THURSDAY 15TH APRIL 2021

FG Counters Obaseki, Denies Printing N60bn to Augment FAAC Stop playing the Ostrich, says governor Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos The federal government yesterday faulted a claim

by Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, that it

printed N60 billion to augment funds from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributed to states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in March.

Minister of Finance, Budget

and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, at the end of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, described the claim as not only untrue but unfortunate.

But Obaseki in a statement made available to THISDAY last night asked the federal government to stop playing the Ostrich and take urgent steps to end the prevailing fiscal slide.

Ahmed, however, allayed concerns about the nation's current debt profile, which is 23 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), saying it falls within the sustainable limit, despite the

worries about the rising debt profile of the country.

Notwithstanding her assurance, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Continued on page 10

NEITI, EFCC, NFIU Move to Unravel Owners of Oil Assets... Page 6 Thursday 15 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9503. Price: N250

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Abducted Chibok Girls’ Parents Express Hope Children Will Return Home Soon They will be rescued, Zulum pledges Students not forgotten, says FG Emma Okonji, Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Some parents of 112 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram’s captivity since they were abducted on April 14, 2014, yesterday recounted their ordeal of living without their children in the last seven years, and expressed optimism that

their daughters would rejoin them soon.

The parents spoke to ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, in Chibok and complained that the federal government would appear to be paying less attention to the need to recover the children.

Continued on page 8

SANs Back Direct Fund Allocation to State Judiciaries Urge FG to ask court to enforce executive order Alex Enumah in Abuja Senior lawyers yesterday called on the federal government to remit allocations due to state judiciaries from the Federation Account directly to them as part of measures to break governors' stonewalling of attempts to implement financial autonomy to the judiciary in the states.

The lawyers, in separate interviews with THISDAY said since the constitution provided for financial autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures, the federal government has the responsibility and powers to disburse funds meant to the state judiciaries and legislatures directly to them.

Continued on page 8

SIGNED AND SEALED...

French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Mr. Franck Riester (left), and Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, during the signing of the 200,000 barrel per day refinery in Akwa Ibom deal between BUA and Axens in Lagos...yesterday

PDP Mobilises Tambuwal, Obaseki, Saraki to Stop Ayade’s Planned Defection...Page 5

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NEWS PDP Mobilises Tambuwal, Obaseki, Saraki to Stop Ayade’s Planned Defection Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

C’River LG chairmen, 196 councillors threaten to leave party Chuks Okocha in Abuja The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mobilised Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and the party’s reconciliation committee headed by a former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to persuade the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, to rethink plans to defect from the main opposition party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

THISDAY learnt that the move followed the threat by 18 elected local government chairmen and 196 councillors in the state to defect from the PDP if the party fails to repeat its state congress.

The chairmen and councillors yesterday met with members of the NWC in Abuja during which they served the defection threat.

The delegation, led by the Chairman of Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Bassey, in a petition handed over to the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, called for immediate conduct of transparent congresses at all levels in the state.

THISDAY gathered that in the last congress conducted by the PDP in the state, Ayade lost control of the structures to members of the party in the National Assembly.

The governor's loss of political structures at all levels to a faction that sponsored Hon. Agoms Jarigbe in the senatorial primary that pitted him against Senator Steve Odeh, sponsored by the faction loyal to the governor.

Odeh, it was gathered, was sponsored by the governor to replace the late Senator Rose Okoh who died last year.

It was alleged that Odeh reached a deal with the governor to spend only one term as a senator to enable Ayade to return to the Senate, where he was until 2015.

However, the calculation

failed as Jarigbe, a serving member of the House of Representatives refused to remain in the House.

At the primary, PDP returned Odeh as the senatorial candidate, but Jarigbe rejected the outcome and went to court and his appeals were upheld.

The development led to the threat of defection by the governor and his faction, which boycotted the zonal congress of the party held recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where Chief Dan Orbih was elected as the South-south National Vice Chairman.

The governor also boycotted the PDP governors’ meeting at the weekend in Makurdi, Benue State.

It was as a result of the threat by the governor to defect to the APC that the elected local government chairmen and councillors met with Agbo yesterday to present their petition for a new congress to confer respect on the governor as the leader of the party or they would defect.

Chairman of the Calabar Municipal Council, Hon. Effiong Eke, told journalists after the meeting with the party that they demanded a fresh state congress to guarantee the return of party structures to the governor.

He said: "The governor is the leader of the party in the state. He should be given control of the party structures and this can only be done with a fresh congress.

“We are demanding a fresh congress. If not, where the Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, goes, we will go with him.

He is the leader of the party in the state."

Also, the leader of the delegation, Hon. Emmanuel Bassey, who is also the Chairman of Cross Rivers State Local Government Chairmen Forum, said: "We are chairmen of the 18 local government councils in Cross River State. We came to meet the national chairman and we have met him, and he

was ably represented by the Deputy National Secretary in the person of Dr. Emmanuel Agbo.

"We came for the purpose of our state; the state of affair of the party in our state; we met him and we presented to him what we came with and he has honourably taken care of it and has assured us that he is going to make sure that what we presented to the party and what we came with, will be given immediate and urgent attention."

When he was asked to reveal the content of the petition presented, he said: "You guys must have known that the state congress has not been held, and we did ask that it be done urgently. And he has assured us that that will be considered urgently.

"For God's sake, Prof. Ben Ayade is the party leader in Cross River State; he is the one that leads, just like every other governor in any PDP

state. So, let us give him his due respect. Let it be given to him. Whatever equation he must have taken, I think is to a great extent it is for the goodness and betterment of the party.

"Let me state here categorically that we are the pillars of the party in Cross River State and these pillars were erected by Prof.

Ben Ayade; so, if he goes, we go with him."

But a source told THISDAY that the NWC was working to stave off Ayade’s planned defection by mobilising Tambuwal, Obaseki and the Saraki-led committee to ensure a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

“The PDP’s top hierarchy has moved to resolve the matter. Some governors that are close to Prof. Ben Ayade have been contacted.

The Saraki-led reconciliation committee has been contacted and before the weekend, we

are sure of good news," the source stated.

The party had earlier sent Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, to mediate in the crisis in the Cross River State chapter of the party, following speculations that Ayade was planning to join the APC. Receiving Mohammed in his office in Calabar, Ayade had said the PDP under his watch scored the highest returns in elections, adding that he was not moved by the disagreement with party stakeholders.

He said: “I know you are somebody that doesn’t take injustice. One single injustice they will see a new Cross River State…and I say it as a warning because it does appears that your party seems to celebrate people who threaten and stress them.

“All councillors in the state are PDP; council chairmen are PDP; all House of

Assembly members are PDP, all commissioners are PDP, and all the National Assembly members, except one, are PDP: all of them are under my leadership.

“I am happy you have created an opportunity for a melodrama. So today I am seated and dancing on the fence. Indeed that’s true.

“And so I speak with righteous anger for the continuous annoyance and nuisance orchestrated on our innocent by external factors.

But I just hope this ends today.

“And so please as I leave you with some holy whispers, which will be very strong, firm and clear, it’s a harbinger of trouble.

“While I believe in ecclesiastics of peace, I believe in the catechism of good faith but I also believe in respect for the supremacy of an office.

“I think the time has come when all of us will gather and say enough is enough.”

SEEKING FEDERAL MIGHT...

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, during the governor’s meeting with the National Assembly leaders in Abuja… yesterday

BUA Group, French Company Strengthen Deal on 200,000bpd Refinery Project Obinna Chima The BUA Group and Axens, a France-based petroleum technology company, yesterday reviewed and signed statements of acknowledgement of the level of progress achieved on the former’s proposed multi-billion-dollar integrated 200,000 barrel per day refinery and petrochemical plant to be situated in Akwa Ibom State.

The event came about six months after both companies signed an agreement for the supply of process technologies and the design of the facility.

The ceremony, which took place in Lagos, had in attendance the Chairman of

the BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Mr. Franck Riester, as well as some other top French government officials. But the CEO of Axens, Jean Sentenac, joined the meeting through a virtual platform.

Rabiu said Axens was chosen because of the company’s track record.

He said: “The refinery is a 200,000 bpd project, which will be located in Akwa Ibom State. It took us quite a bit of time to decide on the company to handle this project and at the end of the day, Axens, a French company, was selected.

So, we are really pleased to

have chosen Axens, one of the best in the world.

“The company has been involved in this type of project for many. Last year, we signed the agreement for the design and the technology last year. Today, we are signing another agreement. We are also working with KBR. So, today we have reviewed and signed statements of acknowledgement of what has been achieved. So, we are making good progress.

Axens, KBR and BUA have been working together for some time.”

