FRIDAY 10TH MARCH 2023

Court Orders INEC to Allow Use of

Temporary Voter's Card in March 18 Polls

Commission vows to appeal order IReV glitches have nothing to do with redeployment of Ex ICT director, electoral body clarifies IPAC backs polls’ postponement, urges commission to avoid repeat of BVAS failure

Alex Enumah, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Adedayo Akinwale in

Abuja

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja,

yesterday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission,

(TVC) participate in the March

(INEC) to allow eligible voters with the Temporary Voter Cards

Continued on page 5

Buhari, Atiku, Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Oyebanji, Others Mourn as Train Accident Claims Six Lives... Page 9 Friday 10 March, 2023 Vol 28. No 10194. Price: N250

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Tinubu: Obi’s US Agent Impersonating NADECO Leadership to Discredit My Free Mandate Says using his platform of struggle against him is fraudulent, insulting, laughable Declares he staked all for Nigeria when LP presidential candidate was either hobnobbing with military or nowhere to be found

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja President-elect

Bola

Tinubu,

yesterday, raised the alarm over an alleged attempt by one Lloyd Ukwu, a United States-based

Nigerian, who claimed to be Executive Director of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO),

to denigrate him. Tinubu accused Ukwu of being an agent of the presidential candidate of Labour

Party (LP), Peter Obi, engaged to discredit the mandate freely given to him by the Nigerian people.

Tinubu alleged that Ukwu Continued on page 5

Despite Global Outcry, Buhari Defends Tinubu’s Victory Says he had no plan to annul 2023 presidential poll

Deji Elumoye in Abuja Despite the global outcry provoked by the conduct of the February 25 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari has risen in defence of the emergence of his fellow party man and candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as winner.

Buhari expressed stout justification of the president-elect, insisting, “Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If you are aggrieved, and you have the locus to do so, go to court.”

The president’s comments were contained in a piece put together yesterday by presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, as the takeaway from Buhari’s recent visit to Doha, Qatar.

Buhari also disclosed that at no time did he consider annulling the 2023 presidential poll, as was the case of the June 12, 1993 presidential Continued on page 5

MASS MOBILISATION FOR OBOREVWORI...

L-R: Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Chief Michael Ezeh; his wife, Esther, and President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Delta Central and Delta South, Chief Chinedu Idama, during a town hall meeting with Igbo Community in Delta Central and South Senatorial District where the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori was endorsed in Effurun, Delta State…yesterday

Amaechi Rallies Voters for Cole, Visits Traders, Elekahia Mechanic Village... Page 16

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PAGE FIVE DESPITE GLOBAL OUTCRY, BUHARI DEFENDS TINUBU’S VICTORY election, presumably won by the late Bashorun MKO Abiola.

The international media and civil society organisations, including poll observers, have been very critical of the February 25 election that produced Tinubu as presidentelect. The London-based The Economist, The Financial Times, The Guardian of U.K, The New York Times, The Times of London, CNN, one of Germany's largest newspapers, Sueddeutsche Zietung, and The Washington Post have all condemned the election in different editorial comments. Foreign election observers from the US International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI),

the European Union, African Union, and ECOWAS have also faulted aspects of the election.

But Shehu said in the piece that the president used the opportunity of the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Qatar to drum up support for Tinubu.

Speaking to Nigerians in the diaspora on the on-going political transition, Buhari was quoted to have called for support for the incoming government of Tinubu, “So that Nigeria will continue to be the beacon of hope and prosperity in our continent and an example for other African countries to emulate.

“In addition to other things, this

trip, more than any other, speaks to the courage, political stamina and statesmanship with which the president has managed the affairs of the nation.

“Shehu recalled that; in the build-up to the trip, he was faced with orchestrated attempts to poison public opinion against national institutions, particularly, the presidential election and its conduct by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an institution, against which vile and unsubstantiated allegations were hurled.

“The clear intent of this was creating an atmosphere of fear, polarising the public and

demonising the administration of the president. The wishful thinkers appeared to assume that the June 12, 1993 election crisis, the worst ever since the civil war, could be recreated.

“Those who sought to do this forgot what the president said at the palace of the Gbong-Gwon Jos, when he went to the city to inaugurate the Tinubu-Shettima campaign: ‘this election will not be annulled; whoever is the winner will be president.’”

According to the presidential spokesman, “Buhari not only muted himself following the cacophony, he picked up international travel: ‘Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If

COURT ORDERS INEC TO ALLOW USE OF TEMPORARY VOTER'S CARD IN MARCH 18 ELECTIONS 18 governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

But INEC last night vowed to appeal against court order. The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmim, said the commission was taking necessary steps to vacate the order.

Oyekanmi confirmed that INEC had been served with the court order.

Oyekanmi added: "INEC has been served a copy of the judgement delivered today by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division which ordered it to allow two Plaintiffs to vote with their Temporary Voter’s Card (TVC).

The Commission is taking immediate steps to appeal against the judgement of the trial court."

This was just as the Commission yesterday, said the insinuations that the redeployment of its former Director of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Chidi Nwafor, was partly responsible for the technical glitches experienced during the presidential and National Assembly polls held on February 25, was nothing but an attempt to mislead the public.

On same day, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) expressed support for the rescheduling of the governorship and state assembly elections from Saturday, March 11 to March 18, 2023 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The electoral body had on Thursday, announced the postponement of the governorship and states’ Houses of Assembly elections to March 18.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye, in a statement, had said the decision to postpone the polls was made to ensure adequate time to back up data stored on the over 176,000 BVAS machines from the presidential and National Assembly elections and, then, reconfigure the machines for the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Justice Egwuatu made the order to allow eligible voters with TVCs participate in the elections while delivering judgment in a suit filed by two aggrieved Nigerians seeking the use of TVCs in the general elections in the absence of the Permanent Voter Cards, (PVCs).

The judge predicated the order on the grounds that the plaintiffs were duly registered and captured in INEC's database.

"An order is made compelling the defendant (INEC) to allow the plaintiffs to vote using their TVCs issued by the defendant, the plaintiffs having been duly

captured in the National Register of Voter's database.

"A declaration is made by this court that the plaintiffs, having fulfilled all necessary legal requirements to register and having consequently been captured in the defendant's (INEC) central database and manual, printed paper based record or hard copy format of the defendant's maintained Register of Voters, the plaintiffs are entitled to vote using their Temporary Voter Cards in the forthcoming 2023 General Election," the judge said.

Justice Egwuatu however, stated that he was unable to grant the third prayer of the plaintiffs which sought to allow every eligible voter with a TVC to vote because the suit was not filed in a representative capacity.

"This suit having not been brought in a representative capacity, I find myself unable to grant any relief pursuant to prayer three of the plaintiffs’ application."

The court held that there was no portion of the law, both in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act that states that it was only PVCs that could be used, but that the law under Section 47 provided for a voter's card.

Speaking to newsmen, counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Victor Opatola said the judgment was a win for all Nigerians who suffered to get registered to vote, were duly registered but due to no fault of theirs could not get their PVCs before the election.

According to Opatola, since my clients had fulfilled all necessary requirements by law but were not issued their PVCs until the time for collection of PVCs was over, they should not be allowed to suffer.

The lawyer also said that it was the law of equity that what applied to the goose should also apply to the gander.

"So what the court is saying is that these two people who have fulfilled all necessary requirements can vote with their TVCs, then by law of equity, it should also apply to all Nigerians who have fulfilled all necessary requirements and were issued TVCs by INEC." He maintained that this should be so because the content of the TVC was the same as the content of the PVC and the only difference was the plastic used for the PVC. INEC had repeatedly held that only eligible voters with the PVCs would be allowed to vote in the 2023 presidential, governorship and parliamentary elections.

However, the plaintiffs, Kofoworola Olusegun and Wilson Allwell in the suit filed

on February 8 and marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/180/2023, had challenged the position of INEC and asked the court to determine, "Whether by the true construction and interpretation of section 10(2), 12(1) and 47 of the Electoral Act 2022; Section 77(2) and 132(5) of the 1999 constitution (as amended), and bearing in mind that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machine introduced by INEC only needs the thumbprint and/or facial recognition to accredit a voter.”

Besides they prayed for, "An order compelling INEC to allow the plaintiff to vote using the TVC issued by INEC, the plaintiff having been duly captured in the national register of voter’s database.

INEC: IReV Glitches Have Nothing to Do with Redeployment of Ex ICT Director

Also, INEC has said the insinuations that the redeployment of its former Director of ICT was partly responsible for the technical glitches experienced during the polls held on February 25, was an attempt to mislead the public.

Oyekanmi, while reacting to a media report alleging that the redeployment of the ICT director was partly responsible for the technical glitches insisted that BVAS performed its duty excellently on the election day.

He explained that BVAS cannot be described as an invention of one staff member of INEC, rather, it was the Commission’s idea and invention, just as the now rested Smart Card Reader (SCR).

Oyekanmi said having decided to invent the BVAS, the Commission gave the assignment to the most relevant Department within the Commission, which was the ICT to bring the idea into fruition.

He added that the ICT Department was populated by a sizable number of brilliant Engineers and IT experts, who worked very hard as a team for several months to successfully actualize the Commission’s dream, saying after completing the assignment of designing the BVAS, the ICT Department notified the Commission.

The chief press secretary said, therefore, it was improper to insinuate that a former Director of ICT or any other staff for that matter single-handedly designed the BVAS. He stressed that anyone was to be praised for the invention, it would be the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, because the buck stops on his table and

the Commission that conceived the innovation in the first place.

Oyekanmi said, "At the same time, to insinuate that the transfer of a former Director of ICT to another State as Administrative Secretary was both a demotion and the cause of the glitches experienced with the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in the afternoon of 25th February 2023 during the Presidential election is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public."

He emphasised that IReV and BVAS are two separate entities, and they are independent of each other.

He said the relationship between the two was that the BVAS was used to transmit the picture of Form EC8A, which was the Polling Unit Result Sheet in PDF format, as well as the Voters’ Accreditation Data to the IREV. According to him, “therefore, the glitches suffered by the IReV for some hours on 25th February could not have affected the functionality of the BVAS, which in any case, performed its duty excellently on election day.

"There’s also a provision for the BVAS to transmit the PU result in the offline mode if there is no network at the polling unit at time of the activity."

Oyekanmi was of the opinion that the glitches could still have occurred even if the former ICT Director was still in charge.

He said: "Recently, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter had serious glitches that prevented many people including me from using those applications for many hours.

“But eventually, the respective companies surmounted the challenges. Now, would you say that the glitches occurred just because one Engineer resigned from or was transferred within the company? Of course not."

Oyekanmi noted that while the former ICT Director was indeed a respected, brilliant employee who played his role satisfactorily, there are equally other staff members within the Commission that can effectively play his former role.

He said contrary to the impression the position of Administrative Secretary was a demotion, it was an elevation.

Oyekanmi said the Administrative Secretary at the State office was the most senior staff there, second only to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, stressing that when the REC is not around, the Administrative Secretary becomes an Acting REC.

IPAC Backs INEC's Postponement of Continued on page 17

you are aggrieved, and you have the locus to do so, go to court.’”

Shehu further wrote, “President Muhammadu Buhari just returned from the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Doha, Qatar.

“The conference featured an opening ceremony, the Fiftieth Anniversary Commemoration of the Establishment of the Group of LDCs, General Debate, Eight (8) High-level Thematic Roundtables, and series of side events on priorities of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA).

“The objective of the conference was to primarily mobilise political will, solidarity, action and solutions to transform the LDCs, by finding sustainable solutions to the challenges of poverty, food insecurity, hunger, weak or nonexistent infrastructure, inadequate health facilities, climate change, among other things.

“Expectedly, Nigeria participated in the general debate in which President Buhari delivered a national statement while the Ministers of Environment, Education, Humanitarian Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment, Finance, Budget and National Planning participated in the main Thematic Roundtables relevant to the policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“These thematic issues were, Addressing Climate Change and Supporting the Environment; Investing in People in Least Developed Countries to Leave no One Behind; Enhancing the Participation of Least Developed Countries in International Trade and Regional Integration; and Resource Mobilisation and Strengthened Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development in Least Developed Countries. Nigerians saw much of it on TV, great visuals of accomplishments and possibilities from there.”

While in Doha, the president, Buhari’s spokesman added, held series of talks on the sidelines, meeting Chairman of ECOWAS and President of Guinea-Bissau, Oumarou Sissoco Embalo, who brought the news of the forthcoming Icon of Democracy Award to Buhari; the transitional president of Chad, General Mehmet Idris Deby-Itno, who got assurances of support for the democratic transition going on in that country, with both leaders appreciating the sustained momentum in the transition, and another meeting with Vice President of Iran, Mohsen Mansouri.

“Here, both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen economic cooperation, especially, in the sectors of energy, infrastructure and culture,” Shehu stated. He added, “President Buhari told the Iranian Vice President that he fully supports ‘the strengthening of relations between our countries, as we have complementarities, especially in energy production.’

“The president also had another important meeting with the father of the current leader of Qatar, the host country, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The two leaders discussed ways to increase commerce, make people-to-people ties even stronger, cooperation in areas of energy, culture and other important issues.

“President Buhari used the opportunity of the visit to speak to his guests about the recent election in Nigeria and the fact that a new president would be taking over in less than three months. He hoped

that the strong relations he had built between those countries would continue to endure in the new administration.

“The highlight of the conference for Nigeria was the national address on the theme of this year's event: ‘From Potential to Prosperity’, a speech that observers described as strikingly activist. In it, the president criticised the current structure of the global financial system, which he said, ‘places an unsustainable external debt burden on the most vulnerable countries.’”

Buhari warned that such debt burdens would make it very difficult for LDCs to meet the 2030 Agenda for Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to Shehu, “In 2015, the world came together to endorse the 2030 Agenda for Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

There was no doubt that it was highly ambitious and would require leaders around the world to be fully committed for the SDGs to be achieved within the projected timeframe.

“Eight years on, the possibility of achieving the SDGs remains bleak for many countries, particularly, the Least Developed Countries. The difficulties in achieving the SDGs are numerous and were further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued threat of Climate Change, and recently the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The Least Developed Countries are often faced with developmental vulnerabilities and challenges that are not always of their making.

These pose huge obstacles to their development efforts, hence, the need for urgent and robust assistance to help unlock their potentials and build socio-economic resilience.”

The president was also very strong on his pet topic, Climate Change, his spokesman wrote, in the speech, warning that climate change remains one of the biggest existential threats facing humanity today, posing challenges to lives and livelihoods, and manifesting in different negative forms, including increase in temperature, rise in sea levels, flooding, drought, and desertification.

“It has also led to significant loss of biodiversity. Worst still, climate change has exacerbated conflicts and led to unplanned migration, causing untold hardship in places like the Lake Chad Basin region,” the spokesman wrote.

He stated further, “The least developed countries, therefore, continue to suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change, despite contributing the least to its causes. Deaths from climate related crises are higher in the most vulnerable countries, with projections that there will continue to be an upward trend.”

Shehu said whenever the president travelled abroad, he always met world leaders, “but never missed the opportunity to talk to our citizens there, who proudly tell him about the achievements of the Nigerian community settled in those countries. The group he met with in Doha was made up of very outstanding professionals.

“In putting together those meetings, the Nigerian Diaspora Commission under Abike Dabiri has been showing a remarkable aptitude.

“The trip to Qatar was yet another successful outing by the president and it will be on record as such.”

TINUBU: OBI’S US AGENT IMPERSONATING NADECO LEADERSHIP TO DISCREDIT MY FREE MANDATE had planned to organise a press conference, intended to disparage and cast aspersions on the credibility of the 2023 presidential election. He said he found it insulting, fraudulent and laughable that a platform he was a part of during the military era to emancipate Nigeria was being used against him.

The president-elect, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dele Alake, however, noted that while he staked everything for the country, including his life, the likes of Obi were either hobnobbing with the military or nowhere to be found.

Tinubu insisted that Ukwu was an impostor hell-bent on hoodwinking unsuspecting Nigerians in the diaspora and the international community to further a sinister agenda on behalf of Obi, who came a distant third in the last presidential election.

The statement read, "Our attention has been drawn to an attempt by one Lloyd Ukwu, a United States-based Nigerian claiming to be the Executive Director of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), to organise a press conference specifically intended to disparage and cast aspersions on

the credibility of the 2023 presidential election freely and fairly won by the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu."

The statement claimed that Ukwu was attempting to fraudulently exploit the NADECO platform for Obi against Tinubu, saying it is laughable and a grave insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians, who witnessed first-hand the struggle by the pro-democracy group to restore democratic rule to Nigeria and the role played by prominent Nigerians.

It listed such Nigerians to include independence hero and nationalist,

the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Tinubu, Professor Wole Soyinka, General Alani Ipoola Akinrinade, late Commodore Dan Suleiman, Late Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, and Chief Cornelius Adebayo, among others.

Tinubu stated, "We reiterate that Ukwu was very peripheral to this group of eminent statesmen and illustrious Nigerians, who bore the pain and peril of exile so that our country could be free from the jackboot of military dictatorship of the late General Sani Abacha.

"It is imperative to remind Ukwu

and his desperate paymasters that while Asiwaju Tinubu put his life and resources on the line during those challenging times, the likes of Peter Obi were either hobnobbing with the military or nowhere to be found."

Tinubu accused Ukwu of trying to robe himself in an unbefitting garb, saying his desperation to confer credibility on his mission by using the NADECO name is bound to hit a dead-end and ignominy. He added that to hide under the name of NADECO to deceive the international media

and interest groups was an act that should be condemned by right thinking people.

The former governor of Lagos State said he was of a firm belief that Ukwu was an agent of the Labour Party and Obi, and claimed that they were rejected by the majority of Nigerians at the February 25 polls.

Tinubu stressed that majority of Nigerians had spoken loud and clear that he was their choice to lead Nigeria from May 29, 2023, and there was nothing Ukwu and his ilk could do to change this fact of history.

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NEWS

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

CELEBRATION OF THE 2023 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY TAGGED 'EMBRACE UNITY'...

L-R; Route to Market Transformation Director, FrieslandCampina Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster (FC SSA), Dolapo Otebayi; Managing Director, FC SSA, Ben Langat; Executive Director, Legacy Foods Limited, Adunola Faseyi; Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Oreoluwa Famurewa; and Human Resources Director, FC SSA, Tope-Phillips Aikhuemelo, during the celebration of the 2023 International Women’s Day tagged "Embrace Unity" at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC in Lagos…. yesterday

PDP Accuses APC of Burning Lagos Auto Parts Market, Commiserates with Victims Ohaneze condemns incident

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday condemned what it termed the barbaric and unprovoked burning of Akere Motor Parts and Allied Dealers Market in Lagos by suspected hoodlums.

It alleged that the arsonists were agents of the All

Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Similarly, the Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo also condemned what it described as the “killing and targeted burning of Igbo businesses in Lagos.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP bewailed

Finally, NSIA Opens Application Portal for $225,000 Innovation Prize Set to propel domestic digital economy to global stage The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) on Wednesday, opened the application portal for the maiden edition of its prize for innovation programme.

The newly opened portal is the only means for submitting applications for the programme with each applicant allowed only one entry.

According to a statement yesterday, the application portal could be accessed using the url https://nsia-ip.com/ and closes at 12noon on April 8th, 2023.

On December 10th, 2022, the Authority had launched the NSIA Prize for Innovation (NPI) programme with a total prize value of $255,000 to be awarded as a combination of cash and equity investment to the underlying businesses of the winners.

“Consistent with its mandate to serve as an enabler for Nigeria’s economic diversification and ascendance, NSIA introduced the NPI as a measure to stimulate the ingenuity of Nigerian startups, innovators and technopreneurs to develop solutions that address real-world challenges with global application.

“The programme consists of three phases starting with the Call for Applications. This will be followed by the Accelerator bootcamp phase and the Demo phase. At the end of the Call for Applications phase, all the submissions will be reviewed, and only 25 of the solutions will be shortlisted for the accelerator bootcamp where each participant’s

idea will be amplified for market readiness.

“From the 25 accelerator-phase participants, NSIA’s expert panel of independent judges will select the top 10 entries who will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions at a demo event which is the final phase.

Subject to terms and conditions, the top three finalists from the 10 finalists will be rewarded with a mix of equity investment in the underlying business and cash contribution while the last seven finalists will receive only cash consolation prizes,” the statement added.

It pointed out that the NSIA was convinced that the innovative prowess of budding entrepreneurs was an essential element for the discovery of the next generation of tech-enabled solutions that can stimulate economic growth.

The NPI priority sectors are technology-enabled businesses in key sectors including Financial Services, Agriculture, Health, Education, Manufacturing, Logistics & E-mobility, E-commerce & Marketplaces and Climate. These are catalytic sectors with significant potential to scale sustainably.

However, applicants that operate outside these sectors are strongly encouraged to apply.

The NSIA noted that the multiyear capacity-building initiative aims to empower early-stage Nigerian innovators, encourage ingenuity and support the emergence of a thriving digital ecosystem.

the heartless killing of 65 years old Baba Hakeem, the brave security guard at the market, who was reportedly shot dead by the arsonists before touching the market to destroy goods worth hundreds of millions of naira and devastated the lives and means of livelihood of innocent, hard-working Nigerians.

According to PDP, the attack further exposed the hateful and vindictive power mongers, who derive pleasure in inflicting pain and anguish on other citizens.

Ologunagba said, "Our party is shocked by reports in the media that after the announcement of the loss of the APC in the presidential election

in Lagos State the arsonists last Thursday, made attempt to set the market on fire but were resisted by security guards in the area who were shot in the leg by the assailants."

He alleged that numerous public analysts had expressed the opinion that APC agents were resorting to violence with the intension to foist a siege mentality on the polity, frighten and discourage citizens from exercising their civic responsibility in a democracy.

He explained that this was a clear danger to the sustenance of democracy and corporate existence of the nation.

Moreover, he said the attack on Nigerians by suspected APC agents confirmed fears in the

public domain that the APC intends to perpetuate a hateinclined, repressive, vindictive and abusive administration in total disregard to rights of citizens, constitutional order and the rule of law.

The PDP called on the security agencies to ensure the immediate apprehension of the arsonists, their backers and make them face the full wrath of the law.

"Our party commiserates with the family of Baba Hakeem as well as all the victims of the Akere Motor Parts and Allied Dealers Market over this cruel action by suspected APC agents", the spokesman of the PDP said.

"We call on all citizens to

remain at alert, united and not allow the APC break the bond of unity that exists among Nigerians.", he said.

In a related development, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while calling for the intervention of the international community, asked President Muhammadu Buhari; the president-elect, Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, security agencies and indeed all lovers of democracy to rise in defence of democracy in Nigeria.

The group warned that political attacks on Igbo businesses and Igbo people in Lagos State, because they exercised their franchise in Nigeria have potential unintended consequences.

Akeredolu Decries Rejection of Old Naira Notes Fidelis David in Akure Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday, decried the rejection of old naira notes by a large section of traders and business owners in the state.

The governor said the rejection of the old N1,000 and N500 notes was a flagrant disobedience to the law.

Akeredolu in a statewide broadcast explained that rejecting the old naira notes would inflict and sustain a needless pain on the people and customers, noting that the matter of legitimacy and return into circulation of all old naira notes in the nation's economy had been settled permanently by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

According to the him, the apex court had ruled that the old currency notes must remain as a legal tender in exchange of goods and services in the nation, appealing to the people to embrace and accept the old notes alongside the new notes as stipulated by law.

Akeredolu also commended commercial banks within the state for receiving and paying with the old notes, appealing to the banks to increase the circulation of all

currencies at their disposals and devise a more effective way to decongest the banks, especially at the ATM cash points.

He said: “It is therefore of great concern to me today, that a large section of our people in the state, particularly traders in our markets, taxi and bus drivers, barbers, auto mechanics and artisans are rejecting the old naira notes thereby inflicting and sustaining a needless pain on their fellow citizens and customers. This is unfortunate and unexpected. It is a flagrant disobedience to the law and the central bank directives.

“I, therefore, wish to inform you that the rejection of the old one thousand naira, five hundred naira and two-hundred-naira notes by us will do us no good.

It will stifle our local trade and business transactions, weaken our economy and cause us great harm and avoidable troubles.

“I hereby use this opportunity to appeal to you all, my good people of Ondo State, to embrace and accept the old notes alongside the new notes as stipulated by law. Let us not create a needless tension over the matter. Please collect, spend and exchange the old notes without let or

hindrance,” he stressed.

He urged all media organisations in the state, as well as all traditional rulers, community leaders and opinion molders to assist government in educating the people, especially at the grassroots on the need to embrace and accept the old naira notes.

The governor added: “It is imperative that I address you today because of the need to halt a self-induced pain currently being experienced by us all in the state. This is on account of the circulation and use of the old naira notes in our economy.

“Credible information reaching me indicates that quite a large number of residents of the state are denied the use of the old currency notes issued by the Central bank of Nigeria.

