health of victims, and causes long term harm as even years after the experience, survivors still recount with pain. If we must quantify the cost of sexual harassment, we would be left with a hefty bill. To move forward to ending this menace, certain standards should be agreed. Everyone has the right to a life of dignity, free from fear and intimidation. People in positions of power, either as educators or administrators, must be held to a high standard of ethical behaviour. Institutions of learning should be safe spaces, with zero-tolerance for abuses and violence. We need a reorientation that challenges the normalisation of violence against women and girls, through collective commitment at all levels of society to address this, and act decisively when violations occurs.

We are learning very quickly to prosecute offenders, as we have seen with the prompt actions by the administrators at the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana, following the release of the BBC documentary on Sex for Grades and their internal investigations.

However, we are still very slow at taking steps to prevent sexual harassment and other abuses from reoccurring. Prevention, is said to be better than cure. The pain and suffering of victims and the trauma being managed by survivors of violence, are too high a cost.

Therefore, institutions and authorities must put more effort and resources to prevention.

All tertiary institutions should agree on a common code of conduct, for addressing the menace of sexual harassment. This will ensure that, all policies meet a minimum standard to facilitate prevention, reporting, protection, counselling, punishment and review.

The National Assembly has announced plans, to reintroduce the Prohibition of

Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Bill. While welcoming the development, the legislators should not just rush to pass a bill to win public approval, instead they should institute a rigorous process involving various stakeholders including victims, women groups and experts on gender discrimination. The bill should comply with international human rights law, and reflect good practices of gender-sensitive handling of sexual harassment cases. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should view the exercise as an opportunity to be open and reflective on the core issues, and not view it as an attack on academic autonomy which they had argued in the past. If institutions, address sexual harassment strictly without bias, victims would not resort to more public shaming, which, in the long run, has impact on public standing and reputation of the institutions. While focus has been on Universities, tertiary institutions include Polytechnics, Monotechnics, Colleges of Education, and other post-secondary school educational bodies. The law and policies should embrace all these different types of tertiary institutions, to ensure effective implementation.

The fight to end sexual harassment in our places of learning, is a crucial step to ensuring the safety and security of everyone. For so long, these acts were happening and were not acknowledged. The Nigerian authorities and the educational bodies, have an opportunity to confront it once and for all. Sexual harassment does not belong in our schools, and any institution that fails in its obligation to protect, should be held accountable.

Mrs Osai Ojigho, Lawyer, Gender Equality Advocate and Human Rights Expert; Life member, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU); Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria. The views expressed are that of the author, and not of her institution.

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Last Thursday, October 10, 2019, the Legal History Society of Nigeria chaired

by Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, held its maiden Conference themed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Does Legal History Matter?â&#x20AC;?, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Here are some of the personalities, who were in attendance..... photos: Kolawole Alli

Chairman, THISDAY Newspapers/Arise News, Prince Nduka Obaigbena

L-R: Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Olasupo Shasore, SAN, Panelist, Legal History Society of Nigeria (LHSON)'s, Maiden Conference 2019, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, President/ Chairman, LHSON, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, Keynote Speaker, Professor Philip Girard, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice/Conference Chairman, LHSON, Chief. Bayo Ojo, SAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Trustee/Panelist, LHSON, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN

L-R: Professor Abiola Sanni, Mrs. Mobisola Odimegwu and Chimezie V.C. Ihekweazu, SAN

Editor, THISDAY Lawyer, Mrs. Onikepo Braithwaite and Prince Nduka Obaigbena

Chief. Bayo Ojo, SAN (left) and Chairman of Panel, Professor Fdelis Oditah, QC, SAN

L-R: Aduke Gomez, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN

Mrs. Fehintola Olaopa and Mr. Kunle Awoma

L-R: Mr. Folabi Kuti, Managing Director, THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello and Practice Manager, Punuka, Mrs. Angela Ezeweani

Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq

Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa and Partner Punuka, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Enedah

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L-R: Mr. Olasupo Shasore, SAN, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN

Keynote Speaker, Professor Philip Girard

L-R: Panelists, Mr. Ed Emeka Keazor, Professor Abiola Sanni, Professor Fidelis Oditah QC, SAN, Dr. Abiodun Odusote and Mr. Ayo Teriba

L-R: Panelists, Mr. Richard Akinnola, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN and Prince Nduka Obaigbena

L-R: Mr. Richard Akinnola, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN

L-R: Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, Mr. Ed Emeka Keazor, Mr. Ayo Teriba, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and Professor Fidelis Oditah, QC, SAN

L-R: Chairperson, African Women Lawyers Association, Tomi Ajayi, Nihinlolawa Aluko-Olokun and Dr. Nwadego Chinwuba of Faculty of Law, University of Lagos

L-R: Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, Professor Philip Girard, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN and Prince Nduka Obaigbena

Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN presenting plaque to Prince Nduka Obaigbena

Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN presenting plaque to Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN

Senior Associate Punuka, Iheanacho Dike-Udensi and Partner Punuka, Mr. Nnamdi Oragwu

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15.10.2019

TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN, OFR, FCIARB, PH.D, LL.D

SMS only to 08098898888

The Place of the President and Vice President under the Nigerian and American Constitutions (Part 1)

T

Harrison, only 31 days into his term. Harrison's Vice President, John Tyler, asserted that he had succeeded to the office of President, not just to its powers and duties. He took the presidential oath of office, and declined to acknowledge documents referring to him as "Acting President." Although, some in Congress denounced Tyler's claim as a violation of the Constitution, he adhered to his position. Tyler's view ultimately prevailed when the Senate and House voted to acknowledge him as President, setting a momentous precedent for an orderly transfer of presidential power following a President’s death, one made explicit

by Section 1 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967. In total, nine Vice Presidents have succeeded to the Presidency intra-term. In addition to Tyler, they are Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Gerald Ford.

Introduction

his issue has become quite topical and urgent, because of the present rumblings (or, may I say, loud silence) regarding the alleged cold relationship between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and his boss, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. Most Nigerians point accusing fingers at a very powerful, but “faceless” “cabal” within the Presidency, which even Aisha Buhari, the President’s wife, had also specifically and openly complained about, in public. Is the Vice President a disposable “spare tyre”, as many prefer to refer to Vice Presidents or Deputy Governors, or is he an indispensable gum that inexorably binds the government together? We shall discover answers to these nagging questions, in the course of our luminous discourse of this vexed national issue.

Vice Presidency Ordinarily, the word “vice” means corruption, iniquity, debauchery, depravity, perversion, debasement, degeneracy, lechery, immorality, indecency, etc. however, “vice”, when used as the next person to a leader or Head of a group, means Deputy, backup, replacement, second-in-command, regent, substitute, lieutenant and subordinate. It is in this position, that “Vice President” is used.

The Vice Presidency in America The Vice President of the United States, also known as VPOTUS or Veep, is an important position in the executive branch of the Federal Government in America. The Vice President is probably best known as being “a heartbeat away from the presidency”, meaning that if a sitting President dies or is impeached, or is indisposed, the Vice President takes over.

Hitherto, where the office of the Vice-President became vacant by reason of death, resignation or other permanent incapacity, it would remain so vacant until the next elections were held, and a new President and Vice-President were sworn in for a fresh term of office. However, since the coming into force of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment (which was ratified in 1967), where the office of Vice- President becomes vacant, the POTUS has power to appoint a new Vice-President, subject to the ratification by the Congress.

Unlike his Nigerian counterpart, the VPOTUS is empowered by the U.S. Constitution to perform far more expansive duties and responsibilities – extending beyond even Executive arm of Government.

The Constitution of America does not expressly assign the Vice Presidency to any one branch, causing a dispute among scholars about which branch of government the office belongs to: whether the executive branch or the legislative branch.

However, constitutionally, the main responsibility of the Vice President, is the role of President of the Senate. Under Article 1 Section 3 of the US constitution: “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.”

The Vice President of America, as the Senate President As head of the Upper House of Congress, the Vice President votes on legislation or other motions only when Senators are deadlocked 50-50. This has occurred 243 times, and involved 35 different Vice Presidents. Whilst in the past the Vice President would actively preside over Senate proceedings, nowadays, it is customary that they only get involved in order to break a tie.

In practice, the number of times Vice Presidents have exercised this right, has varied

President Muhammadu Buhari

Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN

greatly. John C. Calhoun holds the record at 31 votes, followed closely by John Adams with 29. During his first year in office (through January 24, 2018), Mike Pence cast eight tie breaking votes; his predecessor, Joe Biden, did not cast any during his eight years in office.

As the framers of the Constitution anticipated that the Vice President would not always be available to fulfil this responsibility, the Constitution provides that the Senate may elect a president pro tempore (or "president for a time"), in order to maintain the proper ordering of the legislative process. In practice, since the early 20th century, the President of the Senate rarely presides, nor does the President pro tempore. Instead, the President pro tempore regularly delegates the task to other Senate members. Rule XIX, which governs debate, does not authorise the Vice President to participate in debate, and grants only to members of the Senate (and, upon appropriate notice, former Presidents of the United States) the privilege of addressing the Senate, without granting a similar privilege to the sitting Vice President. Thus, Time Magazine wrote in 1925, during the tenure of Vice President Charles G. Dawes, "once in four years the Vice President can make a little speech, and then he is done. For four years, he then has to sit in the seat of the silent, attending to speeches, ponderous or otherwise, of deliberation or humour”.

standing between him and the presidency.

Curiously, the framers made no mention of who would preside in the instance where the Vice President is the officer impeached; thus leaving a loophole whereby a Vice President, as President of the Senate, could preside at their own impeachment trial.

The Vice President of America Presides Over Impeachment Trials As President of the Senate, he may also preside over most of the impeachment trials of Federal officers. However, whenever the President of the United States is on trial, the Constitution requires that the Chief Justice of the United States must preside. This stipulation was designed to avoid the possible conflict of interest, in having the Vice President preside over the trial for the removal of the one official,

“THE VICE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA, IS SECONDIN-COMMAND TO THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA......

THE RELATIVE POWER OF THE NIGERIAN VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE, DEPENDS UPON THE DUTIES DELEGATED BY THE PRESIDENT”

The Vice President of America and the Power to Supervise Electoral Votes Count The Twelfth Amendment, like the superseded Article II clause, provides that the Vice President, in his capacity as President of the Senate, also presides over counting and presentation of the votes of the Electoral College. This process occurs during a joint session of Congress held, as prescribed by Federal statute, on January 6 of the year following the presidential election. It will next take place following the 2020 presidential election, on January 6, 2021 (unless Congress sets a different date by law). In this capacity, four Vice Presidents have been able to announce their own election to the presidency: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, and George H. W. Bush. Conversely, John C. Breckinridge, in 1861. Richard Nixon, in 1961, and Al Gore, in 2001, all had to announce their opponent's election. In 1969, Vice President Hubert Humphrey would have done so as well, following his 1968 loss to Richard Nixon; however, on the date of the Congressional joint session, Humphrey was in Norway attending the funeral of Trygve Lie, the first elected Secretary-General of the United Nations. The President pro tempore presided in his absence.

On February 8, 1933, Vice President Charles Curtis announced the election of his successor, House Speaker John Nance Garner, while Garner was seated next to him on the House dais.

The American President and the Power of Succession to the Presidency Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 stipulates that the Vice President takes over the "powers and duties" of the Presidency, in the event of a President’s removal, death, resignation, or inability. Even so, it does not clearly state whether the Vice President became President of the United States, or simply acted as President in a case of succession. Debate records from the 1787 Constitutional Convention, along with various participants' later writings on the subject, show that the framers of the Constitution intended that the Vice President would temporarily exercise the powers and duties of the office in the event of a President’s death, disability or removal, but not actually become President of the United States in their own right.

This understanding was first tested in 1841, following the death of President William Henry

Other Informal Roles of the American Vice President The extent of any informal roles and functions of the Vice President, depend on the specific relationship between the President and the Vice President, but often include tasks such as drafter and spokesperson for the administration's policies, adviser to the President, and being a symbol of American concern or support. The influence of the Vice President in this role, depends almost entirely on the characteristics of the particular administration. Dick Cheney, for instance, was widely regarded as one of President George W. Bush's closest confidants.

Al Gore was an important adviser to President Bill Clinton, on matters of foreign policy and the environment.

Under the American system of government, the President is both Head of State and Head of Government, and the ceremonial duties of the former position are often delegated to the Vice President. The Vice President will, on occasion, represent the President and the U.S. government at State funerals abroad, or at various events in the United States. This often is the most visible role of the Vice President.

The Vice President may also meet with other Heads of State, at times when the administration wishes to demonstrate concern or support, but cannot send the President personally.

The Vice President in Nigeria The Vice President of Nigeria, is secondin-command to the President of Nigeria in the Government of Nigeria. Officially styled and referred to as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Vice President is elected alongside the President in national elections.

The executive function of the Nigerian Vice President includes, participation in all cabinet meetings and, by statute, membership of the National Security Council, the National Defence Council, Federal Executive Council, and the Chairman of National Economic Council (NEC).

Although, the Vice President may take an active role in establishing policy in the Executive Branch by serving on such committees and councils, the relative power of the Nigerian Vice President’s office, depends upon the duties delegated by the President.

Section 141 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended) established the office of the Vice President.

Section 141 Provides: There shall be for the Federation a Vice-President.

(To be continued) THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them, against all attacks.” (Samuel Adams).

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INSIGHT ABUBAKAR D. SANI

xL4sure@yahoo.com

08034533892

Lawyers Pay VAT, Why Not Doctors?

T

he answer to this question might seem obvious; doctors ease pain, heal the sick and save lives, but not Lawyers.

Really? Are those functions peculiar to only doctors, to the exclusion of other professionals, including Lawyers? The question is prompted by the decision of the Court of Appeal in AL-MASEER LAW FIRM v FIRS CA/J/179/2018, in which the court upheld the applicability of the Value Added Tax Act (VAT Act) to legal practitioners, on the ground that legal services are excluded from the list of services which the Act exempts from collecting and remitting VAT. While the rationale for the judgement can hardly be faulted on the basis of the ipsisima verba (or the exact terms) of the law which the court was asked to interpret, the larger question, in my view, is whether that law itself is valid, either by reference to any other law or the Constitution. We shall shortly undertake that exposé, but, first, an analysis of that decision.

Background The Appellant in Al-Maseer Law Firm v FIRS is a private legal practitioner, who challenged a demand by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) purportedly due from the Appellant’s clients, which she had failed to remit to the Respondent. The Appellant requested the Federal High Court, Bauchi, to interpret relevant provisions of the VAT Act in her favour, to wit: (i) that legal practice is not a business venture under Section 8 of the VAT Act, and as such, is not required to register with the FIRS as an agent for the purpose of collecting VAT; (ii) that a (private) legal practitioner is not a “taxable person” within the contemplation of Section 46 of the VAT Act. The trial court agreed with the Respondent, that the Act was applicable to the Appellant, and dismissed her originating summons.

Dissatisfied, the Appellant approached the Jos Division of the Court of Appeal.

In determining the appeal, the Court of Appeal considered the provisions of Sections 1 – 3 of the VAT Act, viz: “There is hereby imposed and charged as a tax to be known as the Value Added Tax which shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of this Act”; “Tax shall be chargeable and payable on the supply of all goods and services (in this referred to as “taxable goods and services”) other than goods and services listed in the First Schedule to this Act”.

In affirming the decision of the lower court, the Court of Appeal reiterated that, to the extent that “legal practitioners” and “law firm” are not included in the list of services specifically exempted

from collecting/remitting VAT in the First Schedule to the Act, “the rule of interpretation is that, when something is specifically mentioned in a statute, the intendment is that it excludes whatever is not mentioned”. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

A subsequent, somewhat similar decision (AMA ETUWEWE v FIRS FHC/ WR/CS/27/2019, Federal High Court, Warri, delivered on 30th September, 2019) should, however, be understood within its own peculiar facts, which turned on whether a solicitor to an oil company, is bound to remit VAT already paid by his client. This piece is concerned with the status of legal practitioners and other professionals vis-à-vis the distinction which the VAT Act makes in exempting only medical practitioners (“medical services”) from collecting and remitting VAT. I believe that it raises profound questions about ...

The Status of Professionals in Nigeria Are they co-equal or, is one class or group of professionals superior to the other or others, in the eyes of the law?

This poser is significant, because the answer to it will determine the validity or otherwise of the distinction between medical professionals and others including legal practitioners - for the purposes of collection/payment of VAT. As ever, the starting point is the fons et origo of our law – the Constitution.

By virtue of Section 4(3) and Item 49 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution, only the National Assembly is competent to legislate in respect of “professional occupations as may be designated by (it)”.

The National Assembly has exercised that power in relation to a number of professions, including Architecture, Es-

“....ALL PROFESSIONALS ARE SIMILARLY CIRCUMSTANCED, IT IS ILLEGITIMATE AND UNACCEPTABLE TO CONFER THE PRIVILEGE OF EXEMPTION FROM PAYING VAT ON MEDICAL SERVICES (OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS), WITHOUT DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN PRIVATE HEALTH/MEDICAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC HEALTH/MEDICAL SERVICES”

tate Surveying/Valuation, Engineering, Pharmacy, Teaching (yes), Computer Science, Nursing/Midwifery, Medicine/ Dentistry and, of course, Law. The relative statutes in this regard are all contained in the relevant volumes of the current edition (2010) of the Laws of the Federation.

The implication of the above provisions is that, as far as the Constitution is concerned, all the professions which the National Assembly has so designated are duly recognised (baptised?) by the law. Such a recognition should not to be taken lightly, as it makes all the difference between a genuine professional and a fake one; in other words, whether there has been compliance, in any given case, with laid down guidelines contained in (a) relevant Act(s) of the National Assembly. I humbly submit that, to this extent, all professions which have been designated by the National Assembly are similarly circumstanced, or, in colloquial language, are “birds of the same feather”.

Accordingly, just as the members of our avian analogy flock together, no discrimination ought to exist between professionals in the eyes of the law.

This is otherwise known as, the right to equal protection of the law, and it is codified in Article III(II) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, an international treaty, domesticated vide an Act of the National Assembly. As conceded at the beginning of this piece, an obvious criticism of this analogy is that, suggesting that Lawyers and other professionals should enjoy the same exemption from remitting VAT as medical doctors, would be somewhat akin to comparing grapes with apples.

This is far from the case however, because that notion ignores hard statistics gathered in a census of private health facilities across six States in Nigeria conducted by the Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOP) Project in 2014. That study identified 5,086 private health facilities in the six target States of Abia, Benue, Edo, Kaduna, Lagos and Nasarawa, compared to only 3,612 public health facilities (see page 66 of the report). Extrapolating this across the 36 States of the Federation,

the import is clear: the overwhelming preponderance of health facilities (read: medical services and, therefore, medical professionals or doctors/dentists/ ophthalmologists, optometrists, etc.) in Nigeria, are provided by the private sector.

Accordingly, I posit that to the extent that the VAT Act does not distinguish between private medical services and public medical services which it exempts from its coverage, it unwittingly subsidises the income of the former to the detriment of their counterparts in other professions, including, of course, private legal practitioners. I believe that a contrary intention to achieve that goal can be gleaned from the definition of “taxable person” in Section 2 of the Act, which includes “an agency of Government exploiting tangible or intangible property for the purpose of obtaining income therefrom by way of trade or business”. I submit that, to construe the said provisions literally would simply be unfair and unjust, as that cannot be presumed to be the intention of the Legislature.

For the avoidance of doubt, the right to equal protection of the law - which I humbly posit, is violated by the aforesaid exclusion of medical services, without discriminating between those offered by private health providers and public ones - “demands that laws will only be legitimate if they can be described as just and equal. Equal protection guarantees that, the Government must treat a person or class of persons the same as it treats other persons or class of persons of like circumstances . . . equal protection means a legislation that discriminates, must have a rational basis for doing so. And if the legislation affects a fundamental right or involves a suspect classification, it is unconstitutional unless it can withstand strict scrutiny” see BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY, 8th edition, page 577.

I submit that the blanket exclusion of “medical services” from paying VAT without discrimination as aforesaid, fails the twin tests for the validity of any discriminatory legislation - intelligible differentia and rationality - laid down by the Court of Appeal in N.N.P.C v FAWEHINMI (1998) 7 NWLR pt. 559 pg. 598 @ 616.

Conclusion To the extent that, by virtue of Section 4(3) and Item 49 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution, all professionals are similarly circumstanced, it is illegitimate and unacceptable to confer the privilege of exemption from paying VAT on medical services (or medical professionals), without distinguishing between private health/medical services and public health/medical services.

The latter is justifiable and acceptable, whilst the former is not. If the rationale is that they provide a supposedly “critical” service, what about Lawyers?

We defend the rights - sometimes to life - of the oppressed, downtrodden and, all-too-often, economicallydisadvantaged.

Accordingly, it is arguable that, the decision in AL-MASEER’S case was given per incuriam, as the foregoing argument was never canvassed by the Appellant, either at the trial court or before the Court of Appeal.

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15.10.2019

WORDS OF WISDOM

(Culled from the Internet)

2/DASHBOARD

15.10.2019

Validity of Sale of Land without Governor’s Consent PAGE 4

Pinheiro Calls for Legislative Review of Garnishee Rules in Judgement Debts PAGE 5

NBA-SBL Chairman Appointed as Oyo State Director of Odu’a Investment Company PAGE 5

QUOTABLES ‘I’m happy to say that, the capacity of corruption to fight back, has been reduced with the expiration of the life of the 8th Assembly, because that is where the main opposition to this government was constituted.

The main opposition to the fight against corruption that was the centre.’

– Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) ‘You can see from the situation in the Northwest that, banditry has reduced tremendously. Kidnapping also, has gone down, and we have statistics to back this.....’

– Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu

Acting CJ Commissions Federal High Court Toilets Renovated

by SAN PAGE 5

‘Education in Law is a Springboard for Success’ PAGE 6

COLUMNISTS DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN, OFR, FCIARB, PH.D, LL.D Constitutional Democracy, means a system of government, in which political and governmental power, is defined, limited and shared by a grundnorm called the Constitution, which provides inbuilt checks and balances.

This column seeks to fiercely discuss constitutional, legal and political issues, with a view to strengthening, deepening and widening the plenitude and amplitude of democracy and good governance, without fear or favour.

The writer of this column, Dr. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is a Constitutional Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Pro-Democracy Campaigner, Notary Public and Motivational Speaker. He co-founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria's pioneer human rights league, on October 15,1987, the Universal Defenders of Democracy (UDD), in 1992, and with Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others in 1998, the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), to push out the military. In his early days, he lectured at the University of Ife. Dr. Ozekhome is an author of many books. He is also a Special Counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.

ABUBAKAR D. SANI Abubakar D. Sani holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Maiduguri, and has been in active private legal practice since he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.He is the Principal of Abubakar D. Sani & Co., which has offices in Abuja and Kano. " INSIGHT" aims to unravel, analyse and proffer solutions to numerous anomalies in Nigerian law and practice, particularly statutes, vis-a-vis the Constitution, International Treaties and Conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, Judicial Precedent and other relevant statutes and issues.

DR. KUBI UDOFIA Dr. Kubi Udofia holds a Doctorate degree in Law from the University of Nottingham, a Certificate in International Risk Management from the Institute of Risk Management, London, a Masters degree in Corporate Law from University College London, and a Bachelors degree from University of Uyo, in Nigeria. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2007, Dr. Udofia is a scholar-practitioner, and routinely provides a wide range of contentious and non-contentious legal services, to both local and foreign firms. Dr. Udofia is an acknowledged expert, in Insolvency and Restructuring law in Nigeria

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE EDITOR JUDE IGBANOI DEPUTY EDITOR AKINWALE AKINTUNDE REPORTER TUNDE BUSARI GROUP HEAD OCHI OGBUAKU II ART DIRECTOR

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The Deficiencies in the 2020 Budget

“A

Business as Usual pear tree cannot bear an apple”, just as “there’s no making apples of plums” - simply meaning, you cannot do something the ‘X’ way and expect a ‘Y’ result.

Remember that, I told you that my first degree is in Economics (with a minor in Business Administration)?

Even though I may be rusty, when I took a cursory look at the 2020 budget, I could not help but feel that, the aforementioned sayings, reflect the Nigerian situation rather aptly, and it is highly unlikely that there will be any real positive change in our circumstances, since the 2020 budget has shown that it is more or less, ‘a chip of the old block’, business as usual. For one, our budget on the whole, when compared with our GDP and population, is rather low, and to make matters worse, we cannot fund it.

And, while borrowing may not necessarily be a bad thing, if it is done for the right reasons, like for measures to boost economic growth and create employment, it is toxic when it is done, simply for consumption purposes - because you will be unable to repay! Let me simplify it - would you rather lend money to someone to start a business or pay his child’s school fees, or to buy ‘aso-ebi’ (family cloth/uniform) for a wedding? Senseless comparison, don’t you think? But, constant borrowing by Government to fund our high recurrent expenditure, is akin to my aso-ebi example!

