TUESDAY 11TH JANUARY 2022

Buhari Cancels Restoration of INTELS' Pilotage Contract AGF, BPP back Bala-Usman President orders conclusion of procurement process within 60 days Eromosele Abiodun The battle by INTELS Nigeria Limited to retain its service boat contract in the pilotage district of Lagos, Warri, Bonny, Port-Harcourt

and Calabar, which expired on August 8, 2020, has met a dead end with President Muhammadu Buhari’s cancellation of the January 2021 directive to restore the contract.

THISDAY reliably gathered that

the president took the decision following advice from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Director General Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), and Acting

Director-General, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), that unanimously advised the president against the restoration of the contract.

The development was seen as

major victory for the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman whose alleged sin was failing to honour a presidential directive on the said contract.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had listed failure to honour a presidential directive on the restoration of INTELS pilotage Continued on page 11

Standard Chartered to Shutdown 50% of its Nigerian Branches... Page 6 Tuesday 11 January, 2022 Vol 26. No 9772. Price: N250

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Zamfara Killings are Satanic, Says APC NLC demands drastic action to end bloodletting Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress

(APC), has described the recent killings in Zamfara villages by terrorists as nothing but satanic.

National Secretary of the Care-

taker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, stated this in a statement issued

yesterday.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has asked the federal government, to take very

drastic steps to bringing an end to the current orgy of bloodletting, destruction of property and displacement of people in the country.

The APC, while expressing its heartfelt condolences to the families Continued on page 11

Seeking the Presidency is My Lifelong Ambition, Says Tinubu Informs Buhari of his intention to contest in 2023 Says he is not done consulting, boasts capacity to succeed current govt Dismisses anything unusual in kingmaker becoming king Knocks PDP for creating nation's woes APC is trying to solve

Deji Elumoye in Abuja A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, described as his lifelong ambition, the nation’s presidency and disclosed that he had decided to give it a shot in 2023.

Thus, as part of steps to realising this ambition, Tinubu formally made his aspiration known to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, clearing years of speculations about his intentions.

Tinubu, who by his disclosure, put paid to speculations around his ambition, told newsmen after a meeting with Buhari at the State House, that, "I've informed the president of my intention, but I have not informed Nigerians yet.

Continued on page 11

I WANT TO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT...

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) and a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during Tinubu's visit to brief the President of his presidential ambition at the State House, Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: SUNDAY AGHAEZE.

Only PDP Can Rescue Nigeria, Diri, Wike Insist... Page 12

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

WIKE'S TRAIN BERTHS IN YENAGOA...

L-R: Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara; Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri; his Rivers State counterpart, Chief Nyesom Wike; former Rivers Governor, Celestine Omehia; another former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, and a former Minister of Transport, Chief Abiye Sekibo, during Wike's courtesy visit to Government PHOTO: Bayelsa State Government House Press Unit House, Yenagoa... yesterday

Fed Policy Tightening May Rattle Global Financial Markets, IMF Warns Nigeria, Others Obinna Chima The International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised emerging economies such as Nigeria to prepare for the United States’ interest rate hikes, warning that faster than expected Federal Reserve hike could rattle financial markets, trigger capital outflows and currency depreciation in the countries.

In an article published by some of its staff yesterday, which was obtained on its website, the multilateral institution stated that it expected robust US growth to continue, with inflation likely to

moderate later in the year.

The IMF which is expected to release its 2022 global economic forecasts on January 25th, explained: “Faster Fed rate increases in response could rattle financial markets and tighten financial conditions globally. These developments could come with a slowing of US demand and trade and may lead to capital outflows and currency depreciation in emerging markets.

“The impact of Fed tightening in a scenario like that could be more severe for vulnerable countries. In recent months, emerging markets with high public and private debt,

Vandalism of Total's Pipeline Forces Shutdown of 504MW Alaoji Power Plant Emmanuel Addeh and Peter Uzoho in Abuja The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has announced a shutdown of the Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State following the vandalisation of the plant's gas supply pipeline belonging to TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited.

The NDPHC announced the development in a statement issued yesterday and signed by its Head of Communication and Public Relations, Mr. Emmanuel Ojor.

The power company said TotalEnergies had in a letter written to it, declared a force majeure on gas supply to Alaoji, resulting from its NOPL Line vandalisation at KP41 Alaoma Etche Cluster on January 7, 2022.

According to the statement, the Line Block Valve at KP38 was closed to isolate the sabotage point and depressurisation of the line, a situation that wouls affect gas supply to Alaoji Power Plant until further notice.

As a result of this development, it quoted TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to have stated that, “Gas supply to Alaoji Power Plant was suspended due to this unfortunate event.”

“Preliminary investigation to determine the extent of the

damage was ongoing, and repair works shall commence as soon as feasible," the statement said The NDPHC however regretted announcing the shutdown of the plant.

The Omotosho National Independent Power Project (NIPP) was shut down last month due to system wide curtailment of all gas shippers (gas producers/off takers) by the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), “to forestall the imminent collapse of the gas grid.”

NGC had said at the time that the Trans-Forcardos Pipeline (TFP), belonging to NGC was breached on December 17, 2021.

That breach led to the deferment of about 250mmscfd of gas from the pipeline network, a situation that brought the network pressure to abysmal levels, thereby triggering an emergency.

The curtailment impacted operations of NDPHC negatively with Omotosho NIPP being shut down and gas supply to Geregu NIPP and Ihovbor NIPP also limited, thus leading to part load or low generation from these available power plants.

The NDPHC, however, assured all customers under its network that the Alaoji Power Plant and others would resume power generation as soon as gas supply was restored.

foreign exchange exposures, and lower current-account balances saw already larger movements of their currencies relative to the US dollar.

“The combination of slower growth and elevated vulnerabilities could create adverse feedback loops for such economies, as the IMF highlighted in its October releases of the World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report.”

Owing to this, it noted that policymakers may need to react by pulling multiple policy levers, depending on Fed actions and their own challenges at home.

However, it pointed out that some emerging markets have already started to adjust monetary policy and are preparing to scale back fiscal support to address rising debt and inflation.

“In response to tighter funding conditions, emerging markets should tailor their response based on their circumstances and vulnerabilities. Those with policy credibility on containing

inflation can tighten monetary policy more gradually, while others with stronger inflation pressures or weaker institutions must act swiftly and comprehensively.

“In either case, responses should include letting currencies depreciate and raising benchmark interest rates. If faced with disorderly conditions in foreign exchange markets, central banks with sufficient reserves can intervene provided this intervention does not substitute for warranted macroeconomic adjustment,” it added.

Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting is expected to hold before the end of this month.

Furthermore, the multilateral institution noted that for most of last year, investors priced in a temporary rise in inflation in the United States given the unsteady economic recovery and a slow unravelling of supply bottlenecks.

According to the report, sentiment has shifted as prices are rising at the fastest pace in

almost four decades and the tight labor market has started to feed into wage increases.

The new Omicron variant has raised additional concerns of supply-side pressures on inflation, it added.

“The Federal Reserve referred to inflation developments as a key factor in its decision last month to accelerate the tapering of asset purchases. These changes have made the outlook for emerging markets more uncertain. These countries also are confronting elevated inflation and substantially higher public debt.

“Average gross government debt in emerging markets is up by almost 10 percentage points since 2019 reaching an estimated 64 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by end 2021, with large variations across countries.

“But, in contrast to the United States, their economic recovery and labor markets are less robust. While dollar borrowing costs remain low for many, concerns about domestic inflation and stable foreign funding

led several emerging markets last year, including Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, to start raising interest rates. We continue to expect robust US growth.

“Inflation will likely moderate later this year as supply disruptions ease and fiscal contraction weighs on demand. The Fed’s policy guidance that it would raise borrowing costs more quickly did not cause a substantial market reassessment of the economic outlook.

“Should policy rates rise and inflation moderate as expected, history shows that the effects for emerging markets are likely benign if tightening is gradual, well telegraphed, and in response to a strengthening recovery.

Emerging-market currencies may still depreciate, but foreign demand would offset the impact from rising financing costs,” it added.

It noted that broad-based US wage inflation or sustained supply bottlenecks could boost prices more than anticipated and fuel expectations for more rapid inflation.

After FG’s Intervention, Abuja Disco Workers Paid 20 Months Salaries, Pension Arrears Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government yesterday said it had facilitated the payment of salaries and unremitted 20 months pension contributions deducted from workers of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This was disclosed in a statement from the office of Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu.

The outstanding emoluments was part of the factors that triggered the takeover of the power distribution company by its creditors last month.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) at the time had stated that the lending bank, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), only exercised its rights over the shares of KANN consortium, part owners of AEDC. AEDC a licenced utility, serves customers in Kogi, Nasarawa,

Niger and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

There had been a dispute amongst competing factions of AEDC’s majority shareholder/core investor, KANN Utility Company Limited, which eventually spilled over to a dispute with the lender that provided the acquisition loan to KANN. According to NERC and BPE, the matter later deteriorated over KANN ‘s inability to service its debt to the bank, inability to meet its obligations to the market under the terms and conditions of its licence and failure to meet its obligations to staff.

The situation culminated in the industrial action by members of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), eventually, resulting in a total service disruption on December 6, 2021 for over 14 hours in AEDC’s network area.

Electricity supply in AEDC’s network area was only restored

after the intervention of the federal government through Aliyu, NERC and BPE, following an agreement with the union on the terms of the suspension of the industrial action.

An interim team to manage the AEDC had since been appointed.

“The federal ministry of power announces the fulfilment of its promise to ensure the payment of all entitlements of the workers of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) which caused the recent industrial action that shut down the company’s facilities and disrupted power across FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.

“The intervention of the ministry facilitated the payment of the entitlements of AEDC staff, as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and other stakeholders in December last year.

“The entitlements settled include unpaid allowances, salaries, union

deductions and unremitted 20 months pensions contributions deducted from workers’ salaries,” Aliyu stated.

The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the federal ministry of power to work with all stakeholders to ensure steady electricity supply and stability in the electricity industry.

He added that the federal government will continue to ensure that all the electricity sector players and stakeholders work according to the rules and guidelines.

Aliyu explained that in December last year, the ministry took the initiative that ended the AEDC workers' strike by engaging the organised labour.

“The strike action last year came at the same time as changes in shareholding in AEDC and the appointment of an interim management for AEDC by the shareholders and was endorsed

by NERC and BPE,” he added.

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NEWS

OUR BOUNDARIES SHALL NOT DIVIDE US...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (third from left) chairs a meeting with Deputy Governors of all 36 States on Boundary issues in the State House, Abuja… yesterday

Standard Chartered to Shutdown 50% of its Nigerian Branches Bank shifts focus to digital space Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report Standard Chartered is closing about half its Nigerian branches as it moves to expand its digital banking.

People familiar with the matter stated that the international bank took the decision as the finance industry comes under pressure from mobile money providers.

The London-listed lender’s local unit already started to shut some offices in December

and would eventually operate only 13 branches in the West African nation, a document seen

by Bloomberg News showed, down from about 25 previously.

Standard Chartered is instead strengthening mobile banking and recruiting agents to reach new customers and handle cash deposits and withdrawals across Africa’s biggest economy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorised to speak publicly.

A spokesperson for the bank

declined to comment and said it would address future plans at the “appropriate time.”

The shift by the bank mirrors efforts by Nigerian lenders to embrace digital banking amid a fintech boom that’s put much of Africa at the cutting edge of the revolution in mobile money.

Instead of opening more physical branches, banks including Access Bank and First Bank of Nigeria are also curbing costs by building networks of authorised agents, or people within com-

munities to sell their products and services.

Standard Chartered has focused on corporate banking since establishing a presence in Nigeria in 1999.

But it recently looked to expand its retail base and outlined a target in 2019 to grow the number of its customers fivefold from 100,000 in about two years by using digital technology to on-board clients faster.

The lender also plans to start digital lending to process small

EFCC Recovered N152bn, $386m, Others in 2021 Arrests 22 suspected oil bunkerers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja In continuation of the review of its operational activities in 2021, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday disclosed that between January and December, 2021, it recovered a total of N152, 088,698,751.64 and $386,220,202.84 million.

In addition, it revealed that £1, 182,519.75, €156,246.76, 1,723,310.00 Saudi Riyal, 1,900.00 South African Rand, and 1, 400.00 Canadian dollar were also recovered by the Commission.

The recovery also included a digital currency component with 5, 36957319 Bitcoin and 0.09012 Ethereum.

This comes as the anti-graft agency said 22 suspected oil bunkerers and a vessel, MT. TIS IV, handed over to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC by the Nigeria Navy were quizzed in connection with alleged illegal dealing in petroleum products.

A statement by the commission said its operational headquarters in Abuja dominated the recoveries with N67, 249, 744, 994.89, $375,662,223.59 and £1,151,539.75.

It was closely followed by the Lagos Zonal Command which led the naira recoveries with N70, 315,611,260.52, $9,286,497.83 and

£21,500.00.

Furthermore, it stated that its Kaduna Zonal Command emerged third in terms of naira recoveries with a total sum of N3, 339,405,723.93 while the Ibadan Zonal Command took the same position in terms of dollar recoveries to the tune of $387,385.00.

Giving an overview of the performance, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, explained that the monies included direct and indirect recoveries for the different tiers of government (federal, state and local governments), corporate organisations and individuals (victims of crime) within the year under review.

He commended the personnel of the commission for the performance while urging them to redouble their efforts to ensure that perpetrators of economic and financial crimes are denied the benefit of the proceeds of crime.

Meanwhile, the commission said 22 suspected oil bunkerers and a vessel, MT. TIS IV, handed over to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command by the Nigeria Navy were under investigation in connection with alleged illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The suspects, arrested by the Nigerian Naval Ship, (NNS) So-

roh, Naval Base, Camp Porbeni, Yenagoa along Akassa Rivers, Bayelsa State, on December 6, 2021, and handed over to the EFCC on Friday, January 7, 2022, included Levi Jonathan; Eze Kenneth; Enemari Peter James; Sunday Ereku; Emmanuel Ogbonna; Timi Amos; Fatai Kareem; Chuks Egbo, Tony Atawo and Saviour Martin.

Others are Yoosu Alex; Isac Iboro; Bassey Okon; Kingsley Edet; Taye Poto; Saturday Sobere; Alfred Atiemie; Owei Ibolo; Felix Onome; Odus Osita, Etim Edet and Mudashird Tarheed Representative of Nigeria Navy, Navy Commander P. E Effah, who handed over the suspects and the vessel MT. TIS IV to the EFCC, said they were arrested

for alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering activities.

The statement noted that at the time of arrest, the vessel was laden with about 700,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally sourced crude oil.

"Both the vessel and the suspects were remanded at Brass for safe keeping and preliminary investigations. However, today, we are handing over the vessel and crew members to the EFCC for proper investigation", he said.

Representative of the EFCC, who took over the suspects and the vessel on behalf of the commission, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE Anthony Mark, thanked the Navy and promised diligent investigation and possible prosecution of the suspects.

loans quicker and increase the volume of retail credit, according to the people.

With a population of over 200 million people, of which more than a third have no access to financial services, Nigeria has seen an explosion in demand for payment solutions and lending outside traditional banking.

Businesses have been building on the rapid spread of mobile phones. Financial-technology companies have also benefited as customers sought to reduce physical contact during the pandemic.

The bank plans to close 50 per cent of its branches and reduce global office space by a third, as it seeks to save costs by permanently adopting changes to working practices and retail banking that accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic.

In April last year, Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Andy Halford, said the emerging markets-focused lender would slash its network to 400 from 776 branches after they experienced less usage during worldwide lockdowns in 2020. At the time, the Financial Times reported that it will take a $500m charge to do so.

StanChart’s physical footprint has been declining over the past five years. It operated 1,068 branches across Asia, the Middle East and Africa back in 2016, but Covid-19 has hastened a trend to online and mobile banking.

Halford also reiterated plans to reduce city-centre offices by

a third after staff indicated they wanted to continue working flexibly.

In 2020, it signed an agreement with IWG to allow many of its 95,000 employees to work from “near-home” locations rather than commuting into cities.

Last November, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) granted approval in principle for Payment Service Bank (PSB) licences to MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa as part of its objective of enhancing financial inclusion and the development of the payment system through a secured technology-driven environment.

It is expected that the enhanced financial inclusion would help increase access to deposit products and payment/remittance services to small businesses, low-income households and other financially excluded entities through highvolume low-value transactions in a secured technology-driven environment.

Recently, the financial technology space in Nigeria has become competitive with a reported 250 companies operating in the system, according to Nairametrics.

In simple terms, financial technology aims at delivering financial services to consumers and may include internet, apps, mobile phones and other technological devices.

Companies in the fintech space offer services such as money transfer, depositing a check with a mobile phone, applying for credits, raising funds for business, among others.

...Police Arrest 18 over Illegal Crude Oil Refining Activities Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State Police command has paraded 18 persons arrested for alleged involvement in crude oil refining and exporting activities in the state.

The state governor had ordered the police force to investigate and arrest anyone involved in the illegal oil refining

activities, contributing to the air pollution experienced in the state.

Parading the suspects yesterday at the Police headquarters, Port Harcourt, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Eboka Friday, disclosed that the suspects were arrested for engaging in illegal oil bunkering and refining activities across various locations in the state.

Eboka said officers of the

command also impounded two tankers and two large trucks used for illegal storage and transportation of crude oil.

The police boss explained that five suspects from one particular family in Mgbu-Atafa village of Emohua Local Government Area were among the arrested suspects.

Eboka revealed that the suspects were arrested for providing

land for use in illegal oil refining and bunkering activities.

The commissioner, however, warned all individuals, families and communities in Rivers state to desist from cooperating with persons engaged in such illegal activities, saying, "anyone or group of persons found to be complicit in such activities will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law."

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PROMOTING FINANCIAL LITERACY...

L-R: Director, Mainstreet Capital Limited, Mr. Mamman Bukar Zargana; Group CEO Emerging Africa Capital Limited, Mrs. Toyin Sanni; and Director General Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda, during a meeting between SEC and Financial Literacy Committee in Abuja... recently

Nigeria Ready for ICAO Safety Audit of Aviation Industry, Says NCAA Chinedu Eze The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) said it has put everything in place for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) slated for the first quarter of 2022.

The Authority said Nigeria was fully prepared for the exercise, known as Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA), which includes ensuring that the country abides by the global body’s recommended standard practices, having adequate technical personnel and efficiently regulating the industry to ensure high standard of air safety.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the League of Aviation and Airport Correspondents (LAAC) training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria yesterday, the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu said Nigeria had sustained a regime of robust

regulations and over eight year of zero accident in commercial flight operation.

Nuhu who said Nigeria was primed to excel by maintaining and improving on the reputation already achieved in the area of air safety, appealed to all stakeholders, including the media to join hands with NCAA to ensure a successful audit.

"From now on, all your reports are very sensitive. Let us eschew sensationalism capable of putting the nation in bad light. Therefore, I will advise anyone to endeavour to verify and confirm his/her stories before publishing, if in doubt. It is my view that your watchdog role plays a very important part in fostering stability in the industry.

"These balancing, developmental and promotional stories are the hallmark of a burgeoning aviation industry like ours. Let us present our aviation industry as the most improved that it is. “There is no doubt that there is increased confidence in the sector as new airlines are

coming in and existing operators are expanding their routes.

“Expectedly, our coast of surveillance programme and other oversight responsibilities as the regulator of the industry have increased correspondingly,"

he explained.

He noted that continuous human capacity development was one of NCAA's administration core values, adding that the regulatory authority considers training

procurement efforts.

But there was an acute shortage of organs, and about a dozen people on the lists die each day.

Some 3,817 Americans received human donor hearts last year as replacements, more than ever before, but the potential demand is still higher.

Scientists have worked feverishly to develop pigs whose organs would not be rejected by the human body, research accelerated in the past decade by new gene editing and cloning technologies. The heart transplant comes just months after surgeons in New York successfully attached the kidney of a genetically engineered pig to a brain-dead person.

Researchers hope procedures like this would usher in a new era in medicine in the future when replacement organs are no longer in short supply for the more than half a million Americans who are waiting for kidneys and other organs.

“This is a watershed event,” the chief medical officer of the United Network for Organ Sharing and a transplant physician, Dr. David Klassen said.

“Doors are starting to open

the country's apex regulatory authority for civil aviation in Nigeria. Our personnel are exposed to appropriate trainings all over the world so as to maintain and enhance their competence," he added.

MDAs’ Reports: FG's ESP Has Created over 2m Jobs 250,000 new business names registered free of charge States on course to get N1.7bn minimum from Survival Fund

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

No fewer than 2.1 million jobs have been created or retained by Nigerians through the implementation of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) instituted by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was made public yesterday, in reports presented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government during a virtual meeting presided over by

the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.

President Buhari had in June 2020, mandated the Vice President - as Chairman of the Economic Sustainability Committee, to coordinate the implementation of the ESP aimed at cushioning the economic effects of the global pandemic.

However, according to a statement issued by the Media aide to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, highlights of the presentations by MDAs included the report that about 2.1 million jobs had been

In a First, Man Receives Heart from Genetically Altered Pig A 57-year-old man with lifethreatening heart disease has received a heart from a genetically modified pig, a groundbreaking procedure that offers hope to hundreds of thousands of patients with failing organs.

It was the first successful transplant of a pig’s heart into a human being.

According to New York Times, the eight-hour operation took place in Baltimore and the patient, David Bennett Sr. of Maryland, was doing well on Monday, according to surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“It creates the pulse, it creates the pressure, it is his heart,” the Director of the cardiac transplant program at the medical center, who performed the operation, Dr. Bartley Griffith said.

“It’s working and it looks normal. We are thrilled, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring us. This has never been done before.”

Last year, some 41,354 Americans received a transplanted organ, more than half of them receiving kidneys, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a nonprofit that coordinates the nation’s organ

(including initial, on-the-job and recurrent training) as a key component of aviation development in Nigeria.

"Training and retraining is a capital project for us as it is critical to our operations as

that will lead, I believe, to major changes in how we treat organ failure.”

But he added that there were many hurdles to overcome before such a procedure could be broadly applied, noting that rejection of organs occurs even when a wellmatched human donor kidney is transplanted.

“Events like these can be dramatized in the press, and it’s important to maintain perspective,” Klassen said. “It takes a long time to mature a therapy like this.”

Bennett decided to gamble on the experimental treatment because he would have died without a new heart, had exhausted other treatments and was too sick to qualify for a human donor heart, family members and doctors said.

His prognosis was uncertain.

Bennett is still connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which was keeping him alive before the operation, but that is not unusual for a new heart transplant recipient, experts said.

The new heart is functioning and already doing most of the work, and his doctors said he could be taken off the machine on Tuesday. Bennett is being closely monitored for signs that his body

is rejecting the new organ, but the first 48 hours, which are critical, passed without incident.

He is also being monitored for infections, including porcine retrovirus, a pig virus that may be transmitted to humans, although the risk is considered low.

“It was either die or do this transplant,” Bennett said before the surgery, according to officials at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice.”

Griffith said he first broached the experimental treatment in mid-December, a “memorable” and “pretty strange” conversation.

“I said, ‘We can’t give you a human heart; you don’t qualify.

But maybe we can use one from an animal, a pig,” Dr. Griffith recalled.

“It’s never been done before, but we think we can do it.’”

“I wasn’t sure he was understanding me,” Griffith added.

“Then he said, ‘Well, will I oink?’”

Xenotransplantation, the process of grafting or transplanting organs or tissues from animals to humans, has a long history. Efforts to use the blood and skin of animals go back hundreds of years.

retained or created through the implementation of the ESP programmes and the approval of N10 billion by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to fund the deployment and local assembly of 200,000 (off-grid) Solar Homes Systems under the “Solar Power Naija” partnership between both the NSIA and Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

In the presentation on the Survival Fund made by the Industry, Trade and Investment Minister of State, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, she disclosed that while all states of the federation had received varying levels of the N75 billlion Survival Fund with its different schemes, each of the state were to receive a minimum of N1.7 billion cumulative from all the schemes.

Lagos, Abia and Kano States have already crossed the bar, with Lagos reaching over N2.5 billion and Kano over N2 billion.

No state so far has received anything less than N1 billionB. In his presentation, the Minister of State, Budget & National Planning, Clem Agba, disclosed that while about 1.3 million jobs were retained through the MSME and Payroll support, 774,000 jobs were created from the Public Works Programme and 26,021 jobs from roads construction /rehabilitation.

The Committee was also disclosed that over 1.1 million Nigerians had benefitted from the different schemes under the ESP MSME Survival Fund, thereby saving millions of jobs.

A breakdown showed there were 459,334 beneficiaries under the Payroll Support Scheme; 307,687 beneficiaries from the Artisan & Transport Scheme.

Similarly, 82,491 Nigerians had so far benefited from the General MSME Grants Scheme, and another 17,468 of the Guaranteed Off-take Scheme. Also, 250,000 business names were registered free under the

Survival Fund’s CAC Formalization Support Scheme.

Also, under the Solar Power Naija programme, the Managing Director/ CEO of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo, briefed the Committee that another 60,000 SHS were expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022 under the NDPHC-A-solar partnership, with at least 10,000 units to be assembled locally. This is besides the 200,000 solar connections to be funded by NSIA. The ESP Solar Naija programme was designed to provide electricity access to five million households, and will serve about 25 million Nigerians in rural areas and under-served urban communities nationwide.

On her part, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, noted that the Rapid Response Register (RRR) component under the ESP has since commenced, with 374,759 beneficiaries paid so far, and another 391,185 Nigerians earmarked for payment soon.

The RRR was designed as an intervention to cushion the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban poor Nigerians currently not benefitting from the federal government’s cash transfer programme.

Regarding the progress of the Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) component of the ESP, 281 companies have benefitted from the COVID-grant relief, while 1,105 companies are beneficiaries under the Export Development Fund (EDF), among other milestones.

While the EEFP aims to protect export businesses from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also safeguard jobs, the EDF is a statutory provision of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and is being activated for the first time in the history of the Council under the ESP.

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ELEVEN

Families Now to Decide Burial Rites of Ogun Monarchs as Abiodun Signs New Chiefs Law James Sowole in Abeokuta

Families of traditional rulers in Ogun State now have the right to decide how their family member, who was an oba, should be buried after his passing.

This followed the signing into law by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, of a bill that provided for how traditional rulers and chiefs were to be selected, appointed, recognised and buried.

The signing of the bill, was disclosed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Kunle Somorin in a statement.

Entitled “A Bill for a Law to Provide for An Approved Method for the Selection, Appointment and Recognition of Obas and Chiefs in Ogun State and for Other

Related Matters”, the bill, which was passed by the State House of Assembly, sought to redefine the traditional institution to reflect the current realities.

The governor signed the bill in the presence of the State’s paramount rulers: Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi and the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who was the promoter of the Bill.

Among other things, the law provides for the preservation, protection and exercise by Traditional Rulers of their fundamental rights to be installed and buried according to their religions or beliefs and for other related matters.

Traditionalists had opposed the law and declared that it was an attempt to push cultural practice into extinction, but the Christian and the Muslim communities described the bill as “a welcome development.”

While signing the bill into law, Abiodun said it was imperative to review the existing law as the state could not have laws that were antiquated and contravened the fundamental rights of individual traditional rulers and what the state stood for.

"It’s believed that one of the unique things about this Law beside the fact that it is set out to improve the method for the selection of Obas and Chiefs, is the clarity that this law provides as it relates to the passage of our kabiyesis.

"This law seeks to improve on the previous existing Western Nigeria laws on where there had been ambiguity as it relates to how our kabiyesis will be buried.

"It states emphatically that the families of the respective Obas should have a say on how they are buried henceforth. It now allows the families to determine how our Obas will be interred and, of course, without prejudice to the traditional rites that are meant to be performed by the customary laws.

"Going forward, the families now have a say on how our royal fathers should be buried," Abiodun said.

The governor, who described traditional institution headed by traditional rulers as the closest and oldest form of administration at

BUHARI CANCELS RESTORATION OF INTELS PILOTAGE CONTRACT that lost their loved ones and also commiserated with the government and people of Zamfara state, assured the people that the killings in Zamfara state and elsewhere would not go unpunished.

Akpanudoedehe said, "The All Progressives Congress (APC) is deeply pained and condemns the recent killings of innocent Nigerians in their villages in Zamfara State by criminal gangs, also known as bandits.

"Indeed, the recent designation of these satanic, evil and criminal elements as terrorist groups will further buoy our security services to deal with them as such and ultimately, contain their nefarious activities in the country."

The ruling party commended the military and other security services, whose concerted onslaught on the camps of the criminals was ensuring the rescue of kidnapped citizens and neutralising the criminal elements.

The party noted that already, the terrorists had begun to flee as troops clearance operations had forced their dislodgement from their enclaves, urging Nigerians to watch out and report any suspicious movement.

The NLC, while reacting to the

recent massacre of some villagers in Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, said there should be rapid response to such crisis situations by the security forces.

A statement signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, condemned the wickedness and inhumanity of terrorists, saying government should take drastic action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"The federal government must take very drastic steps to bring a firm closure to the current ogre of bloodletting, destruction of property and displacement of Nigerians.

"We commend the gallantry and sacrifice of our soldiers and other armed services personnel in the current war against terrorists. We ask that our military step up on the onslaught against criminal elements, who have vowed to make life a living hell for innocent Nigerians," he said.

Wabba said the deployment of proactive intelligence, active surveillance and hi-tech weaponry would be useful in combating and conquering the new strain of barbarism and desperation

being exhibited by the terrorists and urged that strong military presence should be established to protect vulnerable villages especially, after bombardments.

While faulting the responses of security agents to emergency security situations like the what happened in Zamfara villages, Wabba said the fact that terrorists went on a bloody prowl for nearly 48 hours unchecked does not speak well of the emergency capabilities of our security system.

He said: "The way security forces respond to emergency situations is a measure of the premium placed on the lives of Nigerians – whether 58 or 200. We call on our security agents to intensify manhunt for the criminal elements and terrorists that perpetrated the recent pogrom in Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas of Zamfara and either bring them to justice or take justice to them.

"We also call on the relevant agencies of government to ensure that relief materials are immediately dispatched to families displaced by this attack. Finally, the findings from the recent NLC Security Summit and Social Protection Roundtable

show that bombs and bullets alone will not win the war on terrorism and secure the peace.

"We urge government at all levels to fix the social dislocations at the root of deteriorating security situation in our country.

Government should prioritize the creation of decent jobs for our youths, extension of social security cover to vulnerable Nigerians, promotion of the rule of law and institutionalization of good governance. The foregoing issues are the fulcrum of the Charter of Demands by Nigerian Workers."

subsisting contract with INTELS for their utilisation.”

Buhari also directed the AGF to ensure quick determination of the cases in court in view of their economic importance, stressing that the above set of directives prior approval dated January 22, 2021 granted on the matter.

THISDAY learnt that Buhari decided to act after reading the submissions of both the AGF and BPP who expressly warned of the danger of further litigations if the pilotage contract is restored.

The AGF had two months ago written to the president after a review of submissions by the NPA and INTELS. In the letter dated November 18, 2021, with reference MJ/DSD/23/ VII, seen by THISDAY, the AGF had stated that the NPA neither suspended nor terminated any of its contracts with INTELS, “which therefore obviates the need for any restoration.

According to him, “There is certainty in the duration of the contract and the position of the law remains clear that a written contract freely entered into by the parties is binding on them.

“Accordingly, the contract for Managing Agent awarded to Messrs INTELS in 2007 validly came to an end and extinguished pursuant to the terms of agreement between the parties, which specified an end date of August 2020.

The agreement did not provide for any further extension of the contract in favour of INTELS. “It is also to be noted that NPA pursuant to the expiration of the contract, kick-started the procurement process to appoint

another managing agent in order to forestall any break in the service being rendered.

“NPA submitted that it concluded the tender/bidding process and forwarded the result to the Minister of Transportation for same to be presented for FEC’s approval.”

INTELS, the AGF added, resorted to litigation to frustrate the conclusion of the procurement process based on its grievance on a different subject-matter.

The development, the AGF added, had created a vacuum in the provision of this critical service in the maritime sector with its attendant loss of revenue from service boat operation to the federal government.

The AGF also stressed that the approval granted by the president in January last year, which Bala-Usman was said to have disobeyed, was based on insufficient information at the time.

The purported termination, he concluded, could not have occurred since the contract came to an end in 2020 based on the agreement by the parties.

In the same vein, the BPP denounced claims by the Ministry of Transportation and urged the president not to restore the contract to avoid further litigation.

The BPP in a letter addressed to the COS to the president, with reference, BPP/DG/2021/007, dated March 9, 2021, had stated that the decision by the NPA to initiate a procurement process in anticipation of the expiration of the contract for boat operation managing agent was in order.

The BPP in the letter signed

said the law which was the first in the Southwest, was put in place to further make the traditional rulers contribute more to the development of the state, expressing the hope that it would be a template for other states to copy.

Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who was the Chairman, Ogun State Council of Obas, when the bill was initiated, said it was a great achievements for people as the Bill attracted a lot of attention from both Christians and Muslims and commended the governor and the Speaker for making it happen, appreciating the Almighty for keeping him alive to witness the development.

Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, said a lot had gone into the bill as things that were wrong had been put right, while the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, who is the current Chairman, Ogun State Council of Obas, said the bill went beyond burial rites of Obas, as it had put many issues bordering traditional institution in the right perspective, expressing the hope that other contentious matters would be amicably resolved with the new law.

Other dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akeem Balogun; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Afolabi Salisu; Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr Dapo Okubadejo and other cabinet members.

SEEKING THE PRESIDENCY IS MY LIFELONG AMBITION, SAYS TINUBU I'm still consulting. And I have no problem consulting. I've not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people I will consult.

"You will soon hear. All you want to hear is the categorical declaration. You've gotten that truth from me that I have informed Mr. President of my ambition, and you don’t expect more answers than that."

Asked what the response of the president was to his ambi-

BUHARI CANCELS RESTORATION OF INTELS' PILOTAGE CONTRACT contract as terms of reference for the panel of enquiry set up to probe the NPA. This was despite Bala-Usman’s explanation that the president had withdrawn the directive pending further advice from the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the Bureau of Public Procurement(BPP).

The terms of reference read: “Examine and investigate issues leading to the termination of pilotage other contracts of NPA and confirm compliance with the terms of the respective contracts, court ruling and presidential directive.”

However, in a letter addressed to the AGF and the Minister of Transportation, with reference number: SH/COS/23/A/229, dated January 7, 2022, and singed by the Chief of Staff (COS) to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, seen by THISDAY, the president directed that the procurement process initiated by the procuring entity, NPA, that was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transportation be forwarded immediately to the BPP for action.

The COS in the letter stated: “The president has also directed that upon receipt of the Noobjection approval from the BPP, a memorandum be presented by the Ministry of Transportation to the Federal Executive Council for consideration, that the Ministry of Transportation should ensure that the process is concluded within 60 days of the president's directive to avoid further loss of revenue by the federal government.

“That NPA should ensure that the sanctity of the agreements with respect to Onne 4 (Berths 9, 10 & 11) be maintained, as there is no

the grassroots, noted that they had existed before the coming of the missionaries, assuring them that government would collaborate with them to deepen development in the grassroots, as they were reliable and dependable.

The governor appreciated the Awujale for his doggedness and persistent in seeing to the review of the law in line with the provision of the Constitution of Nigeria, as well as members of the House of Assembly for ensuring that the Bill went through rigorous exercise as it was subjected to public hearing, because of interest people had on how Obas and Chiefs were appointed.

While noting that the law was another step towards building the future, Abiodun said the state would continue to blaze the trail on laws that were in tandem with modern times and the socioeconomic development, stressing that laws that were outdated and contravened what the state stood for would be reviewed.

In his remarks, Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Kunle Oluomo, said the bill passed through the toughest proceedings in the history of the House as it generated a lot of issues from members of the public, adding however that the lawmakers had done their bit to ensure that the bill was in consonant with the nation's constitution.

Earlier, the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade,

by its Director General, Mamman Ahmadu, concluded that, “There is a compelling need to ensure that contractors and service providers do not take undue advantage of government agencies and do not obtain contracts from government agencies through the court rooms.

“The correct procedure is that contracts should be won through a proper procurement process that complies with the provisions of the PPA, 2007. Furthermore, there is need to avoid the kind of monopoly currently enjoyed

by Messrs INTELS which has cascaded into entitlement mentality being demonstrated by the firm.

“Also, monopoly will inevitably result in charging a higher price to the consumer/client than what is obtainable from a competitive market, thereby eroding value for money.”

The NPA and INTELS have since 2020 disagreed over the renewal of the pilotage or boat service contract.

The Nigerian Ports Authority insisted that the 10 years contract with INTELS expired on August 8, 2020, after which it initiated procurement processes for the contract.

The NPA thereafter submitted the outcome of the procurement process, which the Authority says INTELS participated in, to the Minister who, rather than forward same to BPP, sought the approval of the President to restore the contract to INTELS. This situation has brought the boat pilotage service operations to a standstill for about 16 months, with attendant revenue losses to the nation.

tion, the former two-time Lagos State governor replied, "That's our business. He is a democrat. He didn’t ask me to stop. He didn’t ask me not to attempt and pursue my ambition, which is a lifelong ambition.

“So, why do I expect him to say more than that? You are running a democratic dispensation, and you must adopt the principles and the values and the virtues of democracy. That's it."

Tinubu also said he was at the Villa to see the president on wideranging national issues, "including our political party, APC, security issues, the achievement, and the New Year Agenda."

He stated that it was not in his character to discuss other presidential hopefuls, saying he is out to market himself, as he possesses the capacity and vision to lead Nigeria, having successfully governed Lagos State.

The APC leader stated, "I don't want to discuss individuals now.

I must discuss myself. I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr. President, and turn Nigeria better. I've done that with commitment, you know, in Lagos State.

You’ve seen that experience and the capacity to turn things around and that is what we are doing."

On whether it wouldn’t be ideal for him to remain a kingmaker instead of becoming a king himself, Tinubu emphasised that there was nothing wrong in a kingmaker aspiring to be king. He said, satirically, that he had never seen the cap of a kingmaker before.

Tinubu explained further, "That is the truth. And I've never seen where it is written in the rulebook anywhere in any country that a kingmaker cannot be a king, unless you commit murder. So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. Me, I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker. You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception."

On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill that was rejected by the president, the APC leader stressed the need for both the executive and the legislative arms to collaborate and come up with a realistic electoral bill.

He said, "The National Assembly and the president must be encouraged to review the Electoral Act Bill again and again.

Whatever they come up with, as electoral amendment, is what we must comply with. There is no unlimited elasticity in what we face, because we have to plan and plan well, and be able to manage the time effectively.

"The great roadmap to success is ability of a leader to do what he must do at the right time that it should be done. So, that to me, the electoral amendment bill, we will still look at that collectively.

And it is our country. It's our democracy. We had adopted it and we will push it."

Tinubu took a swipe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the mess Nigeria found itself before APC came to power in 2015, saying the drift is being corrected by the Buhari administration.

He said, "You know, the confusion, the drift of the past in PDP, is being corrected. And you can't take away from that. As we are today, go back to the data on how many barrels of oil we were producing, when we first came in and what it is today. We could not even at the time we came in pay the counterpart funds to start our rail line.

"Today, you enjoy the comfort of having rail from Lagos to Ibadan, you have the Kaduna and you have the one for Kano State in the pipeline, you see excellent infrastructure. I just came from Azare and I have seen good roads…

"Let us think back, let us be intellectually inquisitive as to the past and the present and what the future holds for Nigeria."

See full text of Tinubu's exchange with State House Correspondents below: SHC: Why are you here?

TINUBU: I will not answer that question when I have not lost my citizenship. I came to see the President on general issues concerning Nigeria, including our political party, APC, security issues, the achievement and the New Year Continued on page 16

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NEWS

MAKINDE'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO SOUN'S PALACE...

L-R: Wife of Soun of Ogbomoso, Olaronke Oyewumi; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and eldest son, of the late monarch, Dr. Aderemi Oyewumi, during the governor’s condolence visit to the family PHOTO: Oyo State Government. over the death of Oba Jimoh Oyewumi in Ogbomoso ... yesterday

Only PDP Can Rescue Nigeria, Diri, Wike Insist Rivers governor calls for unity in party over presidential candidate Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and his Rivers State counterpart, Chief Nyesom Wike, have said the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) producing the President of Nigeria in 2023 was very bright.

Both governors who spoke

yesterday, when Wike visited Diri at the Government House in Yenagoa, agreed that only the PDP could rescue Nigeria from its present state of insecurity and economic woes.

Diri, who described the presidency as a sacred office, said the PDP has been repositioned to ensure it wins the presidency in the 2023 general election.