“This comes in form of rejection of the old notes as legal tender and means of exchange for goods and services particularly by traders, artisans, transporters, farmers and a large percentage of the operators of the informal sector of our economy in Ondo State. This development is unfortunate, undesirable and uncalled for. This is because the

matter of legitimacy and return into circulation of all old naira notes in the nation's economy has been settled permanently by the Supreme Court of Nigeria and also backed up by the appropriate instruments of implementation by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Our people will recall that the apex court in its recent judgement had among others, ruled that the old currency notes must remain as a legal tender in exchange of goods and services in the nation.

“For avoidance of doubt, the judgment ordered that both the new and old notes should not only coexist but be accepted and used side by side by all Nigerians until the end of this year when the proper elimination and substitution of the old currency notes would have been completed.

“The implication of the Supreme Court judgement is that it removes the daily pain, discomfort and trauma being faced by the people of this country occasioned by the scarcity of the new notes.

“It is also geared towards ensuring stability, strength and vitality for our economy, particularly the informal economy which involves, on daily basis, the largest number of our people at the grassroots.”

FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023 • T H I S D AY

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LOGISTICS BOOST FOR EFFECTIVE POLICING...

L-R: Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr Bayo Lawal; Governor Seyi Makinde; Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams and Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, during the commissioning of newly built Ojoo Divisional Police Headquarters and Presentation of 74 Patrol vehicle to Divisional Police Headquarters in Oyo State by Governor Makinde held at Ojoo, Ibadan... yesterday

With Additional 48,000bpd, Nigeria Raked inProduction Extra N52bn in Oil Revenue in February still far cry from 1.8m bpd OPEC quota Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria’s oil production grew by 48,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February, culminating in 1.306 million bpd output during the month under review, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday.

The figure was greater when put side by side the 1.258 million bpd in January reported by the oil sector regulator to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) of which Nigeria is a key member.

At an average price of Brent crude at $83 per barrel during the month under consideration, a THISDAY calculation showed that the country raked in a

gross amount of $111.6 million or roughly N52 billion at the official naira to dollar price of N460/$. That is at an estimated additional 1.344 million barrels for the month.

But considering secondary data from energy intelligence organisations, Nigeria’s supply may have increased by as much as 100,000 barrels per day, a Reuters survey found last week.

The Nigerian authorities are targeting to lift output to 1.6 million bpd this quarter.

Nigeria has been unable to meet its OPEC production quota for over a year and has therefore failed to take advantage of high international oil prices.

While the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited

(NNPC) had said production was over 1.6 million bpd, in January, the NUPRC put the figure at just over 1.25 million bpd and in February has now pegged it at 1.3 million bpd.

However, the NNPC’s calculation may have included condensates, not usually computed by OPEC, which for the month of January was 1.494 million bpd and in February jumped to 1.547 million bpd.

Nigeria had recently begun to curb the massive oil thefts through the collaboration of security forces, community groups and the government agencies in the sector, a development that has helped ramp up production.

With the rebound in Nigeria’s

output in February, the overall compliance with the OPEC agreement increased to 169 per cent of pledged cuts, against 172 per cent in January.

But January’s increase of 28,000 bpd and February’s 48,000 bpd rise mark a decrease in the rate of growth in the country’s production compared to the over 55,000 bpd increase in December, 2022 a THISDAY review of the data showed.

The rise in the volume of oil drilled by Nigeria came after months of stalling in its crude oil production projection with the biggest oil production asset being Forcados. Nigeria's production fell to as low as 900,000 bpd in part of the last quarter of 2022.

Nigeria’s budget for 2023 is

NCDMB, BOI Launch $50m Fund to Boost Equipment Manufacturing in Oil, Gas Sector Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja, Peter Uzoho in Lagos and Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) have launched a $50-million fund for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks (NOGAPs) manufacturing product line.

The fund, according to a statement issued yesterday, by the NCDMB, was to incentivise companies that would operate in the NOGAPs and engage in the manufacturing of equipment components used in the oil and gas industry and linkage sectors.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, said the fund would support oil and gas companies that would operate in the oil and gas parks developed by the board in Bayelsa and Cross River States.

Wabote reiterated that the fund would only be accessed by companies that take up spaces in the park to procure equipment or build their manufacturing shopfloor within the park.

He pointed out that the NOGAPs manufacturing fund was different from the initial $300 million fund being managed

by BOI with five product lines, which aims at supporting Nigerian businesses that contribute their one percent to the Nigerian Content Development Fund.

He said the new fund would be a stand-alone product line with distinct fund allocation and special eligibility criteria and collateral structure.

According to Wabote, “the decision of the Board to establish the product was informed by the peculiarities of the manufacturing sector, which include infrastructure challenges, long gestation, long lead time before returns, low margins on products, and high risk attached to the endeavor, in addition to the reluctance of commercial banks to lend to the sector and application of stiff collateral and eligibility criteria where loans are extended.”

On the criteria for accessing the NOGAPS manufacturing funds, the Executive Secretary hinted that unlike the Nigerian Content Intervention Funds which require companies to be contributors before they could benefit, the NOGAPS fund could be accessed by companies that would be domiciled and manufacture their products within the parks.

He said: “The Fund will provide loans to Nigerian companies that

meets the criteria to operate in any of the designated NOGAPS Industrial Park for the purpose of financing manufacturing activities, purchase of fixed assets, working capitals and logistic.

“Beneficiaries will get a maximum single obligor of $3m and minimum of single obligor of $250,000.00 with one-year moratorium repayable within five years at five percent interest per annum.”

On the incentives available in the NOGAPS park, Wabote disclosed that the rate for accommodation was reduced, power guaranteed, and that the rent would only begin to count when the company commences manufacturing.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, BOI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, applauded NCDMB for being a partner in progress, noting that the fund would further help to promote in-country manufacturing as well as creation of employment.

Pitan, pointed out that the interest rate would help companies to easily access the product and payback.

“The interest rates are very good just like the initial fund which is less than ten percent and the same thing will apply to this one. All we are looking

for are Nigerians who want to manufacture in Nigeria," he said.

The BOI boss charged Nigerian companies to harness the opportunity to pick up space within the park to produce locally.

However, on the sideline of the signing ceremony, the two chief executives signed a supplementary memorandum of understanding for the $300 million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund for extension of the agreement.

NCDMB established the NCI Fund in 2018, with the purpose of financing oil and gas companies to increase capacity and grow Nigerian content in the industry.

Presently, the NCI Fund has five product lines which are being managed by the BOI, including, Manufacturing Finance -$10 million; Asset Acquisition Finance -$10 million; Contract Finance -$5 million; Loan Refinance -$10 million and Community Contractor Finance - N20 million.

The Board also has a $30 million Working Capital Fund for oil and gas service companies and $20 million Fund for Women in Oil and Gas Intervention Fund.

The last two facilities were administered by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) Bank and the agreements were signed in mid-2021.

N21.8 trillion 2023 while the crude oil benchmark is pegged at $75 per barrel from the previous $70 per barrel. The country’s crude oil production for 2023 has been benchmarked at 1.69 million bpd.

However, several experts have

expressed doubt over the ability of the NNPC and its partners to hit that production level of 1.8 million bpd this year, especially with the latest sabotage on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in which 12 persons died in Rivers State recently.

TotalEnergies’ 200,000bpd Egina Field Bags Excellence Award in Thailand Peter Uzoho Egina, Nigeria’s flagship ultra-deep offshore field with 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) production capacity, operated

by TotalEnergies has emerged the winner of the Excellence in Project Integration prize at the 15th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

The French oil major disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday, adding that the Egina project has continued to win laurels since commencement of operation in December 2018.

“Congrats to us all. It’s indeed a good achievement to the company and our partners, and we must find a way to communicate the great feat to our teams that were fully involved in the project (Past/ Present),” the Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Mr. Victor Bandele, was quoted to have elatedly said.

Similarly, the President, EP, TotalEnergies, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, said the award was a testament to the commitment, hard work and dedication of the TotalEnergies EP Nigeria (TEPNG) and TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) teams.

The IPTC, however, explained that the award was given to a project that adds value to the industry and has exemplified strong teamwork, solid geoscience knowledge, reservoir and production engineering acumen, determined and watchful construction, and outstanding facilities engineering practices.

It also noted that a successful

project requires a pervasive culture of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and a positive impact on the communities it affects.

It said three nominated projects made it to the final stage, from a pool of nominations, with each finalist’s project making a presentation at the conference before the winner was announced by the IPTC conference.

The General Manager, Preowei Development Packages, Mr. Paul Timitula Brisibe, who made the company’s presentation at the event, noted that, “Partnership and collaboration amongst all stakeholders; Technological Expertise and Local commitment made Egina a Nigerian project with Global footprint.”

The 200,000bpd field came on stream in December 2018 with one of the largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the world.

TotalEnergies is the operator of the field with partners that include CNOOC, SAPETRO, Prime 130, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

It is still reckoned as the largest investment project to date in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and is described by industry experts and stakeholders as a polestar of Nigerian content as confirmed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Egina's trove of prizes for unprecedented feats includes the 2021 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) award in Houston, US, as well as the Project of the Year awarded by the Oil and Gas Council in Paris, in June 2019.

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PRESIDENTIAL HANDSHAKE FOR APC GUBER CANDIDATE IN KANO...

President Muhammadu Buhari (R) welcoming the APC Gubernatorial Candidate in Kano State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna to his home in Daura , Katsina state ... recently

Buhari, Atiku, Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Oyebanji, Others Mourn as Train Accident Claims Six Lives Many injured, rescued as Lagos governor declares three-day mourning Nigeria’s safety bureau commences investigation Bus driver arrested, undergoing psychiatric, drug tests Segun James, Sunday Ehigiator Esther Oluku in Lagos, Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu, Kasim Sumaina in Abuja and Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti President Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect, Bola Tinubu; the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ekiti State counterpart, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji and other Nigerians have commiserated with the

victims and families affected by the gory incident involving a train and a bus in the Ikeja area of Lagos State yesterday.

Six persons were confirmed dead and many in critical condition following the collision accident involving a Lagos State government owned staff bus and an oncoming train belonging to the Nigerian Railways Corporation at the PWD rail crossing in Shogunle area of Lagos.

The bus was heading to the state government Secretariat at Alausa from Isolo, when the accident took place THISDAY gathered that the bus took a wrong turning at the

PWD rail crossing in Shogunle, and collided with the oncoming train.

It was carrying 85 passengers, majorly civil servants, and some dependants. Two persons died on the spot while four other died in the hospital. There were 42 moderatelyinjured persons, 29 serious injuries and eight mild injuries. In all, 25 persons have been treated and transferred to the Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General Hospital and trauma centre at the Lagos-Ibadan toll gate at Magodo.

Following the accident, the first that would involve the state government staff bus, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared three days mourning.

He also ordered that flags be flown at half-mast and civil servants were asked to work half day yesterday.

Sanwo-Olu who spoke at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) when he paid visit to assess the situation and commiserate with victims also cancelled all public engagements and campaigns.

The governor said: "This is a very sober time for us as a government and while we acknowledge God as the giver of life, the one who determines every man's destiny, it saddens when we have incidents like this.

"The fatal accident happened at

Labour Party's Legal Head Declares Dissolution of Rivers Exco Illegal

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The National Legal Adviser of Labour Party, Akingbade Oyelekan has described the dissolution of the party's executive council in Rivers State as illegal.

Oyelekan who claimed he was not aware of the sanction, explained that the dissolution as announced by the national headquarters of the party did not follow due process.

The leadership of the party had on March 7, announced the dissolution of executive members of the Rivers State chapter of the party on allegations of corruption and anti-party activities.

But in a press briefing with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Oyelekan faulted the decision, saying the process for announcing the dissolution of the River State executives was not in line with the party's constitution.

He said while leadership of the party failed to act in accordance

with the dictates of the party's constitution, it was also wrong for the spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, to issue a statement announcing the sacking of a state executives.

This, he said only amounted to usurping the powers of "the National Secretary of the National Working Committee (NWC) or National Publicity Secretary who were constitutionally allowed to make such announcement."

He said: "I want to make this clarification because it's expedient and very important that we need this clarification so that we don't continue to fall into error.

"We discovered and read in some news platform that the River State executive was dissolved by my friend, Kenneth Okonkwo and I felt that was out of place. Why? There are constitutional procedures for taking such action.

"Our party's constitution has

laid down procedures to dissolve executives or a member of the party executive that erred.

"The process encompasses, first setting up a disciplinary committee that will listen to the issue. Vis a viz the allegations and the response from such a person or the group of persons. “Now, the disciplinary committee will recommend to NWC the appropriate measure or punishment to be taken or a punitive measure to be imposed on such a person or executives.

"But, this time around there was nothing like that and with due respect, Kenneth Okonkwo is not a member of the NWC of the party. He is not an executive with any of the structures of the party- state, local government, or even national so he cannot speak for the NWC.” He added: "The person that is in charge with that responsibility of doing that is the National Publicity Secretary or the National Secretary

himself.

“In the absence of the National Publicity Secretary, the National Secretary will give the message to the public, but this time around, it was Kenneth Okonkwo who is not known as an executive of the party, and as such he cannot give information on behalf of the Labour Party.

"Though, the PCC exists under the Labour Party, the spokesman of the PCC cannot speak for the Labour Party NEC. The Labour party has its own structure.”

Also speaking, the National Vice Chairman, South-South, Prince Favour Reuben, said the party's PCC has no right to meddle into the affairs of the NEC or NWC, thus the Rivers State executives stand.

He said: "Whatever that has happened in the Labour Party in River State in the name of dissolving the executives is considered as null and void.”

the rail crossing around PWD in the Shogunle area. I believe they were coming from the express and needed a right turn. It is not yet clear what happened, but it seems like a wrong judgement by the driver.

‘I also learnt he has turned himself to the police and so investigations will determine what actually went wrong. We would also reach out to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to give their own account of what transpired so we can have full information.

"We haven't informed any family members yet because these are civil servants that were going to work so we cannot begin to disclose names until when families have been contacted. Of the number of injured persons, 25 were treated very quickly and transferred to the Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General Hospital and the trauma centre at toll gate so this place can be decongested and proper profiling of injuries can be done.

"There will be half day of work tomorrow (today) so we can jointly mourn our staff, our loved ones, and the dead can be buried. Flags will also fly at half mast for the next three days, and we are also declaring a three-day state mourning for the deceased."

Sanwo-Olu hailed Lagosians who joined the first responders in the search and rescue operation, saying the true spirit of Lagos must be sustained at all times.

He commended the first responders, LASUTH and LASUCOM staffs and security agencies for their prompt response.

“A big thank you to well-meaning Lagosians who immediately joined in rescue efforts. Our first responders and emergency services are on ground and we will share more information shortly," he said.

The governor also hailed candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Jide Adeniran and Labour Party Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for visiting and

commiserating with the families, saying “it is important to thank two of my other competitors - Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Mr Olajide Adeniran, who I learnt were here earlier, for their show of commitment beyond politics. I thank them for coming here."

Meanwhile, following the accident, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has directed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau experts to commence Immediate investigation into the accident.

The Minister, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. James Odaudu, described the accident as unfortunate, even as he assured the public of the capacity of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the accident and proffer ways of preventing such in the future.

He solicited the cooperation of members of the public as investigation by the NSIB team commences.

He also commiserated with the government and people of Lagos state, especially those who lost their loved ones.

Buhari, Tinubu, Atiku, Gbajabiama, Oyebanji Sympathise with Victims

Meanwhile, Buhari has expressed sympathy over the accident.

In a reaction to the incident, the president, in statement issued by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the accident at the level crossing involving the train and the BRT staff bus as distressing and extremely sad.

"I pray for the souls of the deceased and quick recovery of the many who were injured.”

President Buhari commended the Lagos State authorities and Federal Government agencies for promptly getting involved in relief work.

Continued online

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FROM DOHA TO DAURA...

President Buhari arriving Daura, Katsina from Doha, Qatar, ahead of Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections on Wednesday, before INEC announced a 1-week postponement of the elections from March 11 to March 18

Alleged Racism: Stop Parading Yourself as Seplat CEO, Court Tells Brown Wale Igbintade and Peter Uzoho Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown from parading himself as the CEO of the company pending the determination of a suit instituted against him and others by aggrieved stakeholders of the company over allegations of racism, favouring of expatriate workers, discrimination against Nigerians, and breach of good governance.

This was just as the oil and gas company, yesterday, debunked reports alleging that Brown, was

favouring foreign employees of the company and discriminating against its Nigerian employees.

The Federal High Court also restrained the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Basil Omiyi, and all the Non-Executive Directors under him from, “continuing to run the affairs of Seplat in an illegal, unfair, prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the Petitioner’s Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

Justice Aneke made order while ruling on a Motion Ex parte brought by some aggrieved stakeholders of Seplat, Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye,

Obi Support Group Endorses Eno for Akwa Ibom Guber Poll Says he is best choice for the state Okon Bassey in Uyo Another promoters of the Obi-Datti Movement in Akwa Ibom State yesterday endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Mr. Umo Eno. The group declared their support for the PDP candidate during a visit to the candidate in Uyo, yesterday.

The State Coordinator of the movement, Mr. Nature Udoh, said after a thorough evaluation of all the candidates vying for the governorship position, they decided that Eno's development blueprint and antecedents have a semblance as that of their principal, Mr. Peter Obi. Udoh said given the capacity, competence, character, and humble disposition of the PDP candidate, the Obi-Datti Movement believed Eno would make the best governor for the State.

While justifying the decision of the group, Udoh said the group cannot afford to sit on the fence and be unconcerned about affairs in the state, stressing that in the event of allowing a wrong governor emerge, everyone would be negatively affected.

According to him, "We have looked at all the candidates and compared them with you, and have concluded that you are the

best man for the job.

"We are here to say that we, the Obidients in this state will mobilise and vote for you. We can't behave as if this election doesn't concern us because if a bad governor is elected, we will also suffer.

"From our assessment, with your job creation and private sector experience, you have the required expertise to run the State at this moment."

Udoh, who disclosed that the movement was basically about Peter Obi for president, added that since they are all either from Akwa Ibom or resident in the state, they were duty bound to actively participate in the process of electing a new governor who will sustain the peace and development trajectory in the state.

Also speaking, the Coordinating Chairman of Obi-Datti Support Groups, Bernard Titus, said he had earlier declared support for Eno, stressing that even while mobilising for Obi for president, the seasoned businessman was his choice for governor.

Addressing the leadership and coordinators of the groups numbering over 100, the governorship hopeful appreciated the movement for their decision to support his vision and to vote for the PDP.

and Robert Ibekwe, the petitioners, against the respondents - Seplat Energy, Brown and Omiyi, in Suit No. FHC/L/402/2023.

In a separate ex parte application, Justice Aneke similarly granted the petitioners leave to serve the petition, any order of court and all other processes to be issued subsequently in the matter on Brown and Omiyi by pasting in the premises if Seplat Energy located at Ikoyi, Lagos.

The court subsequently adjourned to March 23, for hearing of the pending application.

The applicants had in their Motion on Notice filed by their lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, prayed the court for a declaration that the affairs of Seplat were being conducted in a manner that was illegal, oppressive and unfairly prejudicial to the petitioners and other members of Seplat and in total disregard to the interest of the petitioners, other employees, and Seplat as a whole.

They equally sought a declaration that by condoning the unlawful, discriminatory, and abusive conducts of Brown, Omiyi and the Non-executive Directors have, “failed in the discharge of their duties and are unfit to continue to function in the Board of Directors of the 1st Respondent (Seplat).”

Consequently, the petitioners sought, “an order of mandatory injunction restraining the 2nd Respondent (Brown) from parading

himself as, or continuing to operate as the CEO of the 1st Respondent (Seplat) or working for Seplat in any other capacity.”

They equally sought an order restraining Seplat and the Board Chairman from retaining Brown as the CEO of Seplat or retaining his services for Seplat in other capacity whatsoever.

To support their case, the aggrieved stakeholders exhibited a petition from the Minister of Interior against Brown by employees of Seplat, as well as a letter by the Minister of Interior communicating the Ministry’s decision on the said petition to the company.

In the March 3, 2023 letter addressed to the Board Chairman of Seplat Energy signed by Mr. Akinola Adesina for the Minister, which was marked as Exhibit B, the Ministry of Interior had conveyed the revocation of Roger Brown’s Work Permit, Visa, and Residence Permit.

The letter read: “I write to inform you that the Ministry is in receipt of a petition from the Solicitor to the concerned workers and stakeholders of Seplat Energy PLC accusing Mr. Rogers Thomson Brown, the CEO of the companies of various allegations.

“These accusations include racism, favouring foreign workers and discriminating against Nigerian employees. Testimony was received from several witnesses, which supported the allegations. Mr.

Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the time.

“Investigation and records in the Ministry also revealed that Mr. Roger Brown was in possession of CERPAC that was not based on validly issued Expatriate Quota approved by the Ministry of Interior resulting to the violation of relevant Immigration Laws and Regulations.

As a result of these, the Honourable Minister has determined that Mr. Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria is contrary to national interest.

“Consequently, the Ministry has withdrawn the Work Permit CERPAC, Visa, Residence Permit and all relevant documents that authorised Mr. Roger Thomson Brown’s entry or stay in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Seplat Energy has debunked reports alleging that Brown, was favouring foreign employees of the company and discriminating against its Nigerian employees.

The independent Nigerian oil and gas producer also faulted the claim that Brown was in possession of a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) contrary to valid expatriate quota and allegedly failed to honour invitations by a Ministry of Interior's panel that investigated the matter.

Seplat made the rebuttals in a statement issued yesterday, by its Independent Chairman, Mr. Basil

Omiyi, on behalf of the board of the company.

The company maintained that the orchestrated media reports were clearly calculated to spread false information, saying it would be engaging with the ministry to reject the impressions created by the allegations.

The Minister of Interior was reported to have revoked the Work Permit, Visa and Residence Permit of the Seplat CEO over alleged racism, favouring of foreign workers and discrimination against Nigerian employees levelled against him by employees of the company.

The federal government equally accused Brown of being in possession of a CERPAC not based on a valid Expatriate Quota and failed to honour invitations by the Mlministry’s panel, which investigated the matter.

But debunking the allegations, the company in the statement issued both in Lagos and London, stated: "Seplat Energy wishes to refute the false allegations against Mr. Brown, which have been presented to the Ministry of Interior and the public by certain petitioners, and which have not been brought to the attention of Mr. Roger Brown or Seplat Energy for a reaction.

"The orchestrated media reports are clearly calculated to spread false information. Seplat Energy will be engaging with the Ministry to reject the impressions created by these allegations.

Presidential Poll: Reno Omokri, Others Protest Alleged Breach of Electoral Act in London Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A former presidential spokesman, Mr Reno Omokri, along with other Nigerians, yesterday protested what the author described as the contravention of the electoral act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the February 25 presidential poll in Nigeria.

Specifically, the demonstration which took place in the United Kingdom between 11 in the morning and about noonday saw the group air their grievances in front of the Nigerian High Commission, located on Northumberland Avenue, London, SW1.

The crowd expressed disappointment over the conduct of the election by the electoral umpire, stressing that INEC erred by failing to adhere strictly to the letters of the electoral guidelines and the law.

Speaking at the event, Omokri alleged that from the INEC's IREV portal, over-voting was observed in almost 14,000 polling units, which affected 4.3 million votes.

According to him, manual accreditation was carried out in those areas and other polling units, in contravention of Sector 47 (2) and (3) of the electoral act, stating that by virtue of those portions of the act, elections in those areas ought

to have been cancelled and held on a latter date.

While calling for a more credible poll, Omokri said that it was obvious that INEC was not ready for the presidential election and yet went ahead with it.

He added that the election held with ‘blind spots’ that allowed the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use underhand practices to rig the election.

He contended that the INEC postponed the gubernatorial election because they were ill-prepared, which was what they ought to have done with the presidential election if they had no hidden agenda.

While addressing the group of protestors, Omokri said the protest was not about any political party but a united cause to demand free and fair election from INEC for all Nigerians.

He explained that Nigeria as the giant of Africa was supposed to lead other smaller African countries with credible polls, stressing that sadly it is the smaller African countries that are conducting credible polls while the polls in Nigeria are always fraught with irregularities.

He listed such issues as rigging, violence, vote-buying, resulting in the emergence of unpopular candidates as winners against the will of the people.

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IMAMS AND ALFAS ENDORSE ABIODUN...

L-R: Former Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Chairman All Progressives Congress Campaign Council in Ogun State, Senator Olalemilekan Mustapha; Governor Dapo Abiodun; Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Miftaudeen Ayanbadejo and his counterpart in Remoland, AbdulQuadri Junaid, during the endorsement of the Ogun State governor for a second term in office by the League of Imams and Alfas at Ijebu Ode…yesterday

Amaechi Rallies Voters for Cole, Visits Traders, Elekahia Mechanic Village A former Minister of Transportation and erstwhile governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, rallied voters in the state for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole and urged them to only vote a person of character and the fear of God as governor of the state.

Amaechi made the call yesterday, when he visited traders and artisans in Elekahia mechanic village, Ikoku, Ojoto, Okija and others parts of Diobu, where they all testified of his passion and achievements during his time as governor of the state.

The traders pledged their support for t Cole, stating that lessons have been learnt from

their experience under the current leadership of the PDP in the state.

Addressing the automobile dealers and technicians at Elekahia Mechanic Village, Amaechi said, "Don't let a politician buy your conscience. Once they buy your conscience, they leave you. Vote for the right person, who will remember you.

