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PIB’s Early Passage Threatened as Stakeholders Seek Fresh Alterations Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report A week before the latest deadline to pass Nigeria's long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), demands for big changes, including from community leaders seeking an

increased share of revenues, could push its passage into late this year, four sources have told Reuters.

The last-minute wrangling over the bill, which aims to modernise Nigeria's petroleum industry and attract a shrinking pool of global fossil

fuel investment dollars has disappointed those who hoped the political alignment of the presidency and the National Assembly would break the jinx that has stalked the overhaul efforts for 20 years.

Among the changes are proposals to publicly sell

shares in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and implement market-based prices for gas to power.

Reuters reported that at acrimonious meetings in the Abuja during the week, community leaders revived

demands to increase their share of petroleum produced in their regions to 10 per cent, up from 2.5 per cent.

Communities with oil exploration in Northern Nigeria's Lake Chad region and the middle of the country are also seeking a greater share

of oil revenues.

The National Assembly goes on recess in early July, so if the package is not approved within the next two weeks, it cannot become law until September.

Continued on page 10

Okonjo-Iweala Seeks Lower Trade Cost to Boost Africa’s Economic Recovery...Page 8 Thursday 24 June, 2021 Vol 26. No 9571. Price: N250

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Petrol Smuggling Rises to 42m Litres Daily, NNPC Cries Out Says subsidy hits N150bn monthly Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday lamented the escalating incidence of petrol smuggling across Nigeria’s borders, which it puts at a whopping 42 million litres per day.

The corporation said the unbridled smuggling has increased Nigeria’s estimated daily consumption of 60 million litres to 102 million

litres.

With the menace now gaining more momentum and illegal dealers more daring, the oil company stated that the subsidy that the government pays on petrol every month, in order to keep the pump price of petrol stable at N162 per litre now hovers between N140 billion and N150 billion.

The development has made Continued on page 10

Presidency Replies Critics, Washes Hands off Media Bills

Call Mohammed to order, Media leaders urge Buhari

Deji Elumoye in Abuja The presidency has washed its hands off the current attempt by the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, a move, media stakeholders and other Nigerians have condemned as an attempt

to gag the press.

In a swift response, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to order, accusing the minister Continued on page 10

STATE OF THE MATTER...

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha (left), and President Muhammadu Buhari during the Federal Executive Council in Abuja…yesterday godwin omoigui

We Have Tribal War on Our Hands, Says Gumi...Page 5

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

We Have Tribal War on Our Hands, Says Gumi Army denies collusion with gunmen

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja, Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, yesterday analysed the rising spate of kidnappings in the North-west and concluded that what is widely regarded as banditry is actually a tribal war between the Fulani herdsmen and the affected communities.

Fielding questions on The Morning Show, the flagship breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS CHANNEL, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, Gumi warned that the federal government’s preference for the military option to subdue the outlaws will not solve the problem, contending that the way forward is a dialogue with the bandits.

Accusing some elements in the Nigerian military of colluding with the marauding bandits, who have been responsible for crimes, including murder, rape and the kidnapping of schoolchildren, the cleric argued that unless the federal government properly locates the crisis as a tribal war and play the role of an arbiter rather than take sides, the war would not end.

He said that the Fulani herdsmen that have taken to banditry and kidnapping are on revenge and survival mission, explaining that they are reacting to decades of injustice done to them by vigilantes and neglect by the government.

The cleric insisted that the federal government should grant them amnesty and hold a conversation with them on how they would be reintegrated into society.

Gumi said the government should build hospitals and schools for them, adding that a way to turn them away from criminality is to provide them jobs, including forests and schools guard.

According to him, the engagement will compel the bandits to drop their arms and embrace peace.

He urged the government to remain neutral in matters affecting Fulani herdsmen and warned against what he described as the extrajudicial killing of Fulani herdsmen by the military and vigilante groups.

He warned that such extrajudicial killings would

further harden the bandits to continue with their criminality.

He said: “If the federal government gives me a free hand to handle the bandits, I will succeed in making them drop their firearms and I will be able to reintegrate them back into society. The majority of them want to leave the forests and return to the society, but they want the federal government to engage with them, release every bandit in government’s custody, to enable them to also release all their captives in different forests.

“The truth is that the bandits are not killing their captives.

They only abduct them for the business of making money, the more reason why the military should stop killing the bandits, but rather engage them in a peaceful conversation.”

Gumi condemned the plans by the government to deal with the bandits, saying the government is only fighting a tribal war when it is supposed to mediate and be neutral without taking sides in the matter.

He said the only solution was for the government to listen to the agitations of the bandits and address the issues once and for all.

He said although the bandits were committing crimes by kidnapping and killing innocent people, the killing of herdsmen and their cattle by vigilante and the killing of bandits by the military were all injustice meted on the bandits, which he said must stop to enable peace to reign in the country.

He said: “We need a nation of transparency and peace and I condemn in totality the killing of Nigerians by bandits, and I strongly condemn the abduction of students, but the truth is that those who kidnap and abduct students are also, youths who decided to take up firearms because the government neglected them and refused to listen to them.”

When reminded that the Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, had earlier granted amnesty to some bandits in the state who later returned to banditry, Gumi said that would always be the case when politicians granted political amnesty.

He said a true and sincere amnesty should come with a holistic package that would cater

for the needs of the bandits.

He listed the package to include the building of schools, hospitals and employment, adding that anything short of these would not be amnesty.

Gumi said if amnesty was given to Niger Delta militants during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and some of the boys were given oil pipelines to guard, the Buhari administration should provide amnesty for bandits in the North and employ them to guard schools and forest reserves.

Gumi cited the case of Zamfara State where there is relative peace because the state is meaningfully engaging the bandits.

He said the Zamfara State government was, however, overburdened in its attempt to maintain peace and security in the state.

He called on the federal government to support the state to ensure that high level of security is maintained.

According to him, some Fulani organisations came to him and told him they were ready to

work with the military to end banditry.

He said the group had about 300 members with over seven commanders and they were ready to engage the government and work with the military to protect their communities.

“They are Fulani and they are herdsmen who are ready to lay down arms and embrace peace. This is the kind of bandits that government should engage with,” Gumi said.

Gumi, who was once a captain in the Nigerian Army, said his allegiance still remained with the federal government but insisted he would not accept criminality or take sides with criminals bent on destroying the unity of Nigeria.

“Inasmuch as my allegiance is with the federal government, I also totally condemn the act of government to have neglected the bandits, left them uneducated and allow them to fend for themselves to buy weapons of destruction in order to defend themselves and engage in the business of kidnapping in order to make money to survive,” Gumi said.

He called on the federal government to overhaul the country’s security system and block all loopholes through which firearms find their ways into Nigeria.

He also faulted the Nigerian security architecture and accused security agents of conniving with bandits to import weapons into Nigeria.

Army Denies Collusion with Gunmen, Says Cleric Denigrating Military Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army Headquarters has described Gumi’s allegation that some elements in the military were colluding with bandits, as an attempt to denigrate the military.

A statement yesterday by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the army remained a symbol of national unity that conducted its constitutional responsibility in accordance with global best practices.

It said while the military remained receptive to

constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as an avenue for derogatory remarks designed to embolden criminals.

The army urged opinion leaders to demonstrate patriotism in building the peace, rather than being agents of destabilisation, thereby aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.

"The Nigerian Army has just been alerted to a submission by Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi when he featured on ARISE TV Morning Show on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 alleging that the Nigerian military is colluding with marauding bandits who have been responsible for various crimes and atrocities against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.

"The Nigerian Army wishes to state that contrary to Sheik Gumi's claims, it remains a bonafide symbol of national unity that has conducted its constitutional responsibilities in the most professional manner in line with global best practices of adherence to the rules of engagement and protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry," it added.

STILL AN OILY AFFAIR...

L-R: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; Chairman of Negmar Shipping Investment INC, Mr. Mehmet Koç; and Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, during a courtesy call on Sylva in Abuja…yesterday

Senate Targets Tuesday for Passing Supplementary Appropriation Bill Deji Elumoye and Juliet Akoje in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday unfolded plans by the Senate to pass the 2021 Appropriation Bill on Tuesday.

Lawan spoke at plenary in Abuja after the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, had led the debate for the second reading of the N895.84 billion supplementary budget, which President Muhammadu Buhari had sent to the legislature on June 15 for approval.

He, therefore, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Appropriation, headed by Senator Jibril Barau.

Lawan asked the committee to submit its report on Tuesday.

According to him, the report of the panel will be submitted, considered, and passed the same day.

Buhari, on June 15, had transmitted the 2021

Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

The supplementary budget bill was transmitted via a letter dated 15th June 2021, and addressed to Lawan.

Buhari, in the letter which was read last Tuesday stated that the amount captured in the bill was proposed to fund the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

He added that part of the supplementary budget would be used to also fund health-related expenditures for the treatment of additional 50,000 patients under Nigeria Comprehensive AIDS Programme in states; as well as to procure additional equipment captured in this year’s capital expenditure on defence and security to tackle prevalent security challenges across the country.

The president said the supplementary budget would be funded through facilities sourced from the World Bank

as well as available new facilities.

According to the president, the supplementary budget will be funded through facilities sourced from the World Bank and available new facilities.

Buhari said the supplementary budget was promoted by the need to make provision for procurement and administration of COVlD-19 vaccines.

“The availability of COVlD-19 vaccines and the procurement terms were still uncertain as at the time of finalising the 2021 budget. Hence, there was no provision in 2021 Appropriation Act for the procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

“However, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has now developed a COVID-19 vaccine programme for the country. Under the vaccine programme, 70% of eligible Nigerians are to be

vaccinated between 2021 and 2022.

“In addition, our security and law enforcement agencies urgently need to procure additional equipment and other resources in response to the prevalent security challenges across the country.

“The Ministry of Defence has carefully scrutinised these procurement needs, which the military authorities claim to represent the minimum requirements to secure our country and address current external and internal security challenges,” he added.

Part of the funds required will also be used to meet the federal government’s commitment to treat additional 50,000 patients under the Nigeria Comprehensive AIDS Programme in States (NCAPS), due to the reduction in the amount provisioned in 2021 Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly.

“In order to address the urgent problem of oxygen availability in the country and avoid the potential loss of lives, provision was made for the procurement and installation of new oxygen plants nationwide and repairs of oxygen plants in FCT hospitals.

“It is also necessary to provide additional funds for public service wage adjustment to cater for sundry wage-related issues in the health and other sectors, which if not resolved can add to the prevalent sense of instability in the polity,” Buhari stated.

Of the N895,842,465,917 proposed, N45.63 billion is for the COVlD-19 vaccine programme, which will be sourced from existing World Bank loans and other grants totalling US$113.22 million.

Buhari said: “The balance of N37.93 billion required for COVlD-19 vaccines, salaries and other health-related expenditures totalling N41.69

billion and the N48.20 billion recurrent components of defence/security expenditure will be funded by drawing N135 billion from some Special Reserve/Levy Accounts, which will be captured as revenues to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).

“We propose to fund the balance of N722.40 billion for capital expenditure on defence/security and capital supplementation from new borrowings, in the absence of any supplementary revenue sources.

“Understandably, needs currently abound in many other sectors. However, we have limited the supplementary budget proposal to just these critical and emerging areas of need due to our severe fiscal constraints.

“All other needs would be deferred to the 2022 budget, which we plan to present in September of this year.”

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Okonjo-Iweala Seeks Lower Trade Cost to Boost Africa’s Economic Recovery Ejiofor Alike The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called for lower trade costs to boost Africa’s economic recovery.

Okonjo-Iweala said yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 2021 meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB), that record-high trade costs hinder the movement of goods.

A report by TheCable quoted her as calling for debt relief for African countries, adding that many countries are at risk of entering debt distress.

She said:“When thinking about how to use debt productively, it is paramount to think about how it is managed and what it is used for.

“Debt means to go into high yielding activities with high rates of returns. One potential area for high returns on investment is acting to lower what economists call trade cost, the cost associated with moving goods from the factory gates to the final consumer.

“This would raise the productive capacity of African economies, ultimately reducing debt burdens and helping build regional value chains and competitiveness of firms on the continent.

“Currently, moving manufactured goods across international borders costs roughly 2.7 times more than moving the same goods across the same distance domestically. Costs are even higher for agricultural goods and services.

“Shipping and logistic expenses often accounts for a significant share of these costs and are key factors of why trade cost between high-income countries and much lower than those among lowincome countries.”

According to her, trade costs could be managed through channels like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), improving internet infrastructure to boost e-commerce, implementing regulatory reforms, and developing infrastructure in ports and roads.

She had earlier this month told WTO members that restoring and increasing the export performance of least developed countries (LDCs) in services trade should take a greater urgency in light of the COVID-19 crisis, which has seen LDCs suffer the steepest declines in services trade.

Okonjo-Iweala was speaking at a webinar on LDCs and services organised by the WTO’s Council for Trade in Services.

She highlighted the impact COVID-19 was having on LDCs' services trade.

According to her, the pandemic has severely affected services that require in-person contact between suppliers and consumers, most notably the tourism and

transport sectors, where LDCs have a relatively high footprint in global trade.

In 2020, LDC exports of travel/ tourism and transport services fell by 69 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, with total services export revenue loss of nearly $17

billion, she said.

“Decreased export revenues mean job losses and economic distress for people, along with increased financial and debt pressures for governments.

“Against this background, restoring and increasing the export

performance of LDCs in services takes on even greater urgency.

“Services can help LDCs increase and diversify exports from more traditional agricultural products and commodities, reducing exposure to price volatility,” she added.

ON WATER...

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (left) and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, at the 2021 Lagos International Water Conference in Lagos…yesterday

Buhari Meets Northern Govs over Insecurity Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari and some Northern governors met yesterday at the State House, Abuja over the deteriorating security situation in the country.

The meeting was said to have primarily centred on the security situation in the 19 Northern states.

Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, told journalists after the meeting that peace

and confidence seemed to be gradually returning to the region with the new security roadmap adopted by the federal and state governments to secure the region.

He assured farmers that they would soon be able to safely cultivate their farms during raining season as security would continue to be stepped up in the area.

He said: "With action and the roadmap that we have drawn,

between the government and the security, we are doing our best to make sure that farmers will go back to their farms and they will be able to farm, Insha Allah. We will do our best to make sure that all farmers will go back to their farms."

The governor said the situation in his state was now calm, at least in the last four months, adding that security agents are working to ensure the situation does not

escalate any further.

He added: "For now, for the past four days, no incident had been recorded by the security, but yet we are doing our best and the security agencies are also doing their best to make sure that they tackle all the challenges.

"I assure you that we are on top of the matter and the president has assured all of us that he’s going to take more measures on the issue of

insecurity in the northern part of the country."

Asked if it could be said the North was safe now, he said: "I can say yes because in the past four months we didn’t have much of this crisis, but it’s gradually coming back, but the security are doing their best now, particularly from the new security architecture that we have adopted now. We are having some improvements on

the challenges."

On the meeting with Buhari, the governor said: "We discussed the security, not just myself, but the Northern region because of the current escalation of insecurity.

"I briefed him and the governor of Niger also briefed him. The president has assured us that action will be taken about what we have discussed about the issue of insecurity."

Senate Indicts NSA over Alleged Diversion of $2.3bn, Others Asks EFCC, ICPC, to arrest indicted officials Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate has indicted the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) over an alleged diversion of N1,075,266,599.06, $2,301,329.54 and €196,257.42 by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Apart from asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to go after all the indicted public officials, the upper legislative chamber also threatened to expose all government agencies who fail to account for public funds put in their care.

The NPA sum allegedly diverted consisted of local and foreign currencies, meant for the Presidential Implementation Committee on Marine Safety and Security (PICOMSS).

According to a report by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, the fund was diverted into the NSA account contrary to a February 21, 2007, directive approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, while presenting the committee's

2015 report before the Senate at yesterday plenary, also disclosed that the NPA received a reminder for the settlement of annual PICCOMS contributions from 2008–2012 totalling N238, 948, 138.12, $238,540.80 and €168, 220.64 respectively.

According to the report, “the agency also failed to provide evidence to show that the money was used for marine safety and security as directed by the Federal Ministry of Transport and approved by the Federal Executive Council.”

Accordingly, the Senate panel ordered that the NPA should revert to the PICOMSS account, all monies in local and foreign currencies diverted to the NSA which include the sum of N1,314,214,737.18, $2,539,870.34 and €364,478.06 The Senate committee also recommended that the NPA should refund the sum of $37,672,939.75 to the federation account, meant for contingency provision on the contract for the rehabilitation of the Lagos Harbour moles.

The query submitted to plenary by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Urhoghide, followed a report by the office of the Auditor General of the

federation which revealed that the contract sum of N417,099,309.06 as disbursed by the NPA was not duly approved by the Federal Executive Council, and was also not approved by the Tender Committee of the agency.

The report also accused the agency of refusing to furnish the Federal Executive Council with detailed information on the utilization of the contingency fund before it was approved by FEC. The committee further urged the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to arrest NPA officials responsible for the infractions.

Senator Urhoghide, in his presentation, also said findings showed that there were “consistent contravention of relevant Constitutional provisions and other Extant Laws by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.”

According to him, the late submission of the annual financial statement is a violation of Section 49(1) and (2) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 and Section 85 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He disclosed that there were

withdrawals of funds by the executive arm from Special Fund Accounts for purposes other than the objectives the funds were created, and without recourse to the National Assembly for authorisation, contrary to Section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Senator Urhoghide further disclosed that there was the absence of collaboration amongst the two key agencies involved in the management and superintending over of public funds – office of the AuditorGeneral and the Office of the Accountant-General.

He explained that the lack of cooperation between both offices poses a barrier to efficient, effective and transparent audit process of the nation’s Federation Account.

The ranking Senator, therefore, underscored the need to pass the Audit Service Bill into law, to strengthen and streamline the audit process with a view to ensuring prudence in public finance and transactions.

In his remarks after the presentation of the committee's report, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, disclosed that the upper chamber will publish the names of government agencies that have refused

to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to defend the interrogations of the AuditorGeneral for the Federation in the 2015 report.

According to him, any public official that refuses to account for public funds at their disposal must be shown the way out of the office. He said, “This is one of our major responsibilities as a parliament, to hold the executive to account.

And whoever is given the responsibility and the trust of running any agency with public funds must be accountable to the parliament on behalf of the people".

He said the committee has identified some MDAs who failed to come to the committee after invitation adding that “this Senate will publish the names of these agencies for the public to know.

“This Senate will insist, any public servant or civil servant that is given public fund for public good and has questions to answer and refuse to appear to answer, should have no business being in government.

“Because all of us are supposed to be accountable to the people and, therefore, if someone feels that he is not going to be accountable, then that person

has no business remaining in office" Lawan lamented that most agencies of government have refused to comply with accounting systems put in place by the office of the Accountant-General.

According to him, this is largely responsible for fraudulent transactions by some Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

He, therefore, tasked the Public Accounts Committee to ensure that agencies of government comply with the accounting systems and procedures specified by the office of the AccountantGeneral.

The Senate President further disclosed that the chamber would consider the eventual recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee after it comes up with a document that neatly outlines and summarises them for consideration.

The Upper Chamber, after consideration of the Public Accounts Committee report on the annual report of the AuditorGeneral for the Federation on the accounts of the Federation for the year ended December 31, 2015, stood it down pending when the committee summarises its recommendations to the Senate.

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ACF to Meet Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Others over Ethnic Agitations John Shiklam in Kaduna The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said that it plans to meet leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and SouthSouth leaders to discuss the lingering issues in the country that have tended to pitch ethnic and regional groups against each other.

It also commended Southeast leaders and governors for condemning the violent agitation for secession from Nigeria by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The ACF, in a communiqué read by its National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbe, at the end of its National Executive (NEC) meeting yesterday in Kaduna, “expressed the satisfaction that

the Igbo elders have finally disowned the agitators and called on the elders to take concrete measures to ensure that such agitations come to an end.”

The group noted calls by Southern leaders on Northern leaders to protect their indigenes living in the North, assuring them that “all Igbo who are living in the North are guaranteed their personal security; sometimes they enjoy the security which even Northerners do not enjoy.”

It, however, urged South-east leaders to stop the bullying and harassment of Northerners eking a living in the South -east.

ACF said it had received reports of Northerners being bullied, beaten and even killed.

It expressed the hope that they will be given the same protection being given to Igbo in the North.

ACF said it hoped to meet with leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and South-south leaders to discuss the lingering crisis in the country fuelling tensions among regional groups.

Also speaking on the economy, the ACF expressed regrets over the high interest rate charged on bank loans.

“The interest charged by banks on commercial loans are so high that instead of promoting business, they are killing all indigenous business enterprises.

“No business can function in Nigeria or anywhere without a friendly environment of loaning from banks.

“We call on the government to intervene because the collapse of a business has direct links with unemployment and insecurity”,

the communiqué said.

While commending the federal government for the effort it is making to improve infrastructure, the forum lamented that “the northern part of the country, with the largest proportion of land (over 75 per cent) and the highest number of population is definitely not getting its fair share of the new infrastructure being developed.”

It added: “The forum is not happy with the scant attention paid to animal husbandry by states and the federal government.

“Animal husbandry alone accounts for six per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Nigeria spends $1.6 billion on the importation of milk alone.

“If animal husbandry is well harnessed, it will save Nigeria

this large expenditure.

“Many Nigerians are not aware that those involved in the business of animal husbandry are themselves victims of insecurity.

Their cattle are often rustled and they are kidnapped for ransom too.

“There is need to encourage alternative means of dispute resolution as those involved in farmers/herdsmen clashes are rural illiterates who sometimes are not comfortable with the police and the modern court system but would prefer the traditional way of resolving issues.”

The forum regretted that a laudable programme like the Nomadic Education Commission, established during the Babangida’s administration, has been abandoned and stressed the

need for reviving and expanding “this laudable programme so that the pastoralists who have been profiled, exploited, abandoned and left behind by the modern society will also acquire skills to live in harmony with their brothers and sisters in Nigeria.”.

The forum commended Kebbi State Governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and his Borno State counterpart, Prof. Umara Zulum “who have demonstrated unusual courage in their fight against terrorism in their states and urged other governors in the North to demonstrate similar bravery in the fight against insecurity that is destroying the North.”

The ACF also praised the gallantry of fighting forces who have continued to risk their lives in the fight against banditry and insurgency.

the involvement of the EFCC, the situation will improve considerably.

He added: “But we in NNPC, we are not in control of that, we are not in every depot, we don’t keep products in all the depots, but when the volume goes down, it comes down to us. When there is tight supply, it comes back to the NNPC and we solve the problem.”

According to him, with the extant directive from the president that smuggling has to be halted, all the stakeholders must now begin to work together to solve the problem, especially with the involvement of the security agencies.

Kyari said Buhari had instructed that the menace must be stopped by every means necessary, and called on the stakeholders present to think outside the box since all the layers of controls that had been put in place before now seemed to have failed.

He stated that with the current exchange rate and considering other price determinants, the pump price of petrol should be N256 per litre.

“What we sell today is N162,

so the difference is at a cost to the nation,’’ he said.

Kyari stated that with the current high volume of daily consumption, the country can no longer sustain subsidy payment, and if the volume is not regulated, the bleeding will continue.

He said: “I know that so much work is going on, and then we have to manage the volume that we are exposed to between this price of N162 and N256. The difference comes back to as much as N140 billion to N150 billion cost to the country monthly.

“And as long as the volume goes up, that money continues to increase and we have two sets of stress to face, the stress of supply and the stress of foreign exchange for the NNPC.” Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, also decried the increasing rate of smuggling but expressed optimism that with the EFCC’s involvement, the situation would change.

“We brought in the big hammer, and the big hammer as you can see is the EFCC because it is economic sabotage and I believe with the EFCC in the

picture, the system will work even better,” he said.

He stated that whatever is being done in the area of deregulation will not make any impact without Nigeria knowing exactly its actual daily consumption of petrol.

“When I first came in as minister, I was informed that the daily consumption in the country was around 60 million to 62 million litres a day, which to me sounded a little bit outrageous, considering the number of cars we have on the road," he said.

Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, said since part of the commission’s duty was to ensure the reduction of financial crimes, the EFCC would do all it could to stop smuggling.

Bawa assured Nigerians that everything will be done to stop smuggling, ensure that perpetrators are brought to book and justice is served.

He said smuggling of petroleum products was worrisome, and assured Nigerians that the EFCC was fully committed to the special operation, codenamed “Operation White” designed to check illegal exportation.

the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed to order.

In a statement yesterday, the General-Secretary of NGE, Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, said the media leaders found it “extremely hard to agree with the Special Adviser (Media) to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, that the presidency has no hand in the proposed media amendment bills before the National Assembly.”

He insisted that if the president has no hand in the bill, he should ask Mohammed, who is his employee to hands off the matter also.

He said: “We insist that the current attempts to criminalise journalism practice in Nigeria will have terrible, huge consequences on our democracy; because an independent press, which the federal government is trying to crush, is one of the indispensable pillars of democracy.

“The media is referred to as Fourth branch of government because it also supports the balance of power in the government. Without a vibrant and independent press, the whole idea of a democracy system of government begins to deteriorate and after a short period the democracy will crumble.”

He argued that the concept of a free press was purposefully and deliberately invented to preserve freedom of the people, adding that when freedom of the press is threatened, it is a threat to growing democracy.

NUJ has also asked the promoters of the bill to suspend the plot especially now that the presidency has denied involvement in the obnoxious bill.

NUJ President, Mr. Chris Isiguzo, spoke while reacting to the denial by the presidency that they had no hand in the plot.

Isiguzo said having denied involvement, the presidency should follow it up by calling the minister of information to order since it is the same government.

He said: "We expect the president to quickly call his minister and all those behind these obnoxious bills to order.

They should withdraw the bills and ensure that relevant stakeholders are engaged properly before thinking of any amendment.

"Of course, our position is clear. You cannot embark on an amendment that will directly impact us without getting us involved. It's the same as shaving a man's head in his absence.

"Denial is not just enough, let the presidency call its officials involved in this anti-people journey to order.”

He said the media is not afraid of any amendment or regulation but that stakeholders must be allowed to regulate the industry as is the practice in other climes.

“By the time, we agree on the most appropriate template, we'll now restart the process. But for now, the entire process should be stepped down," Isiguzo said.

PETROL SMUGGLING RISES TO 42M LITRES DAILY, NNPC CRIES OUT the corporation to be unable to contribute to the Federation Account, as the subsidy it pays has kept wiping out the little gains made from rising international oil prices, which has now exceeded $75 per barrel.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, according to a statement yesterday by the corporation’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Dr. Taiye Obateru, said on Tuesday in Abuja when he met with stakeholders, including the leadership of the EFCC, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and chief executives of agencies in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, that smuggling had gone beyond what the NNPC could handle.

Some other groups present during the stakeholders' meeting organised by the corporation to halt fuel smuggling included: the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association

(DAPPMA).

At the meeting, also attended by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials, Kyari said the country was bleeding from fuel smuggling, which is increasing the country’s subsidy payment and exacerbating the foreign exchange crisis.

Kyari said the gathering was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari who mandated the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the NNPC, the EFCC and all other security agencies to do everything possible to stop crude oil theft and illicit truck-out of petroleum products, which he described as major economic crimes that have hindered Nigerians from enjoying the benefits of subsidised petroleum products.

He urged all industry stakeholders to collaborate with the NNPC to ensure that the daily national petroleum products consumption, which shot up to 102 million litres in May, is reduced to about 60 million litres.

He added that it was obvious that that huge volume of petrol was not consumed by Nigerians

alone.

Kyari said: “We all agree that smuggling is not a business that should be condoned because even for deregulated petroleum products, it brings extra cost burden on this country both in terms of safety and security of supply and in securing of foreign exchange. It even constitutes more burden to this country when the product involved is a regulated product like Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).”

According to him, with the increasing price of crude oil at the global market and the OPEC+ production cuts, the country cannot afford to shoulder the cost of smuggling.

“We all know that our daily consumption is not up to 60 million litres. We all know that, and that is why we have to pull it down. We will pull it down by every means necessary,” he added.

He said NNPC would introduce advanced cargo declaration in line with global best practices to tackle crude oil theft.

Kyari stated that going after smugglers is beyond the call of the corporation, adding that with

PRESIDENCY REPLIES CRITICS, WASHES HANDS OFF MEDIA BILLS of being the brain behind the antagonistic amendment bills.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who spoke yesterday with journalists after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), said although it is an initiative of the government, only the Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed, can address it.

His words: “That is not strictly a presidency thing because the president has nothing to do with that. It's a government thing and it’s the minister that can talk about it. So, thank you.”

He also informed that there was nothing to report on the FEC meeting as the issues discussed were not meant for public consumption at this stage.

The spokesman, however, revealed that the president has approved that the Second Peer Review Country Self-assessment Report should be done.

He said: “The only thing of interest I would like to talk about is the second Peer Review Country's Self-assessment Report. Nigeria is ready for the second Peer Review Country Self -assessment Report to be done

by AUDA-NEPAD. I think the last self-assessment report was

done 10 years ago in Nigeria.

Now, Nigeria is ready for the second review self-assessment report. It's been discussed at the council and the president has granted the approval that that peer review report can be conducted on Nigeria.

“Actually, if you have an insight into the report that was presented, which the woman in charge of NEPAD, Mrs. Akobundu, can give you, Nigeria has made progress in several areas and on several fronts.

While 10 years ago, petroleum contributed more than 70%, even up to 90%, to GDP, you will find that today, petroleum contributes just about 45% and non-oil products contribute about 55% to the Nigerian economy.

“So, if Nigeria had been talking of diversification for 40, 50, 60 years, the economy can now be said to be diversified because our GDP, non-oil revenue, contributes about 55% to 45% of oil. So, it’s one of the highlights of the Peer Review Country Self-assessment Report that was presented at the Council meeting today. Details of that can be gotten from the AUDA-NEPAD office.”

The Media Adviser also disclosed that the Attorney General of the Federation and

Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, is studying the ruling by the ECOWAS Court to the effect that Twitter users cannot be arrested or prosecuted following the suspension of the activities of the microblogging site in the country.

According to him, the AGF would advise the federal government on the next step to take.

Adesina confirmed that the committee made up of ministers to engage Twitter over its suspension has commenced work.

“The Attorney-General of the Federation is going to study that report and then he’ll advise the government on the way forward.

“The committee set up by the president to engage with Twitter is actually holding a meeting about now, or it will hold a meeting this afternoon (Wednesday) towards engaging with Twitter," he said.