Deficit Budget I’m sure that, we all know that a budget is simply a financial plan for a given period of time, in which proposed expenditures and revenues are laid out, matched against each other. Ideally, revenue should exceed expenditure - that is, ‘budget surplus’, though this also has its pros (more money available to pay off debts) and cons (reduction in economic growth and investment).

However, what Nigeria has been running, is a ‘Deficit Budget’, that is, a budget in which revenue is less than expenditure, like the 2020 budget, in which the aggregate expenditure of N10.33 trillion, exceeds the expected revenue of N8.155 trillion. Government can fund the budget deficit, by borrowing - issuing Treasury bills or bonds, or outright borrowing of monies.

In basic (not exhaustive) terms, a deficit budget may be caused by various factors, including extremely high government expenditure, which exceeds tax revenues. Don’t get me wrong, high government expenditure is not always bad.

Sometimes, it even leads to a direct increase in the demand for goods and services, which consequently, leads to an increase in employment

and general output. But, that type of good government expenditure which I’m referring to, is capital expenditure, expenditure on infrastructure investment, industrialisation, education and so on, those things that will create jobs and yield benefits, and not the type of reckless expenditure that the Nigerian governments mostly undertake, like buying luxury vehicles for officials; paying exorbitant, undeserved, unjustifiable salaries and perquisites to members of the National Assembly; giving esta codes to unnecessarily large government entourages when they travel abroad on unnecessary trips, housing them in the most expensive hotels, inflation of contract sums, corruption and the like - expenditures that deplete finances, without adding any value whatsoever.

Some of the key ways to address budget deficit, is to reduce bad government expenditure, possibly increase certain taxes and stimulate economic growth. We all know that, the Economic Objectives set out in Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution), are just there for decoration, and that, inter alia, contrary to Section 16(2)(c), our economic system is being operated to permit the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few individuals - Politicians, Government Officials and their cronies. If not, how, for instance, do we explain a Statutory Transfer of N127 billion to the National Assembly (NASS) in the 2020 budget, yet Government has not implemented the N30,000 minimum wage for the common man, while the defence of our nation, which has been ravaged by seemingly insurmountable insurgency and crime, gets less than NASS (N100 billion), and health, something so crucial to majority of Nigerians who depend on our useless healthcare system - since they are unable to afford anything better, gets only N46 billion (while Baba (President Muhammadu Buhari) and his family, enjoy medical tourism abroad).

I’m not sure that the recipient of a statutory transfer, is even obliged to give account of how such funds are disbursed, Freedom of Information Act 2011 or not!

Cutting Costs: Reduction in the Cost of Governance and Increase in Some Taxes In the 2020 budget, non-debt recurrent expenditure, is more than double, and debt service also exceeds the amount allocated to capital expenditure, while industry, trade and investment is a paltry N40 billion; and we truly expect there to be change and progress in our country? The measures to bridge the budget deficit gap, go hand in hand. We need more cogent, well-thought out fiscal

Basic Peugeot 504 used by the Chief of Naval Staff and other Top Government Officials, in the old days

and monetary policies, not the knee jerk policies that Government and the CBN, are presently churning out.

For example, reduction in the cost of governance, would go together with appropriate tax measures, like maybe an increase in VAT for luxury items, tax reduction or incentives for manufacturers, and not solely blanket tax increases across board, without reduction in the cost of governance, as Government is seeking to do now. Increase in taxes simplicita, will certainly not stimulate economic growth. ‘Au contraire’, it will stifle it, as it will result in there being less disposable income for the general household, less money in circulation, and reduced consumer demand, with a multiplier effect that will decrease economic growth.

However, truth of the matter is that, people are inclined to pay tax, when they see that their hard earned money is being put to good use, instead of being wasted on needless luxuries for a selected few in government. Even the common man, if he/she knows that, if they pay N1000 tax per month, for example, and this will result in their children being able to get good quality free education and decent healthcare for all, won’t the accounts of FIRS, LIRS and other State Tax Collection Agencies, be bursting at the seams with revenue? Talk less of the higher categories of tax payers.

Special Advisers?

Granted, it was not Baba and his administration, who designed our system to be what it is today, but Baba came in on the mantra of ‘change’, purportedly for the better. While I concede that, Baba cannot just decide to reduce, say the number of members of NASS and the Houses of Assembly, and that an amendment of Sections 47- 49 and 91 by virtue of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, is required for that, there are many other things that can be done, to cut the cost of governance. For instance, Sections 151 and 196 of the Constitution, give the President and Governors, powers to appoint Special Advisers - why appoint them, when the Ministries have Permanent Secretaries, who can do the same job? Meanwhile, these Advisers also come with their own retinue of needless staff, all costing the Government unnecessary expense, for what can only be described as, a duplication of efforts.

Unnecessary Institutions?

What is the role of the EFCC v ICPC? Why do we need two agencies? The Police also has the Special Fraud Unit. There’s also the NFIU. The other day, my friend told me that he had been invited to EFCC, on allegations of tax evasion. I was surprised. I asked where the FIRS and LIRS were, only to find that, indeed, the Interpretation Clause of the EFCC Act also defines tax evasion as an economic and financial crime, also under the purview of the Commission. My point? These numerous agencies do not have enough work to do, and their roles therefore, overlap. Why not streamline them and cut costs?

Salaries and Perquisites?

Why can’t government officials use the basic models of the made in Nigeria Innoson cars, which are cheaper than the luxury foreign cars that they use, so as to encourage the local car manufacturing industry and boost employment? Or like in the USA, NASS members lease vehicles, the fee deducted from their salaries on a monthly basis?

Why must new vehicles be purchased every four years? I believe that British PM, Boris Johnson, is using the same vehicle used by his predecessor-in-office, Theresa May. I do not believe that British MPs are provided with vehicles. The salaries of the members of NASS and their allowances, should be reduced.

In USA, national legislators are not given a housing allowance, for staying in Washington DC where they sit. Such cost-cutting moves, will make going for such elective office, less attractive, so that it will give those who truly want to serve, an opportunity to do so, instead of candidates making it a do or die affair, to

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE

THE ADVOCATE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.com onikepob@yahoo.com Twitter: @TheAdvocateTD

“AS A MATTER OF URGENCY, GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SET UP A USEFUL COMMITTEE, WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO REVIEW AND REDUCE NON-ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE....

OR MAYBE, THIS CAN BE PART OF THE MANDATE OF THE NEWLY INAUGURATED PROFESSOR DOYIN SALAMI LED ECONOMIC COMMITTEE” get to NASS, purely for financial gain.

Other Actions Even though my analysis is just a very basic overview (I would require the whole edition of this publication and more, to give a proper in-depth analysis), the bottom line is that, no matter what policies Government churns out to improve the economic situation in Nigeria, if the issue of our extremely high recurrent expenditure is not addressed, such policies may be in vain. As a matter of urgency, Government needs to set up a useful Committee, whose purpose is to review and reduce non-essential Government expenditure. In USA, in the 1940s, they had the ‘Byrd Committee’, a bipartisan Committee with a “narrow focus of making rescissions in Federal spending”.

This Committee can work hand in hand with the newly inaugurated Professor Doyin Salami led Economic Committee. Furthermore, it is time to start to harness many of the untapped natural resources which Nigeria has been blessed with, in a bid to expand our sources of revenue. It is time to take a more in-depth look at the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC)’s ‘Zero Oil’ Proposal Plan, and other similar initiatives, with a view to implementing those that show promise. There also needs to be good transparency initiatives on the award of Government contracts, in order to cut waste and corruption.

Government, take out the 'iroko' from your eye, before you see the 'little Mr Akpan' in my own! That is, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (of excessive, wasteful spending, corruption and incoherent policies) out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye!"(Matthew 7:5).

4/LAW REPORT

15.10.2019

Validity of Sale of Land without Governor’s Consent

T Facts

he Appellant commenced the suit, claiming title to the plot of land situated at D9, Constitution Road, Kaduna. He traced his title to a certain Isa Yahaya, PW 1, who affirmed same and testified that, he had a Customary Right of Occupancy (R of O) evidenced by a Local Government Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). It was the case of the Appellant that PW 1’s C of O was mistakenly revoked in 1987, but the revocation was subsequently rescinded in 1988, and a new C of O was issued to him. PW 1 testified further that, he sold the disputed land comprising 6 rooms, a parlour and a fence, which was at lintel level, to the Appellant. This building was demolished by the Respondent.

The Respondent, a limited liability company, joined issues with the Appellant, claiming that it was the person legally and more entitled to the large expanse of land granted to it. The Respondent averred that, it was a beneficiary of the Kaduna State Government’s revocation of the Appellant’s title to the disputed land, which formed part of the larger expanse of land over which the Right of Occupancy No. 15424 (Exhibit 12) was granted to it by the office of the Military Governor of Kaduna State in April, 1988, after compensation was duly paid to the beneficiaries of the land in question. Its witness, DW 1, testified that the land was granted to it in public interest.

The trial court found for the Appellant, holding that the Customary Right of Occupancy (Exhibit 1) issued to PW 1 over the disputed land, was still valid and subsisting, having not been revoked. The court held further that, PW 1 had the right to dispose of the property as he did to the Appellant, vide a sale contract. An appeal by the Respondent to the Court of Appeal, was adjudged as being meritorious. The appellate court reasoned that, there is no evidence of the payment of the purchase price and acknowledgment of same, though the issue was not in contention between the Appellant and the Vendor – PW 1. The Court of Appeal also reasoned that, the Appellant did not establish that the PW 1 obtained the requisite consent of the appropriate authority for the alleged sale of land to him, thereby impugning his claim of title to the land. The decision of the Court of Appeal, necessitated the instant appeal by the Appellant to the Supreme Court.

Issue for Determination Whether the Appellant proved his case, so as to be entitled to the declaration of title sought.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant submitted that, facts not disputed are deemed admitted and taken as established.

The Respondent did not dispute the evidence of PW 1, to the effect that the land was allocated to him by the Kaduna Local Government and when he could not develop it, he sold it to the Appellant, a relative with means to develop same, and put him in possession. Counsel posited that, the finding of the appellate court that there was no evidence of payment and receipt of purchase price, stemmed from a misconception of the evidence before the court. To demonstrate his root of title, the Appellant tendered various exhibits which confirmed the holder’s title, emanating from relevant authorities. One of such is the undisputed approved building plan issued by the Kaduna State Urban and Property Development Authority (KASUPDA) - Exhibit 6, which underscores the legitimacy and existence of the Appellant’s title through PW 1. On the issue relating to failure of PW 1 to obtain necessary approval from relevant land authority before alienating the land to the Appellant, counsel submitted that, the transaction was inchoate; a mere agreement to sell or assign which fell short of an outright or absolute assignment of the interest of PW 1 to the Appellant in the legal sense.

Counsel for the Respondent on his part argued that, PW 1 did not seek or obtain the approval and or consent of the relevant authority, before purportedly alienating his interest in the disputed land to the Appellant. He submitted that, this failure rendered the transaction between PW 1 and the Appellant void, by the combined effect of Sections 5(1), 6(1)(a), 21(a) & (b) and 22(1) of the Land Use Act. Further, Exhibit 5, the purported receipt of purchase price in consideration of assigning the interest of PW 1 in the land to the Appellant, was rejected on the ground that being a registrable instrument, it was not so registered in accordance with the provisions of Section 15 of the Land Instruments Registration Law, Cap 85 of the 1991 Laws of Kaduna State. Thus, no instrument was executed in evidence of the assignment of the land to the Appellant.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale The Apex Court noted that, going by decided authori-

Hon. Ejembi Eko, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 21st day of June, 2019 Before Their Lordships Musa Dattijo Muhammad Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs Chima Centus Nweze Ejembi Eko Musa Uwani Abba-Aji Justices, Supreme Court SC.236/2009 Between Alhaji Taofic Mohammed.......Appellant And Farmers Supply Company (KDS) Ltd.........Respondent (Lead Judgement delivered by Hon. Ejembi Eko, JSC)

ties, once the Defendant claims to be the owner of the disputed land or where the Plaintiff claims damages for trespass as well as declaration of title and injunction to restrain further trespass by the Defendant, title is said to be in issue. In such instance, the Plaintiff must succeed on the strength of his own case, and not on the weakness of the defence. This he does by credible evidence, satisfactory to the court – FABUNMI v AGBE (1985) 1 NWLR (Pt. 2) 299. The Appellant here

“IT IS THE LAW THAT, WHERE A PURCHASER OF LAND OR A LESSEE IS IN POSSESSION OF THE LAND

BY VIRTUE OF A REGISTRABLE INSTRUMENT WHICH HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED, AND HE HAS PAID THE PURCHASE MONEY OR THE RENT TO THE VENDOR OR THE LESSOR, THEN THE PURCHASER OR LESSEE HAS ACQUIRED AN EQUITABLE INTEREST IN THE LAND, WHICH IS AS GOOD A LEGAL ESTATE”

traced his title to PW 1, who testified that he obtained a Certificate of Occupancy from the Local Government.

This certificate was mistakenly revoked in 1987, and the revocation was rescinded in 1988 and a new certificate was issued to him. The Respondent’s case was that, the land was acquired by the government for overriding public interest and assigned to it for public purpose.

Revocation or otherwise of a Certificate of Occupancy, is a matter within public domain, which upon diligent conduct of searches at the relevant land office or registry, any member of the public can easily establish. The Respondent’s witness admitted the existence of customary titles, prior to government’s acquisition and grant of Statutory Right of Occupancy to the Respondent. Exhibit 6 is an approved building plan issued by an agency of the Kaduna State Government, authorising the erection of structures built by the Appellant. This raises the presumption of regularity under Section 168(1) of the Evidence Act, in favour of the subsistence of the title asserted by the Appellant. This is especially so, as the Respondent did not prove that the title of the Appellant or PW 1 had been revoked, before the acquisition for public purpose.

The proof of compulsory acquisition for public purpose is not by mere allusions as the Respondent did in this instance, the burden must be discharged by empirical evidence in line with Sections 131, 132 and 133 of the Evidence Act. On the issue of alienation of interest in the land without prior consent or approval of the relevant authority, the Supreme Court found that, by the evidence of the Appellant, the sale transaction was nothing but a mere agreement to sell or assign the disputed land to him by PW 1. This testimony was further substantiated by the fact that, the building approval and other approvals were processed from the authorities in the name of PW 1. In SAVANNAH BANK PLC v IBRAHIM (2000) FWLR (Pt. 25) 1626, a clear distinction was made between an agreement to sell and an outright sale. While an agreement to sell or a conditional sale subject to the necessary consent being obtained, is not prohibited by the Land Use Act, an outright sale/assignment without consent, is null and void. From the evidence before the court, the assignment alluded to was inchoate or a mere escrow transaction which is not prohibited by Section 21 of the Land Use Act. It is the law that, where a purchaser of land or a lessee is in possession of the land by virtue of a registrable instrument which has not been registered, and he has paid the purchase money or the rent to the vendor or the lessor, then the purchaser or lessee has acquired an equitable interest in the land, which is as good a legal estate. This equitable interest can only be defeated, by a purchaser of the land for value without notice of the prior equity – REGISTERED TRUSTEES OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION & ANOR v JAMES & ANOR (1987) LPELR-2946(SC).

“There are two broad stages that culminate in the vesting of title to the purchaser, in a land transaction. The first stage, is the agreement or contract stage. This stage does not require the consent of the Governor under Section 22 of the Land Use Act. At this stage of entering into contract for sale of land, no alienation has taken place as envisaged by the said Section 22, and therefore, the requirement of the consent of the Governor does not arise. ... The second stage involving alienating or transferring the vendor’s right of occupancy, and which is done by a conveyance or deed. Because this stage invariably involves the vesting of title in the purchase, consent of the Governor must as a legal prerequisite, be sought and obtained.”

The Respondent in this case cannot feign ignorance, that it is a bonafide purchaser for value without notice.

More so, the sale agreement (Exhibit 5) was rejected in evidence, on the ground that it was not registered in accordance with the provisions of Section 15 of the Land Instruments Registration Law of Kaduna State. Thus, no instrument was executed in evidence of the assignment of land between the Appellant and PW 1. It follows therefore, that the finding of the lower court that PW 1 assigned his interest in the land without previous consent or approval of the relevant authority, is unfounded.

Appeal Allowed.

Representation Henry Akunebe Esq., with Florence Omoruyi, Esq. for the Appellant.

Chris A. Esq., (Solicitor-General of Kaduna State) with E.K. Bakami Esq., State Counsel for the Respondent.

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

15.10.2019

NEWS/5 NBA-SBL Chairman Appointed as Oyo State Director of Odu’a Investment Company

40TH ANNIVERSARY COURTESY VISIT L-R: Research and Programmes, NICArb, Timi Olagunju, Ms. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi of Ministry of Justice, Chairman, Capital Market Solicitors' Association and Member, NICArb, Mr. Benjamin Obidegwu, Fellow, NICArb, Mr. Adesegun Ajibola, SAN, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, Registrar/CEO, NICArb, Ms. Shola Oshodi-John, Fellow, NICArb, Ms. Funmi Obisan and Member, NICArb, Mr. Ejeme Edward when members of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators paid a courtesy visit to the Attorney-General, as part of the activities to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Institute coming up on November 14th and 15th

Pinheiro Calls for Legislative Review of Garnishee Rules in Judgement Debts Stories by Akinwale Akintunde A Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, has called for a legislative review of all laws relating to garnishee banks, including the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, Laws of the Federation 2004 (SCPA), to accommodate the effects and benefits of fast growing technology.

Pinheiro said the legislative review of the laws would eliminate the rigorous procedures of serving garnishee proceedings on several banks, in the course of enforcing monetary judgements in business related cases.

The Senior Advocate made these suggestions last Tuesday, in a paper titled “Effective Utilisation of Garnishee Proceedings in Recovery of Debt and Effective Defence thereto: Prospects, Challenges and Avoidable Pitfalls”, which he delivered at the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programme organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch.

According to him, rather than

rely on the rigorous procedure of having several garnishees file papers to show cause, the account balances of such judgment debtor can be accessed from a central system through the Bank Verification Number (BVN) technology.

Pinheiro advised Nigerian banks who are mostly the Garnishee in debt recovery proceedings, to stop shielding judgement debtors, by attempting to lie to the court on the true position of their account statements, saying they could end up on the wrong side of the law, and incur the wrath of the court.

According to Pinheiro, failure to disclose account details of a judgement debtor by a garnishee, readily raises a presumption that the garnishee has something to hide, and that that may be presumed against the garnishee.

“It must be noted that, it is not the business of a Garnishee (banks) to undertake to play the role of an advocate for a judgement debtor, by trying to

shield and protect the money of the judgement debtor. Of course, by playing games of hide and seek with the court, by failing or refusing to depose to an affidavit to show cause, disclosing the true account status of the judgement debtor, the Garnishee only exposes itself to trouble, daring the court to do its worst!”, he explained.

He said litigants must realise that, getting favourable monetary judgements is not enough in litigation involving monetary issues, until enforcement takes place.

“The focal point of every litigation involving sums of money, is the beneficial outcome of the litigation process to the claimant or counter-claimant, as the case may be, which in essence, is for the amount claimed to be granted by the court. The litigation process may take some years, but the claimant having hopes of deriving benefit from the litigation, will wait patiently for the final outcome. However, upon delivery of judgement in

his/her favour granting the sums claimed, the litigant soon realises that the fact that a judgement has been awarded in his/her favour, does not mean that there is automatic enforcement; no enforcement proceeding will take place, unless the judgement creditor applies to enforce it”, he added.

Pinheiro stated that, one of the methods by which liquidated money judgements can be enforced, is by way of garnishee proceedings. He quoted Black’s Law Dictionary definition of Garnishee proceeding as a “judicial process of execution or enforcement of monetary judgement, whereby money belonging to a judgement debtor, in the hands or possession of a third party known as the ‘Garnishee’ (usually a bank), is attached or seized by a judgement creditor, the ‘Garnisher’ or ‘Garnishor’, in satisfaction of a judgement sum or debt”.

Garnishee proceedings,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Retired Judge, NGO, Sue NAFDAC, Others, over Importation of Banned Chemical A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has been asked to compel the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to investigate, identify and destroy in a healthy and safe manner any methyl bromide, an odorless, colorless gas used to control pests in agriculture, which has serious negative effects on humans and the environment.

A retired Judge of the Osun State High Court, Justice Olamide Oloyede and Virtues Unlimited Restorative Justice Initiative (VURJI), prayed the court to grant the relief in a suit they instituted against NAFDAC and eight others, before the court.

In the suit before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, the Claimants are also urging the court to declare that the alleged importation of the banned chemical substance into Nigeria by a Lagos based company, Toon Consolidated Company Limited pursuant to the license issued by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) and without the

permit of NAFDAC, is unlawful and illegal.

Other Defendants in the case are: National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Justice.

In a 32-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the suit and personally sworn to by the retired Judge, she claimed that the agro-chemical had been banned in Nigeria because it was dangerous to human health, and caused environmental hazards by depleting the ozone layer.

The VURJI coordinator also averred that, methyl bromide when used as a fumigant and pesticide, exposes humans to severe injuries including lung damage, because it is highly toxic.

Justice Oloyede also stated that, due to the dangers it poses

to humans and the environment, NAFDAC banned its importation and use as a fumigant in the country, on February 20, 2019.

She, however, alleged that it came to the knowledge of the Plaintiffs that, Toon Consolidated Company Limited was given a permit by NAQS to import 45 cylinders of methyl bromide into Nigeria, and use same as pesticide in the country.

The retired Judge further stated that, the current grant of permit of the use of methyl bromide, a banned chemical substance that is not permitted to be imported into Nigeria by NAQS to any person, is ultra vires its powers, illegal and unlawful.

The Plaintiffs are therefore, asking Justice Oguntoyinbo to determine whether NAFDAC is the agency of the Federal Government with the statutory functions and duties, among other things, to regulate and control the importation, distribution, sale

and use of chemicals and grant authorisation for the import of psycho-tropic substances, has the power to ban the importation of methyl bromide.

But, in its counter-affidavit to the suit, NAQS asked the court to dismiss the case, because the Plaintiffs do not have the locus standi to institute the action against the Defendant, as it has not shown that it has sufficient interest or right which is not vague or intangible.

NAQS also maintained that, the case of the Plaintiffs is hinged on mere suspicion and untruths against it, and the entire gamut of the processes filed by the Plaintiffs before the court disclose no reasonable cause of action.

The Federal Agency also stated that, the suit as presently constituted, is incompetent and a flagrant abuse of court process.

Justice Oguntoyinbo has adjourned the case to November 19, for the hearing of all pending applications.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and current Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), Seni Adio, has been appointed a Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited.

Odu’a Investment Company Limited, is an investment company set up for the business interest of old Western States of Nigeria, which includes, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States of Nigeria.

Adio’s appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the Secretary to Oyo state government, Olubamiwo Adeosun.

The NBA-SBL Chairman, who is an indigene of Oyo State, is expected to sit as the Oyo State representative on the board of the company, which is currently involved in diverse economic activities in property development and management, hospitality, telecommunications, printing and publication, agriculture, among other things.

The Senior Advocate is a highly skilled commercial litigation Lawyer, with extensive expertise in Maritime

law, Energy (Oil and Gas), Telecommunications, Gaming and Entertainment, Health Law, and Capital Market transactions.

As Chairman of the NBA Section on Business Law, he continues to work actively with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Assembly (NASS), through a working group called the NASSBER (National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable).

He is also a member of the Presidential Committee for Impact and Readiness Assessment of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), set up by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.

The Committee was charged with the responsibility of addressing the risks associated with signing the agreement, while assessing of the potential costs and impact of the AfCFTA for Nigeria in relation to the benefits, identify the short, medium and long-term measures to prepare Nigerian businesses for the take-off of the AfCFTA trading bloc, and a back-up plan that covers selected scenarios; and, review the trade remedy options, to safeguard the Nigerian economy from predatory and other unfair trade practices.

Acting CJ Commissions Federal High Court Toilets Renovated by SAN The Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon Justice John Tsoho, last Thursday, commissioned the public conveniences of the Federal High Court, in the Lagos Division, newly renovated for public use.

Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had voluntarily taken up the project of renovating the three public toilets in the court, for the use of Lawyers and litigants alike.

Adegboruwa said this project was executed in fulfillment of the pledge that he made to God, when applying for elevation into the Inner Bar. Renovated toilets are the one at the car park, comprising two toilets for men, two urinary bowls and hand wash, three toilets for women, hand wash and changing area; the Main Toilet Inside the Court, comprising two toilets, two

urinary bowls and hand wash for men and three toilets and hand wash for women; and the Special Toilet for Senior Lawyers and Physically Challenged Persons, which was totally overhauled with one toilet, hand wash and urinary bowl for men and one toilet and wash hand for women.

Enough room has been created in this toilet, to allow Lawyers freshen up in the outer rooms newly created, because of its proximity to the court.

The single toilet of the security men at the main gate of the court, was also renovated and changed.