"With my knowledge of Tonye, he will keep to his promise. He will not abuse you or your parents.

Those are not issues of governance.

Governance is a serious job, that's why a governor is called 'his excellency.' For you to be called Excellency, you must be an excellent man all round. An excellent man is honest.

"So, go and put your vote for APC and protect your votes. In the previous election, they told us vote and go home, it will be uploaded, the next thing, they told us the BVAS failed. This time, whether it fails or not, we will be there. The reason why you need to be there is, your life depends on who becomes governor of Rivers State, because you live here and do business here, so you have a right to choose who that person is.

"I say to you again, any man who has no shame and does not have the fear of God, don't vote for them. Tonye Cole has the fear of God. Vote for him," Amaechi said.

In Ikoku, he told the spare parts dealers, "Remember I was

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Tackle Foreign Heads of States for Congratulating Tinubu Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has criticised foreign Heads of States for hurriedly congratulating Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect, instead of first enquiring from their embassies in Nigeria on the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly election.

This is coming as a coalition of civil society groups known as Speak Out Africa Initiative (SOAI) have called on INEC to use the opportunity of the shift of the governorship and states’ assembly polls to resolve all technical glitches associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC I-rev at the March 18 new date.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Executive Chairman of NIDO, Kingsman Chikwelu, said it was not fair for foreign heads of states to congratulate Tinubu as president-elect without seeking to hear first-hand on the conduct of the election from their embassies in Nigeria.

He said, "they threw precautions to air and rushed to congratulate Tinubu as president-elect in an election that was fundamentally flawed like the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

"It was an election where the guidelines and code of conduct did not follow the rules of conduct by INEC before the two elections, the BVAS and I-rev were not adhered to.

"The media, the civil society

groups and other foreign observer groups faulted the elections, yet the foreign heads of States were busy sending congratulatory messages.

Is that how to grow and develop Africa?

"Those of us from France have sent our opinions and views to the French President, Emmanuel Macron for hurriedly issuing a congratulatory message to the president-elect. This should not be encouraged. It is against the development of democracy," the NIDO executive chairman stated.

The NIDO chief wondered why the BVAS that was advertised as a game changer, but ended up in changing the will of the people.

Also, the Executive Director of SOAI, Kenneth Eze, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the opportunity of the shift of the governorship and state houses of assembly to March 18, to resolve the technical glitches with BVAS and the I-rev.

Eze added: "The judiciary should not disappoint Nigerians. Don't rely on technicalities being the last hope of the common man," while he called for calm to let the judiciary do its work.

According to SOAI, "in this vein, we have launched a survey for citizens to appraise INEC conduct, adherence to its own guidelines/electoral act, perceived trust pre-presidential/national assembly election and now after results declaration, and most importantly, likely behavior in the coming gubernatorial/state

assembly cum future elections.

This will inform our survey.

"Just yesterday, the appeal court tribunal ruling on the INEC varying request to reconfigure the BVAS in preparation for gubernatorial/state assembly election has made them to reschedule the originally slated 11th March gubernatorial/state assembly election to now March 18; an extension by one week.

“Surprisingly, most citizens welcomed the judgement in good faith and had no issues with the postponement as it is viewed to be in favor of democracy for giving aggrieved presidential candidates fair ground to access election evidence from INEC.”

to build a flyover here, but I said to you, I would not do it until I build another place where you can stay comfortably. The reason why I said that was because, I was your neighbour, I lived at Chigbu street, I schooled at Sacred Heart Secondary school, Azikiwe. So I know poverty, I know what it is that most of you are going through.

“Some of you are millionaires, but majority of you are like me who passed through suffering.

I knew that chasing you out of Ikoku without a proper alternative

was wickedness, so I cancelled that project (the proposed flyover) until we finished. We acquired land between Oyigbo and Eleme, 90 hectares. We were to do road, water, light, build houses for you to live, build primary and secondary schools for your children, and give you your shops. But the current government didn't continue with it.

"The problem with the masses is that tomorrow they can still come here and give you money to vote for them, you collect. Once you collect, it means they have paid

you and they will close. They can still come here and knock your shops down, you won't do anything, because they have paid you. But if you refuse to collect and vote for the party that will change these things, then your future will be assured. If you vote for APC, give us six months to one year, that place will be ready.”

Amaechi also walked through the popular trading areas of Ojoto, Okija and other areas around the D/Line-Dioubu axis, canvassing votes for Cole.

EU Introduces New Rules for In-bound Air Shipments

Chinedu Eze

The European Union (EU) has announced that it would kick off the second phase of its Import Control System 2 (ICS2), which is the new advanced cargo information and risk management platform, to protect against security and safety threats from goods entering the EU. The conditions stipulated by the new system was that from March 1, 2023, all air carriers, freight forwarders, express couriers, and postal operators involved in the transportation of goods by air to or through the EU must provide a complete set of Entry Summary Declaration data on the goods, prior to their arrival at the EU external border.

They must do this through the ICS2 system, which is gradually replacing the EU’s existing Import Control System (ICS) between 2021 and 2024. Air carriers currently filing

advance cargo information into the Import Control System (ICS) would fully phase out from that system as soon as they start filing this data into ICS2.

The second phase of ICS2 introduces new data requirements and processes to be complied with, prior to transporting the goods from a third country and before their arrival at the European Union’s external border.

Failure by affected economic operators to obtain the necessary data from their clients and to provide it to ICS2 would lead to actions by customs authorities to enforce compliance prior to and on arrival at the external border.

The operators are expected to consult relevant website for additional information on these important changes.

EU also stated that while ICS2 Release 2 was launched on March 1, 2023, economic operators could make

a request to start filing into ICS2 at a later date during the time-limited deployment window. They should do this through the Member State where the Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number of the economic operator, which would be used for the advanced cargo information filing was registered.

The deployment window, if granted, would allow the economic operators to become operationally ready for ICS2 Release 2 after March 1, 2023.

However, to ensure a smooth transition from Release 1 to Release 2, and to facilitate trade operations, the deployment window for each business model and the order in which different types of economic operators connect to ICS2 Release 2 would be aligned across all member states, as defined in the relevant transition strategy. Member states could grant the deployment window up until 2 October 2023.

Dogara Endorses APC’s Sadiq Abubakar for Bauchi Guber Polls

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has endorsed the candidate of Air Marshall Sadiq Baba Abubakar (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming governoship election in Bauchi State.

The former Speaker is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

In 2019, he helped mobilised

and led a coalition of political parties and interest groups in Bauchi which ousted former governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar and installed Senator Bala Mohammed in 2019.

However, shortly after the elections, allegedly Mohammed reneged on all political agreements he entered into before the election and declared war on prominent citizens of the state, who opposed his style of governance including Dogara and an elder statesman, Alhaji Bello Kirfi, who was a minister in the Second Republic under

the late President Shehu Shagari.

Dogara had also accused Mohammed of corruption including non-payment of salaries of teachers and civil servants.

Thus, on Wednesday, the former Speaker led a campaign team of Air Marshall Sadiq Baba Abubakar across some Bauchi local governments including Kirfi and Alkaleri, where Mohammed came from.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state, Dogara, on Wednesday, urged

the people to toe the path of honour by voting out the Bala Mohammed from office.

"We came to tell you the truth, that we need to effect a change of leadership in Bauchi State. I came here to enlighten you that even though your son (Governor Mohammed) is there, since he is not doing well, we should change him. I urge you all to cast your vote for Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar on Saturday."

He described Air Marshall Abubakar as a father, who would bring succour to the people of the state.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

INDUCTION CEREMONY OF FOREIGN TRAINED MEDICAL AND DENTAL GRADUATES...

L-R: Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. Shima Gyoh; Director of Health Planning Research and Statistics, Dr. Ngozi Azodoh, and Induction of Keynote Speaker, Dr. Olujimi Osisanya, during the Induction Ceremony of foreign trained medical and dental graduates in Abuja ... yesterday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

APC to INEC: Address Hitches Identified During Presidential, N’Assembly Elections Says Afenifere’s endorsement of Rhodes-Vivour exercise in Futility Segun James in Lagos and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address glitches identified during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, ahead of the now postponed governorship and House of Assembly elections.

APC also described the endorsement of the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, by the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, as an exercise in futility.

National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, in a statement yesterday, said the party respected the decision of INEC to postpone the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from March 11 to March 18 March, following a ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the presidential election.

"Further, we enjoin INEC to use the opportunity presented by the election postponement to address any gaps or hitches identified in the presidential election in order to avoid a reoccurrence in the March 18 election,” Morka said.

While noting INEC’s

reassurance that data from the presidential and National Assembly elections would be properly backed up on its cloud facilities, Morka urged the commission to do everything within its power to preserve and protect the integrity of the extracted data from BVAS as it had committed to do before the court.

According to Morka, "Even as presidential candidates and their political parties explore and exercise their constitutional liberty to challenge or defend the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections, we must remind ourselves of the overriding duty that we bear to eschew conduct and action capable of undermining the peace of our country or imperil the capacity of INEC to conduct the upcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections."

The party noted that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, emerged as the overwhelming choice of Nigerians in the presidential election, which was free, fair and in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines for the 2023 general election.

Meanwhile, APC, while dismissing Afenifere’s endorsement of Rhodes-Vivour, in a statement by the party's spokesman in Lagos, Mr Seye Oladejo, insisted the supposed

endorsement was "a laughable charade."

Oladejo stated, "The endorsement of the Labour Party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour by the factional leader of Afenifere, Supo Shonibare, would ordinarily have been ignored by the party, but that this non-event would be a disservice to the general public if the records are not set straight.

"The so-called endorsement by a group of attention seeking and politically irrelevant group of people is ominous, as they have consistently backed the wrong horse out of malice, envy,

bitterness and political frustration.

"Our political history is replete with many victims, who lost elections as a result of the backing of these people, who lack electoral value. The most recent was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who’s now facing the reality of their valueless support. It underscores the group as an agent of confusion and retrogression.

"As elders and purported stakeholders in Lagos State, it was difficult to acknowledge the landmark achievements of the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, across the famed

THEMES agenda. They sacrificed on the altar of bitter politics his proactiveness during the scourge of Covid-19, the inauguration of the light blue rail and Imota Rice Mill, massive construction of roads across the state, great investments in education, healthcare, the environment, transportation, entertainment, youth and social development, women empowerment sports, tourism, science and technology.

Thankfully, Lagosians, who are the ultimate deciders, know better.

"Your recommendation of a candidate whose pedigree, antecedent and political experience

is shrouded in mystery is dead on arrival. Lagosians will at the polls massively reject a candidate, who has been known not to identify with his purported heritage and needed historians to weave together some tales by moonlight to sell him to a people he cannot even speak their language.

"It’s definitely not sufficient, at this time and age, to make the exploits of his progenitors his selling points to administer the fifth largest economy in Africa.

Lagosians are begging for answers as regards his role during the destructive ENDSARS protest and his relationship with IPOB."

Makarfi Condemns Arrest of PDP Members in Kaduna, Alleges Plans to Arrest 80 Others John Shiklam in Kaduna A former governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has raised the alarm over alleged plots by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to arrest and detain 80 members of the PDP ahead of the governorship and state assembly elections.

The former governor also condemned Tuesday’s arrest

of Saidu Adamu, a former information commissioner and a deputy director in the PDP governorship campaign council, alongside two youth leaders of the party by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Adamu and the PDP youth leaders – El Abbas Mohammed and Talib Mohammed – were arrested for allegedly making comments on the MuslimMuslim ticket of the APC in the state which was considered inciting.

He said beside the arrest of the trio, a list of 80 field officers of the PDP had been drawn by the state government for arrest and detention.

“Our attention has been drawn to a list of 80 of our field officers, drawn up by the government to be arrested and detained until after the elections.

This has grievous implications," Makarfi said.

According to him, those pencilled down for arrest, were drawn from Kudan,

Sanga, Igabi, Lere, Kachia, Jaba and Kaduna North Local Government Areas of the state, which are believed to be strongholds of the PDP. Makarfi warned the ruling APC in the state against against arbitrary arrest of members of the opposition party, saying it is undemocratic,” even as he added that, “Adamu is still in detention and we don’t know the alleged offenses. He has also not been charged to court, it is a very sad development."

state legislators in the upcoming elections.

"The tasks ahead are enormous but surmountable if we join hands in unity and tenacity of purpose to build a better and greater Nigeria.

"It is time for us to demonstrate that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria and show the world that we are lovers of constitutional rule, good governance, due process and rule of law. Periodic election is critical for sustainable democracy as power resides in the people," Yusuf said While x-raying February 25th presidential and National Assembly elections, the IPAC chairman said it is a welcome development that some political parties and their candidates who disagreed with the results declared by the electoral

umpire had gone to the court to challenge them rather than seeking solutions outside the law.

"Some political parties and their candidates disagreed with the results declared by the electoral umpire and challenged them in court, particularly the presidential election which is the appropriate thing to do and in line with the IPAC plea that all aggrieved political parties and their candidates should approach the court for redress and urged the court to adjudicate on the cases on merit to ensure that justice is not only done but seen to have been done.

"IPAC reaffirms its confidence in the Judiciary and hopes that substantial justice will be done in all cases before it," he said.

COURT ORDERS INEC TO ALLOW USE OF TEMPORARY VOTER'S CARD IN MARCH 18 POLLS Governorship, State Assembly Election

Meanwhile, IPAC has expressed support for the rescheduling of the governorship and state Assembly elections to March 18, 2023 by INEC. It however charged the commission not to allow a repeat of the glitches witnessed during the disputed presidential and National Assembly poll by ensuring that BVAS will function properly and results upload to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, at end of the council's meeting, IPAC national chairman, Mr. Yagbagi Yusuf, said the extension INEC asked for would provide enough opportunity to enable it put its house in order and deliver

credible elections next time, adding that any attempt to manipulate the upcoming elections must be resisted.

Yagbagi said IPAC was urging all stakeholders in the electoral process, "to please bear with the commission as it puts its act together for the March 18,2023 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections."

He said with the assurance that BVAS would function properly and results upload to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time, Nigerians and the international community expected free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful gubernatorial and legislative elections.

"The commission should this time justify the confidence

Nigerians reposed in it and improve on its performance in the disputed presidential and National Assembly polls.

"Council urges security agents to sit up and be alive to their constitutional mandate to secure lives and property before, during and after elections so as to avert the violence and other security breach witnessed during the presidential election.

"Council further urges Nigerians to come out en masse and vote for their preferred political parties, and ensure their votes count in the overall results. The ballot is sacrosanct, the will and mandate of the people freely given to a political party must be respected.

"This is the beauty of election and representative governance.

Any attempt to manipulate the upcoming elections must be resisted. The era of vote-buying and other irregularities that marred previous polls is over," he said.

While urging the electorate to come out en masse on March 18th, to vote for candidates of their choice, IPAC said the nation must get it right this time if it's quest for sustainable democracy, rule of law and good governance was to be taken serious.

"This is a trying period for our dear nation and calls for prayers, understanding and patriotism as we collectively consolidate our emerging democracy, reaffirm our faith in the fatherland and choose competent, resourceful and visionary governors and

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023

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POLITICS

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com 08033025611 SMS ONLY

Obi: A New Nigeria is Truly Possible

Ike Chioke writes that the participation of Peter Obi in the February 25, 2023 presidential election has shown that a new political order is possible in Nigeria.

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hen the storm of this general election is over, we shall be left with a few lessons. One is, never underestimate the will of a determined people. The other is, when the shepherd is ready, the flock will appear.

Indeed, people, who study politics and societies in transition, will find a fascinating new model in Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate. In a continent wracked sore by leadership challenges, Obi’s emergence represents a rupture in the dynamics of power and the socio-cultural alignments of the Nigerian society. Never has an outsider from the power calculus staged such a storm-trooping stunt in Nigeria’s political history. This is a watershed in our political memory.

Obi was smart enough to espy the mood-swing of Nigerian politics and swiftly embed himself in its massive bowls. He grew in stature to fill the void of a unifying figure in Nigerian politics and swiftly took over its long abandoned totems of influence; a cultured language, respect for our diversity, dignity in the face of extreme provocation, a deep knowledge of what is wrong with Nigeria and a good idea of what it will take to fix her.

He appropriated the dreams of young Nigerians for a better country. He extracted their emotions and framed them in the right idioms.

He demonstrated a rare kind of vigour, presence of mind and humility that are not typically Nigerian. He deployed buzzwords that resonated with the people. He became the dream; the Nigerian dream, in just about eight months.

Indeed, Obi’s impact on the landscape has been transcendental. It has awakened dead bones, unchained the soul of his Igbo people and made them question the long-held view that they do not easily surrender to the leadership of one man. Obi’s transcendental impact has uprooted the axiom, “Igbo enwe eze” (The Igbo are not attached to one king) and replaced it with “Isi tolu ugo na etu ugo” (Perfect head fits the crown). Igbo leadership is earned. The Igbo will submit to you if you earn their trust, confidence, admiration and awe. The Igbo submits to exceptionality and excellence. They submitted to the Great Zik, Ojukwu and Okpara –inspirational leaders whose capacity survived the test of fire.

Obi’s iconography falls within this margin of reality. It has confirmed, once again, that when a true leader emerges, the people will be inspired enough to follow him. It is akin to the appearance of a fluorescent light in the darkness around which moths and a variety of other insects will usually gather.

The Igbo will follow you, if your path is bright and your hands clean. They will do what you say if your story is strewn with excellence and exceptionality.

But Obi’s influence goes beyond Igboland.

It created a clear change of attitude among Nigerian voters in the last presidential election. No Nigerian adult, who owns an Internet-enabled cellphone, could have missed the viral video clips of vote-buyers and election-riggers being beaten to an inch of their lives by angry citizens, who wanted an end to that horrible culture.

Is it the loud insistence by crowds of determined voters that unscrupulous Independent National Electoral Commission officials should not tactically disenfranchise them?

Best still, who could have missed the large turnout of voters, half of them first-timers?

All these were direct reactions to Obi’s rhetoric urging Nigerians to take back their country.

Obi’s campaign mantra worked like magic. If it didn’t work at all, it made the noxious culture of buying votes at polling booths a risky undertaking to election riggers. At the moment, such moral victories may appear insignificant; but they constitute the building blocks for a comprehensive

Or even more telling; the boldness of Aisha Yesufu pumping her fist and speaking fearlessly to Nigerians on the imperatives of electing Obi as president.

Such acts of courage give hope for the Nigeria of our dream. It is a faint reminder of the pre-independence days when Zik won election in Yorubaland and when Umaru Altine, a Fulani, was elected Mayor of Enugu.

That was when Nigeria was a nation; when our differences were our strength and not our weakness.

Obi’s candidacy evoked such great nostalgia and hope. It spoke to the promise of Nigeria. All things considered, Obi is the undisputed turning point for a new Nigeria.

Closer home, he has midwifed the emergence of a new generation of leaders across Nigeria. Some of these people are plain folks, who have no money to bribe anyone to be voted into offices, but people whose stories inspire their respective communities.

We have read stories of Donatus Matthew, a motorcyclist, who won the Kaura House of Representatives seat in Kaduna State, and a bus driver, Chimaobi Atu, who won the same seat for Enugu North/Enugu South in Enugu State.

The story of Okey Ezea, who defeated Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to clinch the senatorial seat for Enugu North, is even more humbling. moral rearmament and rebirth of the society.

They represent light at the end of the tunnel!

Again, could there ever be anything more symbolic than the sight of former President Olusegun Obasanjo moving round and

mobilising supporters for Obi? Or more historic than Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, campaigning with so much vigour for an Igbo man?

-Chioke writes from Lagos NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Sanwo-Olu Reiterates Govt’s Commitment to Youth Development Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has declared that his administration is not averse to youth development and interests in the Centre of Excellence.

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gainst the backdrop of youth agitation arising from the #EndSARS protest, which culminated in a violent riot in October 2020, the Governor said that he personally reached out and provided for all the victims of the protest in the state.

More than two years after the protest, many youths, particularly on social media, are still holding the Sanwo-Olu-led administration responsible.

But Sanwo-Olu said on Arise Television’s Good Morning discussion programme during the week that the youths should “do roleplay” and put themselves in his position to understand the situation that degenerated into riots which consumed government infrastructure.

On the shooting at the Lekki tollgate where the protesters converged for days, the governor said that he had no control over the police and the military, which are under the command of the federal authorities.

He said: “Young people do not do roleplay and sit back to reflect on what happened.

It was not a flash event. It built up for three weeks. I do not have control. I do not control the military or the police.

“On the question of who ordered the (Lekki shooting), who ordered the police not to listen to me when I went to Magodo the other day? Who ordered the military out for our election last Saturday? It is not in my remit or space.

“All of the people — and I am saying this for the first time on national TV — that claimed that they were either injured or affected in one form or the other, I, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have reached out to them and supported, given them jobs and empowerment and things for them to start right.

“And that is why you do not see anybody

come out during this campaign period to say ‘I was an #EndSars victim and I lost something,’ because I have taken it up and I feel that is something for me as a father and a leader to do for them, and clear this air around it.”

Sanwo-Olu recalled his pioneering efforts at meeting with the youths, the outcome of which was the famous “five-for-five” agreement which he took to the Presidency in Abuja.

In furtherance to that, the governor said he went round big hospitals in the morning following the Lekki Toll gate incident to verify alleged police shootings of youth protesters gathered at the venues.

According to him: “I did all that and I would not report what I did not see. It is also on record that those who came forward and presented evidence of police brutality were deservedly compensated.

Also backing up his claim, the governor disclosed he was the first governor to set up a Judicial Panel of Inquiry into police brutality, killings and human rights violations.

By the time the panel rounded off its sitting,

the state government paid out compensation running into hundreds of millions of Naira to victims.

To further validate his positions, the governor said the state’s Employment Trust Fund and other empowerment initiatives have been put together for the benefit of the youths.

He reminded them that the laying of internet cables across the city was also geared towards creating the enabling environment for youths to thrive.

The governor also commented on his administration’s concern for the welfare and development of women in Lagos through policies and initiatives geared towards gender-balancing in government’s appointments and financial empowerment.

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

CORRIGENDUM In the story with the headline ‘Omo-Agege as Delta’s Best Choice for Governor’, carried on page 18 of THISDAY Newspapers edition of Thursday, March 9, 2023, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who is the Delta state Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress was, in the introductory paragraph, inadvertently referred to as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate.

The error is regretted.

-EDITOR

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Friday March 10, 2023 Vol 27. No 10191

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INVESTING IN LOCAL MANUFACTURING It is the key to Nigeria’s future health security, argues ADE SHODEINDE

See page 21

NIGERIA’S ENDLESS DISEASES AND BITTER PILLS JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA urges the government to address the issue of petrol subsidy

See page 21

EDITORIAL

THE PLIGHT OF PENSIONERS

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Those who have approached the court should be ready to accept the outcome, writes BOLAJI ADEBIYI

THE LEGAL FIREWORKS START It is commendable that those who DUH GLVVDWLVÀ HG ZLWK WKH RXWFRPH RI the presidential election held on 25 )HEUXDU\ KDYH GHFLGHG WR DSSURDFK WKH FRXUW IRU D MXGLFLDO UHYLHZ RI WKHLU JULHYDQFHV 7KDW LV KRZ LW VKRXOG EH DV the law establishing the electoral process HQYLVDJHV WKDW GLVSXWHV FRXOG DULVH DORQJ WKH ZD\ FRQVHTXHQWO\ SURYLGLQJ IRU WKH OHJDO DYHQXH WR UHVROYH DQ\ JULHYDQFH $OWKRXJK $WLNX $EXEDNDU WKH FDQGLGDWH RI WKH 3HRSOHV 'HPRFUDWLF 3DUW\ DIWHU WDNLQJ WKH FRXUW RSWLRQ DOVR WRRN WR WKH VWUHHWV WR GHPRQVWUDWH KLV GLVDͿ HFWLRQ ZLWK WKH RXWFRPH RI WKH SROO LQ ZKLFK KH ZDV WKH À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to enable citizens to engage with the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Á DZHG LI XQIDYRXUDEOH 7KH OHJDO À UHZRUNV EHJDQ ODVW ZHHN ZKHQ WKH 3'3 DQG WKH /3 VWDUWHG WKH SUH SHWLWLRQ DFWLRQ RI UHTXHVWLQJ permission to inspect electoral materials XVHG IRU WKH GLVSXWHG SUHVLGHQWLDO GXHO %RWK JRW WKH &RXUW RI $SSHDO·V QRG ZLWKRXW PXFK DGR %XW FRQFHUQHG WKDW WKH RUGHUV VHFXUHG PLJKW DͿ HFW LWV DELOLW\ WR FRQGXFW WKH JRYHUQRUVKLS DQG VWDWH OHJLVODWLYH HOHFWLRQV WKH ,QGHSHQGHQW 1DWLRQDO (OHFWRUDO &RPPLVVLRQ DSSOLHG WR WKH DSSHOODWH FRXUW IRU D YDULDWLRQ RI LWV GLUHFWLYHV WR HQDEOH LW WR FRQGXFW LWV QH[W VHW RI SROOV HDUOLHU VFKHGXOHG IRU WRPRUURZ &RQYLQFHG E\ WKH DUJXPHQWV RI WKH

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Without a doubt, the decision to seek a judicial review in accordance with the law has instituted calm in the polity, paving the way for some normalcy to enable citizens to engage with the government on the substantive issues of scarcity of currency and petrol

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FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023

It is the key to Nigeria’s future health security, argues ADE SHODEINDE

INVESTING IN LOCAL MANUFACTURING As Nigeria strives to achieve self- accelerated healthcare investment in VX΀FLHQF\ LQ KHDOWKFDUH DQG UHGXFH LWV countries like India with the rapid growth reliance on imports, the need for local of Vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute manufacturing of health commodities of India, a company which eventually cannot be overemphasized. With a became one of the biggest suppliers of rapidly growing population and an Covid-19 Vaccines all over the world increasing burden of diseases, such as during the pandemic.

