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CBN Eyes $200bn from Fresh Non-oil Export Initiative Again, apex bank extends 5% concessionary interest on intervention loans by one year Plans to end FX sale to banks by year-end Diaspora remittances improve to $100m weekly James Emejo in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos The Governor of the Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday announced a new programme to stimulate the country’s

non-oil exports and achieve $200 billion repatriation of proceeds between three to five years.

Emefiele said the scheme, code-named, “Race to $200 billion in FX Repatriation (RT200 FX Programme),”

which takes immediate effect, consists of a set of policies, plans and programmes for non-oil exports which would

help the country attain its goal of $200 billion in FX Continued on page 12

Nigeria’s Oil Production Rises by 202,000bpd...

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2023: Lukman, Ex-PGF DG, Drums Support for 2022 Committee...page 8

IMF: Nigeria's Debt Sustainability at Risk, Cause for Concern Nume Ekeghe The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said Nigeria’s debt sustainability is at risk

and causes a great deal of concern and unease in the long-term. IMF reiterated the need for the Nigeria government to implement

timely fiscal reforms.

IMF’s Mission Chief for Nigeria, Ms. Jesmin Rahman, said these yesterday, during a virtual media briefing on

its Nigeria’s 2021 Article IV Consultation Staff Report.

Rahman noted that the increase in public debt had grown rapidly in 10 years and

was approaching a time when the country would spend all its income on servicing debts. She stressed the need for urgent fiscal reforms.

Rahman explained, “But what we should remember here and the things that make Continued on page 12

Buhari Talks Tough, Says Suppliers of Substandard Fuel would be Held Accountable Directs service providers to give information on consumed products House wants companies involved suspended Emadeb Consortium fights back, says NNPC’s claims misleading Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Emmanuel Addeh, Udora Orizu, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Vanessa Obioha President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said suppliers of the methanol-blended petroleum products in the country were liable for the bad fuel and should be held accountable.

Buhari directed relevant government agencies to take every lawful step to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuse and social injustice.

The president was reacting to the saga of the adulterated petrol imported into the country, which was said to have damaged some vehicles. The withdrawal of the fuel is behind the recent petrol scarcity that has caused long fuel queues in some towns and cities across Nigeria.

Continued on page 12

17KM IKPAKO-AJOKI ROAD CONSTRUCTION BEGINS...

L-R: Group Executive Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Adokiye Tombomieye; Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu; standing behind Kyari is the Executive Director, Sahara Group, Temitope Shonubi, during the flag-off of the 16.7km Ikpako-Ajoki Road project in Ovia North East and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas of the state...yesterday

Irabor: Military’s Involvement in Insurgency War at High Price... Page 46

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

A SOUVENIR TO THE CONSUL GENERAL...

Consul General, Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, Mr. Michel Deelen (left) being presented with a souvenir by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Marina...yesterday

Nigeria’s Oil Production Rises by 202,000bpd Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Although it undershot the 1.701 million bpd Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) output cut in January 2022, Nigeria was able to ramp up production to the tune of 202,000 bpd for the month.

According to the OPEC's Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for January released yesterday, the country struggled to pump 1.399 million bpd out of the total allocation, quoting primary sources.

This was in contrast to December 2021, when it pumped 1.197 million barrels per day and November when it was only able

to produce 1.275 million bpd.

The latest data by OPEC indicated that all 13 members of the group—including the three producers exempted from the OPEC+ quotas, pumped 27.981 million bpd in January, up by 64,000 bpd from December, going by secondary sources.

This meant that OPEC was only able to raise its crude oil production by just 64,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January 2022, well below target, supplying fewer barrels to the market than promised.

In all, the biggest increase in crude oil production came from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, while output declined in OPEC's

Marcelle Ruth Holds Walk against Cancer Dike Onwuamaeze The Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital (MRCC&SH) would hold its first-ever ‘Walk Against Cancer’ to mark the World Cancer month.

The Lagos-based ultra-modern medical centre stated that it was joining the rest of Nigeria and indeed the world to contribute its quota in keeping with this year’s theme: ‘Close The Care Gap.” Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre stated this in a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Dr. Modupe Elebute-Odunsi, which described the World Cancer Day that is held every February 4, as the global uniting initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Elebute-Odunsi said the walk would be held tomorrow, Friday, February 11, from 7 a.m. and would cover a distance of five-kilometer beginning from the Lagos House, Marina to

MRCC&SH to Victoria Island, Lagos via Adeola Odeku.

She said: “By raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action, the world is challenged to work together to aim for a world where millions of cancer deaths are prevented and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care are equitable for all, no matter who you are or where you live.”

She said since its creation in 2000, the World Cancer Day has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice to face one of our greatest challenges in history.

Elebute-Odunsi added that “2022 begins a 3-year campaign for impact in cancer care: this first year seeks to understand and recognise the inequities in care around the globe and to increasing awareness of early detection through health screening programs, which will literally save lives.”

second-largest producer Iraq, as well as in Venezuela and Libya.

Even top producer, Saudi Arabia, failed to deliver its 110,000 bpd monthly increase, raising its oil production in January by 54,000 bpd to 9.999 million, below its 10.122 million bpd quota for January per the OPEC+ deal.

However, Saudi Arabia selfreported a much higher production increase last month as based on direct communication from members, Saudi Arabia boosted its production by 123,000 bpd to 10.145 million.

Despite tightening oil market, OPEC and its allies, OPEC+ has continued to add a measured 400,000 barrels per day increase in production to the market.

For months, Nigeria has been unable meet its required share of the OPEC quota, being 1.683 million bpd in December, 1.701 million bpd in February and now 1.718 in March.

Poor upstream infrastructure,

sabotage, oil theft as well as lack of investment have been blamed for the ongoing default.

However, in spite of the increasing demand pressure, OPEC countries and their allies had agreed to continue feeding a modest amount of additional oil into the market.

Oil prices are currently hovering at seven-year highs of $90 a barrel, prompting expectations from high consuming nations on OPEC to wet the market and bring down rising prices.

But for half a year now, OPEC+ has actually added lower volumes to the market each month than the 400,000 bpd nominal monthly increase announced in each of the OPEC+ meetings since August 2021.

For instance, the cartel was a massive 800,000 bpd behind its overall production quota in January, as the producers in the pact increased output by just 260,000 bpd last month, an Argus

survey showed earlier.

But the cartel said that worries about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are steadily fading while the global economy heats up, supporting mounting oil demand that could soon surpass the cartel’s expectations reported only weeks earlier.

The international benchmark last month climbed about 20 per cent and eclipsed $90 per barrel and has held above that level since early this month, topping $92 in intraday trading yesterday.

OPEC had in early January predicted global demand would rise by 4.15 million bpd and that consumption would exceed 100 million bpd in the third quarter, returning demand to pre-pandemic levels.

In the latest report it stuck with that forecast but said based on current consumption trends, it could soon revise its outlook higher.

It left its demand outlook

for global oil demand growth unchanged, while signalling optimism about prospective increases in transport fuel consumption.

OPEC marginally adjusted higher its projections for global demand by 10,000 bpd for the full year, to an average of 100.8 million bpd, revised its thirdquarter outlook up by 40,000 bpd to 101.32 million bpd and raised its fourth-quarter estimate by 20,000 bpd to 102.92 million bpd.

Before now, in December, with a daily underperformance figure of 78,000 barrels per day, THISDAY had reported that Nigeria lost as much as 2.418 million barrels of crude.

The month also saw Nigeria slump lower than other previous production performances, compared to for instance, October, in which 1.228 barrels were pumped per day, and November during which 1.275 million barrels were produced per day.

With over 100% Hike in Operational Costs, Truck Owners Say Transport Business Collapsing May be forced to withdraw facilities Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), a group of businessmen, who are into the haulage of petroleum products across the country, yesterday said they might be forced off the roads by the current cost of operations.

In a press briefing in Abuja, the National President of NARTO, Mr. Yusuf Othman, who reeled out the major cost centres in the operations of the vehicles, stated that in the last one year, the cost of a truck head, for instance, had increased from N20 million to N35 million.

Furthermore, Othman stated

that whereas a tank sold for N8 million in 2020, it is now sold for about N15 million, while the dollar which exchanged for N315 to the naira in the parallel market in 2020 has jumped to N570 this year.

In some cases, some of the costs which have increased by as much as 500 per cent, he said, included tyres which has jumped from N35,000 per one to N150,000 and batteries which were selling for N32,000 and is now procured for as much as N120,000.

The price of diesel, the transport owners said, has further risen from the N250 per litre it was selling in 2020 to N420 in February 2022, explaining that the members of

the association could not continue to operate at a loss.

Othman explained that the situation had brought untold hardship to his members, noting that for more than a year now, they have been groaning under intense and harsh operating conditions occasioned by acute shortage of working capital for the efficient running of their operations.

Stressing that the operations of NARTO are carried out under a regulated environment, the organisation explained that the payment of freight, which it wants raised, is regulated by the Downstream, Midstream Regulatory Authority (NDMPRA)

based on the overall petrol pricing template.

According to NARTO, this is done most often, without due regard to prevailing economic and market conditions, while worse still, the payments are received by transporters in arrears, usually 3-5 months after the products are delivered.

The group stated that in 2020, there was an approval by the defunct board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to increase the freight rate by 26 per cent for which the endorsement of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was needed for implementation.

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LAST MILE INTERVENTION...

L–R: Minister of State, Industry Trade and Investment, Ambassedor Mariam Katagum; Ekiti State Governor and Chairman Nigeria Governors' Forum, Kayode Fayemi; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya; Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule; Minister of State Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Mamora and Maryam Uwais at the Launch of the Last Mile Intervention for the Vulnerable at the Conference Center of the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday

House Moves to Investigate Validity of Deep Blue Project Writes NPA, demands details of contract agreement Udora Orizu in Abuja In a move that has raised suspicions, the House of Representatives Committee on Navy is forging ahead to investigate the Deep Blue Contract with HSL International Ltd. To that extent, the committee has written to the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) demanding details of contract agreement(s) between the agency, Federal Ministry of Transport, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)

and any other relevant legal documents related to the project for commencement of investigative hearings scheduled to begin February 22.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on June 11, 2021, inaugurated the Deep Blue Project, at the ENL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos State.

But the lawmakers at the plenary on 15 December 2021, adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Benjamin Kalu, mandated the Committee to investigate the legality of the contract agreement “whether it is in line with extant

FG Inaugurates REA Board, Pledges to Ramp Up Rural Electrification Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government yesterday formally inaugurated the board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), promising to ensure that the 30:30:30 plan to ensure that most local communities are provided power becomes a reality.

Speaking during the event, Minister of State, Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, said the federal government would continue to pay attention to the underserved in Nigeria’s rural areas.

Jedy-Agba told the new board members that one of their major duties would be to ensure that the plan to light up the hinterlands as well as the deployment of 30 per cent renewables of 30 gigawatts of electricity by 3030 was ramped up.

Nigeria's electricity vision 30:30:30 seeks to achieve a technology-driven renewable energy sector that harnesses the nation's resources to complement its fossil fuel consumption and guarantee energy security.

By 2030, according to the plan, renewable energy was expected to contribute about 30 per cent share in the available electricity mix.

The minister added although a part-time board, the federal

government expected them to give their best to ensure that the agency meets all Key Performance Indices (KPIs).

According to the minister, from time to time, the indices would be reviewed for regular adjustment to meet with the government’s aspirations in the sector, urging the new inductees to minimise friction among themselves.

The new board has Abdulazeez Musa-Yar’Adua as Chairman and Managing Director/CEO of the organisation, Mr. Ahmad Salihijo, as a member.

Other members of the board representing the six – geopolitical zones include, Michael Oluwagbemi (representing the South West), Chidi Nwogu (representing the South-east) and Catherine Ajibike (representing the South-south).

In addition, Dr. Abdullahi Garba represents the North-west on the board, Dr. Abdul Umar, the North-east, while Mohammed Badamasuiy represents the North-central.

To enhance partnerships and improve the synergy with critical agencies which are supportive of the REA in achieving its mandate, Jedy-Agba said other government organisations are represented on the governing board with ex-officio capacity.

laws and regulations,” and the standards of all platforms purchased for the Nigerian Navy to “determine whether they are according to specifications.”

The committee is also to determine the actual amount of money spent by the federal government on the Deep Blue contract and “any other matter” relating to the Deep Blue contract.

Kalu, in the motion, recalled that the Federal Ministry of Transportation, on July 27, 2017, and on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, entered into a contract known as the ‘Deep Blue’ contract of $195,300,000, an equivalent of N59,839,930,000, with a foreign private company, HLS International Limited, for the supply of certain security and surveillance equipment and systems.

However, in a letter dated February 9, 2022, signed by Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi and addressed to the Managing Director at NPA, Hadiza Usman Bello, the lawmakers

also demanded list of items/ equipment and platforms, including ships, helicopters, Arms and Ammunitions procured by the Deep Blue Contract with HSL International Ltd. The letter, titled, 'Need to Investigate the Deep Blue Contract to HSL International Limited,' read in part: "The House at its plenary dated Wednesday, 15 December 2021, deliberated on the above subject matter and mandated the House Committee on Navy to carry out further Legislative processes.

“In view of the above and pursuant to Sections 62, 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (1999) as amended, Order 17, Rule 9 of the Standing Order of the House, and other extant rules and provisions on the control and management of public finances of the Federation with objective to ensuring public accountability, transparency, among others, the Committee is hereby requesting you to submit the following Documents/

information listed and attend an Investigative Hearing as stated below: Contract Agreement(s) between the Federal Ministry of Transport, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and any other relevant legal document(s) that is related to Deep Blue Contract with HSL International Ltd. "List of all items/equipment and platforms including ships, Helicopters, Arms and Ammunitions procured by the Deep Blue Contract with HSL International Ltd. as indicated in Annexure i. List of ALL items/equipment and Platforms purchased and the cost implication(s) including details of installment payment(s) made.

“This should include name of contractors, equipment manufacturers, addresses of companies, countries of their origin and phone numbers. The total amount of money spent by the Nigerian Government regarding to ALL the contracts.

All procurement processes and

details of each of the contract(s) or items/ equipment. Any other relevant information and document(s) relating to the Deep Blue Contract with HSL International Ltd. "Note that all correspondences must be submitted in One (1) soft copy and fifty-five (55) hard copies, to Suite 0.01, Ground Floor, New Building, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on or before Thursday 17th February, 2022. The hearing is scheduled thus: Date: Tuesday 22nd February, 2022. Time: 11:00am prompt Venue: Conference Room 028 House of Reps. New Building NASS Complex Abuja.

“Additionally, on the completion of the Hearing, the Committee may proceed for an on the spot verification exercise. Find here attached vote and Proceeding and other relevant documents. Treat as an urgent and a matter of National importance. While expecting your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem and consideration at all times."

2023: Lukman, Ex-PGF DG, Drums Support for 2022 Committee Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja A former Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has called on all patriotic Nigerians to support "The 2022 Committee" working to ensure the emergence of credible leaders in the 2023 general election.

Lukman, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said the emergence of the ‘association’ presented an opportunity to critically assess the capacity of political parties to serve as effective and competent negotiating platforms for the emergence of ‘quality leadership’ in Nigeria.

The 2022 Committee, an association of eminent

businessmen, political, media and civil society leaders, including 14 current governors, 13 former governors as well as three former Senate Presidents, is an initiative of the Chairman, THISDAY and ARISE Groups, Prince Nduka Obaigbena.

However, Lukman, in a statement yesterday, stressed that a situation whereby politicians reduced issues of national development targets to partisan rivalries must be discouraged.

He noted that the absence of a level playing field in political parties was discouraging quality individuals from presenting themselves for consideration.

Lukman noted, that was partly responsible for why every part

of the country, and in virtually all the political parties, the most qualified candidates for ‘quality leadership’ were hardly in the race for contests.

"The capacity of our parties to produce the kind of leadership Nigerians aspire is weak. Left alone, individuals with strong financial muscles, whose vision may be narrow, hardly going beyond access to public resources would have an advantage.

"Every patriotic Nigerian should commend the initiatives of the association. In addition, Nigerians should encourage members of the association to do everything possible to force internal negotiations, which should lead to agreements

within political parties leading to the emergence of quality leadership in 2023 at all levels in Nigeria. A stitch in time saves nine!

"Therefore, the new political value potentially being created by a group such as the association is the possibility of opening the political spaces in the country, including within the current big parties (APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to produce higher quality leaders that what would have ordinarily been the case in 2023.

“It will require some superior organising to produce such a higher quality desired different outcome, which is why such an initiative requires the support of all patriotic Nigerians," he said.

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PAGE TWELVE C B N E Y E S $ 2 0 0 B N F R O M F R E S H N O N - O I L E X P O RT I N I T I AT I V E repatriation, exclusively from non-oil exports transactions over the next three to five years.

He added that the initiative was a product of consultation with the banking community.

Addressing journalists at the end of the 364th meeting of the Bankers’ Committee in Abuja, the CBN governor also announced further extension of all the central bank’s concessionary five per cent interest rate on its intervention facilities till March 1, 2023.

The CBN had in January 2021, approved an extension on all its facilities by 12 months to March 2022, from the earlier March 2021 expiration date, against the backdrop of the dangers posed by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic businesses.

The concessions were provided during the first wave of the pandemic as part of measures to cushion its impact on businesses and economy.

This was as Emefiele further hinted that the central bank may end the sale of FX to banks for the purpose of funding their export bills, adding that the banks would be rather encouraged to generate their export revenue and proceeds.

He, however, explained that the new non-oil export initiative would have five key anchors namely value-adding exports facility; Non-oil commodities’ expansion facility; Non-oil FX rebate scheme; Dedicated non-oil export terminal as well as Biannual non-oil export summit.

Essentially, he said the new FX drive was informed by the inadequacy in FX supply and constant pressure on the exchange rate, pointing out that the country’s four

major sources of FX inflow namely: proceeds from oil exports, proceeds from non-oil exports, diaspora remittances, and foreign direct/portfolio investments had been constrained by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “I believe the lessons we have learnt from our policies on remittances can be applied in improving some aspects of FX inflow into the country.”

Emefiele further argued that most of the sources of FX inflows were unreliable and perennially prone to exogenous vicissitudes of global economic developments.

He added: “We have all been witnesses to the ever-changing fortunes of oil-exporting countries.

Even those that have been reputed to manage their oil proceeds well also suffer from major shocks once oil prices plummet.

“In order to avoid these sudden adjustments to our

economic life, we need to focus on strategies that can help us earn more stable and sustainable inflows of foreign exchange. We would need to follow the best practices of other countries and ensure that we protect ourselves a little bit from factors that are beyond our immediate control.”

He said though the $200 billion FX proceeds target appeared unattainable to some, “But I am resolute and determined that we can achieve it.”

The CBN Governor added: “Many countries that are much less endowed than Nigeria are doing it. Consider for example that agriculture exports alone from the Netherlands was about $120 billion last year.

“Yet, Netherlands has a land mass of about 42,000 square kilometers, which is much smaller than the land mass of Niger State alone, at over 76,000 square kilometers.”

He said while the RT200 Programme was not intended

to be a silver bullet to all the challenges in the export segment, it remained a first step meant to ensure that the CBN was able to carry out its mandate in an effective and efficient manner, which guarantees preservation of the scarce commonwealth, and the stability of the naira.

Emefiele insisted that, “It is only by boosting productive and earning capacity of this economy that we can truly preserve the long-term value of our currency, as well as the stability of our exchange rate.”

However, Emefiele, while justifying the extension of the concessionary loans, said the impact of the intervention measures helped the country make the fastest recovery from recession ever recorded and changed the trajectory of inflation to an eight-month downward spiral.

He noted that although interest rates on the CBN’s various intervention facilities were expected to revert to

nine per cent effective March 1, 2022, it has been extended to March, 2023.

Emefiele added: “We are announcing that the rates would remain at five per cent for another year in view of the promising trajectory we have established in economic growth and job creation. In effect, the concessionary interest rate of five per cent on our intervention facilities would now be extended until March 1, 2023.”

He further revealed that the policies and measures adopted by the bank led to a significant improvement in diaspora inflow from an average of $6 million per week in December 2020, to an average of over $100 million per week by January 2022.

Commenting further on plans by the central bank to limit FX sales to banks for exports activities, Emefiele said: “The banks don't have a choice, and I said so this morning in the meeting, “I said the era is coming to

an end because when your customers need $100 million, $200 million foreign exchange demand, and so you want to pack all the dollar and pass it to CBN to give you dollar – that era is coming to an end.

“I have told them at the meeting before, that latest end of this year, we would tell them don't call the central bank for FX again, rather go and generate your export revenue and proceeds.

“Fund people who want to generate export proceeds, when those export proceeds come, we would fund them at five per cent for you and they would earn rebate and that's how we can help you.

“Then, when these proceeds come, sell them to your customers that want $100 million or $200 million. That you will continue to come to central bank to give you dollar, we would stop it. The banks don’t have a choice because it is their bread and butter, right?”

inquiry on the impact fuel subsidy removal and value added tax (VAT) would have the masses, Rahman explained that tax reforms were a necessity to boost the country’s revenue.

She also restated the need for the federal government to remove fuel subsidy, saying it is costly and regressive.

Rahman stated, “A country that has little fiscal space to have a subsidy that benefits mostly the rich doesn't make sense. So, there are economic and social grounds for removing this subsidy.

“Of course, will it impact the poor because it's a universal subsidy it affects

the poor, too. So, removing subsidy would have impact on poverty.”

The IMF official added, “And if you look at Nigeria's past attempts to remove fuel subsidies, it has always been difficult. But it would be important that in addition to having social assistance, targeted social assistance for the vulnerable and the poor and it also will need strong political will and a well-designed public campaign to demonstrate the merits of this reform and a full transparency in the use of resources. Without this important reform there is risk of reversal again.”

IMF: NIGERIA'S DEBT SUSTAINABILITY AT RISK, CAUSE FOR CONCERN Nigeria's debt sustainability at risk are the following: we have seen a rapid rise in public debt in the last 10 years or so and this is being driven by fiscal deficits.

“So, the dynamics is not that great. And there are a couple of other points that we should remember; which is that Nigeria's debt carrying capacity is very low.

For us, revenue levels are low comparing to a typical emerging market country that spends less than 10 per cent of revenues on interest payments.

“In Nigeria's case, that ratio, if you just take federal government, it's over 80 per

cent of revenues, if you take the consolidated, it is around a third, but the federal government is responsible for paying this debt service. So that's one point.

“The second point is on the access side. Market access for Nigeria, that is international market access, like Eurobond, etc., is highly dependent on what happens to oil prices, more so than some other commodity exporters and oil exporters. So that makes Nigeria quite vulnerable.”

Rahman said going forward, IMF projected for Nigeria a continuous increase in public debt.

“So, we are projecting

you will see public debt to go up from 36 per cent of GDP to close to 43 per cent of GDP in the medium term,” she said. “And so, it is increasing and it is reaching that level where you should be concerned, everybody should be concerned,” she added.

According to her, “Nigeria has favourable dynamics in the sense that high inflation and low interest rates are keeping these dynamics in favour of Nigeria, right. But if that were to change because growth rates are not high, you could see public debt growing up very fast.”

Responding to a THISDAY

BUHARI TALKS TOUGH, SAYS SUPPLIERS OF SUBSTANDARD FUEL WOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE In a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari said the protection of consumer interests was the priority of his administration. He said his government was ready to take necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.

The president directed that in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products.

He said dissatisfied consumers were entitled to proper redress of their complaints.

However, following the disclosure by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) that its investigation revealed the presence of methanol in four petrol cargoes imported by MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil, the House of Representatives yesterday directed the national oil company to suspend the companies involved.

That was as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also yesterday, called for an independent inquest into the matter. The main opposition party alleged that the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) was trying to provide cover for some of its leaders, reportedly, involved in importation of the bad fuel.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) also said NNPC, as the sole importer of fuel in the country, should be responsible for payment of damages to affected Nigerians.

But Emadeb-consortium yesterday distanced itself

from the bad fuel saga, saying listing it among those partly responsible for the importation of the off-specification petrol by the NNPC is misleading.

The group in a statement in Abuja released by the Lead Consortium, Emadeb Energy Services Limited, urged NNPC to single out Brittania-U, an initial member of the coalition, which opted out of the arrangement instead of lump everyone in the consortium together.

The House of Representatives also mandated its committee on petroleum downstream to investigate the release of adulterated petroleum in the country with a view to ensuring that the culprits were brought to book and recommendations made to avoid future reoccurrence.

The Downstream Committee of the House was also mandated to ascertain whether the importation, distribution and dispensing of the toxic petrol in Nigeria till date conformed to the international standard.

Members of the committee where further mandated to find out the roles played, if any, by NNPC, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Navy, Customs, limited liability companies, and, perhaps, individuals in respect of the incident and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.

The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance, sponsored by Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno).

Monguno, moving the motion, noted that the country recently witnessed scarcity of fuel in petrol stations, especially

in the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State, due to the withdrawal of fuel with high methanol content. He said the House was aware that the fuel quality was noticed about a week ago when car engines of a lot of motorists were, reportedly, damaged and consumers had already started suing retail outlets for selling the adulterated fuel.

Monguno lamented that as a result of actions or inactions over the years, Nigeria, known to be a petroleum producing country, has now outsourced the refining of petroleum products to jurisdictions outside the country.

While noting that the situation was embarrassing, the chief whip said the incident further reinforced the widespread clamour that petroleum government refineries in the country should be revamped so that the ugly scenario won’t happen again.

In his contribution, Hon. Magaji Da'u (APC, Jigawa) was of the view that for the incident to happen, it meant the system was compromised, stressing that “heads will roll.”

Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) said it appeared the parliament had been hired by NNPC to work for it.

On her part, Hon. Taiwo Oluga (APC, Osun), wondered what NNPC had done since the matter was reported.

Another lawmaker, Hon. Mshelia Haruna (APC, Borno), advised that citizens whose vehicles were affected should be considered during the investigation and recommendations.

PDP Demands Independent Inquest

PDP demanded investigation into allegations that APC leaders connived with foreign interests to import the fuel laden with methanol, “in their desperation to defraud Nigerians and corruptly raise billions of naira to fund the APC National Convention and rigging of the 2023 general elections.”

The main opposition party further alleged that with President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Petroleum, it would be impossible to achieve results without an independent inquest, else it would end like the #EndSARS inquiry.

In a statement by National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said it was now clear that APC leaders were desperately seeking ways to steal money to fund their 2023 rigging scheme, “since the PDP and well-meaning Nigerians exposed and challenged their plots to siphon a staggering N2.557 trillion padded as fuel subsidy for 2022.”

The statement said, “PDP strongly condemned these despicable acts by APC leaders, which further expose the impunity and wickedness of the APC towards Nigerians.”

It added, "The inclination for official concealment ostensibly informed the refusal by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on national television on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, to name those involved in the importation of the poisonous fuel into our country.

"Against this backdrop, the PDP rejects the announced internal investigation of this terrible crime by the government, as the APC administration cannot be trusted, given its manifest

predilection to shield the APC leaders involved.

“Nigerians note the various investigations instituted by the APC government in the past, which ended without any meaningful outcome; notable among which was the manipulated EndSARS Report."

The PDP demanded, “An Independent Commission of Enquiry to investigate all issues connected to the APC toxic fuel importgate.” It maintained that those involved must be exposed and held accountable.

It further stated, "Our party insists that President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, cannot acquit himself with his reported comedy of anger, buck-passing, querying of subordinates and attempt by government to use some companies as scapegoats instead of accepting responsibility by exposing and naming individuals involved in the crime.

"President Buhari and the APC must explain how the reported 317 million litres of toxic fuel came into our country, got cleared and distributed across the nation to worsen the life-discounting experiences of millions of Nigerians under the APC administration.

"Apart from the consequential economic hardship occasioned by the damaging of cars and equipment, crippling of means of livelihood across the country, as well as increase in the cost of food items and essential services, the cascading effect of adulterated fuel on our aviation industry can only be imagined.

"Sadly, the situation has the possibility to trigger loss of confidence by international airlines in our aviation fuel supply with attendant economic downturn as they would

more likely prefer to fuel in neighbouring countries."

NNPC Responsible for Payment of Damages to Affected Nigerians, Says IPMAN Secretary of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr. Ismail Osatuyi, who spoke yesterday, while featuring on “The Morning Show” on Arise News Channel, said the NNPC and its agents must go back to the drawing board and make sure things were done well.

Osatuyi stated, “if you are cooking a soup and you put too much salt, definitely you can't eat it. This is the scenario we are seeing now.”

He said Nigerians whose cars were destroyed by the product had rights to take legal action.

Osatuyi added, "The buyers – Nigerians that had their vehicles spoiled – have the right to take legal action. And we have told our members that we have to know who and who are affected, which stations, which companies, so that we can also pass the information to the government.

“Since we are not responsible for the importation, then there must be restitution and that is the fact. And the government has to come in this time around for them to mitigate whatever damage they have done to the vehicle of Nigerians' and individuals."

Asked if IPMAN would sue NNPC or its agents, Osatuyi stressed that the association would rather engage NNPC in dialogue.

He explained, "We are not Continued on page 48

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COMMENT

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

IMPENDING RETURN OF HOSTILITIES AT THE IVORY TOWER FG should learn to honour agreements, writes Bolaji Adebiyi

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his weekend, university teachers under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities would hold a meeting to determine when to carry out their threat to down tools.

The threat was issued a couple of weeks ago and when the federal government continued to play the Ostrich, the lecturers began sporadic warning strikes from last Friday. All things being equal, what they call a comprehensive and total strike may begin next week. It’s likely to be a long haul. “[We] will utilise the work-free day to further mobilise and sensitise the public about the justification of the proposed action,” said Ajao Moyosore, a professor and chairman of the University of Ilorin branch of the union, in a statement announcing the start of the warning strike, explaining: “It is also to convince the federal government to be responsible, do the needful and avoid a situation whereby Nigerian universities will be closed down again.”

The subject matter is not new. It is about the serial failure of the federal government to honour a 13-year-old agreement signed with ASUU in 2009. Since it issued the strike threat many policy analysts and social critics have expressed concerns at the prospect of another nationwide lockdown of the nation’s public universities. And not a few have upbraided the university lecturers for lacking alternative tools for the enforcement of their demands. This they did without offering their own panacea for the lecturers’ action.

Interestingly, none of the critics has faulted the legitimacy of ASUU’s demands that is the fuel for the action. A little background would be useful. In 2009, the union after a spate of strikes entered into an agreement with the federal government on the funding of public universities. The agreement itself was not new. It was a renegotiation of a subsisting agreement that previous governments walked away from.

Taking advantage of his close knowledge of the higher tertiary education system, President Umaru Yar’Adua gave a firm commitment to better funding as well as deal with the adjourning sundry issues of earned allowances and revitalisation of the universities.

Shortly after, however, Yar’Adua died and the task of enforcing the agreement fell on his successor, Goodluck Jonathan, also a former lecturer who committed to increased funding of education. Although he increased the funding to the sector and enlarged access to tertiary education by establishing 12 additional universities, the increment somehow did not substantially address the agreement reached in 2009 leading to another lengthy strike in 2012.

It took the direct intervention of Jonathan to end the 2012 strike as the lecturers decided that owing to serial reneging on agreements by the federal government, the only official that they would accept as the guarantor of the impending Memorandum of Agreement was the president. Even with the imprimatur of the president, the MoA was substantially unimplemented till he left office in 2015.

If two former lecturers who found themselves at the helm of affairs had difficulties implementing MoUs and MoAs, it should have been fairly obvious to the lecturers that a president who had to engage eight senior advocates of Nigeria to prove that he had a secondary

WHAT IS BEING DEALT WITH HERE IS THE HABITUAL INCLINATION OF POLICYMAKERS TO BE WAYWARD AND IRRESPONSIBLE. THE SOLUTION TO THIS IS NOT TOLERATING BUT GETTING RID OF ITS ADDICTION TO THE BAD HABIT OF FLOUTING AGREEMENTS

school certificate would not care a hoot about their concerns for better infrastructure for higher education. It would take two years for ASUU to realise this. Frustrated by the indifference of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the 2012 MoA another strike would force another MoA in 2017. Yet there would have to be another massive strike in the year of COVID-19 for another MoA in 2020.

Despite the nine-month strike that birthed the 2020 MoA, it would take another three-week ultimatum the following year to get the federal government to partially implement the agreement. The payment of N22.1bn earned allowances and the release of N30bn revitalisation fund to the universities aborted that strike.

As it was the way of the federal government, once the lecturers accepted palliatives and returned to work, officials who were saddled with the responsibility to follow up on the implementation of the remainder of the agreement would go to sleep, precipitating another round of disputes. When this became the situation earlier this year ASUU warned about the possibility of a return to hostility.

With the imminent resumption of hostility, leaders of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council, Muhammad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, and Samson Ayokunle, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, visited Buhari over the looming strike. As usual, the president committed to fulfilling the promises made to the union. Yet his government remained in substantial breach of an agreement it signed two years ago. This is the background to the impending hostility that threatens to once again disrupt academic activities in the ivory tower.

Yet some social activists and public policy commentators have yielded their space to the critique of the lecturers’ strike option. What more should the lecturers do to get the federal government to honour an agreement it freely entered into?

As much as the sentiments of parents and students, who would be adversely affected by the strike should be appreciated, the solution, however, does not lie in harassing ASUU to do away with the strike as the effective strategy to compel compliance with the agreement.

The more effective resolution is for all stakeholders to persuade the federal government to make the implementation of agreements a strict policy of the state. When it is recalled that the federal government has serially breached agreements freely entered into with many other public interest groups, including medical and labour organisations, it would not be difficult to come to the conclusion that what is being dealt with here is the habitual inclination of policymakers to be wayward and irresponsible. The solution to this is not tolerating but getting rid of its addiction to the bad habit of flouting agreements.

Those expressing concerns at the foreseeable adverse impact of the impending strike, therefore, need not join in the orchestrated campaign demonising ASUU. Rather, they should focus on the root of the problem, which is the federal government’s serial failure to take seriously the running and funding of public tertiary institutions. And when it enters into an agreement in this regard, it should dutifully implement it.

Adebiyi, the managing editor of THISDAY Newspapers, writes from bolaji.adebiyi@thisdaylive.com

INCURSION OF ISWAP: A MAJOR SECURITY SETBACK Afakriya A. Gadzama writes that everything must be done to stop the terrorist group from establishing a foothold in the country

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he incursion of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) into the country in the last couple of years is a development that has immense implications to countries in the West African sub-region. As predicted by several commentators, the terrorist group would certainly worsen the security situation in the sub-region as most countries are already very fragile due to internal political conflicts and economic weaknesses. This is why the inroad by ISWAP should be viewed with all seriousness.