Adegboruwa had written to the court to seek permission to renovate these toilets, as part of his efforts to give back to the Judiciary where he operates.

Justice Tsoho commissioned these toilets in the company of other Judges and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos and Ikeja Branches, and other dignitaries.

NGOs Hold First Human Rights Awareness Week Crime Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON) in collaboration with Human Rights Education and Awareness Centre (HUREC), will on October 25 and 26, hold the First Human Rights Awareness Week in Lagos.

The event which theme is, “Creating Awareness of Human Rights and the Rights of Victims of Crime in a Democracy”, will hold at the Nigerian Customs Christian Fellowship (Chapel Hall), Customs Training College, Unity Bus stop, Ikeja, under the Chairmanship of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

According to CRIVIFON Ex-

ecutive Director, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Louis Alozie, will speak on the topic, ‘How Human Rights Education Can Help the Civilians to Participate Fully in Democratic Governance”, Commissioner of Police, X Squard, (CP) David Akinremi, will speak on the topic, “Improving The Security and Safety of Citizens Through Community Policing In Nigeria”, while Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, will be the moderator.

On Friday, October 25, the two organisations will hold the Human Rights Legal Clinic at No. 7, Oshinowo Street, off Palm Avenue, Mushin and Eledie bus stop, Onipanu, Somolu, and listen to victims of crime.

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Human Rights Advocacy Groups Draw Attention to the Negative Impact of Death Penalty on Children Peter Taiwo As the world mark this year’s day against the death penalty, two human rights advocacy groups, Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS) and Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), have drawn attention to the negative impact of the death penalty on children.

The groups said the children of parents sentenced to death or executed, have been referred to as the ‘invisible' or ‘forgotten' victims of the death penalty, whose experiences are often overlooked and whose rights are rarely considered in criminal justice processes.

October 10, is a day set aside every year to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, and raise awareness on the conditions and the circumstances which affect prisoners with a death sentence.

The day was first organised by the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, in 2003.

The theme for this year is ‘Children: Unseen Victims of the Death Penalty’.

As part of activities marking the day, HURILAWS and LEDAP at a collaborative press conference held at Legal Resource Consortium in Ikeja, Lagos, called on Federal and State legislators and Executives in Nigeria, to put in place an official moratorium on the imposition of the death sentence, and the carrying out of executions on the parent of a child.

Addressing the Conference, Collins Okeke of HURILAWS and Pamela Okoroigwe of LEDAP, also called on the relevant stakeholders to conduct a child rights impact evaluation of the actual impact of the implementation of current legislation and policies in their State related to the death penalty, to assess the impact on children of the parental death penalty.

“Consider all aspects of children’s rights in this evaluation, including the right to be free from inhuman treatment, and the rights to health, education, and an adequate standard of living.

Engage in thorough communication with children, to facilitate their meaningful participation in this process, and to identify their best interests, using

child-friendly procedural safeguards.

“Develop transparent and objective processes for legislative decisions made concerning the death penalty, to ensure full consideration and respect of the human rights of children.

“Enact legislation that requires in law, the detailed procedural steps for conducting a best interests of the child assessment, as set out in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment on the best interests of the child, and include a provision explicitly requiring that such an assessment be conducted, before any sentencing decision is made that impacts a child. Ensure that all the procedural requirements set out in this legislation, are disseminated to both Prosecutors and Judges.

“HURILAWS and LEDAP also call on Federal and State Judiciaries in Nigeria, to refrain from sentencing a parent to death in line with the presumption against executions of parents, as set forth by the UN Human Rights Committee.

“The Judiciary is also enjoined, to Insist on the best interests of the child assessment for

PINHEIRO CALLS FOR LEGISLATIVE REVIEW OF GARNISHEE RULES IN JUDGEMENT DEBTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 according to him, is one of the most effective means for enforcing monetary judgements in Nigeria. “By its nature, Garnishee proceeding is ‘sui generis’, and different from other court proceedings, although it flows from the judgement that pronounced the debt”.

“However, as simple as garnishee proceedings may seem to be by its definition, in practice, there are a myriad of challenges for all concerned with the process. Some of these challenges include: Who are the actual parties to the garnishee proceedings?, how can a judgement creditor possibly meet/fulfill the requirement of the law in satisfying the court, that the judgement debtor has funds in custody of the third party (garnishee) as to require the grant of an order nisi to show cause?, Can a garnishee protect the funds of the judgement debtor in its custody, and make a case for same not to be attached? Is the consent of the Attorney-General still required, before funds in the custody of a public officer will be attached by an order nisi? Who is a public officer within the meaning of Section 84 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act (SCPA)?, what are the possible defences available to the judgement debtor in a garnishee proceedings? Similarly, are

there any defences available to a garnishee, in such proceedings?”, the Senor Advocate said.

Also speaking at the event on “Appeals: Dissatisfaction With Decisions of Court, Exercising and Fast Tracking Right of Appeal, Avoiding Fatal Slips”, Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, urged appellants who desire to pursue their right of appeal to do so timeously and diligently, or stand the risk of being struck out or dismissed.

On his part, Mr., Victor Okpara, Chairman, Continuous Legal Education and Practice Development Committee, explained that, the theme of the interactive session and topics of the papers delivered by the senior Lawyers, were informed by the clamour for continuous legal education as a result of the fallen standard of legal practice.

“Now, Continuous Legal Education Committee is a statutory committee, and it is a rule of our profession that Lawyers should continue to get themselves continuously educated and upgraded intellectually”, he said.

Earlier, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, who was represented by Justice Oke Lawal, commended NBA Ikeja, for very well reasoned topics.

“I have found that, most of the time in my

court, I had to educate Lawyers on garnishee proceedings. Sometimes, the applications are not brought in conformity with proper court processes of contracting a garnishee proceedings.

So, I had to strike out the application, and then educate them as to what must be contained and what cannot not be contained in application for garnishee proceedings”, she said.

“Judges would be very glad to see changes, in the way Lawyers apply for this particular proceedings”, she noted.

The Chairman of NBA, Ikeja Branch, Prince Dele Oloke, remarked that the programme is one of the cardinal points of his administration of Ikeja Branch.

Oloke expressed confidence that, the “continuous legal education programme, will not be a mere talk shop. It will be a talk shop with a difference.

It will be a talk shop where eminent Lawyers will share with us the secrets of a successful legal practitioner”.

He said the senior Lawyers who delivered papers were chosen, because “they have become repositories of legal knowledge, and that is why we have invited them to share with us from their wealth of experience”.

each case of a parent who may be sentenced to death or executed, and refuse to deliver a sentence of death until the assessment is completed and fully considered.”

According to the groups, in its 2018 global report on death sentences and executions, Amnesty International recorded that in Nigeria; at least 19,336 people were on death row.

“Many of these people have children connected to them, either as daughters, sons, nephews, nieces etc. The death penalty, does not only affect the person who is sentenced. Members of the sentenced person’s family, are also collateral victims.

“The children of parents sentenced to death or executed, have been referred to as the ‘invisible' or ‘forgotten' victims of the death penalty, whose experiences are often overlooked, and whose rights are rarely considered in criminal justice processes.

Studies recognise that, children of people sentenced to death or whose parents are on death row, carry a heavy emotional and psychological burden that amounts to the violation of their human rights, and most of them often come from poor families and/or are from minority groups.

“Protection of the rights of the child enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is a very distant dream for these children. When a parent is incarcerated on death row, the looming threat of execution can prolong and exacerbate issues.

“If executions do take place, this permanently deprives the child of the parental relationship, and it has been found to cause specific traumas and some of these issues constitute violations of the rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and welfare of the child.

“Most prominently, given the associated impacts, the imposition of the death penalty on a parent may constitute a violation of States' obligations to protect children from all forms of physical or mental violence under Article 19 of the CRC. Notably, Article 3 of the CRC requires that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in all decision-making affecting them, including those relating to their parents.

“Globally, there is a shift in the view of the death penalty, especially in Africa. Since the 1980s, there has been a global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty, a trend which continues to this day. 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, have abolished the death penalty for all crimes”, the groups stated.

Legal Personality of the Week Titilope Martins-Wakwe

‘Education in Law is a Springboard for Success’ providing services; believing that the matter was concluded in our favour. The client however, turned around and restarted the bidding process, asking us to submit our proposal along with other competing firms. It was quite devastating.

Please, give a brief introduction of yourself My name is Titilope Martins-Wakwe. I am a Senior Counsel in the law firm of Adepetun Caxton-Martins Agbor & Segun (“ACASLaw”), where I act as Company Secretary and Governance Advisor to several companies in diverse industries. I was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2011, and I am an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria and the Society of Corporate Governance Nigeria. I am also the founder of the BeyondMyLawDegree Blog (the “BMLD Blog”) where I share stories of Lawyers (in and outside of practice), who are excelling in other fields, in a bid to inspire other Lawyers to maximise their potentials inside and outside of the legal space.

Have you had any challenges in your career as a Lawyer, and if so, what were the main challenges?

I have had quite a few, actually. My first major challenge, was getting into a top tier firm. As a new wig, I remember typing “top twenty law firms in Lagos” into google, and then sending my resume to all twenty law firms and some more. I remember a lot of people said, you must know somebody in these top law firms to get an invite for an interview, but I did not know anyone. So, I kept my fingers crossed, and prayed really hard. Eventually, I started receiving calls from some of the top law firms, and eventually had to make a choice between ACAS-Law and another top law firm. I am glad I chose

Titilope Martins-Wakwe

What is your most memorable experience as a Lawyer?

I have had quite a few. In my capacity as Company Secretary to numerous companies, I have had the opportunity to sit with and advice Chairmen and Board members, who are genuine industry icons. Being able to advice such important personalities on corporate compliance and governance issues, and learning from their wealth of wisdom and experience, are opportunities I do not take for granted.

Another memorable experience for me, was when I received an email from one of the readers of the BMLD Blog telling me how I had inspired her to follow her passion in market research and data science, whilst pursuing the summit of her legal career.

ACAS-Law. Another major challenge I have faced is, managing clients who occasionally ask you to do something that it is not hundred percent ethical, and you have to find a way as a Lawyer to keep it within the bounds of legality without compromising your values, while also keeping the client happy.

Who has been most influential in your life?

Far apart from God (even though I have a long list of influential persons in my life), most influential are my parents. They taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, dedication to a course, and integrity.

What was your worst day as a Lawyer?

We had just won a contract to provide legal services to a client, and we had started

Why did you become a Lawyer?

It seemed like the natural progression for my life. As a child, I was very talkative, always

acting and participating in one debate or the other, and memorising speeches and presenting them at speech and prize giving days. As a result, family and friends believed I would do well as a Lawyer, as in their opinion, all Lawyers do is talk! When I ended up in arts class in secondary school, I decided to study the most prestigious course in the arts, which I considered to be law. Also, because my father gently nudged me towards that career path, by always cutting out newspaper clips on law and Lawyers, and putting them in my personal file so I could read them when I came home on holidays. I am mighty glad that I made the decision to study law, because training as a Lawyer empowers you to function optimally in many other fields.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in law?

My advice to such a person will be to pursue it with a lot of patience and dedication, and to look for mentors for advice and inspiration along their way. In my opinion, an education in law, is a springboard for success.

If you had not become a Lawyer, what other career would you have chosen?

I would have chosen a career in the arts, as an Actress, Musician or on-air personality.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will be a locally and internationally rated corporate compliance expert, a New York Times bestselling author, and an award-winning talk show host, amongst other things.

15.10.2019

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INSOLVENCY DISCOURSE DR. KUBI UDOFIA

info@kubiudofia.com

AMCON (Amendment No. 2) Act 2019 and Its Weighty Flaws (1)

T Background

he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was established with the core mandate of saving the Nigerian banking system from collapse, under the weight of toxic loans. AMCON’s primary objective was to purchase soured loans from commercial banks, and subsequently, recover the loans from debtors. Nine years after its establishment, AMCON is presently faced with mountainous debt profile valued at over N5.5 trillion.

This is gargantuan, when considered that it is 66.3% of the 2019 budget of the Federal Government (N8.92 trillion) and 53.2% of the 2020 budget proposal (N10.33 trillion). Worse still, AMCON is in a race against time, in view of its sunset clause.

As part of efforts towards refortifying AMCON, on 7 August, 2019, President Mohammadu Buhari assented to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (Amendment No. 2) Act 2019 (AMCON Act 2019). AMCON Act 2019 amends AMCON Act 2010 which had been previously amended in 2015. Notwithstanding the good intentions which incentivised the amendments, AMCON Act 2019 is replete with constitutional breaches and dereliction of democratic norms.

Gestapo Tactics and Self-help Measures A perusal of AMCON Act 2019 shows that, it is teemed with provisions in breach of the 1999 Constitution and other democratic norms. AMCON Act 2019 proceeds on the implicit assumption that persons/corporates which have the misfortune of being labelled debtors

by AMCON, are indeed, culpable. Accordingly, named debtors are treated as though they are as guilty as sin!

This is notwithstanding that the alleged debts may be subject-matters of pending court actions, and/or are bona fide disputed on genuine and substantial grounds. While AMCON Act 2019 is largely dismissive of the rights of named debtors, it refortifies AMCON with unbridled and overreaching extra-judicial powers to exert undue pressure on perceived and real debtors.

AMCON Act 2019 encourages AMCON to arm-twist both perceived and real debtors, and employ a cocktail of unconstitutional, extra-judicial and self-help measures, in its debt recovery efforts. For instance, AMCON is empowered to, via ex-parte orders, but in violation of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, place bank accounts of designated debtors under surveillance (new Section 6(1)(ua)(i)), access computer, electronic and mechanical device of designated debtors to locate funds (new Section 6(1)(ua)(ii)), and obtain information in respect of private accounts, commercial and financial records of debtors (new Section 6(1) (ua)(ii)). AMCON is also required to furnish the Federal Government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with a list of its recalcitrant debtors. More grotesquely, AMCON is conferred with powers to “impose an obligation” on the Federal Government and MDAs to seek AMCON’s clearance, before awarding contracts or making payments to the debtors (new Section 6(6)).

The new Section 34(2) provides that, the vesting of assets in AMCON and AMCON’s exercise of power to take

“AMCON ACT 2019 ENCOURAGES AMCON TO ARM-TWIST BOTH PERCEIVED AND REAL DEBTORS, AND EMPLOY A COCKTAIL OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL, EXTRA-JUDICIAL AND SELF-HELP MEASURES, IN ITS DEBT RECOVERY EFFORTS.....GRANTS AMCON EXTENSIVE POWERS TO VIOLATE THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY OF NIGERIANS, WHOM AMCON UNILATERALLY LABELS AS DEBTORS”

Chairman, Board of Directors of Asset Management Corporation of Nigerian, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN

possession of, manage, foreclose or sell, transfer, assign or dispose of acquired assets or other secured assets are effective, notwithstanding the pendency of court actions in respect of the assets. AMCON is further empowered to publish in a newspaper, a list of designated debtors (new Section 50B(1)). AMCON is also empowered to furnish a copy of the newspaper containing the list of debtors to all procuring entities which are prohibited from awarding contracts to, conducting business with or making payments under existing contracts/business arrangement with the debtors, without prior written concurrence of AMCON (new Section 50B(2) and (3)).

The above gestapo tactics are aimed at arm-twisting and economically throttling designated debtors, with a view to giving AMCON an edge even where proceedings may be pending in courts. Time and time again, courts have emphasised that these sorts of underhand tactics and self-help measures, are antithetical to the rule of law: Achebe v Mbanefo (2017) LPELR-41886 at 80-81D-E; Okolonji v Mbanefo (2017) LPELR-41887 at 58-59A-C. Once disputes have been submitted to a court for determination, parties are not permitted to take the laws into their hands. In other words, they may not act in a manner which may overreach the other party or undermine the powers of the court: Iwuji v Gov Imo State (2014) LPELR-22824 at 32-34F-C. In Union Bank v Ajabule (2011) LPELR-8239 at 28D-F the Supreme Court condemned in strong terms, the use of self-help, stressing that it had no place in a civilised society like ours. The Apex Court emphasised that, both individuals and government have the duty to allow the legal and judicial process to run its full course. In Spiess v Oni (2016) LPELR-40502 at 36A-B, Justice I.T. Mohammed emphatically stated that: “no reasonable society will encourage resort to self-help for whatever reason, and not certainly on mere suspicion”. Further, in Gbejuade v Gbejuade (2017) LPELR-41977 at 13-14B-D, the court was unequivocal in describing self-help as “unlawful”. Paradoxically, the highlighted provisions seek to legalise unlawfulness for the benefit of AMCON, and to the detriment of constitutionality and the rule of law.

Breach of the Constitutional right to privacy Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the right to privacy of Nigerians, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications.

The importance of fundamental human rights in the 1999 Constitution, has been emphasised in a plethora of judicial authorities. In El-Rufai v Senate (2014) LPELR-23115 at 45A-47B, the court explained that fundamental rights are not ordinary rights, but significant

and inalienable rights which cannot be infringed without a breach of the 1999 Constitution.

AMCON Act 2019 grants AMCON extensive powers to violate the right to privacy of Nigerians, whom AMCON unilaterally labels as debtors. The powers to via ex parte court orders (i) place any bank account or any other comparable account of perceived debtors under surveillance, (ii) gain access to any computer system component, electronic or mechanical device of named debtors, with a view to establishing the location of funds belonging them, and (iii) obtain information of any private account and other bank financial and commercial records of debtors, are a violation of the constitutional right to privacy of the debtors. Instructively, the arbitrary and intrusive powers conferred on AMCON, are on the basis of mere commercial disputes, and upon unilateral allegation of indebtedness.

The constitutional right to privacy, is by no means absolute. Laws made (i) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom or other persons, will not be a violation of the right to privacy: Section 45(1) of the 1999 Constitution. In FRN v Daniel (2011) LPELR-4152 at 21-23E-C, Section 41(1) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act 1989 which permits a law enforcement officer to conduct a search without warrant upon belief that it is connected with commission of crime, was held not to be in violation of Section 45(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

None of the exceptions under Section 45(1) of the 1999 Constitution, are applicable to AMCON Act 2019. A right conferred by the 1999 Constitution cannot be taken away or interfered with by any other legislation, except the 1999 Constitution: AG Osun v International Breweries Plc (2000) LPELR-10094 at 41A-D. Any other law which purports to abrogate a right conferred by the 1999 Constitution, is null and void: Osungwu v Onyeigbo [2005] 16 NWLR (Pt 950) 80 at 94E-F. The new Sections 6(1)(ua)(i), 6(1)(ua)(ii) and 6(1)(ua) (iii), cannot be pigeonholed into the Section 45(1) exceptions. They are aimed at achieving purely commercial objectives, namely fortifying AMCON in its debt recovery efforts. The approach of the framers of AMCON Act 2019, runs afoul of the constant admonition by courts that fundamental human rights should on no account be subsumed or swept under the carpet in favour of other laws, no matter how well pivoted those laws may be: Tolani v K.S.J.S.C (2009) LPELR-8375 at 52-54F-A. Attempts at Undermining the Courts AMCON Act 2019 is replete with provisions which undermine the courts, or have the potential to do so.

First, some of the provisions encourage AMCON to employ self-help and extra- judicial measures, in its debt recovery drive. They disregard the fact that, the alleged debts may be subject-matters of ongoing litigation. For instance, Section 34(2) renders “effective” AMCON’s exercise of power to take possession of, manage, foreclose or sell, transfer, assign or dispose acquired bad debts or secured asset, notwithstanding the pendency of an action in court in respect of the bad debts. This flies in the face of the settled principle that, once parties have turned their disputes over to the courts for determination, a resort to self-help is impermissible, reprehensible and must end: Abiodun v C.J. Kwara State [2007] 18 NWLR (Pt. 1065) 109 at 139C-F, 140A-141A. Second, there are at least two provisions which, in a rather draconian manner, prohibit courts from granting remedial or preservative orders. These are done, for the sole benefit of AMCON. For instance, the new Section 19(5) prohibits courts from granting interim, interlocutory or preservative orders of attachment against AMCON’s funds in any bank, when any proceeding is pending in court. In a similar vein, the new Section 34(6) bars courts from granting injunctions, preservative or restorative orders, interim, interlocutory, perpetual or like orders against AMCON, its directors or officers in any proceeding, in relation to the exercise or intended exercise of AMCON’s power to recover debts owed to AMCON or realise security in relation to bad debts. The provision limits the remedy of any claimant, in an action to monetary compensation. Further, the new Section 34(7) excludes consequential, aggravated, punitive or exemplary damages, from monetary compensation.

To be Continued.

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#SexForGrades: BBC Opens a Can of Worms For decades, it has been going on in the nation’s tertiary institutions, and the authorities, both school and Government, parents, students and even, teachers, have either turned a blind eye or pretended that it wasn’t happening. A BBC undercover reporter, Kiki Mordi, who was forced to drop out of school on account of sexual harassment by Lecturers, opened the can of worms with a bang! Now, everybody has suddenly awoken, to the reality of the enormity of the problem of #SexForGrades in Nigeria’s higher institutions. The man at the centre of the drama, Lecturer at the University of Lagos and Pastor in the Four Square Gospel Church, Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu, is said to have committed yet another criminal offence, by allegedly attempting to commit suicide, with the now popular Snipper insecticide. Is he alone in this saga? How safe are our daughters in our tertiary institutions? How endemic is sexual harassment in tertiary institutions? Are we aware of how serious the problem is? Are the authorities prepared to tackle this hydra-headed monster, head on? These, and other issues, are the focus of our cover by Babatunde Irukera, Ossai Ojigo, and Olabukunola Williams, who are all unanimous in their submissions, that utmost urgency and drastic solutions are required, in tacking the issue

Addressing Sexual Harassment and Exploitation in Tertiary Institutions

Sexual Harassment is Much More about Power than Sex Osai Ojigho

B Introduction

Babatunde Irukera

T Background

he Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) strongly condemns acts of sexual harassment and other forms of exploitation, in institutions of learning. Students, as consumers of educational services, are entitled to safe, secure and liberal educational environments, where the relationship between faculty and students promotes confidence and robust knowledge sharing.

Therefore, the FCCPC has consistently taken and urged relevant authorities, to take necessary action in response to allegations of inappropriate conduct.

On April 30, 2018, FCCPC requested authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to act both swiftly and decisively, regarding an allegation of inappropriate conduct, specifically, sexual misconduct against a member of faculty that emerged by the disclosure incontrovertible evidence by the victim and student.

The Commission remained in communication with OAU, to ensure the investigative and disciplinary process was both transparent and timely. OAU ultimately

“......THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN HARVESTING CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE TO ASSIST WITH ENGAGING THE RELEVANT SCHOOL AUTHORITIES, TO ENCOURAGE DECISIVE ACTION AND STANDING POLICIES, REGARDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, EXPLOITATION AND OTHER MISCONDUCT”

disciplined the member of faculty in a decisive manner. On June 21, 2018, the Commission welcomed and commended OAU’s action.

On October 6, 2019, the Commission again applauded Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) for its unprecedented bold and resolute action, in disciplining 15 employees for sexual misconduct, and conduct bordering on corruption.

Subsequent to, and perhaps contemporaneous with these actions, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was apparently journalistically investigating institutions in West Africa in a ‘Sex For Grades’ menace.

This investigation has led to swift and commendable responses by the University of Lagos authorities, specifically the suspension of the implicated Lecturers and the closure of the “cold room”. The open disclosures and naming by victims and others of possible violators across the country, underscores what is essentially a problem of rampant proportions. This conduct is not limited to the identified, in this statement. We strongly urge others, to take decisive and transparent action, as well as limiting enabling fora for such conduct in their school communities.

In the absence of strong, collaborative and coordinated action and a robust policy framework that addresses the demand/ solicitation of sex for grades by faculty or student, sexual and non-sexual harassment and other forms of exploitation, the inevitable consequence will severely undermine the educational process, and create a cloud of questionability over educational outcomes. Whether as a willing participant, a victim, or an unsolicited student, this insidious practice compromises all and undermines the validity of degrees obtained, or failures/delays in graduating.

Ultimately, it impugns the credibility of our institutions.

Protection of Consumers The Commission, in furtherance of its mandate to protect consumers, and in recognition of students as a vulnerable group of consumers receiving services from educational institutions and members of faculty that wield substantial

UNILAG Lecturer, Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu

power over them, is leading an effort to establish a framework to provide adequate protection and accountability, and to address this obvious and inexcusable pattern that appears prevalent in schools.

The Commission is immediately engaging the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, Student Union groups across the country, relevant Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders, to develop a robust mechanism to support prevention, retribution and accountability.

As an initial matter, the Commission is interested in harvesting credible intelligence to assist with engaging the relevant school authorities to encourage decisive action and standing policies, regarding sexual harassment, exploitation and other misconduct. The Commission therefore, urges anyone with credible information to provide same to our dedicated email: sexforgrades@fccpc.gov.ng Babatunde Irukera, Chief Executive Officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

UNILAG Lecturer, Dr. Samuel Oladipo

eyond the sensationalism caused by the release of the BBC Africa Eye documentary, on sexual harassment, “Sex for Grades: Undercover inside Nigerian and Ghanaian Universities”, (https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=we- F0Gi0Lqs) on 7 October, 2019, there is a deeper more sinister problem faced by students, predominantly young women in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and West Africa, as a whole.

