TUESDAY 12TH APRIL 2022

Lalong Attending Political Meetings as Terrorists Maul Down 80, Abduct 70 in Plateau Communities 78 given mass burial amid fear of further attacks Defend yourselves, ECWAcharges Nigerians

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Bloodthirsty terrorists have killed

80 persons and abducted 70 others after an invasion of some communities in Plateau State. The villages,

which were attacked on Sunday, included Kukawa, Gyambawu, Dungur, Kyaram, Yelwa, Dadda,

Wanka, Shuwaka, Gwammadaji, and Dadin Kowa.

Regrettably, while terrorists

soiled the state in blood and danger, Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, was busy in Abuja

holding political meetings with a Continued on page 11

CBN Begins Evaluation of Proposals for N500m TIES Grants… Page 10 Tuesday 12 April, 2022 Vol 27. No 9863. Price: N250

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Relations of Kidnapped Kaduna Train Passengers Issue 72-hour Ultimatum to FG... Page 36

Marginal Fields: Upstream Commission Targets June for Drilling Blames difficult model adopted by DPR for slow progress $3bn oil theft in Niger Delta criminal, horrific, says Komolafe Insists security of oil assets outside NUPRC’s mandate Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Funmi Ogundare in Lagos

As Nigeria continues to struggle to increase its daily crude oil production, the Chief Executive Officer of

the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, yesterday

said the agency was targeting the first half of 2022 for marginal field awardees to begin drilling in an

effort to find their “first oil.”

He said this while speaking on ‘The Morning Show,’ monitored

on ARISE News Channel.

Continued on page 11

Tinubu Disowns Osinbajo, Says He Has No Son Grown Enough to Declare for President I’ve insight to complete what APC has started, vice president declares TSG: It's a betrayal of trust APC Govs: We appreciate the devt Bagudu: APC may opt for consensus candidate for presidency Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja, Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Obviously not expecting one of his political mentees to challenge him to a presidential contest, former Lagos State governor and frontline presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, denied Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as a political son, declaring he has no son grown enough to declare for president.

But Osinbajo, who announced his intention to succeed his current principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, through a short video uploaded on various social media platforms, said his over seven years of working with Buhari had provided him requisite insights to complete what the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had started.

The announcement came as Continued on page 11

Saraki: PDP Consensus Candidate I WANT TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT...

Will Oust APC from Power... Page 35 WHY Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, announcing his intention to seek the presidential ticket of the APC to contest next year’s presidential election… yesterday

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

TINUBU PURSUING A LIFE-LONG AMBITION...

A group photograph of the APC Governors with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, after their meeting at the Kebbi State Governor's Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja…yesterday

Russian-Ukraine War: Europe Mounts Pressure on Nigeria for More Gas Supply Takes advocacy to NNPC after visit to Sylva Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The European Union (EU) yesterday continued to mount pressure on Nigeria to ramp up its gas supply to Europe, with a visit to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari.

The visit to the GMD came days after EU ambassadors paid a similar visit to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, apparently in a bid

to mount pressure on the country to raise its gas production.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war started, Europe has sought to free itself of Russian hydrocarbons, which produces up to 40 per cent of its total gas consumption.

But Nigeria has been unable to increase production and supply despite its over 206tcf of proven gas due to under-investment and inadequate infrastructure.

Earlier, the delegation which met with Sylva, included the European

Union Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Samuela Isopi and French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmaunelle Blatmann.

Others were: The Spanish ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell; Portuguese ambassador, Luis Barros, and Italian Deputy Head of Mission, Tarek Chazli.

At the event, the federal government had urged Europe to step up investments in gas and other hydrocarbons in Nigeria to be

able to help meet the EU energy demand.

Sylva said although Nigeria was ready to step in as an alternative gas supplier to Europe, the continent has to encourage its oil and gas companies such as Shell, Eni, Total Energies among others to scale up investments in the gas sector in Nigeria.

Aside Nigeria, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, THISDAY learnt, arrived in Algeria yesterday, with an agenda to prioritise the

WHO: Nigeria, 12 Other African Nations Yet to Surpass 10% COVID-19 Vaccination Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Nigeria and 12 other countries in Africa are yet to surpass 10 per cent full vaccination of their population against the COVID-19 pandemic, a report released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated.

Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, OCHA stated: "Thirteen countries are yet to surpass 10 per cent of their population fully vaccinated including two of the most populous countries in the region (Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo)."

Although the report did not list the other 11 countries besides Nigeria and DR Congo yet to surpass 10 per cent vaccination of their population, it noted that since the deployment of the multipartner country support teams in January 2022, there had been good progress in vaccine absorption and uptake in the African region.

Among countries that reported an increase in vaccine uptake in February and March, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Ghana recorded the highest increase in vaccination coverage.

"In February and March 2022, Ethiopia implemented the second round of a mass vaccination campaign, which further boosted COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the country, with increased numbers of people receiving their second dose, more people starting with their first dose, and increased uptake of booster doses.

"Two countries - Seychelles and Mauritius, surpassed the target of 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated by the end of December 2021. Four countries –

Rwanda, Botswana, Cabo Verde and Mozambique – are on track to reach this target, having vaccinated between 40 per cent and 70 per cent of their population by the end of December 2021.

"However, challenges remain.

In the African region, 12.8 per cent of the population were fully vaccinated as of 27th March, 2022 (10.2% at the end of February 2022), compared to 57.5 per cent globally.

"Thirteen countries are yet to surpass 10 per cent of their population fully vaccinated including two of the most populous countries in the Region (Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo)," the report stated.

It added that the COVAX Facility continues to be the leading source of vaccines delivered in the region, accounting for 68 per cent of doses received.

But the report stressed that the absorption rate of the vaccines received remained at sub-optimal level, with only 54.9 per cent of doses administered of the quantity received.

It noted that 24 countries out of 46 (52 per cent) had administered fewer than 50 per cent of doses received, adding that vaccine doses administered increased by 23 per cent in February 2022 compared to January 2022, but in March 2022 the number of vaccine doses administered decreased by 35 per cent.

It noted that on the average, 8,271,347 doses were administered per week in March 2022 compared to 12, 734,357 doses per week in February 2022.

According to the report, SubSaharan African region needs a twelve-fold increase in the weekly number of doses to be

administered from April 2022 to June 2022 to continue to move towards 70 per cent target.

It further stated that 31 countries out of 46 had reported expired doses, noting that the percentage of expired doses of all doses received was 1.7 per cent among the 31 countries and 0.9 per cent in the African region overall.

"As a result of mass vaccination campaigns, nine countries out of the 20 priority countries in the WHO African Region recorded an increase in doses administered in February 2022 (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,

Kenya, GuineaBissau, Madagascar, South Sudan, Ghana, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania).

"However, only three have continued to record increased vaccine uptake in March 2022 (Ghana, Cameroon and South Sudan) in addition to Mozambique, Mali and Burundi. This shows that it is necessary to keep up the momentum in vaccine uptake between mass vaccination campaigns.

"It is critical for countries to intensify activities aimed at Continued on page 8

acquisition of larger volumes of Algerian gas.

Algeria currently supplies 30 per cent of the gas required by Italy, and 40 percent comes from Russia, according to official figures.

Draghi’s visit, which would last two days, was a prelude to that of the chairman of the Italian energy group Eni, Claudio Descalzi, a few days ago, during which he met with Toufik Hakar, president of Sonatrach, the Algerian hydrocarbons agency, with whom he reviewed the state the bilateral partnership.

In addition, Egypt and the EU yesterday, held a meeting pledging to enhance cooperation in energy, during consultations between Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly and Frans Timmermans, the EU’s climate chief, in Cairo.

The delegations discussed the potential supply of liquefied natural gas to Europe in the short term, and whether the EU would contribute to building a green hydrogen production facility in Egypt to help the country become a production centre in the region, according to a statement.

In Nigeria, a brief statement signed by the Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Garba Deen, yesterday said the visit to the NNPC management sought to strengthen its partnership with Nigeria in the

energy sector.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Isopi, said as a result of the current geopolitical situation in Europe, the continent was interested in strengthening its cooperation with Nigeria, particularly in the area of possible increase in the supplies of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

“Nigeria is the fourth gas supplier to Europe. At least 40 per cent of the Nigerian LNG is currently exported to Europe. We are not only major clients for Nigeria, we are also major partners in the oil and gas sector because some of the companies that are working with you are from Europe. So we share the same interest and same objectives,” Isopi was quoted as saying.

Responding, the Kyari assured the European delegation that the company would continue to deepen its historical relationship with EU companies in Nigeria in order to add more value to its business, particularly towards increasing gas supply to the global market and enhancing domestic gas utilisation.

Other diplomats from the European delegation on the visit, according to the statement, were: The Ambassador of Portugal, Barros; Ambassador of Spain, Sell; Ambassador of Italy, Stefano De Leo and Deputy Head of Mission (France), Olivier Chatelais.

Nigeria’s Financial Markets Get Boost from UK-Aid through FSD Africa Emma Okonji Nigeria’s financial markets have received boost through a series of announcements made by Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa, a specialist development agency working to strengthen financial markets across sub-Saharan Africa.

The announcements were made as part of a two-week trip led by senior leaders from the UK-Aid funded agency in collaboration with partners.

These included the Lagos State Government, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) of Nigeria, Infracredit, FMDQ, the UN Environment Programme’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (PSI), and BFA Global.

“From progress in implementing green bonds to opportunities for the local pension sector and solutions to help the country’s insurance industry respond to climate change, the initiatives will enhance the strength and health of Nigeria’s

financial markets, building the foundations for a stronger more resilient national economy,” the statement added.

The announcements included the meeting with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to review progress of the Lagos State Green Bond Issuance and other sustainability-linked debt securities towards achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support infrastructure and social development for Lagos State.

It also includes R3Lab implemented in collaboration with NAICOM and UN Environment Programme’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (PSI) to improve the effectiveness of regulation in the insurance sector.

The initiative would deliver capacity-building and exchange programmes, learning resources, and forums for insurance supervisors.

R3Lab is being implemented

across the continent.

Other initiatives include the Fintech X Climate Resilience Startup Challenge, which is an initiative to shine a spotlight on innovative solutions to build climate resilience.

Local start-up, Soso Care a micro mobile health insurance startup enabling people to pay health insurance with recyclable waste was awarded $5, 000, as part of the challenge. D-Olivette, which provides a decentralised energy solution for rural, off-grid, and agrarian communities; Salubata, which creates bespoke shoes from recycled plastic waste; and Foodlocker, which provides a platform to link smallholder farmers with markets, were the other finalists.

Speaking during the two weeks visit, the CEO of FSD Africa, Mark Napier, said: “As Africa’s largest economy and country in terms of population, stronger more robust financial markets are critical for Nigeria’s

growth and prosperity. FSD Africa remains a committed partner for strengthening Nigeria’s financial market, and we are thankful to our partners for their continued efforts and collaboration to unlock new pathways to prosperity and resilience for Nigerians.”

Deputy High Commissioner, UK High Commission in Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, said: “Nigeria’s incredible capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship is powering a new era of economic growth that, with the right ingredients, can bring wealth and stability to more Nigerians than ever before.

I’m incredibly proud that, through the work of organisations like FSD Africa and its partners, the UK government is helping get those ingredients in place. Core to everything, are effective financial markets, with the capacity to help scale-up businesses, insure against unforeseen risks, and energize the emergence of a sustainable economy.”

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IN SEARCH OF CONSENSUS CANDIDATE...

L-R: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; his Bayelsa State counterpart, Senator Douye Diri; former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, during the visit of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirants to the Government House, Yenagoa... yesterday

Despite Challenges, MSMEs Contribute over 60% to Employment, Stakeholders Say Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The German Corporation has said micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) contribute 60 per cent of employment in Nigeria.

In a research and survey in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Financial System

Strategy 2020, AfreximBank and Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), the corporation said more has to be done to address the challenges being faced by MSMEs. It therefore advised operators to embrace factoring.

It describes factoring as a trade

Edo Strengthens Advocacy against Polio Outbreak Edo State Government has urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, parents and caregivers to support public enlightenment campaigns to eradicate circulating variant polio virus type 2 amongst children so as to reduce childhood diseases.

Addressing the stakeholders at the flag-off of the Synchronised Second Outbreak Response (OBR2) to Circulating Variant Polio Virus held at Iwogban Primary Healthcare Centre, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, the Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Phillip Shaibu, noted that immunisation was crucial to the survival of children against vaccine preventable diseases.

According to a statement, the deputy governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, said during the outbreak response that children aged between zero and five years would be administered two drops of the novel polio vaccine type 2 alongside other antigens that are due.

Shaibu noted that the government with its partners would continue to allocate more resources to ensure a seamless campaign,

urging parents and caregivers to ensure that their eligible children are immunised against polio.

On her part, Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. Mrs. Otaniyenuwa Eloghosa Obarisiagbon, said, “It is imperative to note that polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age. There is no cure for polio. It can only be prevented.

“That is why the campaign was put in place to eradicate circulating variant polio virus type 2 amongst children and reduce childhood diseases. During the campaign, vaccinators will be seen moving from house to house, religious houses such as churches, mosques and traditional worship centers, as well as creches, recreational centres, market, and shopping malls etc.”

The Executive Secretary assured, “The oral polio vaccine (nopV) is not harmful. It is safe, effective and given free of charge.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative, Dr. Efemena Onowugbeda commended the state government for the political will to support immunisation in the state.

WHO: NIGERIA, 12 OTHER AFRICAN NATIONS YET TO SURPASS 10% COVID-19 VACCINATION promoting continued use of health facility vaccination sites, as well as implement the provider-initiated vaccination approach in health facilities. In January 2022, WHO, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance launched the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) as an inter-agency initiative.

"This will build on existing resources globally, regionally and in-country in order to accelerate vaccination coverage in those countries most in need of support. CoVDP complies with the principles of one country team, one plan, one budget and one support team.

"In March 2022, in-depth country calls were held with Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic

Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone to discuss issues around urgent funding requests, and identify sources of funding, enhance operational planning and improve vaccination service delivery.

"The first quarter of 2022 has shown improvements in vaccine uptake and coverage across the Region, which is benefiting from the deployment of the WHO AFRO multi-partner country support teams, which started in January 2022.

"Although challenges remain, this initiative, along with CoVDP, promises to continue to improve vaccine absorption and uptake and move more countries in the Region closer to the 70 per cent target," the report stated.

finance instrument that provides funding for the invoices of purchase orders that have been delivered but are yet to be paid. It ensures producers, service producers or traders under MSMEs have quick access to cash flow after making supplies and using their invoices.

In his lecture in Abuja, yesterday, titled: "Validation on the report of diagnostic study to the factoring industry in Nigeria," lead consultant of Philip Consulting Limited, Mr. Bamidele Samuel, said factoring could unlock between $1.5 billion to $2 billion per annum in financing to MSMEs in Nigeria.

He said establishing proper assignment laws in support of factoring would significantly boost investor's confidence, who are concerned about redress in courts and attempts to recoveries from their rights as owners of the debts.

"Despite the significant contribution of MSMEs on the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 49 per cent and contributing over 60 per cent to employment, MSMEs in Nigeria still face subsisting structural changes undermining the sectors growth potential.

"Some of the identified inherent credit challenges include high

interest rates, lack of collateral, credit rating, poor governance, etc.

"Factoring could unlock between US$1.5- US$2 billion per annum in financing to MSMEs in Nigeria.

Trade financing tends to be more cyclical and serves as a vital financing tool particularly when firms are in distress or during an economic downtown," he added However, Samuel stated that factoring industry is an unregulated and weak legal environment without any specific guidelines and may great bad reputation for a product.

To forestall this, he said there's

need to fast track passage of the factoring assignments and receivables financing bills at the National Assembly which will raise the profile of factoring, provide legal backing and impose string confidence in investors.

Others are "Factoring regulations addresses inherent complexity by defining the concept of factoring, the scope of the license as well as prioritising constant awareness and workshops.

"Drive policy advocacy by key actors in the industry that will unlock opportunities in the credit insurance market."

FG Owed N5.2trn, Says Ahmed, Orders FGOEs, MDAs to Update Debtors' List on Monthly Basis Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed yesterday revealed that the federal government was being owed approximately N5.2 trillion.

She therefore directed all Federal Government Owned Enterprises (FGOEs) and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to henceforth update their list of debtors on a monthly basis against the 'Project Lighthouse' debt recovery portfolio.

'Project Lighthouse' is a datadriven artificial intelligence engine which provides the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning with an intelligence and profiling platform to aid in policy formulation, implementation and assessing the impacts of those policies which would support its MDAs to develop a more efficient revenue assessment methodology by ensuring that major revenue loopholes are plugged, and revenue collection is dramatically improved.

Ahmed, who spoke during the launch of the Project Lighthouse Data Analytics and Reporting Platform in Abuja, yesterday stated that going by data aggregated from over 5,000 debtors across ten MDAs, the federal government is being owed approximately N5.2 trillion.

The minister disclosed that in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), the sum of N53.5 billion had been recovered within the last 12-18 months, through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) as a recovery touch point.

According to her, a perfunctory review of perceived significant leakages in government led her ministry to issue a directive on September 26,

2019, to all government agencies in a bid to aggregate all government debts across all MDAs, with a view to having a single window on the credit profile of government.

The minister said, "Sequel to the issuance of the Finance Circular, the ministry through the consolidation efforts of the project, has been able to aggregate monumental debts of approximately N5.2 trillion.

“These debts came to the spotlight from data aggregated from over 5,000+ debtors across ten (10) Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

"Working in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), we have been able to recover the sum of N53.5 billion within the last 12-18 months, through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) as a recovery touch point.

"However, to consolidate on the current effort of this project, a Debt Recovery Application has been built to be monitored by the new Debt Recovery Unit.

"The Debt Recovery Unit will capitalise on the effort made by the project consultants to provide the government with up-to-date records into its credit status by harmonising debt records across all MDAs within the country, give debtors access to a platform to view and offset debt in a seamless and secured manner as well as strengthen the institutional framework for enforcement and management of the Federal Debt Recovery plan."

She stated that the main capabilities of the Project Lighthouse Debt Recovery Application are to create users and their usage profiles to allow owners/representatives of registered companies with the

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), sign up on the system and ascertain the status of their liabilities to the government.

It is also to be used by debtors to offset debt in a seamless and secured manner, as well as to be used by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMFBNP) to track the credit profile of the government, ascertain details of outstanding amount due and amount recovered from debtors. " It also gives Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) access to update debt records progressively.

"In addition to this, a fully functional website has been developed to effectively manage public perception around the Government debt recovery efforts and revenue improvement strategies.

"I want to use the opportunity to urge all FGOEs and MDAs to update their list of debtors on a month-on-month basis against the Project Lighthouse debt recovery portfolio.

"This also encompasses the development of an institutional framework for enforcement, recovery and management of the fiscal environment," Ahmed said.

She recalled that one of the key economic policy objectives of the current administration, as contained in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), is improving overall federal government revenues by targeting and increasing revenues from non-oil sources.” ERGP, Ahmed added also aimed, among other goals, to increase the tax base by drastically increasing the Company Income Tax and Value Added Tax compliance, bringing additional taxpayers into the tax net, and increase Tax to GDP ratio.

"You will recall that in the last few months, major steps have been taken to improve the fiscal position of government. One of such steps is the implementation of quite a number of portfolio initiatives under the Strategic Revenue Growth Initiatives (SRGI), which some of you have been participating in.

"Despite the fact that we live in a technology and data-centric world, we have not had a culture of using data and information to guide the formulation, implementation and impact assessment of our initiatives and policies or even in carrying out our mandate as a ministry.

"This modus operadis presents a number of challenges. First, our policies are not usually empirically based. Second, we are not able to effectively track the implementation and impact of these policies, initiatives, programmes and mandate.

Third, we lack data to help guide the revision or optimisation of these policies," the minister said.

In response to the aforementioned challenges, she stated that her ministry initiated “Project Lighthouse”, stressing that in July 2017 during the first phase of Project Lighthouse, data was mined from multiple sources to support the implementation of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

Such data, she said, included tax records from tax authorities, company ownership and directors from Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), land records from land registries, Company directors’ information from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Non-structured data from online sources, contractor payment records from GIFMIS, and Remita, among others.

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EMPOWERING COMMUNITY WOMEN...

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji; Lead Pastor, The Elevation Church, Godman Akinlabi; The Erelu of Lagos, Mrs Abiola Dosunmu; veteran Nollywood actress and Executive Producer, Earth Women, Ego Boyo; and Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action, and producer, Earth Women, Bekeme Olowola at the premiere of a documentary titled 'Earth Women' an expose on gender based discrimination in extractive communities held in Lagos …recently

CBN Begins Evaluation of Proposals for N500m TIES Grants James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said it has commenced the review of 145 applications from tertiary institutions, jostling to access funding for various entrepreneurship innovations that could lead to significant job creation across the country.

In November 2021, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, formally launched the bank’s N500 million Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurship Scheme (TIES) to boost entrepreneurship in higher

institutions.

Emefiele had also inaugurated the Body of Experts (BoE) chaired by the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, among other professionals to evaluate and rank entrepreneurial presentations made by the tertiary institutions under the developmental (grant) component of the scheme.

He had also said members of the body were professionals of impeccable standing, drawn from the academia, professional bodies, and industry - which shall

recommend projects with high potential and transformational impact for grant awards.

However, Suleiman, at the second stage pitch competition by 30 top regional shortlist for the maiden TIES grant award for universities and polytechnics in Abuja, yesterday, said one of the objectives of the programme was to ensure that young undergraduates become employers of labour rather than being unemployed when they leave school.

He said: “What the CBN is pushing for is a process where

while in the universities, the collaborative efforts between the faculties, the institutions and the students will lead to outcomes that would lead to companies emerging from these institutions that would then become employers of labour.

“There were certain focus areas specifically the areas that could lead to high employability from agribusiness, tech to creative industry. We are here today because the BOEs that was inaugurated has gone to an extensive process of reviewing 145 applications from universities across the country.”

Adegbite Denies FG’s Handing Over Ajaokuta Rehabilitation to British Firm Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite has debunked what he termed as false narratives carried by some media outlets on Ajaokuta Steel plant and its purported hand over to a British firm.

Adegbite in a statement yesterday in Abuja, by his S.A Media Ayodeji Adeyemi, stated that at no time did he say that the federal government was handing over Ajaokuta to a British firm for rehabilitation.

The minister clarified that a local Nigerian firm with a British partner had expressed interest in carrying out the technical audit for free with no preconditions.

He pointed out that the federal government had been in discussion with a Russian firm Messrs TPE (nominated by the Russian government) towards conducting the technical audit. The war between Ukraine and Russia had caused a setback to the proposed plan.

Adegbite noted that it was difficult to move forward with the Russian firm due to international sanctions placed on Russia, which has also impacted Russian firms and businesses.

"Meanwhile, a local company in partnership with a British company has offered to execute the technical audit at no cost to Nigeria and with no preconditions.

"This was what I said at the media parley at the state house and not that Ajaokuta would be

handed over to a British company for rehabilitation," the minister clarified.

Adegbite explained that when the technical audit would be completed, the result would be shared with all interested investors and potential partners interested in Ajaokuta Steel Plant resuscitation, which they would use to enter their submission bids.

"To ensure that the entire process is transparent, a firm was appointed in 2018 as Transaction Advisor.

"This firm has been revalidated by the BPP (Bureau of Public Procurement) and will guide and ensure a transparent due process in the selection of the eventual firm for Ajaokuta Steel restoration.

"The Technical Assistance will carry out all financial, environmental

and technical due process to establish the successful firm and the mode of engagement. The various bids would then be ranked by the transaction advisor according to merits."

Adegbite noted that the outcome of the transaction advisors work would be taken to the Federal Executive Council for a robust discussion and eventual decision.

He said the body had identified 30 different institutions from the six geopolitical zones in the country and their proposals.

According to him, the shortlisted institutions now have an opportunity to stand before the BOEs and showcase what they have put forward.

Suleiman said: “We are convinced that the thoroughness of the work that has been done would then lead to us being able to identify and score the top performance and eventually the winners of the programme.

“Our hope is that this has met the expectations of the CBN governor when he set this up and most importantly, it would meet the expectation of Nigerians.”

He, further pointed out that bridging the gap between academia and the workplace remained critical, adding that the “more we do this beyond TIES itself, the more public sector partners will find opportunities to collaborate with universities, go through R&D processes and hopefully deliver things that are for the benefits of the country.”

He said evaluation was based on the set criteria and through engagements that showcase

Omokri Wins Business Insider 'Business Influencer of the Year' Award Jonathan, Atiku, Okonjo-Iweala, Awosika, others congratulate him

Former Presidential spokesman, and bestselling author, Reno Omokri, has emerged as THE 'Business Insider’s Business Influencer of the Year'.

On April 12, he will be presented with the award after securing 74.67 per cent of over 200,000 votes.

On March 21, 2022, he was nominated by Business Insider as the 'Business Influencer of 2022', along with Tony Elumelu, Dr. Ola Brown, Vusi Thembekwayo, and Victor Asemota.

Omokri dedicated the award to former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“Reno, I am so proud of you for emerging as Business Insider’s Business Influencer of the Year. Your nomination was well deserved.

And your victory, by 74.76 per cent of over 200,000 votes, is an overwhelming vote of confidence in you by the international community.

Your ability to influence business and political trends is very rare,"

said Jonathan in a statement.

The Nigerian ex-president said he was honoured that Omokri chose to dedicate the award to him.

Also, Atiku, in a statement he signed, “I congratulate Reno Omokri, who was nominated by Business Insider magazine as the Business Influencer of the Year, 2022, an award he has now won. I am also much honoured that the award is dedicated to me."

The former Nigerian vice president noted that business "is the lifeblood of an economy.

"I am dedicated to fulfilling our destiny as 'One Nation', where everybody has a job or a business.

I am not the big picture. Nigeria is the big picture," added Atiku. "My focus is to see that our picture has the structure that will enable us to fulfil our future and potential. I am confident that we can get Nigeria working again so that more of our people can win awards as this.”

Video congratulations were also

made by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Mrs. Dere Awosika, Chairman of Access Bank, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Dele Momodu, Onyeka Onwenu, amongst many others.

"I'm happy to hear the good news that you won the Business Insider's 'Business Influencer of the Year' award. Congratulations! You have indeed used your influence for productive purposes and to do good both within the private and public sectors," the WTO boss.

Awosika added, "The award is very significant because it's coming from a renowned organisation.

Through this global recognition, I hope you will continue to use your platform of truth to disseminate the truth to the nations of the world."

In his congratulatory message, Mathew Kukah, Catholic bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, said, "Congratulations on your well-deserved award. May we really and truly

be triumphant in our struggle to create a world in which all of us live happily, and all of us prosper in seeking God's way."

"Reno, congratulations on your victory," said Bruce. "You're a great businessman. You're a great influencer. This is your gift. This is your passion. You've done this all your life, and I'm sure this is only the beginning. Congratulations."

Onyeka Onwenu, the superstar singer and actress, added, "Congratulations, Reno Omokri; 'Business Influencer of the Year' from such a renowned organisation. It is well-earned. Reno, you're a good man. You're a great influencer and supporter of a great cause."

Similarly, in his congratulatory message, Nigeria's international reggae star Dr. Alban described Reno as "the enemy of poverty, whose activity is positive." While rapper Weird MC also congratulated Omokri on "impacting a whole lot of us."

entrepreneurial and technological ideas/innovations from Nigerian universities and polytechnics.

He noted that five top projects will be recommended for the final grant awards at the end of the evaluations.

Emefiele, had said TIES was conceived as part of measures to promote entrepreneurship development among the graduate and undergraduate youths of Nigerian polytechnics and universities.

According to him, the scheme is aimed at providing an innovative financing model that will support the development of innovative entrepreneurial ideas among graduates and undergraduates of tertiary institutions in the country.

The CBN governor had explained that the developmental grant component was aimed at raising awareness and visibility of entrepreneurship among undergraduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions.

He explained that under this category, polytechnics and universities in the country shall compete in a national biennial entrepreneurship competition where undergraduates are presented by the tertiary institutions to pitch innovative entrepreneurial or technological ideas with transformational potential.

According to him, three top institutions at the regional levels shall proceed to the national level, where the top five shall be awarded grants ranging between N120 million and N250 million.

He had insisted that the grant awards shall be used by the tertiary institutions solely for the development of the award-willing ideas.

One of the participating institutions from the North-Central zone, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, made presentation to the BOEs on Shea Business Hub (SBH) for Wealth Creation. The team sought to maximise the opportunities in the Shea value chain which has the potential to generate thousands of direct jobs.

Also, the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State also presented on Brick-Charcoal Cooling Chamber, which is a new electricity-free approach for storage devices using ancient principles with local materials to reduce post-harvest farm losses. The project seeks to cut post-harvest wastages by over 50 per cent.

11

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ELEVEN LALONG ATTENDING POLITICAL MEETINGS AS TERRORISTS MAUL DOWN 80, ABDUCT 70 IN PLATEAU COMMUNITIES former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Bola Tinubu, over the latter’s presidential ambition. Observers said this was a reflection of the growing insensitivity of the country's political leaders.

As the security situation across the country continued to deteriorate, with lives and livelihoods being helplessly ruined, the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) charged Nigerians to defend themselves from attackers. The charge was contained in a communiqué by ECWA President, Rev. Stephen Panya, and General Secretary, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, at the end of the 69th General Church Council meeting held at the church headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.

Lalong, it was gathered, was the only governor that attended the presidential declaration by Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, on Saturday.

As the governor was attending meetings with Tinubu, alongside other governors, 78 victims of the terrorist attack on the villages in Kanam Local Government Area were being buried in mass graves in their respective communities amid wailing by loved ones and the villagers. Lalong sat pretty at Kebbi Governor's Lodge to listen to Tinubu speak on his presidential interest.

Some of the residents of the communities, who escaped the attacks, expressed worries that terrorists now lived around them, and called on the government and security agencies to come to their rescue.

One resident, who preferred anonymity for security reasons, said, "It is sad that innocent persons were killed without any form of provocation. We no longer feel safe in our homes and communities. We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Simon Lalong, and security operatives to come to our rescue.”

The villagers narrated that the terrorists invaded their communities on motor bikes in large numbers and shot sporadically, killing and maiming residents of seven communities.

Though presence of security forces has increased, villagers were however seen fleeing the communi-

ties for fear of subsequent attacks.

Indigenes in the villages that were attacked said they recovered over 80 corpses from the attacks, adding that more corpses were still being recovered from the neighbouring bushes.

A source from the communities, Mr. Fanya Ali, said, 70 persons might have been abducted, as their whereabouts remained unknown.

Ali added that at least 80 houses were burnt.

Ali said 36 persons were killed in Kukawa, 27 in Gyambau, 11 in Wanka, and eight in Kyaram. He added that the figures from the other villages were yet to be obtained.

According to Ali, many of the injured victims have been admitted at Dengi General Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

Another eyewitness, Sariki Bitrus, said many women and children were missing, fearing the terrorists may have abducted them. Bitrus lamented that the people were in dire need of assistance as they have been displaced from their homes.

Lamenting the attack, Plateau Elders Forum, in a statement signed

by Mr. Jonathan Ishaku, said it was shocked by the heinous assault on the innocent people of Kanam Local Government Area.

Ishaku stated, “Just within a week of our press release, in which we condemned terrorist attacks on Miango villages in Bassa Local Government Area and Rantis in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, bandits have allegedly killed several persons, wounded many and abducted over 70 in Kanam Local Government Area yesterday.

“This is again very sad and we strongly condemn it. This seeming escalation of violence on our communities further justifies the earlier call the Plateau Elders Forum made on the Plateau State Government, in conjunction with the security forces, to deal drastically with terrorists in the state.

“The security forces should ensure the immediate rescue of all abducted persons.”

The member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Mr. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, described the attack as an annihilation scheme. Gagdi

commiserated with the victims.

The lawmaker, who was in Madina for lesser Hajj, called for immediate military presence in the affected communities and those bordering them in order to arrest the surging activities of bandits in his constituency. He expressed worry over the federal government's negligence and failure to provide security for Plateau communities, despite intelligence reports by the Department of State Services (DSS) about the influx of criminal elements into the state and some neighbouring states.

Gagdi stated, “The federal government, which has exclusive

control of security apparatus in the country, has woefully failed in its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property of Nigerians.”

He expressed outrage at the devastating state of security in the country, arguing that somebody has been negligent in the discharge of his duties to Nigerians. He maintained that it was high time the federal government owned up to its inability to discharge this sacrosanct duty it owed Nigerians.

Gagdi advised citizens within the boundary communities, particularly in Wase and Kanam local government areas of the state, to be on the alert, as fleeing bandits from

“But I want to assure Nigerians and indeed the awardees that we have been able to, as I speak, tried to bring the issue to a manageable state and device a strategy for bringing the challenge to a close.

“At the moment, we have had over 80 per cent compliance in terms of payment. In fact, one of the challenges we've had is that even in forming the SPVs , they are still having challenges working together because of the nature of the model used.

“But by and large, I want to say that we as a commission, we will learn from this experience, and I want to assure Nigeria that the next marginal bid will definitely not be bogged down by these kind of challenges we experienced in managing the fallout of the 2020 marginal field.

“Before the first half of the year, we want to see a situation where some of the awardees will be proceeding to field development plan. At the moment again, we have recorded close to 90 per cent of the co-awardees forming their SPV and at that stage, it is the very comfortable stage when the commission can go ahead to issue Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs),” he explained.

Komolafe described the massive theft of crude oil in the Niger Delta as criminal and horrific, stating that while over $2 billion worth of oil was estimated to have been illegally siphoned in 2021, when added to the first quarter of 2022, it may have climbed beyond $3 billion.

Recently, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, who spoke at the end of the 284th monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja, had blamed the trend of oil theft for the inability of Nigeria to meet its oil production quota.

Describing the situation as unprecedented, he stated that the

that put a stop to the carnage.

It said the State Security Council had adopted far-reaching measures to strengthen security by enhancing the capacity of the security agencies to respond to all situations that cause a breach of the peace in any part of the state.

The statement also said Lalong sympathised with the communities affected, and promised them justice, saying those behind the attacks would not be allowed to go without punishment. He directed the State Emergency Management Agency and the Peace Building Agency to Continued on page 36

TINUBU DISOWNS OSINBAJO, SAYS HE HAS NO SON GROWN ENOUGH TO DECLARE FOR PRESIDENT the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) described Osinbajo’s presidential declaration as a betrayal of trust.

However, Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, described as a welcome development the fact that Osinbajo and Tinubu were seeking to be president of Nigeria. Bagudu said it was an indication of a robust democratic contest within a party that had endeared itself to Nigerians.

The PGF chairman also stated that APC might settle for the consensus method in the choice of its presidential candidate.

Tinubu met with about 12 APC governors at Kebbi State Governor's Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, a few hours after the governors’ meeting with Osinbajo at his official residence inside Aso Rock, at the start of the vice president’s presidential campaign.

Fielding questions from journalists after the meeting, an apparent kneejerk response to the vice president’s deft pioneering meeting with the APC governors, Tinubu denied Osinbajo outright.

Asked about the declaration of the vice president, a development many of Tinubu’s loyalists reckoned should not have happened, Tinubu declared, "I don't have a son grown enough to declare" for the office of president.

The APC leader, who said he met with the governors of his party to seek their support for his ambition, said, "My mission here is to seek collaboration, support and encouragement of my party, the

APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure."

Tinubu’s denial of his erstwhile political protégé is a clear indication that the battle line is drawn between both men, and the battle may get more intense and messier in the period ahead.

However, speaking earlier, Bagudu described the competitive situation in the party as a welcome development. He said Tinubu told the APC governors about his intention to vie for the presidency in 2023.

Bagudu said, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this morning, met members of the Progressive Governors Forum, where he stated what he has made public already – his intention to seek the office of the president come 2023, which he has already announced publicly.

He briefed us on his reasons, his thinking and his message."

Bagudu said Tinubu acknowledged the role of the governors in the last convention of the party, where they helped to steady the party and produce a leadership accepted and widely acknowledged.

"We appreciated his message and we will definitely discuss the message at one of our meetings," Bagudu added.

Asked if Osinbajo and Tinubu’s ambitions had put the governors in a tight corner, Bagudu said the governors appreciated the development, because it was an indication that the ruling party had endeared

MARGINAL FIELDS: UPSTREAM COMMISSION TARGETS JUNE FOR DRILLING The process which commenced in 2020 had been bogged down by bureaucratic challenges, meaning that the actual drilling for oil has yet to effectively take off over a year after the awardees were officially handed award certificates.

On May 30, 2021, the then Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had announced the conclusion of the exercise, the first since 2003, with the presentation of letters to the bid winners in Abuja by the industry regulator.

The regulator had put up 57 marginal fields spanning land, swamp and offshore for lease, with 161 companies eventually shortlisted to advance to the final stage from 591 entities that applied for pre-qualification.

The Head of the DPR, which has now transformed into NUPRC, Sarki Auwalu, had at the time, stated that the exercise was worth roughly $500 million in signature bonuses.

However, a number of the award winners, had decried the slow turn of events, stressing that they had continued to pay heavy interests on the loans that were borrowed to pay for the transactions, despite that the loans have been unproductive for over a year.

But Komolafe, while responding to a question regarding the issue of the 2020 marginal fields award, said although the commission inherited a difficult situation, it expects that by the first half (H1) of this year, all the issues would be sorted out.

“It’s critical because one of our cardinal objectives is to ensure that we increase the national oil production and of course, we realise that the fields will actually help in enhancing that.

“We took the issue frontally.

It’s really been very challenging to handle the issue in the sense that the model used poses serious challenges to bringing the matter to an end quickly.

Zamfara and other North-west states had been traced to camps within the forests in the local government areas.

Meanwhile, the Plateau State government, in a statement yesterday warned that the state would not be a haven for terrorists and other criminals fleeing from other parts of the country. The statement quoted Lalong as urging the security agencies to go after the terrorists.

The statement signed by Lalong’s media aide, Makut Macham, said the governor expressed regrets over the dastardly act, saying he has directed security forces to dominate the area after their initial response

occurrence had had a debilitating effect on government revenue and accretion to reserves, adding that the global prices have gone up and are compounded by the shortage of supply of petroleum products.

On their part, the association of indigenous exploration and production companies, the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) recently put it succinctly when it described the occurrence as an “existential threat.”

The Chairman, IPPG, Mr. Abdulrasaq Isa, speaking at the 5th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) had said the challenge should be tackled before it finally kills the sector.

Also, weeks ago, Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), operators of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) pipeline, threatened to exit the facility due to incessant vandalism, sabotage and outright theft.

In the same vein, THISDAY reported a Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru as recently calling for a state of emergency in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, revealing that up to 80 per cent of oil pumped in the country, particularly in the East, is stolen.

Avuru’s comments came days after a businessman and Chairman Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, similarly bemoaned the worsening state of the industry, stressing that about 95 per cent of oil production does not get to the terminal.

Last week, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, warned that Nigeria might go bankrupt if the trend is not checked.

He also raised concerns over the country’s economic future, warning that Nigeria’s debt to

service revenue ratio might pose danger for decades to come.

Continuing, Komolafe stated that it was not the duty of the commission to secure government oil and gas assets, saying the organisation does not, “regulate” criminal activities.

“The commission does not regulate criminals, that's not the mandate of the agency. It does not actually extend to dealing with criminal.

We do not have the abrasive or the coercive machinery to subdue criminals. Our mandate actually covers technical and commercial regulatory functions,” he argued.

Komolafe noted that whatever affects the oil sector affects the health of the entire nation, reiterating that the upstream and downstream parts of the industry are facing challenges at the moment.

“What we're witnessing has reached a very alarming situation, a very horrific situation,” he lamented.

According to him, getting investors to put their hard-earned money into the sector has been very difficult with the existing harsh conditions , including the theft of the commodity by saboteurs. “It is worrisome due to the activities of these criminals,” he lamented.

By rough estimates , the NUPRC had said that Nigeria lost more than 115,000 barrels per day (bpd) to oil theft and vandalism between January 2021 and February 2022.

Komolafe reiterated that the NUPRC had established a panel to audit the activities of operators in the upstream sector to ascertain the actual volume of oil lost to the menace.

The commission’s chief executive further pushed back on insinuations that the Timipre Sylva-led steering committee was slowing down work on the commencement of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), saying that the collaboration has been seamless.

itself to Nigerians.

He stated, "On the contrary, we appreciate our party, because it has become a party that has endeared itself to Nigerians. We have many brilliant people in our party, some serving and some not serving.

"The fact that we have people in our party that express desire to lead the party into the highest office in an electoral contest shows how much this our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.

"For us, it is a hallmark of success that people are showing interest, but at the end of the day, and because they are leaders of the party, they will always put the party's interest at heart."

On suggestions that APC might adopt a consensus candidate for the presidency, Bagudu stressed that the governors would always encourage the party to go for the best.

He said, "Don't forget that in the 2015 presidential election primary, President Buhari contested against several others and it was a beautiful contest. There is nothing wrong.

Members of the party always want to see consensus if it is possible, but we are a democratic party.

"In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others. There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.

“APC has done well as a party, President Buhari has led the party ably well and we believe strongly that come 2023, Nigerians will see another President of the APC extraction.”

Osinbajo officially declared his intention to run for president in 2023, yesterday, after meeting some APC governors at his official residence, Akinola Aguda House, within the precincts of the State House.

In the announcement video posted on his verified Twitter handle and other media platforms, including television, radio and social media platforms, Osinbajo promised to use his seven years insight and experience as the vice president to complete all that the Buhari-led APC government started at the centre since May 2015.

According to him, if given the opportunity to lead Nigeria, his experience, insights and opportunities would be used for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.

He claimed to have practically been to all the local governments in the country and had taken time to listen to the diverse experiences and yearnings of the people.

Vowing to transform the security architecture, agriculture and all other sectors for the betterment of the country, Osinbajo assured the citizens that he would build a Nigeria, where everywhere would be home for everyone.

He sought the support of all Nigerians to be their president in the next political dispensation.

Listing some of the challenges he intended to fix, if elected in 2023, the vice president said, “In this period of seven years, I have served the government in several capacities, and I have, at the direction of Mr. President, represented our country in sensitive high-level international engagements. If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then, I believe that, first, we must complete what we have started: “Radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture; completing the reform of our justice system, focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel; ensuring justice for all and the observance of rule of law; rapidly advancing our infrastructure

development, especially power, roads, railways and broadband connectivity.

“Providing an excellent environment for businesses to thrive, taking the agriculture revolution to the next level especially, mechanisation and developing the farm to table value chain, making sure that the government, its agencies and regulators serve the business community, creating a tech economy that will provide jobs for millions; “Enhancing our Social Investment Programme to a full scale social welfare scheme, completing the promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within this decade, completing the task of ensuring that all Nigerians, male and female, attend school, reforming our educational system for relevance to the challenges of this century.

“Completing the task of universal health coverage for all, and strengthening the capacity of states and local governments to deliver on their respective mandates. Above all, front and centre of our efforts will be the provision of jobs and opportunities for our young people.”

Osinbajo added, “We will, working together, establish by the grace of God, the Nigeria of our dreams in a few short years. We will build on the foundation laid by our predecessors. We will need to move, with much speed, intentionality, and perseverance, towards the vision of a prosperous, stable, and secure nation.

I am convinced beyond doubt, that, we have the creativity, the courage, the talent, and the resources to be the foremost black nation on earth.

"Let us now birth the expectations of greatness conceived generations before us. Let us build a Nigeria, where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother; where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister; where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa.

“Where everywhere, in this land, is home for everyone, where our diversities, tribes and faiths unite, rather than divide us. Let our tribes become one tribe; the Nigerian tribe, where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect. Where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation. It’s time."

Meanwhile, Head of Media, Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, while reacting to Osinbajo’s declaration, said, "His declaration is a welcome development but a betrayal of trust to the political family he belongs to.

However, he does not portend any threat to our camp.

"Our eyes are on the ball and we are counting our numbers.

Our consultation continues, as our principal is meeting with governors of the party."

Adeyanju stressed that Osinbajo's declaration would further strengthen internal democracy as party members look forward to a transparent primary.

"We are ready for primaries with any interested person, because our principal is a true democrat," he said

Group Commends Osinbajo for Declaring Presidential Bid

A group, Osinbajo Volunteer Movement (OVM), commended the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, for making public his intention to contest for the position of president in 2023. The group said Osinbajo was the right man for the job.

National Publicity Secretary of the group, Comrade Kalid Ibrahim, spoke to newsmen in Continued on page 23

12

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

2022 PUBLIC RELATION ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA'S AGM...

L-R: Managing Director, Integrated Indigo Ltd/Secretary General, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. Bolaji Abimbola; Publicity Secretary, PRCAN, Mrs. Funmilayo Erikitola; President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo; Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Africa and President, Public PRCAN, Israel Jaiye Opayemi; Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dada Awosika of D.A Awosika SAN & Partners; Managing Director, Caritas PR and Vice President, PRCAN, Mr. Adedayo Ojo and , Finance Director CMC Connect/Treasurer, PRCAN, Mr. Raheem Olabode at the 2022 Public Relations Association Nigeria’s Annual General Meeting held in Lagos…recently

57-Day-Old Strike: ASUU Urges Nigerians to Rescue Dying University System Berates education minister over attack on union FG not against new welfare package for university lecturers, says Ngige NLC meets varsity unions today Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City, Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benin Zone yesterday pleaded with Nigerians to join the union in rescuing the dying university system.