There is no doubt that the group is determined to gain a foothold in the sub-region to pursue the agenda of its sponsors. Nigeria is a preferred destination of the group for obvious reasons, especially as the country is already conducive for its activities. One of these is the presence of the Boko Haram, a known ally of the group and many who identify with its ideology. The country is apparently an attractive destination of militant Islamic groups professing extreme ideologies and other terrorist elements professing alien Islamic doctrines. It is important to observe that in almost all the countries in the sub-region that ISWAP has infiltrated, they plan to assert control and influence. The incursion of ISWAP into some countries would therefore aggravate internal conflicts in attempts to dabble into the internal affairs of the countries. It will be recalled that Islamic State right from inception made no pretense of its objectives and the incursion of ISWAP, its successor, is therefore in pursuit of this objective. This is dangerous.

Another obvious implication of the influx of ISWAP into countries like Nigeria is the spread of the group’s ideology. It is also pertinent to observe that countries that are becoming strongholds of ISWAP in the sub-region are at the moment in one form of turmoil or the other. The group’s presence in such countries could assume alarming dimensions and be worsened by the large quantum of small arms

and light weapons in circulation in the region. These could be used by the terrorist group to destabilize many of the countries. There is in fact nothing worse than terrorists having control over the domestic affairs of the countries. Conflicts could result from the activities of groups like ISWAP in attempts to impose their brand of Islam and oppressive rule over the populace. There could also attempt to impose their surrogates.

Any of these could precipitate uprisings which could be major distractions in fragile countries. In countries like Nigeria, the activities of ISWAP in communities controlled by Boko Haram, a close ally of the group, could accentuate the perception of widespread insecurity. Apart from general insecurity that has impeded free movement of people, the incursion of ISWAP will disrupt socio-economic activities. Economic activities have already been seriously affected in many communities in northern parts of the country as a result of the activities of Boko Haram and bandits. This is why some governors of states infiltrated by terrorist groups suspected to be ISWAP such as Borno and Niger recently raised the alarm on the danger posed.

Meanwhile, there is no doubt that the group has deeply infiltrated many parts of the country and is believed to be most active in the North East and the North Central, but they could also have found their way to the South West and other parts of the country.

This has gone unnoticed because of the cosmopolitan nature and the support it seems to enjoy in some states. The situation is made worse by the absence of the will and determination to frontally deal with the menace. Although people in the rural areas are aware of their existence, there is hardly anything they can do because of fear of deadly attacks. Discussions among security forces reveal that the problem of tackling the group is not lack of intelligence but lack of will.

It is disturbing that the group freely operates in parts of Lake Chad and parts of Askira Uba in Southern Borno where it reportedly has settlements and operates markets. The group is believed to be behind foiled attacks on Buratai. The group is also believed to have made extensive inroads into parts of Niger, Katsina and Kaduna States and might have made similar inroads into Zamfara and Sokoto States.

No less disturbing are claims that the security forces are aware of the presence of the group in some states but have not gone to dislodge them, preferring to look the other way. There have also been reports that the security forces confuse the activities of ISWAP with criminal activities of armed bandits and lawless herdsmen as a French intelligence source observed some years ago. It should however be noted that the group has very often used some subversive and criminal groups as cover to perpetuate its presence in the country.

The wanton attacks and killings in some communities in many states are clear indications of its existence and it is known to be behind raids on communities and attacks on security operatives.

Many informed commentators believe some of the current attacks in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno and Yobe States are committed by ISWAP or those conniving with them. These attacks are fueling the perception that the country is under siege which could do enormous damage to the image and legacy of this government. There is reason to believe that security posts and armouries could become targets of the group in the coming months as the group might ally with other subversive groups to undermine the government and sabotage key installations. It is obvious that the group has established sleeper cells in many parts of the country which could be used as staging posts for more attacks in future. The forthcoming elections could also be a convenient period for the group to sabotage the efforts of the

government.

What all these portend is that ISWAP will emerge as the most deadly group in the country in the coming months. The gravity of the presence of ISWAP could best be appreciated from the perspective that no country would condone flagrant challenge of its sovereignty in any form and by any group. This is why the incursion of the group into the country in recent months is arguably the most potent threat to the country’s security. Everything must therefore be done to stop the group from establishing a foothold beyond its current inroad in parts of the country.

As previously observed, the group’s activities in the country could only be tackled through multilateral cooperation. The country should explore the possibility of cooperation with countries that have the capacity to eliminate the group in the sub-region.

The government should also acquire and equip the security forces with the weapons and capabilities they need to fight the group ferociously. The infiltration of the group at a time the country is contending with a combination of acts of banditry, kidnapping, lawless activities of herdsmen and separatist agitations would certainly constitute a huge distraction and serious setback to the efforts to fight terrorism.

This is why some informed sources believe that unless ISWAP is stopped in its tracks, the country will almost certainly be plunged into unimaginable disaster. The mistakes made in dealing with Boko Haram must be avoided at all costs. The government has provided the security forces with the required capabilities to stop the ongoing onslaught by the group. The government and the security forces should therefore be supported in their efforts to counter the onslaught so as not to be distracted from pursuing its obligations of meeting the aspirations of the people.

Gadzama OFR, mni, is Chairman National Institute for Security Studies

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EDITORIAL SECURITY LAPSES AT AIRPORTS The authorities should reinforce security at the airports with trained personnel and modern security equipment

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hat suspected thieves recently sneaked into an Arik Air aircraft parked at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, stealing valuable gadgets, speaks to the negligence of our law enforcement agencies. And it comes with serious implication for the aviation industry and our national image. The break-in has left the Boeing 737 aircraft grounded without its Flight Management Computer (FMC) and other accessories. The FMC is a specialised computer system that automates a wide variety of in-flight tasks, reducing the workload on the flight crew to the point that modern civilian aircraft no longer carry flight engineers or navigators.

Despite recommendations by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and several years of budgetary allocations, it is scandalous that there is no airport in THE FEDERAL AIRPORTS Nigeria that has AUTHORITY OF NIGERIA comprehensive SHOULD PROFILE THOSE perimeter fence. So, THAT IT GIVES ‘ON-DUTY’ it is more of luck CARDS THAT ENABLE THEM than deliberate preACCESS SENSITIVE AREAS ventive action that none of the nation’s AT THE AIRPORTS airports has been attacked by terrorists or other dangerous persons.

Even the supposedly fenced Lagos airport is open at Ejigbo, Shasha and Ajao Estate areas. With that, anybody can access the airport through these places and there have been incidents of such incursions in the past; like when pallets containing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ballot materials were vandalised at the cargo terminal.

There have been reported incidents of security breaches, of theft at the airside of the airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where a man who might be mentally unstable once clung to the engine of an aircraft that was taxiing to take off. Some years ago, a young boy in Benin breached airport security and hid himself in the wheel-well of Arik Air aircraft and was brought to La-

Letters to the Editor

gos by the flight. There have also been many incidents of those who gain access into the airside of the Lagos airport, hid in the similar compartment of the aircraft and were flown overseas, with only their dead bodies usually discovered after such risky venture.

W

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

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.

TACKLING THE MENACE OF INSECURITY

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he embarrassing tango going on between the ruling APC and the PDP over the failed condolence visit to Zamfara is a slap on over 22 years of so-called “democratic rule” in Nigeria.

Citing bad weather, the President’s defence that an unplanned road journey would have gone against all wellknown protocol for a serving president is probably the worst excuse of this administration to shy away from its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

Instead of giving excuses of travel protocol for the President, the Presidency should explain to Nigerians why there seems to be no end to incessant attacks by terrorists and bandits from Zamfara to Abia State.

The Presidency scores itself high on security but all parts of Nigeria have been bedeviled by insurgency, terrorism, and brigandage from Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen’s clashes, and heightened activities of unknown gunmen who have infiltrated the country from all over Africa and continue to leave Nigeria in a state of depression, despair and near death.

In mid-January, over 200 Nigerians were killed in about nine villages when terrorists attacked Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs in Zamfara State, yet the Presidency’s excuse is bad weather, and later lack of travel preparation as reasons the president has not commiserated with the victims. One begs to wonder what the value of human life is in Nigeria, a country where leaders don’t give any recourse or thought to humanity or the lives of its citizens. It has taken the president over three weeks to decide whether to visit the people of Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs. It’s already a week since the cancellation and the president was magnanimous to have sent a recorded broadcast instead.

hat makes the Arik Air aircraft incident more disturbing are reports from preliminary investigations that it was an insider job. This exposes the airports to a more complex security challenge because it indicates that the workers who carry out critical jobs for the airlines are not properly profiled. Globally, airports and aircraft offer series of highly attractive targets to terrorists and insurgents for reasons that include high value of aircraft, the concentration of people (often representing different nationalities) and the automatic media coverage that such attacks would generate.

So, to avert future security breaches, concerned authorities should reinforce the airports with trained security personnel, deploy modern security equipment, including CCTV that covers every part of the airports and there should be close monitoring of activities at these airports to ensure that pre-emptive measures are adopted to avert any adverse acts that may jeorpardise security at the airports.

The theft of equipment in the Arik Air aircraft indicates that the airport security is porous. This development will affect Nigeria’s country risk rating and might lead to an increase in aircraft insurance premium as well as the cost of aircraft leasing in the country. We therefore call on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation agencies to effectively profile those that it gives ‘On-Duty’ cards that enable them access sensitive areas at the airports. These agencies should also, in collaboration with airlines and other organisations at the airports, carry out periodic profiling of workers that work at the prohibited areas of the airports.

Aside providing more patrol vehicles for the four terminals in Lagos, aviation authorities should do everything possible to ensure that the lives of those who use the airports in Nigeria are protected.

In 2020, President Buhari refused to visit the victims of terrorist attacks in Government Science Secondary School Kankara, Katsina State when over 300 schoolboys were kidnapped even though the President visited Katsina a few days after the abduction.

While the president has in the past either sent a condolence message or refused to pay a courtesy visit to grieving victims in the Northern part of the country, that is really not why he was elected.

The president was not elected to be paying visits or sending condolence messages to victims of terrorism. The president was elected to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

He was elected to secure our borders and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. We instead have a president who has been reduced to sending recorded condolence messages to those whom he swore to protect. Buhari promised Nigerians to lead from the front at Chatham House, United Kingdom. The PDP and APC administrations have both failed to tackle the insecurity challenges of Nigeria. Insecurity has now become a national burden that gulps billions of naira with little or no impact. With the current deterioration in services across the country which can be traced to the incompetence of both PDP and APC, this isn’t the time to point fingers and ask others if they did better during their own administration. We should be taking stock because 22 years is a long enough time to mature and grow.

This administration and its predecessor are like a twin in a pod: nothing unique can ever be expected from them other than finger pointing. We demand as a matter of urgency that President Buhari should lead responsibly and tackle the issue of insecurity. As the 2023 Election approaches, we hope and expect that credible alternative party, ADC will show them how true leadership is done.

Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, ADC National Chairman

ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL AND TAXES

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n developed countries like US and UK, citizens pay their taxes willingly because their governments have been using the taxpayers’ money to execute projects that improve their standards of living.

However, those who constitute government in Nigeria embezzle taxpayers’ money and even the annual budgets, leaving the people in abject poverty.

The Abuja Municipal Area Council has been going round to share papers to offices and homes, forcing the occupants rented apartments to pay tax. I am not against paying taxes and if you must apply force, it should be done in accordance with the law.

It is unfortunate that people and their businesses are not progressing because of the inability of government to provide stable power supply, security and other needed amenities. Yet, the same government expects people to pay tax even as taxpayers’ money is hardly used for their benefits. I run a business that needs stable power supply but I have not been fortunate to experience even three hours of power supply. I have to always buy diesel for my generator. At a point, some of my clients stopped coming as they cannot withstand the epileptic power supply by AEDC and the noise of my generator and other generators around. Yet, the government that is responsible for my setback needs tax from me. Is that fair?

Government is not doing anything to support businesses to grow but the same government wants the owners of these enterprises to be paying tax, not minding the losses we incur as a result of its irresponsibility.

I will not pay tax to an irresponsible government. Let the government come and close my office, and multiply unemployment and insecurity.

Awunah Pius Terwase, Mpape, Abuja

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 •T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 •T H I S D AY

REFUTAL RE: APC: FRESH DUST IN ENUGU, RIVERS, OGUN, ABIA, OTHERS OVER INAUGURATION OF STATE CHAIRMEN Our attention has been drawn to a highly malicious and dangerously concocted tissues of falsehood, as found in the 6th February, 2022 edition of the Nation Newspaper, on the above subject matter and we hereby respond to that piece of propaganda trash as follows:

iii. They comprehensively boycotted the State Congress, which was duly approved and witnessed by the Delegates from APC National body, as well as INEC officials, and confessed to this truth.

4 The huge question begging for answers 1) That there’s absolutely no faction or any right now is: factional leadership whether real, speculative i. where exactly did the Nation Newspaper derive their facts that constitute any kind of or by imagination in APC, Rivers State.

Faction in APC Rivers State from?

2) That the only State Executive ably led by Chief Emeka Bekee has been duly ii. Where and what legal ingredients, whether authenticated, approved, recognized and perceived or otherwise grounds such effectively sworn into office by the APC monumental falsehoods?

National leadership, at the nation wide inauguration which recently held on 3rd 5. It therefore, speaks volume to what kind of quackery journalism the Nation News February 2022. paper, who are in fact, de facto mouthpiece 3) That it is on record that, the purported of Senator Ahmed Tinubu, have shamelessly Magnus Abe’s group, whom from all available become. credible evidence, had since recused and abandoned, and vehemently refused to 6. it’s curious that a newspaper solely owned participate in every single statutory process by one of APC chieftain, Tinubu would resort within APC Rivers, despite several entreaties to such malicious falsehoods against fellow party men and entire State Executive, with all namely thus: its dire consequences and implications. i.

They ridiculously refused to participate in the recent Re-validation of Consequently, we call on all party faithful APC membership exercise, and openly to take notice of these dangerous narratives declared same as rubbish. Thereby declaring emanating from ‘familiar quarters’ and themselves nonmembers of APC by all intents roundly condemn it. and truth.

We enjoin all members of APC Rivers State ii. they diametrically refused to Chapter to discountenance the said failed participate in all the recent Wards Congresses false publication, and continue to work across Rivers State. assiduously with the Chief Emeka Bekee led Executive of APC in Rivers State.

SIGNED:

CHIEF EMEKA BEKE State Chairman APC Rivers State

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022

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POLITICS

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

When Public Service Rules Don’t Matter in the National Assembly Igbotako Nowinta draws attention to glaring cases of abuse of the Civil Rule at the National Assembly

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egislative historians, scholars, the media recently watched with utter amazement the drama and intrigued displayed by the Senate Committee on Public Petitions as it threw out a petition originated by Crime Free & Peace Initiative, against Okpara Michael Nnaechi, Secretary of Planning & Legislative Budgets, Dauda Ibrahim El-Ladan, Clerk, Senate and Adebayo Anthony Ademola, Secretary Special Duties, for age falsification and forgery, an avoidable crime that has engulfed the National Assembly bureaucracy since October 2021 the exit date from service of the current Clerk Senate El-Ladan Ibrahim Dauda.

What the Senate would have done in its own wisdom, was to have directed the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), under the leadership of Engr. Ahmed Kadi Amshi, to immediately suspend the trio mentioned above according to the extant provisions of the Public Service Rules in Nigeria? This is a clear case of the Clerk Senate, Dauda Ibrahim El-Ladan being a judge and a jury in his own case since he remained in office as the Clerk to the same senate that presided over his case. He was said to be on seat as Clerk Senate the day the petition was laid before the senate Where is fairness and equity in the Nigerian Senate?

The powers that be in the National Assembly are wasting public funds in an unnecessary legal tussle with Senior Advocates of Nigerian (SAN) lawyers standing for the defendants to frustrate and vex the plaintiffs at the Federal High Court in Abuja; employing technicality of preliminary objections to buy time which might ultimately give the defendants enough window of opportunities to resign from office.

The National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) team, in their desperation in protecting these erring staff is maneuvering menacingly like sharks in the shallows. What we see is absurd and comical, Engr.Ahmed Kadi Amshi and his pay masters in the National Assembly are offering themselves as ugly vessels of misnomer and walking lies against laid down rules guiding the public service in Nigeria; this perfectly represents a huge minus against sanity in the nation’s highest parliamentary body.

I remember vividly in June 2020, the controversial case that involved the former Clerk to the National Assembly, Barr. Mohammed Ataba Omolori over tenure elongation. Omolori was shown the way out of office with speed! One would have expected the National Assembly Service Commission to replay the type of administrative swiftness it displayed uncompromisingly against the ex- Clerk to the National Assembly, in this particular matter?

In this case, we are seeing the present acceleratonists of disorder, double dealings and tactics blasting at full throttle, to defend at all cost, and by all means a sacred cow ( Dauda Ibrahim El-Ladan, Clerk, Senate), who allegedly deliberately altered his official records (1961,1962 and 1963) with his collegues Facts remains that the embers of self-destruct being stroked and fanned by powerful vested interest is baffling.

This surely remains a recipe for disaster, instability and retrogression which is contrary to the idea behind the creation of the National Assembly Service Commission.

As a professional mediator and conciliator, l am abreast with the fact that once a public servant is found on the

other side of the Public Service Rules, what immediately comes to play is the application of the principle of suspension by his superiors within the service.

But, today what is playing out in the National Assembly is shocking and

laughable, the Public Service Rules statutorily invented in Nigeria, to comprehensively regulate and control public servants is being turned into an ordinary piece of paper. This conduct is obviously another test of the integrity of

Femi Adesina’s Callous Comment on ‘Buhari and the NDDC’ Tonye Ogbogbula argues that President Muhammadu Buhari should be concerned about the disdain of the Niger Delta people over the manner he has handled the Niger Delta Development Commission

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he submissions made by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari on the Niger Delta Development Commission in an article published on Friday, February 4, 2022, in some Nigerian news media exposes the administration’s continued disdain for the Niger Delta people.

In the article, a vacuous commentary bereft of substance, Adesina offered nothing new on why President Buhari is yet to inaugurate a board for the NDDC over the past two years. Rather, he mouthed the same empty statements on forensic audit under which guise the NDDC has been hijacked by a cabal in the last 2 years.

According to Mr Adesina, “a forensic audit was necessary. Some powerful forces mounted robust resistance, but they didn’t reckon with the iron will of the President.

The audit was done, and a report submitted.”

The truth is that nobody was against the conduct of a forensic audit in the NDDC. The issue was that everybody agreed that the NDDC Act should be complied with in the Governance of the Commission during the period of the forensic audit. It was illegal to have contraptions of interim management committees / sole administrator to begin to administer the NDDC and arbitrarily utilise the monthly sums due to the NDDC. All that was needed was for the Federal Government to appoint a credible forensic auditor to conduct the forensic audit of the NDDC, like the Federal Government did in the NNPC, while having a Governing Board in place for the Commission in line with the law. No other part of this country has been so badly treated in such a manner where the forensic audit of its development Commission becomes a basis for setting aside the law setting up the Commission, which provides for a Governing Board to ensure fairness, inclusion and representation of the nine constituent

states in the region.

Institutions such as the NNPC, NPA and others are audited regularly, including forensic audits. However, their governing Laws were not set aside and their Governing Boards were not put on hold. The North East Development Commission is operating in line with its Governing Act with a Governing Board and duly constituted Management in place. However, in the case of the Niger Delta, the NDDC Act is being breached / flouted for illegal interim contraptions / sole administrator to operate and administer its funds arbitrarily!

The Federal Government weaponed the excuse of the conduct of a forensic audit on the NDDC’s past operations to delay the inauguration of a board for the Commission since November 2019.

-Ogbogbula is the National President, Niger Delta Elders’ Forum NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

the Nigerian Senate.

For the avoidance of doubt, via my private investigations, l discovered that the management of the National Assembly Service Commission and National Assembly had undertaken an internal enquiry, as far as consulting the Kalamazoo (Official records of the affected staff), and discovered that they actually falsified their personal records, to arrive at present positions.

As l pen this piece, the three alleged falsifiers of their documentation are resuming and working daily in the National Assembly collecting salaries, as if nothing is happening to them. To me this is the highest level of manifestation of clastic inclinations, which has blinded the current leadership of the National Assembly, to contravene the cardinal statutory facts and truth embedded in the Public Service Rules.

The actions taken so far by the National Assembly Service Commission creates an impression that it at war with itself and exposing the entire National Assembly as an institution and the integrity of the Senate President whom we are aware recommended the appointment of the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Eng. Ahmed Khadi Hamshi to ridicule. Posterity beckons on the Commission to do the right thing by jettisoning its present course of action which will wreck incalculable damage on the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the entire National Assembly. It demand that they summon their patriotic zeal and instinct, subjugate narrow selfish interest of a few in favor of the primacy of collective interest as they cannot afford to fail.

Further investigations has revealed the fact that the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) is also turning things upside down in the entire National Assembly Service contrary to Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. For instance the principle of Federal Character in distribution of appointments is being thrown aside with flagrant impunity. Amongst the 18 top management staff each zone is supposed to have 3 slots according to statutory provisions in the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Act 2014 & the Condition of Service.

Currently North-west is having four slots; Northeast three; South-east three; Southwest three; South-south three, while North central is given two slots, instead of three slots; while the three slots allocated to South-south are allocated to only Edo State, out of the six States in the zone, even where there are more senior competent directors with enormous experience from Cross-River and AkwaIbom respectively.

This offensive case has pried opened the ethnic/ religious divides cleaving our country; hence the absolute deep shit we have found ourselves in terms of unbridled corruption prevalent in our clime.

We must not allow the likes of Ahmed Kadi Amshi and his gang in the National Assembly, to quench the thirst and hunger in our souls in asking for what is fundamental about discipline in the Public Service Rules and the Conditions of service in the National Assembly here.

We must evolve the inalienable rights that is so fundamental to many Nigerian staff in the Public Service, which is central to their ability to participate fully and equally in our society.

-Igbotako is a human right activist, mediator and a social commentator based in Abuja.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022

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PERSPECTIVE

EPISTLES of ANTHONY KILA

Trump, Flushed Presidential Catholic Archbishop of Lagos: Who is Rev. Fr. James Anelu?

Papers and Maggie Chido Nwangwu takes a critical look at another damning Anthony Kila highlights the case of the Holy Trinity reporting against the Donald Trump presidency Catholic Church, Gberigbe in Ikorodu-Lagos as an

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irst, the hard facts and undisputable sequence regarding this important issue of national security interest and presidential information keeping of vital records in order to serve the public interest and further understand the historical contexts of contemporary American presidencies.

The United States of America and many other intelligent and properly focused countries keep and learn from the presidential records of those who led the country.

In fact, there is a law, the Presidential Records Act, which assigned an independent agency the task of keeping these documents. It is called the National Archives and Records Administration. The Republican Ronald Reagan presidency (1981 to 1989) became the first presidency to deal with the protocols, requests and transmission of such information to the National Archives.

But the 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump is a different man who creates and acts on terms and levels of his own idiosyncratic and giddy whims and preferences.

You can count of Trump to set MAGAesque disruptions of the norms.

He took some of the records with him, before and upon losing the election to Joe Biden. Before moving out of the White House, Trump took bagged some of the records with his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

So, in almost 44 years of its administration of presidential records no other President has been more decisive in violating, disobeying and disregarding the protocols and necessary timely submissions of information and records than Trump!

Again, Trump had his opportunity for greatness but his mind is driven by the heathen gods of small matters and petty conquests. But in America no one is the law; and no one is above the law!

In January 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents and relevant items from Trump’s Mar-aLago home.

In a polite rebuke, the National Archives and Records Administration underscored the point, in its statement that “these records should have been transferred to NARA from the White House at the end of the Trump Administration in Janu-

ary 2021.” The respected Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero noted that the “Presidential Records Act is critical to our democracy, in which the government is held accountable by the people….. Whether through the creation of adequate and proper documentation, sound records management practices, the preservation of records, or the timely transfer of them to the National Archives at the end of an Administration, there should be no question as to need for both diligence and vigilance. Records matter.”

The New York Times awardwinning correspondent Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America” is reporting that while Trump was in office, the White House residence toilet was periodically clogged by printed paper —- which she and the staff assumed that the President had.

Trump has denied it.

If Maggie is accurate in this reporting for her book which will go on sale in October 2022, it will be ironical that the presidential records of Trump were being “dumped” to familiar imagery of that “shxthxlx’ category (an alleged derogattion he labeled African countries while he we was President).

-Dr. Nwangwu is the Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com

In January 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents and relevant items from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. In a polite rebuke, the National Archives and Records Administration underscored the point, in its statement that “these records should have been transferred to NARA from the White House at the end of the Trump Administration in January 2021

example and a reflection of how frail and problematic our living together as a people is in the country

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our Grace, The Parish of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gberigbe in Ikorodu is currently making news and with it, your good self. From what we read in the media; three main items stand out and these are the object of discussions in the news. One is the fact that worshipers at the church in Ikorodu erupted in Igbo song(s) second is that the presiding priest, Rev. Fr. James Anelu, interrupted the second collection chorused in Igbo. Third is your swift decision to reprimand and suspend the priest. Let us not dwell on a priest interrupting collections.

Many have applauded your action as an index of true hands-on leadership.

Those that have thus far praised your intervention and its timing, point out that your stepping into the situation has doused a lot of potential problems. They also appreciate your providing clarity on the position of the church. This is very understandable especially when juxtaposed to a national secular leadership not known for swift direct communications, reactions or propensity to stop the dramatic from becoming tragic.

There is a question however: Process.

Unless the press has not given a full account of your intervention or I have missed part of their account, it does not appear as if Your Grace has opened any avenue to hear from Rev. Fr. James.

Some questions therefore linger: Who is this priest and why did he resort to such a drastic action? What sort of relationship exist between Rev. Fr James Anelu and his congregation? Has there been cases like this in the past, lighter cases or worse ones in the same parish? What was the conduct of Rev. Fr James in his previous parishes? Is Rev. Fr James simply an erring priest or a mischievous or malicious personality? Only a due process in the form of a fair hearing can provide answers to these and other questions. Some of the beauty and values of a process are that it allows one to go beyond an act by giving us insight into intention and context.

It is less about the investigated, (in this case Rev. Fr James) and more about the rest of us. Any reader with an open mind will readily deduce that a good and fair process does not guarantee guilt or innocence. Due processes allow us to better understand the gravity or less of what we are dealing with. Like a roll of dice, you never know what you might get. Those hoping to disrobe the priest might even get more reasons and those defending might see why they should not.

The case of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gberigbe in Ikorodu is an example and a reflection of how frail and problematic our living together as a people is in the country. The event of the church is a microcosm of what is going on in the larger society. The fear, real or imagined, of domination by one group over another or others, the suspicion that we are not tolerated in a place that ought to be a commonwealth, the need to cling to an ancestral identity that is only a part of who we are and who we can be.

Ordinarily, one would think that in the

body of Christ, all are one and that in the physical church built around Christ, tongue and tribe will not matter. Alas it is now clear that just like in our factories, boardrooms and in politics tongue and tribe can trump faith and views.

How do we deal with these destructive issues related to identity? How do we create trust and unity amongst our people? Creating a new identity of Christians, Muslims, solders, farmers, dentists or voters of this or that party seems not to be working. I have more than a few doubts about the effectiveness and efficiencies of decrees, directives, punishment and persecutions.

Nasty and annoying as the case of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gberigbe in Ikorodu appears, it does give us an opportunity to review our assumptions and the problems related to our mode of living together. A clCatholic church is by name and in essence a universal body with a history of centuries of managing people of different background under one creed and culture. Your Grace, the holy church can do the rest of Nigeria a huge favour, if she takes time to study and discover how to make diverse Nigerians live together in trust and with no fear.

It is not enough to have a desire to serve God or be inspired or called by the spirit to become a Catholic Priest, besides the widely known carnal denial, it takes a lot of commitment and above all studies to be ordained a Catholic Priest. It cannot be overstated that every time you see an ordained Catholic Priest, you are not only seeing a man of the church but you are seeing a man with an above average knowledge of the law, sociology, history, psychology and of course theology. In all, every Catholic Priest is taught universalism is key. Rev. Fr James Anelu is or should be such a man and if after all that, he got to a point of interrupting a service because of the language of a song or songs then we really need to take our time to know who Rev. Fr James Anelu is.

Join me if you can @anthonykila to continue these conversations.

Prof Anthony Kila is Centre Director at CIAPS Lagos.

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

INTERVIEW

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen: Under APC, Nigeria More Divided Than Ever Before Why I pitched tent with PDP and working against Buhari's APC Former chairman of FSB International Bank and investment banker Mohammed Hayatudeen has revalidated his membership of the PDP in Maiduguri, Borno State. He spoke to select journalists after the exercise. Chuks Okocha brings Except: -- to the party. Beyond that, he is a very quiet and strategic individual; I will throw my heart for him any time because I have known him for a long period of time. He was my classmate in the university, so I have known him for almost forty years; therefore, under his leadership, I feel that the party will organize itself and get a shot at winning elections. More importantly, I think there are profound lessons that they have learnt.

What do you want to achieve with today’s work?

Today is another chapter in my life, in the sense that I have had a very long corporate career over a period of almost 40 years, and the time has now come to do something different on a national scale. So the reason I came today is to actually revalidate and register my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party. It was important for me to come here because this is the land where I was born and bred, and it is customary and the tradition to always go back home to make such a major shift in your career and life.

Based on your background, one of the challenges facing this country is inflation. How do you think the federal government can tackle this?

Inflation is a monster. Inflation is a function of so many variables. One is our national output has contracted considerably. Therefore when they are supply shortages, prices tend to go up, so price disruptions are introduced into the economy. We know that we had negative growth for a considerable period of time. Since about 2015, our economic growth rate has actually been declining.

It is going up now, but when you compare it to population growth, it is almost zero, that is number one. Number two, do not forget that the pandemic for almost two years now has had a very negative effect on the economy, including banditry and terrorism.

Farm output has also declined considerably, which has resulted in very sharp price increases. On top of that is the notion that exchange is very important because money supply and monetary aggregates work in consonance. Because the naira had actually deteriorated from about N300 to N560 and this is an import-dependent country, we import many things.

When your name was mentioned at the event, people shouted 'presidency'. What are you going to aspire for?

That is absolutely false. My visit here is very narrow and limited. I came here to register and revalidate my registration of the PDP and to do that. We needed to do a formal ceremony. So that is what I came to do.

I did not in my speech or verbal address anywhere say that I am aspiring to any political office.

But the crowd was urging you with the shout of 'presidency'.

That was the crowd mentality, and the crowd is made up of a motley of people. Maybe that is their own aspiration.

But what is your aspiration?

My aspiration right now is to actually influence the platform of the party by making sure that certain issues facing this country, the issue of insecurity, is brought to the party platform. As we go towards 2023, I will like to see a lot of debate around the issue of insecurity. The second thing that I am actually interested in is that the nation is actually fractured and divided and what I would like to see is to bring the country back together so that we can celebrate our unity in diversity. A lot of issues that are going on are one, a product of extreme poverty, and when people are very poor and devastated, divisions come in.

Secondly, the way the country is governed, particularly at the level of the states, these people Mohammed Hayatu-Deen are very despondent, and it leaves them with bitter to ensure your party wins in 2023? disappointment. So it is important therefore to actually Remember that I am not contesting any office. reunite the people by doing what is right for them, I am an ordinary member. Having joined the by giving some services, these are the kinds of ideas party, my loyalty goes to the party. Part of that that I have. I will like to build them into a policy loyalty is to do everything within my power, blueprint so that throughout the campaign season. my own modest means to try to make sure that These things will be pushed, depending on the agenda.

PDP gets back to power in the state. On what So that if the PDP wins the election in 2023, both at I am going to do, these are early days. There the national and sub-national levels. These matters is a need to be determined as to why the PDP are brought to the front burner as important issues of has not been winning elections in Borno state. our time and must be dealt with because the country Number two is the fact that there are things that is clearly facing a great danger. are going on within the party here in the state that have divided the leadership into various You have revalidated your membership of the PDP, factions. meaning you have been a member of the PDP before So the first thing to do is to actually get into now. What role did you play in the last years of the arbitration to bring about consensus and rally party in government? the troops around so that we can just focus on a My membership of the PDP has not been very singular objective of unifying the party. A house long; therefore, whatever I did with the PDP had divided is a house that cannot function. Unity happened when they were out of office. of the party is very important, that is the first thing. Number two is to bring about clarity to People know Muhammed Hayatudeen as a seasoned the body of ideas that they need to put together banker. Are you ready to join the murky waters of to show the people of Borno that they have a politics and be dirty? superior platform, a superior message and a set These things lie in the eyes of the beholder. Number of messages compared to the APC. one, you will have to recognize that we run a democratic The third thing is to go on a massive recruitment form of government. To operate a democratic form drive, to try to change the hearts and minds of of government, we need to have a political party people, to come on the train. These will not happen establish a political process under which parties and amid rancour. This can only happen if and when individuals contest for elections and may either win you have a very substantive message. You show or lose. Competition can sometimes be very fierce and clarity of purpose, sincerity, determination and maybe dirty and ugly, but I think what we need to hard work to achieve these objectives. isolate is the competition for power versus governing the country after power is won.

Assuming you have a government of choice So the process might not be very tidy, but once come in, in 2023, what will you want them to you win, you are there because of the popular will do differently? of the people. You must carry out the mandate that First and foremost, I would like to see the is assigned to you. I have no problem with joining country united, which is extremely important politics. I have no problem going in there to use because there is no gainsaying that we are my own sets of values to influence outcomes. Also, now terribly divided. There is a lot of mutual when the government is in power, essentially, what suspicion and distrust, so certain actions need I am trying to say is that politics may be considered to be taken for the government to clearly show dirty because it was left to a few people. What I am the Nigerian people that it has the interest of doing by the power of my own personal example is every Nigerian at heart. Wherever they come to actually invite as many informed people as possible from, to give every citizen of this country an to join the political terrain. After all, politics could be equal opportunity to participate in government something that can be highly respected, and around the affairs. Three, to emphasise that merit always, you world, we have a number of countries that have been require people who are meritorious in their own very successful in operating the democratic process. rights, who have performed duties and functions in certain areas, have succeeded in doing so, Since 1999, this state has been governed by ANPP and they are the best you can bring on board. and now APC. What do you want to do differently

There is this agitation within the PDP that the older generation should give way to the younger ones, that some people are too old to contest elections. What do you want to say about that?

I don’t want to enter uncharted waters now, people are entitled to their opinion, but all I know is that democracy is about giving people their rights. Those rights should not be restricted to any particular set of people. The Nigerian constitution and the electoral laws clearly spelt out the criteria under which people can actually contest elections. Anyone eligible and has the criteria should be allowed to give a fair shot at contesting. So I will go with the norms rather than what people are actually saying.

You were a member of the transition committee when Buhari won. Your name was forwarded to the National Assembly as an ambassadorial nominee. After some time, the name was withdrawn. What happened?

Is that not history? I was not consulted, I saw my name on the pages of newspapers, and I took action, and my name was withdrawn, as simple as that.

You rejected the offer?

I told you what happened.

APC is the ruling party. Why did you join the opposition party? What is the attraction?