Despite gains made in education policy to ensure greater access for girls and boys and promotion of gender equality by social investment in these areas highlighted by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and now in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, issues like sexual harassment show that, as a country, we are still enabling factors that inhibit the full participation of women and girls in society. The facts show that, while enrolment rates for both boys

Is Nigeria Ready to Battle Sex for Grades in Tertiary Institutions?

Olabukunola Williams

E

very person, especially adolescent girls and young women, deserve a safe environment, to learn, grow and thrive. Schools in Nigeria, including tertiary institutions, instead are often spaces that reinforce and entrench reminders that girls and young women do not have the right to their bodies, their intelligence, their choices, their lives. Negative gender and social norms are replicated instead of dismantled, because these institutions were not built to accommodate women and girls, until women and girls fought for the right to be there.

Kiki Mordi and the BBC Documentary The powerful Sex for Grades Documentary, served as a wake- up call that, it is always the right time to change the things we can no longer accept. Sexual violence is something we can no longer accept as a society, and that includes sexual harassment, which is often viewed as a lesser evil. The truth is, it is wrong and unacceptable, and should be something we can no longer tolerate, not only in Universities, but also in Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Schools of Nursing, etc.

When Kiki shared her story of having to drop out because she was being harassed by a Professor, it was a devastating confrontation with the realities of what it meant to be a girl full of dreams that were literally snatched away by one man, who society protected at her expense. Her story is just one of many, many stories, strangers, friends,

relatives whose life trajectories have been changed, because they refused to "visit a Lecturer’s office". Because they refused to consent to violence. Their stories, like the ones in the documentary - they are sobering, heartbreaking and enraging.

The documentary brought the data to life, and the open secret to light. It shined a spotlight on what the ECOWAS Commissioner for Education, Science, and Culture, Mr. Amado, stated at a meeting in May 2019 on corruption - that the "three major kinds of corruption prevalent in the region's education system, are the manipulation of girls, favouritism when it comes to admission into higher institutions, and sex for marks”. Some feminist scholars like, Dr. Charmaine Pereira in her 2004 journal article, ‘Sexual Harassment in Nigerian Universities: CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

and girls in Africa is almost at equal level at primary school level, girls enrolment begin to fall as they approach secondary school and is so obvious at tertiary or university level (UNESCO, 2019 Gender Report: Building Bridges for Gender Equality https:// en.unesco.org/gem-report/2019genderreport).

Several factors contribute to this, including resources for schools, school fees, distance to walk to school raising security concerns, child marriage, poverty where parents prioritise boys’ education over girls, etc. It is therefore, heart breaking that when girls and young women do get to tertiary institutions in Africa, they face other challenges such as sexual harassment that impact on their learning and potentials to graduate and with good grades.

While recognising that sexual harassment of female staff in tertiary institutions may also occur, the focus of this paper is on students experiences of sexual harassment, which was raised during the BBC Africa Eye documentary.

In African culture, we place a lot of respect for our elders and those placed in authority over us. Sexual harassment is an abuse, not only of our values, but the trust parents and students place in school authorities.

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment “means unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or other conduct based on sex or gender which is persistent or serious and demeans, humiliates or creates a hostile or intimidating environment, and this may include physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct.” – Section 46, of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

Paragraph 10, of University of Lagos Policy on Sexual Harassment, Sexual and Romantic Relationships 2016, states that, sexual harassment “is unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favours and other visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which: (a) when submitted to or rejected, implicitly or explicitly affects a person’s psychological wellbeing, employment opportunity, educational opportunity, or unreasonably interferes with a person’s work or educational performance; or (b) implicitly or explicitly suggests that submission to or rejection of the conduct will be a factor in academic or employment decisions or evaluation, permission to participate in any university activity or grant of any other privilege connected with the University’s business: or (c) has the purpose of or creating the effect of an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or learning environment.”

Sexual harassment takes many forms.

Various policies have described the following behaviours, as examples of sexual harassment: a) Verbal: sexual comments or jokes, obscene phone calls, unwelcome requests for dates,

“SEXUAL HARASSMENT “MEANS UNWANTED CONDUCT OF A SEXUAL NATURE, OR OTHER CONDUCT BASED ON SEX OR GENDER WHICH IS PERSISTENT OR SERIOUS AND DEMEANS, HUMILIATES OR CREATES A HOSTILE OR INTIMIDATING ENVIRONMENT, AND THIS MAY INCLUDE PHYSICAL, VERBAL OR NONVERBAL CONDUCT” intrusive questions about a person’s private or sex life, and discussing your own sex life, sexual advances b) Non-verbal: suggestive looks, staring or leering, sexual gestures c) Visual: exhibiting pornographic photos, comics, objects etc that create a hostile environment, displaying sexually graphic pictures, posters or photos d) Physical: unwelcome touching, fondling, patting, pinching, hugging, massaging or kissing, indecent exposure, sexual assault, rape e) Quid pro quo: sexual bribery, making promises in return for sexual favours, sexual extortion In the electronic era, spreading sexual rumours about a person online, sexual posts or contact on social media, sending sexually explicit emails that are inappropriate, unwelcome and make the receiver uncomfortable, are also examples of sexual harassment.

Power Relations Sexual harassment, is about power and control. There is often a power differential between the perpetrator (sexual harasser) and the victim. Sexual Harassment is much more about power, and much less about sex.

This can be lost when the issue is discussed, because talking about sex is a taboo in many areas for religious and cultural reasons. This, in part, has also contributed to the silence about discussing sexual activity, whether welcome or not, as in the case of sexual harassment when the situation is wrong.

Power is conceived in this context, as using one’s position to dominate another, and to elicit a response that is determined by the harasser for his or her benefit. The victim is consciously made aware that there CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

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Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

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Quick Takes AfDB Partners Senegal

WOMEN CORPORATE DIRECTORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FOUNDATION

L-R: Independent Non-Executive Director at FBN Quest Merchant, Oyinkan Adewale; Chairman, Guaranty Trust Bank, Mrs. Osaretin Demuren; Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Ibukun Awosika; Keynote speaker/Managing Director SPDC & Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor; Chairman, Access Bank Group, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga, and Non-Executive Director, FBN Holdings, Adebola Osibogun, at the Women Corporate Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Foundation, Nigeria chapter meeting held in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

TCN May Sue NERC for Transferring 132kV Customers to Discos Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that it may institute a legal action against the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for ceding electricity consumers on the 132 kilovolt (kV) power line to electricity distribution companies (Discos).

TCNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director, Mr. Usman Mohammed, stated at a meeting in Kanji power station, that the company had complained to the NERC about the development, adding that the decision of the regulatory commission on the 132kV lines was against the letters of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005.

Mohammed, noted that in March of this year, the TCN made representation to the NERC

ECONOMY on the issue at a regulatory public hearing, and has since waited for NERC to make a decision which he said should be in tandem with the dictates of the EPSRA. According to him, if the NERC fails to act honestly on the issue, the TCN would be willing take legal actions against it to correct the alleged breach of the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law.

He spoke in response to a suggestion by PricewaterhouseCoppers (PwC) that about 50 per cent of electricity generated in the country by generation companies (Gencos) be supplied to manufacturing outfits through the Discos, to reactivate the financially challenged power sector and engender economic development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at the TEM (Transitional Electricity Market) Order of 2015 which transferred

132kV customers to Discos, we challenged it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually, we did a legal opinion that showed we have a 99 per cent chance of winning if we take NERC to court and that was why NERC was forced call a public hearing on that decision. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The public hearing was held in March and up till today, NERC did not respond because we are right. If you look at the Act of 2005, you see that it is very clear (that) a Disco is any network under the transmission network. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And the tariff methodology in the Act clearly stated that if somebody didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add value to anything, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t charge, and if you look at the 132kV customers, what has the Discos added to them, nothing,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Mohammed further stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, it does not make sense for us to say that 50 per cent (of electricity) should be sold to the industries through the Discos.

That is contravening the law.

We are still waiting for NERC, and if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the right things, we are ready to take them to court.â&#x20AC;?

He explained that Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industries would not compete well with that of the neighbouring countries in West Africa, if the Discos were allowed to supply to them such amount of electricity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a nation, we have neighbours and what is the comparative advantage of Nigeria over them? If we are talking in terms of doing business, we are not comparable to any of the countries around us because they are unitary states while we are a federation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you go to Ghana now and get a permit to do business in Kumasi, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need another permit to do business Continued on page 24

OPEC: Nigeria Rallies African Producers, Gets Sudanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pledge on Cut Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2022;Â?ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â?ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x17E;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2039;ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x2018;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x17D;ČąÂ?Â&#x2019;Â&#x;Â&#x2019;Â?Â&#x17D;Â?Ç°Čą ȹ Â&#x160;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2014;Â&#x153;

r

Ahead of the next meeting of the ministers of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria has begun to rally African countries who are members of OPEC, in its bid to ensure the continent plays by the rules in the production limitation agreement reached by the cartel and its allies led by the Russian Federation.

The country according to a statement from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), also wants to ensure that the continent benefits maximally from hydrocarbon deposits locked in its shelves.

ECONOMY Signed by the Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr. Samson Makoji, the statement noted that the move was strategic, and spearheaded by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, who traveled to Angola, Gabon and South Sudan to get their supports on this.

It explained that Sylva as the President of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), met African oil producing nations that are also signatories to OPECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Declaration of Cooperation (DoC)

agreement to discuss compliance ahead of the next Joint Ministerial Meeting Committee (JMMC) of OPEC and non-OPEC countries in Vienna, Austria in December.

He stated that as a member of international energy groups such as the OPEC and APPO, Nigeria needed to further deepen its collaboration with fellow African nation to grow the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil industry.

Sylva, was also accompanied by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari and Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OPEC Governor, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim.

He explained that African

oil producers needed to work together to judiciously utilise their abundant hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of their respective citizens.

After the meeting, the Gabonese Minister of Oil, Gas and Hydrocarbons, Mr. Noel Mboumba said in Libreville that the meeting was â&#x20AC;&#x153;very fruitfulâ&#x20AC;?, and that both countries had reached meaningful conclusions that would benefit their countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; oil industry.

Sylva equally said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that we can work together, which Continued on page 24

A Senegalese government delegation, led by the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Serigne Mbaye Thiam, recently briefed the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Senegalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations to host the World Water Forum, due to hold in Dakar in March 2021. Thiam met with the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sVice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development, Jennifer Blanke, and her senior management team on 8 October to discuss the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organization anddelivery.â&#x20AC;&#x153;TheforumisagreatopportunityfortheBanktoshowcase and advance its water and sanitation agenda, and we commend the government of Senegal for the preparatory work they have done so far,â&#x20AC;? said Blanke.

The forum would take place in the Senegalese capital 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27 March 2021, on the theme of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Water Security for Peace and Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

ThiamthankedtheBankforitscontributions,includingitssponsorship of women and youth delegates to the forum preparation meeting in June 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our government is counting on the African Development Bank to help mobilize the enormous resources that will be needed to make this ďŹ rst sub-Saharan-hostedWorldWater Forum a great success,â&#x20AC;? he said.

AtaseparatebrieďŹ ngfortheBankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;swaterdevelopmentandsanitation department as well as other Bank staďŹ&#x20AC;, the executive secretary of the forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizing committee Abdoulaye Sene oďŹ&#x20AC;ered a detailed presentationofeventpreparationsandtookquestionsabouttheforum known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest event on water.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bank, as a leader in supporting water sector development in Africa, will play an important role in supporting delivery of the forum,â&#x20AC;? saidWambui Gichuri, director of the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water development and sanitation department.

Arik Celebrates Customer Service Week

Arik Air last week joined other corporate organisations to celebrate thisyearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;scustomerserviceweekingrandstylewithon-boardgiftsand musicalperformanceattheMurtalaMuhammedAirport,IkejaDomestic Terminal 1, otherwise known as the General Aviation Terminal (GAT).

The airline said the objective was to celebrate the customer and thank them for keeping faith in the airline even during its turbulent periods. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since Monday, October 7 when the customer service week started, Arik Air has been serenading passengers at GATwith piano and violin thus making check-in procedure a pleasurable one. Passengers have also been winning branded gift items like lunch bags, water bottles and mugs on board ďŹ&#x201A;ights. The icing on the cake is the ďŹ&#x201A;ight tickets that are raďŹ&#x201E;ed on board,â&#x20AC;? spokesman of the airline, Adebanji Ola said.

Arik Air Chief Executive OďŹ&#x192;cer, Captain Roy Ilegbodu also said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 2019 customer service week which we have themed, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Service like Magicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,istodemonstrateourcommitmenttodeliveringqualityservice.

We celebrate all our loyal customers for standing by us through every stageofourgrowthandmaturity.Wecouldnothavedoneitwithoutyou. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a business, we strive to exceed your expectations. However, we acknowledge this has not been without hiccups. On the occasion of Customer Service Week, we restate our commitment to rendering on-time performance and memorable experience at all our service points.â&#x20AC;?

CEPATargetsImprovedCustomerExperience

As parts of eďŹ&#x20AC;orts to drive enhanced Customer Experience (CX), the Customer Experience Professionals Associations (CEPA) recently organiseditsCustomerExperienceDayConference.TheCXDayforum which featured industry experts, insights on CX best practices and relevant issues practitioners encounter in their daily work was themed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;ChallengesinCustomerExperiencePracticeinNigeria.â&#x20AC;?Italsofeatured CXmetrics,CXandDigitalCommerce,ArtiďŹ cialIntelligence(AI),Business Analytics.Speaking at the event, theTeam Lead, Customer Experience Professionals Associations, Rolu Adebola, said the initiative was to drivecustomerexperienceasadiscipline.Hestressedtheneedtobring practitioners together in an environment they could learn, network and share ideas. Adebola, pointed out that CEPA understands the fact that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is when practitioners are brought together to engage each other then it is possible to engage each other, enhance each other, develop each other and then begin to have an agenda for positively inďŹ&#x201A;uencing a better customer experience and practices in Nigeria.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The urgency of the moment is warranted by the context of the new and complicating realities. Oil will be history in less than 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time but the pressures of peculiar demographics and geography are upon us. Nigeria has one of the highest population growth rates in the worldâ&#x20AC;?

Former CBN Governor,,

Prof. Charles Soludo

24

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

BUSINESSWORLD TCN MAY SUE NERC FOR TRANSFERRING 132KV CUSTOMERS TO DISCOS in another state (in Ghana). But here, we have multiple chains and taxation.

“The only thing we have as comparative advantage is that we are able to generate electricity cheaper here. So, why should we transfer the inefficiencies of our Discos to our industries when we expect our industries to compete with the rest of our neighbours,” he asked.

Mohammed said: “By transferring the 132kV customers to the Discos, we have succeeded in making them lazy. If you are doing about 80 per cent, and you end up doing 50 per cent, have you not become lazy?

“The transfer of 132kV to Discos increased the liquidity crisis in the sector and reduced the intakes of the industries which were taking between 40 and 50 per cents but they are taking less now.”

OPEC: NIGERIA RALLIES AFRICAN PRODUCERS, GETS SUDAN’S PLEDGE ON CUT in the long run, will be good for our respective nations. Our interest in Nigeria is to further deepen our relationship with Gabon going forward.”

While meeting the Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, Mr. Diamantino Pedro Azevedo in Luanda, Sylva said that Nigeria was committed to deepening its relationship with the the country beyond the oil and gas business.

According to him: “You will see a greater and deeper understanding between Nigeria and Angola going forward. We are the two biggest producers in Africa and therefore we need to stand together. If we don’t stand together, other producing African nations cannot come together.”

Meanwhile, OPEC has said the world can no longer work in silos in its bid to cut down the menacing impacts of climate change. It also said no single energy source could lay claim to be the best at mitigating the phenomenon. Speaking at the at the recent Oil and Money Conference in London, the Secretary General of OPEC, Dr. Mohammad Barkindo, stated that OPEC was in full support of efforts by the world to curtail climate change, but would want that such efforts be inclusive.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

NEWS

Olorunsola Urges Producers to Co-create Solutions to Energy Challenges Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja A former Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Osten Olorunsola, has called for a shared creation of solutions to address the growing challenges of global energy demand and supply.

Olorunsola, who is now the Chairman of Energy Institute Nigeria – an association of global professional bodies in the field of energy, stated that the dual challenge of meeting the world’s demand for and supply of energy meant operators in the industry needed to devise means of achieving sustainability in this regards.

He spoke ahead of the institute’s 2019 edition of its annual ‘Energy Sustainability Conference’ which is expected to be held in partnership with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department for International Trade (DIT), Seplat Petroleum, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, and Shell Petroleum Nigeria Company Limited.

A statement from the institute about the conference, which was sent to THISDAY, equally noted that Waltersmith Petroman Ltd and Amni Petroleum Development Company Limited were in support of the conference.

It quoted Olorunsola, to have said that: “The dual challenge of meeting the demand and the supply side of energy on one hand, as well as being environmentally responsible and sustainable on the other hand, simply means that in-

dustry practitioners have to devise a means of pulling in two opposite directions at the same time. “This is the reason we gather all players across the energy spectrum to co-create solutions to global energy challenges.” The statement further explained that the Energy Institute Nigeria, in partnership with the UK DIT considered the conference a suitable platform for all stakeholders within the energy industry to

discuss, share ideas, and make valuable recommendations that will enhance further growth and development of the sector.

It said that the theme of the conference would be: “energy landscape: minimising risks and maximising opportunities”, adding that how to transfer knowledge, foster relations, and sharpen skills of participants through specialist hubs, breakfast sessions and various industry specific panel sessions

would be part its activities.

According to the statement, Emma Wade-Smith, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Africa, reiterated the UK’s undertaking to be Africa’s leading investor by 2022.

Wade-Smith reportedly said that: “Promoting the merits of Nigeria and the broader African continent as an economic partner, means advancing one of the continent’s most prosperous sectors to realise its optimal

potential.”

“Our priority is one of solving long-term issues, opportunities for sustainable development and shared prosperity. Earlier this year, we announced we would host an Africa investment summit in London; an event that will bring together businesses and governments to promote both the investment opportunities across Africa and the scale of the UK’s investment offer,” Wade-Smith added.

COURTESYVISIT

L-R: President, National Council, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Abimbola Ogunbanjo during a courtesy visit to the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alex Okoh in Abuja… recently

Power Disco Uncovers 240,000 Illicit Consumers in Network The Abuja electricity distribution company (Disco) which distributes electricity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa and parts of Niger states has reported that up to 240,000 people are illegally connected to its network, and consuming electricity unlawfully.

The Disco also disclosed that in nine of the 32 areas of its network, where it has achieved over 80 per cent metering penetration, it found that it loses up to 20 per cent of its revenue from supplies made to the areas, indicating a prevalence of dishonest practices despite the availability of meter.

In a draft of its Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) which was submitted to the Nigerian

Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY, the Disco stated that it currently has 440,976 prepaid meters in its network. But, it pointed out that 50 per cent of consumers who owned prepaid meters do not vend or procure units regularly.

“AEDC estimates about 240,000 illegal connections (free riders) in the franchise area. Roughly 40 per cent of this number are documented free riders.

“These customers had sometime in the past applied formally to AEDC for connections but could not be connected due to unavailability of meters and a regulatory provision inhibiting connection of new customers

without installing meters.

“These connections have been prioritised under the Meter Asset Provider program for quick metering and regularisation under the MAP program,” said the Disco in the draft PIP. It further explained that: “The remaining 60 per cent who have connected illegally will be regularised through the unauthorised access to electricity regulation. This initiative is driven by a task force with support from the public through direct solicitation through the various media platforms.”

According to the Disco, the 440,976 prepaid metered customers in its network consume roughly 22 per cent of energy it gets from the national grid

daily but contributes about 30 per cent of its revenue.

“About 50 per cent of these customers do not vend or procure units of energy credits for their meters regularly with many of the meters being faulty or obsolete leading to huge losses.

“The revenue protection unit carries out analysis of vending patterns of customers to enable it focus efforts on identifying commercial loss hotspots within the network,” it indicated.

It equally noted that a properly constituted revenue protection unit routinely reviews the customer database to identify customers with meters aged seven years and above to carryout integrity test on them, as well as analyse data by running

queries to generate exception reports on customers with suspicious consumption patterns.

It noted that a core regulatory requirement in the sector was to bridge the metering gap.

“Areas with close to 100 per cent-meter penetration still have losses above 20 per cent. A major cause of the higher than usual losses in these locations is as a result of energy theft - (meter bypass), and faulty meters leading to inaccurate energy readings given that such meters are already at the end of their useful life (served beyond 10 years since manufacture),” it said.

According to the Disco, this has to be addressed to ensure business sustainability and performance improvement.

Comms/e-Business Editor

Schneider Pledges to Support Discos on Manpower Development

Senior Correspondent

Ugo Aliogo

Correspondents

Schneider Electric has expressed its commitment to support the power Distribution Companies (Discos) in the area of technical skills. This, is to ensure that the Discos meet basic KIP (Key Performance Index) in order to drive reduction in the number of power interruptions that the country is experiencing as regards to maintenance.

Emma Okonji

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Eromosele Abiodun (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor ((Energy) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

The company explained that it has an understanding of the challenges the Discos presently face, adding that close collaboration with the Discos would be key in addressing the challenge. Speaking at the Innovation Day Lagos 2019 summit held recently, the Head Offer Marketing and Business Development, Schneider Electric, Ifeanyi Odoh, said in Nigeria, more

than 60 per cent of the population was still living very far from the grid. He stated that what the company had always done in addition to trying to connect those in the grid connected areas was in making sure the quality of power distribution was efficient and reliable.

He explained that presently the company works with different developers, local players and industries to develop hybrid

and off-grid solutions to provide affordable energy to those that are completely off-grid.

According to him, “We started off on our own to include lots of local players and train them, and many of these communities are going to different communities across the country and making autonomous power generations and distributing to power various communities, so that power becomes available to these com-

munities. Today, they are enjoying 24-hours operation.”

Also speaking at the event, the Head Buildings Business, Schneider Electric, Mojola Ola, said regarding the issue of public private partnership (PPP), the model of Schneider electric was to work with partners, adding that it was the duty of government to create the right polices and frameworks that would encourage the local economy to strive.

25

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

BUSINESSWORLD

ENERGY

Awakening Discos to their Obligations By insisting on structured Performance Improvement Plans, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission plans to make sure the 11 electricity distribution companies it approved fresh tariffs for meet up with their obligations to electricity consumers in the country, writes Chineme Okafor The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has rolled out a robust retail tariff for the 11 Discos in Nigeria’s power market.

The policy indicated the regulator’s intention to ensure the Discos accomplish their obligations to consumers once the new tariffs kicked off.

Following its recent approval of the tariffs, the regulator demanded that the Discos should submit a plan aimed at improving their performance in the market, with a process which included a review of the application of the capital expenditure allowances of the Discos in the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO).

Dubbed the Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), the NERC in a document obtained by THISDAY, indicated that it would with the documents individually submitted by each of the Discos and approved by it, observe and follow through the Discos’ investments in their distribution networks.

According to the regulator, the PIPs would prioritise expenditure by the Discos and reflect changes in the operational environment that have occurred since the last tariff review.

It added that one of the overarching objectives of the Power Sector Reform Programme (PSRP) which the federal government initiated with the World Bank was to eliminate tariff shortfalls and enforce market obligations. This, however, would be enforced through the PIPs. Expected to cover the 2020 to 2024 tariff period, NERC explained that the PIPs would be subjected to the contractual provisions of the performance agreements executed between the core investors of the Discos and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) with regards to the allowances for capital and operating expenditure in the remaining term of the agreement.

“Upon approval by the commission, the PIP shall form the basis of prioritising and monitoring the capital investment initiatives of the Discos with revenue adjustment for non- implemented projects.

“The approved PIPs will also be the basis for the defining performance standards/KPIs (key performance indicators) for the next five-year tariff period by the commission with emphasis on improvement in energy throughput and delivery

by Discos, reduction in aggregate technical/ commercial losses and overall improvement in service delivery to customers,” said the NERC. In addition to its regulatory interface with the commission, the NERC stated that the PIPs would be a public-facing document for the Discos, which their stakeholders will refer to throughout the five-year tariff period.

It said that beyond being a submission to it, Discos would have to produce PIPs that reflect their priorities with robustness.

Regulatory expectation Detailing its expectations from the Discos, the NERC stated that it wanted output-based plans which explained the target outputs over the planning scope, as well as the programs and activities that will lead to the realisation of the outputs by the Discos.

It also noted that the plans would include the human and material resources required to achieve them, the projected costs and analysis of the risk factors and the proposed mitigation measures.