A statement by Diri’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that the PDP was the only party with the pedigree to give Nigerians hope and a sense of direction.

He said: "The presidency is one sacred office and we must do everything to protect it and ensure that our party clinches

victory at the 2023 general polls.

"The number one thing for our party is our unity. Second is who becomes president. We have a capable national chairman that can steer us back to power come 2023."

Commending Wike for demonstrating leadership and purposeful governance, the governor stressed that states in

Boundary Crisis: Osinbajo Meets Deputy Governors Accuses politicians of playing politics with land Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with State Deputy Governors over incessant misunderstandings that usually erupt over boundary disputes among states.

The meeting held in Abuja, saw the vice president explaining that the meeting was convened to enable all stakeholders in boundary issues, understand the Act establishing the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and roles they must play to mitigate misunderstandings that emanate from it.

Osinbajo, who is also Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, acknowledged that politicians were in the habit of playing games with lands, irrespective of the fact that some people attach so much emotions to land and boundary issues.

Declaring the meeting open before it went into a close-door session, Osinbajo said, "the idea of this meeting is to discuss the Act, inter-state rancour and various misunderstandings which the Commission from time to time deals with, with the stakeholders. For instance we would jointly review the works of the Commission, we cannot stress this enough that land is an emotive issue, most times fatalities evolves from land disputes.

"There has to be an understand-

ing of who has access to land because in some cases these are tied to ancestors. But these issues should not result in violence, in some cases resolving these disputes can only be done at the highest levels of governance.

"Let me remind us that we are not here to resolve any particular state border crisis, but perhaps this meeting will review how disputes can be settled without political interference because very often when politicians play games with lands, it results in creating

tensions."

State Deputy Governors who double as state chairmen of the Boundary Commissions present at the meeting included Abia, Adamawa,Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Taraba and Yobe.

The NBC established in Nigeria under CAP 238 of 1990, is responsible for controlling the activities at the borders Nigeria

shares with other countries. It is also tasked with forestalling the inflow of contraband and illegal materials into the country as well as resolving issues that may arise between Nigerian states that shares borders.

While many states in the country have inter-boundary disputes, which sometimes result in communal clashes and deaths, the National Boundary Commission, as the regulatory agency has been deploying efforts to amicably resolve them.

the Niger Delta needed to unite more to tackle their common challenges, particularly in the areas of environmental pollution and underdevelopment.

"Bayelsa and Rivers states are brothers and sisters historically and culturally and if anyone is trying to divide us, we must come against them.

"I call on Ijaw leaders to come together and resolve whatever issues we may have amicably.

Within a family, we will always have issues but that should not remove our brotherliness," Diri said.

He stressed the need for more consultations between him and his Rivers counterpart towards strengthening their bond of unity.

Diri also commended Wike for his role in ensuring the repositioning of the PDP, describing him as s committed party man.

In his remarks, Wike expressed confidence that the PDP would produce the next president of Nigeria.

Wike said Nigerians were waiting for the party to rescue them from the current situation in the country, stressing that leaders and members of the party cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

Wike emphasised the need for unity of purpose between Bayelsa and Rivers and the entire PDP, saying without a united

front success would be elusive.

The Rivers governor lauded his Bayelsa counterpart for his developmental efforts and commitment to the party and urged people of the state to continue to support him.

"Today, I came to let everybody know that Senator Douye Diri is one of the governors I can tell you has showed commitment even though he is new and he believes in the development of his state. I am not someone that will come and say what is not correct.

"I have also come to tell him that everybody must work together to make the PDP united because without party there cannot be presidential candidate.

Let us all unite.

"Nigerians are waiting for PDP and we cannot afford to miss this opportunity. As governors, we must work together.

"Anybody can be presidential candidate but if we are not united it cannot be possible," Wike said.

The Rivers governor was accompanied on the visit by a delegation that included a former Rivers Governor, Chief Celestine Omehia, two former Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara and Prince Chibudom Nwuche as well as a former Minister of Transport, Chief Abiye Sekibo.

NLC Kicks against Bill Seeking to Prohibit Health Workers’ Strike Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has objected to a proposed legislation currently before the National Assembly which seeks to outlaw any form of industrial action by employees in the country's health sector.

The bill was intended to spare the health sector of the disruptions and incessant crisis that often befall it due to workers' agitations for better welfare packages.

Proponents of the bill considered the job in the health sector as a very sensitive and essential one that should not be affected by strike.

But the NLC President Ayuba Wabba, said such a legislation if allowed to sail through would

violate workers’ right to freedom of association as contained in the constitution of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

He described the move to gag the health workers as laughable, adding that basically no one could tie a worker's hand from asserting his right to demand better welfare.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Wabba said strike aimed at increasing wages and payment of wage arrears, saying such action falls within the scope of legitimacy of trade union activities according to ILO Convention 7.69.

He said: "Nigeria is a member of the international Labour Organisation which recognises freedom of association. Item number 17 states that where national laws

including those interpreted by the High Courts violate the principles of freedom of association, the ILO has always consider it within its mandate to examine those laws, provide guidelines and even offer ILO's technical assistance to bring those laws into compliance with the principles of freedom of association as contained in the constitution of the ILO." On the issue of strike, Wabba said ILO Convention 7:51 provides for the right of workers to go strike, adding that it constitutes a fundamental right of workers and their organisation.

He said that strike is used as a means of defending the economic and social rights and interests of workers.

"A strike aimed at increase in

wages and payment of wage arrears fall within the scope of legitimacy of trade union activities according to Convention 7.69,” he added.

On the issue of essential service, Wabba said by the ILO global standards, only the Air Traffic Controllers are assumed strictly in its sense to be essential service.

He said that was why the word "may" has been used in the case of the health sector workers.

According to Wabba, no sector can exclusively be said to be essential service outside the Air Traffic Control by the ILO global standards.

"To want to prohibit strike in the health sector is laughable and basically you can't tie a workers hand not to demand for his rights

because strike is not tea party,, strike is always a matter last resort and where industrial relation is working very well, strike can be avoided.

"Only the case of Air Traffic Control officers is strictly essential.

It is a misplaced priority for any legislator without requisite knowledge of the global standards set

by ILO to propose a law to stop health workers from embarking on strike. It is a fundamental right as guaranteed by the ILO convention on Freedom of Association.

"It is a global standard and not limited to Nigeria because workers have a right, workers are not slaves. This is against the principles of freedom of association," he added.

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COMMENT

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

IN THE STEPS OF FOUNDING FATHERS In spite of some hiccups, the Buhari administration has done well, writes Afakriya A. Gadzama

T

he legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari, despite frequent deliberate relegation by mischief makers, are only comparable to those of the founding fathers of the nation after independence. With the limited resources inherited at independence, solid foundations for growth and development were laid in all parts of the country.

Political scientists of all shades of opinion are quick to point out that even the process of good governance and democratic culture had started taking roots in the country until the military truncated the political process. One must also note that infrastructural developments, although impaired by lack of funds, gained traction immediately after the civil war. As proof of this, most of the lasting legacies in the country especially in education, health and infrastructural development were to a large extent conceived and implemented by the country’s post independence leadership and after the civil war by civilian governments, especially the Shagari administration. The country thereafter literally went to sleep, so to speak, during subsequent regimes until the coming of civilian rule in 1999.

It has to be pointed out that infrastructural and related developments that positively impacted the lives of the citizenry were to be witnessed again following the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as a civilian President in 2015. During Buhari’s second return to power as president, the nation witnessed remarkable progress in virtually all sectors, but especially in the transportation and economic sectors. The petroleum sector, the mainstay of the nation’s economy under Engr Mele Kyari in particular, has witnessed unprecedented growth and relevance in propelling development and growth in the country. Very noticeable is the confidence of investors especially foreigners that has continued to grow because of the stabilizing effects of the oil sector under Mele Kyari. Instructively, NNPC’s decision to fund strategic roads across the country is being hailed as a major innovation of the Buhari government.

In the agricultural sector, remarkable achievements are also being recorded in development of the small scale and anchor borrower schemes funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) all over the country. It must however be pointed out that some strategic agricultural initiatives of the government that would have positively impacted the lives of millions of people have been undermined by poor planning, inadequate consultations and politics. The failure of some of the President’s policies in agriculture could be attributed to incompetence of some of his appointees in handling some of the projects. The Buhari administration can also be scored high in the health sector.

Notwithstanding the persistence of some security threats by insurgents, bandits, unruly herdsmen and incursions of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), even the most ardent critics of

IT MUST HOWEVER BE POINTED OUT THAT SOME STRATEGIC AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD HAVE POSITIVELY IMPACTED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNDERMINED BY POOR PLANNING, INADEQUATE CONSULTATIONS AND POLITICS

President Buhari cannot disprove the reality of tremendous achievements of the administration in restoring security to nearly all parts of the country, especially those previously under siege of criminal elements. It will be recalled that the North East and other Northern States were on the verge of being overrun by the insurgents, bandits and lawless herdsmen until the coming of President Buhari. It is very important that hoodlums behind nearly all forms of insecurity in most parts of the country have been substantially decimated. As a holistic strategy to manage the country’s security challenges, the Armed Forces, security and paramilitary forces have been given leaderships that can achieve their statutory responsibilities to the citizenry and the nation. What the country currently requires is decisively dealing with security threats perpetuated in political interests. Dealing with security threats that are persisting despite the change in strategies by the security forces is also desirable.

The other potentially volatile issues President Buhari has skillfully managed are separatists’ agitations and those promoting violence in parts of the country. In effect, despite occasional threats, the political scene has remained substantially calm.

It should be pointed out that legacies are not built on superficial initiatives. The achievements must be lasting and impactful and in the interest of all people just like the building of railway tracks, health centres and the opening of roads and educational institutions that is now a continuous pre-occupation of the administration. The President has definitely set the standards similar to those of the founding fathers by also inculcating transparency and accountability in public office in those holding positions of trust. Respect for the rights of the people is being made a critical requirement of even the security forces, among other illustrious legacies he is bequeathing on the nation. Nigerians are being assured there is light at the end of the tunnel, indicating bright prospects for prosperity, good governance and the importance of adopting the principle of governance being about serving the people and not self aggrandizement.

We believe everything must be done to consolidate and sustain President Buhari’s legacies as an enduring blueprint for Nigeria’s progress and development in the interest of the masses. The citizens without doubt need good roads, better health care delivery, power supply and good governance at all levels. All these are only possible in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony, injustice and insecurity.

Nothing should therefore be done by anyone or group to distract the government especially with divisive tendencies as it is now beyond contention that the preservation of national unity and brotherhood is another legacy of the Buhari administration that will stand the test of time and outlive the myopic secessionist agenda already facing extinction.

Gadzama OFR, mni is Chairman of the Board, National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja

EMMANUEL’S TIME TO SHOW AND TELL Goodnews Akpan writes that Udom Emmanuel’s performance at the Brekete Family Show is exemplary

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ny encounter can turn out to be an epiphany. For me, I experienced it while watching the Brekete Family Show last Friday. The programme which started at 7:30am and would eventually last about four hours had as its guest, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel.

And throughout, in the mixed language of ‘broken English’ and light humour, Governor Emmanuel broke down his seven years as the number one citizen of Akwa Ibom State. With piercing questions, the host, Ahmed Isah, popularly called ‘Ordinary President’ put the governor on the hot seat. And I dare say, Emmanuel was sterling.

His responses revealed him to me as a planner, doer and lover of his people. After the show, I saw a governor that loves to dream, plan and execute big projects.

While on his gubernatorial campaign, he noted the Akwa Ibom people needed infrastructure to promote industries to develop themselves, the state and by extension, Nigeria. That sentence encompassed a lot of things, right? That’s exactly how his conversations and approach to governance sounded. Construction and repairs was the order of the day. Interventions in roads, schools, hospitals, cottage industries, airline, tourism and other spheres all ran concurrently.

“We have 31 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State and there is nowhere you won’t see our signature on the roads,” said Emmanuel to the privileged audience at the Human Rights Radio Abuja Studio. He announced how his administration is building roads from Uyo to Eket to access the major site of Nigeria’s crude oil wealth. He also said roads have been dualised to connect the senatorial districts in the state. But it seems that it is not only Akwa Ibom residents that are grateful for the Emmanuel administration as also in studio was an Abia indigene resident in Arochukwu, Abia

State, who commended Emmanuel for his strides in roads.

But beyond roads, Emmanuel also upgraded the runway at the Victor Attah International Airport to a Category two. His administration is also constructing a taxiway as well as a building capable of processing one million passengers in a year which would be delivered this year. And preempting these moves, according to the governor who also shares birthdate with Wole Soyinka, imagined that an airport needed planes. He shared how he contacted the plane manufacturers to buy two planes - and got approval. So, from just an idea, Ibom Air started on June 7, 2019 with two.

Bombardier CRJ900 planes. Presently, it has seven planes - Five Bombardier CRJ900 and two Airbus A-220. Last November, the airline placed an order for 10 Airbus A-220. Even some countries do not have an airline.

And for the governor who sees opportunity and latches on to it as second nature, Emmanuel is planning to build a MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) of aeroplanes so as to commercially engage planes in West Africa and generate foreign exchange for the state. ‘There is a high hope that that place would be running by December,’ concluded Emmanuel on that project.

Akwa Ibom is small but it is the state with the longest shoreline at about 150km. And seeking to maximise the natural resource, Emmanuel revealed how a team travelled to Singapore to understudy them and now, Akwa Ibom is seeking to have a Deep Sea Port. Actualisation of this would further benefit Akwa Ibomites and indeed the whole of Nigeria to be more efficient in international trade and earn more foreign exchange. This is definitely good thinking.

He explained how despite the Akwa Ibom owning 36.1% of crude in the country, there was little or no presence of oil industry agencies like the NNPC, DPR, PPMC or even the oil companies.

Upon learning the lack of offices was one their challenges, his administration proceeded to build the 21-storey Dakkada Towers, which he said has been adjudged the smartest government office and seventh tallest building in Nigeria. The governor also highlighted how his administration has encouraged cottage industries in the state to produce things like plastics, toothpicks, pencils, paints, tissue paper made from bamboo. He also spoke about the state’s involvement in fertilizer blending, planting swamp rice, and onions and vegetables.

He announced his administration set aside N2bn for interest-free loans to market women and reported that more than 70% have been paid back.

But the governor is not neglecting the softer sides of life as it is becoming clearer that the opening up of Akwa Ibom has encouraged tourism. Speaking particularly on a tourism project, Emmanuel discussed a ‘tourism village’ where cultures of different ethnic peoples of Nigeria would be projected and promoted. This is in addition to hotels. Recently too, the government signed a management contract for the Ibom Icon Hotels and Golf Resort.

Governor Emmanuel acknowledged he cannot work alone. Ensuring continuity, in December, he flagged off the construction of Ibom Blue Sea Science and Technology Park, 12 years after former governor Obong Attah conceived the idea. To be built by China Blue Sea International Holdings, the park will have a university of technology, vocational centre, a five-star hotel, a hospital and also a power plant.

On the show, it was glaring how receptive the Akwa Ibom governor is towards fresh development ideas. He connected with a Nasarawa businessman involved in petrochemicals, welcomed an opportunity to meet a broadcaster, and opened up discussion channels for producers of vegetables to sync into the governor’s plan to start preserving

vegetables. And with prompts from ‘Ordinary President’ to extend the preservation steps to fruits like ‘oranges and mangoes’ which he noted are wasted in Benue State due to lack of preservation, Emmanuel promised to ‘consider it.’

In the studio, the presenters joked about switching states to become Akwa Ibomites. Commenters on YouTube, where the show is usually streamed live, were also full of praises. On the comment thread, some openly condemned their state governors on hearing the governor talk and project the people and the state while others asked theirs to come learn from Emmanuel. It showed love. But it is interesting to learn what’s behind the transformations.

After about two hours, an obviously impressed ‘Ordinary President’ launched what might become the first campaign for Emmanuel as President of Nigeria. Of course, for the governor who refers to himself as the Chief Servant, he shied away from the projection. As the show progressed, fans of the governor had started milling outside the studio, cheering. It must have been a moment of pride for Emmanuel.

Fact is not many Nigerian state governors can face the scrutiny Brekete Family Show put him through. Not many would even be brave enough to come forward. Why? Because unlike many other Nigerian media houses which sadly patronise governors with interviews in exchange for lucre, Human Rights Radio is not known for that. It doesn’t hold back punches. That Governor Emmanuel went there and even came out being praised is another plus for him.

Compared to Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State is small and not as complex, but Governor Emmanuel is definitely leadership material even though he is humble. Akwa Ibomites are lucky to have him as governor. It would also be great if Nigeria as a whole can benefit from his experience and expertise too.

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T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JANUARY11, 2022

EDITORIAL ISSUES IN ASSETS DECLARATION The Code of Conduct Bureau should sit up

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ith questions persistently raised about the utility of assets declaration in Nigeria and the role of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), there is an urgent need to make for more transparency and accountability. The 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that every public officer should declare his assets “immediately after taking office” and at every four years or at the end of term of office. The list of officers expected to declare their assets is long: the president, vice-president, senate president, deputy senate president, speaker, deputy speaker, House of Representatives, speakers of states house of assembly, governors, deputy governors, justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, commissioners, directors, chairmen and members of local councils, military officers, and lots more.

However, it is doubtful if many of HOW WILL THE BODY these public officials ENFORCE TRANSPARENCY so listed comply with IN GOVERNMENT the law and there is BUSINESS WHEN IT no way Nigerians DOES NOT BOTHER TO can know given the EXAMINE THE RECORDS disposition of the OF OFFICERS IN OR OUT institution charged OF GOVERNMENT? with enforcing compliance, which is the CCB. Yet, as provided in the 1999 Constitution, the bureau is mandated “to establish and maintain a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability”.

It is instructive that Section 3(c) of Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution empowers the CCB to “retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizens of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe.” On its part, the Freedom of Information Act

Letters to the Editor

2011, an Act of the National Assembly, has prescribed the condition for information disclosure. In Section 1(1), the Act states: “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, Law or Regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is hereby established.”

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

T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

he main problem is the way the CCB treats requests based on the FOI Act. Part of the functions of the bureau is to receive complaints of non-compliance, investigate the complaints and where appropriate refer such matters to the Code of Conduct Tribunal. But how can the bureau receive complaints if everything is done in secrecy and the declaration of assets is not open to public scrutiny?

With the information locked away and indeed fiercely protected by the body that ordinarily should ensure accountability in the public arena, how useful is the whole exercise?

That perhaps explains why since the bureau came on stream in 1989, there is no record that any public officer has been successfully prosecuted and sanctioned.

Ordinarily, the CCB should take the lead in making public officials account for what they own after office but that is not what happens. Indeed, when last did you hear anything about the bureau verifying the assets of any public officer mid-term or after leaving office? So how will the body enforce transparency in government business when it does not bother to examine the records of officers in or out of government?

The CCB was set up to ensure greater transparency in government among public officers. But it has merely become another bureaucracy on which tax money is being expended. It is important to stress that declaring assets publicly does not break any known law in our country. Since the assets being declared by public officials are not available for public scrutiny, there is no way to ascertain its veracity. That’s why many have called on the National Assembly to amend the CCB Act to demand that the assets filed by public officials in Nigeria be made public.

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

NIGERIA’S MACABRE MOB

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iterally, they wield the biblical first stone; without compunction they cast it, catching the hapless in a hail of stones and condemning them to the most horrific of deaths.

They colour outside the lines themselves and tucked into every Nigerian street especially the busiest and seediest, they await the cry of `Thief, thief, thief’ – like the chickadee`s mobbing call – to emerge and join the frenzy.

Welcome to Nigeria`s mob courts where mob justice mirrors injustice at its worst. Some years ago, the story broke of how in a busy Lagos market, a boy, barely in his teens, was lynched for allegedly stealing garri.

There was another story from Onitsha of a lady who was lynched for allegedly stealing a mobile phone. It later emerged that she was innocent after all. Many Nigerian cities have borne witness to the horrors. The cast of participants is always divvied up into four groups: those who do the lynching; those who cheer those who do the lynching; those who stand by and watch, and in this age of social media, emergency videographers. So, the flames rage, condemning those it catches to the only fate possibly worse than death.

Away from the dignity of judicial proceedings which deigns to cover the nakedness of even the worst criminals with the fig leaves of judicial propriety and procedure, those caught out on the streets, by Nigeria`s angry mobs which enlist many rabid criminals, live a living hell before they are sentenced to the real hell by Nigeria`s religious retrogrades. They burn here before they are sent to the unquenchable flames.

Because many of those who have been lynched were only victims themselves of some of those who joined others to lynch them, flames which burn those sentenced to die by fire in Nigeria`s mob courts cast light into the many hearts destitute of any conscience.

The mobs, their macabre methodologies and their morbid fascination resoundingly rebuke the delivery of justice in Nigeria while mercilessly shoving into the dock the country`s access to justice for it is a fundamental fulcrum of justice that everyone deserves a fair trial no matter how egregious the allegations against them may be.

But tell that to the venue of vultures so quick with a match. In Nigeria, a strand of distrusts runs from most Nigerians through many of the country`s institutions. Many Nigerians view practically every Nigerian institution with grave suspicion.

Thus, it is common place to hear people ask: “Why should we hand criminals over to the police when the police will eventually let them go?” or “Is the judiciary not corrupt and compromised, they will let them go at the end of the day?”

So, in a country of shortcuts and quick-fixes, those publicly caught redhanded or alleged to have been caught red-handed in thievery soon feel fiery flames licking up every hair on their bodies.

Even in times of fuel scarcity, fuel materializes out of nowhere, tyres appear too and then matchsticks complete the inventory of incineration. The offender is drenched in petrol, a tyre hung around his neck and a fiery spectacle lit like the Olympic torch.

Just how do some Nigerians stomach the sight? Just how do the vultures who gather and participate take in everything? Just how do people descend into the depths of such dark depravity? Do they ever emerge? If they do, do they remain the same?

How do some Nigerians find the strength to nod their heads in approval of the antics of the lynch mobs which count many criminals in their ranks?

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

SOME SPOILERS SPOILT

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university in England, Warwick University, has gone too far with political correctness by even banning the phrase “trigger warning” as it may be too “provocative” for their sensitive students.

Well, some of the best, and worst, stories have difficult content, and a few quick examples might clarify the problem - sorry some spoilers follow.

In the Bible, the good guy dies but that’s not the end of the story. In Star Wars, the hero Luke has serious family issues. In The Titanic, the boat gets waterlogged by the end of the film.

Even if we switch to what some consider the top five books we have Anna Karenina (Infidelity), Madame Bovary (More Infidelity), War and Peace (Violence), The Great Gatsby (Alcohol and death), and Lolita (Sexual Assault). Even Disney’s Bambi contains a murder scene.

We have to face the world and its difficulties especially at the moment when we are in the middle of a pandemic.

Look for the positive but be aware of the problems we all face.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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NEWS

REMEMBERING THE FALLEN HEROES...

L-R: Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Province, Most Rev. Anthony JV Obinna, and Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, at the Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, during the thanksgiving service to mark the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day...Sunday

Kwankwaso: Why PDP Should Zone Its Presidential Ticket to North We are yet to take a decision, PDP insists

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

A former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said it is imperative for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the northern part of Nigeria, stressing that victory in an election is based on strategy, not sentiment.

Kwankwaso spoke during an interview with Channels Television, where he also made his views on the 2023 political calculations known.

But the PDP leadership, in a reaction, said the party was yet to zone its presidential ticket.

Kwankwanso, a former twoterm governor of Kano State, condemned the insistence of the Southern Governors Forum in July 2021 that the next president of the country should come from their region rather than canvassing what was best for the country. He said the south’s insistence on producing the presidential candidate of PDP ahead of 2023 was an attempt to intimidate the north into relinquishing its right to contest the seat.

According to Kwankwanso,

“Many people are mixing what ordinarily shouldn’t come together at all. We have PDP, we have APC, we have APGA and we have many other parties today in this country. And the issue of where a party puts its presidency or vice presidency is a matter of strategy.

“If you look at it from 1999 to date, or even after 2023, we have 16 years for PDP, eight years for APC. Now, in the 16 years of PDP, we had a situation, where the presidency has been in the south for 14 years and only in the north for two years during the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory.

“Now, we see some people, maybe because they don’t understand politics or they want to be mischievous, they keep on mixing the two issues of two political parties. This PDP and APC are contestants in this game.”

The former governor debunked rumours of his planned defection to APC. He said, “As we speak, there is no plan for me to leave the PDP to join APC, or any other party.

“Of course, there were issues, which are very clear to almost

everybody; that we had congress in April last year in Kaduna, which I felt and many of my supporters in the North-west and even beyond felt that I was not being treated well and Kano was not being treated the way it should be.

“And, therefore, I believe that was the beginning of those issues, to the extent that people thought because of that, we would leave the PDP for APC or any other party.”

But PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Okigunagba,

Five bandits have been killed by security operatives while foiling an attack on a community in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

He said the state government was informed by the military authorities that troops foiled an attack and neutralised five terrorists in Kwanan Bataro, Giwa LGA

“According to the operational feedback, the troops who were conducting clearance patrols in Giwa LGA received credible intelligence of terrorists' movement towards Fatika town.

“The troops then mobilised to Marke and Ruheya in response.

“The outlaws were sighted and attempted to escape the advancing forces.

“The troops however cut off their escape route at Kwanan Bataro, and engaged them in a firefight, during which five of the terrorists were neutralised.

“The troops returned to base

and unequivocally states that it has not zoned its presidential ticket to any part of the country.

"The PDP is a political party founded on democratic principles and every action of the party, including zoning, is based on extensive consultations, discussions and consideration of all the issues as well as the various tendencies and interests across the nation, with the main objective of ensuring that the unity, peaceful co-existence and development of our nation are reinforced and promoted.

"The PDP, therefore, urges Nigerians, our teeming members and supporters to completely disregard the unfounded zoning claims as being peddled. Our party also cautions those behind the claims to desist forthwith.

"The PDP thanks Nigerians across board for the overwhelming interest they have in our party as their sure platform to rescue and rebuild our nation from misrule and urges them to remain united and focused as we join forces for the task ahead."

SEEK I N G T H E PR E SI D E N CY I S M Y L I F E LO N G A M BI TI O N , SAYS TI N UBU Agenda. That's all I can tell you.

The new strategy that we must have, party congresses and all that.

SHC: President Buhari recently said he did not want to divulge his favorite for the APC 2023 presidential ticket. Nigerians will like to know, have you informed your president, because they are urging you to come out and contest. Have you informed him about your ambition?

TINUBU: I can answer that with categorical yes. I've informed the President of my intention but I have not informed Nigerians

Security Operatives Foil Attack, Kill Five Bandits in Kaduna

John Shiklam in Kaduna

said the party was yet to decide where its presidential candidate would come from. The main opposition party said its response on the presidential ticket issue would not be as former governor of Niger State, Aliyu Babangida, who said the presidential ticket had been zoned to the north.

Aliyu had, while receiving Atiku Abubakar’s support group, said PDP had zoned the presidential ticket to the north.

Ologunagba, however, declared, "For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP emphatically

after clearing the area”, the commissioner said.

He added that, “Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed satisfaction at the operational feedback and commended the troops for their proactive and sharp response to the intelligence received.”

Aruwan said the governor encouraged the security operatives to keep up the intensity in the ongoing offensives against terrorists in the area.

He added that patrol and surveillance of the area were being sustained by security forces.

yet. I'm still consulting. And I have no problem consulting.

And I've not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people will I consult. You will soon hear, all you want to hear is the categorical declaration.

You've gotten that truth from me that I have informed Mr. President of my ambition, and you don’t expect more answers than that.

SHC: What was his response?

TINUBU: That's our business.

He is a democrat. He didn’t ask me to stop. He didn’t ask me not to attempt to pursue my ambition; it’s a lifelong ambition.

So, why do I expect him to say more than that? You are running a democratic dispensation, and you must adopt the principles and the values and the virtues of democracy. That's it.

SHC: We have seen a number of support groups, drumming up support for your ambition, that of Vice President Osinbajo and Governor of Kogi State too.

What's your perspective on this?

How do you see a potential race between you and these other persons for the APC ticket?

TINUBU: I don't want to discuss individuals now. I must discuss myself. I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr. President, and turn Nigeria better. I've done that with commitment and unyielding, you know, in Lagos State. You’ve seen that experience and the capacity to

turn things around and that is what we are doing.

You know, the confusion, the drift of the past in PDP is being corrected. And you can't take away from that. As we are today, go back to the data on how many barrels of oil were we producing when we first came in and what it is today. We cannot even at the time we came in, pay the counterpart funds to start our rail line.

Today, you enjoy the comfort of having rail from Lagos to Ibadan; you have the Kaduna and you have the one for Kano State. On the aggressive pipeline, you see excellent infrastructure. I just came from Azare and I have seen good roads, the carnage of dying on motor vehicles is reducing except you know, lack of compliance with a lot of Nigerian drivers and VIOs. Let us think back, let us be intellectually inquisitive as to the past and the present and what the future holds for Nigeria.

SHC: Tinubu as Nigeria’s President, what do we hope to see?

TINUBU: You want my manifesto now? Not yet. Not yet.

SHC: I would like you to speak on the direct primaries and the convention. And secondly, what would be your response to those that say, the cap of being a kingmaker fits you more than you throwing your self into the ring; that you should remain a kingmaker?

TINUBU: First of all, the

National Assembly and the president must be encouraged to review and review again.

Whatever they come up with on the electoral amendment is what we must comply with. There is no unlimited elasticity in what we face, because we have to plan and plan well, and be able to manage the time effectively.

The great roadmap to success is the ability of a leader to do what he must do at the right time that it should be done. So, that to me, the electoral amendment point, we will still look at that collectively.

And it is our country. It's our democracy. We had adopted it and we will push it rigorously.

About the cap of kingmaker.

I've never seen the cap of a kingmaker before. That is the truth. And I've never seen where it is written in the rule book anywhere in any country, that a kingmaker cannot be a king unless you commit murder.

So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. Me, I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker. You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception.

Convention? It is certain that we are going to get it.

SHC: When next month?

TINUBU: Oh, well, I'm not a spokesperson for the party.

And the President is the leader of the party. So, expect convention, maybe if that's added to your own anxiety, or the other party's anxiety is good for us. We get it and we'll get it done properly.

TJUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

US, Russia Hold Day-long Talks Am i d Ukra i n e Te n s i o n s Diplomats from the United States and Russia held day-long talks Monday in Geneva about Moscow’s massive troop buildup along its Ukraine border and Russian demands for Western security guarantees.

A US State Department spokesperson said the meeting, the first of several this week, began just before 9 a.m. local time and ended in the late afternoon. There were no immediate details available about the outcome of the talks, although both US and Russian officials expressed little optimism ahead of time about the prospects for immediate resolution of disputes between the two superpowers.

The State Department stressed that the US side has been working in consultation with Ukraine and NATO and other allies across Europe in preparing for the talks.

“The United States is committed to the principle of ‘nothing about you, without you’ when it comes to the security of our European allies and partners, including Ukraine,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We are lashed up at every level with our allies and partners, and we will continue to be in the days and weeks ahead.”

After the Geneva talks, Russia is due to hold negotiations with NATO in Brussels on Wednesday and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Thursday in Vienna.

Protesters Are Coup Plotters, Says Kazakhstan’s President Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Monday that his country had weathered an attempted coup coordinated by what he called “a single centre” after the most violent unrest since the former Soviet Republic gained independence.

He said, “It became clear that the main goal” of recent protests “was to undermine the constitutional order and to seize power.”

Tokayev spoke at the virtual summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Eurasian intergovernmental military alliance.

The leader of the former Soviet republic had asked Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, for help in quashing the demonstrations.

Russia and several other members of the CSTO responded by sending troops.

The Russian leader told the summit, “Of course, we understand the events in Kazakhstan are not the first and far from the last attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our states from the outside.”

President Tokayev issued a shoot-to-kill order to halt the protests, enabling security forces to open fire on demonstrators without warning.

Monday was declared a day of mourning for victims of the unrest.

The protests were prompted by a fuel price increase but grew over dissatisfaction with the country’s authoritarian rule.

Afghanistan: Explosives Kill 9 Children Officials in Afghanistan said Monday at least nine young students were killed and four wounded when an explosive remnant of war accidentally detonated outside a school in eastern Nangarhar province.

In a statement, the provincial governor’s office said the incident in Lalpur district occurred when an old mortar shell in possession of a corn seller exploded as he tried to remove the dust off it.

“Nine children were martyred, and four others were injured when an old mortar shell exploded near a corn seller,” the statement said.

International studies have consistently ranked Afghanistan as one of the most landmine- and unexploded ordnance-impacted countries.

Nine members of one family, including four girls and two boys, were reportedly killed last November when an explosive

his team have discovered a new COVID variant. Dr. Leontios Kostrikis told the publication that deltacron has the genetic background of the delta variant and some of the mutations of omicron.

“The frequency of the mutations was higher among those in hospital, which could mean there is a correlation between deltacron and hospitalisations,” Kostrikis told The Mail.

On Monday, India’s health ministry said it had recorded a daily toll of 179,723 new COVID cases in the previous 24-hour period.

remnant of war went off inside a home in northeastern Kunduz province. Three other children were injured in that incident.

One of the children unknowingly had brought the unexploded device into the home after finding it in a nearby field.

Australian Open: Court Overturns Djokovic’s Deportation Order The world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has won his case against deportation from Australia on the country’s strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.

Djokovic’s fans celebrated Monday outside an immigration hotel in Melbourne where he had been detained. Federal Court Judge Anthony Kelly said the Australian government’s decision to cancel his visa was “unreasonable.”

He said the Serbian tennis star was not given enough time to speak with tournament organisers or his legal advisers after being detained Wednesday at Melbourne airport, a standard treatment for an “unlawful non-citizen” according to Australian law.

He had flown to Australia believing he had an exemption from the country’s COVID-19 vaccination regulations, which state all foreign nationals entering the country must fully be inoculated or have a medical waiver.

Djokovic said he had contracted coronavirus in December, which gave him the right to apply for an exemption.

However, Australian border authorities had said that the tennis star had not met immigration regulations and would be deported.

But his lawyers told the court that the decision to revoke his visa was “illogical, irrational and legally unreasonable.”

Djokovic has been released from detention and will likely be allowed to defend his Australian Open title. He has won the event nine times.

India Turns to Boosters in Battle against COVID-19 Surge On Monday, India began administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable groups as infections surge to their highest levels in seven months fueled by the omicron variant and crowded cities like New Delhi and Mumbai reimpose restrictions battle the third wave of the pandemic.

Health care and frontline workers and senior citizens with comorbidities lined up Monday to get what India calls a “precautionary shot.”

“We raised the demand for boosters for health care workers and doctors four months ago,” said J.A. Jayalal, who was president of the Indian Medical Association until December.

In recent days, as India’s COVID-19 infection rate climbed steeply, hundreds of doctors and

health care workers have contracted the virus, according to reports in local media. That has led to warnings of staff shortages in hospitals.

Cameroon Violence: Displaced 25,000 Villagers Return Homeless Authorities in Cameroon authorities say at least 25,000 villagers in the northeast who fled communal fighting to neighbouring Chad last month have returned. But hundreds of ranchers and fishers were left homeless, and more than 75,000 are reluctant to go home.

Cameroon’s ministry of territorial administration says at least 25,000 civilians who fled intercommunal violence along its northern border to Chad have returned home.

A statement read on Cameroon state radio CRTV on Monday said the civilians are returning because the area is once again peaceful.

The governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakari, said a December peace mission to convince armed men to drop their weapons was a success.

He spoke to VOA via messaging application from Maroua, the capital of the Far North Region.

Bakari said thousands of civilians who fled to Chad because of the intercommunal violence between Arab Chao and ethnic Mousgoum have been returning to Cameroon each week since December 16. He said the returnees are responding to Cameroon President Paul Biya’s appeal for them to return home, seek peace, and develop their communities.

But Bakari said several hundred returnees were left homeless because their houses were torched in the conflict.

China: COVID-19 Breaks out Near Winter Olympics Site A city near Beijing, the site of next month’s Winter Olympics, has begun a mass COVID testing campaign because of discovering at least 40 omicron cases over two days. Officials have initiated restrictions on Tianjin’s residents to prevent the outbreak’s spread. Bus and train services between Tianjin and Beijing have been suspended.

The UK is set to begin a public service campaign urging pregnant women to get their COVID-19 inoculations after the Department of Health and Social Care discovered that 96.3 per cent of pregnant women admitted to hospitals with COVID symptoms were unvaccinated.

The Cyprus Mail reports that a University of Cyprus scientist and

Venezuelan Ruling Party Candidate Concedes Defeat in Tense Election A candidate from Venezuela’s ruling party on Sunday conceded defeat in a tense gubernatorial election in Barinas, a fiefdom of late president Hugo Chavez.

Jorge Arreaza, who served as the country’s vice president and foreign minister and was Chavez’s son-in-law, tweeted that according to “the information of our structures... we did not succeed.”

The National Electoral Council (CNE) was yet to announce the results.

A first ballot was cancelled by a court mid-count last year on the brink of an opposition victory that unnerved the establishment, and thousands of police and soldiers kept a watchful eye on elections Sunday.

The rerun gubernatorial election in Barinas state, where Chavez’s father and brothers have held political power since 1998, was conducted amid widespread claims of ruling party interference.

Arreaza, 48, faced off against unknown lawmaker Sergio Garrido, 54, as the ruling party sought to butter up voters with investments in the region, which led many to view the election as stacked in Arreaza’s favour.

COVID-19: Uganda Reopens Schools After 2 Years Uganda has reopened schools for the first time in two years, marking the end of the world’s longest school closure from the COVID-19 pandemic. While many welcomed students’ return to the classroom, a low turnout has raised concerns about the long-term impact on education.

It’s the first day of school in Uganda, and students are checking in. Aside from food items packed for those in boarding session, other items such as masks and hand sanitisers are a must for those returning.

Uganda closed schools in March 2020 for more than 15 million learners at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Amina Mohammed Reappointed UN Deputy Secretary-General United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has formalised his prior announcement that Amina Mohammed of Nigeria will continue as Deputy SecretaryGeneral during his second term.

The secretary-general expressed his appreciation for Mohammed’s leadership of the UN Sustainable Development Group and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximise the impact of the UN development’s system on the ground.

Prior to first assuming her role as deputy secretary-general in January 2017, Mohammed served as Nigeria’s Minister of Environment and special adviser to then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.

Before joining the UN, she worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022

POLITICS

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

How Owerri Zone is Strategizing for Imo Governorship in 2023 Amby Uneze reports that the 2023 national elections in Imo State will throw up governorship candidates mostly from Owerri zone

Ihedioha

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henever Imo politics comes to mind especially the governorship aspect, everyone remembers the controversial and questionable decision of the Supreme Court judgement of January 14, 2020. That was when the collective decision of Imo people was thwarted. The election of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor of the state for seven months was cut short and in his place, Senator Hope Uzodimma of All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as the governor.

The rest of the story is now history, but it would take centuries for Imo people, the rest of Nigerians and beyond to forget such a judgement. Due to the general perception of injustice meted to Owerri zone, the people have again resolved to repeat what they did in 2019 general elections which returned 100 percent for the governorship to her zone.

Owerri zone remains the only zone that has not tasted the seat of governor of the state since the return of the nascent democracy in 1999. Not minding the fact that the zone had all it could to kick start the governorship from the zone in 1999, but the leaders majorly from the zone decided to kick start from Orlu zone in compliance with the ‘gentleman agreement’ of the charter of equity.

Hence, Chief Achike Udenwa, a green horn in politics then was given the mandate to run for the governor and he was delivered by the same of people of Owerri zone.

It is on record that the Orlu zone having had the shots to rule the state for 20 years since 1999 while Okigwe zone ruled for only four years, the period the people of Imo state resolved to give Owerri zone the chance was 2019. The people of the state voted enmass to Ihedioha and he won landslide in the 2019 governorship election. His ignominious removal by the Supreme court and sent it back to Orlu zone remains a nightmare.

However, the people have moved on hoping to rewrite the ‘bad’episode in 2023 by ensuring that the Imo charter of equity is respected so as to have fairness and justice among the three zones of the state.

Recently, a group known as the Coalition for Owerri Reawakening, organized the 4th anniversary of what they called “Egbu Declaration”.

A brief overview of the Egbu Declaration points out the age long colonization of the Imo state governorship seat by the other zone that had had it for about 20 years since 1999. The theme of this year event was “Imo: Mmegbu Adi Mma” (Imo: Cheating is Evil) was indeed a turning point where a bold statements were made for the Owerri zone to recapture the 2023 governorship position in the state.