The Zonal Coordinator, ASUUBenin Zone, Prof. Fred Esumeh, said this during a media briefing at the ASUU Secretariat, University of Benin, Edo State.

Also yesterday, the Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige, said the federal government was in support of renegotiation of the welfare package for university staff in line with current realities.

He, however, said that the government was not happy with the approach being used by the ASUU to pursue their demands.

Government's position came as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it had scheduled to meet with the four university-based unions over the ongoing strike in the ivory towers.

Esumeh also called on all wellmeaning Nigerians to wake-up and join the union in salvaging what remains of the country by repositioning the universities to be globally competitive and able to produce the manpower required to jump-start the re-emergence of a technological and economic power.

According to him: "We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, students,

workers, Civil Society organisations to wake-up and join ASUU to salvage what remains of the country by repositioning the universities to be globally competitive and able to produce the manpower required to jump-start the re-emergence as a globally technological and economic power.

"On the 14th of February 2022, ASUU, after more than a calendar year of exploring all available and legitimate means in its effort to compel the federal government of Nigeria to honour the terms of the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union on December 2020, was left with no option, other than to declare a four-week roll-over strike.

"At the expiration of the four weeks when the government created the impression that it required more time to address the issues at stake, ASUU rolled over the strike for another eight weeks to provide the federal government with more than sufficient time to comprehensively sort out the patriotic demand by the union.

"The representatives of government continue to toy with the future of our children, students and nation, such that 57 days after they were sent packing from the institutions, the resolution of the principal outstanding issues of the deployment of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and the signing and implementation and the 2009

FGN-ASUU agreement remains at the level of mere proposals, fruitless and empty assurances.

“Yet these are issues that could have been adequately resolved in weeks by any well-meaning and serious-minded government," Esumeh stated.

In a related development, ASUU yesterday denounced the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, over what it described as his reckless comment that the union was, “mean and wicked for shutting down universities."

The Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter of the union, Prof.

Ayo Akinwole, in a statement issued in Ibadan yesterday, said lecturers in the country had sacrificed their labour, sweat and health, “only for

parasites in government to come and destroy common heritage and collective patrimony.”

Akinwole said the minister represents one of the deceptive and insincere characters of the Buhari’s administration.

According to him, it was a sign of acceptance of failure for a minister to admit, “that they have consistently been irresponsible by pleading with a union to bury the welfare of her members and not fight for infrastructure face-lift for the children of the masses and new salary for the welfare of her members.”

The ASUU boss who challenged the minister to make public his salaries and allowances also asked him to tell Nigerians how much he

The Federal Government has claimed it is spending about N12 billion monthly on the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (MHADMSD).

The National Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which is run by the ministry, Dr Umar Bindir, made the disclosure at a two-day stakeholders’ consultative workshop on the development of a national policy for NHGSFP in Abuja.

He said the national school feeding programme which was launched in 2016 was cost intensive as over N10 million children were captured under the scheme with each given a meal of N100 per day by the Buhari administration.

Bindir stressed the need for the country to have a national policy on school feeding programme to ensure sustainability.

“Today we are focusing on the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme with the support of the World Food Programme (WFP) to develop an inclusive policy for NHGSFP. “This is to ensure that it is sustainable, measurable and

not funding education adequately is itself influencing insecurity in the country."

According to him, “ASUU has become very tolerant and endured suffering for the sakes of students and Nigeria. We have shown understanding but this government has even failed to deliver on the timeline agreement we signed with this government. Nwajiuba’s claim is deceptive and unfounded.

“This is a deceptive government.

They have set up up to 40 committees on our renegotiation since 2017 and the same government is now setting up another committee to look into what those ones did for almost four years? They are unserious, wicked and parasitic leaders.”

With 2.7MMT Annual Projection, NALDA Seeks to Crash Price of Wheat James Emejo in Abuja

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive, National Land Development Authority (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne, yesterday said it is targeting to produce about 2.7 Million Metric Tons (MMT) of wheat annually across the country.

He expressed optimism that the significant boost in wheat

production would further lead to a crash in the price of the commodity, reduce importation thereby preserving foreign exchange as well as create job opportunities for Nigerians.

Speaking when he received the Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya in his office, Ikonne added that efforts by the authority to expand wheat production would

N12bn Spent Monthly on National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Says FG Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

was being owed by the government since he became Minister.

Akinwole said lecturers have been considerate of the plight of the students and the society, saying that was why it took the union members to show understanding with the government owing her members 12 years of earned academic allowances and 13 years of old salary when likes of the Ministers and cabinet members in the administration of President Buhari are enjoying a periodic review of allowances and salaries.

He said the Minister should cover his head in shame for heading a ministry where, “the budget for education has regressed since the assumption of office,” adding that, “this government fails to realise that

highly impactful as directed by Mr President.

“As we speak we are feeding an average of 10 million children with the potential of that number increasing to 12 million probably in the next few weeks or months.

“Based on the impact of the programme – attracting children to school, ensuring the children are healthy, the children of the poor and vulnerable attending school longer it is necessary that the programme is sustained,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the Head, Capacity Strengthening and Policy Coherence, UN World Food Programme, Kim Do-Hwan, noted that the

objective of the workshop was to engage critical stakeholders, to jointly identify and agree on key components of a national school feeding policy.

Kim said that the policy development process would take into account broad considerations that would benefit the NHGSFP as it was being implemented across the country.

He further said that the policy would serve as a foundation for the success and sustainability of the NHGSFP and as a guiding document that ensures continued investment from national and subnational stakeholders beyond any singular political dispensation.

also make flour accessible to the people.

He said the projected production is achievable, noting that the country had all it required to boost wheat production with the willingness of farmers.

He said, "This is very important because nature has also made it that it is very urgent for Nigeria to take advantage of what is happening in the world towards producing our own wheat, maize and other crops.

"We have the potential, the manpower, good weather, etc.

President Muhammadu Buhari has resuscitated NALDA to make sure we get the land, get people motivated and make our farmers get back to farming. We have procured some processing machines so that it will be easy for farmers to start wheat processing. The small and big flour mills also need the raw materials.”

He said, "We have resolved in Gombe and with the governor's visit, we can do more; the governor has pledged 4,500 hectares for our aggressive production that NALDA is collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the result we got shows that it's achievable.”

He also told the governor that has divided its plant projects into two parts where it is working with

universities to get land for food production, pointing out that it is also working with the ministry of education to get 30,000 hectares of land that are not being used from universities.

According to the NALDA boss, the land will be divided for maize and cassava and wheat production.

Ikonne said, "As we speak, we are clearing 100 hectares land in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Imo State, we already have 100 hectares of land at University of Agriculture, Umidike and we have already cleared and planted plantain at one of the universities in Aba, Abia State.

"We are grateful to God and we thank President Buhari for his mindset of putting Nigerians on the path of sustainability for the country to be food sufficient.”

On his part, Inuwa while commending NALDA's effort towards achieving food security, said the state is already in line with the target for wheat production.

The governor said, "We cultivated 200 hectares of land for wheat this year and the result is good, that is why we are working with NALDA to expand our production. With the recent development of the Russian - Ukraine war, we need to do more to stop the importation of wheat.”

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TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

PERSPECTIVE

2023 Elections: Who is the David that Would Save Nigeria?

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he President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said something very interesting recently. He was asked to disclose who his likely successor is; he responded that he would rather not disclose his identity for fear of him being killed! So the President is keeping his choice close to his chest. He had earlier said that he would leave a lasting legacy for the people of Nigeria.

Very well then. This is a striking semblance to what happened in the Biblical days when Samuel the prophet was sent to the House of Jesse to anoint the next King to replace Saul who fell out of favour with God. Samuel got to the house where the most senior of the seven children of Jesse took time to walk before him for possible selection. But all of them were rejected prompting the question: “Is there still any left?”

And they said, yes, but he was in the bush. When David showed up, he was anointed immediately despite his rough appearance —kept away from the limelight and visibility.

The President made that statement based on his observation of the many aspirants traversing the political landscape like the antelope that danced itself lame and got exhausted before the real dance was to start, notwithstanding the fact that those dancing now are recycled! They are out there trying to convince Nigerians why they should be the “hidden one”. They have cash, political clout and huge followership, based on filthy lucre. But they have no character or integrity. Without the last two, there can be no trustworthiness. What is happening in the political scene right now can be said to be a big joke. People just take the nation for granted and behave as though there is no constitution and law.

The most visible, of course, is Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is undoubtedly the most powerful man to come from the southwest. He moves with swagger, does his things in big ways; he is full of pride and wants no resistance. As a non-state actor, his demeanor shows he doesn’t want any opposition. He is used to having his way in the affairs of Lagos State where he handpicks the governors. If he is so powerful as a non-state actor, one wonders what he would be like as a sitting president. Perhaps, he thought the game would be played the same way at the national level. This man says he doesn’t want consensus at the national level, but that’s exactly what he does at the local level, making it possible for his favourite “political sons” to be recycled repeatedly.

He has built up a chain of powerful sycophants who sing his praises to high heavens. But Malam Nasir El-Rufai told him to his face that although they had heard of his interest in the presidency, his prayer was that God would give the nation the best candidate! The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who has also put his hat in the ring with him, is seen as an ungrateful human being for daring to challenge his master. Asiwaju is the widely acclaimed national leader of the ruling political party of Nigeria—though only in name. The nation needs peace and good governance—not another proud egoistic leader.

Like the Biblical description of Eliab, Abinadab and Shammath, the sons of Jesse, they were “goodly” to look at, but Samuel was told to look at the “heart”—not the shape and size of the pocket of the individual. In terms of the latter, Asiwaju and Yemi Osinbajo are unbeatable. They have huge financial muscle. The same applies to others currently jostling for recognition like Rotimi Amaechi, and Godwin Emefiele. But how many of them have the heart to rescue the country from its current impasse? Rotimi Amaechi is presently serving as Minister of Transportation who ought to have resigned in the aftermath of the horrible Abuja-Kaduna train disaster. He is still in government as we speak.

But how many people have resigned in the history of this country because of any gaffe or calamity? You may be right if you say that the culture doesn’t exist anymore. At least, this is the first administration to start and end with the same set of ministers! What an incredible record!

At every point, some people try to lower the standards of our daily life. This shouldn’t be the case. Somehow, we have to find a way to drop this negative mentality that serves no one. The ministers have been in office for seven years and running and yet, their impact is anything but zero. The reason is not far from their abysmal performance. They were appointed as ministers and kept in office by virtue of their “connections” to the corridors of power, but they have no “heart” for the job.

Continuing on who this Buhari’s ‘David”

President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to be, the history of how leaders eventually emerge in Nigeria is well known.

Olusegun Obasanjo was brought out from prison to become Head of State; Jonathan was drafted as deputy governor to become Vice President, same applies to Atiku Abubakar.

Shehu Shagari himself was a teacher before the hand of fate identified him. You do not become president because of the size of cash you have or wealth. Neither is your popularity.

You can be a kingmaker in your house but certainly not for the country. You may be the vice president of the nation without having any ideology or claim to transformational principles. The truth is that none of the people seeking the coveted office now has anything to offer. No one needs any indication to know that it is more like a fashion parade, of who is who—nothing to do with resuscitating the economy or the welfare of Nigerians.

With the problems besieging the country, the eventual “David” must be someone people can vouch for; he must be reliable, hands-on, of good character, and honest. He must be someone who is apolitical and committed to deliver results. Such a person must be patriotic and focused; he must know what the National Development Plan is all about; he must not be someone who goes about donating millions to gain public attention.

We do not ask questions in this country, otherwise our anti-graft agencies should be asking how someone who left the government almost 15 years ago still has those millions to throw around. It is a very sad development indeed. We should be relentless in our quest for God-fearing leaders.

Only recently, the rumour went abroad that former president Jonathan was being drafted into the presidential race. The rumour was so strong that many of us prayed silently for him to reject the Greek gift. What is the former president coming to do? They even said he was going to dump his PDP for the ruling APC. Those fingered as conceiving the idea are said to be calculating that he would only serve 4 years and leave for “them” to continue. I believe those behind the plot fail to reckon with fate and nature. They are lost in their belief that there is no God to stop them. Well, my advice to Jonathan is that he should not fall for the trap. Nigerians cannot

forget too soon how the treasury was looted during his tenure. Many of the cases are still on. We should have pity on our children or the incoming generation and do the right thing.

As for the PDP, no one needs any soothsayer to know that danger looms. When you decide to abandon the constitution and respected principles, you should expect nothing less.

I watched Ishaku Dairus, Ortom, Bala Muhammed, Ndudi Elumelu on television, trying to justify the decision discarding zoning principle and throwing the presidential contest open—all because of certain powerful interests.

It is really unbecoming for them to toe this worn-out path. Was it not zoning that brought them to power in the first place? Was it not zoning that brought out Atiku Ababakar as Vice President, Nyesom Wike as Governor?

Why then do they think that same zoning principle is no longer necessary? Now, they have eaten the bug and the taste is fine; so, they must devise tricks to hang on to power!

Clever folks!

It doesn’t matter to them that the nation having endured eight years of Northern presidency and a Muslim for that matter needs to rotate, if only to keep the spirit of brotherhood open. If another Northerner and Muslim president is produced and rules for another eight years, then we may as well abolish democracy. It is sheer illusion for the PDP to think that what they have done is democracy—far from it. Whoever dreamt that idea up does not mean well for us as a country. Nigeria is not a roulette game that can be tossed anywhere. The PDP is guilty of not following the Nigerian Constitution; they have not changed a bit since when they were disgraced out of office. They are still the same old wine in new bottles.

They took the decision to throw open the presidential race because there are more Northern Governors than Southerners in their ranks. So they were able to utilize their numerical strength. You can now see that it will be difficult to have a “David” in their ranks. When Obasanjo’s tenure ended, he simply looked for a Northern Muslim to replace him; he campaigned for him and ensured he won. When Jonathan was to leave, he handed over to a Northerner. Let’s hope Muhammadu Buhari would do the

same. It makes better sense to rotate the highest office of the land.

The quickest route to anarchy is toeing the PDP line; Life is ‘turn by turn’; God in his wisdom made things orderly. There is no reason why human beings would try to distort it. Had the PDP put the country first, they would have done better.

Self-interest has clearly eaten so deep in all their calculations–at least from what is on the table.

Some of those championing this impossible course were those guilty of sharing billions on the streets of Abuja. They are not seeing the tension building up; they are not sensitive enough to gauge the people’s feelings. But we all know that at the end of the day, those putting themselves forward for campaign now would all “step” down after “collecting” money and negotiating their next appointment. That’s how the game is played.

But as President Buhari has declared, he has to get it right. He should know that this is the last opportunity for him to leave the lasting legacy he talks about. He must not be cowed by opposition; he must stick to his conviction. In picking the anointed candidate, Buhari must not be swayed by nepotism or primal irredentism. He must do it for the love of the country, whether he likes it or not.

Buhari should look carefully at his party’s structure. He would find young men who are competent and can deliver the goods. He will find men who can mend fences and structure the country along functional lines; men who are credible, intelligent and competent. He would find men who can show purposeful and result-oriented leadership. Beyond primitive sentiments and blind ambitions of party politics, Africa’s most populous country must not be swayed by “stomach politics”.

They have people like Pat Utomi, Bismark Rewane, George Etomi, Akinwunmi Adeshina, Akinwunmi Ambode, Babatunde Fashola, Yahaya Bello, Niyi Adebayo, Dapo Abiodun, Yemi Osinbajo, etc. The minus for Osinbajo is that he is above 60 years of age. Adeshina’s vantage position at the African Development Bank should have made him very suitable but for the fact that he has no track record in infrastructural performance—or political experience. Pat Utomi and Bismark Rewane are very good in financial matters as is Akinwunmi Ambode. The latter as a former governor of Nigeria’s commercial nerve center is capable. One wonders why the man has been silent, maybe because the Lagos State APC betrayed him. Yahaya Bello is a Muslim and a Northerner, same as Babatunde Fashola; so they are technically out.

Going further, Nigeria needs leadership that radiates empathy, and can inspire profitable relationships nationwide. Nigeria needs leadership that protects human life and property. This is Africa’s most populous country and a global player. This country should not be communized on the cheap platter of “power must remain in our hands”.

If we are to judge by all the nonsense we read about the so-called cabals and the hegemony of a certain tribe, then we might just be deemed as unserious. The world is edging towards technological advances and other high-profile innovations and here some strange people are saying power is their birthright. This is preposterous. If the same effort used in hanging on to power is deployed towards solving the insecurity in the land, terrorism would have long been a thing of the past. Surely, we can put aside our individual differences and forge ahead. We should have zero tolerance for certain behaviour and begin the search for durable principles and standards. Stellar antecedents should guide our decisions. We must shun characters that lack morals who see the country as “business as usual”.

2023 is an excellent opportunity for the nation to correct the ills of the past. We do hope that whoever President Buhari would anoint as the consensus candidate would be acceptable to all. Such a person would have to hit the ground running clearing all the debris of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and of course bad debts. Such a person must not be above 60 as of the time he would be elected by Nigerians. This is Buhari’s golden opportunity to deliver and free the country from the current heat that is almost suffocating everyone. We must be professional and direct, while putting the country first. We encourage the President to brave the odds in this last lap of his administration and put the interest of the country first in deciding who that David is. He has said he wants to leave a lasting legacy; this is the time to do exactly that.

No ambition of a private individual should be bigger than that of the country.

Muhammed Abubakar Public Affairs Analyst Kano, Nigeria.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

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POLITICS

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

Daring Political Gladiators in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba writes that the duo of former Minister of Information, Hon Labaran Maku and former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of Nigeria Army Jos, Maj Gen Nuhu Angbazo (rtd), may be challenging the decision already taken by political gladiators of Nasarawa State to support Governor Abdulallahi Sule for another four year tenure from 2023

Sule

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erhaps, as the clock to who occupies the Lafia Government House by 2023 ticks, there are some public declarations for the Nasarawa State gubernatorial race in recent times, particularly from the Eggon speaking nationality of the state, indicating their desire to contest for the state’s prestigious seat. This scenario has hitherto culminated in the commencement of indirect campaigns by the desirous politicians by tagging their political movement as a “consultation visit.”

Nevertheless, it is against this backdrop that two illustrious sons of the Eggon ethnic nationality in Nasarawa State: the former Minister of Information, Hon Labaran Maku and former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of Nigeria Army Jos, Maj Gen Nuhu Angbazu (rtd), recently threw their hat into the ring to wrestle power from the incumbent governor of the state, Engr Abdulallahi Sule.

However, Governor Sule is yet to make a public declaration to contest the governorship seat of the state which he is presently its occupant.

But the handwriting on the wall conspicuously indicates that he has his eyes fixed on retaining the seat for another four years as exemplified by his recent endorsement for a second term by his predecessors: Senators Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and Abdulallahi Adamu.

The former governors, while endorsing their successor for a second term in office, were optimistic that availing the incumbent governor a second term would not only ensure continuation of the laudable projects being executed by him, but would further promote the peaceful co-existence being witnessed in the state. Notwithstanding the incumbent’s global citizenship which has put the state on the global map since his assumption of office.

Equally, the speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarebe Abdullahhi, said there is no alternative to Governor Sule in 2023 in the state. Consequently, the Speaker described the incumbent governor as a leader with great passion and zeal for peace, unity and speedy growth of the state, hence the need for all to rally round him to succeed beyond 2023.

But, despite the endorsement of the incumbent governor by the three powerful political gladiators of the state made up of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdulallahi Adamu; the erstwhile governor of the state, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarebe Abdulallahi, the duo of Hon Maku and Gen Angbazu (rtd) might be daring the three political gladiators of the state hence they have thrown their hats into the ring to contest against Governor Sule during the 2023 poll.

In his bid to wrestle power from Governor Sule during the 2023 general election, Hon Labaran Maku recently returned to the PDP after eight years in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), where he was the National Secretary of the party until his return to the PDP. Speaking at his electoral ward of Wakama in

Angbazo

Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area of the state, the former minister said his decision to join the PDP was in response to the yearnings of residents of Nasarawa State ahead of the 2023 general election.

Maku, who defected from the PDP in 2015 after an unsuccessful attempt to clinch the party’s governorship ticket, contested the Nasarawa state governorship position in 2015 and 2019 on the platform of the APGA. He is of the Eggon ethnic nationality in the Northern senatorial zone, the same zone with the incumbent governor.

Confirming his defection, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Ibrahim Hamza, said that the party was glad to receive Maku into its fold and appealed to other founding members of the party who had defected to other political parties, to return to the PDP, adding that the umbrella was big enough to accommodate all members of the party.

He said: “We are happy that Maku is back to the PDP. We also want to appeal to our members who left the party for one reason or the other, to return because we are now a very united party and we are ready to take over power in 2023. We are working towards having consensus candidates for the 2023 general election so that we won’t have issues in the party and it would make it easy for us to take over power from the All Progressives Congress government in Nasarawa State.”

To back words with action, Labaran Maku consequently did not hesitate as he immediately declared to contest for the governorship seat of the state on the platform of the PDP. He made the declaration to contest for the governorship seat of the state recently in Lafia when he led his supporters to inform the State Working Committee members of the PDP of his defection to the party.

Maku explained that he had been a committed member of the PDP and had served in various capacities at both the state and federal levels before he left following dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2015 governorship primaries of the party in the state. The former minister continued that though he cannot justify his leaving the party, however appealed for forgiveness and said he has also forgiven

Maku

anybody that offended him in the past.

Maku who noted that though he was contesting for the governorship seat of the state, however assured to work with others to deliver the party in 2023 no matter the outcome of the forthcoming primaries of the party. He claimed that the state had suffered a lot from bad governance, lack of performance and total neglect of the people under the government of APC in the last 12 years. He, therefore, announced that they were on a rescue mission on the platform of the PDP, hence appealing to the people of the state to vote out the non-performing party in 2023.

Responding to the former information minister, the Nasarawa State chairman of the PDP, Hon Francis Orogu, said he was the happiest person for having Maku back in the PDP fold, because his (Orogu) leadership has been working since 2019 to bring him (Maku) back to the party.

Orogu described Maku’s return as home coming and said that would add value to PDP ahead of the forthcoming primaries.

This was even as the Nasarawa PDP chairman assured Maku that the leadership of the party would provide a level playing ground for all aspirants to realise their ambitions. Orogu concluded by commending Maku for always speaking truth to power and called on other stakeholders of the party to always speak for the suffering masses.

Be that as it may, Major Gen Nuhu Angbazo (rtd) had also recently thrown his hat into the state governorship race on the platform of the PDP. Angbazo, who is also of the Eggon ethnic nationality from the Northern senatorial zone of the state with Maku, made public his declaration for the governorship race in Lafia during a meeting with the State Working Committee members of the party.

According to Gen Angbazo, “if elected, my topmost priority is to secure the state, given the experience I have acquired for 35 years in the military. As someone who has worked in the military for 35 years, I have the capacity to tackle security challenges in the state.”

Angbazo also said he would tackle unemployment and establish a complete Agricultural value-chain from production

Governor Sule is yet to make a public declaration to contest the governorship seat of the state which he is presently its occupant. But the handwriting on the wall conspicuously indicates that he has his eyes fixed on retaining the seat for another four years as exemplified by his recent endorsement for a second term by his predecessors: Senators Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and Abdulallahi Adamu

of different agricultural products to processing, because majority of the people are farmers. The aspirant then appealed to other aspirants to go about their campaigns without bitterness and put the interest of the state and the party first.

Responding to the army General, the Nasarawa State PDP chairman, Hon Francis Orogu, welcomed the aspirant and assured him of a level playing ground to realise his aspiration.

But in a swift reaction, an Eggon ethnic nationality socio-cultural organisation, christined Nasarawa South Eggon Forum (NSEF), warned strongly that any Eggon person contesting against Governor Sule was on his own. NSEF consequently threw its weight behind the second term bid of the Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, insisting that any Eggon person seeking to contest against the incumbent governor was doing so on his or her own peril.

The Eggon Forum, which comprises persons from the Eggon ethnic group from across the five Local Government Areas of the Old Lafia Division, gave the warning recently when on a courtesy call on Sule in the Government House Lafia. Leader of the group and former member of the House of Representatives for Lafia/Obi federal constituency, Hon Joseph Haruna Kigbu, assured the governor that the entire Eggon from the Nasarawa South will vote in block for him come 2023 general election.

By the utterance of Kigbu, it was an indication that the entire Eggon race in southern part of the state have resolved to re-elect Engineer Sule in order for the governor to sustain and even surpass the tempo of his development strides. The re-election resolution of the Eggon ethnic nationality was believed to be a way of commending the incumbent governor for the prevailing peace in the state which had enabled Eggon farmers to go back to their farms.

Hon Kigbu used the forum to congratulate Governor Sule on the emergence of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the national chairman of the APC, as well as appointing several Eggon sons and daughters into key government positions. This was even as the former federal lawmaker equally appreciated Sule for agreeing to complete projects initiated by his predecessors, as well as starting fresh projects spread across the state, stressing that Engineer Sule remained a beacon of hope, an epitome of humility, fairness and justice as he continues to float an all inclusive government to the admiration of all Eggon sons and daughters in Nasarawa South senatorial district.

Using the opportunity to request for more government interventions, Kigbu appealed to the governor to appoint more Eggon sons and daughters into government, especially in recognition of their voting strength, even as also requesting for the creation of additional chiefdoms, districts and the elevation of the already existing chiefdoms.

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

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POLITICS

Ogun Needs Senators That Will Partner Abiodun, Says Senatorial Aspirant Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that an All Progressives Congress senatorial aspirant in Ogun State has thrown his hat in the ring

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senatorial aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East, Otunba Oluseyi Oduntan, has declared that the state needs National Assembly members in 2023 that would partner and complement the efforts of Governor Dapo Abiodun in his development agenda.

Oduntan, a former Managing Director of the Honeywell Group, said the state urgently requires federal lawmakers that will synchronize efforts with the governor, not duplicate them, for the people to get the optimum value from representation in the National Assembly.

He spoke on Friday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State during the inauguration of his senatorial office and the flag-off of e-Naira Youth Empowment, which is an initiative backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the e-Naira digital currency.

The event, sponsored by Oduntan, was held in conjunction with Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultant Ltd, and hundreds of youths across the Ogun East Senatorial District were trained as CBN agents on e-Naira.

The beneficiaries, who were drawn from the nine local government areas constituting the Senatorial District, were also given tools to start earning income through the e-Naira digital currency.

Addressing the gathering, Oduntan said the state government under the leadership of Governor Abiodun had carried out several programmes to empower the youths, address their plight and ensure they are gainfully engaged, stressing that such efforts needed to be complemented.

Odunayo with supporters at a rally

He pointed out that there was need to synergise and bring the capabilities, strengths and efforts of various political office holders together to improve the lot of the state.

The businessman, who stated that he had embarked on consultations ahead of his formal declaration for

Senate, said he and the governor understood each other having come from the private sector together.

Oduntan said, “I came out for Senate in 2014, I campaigned through the length and breadth of Ogun East and went to the 106 wards of the senatorial district to put my message across to our people that we needed to raise the bar of the Red Chamber (Senate) in Abuja. I’m

coming from the private sector.

“I understand what it takes not just to be a Senator but to be a Senator that can be heard and that people will be proud of. But more importantly, my objective is to partner with our governor because a bird cannot fly with one wing, it has to fly with two wings. Our mantra is ‘together we are stronger.’ They say a chain is as strong as its weakest link.

“If we merge our efforts and capabilities and our strengths together, we can do better within Ogun East. The governor and I come from the private sector and we understand each other. So, my idea is that whatever we are doing in Abuja, I bring it first home and say ‘Excellency, how can we utilise this project to the maximum effect’ so that we are not duplicating efforts; we are synchronizing efforts to ensure that our people get the optimum value from representation in the National Assembly.”

The senatorial aspirant further advocated the need for quality empowerment of Nigerian youths towards reducing the challenge of insecurity in the country.

He noted that the country must take advantage of its youth population by empowering them with the appropriate skills and education in order to discourage them from engaging in criminal activities.

According to him, many Nigerian youths are frustrated because their potentials are not being fully developed for the growth of the country.

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APGA: Obiano’s ‘Boys’ Jostle for Senate Seats Fresh out of plum offices, some aides of the former governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano seem in need of what to do, and the hallowed chambers of the Senate beckons, writes David-Chyddy Eleke.

Ebelechukwu Obiano

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lmost all the commissioners and senior aides of the former governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano have settled to run for one elective position or the other.

While some are gunning for House of Assembly seats, others have chosen to move to the House of Representatives, while the very courageous among them, including the wife of the former governor himself have settled for Senate.

Last week, it was a jostle among them, as the contestants and their supporters flocked Abuja in fully loaded flights to pick their expression of interest and nomination forms from the headquarters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It was like a show of some sort as aspirants competed with each other, over who would hit the party headquarters with the highest number of supporters, while the aspirants after obtaining the forms posed with them to show off.

Meanwhile, there is a serious power play among the contenders across the senatorial zones. Some of Obiano’s former aides, who are now known as ‘billionaire boys’ may already be working against the wishes of their former boss who made them, as reports have it that some of them recently staged a walk out on him.

While Obiano’s wife, Ebelechukwu Obiano is

Okagbue seriously warming up for a seat in the Senate to represent Anambra North, former Chief of Staff to Obiano, Mr Primus Odili is also gunning for the same position in the same zone, and is said to have defiantly rejected pleas to step down for the Ebelechukwu.

Sources said the people of the zone, especially Aguleri community where they both hail from, are more favourably disposed to having Primus represent the zone as he is young, vibrant and more articulate.

However, there seem to be pressure on the former governor, to ensure that the ticket of the party was handed to his wife. Sources said in a recent meeting called by Obiano in his home in Aguleri, he reportedly asked the duo of Primus Odili and Hon Chinedu Obidigwe to step down their ambitions for his wife.

Obidigwe is a member of the House of Representatives and a powerful grassroot mobiliser, and one of the men made by Obiano. THISDAY gathered that the idea behind asking Obidigwe to also step down, even though he is gunning for a separate

Odili

Obiano

seat was because he hails from Aguleri, and comes from the same town, and cannot produce a senator and a member of the House of Representatives at the same time.

In the said meeting, Obiano was said to have first reminded them of how he empowered them, and gave them free hand to operate, leading to their becoming big boys today, but the ‘boys’ rather than back down, looked their former boss in the face and told him to rather prevail on his wife to jettison her ambition for younger people like them. This was said to have enraged Obiano, who walked them out of his house in anger.

Already, the battle line seems drawn, with the former governor and his wife on one side, while Odili, Obidigwe and other young former aides of the former governor on one side have all aligned in the hope to defeat their boss.

In the Central senatorial zone too, the Chief of Protocol to the former governor, who also doubled as Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Uzuegbunam Okagbue has also thrown his hat in the ring, to challenge Obiano’s long time political ally, Chief Victor Umeh, who was two term national chairman of APGA, a former Senator and the Director General of Obiano’s reelection campaign in 2017.

Uzu, as he is popularly known is a young and admirable politician has however been roundly criticized for not having the requisite experience

that can match Umeh’s, or also make the kind of impact that Umeh, who is already a respected voice would make.

While many believe that Uzu is being propelled by the funds he must have made while serving Obiano, the young politician has however continued with his quest for the seat, while also displaying sagacity and oratory in various fora where he has spoken.

During his declaration, Uzu told his supporters that he was not afraid to confront Chief Umeh, stating that the party would not want to waste her ticket, as severally, Umeh has been given the ticket of the party and has run and lost to other political parties.

Those who know Uzu however believe that he is a tenacious fighter, who never lets go. The former banker turned politician also boosted of having public and private sector experience, and that he was ready for leadership.

Undeterred however, Chief Umeh has already purchased his expression of interest and nomination forms, and being the experienced politician that he is, many believe he knows things that some of the fresh young billionaires may not know.

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TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY TUESDAY APRILApril 12, 2022 Tuesday 12, 2022 Vol 27. No 9864 TR

See page 20 FOOD SECURITY AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION JUSTIN EZE IDEOZU canvasses for funds for two Nigerian scientists seeking to sequence African biodiversity See page 20 LAGOSIANS, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES AND THE SANCTITY OF LIFE MOBOLAJI ADEBAYO urges Lagosians to make use of the bridges for safety purposes

See page 21 DEATH ON A FRIDAY By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has taught us to render selfless services to all, writes SONNIE EKWOWUSI See page 21 EDITORIAL THE TRAGEDY OF AFRICA See page 22

& RE A S O

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

OSINBAJO: NIGERIA’S CHILD OF NECESSITY The Vice President has what it takes to lead the country out of the woods, argues DANIEL ONYEMAKA

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Nigeria is increasingly out of reckoning, contends CHARLES ONUNAIJU

NIGERIA: A HOLLOW POWER Abuja could not care less: it is habitually dug in a messy and chaotic power play essentially to feather the nest of the contending power elites with the working people featuring only as an electoral accessory to consolidate their grip and further their greed.

But no one is thoughtful enough to be concerned, that the unmistakable signs that the country with the largest concentration of the black people on earth, no longer matters LQ WKH VFKHPH RI JOREDO DͿDLUV 1RW HYHQ WKH West, where it has orbited peripherally since the independence in the 1960s takes her serious anymore.

7KRXJK D 8 6 DQG 1$72 RUFKHVWUDWHG WKHDWHU WKH YRWH WR H[SHO WKH 5XVVLDQ IHGHUDWLRQ IURP WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV +XPDQ 5LJKWV &RXQFLO ZKLFK KHOG UHFHQWO\ ZDV D WHOOLQJ WDOH RI 1LJHULD·V LQFUHPHQWDO GHVFHQW WR D KROORZ SRZHU 6HYHUDO RWKHU SUHYLRXV ZHLJKW\ GHYHORSPHQWV KDYH SRLQWHG LQ WKH direction. $W WKH UHFHQW 81 +XPDQ 5LJKWV &RXQFLO YRWH PHPEHUV YRWHG WR H[SHO 5XVVLD 7ZHQW\ IRXU YRWHG DJDLQVW LW ZLWK abstaining. About 19 countries did not VKRZ XS )URP $IULFD ERWK 1LJHULD DQG 6RXWK $IULFD YRWHG WR DEVWDLQ DPRQJ RWKHU countries in the region. %XW WKH QH[W GD\ DIWHU WKH YRWH 0U Joe Biden, U.S President placed a call to 3UHVLGHQW &\ULO 5DPDSKRVD RI 6RXWK $IULFD WR H[SUHVV FRQFHUQV WKDW 6RXWK $IULFD DEVWDLQHG IURP D YRWH :DVKLQJWRQ FRQVLGHUHG D PRUDOH ERRVWHU LQ LWV SUR[\ ZDU ZLWK 0RVFRZ Despite the content of their discussions, the fact that if there are concerns about where Africa stands on burning global issues and need to be called, it is not the “giant” of the continent and its natural OHDGHU 1LJHULD EXW 3UHWRULD $IWHU DOO WKHLU understanding of national aggregates, which GHÀQH D QDWLRQ·V SRZHU DQG VWDWXV LV D JURZLQJ DQG H[SDQGLQJ PLGGOH FODVV ZKLFK PDNHV GRPHVWLF PDUNHW DWWUDFWLYH WR IRUHLJQ ,QYHVWPHQWV UXOH EDVHG SROLWLFDO SURFHVV WKDW LV FUHGLEOH DQG SUHGLFWDEOH VRXQG ÀVFDO and monetary measures that guarantees fair DQG OHYHO SOD\LQJ HFRQRPLF ODQGVFDSH VHOI HͿDFLQJ JRYHUQLQJ HOLWH WKDW SXWV WKH FRXQWU\ ÀUVW 7KH 1LJHULD JRYHUQLQJ HOLWHV FRQVLGHU ballooning personal wealth and humongous property ownerships as preeminent measure RI WKH FRXQWU\·V YLVLELOLW\ $ IRUPHU 1LJHULDQ President once urged the world to behold WKH QXPEHU RI SULYDWH MHWV VZDUPLQJ WKH QDWLRQ·V DLU VSDFH DV D PHDVXUH RI LWV VWDWXV GHVSLWH WKDW WKH FRXQWU\ GRHV QRW HYHQ KDYH a national carrier. :KHQ WKH LGHD RI %5,& %UD]LO 5XVVLD ,QGLD DQG &KLQD ZDV ÀUVW FRQFHLYHG LQ it was basically as part of economic modeling H[HUFLVH WR IRUHFDVW JOREDO HFRQRPLF WUHQGV RYHU WKH QH[W \HDUV IURP WKHQ E\ *ROGPDQ 6DFKV D OHDGLQJ JOREDO LQYHVWPHQW EDQNLQJ VHFXULW\ DQG PDQDJHPHQW ÀUP 7KH FRXQWULHV noted are strong emerging economies

with prospects then to impact the global ÀQDQFLDO DQG HFRQRPLF DUFKLWHFWXUH DQG WKH\ GLG ,Q WKH FRXQWULHV IRUPDOL]HG their membership and when it was time to outreach Africa, it admitted South Africa in WR PDNH LW %5,&6 %UD]LO 5XVVLD ,QGLD &KLQD DQG 6RXWK $IULFD Abuja elites, only long on empty rhetoric DERXW 1LJHULD·V JOREDO SUHHPLQHQFH EXW DYRLGLQJ DQ\ VDFULÀFH WKDW ZRXOG PDNH it real, could not care less, as long as their VWUDQJOHKROG RYHU WKH SHRSOH DUH DVVXUHG and their bourgeoning personal wealth and property acquisition is proceeding apace and on a grand scale. %\ WKH DFURQ\P 0,17 UHIHUULQJ WR 0H[LFR ,QGRQHVLD 1LJHULD DQG 7XUNH\ ZDV FRLQHG E\ )LGHOLW\ ,QYHVWPHQWV D 8 6 EDVHG DVVHW PDQDJHPHQW ÀUP DQG ZDV EURXJKW WR OLPHOLJKW E\ 0U -LP 2·1HLOO RI WKH *ROGPDQ 6DFKV ZKR KDV HDUOLHU FUHDWHG WKH WHUP %5,& 7KH 0,17 ZDV UHIHUUHG WR DV D JURXS RI FRXQWULHV ZLWK WKH SRWHQWLDO WR UHDOL]H UDSLG HFRQRPLF JURZWK EDVHG RQ YLWDO JHRJUDSKLF demographic and economic factors. Though WKH 0,17 ZDV QHYHU IRUPDOL]HG LQWR DQ RUJDQL]DWLRQ OLNH WKH %5,&6 EXW WKUHH PHPEHUV RI WKH 0,17 0H[LFR ,QGRQHVLD

Despite the content of their discussions, the fact that if there are concerns about where Africa stands on burning global issues and needs to be called, it is not the ‘giant’ of the continent and its natural leader Nigeria, but Pretoria

DQG 7XUNH\ ZHQW RQ WR VLW DW WKH DSH[ ZRUOG WRS HFRQRPLF SHUIRUPHUV WKH *URXS RI RU * ZKLFK KDV DOO PHPEHUV RI WKH %5,&6 2(&' DQG WKH JURXS RI 6HYHQ ,QGXVWULDOL]HG &RXQWULHV 1LJHULD ZDV WKH RQO\ PHPEHU RI WKH SURPLVLQJ FRXQWULHV RI WKH 0,17 WKDW KDV QR VHDW RQ WKH WRS *URXS RI HFRQRPLHV that currently sets global economic rules and GHÀQHV LWV WUDMHFWRULHV $EXMD HOLWHV FRXOG FDUH OHVV 1RQH RI WKHVH VWDQG LQ WKH ZD\ RI LWV GHVSHUDWH DQG SULPLWLYH DFFXPXODWLRQ RI SULYDWH ZHDOWK DIWHU DOO E\ GLQW RI FKDULW\ DQG HYHQ UHOLJLRVLW\ WKH\ KDYH PDQDJHG WR VHW XS D PLQLVWU\ RI KXPDQLWDULDQ DͿDLUV WKDW GLVWULEXWHV FDVK HTXLYDOHQW RI DERXW ÀYH 8 6 Dollars monthly to maintain just a fraction of 1LJHULD SRRUHVW SHRSOH LQ SRYHUW\ The President Buhari regime which was RYHUVXEVFULEHG ZLWK PDVVLYH HOHFWRUDO JRRGZLOO VRPH VHYHQ \HDUV DJR KDV FRPH full circle, reeking in incompetence and LQH΀FLHQF\ ZKLOH VZHOOLQJ SXEOLF R΀FHV and distributing it to cronies with no FRPPHQVXUDWH VHUYLFHV UHQGHUHG WR WKH public, in whose name they are created and ZKRVH UHVRXUFHV DUH LQRUGLQDWHO\ H[SHQGHG WR PDLQWDLQ WKHP (YHQ DV FKDRV HYLGHQWO\ WUDLOV LWV JUDGXDO H[LW IURP R΀FH WKH DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ PDLQWDLQV DQ DUURJDQW DQG LQH[SOLFDEOH FODLP RI VHUYLFH WR WKH FRXQWU\ ,W WRXWV LQIUDVWUXFWXUH FRQVWUXFWLRQV %XW WKH $EXMD &HQWUDO FLW\ UDLO LQWHQGHG WR OLQN XS WKH 1QDPGL $]LNLZH International Airport and the Baro Port in 1LJHU 6WDWH ERWK FRPPLVVLRQHG ZLWK IDQIDUH sits idle and rots away, a testimony to the HQGXULQJ SRYHUW\ RI LGHDV DQG YLVLRQOHVV statesmanship that hounds the regime. It is no gainsaying, pointing out that infrastructure is not an autonomous economic category but essentially, an enabler.

(YHU\ FRXQWU\ KDV WKH GDUN FRUQHUV RI LWV national politics, but there are also grand UXOHV WKDW DUH FOHDU UHG OLQHV WR RͿHQG RU WUDQVJUHVV %XW QRQH H[LVWV KHUH 5HDFKLQJ WR WKH RGLRXV EDVH OHYHO LV FRQVLGHUHG WKH DUW RI FOHYHU SROLWLFNLQJ (YHQ IRU WKH MXGLFLDU\ interpreting the law especially as it relates to acquiring or losing power has become an art of legal craftsmanship and not in pursuit RI WKH SXUSRVH RI ODZ ZKLFK LV WR VHUYH WKH orderly regulation of society.

1LJHULD·V PRVW H[LVWHQWLDO GLOHPPD LV that while its fortunes are on a free fall with its international power perception and status incrementally growing hollow DQG KHU FLWL]HQV LQFUHDVLQJ GLVWUDXJKW DQG KRSHOHVV WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLF JRYHUQLQJ HOLWH and their surrogates in business, religious RUJDQL]DWLRQV SURIHVVLRQV HWF FDQQRW KDOW DQG VSDUH D WKRXJKW WKDW WR UHYHUVH WKH PDUFK WR SULQFLSOH WKHUH PXVW EH WUDGH RͿV HVSHFLDOO\ EHWZHHQ WKHLU JUHHG DQG WKH genuine need of the country.

Mr. Onunaiju is a director of research of an Abuja-based Think Tank

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T H I S D AY TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

The Vice President has what it takes to lead the country out of the woods, argues DANIEL ONYEMAKA

OSINBAJO: NIGERIA’S CHILD OF NECESSITY The current events that greeted and overshadowed the country’s developmental process which culminated in tearing the country into various fragments, lack the appropriate adjective to convey its wholesomeness.

To lead and bring back Nigeria to her golden days of glory is a herculean task which, without mincing words and derailing from the point of sincerity, should be built around and upon energetic, intellectualism and a whole bunch of spontaneous expertise. We will be doing ourselves a huge de-service if we decide WR ÁDXQW DQG ÁRDW RXU SROLWLFDO GHFLVLRQV on the platform of sentimental alibi thereby taking a million steps backward instead of the other way round.

Aside from the current insecurity which has bedeviled the country in almost its entirety,

Nigeria needs a selfless enigma and one that will be able to marry his words with practical actions.

We are like the people of the oldies that are learning the ropes all over again and how to live like true humans courtesy of perpetual fear of the unknown our double quick march into economic retrogression is also a huge factor that doesn’t VLW ZHOO ZLWK WKH FRXQWU\·V UHVXPH DQG SURÀOH Against this background, the question every Nigerian is anxiously asking as the general election draws close is; who will rescue the country from the shackles of this impasse? Who will bring out the country from the doldrums of uncertainty and melancholy HYHQ DV LW LV DOUHDG\ DW FOLͿ HQG" 1LJHULD QHHGV D VHOÁHVV HQLJPD DQG RQH that will be able to marry his words with practical actions. We are like the people of the oldies that are learning the ropes all over again and how to live like true humans courtesy of perpetual fear of the unknown.

However, it is therefore very paramount to adhere to our survival instincts and make a choice that encapsulates and builds around one with the intellectual capabilities coupled with sound professionalism, mentally alert,

psychologically balanced and loyal to the people’s yearning and wailing. This is the only vehicular product that can convey the task ahead as a just cause to our progressive crescendo.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo has all the aforementioned sterling qualities. His antecedents as the Vice President over the years are so glaring that Nigerians can’t wait for this UNIFIER and down-to-earth individual whose passionate relationship with the masses stands out.

Nigerians will not forget how he compelled various sectoral heads and handlers in government to sit up to their roles and duties while he showed some nonchalants the way out. Ordering the service chiefs to relocate to Borno State while it was being ran aground by terrorists is a show of astute commitment to securing the country without giving any room for complacency.