“The plan should start with an opening chapter consisting of a brief introduction of the Disco’s business, vision, mission, and overall strategy.

“It should give a brief overview of its achievement in the last tariff period and stating its salient strategic goals over the planning horizon and stating the justification for the goals within the context of the wider sectorial goals and national priorities,” said the regulator.

Additionally, NERC expected the Discos to include their PIPs the state of their distribution infrastructure and magnitude of improvement needed for optimal operation, detailed description of programmed projects and activities they expect to execute to improve their networks and services.

As a matter of fact, the regulator indicated

it wanted the PIPs to show the Discos’ plans for loss reduction; reliability and availability for service delivery; metering of consumers in their networks; customer satisfaction; new connection and network expansion; safety of their operations and social responsibility.

“The PIP is expected to reflect these priority areas showing baseline situation, projected improvement trajectory, the strategies for attaining such improvement and the expected efficient cost of implementation. The Disco’s PIP will, therefore, be assessed against these expectations,” it added.

Discos’ respond Following the start of the new tariff in July, NERC disclosed that eight Discos have submitted their draft PIPs to it, from which they plan to invest about N934.905 billion over the next five years, that is between 2019 and 2024 to upgrade the working conditions of their distribution networks.

According to the PIPs of the eight Discos which comprised Ikeja, Eko, Kano, Enugu, Kaduna, Benin, Abuja and Ibadan, obtained by THISDAY, most of the expenditure would be channeled to capital costs on metering, transformers, and other core distribution assets.

The PIPs of the Discos showed that Ibadan would spend N83 billion; Enugu – N118 billion; Benin - N286.71 billion; Ikeja - N105 billion;

The PIP is expected to reflect these priority areas showing baseline situation, projected improvement trajectory, the strategies for attaining such improvement and the expected efficient cost of implementation.

The Disco’s PIP will, therefore, be assessed against these expectations

Kaduna - N117.8 billion; while Eko and Kano Discos would spend N78.6 billion and N49.795 billion respectively. Abuja Disco on its own would spend N56 billion over the period.

It explained for instance, that the key outcomes from the PIP of Ibadan Disco included the reduction of its Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses to 19 per cent by 2024, 100 per cent metering of all customers by 2024 and the improvement of customer satisfaction.

It noted that the investment requirements to achieve the performance agreement targets of Ibadan Disco would result in a tariff increase which would enable it to successfully deliver the performance plan.

“Over the next five years, IBEDC (Ibadan Disco) plans to invest over N83 billion in its network to expand capacity in line with our demand growth, replace assets and deploy state-of-the-art technology to improve the efficiency of our operations.

“Our strategy over the next years is to aggressively reduce losses by deploying meters across our network to improve energy accountability and collection efficiency.

“Our performance strategy will be achieved by driving our efficiency through innovation,” said the Disco’s PIP. Ibadan Disco further stated in the PIP that it planned to raise 70 per cent (N60 billion) of its capital expenditure requirement through loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or Bank of Industry (BoI), with the remaining 30 per cent coming through shareholders’ equity investment and funds generated from the business as return on capital investments component.

It explained that its expected interest rate on the loan would be 10 per cent with a 20-year tenure, adding, “this is currently the cheapest source of funds available to IBEDC.” It is worthy of note that IBEDC would only be able to access this loan if there is adequate government and regulatory support needed to convince lenders against any uncertainty (like the removal of collection loss in 2015) which might affect the loan repayment.

With regards to Enugu, the Disco said it projects that over the period, it would reduce its ATC&C loss level to 30 per cent and to meet the expected loss reduction thresholds as set out, would need a capital expenditure of N40 billion and operational expenditure of N118 billion.

“It is intended to use these funds for network

reinforcements and upgrades to increase the capacity of the network to meet the growing demand in our franchise area. It is our target to have availability of over 80 per cent on our network at the end of the period planned and to serve 25.8 per cent more customers as well as increase the reliability so as to reintroduce some of the large industrial customers who have gone off-grid.

“It is expected that the funding for this plan would be raised from shareholder loans as well as the Siemens intervention of the federal government. In the event that there are none of these interventions, there will only be the possibility of funding through IGR (internally generated revenue),” it said.

Similarly, Benin Disco said the N286.71 billion proposed expenditures is be used for additional network maintenance cost, increase in manpower cost, new IT deployment and software expenses, growth in customers service charges, administrative and general expenses.

Ikeja Disco explained that over the next five years that it would invest N105 billion in its network to expand capacity in line with demand growth, replace assets and deploy state-of-the-art technology to improve it efficiency.

Kaduna Disco equally noted that its expenditure is estimated to be N117.8 billion with its distribution management plan (technical upgrade and substations and feeders) taking 60 per cent of the total capital expenditure which would result to reduction of its ATC&C loss level to 25 per cent.

For Kano Disco, it said its N49.795 billion planned investment would be sourced from its surplus or retained revenues as well as available credit from banks, non-banking financial institutions, Export and Import (EXIM) banks, and suppliers’ credit.

Abuja Disco stated that it has a projected capex plan of N56 billion over the next five years, expected to fund its programmes on loss reduction targets according to the performance agreement it signed.

According to it: “Based on financial analysis, the business has identified a debt/equity position of 70/30 as the optimal capital structure to fund its capex requirements. The debt is expected to be financed through a blend of development finance and commercial debt.

“The funding from Development Finance Institutions is expected to come from institutions such as the World Bank that have indicated interest in supporting the Power Sector Recovery Plan (PSRP).”

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OML 11 and River State Government Pedro Ukokobili The acquisition of 45 per cent of OML 11 is the wisest single investment of a State Government in Nigeria and Africa Continent.

The decision of River State Government to acquire OML 11 is considered justifiable and should be supported by all indigenes of River State and South-south Region.

Any opposition to this giant stride by His Excellency, Gov. Wike should be perceived as enemies of progress and advancement in River State. This move by Wike is a confirmation that he is a servant leader who place the priority of his people first rather than his own personal gain.

If it would have been other persons, they will be fighting to acquire OML11 for themselves through private investment strategy.

OML11 is a strategic oil well with 33 oil field located in Ejama Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area and other communities in Ogoni. It is an oil well with 250,000 Bodp production capacity.

By this acquisition River State will have a share allocation of 112,500 Bodp from the 250,000 Bodp.

The economic prosperity that this investment would bring to River State is great. This investment gains would free River State from central government manipulation, control and dictatorship in future.

This profound investment in near future would see River State become the largest state economy in income generation in Africa.

and Gas industry and establish River State Oil Production Development Company to overseer the management of those strategic investment.

In a near future the people of River State would appreciate your coronation as Governor of River State for second term. May I use this medium to call on other State Government to look into strategic investment that would help them gain financial freedom from central government and attract economic prosperity.

Every state in Nigeria has strategic investment that when harnessed would drive economic prosperity for their state.

For instance, public investment of $100 million in limestone production by Kogi State Government is capable of driving economic prosperity to Kogi State and transform her internal generated revenue to Billions of dollar in near future. But rather than seek strategic investment that would free their state from financial dependence on central Government, they would prefer to wait to share federal allocation fund.

A financial economy management system that has rendered 36 states of the federation impoverish, except Lagos State. I would beckon on the new National Economic Council Team to advise state Government to look into strategic investment that would drive economic prosperity and sustainable income generation in their respective state.

Wike River State in short time will surpass Lagos State in income generation and would become the envy of all state.

I implore His excellency to pursue and ensure

that this investment by River State government is secure and actualise through due process. I would t6LPLPCJMJ B 3FTFBSDI "OBMZTU JT CBTFE recommend that he adopts a Human Resource Development Strategy Model of Norwegian Oil JO -BHPT

Firm Gains Global Recognition for Solar Power Initiative Chineme Okafor in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distributed energy company, Rensource with headquarters in Lagos, has gained international recognition over its solar power initiatives across the country.

The company was recognised during a panel session with the theme, â&#x20AC;&#x153;need for renewable energy at scale,â&#x20AC;? at the Bloomberg Business forum held in New York City, during which a video documentary of the company was screened to the audience.

A statement sent to THISDAY, quoted Christine Lagarde, who is European Central Bank president-

designate and former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief to have said while introducing the video documentary to the audience, that the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiatives were results of commitment to a sustainable future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a real story that helps us indicate that committing to sustainable future can actually be achieved. It is a story about a young female entrepreneur who helped create a solar power start-up initiative in Lagos,â&#x20AC;?

Largarde said.

Rensource, said it currently provides reliable, affordable essential services such as clean energy and other value-added services to

consumers who previously had little or no access to such services, adding that it was incorporated in 2016 and commenced deployment of solar home systems to residential customers in the same year through a lease-to-own or outright purchase model.

The statement equally quoted its Chief Operating Officer, Anu Adasolum, to have said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We build solar hybrid utilities that provide energy to businesses and everyday people so that they do not have to use generator.â&#x20AC;?

Adasolum, further stated that the goal of the company was to solve Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power problem, adding: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The entire

country runs on millions of generators with so little power. We cannot effectively run our hospitals, factories and homes that way.â&#x20AC;?

According to the statement, in late 2016, Rensource launched its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;power-as-aserviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business model which involves the provision of power to homes and small and medium sized businesses in exchange for affordable monthly payments, with Rensource retaining ownership and responsible for operations and maintenance of the solar systems.

Through this model, it explained that Rensource has installed solar power systems in over 300 locations in Nigeria.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In December 2017, Rensource diversified to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Powered-by-Rensourceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business model which is a full-service platform for project development, operations and financial arrangement of off-grid micro utilities across Nigeria powering SMEs in commercial centres such as markets and industrial estates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In just 4 years, we have powered about 10,000 SMEs,â&#x20AC;?

Adasolum added in the statement. The statement equally indicated that on the back of the success of the model at SabonGari, Rensource was awarded by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), an implementation agency of the federal government,

the mandate to electrify 12 clusters in the country.

It added that the company has a secured pipeline of about 36,000 merchants spread across 13 markets in seven states in Nigeria, out of which over 5,500 merchants are currently connected and have access to safe, reliable and affordable electricity.

Also, as part of efforts to complement its business model, the statement stated that Rensource was building capabilities in the commercial and industrial (C&I) solar space and currently has a pipeline of 47 C&I projects at an estimated capacity of about 45 megawatts (MW), with plans to complete about of them in 2019.

because signing is one thing, being able to deliver and maintain the agreement that we are signing is what is important to us because that is our business â&#x20AC;&#x201C;to supply the product. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And it is not just providing extra mile or hours of power, it is a complete package. Because we deal with machines, every now and then, the members of the premium team will be called and it is how quickly we respond to the calls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But also more important is to ensure that there is regular maintenance so that we are actually reducing the occurrence of those faults by making sure that those machines are well maintained.â&#x20AC;?

He further said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to give the residents that assurance that we are committed to this exercise.

Where we are today in the

power industry is good. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that there is a lot of cynicism in the system, people are waiting to see what is happening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But again, the wonderful thing about this engagement is that we have a group of customers who are willing to trust and just believe that we should be given a chance to demonstrate that we have the capability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So as we marry these two together, we are sure that we will be able to deliver a service and at the end of the day we will have customers who are satisfied. The good news is that this partnership is demonstrating to the industry, to the regulator that we can actually make things work in this countryâ&#x20AC;?.

Commenting on the deal, the Chairman of IGRARA and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Muiz Banire, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a power purchase agreement

between the residents of the GRA in Ikeja and the Ikeja Electric towards providing premium service for the residents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our expectation is that we have light practically all round the day. At least we cannot certainly rule out some challenges occasionally, for example, transmission problem or some major technical issues. But, basically, we will have substantial provision of electricity for the residentsâ&#x20AC;?.

On her part, the Chief Operating Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mrs Folake Soetan, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the agreement is going to take effect from November 1, 2019. What we have agreed is that from November 1, 2019, we will give them a minimum of 20 hours of power on a daily basis. Sometimes they can get over 20 hours but our commitment to them is 20 hours minimum on a daily basis.â&#x20AC;?.

Ikeja Disco, Residents Seal Deal Peter Uzoho The Ikeja Electric (IE) Plc and the Ikeja GRA Residents Association (IGRARA) have signed a willing-buyer, willing-seller premium power purchase agreement. The initiative would see the GRA residents begin to enjoy a minimum of 20 hours daily power supply with effect from November 2019.

The deal signed in Lagos at the weekend, reposed the electricity distributor the obligation to provide the people of the GRA with a relatively stable power supply similar to that enjoyed by Magodo residents, in Lagos, while the GRA resident would also be bound to pay for such premium service.

Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Dr. Anthony Youdeowei, said such deal would

demonstrate to Nigerians and Lagos State that solving the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity challenge was possible.

Youdeowei, added that the deal would also show that the disco has all it takes to provide stable power supply to its customers if the payment for service was right.

He stated that Ikeja Electric has all the infrastructure and competent manpower required to deliver on the agreement, assuring that the company would not fail their partners who believed in them.

Youdeowei said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was based on an approach by the Ikeja GRA Residents Association but what we decided to do at the time was to use Ikeja GRA to showcase to the country and to Lagos State that this sector can work if we have the right mix of customers who are willing to pay for the power

they are consuming using the same infrastructure that exists from generation through transmission all the way through distribution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And like I said, it started in 2016 and a lot of water has passed under the bridge, and what has remained constant throughout all the ups and downs is the belief that this thing can work.

It has not got as smoothly as we thought it could be but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really grateful to the Ikeja GRA Residents Association for having that belief that we can be where we want today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course, there was a slight deviation where we had to prove through another group of our customers and that helped because it showed the residents of GRA that Ikeja Eletric has all the competence and skills to do it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us, this is just the beginning of the journey

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Enhancing Capacity for Good Governance Femi Ogbonnikan Stringent policies and an unfriendly business environment inhibit the attraction of new investors. To a large extent, they drive away existing and potential investors from doing businesses.

That was the practice in the last eight years of the immediate past administration in Ogun state.

Doing away with sentiments and harnessing the abundant resources at the disposal of the state government, culminating into increasing the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base, the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration is passionate about engendering and fostering good governance for the people.

With the vision, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To create focused and qualitative governance, while creating an environment for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to thrive; as fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity for the good people of Ogun stateâ&#x20AC;?, is anchored on fostering a conducive environment and a level-playing ground for businesses to thrive.

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR, shortly after, upon his assumption of office, met with critical stakeholders at Park Inn Hotel, Abeokuta, the state capital, under the banner, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ogun State Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dialogue With Business Executivesâ&#x20AC;?, organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He seized the occasion to reiterate the administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment, resolve and readiness to partner with investors for their businesses to thrive.

While inundated with various infractions and sharp practices of the immediate past administration, the governor, at the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State chapter, held recently in Abeokuta, averred that the administration is poised to reverse the unwholesome trend and create a friendly business environment.

In his paper, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Manufacturing Sector: an Integral Part of Making Ogun State the Industrial Hub of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;?, Abiodun said that the administration has put in place mechanisms for a transparent and accountable revenue collection system to halt multiple taxation, while increasing capital expenditure on infrastructural development, including roads, energy and information technology.

He added that the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency (OGSIPA) will be a onestop-shop which will help investors to settle down easily without having to go through multiple windows.

The governor stated that state remains the first choice for investors in the country, while he promised that his administration is consciously working to retain that status.

According to him, the state with its rich human and natural endowment can not be compared with any other state, in terms of access to land, seaport and availability of arable land.

Abiodun, who was represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, implored foreign investors to take advantage of the one-stop arrangement created by the recently passed Ogun State Investment Promotion Law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our State remains the best place for investors to open business. Besides our natural geographical location as Gateway State to Nigeria, we share borders with four other states and we share international borders with Benin Republic, which is a window to the West African sub-region,â&#x20AC;? the governor said.

He said that, although, Ogun state is benefitting from some of the natural factors, including its proximity to Lagos, which ranks as the fifth largest economy in Africa, his government is also making the environment conducive for businesses to operate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, we are very investor friendly. We are putting reforms in place to ensure that we are even more investor friendly. We are trying to ensure that we become number one in the ease of doing business in this country and it is incontrovertible that we house the largest number of industries in the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our administration is committed to making Ogun State a truly investorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first choice destination not only in Nigeria, but in the Sub-Saharan Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As Ogun State continued to experience influx of companies, we have deliberately considered the interest of our investors and make it an integral part of our master-plan. We have put in place measures as the foundation to drive key

Abiodun policies in our Public-Private Sector Partnership strategy, and we are already recording positive results. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are consciously improving the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranking on the local and global ease of doing business index so as to promote and encourage local and foreign direct investment in the State.â&#x20AC;?

However, the governor informed the investors that the government is already working to ensure improvements in public infrastructures across the state.

Meanwhile, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) under the aegis of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), urged the governor to urgently reverse what they described as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;unfriendlyâ&#x20AC;? business policies of the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

According to the State Chairman of the Association, Mr. Saleem Adegunwa, he implored the state government to step up measures that would enhance the ease of doing business in the state.

He lamented that the operating environment in the state during the period was very challenging due to the unfriendly business policies of the immediate past administration. He lamented the payment of water abstraction/borehole charges to the state Ministry of Environment, which according to him, ranged from N2 million to N450 million on a yearly basis and also, arbitrary imposition of fines and charges, among others, under the last administration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The business environment in Ogun State in 2018 was challenging and reached its peak, as it was wrought with various infrastructural and regulatory issues. There were series of threats and actual cases of arbitrary imposition of fines and sealing up of factories of manufacturers without following due process or obtaining requisite court orders,â&#x20AC;? he said.

However, Adegunwa advocated the discontinuation of the proposed bill to make Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandatory for firms operating in Ogun, saying that â&#x20AC;&#x153;CSR is by nature voluntary and an imposition of same is unethical and goes against the principle of CSR. Besides, he called for reconstruction and renovation of major industrial roads within the state, while the ongoing palliative measure should be stepped up.

The MAN chairman, however, emphasised that â&#x20AC;&#x153;every business is eagerly waiting and seeking for an improvement in the business climate in the state and added that such situations would enhance their production capacity and ability to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the state.

Among other reform initiatives of the ease

of doing business which are aimed at reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and fostering a conducive thriving business environment, include the establishment of the Ogun State Enterprise Development Agency (OGEDA) to strengthen Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and boost their capacities; the setting up of the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency (OGSIPA) to provide a one-stop shop and eliminate unnecessary delays in processing necessary documents; the setting up of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) bill to ensure that the state has a transparent and accessible template; provision of adequate security through the recently relaunched Ogun State Security Trust Fund; digitalization to enable the state make use of the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) in its education institutions; proposed setting up of the Local Content Development Agency; and the proposed establishment of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business Advisory Councilâ&#x20AC;?. The council, it is to be charged with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating the framework of the Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agenda.

Also, it is to consider the fundamental for the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of the state.

Others include the signing into laws, the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency; Ogun State Security Trust Fund; and the Ogun State Public Work Agency (OGPWA).

Recently, as added pivots for promoting sustainable business growth and development, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) organised Capacity Building for Micro Small and Medium entrepreneurs in the state.

The event, as put together by the Ministry, according to the Consultant to the Governor on Commerce and Industry, Miss Sola Arobieke, aimed at identifying areas of deficiency in entrepreneurial development and filling such gaps.

She stated that the pilot edition of the capacity training held on 12th and 18th of September, 2019 at the Ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference hall, with a total number of one hundred and fifty nine (159) participants in attendance, delved on contemporary topical issues as presented by resource persons.

Chiefly, on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business Leadershipâ&#x20AC;?, the training as facilitated by Mrs. Bukola Smith, noted that running a business successfully means having effective leaders who both manage operations and inspire employees to achieve their best results. She stressed that understanding the

importance of growing a business would outlive the business owner and how best to optimize and maximize business resources.

Another discussant, Mrs Yomi BadejoOkusanya, while speaking on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building Brand Reputationâ&#x20AC;?, trained the participants on how to brand their products and services in a way that social circles will have a positive reflections of their brands.

She said feedback collection and continuous improvement would also strengthen the products and services to the core.

Also, in his paper, a facilitator, Mr Bunmi Kole-Dawodu, while speaking on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business Idea Generationâ&#x20AC;?, stressed that having a mission and vision is the first step in generating a business idea.

According to him, it is very important for start-ups to get the right information and be sensitive to the needs of their environment in order to turn ideas to opportunities.

The fourth discussant, Mr Wale Agbeyangi, while speaking on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sourcing for Funds and Financial Managementâ&#x20AC;?, trained the participants on creating and managing sustainable small business.

He trained the participants on the causes of small business failure and also, proffered solutions on how to position themselves through funding.

However, members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) at the two separate stakeholders events, include the United Sand and Gravel Dealers Association of Nigeria (USGDAN); Nigerian Union of Mine Workers of Nigeria (NUMWN); Truck Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN); First Nigeria Tipper Association of Nigeria (FNTAN); the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (NASME); Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI); Ogun State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA); and Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON).

Conclusively, the events afforded the stakeholders an avenue to bring to the front burner major challenges confronting them, while Arobieke, seized the occasion to assure that the engagement was one of the proactive approaches to creating systemic feedback platform that would guide in policy reform initiatives of the current administration in line with the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building our future togetherâ&#x20AC;?.

Ogbonnikan is a Media Consultant to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Odigbo: Lots of Advertising Agencies Barely Surviving The digital world is sure challenging the ways businesses are done in today’s world. It is a challenge facing many businesses presently. In this interview, the President, Association of AdvertisingAgenciesofNigeria,Mr.IkechiOdigbo,talksaboutchallengesandopportunities in the industry. Kasie Abone presents the excerpts: Can you say the industry has recorded any significant growth over the past two years under your leadership and if that is the case, what is the size of your sector’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product?

There are different ways to measure growth. You can measure growth in terms of creative performance, you can measure growth in terms of financial performance, and you can also measure growth in terms of the creative performance of the member agencies, you can also measure growth in terms of the membership, that is, the number of agencies that are becoming members of the association. So, in that regard, you can actually say that there has been a significant upsurge in the past couple of years. I believe we have exceeded the target, we have 85 or probably close to 90 member agencies made up of full members and associate member agencies. So in that sense the association or the industry is growing because people are seeing a significant need to have themselves properly registered with the professional association. Now with regards to creative performance, we also have quite a lot of traction in the sense that you have most of our agencies winning awards and becoming more and more dominant in terms of award wins at the regional level. We have Nigerian agencies holding their own at the Lorries, Chrystals, at the Epical. So, that shows that the creative quality or the creative performance or the quality of creative works is on the upward trajectory and that is being recognized internationally. In terms of the actual financial performance, contribution to GDP, the share of the advertising pot or the brand building pot you would see that it is a bit cluttering, like I just discussed the advertising spend is fragmenting, the marketing spend is fragmenting, and what you find is that the biggest budget is into activations. In other words, the client wants to be able to convert to details because when you do activations you are meeting the consumers one on one and most of the time these activations happen in the sales field which is different from conventional advertising, which is largely media based and you don’t know how that has directly translated into sales. So, with more pressing demands to meet P & L targets what you find is that the client has to show preference to the sub sectors like activations and of course digital is the fastest growing in terms of budgets.

As a body what plans do you have to make your members relevant in this post digital age?

Yes, making the members relevant as an association is principally in the area of capacity building, we can only work hard towards equipping the members and the staff of the members to be up to the moment in terms of capacity and in terms of the competences which is required in a modern marketing age. We cannot pitch on behalf of our agencies. We cannot go and meet clients and say to them please let this our member agency work for you. But we can prepare them and that is our primary focus.

Some agencies are going into extinction and several others are ailing. What is responsible for this trend and are there plans by the association to help them survive these critical times?

Well, you see we must also appreciate that the dynamics of market economics means that there would always be some form of evolution. In every business sector you would have organisations that would need to reinvent themselves or to some extent become irrelevant. I also have new entries into advertising that would bring some level of valued creativity, innovations and dynamism. So it’s not easy to control that evolution. All you can do is to create

it’s something that needs to be addressed at the sectoral group level.

On the issue of debts in the industry how much of outstanding debts are we looking at and what are you doing as an association and an industry to address it?

I would say that the inter-sectorial debts is a vicious cycle. You just mentioned the 120 days to the agencies. If an agency is working under those terms, what kind of terms would you work with the vendors and media partners? So, it’s a vicious cycle.

Because cash flow has become king, so every client, every agency hoping to hold on for as long as possible, because it’s actually your cash flow that determines your sustainability, your ability to stay in business, to pay your bills. So, you have a lot of agencies who in the books, they are looking profitable, but in terms of cash flow, they are barely surviving. So, that’s the paradox.

Odigbo knowledge interventions that enables the agencies manage that phase of growth.

So, for an old agency the question is how do I stay relevant, how do I reinvent my offerings, how do I make sure I am able to attract quality talents, how do I keep my clients satisfied. Now the responsibility of the association is to as much as possible provide that capacity building and also strategic knowledge sharing platform, that raises the level of consciousness of different levels of member agencies regarding how they need to engage in this trending times.