Media Leaders Urged Buhari to Call Information Minister to Order Meanwhile, the NGE and NUJ have urged the president to call

PIB'S EARLY PASSAGE THREATENED AS STAKEHOLDERS SEEK FRESH ALTERATIONS Lagos-based consultancy firm, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, had said last week that the failure to pass the oil overhaul bill cost some $15 billion annually in lost investment.

"With the global shift from

fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy picking up pace, the passage of the (overhaul) may just be too little too late.

"It is unlikely that Nigeria will be able to make up for either the lost time or the lost investment," it said.

Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, had backed floating NNPC shares, which could allow the financially strapped company to raise money and operate more

efficiently.

But the diminished state control that a float would bring is expected to scuttle its chances.

Sylva also pressed for marketbased prices for gas in the power sector, which experts say would boost investment in Nigeria's

erratic power sector. However, since the measure would also be likely to increase electricity prices, it too could fail.

A spokesman for Sylva did not comment on the proposed changes or expected passage of the bill.

TOP GAINERS FTNCOCOA IKEJHOTEL CORNERSTONE LINKASSURE MBENEFITS TOP LOSERS ROYALEXCH JAPAULGOLD UPL

NGN NGN 0.03 0.33 0.09 1.00 0.05 0.56 0.05 0.60 0.02 0.40 NGN 0.07 0.63 0.05 0.46 0.16 1.52 CHI PLC 0.06 0.58 E-TRANZACT 0.19 2.06 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,420.00 Volume: 208.356 million shares Value: N1.602 billion Deals: 3,365 As at yesterday 23/6/2021 See details on Page 37

% 10 9.8 9.8 9.0 5.2 % 10 9.8 9.5 9.3 8.4

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COMMENT

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

CENTENARY OF COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA

The CPC used the past 100 years to fulfil its mission amid hardship, great achievements, and opening up the future, writes Cui Jianchun

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he year of 2021 bears a lot of significance to China. It marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), first year of the implementation of the China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, and the start of China’s new journey of building up a modern socialist country in an all-round way. Over the past 100 years, the CPC whose membership grew up from 57 in 1921 to more than 92 million nowadays, has developed into the largest Marxist ruling party, and brought tremendous changes to China, the most populous country in the world.

Since its 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC, by holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, has united and led the people of all ethnic groups in China, adhered to the people-centered development concept, fully implemented the five-sphere integrated plan for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress, and coordinated progress of the four-pronged comprehensive strategy to build a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the law-based governance and strengthen Party self-discipline. Based on these endeavors, the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been formed up, and thus ushering the socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era.

Under the leadership of CPC, China has already built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, achieved the first centenary goal, and embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country.

Currently, China is advancing to the second centenary goal on the basis of the new stage of development, by applying the new development philosophy, and creating a new development pattern. According to CPC’s two-step strategy in the new era, China will basically realize socialist modernization in 2035, and turn to be a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful in the middle of this century.

Why could such brilliant achievements be made by CPC? The key lies in the lofty ideals and missions born by it, which could be summarized as everything the CPC does is for the well-being of the Chinese people, for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as well as for the peace and development of mankind.

Firstly, the CPC comes from the people and serves the people. Its original aspiration and mission has always been to seek the happiness of the Chinese people. Serving the people wholeheartedly is the fundamental purpose of the CPC. In 1945, Chairman Mao Zedong pointed out that the typical symbol, which distinguishes the CPC from other political parties in China, is that “it has established the closest contact with the broadest masses of the people; serving the people wholeheartedly and never for a single moment cut itself off from the masses; everything done by it lies in the interests of the people, not in the interests of individuals or small groups”. Afterwards, “serving the people wholeheartedly” has been kept in a prominent chapter in the CPC Constitution. General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017, once again stressed that, the aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of Party members’ efforts.

Serving the people wholeheartedly is not a political rhetoric, but can be seen in practical actions. Over the past 100 years, the CPC united and led the people to build their homeland by self-reliance and hard-work, and then to fight the battle against poverty with strong determination, concerted effort, and unwavering faith. By the end of 2020, through eight years’ hard-work since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty,

OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS, THE CPC UNITED AND LED THE PEOPLE TO BUILD THEIR HOMELAND BY SELF-RELIANCE AND HARD-WORK, AND THEN TO FIGHT THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY WITH STRONG DETERMINATION, CONCERTED EFFORT, AND UNWAVERING FAITH

a key goal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The 98.99 million people in rural areas who were living below the current poverty standards all shook off poverty; all the 128,000 impoverished villages and 832 designated poor counties got rid of poverty. China has won the battle against poverty and achieved the poverty reduction goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

The CPC has always relied on the people, served the people, and been deeply rooted in the people. The CPC and the Chinese people are inseparable. Without the CPC, there would be no new China, and without the CPC, there would be no strong China. In recent years, surveys by pollsters in western countries have shown that the support of the Chinese people for the CPC and the Chinese government has been as high as over 90%.

Secondly, the CPC shoulders the great mission of national rejuvenation, unites and mobilizes various social forces and leads China to a path of peaceful rise. Upon its founding, the CPC shouldered the historic mission of national rejuvenation, united the people and led them to overthrow the “three big mountains” of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism, and established the New China in 1949. The CPC united the people and led them to complete the socialist revolution, establish socialism as China’s basic system, and reverse the fate of the Chinese nation from the continuous decline to steady progress toward prosperity and strength. The CPC launched the great new revolution of reform and opening up in 1979, removed all ideological and institutional barriers to the country’s development, and embarked on the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Thus was China able to stride ahead to catch up with the times.

Based on the long-time practice of the Chinese revolution, construction and reform, the CPC explored the socialist political party system with Chinese characteristics, featuring in “multi-party cooperation under the leadership of the CPC, with the CPC holding power and the other eight parties participating fully in state affairs”. Based on the principle of “long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with sincerity and sharing each other’s weal and woe”, the CPC and the other eight parties work hand in hand in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. This practice has already proved that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC suits China’s actual conditions and shows the great vitality and advantages.

China led by the CPC, has always been committed to a path of peaceful development, and to peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries around the world, instead of seeking hegemony. The wisdom from China’s thousands of years’ history reveals that hegemony will lead to a country’s failure, not that a strong country should seek hegemony. China is blazing a path of peaceful rise distinct from the trajectory of traditional powers.

Thirdly, with the aspiration of benefiting the world, the CPC actively promotes the building a community with a shared future for mankind and firmly seeks peace and development for humanity. The Chinese people are open and inclusive. Since ancient times, they have always held these beliefs dear, such as “all people under the heaven are of one family”, “all the people are my brothers and sisters”, and “all nations should live in harmony”. Meanwhile, they have always wanted to create a better world in which “a just cause is pursued for the common good”.

Mr. Jianchun is the new Ambassador of China to Nigeria

AZAWAD, BANDITS AND THE SHEIKH Victor C. Ariole urges ECOWAS to call the big powers to order

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f God made the cheetah, he evidently put a lot of effort into designing a superb killer: fast, fierce, keen-eyed… with a brain dedicated to ruthlessly killing gazelles… He made both fast, so each could thwart the speed of each other. You can’t help wondering whose side is God on… Richard Dawkins (2019, 168) I am not, and never intend to be atheist. Africans in majority could never expect to be also. Partially Americans are not, even though some of them are getting pushed to it as tech experts make them see the need for it, though damningly. However, the above quote from Richard Dawkin, an atheist proclaiming, ruthless as against neo, Darwinism calls for Africans to wake-up. Albeit, the current pandemic had shown that it could be as well virus facing humans, not necessarily cheetah and gazelles type of fight, for the goodies of this planet earth. Little tyrants must not be used to eliminate Africans by the atheist nations of this world.

Sheikh Dicko led the negotiation that liberated the current self-imposed Head of State of Mali – Assimi Go̟ta – from Azawad captors in Gao, north eastern Mali, just about 1,500km to Abuja crossing Niger, Benin, even ignoring its neighbour Burkina Faso, to Nigeria. Almost the same distance from Gao to Bamako, the capital of Mali, just to know how north of Mali could be another notorious space for the invasion of west Africa if in deed as stated by Sheikh Gumi, no fewer than 100,000 so called bandits are camped in north west of Nigeria. The difference between Azawad and bandits is not far from the difference between land grabbers in Sudan which are known by their outlook and the Janjaweed they use

to achieve their aims. Unfortunately Azawad found in Go̟ta, their former prisoner, an ally in the rulership of Mali and they did not waste time in paying him a visit and assuring him of their support; of course, with a great foreign support shift; from France to Russia – fear of Mali turning to Syria as the so acclaimed Afri-com Nigeria’s President expect to relocate from Germany to Africa has a remnant base in Mali.

Mali is a home – base for most ethnic groups who share in the Manding/Mandingo/Mandika values found all over west Africa like Niger/Nigeria who share in Hausa values. Assimi Go̟ta, more of a Maure affiliate, does not understand the enormity of giving space to the Azawad in Mali unlike the lead negotiator, leading the coalition of Malian dissatisfied groups, Dicko. It is the same in Nigeria as Sheikh Gumi turns out to be another Sheikh Dicko in Nigeria. Quite perturbing but greatly manageable if Nigerian could use the experiences of Sudan, Mali and obviate the dangers lurking at its shores. Mali is still a nightmare for west Africa as Algeria sharing borders with it stands firm in associating with France and Russia at the same time, creating another no-man’s land in extreme Gao like Libya’s and Chad’s Aouzou strip which greatly overwhelmed both France and Chad forces in Chad with all the friendly support of France to Deby. Just that Italy that lay claim to Aouzou was no more a force to reckon with as both first and second world wars made it a looser.

Even at that, France as a beneficiary of First and Second World Wars, Allied Nations oblige, knows very well that Russia – co benefactor of those wars must be respected as Russia starts asserting great presence in

France’s controlled countries like Mali – Nigeria remote north western border –, and Central African Republic – Nigeria’s remote north eastern border. Whether Nigeria sees it or not, Russia’s arms sales and arms production in these two countries overtly or covertly, are aimed at making money in Nigeria. And who says that the 100,000 bandits as reported to be in northwest are not sourcing their arms and bullet supplies from Russia or Russian agents. It was not a mistake to intercept, once, Iranian arms heading to wherever in Nigeria from the port of Lagos, as it is known that Russia is now Iranian ally.

Recently it was reported that Russian soldiers are confronting Chadian Soldiers in RCA as well as Russian air operations were being carried out in Mali. Even France seems to be accusing Russia of fueling the jihadist insurgency in west Africa.

It is high time ECOWAS called all the big powers to order, as their presence could lead to another Afganistan or Syria in west Africa.

Great dialogue is needed now to save west Africa from conflagration; and reading Professor Akinyemi – the man of middle-power concept and former Foreign Affairs Minister – as he intervened in the first border wars between Mali and Burkina Faso and quickly arrested it, Nigeria was courted to liaise with France to strategise on sustainable peace in west Africa as it was evident that France could decide to withdraw from helping the Francophone West Africans as it has done now in Mali. And Russia has taken over like a return to Mali’s vomit when Modibo Keita was in love with Russia at independence.

The Russian connection to either bandits’ support or land grabbers’ support is a great scare that Nigeria’s leaders must address.

Arms’ embargo on a country seen as terrorists’ enabling country does not mean arms embargo on bandits or land grabbers – Azawad, Tuaregs, Rebels, insurgents, Djihadists or Bandits as seen in Nigeria.

Nigeria should not be seen as terrorists’ enabler while arms are released to bandits or land grabbers capable of invading Nigeria from the northwest with 100,000 bandits against almost same size Nigerian military, both air and ground for a 1,500km stretch as France leaves the flanks to avoid clashing with Russian supported assailants.

Note that France’s soldiers were also fighting without supporting side by side Malian soldiers when the Azawad captured and took Assimi Go̟ta as a prisoner. So, time to have an ECOWAS mid-power base supported by United Nations’ superpowers, like they did, overtly or covertly, in supporting Nigeria to overcome Biafra. Yes, it was known that for whatever reason, when France aligned weakly with Biafra other known superpowers supported Nigeria to overcome that secession bid from 1967 – 1970.

Same threat is hovering on the whole west African space and France, again, seems to be wavering. Nigeria, like Professor Akinyemi insinuated in his insight as interventionist in Mali – Burkina Faso war – both, France’s soldiers supported – should rise to the occasion of saving west Africa before it turns worse.

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

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EDITORIAL WELFARE OF THE FIGHTING TROOPS The officers and men must be given all the support they need

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s part of activities to mark the second anniversary of the ninth National Assembly, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, recently led a delegation of lawmakers to commiserate with wounded soldiers undergoing treatment at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna. While some wounded military personnel were treated and discharged with different forms of deformities, according to the hospital’s chief medical director, Stephen Onuchukwu, others are being rehabilitated from physical, emotional and psychological injuries. But those with spinal cord or related injuries which require “cutting edge medical facilities” are maimed for life as the hospital lacked the techniques and procedure for treatment.

More than 7,400 military personnel are victims of the long-running brutal insurgency in the Northeast.

But a pertinent question arises: Do we adequately look after the disabled soldiers, widows and children of those killed in action?

Apparently disturbed THE WELFARE OF THE by what he saw in FORCES WILL LARGELY DETERMINE THE SPEED WE Kaduna, Lawan has NEED TO RID THE NATION OF called for more medical facilities to cater TERRORISM for wounded soldiers.

“We can’t expect so much from you and give you little,” he said. “That will be unfair. Our armed forces deserve the support of all Nigerians.”

For more than a decade, the Nigerian armed forces have been waging a searing war against an extreme Islamic Boko Haram insurgency which has cost the nation more than 40,000 innocent lives. A large number of the dead and the wounded are some of our brave and gallant soldiers. In recent times, the armed forces reportedly suffered heavy casualty particularly from the battle-hardened Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram, focused on attacking troops and laying ambushes on military convoys.

In one such attack in March 2020, about 70 soldiers were killed when the terrorists fired rocket-propelled

Letters to the Editor

grenades at a lorry load of soldiers at Gorgi village in Borno State.

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

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA

ne of the reasons often given for the high rate of casualty of our military men is the use of outdated weapons and equipment.

Military officers have noted that insufficient or obsolete weapons are unable to stand the superior firepower of the insurgents. Indeed, no fewer than 350 soldiers in the Northeast and other theatres of operations last year applied for voluntary retirement because of the manner the counter-agency war is being waged. Some reports are indicative that the number of the dead and wounded is high because the war is not properly funded or rather that some of the monies for its prosecution are diverted. The authorities seem incapable of reining in corruption. Only last March, the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) alleged that the $1bn voted for the purchase of arms and ammunition to fight the insurgency could not be accounted for.

Besides inadequate equipment, the welfare of many of the living soldiers and families of the fallen heroes is not accorded needed attention, an issue that has correlation with the combat effectiveness of those in the battle fronts. Food is sometime rationed while salaries are almost always delayed. Only recently, some widows of felled officers in the decade-long war petitioned the National Assembly demanding an investigation into the delay in the payment of insurance claims of officers and men who died in service.

Last week, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Farouk Yahaya, while at the Seven Division Hospital and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, another theatre of wounded soldiers, commiserated with the sick, and promised to look after their welfare and medical needs.

We must commend our military for the critical role they have played in the fight against Boko Haram and in making sacrifices on behalf of the nation. We also believe they should be given all the support they need.

Indeed, their welfare will largely determine the speed we need to rid the nation of terrorism.

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GUMI AND THE CASE FOR BANDITS Continued from backpage

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efore I conclude, let me refresh Gumi’s memory.

In September 2019, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, along with other top government officials, security operatives, traditional rulers and Miyetti Allah, held sessions with representatives of bandits terrorising Katsina State. He told the head of the criminals, who openly brandished an AK47 assault rifle: “We were advised by the President to talk to you.” A permanent secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Amina Shamaki would later put official imprimatur to this approach of resolving security problem.

“The application of the carrot-and-stick approach is an effective strategy that enables criminals willing to embrace peace to do so while repentant ones are identified and isolated for appropriate actions by security agencies,” she said.

Governor Masari’s lamentation last June, which I recommend to Gumi and the federal government, reveals why a peace deal with bandits can never work. “We entered into various phases of dialogue with the bandits on the prompting of the security agencies. By the time we completed, we reached an agreement on so many solutions. Even if we were not able to meet their demands 100 per cent, we were able to meet up with between 70 and 80 per cent”, the governor confessed. The implication is that these bandits have already been given a lot of money without any attempt to mend

their ways. “In the forest, a lion or a tiger kills only when it is hungry and it doesn’t kill all the animals, it only kills the one it can eat at a time. But what we see here is that the bandits come to town, spray bullets, kill indiscriminately for no purpose and no reasons. How can a human being behave the way that an animal cannot even behave? That is why I say that they are worse than the animals in the forest. For me, there are no longer innocent persons in the forests,” said Masari.

These are the people the federal government is being encouraged to ‘engage’, simply because the Nigerian State has become too weak to enforce law and order. Meanwhile, if there is any takeaway from the experience of Masari, it is that you cannot do a deal with criminals. The bandits on whose behalf Gumi is negotiating are violent men who have turned women to widows, children to orphans and displaced hundreds of thousands of our people from their communities.

Yet, with this idea that they be appeased, we are unwittingly adopting a criminal code in which individuals can terrorize without consequence and be rewarded for visiting their violence on innocent citizens.

All factors considered, asking authorities to negotiate with bandits on grounds that they are jobless, as Gumi is campaigning, can only lead the nation to the abyss of a Hobbesian jungle. Sadly, there are those who will readily argue that we are already there!

Olusegun Adeniyi, Abuja

COULD PRESIDENT DUTERTE BE RIGHT?

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t seems impossible to conceive of but is Philippines President Duterte actually right for once?

He raised the possibility of jailing people who refuse to have a vaccination. It would seem to be a human rights violation but that’s something that he has been accused of before.

The carrot approach of scholarships, large lotto prizes and even food vouchers being given as incentives for getting vaccinated has helped but it looks like the numbers being done have started to stagnate and we are well below the herd immunity levels that we want.

Maybe it’s time to use a stick approach. The idea of jailing people is unrealistic for a large number of reasons and yet they are endangering people by not being vaccinated so what other options are there? They could be denied access to some transport means such as planes, effectively locking them in their own country. They could be denied access to sporting events or even restaurants if they cannot prove their vaccination status. Most restaurants and many other venues have a sign that says we can deny you service for any reason we want although it is usually - no shirt, no service. If they have a medical exception, then that can be shown.

We must all get vaccinated - I’m getting tired of lockdowns.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021

POLITICS

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

‘Zoning Gives Room to Mediocrity’ Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada is the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), in this interview with Igbawase Ukumba, he speaks on the current agitation for a power shift of the presidency from the north to the southern part of Nigeria by 2023, among other sundry issues

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hich part of Nigeria do you think the president of this country should come from in 2023?

The question of where I want the presidency of Nigeria to be from, you will find me very controversial then. You will find me coming from two different ends or angles. First and foremost, I am not an advocate of zoning in democratic journey or development. For me, if you talk about zoning you are confining or excluding a particular section of a people. And if you do that, you are not within the tenets of democracy.

Democracy is an open space. It is supposed to be ideally an open space for every dancer to go and show his dancing steps, and the one the people perceive and understand to be with the best steps takes the day.

But alongside, my religion teaches me or enjoins me to keep to promises written or unwritten.

So, if the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political party made a promise that come 2023, power will shift to the south or southern part of Nigeria, there should be no reason to renege because it is a promise.

And promise like I said, written or not written should be adhered to.

But if there was no promise, then it should be open to all.

My first strike to elective office was against zoning. I aspired to the House of Representatives in 2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Then, His Excellency Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Turakin Keffi) was the governor of Nasarawa State; and himself and I happen to be from the same electoral ward. And some people couldn’t really understand. Who is this? Where are you going?

I said I am on a journey and my vehicle is strong. It will deliver me to my destination. I said show me in the constitution of Nigeria the provision that stops me from doing that. Or the constitution of PDP as a political party. There was no provision anywhere. So I said if there is no provision, let me carry on with my journey. Whoever feels me should join my vehicle. If you don’t feel me, don’t join my vehicle. At the end of the day, the vehicle that God chooses will be the one that will be there. And that was how I got to the House of Representatives.

So zoning sometimes, with due respect, gives room for the emergence of medicres. Because if you zoned to this living room the particular post, and within the living room, the occupants of the living room are not lucky, none of them is blessed to have the needed and required capacity to deliver. At the end of the day, you give the right position to the wrong person. What is in the offing today in Nigeria, I think I am almost getting convinced that there was a promise. And if there was a promise, we should adhere to it. And adhering to it, means power should be shift to the south By 2023, are you looking forward to putting yourself in another political race?

I have long declared my intention to run for the Nasarawa West Senatorial District election by the special grace of God come 2023.

Are you going to contest against Senator Abdullahi Adamu if he

the wrong person to emerge. So by the time I emerge, all those that we will be aspiring together will know that if it is the National Assembly, Wadada would not be the wrong person.

Wadada

chooses to contest?

I don’t know who will be contesting in 2023. But you know that I am contesting come 2023.

Why are you aspiring for the Nasarawa West Senatorial District’s seat?

I am a Nigerian. Two, I have the requisite experience to represent my people in the National Assembly, because I have been there for eight years and I made my mark not only within the federal constituency that I represented, in Nasarawa State, but Nigeria at large. I made my mark which is so highly appreciated by my people.

The calls on me to run for the Nasarawa West Senatorial District’s election is much more than the calls from me myself. And don’t forget my sojourn in the National Assembly, I represented my people effectively. As the pioneer chairman of the National Assembly capital market and institution, I went round the globe on a road show propagating the Nigeria capital market which got the recognition that

it deserved.

Under my chairmanship of that committee, with collaborations and synergies with all relevant bodies, Nigeria stock market under the capital market was given the highest return on investment to investors. The last committee I chaired in the National Assembly was committee on information and national orientation. It was under my chairmanship that the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill was passed into law.

So talking about dividends of democracy to the electorates, they are there, I don’t want to talk about it. Anyway, I deserve to run and I deserve to be given the mandate, and I shall have the mandate by the special grace of God with the support of all even those that we will be running together at the end of the day, I will still have there support.

Because I ran for the governorship of Nasarawa State in 2019 with His Excellency Engineer Abdullahi Alhaji Sule, but all of us ended up giving him our support. Because after he emerged, we discovered he was not

If the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political party made a promise that come 2023, power will shift to the south or southern part of Nigeria, there should be no reason to renege because it is a promise. And promise like I said, written or not written should be adhered to. But if there was no promise, then it should be open to all

What changes have you made at the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) since your assumption as Chairman of Board of Directors of the company?

PAN is the automobile plant in Nigeria. It was established in 1972.

And my antecedent, with due humility, has clearly shown that I got the requisite capacity to turn around PAN as chairman of the board of PAN. And that we got into PAN after acquisition and handing over of the company to us, we got in with a fantastic business plan. But our business plan was negatively hit by the policy of the government. And what’s that policy?

The policy is that levy on imported vehicles was reduced by goverment from 35% to 5%. That is a blow to the local assembly plants to manufacturers. Because before that, the policy that was in place was that 40% duty and 30% levy, when you put the two together it gives you 70%, which is very high. The essence of making it that high is to discourage importation so as to encourage the local assembly plants to thrive.

But now reducing the levy from 35% to 5% is opening the corridors of importation. And so the local assembly plants are finding it difficult to compete, which is a major disincentive. And ironically, government is so desirous and committed providing employment to the citizens of this country. How do you provide employment by dwindling the fortunes of your real sector; that is manufacturing? Again, apart from employment creation, we all clearly see and feel the impact of exchange rate in Nigeria, part of what our exchange rate is it and our foreign reserve is continuously depleted is because we have continuously been an import dependent nation.

So for us to get there, we should encourage our manufacturing sector.

Unless we export more than we import, we shall continue to suffer this.

But you don’t go into any business for the luxury of it. The luxury and the challenges must be carried along.

We are taking this as a challenge, we are pushing.

So what PAN is doing today is to a bit diversify. PAN has always been limited to Peugeot, but like I said earlier on, dynamism of life made it imperative for everything that exist in life to be dynamic. So PAN under us is being dynamic. Today, PAN is into Higer products. Our commercial buses and ambulances are all Higer of China; that is the buses that PAN is collaborating with Keystone Bank to provide Nasarawa State Transport Service with. Highest by the end of July, all things being equal, we shall be launching another brand called Cherry.

Why are we doing this? It is to make available vehicles to an average Nigeria employee of either public or public sector so that owning a car would not be a luxury but a necessity. With the prices of Peugeot, that cannot be achieved. We want to use PAN to introduce car loan scheme for civil servants in the northern states.

And that can only be achieved with middle class priced vehicles.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021

POLITICS

‘The Possibility That Fulanis May Lose Power is the Cause of Insecurity in Nigeria’ Mr. Nyong Jonathan Udoeyop, a retired lecturer of the University of Uyo and a Lay Preacher in the Methodist Church tells Nseobong Okon-Ekong that insecurity can be curbed if all groups who feel the Nigerian state has offended them offer peace to the country

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few years ago, insecurity was majorly confined to Northern Nigeria, now it is everywhere. What can be done to curb insecurity in Nigeria?

We first have to know what we mean by insecurity and then the cause of insecurity. You cannot actually run away from this truth that for every cause there must be an effect. There is something that causes insecurity. It is an effect of something-either something present or something absent. You can use traditional methods or use any borrowed method from anywhere, but first of all, what is the cause? We admit that insecurity is an effect of something. Something either present or absent among us. Taking Nigeria generally, the primary cause of insecurity is the absence of forgiveness.

It started in the North. You could pin it then to Boko Haram, but there was something before which causes insecurity. Before Mohammed Yusuf there was Maitasine and by and large, Maitasine did not forgive or could not forgive fellow Muslims for not being the kind of Muslim he was. And the other type of Muslims could not forgive him. Then came this Yusuf with his own brand of Islam. Generally he could not forgive non-Muslims for being who they are and the non-Muslims did not forgive him for being who he was. That is at the religious level. At the political level, even before independence, in the Eastern region, we had a movement called COR State (Clalabar Ogoja Rivers) Movement. In the North you heard about the Middle Belt struggle. In the West you heard about something which led to the creation of Mid West State. In each of those instances, you had a minority versus majority-the mentality which causes the minority to be threatened.

The most dangerous insecurity is when the majority feels threatened because the majority had the power, whether military power or economic power or intellectual power to fight back.. When the majority feels threatened the insecurity problem worsens. That is what happened in the Nigerian Civil War. At the point that the Federal Government felt threatened, you had a response to Ojukwu’s insecurity and it is insecurity fighting insecurity.

Here we are in Nigeria today, who is causing the causing the insecurity and what is the solution? We are all responsible for the insecurity in this country, because we feel threatened and when the superior force reacts, it is either submit or perish! I want to insist that this thing operates even at a personal level, even at the domestic level. When a wife feels insecure in the house, she will do things which makes the husband feel insecure and the husband’s response may be brutality or end of the marriage. It does not matter what instrument which you can use in response to the situation, the only solution is forgiveness and it comes from the mind. When the mind feels secure, feels invulnerable, the response is different. Look at the life of Jesus, for example. He was threatened almost all the time, for what? For His identity. He asked his accusers, for all these things I have done, why do you want to kill me? They said, we don’t want to kill you for the work you do, we want to kill because you say you are the son of God. In fact, we live by our identity and die by it.

When there is insecurity in the mind, that insecurity is projected to somebody else. Believe it or not, you are fighting that person on who you projected your insecurity because he is not who you think he should be. The Muslims fight

We hear that there is tension in the military barracks, which is like what happened in the 1960s just before the war. We hear that Igbo officers and Yoruba and Northern officers can’t sit together in the barracks anymore That is because they feel threatened.

Why are they threatened? Because of the their identity.

Udoeyop

the Christians for their identity as a Christian. The Christian will fight the Muslim for his identity as a Muslim.

Wife? This is not the kind of husband I wanted to marry or husband, this is not the kind of wife I want to marry.

Insecurity comes from the mind. Your perception of yourself in relation to the other. It is only when you come to the realization that you and that person are the same, from a Christian point of view, Christ had to make himself the same as all of us. With that mentality he forgave. Peter, what did he do, he drew a machete and he said put it back.

It did not even end there he healed the servant of the High Priest. He forgave Peter and that man who was sent to arrest him. We have to bring our mind to the point that we can believe that we are invulnerable and we become defenseless and it is, perhaps, this defenselessness that can heal us. Look at Meshack, Shedrach and Abednego.

They were threatened. They had the

option-do what the kind says or die and they felt invulnerable. They said, King we don’t even care to answer you. We know our God will save us from your hand and even if he doesn’t save us, he is still our God. That is the mentality that overcomes insecurity-no matter what this man does, I am who I am.

You started by saying the solution to insecurity in Nigeria is forgiveness, what offences can you point to that the different ethnic groups in Nigeria have done to one another that they need to forgive?

The only offence is being who they are. I don’t need to go further. It comes to a point that, ‘he is Igbo’. Whether he has committed any offence personally or not, ‘he is Igbo’. Here in Akwa Ibom State, ‘he is Annang’. Whether he has committed any offence or not, his identity has already, either redeemed him or condemned him. That is the mentality.

The greatest threat to the Hausa/Fulani hegemony may not come from the South. We may have a situation where some of the Hausa leaders feel that the Fulanis, who are the actual rulers, the Hausa may feel that they are being persecuted unduly for the crime of commission of omission of the Fulani and then distance themselves and then they will lose the majority they have. Many people down South do not know the difference between the Hausa and the Fulani. The real rulers are the Fulanis. They even oppress the Hausas.

Go round, you will not find any Hausa man who is an Emir in the North. Not one

If the treat is majorly about who I am, what needs to be done to deconstruct me to know that I am just a fellow human being?

See yourself as him. When the offended offers peace to the offender, there is a solution. Whoever in Nigeria feels offended, if he takes the initiative to offer peace-all the disciples of Christ offended him. Peter denied him. The rest ran away. And when he rose, he said, ‘peace’. He even sought them out-one by one. He went to Peter.

He went to his brothers who said he was a mad man and forgave them and offered them peace.

The peace of the victor is no peace.

Nigeria defeated Biafra, not so? And they signed a peace deal. Gowon came with the Three Rs. Has that driven away Biafra? Until the offended offers peace, there is generally, no peace. It is Biafra that needs to offer peace to Nigeria. It is Biafra that needs to forgive Nigeria.