He expressed optimism that the project would commence this year, with the expectation that it would be completed

within four years.

He, however, declined to comment on the cost of the project.

“There is an aspect of the refinery project whereby at the end of the day you would be able to use a different oil that can be used for renewable.

From the refinery, we would be able to process crude oil, there is a petrochemical, which is also about 280,000 tonnes and the agreement for that would be signed hopefully next week. But the technology for the refinery is coming from Axens,” Rabiu stated.

Riester described the partnership between the BUA Group and Axens as a good symbol of President Emmanuel

Macron's desire to boost the relationship between Nigeria and France.

“That is also same for President Muhammadu Buhari. They are committed to this direction. This partnership between BUA and Axens is an excellent symbol of that. It is also a good symbol of the commitment of the Chairman of the BUA Group, Rabiu, in this direction.

“That is, the direction of strengthening and deepening the partnership between French companies and Nigerian companies. I am glad to be here to support this partnership. There is a need to support the longterm investment of French

companies in Nigeria and Nigerian companies in France.

We are proud that a French company is involved in this project,” he added.

Sentenac said he was pleased to sign the progress statement.

He said his company was committed to delivering quality technology that would bring about a landmark refinery.

“This refinery would be one of the best in Africa.

This state-of-the-art integrated complex will allow BUA Group to develop its refining and petrochemical capabilities in Nigeria and produce highly valuable products for the domestic market,” he added.

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NEWS

NEITI, EFCC, NFIU Move to Unravel Owners of Oil Assets

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said yesterday that it was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and other antigraft agencies to unravel the real owners of assets in the oil and gas industry.

Coming under the beneficial ownership principle, the collaboration, it said, would make public the identities of persons or entities who bid for, operate or invest in extractive assets and their level of ownership and details of how ownership or control is exerted.

The move is coming against the backdrop of insinuations that many people or companies whose names are registered as owners and controllers of Nigeria’s extractive industries are fronting for some highly placed persons.

NEITI stated that the development will advance the frontiers of transparency in the strategic sector and limit corruption, abuse of office, improve government revenues, citizen welfare and national security as well as levelling the playing field and reducing reputational risks for businesses.

Speaking in Abuja at a two-day capacity building workshop for journalists, NEITI’s Director of Communications and Advocacy, Ms. Obiageli Onuorah, stated that the development recently led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with

the EFCC as well as forging a closer collaboration with the NFIU to track the accounts that receive the profits from such businesses.

She added that the work is being made easier since no transaction exceeding $50,000 can be done without the full knowledge of the NFIU, which has been cooperative in operationalising the beneficial ownership standard.

She said: “We really want to know who the real beneficial owners of Nigeria’s extractive assets are and that’s why we are working with the NFIU because there’s no transaction more than $50,000 that doesn’t go through them. And they have this network of relationships with other such units in other countries.

“They share information.

So, even if the payment went to jurisdiction in the United Kingdom, for example, they have a way of tracking them because there’s a process the transactions must go through and we are able to track who the real owners are."

She added that if a person is a director in a company and yet revenues from transactions do not go to his or her bank accounts, but pass through the banking system to another person’s account, then it raises suspicion.

According to NEITI, although hidden ownership of extractive assets is not always illegal and not always designed for sinister purposes, more often than not, anonymous ownership masks abuse of office and conflict of interests and enables tax evasion, illicit financial flows, money laundering, drug and terrorism financing.

Corporate anonymity, the agency said, impeded economic growth, noting that the NEITI is more interested in being proactive in stopping corruption, rather than “catching” the culprits when the deed is done.

Onuorah stated that the agency was also working with the auditor general to strengthen its processes in the agency's fight against graft.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr.

Ogbonnaya Orji, stated that the training became necessary considering the strategic importance of the media to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation process as well as its crucial roles in the ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining sectors.

According to him, it behoves on the media to drive the reforms that are crucial to the survival of the Nigerian extractive sector, particularly

now when Nigerians and the world await the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law.

Orji stated that the global EITI has now revised its standards and expanded implementation to cover emerging issues - beneficial ownership, contract transparency as well as gender and environmental reporting.

He said under his leadership, NEITI had resolved to prioritise the need to link

the agency’s regular extractive industry audit reports to visible results and impacts.

“This will be done by working closely with relevant government agencies that have responsibility for the implementation of the recommendations and remedial issues highlighted in our industry audit reports. NEITI believes that this will ultimately lead to improvements in the lives of Nigerians,” he said.

HOLDING COURT WITH JAGABAN...

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu; Nassarawa State Governor, Mr. Abdullahi Sule, during a meeting with the national leader in Abuja…yesterday

Senate Summons Minister, AGF over Alleged N7.5bn Secret Withdrawal Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, over an alleged secret withdrawal of N7.5 billion from the two per cent National Automotive Council Levy Account domiciled with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The committee, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, yesterday hinged the invitation on a report of the AuditorGeneral of the Federation (AuGF) which the lawmakers were considering.

The report said the first N3.8 billion was withdrawn in two installments of N2.8 billion in 2005 and N1 billion in 2006, while the second N3.7 billion was withdrawn between March - December 2000 in three separate payments of N725 million, N1 billion and

N2 billion.

The query reads, "A total sum of N3,836,000,000.00 (Three billion, eight hundred and thirty-six million naira) was irregularly withdrawn from the two per cent National Automotive Council Levy Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja in two installments of N2,800,000,000 (in 2005) and N1,036,000,000.00 (in 2006) by the AccountantGeneral of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance as car loan to be granted for the

security personnel car purchase scheme loan.

"The transaction was carried out by the presidency in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the AccountantGeneral of the Federation without the involvement of NAC, the account owner.

However, the principal and the accrued interest from the fictitious loan have not been paid back nor are records available on the beneficiaries, agreement documents,

moratorium, duration of the loan, the yearly interest rates accruable and how the fund will be paid back by the beneficiary.

"The director-general has been requested to intensify correspondence with the Minister of Finance, AccountantGeneral of the Federation and the presidency to recover the fund (loan)."

When the committee asked the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Mr. Jelani Aliyu, about the

withdrawal, he said the money was withdrawn without the knowledge of the agency.

According to him, the agency has been writing to the Accountant-General and the Ministry of Finance on the need for a refund but there was no response.

Displeased with the development, the senators resolved to summon the minister and the accountantgeneral of the federation to shed more light on the withdrawal of the fund.

FEC Okays N1.59tn for Customs’ 16 Patrol Boats, 427 Cars Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts worth N1.59 trillion for the procurement of 16 patrol boats and 427 operational vehicles for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the extension of the University of Ibadan Library as well as the construction of an office complex for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Lagos.

The council yesterday approved the contracts at a virtual meeting presided

over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, gave the breakdown of the contracts awarded while speaking with journalists after the FEC meeting.

Ahmed said FEC approved all the four memos presented by her ministry for the purchase of operational vehicles and speed boats for the Customs as well

as the construction of an office complex for the FIRS. She gave the breakdown of the approved contracts to include a contract for the construction of N539.2 billion FIRS building in Ilupeju, Lagos with the completion period of 52 weeks; the design, construction and supply of two NC36M Customs patrol boats at a cost of N5.06 billion with a delivery period of 12 months.

Other FEC approvals for her ministry include the design, construction and supply of seven Customs fast

assault patrol boats and seven regular patrol boats, at a total cost of N501.47 billion with a delivery period of eight weeks and the procurement of 427 patrol vehicles for the Customs at a cost of N14.5 billion with a delivery period of four months.

She said: "The purpose of the purchase of the two types of patrol boats is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations of the Nigerian Customs Service in its bid to control smuggling and also ensure enhanced efficiency in all

customs duty operations in the Marine Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service."

On his part, Nwajiuba said FEC approved the award of N532.6 million contract for the construction and furnishing of the extension of the library of the University of Ibadan with a completion period of 48 weeks.

Justifying the need for the extension of the UI library, Nwajiuba attributed it to the increase in the students' population using the library.

He said: "For many years, the library of the University

of Ibadan had needed real extension, given surge of the student population.

"The extension project will comprise two suspended floors, two online reading areas, three cubicles, one physically challenged reading area, four seminar rooms, one reprographic unit, six staff offices, one control room, general rooms, stores, four E-libraries, a coffee room, a media unit room, one galaxies exhibition room and a journal publication unit, in addition to two reading areas."

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PAGE EIGHT ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS’ PARENTS EXPRESS HOPE CHILDREN WILL RETURN HOME SOON The terrorist organisation, Boko Haram, had abducted 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on April 14, 2014.

One of the parents said she kept washing the clothes of her abducted daughters in the faith that one day, they would return to put on their dresses.

Borno State Governor, Prof.