To accelerate the process of healthcare HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cancer, the QHHG IRU DͿRUGDEOH DQG KLJK TXDOLW\ manufacturing, Manufacturing Africa, diagnostics and therapeutics has never D QRQ SURÀW RUJDQLVDWLRQ GHGLFDWHG been more critical. Local companies to supporting African manufacturing, should be committed to meeting this has supported companies across the need by investing in local biomedical African continent in Uganda and South Africa and also here in Nigeria e.g.

Promasidor Nigeria ltd, and Metro Africa Xpress (Max NG). For biomedical manufacturing, with the support of Manufacturing Africa, local companies like Ash Biomedical Diagnostics Ltd have moved closer to their goal of producing DͿRUGDEOH DQG KLJK TXDOLW\ ,9'V ORFDOO\ Manufacturing Africa by partnering and providing support to such companies ultimately helped them move forward with technical expertise, valuable insights and as such, they are now better HTXLSSHG WR QDYLJDWH WKH UHJXODWRU\ DQG funding landscape.

Also encouraging for local manufacturers is the federal government’s commitment to supporting local businesses through policies like the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan manufacturing. Local companies with and the Buy Nigerian, Save the Naira a focus on developing and producing initiative. These policies are designed in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs) that can help to encourage local manufacturing and GLDJQRVH GLVHDVHV DFFXUDWHO\ DQG TXLFNO\ creating jobs, and we believe they will DQG DW DQ DͿRUGDEOH FRVW 6RPH KDYH play a vital role in helping us to achieve state-of-the-art facilities and relatively our goals.

There is also a lot of optimism about the experienced teams and can be proud to potential impact of the new government. be leading the way in this critical area.

For example, Codix Pharma, a local With the recent election of a new company based in Lagos is setting a president, there is hope that there will be a manufacturing facility in the Lagos area renewed commitment to supporting local to produce glucose monitoring devices. businesses and developing policies that Some pharmaceutical companies have prioritize healthcare and access to lifealready started and have invested which saving treatments. By working together means Nigeria already has a very vibrant with the government, other companies, pharmaceutical industry accounting and organizations, local manufacturers for an estimated 60% of ECOWAS OLNH $VK %LRPHGLFDO FDQ PDNH VLJQLÀFDQW pharmaceutical production by volume. SURJUHVV LQ WKH ÀJKW DJDLQVW +,9 $,'6 Lagos is having a large concentration in Nigeria and beyond. Some companies RI SKDUPD SURGXFHUV· KHDGTXDUWHUV like Ash Biomedical seem to be living up including GlaxoSmithKline, Fidson to this challenge. Having already secured Healthcare, Vitabiotics and Emzor. regulatory approval for their facilities They are not alone in this endeavour. with ground breaking imminent, there Around the world, many companies LV FRQÀGHQFH WKDW WKHLU SURGXFWV ZLOO are investing in local manufacturing to PHHW WKH KLJKHVW VWDQGDUGV RI TXDOLW\ DQG enhance healthcare access and create DͿRUGDELOLW\ WR VHUYH WKH 1LJHULDQ SHRSOH economic opportunities. For example, in and the wider African continent.

In conclusion, investing in local India, there are several companies that KDYH GHYHORSHG DͿRUGDEOH GLDJQRVWLFV manufacturing is a critical step towards for diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/ achieving Nigeria’s future health AIDS, which has helped to reduce security. By developing and producing the burden of these diseases on the KLJK TXDOLW\ DQG DͿRUGDEOH GLDJQRVWLFV population. Similarly, in South Africa, and therapeutics locally, we can enhance there are companies that are developing access to healthcare, create jobs, and and producing innovative therapies promote economic growth. Local for cancer and other diseases that are companies who have invested will prevalent in the count. Another South be proud to be at the forefront of this African company produces a rapid movement, and there is renewed hope diagnostic test for HIV that can be used in and optimism that there is a healthier and remote areas without access to traditional more prosperous future for Nigeria and lab testing. And a Ugandan company Africa. that is developing new methods for Shodeinde monitoring and treating HIV infections. is the Managing Director of Ash $QRWKHU VLJQLÀFDQW H[DPSOH WKDW ZDV Biomedical Diagnostics Ltd based in Abuja seen during the Covid pandemic was

JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA urges the government to address the issue of petrol subsidy

NIGERIA’S ENDLESS DISEASES AND BITTER PILLS The next government is going to be a country has its priorities in an inverted very unpopular one. There is no scenario position. The NNPC reportedly spent where the government that succeeds the $10b on fuel subsidy in 2022. That’s about Buhari administration will be popular. If the 10 times the sum of money I have read government turns out to be mediocre, well, the National Population Commission it’d easily become even less popular than needs to carry out the census. its popularity at inauguration. If it goes on Pick the budget, select any item to do what it must to do to lift Nigeria out you consider important – education, of its economic doldrums, the immediate infrastructure, science and technology, outcomes of those decisions will leave a HWF ² DQG \RX ZRXOG ÀQG WKDW QRQH lot of pain and anger in their wake. Amid of them comes close to the sum we such pain and anger, logic would take literally burning into carbons every day. the backseat, so arguments for the future One common disease every Nigerian EHQHÀWV RI WKRVH GHFLVLRQV ZLOO QRW ODQG DV government the last two or three intended.

JHQHUDWLRQV KDYH VXͿHUHG IURP LV WR Nigeria’s 5.5 percent tax-to-GDP ratio mouth their commitment to the things is one of the lowest in Africa which itself that matter whilst spending on matters collectively holds the world’s lowest tax- that they are certain keep the people in to-GDP ratio. According to the OECD, line e.g. the price of bread and garri can the African average is 16 per cent. A lot go up every year, the cost of education has been said about Nigeria’s historic may continue to increase with inverse lack of priorities in public expenditure. proportionality to its value but the Successive governments have mouthed fuel subsidy? It is the one thing that WKHLU ZLOOLQJQHVV WR ÀJKW FRUUXSWLRQ DQG guarantees the people’s red eyes will everyone knows that corruption continues to be directed at the government. For the sake of the country’s future though, the government and the people must come to a position on fuel subsidy. The onus then lies on the government on how to manage the transition. That it must go has long ended as a debate.

One thing every Nigerian who’s travelled abroad will never not let you know is that we far behind on many fronts when it comes into even Asian countries. It is human nature to see good things and wish that you had them back home. We automatically desire those fast trains in Beijing and expansive train stations in Berlin, we’d love to be the prevailing reality in our government have some of those road networks in and economic system. What ought to be at Adelaide, want the peace and safety of the centre of these conversations but has not Oslo and would not mind the kind of been is the fact that, more than anything else, airlines and airports the likes of the UAE Nigeria has a chronic revenue challenge. The and Qatar have made the new travel ‘oil rich’ country myth has helped to deceive experience. When they are not oil-rich, a generation of people into thinking theirs is they are countries that have delivered a rich country. Potentially rich in many ways sophisticated economies that designed of course, but abundantly poor. ways to recover taxes from their people’s I am tired of breaking the numbers down productivity. We are not oil rich – we are so won’t do so again here, just take it from not, just divide our oil wealth with our me without the numbers this time; we do population, compared to the numbers not have money. The fact the EFCC and Saudi Arabia, Norway or Qatar have to our politicians battle over billions of naira divide with – and we are certainly short in court every other day does not make us on recovering taxes from our even lower rich. If you collected all the money they productivity. The journey is long. stole and put them back in the national But the journey must start, and it FRͿHUV ZH ZRXOG VWLOO EH D SRRU FRXQWU\ does not appear that Nigeria has started Our politicians aren’t stealing from a big because we have prioritized political basket, they are stealing from a small one. exigencies over the sort of governance What makes it look big is that when a few that delivers value. It is why our children people steal what belongs to hundreds of are stuck with teachers who can barely millions of people, no matter how small read and write let alone teach the that sum is for those millions of people, it children to. If that is not the case, why becomes a lot when a few thousand rogues is it always a controversial issue when a share it amongst themselves. That we have governor decides to test teachers? There a corruption challenge is made worse by are good teachers of course, but if they the fact that we do not even have enough were in the majority, tests for teachers without the corruption. would not be the controversial issue it Two major moves the next administration always is. would need to do has to involve reordering Ours is a diseased country. Sick on our national scale of preference and many fronts. We can neither party nor expanding the country’s revenue base. worship God our way out of these We would have to decide whether to keep issues. If we could, we would not have feeding our vehicles cheap fuels or help to them worse, decade after decade. About use that money to fuel the transformation of time we settle in for the bitter pills we our national infrastructure and education. It need to address them. is tragic enough that this country is poor, it is a layered tragedy that the little it is stolen Omojuwa but it becomes a multidimensional tragedy is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/author, when the little left is then spent like the Digital Wealth Book

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FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023

EDITORIAL

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

THE PLIGHT OF PENSIONERS Government must put its act together and pay pensioners their entitlements

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Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 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 (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

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WKH QXWULWLRQ FULVLV ZLWK VHYHUH FRQVHTXHQFHV IRU WKHLU SUHVHQW KHDOWK DQG UHSURGXFWLYH IXWXUHV 7KH UHSRUW DOVR ZDUQHG WKDW unless urgent action was taken by the International CommuQLW\ WKH LPSDFW RI WKLV FULVLV FRXOG ODVW IRU JHQHUDWLRQV WR FRPH It presents one more problem that women and girls in NiJHULD KDYH WR FRQWHQG ZLWK HYHQ LI RQH FKRRVHV WR RYHUORRN WKH IDFW WKDW SHUFHQW RI DGROHVFHQW ZRPHQ DQG JLUOV VXͿ HU IURP DQDHPLD ZKLOH QHDUO\ KDOI RI 1LJHULDQ ZRPHQ RI UHSURGXFWLYH DJH GR QRW FRQVXPH WKH UHFRPPHQGHG GLHW RI DW OHDVW À YH RXW RI WHQ IRRG JURXSV ,I WKH VWDWLVWLFV ZHUH MXVW WKDW FROG KDUG À JXUHV ODFNLQJ LQ sympathy- the nightmare begins when one considers how this can impact the children born to such undernourished women DQG JLUOV LQ WKH ORQJ UXQ $ERXW PLOOLRQ 1LJHULDQ FKLOGUHQ DUH VWXQWHG 0DQ\ RI WKHP EHFRPH VWXQWHG GXULQJ SUHJQDQ F\ DQG GXULQJ WKH À UVW GD\V RI WKHLU OLIH /HIW XQFKHFNHG WKH URDG WR D VLFN DQG VLFNO\ FRXQWU\ ZLOO EH SDYHG ZLWK OLWWOH UHVLVWDQFH 7KH UHDVRQ ZK\ DOO ZHOO PHDQLQJ 1LJHULDQV DQG LQGHHG HY ery well-meaning citizen of the world must continue to shout from the rooftops for an equal, equitable and peaceful world is that without a world where equality, equity and peace reign su-

preme, too many things would remain grotesquely out of place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they play in building families and societies, it is clear that the FXUUHQW WUHQG FDQ VLPSO\ QRW EH DOORZHG WR FRQWLQXH In these days when the world celebrates women for all they DUH LW LV LPSHUDWLYH WR UHÁ HFW RQ KRZ HYHU\ VSDFH FDQ EH PDGH HTXDO DQG FRPIRUWDEOH IRU WKHP WR WKULYH 7KH ZRUOG ZLOO EH D PXFK EHWWHU SODFH IRU WKLV DQG D PXFK ZRUVH SODFH ZLWKRXW LW Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

23

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

REPO

A T

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

08056356325

M A R C H

S & P INDEX

9 , 2 0 2 3

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

10.25%

INDEX LEVEL

613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

-0.85%

N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

9.56%

1-DAY

0.16%

YEAR TO DATE

7.64%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10.52%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.44%

Stakeholders Lament Frequent Runway Closures at Lagos, Abuja Airports

Chinedu Eze Airline operators and other stakeholders in the aviation industry have condemned the frequent runway closure at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, saying that such closures have become major cause of delays and flight cancellations.

The stakeholders also said that major reason for the closures is the VIP movement, which is usually unannounced for security reasons,

and because of the suddenness, airlines do not prepare for the closure and most often pilots are not told how long the closures would last.

Pilots who spoke to THISDAY said that what irks them is the frequency of the closure, noting that almost on daily basis and sometimes two times a day or more such closure happens; that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) merely notify air traffic controllers of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) who notify pilots without the process of issuing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)

through the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) to the global aviation community.

Airline operators also said the frequent closures cost them huge resources because of fuel burn while waiting either on ground or in the airspace for the VIP movement.

In Nigeria VIP movement involves the movement of the President, the Vice President, and sometimes their wives, but there have been alleged abuse of the system. Senior government executives using any aircraft in the presidential fleet could be termed VIP movement

and runway could be closed for such movement.

An official of FAAN explained to THISDAY that the agency does not usually close the runway per se but delay flights both the ones about to take off and the ones airborne until the VIP movement takes place so Air Traffic Controllers would just declare the airport sterile, which means no movement until the passage of the VIP. “I don’t think they declare the airport closed. They just delay some flights until the passage of the VIP. The other day we were about to take

off when our pilot told us there was VIP movement and we waited. We actually waited for long; over 30 minutes at the holding point before our flight took off. Yes, the problem is that it causes delays for travellers.

Even when that aircraft is airborne it has to wait. They will inform the pilots but no precision because you are not supposed to know the details about the movement for security reasons. So they don’t issue official NOTAM but the controllers will do radio communication,” he said.

The Chief Operating Officer of Green Africa, Obi Mbanuzuo, told

THISDAY that the closure happened daily because if the President is not travelling, Vice President may be travelling or senior government official using aircraft from the Presidential fleet may be travelling.

Mbanuzuo explained how such delays cost airlines a lot of money because aircraft waiting on ground or in the air consume a lot of fuel.

The amount of fuel burnt during the delays depends on the aircraft.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

NCAA Invites Stakeholders to Review N e w C i v i l Av i a t i o n R e g u l a t i o n Chinedu Eze The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has invited industry stakeholders to review, make contributions and comments on the new

Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) before its implementation.

THISDAY learnt that the authority sent a circular to all stakeholders with the reference number: NCAA/RC/005/2023,

dated February 12, 2023 and signed by the Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt.

Musa Nuhu.

The circular, which was made available to the media indicated that the regulatory

agency gave the stakeholders till March 21, 2023 for their contributions and review, which is to be sent to a committee set up for that purpose.

NCAA in the circular said

that the regulatory body set up a committee to attend to the recommendations and contributions of all stakeholders in the industry and the public.

According to the agency, the committee was set up

in accordance with Part 1.7 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2015.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 9 , 2 0 2 3 BONDS DESCRIPTION Price ^14.20 14MAR-2024 ^13.53 23MAR-2025 ^12.50 22JAN-2026 ^16.2884 17MAR-2027 ^13.98 23FEB-2028

10.362, 00 10.459, 00 10.287, 00 11.168, 00 10.386, 00

Change Updated Time (%) 10.82 -0.01 January 6, 2023 January 11.11 -0.71 6, 2023 January 0.00 6, 11.35 2023 January 12.60 0.00 6, 2023 January 12.92 0.00 6, 2023

Yield

BILLS MATURITY

Discount

NTB 26-Jan23 NTB 9-Feb23 NTB 9-Mar23 NTB 27-Apr23

3.01

NTB 11May-23

3.23

3.01 2.21 3.20

3.27

OTC F X F U T U R E S

CPS

Change Updated Time (%) 3.01 -0.01 January 6, 2023 January 6, 0.00 2023 3.02 January 6, 2.22 -1.71 2023 January 6, 3.23 0.00 2023

Yield

January 6, 0.00 2023

MATURITY FDHP CP III 17-MAR-23 VHPL CP III 1-APR-23 MREP CP VI 11-APR-23

Change Updated Time (%) January 6, 9.26 9.43 0.00 2023 January 6, 14.15 14.64 0.00 2023 January 6, 10.52 10.81 -0.01 2023

Discount Yield

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CONTRACT Current TENOR Contract Rate Updated Time ($/₦) (MONTH) NGUS JAN 25 469.87 January 6, 1 2023 2023 January 6, NGUS FEB 22 2 472.05 2023 2023 NGUS MAR 29 474.23 January 6, 3 2023 2023 NGUS APR 26 476.42 January 6, 4 2023 2023 NGUS MAY 31 478.60 January 6, 5 2023 2023

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FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

Three Years of Jamoh’s A I R Maritime Tripod Agenda WATCH IATA Safety Performance Shows Reduction in Global Air Accidents

Jamoh Osagie Edward

T

he Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA as a Safety Administration, implements International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships, MARPOL, and safety of lives at sea, SOLAS, and the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers STCW amongst others. When Dr Bashir Jamoh OFR was appointed to lead the management team of the Agency in March 2020, the vision was clearly stated in the triple –S agenda of Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Shipping Development. This in practical terms was the navigable path to achieving the Agency’s mandate as set out in the NIMASA Act, the Merchant Shipping Act, the Cabotage Act, and the Suppression of Piracy and other related maritime crimes offences Act. To achieve this, Jamoh and his executive management team identified the need to have the Agency’s workforce on same page with them.

It’s a common saying that a well-motivated workforce is the foundation for any productive organization. The Jamoh led administration at NIMASA has been able to motivate staff for optimal productivity. Within the last three years over 1, 300 staff have been promoted from one grade level to another as , 595 in 2020, 302 in 2021 and 472 in 2022 were promoted. This administration inherited a staff condition of service, which was last reviewed in 2010. Dr Jamoh and his team secured a review taking into consideration the realities on ground.

NIMASA Management has shown commitment to staff capacity development as over 100 staff have benefited from long term trainings at the World Maritime University and other institutions offering training relevant to the industry. Other forms of capacity development for staff are ongoing.

It’s obvious that The Agency needs various types of vessels to be effective. Having inherited a regime of Hiring vessels from the private sector at a daily cost to function, NIMASA within the past three years have refurbished seven vessels mainly for Pollution Control and Prevention, Search and Rescue and Cabotage enforcement services. While the refurbishing of the vessels was done in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Lagos, NIMASA has gone further to acquire new vessels to enhance its services.

In terms of safety of navigation in Nigerian territorial waters, the current management at nimasa embarked on a project never done before. Wreck removal. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins in a day. Jamoh has shown the way that wreck removal is actually a possibility with the first phase of removals going on course. This was done in conjunction with the Hydrographic Department of the Nigerian Navy in identifying the wrecks. Jamoh and his team also developed an environmental sensitivity index map of the Nigerian Coastline. This charting makes it easy to identify and tackle environmental issues in the maritime sector.

Shipping development also witnessed major milestone achievement by the Jamoh led administration. The disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund has been a challenge previous administrations found very challenging to implement due to its complex nature with over. It is noteworthy that NIMASA under the supervisions of the Federal Ministry of Transportation is at the verge of disbursing the funds. Presidential approvals have been received, Primary lending Institutions have been appointed and terms of accessing the funds are now been finalized for disbursement to commence next month.

When NIMASA under the watch of the current administration midwifed a forum for the Agency to constantly engage international stakeholders such a s BIMCO, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, OCIMF, ICS, and international oil companies under the auspices of the industry maritime security work group NIWG which latter transformed into the SHADE Gulf of Guinea, some persons may have underated the potentials of such international collaboration. The results are there for all to see. The improved international collaboration coupled with the enhanced partnership with the Nigerian Navy, security in Nigerian waters and by extension the Gulf of Guinea has greatly improved. Its on record that since the last quarter of 2021 the issue of piracy has become a thing of the past in Nigeria waters. The statistics on piracy and kidnapping in Nigerian waters speaks for itself. From 82 cases of piracy in Nigerian waters in 2018, 61 in 2019, 81 in 2020, down to 34 in 2021, and now to nil in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. It’s obvious the team managing maritime security in Nigerian waters are doing something right and heading in the right direction.

This has gone a long way to restore international confidence in the Nigerian maritime industry. Just like you have in the political arena where endorsements are show of confidence in a candidate, the international community have been endorsing the Nigerian maritime industry for interested investors. First was the International Mariitme Bureau, IMB, who in March 2022 delisted Nigeria from the countries regarded as piracy prone regions. Just recently in 2023, the International Bargaining Forum, IBF removed Nigeria from the list of countries designated as risk maritime nations. This is a confirmation of the improved global ratings of Security in Nigerian maritime domain as a result of sustained collaborative efforts of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and international stakeholders. The International Bargaining Forum ,IBF, is a body that brings together the International Transport Federation, ITF, and the international maritime employers that make up the Joint Negotiating Group ,JNG, After this endorsement came the visit of the IMO Secretary Geneneral, His Excellency Kitack Lim to Nigeria. This visit was the first in over a decade and a half that the world number one maritime citizen will step foot on Nigerian soil. For three days running the global maritime attention was on Nigeria. He commended NIMASA under the Jamoh leadership for effectively collaborating with the Nigerian Navy to rid Nigerian waters of piracy and other maritime crimes to barest level.

The Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP, is another inherited project that has been improved upon the current leadership at NIMASA. Over 2,000 young Nigerians have benefited from this project to develop Marine Engineering, Nautical Science and Naval Architecture, of which many are now gainfully employed and sailing on both coastal and international vessels. The challenge with the inherited project was sea time. Within three years, all beneficiaries in the first and second phase have all undergone sea time and the new beneficiaries under phase two actually have sea time embedded in their own package.

Under the new improved NSDP package, NIMASA has sponsored over 400 young Nigerians to seek career at sea as seafarers while noting the fact that over 800 out of the 2000 who commenced the first phase are now gainfully employed by multinationals and some onboard vessels. One can project that within a decade from now the next crop of seafarers from West Africa will be predominantly Nigerians. t 0TBHJF &EXBSE JT )FBE 1VCMJD 3FMBUJPOT BU NIMASA

Chinedu Eze The international Air Transport Association on Tuesday released its 2022 airline safety performance, which indicates significant reduction in air accidents globally.

The 2022 safety report for global aviation showed a reduction in the number of fatal accidents and the fatality risk, compared to 2021 and to the five year average (2018-2022).

The global body said that from this year, the safety report has been re-invented as an online interactive resource rather than in static PDF format. Report highlights include that in 2022, there were five fatal accidents involving loss of life to passengers and crew. This is reduced from seven in 2021 and an improvement on the five-year average (2018-2022), which was also seven.

The report also showed that the fatal accident rate improved to 0.16 per million sectors for 2022, from 0.27 per million sectors in 2021, and also was ahead of the five-year fatal accident rate of 0.20.

It indicated that the all accident rate was 1.21 per million sectors, a reduction compared to the rate of 1.26 accidents for the five years 2018-2022, but an increase compared to 1.13 accidents per million sectors in 2021.

The fatality risk declined to 0.11 from 0.23 in 2021 and 0.13 for the five years, 2018-2022 and IATA member airlines experienced one fatal accident in 2022, with 19 fatalities.

“Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights in 2022. That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage. But even though the risk of flying is exceptionally low, it is not risk-free. Careful analysis of the trends that are emerging even at these very high levels of safety is what will make flying even safer.

This year’s report, for example, tells us that we need to make some special efforts on turboprop operations in Africa and Latin America. Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and our goal is to have every flight take off and land safely regardless of region or aircraft type,” said IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh.

IATA said theindustry 2022 fatality risk of 0.11 means that on average, a person would need to take a flight every day for 25,214 years to experience a 100 per cent fatal accident. This is an improvement over the five-year fatality rate (average of 22,116 years).

Despite the reduction in the number of fatal accidents, the number of fatalities rose from 121 in 2021 to 158 in 2022. The majority of fatalities in 2022 occurred in a single aircraft accident in China that claimed the lives of 132 persons. The airline involved was not an IATA member but is on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry. The next largest loss of life occurred in an accident to an IATA member in Tanzania that resulted in 19 fatalities. Participation in IOSA is a requirement for IATA membership.

IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is the global industry standard for airline operational safety. It is used by numerous authorities in their regulatory safety programs.

IATA showed that currently 409 operators are

on the IOSA Registry, including 107 non-IATA Members. The all-accident rate for airlines on The registry story continues on better the IOSA in 2022 wasonline four times www.thisdaylive.com than the rate for non-IOSA airlines (0.70 vs. 2.82) and the 2018-2022 accident rate of IOSA airlines versus non-IOSA airlines was more than twice as good (0.88 vs. 2.19).