So, is there anything that says you cannot join an opposition party because there is a particular party in government? To answer your question, I am a very keen observer of national affairs and have seen what has happened over the last 13 years. I have taken the view that number one, in recent months, the PDP will appear to have got its acts pretty much together. They seem to have organised their affairs in such a way that they are preparing themselves in readiness for the 2023 elections. Remember that they were in power for 16 years, so they have a very long experience in power out of the 25 years since democracy was introduced. Number two, the way and manner they went about electing the leaders of their party, I think, is commendable.

No dust was raised.

Number three, I particularly have faith in Dr Iyorchia Ayu because he brings strong credentials -- political, institutional and public credentials

What is the way out?

The way out is to actually is one, I think is confidence, you have to rebuild confidence in the country, when you and I are at each other’s throat because I come from Maiduguri and you come from Ogbomosho, all you do is fighting, and it does not engender confidence in the country. You need to build confidence by unifying the people.

The second thing is that because the economic management is not so good, you cannot attract investments, either domestic or foreign, into the country, and therefore you cannot expand output. Infrastructure is dilapidated, so the cost of doing business is very high. Oil companies are busy divesting from Nigeria.

These things combined will exhaust the country and suck the confidence out of the system. Every business, every country functions at its optimum when business confidence is very high.

Delegates of your party will go into the nomination of its presidential candidates in a few months. What is your advice to them?

I think that they have already started on the right track, they conducted elections into party offices, and it was seamless. If that is an indicator, my information is that they want to carry the same attitude as they work through the very delicate process, by consensus and compromise. Almost everybody in the PDP and the leadership, the governors of the party and the leadership at the national level, feels that unifying the party is far more important than the ambition of any other person, that much is crystal clear, and they have announced that several times. They are sensible and mature enough to know that they have to do the right thing by handling this issue properly and responsibly.

Apart from building confidence and attracting investment, what other things can up the value of the naira?

The naira and the dollar are commodities, and several factors determine commodity prices, but most importantly, availability. First and foremost, what you see as the current value of the naira to the dollar reflects our inability actually to generate foreign exchange.

If we do so, the naira will find its value, which in turn is a function of our national output because this is a huge country, sitting on very large resources. It is still a very nascent country in terms of its latent potentials in relation to resources. We are not able to exploit and harness our resources.

As a consequence, Nigeria is big, sitting on over 830,000km of space. If you drop a seed anywhere in the country, unlike other countries that live in the desert, it will sprout. It is an extremely rich country with abundant mineral resources. Our people are extremely intelligent, and our service sector can actually be expanded. Those are the things I believe need to be done to ameliorate the currency's value and bring about stability, so we need to export. Once we export, we get a lot of dollars, but I think the naira is actually reflecting its value right now.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

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

08056356325

F E B R 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%

How Federal Airports Authority, NAMA Rip Off Airlines at Sunset Airports

Chinedu Eze With the cost of operation hitting the roof and many domestic airlines facing liquidation, it has emerged the airlines are being ripped off by regulators via landing charges.

Local operators who spoke to THISDAY said the development has further heightened their fears of not being able to continue in business calling on the federal government to urgently intervene.

Nigerian airlines are charged by

the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to be allowed to land at airports that have airfield lighting but are not designated for night services.

Beyond the charges by these agencies, airlines lose huge resources when they are forced to cancel flights or made to return to the airport of departure because these airports refuse to receive the airlines’ flight, which insiders say happen often.

Called daylight airports, these refer to airports that do not have landing facilities so airlines can only operate there in the night, but there are some of them, including the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the Margret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar and Benin Airport, where night facilities were installed, including airfield lighting but FAAN has not allowed flights to operate there in the night.

So whenever airlines scheduled to land at such airports after 6:30

pm FAAN and NAMA insist they pay charges for it.

THISDAY learnt that there have been many occasions flights were forced to return to airport of departure because the airlines operating the flights did not pay the charges or there is disagreement between the airline and the personnel in charge of the airport.

Addressing aviation correspondents on Wednesday at the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the

Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, lamented that one of the major challenges of the daylight airport is that it forces airlines to limit their operations to those airports to 6:30 pm.

He said that in the struggle to meet the 6:30 timeline, sometimes it leads to flight cancellation if flights scheduled to those airports encounter any delay on ground or in the air in the course of the flight service.

He said that airlines lose huge resources besides the charges they

pay to the agencies, adding that even the domestic runway at MMIA is for daylight operation so when flights are coming into Lagos after 6:30 pmthey land at the international runway, but they could encounter delays because it is the period when many international flights arrive the country.

Okonkwo also explained that when the aircraft lands at the international runway it would Continued on page 25

Agro-export: FG Targets 60-day Action Plan for Perishable Agricultural Produce Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The federal government through it’s Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has set a 60-day agro-export action plan targeted at ensuring perishable agricultural produce earmarked for export are allowed to move freely through the

country’s ports.

In implementing the Council’s mandate, the PEBEC secretariat hinted that it identified priority reforms from across five categories for the current 7th National Action Plan (NAP 7.0).

Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, in her remarks

at the Focus Group Session with key stakeholders, marking the launch of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC)’s 7th 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 7.0), in Abuja said the five categories include: trade/ports reform, Automation Reforms, Regulatory Reforms, Legislative/Judicial Reforms and

Executive Order 01/ReportGov. NG compliance reforms Oduwole stated that in the area of ports and trade facilitation, the focus is on a 60-day agroexport target, stating: “indeed, the faithful implementation of the Agro-export plan is expected to boost the competitiveness of Nigeria’s agro-exports, and create

jobs, while enhancing Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and providing good rewards for the labours of farmers all across Nigeria.”

In addition she said, “through the deployment of automation and process review, we are, again, intensifying efforts at improving the travel experience, particularly

at our international airports, strengthening the automation of the business incorporation process of the Corporate Affairs Commission, enhancing transparency in the trademark registration process, and increasing the adoption of electronic filling Continued on page 24

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 1 0 , 2 0 2 2 FGN BONDS DESCRIPTION 12.75 27-APR2023 14.20 14-MAR2024 13.53 23-MAR2025 12.50 22-JAN2026 16.2884 17MAR-2027

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield

Change (%)

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

7.90

7.90

0.00

9.48

9.68

0.00

16.98

17.83 0.01

9.51

9.77

0.01

.

.

.

2

NGUS MAR 30 2022 428.93

3

NGUS APR 27 2022 430.63

0.00

4

NGUS MAY 25 2022 432.32

MREP CP XXXVI 11-FEB-22 UNCP CP VI 2-MAY-22 NEVE CP I 24MAY-22 DANC CP II 25MAY-22

0.00

5

NGUS JUN 29 2022 434.02

.

106.80

6.77

-0.01

NTB 10-Mar-22

2.98

2.99

0.00

111.09

8.30

-0.07

NTB 28-Apr-22

4.00

4.03

0.00

109.03

10.07 -0.14

NTB 12-May-22 4.00

4.04

0.00

104.19

11.16 -0.09

NTB 9-Jun-22

3.67

3.71

11.50 0.00

NTB 14-Jul-22

4.30

4.38

118.06

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

NGUS FEB 23 2022 427.24

24

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

Emirates Announces 25% Discount A I R to Select Destinations at Valentine WATCH Emirates has announced a 25 percent discount to 20 popular destinations as it is inviting travelers to enjoy a romantic break, adventure to cooler or warmer climates with their loved ones.

For Emirates, this is the best time for UAE travelers to book their next holiday and get 25% off when they travel with their loved ones or friends to select destinations.

A statement from the airline said the special offer is valid for two or more travellers, and can be booked for up to nine people on the same booking reference, to select destinations.

Customers can book a return trip in Economy or Business

Class from February 8 until 14 February to take advantage of the special offer.

The offer is available on its website, travel and call centre agents and Emirates Retail shops.

Emirates Economy Class and Business Class passengers can book their getaway to 20 popular holiday destinations including: London, Istanbul, Mauritius, Nairobi, Seychelles, Maldives, Colombo, Cairo, Amman, Beirut, Zurich, Moscow, Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, Barcelona and Phuket.

UAE Travelers can also plan a romantic getaway with Emirates Holidays, starting from AED 1,989 per person with complimentary breakfast,

and packages are available to all featured destinations in the companion fare offer.

Keeping the health and wellbeing of its passengers as top priority, Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey.

The airline has also been building on its contactless technology offering and has scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass.

Emirates said it continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveler needs during a dynamic time.

‘Zektron is Powering Nigeria Economy with Innovative Power Solutions’ Zektron, a Turkish manufactured Power backup and voltage regulation systems introduced into the Nigerian market by Zagus Power Systems, Lagos based power solutions provider has continue to provide dependable power solutions to various Nigeria businesses.

Zektron Automatic Voltage Regulator was its first product in Nigeria since 2019 and due to the success of the zektron voltage stabilizers in Nigeria, it is also pushing its robustly-manufactured power solution products including Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) Systems, Inverters, Surge protection

devices and more to power businesses in the country.

With its innovative power solution products, Zektron has continue to be part of the leading solutions powering the Nigerian economy through the provisions of dependable power products for the smooth operations of small, medium and large-scale businesses across Nigeria.

In about three years of the introduction of the Zektronbrand into the Nigerian market, over 1,000 organizations in the manufacturing, education, telecommunications, hospitality, government and private homes are enjoying and benefitting from the

innovative Zektron power solution products.

According to Ken Ezeagu, Sales Director at Zagus Power Systems, the Zektron is a game changer in the energy industry in Nigeria catering for the short, medium and long-term power solution needs of corporates and private institutions in the country.

“Zektron is doing amazingly well in the Nigerian market.

In less than three years of its introduction, we have over a thousand partners across various sectors in the country who are basically running their operations powered by Zektron,” Ken stated.

Accelerex Set to Reward Customers Accelerex, one of Nigeria’s leading fintech companies, is set to reward its customers at the City Mall and Ilupeju outlets of The Bazaar Supermarket on February 14, 2022, to commemorate this year’s Valentine’s Day. This gesture is in furtherance of the Company’s commitment to appreciate customers for their continued patronage.

Reacting to this, the Company’s Executive Director, Operations, Mr.Stanley Peters, said the activity is an expression of love and Valentine’s Day presented the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to their customers how much they are treasured.

“As a brand, we are showing the public that ours is not one without emotions but one that loves, gives and rewards. We

are using this opportunity to express love and gratitude to our customers by partnering with one of our esteemed merchants, The Bazaar Supermarket. We invite the public to shop at the Ilupeju and the City Mall branches of The Bazaar on February 14, spend above N5,000 and be rewarded with exciting gifts,” he revealed.

AGRO-EXPORT: FG TARGETS 60-DAY ACTION PLAN FOR PERISHABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE of taxes, among others.”

Oduwlo therefore stated that the NAP 7.0, “is especially designed to break away from the lacklustre performance of our last two outings, NAP 5.0 and NAP 6.0, held in Q1 of 2020 and 2021, which saw the relevant ministries, departments and agencies perform below par at 44% and 43% respectively for a variety of reasons.

She said, “Accordingly, at its meeting of February 1, 2022, chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President, the PEBEC reached the firm conclusion and stated categorically that all relevant MDAs must strive to deliver and exceed reform target expectations during this 60-day accelerator.”

She explained that NAPs are homegrown internationally recognised 60-day accelerators developed to coordinate the effective delivery of priority reforms implemented by select ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), to drive ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“Since the inception of the Council in July 2016, the PEBEC has undertaken over 160 reforms developed through active engagement of private and public sector voices. To us, there is no better way to kick-start the 7th iteration of this exercise than by presenting the latest approved reforms to the ultimate beneficiaries – representatives of the private sector – in the presence of the hard public and civil servants charged with the responsibility of actualizing these reforms approved by the Council.

“In the last six years, we have consistently paid close attention to feedback from the private sector garnered through in person Stakeholder Engagements such as this, including our nation-wide tour – LITuation – as well as via our ReportGov. NG feedback portal developed for receiving verification by way of complaints or compliments about Nigeria’s business climate, “she said.

She noted that while the journey has yielded marked

improvement in particular areas, particularly in the initial years of the PEBEC’s intervention, it has not been an easy one.

She said, “As we are all aware, several bureaucratic and regulatory challenges remain at all arms and levels of government, which continue to affect the speed, cost and transparency of doing business in Nigeria.

“It is, therefore, our earnest expectation that by April 7, the NAP 7.0 will have delivered reform results that are a remarkable improvement over the performance of previous MDA outings in recent times.”

Continuing, she said that as NAP 7.0 continues with robust tracking and evaluation of MDAs’ compliance with the directives of the Executive Order 001, “we urge stakeholders to please support the federal governments efforts by utilizing the ReportGov. NG portal, even as we strive towards making the platform the preferred choice for channeling feedback on services provided by MDAs.”

UAE: Using COVID-19 Test to Frustrate Foreign Airlines Chinedu Eze Travel agents and airlines have accused United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities, including the country’s Immigration officials of using COVID-19 tests and other means to discourage passengers who travel to Dubai with foreign airlines.

They observed that Emirates authorities have imbedded disposition of making things more difficult for passengers that travel with other carriers, including more delays at Immigration, exaggerated scrutiny of their documents and sometimes disqualifying them from entering the country, but the authorities are lenient on passengers that arrive the country with Emirates Airlines.

Also, THISDAY investigation revealed that COVID-19 provided greater opportunity for Dubai authorities to stiffen competition against other airlines that operate to Dubai by introducing stringent COVID-19 protocols against passengers that travel with foreign carriers.

A travel agent told THISDAY that Dubai authorities would not want to write letters to the airlines; rather, they would invite the country managers of airlines to complain to them or give them directives so that they would not have written evidence or reference.

“A case in point is what happened last year when they were turning passengers of other airlines back, especially Nigerian passengers, saying that they did not pass PCR test even when those tests were administered by the centres recommended by the authorities and the results came out negative. It has been their mode of operation, trying to frustrate travellers who arrive the country with other airlines.

In exclusive interview he granted THISDAY last year, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika threw light on the fact that Dubai might be using COVID-19 tests as marketing strategy to discourage other airlines from flying to the Emirates.

He explained that when the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) suspended Air France-KLM, Lufthansa for introducing Rapid PCR test, the airlines withdrew the test but Emirates insisted on administering it.

Sirika said that PSC did not see the wisdom in Emirates’ decision to insist on Rapid PCR test, adding that despite the pressures from Nigerians who travel to Dubai or are resident in Dubai, the Presidential Steering Committee insisted that the position of Nigeria on COVID-19 protocol must be adhered to.

“Nigerians were so eager to travel to Dubai and we feel their pains. Some of them were traveling back to their jobs. Some of them were

travelling for school, some for a medical reason, some even for leisure, which is allowed. But we thought that this is unfair treatment and this measure was only applied to Nigeria.

“If they had applied it to our region and their reason was that there were fake COVID-19 results from Nigeria, but there were also fake results in Germany, in UAE, in France, in England, in the UK, US and everywhere.

So, that was not a reason and if the reason were that they were afraid that we would come and infect passengers, we would say that we have managed COVID-19 extremely very well in Nigeria. Until today the death is below 3000. So, when we put that across to them, they said no, because we were not testing. Well, even if it is so that we were not testing, we were also not seeing people go into graves in Nigeria unexplained, unusually dying. And we know that in one day, 3,000 people were dying in Italy and France, and UK. And when they opened their borders in Dubai, we saw how many people were dying per day.

“But in Nigeria from the beginning of COVID-19 till date, we are still under 3,000.

So, we refused. But because of pressure from people to open, we said to Emirates ‘, okay we agree, come and test us a million times, we are ready.’ You should come and test if you want to test 20 times a day do so, we are ready, let’s start. Then they said, okay, we will start but you must fly Emirates.

If you fly Ethiopia or you fly Qatar or fly Turkish or you fly EgyptAir or British Airways, you must remain 14 days in the country you are transiting through. So, if you tell a Nigerian that he must stay 14 days in Addis Ababa or 14 days in Cairo before you can proceed to Dubai, does he have the visa for that country? Or does he even have the money to pay for a hotel and feeding? And some people are only going there for a 10-day trip. On the 10-day trip, you have already spent 14 days in another country. And this is also country-specific.

This is also discriminatory; so, we refused,” Sirika explained.

However, the former President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Bankole Bernard said UAE action was justified.

“There is what we call comparative advantage.

It is what is given to you as a right owner over other people. Emirates knows that advantage and it has the ability to maximise that advantage. Does Nigeria recognise that comparative advantage? So I cannot blame Emirates for maximising its comparative advantage,” he said.

Transtura Acquires WazoMoney Emma Okonji Nigeria’s e-hailing and sharedmobility company, Transtura, has announced the acquisition of WazoMoney, a fintech startup that provides simplified payment solutions, in order to launch its marketplace and payment solutions designed to cater for the general transportation needs of Nigerians.

The strategic acquisition is aimed at redefining the mobility sector across the country through technological innovations so as to proffer sustainable solutions that address the issues affecting the growth of the transport industry.

This is in a bid to champion the need for youth empowerment while also contributing to the socio-economic development of the Nigerian economy through the promotion of cashless payments.

Commenting on the successful

acquisition of WazoMoney, the Chief Executive Officer of Transtura, Vincent Adeoba, noted that the recent development reinforces the company’s commitment to drive unique digital innovations across the country’s financial and transportation ecosystems.

“Our vision as a customercentric company is to become the most preferred everyday mobility superapp across the Nigerian market, and the African continent, through the provision of innovative service offerings, ranging from digital payments, marketplace, shared mobility, amongst other related services. To achieve our long-standing goals, we are leveraging on technology and automations to improve the experiences of people when either riding or paying for services in the public transit and mobility

space. It is based on this desire to effect a change that we are building a platform that enables commuters, drivers, merchants, car owners and transport companies to make and receive payments for rides and travel services, purchase of motor parts, insurance coverage, car registration, documents renewal, car care, fueling and other needs through a marketplace and spend management solutions which will address some of the bottlenecks stiffening the advancement of the nation’s transportation sector,” Adeoba said.

Speaking on the development, the Chief Transformation Officer for Transtura, Philips Olajide, stated that the recent acquisition would remodel the operations of both the finance and transportation sectors nationwide.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

25

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

Extortion Epidemic at Lagos Airport About five months ago, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria took firm decision to stamp out extortion and touting at the major airports in the country. Chinedu Eze writes that despite avowed determination to cleanse the airports of such ills, obnoxious acts still go on at the Lagos airport

W

hen the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it was determined to end extortion at the airports in the country, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the major gateway of the nation, many industry observers expressed doubt because extortion has become entrenched phenomenon at the airport.

But FAAN went ahead and arrested some airline officials who were extorting money from passengers.

The first known culprit was a staff of Arik Air who was arrested at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

FAAN in a statement said it was determined to stamp out the illicit acts and had taken steps to address the situation, which had soiled the name of the country in the international community.

Few weeks later the agency announced that it had stepped up efforts to clear aerodromes of touts with the arrest of 90 persons over alleged touting and other nefarious conducts at Lagos and Abuja airports.

Among those arrested, according to FAAN, were workers of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, Patovilki Nigeria Limited, Lakewood Services, and other airport workers.

FAAN said 89 out of the 90 culprits had been handed over to the police for prosecution and disclosed that the raid came after cases of car vandalisation; thefts and extortion were reported at the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport in Lagos.

The federal government lent its support to what FAAN was doing when it threatened to sanction security agencies including heads of military and paramilitary organisations at the Lagos airport over alleged extortion. This was in response to the report on December 8 last year; that no fewer than six officials of various security agencies were caught on camera extorting air travellers by CCTV installed by FAAN. But on February 3, 2022, a Nigerian man resident

in Canada, who identified himself only as Chris, revealed how Immigration and airline officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, frustrated and tried to truncate his return to the North American country after visiting home in January 2022 with his four-month-old daughter.

So the extortion and harassment of passengers has not stopped.

IMMIGRATION

THISDAY Investigation revealed that although significant effort is being made by FAAN to sanitise the airports but the security agencies at the airport, especially the Nigeria Immigration Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Customs Service, Quaratine and sometimes Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials of FAAN still extort air travellers at the international terminal of the Lagos airport.

It was learnt that most Nigerians who are travelling for the first time are harassed and made to pay money to Immigration officials, an act they term to ‘dis-virgin’ their passports. A source told THISDAY that Immigration officials have hawkish eyes towards virgin passports, which are passports that were procured newly without visa or immigration stamps, indicating that the person has not travelled abroad before.

Some Immigration officials are alleged to take advantage of such passengers’ ignorance and are intimidated into paying money to these officially and the currency is always dollars.

“Once you have a virgin passport when you present it to them they will ask you to go and see their supervisor. They will motion you to the inner office. When you get there they tell you that you won’t travel unless you “sort them out.”

“I was once a victim. When they asked me to go and see their supervisor, I refused. He wanted

to bypass me and attend to the person behind me; I stopped him and insisted he must attend to me first. We pushed it until I brought my other passports from my bag. They knew then that it was not my first time.

“There was this lady who was travelling to the US to meet her husband. She was travelling on Emirates. They stopped her and insisted that she settled them. Luckily she was able to get my number. I asked her to give the phone to Immigration officer attending to her. The officer refused to take the phone. I asked her to put it on Speaker. While it was on speaker I told the officer that if the lady missed her flight I would make sure he was removed from that airport.

He said I would not do anything. After about 10 minutes, he left the lady.

“Many passengers have missed their flight because Immigration has refused to allow them to go. The Immigration officials are not afraid because they know that the places you will go and report them are aware of what they do at the airport. But the most annoying is the one they do to students. They stop students who are travelling alone and extort the money given to them by their parents. This is said,” the source who is a senior airline official and who has worked many years at the Lagos airport, told THISDAY. But reacting to the allegation, a senior Immigration official told THISDAY that the allegation that Immigration officials extort passengers at the airport is not true. He went on to explain that there was a classified circular from the federal government that directed Immigration at the airport not to allow young Nigerians, especially the girls not to leave the country, except there is convincing evidence that there is concrete purpose for the trip.

“Many of those girls destroy the image of Nigeria by what they do when they travel abroad. Many

of them go into prostitution, including newly married women. They travel overseas, engage in prostitution, earn some money and use the money to buy things and return to the country.

“This was confirmed when there were undercover investigations by some Nigerian embassies abroad.

Sometimes we have reasons why we should not allow some people to travel but they are usually very desperate and that is when they could do anything so that they should be allowed to go. That is when what they call extortion takes place,” the official said.

However he admitted that many Immigration officials at the Lagos airport currently do not have the requisite experience and exposure because those who have the experience “have been transferred out of the airport and replaced with inexperienced and unexposed persons who will tell you point blank that they came to make money.”

The Immigration official also alleged that those who act without tact are the officials of NDLEA and FAAN officials, adding, “The officials of FAAN scamper everywhere impersonating other security operatives and harass passengers.”

FAAN OFFICIALS

THISDAY learnt from official of FAAN at the international terminal that FAAN officials don’t have interface with passengers, except aviation Security personnel (AVSEC), noting that FAAN has succeeded to a large extent in instilling discipline among officials who work at the airport but admitted that such corrupt acts have persisted because the agency does not have control of the other agency workers and that none of them had been caught by CCTV and FAAN had not received call from passengers to level accusation against such officials.

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

HOW FEDERAL AIRPORTS AUTHORITY, NAMA RIP OFF AIRLINES AT SUNSET AIRPORTS taxi for 15 minutes to the domestic terminal, MMA2 or the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) burning many gallons of aviation fuel.

He therefore called on the government to step up action to provide night landing facilities at these runways and also to designate the airports that have night landing facilities so that flights can land after 6:30 pm.

Commenting, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, told THISDAY that the agency charges flat rate of N100, 000 per flight, which NAMA charges N50, 000 per hour after 6:30 pm. Which

means if the aircraft would arrive by 9:30 pm, the airline would be made to pay NAMA N150, 000 and pay FAAN, N100, 000.

But THISDAY learnt that sometimes the officers in charge could up the charges and threaten to close the airports and most often they would say they don’t have diesel in the generator.

Flights have been forced to make air return after they have made initial approach to land and when they do they reschedule the flight at huge cost to the airlines and inconvenience to the passengers.

Recently the Managing Director

of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu explained that litigation forestalled the installation of airfield lighting at the domestic runway of Lagos airport, known as Runway 18L. “The airfield lighting contract was not given by FAAN. Remember, there was a time the lighting at airports were taken away from FAAN, but later returned to FAAN. We have spent the last few years trying to resolve the contract. There are issues with the contractor, but we are making efforts to address the challenge on the domestic runway.

We are working with the ministry to ensure things are done rightly,”

he said.

On why the airports that even have night landing facilities are closed by 6:30, the former Managing Director of NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu explained that the major reasons include the fact that many of the airports use generators as source of electricity and there is inadequate manpower.

Akinkuotu noted that if the airlines come together and decide that they would maintain traffic on those routes late in the night, it could be arranged and the airports would adjust their operating schedule.

“A lot of these airports are run by

generators. It would be a huge loss of resources if you keep operating them when there is no traffic and airlines are not coming in. So we have power and manpower issues.

But if there is justified demand, adjustments can be made to accommodate that demand. The airline operators, NAMA and FAAN can meet and agree that flight time can be extended to the airports.

This will have to involve all the airlines; not for one airline; so if there is a guarantee for traffic in those late hours for the airlines, the agencies can bring in the needed manpower,” he said.

Closing about 90 per cent of Nigerian airports by 6:30 pm in the night has led to the underutilisation of aircraft and loss of revenues that would have been earned from operating to some of these airports after dusk.

Secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART) and aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu had warned that during emergencies an aircraft might not have alternative airport to land in Nigeria in the night because most of the airports are closed.

“That will be very tragic for the country,” he had said.

26

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

As Sifax Set the Pace in CSR Sifax Group’s N250 million spend on Corporate Social Responsibility in 2021 has further enhanced a history that is constantly growing and evolving, in order to meet the needs of today’s complex business environment, writes Eromosele Abiodun

Safe School 1: Students of Randle Senior High School, one of the beneficiaries of the SIFAX-sponsored Safe School Initiative

L-R: Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare with Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, during the announcement of SIFAX Group’s financial support for Aruna Quadri and Olufunke Oshonaike under the Ministry’s #AdoptAnAthlete Programme in Lagos.)

I

n recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown to become an increasingly important metric within the business realm. Sustainability remains a core foundation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), a central aspect of many CSR policies. Enacting policies that support ESG and CSR may prove to be financially beneficial, as research has found a significant correlation between these policies and higher returns.

CSR is not just a business model; it is a practice that ensures businesses practice social responsibility. Businesses that have implemented CSR strategies successfully are those that are conscious of the effects their operations have on society as a whole. The overarching goal of these strategies is to support the wellbeing of society through initiatives that improve areas such as the environment, education, economy, and social issues.

The devastating effect of COVID-19 gives CSR even greater prominence as consumers seek to support businesses that align with their morals. Moreover, businesses will look to provide aid in a measurable way, whether it’s providing funds for vaccination drives or purchasing laptops for children who are remote learning. Regardless of the strategies a business chooses to employ, it’s crucial to define and implement these strategies promptly.

Meanwhile, research has shown that companies are increasingly ramping up their focus on social responsibility, whether its championing women’s rights, protecting the environment, or attempting to obliterate poverty, on local, national, or global levels.

Over the years, some companies in Nigeria has taken the lead in giving back to communities, one of such companies in Sifax Group, a company with a long history of CSR. Sifax Group is a conglomerate with investment in Maritime, Aviation, Logistics, Oil & Gas, Financial Services and Hospitality The group has proven time and again that it is not in business just to make money. Sifax Group, stakeholders submitted, are a socially responsible corporate citizen that believes that the community where we operate should feel our impact.

Its CSR focus is divided into the following focus areas: Community empowerment and development, Education, Philanthropy for indigent students, Collaboration with relevant NGOs, Partnerships, Sports & Entertainment.

It is noteworthy to state that Sifax Group has a rich history of Corporate Social Responsibility, a history that is constantly growing and evolving, in order to meet the needs of today’s complex business environment.

“CSR is at the core of the company’s business philosophy because of the firm belief that our investments and activities should bring positive results to both the company and the society. This unique philosophy has continued to guide both the company and its people to the extent that social responsibility has become a culture at SIFAX Group.

“This commitment we demonstrate through investment in our community; encouraging employee volunteering; protecting our environment, adhering to high ethical standards; ensuring a safe and healthy workplace;

South West Para-Athletics Competition held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

promoting diversity in our workforce and much more, “the company said recently.

RECORD CSR SPEND

Last week, Sifax Group announced that it spent over N250 million on corporate social responsibility programmes across Nigeria in 2021.

The company said its CSR is focused primarily on education, health, economic empowerment (youth and women) and the physically-challenged.

“On education and health, hundreds of indigent students enjoyed full scholarship while equipment and facilities were donated to public educational and health institutions. Individuals with medical emergencies also received financial support.

“Youth and women economic empowerment also took a large chunk of the budget with skill acquisition trainings organized for unemployed youths and women across the country. Business grants were also extended to those who completed the training programmes. Some targeted and disadvantaged poor households were also catered to as food items were donated to them on a monthly basis.

“Various initiatives targeted at the physicallychallenged children living with conditions like autism, down syndrome and the blind were also supported by the company in the course of the year. Most of these projects were executed through its philanthropic arm, Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF) which has offices in Lagos, Zaria and Umuahia, “the company said.

Speaking on the 2021 CSR projects, Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi said one of the key pillars of the company’s business philosophy is to positively impact humanity and the society in any economy where the company carries out its operations.

According to him: “Right from the inception of our company in 1988, we have integrated social impact into our business strategy. Our businesses are not designed for profit making alone. We see ourselves as a platform that support social causes that provide access to opportunities, engender social stability and economic prosperity. We are motivated to do more when we see the physical impact of these CSR projects on the beneficiaries who today run into thousands.”

Executive Coordinator, AAAF, Foluke Ademokun on her own part, noted that the beneficiaries of the various programmes are making a judicious use of the opportunities, adding that the Foundation seeks to partner with more sponsors, both domestic and international, as well as other stakeholders, in order to touch more lives.

2021 CSR PROJECTS

Its 2021 CSR spend was lead by the Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation, a foundation it established

SIFAX refurbished an operational vehicle for the FRSC to help scale up its philanthropic activities. The foundation is named after the mother of its GEVC- Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi. The foundation’s focus includes: support for widows, scholarships/school fees for indigent students, girl-child empowerment, women empowerment, rural health outreach and many more. The foundation’s offices are in Lagos, Zaria and Abia state.

AAAF- ZARIA

One of the major beneficiary of its CSR last year was AAAF_Zaria, which got a total sum N33,000,000 with a monthly donation of N2,750,000.

This is excluding the N1,000,000 sent in October for the free medicals carried out in the foundation.

“In the course of activities in the foundation, we have different areas in which these funds are utilized. Our skill acquisition programme is segmented into various categories; Fashion design, shoe making, ICT, Home decoration (knitting, bed sheet and throw pillows), Bag making, Wire work (ear ring and neck lace) and P.O.P. In the past 7years the foundation have graduated almost 16,000 to 17,000 students.

“Those who participated are both male and female with ages ranging from 15yrs to 40 years, in each class room, we have 15 to 20 students, and the duration is between 3months to 6 months, depending on the skill, so at least we have like 40,45 to 50 students daily who are present to learn these skills, “Sifax said.

CSR DIRECT SPEND

The Next Titan: SIFAX Group is the associate sponsor of the show. The Next Titan is Nigeria’s foremost entrepreneurial reality TV show where youths between the ages of 18-40 are allowed to pitch their business idea for a grand prize.

“SIFAX Group is the only brand that has

supported this show right from its inception. Out support for this show is put at N20million naira per annum.

“We are supporting this show in other to empower the next set of wealth creators in the country and also to help reduce the scourge of unemployment prevalent in the country. With this show, youths can begin to think of entrepreneurship opportunities and become employers of labour rather than being dependent on government or white collar jobs, “it stated.

Sifax also supports Initiative for National Growth, an NGO that caters for children with special needs.

Another organization that the company supports is the MoRainbow Foundation. MoRainbow Foundation aims to help eliminate the stigma that is associated with living with Down syndrome. The foundation achieves its aim by creating an early intervention network to affected children in Nigeria.

The Chesri Foundation, an NGO, positioned to improve lives through proactive community advocacy also benefited from Sifax. In 2021, SIFAX Group supported the foundation on one of its safe school initiatives to educate over 200 children across five public schools in Lagos on the pitfalls of juvenile delinquencies and personal hygiene.

The beneficiary schools are – United Christian Secondary School, Apapa; Apapa Senior High School, Randle Senior Secondary School, Surulere and New Era Senior Girls School, Surulere.

During the period under review, Sifax also supported the South-West Para-Athletics Championship, a sports competition organized by the Lagos Para-Athletics Association.

The competition is aimed at supporting promoting the sports talents of people living with disabilities.

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

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

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Google to Expand 2-Step Verification Enrollments to Protect Online Users Emma Okonji Google has announced expansion of its two-step verification (2SV) process for log-ins to enhance account security after its newly introduced two step verification initiative saw a 50 per cent drop in account breaches for 150 million Gmail and two million YouTube creator accounts under the 2SV initiative.

The 2SV introduces use of mobile phones to confirm a user’s identity every time one accesses their Google Account from a different device.

Aligning with this year’s global Safer Internet Day theme, “Together for a better Internet,” Google is actively working on new technologies that will provide a secure, seamless sign-in experience and eliminate reliance on passwords that have turned out to be a major cause for data breaches and phishing attempts.

Users often find passwords hard to remember and have to update them regularly.

Giving details of the initiative, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, at Google Nigeria, Dawn Dimowo, said: “We don’t just plug security holes, we work to eliminate entire classes of threats for people who depend on our services. Today alone, billions of people around the world will use our products to help with things big and small from conducting e-payment transactions or teaching an online class full of students.

It is our responsibility to keep users’ personal information safe and secure.”

Google provides tools like Security Checkup, which provides users with practical tips on how to increase the security of their Google Account. In 2021, Google accelerated its effort to eliminate password threats by starting to auto-enroll users in 2SV, providing people with an additional layer

Gupshup Acquires AI-Powered Voice Leader, Knowlarity Nosa Alekhuogie Gupshup, a global leader in conversational engagement has announced the acquisition of Knowlarity Communications.

The acquisition, it said in a statement, is aimed at complementing Gupshup’s industry-leading conversational messaging suite and establishing Gupshup as the leader in voice and video communications as well.

According to the statement, Gupshup is busy enabling more ways for businesses to deliver rich experiences as business-toconsumer engagement becomes conversational.

“This is for the augmentation of its messaging solutions with Knowlarity’s market-leading voice solutions to consolidate its leadership in conversational engagement.

With the addition of Knowlarity’s products, businesses will now be able to build seamless conversational experiences across both messaging and voice channel,” it said.