He signed the Executive Order of Ease of Doing Business which is the most important facets of the country’s economic drive. Osibobo, as he is fondly called, is one individual who takes swift action whenever there is malfeasance; not like some nambypamby whose trade is tied to procrastination.

2Q WKH SHUHQQLDO IDUPHU KHUGHU FRQÁLFWV in parts of the country, Nigerians witnessed how the Vice President as chairman of the National Economic Council introduced the National Livestock Transformation Plan which is aimed at boosting food production, creating employment for rural dwellers, and VLJQLÀFDQWO\ UHGXFLQJ LQFLGHQWV RI FRQÁLFWV between farmers and livestock producers in the country. Despite achieving and standardizing these feats, he didn’t stop there as he kept monitoring every event in order to ensure the decision reached in that regard is upheld and maintained to the latter.

With all the progressive leverages that DOOHYLDWHG WKH VXͿHULQJ RI WKH PDVVHV which ranges from Trader Moni, N-Power, supporting the SMEs amongst many, one can imagine what lies ahead if he is entrusted with the steering wheel of power..

For the one whose major intention is to ensure the masses don’t groan in pain and in abject economic quagmire, only one faithful factor comes to mind. PYO. He is a silent and uncommon achiever whose module of intelligence is saturated with basic knowledge of what Nigerians need and what Nigerians want as a people.

In a time like this where hopes are hanging in the balance, only a loyal, dedicated and non-sentimental solution is what the country needs to be liberated. Such liberation lies in PYO. Every country thrives in progressive economy. PYO primary sermons are focused on our economic salvation. In him lies the pulpit in which the (orison or vision?) of our economic salvation will be delivered.

In conclusion, the urgency on ground demands that Nigerians should choose this man to take up the mantle of responsibility because Nigerians need a break from this state of complete disorder. And as one who has the interest of the country at heart, having second thoughts over the plea to take up this task at this point in time isn’t even a thing to consider.

It is on this note that Nigerians are demanding the call for him to come liberate the land of his motherland.

Dr Onyemaka, talk2pcd@gmail.com

JUSTIN EZE IDEOZU canvasses for funds for two Nigerian scientists seeking to sequence African biodiversity

FOOD SECURITY AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Survival pressure faced by organisms worldwide poses a cause for concern.

Understanding and cataloguing species genomic information can result in huge EHQHÀFLDO UDPLÀFDWLRQV DFURVV VHYHUDO VSKHUHV of life including food security, biodiversity conservation, biomedicine, industrial product development and services, and climate change control. Thus, there is global push to generate genomic datasets that will be crucial for the conservation of animals, plants and other species on earth. On this basis, a team of $IULFDQ VFLHQWLVWV LQ LQLWLDWHG D UHVHDUFK network known as “Digital Innovations in Africa for Sustainable Agri-Environment and Conservation (DAISEA). This DAISEA network was initiated and coordinated by Dr. ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer, a Nigerian, who later LQ IRXQGHG $IULFDQ %LR*HQRPH 3URMHFW (AfricaBP; https://africanbiogenome.org) by converging other African scientists around the DAISEA network to snowball into the $IULFD%3 FRQVRUWLXP 7KLV DPELWLRXV VFLHQWLÀF DQG VRFLR VFLHQWLÀF ERG\ DLPV WR XWLOL]H genomics (study of structure and function of all genes in living things) and bioinformatics to drive biodiversity conservation, improve agricultural productivity, as well as accelerate FDSDFLW\ EXLOGLQJ LQ WKH ÀHOGV RI JHQRPLFV DQG bioinformatics in Africa.

Currently, AfricaBP is governed by a Steering Committee with a Chair, Professor Anne Muigai (Jomo Kenyatta University of $JULFXOWXUH DQG 7HFKQRORJ\ .HQ\D DQG ÀYH Co-Chairs which include Prof. Julian O. Osuji (University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria) and Dr. ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer (EMBL-EBI, UK). Prof. Osuji is also the Chair, Genomics for the Conservation of Endangered and Endemic Species, and spearheads the West African Regional Node and the Nigerian National Node of the AfricaBP. Presently, AfricaBP has a Pilot Project Committee and several sub-committees striving to deliver its goals. Within one year of its existence, AfricaBP has brought together scientists, corporate and institutional partners to deliver the set targets in Africa. AfricaBP FRPPXQLW\ QRZ LQYROYHV $IULFDQ VFLHQWLVWV and 22 African organizations. The Position paper authored by Dr. Ebenezer, Prof. Osuji and others was recently published in Nature Journal. The Position Paper entitled: “Africa: 6HTXHQFH VSHFLHV WR VDIHJXDUG $IULFDQ biodiversity” emphasized the essence of biodiversity genomics in securing food security and biodiversity conservation in Africa.

AfricaBP aspires to sequence genomes of VSHFLHV LQFOXGLQJ SODQWV DQLPDOV IXQJL DQG RWKHU RUJDQLVPV LQ \HDUV ZLWK DQ DSSUR[LPDWH FRVW RI 86 PLOOLRQ SHU year; and has commenced its pilot project aimed at sequencing 2000 species in three years. In support of this agenda, the Vertebrate Genome Project (VGP) is sponsoring the sequencing of selected animal species while .3 LV VSRQVRULQJ WKH VHTXHQFLQJ RI SODQW species. Other groups are showing interest in co-funding genome sequencing of selected species. Through the strategic functionality of the AfricaBP’s Open Institute Chaired by Dr. Charlotte Chichi Ndiribe (University of /DJRV WR LPSURYH VKDULQJ RI GDWD DQG EHQHÀWV of this BioGenome initiative, knowledge gathered from the sequencing pipelines shall be disseminated to Africans through a capacity building process.

AfricaBP acknowledges that certain issues need to be considered for the initiative to meet its goals. On this note, Ethics, Social, and Legal Issues [ELSI] sub-committee was constituted

to develop and implement strategies to ensure all AfricaBP activities are conducted and applied responsibly. AfricaBP will follow the recommendations of the Nagoya 3URWRFRO WR HQVXUH WKDW EHQHÀWV DULVLQJ IURP genetic resources are shared fairly.

What is the case in Nigeria? Nigeria’s rich biodiversity has been neglected over the years, with most species becoming endangered and red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thus, there is an urgent need to deploy, in Nigeria, biodiversity genomics for the conservation of species including wildlife, orphaned crops, medicinal herbs, and industrially resourceful raw materialsyielding species. Failure to keep to strategic civil and industrial development plans that are sustainable has become a major threat to the survival of the critical Nigerian biodiversity.

The Nigerian public and private sectors are encouraged to invest heavily in AfricaBP to secure and conserve Nigeria’s biodiversity. The Nigerian Node is currently seeking a pilot fund to cover the sequencing of about 80 endangered species found in Nigeria. The fund required in the ÀUVW WKUHH \HDUV RI WKLV SURMHFW LV 1 P This project, if funded, will be tagged with DQ LGHQWLW\ GHVLUHG E\ WKH ÀQDQFLHU MXVW OLNH the Nelson Mandela Animal Conservation of Nature and Wangari Maathai Plant sequencing projects. There is also the Aroid Genome Sequencing Project domiciled in the University of Port Harcourt in the Nigerian Node. This project would UHTXLUH DERXW 1 P DV HQDEOLQJ IXQG Other genome sequencing projects that require funds include Nigeria’s Mangrove Genome Sequencing Project and Medicinal Plants Genome Sequencing project. Several other sequencing projects can be funded to support the Nigerian or West African Nodes of AfricaBP. Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria have a huge role to play in driving the AfricaBP Nigeria initiative. For instance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Tertiary Education Fund (Tetfund), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Bank of Industry (BOI) and other capable public sector bodies or establishments in Nigeria can take advantage of sponsoring these projects to make indelible contributions to conservation of Nigerian biodiversity, add value to life and immortalize their identities.

Private establishments and Foundations in Nigeria such as Dangote Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation, President Obasanjo Otta Farms, Innoson Motors, Oil producing companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration Company (SNEPCO), Mobil Producing Nigeria, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Heirs Holding Oil & Gas Limited, Sterling Oil Explorations & Energy Production Company, SEEPCO Limited, Conoil, Oando plc, and others could invest in this project as a way of contributing to biodiversity conservation in Nigeria and as a means of giving back to their operational environment.

Ideozu is a Senior Scientist in Genomic Medicine.

He is currently the co-Chair of the Ethics, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) sub-committee of the Africa BioGenome Project

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T H I S D AY TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

MOBOLAJI ADEBAYO urges Lagosians to make use of the bridges for safety purposes

LAGOSIANS, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES AND THE SANCTITY OF LIFE In developing nations, one of the major issues in road safety is the use of pedestrian bridges.

Pedestrian bridge is a structure built over the highway to connect the people from one part of the road to another. It actually removes the pedestrian from the road surface and creates more interconnected movements where vehicles and pedestrians do not interfere.

Most people tend to view the additional ZDLWLQJ WLPH LQFUHDVHG SK\VLFDO HͿRUW RU discomfort of being crammed in a bridge full of strangers as a burden, and would just choose the risk of crossing the road.

The government’s decision to build pedestrian bridges is not unconnected with the high rate of mortality usually recorded on major

7KH PDLQ EHQHÀW RI D SHGHVWULDQ EULGJH LV WR make crossings safer for pedestrians and other road users. Of course, the desired additional EHQHÀW ZRXOG EH WKDW E\ SXVKLQJ SHGHVWULDQV DQG F\FOLVWV RͿ WKH URDG RQFRPLQJ WUD΀F ZLOO no longer have to stop at crossings and can keep moving unhindered.

Studies have shown that pedestrians are RQH RI WKH PRVW YXOQHUDEOH JURXSV LQ WUD΀F DFFLGHQWV 3HGHVWULDQ WUD΀F DFFLGHQWV KDYH become one of the most crucial problems in the world, especially in developing nations.

highways. On many occasions, commuters have been crushed by speeding vehicles on the Expressway.

In one such accident that I witnessed a long time ago, an aged woman, who got the tip of her wrapper entangled to a commercial bus, was crushed beyond recognition as she was dragged for several metres on the road before her remains were recovered under the vehicle’s tires.

It was such a gory sight. I couldn’t sleep for a long time. No one would wish such tragic death for even his enemies.

As rightly noted above, the need to reduce carnage on the road informed the government’s decision to build the bridges.

The newly constructed pedestrian bridges are fully-equipped with overhead shelter, which ensures safety for pedestrians against the elements, day and night. ,W LV WKXV GLVWUHVVLQJ WR VWLOO ÀQG SHRSOH crossing the major highways, even right under the pedestrian bridges. Sometimes one tends to wonder if it is about indiscipline or nonchalant attitude towards safety.

Perhaps, more bothersome is the fact that in cases where barricades were put up to discourage the people from crossing the highways, such blockades are often vandalised by the people. This is quite ironic and illogical.

Why will the people choose to be their own enemies?

By and large, Lagosians need to change their attitude toward using pedestrian bridges. They need to comply voluntarily as this will easily reduce the government’s burden (especially in terms of having to take the costly route of enforcement) and also reduce the risk of needless deaths on the roads.

Lagosians are, thus, enjoined to always use the pedestrian bridges. Besides reducing the risk of needless loss of lives, doing so would UHGXFH WUD΀F JULGORFNV WKXV HQVXULQJ PRUH stress-free travelling experience.

On the whole, the importance of pedestrian bridges cannot be overemphasised. They are built for safety purposes and to prevent avoidable accidents.

In Lagos, the government has spent a lot of money in putting the bridges in place in order to HDVH WUD΀F DQG UHGXFH URDG DFFLGHQWV ,W ZRXOG only amount to a waste of scarce resources if the residents whom the bridges are meant to protect refuse to make use of them.

The need to reduce carnage on the road informed the government’s decision to build the bridges Also, one of the most important issues in urban centres is pedestrian interference and passing cars, which is a major concern for citizens, causing stress and insecurity for pedestrians as well as drivers.

Since it came on board in Lagos, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has demonstrated the willingness to enhance public transportation. This has led to the construction and maintenance of pedestrian bridges and other similar road infrastructure across the State in order to ensure the safety of commuters.

In line with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s strides in ensuring the safety of Lagosians, more pedestrian bridges are already being designed WR HDVH WUD΀F FRQJHVWLRQ But the question that readily begs for answers is why residents usually shun the bridges at the risk of their own lives? It remains amazing as to why the residents would prefer to cross the highway rather than embracing the more civilized and safe option of using the bridge.

In Lagos, for instance, while it is true that there are still many places in need of pedestrian bridges, it is, however, saddening that the ones painstakingly constructed for the use of the people are not being made use of.

It is sad to observe that some residents have chosen not to make use of the bridges.

Perhaps, more worrisome is the fact that some of the bridges have become homes for destitute, the mentally challenged and all sorts of anti-social characters.

Adebayo is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Lagos

By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has taught us to render selfless services to all, writes SONNIE EKWOWUSI

DEATH ON A FRIDAY This week is marked in Christendom as the Holy Week. The Holy Week reaches its apogee RQ *RRG )ULGD\ ZKHQ -HVXV &KULVW LV FUXFLÀHG on the Cross, and was buried but on the third day he rose from death. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has wrought salvation for the whole mankind. Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not regard his equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather he emptied himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross, and was buried, but rose from death on the third day. If Jesus Christ has not risen from death, writes St. Paul, our Christian faith would have been in vain. By dying on the Cross, Jesus conquered death, but by rising from the death he restored our life.

Thus the Cross is the emblem of Christianity. Ecce lignum Crucis (Behold the wood of the Cross).

Behold the wood of Cross on which hangs the salvation of the world. The tree upon which life was taken became the tree upon which life was restored.

By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ KDV WDXJKW XV WR UHQGHU VHOÁHVV VHUYLFHV WR RXU neighbors and others including those who cannot GLUHFWO\ UHSD\ XV LQ WKLV OLIH IRU WKRVH VHOÁHVV services. Therefore let us turn a new leaf. Let us hearken to the assistance of our neigbours and others. The greatest obstacles to the promotion of the common values of justice, equity, fairness, love and mutual reliance are ethno-religious KDWUHG VXVSLFLRQ R΀FLDO FRUUXSWLRQ XQEULGOHG individualism, greed and passivity. Therefore the struggle against these miseries is crucial to the future of our country Nigeria. Certainly, a system WKDW FUHDWHV ORRSKROHV IRU PDQ\ SXEOLF R΀FH holders to loot the public treasury certainly calls for a change. Also a system that keeps widening the gap between the rich and the poor is considered loathsome. Worst still, a government that folds its hands and allows anarchy to reign supreme in the land is an irresponsible government. It is sad that kidnappers, bandits, miscreants, arsonists, separatists and the so-called XQNQRZQ JXQ KDYH YLUWXDOO\ RYHUUXQ GLͿHUHQW parts of the country at the moment including GLͿHUHQW 1LJHULDQ YLOODJHV FODQV FRPPXQLWLHV and kindred. In fact most Nigerians are no longer visiting their respective villages because they are afraid of being killed by unknown gun men and criminals. When Nigerians especially those from WKH 6RXWK (DVW UHIXVH WR ÁHH WR WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH villages for safety and succor it means that things have completely gone bad in Nigeria. Therefore the citizens must erect a new framework of human solidarity that would guarantee the safety of lives and property in Nigeria.

It is imprudent to rely only on the government to rebuild the social order since oftentimes the government is not so responsible. The civil society or private-public partnership should be engaged to carry out some public tasks that are EHQHÀFLDO WR WKH SHRSOH *RYHUQPHQW VKRXOG VWRS pretending that it has the competence to do many things. It should be humble enough to admit its failure. It should seek help from civil society. Civil society dominates modern political thought and WKH SROLWLFDO VSDFH XQGHU GLͿHUHQW QDPHV DQG varying acronyms-Village Assemblies, Town Unions, Neigbourhood Associations, Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Not-forSURÀW 2UJDQL]DWLRQ 132 &KDULWLHV &RPSDQ\ limited by guarantee, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Social structures, socio-cultural organizations and Mediating structures (as they are called in the U.S). Today the civil society, if you like, has crystalized and reached its highest crescendo in strengthening the social fabric and erecting the necessary formidable blocks for

DOOHYLDWLQJ KXPDQ VXͿHULQJ We must recognize that each one of us is no more human or less human than other human beings. Our common humanity dictates that ZH WHDP XS ZLWK RWKHUV LQ ÀQGLQJ VROXWLRQV to the problems of the society. As St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, aptly puts it in his book “Christ is Passing By” “a man or D VRFLHW\ WKDW GRHV QRW UHDFW WR VXͿHULQJ DQG LQMXVWLFH DQG PDNHV QR HͿRUW WR DOOHYLDWH WKHP is still distant from the love of Christ’s heart.

While Christians enjoy the fullest freedom in ÀQGLQJ DQG DSSO\LQJ YDULRXV VROXWLRQV WR WKHVH problems, they should be united in having one and the same desire to serve mankind, otherwise their Christianity will not be the word and life of Jesus: it will be a fraud, a deception of God and man”.

If Jesus Christ has allowed himself to be FUXFLÀHG RQ WKH &URVV LQ RUGHU WR UHGHHP XV ZH KDYH WR UHFLSURFDWH WKDW VDFULÀFH E\ VDFULÀFLQJ ourselves for the good of others. We cannot shut ourselves up in our religiosity oblivious RI WKH VXͿHULQJV RI RXU QHLJERXUV /LIH LV D gift we receive only when we give ourselves to the service of our fellow human beings as Jesus did. Somehow in Nigeria we have grown accustomed to tolerating all sorts of abnormalities and laughable spectacles. While the country is sick of lack of focused leadership, many Nigerian people have become victims of dangerous passivity. For example, the 2023 elections are fast approaching. Most of the politicians who ruined Nigeria in the past are gathering again to see how they can bulldoze themselves into power in order to continue to steal government money and acquire ill-gotten wealth. Some have indicated their interest to run for President. So this is the time for the citizens, especially our social media critics, to do everything legally possible to ensure that none of these corrupt and never-do-well politicians DQG SROLWLFDO R΀FH KROGHUV UHWXUQV WR SRZHU in Nigeria. Silence may be a sign of prudence, but the ominous silence we are witnessing in Nigeria at the moment in the face of moral crisis could be construed as a sign of cowardice if not a sign of dangerous despondency. Evil thrives, we have been told, when the so-called good men sit back and do nothing.

Holy Week invites us to bring light to the dark land; hope to the hopeless; justice to the oppressed and integrity to the wasteland. It is no use putting up a show of big penance when WKH KHDUW LV ÀOOHG ZLWK GHDG PHQ·V ERQHV ,W LV no use abstaining from food without abstaining from bribery and corruption. It is pharisaical abstaining from food without abstaining from cheating our neigbours. “The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is the man of blood. To take away a neigbour’s living is to murder him; to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood” Sirach 34; 21-22). Therefore let employers pay just wages. Let employees render good service commensurate with their pay. Faith without work, we have been told, is a dead faith.

Charity itself is the bond of perfection. As St. Augustine explains, “Everyone can make the sign of the cross of Christ; everyone can answer, Amen; everyone can sing Alleluluia; everyone can have himself baptized, can enter churches, can build the walls of basilicas. But charity is the only thing by which the children of God can be told from the children of the devil. Those who practice charity are born of God; those who do not practise it are not born of God…”

Ekwowusi writes from Lagos

4 22

T H I S D AY TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

THE TRAGEDY OF AFRICA African leaders must do more to banish hunger in all its forms

H

unger is a way of life in Africa. The President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina VDGO\ FRQÀUPHG WKLV ZKHQ KH recently said that about 250 million Africans live on an empty stomach daily. Food systems across the continent, according to Adesina, were failing to deliver diets that are KHDOWK\ DͿRUGDEOH VHFXUH DQG VDIH IRU YDVW VZDWKHV of its population. “For many in Africa, persistent food shortages mean that they struggle to put food on the table,” he said.

However, Adesina was not saying anything new. Africa had for long been treading the path of penury and starvation.

Despite abundant natural resources and vast arable land, countries on the continent have failed to make investments necessary to provide sustainable and healthy diets for their citizens.

According to a 2019 study by the African Union, PLOOLRQ FKLOGUHQ XQGHU WKH DJH RI ÀYH \HDUV DUH chronically undernourished, and 13 million are at risk of starvation. A recent report by the Oxford Committee For Famine Relief (OXFAM) said West Africa is currently facing its worst food crisis, with over 27 million people going hungry. According to OXFAM, the number could rise to 38 million by June.

In Nigeria, the problem is exacerbated by the insurgency in the Northeast. Indeed, a recent review of national nutritional reports between 2003 and 2016 indicates that a child nutritional status levels in Nigeria is far below the World Health Organisation :+2 FODVVLÀFDWLRQ $FFRUGLQJ WR 81,&() “Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate RI SHU FHQW RI FKLOGUHQ XQGHU ÀYH $Q HVWLPDWHG WZR PLOOLRQ FKLOGUHQ LQ 1LJHULD VXͿHU IURP VHYHUH acute malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of every FKLOGUHQ DͿHFWHG DUH FXUUHQWO\ UHDFKHG ZLWK

treatment.”

7KH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV 2΀FH IRU WKH &RRUGLQDWLRQ RI +XPDQLWDULDQ $ͿDLU IXUWKHU UHYHDOHG QRW ORQJ DJR that more than 8.4 million Nigerians in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, three states in the frontlines of the Boko Haram insurgency, need humanitarian aid due to looming food crisis. The organisation noted that the number of acutely malnourished FKLOGUHQ DQG ZRPHQ LV H[SHFWHG WR VLJQLÀFDQWO\ increase in 2022. “These are anticipated to be the highest levels observed since the emergency period of 2016,” it said. The UN body said that there had been an increase in the number of people in need of food security since October 2021.

Unless the government at all levels, as well as other critical stakeholders take immediate steps to address hunger and malnutrition, especially in children and pregnant women, the poor indices on maternal and child mortality in Nigeria and in deed on the continent, will further worsen. Meanwhile, stunted growth implies a marked increase in the child’s susceptibility to infections and contributes to child mortality. Invariably, pregnant women who are not adequately nourished eventually give birth to babies with low weight, thus putting their survival at risk.

From all the available reports, our governments, at all levels, need to sit up by addressing the crushing indices and causes of malnutrition that have continued to deprive over half of our children (and mothers) of a healthy and productive life span.

Food security is critical to realising the objectives of Agenda 2063 to achieve sustainable economic growth and development. As the AfDB boss rightly said, better nutrition in African countries is the foundation to advance health and well-being, educational attainment, prosperity, and equity.

Thus, Africa’s leaders must do more to strengthen their commitment to ending hunger in all its forms.

Better nutrition in African countries is the foundation to advance health and well-being, educational attainment, prosperity, and equity

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

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

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.

LETTERS SCENARIOS AROUND OSINBAJO’S EMERGENCE Finally, Yemi Osinbajo has been untied and after a gruelling meeting with 12 governors he made his declaration. Congratulations to him, but reactions will come from the Bola Tinubu camp. , HQYLVDJH D TXLFN PHGLD ÀJKW EHWZHHQ ERWK FDPSV EXW WKH\ PXVW be careful to not do any hard damage. Some questions still linger about the political base of Osinbajo. Is it that the 12 governors he met will deliver delegates for him? Will he be able to get all the support necessary? Is he Buhari’s anointed candidate? All of this will become clearer in the coming days. Formerly there has been a divide in the presidential quarters about the loyalty and some think Osinbajo’s declaration is a nod by the powers that be. Apart from all this, Osinbajo is an intellectual that has done a lot for the development of the legal practice in Nigeria and most especially Lagos, serving as commissioner for Justice for eight years under the Bola Tinubu administration and a lot of watchers think he is WKH ULJKW ÀW IRU WKH MRE 7KH FRQYHUVH DUJXPHQW LV WKDW 2VLQEDMR has never won any elective position. In fact some still see him as an intellectual not a politician. I believe with his declaration, there are many scenarios which will include a Bola Tinubu moving to another party if he doesn’t get the APC ticket. Some have even posited that it is a way of distracting the southwest from getting

IS AMAECHI THE FAVOURITE CANDIDATE?

a presidential ticket as the two candidates from the south west ZLOO EH EXV\ ÀJKWLQJ IRU WKH WLFNHW 7KHUH LV DOVR D VFHQDULR WKDW LI Osinbajo gets the ticket and faces probably an Atiku he might not get the support of the North. I must repeat these are just scenarios but it has to be stated that Pastor Osinbajo has an uphill battle to emerge. Another question is: Will the Redeem and other Christian body votes help him in his quest to emerge? However some complain about his continuity outlook in his speech; some say he must remove himself from the administration he served as Vice President, but some also say if he does that, it might alienate him from the Buhari supporters. We all remember the case of Al Gore dissociating himself from Bill Clinton due to the Monica Lewinsky VDJD 7KDW DFW UHDOO\ DͿHFWHG KLV FDPSDLJQ ,Q DOO RI WKLV RQH WKLQJ is certain: Osinbajo will be the most educated Nigerian leader EXW ZLOO KH EH DEOH WR VKDNH 1LJHULD RͿ LWV HFRQRPLF VHFXULW\ DQG social challenges? How will commander -in- chief Osinbajo deal with Boko Haram and banditry? Many questions will continue to emerge, let the race begin.

The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had just declared his intention to join the 2023 presidential race at an ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) event in Rivers State.

The former Rivers Governor said he would seek the party’s ticket to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. “I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next President”, he announced.

It could be recalled that the minister was on the 5th February 2022 turbaned as Dan Amanar Daura (trusted son of Daura), the KRPHWRZQ RI 3UHVLGHQW 0XKDPPDGX %XKDUL E\ WKH (PLU RI 'DXra, Umar Farouk Umar, and brought about speculations in the public space that he could be the president’s favourite.

His declaration to join the Presidential race has further buttressed the answer given by the president when Channels Television interviewed him on January 6. The President said he had a favourite successor but would not disclose the person’s identity for safety reasons.

Rufai Oseni, rufaioseni@gmail.com

Efemena Onodjae, efemena1996@gmail.com

23

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

The Hypocrisy of Some Nigerian Pentecostals P

erhaps, the most dictatorial institutions in Nigeria are Pentecostal churches. I know, because I have been intimately associated with them. Too often, it is a one-man show.

The founder or overseer runs the church, with his family, and there is very little, if any, corporate governance.

And the sad thing is that these men have often used, or allowed to be used, emotional manipulation (which many of them, but not all of them) pass off as a move of God. You see, man is a fallen being. That is a fact. Being born again does not change that in the physical, though it may change it in the spiritual.

Thus, the quote by Lord Acton that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is as true in these churches, as it is in any other human institution.

The abuse of Psalm 105:15 “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm”, has seen many Pentecostal preachers transform into demigods and their churches are now places where people go to consume religious opium that keeps them mystified and in a state where they are open to manipulation by the power of suggestion.

This explains why these churches and their pastors, or founders, are becoming so much like the politicians we criticise.

It is almost, if not exactly as George Orwell described in his book, Animal Farm: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

If Africans would only read Scripture for themselves instead of depending on what their church denominations or pastors tell them, Africa would be a less religious continent and a most faithful continent, and where there is faith, there will be mental emancipation!

I draw the attention of my readers to Acts 17:11: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Nigerian Pentecostal churches have a horrible internal governance structure that is a breeding ground for tyranny and dictatorship, or even worse, hero worshiping and personality cults.

There are very few mechanisms in their structures to call the founder, or overseer, or GO to order when he goes against church doctrine, his or her own previous pronouncements, or even Scripture.

But let an ordinary member try to imitate him or his family in such malfeasance, and the hammer comes thundering down.

Let me give an example. I do not celebrate or even acknowledge Christmas. Nothing will make me associate myself with such an unscriptural and occult festival.

However, I do not begrudge those who choose to participate in it. Doing so leads to arguments, because many people are emotionally tied to Christmas from childhood.

I grew up being a great admirer of Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, because, like me, he considers Christmas “idolatry and unscriptural”. His exact words.

So, imagine my shock on December 14, 2021, when Pastor Kumuyi attended the Aso Rock Christmas Praise Concert, hosted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, commemorating

National President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke the Christmas season.

That is a clear violation of his own pronouncements and instruction to his congregation not to have anything to do with Christmas.

If there was a functional governance structure at the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor Kumuyi ought to have faced a panel, and should have stepped down from his position as General Superintendent for flouting the church’s rules.

But nothing happened to him, because he is the governance structure.

In Nigeria, our President and the 36 state Governors can be impeached. But a Pentecostal church founder and overseer cannot be impeached. He cannot even be rebuked or reprimanded. Therefore, his “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Sadly, many of such contraptions respect persons, when even Scripture tells us that “God is no respecter of persons:”-Acts 10:34.

I chased Buhari from a London hospital back to Nigeria, and Nigerians clapped for me. But if I chase Kumuyi from a Christmas concert, Nigerian Christians will stone me!

And it is very difficult to bring such men and women to account. Because, even when you point out to them that their current behaviour contradicts their previous pronouncements, they often claim that the Holy Spirit gave them a new revelation.

I remember that a very famous Port Harcourt-based pastor publicly called Daddy Freeze a b*****d when he criticised pastors.

I cringed when I watched that pastor. He even said worse things. He used language that I would not have even expected from a motor park tout, or a thug. People often criticise MC Oluomo, but I have never heard him speak as crudely as that pastor did.

So, I was expecting that either that same pastor, or another pastor would do the same to Leke Adeboye, who called pastors goats. After all, Daddy Freeze criticised only one pastor. Leke insulted a whole

class of pastors.

Strangely, none of them said anything. What did Daddy Freeze say before that pastor slut shamed his mother, by asking ‘does he even know his father’?

Now, here is Leke Adeboye doing worse. And silence.

Yes, he apologised. But after how long?

Are pastors respecters of persons in Nigeria?

For decades, Deeper Life ministries made couples marry without make-up, fancy hairstyles, or any flashy wedding outfits. But when Kumuyi’s son was getting married, guess what? His wife was made up, and her hair was permed and coiffed, and both she and her husband wore finery.

You see, it did not start with Leke Adeboye. Too often, Nigerian Pentecostal churches have one rule for ordinary members and another for their GO’s family.

Of course, after public outrage, they will ‘discipline’ the children in question. However, would such discipline have come without the public umbrage?

Pastor Kumuyi attended his son’s wedding, which was a society wedding that took place in Jamaica at a Deeper Life Church. The couple arrived in a limousine. Pastor Kumuyi saw the couple before they went to church. He was with them as they entered the church. If he was truly outraged, he would have told them to go home and change.

Similarly, Leke Adeboye’s comments did not cause an uproar in RCCG. It was outsiders who were outraged.

I can see worshippers of “men of God” getting agitated and attacking me. But are you saying no member of Leke Adeboye’s family saw that ‘’goat’ post on the first day?

How different are Nigerian Pentecostals from our politicians?

Nuhu Ribadu is not a Muslim cleric. He is a politician.

But look at how the media tore his daughter apart over her wedding dress.

Muslims did not say satan was behind the media attack. To their credit, they led it.

For such people, I quote what Paul said in Galatians 2:11-13: “When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.

When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.

As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”

May God bless the structures in the Holy Roman Catholic Church and in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I do not see such double standard operating in these two institutions.

If you want to provoke reactions from most Black African Muslims, just say something unflattering about Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, or prophet Mohammed, Sallallahu Aaihi Wasallam.

However, if you want to provoke reactions from most Black African Christians, don’t waste your time saying something unflattering about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or His Son, Yeshua Hamashiach.

They will hardly be provoked enough to take action.

However, if you say something unflattering, though true, about their pastor, Daddy GO, founder, overseer, or “man of God”, then you will see and hear red.

Nasir El-Rufai once insulted Christ by alleging

an adulterous relationship between Him and Mary Magdalene in a tweet. What did we do?

But the day Daddy Freeze criticised a “man of God”, the Pentecostal and evangelical arena stood up. One pastor called him a b*****d. He insulted his mother and said Freeze does not know his father.

He labelled him a Somalian (as if Somalians are not human beings).

Freeze got death threats. He lost work. He had to go underground for a while.

Two similar scenarios. Two different reactions.

At the end, you may start wondering if they are actually worshiping the Creator or His creation.

For as Romans 1:25 says: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”

Let me end with this: To me, the big story from last week is not that the Academy Awards have banned Will Smith for 10 years. Rather, I am more focused on Chris Rock’s behaviour.

Chris Rock has taught me a lot about Christlikeness.

I used to see him as a foul-mouthed comedian. To be honest, I thought he was crass. And then Will Smith slapped him. He did not retaliate. He did not sue.

I thought to myself, how many clean-mouthed Christians can be that forgiving? Can I myself be that forgiving? We as Christians must understand that love is the true sign of Christlikeness! That is why Christ said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another”-John 13:35.

Would we in the Body of Christ display such selfcontrol and forgiveness if we were placed in exactly the same condition as Chris Rock? Would we turn the other cheek, as Christ said in Matthew 5:39?

I have seen a pastor call his mentor’s critic a b*****d.

Church founders have sued and been sued. When a founder dies, we have seen the church leadership fight each other, even physically, to take over the church.

We have witnessed slapping on the altar. Overseers and their estranged wives have washed dirty linen in public.

We must all take to heart the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:2: “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Let us remember that ‘Love is the greatest gift of all’. Chris Rock is certainly not religious. But, in my opinion, he displayed a high level of love!

Reno’s Nuggets Dear youths, When you graduate and get a job, don’t immediately leave your parents’ house to rent a place. If possible, stay with your parents. Endure any discomfort. Then save what you’d have spent on rent and use it as capital to start a business or buy a home. Don’t be in a hurry to run when you have not learnt to crawl. If your parents live far from where you work, then move in with your siblings or any other close family member. Be humble.

Respect who you live with. Accept nonsense. It is the price you pay to access much sense! #RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu

TINUBU DISOWNS OSINBAJO, SAYS HE HAS NO SON GROWN ENOUGH TO DECLARE FOR PRESIDENT Bauchi yesterday, shortly after a rally held in honour of the vice president. The OVM spokesman recalled how the group had earlier called on Osinbajo to declare interest in the presidency, which he finally yielded to.

He said Nigeria needed a leader, who was strong physically and intellectually to tackle the many challenges facing the country.

Ibrahim stated, "We are very happy over the official declaration made by the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to contest for the office of the president come 2023.

We are supporting him, because he is mentally fit, has exceptional leadership qualities, and possesses the technical know-how to transform this nation "The vice president has been part of this government for the past seven years, he is not a novice when it comes to affairs of this country. He is conversant with challenges facing this country. We are expecting him to consolidate on the work already laid down by President Muhammadu Buhari. This is the reason we are registering our support for him."

Osinbajo's Chances Bright, Tinubu Should Allow Him

Grow, Says Abba-Aji

Former Presidential Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, Senator Muhammad Abba-Aji, described as bright the chances of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, following his declaration to contest the 2023 presidency.

Abba-Aji, a member of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG), a pro-Osinbajo lobby group, was the liaison officer to the National Assembly during tenures of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He applauded the spontaneous nationwide celebrations that greeted Osinbajo's declaration for the 2023 presidency.

Abba-Aji stated, "I have been in politics since the early 80s and I can tell you that the Nigerian electorate is now much wiser, much more discerning and sophisticated than what you had in the past. The spontaneous rallies are a show of strength, asserting the power of the real people and it is a strong pointer to Professor Yemi Osinbajo's very bright chances for ultimate electoral victory.

“Asiwaju is a great leader of our

party and his role in bringing about an Osinbajo vice presidency has been vindicated, having performed creditably, impressing President Buhari and millions of Nigerians.

“When you have brought a great idea, you should allow such to grow and Vice President Osinbajo’s declaration for the 2023 presidency is a reflection of very sound growth and the next step is for Osinbajo to assume the presidency in 2023."

Abba-Aji added that Osinbajo had impressed Nigerians with his performance during the periods he acted as president.

“His chances are very bright in the view of most people that I have interacted with. He is better than anyone else but we are in a democracy and others also have a right to present themselves and increase the choices available to the electorate,” he said.

Ekiti Group Endorses Osinbajo, Says VP Better Than Tinubu

A group, Osinbajo Grassroots Organisation, has begun mobilisation in Ekiti State for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, saying he is better than other contestants vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, including Bola Tinubu.

To mobilise for Osinbajo, the group, yesterday, marched across the streets of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where vehicular and human movements were disrupted for several hours.

In their hundreds, members of the group chanted solidarity songs in support of the vice president, and moved from the popular Fajuyi park through Ijigbo area to APC secretariat in Ajilosun area, where they were received by the party officials.

Addressing the crowd, leader of the group and a former House of Assembly member, Hon Femi Adeleye, saluted the vice president for accepting to contest the 2023 presidential poll. Adeleye said Osinbajo’s competence and capability stood him out among the aspirants jostling for the nation’s number one seat.

The former lawmaker noted that Osinbajo had in the last seven years demonstrated unmatched loyalty to the president and the party, saying this has made him acceptable to all Nigerians across party lines.

According to him, the group and other citizens of the state would commence massive mobilisation

to ensure Osinbajo wins the ticket of the APC, saying with him as the candidate, the party would not lose the presidential election.

He called on the party under the chairmanship of Abdullahi Adamu to consider picking the vice president as the presidential candidate of APC by all options available to the party.

Adeleye stated, “We have been pressurising him in the last few years for him to contest. We even decided if he doesn’t declare this week, we would have gone to court to compel him. It is on record that no other vice president in the history of modern Nigeria has had such a crisis-free, corruption-free, robust working relationship with his principal like Professor Osinbajo.

“Today, in Nigeria, Professor Osinbajo’s name is synonymous with loyalty, trust, competence, capacity and faithfulness. He is the one with most capable credentials and disposition of taking Nigeria to the Promised Land. He has long been nurtured for the leadership role of president."

Bagudu: APC may opt for consensus candidate for presidency

Chairman of the Progressives

Governors Forum (PGF), and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, on Monday said the All Progressive Congress (APC) does not rule out the possibility of a consensus candidate among its Presidential aspirants.

“We always encourage our party to go for the best. Don’t forget that in the 2015 presidential election primary, President Buhari contested along with several others and it was a beautiful contest.

“There is nothing wrong.

Members of the party always want to see consensus if it is possible, but we are a democratic party.

“In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others. There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.

“APC has done well as a party, President Buhari has led the party ably well and we believe strongly that come 2023, Nigerians will see another President of the APC extraction.”

Continued Online

24

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

DISCOURSE

Anyaoku: Restructuring, Panacea to Nigeria’s Governance Challenges Paul Ejime

E

lections and their outcomes are triggers and drivers of political violence, conflicts and instability in Nigeria.

But the level of uncertainty has heightened with every second ahead of the country’s crucial presidential election in February 2023. Many commentators are even warning that the scheduled elections might not take place because of aggravated insecurity, divisiveness and disaffection in Africa’s most populous nation of more than 200 million people.

The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), which came to power in 2015 riding on the crest of a pledge to fight corruption, end insecurity, promote economic prosperity, and for political restructuring, insists that the government has done its best, often citing some improvement of infrastructure.

Government and Party officials even boast that the administration has brought better quality of life and made Nigerians safer more than during the 16 years of the now opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

However, official statistics and reality do not support these claims. Bandits, terrorists and so-called “unknown gunmen” continue to launch deadly attacks recently at an Airport, train coaches and station and in sundry towns and villages, especially in the northern states and other parts of the country. The number of deaths and the cost of destructions are mounting.

Kidnapping for ransom and herders/ farmers clashes are rampant; inflation, unemployment, as well as government’s local and external debts are at an all-time high, with delayed salaries for workers in some states and perennial strikes by University teachers, agitating for improved service conditions. Also, corruption, nepotism, cronyism, impunity and hunger are widespread, with anger boiling over during the infamous, bloody and destructive #ENDSARS national protests by youths in 2020 against police brutality.

Fuel scarcity, which many thought was a thing of the past returned to the oil-producing nation recently, compounding the erratic public power supply and leading to general high cost of living.

Nigeria’s health system remains fragile and underfunded characterised by unsatisfactory conditions of hospitals and health facilities, forcing scores of skilled personnel abroad (brain-drain), while the ruling class continues to enjoy wasteful external “medical tourism.”

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth and one of Nigeria’s internationally renowned Statesmen, is among those who believe that the “perilous state of the nation” requires urgent remedy.

“Nigeria has never been more divisive, unstable, insecure and un-progressive than what we have now, and I am old enough to know,” Anyaoku, who turned 89, in January, told this writer in an impromptu chat at the weekend.

“Without restructuring into more viable, possibly six federating units as against the present 36 states and devolution of powers from the all-powerful central government to the units, the country is going nowhere,” warned the Nigerian diplomat.

He said his proposed restructuring would unleash the innovative and creative potential of the federating units for growth and development, stressing that the present governance structure, which is considered too expensive to run, cannot effectively deal

Anyaoku

“The year 2023 could yet mark a turning point and a defining moment in the country’s chequered political history.

Whoever succeeds the Buhari administration has a steep mountain to climb!” with the country’s myriad of governance challenges.

Anyaoku should know, not only in his capacity as a senior traditional Chief in his home State of Anambra, in south-eastern Nigeria, but also as a seasoned peace-maker and bridge-builder astute in preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and management, locally and internationally.

He has served in top positions at the United Nations and as Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth before heading for 10 years, the 54-nation organization with combined population of more than two billion people, and membership across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, until his retirement in 2000.

Even in Nigeria, apolitical Anyaoku has not only strongly advocated, but

actively led impactful political peace initiatives.

In 1998, during one of Nigeria’s critical moments, following the sudden death of military dictator Gen. Sani Abacha and Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election who died mysteriously in prison, Anyaoku was in the forefront of mediation efforts along with now late Ghanaian Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of United Nations.

Their intervention along with other well-meaning figures within and outside Nigeria paved the way for the return of democracy in the country in 1999 after prolonged years of military rule.

Also, Anyaoku in conjunction with Annan and former Nigerian Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar midwifed the famous Abuja Peace Accord signed in January 2015 by 14 presidential candidates, including the then sitting President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition APC. That Accord, under which the presidential candidates pledged to restrain their supporters and also accept the outcome of the 26th March 2015 election, sought to prevent a recurrence of the 2011 post-election violence that led to more than 800 deaths and high political tensions in the country.

The Anyaoku-Annan initiative also led to the creation of the Gen. Abubakar-led National Peace Committee (NPC), which now performs a similar function.

It is believed that despite pockets of violence, the spirit and letter of the Abuja Peace Accord, which was supported by the EU, United States, ECOWAS and the UN, played a huge part in the acceptance of the result of the 31st March 2015 presidential poll by President Jonathan, which saved the country from possible political catastrophe.

Asked if the 2023 election can be postponed until his proposed restructuring took place, Anyaoku said: “not necessarily so, but all the political parties and their candidates have to commit to it (the restructuring),” for the country to move forward, he explained.

Reminded that the ruling APC had made a same pledge, but failed to deliver on it, the Nigerian Statesman says: “it is the duty of the electorate to hold politicians and political parties to account” on their election promises.

There is a near national consensus that the 1999 constitution bequeathed to Nigeria by the military requires critical amendments, meanwhile, the report of a 2014 National Conference organised by the Jonathan administration on the reform remains unimplemented. There is also no agreement on the form the political restructuring should take.

“Nigeria is a pluralist State and you cannot manage the diversity under the present governance structure,” Anyaoku affirmed, but refused to be drawn into the raging debate over zoning of the presidency by the political parties or his choice among emerging presidential contenders.

Even so, Anyaoku agrees on the need for the continued intervention by Statesmen and women, the civil society and other stakeholders, including faith-based and opinion leaders, to address Nigeria’s deteriorating security crisis and governance deficiency.

In this regard, he said he has provided his suggestions to organisers of an initiative by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, to which Nigeria’s Nobel Literature Laureate Wole Soyinka has also been invited to join.

Since its independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has survived numerous political conflicts and upheavals, including a bloody civil war of 1967-1970 during Biafra’s unsuccessful secessionist bid by the Eastern region.

The national crises are mainly ethnic and religious in nature, often morphing into electoral violence, mass killings and political instability.

Oil-rich Nigeria nicknamed Giant of Africa because of its large population as the most populous Black nation with largely mismanaged human and natural resources, has become a notorious expert in pulling from the precipice and proving naysayers wrong.

Nigerians are also known for their resilience, but near-misses may not be for ever and national potential by itself cannot make a nation great.

Analysts have therefore, warned that Nigeria must get its act together and assert the leadership position, which the rest of Africa and indeed, the world at large expects and demands of it.

The year 2023 could yet mark a turning point and a defining moment in the country’s chequered political history. Whoever succeeds the Buhari administration has a steep mountain to climb! t 1BVM &KJNF JT B (MPCBM "GGBJST "OBMZTU BOE BO *OEFQFOEFOU $POTVMUBOU PO $PSQPSBUF 4USBUFHJD $PNNVOJDBUJPOT .FEJB 1FBDF 4FDVSJUZ BOE &MFDUJPOT

LAWYER TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

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& RE A S O

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

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BOMBED KADUNA-BOUND TRAIN MRS JEAN CHIAZOR-ANISHERE, SAN

Who Will Secure Our Nation?

& RE A S O

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II

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 • T H I S D AY

IN THIS EDITION

QUOTABLES

Effect of Omission to Reflect Presence and Particulars of Interpreter on Accused’s Trial

‘…..The Director SSS showed me a report that he wrote in January, about the airport as well as the rail…..These guys are planning this….But, who will respond to them, is the issue. The Army is afraid of killing them. The Air Force is afraid of bombing them, because of media, human rights….’ Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, Governor, Kaduna State, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Page IV

‘….And they are approving money for nonsense.