Not only Biafra. All those who feel the Nigerian state has offended them. You may suppress them today, tomorrow, the rise up again.

Examine the utterances of some of our leaders. They have not forgiven Luggard for the amalgamation of North and South of Nigeria. There are many today who keep regretting about what could have been. The Ibibio man keeps asking why they brought us into the Eastern region with the Igbos and so on and so forth.

The offended has a big responsibility to offer peace. The peace of the victor is not always peace. They cannot erase that hatred from their mind. They are forced to accept what they are offered because they are have no option. Whenever they think they can fight back, they will fight again. That is what the Igbos are doing.

Remember what Colonel Phillip Effiong said when he signed the instruments of surrender of Biafra, “we are a people defeated.” Right along the line, even in our villages, we have war over boundary dispute. Tension rise. A few people are killed. The government may step in and the army may impose some degree of peace today. As long as the mind feels I have been injured, I have been cheated, when you don’t remove that mentality.

There is no peace.

In Nigeria, the smaller ethnic groups feel the oppression of the Hausa/Fulani and you said to me that it is when the majority feels threatened that there is insecurity.

What poses a threat to the Hausa/ Fulani today?

It is the risk of them losing power.

That is it. Civil society is structured on the basis of who has power. It depends on what you use the power for. If the power is to suppress the outsider, there will be tension. There will be violence.

If the power is used to bring together, then there will be peace. As long as one group feels threatened-it can be the minority, they will resist. It can be the majority that feels the possibility that they will lose power.

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FEATURES

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

Addressing Security Crisis in the South-east TherecentMulti-stakeholdersConsultativeForumonPeaceandSecurityChallengesinNigeria,whichwas organised by Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and support from European Union, was targeted at addressing the security crisis that has riddled the Southeast region, particularly the attacks on security institutions, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports

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arm themselves and rule ungoverned spaces.

Nonetheless, they further pointed out that there is also marginalisation and an economic dimension to the challenge, clarifying that Nigeria's poor economic situation, worsened by high unemployment rates, swells the ranks of potential recruits for the various non-formal security organisations.

Lamentably, they noted that no region of the country has consistently attacked state security institutions as being witnessed in the South-east zone. "Sadly, security operatives are yet to authoritatively identify these police- assailants and the motives behind the attacks. If security providers have become terror victims, the tendency towards self-defense, reprisal attacks, and state violence is high".

This they said was why CISLAC and FES sought to hold a forum and use the meeting as an opportunity for key stakeholders to critically interrogate rising insecurity, attacks on security institutions, and government responses to the agitations.

ndoubtedly, the growing security threats from Nigeria’s Southeast region gives cause for concern. But it was not always so. Until recently, the South-east region was arguably the most peaceful part of the country, but now, it has evolved into a hotbed of violence targeting state security institutions by armed men popularly referred to as unknown gunmen.

In fact, between January and April 19, 2021, over 17 police stations, in addition to a correctional facility, have been targeted by the gunmen, leaving in their trail dead officers, charred police stations, freed prison inmates, and empty armoury.

Alarming Figures Before 2021, the South-east region was mainly known for the hustle and bustle associated with markets. Although just like other regions, there also were cases of criminal violence manifesting as cult wars, ransom kidnaps and armed robbery. Added to these are sustained episodes of pro-Biafra secessionist agitations that turned fatal in some instances. Five months into 2021, 149 people have been killed in 36 attacks in south-east Nigeria according to Nextier Security, Peace and Development (SPD) violent conflict database.

Nextier SPD, an international development consulting firm based in Nigeria which utilises evidence-based research and policy in developing knowledge and skills for governing the society, also disclosed that multiple attacks, especially at police stations, courts, and other state infrastructure, have been recorded. " The now-unstable region is increasingly witnessing gruesome murders and incessant attacks by violent actors widely regarded as "unknown gunmen", they added.

They further posited that "while Nigeria's security operatives have fingered the indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its offshoot, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the pro-Biafra group, have continually denied responsibility for the ongoing carnage in the South-east. The situation leaves many conflict experts perplexed towards a comprehensive understanding of the triggers and consequences of insecurity in South-east Nigeria.

"Also, if the violence persists, it spells doom for the region and the country in general. For instance, terrorism in the Lake Chad basin may be more demanding with the death of the resilient Chadian's president, Idriss Deby and the new power ascendancy of Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP). Recently, ISWAP was reported to have killed Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram. The volatile South-east, and by extension, the South-south zone, adds to a long list of security challenges the Nigerian government has to manage".

In its analysis of insecurity in the region, they disclosed that from its violent conflict database, about 724 people were killed and 802 kidnapped in 336 incidents in the first quarter of 2021, while in the last quarter of 2020, 384 people were killed, 510 persons kidnapped in 256 incidents. "The statistics portray an increasing wave of violence despite the Nigerian government’s efforts to contain these issues.

The result is the emergence of non-state actors in some instances complement efforts the state security -Amotekun, Vigilantes- and some cases challenge- IPOB, ESN- the state.

"In the last five months, 55 attacks were recorded in the South-east, ranging from communal clashes to farmer herders. The attacks have led to the death of over 155 persons.

The new wave of insecurity indicates that the Nigeria Police Force expected to maintain law and order during the polls are as vulnerable as citizens... The increased deployment of soldiers to the region rather than quell violence has led to human rights violations and growing

CISLAC boss flanked by participants

Cross section of participants at the Multi-stakeholders Consultative Forum On Peace and Security Challenge in Nigeria

CISLAC Conflict Advisor, Salaudeen Hashim (far left); Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas Chairman, House Committee on Army (third left); Country Director FES, Daniel Mann (third right); CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (second right); and Brigadier General SK Usman (Rtd.)

violence," they added.

For the attacks on police formations, they have continued unabated in the South-east since January.

Consultative Forum It was to address these concerns that the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) with support from European Union sought to convene a team of experts and stakeholders to review the growing violence.

The Multi-Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum

on Peace and Security in Nigeria was themed "Examining the Current Security Crisis: Attacks on State Security Institutions in the Southeast Region".

According to the trio, the reason for the consultative forum was not far-fetched. Positing that there has been an exacerbation of the security crises across the country, they noted that non-state armed groups' menace has worsened in the face of overwhelmed security operatives' inability to manage the issue.

They added that faced with ineffective and inefficient security provisions, criminals

Consequence of Systemic Injustice Noting that the situation currently faced across the country is dire, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), in his remarks lamented that between February 23 and June 1, a space of just three months, at least 65 police officers have been killed and various police stations razed in a wave of attacks targeting security forces in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria.

"If the deadly attacks on the Nigerian security agencies continue, it could potentially complicate an already deteriorating security situation in the region. Potentially? Well, I hate to break it down for the gurus in the room, but the bad days are here, alive and thriving. Years of repression and systemic injustice against the people in that region have left them permanently bruised and forever scarred. The ubiquitous unknown gunmen offensive of today is targeting mostly police formations, with just a few military officers killed thus far. I believe police casualties are more, simply because these are tactically easier to accomplish and not that the soldiers are hated any less.

"The people can hardly forget the likes of Operation Python Dance and the extra-judicial killings targeting young Igbo men in one guise or the other. I am pretty convinced that the honeymoon that the Khaki boys enjoy today will not last long. Unless something is done urgently, the gunmen will likely acquire the level of sophistication needed to take on the Nigerian military, sooner than later. The evolution of Boko Haram attacks in the North-east is a good historic lesson to draw from.

"In truth, the attacks are as repugnant and condemnable as they are counter-productive, but it would be a barefaced lie to feign ignorance of how we got here. The role of the Nigeria security agencies, whether police or army, in the South-east seems more like a force of occupation. Of course, one has no doubt that there are still good men and women in uniform doing their best but such individuals now exist only on the fringes. " Their good efforts have been submerged in a sea of criminal activities of the mainstream, which thrive in the business of operating an elaborate extortion scheme in most parts of the country, but more so in the South-east region. In some cases, they have also been accused of aiding and abetting crime.

"A research report published years ago following an extensive interrogation of the issues bothering on police extortion in the south east region outlined a number of revelations, some very worrisome. As at the month of April 2010, there were 1,350 roadblocks in the South-East. It reported that between CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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FEATURES ADDRESSING SECURITY CRISIS IN THE SOUTH-EAST the year 2009 and 2011, the Nigerian Police Force realised a total of N32.26 billion in the South-east out of the N53.48 billion made at police roadblocks across the six geopolitical zones (I’m quoting from a data supplied by the international society for civil society and rule of law). I’m not sure of the reliability of this data but we usually hear stories of officers paying huge sums of money, and lobbying to be posted to the South-east. We know this is not out of love for the Igbo people.

"A big part of the problem could be gleaned from the constitution of police leadership dating all the way back to the time of independence.

From Nigeria’s first Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Louis Edet (1964-1966) to the present IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, including the other 21 officers that have served in that capacity, IGP Ogbonaya Okechukwu Onovo (2009-2010) was the only one from South-east Nigeria.

Of the five commissioners of Police in the South-east zone, none is Igbo. This is a clear case of saying one thing and doing a different thing entirely.

"The horrifying reality of today is that there are not many options available to salvage the situation. The only way out is for the region’s political leaders to wake up from deep slumber.

They should worry less about their political future and take firm and decisive actions.

Anything short of that, we would be attempting to escape mythical monsters, and even the mere thought of that gives me goosebumps and leaves one perpetually in a funk."

Revisiting the Past In his keynote, Chairman, House Committee on Army, Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas, was of the opinion that "we must revisit the past to allow us establish a pathway for the future. The non-implementation of the agreed three-Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation) after the civil war, worsened the plight of citizens in the South-east. It retarded the economic growth of the region, exacerbated their poverty situation, created unemployment, zero window of opportunity and a completely dislocated social and political consciousness of the people. The aftermath was the emergence of non-state actors like MASSOB, IPOB, Bakassi and a constant cry of marginalisation.

"We must find a political solution to the situation ravaging the region. We must exhort politicians that while seeking political powers or offices at the Federal and state level, they should endeavour to play the game by the rules, demonstrate spirit of sportsmanship, elevate politics beyond ethnicity and self-aggrandisement and ensure fulfillment of promises made during electioneering campaigns. This will reduce acrimonies and violence associated with politics which oftentimes create tensions and insecurity in the society.

"I think that these persistent violent attacks against police checkpoints and sometimes targeting soldiers are not the types of aggressive conducts only military or police actions can bring to a quick and effective resolution. These issues demand a multifaceted approach towards analytically and forensically unravelling the faces behind the attacks. We must find out their political messages or demands and then see if a middle of the road agreement can be worked out to put an end to these incessant attacks. This is because the use of military style approach to try to extinguish an asymmetric warfare or urban guerrilla movements that are just about taking shape is not sustainable over a long period of time. The adoption of carrot and stick approach might as well work in seeking a quick end to these cocktails of coordinated violent confrontation against strategic national security assets and forces.

"In conclusion, we must eliminate stereotyping.

The people in and outside the region should build trust between themselves and other Nigerians, including foreign investors. The present belief that South-east businessmen are not to be trusted, that they engage in underhand deals and can do anything for money, does not augur well with us as a people. Other tribes in Nigeria hardly trust and rarely come to the South-east to establish business. Efforts should be made to erase this negative image.

"For example, the adulteration of consumable and non-consumable products remains persistent in the South-east region. Substandard building materials, products like iron rod, electrical cables and other wares often cause building collapse and fire. Fake pharmaceutical products have

Group photograph at the end of the brainstorming dialogue

Facilitators and participants at the programme

killed many citizens over the years. Any action inimical to the safety and well-being of our citizenry should be avoided."

Resolving the Cliffhanger In his paper titled "Resolving The Cliffhanger: A Case for Dialogue Pathway from the Rising Insecurity on Southeastern Nigeria" Senior Lecturer at Institute for Development Studies University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Dr. Ben Nwosu recommended a neutral party, possibly the civil society to engineer dialogue between the government and the agitators.

Calling for effective security provisions for the country especially with the ease at which non-state actors have access to weapons and use same for criminality, he noted that "this is evidenced by the ease with which hoodlums have successfully invaded police stations, killed officers and even taken their weapons away.

A lot of questions need to be answered about the quality and quantity of arms available for the job.

"The relevance of their training to meet the demands of modern policing is also troubling.

Not even hitech CCTV cameras to pick the faces of these assailants are available in police stations. Hence, better armed bandits perhaps with more contemporary training are quick to assassinate policemen".

Blaming the government for the emergence of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), he noted that government's failure to proactively respond to murderous ravages of herdsmen in agrarian communities gave birth to a self help approach, lamenting that "government’s response to these agitations (IPOB/ESN) tends to be fixated on one mode of approach namely use of force. This response template seems unmindful of the changing character of the dynamics at play.

"For instance, the emergence of the armed wing of IPOB is in the context of expansive agrarian violence which destroys lives and livelihoods while the state appears weak to mitigate the ravages and those of criminals who engage in other organised crimes like kidnapping and terrorism.

"In all, the state seems partisan. Its swift response to IPOB activities versus laid back approach to criminals outside of the South-east appear instructive. The disturbing development of attacks on security institutions and personnel in the South-east is blamed on IPOB/ESN, though this paper contests that it is still subject to conclusive investigation.

Yet we know that ESN fights back against the military in Imo State. Both sides appear determined. However, with the superior fire power of the government’s forces, ESN may resort to asymetrical warfare.

"The frustration from this type of warfare leads the government troops into rights abuses and collateral damages which attracts opprobrium for the fighting troops and could enlarge the support base of the separatists and further escalate the conflict. In all, one strategy that the federal government has not applied in this conflict is the dialogue approach. Communicative engagement is therefore recommended. The dialogue should be comprehensive, involving the factions of the elite and other groups, with adequate demographic and geographical representation.

"This is to be coordinated by a facilitator with a view to arriving at a framework which the people expect as the basis of equitable membership of the nation. The same formula may be considered for other zones of the country. To end this piece, dialogue may not give a quick solution, but it would lead to a lasting one.

"Continued indifference to the need to apply it merely nurtures the destructive anger that is already pervasive across the country as well as leave opening for aggrieved groups to dialogue with similar groups across ethnic groups. The implication is clear for national unity."

Embracing Dialogue For Senior Policy and Research Analyst of Nextier SPD, Ndidi Anyanwu, the government needs to rethink its law enforcement strategies and galvanise actions towards building peace which include addressing the cause of the agitations.

According to Anyanwu, multi-stakeholder response must include exploring alternative options of mitigating insecurity and preventing the escalation of violence, adding that " the government’s repressive stance on violence from the region must shift to include dialogue. Repressive activities against the pro-secessionists over the years have not stopped further agitations.

Therefore, peaceful engagement is essential to achieve a widely desirable outcome.

"The avoidable deaths due to the violent face-offs must encourage government to seek less repressive forms of managing separatist movements. Rather than the traditional reactive approach of responding to violent conflicts, the government must become more proactive.

"Sustainable peace is achievable when state violence and repression are traded for investments in human capital development and security, as in the case of southeast secessions fuelled by perceptions of marginalisation and uneven distribution of public goods. A solution for reducing violent conflicts not just for the southeast but for the country at large, is developing early warning strategies anchored on responsive governance, inclusiveness, balanced wealth and job creation, and impactful poverty eradication".

Way Out In his presentation on " What does it take for a State in Crises to Provide Security and Restore Hope for its People in the Face of Despair", Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Dr. Chris Kwaja noted that the country was enmeshed in crises that manifest in three key ways- uncertainty around the economy worsened by corruption; weakening of intergroup relations and rising insecurity in the form of ethno-religious conflicts, armed banditry, insurgency and secessionist agitations, as well as sheer recklessness of the political elites whose vested interests is linked to a political culture that places high premium on access to power without any concrete agenda for governance.

He said the way out was for the Nigerian state to reclaim its monopoly of the instruments of coercion and ensure its usage in a legitimate and accountable manner, adding that "national dialogue as a key pathway for healing and rebuilding trust and national cohesion.

"De-militarise the public space as a condition for rebuilding trust with the military and empower the police to effectively law and order. Bridge the gap with the communities by providing for their security and welfare as a basis for making it difficult for them to be mobilised or recruited by violent extremist groups.

"Design and implement a robust programme on community policing or state police in ways that empowers the state and local government to effectively respond to early warning signs in a proactive manner".

Summarily, Nextier SPD posited that the Nigerian government has a duty to protect lives and livelihoods in the country, "however, in doing so, it must appear to be objective and not a government-sanctioned operation against the people. For instance, there are reports of unlawful arrests and detention of people in cities across South-east Nigeria as part of the current securitisation efforts of security operatives. The ongoing insecurity in the region and echoes of self-determination presents a highly delicate environment for security agencies to securitise.

"There is a need to initiate non-combative strategies that will counteract the growing distrust people may have towards the government. This distrust is evident in the reported raiding of communities in southeast Nigeria and large scale arrest of youths.

"Rather than resort to unlawful raiding and arrest of people, the Nigerian security operatives must demonstrate openness to work with the people in managing the escalating crisis in the southeast zone. The tensions in the area suggest that relying solely on combat actions will not achieve sustainable peace but widen the growing gap between government and the people", they added.

Although it was agreed that the next dialogue be carried out at the grassroots, with those who ferment trouble inculcated in the meeting, the stakeholders forum was engaging as the rigorous dialogue ended in a resolution with the overriding goal of advancing peace and development.

22

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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Quick Takes ABC Partners US Chamber of Commerce

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STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT

L-R: Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Alhaji Mele Kyari; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, and Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, during a stakeholders’ engagement on the NNPC’s Operation White held at the corporation’s head office in Abuja…recently

Report: 70% of Nigerian Businesses Unaware of Privacy Laws Stories by Emma Okonji About 70 per cent of Nigerian businesses are unaware about the privacy laws governing their marketing activities and they rely heavily on third-party trackers and ad platforms, according to a report.

The survey findings showed that only 30 per cent of Nigerian businesses are aware of privacy laws governing their marketing activities, despite Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) being in effect since 2019.

The survey, conducted by WorldWideWorx and commissioned by global technology company Zoho, also revealed that even though businesses are concerned about the privacy of customer’s data in the hands

ECONOMY of third-party vendors, they are reliant on them for revenue generation and gathering customer insights.

This makes it harder for them to move away, the report stated.

Analysing the report, the CEO of WorldWideWorx, Arthur Goldstuck, said lack of awareness about the law was largely because these regulations are not part of business-critical activities like taxation and licensing.

“However, 78 per cent of the businesses indicated that they have well-documented policies for customer data protection.

This is likely following fear of NDPR violation, which has

made headlines in Nigeria. Even so, only 60 per cent are strictly applying them,” Goldstuck said.

The report noted that of the 319 businesses surveyed across various industries and sizes, 45 per cent said they allow thirdparty trackers on their website, mostly for sharing content on social media, which recorded 62 per cent and gathering analytics on their website visitors, which recorded 35 per cent.

There is also a heavy dependence on digital ad platforms.

The respondents believe that keyword search ads, which is 59 per cent and social media ads, which is 52 per cent, are quite effective for customer conversion. 78 per cent of businesses said the third-party ad platforms either help them

meet or are a primary factor in achieving their sales goals, the report said.

According to the report, “Given this reliance on thirdparty vendors, it is no wonder then that, even though 85 per cent of businesses express concern over the use of their customer’s data, they are largely either ‘comfortable’ or ‘neither comfortable nor uncomfortable’ with the platforms. Even the 18 per cent who are ‘uncomfortable’, state that they cannot move away from the platforms as they are crucial to their business or that it is too complex to move away. Interestingly, 24 per cent businesses reported that they Continued on page 24

How COVID-19 Accelerated Innovation, Digital Transformation The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, has said the COVID-19 pandemic which plagued global economies also helped in accelerating the digital transformation journey of most economies in a much faster way than it was imagined.

Abdulahi further said the pandemic stirred up the innate ability in tech savvy people to become more dramatic and compelled them to develop disruptive solutions that offered opportunities for more convenient online presence with less disturbance, leading to digital innovation and internet economy that have enhanced digital economy.

Abdullahi said this during his presentation at the 8th Annual

ICT Instalment of the International Data Corporation (IDC) West Africa CIO Summit 2021, which held recently with the theme: “Innovation Strategies Evolving on the Demand of New Realities is Exciting”.

He cited Economy Africa reports of 2020, which revealed that by 2025, the value of Internet Economy in Africa would reach $180 billion, accounting for about 5.2 per cent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by 2050 its projection is estimated to be $712 billion, about 8.5 per cent of the continent’s GDP. According to Abdullahi, “Innovation drives growth in the internet economy, and has inspired three digital

capabilities; firstly, Ubiquitous Data, which is used to make decision and have Information at anytime.

“Secondly, Unlimited Connectivity particularly Internet of Things (IoT), which ease connectivity and learning things easily. Lastly, Massive Computing Processing Power, which has no limit to what can be processed. These capabilities are the source of inspiration that ignites innovation and create demand in the digital era.”

He further said: “The global advancement and digital technologies are making the world a better place. We are inspired to deliver rapid business innovations and new customer value prepositions.

African start-ups coming up with unique business models,

digital transformation platforms and services that creates incredible value with a significant impact on human lives and the economy, which indicates that Africa will not miss the fourth industrial revolution unlike the first, second and third industrial era where we lost out in creating and capturing values across the globe.”

He told the global audience that in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari had laid the foundation for a digital Nigeria by expanding the mandate of Ministry Communications to cover digital economy, which the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has a larger Continued on page 24

Cybercloud Launched at Rack Centre

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Konga Offers Summer Packages

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“It is not clear to telecoms operators why the federal government wants to introduce excise tax on telecoms airtime recharge, which will amount to double taxation.

Government should be careful not to introduce additional burden on telecoms operators” Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),

Gbenga Adebayo

T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 24, 2021

24

BUSINESSWORLD REPORT: 70% OF NIGERIAN BUSINESSES UNAWARE OF PRIVACY LAWS do not completely understand how third-party trackers and ad platforms utilise the collected customer information.”

The Regional Manager for Africa at Zoho, Andrew Bourne, said: “When businesses choose to use a free tracker, they are paying for it with their consumer’s data. At Zoho, we refer to this practice of thirdparty trackers collecting data without user knowledge as adjunct surveillance. Presently, Nigerian businesses turn a blind eye to this passive data collection by trackers, most likely, because they are dependent on them for revenue.

“However, consumers will eventually trust companies with transparent privacy policies that protect their personal information. Businesses hoping to stay relevant in the long term will need to either rethink their reliance on third-party platforms or demand greater transparency and accountability from them.”

HOW COVID-19 ACCELERATED INNOVATION, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION focus vision of digitalising the country.

“In 2019, the ministry formulated a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria, which serves as laid down foundation to create and capture value from innovation in the digital economy.

“The implementation of the strategies within two years, has significantly impacted the economy with the digital sector being the fastest growing sector, which saved the country from COVID-19 induced session. The Nigerian National Digital Economy Policy and Strategies, crafted the Strategic Economic Roadmap and Action Plan 2021-2024 with the objective of articulating new strategies for the Nigerian ecosystem in accordance with the current aspirations of government that was built on seven strategic pillars namely: Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy and Digital skills, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, and Emerging Technologies.”

NEWS

Broadband Penetration Slow, But on Track, Says Opeke Stories by Emma Okonji The Co-Chairman, Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP), and CEO of MainOne Broadband Company, Ms. Funke Opeke, has said although Nigeria is not moving as fast as it should in its broadband target, the country is however on track towards achieving the target of 90 per cent coverage of the entire population of Nigeria and penetration rate of 70 per cent by 2025.

Opeke said this during an interview with journalists, shortly after the close of the 2021 NerdsUnite forum, organised

by MainOne in Lagos recently.

According to her, “I recognise that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has made a commitment that Nigeria would achieve 90 per cent coverage of the country’s population.

“The minister’s commitment towards achieving that target, represents the aspirations of industry stakeholders and Nigerians and we the industry players are ready and willing to contribute our quota towards achieving the set broadband target.”

Opeke commended the minister for his initiatives and consistence in driving digital transformation in Nigeria.

Speaking about the effect of the COVID-19 on businesses, Opeke said the pandemic was never anticipated and that the impact on the Nigerian

economy has been huge. She also said the impact on capital investments into the Nigerian economy have also been huge, a situation, she added, could only be addressed through the fast adoption of emerging technologies that would drive digital transformation.

She called for more investments in broadband infrastructure that would accelerate digital transformation.

She acknowledged the fact that

security risks, as currently seen in most parts of the country, could impede innovation.

“We need infrastructure and growing talent pool to drive digital innovation and transformation. The security challenges are there but operators are showing strong resilience.

“I see huge potential in Nigerian youths, I see huge potential in the Nigerian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) market and I expect to

see investors that will tap into these huge potential and drive digital acceleration in Nigeria,” Opeke further said.

Speaking about the importance of critical data and data centre management, Opeke said successful data generation will assist in academic research and data analytics for online transaction.

She further said such data were housed and managed locally or internationally, adding that the MDXi Data Centre,

which is MainOne’s flagship data centre that was established in Lekki, Lagos in 2015, had been able to host and manage critical data of different organisations.

She said effective management of data would enhance accelerated growth in digital transformation. She further explained that MainOne has extended its data centre facility to Apollonia City in Accra, Ghana, and that the Appolonia Data Centre would be launched today in Ghana.

CONSUMERS ON THEIR MINDS

L-R: Executive Vice Chairman, Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Commission ( FCCPT), Mr. Babatunde Irukera; Chairman Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal ( CCPT) Hajiya Saratu Nana Safii, and Member of the board, Mrs. Sola Salako-Ajilo, during the 3-Day retreat for members of the tribunal in Abuja ...recently

Google to Boost African innovation, Female Entrepreneurship Google has renewed its commitment to growing Africa’s startup ecosystem with the introduction of three new programmes: Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) Africa class; the launch and opening of applications for a new $3 million Black Founders Fund (BFF) Africa programme, and a Google.org-backed $3 million grant to the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is a leading philanthropy, empowering young entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, to support female entrepreneurs on the continent.

Applications for GFSA Africa opened earlier this year making way for 15 startups, from across

the continent, to join the 6th class of the programme, which started on 21 June, 2021.

The three-month online programme, which includes virtual training bootcamps, mentorship and Google product support, is designed to support these nascent businesses through their early growth phases.

In a further show of support for innovation on the continent, a new $3 million Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa is launching as part of Google’s global commitment to support underserved communities. The fund, which is part of the company’s racial equity commitments announced in June 2020, will provide cash

awards and hands-on support to 50 Black-led startups in Africa and, unlike most startup investments, it does not require founders to give up any equity in exchange for funding. Google will be working with the Co-Creation Hub, a Google for Startups partner and leading tech community hub with presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, to distribute the funding to the selected companies across Africa.

Applications are now open for access to funding, as well as technical and business support for 50 early-stage startups across the continent in 2021.

BFF Africa is open to all startups in Nigeria, Botswana,

Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, which meet the eligibility criteria.

Applications will close on 7 July, 2021.

Co-founder and CEO at CoCreation Hub, Mr. Bosun Tijani, said: “It’s encouraging to see Google’s continued dedication to strengthening and elevating the startup ecosystem in Africa.

Google was one of the early believers in tech entrepreneurs on the continent and this support over the last 10 years reflects a thoughtful commitment.

“This programme is extremely timely and will not only empower founders across the

continent but also deepen the pipeline and unlock follow-on funding from both local and foreign investors.”

Managing Director of Google sub-Saharan Africa, Nitin Gajria, said: “Google understands that the growth and success of one player in the startup space lays the path for others. This is what drives the commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and startups and effectively driving employment and enabling both economic and social development on the continent.

“We are determined to help black founders grow their businesses, not just through access to capital but also through access to the best of Google’s resources.”

‘How Consumers’ Grievances Will be Resolved in Six Months’ Raheem Akingbolu Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Nume Ekeghe

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

The Chairman of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, Mrs Saratu Shafii, has assured Nigerians that setting up of the tribunal was timely, saying the competition and consumer protection index had become a global tool for assessing the investment potentials of any country.

Shafii spoke in Abuja recently, at the opening of a three-day retreat for members of the tribunal, where she assured stakeholders on the preparedness of the tribunal to resolve all cases brought before it within six months.

While giving the assurance,

she disclosed that everything needed for the tribunal to realise its mandate has already been put on ground.

She noted that apart from boasting of eminently qualified members and team, the tribunal was also willing to partner with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) as well as other regulatory agencies in the country.

“The consumer protection index also determines the rate of foreign direct investment and accelerates the ease of doing business as all of these have implications for national economic growth and development,” she added.

According to Shaffi, Nigeria stands at 125th position in the global competition and consumer protection index.

“With the launch of the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP) to replace the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), joining the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA), it has become our duty to safeguard fair compensation and ensure the protection of Nigerian consumers,” she added.

The tribunal chairman said the retreat would afford members of the tribunal an opportunity to develop a vision and mission statement, establish core values and set out goals to

be achieved within the tribunal’s tenure of five years.

She gave the assurance that the tribunal would stem antitrust issues and guarantee consumer satisfaction through the exercise of its judicial duties.

She added that the tribunal was determined to have results within six months when it begins sittings.

Speaking to newsmen, a member of the tribunal, Mrs. Sola Salako-Ajulo assured of the tribunal’s readiness to work with other regulators and also assured consumers of getting justice within the shortest possible time.

The tribunal was established under provisions of Section 39

of the FCCP Act 2019 with the mandate to adjudicate over conducts prohibited under the act.

Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Babatunde Irukera, implored members of the tribunal to endeavor to work with the commission and other regulatory agencies to enable it achieve its mandate.

The executive vice chairman who said the commission was established not to disrupt but to rather promote businesses charged the members of the tribunal not to dwell on technicalities.

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 24, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

New Online CBN, Huawei Clouds, Five Others Conversation App Join IXPN Network Berths in Nigeria Emma Okonji

Emma Okonji A new online conversation app, Tribe Naija has berthed in the Nigerian online space.

The app is a community-based platform specifically developed for Nigerians to network and have conversations on issues of common interest.

Tribe Naija app was launched in Abuja during the Fireside Chat event in commemoration of Democracy Day. The app, which is currently available for download on the Google Apps store and IOS for iPhone users is a brainchild of the Advocacy for One Nigeria Initiative.

Speaking during the launch of the app, the founder, Advocacy for One Nigeria Initiative, Chief Kola Abiola, described the platform as a ‘child of necessity’ that has come to give Nigerians the opportunity to bring their voice together especially as it relates to issues that affect them.