The ceremony which was held at its traditional venue, the All Saints Cathedral Egbu was chaired

by Gen. Collins Ihekire (rtd.) Notable personalities in the zone were there to make their commitment in favour of the Owerri zone.

Frontrunners Studying the political and body language of some frontrunners that are mainly regarded as

Nneji

Ekeh

gladiators and schemers towards the 2023 governorship elections from the Owerri zone, the list of interested personalities resonate. Their brief antecedents and pedigree are highlighted for the public attention.

However, the Owerri zone is made up of nine local government areas with a thick population that comprises personalities from vast professions ranging from the academia, top politicians, industrialists, communication and computer giants, ICT gurus and financial experts.

Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha He is the immediate past governor of the state under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His sudden removal by the Supreme Court after about seven months in office is still begging for clarification. Ihedioha was a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

He has both political and administrative capacity to return as governor of the state.

His brief saddle on the governance seat of the state no doubt brought hope, fasttracked development, restored monthly payment of salaries and pensions to civil servants and pensioners, and security of lives and property was guaranteed.

Chief Stanley Amuchie Amuchie was a former chief financial officer (CFO) of Zenith Bank Plc. He contested the primaries of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2019. Not minding the fact that he was new into the political terrain, his entry brought fears into the annals of his co-contenders as he shaked the political space in the state because of his numerous followers and unassuming mien. A financial expert and one that had managed the finances of a top bank in the land, he has the ability to administer the state to greatness if given the opportunity.

Senator Bright Nwanne Senator Nwanne represents the ancient and modern politicians, having being a senator at a very tender age in 1992/93 before General Abacha struck. This distinguished personality has the welfare of the people especially the less privilege at heart. An industrialist of repute, Nwanne mixes his politics with an organized mind, and he is ready to reactivate the wheel of governance to the benefit of the people. He

Anyanwu

also contested the primaries under APGA in 2019. Even though, he has not made any reference to the 2023 general elections, but feelers across his numerous followers and admirers tends towards dragging him to the ring because he has both the financial war chest and capacity.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu He is presently the national secretaryelect of the PDP. As a former senator and member of the Imo state house of assembly, Senator Samunel Anyanwu, popularly called Samdaddy is set to play a leading role in the 2023 general elections. A political schemer of note, Anyanwu has garnered political experience having started from the bottom as a council chairman to the top as a senator and now national scribe of the main national opposition party, his relevance in Imo politics and how the governorship issue would play out is guaranteed.

Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho A former minister of interior and governorship candidate of APGA in 2015 is not a push over. Capt. Iheanacho is an oil and gas mogul whose antecedent in business and politics is notable. An intelligent gentleman whose oratory can hypnotize his audience is very able and ready to serve the state as a governor. Though, he has not made any move yet, but from all indications, his body language directs towards the way.

Mr. Leo Stan Eke This is a big masquerade in the governorship list of the state. Not minding that Mr. Leo Stan Eke’s name reoccurs every election period, but he has never expressed interest to put his hat in the ring. Rather, he would take his time, study the trend and finally supports whoever he is convinced that would carry the day. A global brand through his Zinox conglomerate, Eke is a polished gentleman that believes in hard work and competence. He is a governorship material any day he makes up his mind to come out to seek for votes of the people.

Mr. Alex Mbata Mbata is for sure a new name into Imo politics and he seems ready to come out in 2023 general elections. Alex Mbata is a businessman whose body language directs towards contesting election. Though, there

The people have moved on hoping to rewrite the ‘bad’episode in 2023 by ensuring that the Imo charter of equity is respected so as to have fairness and justice among the three zones of the state. Recently, a group known as the Coalition for Owerri Reawakening, organized the 4th anniversary of what they called “Egbu Declaration.”

has not been any indication to that effect, but feelers have it that his support for the incumbent governor might not give him the will-power to contest for governorship. Otherwise, his eyes may tilt towards the senate.

Senator Chris Anyanwu This is one woman who acts as a man in terms of courage and hardwork in politics. Senator Chris Anyanwu was a two-time senator, a former commissioner for Information in the state and a renowned journalist. Her achievements in politics have indeed placed her in the position to seek for the office of a governor. She is yet to indicate her interest to run for any office in 2023 though, her ability to deliver on the job as the first female governor of the state is not out of place.

Chief Chuka Odom A former minister of FCT as well as a governorship aspirant under the PDP in 2015, Chief Odom is another fine gentleman who would perform excellently well in the governorship seat. Having worked closely with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu in various capacities including chief of staff and commissioner for special duties in Abia state, this legal luminary has zero tolerance to corruption. His support to Ihedioha in 2019 governorship elections seemed to remain solid; however, he is also a good material for the governorship seat.

Chief Jude Ejiogu Ejiogu is a former secretary to Imo state government under the rein of Rochas Okorocha as well as chief of staff. He contested the primaries of the APC in 2019 for the governorship ticket and still nurses the hope of becoming the governor in 2023. The Emekuku-born soft spoken gentleman is a personality to behold in terms of delivery and experience in governance.

Chief Okey Eze Chief Eze is a thorough-bred politician whose entry into the political atmosphere in 2019 made so much impact. In terms of his financial war chest, Eze was ready to dish out to ensure he grabs the ticket of any political party he ventured in. Having lost the ticket in APGA, he moved over to Social Democratic Party (SDP) where he contested for the 2019 governorship election.

From all indications, it seems that Eze has not finished yet in politics, the 2023 general elections presents an umpteen time for him to rehearse what he did in 2019.

Mr. Frank Nneji Mr. Frank Nneji is a core and renowned businessman and transporter. He revolutionized online ticketing and easy-to-ride road transport in the country having established the ABC Transport Company Plc that opened up the West Africa coast by road. Nneji contested the governorship ticket under APGA in 2019 and his blueprint was second to none. It is however, not clear whether he would venture into governorship race in 2023 or not, but whatever happens, he has good plans for the industrialization of the state.

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T H I S D AY ˾TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022

POLITICS

Osun 2022: A Silent Revolution Olawale Oluwade focuses on the governorship aspiration of Mr. Dele Adeleke in the 2022 governorship race, which seems to have altered the state of play and the permutations of traditional political pundits

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he forthcoming Osun State governorship elections in July of this year, promises to be pretty interesting. The fallouts from the 2018 elections where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate lost to the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) government, many issues came to the fore before, during and after that election. A couple of these issues need proper interrogations for deeper perspective and understanding so as to make the right decisions now to forestall a repeat of the 2018 painful debacle.

One of the issues which marred last elections in Osun was voter apathy. Of the over 2.1million registered voters, only about 500,000 voters actually voted on the day. The question is why? What is responsible for this magnitude of apathy? The answer is quite simple. The personality of PDP’s candidate. While the people of Osun were totally disenchanted with the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, and desired a credible alternative to the APC and its candidate who they perceived to be a continuation of the same bad policies and programs of Aregbesola.

However, the leading opposition party, PDP failed the electorates when they fielded Senator Ademola Adeleke as its flagbearer. In fact, the critical demography in the state, the youths, were thoroughly disillusioned and voted to rather, stay at home, than go to the polls to vote for a man with a dubious academic qualification and especially, abject lack of demonstrable capacity either in the private or public sector. Their question was, “how do you entrust the fortunes of a badly run state into the care of a man who has never handled any private or public service entity, managing people and resources?”

Now, the socio-political environment in Nigeria has since changed drastically from the events of 2018. The 2020 EndSARS Movement, a peaceful youth revolution to arrest and put an end to the brutal activities of policemen which, sadly was poorly managed by the APC-led federal government, has piqued the interest of the youth population all over Nigeria. In Osun state, the entry of Mr. Dele Adeleke into the 2022 governorship race has altered the state of play and the permutations of traditional political pundits.

Dele Adeleke’s governorship aspiration has become a revolution of sorts. A revolution driven by the youths, academics, market people, artisans, civil service personnel and intellectuals both at

Dele Adeleke home and abroad. His aspiration to vie for the PDP ticket is seen by most youths as a mere natural step in the eventual contest with the APC incumbent governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola who they are eagerly waiting to deal a heavy political defeat that will send a resounding message to the APC echelons in Abuja that their years of misgovernance and misrule has come to an end!

Today, in Osun state, the governorship aspirations of Dele Adeleke is akin to a gigantic tsunami. The massive groundswell of grassroots supports and mobilization by all critical stakeholders who see in him the approximation of their timehonored values and ideals is simply incredible. In addition to the youth demography, Osun state has a total of twenty-four (24) higher institutions; ten (10) universities and fourteen (14) other institutions of higher learning, the second highest in Nigeria, which employs thousands of workers who equally train hundreds of thousands of young students.

The majority of these people in the civil service and larger critical education sector have sworn that they cannot in all good conscience cast

their vote for a candidate of doubtful academic or professional pedigree. They are prepared to work assiduously for the realization of Mr. Dele Adeleke’s aspiration for as long as he gets the ticket of the PDP. Pressed further, some stated that they’re better off with the status quo than vote for an ill prepared and poorly equipped candidate in the coming elections!

Therefore, it is pertinent at tis juncture, beyond all the political noise and hullabaloo Dele Adeleke’s entry has since generated in and outside the state, with a section of the extended family and political associates with sympathies for the former Senator, resorting to pettiness, name-calling and mudslinging on the person, heritage and character of Mr. Dele Adeleke, to set the records straight and allow Osun citizens assess the competence and capabilities of the two Adelekes and form their independent opinions as to the suitability of either to best represent the family, win the party’s candidature and eventually emerge victorious in the July contest.

Mr. Dele Adeleke was born in 1972. He is an accomplished professional in the financial services sector, a political strategist, an erudite mind and silent helper. He is also an investor and entrepreneur in diverse economic sectors. Dele “Super D” (as he is fondly called by his friends) holds an OND in Accountancy from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, a B.SC in Management/Accounting, and an MBA in General Management (Passed with Distinction) both from Obafemi Awolowo University (Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He started his career as a Banker at Liberty Merchant Bank Limited in 1991, and then Standard Trust Bank between 1998 and 2002. He later left to join Pacific Merchant Bank limited. where he rose to become the Deputy Divisional Head, Business Development.

Dele was a key actor in the Soludo-era banking industry consolidation exercise announced in 2004, where he led the various interbank negotiations between Pacific Bank and potential merger candidate banks that eventually led to the formation of a Unity Bank Group, the largest number of Banks ever recorded in a merger in Africa (9 Banks).

He left banking in 2009 to engage in private consulting and other investment activities in different sectors of the economy. He has held and still holds different Board positions as Director of Companies in Insurance, Power, Oil and Gas services, Telecommunications, Engineering and

Funeral Services. His full profile can be seen on his web page; deleadeleke.com From the foregoing, the billion-dollar question is how do you compare the accomplished Curriculum Vitae of Dele Adeleke with that of Senator Ademola Adeleke? Furthermore, what does Osun state require now, at this critical juncture in its history? A surrogate governor, who will be beholden to other forces and vested interests outside government or a young, respectful, humble, intellectually sound, dynamic, competent, astute and tech-savvy Governor?

Undoubtedly, Osun state deserves the best and this is represented by Mr. Dele Adeleke at this time. He is vying for office to reengineer, rebuild and reposition the state to the paths of progress, development and prosperity for all. The job at hand doesn’t require dancing proficiency or entertainment but a serious-minded, capable and competent hands piloting the affairs of state 24/7.

Also, the illustrious pedigree of the Adeleke dynasty is one that is envied by all students of politics as the family has played a key and decisive role in the formation and governance of Osun state long before its creation in 1992 and even after. The patriarch of the family, Senator Raji Iyiola Adeleke was one of the agitators for the creation of the state and a Senator in the Second Republic. He was also a leading trade unionist, community leader (the Balogun of Edeland) and perfect gentleman.

His son, who took over the political mantle, SenatorAdetunji IsiakaAdeleke, with two masters’ degrees, later emerged the first elected Governor of the state in 1992 in the botched Third Republic and later a senator in the current democratic era.

Dele’s candidacy, therefore, will represent the third line in the family’s tradition of presenting its best arsenal for public service. These are Dele’s personal motivation; the interest of the longsuffering Osun people and further projecting the image of his illustrious family.

To the larger PDP family, this is a clarion call to all critical stakeholders to rally round Dele Adeleke by ensuring maximum support for this young, humble, astute, competent, capable and tech-savvy aspirant to emerges the party’s candidate in the forthcoming July governorship elections. The party simply cannot afford to get it wrong this time.

-Mr. Oluwade writes from Oshogbo.

The Way Out of the Ruling Party’s Conundrum As the All Progressives Congress prepares to hold its primary, Tony Amadi writes that Saliu Mustapha is going strong for the position of National Chairman

I

n some 60 days or thereabout, Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, (APC) should have found a way out of its well-articulated conundrum and free itself of the growing malaise of incompetent leadership at the heart of its party affairs. The problem used to be dumped at the doors of Osho Baba, but it has been long since Adams Oshomhole was shunted out of the party hierarchy and thrown into the wilderness where there was a lot of gnashing of teeth and apparent regrets. People should have realized that the only problem with Adams was his half-baked Hitlerian tactics which party men couldn’t understand because of its laden crudity.

Members of the ruling party prefer Mr. President’s excellent deployment of body language dynamics and its effective articulation that is best understood by the senate leadership who know when to run into their shelters when the President coughs or sneezes. Their handling of his letter over the electoral bill non assent was a typical example of how to react to presidential body language. The senior lawmakers had gathered enough signatories to upset the Aso Rock superman when they realized that they were headed to political oblivion if they dared disrupt presidential wellbeing.

The Senate President’s spin doctors had to produce an appropriate senate response before the hastily assembled closed session of senators to discuss the outcome of the response to the body blow of the President’s

Mustapha

denial of assent to the electoral bill was decided. The seventy something signatories was jettisoned with alacrity and those who were beating their chest that they will override presidential veto were hiding their heads in shame because like Mrs. Margret Thatcher, this President is not for turning. Not even presidential spokesmen can be affected if they misrepresent the President, simply because the fear of the president

by most lawmakers has reached tremendous heights because the president’s men can do no wrong.

All the current President’s men can do as they like because under the present headship of Senator and double doctor Ahmed Lawan, the National Assembly can be side stepped on any matter of national importance because they act as the executive’s rubber stamp. I remember with nostalgia, the times of Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Anyim Pius Anyim, Adolphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani and Abubakar Saraki who can damn tough talking presidents and get away with it.

President Olusegun Obasanjo was vetoed by the National Assembly and had a rough ride with the National Assembly whenever he dared the lawmakers and Saraki, despite all the attempts to jail him over Code of Conduct issues, he stood his ground and mounted legal challenges when need be to prove that separation of powers was not a tea party.

The APC is now in the middle of holding its primary since it came to power in 2015 and this is causing consternation in the party as implosion starred them in the face. One of their biggest blunders was to appoint a whole state governor to act as party chairman in the aftermath of Adam Oshomhole’s forced departure as party chairman, leaving his Yobe state in the hands of deputies and permanent secretaries while he sauntered around the presidential mansion in Abuja, denying his people good governance in the process.

Now that the die is cast and the party must produce a new governing council to repair the damage of the past and possibly counter the advanced strides of the main opposition PDP, there is no more room for profligacy and the APC must get a proper National Working Committee, a sound National Executive Committee and a body of trusted elders in a Board of Trustees, BOT, and ultimately get ready to retain governance at the national level and produce an acceptable president, something that look like an impossible dream, judging from their poor handling of executive authority since 2015.

So far, the front runners in the National Chairmanship race of the ruling party are products of the old guard that you can dismiss their integrity levels with a wave of the hand.

It is doubtful if the President can endorse any of the trio of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Senator Umaru al Makura and Abubakar Yari, all former governors of Borno, Nasarawa and Zamfara state respectively to the national chairmanship seat. If Mr. President has forgotten any of his promises prior to the 2015 elections, it is certainly the pledge to rid the country of corruption. One thing you can say of President Muhammadu Buhari is that he loathes corrupt leaders and would rather not seat around people whose corruption perception index is too low for his comfort.

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ DAY ͯ​ͯ˜ 2022

FEATURES

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

Edo Communities and Dangers Posed by Unauthorised Mining Adibe Emenyonu writes on the dangers posed by the ongoing unauthorised mining in pastoral communities of Ikpeshi, Atte and Dangbala in Akoko-Edo area of Edo State and the security implications if not nipped in the bud

One of the mining sites in Dangbala Community

A mining site at Ikpeshi Community

D

outfit.

Nicholas appealed to the concerned authority to check activities of these illegal miners before it snowball into what Zamfara State is presently experiencing.

He said provoked by the action of the NSCDC, some youths who attempted to stop the illegal miners, were mercilessly beaten and injured.

According to Nicholas, “On the 13th of August, the same illegal miners arrested by Civil Defence were released. At a meeting held in the community, we were shocked to see them jubilating that civil defence has declared Dangbala bush open; and as I speak, all kinds of people are working there freely without the approval of Edo State government.

“When the kindred that owns the place went to find out what was happening, they were attacked and the matter is pending at Igarra Area Command. We have written several petitions on this."

Similarly, the group under the aegis of Concerned Residents of Dangbala, in a statement by Godwin Amusa and Agbaje Saiki, Convener and Secretary respectively, noted that it had become imperative to go public on the issue in order to avoid the Zamfara situation in Edo. They said not only have the increased competition created tension in the community, but that the activities of these Illegal miners have become an issue of security threat in the area.

angbala, Ikpeshi and Atte are pastoral community situated in the rocky hills of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. These communities have gold deposits in large quantity which has miners licensed by the federal government to operate on. However, early this year, the communities cried out over the threat of insecurity as a result of the influx of some strange faces in the community The activities of the illegal miners have unsettled the quiet residents of the affected communities, thereby setting them on edge, especially with the attendant security challenges bordering on rape, harassment of the locals and palpable tension occasioned by violent clashes among the warlords who want to control the mining sites there.

In the Beginning According to investigation, it all started when the locals began to see influx of strangers in their hundreds, which naturally raised anxiety and security concerns in the entire local government.

Information from sources indicated that the illegal miners were those hitherto ordered to vacate the gold and other solid minerals sites in this area. This, they said, necessitated the come back in a more aggressive form accompanied by impunity.

Reiterating the issues, another source who also craved anonymity, disclosed that what is happening in the three communities presently "is the handiwork of illegal solid miners who took a literary holiday having been rejected elsewhere and decided to relocate to any of the mining sites at interval, knowing fully well the huge solid mineral deposits in this areas in continuation of their obnoxious activities".

Security Concerns With this new development, licensed miners, had to vacate their mine sites following the influx of the illicit miners. They also raised fresh alarm over the activities of these unauthorised miners, asking the government to protect genuine investors in the mining industry.

To this end, the battle for supremacy is between the legalised mining operators and the illegitimate ones, who has fueled insecurity in the three concerned communities of Dangbala, Ikpeshi and Atte.

Alleged Complicity The illegal mining activities many reasoned, would not have been so strong without the expected huge profits and connivance of security agencies who man the closed sites until normalcy return as well as authorities that issues mining license.

For instance, a source from Ikpeshi community, who spoke to journalists on the illegal mining activities in the locality and government's order of closure to forestall breakdown of law and order, hinted that such unlicensed business could not have continued to thrive without the connivance of some top officials of the Federal Ministry of Mines, attached to the Zonal Mining Office, Benin.

The source, who did not want his name in print, alleged that a top official of the ministry had relocated to the communities to personally supervise the illegal mining.

Confirming the presence of the illegal miners, a security aide to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Mr Haruna Yusuf, assured that the governor would not sit and watch illegal

A victim of illegal mining in the community miners driven from elsewhere, return to any other part of the state, adding “my attention was drawn to it.”

Haruna said: "We have chased away all the people from Dagbala gold sites and our eagle eye security men are on the lookout. We want peace and security in Edo State. I was just told about Ikpeshi and we are going to take necessary actions."

When contacted however, the Zonal Mines Officer, South/South and Federal Mines Officer in charge of Edo State, Abudulkadir Usman Adamu, denied any involvement of his ministry with illegal miners.

Adamu rather advised interested miners seeking to obtain a license to discuss with the communities where the minerals are deposited before embarking on such exercise.

“I don’t know what to say when people make such allegations. It is my duty to go round every day and I move around.

I am not supposed to be in the office.

Even now we are strategising to go back to Edo North because that is the most pronounced area in terms of mineral resources", he said.

On the activities of illegal miners in Ikpeshi and Atte, Adamu said he is not aware of the development until the journalist drew his attention to it.

“You people are just giving me new

information now. You see, the issue of illegal mining is not something you sit down and curtail. What we tell people is that as soon as you get your license, mobilise to the site,” he added.

Despite all these, the activities of what can be described as "armed imported illegal miners" remain unabated in the affected communities.

Just recently, four suspects, believed to be the arrowheads of the illegal mining cartel were allegedly released after they were arrested and detained at the state command of the police in Benin City.

Against this premise therefore, the people of Dangbala community and authorities of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) have disagreed on the alleged return of illegal gold miners to the community to continue with their nefarious activities.

Residents of the community had at a media chat in Benin City, accused NSCDC officials of providing security cover for the illegal gold miners even after the state government had placed embargo on the mining site early last year.

Spokesman of the community, Collins Nicholas, said the miners who worked both day and night, were able to carry out their illegal activities because they have the full protection of the security

To clear any doubt, we have asked the community people to immediately report to our office should they see anything of such. Perhaps, they can provide any evidence if they have any, for us to act on

Denial But in its reaction, the State Command of the NSCDC denied any mining activity in the community. Spokesman of the command, Eghosa Ugbebor, insisted the site had not been opened since its closure by the state government.

According to Ugbebor, the place was still being guided by NSCDC officials since its closure. "It is not true that our officers are providing cover for illegal miners in Dangbala.

In fact, there is no mining activity in that area as we speak. Few days ago, the command sent anti-vandal and solid mineral team of the NSCDC to the area but they found nothing happening there.

“To clear any doubt, we have asked the community people to immediately report to our office should they see anything of such.

Perhaps, they can provide any evidence if they have any, for us to act on,” he stated.

Confirming the position of NSCDC, the Daudu of Dangbala, Chief Festus Dania, refuted reports of ongoing illegal mining activities in the community. The monarch said the Edo State government shut down the mining site due to security threats and to forestall communal clashes between the various kindred in the community who have been claiming ownership where the gold is deposited.

Chief Dania explained that the community is calm and peaceful contrary to reports of fear of apprehension being peddled around that miners have returned to the site.

According to him, the officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been directed to beef up security in all mining sites to ensure no miners return to operate in the community.

The Daudu however, called on the government to urgently address the issue so that mining activities can resume in the area.

"Nevertheless, a stitch in time saves nine", he declared.

23

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY JANUARY 11, 2022

FEATURES

Uzodimma, a Shining Example of Backward Integration Ken Uwaoma argues that Governor Hope Uzodimma’s continued patronage of indigenous products and services is a sure path to job and wealth creation and urges other leaders to follow suit

President Buhari and Governor Uzodimma

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t the crest of Nigeria’s political leadership, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State is winning the hearts of many Nigerians as a patriotic leader and one who understands and practices the concept of backward integration. This is to be seen in the increasing value of local content both in strategic services, products and contracting in Imo public service.

A bold statement by the Governor on this score is the number of Innoson vehicles in Imo public service. They are legion and it speaks to Governor Uzodimma’s grasp of the tenor and undercurrents of modern economics and consumer nationalism.

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company (IVM) products are assembled in Nnewi, Anambra State but the vehicles enjoy good visibility in Imo. The Governor showed early signs of his inclination towards Made-inNigeria vehicles from Innoson barely three weeks into his administration when he handed over Innoson brands to the Head of Service and permanent secretaries of the various state ministries.

He said the gesture was in tandem with the three Rs of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery that govern the philosophy of his government. He was optimistic that the gesture would help improve service delivery and encourage the heads of the ministries to step up their dedication to duty for the uplift and economic development of the state.

In 2021, he handed over 100 units of rugged IVM patrol vans to the security apparatchik in his state to beef up the capacity of Operation Search and Flush, the special purpose anti-crime squad in the state. The fleet is a mix of the terrestrial savvy and highly acclaimed IVM G12 special purpose vehicle popular with the Nigerian military and the IVM {troops} Carrier famed for its strength and dominance during moments of time-critical emergencies.

Any visitor to Imo state would not miss the growing presence of IVM vehicles on the roads. Governor Uzodimma’s bold and commendable step has triggered a rash of interest for IVM vehicles in the general populace.

Seeing IVM vehicles in the governor’s convoy, among his cabinet members and net worth persons in the state has stirred a well of passion for locally-assembled vehicles among the upwardly mobile younger generation.

And Innoson is profiting from this new wave of craving for indigenous vehicles. This is a practical example and demonstration of backward integration.

Successive Nigerian governments have at various times reeled out policies and initiatives to encourage patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products, but on each occasion, these beautiful policies fail because of lack of sincerity by government actors who ought to lead by example.

Uzodimma has avoided this slippery path.

He has moved from talking the talk to walking the talk. This is where most Nigerian lead-

Uzodimma and the security vehicles ers, at various levels, failed. They push out good policies that would promote development and reflate the economy but fail when it comes to implementation.

President Muhammadu Buhari who revived the Buy Nigeria policy as a way of promoting local content and creating jobs across multiple sectors should be happy with Governor Uzodimma.

President Buhari more than any other president is comparatively succeeding with the implementation of the local content policy.

Nigeria has had a long romance with local content promotion dating as far back as 1971 when the government established the Nigerian National Oil Corporation, (NOC). It was intended to promote local content in the oil and gas sector under the indigenization policy.

Ever since, various governments have made efforts to implement and achieve a critical mass of local content in diverse sectors of the economy.

The Local Content Development Act, 2010 is part of the policy planks of the Nigerian government to deepen local content particularly in the petroleum sector.

This has created a sizzle in other sectors and elicited the need for Nigerians to Buy Nigeria, Use Nigeria and Eat Nigeria. But it’s the Buhari government that seems to have given more impetus to driving the local content value system on all sectors of the economy while still not losing focus on the petroleum sector.

The case of IVM and Governor Uzodimma’s continued patronage therefore gives real essence and meaning to how Nigeria can achieve self-sustenance and economic buoyancy through backward integration. By patronizing IVM products at the scale he’s doing, Uzodimma is not only helping to create a stronger future, he’s guaranteeing a better today.

Experts have continued to insist that the surest path to socio-economic development for any nation is for such nation to create the right environment that would make the private sector thrive. When the private booms, jobs are created, wealth is democratised, citizens’ purchasing power is enhanced and the government gains through taxes. But beyond a stable and conducive environment, what serious governments do is to patronize their respective local companies, consume home-made goods and apply homegrown services.

This is the context to appreciate the drive and desire of Governor Uzodimma to stick with Innoson products. It took the patronage of Japanese governments and citizens to announce to the world of the existence of Honda and Toyota automobile products among other products including consumer electronics, computers, iron and steel, semi-conductors, etc.

In South Korea, home of Hyundai, Kia, Samsung electronics among other Chaebols, patronage started from home.

Hyundai, for instance, is the leading car-maker in South Korea accounting for over 41.5 percent of the automobile sales in the country, followed by Kia Motors (34.8%), Genesis (6.8%).

Renault Samsung Motors, SsangYoung and GM Korea make up the rest in market share, according to Statistica. All of this automobile brands from South Korea have gone global competing with the best brands in the world. It took local patronage by government of South Korea at all levels and citizens for Hyundai and others to attain the masterpiece status of today and gain global visibility.

Today, take a trip to Seoul or Busan in South Korea. Most of the vehicles on the roads are Made in South Korea including vehicles used by public functionaries.

South Korea first patronized South Korea before their products acquired global appeal.

At Independence in 1960, South Korea was far beneath Nigeria in GDP per capita relative to the values of the naira and South Korea currency (won). Today, the story has changed. By 2017, GDP per capita in Nigeria was $5,900 while that of South Korea was $39,000. This is largely because of the drastic dip in the value of the naira which is tied to the nation’s dependence on crude oil export. When the price of crude crashed at the international market, the naira also crashed at the forex market.

Without growing her primary sector to boost manufacturing in automobiles, consumer goods, electronics, stationery, household products, agric-based products, Nigeria suffered heavy imbalance of trade, including trade with Asian nations some of whom looked up to Nigeria in the 60s and 70s.

In South Korea, Japan, India, other Asian nations, their governments have

If government leads from the front by doing what it preaches: Buy Nigeria, Eat Nigeria, Use Nigeria – then the people would join the train and Nigeria’s local industries will thrive

built their economies on the strong props of backward integration. The government of Japan led from the front by using automobiles made in Japan. It’s called product nationalism.

It’s the spirit of market protectionism. The Japanese took a stand on Japan first. Indians, South Koreans did the same.

Very recently, despite the advancement of America in all spheres of life, the Donald Trump presidency openly mouthed America First as his campaign slogan The likes of Toyota, Honda et al were not as sophisticated as they are today yet the government and the people of Japan stuck with them. It’s from such home patronage that they grew in stature to attain the global popularity and sophistication ascribed to them today. Nigerian governments at all levels should as a matter of deliberate policy insist of patronizing indigenous products from automobiles, tech to consumer goods.

If government leads from the front by doing what it preaches: Buy Nigeria, Eat Nigeria, Use Nigeria – then the people would join the train and Nigeria’s local industries will thrive.

Governor Uzodimma has set the pace by patronizing made-in-Nigeria and ipso facto engendering the realization of the Federal Government vision of boosting local content in all aspects of the economy, other governors, especially starting from the South East, should follow this honourable path.

While handing over 100 units of patrol vehicles to the security squad in Imo, the governor reiterated his firm belief that no benevolent foreigner will develop Nigeria except Nigerians. He said his resolve to patronize local products and services was not only hinged on product nationalism but also on his conviction that home-grown products and services are as good as any in the world.

But it is not only in automobile technology that Governor Uzodimma has shown a predilection to patronise local products and services. In accordance with the spirit and letter of the Local Content Act, he has extended local content promotion to services and contracting by engaging Nigerian engineering firms in the construction of infrastructure and provision of sundry services in the state.

President Buhari, more than any Nigerian leader, has pursued the implementation of local content inclusion as a strategy to bolster the economy including the historical signing of Executive Order number 5 which seeks to give preference to Nigerian Companies in the award of contracts in line with Public Procurement Act of 2007.

The Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN) through its President, Mr. Ali Rabi, has continued to push for more implementation of this Order. At the state level, Governor Uzodimma is a shining example of how products and services nationalism can be deployed to foster economic growth.

President Buhari would be proud of what Imo has achieved in this regard.

24

TUESDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Why Does Music of Yoruba Origin Breakthrough Globally?

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igerians do not understand why Shatta Wale took a swipe at Nigerian artistes. Shatta, like many other African artistes, feels that African music is turning into Nigerian music, and rather than understand why this is so, he has allowed his frustrations to boil over in his failed attempts to instigate xenophobia against Nigerians.

But why has Nigerian music reverberated around the world? What is the secret?

First, I need to explain that when people buy your culture, they will invariably buy your products. This is a fact that the United States has mastered ever since World War II. They have used their culture to good effect by employing it to market their military and industrial complex.

Where Hollywood first goes, corporate America follows like a shadow. If you liked an American cowboy actor, America would use him to put a bottle of Coca-Cola in every hand in your country. If you like an American country singer, the US would use that point of attraction to saturate your country with made-in-America blue jeans.

That formula is tried and tested. The actors and actresses change. The music stars come and go. Genres emerge and die out. But the same way America used your love for John Wayne to sell you peanut butter is the same way they are currently using Beyoncé to sell you Pepsi.

One thing the current Mummy GO phenomenon has laid bare is how easy it is to manipulate the psyche of our people.

And it was even a factor in colonialism. European traders beguiled our ancestors with mirrors and other curiosities that they had previously never seen. Then they sent missionaries to Europeanise us in the guise of Christianising us.

At first, they held their version of Scripture, which they called The Bible, while our ancestors held on to their ancestral lands. It was not too long before our ancestors were the ones holding the European Bible (not Scripture), and the colonialists were holding their ancestral lands.

Let no one be deceived. I believe in Christ. I believe He is the Only Way to God. And I believe in Scripture.

But what the European colonialists brought to Africa, Latin America and other colonised places was not the historically accurate Christ, nor the spiritually pure way to God, or indeed the genuine Scripture.

If you want to understand true Christianity in one of its purest forms, go to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is like a time capsule of the ancient faith brought back from Israel to Abyssinia, by the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts chapter 8.

And sadly, till this day, my people still celebrate European cultural weddings, burials and pagan holidays, and think they are practising the same pure faith that was handed down by Christ and His disciples to the early church.

That is the chief reason why Mummy GO is sending everybody to hell. She, and many others like her (many of whom have branded thousands of children witches, leading them to be kicked out by their parents) do not know the difference between Christendom and true Christ follower-ship.

And that is why African Christians are gradually being beguiled to be intolerant of polygamy, which was practised in Scripture, but tolerant of same-sex marriage, which is condemned in Scripture. To think otherwise is to be uncivilised.

Culture is both a weapon of war and commerce.

Therefore, to win as a nation in this current world order, you must identify what aspects of your culture resonate with the world, and why?

Reason is that when you have this information at your fingertips, you can use it to non-militarily promote your economic interests because other nations are doing it to you.

Countries exist to promote their selfish national interests by finding ingenious ways to exploit others and economically dominate them politically. Anything you can legally do as a nation to improve your balance of trade position vis a vis your neighbours, and the world at large, should be your hidden agenda policy towards the world.

Unfortunately, Nigeria does not seem to be aware of this. We have our own areas where we can dominate.

But we appear to be blind to it.

It will take us more than a century to catch up with the West and China in the area of technology.

However, we can, and should be able to catch up with them, and even overtake them, in the area of entertainment.

And how do we do this? We should take stock of those aspects of our culture that the world is buying.

That is the reason why I posit that music of Yoruba origin should be studied as a course in Nigeria’s ivory towers, because it has the capacity to not only rapidly change Nigeria’s negative international image, but

Abami Fela Kuti

King Sunny Ade

Ebenezer Obey

Sir Shina Peters

King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall

Paul Play Dario

has been able to CONSISTENTLY breakthrough in the music industry internationally while singing wholly or partially in their native tongue. I am not saying that some others do not sing in their native tongues.

What I am saying is that they have not been able to crossover internationally while singing in their native language.

Caribbean reggae artistes sing in English or patois.

African American R’nB, Jazz, Soul and rap artistes sing in English. Black Brazilians crossover with Portuguese.

Francophone artistes (with the exception of Manu Dibango), crossed over with French. South African artistes crossed over with English (with the exception of Brenda Fassie and Mariam Makeba).

Even the world’s top Francophone female artiste (Angelique Kidjo), did not crossover internationally, until she sang in Yoruba.

There is something about that language and the musical genres that the Yoruba have introduced that can permanently put Nigeria on the world map for good.

And it is not just in music. Also in theatre (theatre is stage plays, not movies), the first Nigerian theatre company to have broken into the global theatre scene, as far back as the 60s, was Herbert Ogunde’s theatre company. The only other Nigerian theatre company to have broken through internationally is Wole Soyinka’s theatrical company.

Nigeria needs to rebrand quickly from our unfortunate and undeserved international reputation for corruption and scams. And the best way to rebrand a country or a corporation, is by projecting positive things about that entity that are ALREADY happening. Sadly, our

government’s rebranding efforts focus on things that they hope will happen.

So, again, I call on universities, and research institutes, to do thorough researches into this phenomenon, with the aim of identifying what makes that sub-sector of the music industry so successful, so that already established acts can use that knowledge to further crossover, and young upcoming acts can act on it to make inroads into the music industry globally.

Globally, music is a $5 trillion industry. Let us use what we have to corner at least 10% of that bottom line.

also to take our economy out of the doldrums by attracting music-loving tourists to our nation, the way Rihanna has done in Barbados, and even in death, Bob Marley is doing for Jamaica.

For every decade of Nigeria’s existence as an independent nation, music of Yoruba origin has dominated our nation, and now it is dominating the world.

Bobby Benson dominated the 60s Abami Fela Kuti dominated the 70s King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey dominated the 80s Sir Shina Peters and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall dominated the 90s.

Paul Play Dario shared dominance with a nonYoruba artist (Tuface Idibia) in the 2000s D’Banj, the Koko Master shared dominance with non-Yoruba artistes (PSquare) in the 2010s Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy (non-Yoruba) are dominating in the here and now.

Their female artistes are not left out. Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Asa, Simi, Teni, Seyi Shay, dominate locally and internationally with their girl power!

How do they do it, that even where they sing wholly or partly in Yoruba, their music is able to crossover locally and internationally?

Christy Essien Igbokwe was quoted as saying she would not have made a breakthrough in the music industry without her anthem Seun rere, which was performed entirely in Yoruba.

Throughout the Black world, no other ethnic group

Reno’s Nuggets No one is too busy to take your call or respond to your SMS. People make out time for those that are important to them, and block out those who are not. When people don’t take your calls or respond to your texts, make yourself scarce in order to raise your value.

Give yourself six months. Shun all attention.

Avoid negative people. Read Scripture, and leadership books. Devote yourself to learning high-valued skills, like coding, ethical hacking, blockchain, crypto trading, etc. Use your new skills to get a good job or start an impactful business. Then emerge and your value will explode! #RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu

LAWYER A

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

HAJIA MARYAM AHMED HASSANA, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR SPECIAL DUTIES

BOSEDE OLAITAN BURAIMOH, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR COMMUNICATIONS

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DEBORAH AREMU, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

FOLASHADE OMONIYI, CHAIRMAN OF THE KWARA STATE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

HARRIET OSHATIMEHIN, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR YOUTHS DEVELOPMENT

JUMOKE GAFAR, PRINCIPAL PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE KWARA STATE GOVERNOR/ SENIOR ADVISER ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

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FLORENCE OLASUMBO OYEYEMI, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR FINANCE AND PLANNING

HAJIA HABEEBAT ANIKE YUSUF, CHAIRMAN OF THE KWARA STATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

GOVERNOR OF KWARA STATE, ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ REMILEKUN BANIGBE, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENT

MRS SA'ADATU MODIBBO-KAWU, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

MRS SUSAN MODUPE OLUWOLE, HEAD OF SERVICE, KWARA STATE

HAJIA FATIMAH ARINOLA LAWAL, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Women in Governance: Kwara Leads the Pack

II

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

IN THIS EDITION

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Presumption of Trial Court’s Knowledge of Locality’s Applicable Customary Law

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NA, HON. AHMED HASSA HAJIA MARYAM AL DUTIES ER FOR SPECI COMMISSION

HON. AN BURAIMOH, BOSEDE OLAIT UNICATIONS ER FOR COMM COMMISSION

HON. MBO OYEYEMI, ING FLORENCE OLASU CE AND PLANN ER FOR FINAN COMMISSION

ISSIONER FOR U, HON. COMM NT DEBORAH AREM L DEVELOPME RS AND SOCIA WOMEN AFFAI

OF F, CHAIRMAN BAT ANIKE YUSU CE COMMISSION HAJIA HABEE CIVIL SERVI THE KWARA STATE OF THE IYI, CHAIRMAN FOLASHADE OMON NAL REVENUE SERVICE INTER KWARA STATE

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GOVERNOR OF

KWARA STATE,

ABDULRAHMAN

ISSIONER

BE, HON. COMM REMILEKUN BANIG NT FOR ENVIRONME

ABDULRAZAQ

TIMEHIN, HARRIET OSHA DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTHS

TE , PRINCIPAL PRIVA GOVERNOR/ JUMOKE GAFAR THE KWARA STATE SECRETARY TO NTAL AFFAIRS ER ON GOVERNME SENIOR ADVIS

WU, HON. MODIBBO-KA N MRS SA'ADATU TION AND HUMA ER FOR EDUCA COMMISSION OPMENT CAPITAL DEVEL

HEAD PE OLUWOLE, MRS SUSAN MODU A STATE SERVICE, KWAR

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L, HON. ARINOLA LAWA HAJIA FATIMAH FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION ER COMMISSION Y AND TECHNOLOG

Women in ra Kwa : e c n a n r e v o G ck Leads the Pa

QUOTABLES There are three options - Direct Primaries, Indirect Primaries and Consensus Candidate…..I want people to be given a choice; you can’t give them one option, and you think you are doing democracy.