Babagana Zulum, however, rekindled that faith yesterday when he expressed the hope that the remaining Chibok schoolgirls would be rescued and reunited with their parents.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Ms. Sadiya Farouq, spoke along the theme as she said the federal government had not forgotten the remaining girls, adding that it was working to secure their release.

But human rights activists, yesterday, accused the federal government of being incompetent in the handling of the insecurity in the country, insisting that government has not learnt its lessons, seven years after the Chibok girls were abducted from their school.

According to ARISE NEWS Channel, which visited the parents of the abducted schoolgirls, the parents were still in tears.

They were, however, hopeful that their daughters would return someday.

The parents alleged that several attempts to make both the state and federal governments talk to them about their daughters failed because the government was not willing to discuss the matter with them.

“If the government had told us that our daughters were dead, we will feel it for a while and forget about the pains, but in a situation where we are not sure that our daughters are dead, it becomes difficult to conclude that they have died and their memories kept coming. We are, however, hopeful that one

day, they will return,” one of the parents said.

There was anger, pain and helplessness, felt among some of the parents when ARISE NEWS visited the community.

The parents expressed worries that many pupils abducted after the Chibok girls abduction, had since been rescued and returned to their parents.

They wondered why the case of the Chibok girls was different.

Most of the parents that spoke to ARISE NEWS Channel said they have more than one daughter in captivity, while some said they have up to three daughters in the terrorists’ den.

Some of the girls who were among those rescued, said although they were now free, some parts of their bodies were still in captivity as long as some of their schoolmates are still with their abductors.

Human rights activist and Strategic Team Member, BringBackOurGirls Movement (BBOG), Dr. Allen Manasseh, who also spoke yesterday on the Morning Show, on ARISE NEWS Channel, expressed sadness that seven years after the abduction of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls, Nigeria was yet to learn lessons from the abduction.

He stated that over 20 parents of the girls have died from health complications induced by the protracted wait for the return of their children.

“The level of engagement with the parents should change; there’s no date on the issue of rescue. We have over 20 parents that died already from blood pressure-related complications; renal failure as a result of blood pressure.

Twenty plus parents died, nothing happened,” Manasseh said.

He said the country had witnessed more abduction of students who were still in captivity.

Manasseh, who is also the Founder and Chief Executive

Officer of Impact Trust International, a humanitarian organisation working to support victims of violence, said: “The BringBackOurGirls movement started 15 days after the Chibok girls were abducted, and the movement came up because the government did not address the situation with the urgency it deserved. All we heard from the government was blame game and denial of responsibility along party lines, instead of intensifying actions to rescue the abducted girls. If the government was serious in rescuing the Chibok girls, Nigeria would not have witnessed the continued kidnapping and abduction of students that have become rampant today in the Northeast part of the country. Today, Nigerian students are forced to choose between going to school and staying alive, and that is the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in the country.”

According to him, the government for some reasons refused to rescue the abducted girls and refused to do a proper investigation of the abduction, so as to prosecute and punish those culpable.

He expressed concern that the government has not entered into any meaningful engagement with the parents of the Chibok girls, seven years after the abduction.

He wondered why the case of the Chibok girls was handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs, instead of the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria.

Also speaking on ARISE NEWS, the Co-convener, BringBackOurGirls movement, Mrs. Aisha Oyebode, sympathised with the parents of the abducted Chibok girls and shared their sentiments and pains over the non-return of their daughters.

She said the incident happened as a result of incompetence on the part of the federal government to end Boko Haram terror.

She said seven years after,

the government had still not ended Boko Haram attacks on innocent citizens.

According to her, Nigeria is in a state of war but does not seem to understand the nature of the war.

She advocated the need for government to address educational challenges in the country and encourage people in the North-east to embrace education and shun violence.

Citing the statement of Zulum, during his state broadcast yesterday on the insecurity in the state, where he said: “I urge parents, especially anyone with a female child, to pause for a while to imagine how it will feel to have one’s daughter abducted and held for more than 2,549 days so far,” Oyebode said the federal government should apologise to the parents of the abducted Chibok girls and to all Nigerian parents whose children had been abducted

by Boko Haram insurgents because the government has failed the people.

Oyebode added that every single person kidnapped should be accounted for.

“We will continue to fight until all abducted persons by Boko Haram are reunited to their parents,” Oyebode said.

A lawyer, UNICEF Consultant and Child Rights Advocate, Mr. Taiwo Akinlami, who also spoke on the programme, stated that given the actions of Boko Haram in the past seven years, Nigeria has been plunged into a state of war.

Akinlami also stated that Nigeria has not really been governed well because 1999 Constitution as amended is faulty.

He added that the constitution prioritises the welfare and security of the people, but the government is not adhering to that because the constitution is faulty.

He said the challenge of insecurity has not been addressed by the current and previous governments.

He stated that a situation where government issues statements each time Boko Haram strikes, using the same words should be disregarded

by Nigerians because such rhetoric does not show any sign of commitment on the part of the government to end insecurity.

through their accountants.

He said: "The only constitutional step I can canvass is for money budgeted for each arm of government to be paid directly to their accountants.

“Let no fund meant for judiciary or House of Assembly pass through the state governments again.

"It is not a complex matter at all. So, that judiciary and legislature will no longer have to go as they say 'cap in hand 'begging' for what constitutionally belongs to them."

He said the heads of those arms of government, would be accountable for the funds.

However, Raji suggested that the federal government can approach the apex court for an order freezing funds belonging to a state government that refuses to comply with the constitutional provisions on financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislature.

He said: "The federal government is enjoined to file a suit in the Supreme Court against the recalcitrant states with a prayer for permission to warehouse appropriate funds pending evidence of compliance."

Another senior lawyer, Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), stated that the judiciary has the power to compel the

federal government to act in a particular way.

According to him, since the federal government has shown a desire for financial autonomy for the various state judiciaries and legislatures by signing Executive Order 10, it should approach the court to give it necessary backing.

He argued: "I believe that it is within the province of the judiciary to order the federal government to do or refrain from doing anything.

Our constitutional democracy demands that court orders must be obeyed by those concerned.

"However, this ideal remains a mirage most of the time; hence the failure of the state governments to obey the existing judgment.

The good thing here would appear to be that the federal government is well disposed to having the state governments ensure financial autonomy for the state judiciary.

"That being so, what the federal executive had intended to achieve through Order 10 should be submitted to the court for judicial pronouncement. Once there is a judgment of the court sanctioning the tenor of the Executive Order 10 and the federal government is sincerely positively disposed thereto, it would be open to the executive

They will be Rescued, Zulum Pledges Meanwhile, Zulum has expressed the belief that the remaining girls would be rescued and reunited with their parents.

Zulum in a statement yesterday said the mental torture of having a daughter in Boko Haram captivity was worse than losing a child.

The governor said he had interactions with President Muhammadu Buhari, who has not lost hope in securing the release of the girls.

According to him, the president said he had remained unhappy over the continued detention of the girls by the insurgents.

He said: “As a father of daughters, I can’t even imagine the pains of having one’s daughter held by terrorists for as long as seven whole years.

“Certainly, the mental torture of not knowing the fate of one’s daughter in the hands of Boko Haram is far worse than losing a child. No parent can ever lose hope in a missing child and having that hope comes with so much pain of anxiety and depression.

“As a father of all sons and daughters of Borno, I haven’t lost hope that our remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other abducted persons will be safely recovered.”

Zulum said from his interactions with President Muhammadu Buhari, he knew the president remained concerned about the captivity of the girls.

“Countless times, the president has shown me

that he is not losing hope in the Chibok girls. He says to me although a number of our girls were reunited with their parents and are being catered for by the federal government, he is not happy until the remaining girls are freed,” he said.

The governor said he and the president will continue to urge everyone in Borno to sustain prayers for the girls and everyone in abduction to be safely freed, and for peace to be fully and permanently restored in Borno.

He called on Nigerians to extend their empathy and support to the parents of the affected girls whom he said have “demonstrated faith and strength in the hope of reconnecting with their missing daughters.”

Students Not Forgotten, Says FG In a related development, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Farouq, has said the federal government has not forgotten the remaining girls.

She said the government is working to secure the release of the 112 girls still missing.

The minister, at a ceremony in Abuja to mark the seventh anniversary of the Chibok girls' abduction, said she was grieved by the abduction and prayed that the remaining girls would be reunited with their families.

“Our government came into power with a public mandate to control the insurgency in the North-east led to the Chibok girls’ abduction and to fight the corruption that hampered the rescue effort.

We have achieved a lot, but significant work remains for all levels of government. Half of the Chibok girls have been rescued and reunited with their families and have resumed their education. We will continue working to bring back those left behind,” Farouq said.