According to him, the creation of the app was informed by the need to use technology to promote cohesion and inclusion among Nigerians using some of the knowledge or lessons gained from political leaders and thinkers such as Moshood Abiola and Shehu Yar’Adua among others while they were alive.

Abiola noted that the Tribe Naija app, developed and designed by Mewa International LLC, would serve as a safe haven for Nigerians to talk and be heard. He stressed that the platform would offer Nigerians regardless of age, a forum to discuss and chat about all the issues affecting their well-being as citizens.

He disclosed that the app was meant to drive like-minded conversations geared towards the improvement of the country and create a platform for them to prepare for a better future.

“By speaking, we would erase the divide and understand each other better. I think to a great degree we would see that we have a lot more than we think we have in common and that is why this app has been developed.

We have been working on the development of the app for more than two years even though I have been nurturing this idea ten years ago. On this app, there is a voice note. You can leave messages through voice notes.

We are going to have language variations as we go along which I think is enormous,” Abiola said.

Also speaking, the technical consultant, Tribe Naija, Mr. Fady Khatib, explained that the app remained unique considering the value it is bringing to the table for Nigerians.

Fintechs Partner to Provide Tech Financing Options for Women Nosa Alekhuogie Determined to encourage women in Nigeria to pursue career paths in the technology industry, a US-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) educational FinTech firm, Coven Works Inc, is partnering with Shecluded to provide easy access to financing options for women who want to commence their career journey in Data Science, Chatbot Engineering and Cloud, as well as in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The limiting factors for women are enormous but not without solutions, hence, the birth of the collaboration, which will afford women across Nigeria, both in urban and rural communities, the opportunity to start their journey of becoming users and creators of technology. This initiative will in-turn increase economic opportunities and improve the livelihoods of these women, the companies said in a joint statement.

Shecluded is a fintech company that combines easy access to credit with wealth advisory, growth loans and capacity building to provide female entrepreneurs in Africa the necessary tools they need to run a successful enterprise.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Shecluded, Ifeoma Uddoh, “We want to see more women participate in the careers of the future and enabling them to develop a technology or technical skill is a way to make that happen.

Through this partnership, we’re giving women the opportunity

to upskill, compete in the global workforce, and increase their earning potential towards attaining and enjoying financial freedom.”

In the recent World Economic Forum, Global Gender Report 2021, gender gaps are wider in sectors that require disruptive technical skills. For example, in Cloud Computing, women make up 14 per cent of the workforce; in Engineering, 20 per cent; and in Data and A.I., 32 per cent. “While the eight job clusters typically experience a high influx of new talent, at current rates, those inflows do not re-balance occupational segregation and transitioning to fields where women are currently underrepresented,” Uddoh said, adding that the current share of women in Cloud Computing has only improved by 0.2 percentage points, while the share of women in Data and AI roles has seen a mild decline of 0.1 percentage points since February 2018.

The Coven Works’ Data Chicks, is an intervention plan created to deliberately bridge the gender gap in technology.

The Country Director of Coven Works, Dunsin Fatuase said: “The goal of this collaboration is to reach 1000’s of women who had aspirations of starting a career in high growth pathways over the next couple of months and through this partnership, we would enable more women to train with Coven Works through the financial options from Shecluded in Data Science, Chatbot Engineering and Cloud and AI, at an affordable rate.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria, Huawei Clouds, and five other organisations recently joined the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).

Chief Executive Officer of IXPN, Mr. Muhammed Rudman, who made the disclosure in a recent statement, said Orange Telecoms, Proline Technologies, Ciudad Infrastructure Limited, Choice2mobile Technologies Limited, and Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited, were the organisations that recently joined the exchange.

He said the recent development had increased the number of network operators presently

interconnected to over 80, with the attendant benefit of getting direct access to multiple internet networks with a single connection.

He believes that these present additions are a positive response to years of advocacy

by IXPN that organisations operating in Nigeria should host their data in-country rather than in foreign countries. He explained that when companies host within the country, they stand to benefit from faster access to their content by the end-users, payment in local currency for the hosting service, and ultimately, help grow Nigeria’s digital economy.

“We are delighted to have these seven reputable network

operators recently join the exchange point. This, for us, is a pointer that the call for internet domestication by IXPN, some stakeholders, and well-meaning Nigerians, is being responded to positively,” Rudman said.

While calling on other similar organisations to do the same, Rudman noted that the recent connections have positively impacted the IXPN traffic, which stood at 220 Gbps from 125 Gbps in 2020.

IXPN presently covers eight Points of Presence (PoPs) in Nigeria; four in Lagos and one branch each in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano.

The Lagos PoPs are all interconnected to each other with high-capacity links and with

full redundancy. To promote even growth for local Internet traffic across the country, the Nigeria Communications Commission provided the connectivity between Lagos and the other four branches in the country.

Also, as part of efforts to improve performance, services, and scalability which is critical in today’s evolving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry, IXPN, last year, acquired switches of 25Gbps, 40Gbps, and 100Gbps ports capacity for its entire network in Lagos. The essence of upgrading the switches is to help the company address the current and anticipated needs of its growing customer base.

CSR-IN-ACTION

L-R: Head of Audit, Amber Energy Drink, Adeyemi Adefemi; Sales Officer, Adebimpe Oluwaseun and Kazeem Mustapha, controlling traffic at the Agidingbi area, to ease movement during the Energy’s company CSR Initiative to mark its one year anniversary in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

BoICT Lecture to Explore 5G as New Frontier for Service Delivery Nosa Alekhuogie

The organisers of this year’s Beacon of Information and Communication Technology (BoICT) awards/lecture series scheduled for July 24, have said they would be exploring 5G as a new frontier for superior service delivery in the telecommunications space.

Now in its 12th year,

the BoICT Distinguished Lecture Series is widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.

With the theme: “5G: Exploring New Frontiers for Superior Service Delivery,” the organisers said 5G would be harnessed to achieve its full potential to accelerate the rise of Internet of Things, and

enable a smarter and more connected world.

The Chief Executive Officer of Communications Week Media Limited, the organisers of the lecture, Mr. Ken Nwogbo, said the choice of the theme was based on the need to address the conspiracy theory against the technology as well as explore enormous benefits of the 5G in delivery quality telecom-

munications services.

According to Nwogbo, “the lecture is followed by the awards ceremony which reward best practices and recognize outstanding contributions to the growth of the ICT sector. The awards are free and awardees are chosen by readers of Nigeria CommunicationsWeekthrough a transparent voting process.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 24, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Omoniyi: Investment in Infrastructure Will Enhance Service Quality The Group Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, in this interview speaks about the successes and challenges in offering retail and enterprise solutions and the need for collaboration and investment in infrastructure to enhance service quality.

Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:

W

abandoned like other government projects in the country. If the project is eventually completed, access to connectivity will be exorbitant because the bottom line will be for government to use it to beef up its internally generated revenue (IGR). Yes the intention to provide fiber connectivity for broadband in Lagos is good, but the management may be herculean and at the detriment of broadband service providers who may want to access that connectivity service. From history, government has never been a successful business manager because government is transient and new government will always come up with its own policies and implementation strategies.

The duty of government is to provide the enabling environment for business to thrive and not to be involved in managing business.

hat is your view on technology evolution from 2G to 5G and how have these technologies impacted on service quality?

Service quality is factor of so many variants, including the ability to invest in infrastructure.

We have moved from 2G to 2.5G and to 3G, 4G and 5G and all these technologies have positively impacted on the telecoms sector and other sectors of the economy. Most times telecoms operators face insecurity challenges and threats to telecoms facilities and all these could affect service quality. If one telecoms site is vandalized, it can cause ripple effect on other sites that are connected to it. Again if there is a cut on the backhaul transmission cable, it can adversity affect service quality. So we need uninterrupted telecoms facilities, including investments in telecoms infrastructure, in order to to achieve better service quality.

At what level is the telecoms industry operating, with regards to taking advantage of the USPF funds provided by NCC, for network expansion in rural communities.

Have operators been able to access the funds?

The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), which is being offered by the telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is like the equalisation fund that we see in the petroleum industry. The USPF fund is meant for network expansion in rural and underserved communities, but most operators tend to concentrate on urban areas where they can make quick returns on their investments, rather than going to rural areas where patronage is low. The essence of USPF fund is to encourage operators to develop rural areas that may appear unprofitable at the moment. What the NCC did was to use certain percentage of the money from Annual Operating Levy (AOL) for USPF and only operators that are willing to invest in rural communities, have access to the fund. VDT is expanding in the some parts of the rural areas and we are working with NCC to achieve further expansion in the rural and underfed areas of our country.

You play in the data space, where revenue for data is fast growing while that of voice is depleting by the day. The bigger operators are beginning to shift operations to data. As a small industry player, is VDT threatened by the shift from bigger operators?

The revenue for voice did not actually drop.

What dropped significantly, is the rate of growth in the voice segment of the business, because technology evolution is beginning to compel people to do more of data than voice. For VDT, even though we are small industry operator, our business model has been centred around data from the very first day of our operations and we are not threatened by the incursion of bigger players into the data space, even though they were predominantly voice operators. The reason for this is that our services complement that of bigger operators and we partner them to provide quality service to customers. Currently the data market is expanding because more people are using data and we all can comfortably play in the data space. In the data market, the enterprise is even slowing down because most of our enterprise partners like the banks are not opening new branches while some are even closing down existing bank branches because technology has made it possible for them to provide online services that enable bank customers to carry out financial transactions online without visiting the bank branches. So what we are doing in VDT is to do more of retail business where we have more customers to service. So we are deepening our presence in the retail market to provide data services to individuals.

What propelled you into providing telecoms services and how have you been surviving

Omoniyi

in the last 20 years amid competition?

My motivation to become a player in the telecoms industry, providing bespoke telecoms services, started from my school days in the university of Ilorin, where I studied engineering.

At my final year as an engineering student, I had the push and zeal, as a communication/ computer student, to become a provider of communications services to people after graduating from the university. After graduating, I worked in a engineering company as Computer Engineer, handling systems integration and maintenance.

While working there, I developed the interest to build networks and I was building networks for customers, and ensuring that different computers align and connect with each other in a seamless communication flow. That was 36 years ago, doing what I loved doing. From there, my dream to provide communications services, came true and I applied for a license to operate VDT Communications. At the onset in 2001, we started operations with 14 staff addressing just five points of services, but today we have grown to 400 staff, attending to 143 points of services across the 36 states of the federation.

For the question about surviving in the last 20 years amid competition, I will say it has not been easy doing business in Nigeria in the last 20 years, but we remained focused in delighting our customers and meeting their needs and that, among other factors, have brought us this far. So I had good knowledge of the industry, I had love and passion for the kind of services that we offer at VDT, and the opportunity to provide the services, also presented itself, and these have been my driving force.

Could you share some of your strategies that kept the VDT business afloat in spite of the negative effect of COVID-19 on businesses?

COVID-19 is a pandemic that affected global economies and businesses, but for some of us in the technology space, COVID-19 presented us with an opportunity to develop alternative strategies and solutions that have become the new normal for surviving businesses. The truth is that challenges also come with opportunities, but it takes skills, knowledge and patience to identify the opportunities and leverage on them.

For us in the technology and telecoms industry, it was easy for us to migrate online and still keep in touch with our customers during the COVID-19 era, when economies were shut down and people were isolated from each other.

How has the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria affected your business, since VDT plays in the data environment?

VDT is a customer-centric organisation and

our focus is on customers who make use of our connectivity services. We provide Virtual Private Network (VPN) for customers but that is strictly private to gain access to connectivity.

We also have VPN servers in the cloud where people can log on to and get connectivity to carry out several online activities. So the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria is not affecting our business growth. We have built security around our networks to protect the data of customers. The Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) is another policy that is helping to protect customers and organisations’ data.

How is the high rate of foreign exchange affecting communications business in Nigeria?

Communication services, which we offer, have to do with different equipment that are not manufactured in Nigeria. So, we import every communication equipment that we use in Nigeria and we need foreign exchange (forex) to import communication equipment. The strength of our Naira currency has been weakened against the dollar and this has raised the rate of forex and access to forex has been difficult too, which of course is affecting our business in Nigeria. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the naira has lost its value the more and it is telling on importation of communication equipment because Forex has gone so high and access to Forex is even a nightmare. Before COVID-19, the value of Naira was N360 to $1, but today it has jumped to over N500 to $1, which is now eating deep into our revenue.

So what is the way out of this challenge?

The best way out of this challenge, is for government to protect and promote indigenous manufacturers of communication equipment.

The need to promote indigenous manufacturers is to cut down on importation of equipment.

Again government must give ample opportunities for telecoms and communications operators to have easy access to Forex in the interim. As of today many operators do not have easy access to Forex.

Lagos government is laying fibre optic cables around Lagos with ducts that will enable telecoms and communications service providers to connect to the cables. What is your take on the Lagos project?

From history, government has never been a good manager of public business. So, if Lagos government is laying fibre optic cables with a view of commercialising it, then Lagos government needs to be more careful about that project and ensure it does not end up

How robust and resilient is the VDT network to accommodate free data services from 8pm to 6am daily as advertised by VDT? We are currently expanding our network to provide additional capacities that will enable our customers to do more. The network is robust and resilient to accommodate more subscribers that will want to take up the opportunity of free night browsing. However, the free service is offered to only those customers who subscribe to the plan. So to enjoy the free night browsing, the customer must first subscribe to the plan and our network is resilient enough to accommodate more traffic, if customers that subscribed to the plan, decided to do more of online connectivity at night time.

In 20 years of successful business operations in the retail and enterprise business, how will you describe your greatest moment?

In 20 years of operation at VDT, I will say I have so many experiences to share, but my greatest moment had always been the joy that I derive when customers are delighted and satisfied with the quality of services we offer them. We have delighted our customers in so many ways through our service offerings and they are happy with our services and this gives me great joy and great moment. Today we are closer to our vision than we were when we started 20 years ago. God has been faithful to us and we are grateful to God. What are the differentiating factors between Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and the Adaptive Private Network (APN) service that you offer?

The SME service that we offer, is a mini version of our enterprise service and is offered in gigabytes. The APN service that we also offer, is a SIM retail service to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). While the APN service is SIM activated, the SME services offering is not SIM activated. The federal government intends to cover 90 per cent population and a landmass of 70 per cent in its national broadband plan by 2025. What will be VDT’s contribution in achieving government’s plan for broadband penetration? In am pleased with the bold ambition of government concerning the broadband penetration target. The truth is that government alone cannot achieve it without contributions from industry players and stakeholders like VDT Communications. 90 per cent population coverage and 70 per cent landmass coverage by 2025 is a tall order but achievable through collaboration with industry stakeholders. To achieve the target, there must be increased investments from among industry players, and VDT is fast expanding its services to provide connectivity to more organisations and people. We have plans to further deepen our retail strategies and offerings to customers in the next five years. We are investing in broadband infrastructure to boost our retail and enterprise service offerings, and we are doing so in every state of the federation. Through our expansion plan, we will be covering more organisations and homes, thereby helping government to achieve its broadband target.

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Agenmonmen: NIMN Membership Boost to Marketing Practice The immediate past President and Chairman of Council, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Tony Agenmonmen, in this interview speaks about the growth of the institute’s brand equity in the last few years. Raheem Akingbolu brings the excerpts:

H

March this year, we had paid a little over N5 million, conveniently. And by the time I’m handing over, we would have paid three quarters of that money, and be left with about N5 million of the unremitted pension, which I believe whoever takes over from me will be able to handle. To be honest, I think we are almost through with the debt.

It’s unfortunate, my intention was to clear everything before I leave, but you know what it has been in the past one year. We couldn’t execute many of the programmes we had planned to execute. For instance, the AGM we are having now, we would have had some sponsorship that would give us the amount of money to even wipe off such debt. But you know many of these companies are struggling now.

But the debt issue is almost history.

ow will you describe your two-term in office as NIMN President?

It’s been quite eventful.

It has been fun for me, but I can tell you, it’s not been easy.

Leadership, as you all know, is not easy as some people imagine it. But I think in these four and a half years, we have been able to navigate the rough terrain of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). From where we met it, I can proudly say that we’ve made a lot of progress, though it’s left for you and members to do the full evaluation.

But I’m convinced that working with my colleagues in council, I’ve been able to make tremendous progress in all the directions that we’ve talked about.

Looking back, would you say you have positively impacted the institute?

My background is that you always start with your KPI (Key Performance Index). What did you say you would do? And what have you done? What did you achieve, and what did you not achieve? And why did you not achieve them? I’m sure during this interaction we shall look at what was promised and what was achieved. If what was promised was not achieved, then why?

Could you give us a picture of the situation in the institute when you assumed office?

Before 2016, NIMN had a history.

It was chartered in 2003, but it was factionalised. In 2008, there was a major attempt to merge these factions together, and there was a merger. We thought, then, that we had overcome all the challenges. But as time went on, some factions, again, started springing up, and that continued to create challenges for the institute, till 2014, when we now had a completely different merger.

And this, by the grace of God, we have sustained till now. But, because of the consequences of the unstable past, when we had factions here and there, the institute was not properly structured. And, because there had to be compromises, we ended up with an institute that had 31 employees.

Even if you look at all those very big institutes in Nigeria today, I’m not sure there is any that has up to that figure. Though the circumstances surrounding how we got to that stage, I understand. Unfortunately, the salary bill, the institute was saddled with, was well in the region of N4 million, every month. Unfortunately, because of the infighting, nobody really took the marketing institute seriously, at that time. And to use the marketing parlance, the institute’s brand equity was almost at zero. So people were not coming to our programmes, corporate Nigeria was not sponsoring. We ended up with a situation where some of the employees were owed salary for up to six months, and a lot of the employees that had even retired were owed gratuities.

So by the time we came in November 2016, the rough estimate we met was about N80 million. That’s no joke by any standard, and that was part of the things that we were confronted with.

The issue was where do we go from there? When we found out that we were owing, members were no longer interested in the affairs of the institute, due to infighting, and of course when you had this situation, corporate Nigeria’s response was like, ‘well, go and settle yourself, and then you can come back’. So that was the situation we met at the institute, and we thought

Agenmonmen

we needed a major turnaround for us to get out of that situation, and that was why we took that action that we took at that time.

How have you enhanced the membership base of the institute, as promised when campaigning for this office?

The beauty of the background that I have is that I work with facts, I work with KPIs. My campaign leaflets enunciated my key priorities. But I have what I called a scorecard, and I don’t think part of the scorecard was talking about numbers. I never talked about numbers because numbers were not our issue then. If you are talking about numbers, what we had as nominal members was up to 9,000, but if we had such a figure, with a N10,000 subscription, why were they not able to pay salaries? Why were they in Shangisha? Why did they owe N80 million? I don’t really care what numbers they had in the book or what they bandied about, because marketing is not just about numbers, it’s about the quality of what you are delivering. It is about brand equity. Anything you want to do about your brand is to talk about equity. If you want to build equity, the numbers will come. What I promised them was that I would restructure, I also promised to build the brand equity of the institute. The third one is that we would ensure we got proclamation of the institute done by the minister,

and I promised specifically that at my first investiture, it would be done. The fourth one was that we would drive enforcement that is the enforcement that marketing professionals will be registered with the institute. Then I talked about a new and befitting secretariat that was specific. I also promise to train and motivate employees, establish Nigerian marketing academy, and then restore the journal of marketing. I also talked about the recognition of NIMN certificates.

Those were my specific promises, and I asked people to hold me to these promises. And if you are to scrutinise, the only place I can say we had a red in all those promises was recognition for our certificates.

You once talked about inheriting a debt of about N80million and others.

What is the situation now?

The situation now is that you are now in this beautiful building, I’m sure people like you, who have interacted with us more, will know what we are talking about. The situation now is that we’ve paid all the outstanding salaries and gratuities of all employees, whether they are still in the institute, disengaged, or retired. The situation is that much of the money that we also owe to corporate organisations, we have liquidated. The situation is that the biggest chunk of what we still owe out of that N80 million is the N21 million unremitted pension, but, as at

When you talk of compliance our strategy has always been voluntary compliance. Any person who is really practising marketing should understand that you stand to benefit from being a member of the institute.

It may not be directly financial. But you learn, you interact, you network

What is the compliance level like among practitioners, yet to register with the institute?

When you talk of compliance our strategy has always been voluntary compliance. Any person who is really practising marketing should understand that you stand to benefit from being a member of the institute. It may not be directly financial. But you learn, you interact, you network. Beyond that, this is a professional institute that is guaranteed by law. Apart from being guaranteed by law, it gives you the opportunity to network and interact with people that ordinarily, you would not have been able to interact with.

For instance, look at the network of the people we are lining up for our Marketing Conference; how many people would, ordinarily, have the opportunity to talk to the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises? But he will be there that day to speak, and you will have that opportunity to interact with him when he speaks. Even after the programme, you can still interact with him. That is networking. We provide that networking. Our former First Vice President, Idorenyen Enang, is on radio everyday, talking about marketing and mentoring people (Enang is the institute’s new president now). How many people have the opportunity to interact with him? The DG of LCCI, and a lot of marketing directors would be there. If I were a young brand manager, I would love such an opportunity to be able to interact with the professionals in the industry. Going to a conference where you are provided networking opportunities, with the crème de la crème of the marketing professionals in Nigeria, I think it’s something that true marketing professionals should embrace. So to repeat, our first priority is voluntary compliance, and at the end of the day, if people don’t comply voluntarily, then we would be left with no option than to enforce the law. And after two years of persuasion, discussion with ADVAN, NECA and writing to the companies, we thought it had come to a time to show them that look this is not about whether you like it or not. It is the law of the federation of Nigeria. Eventually 2019, we started what I can call an enforcement drive. And in fairness, many of them responded. Interestingly, the moment the case got to court and was published in the newspapers, I couldn’t rest. Those listed were asking me for the way out. I think just before COVID, we had five that were formally charged to court. But beyond that, the Registrar is compiling the list of people that would be written to next. So, whoever comes in as the next president, will drive that.

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Akpan Hogan Ekpo NITDA Engages Industry Stakeholders Centre Organises Lecture on Policy Development Peter Uzoho The Center for Public Policy has announced the third annual Birthday lecture in honour of Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo, a former Vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo and renowned Professor of Economics and Public Policy.

The lecture will hold on Friday June 25th, 2021, at the main campus of the University of Uyo. According to a statement, the guest lecturer would be Dr. Obadiaha Mailafia, who is a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a Development Economist and political philosopher.

The topic for the event is: “Insecurity and Economic Development in Nigeria.”

The lecture would have two discussants: Dr. Asikpo Essien-Ibok, a political scientist and Prof. Andem Ayara, an economist and former

Deputy Vice-chancellor of the University of Calabar. The Vice-chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo will be the Chief Host.

“The public is invited.

It is expected that leading political figures and public policy analysts are expected to attend,” the statement added.

Ekpo is one of the foremost economists in Nigeria and Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Research and Training. He was the immediate Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), pioneer Vice-chancellor of the Akwa Ibom State University and former Vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo (Federal) as well as a former Non-Executive Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Centre for Public Policy was conceived by his former students, friends and family and named after him.

Emma Okonji As part of efforts by the federal government to grow the nation’s economy through digital technologies, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has made a second presentation of Nigeria Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startup Policy (NDIESP) for further review and additional input.

The effort, according to NITDA, was in line with National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria.

NDIESP is made up of six priority thrusts namely: Advancing Human Capital, Unlocking Access to Capital, Enabling Infrastructure, Boosting Demand, Supporting Research

and Development, and Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship.

It was formulated to achieve a digital innovation and entrepreneurship driven nation that would become a norm that focuses on seeing improvement in the areas of digital technologies.

As the nation exited from recession, the NDIESP proposes that digital innovation and entrepreneurship would help fast track the recovery of other traditional economic sectors by supporting the provision and adoption of indigenous and tailor-made solutions for nationwide implementation of the policy through automation, smart processes and ICT solutions. It seeks to align with stakeholders’ vision in government, innovation-

driven enterprises, consumers of innovation, technology start-ups, innovation hubs and labs, investors, academia, funding agencies, civil society organisations, service providers, and others.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, while making his presentation at the stakeholders’ engagement forum, organised by the agency, disclosed that the idea behind the formulation of the policy was to bring to the table, different and innovative approaches in realizing President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for the country.

“The reason we gathered is to present a reviewed draft National Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy for the second time which has the

primary objective of digital transformation of our economy with the potential of boosting economic growth and economic diversification. This is a task that requires all hands to be on deck,” according to Abdullahi, who was represented by the Director of ITIS, Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi.

He said for digital transformation to become a reality, Nigeria must pay attention to harness the quality and the relevance of its population, while it continues to maintain the 60:40 ratio of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students in universities, adding that more attention should be paid to the curricular that are being used to teach and how relevant they are to the digital economy.

Standard Chartered Launches Sustainable Supply Chain Benchmarking Tool Companies can now benchmark the resilience and sustainability of their supply chains, based on comparisons with peers across regions and sectors, using a new sustainable supply chain benchmarking tool developed

by Standard Chartered.

The Supply Chain Performance Indicator allows companies to do a “health check” on their operations and highlights which areas they need to focus on to achieve their aspirations.

The assessment is based on five indicators: environmental soundness and transparency of direct suppliers and of indirect or deep-tier suppliers; financial robustness; flexibility and adaptability; and collaboration and connectedness throughout the ecosystem.

According to a statement, clients can use the results to identify their areas of weakness and seek advice and solutions from the bank to help achieve their goals.

“The issues exposed by COVID-19 have prompted companies to rethink their supply chains, as the world looks to build back a more sustainable global economy.

“The tool is developed based on insights from Critical indicators of sustainable supply chains, the bank’s report which surveyed close to 1,000 global companies, and looked at the resilience and sustainability of supply chains across regions and sectors based on the same five indicators - it also offers actionable insights for companies.

“While 90 per cent of the respondents said sustainability and resilience are strategic imperatives, the survey revealed a significant gap: nearly two thirds of companies said their actual performance lags the importance they place on meeting each of the indicators,” it added.

Other key highlights include:

environmental and social practices in the supply chain may potentially be a major source of risk.

It noted that only 40 per cent of those surveyed indicated confidence that they perform highly when understanding and monitoring environmental standards and labour practices.

Others include indirect or deep-tier suppliers appear to be the weakest link, which showed that only 43 per cent of companies view environmental soundness and transparency of indirect suppliers as highly important.

“Financial resilience of supply chains is uncertain – only two in five companies view providing finance to indirect suppliers as highly important.

“Around 80 per cent of companies are deploying technology solutions to address supply chain challenges.

“While the findings show that there is much to be done, the report also highlighted a strong willingness among respondents to work with their financial institutions to address the gaps.

“They will need to expand their approach to supply chain management beyond operational efficiency, to improve their flexibility and financial robustness, while also managing ESG-related risks.

“This includes enhancing access to finance for more financially resilient supply chains, particularly for lower tier suppliers who often do not get adequate financing; by making trade finance transactions more transparent and secure for better supply chain visibility; and by driving the adoption of sustainable practices across entire supply chains,” it added.

Commenting on the new initiative, the CEO of Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking & CEO, Europe & Americas, Standard Chartered,

20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

L-R: Chief Technology Officer, VDT Communications, Mr. Victor Omoyeni; Head, Group Internal Audit, Mr. Bolaji Amure; Chief Operating Officer, Enterprise Sales, Mrs. Bimbo Ikumariegbe; Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi; Chief Operating Officer, Wholesale and Retail Sales, Dr. Horsfall Onamari and Head, Finance and Account, Mr. Adewale Akinade, during a media briefing organised by VDT Communications to announce its 20th anniversary celebration in Lagos...recently

‘Twitter Ban Poses Huge Threat to Businesses, Investment’ Raheem Akingbolu Players in the marketing communications industry have expressed fear that the ban on Twitter may draw back businesses still wriggling out of the challenges posed by the COVID-19.

They also pointed out that the ban may send the wrong signal to foreign investors, thereby causing unemployment and other economic challenges.

To this end, the practitioners, who expressed their views differently, have urged the federal government to rescind the ban

on the social media platform in the interest of established and startups.

Speaking on the issue, the president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Steve Babaeko called on the federal government to rescind the ban on twitter, so as to avoid further constraints faced by businesses in the country.

Speaking on a national television, the AAAN President said going by the current unemployment rate in the country, the continuous ban on twitter will exacerbate the unemployment situation as well as reduce

investment flow into the ICT value-chain.

Babaeko also said with a chunk of media spend on Twitter, media agencies and digital agencies would continue to lose revenue if the government refuse to lift the ban.

Meanwhile, in an interview with THISDAY, the Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Lagos State chapter, Segun MacMedal, said the timing of the ban on twitter was wrong, given the fact that businesses are just readjusting after over a year of lockdown.

“While I’m not trying to make

a case for Twitter, I think the government ought to consider, first, the impact the ban will have on businesses. During the lockdown, smart businesses leveraged social media to deepen penetration.

“For players in the marketing communications industry, twitter and other social media platforms instantly became major vehicles to drive campaigns. After the lockdown, more businesses have incorporated social media into their marketing processes and strategies. The recent ban has thus limited the options and I think this is not the best,” he stated.

‘Housing People in Informal Sector Crucial to Nigeria’s Economy’ Bennett Oghifo Housing is basic to all human beings, and it reflects positively on the society and economy if it is descent and within the reach of majority of the people.

Most housing developers cater to clients in the formal sector of the economy, particularly those whose income is measurable and regular. They strictly avoid

all other groups on account of fear of payment default.

Regardless, a few realtors have been able to cross that threshold, having seen the economy in building for people in the informal sector, most of whom are trustworthy.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Homes, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, he has struggled in the last 11

years to build for those in the so called bottom of the ladder.

Discussing the impact his firm has on households and the economy, Adeyemi said, “For 11 years, one of the things that gives us joy and a sense of fulfillment is when we see dreams realised in terms of people aspiring to have their own homes and we are the vehicle through which such dreams are realised.

“We are privileged to be one of the people that help people to nurture dreams. We have been able to help vulcanisers, teachers, roadside mechanics and other people in that class own a home of their own. These people achieve their dreams through the after sales service we offer. It gives us joy seeing these people become landlords and landladies.