Knowlarity revenues grew 50 per cent over the previous year, while international revenues exIndia grew 100 per cent in the same period. It offers solutions with unparalleled reliability and intelligence that enable businesses

to better engage their customers through AI-enabled voice and video solutions for improved ROI. Its solutions are being used across multiple industries including BFSI, Consumer Goods, IT/ITeS and Healthcare, across a variety of customer journeys covering sales and lead generation, customer service and support, automated calls, logistics and delivery.

They have industry-leading partnerships with Google Cloud for Speech Analytics and integrations with the world’s leading CRM systems like Salesforce, Freshworks, Hubspot and Zoho among others.

The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gupshup, Beerud Sheth explained that Knowlarity is the clear market leader in voice - their comprehensive product suite spanning cloud telephony and contact center automation, along with excellent customer traction will further enhance Gupshup’s leadership position.

Co-founder, Knowlarity, Ambarish Gupta, explained that the coming together of Gupshup and Knowlarity creates a unique product offering for customers across geographies, cementing the leadership position that both businesses have attained in the space of conversational engagement and cloud-based communications.

ALAT Returns Hackaholics 3.0 Tech Competition, Opens Application Emma Okonji ALAT by Wema, Nigeria’s digital bank has announced the 2022 edition of its Hackathon programme tagged #Hackaholics 3.0 - Building The Future.

The acceleration, which is aimed at helping tech enthusiasts and innovators scale and gain entrance into the market, is targeted at young Nigerians who will put their coding, product curation, and pitching skills to work, by solving interesting problems.

Hackaholics 3.0 is aimed at solving some specific challenges across multiple sectors, with a broad focus on the limitless possibilities in the future of technology, like NFTs, Web 3.0, Metaverse, Blockchain, AR, VR, AI, IoT. Most importantly, giving young Nigerians the enabling environment in solving societal issues across Financial Inclusion, Health,

Entertainment, lending, mSME, while they stand the chance to win a total prize of five million Naira.

According to ALAT, the aim of the programme is to discover and nurture at least 50 tech-hirable talents across Solutions Engineering, Data Science, Product Management, Product Design across identified University communities.

Speaking on the initiative, the Head of Innovation, Wema Bank, Solomon Ayodele, said: “The tech space is filled with emerging technological advances that hold so many possibilities and we want to key into that by raising the next generation of tech giants who will use their creativity and talent to change the course of society. We truly believe our aspirations as an organisation aligns with the desires of a lot of young Nigerians in creating and implementing disruptive technology solution.”

of security when cyber criminals attempt to hack into their accounts.

Through the initiative, more than 1.5 billion security checks were done.

“This decrease speaks volumes to how having a second form of verification can be effective in protecting your data and personal

information. And while we are proud of these initial results, and happy with the response we have received from our users and the

community, we are excited about other ongoing behind the scenes work intended to make our users even safer,” Dimowo further said.

The Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko (right) presents the Authority’s plaque to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, His Excellency, Daniel Bertrand during a working visit at the Corporate Headquarters in Lagos

Visa Set to Promote Innovation in Fintech with $45,000 Prize Emma Okonji

The Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI), a global open innovation programme is inviting Fintech and payment startups to showcase their innovative products and solutions in a competition that will help finalists gain firsthand exposure to key Fintech stakeholders across banking, merchant, Venture Capitalist (VC) and government sectors.

Winners of the competition will be awarded monetary prizes and the opportunity to partner with a global, trusted brand like Visa.

This year’s programme has

expanded to include startups that are using cryptocurrency and Visa Direct, a payment solution that can help businesses move money to billions of endpoints worldwide via card and account rails, in innovative ways. Finalists from across the world that are driving economic growth will converge in Qatar this November for the VEI finals.

Announcing the initiative, Vice President, Visa West Africa, Kemi Okusanya, said: “Fintechs and other payments innovators are transforming the way consumers and businesses make payments, making it easier for more people to

access the money they need when they need it, and the pandemic has seen this become more critical than ever.”

The Co-founder and Chief Executive of PAYZE, who won the 2021 VEI CEMEA, Giorgi Tsurtsumia, said: “Competing on a global stage alongside some of the most prestigious startups in the world and, more importantly, being able to receive that global exposure and support from a trusted brand like Visa, was an exceptional achievement for PAYZE.” PAYZE is an e-commerceoriented fintech that enables businesses across CIS countries to

accept payments from around the world through a single integration.

With the support of Visa’s network and a cash prize of $25,000, the PAYZE team is busy fulfilling their vision, having processed more than 250,000 transactions across 2021.

The competition also saw Karachi-based Fintech, Safepay, win the CEMEA Audience Favorite award and $10,000 in prize money.

Safepay specializes in secure payment processing for e-commerce stores and helps merchants increase checkout conversions, expedite receivables, and streamline sales by allowing their customers to pay online.

NIEEE to Install Akan as National Chairman, Holds Prize Award Nosa Alekhuogie The Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), is set to install Michael Akan as the new National Chairman of the Institute alongside others National Executive Committee members on February 19, 2022 in Abuja.

The event, which is planned to be a double ceremony, comes up at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites in Abuja and it is also billed to host the 2021 Prize Award Ceremony of the National Engineering and Technology Essay Competition (NESTEC).

The out-going National Chairman of NIEEE, Kings Adeyemi, is the chief host just as many members of the Institute are expected to be present at the event.

NIEEE was established in 1984 as a group of COREN registered Electrical Engineers. Today, NIEEE houses all the specialties of Electrical Engineering disciplines and currently has chapters in 28 cities across all the geo-political zones of the country.

Its mission is to promote professional competence and excellence among members through innovative contribution

and development of sustainable solutions to challenging engineering problems by deploying efficient technologies and systems for the benefit of mankind.

Akan was until now the National Deputy Chairman of NIEEE after he was the chairman of Lagos State Chapter of the Institute.

He studied at Federal University of Technology, Minna and University of Lagos and obtained B. Eng. (Electrical/ Computer engineering) and Advance Diploma in Project Management respectively. He also holds a professional certificate in

Media and Journalism. He is a registered engineer, a Certified Procurement/Project Monitor and an entrepreneur. He is a member of several professional bodies and has across board experience in Process Industries and Oil and Gas sector.

In 2019, he launched the Integrated National Technology Blueprint to assist in the development of engineering frontier for Nigeria using a 3 prong approach through National Engineering Science and Technology Essay Competition, NESTEC, Training and Hands and Brain Innovative Technology Summit, HaBITS.

Verraki Partners Congratulates Junior Achievement Nigeria Emma Okonji Managing Partner of Verraki, Niyi Yusuf has congratulated Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA Worldwide) - the world’s largest non-profit economic education organization operating in 120 countries, over JA Worldwide’s nomination for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

The organisation was recognised for its global reach and exceptional success in delivering economic empowerment to youth at scale, and its ability to find unity in diversity.

Reacting to the news, Yusuf mentioned that Verraki was a proud supporter of Junior Achievement Nigeria and its global networks and is glad that the network’s efforts

are been recognized.

“This is undoubtedly a historic milestone for Junior Achievement Nigeria, and Verraki is proud to be associated with Junior Achievement Worldwide, through the JA Nigeria and JA Africa. JAN has significantly contributed to the empowerment and economic education of both in-and-out of school Nigerian youth with its unique, experiential, and entrepreneurial education focusing on the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy as well as digital literacy and its collaborative style of pooling resources from the private and public sector to achieve its mandate. It is heartwarming that JA Worldwide and all members of the JA network are being recognised for their heritage of impacting the lives of our young

ones”, Yusuf said.

For centuries, unemployment and poverty have led to political instability, violence, and war. By economically empowering youth on all continents (even during this pandemic), JA continues to serve as a conduit for peace across its 340 local offices in 115 countries and envisions a world where young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.

The Chief Executive Officer of JA Worldwide, Asheesh Advani, said: “Peace is only possible when youth in all countries and regions have economic empowerment. JA Worldwide is honored to receive this nomination and will continue our work to enable all young people to have the skills and mindset to build thriving communities. Our primary

hope for solving the world’s most complex problems rests in the young people of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

In her response, the Executive Director of JA Nigeria, Foluso Gbadamosi, said: “It is an honour to be part of the JA Network and we join our colleagues across the world in celebrating this recognition of our efforts to educate and empower young people across the world. Through our unique blend of entrepreneurship, digital literacy, financial literacy, and work readiness programs, we, at JA Nigeria, aim to ensure that Nigerian youth, regardless of socioeconomic status, maximize their potential and take ownership of their economic future as they become leaders of tomorrow.”

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UBA Gifts Customers Awesome Digital Experience atValentine with New Internet Banking United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, is set to launch the new internet banking, tagged ‘Made for Love’ in time for the Valentine season which is widely celebrated all over the world as the season of love.

The newly upgraded internet banking has been fully equipped to provide a new digital experience to customers as the bank has invested in cutting edge technology to achieve this with attention to the smallest detail. UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, who gave insight on the new internet banking system, explained that as always, UBA remains committed towards prioritising customers, which is why the bank has gone the extra mile in conceptualising an outstanding service, with countless benefits and features designed to give its esteemed customers increased control and accessibility to carry out their transactions with ease.

As a key part of the new features, he said the application has been loaded with security elements to protect all financial transactions on the bank’s platform and is securely focused on the ultimate customer experience.

Speaking specifically about the internet Banking payment system, the GMD explained that it is the best in its class and was designed with multiple-factor authentication security features, which makes it extremely difficult to hack. He, however, advised customers not to divulge personal information to third parties, in order to keep the line of transaction fully protected on the part of the customer.

“The new Internet banking comes with a lot of features that are engaging for customers and have made banking transactions a lot easier, while easily addressing customers’ needs, through inbuilt emerging technologies like Artificial

Intelligence (AI),” Uzoka said.

Also speaking on the new digital experience, Group Head, Digital Banking, Kayode Ishola, said the new internet banking is the customers’ personal finance manager built with a distinctive user interface that will change the face of banking, adding that the internet banking has been designed as multilingual and multicurrency Web payment system to address the needs of all categories of UBA customers, irrespective of their education and tribe, either for Individual customers or SME customers.

He disclosed that the new Internet banking runs concurrently in the 20 countries of UBA’s operation, interacting in the different languages and cultures in line with the specific needs and regulation of the country in focus, adding that it is sleek and trendy with a seamless user interface and can also speak to the specific country where it is being used.

Anambra Govt Invites Google toTrainTeachers on Digital Learning David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State government, working in partnership with an education consultancy firm, Integral Development Konsult (IDK) has concluded arrangement with Google to train teachers on digital learning.

Chief Executive Officer of IDK, Mrs Chinwe Nweke disclosed this in a joint press conference with the state commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, yesterday.

Nweke said the state government, partnering with IDK has invited the education department of Google, to speak in an education digitalization summit, which would be held later this month. She said the aim of the summit was to enhance the skills of teachers in digital learning, while listing other leading companies in

the Information Communication Technology world, who would also be speaking at the summit to include; Dell, HP, Zinox, Coscharis and others.

“We are looking for a way we can use technology to bridge the digital gap. We are introducing ICT into basic education pedagogy, and we are looking at how we can use technology to change learning and affect the students’ lives.

“Anambra is very serious with digitalization of learning, and we are inviting a panel of ICT companies to look into our sub topics, which will be dealing with affordability of gadgets, internet networks in far-flung places in Anambra and solar energy as a source of power for these gadgets. “We have a lot of leading companies we have

invited, to lead discussions in the various sub-topics. We are hoping that at the end of discussions, we will come up with a blueprint that will guide Anambra State government to transform, or cause rapid transformation of learning.”

She added that the summit will herald the launch of a one-studentone-laptop campaign, which will be geared towards getting well to do individuals in the state to make donations that will help procure laptops for students in the state.

Speaking at the press conference, Basic Education commissioner, Prof Kate Omenugha stated that Anambra government has been in the forefront of ensuring digitalization of learning, and was able to show it’s dominance in the area, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

FG Set 4Q of 2022 for Completion of Kano Gold Souk Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The federal government has hinted that the ongoing Kano Gold Soul project will attain completion fourth quarter of this year.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite made the disclosure on Tuesday in Kano while inspecting the construction of the Gold Souk.

He said the establishment of the Souk in Kano is part of the current administration’s efforts to establish strategic Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining Clusters in each of the six (6) geopolitical zones of the country to harness the potential of the Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASM) operators in the Country.

The Minister who was accompanied on the inspection by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade and the Director Artisanal and Small Scale Miner (ASM) Mr. Patrick Ojeka was impressed by the level of work done even as the ground breaking took place four months ago.

In a statement made available in Abuja by the ministry, he said that the essence of the Gold Souk is about value addition, stating: “We want our gold in Nigeria to be enhanced here, we add value, create jobs for our people as well as generate revenue for government”, he emphasised.

“It is important that we add value to our gold instead of taking it out in the raw form, we will make jewelries such as bangles, wristwatches, necklaces and so on and then people will know that there is a Souk in Nigeria where they can visit and buy just like in other part of the world”, he further revealed.

Adegbite charged the contractor to work faster and smarter while adhering strictly to the approved

project masterplan.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade said the ministry is doing all within its mandate to support ASM. She said the Federal Government approved the establishment of Clusters in the six (6) geopolitical zones so as to develop the minerals in which each zone has comparative advantage.

These zones and the minerals

being developed according to her, are Kaolin in the North East Zone (Bauchi), Gold Processing Plant in North Central Zone (Kogi), Lead/ Zinc in the South East (Ebonyi) and Barite in the South-South (Cross River).

Others are, establishment of a Gem Stone Market in the South West (Oyo) and Gold Souk in the North West Zone (Kano).

SEC Reiterates Professionalism In Capital Market The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has again restated the need for capital market operators to maintain professionalism and good ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties.

The Director General of the SEC, Mr. Lamido Yuguda who stated this during a meeting with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers in Abuja, yesterday , added that it would make the market more transparent and attract investors.

Yuguda while soliciting the support of the CIS in the Commission’s quest to improve professionalism and good conduct in the capital market, also commended the Institute for working in tandem with the Commission, expressing the hope that the collaboration would continue.

“CIS has supported the SEC in our various initiatives in the past and we hope that this support will continue with the various initiatives we plan to roll out this year.

“We, therefore, urge the CIS to encourage its members to uphold the Code of Ethics of the profession and as contained in the Rules and regulations of the commission,” he said.

The SEC DG stated the importance of a harmonious working relationship between the regulator and the Self-Regulatory Organisations adding that it would translate into a more vibrant capital market.

According to him, “It is very important for us to work harmoniously we want a harmonious capital market where the regulators and the Self-Regulatory Organisations complement each other. We want a harmonious capital market where the forces compliment and rein-enforce each other and not fight. With all the initiatives we are bringing out in place, we are all heading towards a more robust and vibrant market”.

Only recently, in a bid to curb poor market conduct, the SEC had resolved to intensify monitoring and surveillance of the market and vowed to apply stiff sanctions to any operator who engages in unethical conduct.

Yuguda said capital market operators are the face of the market and they interact daily with investors adding that it is therefore important that they prioritise interest of investors over their own and be seen to demonstrate the highest level of integrity and transparency in conducting their activities.

According to him, “Poor conduct dissuades investors from our market and therefore counters our collective objective of broadening and deepening the market.

“We also expect that the institute will continue to make it mandatory for its members to undertake annual professional development programs that address emerging issues”.

THIS WEEKEND TR

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NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

VA L E N T I N E E D I T I O N

Moses and Ada Ehi: Love Should be Shown Every Day

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ​ͯ, 2022

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Moses and Ada Ehi: Love Should be Shown Every Day St.Valentine’s Day is an annual festival to celebrate love, friendship, and even admiration.Annually, on February 14, people around the world celebrate love in different ways. But for renowned gospel singer, Ada Ehi and her serial businessman spouse/manager, Moses Ehi, who have been married for 13 years, Valentine is every day for them and not restricted to a particular day. The couple jointly share their love story with MARY NNAH express love openly. Is it?

Moses: No, it is not.

Tell us what you both do? da: I am a mother, wife, a Christian, and a minister of the gospel.

Moses: I am a Christian husband and a serial entrepreneur.

A

How many kids do you have and how do they react to your public show of love?

Ada: We have a biological daughter. She is used to it now but I remember when she was a toddler, whenever my husband pecks me, she will lash unto me and scream. She will try to slap her small palms on my face and vice versa. That was when she was just a baby.

I don’t know what she was thinking then.

Moses: We have one kid.

What does Valentine mean to you?

Ada: To be very honest, to me, it has no special meaning. To be honest, I am almost not aware of Valentine because I have always believed that love is every day. But I appreciate that there is a day set out to celebrate people you love.

I think it is a good thing but then, I think it should be beyond just a day. I understand that there is a day to represent love – the feeling or the being or reality and showing people that we love them. It is not like I am against it but I think that if it is a single day, then it should be the beginning of an expression of love in one’s life. It is good that you take a day to celebrate people but celebrate them every day - I show my husband love every day. Don’t I? Moses: Yes. I think she has answered for me because Valentine’s Day does not have any significant meaning to me as long as I am concerned. I see it as the name of a person.

But I am not against those that celebrate it.

Who is more romantic between you and your partner?

Ada: I think my husband is.

Moses: My wife is more romantic.

What is the most annoying thing your partner has ever done to you?

Ada: Not listening to me. Like I said something and you went and did the exact opposite.

Moses: When she keeps talking about a particular thing over and over again.

Was there any point in your relationship you regret meeting him/her?

What does love mean to you?

Ada: Love means to see someone or people the way God sees them. God is love.

Moses: Love means life to me. God is love.

Ada: No! No!!

Moses: There is nothing like that.

Who was your first love interest and how did it end?

Ada: Growing up you like a lot of people but you don’t that you love people until you meet the one that you are ready to do anything for and the one that makes you see yourself in the best way and this person brings essence and meaning to your life.

Moses: My first love is Ada and we are still very strongly in love. We are growing very strong.

What were the challenges you went through at the initial stage of your marriage?

Ada: I don’t think it was that challenging at the initial stage of our marriage because we became really good friends for a very long time before we got married. I was in school, so he had to wait for me, so we were really good friends and we talked all the time. So we kind of knew our strengths and weakness. But then when we moved in it was a different reality, everybody had his/her different background.

You know adapting to how you handle things, mindset, psychological and the reality of living together, staying in the same room and all of that – just in the process of settling down we just had a little misconstrue here and there but after a while, we were good.

How and where did you meet your partner?

Ada: It was after service and I was doing some special duties, so this young man came to say ‘Hi’ and that was it.

Moses: I met her in the church; at the Christ Embassy Church.

Was it, love, at first sight?

Ada: No, it wasn’t. You have to know someone before you love the person. I was indifferent because I didn’t know why you were saying ‘Hi’.

Moses: Yes, it was.

How exactly did you propose to your wife/ how did your husband propose to you?

Ada: Okay, we were friends and it was obvious that we were headed in a relationship path but because I was still in school then, I was thinking that I have to be done with school. But my response to his proposal wasn’t a ‘No’. I didn’t say no. I think what I wanted was, “Give me time and let me finish”.

Moses: There was no special ceremony.

I remember we were hanging out at a very popular eatery and I just told her, “I will like to marry you”. And of course, her answer was, “Marriage was not on my mind.” She was like, “What is this guy talking about?” Her response wasn’t a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. At that time I was impatient and I felt that she was not ready and so let me move on. But trying to move on, the car was stuck. I couldn’t move on, I did everything to move on but there was no moving on.

How long have you been married?

Moses and Ada Ehi your spouse does not like, for example, my husband hates nagging, so if there are any traces of nagging just don’t.

How would you describe the love relationship between you and your wife/husband? It is that of the Romeo and Juliet kind of relationship or the conventional kind of relationship?

Ada: We don’t know Romeo and Juliet. They were never even married.

They wanted to get married but they couldn’t, so ours is real love and it is standing the test of time because it is being tested and it is standing. These are the best years of my life.

In what particular ways do you express your love to your partner?

Ada: I think our love language is listening and companionship because we spend a lot of time together. I can speak for both of us because right now we are like twins.

The best part of our days is coming home after a long day or a couple of days away from each other and then we come home to talk about everything. We are almost always together and it does not feel like an overstretched or a bore. And listening…

I think that is our love language because we always have a lot to talk about. We are gist partners and best friends.

Was there any particular time you felt like giving up on this relationship?

Ada: Never and we thank God for that.

Moses: No. What’s the nastiest thing anyone has said about the display of love between you two?

Ada: I don’t think people react in any way because now you just see people expressing love everywhere whether they are married or not. So I don’t think it’s out of place to

Ada: I don’t think anybody has said nasty things about our love. The funniest episode we have had is when my husband was driving, I was in the car and I think there was this woman that was driving too and there was this usual road brawls and then she looked and me and said to me, “All your mates are in their husband’s house and you are here doing girlfriend. I was just looking at her and was like, you don’t know me. This is my husband and not his girlfriend!

Moses: Nothing.

“Ours is real love and it is standing the test of time because it is being tested and it is standing. These are the best years of my life”

What advice do you have for young couples?

Ada: Be friends! Get to know each other.

Like love is good but knowledge of the person you love sustains the love. You need to know each other interests.

Moses: Be friends.

Moses: That is the best definition, ours is the love that stands the test of time. No regrets whatsoever.

How do people react when you openly express love to your partner?

Ada: 13 years What is it that you don’t like about your partner?

Ada: Well, we are married, and if there were anything, I think that over time we have learned to overcome them… Like when you know what

What has kept your relationship lasting and exciting - money or love?

Ada: Love is everything. Love is you; love is life like my husband said. If you don’t love someone, money won’t keep you with that person. And for us, we have been friends and we would always be friends. Anytime we have an issue, we trash it between us without letting a third party know. And we are not the yelling type but we talk.

Moses: Right!

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ​ͯ, 2022

Realness Institute Calls for Applications from Nigerian Filmmakers Writers to ÓÞÝ ͺ͸ͺͺ ÍÜÏÏØáÜÓÞÏÜÝ ÏÝÓÎÏØÍã ÜÙÑÜË××Ï Uzoma Mba Six African filmmakers will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop their fiction film story ideas and work-in-progress scripts in a three-month residency that includes attending film industry programmes in three countries in the 2022 edition of the Realness African Screenwriters’ Residency.

The full application criteria which is open to anyone who has a valid African passport, as well as how to apply can be found on the Realness Institute’s website: https:// www.realness.institute/ realness-residency.

The residency programme in its 7th year will take place from 3 August to 13 November, and is open to any African on the continent or living in the

Diaspora.

This year’s exciting news is that the Realness Institute has partnered with the Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy (Switzerland) so that these filmmakers can attend the Locarno Film Festival, and the Academy’s creative incubation programme “BaseCamp”.

In addition, one of the selected six will also attend the Academy, the festival’s industry development programme.

Following this, the cohort will spend six weeks at the tranquil and nurturing Nirox and Farmhouse 58 in The Cradle of Humankind, in South Africa, where they will be mentored by Story Consultants Selina Ukwuoma and Mmabatho Kau and Creative Producer, at Urucu Media, Cait Pansegrouw.

Elias Ribeiro, Executive Di-

rector of the Realness Institute, will accompany the group to the Locarno Film Festival and Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnerships at the Realness Institute, will accompany the cohort to the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

From 7 to 13 November, they will attend AFRIFF, in Lagos, Nigeria. Here they will have the chance to attend the festival to take meetings and present their project to an audience of potential stakeholders.

The Realness team will develop and present a two-day programme, dedicated to development, during AFRIFF’s Industry event.

Head of Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy and Project Manager for BaseCamp, Stefano Knuchel says, “After five years of an inspiring and

fruitful collaboration between Realness and the Locarno Film Festival, by selecting every year one Realness talent for our prestigious Filmmakers Academy, we’re happy to deepen our exchanges by welcoming all the Realness participants in our new creative initiative called BaseCamp.

“The BaseCamp is a unique space in the context of film festivals, where 200 young talents from very different creative fields and from all over the world gather in a huge ex-military headquarters during the Locarno Film Festival to enjoy privileged access to the content of the Festival and also to create an utopian space, where they give shape to different forms of creations.

“An innovative concept that allows the experimentation of new languages and new

hybrid forms of creation.”

“Africa has been at the forefront of storytelling from the very beginning. We are passionate about telling our authentic stories. It is important to script our stories well for the global audience hence the partnership with the Realness Institute,” says Chioma Ude, Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF. Online submissions are now open for this intensive programme that is offered by the Realness Institute, the South African based NPO that aims to develop African stories created by Africans for a global film market.

Finally, the most promising projects will be awarded participation in the prestigious La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde in Cannes, receive an EAVE Producers’ Workshop partial Scholarship, invitation

to TorinoFilmLab Meetings Event and Locarno Filmmakers Academy.

“We are thankful to our old partners and excited to welcome our new. Nigeria is an exciting market we have long been interested in entering so it’s wonderful that our writers will get a chance to showcase their projects at AFRIFF,” says Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnerships for the Realness Institute The highly regarded programme is presented in partnership with Urucu Media, Nirox Foundation, Farmhouse 58, AFRIFF, the French Institute of South Africa and Institute Français’ La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, TorinoFilmLab, Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy, Cocoon, CNC, EAVE, IFFR Pro, IEFTA, Berlinale Talents and Area51.

Aspira Appoints Adesua Etomi Wellington, Shattu Sani Garko Brand Ambassadors ˾ ËßØÍÒÏÝ ÓÜÓ ÏËßÞã ËØÎ ÏÜÐß×ÏÎ ÙËÚ Stories by Mary Nnah In pursuance of one of its core values of youth empowerment and its mission to recognise, reward and identify with the exploits and achievements of youthful players who have carved a niche for themselves across all sectors of the Nigerian economy, Aspira Nigeria Limited has unveiled Nigerian Acres, Adesuwa Etomi Wellington, as it brand ambassador.

This took place during the company’s launch of its brand new Beauty & Perfumed Bar Soap, SIRI. Speaking during the event, Head Marketing, Aspira Nigeria Limited, Santosh Nair said, “The entertainment industry is one thriving space where youths are taking charge as icons and inspiring the younger generation.

“Having closely followed the youths in Nigeria, one personality we just couldn’t ignore is Nollywood actress, Adesua Etomi Wellington, a woman making a tremendous impact in one of the world’s largest movie-making industries – Nollywood.”

Speaking further on the reason for the choice of Adesua, Nair noted, “There is no gainsaying she has emerged as one of the most visible faces in Nollywood. Beyond that, her achievements as an icon align with the core values of Aspira; hence we are unveiling here

L-R: Hussein Jaafar, MD, Imperio International, Mr. Khudor Jaafar; Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Queen Shattu Sanni Garko, MD, Aspira Nig. Limited, Sami Jaafar, and Head marketing Aspira Nigeria, Santosh Nair at the event today as the brand ambassador of Siri.”

He said further that as a Nigerian brand, another platform the company could not ignore was the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant current queen, Queen Shattu Sani Garko. Consequently, Aspira has

also appointed her alongside Adesua Etomi-Wellington as brand ambassador for its latest beauty product, Siri, adding, “the new queen is an icon of courage setting the pace for Nigerian youngsters.”

Aspira Nigeria Limited is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of laundry care and personal health care products in Nigeria.

Located in the Northern commercial city of Kano, Aspira Nigeria Ltd. began

operations in Nigeria in 2009, with the production of various detergents and soaps.

VIVA, being the most known and familiar brand today, taking over the detergent and soap industry.

N2m Up for Grabs as Nollywood Screenwriting Contest Kicks-off A new contest christened, Nollywood Screen Writing Contest (NSWC), a brainchild of Lawrence Onuzulike, a Nollywood actor, publisher, and activist has birthed and N2million is up for grabs.

The winner goes home with the star prize of N1million and the winning script will be made into a blockbuster Nollywood movie including a one-year scriptwriting contract with Aforevo.

For the first runner up, it

is N500,000 while the second runner up goes home with N300,000. Other consolation prizes include 100 Afrorevo T-Shirts and caps.

To qualify, participants must submit the first twenty scenes from their scripts after which judges shall choose the best 20 submissions.

The owners of the selected submissions shall be required to submit between100 to 135 scenes of their works after which the judges shall

choose the three best scripts.

Submission opened on February 7th and will close on March 4 while prizes shall be presented to winners on March 8.

Judges include veteran actress, Clarion Chukwura, Segun Arinze, Victor Okhai, president DGN, and Yinka Ogun, President SWGN. For interested participants, they are to visit Nollywoodscreenwritingcontest.com for more info on how to submit.

Speaking during a press parley in Lagos, Onuzulike said, the Nollywood screenwriting contest was created to reward hardworking screenwriters and highlight the vital roles they play in filmmaking.

“In Nollywood, there’s this overall feeling that screenwriters despite playing very important roles in film making are not being well recognised and rewarded in the Nigerian

film industry”, he said.

Consequently, NSWC, he said, is geared towards correcting that by bringing to the fore the vital roles played by screenwriters in movie production and in the film industry as a whole.

The media campaign and the razzmatazz that will surround the contest, Onuzulike noted further, will not only shed light on screenwriters but will also make them the point of focus for once in

an industry often dominated by actors, directors, and producers. The initiative is put together by Aforevo and proudly endorsed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria (SWGN), Directors Guild Of Nigeria (DGN), and Association Of Movie Producers (AMP).

The contest is open to all Nigerians except the staff of Murphy Ben International Limited.

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E-TRENDS BASKETMOUTH ON HIS MUSICAL ADVENTURES ON ‘HOROSCOPES’ Iyke Bede

Although he has attained fame as a comedian, Bright ‘Basketmouth’ Okpocha constantly revisits his musical past that dates back to his drummer boy days in the church. His first attempt at making a music album saw him pool numerous Nigerian artists for ‘Yabasi’, a soundtrack album to ‘Papa Benji’ series in 2020.

The comedian has followed it up with the soundtrack album ‘Horoscopes’ to the upcoming full-length feature film ‘Scorpio’.

“The title of the album was supposed to be ‘The Scorpio Effect’; however, I felt like it was me boxing myself into just one zodiac sign, and that didn’t reflect the range of songs on the album. The movie is already titled ‘Scorpio’, so why not title the album ‘Horoscopes’? What we did with the album was that we created nine stories inspired by the film and made them into songs.”

Juxtaposing the sonic textures of his current and former release, the comedian said he aimed for diversity in sounds. “’Papa Benji’ is centred on an Igbo man. This meant that the album had to be mostly highlife music, as with the case of ‘Yabasi’. But with ‘Horoscopes’, it’s not a highlife album, it is more like a fusion of different genres with afrobeats across all nine tracks. We created something very special.”

Spanning 14 months of studio production, the idea behind ‘Horoscopes’ was born about two years ago, coinciding with the period when songs off of ‘Yabasi’ started gaining airplay.

“We never stopped recording after ‘Yabasi’, we’ve been recording since two years ago, since 2020.

The first track that we created was ‘Money’, the first person to record a verse was Oxlade. He made it in the car where we were shooting the ‘Myself’ music video.”

The creative process for ‘Horoscopes’ was intentional, Basketmouth notes, and this drive is reflected in the selection of artists’ musical techniques and how it compliments the instrumentals while allowing them creative freedom that was guided by story ideas pitched

by Basketmouth. Duktor Sett assumed the role of producer, solely steering the production wheels of the album.

Whether it was the time 2Baba requested for a recording session in the wee hours of the morning, or when a meeting with Peruzzi led to creating 16 demos at a go, to when Illbliss relied on a pen and paper to pen thoughts upon listening to the instrumental that he connected with, the album-making process, according to Basketmouth was an experience outside what he is used to in creating comedy.

Basketmouth

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Beyoncé and Other Firsts of 2022 Oscars Nominations Stories by Vanessa Obioha The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Tuesday, February 8, announced the contenders for the 94th Academy Awards better known as the Oscars. The nominations were greeted with mixed feelings as some of the big names expected to be on the list like Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) were snubbed.

Notwithstanding, the list welcomed fresh faces, notably the American Grammy award singersongwriter Beyoncé. She was nominated in the Best Original Song category for ‘Be Alive’, a ballad she wrote with the songwriter Dixson for the biopic about the father of tennis stars, Venus and Serena Williams, ‘King Richard’.

Already the female artist with the most Grammy wins, Beyoncé faces strong contenders in the category such as the ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Van Morrison and Billie Eilish who is also a first-time nominee.

Another actress who earned her first nod in the Oscars is Kristen Stewart for her outstanding role in the film ‘Spencer’. Stewart played the late Princess Diana in the biopic directed by Pablo Larrain. She is nominated in the Best Actress category alongside Olivia Colman, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz.

The American musician Questlove landed his first Oscars nomination in the Best Documentary category for his directorial debut ‘Summer of Soul’.

Perhaps, one of the biggest surprises of the Oscars nominations is the Japanese film ‘Drive My Car’.

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, the film about a stage actor and director coping with the death of his wife, made history as the first Japanese film to be nominated in the Best Picture category. It also made Hamaguchi the third Japanese filmmaker to be nominated in the Best Director category. The film earned four nominations total, including Beyoncé.

Best International Feature Film and Best Adapted including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Screenplay.

Leading this year’s nominations is the Netflix film another fresh face on the Oscars, Kirsten Dunst.

The 94th Academy Awards is scheduled to ‘Power of the Dog’ which fetched 12 nominations,

PERUZZI TO HEADLINE CARICA PRE-LAUNCH Today, Friday, February 11, Nigerian Afro-Pop star, Peruzzi will treat fun lovers to an unforgettable night of dancing

and celebration as one of the leading hospitality venues in Ikeja, Lagos, Sinatra’s Place, will open its club arm, Carica.

According to Chief Executive Officer of Sinatra’s Place, Segun Amosu, the launch was planned to usher in

take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on March 27, 2022.

the Valentine season. “I am delighted to announce that the club Carica, of our hospitality centre, is ready and will be open to the public from February 11. Carica is just another extension of our business of ensuring premium satisfaction for fun-loving

clients who come to Sinatra’s Place daily. For this reason, we are bringing one of the best musicians in the country and Africa, Peruzzi, to open the club. We hope to keep engaging our patrons and ensuring the best of nightlife in Lagos,” he said.

What’s New on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Finally, the popular TV show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (WWTBAM)’ is back after months of speculation. BLK HUT, the new franchise owner of the educational and entertaining TV show, held an elegant event recently to unveil sponsors and host of the show. The fintech company UP Group was announced as the lead sponsor.

The show will be sponsored by its brands UP, Payattitude, Payarena, and HopePSBank.

According to the Managing Director of UP, Agada Apochi, the decision to host the revamped show was borne out of the desire to “educate, excite and entertain Nigerians by bringing back the game show that keeps families at the edge of their seats.”

Despite doubts about his return to the show, Frank Edoho was announced as the host of the new series tagged ‘The Rebirth’.

Edoho’s charismatic way of asking questions made him the preferred choice and has over the years endeared many to the show.

WWTBAM is returning after a four-year hiatus. And with its return, the organisers have repackaged the show to meet the demands of today’s audience. Leading TV production company Notes Inc was given the reins to produce the show and the CEO Damola Adewole is confident that Nigeria will enjoy every bit of the show.