Even this one, they will say let’s employ a Consultant, so that out of the N3 billion the Consultant will be paid 5%….I have said it several times, there are a lot of kleptocrats in this system, and Government needs to do something about it.’ - Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, APC Senator representing Borno South, Borno State, Nigeria

#upjudicialsalaries Mr President, it is time to convene a Stakeholders consultation, on the review of Judicial salaries and allowances. This should be seen as a legacy intervention.

LAWYER

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

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

Governor Umahi: Averting Confusion

B

Congratulations, Judge KBJ efore I go into the ‘word for today’, on behalf of the Nigerian woman, I must say hearty congratulations to 51 year old Harvard-trained Judge KBJ, Kebanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Indeed, her elevation is a true combination of merit and double affirmative action - gender and race - the proverbial round peg in a round hole! This is how to practice Federal Character or Affirmative Action. I hope the Nigerian Government will take a cue from this, and learn that merit and integrity do not necessarily have to be sacrificed on the altar of Federal character, Quota system, gender or any other type of affirmative action. See Sections 14 & 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (the Constitution). You can still pick the best, from the Zone or State you are selecting from.

The Umahi Saga The recent judgements in Governor Umahi’s case - the one from the Ebonyi State High Court, Abakaliki per Njoku J. which was delivered on February 28, 2022; and that of the Federal High Court, Abuja per Ekwo J. delivered on March 8, 2022, brings to mind various legal principles like ‘Lack of Jurisdiction’, ‘Abuse of Court Process/Forum Shopping/Conflicting Judgements’, ‘Stare Decisis’ and maybe even ‘Res Judicata’. The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu subsequently delivered its decision on the appeal from the Ebonyi Court, on April 1, 2022.

If the Federal High Court, Abuja decision has also been appealed, the proper thing for the Court of Appeal, Abuja to do in this case, would not just be to take judicial notice of the issues already decided upon by its brother Panel in Enugu, since it involves the same parties and a similar subject-matter (unless the decision was reached per incuriam - in this circumstance, that would mean to be reached without due regard to the Constitution - which cannot be said to be the case by virtue of the Supreme Court decision in AGF v Abubakar 2007 10 N.W.L.R. Part 1041 Page 1 which the Court of Appeal in Enugu followed (the doctrine of ‘Stare Decisis’ - to stand by things decided/ following judicial precedent), and only address those issues which have not already been covered; but to reverse Ekwo J’s decision sacking Umahi and his Deputy, based on the doctrine of Stare Decisis - AGF v Abubakar (Supra).

In Ayade’s case which also had a similar subject-matter as that of Umahi’s, Taiwo J. of the Federal High Court, Abuja followed the precedent of the Court of Appeal, Enugu, and refused to declare Ayade’s seat vacant on account of his defection from PDP to APC. It all seems confusing, but there are some issues that I have distilled from this matter, which I would like you my dear colleagues, to share your views on.

Lack of Jurisdiction Section 308(1) & (3) of the Constitution prohibits the institution of civil or criminal proceedings against the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor in their personal capacities during their tenure of office. See the case of Tinubu v IMB Securities Plc 2001 4 N.W.L.R. Part 740 Page 670. Does a suit commenced by the use of an originating summons, not qualify as a civil proceeding? In Ezeaku v Okonkwo 2012 4 N.W.L.R. Part 1291 Page 529 at 547 per Oseji JCA (as he then was), Originating Summons was defined inter alia as “a civil procedure….. reserved for issues like the determination of short questions of construction, and not matters of controversy that the justice of the case demands the settling of pleadings”.

Also see the case of B.A. Alegbe, Speaker, Bendel State House of Assembly v M.O. Oloyo 1983 7 S.C. 85 Page 215-216 per Eso JSC. Or are matters instituted by way of originating summons, not within the scope of the meaning of civil proceedings as envisaged by Section 308 of the Constitution? I believe they are, since Section 308 doesn’t provide that they are excluded therefrom.

Did the court therefore, have the jurisdiction to hear a matter involving parties who are exempted from suit and legal process by Section 308 of the Constitution, unless as provided therein?

I don’t think so.

Nonetheless, in seeking an interpretation perhaps, as to whether the provisions of Sections 68(1)(g) & 109(1)(g) which govern defection by Federal and State Legislators can be extrapolated

2)Contentious Issues The originating summons used to commence both matters, seemed to go beyond mere interpretation, to include contentious issues.

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The

Advocate “If those excluded by Section 308 are to be bound by the same provisions that bind Legislators with regard to defection, the Constitution must be so amended, and a proviso inserted in Section 308 to the effect that, in the case of defection from the party which sponsored candidates to win the elections, legal proceedings can be instituted against them to remove them from office” to the Executive, Governor Umahi and Deputy are desirable, but not necessary parties to determine these questions, even if they would be bound by the decision. The matter could have been decided without them being joined. See the case of Green v Green 1987 3 N.W.L.R. Part 60 Page 480 per Oputa JSC. The principle would still have been established, for Governors and Deputies who defect.

Abuse of Court Process Assuming that the court did have jurisdiction to hear this case, here are some of the matters arising that constitute abuse of court process. In Ntuks v NPA 2007 13 N.W.L.R. Part 1051 Page 392 at 419-420 Niki Tobi JSC articulated what amounts to abuse of court process to include, the process of court being used mala fide (in bad faith); an action which is one too many (multiplicity of actions); where there is no iota of law supporting the claim; where the claim is frivolous, vexatious and reckless.

Also see the case of Saraki v Kotoye 1992 9 N.W.L.R. Part 264 Page 156. However, these days, I believe that forum shopping is one of the most popular forms of abuse of court process. See the case of Dingyadi v INEC (No.2) 2010 18 N.W.L.R. Part 1224 Page 154 per Adekeye JSC. 1)Per Incuriam The Constitution which is the grundnorm (Section 1(1)), does not support the decision of Ekwo J., whose decision was based principally on issues of morality. In this matter, not only was there no iota of law supporting the decision (Ntuks v NPA (Supra), the trial Judge failed to follow the precedent set by the Supreme Court case of AGF v Abubakar (Supra), to the effect that, under the Constitution, the only

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi

way to remove a President or Vice (and by extension, Governor and Deputy) is by the Legislature so doing, by reason of gross misconduct. Ekwo J.’s decision was therefore reached per incuriam, going by the definition of the term.

2)Multiplicity of Actions/Conflicting Judgements Even after the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad summoned six State Chief Judges on the issue of conflicting court orders/forum shopping etc last year, it is surprising that two actions were filed with two principal parties common to both actions, on a similar subject-matter; and two courts of concurrent jurisdiction still delivered two different judgements which have resulted in having the opposite effect on the same issue. Was an affidavit of non-multiplicity of action not required, with the processes filed in both suits in Ebonyi and Abuja?

Even if the parties in both cases were slightly different, Umahi and his Deputy/their defection were the major targets and recurring decimals in both cases. Whether the issue of the action in Ebonyi could have been raised by Umahi’s team, since Umahi was the common denominator in both cases, it is obvious that the Abuja Court was aware of the Ebonyi case. Perhaps, the trial Judge felt that the two cases bore no similarities, aside from the common parties. But, even if the prayers in the Ebonyi case were slightly different from that of the Abuja case, there was an important intersection - the decisions in/outcomes of both cases would have had the same principal effect - that is, to declare their defection from PDP to APC either lawful or unconstitutional (and subsequently, keep them in or remove them from office).

Could the two cases have been consolidated?

3)Res Judicata Is the doctrine of res judicata applicable this case? At the filing of the Abuja case, judgement in the Ebonyi case had not yet been delivered.

Subsequently, judgement in the Ebonyi case was delivered on February 28, 2022, while that of Abuja was delivered on March 8, 2022.

In Abiola & Sons B. Co. Ltd v 7up Bottling Co. Ltd 2012 15 N.W.L.R. Part 1322 Page 184 at 201, the Supreme Court per Galadima JSC held that: “The Latin phrase res judicata means literally, “a thing adjudicated”. It is trite law that a matter once judicially decided, is finally settled”.

For a plea of res judicata to be able to avail a Defendant, a) there must be an earlier decision on the issue b) a final judgement on the merits c) the involvement of the same parties, or parties in privity with the original parties. See the case of Abe v Adeniyi 2007 4 N.W.L.R. Part 1023 Page 191 at 218. Was issue of Umahi and his Deputy’s defection to APC a thing already adjudicated upon by the Ebonyi High Court, because even though both cases may not have been on all fours with each other, they shared a common goal/interest?

While in the Ebonyi case, the runner up in the election wanted to be declared the winner, because they claimed that Umahi’s votes were abandoned or invalidated, and he and his Deputy should vacate the offices; in the Abuja case, PDP wanted a declaration that the votes won

by Umahi belonged to the party, and were not transferable to be used for the benefit of APC. The end result of both matters however, was to get Umahi and his Deputy out of office. At the end of the day the decision in the Ebonyi case kept in Umahi office, while that of Abuja, removed him from same.

Onnoghen JSC in D.T.T.Ent (Nig.) Co. Ltd v Busari 2011 8 N.W.L.R. Part 1248 Page 387 at 410, stated that once there is a final determination by the court, neither the parties thereto nor their privies can be subsequently allowed to relitigate the matter, because such decision is conclusive until it is reversed on appeal. Onnoghen JSC said: “The veracity of that decision or determination is also not open to a challenge, nor can it be contradicted. The doctrine is grounded in public policy which stipulates that there must be an end to litigation, as captured in the Latin maxim, ‘interest republicae at sit finis litium’ ”. Did the Abuja case qualify as a relitigation of the Ebonyi case?

While some argue that the Abuja Court should not have handed down a decision which not only had a resultant effect tantamount to a court of coordinate jurisdiction sitting as an appellate court over the decision of a sister court, and overturning its sister court’s decision which it does not have the jurisdiction to do, it also sought to overturn the decision of the Apex Court in AGF v Abubakar (Supra) instead of following it, which amounts to a ‘judicial abomination’. On the other hand, others argue that, at best, the Ebonyi decision could only be a persuasive authority for the Abuja case, and that they are different matters with different parties, res judicata does not apply.

Conclusion It is clear that at the instigation of politicians and their counsel, the lower courts seem to already be setting the stage for confusion, for the period leading up to the general elections next year and thereafter. The Apex Court being the final court of the land, is the only one that is able to lay these controversies to rest. However, in so doing, it is also bound by the provisions of the Constitution. If those excluded by Section 308 are to be bound by the same provisions that bind Legislators with regard to defection, the Constitution must be so amended, and a proviso inserted in Section 308 to the effect that, in the case of defection from the party which sponsored candidates to win the elections, legal proceedings can be instituted against them to remove them from office. For now, from the provisions set out in the Constitution, the removal of the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor remains largely a legislative, and not a judicial function. See Sections 143,144, 188 & 189 of the Constitution.

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 • T H I S D AY

Effect of Omission to Reflect Presence and Particulars of Interpreter on Accused’s Trial

T Facts

he Appellant and a certain Suraju Olanrewaju were charged before the High Court of Osun State on a 3-count Charge of conspiracy, indecent assault and murder of one Bilikisu contrary to Sections 324, 319(1) and 360 of the Criminal Code Laws of Osun State. It was alleged that the Appellant and the said Suraju Olanrewaju and another Fatai Ademola, were co-occupants in a room at Oke Abesu, Osogbo. The deceased Bilikisu, who was Fatai Ademola’s girlfriend, had visited him and after they both had sexual intercourse, he slept off. Thereafter, the Appellant and Suraju Olanrewaju took turns to forcefully have sexual intercourse with Bilikisu despite serious opposition from her. In order to prevent her from shouting for help while they were savagely having intercourse with her, they decided to block her mouth with a loaf of bread and this led to her suffocation and eventual death.

The Appellant and the co-accused person pleaded not guilty, and the case proceeded to trial. At the end of the trial, the court convicted them for murder and sentenced them to death by hanging. In its judgement, the trial court held that the confessional statements of the accused persons in which they admitted that they both had sexual intercourse with the deceased serially, and stuffed her mouth with bread to prevent her from shouting for help, established that they conspired to rape the deceased. The trial court further held that their confessional statements revealed that they tried to resuscitate the deceased by pouring water on her when they noticed she was unresponsive, which fact established that the deceased died in the process.

Dissatisfied with the judgement of the trial court, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal. The pith of the Appellant’s grievance was that he was not provided with an interpreter to interpret English Language to Yoruba Language for him, during the arraignment and throughout the proceedings. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. Further dissatisfied, the Appellant filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Issue for Determination The Supreme Court determined the appeal on the basis of the following narrow issue: Whether the arraignment of the Appellant violated Section 36(6)(a) and (e) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Arguments Counsel for the Appellant argued that when the plea of the Appellant was taken, the trial court did not fully comply with the provisions of Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Act, in that the trial court did not indicate on its record that the charge was read to the Appellant in English Language and subsequently translated to him in Yoruba language which was the only language the Appellant understands. He contended further that there was no indication on the record of proceedings of the person who did the translation to the Appellant or any evidence that an interpreter was in court to interpret to the Appellant, the testimony of the two Policemen, prosecution witnesses who gave their evidence in English Language.

He submitted that since no interpretation was

Honourable Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 14th day of January, 2022

Before Their Lordships John Inyang Okoro Amina Adamu Augie Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Abdu Aboki Tijjani Abubakar Justices, Supreme Court SC.336/2016 Between LEKAN OLATAYO

APPELLANT And

THE STATE

RESPONDENT

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, JSC)

done for the Appellant during the trial, the proceedings are completely vitiated.

This is more so, as the Appellant did not understand the evidence given against him in English language and the Appellant’s counsel at the trial court was not of Yoruba extraction. Counsel relied on the case of AKPIRI EWE v THE STATE (1992) 7 SCN 15 at 19, in support of his submissions.

Responding, counsel for the Respondent prefaced his argument with the submission that the death of the deceased was not in doubt, and the fact that the Appellant and his co-accused caused her death by suffocation when they blocked her mouth with bread to prevent her from shouting to attract people to her aid while raping her, was not contested. The confessional

“…. the constitutional duty of the trial court to ensure that an interpreter is provided for the Defendant during the whole proceedings, is immutable….what will not vitiate a trial, is the omission of the trial court to state on the record on each date of the proceedings at trial, the fact of the presence of an interpreter and the name of the said interpreter”

statements before the trial court confirmed the above, and the evidence of the Prosecution witnesses were also relevant. Reacting to the submission about the validity of the arraignment, counsel argued that the core of a valid arraignment is the understanding of the Charge by an accused person before he is called upon to make his plea to the charge, and in determining the validity of an arraignment, the circumstance of each case must be considered. Counsel contended that the arraignment of the Appellant having been done in the presence of the Appellant’s counsel without any objection to the name or designation of the interpreter, showed that the Charge was read and interpreted to the Appellant before he pleaded to same.

He argued further that the presence of Appellant’s counsel on record, before the trial court at the arraignment and throughout the proceedings acceded to the fact without any objection whatsoever, as the interpretation was provided by the clerk of the court who interpreted the proceedings throughout the course of the trial. The Appellant did not also complain of not understanding the proceedings, throughout the trial.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale

In its decision, the Apex Court held that by the provisions of Section 36(6)(a) & (e) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Act, it is required that a Defendant shall be informed in the language he understands, the nature of the offence against him. He is also entitled to an interpreter without payment, if he does not understand the language of the court. However, in determining the validity of an arraignment, it is important to look into the circumstance of each case. In respect of the proper application of Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Act, where there is evidence on record that the Charge was read to an accused person in the presence of counsel, particularly in a charge carrying the death penalty, the arraignment will be proper and subsequent proceedings will be said to be properly conducted if there is a counsel for the Defendant throughout the proceedings.

What is important is that, the Defendant and his counsel are not misled regarding the details of the criminal offences on which the Defendant has been indicted. It is also important that the details of the evidence adduced in court during the trial are clear to the Defendant and his counsel, so that the Defendant can make a full defence to the Charge. In all these circumstances, there is a presumption in favour of regularity in that the Judge would instruct and ensure that throughout the proceedings, the counsel and the Defendant would understand the proceedings even where the details of such directions by the trial Judge are not fully and specifically stated on each date of arraignment.

The court relied on its decision in OLABODE v THE STATE (2009) 11 NWLR (Pt. 1152) 279 at 254 that although reflection in the trial court’s record who read and explained the charge to the accused person form part of the procedure a trial court should adhere to while arraigning an accused person, failure or omission by the trial court to reflect them is not fatal to the proceeding once the arraignment was carried out in a manner which is substantially regular.

Their Lordships held further that the constitutional duty of the trial court to ensure that an interpreter is provided for the Defendant during the whole proceedings, is immutable.

What however, is not set in stone, and what will not vitiate a trial, is the omission of the trial court to state on the record on each date of the proceedings at trial, the fact of the presence of an interpreter and the name of the said interpreter. Relying on the decision in FRN v MUHAMMED YA’U (2014) 3 SCNJ 53 at 86, the Supreme Court held that it was manifest from the record that the trial court appreciated the mandatory procedure for a valid arraignment. This was depicted by the interpretation of the Charge to the Appellant in Yoruba Language, before his plea was taken.

The records also showed that the Appellant’s counsel were present throughout the arraignment, and none of them complained about the arraignment or entire proceedings. There is, therefore, a clear presumption of regularity of the proceedings - OGUNYE v THE STATE (1999) 5 NWLR (Pt. 604) 548 and OKEKE v THE STATE (2003) 15 NWLR (Pt. 842) 25.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation Prince Abioye A. Oloyede Asanike with Oyebunmi Muliyat Oloyede Asanike for the Appellant.

Yemi Adesina for the Respondent.

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

V

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

IMAGES

T

he Arbitration Practice Group at ǼLEX held a series of events during the second edition of its Annual International Arbitration Month, from 29 March to 1 April 2022. The line-up of events included virtual sessions where leading arbitration practitioners provided insights into specific issues in international arbitration. Arbitration Brunch for In-House Counsel only. The activities of the Arbitration month concluded with an In-House Counsel only Brunch, which took place on 1 April, 2022 at GAIA House. Olatowun Candide-Johnson, Former General Counsel, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Limited gave insights with other In-House Counsel on “Pitfalls to Avoid as In-House Counsel in Arbitration”. She shared lessons from her over 30-year career as an in-house counsel during an interactive Question and Answer session hosted by Perenami Momodu, Partner at ǼLEX. Here are some of the personalities who attended the programme

Perenami Momodu, Partner, AELEX (left) and Olatowun Candide-Johnson, Guest Speaker and former General Counsel TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Limited

Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, SAN, Managing Partner, AELEX

L-R: Chidi Momah, General Counsel, Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited, Olatowun CandideJohnson, and Dr Yakubu Belgore, General Counsel, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Limited

Chidi Momah, General Counsel, Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited

Dr Yakubu Belgore, General Counsel, Total Energies Zulei Momodu, Head, Legal and Contracts, Westfield EP Nigeria Limited Energy Resources Limited

Chukwuka Eze, Senior Counsel, Commercial, General Electric Sesi Fasinro, Legal Advisor, Chevron Nigeria Limited (left) and Ugonna Ogbuagu, Senior Associate AELEX

Olatowun Candide-Johnson, Guest Speaker and Former General Counsel, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Emmanuella Senlong, Legal Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission Limited

L-R: Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, SAN, Managing Partner, AELEX, Enobong Ozor, Team Lead, Contracting, Commercial & NonEnvironmental Litigation, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Funke Adekoya, SAN

L-R: Chiemeka Garrick (9Mobile), Ngozi Efobi, Partner, AELEX, Elizabeth Edionseri (9Mobile) and Ugonna Ogbuagu, Senior Associate AELEX

L-R: Sesi Fasinro, Legal Advisor, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Ijeoma Bassey, General Counsel, Chevron Nigeria Limited, and Elu Mbakwe, Senior Legal Counsel, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Limited

Kofo Bamgbose, Deputy Manager, Legal Services Amni International Madonna Okpaleke, Head of Legal, Sub- Petroleum Development Company Limited (left) and Zulei Momodu, Head, Legal and Contracts, Westfield Energy Resources Limited Saharan Africa, Reckitt Benckiser

Olasunmbo Abolaji, General Counsel, Honeywell Group

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Who Will Secure Our Nation?

Every passing day sees Nigeria’s insecurity attain worsening dimensions. The recent Kaduna train attack which resulted in several deaths, many injuries and the kidnap of numerous commuters who remain unaccounted for over two weeks after the dastardly incident, has yet again brought to the fore, the very urgent need to rethink the nation’s security architecture. With insecurity flashpoints all over the country, North-East, North Central, parts of the South-East and this time the North-West, Nigeria is undoubtedly involved in a low-grade war. Some suggestions as to a lasting panacea for these enormous security challenges, are the topic of this Discourse by Jide Ojo, Dr Kayode Ajulo, and Major Ben Aburime (Rtd)

Nigeria’s Lingering Security Challenges, the Panacea Jide Ojo Introduction ection 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended) states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, while Section 17(2)(c) says ‘governmental actions shall be humane’. It is doubtful if any of the tiers of Government in Nigeria, is meeting any of these constitutional provisions. In Nigeria today, as a result of the protracted and festering insecurity, the country is now in the Hobbesian state where life is short, brutish and nasty. Many analysts have traced the remote causes of the current spate of insecurity, to the fratricidal war the country fought for three years between 1967 and 1970. It is called civil war. However, an estimated over one million people, allegedly lost their lives on the side of the separatist Biafran agitators and the Nigerian armed forces. Quite unfortunately, when the war ended on January 15, 1970, there was no disarmament. Thus, a lot of small arms and light weapons got into the hands of many non-State actors.

If we’re looking for immediate causes, some of the push factors will be the grinding poverty, high rate of unemployment, religious extremism, ostentatious lifestyle of Nigeria’s political elite, misgovernance

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and corruption to mention, but a few. All of these need no explanation, as they are a daily manifestation in our societal life.

Impact of Insecurity The escalating insecurity in Nigeria has a lot of negative impact on our socio-economic life.

Socially speaking, many Nigerians are now observing self-imposed curfew, due to fear of abduction or being robbed by armed gangs.

Night life has almost vanished, except for in a few urban centres. Many Nigerians no longer do all-night parties, while most churches and worship centres have now cancelled vigils. Serial attacks of terrorists on our public schools and mass abduction of pupils and students, have led to an exponential increase in the number of out-of-school children. Health wise, many Nigerians are now fatalistic. Mental health of compatriots, has become unbalanced. Many who do not have history of blood pressure, are now developing high blood pressure. Many more people are now paranoid with fear leading to anxiety disorder, insomnia and depression.

Many family members of victims of insecurity, are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Economically, insecurity has led to a lot of divestment from the country, while many foreign direct investors have refused to come and invest in here due to the negative stories about insecurity. When there is divestment or closure of business in the country, this leads to

more people becoming unemployed. Millions of people in internally displaced camps as a result of natural disaster or insecurity, are no longer productive economically. Rather, they become a burden on Government and the entire society, as they have to live on charity.

As a result of insecurity, many farmers have had to leave their ancestral farmlands and homes, only to run to cities where they either live off family and friends, or take to menial jobs such as commercial cycling or selling groceries. Thus, food insecurity is staring us in the face now, and this is partly responsible for the high cost of commodities, especially food items in the market. In order to stave off food scarcity, the Government may reluctantly licence people to import food items into the country. This will put pressure on our foreign exchange, and kill off the few agro-allied industries in the country.

Insecurity has led to reduction in public infrastructure. Take for instance the Monday, March 28, 2022 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna night train in which eight people were confirmed dead and scores of people abducted; this has led to the indefinite suspension of train services along that route. Same thing with the airport of Kaduna State. After the terrorist attack on the Kaduna International Airport on Saturday, March 26, 2022, flight operations to the airport was suspended indefinitely. These attacks on public infrastructure has substantially increased the cost of governance, as billions of Naira will

have to be spent to replace damaged facilities.

Solutions to Nigeria’s Protracted Insecurity There are two broad parts, to solving this menace of insecurity. There are the hardware and the software approaches. By hardware approach, Nigerian Government at all levels has to do the following: Recruitment of more Police and Military personnel. The number of soldiers and Police, as well as other security operatives in Nigeria vis-à-vis the population, is grossly inadequate. There’s need for more boots on ground. The recruited personnel must be well trained, in modern crime-fighting techniques.

It is unfortunate that the immediate past Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission, got involved in a legal tussle over whose mandate it is to recruit the 10,000 constables per annum ordered

by President Muhammadu Buhari. Thankfully, after two court judgements in favour of PSC, this issue has been finally laid to rest.

There’s need for technology driven solutions to insecurity. It is imperative to have all-weather drones, Closed Circuit Television on our roads, around public facilities, and even in the forests where these criminal gangs use as hideout. There’s need for forensic laboratories to analyse fingerprints and other exhibits from crime scenes, in a timeous manner.

Part of technological solutions needed include body and vehicle scanners, bomb detectors, jammers, surveillance equipment and many more. While it is heartwarming that the Inspector General of Police has acquired five additional high-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to improve

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Who Will Secure Our Nation? surveillance operations to checkmate criminal activities in the country, it is disheartening that the N52 billion e-surveillance project meant to police our borders which was approved by the Federal Executive Council on April 25, 2019 has not been completed. The truth is, if we don’t secure our borders, there will continue to be migration of criminal gangs into the country, while smuggling and trafficking of drugs, humans and small arms and light weapons will persist.

Our intelligence gathering and analysis, should also be top notch. There is technology that can aid this. Government agencies such as Nigerian Communication Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), all have roles to play in helping the security agencies with vital information that can help intelligence gathering and surveillance.

In terms of the soft approach, there is need for individuals to embrace family planning and child spacing measures. Having too many children than one can cater for, has led to increase in the number of miscreants who could be easily recruited by criminal gangs to perpetrate crimes in the country. It would have been ideal if Government can legislate on this or come up with a policy, but this may not enjoy wide acceptance. However, at individual family level, we can decide to have few children that our income can effectively cater for.

There’s also need for public enlightenment, on why crime does not pay. However, for this message to sink into the mind and subconscious of the populace, there must be prompt and efficient punishment for those who indulge in crime. Thus, there is need to overhaul our justice sector. As the saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied. It is not out of place, in fact, it is recommended that there should be review of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, with a view to making the law work seamlessly.

The serial jailbreaks of the recent past, are counterproductive to crime fighting. Many of the escapees who are hardened criminals, are never recaptured. They end up becoming more vicious in the perpetration of crimes, after their escape from prison or correctional centres. The number of awaiting trial inmates in our correctional facilities, is intolerable. Statistics show that between 70-80% of inmates in our prisons, are awaiting trial. This has led to prison congestion, and the more reasons the inmates are restive and engage in jailbreaks.

Prosecution of criminal suspects therefore, need to be fast-tracked.

There’s also need for transparency and accountability, in the management of the country’s security and defence sector. The mismanagement of the $2.1 billion meant for procurement of military hardware under former President Goodluck Jonathan, is very preposterous. There’s yet to be closure to the prosecution of those who were fingered in the ‘Dadukigate’, since 2016 when charges were filed against them. Recall that the 2019 Audit Report, said 178,459 Firearms and Ammunition were missing from Police Armoury. This is an ugly phenomenon, which does not inspire confidence in the fight against insecurity. These so-called missing firearms in the hands of non-State actors, will definitely be used to perpetrate crimes.

Above all, the three tiers of Government must work robustly and collaboratively, to reduce unemployment and poverty. These are twin push factors, which can lure people who are not even long-suffering into crimes. The Federal Government’s multi-billion-Naira Social Investment Programme under which there are Conditional Cash Transfer, N-Power for unemployed youths, Tradermoni and Farmermoni, Homegrown School Feeding Programmes are all laudable. However, not only do I recommend that States should have their own social investment programmes, there must be value for money. It should not be a vote-buying scheme.

In closing, this is political season. As the nation prepares for the 7th General Election in 2023, Political Party managers and contestants should please eschew arming youths to perpetrate electoral violence. They do not need private army or militia, to protect themselves and deal with their opponents. They should please, not compound

Jide Ojo the country’s security challenges.

There must be political will, to fight crime and insecurity in Nigeria. I am shocked at the revelation of the former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu who on May 1, 2019 alleged that some State Governors covertly promote insecurity, as justification to inflate their security vote. Magu said this while presenting a paper with the theme, “Imperative of Fighting Corruption/Terrorism Financing in Nigeria” at the induction of new and returning Governors at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

This is worrisome.

I am also dumbfounded by the surreal revelation by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who told journalists in Abuja that he knows the identities of terrorists in his State, their camps, their phone numbers, and sometimes eavesdrops on their conversations.

He said he has twice written to the management of Nigerian Railway Corporation to stop night train services, but he was ignored. He wondered why the military has not gone to neutralise the bandits, despite the intelligence he has passed on to them. He said all this after his visit to President Buhari, over the unfortunate train attack by terrorists on March 28, 2022. What can one say about this? It is also unfortunate that despite the fact that the US and UAE Governments have both made available to Nigerian Government names and identities of some people who are involved in terrorism financing in Nigeria, the Government is yet to prosecute these criminals. Is this out of cowardice, or complicity?

Jide Ojo, Development Consultant, Columnist, Author and Public Affairs Analyst

National Sovereignty and Insecurity: Issues and Perspectives Dr Kayode Ajulo Introduction Mixed emotions of sadness, disappointment and bitterness characterise the reactions of citizens to the horrendous acts of terror and wickedness that have been foisted unabatedly in recent times, by marauding terrorists and criminal elements who seem to have an axe of grind with the sovereignty and unity of the Federal

“We have seen Government’s ruthlessness in curtailing the IPOB agitations, as well as the display of its monopoly of violence against popular Yoruba Freedom agitator, Sunday Igboho. It should therefore, not be an uphill task to isolate and crush all criminal elements, irrespective of their language or tribe….”

Republic of Nigeria; the most populous black nation and home to more than 300 ethnic groups.

Nigeria, unarguably the powerhouse of Africa and a formidable force on the global scene, has become a huge arena of crime where the Hobbesian state of nature holds sway as the current socio-political order.

It is high time for men of good will and conscience to interrogate this state of affairs, in order to offer some guidance, or at best, give a clarion call to the authorities concerned to go hard on these marauders, else Nigeria becomes a fragmented and Stateless entity.

I recall the recent reflections of Chief J.B Daudu, SAN, erstwhile President of the Nigerian Bar Association, who took to his facebook page to call attention to a salient issue on Nigeria’s sovereignty. Paraphrasing the eminent learned Silk, “We need a group that still believes in the territorial integrity of Nigeria, and who will not endanger the lives of millions of Nigerians in favour of foreign Jihadists who definitely do not mean well for Nigeria. If in the next 30 days, there is no concerted effort to arrest the situation, then we should begin to live with the idea of a fractionalised Nigeria, where the fragments would be in a position to defend their new territories… If we do a reckoning of the number of deaths attributable to terrorism and other criminal activities, we have since 2015 passed the One Million Mark, thereby surpassing Rwanda and Burundi”.

As profoundly encapsulated above, the needless deaths as a result of terrorism and criminality, as well as the unending assault on our sovereignty, must draw us to a place of collective action against those whose stock in trade is the commercialisation of the tears, suffering and agony of the people. I pour out my mind knowing fully well that, the much dreaded fragmentation of Nigeria has begun before our very eyes.

The menace of insecurity has become so protracted and convoluted, that no region is spared of it. Violent cult clashes, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, IPOB agitations, terror attacks on critical State infrastructure, Southern Kaduna killings, are few examples of the geographical distribution of insecurity in Nigeria.

The quality of life in Nigeria is at an alltime low, and something drastic needs to be done to address this state of insecurity, as it is manifestly clear that human life has been practically reduced to nothing.

It has become compelling on my part yet again, to attempt an analysis of the current situation having regard to some conceptual and legal frameworks.

What is Sovereignty?

Sovereignty like most other foundational concepts admit of difficulties of a universal definition; however, the Blacks Law Dictionary, 7th Edition, defined it as “the supreme, absolute and uncontrollable power by which any independent state is governed; supreme political authority; paramount control of the constitution and frame of government and its administration; the self-sufficient source of political power, from which all specific political powers are derived; the international independence of a state, combined with the right and power of regulating its internal affairs without foreign dictation; also a political society, or state,

which is sovereign and independent”.

When viewed from the realm of international politics and world order, sovereignty means noninterference by foreign powers in the domestic affairs of another State. It speaks to the notion that one State can handle its affairs, without another country’s interference. Sovereignty in this context means mutual respect between nations, in such a way that guarantees peace, harmony and stability.

The sovereign equality of independent States is the epicentre of international relations, and this presupposes that the sovereignty of a State is a direct result of the existence of several independent States.

National Sovereignty, also referred to as internal sovereignty is the power of the State which establishes its supremacy over all persons, groups, resources and entities within its territory, while external sovereignty describes a situation whereby a State establishes relations with other States on its own terms and preferences.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as altered) in Section 14 gives clarification on the custodianship of sovereignty as far as Nigeria is concerned. The implication is that the citizens enjoy supreme public power via the Constitution; however, one must be quick to observe that Section 14(1) of the same Constitution has declared that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice, and it is on this score that the supreme public power is now being entrusted in the Government which exercises power and authorities within this system of democratic governance.

The point being made is that sovereignty is not to be construed as an abstract term, but a tangible concept clearly defined by the highest organic document of the land.

Nexus Between Sovereignty and Security Sovereignty gives us a better insight into the monopoly of security that a nation wields over all persons and entities, and Nigeria is no exception; the monopoly of security is at the apex of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the State towards its people and where it is now being lacerated by rag-tags, bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements in Nigeria, then this is a serious problem that must be ruthlessly addressed by those in authority. It is indeed, sad commentary, that this monstrous scale of insecurity continues to assail the nation, and one begins to wonder where we got it all wrong.

It is easy to draw cosmetic inferences and play mindless political games with the situation at hand, but the provision of the Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution is clear that security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. The framers of the Nigerian Constitution ultimately had it in mind, to remind all and sundry that sovereignty and security are mutually inclusive and complimentary, little wonder, these aforementioned provisions are outlined in the same section. In the very end, you cannot have one without the other, and the fact of this is evident before our very eyes.

There is no gainsaying the point that the failure of Government in the area of security, pushes the borderline of the nation’s sovereignty without restraint; and I must say without reservation, that our leaders since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999 are largely to be blamed. I am not interested in referencing the military era as well as the checkered civilian rule predating our current democratic dispensation, because in my candid opinion, it is simply nothing cont'd on page VIII

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Who Will Secure Our Nation? cont'd from page VII

to write home about; an era where rulers emerge through the barrels of gun and assassinations, is indeed, inglorious and unworthy of any positive reference.

Sadly, the criminality and violence that characterised the military era, effectively laid the foundation for this wave of insecurity that currently threatens our corporate existence and sovereignty. The Nigerian ruling class have mastered the act of orchestrating and commercialising violence, for the purpose of winning elections and retaining power without any regard for humanity. It is not rocket science that this “cause and effect” situation remains fortified, because members of the political class try to outdo themselves in this unconscionable brand of politics.

Learned Silk, Femi Falana, eloquently pointed out the heinous mischiefs of the political class, when he stated as follows: “The Nigerian Neo-colonial State, is maintained by violence. The members of the ruling class, use violence to win elections and retain power. In 2003, Modu Sheriff recruited Boko Haram operatives, to assist him to win the elections. He won and compensated them, by appointing one of them a Commissioner. The Governor and the group, later disagreed. The Governor was alleged to have hired the Police, to execute the leader of the sect and the Commissioner. At that stage, the group pronounced a fatwa on the Nigerian State”.

The Boko Haram insurgency, armed banditry, suspected Fulani herdsmen attacks on indigenous communities, kidnappings, ritual killings, cult clashes, armed robbery, wanton destruction of lives and property, have all the trappings of a highly mischievous and wicked political class.

The accelerated spread of insecurity, even as we approach the election year, should worry us all.

Admittedly, there are contemporary issues that are beyond the scope of politically orchestrated crisis, but same have also failed to be properly managed by the political class. For instance, drying climate and pressure for pasture have predisposed herders and farmers to violent clashes, and nothing tangible is being offered by the ruling class as a viable solution.

To address the issue presented in the above example, Government must be aggressive in the implementation of its cattle ranching policies in a just and equitable manner. It is also needful to distinguish between ordinary Fulani herders, and Fulani militias with established links with foreign Jihadists’ movements/organisations and deal decisively with them.

Government must not yield its authority for any ethnic militia, to function as the protector of their kin and kindred. Nigeria must not cede any of its monopoly of violence and security to any group; whether armed or unarmed. We have seen Government’s ruthlessness in curtailing the IPOB agitations, as well as the display of its monopoly of violence against popular Yoruba Freedom agitator, Sunday Igboho. It should therefore, not be an uphill task to isolate and crush all criminal elements, irrespective of their language or tribe, perpetrating evil from different forests in some parts of the North.

Still referencing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, it is expressly stated therein that security and welfare shall be the primary purpose of Government. It cannot be stated enough that the ruling class, over the course of our democratic dispensation, have paid little or no attention to the plight and suffering of the people. The resulting effect of the years of neglect, poverty and hardship have created a huge trust deficit between the leaders and the led, who seem to have found an easy route in criminality.

Poverty induced by an apparent lack of a viable social security system for vulnerable persons and groups, continues to fragment the nation’s social order and stability.

Equally, unemployment-induced poverty has been identified as a major cause for criminal activities and violence in Nigeria. The two popular sayings - “the idle mind is the devil’s workshop” and “a hungry man is an angry man”, remain apposite in the Nigerian context. The inequality in the distribution of the nation’s resources remains a motivation for criminal elements to perpetrate heinous crimes, such as kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery.

I must observe that the present administration has been audacious in its attempt to roll-back poverty by implementing policies and programmes that target the poor and vulnerable, while also creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Dr Kayode Ajulo My counsel is that this should be sustained by the next administration, as any interruption may cause a surge in crime rate in Nigeria.

Furthermore, internal sovereignty and internal security will be better safeguarded, when State governors can bear the title “Chief Security Officer” in the practical sense of it. This again brings to the fore the debate on restructuring; and without prejudice to all arguments for and against, the simple truth is that there is an immediate need to amend the Constitution to provide for State Police. Security thrives on local intelligence, and the best way to get it right is for the Chief Executive of a State to have the power to coordinate and mobilise a security outfit established by the law of the State, to act upon any intelligence within the shortest time possible. I think this is the true spirit of Federalism, and in response to comments in some quarters that Governors may deploy State Police against political opponents, we must fashion a mechanism of checks and balances within the law establishing them. It is a constitutional anomaly that a Governor cannot enforce a law validly passed by the State House of Assembly, because Federal authorities are opposed to same.

Mallam El-Rufai Recently, Mallam El-Rufai voiced out his frustrations on the dastardly attacks that were carried out on a Kaduna-Abuja bound train by terrorists which left several dead, many injured and others abducted.

The Governor vehemently stated that he and his colleagues may import foreign mercenaries, to fight the vicious marauders terrorising the Northwest.

This weighty statement is either coming from a place of misapprehension of our extant laws, or a place of empty grandstanding or both. The law is clear on the powers of the President, with respect to the operational use and command of the Armed Forces. Also evident from our laws, is that the Armed Forces is saddled with the defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria, and in exceptional circumstances, the maintenance of internal security. See Sections 217 & 218 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, Section 8(3) of the Armed Forces Act 2004 stipulates that the operational use of the Armed Forces includes “the operational use of the Armed Forces in Nigeria for the purpose of maintaining and securing public safety and public order”.

It is therefore, manifestly clear from the community reading of the aforementioned provisions, that the Nigerian Military is vested with the power to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria, as well as maintain and secure public safety and order where necessary. It is therefore, unfortunate that the Governor of Kaduna State who should know better, has decided to play to the gallery on this matter.

“A situation whereby bandits and terrorists levy taxes on communities in the North, evidences that Nigeria is on the precipice and it must be sounded that this unprecedented low is an ample sign of a failing State”

It must be stated that the powers of the President in relation to the operational use of the Armed Forces, is circumscribed by the power of the National Assembly to make laws for the regulation of the powers exercisable by the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation. The President can also have recourse to his powers under Section 305 of the Constitution, to restore sanity to troubled States of the North Western Region.

It is therefore, not within the contemplation of the present Constitution for local or foreign mercenaries to be deployed to quell insurgencies and national security threats. Also, Governors lack powers to modify the existing security arrangement in Nigeria as enshrined under our extant laws, so it remains to be seen where a power that is unavailable ab initio to Governors, can be made to accommodate the deployment of foreign mercenaries as canvassed by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

For the avoidance of doubt, the ultimate security of the nation is vested in the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces must take absolute responsibility for this.

Monopoly on Violence Vis-à-Vis the Nigerian Reality The ancient philosopher, Max Weber is credited to be one of the leading voices to assert that monopoly on violence is a significant purport of the State. In his essay, Politics as a Vocation (1919), he described the State as any political institution that succeeds in holding the exclusive right to use, threaten, or authorise physical force against residents of its territory. However, such must come from a place of legitimacy, and Weber was also quick to note that just because the State holds the monopoly on legitimate violence, does not mean it always resorts to violence.

A defining feature of a State, is the monopoly of violence it wields over its territories and the subjects therein. It identifies the State as a sole authority capable of deploying the use of violence to achieve an end. The concept does not imply that the State is the only actor actually using force, but that, rather, it is the only actor that can legitimately authorise its use.

In other words, the State is the sole principal that successfully claims to be the originator of the legitimacy for all physical coercion or adjudication of same. This makes sense when the issue of self-defence is being examined, as the law permits individuals to use force as may be reasonable and necessary in defence of one’s self or property; however, this right is a derivative of the State’s authority on the use of force.

Consequently, the State can grant another actor the right to use violence without losing its monopoly, so long as it remains the only source of the right to use violence, and that it maintains the capacity to enforce this monopoly.

The United States Institute of Peace gave another perspective on the subject under discourse, wherein it elucidated that the legitimate State monopoly over the means of violence is a condition in which a State’s security forces operate lawfully under a legitimate civilian authority, where actors conduct themselves in accordance with democratic norms and principles of good governance.

As earlier hinted, the State monopoly on

the legitimate use of violence can be challenged by non-State actors such as insurgents, terrorists, secessionists. The question that readily comes to mind, is whether Nigeria as a State holds the monopoly of violence to the exclusion of every other entity.

Without mincing words, the answer to the above is in the negative, as the contemporary times point to a multitudinous demarcation of the State monopoly of violence by non-State actors, and this is highly unacceptable. The decades-old terror attacks, violent agitations for secession, genocidal attacks on indigenous communities by ethno-religious feudalists, banditry, kidnappings, destruction of official State symbols by insurrectionists among others, are vivid examples of the erosion of Nigeria’s monopoly of violence.

There are simply no consequences for actions anymore in Nigeria, and it is largely seeming that the Nigerian State cowers and kowtows to criminals displaying a certain measure of organisation and weapons’ sophistication. Yet, to fully rule a territory requires the authority to violently control it if necessary. A situation whereby bandits and terrorists levy taxes on communities in the North, evidences that Nigeria is on the precipice and it must be sounded that this unprecedented low is an ample sign of a failing State.

We have lost the trajectory of our political essence as a nation, and the only solution is for Nigeria to embark on aggressive military campaigns to regain all the territories, especially hinterlands that are presently under the control of these enemies of State. We can talk about deradicalisation later!

Conclusion/Recommendations Nigeria must assert its sovereignty in these evil days, by matching the vicious threats to the nation’s security with the State’s superior monopoly of violence. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, must give express orders against criminals undermining our sovereignty. A nation held to the jugular must unshackle herself, and asphyxiate her assailants. There is no need to colourise this issue with politics, religion or tribal sentiments. This is the time for the nation’s leadership to show strength and capacity, so as to douse the impression that it has been overwhelmed.

Social justice and social security which are cardinal components of good governance, must be pursued and achieved across board. It is a no-brainer that Government erodes its legitimacy anytime it clamps down on unarmed peaceful protesters, while armed bandits/terrorists are entreated with undeserving honour, amnesty and respect.

Social security will mean the provision of job opportunities for the teeming number of unemployed youths, as well as reversing the misfortune of the millions of out-of-school-children roaming the streets, ready to take up criminal vices to survive.

In the final analysis, it is needful to identify and deal ruthlessly with sponsors of crimes occupying various positions in Government, because it has been said that ‘if insurgency lasts for more than 24 hours, the Government has hand in it’. In our own case, there appears to be powerful persons in this incumbent Government and the opposition who have connections with some criminal elements threatening the peace and stability of this nation, and all of them must be fished out and visited with the full weight of the law.

Dr Kayode Ajulo, Founding Partner, cont'd on page IX

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Who Will Secure Our Nation? cont'd from page VIII

Castle of Law; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK

Nigeria’s Security Challenges and How Not to Win a War Major Ben Aburime Introduction The state of insecurity that has pervaded the country, is arguably the greatest problem Nigeria is facing today. It is therefore, not surprising that the state of insecurity has not only become the most talked about problem now, but has also taken centre stage, as it has affected every facet of life from the social, the economic, the political, the agricultural, even to the education sector. While it is true that the world at large is experiencing a rising wave of violent crimes and insecurity, Nigeria’s case is worsened by many factors that will be mentioned in passing. Nigeria’s case is unique, by reason of those factors.