Let them have the three options.’ Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

‘The Governors have become, constitutional vandals. They have become the greatest violators of the Constitution, in this country.’ - Inibehe Effiong, Human Rights Lawyer & Good Governance Advocate

Ekiti State Concludes Payment of Compensation to Victims of Police Brutality Page V

Sylvester Oromoni: DPP Exonerates Dowen College Students, Others Page V

Kubi Udofia PhD Kubi Udofia holds a Doctorate degree in Law from The University of Nottingham, a Certificate in International Risk Management from the Institute of Risk Management, London, a Masters degree in Corporate Law from University College London and a Bachelors degree from University of Uyo in Nigeria.

He is a leading and an acknowledged expert, in corporate restructuring and insolvency law in Nigeria. As a scholarpractitioner, Kubi Udofia has extensively researched and written on a broad spectrum of topical issues in corporate restructuring and insolvency law. He is a seasoned transactional and dispute resolution specialist, with extensive knowledge and practical experience in corporate and commercial law.

He is a Partner at Babalakin & Co, a leading commercial law firm in Nigeria.

LAWYER

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE: EDITOR, JUDE IGBANOI: DEPUTY EDITOR, PETER TAIWO, STEVE AYA: REPORTERS

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

Oromoni: Jumping the Gun

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ight from the beginning of time, justice has been a thing of importance in society. Moses, the prophet of God, in the Book of Deuteronomy, proclaimed to the Israelites all that God had commanded concerning the people. He said: "Appoint Judges and Officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 16: 18-20).

Deuteronomy 17:8-13 instructs about law courts and accepting the decisions of the Judges, while 19:15-19 gives instructions about investigation, establishing evidence by the testimony of at least two witnesses, and the consequences of false testimony.

While the Bible gave judicial powers to the Priests and Judges, especially for cases that involved bloodshed, Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2018) (the Constitution) vests judicial powers in the various courts to adjudicate on all matters, including murder, except those excluded by Section 6 (6)(c) of the Constitution. The powers given to Judges in the days of old and today, are different; while Judges had the power to investigate matters thoroughly and adjudicate upon them (Deuteronomy 19:18), the investigation of crime is now a function reserved for the Nigeria Police (see Section 214 of the Constitution and Section 4 of the Police Act 2020), and other authorities or bodies to whom the law donates such power to, not Judges.

Within the court system, there are several main actors who have their various roles to play.

According to the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers Adopted by the 8th UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1990, Lawyers are mandated to assist their clients before the courts and tribunals, protect the rights of their clients and promote the cause of justice amongst other duties (see Articles 13 & 14). Lawyers are meant to give their clients advice, and in the courts, present their clients’ cases or defend them as “fairly and strongly as they can”. See R v Clewer 1953 Criminal Appeal Reports 37. Lawyers call witnesses, examine them, challenge the evidence of their opponents and prepare briefs. See R v Cain 1936 25 Criminal Appeal Reports 204.

A Judge, on the other hand, is an arbiter who adjudicates between disputing parties without showing an interest in the case, or bias in favour of any of the parties to the action.

Bias by a Judge can constitute a denial of the constitutional guaranteed right to fair hearing provided by Section 36(1) of the Constitution, which in turn vitiates proceedings and renders them null and void. See the case of Rafiu Womiloju & 6 Ors v Fatai Ogisanyin Anibire & 4 Ors SC.211/2002. In Ex Parte Lloyd 1882 Mort. 70 at Page 72 the court stated that “the duty of a Judge is to sit and determine the issues raised by the Parties, not to conduct an investigation or examination on behalf of any of the parties….But, he is not a mere umpire. His object is to find out the truth, and do justice according to the law”.

A Judge is certainly not expected to descend into the arena, like a litigant or counsel of one of the parties to litigation.

The Roles of the Various Actors in Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Case Last week, a Report issued by a Director in the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), made the rounds in respect of the very sad case of 12 year old Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lagos, who died on November 30, 2021 under questionable circumstances. The cause of the injuries he sustained or what may have been responsible for his death, are disputed. Again, in such a case as this that involves a criminal element, there are other actors apart from the Judge, Counsel (Prosecutor and Defence) and Police, who also have their roles to play. You also have the Coroner, the Medical Examiner (Pathologist) and the Chief Coroner’s Office involved in the conduct of an inquest. A Coroner’s Inquest is a judicial public inquiry, held to determine the cause of death, especially when the death may

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.com onikepob@yahoo.com Twitter: @TheAdvocate

The

Advocate “….the Public, the DPP and the Nigeria Police have all jumped the gun, handing down verdicts based on which side of the divide that they happen to be, and not necessarily based on proper evidence and laid down procedure…. the allegation of bullying, also that Dowen College has a cult or unlawful society within the school, is a grave one that cannot be ignored, and must not go without thorough investigation” be in unnatural or suspicious circumstances.

Sections 14 & 15 of the Coroners’ System Law of Lagos State 2007 (CSL) provides inter alia that, a report of death may be made to the Coroner’s Office when there’s reasonable cause to believe that the cause of a death is unknown, unnatural, suspicious, violent, sudden, unexpected or by the negligence of others; and the Coroner shall hold an inquest when he/ she is informed of death of a deceased person lying in his/her Coroner District who has died in any of the aforementioned circumstances, amongst others. Section 20 of the CSL seems to permit Sylvester’s inquest to be conducted in Lagos even though he died in Delta State, since his corpse was brought to Lagos and was then lying within the Lagos Coroner’s District. By virtue of Section 26 of the CSL, the Coroner may direct a post-mortem examination, on the conclusion of which the Medical Examiner will issue a Report to the Coroner who requested for the autopsy and the Chief Coroner of the State.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, an Autopsy (aka Post-Mortem or Necropsy), is “an examination to discover the cause of death or the extent of disease”. It is carried out by a Pathologist, that is, a Doctor who examines bodies to find out the cause of death (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) (See Section 54 CSL). In a case such as this, a forensic autopsy should have been ordered, as is the case when there may be a likelihood of a court trial. Additionally, being a child, Sylvester Oromoni’s autopsy should have involved at least two types of Pathologists - Forensic and Paediatric.

As is the norm in Nigeria where people do not seem to know what their respon-

Late Sylvester Oromoni

sibilities entail, nor do they follow laid down procedure, the role of the Coroner in Sylvester Oromoni’s inquest was usurped by the Director in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions who went ahead to be the Coroner/Judge and Jury, accepting the findings of the Autopsy Report without question, absolving all the suspects of allegations even before the Coroner’s Inquest which had been adjourned to January 15, 2022 has taken place. On the contrary, while an inquest is ongoing, it is only when the DPP is of the opinion that there are sufficient grounds to institute criminal proceedings against a suspect already in custody or arrested in connection with the death, that an inquest can be interrupted and stayed (Section 38 CSL).

Last Friday, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police also jumped the gun, and went ahead to give a detailed Press Conference in which he regurgitated the Report of the Director of the DPP, also absolving the suspects of any blame. It seems to me that the Director of the DPP and the Police gave a final conclusion, based on an incomplete process. A pertinent question to ask at this juncture then would be, what the essence of a Coroner’s Inquest is, if a final decision can be made, or in this case, has already been made without it? None. An autopsy forms part of a Coroner’s Inquest, it does not conclude it. It follows therefore that, even if the findings of the autopsy are upheld on the completion of the Coroner’s Inquest, it is only then that the kind of advice issued by the Director in the DPP in Sylvester’s case should be issued.

During the Inquest, the Coroner shall summon witnesses, take evidence on oath

and even documents, and can even make an order for the arrest of a suspect during the inquest or on conclusion of it, for investigation by the appropriate authorities (Section. 39 CSL).

On conclusion of the Inquest, the Coroner shall give a written verdict as to how and when the deceased met their death, and forward it to certain officials including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the District which the Inquest was held (Section 41 CSL). Where the Coroner believes that an unknown person may be responsible for the death of a deceased, he shall state this fact and transmit the record of proceedings to the said DPO. Section 350 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2015 provides that no person shall be committed to trial on a Coroner’s Inquisition. In simple terms, this means that on the conclusion of a Coroner’s Inquest, the death may be ruled natural thereby more or less resting the case (aside from the necessary administrative actions required to be completed on its conclusion), or an arrest may be ordered, or an order for further investigation by the Police which is expected to lead to the arrest of other unknown suspects.

Court of Public Opinion As a Lawyer, I will never be a party to determining liability based on the judgement of the court of public opinion without proper evidence being taken in a court of competent jurisdiction or without the due process of the law being followed; and I will not join a crowd to shout ‘crucify him, crucify him’ if the rule of law has been ignored. I also will not join those who have decided to usurp the role of others to hand down a premature verdict which the law does not give them the right to give, not for now anyway, in this somewhat delicate matter.

Conclusion In the case of late Sylvester Oromoni, the court of public opinion has already found the students alleged to have beaten him up and giving him a poisonous substance to ingest for refusing to join their group, guilty without allowing the law to take its course. Though Section 36(5) of the Constitution provides that suspects are innocent until they are proven guilty, certainly there are many unanswered questions. How is that, out of a school of hundreds of students, five names were singled out allegedly by the deceased? However, the Lagos Autopsy Report, seems to be in favour of death by natural causes; the decision of the public and that of the Lagos State Autopsy Report are poles apart, and underscores the necessity for waiting for the outcome of the Coroner’s Inquest which may confirm or refute the Lagos Autopsy Report, or lead to further investigation and tests. It is imperative that all actors in the legal and court process know their roles and play them properly, in order for justice to be served.

There is also the question of the duty of care which was owed to late Sylvester Oromoni by Dowen College, his Guardians and Parents. Why didn’t all of them seek proper medical care for him timeously? If Sylvester had an injured ankle which resulted in him limping and having to visit the school’s infirmary, surely, at the very least, the school could have been taken him for an X-ray to try to investigate the source of his pain and limp. The whole circumstances surrounding the duty of care or the neglect or failure to perform same, demands serious interrogation, in determining liability.

As far as I’m concerned, the Public, the DPP and the Nigeria Police have all jumped the gun, handing down verdicts based on which side of the divide that they happen to be, and not necessarily based on proper evidence and laid down procedure. Naturally, many are overwhelmed with emotion, because this little child did not deserve to be cut short in his prime like this.

Finally, the allegation of bullying, also that Dowen College has a cult or unlawful society within the school, is a grave one that cannot be ignored, and must not go without thorough investigation. A few years ago, we did a feature story on Secondary Schools in Delta State where cult groups were almost commonplace. To try to shut down all these matters arising with a hasty absolution, is unacceptable. Already, the premature move by the DPP and Police may have affected the perception of the integrity of the process, and is already making many doubt and cast aspersions on the outcome of the Coroner’s Inquest which has not even taken place, and is scheduled for Saturday.

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, JANAURY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

Presumption of Trial Court’s Knowledge of Locality’s Applicable Customary Law Facts The Respondents instituted an action against the Appellant at the High Court of Enugu State, seeking a Declaration that they are entitled to the Right of Occupancy over two parcels of land at Umuachina Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Appellant filed a Counter-claim, for the declaration of title to the said parcels of land. The parties all traced their title to a common ancestor, Ezegoro who was the Appellant’s father and the Respondents’ grandfather.

The said Ezegoro had three sons, and their names in order of seniority are Nwanneche, Ibemesi (the Respondents’ grandfather) and Okeke (the Appellant’s father). Nwanneche being the eldest son inherited their father’s Obi (“Obi Ezegoro”) at his death, while the other properties “Ana Obi” was partitioned by him and shared between his brothers.

Nwanneche subsequently died without a successor. Ibemesi who was his next brother in order of seniority and who would have ideally inherited the Obi, predeceased Nwanneche; however, he had a young son called Nwigene.

The case of the Respondents as the Plaintiffs was that under Ekwulobia Customary Law, the young Nwigene was entitled to the Obi Ezegoro, sitting in the position of his deceased father who would have ordinarily inherited the property if he had been alive. They canvassed that because Nwigene was not of age at this time, Okeke, who was his uncle and the last surviving son of Ezegoro, left the portion of land apportioned to him at the Ana Obi and moved into the Obi with young Nwigene and his mother, so as to protect the property from trespassers. However, after Nwigene came of age and was capable of securing the Obi, the Appellant refused to move out of the property.

The case of the Appellant, on the other hand, was that his father had moved into the Obi as of right as the only surviving son of Ezegoro and not to protect Nwigene’s interests. While both parties pleaded similar facts as to the origin of their title, their point of divergence was as to the person under Ekwulobia custom and tradition that was entitled to inherit Nwanenche’s Obi. The Respondents claimed entitlement to the Obi Ezegoro through Nwigene their father (as successor to Ibemesi their grandfather) while the Appellant claimed entitlement through Okeke his father.

After trial in the suit, the trial court delivered judgement in favour of the Respondents, and declared that Nwigene was the rightful person to inherit the Obi Ezegoro upon the death of his father.

The trial court held that Respondents are thus, entitled to the Right of Occupancy over the property through Nwigene.

Dissatisfied, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal which dismissed his appeal and affirmed the judgement of the trial court. The Appellant filed a

brother”. DW6, one of the witnesses who testified on behalf of the Appellant, also testified that when a man dies and is survived by a son who is a minor, his right to the Obi does not vanish, as the son continues his lineage. He contended that after the death of Ibemesi, his son Nwigene, sitting in the position of his late father, is by Ekwulobia Native Law and Custom, entitled to the Obi Ezegoro.

Counsel submitted that the Customary Law manual relied on by the Appellant is not a legal authority, or basis upon which the proof of a custom or tradition must be premised, and that the lower court agreed that the Manual is merely a guide which must be pleaded by the Appellant.

Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 18th day of June, 2021 Before Their Lordships

Musa Dattijo Muhammad Chima Centus Nweze Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Abdu Aboki Tijjani Abubakar Justices, Supreme Court SC.874/2013 Between CLEMENT OKEKE 1.

2.

And

AMUCHE NWIGENE SOMADINA EMEKA NWIGENE

APPELLANT RESPONDENTS

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC)

further appeal to the Supreme Court.

Issue for Determination In resolving the appeal, the Supreme Court considered the following sole issue as being central to the appeal: Whether the Court of Appeal was right when it held that Nwigene, the son of Ibemesi, is the right person to succeed to the Obi Ezegoro on the death of his father.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant relied on Paragraph 15(2) of the Customary Law Manual of East Central State, as applicable to Anambra State, which provides that “where a man is not survived by a son, his compound is inherited by his eldest surviving

“…..in all matters of customary law, the trial court is presumed to know the law applicable in the locality, and it also has the advantage of sifting the law”

brother of full blood”, and argued that Nwigene cannot be equated to be the Nwanneche’s eldest surviving brother of full blood, and cannot therefore, be entitled to the Obi. He submitted that Okeke as the eldest surviving brother to Nwanneche was thus, entitled to the property in dispute, and the Appellants rightly derived their title to the property from him.

Counsel contended further that the courts below were in error, when they relied on the evidence of the Respondents’ witnesses – PW1, PW2 and PW3, being women, as authorities on the customs and traditions of Ekwulobia, while the courts failed to evaluate the evidence of the Appellant and his witnesses.

In response, counsel for the Respondents argued that seniority under the Eastern States Customary Law or Igbo Customary Law is not limited to the individual persons, but to their lineage or successors.

Counsel submitted that the position of counsel for the Appellant, was at variance with the evidence given by the Appellant at the trial court. The Appellant had testified that “when a man dies, his eldest son retains the Obi against the man’s younger

Court’s Judgement and Rationale The Learned Justices held that the Supreme Court does not ordinarily interfere with concurrent findings of facts by the trial court and the Court of Appeal, unless there are compelling reasons to do so. The court held further that in all matters of customary law, the trial court is presumed to know the law applicable in the locality, and it also has the advantage of sifting the law.

The court held that it was very clear from the records and the findings of the trial court based on the evidence elicited before it as well as the Court of Appeal’s concurrent finding of fact, that under the Ekwulobia Native Law and Custom, it is generally recognised that when a man dies but is survived by a son, he is deemed to be living in the eyes of the people, thus, notwithstanding the fact that Ibemesi predeceased Nwanneche, Ibemesi is deemed to be in existence through his son Nwigene.

Any property which ordinarily would have been inherited by Ibemesi could therefore, be lawfully transferred to his son Nwigene, through whom the Respondents were now claiming.

Thus, the court found that there was no compelling reason to interfere with the concurrent findings of fact of the two lower courts, as it was clear from the records and the findings that going by Ekwulobia Native Law and Custom, after the death of Ibemesi, his son Nwigene is entitled to the land in dispute, sitting in the position of his late father (Ibemesi).

It did not matter that the Appellant’s father, Okeke moved to the land in dispute and was in possession of the same for 50 years, as he only moved into the land to protect it on behalf of young Nwigene until he became of age.

Regarding the submission about the weight attached to the evidence of the Respondents’ witnesses who were females, the Supreme Court held that the witnesses, though females, were knowledgeable and understood the customs and tradition of their communities – EZEDIGWE v NDICHE (2001) 12 NWLR (Pt. 726) 37 at 61.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation Chief Okwuchukwu Ugolo, SAN for the Appellant.

K.C. Ezeanyika for the Respondent.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Report (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)

V NEWS

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JANAURY 11, 2022

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi

Late Sylvester Oromoni

Ekiti State Concludes Payment of Compensation to Victims of Police Brutality Strengthens access to justice in the State

The Government of Ekiti State has announced two important developments that advance access to justice for all those living in Ekiti State without discrimination, or based on their economic status, gender, faith, or any other social markers.

This was contained in a press release last Friday by the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, SAN. First, the Government of Ekiti State announced the completion of payment of compensation awarded to victims of historical incidences of human rights violations, and those affected by the violence that broke out during the “#EndSARS” protests. In total, the sum of N21,250,000.00 (Twenty One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) has been paid out, being the full amount awarded by the Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Allegations of Human Rights Violations

by Police Officers, including Officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and Other Persons (#EndSARS Panel).

Mr Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, on behalf of the Government of Ekiti State, tendered an unreserved apology to all victims of human rights violations in the State, as well as those affected by the violence that broke out during the ‘#EndSARS’ protests in the State. He further gave assurance of Government’s resolve to continue to strengthen the culture of good governance and respect for human rights, in Ekiti State.

The Government of Ekiti State acknowledged that compensation is only one component of the several recommendations of the Panel, which included equally important recommendations such as the need to review the administration of justice system in a manner that prioritises the needs of all those who come into conflict with the law, while at the same time recognising victims of crime as important stakeholders in the criminal justice system.

Fapohunda said: “We have taken a number of important steps, in this regard. My office has implemented Mr Governor’s directive on the development of a Victim’s Charter that spells out in simple words, the rights, the obligations, and the duties of State institutions to victims of crime. We have further implemented Mr Governor’s directive for a holistic review of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, with emphasis on legal protection of victims of crime”.

Fapohunda further stated that the Ministry of Justice had taken concrete steps in establishing functional ‘Access to Justice’ offices across the State, and were reviewing the status of the Department of Citizens Rights (DCR) and the Office of the Public Defender (OPD). These measures, he explained, were in response to the agitations of citizens for an easily accessible office where citizens’ complaints can be heard, and dealt with promptly. This, he said, was what informed the establishment of the Citizens’ Complaints Centre

at the Ojaoba Market, Ado Ekiti, which was designed to complement the mandates of the DCR and OPD in providing professional legal advice and representation, for persons whose rights are violated.

The Government of Ekiti State also noted the recommendation of the ‘#EndSARS Panel, on the issue of Police reform and the urgent need to improve the conditions of service, including salaries and allowances of Police Officers serving in Ekiti State, and clarified that implementation of this recommendation was not exclusively within the powers of the Government of Ekiti State,

but that H.E. Governor Kayode Fayemi remains committed to making this issue an agenda item during meetings of the Nigeria Governors Forum, and that of the Police Council. It can be recalled that some of the beneficiaries of the awarded compensation were Police Officers who incurred physical and material loss in the course of their duties during the ‘#EndSARS protests.

The Government of Ekiti State further expressed concern about recent reported cases of physical attacks on Policemen, and informed that Mr Governor had directed the Ministry of Justice to

immediately investigate these cases, with a view to ensuring that perpetrators are swiftly and effectively prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed under our laws, and reiterated the zero tolerance policy of assault on security officers.

Also, in a related development, the Government of Ekiti State announced the publication of Practice Directions on Virtual Court Hearings by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, describing it as an important milestone in the delivery of speedy justice to the people of Ekiti State. By the provisions of the Practice Directions, it is envisaged that matters that are not

contentious in nature, including the delivery of judgements, can be disposed of virtually.

In addition to speedy delivery of justice and the strengthening of citizens confidence in the justice system, this development became expedient due to the Covid-19 pandemic which necessitated the adoption of virtual court hearings' as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the virus.

“I congratulate His Lordship, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, for his vision and commitment to removing obstacles to speedy delivery of justice in Ekiti State.”, Fapohunda said.

Sylvester Oromoni: DPP Exonerates Dowen College Students, Others Steve Aya The Directorate of Public Prosecution Lagos State, has given reasons why it exonerated the five students and five officials of Dowen College linked to the death of a student of the Svhool, Master Sylvester Oromoni.

According to the DPP, two autopsies were carried out, the first revealed the cause of death to be acute bacteria pneumonia, due to severe sepsis.

The toxicology results also stated that there was “no elevation of any known chemicals and substances of abuse in clime”.

The second autopsy, the DPP further said was conducted in Lagos on December 14, 2021, by Dr. S.S. Soyemi, a Consultant Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, was witnessed by 14 people including seven

Pathologists, other Doctors and Police Officers.

The seven other Pathologists included four Pathologists who each represented Dowen College and three of the accused students were also present.

Dr. Vhriterhire, the Consultant Pathologist, who conducted the first autopsy in Warri, Delta was also present.

The result of the autopsy conducted in Lagos revealed marked pallor of organs, pneumonia (infection of the lungs), infection of the liver, kidney and heart.

“These infections emanated from the ankle infection described earlier in the report.

Microscopic sections, also confirmed these findings.

The result of the autopsy conducted in Lagos revealed marked pallor of organs, pneumonia (infection of the lungs), infection of the liver, kidney and heart.

“These infections emanated

from the ankle infection described earlier in the report. Microscopic sections also confirmed these findings.“Death was from septicemia, following infections of the lungs and kidneys arising from ankle wounds.

“No evidence of blunt force trauma in this body.

The findings in the oesophagus and stomach are not compatible with chemical intoxication. Death in this case is natural”, the result stated.

The DPP stated that in Paragraphs 3 and 4 of its advice dated January 4, 2022, that the late Sylvester Oromoni, on November 20, 2021, and November 21, 2021, suffered injuries while playing football with his friends in school, was taken to a sickbay by his friend and was released to his family on November 23, 2021.

The late Oromoni was

taken to Warri by his father on November 26, 2021, and was being treated at home by a medical doctor, according to the DPP advice.

The DPP also stated in the advice that, while being treated at home, the deceased told a family friend names of some senior students of the College who allegedly beat him up for refusing to join a secret group. It added that the deceased alleged that he was given an obnoxious substance by the senior students to drink.

On November 29, 2021, the deceased was taken to a Diagnostic Centre at Warri for a scan, which revealed hepatomegaly due to acute viral hepatitis, according to advice.

On November 30, 2021, Sylvester Oromoni’s condition deteriorated, and he allegedly died while being rushed to the hospital, it added.

VI

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

INSOLVENCY DISCOURSE DR KUBI UDOFIA

INFO@KUBIUDOFIA.COM

A Preliminary Appraisal of Nigeria’s First-Ever Company Voluntary Arrangement

C

ompany Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), is one of the notable business rescue procedures introduced by the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA 2020). The CVA in CAMA 2020 is modelled after the CVA in the United Kingdom (UK) Insolvency Act 1986. About fifteen months after CAMA 2020 became law, Nigeria has had its first-ever CVA. This discourse critically assesses the groundbreaking and on-going CVA of Tourist Company of Nigeria Plc (TCN).

Relevant Facts TCN is engaged in the business of hospitality, and owns the popular Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria. The directors of TCN, in their CVA proposal dated 30th August, 2021, claimed that TCN is facing cash-flow challenges induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposal stated that TCN’s revenue had plummeted from NGN7.7billion in 2019 to NGN1.3billion in 2020. TCN’s 2020 audited financials shows that its cumulative outstanding obligation to creditors, is over NGN27billion. TCN’s directors thus, proposed a restructuring of its loans by waiving accrual and payment of interests from 1st March, 2020 to an agreed future date.

In their report dated 15th September, 2021, the nominees appointed by the directors opined that the proposal was viable and fair to creditors and the company. The nominees also opined that the proposed arrangement had reasonable prospect of being approved by creditors, and being implementable.

Nominees’ Report to Court Section 435(2) of CAMA 2020 provides the procedure for nominees to “submit a report” on the arrangement to court. A nominee is required to submit his report within 28 days after he is notified by directors, or a longer period as permitted by Court. The nominee’s report is meant to state his opinions as to: (i) whether meetings of members and creditors should be summoned to consider the proposal, and (ii) the date, time and place of the meetings. Further, Section 436(1) provides that where the nominee has “reported” to Court, the nominee shall “unless the Court orders otherwise”, summon the meetings of creditors and members.

In TCN’s case, the nominees filed ex-parte originating summons with Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1250/2021, in which they asked the court to determine (i) whether the company's directors were statutorily empowered to make a proposal to creditors, and (ii) whether separate meetings of creditors and members should be convened. On determination of the "questions", the nominees asked for the following reliefs: (i) a declaration that the directors of the company were statutorily empowered to make the proposal to creditors, (ii) an order sanctioning the appointment of the nominees, and (iii) an order summoning separate meetings of creditors and directors on a specified date.

Accordingly, in TCN’s case, the nominees did not only submit a report to court as envisaged under CAMA 2020, but also applied to Court to determine questions whose answers were plainly obvious.

Secondly, the nominees did not only state their opinion (in the report) as to whether the meetings should be summoned and the date, time and place of the meetings; the nominees also “applied” to court to make orders on these issues. This approach is erroneous. Section 435(1) of CAMA 2020 requires a report to be submitted to court. It does not require an application to court to summon meetings.

TCN’s counsel erroneously used the procedure for schemes of arrangement under Chapter 27 of

CAMA 2020, where meetings are convened by order of court and an applicant must issue an originating summons with an affidavit. In contrast, a hallmark of CVAs is minimal court involvement. This point is highlighted in Sir Kenneth Cork Committee’s Report which originated CVAs in the UK. The part of the Report proposing CVAs is titled “Voluntary Arrangements without an Order of the Court”.

Accordingly, rule 2.9(3) of the UK Insolvency Rules 2016 only requires a court, upon submission of a nominee’s report, to “endorse the nominee’s report and the copy of it with the date of filing and deliver the copy to the nominee”. In an exposition on CVAs, Ashurst, a leading global law firm, described the role of courts in this regard as “purely administrative”. Similarly, Felicity Toube QC, a leading UK insolvency silk, explained the procedure in the UK thus: “the nominees report has to be filed as part of the CVA becoming effective, but if there is no challenge to anything, the court probably does not look at it at all.” Further, in their treatise on insolvency law, Professors Andrew Keay and Peter Walton stated thus: “…although a report is made to the court, this is largely a matter of record only. The court does not become judicially involved in the CVA unless a problem arises.”

In any event, a perusal of the provisions on CVA will reveal that CAMA 2020 is very explicit where an application to court is required e.g. sections 435(4), 438(3), 440(1), 442(3) and 442(4).

Absence of Procedural Rules CVAs are rules-driven. In the UK, the Insolvency Rules 2016 (UK Rules) has extensive provisions regulating several aspects of CVAs. For instance, the UK Rules embody provisions regulating notice of meetings, contents of notice of meetings, chairing of meetings, chairman’s discretion, quorum, voting rights, adjournments, combining creditors’ and members’ meetings etc. As regards approval of the proposal, the UK Rules require the support of at least 50% of

“CVAs do not disrupt a company’s operations.

Directors and management remain in charge of the company’s affairs…. CVAs are more private with no requirement for advertisement or notifications…..

CVAs are flexible….. are less expensive compared to administration or liquidation”

members (with the value of votes determined by the number of votes conferred on members by the company’s articles). It also requires the support of at least 75% of creditors (in terms of the value of the debt).

CAMA 2020 is silent on the above procedural matters. It is expected that these procedural guidelines would be addressed by the anticipated insolvency rules. Instructively, Section 437(5) of CAMA 2020 says that, subject to the provisions of CAMA 2020, members and creditors’ meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the rules. TCN nominees may face a herculean task navigating through the CVA process without guidance from procedural rules. In appropriate circumstances, they may consider applying relevant provisions of the UK Rules. In extreme cases, they may seek direction from the Court to insulate them from any liabilities.

No Statutory Moratorium CVAs under CAMA 2020 are not accompanied by any moratorium on enforcement actions.

Consequently, creditors may unilaterally pursue claims or enforcement actions whilst the CVA is ongoing. Under the UK regime, CVAs of certain small companies may be accompanied by a 28-day statutory moratorium. This provision has been omitted in CAMA 2020.

Nominees would have to prospect for ways of placating creditors to give nominees the opportunity to prepare and present proposals to the general creditors. Nominees may negotiate standstill on enforcement actions with creditors with significant claims. This would ensure that the process is not torpedoed by these creditors.

Commendably, TCN’s proposal has a standstill agreement on contemplated and existing legal proceedings in relation to loans in the proposal.

Alternatively, a company undergoing CVA may be put in administration to enable the statutory moratorium come into effect. This option may increase the cost and complexity of the process.

Further, it may be unattractive presently, due to the absence of procedural insolvency rules.

Challenging CVAs A standstill agreement will not affect the right of a creditor to challenge the CVA on the grounds specified in Section 440 of CAMA 2020. A creditor may challenge an approved arrangement on the ground of unfair prejudice: Section 440(1) (a). In this regard, the creditor may allege that he/she was, without justification, treated less favourably than other similarly situated creditors (horizontal prejudice). Alternatively, a creditor may allege that he/she is in a worse position that he/she would have been in a liquidation or administration (vertical prejudice). A creditor may also challenge an approved CVA on the basis of material irregularity: Section 440(1)(b).

Binding Effect of Approved Arrangement

Once approved by the meetings of creditors and members, an arrangement becomes binding on any creditor that was entitled to vote at the meeting as if he was party to the arrangement. This is irrespective of whether or not the creditor voted at the meeting, attended the meeting or received notice of the meeting.

In the old UK regime, creditors who were not given notice of the meeting were not bound by approved arrangements. Although this appeared reasonably “fair”, it often resulted in exclusion of large claims which undermined the potency of the arrangements.

Immunity for Secured and Preferential Creditors In TCN’s case, the nominees stated that the arrangement would not “touch” secured creditors. This is consistent with Section 437 of CAMA 2020. CVAs do not affect the rights of secured and preferential creditors. Accordingly, at the meetings, creditors or members are not permitted to make proposals or modifications to proposals which affect the rights of secured creditors without their consent. Creditors and members are not also permitted to make proposals which alter the payment priority of preferential creditors without their consent.

An implication of the above is that secured creditors may enforce their security whilst CVAs are ongoing.

Such secured creditors may appoint receivers or call in administrators, which could disrupt the CVA. Similarly, preferential creditors may enforce their claims whilst the CVA is ongoing. Such preferential creditors may torpedo the CVA by filing winding-up petitions against the company.

Advantages of CVAs Significant advantages of CVAs, have been highlighted in a previous discourse. First, CVAs do not disrupt a company’s operations. Directors and management remain in charge of the company’s affairs. In TCN’s case, the directors have stated that the CVA would be supervised by licensed insolvency practitioners, whilst directors and management will remain in office.

Second, CVAs are more private with no requirement for advertisement or notifications. Third, CVAs are flexible; parties may structure arrangements to suit the debtor’s peculiar circumstance. Fourth, CVAs are less expensive compared to administration or liquidation. Fifth, unsecured creditors are better positioned to be paid their debts in CVAs. Sixth, an arrangement approved by the meetings of creditors and members, is binding on both consenting and non-consenting unsecured creditors.

Conclusion Notwithstanding any perceived flaw(s), the stakeholders behind TCN’s CVA deserve commendation for steering TCN into/through uncharted waters of CVA. This will potentially open the floodgates for more CVAs by cash-flow insolvent but viable businesses.

Finally, it is hoped that TCN’s CVA would serve as a wake-up call for regulators to speedily produce the requisite insolvency rules, which would drive CVAs and other formal insolvency procedures in CAMA 2020.

VII

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN

0809 889 8888 SMS ONLY

Insecurity: A Great Retardation to Peace and Progress (Part 4) Introduction Today, we shall conclude our discourse on the above vexed issue having started with some of the ways to reduce the causes of insecurity.

advocacy, can be formed wholly and principally to deal with issues of violent extremism and conflictual situations in the society. They can pool resources and manpower together to make them more effective. For instance, the West Africa Civil Society Forum was formed to bring all civil society organisations under one umbrella; this can be done in Nigeria, but only for organisations and philanthropists interested in peace building.

3. In the same vein, the diaspora (and Nigeria has a lot of citizens outside her shores) should be mobilised through effective data capturing through Nigerian embassies worldwide, for philanthropic gestures. This is a strategy the Government should seriously consider, to shore up funds that can be used to rebuild the Northeast in particular, and other parts of the country destroyed by insurgents and militants. Giving in the society, especially for peace building purposes, should be encouraged more by the Government and other sectors of the society through recognition of donors, and having a sort of ‘bonus’ such as tax holiday for donors properly catered for in the corporate social responsibility law.

4. Discard antiquated ideas of asking citizens to fill forms with stereotypes such as religion, tribe, LGA, town of birth, etc.

5. Enthrone good leadership in all strata.

6. Kill corruption before corruption kills us.

Restoration/Reintegration Challenges 4. Adopting a Gender-Sensitive Lens Historically, DDDR programs failed to integrate gender into their program design and implementation, thereby reinforcing women’s marginalisation from post conflict development processes. Over the past several years, donors and policymakers have realised the need for a more gender-sensitive approach, although implementation often lags behind.

In Northeast Nigeria, the gender dimensions of the conflict - particularly Boko Haram’s reliance on female suicide bombers and the group’s targeting of women and girls, has received significant attention.

Both international donors and local actors, emphasise the specific vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls in the crisis. Yet studies of other conflict contexts caution against depicting women only as victims to be protected, and neglecting the ways in which gender norms also affect men’s wartime experiences and likelihood of reintegration.

Such an approach carries several risks. First, framing women only as victims of Boko Haram risks denying their political agency and erasing the complexity of their experiences. Although Boko Haram did indeed abduct many women and girls, others joined voluntarily or followed their husbands and family members. Interviews with female Boko Haram members suggest that some viewed the group as an opportunity to escape hard agricultural labour and receive a religious education, which was inaccessible to girls in many rural parts of Northeast Nigeria. These experiences of structural marginalisation have to be understood, in order to address the reasons why women joined or supported Boko Haram in the first place, and to ensure specialised reintegration support.

Second, marginalising women’s wartime roles and experiences, can also perpetuate their exclusion from key decisions around the broader peace-building process. For example, restricting transitional justice processes only to civil and political rights violations, may mean that the “forms and places of violation that may be of particular significance to women” are left unrecognized, such as violations that occur in private spaces. This risk is particularly acute in northeastern Nigeria, where women are largely absent from both government and traditional decision-making structures. For example, a recent study conducted in Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa States, suggests that women may be more reluctant than men to embrace community-level reconciliation and reintegration, and more likely to stress the need for legal accountability for sexual violence.

Rather than treating women only as subjects of DDR efforts, local gender expertise through existing women’s movements and organisations should therefore be integrated into all aspects of the design and implementation process, including in the community dialogues organised to prepare for the return of rehabilitated Boko Haram associates.

Under the military’s purview, the DDR process to date, has lacked even the most basic elements of gender sensitivity. For instance, international aid officials report that women and men have been detained together in overcrowded facilities, with inadequate protection and provisions for privacy.

In remote camps for internally displaced persons, women alleged to be sympathetic to Boko Haram have faced severe movement restrictions, and have been specifically targeted for sexual violence by security forces.

Finally, it is crucial to expand the gender lens to include boys and men, and to pay attention to the role that masculinity norms play in the conflict. Despite increased attention to gender in post-conflict peace-building, men and boys still are rarely considered as gendered subjects. Yet, in the case of Boko Haram, some young men may have joined the movement because poverty excluded them from the “marriage market”, and Boko Haram filled a crucial gap by arranging marriages for loyal supporters. Similarly, changes in women’s roles and livelihoods during and after conflict can threaten the traditional gender norms that require men to be the providers for their household, which can complicate men’s social reintegration

Nigerian Military Personnel in training and exacerbate gender-based violence. As the Scholars, Dyan Mazurana, Roxanne Krystalli, and Anton Baaré note, “a gender-aware approach to DDR transcends getting women into DDR programs and requires examining how these programs imagine, address, and reconstruct masculinity, femininity, and relationships in the aftermath of conflict”.

1. Demobilising and Reintegrating Civilian Militias Lastly, a broader question surrounds the future of the civilian militia groups, most commonly known as the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), that emerged during the conflict. Although their exact numbers are uncertain, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that around 25,000 to 27,000 such fighters currently are active in northeastern Nigeria. Formed at the height of the insurgency to protect local communities, they assist the Nigerian security forces with intelligence collection and military operations, particularly in more remote areas.

Given the lack of official Nigerian policing capacity, CJTF members also have taken over policing functions in some parts of Borno, often exerting significant control over IDPs. Members of these community militia in some ways fall between categories: they do not qualify for existing reintegration programs, nor are they considered victims of the conflict. They also are not a homogenous group: although a small number of fighters have been trained, armed, and placed on the military payroll, others are armed but unpaid, and the overwhelming majority neither carry arms nor receive direct financial support for their services. Many of the latter are dissatisfied with their current status, and seek to be formally integrated into State security forces.

To date, these fighters have not been formally discharged or demobilised. Yet the status quo poses several challenges. The first is, the lack of framework for civilian protection and accountability. As noted above, most of the CJTF never received formal training; they often have little knowledge of existing legal frameworks and civilian protection norms. Given their lack of integration into formal chains of command, civilians have few effective channels to appeal the decisions of vigilante fighters, or demand justice for their abuses - including sexual exploitation, intimidation, aid diversion, and assaults on those suspected of being part of armed groups.

At the same time, CJTF fighters are mostly young men with few alternative livelihood options.

Many have little or no formal education, and

“…. efforts to establish a transparent framework for rehabilitating and reintegrating low-risk Boko Haram affiliates while ensuring meaningful accountability for victims, have been slow to progress”

do not fulfil the minimum requirements that would enable them to be integrated into the formal security forces. Drug addiction and abuse problems are widespread, and likely growing.

Without a comprehensive reintegration plan, the Nigerian Government risks sustaining a pool of young men with few opportunities yet significant experience, wielding violence and authority. Ahead of Nigeria’s scheduled 2023 elections, reports suggest that politicians are already forging ties to CJTF leaders for electoral purposes, potentially to pay local militia to intimidate political opponents and mobilise votes.

Going forward, one option is to integrate the civilian militia groups into a broader community policing framework. This would allow security forces to continue tapping into their local expertise, while also ensuring that the militias receive adequate training and are linked to community justice mechanisms.

Yet, the precise structure of such a program remains hotly contested: the Nigerian Federal Government has long resisted calls by State Governments, to establish security structures that challenge the centre’s monopoly over the security sector. In the absence of an agreement on such a framework, current nongovernmental organisation efforts centre on connecting CJTF fighters to livelihood and educational opportunities, as well as psychosocial support and drug addiction treatment. Yet more systematic and longer-term support, is urgently needed.

Having painstakingly read through this article, it is imperative to however, make some necessary suggestions or recommendations in order to achieve a level of peace, oneness, security, unity, and overall good governance.

Suggestions or Recommendations for a Peaceful, Progressive and United Nation The civil society in Nigeria played a key role in the struggle for Nigeria’s independence, and in the return of the country back to democracy and disengagement from military rule. Important civil societies during these periods, Campaign for Democracy (CD), National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), etc. played a significant role in this process. This can be replicated in Nigeria today, to arrest the ugly trend of conflict and violence in the polity. However, some far reaching steps need to be taken to position the civil society as the effective ‘third sector’ in Nigeria, and to strategically galvanise them to make more effective contributions to peace building in Nigeria.

1. First, the leadership in Nigeria must ensure good governance, respect for rule of law and equality before the law. Poverty, injustice and discrimination are some of the causes of conflict in Nigeria. Civil society organisations and philanthropists are better organised under a peaceful, just and equitable atmosphere. Threat to security, is a threat to the workings and functioning of civil society organisations.