Frank Edoho (right) returns as host of WWTBAM

According to him, the company which is reputed for producing outstanding TV shows such as Airtel Touching Lives disclosed that the show will be leveraging technology to deliver an unforgettable experience to viewers.

“It was a challenge to bring back a show which left when the social media rave was just starting. What we have done is to incorporate technology in the new format.

Viewers can play along on their

phones and social media is going to be part of the whole journey,” said Adewole.

This is made possible through Payattitude which allows Nigerians to participate in the show from the comfort of their homes using the Payattitude USSD code *569# or USSD codes of Payattitude partner banks.

“For the first time, you no longer need SMS code to play a game of this kind, which is the first of its

kind in Nigeria,” said Apochi.

Adewole also appreciated the CEO of BLK HUT Hakeem Condotti for entrusting the show into his hands.

“Under Condotti’s leadership, we’ve been able to do what our company does best: make global standard tv programming with local expertise. And that’s why we take our role as African production partners very seriously as this project has been a collaboration of the vast amazing talents in Nigeria.”

For Condotti, “It is a great deal of excitement for us to be involved in the production of the iconic game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? which a lot of Nigerians have been looking forward to gracing their TV screens. We are aware of the expectation, and we can assure everyone that the quality of the content week in week out would be superb. We have the capacity and the resources to deliver entertaining and educative content that lives long-lasting memories,” he said.

Apart from the usual lifelines of the show: 50/50, Phone a Friend and Ask the Audience, Edoho announced a new lifeline ‘Ask the Host’ to the series. This lifeline gives the contestants one chance to ask the host to answer the question.

Also, N20 million was disclosed as the star prize of the new series and it will be broadcast for 52 weeks.

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Point-of-the-Golden-Spear: A Good First Shot

Fascinating with a power to convert every reader into a deep thinker, the new book by child author, Chukwuebuka Nworisa hits the bull’s eye on contemporary relevance, says Yinka Olatunbosun

A

t 10, the wealth and depth of fictional stories that occupy Chukwuebuka Nworisa’s imagination are simply beyond his years. His latest literary offering is a 110-paged collection of short stories titled “Point of the Golden Spear and Other Stories.” As a young writer, Nworisa’s writing style is predictably familiar, reminiscent of the oral storytelling tradition. Still, the stories are woven around a tiny voice that emerges from an observant Epe boy. There is no denying the ties between the fictional stories and the realities on which the writer has been weaned. The charismatic writer gained admission into Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Ibonwon, Epe at the age of nine. He was the youngest in the class of 25. As the leadership streak in him charged forth, he became the class captain.

It was while he held this position that he sought out time to write these amazing stories that are laden with wisdom, humour and intrigues. If the book was a television series, we could certainly need a commercial break in between the episodes because every story demands a moment of meditation after reading. As simple as it is to read, the encoded moral messages in the stories are not for skim readers.

Point of the Golden Spear, a first from the young author, is packed with themes of heroism, leadership, love and jealousy, bullying, hope, existentialism and environmentalist ideology. Despite being a typical children’s literature, the stories in the collection resonate across age brackets.

Take for instance, ‘The Entrepreneur’ which delves into the story of a young unemployed graduate who decides to retrieve an innovative project from his alma mater to earn a living and change his life forever. That singular story can provoke dark memories of many dreams of our youths that had been locked away or buried under the rubbles of retrogressive thinking.

Bola’s lot in life changes for the better because his father reminds him of his ingenious project that is in the custody of his alma mater. That twist also suggests the impact that parental guidance has in shaping a child’s future.

And if you are a reader that loves being humoured by a storyline, then one of the short stories in the collection titled ‘The Poison Woman’ is a must-read.

At the risk of revealing too much, one can say that it is a typical comedy of errors around friendship and matrimony. Certainly, Nworisa is a daring young writer who surprises his readers with his mature

Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art Extends ‘Invincible Hands’ Exhibition Yinka Olatunbosun The longest running show of 2021, ‘Invincible Hands’ has been extended to the end of February, 2022. Organised by the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) of the PanAtlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki, the focuses on the contributions of over 40 contemporary Nigerian women artists whose works cover different periods and artistic media.

Curated by Olufisayo Bakare, the show boasts of 70 pieces of artworks with some selected from the permanent collection of the YSMAand others obtained as temporary loans from artists and collectors.

In presenting these works to a wide audience, the exhibition highlights artistic achievements that transcend stereotyped and reductive achievements of Nigerian women in art. A first of its kind, the show tackles the issue of underrepresentation of female artists, giving credence to their individuality, voices and creativity. The guest curator, Bakare emphasises the works of indigenous and Pan-African artists and maker-communities by establishing unique platforms for accessibility. Positioned as a cultural gatekeeper of Black histories, she recognises that educating the masses through artistic and cultural ecosystems is a building block for a society.

Some of the featured artists at the show include Nike Davies-Okundaye, Susanne Wenger, Wura Natasha Ogunji, Taiye Idahor, Modupeola Fadugba, Tiwa Sagoe, Juliet Ezenwa MajaPearce, Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, Amarachi Okafor, Peju Alatishe, Odun Orimolade, Peju Layiwola, Damilola Tejuosho, Joy Labinjo, Valerie Fab-Uche, Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu amongst others.

Book cover

subject matters.

Farming and fishing motifs run across the pages- a natural mental preoccupation for a writer who lives and studies in Epe community in Lagos. He infuses the elements of agrarian life skills in resolving conflicts of poverty or survival in stories like ‘The

Lucky Farmer,’ and ‘Point of the Golden Spear.’ Published by Bookworks Publishers, Nworisa’s book has an understated relevance for our contemporary society with that title. Its wide range of societal issues positions the budding writer as one who is committed to societal change.

Olufisayo Bakare, Guest Curator for “Invincible Hands”

Nigeria’s Iké Udé Unveils “Nollywood Portraits” in Washington DC Yinka Olatunbosun The anticipated exhibition that explores African beauty through the portraits of Nollywood Celebrities is on-going at the prestigious Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Arts in Washington DC. Titled “Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits,” the works will be on display at the said museum throughout the month of February.

“We are very excited to join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in celebrating these Nigerian film industry personalities in the classic, elegant style Iké Udé has perfected,” says Osahon Akpata, Project Director of Nollywood Portraits.

“The radical beauty of these portraits is intended to make a bold statement about the portrayal of our people at the highest art and cultural institutions in the world.”

Akpata further disclosed that today, Friday February 11, there will be a virtual global launch event of the exhibition featuring an interactive session with the artist, Iké Udé, and four Nollywood stars discussing their portrait experience, an exclusive preview of Udé’s documentary short, Nollywood in Focus, and a sneak peak of the exhibition.

Iké Udé celebrates the luminescent beauty and mystique of Nigerian visionaries by turning his lens on the talented people who drive Nollywood, Nigeria’s $3 billion film industry.

Known for his performative and iconoclastic style and vibrant sense of composition, Udé’s photographs use colour, attire and other markers to make elegant yet unexpected portraits.

His photographs make a bold statement about the power of African identities, despite centuries of attempted erasure by Eurocentric art history and notions of beauty.

Currently based in the U.S., Udé is originally from Nigeria. After three decades away, he returned to Lagos, Nigeria, in 2014 to photograph its celebrities.

The exhibition features 33 of Udé’s 64 portraits of Nollywood film stars, directors and producers, alongside—for the first time—some of the garments styled by the stars and a bespoke set, in which visitors can create their own identities with the help of on-site stylists.

“Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of African people across the globe to art, to history, to culture and to our common humanity,” said Ngaire Blankenberg, Director, National Museum of African Art. “Whether he turns his camera on himself, flowers or the talented stars of Nollywood, Iké Udé presents a world of beauty, and most powerfully, a world that centres on

African beauty.”

On display through February 2023, the exhibition was originated by independent curator Selene Wendt and curated for the Smithsonian

by Karen E. Milbourne. In addition to Udé’s portraits, the exhibition will feature fashion, film clips and interviews with such Nollywood celebrities asAlexx Ekubo and TaiwoAjai-Lycett.

“Iké Udé is a true visionary who presents himself and the world around him with a combination of extraordinary style, cutting intellectual humor and exacting detail,” said Milbourne, senior curator for the National Museum of African Art. “He reveals how each of us performs our identity, and in the case of these Nollywood stars, he takes us beyond the façade of celebrity.

He invites us to see how they, themselves, want to be seen.”

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METRO

…Your city life in print

When New Chiefs Go Marching in Abiriba Kingdom

LIBERTY FAMILY FOUNDATION DONATES LEASED PROPERTY TO THE CANDLELIGHT FOUNDATION Chiamaka Ozulumba A US-based non-profit organis ation, Liberty Family Foundation (LFF), has donated $31,700 USD to The Candlelight Foundation to secure a five-year lease on a property in Surulere area of Lagos State.

The property is meant for The Candlelight Foundation’s soup kitchen where thousands of meals are provided to the hungry in the community for free.

The LFF is a private family NGO founded in the US. The foundation believes in giving back to communities locally, nationally, and throughout the world. The founder, business entrepreneur and technology mogul, Michael Liberty made the generous contribution through the LFF in honour of his late mother, Mary “Mae” McCarthy Liberty.

He described Mae, as she was fondly called, as a generous and cheerful soul who always helped those in need.

According to Liberty, the mission of the LFF is to help those in need and inspire other civic leaders and individuals to do the same, thereby, improving the quality of life for all. As a multi-faceted entrepreneur, who has built his fortune and success through his remarkable vision and diversified approach towards creating cutting-edge niches in numerous industries, Liberty has delved into real estate, textile, retail, and technology over the course of three

decades.

Most recently, Liberty set his focus on launching Virtual Banking Network (VBN) which is a cloud-based enterprise software network that solves real-world problems for financial operators and their customers. Today, his gifts continue to affect lives positively. Hence, The Candlelight says the donation came in handy, as it is certain this would afford them to expand their Street Kids-to-School programme by providing a safe location to house and support the kids in their scholarship programme.

In response to the donation, The Candlelight Foundation says it would name the soup kitchen “Mae’s Kitchen” in honour of Mr. Liberty’s mother’s legacy.

As noted in a statement by the Executive Director of the Candlelight Foundation, Uzoamaka Okeke, “This is coming at the perfect time as we unfortunately see a growing number of people in need of our service in the community.

“We The Candlelight family want to appreciate and recognise the LFF for this generous donation. It will go a long way in helping us with our existing work as well as expanding our street kids to school program and other programs being developed.”

While she expressed profound gratitude to the donor, Okeke outlined that the new location is currently undergoing repairs and will be open to the public this April.

NEW TITLED CHIEFS OF ABIRIBA KINGDOM: …

(L-R) Chief Uko Nkole, Chief Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Chief John Okiyi Kalu Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia The Abiriba Ancient Kingdom was agog recently as a new set of titled chiefs were added to the impressive list of Council of Titled Chiefs.

The conferment of chieftaincy titles was the climax of the 21st traditional coronation anniversary of HRM Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu IV, the Enachioken of Abiriba Kingdom.

Aside the coronation anniversary, the paramount ruler also added his 30th marriage anniversary and call to the Nigerian Bar in the celebration package, hence the gaiety of the occasion was triple charged.

From the Ndi Oko Ogo Palace of the paramount ruler where the chietaincy titles were conferred on the deserving recipients to the Abiriba mini stadium where the other components of the triple celebration took place, it was a colourful carnival laced with the grandiose exhibition of culture and opulence.

Among the throng of 51 new titled chiefs were the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ude Oko Chukwu(Ikirike Oku); Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe(Aturu Mang); House of Representatives member, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency, Hon Uko Nkole(Nkuma Ala Iyi); and Abia State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, John Okiyi Kalu, who got the title of Nwandugbom.

The new titled chiefs were selected from within and beyond Abiriba Kingdom with diverse professional callings and accomplishments. But a common criteria was used to qualify them.

According to the chairman of of the Anniversary Committee, George Ezikpe Okiyi, the recipients of the traditional title of recognition “have in different ways and means made individual and collective efforts that served and promoted the overall good and development of Abiriba community in particular and/or the

larger society in general.

“The recognition is without doubt, an acknowledgement and appreciation of such noble efforts that are worthy of emulation.”

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who was a special guest of honour and also a titled chief of Abiriba Kingdom (Otuba Okwojie), used the occasion to solicit the support of traditional rulers to enhance security across the state.

The governor, who was represented by a prominent businessman, Chief Okey Ahaiwe noted that security “is a collective responsibility”, hence the need for royal fathers to join hands with his administration in the quest for sustainable security in the state. He lauded the Enachioken of Abariba and members of his Council for the peace and development in Abariba. Ikpeazu, therefore, urged other traditional rulers to emulate the Enachioken and his council members who strive daily to set up and sustain structures to protect the Abiriba Kingdom as well as ensure peace with neighboring communities.

“On our part, we will continue to support peaceful communities in the state with development projects and I am also aware of the efforts being made by the people of Abiriba to support our developmental strides through self-help.

“I applaud the commitment of the people of Abiriba Kingdom, their hard-work and spirit of enterprise wherever found and will continue to partner with them to achieve our common goals of rapid development within a secure and peaceful environment”, Governor Ikpeazu said.

Eze Kalu Ogbu expressed his gratefulness to the Abia Governor for ensuring that the state remains one of the most peaceful in the country ans also praised him for his giant strides in the development of the state.

“Our people appreciate the love Governor Ikpeazu has shown us particularly with the completion of the first phase of Abiriba ring

road along Ugwuezi road Abiriba, provision of street lights in our community, classroom blocks and appointment of teachers to man our schools,” he said.

With their names now listed among the Council of Abiriba Council of Titled Chiefs, which dates back to 1472, the new chiefs now live with sense of fulfilment that their contributions have been recognised and appreciated.

Though Abiriba Kingdom prides itself as “an achievement oriented society where warriors and heroes are born” it was in 1960 that formal conferment of chietaincy titles on deserving individuals was started by the then Enachioken, Eze Ikpe Mba Oko. It was a historical event as Chief Echeme Emole was conferred with the title of Eze Udo of Abiriba.

Ever since, successive paramount rulers of Abiriba had followed the tradition of conferring chiefaincy titles on deserving Abiriba indigenes and friends of the Kingdom in recognition of their various contributions.

However, it was when the incumbent Enachioken mounted the stool of his forefathers that he constituted the Abiriba Council of Titled Chiefs. There are 69 names on the list since 1960 in addition to the new chiefs that would now swell the number.

One of the new chiefs, Chief Okiyi Kalu said that being a titled chief of the Abiriba Kingdom is highly valued because “the highest honour an Abariba man or woman can receive is the one from the Enachioken”.

According to him, no recognition could be comparable to “the honour coming from the people that know me, the people that know my background, and not those that know me from what they read about me.”

“It is worth more than being the president of the world,” he enthused, adding that with his new status he would continue to do more of those things that qualified him to be honoured by his own people.

Mr. Michael Liberty

BENIN CLUB @90: BILLIONAIRE LEEMON IKPEA, GREGORY, OTHERS INVESTED AS PATRON, TRUSTEES Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City It was day of glory for Edo born business mogul, and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Engineering & Construction Company Limited, Dr Leemon Ikpea, who was invested as patron of the prestigious Benin Club last year. His investiture came barely two weeks after his company, Lee Engineering and Construction Company Limited, celebrated its 30th year anniversary. Others invested were Chief Gregory Ero and Pa Jaiye Ojeikere as trustees of Benin Club.

The investiture was part of activities marking the 90th anniversary of the club.

The elated Ikpea, in a brief remarks thanked the Benin Club and organisers for finding him worthy of the honour.

He said “I never lobbied for it, the honour is a call to duty and to show that people see and appreciate what we are doing.” Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki praised oil and gas mogul, Dr Leemon Ikpea for his philantropist gesture and deploying his resources in alleviating the plights of the down trodden over the years and charged him and other well meaning Nigerians

that to whom much is given, much is expected.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion and former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said since the establishment of the Club in 1931, it has continued to grow in strength, uniting members and ensuring a progressive state.

Also in his welcome address, President of Benin Club 1931, Pharm.

Fred Iboi noted “we have achieved tremendous progress in the area of infrastructural development of the Benin Club and have installed facial recognition gadget at the access gate which was commissioned by Governor Godwin Obaseki. Iboi, while enlisting his achievements as the president of the club, said his administration has brought in a lot of innovations which has given it a facelift from the way it used to be. “As you can see, we have left no stone unturned to deliver on our campaign promises in taking this club to the next level.

“What you can see in the on-going transformation of the club, leaves no one in doubt of this management commitment to the well-being of our noble club.”

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ​ͯ, 2022

POLSCOPE

áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

Many are Called, Only One Will Be Chosen (1)

Tinubu

s expected, the ring is filling up. The ring for presidential race. Quite a number have expressed their interest in running for the number one seat in the land. Many more, perhaps more than the number that has declared, shall yet come on stream. Not long from now, the wheat shall be separated from the shaft.

Politicians are a breed of curious professionals. They run with strange hope and belief in the future, even when all indices are loudly flashing the amber light, yet too often, they carry on with illogical courage. Many of them lie against their people. They claim they are in the race because their people are calling on them to run. Often, you hear things like, “If my people who believe in me are calling on me to run, who am I to say no?”. Truth is that they called themselves. They form committees of their allies who in turn issue statements urging their funders to run. And that is the origin of “the call of my people” As it stands in Nigeria today, the battle largely remains between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the dethroned struggling-to-return Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The crowd of the other political parties have not shown any capacity to be counted among the strong and viable power contenders.

Looking at the list of those who have thrown their hats into the ring, you cannot but notice that it is a mix of the serious to the hilarious. Surely, many of them know their fate even before the contest. Their main interest perhaps is let their names be mentioned as one of the “also-ran” presidential aspirants.

Expectedly, there are more aspirants within the rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I shall, in this work, attempt to profile some of the APC contenders. Next week, shall be the turn of the PDP contenders. They include, but not limited to:

Osinbajo

A

BOLA AHMED TINUBU He is the famous Asiwaju of Lagos politics. He’s been a strong and firmlyrooted Lagos power baron with a good hold in controlling the power matrix in the South West region. He was a third republic senator and two-time former governor of Lagos State. He has a steely grip of the power dynamics in Lagos State. He is politically astute and believed to have and nurture a wide network of political allies across the country. Towards the 2023 presidency, he was the first to announce his interest and had long plunged into “consultations”, even out of Nigeria. He recently returned from a short trip from the United Kingdom where he said he went for another round of consultations, even when many suspect he dashed out for his medicals. He is believed to have a very huge war chest and had been the longest preparing presidential aspirant.

He admitted that “it’s been a life-long ambition” But despite his “strength” many hold him in suspicion, if not outright derision. They suspect four major things about him: the source of his legendary wealth, his age, his claims on his educational background and his health. There is hardly a doubt on his capacity to govern and understand the challenges facing the country.

He is a major pillar in the APC, and had gone ahead to name himself the a “National Leader” of the APC. Those who love him venerate him the awe of zealots, while those who detest him do so

Uwajiuba

with acidic hatred. He is believed to have built and produced many political “Generals” including the sitting Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who had served him as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, while he (Tinubu) was Lagos State governor. Latter day revelations however showed that Tinubu did not quite support Osinbajo to become the Vice President. Many of those who do not believe in Tinubu say he is too much an acquisitionist. His wife is a serving senator while many believe his son (Seyi) is being groomed to replace Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the latter is said to have been programmed for just a single term. It is however true that Tinubu is highly mythologized. Many of the things said about him are not exactly as they are. Many are myths.

In all, Tinubu remains a major contender, but it is not certain if the powers that be within his party have him as a choice or whether his zone will be a beneficiary of the zoning for presidency.

YEMI OSINBAJO He is the current Vice President. He is a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He has been a loyal deputy to his principal, President Mohammadu Buhari. He had courageously and competently held the forte in the days and months of Buhari’s absence. But he is yet to publicly declare his interest in the race, even as his supporters have been shaking the polity with his many adverts, posters and bill boards.

Early this week, his spokesman, Laolu Akande issued a statement denying Osinbajo’s plan to declare his interest after the APC convention of February 26. Many think he is competent, but regionally parochial, even as many think it is morally wrong to contend with his erstwhile principal (Tinubu). He would have another hurdle to cross in the issue of zoning. Would the APC zone the presidency to the South-west just yet?

YAHAYA BELLO He is the sitting governor of Kogi State. He might as well be one of the young breeds contending for the office of the President in Nigeria. He is 46.

He is one of the earliest aspirants. He is serious about his ambition, but not many people take him serious. He is young and vibrant. But he has not been tested on a larger scale, beyond governing Kogi state, believed to be a low-profile state. But those who blow his trumpet argue that not only is he baggage-free, he is favourably disposed to accommodating women in political governance.

He is from the North central region, the belt that is likely to produce the National Chairman of the APC. It is unlikely that the National Chairman and the party’s presidential candidate will come from the same geo--political zone.

CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI He is the current minister of Transportation.

He is believed to be one of the most powerful ministers of the Buhari administration, and highly

Bello

Amaechi

instrumental in the emergence of President Mohammadu Buhari . Amaechi ticks all the boxes of a presidential material in the Nigeria of today. Not only is he young and verily vibrant, he is one contender that deeply understands the Nigerian state and its vagaries and complexities having been a Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years, and Chairman of All Nigerian Speakers Conference. He went on to governor Rivers State for eight years with blazing records of superlative performance. Amaechi, fondly described as the Lion of Ubima (his hometown), was Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum for over six years. Not only would he have served as minister for eight years by 2023, he has also been two-time Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation. Until Amaechi got involved with Buhari’s political odyssey, the latter did not experience victory. So, he also ticks the box of a good strategist. In all, he not only parades legislative background, but also executive experience, even as he is far gone in his study to become a lawyer; at which time he would have been schooled and equipped on all fronts of organs of government. Perhaps none of the presidential contenders has been in government for a wholesome 24 unbroken years.

Having done evidently well in the rail transportation scheme, Amaechi, who has officially not declared or even issued a statement about his presidential ambition, is believed to have oiled a political machine that will rev into a rousing motion soon as the green light is flashed.

Perhaps one of his loud unmistakable moves is his being turbaned as the Dan Amana Daura ( Trusted son of Daura) last weekend in Daura, the hometown of Mr President himself. It is quite telling that such an honour had to come from the homestead of the President himself. It speaks volume of the bonding connect between him and Mr President. What’s more, Amaechi’s South south geo-political region appears the favoured zone to produce the president in APC’s unannounced calculation. But does he have the requisite war chest in a contest that only the noveau rich can kit?

He is however famous for being resolute in his convictions. As a governor, he had a running battle with his god-father, Chris Uba, after he was slapped by the latter for refusing to honour pre-arranged (ISPO) agreements.

His South east region may not be favoured to produce the president. He has not openly declared as well.

TIMIPRE SYLVA He is the current minister of State for Petroleum.

He was a former governor of Bayelsa State, who is believed to command a good following in his native Bayelsa State. He had served as Special Assistant to a former Minister of Petroleum, Edmund Daukoru (now a King) He is from the favoured South south region, but he is feared to be a politically light-weighted fellow with a narrow network. He had had issues with the EFCC when he served as a governor, wherein the anti-graft agency seized 38 of his houses.

But they have all been released to him since he became a member of the ruling party. He has not openly declared his ambition.

DAVE UMAHI He is he current governor of Ebonyi State. He was originally a member of the PDP, but later decamped to the ruling APC. He is believed to be close to Mr President whom he literally venerates. He was the second (after Tinubu) to formally inform the President of his ambition to run for the topmost office in the land. He is believed to have some governance capacity and firmness, but his national network is somewhat narrow. His South East region may still not benefit for the zoning in the party as it concerns who becomes the nation’s President.

CHRIS NGIGE He is a medical doctor turned politician, who had served as governor of Anambra State, served as Senator and now serving as Minister of Labour and Productivity, where his skill in negotiating strike actions and their resolutions by Labour Unions have been somewhat legendary. He recently joined the presidential race, allegedly in response to the pressure being mounted on him to run.

He may well be among the also-ran party men.

ORJI KALU He is from Abia State and was a two-term governor of the state. He is currently a sitting senator and the Chief Whip of the senate. He is believed to have a deep pocket having been a successful businessman, including being a publisher of two major newspapers in Nigeria, ere his entry into politics. But he had been having a running battle (along with his Slok company) with the EFCC over accusations of fraud and poor accountability while he served as governor.

He was jailed in December 2019 for twelve years.

But he soon wriggled out of prison, after few months, and returned to assume his seat in the upper legislative chamber, even though the case has not altogether been disposed of.

His days as a governor was characterized by huge interference from his mother who paraded herself as “Mama Excellency” He boasts of matching Tinubu cash-for-cash and influence-for influence. Intellectual depth is not one of his strong points. It is not certain if his South East zone will get the slot for the office.

“CAPTAIN” ROCHAS OKOROCHA He was former governor of Imo State and presently a serving senator. He is back to contending for the number one seat in the country having attempted same in 2003, when he was barely 41, under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He is a leader that seems to have good bond with controversy. His craving for erecting statues of world leaders as well as creation of Ministry of Laughter were some of his ludicrous imprints as a governor, that is if you discount the running battle with the EFCC over allegations of fraud and embezzlement of public funds.

His recent declaration for the race wherein he described himself as Captain Rochas as being in control of the Nigerian flight borders on the comic flourish. He may end up as among the also-ran contenders.

KAYODE FAYEMI He is the sitting governor of Ekiti State and the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

His term as governor expires later this year. He had served this administration as Minister of Solid Minerals after co-ordinating the Buhari campaign in 2015. He is an intellectual with a civil society advocacy background. He is believed to have done well in his state, especially in sustaining the welfare (social security) programme in his state for the vulnerable and the very poor. The initial gusto of his ambition has died down in recent times, following feelers that the South West may not be favoured in the zoning of the presidential ticket. Yet, he remains a factor and a mini-force, especially among his governor colleagues.

CHUKWUEMEKA NWAJIUBA He is the current minister of State for Education.

He is a professor and a lawyer, and had won his first election at 31. He was drafted from the House of Representatives into the Executive cabinet on account of having believed strongly in Buhari over the years, as a member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari’s defunct political party. His major accomplishment as a minister is the reduction of the number of out-of-school children as well as the innovations being introduced by JAMB and WAEC in public examinations.

He is young and full of ideas. He is from the South East and believed to be eyeing the presidency, even though he has not officially declared his interest.

38

T H I S D AY ˾ , FEBRUARY 11, 2022

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

TrustBanc Raises N3bn from Series 5 Commercial Paper, Issue Achieves 264% Subscription TrustBanc Holdings Limited (TrustBanc) has said it successfully closed its series 5 Commercial Paper (CP) issue for a total amount of N3.02 billion on January 27, 2022. The 180-day CP was issued at a discount of 12.2168 per cent.

The transaction, which is under TrustBanc’s N10 billionn CP programme listed on FMDQ, achieved a total subscription of 264%. The total bids received in the order book at the close of the offer was N7.96bn, amounting to N4.94bn over the sum of N3.02 billion targeted under the series.

While commenting on the successful issuance, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Abu Jimoh, CFA, described it as a strategic milestone in its bid to establish TrustBanc as a leading financial service provider in Nigeria.He said: “…to come

into the market in the same week Stanbic and FSDH were in the market, and for the market to be willing to give us more than what we asked for illustrates investors’ heightened confidence in our strategy, performance, and solid credit profile. In addition, the net proceeds from the issuance will further diversify our sources of funding as we continue to accelerate business growth and drive our strategy.”

UCML Capital Limited, United Capital Plc and Emerging Africa Group, acted as dealers on the transaction. Speaking on behalf of the dealers, Director at UCML Capital Limited, Mr. Egie Akpata, said: “The level of oversubscription of the issue indicates widespread acceptance by institutional investors of TrustBanc Holdings as an issuer of choice.”

Since the registration of the Programme 10 months ago, the company has continued to see active and growing participation from the market, demonstrating continued investor confidence in TrustBanc and its growth trajectory.

In addition, two series with a total face value of N1.9bn have matured under the N10 billion programme, and TrustBanc successfully paid back each of the series in full at maturity.

“I want to thank all institutional investors who contributed to the success of all the series under our debut N10 billion programme. We look forward to the same warm reception as we engage with the market under our upcoming N50 billion programme. Thank you again for your continued confidence in TrustBanc.” Abu Jimoh, CFA.

Stellas Digital Bank Launches Ghost Mode, Other Features Kayode Tokede Disruptions within Nigeria’s tech space have been further stirred as Stellas Digital Bank was yesterday in Lagos launched into the Fintech community.

The online bank arrived the market with a new App featuring the Ghost Mode, a unique banking offering.

According to the company, Ghost Mode allows users to transfer funds to beneficiaries or make payments incognito.

This service meets the yearnings of many users who want to make payments confidentially or donate to a cause, occasion, event and exercise a humanitarian gesture anonymously.

Speaking at the launching, the Managing Director, Stellas Digital Bank Mr, Bukola Solomon, said the emergence of Stellas Digital Bank is a strategic response to many months of industry and market analyses which show that Nigeria’s Fintech space, despite observed growth, still has some niches yet unserved.

He explained further that: “It

is upon this foundation that we have built a very intuitive mobile application with the following added features for you, our users: Ghost Mode, Automated deposits and Budgeting tool “The “ghost mode” is a unique feature in the fintech space that prioritizes user identity protection and complements the lifestyle of discerning customers. Automated deposits and the budgeting tool are features critical for a healthy saving/spending culture, fundamental to long-term wealth creation. At Stellas, we believe that everyone should have easy access to innovative banking and the launch of these unique products aligns with our mission at Stellas Bank.

“In the digital innovation age, where the market is driven by customization to meet the unique and evolving needs of various demography, we are focused on building products and features beneficial to current and potential customers, bridging the gap between traditional finance and the dynamic needs of customers in the digital age.

“Stellas remains committed to providing solutions that simplify banking for all, promoting financial inclusion, innovation and accessibility, ultimately helping individuals and businesses manage and grow wealth.”

The company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Anselem Uba maintained that:“The Ghost Mode feature is guaranteed to revolutionize customer experience and breed a whole new community of Anonymous Angels.

“Beyond this, the feature ultimately protects Stellas Digital Bank customers by encrypting their transactions and isolating them from fraudsters,” According to Uba, Automated Deposit, another unique feature, allows users to transfer funds from any bank account into the Stellas app without manually transferring from one bank into the other. This functionality, he said, saves them the rigours of deploying several Apps in other to perform a transaction, thereby creating convenience, speed and efficiency.

Jaiz Bank Records N4.2 Billion Unaudited Profits James Emejo in Abuja Islamic finance institution, Bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, has said it increased Profit Before Tax (PBT) to N4.21 billion in 2021compared to N3.07 billion in the preceding year.

Also, Gross income, rose by 31.76 per cent to N25.84 billion from N19.61 billion in the period under review.

Results released by the Nigerian Exchange Group, further showed that the bank’s total asset grew by 19.62 per cent

from N233.58 billion to N279.42 billion by 2021.

Shareholders’ funds for the review period grew by 14.84 per cent from N17.85 billion to N20.50 billion while earnings per share for the period increased by 21.62 per cent from 9.85 kobo to 11.98 kobo. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive of the bank, Alhaji Hassan Usman attributed the positive performance to the bank’s footprints across the country as well as the strong ambition to provide par excellence service to

customers while meeting their financial needs.

In a statement, he also congratulated the board, management and staff on these achievements, acknowledging the immense hard work of staff, excellent service delivery to customers, and support from shareholders.

The bank had consistently delivered remarkable results in the last four years, a reaffirmation of its continuous growth trajectory as the country’s leading non-interest bank.

Green Energy to Commission LPG Extraction, Power Plants in Otakikpo Operator of the Otakikpo Marginal Field in OML-11, Green Energy International Ltd (GEIL), is set to commission the 12MMSCFD modular LPG extraction plant and the 6MW power generating plants at the Otakikpo Marginal Field in Q2 this year.

These associated gas utilisation projects, GEIL says, are a critical part of the operator’s gas flaresout project aimed at eliminating gas flaring, industrialising the host community by using the gas to generate energy to benefit

both host community and the country at large.

With the scale of the modular LPG plant, which will be the first to be installed in the country, GEIL said it would showcase the success of the project to other industry players and the government as one of its contributions to eliminating associated gas flares in Nigerian oil fields.

As stated in a press release it issued on Sunday, the firm said the project got its ApprovalTo-Construct in April 2018 and

was on FastTrack for completion.

The projects General Manager, Johnson Akinyemi emphasised: “By July 2019, the equipment fabrication had been completed with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and company representatives witnessing the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in China which lasted for over a month.” According to the GM, when completed, the project will supply daily about 60-metric-tonnes of LPG (cooking gas) to the domestic market.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

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).

39

T H I S D AY ˾ , ͯ​ͯ˜ 2022

Sanwo-Olu: Lagos Will Explore NGX to Fund Infrastructure Projects Kayode Tokede The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday said the State will explore capital raising via Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) to fund infrastructure projects through equities, green, Sukuk, and Blue Bonds.

Sanwo-Olu further expressed confidence in

the opportunities available in the capital market and indicated an interest in deepening synergies between the State and The Exchange.

This was highlighted at the courtesy visit of the Board and Management of NGX led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Temi Popoola, to the Governor’s office.

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

NGX Board members present at the meeting were, Mr. Kamarudeen Oladosu, Mr. Seyi Osunkeye, and Mr. Yomi Adeyemi.

Speaking during the visit, Popoola stated: “At NGX, we are eager to reaffirm our commitment to collaborating with Lagos State Government on its infrastructure development drive through our robust

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

QUANTITY TRADED

platform available to fund strategic objectives.

“This is particularly important to us given the critical position Lagos state occupies as the Centre of Excellence and the major economic hub in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. NGX has always been a strong collaborator through which the state accesses long-term devel-

T R A D E D

VALUE TRADED ( N )

MAIN BOARD

A S

opmental funding from the capital market evidenced by the 224.54 Billion Lagos State Bonds listed on NGX - cumulatively the largest subnational bond listed on the NGX platform.

We, therefore, look forward to exploring more opportunities especially in infrastructure financing, environmental and

O F

1 0

climate bonds, and capacity building.”

Capital market stakeholders continue to look forward to outcomes from the series of strategic engagements NGX has facilitated with key players across the public and private sectors, which are geared towards the development of the capital market and the Nigerian economy at large.

/ 0 2 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

T H I S D AY ˾ , FEBRUARY 11, 2022

Friday, February 11, 2022

Thisday Afrinvest4040Index Index 0.5% Thisday Afrinvest fellGains by 14bps The Thisday 4040 Index declined 14bps se le The ThisdayAfrinvest Afrinvest Index rose by 0.5% to to print at

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,674.89 pointson due to sell-pressure on ZENITHon (-0.6%), 2,047.05 points account of buy pressure ZENWAPCO (-1.3%), and (+5.4%), UBA (-0.7%). stocks cumulaITH (+1.1%), FBNH and These UBA (+1.7%).