Before dealing with this topical issue, three broad re-statements need be made: a.

During the early tenure of the Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) regime, the United States of America (USA) Congressional Security Report predicted that fifteen years hence, Nigeria would become a failed State, breaking into different factions. b. A social media critic has this to say: “in warravaged Ukraine, a professional Jester is conducting his country’s war as if he had been a General all his life; in Nigeria, a General is conducting the war against insecurity as though he had been a professional Jester all his life”. c. A University Professor somewhere in Wales (or was it Ireland) was said to have given his students President Buhari of Nigeria, as an example of a weak or failed leader.

The merits or demerits of the statements is not of any import to this piece, even though I will straight away debunk statements “b” and “c” above, because it will take grit, resilience, courage, and tact for anyone to do and get away with what President Buhari has done with impunity, and got away with. That the same US Congress preferred Muhammadu Buhari over Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, despite their earlier prediction and Buhari’s track record which speaks volumes. Suffice to say the national interest of the USA, overrode the wellbeing of Nigeria and its people.

This piece will be kept as simple as possible, free from any legal, military or scientific jargons, theories and hypothesis. Yet, for a clear understanding of where man is coming from, and where he is in today’s world, certain fundamental things need be explained.

From the evolution of man and modern civilisation, people have recognised the need for certain things to be present, if the society is to be orderly and safe, and man is to [be able to] attain his maximum potentials. Hobbes (Leviathan, 1651) describing the state of nature, observed that because there were no enforcement criteria of right and wrong, people took for themselves what they could, and as a result, human life “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. The American Philosopher, Alexander Maslow in 1943, formulated his now famous man’s hierarchy of needs as psychological needs, food (which includes water and air) and safety. Some schools of thought believe that it was man’s desire to escape from Hobbes’s state of nature, that birthed the social contract from which modern government and governance ultimately evolved.

Juxtaposing and articulating the various needs and philosophical thoughts, it is my considered opinion that man has only one basic need: safety or security. This is because, a people or society needs food security for their survival, shelter is aimed at promoting man’s safety, and he needs personal security or safety to enable him aspire to his lofty heights.

Government and the Place of Security As stated earlier, modern governments and governance evolved from the social contract entered [into] between men and a stronger man, body or institutions, whereby man surrenders most of his personal rights for his protection and leadership.

It is for this reason, for instance, that the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution in its Chapter II, has what has been enshrined as the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. By the declarations of this chapter, the Government has contracted with the people that it will inter alia, provide security and protection for the people.

Section 14 (2)(b) states that: “the security and welfare

Major Ben Aburime of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Sub-section 14 (2)(a) earlier that … sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority. Chapter IV of the same Constitution has further enshrined what is known as the fundamental rights of the people, amongst which is right to life, right to own property, and other freedoms, enjoyable within the constraints of law.

True to its calling, there are adequate laws in place to deal with any deviations from the enshrined norms. For instance, the Criminal Code exists in the South to deal with crimes, while the Penal Code serves the North. There are also specific laws in place to deal with notorious problems. For instance, Public Order Act Cap 382, Laws of the Federation 2004 (as amended), Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011, and the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013, and more laws exist to whip people into line and shape. It is for this reason I am unable to bring myself to agree with those who keep calling for reformation of our laws, whereas we already have adequate laws to deal with any conceived situation, so that implementation is actually what is required. Yet, the rate and nature of crimes breeding the insecurity is on the rise. What is the nature of the crimes and what factors tend to promote them? This is what will be addressed next.

Nature of Crimes, Factor and Effects Nigeria is enmeshed in a rising insecurity, and the dimension of this problem beats one’s imagination.

Several dare-devil terror groups and criminals have evolved all over the country. Ranging from Boko Haram, Armed Fulani Herdsmen, Jihadists, Bandits, Kidnappers, Unknown Gun Men (UGM), Cultists and Ritualists, have all taken centre stage. Joining the group are Separatist Agitators and those calling for Restructuring.

Then, the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA) soon joined the party. The trademark of most of these groups is killings, arson, rape, seizure of land, bombing, extortion and ransom-collections.

The ritualists and cultists have a different agenda. Over the years, mass killings, abductions, and kidnappings have become a new normal for Nigerians, with the Government and people trading blame. The latest sad cases are the invasion of Kaduna Airport, followed by the bombing of the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, both incidents with their attendant loss of lives. What are the factors responsible for the upsurge in insecurities?

Of a truth, there is no society that is absolutely crime-free. The Holy Books tell us that even in the times of the Lord Jesus, with all his knowledge and wisdom, a Judas Iscariot still existed that pilfered the common purse. One can only hope the said Judas isn’t a direct ancestor of Nigerian politicians and public office

“…..the state of insecurity has not only become the most talked about problem now, but has also taken centre stage, as it has affected every facet of life from the social, the economic, the political, the agricultural, even to the education sector”

holders. There was also Barabbas and the two popular thieves crucified with the Lord. Even the Scandinavian countries with their elite but near empty prisons, are not totally crime-free.

Yet, Nigeria’s level of insecurity appears to be something conceived in the darkest and deepest pit of hell. What went wrong? These can be considered the factors. i. Boko Haram was a political concoction gone awry. Created for use as political thugs but still non-violent, they soon went berserk after their leader was alleged to have been extra-judicially killed in Police custody. Both in its creation and its handling, there was poor judgement, and the Government’s insensitivity didn’t help matters.

The result is uncountable deaths, mass abductions even of harmless and defenceless school girls (Chibok and Dapchi in mind). ii. Poor political judgement and Government’sinsensitivity to the plight of its people, like neglect and marginalisation of the oil producing areas which birthed the NigerDelta agitations, neglect of a region like the Southeast, which occasioned them to clamour first for restructuring and later for secession, politicians deliberately promoting and arming political thugs to serve their ends, etc. iii. Poor political judgement and wrong diagnosis, whereby ethnic conflicts, social conflicts, economic conflicts, etc are conveniently reduced to either religious conflict or farmer-herders clashes, even when credible evidence leads to ethnic cleansing and land-grabbing. iv. The hazy and not so clear stand of the Government, whereby: ai. The armed Fulani Herdsmen did not appear on the scene until the Government had mopped up certain categories of arms from the citizens, a move that inevitably rendered the would-be victims unable to offer any meaningful resistance; aii. Concentration of the military and paramilitary high commands in the hands of a particular ethnic and religious group. While it is true that the buck stops with the President, so that he is obligated to engage only those who are both loyal and efficient, it seems unlikely that the present state of insecurity lends credit to his claims, just like it is also too much of a coincidence that they have monumentally failed in giving verifiable results. I know that in the words of Lai Mohammed, Boko Haram has been “technically” defeated – Okokon Ndem of Biafra’s fame in mind. aiii. Allegations of importation of foreign fighters and mercenaries to serve a purpose, and their alleged refusal to disengage and return home. While some of my friends believe that those who imported them should pay them off and cause them to relocate, I doubt that will ever happen for many reason, to wit: • The war against insurgency and insecurity is the most rewarding industry in the nation today, so that those on both sides of the divide are unlikely to give up without a fight.

• The terrorists, both imported and homebred, will never ever voluntarily abandon their lucrative trade, no matter how much they’re paid, as they will more likely employ the money to buy more arms and ammunition; • Any public officer and individuals benefiting from the industry will not willingly surrender its source of additional income; and, • The twin problems of religion and perceived expansionist tendencies, whereby gullible and misguided individuals may be falsely led into

believing that the war against insecurity will ultimately give their religion supremacy over other religions, whereas the true agenda is to dislodge and disinherit people from, and of, their ancestral land.

Application of double standards, whereby the flag-bearing and costume-wearing IPOB members are regularly gunned down, whereas the Herdsmen, now rechristened Bandits and Boko Haram members are arrested, rehabilitated and recycled into the society as “repentant” folks, thereby causing raised eye-brows.

The Government lacks the stamina and political will to fight this war against insurgency and insecurity, so that only the people can rise up to take their destiny in their own hands. This is not in any way suggesting resort to armed struggle. On the contrary, presenting themselves as a convenient sacrifice to secure the future of their children, will ultimately cause the decent people of the world to cry blue murder and genocide.

Another contributory factor is the deliberate policy of keeping a majority of the people from being educated, so that they are not only impoverished by reason of which they see their oppressors as their saviour for any little crumbs, and also become easier to manipulate. avii. Poor state of the economy, which has led people to seek spiritual means of getting rich overnight, the shout of “I receive in Churches” having failed to deliver, coupled with our society refusing to query the source of wealth of the people known to be living larger than their incomes.

Solutions The effects and solutions will be treated in one swoop. The effects of the state of insecurity is the loss of lives, refugee challenges and its attendant internally displaced persons camps, separatist agitations, armed resistance, unprecedented corruption, foreign businesses relocating to other countries, the free fall of the Naira, food insecurity as farmers are unable to engage in meaningful food production, and the likelihood of the marginalised finally rising to remove the shackles of their chains.

The solutions to save the country from breaking into pieces with territorial warlords replacing the central and organised governments are to: a. Return to true Federalism with its equitable and just treatment of all. b. Strengthening our institutions to help them function optimally. c. Substituting meritocracy for federal character and even representation. d. Imbibing dialogue and even-handedness in place of strong-arms-tactics. e. Creation of State Police that will enhance grassroots control, instead of the present overcentralisation of the Force, with the use to which it is being put. f. Disengaging the military from obnoxious and non-military operations, including the respect of the Constitution, whereby the military can be engaged only after a State Governor has specifically requested the President’s intervention in writing.

Conclusion We should eschew personal interest and a hazy agenda, to rise up to save the country. As the saying goes, the problems you failed to deal with, will ultimately come back to deal with you. Nature, like time, can be very unforgetting and unforgiving.

We should strive to arrest the problems, not those who point out the problems and call for resolutions.

Major Ben Aburime (Rtd), FICMC, FCMC, MCMC, Lawyer, Lagos

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 • T H I S D AY

TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN

0809 889 8888 SMS ONLY

Election and Defection: Who Actually Owns the Votes? (Part 1) Introduction he Court of Appeal, Enugu Judicial Division, on Friday, 1st April, 2022, vindicated me fully, like Nostradamus, the man who saw tomorrow, when it held that defection cannot lead to a Governor or Deputy Governor vacating his seat. This has been my position all along. The Court unanimously dismissed the Appellants' appeal, and held that the defection of Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe, “may be immoral or even improper...it must be acknowledged that membership of political parties is an exercise of the freedom of association guaranteed by Section 40 of the Constitution”.

The Honourable Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo had also, on the 7th April, 2022, rejected PDP’s request to sack the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade, and his Deputy, Professor Ivara Esu, for earlier defecting from PDP to APC. None of these judgements, I dare say, was too extraordinary, as the pronouncement on these issues concerning defection and ownership the votes cast at an election, were not new or novel. The Court of Appeal, Enugu made this point, before it rightly followed judicial precedents and the doctrine of stare decisis, rather than overrule the Supreme Court, a higher court. Respectfully I handled the very case of Governor Ayade and his Deputy, Esu. The intermediate court in Enugu, while commending the learned trial Judge, Njoku, J, for respecting the hierarchy of courts, also held that had the lower court acceded to the argument of the Appellants' counsel, for the trial court to fill an assumed lacuna in the Constitution by extrapolating consequences for elected legislators provided for in Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) , so as to make elected Governor and his Deputy vacate their offices, would “degenerate to judicial rascality”. The court emphasised that it is not the duty of courts to make laws, or speculate as to what the intention of the legislature will be outside the express and ordinary words used in the statute. This principle of interpretation is trite, hallowed and respected.

As regards the Constitution, “the duty is even higher, and it is beyond the courts to insert or manufacture words into the express provisions of the "Constitution”, the court warned.

Many Nigerians, surprisingly, including many Lawyers, still erroneously cite old cases to argue that votes belong to political parties, and not to individuals. No. This is no longer the position of the law.

The intermediate court carefully distinguished these old (now extinct) cases of AMAECHI v INEC (2008) LPELR-446(SC) and FALEKE v INEC (2016) 18 NWLR (1543), and found them gravely irrelevant in the new dispensation of our constitutional regime, having regard to the clear provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, and Section 285(13) of the 1999 Constitution, as altered.

Besides these provisions, the aforementioned cases have since been overruled and consigned to the judicial trashcan of historical oblivion, to remain there as relics and monuments of the past and artefacts fit only for a national museum. The new regime of authorities has since been anchored by the Apex Court, and followed by the intermediate court. These courts now insist that votes Wholly Belong to Candidates, and Not to Political Parties, which merely serve as their Vehicles to transport them, and Agents to canvass, garner and gather votes for the candidates. See: CPC & ANOR

over it and appear to suffer from unnecessary nostalgia (“The Great Gatsby”, by John Fitgerald).

They embrace tightly and refuse to forget the past and move on with the new trend, especially after Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, and Section 285 (13) of the 4th Alteration to the Constitution had intervened to change the tide and times. In Amaechi’s Case (supra), the Supreme Court had held (now overruled by the same Apex Court):

T

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi v OMBUGADU & ANOR (2013) LPELR21007(SC); OZOMGBACHI v AMADI & ORS (2018) LPELR-45152(SC); NGIGE v AKUNYULI (2012) 15 NWLR (PT 1323) 343; NWANKWO & ANOR v INEC & ORS (2019).LPELR-48862(CA); HARUNA v APC & ORS (2019) LPELR-47777(CA).

The Court of Appeal, following stare decisis, found that once a person has been elected Governor and his taken the oath of office and allegiance, he can only be removed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 180, 188 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution. See MARWA v NYAKO (2012) LPELR-7837 (SC).

The intermediate court further held that the case of AG FEDERATION v ABUBAKAR (2007) 10 NWLR (PT 1041) 1, was the relevant authority of the Supreme Court on the issue of defection, and same ought to guide all lower courts in matters concerning defection, using the doctrine of stare decisis. The Apex Court authority is to the effect that defection from the political party on whose platform a person was elected, to another, is not one of the grounds for removing a Governor or Deputy Governor under the 1999 Constitution; and that votes belong to individual candidates, and not to political parties that sponsored them.

One major significant pronouncement in this Enugu Court of Appeal case, is that even in the case of legislator’s defection, as held in ABEGUNDE v ONDO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY & ORS (2015) LPELR-24588 (SC), the consequential order a court shall make to ensure they suffer the consequence of their act of defection from a non-fractured party, rather than being forfeiture of their seats, is, rather, an order for a by election to be conducted. "It is not for their vacated seats to be allocated to either the political party or the runners up at the election”.

“…..many Lawyers, still erroneously cite old cases to argue that votes belong to political parties, and not to individuals. No. This is no longer the position of the law”

This point to me, is quite recondite, as it has not been brought up before now for interpretation, even though it is expressly provided for in the Constitution.

Indeed, analysts have not even carefully read and studied Section 68(2) and 109(2) which have to be first activated before a legislator loses his seat. Both sections emphasise the point that the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, or Speaker of a House of Assembly, or even a member of any of the Houses, “shall first present evidence satisfactory to the house that any of the provisions of that sub section has become applicable in respect of that member”. This is clear enough. The relevant House must be fully involved, concur and first activate the removal. Not a court of law!

As we await the final court of the land's determination of an appeal that will certainly arise from this epochal pronouncement, let me again make it abundantly clear for future reference purposes, that, the Constitution of Nigeria is quite clear on these issues. No court can read into it what is not contained therein. It is trite, the legal maxim, “Expressio Unius Est Exclusio Alterius” (the express mention of one thing is the exclusion of others). See EHUWA v ONDO STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION (2006) LPELR-1056(SC); UDOU & ORS v ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT BOARD & ANOR (1993) LPELR-3308( SC); SHINKAFI & ANOR v YARI & ORS (2016) LPELR-26050 (SC).

Some may decide, in their analysis, to pontificate and to talk politics, sentiments, emotions, ethics and morality. In my humble opinion, pulpits, mosques, or even shrines, are more appropriate places for such ineffectual liberal disquisitions and moral platitudes. I speak the law, without any partisan colouration. I am not a politician and do not have the membership card of any political party. I speak the lex lata of the law (the law as it is); and not the delege ferenda (the law as you would want it to be). We were so taught, in our Jurisprudence classes.

The Old Order Amaechi’s Case has Since Been Overruled The 2007 case of AMAECHI v INEC (2008) LPELR – 446 (SC), is the cause of the needless ruckus, hoopla and hysteria.

Many Lawyers and commentators ululate

“Now Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution provides: “No association, other than a political party shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election, or contribute to the funds of any political party, or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election. The above provision effectually removes the possibility of independent candidacy in our elections; and places emphasis and responsibility in elections on political parties. Without a political party, a candidate cannot contest. The primary method of contest for elective offices is therefore, between parties. If as provided in Section 221 above, it is only a party that canvasses for votes, it follows that it is a party that wins an election. A good or bad candidate may enhance or diminish the prospect of his party in winning, but at the end of the day, it is the party that wins or loses an election. I think that the failure of Respondents' counsel to appreciate the overriding importance of the political party rather than the candidate, that has made them lose sight of the fact that whereas candidates may change in an election, but the parties do not.

In mundane or colloquial terms, we say that a candidate has won an election in a particular constituency, but in reality and in consonance with Section 221 of the Constitution, it is his party that has won the election”.

It was on the strength of the above that the Apex Court declared Amaechi the duly elected Governor of Rivers State; and removed Chief Celestine Omehia who had not contested the election. The Supreme Court had reasoned then that the votes belonged to the political party (PDP).

After the Amaechi Judgement however, Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and Section 285(13) of the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution, have since further overruled the decision in Amaechi v INEC (supra). Section 141 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides in unmistakable terms as follows: “An election tribunal or court shall not declare any person a winner at an election, in which such a person did not fully participate in all stages of the election”.

The above provision has been given constitutional flavour and imprimatur, having been enacted into Section 285(13) of the Constitution. By virtue of s 285(13) thereof, “an election tribunal or court shall not declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all stages of the election”. In effect, for a person to be declared and returned as a winner by an election tribunal or court, he must be such a person who had fully participated, as a candidate, in all the stages of the election, starting from his nomination as a candidate, to the actual general election.

The case of FALEKE v INEC (2016) 18 NWLR (PT.1543) SC is another authority that is often cited, and misused as authority by commentators. In that case, the Apex Court had dealt with Sections 179 and 181 of the Constitution, dealing with the question of when a candidate for the office of Governor of State shall deemed to have been duly elected. It also dealt with the effect of what happens when a person who has been elected as Governor dies before subscribing to the oath of office and oath of allegiance. Sections 31(1), 32(2) and 33 of the Electoral Act, bordering on the time limit for political parties to submit names of their candidates to INEC, and reasons allowed for substitution of candidates, were also dealt with. (To be continued) THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “When critics sit in judgement, it is hard to tell where justice leaves off and vengeance begins”. (Chuck Jones)

12.4.2022

/XI

XII

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Biden, Modi Hold Talks on Ukraine US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday held virtual talks focused largely on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the United States pushes India to take a harder line against Russia.

Biden started the conversation by highlighting the partnership between the US and India, saying the nations would “continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabiliSing effects of this Russian war.”

Modi expressed growing concern about the situation in Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, where the remains of many civilians have been found.

“Recently, the news of the killings of innocent civilians in the city of Bucha was very worrying. We immediately condemned it and have asked for an independent probe,” Modi said.

Modi said he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that the Russian leader hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

India has remained neutral in Russia’s war in Ukraine, raising concern from Washington but earning praise from Moscow.

Zelensky Warns of Larger Russian Operations in East Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that Russian troops “will move to even larger operations” in eastern Ukraine while saying his forces will be ready and “will answer.”

Speaking during a nightly video address late Sunday, Zelensky said the days ahead would be as crucial as any in the six-weekold war.

During an interview with CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ broadcast Sunday night, he also said that Ukraine’s survival depends on the Us stepping up shipments of weapons and that he has given a list of what Ukraine needs to US President Joe Biden.

“He has the list,” Zelensky said. “President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country. (This) also depends on him.”

European Union foreign ministers are meeting Monday to discuss another round of sanctions against Russia.

In Moscow, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is visiting Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the first such visit by a European leader since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Biden is holding virtual talks Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the U.S. seeks to pressure Russia with sanctions, including on the country’s key energy industry, India has taken a neutral stance, continuing its purchases of Russian oil and gas while also abstaining from a vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

Sharif Replaces Khan as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Pakistan’s parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister Monday, a day after an opposition noconfidence vote against incumbent Imran Khan ousted him, ending his nearly fouryear-old coalition government.

Sharif secured 174 votes, two more than required to win the election in the 342-member National Assembly or lower house of parliament. He later took the oath of office, administered by acting President Sadiq Sanjrani.

An opposition alliance chose the 70-year-old prime minister unopposed after lawmakers of Khan’s erstwhile ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party boycotted the voting process and left the house, accusing the Us of being behind the toppling of their government.

Washington rejected the charges, saying there was “no truth” to them. The Pakistani opposition also rejected the charges.

Qasim Shah Suri, deputy speaker of the

legislature, a member of PTI, refused to chair Monday’s session for the election of the country’s chief executive, citing the alleged “foreign conspiracy” behind Khan’s ouster.

The special house session was eventually presided over by Ayaz Sadiq, a senior lawmaker of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Party, who announced the outcome of the vote.

Minutes before the vote, PTI legislators resigned en masse from the lower house in protest.

Presidential Election: Macron Narrowly Wins First Round of Voting Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen will face off against each other in a presidential runoff vote on April 24, following the first round of the contest Sunday.

Macron won about 27 per cent of the vote to Le Pen’s 24 per cent, with more than 90 per cent of the votes counted.

Analysts feared a low turnout, with pre-election polls forecasting Macron and Le Pen as the likely contenders in the runoff.

While long lines stretched in front of some polling stations at midday in northeastern Paris, many other Parisians were out enjoying the spring sunshine.

But in the end, turnout was better than feared, hovering around 75 per cent.

Australians to Vote on May 21 The economy, national security and climate change are expected to be key issues when Australians vote in a general election on May 21.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the date Sunday after visiting Australia’s governor-general in Canberra.

Experts say the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, national security, climate change and health care will all influence Australian voters, but they believe the election on May 21 will ultimately be decided by one issue — the health of the Australian economy.

The centre-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seeking its fourth term in office, while the opposition Labour Party is hoping to win a federal election for the first time since 2013.

Opinion polls have suggested Morrison will lose.

The prime minister did, however, defy pollsters’ predictions when he won the so-called “miracle” election in 2019.

The government’s campaign spokesperson Anne Ruston, who’s the Social Services Minister, believes its chances of winning on May 21 are good.

Indonesians Protest Rumours of 2024 Election Postponement Rumours that Indonesia might postpone the scheduled 2024 presidential elections caused thousands of students around the country to march in protest on Monday.

The students say postponing the vote would allow President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he goes by, to remain in office beyond a two-term limit. Widodo has denied the rumours.

“This needs to be explained so that there are no rumours circulating among people that the government is trying to postpone the election or speculation about the extension of the president’s tenure or a related third term,” Widodo said at a Cabinet meeting on election preparations.

In front of the parliament building in Jakarta, police used tear gas and water cannons to try to end the protests. Most left after some politicians met with them and vowed to protect the constitution.

However, some politicians reportedly support an extension for Widodo, saying he needs more time to fix the country’s economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We demand that the lawmakers do not betray the country’s constitution by amending it,” Kaharuddin, a protest coordinator, said. “We want them to listen to people’s aspirations.”

Hong Kong Police Arrest Journalist for Sedition On Monday, Hong Kong’s national security police arrested a veteran journalist and former contributing writer with the now-shuttered liberal media outlet Stand News for alleged sedition, police and local media said.

A crackdown on the media based on a sedition law that dates from the British colonial era, as a China-imposed national security law has seen several major media outlets raided by police and closed down, including the Apple Daily newspaper and the Stand News online news portal.

Local police said in a statement that the national security department of the police force had arrested a 54-year-old male for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” and had detained him for further investigation.

Local media identified the man as Allan Au, a veteran journalist and academic at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who wrote columns for newspapers including Ming Pao and the now-closed Apple Daily.

Reuters was not able to immediately reach Au for comment.

Taiwan Mulls Lengthening Military Service Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought renewed attention to whether Taiwan’s civilian population would be

ready to defend the island democracy if it ever faced an invading force from China.

Taiwan has a complicated relationship with its military and conscription due to its lingering associations as enforcers during the island’s four-decade martial law era that ended in 1987.

Since taking office in 2016, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has focused heavily on improving the image and prestige of the military. She has also made defence a key focus of her administration, with policies of reviewing reserves and improving the quality of the professional military.

Most Taiwanese men are required to complete military service, learning basic defence skills to assist Taiwan’s professional military in the event of a war. The government has gradually reduced its military service requirement from two years to four months since the 1990s, but the Ministry of Defense has said that such a short training period may not be enough.

Women are not required to undergo the same training, although about 15 per cent of the island’s professional military is female.

Male citizens also can serve alternative service, which is community service organised through the Ministry of the Interior.

New Zealand Sends Hercules Plane, Personnel to Europe New Zealand said on Monday it would deploy a C-130 Hercules and 58 personnel to Europe to further support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

The team would travel throughout Europe transporting equipment and supplies to distribution centres, but would not enter Ukraine, Defence Minister Peeni Henare said in a statement.

The government also said it would donate an extra $9 million (NZ$13.1 million) towards military, legal and human rights support.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand’s support was to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion because peace in the region of Europe was essential for global stability.

“Such a blatant attack on a country’s sovereignty is a threat to all of us, and that’s why we too have a role to play,” Ardern said.

Russia calls its action in Ukraine a “special operation.”

First All-women Media Outlet Opens in Somalia’s Capital Somalia’s first women-run radio and television outlet has opened in the capital, Mogadishu. United Nations-supported Bilan Media will produce content aimed at addressing issues affecting women and champion women’s rights in the conservative country.

The launch of Bilan Media in Mogadishu marks another leap in the effort by women to secure their place in Somalia’s patriarchal public arena.

Bilan means bright and clear in the Somali language, and the founders say they will stay true to its meaning by shedding light on some of the most consequential issues relating to and affecting women.

Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim is the editor at Bilan Media.

By going all-female, Bilan hopes to break the barriers in Somalia’s conservative society, where issues such as rape, sexual assault and women’s medical issues are often ignored.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

IMAGES

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

L-R: Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi (l), presenting award of Entrepreneur of the Year to the Chief Executive Officer of Megamound Investment, Otunba Olumide Osunsina, and his wife, Desiree, at the second dinner dance and awards night organised by the Central Association of Nigerians in United Kingdom...recently

L-R: Director, Customer Relations, Avila Naturalle Limited, Mrs. Oluwakemi Fafiyebi; Avila Naturalle Brand Ambassador, Mrs. Toyin Abraham- Ajeyemi; and Director, Brands and Marketing, Avila Naturalle Limited, Mr. Sylvester Iriogbe, during the unveiling of Toyin Abraham- Ajeyemi as the Brand Ambassador of the company held in Lekki, Lagos... recently PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI

L-R: First Lady of Niger State, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello; Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Prof. Hadiza Shehu Galadanci; and wife former Senate President, Toyin Ojora Saraki, during the launch of Heat-stable Carbetocin in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa held in Abuja...recently PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

L-R: National Sales Manager, SKG Pharma Limited, Mr. Ezeh Ephraim; Managing Director/CEO, SKG Pharma Limited, Dr. Okey Akpa; and Managing Director, Joymorr Pharmacy, and winner of the third National Trade Partner of the Year, Mr. Onuachu Chijioke, during the SGK Trade Partners’ Conference in Lagos...recently

L-R: Member, All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), Chief Tochukwu Metuh; House of Representative aspirant for Idemili North and South federal constituency, Godwin Obiora Anyaegbunaml; and member, representing Anambra East and West federal constituency, Chinedu Obidigbwe, during the collection of Interest and Nomination forms by the aspirants at APGA national headquarters in Abuja...recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, FSD Africa, Mr. Mike Napier; Capital Market Specialist, FSD Africa, Mr. Adebayo Araoye; and Director-General Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Lamido Yuguda, during a meeting between SEC and FSD Africa, held in Abuja...recently

L-R: Regional Manager, Globacom, Southeast, Mr. Mike Ehumadu; Brand Specialist, Globacom, Joy Azuka; Managing Director, Pegco Communication, Mr. Chibuike Oforbuike; Chief Executive Officers, Elites Communication and Phones Services, Princess Cassandra Oraka; Regional Manager, Globacom, Mid-west region, Augustus Ndu Offor; Managing Director, Anis Communication, Mr. Isiaka Animashaun; and CEO, Emy–V Global Services, Mr. Emeka Chinweokwu, at the Globacom’s Dealer Appreciation Gala held in Lagos ...recently

XIV

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY APRIL 12, 2022

FEATURES

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

With Beere Play Production, Global Rights Reaffirms Women’s Rights When the non-governmental organisation, Global Rights recently staged a command performance of the play, ‘Beere’ based on the historical tale of the Egba Women’s Revolt, the historical drama resonates with the renewed call for women’s quality and political participation in Nigeria. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

Scenes from the play

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s a prelude to the drama 'Beere', the Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu asked her audience if they pay taxes. That is a duty of every citizen and the basis for demanding accountability and good government from public service holders.

Thus, the play Beere tells the familiar story that has roots in Colonial Nigeriaa period that was marked by the civil rights movement that have shaped the history of Nigeria. Many young people today may be surprised to know that the women’s right to vote was fought for by a generation of women who did not stay silent in the face of tyranny.

Beere, a one-hour 30minutes long drama is a story of courage displayed by Egba women in resisting the corrupt and oppressive taxation that was instituted by the colonial government under the watch of the traditional ruler of Egbaland, Alake.

The Egba Women’s revolt which began in 1946, ended in 1947 and was described as one of the longest sustained as well as most impactful protests led by women.

Baiyewu, whose mother was a part of this movement in history, recounted the story in a dramatic form by superimposing her conversation with her mother on the backdrop of a history of struggle. The story starts with a contemporary plot of a mother and her daughter who are in a solemn conversation about Nigeria.

The talk is triggered by a series of events that reflect a systemic failure in governance: a fluctuating power supply and the loss of a family member- pregnant woman at the point of delivery. A lot of businesses depend on electricity to function and thrive but the cost of using alternative power supply has also impacted the surge in prices of goods and services.

The disillusioned lady at the opening scene of the drama is taken on a journey into the history of women activism for her to learn that the fight against systemic failure is not personal but collective. With attention to how Jennifer Osammor who played the role of Mrs Olufunmilayo Ransom Kuti mobilised the Egba women, one person at a time, the narrator shows the power of the word of mouth and mass

education in procuring change.

The women depicted through the characters in the play believed that their economic roles were declining

while their taxes were increasing.

Additionally, they argued that until they were granted representation, they should not be required to pay taxes.

"The social realities in ‘Beere’ resonate with the recent protest by women for the sake of equality and political participation.. the play is a reminder of the resilience and courage of women who fought for democracy, or the semblance of it that many enjoy today"

In the end, the Alake abdicated his throne and four women received seats at the local council while taxes were abolished. From the narrative, the lessons taught include the superiority of a rational decision above an emotional response in the pursuit of good governance.

The social realities in ‘Beere’ resonate with the recent protest by women for the sake of equality and political participation.

Produced by Tope Sanni and directed by Kenneth Uphopho, the play is a reminder of the resilience and courage of women who fought for democracy, or the semblance of it that many enjoy today.

While reflecting on the play, the playwright and the Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Bayeiwu said the story which she wrote 13 years ago is an integral part of her family’s story.

“We are not asking our parents where we came from. Tonight, when you get home, tell your children where you come from.

Let me tell you the truth about this nation.

We are brave people. We are Nigerians.

The elections come up next and we will go back to the same struggles of 1946.

"Whether we have a nation after 2023 is up to you and I. I have told you the story as it was told to me. Tell the story, don’t let the generation who went out for the EndSARS protest feel like no one ever fought before them. The Egba women revolt was inspired by the Aba women riot. One movement has inspired another in this country,’’ she said.

While citing the examples of the human rights lawyer and pro-democracy advocate, Ayo Obe and others and their roles in the struggle against the military as well as the ‘Bring Back our Girls’ Movement, she argued that women are still not treated as full citizens in Nigeria.

“We are back on the streets. A Nigerian man who marries a foreign wife can get citizenship for his wife but a Nigerian woman cannot do the same. I started by asking you what your taxes do for you other than to bring you misery,’’ she said while urging the audience to transmit the message in the drama to other people in order to mobilise for women’s rights alongside the rights of every citizen to be respected and protected.

XV

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY APRIL 12, 2022

FEATURES

Empowering the Church to Save Souls The recent maiden visit of the General Overseer of the United Church of Christ, Bishop Ezennaya Egbo, to the Western District II Headquarters in Ikeja area of Lagos State heralded a new dawn for the church and its existence. Rebecca Ejifoma reports that the GO's unusual switch from saving lives in the medical world to harvesting souls for God depicts the vision of the church for humanity

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n times like this when the world is in distress with daily chaos, incessant killings, divorce, sudden gender error, wars and rumours of war, political unwillingness, insecurity and hunger being the order of the day, the United Church of Christ (UCC) recently leveraged its three days programme to intercede for the nations.

Tagged, "Greater Glory", it also afforded the UCC's Western District II Headquarters in Ikeja area of Lagos State, the opportunity to host the General Overseer of the Church, Bishop Ezennaya Egbo and wife on his maiden episcopal visit.

The Host Pastor and District Superintendent, Reverend Roland Ukah, brought members from both far and near to genuflect with one voice to call down peace and harmony. This was part of its quest including attracting the glory of God on the people, and liberating mankind from the many ills bedeviling the society among other breakthroughs.

Led by the General Overseer of UCC, Bishop (Dr) Ezennaya Egbo, alongside other ordained men of God from other branches of the church, there was energetic worship, supplication, thanksgiving, adoration and counsel.

The Nsukka-trained Biochemist, who effortlessly switched to medicine at the University of California in the US before priesthood, demonstrated God's love to the congregation that overflowed the brims of the square hall of the church. Aside his dab with journalism, Bishop Egbo is the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Imo State.

While he succinctly interacted with THISDAY on the essence of his visit and the impact for this year's power-packed conference, Egbo promptly reminisced about the days of yore when UCC was founded in 1968 and incorporated as a legal entity in 1972.

Doctrinal Statement of UCC According to the Bishop, the UCC Fountain of Peace is a blend of the pentecostal and charismatic. This in clear terms shows that it believes undeniably in the Holy Spirit.

He emphasised that the word Pentecost is from the event on the day Pentecost. "It is a Jewish festival of 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit descended on the day of pentecost. That's why those who believe in the operation of the complete gift of the Holy Spirit are called Pentecostals.

"These gifts are called charismatic gifts.

They are found in first Corinthians chapter 12 from verse one to the end. We believe in charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, the body and also believe in the offices in Ephesians chapter four verses 11 and 12 that some are apostles, some are prophets, some are pastors and some are teachers. That's why I say it's a Pentecostal and charismatic church."

While also maintaining the church's stand in the teachings of the Holy Spirit because, the Biochemist described the Holy Spirit as a Gift to the church to showcase Jesus, he quoted Jesus who said "Go and I will bring the Comforter to be with you and He's going to teach you all things so the giftings of the body of Christ and the word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirit, prophesy and all those gifts that are manifest in this church".

He highlighted boldly: "So I can say without an iota of doubt that we are Pentecostal and by his grace. I'm also the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship in Imo State, which is a body that comprises all Pentecostal churches in Nigeria as far as Imo State is concerned. So you can see that we are fully Pentecostal."

Tentacles across the World Living by the tenets of the Bible with a strategically mapped out structure for the leadership, UCC is spreading its tentacles round the world, preaching to every soul and baptising them in the Holy Trinity.

Egbo listed, "We have well over 500 branches across Nigeria. We are virtually in every part of the country except extreme Northern states because of the situation that some of our churches had to be closed.

"Today, UCC is in Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kano, Jos, Makurdi, and Yola, Western, Southern and all South-east of the nation and beyond the shores of Nigeria.

Driving Youth Engagement through Music, Skill Acquisition Undoubtedly, music provides a way for youth to express and explore their feelings

them work. When it becomes inevitable that there are irreconcilable differences and there is a divorce we will try to intervene. But if that happens, we will not kill anyone."

Male and Female Created He Them Whereas on the issue of male, female, binary or non-binary among the new others on the gender list, Egbo sternly concluded, "That is a no-go area. God said in the book of Romans chapter that men and women loving themselves is natural.

"We stand on heterosexual relationship," he clarified. "But then also we won't kill those who have found themselves in the other divide. Homosexuals or lesbians, Jesus loves them.

"It could be demonic activities or an inborn error of metabolism as a biochemistry student. What I would do is to look at them with understanding and reach out to them with the love of Jesus and pray that God would help them."

The Bishop gentleman, therefore, prescribed that prayer remains the chief remedy. He added that the way out is by prayer and counselling and not to condemn them and see them go to hell fire.

Bishop Egbo and wife and emotions even in the church. UCC has taken a cue with a number of activities, and empowerment schemes to appropriately channel the energy of the youth for positive outcomes.

And in the words of Egbo, the administration that came onboard three years ago has charted the "Youth for Christ" programme. "You can see in the church the energy and vibrancy is evident that it's a youth church.

Today, leaders across the world have made peace with the fact that young people are a crucial part of economic growth, hence, the dire need to curb the spiralling effect of their restiveness.

Like other concerned leaders, Egbo encourages solutions rather than apportioning blame. "Anyone waiting for the government to employ him or her is just wasting time. The government cannot do everything. That is why we have intentional programmes that are for the youths for skill acquisition."

Away from the mainstream skills, UCC ensures it finds the passion of the participating youths, enhancing it for them to relish their lives and contribute to society. "That's how they can be blessings to the society. We have several areas we are into and we have that working in our system."

Just like the corporate and social world, the church has gripped technology dearly to spread the gospel.

"We've been part of this. Before God called our leader to glory, he ran a TV ministry in the early stages. I had to run a radio and TV programme even currently in the South-east."

However, he chipped in a byword, "Everything that appears to be negative has a positive aspect. COVID-19 forced people to make it off on digitalisation," he narrated. And with some sense of worth, the revivalist outlined some of the platforms they anchor on including YouTube, Facebook and a website for transmission.

Of course, the leadership of the church expressed constructive belief in the power of the media because, according to the GO, even the gospel itself is a product of the media. "Without the Bible today it's also a work of the media.

It's journalism recorded by people. I don't see why the church should shy away from it to reach out.

"There are many people who may not come into the conventional settings for some reasons but you have the message through social media channels.

And we created a department for that in the church."

Breaking Gender Bias In Church Seeing how evolving the world is with the continuous call for gender equality and parity, the UCC general overseer confirmed that the leadership of the church recognises all as the same. He classified both genders in the things of the supernatural and Pentecostal.

The Bishop expounded, "We don't have male or female in the things of the spirit. The book of Colosians chapter three says 'Neither male nor female and on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was released, which is the birthday of the universal church.

The women were there too including the mother of Jesus who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Notwithstanding, he maintained the position of the leadership, saying, "We believe that women have a role to play in the church so why the bias?" He queried. "We find that women also are strong and good managers, starting from the home. So we have to open up this style of opportunities for women to excel".

To further walk the talk, UCC placed some ordained female pastors to steer the wheels of their churches. "Some of our women who are heading churches across the country," says Egbo with dignity.

UCC Weekly Itinerary Unlike in the days of yore when Christian centres would engage in house fellowship every Sunday from 6p to 8pm and beyond. This was after its morning service, UCC had amended its service itinerary. There are special programmes fashioned from Mondays to Saturdays at various times of the day while Sundays are irreversibly dedicated to celebrate Christ.

As a minister of the gospel, Egbo expressed, "People come to church for Bible study service then we dismiss," pointing out that these members have other things to do. "They can do other things that are supposed to help them.

We don't believe that you must be in the church 24 hours non-stop and neglect other aspects of human endeavor.

You can also have a church 24 hours like the programme today, sit in your house and still follow up in the evening.

That's one of the advantages of ICT."

Reaching the World through Digitalisation

The Church and Divorce At UCC, its stand on the issues of divorce and marriage is in sync with the Bible. The GO precisely told THISDAY, "Divorce could be inevitable.

Even God says he hates divorce. And marriage is a contract – something could happen and two persons that are not of the same parents but of different backgrounds.

"It takes the grace of God to make

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and other things shall be added unto you"

Balancing Ministry and Family Life "In UCC", the general minister commanding admitted that they counsel young pastors to allow their spouses to get trained so they can have a hands-on experience of the involvement of the pastor and priest.

"You are not just for your wife. So she understands that every occupation has its own demands.

"If you are a banker, you go to work Monday to Friday. Sometimes you come back late. Saturday and Sunday are yours.

Even for a trader the same way but if you are a pastor, it's a 24/7 work and so she has to understand that I'm married to a man of God." And to illustrate his values, the Bishop didn't leave the shores of Enugu to Lagos alone. He was in the warm company of his radiant wife, Prophetess (Dr.) Christy Egbo. And unanimously, their call to men of God remains to preach the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ.

According to the parson, the gospel says 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and other things shall be added unto you'.

He cautioned also, "The undue crave for wealth, titles, things that are not really kingdom-minded is making people see the church as a business centre which isn't so."

This is as he reminded the shepherds of God's vineyard that God's house should be a house of prayers indeed.

A Word for Christians Called in God's Vineyard Despite the admiration and accolades that come with his certificates, Egbo chose to bow to higher authority when He received the call of God. "If you are called, you can't shy away from it. He's the one that made you. He knows why he made you, put all the things in you to use you as a medium to reach out. God Himself cannot come down. I'll advise such people to answer the call."

Leanings Just like the daily saying "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", the Bishop of UCC International is not always about his professional and religious leanings.

Part of his leisure time is dedicated to reading, playing football, and watching nature. "I intentionally had to put myself into studies – just the development capacity," harping on the fact that as a leader, one needs to develop one's capacity.

His first degree was in Biochemistry in 1984 University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Then he went on to Imo State University to study Law and proceeded to gain some knowledge in Journalism.

On April 29 in 1984 he went to Ondo State for his National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) where his whole mission took a new twist. He took a pleasant stroll down memory lane. "I had an encounter that turned around this situation. One early Monday morning, I was sitting up when a bright light like oxyacetylene used in welding struck me.

"I found myself coming out of myself.

I began to move in a celestial world. He showed me Heaven and earth and ordered me to go back and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Coming back, I had no interest again for all those things."

XVI

T H I S D AY ˾TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Lagos Thightens Land Transactions with Mandatory Consultation of Lawyers Bennett Oghifo

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he Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) Law has been amended to make it mandatory for all transactions and paperwork in property/real estate to be handled

by Lawyers from start to close.

This mandatory engagement of Lawyers in property transactions is to reduce or stem growing incidents of fraud in the system, said the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, while underscoring the crucial roles the government expects Lawyers to play in the implementation of the new law.

The Special Adviser gave this clarification in the LASRERA new law recently at the maiden edition of a Stakeholders’ Forum which was held in conjunction with the Construction Projects and Infrastructure Committee of the section on Business Law, Nigerian Bar Association, (CPIC).

She said it became imperative for Lawyers to be well guided by the provisions of the law so as to enable them to give professional advice to their potential clients in the area of property and real estate business transactions.

She decried the level of fraud perpetrated by unscrupulous individuals in the state’s real

estate industry, stating that “most fraudulent real estate transactions do not engage Lawyers from inception of such transactions to closing.”

She, however, stressed that “the LASRERA Law was reviewed in order to regulate and bring sanity to the real estate sector, as well as all transactions therein,” stressing that “the role of property Lawyers is to protect the interest of all parties in any real estate transaction, as Legal professionals.”

According to her, “Real Estate transactions have relevant processes with necessary documents required for the preparation of specific property business transactions in the sector.

“In real estate transactions, Lawyers and real estate agents offer completely different services. Real estate agent is involved in the process of buying/selling properties or rental services while all paperwork is handled by a Lawyer as prescribed by the Law. “To this end, our perspectives and experiences as Learned Professionals will make these deliberations and recommendations impactful while meeting International best practices in the Real Estate Market of the Lagos State Government.”

Monthly Rent Speaking on the proposed Monthly Rental

Policy Scheme, the Special Adviser noted that the scheme is a social investment programme of the Lagos State Government to alleviate the suffering of the residents seeking comfortable shelters, stressing that the state government would not compel any landlord to subscribe to this initiative.

She added that “such an idea of payment, which has Insurance and Legal coverages, would guarantee consistent pattern of payment by the tenant, while the tenant would also heave a sigh of relief with the burden of unbundling huge amounts on a yearly basis.”

L-R: Managing Partner, Adetola Ayanru & Co, Ms Adetola Ayanru; representative of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mrs Aderinsola Olanrewaju; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Partner, Tope Adebayo LLP/Secretary CPIC, NBA-SBL, Aderemi Fagbemi; Company Secretary/General Counsel, UPDC Plc., Mrs. Folake Kalaro; and Principal Partner, Lexworth Legal Partners, Yetunde Olasope, at a stakeholders forum organised for Practicing Lawyers by LASRERA in conjunction with the Construction and Infrastructure Projects Committee of the Section on Business Law, Nigerian Bar Association in Victoria Island… recently

NCF Partners Lagos, Kwara on Forests Sustenance Fadekemi Ajakaiye The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) commemorated the International Day of Forests (IDF) in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Kwara State Ministry of Environment through two different events.