2. Secondly, an association of civil society organisations whose major mandates are in peace building, conflict management and

Conclusion Over the past five years, Nigerian authorities have increasingly acknowledged that ending the conflict in Northeast Nigeria, will require more than a military response. Yet, in practice, efforts to establish a transparent framework for rehabilitating and reintegrating low-risk Boko Haram affiliates while ensuring meaningful accountability for victims, have been slow to progress.

However, in many ways, Nigeria epitomises the challenges of implementing a DDDR program in a context of violent extremism and ongoing conflict. Problems that plague all DDDR efforts - such as how to determine and implement fair and consistent eligibility criteria, ensure equal access, prevent re-mobilisation, and ensure community involvement - are exacerbated by access and safety constraints, a highly fluid operational environment, and a lack of alignment between civilian and military actors. Such a context also poses unique challenges for international actors seeking to support the process, as they have less control over who enters rehabilitation programs, who is released, and based on what criteria.

Yet, implementing a broader demobilisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategy also represents an opportunity to begin addressing the social cleavages that emerged over the course of the conflict. In practice, this means formally recognising the diversity of victims in the conflict, which include individuals who lived in Boko Haram–controlled areas or were associated with Boko Haram in some capacity, and systematising screening and evidence collection standards to adhere to human rights norms. It also means planning for sustainable reintegration, by consistently involving communities in the process, closely tracking returnee trajectories, prioritising accountability and protection for those most affected by violence, and providing assistance both to receiving communities and those who fall through the cracks of formal rehabilitation programs. Any breakdown in this complex system - whether in screening and categorising detainees, in preparing for their return, or in ensuring post-release support - risks causing further cleavages and resentment.

The security crises seizing Nigeria in the present times range from kidnapping of citizens for ransom, to the abduction of school children and setting ablaze of Police stations. These crises seem to tail one another, and has left the average Nigerian dis-sensitised from the happenings in Nigeria.

Security, generally is the duty of the Government.

Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) points to this and provides that: “(b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” There is need for active and systematic peace building needs to be effected, for growth and development to occur in Nigeria; this has however been hampered by the current state of insecurity which once solved will bring about a better country.

In all, to fully reap the benefit of civil society and good governance in Nigeria, it requires the Government, citizens – young and old, especially youths and women, to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure that Nigeria moves from being a ‘pariah’ in Global Peace Index, to a safe, strong and united nation. Success requires the full participation of every section of the Nigerian State, and active inclusiveness of the people. (The End).

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Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

Women in Governance: Kwara Leads the Pack

The quiet, peaceful State of Kwara recently attracted national attention when the forward-looking Governor, His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in a bold and courageous move, appointed a good number of women into his cabinet as Commissioners and Heads of Government Agencies. The people-centric Governor is the very first to deliberately set up a gender parity cabinet. He further ‘put his money where his mouth is’, by facilitating the enactment of the Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021, into law. The Law which prescribes the appointment of 35% of either sex into political appointive positions to enhance gender inclusivity, is the focus of this Special Edition, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s speech, commendation from the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed and the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, SAN; and a discourse with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, Ossai Ojigho, and Uju Peace Okeke on the provisions of the law, and why it is necessary for all other State Executives to replicate this Law in their various States Mainstreaming Gender Parity Beyond Tokenism Remarks by His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the State Government’s Women’s Conference in Ilorin on December 7, 2021

T

oday marks a new height in the annals of our history as a State. This is a moment to specially appreciate all of you Kwara women, for the great things that you stand for. From farm to market place, community work, national service; your sweat that go into building our homes; the Kwara woman is simply great.

Early this year, I read the inspiring story of some women in Onila community, who pulled resources together to build a school. No commitment to community growth can be greater. I visited these women in appreciation of this sacrifice. We have also reimbursed their expenses, and completed the

school. The Onila phenomenon, reflects the character of the Kwara woman.

Women are so critical to human civilisation.

They are just as brilliant, innovative, and smart as men. They are the largest voting demographic in Nigeria. Yet, they are often absent or unfairly represented, when policies and programmes that shape everything concerning them and their families are designed.

This needs a rethink. In Kwara, we have recently taken unprecedented steps to involve more women in the decision making process.

We appointed 56.25% female cabinet members, and over 48.15% female Permanent Secretaries.

Many key Government positions, are headed by women. We do not have regrets making such decisions.

Nevertheless, the gains we have made in Kwara in mainstreaming gender parity in appointments, could easily be reversed by anyone. We therefore, decided to give a legal cover to gender parity in Kwara State, no matter what political party is in power. This morning, therefore, I will assent to the Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021. A unique feature of this legislation, is that no gender class

Women are so critical to human civilisation.They are just as brilliant, innovative, and smart as men.They are the largest voting demographic in Nigeria.Yet, they are often absent or unfairly represented when policies and programmes that shape everything concerning them and their families are designed….”

shall henceforth have below 35% representation in the State Executive Council. This opens a new chapter for an inclusive political system in Kwara State, and Nigeria as a whole. It is our bold contribution to the Nigerian political culture. We feel strongly that no segment of the society should be absent or underrepresented, in the decision making process. This law could well encourage our major parties, to officially mainstream gender parity in their activities.

Once again, I thank all our guests for joining us to celebrate the Kwara woman. I assure you that Kwara will continue to drive reforms that will help to promote social justice, alongside other efforts to make life worth living for all of its people.

Thank you.

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor, Kwara State, Federal Republic of Nigeria

‘All Governors Should Follow Suit’ Amina J. Mohammed I commend the Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his inspiring leadership, in being the first Governor to appoint a gender parity cabinet, and to further facilitate the enactment of the Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021, into law.

The Law prescribes the appointment of 35% of either sex, into political appointive positions

to enhance gender inclusivity.Global best practices demonstrates that, legislation provides a sustainable basis for promoting women's participation in politics.

I call on all Governors to follow suit in facilitating legislation, including passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, which will ensure women’s right to participation in all spheres of public life, including elective offices.

Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General, United Nations, New York

'A Step in the Right Direction’ Olawale Fapohunda, SAN Undoubtedly, this is an important step in moving the conversation on gender equality in Nigeria forward. It is novel. Limited female participation in public life, is one of the major obstacles towards achieving gender equity.

Paving the way for more women in the political, business, and civic society arena, is an investment in the socio-economic and political development of States, and invariably Nigeria as a whole.

It is not sufficient to simply ask women to speak out and get involved, we need to enable legal and institutional regimes that allow the voices of women to be heard in any process that will ultimately affect them, their families, and communities. Investing in women’s right to political participation is not a favour done to women, but one that will ultimately have positive impact on our political development.

I have sent a copy of the law to my colleagues in the South West Attorney’s General Forum, as a possible agenda item for discussion in our next meeting. I do believe we should consider enacting this law in our States.

Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State

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Women in Governance: Kwara Leads the Pack A Governor's Passion for Gender Parity and Inclusion Rafiu Ajakaye Introduction Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, doubled down on his signature gender inclusion policy on December 7, 2021 as he assented to a Bill that makes it binding to have at least 35% women in every category of appointive positions in the North Central State. The Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Law 2021 is the first of its kind in Nigeria, if not the whole of West Africa - that officially mainstreams women inclusion in public office.

Appointments The law builds on earlier successes of the AbdulRazaq's administration in gender inclusion. On December 14, 2019, the Governor inaugurated a cabinet that was 56.25% female - the highest anywhere on the African continent, in terms of cabinet appointments. This is not to be confused with the Rwandan phenomenon: Rwanda has just 50% female (appointed) cabinet members, although it has roughly 65% elected female officials.

Apart from the 56.25% female cabinet, the Governor has made several appointments of women into key Government offices. These include the Chairman of the State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), the Principal Private Secretary/Senior Adviser on Intergovernmental Affairs, Civil Service Commission, Auditor General of the Local Government Service Commission. For the first time, the State has roughly 50% female Permanent Secretaries.

The Gender Composition Law 2021 of Kwara State, seeks to ensure that either of the genders does not have below 35% or above 65% representation in all appointments in the State. What this does is that gender inclusion is no longer subject to the whims of any political party or chief executives in the State - except the law is amended or abrogated altogether.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 This law not only stands on a sure-footed legal basis; it bolsters the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) which is gender equality.

"Providing women and girls with equal access to education, healthcare, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large” - the United Nations says about SDG 5.

While building on the successes of the Beijing Declaration, the UN’s statement on SDG 5 is a culmination of decades of advocacy for gender inclusion in a world where half of humanity (women) is often scarcely represented.

In her phenomenal work titled ‘Invisible Women’ published in 2019, Caroline Criado Perez offered extensive data sets on how the world is dangerously skewed against women, to the extent that crucial aspects of living, down to production or design of medicine, construction, automobiles, and public policies, are often without regard to how women are affected.

“I will argue that when we are designing a world that is meant to work for everyone we need women in the room”, Caroline Perez contested. This view is consistent with history, common sense, equity and fairness. There are historical records of how proposed legislations that were considered unfair were shot down, because affected parties had a voice at the decision making table.

In summary, offering Kwara women a fair representation at the State Executive Council and other key areas, is as revolutionary for a largely conservative society as it is pacesetting for the whole of Nigeria, if not whole of West African subregion.

Governor AbdulRazaq’s Remarks Speaking in Ilorin at the carnivalesque signing of the Kwara Gender Composition Bill that was attended by local, national and global thought leaders in the Gender rights movement, Governor AbdulRazaq said the recognition and the step to mainstream women in public service, were the

UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed

least the administration could do for the hard working women as a way of boosting inclusion, reducing inequality, and inspiring the girl child.

“Women are so critical to human civilisation.

They are just as brilliant, innovative, and smart as men. They are the largest voting demographic in Nigeria. Yet, they are often absent or unfairly represented when policies and programmes that shape everything concerning them and their families are designed”, he asserted.

“This needs a rethink. In Kwara, we have recently taken unprecedented steps to involve more women in the decision making process.

We appointed 56.25% female cabinet members, and about 50% female Permanent Secretaries.

Many key Government positions are headed by women. We do not have regrets making such decisions.

“Nevertheless, the gains we have made in Kwara in mainstreaming gender parity in appointments, could easily be reversed by anyone. We have therefore, decided to give a legal cover for gender parity in Kwara State, no matter what party is in power. I have therefore, assented to the Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021.

“A unique feature of this legislation is that, no gender class shall henceforth have below 35% representation in the State Executive Council. This opens a new chapter for inclusive political system, in Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole. It is our bold contribution to the Nigerian political culture.

“We feel strongly that, no segment of the society should be absent or underrepresented in the decision making process. This law could well encourage our major parties to officially mainstream gender parity in their activities.”

Remarks of Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, the Governor’s Wife Wife of the Governor of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, said the efforts of the administration on gender mainstreaming have reverberating effects nationwide, adding that the Governor has equally paid attention to women empowerment through initiatives like the Kwara State Social Investment Programme.

A cardinal part of the programme is a scheme that empowers petty traders, and gives safety nets to vulnerable elders, mostly women.

“His Excellency’s passion in this regard (gender inclusion), while being the most rational way to go to entrench parity in line with the United Nations SDG 5, is also more of a personal conviction that has worked for him in his private concerns before coming to public service. He is convinced that, when empowered, women perform brilliantly well in any given assignment”, she said.

“I commend the Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his inspiring leadership, in being the first Governor to appoint a gender parity cabinet, and to further facilitate the enactment of the Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021, into law….. I call on all Governors to follow suit….”

Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda, SAN

“We have beautiful stories to tell of Kwara women who have challenged stereotypes and cracked the proverbial glass ceiling to get to the peak of their chosen careers, Madam Sarah Jubril, Justice Raliat Elelu, Dr Sarah Alade and Hajia Bola Shagaya, are some of Kwara women who have blazed the trail in this regard.

“Going forward to further ensure that the trend of women inclusivity is sustained, a Bill ensuring that women gets 35% representation and appointment, has now been signed by His Excellency. The Governor has equally made inroads in the empowerment of macro businesses which are mostly women-owned, through the disbursement of Owo Isowo, a scheme that has empowered 30,000 beneficiaries in its first phase, while another thirty thousand beneficiaries are expected to benefit from the second tranche. Owo Arugbo and Kwapreneur are part of the social investment scheme of the Government, that people are benefitting from.”

Erelu Bisi Fayemi’s Comments Chairperson of the Nigerian Governors' Wives Forum, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, lauded the Governor for his commitment to gender inclusion anchored on strong political will.

"We thank His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for all he has done for the good women of Kwara State. We thank His Excellency for the strong political will, and because of this, he has created a lot of space for women politically”, she said.

"The Governor has also empowered women in so many ways. We thank His Excellency for setting the pace, and for setting the example for other leaders to follow."

Comments of the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen For the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, the formation of Governor AbdulRazaq's gender-inclusive cabinet and the practical step to legally make them a part of the decision making process, are remarkably unique in the country. She lauded the Governor's wife, for supporting her husband to cause a positive change in the history of the State.

She added: "It is most gratifying to join this event organised to celebrate the socio-cultural, economic and political contributions of women in Kwara State. It is on record that Kwara started cracking the glass ceiling in 2019 with the landmark appointments, where he appointed nine women out of 16 Commissioners into the State Executive Council".

Comments of Dr Abdulrahman Ahmad Erudite Muslim Scholar and National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Society of Nigeria, Dr Abdulrahman Ahmad said: “Today is a great day in the lives of Kwarans. A day to mark, a day to remember, and a day to celebrate.

A day when changes are being inaugurated.

"Talking about the glass ceiling, let me say without mincing words, that this ceiling is artificial. It is not set by Allah, nor is it set by the prophets. The ceiling is set by our minds, by our imagination, and by our actions and inactions.

"Let me tell and remind you that, it is on record that the first University in the world is University of Al-Karaouine, and it was established by a woman - Fatimah Al-Firiz.

If a woman could establish the first University, what stops women from being the best? What is

stopping them from making their marks and achieving their potentialities? Certainly Allah has not limited them. Aisha, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, was a teacher of teachers of mankind. She taught the Disciples of the Prophet. What is stopping women from developing themselves intellectually? And of course, Kwara State is not in short supply of women who have made their marks!

"As a people of faith, we do not need to create artificiality. There are enough inherent safeguards and provisions in Islam to ensure that women take their rightful places. It is not a competition, because there is no where in the Qur’an that Allah mentions men without mentioning women. There can be no men without women. I am more comfortable with 'He-for-She' and 'She-for-He'. Without both of us, there will be no progress. Without progress, no peace. Without peace, no joy. Without joy, no man. Unless we cooperate, and this is the beginning of such cooperation. May Allah bless the Governor of this State (AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq) for his work. No matter how beautiful a policy or legislation is, it must be implemented. It is in this implementation, that work lies."

Commendation from Sidikat Ijaiya Sidikat Ijaiya, first female Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, commended the Governor for giving voice to the women in the State.

"Our State has done a lot for women. In terms of appointments, we have women Commissioners and we have Permanent Secretaries and so on and so forth. We have female Directors heading different Units in the Ministries. However, we can still do more”, she said.

"This administration has done a lot for womenfolk.

In fact, the Government has done well, allowing women to have a say in the running of the State.

Of particular importance, is the appointment of youths who serve as Commissioners, Special Advisers or Assistants, Permanent Secretaries and Directors under this administration. The Governor has tried for us."

Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State

Affirmative Action and Ending Gender-based Violence, the Kwara Initiative Osai Ojigho On December 7, 2021, the Kwara State Governor signed the Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021. The law confirms a minimum 35% representation of any gender in appointed positions in the State Government. However, the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) Bill, a draft Federal law for gender equality, was temporarily stepped down during its presentation at the Nigerian Senate on December 15, 2021. The GEO Bill had proposed temporary special measures, to eliminate discrimination. It suggested a minimum of 35% of all appointed or elective offices for women, and application of parity for educational opportunities.

Both Bills had affirmative action provisions, yet only one succeeded.

Affirmative Action is not Discrimination Affirmative action is “any measure, beyond simple termination of discriminatory practice, adopted to correct for past or present discrimination or to prevent discrimination recurring in the future” (US Civil cont'd on page X

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Women in Governance: Kwara Leads the Pack cont'd from page IX

rights Commission 1977). Article 9 of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) provides that: “States parties shall take specific positive action to promote participative governance and the equal participation of women in the political life of their countries through affirmative action, enabling national legislation and other measures…”. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG) in Article 29 urges States to adopt “possible measures to encourage the full and active participation of women in the electoral process and ensure gender parity in representation at all levels, including legislatures.”

These special measures are affirmative actions. They seek to improve the inclusion of women in politics and decision-making, and offer them the protection of the law. The signing of the Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Law 2021 is important, because, despite 35% affirmative action in Nigeria’s National Gender Policy 2006, it has been a herculean task to get State and Federal institutions to comply with it. The law, therefore, provides the basis for securing compliance and monitoring progress over time. Also, note that by Article 4, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the adoption of temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women is not discrimination, and is not meant to create unfair standards; these measures are intended to end when the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment have been achieved.

Application of Quotas The Kwara State Law is however, limited to appointments in the State’s executive structures.

There is evidence to show that, the major shift in the representation of women in governance is in elective posts. The countries that have succeeded in increasing the number of women in elective positions, had deployed affirmative action, usually in the form of quotas in their laws. For example, seats are reserved in Parliament for women in the Constitution of Rwanda (Article 10(4)); and quotas for women in electoral lists as required under the Electoral Law 92-16 of 1992, as amended by law 2012-01 of 2012 of Senegal. These two countries have significantly more women in Parliament at 61.25% for Rwanda, 43.03% for Senegal, compared to Nigeria’s 3.61%. (Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union https:// www.ipu.org accessed 7 January 2022).

According to UNWOMEN, quotas are a “system put in place by an authority or an organ to promote or reduce a trend deemed to be too slow, or too fast”.(Reflexions on Gender Parity in Africa: Gender Parity in Senegal Dakar, 2011, 12). In Kwara State, and across the country, women’s representation in politics and decision-making is low. Applying quotas can help accelerate the emergence of women, and lead to gender-balanced representation in politics. Moreover, the lack of data facts to show evidence of past discrimination against women, is not an excuse for countries not to take steps to advance women’s roles and status in society (General recommendation no.25 on article 4(1) of the CEDAW on Temporary measures, Para. 18).

Gender-Based Violence and Women in DecisionMaking Encouraging the involvement of women in decisionmaking means more opportunities to address issues that affect women disproportionately, such as gender-based violence. Government policies would be more equitable, and inclusive of the needs of different members of their communities. As women become more visible in public and political life, they are more likely to face targeted attacks because of their gender. A recent study by the African Parliamentary Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union titled: Sexism, Harassment and Violence Against Women in Parliaments in Africa (2021), documents the experiences of women parliamentarians and female parliamentarian staff. 80% of women MPs who participated in the research, had experienced psychological violence. 46% had experienced online violence. 39% have experienced sexual violence. Sexual harassment at 45%, was one of the most prevalent

Rafiu Ajakaye

Osai Ojigho

forms of violence among female staff. They also experienced physical violence, and economic violence. The newly passed Kwara State Law, will create opportunities for more women to work in Government. So, the Government must ensure beyond the enactment of this Law, to create an enabling and safe environment to sustain, retain, and protect all against gender-based violence. It is a plus that Kwara State has also enacted the Violence Against Persons (VAPP) Law 2020, that provides a legal framework for incorporating preventive and protective measures against GBV. Conclusion Nigeria is a State Party to the ACDEG, Maputo Protocol, and CEDAW. These international treaties support non-discrimination and strengthening national policies, laws for equal access to political and decision-making processes.

While welcoming the affirmative action law, the Kwara State Government must put facilities to safeguard and protect appointees and their staff from gender-based violence (GBV). Also, take steps to dismantle cultural and social gender stereotypes that hinder the full enjoyment of women's human rights. All perpetrators of GBV, must face the full wrath of the law without exception. Effective enforcement mechanisms will attract the best candidates, and go a long way to retain and harness their contributions in office. In addition, the Kwara State Government must embark on a rigorous public awareness campaign; promote the benefits of a genderbalanced governance structure; provide financial and technical resources for implementing the law, and develop a cohesive monitoring and evaluation process to report on progress.

Achieving a minimum of 35% of women in public office by appointment, is a start to moving closer to 50/50 gender parity. And a society where the notion of women and men as equal partners is normalised, and accepted at all levels of decision-making, elective and appointed roles.

Osai Ojigho, Lawyer, Gender Equality & Human Rights Advocate and Country Director, Amnesty International Nigeria @ livingtruely

Women’s Political Representation in Nigeria: Kwara State Setting a Positive Agenda

“For example, seats are reserved in Parliament for women in the Constitution of Rwanda (Article 10(4)); and quotas for women in electoral lists as required under the Electoral Law 92-16 of 1992, as amended by law 2012-01 of 2012 of Senegal.

These two countries have significantly more women in Parliament at 61.25% for Rwanda, 43.03% for Senegal, compared to Nigeria’s 3.61%”

Uju Peace Okeke John Maxwell said that “everything rises and falls on leadership”. This is rightly so, as leadership determines the enabling environment for quality followership and invariably, the pace of development in the society. Leadership is a product of political participation and representation.

It is therefore, logical that political participation and representation which legitimise political systems are globally recognised human rights for every human being. These are provided for in International and regional treaties. They include the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (Article 21), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 25), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 13). Being that Nigeria ratified these treaties, expectedly, the Constitution guarantees this right in Sections 40, 77(2)/117(2), 65/66/, 106/107, 131/177 and 132(5)/178(5).

Political participation and representation refer to a chain of intentional activities, through which members of a society share in the direct or indirect selection of rulers, formation of public policy, and the active engagement with the governmental processes that affect their lives.

It consists of activities like the liberty to speak out, assemble and associate in political parties, register as a candidate, campaign, elected and to hold office at all levels of government. However, experiences show that political participation and representation, are not holistically enjoyed by Nigerian women. Despite their numerical strength at 48.78% of the national population, they mainly participate in some aspects like registering to vote, singing, clapping and dancing during campaigns, and recruiting other women that will do same. They are strictly excluded from political representation, by being denied opportunity to stand as candidates to be voted into elective offices where their voices are necessary to drive changes. For instance, no woman has ever been elected Nigerian President, Vice President or Governor, and they presently constitute less than 15% at the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Deputy Governorship. This is blamed on patriarchy, cultural expectations, social norms, electoral violent environment, religious factor and Nairasation of politics. Women equally do not fare any better in appointive positions where they presently constitute less than 20% at the national level, as the constitutional-Federal character is only concerned about geographical spread, and not the gender of the appointees.

These clearly fly in the faces of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also ratified by Nigeria, enjoining States to take all appropriate measures including affirmative action, in eliminating discrimination against women in the political and public life, to be on equal terms with men.

Why Political Representation is Important for Women Seeing that politics is about influence and women wield influence in their families, over their children and husbands, with the society made up of different families, who else is in a better position to change the society, if not the woman who has changed her family? Political representation is important for women for many reasons, including that:

Uju Peace Okeke • Women’s legal status is closely linked to their ability to contribute to and benefit from economic and social progress.

• Nigeria practices democracy, meaning that government of the people and by the people must be of both genders; little wonder the Nigerian Constitution in its preamble begins with “we the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…” which obviously means both men and women.

• It is a matter of justice for women, seeing that the constitutional provision of right to freedom from discrimination will only make sense to them if they share in the determination of their own affairs.

• It is a call to duty, as women have an obligation to contribute their perception to the advancement and balanced development of the country.

• It ensures that their interests are reflected in laws and policies. This makes for the achievement of the constitutional right to dignity which is the foundation of other rights, and simply means the right to be treated like a human being. If women are excluded from contributing their quota in development as if they are not humans, the essential element of what it means to be a human being is taken away from them.

• Their exclusion, evidences waste of precious resource and skills for leadership.

This female under-representation could be part of the reasons Nigeria is yet to experience significant development, real democracy and a just society, confirming Ban Ki-moon’s statement that: "The world will never realise 100% of its goals, if 50% of its people cannot realise their full potential; when we unleash the power of women, we can secure the future for all". The National Gender Policy which recommends 35% affirmative action, INEC Gender Policy and political parties gender-inclusion manifestoes aimed at tackling this issue have not helped much, being akin to toothless bulldogs with no compelling power. Further, the carrying on of a policy depends on the goodwill of the government of the day. An example known to Nigerians is the Chapter II of the Constitution, which though looks very empowering on paper, remains non-justiciable.

It follows that attainment of the set goals of any policy, requires concretisation through enactment of a law. So far, Nigeria has not demonstrated enough courage in addressing this perennial problem through laws which courts can legally enforce.

Kwara State recently enacted Political Offices (Gender Composition) Law of 2021, providing among other things that no gender class shall have below 35% representation in the State Executive Council. In doing this, the State did not only courageously and boldly take the bull by the horn, but set a groundbreaking example which every State in Nigeria must of necessity, emulate. The practical implication of this law for Kwara women, is that days are gone when the State will have an all-male Executive. Armed with this veritable tool, Kwara women should employ this as a standard core minimum in monitoring its implementation, demanding for gender budgeting and the extension of similar law to elective positions.

Encouraged by what just happened in Kwara State, women in other States should begin to demand for such laws in their various States, as we do not need a few Nigerian women who make history, but lots of them at the law making table.

Uju Peace Okeke, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

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PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT LSDPC Delivers Mass Housing at Affordable Prices Bennett Oghifo

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he Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) has delivered 480 units of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom flats at B.O. Benson Estate, Ibeshe, Ikorodu to be sold between N5,000,000 - N13,500,000.

This project, which was supervised by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, is in response to the ever-rising demand for affordable houses and as part of the Lagos State Government’s continued efforts to reduce the housing deficit across the state, according to the Corporation.

The development, which started during the administration of former Governor and now Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, was delivered and commissioned by the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in November 2021.

The project is designed to provide decent accommodation for sub-urban dwellers thereby increasing the stock of decent homes in the State. This does not only reduce the housing deficit in the State but also provide conducive environments for family and communal living in all parts of the State.

B.O. Benson Estate, Ibeshe sits on a land area of 15 hectares opposite Nichemtex factory, Baiyeku LCDA, Ibeshe Road. It was executed by seasoned professionals in the Corporation (LSDPC) and built by contractors who employed artisans within the locality, giving opportunities for local residents to be a part of the project first hand.

Consequently, this led to economic growth and employment around the area.

LSDPC has been privileged to have worked alongside the Ministry of Housing in the execution and completion of a series of

LagosHoms in the State namely; Anthony Enahoro Housing Estate, Ogba, LagosHoms Shitta Surulere, LagosHoms Suco Road, Oko Oba, LagosHoms Akerele/Randle, Surulere and LagosHoms Amuwo Odofin.

The estate is an architectural showpiece erected in its environ. It is an edifice of real estate development equipped with modern facilities to provide homes for the people in a conducive, serene and well planned environment.

The structure comprises 40 blocks of 480 units of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom flats. Each flat comes with kitchen fittings, store and visitor’s toilet. External features of the estate include 7 Nos. Transformer, 1 injection Station, 2 Refuse Houses, Car park, Water Treatment Plant, GRD/Overhead Water Tanks, Borehole and 2 Pump Houses.

Among other ancillary buildings include Generator House, Community Halls, Roads/ Drains and Central Sewage System.

The B.O. Benson Estate is one of the several laudable developments delivered

by LSDPC. This recent project which was jointly financed by the Ministry of Housing and the Corporation is a proof of the commitment of the current administration’s progress towards the continuous delivery of decent housing to its citizens. It is the Corporation’s contribution towards the State government’s efforts at providing affordable housing for all Lagosians.

LSDPC mass housing project

NCF Urges Students to Take Action for Birds Conservation

L-R: Head of Corp Comms, Ogechi Obiora; Director General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano; CEO of Nigerian Economic Summit Group, (NESG), Mr Laoye Jaiyeola; Policy & Advocacy Manager, NCF, Yemisi Oke; and Director of Biz Dev & Comms, NCF, Uche Achunine, during NCF’s courtesy visit to NESG, Ikoyi, Lagos… recently

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) recently gathered 98 students at Lekki Conservation Centre to mark the Spring Alive event 2021 with the theme ‘Protect Bird Nests’.

The Foundation emphasised the need to protect the nests of birds, as well as how to care for bird nests if found. The Spring Alive is an international annual project to encourage children’s interest in nature and the conservation of migratory birds and to get them to take action for birds and other wildlife as well as to participate in events organized by BirdLife Partners.

The students were taught about migratory birds, some of the challenges they face as they journey each year as well as caring for the young ones. Activities carried out include Bird watching; Hands on Art and Craft; Nature interpretation of relevant infographics and general environmental education knowledge.

Migratory birds are beneficial to us and the planet’s ecosystems because

they provide critical services such as seed dispersal, pollination, pest control, cultural value, nature’s clean-up crew, helps research, stress relief and more.

According to BirdLife Africa, our planet is in the midst of its sixth mass extinction event, with climate change, habitat destruction and other human activities devastating the diversity of life on the planet. But while the crisis is undeniably urgent, there’s also hope. Humans may create huge challenges – but with enough support, dedication, education and resources, we can also reverse them.

While admonishing the students, the Head of Environmental Education of NCF, Abidemi Balogun said “as a student, for the moment and for future, you must play your role in protecting our birds so that we can continue to have species we can current see and admire”.

Relevant IEC materials were distributed to aid the understanding of the participants.

The Spring Alive Project is sponsored by Heidelberg Cement.

Utomi, Others Task NIOB On Building Collapse, Affordable Housing Prof. Pat Utomi, founder, Centre for Values in Leadership, has advised Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), to address corruption and scarcity of artisans in Nigeria’s construction industry to curb building collapse in the country.

Utomi made the call recently in Ikeja at the Nigerian Institute of Building’s (NIOB) inaugural memorial lecture in honour of late Pa Fatai Osikoya, its first President and Nigeria’s first registered builder.

Giving a keynote address, tagged “Building Collapse as Metaphor,’’ Utomi said that all hands must be on deck towards bridging the shelter gap.

He blamed building collapse on moral decadence, corruption, regulatory agencies’ negligence, dearth of skilled artisans, among others, urging NIOB to tackle the issue to save lives and investments.

He also urged NIOB to always engage the building regulatory agencies to rightly enforce laws to eliminate quacks in the industry and guarantee quality assurance in building production and management.

He urged Nigeria to emulate housing development and delivery in advanced economies to bridge shelter gap and transform the nation’s economic fortune.

Utomi insisted that former

President Shehu Shagari’s mass housing model was the best the nation had ever adopted because it tackled issues of affordability and availability while capturing all segments of the society.

He urged NIOB to take charge in correcting anomalies including the dearth of skilled artisans to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit and housing needs.

“Our country is sadly the terrain of quackery in many areas of endeavour. Why is this so much more pronounced in the building space?

“This association (NIOB) must do what it takes to reas-

sure Nigerians that buildings can and will be safe. Excuses are not part of the social contract, buck-passing and fingerpointing are not accepted from professionals,’’ he said.

Utomi said the endemic culture of corruption affecting the building and other sectors could end if Nigeria learn from countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and others who have reversed disposition to corruption.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Miss Taiwo and Kehinde Oluyale, twin sisters who graduated with first class from the department of Building, Federal University

of Technology, Akure, were celebrated and given cash donations and scholarships.

The Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria Prof. Kabir Bala, who led the fund raising for the twins, emphasised the importance of professionalism in taming the ugly trend of building collapse.

Mrs Folasade Laja, Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB); Mrs Adenike Said’ National Chairperson, Association of Professional Women Builders of Nigeria; National Vice President, NIOB, Mr Bimbo Kolade; First Class twin graduates of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Miss Taiwo

and Kehinde Oluyale; Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Kabir Bala; Mrs Bolanle Araba, Immediate Past Chairman, College of Fellows and Dr Samson Opaluwah, Immediate Past Vice Chairman of Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria during Pa Fatai Osikoya inaugural memorial annual lecture organised by the Lagos chapter of NIOB on Friday in Lagos President of NIOB, Prof.

Yohana Izam, represented by Mr Bimbo Kolade a fellow of the institute, described late Pa Osikoya, who died on June 6, 2021, as an icon whose contribution was immeasurable.

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T H I S D AY ˾ DAY ͯ​ͯ˜ 2022

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Landmark Africa, Paul Onwuanibe; CEO Lagos Bus Services Limited, Idowu Ogunlona; and host/Executive Producer, Doctor Nigeria, Dr. Adedayo Osholowu, during the Doctor Nigeria Mobile COVID-19 vaccination campaign 2022 kickoff, held at Landmark event centre in Lagos…recently

L-R: Director, Emzor Pharmaceutical Limited, Annie Ekong; Clergymen, Pastor Innocent Odu; Director, Emzor, Mrs. Taiwo Taiwo; Executive Director, Emzor, Mrs. Uzoma Ezeoke; Group Managing Director, Emzor, Mrs. Stella Okoli; Head of Human Resources, Emzor, Mrs. Ego Onuoha, and others during the ‘End of Year Thanksgiving Service’ of the company in Lagos...recently

L-R: Brand Manager, “33” Export Lager, Rex Anthony Anieke; Senior Brand Manager, “33” Export Lager, Aishat Anaekwe; Brand Ambassador of “33” Export Lager, Austin Okocha; and National Trade Marketing Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Funsho Ayeni, during the official unveiling of Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha as the brand ambassador for “33” Export Lager beer in Lagos...recently

L-R: Director of Research, Innovation and International Cooperation, Babcock University, Prof Grace Tayo; celebrant/ Computer Information System guru, Dr. Seun Ebiesuwa (carrying) his son, Henry; wife, Dr. Funke Ebiesuwa (carrying) her newborn baby, Victor; and President/Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Prof Ademola Tayo, during the christening ceremony of Victor Ebiesuwa at the university in Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State…recently

L-R: Official of National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Yinka Isiaka; Regional Sales Coordinator, West Operations of Globacom, Mr. Akeem Yusuf; Nollywood actor, Wale Akorede; winner of Kia Rio car in Glo Joy Unlimited Extravaganza promo, Mrs. Ganiyat Bello; Regional Manager, Primary Sales, Globacom, Mr. Tunji Omoworare; and the GOC, 22 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General A.E. Abubakar, during the prize presentation for winners in the promo held in Ilorin, Kwara State…recently

L-R: Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje; World Leader of Tariqatul Tijjaniyya, Sheikh Ali Arabi; and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during the visit of the leader of Tijjaniyya to Kano...recently

L-R: Senior Manager, Event and Sponsorship, Globacom, Sola Mogaji; Head Marketing Department, Globacom, Manorath Shukla; Brand Ambassador of Globalcom and singer, Simisola Kosoko (Simi); CEO, House of Royalty, Jolomi Kendaboh; and Head of Marketing, Data Business and Devices, Globacom, Viju Unnithan, at a media forum by the network company on ‘Glo Battle of the Year Nigeria’, a dance reality show in Lagos…recently PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

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

08056356325

J A N U A R Y

S & P INDEX

1 0 , 2 0 2 2

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

9.00%

CALL

4%

INDEX LEVEL

564.02%

1/4 TO DATE

5.82%

N413.03/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

10.75%

1-MONTH

6%

1-DAY

–0.17%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.85%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.19%

Nigeria Remains in Darkness Despite NERC’s Approval for Over 2,000MW Power Projects in One Year

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Despite the approval of licences, renewal of new ones and granting of permits covering about 43 power generation projects, amounting to over 2,000MW, in the last one year, not much improvements have been recorded in the electricity generation and supply, a THISDAY review has shown.

An analysis of data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) shows that between the four quarters spanning

June 2020 to June 2021,the industry regulator granted the approvals, which cover both grid and off-grid power as well as renewable sources of energy.

It also includes new registration for mini-grid projects to be carried out by power generation firms, high-energy demand companies, which require constant electricity to function.

In line with section 32 (2) (d) of the EPSR Act, the commission issues licences to entities that wish to engage in the business of electricity

generation, transmission, system operation, distribution or trading in electricity.

In addition, the commission issues permits for captive generation, i.e. electricity generated for consumption by the generating entity and not sold to a third party.

However, its purview does not include entities that generate 1 MW and below of electricity or a distribution network of 100KW or below.

A review of the NERC data indicated that some of the companies,

which requested and were granted permits to generate their own electricity operate in the petrochemicals space, mining, footwear and foods industry.

A list of licences and permits issued or renewed within the period showed that Afam power plc located in Okoloma, Rivers, took the lion’s share of the expected power generation with 726MW. Some of the other high power generating companies granted approvals include Obax Benin Power and Petrochemicals Company, Afam

Three Fast Power, Central Electric and Utilities in Ogun, Proton Energy in Delta state as well as Enerlog in Abuja as well as Alausa power limited, Lagos.

If the 2,000MW were to be added to the current approximately 4,500MW it would significantly boost power supply, although transmission for the on-grid supply system remains a problem due to deteriorating infrastructure.

With the off-grid permits, specially requested by high energy consuming industrial concerns, meant to take

the pressure off the national grid system, that objective has not been achieved.

In addition a number of the minigrid operators granted registered, ranging from a capacity of 23 to 234 kilowatts included GVE projects limited, Cloud Energy, Zylab technologies, among others.

In recent years, it is estimated that although a total of 124 licences have been issued to investors for the generation of over 30,000 Continued on page 26

How CBN’s Takeover of Discos’ Accounts May Curb Power Sector Debts Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to escrow the bank accounts of the nation’s eleven Distribution Companies (Discos) may significantly reduce the huge debt in the power sector.

Over a year ago, the federal government through the CBN “locked” the power distributors accounts, to aid in the monitoring of funds and to ensure the monies are allocated based on priority.

This meant that repayment of debts owed the federal government was accorded high priority while invoices from market operators the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company were considered first.

The sector is currently highly indebted to commercial banks, resulting in the taking over of one of the Discos, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) by the creditors.

It was expected that the collection

discipline through the CBN would ensure more transparency, accountability as well as increase revenue and enable government to recover monies loaned to the Discos.

Although, the account escrowing exercise is meant to be a temporary measure industry stakeholders believe that this could significantly impact positively on the sector.

For instance between July to December 2020, total revenue grew by 10.55 per cent to N272.47 billion as compared to 2019, when the revenue

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100KG JIGAWA

N9000

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N24000

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N15000

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100KG

ABIA

N14000

50KG

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N13500

was N246.46 billion.

Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmed Zakari agreed that the measure has helped increased remittances, thereby aiding liquidity in the sector.

According to him, the visibility provided by the system had helped NERC’s regulatory oversight of the Discos as well as providing independent data.

A former Managing Director of NBET, Rumundaka Wonodi, explained that while it is a temporary

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measure, the escrowing of Discos’ accounts has helped in ensuring some level of transparency in the sector.

“So far it had helped in increasing revenue in the sector. So many people have accused the Discos of poor remittances, the initiative will make everything open. But it needs to be widened,” Wonodi said.

Also, the Market Operator, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Edward Eje, explained that with the development, it had become difficult for any Discos to misappropriate

their monthly revenue collection.

This is because the CBN’s Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), Meristem, monitors all the Discos’ commercial banks through which every Discos revenue is remitted.

“This intervention has actually brought about a level of payment discipline in the market,” Eje argued.

He maintained that to replicate the relative success of the exercise, the Discos must have an updated Continued on page 26

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SIZE

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N9,000

TOMATOES

40KG

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N15,000

40KG

KADUNA

N5,000

40KG

ABIA

N18,000

25KG

LAGOS

N9,500

40KG

DELTA

N17000

100KG

BENUE

N8,500

100KG

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N8,500

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ENUGU

N23,000

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N17,000

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N23,000

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Report: Nigeria’s Oil Industry to Face Infrastructure, Divestment Issues in 2022 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja S&P Global Platts, an independent provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the energy and commodities markets, has predicted that 2022 will be a very challenging year for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

In a recent report, the firm stated that the country faces a race against time to implement reforms needed to bolster exploration and check declining oil production, but said the wave of divestments from international oil companies could pose a challenge.

According to S&P Platts, the long-delayed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) may not bring the much-needed succour to the oil sector as Nigeria is likely to contend with a gale of divestments by major oil companies.

The companies, the firm said, are leaving in a bid to reduce operating and security challenges as well as the huge costs of battling with the pandemic.

It stated that although the landmark PIA was signed into law on August 16 and was expected to turn the state oil company to a private company within six months in order to make it easier for the struggling company to raise funds for oil exploration and production, the impact of the bill has so far been barely felt.

“The PIA could be hugely beneficial, but government officials have lacked professionalism in putting it into place.

“The fact is that this PIA is coming a little too late as it has been delayed for too long. Those who were rightly placed to pioneer the implementation are not the people in government now.

“So, I expect to see more divestment by oil majors from selected assets because things are not working as they should be,” the firm quoted the Chief Executive Officer of Lagosbased oil consultancy Degeconek, Abiodun Adesanya, as saying.