“IOSA continues to be the global standard for operational safety audits. With carriers on the IOSA registry having an aggregate safety record that is four times better than non-IOSA carriers, it is clearly continuing to make a difference. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, we are transitioning IOSA to a risk-based model. By focusing on pertinent safety risks while maintaining a baseline of safety, IOSA will contribute to raising the safety bar even higher. Additionally, the IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA), for operators of smaller aircraft that are not eligible for the IOSA program, ensures we look to deliver continuous improvement in safety performance across the whole aviation ecosystem,” said Walsh.

The report also showed that the number of turboprop accidents declined in 2022 compared to 2021 but they accounted for four of the five fatal accidents last year with loss of life to passengers and crew onboard. Although sectors flown by turboprops represented just 10.6 per cent of the total, turboprops were involved in 36 per cent of all accidents, 80 per cent of fatal accidents and 16% of fatalities in 2022.

Six regions showed improvement or no deterioration, in the turboprop hull loss rate in 2022 when compared to the five-year average.

The two regions to see increases compared to the five-year average were Latin America/Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.

“Both sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America saw increases in turboprop accidents last year.

Introduction and adherence to global standards (including IOSA) are key to reversing this trend. The priority for Africa continues to be implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS),” said Walsh.

At year-end 2022, some 28 African countries (61 per cent) had an Effective Implementation (EI) rate of ICAO SARPS of 60 per cent or greater, unchanged from 2021. Increased attention is being placed to address the critical elements of the ICAO SARPS. “Building a data rich environment across Africa is also essential to delivering regional improvements such as IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management program,” said Walsh.

“Turning to Latin America, the region took a step back in 2022 after registering steady safety improvements for several years. Working with government and industry stakeholders through bodies such as the Regional Aviation Safety Group Pan America, IATA is helping provide tools to enable state regulators and operators to support the adoption of safety best practices. At the local level, Collaborative Safety Teams and Runway Safety Teams are using IATA’s GADM safety database and other data sources to identify and mitigate risks,” Walsh also said.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

25

BUSINESSWORLD

OIL & GAS

Why FG Axed Seplat’s CEO, Brown The revocation of Visa, Work and Residence Permit of Seplat CEO is one bold move by the Nigerian government that Nigerians are eager to see how it ends, writes Oluchi Chibuzor

T

he decision of the Federal Government (FG) to revoke the Visa, Residence and Work Permits of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown, over alleged racism, favouring of foreign workers, and discriminating against Nigerian employees has continued to re-echo across the country.

Mr. Akinola Adesina Director II, Citizenship and Business conveyed it to Seplat in a March 3, 2023 letter entitled “Withdrawal of Work Permit, CERPAC, Visa/Residence Permit of Mr. Roger Thompson Brown – CEO, SEPLAT Energy PLC”.

The letter read: “I write to inform you that the Ministry is in receipt of a petition from the Solicitor to the concerned workers and stakeholders of Seplat Energy PLC accusing Mr. Rogers Thomson Brown, the CEO of the companies of various allegations.

“These accusations include racism, favouring foreign workers and discriminating against Nigerian employees. Testimony was received from several witnesses, which supported the allegations. Mr. Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the time.

“Investigation and records in the Ministry also revealed that Mr. Roger Brown was in possession of CERPAC that was not based on validly issued Expatriate Quota approved by the Ministry of Interior resulting to the violation of relevant Immigration Laws and Regulations. As a result of these, the Honourable Minister has determined that Mr. Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria is contrary to national interest.

“Consequently, the Ministry has withdrawn the Work Permit CERPAC, Visa, Residence Permit and all relevant documents that authorised Mr. Roger Thomson Brown’s entry or stay in Nigeria.” But the letter did not give further details.

PETITION THAT NAILED BROWN However, processes filed by aggrieved shareholders at the Federal High Court, Lagos, have thrown more light on the alleged breaches by the British, which informed FG’s decision. One of them is Exhibit A to the lawsuit marked FHC/L/402/2023 being the petition by the aggrieved Seplat workers to the Ministry of Interior.

Writing through their solicitors, Hakeem Kareem & Co on March 31, 2023, the employees accused Brown of criminal and anti-Nigeria actions and warned that the “brazen practice of discrimination and victimization of Nigerians by Mr. Brown, if not checked, will ruin the gains made by this Nigerian company of the last 13 years of existence”.

They accused Brown of “intimidation, bullying, and sacking of Nigerian staff of Seplat; intimidation of senior staff and members of senior management team; abuse of corporate governance, relegation of host communities, relocation of Seplat technology office to Aberdeen; bullying of Nigerian staff by foreign nationals; and refusal to fully relocate to Nigeria after many years.

“Since Mr. Roger Brown took over power in Seplat as CEO, he has unleashed intimidation, active and passive aggression towards Nigerian staff. This has led to forced retirement or sacking of Nigerian staff, both junior and senior”, the staff alleged.

They also alleged that Mr. Brown forced the resignation of about 23 senior and middle level staff of Seplat without the approval of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (formerly DPR).

Brown, the workers further alleged, set different assessment and retirement standards for Nigerian and expatriate workers, leading a hemorrhage of indigenous staff of Seplat.

They accused their CEO of “the worst form of racism and systemic discrimination”, citing the example of the London office of Seplat set up in 2013 to be under the headship of the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), and therefore occupied by Brown while he held the position.

However, they allege that Brown has refused to hand over to his Nigerian successor, Mr. Emeka Onwuka, and instead employed an Irish “stooge”, Mr. Alaisdair Mackenzie, to take charge of the London office.

“This is ridiculous when the company is a Nigerian company, producing Nigerian oil

holding any employment in Nigeria.”

Lastly, they prayed the Federal Government to, “direct Seplat’s board of Directors to immediately terminate Mr. Roger Brown’s employment as a director and CEO of Seplat Energy Plc. as he is not fit and proper person to hold such an office.”

Brown and gas and selling to the international and Nigerian market, ”they complained.

On alleged abuse of corporate governance, they stated, “Mr. Roger Brown has perpetrated abuse of corporate governance by giving racist South African investors preferential treatment amongst other shareholders of Seplat. He recently brought these investors to Nigeria without other investors from sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria. This is gross abuse of corporate governance, which prescribes that all shareholders should be treated equally.

This is a market practice abuse by the CEO. There is also information that Mr. brown wants to secretly acquire Seplat from the capital market, using his South African fronts”.

The workers were also aggrieved that proactive host communities’ engagement hitherto mastered by Seplat had suffered greatly under Brown.

“He has no regards to the community leaders, kings, and chiefs, as well as the youth. He stopped simple community contracts such as catering and landscaping. Consequently Seplat has been having incessant demonstration by communities. Seplat now suffers vandalisation of Seplat oil and gas assets across the Nigeria Delta, ”they complained.

Also, they alleged a deliberate deprivation of Nigerians the career opportunities to grow in the oil and gas industry by Brown’s unilateral decision to move the technical/subsurface department of Seplat to Aberdeen and appointing Irish and British nationals as heads of these sensitive and essential department in total violation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and “in perpetration of his racist practices”. They claimed the Aberdeen office costs Seplat avoidable millions of dollars annually.

They equally expressed displeasure at the culture of bullying of indigenous workers by foreign nationals established by Brown.

They further alleged that Roger Brown had failed to relocate his family to Nigeria in accordance with his condition of service despite making the company pay for an accommodation for him in Ikoyi.

“He fraudulently collected extra remuneration from the company to relocate his wife and children. Three years have passed and Mr. Brown has refused to relocate. Instead, he has been shuttling between London and Nigeria at great expense to the company at the cost of over $5 million, ”they told the Ministry.

They expressed displeasure over alleged constant abuse of President Muhammadu Buhari by their CEO, especially among his expatriate friends, saying it amounts to an abuse and disrespect on the entire nation and all Nigerians.

They said given the alleged circumstances, a recent staff survey showed large-scale staff dissatisfaction at Seplat.

They therefore prayed the Minister to: “Declare Mr. Roger Brown, Persona non grata for violation of Nigerian local content regulations and discriminatory treatment of Nigerian nationals; revoke Mr. Roger Brown’s Residence Permit and work visa as a matter of urgency; and ban Mr. Roger Brown from

ENTER AGGRIEVED STAKEHOLDERS Meanwhile, shareholders of the foremost indigenous oil and gas firm have also joined the fray as a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday restrained Mr. Roger Brown from parading himself as the CEO of the company pending the determination of a suit instituted against him and others by shareholders.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Basil Omiyi, as well as the Non-Executive Directors under him were not spared as the court equally restrained them from, “continuing to run the affairs of Seplat in an illegal, unfair, prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the Petitioner’s Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

Justice C.J Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, made the ex parte orders following an application brought by angry stakeholders, namely of Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe, against Seplat Energy PLC, Mr. Roger Brown, and Mr. Basil Omiyi.

In the affidavit in support of the suit, Robert Ibekwe restated all the allegations made by the Seplat workers to the Ministry of Interior, but went further to say that all the breaches and Brown’s continued engagement as Seplat CEO amounted to complicity and dereliction of responsibilities on the path of the Board Chairman and Non-executive Directors.

In their suit filed by Jeph Njikonye

(SAN), the aggrieved shareholders seek a declaration that the affairs of Seplat have been conducted in a manner that is illegal, oppressive and unfairly prejudicial to the petitioners and other members of Seplat and in total disregard to the interest of the petitioners, other employees, and Seplat as a whole.

Also, they want a declaration that by their failure to stop or sanction the alleged unlawful, discriminatory, and abusive conducts of the CEO, Roger Brown, the Board Chairman, Basil Omiyi, and the Nonexecutive Directors are unfit to continue to function in the Board of Directors of Seplat. The court has adjourned the matter to March 23.

SEPLAT DENIES ANY WRONGDOING Meanwhile, Seplat Energy has denied any wrongdoing as presented to the Ministry of Interior by the petitioners, saying the allegations were “spurious and vindictive” and orchestrated “to spread false information.”

It said Seplat Energy would be, “engaging with the Ministry to reject the impressions created by these allegations.”

However, a fellow of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Law Mefor, has faulted Seplat, saying its CEO had the opportunity to state his own side of the story before the ministry, but snubbed the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“It is too late to begin to claim that the allegations were false when Brown snubbed invitations by the Ministry. Can a Nigerian resident in the UK do the same to the UK authorities? Nigeria is a nation guided by laws. Seplat and Brown are not above the Law. They should obey before they complain. In any case, this is a matter we will rise as Nigerians pursue even if for the sake of our dignity, ”he stated.

26

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 • 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 08Mar-2023, 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 203.61 204.76 7.66% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 10.62% Nigeria International Debt Fund 329.75 329.75 6.64% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 106.93 108.03 1.42% 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 N/A N/A N/A AIICO Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 6.29% Anchoria Equity Fund 158.65 160.36 9.45% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.25 1.25 1.44% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com info@anchoriaam.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 23.78 24.49 8.35% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 553.19 569.87 6.13% ARM Ethical Fund 47.51 48.94 5.31% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.14 1.14 0.96% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.12 1.12 1.35% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.19% ARM Short Term Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 1.15% 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 96.93 96.93 1.92% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,122.47 1,122.47 -0.35% 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 2.14 2.14 3.89% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.41 2.46 9.23% CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.57% 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 11.86% Paramount Equity Fund 20.17 20.54 7.59% Women's Investment Fund 156.67 159.66 6.73% CHD Nigeria Bond Fund 101.67 101.67 9.70% CHD Nigeria Dollar Income Fund 1.00 1.00 8.98% 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 N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 1.00 11.20% Coronation Money Market Fund 1.24 1.25 3.77% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.38 1.38 -1.70% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 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 N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A Emerging Africa Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund N/A N/A N/A Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 Bond Fund 1503.91 1503.91 12.24% FBN Balanced Fund 211.14 212.70 5.73% FBN Halal Fund 125.79 125.79 12.35% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.12% FBN Dollar Fund 121.77 121.77 6.92% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 179.18 181.59 8.20% FBN Specialized Dollar Fund 105.89 105.89 9.58% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.60% Legacy Debt Fund 3.52 3.52 -12.08% Legacy Equity Fund 2.14 2.18 22.99% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.28 1.28 6.10% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com 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

Bid Price 4,432.20 3,765.06 100.00

Offer Price 4,462.04 3,765.06 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn 29.03% 7.77% 11.01%

FSDH Dollar Fund 1.14 1.14 5.67% GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.gtcoplc.bank; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.06% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.96 3.02 8.83% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.21% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 0.00 0.00 0.00% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.33 1.37 8.53% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 8.63% 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 N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 13.05 13.10 5.90% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.99% 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) 102.31 102.31 9.79% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 9.51% 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 136.43 139.73 0.05% 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 1.02 1.02 11.02% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,857.05 3,885.83 13.75% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 247.03 247.03 4.86% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.52 1.54 21.43% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 336.28 336.28 7.39% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 282.18 285.24 20.74% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.85% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 13,038.48 13,196.42 19.42% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.38 1.38 6.96% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 122.40 122.40 4.70% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 116.83 116.83 9.83% Stanbic IBTC Absolute Fund 4,643.59 4,643.59 9.15% Stanbic IBTC Aggressive Fund 3,477.47 3,521.49 25.09% Stanbic IBTC Conservative Fund 4,393.54 4,410.38 15.41% 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 1.07 1.10 12.45% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.59 1.62 16.19% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.29 1.31 10.64% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.12 1.12 9.96% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.98 1.98 7.25% United Capital Eurobond Fund 126.60 126.60 5.47% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.92% 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 14.69 14.83 5.95% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 16.67 16.84 5.47% Zenith Income Fund 23.87 23.87 1.32% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 0.00% VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

115.40 53.52 101.31 9.93

1.31% 4.74% -13.05%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

17.09 142.53 112.52 17.40 16.40

17.19 145.01 114.48 17.50 16.50

10.39% 11.69% 12.54% -2.85% 3.10%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

106.75

0.00%

Fund Name

SFS REIT Union Homes REIT Nigeria Real Estate Investment Trust UPDC 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

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.

This

Weekend

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

2023 IFJ:

Spotlight on Female Justices in Nigeria

Group Features Editor: CHIEMELIE EZEOBI chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com

07010510430

TR

UTH

& R E ASO

N

WEEKLY MAGAZINE

28

ͯͮ˜ ͰͮͰͱ ˾ T H I S D AY

COVER

2023 IFJ: Spotlight on Female Justices in Nigeria In commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Female Judges, IFJ, themed ‘Women in Justice, Women for Justice’, Sunday Ehigiator chronicles the female Justices currently serving at Nigeria’s Supreme Court of Justice, as well as those serving at various Federal High Courts in different states

Adesiyan

Onyetenu

Demi –Ajayi

Iroawuchi

Agishi

Anyadike

Aminu

Ogunbanjo

Rabiu

Nyako

Inyang

Obehi

Olajuwon

Afolabi

Maha

Omowunmi

Lucia

Agatha

Ayua

Oghoghorie

Mark

Adegoke

Agomoh

T

he International Day of Women Judges (IFJ) is usually celebrated on March 10 each year to promote equal and complete participation of women at different levels of the judiciary.

It was celebrated for the first time on March 10, 2022, in pursuant to the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 75/274 of 2021.

The establishment of the day marks an important milestone in the global efforts to ensure gender equality and builds upon the ongoing efforts of the Global Judicial Integrity Network (GJIN) in addressing gender-related judicial integrity issues.

According to the United Nations (UN), women’s involvement in the judiciary is critical to ensure that courts represent their populations, respond to their concerns, and issue competent decisions.

“Women judges increase the credibility of courts just by being present, giving a strong message that they are open and accessible to anyone seeking justice. Join us as we honour all women judges.

“Despite women’s increased engagement in public life, they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions.

A relatively small number of women have been, or are part of, the judiciary, particularly in senior judicial leadership positions.

“Women’s representation in the judiciary is key to ensuring that courts represent their citizens, address their concerns and hand down sound judgments. By their mere presence, women judges enhance the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to those who seek recourse to justice.

“The entry of women judges into spaces from which they had historically been excluded has been a positive step in the direction of judiciaries being perceived as being more transparent, inclusive, and representative of the people whose lives they affect.

“By marking the day, we will reaffirm our commitment to develop and implement appropriate and effective national strategies and plans for the advancement of women in judicial justice systems and institutions at the leadership, managerial and other levels.”

The UN said the day is also celebrated to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels of the judiciary, to celebrate the progress that has been made and raise awareness about the challenges ahead.

Forthwith, this report highlights the progress made so far in the Nigerian Judiciary arm of government in the inclusion of women as an integral part of the system, while also introducing the current serving Nigerian Female Justices in Nigeria to the public

FEMALE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

The Supreme Court of Nigeria currently has a total of 13 Honourable Judges, among which only four, representing 31 per cent, are female.

Meet them below.

Bogoro

Abubakar

Ogunwumiju

JUSTICE KUDIRAT MOTONMORI OLATOKUNBO (CFR)

Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo (CFR), also known as Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958. She obtained her LL.B in 1980 from the University of Lagos and her LL.M from the London School of Economic and Political Science in November 1983.

She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981. She was appointed a Senior Magistrate Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989. She was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State in July 1996. She served as Chairman Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos from November 1996 to May 1999.

She was elevated as a Justice of the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004. She served as a member of the Court of Appeal ICT Committee from June 2011 to July 2013. She was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on June 8, 2013.

JUSTICE UWANI MUSA ABBA AJI (JSC)

Hon Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji (JSC) was born on November 7, 1956, in Gashua, Yobe State.

She attended Central Primary School Gashua and Government Girls Secondary School Maiduguri for her Primary and Secondary Education between 1961 and 1972.

She obtained a Diploma in Law from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1976 and subsequently, an L.L.B Hons from the same institution in 1980. She was called to the Bar in 1981 and commenced her career as State Counsel in 1982.

Before holding this position however, She had held positions of Clerical Assistant (Area Courts Division), Assistant Registrar, Acting Registrar and Higher Registrar between 1973 and 1982.

After she was appointed State Counsel in 1982, she rose through various positions becoming an Acting Senior State Counsel in 1984, Senior Magistrate II in 1986, Senior Magistrate I in 1987, Chief Magistrate II in 1989, Chief Magistrate I in 1991 and Chief Registrar in November 1991.

She was appointed Higher Court Judge of Yobe State Judiciary in December 1991 making her the first Lady Judge at Yobe State Judiciary, a position she held until July 2004 when she was elevated to the Court of Appeal.

Before her elevation to the Supreme Court on January 8, 2019, His Lordship was the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal Kaduna Division, a position she held for 4 years.

Augie

Olatokunbo

JUSTICE AMINA ADAMU AUGIE (CON)

Hon. Mr Justice Amina Adamu Augie was born Anne Eva Graham on the 3rd day of September 1953.

She is from Kebbi State, in the North-Western part of Nigeria. She attended Abadina School, University College Ibadan from 1958 – 1960, among others, Nigerian Law School, Lagos from 1977 – 1978, and was called to Bar on July 8, 1978.

Hon. Justice A. A. Augie began her legal career as a Legal Aid Counsel at the Legal Aid Council, Sokoto while serving in the National Youth Service Corps from 1978 - 1979. She rose to become the Head of the Department of Legal Aid Council, Sokoto State.

From 1980 - 1982, she had a stint with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as an Assistant Lecturer. From 1982 - 1984, she served as a Senior State Counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel to the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, after which, she was appointed Lecturer by the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

In 1988, Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie was appointed Chief Magistrate in the Sokoto State Judiciary.

She was elevated to the Court of Appeal Bench in 2002. While at the Appellate Court, she served in various Divisions and rose to become Presiding Justice, of the Benin Division from July 2009 - September 2010; Presiding Justice, of the Enugu Division from September 2010 - September 2011; Presiding Justice, of the Kaduna Division from September 2011 - September 2012; Presiding Justice, Lagos Division from September 2012 - November 2016.

Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie was elevated as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 7, 2016.

JUSTICE HELEN M. OGUNWUMIJU (JSC)

Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju (JSC, FCIArb) was born on March 23, 1957, in Ondo City, Ondo West Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. She obtained her School Certificate in 1972 at Adekile Goodwill Grammar School, Ibadan; her Higher School Certificate in 1974 at Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan; Law Graduate of the University of Lagos in 1977, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.

She worked briefly with the Ondo State Government from 1979-1981. Worked with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and rose to the rank of Assistant Director, just as she helped establish Legal Aid Offices and Programs in Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Sokoto and several States of Nigeria.

She was appointed a Chief Magistrate Grade 1

Aji

in Oyo State in 1991, served as Chief Magistrate in Ibadan, Ile-Ife, Eruwa, Igboora and Oyo Magisterial Districts, and was appointed Secretary, Judicial Service Committee, Oyo State, in 1996.

Appointed Probate Registrar, State Sheriff, then Chief Registrar of Oyo State in February 1997, as Chief Registrar, established the Records Unit of the Court for Archiving of Court records.

She was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Ondo State in November 1998 with jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters and elevated to the Court of Appeal, Nigeria in November 2005. At the Court of Appeal, she worked in the Ilorin, Benin, Owerri, Lagos and Enugu Divisions of the Court. She was elevated to the Supreme Court on November 6, 2020.

FEMALE HIGH COURT JUSTICES

There are a total of 74 Honourable Judges at the Federal High Court of Nigeria. Only 25 of this number, representing just 34 per cent, are female.

They include Justice Hajiya Binta Nyako currently serving at Abuja High Court; Justice Ajoku Patricia Iroawuchi, serving at Port-Harcourt; Justice Okeke, Anulika Agatha, currently serving in Ibadan; Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar, currently serving in Abuja; Justice Adaobi Onyetenu, currently serving in Akure; Justice Dorcas Venenge Agishi, currently serving in Jos. Justice Folashade Adesiyan, currently serving in Asaba; Justice Ojukwu Ijeoma Lucia, currently serving in Calabar; Justice Oguntoyinbo Oluremi Omowunmi, currently serving in Abeokuta; Justice Phoebe Msuean Ayua, currently serving in Port-Harcourt; Justice Uche Nma Agomoh, currently serving in Ibadan; Justice Folashade Olubunmi Ogunbanjo, currently serving in Enugu.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike, currently serving in Umuahia; Justice Yellim Bogoro, currently serving in Lagos State; Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie, currently serving in Calabar; Justice Jane Egienanwan Inyang, currently serving in Asaba; Justice Justice Hadiza Rabiu, currently serving in Kaduna; Justice Joyce Obehi, currently serving in Abeokuta; Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu, currently serving in Damaturu.

Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke, currently serving in Minna; Justice Nehizena Afolabi, currently serving in Lafia; Justice Adefunmilayo Adekemi Demi–Ajayi, currently serving in Akure; Justice Sa’adatu Ibrahim Mark, currently serving in Port-Harcourt; Justice Mobolaji Olubukola Olajuwon, currently serving in Abuja; Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, currently serving in Abuja; and Justice Awogboro Abimbola Olawunmi, currently serving in Lagos.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͮ˜ ͰͮͰͱ

NEWS DATA SHOWS GENDER Uncover Encourages Black Women on Skincare PMI IMBALANCE IN PROJECT Stories By Mary Nnah As the world works towards dismantling the misconception that black skin does not need daily protection from the sun, another battle is being fought in the skincare community sunscreens made for darker skin tones.

For many years, the beauty industry got away with relegating the beauty needs of black women. Whether it is the issue of creating one foundation shade suitable for dark-skinned women in a collection of ten shades or the failure to find hair products from mainstream brands that worked well with the curls, coils and locs grown by black women, the uproar increased and led to the birth of brands and releases yearning to remedy the situation.

One such brand is Uncover, a female-founded skincare brand with the perfect goal in mind: “Skincare made with Africa as a priority and not an afterthought.” Speaking during a recent event co-founder of Uncover, founders, Jade Oyateru, said, “Not only does Uncover encourage African women to wear their skin with pride, but they also encourage them to prioritise healthy skin over perfect skin- an encouragement

Uncover Encourages Black Women on Skincare

that is buttressed through a range of products that combine the best of K-Beauty with African botanicals.”

Gaining accolades from skincare lovers, Uncover Aloe Invisible Sunscreen ticks the

boxes of the ideal black girl sunscreen.

“It is no secret that African countries exist with prevailing warm and higher temperature climates. When searching for the perfect daily-use sunscreen some

priorities include: lightweight, leaves no white cast, broadspectrum coverage, high SPF, no stinginess or irritability when applied and no harsh ingredients”, she added.

However, not all sunscreens are made with African skin in mind and fail to tick off all these boxes. Crafted in two years in the world’s best labs and backed by experts in the industry, Uncover’s Aloe Invisible Sunscreen has been formulated with all priorities in mind. Celina Kama Uncover Aloe Invisible Sunscreen, the lightweight SPF 50+ sunscreen is formulated with Aloe Vera and Hyaluronic Acid (two super-moisturizing ingredients) that make it an ideal choice for everyday use.

Indeed, one of the major unique selling points of this sunscreen is that it seeps into the skin and leaves no white cast, encouraging you to reapply during the day and protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Packaged in bright “I AM PROTECTED” affirmations, the Uncover Aloe Invisible Sunscreen is the go-to for anyone searching for a sunscreen that meets the requirements they need and have sought.