The IDF 2022 events with the theme “Forest and Sustainable Production and Consumption” were held in Lagos and Ilorin, recently.

The event witnessed a speech presentation by the Lagos State Commissioner

for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya; award presentation to the winners of Essay competition organised by the Ministry; and tree planting exercise within the Alausa Secretariat.

The Commissioner of Agriculture emphasised that it was against the law to cut any tree in Lagos State without getting the approval of the Directorate of Forestry in the Ministry of Agriculture.

She enjoined the students to be Agricpreneur rather than pursuing white-collar job in the future. She urged members

of the public to imbibe the culture of conservation.

She said “We must map out strategies to mitigate the effect of our activities on the environment and maintain sustainable forest preservation viz a viz production in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11,12 and 13. Vulnerable habitats like Lagos which has a population estimated to be over 22 million will undoubtedly face tremendous pressure exerted on the natural vegetation, especially in the area of housing and urbanization, so there is need to embrace

a conservatory approach to ameliorate the incidence of climatic change” “We must guard against indiscriminate destruction of

our forests as they are crucial to mitigating climate change and contributing to current and future generations’ stability and well-being. It is on this premise,

that we will be involving you, students, the future generation, henceforth, in the celebration of the International Day of Forests.” she added.

QMB Builders’ Mart Rebrands, Reopens as Hypermart QMB Builders’ Mart, a one-stop high-end building materials facility has rebranded and moved up to a Hypermart, a platform for everything needed in a home.

QMB Hypermart is located where the Builders’ Mart was. It stands on Lekki Expressway between the Second and Third Roundabouts.

Now, QMB Hypermart will have, in ad-

dition to a building materials’ section, other divisions that will combine to present “A new and exceptional shopping experience.”

The new QMB Hypermart has sections for groceries, wines and spirits, electronics, computers, phones, bakery, clothing, laundromat, and lounge. There is a car park that can accommodate 100 vehicles.

NIQS, FOCI Hold Roundtable on IFMA Nigeria Hails Buhari for National Appropriation Act 2022 Public Buildings Maintenance Policy

As the implementation of the Appropriation Act 2022 commences by end of next month, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) is collaborating with the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) to organise a Business Round Table on the Appropriation Act 2022 with focus on the Outlook for the Construction Industry in 2022.

According to a statement jointly signed by the President of NIQS, QS Olayemi Shonubi and the President of FOCI, Engr. Nasiru Dantata, the purpose of the roundtable, which is billed to hold in Abuja today, Tuesday, April 12, 2022, is to discuss and review the Capital Expenditure component of the Appropriation Act 2022 as well as the fiscal policies enshrined in the Act and the likely impact on the Construction Industry.

They explained that the roundtable which will feature key policy and lawmakers, building and civil engineering contractors, consultants and other practitioners in the built environment as well as other allied professionals will analyse the details of the Appropriation Act 2022 with special emphasis on the N5.4 trillion that is projected to be spent on capital expenditure out of total aggregate of N17.1 trillion.

“The Construction Industry is a major contributor to the GDP of Nigeria and a barometer for measuring the health of the economy due to various linkages and multiplier effects it has on other sectors of the economy and employment.

It has therefore become expedient to brainstorm and analyze the details of the Appropriation Act 2022 which commences in June 2022 with special emphasis on this year’s total aggregate

expenditure of N17.1 trillion, a total of N5.4 trillion is projected to be spent on capital expenditure,” Shonubi explained.

The two Presidents noted that based on the 2022 Appropriation Act, the capital component represents approximately 32% of the total spending, the roundtable will interrogate issues surrounding the actual amount directly structured to be spent on construction works, and the impact that such expenditure would make on Nigeria’s Gross Capital Formation, growth of the Nigerian Construction Industry, and the reduction of Infrastructural gap.

They stated that, “During this roundtable, we shall be interrogating the key issues surrounding the actual amounts directly structured to be spent on construction works, and the impact that such expenditure would make on Nigeria’s Gross Capital Formation, growth of the Nigerian Construction Industry, and the reduction of Infrastructural gap. Also, we shall be looking at the challenges likely to be faced by the Construction Industry in the implementation of the Act, formulation of better policies and Laws for the sector in the subsequent budgets.”

The statement said a leading Researcher and Consultant on Economics, Finance and Business Strategy, Mr. Bode Augusto, a former Director General of the Budget Office and a one-time Special Adviser (Budget Matters) to the President, will deliver the keynote address at the event where papers are expected from many other speakers including presidents of professional bodies and key public and private sector players.

The President of the International Facility Management Association Nigeria Chapter, Mr. Segun Adebayo has commended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on his assent to Executive Order 11 on National Public Buildings Maintenance Policy at the Council Chambers of the State House on Wednesday, 6th April 2022 While expressing his delight on the assent, Mr. Adebayo noted that the Executive Order is long overdue and with this

action, the professional management and maintenance of the Federal assets is assured and guaranteed.

According to the President, “as we earnestly looking forward to the implementation of the provisions of the new order, through the setting up of maintenance department in MDAs, our Association is committed to collaborating with Federal Government through relevant Ministry to provide required capacity building and knowledge development”

“As an association, we have been advocating the integration of sustainable practices into the built environment and this has started yielding the desired results.

“We would also want to appreciate the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN for this feat because his efforts in the ministry have yielded phenomenal results and it would positively impacts the various projects that this administration has embarked upon.”

Ghana to Host ECOWAS Finance Awards Ghana is set to host the maiden edition of the ECOWAS Finance Award (EFA) on Friday May 13, 2022, at Alisa Hotel in Ghana’s capital and commercial city, Accra at 6:00pm.

The ECOWAS Finance Awards recognises industry talent, leadership skills, industry net worth and capability. After careful consideration of nominations by a qualified research team, winners will be felicitated at a glittering awards gala, to be held at the premium four-star Alisa Hotel in Ghana’s capital.

The event, which is being organised by the African Consolidated Analytical Limited, a leading

consultancy firm in Nigeria, in collaboration with Business Day Media under the auspices of Ecowas Ventures, is under the theme: ‘The Roles of Africa’s Banking & Financial Services Sector in Delivering Expectations of African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement’.

EFA will feature keynote presentation and a panel discussion that will focus on the key roles, synergies, collaborations, and partnerships required from West Africa’s banking and financial institutions to deliver on the gains of AfCFTA. The keynote is expected to be delivered by Pierre Frank Laporte, Country Director, World Bank, Ghana.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

REPO

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

08056356325

A P R I L

S & P INDEX

1 1 , 2 0 2 2

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

9.00%

CALL

4%

INDEX LEVEL

564.02%

1/4 TO DATE

5.82%

N413.03/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

10.75%

1-MONTH

6%

1-DAY

–0.17%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.85%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.19%

After Raising Recovery Hopes in January, Nigeria’s Oil Production Continued Downward Spiral in February, March

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja In spite of raising the hope of a gradual recovery from months of declining oil production in January this year, Nigeria again experienced a slump in the volume of the commodity drilled in February and March 2022, according to new data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Whereas in January there was excitement that Nigeria had begun

to ramp up production when it hit about 1.4 million barrels per day, but in February, the NUPRC figures indicated that it reduced significantly to 1.257 million bpd and 1.237 million bpd in March.

Incidentally, the rise in January production coincided with the same month the federal government and its partners in the oil and gas industry recorded a huge slump in crude oil losses due to theft, sabotage and community issues.

THISDAY had reported that in January, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Plc recorded a decrease to 2.2 million barrels of losses, a marked improvement on Nigeria’s perennial crude oil losses, which hit as high as 7.2 million barrels the previous month.

For over a year, Nigeria has been unable to meet the production quota allocated to it by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to losses to vandalism

and outright sabotage as well as community issues.

The menace has further impacted on government institutions as well as individual operators who have recently raised the alarm over the humongous losses the nation and private entities are being subjected to.

But in addition to reduced oil production in the second and third months of this year, the NUPRC data showed that condensates production also decreased significantly.

The condensates production, the blended type, slumped from 74,231 barrels per day in February to 62,500bpd in March, while the unblended fell from 208,651 bpd in January to 191,541 bpd in February.

Furthermore, total liquids production for February fell to 42.6 million barrels when compared with 51.9 million barrels in January.

According to the upstream commission, in Nigeria, hydrocarbon is currently extracted from 323

developed fields located in both onshore and offshore terrains.

These fields, it said, either contain crude oil, condensates or natural gas reservoirs and are connected to 265 production processing stations, after which the stabilised oil and gas are exported via 31 export terminals.

There were hopes that Nigeria had begun an upward swing in January when it recorded a substantial growth Continued on page 26

Report: Global Oil Supply Disruptions Could Reach 5m Barrels Per Day Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Global oil supply disruptions could reach around 5 million barrels per day (bpd) as Western sanctions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine cut Russian output and other producers also grapple with production or export challenges.

That is on top of some 2.2 bpd of crude that the Organisation of

Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies OPEC+, have yet to return to the market, following record output curbs imposed after the pandemic reduced demand.

OPEC members Iran, Libya and Venezuela are not participating in the OPEC+ output curbs but have faced setbacks that have lowered production.

A Reuters report quoting the

International Energy Agency (IEA), projected that for instance, Western sanctions on Moscow and buyer reluctance could lead Russian oil supplies to drop by 3 million bpd from April.

So far, its production fell by 0.57 million bpd by April 6, compared with average production in March of 11.01 million bpd, the report stated.

FOOD

COMMODITIES

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

RICE

100KG

ABUJA

N23,000–N25,000

SORGHUM

50KG

OYO

N22,000-N25,000

50KG

PLATEAU (JOS)

N23,500-N25,000

50KG

KWARA N24,000–N27,000

50KG

LAGOS

50KG

RIVERS N23,000–N26,500

50KG 50KG

N23,000–N26,500

SOKOTO N11,500–N13,000 EDO

N17,000–N20,000

For Iran, it is pumping about 2.6 million bpd, some 1.2 million bpd less than in 2018 when former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord and re-imposed sanctions.

It’s the same with Kazakhstan’s crude oil output, which has been reduced by 320,000 bpd due to a storm damage to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in

SIZE

PRICE

STATE

100KG JIGAWA

Russia in March.

In addition, Libyan oil production, at about 1.3 million bpd, is well below levels of 1.6 million bpd before the civil war that broke out in 2011. An outage in March caused a temporary loss of over 300,000 bpd of production.

Iraq pumped 4.15 million bpd of oil in March following field outages in the south, 222,000 bpd short of its

production quota under an agreement with other OPEC+ producers, data from state-owned marketer SOMO seen by Reuters showed.

For Nigeria, the report stressed that output fell 100,000 bpd in March, after incidents prompted force majeure to be declared on the Bonny and Brass River streams Continued on page 27

T O D AY

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

N9,000

C O C OA

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

1 TON

ONDO

N740,000 – N760,000

1 TON

OSUN

N730,000 – N750,000

1 TON

EDO

N720,000 – N740,000

100KG

BENUE

N8,500

100KG

KADUNA

N8,500

50KG

ENUGU

N23,000

50KG

LAGOS

N17,000

1 TON

CROSS RIVER

N700,000 – N720,000

100KG

DELTA

N23,000

1 TON

AKURE SOUTH, ONDO

N730,000 — N755,000

26

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS FOOD

NAME OF COMMODITY

PALM OIL

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

25CL LAGOS N20,000-N25000 25CL

PH

NAME OF COMMODITY

TOMATOES

N21,000 – 24,000

COMMODITIES SIZE

STATE

40KG BENUE

PRICE

N15,000

40KG

KADUNA

N5,000

40KG

ABIA

N18,000

PRICE

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

ONIONS

100KG

IBADAN

N25,000

100KG

KANO

N10,000

100KG

BENUE

N27,000

100KG GOMBE

N12,000

100KG DELTA

N21,000

100KG LAGOS

N25,000

100KG ENUGU

N15,000

100KG

N29,000

25CL IBADAN N18,000-N22,000 25CL

IMO

N21,000–N24,500

25CL

EDO

N17,000–N20,000

25CL ABUJA

N19500- N25000

25KG LAGOS

N9,500

40KG DELTA

N17000

T O D AY

NAME OF COMMODITY

ABIA

NAME OF COMMODITY

MAIZE

LOCATION

PRICE

100KG JIGAWA

N9000

100KG ENUGU

N24000

100KG DELTA

N15000

100KG ABIA

N14000

50KG LAGOS

N13500

SIZE

Stakeholders Laud CBN’s ABP Impact on Nigeria’s Agric Sector Gilbert Ekugbe Key agricultural stakeholders have extolled the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) impact on the nation’s agricultural sector.

They stated that pre-ABP saw farmers’ productivity in Nigeria hampered by a number of factors, such as poor funding, inadequate inputs, poor varieties and inability to sell produce profitably following

poor access to the market.

The CBN had in line with its developmental mandates in Section 31 of the CBN Act 2007, established the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) to create economic linkages between smallholder farmers and reputable companies (anchors) involved in the production and processing of key agricultural commodities.

The agricultural commodities covered under the ABP include

among others, rice, maize, wheat, cotton, cassava, potatoes, yam, ginger, sugarcane, oil palm, cocoa, rubber, soybean, sesame seed, cowpea, tomato, fish, poultry and ruminants.

According to the policy document, the broad objective of the ABP is to create economic linkages between smallholder farmers and processors with a view to increasing agricultural output and ensuring food price stability.

Speaking at an agric event on

appraising Nigeria’s agric sector performances under the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, the President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Mr. Adeola Adegoke, disclosed that the 2020/2021 loans given to some cocoa farmers in the country via the CBN’s ABP helped to boost productivity by at least 10 per cent, with some increasing their produce from 30 to 40 bags of

the cocoa beans.

The newly confirmed All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) National President, Mr. Mudi Farouk, in his own speech at the occasion stated that agriculture is now contributing three times more to the country’s GDP than oil.

Farouk said that the core of the programme is to provide loans to smallholder farmers to boost agricultural production, create jobs and reduce the food import bills.

A Representative of the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Dr. Oluwasina Olabanji, who spoke on wheat production in Nigeria, said that seeds and input challenges were being addressed

by CBN by providing quality seeds from Mexico.

On his part, the Vice President of Olam Agric, Mr. Reji George, said the scheme is capable of producing more crops for food and industrial uses.

NCDMB Pledges Support for LPG Production as Firm Launches Lagos Plant Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has pledged to continue to support the growth of the production and deployment of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Nigeria.

Executive Secretary of the board,

Mr Simbi Wabote, made the remarks during the inauguration of a 30-metric ton refilling plant belonging to SelAi Gas Station Ltd., in Lagos.

The plant located in Agege aims at empowering women by providing gas cylinders at a reduced price and on a flexible payment plan, while transporters are also expected to

benefit through a delivery solution system.

Wabote, who lauded the company as a front-runner in taking practical steps in the “Decade of Gas” journey stated that it was the first time domestic LPG consumption would reach the 1 million metric tons mark.

Represented by the Manager,

Projects and Operations, NCDMB, Adewale Adenugba, Wabote said the commissioning marked the achievement of yet another milestone by the private sector, which he said shows that the various initiatives embarked upon by the government were yielding fruits.

“Beyond the volumes, the eco-

nomic, social and environmental benefits of switching from solid and liquid forms of fuel to gaseous form are enormous, which I have noticed is part of your company’s mantra,” he said.

In her remarks, Chief Executive Office of the company, Damilola Owolabi, said that the company

sited the plant in Agege part of Lagos to take advantage of the dense population.

The intent, she said, is to provide an outlet where the residents can easily refill their cooking gas and get encouraged to stop the use of dirty energy sources like firewood, charcoal and kerosene.

How Completion of Western Arm of OB-3 Freed Gas Flow to New Kwale Plant Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The completion of the western arm of the OB-3 gas trunkline enabled the coming to being of the 300MMscf/d Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) facility on Oil

Mining Lease (OML) 56.

Prior to the completion of the arm of OB-3, most of the gas produced in marginal fields in the mid-west cluster were stranded, because the closest manifold to the cluster was the Eriemu manifold,

which is 55Km from the cluster.

Africa Oil+Gas Report indicated that the cluster includes Umusadege, operated by Midwestern Oil&Gas; Ebendo, operated by Energia; Umuseti, operated by Pillar Oil and Matsogo, operated

by Chorus Energy.

With the OB-3 running much closer to the cluster, the gas from these fields can be pumped into the OB-3, after being collected, processed and or metred at the KGG, which has been tied-in to

the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) owned and operated 48-inch OB-3 gas trunk line.

While the eastern arm of the OB3 is not yet completed and has been under construction for 12 years, the KGG, the report said, was

built by Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL), a joint venture company between Xenergi Limited and the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with the NGC, an NNPC subsidiary.

NEITI Wants FG to Deepen Reforms in Solid Minerals Sector Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Government should continue to deepen the ongoing reforms in the mining sector and oversee the full implementation of the roadmap to achieving its 5 per cent contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has

recommended in its latest report.

In addition, the Dr Ogbonnaya Orji-led organisation stressed that the government and international development partners should collaborate with NEITI to develop and improve her technical capacity, to better discharge its responsibilities.

“The target of government is to increases the contribution of the solid

minerals sector to the GDP to 5 per cent,” the report stated.

It called for a refocusing of geological data acquisition, improving mineral beneficiation, establishing lapidaries to aid gemstone cutting and polishing.

“Government should invest more in the generation of geological data, access to funding and engagement with the relevant stakeholders in

order to sustain investment and revenue growth in the sector,” the document said.

Although it stated that there was significant compliance with the NEITI audit process, it recommended that government puts in place strict sanctions against non responsive companies.

This, it said, will deter future

occurrence and, most importantly, help to maintain the integrity of the NEITI audit process.

It called on the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) to intensify its effort and vigorously pursue the recovery of outstanding liability into government coffers.

NEITI urged the MCO to invoke the relevant sections of the Nigerian

Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and the regulations made pursuant thereto, and revoke mineral titles whose holders have defaulted in the payment of their annual service fee to the government.

“Similarly, after the revocation of such titles, the holders should be made to pay all outstanding liabilities prior to the revocation in accordance with the Act.

economy on firmer footing, the producer group has stuck to a plan of gradually raising quotas by 400,000 bpd each month but has faced mounting pressure from the US, India, Japan, and other major oil-consuming nations for accelerated supplies to cool off

rising energy prices.

But several countries have not hit their output targets in months, and March’s shortfall resulted in a compliance figure of 148 per cent for the 19 members with quotas, according to S&P Global calculations.

REPORT: GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS COULD REACH 5M BARRELS PER DAY although it was later lifted on Brass River.

Meanwhile, crude oil production

by OPEC and its allies fell in March from February for the first time in more than a year, the latest S&P Global Commodity Insights survey has found.

OPEC’s 13 members raised output by 60,000 bpd to 28.73 million bpd, but that was more than offset by a 160,000 bpd decline by the bloc’s nine allies, who pumped 13.91 million bpd.

With the net decline of 100,000 bpd, the widening gap between

the OPEC+ production and quotas jumped to a record-high 1.24 million bpd—casting further doubt on the group’s ability to meet growing global oil demand, which many analysts expect to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

The drop was the first since February 2021, when Saudi Arabia instituted a unilateral voluntary 1 million b/d cut to help prop up the market that at the time was still wobbly from resurgent coronavirus cases.

Since August, with the global

AFTER RAISING RECOVERY HOPES IN JANUARY, NIGERIA’S OIL PRODUCTION CONTINUED DOWNWARD SPIRAL IN FEBRUARY, MARCH in its oil drilling activities, compared to the last quarter of 2021, with onshore production rising 12 per cent, while deepwater and shallow water activities increased by 5 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.

It was a marked improvement when put side by side the last quarter of 2021 when onshore production was down 36 per cent, deepwater 28 per cent and shallow water 20 per cent.

But in contrast, in January, according to a report by Renaissance

Capital, a frontiers market investment bank, onshore production was only down 24 per cent , deepwater 23 per cent and shallow water 13 per cent.

However, even at the time, there were issues of sustainability of the new-found rhythm by the NNPC and its partners which have lagged behind for months in terms of meeting its allocated quota. “It is too early to say if these levels can be sustained,” a RenCap report noted in January.

Nigeria’s ageing infrastructure,

downtime and crude theft are chronic challenges for the onshore sector as it has been unable to meet its OPEC cut which has now almost climbed to 1.8 million bpd.

Promises by the Minister of State, Mr. Timipre Sylva and the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, that the country would hit between 1.7 million bpd and 1.8 million bpd by the end of 2021 had remained largely unrealised.

The problem is further compounding by the halt in

investment in fossil fuels by very environmentally conscious countries and International Oil Companies (IOCs), mostly in Europe and spearheaded by America.

“The recovery in January offers some optimism, we think, but the outlook remains uncertain,” Renaissance Capital had said.

In summarising the sector outlook, the RenCap analysts concluded: “However, in the absence of major project start-up visibility, even with moderate

investments, we expect declines to take their toll on production.”

RenCap analysts noted that Nigeria’s oil sector challenges are exacerbated by a challenging operating environment, with issues such as local opposition, oil spills, militant activity, crude evacuation constraints and logistical bottlenecks.

In addition, it had mentioned unattractive fiscal terms as one of the negative factors, stressing that Nigeria’s onshore fiscal terms are

some of the least attractive globally.

Although the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has improved fiscal terms across all terrains, the report pointed out that “its implementation is slow and we have not seen yet a positive response from the sector.”

Furthermore, on Sunday, Sylva admitted that some security personnel deployed to fight oil theft were heavily involved in collaborating with those stealing the commodity in the Niger Delta.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

27

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Fears as Oil Producers Await Decisive Ac tion aga in st Crude Oil Theft Bisi Daniels

T

here is an interesting oil industry legend on crude oil theft! During a particular peak of the theft, the government observed that as oil revenue of the country and oil companies dwindled, mansions of some security personnel working in the Niger Delta were sprouting in Abuja.

To address the twin issues, the government ordered the numerous vessels on the high seas involved in the booming trade to be bombed because all attempts to stop the theft failed.

A legend is a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated.

But the involvement of security officials in crude oil theft in the Niger Delta is an open secret. Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva admitted on Sunday that some security personnel deployed to fight oil theft were heavily involved in collaborating with those stealing the commodity in the Niger Delta.

Also, while the legend is difficult to corroborate because some people don’t want their names mentioned, there are reports of some of the crazy things that happened then.

REPEATING 2001?

“In November 2001, the Nigerian federal government set up a Special Security Committee on Oil Producing Areas ‘to address the prevailing situation in the oil-producing areas which had witnessed unprecedented vandalisation of oil pipelines, disruptions, kidnappings, extortion and a general state of insecurity.

“Reporting to President (Olusegun) Obasanjo in February 2002, the committee noted that a ‘major threat to the oil industry arises from the activities of a ‘cartel or mafia’, composed of highly placed and powerful individuals within the society, who run a network of agents to steal crude oil and finished product from pipelines in the Niger Delta region.’

“More than nineteen vessels used in the illegal bunkering business are reported to have been seized by the army and navy in the year to July – though it is often not clear what happens to their cargoes after that….”

Fear about effective handling of the current situation was rekindled recently when the Navy told a House of Representatives committee that they arrested 45 vessels last year and 15 so far this year and handed them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, so it cannot account for the cargoes of the vessels.

Finance Minister Mrs Zainab Ahmed, who was at the sitting, acknowledged the renewed efforts of the federal government to stop the illicit business, but she said she was not aware of any receipts from the sale of stolen crude.

Worried oil producers want some transparency around the whole exercise to instill confidence in the industry, plagued by several issues, including declining investment and production.

“There has been too much talk already. We know where the problem lies, so we need swift action before the government’s plan becomes complicated again,” an indigenous oil producer said. “We have heard stories of arrested vessels disappearing before.”

THE FRESH ATTEMPT

After a slow reaction to crisis with an audit of exports of oil producers, which some observers found unnecessary because of the clear evidence in the fields and the credibility of stakeholders who had complained, the industry MDAs got more serious when President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a crackdown on the oil thieves.

Soon after, a team comprising of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylvia; Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Mele Kyari and others made a quick dash across the Niger Delta to assess the level of the theft.

By their accounts, the theft was real and threatening. Expectedly, promises were made about the Federal Government’s commitment to deal with the situation, which many notable people had complained about.

Among them, Dakuku Peterside, former Director-General of NIMASA; Austin Avuru, a co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc; and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, who also

Buhari chairs the Board of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and who runs Trans-Niger Oil & Gas Limited (TNOG), which recently bought 45 per cent of Oil Mining Licence (OML) 17. As shown below, his losses to the theft are enormous The common thread in the remarks of these notable stakeholders was a massive crude oil theft, which is robbing the country of much-needed revenue, its ability to meet OPEC quota, and the growth of the oil and gas industry as a whole.

Vandalism has become so lucrative that the thieves even attack highly combustible gas pipelines, disrupting gas supply for electricity.

THE PAIN OF INDIGENOUS INVESTORS

And oil producers, especially the indigenous ones, are undergoing a more painful experience. Some of them borrowed funds to buy oil blocks from oil majors, but after the toil of producing crude oil for exports, nearly all the oil is stolen between the fields and the export terminal.

The misconception that Nigeria was losing over 90 per cent of its oil production to oil theft arose from the misinterpretation by some sections of the media of the reality of the fate of the Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, a member of the Aiteo Group, which bought the Trans Niger Trunkline Nembe from Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. Apart from its own crude oil, other producers in that area transport their oil through the trunk line to the Bonny Terminal, from which Aiteo is supposed to make additional income.

But as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, noted, nearly all the oil output pumped through the trunk line is stolen.

According to the Union, producers received as little as 5% of crude volumes pumped through the Trans Niger Pipeline between October 2021 and February 2022.

The fuel was illegally tapped in about 150 places.

For Aiteo, which suffered public indignation when another of its facilities was attacked by oil thieves at Santa Barbara in Nembe, causing a spill, it was a very painful experience, according

to an official of the company.

THE NEW WAR

Some relief came recently when the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, moved against oil theft with a special operation to stop the thieves from further sabotaging the nation’s oil and gas installations.

Speaking at the launch of the operation, codenamed “Dakatar Da Barawo,” which means ‘stop the thief’ in the Hausa language in Onne, Rivers State, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, blamed the nation’s economic downturn on attacks on oil and gas facilities by saboteurs.

Gambo, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Suleiman Garba, said about 40 warships, 200 gunboats, five helicopters and its Special Boat Service (Special Forces) and several other units would participate in the three months operation.

He said, “Operation Dakatar Da Barawo,” in collaboration with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), will identify where the problem (breach on pipelines) is.

“Secondly, we will track the oil thieves and secure the pipelines for the country’s economic prosperity.

Gambo said a newly acquired Falcon Eye system had been used to monitor MT Queen of Peace for one month, leading to her eventual interception on March 15 with over three million litres of suspected crude oil.”

THE SKEPTICISM, THE ASSURANCE

While many stakeholders find this approach impressive, they believe that any strategy that leaves the barons on top of the crime pyramid in the oil industry free will be a massive joke because the foot soldiers who tap or vandalise the pipelines are only errand boys.

Industry executives spoken with last week recalled that similar efforts in the past, where arrested vessels disappeared, and no baron was arrested and tried, lacked transparency.

In one often-cited example, ‘MT African Pride’, one of the 15 vessels arrested for alleged bunkering in August 2003, and carrying 15,000 barrels of crude, disappeared into thin air.

Testifying before a House of Representatives Committee, the then Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sunday Afolayan, blamed the Police for the sudden disappearance of a vessel on the high sea, arguing: “It is my responsibility to arrest the ship and another to prosecute.”

But in his testimony, the then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun said, “MT African Pride, reported missing by the Navy, was never, and I repeat, never in the custody of the police.

“It is not even a question of ‘MT African Pride’. All the vessels have always been with the Navy. If anybody says he handed over a ship to me, let him produce the handing over note because there is no way the handover of such magnitude can occur without a handover note. The vessels in question were at the high seas where the police have no access to them.”

With the promises by federal government officials and the show of force to stamp out crude oil theft, many oil producers, including the majors, are not in a hurry to believe government until they begin to see results.

“As we speak, where are the 60 vessels the Navy arrested between last year and now, where are the vessels, what happened to their cargoes, where are the proceeds if indeed the oil was sold, and where are the barons, not just the errand boys found on the vessels?” An oil executive asked.

He said there was even a move in the past to fingerprint Nigeria’s crude oil to detect buyers of the stolen crude in the international market, “but here we are now with the same depressing problem.”

The common position of stakeholders, including top executives of oil-producing companies and oil workers, is that beyond all the tough talk, there is an urgent need for the federal government, which scores relatively high on accountability, to show a clear departure from the past.

“We need to know, regularly, how the war against crude oil theft is progressing,” said the founder of an indigenous oil producing company. “There has to be a committee, a central body, possibly in the Presidency, to monitor and report to Nigerians, rather than leaving the enforcement to pockets of independent bodies.”

Without necessarily recommending the option of the legend mentioned earlier, stakeholders want to see the long talk walked!

WOOD MAKENZIE REPORT AND WHY ELUMELU WAS COMPLAINING

They cite the distressing highlights of a new report by Wood McKenzie, a global mining and consultancy research group, to underscore the urgency of a decisive action.

In its latest report titled: “Nigeria Suffers Record Levels of Oil Theft,” the firm said the oil theft challenge in the country has gone beyond a crisis point and the scale and sophistication of crude thefts suggest an organised operation on an industrial scale. . It noted that: * The Bonny pipeline remains the hardest hit by theft and vandalism, with the Nembe Creek Trunkline, operated by Aiteo, experiencing downtime of 40 per cent. * Heirs Oil and Gas, owned by Tony Elumelu, averaged losses of 66 per cent from Oil Mining Licence (OML) 17 in 2021 before peaking at 97 per cent in December. * ND Western reported 300 theft points on a 12-kilometre section of a pipeline during the period around OML 34. *ENI’s Brass oil pipelines in the northern areas are now worst affected.

Wood McKenzie and other private sector stakeholders who have spoken about the theft found collaboration in straight-talking Mele Kyari, who has described the situation as desperate.

Also, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, said on Monday that Nigeria has lost $3 billion to crude oil thieves in the first quarter of this year.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) last week, Kyari called for the speedy establishment of a special court to try cases of oil theft.

Stakeholders believe that available evidence of crude oil theft is a big test of the federal government’s will to restore order in the industry. t %BOJFMT B KPVSOBMJTU BOE BVUIPS BMTP XPSLFE JO UIF PJM JOEVTUSZ

28

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NIMASA, EU Strengthen Partnership to Combat Maritime Crimes Gilbert Ekugbe The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the European Union

have partnered to strengthen the fight against maritime crimes especially in the Gulf of Guinea region.

The move according to both

Suntory Beverage Agrees to Sell Nigeria Subsidiary to AFDL Suntory Beverage & Food Limited has announced that its subsidiary, Suntory Beverage & Food Asia Pacific (SBFAP), has entered into an agreement to sell its subsidiary in Nigeria, Suntory Beverage & Food Nigeria (SBFN), to Africa FMCG Distribution Limited (AFDL).

In a statement, it said the completion of the transaction is subject to receiving merger clearance from relevant regulatory authorities in Nigeria.

It added that the total consideration of the transaction is around $14 million ($ 7 million each for the transfer of share and loan) with the sale expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022.

CEO of SBF, Kazuhiro Saito said, “As part of our regular strategic portfolio review and considering the broad options in Nigeria to

accelerate the growth of our brands, we have decided that it is best to launch a new operating model in Nigeria, leveraging the extensive distribution network, and the expertise in the local market that AFDL possesses.”

Executive Chairman of Chanrai Summit Group, Subodh Chanrai, said that AFDL is immensely happy to participate in this opportunity and partner with a global giant like Suntory.

He reasserted the commitment of the group to local value addition and helping global brands to retain their presence in Nigeria, creating opportunities for all stakeholders in the country.

Managing Director of SBFN, Anjan Patole, added that the company was pleased with the outcome of the transaction.

agencies and would continue to provide extensive and targeted assistance to strengthen the critical features of the Yaoundé security architecture while cementing the long-standing relationship between ECOWAS member states, like Nigeria and the EU. Leading an EU delegation to NIMASA’s headquarters in Lagos, the Senior Coordinator for the Gulf of Guinea, Ambassador.

Nicolas Martinez, commended the Nigerian Government for providing leadership in the Gulf of Guinea in the war against criminality in the maritime sector which he said has yielded desired results.

The commendation came at

the end of a working visit to the NIMASA by the EU delegation which inspected assets under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, otherwise known as the deep blue project.

Martinez noted that the EU remains a committed partner to the Gulf of Guinea region, restating its support to Nigeria’s leadership in the regional quest to end piracy and other maritime crimes. “You can count on the EU as we are fully supportive of the Yaounde Infrastructure. We urge Nigeria to share experience with other countries in the region. It is obvious from the results so far

that Nigeria, providing leadership for other countries, is winning the war against piracy,” he said.

Earlier, the Director General NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh noted that the recent removal of Nigeria from the Piracy list by the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, was as a result of collective efforts of various stakeholders within and outside of the country.

“It is not yet time to celebrate.

Now the focus for us at NIMASA is sustainability. The improved intelligence gathering and sharing amongst all stakeholders played a major role in the results we are witnessing now. Our Deep Blue Project, the SPOMO Act enacted

by the National Assembly, the Convictions of criminals under the SPOMO Act, the commitment of the Nigerian Navy and other military arms of the Nigerian Armed Forces, not forgetting the support from the international community, all led to the reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.

The NIMASA boss added that the agency is already looking ahead in its quest to attain sustainability.”

“We are working on an International Maritime Sustainability Conference which we will be hosting in Abuja later this year; also a comprehensive National Maritime policy for Nigeria is in the pipeline,” he stated.

L-R:1st Vice President National Association of Microfinance Bank, Mr. Joshua Ukute; Senior Programme Manager, Scale2save,Celiformne Steven; Chief Operating Officer, Microfinance Platform, Mr. Adetunji Afolabi;Head, Corporate Planning, LAPO Microfinance Bank, Mrs Dorcas Thorpe;and Group Head, Financial Inclusion, FCMB, Mr.Lamidi Adetunji, at the World PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT Savings and Retail Banking institute (WSBI)’s Scale2save Knowledge sharing forum in Lagos… recently

Food Security: NALDA Ta r g e t s 1 , 0 0 0 M T Nigerian Breweries Predicts Tougher Times for Manufacturing in 2022, Q1 2023

James Emejo in Abuja

In a major boost to wheat production and food security in the country, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) said it has commenced its first dry season wheat harvest in Gombe State.

The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, said the harvest remained a proof that Nigeria can produce what she eats and eat what she produces in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said over 1,000 metric tons of the commodity was being targeted

from the harvest which would boost food security amid the global commodity supply gaps occasioned by the Russian-ukrainian war.

Represented at the occasion by Director, Engineering, NALDA, Mr. Olusegun Owolabi, Ikonne told the farmers that the harvest was the outcome of the partnership between the authority and State Government late last year.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Alhaji Muhammed Magaji Gettado said the farm would go a long way to improve the livelihoods of the farmers as well as create jobs for the youths.

Gilbert Ekugbe The Nigerian Breweries Plc has predicted tougher times ahead for manufacturing concerns in the country, noting that volatility of the naira, inability to get access to foreign exchange and high cost of doing business have continued to pose myriads of challenges to the real sector of the economy.

According to the Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Hans Essaadi, over the last 12 to 18 months, the company has retooled its processes to weather the storm

coming out Covid 19 pandemic, maintaining that it is becoming more difficult to doing business in the country.

Essaadi, at the pre-Annual General Meeting media briefing of the company, however added that despite the harsh operating environment, the company recorded improved growth in sales volume in the 2021 financial year despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation on businesses.

He noted that although production costs increased significantly in the 2021 financial year, the company

continued to mitigate the impact without imposing any additional cost on consumers.

He added that despite the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation challenges, the company recorded a significant business performance driven mainly by robust sales volume growth.

According to him, the significant increase in sales volume for the 2021 financial year despite the impact of inflation could be attributed to their innovative workforce and the recently launched EverGreen Strategy.

He explained that with innovation

being its primary driver for growth, the company would continue to leverage innovative ideas to deliver superior and balanced growth by focusing on their customers and consumers.

He stated that the impact of COVID-19 created many uncertainties in the business environment in the 2021 financial year, but stated that the company saw it as an opportunity to redevelop relationships and foster stronger emotional connections with consumers by introducing new ideas and bringing back initiatives such as Gulder Ultimate Search.

Sugar Production: FMN Winners Emerge in GoNigeria 1st Reaffirms Commitment to Backward Integration Quarter Digital Poetry Challenge Gilbert Ekugbe In a bid to strengthen its drive for local content and reaffirm its commitment to the backward integration strategy of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) today announced the launch of Sunti Brown Sugar.

The company said the move is a demonstration of the company’s to the long-term development of the sugar value chain, and the continuous improvement of the nation’s sugar supply Sunti Brown Sugar is produced at Sunti Golden Sugar Estates, which is owned and operated by Golden Sugar Company, a subsidiary of the FMN Group. Sunti Brown Sugar is fully indigenous, made from sugarcane grown, harvested, and processed locally. It is fortified with Vitamin A and provides additional nutritional benefits, creating a consumer affinity for made-in-Nigeria products.

FMN has long established itself as a formidable player in the sugar sector through the success of the Golden Penny pure white refined sugar, renowned for its sweetness. With the Sunti brown

sugar launch, FMN further reaffirms its commitment to the Nigerian Sugar Masterplan, which aims to increase the domestic production of sugar to meet the 1.7 million Metric Tons (MMT) demand. Sunti Brown Sugar will enable Nigeria to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production by growing the required local capacity to meet the demand for sugar, which will stem the tide of unbridled importation of sugar and its by-products.

During the launch the Group Managing Director of FMN, Boye Olusanya, stated that continued investments in Nigeria’s sugar value chain would increase local sugar production capacity while empowering host communities.

Olusanya explained that restoring the nation’s self-sufficiency in the sugar sector requires a conducive policy environment that the Government has provided through the Backward Integration Program of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan.

Also commenting, Managing Director, Foods Division, FMN Group, Devlin Hainsworth, revealed that the company has a history of creating innovative products loved by consumers.

Gilbert Ekugbe

Winners have emerged from the first GoNigeria digital poetry challenge, an initiative aimed at encouraging youth participation in the nation’s electoral process.

In a statement issued to THISDAY, the initiative which is in commemoration of the 2022 World Poetry Day was to further boost the public enlightenment campaign themed, “GoNigeria”, an advocacy to sensitize and encourage eligible young Nigerians in the country and diaspora to actively participate in the

nation’s electoral processes leading up to the 2023 elections.

The online poetry contest which ran from Thursday, 17 March, 2022 to Wednesday, 31March, 2022, was aimed at engaging Nigerian youths with a strong inclination in poetry to showcase their talents and be part of the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign.

Anchored by the renowned poet, Dike Chukwumerije, who is a GoNigeria Advocate, the digital competition offered persons between ages 18 to 45, to create a 30 seconds poetry video while holding their

Permanent Voters’ Cards [PVCs] and encouraging other youths to go register and pick up their voters’ cards, whilst playing with the acronym PVC in the video, then posting their video using the hashtag #GoNigeriaPoetryChallenge.

Quoting June Jordan who posited that ‘’Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth’’, Chukwumerije admonished Nigerian youths to register and pick up their PVCs and also effectively participate in the nation’s electoral processes as their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections can be

pivotal to reshaping the country’s political destiny.

GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization which is committed to promoting good governance via its GoNigeria initiative, Anap Foundation has been partnering with Advocates and enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers).

Suzuki By CFAO Partners Fade To Promote Sustainability Practice In Nigeria Kayode Tokede To underscore its commitment to sustainable environmental practices in Nigeria, Suzuki by CFAO, a leading pioneer in automotive distribution in Nigeria, recently hosted a panel session at the Suzuki showroom in Lagos.

Themed; Going Green: Nigeria’s Path to Sustainable Development was organized in partnership with Fight Against Desert Encroachment

(FADE), an international nongovernmental organization committed to the prevention and control of environmental degradation and climate change, with an emphasis on desertification and desert encroachment.

Set out to create awareness about environmental issues affecting Nigeria. Its key objective is to engage stakeholders on possible policies and strategies that will enable stakeholders effectively

tackle climate change.

In his remarks, the General Manager, CFAO Motors-Suzuki, Aissatou Diouf said: “I am delighted to have everyone here to deliberate on such an important part of our lives and our world generally.

“We understand that centring sustainability is the pathway forward. This event presents an opportunity to discuss and showcase the promotion of a green and eco-friendly environment in

line with our 2050 net-zero carbon emission goal.”

Speaking earlier, the Founder of FADE Africa and Suzuki by CFAO ambassador, Dr Newton Jibunoh said: “My exploration going from London to Lagos exposed me to the environment. I saw the ills that plague us, and it changed my life.

We need to dedicate ourselves to preserving the future, to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Let’s start by planting a tree today.”

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

29

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

SEC Engages Reverent Stakeholders to Re-introduced Tax Waivers in Debt Market Kayode Tokede The Director General Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Lamido Yuguda has hinted that the SEC has commenced necessary engagements with relevant stakeholders to ensure that tax waivers exemption in the debt capital market is re-introduced.

Speaking virtually during the first quarter Capital Market Committee, the DG noted that the sunset of tax waiver could potentially distort future capital inflows into the country with the likely pressure on foreign exchange, which is not in the interest of the

economy as a whole.

According to him, until recently, transaction fees were non-existent or negligible in the debt capital market, while the cost of regulation was relatively the same as in other instruments and markets, stressing that the fact that tax advantage gave the market some support, allowing it to grow.

He explained further that, “This support was largely financed by fees from other segments of the Capital Market. We believe that the debt capital market has grown tremendously and is mature enough to contribute to the cost of regulating the Nigerian capital

SMEDAN Opens 2nd Tranche of Credit Lines to MSEs James Emejo in Abuja The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has commenced the second phase of the Matching Fund programme, aimed at building synergy towards boosting the capacity of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) across the country.

The initaitive is in partnership with Jaiz bank Plc and seeks to deliver credit to the sub-sector in order to enhance enterprise output, competitiveness, and jobs creation.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru, said prospective beneficiaries who must be registered with the agency may apply for loans worth between N1.2 million and N5 million on business-friendly terms including waiver of collaterals.

In a statement issued SMEDAN spokesman, Mr. Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, he added that both the agency and Jaiz Bank are determined to see the project work in the interest of Nigerian MSMEs.

market, ensuring it remains safe and fair to all participants.

“As such, the Commission introduced a regulatory fee

structure on secondary market transactions in debt instruments,

which took effect from January 1, 2022.”

AVILA NATURALLE AMBASSADOR

L-R: Director, Customer Relations, Avila Naturalle Ltd, Mrs Oluwakemi Fafiyebi; Avila Naturalle Brand Ambassador, Mrs Toyin Abraham- Ajeyemi; and Director, Brands and Marketing, Avila Naturalle Ltd, Mr Sylvester Iriogbe, during the unveiling of Toyin PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI Abraham- Ajeyemi as the Brand Ambassador of Avila Naturalle Ltd, held in Lekki, Lagos,.. recently

ReelSkills for Agribusiness Program Set to Improve Economic Opportunities For Nigerian Youths Oluchi Chibuzor In a bid to solve the unemployment issue in the Agri-processing sector in Nigeria, ReelFruit, Temploy, and Made Culture have partnered to launch the ReelSkills for agribusiness initiative.

The programme is designed to train 1000 youths on technical and soft skills demanded by Small and

Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the Agri-processing sector in Nigeria.

Commenting on the initiative, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ReelFruit, Affiong Williams said, “Having realised that the Agri-processing sector offers enormous opportunities, we are thrilled to have partnered with Temploy and Made Culture on this initiative that will enable us

not only to build potentials but also offers us the opportunity to equip young Nigerians who have the interest to grow this sector.”

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Temploy Nigeria, Juyin Benson said, “Temploy is delighted to be collaborating with ReelFruit and Made Culture to build the capacity of young Nigerians. We are devoted to recruiting, training

and equipping 1000 youths within Lagos and Ogun state over the next three years with digital and technical skills that will prepare them for a career in the Agri-processing sector.”

The Founder & Principal Director of Made Culture, Malaika Toyo also revealed that “I believe passionately in using small-to-medium enterprises as skills development hubs for youth.”

Plateau Govt Provides Jobs for Youths Through Stakeholders Urge Buhari to Sign Transformational Projects Transport Commission Bill into Law Chinedu Eze To end drug trafficking and other illicit activities among the youths in Plateau state, Governor Simon Lalong has created hundreds of jobs to absorb these youths who are now engaged in many construction projects going on in the state.

The governor has flagged off the construction of many roads to change the face of Jos and other parts of the state.

Government is also expanding, modernising and rehabilitating the popular Jos main market.

The state Commissioner of Land, Survey and Town Planning, Yakubu Dati said that these efforts by the state government are not only to

transform the infrastructure of the state, but to provide jobs for the youths, noting that this is very critical because idle youths engage in crime, fuelled by drug addiction.

“The menace of drug trafficking and abuse coupled with its spiraling effect of cultism and crime, is a cankerworm ravaging the youthful population in Nigeria, with Plateau State feeling the brunt. This concern formed the nucleus of discourse with the Plateau State commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Umar Yahuza where he lamented a surge in the use of narcotic drugs as evidenced in the arrests and convictions of drug traffickers lately, ”Dati disclosed.