It added that many oil majors are starting to divest legacy oil and gas assets in Africa as they target net-zero carbon emissions while hanging on to their most efficient and often largest oil projects.

“Nigeria could be the worst hit as Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil are close to selling their onshore assets in the West African country,” S&P

Platts stated.

It further quoted the Managing Director of TotalEnergies in Nigeria, Mike Sangster, as stating that Nigeria is under pressure to implement the PIA as soon as possible, adding that, “The window for investments into fossil fuels is narrowing.”

This all comes at a time when Nigerian is struggling to produce at even two-thirds of its total capabilities.

Nigeria has the capacity to pump around 2.2 million bpd of crude and condensate, but in 2021 output has been languishing lower than that due to a slew of operational and technical issues, the report said.

“The Nigerian government is aiming to attract much-needed investment to bolster oil exploration and production and increase reserves and output to 40 billion barrels and 3 million bpd, respectively, by the mid-2020s, but these targets are starting to look unattainable.

“The pandemic and the acceleration of the energy transition away from fossils fuels do not bode well for Nigeria, which is desperate to kick-start its exploration and production programs.

“Projects like Shell’s Bonga Southwest/Aparo, TotalEnergies’ Preowei and Exxon’s Bosi are all

at risk of never being developed.

These fields have the potential to add a total of around 400,000 b/d to Nigerian oil production,” it stated.

While investment decisions are billed to be taken on these landmark projects this year, to arrest Nigeria’s sagging oil production volumes, an official from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NURPC) told S&P Global Platts that “There are dark clouds hovering around sanctioning these projects now due to the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant.”

“Ongoing field and pipeline

World Food Prices Dip by 0.9% in December 2021 Gilbert Ekugbe The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) food price index has revealed that world food prices fell slightly in December 2021 by 0.9 per cent, noting that the price is still up 23.1 per cent from December 2020.

According to FAO, prices for vegetable oils and sugar fell significantly from lofty levels, as its Vegetable Oil Price Index declined 3.3 per cent in December,

with weaker quotations for palm oil and sunflower oil reflecting subdued global import demand that may be linked to concerns over the impact of rising Covid-19 cases.

However, the story was not the same for Nigeria as food prices continue to increase despite the nation’s inflation rate falling for the eighth consecutive month in November to 15.40 per cent from 15.99 per cent recorded in October 2021.

The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics

(NBS) office also said the prices of goods and services, measured by the Consumer Price Index, increased by 15.40 per cent (year-on-year) in November 2021.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 133.7 points in December, 2021, saying that for 2021 as a whole, averaging across the entire year, the Food Price Index averaged 125.7 points, as much as 28.1 percent above the previous year.

The index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of

commonly-traded food commodities.

Only the dairy sub-index posted a monthly rise in December.

“While normally high prices are expected to give way to increased production, the high cost of inputs, ongoing global pandemic and ever more uncertain climatic conditions leave little room for optimism about a return to more stable market conditions even in 2022, ” said FAO Senior Economist Abdolreza Abbassian.

The FAO Cereal Price Index de-

Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Plc, Mr. Akin Bada, has said that the company will collaborate with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) for training opportunities that the institute offer.

A statement by the company’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Oyebode Fadipe, quoted Bada as stating that this will help raise the competency profile of the company’s workers in order to improve service delivery to the customers.

Bada who gave the assurance when he received the Director General of the Institute, Mr. Bolaji Nagode in his office in Abuja said that NAPTIN has become the first port of call for utilities seeking to train its personnel in the electricity industry across the African continent.

He stated that human capital remains the most critical asset of any organisation, stressing that every organisation must continually ensure that the capacity of its most critical asset is constantly positioned to deliver on its mandate.

“I am happy that NAPTIN which was established by the federal

Gilbert Ekugbe The Indian High Commission (IHC) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture IITA (IITA) have emphasised on the need for Nigeria to invest aggressively in

smart improved technologies to drive the nation’s agricultural sector.

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Benin, Chad, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr Abhay Thakur, stated this while leading his team to IITA’s

government of Nigeria to offer a wide range of manpower development programmes consistent with the needs of the industry has shown itself to be able to respond to the training needs of the power sector.

“With your mandate and your pedigree as the foremost power training institute in Nigeria and the African continent therefore, AEDC

will take good advantage of this opportunity to build the capacity of its workers,” he said.

In his response, Nagode congratulated Bada and the interim management team made up of Sani Usman, Donald Etim, Babajide Ibironke and Femi Zacchaeus on their appointment.

Nagode said the appointment of Bada, “who is a veteran of the

headquarters to launch the Indian book collection and partner with the Institute.

According to Thakur, collaborating with IITA will put forward the agricultural system, which can be done through improved technologies

and youth engagement in agriculture.

He noted that the book launched on art, culture, and history donated by the Indian High Commission (IHC) was to promote Indian culture and expose users of the knowledge center to its literature.

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megawatts of electricity, they have largely remained dormant due to the poor performance of the sector.

Only about 25 licensees, with installed capacity of about 11,000MW , currently generate power to the national grid, while 124 have been inactive for years, according to prior information from the industry regulator.

Of the 162 licences covering power generation, transmission or

PH

PRICE

N21,000-24,000

distribution, 149 were solely for the generation of electricity.

Many investors are hesitant to venture into the sector as a result of risks associated with it, including “low” tariffs and incessant government interferences.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari accused his predecessors of mortgaging the sector by selling off the country’s power assets to their cronies who neither had the financial

Sam Amadi, noted that the key measure of the success of the policy would be when Nigerians can access more power supply.

NAME OF COMMODITY

muscles nor the technical know-how to revamp the sector.

According to him, Nigerians are facing epileptic power supply because those who bought the various electricity distribution companies got them based on political favouritism and geopolitical consideration rather than on merit.

He argued that those who bought the Discos were not electrical engineers neither did

RICE

25CL

IMO

N21,000–N24,500

25CL

EDO

N17,000–N20,000

“The purpose of the escrow was to enable the CBN recover its fund so that it is not frittered or used by the Discos to finance

COMMODITIES SIZE

STATE

PRICE

100KG ABUJA N23,000–N25,000 50KG 50KG

25CL IBADAN N18,000-N22,000

OYO

they have the financial muscle, and thus, could not understand the intricacies of the power system in the country.

“The owners of Discos bought them based on geopolitical zones rather than merit. The people that own them, who are they? They are not electrical engineers, they don’t have money, it is just a political favour,” he argued.

At its peak, Nigeria’s power

50KG KWARA N24,000–N27,000 50KG

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

COCOA

sector is only able to generate just about 15 per cent of the total projected national daily requirement of 28.880MW, a recent check by THISDAY showed.

A trend analysis of data released by the system operator, indicated that despite the various financial interventions by the federal government in the last six to seven years, only a paltry average of 4,500MW is actually generated every day.

LAGOS N23,000–N26,500

50KG

EDO

N17,000–N20,000

the sector. It was supposed to be repaid but through a convenient process that will not adversely affect Discos’ investment plans, ”he said.

T O D AY PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

1 TON ONDO

N740,000 – N760,000

ONIONS

100KG

IBADAN

N25,000

100KG

KANO

N10,000

1 TON OSUN

N730,000 – N750,000

100KG

BENUE

N27,000

100KG GOMBE

N12,000

100KG DELTA

N21,000

100KG LAGOS

N25,000

100KG ENUGU

N15,000

100KG

N29,000

SIZE

1 TON

STATE

EDO

1 TON CROSS RIVER

50KG SOKOTO N11,500–N13,000

N19500- N25000

their investment.

“The CBN intervention is a special funding to deal with the liquidity crisis and legacy debt in

N22,000-N25,000

PLATEAU N23,500-N25,000 (JOS)

50KG RIVERS N23,000–N26,500

25CL ABUJA

training programmes but has also started its e-learning programmes in response to the safety protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since this pandemic is not about to leave us anytime soon, as a training institute, we adopted e-learning in order to ensure that the capacity of the workers in the sector is continually enhanced, ”he said.

HOW CBN’S TAKEOVER OF DISCOS’ ACCOUNTS MAY CURB POWER SECTOR DEBTS bank guarantee with the market operator and Meristem and on their new performance level.

But a former Chairman of NERC,

25CL LAGOS N20,000-N25000 25CL

industry” was indicative of the need to reposition AEDC for optimal service delivery to its customers.

“In this regard, we are prepared to work with your management for the repositioning of AEDC as a critical asset in the country through training,” he noted.

Nagode said the institute not only offers a wide range of human capacity

The High Commissioner also stated that partnering IITA could be a platform to promote agriculture in India and Africa.

Representing IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga, the Deputy Director General, Corporate Services, Hilde Koper, introduced the guests to the activities and different hubs of the Institute, including youth programmes that deal with the commercialisation of agriculture.

In response, IITA Molecular Geneticist Ranjana Bhattacharjee, suggested that India build a partnership with IITA in the seed sector.

She also suggested that there should be a pilot project on oil palm production in Nigeria which could be done on five thousand hectares of land with seedlings from India.

NIGERIA REMAINS IN DARKNESS DESPITE NERC’S APPROVAL FOR OVER 2,000MW POWER PROJECTS IN ONE YEAR

FOOD NAME OF COMMODITY

creased 0.6 percent from November, as falling wheat export quotations amid improved supplies following southern hemisphere harvests more than offset firmer maize prices underpinned by strong demand and concerns over persistent dryness in Brazil. For the full year, however, the FAO Cereal Price Index reached its highest annual level since 2012 and averaged 27.2 percent higher than in 2020, with maize up 44.1 percent, wheat up 31.3 percent, but rice down by 4.0 percent.

Indian High Commission, IITA Harps on Improved Smart Technologies for Agricultural Devt

New AEDC MD to Collaborate With NAPTIN on Staff Training Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

issues, fiscal stress and insecurity in the Niger Delta are likely to continue to threaten the growth outlook for Nigerian oil output,” S&P Global Platts Analytics stated.

Similarly, it stated that Bonny Light, Escravos and Forcados all faced production issues in 2021, while the output of other key grades, such as Qua Iboe, Brass River, Agbami, Akpo, and Egina, also remained consistently low in 2021.

However, it predicted that Nigerian oil supply will grow to 1.7 million bpd by April 2022, down from levels of 1.9 million bpd in April 2020.

1 TON

AKURE SOUTH, ONDO

N720,000 – N740,000 N700,000 – N720,000 N730,000 — N755,000

ABIA

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

27

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

UBA’s Leo Clocks Four, Set to Further Transform Digital Banking in Nigeria, Africa The United Bank for Africa has announced that it has concluded plan to commemorate the fourth anniversary of its flagship artificial intelligence Chabot, with new offerings set to further change the face of digital banking in Nigeria To further extend its reach, UBA said it has concluded plans to commence Leo services on Instagram and Google Business, terrains none of its peers can lay claim to.

“Birthed January 11, 2018, with a firm resolve to prioritise its customers as well as put the bank at the heart of disruptive technologies that will transform the experience of esteemed customers, UBA did the unthinkable by

getting three million users hooked in less than three years of its inception,” the bank revealed in a statement.

Leo, which the bank stressed, had proven to be the most formidable artificial intelligence chat bot till date; serving an ever-increasing customer base who now have less transaction hassles to worry about is currently available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, UBA, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, affirmed that UBA customers agree that Leo is one of the bank’s biggest investments in cutting-edge technology and has been steadily changing the face of banking in the

continent.

“Three years later, and with over almost four million customers and counting, UBA’s Leo, has without a doubt, remained the smartest Banking Chatbot in Nigeria because of its speed and quick learning intelligence and has continued to evolve with plenty to offer its teeming customers.

“While other financial institutions are still trying to find their feet as regards Artificial Intelligence, we can proudly say that our Leo has become a massive success as it continues to consolidate on its successes and accolades winning several awards in a short while of its existence, “he added.

Uzoka said further:

“In just four years, Leo’s landmark achievements have been indeed overwhelming, covering 20 African countries as well as garnering over 10 prestigious awards globally, a feat that is exceptional by every standard, I must say we are proud of Leo’s intimidating achievements which is largely unbeatable.

“With this in mind, we have ensured that, Leo continues to enjoy periodic and systematic upgrade with special emphasis on enhanced advancements and specialised unique features where necessary.

“UBA’s vision has always been and will remain to be a dominating force in Africa’s digital banking space.

Our resolve is to provide unparalleled experience across all channels. We are a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and Leo, being a tested, dependable and intelligent personality, did well to replicate on WhatsApp the success it recorded on the Facebook Messenger platform where it started its journey and later on the IOS (iPhone Operating System) platform.

“It is a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of demography.

Leo is always ready and waiting to help with any form of banking service.”

Uzoka further explained that Leo is already present

in 20 African countries and in three languages and has a number of rich and robust features bound to mesmerise existing and potential customers with services that are extremely fast and secure as all transactions and enquiries are encrypted, end-to-end.

“Leo has the ability to do a wide range of things, including funds transfer, call card top-up, checking of account balance, retrieval of bank statements, instant account openings for new customers, statement to embassy/other banks/ microfinance, purchase of airtime/ data, paying of bills (LCC, PHCN, Cable TV), effectively helping with savings and spend limit,” he said.

Edo Gets VTOL Drone, Vehicle-mounted Mobile Mapper to Enhance Land Administration The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said the government has acquired a fixed-wing VTOL drone and a vehiclemounted mobile mapper to improve land administration and management in the state.

The governor, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said the government has continued to deploy technology to ease the process

of land registration and improve land management in the state. Obaseki said ongoing land reforms by his administration through the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS), especially the ease and convenience in processing title documents for landed property has further opened the state for economic growth and attracted several investors.

According to him, “The Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) has successfully installed a Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) to upgrade surveying, mapping and GPS applications in the State. It has also acquired a fixed-wing VTOL drone and a vehiclemounted mobile mapper to enhance its operations in land administration in

the state.”

He reassured that the state government will sustain ongoing reforms and programmes across all sectors of the state, aimed at boosting the confidence of investors and making the state an investment haven.

The governor further asserted that the government will continue to prioritise the promotion of social inclusion, eco-

nomic empowerment for Edo citizens, through the deepening of investments in socio-economic, governance and security infrastructure; and through the implementation of initiatives that guarantee equal access to education, health care and social protection.

He noted that “In the last five years, we have undertaken transformational reforms targeted

at overhauling the civil/ public service, which is the engine that drives government. We are undertaking fundamental reforms in healthcare; emplacing foundational changes in the education system, revamping moribund infrastructure, prioritizing human capital development, and fasttracking programmes and initiatives to drive inclusive growth.”

28

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INDUSTRY

Finance Act as Nigerian Manufacturing Sector’s Nemesis The recent introduction of excise duty on soft drinks will mark the beginning of the decline of the sub-sector in Nigeria, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

N

igerian manufacturers now approach the month of January and the enactment of the Finance Act with a sense of foreboding. Since 2020, each January and the annual ritual of the Presidential assent to the Finance Bill, has been an occasion to amend the some tax laws in a manner that would increase the tax levied on the Nigerian manufacturers, reintroduce new taxes or launch a fiscal policy that would weaken the competitive edge of local manufactured products against foreign made goods.

It was so in January 2020, when the enactment of the Finance Act of 2019 increased the Value Added Tax by 50 per cent, from five per cent to 7.5 per cent. It was also like that in January 2021 when the Finance Act of 2020 cut lowered the levies imposed on the importation of fully built vehicles by 35 per cent at the detriment of local automobile manufacturers. The levy was meant to protect the local manufacturer from competition from foreign auto manufacturers.

Now, January 2022 is in no way different. The enactment of the Finance 2021 has imposed an excise levy of N10 per litre on non-alcoholic carbonated drinks. The finance act, which was signed into law

by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 31, 2021, takes effect from this January.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, when she did the public presentation of the 2022 Appropriation Act in Abuja on January 5 this year.

The reintroduced excise, which Ahmed referred to as “Sugar Tax,” would discourage excessive consumption of sugar beverages which contributes to diabetes, obesity among others and also raise revenue for the funding of the health sector.

She stated: “There’s now an excise duty of N10/ per litre imposed on all non-alcoholic and sweetened beverages. This is to discourage excessive consumption of sugar in beverages, which contributes to a number of health conditions including diabetes and obesity.

“But it is also used to revenues for health-related and other critical expenditures. This is in line with the 2022 budget priorities.”

excise will easily reduce production capacity causing manufacturers to struggle to meet investor commitments as well as cause investor to take investments to other countries.

The report stated that a decrease in production levels or ability to purchase raw materials as a result of the introduction of excise tax will result in reduced profits for the supply chain players in the non-alcoholic beverage sector.

Finance Act grants tax incentives (holiday) to industries in the agricultural sector. Excise duty on non-alcoholic beverages will be reflected here, which will increase the total cost of production especially on already compliant companies. This impact will spill over to different players in the value chain including packaging, distribution and retail industries in terms of costs and product availability.

TAX AS KILLJOY

He stated that recent studies have shown that introducing excise duty on non-alcoholic beverages would likely cause a 0.43 per cent contraction in output and about 40 per cent drop in total industry revenues in the next five years.

Moreover, the government has estimated that it could generate an excise tax of N81billion between 2022 and 2025 from the group. However, this would be realised at the expense of N142 billion in VAT revenues and N54 billion in Company Income Tax (CIT) revenues between 2022 and 2025.

“What is not realised by many is that excise begets high production costs, which in turn adversely affect production levels and intimately result in dwindling profits. This will grossly impact the small and emerging business owners in the non-alcoholic beverage sector.

“Nigeria is the sixth highest consumer of soft drink but per capita consumption is low. Introducing excise will easily reduce production capacity causing manufacturers

However, the reintroduction of the excise duty on carbonated drinks is like a killjoy to the manufacturers of soft drinks in the country. A source in one of the manufacturers of the soft drinks told THISDAY it would be sad if government would slam excise duty on the sub-sector without a proven scientific research that linked consumption of soft drink to cases of diabetics in the country.

He also said that government has failed to give a thought about some manufacturers that have reformulated their products and have currently added zero sugar carbonated soft drinks to their offerings. He said that they are entitled to certain exemptions.

According to the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), excise leads to high production costs, which adversely affect production levels resulting in dwindling profits.

This will grossly impact the small and emerging business owners in the non-alcoholic beverage sector.

Nigeria is the sixth highest consumer of soft drink but per capita consumption is low. Introducing

MAN, NLC, NECA KICK

Already, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE) and tax experts, have condemned the reintroduction of the levy, which they describe as ‘penny wise pond foolish’ because government would lose more revenue than it would collect by implementing the excise duty.

The Director General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said that the introduction of excise duty of N10/liter on non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages, despite its potential overwhelming negative impact, is rather unfortunate.

Ajayi-Kadir stated that there is no doubt that the potential revenue gains were the basis for the introduction of this excise. But the revenue aspirations of government in introducing this excise might not be justified in the long run.

He, however, added that “it would appear that the goose that lays the golden eggs is being led to perdition.”

UNSAVOURY IMPLICATIONS

to struggle to meet investors’ commitments as well as cause investor to take investments to other countries.

“As seen from previous impact analysis, excise affects production outputs, revenues and profits. This causes companies to pursue cost cutting measures to reduce the effect of diminishing revenue and profits by reducing employee salaries or retrenchment.

Presently, the country’s unemployment rate is at about 33.3 per cent and at this rate is projected to further increase. A further cut in jobs for an industry that employs over 1.5 million people directly and indirectly will worsen the unemployment position in the country resulting in an increase in social vices and moral decadents “An introduction of an additional tax will cause manufacturers in a bid to offset tax and maintain profit raise prices of their products to higher rates thus shifting tax incident to consumers,” Ajayi-Kadir argued.

The NECA, in a similar reaction, stated that the reintroduction of the excise duty has raised growing concerns for the survival of the Nigerian manufacturing sector in 2022 and beyond and called for its suspension.

The President of NECA, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, has said that the excise duty could lead to increased number of industrial actions, job losses and rising unemployment etc.

Adeniyi said: “We may recall that in 2009 during the global financial crisis, excise duties on carbonated drinks were suspended to aid the sustainability of businesses. We make bold to say that the economic situation that necessitated its suspension in 2009 has not abated, but rather, worsened. In fact, businesses currently face greater hardship than what obtained in 2009. Thus, the introduction of the tax will be counter-productive as it will lead to further stifling of businesses in the manufacturing industry. It will result in reduction of the purchasing power of the masses as any increase in price will likely be passed to the consumers.

“It is imperative that government, in the interest of Nigerians and the economy, should suspend the reintroduction of excise duty on carbonated drinks. Rather, Government should continue to support and promote the industry to attain full recovery after the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and position it to further accommodate the teeming unemployed Nigerians, particularly the youths.”

NLC ON EXCISE TAX

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the federal government to rescind the decision to avert industrial action, adding that the new levy would cause a loss of N1.9 trillion.

The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba,said: “We hope that the current situation will not be allowed to degenerate into a breakdown in industrial relations in the sector and generally in the country.”

Wabba stated that the health reason touted government to justify the excise duty did not sound plausible. “We are amiss why

the government did not place the excise duties on sugar itself as a commodity rather than on carbonated drinks. The truth of the matter is that additional increase in the retail price of carbonated drinks would put more Nigerians at risk of serious health challenges as many people would resort to consuming sub-standard and unhygienic drinks as substitutes for carbonated drinks,” he said.

“One of the reasons we advanced was that the re-introduction of excise duties on non-alcoholic, carbonated and sugary drinks will impose immense hardship on ordinary Nigerians who easily keep hunger at bay with a bottle of soft drink and maybe a loaf of bread.

“Our concern is the mass hunger that would result from the slightest increase in the retail price of soft drinks owing to imposition of excise duties as it would be priced beyond the reach of many Nigerians.”

He pleaded with the government not to constrain the manufacturers of soft drinks to divest from Nigeria just like two giant tyre manufacturers like Dunlop and Michelin did when they moved to Ghana.

An Economist and the Chief Executive of the CPPE, Dr. Muda Yusuf, has described the reintroduction of excise duty on soft drinks as ill-timed, insensitive and most inappropriate given the prevailing harsh economic and business conditions.

Yusuf said: “Nigerian manufacturing companies, and indeed most investors, are going through tremendous stress at the moment. They are currently grappling with serious macroeconomic challenges and structural constraints impacting on capacity utilization, productivity and competitiveness. This is affecting sales, turnover, profitability, shareholder value and the sustainability of investments. The norm globally at this time is to provide incentives for industries to aid their recovery from the shocks of the pandemic and escalating costs.

We cannot afford to be doing the exact opposite.

Manufacturers, across all product segments need a respite, especially in the light of the unprecedented escalation of production and operating costs.”

However, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, has assured manufacturers of government support to enable them to get good returns on their investment as government is doing everything to assist manufacturers to access foreign exchange, particularly for the importation of machineries for those using local raw materials for their production.

The minister gave this assurance while playing host to a delegation of Expand Global Industries Ltd., He maintained that the ministry would continue to assist manufacturers to remove any identified bottleneck that could impede their production process, especially with respect to the ease of doing business.

In a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Mr. Ifedayo Sayo, the Minister said his ministry would continue to partner with manufacturers to ensure that they were kept in business for the good of the investors.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

29

BUSINESSWORLD

OIL & GAS

Shell’s Onshore Divestment: Let the Buyer Beware!

Since last year, Royal Dutch Shell has been in the news with the plan to sell off its onshore oilfields in Nigeria to focus on deep offshore exploration and production, citing several operational risks it claimed had become incompatible with its future plans. However, there are concerns in some quarters that the oil major may be trying to avoid liability as it concerns the environment and the host communities. This may also push the would-be buyers, ignorant of the possible landmines in the deal into avoidable business risks, writes Peter Uzoho

T

ranslated caveat emptor in Latin, the phrase “let the buyer beware”, in the law of commercial transactions, is a principle that the buyer purchases at his own risk in the absence of an express warranty in a contract. Last week, the news of Royal Dutch Shell placing more of its onshore oil assets in Nigeria on sale dominated the headlines, just as it had done in the past.

THISDAY exclusively reported last Friday that at least five Nigerian oil and gas companies were preparing to submit their respective bids for the acquisition of the assets this month. The deal, according to industry and banking sources involved in the transaction process, was estimated to fetch up to $3 billion, being the value of the assets.

Some independent Nigerian oil and gas companies including Seplat Energy Plc, Sahara Group, Famfa Oil, Troilus Investments Limited and Niger Delta Exploration and Production (NDEP) have excitedly indicated interests to purchase the assets. There are indications that these business concerns could be oblivious of the dangers waiting for them when they purchase the assets without caution and carrying out due diligence. Curiously, no international oil companies are expected to take part in the bidding process at this initial point and bids are due by January 31.

SHELL’s DIVESTMENT MOVES Shell, last year started discussions with the federal government about selling its stake in the onshore fields, where it had been active since the 1930s, as part of a global drive to reduce its carbon emissions.

The Anglo-Dutch company has stakes in 19 Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) in Nigeria’s onshore oil and gas joint venture – Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which the industry and banking sources, particularly Wood MacKenzie, a leading global oil and gas consulting firm, had said were valued at between $2 billion to $3 billion.

Shell operates SPDC and holds a 30 per cent stake in the venture, Nigerian National

Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited holds 55 per cent, TotalEnergies has 10 per cent and ENI has five per cent.

WoodMac had listed the assets up for sale as OML 11, OML 20, OML 21 (Assa North), OML 22 (Enwhe), OML 23 (Soku), OML 25, OML 27, OML 28 (Gbaran-Ubie), OML 31, OML 32, OML 33, OML 35, OML 36, OMLs 43 and 45 (Forcados-Yokri), OML 46, OMLs 74 & 77 and OML 79.

Giving a background to the company’s decision to divest from the facilities, MacKenzie had stated that emissions from Shell’s assets in the onshore and shallow water Delta are among the highest in its global portfolio.

The Anglo-Dutch oil major has also struggled for years with spills in the Niger Delta due to pipeline theft and sabotage as well as operational issues, leading to costly repairs and high-profile lawsuits In May last year, Shell’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ben van Beurden, had declared at the company’s annual general meeting that Shell could no longer afford to be exposed to the risk of theft and sabotage in its Nigerian operations. NNPC could also choose to exercise its right to pre-empt any sale to a third company, the sources said.

Sources said it was unclear whether potential bidders could raise sufficient funds as many international banks and investors have become wary about oil and gas assets in Nigeria due to concerns about environmental issues and corruption. Some African and Asian banks, however, were still willing to finance fossil fuel operations in the region, they said.

Furthermore, Troilus has hired Nigeria-focused Africa Bridge Capital Management to raise up to $3 billion for the assets, according to sources and documents.

The sources said any buyer of Shell’s assets would also need to show it can deal with future damage to the oil infrastructure which has ravaged Nigeria’s Delta in recent years.

LANDMINES FOR UNSUSPECTING BUYERS Over the course of the last 60 years when offshore investments were largely unviable, the activities of oil companies, including Shell, have devastated the ecosystems of the host communities where they operate.

However, the thinking is that they are now rushing to offload toxic assets to unsuspecting local investors who may just be too excited to acquire producing oil blocks without properly carrying out the relevant due diligence required to make such investments viable in the long term.

A case in point is the recent massive oil spill from Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPC) Limited’s Nembe facility which they procured in an apparently defective state from Shell not too long ago. In 2014, Aiteo bid for and acquired Shell’s OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line for $2.7 billion.

With its acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s 30 per cent stake as well as Total SA of France and Eni of Italy’s minority stake in OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, Aiteo holds the controlling 45 per cent stake in both assets, for which it paid $569 million for Total SA’s stake.

OML 29 includes Nembe, Santa Barbara and Okoraba oil fields, with a combined production averaged around 43,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent in 2014.

However, experts believe that Aiteo bought the asset at an exorbitant price and without considering the risks it was going to face on them, hence the oil spill disaster that took it unaware.

According to an oil and gas expert and Managing Director of ARISE NEWS CHANNEL, Ms Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, Nigeria’s weak regulatory environment and inability of the authorities to strengthen environmental and petroleum laws for the deactivation of abandoned wells and aging oil facilities have not helped matters.

She said as a result, oil multinationals that want to avoid spending several

millions of dollars on decommissioning, have taken advantage of the loopholes by selling their oil assets, including aging and rusting infrastructure, to local oil firms.”

“Since the late 2000s, Shell, Chevron and ConocoPhillips have sold their stakes in about 20 to 25 oil blocks to local oil operators at ridiculously exorbitant prices.

“All the acquisitions were leveraged buyouts that left several Nigerian banks with massive exposures to the oil and gas sector. Many of the loans are yet to be repaid to date and in several instances contributed to a spike in non-performing loans and impairment charges on the books of the banks,” Nwogwugwu had stated in a recent article.

THE N800BN JUDGEMENT Added to that, in the light of the N800 billion judgment of the Federal High Court Owerri Division delivered on November 27, 2020 against Shell in favour of the Egbalor Eleme Community of Rivers State, would these assets not become another toxic acquisition?

Will it not just be offloading liabilities on hapless local investors with semi-informed offshore financial partners? Shell is in the process of selling off $3 billion worth of its onshore assets in Nigeria in a strategic push to move further offshore and deep water where they will have little or no interactions with host communities The N800 billion judgment against SPDC and its offshore parent companies in the Hague and the UK should be a huge eye opener that the Nigerian courts are no longer timid in determining environmental claims.

The time to caution would-be investors about the toxicity of these Shell’s assets is now. And for those investments to be viable, Seplat Energy, Sahara Group, Famfa Oil, NDEP, Troilus Investments Limited and other Nigerian independents that are bidding for these assets must carry out detailed due diligence.

They must insert clauses in the acquisition agreements, which absolves the new investors of liability in the event that claims arise from defective or over-aged pipelines and production assets, otherwise they will be acquiring liabilities rather than assets.

30

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD

OIL & GAS

2022: Daunting Task Before Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulator Emmanuel Addeh writes that with the challenges besetting the upstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, the job before the newly-created petroleum regulator appears clearly cut out this year.

W

ith the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in August last year by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, Nigeria appeared to be fully set, after many decades, to get the best out of its God-given resources. The law effectively put an end to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which metamorphosed into the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NURPC). If anything, this critical agency will be a major driving force that will oversee the technical implementation of the new law. Indeed, the success or failure of the PIA will this year and the ones to come largely depend on what the agency does or fails to do.

THE EVOLUTION

The new NURPC has a long history in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, having started with the hydrocarbon section of the then Ministry of Lagos Affairs, which reported directly to the governor-general. It was basically to keep records on matters relating to exploration, and importation of petroleum products as well as enforcement of safety.

In 1971, a new body, the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) - was created to handle direct commercial operational activities in the oil industry on behalf of the federal government, while the DPR in the ministry of mines and power continued to exercise statutory supervision and control of the industry.

In 1975, the department was upgraded to a ministry and named the ministry of petroleum and energy, which was later renamed the ministry of petroleum resources.

By decree 33 of 1977, the petroleum inspectorate was created as an integral part of the NNPC, and entrusted it with the regulation of the petroleum industry.

It remained there until March, 1988 when the inspectorate was excised from the corporation, and transferred to the ministry of petroleum resources and renamed the DPR, before its recent renaming as NURPC.

EXPANDING RESPONSIBILITIES

Over the years, the job of the regulator has expanded with the complexities in the oil and gas industry, to include ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines. It also monitors operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms and flow stations.

Moreover, it oversees the oil export terminals, refineries, storage depots, pump stations, retail outlets, any other locations where petroleum is either stored or sold.

In addition, it monitors all pipelines carrying crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products and supervises operations being carried out under licences and leases in the country as well as pushing for government policies in flare down and domestic gas supply obligations.

Added to those functions, the upstream regulator ensures that health safety and environment regulations conform with national and international

best oil field practices, maintains records on petroleum reserves, production/exports, licences and leases.

Furthermore, it advises government and relevant government agencies on technical matters and public policies that may have impact on the administration and petroleum activities and processes applications for leases, licences and permits.

It also ensures timely and accurate payments of rents, royalties and other revenues due to the government and administers the National Data Repository (NDR).

A DEFINING YEAR

Given the significance of its functions in the oil and gas industry, the actions and inactions of the upstream commission can markedly make or mar the aspirations of the federal government.

With the new PIA and the emerging global energy transition, the need to quickly put machinery in motion to ensure that the execution of the low hanging fruits has never been this urgent.

While the NURPC needs to quickly deal with its teething internal problems, it must urgently take charge of issues that relate to its functions in the new law.

THE CHALLENGES

The challenges in the country’s oil and gas industry are complex and multi-pronged, ranging from waning investment in the sector, dilapidating infrastructure, dipping oil production, inadequate technical knowhow, opacity, insecurity of physical assets, community issues, among others.

The NURPC needs to quickly do all it can to ensure that operators ramp up production and boost the revenues of government as the country is currently gaining close to nothing from the high international oil prices.

Meeting the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota has been an uphill task in the last couple of months, thereby negatively affecting federation revenues, in addition to the portrayal of the country as lacking capacity by members of the international community.

At the interface level between the commission and the operators, some of the lingering issues include frequent attacks, lengthy contract cycle terms as well as administrative complexities.

Other matters which the operators have listed as concerning are the need for government to quickly activate and meet the timelines in certain areas of the PIA and uncertainty over issues like the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) that are being renegotiated and how the PIA affects them.

In addition, stakeholders have always complained that getting information from the defunct DPR was almost an impossible task as well as publishing the results of its environmental assessment in a transparent

manner. Under the new leadership, openness must be the watchword.

How well the upstream commission, which has a critical role to play in managing the divestment from onshore and shallow waters of a number of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) this year, will also be very important.

Furthermore, the cost of pumping a barrel of oil in Nigeria remains far higher than the country’s peers elsewhere. Reducing the cost of production is a task that should go beyond mere paperwork this year.

SETTING THE AGENDA

A power block which the NURPC will have to constantly interface with, is the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) comprising both local and foreign oil companies registered in Nigeria holding an Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) or an Oil Mining Licence (OML).

A 30-member organisation, it comprises companies like Chevron Nigeria Limited, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria Limited, ExxonMobil Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

Setting the agenda for the new Chief Executive Officer of the NURC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, on behalf of OPTS recently, Chevron’s Rick Kennedy, noted that although there are opportunities for collaboration and partnership with the commission, a number of challenges remain.

Stressing that there is a number of compliance and mandatory items that the industry really has to get in place very quickly, he listed the incorporation of the development trust with the host communities as one of them, stating that it requires some alignment with multiple stakeholders. “So, we have to manage that transition very effectively,” he stated.

Kennedy said the OPTS had gone through the PIA and identified potential ambiguities on areas where they were not quite clear on the intent of the law.

“We have areas where regulations will get to be issued and potentially, this needs further guidelines...an example is the regulation on the decommissioning fund.

“There is a number of ongoing discussions on renegotiation of existing PSCs in the deepwater between the NNPC. And the PIA has a provision to allow those ongoing negotiation to be completed within 12 months of the enactment of the Act. “The other things are things around relative security, lengthy contract cycle terms and general administrative complexities.

“The industry is currently burdened with a number of fees and levies, and through the PIA, we see the potential of additional levies will be applied to the industry. So, we will be happy to work with you and your team to perhaps, identify opportunities to manage and improve cost,” he said.

According to the OPTS, the energy

transition offers the country an opportunity around developing the gas resources, adding however, that something has to be done around the fiscal environment to encourage investment in that area.

TARGETING THE DELIVERABLES

The oil sector has a huge influence on Nigeria’s economy despite representing a relatively small proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP): about 9 per cent in 2020.

But, in the same period, crude oil sales made up one-third of the government’s budget revenue and about 90 per cent of the West African nation’s export earnings.

Usually, when the price of crude oil is lower than government projections, gaping holes emerge in the federal budget, creating huge problems.

Perhaps, cognisant of its pivotal role, the NURPC says it has set six to 12 months timeline for the critical deliverables of PIA in the development of key upstream projects.

“The implementation of the PIA is very germane to Mr. President. As a matter of fact, the task for us is to see how, within the next six to 12 months, we will begin to see critical deliverables of the PIA in the development of key upstream projects,” Komolafe recently noted.

Komolafe added that the NUPRC intends to be a 21st regulator where it will serve as a business enabler, saying at this point in time, it needs to build good synergy with operators and investors.

He identified the indigenous exploration and production companies as a critical component of the government’s energy security plan for the nation. ‘’We will be a fair and just regulator conducting our affairs in a transparent manner and serving as a business enabler”, Komolafe stated. While emphasising the importance of compliance with regulation by industry players, the NUPRC helmsman promised to work closely with all industry stakeholders.

He said the agency would work to ensure that Nigeria meets its OPEC oil production quota and benefits maximally from the current rise in price of oil.

AVOIDING PAST MISTAKES

As stated earlier, like most government agencies in Nigeria, transparency and general openness appears to be the hugest Achilles heel in the oil and gas industry in the country.

Generally, Nigeria has a poor track record in awarding oil blocks, a process that is managed by the DPR, now NURPC. For example, although adjudged as an improvement on past exercises, the last one was still beset with complaints of underhand activities by some persons who took part in the process.

This year, the new commission must remove the opacity from the organisation, given its interaction with the outside world, and make information easily accessible to those who need it. The NURPC cannot afford to fail.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022

31

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Ossiomo Power: FG Conclude Power Supply Agreement The Edo State Government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, Ossiomo Power, has concluded an agreement with the Benin Owena River Basin Authority for the supply of electricity to the authority’s facilities.

Managing Director, Ossiomo Power, Dr. Uwa Igiehon, who

disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said the development is another milestone for the government-backed power initiative.

According to him, “The Benin Owena River Basin Authority, which is a Federal Government agency, had been cut off from the National

Grid for nearly four years.

The community where it is located had been without electricity for that long.

“However, when we completed our new 40MW plant, we provided electricity to Obayantor and Ologbo communities as well as the Benin Industrial and

Enterprise Park. The Benin Owena River Basin Authority is located in the same area so we reached an agreement to connect them to our plant.”

He noted that the power supply agreement will provide power to the facilities at the Federal

Government-owned institution to enable it live up to its mandate.

Dr. Igiehon said the company has an embedded power license as well as a willing-buyer, willing-seller license, which empowers it to sell electricity generated at its plant to companies

and individuals willing to pay for power in its area of coverage. He expressed appreciation to the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who instituted proactive policies in the electricity sector in the state to facilitate the company’s investment in power generation.

Nigeria, Other GoG Countries Urged to Step up Prosecution of Pirates

Tripple Gee Tasks Employees on Teamwork, Celebrates Retired COO

Shipping association, BIMCO has urged Nigeria and other countries in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region to step up the prosecution of suspected pirates following the release of three suspected pirates held on board Danish frigate Esbern Snare.

The Danish frigate has been deployed to the region to join the international fight against piracy since October.

The suspected pirates were captured after a shootout with special forces from the frigate on November 24 in waters south of Nigeria. Four other suspects were killed in fight.

But the three of the suspected pirates had remained custody on board Esbern Snare while a fourth, who was injured, was transferred to a hospital in Ghana and brought to Denmark for prosecution for attempted manslaughter. On Friday, it was reported that the three remaining suspects were provided a dinghy with enough food and fuel to reach shore and released.

“They have no relation to

The Group Managing Director of Tripple Gee and Company Plc, Mrs.Adebimpe Giwa, has called on the employees of the company to ensure teamwork and diligence so as the overcome the challenges of 2022 business year. Mrs.Giwa stated this recently in Lagos at a ceremony to appreciate the contributions of the staff over the years and send forth the company’s chief operating officer(COO), Mr. Kunle Fasanu in Lagos. According to her, the success of the company is built on the efforts of the employees.

“We have come through years filled with both challenges and victories. How reassuring it has been to know that we can count on all of you regardless of what faces us. On behalf of myself and the Board, please, allow me to extend my personal and genuine appreciation to each and every one of you for your valuable contributions to this great organisation. Thank you

Denmark, and the crime they have been charged with was committed far from Denmark.

They simply do not belong here, and that’s why I think it’s the right thing to do,” Danish Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said in a statement in response to their release.

According BIMCO, in Q4 2020, an estimated 23 attacks were carried out against merchant ships in the Gulf of Guinea with 50 seafarers kidnapped, but the number dropped to seven attacks and 20 kidnappings during the same period in 2021, in part thanks to international navies patrolling the areas. But while the number of pirate attacks and kidnapped seafarers in the region has dropped significantly, a number of challenges remain, says BIMCO. “The presence of international navies is a very important step in the right direction to keep seafarers safe but establishing a sustainable security situation in the Gulf of Guinea cannot happen without full support of

the region. Bringing suspected pirates to justice is best done by regional coastal states,” says BIMCO Secretary General and CEO, David Loosley.