Real Estate Expert Educates on Rent to Own, First Real Mortgage Plan in Lagos “When the term “buying a home” is mentioned you undoubtedly assume that it involves a lot of money, well it does, but there are alternative ways to break down the payment when purchasing a home”, Ekeanyanwu Dorcas, areal estate expert has said.

Educating Nigerians on ways to own homes without actually breaking the banks, Ekeanyanwu said, “The first is through “mortgage”. Many people want to live in a place free of landlord problems or do not want to pay a huge sum at once, that is where the idea of obtaining a mortgage creeps up on you while you’re looking for that perfect, affordable home.”

He explained that: ‘A mortgage is a loan for which real estate or other property is pledged as security. The borrower and the lender (often a bank) sign into an agreement whereby the borrower gets cash up front and makes payments over a certain period until he repays the lender in full.”

When discussing mortgages in Nigeria, Ekeanyanwu said it is almost impossible to not talk about the National Housing Fund (NHF), a scheme created by the Federal Government for Nigerian workers, to help them access flexible financing to get their own homes and is administered by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

He noted further that Nigerians can apply for a lowinterest housing loan through NHF and use the funds for the purchase, building, refurbishment, or expansion of residential structures. Another intriguing way to own a home without paying a lump sum, National Housing Fund said was through the “Rent to Own Property Ownership Scheme”. He said that this scheme, although not too popular is a hassle-free way of becoming a homeowner.

“Legrande Properties DevelopmentCompanyLimited,areal estate company in Lagos offers this scheme as a new develop-

Real Estate Expert Educates on Rent to Own

ment in their homeownership plan for their 2 and 3-bedroom units. This scheme provides a convenient payment plan for homeownership for Nigerian workers. Legrande Properties Development Company Limited is in partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for this scheme”, he noted.

Speaking further, he said this scheme involved the FMBN paying 80% of the

property’s total price on one’s behalf which can be paid back monthly or yearly for up to 30 years while the subscriber will pay the remaining 20% in two installments.

He explained that the terms and conditions for accessing the scheme were: Any Nigerian above the age of 18 years can apply; applicants must be a contributor to the National Housing Fund for a minimum period of six months and ap-

plicants must have satisfactory evidence of the regular flow of income to guarantee loan repayment. “Finally, these alternative options play an essential role in providing secure homes for Nigerians, you can become a homeowner through the “Rent to Own Property Ownership Scheme” facilitated by Legrande Properties Development Company Limited with little to no stress”, he added.

Seamfix, MTN Group to Provide SIM Registration in Five African Countries Seamfix, a leading provider of identity management and digital solutions in Africa, has partnered with MTN Group, a mobile telecommunications company, to extend SIM registration services into five African countries. MTN Group is leveraging the Seamfix Enrolment suite using BioSmart Solution, a robust Biometric SIM Registration solution, to benefit over 30 million MTN subscribers in Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Guinea, and Sudan.

Speaking on the recent project, aid Seamfix CEO Chimezie Emewulu, said, “At Seamfix, we are proud to say that we already provide this solution for MTN and other telecommu-

nications companies in Nigeria.

Our solution has enabled us to power an impressive 250,000 sim registrations monthly, translating to approximately 3 million sim registrations annually.”

He said further that the Seamfix Enrolment Suite, which powers the BioSmart engine, provides a range of features, including biometric capture and validation, digital signatures, liveness detection, face-to-ID match, and offline registration, adding, “It helps MTN Group identify mobile phone SIM owners, track criminals using phones for fraudulent activities, provide better services to customers, and increase revenue streams. The Seamfix Enrolment Suite is compliant with regulatory standards

and trusted by government and private organisations to create a secure digital infrastructure.

“With our success in Nigeria, we are excited to partner with MTN Group to expand our digital presence in five African countries. The Seamfix Enrolment Suite has been a game-changer in capturing and validating biometric identities and records in real-time,” Emewulu said.

While noting that his company’s solution is designed to increase security, drive efficiency, reduce costs, and create a better customer experience, Emewulu added that Seamfix is committed to providing innovative solutions that help people enable trust in the way they work, live, and learn.

MANAGEMENT

Recent research by the Project Management Institute (PMI) has shown that women hold significantly fewer jobs than their male counterparts, despite global equality movements and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programmes in the workplace.

According to the International Labour Organisation, the global labour force participation rate for women is just under 47 per cent, compared with 72 per cent for men.

This gender gap in employment is even starker in project management, where male project managers outnumber female project managers by 3:1, according to recent research from Project Management Institute.

To better understand the current state of women in project management and where opportunities exist for female workers and organisations, PMI recently looked at data from over 1,900 female project professionals who responded to the PMI Annual Global Survey on Project Management in 2022.

In a sector marked by a talent shortage, the statistics point to underutilisation of skills women bring to the Project Economy and the loss of diversity in a male-dominated environment. PMI’s Talent Gap report predicts that the number of jobs requiring project management-oriented skills, from economic growth to retirement rates, will create a global need for 25 million new project professionals by 2030. It also indicated that the gender gap in project management is universal. Male project professionals outnumber females in every region worldwide, but the disparities are most significant in the Middle East and NorthAfrica,Asia Pacific, and SouthAsia. Gender gaps are lowest in North America, sub-Saharan Africa, and China.

While women have advanced in the sector over the past few decades, the MD, sub-Saharan Africa, PMI, George Asamani, encouraged more women to take advantage of the gains that stem from certifications. “While there is a glaring disparity which has immediate negative implications for project teams, 88% of project professionals say having diverse project teams increases value.

Workplace gender equality is not just about inclusivity, it also has a compelling commercial imperative”, she noted.

In industries like telecom, information technology, construction, transportation/logistics, energy, aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, and consulting, male project managers outnumber females by more than 50 per cent. Healthcare is the only industry where the gap is less than 20 per cent.

Asamani said, “Women in project management must not be a numbers game. While it is important to have more female representation, we need to look at how we can build capacity and create opportunities for education and training and for women to take on leadership roles. “ We have a thriving volunteering community in our Chapters across 21 countries in the region that advocates for more women in project management and actively nurtures and supports the wealth of talent and enthusiasm through networking, events, town halls, and webinars.”

PMI’s global snapshot shows that male project managers outnumber their female counterparts worldwide and, in every sector, but the gaps differ significantly by region and industry.

The report also found that women earn less than men and are slightly less likely to have a project management certification or degree. While there are fewer women in the project workforce, they are slightly less likely than men to have a leadership role.

According to the United Nations, women earn about 20 per cent less than men for work of equal value. For female project managers, the pay gap in most countries is below the global average but significant. According to PMI’s most recent salary survey, female project managers earn less than male project managers in every country surveyed. In Nigeria, the salary difference between the female and their male counterparts is nine per cent.

“Stimulating dialogue on female representation in the workplace, especially on occasions like International Women’s Day, is crucial to driving awareness. Achieving gender balance in the sector won’t happen by accident.

FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA RECOGNISED AT THE 2023 SABRE AWARDS EMEA Nigeria’s leading integrated food business and agro-allied group, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, has earned a nomination at the 19th edition of the SABRE Awards EMEA 2023.

Organised by PRovoke Media, the SABRE Awards are widely regarded as the world’s premier PR awards program, recognising outstanding campaigns, PR firms, and individuals that demonstrate excellence in creativity, strategic thinking, and business results in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

With the awarding body receiving over 2,000 entries, Flour Mills Of Nigeria Plc secured a nomination for superior achievement in reputation management for its exceptional B2B Employee Comms & Superior Reputation Management campaign by Plaqad.

Speaking on the nomination, Corporate Communications Manager Modupe Thani said, “We are honoured to receive this nomination in the Diamond SABRE category. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team in crafting a successful PR campaign that effectively communicates our company’s values and mission to our audience.”

“With engagement, credibility, and relationship building as core values guiding the awarding body, the nomination is a sheer testament to the innovative approach, creativity, and dedication of FMN in the FMCG sector”. Thani added.

Flour Mills Of Nigeria Plc has been at the forefront of innovation in the Nigerian food sector. In 2002, it introduced Vitamin A-fortified wheat, launched Nigeria’s First pasta plant in 2005, and kicked off investments in renewable energy in 2019. Flour Mills Of Nigeria Plc has continued to expand its operation through strategic partnerships.

Adjudged by a jury of industry experts based, the winners of the 19th edition of the awards will be announced at a grand evening ceremony on March 23, 2023, at the Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten in Frankfurt, Germany, where the most influential PR professionals and companies will be present.

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY ͯͮ˜ ͰͮͰͱ

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu; InspectorGeneral of Police (IG), Akali Baba Baba; INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu; and INEC Commissioner, Festus Okoye, at the Collation Centre in Abuja…recently PHOTO: JULIUS ATOI

The wife of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, casting her vote at Ikoyi 2 Folomo Ward A2 polling unit 034 in Lagos...recently PHOTO: MUBO PETERS

A person living with disability (PLWD) performing her civic responsibility at the Post Office polling unit at Area 10, Garki, Abuja, during the 2023 presidential elections in Abuja…recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

Group of foreign observers exchanging ideas at Durumi 2 Primary school, Garki Abuja, during the 2023 presidential elections in Abuja…recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

A large turnout of voters at the Durumi 2 Primary School polling unit in Abuja during the 2023 presidential elections…recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

Some voters displaying their voter cards in show of their readiness to vote at the Garki 2 village during the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections in Abuja…recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

A cross-section of voters at a polling unit in 13th Avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja…recently

PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

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FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 • T H I S D AY

PERSPECTIVE

Why Deltans will Vote Sheriff Oborevwori as Governor Mideno Bayagbon

I

n three days time, Deltans, like in most states in Nigeria, will be flooding voting centres to decide who should be their next Governor. It will be a straight fight between the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege. While Oborevwori is of the Peoples Democratic Party, Omo-Agege is of the All Progressives Congress. Nevertheless, put on a scale, the much maligned, abused and denigrated Sheriff Oborevwori stands a better chance of emerging Governor of the state than Omo-Agege. I will explain.

Of course there are other contestants in the race. Buoyed by the massive votes which the Obidient tsunami wreaked on Delta State, the little known candidate of the Labour Party in the state, Ken Pela, has suddenly revved his formerly nonexistent campaign, is holding court and now believes that the Obidient group will invade the polling centres once again and he will be the beneficiary of their votes. Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, the habitual contestant for the office of Governor of Delta State, who was the first to hit the road, is also courting the Obidient group and hoping too that they will look his way.

For the first time in his political career, he was able, during the presidential election, to win the voting units in his Oginibo village. Wealthy and a six month minister in Jonathan’s government, Gbagi has combed the state severally but most Deltans do not see him as a serious candidate or one they should invest their future in. By now too, Olorogun Great Ovedje Ogboru, who was dislodged by Ovie Omo-Agege from the APC where he ran for governor the last time, knows that he stands no chance of winning the race. But they are all in the race with little or no outsider chance of wearing the crown.

Let me make my position clear and state clearly that I support Sheriff Francis Oborevwori despite the fact that the candidates of the PDP and APC are my friends. And here is why I am lending my support to Oborevwori: I am intrigued by the story of his life, how through thick and thin, he has managed to move from one level of development to a higher one.

At every stage of his life, hard work and seemingly divine hands have tended to propel him to higher realms. I am talking about the lived reality of the Delta State Speaker. I m touched by his unparalleled humility, his unquenchable desire to learn, his unabashed association with the common people of the state, what his supporters and himself, have described as his street credibility. It’s amazing that he has lived all his life in Effurun and his village Osubi.

So he is a homeboy through and through.

He is what Gordons, the comedian, has aptly described as the lion and the lamb: fearless but very compassionate. He is a strong believer in God and an elder of Bishop Oyedepo’s church, Winners Chapel, (Living Faith).

His zest to learn, to constantly improve on his level of knowledge is commendable.

For example, he rewrote his WASC as an upcoming businessman, as former supervising councillor of the then OkpeUvwie-Udu local government area, community chairman and as a married father of children in 1998. His classmates and lecturers at the department of Political Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, speak of him in admirable tones. Even his professors at Delta State University, DELSU,

Sheriff Oborevwori Abraka, in written testimonials to the many security authorities which were spurred into investigating the certificates of the Delta State Speaker, because his opponents sold the lie that he is an “uncertificated illiterate”, assert that he indeed was their student who not only attended classes, passed his exams but indeed defended his thesis creditably and was awarded an MSc degreee.

The Deputy Senate President, on the other hand, has had, and lived, a cushioned life from infancy till date. Son of a former Chief Judge of Delta State who happened to also head the Igbe Society (devotees of a marine spirit religious sect), he went to private schools and graduated with a law degree from the University of Benin where he was a boy about town.

His sojourn in America was nearly truncated when he ran into troubled waters with the authorities and was disbarred from practicing law in the United States.

His return to Nigeria and entrance into politics have seen him progress from one level of political relevance to the other. In the last four years he has served as the Deputy Senate President, a seeming reward for his alleged mastermind of the stealing of

the mace of the Senate in a gangster, bravado style; a feat which seemingly saved President Muhammadu Buhari from the threat of impeachment during his first term. Omo-Agege loves and wields power and brooks no foes. A student of power, when he defected to the APC, he easily dislodged the one they call the peoples general, Great Ogboru and all the leaders of the APC in Delta State, seizing the structure and remodelling it in his own image.

Not known to have established or run any major business in the last 22 years, he is today a very wealthy politician. Indeed, his two years or so engagement in Delta state government saw him developing and acquiring eye-popping mansions in Effurun and Orogun his village, a home in the US where his family resides till date. He owns one of the biggest mansions in the billionaire enclave of Asokoro which he acquired when he was SSG of Delta State.

A leader of men, Ovie knows how to court and use men to his given ends. Ruthless in the pursuit of power, his rumoured romance with the Odidigborigbo, James Ibori, who nurses a personal grudge against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for sidelining him in

choosing his successor, has so far led to some defections from the ruling PDP in Delta State to Omo-Agege’s APC. Chief James Ibori, who many see as the leader of the PDP in Delta State, and who is still highly respected, has not raised any objection to some of his supporters defecting to the APC. However, his cousin and successor in office, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is a strong pillar of the Ibori political family is one of the notable exceptions.

He has chosen to take a stand for Sheriff Oborevwori who he believes will do a better job of governing Delta State than Ovie Omo-Agege. He and others are not comfortable with Omo-Agege’s style of politics. They level many allegations against him. One of these is that Ovie Omo-Agege stands accused of being clannish in warehousing projects to himself and his brother Jimmy; and in siting all of the federal government projects, his office as Deputy Senate President attracted to the state, to his village. There are six major ones.

The first of this, which was warehoused and is now a major cash cow, is the Pipeline Surveillance contract. Unknown to many, there are three companies involved. But the general public know of only Tompolo’s. A company owned

by Omo-Agege’s brother, Jimmy, has a huge chunk while the running mate to Omo-Agege, Osanebi, supplied a company name which has the third tranche of the contracts. Evidently, we now know why the youths whose names were used to obtain the surveillance contracts were not paid their stipends all these months until shortly before the presidential elections.

That apart, every single federal government project approved for Delta State was not just warehoused, the five of them were all sited in the OrhomoruOrogun, the village of the Deputy Senate President. The rest of Delta Central which he represents at the Senate, was left empty and not considered fit to have any of these projects.

Recall too that not once in the last eight years that his party, APC, has wrecked the economy and thrown majority of Nigerians into abysmal poverty, did Ovie speak out in the interest of the people. Not even when terrorists, killer herdsmen, kidnappers and sundry other merchants of death took over the country. Also in our sensitive religious climate, Omo-Agege was the first politician to publicly endorse Tinubu’s Moslem-Moslem ticket. Which is not surprising since he is not known to be a Christian. I find his “self above others” kind of politics unacceptable and Deltans do not deserve his kind of leadership at this critical time.

Among political pundits, the thinking is that the biggest threat to Oborevwori’s aspiration, currently are not the Obidient gang but the boast among supporters of the APC candidate that Omo-Agege is more adept at handling elections, given his history in the state, than the one they call Street-Wise. Already, using federal might, he has had the Divisional Police Officers in Ughelli North and South, as well as the ones in Agbarho, redeployed and replaced. The Army too, his supporters boast will be available to ensure the methods the APC used in enthroning Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the presidential election, are brought to bear on Delta State.

One can only appeal that the will of the people should be allowed to decide who govern Delta State from May 29th.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY

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BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Naira Redesign: CBN Urged to Address Technology Fundamentals to Reduce Impact of Nigerians Oluchi Vhibuzor The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been advised to implement adequate national technology backbone and other fundamental measures to alleviate the adverse impact of the Naira redesign policy on Nigerians, and expedite the transition towards a cashless society.

The Managing Editor & Publisher, The Ojo-Yoshida Report, Mr Bolaji Ojo, who gave the advice while speaking at the Technology Times Digital Transformation Thought Leadership Series, said Nigeria needs to invest in its infrastructure to power the digital economy by ensuring stable, reliable, and affordable electricity; while

telecommunication network must also be strengthened to foster digitalization that are essential to achieving a cash-free system.

He said: “Wwhat I would say is that Nigeria is pioneering certain actions that other economies are going to be forced to take.

So aside from the impact, so far, the negative impact on people in general, Nigeria is actually taking a leap forward ahead of some developed economies that are still primarily cash-based. And I can list quite a few of them. In terms of developing economies globally, Nigeria is also advancing things that others are going to have to take steps towards. The cash-based economy is an anomaly today. It’s going to go away whether we like it

or not.”

The Managing Editor & Publisher, The Ojo-Yoshida Report, said that infrastructure is essential to a successful transition to a cash-free economy. Digitalization of the global economy, he says, is accelerating, and semiconductors are in everything nowadays.

A reliable telecommunication network and stable electricity are fundamental to everything, including the financial technology industry.

“However, in order for that to happen, you need to have power. If I’m returning to an old topic for Nigerians, it is because that is something that is fundamental to anything that we want to do in the economy,” Ojo said.

Six Finalists Jostle for EY Entrepreneur Awards Nume Ekeghe The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards 2023 (EOY) West Africa is here again with six top entrepreneur finalists ready to vie for the top slot in the current edition of the global award event (West Africa edition), with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, as the Special Guest of Honour.

This year’s edition has four entrepreneurs competing in the Master entrepreneur category, with one of them to emerge as the overall winner. In this category, we have the following shortlisted finalists: Uju Catherine Ifejika—Chairman/Founder, Britannia-U Limited, Mitchell Elegbe—Group Managing Director of Interswitch, Walter

Akpani—Managing Director of Providus Bank, as well as Seleem Adegunwa—Managing Director, Rite Foods Nigeria Limited.

In a related development, the Life-Time Achievement Award will go to Rose Ada Okwechime, as a pioneer of primary mortgage bank in Nigeria. Until her retirement, Rose was the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, the premier and leading non-aligned primary mortgage bank in Nigeria. She will be honoured for being a frontline Mortgage Banker in the Nigeria’s financial landscape.

Senior Partner and Entrepreneur Of The Year Award leader for West Africa region, Ashish Bakhshi, while providing

overview of the programme, said: “The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award brings together some of the finest and most accomplished entrepreneurs, some of whom have grown to become global market leaders in their fields of play. The six shortlisted finalists will undergo the final stage of judging by an independent 5-member panel of entrepreneurs, some of whom were past winners of the award. They will assess the finalists through criteria such as their entrepreneurial spirit and leadership, financials, innovation, as well as community impact, among others. The overall winners in both categories will be announced at the Gala/Award dinner ceremony on Thursday, March 16.”

IWD: Wema Bank Sponsors 40 women for Mentoring Wema Bank Plc , has again advanced the cause of gender equality by sponsoring 40 career women for a mentoring programme aimed at helping them excel at their work places, break barriers to growth, and help them achieve professional and career success.

The mentoring programme was facilitated by the renowned international speaker and coach, Mr. Fela Durotoye who co-opted some 10 power women who have achieved success in their various fields in the corporate world.

Presenting the certificate of completion to the women at

the 2023 International Women’s Day event organised by Wema Bank Plc with the theme, “Embrace Equity” yesterday, the Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Moruf Oseni, congratulated them for successfully completing the programme.

“What we are trying to do is to give what I call equity to the women, trying to give equal footing to the women. A lot of products are developed towards this end - savings product, loan product - and a lot of them will be unveiled in the course of time”, Oseni said.

According to him, men have an edge in the gender race after several years of

women’s suppression and subjugation, pointing out that correcting the inequality requires effective measures to bridge the gap through equal access to loan, granting them rights to promotion, among others.

The key note speaker, Mrs Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, urged the women to work towards breaking the barriers that hold them back in the corporate world.

According to her, equity in the work place is crucial as studies have shown that more women in leadership position brings about better corporate performance.

Firms Partner to Enhance Innovative Growth in Nigeria’s WASH Sector Emma Okonji Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector is about to witness a big bang with the launch of the 2023 WASH Innovation Fair and Incubation Programme.

The programme, which is organised through the partnership of the Financial Centre for Sustainability, Lagos (FC4S LAGOS) and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), is sponsored by IHS, one of the largest independent owners, operators and developers of shared communication infrastructure in the world.

The second edition of the event is coming on the heels of the awards received at the SERAs Awards in December 2022. At the event, IHS (Nigeria) Limited won multiple awards for its contributions to sustainability. In particular, it emerged along with FMDQ Group among the top six companies in Africa for Best Company in Water and Sanitation.

This year’s WASH Innovation Fair event is the second in the series, with the first WASH Innovation Fair held on November 22, 2021, and is themed Innovating for Sustainable Growth in WASH Sector.

As in the first edition, the

focus is on identifying SMEs with innovative ideas in the WASH Sector. However, IHS (Nigeria) Limited and its partners will be supporting the top five SMEs with technical, commercial and business advice to enable them to take their innovative ideas from initiation to market entry. At the end of the Incubation Programme, the five winners will receive a cash prize of N3.5 million each.

The process involves a call for entry for a Hackathon that will culminate in selecting the top five winners with the smartest and most practical ideas fit for implementation.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) AUGUST 2022 Money Supply (M3)

49,356,443.6

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

50,601.36

Money Supply (M2)

49,305,842.3

-- Quasi Money

27,869,678.3

-- Narrow Money (M1)

21,436,164

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,680,236.81

---- Demand Deposits

18,755,927.2

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,074,909.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

27,869,678.3

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

61,195,142.4

---- Credit to Government (Net)

21,001,401.5

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

40,193,740.9

--Other Assets Net

6,785,979.22

Reserve Money (Base Money

14,040,351.9

--Currency in Circulation

3,210,664.98

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,829,686.9 390,557.8

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

July 2022

Inter-Bank Call Rate

13.00

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

2.76

Savings Deposit Rate

1.42

1 Month Deposit Rate

3.64

3 Months Deposit Rate

4.96

6 Months Deposit Rate

5.87

12 Months Deposit Rate

5.76

Prime Lending rate

12.10

Maximum Lending Rate

27.61

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 10 JANUARY, 2023

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $82.78 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $81.86 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

33

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY, MARCH 10, 2023

MARKET NEWS

NGX Group Aims to Deepen Value in Subsidiaries, Investee Companies Kayode Tokede The Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) has disclosed that it would generate increased growth by deepening value creation in its subsidiaries, and associate companies and expand into adjacent businesses.

During its virtual 2022 Financial Year Investor and Analyst Presentation yesterday, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NGX Group, Mr Oscar Onyema,

told investors that the company was focused on supporting its wholly owned subsidiaries and investee companies across multiple initiatives.

While responding to questions from analysts, Onyema noted that the Group doubled down on its investments in its associate company, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) seeing the strong dividend-generating potential of the firm.

“As a way to delve into new

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

DEALS

F O R MARKET PRICE

strategic investments, we doubled down on investment in CSCS, moving our ownership from 29per cent to about 44.18per cent. The essence of taking this initiative is so that we can work with the company and its stakeholders to drive improved revenues.

“Excitingly, they have demonstrated the ability to pay dividends and so we are constantly exploring more business expansion initiatives like

the document utilization project with CSCS whilst growing the company.”

In addressing the rise in expenses driven by increased interest and personnel expenses, he said the company aimed to streamline debt to cut down on interest expenses with a keen interest in reducing operational costs for the business and optimising personnel expenses without overhead reduction in staff strength.

S E C U R I T I E S

T R A D E D

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

MAIN BOARD

On the performance of the Exchange, Mr Temi Popoola, CEO, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) spoke on some of the year’s major achievements with highlights drawn from the rise of Equity capitalization, Fixed income market capitalization and Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) Market Capitalization which rose by 25.20per cent, 17.58per cent and 17.58per cent respectively.

Additionally, the value traded for the derivatives (ETF) capi-

AS O F

talisation reached N16.49million with a Market capitalization of N3.6billion at the close of 2022.

“NGX’s strategic business goal for 2023 will include forging more partnerships with development finance institutions and international banks to further develop the market. “We aim to do more with our newly forged partnership with Afreximbank through the PAPSS initiative to allow for flexibility in Africa’s payment integrations system.”