James Emejo in Abuja

Stakeholders in the transport sector have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently sign the National Transport Commission Bill into law.

They believed the proposed law would provide a regulatory body and law for the entire transport sector.

At a roundtable on Road Corridor

Development Initiative in Nigeria organised by the Transport Trade Group (TTG) of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in partnership with the National Chamber Policy Centre (NCPC), the parties lamented the stagnation of the sector due to the delay in finalisation of the bill.

ACCI Vice President on Communication Strategy and External

Relation, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong said, the road corridor development initiative remained important area of focus, which must be given attention by stakeholders across various government and business community. In a statement by ACCI, Media/Strategy Officer, Olayemi John-Mensah, said the development is an integral and strategic nerve of the Nigerian economy, which

cannot be overemphasized, adding that “unfortunately, over the years it has been neglected and has witnessed slow progress which have frustrated the movement of goods and services and the ease of doing business.”

The chairman of the roundtable, Mallam Bukhari Bello said once the National Transport Commission Bill is signed into law, the sector would witness a new lease of life.

NDIC Mulls Single Customer View Platform MFBs to Quicken Disbursements James Emejo in Abuja The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Bello Hassan, has disclosed that it has developed a Single Customer View (SCV) platform to be deployed to microfinance

banks (MFBs) to eliminate delays often experienced in reimbursing depositors following revocation of failed MFBs licences by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said the move was to strengthen its processes adding that the platform would not only ensure rendition of quality, timely and

complete data to NDIC by MFBs but also give the complete position of depositors’ data at any given time which would go a long way in enhancing prompt reimbursement in case of bank failure.

Hassan dropped the hint while receiving executive members of the National Association of

Microfinance Banks (NAMB) on a courtesy visit to the NDIC Management in Abuja.

He however said the corporation would expose the template for the platform to the association with a view to garnering additional inputs towards optimising the noble innovation.

Tech4Dev to Empower 5m Girls, Women in Africa, O p e n s A p p l i c a t i o n s Gov Emmanuel Constitutes Board to Manage

Emma Okonji

Tech4Dev, a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating access to decent work, entrepreneurship opportunities, and platforms for Africans, has announced plans to empower five million African girls and women by 2030.

The organisation is therefore calling for applications for its Women Techsters 2023 Fellowship programme.

According to the organisation, the Women Techsters Fellowship, launched in 2021, is a year-long immersive training and experiential learning program for young girls and women across Africa to acquire

deep technology skills in six months of intensive training, six-month internship, and mentorship. The program designed using globally recognised standardised learning curriculums across the eight learning tracks, will ensure the best learning experience to deliver the right outcomes.

Tech4Dev disclosed that in its first year, the Women Techsters Fellowship received over 4,800 applications from 19 countries, accepted 338 beneficiaries into the program, which is a seven per cent acceptance rate from five countries, which include: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa.

Dakkada Luxury Estate as Limited Liability Company Okon Bassey in Uyo Dakkada Luxury Estate in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital is to be managed as a Limited Liability Company without state government expense.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo laid the foundation stone of the estate initiated by Governor Udom Emmanuel administration September last year.

The State Governor clarified on

the management of the estate when he inaugurated a five-man Dakkada Luxury Estate Board at Government House, Uyo. He said the clarification became necessary, disclosing that also in the offing were plans to develop a medium density and high density estates that will accommodate people who cannot afford the multimillion low density luxury estate.

The governor equally revealed that the state government has also

secured financing to develop housing estates for Civil servants in the state.

The state government, he assured will not rest on its oars in expanding the housing and educational facilities to accommodate the influx into the state occasioned by alluring government policies.

He observed that the Ewet Housing and Shelter Afrique estates in Uyo are already overstretched hence the Dakkada Luxury Estate becomes a necessity as a next point

of call for a serene topnotch housing area.

The governor said with the assurance of steady power, a reliable reticulation system for portable water, LPG duct, broadband internet service in the very low density housing estate, the demand for the estate is already high, hence the guarantee that it will be self sustaining and generate enough revenue for expansion before the 600 units are exhausted.

30

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INDUSTRY

Bailing the Nigerian Paper Industry Stakeholders in the paper industry expressed the view that non-wood fibre plants could hold the key to reviving ailing paper industry in Nigeria, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

A

dequate investments and sourcing long fibre plants locally have been identified as ways to rescue Nigeria’s dying pulp and paper industry. The move would also help the country to extricate itself from the trap of importing almost all of its paper needs from abroad. The long fibrous plants researches have revealed that could enable Nigeria to revive its paper industry include kenaf, bamboo, sugarcane bagasse, agricultural residues, cornstalks, cotton stalks and wheat straw, etc. The resort to fibrous is necessitated by the fact that reliance on short fibre woods and failure to introduce long fibre woods species in the country accounted largely for the poor performance of the integrated pulp and paper industries that were established in the country in the 1960s when Nigeria gained its independence from Britain. Today, Nigeria’s has installed capacity for the production of paper could produce barely 265,000 metric tonnes per annum out the country’s annual need of 3.0 million metric tonnes. This clearly illustrated how deep the country is depending on import to meet its domestic needs of paper. Moreover, a trade data that was released this year by COMTRADE, which was quoted by the Director General, Raw Material Research Development Council, Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim, showed that Nigeria spent $696 million on the importation paper products, which included paper, paperboard and art paper, in 2020. He added that Nigeria is presently importing waste paper to compliment locally available ones. Apart from the monetary cost of the importation in foreign currency, the state of the paper industry in the country is costing Nigeria more than 300,000 jobs that would have been available to Nigerians.

Ibrahim stated this in a paper titled “Fibrous Raw Materials Availability for Utilisation by Nigeria Paper Industry: RMRDC Initiatives.” The major reason for the failure of the investments in the country’s paper industry had been predominantly attributed to the absence of long fibre plant resources in the Nigerian forests which necessitated outrageous dependence

on imported long fibre pulp. The second factor militating against the development of the paper industry is the sector’s absolute dependence on imported chemicals.

Ibrahim said: “As a result, presently, only 5.0 per cent of all the raw materials needed for making paper in Nigeria are sourced locally.” Lack of these basic raw materials have hobbled the country’s effort to establish successful paper mills since the 1960s, when integrated pulp and paper mills were established to ensure domestic satisfaction of the country’s pulp and paper requirements and to generate foreign currency through export.

These integrated mills include Nigerian Paper Mill, Jebba, Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Oku Iboku, and Iwopin Pulp and Paper Company. These companies became comatose in 1996 and were subsequently privatized in 2006.

Ibrahim summed up the state of the industry thus: “From economic point of view, the paper industry has the lowest figures for production and consumption for local products among all the industrial divisions, placing the sector on the rank of likely lowest capital investment and output.

“This may likely be as a result of the deplorable performance of the existing paper mills. It may also be due to the unwillingness of investors to invest in the paper industry business due to the long perceptions hinging on the absence of raw material resource.

“This is so because the situation though changing was a result of decreasing availability of wood due to rapid deforestation globally.”

Yet, there is a glimmer of hope for the future of paper industry in Nigeria. Various studies have indicated massive availability of different fibre resources including recycled fibre, which may help in transforming the paper industry landscape.

These fibrous plants that could change the fortune of the paper industry in Nigeria are kenaf,

bamboo and sugarcane among others. Ibrahim said that kenaf is a shrub that has been cultivated in Africa for a long time and its utilisation for pulp and paper production has been internationalised.

“It is an annual plant with a single, straight, urbranched stalk composed of fibrous bark and an interior woody core.

“Kenaf has been used as a substitute for wood pulp and paper production in Thailand and China.

Studies carried out in Nigeria shows the fibre length of kenaf bast fibre to be 2.90mm while the fibre diameter was 28.16um.

“Kenaf cooked with kraft, soda or neutral sulfite process produce better quality pulp than hardwood pulp.

“As a result kenaf bast fibre could go a long way in alleviating the problems posed by a shortage of long fibre puld to Nigeria paper mills. Mixed with different percentages of hardwoods, it is used to make printing and writing paper, newsprint, linerboard, tissue, bleached paperboard, cigarette paper and other light specialty papers.”

According to Professor at Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Department of Forest Production and Products, University of Ibadan, Professor Abiodun Oluwafemi Oluwadare, there are numerous fibrous raw materials for pulp and paper production in Nigeria that ranged from indigenous to exotic tree and non-wood species.

These raw materials, according to Oluwadare, are well grown in Nigeria from the mangrove in the south to the Sahel in the north.

He said that growing kenaf alone is a business and growing it for paper making is a bigger business. After much research and numerous trials runs, kenaf paper is now available from several commercial retailers and is being used by major corporations, printing and graphics firms and publishers.

According to him, “research in Nigeria also confirmed this assertion. This plant and similar

other non-wood plants identified as the best non-wood paper alternative has the following merits: Kenaf could be grown and harvested within 150 days. It is a highly tolerant of sites and could be grown in wide range of ecological zones and a cycle of three times are possible in a year. Kenaf also yields more fiber per acre than southern pine producing 5-10 tons of dry fiber per acre, or approximately 3 to 5 times as much as pine.”

Research has also shown that kenaf has exceptional papermaking characteristics that required less chemicals, heat and time to pulp its fibers because they are not as tough as wood pulp and contain less lignin.

“Lignin is a resin that binds the cellulose fibers in plants or trees together. Toxic chemicals such as chlorine are predominantly used to delignify and bleach wood pulp. Kenaf can be quickly and easily pulped and bleached with harmless chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide,” Oluwadare said.

He stated that research for development has major roles to play in revitalizing the sector. But Nigeria missed this opportunity shortly after the collapse of the pulp and paper research laboratory in the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIRRO), because there were no equipment and facilities to work with.

“In the early 1960’s, many tree species were characterized for their suitability for papermaking and the breakthrough of the research was the exotic species in the name of Gmelina arborea.

“In the current stance, to carry out any meaningful characterisation of any fibrous raw material will require foreign intervention to secure a good laboratory. This is a form of capital flight in form of academic tourism.

Thus, the need for a well-equipped laboratory is a step forward towards solving the present paper crisis,” he said.

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Long Wait for Food Safety, Quality Bill Gilbert Ekugbe writes that Nigeria needs the passage of Food Safety and Quality Bill into law to protect consumers’ health and improve the acceptability of Nigerian foods at the international market.

I

n June 2018, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a draft of the Food Safety and Quality Bill (FSQB) to reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses and address the high level of rejection of Nigeria’s non-oil export in the international market.

Since then, not much has changed as stakeholders in the food industry have continued to push for the speedy passage of the bill into law. But it seemed the call has continued to fall on deaf ears.

Ordinarily, an agrarian economy like Nigeria ought to have a bill that would address quality issues and lack of consumer confidence on locally produced foods, especially those going to the international market where quality is not compromised.

At a breakfast meeting that was organised by the Nigeria America Chamber of Commerce (NACC), agricultural stakeholders lamented over the delay of a bill that would address so many challenges hindering the nation’s agricultural food supply chain, noting that the bill should be prioritised to achieve an all-inclusive economy while also safeguarding public health and attaining food security.

The Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, US Consulate, Mr. Gerald Smith, said a major player like Nigeria cannot be without a food safety bill. Smith called on stakeholders in the agricultural sector to push for the implementation of the food safety bill.

He said: “You cannot have an agro sector without a food safety bill. The bill in the National assembly waiting for implementation is a major constrain. We know that it might not happen in this regime with the elections happening next year. We will not have a food safety law come into play next year. Beyond that, with the next government coming in, there is need to collaborate and join forces so that Nigeria can have a food safety law in place,” he advised.

In the same vein, during an experts/stakeholders workshop organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, NESG, Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, stated the urgent need to pass the bill into law if food production, processing, packaging, health, and profit making would be harnessed.

Jaiyeola said: “You all know that lifting people out of poverty is one of the things that is very primary to Mr. President and reaching to the people in rural communities is another thing that is important to

him, so that is why we are joining hand to bring everybody together so that is the focus of passing this bill. But unfortunately, despite the work that our people put in, we are turned back there from overseas because of the quality of our exports.

“What we are trying to do is to make National Assembly realise that this bill is very important to our national interest and if there is anything that we all need to work together with stakeholders to cross our ‘Ts’ and dot our ‘Is,’ let’s do it together.”

THE PROPOSED FSQB

Section 17 of the bill will serve as a major panacea to sanitising and safeguarding the health of Nigerians by instilling quality control and responsibility in the food business space and compel operators to prioritise the health and safety of Nigerians when the bill is passed into law, and also gives Nigerians the confidence to consume food from business outfits.

Meanwhile, Section 18 of Part 5 of the proposed law intended to solve the problem of traceability, and it reads in subsections 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively: “Food and feed business operators shall establish measures for tracing of food-producing animals, food or feed and any other substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food at all stages of production, processing and distribution, including packaging materials.”

Food or feed business operators shall put in place systems and procedures to identify any business operator; a-from whom they have received a food-producing animal, food or feed or any substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed; and b-to whom their products have been supplied.

“Food or feed business operators shall ensure that the information set out in sub-section (2) of this section is recorded and made available to the relevant competent authority on demand.

Food or feed which is placed on the market or is likely to be placed on the market shall be labeled or otherwise identified through relevant documentation or other information to ensure its traceability.

The bill also made content inspection paramount in Section 22 subsections 1 and 2,

said that inspections for official control of safety of food and feed shall include an investigation by an authorised officer into; a, -the state and use which is made of the site, establishment, offices, plant surroundings, means of transport, machinery and equipment of food and feed business operators, particularly in relation to license conditions specified under Section 15 of this Act; b-raw materials, ingredients, technology aids, and other products used for the preparation and production of food and feed; c-semi-finished food and feed; d-finished food and feed products; e-materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and feed; f-cleaning and maintenance products and processes and pesticides used by food and feed business operators in the course of their business; g-processes used for the manufacture or processing of food and feed; h-labeling and presentation of food; i-preservation methods.”

The operations enumerated in sub-section (1) of this section may, where necessary, be supplemented by: a-interviews with the food or feed business operator and with persons in the food or feed business; b- the reading of values recorded by measuring instruments installed by the undertaking; c- measurements carried out by the relevant competent authority, with its own instruments, or with instruments installed by the undertaking; or e-information contained in written and documentary material held by food or feed business operators.

The bill also pointed in Section 23 under sub-sections 1 and 2 that, “persons who handle food, or materials which come into contact with food shall be subject to a hygiene inspection. The inspection referred to in sub-section 1 of this

Section shall establish whether such persons comply with regulations concerning periodic medical examinations, technical qualification, health status, personal cleanliness and clothing.

FOOD SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

According to FAO, every year, nearly one in ten people in the world (an estimated 600 million people) fall ill and 420,000 die after eating food that was contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances.

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31

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ZĞďŽƵŶĚĞĚ ϱϲďƉƐ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĨĞůů ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ dŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ƌŽƐĞ ϱϲďƉƐ ƚŽ Ϯ͕Ϭϴϱ͘ϵϱ ŝŶĚĞdž dŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

Ăƚ ϭ͕ϲϳϰ͘ϴϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůͲƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ŽŶ E/d, ;ͲϬ͘ϲйͿ͕ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ DdEE ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ t W K ;нϰ͘ϯйͿ͕ ;Ͳϭ͘ϯйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ h ;ͲϬ͘ϳйͿ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂͲ E/d, ĂŶĚ t W K ;нϯ͘ϰйͿ͘ ƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ͕

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘Ϯй͘ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϲ͘ϴй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

Current Price

Ticker

dŚĞ ƵůůƐ KƉĞŶ ƚŚĞ tĞĞŬ͙ ^/ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϱй ^/ ƵƉ ϭϭďƉƐ ĂƐ E' D 'ĂŝŶƐ ϯ͘ϯй

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ DdEE ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ E/d, WƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ

ĚĂLJ͕

ƉƌŝĐĞ

ƵƉƟĐŬ

ŝŶ

,KEz&>KhZ

;нϰ͘ϰйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ t W K ;нϯ͘ϰйͿ ďƵŽLJĞĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌͲ ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ͕ E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ & E, ;нϬ͘ϳйͿ ďŽůͲ

ŵĂŶĐĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ E'y ^/ ƌŽƐĞ Ϭ͘ϱй ƚŽ ϰϲ͕ϴϲϳ͘ϵϱ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ ƐƚĞƌĞĚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůůͲ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƌŽƐĞ ƚŽ ƌŽƐĞ ϵ͘ϳй ;ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐůLJ͗ ^ŚĂƌĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ďLJ

5 Zenith Bank PLC 6 Dangote Cement PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC 8 FBN Holdings Plc 9 Lafarge Africa PLC

ƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ Ͳϭ͘ϴй ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ĂŶĚ ďLJ ʬϮϱ͘ϯƚŶ͘ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ

10 Access Bank PLC 11 United Bank for Africa PLC

േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ ϰϱ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ ϭϭϳ͘ϵй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ƚŽ

12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 13 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ϴϴ͘ϱй ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ dZ E^ KZW ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ & E, ;ϭϭ͘ϭŵ ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ

1,260.40

3 BUA Cement Plc 4 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC

ϵ͘ϮйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ʬϭϮϳ͘ϱďŶ ƚŽ ϭϭďƉƐ ƚŽ ϯϵ͕ϱϱϬ͘ϯϲ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ŝŵͲ

ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ Ϯϭ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ϮϮϰ͘ϲŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ʬϯ͘ϴďŶ͘

2086.95

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

Price Previous Price Current Change Price Change Weighting Index to Change YTD Date

0.56% 0.0%

12.5% 108.7% 38.9%

32.0% 5.8%

5.8%

134.7%

14.1%

14.2x

21.9x

6.4%

5.5%

5.5%

19.1%

11.2%

34.0x

6.4x

4.0%

2.9%

22.95

-0.2%

5.5%

-11.7%

-11.7%

20.7%

3.3%

3.7x

0.8x

13.0%

26.9% 32.4%

24.00

4.3%

5.5%

-4.6%

-4.6%

20.4%

2.7%

3.1x

0.6x

13.0%

0.0%

4.5%

6.4%

6.4%

39.2%

16.3%

12.9x

4.8x

7.3%

7.8%

1,395.00

0.0%

3.0%

-10.4%

-10.4%

106.8%

15.6%

27.1x

31.8x

3.7%

3.7%

11.80

0.0%

3.4%

3.5%

3.5%

8.4%

0.8%

7.0x

0.6x

3.9%

14.4%

22.75

3.4%

3.0%

-5.0%

-5.0%

11.6%

8.4%

8.5x

1.0x

8.8%

11.8%

2.8%

7.0%

7.0%

17.9%

1.6%

2.2x

0.3x

8.5%

46.0%

9.95

14 SEPLAT Energy PLC 15 Ecobank Transnational Inc 16 International Brew eries PLC 17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

7.95

1.3%

2.1%

-1.2%

-1.2%

15.8%

1.4%

2.3x

0.4x

12.7%

42.6%

34.15

0.0%

1.5%

-5.1%

-5.1%

15.1%

2.1%

7.7x

1.2x

4.0%

13.0%

40.20

0.0%

1.2%

-19.6%

-19.6%

7.6%

2.7%

25.2x

1.9x

3.9%

4.0%

960.00

0.0%

2.3%

47.7%

47.7%

8.7%

4.1%

8.7x

0.8x

4.3%

11.4%

2.6x

0.4x

5.7%

11.65

0.0%

1.7%

33.9%

33.9%

16.9%

1.0%

4.90

1.0%

1.1%

-1.0%

-1.0%

-10.3%

-3.9%

142.00

0.0%

1.1%

0.0%

0.0%

36.5%

23.3%

9.6x

3.2x

5.6%

10.4%

30.50

0.0%

1.0%

7.6%

7.6%

15.9%

4.5%

4.7x

0.7x

5.4%

21.4%

13.75

5.0%

0.5%

38.9%

38.9%

ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ Ϯ͘ϴй ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ E/d,

0.0%

0.6%

79.5%

1.01

3.1%

0.3%

5.2%

;нϰ͘ϰйͿ ĂŶĚ h E ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ

26 Presco PLC 27 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

133.00

0.0%

0.4%

51.5%

51.5%

11.70

-0.4%

0.3%

-11.4%

ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽƐƚ͕ ϭ ŝŶĚĞdž ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &ZͲ/ d &ZͲ/ d ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĞdžƉĂŶĚĞĚ ϭ͘ϰй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϲй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ

28 AIICO Insurance PLC 29 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri

0.69

3.0%

0.2%

238.50

0.0%

ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ D E^ Z ;нϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ // K

30 Custodian and Allied Insurance 31 Vitafoam Nigeria PLC 32 Unilever Nigeria PLC 33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 34 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

ĂŶĚ ϯďƉƐ ŐĂŝŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ

35 Oando PLC 36 Wema Bank PLC

'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ

37 NEM Insurance PLC 38 Sterling Bank PLC

'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƐŽůĞ ůŽƐĞƌ͕ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϭй ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ

39 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

ĂŶĚ D E^ Z ;ͲϮ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ ŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĨĞůů ďLJ Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůͲ ŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K ;ͲϬ͘ϴйͿ͕ E/d, ;ͲϬ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;ͲϬ͘ϮйͿ͘

ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ K E K ;Ͳϭ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ : W h>'K ;Ͳ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ ϱ͘ϵйͿ͘ Ğƌ͕ ƵƉ

ϭ͘ϴй

ĚƌŝǀĞŶ

ďLJ

ƉƌŝĐĞ

ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂͲ

ƟŽŶ ŝŶ E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͘

KƵƚůŽŽŬ

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ͕ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

0.9x

3.75

5.3%

0.9%

47.1%

47.1%

13.3%

1.3%

2.9x

0.4x

9.5%

35.1%

2.50

3.7%

0.6%

7.8%

7.8%

9.3%

3.0%

7.7x

0.7x

10.0%

13.0%

8.6x

11.7%

15.50

0.0%

0.4%

-10.9%

-10.9%

17.4%

6.9%

3.40

-1.2%

0.5%

13.7%

13.7%

10.3%

1.1%

79.5%

13.3%

6.0%

14.7x

1.8x

0.7%

6.8%

5.2%

11.1%

2.3%

5.4x

0.6x

2.0%

18.7%

2.8x

0.8%

-11.4%

21.3%

6.9%

11.0x

2.2x

3.4%

-1.4%

-1.4%

14.0%

2.2%

23.4x

0.7x

2.9%

4.3%

0.3%

7.5%

7.5%

48.0%

9.5%

4.8x

2.0x

8.1%

20.7%

1.5x

6.3%

0.3x

6.0%

2.7x

10.9%

6.50

0.0%

0.2%

-17.7%

-17.7%

19.5%

5.5%

3.8x

0.7x

7.4%

26.2%

-2.0%

0.2%

-2.9%

-2.9%

38.7%

16.0%

5.6x

2.0x

6.9%

17.8%

13.30

0.0%

0.2%

-8.3%

-8.3%

7.8%

4.9%

29.5x

1.2x

3.9%

3.4%

26.05

0.0%

0.2%

16.6%

16.6%

18.9%

2.4%

3.9x

0.8x

9.6%

25.4%

4.0%

6.20

3.3%

0.1%

5.1%

5.1%

7.1%

0.8%

7.0x

0.7x

4.75

-1.0%

0.1%

7.5%

7.5%

14.5%

2.6%

2.0x

0.3x

3.20

3.2%

0.0%

344.4%

344.4%

14.1%

0.8%

13.9x

1.9x

7.5%

7.2%

4.00

0.0%

0.1%

-11.1%

-11.1%

21.5%

12.8%

4.6x

0.9x

5.5%

21.9%

1.9x

0.3x

6.8%

1.49

1.4%

0.1%

-1.3%

-1.3%

9.4%

0.9%

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-28.3%

-6.1%

4.95

0.0%

0.0%

-8.0%

-8.0%

2.4x 0.8x

1.4%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a in e r s P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

NA HCO

5.50

10.0%

GT C O

43.2

-0.2%

UA C N

11.10

9.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

31.1

4.3%

M EYER

1.24

9.7%

ST ER LN B A N K

23.4

1.4%

R OYA LEX

1.04

9.5%

F ID ELIT YB K

13.8

5.3%

12.4

2.0%

7.9

10.0% 3.0%

T ic k er

1.89

9.2%

A C C ESSC OR P

8.1%

NA HCO

ϯϮ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ͕ ϭϯ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϲϰ ĐůŽƐĞĚ

WA P IC

0.43

7.5%

A IIC O

6.9

NNFM

9.65

7.2%

C UT IX

6.2

8.1%

F ID ELIT YB K

3.75

5.3%

UB A

5.5

1.3%

CHA M S

0.21

5.0%

UC A P

5.2

5.0%

ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ

ŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞ ŝƐĐůŽƐƵƌĞ ǁŚŝůĞ dZ E^ ;Ͳϴ͘ϯйͿ͕ > ^ K ;Ͳϲ͘ϳйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ >/s Ͳ DdE EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ WůĐ ;DdEEͿ ĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞĚ ^dK < ;Ͳϰ͘ϴйͿ ůĞĚ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͘ WƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĂLJ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ

T ic k er

M B EN EF IT

ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŚĂƐ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĮŶĂů ĂƉƉƌŽǀĂů ĨƌŽŵ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŵŝdžĞĚ͕ ĂƐ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ

J A P A ULGOLD

;W^ Ϳ DŽŵŽ W^ >ƚĚ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ DdEE͕ ƚŚĞ ĚĂƚĞ ŽĨ ĐŽŵŵĞŶĐĞŵĞŶƚ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ E ŝŶ

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

< Z ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ ,KEz&>KhZ ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ

ƚŚĞ E ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ WĂLJŵĞŶƚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĂŶŬ ŐƌĂĚƵĂůůLJ ǁŝŶĚƐ ƵƉ͘

51.4% -13.8%

2.40

ŐĂŝŶ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͘ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϭϱ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ DZ^ ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ͕ D zͲ

14.3% 48.9%

C UT IX

ŇĂƚ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ďĂƌͲ

9.1%

21.85

LEA R N A F R C A

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ ϭ͘ϲdž

37.9% -11.6%

ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϯϬdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϬϬdž ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝŽƌ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

7.0%

273.50

70.00

;Ͳϲ͘ϰйͿ͕

17.3%

1.5%

8.3%

24 Guinness Nigeria PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

>/E< ^^hZ

6.1%

6.9%

>ĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƵƉ

;Ͳϯ͘ϱйͿ͕

0.8x

1.2%

22 FCMB Group Plc 23 United Capital PLC

hE/> s Z

5.2x

0.0%

E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ ďƵůůŝƐŚ ĂƐ Ăůů ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ͕ ĞdžĐĞƉƚ ŽŶĞ͕ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ͘

ϵ͘ϭйͿ͕

3.5%

Dividend Earnings Yield Yield

P/BV

70.75

20 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚͲƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> ;Ͳ

P/E

208.50

ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǁĂƐ

hd/y ;нϴ͘ϭйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ /Ed Z t ;нϭ͘ϬйͿ ĚƌŽǀĞ Ă Ϭ͘Ϯй

15.0%

ROA

32.0%

18 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC

Ğƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϰ͘ϲй ĂŶĚ ;нϯ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ DdEE ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ ůƐŽ͕ t W K ;нϯ͘ϰйͿ͕

ROE

A C A D EM Y

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

-9.6%

M TNN

1034.9

1.2%

0.24

-7.7%

GT C O

994.2

-0.2%

0.32

-5.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

740.2

4.3%

134.6

0.0%

P ric e 1.60

P ric e C hg %

M ULT IVER SE

0.21

-4.5%

A IR T ELA F R I

P R EST IGE

0.43

-4.4%

A C C ESSC OR P

124.7

2.0%

92.2

0.0%

F T N C OC OA

0.31

-3.1%

D A N GC EM

UN IT YB N K

0.46

-2.1%

UC A P

69.1

5.0%

54.8

3.4%

VIT A F OA M

21.85

-2.0%

WA P C O

FCM B

3.40

-1.2%

F ID ELIT YB K

51.2

5.3%

-1.0%

N GXGR OUP

43.5

0.0%

OA N D O

4.75

32

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ APRIL 12, 2022

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Report: 46% of Firms Increased Prices in March Dike Onwuamaeze| A report by the StanbicIBTC has revealed that 46 per cent of private enterprises in Nigeria increased the selling prices of their products and services in March while only 2.0 per cent lowered their prices during the period under review.

This was disclosed in the latest Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) that was released last week, which stated that many businesses sought to share the high cost of doing business in the country with their customers.

The PMI said: “Private sector firms in Nigeria sought to share higher cost burdens with

their clients during the month (March). Almost half of surveyed respondents (46 per cent) raised their selling prices in March while just 2.0 per cent lowered them.

Output price inflation has now been seen in each month since January 2016, with the latest uptick among the quickest in the survey’s history.”

The PMI report also stated that its March data revealed a marked and accelerated uptick in purchase costs that were incurred by private sector companies in Nigeria. It said: “In fact, the rate of inflation quickened for the second month running and was among the steepest in the series history.”

The report attributed the inflationary pressure in the

economy to “higher fuel and raw material costs as well as unfavourable exchange rate movements,” adding that all the “four sub-sectors recorded marked upticks in purchase costs, led by manufacturers.”

The sub-sectors are manufacturing, agriculture, services and trade.

It further stated that “overall input prices rose sharply in March, continuing the run of inflation which began at the start of the series in January 2014.

The rate of inflation eased from February, but still was marked by historical standards and was the fourth steepest in the series history. Rising purchase and wage costs led to the uptick.”

Mandilas Empowers Lagos Artisans With Mechanical Toolboxes, Spraying Machines As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Mandilas Group Limited has donated complete mechanical toolboxes and spraying machines to artisans within Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Handing over the tools as part of activities to mark the 2022 Artisans Day celebration, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mandilas Group Limited, Ola Debayo-Doherty an indigene of Lagos Island explained that the donated mechanical tools will have a positive impact on the lives of the youths in the community.

Represented by the Corporate Affairs Manager, Funmi Akpan,

Ms. Debayo-Doherty said the company has resolved to create wealth for the LCDA being an area she grew up while developing and improving the skill sets of youths in the vicinity.

“Mandilas Group Limited has been in operation for over 70 years and much of our history has been shaped by this community.

As you will all agree with me, competing in today’s global economy is very complex. A Nation not only needs advanced technical & vocational skills but also a flexible workforce that can adjust to rapid shifts in demand”.

Debayo-Doherty commended the Executive Chairman, Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area, Honourable Muibi

Alade Folawiyo for his contributions to the development of the community. In his submission, the Executive Chairman, Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area, Honourable Muibi Alade Folawiyo used the opportunity to commend the Management and Staff of Mandilas Group for their contributions to the development of the community. Folawiyo said: “ We must thank our partner, Mandilas Group, who has been a worthy and responsible corporate organization since the beginning of this administration.

On behalf of the good people of Lagos Island East LCDA and particularly the beneficiaries of your kindness, we thank you immensely.

Skymark Partners Issues N338m Series 1 CP in N5bn Commercial Paper Programme Skymark Partners Limited (Skymark) has announced the successful issuance of its N338 million debut Series 1 Commercial Paper (CP). The CP was issued on March 17, 2022 under the N5billion Commercial Paper Programme, which was approved

by FMDQ in February, 2022.

The 91-day CP was issued at a discount of 11.6514 per cent, and recorded subscriptions from institutional investors. Skymark has a short-term rating of A1 and long term rating of A by DataPro. \While commenting on the successful issuance, the company’s Chairman, Mr. Egie Akpata, FCCA, described it as a strategic

milestone in its bid to diversify the funding sources for Skymark Partners Limited and to drive Skymark’s long-term strategy.

He further said, “We are very excited about the support of institutional investors in our inaugural CP issue. Their participation indicates their confidence in Skymark, our financial performance, strategic vision and leadership. We assure our current and future CP investors that in Skymark, they have a counterparty that they can count on for the long term.”

The approval of the Series 1 338 million CP by FMDQ

Securities Exchange represents a major milestone in our company’s growth aspirations.

The opportunity to access the CP market as an alternative source of funding has enhanced Skymark’s ability to unlock value for all its stakeholders.

United Capital Plc was Arranger of the CP Programme and sole dealer on the Series 1 issue.

Skymark Partners is a principal investment company with interests in financial services, technology and real estate amongst others. Skymark Partners was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Lagos.

BHM Research Report to Cover All of Africa BHM Research & Intelligence has announced that starting this year, its annual report on the public relations and communications sector in Nigeria, will be expanded to cover all of Africa, adding 53 more countries with a combined economy of over $2 $2trillion and over 1 billion population.

This, it stated in a statement, will be the first-ever report that will cater exclusively to the PR and communications industry within the African continent.

It stated, “The Africa PR and Communications report is being compiled in partnership with the Public Relations and Communications Association

(PRCA), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR UK), CIPR International, the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), Africa Communications Week (ACW), Wadds Incorporated, ID Africa, Plaqad Incorporated, and Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants. Other partners are to be announced.”

BHM Founder Ayeni Adekunle commented: “Since we launched the Nigeria PR Report on January 29, 2016, we have witnessed the growth of the industry home and abroad; and five years after, we are pleased to confirm we are now expanding our research to cover a continent that holds

plenty promise for the global communications sector. We hope the Africa PR and Communications report will quickly become the authoritative voice in the industry, providing insights, data, and useful information for those working here, as well as everyone outside looking in.’’

Ayeni added: “The past 28 months have been volatile for the world. It invariably highlighted our strengths and weaknesses as a continent. And the PR & communications industry was one of the first points of call in advising government and business leaders on wading through the times and supporting initiatives across the continent.”

R-L: The Corporate Affairs Manager, Mandilas Group, Ms. Funmi Akpan; Executive Chairman, Lagos Island East Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), Hon. Muibi Alade Folawiyo and the Vice Chairman Hon. Monsurat Balogun at the donation of mechanical tools to Artisans in the LCDA...recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͵

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

33

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͰ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

FCMB Group Sustains Impressive Performance as Revenue Hits N212bn Kayode Tokede FCMB Group Plc has announced gross revenue to N212 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 representing a 7 per cent growth over N198.4 billion recorded in 2020.

It also announced a profit before tax of N22.7billion from N21.9billion the prior year while profit after tax also rose by 7 per cent to N20.9 billion.

As a result, it declared a higher dividend of 20 Kobo per share to shareholders compared to 15 Kobo per share in 2020.

The financial results also showed enhanced customers confidence in FCMB, as deposits increased by 24 per cent to N1.6 trillion from N1.3trillion in the previous year. Loans and advances grew by 29 per cent to N1.1trillion at the end of December 2021, as against

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

N822.8 billion the previous year.

In addition, the total assets of the Group rose by 21 per cent toN2.5trillion.

FCMB Group’s Assets Under Management (AUM) also sustained its growth trajectory by rising to N525.8 billion in 2021, up by 6 per cent from N495.2billion in 2020.

Net interest income grew marginally by 0.2 per cent Year-on-Year to N90.9 billion

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

for full-year 2021 from N90.7 billion for the full year 2020.

Non-interest income increased to N43.1billion last year, representing 17 per cent growth, as against N36.8 billion prior year.

This was due to an increase in electronic fees and commissions from digital channels. Trading Income also surged by 32 per cent Year-on-Year resulting from higher volumes of fixed income instrument trades.

T R A D E D

VALUE TRADED ( N )

MAIN BOARD

A S

The capital adequacy ratio remained stable at 16.2 per cent for the retail and commercial banking subsidiary of the Group (that is, First City Monument Bank), while the liquidity ratio of the Bank stood at 34.8 per cent as of the end of the financial year 2021, indicating that the financial institution is in a very healthy position.

FCMB also acquired an additional 1.1 million customers in

O F

1 1

2021, increasing its total customer base to 9.4 million from 8.3 million in 2020.

This stellar performance is a clear indication that the digital transformation drive of the financial institution is yielding the desired results and is appreciated by the market.

Analysts have already expressed broadly positive views on FCMB’s 2021 financial result, describing it as, “highly commendable”.

/ 0 4 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 08Apr-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.63% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.50 3.55 -1.33% 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 5.98% Anchoria Equity Fund 138.75 140.39 1.60% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.20 1.20 4.83% 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 20.74 21.37 2.25% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 475.74 490.08 5.45% ARM Ethical Fund 40.80 42.03 4.74% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.06 1.06 -2.08% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.04 1.86% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.70% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 109.31 109.31 7.47% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,093.54 1,093.54 9.35% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.11 2.11 10.45% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.21 2.26 5.83% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.03 1.03 2.36% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.15% Paramount Equity Fund 18.09 18.44 7.57% Women's Investment Fund 143.54 145.22 3.24% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.09% Cordros Milestone Fund 139.84 140.74 5.78% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 111.90 111.90 4.78% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 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 1.00 1.00 8.53% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 6.56% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.02 1.02 12.05% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 101.85 101.85 3.79% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,436.46 1,436.46 10.17% FBN Balanced Fund 185.98 187.37 6.12% FBN Halal Fund 118.33 118.33 9.35% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.97% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

123.31 157.28

123.31 4.11% 159.38 4.18% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.99 1.76 1.22

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 6.28% 3.99 -0.28% 1.80 1.20% 1.22 1.17% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,988.68 3,525.45 100.00

Offer Price 4,051.11 3,525.45 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn 2.49% 1.65% 6.16%

1.09

1.09

0.93%

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) N/A N/A N/A Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.49 1.51 3.31% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,167.92 1,167.92 2.71% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.34 12.45 4.73% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 7.88% 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) N/A N/A N/A Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.59 1.61 -1.25% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.68 11.69 4.40% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.56% PACAM Equity Fund 1.44 1.45 1.71% PACAM EuroBond Fund 115.66 118.33 0.47% 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 127.05 129.50 5.80% 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 9.25% 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 3,532.52 3,571.47 2.60% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 237.81 237.81 0.88% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.37 1.39 6.15% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 318.10 318.10 1.52% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 251.07 254.87 3.72% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.75% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,472.34 11,633.27 3.27% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.31 1.31 1.27% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.01 118.01 0.89% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 108.58 108.58 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.96 0.98 3.31% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.41 1.43 3.42% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.14 1.16 4.92% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.10 1.10 2.03% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.99 1.99 1.93% United Capital Eurobond Fund 124.09 124.09 1.43% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.51% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 13.47 13.60 2.15% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 15.49 15.66 6.04% Zenith Income Fund 22.43 22.43 1.91% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.63%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

122.16 53.16

1.62% 0.82%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

14.10 134.03 106.68 20.15 20.07

14.20 137.32 108.99 20.25 21.17

0.95% 1.81% 2.94% 0.00% 0.00%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.11 5.47 17.81 1.00 20.96 167.12

4.21 5.57 18.01 1.00 21.16 169.12

2.34% -6.30% 0.74% 5.70% 4.87% 5.89%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund 107.53 10.80% 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.

FSDH Dollar Fund

35

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

PROJECT LIGHT HOUSE DEBT ANALYTICS...

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Budget and National Planning, Mr. Shehu Aliyu, Executive Chairman Carter Consulting Limited, Mrs. Fatima Nana, and Minister of Finance, Dr. PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE Zainab Ahmed, during the inauguration of Project Light House Debt Analytics Report Application in Abuja... yesterday

Saraki: PDP Consensus Candidate Will Oust APC from Power Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said the quest by some presidential aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to form a united force, was for the party to take over power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.

Saraki, however, said this was what informed their decision to advocate for a consensus candidate among the aspirants.

The presidential hopeful spoke yesterday while briefing journalists after a closed-door meeting alongside his co-aspirants, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, with Governor Douye Diri at the Creek Haven Government House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Saraki said as an opposition party, the PDP could not wrest power from the APC if not united.

According to him, the interest of

Nigeria superseded their individual ambitions and that was why they embarked on the mission to consult the Bayelsa governor and other critical stakeholders on how to reach a consensus on the flagbearer of the party in next year’s presidential election.

Describing the PDP as the only hope to rebuild and reposition the country, the former Senate President noted that Nigeria was in bad shape and needed to be salvaged from the bad governance

of the APC. He said despite the propaganda by the ruling party, Nigerians were going through difficult times under their government and that the only solution was for the PDP to retake power at the centre.

Saraki stated: “We are here to intimate the governor on our efforts to have a consensus candidate. As you all know, three of us have indicated interest to run on the platform of the PDP. We have been going around talking to the leaders

Ugwuanyi Restores Peace in Aninri LGA as Factions Agree to Work Together In keeping with his peace initiative, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State yesterday met with stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Aninri Local Government Area (LGA) over the disagreement that erupted at the monthly local government meeting of the party, held at Ndeaboh at the weekend, which left some people injured.

Ugwuanyi enjoined the Aninri PDP stakeholders to embrace peace and work together as brothers for the progress of the party, the council area and the state in general.

According to a statement, the governor on receiving the report of the incident visited the injured at ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu to empathise with them and made funds available to ensure that they were given adequate medical attention.

The peace meeting, which involved the faction led by the Council Chairman, Benneth Ajah and the one led by the member representing Aninri Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Chinedu Okwu (Otaka), offered the participants, including those who sustained injuries, the opportunity to table their grievances and revelations before the governor.

In their separate narrations, all the speakers reiterated that Ugwuanyi was their leader, and pledged to abide by his decisions at the meeting aimed at resolving the issues amicably.

They also pledged to abide by the

governor’s directions in respect of the PDP primaries in the state and the 2023 general elections.

“They appreciated Ugwuanyi for his commitment and resilience in resolving issues in Aninri LGA on several occasions, apologized to the governor for the disagreement during the party meeting and assured him that they will ensure that such unfortunate incident does not happen again in the council area.

“Resolving the issues to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders present at the meeting, Ugwuanyi

directed that on no account should people who are not members of the PDP in Aninri be brought to party meetings in the council area,” the statement added.

The governor also directed that the suspension of some party executives in Oduma Ward IV should be lifted immediately.

“He added that Victor Okoro remains the Chairman of the PDP in Aninri LGA, and that nobody should attempt to remove the chairman for his deputy to preside over meetings of the party in the council area.

“Ugwuanyi urged the stakeholders to support the council Chairman, who they all described as a good man, to develop the area and promote peace and unity among the people, advising them not to allow themselves to be used for political tussles.

“Accepting the decisions, the leaders of the two factions, Hon. Ajah and Hon. Okwu, and their followers embraced one another and pledged to work together in the interest of peace and progress of the council and the state,” the statement added.

of our party.

"The governor of Bayelsa is not only a leader but a key stakeholder, who has a role to play in the 2023 election.

"The country, despite the propaganda of the APC, is in a very bad shape. It is only the PDP that can rebuild it and give it the direction that it needs. To do that, we talk about the country not being united. You cannot lead the country when you are not united.

"We all have individual ambitions but what we have come to accept and believe in is that the interest of Nigeria is far bigger than individual interests. That is why in the last three weeks, we have been moving round the country, letting our leaders know that a consensus approach should be used to pick any of us.

"Our appeal to Nigerians is that we feel your pains, the hardship and insecurity. That is why our ambition is to return this country to PDP and make your lives better.

"We have come to seek your support as we approach 2023. We have spoken very well and feel encouraged by the governor’s words. Let us start now in building those blocks that will ensure that PDP will make Nigeria a better place."

He, however, thanked Diri for the warm reception and for his

words of encouragement.

Diri, who in his remarks, urged the PDP to forge a united front if the party wanted to win the forthcoming election, insisted that the party must not be factionalised as a result of individual ambitions but rather come together to pursue the common purpose of winning the 2023 presidential election.

The Bayelsa helmsman, who promised to work for the success of the party at the polls, commended the aspirants for putting their individual interests aside for the good of the party.

He said, “There is no other way than unity of purpose of the PDP. We must realise that we are an opposition party. We are not a party in power and cannot afford to be fractionalised due to individual ambition.

"Thank God for implanting this in the minds of these senior citizens of our great party. I think this is the first time in Nigeria that presidential aspirants are coming together to talk about the unity of the party and forge a way forward.

"One thing that I will assure you is that the state chapter here is prepared to work assiduously for the unity of our party, to take over the reins of governance and give to Nigerians what we were giving them before the destruction of the country by the party in power."

No Amount of Intimidation Will Stop Ekweremadu, Supporters Insist Gideon Arinze in Enugu Ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State, the campaign organisation of former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has stressed that no amount of intimidation and court processes would deter him from contesting in the polls.

The organisation was reacting to what it described as plots by enemies of peace, democracy in Enugu State to use the courts to stop the aspiration of Ekweremadu to the governorship seat of Enugu State.

In a statement by its DirectorGeneral, Ogbonna Asogwa, the organisation said it has in its possession, court processes already filed at the Enugu State High Court, with the aim of using

the Enugu State Judiciary to obtain an injunction barring the Senator from contesting the Enugu State gubernatorial election.

The organisation noted that in the suit marked E/254/2022, with Ekweremadu as the Respondent, the Applicant, Chief Oforma Mbannaji from Nike (For himself and on behalf of other members of Enugu East Senatorial District, Enugu State) wants the former Deputy President stopped based on a zoning agreement supposedly reached at an expanded caucus meeting of the Enugu State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on July 7, 2013.

The matter filed by the Applicant's counsel, Dr. Peter Aneke, who also hails from Nike, was expected to be heard by Justice Harold Eya on April 28, 2022.