These

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

vely account for 13.2%.

stocks cumula vely account for 11.5% of the index.

Current Price

Ticker

ASI up 11bps as DANGCEM Gains 3.3%

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

Bargain Hun ng Sustains the Bulls... ASI up 0.3% Previous

day,

price

up ck

in

HONYFLOUR

Yesterday, sustained bargain hun ng on FBNH (+9.8%), DANGCEM (+3.3%), and FBNH (+0.7%) bol-

3 BUA Cement Plc 4 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC

stered posi ve performance on the local bourse as the All-

5 Zenith Bank PLC 6 Dangote Cement PLC

(+5.4%), GUINNESS (+10.0%), and ZENITH (+1.1%) spurred posi ve performance on the local bourse as Share

index

rose

2047.05

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

by

1,271.00

7 Nestle Nigeria PLC 8 FBN Holdings Plc

the NGX-ASI rose 0.3% to close at 47,286.34 points.

11bps to 39,550.36 points. Consequently, YTD loss im-

and value trade declined and 27.5% respecvalue vetraded declined by 21.6% 33.4% to 110.8m units while

13 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 14 SEPLAT Energy PLC

rose by 88.5% ₦3.1bn. The most traded stocks lytraded to 198.1m units andto₦3.4bn.

15 Ecobank Transnational Inc 16 International Brew eries PLC

by volume were TRANSCORP (11.9m units), FBNH (11.1m units), and OANDO (7.3m units) while NESTLE (₦2.2bn), DANGCEM (₦145.0m), and GTCO (₦134.8m) led by value.

Across our coverage sectors, performance was bullish

as 4 indices gained while the AFR-ICT and Industrial

15.0%

P/E

3.5%

0.0%

38.2%

33.1%

33.1%

197.00

0.0%

7.7%

0.0%

0.0%

134.7%

14.1%

70.75

0.0%

6.7%

5.5%

5.5%

19.1%

11.2%

27.25

0.0%

6.4%

4.8%

4.8%

24.8%

3.9%

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

P/BV

5.5x

0.8x

5.1%

ot Applicable

1.3%

16.4%

13.4x

20.7x

5.3%

7.5%

34.0x

6.4x

4.1x

1.0x

11.0%

24.3% 26.9%

2.9%

1.1%

6.1%

8.9%

8.9%

20.9%

2.8%

3.7x

0.7x

10.9%

0.0%

4.4%

6.9%

6.9%

40.4%

16.7%

13.7x

5.3x

5.9%

7.3%

1,435.00

0.0%

3.0%

-7.8%

-7.8%

106.8%

15.6%

27.8x

32.8x

4.2%

3.6%

11.65

5.4%

3.2%

2.2%

2.2%

8.4%

0.8%

6.9x

0.6x

3.9%

14.5%

26.60

0.0%

3.4%

11.1%

11.1%

11.6%

8.4%

9.9x

1.1x

3.8%

10.1%

10.50

0.0%

2.8%

12.9%

12.9%

17.0%

1.4%

2.9x

0.5x

8.2%

34.0%

8.85

1.7%

2.2%

9.9%

9.9%

19.5%

1.8%

2.2x

0.4x

6.3%

44.9%

35.00

0.0%

1.5%

-2.8%

-2.8%

15.1%

2.1%

7.9x

1.2x

11.8%

12.7%

48.00

0.0%

1.4%

-4.0%

-4.0%

5.3%

1.9%

44.2x

2.3x

2.3%

2.3%

866.00

0.0%

2.0%

33.2%

33.2%

3.4%

1.9%

19.9x

0.7x

4.8%

5.0%

12.50

1.6%

1.8%

43.7%

43.7%

5.45

2.8%

1.2%

10.1%

10.1%

-10.3%

-3.9%

127.80

0.0%

0.9%

-10.0%

-10.0%

36.5%

23.3%

8.7x

2.9x

32.30

3.4%

1.1%

13.9%

13.9%

15.9%

4.5%

4.9x

0.7x

5.1%

20.2%

17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 18 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

Bullish Sector Performance

10.4% 104.7%

ROA

27.40

11 United Bank for Africa PLC 12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

ket capitalisa on gained ₦69.6bn to ₦25.5tn. ₦23.4bn to ₦20.6tn.

Trading ac vity was mixed as Volume volume

0.48%

ROE

274.80

9 Lafarge Africa PLC 10 Access Bank PLC

YTD return to 10.7% 10.4%onwhile proved to advanced -1.8% while market from capitalisa rosemarby

Price Previous Price Change Current Price Change Index to Weighting Change YTD Date

19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc 23 United Capital PLC

2.9x

34.8% 1.0x

-10.5% 11.5%

2.95

1.7%

0.7%

15.7%

15.7%

13.3%

1.3%

2.2x

0.3x

7.5%

44.6%

2.50

4.2%

0.6%

7.8%

7.8%

9.3%

3.0%

7.7x

0.7x

8.8%

13.0%

17.80

1.4%

0.5%

2.3%

2.3%

15.3%

6.3%

11.7x

1.7x

8.4%

8.6%

2.92

-2.3%

0.4%

-2.3%

-2.3%

10.3%

1.1%

0.2x

5.1%

11.00

0.0%

0.4%

11.1%

11.1%

2.5x

6.4%

55.00

10.0%

0.5%

41.0%

41.0%

13.3%

6.0%

11.6x

1.4x

0.8%

8.6%

1.16

0.0%

0.4%

20.8%

20.8%

11.1%

2.3%

6.2x

0.6x

0.9%

16.2%

3.55

0.0%

0.2%

-21.1%

-21.1%

35.6%

18.5%

5.5x

0.9x

5.1%

18.1%

104.00

0.0%

0.3%

18.5%

18.5%

2.2x

1.0% 3.0%

8.0%

Bearish Sector Performance

24 Guinness Nigeria PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

Across sectors under our coverage, performance was

26 NEM Insurance PLC 27 Presco PLC

bearish as 4 indices lost, 1 index gained while the AFR-ICT

28 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 29 AIICO Insurance PLC

13.25

0.0%

0.3%

0.4%

0.4%

21.3%

6.9%

12.5x

2.5x

0.70

-1.4%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

7.2%

1.1%

388.9x

0.7x

30 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance

264.90

9.9%

0.3%

19.4%

19.4%

48.0%

9.5%

5.4x

2.2x

1.5%

18.6%

Goods indices closed flat. The Oil & Gas and Consumer Goods indices advanced the most, up 1.8% and 1.0% respec vely driven by bargain hun ng in TOTAL index remained flat. Topping the laggards are the Consum-

(+9.9%), GUINNESS (+10.0%), and FLOURMILL (+3.4%).

0.3%

7.90

0.0%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

19.5%

5.5%

4.6x

0.9x

7.0%

21.5%

32 Vitafoam Nigeria PLC 33 Unilever Nigeria PLC

24.45

0.2%

0.2%

8.7%

8.7%

38.7%

16.0%

6.3x

2.2x

6.2%

15.9%

13.15

0.0%

0.1%

-9.3%

-9.3%

7.8%

4.9%

29.2x

1.1x

and 0.3% UNILEVER respec vely (-3.5%), on account of buying interest in 9.1%), LINKASSURE (-6.4%),

34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

26.50

1.7%

0.2%

18.6%

18.6%

18.9%

2.4%

4.0x

0.8x

1.5%

25.0%

6.05

-3.2%

0.1%

2.5%

2.5%

7.1%

0.8%

6.8x

0.7x

4.1%

FBNH (+5.4%),(-2.2%).

ZENITHSimilarly, (+1.1%), (+4.2%), and MANSARD theMANSARD Oil & Gas and Bank-

36 Oando PLC 37 Wema Bank PLC

5.00

-1.0%

0.0%

13.1%

13.1%

14.5%

2.6%

2.2x

0.3x

0.87

1.2%

0.1%

20.8%

20.8%

14.1%

0.8%

3.8x

0.5x

4.7%

26.4%

ing indices fell by 0.2% and 2bps respec vely due to selland SOVRENIN (+4.4%).

38 Sterling Bank PLC 39 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd

1.70

-1.2%

0.1%

12.6%

12.6%

9.4%

0.9%

2.2x

0.4x

2.9%

45.0%

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-28.3%

-6.1%

5.38

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

er Goods and Insurance indices, down 4.6% and

Trailing, the Banking and Insurance indices rose 0.6% 1.2% respec vely on the back of profit-taking in NESTLE (-

offs in OANDO (-0.8%), ZENITH (-0.2%), and GTCO (-0.2%).

40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

Conversely, the Industrial Goods index was the lone gain-

Outlook er,

up

1.8%

driven

by

price

apprecia-

Investor sen ment, as measured by market breadth, on in DANGCEM (+3.3%). strengthened to 0.3x from 0.2x recorded in the previ-

P ric e

GUIN N ESS

55.00

T OT A L

264.90

UP D C

ous session as 30 stocks gained, 9 lost while 112 were

1.11

2.4x

-13.8%

0.9x

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

10.0%

CHA M S

16.7

0.0%

9.9%

T R A N SC OR P

15.4

0.0%

9.9%

A C C ESS

14.3

0.0%

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

R T B R ISC OE

0.36

9.1%

UB A

12.5

1.7%

unchanged. In the final trading session for the week,

UP L

2.65

8.2%

F LOUR M ILL

12.1

3.4%

SC OA

1.62

8.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

11.6

1.1%

we an cipate an extended posi ve performance on

NP FM CRFB K

2.20

7.3%

A IIC O

9.2

-1.4%

FB NH

11.65

5.4%

UN IT YB N K

9.0

0.0%

A C A D EM Y

1.36

4.6%

F ID ELIT YB K

8.7

1.7%

SOVR EN IN S

0.24

4.3%

N GXGR OUP

7.6

3.6%

Investor Sen ment Strengthens

Investors sen ment, as measured by market breadth

(advance/decline ra o), strengthened, se ling at 1.6x

improved investor in sen from 1.3x recorded thement. last trading session as 24 stocks advanced while 15 stocks declined. MRS (+9.9%), MAY-

while ABCTRANS (-8.3%), LASACO (-6.7%), and LIVESTOCK (-4.8%) led losers. Previous day, we expect the market sen ment to remain mixed, as earnings season gradually winds up.

T ic k er

P ric e

VER IT A SKA P

0.22

P ric e C hg % -4.3%

UB N

6.05

-3.2%

IKEJ A H OT EL

1.42

-2.7%

R EGA LIN S

0.39

-2.5%

FCM B

2.92

-2.3%

A IIC O

0.70

-1.4%

ST ER LN B A N K

1.70

-1.2%

OA N D O

5.00

-1.0%

UA C N

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

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

BAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) led gainers

8.90

14.7% 46.5%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a in e r s T ic k er

3.4%

-0.6%

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

SEP LA T

713.7

0.0%

F LOUR M ILL

389.4

3.4%

N EST LE

378.4

0.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

317.5

1.1%

NB

210.5

0.0%

N GXGR OUP

194.4

3.6%

A C C ESS

149.5

0.0%

WA P C O

148.4

0.0%

M TNN

132.3

0.0%

GUIN N ESS

125.8

10.0%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu| dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

41

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 09Feb-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 173.11 174.26 3.74% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 9.03% Nigeria International Debt Fund 321.74 321.74 3.32% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 99.71 100.86 -1.28% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.90% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.50 3.56 -1.11% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A info@anchoriaam.com ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 20.97 21.61 3.40% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund 39.26 40.44 0.77% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.08 1.08 -0.29% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.02 1.02 0.52% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.27% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 108.66 108.66 6.83% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,077.54 1,077.54 7.75% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.07 2.07 8.62% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.25 2.30 41.24% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.02 1.02 1.04% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.15% Paramount Equity Fund 18.55 18.89 10.25% Women's Investment Fund 146.38 148.01 5.25% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.21% Cordros Milestone Fund 137.91 138.81 4.32% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 111.04 111.04 0.54% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 6.88% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 6.80% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,143.75 1,147.29 -2.19% EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.50% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.01 1.01 3.67% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.03 1.03 2.10% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 101.25 101.25 0.39% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,411.85 1,411.85 11.04% FBN Balanced Fund 181.91 183.27 3.79% FBN Halal Fund 116.78 116.78 8.86% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.91% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

122.66 153.80

122.66 3.84% 155.79 2.15% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price N/A N/A N/A

Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) N/A N/A N/A Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.54 1.57 2.50% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,147.75 1,147.75 0.97% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.58 12.66 6.66% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.18% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 100.95 100.96 8.71% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 8.91% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM EuroBond Fund N/A N/A N/A SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 131.00 133.51 7.20% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.08 1.08 10.03% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.97 0.99 4.52% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.41 1.43 3.62% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.14 1.16 5.04% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.08 1.08 0.83% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.97 1.97 0.77% United Capital Eurobond Fund 123.05 123.05 0.58% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.45% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 13.41 13.53 1.68% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 15.33 15.50 4.92% Zenith Income Fund 22.23 22.23 1.13% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.20%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 54.65

10.62% 8.10%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

14.04 134.51 106.37 19.36 22.73

14.14 137.87 108.71 19.46 22.83

0.55% 2.20% 2.65% 0.00% 0.00%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.28

10.80%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

42

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

43

44

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 •T H I S D AY

45

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

NEWSXTRA

BILL TO CREATE AGENCY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MALARIA ERADICATION...

L-R: Ms Nora Okolo; Barrister Onyeka Ewenu; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Initiator, Malaria Eradication Project, Prince Ned Nwoko, his wife, Regina Daniels; and Project Coordinator, Mr Chukwuebuka Anyaduba; during the presentation of proposed draft bill for an act to create an agency for implementation of Malaria Eradication in Abuja...yesterday

Mangal, Rabiu, NGF, Dangote, Others Raise Billions for Yobe Education Fund Lawan: Why we are raising N25bn

Olawale Ajimotokan and Sunday Aborisade, Abuja The Chairman of Mangal Group and chief launcher at the N25 billion Yobe State Education Fund Raising, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal has donated N1.3 billion to support education in the state that had been ravaged by the activities of terrorists.

Mangal, donated N500 million on behalf of his family and friends; N500 million for himself and N300 million in his capacity as Sarkin Jumma of Yobe State.

One of the event's colaunchers, the Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu also donated N350 million

while the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) donated N350 million.

Also, the Chairman of the Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, donated N300 million at the fundraising ceremony held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

The donation by Africa's richest man and that of the Chairman of Globacom, Otunba Mike Adenuga was announced by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan. Adenuga on his part, donated N100 million to support education in Yobe State, which has suffered disruption from insurgency.

The forum's Chairman, Governor Kayode said that

2023: Again, Buhari Warns Foreign Diplomats against Meddling in Nigeria's Internal Politics Wants them to observe in line with diplomatic practice Seeks envoys' support to tackle security challenges Deji Elumoye in Abuja For the umpteenth time, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned foreign diplomats against meddling in the internal politics of Nigeria as the nation prepares for the 2023 general elections.

This was the second time in five months that the president would be asking diplomats to steer clear of nation's local politics.

President Buhari had on October 25, 2021, while presenting Letters of Credence to the Ambassadors of Japan, European Union, Burundi, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Cape Verde, France, Qatar; and High Commissioners of Sierra Leone and Ghana, urged foreign envoys to be guided by diplomatic practices to ensure that their activities remain within the limits of their profession in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

However, speaking again yesterday, while presenting Letters

of Credence to four Ambassadors at the State House, Abuja, the president advised diplomats in the country to stay within the limits of their schedules, and not intrude in the internal politics of the country as countdown to 2023 elections begins.

Buhari, who welcomed the Ambassadors of Czech Republic, Zdenek Krejci; Italy, Stephano De Leo; Spain, Juan Ignacio Sell Sanz and Israel, Michael Shual Freeman, said: “You are assuming your diplomatic responsibilities in Nigeria at very interesting political period as Nigeria’s national elections are due in early 2023.

“As you settle down in the face of these developments, it is my hope that you will also be guided by diplomatic practice, to ensure that your activities remain within the limits of your profession as you monitor the build-up to Continued on page 47

the sum of N10 million was contributed by each of the 37 states of the federation given the value attached to education.

However, Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum donated additional N95 million on his behalf, his associates and family.

The Yobe State Government donated N5.7 billion while all the 17 local government areas in the state donated N768 million.

Further breakdown of the donations showed that the Deputy Senate President, OvieAgege supported the cause with N50 million; Alhaji A.A Rano - N50 million; Senator Kasim Iman - N100 million; Chief Emeka Offor - N50 million; Musa Baba Saleh - N100 million, and Chief Femi Fani-Kayode - N2 million.

Others included Senator Modu Sheriff - N10 million; Gen. Theophilus Dan Danjuma - N10 million; Senator Ibrahim Geidam - N10 million and Umaru Shinkafi Foundation

- N10million.

Similarly, while Friends of Ambassador of Lebanon donated N15 million; all state chairmen of the All Progressives Congress donated N37 million.

Former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu said his "handsome and generous donation" would be communicated directly to Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, while the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, on behalf of all ministers, promised to open their offices and contacts for the emancipation of education in Yobe. In the same vein, former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha promised to build a school in Yobe.

In his address, Buni said the motivation for hosting the education development fund raising was for the benefit of the young people of Yobe State, who have in the last 12 years had suffered from the scourge of insurgency waged

by terror groups against western education.

Buni noted that a welleducated and enlightened citizenry was needed in the state in order for good governance and democracy to thrive.

He described societal retrogression and degeneration as a consequence of poor education.

He said that the state's deliberate investment in education in the last two years had paid off with tremendous improvement in students' performances in national examinations with more qualified candidates to exhaust the state's admission quota in tertiary institutions.

Buni said the N25 billion education fund would assist the state to develop and maintain high standard of education philosophy, eliminate the problem of outof-school children, maintain the highest standard of enrolment, attendance, and retention

with special attention to girls' education.

Lawan, according to a statement by his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja, said the idea behind the appeal fund was to reposition the education sector in the state and avail the children of Yobe State particularly the indigent ones the opportunity to go to school and become useful to themselves and the society at large.

The Senate President who is also an indigene of Yobe State said the situation in his state was good until the insurgents struck and caused an incalculable damage in the state.

He said, "In the northeastern state before the former Borno State and presently Yobe State, we received support from government for our education.

I didn't have to pay anything to be in primary school. In fact, I was given something. My parents were encouraged to send me to school.

Buhari Still Consulting on Electoral Bill, Says Aide Sunday Aborisade and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, yesterday said his principal had yet to sign the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2022 because he was still consulting with stakeholders and legal experts on the issue.

Omoworare spoke at a function in Abuja, just as the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega; Country Representative of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Adebowale Olorunmola and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media, Benjamin Kalu , appealed to Buhari to assent the bill without further delay .

They spoke at a Policy Dialogue programme, organised

by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

Omoworare told the gathering that the president was consulting with the Attorney General of the Federation , who is also the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on the way forward .

He said, "A very crucial consultation is going on between Mr. President, the Attorney General and other critical stakeholders on content of the bill for the required assent.

“If not for this programme, I am supposed to be at the very important meeting, believed to be the major determinant for the fate of the bill."

He, however, assured Nigerians that the bill would most likely be assented to by the president since issues earlier raised by him in the 2021 edition, were elaborately addressed by both chambers of the National Assembly last month .

He said, "Personally, I think in few days’ time , Mr President will do the needful since the most contentious aspect of the bill , had been addressed in the reworked one transmitted to him on Monday , January 31, 2022.

“Time as it is, is of essence but I believe that Mr. President will do the needful," he said.

Malami also corroborated the submissions of Omoworare as he sent a message to the convener of the dialogue that his planned consultation with Buhari prevented him from attending the event.

The Director - General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, said the Dialogue was convened to gain insights from stakeholders into the issues likely to shape the conduct of political parties, political gladiators, contestants and other issues Addressing the forum, Jega said no law or legislation was perfect and that what was available at

the moment was good and manageable for the coming elections.

However, the representative of INEC at the discourse , Professor Bolade Eyinla said to avoid the challenge of working on electoral laws at the tail end of conducting elections , INEC should be allowed to drive the process as being done in Ghana .

He said, "The situation at hand now is that roughly a year to general election , the anticipated laws are not yet approved , meaning that the extant one will be used aside the fact that the process has not enable INEC to come up with clear cut guidelines for conduct of the elections."

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has clarified that lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly, reamended and passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill based on the interest of the general public and not selfish or personal interest.

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NEWSXTRA

MARKING SECOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE...

L-R: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; his Bayelsa counterpart, Senator Douye Diri, and his wife, Dr. Gloria, during the inauguration of the 4.5km Igbedi community road in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State...yesterday

Irabor: Military’s Involvement in Insurgency War at High Price Says barracks filled with families of fallen officers, soldiers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja President of the Defence and Police Officers' Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Irabor, yesterday, lamented that the involvement of the military in tackling security challenges had come at a high price with the death of officers and soldiers, who left behind families in most barracks.

This comes as the Chief

of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya and Mrs Irabor, who is also the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, commended Mrs Mariam Abacha, wife of the late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha, over her role in setting up the Defence and Police Officers Wives Association and Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA).

They made the commendation at the graduation ceremony of

Abacha Family to Provide Proof of Ownership of Durbar April 4 John Shiklam in Kaduna A Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Hannatu Balogun has fixed April 4, 2022, for “proof of case” in a suit against the Kaduna state government by Durbar Hotel Plc said to be owned by the family of late military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha.

The Abacha had dragged the state government before the court for alleged illegal demolition of the property as well as alleged plans by the government to take over the property despite pending appeal at the Supreme Court.

The appeal at the Supreme Court was filed by the state.

At the resumed hearing on suit yesterday, counsel to the defendants, Mustapha AU represented by Sule Umar told the court that the defendants had filed a case of change of counsel and requested for an adjournment.

However, counsel to the Abacha family, Dr. Reuben Atabor, expressed concern over the time and energy being wasted on the matter by the defendants for proposing an appeal on a

matter that had lingered on for the past two years.

Attabor, in his submission told the court that, “we are ready to proof our case by next sitting."

Justice Balogun adjourned the matter for further hearing on the proof of case by the Counsel to Durbar Hotel Plc to April 4, 2022.

The hotel located along Warf Road, by Independence Way in Kaduna metropolis, was demolished by the Kaduna state government in January 2020.

The plaintiff is praying the court for a declaration that it is the title holder of the parcel of land measuring about 5.378 hectares and covered by Kaduna State Certificate of Occupancy No. 17789, Kaduna North Local Government Area.

The plaintiff also prayed the court for a declaration that the demolition of the hotel by the Kaduna state government is unconstitutional, illegal, null, and void.

The plaintiff further asked the court for an order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies, and whosoever from transferring, assigning, or selling in any way part of the property.

the 11th Batch of widows, who graduated from the DEPOWA Skill Acquisition Center in Abuja.

Irabor said in spite of the response of officers and soldiers to the call for the defence of the nation, the death of the gallant officers and men had left many families in the barracks without their bread winners.

"In the last decade, Nigeria has faced major challenges with insecurity and terrorism.

Soldiers and officers have

answered the call to defend the nation and though we have recorded success, it has not come at a small price. We have lost gallant men, fathers, brothers, who in the course of duty, have left families behind all over our barracks.

"DEPOWA has taken it up as a challenge to address the elephant in our community by upgrading the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre (DSAC) to empower widows with different skills and trainings, thereby

giving them a trade to carry on the good work left behind by their bread winners," she said.

Commending Mrs Abacha and describing her as "a national treasure, a woman amongst women, a woman with foresight,” for her role in the programme, Irabor said, "I thank you mummy for your role in putting DEPOWA together and for your invaluable advice and love."

Also speaking, the army chief further commended Mrs Abacha

for her role in the coming into place of DEPOWA and NAOWA and urged graduands to deploy the skills acquired appropriately.

He later announced the donation of N100,000 each to the graduands.

In her remarks, Mrs Abacha, who once headed the two associations, commended the leadership of the DEPOWA for sustaining the empowerment programme and enthused: "I planted a seed, DEPOWA and NAOWA and it has flourished."

Afe Babalola Tasks COREN on Incessant Building Collapse, Bad Roads Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A Legal Icon, Chief Afe Babalola has warned the Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria(COREN) against maintaining a lukewarm attitude to the frightening and recurrent cases of building collapse and bad roads in the country.

Babalola spoke in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, during the closing of a four-day COREN regional train-the-trainers workshop for implementation of OutcomeBased Education(OBE) in Engineering programmes in Nigerian Universities held at the Afe Babalola University (ABUAD).

The ABUAD's founder posited that many lives have been lost as a result of building collapse, with the recent one in Lagos State that claimed scores of lives, while carnages had kept on increasing on Nigerian bad roads.

He said these evils were being perpetrated due to compromise on the parts of some engineers.

While interfacing with COREN executives, Babalola appealed to

engineers not to take the back seat in the nation's politics, adding that their interest in politics would help them in formulating the right policies and cognate academic curriculum for the profession.

"Today, there are many stories about collapsed buildings all over Nigeria, particularly in the cities, killing innocent souls. Why? This is largely because standards have been compromised by pecuniary reasons by some unscrupulous engineers.

"What did your council do when Nigerian railway, Nigerian Airways, the National Shipping Line fizzled out? What did your council do when the road network throughout the country suddenly become death-traps?”

Babalola asked.

He, however, saluted the OBE programme initiated

by COREN, saying it would help in boosting the skills of engineering graduates and make them relevant to nation building .

The Registrar of COREN, Prof.

Joseph Odigure, said there was need to strengthen accreditation

system for engineering in Nigerian universities for the purpose of producing graduates that would meet local and international demands.

Odigure averred that the rapid pace of globalisation and emerging techlonogies globally, made it necessary for engineering faculties to be properly regulated for local and international recognition of certificates obtained from Nigerian higher institutions.

Elaborating more on the Outcome-Based Education(OBE), Odigure described it as an approach to education that focuses on specific attributes in term of knowledge, skill and attitudes that must be exhibited by students.

"By implementing OBE, students are expected to be able to do more challenging tasks, rather than memorise what was taught. This implies that tertiary education could provide both professional knowledge / skills and all-round attributes to their graduates through OBE approach.

"In addition, OBE helps to empower a workforce that can compete in a global economy of the 21st century as it equips learner to transfer academic success to life in a complex, challenging and high-technology future.

"We observed that many of our engineering graduates don't secure jobs easily, so with OBE, they can get the required skills, knowledge and attitudes to operate independently. We want to see a system whereby lecturers would be able to teach students to get an expected output not just teaching based on the curriculum alone.

"We want to engage the local artisans and craftsmen , they too have skills so that they can partner with the academics for engineering development, they have to join the engineering revolution . Let us finetune the delivery in engineering. Let us have engineering that is more friendly and that can impact skills to face the challenges of the 21st century for global development".

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NEWSXTRA

AFRICAN DOTCOM MEDIA’S COURTESY VISIT TO LASU VC… L-R: Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Lagos State University, Mr Ademola Adekoya; Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Lateef Salami; Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni; Director (Operations), African Dotcom Media Limited, Dr Olabisi Deji-Folutile; Personal Assistant to the VC, Mrs Fatimo Ogunniyi; Online Editor, African Dotcom Media Limited, Mr Jesusegun Alagbe; and Principal Assistant Registrar, VC’s Office, Dr Lateef Shekoni, during African Dotcom Media Limited’s courtesy visit to LASU VC...recently

Zulum: Only Political Solution, Kinetic Measures’ll Bring End to Insurgency Declares attacks will be over by 2023 DHQ says troops vanquished 120 terrorists in n’east as NAF bombers decimate 37 bandits in Kaduna Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, yesterday, said only a combination of political and social solutions, as well as kinetic measures, would end insurgency in the northern parts of the country.

Zulum, who disclosed that no fewer than 30,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have so far laid down their arms, however, declared that the security threat posed by Islamic State's West African Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram terrorists in his state would end by 2023.

In a related development, Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said troops of

Operation Hadin Kai, decimated more than 120 fighters of Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Northeast in the last three weeks just as air strikes had killed 37 bandits in Niger State.

But Zulum, who spoke with newsmen at the State House, Abuja, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said at the rate the terrorists were turning themselves in and with the active support of the federal government, the insurgency would end next year.

According to him, "The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon."

Asked if the insurgency will end during his tenure, he said,

MBF: Southern Presidency, a Legitimate Demand, Not Threat Kingsley Nweseh, Adedayo Akinwale and Nume Ekeghe A group, The Middle Belt Forum, has described the growing agitation for southern presidency ahead of the 2023 elections as a legitimate demand and not threat as being insinuated in some quarters.

It said it was unfortunate if the demand for southern presidency had been misconstrued as a threat by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

National President of the Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, stated this yesterday, while featuring on 'The Good Morning Show' on ARISE News Channel.

He said there were so many competent people from the south, who could transform the economic misdeed the country was currently suffering from and who could also stop insurgency.

Reacting to the statement credited to the ACF that the south could not threaten their way to power, Pogu said there wasn't any threat in demanding what was right, what was good and what was needed at the moment.

"If demanding for what

is right, what is expedient, what even the north should have preferred over those of them calling for continuation of the northern presidency, if they call that a threat, then it is unfortunate.

“Because we have done this in the past, it worked for Nigeria. Just because of NADECO, we not only in 1999 had a southern president but we had candidates from the major political parties from Yoruba extraction – micro-zoned to the South-west.

"Those of us in the Middle Belt, who see the northern presidency now as a presidency full of sentiment, full of nepotism and people who called the insurgents as "our boys" and therefore being treated as our boys rather than as people, who are a menace to the society. And therefore allowing them to continue to operate and perpetuate evil in this country.

"We feel that should be discontinued; we feel the people in ACF, who are still holding on to the belief that the north should continue holding the presidency by 2023 should have a rethink," he said.

"Insha Allah. Even now in Borno State, we're doing very well, extremely well. Insha Allah. You know what I mean by Insha Allah, God willing, it will effectively end by 2023."

He, however, maintained that, part of the measures to be used in terminating insurgency by next year was political and social solutions, including engaging the terrorists in dialogue.

This, he said, was currently yielding results as more Boko Haram terrorists were laying down their arms while ISWAP terrorists were also gradually surrendering to superior government forces and deployment of troops to Southern Borno.

His words: "As I've been saying before, the kinetic measures alone will never end the insurgency. The social and political dimension of this crisis is very important. So, we have decided to engage them through dialogue and mediation, with a view to ensuring that many of them should lay their arms.

So far, so good, the objective has started yielding positive result.

"Apart from this also, in Borno State, for example, as I told you last time, we had problems in the shores of the Lake Chad as well

as in Southern Borno, I'm pleased to inform you that there was a very heavy military deployment into the southern Borno. And I hope such a deployment will also take place in northern Borno, with a view to clearing the ISWAP insurgents in the Lake Chad. So, this has also yielded positive results.

"And then on the relocation of the two local Government Areas that last time, I said are not occupied by human beings, we are also doing very well with the military to see how we can return the population.

The military has also given us the go-ahead. So, we're working with them to see how we can return them. Things are getting better in Borno State and this is the major reason why I came to see Mr President."

While revealing that some 30,000 terrorists had surrendered between last year and now, and were currently being profiled by appropriate authorities in the state, Zulum said, "As at now,we have received nothing less than 30,000 from beginning to date for both Boko Haram and ISWAP. ISWAP, we have started receiving them in few numbers, but Boko Haram, we have started receiving them

in huge numbers."

The governor also talked about the collaboration between the federal and the state governments over the insurgency saying, "The most important thing is that the federal government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Buhari, the Borno State Government, the military – we're all working in close collaboration to ensure that those that are willing to surrender are given the opportunity to surrender."

But on whether the state government promised the terrorists anything in return for laying down their arms, Zulum said there was nothing of such as the terrorists voluntarily surrendered, saying some terrorists were also captured by government troops.

He said, "We don't have any promissory notes to the terrorists, honestly speaking. But you have to also understand one very important thing, there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered. People should understand these two unidentical situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules and regulation.

"There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that are willingly surrendered. And I'm calling upon all of you to give a very positive insight to this development, because there's nowhere in the whole world such kind of war ended with kinetic measures.

“There must be some certain political solutions and believe, if there is peace in Northeast and Borno, there will be peace in Northern Nigeria. If there is Peace in Northern Nigeria, there will be peace in southern Nigeria."

Prodded on the actual number of terrorists still in the forests, the governor said, "There are some issues that should not be discussed in the public; these issues are security issues."

Meanwhile, the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, while giving an update on military operations across the country from January 20 to February 10, 2022 in Abuja, said several ISWAP commanders including their Amir and some foreign mercenaries, who made improvised explosive devices were killed during air raids and land operations.

2023: AGAIN, BUHARI WARNS FOREIGN DIPLOMATS AGAINST MEDDLING IN NIGERIA'S INTERNAL POLITICS and the conduct of the general elections next year.’’

The president called for the support of the envoys in tackling rising global insecurity, and strengthening of communality.

According to him: “We are living in unprecedented times and with so many uncertainties, especially with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the rise in global insecurity and the devastation of our environments caused by climate change among other existential threats to our collective peace, progress and shared values.

“Different factors that accounted for these challenges go beyond the abilities of any single country to effectively contain alone. Matters of security have become the business of all the nations of the world to work closely together to build consensus in order to overcome these challenges."

Buhari told the diplomats that, “for us in Nigeria We continue to make steady progress despite the daunting challenges, especially in the areas of insecurity, fight against corruption, diversification of the economy, and our efforts in promoting good governance, amongst other aspirations.’’

He noted that Nigeria’s differences and divergence in culture and religion had contributed immensely in cementing unity, as a people, as well as spurring religious tolerance and respect for one another.

Buhari urged the Ambassadors to build lasting friendships in the course of performing their duties that will go beyond assignments in Nigeria.

At the regional level, the president said Nigeria would continue to work with other member-states of ECOWAS and regional blocs to deal with

the problems of terrorism, transborder crimes, banditry, maritime issues and unconstitutional change of government.

“We are engaging in frank self-retrospection in order to identify and isolate appropriate containment strategies that can help de-escalate the drift into the unconstitutional seizure of power in the sub region,’’ he added.

Buhari assured of partnership and mutual cooperation in canvassing more Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in healthcare system, education, infrastructure, local manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness and transportation.

He said: “The countries which you all represent, namely, Czech Republic, Republic of Italy, Kingdom of Spain and State of Israel, enjoy very cordial bilateral relations and cooperation with Nigeria that span across our

socio-economic and cultural spheres.

“Therefore, the envious task of building on the successes of your respective predecessors will further advance our relations to significant heights for the benefits of our countries and peoples.

“As you settle down to your diplomatic responsibilities, I am sure that you will appreciate the uniqueness and strength in our country’s political, socio-economic and cultural diversities, in terms of both human and natural resources."

Responding on behalf of other envoys, the Ambassador of Czech Republic assured the President of, “comprehensive cooperation’’ of the representatives.