SANS BACK DIRECT FUND ALLOCATION TO STATE JUDICIARIES The lawyers, including Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Mr. John Baiyeshea (SAN), spoke against the backdrop of the deadlock in resolving the disagreement between the federal government and state governors over the implementation of financial autonomy to state judiciaries and legislatures.

The logjam has led to the ongoing indefinite strike by judiciary workers who are demanding the implementation of the financial autonomy law.

The strike called by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to protest the refusal of state governments to implement financial autonomy for their respective judiciary and legislature entered its ninth day today.

Section 81 (3) and Section 121 (3) of the constitution grant financial autonomy to federal and state judiciaries.

Courts have also confirmed it in the cases of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria Vs National Judicial Council (NJC) and Governors of the 36 states in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/667/13; Olisa Agbakoba Vs Federal Government of Nigeria, NJC and the National Assembly in suit No.FHC/ ABJ/CS/63/2013 and Olisa Agbakoba Vs Attorney General of Ekiti State and two Others

in Suit No. NAD/56/2013.

But while the autonomy was implemented at the federal level, the state governors have refused to implement it in the states.

To enforce the implementation, President Muhammadu Buhari signed Executive Order 10 but the governors faulted the order, describing it as unconstitutional and full of inconsistencies.

However, some of the senior lawyers said for the federal government to disburse funds directly to state judiciaries, it must have to be directed by the court.

Ozekhome told THISDAY that the matter was quite simple because of a subsisting court judgment recognising financial autonomy of the judiciary at the state level.

According to him, the federal government will be right to deduct at source through the AccountantGeneral of the Federation (AGF) all funds accruable to the various state's judiciary and remit same directly to them.

He explained: "The Accountant -General of the Federation (AGF) is in charge of maintaining and operating the Federation Account. He establishes and supervises federal pay offices in each

state capital of the federation.

He is, more importantly, in charge of maintaining and operating the accounts of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation (Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution), Development Fund and other public funds.

"He also provides cash backing for fiscal and monetary operations of the federal government. Since there is an extant court judgment, which has not been overturned by an appellate court, which judgment is also backed by an existing regulatory law (Executive Order 10) duly signed by Mr. President in accordance with Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF will be perfectly right to deduct at source, all revenues payable to the courts as a first-line charge, and remit same directly to the heads of the various state judiciaries in Nigeria."

Ozekhome added that any state that is dissatisfied with such a step by the AGF could go to the Supreme Court and invoke its original jurisdiction in accordance with Section 232(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Baiyeshea also advised that monies belonging to the judiciary and legislature should no longer go through the state governments but rather

to implement the contents of the executive order in the name of obeying court orders in that regard.

"Since the federal government cannot on its own force the state governments to do anything without going extra-legal, this appears to be the safe way out, in my humble view."

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NEWS

PSC Charges IG to Rid Police of Bad Eggs Decries proliferation of investigative units Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Musiliu Smith, yesterday urged the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, to rid the police of bad eggs.

Smith, while receiving the IG in his office in Abuja, also decried the proliferation of investigative units in the force.

The commission, in a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, canvassed a harmonious working relationship between it and the police in the interest of the nation.

The statement said Baba, who paid his first official visit to the PSC, pledged loyalty

to the regulatory body and expressed the determination of the police to work with the commission.

Smith urged the acting IG to look into the proliferation of investigative units in the police to save "the police force of the huge embarrassments these units bring to the force."

He said there must be proper and close monitoring of police investigative units to stem the atrocities their officials commit in the line of duty, stressing the need to treat cases of misconduct by the personnel so that those found wanting are brought to book.

"It is this set of officers that have continued to damage the image of the force and you

should quickly get these bad eggs out of the force. You should also ensure sanity among the ranks and file and even the officers," he said.

Smith said the two agencies needed each other and must work together to solve the nation’s security challenges.

Smith, who prayed for a successful tenure of office for the IG assured him of the commission’s guidance and support but noted that he should listen and carry his management team along in the discharge of his duties.

“You should encourage and benefit from teamwork with your management team. Let them be free to advise you, listen to them” he told the

acting IG, adding that members of the management team should not be afraid to advise him but should also not mislead him.

“Be truthful to the IG, give him his due respect and the Nigeria Police will make a lot of progress", he said.

Smith said recruitment into the police would soon begin after details relating to the exercise were properly straightened out and all issues resolved in the interest of both the commission and the police.

He added that training should also be one of the priority programmes of the acting IG, including building strong intelligence base so as to detect and control crime.

He called for the revival of

the Police Detective College in Enugu so that it would provide the platform for training in intelligence gathering.

The PSC boss also spoke on the need for Divisional Police Officers to return to their responsibilities of doing visiting rounds” and also emphasised the need for revival of workshops and communication in police commands.

Earlier, Baba had said he came to formally inform the PSC that a new 'sheriff' was in town and to pledge the loyalty and cooperation of the police to the PSC. "He implored the commission to go beyond recruitment and promotion and assert its

authority to make the Nigeria Police Force better. He noted that the commission should go ahead to produce the police force the nation needs using the reward and punishment procedure, adding that the area of discipline has been neglected in the force," the statement quoted the acting IG as saying.

Baba said the force would be happy to work with products of the commission’s recruitment, adding that the 35 police training schools in the country should be made to be busy with all-year programmes.

He promised to work with the commission to give the nation an ideal and vibrant police force.

FG, Health Workers Disagree on New Hazard Allowance Meeting to reconvene in three weeks Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government and workers in the health sector yesterday failed to reach a consensus on the plan for an upward review of the N5,000 monthly hazard allowance for doctors and other health workers At a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Hazard Allowance for the health sector that held yesterday in Abuja, both government representatives and unions in the health sector, however, agreed that the N5,000 hazard allowance was obsolete and should be reviewed upwards.

But the meeting could not reach any consensus on the

percentage increase in the hazard allowance for doctors and other health workers.

THISDAY gathered from a source at the closed-door meeting that the various professional bodies and unions in the health sector proposed different percentages.

Although the federal government did not mention any specific figure, the meeting agreed to set up a committee to harmonise the various proposals made by the unions.

The source said the committee, comprising representatives of government and the health workers would report back to the meeting to be reconvened

in three weeks’ time.

"Different percentages were submitted by different health workers' union and associations and this would be reviewed in three weeks’ time," the source said.

He added that the doctors were proposing a 50 per cent increase in the hazard allowance.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, which lasted for over six hours, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, explained that the meeting was convened in furtherance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in April 2020 between the federal government and the health workers in the wake

of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said following the complaint received from the health workers, the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC), headed

by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, initiated a move to review the hazard allowance currently pegged at N5,000 per month.

According to Ngige, a stakeholders' meeting was convened shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, during which an MoU was signed on how to tackle issues relating to the welfare and compensation for doctors and other health workers in the frontline of efforts to arrest the spread of the virus.

He said there was delay in the implementation of the MoU due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Ngige told the gathering that the issue of government reneging on the MoU did not arise as the federal government had demonstrated its willingness to fortify the health sector and to provide adequate welfare package for workers.

He said that as a mark of government's desire to ensure that the welfare and interest of the doctors and other frontline health workers were protected, it approved a special COVID-19 hazard allowance totalling N32 billion, which was disbursed for three months, from April

to June, last year.

On his part, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, urged the doctors and other health workers to show patience and understanding of the challenges of the dwindling income accruing to the government.

According to him, medical professionals should see the critical nature of their job to humanity and avoid strikes, which would ultimately put people’s lives in danger.

Apart from the review of the hazard allowance, the meeting received submissions on the demands for the extension of retirement age for doctors and other professionals in the health sector.

Initiative (SRGI) and challenged state governments to be innovative about revenue generation.

It also called for the securitisation of the country’s debts and the creation of national assets register for stronger sustainable management of the country’s debt.

“We note that majority of Nigeria’s debts are not linked to assets or specific projects. As such, it is critical to creating a national asset register, and have a coordinated mechanism in place for valuing and managing Nigerian assets.

The government’s penchant for issuing new debt to redeem maturing ones is not an optimal debt management strategy. It is critically important to replace existing debts with asset-linked securities to reduce debt cost.

This will ease the pressure of debt service on the budget,” Mabogunje said.

The LCCI also expressed concerns about the persistent increase in domestic prices as headline inflation further accelerated to 17.33 per cent in February 2021, the highest level since March 2017.

It added that the “current headline inflation almost doubles the CBN’s upper inflation target limit of nine per cent.”

It attributed the rising inflation to the lingering foreign exchange liquidity concerns, the pass through the effect of the exchange rate depreciation on imported raw materials and finished items elevated energy

prices – PMS, diesel, upward adjustment of electricity tariff and cargo clearing challenges at the ports.