“We have seen suspected pirates brought to justice in the region before. International collaboration between regional jurisdictions and non-regional military forces holds a tremendous potential that cannot be missed,” Loosley says.

In July 2021, it was reported that a Togolese court had convicted nine men of piracy following an attack on a tanker in May 2019. One of the pirates was sentenced to 15 years in prison while six were each sentenced to 12 years in prison.

“If regional coastal states help prosecute apprehended pirates it will significantly strengthen the case for capacitybuilding and support from the international community and underpin the development of the blue economy in West Africa,” says BIMCO’s Head of Maritime Safety and Security, Jakob Larsen.

for the dedication, sacrifice, loyalty and commitment that each one of you has shown.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of teamwork and diligence that needs to be demonstrated by all of us to tackle the necessary challenges coming in the New Year of 2022. Let’s all brace up for the best the year has for us as a family. Together we can achieve so much more,” she said.

Speaking on Fasanu, Giwa said the retired COO was an outstanding leader and a team player in the company for 21 meritorious years.

“An exemplary figure for all to follow. His relentless efforts will be placed on record. Mr. Fasanu, thank you for your contributions to our success story as it will never be forgotten. We offer our best wishes and happiness to you and your family on your retirement from Tripple Gee & Company Plc,” she said.

In his remarks, the Chair-

man of Tripple Gee, Mr. Sam Ayininuola, commended the staff and assured them of a bright future. According to him, the board would continue to ensure that their welfare is a top priority because they are the greater assets of the company. The chairman also expressed appreciation to management of the company, stressing that the GMD and her team have been very innovative.

Ayininuola hailed customers and other stakeholders of the company, saying better days are ahead. Apart from sending forth Fasanu the company recognised some long-serving and best performing employees.

Meanwhile, Tripple Gee has announced the exit of Mr. Emmanuel Ajibola from the company, he was the erstwhile Head of Operations, Secure Prints. Mrs. Giwa appreciated Mr. Ajibola, saying that he made valuable contributions to the successes recorded by the company over the years.

32

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ JANUARY 11, 2022

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Sigma Pensions: Nigeria’s External Balance to Improve as oil Export Receipts Normalise Nume Ekeghe Sigma Pensions has predicted that the improved oil output would upturn Nigeria’s external balance through 2022.

In the report titled, “Nigeria 2022 Outlook: Consolidating on Recovery but Persisting Large Imbalances Present Headwinds,” the firm noted that it expect the investment landscape in 2022 to be shaped by normalisation in global economic growth and tighter global monetary policy.

Also, it added that OPEC+ would complete crude oil market rebalancing to stay rangebound.

It forecasts that Nigeria’s growth will stabilise, “but twin deficits will persist as well as a wider FX market premiums due to limited USD supply and import demand suppression and higher fuel prices to reignite inflationary pressures.”

“We expect the oil sector to exit recession in 2022 as Nigeria’s crude production rebounds from the 1.6mbpd low base in 2021 towards a range of 1.8-1.85mbpd

and as most OPEC+ curbs are removed by May 2022. Given our price and production expectations, we expect Nigeria’s external balance to improve as oil export receipts normalize to trend levels amid persisting import demand suppression on account of the CBN’s currency policy, ” it stated.

On the economic front, it stated: “We expect Nigeria’s economic growth to stabilize around 3.4 per cent in 2022, reflecting improvements across Telecoms, trade, manufacturing, and oil.”

The firmadded that a large fiscal borrowing plan and higher political risk premiums is expected ahead of the 2023 general elections.

It added: “In 2022, the large fiscal borrowing requirements amid less liquid financial system conditions relative to the last two years suggests ample scope for heightened market expectations about higher interest rates.” “Furthermore, likely stronger USD demand will convince the CBN of the need to tighten monetary conditions as with the trend across global central banks to manage FX reserve depletion.

Against this backdrop, we think the current bearish trends in the fixed income will likely persist over 2022.

“For equity markets, we see bearish trends dominating market sentiments as the fixed income optionality becomes available to investors after a two-year hiatus and as political risk premiums on Naira risk assets heighten ahead of the 2023 general elections.”

Nevertheless, it noted that their expectations are that the domestic institutional investor support in bellwether names to continue to curtail downside to the overall market. It further stated: “Despite the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus, we view higher vaccine coverage and the existence of drugs as supportive of further normalization in global economic activity in 2022. Rising inflation expectations from a mix of supply bottlenecks and stimulus fueled demand is likely to drive a withdrawal of global monetary stimulus and incite interest rate hikes which will underpin higher USD interest rates.

Wema Banked Ranked among Customer Experience Leaders by KPMG The support of Nigeria’s leading digitally driven financial institution, Wema Bank, for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has been recognized in the 2021 KPMG Nigeria Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey.

The report classifies Wema Bank as number three in SME Banking, this is three-places higher than the bank’s 2020 classification.

Wema Bank has been consistent in her drive to support the growth and development of SMEs in the country. The bank has initiated several financial and advisory support programs to boost SMEs, some of which include: Single digit loans for women, uncollateralized loans for SMEs, quarterly SME webinars, access-to-market initiatives, and a plethora of other advisory and support services In the last one year, Wema Bank pioneered the establishment of the first bank-led SME business school in the country, aimed at boosting critical knowledge and capabilities for SMEs at no cost to beneficiaries. The business school which enjoys the support of Frankfurt School of Finance

and Management, Germany, has reputable consultants and organizations such as Ernst & Young, MTN, Microsoft, Google, Agusto, etc. facilitate at the program.

The KPMG survey ranked banks using the six pillars of customer experience excellence, including integrity (being trustworthy and engendering trust), resolution (turning a poor experience into a great one) and expectations (managing, meeting and exceeding customer’s expectations. The others were empathy (understanding the customer’s circumstances to drive deep rapport), personalization (using individualized attention to drive emotional connection) and time and effort (minimizing customer effort and creating frictionless processes).

In a statement on the survey report, KPMG said, “This year’s leaders show digital banking excellence and have adapted well to higher transaction volumes and complaints.”

Commenting on the bank’s KPMG ranking, the Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank,

Ademola Adebise, said it was an affirmation of the bank’s commitment to the growth and well-being of SMEs as critical contributors to the economy.

He said, “At Wema Bank, we recognize SMEs as an important part of the economy, and we are always on the lookout for their well-being. We are happy that the SMEs acknowledge our contributions, hence our ranking” Speaking further, he stated that recognitions such as this are an invitation to do more. He therefore gave the bank’s unwavering commitment to intensifying its support to SMEs in year 2022.

Recall that in 2020, Wema Bank received the SME Bank of the year award from Business Day and in 2021, the bank has again received this recognition from KPMG as a customer experience leader in the banking industry. This is definitely a bank to lookout for in 2022.

The KPMG Nigeria Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey has been held annually for the last 15 years with the 2021 edition themed “Changing Customer, Changing Priorities”.

Global Shapers Lagos Hub Pledges Commitment to Nation Building The Global Shapers Community, non-profit, private, and public service sectors, has pledged commitment to new models of active citizenship for nation building at the SHAPE Africa held recently in Lagos.

The Global Shapers Community, Lagos Hub, led by Curator, Ayobami Bamisaiye and Vice Curator, Fatimah Bamisedun hosted SHAPE AFRICA, a first-of-its-kind post-COVID hybrid discourse in an immersive experience to drive dialogue to address issues in Africa.

The Hub, initially founded by Osayi Alile, CEO ACT Foundation, celebrated 10 years of impact in Lagos state by a series of local impact projects and the SHAPE event which was held over the course of 2 day.

Under the theme “Building

Communities for Growth”, the two-day event saw in attendance members of the Global Shapers community in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Uyo and Calabar Hubs and African Hubs. The young and inspiring individuals sought to encourage youth participation in community development and growth, as the pathway to building lasting change, while exploring the rich and multicultural history of Lagos City.

Giving a welcome address, Abdullahi Alim, World Economic Forum Regional Manager, Global Shapers Community (Africa & Middle East), commended the Lagos Hub members and curatorship on being the most sort after hub and planning the community’s first hybrid SHAPE event, with Nationals

in attendance and the rest of the global community.

Exploring a practical approach to building systems that drive local communities within the continent forward, Keynote Speaker and Executive Director, Fate Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi said, “A clear and simple solution to sustainable growth would be to approach building systems ofthis nature from an ecosystem model.”

“To create diversified opportunities for the hundreds of millions living and working in Africa, backs up the adage that says, ``it takes a village to raise a child and support the parent of the child.” When we take an ecosystem approach to building communities for growth, we can rest assured of a better future for all”, she said.

Cross-Section of Global Shapers from around Africa at the SHAPE Africa 2021 Event

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 ˜ ͵

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).

33

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯ​ͯ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

Stock Market Begins Week Positive, Gains N28bn Kayode Tokede The market capitalisation o f the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) yesterday rose by N28 billion amid sustained investors bargain hunting in 28 stocks.

The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) increased by 42.71 basis points or 0.10 per cent to close at 43,897.13 basis points. Similarly, the overall market capitalisation size gained N28 billion to close at N23.651 trillion.

The upturn was impacted by gains recorded in large and medium capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Dangote Cement, BUA Foods, MRS Oil Nigeria, Vitafoam Nigeria and PZ Cussons Nigeria.

Sector performances were broadly positive yesterday with the Oil and Gas index gaining 0.98 per cent, Banking deed 0.44 per cent, Industrial index appreciated by 0.26 per cent and Consumer Goods rose by 0.19 per

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

cent) sectors closing positively.

Market sentiment, as measured by the market breadth, was positive, as 28 stocks gained relative to 19 losers. BUA Foods recorded the highest price gain of 9.96 per cent, to close at N58.50, per share.

MRS Oil Nigeria followed with a gain 9.72 per cent to close at N13.55, while PZ Cussons Nigeria rose by 8.53 per cent to close at N7.00, per share.

AIICO Insurance went up by 7.69 per cent to close at 84 kobo,

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

while NPF Microfinance Bank appreciated by 6.45 per cent to close at N1.98, per share.

On the other hand, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills (NNFM) led the losers’ chart by 9.66 per cent, to close at N6.55, per share. United Bank for Africa (UBA) followed with a decline of 6.90 per cent to close at N5.40, while Red Star Express lost 6.38 per cent to close at N3.23, per share.

MTN Nigeria Communications (MTNN) lost 5.84 per cent to

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

close at N185.50, while Sovereign Trust Bank shed 3.85 per cent to close at 25 kobo, per share.

Meanwhile, the total volume traded declined by 21.23 per cent to 311.256 million shares, worth N8.642 billion, and traded in 5,159 deals. Transactions in the shares of BUA Foods topped the activity chart with 101.356 million shares valued at N5.929 billion.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) followed with 51.224 million shares worth

O F

N50.210 million, while Zenith Bank traded 12.130 million shares valued at N308.628 million.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) traded 10.351 million shares valued at N265.608 million, while Sovereign Trust Insurance transacted 9.472 million shares worth N2.291 million.

Analysts at InvestmentOne research said: “The equities market closed positive on the back of the gain recorded in the Industrial sector.

1 0 / 1 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

TUESDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

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THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

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Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘Ϯй͘ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ Ϯϭ͘ϵй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

ŽŵĞƐƟĐ ŽƵƌƐĞ džƚĞŶĚƐ 'ĂŝŶƐ͘​͘​͘ ^/ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϭй ^/ ƵƉ ϭϭďƉƐ ĂƐ E' D 'ĂŝŶƐ ϯ͘ϯй

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ƵƉƟĐŬ ŝŶ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ Ͳ WƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĂLJ͕ ŝŶ ,KEz&>KhZ E' D ;нϰ͘ϬйͿ͕ ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ͕ ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ͕ E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ h &KK ^ ĂŶĚ & E, ;нϬ͘ϳйͿ ďŽůͲ ĂŶĚ h ;нϯ͘ϭйͿ ďƵŽLJĞĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ E'y ƐƚĞƌĞĚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůůͲ ^/ ƌŽƐĞ Ϭ͘ϭй ƚŽ ϰϯ͕ϴϵϳ͘ϭϯ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ƌĞͲ ^ŚĂƌĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ƚƵƌŶ ƚŽ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ Ϯ͘ϴй ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ zd ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ϭϭďƉƐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ ϯϵ͕ϱϱϬ͘ϯϲ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ ůŽƐƐ ŝŵͲ ƌŽƐĞ േϮϯ͘ϬďŶ ƚŽ ǁŚŝůĞ േϮϯ͘ϳƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁŽƌƐĞŶĞĚ ƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ Ͳϭ͘ϴй ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĨĞůů Ϯϭ͘ϯй ĂŶĚ ϯϬ͘ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐͲ േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƟǀĞůLJ ϯϭϬ͘ϵŵ ďLJ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ േϴ͘ϲďŶ͘ h &KK ^ ;ϭϬϭ͘ϰŵ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ Ϯϭ͘ϲй ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ƌŽƐĞ dZ E^ KZW ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ E/d, ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ďLJ ϴϴ͘ϱй ;ϱϭ͘Ϯŵ ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ;ϭϮ͘ϭŵ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁŚŝůĞ h &KK ^ ;േϱ͘ϵďŶͿ͕ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ dZ E^ KZW ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ & E, ;ϭϭ͘ϭŵ E' D ;േϲϴϴ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ DdEE ;േϯϮϵ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕

E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ

ĐƌŽƐƐ ŽƵƌ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ϲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽƐƚ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐΖ ůŝƐƚ͕ ƚŚĞ &ZͲ/ d ĂŶĚ

Previous Price Current Price Change Weighting Change YTD

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,835.62

-0.21%

1,050.50

0.0%

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 3 BUA Cement Plc 4 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 5 Zenith Bank PLC

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

-1.0%

83.6%

15.0%

3.5%

35.0%

10.0%

10.0%

14.7%

5.2%

P/E

5.2x

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

0.8x

5.4%

16.7%

1.8%

185.50

-5.8%

8.0%

-5.8%

-5.8%

179.2%

14.1%

13.4x

20.3x

68.50

-0.7%

7.2%

2.2%

2.2%

19.1%

11.2%

32.9x

6.2x

25.55

-1.0%

6.7%

-1.7%

-1.7%

24.8%

3.9%

3.9x

5.6%

7.5%

1.0x

11.7%

25.9% 29.1%

3.0%

25.35

-0.2%

6.2%

0.8%

0.8%

20.9%

2.8%

3.4x

0.7x

11.8%

260.00

4.0%

4.6%

1.2%

1.2%

40.4%

16.7%

12.9x

5.0x

6.2%

7.7%

1,556.50

0.0%

3.7%

0.0%

0.0%

106.8%

15.6%

30.2x

35.5x

4.0%

3.3%

12.00

1.3%

3.7%

5.3%

5.3%

8.4%

0.8%

7.1x

0.6x

3.8%

14.1%

26.05

1.0%

3.7%

8.8%

8.8%

11.6%

8.4%

9.7x

1.1x

3.8%

10.3%

10 Access Bank PLC 11 United Bank for Africa PLC

9.50

0.0%

2.9%

2.2%

2.2%

17.0%

1.4%

2.7x

0.4x

8.9%

37.5%

8.25

3.1%

2.3%

2.5%

2.5%

19.5%

1.8%

2.1x

0.4x

6.7%

48.2%

12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 13 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

37.30

0.8%

1.8%

3.6%

3.6%

15.4%

2.0%

8.6x

1.4x

11.0%

11.7%

48.00

0.0%

1.6%

-4.0%

-4.0%

5.3%

1.9%

44.2x

2.3x

2.3%

2.3%

14 SEPLAT Energy PLC 15 Ecobank Transnational Inc

665.00

0.0%

1.7%

2.3%

2.3%

3.4%

1.9%

15.3x

0.6x

6.2%

6.5%

8.70

0.6%

1.4%

0.0%

0.0%

14.8%

0.9%

2.4x

0.3x

41.9%

4.90

0.0%

1.1%

-1.0%

-1.0%

-10.3%

-3.9%

0.9x

-11.6%

142.00

0.0%

1.1%

0.0%

0.0%

38.8%

25.2%

9.7x

3.4x

5.4%

10.3%

28.10

-3.1%

1.0%

-0.9%

-0.9%

16.4%

5.1%

4.3x

0.7x

5.9%

23.1%

2.55

1.6%

0.6%

0.0%

0.0%

12.0%

1.1%

2.3x

0.3x

8.6%

44.4%

2.37

3.0%

0.6%

2.2%

2.2%

9.7%

3.0%

6.3x

0.7x

9.3%

15.8%

17.00

0.0%

0.5%

-2.3%

-2.3%

15.3%

6.3%

11.1x

1.7x

8.8%

9.0%

3.00

0.0%

0.5%

0.3%

0.3%

10.0%

1.0%

0.3x

5.0%

11.30

4.1%

0.4%

14.1%

14.1%

2.5x

6.2%

39.90

0.0%

0.4%

2.3%

2.3%

8.1%

3.8%

14.2x

1.1x

1.2%

7.0%

0.98

0.0%

0.3%

2.1%

2.1%

11.1%

2.3%

5.2x

0.5x

1.0%

19.2%

35.6%

18.5%

4.4x

1.1x

4.1%

22.8%

2.1x

1.2% 3.0%

6 Dangote Cement PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC 8 FBN Holdings Plc 9 Lafarge Africa PLC

16 International Brew eries PLC 17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 18 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc 23 United Capital PLC 24 Guinness Nigeria PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƐůŝĚ Ϯ͘ϵй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϵй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƐĞůůͲ ĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ

26 NEM Insurance PLC 27 Presco PLC

4.40

6.0%

0.3%

-2.2%

-2.2%

87.80

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

0.0%

ŽīƐ ŝŶ DdEE ;ͲϮ͘ϵйͿ͕ K E K ;Ͳϯ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ Z Ks ;Ͳ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽƐƚ͕ ϭ ŝŶĚĞdž ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &ZͲ/ d

28 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 29 AIICO Insurance PLC

13.20

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

0.0%

21.3%

6.9%

12.4x

2.5x

0.84

7.7%

0.3%

20.0%

20.0%

7.2%

1.1%

466.7x

0.9x

30 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance

221.90

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

0.0%

46.2%

9.3%

5.0x

2.0x

1.8%

19.8%

7.90

0.0%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

24.7%

7.5%

3.9x

0.9x

7.2%

25.7%

32 Vitafoam Nigeria PLC 33 Unilever Nigeria PLC

21.00

3.7%

0.2%

-6.7%

-6.7%

36.8%

14.7%

6.1x

2.1x

7.1%

16.5%

14.00

0.0%

0.2%

-3.4%

-3.4%

-1.3%

-0.8%

22.05

1.1%

0.2%

-1.3%

-1.3%

20.7%

2.5%

3.8x

0.7x

1.8%

26.0%

ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Ϯ͘ϴй ϵ͘ϭйͿ͕ hE/> s Z ;Ͳϯ͘ϱйͿ͕ 'ŽŽĚƐ >/E< ^^hZ ;Ͳϲ͘ϰйͿ͕

34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

5.40

-6.9%

0.1%

-8.5%

-8.5%

7.1%

0.8%

6.1x

0.6x

4.6%

16.4%

4.60

-3.0%

ĂŶĚ ϭ͘ϳй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ƵƉƟĐŬ ŝŶ // K ĂŶĚ D E^ Z ;ͲϮ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ

36 Oando PLC 37 Wema Bank PLC

0.0%

4.1%

4.1%

14.5%

2.6%

2.0x

0.3x

0.84

-1.2%

0.1%

16.7%

16.7%

13.7%

0.8%

4.0x

0.5x

4.8%

38 Sterling Bank PLC 39 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

1.57

1.9%

0.1%

4.0%

4.0%

10.1%

0.9%

3.4x

0.3x

3.2%

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-41.3%

-9.2%

5.38

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Ϯ͘ϵйͿ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ǀĞŝŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƐŚĞĚ Ϭ͘ϭй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ͕ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ŝŶ h E ;Ͳ Ğƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϰ͘ϲй ĂŶĚ ϲ͘ϵйͿ͕ E/d, ;ͲϬ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ &>KhZD/>> ;Ͳϯ͘ϭйͿ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚͲƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> ;Ͳ

;нϳ͘ϴйͿ͕ D E^ Z ;нϯ͘ϬйͿ͕ E' D ;нϰ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ t WͲ ŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĨĞůů ďLJ Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůͲ K ;нϭ͘ϬйͿ͘ ŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K ;ͲϬ͘ϴйͿ͕ E/d, ;ͲϬ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;ͲϬ͘ϮйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ Ğƌ͕ ƵƉ ϭ͘ϴй ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂͲ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ ƟŽŶ ŝŶ E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ ϭ͘ϱdž ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϴdž ĂƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ Ϯϴ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ

ϭϵ

ƐƚŽĐŬƐ

ůŽƐƚ͘ h &KK ^ ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ͕ DZ^ ;нϵ͘ϳйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ W ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;нϴ͘ϱйͿ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁŚŝůĞ EE&D ;Ͳϵ͘ϳйͿ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ h E Ăƚ ;Ͳϲ͘ϵйͿ͕ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ϭ͘ϲdž ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂŶĚ Z ^d Z y ;Ͳϲ͘ϰйͿ ůĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ dŽŵŽƌƌŽǁ͕ ǁĞ ĂŶͲ

1.3x

-1.1%

50.5%

2.3x

25.2% 29.3% -20.3%

0.9x T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

B UA F OOD S

101.4

10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

51.2

0.0%

8.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

12.1

-0.2%

0.84

7.7%

GT C O

10.4

-1.0%

1.98

6.5%

SOVR EN IN S

9.5

-3.8%

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

B UA F OOD S

58.50

10.0%

M RS

13.55

9.7%

PZ

7.00

A IIC O NP FM CRFB K

T ic k er

N EM

4.40

6.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

7.7

1.6%

C H IP LC

0.69

4.5%

FB NH

7.6

1.3% 0.0%

1.15

4.5%

FCM B

7.3

UC A P

11.30

4.1%

UB A

6.9

3.1%

IKEJ A H OT EL

1.27

4.1%

A C C ESS

6.7

0.0%

LA SA C O

8.1% 0.2%

ƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ĂŶ ĞdžƚĞŶĚĞĚ ďƵůůŝƐŚ ƌƵŶ ĂƐ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϭϱ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ DZ^ ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ͕ D zͲ 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

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35

TUESDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

MILESTONE

Effervescent Bolaji Akinyemi At 80: They Don’t Come This Good Anymore

By Magnus Onyibe

E

ven at an octogenarian age of 80 , professor Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi still sparkles.

He does so in many ways and especially with the program that he hosts and broadcasts on YouTube every Thursday , aptly titled “ThruMYeyes with professor Bolaji Akinyemi.”

For the information of those who are yet to become devotees/enthusiasts of the program , it is an interactive forum with a menu of current issues on international relations and foreign policy which the mercurial professor Akinyemi dishes out to his audience as the chief chef. And that is in addition to the fact that he was deputy chairman of the National Confab held in 2014 whose far reaching recommendations have the capacity to change Nigeria for good.

The import of his active presence in the foreign relations space where he remains a towering figure is magnified by the fact that he exited the position of Nigeria’s minister of External Affairs in excess of 35 years ago (1985-87) Yet professor Akinyemi is still a force to be reckoned with at home by virtue of the critical role that he played during the 2014 National Confab and in 2007 , as a member of the justice Mohamed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee set up by late Umar Yar’adua ; and abroad , where his footprints in his chosen field of law and diplomacy remains larger than life .

Arising from the above , I can state without fear of contradiction that professor Akinyemi’s bones are ingrained with matters relating to international relations and affairs which by now must be a major component Bolaji Akinyemi of his DNA since that is a space in which he has been both a student and a practitioner for more or Tufts university, from where he obtained his less 60 years of his 80 years sojourn on planet earth . masters degree way back in 1966 barely a couple Is it not amazing that at the youthful age of 27, the of years after l was born. It is note worthy that the intellectual powerhouse was already a professor? That Fletcher School is an institution of learning that is owed to his acquisition of outstanding academic owes its establishment to World War ll . This is laurels from some of the best educational institutions because it was after the war that the compelling in north need to set up an institution with specialization America -the prestigious Fletcher school of Law in global affairs to mitigate a future breakout of and Diplomacy, Boston, USA , where he obtained a global war was addressed with the birth of the masters degree and the highly acclaimed University Fletcher School. It is also significant that professor of Oxford,England where he received his PhD. Akinyemi, the man being celebrated is also a With the hefty academic laurels in his kitty between product of the university of Oxford, which is the 1975 to 1983 he was the Director General of the flagship citadel of learning in Europe renowned Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA-a for being the training ground for some of the foreign policy think tank which was a natural fit world’s greatest thinkers. for him to head for five years before having a stint Regrettably, Nigerian policy makers or public as a professor of political science at the university of office holders are no longer as grounded as they lagos from 1983-85. used to be as reflected by the impeccable intellectual Subsequently, the military government that was pedigree of Akinyemi , simply because the criteria not partisan, but rather keen on finding round pegs for public office is no longer based on merit but for round holes , did not hesitate in appointing him on nepotism or partisanship. the minister of External Affairs at a young age 33.

The reversal in the fortunes of our beloved Although, he served as minister for a relatively short country is evidenced by yawning gap between period of two (2) years, (1985-87) he made such a the way and manner our country is currently positive impart that his work has continued to shape perceived Internationally, compared to the days our country’s foreign policy some 35 years after his when a well grounded technocrat like Akinyemi eventful tenure. was at helm of affairs in foreign policy formulation Apart from the Technical Aids Corps (TAC)which desk,first as Director General of Nigeria Institute was conceived and implemented under his watch to of International Affairs, NIIA and later as minister render assistance to fellow Africans free of charge and of External Affairs where he was turning out in the process bolster Nigeria’s leadership influence superlative policies that rankled the supper across the continent, professor Akinyemi is also the powers and which made them hold Nigeria architect of the Concert of Medium Powers which is in awe due to the brilliant ideas emanating from a trade and political bloc of medium power countries our technocrats such as Akinyemi. with regional influence that were being positioned Because some of our public office holders to counterbalance, via collective bargaining, the over like Professor Akinyemi were so well versed bearing activities of then supper powers - the USA in their areas of primary assignments,they and Russian over less powerful countries world wide . made international media headlines through But European and other medium powers, most their dynamic and ground breaking ideas and especially the likes of Sweden failed to buy into the concepts. concept, probably because , it was not propounded by Such sagacity conferred on Nigeria not just the one of their own , and perhaps owing to a contrived prestige of being the leader of Africa, but also a superiority complex that Europeans tend to assume formidable force in the world stage . that they have over Africans , they could not yield to How can it be forgotten that it is based on the leadership of such a novel and positively disruptive the potency of the pioneering work done by initiative to Nigeria. the likes of professor Akinyemi in positioning As a result of what l would like to term miasma our country as bastion of hope for Africa with of despair on the part of the potential beneficiaries people bristling with bright ideals that could of the concept in the developing world and the change the worst , that Nigeria was tipped to be Western world tendency to collaborate with their a part of BRICS, which is a group of countries neighbors and allies to exploit the underdeveloped including Brazil,Russia,India and China (BRIC) world, particularly Africans , the otherwise excellent an acronym of the nations identified by Goldman idea propounded by the erudite professor Akinyemi Sachs economist, Jim O’Neal in 2001 as countries suffered atrophy. that would dominate the world economy by 2050.

Unbeknownst to the nay sayers , professor Akinyemi But following a series of political miscalculations was well ahead of his time. that have bedeviled our country, not limited to It is worth pointing out that the intendments of , but particularly stemming from the failure of Akinyemi’s policy proposal to birth the Concept military president, lbrahim Badamasi Babangida, of Medium Powers, was later realized through the IBB (1985-1993) to keep to his promise to hand emergence of China in the global scene as a formidable over political power to civilians in 1993 after force that has been playing a countervailing role MKO Abiola was believed to have won the which has had a moderating effect of diluting the presidential elections held on June 12 of that suffocating influence of Europe and North America year ; and instead a more tyrannical military over global trade and politics, an agenda which the dictator, Sani Abacha , ascended the throne as visionary Akinyemi was pursuing through the concert military head of state. of medium powers an idea which he first propounded His ascension was preceded by his ouster way back in 1987. of Ernest Shonekan as interim head of state, Without any iota of doubt, such a globally positively after IBB stepped aside, and the consequence disruptive policy could not have sprang forth from no of the upheaval was our country’s loss of the less an intellectual mind than that of professor Akinyemi opportunity of joining that exclusive club of who has drank from the fountains of knowledge in emerging economic and political power bloc both the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at famously known as BRIC at that time .

Remarkably, Nigeria’s loss was South Africa’s gain , as it was the S in South Africa, that got incorporated into the acronym to form BRICS .

That is simply because it is within the same period that the obnoxious apartheid that scourged the conscience of the world was killed, and therefore a precursor to the emergence of the late civil rights struggle icon , Nelson Mandela who got released from prison to become president of South Africa in 1994 after a long period of oppression of black majority by a white minority.

Thus instead of BRINC with N, if Nigeria was chosen over South Africa, we dropped out of the league.

And since then, owing to the sordid image of our country, both at home and abroad, the nation’s fortune has been on a downward spiral.

This is underscored by the fact that these days, Nigeria is only mentioned in the global media for the wrong reasons. As a person of impeccable character and pristine pedigree , one can not celebrate Professor Akinyemi without referencing his incorruptibility.

So as a breathe of fresh air in the fouled sociopolitical atmosphere prevailing in our country, whereby the malfeasance of public office holders, stinking to the high heavens, is the new normal; Bolaji Akinyemi’s public service record can be an elixir of sorts .

His story,(history) is guaranteed to bring back the feelings of nostalgia about the brilliance and high voltage intellectualism that were once the hallmark of our public servants.

That is quite the opposite of the current narrative of financial malfeasance which are the trademark of a preponderance of our public servants, particularly the likes of Abdulrazaq Maina , the pension funds task force leader who re-looted stolen pension funds running into trillions of naira that he was tasked with recovering and ex petroleum resources minister , Deziani Allison-Madueke, whose jewelry allegedly acquired with stolen oil/gas money was recovered and sold for huge sums, the value of which would make the infamous Imelda Marcus of Philippines green with envy.

That the exploits of professor Akinyemi in exemplary public service to his fatherland is a touchstone of sorts in the annals of our beloved country, is not debatable .

For those that may not already be aware , it is professor Bolaji Akinyemi-ex Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA and former minister of External Affairs , that introduced the concert of medium powers-a conglomeration of medium power nations with the capacity and ability to promote trade between and amongst themselves by forming a global political block as counter force to the dominance of the super powers who control the United Nations, UN and other Supra National organizations as well as Bretton Woods institutions such as the IMF, World bank , WTO and related agencies being used to manipulate the world order .

But before shining more light on Akinyemi’s remarkable accomplishments as a colossus in international affairs , astute public servant and purpose driven leader of high integrity , allow me digress a bit by highlighting the disconcerting state of affairs in our country arising from lack of a broad world view by our current leaders culminating in the mismanagement of our

diversity. That is sadly the reason that our country is now mentioned in the same breathe with failed countries like Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria either for the rising tide of terrorism or listed alongside Libya , Sudan, Mali and Ethiopia notorious for violence driven by the struggle by aggrieved members of the country seeking to be separated to form their own countries due to religious intolerance or ethnic rivalry between the multiple ethnic nationalities that constitute the country.

Despite the magnitude of corruption that is endemic in public service Bolaji Akinyemi,having been sired by a clergy man and educationist , Reverend James Akinyemi is an epitome of integrity. Hence, although he served in premium roles in government , he has no real estate assets like mansions in high brow neighborhoods of ikoyi , lagos or Maitama, Abuja.

Instead, he dwells in a modest home, not on the lsland as most public servants of his caliber who attained the level of cabinet minister, are likely to, but in the mainland of lagos.

Compare him to the obscene situation whereby the immediate past petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been indicted for frittering away billions of oil money , some of which was used to acquire an obscene collection of jewelries and personal accoutrements that got seized and which would make Imelda Marcus(Philippines infamous First Lady who acquired 3,000 pairs of shoes) green with envy.

And even consider the case of Abdulrasheed Maina , a pension funds task force chairman assigned with the duty of recovering looted pension funds running into trillions of naira , which he re-looted and anti graft agencies uncovered and jailed him.

The negative effect of the heist by the pension funds looter, the compromised former minister of petroleum resources and other corrupt public and civil servants may be adversely impacting the likes of professor Akinyemi who may not be regularly receiving their pension dues as retired public servants that served without blemish.The above assertion is underscored by the fact that with the legendary irregular payment of pensioners dues which is the dishonorable trade mark of our government , honest retirees such as professor Akinyemi who did not dip their hands into public treasury to create personal retirement benefits for themselves by engaging in corrupt practices, may be in jeopardy.

One lesson that l have learnt from the story of professor Bolaji Akinyemi is that: military regimes did a better job picking appointees for technocratic posts than politicians simply because they were adept at casting their nets far and wide to find Nigerians with the best fit for the roles as Ministers and Directors General of Ministries , Departments and Agencies, MDAs. And they did a good job hence a positive image of our country soared even if it was under military dictatorship.

The assertion above is validated by the fact that it was under military regimes that we had the likes of indubitable Professor Akinyemi leading foreign affairs ministry, the erudite professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti heading the health ministry and outstanding professor Babatunde Fafunwa being in charge of education ministry. All of them were round pegs in round holes at different points in time under the watch of the military.

Apparently and understandably , our political leaders are unable to achieve such high level of professionalism in appointments to strategic public offices owing largely to the need to be partisan by rewarding those who were in the trenches with them during elections and thus helped them to prevail over their opponents .

In my view , there is need to strike a balance between professional politicians and professionals in politics in the choosing various heads of MDAs in order to deliver on campaign promises made when seeking to be elected.

On a personal note, professor Akinyemi is my intellectual role model. It was he who influenced me, without his knowing it , to pursue a masters degree program in Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy because as a young impressionable man, l longed to plant my feet his footprints, career wise.

After my academic pursuit in Fletcher, l had also planned to build on it by attending the university of Oxford for a doctoral degree as professor Akinyemi had done by obtaining his doctor of philosophy degree, PhD from Trinity college, Oxford.

Having applied and was considered suitable by the authorities in the university of Oxford for the academic pursuit, l was torn between remaining in the political arena to harness the reward of my role in the emergence of late Umar Yar’adua as president in 2007, and sacrificing my ambition of obtaining a PhD from the university of Oxford as professor Akinyemi had done .

Regrettably, I opted for the former and lost the latter.

Since then, as the conventional wisdom goes , a lot of water has passed under the bridge.

It was Eleanor Roosevelt that once stated that “If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.”

Continued online

TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

36

NEWS

Politicians Behind Kidnappings in Schools, FCT Authority Alleges Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has attributed the spate of insecurity around FCT schools to politicians who wanted to abduct students and teachers for mischief and political scores.

The Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Hon. Sani El-Katuzu, made the assertion yesterday at the Government Girls Secondary School, Kuje when he led the secretariat’s management team to monitor schools’ resumption and level of compliance with COVID-19 preventive protocols in the territory.

He said political nay sayers would make a lot of efforts to perpetrate the vices as this year is the preparatory year to the 2023 election.

“I have seen a lot of security interventions in the schools.

I intend to discuss with the Honourable Minister on how to intensify security around our schools, to take care of our students and the rest.

“I have observed that some of the security issues raised around schools are not security issues but political. There are some people who want to abduct

students and teachers just to make political points and create mischief,” El-Katuzu said.

He assured the FCT

administration would not tolerate such practice saying it will go to any extent to put everything in place for the safety

of the schools.

He also reiterated the authority’s zero tolerance against harassment, bullying,

cultism and other social vices in schools. He vowed any student or teacher implicated will be dismissed.

“We operate an administration that has zero tolerance for bullying, cultism and harassment of students in our schools.

PHOTO JOURNALISTS GET GRAND PATRON…

L-R: Managing Director, Mutual Benefit Assurance, Femi Asenuga ; Publisher, City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde; Chairman, Guild of Photojournalists Nigeria (GPN) Abiodun Ajala; Group Chairman, Mutual Benefit Assurance, Akin Ogunbiyi; Marketing Expert at Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Gbenga Ogunko and Executive Director, Operation, Mutual Benefit Assurance, Biyi Ashiru-Mobolaji during the investiture of Ogunbiyi as grand patron of GPN in Lagos…recently

Lassa Fever Kills Medical 2023: 57 Youth Groups Endorse Osinbajo for Presidency their resolve to mobilise at Republic of Nigeria for the 2023 he has the experience of being Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Doctor in Benue least five million youth across general elections. We came an acting President and Vice George Okoh InMakurdi

An outbreak of the dreaded Lassa fever in Benue State has claimed the life of a medical doctor in Makurdi. The deceased doctor, Dr Samuel Nyityo, who was a staff of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Benue, is said to have taken ill and was referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State, where he later died.y, Three persons lost their lives to the disease, according to a hospital staff who pleaded anonymity to newsmen in a telephone message yesterday.

Lassa fever is in Benue now.

We lost a colleague, Dr Samuel Tagher Nyityo, today, 09/01/2022,’ the source said.

‘I lost two patients last week.

One ate rat and took ill. I’m currently taking prophylaxis (ribavirin) and isolating because I nursed two out of the three people who died,’ the hospital source said.

When contacted, Commissioner for Health and Human Services

in Benue State Dr Joseph Ngbea confirmed that there was Lassa fever in the state but debunked the claim that three persons had died from the disease.

Ngbea said only one person has died and another who was infected is being treated and in a stable condition in the hospital.

‘Only Dr Nyityo died. Nobody is in a critical position. The other person is in a stable condition,’ Ngbea said.

He said the state government is doing its best to contain the disease, the commissioner explained that before the diagnosis of the Lassa fever, State Governor Samuel Ortom, through the ministry, had released money to ensure that it was contained.

Ngbea, who also confirmed that the late Dr Nyityo worked for WHO, said Governor Ortom had gone to take over the payment but they said no that the organisation released the purchase of drugs worth N600,000 to be given to anybody who contacts the disease.

A coalition of 57 youth groups and students have endorsed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the 2023 presidency. Its National Coordinator, Mr. Festus Ofume, while reading the communique on behalf of the 57 groups under the aegis of National Coalition of Youth and Students (NACOYS) after their meeting with officials of The Progressive Project (TPP), the sole coordinating body for pro-Osinbajo groups, stated

Nigeria to support Osinbajo if he finally decides to run for the presidency in 2023.

He said Nigerian youth cannot afford to remain indifferent to the nation’s political process and its future.

The coalition said: “At our enlarged meeting held at Abuja on the 10” day of January, 2022, we unanimously endorse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as our candidate for the top job of the President of the Federal

to this conclusion after due consultation nationwide and after a thorough assessment of all he has done over the past seven years.

“For the future of Nigeria, we firmly believe that the man Yemi Osinbajo is the best qualified for the office of the President, especially with his intellectual accomplishment, empathy for the younger generation, understanding of the economy and the fact that

President with uncompromised passion to consolidate on the achievements of the last seven years.”

“Being the most viable candidate for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we shall, in the best of today’s youth and coming generations, strive towards the election of Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023.”

Zulum Signs N269.6bn Budget, Child Protection Act into Laws

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Borno State Governor, Prof.

Babagana Zulum has signed into law, the 2022 budget of N269.6 billion passed by the State Assembly The Governor also signed two laws: Borno State Child Protection Act and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. The signing took place yesterday in Maiduguri, and it

was attended by the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, AbdulKarim Lawan, and principal officer of the Assembly.

The governor while expressing appreciation to the House for their continued support, said this has immensely contributed to the successes recorded by his administration in the last two and half years. He also assured of the continued sustenance of cordial relationship with the lawmakers

throughout his tenure.

The budget was increased by the Assembly from the N267.9 billion proposed by Governor Zulum in November.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Governor said the Child Protection Act, and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act he signed were customized to reflect cultures and religious beliefs of the State, without undermining the main objective of the law.

Speaker of Borno State Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan explained that the slight increase of the budget was to meet needs of the State, which aligns with vision of all branches of Government.

The Governor had on November 30, 2021, proposed a budget of N267.9 billion with N172.5 billion for Capital Expenditure representing 65 per cent of the total budget, and N95.4 billion for recurrent expenditure.

As reactions continue to trail the recent comment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the crude oil in the Niger Delta, one of the leaders of the Itsekiri nation in Delta State, Chief Rita-Lori Ogbebor, has described the former president’s comment as an act of patriotism which was made recklessly.

The former president recently

therein, belongs to the area of location and this remains so until the federation is dissolved.”