We cannot however take these critical decisions. Remember whatever needs to change requires critical decision making and an identification of what the real operational issues are. And these operational issues are unique to each company or to each agency, and that would need to be something that directly addressed by management of these agencies.

Under your leadership, what will you point as landmark achievement of your exco?

The image of the association. We have also been able to renovate the secretariat, which was in dire state, and it cost quite a lot for us to repaint, renovate and fully refurbish the secretariat as it is now. So, those are some of the key milestones that we have achieved. We have also been able to involve the industry leadership at the very highest level, regarding pertinent issues that had to do with APCON, which has to do with moving the association forward, from an institutional perspective.

Leading a group like the AAAN what are the challenges you encountered in these two years?

What I see is something that is generic, and its endemic and that is the fact that just like the member agencies, spent a lot of their time, they slave for the clients so much about the strategic issues, problems, the operational issues that their agencies have,

they mind only in as much as it impacts the relationship with clients. You find that same pattern in terms of the association. So, you find that the minds are so busy trying to survive, trying to keep their operation going, that it is difficult to draw any level of input, any level of investment in terms of time, within the committees, to drive the initiative of the association.

Among the sectorial groups what kind of engagements did you have and what issues were you able to address head on?

I believe that one of the primary things we have done was to provide very strong strategic partnership to APCON. We realised that APCON is not properly constituted, and they have been going through several issues with regards to constitution of APCON Board and the proposed APCON law which is supposed to be reviewed, and it has been introduced in the senate. One of the things we have done was to work closely to address that and provide top strategic leadership behind the scene to make sure that while it is not properly constituted, we are not just allowing it to be vulnerable to the circumstances of these times but that we are putting in everything necessary to ensure that the association moves forward.

What is AAAN’s position on the 120day credit policy by the multinationals?

Was it an agreement with the agencies and how are you moving to resolve this issue with the advertisers’ body, ADVAN? No, I believe it is more of a situation where the various sectors within the media and the marketing communications sector have to work together because it doesn’t just affect advertising, it affects the other sectors, and because there is a lack of leverage, what you find is that the clients have almost all the leverage to set the terms and its now left for you to determine whether you want to work based on those terms with them or not. So, they have been able to capitalize on the weak leverage the agencies have, and

Concerning the pitch fee issue, are you trying to push for compliance? And if so, how do you hope to enforce compliance to payments?

Yes, we can only lead from a statutory side. What we do is that we tell our clients, we tell our members that if you have been invited for a pitch, because the association is not in a position to know, that a pitch is going on, so it takes a kind of organic or collective ownership, of a position that pitch fees must be paid, and pitch rejection fees must be paid, before it becomes effective.

So, what we have told our member agencies is if you are invited for a pitch and we realized that it would undermine your opportunity to directly engage the client, to say I want pitch fees before I pitch, you will inform us and once you inform us we as an association will now communicate the prospective client. And without mentioning that agency’s name we would say it has come to our notice that you are conducting a pitch, please note that based on our regulatory framework association, our member agencies are supposed to be paid so and so amount for pitch fees for strategy and for creative purposes. But what happens is most of the time this is subverted because the client knowing this now goes ahead to engage the member agencies and say look I want to conduct a pitch, I am not paying any pitch fees. Our company policy does not allow paying pitch fees. Are you ready to pitch? So, the response of the member agency now becomes very important.

How are you adapting to the incursion of traditional consultants into areas of the advertising business? Is the industry not threatened by this and how do you see the future of the creative industry?

It is only to be expected because if you have a global perspective of the share of revenue, you would find that the consultants earn much less than advertising and media.

They earn less than the pie of the client. The percentage on consulting is less. Advertising, media and production are about five times the size of consulting. And if you were in their shoes and you are able to get to the board room, you would say why am I not making more money by adding the advertising offering into my portfolio of services. But having said that, it’s not as clear cut as we think. For instance, DDB Worldwide also owns a consulting company. So, we tend to see these things in shades of white and black but for over five years, DDB worldwide as a network which I belong to also owns a very strong and robust consulting company, management consulting company. So, you see a lot of cross fertilization of offerings and I believe at the end of the day that is where this session becomes most relevant. It’s not so much what you offer as much as the level of innovation, but the level of strategic input and value you bring to the table.

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TUC,ASSBIFI Harp onTraining for Workers in Financial Sector Ugo Aliogo The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Association of Senior Staff Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution (ASSBIFI) have called on governments and employers in the financial sector to engage their workers on required training commensurate with the digitalised environment.

Speaking at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Day for Decent Work celebra-

tion tagged: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Threat to Job Security and Work-Life Balance in a Digitalised Environment- A Legal Perspective,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; organised

by ASSBIFI, the TUC President, Quadri Olaleye, said it was very important for both employers and government to train workers in order for them to catch up with future development.

Olaleye, noted that one of the excuses employers give to lay off workers was purchase of new technology.

According to her, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As technology becomes more fine-tuned and widespread, I wonder how many people will still have job in the nearest future. As it stands, even the high earning CEOs are under constant pressure, especially those who have no culture of saving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As for the middle class workers, the thought of losing jobs and means of livelihoods is pretty scary. Many Nigeria

are yet to recover from the toil of the last recession. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Work-life balance is critical as it gives employees a feeling of a greater sense of control and ownership over their own lives. The workers tend to have better relationship with the management and are able to leave work issues at work and home issues at home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Studies have shown that employees who have a positive work-life balance do a better

job at work, so promoting this balance is beneficial to both the individuals and the organisation.â&#x20AC;?

He explained that workers must think outside the box to remain relevant, stressing the need to put more pressure on government, especially the Ministry of Labour and employers to ensure decent work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; body we must encourage our employers to

train and re-train the workers for productivity. We must make them understand that we are in a symbiotic relationship for a common good,â&#x20AC;? Olaleye added.

In her welcome remarks, ASSBIFI President, Oyinkan Olasanoye, reiterated the need for employers to train their workers, adding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the financial management should be conscious to train workers because they need people to operate the new technology.â&#x20AC;?

Airtel Promotes ICT in Rural Community Emma Okonji Airtel Nigeria has empowered the people of Imodi Ijebu community in Ogun State by donating a fully equipped ICT Centre to the community recently.

The ICT Centre, which is equipped with over 30 brand new computers was donated under the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CSR initiative, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Airtel Touching Livesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;; designed to foster digital learning and give the community members unfettered access to information.

The launch ceremony was attended by community leaders, dignitaries, and indigenes.

Delivering his address at the ceremony, Airtel CEO and Managing Director, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya who is also an indigene of Imodi and was represented by Director of Corporate Communications, Airtel, Emeka Oparah, stated that the ICT Centre would usher in a new wave of innovation for the community in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology driven-world.

According to Ogunsanya; â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Airtel, we are always excited to offer opportunities that will help uplift communities, empower young people and transform lives. We believe an ICT centre is critical to the success of a community and the development of

both young and old because it offers a passport to the world.

Without ICT, a community will remain isolated, detached, removed, forlorn and hard to reach.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, with this newly built ICT Centre complete with very modern computers, and riding on Airtelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s robust 4G/ LTE network, Imodi is now fully connected to the world and on a global map. With this facility, more entrepreneurs will spring up, the youth will become more productive and the entire ecosystem will blossom and become more prosperous,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government of the state, Olatokunbo Talabi, commended Airtel for the generous donation; citing the ICT centre as an opportunity for the community to grow in the areas of education and technology.

Talabi went on to appeal to the community to make proper use of the facility and see it as a means to explore and empower themselves through research, so as to stay relevant.

In the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address, he stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make this a youth centre only â&#x20AC;&#x201C; letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make sure others also get the benefit of this remarkable facility.

Motorbike Hailing Firm Gets Commendation Ugo Aliogo The Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Zubairu Muazu has lauded Opayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motorbike hailing service, ORide, on the safety and security measures put in place by the company in the state.

According to a statement, the CP disclosed this recently in Lagos, during a courtesy visit to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head office.

Muazu said the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mode of operation has helped reduce criminal activities in the state. The statement explained that ORide ensures that riders (motorbikers) are not only trained to international standards (and by third-party verified trainers), but also undergo verification processes before they join the programme. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know for the riders, you are engaging them in training, you have doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ts for them. They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the regular bikers you see on the road and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well regulated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;First and foremost, you are sure of who you are journeying with and the person is well trainedâ&#x20AC;?, the CP noted.The Commissioner, who commended the company for

creating employment opportunities for unemployed youths in the past four months since it was launched, assured OPay of the support of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Country Manager of OPay, Iniabasi Akpan, urged the Commissioner to ensure that the Police provides support for the riders who have faced harassment from louts in the state. ORide is an on-demand motorbike ride-hailing service created with the vision to solve the transportation challenge of getting people and goods to their destination, in a timely and safe fashion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;ORide is a service featured in the OPay app. Since its launch in May 2019, the service has expanded to 11 other cities in the South-West, South-East and North. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Opera Group is the developers of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading browser Opera-Mini with over 350 million monthly active users worldwide. Opera Group has several local brands comprising OPay (a Central Bank of Nigeria CBN licensed Mobile Money Operator), Opera News, OBus, and OFood.â&#x20AC;?

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Management staff, ITEX Integrated Services Limited, Febrisara Hassan; Marketing Manager, Damilola Lana; Managing Director, Mr. Ernest Uduje; Chairman, Dr. Frederick Igbinedion; Chairman, Intermarc Consulting, Mr. Yinka Adeyemi, and Head, Sales and Marketing, ITEX, Yemi Okuwoga, at the ITEX Agent Banking Summit press briefing held in Lagos...recently

HP Showcases Innovations with New Advanced Products Emma Okonji HP has made good on its promise to continue to provide its Nigerian customers with its latest innovative products.

This followed the launch of its newest products in Lagos recently, where it showcased some of the innovations and advancements that HP has brought to its premium, midrange and entry level laptops.

Speaking at the product launch, HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Consumer Personal Systems Category Manager for Central Africa, Adeyinka Fakunmoju said HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission had always been to meet usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations for innovative products through its laptops, especially with the HP models like Envy, Spectre, Omen and Pavilion series.

Taking guests through some

of the advancements that have been introduced into the new HP Envy product range, Fakunmoju said the latest products would showcase the cutting-edge technology that HP is known for, while introducing a more matured performance within a very cost-effective price. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the features we want to showcase today is the fact that within the Envy 2019 products, we introduced and enhanced the PCs with more security features. That means with the Envy line-up, we are giving you the most secure consumer device in the market. And I can say that categorically and boldly anywhere,â&#x20AC;? Fakunmoju said.

According to him, with the Omen range, HP has reinvented the gaming experience, by providing the best performing PC without restriction to enhance

their gaming lifestyle, these devices come with top-class graphics card and processor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At HP we provide PCs that deliver on amazing designs without compromising on quality, our amazing devices are breath-taking, it also gives guaranteed hardware power and long-lasting battery life to do more. What we are offering is peace of mind,â&#x20AC;? he added.

He stressed further that within the Envy series, HP has introduced the latest technology available within the consumer line-up that are insured against visual and virtual hacking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In terms of the design, we have tried to bring forward the features weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen in consumer electronics within our houses, even within fashion. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen that there is a growing trend of wood coming into the home,

and we are trying to bring wood panels into consumer laptops. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the HP Envy, we are bringing the wood design into the market. We are very excited about this. The wood design is unique to every design that you see. The authentic walnut that we use on these designs is unique to each device. The same way your palms donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t having the same prints, there are no two Envy that have the same wood print,â&#x20AC;? he added.

HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trade Marketing Manager, Central Africa, Jenny Ani said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;HP strives to provide the right product for customers year on year. HP products are sold at affordable prices at HP authorised retail stores.

Our products come with one year warranty and after sales services nationwideâ&#x20AC;?.

Firms toTrainTeachers, Students on ICT Emma Okonji TechQuest STEM Academy, Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital literacy organisation, has partnered IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers, to facilitate a new community initiative called the Mission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T programme, that will enhance training of teachers and students in modern information and communications technology (ICT) skills.

Mission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T has been developed with the primary objective of improving ICT education and empowerment in selected schools and communities across Nigeria. The programme aims to improve Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) narrative and help stimulate interest and participation in STEM fields across the country. It will run in the Oyo, Rivers and Kano states, with a total of 45 schools selected as beneficiaries impacting 60 educators and 4,500 young students.

Speaking at the initiative launch, IHS Nigeria Corporate Social Responsibility Senior Manager, Cima Sholotan, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This programme has been strategically developed to align with IHS Towersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; four sustainability pillars, namely: Ethics, People, Environment and Education. We believe that by empowering our communities and promoting ICT education,

we are creating sustainable opportunities for competitiveness and improved ICT awareness in a digitally driven world.â&#x20AC;?

The programme will be implemented by the TechQuest STEM Academy, a nonprofit STEM education provider, which currently supports over 11,000 young people across 12 states in Nigeria. IHS Nigeria will help fund the design, development and delivery of a practical based ICT curriculum which includes textbooks, workbooks, academic videos, an interactive portal and a mobile app to assist teachers and Mission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T ambassadors in the delivery of STEM education.

According to the Director and Co-Founder of the TechQuest

STEM Academy, Charles Emembolu, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that the Mission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T program aligns with the fourth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) by focusing on merging locally designed STEM content and toolkits with government engagement. This is made possible through the support of firms such as IHS Nigeria.â&#x20AC;?

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This collaboration contributes to closing the gap in terms of digital skills shortage and supports TechQuestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall mission to help one million Africans become digitally literate.

Developing countries like Nigeria have a huge part to play and we are delighted to provide that support.â&#x20AC;?

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IMAGES

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Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: NWC Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Adeyinka Abiru; wife of the Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Mrs. Falilat Obasa; Chairman, COWLSO’s 2019 National Women’s Conference, Prof. Ibiyemi Bello; wife of Lagos State governor/ Chairman, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunmola during a Pre-Event press briefing for the 2019 National Women’s Conference tagged: Unlearn, Learn and Relearn: 21st Century Women’s T.H.E.M.E.S Perspectives/Approach in Lagos...recently

L-R: Member, House of Representatives and Awardee, Hon. Ibrahim Obanikoro; Founder, Sapio Club, Sonnia Agu; Comrade Moremi Ojudu; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr. Jermaine Sanwo-Olu; Nigerian Comedian, Omo Baba and Founder/CEO, Loatsad Promomedia Limited, Mr. Seyi Tinubu, during the presentations of Nigerian Day of Excellence Awards on Hon. Obanikoro, Sanwo-Olu and Tinubu, by Sapio Club in Lagos.....recently

L-R: Special Adviser to Ekiti State Government on trade,Investment and Innovation; Mr Akin Oyebode; Director, External Relations, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd. Mr. Andrew Enahoro; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; and Senior Manager, Technical Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Mr. Morakinyo Adesulu at the state house in Ado-Ekiti, after a meeting on Promasidor Nigeria’s activities in Ikun Dairy Farm, Ekiti...recently

L-R: Chairperson, Mushin Association of Primary Schools Head Teachers of Nigeria, Mrs. Awobajo Alaba Adebisi: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olayiwola Olawale; Head Mistress, Ladipo Primary School, Mrs. Onireti Folashade; and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Pension of Nigeria, Mr. Eric Fajemisin at the commissioning of Ladipo primary School, renovated by Stanbic IBTC Pension, in Lagos...recently PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Former Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema; former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Oyo State Governor and chairman of the PDP Campaign Council for Kogi State, Engr. Seyi Makinde at the inauguration of the PDP Campaign Committees for the Bayelsa and Kogi states elections, held at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja...recently

L-R: Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Tope Fasoranti and Vice President Sales & EMEA, Schneider Electric, Irfan Yunus; during Digital Innovation Day Lagos organised by Schneider in Lagos...recently PHOTO: KUNLE OGUNFUYI

The Ogene Onira of Onitsha, Chief Ngozi Okafo (2nd left), presents LED TV sets to from left: Ebirim Akunna Cynthia, Ikechukwu Mmadular and Ogbunando Adaeze, all winners of the Ofala 2019 raffle draw during the Azu Ofala festival, sponsored by Globacom in Onitsha...recently

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Abattoir drainage during the last Saturday rainfall in Agege, Lagos. lt needs urgent attention

L-R: National Secretary, United Acton for Change (UAC), Comrade Popoola Ajayi; Fumigator, Rilwan Popoola; Members of UAC, Comrades Segun Dada, Arokoyo Augustus, Sikiru Bello and Mrs. Lola Adebayo, during fumigation of Ilasamaja area, Mushin, Lagos on the occasion of the year 2019 UAD annual community outreach program. in Lagos...recently

L-R: VP, Retail Services, Cars45, John Egwu; VP, Consumer-to-Business Services, Cars45, Dr. Mayokun Fadeyibi; Special Adviser to the President on the Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; CEO Cars45, Etop Ikpe and VP, Business-to-Business Services, Cars45, Mohammed Iyamu at the launch of the Cars45 Automotive Entrepreneur Empowerment Initiative in Lagos...recently

L-R: Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ilorin Zonal Head, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Isyaku Sharu; Head, Counter Terrorism and General Investigations, EFCC, Olufemi Bamisile; during handing over of looted funds to the Kwara State Government at EFCC zonal oďŹ&#x192;ce in Ilorin...recently

President, National Council of Nigerian Stock Exchange ( (NSE), Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjo(left) and Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alex Okoh during a visit by Ogunbanjo to Okoh in Abuja... recently

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle); his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu (left); Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye (2nd left); Proprietor, De-Bliss Hotel and Majority Leader, EDHA, Hon. Roland Asoro (2nd right), and Manager, De-Bliss Hotel and Suites, Anthony Ilems (right), during the opening of De-Bliss Hotel, in Benin City, Edo State...recently

The aftermath eďŹ&#x20AC;ect of the downpour on Friday at lle-Epo, Market along Lagos/Abeokuta Express Road

L-R: Commissioner for Transport, Lagos State, Dr. Frederic Oladende; Executive Governor, Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; General Manager, West Africa Uber, Lola Kassim;and Country Manager, Nigeria Uber, Tayo Oyegunle, at the launch of Uber Boat in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT EU Commits over EUR150m to Boost Green, Renewable Energy in Nigeria Bennett Oghifo

T

he European Union (EU) has allocated €150 million to boost electricity supply in Nigeria with a focus on green and renewable energy.

The EU is a global leader in environmental protection and the fight against climate change, promoting sustainable development through international cooperation, innovation and clean energy, said its officials in a statement, recently.

Ensuring a healthy environment is at the heart of a universal sustainable development agenda both in its own right but also due to the clear interdependencies with other policy fields such as trade, security, conflict prevention and migration.

According to the statement, EU has committed more than €700 million grant funding for the 2014 – 2020 periods in the energy sector in West Africa.

“The #EU is enabling communities in Nigeria to harness solar power to generate renew-

able energy, and has set aside €165 million for intervention in the energy sector to improve access for over 90m Nigerians and business owners without access to energy,” the statement said.

Already, the EU has financed a 85KWP-Solar Hybrid Mini-Grid Project in Gbamu-Gbamu village in Ijebu-East Local Council of Ogun State.

It has also provided €14 million as technical assistance and investment grant for a credit line for Nigerian commercial banks for on lending to promoters of Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency (RE/EE) small and medium scale projects through the French Development Agency (AFD) The EU supports development financing institutions (DFIs) on large scale projects, including key portfolios like the Solar Nigeria Phase III, a €30 million programme with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) as implementing partner; Off-Grid Energy Access to Kaduna, Kano,

Adamawa and Borno; the Nigeria Energy Support Programme II, a €20 million project implemented by the German Development Agency (GIZ). States are Sokoto, Plateau, Ogun, Cross River and Niger States.

The EU also supports the Vocational Training Delivery for the power sector with €8 million in Abuja, Kano, Kainji, Kaduna, Jos, Akangba, Ijora, Enugu, Afam, in concert with the AFD, with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) as the implementing partner.

There is also the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Financing (SUNREF) Nigeria, Phase III, a €14 million programme also being implemented by the AFD. It entails technical assistance and investment grant via a credit line for financing of RE/EE investments through two Nigerian commercial banks – UBA and Access.

“We have seen quite an amazing example in Lagos with people that collect bottle and plastics and recycle it;

it is something that is done worldwide,” the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, said at a recent event.

“The circular economy will be

more prominent in the years to come and Lagos has the potential to spearhead this to a certain extent, we have the opportunity to invest in young entrepreneurs.

“We need to put spotlight

on renewable energy which is very important, in Nigeria you already have a population of 200 million people of which 80 million do not have access to stable energy,” he said.

Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen

First Homes Africa Housing Solution Targets Millennial Bennett Oghifo The future of the housing market is currently being defined based on the lifestyle and habits of young people, rightly known as the millennial.

This thought process shaped a unique web-enabled product First Homes Africa introduced into the nation’s real estate market recently to cater specifically to young people.

The Chief Finance Officer of First Homes Africa, Mr. Bayo Ogunnusi, who presented their innovative home buying and selling system to journalists, explained that young people would be given an opportunity to save and buy their preferred home in their chosen location.

The number of prospective homeowner in the different hubs would determine how fast the prequalified developer would

build their homes, said Ogunnusi, explaining that they would save an agreed amount for 15 months, after which they would be informed of the readiness of their homes.

He said “By the 12th month we would send you a message that the number of people in your preferred location is not enough for us to build and we will give you an option to either choose another location or take back you money.”

He said the first amount saved by these prospective homebuyers would be doubled, as an incentive. If s/he saves N100,000, “we double the N100,000, but it is not in cash so you can’t withdraw that N100,000 we give you, but it is to reduce your equity in future.”

According to Ogunnusi, their system is essentially to use data

to correct the anomalies in the real estate sector, adding that 1,700 registered in the first seven days after they opened their portal on October 1, this year.

Founder of First Homes Africa Limited, Mr. Francis Ekeng said, via telephone, that they have been working on the product behind the scene for the past six years. “It is something that we believe is the way to solve the housing problem, not only in Nigeria but also across the globe, especially in Africa.

“If you look at the challenges of an average young adult in Africa, when it comes to home ownership, it is very tasking. It is not just a great concern, it is a challenge. At the same time, it is an opportunity.”

Ekeng said they have studied the situation, stating that “there is no time that the legislation of Nigeria or Africa will be

NIQS Celebrates 50th Anniversary, Wants Construction Industry Development Board The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), has called for the establishment of Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), to ensure the implementation of cross-cutting policies within the industry in Nigeria.

The CIDB would be made up of experienced professionals in the Construction Industry, according to the President of the Institute, QS Obafemi Onashile, who made the submission in Abuja during the official commissioning of the Institute’s magnificent 5-Storey Head Office building located in Mabushi District, Abuja on Saturday as part of the activities to mark the Institute’s 50th Anniversary celebration.

Onashile said the Construction Industry in Nigeria faces challenges ranging from Building Collapse, Injuries and Death on Construction Sites, Non Payment of Contractors and Consultants Fees, Environment Degradation, Housing Deficit, High Cost of

Construction and Shortage of Artisans, among others, resulting in stunted growth of the Industry.

He noted also that unclear delineation of Professional functions amongst construction professions within the government is making massive corruption and incompetence to persist on projects with attendant negative consequences on the economy.

The NIQS President lamented the current practice in the Construction Industry where Designers are also the Cost Advisers, insisting that such a practice was not transparent and should be stopped in Nigeria, if the nation truly wishes to move forward.

He said Quantity Surveyors should be mandated and allowed to undertake Cost Management of projects of all forms on behalf of Government (be it Refineries, Roads and Bridges, Marine and Harbour works, Airport Runways and Terminal Buildings etc.) whilst Engineers should be compelled to focus and deliver

on Designs and implementations of Projects.

“In situations where Quantity Surveyors are excluded from performing the role of Cost Advisers/Managers, the Cost Management of such projects become arbitrarily done by “provisions” being made in the contracts. These “provisions” can be over bloated and thus leading to unduly high construction costs or alternatively underprovided and thus leading to project frustrations, poor quality works and discouragement of the parties,” he explained.

The NIQS boss also said that procurements and indeed Construction Standards were being bastardized and out of tune with international global standards and best practices noting that a local arrangement called “BEME” (Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation) in the Nigerian Construction Industry was alien to international procurement standards.

perfect to resolve it; there is no time interest rate will resolve it, no time tariffs on building materials and other interventions will solve it independently. We need to change the dynamics, change how we approach it. We need to make home ownership more accessible, cheaper; lower the bar and let people be able to come on board.”

He said what they are trying to do is get young people on board to earn returns on their assets, at the same time live under the same rules. So, it is a complete freshness in that

space.”

According to the Founder, Mr. Ekeng, “We are ‘using platform technology to build business models that were not previously possible, but allow for intelligent data aggregation and smart network connections. With the use of technology- cloud computing, big data, predictive analysis, artificial intelligence, mobile technology and social networks, we plan to create a pull approach to housing market and create houses that are suited to the continent’s young adults lifestyle; reduce the waste

traditionally associated with house design and building in Africa and pass the savings on to the target market in form of affordable housing.”