Mabogunje stated that the “continued uptick in inflation has profound implications for all stakeholders in the economy, including households, businesses, and investors. It weakens purchasing power and consequently worsens the poverty conditions; it escalates operating and production costs and erodes profit margins; and ultimately undermines investors’ confidence.”

Speaking during the press briefing, the Director-General of the LCCI, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said it was likely that the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN might reduce the apex bank’s developmental finance activities and “increase rates to concentrate on price stability.”

The LCCI described the Federal Executive Council’s approval of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, with plans to revamp Warri and Kaduna refineries, as not economically and fiscally expedient given the fact that billions of dollars have been expended on turnaround maintenance over the years with no tangible results.

The chamber “believes the refineries should be concessioned to private investors with the government taking a minority stake. Such funds should be invested in critical infrastructural projects that would further stimulate economic development in the country.”

FG COUNTERS OBASEKI, DENIES PRINTING N60BN TO AUGMENT FAAC (LCCI) expressed concerns over the sustainability of the federal government’s Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDMS) for 2020 to 2023, which increased Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP threshold to enable the federal government to finance its budget deficit from borrowing.

Obaseki, at the Edo Transition Committee’s Stakeholders’ Engagement last Saturday, had said: “When we got FAAC for March, the federal government printed additional N50-N60 billion to top-up for us to share. This April, we will go to Abuja and share. By the end of this year, our total borrowings are going to be within N15-N16 trillion.”

However, answering reporters’ questions on the issue after the FEC meeting, the minister said what was shared among the states, which Obaseki was referring to, was internally generated revenue of the government, which was even made public through the website of the Finance Ministry.

Ahmed said: “The issue that was raised by the Edo State governor for me is very, very sad because it is not a fact.

What we distribute at FAAC is revenue that is generated and in fact distribution revenue is public information. We publish revenue generated by FIRS, the Customs and the NNPC and we distribute at FAAC. So, it is not true to say we printed money to distribute at FAAC, it is not true."

She also allayed the fears of Obaseki over the debt

portfolio of Nigeria, saying there is nothing to worry about as such debts fall within sustainable limit.

The minister, however, stressed the need for the federal government to improve its revenue-generating system for optimal result.

“On the issue of the borrowing, the Nigerian debt is still within sustainable limit.

What we need to do as I have said several times is to improve our revenue to enhance our capacity to service not only our debt but to service the needs of running the government on a day-to-day basis. So our debt currently at about 23% to GDP is at a very sustainable level if you look at all the reports that you see from multilateral institutions,” she stated.

Obaseki, however, practically stood his ground in a statement titled: Our advice is that we stop playing the Ostrich.

“While we do not want to join [take] issues with the Federal Ministry of Finance, we believe it is our duty to offer useful advice for the benefit of our country,” the governor said firmly, adding: “The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed should rally Nigerians to stem the obvious fiscal slide facing our country.”

He said rather than play the Ostrich, the federal government should take urgent steps to end the current monetary rascality, so as to prevent the prevailing economic challenge from degenerating further.

“We believe it is imperative

to approach the Nigerian project with all sense of responsibility and commitment and not play to the gallery because ultimately, time shall be the judge of us all.”

Rising Govt’s Debts Worry LCCI Despite Ahmed’s clarification, the LCCI yesterday expressed concerns over the sustainability of the federal government’s Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDMS) for 2020 to 2023, which increased Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP threshold to enable the federal government to finance its budget deficit from borrowing.

The MTDMS, which was recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, increased Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP from 25 per cent to 40 per cent.

The chamber also predicted the likelihood of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) returning to its core responsibility of price stability by increasing rates to tame the skyrocketing inflation in the country.

It also advised the federal government to jettison its proposed spending of $1.5 billion to revamp the Port Harcourt refinery, saying that it should be given to the private investors while the government retained a minority stake.

The President of the LCCI, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, during the chamber’s quarterly review of the state of the economy in Lagos said the upward review

of the MTDMS might portend serious medium-term fiscal sustainability risk, given the country’s persistent revenue challenges.

Mabogunje reiterated the chamber’s position that the debt-to-GDP ratio does not reflect underlying sustainability risks, particularly in developing economies like Nigeria where there is a weak correlation between GDP and public revenue.

She said: “While public debt stock accounted for some 22 per cent of (Nigeria’s) nominal GDP as at end-December 2020, below the 56 per cent threshold recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for developing countries, official statistics point to Nigeria’s weak fiscal position with average debt-costs-to-revenue ratio settling at 59.4 per cent between 2015 and 2020. This portends serious medium-term fiscal sustainability risk, given the country’s persistent revenue challenge.”

She added that the sustainability risk of the new debt strategy is worsened by the fact that agriculture and distributive trade, which are the two largest contributors to the country’s GDP, “have no significant contribution to government’s revenue to support servicing of debt obligations.”

The chamber, however, acknowledged the federal government’s drive in boosting revenue mobilisation via the Strategic Revenue Growth

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

COMMENT

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

IN DEFENCE OF ISA PANTAMI

Uwa Suleiman writes that the minister of communications and digital economy is a man of integrity

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few days ago, I received a call from a strange number and the caller proceeded to make a very dangerous and provoking statement against my very distinguished boss, mentor and father; the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Today, the entire nation woke up to a propaganda that can only be the last resort of disgruntled enemies of progress.

The caller, who claimed to be a journalist even took the liberty of advising me on the dangers of working for someone on the FBI Terror watch list. My response which obviously did not go down well with the character, was to kindly forward the organisation’s link featuring the accused on the list in question. That was the end of that conversation as he hung up unceremoniously.

It is heart breaking to say the least, that while the rest of Africa is scrambling to partner with Dr Pantami albeit the digital economy sector which he has nurtured to global relevance, Nigerians who should take ownership of this generational enigma are at the fore front of the Pull Him Down (PhD) syndrome. Just last month, by consensus Pantami emerged the Chairman of the West Africa Telecoms Regulatory Assembly, a regional body made up of the highest decision makers in the industry. Yes, that is Africa recognising integrity and patriotism and the way to a future of global reckoning.

First of all, I am aware that it is not easy to accept the fact that a young man can have intellect, integrity, patriotism and courage to bring about the much needed change where most have failed. Secondly, it is even more difficult to accept that popular opinion favours him. But to drag the FBI into a web of lies just because one of Pantami’s earliest policies on the registration of SIM Cards was aimed at fighting terrorism as it hindered the wanton unregulated sale and registration of SIMs is unconscionable. The current NIN/SIM linkage also seeks to further give impetus to that policy. So how does any rightthinking individual go to press with apparently contradictory allegations? Who else remembers the threat to life arising from the inability to carry on business as usual?

The crux of the matter here is pure, bitter overflowing bile which cannot be channeled anywhere else but at the sensitive topic of religion which sadly, has become the bane of progress

FBI MUST BE HAVING A HARD LAUGH AT THESE FACELESS ACCUSERS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE PANTAMI IS ONLY KNOWN TO THEM AS THE DIGITAL TRAILBLAZER OF NIGERIA

and development when deployed for purposes such as these.

Of course the name of Pantami cannot and will not be found on the list of infamy anywhere in the world. It is not difficult to see why the detractors of the Nigerian nation will choose religion as a weapon of propaganda knowing full well that any type of calumny with religion as a base, is bound to attract influenced sentiments.

Isa Pantami is a man of no mean stature both literally and figuratively speaking. It will take more than a mere religious smear campaign to demean him or his progressive ideology.

The FBI must be having a hard laugh at these faceless accusers right now because Pantami is only known to them as the digital trailblazer of Nigeria. Nigeria is engaged in multiple projects on several levels with the United States, most of them championed by him. The Massachussetts Institute of Technology, an institute with more economic value than most countries, appointed him based on merit as the champion of its Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme. The United Nations has sent representation to foist partnerships and collaborations owing to his unprecedented achievements.

Anyone who has a modicum of grey matter knows that Nigeria is experiencing a paradigm shift owing to Pantami’s exploits in the digital economy which, prior to his coming, was non-existent.

To my unsolicited special advisers, let it be known that, not only will I serve my boss until he decides otherwise, I will not even serve in any future capacities without his blessing, no matter how relevant or juicy the portfolio may seem. Now, that been said, I challenge anyone, including the Americans, with concrete proof of Pantami’s involvement in terrorist activities at any level, to be bold enough to present these facts instead of hiding behind pseudonyms and obscure or outright non-existent platforms to spew bile and fiction.

Dr Isa Pantami is a man of sterling qualities and uncommon principles. He will not be deterred, he will not be cowed and he definitely will not be stopped by mere rumours.