Krejc said the envoys would work for the development of Nigeria, through strengthening of mutual and beneficial relations with their countries.

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Lagos Set to Re-launch Residents Registration Programme Dike Onwuamaeze The Lagos State Government is set to officially re-launch its citizen registration programme in March.

This would lead to the issuance of residents in the state with digitally enabled “New Lagos Resident Card” for personal identification and accessing the state government’s services such as transport, health, education, entertainment, pension, social benefits among others.

This was disclosed yesterday by the General Manager of the Lagos State Residents

Registration Agency, Mrs. Ibilola Kasunmu, during a workshop for newspaper editors.

Kasunmu said the residents’ identification drive under LASRRA 2.0 would be used identify and maintain a rich database of all residents in Lagos State. She said all adult residents and visitors that have stayed up to three months in the state were eligible to be registered under the LASRRA 2.0, including pupils, students and day old children who would be captured right in the hospital they were delivered.

In addition, those that have registered previously would

made return their old identity cards and be re-issued the new smart identity card and might have their data updated and validated in the database.

The life span of the new identity card, which is tailored to suit into the THEMES vision of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is five years.

LASRRA disclosed that 4.46 million residents were captured in its database. Out of this number, 3.25 million are ABIS certified unique records subject to validation for proof of life while 1.04 million cards are ready for

card printing.

She further explained that the LASRRA database that contained both demographic and biometric data of all residents in Lagos State would be used to aid effective planning and allocation of resources.

The general manager of LASRRA said that the six core objectives of LASRRA 2.0 are the identification of every resident and maintenance of rich database of all residents; provision of data for social and welfare state interventions; issuing of multipurpose smart cards to residents and improving the efficiency in

accessing LASG services. The project would also be used to drive the Smart City agenda of LASG, and create opportunities for financial inclusion.

Kasunmu stated that 800 enrollment units would be set up across the state for the registration exercise that would also involve 65 enrollment partners to enable the project have a wider coverage.

She said: “LASRRA will implement and provide access to a core set of services, operations and processes and work with several partners to complete the other complementary aspects of the programme.

HONOUR WELL DESERVED… Enugu State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left), congratulating Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fidelis Ogarabe, after the latter's decoration with the new rank at the Government House, Enugu…recently

This will ensure efficient use of government capital while driving inclusiveness.

“The agency database, containing both demographic and biometric data, of all residents in Lagos State will henceforth aid effective planning and allocation of resources for security, education, health and financial inclusion.”

She further explained that the Lagos resident ID card would have provisions for 28 applets, out of which three would be activated at the point of collecting the card. The three active applets are the electronic identity information (e-ID); the EMV payment and transportservices provided by the LAMATA. The remaining 25 applets, according to her, would be implemented with both public and private partners in subsequent phases and would include health application, pension application and collections.

The card would also have banking applications and provide payment services for transport fares, payment of tolls, traffic offences and fines.

Kasunmu emphasised that students would need the new identity card to be able to access examination halls, public library, book borrowing and access transport services at students’ rate, enjoy bursaries and discounted school hostel fees.

In addition, holders of the card would be entitled to have access to social services that would be provided by the state government such as financial inclusion, elderly benefits, social benefits, as well as disability benefit and medical, insurance, pension and social subsidies.

LASRRA said the new identity card would allow the public to have general access to identity verification, access to state infrastructure like libraries, leisure parks, stadiums and museums as well as public car parks, bike/ car sharing rides, free parking, acceptable ID for public services in Nigeria and KYC purpose.

The Technical Consultant for the LASRRA 2.O, Mr. Jide Agbaje, assured the general public that the database is encrypted and secured 100 per cent.

BUHARI TALKS TOUGH, SAYS SUPPLIERS OF SUBSTANDARD FUEL WOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE going to sue the government on this issue, but we are going to collate data of affected stations and what it could cost us and pass it to the authority.

“We are going to engage in dialogue so that we don't add to the problem. This has already happened and they are trying to mitigate the problem.”

Osatuyi pointed out that if the country's four refineries were working, such an issue would not have occurred.

Asked if he was confident that NNPC would reimburse IPMAN members in anyway or bear the cost, Osatuyi said the government agency had no choice than to compensate them, otherwise the association would take legal action.

He stated, "They have no choice this time around.

These are facts and figures. It is only when we engage them in discussion and say these are the figures, these are the facts, and they are trying to be funny, then we can now look at what we can do within the ambit of the law."

Emadeb Denies Involvement, Says Brittania-U Should Be Held Responsible E m a d e b / H y d e / Ay Maikifi stated that in several communications, it had notified

NNPC of the decision of Brittania-U not to abide by the consortium’s agreement, leading to deal that other members would not be liable for damages incurred by the company in the course of operations.

The consortium stated that NNPC was aware of the refusal of Brittania-U to cooperate with other members by way of making information available when needed.

The Emadeb statement stressed that the information released by NNPC did not exactly represent what transpired.

It stated, “We refer to the press release of February 9, 2022 by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on the issue of contaminated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with higher concentrates of methanol, allegedly, imported

by Emadeb/Hyde/Ay Maikifi/ Brittania-U Consortium.

“We hereby state that the said importation of the contaminated PMS was executed by a member of the consortium, to wit: Brittania-U. “Therefore, the blanket claims made against the consortium by the NNPC are misleading and contradict the actual events that happened; they do not fully reflect and/or represent what transpired.”

The consortium stated that the clarifications relating to the

delivery of the said contaminated petrol to the country were necessary to protect their image, as they had invested a lot in building each member’s respective brands in the industry.

The statement said, “Brittania-U Nigeria Limited (Brittania-U) was the sole supplier of the 90,000MT of PMS delivered via MT Torm Hilde with laycan January 2 to 4, 2022.

“At the formation of the consortium in May 2021 by NNPC, Brittania-U refused to execute the Service and Consortium Agreement submitted to NNPC in fulfilment of the award of the DSDP contract.”

Emadeb stated that as the lead of the consortium, it engaged Brittania-U severally and the company insisted on dealing with NNPC independently of which the national oil company was expressly notified via a letter dated June 2, 2021.

Further, the consortium stated that Brittania-U vehemently refused to execute the Consortium Agreement with the other consortium members – Emadeb/Hyde/ Ay Maikifi- saying it became surprising and frustrating to everyone.

It stated, “Brittania-U communicated all her actions to the other consortium members and NNPC harping on the

following points: Brittania-U’s preference to perform a sole contract for crude lifting and PMS supply under the DSDP arrangement.

“Brittania-U’s choice to be solely liable under her supplies to NNPC and in the light of which she indemnified the other consortium members accordingly.”

It stated that the alleged culprit further refused the nominated international partner agreed by other consortium members – Emadeb/Hyde/ Ay Maikifi.

Emadeb stated that Brittania-U failed to cooperate or share information and documents with the other consortium members in respect of the December 2021 crude cargo allocated to her by NNPC. It further stated that following the repeated refusal of Brittania-U to work with the consortium, it indemnified the other consortium members– Emadeb/Hyde/Ay Maikifi and the resulting agreement was executed by their company on June 16, 2021.

The indemnity clause, the consortium said, covered Emadeb/Hyde/Ay Maikifi against all damages, losses, costs and expenses.

It noted that this also included reasonable legal costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees and liabilities incident to claims, demands or

causes of action brought by or on behalf of any person or entity as result of the performance of or failure to perform the project.

“The indemnity also covers shortages in delivery of products, late deliveries, delivery of offspec cargo or other wrongful performance of their obligations in the DSDP agreement,” Emadeb insisted.

The consortium via a letter dated December 10, 2021 said it informed NNPC of non-receipt of information from Brittania-U on all correspondence relating to the DSDP crude cargo allocated to them.

In addition, it said that it stated that Brittania-U’s action contradicted all efforts to ensure performance on her allotted crude cargo.

The statement sad, “In view of the notice of the contaminated product, Emadeb/Hyde/Ay Maikifi immediately notified Brittania-U via a letter dated February 3, 2022 and also expressly informed NNPC of the sole liability of Brittania U. “Based on the substantial evidence provided to NNPC and several declarations by Brittania-U to NNPC, Brittania-U is therefore solely liable for the supply of the PMS via MT Torm Hilde.

“This is also demonstrated by their unwillingness to be part of the consortium; however, all the other parties were duly

indemnified by Brittania-U. “The other consortium members – Emadeb/Hyde/ Ay Maikifi had performed and delivered 270,000MT of PMS in the last five months and they were certified by the NNPCnominated inspector without any complaint or adverse issues.

“Out of the 270,000MT of PMS, 90,000MT is currently discharging via MT Fair Seas offshore Lagos. All records showing our performance are available with NNPC for verification and validation.”

The consortium stated that it would continue to work with NNPC and perform creditably on all its obligations, positing that as reputable companies, they will not associate themselves with any activity that will be to the detriment of the citizens of the country.

It said, “Emadeb/Hyde/ Ay Maikifi believe that these stated positions of ours have demonstrated that we are not the suppliers of the said contaminated PMS. “We are ready to give our full and maximum cooperation to any government investigation panel and or any agency with all the relevant documentation and or information that maybe required.

“We implore all our customers to continue to patronise all services provided by Emadeb/ Hyde and Ay Maikifi.”

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Terrorists Have Killed 50 People in One Month in Katsina, Group Claims Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has claimed that terrorists have killed no fewer than 50 people in Katsina state within one month in different onslaughts on villages and communities across the state.

The coalition expressed worries over what it termed despicable and unckecked destruction of livelihoods, abuse and exploitation of women and extortion of poverty–stricken communities by the marauding terrorists in the state.

It added that the nation’s security agencies are “grossly understaffed, ill-equipped and poorly motivated” to sufficiently tackle the monstrous terrorism and rampaging banditry and force them out of their hidden enclaves. In a condolence message addressed to Governor Aminu Bello Masari by its North-west Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu, and made available to THISDAY yesterday, the coalition noted that killings, abductions, maiming and exploitations have been going on in the state incessantly with no respite in sight.\The message read: “In the last few days, armed bandits/ terrorists across Jibia, Batsari, Bakori and Faskari have killed scores of helpless and defenseless citizens in addition to multiple kidnappings and other forms of exploitations.

“Regrettably, these killings,

abductions, maiming and exploitations have been going on incessantly with no respite in sight. We therefore, find the recent killing of Magaji Yangayya, DPO Jibia and an army officer in the state very worrisome and alarming.

“CNG has gathered shocking and frightening information that suggests that some of our villages are firmly under the control of the bandits where levies or taxes are imposed on our people, subjecting our poor people into further economic

deprivation and devastation.

“The stories are condemnably demoralizing as over 50 innocent, defenseless and impoverished citizens of the state were killed systematically in the last four weeks”.

According to the group,

“While these atrocities go on with alarming regularity, the federal government appeared to have completely surrendered prerogative of the use of force to the bandits/ terrorists who today operate parallel governments in villages and communities in the

State where they impose taxes and levies on the villages and kill people at will.

“We are convinced that the government and its functionaries have lost the political will and determination to decisively deal with the problems once for all”.

ENSURING FREE AND FAIR ELECTION…

L-R: Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu (left), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Katsina State, Alhaji Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa, and Electoral Officer, Gwagwalada Area Council, Mr. Hassan Shamsudeem Musa during the distribution of sensitive materials for the FCT Area Council Elections that will hold tomorrow

Nigeria Seeks ILO’s National Assembly Angry over Incessant Assistance to Tackle Flight Delays, to Meet with Airlines Poverty, Unemployment Chinedu Eze

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Nigeria has urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to develop more radical programme that will help tackle the rising incidence of poverty and social disruptions in Africa.

The government asked the ILO to assist Nigeria in addressing the problems of unemployment and economic disruptions caused by the COVID19 pandemic.

This is contained in an address by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige while receiving a delegation of the France candidate for the office of the Secretary General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Muriel Penicaud, who came

to request for Nigeria’s support in the election, today in Abuja.

Muriel was accompanied by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuel Blatmann, Secretary General of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) Emmanuel Ugboaja , Tommy Edwin, First Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) Celine Oni representing NECA among others.

The minister, who described the current effort of the ILO in tackling development challenges in Africa as a drop in the ocean, urged the organization to mobilise donor agencies and institutions to address the prevailing social upheaval on the continent.

Diri Promises More Roads in Bayelsa Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has promised that his administration will construct more roads to link communities in the state.

Governor Diri spoke on Thursday as his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, inaugurated the 4.5km Igbedi community road in Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area as part of activities marking his second anniversary in office.

The governor, in a statement, described the Igbedi road as historic as it was the only community in Kolokuma/ Opokuma that hitherto was not connected by road.

The state’s helmsman lauded the people of Igbedi for owning the project and protecting it and called on other communities to

emulate them.

While expressing gratitude to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for honouring his invitation, Diri also commended the construction company, Paache Limited, for the timely construction of the project despite the challenges it encountered.

His words: “Today is a historic day for Igbedi community, KOLGA and the state. Igbedi was part of the communities that contributed land to build the airport. While other communities have been accessible by road, Igbedi was looking for this day and God has brought it to pass.

“We like to thank God who has given the administration the funds and will to construct this road. We pray for more money and we will construct more roads to link our communities.

The National Assembly has expressed anger over incessant flight delays on domestic airline operations and has called for urgent meeting with the operators.

The legislators said flight delays paralyse economic activities in the country and that it is fraught with unpredictability and vowed to find lasting solution to the intractable problem.

Speaking during facility inspection of the Nigerian

Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) installations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos by the joint Senate and House Committees on Aviation, the Senate Committee Chairman, Senator Smart Adeyemi, representing Kogi West, said more people now travel by air because the roads are not safe.

But he noted that sadly, people are delayed at the airport for as much as four to six hours without compensation.

Adeyemi said in a bid to address the issue=NASS would

compile the names of the airlines and in order to put them on notice, it would hold a meeting with them and find out what the issues were so that a solution could be proffered.

“We are going to invite the airline operators. We are going to tell them our feelings and brainstorm on solutions.

There must be compensation for passengers getting stranded.

We are not saying they should compromise standards or compromise technical problems.

But most times, they hide under the pretense of technical problems

or they tell us the weather is not good.

“I must however commend NIMET (Nigeria Meteorological Agency). NIMET is doing a good job. You can get to know the situation of the weather across the country through NIMET. So, when airline operators tell us the weather is not good, it is easy to find out from NIMET,” he said.

He also disclosed plans by NASS to visit several airports across the country in the next few weeks to know the situation of facilities at these airports to guide them on budget allocations.

NIA Denies Alleged Plans to Arrest former DG Wale Igbintade The National Intelligence Agency ( NIA), has denied allegations that it was planning to arrest its former acting Director-General (DG) Ambassador Mohammed Dauda.

Chief Kanu Agabi, who is lawyer to Ambassador Dauda had expressed concern to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in which it was imputed

that the NIA was plotting among others to arrest Dauda.

But, in a letter dated February 4, 2022, written by NIA’s lawyer, Mr. Wale Adesokan SAN to Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, he stated that it was uncharitable to suggest, or accuse NIA of taking actions capable of subverting the course of justice or undermining the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The letter stated that NIA is a law-abiding Institution which

places high premium on the Rule of Law. NIA’s lawyer, Mr. Adesokan SAN observed that while Agabi wrote Malami and copied others in the letter that was circulated in the media space in January, the NIA legal team were not copied.

The NIA also rebuffed insinuations that it was plotting to compromise the judgment as it said that it was already on appeal and was looking expeditiously to the determination of its appeal

against the judgment won by Dauda.

The letter reads: “It is a rather surprising departure from the professional ethics of the Bar that in a matter or matters in which a SAN represented and still represents the Defendants/ Appellants, a letter of that magnitude, which indubitably has put the conduct of a party to the proceedings in issue, is addressed and delivered to non-parties thereto.

APC Screens Oyetola, Others for Osun Governorship Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has screened the Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state, former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff and former Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Mr. Moshood Adeoti ahead of the February 19 primary election in the state.

Addressing journalists after the screening, Oyetola said he had

already visited members of the party in 18 local governments out of the 30 local governments, saying the strategic engagements will continue today.

He explained that being a member of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party won’t have any impact on the outcome of the primary election because his achievement as a governor will speak for him.

Oyetola said: “Let me say this,

my performance in office as I speak today is enough for me to win the primary in the party and to win the election in all areas of endeavour, in the area of infrastructure, health, Education, security and the economy. That means by every standard, we have done so well.

“So given the fact that within the last three and a half years I’ve been able to justify the confidence reposed in me by the people. I believe winning the election is

not a problem. I have always been a member of the party. It is not the matter of being a member of the Caretaker committee. I have been very much involved in the party, right from the time of Alliance for Democracy (AD) till date. I wasn’t a member of the Caretaker when I won the election in 2018 so why should I be discouraged from serving the party? If my performance speaks for me, that is good and fine.”

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Plateau, Miyetti Allah Disagree over Livestock Transformation Programme Seriki Adinoyi ÓØ ÙÝ The Plateau State Government and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) are at loggerheads over moves by the state government to implement its State Livestock Transformation Programme (SLTP) in the state.

The state governor had transmitted the bill for a law to establish the SLTP to the State House of Assembly, but MACBAN has raised the alarm and warned the state assembly not to pass the bill that could

throw the state into another round of mayhem.

The State Chairman of MACBAN, Mr. Mohammad Abdullah, said that Legal Adviser of the association, Mr. Salisu Mohammad, in a press conference called the House of Assembly to suspend the bill in the general interest of the state and her citizens, describing the bill as disgusting.

Abdullah said that he got phone call on January 25, 2022, inviting him to a stakeholders’ meeting where the issue about SLTP was raised.

He said that he could not

‘Gombe State Records Lowest Crime Rate in January’ Segun Awofadeji ÓØ Ù×ÌÏ Gombe State has been described as one of the most peaceful states in the country considering many critical security indices that placed the state high on the ranking.

This position was made clear in a report published

by Eons Intelligence, a media organization and a strategic intelligence and advisory group which specializes in analysis of crimes, political, economic risk and opportunities in Nigeria which was made available to our correspondent

Thursday by.Ismaila Uba Misilli,,Director-General, (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe.

The report analyses the crime incidences to include kidnapping, and other heinous crimes that result into death of people for the month of January, 2022.

The report revealed that, Niger State had the highest crimes rate in the country in the month under review with a total of 396 kidnap victims and 267 total death cases, followed by the North Western States of Zamfara and Kaduna respectively.

say anything at the meeting because he had no prior knowledge of it, so he pleaded for time to study the bill and also consult before coming up with a stand.

Abdullah said: “So, they gave us one week which was on February 2, 2022. We made our position known to the Plateau State House of Assembly through its Chairman, Public

Hearing Committee.

“Having consulted stakeholders and professionals, we unanimously rejected the bill because of the procedures involved in obtaining permit

to participate in the SLTP, considering that it may be difficult to get the permit considering the discriminatory tendencies towards Fulani herders on the Plateau.

NDLEA Intercepts Codeine Worth N2bn at Lagos Port Michael Olugbode ÓØ ÌßÔË Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have again intercepted 40,250 kilogrammes of the Schedule II controlled narcotic (codine) worth over N2 billion imported in two 40 feet containers from India.

This latest interception is barely a week after 14,080 kilogrammes of codeine-based syrup and 4,352.4 kilogrammes cold caps used to conceal the

former in a 40ft container imported from India were seized at the Apapa port in Lagos.

According to the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, the latest consignments intercepted last Tuesday were brought into the country in two containers marked HLBU 2239792 with 1,125 cartons of the drug and HLBU 1067338 with 1,751 cartons, with a market value of N2,012,500,000.

He disclosed that the consignments were seized at the Port Express Bonded Terminal, Berger-Apapa, after they were discovered concealed behind cartons of hypergra 200 miligramme and deluxe chilly cutters, after which the agency’s sniffer dogs were brought in to identify the illegal substance Reacting to the latest seizure, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, said the agency

remains poised to deal decisive blows to drug cartels this year by ensuring that no gramme of illicit drug is allowed into or pass through Nigeria to other countries.

Meanwhile, he commended the officers and men of the Apapa Port Special Area Command of the agency for their vigilance, and expressed gratitude to foreign partners for sharing timely intelligence and other port stakeholders for their cooperation.

LG Elections: Enugu Gov Takes Campaign to Market Places The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State yesterday continued its campaign ahead of the February 23, 2022 local government elections in the state as Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led the PDP campaign train to Eke-Otu market in Amechi Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area and Eke Agbani Market in Nkanu West LGA to canvass votes for the party.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, who made

a brief stop-over at Amodu Awkunanaw in Nkanu West LGA to inspect the erosion control project newly executed by his administration, for safety of motorists and road users, proceeded to Nkanu East and Nkanu West LGAs with the PDP train for the LG campaigns.

While at Eke-Otu Market, Gov. Ugwuanyi identified with the jubilant traders and their customers and passionately canvassed

votes for chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the PDP, urging them to come out en masse on February 23, 2022 to vote for the PDP. The governor did the same at Eke Agbani Market before proceeding to Amagunze, the headquarters of Nkanu East LGA for the Party’s LG campaign rally.

Received by the Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District and former Governor of Enugu

State, Senator Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, the member representing Enugu East/ Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Hon. Prince Cornelius Nnaji, the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA, Engr. Abel Uchenna Nwobodo, among other Party stakeholders, Gov. Ugwuanyi also urged the people of the area to vote massively for the PDP in the forthcoming LG elections by casting their votes where the logo of umbrella is in the ballot paper.

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Mail Delivery Operators Issue Pantami Ultimatum over N200m NIPOST Debt Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Aggrieved operators of the National Mail Route Delivery Service (NMRDS) have urged the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, to take drastic action over the failure of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to redeem the liability to their members in the last eight months or face legal tussle.

The seven-day ultimatum that was issued by the Counsel to the NMRDS, Mr. Wole Abidakun

bothered on the failure of NIPOST to pay the N200 million owed the operators.

Abidakun said the tax deductions effected on the operators’ account for the past five years by NIPOST have not been remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which he fumed have hindered the operators from accessing their tax clearance over the years.

He added that this anomaly has also made it difficult for his clients to survive in addition to restricting them from bidding

for jobs in other organisations.

The petition was also sent to the Post Master General of NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi.

“Ordinarily, our clients would have proceeded to explore other legal options available to them, but to show goodwill, our clients demand a meeting with you within seven days of your receipt of this letter to sort out issues amicably and maintain the cordial relationship that exist between your organisation and our clients.

Financial Reporting Council, IoD Collaborate on Corporate Governance for Public Sector Dike Onwuamaeze The Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Ambassador Shuaibu Adamu Ahmed, has disclosed that the council is developing a code of corporate governance for the Nigerian public sector and nonprofit organisations in the country.

Ahmed made the disclosure yesterday in Lagos when he welcomed a delegation of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria who paid a courtesy visit to the FRCN. He said: “We are working to develop Nigeria Code of Corporate Governance for the public sector and nonprofit organisations. We are expecting support from the IoD, which

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AKANDE BUKOLA OYINDAMOLA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AREBUN BUKOLA OYINDAMOLA. All documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

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developed corporate governance for the private sector.

“In the past a lot of emphasis was on the private sector that we have not done much in the public sector arena. The public sector, of course, is the biggest player in the economy and there will be vacuum if we do not do something about corporate governance in the public sector.

“We are hoping that the

technical working groups will be constituted before the end of this first quarter. There will be two working groups: one for nonprofits and one for public sector.”

Ahmed also expressed optimism that the FRCN’s amendment bill would be passed soon to give the council more powers and financial wherewithal to carry out its duties.

Sowunmi Named Chairman of Yoruba Leadership Initiative A renowned archaeologist and retired university don, Professor Adebisi Sowunmi has been named the Chairman, Board of Trustees of The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative (TYLPI).

A long standing member of TYLPI, Professor Sowunmi has been a trustee of the organisation from inception.

TYLPI’s Director of Publicity, Mr. Tunde Ipinmisho said in statement

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that the Chairman’s appointment at the board’s inaugural meeting last Tuesday received unanimous support from the board.

Similarly, a former Commander, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Major General Obashina Ogunbiyi (rtd) was also appointed the Secretary of the board.

Gen Ogunbiyi, consultant anaesthetist and Associate Professor of Medicine, served the Nigerian Army meritoriously in various capacities before proceeding on voluntary retirement.

Also appointed into the new board are, the President of TYLPI, Mr. Olusegun K. Ahmadu; the convener of the group, Otunba Deji Osibogun and a one-time Managing Director of the Nigerian Tribune newspaper and former Resident Media Consultant at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Sir Folu Olamiti.

Other members are: Alhaji Tajudeen Seriki, the pioneer University Librarian at the Lagos State University (LASU)and Chief Yele Ogundipe, a former bank chief executive and immediate past Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State.

Aguele Family Loses Daughter The family of Prince Solomon and Chief Mrs. Stella Aguele of Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government of Edo State have announced the passing on to glory of their beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunt and cousin Ms Wilma Ebahi Aguele who died after a brief illness on the 14th of January 2022.

According to a statement from the family, until her death, Ms Aguele was the Managing Director and Chief Responsibility Officer of Wilbahi Group of Companies.

The statement added that details of her burial shall be announced soon.

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Islam and Science 1 By: Bruno Abd Al Haqq Guiderdoni/ University of St. Andrews/IslamiCity Sos. Let me start by uttering the traditional formula “In the Name of God the Compassionate the All Merciful”. With this sentence, Muslims begin all the ritual actions of their lives, as well as the actions of their everyday lives that get the value of ritual actions. This formula opens every chapter, or sura, of the Holy Koran, the sacred book of Islam, as a key for the reading of the text, and for subsequent action inspired from this reading. The whole revelation of the Koran comes from God the One, through His names of love and mercy.

It sounds quite simple indeed. Unfortunately, one must admit that what actually happens is far from these principles. Of course, everybody would agree that there is a gap between principles and realities, between what religion should be and what the members of this religion make of it, between the realm of spiritual tenets and the vicissitudes of history.

But is there a specific issue with Islam?

Many voices are heard that put the Islamic faith on trial. It is a fact that, in contrast with other cultural zones, the Islamic world seems to participate very little in the scientific pursuit of today, and to be struck by recurrent social and political disorders. Several authors have attributed these two facts to the same cause: the presumed inability of the Islamic faith to establish a sound relationship with the practice of reason, and consequently to enforce reasonable behaviors in societies.

Islam is blamed for the following crime: it seemingly includes in its very principles the germs of its own, violent deviation.

Here comes the point I would like to address, with your permission, in this lecture, from the specific viewpoint of a Western Muslim, who happens to be a professional scientist. Does Islam, because of its very principles, face an insuperable difficulty with the methods and results of science? Has it a specific problem with the practice of reason that would entail the impossibility for Muslims to adopt reasonable behaviors in modern societies? In a single sentence, is it possible to be a coherent Muslim and to participate constructively in the endeavors of our common world, and, first of all, in science? I would like to hereafter argue that, although ignorance, hate and violence unfortunately exist in the Islamic world, the spiritual tenets and intellectual resources of the Islamic faith actually prompt Muslims to search for knowledge, love and peace.

My lecture will be divided into three parts: First I will summarize the basic principles of the Islamic faith that appear relevant to understanding the nature of knowledge in the Islamic perspective. Second, I will briefly review a few historical and contemporary positions about the relation between faith and reason, and between religion and science.

Third, I will try to defend a viewpoint in which faith although it does not say anything about the specific content of science, offers a broad metaphysical background that helps me, as a scientist, find purpose and meaning in its discoveries. Finally, I will conclude by a new examination of the above mentioned issue: the organization of societies and the dialogue of faiths and cultures. It turns out that this metaphysical background also helps us find purpose and meaning in the diversity of faiths, as well as it gives us guidelines for a peaceful coexistence in this world.

The principles of Islamic faith The presumed difficulty that Islam faces in its relationship with reason, was recently summarized, with great talent and large impact, by the famous lecture given by Pope Benedict XVI in Regensburg, on September the 18th, 2006, in front of an audience of “representatives of science” — the detail has its importance for the issue we are addressing here. In an attempt to propose a new vision to secularized Europe, the Holy Father explained what he considered the specific feature of Christianity. For him, it is not surprising that modern science and reasonable behaviors developed in countries where Christianity was predominant. As a matter of fact, this lecture triggered strong reactions in the Islamic world because Islam was used as a sort of counter example, a religion in which the absence of reason and the presence of violence are interwoven.

According to the Pope, “For Muslim teaching,

God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality.” After this Regensburg lecture, there were exchanges between the Islamic world and the Holy See, requests for apologies on one side, and statements that the lecture was misunderstood on the other side. Here, I would like to address the issue raised by the Holy Father very much where he left it, and to answer positively to the calls for dialogue that were eventually heard on both sides.

As a matter of fact, I think the issue stems from the idea we have about God. When the Pope writes, after many other authors, “for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent”, he understands this sentence in the following way: “For Muslims, God is only transcendent”. Is the God of Islam different from the God of Christianity? It is not the Muslims’ opinion. For them, Allah, a word that etymologically means “The God”, is not the name of the Muslims’ God. It is the Arabic name of the One God, the God of all humanity, worshiped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

For Islam, as much as for Judaism and Christianity, God is absolutely transcendent and He is perfectly immanent too. It means that He cannot be known by any of our categories, and simultaneously, He is close to us, He acts in the world, He knows and loves us, He lets Him be known and be loved by us. As the Koran says, “Nothing is similar to Him, and He is the One who perfectly hears and knows.” God gathers aspects that are contradictory: “He is the First and the Last, the Apparent and the Hidden.”

And “He is closer to us than our jugular vein.” This coexistence of these two aspects is necessary, in a monotheistic religion, to prevent our idea about God from becoming an idol. In Islamic terms, one would say that the tawhid, the statement of the Oneness of God, simultaneously requires the tanzih, the statement that God is like nothing else, and the tanshbih, the comparison of names, attributes and actions of God with those of the world. A God who is only transcendent is an abstract concept, and a God who is only immanent is nothing else than a form of cosmic energy.

One can readily understand that the issue of the intelligibility of God’s attributes and actions, and the extension of the domain where reason can apply to know religion and to know science, strongly depend on the balance between transcendence and immanence. It is true that extreme standpoints did exist in the Islamic thinking, in one direction or another. However, the mainstream defended the simultaneous existence of these two aspects, and the fact that, immanence is possible because God is so transcendent that His transcendence is unaffected by His presence in the world, close to us.

God created the world. This sentence means that the world is not self sufficient.

The world may not have been there. But it actually is there, and the explanation provided by religions is that the being of the world is given by another Being, who is not “a being” like the others, but rather the action of being itself. God also revealed Himself in the world through specific moments in which infinity gets in contact with the finite, eternity with the temporal. These moments give birth to new religions that, in the Islamic perspective, are only new adaptations of the same universal truth to new peoples (and to the “languages” of these peoples). And God has a specific contact with each of the human beings, whom he cares after, and inspires.

Islam is the third come of the monotheistic religions in the wake of the promise made to Abraham by God, after Judaism and Christianity. Remember this story of the Book of Genesis, when Abraham obeys God’s order and leaves his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael in the desert. For Muslims, the place where Hagar and Ishmael were left is the valley of Bakka, where a temple that was given

by God to Adam after the Fall from Eden, used to be located before the Deluge. Later, Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the temple, a small cubic building covered by a black veil, now in the great mosque of Makka. This building is empty, and only inhabited by the sakina, a mysterious and sacred presence of God, which is quite paradoxical, because God is everywhere, and still he specifically manifests in some places.

To Be Continued

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

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RIGHT OF REPLY In the Country of the Blind, Shaka Momodu is the One-eyed King A rejoinder to his back page article, Nigeria No be Lagos

By Angela Rusida There are cogent reasons to review Shaka Momodu’s three- part tirade of hate and spite against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. (Tinubu’s Mission Impossible, March, 5, 2018; Lagos Must Be Free, October 12, 2018 and Nigeria No be Lagos). As Editor of THISDAY, his opinion indexes his editorial judgment and exposes the contradictions and confusion of his psyche.

Understanding that psyche is therefore critical to any serious evaluation of his malady. Since not all patients understand the medical implications of the symptoms they manifest and research has shown that mentally deranged persons are the least to admit the precariousness of their situation, this writer will be doing Mr. Momodu a world of good by offering to dissect his problem pro bono. This also serves a societal purpose of restraining him from continuing to inflict his toxic imagination on unsuspecting healthy and clear-headed citizens.

When Edo State University certified him a graduate of Political Science, it must have been assured that he had gained, at Bachelor’s level, reasonable mastery of the concepts of the discipline such as democracy, republicanism and constitutionalism in theory and practice.

Momodu has either forgotten these concepts or seeks to abbreviate them to conform with his warped thinking. For instance, freedom of expression is a core concept of democracy. This includes the right of an individual to express himself and the duty to respect the right of others to hold and express theirs.

However, in Momodu’s Country of the Blind, he, the one-eyed king has the reservoir of the right to expression as others who seek to avail themselves of this right are “unscrupulous, Tinubu useful idiots” who “spew utter hogwash”. The students in public secondary schools and the academics are “educated people, professors, evolution of the tutor-generals/permanent reasoning like zombies” and he would not secretaries to improve the administration give the citizenry the right to reason because of education. he could not take it for granted that they have Momodu was among the correspondents learnt any lessons from their travails. who reported the numerous awards won Who did this to Shaka? Between 2003 and by the Tinubu administration at the 2007, Shaka Momodu was an indigent , humble internationally acclaimed city awards correspondent of THISDAY newspapers at and penned articles that fairly reported the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja. He the exceptional achievements of the covered Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the Lagos administration. Just cutting his teeth in State Governor serving his second term and the journalism profession then, there was no witnessed the radical politics and governance hint of a misguided crusader in the young of the maverick politician, financial strategist man who was excited by the advertising and astute logistician as he tried to redress the placements passed through him to several injustice suffered by Lagos State by creating 37 newspapers by the Zenon oil marketing additional local governments. He was on the company to supplement his salary by front row as Lagos State reformed the revenue taking commissions. This transactional collection system, setting up the Lagos Internal relationship with news sources, though Revenue Service and computerizing the tax corrupt by journalism standards, had become stations to provide real time feedback to the the famous tactic of all public relations central office. He witnessed legal struggles gurus to encourage the newshounds to that won for Lagos State the control of the look the other way. production of number plate and all lands under Without decorating many of the press the bridges built by the Federal Government. He releases penned by the office of the Press reported for THISDAY newspapers the decision Secretary with his byline, it is not likely of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu administration to pay that Momodu would have gained the the fees for the final year examinations of all

attention of his employers who propped him up and pushed him higher to take more responsibilities. It is evident that Momodu gradually became giddy and lost his humility and reasoning as he climbed up the stairs at THISDAY. He left the newspaper’s motto, Truth and Reason, on the ground floor.

Journalism is such a vast landscape of many messages, each requiring different skills and temperament. A news report often requires the craft of a sub-editor to achieve lucidity and brevity. A feature, longer and more exploratory, allows the writer more room to show his style. But editorial or column writing is a task for serious minded seekers of truth and employers of reason.