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IMAGES

L-R: Secretary to the Edo State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie; Governor Godwin Obaseki; and the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, when the governor visited the demolition site of 30 lock-up stores built at Iyekogba Housing Estate in Benin City...recently

; L-R :Son of the deceased, Jubril Olanipekun; Chief Moyo Adewuyi, , South West PDP Chairman, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; Widow, Alhaja Khadijat Olanipekun and Malik Olanipekun (son), at the 18th year remembrance prayers for Chief Ajibola Olanipekun, (SAN), at his residence in lbadan Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja ..... recently

Pastor David Olanrewaju (left) and Pastor David Adedeji, during their graduatin ceremony at the Trinity Bible School (TBS), International Headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.... recently

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister ofLabour and Employment Sen Chris Ngige and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Developments, Sabo Nanono as President Buhari Inaugurates National Steering Committee on Poverty Reduction in State House Abuja..recently

Chairman, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Mr Habu Ahmed Gumel; Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi; Chairman, Caretaker Committee Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Mr Francis Orbih, and Deputy Director, Ministry of Sport, Mrs Okpara Tetlia during the handing over ceremonyof80BadmintonRacketstotheBadmintonFederationofNigeriainAbuja...recently AYO AJAYI

L-R: Iyaloja, Tejuosho Ultra-modern Market Phase 2, Alhaja Iyabode Amisu; GM, Tejuosho Property & Development Company (TPDC) Ltd. Mr. Edward Stevenson; President, Silverbird Group, Mr. Guy Murray-Bruce; Babaloja, Tejuosho Ultra-modern Market Phase 2, Eze (Dr.) Okechukwu Anorue and GM, Cinemas (West Africa), Mr. Franson Davis during the signing of contract for the establishment of Silverbird Cinema at Tejuosho Shopping Mall, Abuja....recently

L-R:Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya; Managing Director, Leadway Assurance, ; L-R: Traffic Assistant II, Zone 12, Alausa, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rukayat Mohammed; Assistant Mr Tunde Hassan-Odukale; Head Donor Recruitment, Lagos Blood Transfusion Committee, Mrs Olayinka Animashaun;and President, Head of Sales, Amber Energy Drink, Korede Omole; Sales Representative, Owie Osagie and Sales Representative, Amber Energy REPPLAW Blood Donation Centre, Dr. Gbolahan Diya, during a blood donation exercise at Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service to Drink, Oluwagbesan Damilola, during the CSR initiative of Amber Energy Drink to mark its one year anniversary in Lagos...recently launch the Leadway Health blood donation drive, in commemoration of World Blood Donor Day... recently KOLAWOLE ALLI

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ , JUNE 24, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Call to Integrate Smoking Cessation into National Healthcare Delivery Systems In commemoration of the ‘2021 World No Tobacco Day’, themed ‘Commit to Quit’, the Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa in collaboration with The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research harped on the need to integrate smoking cessation into the country’s healthcare delivery system. Sunday Ehigiator reports

A

nnually, May 31 marks the celebration of ‘World No Tobacco Day’. The celebration is aimed at informing the public on the risks associated with tobacco use, and what individuals can do to claim their constitutional right to a healthy environment.

The theme for this year poses a challenge to smokers by encouraging them to ‘commit to quit’ smoking. And it was in line with the theme that Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring (ATIM) also called for the integration of smoking cessation into the country’s healthcare delivery system.

In his address, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said the theme for the year was significant in view of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smokers.

According to him, “research has shown that COVID impacts are more precarious for smokers who are already susceptible to lung damage due to smoking. The studies suggest that there is a higher incidence of severe lung complications for smokers who contract COVID as compared to non-smokers.

“A scientific brief released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this year goes further to show that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death from COVID-19. In view of these findings, it is safe to conclude that smoking cessation has major health benefits for smokers.

“The benefits which can be either instantaneous or over time include reduction in the likelihood of developing cancers, heart attack, stroke, chronic lung disease, hospitalisations, and deaths from COVID-19. By committing to quit, smokers will not only secure health benefits, but also financial gains that come with the redirection of money that would otherwise have been spent on purchase of tobacco products for productive use. When you quit, you win.”

According to the WHO the benefits of quitting smoking are immediate and also long term. According to WHO, within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, the heart rate and blood pressure of a smoker drops; in 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal. Between two to 12 weeks, the circulation improves, and the lung function increases. Between one to nine months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Within one year, the risk of coronary heart disease is

Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi; CAPPA Project Coordinator, Oluchi Robert; and Lecturer, University College Hospital Ibadan, Dr. Francis Fagbule, at the commemoration of ‘2021 World No Tobacco Day’ (WNTD2021)

about half that of a smoker.

In five years, stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker, in 10 years, the risk of having a lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker and the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decreases.

The world health body likewise noted that in 15 years after quitting smoking, the risk of coronary heart disease becomes that of a nonsmoker.

Oluwafemi continued that for Nigeria, the WNTD2021 presents an opportunity to reflect on our peculiar situation with regards to tobacco control.

“In as much as we join the global call encouraging smokers to quit, we must equally highlight the fact that the environment required to make this happen in Nigeria has not been created.”

He lamented the delay in the enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019, which according to him, “can make that environment a reality.”

He said this delay has created loopholes that the tobacco industry exploits to further their business interests.

“Noticeably, they now target kids as replacement

smokers by their flouting of the ban on tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorships in the entertainment and media sectors.”

Oluwafemi likewise condemned the glamourisation of smoking in movies and product placement, as he claimed that there was an “assumed worrying proportions as evidenced in the production of movies in indigenous languages with a high prevalence of unnecessary smoking scenes.”

He therefore concluded that the Nigerian government must exploit all the available options to protect the next generation of Nigerian kids from taking up nicotine addiction and assist current smokers to quit.

“And for this to happen we urge the Nigerian government to integrate smoking cessation, awareness and counseling into the National Healthcare delivery systems, comprehensively enforce the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019 without delay.”

He also urged the government to “enforce a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorships, enforce graphic health warnings on tobacco packs, enforce the ban of the sale of tobacco products to underage, increase taxes on tobacco products to make them

less affordable, and operationalise the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF).”

In a brief remark, ATIM Director, Prof. Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, said, “Smoking cessation has major health benefits for women and men of all ages, regardless of their health status. The benefits are immediate (from minutes after the last cigarette), and long-lasting (accrue over 20 years). They include a reduction in the risk for lung cancer and other cancers, heart attack, stroke, chronic lung disease and, with possibly the most recent benefit, being reduced risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and death from COVID-19.”

He said by committing to quit, smokers will not only reap health benefits, but also financial benefits such as increased savings on money spent on purchase of cigarettes.

“Those of low socio-economic status unfortunately spend significantly more on cigarettes and hence deepening poverty.”

He however concluded that the full implementation of the Nigerian tobacco control law would create an enabling environment for smoking cessation, “as smokers trying to quit will not be exposed to any form of advertisement, which may serve as cues to resuming smoking and hence relapse.”

Mastercard,AfricaCDCLaunchInitiativetoAcquireCOVID-19 Vaccine for 50 MillionPeople Ayodeji Ake The MasterCard Foundation has announced it will deploy $1.3 billion over the next three years in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent.

According to the President and CEO of the MasterCard Foundation, Reeta Roy, Saving

Lives and Livelihoods initiative will acquire vaccines for at least 50 million people, support the delivery of vaccinations to millions more across the continent, lay the groundwork for vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a focus on human capital development, and strengthen the Africa CDC. “Ensuring equitable access and delivery of vaccines across Africa is urgent. This initiative is about valuing all lives and accelerating the economic recovery of the

continent. In the process, this initiative will catalyze work opportunities in the health sector and beyond as part of our Young Africa Works strategy.

“The African Union’s goal as set out in the African COVID-19 vaccine development and access strategy is to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population approximately 750 million people or the entire adult population of the continent by the end of 2022.

To date, less than two percent of Africans have received at least

one vaccine dose” she said.

The Director of the Africa CDC, Dr. John Nkengasong, said the new partnership will build on the efforts of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access facility (COVAX), the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and the global community to expand access to vaccines across Africa.

“Ensuring inclusivity in vaccine access, and building Africa’s capacity to manufac-

ture its own vaccines, is not just good for the continent, it’s the only sustainable path out of the pandemic and into a health-secure future, this partnership with the MasterCard Foundation is a bold step towards establishing a new public health order for Africa, and we welcome other actors to join this historic journey.

“In 2020, Africa faced its first economic recession in 25 years due to the pandemic. The African Development Bank has warned

that COVID-19 could reverse hard-won gains in poverty reduction over the past two decades and drive 39 million people into extreme poverty in 2021.

“Widespread vaccination is recognised as being critical to the economic recovery of African countries. The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration between the MasterCard Foundation and the Africa CDC to expand access to testing kits and enhance surveillance capacity in Africa”

WSCDay:Obi Celebrates with APLSCD, Mourns Dead Victims The Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has commemorated the World Sickle Cell Day with the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, wherein he encouraged them not to despair in

life due to their health condition, but keep pushing through life with joy and enthusiasm.

Obi who joined the association to mark the day at Madonna Catholic Church, Agulu, with a Holy Mass in honour of the victims of the sickle cell disorder,

explained that more efforts need to be made in creating awareness of the scourge of sickle cell disorder so as to stamp it out of society.

He noted that the scourge is an avoidable pain, which if intending couples are well informed and

guided, would be forestalled.

Mourning the dead victims, Obi mentioned to the association that having a Sickle Cell Disorder is not a death sentence, if carefully managed.

He therefore introduced them to a pain management profes-

sional, the Founder of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Gubernatorial Candidate in Anambra State, Dr Godwin Maduka, who promised to render his assistance when needed.

In her speech, the National Coordinator, Association of People

Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, Aisha Edwards, explained that this year’s International Sickle Cell Day meant a lot to them, as it afforded them the opportunity to mourn their members who had fallen under the weight of the painful disorder.

T H I S D AY ˾ , JUNE 24, 2021

33

NEWS

Nigeria Has Highest Prevalent Rate of Sickle Cell Worldwide, Says FG Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË The federal government has said Nigeria currently ranks highest in rate of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the whole world ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo and India.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said the country has an estimated 25 percent of her adult population being carriers of defective S-gene.

Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic (hereditary) disorder that occurs when an individual has inherited two mutant (abnormal) haemoglobin (Hb) genes from both parents, at least one of which is HbS and the resulting symptoms and signs are due to abnormality in the shape of red blood cells.

In sickle cell disease, red blood cells are deformed (taken the shape of “sickle”), rigid and fragile and by reason of this being unable to sufficiently carry out their normal functions, notably oxygen delivery.

Ehanire said that available record showed that Sickle Cell Disease affects nearly 100 million people in the world and is also responsible for over 50 per cent of deaths in those with the most severe form of the disease (Hb SS).

The Minister said that Sickle Cell is the most prevalent genetic disease in the WHO African region, adding that in many African countries including Nigeria, 10per cent–40 per cent of the population carries the sickle-cell gene resulting in estimated Sickle Cell Disease prevalence of at least two per cent.

In a statement to commemorate the 2021 World Sickle Cell Day, Ehanire said estimated 150,000 affected children are born every year in Nigeria.

“Nigeria currently has the highest burden of Sickle

Cell Disease in the whole World ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo and India, with an estimated 25 per cent of her adult population being carriers of defective S-gene.

“WHO in 2015 estimated that two per cent of newborns in Nigeria are affected by sickle cell anaemia, giving a total of about 150,000 affected children born every year. About 50 per cent–80 per cent of the estimated 150,000 infants born yearly with SCD in Nigeria die before the age of five years and those that manage to survive suffer end-organs damage which shortens their lifespan including stroke,” he said.

According to Ehanire, “the situation in the region also indicates that national policies and plans are inadequate; appropriate facilities and trained personnel are scarce; adequate diagnostic tools and treatment are insufficient for the prevention and control of the disease”.

The minister noted that Sickle Cell Disease is among the top five non-communicable diseases (NCDs) significantly contributing to maternal, neonatal, infant and child disability, morbidity and mortality which may negatively undermine the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 3 and 4.

Ehanire said the commemoration of the day provided a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the increasing burden of the disease and to eliminate the negative notion associated with it as well as building synergy with civil society organisations, international institutions and development partners towards the prevention, control and management SCD in Nigeria.

In recognition of the huge burden of SCD in Nigeria, the minister said govern-

ment has instituted several strategic Interventions to address the challenges of the disease through the Federal Ministry of Health.

He said some of the strategic interventions included: six centres of excellence for the control and management of SCD were established across Nigeria one in each geo-political zones with each equipped with necessary facilities and staff to serve as a hub for newborn screening.

National guidelines for the prevention, control and management of Sickle Cell Disease.

Other government Interventions include; the establishment of the Multisectorial Action Program (MSAP) Technical Committee involving different MDAs in addressing the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria, advocacy and mass mobilisation for awareness creation on SCD and the importance of genetic counselling.

“The Federal Ministry of Health ongoing validation study for the use of Point of Care Screening Test (POCT) kit for early identification and diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease in of new-born, children and adult at all levels of care in Nigeria.

“Harmonisation of the various Sickle Cell Disease Bills pending at the National Assembly to increase Government attention for the prevention, control and management of SCD in the country within the framework of Non-Communicable Diseases control programme as part of UN-WHO strategy for the prevention, control and management of SCD. “Government current plan for the immediate future includes the revitalisation and re-positioning of the six zonal Sickle Cell Disease centres for improved Sickle Cell Disease service delivery and access to care for those living with the disease.”

Lagos Residents to Benefit from BOSKOH Free Surgeries Ayodeji Ake As the third Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat Healthcare Mission International (BOSKOH), commenced last weekend with volunteers’ training, Lagos residents will benefit from free surge r i e s .

This was disclosed b y Wi f e o f t h e L a g o s State G o v e r n o r, D r.

Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, at the training of over 500 volunteers.

Sanwo-Olu, who commended the BOSKOH team and its leadership for being at the forefront of providing healthcare to Lagos residents, added that the BOSKOH program for 2021 has been themed ‘Jigi Bola R e l a u n c h ’ .

D r. S a n w o - O l u , w h o was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Mrs Bandele Sinatu Fadipe, also commended the volunteers for being vessels to bring assistance to the people.

In her welcome address, the Executive Director, BOSKOH Lagos, Mrs. Nike Osa, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Hamzat, founders of the initiative, for their commitment to the mission and supporting it wholeheartedly from the first edition.

She added that the mission’s focus is to ensure that people unable to afford medical care get treatment free through its immediate intervention.

Mrs Osa also charged the

volunteers to give their best during the outreach commencing later this month, assuring that they would get all their benefits.

The ED further disclosed that the 2021 edition will be digitally driven to make patient registration and record-keeping seamless.

The participants were trained on volunteering and the essential qualities of a volunteer, infection prevention control during COVID-19 and Community Entry and Engagement rudiments.

The session also had Mental Health Awareness advocates who trained the volunteers on the importance of healthy mental living and the use of the newly developed BOSKOH Application.

FERTILITY

Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

Common Misconceptions and Myths About Infertility and in Vitro Fertilisation (Part 3)

hen people have a successful surgery, they proudly discuss it in social gatherings. However, there is a problem even with uttering the word IVF. According to statistics, only 10% to 20% of IVF patients are completely open with their families about wanting to conceive a baby through Assisted Reproductive Techniques. There is still a misconception that babies born through these procedures are unnatural and the society is not very forthcoming towards such couples.

W

your research and make an informed decision.

Most centres offer the first appointment free to assist potential client get information and make informed choices

Myth 14: Frozen Embryos Are Less Effective Than Fresh Embryos Fact: The success rates of embryo transfers have been significantly improved by freezing technology.

Moreover, many studies have found that frozen transfers of embryos have enhanced pregnancy results, including term delivery and increased birth weights. Success rates for frozen embryo transfers are higher in patients who respond well to medications and are at risk of hyper stimulation during their fresh cycle. National Success levels for frozen embryo transfers match those for fresh embryo transfers in many specialist centers with proper freezing techniques and skilled embryologists.

Myth 19: The Final Fertility Option That Can Resolve All Infertility Issues is IVF Facts: For couples struggling with fertility, there are a number of prospective routes to parenthood.

Medication to stimulate ovulation, surgery to unblock a fallopian tube, is often efficient. The form of the treatment relies on the history of therapy for fertility, the age and health of the patient.

IVF is only one of numerous fertility treatments option, not every case is the same.

There are many Assisted Reproductive procedures available today and IVF is just one of them. There are some other less invasive fertility treatments such as cycle tracking ovulation induction (OI) with medications, Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI), etc. which can help childless couples conceive and experience the joy of successful parenthood.

Myth 20: Children Born by IVF Will Need to Do IVF When They Plan to Have Their Own Children in the future Fact: This is false as Louis Brown the first baby ever born by the process of IVF has had her own two children by natural conception and did not require IVF. It is important to encourage couples to come out and talk about their fears and apprehensions, which will help them overcome this mental block. This can be done by introducing the concept of support groups and peer groups as in the West where people who have already had children through these techniques discuss and talk to would-be parents about their doubts and anxieties. Lifelink Fertility Clinic through the Lifelink Haven works with partners to build such networks/groups where couples can access information and peer opinions from couples who had infertility issues and have successfully delivered their own children. These can help them make empowered choices about safe, effective techniques and take informed decision of starting or expanding their families.

The world of infertility and fertility treatments can be overwhelming. There are indeed a lot of misconceptions out there, and some sources of data invalidate others. When it comes to the topic of fertility treatments, it is always best not to let common myths and misconceptions influence your decision making. Educating yourself on the facts about IVF, understanding the success rate and consulting with a fertility specialist about your options is the best way to make an informed decision about the fertility treatment that works best for you to achieve your dream of successful parenthood.

Myth 15: IVF Procedures Require Hospital Admission and Long Days of Rest and Inactivity Fact: The hospital admission is only for few hours during the egg-collection (ER) procedure.

It is a same day case procedure. The embryo transfer (ET) is only a few minutes procedure with patient consciously awake. There is no scientific evidence showing inactivity post ET increases pregnancy rate so patients are advised to continue their normal daily routine Myth 16: The Success Rate for IVF Is 100% Fact: Unfortunately, despite significant technological advancement since it started in 1978, IVF is not successful 100% of the time. Average success rates rely on the mother’s age group. Also, the success rate of IVF depends on factors such as age, cause of infertility, and biological and hormonal conditions. IVF success rate for women under the age of 35 is approximately 37%-40% after a single cycle. For females between 35 and 37, this falls to 30% and for females between 38 and 40 about 20% with less for women over 40. Success rates, however, increases for those undergoing various cycles or various embryo transfers in a back to back cumulative process rising up to 60% chance for patients irrespective of their age.

Though IVF is not a 100%, it has been proven to be a very effective treatment option for families who want to get pregnant.

Myth17: IVF Outcome Is the Same across All IVF Clinics Fact: There is quite a variance in the success rates of clinics. It is important to look out for a clinic that has a proven history, proven success rates, leading technology, and purpose built facilities, modern equipment, good communication, highly qualified fertility doctors / specialists and embryologist. We encourage you to do

Myth 18: IVF Is Only For Younger Couples Facts: Although age is a factor that determines fertility, this procedure can be as effective in ladies in the post-menopausal group as in younger ones.

In the older age group, donor eggs from younger females are used. And success rates have been found to be very comparative.

References/Sources: Biotechin Asia,Repromed Au,shady groove.

34

T H I S D AY ˾ , JUNE 24, 2021

NEWS

St Nicholas HospitalPartnersRRMG to IntroduceRegenerativeOrthopedic Ugo Aliogo St Nicholas Hospital recently partnered Rogers Regenerative Medical Group (RRMG) to introduce Regenerative Orthopedic Therapies in Nigeria in order for patients suffering from osteoarthritis, spine pain, nerve spasms and musculoskeletal conditions live a pain-free life without undergoing surgical treatment.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos to announce the commencement of the medical procedure in Nigeria, Consultant Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeon at St. Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Ishaq Ojodu, said a large number of Nigerians suffer from spine or joint pains, arthritis or osteoarthritis, muscle and nerve spasms, tennis elbow, tendinopathy and musculoskeletal conditions.

He stated that many of these patients cannot withstand surgical treatment, with other therapies not giving solution to relieve them of the pains; adding that they live with those conditions for the rest of their lives.

Ojodu hinted that some of

these patients travel oversees to seek care, thereby contributing to the amount lost to medical tourism in the country.

He further explained that to address the issue, the hospital collaborated with RRMG to commence regenerative orthopedic medicine, which is the first in Nigeria.

Ojodu added: “This process is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical orthopedic treatments to patients for the fortification and healing of injuries to the skeleton, muscle, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues in the body.”

In his remarks, Consultant, Regenerative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, London, Dr. Ralph Rogers, said through regenerative orthopedics, personalised treatment methods are employed to utilise the body’s recuperative systems to help correct orthopedic injuries while avoiding the need for surgery.

According to Rogers, “the treatment include: Lipogems, a procedure that uses processed fat cells taking from the fat-depots in the body and injected to painful areas;

Tenex - a minimally invasive technology designed to treat long-standing tendon pains; Platelet-Rich Plasma, which makes use of the concentrated platelets derived from spinning the blood of the patient, to treat the affected areas.

“Other procedures are: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy - the delivery of shock-waves from the ultrasound to the injured tissue; Radio-Frequency Ablative Therapy, which involves the use of radiofrequency energy to treat painful nerves and Cellular Matrix - an injection of the combination of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Growth factors to affected tissue.”

He added that the procedure does not require general anesthesia and overnight stay in the hospital, adding that the aim is to ensure people life a pain free life in Nigeria.

Speaking on reducing medical tourism, the Chief Financial Officer, St. Nicholas Hospital, Mr. Diran Famakinwa, said the cost of healthcare in Nigeria is expensive, as 80 per cent of the country’s population still pay out-of-pocket, while a few number has health insurance.

He noted as a medical institution geared towards ensuring healthcare services are accessible by all Nigerians regardless of status, the hospital has engaged serval measures

to ensure healthcare services are delivered to patients at reasonable and affordable cost.

Famakinwa maintained that as part of the measures to ensure the regenerative orthopedic medicine is made available to all Nigerians, the hospital has engaged Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to improve their coverage, as wells as the hospital’s charity arm to provide financial support for patients.

Earlier in his address, the Clinical Director and Nephrologist, St. Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, said Nigeria has an aging population who are developing degenerative diseases, which is why the

hospital has introduced new modality of managing these diseases in the country.

He said the hospital is poised to deliver sustainable interventions in the area of orthopedic healthcare in Nigeria and the world at large, especially in resolving joint pains for patients.

Continuing, Bamgboye posited that “the hospital will continue to serve the healthcare needs of its community by providing comprehensive care to prevent illness, relieve suffering, restore health and promote wellbeing during each life stage through advanced procedures and modern technology within available resources.”

Drinking Coffee of Any Type Cuts Risk for Liver Problems, Says Study

MTN Partners Fintech to Drive Universal Health Coverage Vanessa Obioha Leading telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria (MTNN) recently signed a partnership agreement with health fintech company, CarePay Nigeria to jointly grow health insurance coverage among millions of Nigerians.

Through the partnership, MTN subscribers will connect to CarePay’s digital ‘healthcare marketplace’ to significantly improve access to affordable quality healthcare in Nigeria.

Over the next few weeks, both parties will collaborate with accredited health insurers and healthcare providers to roll out a digital ‘healthcare marketplace’ accessible via web and app, for distribution and administration of a wide range of retail health schemes encompassing innovative bundled health schemes as well as traditional health insurance plans.

“We consider this important partnership as fundamental to improving Nigeria’s health indices by improving access to affordable quality healthcare for all Nigerians,” said CarePay Nigeria’s Executive Chairman, Amaechi Ndili.

“With the convergence of various technologies including mobile telephony, cloud, internet, data and AI, it is inevitable that these convergences will work to the benefit of the entire healthcare ecosystem.

“MTNN’s strong brand and reach combined with CarePay’s proven healthcare technology provides the perfect, trust-based platform that allows seamless transactions between patients, healthcare providers and health insurers.”

Many Nigerians lack awareness about the benefits and importance of health insurance coverage. The distribution of health insurance products in Nigeria is inefficient and costly.

This leads to millions of Nigerians, mostly those

within the informal sector, having no health coverage whatsoever – relying mostly on cash payments at point of care, consequently delaying access to care, or resorting to poor quality substitutes due to lack of resources.

Furthermore, millions of Nigerians are pushed into poverty each year due to catastrophic healthcare expenditure.

The partnership will leverage CarePay’s health benefits management platform, which is already widely used by over five million users and over 4,000 healthcare providers in Nigeria and Kenya, and MTNN’s ‘last mile’ capabilities as a leading mobile network operator, to achieve improved awareness and efficient distribution of health insurance products to all Nigerians, and effective administration of health schemes by healthcare providers and health insurers.

Speaking about the partnership, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria Plc, said, “It gives us so much joy to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible to millions of Nigerians through this partnership.

“By simply dialing a short code, our customers can now access a plethora of health services. Also, stakeholders within the healthcare ecosystem, can extend their services across the country, in an affordable and efficient manner. This is indeed a great leap forward.”

The CarePay platform which was founded in 2015 in Kenya and incorporated in Nigeria in 2018, offers efficiency and transparency of health benefits utilisation and payments, enabling health insurers to grow into new market segments, and for healthcare providers to receive their payments promptly.

Drinking up to three or four cups of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee a day reduces your risk of developing and dying from chronic liver diseases, a new study found.

Coffee drinkers were 21% less likely to develop chronic liver disease, 20% less likely to develop chronic or fatty liver disease, and 49% less likely to die from chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers, according to the study published in the journal BMC Public Health.

“Coffee is widely accessible, and the benefits we see from our study may mean it could offer a potential preventative treatment for chronic liver disease,” said study author Dr. Oliver Kennedy, who is on the medical faculty of the University of Southampton in the UK, in a statement.

“This would be especially valuable in countries with lower income and worse access to healthcare and where the burden of chronic liver disease is highest,” Kennedy said.

Liver Cancer on Rise Risk factors for liver disease include drinking alcohol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, hepatitis B and C infections, and having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is the buildup of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol.

Diagnoses of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which strikes people who are obese, overweight,

or who have diabetes, high cholesterol or high triglycerides, have more than doubled over the past 20 years, according to the American Liver Foundation, affecting up to 25% of Americans.

The rate of liver cancer has more than tripled between 1980 and today, “while the death rates have more than doubled,” according to the American Cancer Society.

Causes of liver cancer include diabetes and nonalcoholic liver disease, as well as excessive drinking or hepatitis B and C infections.

Diagnoses of liver cancer have been on the rise globally for decades -- a 2018 study found a 75% increase in cases worldwide between 1990 and 2015.

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, according to the World Cancer Research Fund, with some 83% of cases occurring in less developed countries, especially those in Asia and Africa. Survival rates are poor because there are no early symptoms, so many cases of liver cancer are quite advanced at the time of diagnosis.

Large Study, But Only One Point in Time The study examined coffee consumption among 494,585 participants of the UK Biobank, a biomedical database and research resource, and then followed them for nearly a dozen years.

While the maximum benefit was seen in the group who

drank ground caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, instant coffee drinkers also saw some benefits. Ground coffee has higher levels of kahweol and cafestol, two antioxidants found in coffee beans that have been shown in studies to have anti-inflammatory properties. Cafestol, however, has also been shown to increase bad cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoproteins).

This is not the first study to find health benefits from coffee.

A study published in February found drinking one or more cups of black, caffeinated coffee a day was associated with a long-term reduced risk of heart failure.

Coffee’s also been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, melanoma and other skin cancers, and reduce levels of coronary artery calcium. And a prior study by Kennedy found that drinking coffee reduced the risk of hepatocellular cancer, the most common form of liver cancer. The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which began in 1986, and the Nurses’ Health Study, which started in 1976, have been following the coffee consumption habits of healthy men and women for decades.

“We did not find any relationship between coffee consumption and increased risk of death from any cause, death from cancer, or death from cardiovascular disease.

Even people who drank up to six cups of coffee per day were at no higher risk of death,” wrote Dr. Rob van Dam of Harvard’s School of Health.

Careful of Additives Most studies are done on drinking black coffee. However, many people add dairy, sugars, flavors or nondairy creamers that are high in calories, added sugar and fat. That likely negates any heart-healthy benefits, warns the American Heart Association.

Also, a cup of coffee is only 8 ounces in most studies; the standard “grande” or large cup at some coffee shops is double that at 16 ounces.

Caffeine can be dangerous if consumed in excess by certain populations, research has shown.

High levels of coffee consumption (more than 4 cups) during pregnancy was associated with low birth weight, preterm birth and stillbirths in a 2017 study.

Past studies also suggested people with sleep issues or uncontrolled diabetes should check with a doctor before adding caffeine to their diets.

And, of course, these benefits do not apply to kids. Children and adolescents should not drink colas, coffees, energy drinks or other beverages with any amount of caffeine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. t $VMMFE GSPN $//

35

T H I S D AY ˾ , JUNE 24, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

RebuildingBack The Nigeria Health SystemPost COVID -19 Pandemic –WhereWill The Money Come From?ACaseFor“Sin Taxes” Olumide Okunola

N

igeria like several other countries across the world has identified Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as the goal of its health system. A presidential summit on UHC hosted in 2014 ratified a declaration committing the country to the aspirational ideals of UHC. However, a key determinant of success for countries hoping to achieve UHC is the amount of public financing spent on health.

In this regard, health spending is an investment rather than purely consumption as it strengthens human capital development. Greater public spend on health can help to drive economic growth.

Indeed, several reforms implemented at both national and subnational levels have reinforced the commitment to UHC. Since the UHC summit, the Government of Nigeria (GON) has enacted a National Health Act (NHAct) in 2014 and the National Council on Health has approved policies supporting the creation of entities with the potential to fast track the nation’s UHC agenda. A key provision of the NHAct is the earmarking of additional financing for the health sector through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) which is set up to provide a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services to Nigerians. The BHCPF allocates at least one per cent of the Consolidated Revenues of the Federal Government to the health sector.

Despite improvements on the policy front, health outcomes in Nigeria have not been impressive.

This situation is not unrelated to the abysmally low funding of healthcare at all levels of government.

Public spending on healthcare in Nigeria remains one of the lowest in the world at just 0.6% of GDP. In the absence of adequate spending on health by governments, individuals are left with life changing decisions such as choosing between paying for health services and meeting basic needs such as food, schooling, housing amongst others. This leads to the difficult choice of foregoing health needs, with grave health consequences, or undertaking catastrophic spending on health at the risk of being pushed into poverty. It is noteworthy that in Nigeria, out of pocket (OOP) payments constitute approximately 77 % of payments for healthcare.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on lives and livelihoods following the aggressive outbreak response measures taken to contain the spread of the virus in the country.