My phone has not stopped ringing. I personally extend our deepest gratitude to those who have called to show support in this trying time. People only throw stones at a fruit-bearing tree. Again I borrow a line from Margaret Thatcher; When they begin to attack you personally, then they have no single political argument left.

MILITARY PENSION: A REFORMER ON DUTY Sabiru Lawal is driving a new order of transparency and efficiency in the administration of military pension, writes Jackson Ali

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hen Commodore Sabiru Abayomi Lawal assumed duty on September 18th, 2020 as the 28th Chairman of the Military Pension Board {MPB), he came with an attitude of efficiency. And it showed in the manner he set out to reform operations at the board. Obviously aware of the critical role such a board plays in the lives of retired military personnel and the entire military at large, Lawal served a clear intent at reforming the operations of the 46-year-old board.

Ever since, he has kept faith to his mission and vision of automating the administration and management of military pension in Nigeria. One of such measures being undertaken is his determination to electronically verify Nigerian military pensioners within and outside the country. Lawal believes that automating the processes will help eliminate multiple human errors and unwholesome incidents that had dogged the operation of the board and stymied its efficiency at delivering the right service to the nation’s retired gallant military personnel both at home and in the Diaspora.

Nigeria has had challenges of grave proportion in its pension management and administration. Whether it’s the pension of civil servants, police personnel or the military, several hiccups have clogged the smooth administration of these pensions.

In the case of the civil service, there had been cases of aged grandparents and parents slumping and dying on the queue as they wait, sometimes in vain, for their pensions and gratuity. Incidents like this have made the civil service less attractive

to many Nigerians especially the millennial generation.

Nigerian military is no less different.

Some Nigerians have canvassed for better pay and improved welfare for military personnel because of the volume of work they do. Beyond the allure of the uniform and its attendant privileges, what the military personnel dread the most is life after service. The system is wired in such a manner that as soon as a military personnel retires or leaves service via any other exit route, such a person loses his or her place in the barracks. It’s worse for those who did not build their own house during service; and equally hellish for those who made light of their pension contributions during service. They go home almost empty-handed.

Nigeria currently has about 300,000 military personnel striving to protect the territorial integrity of a nation of about 200 million people with a landmass spanning 923,768 square kilometres. This is a far cry below the basic minimum recommended by the United Nations. It says only one thing: Our military personnel are overworked, stretched for time, energy and emotion. They, therefore, deserve a better deal, better pay, at least basic comfort and an assurance that when the unexpected happens (death, etc) or the expected (retirement) there will always be a guaranteed substance to cushion the pain for their families. It’s the least a nation should do for a group of persons that risk their lives to defend and protect others.

Therefore pension for the military, like any other agency or department, is a well-thought out initiative. It gives hope for good life after service. Yet, in the case of the military - as with the police and

civil servants - some personnel have been known to complain about the end-reward for their gallant service to their fatherland.

Some even agitate to quit the contributory pension scheme. This is largely due to the poor pay of military personnel and the historical frustrations they go through trying to receive their entitlements especially in those days when their contributions were being managed by their employer – the federal government. These were the fears that the leadership of Lawal has come to take away.

Already, Lawal is building inter-agency synergy and forging partnerships with relevant players in the nation’s socioeconomic landscape to shore up efficiency at the MPB as well as build the capacities of personnel within the board to engender a culture of efficiency, transparency and operational integrity.

His determination to embark on Electronic Verification Exercise (EVE) has been described as a testament to the visionary disposition of his administration and leadership philosophy. The MPB is working on a partnership with eTranzact which will see to the automation of the military pension in line with the dictates and paradigms of the 21st century.

Besides, automating the MPB operations will eliminate cases of late payment, omission of names, payment to ghost retirees and sundry fraud. This may also be why Commodore Lawal has recently become a target of smear campaign and other sleight of men to tar him in uncomplimentary colour. It’s a case of when you fight corruption, corruption fights back.

But the multi-discipline commodore has stuck to his gun, insisting on cleaning up the operations of the military pension

board.

And it’s all so because his experience lends him to the job. Commodore Lawal flaunts a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Nigeria Defence Academy which he has topped with a Master’s degree in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Lagos and Certificate in Public Financial Management in a Changing World from the highly esteemed Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education, USA. He is a member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants, Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.

But no matter the campaign of calumny to smear his reputation, Commodore Lawal must forge ahead with the automation of the operations of the board starting with electronic verification of pensioners.

This is a smarter, cleaner way to run a critical organ of the Nigerian military if only to eliminate the hardship and stress associated with the previous system of manual/physical verification.

The military, especially the retirees and those at the cusp of their service, should be happy with Lawal for his reforms and his avowal to birth a new order of transparency and efficiency in the administration of military pension in Nigeria. If he pulls through these reforms, he would have etched his name on the glorious page of the nation’s military history. And yes, he can, given his pedigree of sterling performance at various stations before he was appointed Chairman of the MPB. Ali, public policy strategist, wrote from Lagos

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EDITORIAL THE HIGHWAY OF DEATH The Abuja-Lokoja expressway is a national embarrassment

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he Abuja-Lokoja highway is about the most strategic road in the country that enables the ease of movement of commuters and goods across the original three geo-political zones of north, west and east. It is also a nodal highway that connects the nation’s capital with several towns, communities, and states in the southern parts of the country. Sadly, this road has become a death trap for many commuters because of the high turnover of accidents on it. The cause of this high accident rates is attributed to its deplorable condition. “Lokoja/Abuja highway is a shame to the country; 15 years after, the construction a 200-kilometre road is yet to be completed,” said the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, Samson Ayokunle, recently in Lokoja.

We agree with Ayokunle that the apparent laxity by the federal authority in ensuring the timely delivery of the road is a national embarrassment. We are even more concerned that the highway has PEOPLE WHO INHABIT become one of the COMMUNITIES ALONG most dangerous THE ROAD HAVE BEEN tracks to ply in the REDUCED TO EMERGENCY country. Drivers and commuters alUNDERTAKERS ways feel extremely OCCASIONED BY THE fearful and anxious MANY IMPROMPTU whenever they BURIALS THEY ACCORD navigate the road.

RECOVERED CORPSES This grim feeling FROM ROAD CARNAGE is because many portions on that road have failed - either collapsed or are ridden with potholes. The bad portions only heighten the risk of accidents whenever any of the several rickety fuel-laden trucks that struggle for space on the road loses control and rams into other vehicles.

Letters to the Editor

As the daily death toll continues to rise, people who inhabit communities along the road have been reduced to emergency undertakers occasioned by the many impromptu burials they accord recovered corpses from road carnage. On annual basis, no fewer than 100 lives are lost on the busy highway whose contract was signed in 2006 while many more have been injured.

No fewer than 20 persons, including students of Kogi State Polytechnic, were recently burnt to death when a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident.

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

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s a result of these accidents, travelling on the road has become an anathema.

Besides, the bad state of the road has literally made it a den for robbers and kidnappers, who waylay innocent passengers at any time of the day to carry out their nefarious activities. It amounts to sheer negligence on the part of the federal authority as many lives are being wasted on regular basis simply because it is taking decades to complete an important road.

Indeed, driving on Nigeria’s approximately 200,183 kilometres road network can be risky and arduous as large swathes of the road tracks have broken down and are ridden with potholes due to neglect over the years. It is therefore no surprise that Nigeria is reputed as one of the countries with very high road fatalities in the world. Apart from the highway being littered with craters, driving at night is comparable to walking through a dark alley because of lack of street lights. We urge the authorities to fulfil their constitutional and civil duty to the public by fixing many of the federal roads to mitigate the distressing harvest of deaths.

In the specific case of the Abuja – Lokoja expressway that has been neglected for years, the right thing any responsible government will do is to make the road motorable without further delay.

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A SUCCESS STORY IN ‘LOCAL CONTENT’ Continued from back page

M

eanwhile, Makanjuola once told me that Omotowa and his team at Shell were so professional in their dealings with Caverton that they would even come to meetings with their own bottled water.

Incidentally, Simbi Waribote, the present Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), was on Omotowa’s team in Shell at that period.

I congratulate Makanjuola for what Caverton has turned out to be. When he started almost two decades ago with just one helicopter, he could not have envisaged he would go this far. On a regular basis in the past 16 years, Makanjuola has kept me abreast of the success story of his company just as he never forgets a prayer of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo following a chance encounter: “Won ni iwo lo ni helicopter company yen.

Eyokan yen si ma pe ogorun lojo kan (they say you own that helicopter company. That lone helicopter will multiply into a hundred one day.)