0 9 / 0 3 / 2 3 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

ʬ

ʬ ʬ

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 R O X P H

7 R S * D L Q H U V

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

T R A N SC OR P

11.8

-0.8%

GT C O

9.4

-0.8%

8.3%

UB A

9.2

1.2%

1.12

4.7%

OA N D O

8.4

-4.4%

CHA M S

0.26

4.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

6.4

0.0%

A IIC O

0.61

3.4%

WA P C O

6.2

0.2%

NA HCO

8.55

3.0%

A C C ESSC OR P

5.9

-0.5%

ST ER LN B A N K

1.54

2.7%

ST ER LN B A N K

5.9

2.7%

UC A P

5.2

1.4%

Z EN IT H B A N K

4.8

-1.1%

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

J B ER GER

26.95

10.0%

UN IT YB N K

0.59

9.3%

IN T EN EGIN S

1.30

LIVEST OC K

C H A M P ION

4.87

UC A P

14.80

1.9% 1.4%

T ic k er

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 D O X H

7 R S / R V H U V T ic k er C WG

P ric e 0.91

P ric e C hg % -7.1%

F T N C OC OA

0.28

-6.7%

OA N D O

4.36

-4.4%

C OUR T VILLE J A P A ULGOLD

0.46 0.28

-4.2% -3.4%

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

GT C O

248.3

-0.8%

N EST LE

184.0

0.0%

WA P C O

168.1

0.2%

M TNN

168.0

1.2%

Z EN IT H B A N K

126.0

-1.1%

D A N GC EM

107.3

0.0%

NB

92.7

-1.0% 0.5%

C OR N ER ST

0.63

-3.1%

WA P IC

0.40

-2.4%

N GXGR OUP

26.50

-2.2%

D A N GSUGA R

82.4

UP D C

1.05

-1.9%

UB A

79.0

1.2%

C UST OD IA N

5.80

-1.7%

UC A P

76.3

1.4%

35

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

WELCOME TO THE RED CHAMBER...

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (left) and the youngest Senator-elect who is to represent Cross River Southern Senatorial District, Asuquo Ekpenyong, shortly after receiving their certificates of return in Abuja…recently

Wike: I Didn't Work Against Obi's Presidency Explains why LP presidential candidate left PDP NYCN urges Rivers youths to vote for Fubara Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has denied accusations that he worked against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, in the recent presidential election on February 25, 2023.

The Rivers governor, who spoke yesterday, when he hosted the National Executive Committee of 'Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo' Worldwide, at Government House, Port Harcourt, however, said the reason Obi left PDP was because former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido told

him pointedly the north would produce the next president.

This is as the National Youth Council Of Nigeria (NYCN) in Rivers State, has urged the youths not to vote for greedy politicians in the pending governorship and state assembly elections, but someone from the new generation, citing the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr. Siminialaye Fubara, as a good example.

However, Wike said he could not have worked against Peter Obi when he supported him during his presidential campaign in the state, not

Katsina PDP Guber Candidate Denies Withdrawing from Race Accuses APC of circulating fictitious documents Francis Sardauna in Katsina The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State, Senator Yakubu Lado, has dismissed rumour making the rounds that he had withdrawn from the governorship race.

Lado, who dismissed the rumour in a telephone interview with THISDAY, yesterday, accused some persons in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly orchestrating the withdrawal rumour for what he termed fear of looming defeat.

On Wednesday evening, a now-viral press release appeared on social media with the claim that Lado had withdrawn from the governorship race because chieftains of his party were working for APC and Governor Aminu Bello Masari-led government.

In the release sighted by THISDAY, the author claimed that Lado's withdrawal from the race was unanimously agreed by elders and stakeholders of the opposition PDP in the state.

But Lado, during the

telephone interview, described the statement as fake and an attempt by mischief makers from the APC to discredit his candidature and truncate his 'overwhelming popularity' ahead of the March 18 governorship poll.

"APC knows that they cannot win the election. That's why they have resorted to circulating fictitious and forged documents to deceive our teeming supporters that I have withdrawn from the race. It's a fake press release.

Disregard it, please," he said.

He also urged PDP faithful in the state not to be swayed by the rumours plotted by those he described as disgruntled elements, who forged the signature of his campaign Director, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, in order to indicate that he had withdrawn from the race.

Also, the state's PDP campaign media committee chairman, Alhaji Kabir Yusuf-Yar'Adua, in a statement dismissed the insinuations that Lado had withdrawn from the governorship race.

minding that he was not his party member.

"I supported that power must come to the south.

When Obi came here, I gave him all the logistics: vehicles, other supports and paid for the stadium, but some other persons applied and I refused.

You should know me too well by now," he said.

Explaining how Obi left the PDP for the Labour Party, he said, "Obi was running with us. I knew when Obi left. He was principled and he said he can't stand it, people should say the truth. He went to see Sule Lamido in Jigawa, not in Dutse, but in a village that will take you more than four or five hours drive from Dutse the capital.

"You know what he told

Obi? He didn’t tell him that look, you came late and I have chosen somebody. He said it is the north that will produce the next president. That was how Obi left, saying why is he wasting time. Ask him, that's how he left PDP. "And that was what I saw at the convention ground. Within minutes, knowing that I was going to win, your sons were all the ones who did everything, sabotaged me. I said ok, no problem.

"But I still maintained that look, if you have taken the presidential candidate you can't take chairmanship again, give us back the chairman and I still stand by that and if you don't do that whatever you see you take."

He, however, said he felt satisfied that southern Nigeria has produced the next president of the country resulting from the 2023 presidential election, noting that, the electoral outcome was an undeniable justification of the undeterred advocacy embarked upon by the G-5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who worked so hard, contributing their quota to realise that feat.

On his part, Chairman of NYCN, Chijioke Ihunwo, speaking at a one-day youth summit organised in partnership with Rivers Network, urged the youths to support someone from the new generation of leaders for the state.

"We must not give the state to miscreants. We must not give

the state to greedy people. We are going to vote the people, who have the mind to support the youths.

"The same set of politicians have been in charge of the state since 1999, beginning from Odili, through Amaechi, including Magnus Abe and even our current governor Nyesom Wike and that is why we need younger person. We must support Mr. Siminialaye Fubara as governor of Rivers State.

"We need younger people and if Sim becomes governor we will begin to have youths as commissioners not old men.

So, don't be deceived by faceless politicians. This is the time for the youths to rule Rivers State,” he charged.

Court Orders INEC to List Udofia as APC Guber Candidate in A’Ibom Alex Enumah in Abuja The Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to list the name of Akanimo Udofia as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election.

The order came a day after the electoral umpire shifted by one week, the governorship and state houses of assembly's election initially slated for March 11.

Udofia and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, had been in long legal battle over who was the authentic candidate of the APC in the Akwa-Ibom Governorship race.

Although the battle was rested on Tuesday, with the apex court dismissing Enang's appeal against the judgment of the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, which nullified the judgment of a Federal High Court that sacked Udofia as candidate of the APC, due to

the absence of a consequential order, Udofia approached the trial court for an order of mandamus compelling INEC to list him as the authentic candidate of the APC for the now March 18 governorship election in Akwa-Ibom.

The motion for order of mandamus, with suit number was argued by his lawyer, Chief Emeka Etiaba, SAN, stated that the apex court’s decision which upheld the process through which Udofia emerged as

candidate was not enough, hence the need for the court to direct INEC to list his client as a candidate in the Akwa-Ibom governorship election having been declared as lawfully nominated by his party.

Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho, held that the case of the plaintiff was justiciable and subsequently granted the prayers and ordered INEC to list Udofia as candidate of the APC in Akwa-Ibom governorship election.

KPMG Nigeria Appoints Kale Chief Economist KPMG Nigeria has appointed a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Oyeyemi Kale as its Chief Economist.

KPMG disclosed this on its Twitter handle yesterday.

Kale is expected to lead the firm’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of its solutions involving economic modelling and macroeconomic analysis, in private and public

sector clients.

The professional services company stated: “The Partners and staff of KPMG Nigeria are pleased to welcome Dr. Oyeyemi Kale to our firm as he assumes the role of Partner and Chief Economist of KPMG Nigeria.

“Yemi holds a B.Sc. Honours degree in Economics (first class), Addis Ababa University, and an M.Sc. (distinction) and

Ph.D. in Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

“He has deep experience, gained from both the private and public sector, in macroeconomic analysis, financial, economic and investment research and fiscal and macroeconomic policy advisory.

“From 2011 to 2021 he served as the Statistician General of

the Federation/Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“As our Chief Economist, Yemi will lead the Firm’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of our solutions involving economic modelling & macroeconomic analysis, in private and public sector clients. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Oyeyemi Kale to KPMG.”

36

FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

PEACE ACCORD…

L-R: Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Ikechi Emenike, Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Okey Ahiwe, and Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC, Mrs. Gloria Akara, at the signing of Peace Accord by the all political parties for the March 18 Governorship election in Umuhia...yesterday

Use Your Votes to Retire Evil Men in Enugu, Nnaji, Nwodo Task Electorate Gideon Arinze in Enugu Former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji has asked electorate in Enugu State to ensure that they come out en masse on March 18 to vote for credible candidates in the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The former minister said that voting for credible candidates

remains the only way that the state could retire the evil men who have held it captive for years.

Nnaji made this known yestarday during a service of song held in Umuode community, Nkanu East Local Government in honour of the candidate of the Labour Party for Enugu East Senatorial zone, Oyibo Chukwu, who was gruesomely murdered

Oyo SDP Adopts APC Folarin as Guber Candidate

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Oyo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party SDP) yesterday adopted the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin, as its candidate for the gubernatorial election on March 18.

The party made the disclosure after an emergency state congress held yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital.

The meeting, which reviewed the performances of the party in the last presidential and National Assembly elections, saw members of the party from the 33 local government areas agreeing to a coalition.

The state Chairman of the

party, Mr. Michael Okunlade, lamented that in the last 46 months governance has become something else in the state, noting that the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, has succeeded in rolling back the achievements of past governments and returned the state to the locust years.

He maintained that to right the wrongs inflicted on the state by Makinde, the party decided to form a virile coalition with a party that can dislodge an administration, which he described as showing itself to be lacking in development, disclosing that after many meetings involving major stakeholders, the party decided to adopt Folarin as the candidate to support in the March 18 election.

Senate President: Group Backs Jibril’s Candidacy Adedayo Akinwale inAbuja

A group, Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network Nigeria has backed the candidacy of the Senator representing Kano North Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Barau Jibrin, as the next President of the Senate.

The Executive Director of the group, Joe Mesele in a statement issued yesterday described Jibrin as the best man for the job.

The group said of all the Senators from the Northern and Southern geopolitical zones eligible for consideration, Jibrin stands out which makes him the most ideal candidate for the job.

It added that if the zoning principle of the All Progressives Congress(APC) was anything to go by, the North-east, the Northcentral, and the South-east have had a taste of the Senate Presidency,

leaving the North-west and the South-south as the zones yet to occupy the seat.

It noted of all the candidates from the two zones, none could match the legislative experience and capacity of Jibrin.

It added: “As an organisation, we have studied the political terrain and came to the conclusion that the leadership of the 10th Senate must be someone whose main qualification is experience of the workings of the National Assembly.

And a careful scrutiny of all the aspirants for the position reveals that Senator Jibrin is poles ahead of others in terms of capacity and experience”.

The group noted that the 10th National Assembly needs an experienced and knowledgeable President of the Senate with the clout and reach across the country and political divides for optimal performance.

three days to the presidential and National Assembly elections.

Nnaji said that he was happy that Nigerians, especially the

young people, have realised that power lies in their hands and that they decide who leads them.

He asked the people of Enugu

State to use their vote to bring a desired change that would be beneficial to their children and children’s children, describing

Chukwu’s assassination as the most unfortunate and one that has never been witnessed in the state.

Bauchi PDP Condemns Killing of One Person, Injuring of Others by Thugs SegunAwofadejiinBauchi

Bauchi State chapter of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the alleged attacks on its members and innocent members of the public by suspected political thugs loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The PDP Campaign Council

Director General, Farouk Mustapha, alleged that APC thugs on Wednesday attacked its members in Duguri Town, Alkaleri LGA killing one person and injured 15 others.

Mustapha, who briefed journalists late Wednesday night said: “Today is one of the saddest days in the political history of Bauchi State, all of the gubernatorial candidates of the various parties

signed the peace accord at the State Police Command headquarters with all security agencies as it has been the practice in every election year.”

“However, the candidate of the APC, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (rtd) was conspicuously absent, only his Deputy candidate was in attendance showing no respect for peace and harmony to reign in Bauchi state,” he said.

He added: “To our dismay, while all the candidates were busy signing the peace accord, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar embarked on a last rush campaign tour to Duguri Town, the hometown of Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, the sitting governor and the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship elections.”

Guber Election: Security Operatives Urged to Deploy Video Surveillance in A’Ibom Okon Bassey inUyo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom State has tasked security agencies to deploy video surveillance during the conduct of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections to help check rigging and violence in the state.

Also, PDP has condemned accusations against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Udom Emmanuel and the party by the Young Progressives Party (YPP) of their involvement in rigging the presidential election in the state.

The State Chairman of YPP Apostle Nyeneime Andy had claimed that Governor Emmanuel was seen and spent four hours at the INEC office for undisclosed reason.

But, the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Borono Bassey, in a statement issued in

Uyo, challenged Apostle Andy to produce evidence that show that Governor Emmanuel had visited INEC office as claimed.

Mr Bassey regretted that the State Chairman of YPP made “false accusation against the electoral umpire (INEC), our party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel.”

Armed Invasion: I’ve No Hand in Bayelsa Community Killings, Says Kojo

OlusegunSamuelinYenagoa

A prominent youth leader in Opu-Nembe community in Bayelsa State and the alleged mastermind of the invasion and killings in the community, Dr. Kojo Sam, has described as mischievous, wicked and unthinkable the allegations linking him and some persons to the recent invasion and killings in

Opu-Nembe community.

Yet-to-be-identified gunmen had stormed the community on February 15, 2023, killing three persons in cold blood, a development that had sparked outrage across the state.

Earlier, the youth leader of OpuNembe, Ayerite Moses, had alleged in a statement that the killings were authorised by Kojo as part of the

plot to upstage him as the youth leader.

Also, last Tuesday, during a news conference at Opu-Nembe Town hall, the Royal Throne and the entire Opu-Nembe Kingdom claimed that the mastermind of the attacks is Dr Kojo Sam, an indigene of the kingdom, and others with the help of some hired militants from other communities.

They claimed Kojo prided himself as above the law, boasting that no security outfit in the country could invite him let alone arrest him.

However, reacting to the allegations by the Council of Chiefs and the youths leader, Kojo denied having a hand in the unfortunate incident, and called on the relevant security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book.

Guber Election: Don’t Vote for Greedy Politicians, NYCN Urges Rivers Youths Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Ahead of the governorship election in Rivers State, Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in the state, Chijioke Ihunwo, has urged the youths not to vote for greedy politicians.

Ihunwo urged the youths to

support the vote of someone from the new generation of leaders for the state.

The NYCN chairman made the call yesterday at a one-day youth summit organised in partnership with Rivers Network.

“We must not give the state to miscreants, we must not give the state to greedy people. We

are going to vote the people who have the mind to support the youths,” he charged.

Ihunwo said: “The same sets of politicians have been in charge of the state since 1999, beginning from Odili, through Amaechi, including Magnus Abe and even our current governor Nyesom Wike and that is why we

need younger person. We must support Mr. Siminialaye Fubara as governor of Rivers State.

“We need younger people and if Sim becomes governor we will begin to have youths as commissioners not old men.

So don’t be deceived by faceless politicians. This is the time for the youths to rule Rivers State.

Guber Candidates Sign Peace Accord in Abia by the state police command in Among the governorship of APP. Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

No fewer than 11 governorship candidates in Abia have signed peace accord to ensure peaceful governorship/state assembly election on March 18, 2023.

The signing of the peace accord was organised yesterday

collaboration with other security agencies and paramilitary formations in the state.

Unlike the previous peace accord, which was largely signed by party chairmen, this time around the major governorship candidates were present to assent to the peace accord.

candidates that signed the peace accord are, Mr. Ikechi Emenike of APC; Mr. Ambrose Ahiwe, PDP; Mr. Enyinna Nwafor, YPP; Bishop Sunday Onuoha, ADC; Mr. Ukpai Iro Ukpai, NNPP; Mr. Chikezie Anyim, APM; Mr. Onyekwere Akym Uche, AA, and Mr. Mascot Orji Kalu

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mustapha Mohammed Bala, said that the peace accord has become necessary given that the governorship/state assembly poll is a local affair that would elicit huge interest with potential for violence.

FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY

37

NEWS XTRA

Adeleke Presents N1.5bn Bond WORLD OF ISLAM Certificates to Osun Retirees Ramadan Preparation: Spring Cleaning for the Soul

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Yinka Kolawole inOsogbo

Retired civil servants in Osun State yesterday presented bond certificates of N1.5 billion bond by the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

Presenting the bond certificates to the contributory pensioners at the hall of the Local Government Service Commission at Abeere, Adeleke apologised to the retirees on behalf of the state government for the failure of past governments to pay them their entitlements.

Addressing the senior citizens, Adeleke noted that his administration had since inception

in November 2022, released the sum of N1.528billion for bond certificates for retired workers of both state and local government while the sum of N350million had equally been released as gratuities to retired staff of local governments, primary schools, secondary schools, tertiary institutions, civil servants, staff of parastatals among others.

He stated that Osun State has been redeeming its battered image “due to the bad conduct of the previous government,” declaring that he was not doing the retirees favour by clearing their pensions and gratuities, but that he was only fulfilling his electoral mandate.

According to him, “Permit me to first apologise, on behalf of Osun State, to our pensioners for the ill treatment of the past.

You had laboured hard to serve the state. It is unfortunate that the past government decided to ignore and deride your significant input and contributions to state development. Accept our apologies.

“Since I took over the administration of this state, my constant focus is how best to resolve all outstanding workers related debts. It is unacceptable for a government to treat its pensioners the way the past government had done.”

Enugu Auto Crash: Ugwuanyi Commiserates with Deceased’s Families Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State yesterday visited the scene of the accident which occurred along Enugu-Onitsha expressway Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, killing some people and ijnuring others. The accident was said to have been caused by wrong overtaking.

After visiting the accident scene, Governor Ugwuanyi, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, thereafter, proceeded to ESUT Teaching Hospital to empathise with the survivors and ensure that they are receiving adequate medical treatment.

The governor, who commiserated with the families of the deceased, empathised with surviving victims and directed the management of the hospital to deploy all possible medical expertise to ensure their survival.

He, therefore, announced that the state government will offset the medical bills and take other necessary measures to ensure that the victims are properly taken care of.

“Now that this administration has taken it upon itself to offset the medical bills, let nothing delay their treatment please,” he said.

Responding the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of ESUT Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Prof. Hyacinth Onah, commended Governor Ugwuanyi for his prompt intervention and consolatory visit to the victims “at the most trying

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUWANIFISE IFEOLUWA EUNICE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLUWEMIMO IFEOLUWA EUNICE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ETISANG BRIGHT BOB, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ETISANG MANLY INNOCENT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MARK BULUS SIMON, now wish to be known and addressed as DESMOND SEDULOUS SIMON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

time in their lives.”

Represented by Dr. Titus Okpara, the CMD assured the governor of the management’s commitment to proper treatment of the survivors.

Reacting, some relatives of

the hospitalised victims prayed for God’s healing on them and thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for his care and magnanimity, asking God to continue to protect, guide and bless him.

Two Prominent Members of PDP Defect to APC in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna Barely one week to the governorship and House of Assembly election the Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has experience a major setback following the defection of two prominent members of the party in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The two major defectors are the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 and 2019 governorship elections, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko, and the senatorial candidate of the party in the 2019 election, Mr. Sani Duba.

A very reliable source told

THISDAY that the duo resigned from the PDP in their wards and forwarded their resignation letters to their Magama and Kontagora Local Government Areas chapters of the party.

The duo gave personal reasons for their decamping from the opposition political party.

All efforts to speak with both Nasko and Duba via telephones were abortive as calls made did not connect.

However, the PDP Zonal Vice Chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Ability, when contacted, confirmed the report, saying when he contacted one of the defectors, Nasko, for the reason he left the party, he said it was for personal reasons.

‘Women Play Crucial Roles in Dangote Group Success Story’ As the world marks International Women’s Day 2023, the Executive Director, Commercial, NASCON Allied Industries, Fatima Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the Dangote Group has invested in innovative technologies and processes to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women in the organisation.

Besides, Dangote disclosed that

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women are playing pivotal roles in the success story of the Dangote Group. To drive transformative change, she said the company is implementing the policy of continuous improvement in its production processes with state-ofthe-art production facilities, which are already being managed by women.

Speaking while opening the International Women’s Day Conference in Lagos and Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, Fatima Dangote noted that the company, through its Learning Management System (LMS), offers employees a variety of resources and opportunities that help them advance their professional and personal development.

According to her, these learning and development offerings cover vast focus areas and are provided via on-the-job, classroom, and online learning platforms, to both permanent and temporary employees across all cadres in the Group’s Nigerian and Pan-African operations.

“At the plants, we have the Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) for online analysis, robotic laboratory, and fully automated central control room system equipped with Human Machine Interface technology (HMI) and innovative solutions to drive resource efficiency, process optimisation and mitigate the environmental footprints of our products while delivering quality products that meet the needs of our esteemed customers,” she added.

By: Lobna Youssef Mulla/ MuslimAmericanSociety/IslamiCity

C

leaning out the closet feels great. You go through all of your stuff, throw away whatever you don’t want, and give away things you don’t need.

In the end, you know you are left with more space, a clean area, and peace of mind.

Now that Ramadan is around the corner, this is a great time to take account of ourselves and go through a very similar process with our soul.

What negative feelings or thoughts hide in the shadows of our hearts?

Are we even aware of how this “stuff” spreads toxicity throughout our soul, which then seeps into our relationships? When we rid ourselves of emotional “baggage” we free up space in our hearts to soak in all the positive outcomes of Ramadan.

To begin this spring cleaning, it is helpful to reflect on the following verse: “O you who have believed, fear Allah.

And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow – and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” (Surah Al Hashr, 59:18) It is only when we allow ourselves to truly take account of what is in our hearts that we are able to process what we find. Who are we avoiding? What grudges do we hold? What negative thoughts do we ruminate over? Once we are able to face what lurks within, we can figure out ways to get over them. Actually writing down the answers to the above questions has been proven to be a helpful way to start tackling the toxic thoughts we store in our main processing center.

Next, let us think about how Allah, Exalted is He, prescribes the process of purification.

“Those who spend in the way of Allah both in affluence and hardship, who restrain their anger, and pardon others. Allah loves such good-doers.”

(Surah ‘Ale Imran, 3:134) Why does Allah mention giving money, first in the time of ease, then in the time of difficulty, before addressing two emotional strengths?

And even then, why does Allah mention exercising control over anger before excusing others (a higher level of forgiveness)?

Perhaps practicing gratitude in times of prosperity prepares one for the ability to acknowledge blessings, even during times of hardship. What effect does this type of training have on one’s understanding? We may consider the possibility that engaging in a constant state of gratitude develops satisfaction. Additionally, gratitude in the form of donation fosters a sense of compassion – being able to connect with others by connecting with something similar within ourselves.

Gratitude, which leads to satisfaction and compassion creates an environment

in which anger is less likely to develop, since anger is a reflection of turmoil that exists within the individual. So in a way, satisfaction despite life’s challenges allows one to engage with others from a place of peace within We see a very inspiring application of part of this verse in the following exchange between Ali ibn Al-Husain (also known as Zayn Al-Abideen), the great-great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his servant. AbdurRazzaq As-San’ani (d.211 AH) said A slave-girl of ‘Ali bin Husain was pouring water on him while he was preparing for prayer. Accidentally the jug slipped from her hands and fell on his face causing his face to be injured. He raised his sight towards her in anger. She recited (Those who restrain anger). He said to her: ‘I have restrained my anger’. She then recited (…who pardon people). He said: ‘I have forgiven you’. She further recited (…And Allah loves the doers of good) He said: ‘Go now you are free’.

Imagine that – spending in the way of Allah, is a demonstration of gratitude which promotes satisfaction and compassion. That compassion, in turn, prevents the early sprouting of anger and rage. Keeping anger at bay facilitates the ability to think rationally and process possible reasons why someone may be worthy of your forgiveness. These three qualities of being charitable, controlling anger, and forgiving others put us on the path of ihsan (excellence). And Allah loves those who exhibit ihsan (as mentioned in the verse above, 3:134).

So, let’s recap spring cleaning for the soul. First, take stock of your negative feelings towards aspects of your life and towards others. Sometimes this process makes us feel uncomfortable so we shut down the introspection and abort it prematurely. Allow yourself to sift through these nagging negative thoughts and try to evaluate them. Are these negative thoughts really worth the mental and spiritual drain? Do others really deserve the old grudge? This exercise alone may already diminish your list of bad feelings.

Next, turn towards the positive and put it into action – give. Give when you have abundance, and give when you are struggling (remember it doesn’t have to involve money) Next, work on controlling your anger and find ways to prevent it before it takes control of you. Need some tips on anger management? Here is a handy article. And finally, learn to pardon and forgive others – out of compassion for their circumstances lack of understanding, or just for the sake of Allah. This entire process is not easy and comes with a great deal of work, yet the results are rewarding on many levels.