However, Ogbebor said Obasanjo’s comment about the oil in Niger Delta belonging to Nigeria made her uncomfortable because the people of the region expected her to speak on the issues, “as people think Obasanjo is my friend. We have always fought

he is a very patriotic Nigerian.”

The Igba of Warri Kingdom who spoke at a media briefing on the state of the nation in Lagos, yesterday, told journalists that Obasanjo would say anything in defense of Nigeria as a country, adding that his statement on the mineral resources in Niger Delta belonging to Nigeria was however reckless, “but that is how he feels;

“He has also said many times that he would rather be a Nigerian than to be called a Yoruba. So for him, the oil belongs to Nigeria, but not that he doesn’t see or know that the oil belongs to the people of the region, because as a farmer, would he agree that his farm produce and his chicken belong to Nigeria or anybody else? No!

Kano Targets 3.6m Children Obasanjo’s Comment on Oil in N’Delta, Reckless, Says Ogbebor said: “No territory in Nigeria, over issues in Nigeria. But one he feels that there shouldn’t be any Sunday Okobi for Immunisation including the minerals found special thing about him is that ethnic group other than Nigeria.”

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has stated that over 3.6 million children would be immunised against polio virus in the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) January campaign.

According to him, the MNCHW would be conducted alongside the Outbreak Response exercise (OBR1), adding that immunisation personnel would go house to house to vaccinate children below five years against poliovirus.

“The aim of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week is to improve the health care services for pregnant women and their children,” he said.

The governor who was

represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna disclosed this yesterday at Ungogo Local Government while flagging off the OBR1 and MNCHW January campaign in the state.

He went on to explain that the Kano State Government was highly committed towards providing adequate health care services to its people.

“Therefore, we should not relent in ensuring that pregnant women attend antenatal care in the hospitals across the state,” he added.

The governor appreciated the federal and local governments’ chairmen, emirate councils and development partners for their commitment towards sustaining the hard fought gains and therefore urged them to consolidate on the success recorded in the e exercise.

CSOs Demand Rework, Passage of Electoral Bill Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have asked the National Assembly to ensure immediate passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill as they commence 2022 legislative work on January 18.

The CSOs in a statement yesterday jointly signed by

Ariyo-Dare Atoye, Executive Director, Adopt A Goal Initiative; Jude Feranmi, Convener Raising New Voices Initiative; Rachel Anyanwu, Human Rights Advocate and Godbless Obuture, Convener, Ready To Lead Africa, warned that under no circumstance should the January 18 resumption date set by the leadership of both chambers be postponed.

They also warned that any further delay could jeopardise efforts to ensure the passage of the bill.

According to the CSOs, on resumption while the National Assembly may choose to override the President’s veto and go ahead to pass the bill into law, they may also choose to review the bill to meet the President’s demands and transmit back to

him for assent.

While agreeing that Mr. President’s refusal to assent to the bill had set back the advocacy for democratic reforms, the CSOs however said they would not rest until they ensure that the desire of Nigerians for a more credible electoral process where the people can elect leaders of their choice and their votes will count must become a reality.

TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

37

NEWSXTRA

FAAN Arrests 90 Touts at Lagos, Abuja Airports Chinedu Eze In line with its decision to wipe out corrupt practices at the airports, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has arrested over 90 persons, caught at Nigeria’s busiest gateways, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The suspects were arrested for carrying out nefarious activities, including facilitating the issuance of fake COVID-19 test results, providing illegal yellow card to travellers, shortchanging travellers in the pretense of assisting them in their boarding process and acting as interface between passengers and airlines.

Other illicit activities included unauthorised entry, trespass, illegal facilitation, forgery, loitering, theft, public nuisance and crowding the departure halls.

FAAN in statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said some of those arrested were staff of Patovilki Nigeria Limited, Lakewood Services, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) and other airport staff.

“Of the total arrested, 59

were handed over to the airport police command in Abuja for prosecution, while 30 were handed over to the police force in Lagos for same.

“FAAN will like to use this opportunity to warn those that

do not have any legitimate business at the airports, as well as airport staff carrying out illegal duties to desist from such acts, as the authority will not hesitate to arrest and hand over such individuals for

prosecution,” the statement said.

The management of FAAN had earlier identified those who throng the airports to engage in illicit activities.

These included former airline

workers, retired aviation agency workers, their relations and others who may be familiar with the airport environment.

The agency alleged that they connive with some airport workers to carry

out their illicit activities and vowed that the touts must be eliminated from the airports because their activities could encourage insider threat, which could constitute critical security breach at the airports.

OSINBAJO IS OUR CHOICE…

L-R: Representative of Nigeria Youth Forum, Mohammed Abdulsalam; Representative of National Forum for Youth and Women Education Development, Lami Oguogno; National Coordinator, National Coalition for Youth and Students (NACOYS), Festus Ofume; Organising Secretary of NACOYS, Momodu Aliu and Representative of Sir. Ahmadu Bello Youth Council of Nigeria, Sagir Adam, during the press conference by 57 youth and student bodies to endorse Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Come 2023, in Abuja.. yesterday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Momodu Declares Interest in Allow the Soul of Sylvester to Rest Peacefully, Presidency, Decries Lack of Unity Dowen College Pleads Funmi Ogundare The Chief Executive Officer and Publisher, Ovation Magazine and The Boss Newspaper, Chief Dele Momodu, yesterday expressed concern about the lack of unity in the country, saying that those who have been oppressed are afraid that people who have amassed so much wealth in Nigeria will continue to oppress them.

Momodu, who on spoke ARISE News Channel, also declared his interest in running for the presidency of Nigeria. He described politics as managing people and resources, adding that it is impossible to become the president of a country as complex as Nigeria if you don’t prepare for it. “ How many people today in politics have managed people and resources successfully?

Most of the people we have as politicians never prepared for anything. All they prepare for

is the next election and how they are going to rig.

“Nigerians must learn to do things differently. In a book written by Brazilian Author, Paulo Freire in the ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, the oppressed people have one fear which is the fear of the oppressor. That the oppressed people only respects their oppressor. In Nigeria, people are so afraid that those who have amassed wealth, will continue to use the wealth to hang on to their necks perpetually and that is what we see today. But in terms of achievement, accomplishment and knowing what to do, you cannot do what you don’t have,” he said.

He noted that the best way to change the mindset of the oppressed is by bringing someone who is bold enough to challenge that status quo, adding that there is no country in the world that things ever changed if one man is not ready to make that sacrifice.

Deborah Orefale Dowen College has appealed to the general public making comments on the death of one of its pupil, Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr) to allow “our dear Sylvester’s soul rest peacefully in our Lord’s arms.”

The school made the appeal in a statement yesterday following the release of two autopsy reports exonerating five of its students and five employees, linked

to the 12-year-old’s death on November 30. The school explained in the statement that it maintained silence throughout the six weeks after the ‘tragedy’ because it wanted the experts, law enforcement agencies, the government and medical authorities, among others to do their jobs and unearth the truth.

The statement further explained that the school regretted Oromoni’s death, saying the longstanding integrity, values and processes

the school worked tirelessly to maintain over the past 24 years were unfairly called to question and dragged through the mud since.

Recalling the events of the past six weeks, the school said: “On the 30th of November, the Dowen College family was informed we had lost one of our own: Sylvester Oromoni. Sylvester was the fourth of his family to attend Dowen College and this loss came as a shock to the entire

school community. Unfortunately, before we could grasp and process the reality of losing him, the school was met with a public outburst accusing five of our students of bullying, poisoning and cultism.

“The authorities directed that an autopsy be conducted and the report reveals that there was no bodily harm, no intoxication, but rather that the young boy suffered and died of pre-existing health conditions that had not been treated.”

GKS Appoints New President, Other Officers Deborah Orefale A new chapter has been opened in the history of God’s Kingdom Society (GKS) with the appointment of a long-standing minister of the Church, Brother Felix EkundayoAdedokun as the new President.

According to a statement by the Assembly of the Lord’s Ministry Elders, (ALME), the

appointing authority into the Executive Board of the Church, the former General Secretary, Brother Tariola Michael Ekiseoweiis is now the vice president (VP), while the former publicity secretary, Brother Benedict Tamunotonyesigha Hart, becomes the General Secretary. Another senior minister, Brother Theophilus Iwoh, has been co-opted into the Executive

Board.

Also appointed were Brother Samuel Chidinma Nwaeke, who is now a Trustee of the Church while Brother Ogechukwu Emmanuel Oriaku becomes the Acting Publicity Secretary.

The new appointments are sequel to the death of the former president, Brother Godwin O. Ifeacho on Thursday April 22, 2021. He was buried on Saturday,

June 26, 2021.

The new President, Adedokun was born into the Faith of God’s Kingdom Society and hails from Awe in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State. He was adopted as a minister in 1965.

He had been the VP, from 2016 until his recent appointment.

The new VP, Brother Ekiseowei, was adopted as minister of the GKS in 1997.

have confirmed the sporadic shooting that occurred in the early hours of yesterday by miscreants who were allegedly trying to enforce the sit-at-home order by the indegenous people of Biafra, (IPOB).

The command also confirmed the “snatching and burning of a Toyota Sienna

Reports had emerged on Monday of how gunmen believed to be enforcing the sit-at-home order by the IPOB attacked some areas of the state, causing palpable fear among residents who had gone out to transact their businesses.

Although the gunmen were said to have only attacked

residents around Nowas, Okpara Avenue, Abakpa Market, GRA, Holyghost, Uwani, Trans Ekulu, who scampered for safety.

Reacting to the situation in a statement made available to newsmen, the State Police Public Relations Officer ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said the situation

at Umueze and Agbani axis of Nkanu West LGA of the State were carried out by miscreants who were enforcing the “illegal sit-at-home order”.

He assured citizens in the state that the Police, in collaboration with other Security Agencies, had since brought the situation under control.

Ekiti NSCDC Arrests Sales Police Confirm Enugu Shooting, Say Situation Under Control Boy for Using Kidnapping Gideon vehicle and a tricycle at Umueze Umueze and Agbani areas of has since come under control.

Arinze in Enugu and Agbani axis of Nkanu West the state, the sporadic shootings He noted that the to Defraud Boss caused pandemonium among disturbances which occurred The Enugu Police Command LGA of the State”.

Victor Ogunje inAdoEkiti Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Ekiti Command, has arrested a 21-yearold sales boy, Tobiloba Olayinka, for allegedly threatening to kidnap his boss, if he fails to pay a sum of N1.5 million.

While being paraded yesterday at the Command’s headquarters, the NSCDC Commandant in Ekiti, Mr. John Fayemi, said the suspect was arrested by men of anti-terrorism operatives of the Command on January 8, after discreet investigation .

Fayemi said the suspect had allegedly written to his boss in December, threatening him to pay a sum of N1.5 million or get kidnapped.

“We have a case involving a 21-year old sales boy, Tobiloba Olayinka, who was arrested by

men of counter terrorism squad for threatening to kidnap his employer, Hamzat Adebisi.

“Upon discreet investigation, the suspect was arrested on the 8th of January, 2022. The boy has been a sales boy of of the victim, but he cooked up a letter using strange name and account number and demanded a sum of N1.5 million, else his employer would be kidnapped.

“But for the quick response of my men, he was botched after discreet operation . He used fictitious name , account and telephone number to defraud his employer. We tracked his number and he was arrested,” he said.

According to him, the Command also nabbed a 21-year old Ayodeji Fanas, for stealing a sum of N500,000 under the guise of helping his victim to purchase a vehicle.

EFCC Re-arrests Mompha over N32.9bn Alleged Money Laundering Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Operatives of the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday re-arrested a suspected internet fraudster, Ismailia Mustapha over allegations that he laundered funds obtained through unlawful activities as well as for alleged retention of proceeds

from the crime.

The suspect is currently standing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on an amended 22-count charge bordering on cyber fraud and money laundering to the tune of N32.9 billion brought against him by the EFCC. Mompha had been arrested on October 18, 2019, at the

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while boarding an Emirates Airline Flight to Dubai, by staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service, following a watch list by the EFCC. He was alleged to have used his registered companies to receive illicit funds on behalf of “yahoo yahoo” boys from across the world in return for commission.

The account of one of his companies, Ismalob Global Investment Limited Bank, a Bureau de Change Company, domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, was allegedly used to launder funds derived from unlawful activities.

The EFCC said investigation revealed a fraudulent transfer slip of $92, 412,75 found in the suspect’s IPhone 8 device.

TUESDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

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TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Youthful Super Eagles in Acid Test against Salah’s Egypt Today

Duro Ikhazuagbe Nigeria’s youthful Super Eagles stars under the watch of Augustine Eguavoen will be put through acid test this evening when they confront seven-time champions Egypt in the opening match of Group D of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Garoua, Cameroon.

Kick off time is 5pm.

With 60 per cent of the 30,000-seating capacity of the Stade Roumdé Adjia in the northern Cameroonian town of Garoua taken by traveling fans of both countries, fireworks are going to be aplenty with all eyes focused on Liverpool’s talisman, Mohamed Salah to make a difference.

Ahead of the game, Mo Salah refused to engage in mind games with Ahmed Musa who poked jibes at him that Super Eagles have even more dangerous players than the Liverpool talisman with cult followings in his native Egypt.

Going down memory lane,

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS the Pharaohs with their record seven titles in the African football showpiece have only swept pass the Super Eagles on just two occasions in 1963 and 2010! On both occasions, only the first victory was comprehensive (6-3). The came from behind to tame the Eagles 3-1 in the city of Benguela when Angola hosted in 2010.

In all other confrontations at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Eagles have had the upper hand over the Pharaohs.

On their march to victory in 1980, the Eagles sailed past the Pharaohs 1-0 in a group phase clash in Ibadan, and four years later, following a pulsating 2-2 draw in a semi final match in Bouake (Cote d’Ivoire), Nigeria won on penalties to reach the final against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions.

In 1990, a lone goal by Rashidi Yekini consigned the Pharaohs to

defeat in a group phase match in Algiers, and in 1994, both teams battled to a scoreless draw at the Stade Chadli Zouiten in Tunis.

All that is history now.

Nigeria without two of the country’s best performers in front of goalkeepers: Victor Osimhen and 2019 AFCON top scorer, Odion Jude Ighalo, the battle appears to favour the Pharaohs parading English Premier League

leading scorer Salah.

But with the sack of German gaffer, Gernot Rohr, barely weeks to the kick off of the tournament, interim coach Eguavoen opened a window for those youths previously in the shadows of Osimhen and Ighalo to step forward and be counted.

In this group are the likes of former U17 World Cup star Taiwo Awoniyi. He’s expected to lead the line and reproduce some of his potency from which German Bundesliga club Union Berlin is

benefitting, with Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Czech Republic -based Peter Olayinka also on the line. Skipper Ahmed Musa and Samuel Chukwueze hit target in the training match with Cameroonian top club, Cotonsport Garoua on Friday.

There is also Greece –based Henry Onyekuru and former Olympics star Sadiq Umar as possibilities in the frontline.

Even in the absence of midfield linchpin, Oghenekaro Etebo, Wilfred Ndidi has proved to be

a dependable enforcer while former U17 World Cup-winning Captain Kelechi Nwakali is expected to stamp his authority in the playmaking role this evening.

To give Maduka Okoye the needed shield are the backline rocks of Tyrone Ebuehi, Chiedozie Awaziem Kenneth Omeruo and Zaidu Sanusi.

A win for Nigeria will certainly be the tonic Eagles need to set their dream of a fourth African title on course. It is not mission impossible!

AFCON TIT BITS (DAY 3) *Super Eagles’ Debutants!

With Super Eagles up in arm against multiple African champions, Egypt, top players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Joe Aribo and 12 others like Maduka Okoye, Frank Onyeka, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidera Ejuke, Taiwo Awoniyi, Tyrone Ebuehi, Sadiq Umar, Kelechi Nwakali, Olisa Ndah, John Noble and Peter Olayinka are tasting AFCON tournament for the first time.

*Nigeria, Egypt in Game of Revenge or Encore?

When three-time AFCON winners Nigeria and Egypt with seven titles under their belts take to the pitch in the opening Group D match this evening, it will be the first meeting by the two sides in the tournament since the 3-1 win of the Pharaohs at Angola 2010 event. Interestingly, today’s encounter will hold on the eve of 11th year anniversary of the last encounter in Benguela, Angola.

*Tale of Two Kelechis in Eagles’ Camp Kelechi Nwakali was a last minute replacement for Victor Osimhen. But going

by Super Eagles’ final list to the tournament, there are two Kelechis in the team, the other one is Iheanacho. There exist a striking similarities between the duo namely: both grew up and started their career in Owerri. Both were involved with Golden Eaglets win at FIFA U-17 tournament . While Iheanacho won with Garba Manu in 2013, Nwakali won with Emmanuel Amuneke in 2015 and at both tournaments, the duo won the ‘Golden Ball’ award and today they are back in the national team for the AFCON tournament for the first time.

*What is Special About Roumde Adja Stadium in Garoua?

The Garoua Stadium has a capacity of 30,000 but it the farthest centre from the Capital, Yaoundé. It will take 16 hours

59 minutes of road travel from the capital but closer to Nigeria’s border from Yola. Should Nigeria top the group in the quest to win the cup, Super Eagles will remain in the city as home ground till the end of quarter final when they travel Douala for semi-final duel if they win.

*Special Treat for Former CAF Boss, Issa Hayatou The Northern city of Garoua holds a special treat to the tournament. It is the home town of former CAF Boss, Issa Hayatou, who held sway from 1988 to 2017 when he was defeated by immediate past leader, Ahmad Ahmad. But with football on the centre stage in the city from this evening, politics will take back stage and former African Supremo could be among the VIP during all or some of the matches at the centre.

*Vincent Aboubakar, the Opening Match Hero In the difficult opening match of the AFCON 2021 2-1 for host, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon against Burkina Faso, the match hero, Vincent Aboubakar, who scored two penalty goals now have three goals in nine games in the history of the tournament.

His first was the match winning goal against Egypt in the final match of the 2017 edition of the tournament!

Stabbed Journalists Staying on The Algerian journalists who suffered a knife attack in Douala on the opening day of the Africa Cup of Nations want to carry on their coverage in Cameroon.

Mehdi Dahak, who owns an Algerian football website, said yesterday that one colleague needed hospital treatment after suffering two "deep wounds" while he himself was cut in the face. The incident on Sunday, in which money, three phones and a passport were stolen, took place just seconds after the three men left their hotel in the Bonapriso area of Cameroon's largest city.

Super Eagles are primed to give seven-time champions Egypt a good run for all three points at stake this evening

Ahmed Musa Wants AFCON Trophy as Parting Gift Femi Solaja with agency report Super Eagles’ Captain, Ahmed Musa, has said that this edition of AFCON could be his last, which makes it a special occasion for him.

The Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on Sunday, with 24 teams competing for the most prestigious title in the continent and the cracker this afternoon in Garoua is seen by pundits as the star match of all the opening group matches.

Musa, who’s wearing the Nigerian national team’s armband, in an interview with Egyptian publication, Kingfut.comsaid that the ongoing tournament is special to him and could be his last.

“I think this could be my last Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria,” Musa said.

“I explained the importance of this edition of AFCON to my teammates, and I told them winning the title is the only thing they can gift me, and they told me they are going for it,” revealed the Fatih Karamgumruk of Turkish lig winger “My first tournament with Nigeria was the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where we successfully won the title, and my second appearance was in Egypt where we finished third.

Going into the tournament, the 29-year-old forward is the most capped player in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, with 102 international appearances with Nigeria. Musa would have been attending his fifth AFCON in Cameroon had Eagles not failed to make the cut for the 2015 and 2017 editions.

After Nigeria’s tough opening game with Egypt, the next two matches should be easier for the

Ahmed Musa

Mohamed Salah

Super Eagles with Sudan and Guinea Bissau considered to be of less threats.

Super Eagles all the very best at the AFCON tournament.

“Sorry I cannot be there but I’m supporting the boys all the way.

We need prayers from Nigerians to support the team, to back them because with their prayers and support, the team will make Nigeria proud.

“Go boys and make us proud, you guys can do it. We have enough talent in that team that can take us to the final. God bless you guys,” Ighalo concluded in that his post on Instagram.

Ighalo Apologises to Nigerians over Missed Tournament

Al Shabab’s forward, Odion Jude Ighalo, has apologised to Nigerian fans for missing the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Ighalo was named in the Eagles’ final 28-man squad for this year’s edition which kicked off on Sunday.

However, his Saudi Arabian club refused to release him, claiming his call-up from the Nigeria Football Federation arrived after the deadline.

And in a post published on Super Eagles Instagram handle on Monday, Ighalo confirmed he will not be part of the Eagles squad.

He begged Nigerians to forgive him for missing the tournament.

He however expressed confidence that the Super Eagles have the talent to go all the way to the final.

“Hi, my name is Odion Jude Ighalo. Here’s me wishing the

Queiroz Welcomes Eagles Challenge

Head Coach of Egypt, Carlos Queiroz, has expressed his excitement ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations heavyweight clash with Nigeria.

Queiroz who is set to take part in his second AFCON following a disappointing run with South Africa back in 2002, sent words of comfort to the fans while insisting they are targeting nothing but the title in Cameroon.

“It’s a great pleasure to face Nigeria in the opening game. We want to face the strongest teams in the tournament,” Queiroz said in his pre-match press conference yesterday.

“Nigeria is a very strong team, but we have no objections. It’s always good to compete against football giants.

“We have a lot of players that are competing among themselves for a starting position, and that’s great because we came here to play seven games.

“Our ambition is very simple.

Win all the matches,” the Portuguese coach concluded.

This game will mark Queiroz’s second-ever game against Nigeria, having coach Iran against the Super Eagles during the 2014 World Cup, which ended in a dull 0-0 draw.

RESULTS Senegal 1-0 Zimbabwe Morocco 1-0 Ghana Guinea 1-0 Malawi Comoros 0-1 Gabon

(TUES Jan 11) Algeria v Sierra Leone (2pm) Nigeria v Egypt (5pm) Sudan v G’Bissau (8pm)

(WED Jan 12) Algeria v S’ Leone (2pm) Nigeria v Egypt (5pm) Sudan v G’ Bissau (8pm)

39

TUESDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Sadio Mane's Last-minute Penalty Breaks Zimbabwe Sadio Mane scored a last-minute penalty to give Senegal a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in their opening fixture at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations yesterday.

Because of the positive cases of coronavirus in his squad, Aliou Cisse made changes to his starting XI as Queens Park

AFCON 2021 Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng replaced Chelsea's Edouard Mendy and Olympiakos' Pape Abou Cisse and PSG's Abdou Diallo co-ordinated the defence in the absence of Kalidou Koulibaly.

It was an end-to-end start at the Stade Omnisport de Bafoussam as the defence of the two teams were solid to break through for the majority of the game.

Senegal had their first shot on target in the 24th minute when Fode Ballo-Toure played Mane through on goal but he did not

hit the ball with enough power to beat goalkeeper Petros Mhari.

Seven minutes later, Keita Balde received the first yellow card in the encounter after he was found to have held the ball with his hand and the Teranga Lions ended the first-half with a shot at goal from Ballo-Toure

inside the penalty area but he failed to hit the target.

Zimbabwe, however, opted to begin the second 45 minutes with more attacking drive by introducing Lyon’s Tino Kadewere before resumption.

In the final 10 minutes however, the Warriors pushed for a goal and they had an effort on target when teenage Hadebe tried to connect with Knowledge Musona's free-kick but his effort lacked power to beat Dieng.

Senegal were finally relieved in the 94th minute of stoppage time after Kelvin Madzongwe blocked Pape Gueye's shot with his hand and the referee immediately pointed to the

penalty spot.

The Zimbabwe midfielder was consequently handed a yellow card while Mane stepped forward to convert the resulting kick and he rightfully sent goalkeeper Mhari in the wrong direction to give the 2019 finalists maximum points.

The result means Zimbabwe are yet to keep a clean sheet after 13 matches at the Africa Cup of Nations but they will turn their attention to their next Group B match against Malawi on January 14.

Meanwhile, Senegal have not lost their opening game at AFCON since 2015. They next face Guinea on Friday.

Boufal Gives Morocco Vital Win against Ghana

Senegal’s Sadio Mane (left) converted a last-minute penalty against Zimbabwe to earn the Teranga Lions first group stage PHOTO: BackpagePix victory ...yesterday

COVID: Djokovic Wins Appeal against Cancellation of His Australian Visa Judge rules he should be released, overturns government’s decision

Judge Anthony Kelly has ruled in Melbourne quashing the Australian government’s decision to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa and ordered that he should be him released within 30 minutes of the decision.

The Serbian tennis player flew into Melbourne last week, hoping to defend his Australian Open title after claiming to have medical Exemption from COVID vaccination. But instead he has been held in an immigration detention centre with Australia’s Border Authorities claiming no such authorization came

from them. His visa to come into Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title was cancelled.

But in the ruling few minutes ago, the judge ruled that the respondent — in this case, the Ministry of Home Affairs — must pay Djokovic’s costs as agreed or assessed, the order added. All his belongings, including his passport, must be returned to him “as soon as reasonably practicable.”

The decision was officially made at 5:16 p.m. local time in Australia (1:16 a.m. ET), Kelly said.

Nigeria Referees Appointment Committee to review the performance of the Centre Referee in the MatchDay 5 fixture between Niger Tornadoes and Rivers United.

“Following preliminary investigations and consideration of reports from the Match Commissioner, Match Referee and the Referees Assessor, the LMC charged Tornadoes for

Team.

Cameroon Cape Verde B’Faso Ethiopia

P. 1.

1.

1.

1.

W 1.

1.

0.

0.

GROUP A D L 0.

0 0.

0 0 1.

0 1.

GF 2.

1.

1.

0

GA 1.

0 2.

1.

GD 1.

1.

-1.

-1.

PTS 3 3.

0 0.

GF 1.

1.

0.

0

GA 0.

0 1.

1.

GD 1.

1 -1.

-1

PTS 3 3 0 0

GF 1.

1.

0 0

GA 0.

0 1.

1.

GD 1.

1.

-1 -1.

PTS 3 3 0 0

GF 0 0 0 0

GA 0.

0.

0.

0.

GD 0.

0.

0.

0.

PTS 0 0 0 0

GF 0 0 0 0

GA 0.

0.

0.

0.

GD 0.

0.

0.

0.

PTS 0 0 0 0

GF 0 0 0 0

GA 0.

0.

0.

0.

GD 0.

0.

0.

0.

PTS 0 0 0 0

GROUP B Novak Djokovic’s fans who have been protesting against his ‘detention’ in Melbourne, celebrating the news of the ruling granting the Serbian tennis star the right to enter Australia...yesterday

breaches of Rule B13.52, C0 and B13.21, resolving to fine the club a total of N5.5m, to play their next three home matches at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja and a suspended two points deduction.

“Umar Farouk, the Chief Coach of Niger Tornadoes was charged with breach of Rule C11 for assault on the Referee when he struck a blow to his head as the Referee proceeded towards

the dressing room at halftime.

“The LMC consequently has expelled Farouk from all NPFL organized activities with immediate effect. The LMC also recommended for a review of his coaching license by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as he is deemed to have failed the threshold to be a coach under the NFF licence,” the league body ruled.

16 Teams for Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship Announced The organisers of the Mark D Ball Basketball Championship billed to commence on January 15, 2022in Abuja, with the female competition, have named the 16 teams for the basketball tournament.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Umaru Abdullahi said

Aboukhlal as lead marksman.

Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi unsurprisingly started at right-back for The Atlas Lions.

In what was a slow start to the game, Aboukhlal registered the first shot on target in the 14th minute after latching onto a misplaced Partey pass to fire a shot into the arms of goalkeeper Joseph Wollacott.

In the 33rd minute, Partey drove a free-kick over the bar after Jordan Ayew was fouled outside the box.

Five minutes to half-time at the other end, Romain Saiss headed a free-kick over the bar.

The lack of clear openings continued even after the recess, leaving the goalkeepers with little to do.

ALL THE GROUPS

LMC Banishes Niger Tornadoes to Abuja, Fined N5.5m In continuation of its zero tolerance for any form of misconduct in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) this season, the League Management Company (LMC), has again slammed Niger Tornadoes and the club’s officials found in breach of the league’s Rules and Framework .

Uyo- based Dakkada were early last week similarly hammered with an outrageous fine after the club’s official slapped a match official.

In the latest exercise of Summary Jurisdiction, Niger Tornadoes and two of the club officials were fined a total of N5.5million. Tornadoes were also banished to play their next three home matches at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja in addition to two suspended points deduction.

These were the outcome of the decision of the LMC after reviewing the crisis emanating from the MatchDay 5 fixture between Niger Tornadoes and Rivers United.

The LMC also requested the

Morocco handed Ghana’s Black Stars a 1-0 defeat in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon yesterday.

Sofiane Boufal’s late strike won full points for The Atlas Lions in the Group C fixture at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.

Having joined camp late on Saturday, Kamaldeen Sulemana’s presence in the starting XI was the biggest surprise as Ghana named their side for Monday’s showdown.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey led Ghana’s midfield while Genk forward Joseph Paintsil started on the left-wing.

Without key strikers Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi, Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic handed a starting berth to AZ Alkmaar youngster Zakaria

the that 16 teams were chosen because of the clamour from clubs to participate after being starved of championships/ tournaments.

The teams include; Air Warrior, Firstbank, Delta Force, Sunshine Angels, Customs, Novena Queens,Kada Angels, Benue Princess and Plateau Rocks. Others are Mountain

of Fire, FCT Rocks, IGP Queens,Taraba Hurricanes, Nasarawa Amazons, Hot Coal Sizzlers and Bayelsa.

The statement added that all participating teams must adhere strictly to all COVID-19 protocols.

The Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship will dunk off at the indoor hall of the MKO Abiola Stadium.

Team.

Guinea Senegal Malawi Zimbabwe

P. 1.

1.

1.

1.

W 1 1.

0.

0.

Team.

Gabon.

Morocco Ghana Comoros

P. 1.

1.

1.

1.

W 1.

1.

0.

0.

D 0.

0.

0 0

L 0.

0 1 1.

GROUP C D 0.

0.

0 0

L 0 0 1.

1.

GROUP D Team.

Egypt G’Bissau Nigeria Sudan

P. 0.

0.

0.

0.

W 0.

0.

0.

0.

D 0 0 0 0

L 0.

0.

0.

0.

GROUP E Team.

Algeria Ivory Coast E’Guinea S’Leone

P. 0.

0.

0.

0.

W 0.

0.

0.

0.

D 0 0 0 0

L 0.

0.

0.

0.

GROUP F Team.

Gambia Mali Mauritania Tunisia

P. 0.

0.

0.

0.

W 0.

0.

0.

0.

D 0 0 0 0

L 0.

0.

0.

0.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Chris Ngige to PDP “That seed of PDP of going to North will backfire. They better align with APC and if APC comes South let them come South. So, it becomes an all South affair. However, if they go North, I can tell them that as it is today, they will lose the presidential election, no matter the candidate they bring from the North”---Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, warning that any party that fields Northern presidential candidate will lose.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Mummy G.O And Jonathan’s Rumoured Return

“H

ow far? Is it true that your boss is going back to Aso Villa? I read that some of his aides, I don’t know whether you are one of them, are advising him not to come back because you don’t trust President Muhammadu Buhari who seems to be his chief promoter?”

“Do you have any concrete evidence that President Goodluck Jonathan wants to be President again?

I thought in 2015, you people argued that he had done two terms and allowing him again would amount to a violation of the 1999 Constitution. I am surprised that the same people who did not want him in 2015, are the same ones now saying he is the best man for the job?”

“I didn’t say so. I asked you a question” “I have nothing to say to you.”

“But you must know something” “I don’t know anything” “But you must have an opinion” “I don’t have any opinion. What I can say to you is that in a recent interview President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that he really has no interest in who succeeds him in 2023, and he then contradicted himself when he said that even if he has a preferred candidate, he would rather not name him, so that the person would not be eliminated before the election.”

“But we all know he and President Jonathan have been holding meetings. Your boss is a regular guest in the Villa.”

“How regular, if I may ask?”

“We see the photos in the media. They seem to be very close, these days. Don’t you think there is something to it, the same President Jonathan that the Buhari administration used to blame for everything that went wrong with Nigeria, now he and his successor are always seen together.”

“And you have a problem with that? Is it not a good thing that the predecessor and his successor are seen to be working together? Both of them are members of the Council of State. They are both statesmen. They have a bigger stake in this country than you and I put together.”

“Forget about stake, please. We are all entitled to just one vote. What we are saying is that President Buhari wants President Jonathan to succeed him to complete the remaining four years of a maximum of two terms that he can legitimately lay claim to.”

“God, you are wonderful!”

“What has God got to do with this?”

“Our God lives. Jehovah, you are the Lord, you are the most wonderful Lord..”

“Are you okay?”

“Can’t you see it? I never knew a day would come when the same people who demonized President Jonathan, the same people who called him clueless, the same persons who abused and harassed his aides would turn around to praise him, and seek his return to the Presidential Villa.

So it is true what our leaders say, that the mouth that the snail uses to abuse the ancestral spirit, it is the same mouth it would use to scrub the floor at the shrine.”

“Who is discussing snails with you? I am drawing your attention to practical politics. I understand President Buhari does not want some of the names being thrown up from the South West. I hear he does not want a South West President because that would mean that the South West would have been in power for eight years of Obasanjo, 8 years of Osinbajo as Vice President and then another 8 years.

Someone told me he does not want the North either.

And because of IPOB and the Biafra secessionist agitation, the East is completely ruled out. If he can get a candidate from the South South, preferably President Jonathan, then that would just be 4 years of a Jonathan Presidency. The only condition I hear

Jonathan

is that President Jonathan has to defect to the APC.” “You should join them in Nollywood. You will make a good writer of fiction.”

“I know what I am talking about” “You certainly don’t. What would it look like, if President Jonathan were to suddenly abandon, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the party through which he made history as the first Nigerian ever to be a Deputy Governor, Acting Governor, Governor, Vice President, Acting President and President. No other Nigerian alive today has had the privilege of such distinction. He is the main historical symbol of the PDP. He should walk away from all that?”

“The PDP has not been nice to him. The members betrayed him in 2015. They have also not treated him nicely since he left office. Even if he is interested in returning to office, the forces in the PDP will not give him the ticket. And I don’t even see President Buhari supporting a PDP candidate.”

“So, you want him to join APC, the Special Purpose, hate-driven vehicle which they used to push him out of power in 2015? You mean President Jonathan and Alhaji Lai Mohammed can possibly be in the same party? Imagine that. How? And what tells you he will get the APC Presidential ticket?

You want him to go and hustle against all the entrenched interests in the APC? Asiwaju Tinubu.

The Vice President and all the other worms, that will still crawl out of the woods!”

“This is Nigeria. Anything is possible. If the owners of Nigeria decide on what the future of Nigeria should be and they take a decision, that is exactly what will happen.”

“Nobody owns Nigeria. We all own this country together. I am nobody’s slave.”

“Keep deceiving yourself, Oga the owner” “Besides, the people of the Niger Delta will not accept the insult that their man will be given four years, to satisfy the narrow interests of the Fulani hegemony. You think people like Rotimi Amaechi or Timipre Sylva will be happy, when they can do

eight years if the whole idea is about the South South coming to power?”

“Dey there. If the Jonathan project works, you’d be surprised Amaechi and Sylva will be glad to be given a role to paste posters on every wall from Port Harcourt to Lake Chad.”

“But all of you that are talking about the likely return of President Jonathan, what do you want him to return to?”

“He knows Nigeria. He can fix it. He has had seven years of reflection. Even if he made any mistakes in the past, he won’t repeat the same mistakes. He is strong, energetic, and healthy. He already has a team that he can call up, back to service, and hence, hit the ground running”.

“You people and your conspiracy theories are just looking for a sacrificial lamb. When President Jonathan left office in 2015, Naira-Dollar exchange rate was N150 per dollar, today it is N413 per dollar.

Everything else has gone up. Inflation rate is 15.9%.

Unemployment is over 30%. If the fuel subsidy is removed, the pump price of petrol would be about N340 per litre. Herders-farmers conflict is now so bad that a cow that we used to buy at N70, 000 is now N300, 000 per cow. After turning the country upside down, you people want President Jonathan to come and take the blame. Una try well, well.”

“But do you know what he wants? Or what his wife, Mama Peace wants? Nigerians miss Dame Jonathan. They want her back too.”

“I don’t know. I have no clue. But I thought some people said what Nigeria needs right now is a Josef Stalin or Hitler or a combination of both.”

“No. We don’t need a Hitler. We need a man who is a bridge builder. A peace-maker” “But I thought some of you argued that President Jonathan was too gentle. He has suddenly become the stone that the builder rejected which has now become the cornerstone of the building” “Who is talking about stones? My friend, learn to talk straight. Stop twisting everything. What do you think? Should we go and consult Mummy G. O.?”

“Who is so called?”

“Mummy G. O. of the Rapture Proclaimer Evangelical Church of God (RAPEC), in Ota, Ogun State.”

“I only know of one Mummy G.O and Daddy G. O, the original G.Os and they are not in Ota.” “Ha. There is a new Mummy G. O. in town and this one is a celebrity of the pulpit. Have you not seen her videos? She is the self-appointed Gatekeeper of the Road to Hell. The female preacher who says you will go to Hell if you play football, wear make-up, or jewelry, seductive clothes, beads, eyelashes, miniskirts, or worldly hairstyle. She has been featured on BBC, and she is all over the social media. End-time preachers are all over the place.

That was how one of them came up many years ago to say that to watch television is a sin. Today, all members of the church now watch television.

They wear jewelry and the owner of the church has built a big auditorium. ” “I hear people are trooping to her church in large numbers in search of the route to Heaven. I guess in their kind of business, you have to say something dramatic to attract the congregation. Mummy G.O. of Ota has carved a niche for herself in the Church of Nigeria with her unique style of saving people from going to Hell.”

“There is never a short supply of gullible people in this country. I am sure if you ask her, she would probably tell you every Nigerian politician will end up in Hell. The question is: has she been to Hell before?”

“She actually said she spent 990 years there before she came back to the world.”

“Please can we discuss something serious?

Nigerians are so distracted, so disoriented they

will follow any tale bearer.”

“Well, we don’t need to consult Mummy G. O. I can tell you for free that her verdict would be that people like you, who know one or two things and who refuse to say the truth, will definitely go to Hell and rot there.”

“And I can tell you nobody is scared. Mummy G. O. of Ota provides good entertainment. Some people have even taken over her narrative to create many memes in her name. That was how I ran into one pretty young lady the other day and paid her compliments. She asked if I was aware that any married man who looks lustfully at any pretty woman would go to Hell, according to Mummy G.O!” “I think I have an idea of the people who should go to Hell.”

“Like who and who?”

“Since you have refused to tell me what you know about the politics of the race to 2023, I don’t have to tell you what I know too.”

“Look, the politics of the 2023 Presidency in Nigeria is one of the foggiest items on the calendar.

Nobody is sure of anything. One year to the 2015 general election, we had an idea who the main candidates were and all the games being played. In 2019, it was clear that the APC was not willing to relinquish power. The 2023 election is just about a year away, nobody can put a finger on anything.”

“I can” “I am listening” “INEC says even if the Heavens fall, the elections will hold. I can put my finger on that. I can also put my finger on the fact that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and Chieftain of the ruling APC has informed President Buhari formally that he is in the race. He made it very clear yesterday that it is his life ambition to be President of Nigeria and that he has the capacity.

I can also put my finger on the fact that Aare Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation magazine and ThisDay newspaper back-page columnist, also wants to be President. Others who have shown interest include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, by proxy, in his own case, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Dr Doyin Okupe, Kingsley Moghalu..”

“You don’t get it. People don’t become President of Nigeria by just printing posters or through social media announcements. It is far more complex. What is the emerging consensus? Nobody knows. Will the President come from the North or the South, or the North Central? Nobody knows. What are the key issues on the table? All I hear is aspirants saying they can do the job. And now you claim some people are pushing for the return of President Jonathan. I just hope some people are not trying to play southerners against one another to achieve a hidden agenda.”

“One year is a long time in politics. You never know.”

“We should know. Nigeria cannot afford to end up with an accidental President. That would be disastrous, especially as the two major political parties do not appear to be ready. We don’t even have an electoral framework in place yet.”

“That is not a problem. The President says he would sign it as soon as the National Assembly removes the portion dealing with direct primaries.”

“But the security situation in the country is getting worse, and there are radical groups threatening to prevent any future election in any part of the country.”

“Don’t worry. Nigeria has a way of surviving.

We are a country where the unexpected happens, the strangest of all things occur, and yet the people adjust and move on. The next elections would be no different.”

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