However, Makanjuola’s success is not accidental. I once used the Biblical story of talents to demonstrate how many Nigerian business people have been given ‘talents’ which only a few have bothered to judiciously utilize. Unlike those who fritter their ‘talents’ on frivolities, Makanjuola

grabbed the opportunities available to him with both hands and now he reaps enormous rewards. With 24 aircraft now in the fleet and two more expected, Caverton has made good in a critical sector but the MRO is the real deal. The multifaceted maintenance facility can carry out major checks on engines, main gearbox, tail rotor gearbox and other parts of aircraft. It is also expected that Caverton facility will be the maintenance hub for West and Central Africa, as there is no other major maintenance for choppers that provide oil and gas shuttle and other services in Gabon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire.

To the extent that present economic realities and escalating foreign exchange rates are making it increasingly challenging for Nigerian airline operators to carry out proper maintenance on their aircraft, the Caverton MRO project has come at a most fortuitous moment for the nation. With the average cost of a C or D check running into hundreds of thousands of dollars, there are already serious concerns for flight safety since airlines could, counting cost, begin to cut corners. The biting economic situation has already led to some airlines either being grounded or taking their services out of the country. The Caverton example has shown that with government’s support, local investors can create businesses that add value to our society and provide needed jobs.

The lessons from the Caverton story are many but two

will suffice. Affirmative action, when well designed and accessed by genuine beneficiaries, can actually work in Nigeria. Had the federal government not put the local content law and policy in place, Caverton Helicopter might probably have remained another air-shuttle company.

Credit is therefore due to President Goodluck Jonathan who signed the bill into law. Much more importantly, while Caverton needed that window to take off as a big company, I am aware it has also not rested on its laurels.

It has grown beyond a one-off contract with Shell and a marginal player in a sector dominated by two expatriate companies, to becoming a major player, while expanding outside of Nigeria into other areas of opportunity within the space. So beyond being a testimonial to local content, the continuing odyssey of Caverton is a tribute to the ingenuity of Nigerian enterprise!

All said, the future of Nigeria as a free-market economy depends on the seriousness of our private sector. Makanjuola provides a clear example of the main ingredients that serious minded businessmen need to succeed: tenacity, integrity and purposeful risk taking. This combination has made Caverton a clear leader in its field - to the glory of the nation. But the ultimate lesson for those in authority is this: There are many Cavertons waiting to fly if only the government will pursue the right policies and create the environment to give them wings!

Olusegun Adeniyi, Abuja

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THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Osinbajo Preaches Peace, Unity at Ramadan Deji Elumoye in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday urged Nigerians to recommit themselves to the

unity and peace of the country.

He also asked Nigerian Muslims not to see the ongoing Ramadan fast as merely a season of abstinence from food,

APC Caretaker Committee Disowns Zoning List Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Convention/ Extraordinary Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced itself from the zoning list currently circulating ahead of the party’s convention and the 2023 elections.

In the said list, APC 2023 presidential ticket was zoned to the South; the Vice President was zoned to the North; the Senate President to the South; the Deputy Senate President was zoned to the North; while the Speaker of the House of Representatives was zone to the North and the Deputy zoned to the South.

In the said list, the National Working Committee (NWC) positions were also zoned with the position of National Chairman zoned to the North; National Secretary - South; National Treasurer - South; Financial Secretary - North; Legal Officer - North; Welfare Officer-South, Auditor- North; National Youth Leader –South; National Woman Leader – South; Publicity Secretary – South and Persons With Disability PWD Leader – South Reacting to the zoning list yesterday in a telephone interview with journalists in Abuja, the National Secretary

of the Committee, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, said the party leadership would not be pressurised by sentiment to do the wrong thing.

He stated: “People who are interested in running for one office or the other can speculate.

As far as I am concerned, the last Caretaker Committee meeting we had, we did not discussed that. That is not what we are concerned with now. What we are concerned with is data collection - how to collect data without making mistakes?

“We are not going to be pressurised by sentiment and we do the wrong thing. Let me say that zoning is not for the Caretaker Committee alone. It has to do with the President; it has to do with other major stakeholders; it has to do with a lot of people.”

The secretary urged the people to disregard the list, adding that the committee was focused on delivering on its mandate.

“I want to mute the speculation. The list is not from us - Caretaker Committee. The President is not in town. There is no way such a decision will be taken without consulting with the President, consulting with the governors and other major stakeholders.”

FG Silent over Buhari’s Return Date Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The federal government yesterday refused to disclose when President Muhammadu Buhari would return to Nigeria from his medical trip to London, United Kingdom.

President Buhari had left for routine medical check in UK on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 with the Presidency assuring that he will be back to Abuja by middle of April.

Asked after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday when exactly the President would be expected back in Nigeria, the Minister of Information and

Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, refused to be categorical while speaking with journalists at the State House, Abuja.

He said: “Today is Wednesday, this week finishes on Saturday. So, what’s the big issue in that one?” he queried.

According to him, the federal government was currently more concerned with the issue of myriad of security challenges facing the nation.

The President had before embarking on the medical trip met earlier in the day with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the service to appraise the security situation in the country.

Northern Govs Condemn Killing of 12 Soldiers in Benue Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has condemned the killing of 12 soldiers in Konshisha LGA, Benue State, describing it as an unfortunate incident that must not be allowed to happen again.

The governors said the incident was capable of demoralising security personnel from giving their best in the fight against insecurity in the country.

Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, in a statement, issued yesterday said the forum sympathised with the families of the slain soldiers and the Nigerian Army over this unfortunate incident, which

occurred when the soldiers were on an assignment to ensure the security of lives and properties.

The governors urged the Army not to be discouraged by the act, but should continue to carry out their legitimate duty of defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity and assisting in maintaining internal security, particularly at this time when the nation is confronted by many criminal activities.

Pledging its continued support and collaboration to the Armed Forces and the security services in general, the forum appealed to the Army to remain professional and exercise caution and restraint even as they work hard to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

drink and worldly pleasures.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, the vice president spoke in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after he presided over the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council

(FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Akande quoted Osinbajo as saying that Ramadan period should be seen as a time of rededication to the higher values and virtues of love, kindness, generosity.

He quoted the vice president saying that, “I would like to

express special greetings to our Muslim brothers and sisters who have begun the Ramadan fast.

“This is not merely a season of abstinence from food, drink, and worldly pleasures.

“It is a time of rededication to the higher values and virtues of love, kindness, generosity,

and consideration for others regardless of faith or ethnicity.”

On the need for unity and peace in the country, Osinbajo reportedly said, “In particular for our nation, we must recommit ourselves now and in the future to the advancement of the unity, brotherhood, and peace in Nigeria.”

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION……

L-R: French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Pasquier; President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Mr. Franck Riester; and Group Managing Director/CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Michel Puchercos, during the French minister’s business visit to Dangote Group’s Head Office in Lagos…yesterday

Majority of Yoruba People Want Regionalism, Says Adams that Nigeria’s growing issues unity being threatened if there through a referendum, through Vanessa Obioha The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams has joined the majority of the Yoruba people to ask for regionalism as a way forward to deal with the issues affecting the country.

Adams who spoke yesterday in Lagos at the National Pilot Newspaper’s book presentation of ‘Roundtable Discussion on Economy and Restructuring in Nigeria,’ said that the fillers he was getting from Yoruba people both at home and abroad were

had gone beyond restructuring.

“The time is right for us to fight for self-determination,” he said, adding that he supports the “popular view of the Yoruba people that we have graduated from the restructuring which we have been clamouring for since 1991 to self-determination.”

Adams said he supported the popular opinion because the country’s powerful political bloc was not in support of restructuring.

He warned that of the possibility that the country’s

is no restructuring within the next three years.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland argued that the way forward without resorting to war is either self-determination or restructuring to regionalism through confederacy in the content of the constitution.

“What the Yoruba nation want now - the majority is self-determination. We may have some elite who are benefiting from the system.

Self-determination can be achieved without war or crisis

the parliament in different ways.

It can be achieved through regionalism, that is when you have a region, you give them about 80 per cent of autonomy,” he explained.

He emphasised that selfdetermination does not connote treason or offence, adding that it depends on one’s definition of it.

A recurring statement from the submissions by different guests at the book launch was that Nigeria’s restructuring was long overdue.

Oyetola Distances Osun from Yoruba Nation, Suspends Three Principals The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has distanced the state from the calls for the Yoruba nation in the South-west.

Also, the state government through the Ministry of Education has suspended the principals of the three schools who allowed a group into their school premises

to speak with the students on the concept of the Yoruba nation.

Reacting to a viral video that showed the group talking to the students about the plan of the Yoruba nation to secede from Nigeria, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Folorunsho Bamisayemi, said “Oyetola was not aware

and never gave consent to the group to speak with public school students in the state”.