It is expected to be well-researched, full of facts and figures and brilliantly written to celebrate the writer’s capacity for literary entertainment. By the way he labours to fill the page, it is clear that Momodu is out of his ken. None of his opinions can be recommended as a model for students learning how to write good essays. They are so morally depraved, disrespectful, abusive and insulting to the readers that they are

hardly read for informed commentary.

In Momodu’s Country of the Blind, the journalistic ethos - facts are sacred, opinions are free - is never observed. For example, concluding that there is nothing to commend about the Lagos State Development Plan produced by the Tinubu administration, Momodu arrogantly goofs: “ It is to his eternal shame that there is no pipe-borne water anywhere in Tinubu’s Lagos. What is this nonsense talk about the Tinubu model?

Such a goof makes one wonder what Momodu picked up as a former Alausa correspondent between 2003 and 2007. How could he forget so soon that Lagos State has three major waterworks and 48 mini-waterworks that collectively generate 210 million gallons of water daily through 180 -kilometre transmission mains and 2.215 kilometres of distribution mains. If he had a modicum of responsibility to inform his readers accurately, couldn’t he google Lagos water corporation to learn what he did not know or remember what he forgot? He would have discovered that Apapa, which hosts THISDAY, is one of the three locations with high water supply. Others are Ikoyi and Ikeja.

Momodu, the one-eyed king also goofs on investment in Lagos in his bid to run down the city in which he has taken refuge from his backwater village and that also transformed him from a rookie beat pounding journalist to editor, by expressing his wish for investment to decline as fact. This reckless misinformation is at total variance from the information issued by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council which declared that in the third quarter of 2021, Lagos State received 81 percent of total investment inflow into Nigeria valued at $7.29 billion.

Momodu’s aggression is the result of his frustration caused by the way his weak, facile and mechanistic analytical paradigm has failed to correctly predict the electoral process in Nigeria. Despite swearing God Forbid against the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian people used their votes to demonstrate the futility of his arrogant ignorance, ego massage and a predilection to think he has any influence on public opinion. This ego massage can be seen in the first paragraph of his last article where he turns himself into a clown jesting that he had warned an accomplished elderly Nigerian not to run as if he ever had any capacity to stop him or anybody.

The frustration-aggression theory is well known as a conflict paradigm in social science.

Deployed to dissect the psyche of our current patient, the one-eyed king, it illustrates why he will continue to suffer such delirious escape into delusion unless he quickly adjusts to the reality of the Asiwaju Tinubu presidency and joins other progressives to move the nation forward.

Editor’s Note: This rejoinder was sent in by Tunde Rahman, Head of Tinubu’s Media Office.

Sahara Group, Edo Govt Flag Off 16.7Km Ikpako-Ajoki Road Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City In a bid to bring development closer to oil bearing communities in Edo State, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), through one of its joint ventures with Enageed Resources Limited, a Sahara Group Upstream Company and the state yesterday flagged off a 16.7kilometre, Ikpako-Ajoki Road project.

The road project cut across several oil bearing and agrarian communities of Obatan, Evbuorokho, Ajoki, Abala, Kolokolo and Ajamokha, in Ovia North East and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas.

Speaking at the ceremony, NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele

Kyari said the objective behind the road construction was to bring development to rural communities.

The NNPC boss who said the corporation was constructing roads to support communities across the country, said though the Ikpako-Ajoki road would have been done 30 years ago, he promised its completion.

Kyari added: “What we are witnessing here today is an endorsement of collaboration as a viable means of promoting national development.

“The successes realised from working with Sahara on various ventures reinforce the efforts of the federal government aimed at transforming the economy

through credible and innovative partnerships. We commend the Edo State Government for playing a strategic role in this collaboration and we believe that the best is yet to come.”

According to the Executive Director, Sahara Group, Mr. Temitope Shonubi, the road construction which covers many communities was meant to attract development and investment.

He said: “Today we are celebrating the dawn of new opportunities and it is important to also note that the road is not to promote accessibility only but to join communities together and bring development to them in a sustainable manner.”

Shonubi said Sahara had in a bid

to boost power supply in Ajoki, launched the rural electrification project, an innovative initiative focused on supplying electricity to the community through the conversion of flared gas from the flow station into power using a gas-powered generator.

In addition to a reduction in the amount of gas flared in the environment, a new source of clean energy will be provided, directly powering tens of thousands of beneficiaries, including businesses, hospitals, schools, and households in the Ajoki community.

“Sahara Group continues to leverage its robust stakeholder relations and collaboration to

positively impact communities where we operate and help create ecosystems that supports shared prosperity through sustainable interventions, he stated.

Flagging off the road project, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, explained that the road project would provide seamless access to opportunities for the inhabitants of Ikpako and Ajoki communities as well as people from neighbouring states, ultimately opening the axis to sustainable development.

“The road will open up economic activities and development. The road is not just for agriculture activities but also to speed up oil exploration and production,” he said.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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BACKPAGE CONTINUATION THE HISTORY WE DIDN’T LEARN, THE LESSONS WE DIDN’T TAKE the history of its past, and by its refusal to utilize the opportunities of exploiting the events of the past, to reconcile with the present.

The gripping and memorable history of Nigeria’s vitriolic past that have been denied its people, is principally responsible for its failures. I believe very strongly that until we know our history, we will never have a future. To move forward, we must look back in order to solve a lot of our problems.

The crisis that led to the war in which 3 million Igbo and other Easterners died, led to the deep feeling of accumulated grieviances and general bitterness. People began to feel a lot of prejudices and repression toward each other. The prevalence of unjust and authoritarian rule emerged and began to truncate democracy and ravaging national unity which got displaced by tribalism, nepotism with primodial tendencies.

It appeared then, and even more prominently now, that we did not learn from the history of our past, and that we have deliberately not addressed several issues from our history that provided no books in our libraries, or our archives, but only those that are left in our blury and bloodied memories. The well-planned avoidance of a systematic recording and accounting of the crisis and the war, as we have no official history of these events, and as it has not been part of the teachings in our schools, is a major issue and a hindrance to the path to peace and prosperity.

For these and many other reasons, the hypothesis of Nigeria as a Nation-State has been very contentious and hanging on a thin tread for decades.

Many believe, and I agree, that if we were allowed the ever so compelling privileges of studying the history of our past, especially that of the sordid history of the killings of over 3 million helpless people, our country would have hearkened to the admonitions and brutal lessons that those disturbing periods afforded us., What lessons do we as responsible Nigerians expect to learn from our past horrible history? There are many. This history, once it is properly told, will reveal The Truth. It will also acknowledge the harm committed by, and done to certain people, and will hold the perpetrators accountable. The lessons will point to Truth and Justice as the anchor and pillar for a strong country desiring unity and national harmony.

To know, acknowledge and to recognize the history of the crisis and of the war, is to prevent future occurrences. We all have a legitimate right to know the history of the war, and to deny us this inalienable right, is to destroy the future of the country. History may compel us to show remorse, and may also ensure forgiveness and healing from pains and horrors of our past, leading to institutional reforms and closure.

In my aforementioned book, I wrote extensively about the period in the history of our country between January 15, 1966 and January 12, 1970, as a period when darkness befell the nation. This period was marked by murder, killings, pillage and indescribable destruction. My personal experience of this parlous period, was to say the least, devastating. It is difficult to describe the effect that this war had on so many people, especially on the Igbo who were at the

Buhari receiving end of the bitter and horrible experiences.

Fifty years after the end of this debacle, all my thoughts – while inexplicably escaping from the hold of words and emotions – are always wandering and drifting over dark images and shadows in my attempts to meander into indescribable nightmares from the events of the pogrom, the genocide and the continuing neglect of the people who suffered through this period.

Today as many of us who witnessed this carnage ponder the devastation, all we have left are memories of horror and questions about how it was possible for people to inflict such pain and sorrow on their fellow citizens and phlegmatically go about as if nothing happened. One must also wonder why and how the history of this war was not told, preserved and conserved. The suppression of this story is responsible for the disunity in the land.

I believe that because we did not learn any lessons from this war, our country from the day that that war ended, until today, has become a wasted opportunity without any bright future.

It has become a kleptocratic and an autocratic state that is very divisively dysfunctional, with political and economic structures that are not inclusive and devoid of equality. Contextualizing this country Nigeria – within the axiom of the crisis and the Civil War; its causes, results and outcome, exposes breathlessly, the level of evil, incompetent and tyrannical leadership, monstrous corruption, religious and tribal bigotry, violence and all manners of destabilizing vices.

There are so many unanswered questions about the crisis and the civil war that constantly beg for a clear resolution that many believe would enhance the protracted healing and some form of restoration and reforms.

Why have there been no answers and truthful explanation for the killings of politicians and other

leaders in 1966? Who planned and executed these coups? For what purposes were these coups and counter-coups carried out? Were they military, tribal, ideological coups? The answers, and the correct answers are known by true patriots. No matter how mischief-makers may try to distort our national history, the truth can never be hidden, and it is only when it is told, and told with the boldest and truest inspiration and intention, that our country will be set free from the bondage of lies, deceit and bloodletting.

Why have there been no answers for the crimes against humanity committed against the Igbo in all parts of Northern Nigerian and in some parts of the West known as the pogrom? What about the brutal and senseless massacre of innocent Igbo citizens in Asaba; the deliberate Nigerian Government policy to blockade all routes into Biafra causing deadly starvation that took the lives of millions of children; and the other genocidal war crimes committed by Nigerian troops against innocents civilians, mostly women and the elderly during the war? These high crimes were not investigated, the perpetrators were not tried and brought to justice. The history of these ugly incidences have been deliberately discarded and buried for the sole purpose of preventing our people from knowing our evil past. How can we heal if we do not know what and why those things happened? How can we learn from our mistakes and make amends?

How can we begin to forgive if we do not learn of what happened? Remarkably, it appears that the Igbo, while not forgetting what they have experienced in the hands of their fellow citizens, may have learned the lessons of forgiveness. They may have forgiven the pains they suffered, and are continuing to suffer as members of a country they have invested heavily in founding and building.

Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that the

Igbo right after the war, embraced the concept of one Nigeria and began to rapidly reintegrate with the rest of the country, moving to live in faraway places like Sokoto and Maiduguri; places that witnessed their near annihilation.

Though the brutal war was fought and lost, the majority of the Igbo were ready to forgive their transgressors and those that mercilessly took the lives of 3 million of their own. This was one of the many paradoxes about that dreadful war.

The ability of the Igbo to forgive the torments of that war, and their facility to regain equanimity in the wake of the unspeakable atrocities and the dehumanizing scars inflicted on them is a remarkable feat that is unparalled in the history of genocide, repression and persecution in the world. Many have posed the question of whether there is a special attribute in the Igbo DNA that activates a forgiving nature or spirit, and if there is a cultural disposition in them that prevents them from harboring any form of hate for their tormentors? Others think that they possess a God-given ability to endure agregious cruel acts and aggravated malice perpetrated against them without reciprocating in kind. But for how long will they continue to uphold this heteronymous disposition of willingness to forgive?

My punctilious and scrupulous dissection of this Igbo forgiving spirit, serves as a worthy exercise for the rest of Nigeria. It is a virtue worthy of emulation, because I believe that forgiveness serve as an instrument for stopping wars and promoting lasting peace and prosperity; that forgiveness entails a divine reciprocity, for when we forgive others, God forgives us. The lesson learned from the Igbo spirit of forgiveness, is an amazing lesson of how to create spiritual, physical and fiscal growth for our country.

But how do we forgive when we have been denied the history and knowledge of what transpired? How do we stop these atrocities when we do not even recognize that we have made surreptitious mistakes? How do we grow if we do not learn from our history and take lessons from our fugacious and perfidious past?

I will dare, with some measure of trepidation, to say that the calamitous and lugubrious condition that our country finds itself today is spiritual and karmatic. That the failure to admit and atone for our sins may be responsible for the many killings going on in virtually all parts of Nigeria. As trivial as this postulation may sound, I drew some of my conviction after I spoke to my father just before he passed at the age of 100 years a few years ago. I asked him why our country was falling apart so rapidly. With tears in his eyes, the old man began to explain that the country missed a great opportunity when after the war it failed to reconcile the waring factions, and truly rehabilitate the East.

He regretted that a country he fought so hard with others to gain independence for, turned against him and his people.

BRINGING NIGERIA BACK FROM THE BRINK Our three main anti-corruption agencies, the once vibrant but now enervated Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the lethargic Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the somnolent Code of Conduct Bureau are now firmly under the political control of the ruling APC government. Rather than using their unexplained -wealth powers to apprehend erring public officers, they are deliberately chasing their red herrings. The ICPC preferring to direct its attention to certificate forgery and examination malpractices, the EFCC beaming its searchlight on the banking industry, while the Code of Conduct Bureau which secured only 45 convictions in 10 years, busies itself prosecuting low-cadre officers mostly for trivial infractions such as delaying the submission of their assets declarations by three days.

Our country has never witnessed such strong structural tectonic and ethno-centrifugal movements in its socio-political and economic lithosphere with a potentially cataclysmic convergence of these three crises. The result is that we have the highest number of extremely poor people in the world (more than India whose population at 1.38 billion is almost seven times that of Nigeria. This is accompanied by a massive capital flight, currency depreciation, considerable divestment by multinationals, significant reduction in foreign direct investment, inflation rate of 17% and an unemployment rate of 32.5% in 2021 predicted to rise in 2022-a youthful restiveness time-bomb exemplified by the #End SARS riots to which the nation convulsed in October 2020. In December 2020, the Financial Times stated that Nigeria was teetering on the brink of becoming a failed state. Since then, the situation has deteriorated, we are now also tottering. Terrorism and banditry have intensified in the northern parts of the country. We have moved two notches up on the Fragile States Index from 14th to 12th. We seem to be poised to moving to the next stage- having warlords taking over absolute control of large parts of the country. Nigeria is at the brink and appears to be failing. As is usual with our political elite, we have begun scrambling for political power in 2023 and ingurgitating thinking of governing without thinking of governance.

In order to bring Nigeria back from the brink, the following are imperative: 1 A FIVE YEAR SINGLE TERM ZONAL

ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY Until President Buhari came to power, IPOB was regarded as an irrelevant nuisance. By his acts of brazen nepotism and bare faced injustice, President Buhari has given credibility to IPOB such that the people of the South East heed its directives. The rise of the Yoruba Nation and other ethnic separatist movements is also a response to the mismanagement of our diversity and heterogeneity.

The North West has historically been against zonal rotational presidency, preferring that power rotates between the Northern and Southern regions, such that neither the North Central, the North East nor the South East zones has produced the President during Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation. Indeed while the North Central zone had the benefit of producing the Head of State at least three times spanning a period of eighteen years during our military interregnum of twenty nine years, the last time a citizen from the South East was Head of State was fifty five years ago as a nominal head, while the only military head from the South East lasted just six months. Constituting at least 12% of the country’s population, easily the country’s industrial and commercial powerhouse, the continuing denial of the South East of the presidency taking umbrage under the doctrine of ‘democracy ‘ or the constitution, is an open sore that epitomises the injustices in our socio-political and socio-economic arrangements. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Northern Governors’ Forum has stated that rotational presidency is ‘unconstitutional ‘ .While the arrangement may be extra –constitutional, there is nothing in the Nigerian constitution that debars political parties from deciding that they want the presidency to rotate. I do not agree with the more liberal elements in that forum that power rotation must be by negotiation.

I believe that after sixty one years of our existence and with these existential crises facing us, we do not have the luxury of dissipating our time and energy ‘negotiating ‘but should have devised a seamless power rotation arrangements . The five year zonal rotational presidency should be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution with the first cycle going to the South East .Thus, I urge the political class and my brothers from the South-West in particular to support our brothers in the South East in this regard as this was why and how a citizen of the South West became president in 1999 when a northern controlled

military wrongfully annulled Nigeria’s freest and fairest election won by a citizen of the South West. Once we allow injustice to become a language, sooner or later, it will become a lingua franca. A word of advice for our brothers in the South East; while fierceness and monopolistic individualism have stood you in good stead in the world of commerce, they have had the opposite effect in the world of politics. Support your best materials.

2 DEVOLUTION OF POWERS TO THE STATES WITH STRONG FEDERAL ANTI CORRUPTION POWERS Before the military suspended our republican constitution and dismantled Nigeria’s federal structure in 1966, each region had its own constitution and enjoyed a significant degree of political and economic autonomy. Since then, the military systematically reduced the power of the states imposing a command and control style constitution with the central government holding the states in its vice-like grip.

This is why the ethnocentric contention for the control of the central government has become increasingly fiercer leading to a debilitating instability. While a full return to the 1963 constitution may not be feasible in a 36 -state federal structure, significant devolution of powers is an economic and political imperative. With a single term five year zonal rotational presidency, each geopolitical zone has an opportunity of taking charge of the central government once in thirty years.

It is imperative that during this thirty –year wait, each state is able to run its affairs without the present suffocating and disabling control in such areas as policing, export duties, and railways. Systemic and institutional corruption are endemic in every arm and every level of government. Devolution of powers without adequate measures to control corruption will simply result in federating corruption and mismanagement. Devolution of powers must therefore be accompanied by strong anti-corruption controls by the central government.

3 WASTE Apart from systemic and endemic corruption, the most serious threat to Nigeria’s economic viability is waste. For more than a year now, three of Nigeria’s refineries have refined virtually no petroleum, yet government not only continues to allow the state-

owned petroleum company the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to pay salaries but has allowed the refineries to engage 1586 new employees resulting in losses of $2.5 billion between 2014 and 2018.We also have about 600 government agencies and parastatals 428 of which were declared by the Budget Office in November 2020 as being unable to pay salaries. Among these agencies are 14 different aerospace agencies five of which are based in Abuja including the National Space Research and Development Agency which alone has a workforce of 3500 accounting for almost half of the staff strength of all the space agencies on the African continent. Yet, five months ago, President Buhari approved the establishment of African University of Aerospace and Aviation in Abuja in spite of the existence of the 57-year old Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. Majority of these agencies, 270 of which were recommended for scrapping or mergers in 2015 continue to be funded while spending 90% to 95% of their budgetary allocations on personnel costs. It is therefore not surprising that in spite of an expenditure of almost $1billion on six satellites, when on the 31st of March 2021 an air force jet crashed 30 kilometers from the airport five minutes after takeoff, for more than two days, none of the five aerospace agencies in Abuja including the Nigeria Communications Satellite Ltd and the Defence Space Administration was able to tell Nigerians if indeed there had been a crash, the air force telling CNN that they did not know if there had been a crash. We also have the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority as well as an Atomic Energy Commission. It is difficult to understand why a country that is the third most terrorised in the world with at least eight hours of sunlight a day will spend $37 million every year trying to develop nuclear and atomic power while nuclear powers such as Germany and Japan are dismantling their nuclear power plants in favour of renewable energy. The majority of these mostly unproductive and unnecessary agencies are presently funded with borrowed funds. Last but not the least is the need to drastically reduce the cost of governance by addressing the phenomenal perquisites and allowances that political and public service elite in the legislature, executive and judiciary award to themselves.

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FRIDAY, ͹͹˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

FIFA Clears Ademola Lookman to Represent Nigeria

Duro Ikhazuagbe Leicester City’s former England junior international, Ademola Lookman has been cleared by FIFA to represent Nigeria at

international level.

Lookman was given the goahead yesterday when Nigeria Football Federation’s application for Lookman’s switch was given the nod by the world football

governing body.

Early yesterday afternoon, respected British journalist, Rob Harris, had tweeted Lookman’s switch to Nigeria on Twitter.

Harris who is a global sports

writer for the Associated Press (AP) was so sure of his facts that most Nigerians in the diaspora started to celebrate that the missing link in Super Eagles playmaking role has been found at last.

The Nigeria Football Federation similarly described the news of Lookman’s switch as a welcome development FIFA’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Emilio Garcia Silveiro, conveyed the good news of Lookman’s switch to the NFF yesterday afternoon.

“The request made by the NFF – Nigeria Football Federation for a change of association of the player Ademola Olajide Lookman is accepted.

“The player Ademola Olajide Lookman is eligible to play for the representative teams of the NFF – Nigeria Football Federation with immediate effect,” observed the letter to the NFF. NFF General Secretary, Dr

Mohammed Sanusi lauded the record-time approval granted the fresh application by the Federation with regards to Lookman’s desire to wear the green-white-green in the international sphere.

“We sent in the application on Wednesday nightafter putting all the necessary documentation together. We are happy to receive the approval today,” stressed the NFF scribe.

Only in December 2021, FIFA also approved the NFF’s application for the switch in allegiance for Ashleigh Megan Plumptre to represent Nigeria internationally.

Both Lookman and Plumptre had represented England at various junior cadres.

IBB Ladies Open: NGF Urges Players to Place Eyes on the Ball Olawale Ajimotokan and Joel Ita in Abuja

Ademola Lookman...the missing link in Super Eagles’ midfield found at last

Nigeria Achieve Best Leap in 17 Months Femi Solaja with agency report Despite Super Eagles failure to go beyond the second-round phase of the just concluded AFCON 2021 in Cameroon, Nigeria achieved her best height of 3rd position on the continent since September 17th, 2020.

The new height was the fallout in the latest FIFA ranking released yesterday.

The Super Eagles are now number 32 in the world from their previous

FIFA RANKING 36th position.

In Africa, Super Eagles are now ranked number three, overtaking previous front liners, Tunisia and Algeria.

Incidentally, it is the same Tunisia that the Super Eagles pushed down the ladder that eliminated Nigeria from the Last 16 Round of the AFCON 2021.

Ghana, Nigeria’s 2022. World Cup playoffs opponents dropped from their previous 52nd position (number eighth in Africa) to 61 globally and 11 in Africa.

For African champions, Senegal, it was a big leap. They are not just Africa’s number one, they have broken into the top 20 in the world, ranking number 18.

However, the biggest global jump is Gambia who moved from their previous 150th position to 125.

Their progress was caused by their good run to the quarter-finals at the African Cup. Equatorial Guinea, who also reached the last eight at the tournament, climbed 15 places and are now in the Top 100.

Since Nigeria lost her first position on the continent in 1994 when the ranking system was introduced, Eagles best position had been the third best which they maintained till July of 2014 after the World Cup in Brazil where the team was knocked out in the second round by France.

But Nigeria was 34th best in the world but retained the third position on the continent until July of 2019 when Eagles won bronze medal at the AFCON tournament held in Egypt.

Even when Nigeria won the AFCON tournament in South Africa in 2013, her position was 4th in the continent and 30th position in the world ranking.

The next FIFA ranking would be published on 31st of March with the World Cup Play-off matches against Black Stars of Ghana as the only match which the team would be rated.

Overall, Belgium still occupies the top spot ahead of Brazil and France.

The Nigerian Golf Federation (NGF) has appealed to the players featuring at the 33rd IBB Ladies Open Championship which tees off today in Abuja to “have their heads down with eyes on the ball”.

The riveting NGF anthem was composed and produced by the President of the federation who also doubles as the DG National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe.

Runsewe recited the anthem during the colourful flag raising ceremony that had in attendance the Deputy Ambassador of the US to Nigeria, Kathleen Fitzgibbon, Representative of the Ugandan High Commission, Solomon Kasirawa, Botswanan Taboka Masalila and representative of Zimbabwe High Commission, Mr Striole.

In the anthem which climaxed

the flag hoisting ceremony, Runsewe asked golfers to unite and exhibit integrity, noting:”Solidarity, excellence is what we speak”.

The DG NCAC, who organised a cocktail for the participants, also urged the players to “Follow through” because there is “no game like golf”.

Meanwhile, the President of the Ugandan Ladies Golf Union, Anne Abeja, has expressed pride and absolute delight in being asked to raise her country’s flag at the ceremony.

Abeja described a proud moment raising the flag again since she last carried out the task 20 years ago.

“It was a wonderful, exhilarating moment for me to stand here and raise the flag on behalf of my country, Uganda” she said.

She expressed optimism that the East African nation that is featuring six players will give good account of themselves when the tournament ends on Sunday.

Director General of the NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, hoisting and reciting the NGF anthem at the 33rd IBB Ladies Open flag raising ceremony... yesterday in Abuja

Lagos Pledges Hitch-free Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Super Eagles...now third best team in Africa, 32nd globally

Buhari Congratulates Senegal over AFCON Win Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday reluctantly congratulated Senegal for winning the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Yaounde, Cameroon.

In a farewell audience with Senegal’s Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Babacar Matar Ndiaye at the State House, Abuja, the President asked the diplomat to convey the congratulations of Nigeria to President Macky Sall on

the victory of the Teranga Lions at the just concluded AFCON. “I’m sending the congratulations reluctantly, because our own country got beaten in the tournament,” President Buhari jocularly told the envoy.

He lauded him for a successful tour of duty in Nigeria, which lasted almost four years, while observing that “our relationship is very strong. I congratulate your President for keeping the country together. Please extend my best

wishes to him.”

President Buhari also wished the outgoing Ambassador success in his next tour of duty.

In his remarks, Ambassador Ndiaye said Nigeria was like a second home to him, having first served in the consular section of his Embassy, before he came back as Ambassador for almost four years. “Thanks for the success of my term. I will always have good memories of Nigeria,” the envoy said.

The Lagos State Government has said that the state is ready to host the world as the 7th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon holds on Saturday, 12 February, 2022.

The state government, through the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), said all hands have been on deck to ensure that all participants, both local and foreign, enjoy the tournament this year like never before.

The Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Sola Aiyepeku said that the commission is working with the other stakeholders in the organisation of the World Athletics sanctioned event, adding that the marathon would be better

packaged and organised than the previous editions.

Aiyepeku said the support from the Governor of Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is expected to participate in the competition is massive, hence the assurance that the event is good to go.

"I can tell you that we are ready for the 7th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. Despite the fact that we are having COVID-19 pandemic on our hands, which is not peculiar to us alone, as the world is still battling to curtail the spread of the disease, we have put all necessary machineries in place to hold the marathon in compliance with all Covid-19

precautionary measures.

"All relevant agencies of the Lagos State Government have been drafted to ensure that the marathon is hitch free this year," Aiyepeku assures.

The executive Chairman said the premises of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos has been a beehive of activities since the registration for the marathon started as Nigerian participants have been coming in to register and pick necessary souvenirs meant for their participation in the competition.

This year’s edition will feature the return of the 10km physical race, alongside the 10km virtual race and the 42km physical race.

Friday February 11, 2022

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MISSILE Gov Akeredolu to Political Parties

“We (governors) have declared that power must move to the South. Only a party that is determined to lose will field a Northern candidate. The only fair thing is that after eight years in the North, Presidency should come to the South. Are they saying there are no competent ones in the South? There are people who merit it in the South-South, SouthEast, and South-West” – Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, reemphasizing the demand for power shift to the South in 2023.

SOLAAKINYEDE GUEST COLUMNIST

Bringing Nigeria Back from the Brink

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igeria is in the throes of multidimensional existential crises. – Existential crisis with regard to our territorial, political and structural integrity and the security of our citizens in almost every part of our country particularly the North East where terrorism and violent insurgency have for more than ten years taken a firm hold with Boko Haram and The Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) taking control of swathes of territory and reportedly collecting taxes and tolls from farmers and fishermen close to the shores of Lake Chad, while bandits who have turned kidnapping into an industry do the same in the North West and North Central zones.

In the South East, citizens routinely comply with the instructions of the terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) not to venture out of their homes and not to hoist the national flag.

Existential crisis with regard to our cohesion as a nation, as well as the management of our diversity with increasing separatist tendencies. Never in our history, not even during our thirty-month civil war have we had such deep, multilateral and multi-faceted ethno-religious polarization-an apparent response to President Buhari’s unprecedented, lopsided and nepotistic governance style characterised by a lack of inclusiveness and his perceived reluctance to deal with marauding herders whose ethnicity he shares and who continue to kill farmers and others as well as carry out acts of kidnapping all over the country.

Existential crisis with regard to our economy,

Buhari with debt servicing gulping 98% of the revenue generated in Q1 2020,and the President borrowing in his first five years ($21.27 billion) three times what his three predecessors combined ($7.36 billion)

borrowed in sixteen years. Most of these borrowed funds were deployed not to fund infrastructure but mostly to fund the payment of salaries and waste characterised by the over 600 government agencies majority of which are moribund and unproductive.

And of course the elephant in the room –systemic and institutional corruption exemplified by whispers of inter-agency corruption even within government institutions, the brazen conspiracy of the judiciary to let every single judicial officer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria facing prosecution off the hook using spurious technicalities such as the ruling (not backed by the Constitution, any law or global best practices) that no judicial officer can be prosecuted without the concurrence of the National Judicial Council. Just like the Police Service Commission for police officers, the Civil Service Commission for civil servants, the powers of the NJC relate strictly to the disciplinary control of judicial officers and not to crimes. Under our constitution, the apprehension and prosecution of citizens for criminal offences is strictly the function of the Executive and not the Judiciary. By manufacturing this technicality only for itself and not extending it to protect police officers or civil servants, the judiciary has simply fabricated for itself an immunity not backed by the Constitution or any law. Like most institutions, the judiciary has deteriorated under the Buhari administration . A serious-minded government would have by now proposed amendments to the constitution reconstituting the composition of the NJC which essentially is a private members’ club

of justices and judges whose primary instinct is to protect themselves and their brother judicial officers and preserve the status quo. Of its twenty three members, nineteen are appointed or selected by one man-the Chief Justice of Nigeria. 88% are judicial or ex judicial officers .Only two members are non- lawyers. Even the five members of the Nigerian Bar Association who are members of the Council including seasoned Senior Advocates are not allowed to participate in matters relating to the discipline of judicial officers. Is it therefore any wonder that in addition to its fabricated immunity, rather than appointing judicial officers strictly on merit, the new trend is the appointment of the spouses and children of influential judicial officers to the bench.

We have some lessons to learn from our former colonial masters who bequeathed our legal system to us. In order to avert the retrogression that we seem to have normalized in Nigeria , they have a Judicial Conduct Investigation Office which itself is subject to the supervision of a Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman- an office that is independent of government and independent of the judiciary and the ministry of justice. As we can see from the incendiary consequences of the Supreme Court decision in the Imo state gubernatorial election, if the Nigerian judiciary continues in this direction, the collapse of national socio-political and international confidence in Nigeria is assured.

Continued on page 54

OKEYANUEYIAGU GUEST COLUMNIST

The History We Didn’t Learn, the Lessons We Didn’t Take

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y the turn of the years 1966-1970, it was incontrovertibly evident that Nigeria had committed massive crime against humanity, and had gone through a vicious journey through atrocities against its citizens, particularly the Igbo and other ethnic minorities of the then part of the country known as Eastern Nigeria. Today, it is becoming evident that nothing much has changed; and that this glaring passivity discounts in a rather frightening manner, the horror of this genocide and the ultimate impetuosity of this crime. It appears that as the world turned a blind eye in the past to this crime, it has, once again, anfractuously grown numb to these atrocities.

The shameful, but ignored history of these atrocities have never been taught in our schools for over five decades. The massacre and other related vicious episodes of Nigerian violence carried out against its citizens, and the Easterners, especially the Igbo, have become part of the history we did not learn, and the lessons we have not taken.

We have spent a considerable amount of time and wasteful energy trying to outrun the ghost of all those whose lives were wickedly taken, but the weight of the past and the haunting spirits of our sins are lurking night and day, behind us. I have, on my own, spent a lifetime trying to understand and comprehend the savagery in our past, wishing that I could turn back the hand of time and unsee the scenes that I witnessed as a child growing up; of children, men and women savagely terrorized and

slaughtered simply because of their tribe, tongue or creed.

How our past informs the present in beautiful and tragic ways must be our primary concern as we constantly seek ways to correct the ills of our past and of a bewildering and checkered Nigerian history. Only when this is done and implemented to the fullest, can we build a virile and strong country.

The Inclination and the effort to learn and teach the history of the Biafra war and the horrors of it, must include the ghastly results of the ethnic cleansing, the tribal annihilation and the general hostility of the horrible era. This history when told, must also share the resilience, fortitude and perseverance of the Igbo people that survived that war. I believe that it is only in acknowledging our faults and admitting that these crimes were committed, that we can hope to grow and survive as a country.

Otherwise, the omission of these events in the history of our nation must be considered as the perpetration and manifestation of a continuing oppression of the Igbo and other Easterners.

Why is it imperative that our sepulchral history must be told? Not as a politicized or polarized recounting of our past, but as pedagogical moments and as tools to help us understand our historical sordid past with an optimistic lesson that knowledge brings insights that help people change and heal.

It is claimed in several quarters that the most heinous crime against our society, apart from the physical atrocities from the pogrom in the North

and some parts of the South West, and the genocide that followed in the East, is the deliberate exclusion of the teaching of the history of these events in our schools and our cultural institutions. It is rather shameful that our leaders considered and decided that the critical tribal theory of our disgraceful past have no place in the curriculums of our students.

The question of why our leaders took these terrible actions remain painfully valid today. Some consider these actions to be because people may be made uncomfortable upon learning about the mistreatment of the Igbo, or may expose the attempts made by the active participants in these actions to surpress their wicked deeds and cover their perfidious pasts.

Let us allow history, the clear metaphors of our lives, to be the judge.

The history of Nigeria’s sordid pasts and the senseless spilling of innocent blood preceded the January 15, 1966 military coup in which prominent politicians were murdered in cold blood. But this coup, the first military coup in the history of the country, signalled a new dimension to killings with some tribal undertones. This coup, tagged an Igbo coup because a radical and idealistic young Igbo officer led it, took the lives of many politicians of other ethnic groups, except that of the Igbo stock. Although it has long been proven by many authoritative sources that it was not a tribal (Igbo) coup, as many of the participants were from many other ethnic groups, the promoters and proponents of tribal dichotomy, have conveniently used this excuse to exact some

form of comminatory actions and vengeance against the Igbo without any commiserate measures or limits.

As I grew up in the North, I witnessed and became an integral part of the history of these atrocities. In my book; Biafra, The Horrors of War, The Story of A Child Soldier, I chronicled a clear and vivid personal recollection of the crisis in the North, and all the way to the war in the East. It was a historical journey for me, and of an about to be forgotten dramatic but painful and perilous mental and physical struggle of a people. In my grappling with the horrors of the very long crisis and the almost forgotten war, with the devastating sordid and haunting imagery, I worry that our history has failed to recall and record the bitter and wicked account of our people’s journey through darkness and of a country that has gone berserk.

Today, it seems that the lessons of that war have been consigned in the dustbin of our scanty memories, and that the fissiparous forces have once again appeared, dripping with blood, in Nigeria.

Nigeria, a country with the greatest potentials for prosperity, not necessarily from its huge oil and hydrocarbon reserves, but from its vast and veritable human resources in a world ruled today by technology and digital economy, has fallen way back in meeting the threshold of global development. By general consensus, the problem of Nigeria is largely in part due to the country’s inability to learn from Continued on page 54

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