In its reaction, the organisation

said the move by Mbannaji was yet another display of unmitigated and unconscionable desperation by a people hell-bent on ridiculing and desecrating virtually all critical institutions of democracy just to stop Ekweremadu's aspiration and impose their lackeys and relations on the people of Enugu State.

"Their festival of lawlessness has seen the State House of Assembly, Local Government Council Chairmen, Town Unions, and lately the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, and, in fact, almost every institution that our people hold in high reverence, needlessly dragged into and ridiculed by their reckless 2023 plots.

“Even institutions that have remained apolitical since ages have been both compelled and induced into issuing communiqués purportedly upholding an inexistent

zoning arrangement, while those who resisted their plots have been threatened, detained in prison and or sanctioned," the organisation said.

It noted that the attempt to drag the Enugu State and Nigerian judiciary into the plots was the height of it and one that the Enugu State Judiciary, the Nigerian Judiciary, the National Judicial Council, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria must never allow to happen.

The organisation maintained that there is no such organ as an Expanded Caucus in the PDP Constitution and local government chairmen are not members of the State Caucus.

"Therefore, the purported meeting could not have been a Caucus meeting of our great party. In any case, it is not the business of the Caucus under the PDP Constitution

to zone elective offices" it said.

The organisation further noted that the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 expressly exclude the State High Courts from matters pertaining to State House of Assembly, governorship, National Assembly, and presidential elections.

"So, this is evidently an evil, meretricious, and baseless plot to use the judiciary to abort the popular will of the people by manipulating the course of democracy to obtain from that revered arm of government what they cannot obtain in a free and fair contest" it said, calling on the judiciary to watch the unfolding events in Enugu very closely, as 'democracy is gravely imperiled when the rule of law is reduced to the rule and unholy schemes of some men, who found themselves in power'

36

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

GLO DEALER GALA...

L-R: Regional Manager, South East, Globacom, Mr. Mike Ehumadu; Brand Specialist, Globacom, Joy Azuka; Managing Director, Pegco Communication, Mr. Chibuike Oforbuike; CEO, Elites Communication & Phones Services, Princess Cassandra Oraka; Regional Manager, Mid-west region, Globacom, Augustus Ndu Offor; Managing Director, Anis Communication, Mr. Isiaka Animashaun and CEO, Emy –V Global Services, Mr. Emeka Chinweokwu at Globacom’s Dealer Appreciation Gala in Lagos ...recently

Relations of Kidnapped Kaduna Train Passengers Issue 72-hour Ultimatum to FG John Shiklam in Kaduna Relations of kidnapped victims of the March 28, terror attack on Abuja-Kaduna train, have given the federal government a 72-hour ultimatum to ensure the safe rescue of their beloved ones from the terrorists, else, they would take initiative independent of the government.

The ultimatum was issued at the end of their meeting yesterday in Kaduna.

Speaking on behalf of others,

Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, said they were yet to established contact with their beloved ones or even the criminals since the incident.

He warned that they would be left with no option than to decide on how to rescue their love ones if the government failed to take urgent steps to free them.

The relations accused the federal government of insensitivity towards the plights of the victims two weeks after the incident.

Jimoh said since the incident, the Nigerian Railway Corpora-

tion (NRC) had yet to reach out to family of the victims to brief them on efforts being made to rescue them.

He urged the government to negotiate with the terrorists as they demanded in a recent viral video, so as to secure the release of their people alive.

Jimoh said: "This incident happened on the 28 of March, a day or two after, the kidnappers said that we should be ready, that they are going to contact us. And we have not heard any communication from them since then.

“Since this incident happened, we expected that by now, the government, the Nigerian Railway

Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, are supposed to have identified relatives of the victims to tell us what effort they are making or not to rescue our loved ones unhurt.

"In fact, the primary duty of any government is to protect lives and property of citizens. We believe our government can do it and it's capable of doing it, until a few days ago we had been expecting telephone calls from the abductors, because that's what they promised us but when we saw the video, they made it very clear that they want to discuss with the government; that they have something with the government.

“We don't know what they want from the government. But it is now an opportunity and a window for the government to rescue our loved ones by opening channel of communication with them. This is not out of place. It is done anywhere in the world.

“Even the US, Israel and the most powerful nations of the world, they do negotiate when they have issues like this to preserve the lives of their citizens. This, we know our government can do and we are appealing to them to do it.

We don't know what is between them but it is something that can be resolved in the interest of the lives of Nigerian citizens. Life is

very sacred even if it is one life that's involved.

"We are appealing to Nigeria government to do everything within its powers and it is something that's not beyond the government to do.

We are appealing to them to come out to open channel of discussion with the bandits and get our loved ones out as quickly as possible.

“We have been in serious anguish in the past 15 days. Many of us have not been sleeping, we have not been sleeping. We are like living corpses. We have decided collectively that we are giving government 72-hours to do everything that's necessary to rescue our love ones," he said.

James Sowole in Abeokuta

public sector, to take Nigeria out of the doldrums.

He said: "Let me assure you that my commitment is to building a better Nigeria, my desperation is to see Nigeria better than it is today. We cannot continue the way Nigeria is today.

"What we want to say is that a nation must be built on fairness, must be built on equity, must be built on respect for each other and we in the South East are saying we too should be allowed to serve and I assure you that that the opportunity will change Nigeria.

"No country with 33 per cent unemployment and 65 per cent underemployment will survive.

Sixty per cent of this unemployed

and underemployed are among the youths, the most productive population of the country and in their young age are doing nothing.

"Today, our government is owing people pension, they don't pay people gratuity. Our schools are closed, our universities have been closed now and nobody is saying anything. There are 15 million out-of-school children, the drug prevalence among our youths today is the highest in the world. We must change the situation."

Obi insisted that, for the sake of equity, justice and respect for the South East zone, a president of Igbo extraction must be allowed to rule the nation, urging party delegates and leaders not to allow

money and sentiment influence their voting at the primaries.

He advised the delegates and party members, that they should ask whoever come to them with sweet words, what they have been doing in the last 25 years and what they have achieved.

Obi, who highlighted some of his achievements while in the saddle in Anambra State, said people should go and investigate his tenure and make public their findings.

While noting that, if the people in power, did not steal public fund, nobody would steal, he, therefore, insisted that delegates must shun sentiments during voting, because Nigerians are one but politicians, created divisions to remain in office.

ICPC Probes Owners of Abandoned FCT Estates 2023: I'm Committed to a Better Nigeria, Says Obi

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), yesterday, said it had commenced investigations into the ownership of the scores of abandoned housing estates in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

For a long time, estates completed and ready for rentage were abandoned by the owners, who had expected a high return on investment.

The structures, built with suspected looted funds, were said to have been abandoned owing to the the expensive nature of the rent, which was unaffordable to the average FCT resident.

The anti-graft agency said the probe would identify the property that had the hallmarks of illicit financing.

Speaking at a capacity building workshop for investigators, prosecutors and tax inspectors on investigating or prosecuting illicit financial flows, organised by the ICPC in collaboration with Ford Foundation in Abuja, the Director, Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management, ICPC, Mr Kayode Adedayo, affirmed that the investigation was in line with the mandate of the commission to curb corruption.

He said the nation needed a coordinated and concerted approach to fighting IFFs, stating that the law enforcement agencies required continuous investment in capacity building to trace and follow the money.

He harped on the need for implementation and investigation of breaches of the beneficial ownership rule while noting that data availability and intelligence sharing were imperative.

“ICPC in accordance with its

mandate to curb corruption is presently investigating cases of the myriad of completed but abandoned estates scattered around the Federal Capital Territory to identify those that are instruments of IFFs. “Furthermore, we are collaborating with the National Assembly to investigate, study and promulgate appropriate legislation to stem the tide of corruption in the real estate sector,” he said.

Speaking on "Illicit Financial Flows in Real Estate Sector," Adedayo revealed that real estate remained a key sector and conduit for the laundering of IFFs globally as a result of poor regulation.

He stated that money laundering in the real estate sector was conducted in collaboration with real estate developers and accomplices in the land administration departments.

“Launderers of illicit wealth in the Nigerian real estate sector often engage in cash purchases, which are done through the use of foreign exchange often procured from Bureau De Changes. Often, after purchase, the property titles are not changed to reflect the new ownership,” he explained.

Speaking on Investigating Illicit Financial Flows in the Education Sector, the ICPC Director of Operations, Mr Akeem Lawal, said for anti-graft agencies to tackle IFFs in the education sector, they must increase profiling of persons under investigation and their family members.

He said they are expected to conduct networth analysis, bearing in mind the provisions of the Public Service Rules and the Code of Conduct Bureau Act and collaborate with the Nigeria Immigration Service and embassies regarding the travel history of the subject under probe.

A former Governor of Anambra State and frontline Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday, said he was committed to a better Nigeria, where fairness, equity and socio-economic development of the country, would be a golden principle.

Obi stated while addressing PDP delegates, leaders and members, at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The former governor, who was accompanied by Dr. Doyin Okupe, declared that Nigeria was in crisis, and promised to bring his wealth of experience, both in private and

LALONG ATTENDING POLITICAL MEETINGS AS TERRORISTS MAUL DOWN 80, ABDUCT 70 IN PLATEAU COMMUNITIES immediately visit the affected areas, assess the situation, and provide relief as well as trauma management.

The governor added that the state had already approached the federal government for collaboration to deal with the terrorists hibernating in the general area, once and for all, to enable people go about their legitimate businesses without molestation and harassment.

The spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr. Ubah Gabriel, said the police could not confirm the figure of casualties at the moment.

Gabriel said, “Our men have been there since yesterday combing the forests around affected communities.

I would give you the full details of the casualties as soon as get it.”

Defend Yourselves, ECWA Charges Nigerians

Amid the deteriorating security situation across the country, the

Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) charged Nigerians to defend themselves from attackers.

This was contained in a communiqué signed by ECWA President, Rev. Stephen Panya, and General Secretary, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, at the end of the 69th General Church Council meeting held at the church headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

On the unremitting killings and abductions of citizens in Kaduna, Kebbi, Zanfara, Plateau, Niger and other states of the country, ECWA called on government to arrest the situation.

It decried the failure of government to carry out its constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and property of its citizens, despite the huge amounts being spent on security. ECWA called on all tiers of government to do all they could to secure the release of innocent

citizens still being held by terrorists and bandits across Nigeria.

According to the council, “it is very worrisome that Nigeria today has continued to witness the increasing activities of radical Islamic terrorist groups, which include Fulani Jihadist militia, Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits terrorising the country under the watch of this government, and government is not doing enough to stop it, It’s really unfortunate.”

In the communiqué, the church expressed worry over the deplorable condition of infrastructure in the country as well as forceful occupation of ancestral lands by terrorists.

It called on government to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned to their homes and given farming tools to enable them continue their occupations.

The council also called on government to intensify efforts towards

salvaging Nigeria, adding that the rising wave of corruption and the near total collapse of the economy has left Nigerians struggling for survival.

The church called on the federal government and striking labour unions, especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Non-academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU), to put the interest of the nation first and resolve the industrial crisis as soon as possible.

ECWA expressed concern over the biting hunger among Nigerians due to the shortage of food supply as a result of insecurity that had paralysed the activities of farmers.

It noted with concern the increasing rate of unemployment and called on members of the church to shun political apathy and actively join political parties of their choice to help in building the country.

TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

37

NEWS

Presidency: Clark, Adebanjo, Other Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Insist on Power Shift Deji Elumoyeand Udora Orizu in Abuja The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has frowned at the purported recommendation of the 37-member Zoning Committee of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to throw the party’s 2023 presidential ticket open to all parts of the country, insisting that power must shift to the South.

The forum in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Chief Dr E. K. Clark - Leader; Chief Ayo Adebanjo - Leader, Afenifere; Prof.

George Obiozor , President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and Dr Pogu Bitrus , National President, Middle Belt Forum, said the conclusion of the Governor Ortom-led Zoning Committee is not only abhorrent, unfair and unacceptable, but also a purveyor of discord.

SMBLF cautioned the PDP not to violate its principle of zoning and rotation of power between the North and the South, noting that the framers of its constitution, in cognizance of the nation’s diversity, and in line with the federal character principle, rightly provided under Section 7, Sub-section 3C, that there should be a rotation of party offices and elective offices.

The leaders warned that if they cannot abide by the established principles of rotation and zoning between the north and south, then they should not continue with “one country”, and go back to what we

were before the amalgamation of 1914.

While aligning itself with the position of the 17 Southern Governors that the South should produce the next president of Nigeria, SMBLF urged the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP to outrightly reject the recommendation.

The leaders said: “SMBLF insists that all major political parties

including the PDP and APC must be fair to the South by zoning their Presidential tickets to the South in the national interest. The notion that an open presidential primary election, which is not zoned would afford the 36 states to vote so that only the best and most competent person will emerge as the flag bearer of the party, is buncombe. It is not correct, because even where zoning is done, it is not only the

people who come from the area where it is zoned that will vote.

In the 2018 presidential primaries of the PDP, and at other times, for any serious party, every delegate of the party voted. So, whether it is zoned or not zoned, the same party delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will be available to vote. This is exactly what happened in 2018 Port Harcourt, were Atiku Abubakar

defeated about 12 presidential aspirants from the North, with the votes of delegates of the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, which he won with about 1,500 votes.

“We repeat, he was not only voted for by Northern delegates.

Who is fooling who? Or who is deceiving who? Zoning simply promotes fairness and equity and gives a feeling of belonging to all sections of the country. Does

anyone need to be apprised of the “man-made” compositional disparities in Nigeria? More so, Southern Nigeria is not in want of competent, intelligent and sagacious men and women, who are more than capable to lead and navigate Nigeria out of the present quagmire; restori ng its dignity and glory, and elevating the country to even greater acmes, in all sectors, for the good of all Nigerians.

TACKLING HOUSING DEFICIT…

L-R: Managing Director, WEMABOD Estate, Yemi Ejidiran; Chairman, WEMABOD Estate, Owodunni Opayemi, and Managing Director, Connect Homes, Opeyemi Akeju, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between WEMABOD Estate and Connect Homes in Lagos... yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

Imam Blames FG’s Weak Handling Osinbajo: Collaborations Key to Ensuring Stability, of Terrorists for Persistent Insecurity Containing Humanitarian Crisis in Lake Chad Region John Shiklam in Kaduna

An Imam of the Kaduna Branch of the Ansar-ud-Deen Society, Alhaji Hussain Makanjuola, has said that the security challenges in the country have persisted because the leadership has been reluctant to wield the big stick against the terrorists.

Delivering the 1443 edition of the Annual Ramadan lecture of the Society yesterday in Kaduna, the Islamic cleric called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take stringent action against bandits and terrorists in order to ensure peace and security in the country.

According to him, the security challenges have persisted “because the leadership of the country had been reluctant to

wield the big stick against the terrorists.”

He said Islam values human life to the extent that it recommended several measures to prevent insecurity and wasting of human lives.

He said Nigerian leaders must remember that God will ask them to account for their actions on the day of judgement.

“Therefore, leaders must be just. If there is injustice in a country, there cannot be peace”, he said.

Makanjuola said: “It is perceived that the leadership of the country is not willing to take action against bandits and terrorists troubling the country because the majority of them belong to the same tribe with the president.

Group Tasks Senate, Buhari on NYSC Trust Fund Bill

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency has urged the Nigerian Senate to toe the line of their counterparts, by concurring to the NYSC Trust Fund Bill, while calling on President Muhammad Buhari, to speedily assent to the bill, when sent by the National Assembly.

At a press briefing in the National Assembly yesterday, the Convener of the group, Comrade Isaac Ikpa, stated that the House is obviously full of members that look at the future of the nation and consider just how well our growth as a people is important to the success of governance.

He added that our place as a nation in the continent and the world is only further emphasised with bills such as this one, making

it known who we are, and how we conduct our affairs.

He stressed that “it is good to know that the full nation is coming to the realization of acknowledging that NYSC is the best way to imbibe the spirit of Nationalism in our youths. Now is the time for our young individuals to understand that the Nation that they have once thought of giving up on, actually cares about their welfare and survival.”

“This is the time they need to understand that they are Nigerians and not just Igbos, Yorubas, Hausas and other tribes in the country. Meeting people from different parts of the country has helped many individuals understand other cultures and promotes unity amongst diversity.

NYSC has made possible for our Nigerian youths.

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has that international collaborations, cooperation and synergy among Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger are key actions that would determine the speed and effectiveness of the delivery of economic stability, peace,and containing humanitarian crisis

in the Lake Chad region He noted that synergy between countries and stakeholders across the region and the Sahel were critical to stability in the region.

Osinbajo stated this Monday in Abuja while declaring open the first Annual International Forum on the Development of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

According to him, Collaboration, cooperation, and synergy between our countries, and stakeholders across the region and the Sahel are the key actions that will determine the speed and effectiveness of the delivery of economic stability and peace, and containing the humanitarian crisis.

The VP noted that military action and cross-border security

interventions are yielding results in fight against terrorism.

Osibanjo added: “There is a need for international cooperation and collaboration especially as we have seen in the domain of military action and we have seen this work for cross border security interventions especially in terrorism situations in that neighbourhood.

Voter Apathy, Irregularities, Violence Mar Katsina LG Polls Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Local Government Council Elections in Katsina State was faced with low turnout of voters, violence and electoral irregularities in some local governments visited

by THISDAY. It was further observed that only fewer voters turned up at polling units visited despite the state government’s declaration of

yesterday as work-free day to enable people to exercise their constitutional right.

The Katsina State Independent Electoral Commission, (KATSIEC), had distributed sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the elections on Sunday to allow for early commencement of the process yesterday.

But the materials arrived most polling units late, while in few

local governments materials for the elections were not seen at all.

In Kankara, there were no sensitive materials, result sheets, supervisors as well as returning officers for the local government election in the area.

Apparently miffed by the scenario, the Electoral Officer in charge of the council, Idris Barau, declared that there was no local government election in

the area.

He told journalists at the premises of the KATSIEC in Kankara that the chairmanship and councillorship elections did not hold in the area due to what he termed uncertainty.

Barau also cited non-availability of returning officers and supervisors as his reasons for the cancellation of the exercise in the security-proven local government.

Easter: Anambra NSCDC Deploys 1,977 Personnel to Churches, Event Centres David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 1,977 of its personnel to ensure safety during the Easter celebration.

The command said the personnel have been deployed to worship centres, recreation

centres and other areas where Easter celebrations are billed to take place.

A statement issued by the state Command’s spokesperson, DSC Edwin Okadigbo, quoted the state Commandant, Everestus C. Obiyo, as listing various departments of the Command that have been deployed.

“Towards ensuring a hitch-free

2022 Easter celebrations, the state Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State Command, Everestus C. Obiyo, has ordered the deployment of 1,977 officers and men of the Command.

“The men are drawn from Operations Department, Investigation and Intelligence Department, Rapid Response

Squad (RRS), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Female Squad, Chemical Biological Radioactive Nuclear and Energy unit (CBRNE).

“Others are Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) Disaster Management Unit, Medical Unit, Special Force (SF), Agro Rangers Unit, AntiVandalism Unit, and Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection Unit (CNAIP).

Global Migration Forum: Outcome of Review Would Form Nigeria’s Position, Says Sulaiman-Ibrahim The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hon Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, yesterday said the outcome of the national review of the Global Compact for

Migration(GCM) in Lagos would form the position of the country at the international review forum in New York, United States in May 2022.

According to her, the consultative process is meant to review and

take stock of the implementation of the GCM as a nation, and to prepare for the regional and the International Migration Review Forum next month.

Addressing United Nations Country Team and other

development partners in migration sector in Lagos yesterday, Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that the adoption and institutionalisation of the GCM and its 23 goals, resulted in the creation of a National Action Plan for GCM implementation.

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TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Nigeria Receives Three Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine from Italy Onyebuchi Ezigbo inAbuja The Nigerian government yesterday received over three million doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Italian government.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, who received the donation, said that it was a reflection of the sincerity and commitment of the Government of Italy and European delegates to the global efforts in halting the COVID-19 pandemic for nations of the world to return to their normal way of life.

He assured, that the vaccines, “like all other vaccines we have in-country, will be judiciously utilised, as we have instituted accountability in the COVID-19 vaccination programme to ensure efficient use of all available resources. Also, let me reiterate the fact that we have an adequate quantity of COVID-19 vaccines across all states for every eligible person in Nigeria. And to assure all Nigerians, our donors, and partners, that we are committed to equitable and effective COVID-19

vaccination. “ I, therefore, urge all persons aged 18 years and above including pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to take advantage of the availability of these vaccines to get vaccinated. All COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria are free, safe, effective and protect you, your family and your community against COVID-19,.“ he said.

Shuaib disclosed that as yesterday, Nigeria has fully vaccinated 13,588,718 persons which is approximately 12.2 per cent of its total eligible population.

“Meanwhile 23,012,700 Nigerians have received their first dose which represents 18% of the total eligible population. We have also intensified our technical support to the states to ramp up the vaccination coverage.

“We are currently supporting the states to finalise their micro plans which we believe will further strengthen accountability in the utilisation and management of available resources and increase uptake based on locally acceptable methods and standards.“ According to Shuaib, in order to ensure that Nigeria fully utilizes

the COVID-19 vaccination programme in strengthening the primary health care system by using routine immunisation as an entry point, it has adopted a strategic approach for delivery of

COVID-19 vaccines, known as the optimised SCALES 2.0 strategy.

He explained that the approach entailed the integration of COVID-19 vaccines with the current implementation of national

immunization programme “This means that parents and caregivers with children or Wards aged zero to two years are encouraged to bring their children along to the COVID-19

vaccination site where childhood vaccines are available. While the adult receives COVID-19 vaccines, the children are assessed for the antigen they are due for and vaccinated.”

BIGI PROMO WINNER…

L-R: Content Creator, Rite Foods, Aransiola Biola; the winner of the Bigi “Watch & Win” promo, Amarachi Chukwuma, and Digital Marketing Communications Lead, Rite Foods, Olawale Odenusi presenting the prize, to the winner in Lagos…. yesterday

Three Children, Woman Burnt Nigeria, S’Africa Renew Partnership on Drug War to Death in Rivers Jetty Fire Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Blessing Ibunge inPort Harcourt

Three children and a woman were burnt to death early hours of yesterday , in a fire incident that occurred at Bonny/Bille/Nembe jetty along Creek Road market in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

THISDAY learned that the incident which happened at about 2am Monday morning, also burnt down about 20 speed boats and local boats conveying goods to Riverine communities in Bayelsa and Rivers.

It was also gathered that the fire started from one of the boats conveying some gas cylinders at the time of incident.

An eyewitness at the scene, disclosed that the affected boats were sunk into water, adding that they are yet to get accurate number of victims that lost the lives in the fire.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko, who spoke with THISDAY, said the command has commenced investigation to unravel the cause of the cause.

As at the time of filing this report, she could not confirm the number of victims that got burnt in the horrible incident.

New Edo CP, Yaro, Assumes Office, Promises Criminals Tough Times

The new Commissioner of Police (CP) for Edo, Abutu Yaro, assumed office yesterday in Benin, promising to be a team player and ensure that activities of criminals are curtailed.

Addressing the officers at the command headquarters, Yaro noted that the command was compact, well organised, and the security architecture, world class.

“We are simply keying into what is on ground. With you and the men, certainly, the mission will be very easy.

The new Edo CP enjoined the officers and men of the command to continue to do their job diligently

and not to rest on their oars.

“Fine tune your actions and ensure that Edo people continue to enjoy the peace you have succeeded in creating,” he said.

Referring to the criminals operating in the state, the CP said:” We will ensure hoodlums, especially kidnappers move from Edo State or face police fire as long as l remain in charge of the police command. “ Yaro was posted to Imo State at the time the state was experiencing high level of criminality resulting in burning of police stations and killing several policemen almost on daily basis.

FSI Pledges Financial Inclusion Solutions for MSMEs

Financial Services Innovators (FSI), a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to enabling start-ups within the technology and financial space, has reaffirmed its commitment to creating inclusive financial solutions in suburban Nigeria.

To this end, the company recently announced the final round of the ‘Include Me’ virtual hackathon competition.

The virtual hackathon, which started on March 11 with a webinar entitled, MSME Challenges in Northern Nigeria

is facilitated by Small, Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) State Manager, Niger State, Mr. Folorunsho Lukman.

It is aimed at engendering inclusive financial solutions for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), focusing on the banking and insurance sectors in Northern Nigeria.

Speaking on the hackathon, Executive Director, FSI, Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, said: “We are excited to see this virtual hackathon moving ahead to a logical stage since we started.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), popularly called HAWKS have agreed to collaborate in tackling the menace of drug trafficking between the two countries.

This was the highpoint of discussions at a virtual meeting yesterday between

the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) and the National Head of South Africa’s DPCI, Lt. Gen. SG Lebeya along with members of their teams.

In his presentation, Gen. Marwa called for an operational Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) that will allow both agencies share intelligence real time, engage in joint operations especially in the areas of controlled delivery; joint training and

personnel exchange programmes among others.

“Drugs destroy our youths both in Nigeria and South Africa. These drugs are peddled by syndicates across our two countries, this is why we need to partner and collaborate to dismantle their evil web and stop their criminal trade,” Marwa said.

Lebeya, in his remarks, agreed on all the areas of collaboration identified by Marwa.

He said: “I’m in agreement

with you on the areas you have mentioned. It’s important we collaborate on intelligence sharing real time. Exchange programme for our personnel is also another effective way of sharing knowledge.”

Other areas the meeting agreed would be worked on by the technical teams set up at the close of the discussions, include confiscation of proceeds of crime and prosecution of suspects among others.

‘Impactful Investing, Collaboration Critical to Sustenance of Foundations’ Oluchi Chibuzor Experts have stressed the need for impactful investing and collaborations by foundations so as to sustain their critical roles in alleviating poverty, engendering social and democratic development on the African continent.

The experts spoke yesterday at a webinar to mark the 30th anniversary of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation (OWF) with the theme: “The Role of

Foundations in Developing Countries.”

They said that over the years, foundations have continued to make a difference in developing societies by being involved in aspects of human rights, social inclusion, equality, gender rights, cultural protection, poverty alleviation and value creation.

Executive Director, OWF, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, who set the ball rolling, stated that with the foundation being

launched exactly 30 years ago, “it is therefore most fitting that we use the opportunity of this landmark to beam our searchlight on the impact of foundations and similar institutions in developing countries.”

She described as noteworthy the fact that foreign-based foundations remained unrelenting in their work in developing countries, noting that indigenous foundations deployed theirs or other privately sourced funds to

achieve great feats in developing the society.

According to her, for foundations to have greater impact, they must network, synergize, share experiences and explore partnership opportunities to achieve greater effectiveness.

Pointing to sustainability as greatest challenge facing foundations, she said uncommon determination and commitment to their mission and vision will keep them afloat.

Late Osinachi’s Spouse, Accused of Culpable Homicide, Moved to State CID Kingsley Nwezeh inAbuja The Federal Capital Territory Police Command said yesterday it had moved the spouse of late Abuja-based gospel artist, Osinachi Nwachukwu, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The late gospel artist released a hit song, “Ekwueme,” which dominated the air waves for a long time. Her death has generated intense interest and outpouring of grief and emotion by her fans in the nation’s capital.

Nwachukwu, a lead singer at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, rose to fame in 2017 with ‘Ekwueme,’ a song she did with Prospa Ochimana.

Her spouse, Mr. Peter Nwachukwu, was accused of kicking her on the chest which led to her eventual demise at the National Hospital, Abuja.

In a chat with THISDAY, Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Josephine

Adeh, said Nwachukwu has been transferred to the state CID. “He has been transferred to the state CID. He is still in our custody”, she said.

She stated that Peter Nwachukwu was arrested after her spouse’s family formally filed a complaint of “culpable homicide”, against him.

The deceased singer’s elder sister, Ms. Favour Made, alleged in a media interview that Osinachi was kicked in the chest by her husband, Nwachukwu.

Made said her family had tried unsuccessfully to make her walk away from the marriage because of domestic violence.

“When the man kicked her on the chest, she fell down and he took her to the hospital but he did not even tell us.

“It was her friend, who lives in Ebonyi state that called her twin sister, because Osinachi has a twin sister, to ask, ‘did your sister tell you that Peter hit her on the chest? the sister then told her no”, she said.

Sanction Purveyors of Violence in Enugu PDP, Group Tells Ayu Chuks Okocha in Abuja A pressure group, the Enugu Rescue Group, has called on the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to wade into the attack on the supporters of former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the party’s expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Aninri at the weekend.

The group, in a statement,

said any attempt to sweep the event, which nearly cost many lives, under the carpet, would only reinforce violent political conducts in the run up to 2023 general election in Enugu State.

The petition reads in part: “The Enugu Rescue Group (ERG), a non-aligned pressure group committed to the good governance of Enugu and peaceful political cultures is

appalled at the resurgence of political violence in Enugu State, which is sadly coming from the stables of the PDP. “We have observed with horror the premeditated violence that headlined the monthly local government meeting of the PDP in Aninri LGA and some other parts of the State. We note in particular the vicious premeditated attacks visited on supporters of former

Deputy Senate President and gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, at Ndeaboh, headquarters of Aninri LGA. “An incident of this magnitude, which nearly cost the lives of many, including the Member of House of Assembly representing Aninri State Constituency, Hon. Chinedu Okwu, should not be taken lightly.

39

TUESDAY, ͹ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Iwobi Voted Winner of Everton’s Goal of the Month Award Olawale Ajimotokan

Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi, 25, was yesterday announced as the winner of Everton Goal-of-the-Month award for March.

The Super Eagles midfielder’s dramatic 99th minute winner against Newcastle United was voted as the best goal of the month by Everton fans.

He calmly slotted home after being placed on by Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Goodison Park to rapture into wild celebration .

That goal secured the vital three points for the 10-man Toffees.

In second position is Claire Emslie’s goal for Everton Women against Manchester United at Old Trafford with the first of Salomon Rondon’s two goals against Boreham Wood in third place.

Just last weekend, Iwobi received plaudits for his excellent display as Everton defeated Manchester United 1-0 to signal their resurgence to remain in the English topflight next season.

The victory lifted Everton to 28 points from 30 games and still 17th on the log. Burnley who are playing Norwich today can still narrow the gap with Everton back to just one point if they win.

Anthony Gordon’s 27th minute gaol boosted the Toffees’

Alex Iwobi ... voted winner of Everton’s goal of March.

Real Madrid Will Not Underestimate Chelsea, Says Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti said yesterday that Real Madrid will not under-estimate Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final and dismissed Thomas Tuchel's suggestion the tie is over.

After Madrid's 3-1 victory against the defending champions at Stamford Bridge last week, a furious Tuchel said "no, not at the moment" when asked if the tie was still alive, although the German was more optimistic yesterday.

But Ancelotti insisted Madrid will be taking nothing for granted at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight against his former club as they

C H A M P I O N S L E AG U E try to finish the job and reach the semi-finals.

"Chelsea are here to bring the fight to us. It will be tough for them of course but they will try. Good teams never give up," Ancelotti said in a press conference.

Chelsea delivered the perfect response last weekend by thrashing Southampton 6-0 in the Premier League and might take encouragement from Barcelona thrashing Madrid 4-0 only three weeks ago.

"I know my players very well," said Ancelotti. "They are well aware

of what happened a few weeks ago (against Barca) and what is required Tuesday. We won’t be under-estimating anyone. This is a great opportunity to reach the semis but Chelsea are a very good team. We have to respect them."

"It's the only way we can prepare for this game, thinking that Chelsea will be better Tuesday and be ready. There is no other way. We are ready. We know we will have to suffer and we are ready to suffer," Ancelotti added.

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro said he thought they

Real Madrid at training of tonight’s clash with Chelsea at the Santiago Bernabeu

delivered their "best 90 minutes of our season" against Chelsea in the first leg. "But we can't afford to be over-confident," he added.

Ancelotti's future at Real Madrid was thrown into doubt after the Clasico humiliation but three wins in a row since, including the victory over Chelsea, has eased the pressure. Real Madrid are 12 points clear at the top of La Liga.

TODAY @8pm B’Munich v R’Madrid v

Villarreal Chelsea

WEDNESDAY @8pm Atletico v Liverpool v

Man City Benfica

...Heineken UEFA Trophy Tour Begins in Nigeria After several weeks of preparation and counting down, all is now set for the eagerly- anticipated UEFA Champions League trophy tour courtesy of international premium brand Heineken.

With Dutch football legend Clarence Seedorf headlining this year's trophy tour, the action-packed and fun-filled activities for the two cities of Lagos and Abuja have been unveiled by Heineken.

The prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy regarded as one of the most coveted sports silverware arrived yesterday (Monday) same day the iconic football star, Seedorf and his entourage also touched down for the loaded two-day run of activities.

According to the itinerary, the trophy tour activities will begin today with Seedorf's visit first to the SuperSport studio and then to the Nigerian Breweries Plc Headquarters where there will be interactions

with employees and the UCL trophy available for photo ops.

Seedorf while at the Nigeria Breweries headquarters will be meeting with some prominent Nigerian football legends that would be confronting him and his teammates in the Heineken Face-off football challenge also billed for later today.

The Nigerian team to face the Seedorf-led five-a-side team includes former Super Eagles duo of Austin Okocha and Daniel Amokachi as well as superstar music artistes Davido and Reekado Banks.

After the visit to Nigeria Breweries, the next point of call for Seedorf is the Brewery bar where a press parley will be held and the unveiling of the UEFA Champions League Trophy, the international legend and the home-grown legends will be conducted.

Attention thereafter shifts to the Landmark Events Centre for the tasty faceoff challenge between Team Heineken and Team Nigeria.

chances of survival in the top flight.

Iwobi played all 90 minutes of the game with Liverpoolecho. co.ukgiving the Super Eagles’ midfielder a match rating of 8/10. The medium praised his energy and work rate off the ball, as well as his skill, strength, pace, desire and attacking intent.

“His energy and work-rate off the ball particularly were a shining example that every other Everton player should be following for the rest of the campaign. “This was arguably his best performance since arriving at the club – full of skill, strength, desire, pace and attacking intent,” Liverpoolecho.co.uk wrote of Iwobi’s performance in its Everton players’ ratings for the game against the visitors from Old Trafford.

Pepsi Joins DStv Premium Golf Day Train Soft drink giants, Pepsi, have announced sponsorship support for the second edition of the DStv Premium Golf Day. The event will be held at the Ikeja Golf Club on 23 April.

This was disclosed in a statement released in Lagos yesterday by the organisers.

According to Flykite Productions, the event organisers, over 100 golfers from clubs across the country to be selected from over 500 registrants, will participate at the event, where golfers will play with only four clubs and a putter and winners will emerge via a stroke play format.

Flykite Productions also disclosed that the first prize at the event is a business class flight ticket to Dubai for a weekend stay at a five-star hotel, while the second prize is a business class ticket to Kigali, Rwanda, for a weekend stay at five-star hotel. The third prize is a weekend stay at a five-star hotel in Lagos.

Mr. Akin Areola, Chairman, 2nd edition of DStv Premium Golf Day Organising Committee, expressed delight at the sponsorship support provided

by DStv and Pepsi, saying it marks them out as genuine supporters of sports in general, golf in particular as well as healthy living in the country.

“We especially delighted that these corporate giants, DStv and Pepsi, are supporting this event.

It is a bold sign that they are committed to the development of sports in general and golf in particular. It also indicates that they are committed to the promotion of healthy living and are shining examples that other corporate organisations should follow. DStv and Pepsi, it is important to say, have always been prominent supporters of various sports in the country,” said Areola, who is also a former captain of Ikeja Golf Club.

General Manager, Marketing (Beverages), Seven-Up Bottling Company. Mr. Segun Ogunleye, described Pepsi’s involvement in the DStv Premium Golf Day as another step in the company’s contribution to sports in Nigeria.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

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Bode George to PDP, North “Zoning is sacrosanct and I can confirm to you that the committee in its report did not throw the ticket open. Those saying the South has ruled longer than the North are only being clever by counting from 1999.

They should count from 1960. If you are counting, you should start from number one and not number eight’---PDP Chieftain, Bode George, arguing that PDP constitution mandates zoning, and dumping it will be unjust.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Identity, Barred Phone Lines and Matters Arising

L

ast week, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), a government agency under the Ministry of Communications, currently led by Minister Isa Pantami, took the decision and made same public that any user of a GSM phone who is yet to link his or her National Identification Number (NIN) to a Subscriber Identification Module that is SIM cards, would be barred from making any further calls on the country’s telecommunication network. The telecommunication operators were so ordered to effect the directive and so by April 4, over 48 million phones had been barred from making any GSM calls. The idea of having mobile telephone lines in Nigeria linked to NIN was first mooted in 2020. Ten times so far, the Ministry of Communications and its subsidiary agency, have extended the deadline for compliance ten times. In December 2020, over 72 million lines were barred from making calls. Following appeals to government, the deadline was again extended the tenth time.

The original reason given for the registration of SIM cards was national security. Too many persons, the government observed, commit crime through mobile telephony, from the use of the lines to kidnap persons collect ransom, lure persons into ritual killings, rape, murder, extortion advance fee fraud and all kinds of criminal activities. In a country of over 200 million people, it made sense to use mobile telephony penetration to track the people and gather data. The linkage between the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in this regard made sense. Data is the biggest problem in Nigeria. Nigeria plans without data. Nigerians do no respect data.

They are more likely to operate on the basis of faith and superstition. Nigerians don’t even know how many they are. With the increasing penetration of mobile telephony, a veritable tool of inclusion and democratization, there is no doubting the quality of data that can be mined from such a strategic and accessible public and open resource foe development planning and national security reasons. It is in this regard that I think the NCC/NIMC intervention was useful and advisable, absolutely in principle.

Indeed at a point, the Nigerian regulator fined MTN, the biggest telecommunications company in the country, $3.9 billion for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards.

But where are we at this moment and why? In the last week, many Nigerians whose phones are not yet linked to the NIN, are busy agonizing. They cannot make direct calls. They can only receive calls through their WhatsApp applications. Over 48 million Nigerians have been shut down. I can no longer count on my finger tips or the strands of hair on my head, the number of Nigerians who are literally weeping and gnashing their teeth that living without their mobile phones is like a trip to purgatory. Businesses have been affected. Love lives and relationships as well. \this reminds me of an essay I once wrote wondering how we used to live before the advent of mobile telephony. I recall those days when every Femi, Chuka and Musa used to go to NITEL offices to make phone calls, only to get lucky or unlucky after many hours on the queue. Few persons had phones at home at the time, and those who were privileged what kind of phones did they have? - early 20tth Century grandfather phones that left your fingers bruised after every call and after a usually annoying encounter with the disrespectful staff at the telephone exchange who could be heard often times eavesdropping on your conversation and giggling at your expense.

The revolution in the telecommunication industry

Pantami in Africa put an end to all that. It brought the people more than anything else, freedom.

It shattered one aspect of the illusion of elite privilege and superiority. Telephone exchange staff became irrelevant – nobody needed them any longer and the gossip that they enjoyed ended. For a hwile there was something called Thuraya Satellite phones! All those women who got carried away by men who wielded those bulky phones, just before the democratization of telephony must be wondering why they got carried away so easily by something that became nothing within such a short space of technological advancement and innovation. Today, Femi, Musa and Chuka can hold a phone, and call anywhere in the world without anyone’s assistance.

The only problem I see here are those Nigerians, the annoying ones who don’t load credit on their own phones, that is the “Oga, Oga, I don’t have credit, please call me back” crowd. When you call back,, the same person who has no credit on his or her phone wants to beg for money from you, but he or she would never think of borrowing credit to even borrow from you.

This is why my favourite feature on mobile telephony is True Caller. Once you can memorize the list of time wasters and the greedy crowd, it is easy to just ignore their calls, except they are willing of course to make the call, before that usual line: “Brother mi,, please I need your help oh.” The danger is that every request is a matter of life and death, and the response is expected immediately. Nobody cares about your own circumstances. When you tell them you don’t do this thing they call bank transfer, they would even offer to travel down to set it up for you, so that any time they need a handout from you, there will be no delay - Nigerians and their terrible sense of entitlements and the discontents of mobile telephony!

If people suffer this much in the hands of extended family stalkers, extortionists and abusers, I have no problem with the state qua state saying that it needs to have a record of everyone who makes a call, or owns a phone. A mobile phone looks good. It is a tool of communication. It is also a status symbol. Indeed, when some Nigerians step out of their homes in the morning, they do

not hold one phone, they carry about three, and in terms of cost, those three phones are more than enough to buy a plot of land and start the foundation of a building. Some people are so vain, despite the poverty in the land, that when you move beyond the value of their many phones and assess the cost of their jewelry, and apparel, the total combo would be enough to build a house! With such display of insensitivity and the crime level in the country, the Nigerian government is right to seek to know what people do with their phones. And who owns which phone? These small gadgets that people hold in their hands and call mobile phones can be used for good and ill. It is the same instrument that is used to announce good news, that terrorists use to deliver messages of evil. Freedom is a good concept in human societies, but it is not an absolute proposition.

But why would Nigerians refuse to obtain the NIN and link their phones after ten postponements by the National Communications Commission (NCC), over a period of two years. The first thing is that the people do not trust their governments. We have reached a sad point in this country whereby the people consider government their Number One Enemy. They doubt anything that is related to government.

Whatever government proposes, the people are likely to think that the primary interest is not theirs but the selfish interests of government officials. Without any deep reflection, they reject any government initiative almost instinctively: The fact that religion, ethnicity and ego are often thrown into the mix makes everything worse.

Nigerians are also the most superstitious human beings in the world. They read meanings into everything. When this whole drama about NIN/SIM started, Nigerians were naturally suspicious. Nobody allayed their fears and so the conspiracy theories grew wings. Do they want to monitor our phone calls? What do they need NIN for? Do they want to use this as an excuse to bring in people from Niger and Chad to manipulate 2023 General elections? Even if we take the numbers, who will protect privacy and guarantee integrity?

As is typically Nigerian, nobody could offer any clarifications. The approach adopted by government was to bully the people and issue threats. That worked. People trooped to the registration centres.

The centres were chaotic. Long queues; abusive staff. There were reports of extortion to get just a number. NCC addressed that by getting the telecommunication companies involved and setting up new centres at some point. It was at that point that I got involved. I had to get to the service centre at 6 am, alongside Ms. Ijeoma Nwogwugwu and Mr. Adibua Okwesa. Still, we met a queue. It is so strange that in Nigeria, you cannot get certain things, including visas to foreign countries, or a National Identification Number, (NIN) except you go through a night vigil or its equivalent. The Federal Government of Nigeria may insist on its policy choices in this context, but the point is that it was a terribly managed process. The repeated extensions were also in part due to failures on the part of government and its agents. The NCC and the Federal Ministry of Communications jumped into the process without any clear thinking, completely without preparation and without enough public enlightenment.

The second thing is that the people don’t really care. Why should NIN/SIM card alignment be a priority when Nigerian borders are so porous and there is so much poverty in the land?

What I cannot understand is the chaos and confusion that people have been subjected to in the last few days. Suddenly and after a fashion,

many NIN registration points are no longer working in parts of the country. Persons who had even obtained the NIN and who may have forgotten to link the NIN to their phone lines are being told to wait. They are asked to wait either because their numbers cannot be traced or that the electronic system in these places is down. People are desperate. They have learnt to rely on their mobile phones. Losing a phone is like being castrated; holding a phone and not being able to make a regular call with it is like mental torture. People around me have been screaming. They are losing it because they can’t make calls without their phones. They shout on top of their voices when I tell them that we once lived in this same country where a certain military chief, a Minister of Communications, who later became a prominent politician and Chairman of the country’s legislature, boasted, one of those days, that telephones are not meant for the poor! They think I am talking fiction, but it is the truth, even if the man’s media handlers have tried to water down the statement over the years. These days the poor own the phones and they are very assertive about their right to also make phone calls.

I want to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Communications and the National Communications Commission to take a second look at the latest deadline. When the queues built up and the people complained, the government was helpless.

I commend the agencies, however, for the decision to extend the deadline further until now.

I also admit that the Federal Government had given so many earlier warnings. But that is Nigeria for you. The people do not obey directives by government until they are convinced that it is something deserving of their concern. But by now, it must be clear to Nigerians that government means business with the registration of NIN and SIM cards. Their reluctance to comply is more of a comment on people-government relations than the people themselves, or perhaps both to be fair.

I recommend a more cautious approach. Even those who had their NIN cannot link up. The NCC must look at their back-end operations. It is either the operating system is overwhelmed or there is a need to look at whatever is happening at that back-end. Phone users have been told to go quickly and sort out their NIN/SIM registration and many are out there in compliance but the confusion is enormous. It would be wrong to project the typical Nigerian attitude that the people deserve to be punished. No. Many are actually innocent offenders. It seems to me that the alignment of the NIN and SIM cards should be a permanent, on-going process. There must be more creative ways of making sure that the people comply. What are those other options?

Candidly, I have no technical ideas, beyond common sense, but I think mounting additional pressure on a population that is already under the weather as a result of existential uncertainties is most unkind: a national currency that is heavily devalued, the cost of diesel going up so badly even the rich now ration electricity supply, no jobs, no water, no electricity and yet in the midst of it all, some people are beginning to show up talking about 2023 general elections and promises that they do not intend to keep.

The barred GSM lines should be opened up for another reason: the cost to the economy and the effect on the mental health of the people. I suggest that the government should meet the people half-way, encourage them, and show a little more empathy. The people should also meet the government half-way by simply obeying the directive that every barred SIM card should be registered and thereby get unbarred.

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