Nigeria ranks among the top ten countries most heavily affected by COVID-19 in Africa. The country had over 160,000 cases confirmed with 2,117 deaths as at the time of this publication. There has been substantial disruption to service delivery for both disease control programs and essential health care services, with an increasingly negative impact on health outcomes. Before COVID-19, about 2 million Nigerians were expected to fall into poverty in 2020 as population growth outpaced economic growth. The pandemic has pushed the total new poor to a staggering 8.6 million Nigerians.

Getting over the economic crisis depends on solving the health crisis: The double whammy of the pandemic requires a tough hard look by policymakers at how to manage healthcare spending in a manner that will support Nigeria’s triple dilemma viz maintaining health goals geared towards UHC; controlling COVID-19 and creating & maintaining the conditions for economic recovery. After the expansionary spending during the pandemic, it is standard practice for most governments to take a pro cyclical approach to public financing on health. In this case, government per capita health spending falls as GDP per capita declines, and increases again with improvements in economic growth. Such reductions in government spending on health will be most damaging in a country like Nigeria that has faced severe constraints in health financing characterized by chronically low levels of public health spending and high proportion of out-of-pocket health expenditure.

This paper argues forcefully that given the increasing spending needs in the health sector exacerbated by the current crisis; Nigeria’s best strategic path forward is choosing a countercyclical approach to government health spending. In brief, increasing per-capita expenditures on health. The question then is, where will the money come from?

Dr. Okunola

A case for sin taxes: The ambition of this paper is simply to make the case that this is time to increase taxes specifically on goods that adversely affect health, most notably tobacco, alcohol and sugar sweetened beverages (also known as “sin taxes”). Nigeria has an across the board above-average consumption of these well-known “health bads”.

The consumption of alcohol, tobacco and SSB generates internal costs to the individual consuming the products but also external costs to society. Yet, collectively they present a unique opportunity for the GON to generate revenue that can be earmarked for the health sector. The health impact of high and well-designed taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary beverages is so large that these should be seen primarily as health taxes. Furthermore, there is sufficient head room for increasing and introducing such taxes. At 6 percent, Nigeria has one of the lowest tax to GDP ratios in the world. For example, Nigeria’s tobacco excise rates, at 20 percent, are well below the 75 percent World Health Organization benchmark.

Since the demand for these goods is typically price inelastic, taxing them is an effective revenue raising strategy. In addition, taxation may also be used to induce a change in consumption behavior to reduce social costs. They can be justified by the externalities associated with those consumption goods.

Nigeria is one of the leading tobacco markets in Africa, with over 18 billion cigarettes sold annually, costing Nigerians over US$ 931 million. The prevalence of smoking in the country is rising at about 4% per year. The WHO estimated about 13 million smokers in Nigeria in 2012, with over 16,000 deaths attributable to smoking. In 2015, Nigerians smoked 110 million cigarettes per day, a number reported well before the epidemic of “Shisha” rooms – anecdotally indicating a rise in female and younger smokers. The health consequences of smoking are well documented and the alarming figures from Nigeria only point in one direction – the consequences are well on their way and when they arrive, we will pay a high price. In 2019, Nigerians consumed over 13 liters of alcohol per capita, making it the lead-

ing country on the continent in terms of alcohol consumption per capita. Yet this data does not include locally produced beverages which tend to be cheaper and therefore for accessible than the commercial equivalents. Considering that the world’s average is 6.4 liters per capita, this by itself is a major public health concern. Concomitantly and unsurprisingly, the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in Nigeria is estimated to be about 40% in the population, and 44.4% out of the drinking population. Consistent with abundant research findings is the observed association between smoking and a likely AUD, increasing the health hazards to the affected individuals.

Sugar Sweetened Beverages are one of the main drivers of obesity and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Data indicate that the prevalence of DM in Nigeria is about 6% suggesting that 11.2 million Nigerians (1 out of every 17 adults) are living with the disease. The economic loss from diabetes is astronomical, translating to about $3633 per diabetes case. The direct cost to the payer is about $1154/diabetes case.

From the foregoing, undoubtedly introducing or increasing taxes on health-damaging products reduces their consumption and as a result, lowers long-term morbidity and mortality from a wide range of non-communicable diseases, including lung and cardiovascular diseases, metabolic conditions and cancer, thus protecting human capital. In the long run, reducing the incidence and prevalence of such diseases not only improves population health, it helps to limit cost growth in the health sector, increases sector efficiency, and improves overall labor and economic productivity.

With sin taxes - who gains?

To be clear, sin taxes as advocated in this paper disproportionately benefit the poor. In the first instance when long term health gains are factored in, sin taxes can be expected to deliver most of their benefits to lower-income populations and furthermore, if such taxes are spent on “best buy” packages which ensure that the revenues raised are spent on cost-effective programs, these also positively impact the poor and vulnerable.

Countries that have successfully implemented

sin taxes for health include Philippines, Australia, United States and Korea amongst others and the use of earmarks more broadly is well established in countries like Ghana, which funds its national health insurance program in part by a 2.5% VAT earmarked for this purpose.

Excise revenues, as a proxy for sin tax revenue from tobacco, alcohol and SSB taxes, are significant in relation to government spending on health. In Nigeria, increasing excise tax on alcohol, tobacco and SSBs by 50% could raise additional revenues equivalent to tax-to-GDP ratio on average by 0.7 percentage points, if the additional revenues were allocated to health according to the current levels of prioritization in government spending. As argued earlier, the use of sin taxes has the additional advantage of reducing future health care costs by curbing the growth of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) in the future.

The oft cited claims by manufacturers of these products that taxes, by reducing sales, cause significant job losses misrepresent either the size of the labor force employed in these industries or the way labor markets respond to changing demand patterns. Data on employment figures in the affected industries find no net effect or modest gains after considering job losses from lower consumption and job gains from alternative consumption.

The ongoing pandemic makes the introduction and earmarking of sin taxes for health politically feasible. The potential health benefits make introducing or raising these taxes more politically acceptable than tax increases whose primary or only goal is simply to increase government revenue. In Nigeria, the implementation of the BHCPF presents a transparent system to manage and monitor the impacts of the sin tax earmark.

Clearly, the use of sin taxes and spend package that supports health spending should form a compelling part of the financing armamentarium for Nigeria’s UHC journey and crucially, part of its pandemic response. t0LVOPMB JT B 4FOJPS IFBMUI TQFDJBMJTU XJUI 8PSME #BOL /JHFSJB DBO CF SFBDIFE PO PPLVOPMB!JGD PSH

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͲ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Midwestern Oil Makes Reverse Take-over Offer to San Leon Energy Obinna Chima Midwestern Oil & Gas Limited has made a reverse take-over (RTO) offer to San Leon Energy Plc, an energy company listed in the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

A reliable industry source disclosed to THISDAY that the initial approach for the RTO was done three years ago, adding that the offer appears to be a natural progression from the initial discussions/offer.

“Discussions are now in advanced stages,” the sources added. Those familiar with the deal believe the transaction would

put the companies in good stead to take advantage of the divestment by majors such as Shell, Chevron, Exxon and Agip from the Nigerian market.

Midwestern Oil & Gas Limited, which was established in 1999 to participate in the 2001 Marginal Field Round, was awarded a 70 per cent interest in the Umusadege Field in OML 56, located in the northern area of the Delta State.

Midwestern Oil & Gas is the operator and SunTrust Oil Company Limited holds the other 30 per cent interest in OML 56. Current production from Umusadege is about 16,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), and

remaining 2P Reserves are over 42 million barrels of oil.

Midwestern also holds 8.81 per cent equity interest in the prolific OML 18. It has a 51 per cent ownership in Umugini Pipeline Infrastructure Limited which operates the 12” 51.4km, 45,000 bopd capacity Umugini Oil Pipeline from the OML 56 Cluster Group to the NPDC Eriemu manifold.

The company owns 13 per cent interest in San Leon.

On the other hand, San Leon has a market capitalisation of about $260 million and holds a 5.40 per cent equity interest in OML 18 and a 10 per cent interest in Energy Link Infrastructure (Malta) Limited.

MAP Seeks Upward Review of Prepaid Meters’Prices Peter Uzoho Meter Assets Providers (MAP) in the country have called for an increase in the price of prepaid electricity meters to enable them continue to carry on with their mandate of providing the device to electricity users.

MAPs hinged their call for the increase on the rise in various indices around meter manufacturing including inflation, foreign exchange and others, saying there was urgent need for all stakeholders in the electricity value chain to meet and address the issues at stake.

The MAPs made the call in a communique from their meeting held recently in Lagos and jointly signed by 17 of their member companies. Currently, a three-phase electricity meter costs N82,855.19 while that of

single-phase is N44.896.16.

The subsisting prices of prepaid meters came into effect on June 2020, as announced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The previous prices of prepaid meters were N36, 991 for single-phase and N67,055 for three-phase.

The MAP scheme was created in 2018, by the Federal Ministry of Power under the supervision of the then Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola as a third party body to work with the Distribution Companies (Discos) to ensure effective metering of customers of their assigned Discos.

Currently, two separate metering programmes are in place namely, the MAP scheme and the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), which are running concurrently with the

joint purpose of closing the huge metering gap in the country’s electricity sector.

Furthermore, the MAPs said that there was need to review the price of meters in accordance with the current market fundamentals, adding that when those market fundamentals come down, the meter prices will follow adjust likewise.

According to the communique, “an upward review of the current price of prepaid meter by NERC in view of rising inflation, continued upward movement of foreign exchange rates, associated increases in customs costs, increase in container freight costs, and the disruptions in the international supply chain, leading to a global increase in the prices of raw materials and components for the manufacture of prepaid meters.

Baobab MFB Writes Off N800m for Customers Oluchi Chibuzor Baobab Microfinance Bank Limited has revealed it has written off about N800 million for its customers in-form of interest and penalties for those that were adversely affected by the pandemic.

This is just as the bank disclosed that its share capital unimpaired loss stood at N4.7 billion as at the December 31, 2021.

Disclosing this during a chat with journalists in Lagos, recently, the Managing Director, Baobab MFB, Dr. Kazeem Olarenwaju, said the company was well positioned to meet the recapitalisation deadline despite forfeiting about N800 million in profits.

He also said more than 80 per cent of the bank’s customers are back to business because of the support from the bank.

“In this process the bank has

written off about N800 million.

Now we have gotten to the point of meeting our recapitalisation and you can imagine if we insist on making that money that would have added to our profit so that we can say we have hit five billion naira,” he explained.

He, however, revealed that the bank since inception has disbursed over N100 billion to over 240, 000 customers with only 23,000 accounting for less than three per cent of its loan books or Portfolio At Risk (PAR).

“As of today, we have only less than two per cent in our loan books, meaning that some of the opportunities we gave to our customers are working.

Earlier, we wrote off all the penalties, parts of the interest, and in some cases we tried to enhance loans even when they have fully paid,” he said.

He added: “Everything put together so far this year tells us by projection that by the end of October, 2021, we would have hit and surpassed N5 billion.

“If in an event something that is unlikely happens, shareholders have agreed that by the end of this year if we are unable to meet the recapitalisation level

by December, by January they will put in extra equity to push it to N5 billion. But I am not sure that would be necessary,” he added.

On his part, the Chief Risk Officer, Baobab MFB, Tunde Omolere, maintained that despite the fact that the bank had to write off the loan, it is not exposed to any risk.

“This year alone we have been able to recover N80 million; some of them are actually paying back now they are settled because you cannot go to another bank until you lay the last kobo,” he added.

Sterling Bank, Firm Partner on Agric Industry Report Sterling Bank Plc in partnership with StearsData, has released an in-depth report for the agriculture sector in Nigeria.

A statement explained that the report titled, ‘Agriculture Industry Report 2021,’ provides up-to-date view of the challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s agriculture sector in a COVID-19 era. The four-part report critically examines the country’s agriculture value chain state, state of affairs post-

COVID-19, the climate change challenge and opportunities for innovations and investments.

Group Head of Agric Finance and Solid Mineral at Sterling Bank, Bukola Awosanya, said the industry report empowers players in the agriculture sector with a navigation roadmap. And affirms Sterling Bank’s commitment to de-risking and making the domestic agriculture value chain more viable for commercial

lending.

“The goal of the report is to help investors and operators understand the challenges facing the sector, consider recommendations by experts, and become aware of relevant opportunities, both now and in the future. It would empower them to support policymakers to craft policies that would create the enabling environment that the sector needs to thrive,” Awosanya added.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͰͰ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $73.13 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $72.45 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Chaka Receives SEC’s Fintech Licence, to Boost Market Inclusion Goddy Egene Digital investment platform, Chaka, has received a digital platform licence from the Securities Exchange Commission of Nigeria (SEC), in line with measures to ensure regulatory compliance.

This makes Chaka the first recipient of the newly created licence by the SEC, as part of the commission’s efforts to foster regulation within the

investment-tech space, to ensure the safety of the investing public while encouraging innovation within the sector.

Commenting on the new licence acquisition, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Chaka Technologies, Tosin Osibodu, said: “We are honoured to be the foremost fintech company to receive SEC’s first fintech licence in Nigeria, the Digital Sub-Broker licence. For us, this is an important step towards

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

achieving our vision to level the playing field for African investors, and a defining moment for the future of digital investments in Nigeria, and Africa at large. Receiving this new licence will enable us to continue to power on our mission to enable digital investing for businesses and individuals in the country and beyond.”

According to him, as Nigeria remains an attractive hive for fintech innovation, this new

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

licence from the SEC is the muchneeded guide to help safeguard the investing public amid the ever-evolving landscape.

“This license represents a significant milestone for all players within this industry, and we are confident that it will strengthen efforts towards fostering further growth and transformation. We are proud to set this precedent and are excited for the long-term impact of this new regulation and what it signals for the

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

future. We are also thankful for the continued trust from our investors and partners, as we remain committed to fulfilling their needs,” Osibodu added.

He noted that since Chaka’s launch in 2019, the company had remained transparent about its regulatory status, leveraging strategic partnerships with registered brokers.

“All brokerage investments on its platform are facilitated by

O F

Citi Investment Capital Limited, a duly licensed brokerage firm registered with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) and regulated by the SEC. Meanwhile, the stock market extended its decline for the third day yesterday as the NGX AllShare Index (ASI) shed 0.11 per cent to be at 37,804.46, while market capitalisation ended lower at N19.7 trillion.

2 3 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

38

˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021

24 June 2021

s

Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index down 21bps The Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index declined by 0.21% to

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

ϭ͕ϱϵϮ͘ϭϲ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ZENITH (1.3%) and ACCESS (-2.3%). Together, these stocks account

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

for 10.5% of the index.

Local Bourse Sustains Losses... ASI down 11bps

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŝƚƐ ůŽƐƐͲ

Ticker

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,592.16

-0.21%

678.00

0.0%

28.4%

70.00

0.0%

11.6%

-9.5%

28.55

0.0%

9.3%

-11.7%

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc

es, due to sell pressure on ZENITH (-1.3%), ACCESS (-

3 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC

2.3%) and ETI (-1.9%) as the All-Share Index fell 11bps to

5 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

ϯϳ͕ϴϬϰ͘ϰϲ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ǁŽƌƐĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ -

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Current Price

7 Nestle Nigeria PLC 8 Lafarge Africa PLC

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

5.3x

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

8.5%

59.2%

15.0%

3.5%

-20.4%

-20.4%

10.0%

3.5%

0.6x

5.6%

13.3%

-9.5%

19.1%

11.2%

33.6x

6.3x

2.5%

3.0%

-11.7%

26.6%

4.3%

4.1x

1.0x

10.5%

24.3%

2.6%

23.50

-1.3%

7.3%

-5.2%

-5.2%

23.1%

2.9%

3.2x

0.7x

12.6%

31.6%

165.00

0.0%

4.6%

-2.9%

-32.6%

97.1%

11.4%

14.7x

13.3x

5.7%

6.8%

165.00

0.0%

5.4%

-2.9%

-2.9%

97.1%

11.4%

14.7x

13.3x

5.7%

6.8%

1,400.00

0.0%

4.2%

-7.0%

-7.0%

104.8%

17.8%

28.3x

37.9x

4.4%

3.5%

21.00

0.0%

3.8%

-0.2%

-0.2%

8.8%

6.2%

10.6x

0.9x

4.8%

9.5%

9 Access Bank PLC 10 United Bank for Africa PLC

8.35

-2.3%

3.2%

-1.2%

-1.2%

16.4%

1.4%

2.5x

0.4x

9.4%

39.4%

7.30

0.0%

2.6%

-15.6%

-15.6%

0.3x

7.1%

11 FBN Holdings Plc 12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

7.10

-0.7%

2.8%

-0.7%

-0.7%

11.1%

1.1%

3.8x

0.3x

6.3%

59.20

0.0%

2.5%

5.7%

5.7%

4.5%

1.8%

64.2x

2.9x

1.6%

1.6%

39.55

0.0%

ĂŶĚ േϭ͘ϲďŶ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ ZEN-

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 14 International Brew eries PLC

2.0%

4.7%

-10.2%

20.7%

2.9%

7.0x

1.4x

8.7%

14.2%

5.40

0.0%

1.6%

-9.2%

-9.2%

-15.5%

-3.4%

ITH (33.7m units), ETRANZACT (21.0m units), and FIDELITY

15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 16 SEPLAT Energy PLC

29.80

0.0%

1.4%

14.6%

14.6%

700.00

0.0%

2.0%

74.0%

6.1% ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ േϮϮ͘ϮďŶ to േϭϵ͘ϳƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĨĞůů ďLJ ϰ͘ϱй ĂŶĚ ϰϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ƚŽ ϮϬϴ͘ϰŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ

;ϭϯ͘ϳŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ZENITH

;േϳϵϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ FLOURMILL

;േϭϬϲ͘ϮŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ ACCESS ;േϳϱ͘ϭŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

Bearish Sector Performance ĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ďĞĂƌͲ ŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽƐƚ͕ ϭ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ϭ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůĞĚ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϱй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ the back of sell-ŽīƐ in ZENITH (-1.3%), AC-

17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

0.0%

19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC 24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC 28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC 30 Guinness Nigeria PLC

CESS (-2.3%) and AIICO (-1.8%). Similarly, the Oil & Gas and

31 Custodian and Allied Insurance 32 AIICO Insurance PLC

AFR-ICT indices declined by Ϭ͘ϭй ĂŶĚ ϭďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĨŽůͲ

33 Total Nigeria PLC 34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

ůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ OANDO (-1.4%) and ETRANZACT (-ϴ͘ϰйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ the lone gainer, up by 0.2% due to buying interest in DANGSUGAR (+1.1%) and VITAFOAM ;нϰ͘ϴйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚͲ

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϱdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϴdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚͲ ed in the last trading session as 11 ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ Ϯϯ stocks declined. FTNCOCOA (+10.0%), IKEJAHOTEL (+9.9%), and CORNERST (+9.8%) ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ROYALEX (-10.0%),

tend its bearish performance in the absence ŽĨ ĂŶLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ catalyst.

0.6x

5.9%

15.9%

15.9%

24.6%

16.0%

12.8x

2.9x

6.6%

7.8%

0.7%

-8.7%

-8.7%

11.4%

1.1%

2.3x

0.3x

9.6%

43.6%

13.6%

5.05

-1.9%

0.6%

-15.8%

-15.8%

0.6%

0.0%

67.2x

0.2x

17.90

1.1%

0.7%

1.7%

1.7%

25.5%

12.6%

7.3x

1.7x

8.4%

3.09

-1.9%

0.6%

-7.2%

-7.2%

4.9%

29.8%

1.59

-1.2%

0.4%

-22.1%

-22.1%

9.2%

0.9%

3.9x

0.3x

3.1%

25.4%

14.35

0.0%

0.4%

-1.0%

-1.0%

18.4%

5.8%

8.3x

3.1x

2.8%

12.0%

0.89

-1.1%

0.4%

-1.1%

-1.1%

-1.3%

-0.3%

0.5x

1.1%

-2.4%

72.60

0.0%

0.3%

2.3%

2.3%

17.9%

7.3%

2.3x

2.8%

13.20

0.0%

0.2%

-5.0%

-5.0%

-6.2%

-4.1%

3.4x

13.8x

1.2x

5.50

0.0%

0.2%

3.8%

3.8%

6.17

0.0%

0.3%

31.0%

31.0%

35.5%

4.2%

29.00

0.0%

0.4%

52.6%

52.6%

-17.8%

-9.0%

5.95

0.0%

0.2%

1.7%

1.7%

25.0%

7.8%

3.0x

0.7x

1.08

-1.8%

0.2%

-4.4%

-4.4%

20.5%

3.3%

3.0x

0.2x

145.00

0.0%

0.2%

11.5%

11.5%

20.00

0.0%

0.2%

13.5%

13.5%

8.3%

1.1%

8.8x

-17.4%

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-1.4%

0.1%

-21.6%

1.5%

1.8% 4.7x

1.5x

11.4%

0.9x 9.2%

4.2%

4.6%

0.7x

2.0%

11.4% 22.3%

-17.4%

8.4%

0.5%

4.5x

0.4x

7.0%

-100.0%

7.4%

0.9%

6.6x

0.7x

4.4%

-21.6%

14.5%

2.6%

1.2x

0.2x

7.6x

0.7x

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-28.7%

-7.6%

0.0%

0.1%

-4.4%

-4.4%

9.3%

6.4%

3.57

0.0%

0.0%

-0.8%

-0.8%

-10.6%

-5.5%

1.9x

-16.8% 2.0%

0.6x

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

10.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

33.7

-1.3%

IKEJ A H OT EL

1.00

9.9%

ET R A N Z A C T

21.0

-8.4%

C OR N ER ST

0.56

9.8%

F ID ELIT YB K

13.7

0.9%

LIN KA SSUR E

0.60

9.1%

R OYA LEX

13.1

-10.0%

M B EN EF IT

0.40

5.3%

J A P A ULGOLD

13.0

-9.8%

12.1

-1.1%

VIT A F OA M

14.25

4.8%

T R A N SC OR P

VER IT A SKA P

0.25

4.2%

FB NH

9.9

-0.7%

M OR ISON

1.40

2.9%

A C C ESS

8.8

-2.3%

1.44

2.9%

ST ER LN B A N K

8.0

-1.2%

17.90

1.1%

M B EN EF IT

6.9

5.3%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s P ric e C hg % -10.0%

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

Z EN IT H B A N K

795.0

-1.3%

R OYA LEX

0.63

J A P A ULGOLD

0.46

-9.8%

F LOUR M ILL

106.2

0.0%

UP L

1.52

-9.5%

A C C ESS

75.1

-2.3%

C H IP LC

0.58

-9.4%

FB NH

70.6

-0.7%

ET R A N Z A C T

2.06

-8.4%

M TNN

52.3

0.0%

R EGA LIN S

0.49

-5.8%

VIT A F OA M

48.2

4.8%

J A IZ B A N K

0.57

-5.0%

J B ER GER

47.9

0.0%

43.2

-8.4%

C OUR T VILLE

0.20

-4.8%

ET R A N Z A C T

SOVR EN IN S

0.25

-3.8%

F ID ELIT YB K

31.4

0.9%

-3.3%

UA C N

30.8

-0.5%

0.87

13.1% -22.5%

P ric e C hg %

P ric e

15.1% 80.1%

0.33

T ic k er

33.0% 33.7%

21.9x

52.95

21.2% -22.4%

P ric e

D A N GSUGA R

7.3% -5.2%

F T N C OC OA

H ON YF LOUR

2.4%

1.1%

T o p 10 G a in e r s

M A N SA R D

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

41.1x

0.9%

2.90

JAPAULGO (-9.8%), and UPL (-9.5%) led decliners. In the ŶĞdžƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƵƌƐĞ ƚŽ ĞdžͲ

3.2%

0.0%

37 Oando PLC 38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd

T ic k er

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ

0.9%

7.4%

4.7%

2.30

0.57

Ğƌ ŚĂŶĚ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů ŐŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ ͘

1.6%

-8.7%

0.8x

105.50

35 Wema Bank PLC 36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

74.0% -100.0%

1.0x

26.4%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

39

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 22Jun-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 153.26 154.78 -5.27% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.38% Nigeria International Debt Fund 314.23 314.23 -23.78% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.35 111.35 -0.67% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.60% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.20 3.36 -5.69% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 3.27% Anchoria Equity Fund 131.31 132.75 -1.28% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.08 1.08 -19.07% 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 N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 104.76 104.76 3.00% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 130.57 131.22 3.37% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.24% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.95 1.95 -19.74% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.05 2.09 -18.38% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.15% Paramount Equity Fund 16.06 16.35 0.40% Women's Investment Fund 133.37 134.82 0.18% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.91% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 116.66 117.43 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 106.90 106.90 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 4.00% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.17 1.19 -2.16% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.36 1.36 -13.84% 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 3.03% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.97% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,167.43 1,176.88 -2.44% 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 1,378.78 1,378.78 9.98% FBN Balanced Fund 187.11 188.39 -0.31% FBN Halal Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.40% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 125.63 125.63 3.46% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 154.27 156.37 2.05% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 Balanced Fund 3,629.05 3,679.38 -3.09% Coral Income Fund 3,358.16 3,358.16 2.50% Coral Money Market Fund

100.00

100.00

5.57%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.11% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.85 2.91 24.12% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 150.03 150.48 -3.46% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.24 1.28 31.54% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 6.49% 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 1.39 1.41 2.08% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,147.84 1,147.84 3.90% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.08 11.1208 5.76% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.56% 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 1.64 1.66 7.28% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.46 11.51 -5.59% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 4.33% PACAM Equity Fund 1.63 1.64 2.80% PACAM EuroBond Fund 111.08 112.76 1.06% 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 126.68 126.34 5.69% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 3.41% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,171.95 3,197.79 -1.36% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 230.63 230.63 2.57% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.19 1.21 1.69% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 302.66 302.66 2.71% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 218.90 221.51 0.15% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.62% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,297.87 10,426.32 -1.96% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.26 1.26 2.63% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 114.48 114.48 3.06% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 101.69 101.69 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.36 1.38 -0.26% United Capital Bond Fund 1.95 1.95 3.12% United Capital Equity Fund 0.92 0.94 6.48% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.45% United Capital Eurobond Fund 121.18 121.18 3.50% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.11 1.13 2.48% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.05 1.05 5.36% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.67 12.78 6.76% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.03 14.16 14.86% Zenith Income Fund 24.12 24.12 0.61% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.05%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.09 51.54

2.77% -1.64%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.94 123.51 98.03 17.32 17.77

12.84 126.10 99.80 17.42 17.87

-2.86% 2.52% -1.38% -

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.75 5.65 17.04 1.00 18.97 148.77

3.79 5.73 17.14 1.00 19.17 150.77

-0.59% -0.73% 5.11% 4.16% -7.51% -31.97%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.52

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

40

THURSDAY, ͺͼ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Be Professional in Your Duties, IG Tells Officers

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Alkali Usman, yesterday urged police officers to commit themselves to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

Addressing officers and men of the Kano State Police Command at the headquarters in Kano, Usman described Kano as one of the strategic commands in the country, given its high population and commercial activities.

He said: "I know you have some challenges, but don't allow the challenges to bring you down. There must be challenges.

Challenges are welcome, but they are surmountable.

"Let us commit ourselves to police job. Let us act professionally. Let us change our attitude towards work so that we will achieve what we want.

"Officers and men should make sacrifices. Improve yourself. Attend courses and lectures. I have directed DPOs to embark on constant lecturing, training and re-training of officers. Keep yourself abreast with modern policing techniques, engage in democracy policing and always ensure the protection of human rights."

The police chief also appealed to governors

to emulate the security initiative and strategy introduced by Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, which has gained Kano the status of the most peaceful state in the country, despite its peculiarities as the most populous state and the commercial nerve centre of the North.

The IG also said the 7, 041 officers and men of the command were not enough for Kano considering the population of the state.

He urged the command's management team to make judicious use of the available manpower, instruments and logistics available to them.

He added that even if another 7,000 policemen are deployed in Kano, it may still not be enough to secure the state.

"Kano State Police Command is one of the most strategic commands in Nigeria because of its status in commercial activities.

"I am happy to hear that Kano is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. I am happy to hear that there is synergy between the police and sister security agencies," he said.

Baba also visited Ganduje who congratulated him on his appointment.

"We have five levels of community policing, which are all working

together to yield desired results. We have the village committee, the ward committee, the local government committee, the zonal committee and the state committee.

"Since crime in Nigeria has gone to the next level, our strategies in fighting crime have also gone to the next level. We have the optic fibre, we have the tracker vehicle. We also built security dormitories at all entry points in Kano.

We have a joint task force working 24 hours,” he said.

Ganduje said security challenges in recent times had shifted to Kano forests, adding that the state government has also

taken urgent steps with the establishment of RUGA and military training base in those forests, which could have been a potential haven for bandits.

In his welcome address, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sama'ila Dikko, told the IG that in fighting crime and criminal activities in the state, "we intensify community engagements, incorporate visibility and intelligence-led policing, clearance operations in Falgore and Dansoshiya forests, adherence to the ethics of the force, rapid respond to distress calls and synergy with sister security agencies."

Obaseki: Nomination into My Cabinet Will Be From Wards, LGs Deji Elumoye in Abuja Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, of has asked ward and local government councils in the state to nominate members of his cabinet more than six months after his inauguration for a second term in office.

The governor, who spoke with newsmen yesterday after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof.

Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja explained that putting his cabinet in

place was delayed due to the restructuring of the state civil service to make it more efficient.

He said having restructured the civil service and introduced technology, the state is now ready for the political class to give the needed political direction to the administration.

Obaseki said: “We spent the last six months trying to restructure the process of government, particularly the civil service, because no matter how great a cabinet is, if the government and the

functions of government are not operating properly, the executive cannot function optimally.

“So, the last six months, we've tried to redefine the structures of governance, working through every layer of the civil service, define the roles, the responsibilities, trying to understand the resources available, and put in place key performance indicators and scorecards for every MDA in government".

On the timeframe for the nomination of the commissioners, the governor

said: “I have mandated wards, local governments to give me nominations.

The nominations are coming in from the wards and the local governments. And the selection team is being put place to screen these candidates for submission to maybe before passing to the state House of Assembly.”

The governor revealed that he met with Professor Gambari over stolen Benin artefacts that are to be returned from abroad, saying the state government in collaboration with partners

are setting up a museum for them in the state.

He expressed the hope that when completed, the museum would be a tourist attraction and source of revenue for the state.