First Homes Africa, he said would adopt a 21st century approach to solve the millennial home ownership deficit in Nigeria, which it achieves with the use of technology. The Platform brings new thinking and innovation to solving an old problem by leveraging on network connectivity and data Intelligence to create smart business solutions.

SON, Food Industry Collaborate to Improve Plastic Production Process Bennett Oghifo The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and stakeholders in the food industry have collaborated to develop new standards that would improve the production processes of plastics in the country and save the nation huge amounts of forex that would have gone into importation of these products.

Records show that Nigeria is the third largest importer of plastics in primary forms after Egypt, and has only 30 per cent capacity to produce locally, while the remaining 70 per cent is currently being imported.

The standards, SON said in a statement, would ensure safety and manufacturing of high quality products, leading to an increase of its use, providing opportunities for employment rather than expending the nation’s foreign exchange on importation.

According to SON, the need to develop the standards follows a recent coordination by the Federal Ministry of Environment to develop a

national policy for the lifecycle of plastics in the country.

The Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma said at a technical committee meeting on polymer and related products, that there have been demand for the standard for recycled plastics by stakeholders, the private sector and manufacturers, stressing that for the national policy of the Federal Ministry of Environment to gain ground, it must be backed by standards.

“So, this meeting would not have come at a better time and also with the rising concerns over the use of recycled pet bottles in the food industry,” he said.

Aboloma, represented by the Director, Standards Development, SON, Chinyere Egwuonwu, said it would also give consumers and producers the confidence that the products and services they are developing or using are safe, reliable and that it would also keep the environment safe.

“The recycling of pet bottle packaging represents one of the most successful and

wide spread examples of plastic packaging recycling.

The growth in collection and processing of pet bottles for food packaging application has been increasing significantly over the last 10 years and has been accomplished by significant investments in plastic recovery facilities and food grade recycled pet processing. The food and beverage recycling association of Nigeria remains the driving force for the development of this standard.

“Today, we have a draft national policy on life cycle of plastics with recycling of plastic waste as one of the strategies. The draft policy has been extensively discussed by all relevant stakeholders and it is currently being processed for approval by the relevant government agency.”

He urged stakeholders to study the document and come up with a workable standard that would guide manufacturers, promote trade and assist regulation to guarantee acceptability without compromising the safety of the product and the environment.

33

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

NIOB Advocates Good Safety, Health, Environment Systems for Construction Professionals Fadekemi Ajakaiye

T

he Nigerian Institute of Builders NIOB, Lagos Chapter, advocates safety, health and environment for construction site managers.

Speaking during a 4- day training, held recently in Lagos at the NIOB (Lagos State Chapter) conference room in Surulere, Builder Adelaja Adekambi, Chairman NIOB, Lagos Chapter stated that the Institute focuses on happenings at site, especially safeguarding lives and property.

There had been much training embarked upon by this chapter, but this year, we are partnering with the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health UK, IOSH, to organise this 4-day training for its members, he said.

Notably, NIOB is saddled with the responsibility of registering artisans in Nigeria

by N-Power, we ensure that artisans get qualified. We

are also building an artisan database.

Builder Prof Martin Dada, a member of the chapter emphasised on adhering to building codes, in order to promote safety of the safety.

Codes are minimum conditions to be met in a discipline.

It is pertinent for each professional within the built environment to stick to their discipline, an architect cannot perform the role of a builder and vice versa, he said.

In general, we have been doing health and safety training for over 10 years.

The building code does not just give us authority, it also recognises that we are backed by the law, he said.

“We are in a global world with daily advance technology, with the current digitization, we are also collaborating to remain on top of our profession, and so the need for this training, he said.

Builder Mrs Bolanle Edun, College of Fellows, stated that for Lagos State Chapter, this training is the first of its kind,

but many more to follow.”

For proper attention and for training to be very effective, this training is limited to just 20 participants per session, while subsequent trainings will cover the rest, she said.

As regards quackery in the built environment, what we can do is to intensify awareness. What is lost as a result of ignorance is very costly, also more than what we gain by spending a little, she said.

All the seven professionals within the built industry should all collaborate to ensure a smooth delivery of services.

We are achieving collaboration at the National level whereby one professional is not trying to subdue another and take up their responsibility. We are not doing the economy or country at large any favour, she said.

In the built environment, we have the backing of the Minister to foster cordial relationship among other professionals. If we have cordiality in professionalism, we will not downplay other

FCTA Task Team Faults Uniformed Personnel over AYA-Nyanya Road Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Special Ministerial Task Team to ease vehicular traffic along AYANyanya section of Abuja-Keffi Road says the disregard of uniformed personnel for traffic rules is one of the reasons for the perennial traffic gridlock on the major road that connects 10 states to the FCT. The indictment was contained in the interim report on traffic decongestion which the Task Team submitted to the Minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Musa Bello over the weekend.

The Chairman of the Task

Team, Ikharo Attah, noted that apart from the violation of road traffic directives by security personnel, many drivers lacked lane discipline and exhibited arrogance while driving with little consideration for the rights of other road users.

He said there was a need to sustain efforts to check the excesses of motorists, saying the current expansion work by the Federal Government on that road will not make a difference if this was not done.

Attah identified traffic clogging at the Nasarawa State axis of the road, while also calling for the Federal Road Safety (FRSC) to be involved in the simultaneous control

of traffic in Nasarawa State and the FCT. He recommended concerted enlightenment campaign for uniformed personnel, immediate fixing of potholes along the road that hinder the free flow of traffic and total stoppage of roadside trading, The road is an important gateway that links the FCT to Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Kaduna, Enugu, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe States.

The Task Team was constituted two weeks ago with a mandate to clear the traffic gridlock and ensure free flow of traffic along the AYA/Nyanya axis of the road

Make Africa’s Great Green Wall a Reality by 2030, Say Industry Leaders Bennett Oghifo As the UN Climate Action Summit holds in New York, this week, global leaders from government, business and civil society are issuing an urgent call to action to grow an 8000km natural wonder of the world across the entire width of the African continent.

The Great Green Wall, an African-led movement, aims to, at once, drive forward climate-smart solutions and bring back life to degraded landscapes in order to provide food security, jobs and thriving new economies for the communities living in Africa’s Sahel region. An estimated 15% of the Wall is already underway.

Influential leaders from business, politics, media, the film and music industries will gather at Goals House in New York this week to spotlight the Great Green Wall as a practical, low-cost nature-based solu-

tion responding to the global climate emergency.

Participants are expected to call on governments, civil society and business to join a growing global movement to make the Great Green Wall a reality by 2030, according to a statement by UNCCD. Jim Pisani, Global Brand President, Timberland, is expected to announce Timberland’s new commitment to the Great Green Wall initiative, as an example of how businesses are investing in this global movement.

Fernando Meirelles, Academy Nominated Director of City of God, and Executive Producer of The Great Green Wall feature documentary, and Hamzat Lawal, the Nigerian youth activist, are among the speakers.

The event will also feature musical performances by Songhoy Blues, Waje and Grammy-winning artist Ricky Kej as well as clips from the

upcoming feature documentary titled, The Great Green Wall (Directed by Jared P. Scott), produced by MAKE Waves in association with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD is convening the event, which is jointly being organised by the UNCCD and Connect4Climate - World Bank Group represented at the event

by Juergen Voegele, Global Director of the World Bank’s Climate Change Group.

The Sahel – where the Great Green Wall is taking root – is a political hotspot. Nearly 80% of the land in this region is degraded, 33 million people are currently food insecure and temperatures are expected by rise by as much as 3-5 degrees by 2050. The most pressing challenges that humanity will face this century are already evident here, from food and water shortages, to climate

L-R: Mr. Oyetunde Opanike; Chairman, College of Fellows, Nigeria Institute of Building, Builder Mrs. Omobolanle Araba; Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Building, Lagos Chapter, Builder Adelaja Adekanmbi; representative of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, UK for West Africa, Mrs. Funmi Adegbola; and Health and Safety Consultant, Builder Olusesan Phillips, at the opening of a 4-day Intensive Safety Training for members of the Nigeria Institute of Builders in Lagos… recently

colleagues within the sector, and take on responsibilities that one has not been trained to do, she said.

Funmi Adegbola, IOSH Representative stated that

safety is beyond borders and it is futuristic, so, IOSH is providing support and enhance what is been done locally. We add value to what the Institute is doing.

We are adding to the existing safety and health, already incorporated to the institute, and recognise trained participants of NIOB as IOSH members, she said.

as part of measures by the Administration to ease the discomfort of motorists who ply that route on a daily basis.

The minister commended the Task Team for delivering on its mandate of decongesting traffic on the road within a

very short time frame. He assured that all the recommendations made by the Task Team will be implemented.

“The conviction of our dear President that if we all put in our best we can change this country, and this has

been clearly demonstrated by your well-coordinated team.

It shows you also that all the solutions to all our problems are actually within us, it’s just a matter of everybody being dedicated, putting in their best,” Bello said.

Dafinone Calls for Urgent Action to Check Coastal Erosion in Lagos Fadekemi Ajakaiye Chairman, National Executive Council, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF, Chief Ede Dafinone has called for concerted effort to protect the shoreline of Lagos to prevent the state from going under water in no distant time.

His call at the 30th Annual General Meeting of NCF, held at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos recently, follows predictions by scientists that Lagos may go under water by 2050 if drastic actions are not taken to reverse the situation.

“We initiated a campaign

on Lagos erosion with a lecture. The call became crucial seeing how coastal erosion along the beaches, including our pride, Lekki Conservation Centre, are being submerged,” he said.

Environmental education is a key element of our Strategic Action Plan. We held training for school conservation club coordinators to promote and deepen environmental education in schools, he said.

The President, Board of Trustees, NCF, Izioma Philip Asiodu stated that the Foundation has continued to survive on partnerships, as it cannot strive alone.

“In bringing the issue of Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) in Nigeria to the front burner, we began the year with the Chief S. L. Edu Memorial Lecture themed “Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade in West Africa: the Role of Environmental Law and Governance,” he said.

“Our advocacy programmes remain a vital tool to call attention of government, organisations and people to actions on climate change, plastic pollution, mangrove restoration, desertification and restoring Nigeria’s forest to at least 20% by 2050,” he said.

FCTA Seeks UN-Habitat Partnership on Mass Housing Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has said the administration plans to partner with UN-HABITAT (the United Nations Human Settlement Programme) to improve and develop critical infrastructure such as mass housing, transportation and waste management.

Bello stated this when he received a delegation of officials of UN-HABITAT, led by its Director, Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Naison Mutizwa Mangiza, on a courtesy visit to the FCTA. He said the FCT population was growing and facing challenges like provision of affordable mass housing, mass transportation and waste management.

Relating to the provision of a functional and affordable mass transportation system which will not impact negatively on the environment, the minister called for technical assistance for the use of electric or hybrid mass transportation buses that will release less or none of harmful carbon emissions into the atmosphere that is currently occurring with the use of diesel powered mass transportation buses.

He noted that the use of electric/hybrid buses to create a reliable mass transportation system will reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and ultimately lead to a cleaner and safer environment.

In the same vein, he suggested possible sources of renewable energy such as solar for charging purposes.

On waste management, Bello

said that the technical support of the UN organisation will help the FCT better manage waste collection and disposal which includes recycling.

This, he said has the potential of providing jobs for many unemployed youths in the society.

The minister also commended UN-HABITAT’s plans to upgrade the Nigeria country office to a Multi-country office.

He stressed the need for FCT to avoid mistakes of many urban cities that tend to grow, develop and eventually decay. He also emphasized on the greening policy of the Administration in confronting the challenges that tend to bedevil many urban cities.

Bello also accepted the invitation of the UN HABITAT to attend the World Urban Forum (WUF 10) scheduled to hold in Abu Dhabi next year.

34

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍłË&#x153; 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

ABCON Advises FG againstVAT Hike Hamid Ayodeji The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has cautioned against the proposed increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 7.5 per cent, from five per cent.

According to the currency dealers, the proposal would lead to more unemployment and poverty in the country.

The association also called for a downward review of the cash processing fees introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the cashless policy.

The Association made this call in the ABCON Quarterly Economic Review for third quarter of the year (Q3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19).

Commenting on the proposed VAT hike, it stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The immediate implication is that every Nigerian will either directly or indirectly be affected by the

whopping 50 per cent increase in VAT. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The average VAT collection in the past six years is about N900 billion. The revenue is shared 15 per cent to the federal government, 50 per cent to states and 35 per cent to local governments net of four per cent cost of collection to FIRS. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But beyond the revenue increase of about 50 per cent, there will be other attendant consequences like higher inflation rate, interest rate hike, more unemployment and people will generally become poorer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will increase the burden on the poor and SMEs contrary to the 2017 National Tax Policy.

We also believe that seeking to expand the VAT net while also increasing VAT rate at the same time is a conflicting strategy,â&#x20AC;? it argued.

ABCON, was however of the

opinion that the system could generate twice as much from VAT at current rate by expanding the scope of threshold and ensuring a robust administration rather than by increasing rate.

It added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A review of VAT waivers, better policing of the border to improve import VAT collection, framework for VAT on imported services and digital economy.â&#x20AC;?

Commenting further on the cashless policy, it pointed out that even though the objective of the policy was laudable, the cash processing fees would have severe impact on small businesses across the country.

On the other hand, the Association expressed concern over the rising level of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public debt, calling on the federal government to express caution and reduction in the public debt.

L-R: Executive Director, NDPHC, Ifeoluwa Oyedele; Director, Downstream Gas, CNL, Sanjay Narasimhalu; MD/CEO, GACN, Engr. Morgan Okwoche, and MD, NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo, at the signing of GSAA for Olorunsogo Generation Company Limited, held in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Wema Bank Partners Bank of Africa onTrade Facilitation Wema Bank Plc has signed a multi-country partnership agreement with the Bank of Africa Group (BOA) as it looks to facilitate bilateral trade services for its customers across Africa.

The partnership agreement was executed yesterday by the MD/CEO of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Ademola Adebise and CEO of BOA Group, Mr Amine Bouabid, in the presence of the Head Brand and Marketing Communications, Wema Bank, Mrs Funmilayo Falola and BOA GROUP Chairman, Mr. Brahim Benjelloun Touimi, and other executives of both banks.

According to a statement, Adebise signed on behalf of Wema Bank, while Bouabid signed on behalf of all BOA subsidiary banks.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two financial institu-

tions committed to deepening the relationship between them around the Pan-African trade ecosystem (trade facilitation, correspondent banking etc.). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the years, Wema Bank has been passionate about supporting individuals and businesses in Nigeria. With the new partnership, it has expanded its frontier to include trans-African trade with a promise to deliver sustainable and value-adding support for business growth and profitability across the continent,â&#x20AC;? the statement added.

Speaking on the partnership agreement, Adebise was quoted to have said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Wema Bank, digital innovation is in our DNA and we are bringing that same creativity to our partnership with BOA. This partnership will allow us to expand and redefine the galaxy

of opportunities available to our individual and corporate customers as we lead them into the African continent off the back of the new African Continental Free Trade Agreement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this partnership, our customers will now have seamless business transactions across countries with Bank of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is an absolute joy for us to be able to make doing business easier for our customers in partnership with the Bank of Africa.â&#x20AC;?

Adebise, also added that both banks would further benefit from an opportunity to promote bilateral trade services which will include import and export services, bonds and guarantees, and structured finance collaborations, under the new partnership agreement.

Eunisell Increases Business Solutions for Marginal Oilfield Owners Eunisell has announced an extended range of comprehensive solutions for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marginal oil field owners.bThe new products and services include: well testing, enhanced well testing, data services, well blowback solutions, multiphase flow, well clean up and early production facilities.

Others are offshore production units, enhanced production solutions, facilities upgrade, and repairs, operations management, sand management solutions produced water solutions, drill stem testing, electronic memory

gauge services and pumping services.

Speaking on why the extension became necessary, a statement quoted Eunisellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group Managing Director, Mr. Chika Ikenga, to have said the field owners are vital to economic growth, and must be provided with every opportunity to operate efficiently and effectively. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through experience, we often find that skills gaps exist spanning financial, technical skills and resources - crucial facets to an operation being viable and

profitable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eunisell closes the gap with a unique range of business solutions and we have just announced an extension to the products and services we offer.â&#x20AC;?

He further stated the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast track production facilities help owners achieve first oil in record time.

Eunisell, an oil and gas production solutions company; fluids and chemicals specialist has extensive technical resources and equipment with facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

LBS Commences Health Leadership Programme The Lagos Business School (LBS) yesterday commenced its annual MDI Programme for Health Leaders and Managers in Africa.

The week-long in-residence training programme, which commenced in Lagos, was organised in partnership with the Management Development Institute (MDI) and facilitated

by Johnson & Johnson. It was designed to improve the effectiveness of health systems by enhancing the leadership and management skills of professionals devoted to delivering healthcare services to underserved populations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Much focus has been on the technical areas of

skills development in the healthcare sector. With MDI Health Leadership Programme, our objective is to build a new crop of professionals who possess the technical knowledge as well as business and managerial skills to deliver high quality healthcare service,â&#x20AC;? the Academic Director of Lagos Business School, Prof.

Olayinka David-West said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the focus of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme being â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Capacity Improvement for Maternal, Newborn, and Community Healthcare Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the programme gives participants an opportunity to learn and understand the critical challenges facing the sector while also working

together to provide workable solutions towards solving these problems,â&#x20AC;? a statement quoted her to have added.

In her remarks, the President of Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and CEO, JNC International, Clare Omatseye, highlighted the issues facing the healthcare industry in Africa and the importance of innovation and disruption in tackling the identified challenges.

Participants in the MDI Health Leadership Programme would gain access to management tools, frameworks, and knowledge that would enable them to increase the quantity and quality of health services they provide while expanding access to healthcare.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2018 Money Supply (M3)

31,794,803.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

6,333,064.28

Money Supply (M2)

25,461,739.17

-- Quasi Money

14,773,076.98

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,688,662.18

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,711,763.59

---- Demand Deposits

8,976,898.59

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

18,990,400.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,804,402.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,062,986.22

---- Credit to Government (Net)

2,980,229.66

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

7,093,619.43

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

-4,144,571.43

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,082,756.56

--Other Assets Net

13,258,583.57

Reserve Money (Base Money

6,811,192.37

--Currency in Circulation

2,100,129.91

--Banks Reserves

4,366,259.05

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ě&#x2039;

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2039; ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍŻ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $60.95 a barrel on Friday, compared with $58.71 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), Oriente (Ecuador), 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

35

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

MARKET NEWS

Nigerian Stock Exchange Lists FGN N15 Billion 7-Year Green Bond Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE) has listed the Federal Government of Nigerian (FGN) N15billion Green Bond.

The bond has a coupon rate of 14.50 per cent on June 13, 2019 and is due to mature on June 13, 2026.

This Series II Green Bond, issued to finance renewable energy, afforestation and transportation projects, followed the debut Sovereign N10.69bn

Green Bond that was issued in December 2017 and listed on the NSE in July 2018.

Commenting on the listing, Head, Trading Business Division, NSE, Mr. Jude Chiemeka, said: “We are pleased to admit the Series II FGN Green Bond to our Green and Sustainable Bond Market. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Debt Management Office(DMO) on deepening the green bond market, which dates back to 2016, reinforces

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

the exchange’s commitment to position Nigeria as a financial center for green and sustainable financing. The recent partnership with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) further demonstrates NSE’s passion to provide enabling environment for issuers and investors in the Nigerian capital market.

The exchange will continue to work with key stakeholders in transitioning to a low-carbon and sustainable economy as well as develop innovative products and

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

services in close collaboration with the market”.

Chiemeka also congratulated the Honourable Minister of Environment and the management of the DMO on the successful issuance of a second green bond; a laudable feat in addressing environmental challenges and fostering sustainable financing in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the stock market opened for the week on positive note as the NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 0.09 per cent to

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

close at 26,559.10 on the back of gains recorded by Dangote Cement Plc, Dangote Flour Mills Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc. Market capitalisation added N11.5 billion to close at N12.9 trillion. Activity level rose as volume and value traded were up by 10.0 per cent and 82.5 per cent to 129.1 million units and N2.7 billion respectively.

The most active stocks by volume were GTBank (14.5 million shares), Transcorp Plc (9.9 million shares) and Zenith Bank

O F

Plc (8.3 million shares) while Nestle Nigeria Plc (N1.4 billion), GTBank (N387.3 million) and Dangote Cement Plc (N260.6 million) led by value.

In terms of sectoral performance, the NSE Insurance Index and NSE Industrial Goods Index appreciated by 1.8 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.

Conversely, the NSE Banking Index went down 0.03 per cent, while the NSE Oil & Gas Index and NSE Consumer Goods Index closed flat.

1 4 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

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36

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

JBN, Petralon Energy Strengthen Diversification Partnership Goddy Egene

has offered for subscription subscription, is, however, subject to Julius Berger Investments to engagement and the receipt Following the strategic Limited(JBIL), a wholly owned of all, consents, and approvals.

“The Board of JBIL had partnership and joint investment subsidiary of JBN, 20 per cent agreement Julius Berger of its equity share capital in approved the acquisition subject Nigeria Plc (JBN) and Petralon Petralon 54 Limited , a wholly to the necessary engagements, and receipt of all the requisite Energy Limited (PEL) for the owned subsidiary of PEL. In a notification to the regulatory approvals and acquisition and development of oil fields in Nigeria, PEL Nigerian Stock Exchange consents. The investment has (NSE) yesterday, JBN said the received ministerial consent but A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: AAll fund prices are quoted in Naira as at shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the 11-Oct-2019, unless otherwise stated.

necessary engagements with and Gas Sector,” the company key stakeholders regarding said. the Investment, continues. The JBN had entered into this share capital of JBIL is sufficient partnership with PEL last year to fund the investment. The as part of efforts to diversify its investment is in line with operations into the oil and gas the strategic goals of JBN on sector and boost its fortunes. diversification and would The shareholders of JBN enable JBN to acquire know- received a dividend of N2.64 how and experience in the Oil billion as final dividend from Offer price: TThe 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.

the 2018 financial year profit of the company. The N2.64 billion dividend represents N2.00 per 50 Kobo share.

The company posted revenue of N194.617 billion in 2018, up from N141.890billion revenue in 2017. Profit after tax stood at N6.992billion, against the N4.716billion in 2017.

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 0.88 0.88 4.34% ACAP Income Funds 0.76 0.76 33.00% 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 12.48% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.37 2.40 6.77% 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 14.21 14.64 -14.36% ARM Discovery Fund 329.32 339.25 -7.66% ARM Ethical Fund 28.05 28.90 -0.67% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.98% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 92.03 92.68 -9.05% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.69% 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 1.87 1.87 11.24% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 0.13 0.12 13.28% Paramount Equity Fund 12.07 12.17 2.19% Women's Investment Fund 107.72 108.43 4.04% 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 11.79% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 94.51 95.17 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 95.09 95.94 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 11.13% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.85 0.85 -1.00% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.24 1.24 10.99% 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 12.18% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 12.07% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,108.33 1,115.47 11.57% 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 1,251.05 1,251.83 11.74% FBN BALANCED FUND 138.41 139.30 -3.06% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.29% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 119.77 120.04 8.34% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.33 120.60 9.10% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 120.73 122.27 -19.51% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.70% Legacy Debt Fund 3.56 3.56 9.72% Legacy Equity Fund 1.03 1.05 -15.42% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.07 1.07 3.99% 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 2,985.34 3,015.67 0.04% Coral Income Fund 3,025.34 3,025.34 10.39% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 12.54% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.27% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 111.45 111.84 3.41% 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 11.37% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.15 2.17 -0.46% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.99% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 138.56 138.70 10.89% 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 1.15 1.17 4.90% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,098.33 1,098.33 10.37% 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 10.21 10.30 -4.76% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.02% 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 1.29 1.30 4.53% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.06 12.10 7.83% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 14.68% PACAM Equity Fund 1.01 1.01 PACAM EuroBond Fund 100.77 102.67 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 122.89 123.57 1.83% 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 1.00 1.00 10.96% 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 2,351.07 2,362.07 1.54% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 206.26 206.26 10.84% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.82 0.83 -13.16% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 268.18 268.29 10.54% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 143.39 144.92 -12.13% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.03% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,400.06 7,479.69 -12.88% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.15 1.15 5.84% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 100.87 100.87 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 1.16 -1.16% United Capital Bond Fund 1.68 1.68 15.52% United Capital Equity Fund 0.67 0.68 -7.13% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.78% United Capital Eurobond Fund 110.24 110.24 8.62% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.05 1.05 5.22% 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 9.82 9.97 -12.93% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.18 11.35 -10.69% Zenith Income Fund 22.42 22.42 10.95% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.65%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 117.58 53.38

-44.85% 5.82% 3.17%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

7.95 84.66 67.21

8.05 86.49 68.50

-19.78% -25.05% -21.54%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.24 5.08 11.48 10.46 149.33

3.28 5.16 11.58 10.66 151.33

-18.95% -33.20% -21.33% -15.24% 13.00%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.34

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

37

38

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL/DIPLOMATIC

Nigerians Top Death Row List in Malaysia There are more Nigerians than other nationals on death row in Malaysia, Amnesty International said in a new report yesterday.