May Allah make this spiritual cleansing a successful process of purification before the greatest month of all – Ramadan. Ameen.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 • T H I S D AY

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BACKPAGE CONTINUATION INEC AS ENGINE OF FRAUD held on February 25, 2023. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Ghanaian President John Mahama, and other members of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Mission to Nigeria made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) regrets President Buhari and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami’s violation of Nigeria’s ballot secrecy principle.

After voting last Saturday, the duo displayed their ballot papers in the full glare of the public so that the public and the whole world will know that they voted for the APC. In his defense, Prof Yakubu argues that last Saturday’s election was flawless and that the aggrieved should go to court to seek a remedy.

Prof Yakubu admits that the presidential election result could not be electronically transmitted because INEC turned off the BVAS. Asked by a professor and academic friend of his why INEC rendered the BVAS dysfunctional to prevent the presidential election result from being electronically transmitted, Prof. Yakubu told him that INEC switched off the BVAS because some Nigerian political parties had hired some Russian and Chinese hackers to hack the BVAS and manipulate the voting in favor of some presidential candidates. Laughable, isn’t it? Can you imagine Yakubu’s answer?

China and Russia hacking the BVAS in a Nigerian election? I hope INEC will not switch off the BVAS again on Saturday under the same pretext that China and Russia hacked onto it. Asked by a party agent about the position of the law on this issue of uploading results, Yakubu answered, “The position of the law does not require that collation should be done on the basis of results transmitted but on the basis of the result carried manually to various collation centers.” The APC also argues that the use of BVAS is not a mandatory requirement.

The arguments put forth by the APC and Prof Yakubu are fundamentally flawed. By the way, why is Prof Yakubu holding brief for the APC? He is supposed to be an unbiased umpire in the election. Anyway, Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states: “On conclusion of voting, the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner prescribed by the Commission.” What is the prescribed manner by the Commission? The prescribed manner is the BVAS, which INEC introduced to ensure that the electoral process is credible. The BVAS was introduced by INEC in line with Section 148 of the Electoral Act, which gives INEC power to make guidelines and regulations to ensure the full effect of the law.

By virtue of Section 148 of the Electoral Act, INEC has been empowered to make Electoral Regulations and Guidelines for the 2023 Election. Paragraph 38 of the Regulation states: “On completion of all Polling unit voting and results procedures, the presiding officer shall: (i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling unit directly to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission (ii) Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREv), as prescribed

by the Commission (iii) Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in a tamper-evident envelope to the registration area/ward collation officer, in the company of security agents. The polling agents may accompany the presiding officer to the RA/ Ward Collation Centre”.

The import of the word “shall” used in Paragraph 38 is that it is mandatory (not optional) to transmit results electronically.

The Rules of Interpretation require that words in the provisions of statutes, laws, and regulations, unless otherwise stated, shall always be given their natural and ordinary meaning. Accordingly, by virtue of the combined reading of section 60(5) of the Electoral Act and Paragraph 38 of INEC Electoral Regulations and Guidelines for the 2023 Election, on completion of all Polling unit voting and results procedures, the presiding officer shall electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling unit.

Failure to do so by the presiding officer who willfully contravenes Section 60 (5) commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a fine not more than N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of at least six months. Section 134 (b) of the Electoral Act states that where there is non-compliance with the Electoral Act in case of non-uploading of results to the INEC Portal, the law has been violated.

Apart from the fact that last Saturday’s presidential election violated Section 60 (5), 60(6), and Section 148 of the Electoral Act and 38 of INEC Electoral Regulations and Guidelines for the 2023 Election, the election also violated sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b), 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023.

If everybody had complained to Prof Yakubu after the election that the election was marred by electoral violations and malpractices, Prof Yakubu should have waited to address the aforementioned electoral violations and malpractices which strike at the root of the election and have occasioned a miscarriage of justice. However, instead of doing that, Prof Yakubu swiftly proceeded to announce Emilokan Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election, even though Tinubu did not satisfy the important requirement enshrined in sections 133 and 134(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. The requirement states that a candidate for an election to the office of President shall not be deemed President if he fails to secure 25% of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Under what I consider to be his magnum opus entitled: “The 25% of FCT, Abuja as A Legal Conundrum,” learned silk, Prof.

Mike Ozekhome SAN, has profoundly and brilliantly submitted that the word “and” in contrast to “each” used by the lawmakers in the aforementioned section 134 is meant to apply in a conjunctive sense in interpreting the section. According to Prof Ozekhome SAN, the implication of that interpretation is that no presidential candidate can be declared the winner of the presidential election if he does not win the FCT or score 25% in the FCT. Prof Ozekhome’s opus is a must-read, and it can be accessed at https://thelawyerdaily.com/

the-25-of-fct-abuja-as-a-legal-conundrum/.

If a candidate must win Abuja or score 25% in Abuja to be declared the winner, coupled with the fact that the BVAS was not used to upload the presidential election result, why was Prof Yakubu in a hurry to announce Tinubu the winner and deliver his Certificate of Return? It is important to note that Prof Yakubu announced Tinubu as the winner at 4 am in the morning when most Nigerians were still asleep. Why was Prof Yakubu in a hurry to announce Tinubu as the winner and deliver a Certificate of Return to him in an election that was grossly flawed by falsification of votes at polling units, falsification of the number of accredited voters, collation of false results, mutilation of results and computational errors, swapping of results sheets, forging of results sheets, snatching and destruction of results sheets as I experienced in my polling unit last Saturday, suppression of votes, tampering with the BVAS, and refusal of compromised INEC staffers to upload results through the BVAS? It is obvious that Prof. Yakubu rushed to announce Tinubu as the winner and also rushed to hand over the Certificate of Return to him to foist a fait accompli and a state of helplessness on the matter.

Prof. Yakubu has shown that he lacks character. He is pathologically a liar, and a disgrace to academia. He should be fired as the INEC chairman. What a disastrous country! Buhari is a disaster, the CBN is a disaster, Emefiele is a disaster, Malami is a disaster, INEC is a disaster, and now Yakubu is a disaster. However, INEC and Prof Yakubu are promising to deploy the BVAS again on Saturday. Can they be trusted this time? Well, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Let’s assume they will do the right thing on Saturday. Already, Labour has secured an order of Mandamus from the court compelling INEC and Prof Yakubu to use the BVAS on Saturday for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections. The court order subsists, and if Prof Yakubu dares to disobey the court order, he will be sent to jail and the entire election will be cancelled. Having woefully failed last Saturday in conducting a free and fair election, INEC must live up to its name as a real “independent” electoral body on Saturday.

It should be noted that no democratic election is 100% flawless anywhere in the world. Even in the United States, the Presidential election is also fraught with electoral malfeasances and malpractices.

For instance, in his often-cited classic work, Democracy in America, French historian and diplomat Alexis De Tocqueville who travelled to America to study American democracy, writes that democracy that is bereft of equality of conditions is bound to gravitate towards despotism. When democracy is said to liberate all men, it is on the assumption that there are political leaders with high moral principles ready to navigate democracy to a safe harbor.

Unfortunately, most democracies in the world are not run by Plato’s guardians and ethically principled men. Most democracies, unfortunately, are in the hands of men of unruly passions and creatures of appetites.

We know all this. But what transpired in Nigeria last Saturday is not just mere electoral malpractices and irregularities.

What transpired in Nigeria was that INEC, which is supposed to be an unbiased umpire in the election, brought its full weight to bear in rigging the presidential election in favor of Emilakon Bola Tinubu.

As I earlier said, having woefully failed to live up to its bidding last Saturday, INEC should redeem its image this Saturday. Prof Yakubu should repent and allow the votes to count on Saturday. The political parties should desist from sending their touts to tamper with the results of the election. Is INEC and the Buhari government aware that the APC Lagos has instructed its agents and touts assigned to each Pooling Unit that they must “deliver” the unit by all means on Saturday? So, I foresee another APC rigging on Saturday. Therefore the Buhari government is respectfully advised to dispatch 2 or 3 well-armed soldiers to each Pooling unit in Lagos to safeguard the unit from election stealing. You see, democracy becomes a sham when the electoral body conducting the periodic election is not impartial. Above all, in our representative democracy, power belongs to the people, not President Buhari, let alone INEC. Put differently, sovereignty in our presidential democracy resides with the people. The American founding fathers aptly put it when they stated that “Governments are instituted among men deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”

Therefore government simply means government with consent derived from the people. This consent flows from the radical notion of equal rights for all people. If we are all equal and sovereignty resides with the people, then the will of the people should be allowed to prevail in the 2023 general election. The Buhari government should understand that it is legally and morally bound to do everything possible to enable INEC to discharge its constitutional obligations to Nigeria and its people, as provided for in the third schedule, Part 1, Section 15(a-i) of the Constitution.

A word for Nigerian voters: You must go out and vote on Saturday, as you did last Saturday. May voter apathy and melancholy not consume you and prevent you from voting on Saturday, March 11th, 2023. Amen!

The #EndSARS young boys and girls should also turn out to vote on Saturday. Permit me to tell you one small thing that you may find interesting: If you refuse to vote on Saturday, you will be giving compromised INEC staffers another opportunity to connive with the APC and manipulate the results of the election once more. So, be optimistic. Do not be afraid. Weep no more. Nothing has been lost. Let me wipe away the tears from your eyes. Do not seek to flee Nigeria. This is our country. The revolution has begun. This is our chance. Lest you forget, our greatest asset is hope. So, do not lose hope. In no time, the songs of victory shall resound in the horizon. We would arrive at the end of our democratic journey, at our homeland, where suffering shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.

MUHAMMAD JIBRIN: PORTRAIT OF A BANKER, TURNED POLITICIAN accessibility, and fear of God”.

“The situation in Gombe State today demonstrates a clear absence of leadership.

I am moved by the sufferings of my people.

This is a solemn call for action. This is the time to serve the people”.

No doubt, some will hate him for his guts. Others will dislike him for his characteristic forthrghtness, while some others will avoid him, simply because he is too blunt for their liking, unlike many politicians of his status.

After his long years of career pursuit in many places, Barde voluntarily retired, in 2018, as the Managing Director/CEO of SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited, a bank he founded, after ten years of meritorious services, to participate and contribute his quota to the democratic process of the county.

With more than 25 years of banking experience, he previously held positions in Union Bank of Nigeria, Citigroup N.A, Barclays Bank UK, Bond Bank (now Polaris Bank Plc.), Aso Savings and Loans Plc, and Midland Corporate Investments Limited.

Jibrin

During his career in the financial services industry, he was responsible for providing direct employment to over 5,000 Nigerians.

He also helped over 40,000 families realise their dream of home ownership, through the provision of mortgage loans; and provided credit facilities, in excess of 100billion to small and medium scale enterprises across the country.

He served as a Director on the Federal Housing Authority, ( FHA) Technical Board between 2007 and 2008, and was the National Vice President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria (MBAN), 2011-2013).

At the same time, he served as the Chairman, Gombe Jewel Co-operative.

In 2011, he was appointed to the board of Premium Pensions Limited, A pension fund administrator he helped founded, as a Director.

With his very rich background, it is therefore quite apparent that with him in the saddle, God willing, Gombe will definitely sing a new song, and i wish him the best of luck in that endeavour.

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FRIDAY, MA ͹͸˜ ͺ͸ͺͻ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Acquah’s Hat trick against Motema Pembe Lift Rivers Utd Close to Q’finals Duro Ikhazuagbe

Rivers United survived the antics of Congolese DC Motema Pembe to pick all three points at stake in the Match-day 4 of of the CAF Confederation Cup in Uyo yesterday afternoon.

Ghanaian import, Paul Acquah, scored all the three goals in the 3-1 defeat of Motema Pembe who dragged the game forward by 24 hours despite being walked over but saved by CAF. The continental football body impressed on the Rivers United to accept Motema’s excuse of flight glitches.

Acquah scored his first goal in the added time of the first half to give the Pride of Rivers the very needed elixir going into that break.

C A F C O N F E D E R AT I O N C U P The game resumed from break with same tempo Stanley Eguma’s wards ended the first half. Their fans didn’t have to wait for too long when Acquah again increased the tally in the 57th minute.

But the visitors caused a stir, when they reduced the margin in the 78th minutes when Kingu Yallet powered home the goal to give Motema Pembe hope of a possible fight back.

That goal turned the game into very anxious moments and nervy atmosphere inside the Nest of Champions Stadium in Uyo for the fans of Rivers United as Pembe searched for the equaliser.

Acquah however took the

game beyond the reach of the Congolese when he scored his third goal inside the three minutes added time.

Rivers United who are Nigeria’s lone surviving team in the continent are leading the Group B standing on nine points. They only need a draw in their last group game to pick ticket into the quarter final stage of the Confederation Cup. ASEC Mimosas went to Congo’s other team in the competition, CSM Diables Noir, to pick a point in the goalless draw. Both teams are tied on five points each behind Rivers United.

Motema are at the bottom of the table on just two points.

Flying Eagles to Battle Tunisia for Record ‘Golden’ Bronze

After failing to go pass the hurdle posed by The Gambia’s Young Scorpions on Monday, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will this afternoon take on their Tunisian counterparts in the Third-place match of the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations to determine the country to go home with the consolatory bronze trophy of the tournament.

Today’s game at the Cairo International Stadium will kick off at 4pm Egypt time (3pm Nigeria time).

Should the Flying Eagles win today’s clash with Tunisia, it will be Nigeria’s record fourth Bronze in the U20 tournament. They have only lost the third place game once in 2019 when Flying Eagles were beaten by South Africa.

Ladan Bosso wards lost the chance to play in the final when they lost by the odd lone goal defeat to the Young Scorpions in the tournament’s second semi-final in Cairo on Monday.

Now, the seven-time champions Flying Eagles are condemned to win today in the classification match. Tunisia crumbled 3-0 to

U20 AFCON the sterling Senegalese in the first semi-final in Cairo the same Monday morning.

Flying Eagles resumed training on Wednesday evening at the 30 June Stadium training pitch in preparations for the tie against the Tunisians. The training session lasted for 90 minutes with Bosso and his assistants in charge.

It was the first training session of the Flying Eagles since the team lost 0-1 to The Gambia on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has appointed Mohamed Athoumani from The Comoros Islands as referee for the third-place match, alongside Fanta Idriss Kone from Mali (assistant referee 1), Soukaina Hamdi (assistant referee 2) and Lamin Jammeh from The Gambia (fourth official).

Bouhtane Said from The Comoros will serve as match commissioner with Imade El Fahouss from Morocco in the role of general coordinator.

NPFL: Abia Warriors Will Finish Well, Onuh Assures Fans

Abia Warriors Manager, Erasmus Onuh, has assured fans of the club that the team would finish well this season.

Onuh whose Abia Warriors are presently placed fourth on the NPFL Group B log behind the trio of Lobi, Rivers United and Sunshine Stars said he is satisfied with the performance of his players before the league went on break.

He said he is doing everything possible to get better results when action resumes after the general election.

“The team I have is not yet where I want them to be but I must say the boys are doing well. We are still building but one thing that I want to assure the fans is that we will finish well. The management of the team has equally been doing well and I pray that they give me the free hand to deliver,” Onuh said.

The Abia Warriors coach also gave pass mark to the referees insisting that they have been doing a good job. “ You can see that this season you can win anywhere. That shows the referees and the league body, IMC are doing their job.

I want to commend that and urge them to remain fair firm when the second round gets underway.”

Rivers United’s Paul Acquah (left) was in blazing form yesterday, scoring all three goals in the host team’s 3-1 defeat of DC Motema Pembe in Uyo...yesterday

Arsenal Secure Draw in Four-goal Thriller in Lisbon Arsenal secured a hard-earned 2-2 draw against Sporting Lisbon in an entertaining Europa League last-16 first leg.

France defender William Saliba put the Premier League leaders ahead with a towering header from a corner by Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira.

But Arsenal's lead lasted just 12 minutes, Goncalo Inacio nodding home the equaliser after hesitancy from keeper Matt Turner following a corner by English winger Marcus Edwards.

In an absorbing game in the Portuguese capital, Paulinho fired Sporting ahead only for Arsenal to equalise through an own goal

by Japan midfielder Hidemasa Morita.

Both teams created numerous chances in a free-flowing encounter.

Former Tottenham player Edwards was denied by Turner when the score was 1-1 and Paulinho wasted a great chance to make it

EUROPA LEAGUE 3-1 to the hosts before a wicked deflection off Morita made it 2-2.

Arsenal had a chance to take a lead back to Emirates Stadium for the return leg next Thursday (20:00 GMT) but Vieira's header was kept out by Antonio Adan.

RESULTS Europa League Leverkusen 2-0 Ferencvaros Roma 2-0 Sociedad Sporting 2-2 Arsenal U’Berlin 3-3 St Gilloise

E’ Conference Larnaca 0-2 West Ham Anderlecht 1-1 Villarreal FC Sheriff 0-1 Nice

Arsenal’s William Saliba (right) scored the Gunners opening goal in PHOTO: EPA the 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon...last night

Savannah Teams Savour Bullet Energy Basketball in Abuja The Savannah Conference basketball teams will take the tip-off on Monday, March 13th at the Moshood Abiola Stadium for the Bullet Energy Drink Invitational Tournament.

The Package B sector of the stadium is ready for the event that will feature 15 teams from the Federal Capital Territory and environs. The six-day competition will be

rounded off on March 18th at the same venue.

Some of the teams billed for the tournament are the Civil Defence Basketball Club, the Correctional Services team, Hot Coal, KOK, TNT, and Apo Settlers. There are also former national Divisions One and Two champions Nile University, Titans Basketball, Abuja Rockers, and Gilali

Club.

The Sam Oguche Foundation is running the competition with the Bullet Energy Company. Oguche who spoke in Abuja on Wednesday said the FCT gathering was a prelude to other basketball events with Bullet Energy drink.

He said, “We had to do this because we want to reach as many parts of the country as

possible and of course touch as many players as possible. We have had more competitions around Lagos in recent times and so we are now pushing more to different sections of the country.

“Remember that Asaba is just by the corner and we move to Asaba for the next stage from here,” Oguche said.

The Bullet Energy basketball

for women is to take a new date following the sudden change of the governorship election date from March 11 to March 18 as announced by the Independent Electoral Commission.

First Bank, MFM, Delta Queens, Tap Queens, and Air Warriors are some of the teams heading to Asaba for the all-women tournament.

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Friday March 10, 2023

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Price: N250

MISSILE SaMBA to INEC, Police “Nigerians need commitment that transcends verbal promises. The countless instances of bullying, intimidation of voters, snatching and destruction of electoral materials in various polling units across the country in the presence of security agencies indicates gross incompetence on the part of the Nigerian Police, whose primary responsibility is to protect lives and property...Neither the NPF nor the DSS has paraded any of the political thugs or their sponsors...” –Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SaMBA) Spokesman, Rwang Pam, berating the INEC and the police for their shortcomings at the February 25, 2023 polls.

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SONNIEEKWOWUSI GUEST COLUMNIST

INEC As Engine of Fraud T he February 25, 2023 presidential election is a counterfeit of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Whereas June 12 is the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, the February 25 election is the most rigged and most robbed presidential election in Nigeria.

On June 12, 1993, the freest presidential election took place in Nigerian politics, but on February 25, 2023, exactly 30 years after June 12, the most rigged presidential election in Nigerian political history took place. February 25 was a brazen and barbaric display of impunity and imbecility by INEC, which ought to be an unbiased umpire in an electoral contest.

How can INEC and its chairman, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, descend so low as to shamelessly and flagrantly flout INEC rules, which they made to guide the February 25 election? The BVAS and IReV were successfully deployed by INEC to upload the National Assembly election results, but in the case of the presidential election result, the same INEC rendered the BVAS and IReV dysfunctional, and consequently, the presidential election result was manually collated, thus enabling the compromised INEC staffers to rig the election in favor of Emilokan Bola Tinubu.

Three days before last Saturday’s presidential election, Prof. Yakubu was still swearing to

Yakubu

high heavens and reassuring all that INEC would deploy BVAS in electronically uploading the results of the election. For example,

addressing the leaders of foreign election observers three days before the election, Prof. Yakubu told them that raw election result figures of February 25 election would not be transmitted electronically to avoid hacking. Why, then, did Yakubu connive with the APC and the devil to transmit the results manually? This is why Nigerians are particularly angry with INEC. Just take a studied look around you. What can you find? Despair, frustration, despondency, and disappointment seemingly written on the faces of many people. Nigerians are unhappy with INEC and Yakubu. I have been listening to TV and radio stations’ commentaries on the election, and I must tell you that I have not singled out any radio or TV station that is not denouncing the February 25 election as the biggest electoral fraud in Nigeria. The whole country is steeped in deep mourning over the electoral injustice foisted on Nigeria on February 25 by INEC. The international community has made Nigeria a laughing stock. If Nigeria was a laughing stock in the past, she is now the biggest laughing stock in the world. The European Union says the election lacked transparency. The Financial Times (FT) March 2, 2023, edition said: “Nigeria’s badly flawed election fails to set an example.” The New

York Times writes: “Many Nigerians had looked to the election to put the country back on track after eight years of rule by an ailing president, Muhammadu Buhari — a military dictator turned democrat. ‘Everybody was expecting a free and fair election,’ said Daniel Offor, a 21-year-old fashion stylist in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, who said he voted for an opposition candidate. ‘But it obviously has been rigged. What happened last time is happening again,’ he said, referring to previous elections that were tainted by allegations of vote rigging.” An Austrian newspaper allegedly writes: “Multimillionaire wins: ‘Bola Tinubu, a multimillionaire who in the past was connected to drug trafficking, has won the Presidential elections in Nigeria.’”

In Poland, the alleged news headline says: “Nigeria chooses a known Drug Lord as leader.” In Canada, the alleged news headline is: “Depression, anxiety, uncertainty beclouds Nigeria’s political space as a Drug kingpin wins the election.” In their reaction to last Saturday’s election, leaders in the West African sub-region have called on INEC to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 on the collation of results for the presidential and National Assembly elections Continued on page 38

IDOWU ALAKE GUEST COLUMNIST

Muhammad Jibrin: Portrait of A Banker,Turned Politician

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riting about a cordial friend of many years, dependable ally and a performer of all seasons , as found in Muhammad Jibrin Barde, an astute banker and politician, who currently doubles as the Gubernatorial Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), in Gombe State, ordinarily should never be a difficult thing for me to do.

However, where the difficulty lays, is in our political differences.

Barde currently belongs to the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), while I, on the other hand, belongs to the Labour Party, (LP).

Without much analogies, the above scenario should expressly define the manner of a man Barde is made of. A bridge builder, a friend of many and enemy of none, a true Nigerian in every sense of the world, whose friends and acquaintances cit across virtually all the geo-political entities of the nation, and a man who does not apply factors of religion, party affiliation, tribe or colour, as basis of relationship.

One mark of a great man, Winston Churchill once said, “Is the power of making lasting impressions upon people he meets. Another is to have handled matters during his life, that the course of after events is continuously affected by what he did”.

Judging from my years of association with Barde, I feel fortified in the unwavering conviction that as a powerful force in the North, and his Gombe base, he more than meets the above Churchillian characterisation.

Many things are confirmatory of his robust antecedents and contemporary enigmatic characteristic. His critics will likely say he is impassioned with morbid leadership instincts. Others, with charitable disposition will affirm that he has a consumate passion for distinction, either as an intellectual or in administrative confines.

Yet, it is also a declarative ethos that he derives satisfaction from haughtiness, especially when he comes across dim-witted fellows. He simply lacks tolerance for short supply of ideas and low quotent. His, is

a pool of ingenuity and creativity No wonder then that Barde means many thing to many people. To some, he is a public/private sector technocrat, to others, he is a banker, and to some others, a politician. But no matter what name you chose to give him, the fact remains that he is never like the rapacious ideologists,unbashful egg-heads or the one-off politicians, who only dabble into the contest and swallow the bait.

Though uncompromising in whatever he believes in, most of the time, he is always very reasonable and cooperative, in so far any issue you are bringing to the people is geared towards the common good.

In a democratic setting, legitimacy it is said, is almost everything. However, what is not easily achievable is for you to always get a crowd of people from your region or state to listen to you, each time they get to know you are in town. One of the few leaders around, who makes this difference is Barde.

In every sense, he has proved the fact that a public office holder is better off when

he earns his legitimacy by exemplary public works. By the records, they are not many that enjoys his measure of goodwill.

Banker, Administrator and politician, Muhammad Jibrin Barde may not have traversed all fields that matter in life, but he has left bold footprints in those areas he was privileged to traverse.

In banking industry for instance, he remains one of its outstanding proteges, as both a fulfilled bank worker and Chief executive, without any blemish.

In governance, he is among the few successful, with track records, and in politics, he is one of the movers and shakers of events in his Gombe home State, the record of which earned him the gubernatorial ticket of his party.

In his words, as contained in his mission statement, Barde had said, “ Leadership is selfless service, honestly, credible integrity, firm ess of purpose, Continued on page 38

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