“I'm sure you know that we've been in conversations with the federal government on the artefacts. Lots of Benin artworks that are in Europe and the Americas".

On how ready the state is to receive the artefacts, he explained: “As I said, a lot of work has been done. We have the legacy

restoration trust, which is currently obtaining resources from very, very interested donors across the world.

“We expect that by the last quarter of this year working with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, we should begin the construction of a pavilion, a world-class pavilion that will meet all the conditions required by which this works can be kept. And as you know, many of them are very fragile and very old, but they have to be kept protective conditions.”

AfDB to Support AfCFTA with $208bn Projects Dike Onwuamaeze The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina yesterday disclosed that the bank will support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with $208 billion, as part of its contribution towards stimulating investment in Africa.

Adesina revealed this in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the virtual 2021 AfDB Annual Meetings, where he said making the AfCFTA work is now more crucial than ever before.

The theme of this year’s annual meeting is “Building Resilient Economies in Post COVID-19 Africa.”

He also pledged that the AfDB would invest in regional infrastructure that would promote regional integration, including the integration of the continent’s financial and capital markets.

He said: “We remain highly committed to the success of the AfCFTA. As we look to the African Investment Forum 2021, the AfDB and its partners have prepared a pipeline of 230 projects valued at $208 billion to boost opportunities for the AfCFTA. I am very optimistic about Africa.

Africa will recover; Africa will build back better.”

The AfDB’S president said a survey of the private equity firms by the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association in 2020 showed that 60 per cent of limited partner investors expect to increase their allocation to Africa in the next three years.

He projected that African economies could record an estimated 3.4 per cent growth in GDP, saying the continent has started to move forward following vaccine roll out and the lifting of lockdowns imposed in the wake of the pandemic.

“The AfDB will support Africa to produce vaccines as part of the vaccines plan of the African Union.

The bank will commit $3 billion to developing the pharmaceutical industry in Africa. We will work in partnership with others.

Together, I am confident that we will get vaccines to all in Africa.

“The bank is taking actions to tackle Africa’s debt. We have launched a debt action plan and new strategy for economic governance in Africa. We will support poor countries to tackle debts and launch bolder economic reforms to forestall a debt crisis,” he added.

He commended the positive efforts being made by the International Monetary Bank (IMF) to address the continent’s debt situation, including the suspension of debt servicing initiative and recent decision by the IMF

to issue $650 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which would advance $100 billion to Africa He, however, noted that Africa needed new approaches to use the SDRs because these are extra-ordinary time.

“The SDRs should be used to direct financing to Africa through the AfDB to on lend to African public development bank, to support green resilience economy and inclusive recovery and the stabilisation of the economies.

“Let me be very clear, Africa is not looking for a free pass. Debt resolution must be reinforced by stronger economic governance in public financial management, better and transparent management of Africa’s natural resources and mobilisation of domestic resources.

“We will not allow COVID-19 to deter us. We must sustain the gains of

our past and do even more to help Africa get back on a faster recovery path,” Adesina said.

He also disclosed that the AfDB in collaboration with African countries, was exploring the possibility of establishing an African youth entrepreneurship investment bank that would finance and grow the businesses of youths and unleash youth based wealth in Africa.

“The bank is taking actions to unleash the potentials of youths in Africa and has equipped over 23,000 youths in 45 countries with digital skills and enabling them to set up their own businesses,” he said.

Adesina also said the bank was taking actions to expand economic opportunities for all women through its affirmative finance for women in Africa and have secured, “$250 million portfolio guarantee in

African guarantee fund in 2021. This guarantee will help to unlock up to $2 billion in financing for women empowered businesses.”

He said the implementation of the bank’s HIGH 5 has improved the lives of 335 million Africans and facilitated access to electricity for about 20 million people in the continent.

It also increased from 49 per cent to 56 per cent the access to power since the launching of the bank’s new deal on energy for Africa.

The bank has also supported the generation of 3,000 megawatts of power and launched the desert to power programme by facilitating, “a $20 billion programme to develop 10,000 megawatts of solar power in the Sahel and provide electricity for 250 million people. This will be the largest solar zone in the world.

Soludo Wins APGA’s Governorship Primary Election in Anambra David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday won in all the 21 local government areas of Anambra State to emerge as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 6 governorship election.

The primary election

was held in Awka, the state capital, by the Chief Victor Oye faction of the party, which also has the support of the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

Soludo, in the primary election, which he contested with four other aspirants, Hon ThankGod Ibe, Hon Okwudili Ezenwankwo, and Damian Okolo, scored 740 votes out of the total 792 votes cast in the election.

His challengers, Okwudili

Ezenwankwo got 41 votes; ThankGod Ibe, 10 votes; while Okolo Damian got seven votes.

Announcing the result at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women's Development Centre, the Chief Returning Officer of the party, Mr. Sampson Olalere, who is the vice chairman, South-west region of the party, said: "By the power conferred on me as the chief returning officer of the election, I hereby

declare Prof. Chukwuma Soludo the duly elected candidate of APGA for the November 6 governorship election."

Speaking immediately after the declaration, the state Governor, Obiano, promised the candidate and members of the party that the party would again win the governorship election in November overwhelmingly as it did in 2017.

According to him, "I want

to commend the national and state working committees for the peaceful conduct of the election. It is exceptional. Just know that the job has just started, and we are going to win 21 out of the 21 local government areas again as we did in 2017."

Soludo, in his acceptance speech, thanked the members of the party, promising to unveil his manifesto for the election in August.

THISDAY learnt that

five aspirants of the partyAkachukwu Nwankpo, Nonso Okafor, Carter Dike, Chuma Umeoji, and Ifeanyi Ozoka-who were disqualified few weeks ago, boycotted the exercise, giving indication that they may join the Jude Okeke-led faction of the party.

Meanwhile, there was heavy deployment of security operatives in Awka, during the conduct of the primary election of the party.

41

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Leaking Roofs: We Never Approved N37bn for Renovation, Says Senate Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday declared that at no time did the National Assembly approve N37 billion for the renovation of the Assembly complex.

It also clarified that the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA), is responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the National Assembly, adding

that it has not received any amount for the renovation of the complex.

Coming under Point of Orders 14 and 15 of the Senate Rules, Senate Deputy Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi lamented that the falsehoods contained in the report by a TV station on the said sum for renovation in particular was intended to denigrate the image of the

EFCC Re-arraigns Three FIRS Directors, Six Other Officers over N4.5bn Fraud

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS), Mr. Peter Hena and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account Department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director) .

An EFCC statement said their re-arraignment followed the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.

The defendants were docked on a 42-count charge bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4,558,160,676.9.

Count one of the charge

reads, “That you, Peter Hena, Mohammed Bello Auta, Amina Sidi, Umar Aliyu Aduka, Mbura, Mustapha, Obi Okeke Malachy, Obaje Napoleon Adofu, UdoInyang Effiong Alfred and Benjamin Jiya while being staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) between January, 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired together with the other officials of FIRS to conceal funds which are proceeds of unlawful activities to wit: corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 and punishable under section 15(2) (a) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 ( as amended by Act No. 1 of 2021).”

The defendants, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.

Justice Bolaji granted the defendants bail on the terms earlier offered them by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, and fixed September 28, 2021 for commencement of trial.

Abiodun Heads APC Anambra Primary Election Committee The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni has approved the appointment of Ogun Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun as chairman of the Primary Committee for Anambra Governorship Election.

He heads a seven-man Committee with Senator John Enoh as Secretary.

A statement by the party’s Caretaker Committee

Secretary, Senator John James Akpanduoehehe in Abuja last night, said the primary election is scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2021.

The statement reads: “In this capacity, the seven-member committee is expected to conduct the Primary Election to elect the Party’s Candidate for the Governorship Election for Anambra State in line with the provisions of our Party’s Constitution and Guidelines for the nomination of candidates.”

Village Head, Wife Abducted in Ibadan Baale of Araromi Village in Ibadan, Chief Tafa Apanpa, and his wife have been abducted by some kidnappers.

The duo was reported to have been kidnapped by gunmen, who stormed the village located in Bakatari area of Ibadan, on Tuesday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Bakatari in Ido Local Government Area of Ibadan is a border town between Oyo and Ogun, located on the Ibadan-Abeokuta road.

A resident of the community, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen on Wednesday in Ibadan, that the duo were

kidnapped while it was raining on Tuesday night.

The source said that their whereabouts were still unknown as of the time of filing this report on Wednesday.

When contacted, DSP Adewale Osifeso, the State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident, saying efforts had been put in place to secure the release of the victims.

“The incident happened very late on Tuesday 22nd of June, at Araromi Village “Efforts are in top gear to rescue both victims and apprehend the abductors, please,” he said.

National Assembly and incite Nigerians against lawmakers on the various social media platforms.

He particularly said the issues reported by the TV station were inaccurate, stressing that though there was heavy rainfall and leakages of water outside the chamber, they didn’t affect plenary sitting by the lawmakers as erroneously reported.

Senator Abdullahi added that the most critical aspect of the report was that the leadership approved N37 billion for rehabilitation of the complex, which he said was farther from the truth.

He explained that the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives approached the President on the dilapidating state of the complex.

“At the end of the day, like we all know, when the sum of N37 billion was made as provision in the shared 2020 of the budget, the media went to town castigating and calling the National Assembly members all kinds of names.

“Now, at the end of the day, the pandemic came and that amount was reduced to about N9 billion so that they can take the rehabilitation in phases.

“As we speak, nothing has been done until yesterday, like we all saw, the leakages across the complex”.

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, described the report as irresponsible, adding that the media should seek clarification on matters of interest through proper investigations before filing reports.

While narrating the circumstances which led to President Muhammadu Buhari approving the renovation of the complex, he dismissed insinuations that the National Assembly was responsible for the

implementation of the renovation of the complex.

Lawan informed that he and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on assumption of office, met with President Buhari on the need to renovate the complex, which he agreed and asked for the costings from the management –the technical side of the National Assembly and some contractors.

He said: “Myself, the Speaker, the late Chief of Staff and the Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed met, and the meeting was to go and look for money to rehabilitate this complex.

IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU…

The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (left), and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Sani Gambo Mohammed, when Dixon visited the GOC in his office in Port Harcourt…recently

N600m Debt: AMCON Takes over Senator’s Assets Obinna Chima The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has taken over assets belonging to Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, the Chief Promoter of Abadat Ventures Limited over an indebtedness of almost N600 million.

Abdulfatai is a serving Senator representing Ogbomosho North Federal Constituency in Oyo State a seat he won on the platform of the ruling All Progressive

Congress (APC).

The enforced properties are situated at No 12, St, Petersburg Street, Wuse II, Abuja, and Plot 516, (also known as No 2. Marte Close), off Misau Crescent, off Birnin Kebbi Crescent, Garki II, Abuja.

A statement from the corporation explained that the move was sequel to the order of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, According to the statement, Justice Ekwo made the ruling on March 25, 2021, adding

that in compliance with the enforcement order, AMCON went about putting the logistics together and on Friday June 18, 2021, the corporation took effective possession of the two properties as listed by the Court through its appointed Receiver Manager – Mr. Baba Mohammed Waziri of Baba Waziri & Co. Chambers.

Apart from granting the corporation possession of the above-mentioned properties, the statement also revealed that the court also ordered

the receiver manager to take all necessary steps required to realise the assets of the obligor, with a view to paying the outstanding loan in line with Section 553 and 554 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

It also revealed that the non-performing loan (NPL) of Abadat Ventures Limited was purchased by AMCON from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, during the second phase of Eligible Bank Asset purchases in 2021.

Court Declines PDP’s Request to Stay Judgment Sacking Anambra Exco Alex Enumah in Abuja A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has dismissed three applications filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two others seeking to stay the court’s June 9 judgment sacking the party’s Executive Council (EXCO) in Anambra State Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, in a ruling yesterday, held that

the three applicants – the PDP, Chief Ndubisi Nwobu and Mr. Uchenna Obiora – failed to make out a case to warrant the grant of their application that sought to stay the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.

Justice Adeniyi, who came down hard on the applicants for earlier denigrating the court in their reaction to the judgment, held that they did not show that the non-staying

of the judgment would either render their appeals nugatory or make it impossible for the party to conduct its primary for the forthcoming governorship election.

The judge voided all the activities engaged in by the party since June 9 when the judgment was delivered, including the elections it conducted on June 10 and 11 to elect a three-man ad-hoc ward

delegate that would participate in the voting at the primary of the PDP scheduled for June 26, 2021.

Justice Adeniyi said the statement made on June 9, by Secretary of the PDP Anambra in which he disparaged the court and its judgment was an affront to the court, adding that they do not expect a court they have insulted to grant them an indulgence.

Delta PDP Suspends Nwaoboshi The State Working Committee (SWC) of the Delta State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rising from an emergency meeting, yesterday has suspended the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi, for a period of one month.

But in a swift reaction, the Senator, through his aide, Mr. Philip Elueme, has described the

suspension as unconstitutional.

But the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, in a statement, said the suspension became necessary against the backdrop of the recent romance with an opposition party, verbal recklessness, and unprovoked utterances of Nwaoboshi, particularly against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, of Delta State.

Osuoza said the PDP State Working Committee viewed

Nwaoboshi’s activities strongly as totally unacceptable, disturbing and unbecoming of a politician and party member of his stature.

“The PDP State Working Committee is in no doubt that the rash, unguarded, confused and heavily noxious, and vitriolic attacks by Senator Nwaoboshi, a serving Senator and a very recent chairman of our great party, are potentially inimical to the peace and harmony of the Party and tantamount to

causing discord and disaffection among loyal Party members.

“The suspension, therefore, though obligatory, has sadly become imperative and inevitable, especially given the dramatic spontaneity and over-zealousness of his verbal attacks, which are totally out of character and may have suspiciously been induced by circumstances which defy immediate rational analysis and comprehension

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Herbal Mixture Kills 10 Family Members in Kwara Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Police Command in Kwara State has confirmed that 10 members of the same family died after consuming a local herb mixture purported to be the cure for foot infection.

The Command Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, made the confirmation in a statement issued yesterday Ilorin, the state capital.

According to him, on June 22, at about 0700hrs, one Ibrahim Bonnie of Fulani camp Biogberu, via Gwanara, reported at the

police station.

He said that one Okosi Musa and Worugura Junlin, came to his mother, Pennia Bonni of same Fulani camp, who was having a foot infection, with a local herbal mixture purported to be the cure for her ailment.

“She was also told to ensure that all her family members take some of the mixture to prevent the spread of the disease to other family members.

“After taking the local herbal mixture, the family members started dying one after the other, at the last count, 10 members including the infected mother,

have died.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Lawal Bagega, has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident; the two suspects are already helping the police in their investigation.

“The commissioner of police advises sick members of the public to seek medical solution in recognised medical homes spread across the length and breadth of the state to avoid ugly incidents of this nature.

“Suspects will have their day in court at the conclusion of investigation,” he added.

JAMB: NIN Uncovered 500,000 Fake UTME Candidates

Arinze Gideon in Enugu

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday said the introduction of the National Identification Number (NIN) in the 2021/2022 exam registration helped it to uncover over 500,000 fake candidates.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Isha’q Oloyede, disclosed this in Enugu during a press conference.

Oloyede said his team was at the South-east to assess what was going on with the conduct of the Unified Tertiary

Matriculation Examination (UTME) as well as to visit the new university in Ebonyi State.

He said the use of the NIN as directed by the federal government helped to reduce examination malpractice.

“Before the introduction of NIN in the registration, there were about 2.2 million candidates for the examination, but after the introduction of NIN, over 500,000 candidates were discovered to be fake.”

He disclosed that the actual number of candidates that JAMB registered for UTME 2021 was 1,415,501, and out

of it, 1,122,095 candidates had taken the examinations, while 66,111 candidates had yet to take.

According to him, the board has 650 examination centres across the country, out of which 30 centres have been delisted for performing below standard.

“Fifty three centres are currently under watch, while 600 of them performed excellently.”

He added that the students who visited a particular centre but could not take the examination would be rescheduled and a new date fixed

Court Remands Two in Ekiti for Allegedly Raping Octogenarian, Minor Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti An Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti has remanded a suspect in connection with the rape of an 80-year-old woman.

The suspects, Durodola Kayode, 64, and Owajulu Tobi, 29, were brought before the court for rape cases in two separate charges.

In the charge sheet, Durodola was charged for allegedly raping

an 85-year-old stepmother in Ayetoro Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state, while Tobi allegedly raped a17year-old girl in Emure Ekiti in Emure council area.

In his ruling, Magistrate E.M. Salau granted the remand order as requested by the prosecutor, Inspector Adejare Elijah, to allow him forward their case files to the office of the Director Public Prosecution (DPP) for

legal advice.

According to the charge sheet, the offence was committed on June 13 and 15, 2021 respectively, when the defendants allegedly raped the victims.

The offences are punishable under Section 358 of Criminal Code Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State 2012.

The matters were, however, adjourned to July 5, 2021, for mentioning.

Akpabio: NDDC’s Forensic Audit Report to be Ready July Deji Elumoye in Abuja Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has given an assurance that the ongoing forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will be completed by next month.

He also disclosed that the much-awaited list of the Chairman and other members of the NDDC board will soon be forwarded to the National Assembly for necessary confirmation.

Akpabio, who spoke with reporters after a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof.

Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja, said the forensic audit report on the NDDC will be ready for presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari

by July.

The minister, who expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far on the forensic audit, stressed that the exercise was aimed at not just to clean up the mess in the NNDC, but

to reposition the agency and ensure optimal performance as against the practice in the past where it only served as “just an agency for the purposes of election only.”

His words: “The field forensic audit is on course and is progressing very well.

I am happy with the progress so far and I am very certain that come the end of July, is just a month and few weeks away, the final result will be given to Mr. President for final implementation”.

NSCDC CG: Many Schools Still Vulnerable to Attacks, Kidnappings Michael Olugbode in Abuja The Controller General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, has lamented that many schools in the country are vulnerable to bandits’ attacks and kidnappings.

Audi, however, disclosed yesterday that the NSCDC has conducted a vulnerability survey of all schools in the country according to the six geopolitical zones, states,

senatorial districts and local governments.

He disclosed this while briefing corps personnel at the National Headquarters of the NSCDC in Abuja on his policies and programmes to re-energise the service.

He said that data showed a very high level of vulnerability of some schools in different parts of the country but expressed confidence that the data obtained from the survey would become a veritable tool

for the NSCDC in carrying out its assignment.

The controller general maintained that the corps must rise to the occasion by adopting new strategies in carrying out its mandates, especially the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure.

He said: “There is need to roll out policies and programmes that will constantly boost the morale of personnel to put in their best.

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‘Why We’re Investing N10bn in Eko Atlantic City’ The Chief Executive Officer of leading estate developing company, Periwinkle Luxury Lifestyle Condo, Mr. Chiedu Nweke has said the company’s decision to invest $20million, translating to about N10 billion, in the building of a 15-storey luxury lifestyle condos was to make a statement that smart cities in Singapore and Dubai can also be replicated in Nigeria too.

Speaking yesterday at the sign-off ceremony for the acquisition of 2.400 square metres of land at Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nweke said the “intention of the Pan Atlantis Condos was to challenge similar developments the likes of which you find in Singapore and Dubai”.

He recalled that “in 2009, we met with the Chairman of Eko Atlantic City and promised to collaborate with him to drive the dream of stirring a global challenge of providing world class luxury condos. We are

not here to build run-on-the mill condos, we want to send a clear message that there are also big players in Nigeria capable of doing big things. We are therefore forerunners in the area of providing this niche service and in no time, we aspire to be the leaders in this business.”

Nweke disclosed that the company has acquired 2,400 square metres of land to build its first 15-floor high-rise with three suspended podia, swimming pool, three floor park and corridors.

According to him, the project which is primarily to project modern lifestyle will cost $20million and would be delivered in 30 months, adding that it is targeted at high net-worth individuals, the Diaspora and to drive foreign direct investment to the country.

The Managing Director of Eko Atlantic, Mr. David Frame noted that “the concept is to develop a world class city matching global

standards and to achieve that, we need to move as a team. So, it is our belief that your success is our success too and together we would move on to achieve far more greater projects together.”

In his brief remarks, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Tunde Olatunde described

Periwinkle Luxury Lifestyle Condos as a premium developer in Nigeria, adding that condos which is a word borrowed from the Americans simply means apartment.

While stressing that the company’s big vision is to build the biggest and tallest condos

in Nigeria and Africa, said the project would churn out world class luxury three bedroom condos which would be sold off plans with flexible payment schedule spread over 30 months.

On the ability of the company to deliver the project in 30 months, the Chief Operating

Officer (COO), Mr. Hassan Jaafar assured that “once you have a plan you schedule your timelines for delivering materials for piling, base production, space, service, green technology, ICT and others. In the end, we are delivering an intelligent building that meets global standards.”

LEARNED COLLEAGUES… Alleged N7.1bn Fraud: Court WITH L-R: Principal Partner, Kunle Ogunba & Associates, Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN); President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olumide Akpata; Principal Partner, JK Gadzama LLP, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN); and Senior lawyer, Prof. Paul Idonigie (SAN), during the Fixes Date to Hear Kalu’s Gadzama’s Annual Lecture in Abuja…recently Application against Retrial Alex Enumah in Abuja The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday slated July 2 for hearing of an application filed by former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Kalu, challenging his retrial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for money laundering.

The Lagos Division of the court had on December 5, 2019, convicted and sentenced Kalu to 12 years imprisonment, and his co-defendant, Udeh Udeogu, to 10 years jail term for diverting Abia State’s funds to the tune of N7.1 billion.

However, citing technical grounds, the Supreme Court on May 8, 2020, set aside the conviction and sentence, and ordered that the defendants be tried afresh.

Before they could be rearraigned, however, Kalu, the incumbent Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, filed an application to stop his retrial.

When the matter came up before Inyang Ekwo, the judge handling the case, yesterday, lawyers representing the different parties respectively informed the court that they had all filed and exchanged their processes.

Kalu was represented by Awa Kalu, EFCC by Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Udeogu by George Ukaegbu, and the senator’s firm, Slok Nigeria Ltd (3rd respondent) by K C Nwafor.

The lawyers are to return to court on July 2 to adopt the processes they have filed.

In his application, Kalu asked the court for an order prohibiting the EFCC from retrying him on same alleged N7.1 billion money laundering charges.

He contended that it would amount to double jeopardy to be subjected to a fresh trial on same charge, having been tried, convicted and sentenced on the same charges in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/56/ 2007.

NFF Seeks End to Maltreatment of Widows Tobi Soniyi As the world commemorates the International Day of Widows, a group, the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF), has called for the abolition of all forms of obnoxious widowhood practices against women and girls.

The NFF made the call in a statement signed by its Communications Officer, Angela Nkwo, and made available to journalists.

The feminist group decried the inhuman treatment of confinement, torture, and endless rituals, including forcing women to drink the bath water used in washing the corpse, saying they are degrading and inhuman.

They called on every community to immediately abolish all forms of widowhood practices, and stop the forceful collection of property by the husband’s relatives.

Furthermore, NFF called on the Nigerian Government to enforce the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act to protect people against all forms of violence, including

harmful widowhood practices.

It appealed to state governments to support widows and protect them from losing their husban property to husband’s relatives.

NFF also called for an end to insurgency in the country to stem the rising number of women becoming widows.

The women group also urged the government to improve the health system across the country to provide quality healthcare to reduce the number of death in the country.

The feminist group in the statement also advocated for quick measures to check the rate of inflation to ensure that widows could afford a measure of lifestyle.

According to NFF, “Upon announcement of the death of a husband, wives are immediately tagged murderers, even as one wonders how the death of a husband (which ordinarily exposes a woman to discrimination) benefits her as one is sometimes subjected to a life of lack,” saying it is wrong and condemnable.

NACA Launches N50bn Private Sector-led HIV Trust Fund States now to bear 20% cost of treatment Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government lead agency in the eradication the scourge of HIVAIDS, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), yesterday embarked on a campaign to raise N50 billion private sector-led Trust Fund.

Following the refocusing of the efforts at alternative local sources of funds for the HIV intervention, NACA said state governments are now to pay for 20 percent

of the treatment of people living with HIV in their states as well as to provide HIV test kits.

The agency said the move to mobilise funds from local sources was to help fill the current gap in domestic resourcing and financing of HIV prevention and treatment interventions in Nigeria.

Speaking during the launch of the National Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability Strategy in Abuja, the DirectorGeneral of NACA, Dr. Gambo

Gumel Aliyu, said between 2005 and 2018, a total of $ 6.2 billion was spent on the HIV response in Nigeria, including the diagnosis and treatment of 1.08 million people living with HIV. Gambo said the sustainability of the HIV response requires mobilising resources for the response to reduce the country’s dependence on external funding.

“I also wish to commend the target of raising a start-up fund of N50 billion using the private

sector-led HIV Trust Fund,” he said.

According to Gambo, NACA is exploring other innovative sources of funding to ensure that coordination, data governance, social protection and community support are adequately covered.

He noted that “between 2005 and 2018, a total of $ 6.2 billion was spent on the HIV response in Nigeria, including the diagnosis and treatment of 1.08 million people living with HIV.”

Bauchi Gov: I’m Consulting on 2023 Presidency Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has urged a political pressure group, the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF), to give him three weeks to make consultations on the 2023 presidency.

The governor stated this yesterday, when he was presented with the letter of demand to declare interest in the presidency.

The executive members of

NYLF led its National Chairman, Elliot Afiyo, met him at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Bauchi.

“I will not categorically give you an answer. I will have to make consultations across all political divides after which I will come out with my position.”

“I rely on the leading of Allah and my political Constituency.

Just give me between 2 and 3 weeks and I will get back to you with a definite answer.

“I am a fulfilled politician who rose from a humble background both in public service and political scene. God has been very faithful to me and my family and does not need to struggle for anything again in life, therefore, I will not categorically say yes to your proposal for now.

“I am the most hunted and humiliated politician in the country, since 2007 when I defeated an outgoing Governor to emerge the Senator to represent

Bauchi South to the time I raised the motion on necessity and eventually appointed as Minister of the FCT, I have continued to face stiff opposition and political intimidation.

“I have refused to be intimidated, I have refused to bulge and I have moved on to pursue the cause I believe in.

To the glory of God, here I am today, the elected Governor of Bauchi State against all odds and political character assassination.

Osinbajo: Nigeria Committed to Attainment of Universal Health Coverage Sunday Ehigiator Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has reiterated the commitment of the federal government towards attaining the universal health coverage set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

He made this known yesterday during the launch of

a Modular Healthcare facility

by Alpha Mead Healthcare Management System initiative at the Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos.

Osinbajo, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Princess Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire, at the event, said the universal health coverage was divine in ensuring everyone has

access to the needed key basic, preventive, and curative health services of good quality at an affordable cost without the risk of financial hardship hampering the paying for healthcare services.

According to him, “Alpha Mead Healthcare Management System initiative has appropriately captured the SDGs goal-9 which aims at building resilient infrastructure, promoting

industrialisation and fostering innovation across sectors, including health, innovation, infrastructure, new skills technology, and development, which will therefore help drive out SDGs, including SDG-3, to achieve universal health coverage, a global priority to the attachment of 2030 agenda, especially in low and medium income countries.

Edo Police to Begin Training, Profiling of Vigilante Groups Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Edo State Police Command has said that it would soon begin the training and profiling of the state vigilante groups to ensure that their activities would complement the police’s efforts in checking insecurity.

Speaking on a local radio station that was monitored in Benin City, The command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO),

SP. Kotongs Bello, said: “We have directed their leaders to take them to the nearest Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for registration and profiling to ensure that those involved are not cultist and robbers who want to use the opportunity to bring their guns out and molest innocent people as we are not going to allow that.

“If any vigilante member commits any offence in a particular area, we will call

the leader in that area to make enquiries, and such a person will be reported to the nearest DPO. “We are calling on people with genuine intentions to join the vigilante groups and work with us, not those molesting people, not those carrying guns and hiding under the guise of vigilante to be robbing and molesting people, we don’t tolerate that. The essence of the vigilante is to work with

the police and the police will supervise them.”

Bello disclosed that their training would commence very soon. He said: “The governor is still working at the Ogida Police Training School and very soon, maybe by next month, they will start their training. It is only the ones that have been confirmed, those ones that we are sure of their character that will be trained. That is what is in the pipeline now.”

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NBA, NSE, 28 Others Urge FG to Tackle Rising Insecurity Warn against impending famine Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Thirty prominent professional bodies have called on the federal government to tackle the growing insecurity in the country, warning that if there’s no concerted effort to de-escalate the situation, Nigeria may be confronted with serious famine in the coming months.

Coming under the umbrella of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), members of the group including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), noted that the problem was making Nigeria unattractive for investors.

Some other members of the group include the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) , Institute of Chartered

Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), among others.

National President of APBN, Mr. Akinloye Oyegbola, in an address at the board meeting of the organisation held in Abuja, noted that the insecurity in the country was becoming intractable, stressing that it appears that the nation is currently not winning the war against bandits and other criminals.

“Because of the seeming intractability of it, the board believes it has become expedient for the federal government to overhaul its security architecture since it looks like it is not presently winning the war against these bandits and miscreants.

Yoruba Nation: Akintoye Backs NINAS Petition on Referendum Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Prof. Banji Akintoye, yesterday threw his weight behind the ongoing petition being pushed by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS) for referendum.

Akintoye in a statement signed by him and made available to THISDAY yesterday by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, called on all Yoruba people within and outside Nigeria to sign the petition in order to aid the agitation for Yoruba Nation before the Nigerian Government and international bodies.

The renowned historian, who is also the chairman of NINAS, in the statement titled: ‘Towards the Yoruba Nation Referendum’, said the petition for the referendum is the first major step towards the conduct of a referendum that will make or mar the

actualisation of sovereign Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.

He insisted that now is the time for the Yoruba people to move forward to accomplish Yoruba nation’s self-determination by holding a referendum, stating that a referendum is like a regular election at which people line up at voting stations to vote for a candidate.

According to him, “In a referendum, we will not be voting for a candidate; we will be voting to make a choice on a given proposition. That proposition will be: ‘I Want a Yoruba Republic Separate from Nigeria. Each voter will be able to vote Yes or No. That is the Yoruba Nation referendum.

“But we the Yoruba people need to take some steps before we can get to our referendum. The first step is to make a strong statement loud and clear that we want a referendum. The best peaceful way to make that statement is to circulate a petition among us that we want a referendum.