Of the 568 foreign nationals on death row for various offences in Malaysia, 119 are Nigerians, the report said.

In all, some 1,281 people are on death row in the South-east Asian country, held across 26 detention facilities as of February 22, 2019. That figure includes Malaysians.

In Malaysia, 33 offences are punishable by death.

Most people were sentenced to death for drug-related crimes and murder, the report revealed.

Other offences include use of firearms, robbery and waging war against the king or ruler of a state.

Nigeria tops the list of foreign nationals with 21%, followed by Indonesia (16%), Iran (15%),

India (10%), Philippines (8%) and Thailand (6%).

Reports have shown many Nigerians are held on death rows in many countries. In April, 23 Nigerians were placed on death row in Saudi Arabia.

It is not clear whether the Nigerian government has responded to the new data in Malaysia. Calls to the Foreign Affairs ministry in Abuja did not go through yesterday.

Article 5(3) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and Criminal Procedure Code guarantee the right of a person and the relative of such person to be informed, within 24 hours, of the grounds of their arrest as well as the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice.

Amnesty said representatives of legal aid schemes whom it spoke with expressed no

concern about the timeliness of the notification of arrest which was received from law enforcement agencies.

“However, they mentioned concerns related to practical issues, such as the receipt of the fax or email notifications after office hours which would not be acted on until the following day; and the low availability of lawyers when the notification comes in,” the group said.

Amnesty International said family members of defendants said their relatives saw lawyers when they were charged at the Magistrate Court, days after their arrest.

“Similarly, representatives of foreign embassies indicated that they usually get the notification of arrest of their own nationals with a time gap of more than 24 hours or even days.

Spain Jails Leaders of Catalan Secession Bid for Sedition Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday sentenced nine separatist leaders from Catalonia to between nine and 13 years in prison for sedition over their role in a failed bid for independence in October 2017.

The three other defendants in the landmark ruling, which stemmed from the holding of a referendum that had been banned and a short-lived independence declaration, were found guilty only of disobedience and not sentenced to prison.

All defendants were acquitted of the gravest charge, rebellion, but other leading separatists were quick to call the ruling an “atrocity” and an “attack on democracy”.

Much is at stake, both for Spain and for its wealthiest region, whose independence drive attracted worldwide attention, triggered Spain’s biggest political crisis in decades and unnerved financial markets.

The main questions are how separatists will react to the verdicts, whether the promise that protests will be peaceful holds, and how the standing of both Spain and the separatist movement are affected.

“What happened on Oct. 1 was not just a demonstration or a massive act of citizen protest.

If that had been the case, there would have been no criminal sentencing.

“It was a tumultuous uprising encouraged by the accused, among many others,” the Madrid court said in its ruling, delivered in writing rather than in an open session.

The former head of Catalonia’s regional government, Carles Puigdemont, said the prison sentences for the separatist leaders were an “atrocity”.

“Today, we are all condemned, not just 12 people. This sentence

is an attack on democracy and the rights of all citizens,” said the head of Catalonia’s regional parliament, Roger Torrent.

The longest prison term – 13 years – went to the former deputy leader of the Catalan regional government, Oriol Junqueras.

The court convicted Junqueras and eight other leaders on charges of sedition and four of them of misuse of public funds, the court ruling showed.

Separatist protests have been largely peaceful but police sources have said authorities are prepared for any violence.

After the ruling was published, the CDR grassroots movement tweeted: “It’s time to rise up against the authoritarian fascism of the Spanish state and its accomplices.

“It is time for the #RevoltaPopular (popular revolt).”

Queen’s Speech Opens New Session of UK Parliament amid Brexit Deadlock British Queen Elizabeth II, on Monday delivered a speech setting out the government’s agenda at the State Opening of Parliament.

The government’s priority “has

always been to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU on October 31,’’ the Queen said.

“My government intends to work toward a new partnership

with the EU based on free trade and friendly cooperation,’’ the Queen said.

She said her ministers would work on new regimes for fisheries, agriculture and trade,’’ seizing the opportunities that arise from leaving the EU.” The speech also included policies on crime; health and the environment form the heart of the government’s new legislative agenda.

The Queen outlined over 20 bills in her speech.

The Queen’s Speech is usually delivered to the new session of the parliament during the State Opening and is expected for the government to highlight its priorities.

The speech came as Britain and the EU are rushing against the clock to lock down a Brexit deal ahead of the coming key EU summit.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on Oct. 31, and the European leaders’ summit starting on Thursday is seen as the last chance to agree any deal before that deadline.

39

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Nigeria, Senegal Draws with Brazil Excite Gernot Rohr Says it is sign that African football evolving Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, believes the Super Eagles have ‘good future’ after they played out a 1-1 draw against Brazil in Sunday’s international friendly in Singapore.

The 66-year-old German tactician paraded a young team against the five-time world champions, following a spate of withdrawals by some of his experienced players, including captain Ahmed Musa.

The team, however, gave a good account of themselves with Joe Aribo - making his

second appearance for the Super Eagles - scoring the opening goal in the 35th minute before Casemiro’s second-half effort saved the South American champions from defeat.

The draw is the second in a row for the Brazilians after they were held by Senegal in Thursday’s friendly outing.

Rohr is impressed with the performance of his side but admitted the three-time African champions still have to improve.

“It was tough for us as the second game because Brazil would not have wanted to leave

AFRICAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sports Minister Promises Five Months Camping for Team Nigeria’s Athletes As the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, meet with national federations presidents and secretaries today in Abuja, there is assurance that Team Nigeria athletes are going to have a minimum of five months camping before heading to the Far East to battle for medals at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Speaking in Lagos with NAN yesterday during his visit to the camp of the Making of Champions (MoC), an athletics consulting firm and academy, Dare said the ministry would ensure that the athletes were properly mobilised for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, adding that it was not too late to start the preparations.

“If we have the funds readily available, perhaps we will do six months camping. In the past, we have had three months.

“This time around, we are looking at five months camping for the athletes and that journey starts from the administrative aspects to be kicked off tomorrow.

“We will bring all the key stakeholders together in Abuja and start the camping process.

We are proposing three or four camp locations across Nigeria.

“As I have said, we are not going to overstretched ourselves, we will look at the sports in which we can really compete which may be seven or eight and focus on them,’’ he said.

Dare said the welfare of the athletes was paramount to him, noting that the National Sports Endowment Fund (NSEF) would be restructured.

“Conversations are ongoing, we need to have private engagement and we are progressing. Recall that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is the Chairman of the NSEF. “We will look into that, maybe, we will have a new chairman because we intend to make it independent and probably bring in more stakeholders.

“The fund is giving back to the athletes and repackage for sports development.

“What we have seen in Morocco and Doha is a benchmark and based on the experiences, we are going to focus on areas in which we have competitive advantage,’’ he said.

GOtv Boxing Night Mini Debuts A mini version of the hugely successful GOtv Boxing Night, tagged GOtv Boxing Night Mini, is set to begin. The inaugural edition will hold on 16 November at the Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos.

Organisers of the GOtv Boxing Night, Flykite Productions, announced this at a media sit-in in Lagos yesterday.

CEO of Flykite, Jenkins Alumona, explained that GOtv Boxing Night Mini is conceived to provide more frequent opportunities for boxers as a means of ensuring that they get requisite number of fights to make them eligible for sub-regional, continental and international title bouts.

“Our boxers have, despite the best efforts of GOtv Boxing Night, inadequate opportunities to fight and build their fight records, which they need to become eligible for international titles. GOtv Boxing Night Mini, which will be staged with more frequency than the main event, will address this challenge,” he said.

Alumona also explained that the 20th edition of GOtv Boxing

Night, which was planned to hold last Saturday, has been fused into the mega edition of the event slated for December.

The development, he said, was imposed by the injury suffered in training by Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph, African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, who was scheduled to defend his title against Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu, West African Boxing Union (WABU) champion in the much-anticipated headline bout.

He added that hopes that the injury would heal on time proved misplaced, as sports medicine experts advised that the injury-a shoulder breach-be allowed a longer recuperation period to avoid aggravation.

Some of the other boxers slated to fight at GOtv Boxing Night 20 will, however, feature at GOtv Boxing Night Mini.

These include Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, Kabiru “KB Godson” Towolawi and Cynthia “Baby Girl” Ogunsemilore.

Also lined up to be in action is Waheed “Skoro” Usman, former ABU featherweight champion.

Singapore without winning, and it feels very good to know that we can play so well against some of the biggest names in football,” Rohr said in a post-match press conference.

“We didn’t have our best team here, but our wingers gave Brazil a lot of problems on the counter-attack and I am proud of our players. They can have a good future.

“We can still improve in defending set-pieces. We have height, with players as tall as two metres, but we have to be better in the air.

“It is not enough just to have good size, they need to jump well with good timing.”

Rohr believes African football is improving after both Nigeria

and Senegal avoided defeat against the world number three.

“These results are good for African football when Senegal and Nigeria did not lose to Brazil, one of the strongest teams in the world,” he added.

Eagles will hope to secure good results when they take on Benin Republic and Lesotho in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games in November.

In the match, it was a strong and competent performance by the Super Eagles who earned the 1-1 draw against the five-time world champions.

Both teams had started with good pace, passion and intensity at the Singapore National Stadium in Kallang.

Brazil’s France-based forward

Neymar was forced to quit the game after only 12 minutes, due to injury, but seven minutes later Marquinhos could have put Nigeria in front with a bizarre own goal after his attempt to clear Chukwueze’s pull-out went wrong.

Villarreal FC of Spain’s Chukwueze, a former Nigeria U17 World Cup winner, was a thorn in the flesh of the Selecao throughout, and created chances for Nigeria in the 20th and 24th minute but Osimhen was cut out by an alert Brazilian rear.

In the 35th minute, Nigeria broke through again, this time mining gold. Joseph AyodeleAribo, who scored on his debut in the friendly against Ukraine in Dnipro last month, kept his

cool and showed cleverness in taking a pass from Moses Simon and ghosting past Casemiro and Thiago Silva to shoot past Ederson for the opener.

The goal expectedly stung the Selecao into greater intensity and desperation, but they could have conceded again two minutes later only for Wilfred Ndidi to shoot directly at Ederson from a counter attack. In the 40th minute, stand –in captain William Ekong, who had a great game alongside central defence partner Semi Ajayi, cleared as Jesus lobbed into the Nigerian box, and four minutes later, a free kick by Coutinho whistled past Uzoho’s post though he had it well covered for the equaliser.

Brazil’s Selecao giving each other hi-five salute shortly after Casemiro equalized Nigeria’s lead during the international friendly played in Singapore on Sunday afternoon. The game ended one-all

Junior Golfers Begin Chase for World Ranking Points at Awa Ibraheem Tourney The 6th edition of the Awa Ibraheem Junior Golf Championship expected to tee-off this weekend at Ikeja Golf Club has become the first junior golf event in the country that has secured the endorsement of the global body, R & A, to issue participants world ranking points.

The event is scheduled to hold from October 17th to 19th at the Ikeja Golf Club in Lagos.

Ninety players, have been screened by the technical team of the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) based on their National Order of Merit. They are all expected to be in Lagos for the

three-day event.

The sponsor of the tournament who is the President, Trustees of Ikeja Golf Club, Awa Ibraheem, said his passion to grow the game is well focused on the development of junior players.

“There is quite a number of shaping that can be done to young athletes at this age.

Apart from honing their skills, there is the need to sustain their interest.

“I also use this platform to offer the exceptional players scholarship and encourage them to go to school or remain in school. I believe we will have

well-rounded players when they do this. This will also preserve the heritage of the game,” observed Ibraheem who is also a former Captain of the host club.

The first day of the event (October 17th ) has been set aside as the arrival and official practice day. The last two days (October 18th & 19th), are for main golf action where junior players will file out in different age grade categories for honours.

The Director of Women & Youth Development, Nigeria Golf Federation, Ms Emy Ekong hinted that officials of the federation have been

involved in the event from the planning stage and “it is all in the bid to be sure the international standards are met.”

According to Ekong; “We have players that will compete in Under 9 years category, under 12, under 15 and under 17.

This event is key on the calendar of the Federation, because of its importance and level of commitments of the team that puts it together. The World Ranking status of the event is also another point that confirms the quality of play at the event and organization that has been observed globally”.

25 Teams Qualify for Zenith Bank /Delta Principals’ Cup Zonal Stage The Zenith Bank /Delta Principals’ Cup Football competition is getting tougher as the event will tomorrow enter the zonal stage in eight different centres.

At the weekend, a total of 25 teams emerged champions in all the Local Government Areas of Delta State and the teams were divided into eight groups for the zonal eliminations.

The teams that qualified from the LG preliminaries include; Azagba Mixed Sec Sch, Issele-Azagba from Aniocha North, Comprehensive Sec Sch,

Ogwashi-Uku from Aniocha South, Okoloba Sec. Sch, Okoloba from Bomadi, Ogulagha Sec Sch, Ogulagha from Burutu, Okpara Boys Sec Sch, Okpara Inland from Ethiope East, Ihwighwu Sec Sch, Ijomi-Oghara from Ethiope West, Mixed Sec Sch, Abavo, Ika South, Ezomo Sec Sch, Boji Boji Owa from Ika North East, Alaka Gram Sch, Ozoro from Isoko North and Emore Gram Sch, Oleh from Isoko South.

Other LG winners include; Igbuku Sec Sch from Igbuku Ndokwa East, Utagba-Ogbe

Gram Sch, Kwale from Ndokwa West, Orerokpe Sec Sch, Orerokpe from Okpe, Okpanam High Sch, Okpanam from Oshimili North and Zappa Mixed Sec Sch, Asaba from Oshimili South.

Head of the organizing team, Tony Pemu, told journalists on Monday in Asaba that the LG preliminaries was the most dramatic and dicey.

Pemu said: “It involves so many logistics here and there especially monitoring of these matches. Now, we are down to eight centres and only 25 teams

and we will still continue the screening process as we move on because we want true champions to emerge.

“The competition end this year unlike the previous ones that spills to the next year. For example, all the quarterfinal games are billed for October 30 in four different centres while the semis will take place in early November.”

Delta State’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Chief Patrick Ukah, expressed delight at the progress of the competition.

Tuesday October 15, 2019

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Fayemi to NFIU

“When you read the NFIU law, the NFIU monitors what is going on in the banking system, internationally and locally. If you have a specific case of money laundering, by all means bring it up; but you can’t have a general rule to address a unique problem” – Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, cautioning the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit not to dabble into matters that are both constitutional and beyond its purview.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Buhari’s Fake Social Media Wedding

I

f anyone is looking for a valid illustration and the most scandalous evidence of fake news, fake speech, and hate speech, such a researcher needs not look farther than the comedy of errors and the misanthropic drama that overtook Aso Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s Presidency, during the weekend that just passed.

We all woke up, Thursday morning to be told that our President, 76-year old President Muhammadu Buhari was going to take one of his female ministers, 44-year old Sadia Umar Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs as wife, on Friday, October 11. Nigerians by nature, love gossip, mischief and entertainment, but this was something different, far more dramatic than theatre itself. Understandably, the story trended on social media and caught public imagination.

It became hot news. It was a perfect the Lion and the Jewel material. Is Buhari, 76, trying to celebrate his victory at the polls and at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with some renewed activity in the same “other room” that he himself reminded us of? Would he behave like Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi state and take a new bride to celebrate electoral success? If he were to do that, he would not be the first old man to grab a jewel at old age. Olokun Eshin in Wole Soyinka’s award-winning play, Death and the King’s Horseman had to drop something in the “other room” at old age. But the wife of the President that we know, is Aisha Buhari. Has she fallen out of favour? Is Baba Buhari trying to replace her, more so as she suddenly disappeared from the other room and the Villa after the elections, and stories went around that she was somewhere abroad on vacation instead of staying with her husband, to provide some special attention that old men require? Islam encourages but limits variety. Is the President seeking variety?

Soon enough, the story gained traction. On social media, invitation cards were distributed and persons were invited to Aso Rock to attend the Fatiha, that is the Muslim wedding after mosque on Friday. Samples of the invitation card were distributed electronically with the Buhari family of Daura and the Farouk family of Zamfara inviting friends and associates to the marriage of their son, Muhammed and their daughter, Sadia.

Congratulatory messages were posted online too, and there were images showing that some foreign dignitaries were already in Nigeria to attend the wedding of the year. Conspiracy theories also surfaced to address such questions as: where is Aisha Buhari, the wife of the President? Why would she abandon her husband for months and nobody would know where she is? Some commentators concluded that the cabal had finally managed to get rid of her, by getting for the President, a less confrontational woman who would stay out of politics and leave the cabal in Aso Villa alone. Friends of Aisha Buhari expressed concern about her plight.

They asked: Has the Aso Villa Cabal now become so powerful that they would also choose a wife for the President? The tales lingered. One compatriot called me to ask if I had heard anything about the President’s alleged marital crisis. I told him I knew nothing, and that I thought Nigeria had far more important issues at hand than the President’s bedroom choices. The guy told me off, noting that Nigerian journalists are the laziest in the world! “The President of Nigeria is about to sack his wife and marry another one, and you are talking about Nigeria’s budget? Is that the kind of journalism you people are practising?,” he quipped. Photos of the would-be bride were circulated widely with such comments as: “she actually looks like Aisha Buhari”, “she will make Baba happy,” “she is a pretty one, Baba chose well”. For hours, President Buhari was presented on social media as a Romeo or better still, an

Buhari Adonis who managed to catch the fancy of a pretty 44-year old young, delectable woman. Some spoil-sports raised questions however, about the appropriateness of an incumbent President having an alleged amorous relationship with a woman he has just appointed a Minister and to whose Ministry he has assigned responsibilities and assignments taken away from his Vice President.

There was no limit to the stories.

But the bubble eventually burst. It took the intervention of the woman who had been married away to debunk the story. She published a number of tweets to confirm that she was not about to marry President Buhari. She was not even in the country! We later learnt that there was no wedding in the offing, the invitation cards were fake, and there was indeed absolutely no competition in the President’s “other room”.

Many heaved a sigh of relief. Others felt that their fun had been spoilt. Millions just kept quiet wondering about the manner in which a lie caught up with an entire nation, seized the multitudes and became the truth for more than 24 hours. The dust finally settled when Aisha Buhari suddenly returned home to claim her bona fide rights. There was even a video making the rounds, again on social media, showing that she was not allowed access to her room in the Villa. It turned out that this was an old video, criminally de-contextualized to promote a lie. But it was a true video nonetheless as confirmed further by

one Fatima Daura, another commentator on the Aso Rock saga, who has also been quoted as saying her father is not arranging a new wife for the President. So, is it the President’s body language that is fuelling this? Or is there mutual distrust in the President’s bedroom?

Four quick takes. One: Students of fake news, hate speech, and fake speech would find in the Aisha Buhari marital fake drama of 2019 a locus classicus. It is furthermore, an indication of the kind of damage that persons who have access to social media can wreak. The way it is, any one with a miserable smart phone, one of those cheap little things with internet connection, or a blog site, an Instagram or twitter page can just sit in an unknown corner of the universe and cook up a story about innocent persons, put their photographs together and allege anything from romance to rape, dalliance and an actual wedding.

Last weekend, Nigerians gave President Buhari a wife, married her off, collected bride price on her family’s behalf and gave the First Lady of Nigeria, such a massive heartache that smoked her out. Human beings are very wicked. I am now tempted to see the reason in the argument that there should be some regulation of social media content, despite my commitment to free speech.

A situation whereby any anonymous character can just hide in one corner, create a terrible tale and disrupt the public order is dangerous for our democracy. It is an abuse of free speech.

What happened last weekend is enough to be treated as treasonable felony.

What if the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, had collapsed and slumped upon hearing that her husband planned to take another wife? What if Sadiya Umar Farouk’s family had acted on the information and accused the President openly of kidnapping their daughter? His position as President certainly does not give him the right to grab another man’s daughter without due process, especially as he took an oath of office to respect the rule of law! What if Aisha’s children had confronted the President to defend their mother only to realize that they were responding to fake news and hate speech? Whoever tried to cause a revolution in the President’s household should be identified, investigated and sanctioned. Who released that fake video? For what reason? Who published the fake wedding news and arranged to make it go viral? Fake news is unacceptable. It runs contrary to all known principles of journalism: truth, accuracy, objectivity and fairness. If the

security agencies know what they are doing, they will take a deeper look at this matter.

Two: This is also about the private lives of public persons. It is a trite point that when you take on a public role, you give up a part of your privacy. The President of a country in particular is public property: voters have every right to ask after his well-being, pry into his personal life, raise questions about how he conducts himself, because whatever he does can easily affect the fortunes of the country. Only God knows for example, how many foreign investors heard the story about a cooked up conflict in the President’s household, and simply decided in the last 72 hours to hold on until there is concrete information about the situation. But how far should the public go? Is there a little zone of privacy available to the President and his family? I guess stretching this democracy thing all the way to the President’s bedroom and his choice of women may be a case of too much democracy. It is also a kind of auto-suggestion that should be ignored by the President. We need some order in the President’s household to enable him focus properly on his job.

Three: Mrs Aisha Buhari has since disclosed that she went abroad for medical treatment and also decided to take a little vacation based on her “doctor’s instruction,” and that explains her absence from Nigeria. I note that she has not disclosed the nature of this ailment. Couldn’t she have consulted Nigerian doctors? Don’t we have enough doctors in Nigeria to attend to whatever ails her?

Four: I think the Presidency mismanaged the messaging process. They allowed the rumour to spread for far too long before intervening. Is it possible for the President of Nigeria to take a second wife and plan an El-Fatiha wedding without the entire Villa knowing? Couldn’t they have shut down the rumour much earlier? Their silence caused the frenzy.

A colleague of mine, a young lady wondered why Mrs Aisha Buhari, also seeing that this was a case of fake news and hate speech had to rush back from the United Kingdom as if her life was at stake. She asked whether Mrs Buhari doesn’t trust her husband. My response to her is that Mrs Buhari has shown great courage, determination and promptitude by defending her territorial control over the President’s “other room”. Let no one blame her for as they say, “possessing her possession.” It is Minister Sadiya who owes us an explanation for that wedding that didn’t happen.

Bola Shagaya and Taiwo Lakanu at 60

M

eanwhile, as Nigerians enacted various scenes in the melodrama of the President’s private life, I spent part of the weekend attending birthday parties. Hajia Bola Shagaya, former banker turned oil industry magnate and leading entrepreneur was 60. She had a party in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday and another party for the Lagos crowd on Saturday. I attended the Lagos party which was held at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre.

This was a party that showed class, influence and relevance. It was one of those don’t-miss-it parties.

Anybody who is somebody was there: an indication of the scope and extent of the influence, impact, and reach of the celebrant, who in more than two decades has become one of the leading lights of the Nigerian political, social, and business establishment. Not many know about her involvement in politics, but in Kwara State, she is one of the major political influencers even if she chooses not to advertise the scope of her influence publicly on the national stage. Many politicians in that state owe their ascendancy to

her support and influence. The Bola Shagaya that I know is a very humble and kind woman, affable and approachable, and very prayerful.

As Presidential spokesperson, she was a strong behind-the-scene pillar of support for me. She would always call to guide me or draw my attention to certain developments within the crazy space of Nigerian politics. She also supported my family. When my son Richard was born she came visiting, not minding our humble abode.

She is a mentee and role model to generations of young women who look up to her. She is an absolutely wonderful woman, a good citizen and an asset to the Nigerian community. She deserves to be celebrated. Congratulations, Hajia.

Long may you live!

I left the Shagaya party at a little after midnight, but by noon on Sunday, I was at yet another 60th birthday party: that of my friend and brother, DIG Taiwo Lakanu. Taiwo turned 60 last week Friday and was pulled out of the Police Force.

On Sunday, his wife and children threw a special birthday party for him. Lakanu, the Aare Akogun of Lagos is one of those rare persons anyone

would wish to know. He is that kind of friend that everyone must have. He is loyal, frank, straightforward and very dependable. I must have written tons of articles criticizing the Nigeria Police and policemen in the last 30-something years but Taiwo Lakanu is exceptional. He is a good ambassador of the Nigeria Police and one of the finest officers I have ever met. It is not surprising that he has distinguished himself in every posting that he has had: from being Head of SARS and DPO in Lagos, SA to IGP Tafa Balogun, to Ekiti to Imo to the Headquarters in Abuja. There is even a street named after him in Imo State! I had nursed the hope that he would one day become Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police because he has all it takes: the knowledge, the operations experience, the intellect, the personality, the social network and the right attitude. But now, he is 60 and in line with the rules, they have sent him home. Akogun of the Universe, salute!... Great tour of duty…I believe Nigeria can still make use of his talent. As he starts a new life as a retired DIG, a lawyer and an expert, we wish him well.

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