Police Parade 15 Suspects for Alleged Robbery, Rape James Sowole in Akure The Ondo State Police Command yesterday paraded 15 suspects for alleged involvement in armed robbery and rape.

The suspects were paraded at the headquarters of the state Police Command in Akure, the state capital, by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bolaji Salami.

Of the suspects, 12 were arrested for alleged armed robbery while three others were arrested for allegedly gang-raping a lady, who they made drunk before allegedly committing the act.

Salami said all the suspects have confessed to their crimes, which were committed between May and June 2021.

In one of the incidents, Salami said one Oluwajuwon was arrested after robbing Oluwatotimi Tosin of his Bajaj motorcycle at FUTA North Gate on June 6, adding that nine motorcycles were recovered from the suspect.

Salami added that the command also arrested Seyi Adeyemi and Emmanuel Sunday for allegedly robbing and killing one John Ede and dispossessed him of his Bajaj motorcycle.

Shedding more light on the suspected robbers, the police commissioner said Gbenga Kikiowo and Aladeloye Tope were arrested at Okearo Akure as they were planning robbery operation.

He said one Pump Action rifle was recovered from the gang.

Another set of robbery suspects arrested was those who allegedly snatched articulated truck and its content.

In this particular case, the commissioner said eight suspects, who attacked the driver of a truck loaded with 900 bags of Dangote Cement, were arrested.

The cement-laden truck was said to be coming from Ibese factory of the Dangote Cement and heading to Okitipupa before it was attacked at Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area.

“The nation’s economy is being stunted and may not attract investments as long as there are these palpable feelings of insecurity in the land. The engagement of professionals in the security sector at all levels of

governance is key to bringing down this monster that is poised to destroy our nation if drastic and collective actions are not taken,” the group stated.

APBN stated that government at all levels should show resolve

and political will backed with necessary resources and urged communities to play their parts by supporting government in intelligence gathering.

On the state of the nation’s economy, the organisation stated

that it has become a huge source of concern for the board that the country has suffered two recessions in the last five years, has an inflation rate of 18.12 per cent and a 33.3 per cent unemployment rate.

CONGRATULATIONS…

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Thailand, Ambassador Oma Djebah (left), and a Nigerian Mathematical Science Ph.D student, who emerged the overall best in Thailand and won Thailand’s Highest Journal Citation Report(JCR) after his Ph.D dissertation in Mathematical Science at the King Mongkuts University of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand, Dr Auwal Bala Abubakar, during the display of the award at the Embassy of Nigeria, Bangkok … yesterday

Senate Condemns Killings by Security Agents in Enugu, Imo Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday condemned the shooting incident by a Police Inspector in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, which led to the death of five persons with several other people sustaining injuries last Sunday.

The upper legislative chamber also flayed the alleged killing of a Germany-based Nigerian, Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu, near Owerri Airport in Imo State.

The resolution was sequel

to a motion on the “Need to Investigate Fatal Shootings by Security Agents in Enugu and Imo State,” moved by former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

Moving the motion under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule, the ranking Senator noted with sadness the Sunday, June 20, 2021 shooting incident in Enugu in which an Inspector of Police attached to Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 9, Umuahia, Abia State, opened fire on the

people on sight, shooting five persons dead and injuring several others.

He stated that he is aware that the said policeman has reportedly been arrested by the police and taken into custody; The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment further noted with a deep sense of grief the May 31, 2021 fatal shooting of a Germanybased Nigerian, Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu, allegedly by personnel of the Nigeria Air

Force around the tollgate of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in the presence of his wife, Mrs. Ijeoma Unachukwu, his two-year-old son and fourmonth- old daughter.

He expressed concern that no arrests have been made by the Air Force or law enforcement agencies regarding the gruesome death of Unachukwu.

Consequently, the upper legislative chamber unanimously resolved to “totally condemn the killings”.

Submit to EFCC, ICPC for Clearance, Buhari’s Ally Tells APC’s Chairmanship Aspirants Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Lagos State, Ambassador Abayomi Mumuni, has urged aspirants seeking to contest the National chairmanship position of the party to submit themselves to the country’s anti-graft agencies for scrutiny to boost the image of the ruling party.

Mumuni, who is a close associate of President Muhamadu Buhari, said the aspirants should seek the clearance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stating that this is necessary for Nigerians and party members to know their worth and engender

confidence of Nigerians in the party.

Mumuni in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr. Rasheed Abubakar, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY in Ibadan, suggested that all the aspirants should surrender themselves to ICPC and EFCC for scrutiny.

He insisted that at present APC does not need a national chairman of zero substance

or one imposed leader under some ancient godfathers like in the past.

He maintained that the party need a patriotic and devoted party member such as Senator Sani Mohammed Musa, as its National Chairman.

He enjoined members and stakeholders of the party to vote the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District as Chairman of the party.

Immigration Bars 20 Nigerians from Travelling over Poor Documentation Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has barred not less than 20 Nigerians from travelling overseas because of poor and unconvincing documentation about their destination.

The travellers were stopped from travelling last week at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Meanwhile, the NIS command

at the MMIA command received another mentally challenged female Nigerian, Ms. Motunde Oluwatobi Victoria, 29, from Saudi Arabia.

A source close to the command disclosed to THISDAY on Wednesday that most of those stopped from travelling out failed to give tangible reasons for wanting to travel out of the country and could not give details of their travels.

The source said that most of those stopped could not provide documents to support their claims while it was observed that some of them used travel agents to perfect their papers to travel out of the country by all means.

The source said that thorough interrogations by immigration personnel stopped these travellers from soiling the image of the country abroad, adding that most of such travellers end

up returning to Nigeria with complicated medical and health issues.

The source advised those willing to travel out of the country by all means to get proper education on job availabilities in any country they intend to go and should have deep knowledge about such environment, remarking that most of them are not knowledgeable about their travel plans.

New Varsities: Buhari Revolutionising Education Sector, Says APC Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is fulfilling the APC electoral promise to lead an education revolution that would transform the country technologically.

The National Secretary of the APC’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, in a statement that was issued

yesterday commended Buhari for approving the establishment of five new specialised universities in technology, health and pharmaceutical sciences in the country.

Akpanudoedehe said: “Commendably, President Buhari is fulfilling the APC’s electoral promise to lead an education revolution and transform the country technologically as captured in the 2015 APC’s manifesto and outlined in the Education for

Change Ministerial Strategic Plan 2018-2022.

“The establishment of the universities, each of which also got a take-off grant of N4 billion, is aimed at closing observed manpower gaps in critical scientific and health services fields and technology.”

He noted that the establishment of a University of Technology each in Jigawa State (North-West) and Akwa Ibom State (South-South)

by Buhari’s administration closed

a huge gap in terms of providing tertiary institutions, especially in the case of Akwa Ibom State where the people has implored the federal government for many years to establish such institution in the South-South geo-political zone.

Akpanudoedehe noted that it was significant that Buhari has approved the upgrading and equipping of existing Universities of Technology in Yola (North East), Akure (South West), Minna (North central) and Owerri (South East).

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 ˾ THISDAY

46

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

EURO 2020...EURO 2020...EURO 2020...

France, Germany, Portugal All through to Last 16 from ‘Group of Death’ Ronaldo equals all-time goalscoring record Cristiano Ronaldo equalled the all-time international goalscoring record as SECOND ROUND FIXTURES Saturday Wales vs Italy Vs

Denmark Austria

5pm 8pm

Sunday Netherlands Vs Czech Belgium Vs Portugal Monday

5pm 8pm

Croatia France Tuesday England

Vs Vs

Spain 5pm Switzerland 8pm

Vs

Germany

Sweden

Vs

Ukraine

5pm

defending champions Portugal drew with France to qualify for the last 16 of Euro 2020 as one of the best third-placed teams.

Ronaldo scored his 108th and 109th goals, both from the penalty spot, to equal Ali Daei’s recordset with Iran between 1993 and 2006.

They came either side of half-time but were not enough to give Portugal victory as striker Karim Benzema broke a six-year goal drought with France to score twice and ensure Les Bleus topped

the group.

On a frantic evening, the four teams in Group F changed positions frequently, with Portugal looking set to face England in the next round before Germany’s dramatic late equaliserbumped them from fourth to second and eliminated Hungary.

Ronaldo gave Portugal the lead after Hugo Lloris followed through on Danilo as he attempted to punch

away a cross, before Benzema equalised on the brink of half-time after Nelson Semedo was adjudged to have blocked off Kylian Mbappe’s run in the box.

Benzema scored a second immediately after the restart following a stunning pass from Manchester United’s Paul Pogba but Ronaldo drew Portugal level when he won and converted a second penalty 13 minutes later.

The draw in Munich meant Portugal finished in third place based on a head-to-head

record, while France topped the group, a point ahead of Germany.

Okowa Tips Nigerian Relay Teams to Qualify for Tokyo At the Lagos Open Athletics Championships today The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, as well as the Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association (LAA), Solomon Alao, are both optimistic ahead of the Lagos Open Athletics Championship today.

Among other things, the one-day athletics meet billed for the Teslim Balogun Stadium will afford Team Nigeria another chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics relay events having failed in the bid at the National trials held at Yaba College of Technology’s Sporting Complex at the weekend.

Okowa and Alao told journalists in Lagos yesterday that the athletes are all in high spirits and a conducive environment to aid the qualification to Tokyo has been put in place at the Lagos Open Athletics Championship “We are trying to support our athletes and give them the enabling environment to qualify for the Olympics.

“If they fail to achieve that now, that means we might have to wait for another four years. Nigeria deserves to be in the relay events at the Olympics and that’s what we are trying to achieve,” The Lagos State Athletics Association boss observed.

On his part, the AFN president assured stakeholders that the athletes are well motivated to deliver on the required

qualifying times for the Olympics at the Lagos meet even as he enjoined for the support of all.

“We already have a good pep talk with the athletes and we are doing our best to make them ready. I am sure that the athletes are in good spirits, ready and I pray we get the qualifications needed. We want everyone to come around to cheer the team to victory “We need to encourage our athletes and not talk them down. We need everyone to work together as a team so as to achieve victory,” Okowa pleaded.

Yussuf Ali, who is the Meet Director for the Lagos Open Athletics Championship assured all of a seamless organisation “We felt they failed to get the time at the National Trials after they exhausted themselves in their individual events.

We are optimistic they are well-rested now and good to go for another shot at qualifying for the Olympics,” observed the former Team Nigeria captain who also holds the national long jump record for over two decades.

Apart from the relay events, the list of events to be competed for at the Lagos Open Athletics Championship includes the 5,000 meters, 400 meters hurdles, 100 meters, 800 meters, 400 meters, and 100 meters among others.

L-R: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo walking off the pitch with France’s Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe shortly after both teams ended their Group F final game 2-2 to progress to the Last 16 of Euro 2020 Championships...last night

Vandrezzer FC Back Proposed Africa Super League The promoters of Africa’s 29th most followed football club on the social media, Vandrezzer FC (VFC) are elated by the proposed Africa Super League, following the announcement by CAF President, Patrice Motsepe on Sunday.

“We are assessing and in preliminary discussions to start an inclusive and broadly supported and beneficial CAF African Super League,” Motsepe said in a statement.

The African Super League, an idea first suggested by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in 2019, would be

welcome development as it is needed to improve the game on the continent and make it financially viable.

Motsepe said CAF, which is African football’s controlling body, must consider new competitions to generate additional income for itself and its member associations and contribute to African football becoming globally competitive and selfsustaining.

While fielding questions in London, VFC founder, Joe Udofia, described the idea as an exciting one that would certainly uplift the level of

African football. “It is a great idea and I think it would give Nigerian clubs a lot of leverage and value, devoid of bottlenecks.”

He eulogized the current VFC squad saying “we are positive our players can make the cut, once the proposed league is rolled out; as we expect it to be run with transparency and inclusiveness as the watchword.”

The CAF boss, who incidentally is a club owner himself mentioned that CAF’s image needed improving. He said, “There

is a poor perception of CAF concerning its adherence to governance, auditing, ethical, financial and management good practices”, stating that he was committed to ensuring that this would not happen again.

“President Patrice Motsepe wants to improve the standard of football in Africa,” observed Udofia.

“It is also important that the quality of our competitions are globally competitive and appealing to spectators, viewers and interested parties in Africa and globally,” he concluded.

Chelmsford City Sign Dara Dada Anite Chelmsford City FC of England, Currently members of the National League South, the sixth tier of English football, have signed Nigerian-born British midfielder, Dara Dada Anite, on a one-year contract to beef up their midfield for the 2021/2022 season.

The 22 year-old Dara joins Robbie Simpson’s led squad having played the 2020/21 campaign with National

League Southside, St Albans City.

Before joining St Albans City FC in 2020, Dara played for other club sides including Hertford Town FC, Staines Town FC, Barking FC and Berkhampstead Town FC. Speaking to journalists on his arrival at the EMG Inspire Stadium, Dara said “I can’t wait to get started, I’m buzzing.” He sees his move to

Chelmsford City FC as a great career leap that will propel him to bigger engagements in the continent and nationally.

Chelmsford City FC Manager, Robbie Simpson, acknowledged the prospects of the young star who he described as fast, strong, athletic and very fit.

“Dara played as a trialist in a game against Brentford B and based on his exceptional

performance, Chelmsford City FC coaching team knew they needed to sign him.

“He plays both attacking midfield and holding role flawlessly. He is a lovely kid, first and foremost. He will fit in well attitude-wise,” Simpson said.

Chelmsford City FC fans are looking forward to Dara featuring regularly in matches this season.

47

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2021 ˾ THISDAY

ThursdaySports EURO 2020...EURO 2020...EURO 2020...

Five-star Spain Crush Slovakia 5-0 to Reach Last 16 Sweden end Poland adventure in five-goal thriller Spain earned their first win at Euro 2020 in style yesterday as they thrashed Slovakia to progress as Group E runners-up and set up a last-16 tie with Croatia.

Luis Enrique’s side head into the knockout stages on the back of their best attacking display of the tournament, proving far too good for a seriously below-par Slovakia.

Aymeric Laporte, Pablo Sarabia and Ferran Torres all scored after a bizarre own goal from Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka broke the deadlock at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville.

The Slovakia goalkeeper, who earlier saved a penalty from Alvaro Morata, punched the ball into his own net after Sarabia’s effort hit the crossbar and looped into the air.

Juraj Kucka inadvertently completed the rout for Spain, bundling the ball over his own line from close range.

Spain’s meeting with Croatia will take place in Copenhagen on Monday at 17:00 BST, while Slovakia are out.

In the group’s other game, substitute Viktor Claesson scored a 93rd-minute winner for Sweden to knock Poland, who had come back from 2-0

down, out of Euro 2020.

Sweden netted their first goal from open play at the tournament just 82 seconds into their final Group E game following Emil Forsberg’s composed angled finish in St Petersburg.

The RB Leipzig midfielder doubled the lead with a first-time shot - his third goal at the tournament - before Robert Lewandowski, who had earlier missed a golden chance, produced a quality arrowed finish to give Poland hope.

Lewandowski hit an 84thminute equaliser to draw Poland, who needed to win to advance, level but they were undone by Claesson’s late winner.

In a captivating game, Poland captain Lewandowski was guilty of an incredible miss at 0-0.

After heading against the underside of the bar from a corner, the prolific Bayern Munich forward’s follow up header from the rebound struck the bar from just two yards out.

Sweden will now prepare for a last-16 tie against Finland or Ukraine at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on 29 June.

When Poland replaced

Home-based Eagles Begin Training in Abuja for Mexico Clash Femi Solaja

Ahead of the international friendly against México next month in Los Angeles USA, invited home-based Super Eagles commenced preparations for the match yesterday in Abuja.

THISDAY checks revealed that 25 players invited for the assignment all turned up for the day-one training session which began in the morning with former Super Eagles coach, Austin Eguavoen, in-charge of the proceedings.

Team Manager, Gernot Rohr, observed the training from the stand with handful of football fans also watching as the players taken through their rounds.

The light session yesterday morning saw Enugu Rangers’ front man, Ibrahim Olawoyin score the only goal of the session against Ikechukwu Ezenwa-led side.

Rohr surprised pundits on Tuesday when he invited entirely home-based players for the match but a section of the sporting media reported that most of the foreign-based players actually opted out and wanted their off season vacation. Most of them will be needed when the next World Cup qualifying round of matches come up in September.

The home-based fixture against Mexico is not likely to impact on the next FIFA ranking when it is released next month.

Nigeria still maintains 32nd position in the ranking and

third best on the continent with Senegal, Tunisia ahead of the team while current AFCON Champion, Algeria are fourth on the log.

Nigeria will play the CONCACAF team on July 3rd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the stadium that staged the final match of USA ‘94 World Cup final which Brazil won on penalty shootout against Italy.

Players in Camp Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Shaibu Suleman (PKE FC Lagos); Nwabali Stanley Bobo (Lobi Stars) Defenders: Olisa Ndah (Akwa United); Tope Olusesi (Rangers International); Ifeanyi Anaemena (Rivers United); Christopher Nwaeze (Kwara United); Enyinnaya Kazie (Rivers United); Mohammed Zirkiflu (Plateau United); Tebo Franklin Degaulle (Nasarawa United); Lawal Oriyomi Murtala (Kwara United) Midfielders: Anthony Shimaga (Rangers International); Seth Mayi (Akwa United); Uche Nwasonaya (Plateau United); Samuel Nnoshiri (Katsina United); Forwards: Stephen Jude (Kwara United); Ibrahim Olawoyin (Rangers International); Charles Ashimene (Akwa United); Chinonso Ezekwe (Rangers International); Auwalu Ali Malam (Kano Pillars); Neurot Emmanuel (Plateau United); Abdulmutalif Sanusi (Katsina United)

manager Jerzy Brzeczek with Portuguese Paulo Sousa in January, the reasoning from the Polish FA was that they wanted to see a more attacking style

to get the best out of forward Lewandowski.

The 32-year-old, who scored 41 times in the Bundesliga in 2020-21, departs the tournament

having netted three goals. It would have been four but for his incredible 17th-minute miss.

After his initial downward header bounced up and

hit the underside of the bar, it rebounded back into Lewandowski’s path only for him to hit the woodwork again when it looked easier to score.

Spanish players celebrating their good fortunes against Slovakia...yesterday

Liverpool Set to Block Salah from Tokyo 2020 Olympics Liverpool do not expect any of their players, including Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, to play in the Tokyo Olympics.

They have told the relevant federations they do not want their players to take part in the competition, which runs from 22 July to 7 August.

That means Salah, 29, looks set to miss the Games - but Egyptian FA President Ahmed Megahed still hopes he will play.

“I don’t want to say it’s impossible for Salah to

participate, but it is difficult,” admitted Megahed.

The Olympic football tournament is for under-23 teams - but three over-age players are allowed.

FIFA has previously acknowledged that clubs are not obliged to release over-age players for the Tokyo Olympics.

Liverpool start their Premier League campaign on 14 August away at newly promoted Norwich City.

Megahed told Egyptian

broadcaster ONTimeSport: “Salah agreed to lead the Olympic team during the last camp of the Egyptian team.

“We contacted Liverpool to allow Salah to join the Olympic team, and they said they were waiting for the approval of the technical staff.

“In the end, Liverpool refused the request because they do not want to lose the player at the beginning of the season, as well as next January with the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep

him from participating in the English Premier League matches.

“We spoke with Salah again, and he told us that he will make a new attempt with the technical staff of his team to resolve the matter, and within the next two days he will find a way.”

Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, 26, has not been named in Japan’s squad for the Olympics, while summer signing Ibrahima Konate, 22, is unlikely to figure for France.

Transfer: Man Utd Increase Sancho Offer to £72.6m Manchester United have increased their offer for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho to 85m euros (£72.6m).

United have already had one bid for the 21-year-old England winger turned downand their latest is still 10m euros short of the German club’s valuation.

However, while the latest bid is unlikely to be accepted, it is now viewed as virtually certain the transfer will eventually be concluded.

Sancho is currently part of England’s squad at Euro 2020.

Dortmund have a gentleman’s agreement with him that he will

Jadon Sancho (right) with his England teammate Jude Bellingham is wanted at Old Trafford with an improved offer

be allowed to leave this summer

if a club meets his valuation.

Although Sancho has been restricted to a single short substitute appearance at Euro 2020, his performances at Dortmund have been massively impressive and sources at United see no reason why that cannot be replicated in the Premier League.

Sancho has scored 50 goals in 137 games for Dortmund, plus three goals in 20 caps for England.

In the past three seasons, he has been involved in 109 goals with Dortmund and scored twice when they beat RB Leipzig to win the German Cup finalin

May. Manchester United missed out on signing Sancho 12 months ago, when they were quoted a fee by Dortmund for Sancho, then tried to reduce it believing the Bundesliga side would eventually sell for a lower price.

In the end, the German club refused to budge and Sancho remained where he was.

Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City for £10m in August 2017.

City negotiated a 15% sell-on clause as part of the deal and will receive it for the total fee rather than just the profit.

Trabzonspor’s Nwakaeme Invents Antidote against Racism Nigerian footballer Anthony Nwakaeme has adopted a novel approach to tackling racism by saying that the best way to disarm any abusers is by smiling at them.

The 32-year-old, who currently plays for Turkey’s Trabzonspor, believes the issue is spreading in football despite recent campaigns

by FIFA, UEFA and a host of others, such as Premier League footballers taking the knee, to combat it.

After 11 years playing across Europe, including spells in Romania and Israel, he believes that tackling the problem head on is the best way ahead.

“Racism is in sports and growing bigger in football,”

Tony Nwakaeme...combatting racism in Europe with smiles

Nwakaeme told BBC Sport Africa. “It will continue to spread everywhere and I can’t confidently say when it can be

kicked out of football.”

The forward recounts an incident from his time in Israel, which he says has armed him for the ongoing fight against what he calls a ‘societal problem’.

“I experienced racism few years ago when I played in Israel with my team (Hapoel Be’er Sheva) away to Maccabi Haifa,” he explained. “Right there on the pitch, I decided I was not going to let those abusing me win.

“The Maccabi Haifa fans were making monkey noises and booing me, then I turned, looked straight at them and then I smiled.”

“As soon as they saw my reaction, they realised that what

they had done hadn’t affected me in anyway, so they started applauding me, cheering and singing my name.”

Nwakaeme said the gesture empowered him to deal with the issue, determined as he was not to give the group the satisfaction of seeing him react negatively.

“Sometimes instead of fighting you, I’ll avoid (confronting) you,” he added. “That was exactly what happened there.”

“I know I could have challenged them or stopped the game in my own way, but I was enjoying myself on the pitch, I felt powerful and I was making life difficult for their team.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

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“From the independence and post-independence crisis, the coups and the counter-coups and the different republics to date, the swelling disenchantment is the fallout of our inability to manage our diversity and downplay our differences” – Former President Goodluck Jonathan attributing Nigeria’s failure to mismanagement of our diversity and inability to give ethnic and religious minorities their dues.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Gumi and The Case for Bandits A

s I have often argued on this page, the connecting thread for the variants of violence we are witnessing across Nigeria is the loss of what Max Weber described as “the legitimate use of physical force” to criminal cartels. And until we muster the capacity to effectively confront those who trouble the peace of our country, we will continue to be at their mercy.

My main concern for today, however, is the policy of appeasement of criminals which otherwise respected stakeholders recommend as a solution to our national security challenge.

Rather than confront criminals, the federal government is being advised to seek ‘dialogue’ - after which we then ‘settle’ them with public money. It started with Boko Haram which was conflated with the ethno-religious politics of the time. We of course can see where that has brought our country. Now the same mistake is being made regarding bandits who target schools for easy prey. The chief promoter of this idea is no other than respected Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, who has made himself the emissary for Nigerian bandits he romanticizes almost as if they are members of the International Red Cross. I am of course aware that there are those who cite the example of the Niger Delta amnesty deal to rationalize why insurgents, bandits and other criminal cartels holding the country by the jugular should be “taken care of”. Such thinking is not only misplaced, it is also dangerous and

Gumi very soon, I am going to explain why. But back to Gumi.

In his interview with PUNCH newspaper last weekend, the cleric said the bandits in whose custody the kidnapped pupils of Tegina Islamic School in Niger State have been for

several weeks, are insisting on collecting N150 million before releasing their victims. “But we are trying to talk sense to them that these are just innocent schoolchildren. We are just saying these are young children trying to study and they did nothing, so why are you trying to take dirty money from their families?” said Gumi who added: “This (kidnap of Islamic pupils) actually proves to the nation that the bandits are not really indoctrinated, they are just looking for money and I think that this is a good prognosis. They are not targeting a religion; they are not ideologues, which are difficult to deal with. We should not forget that they are not educated, formally or informally. They are just going about with cattle, and suddenly they found a lucrative way of finding money.”

A combination of porous borders, weak signal and technical intelligence, lack of proper data regarding who exactly is a Nigerian and the influx of illicit drugs such as Tramadol have given rise to opportunistic criminals. But the suggestion that anybody can appeal to the conscience of criminals is ludicrous. More offensive is Gumi’s insistence that these killers are harmless. “With good engagement, education and enticements like jobs and other things, they will leave this work. But we need a partner and we need the government to understand. Individuals like me alone cannot do it”, Gumi rhapsodized. “All those we met (have stopped kidnapping), except for one of them who is kidnapping again, and he told us his reason, that he was neglected and

Looting Bank Depositors’ Money

T

wo years after the 2004 consolidation exercise that saw to the emergence of 25 banks in Nigeria, I approached the then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof Chukwuma Soludo, about publishing a book on the banking industry. The idea included extensive interview sessions with Soludo whose consolidation exercise saved the banking industry from imminent collapse. He agreed to my proposition and an interview eventually held for about four hours in London. Although I can no longer find either the tape or the transcript of that interview, one of the stories Soludo told me was that of the owner of one of the banks that could not meet the N25 billion recapitalization threshold at the time.

The man, according to Soludo, would visit the branches of his bank at the close of business every day to ask, ‘How much did you make today?’ in reference to deposits from customers!

I recall that episode (and some of the insights Soludo shared with me) on Monday when a video surfaced on social media of the staff of a bank that had besieged the house of a Senator to entertain themselves in the name of loan recovery. Aside the fact that banking is being debased by recourse to such a primitive way of recovering loans, questions must be asked about how the Senator, and many others like him, are awarded jumbo loans without the requisite collateral to fall back on in cases of default.

Ordinarily, bankers who give out loans are supposed to measure the risks and

guard their interests when considering such applications. But as we have seen over the years in Nigeria, the only time these bankers bother about security is when they are dealing with genuine customers without ‘connection’. For those people, they impose stringent conditions. For the fat cats, who they are very much aware would not pay back, they never demand any form of security. In most instances because they share the money.

In July 2019, the federal government established a task force comprised of the EFCC, ICPC, NFIU and the Federal Ministry of Justice to recover N5.7 trillion owed to the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). Approximately 20 Nigerians account for as much as 60 percent of that amount. Two years after, there is no word from that presidential committee. I will not be surprised if a majority of that committee members are themselves chronic bank debtors. But there is no way we can tackle this problem unless we restore a measure of sanity to the banks.

As Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court said last week while sentencing Francis Atuche, a former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now part of Keystone Bank) to six-year imprisonment for defrauding the bank the sum of N25.7 billion, these corporate thieves are dispossessing innocent customers of their money. Also sentenced to four years’ imprisonment was the former CFO of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu. “It was a well-planned, well-executed scheme but the bubble burst when the Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened,” said Justice Okunnu who had earlier in the year similarly convicted former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Okey Nwosu, and three former directors of the bank for stealing the sum of N10.9 billion.

As the Yoruba people would say, “omo buruku l’ojo ti e” (even the bad guy has his day). With the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Decree 18 of 1994, the late General Sani Abacha focused on this problem and to a large extent, dealt with it in his own way.

Where the security pledged for a loan is impossible to locate, or where no security is pledged at all, according to the decree, the tribunal would hold the directors, shareholders, managers and other employees of the failed bank liable for granting the loan that had become irrecoverable. Also liable was “Any director, manager, officer or employee of a bank who knowingly, recklessly, negligently, willfully or otherwise grants, approves the grant, or is otherwise connected with the grant or approval of a loan, advance, guarantee or any other credit facility or financial accommodation to any person without adequate security or collateral.”

I certainly do not suggest a return to the Abacha era, but we cannot continue with the situation in which bank debtors and their corrupt enablers not only shortchange the people but also end up receiving national honours and doctorate degrees from our universities before they end up as ‘his excellency’ or ‘distinguished senators’.

he thought we had the mandate to negotiate.

But when he realised that we did not have the mandate from anybody, he said he was going back to his business. So, the earlier we go into engaging them, the better. The ones who have agreed to lay down arms, you can engineer them to take care of the rest.”

If every unemployed person decides to take up arms to kidnap, kill, maim or rape innocent citizens, then our country would be in a far worse situation than Somalia. Yet, Gumi sounds ominous in his reading of the situation vis-à-vis the capacity of the Nigerian state. “To secure schools, why not engage the bandits? Engage them; they are not many. You can count them with your fingers. How can you guard schools? It is not possible,” said Gumi who seems to know so much about these bandits, including that they are not more than 100,000---as if that is not big enough. “That is talking about those with weapons; because not all of them have weapons. Ninety per cent of those who have weapons use them to protect themselves against cattle rustlers.

They are victims too. Aerial bombardments will only worsen the situation because when you start killing their children, you remember they also have our children.”

NOTE: Piece concluded on page 15

Amina Mohammed @ 60

The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Ms Amina J. Mohammed will be 60 on Sunday, although I am aware of a small event being planned in her honour tomorrow in Abuja. I had the privilege of working with Mohammed between 2007 and 2010 and very much admired her passion for excellence, desire to serve the public good and rare capacity to make even the most difficult assignment appear easy. This was most evident when we served together in a small committee (of about ten officials) who met regularly with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.

Ms Mohammed believes in the power of endless possibilities and it is evident in her achievements. From coordinating the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project to being Senior Special Assistant to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to becoming Special Adviser to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon saddled with the responsibility of crafting the Post-2015 Development Agenda, only perhaps those who never knew her would have been surprised when in January 2017 Mohammed was tapped by Antonio Guterres to become the 5th UN Deputy Secretary General. And she has performed so excellently in the job that she was recently appointed for a second term.

Working within the development space, as Ms Mohammed has done for most of her adult life, can be frustrating. But it can also be rewarding, especially for those who make a significant difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people in the society. This she continues to do. As she marks her 60th birthday, I can only wish her a most wonderful birthday, long life and good health.

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