He said, “Nigeria is one entity and will continue to remain so.

The Osun State Government never gave consent to any group to speak with students of public schools on a matter we know can cause disunity and chaos

in the country.

“As a Nigerian state, we believe in the Nigerian dream.

We urge every Nigerian to pray and work for Nigeria not to break up. As for those principals that allowed such a group into the premises of our schools, they will face the consequences of their actions.”

Govs Meet over Insecurity, Judiciary Workers’ Strike Chuks Okocha in Abuja Governors of the 36 State of the federation on the platform of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), yesterday met at the State House, Abuja to deliberate on security issues among other national issues.

Also prominently on the

agenda of their meeting was how to stop the ongoing industrial strike by judiciary workers across the federation.

The Executive Order 10 signed

by President Muhammadu Buhari for the implementation of financial autonomy for the state legislatures and judiciaries, was also said to be on the agenda.

In Sokoto, the AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, had said the federal government was determined to push through the content of Executive Order 10 and that there would be “No going back”.

The governors had on Tuesday said that while

they were not against the implementation of the law on financial autonomy, they would not be stampeded by the Executive Order.

The Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had commenced strike, which paralysed activities in courts across the country.

Arase Calls for Strong Internal Security Architecture Emmanuel Olorunda-Otaru A former Inspector General of Police (IG), Dr. Solomon Arase, has called for urgent actions that would stem the slide of Nigeria to Hobbesian state of nature where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Arase said that even though “absolute security may not be attainable, but increase in insecurity, especially as a result of violent crimes and conflicts can be mitigated. This requires that

the internal security architecture be strengthened.”

He gave this admonition recently in a paper he delivered as the guest speaker at the 11th Annual CEOs Dinner/Awards Nite of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies (AES) Excellence Club, with the theme: “Peace and Security Imperatives to National Development,” which took place in Lagos.

He said: “Globally, there is increase in insecurity and general lack of peace. Nigeria has a large

share in rising state of insecurity world-wide. As at March 26, 2021, Nigeria ranked as the third most terrorised country in the world for the sixth time.

“It is a truism that Nigeria is currently a victim of criminality.

Crimes have risen to a crescendo.

These crimes, be they violent or not, undermine safety, security, liberty, development and image of the country. By their nature, these crimes further undermine economic investment and activities with attendant consequences as

poor quality of life, mass poverty, widespread unemployment and dearth of basic infrastructures required for sustainable human and national development.

“Since returning to civil rule in 1999, Nigeria has been faced with several security challenges, especially violent crimes and conflicts in different parts of the country and by different groups that claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of citizens, and undermined national unity, security, and wellbeing of citizens”.

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021

POLITICS

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

‘I’ll Always Play Decent Politics’ Mr Godwin Ezeemo is a serial entrepreneur with interest in critical and diverse sectors of the nation’s economy. He is among the 14 governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party jostling for the party’s governorship ticket in Anambra State. He spoke to David-Chyddy Eleke on his aspiration

H

ow will you contend with other aspirants with intimidating profile in your party, who are also running for the governorship ticket, or you are relying on zoning?

I think I have the capacity to contend with all the aspirants. All of them are good, but none of them is experienced.

Most of them are not familiar with the political terrain in the state. Just very few, and those few, have some issues holding them. The other ones, we’ll match them for anything they have. But there’s something going for me, and that is, I’ve been in this state since 2012. I live here and I have traversed the nooks and crannies of the state. I started with Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which metamorphosed to APC. You can recall I contested with Ngige and because things were not done the way it was supposed to be done, I lost out. As a team player, I don’t have anyone to fear. No doubt, they all have their strength, but if it is the evidence of what people have done, none of them can match me.

But our situation here is different.

People are voted for based on how much they are able to dispense. It’s really very sad for our society.

On your second question, like I earlier said, I’ve traversed the entire state since 2013, 2016 till date, if you go to the far north, for example, Nzam area or Inoma and mention Godwin Ezeemo, they’ll tell you that I’m a grassroots person. I met them not just because of politics, but purely because of my social entrepreneurial and philanthropic work. So who should I be afraid of? Nobody! So whether they zone it or not, I’ll will still run and run good. So it’s not zoning that brought me into the picture. For us to be fair to ourselves, each political party has got their constitution and what they want to do. Some say we’re not part of the zoning, some say we’re part of it. They are left to do what they want to do.

I heard when you addressed your supporters, and you sounded so optimistic about your clinching the ticket and winning the election eventually, what gives you this assurance and what are you going to do differently?

I sounded optimistic going to Agu Awka (Anambra Government House) and I’m still sounding optimistic until we get there. The reason is simply because of the structure we have in place. The structure I have now is stronger than the one I had before.

The structure I had in PPA in 2013 was the one that came out of ACN and they weren’t much. You can’t compare it with that of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is a known party.

Anambra is a three party state, if not two party state. If I’m running on PDP platform and everything is done very well, there’s no reason why I won’t clinch the ticket towards getting to Agu Awka. Nothing at all, unless God doesn’t want it. I had in the past confessed that not making it (to Government House) was God’s decision. Of course everything we do is in God’s hands. If he doesn’t want you to be here, you can’t. So you must factor God into everything you do in life.

I’ve followed your political journey since last year, I discovered that

the primary election properly?

I don’t see anything wrong in many people coming out to vie for election.

It’s an indication that Anambra State has got a lot of people that have what it takes to manage the state. Everyone has got his vision and ambition on how to go about his own. Now, if the leadership of the party decides to do that, then you won’t call it democracy anymore. Aspirants need to start meeting with each other. We network.

That’s where the understanding and maturity comes. We’re meeting. But there must be that mutual understanding between the aspirants. If the party says someone should step down, then there’s a problem. While I was away, I was talking with other aspirants.

Others are also doing the same thing because nobody will want to spend his money when he’s sure of not making it.

For the people to accept you, you must have been apprentice to somebody.

The professional politicians want to see that in every aspirant. Except one who’s a green horn is being sponsored by an incumbent, the way Obiano came on board. That’s exactly the way I look at it.

Ezeemo

your setbacks lies in the system, not that you’re not popular. The system has not favoured your type of politics. You’ve always relied on playing the game according to the rules. Do you think the system has improved to the extent that the forthcoming elections will be played according to rules?

My type of politics is the politics I’ll always play, a decent politics. If you emerge as a governor from an indecent politics, you owe nobody anything. It’s like a soldier that got it from the barrels of the gun. But if it was done the way it’s supposed to be done, people reposed confidence in you and gave you power, you know you owe them and you must do the job and do it correctly. I’m not coming to do a shoddy job, I’m not coming

to do a job that someone will frown at. I’m coming to do a job that will ensure a strong foundation from where the state will grow. We want Anambra to be a first world state.

Just know that if you’re thrown up by a bad system, you’re not going to do anything different from the bad system that brought you in. But this time around, PDP has confirmed that there won’t be impunity, which has been the bane of the party in the state.

At the moment, they are trying. I see an improvement and I pray it continues like that, and nobody will quarrel.

With the number of aspirants in PDP, do you foresee a situation where the party leadership may request some of the aspirants to step down for others to manage

I don’t see anything wrong in many people coming out to vie for election. It’s an indication that Anambra State has got a lot of people that have what it takes to manage the state.

Everyone has got his vision and ambition on how to go about his own. Now, if the leadership of the party decides to do that, then you won’t call it democracy anymore. Aspirants need to start meeting with each other. We network.

That’s where the understanding and maturity comes. We’re meeting. But there must be that mutual understanding between the aspirants.

If the party says someone should step down, then there’s a problem

Do you think your contributions to the growth and development of the state has received a commensurate appreciation?

My coming back to Anambra is purely a desire of my heart. I didn’t do anything to please anybody. I thought within me for many years that I’m not going to spend the whole life time outside the country. At a certain age I must go home. I must be part of those who contributed to the growth and development of the state. That was the major reason for my return, not even for politics. Anambra State doesn’t need to appreciate me. I do my roads and other things myself. Anambra doesn’t support their stakeholders who have their businesses domiciled in the state. The only thing they’re interested in is your taxes. How you cope is none of their business. So I’m not expecting any appreciation from anybody. What I’m interested in is what I can give to better the state. I want Anambra that’s working. My strength is in God. Have you for calculated how much you’ve expended since over nine years pushing this ambition and is it worth the results you’re getting?

If you have a passion and burden and you want to achieve it, it will cost you money. A classical example is Mandela. He had passion for the liberation of his people who were being maltreated in their own land. He wanted freedom and he insisted on freedom for his people. For 27 years he persisted until he got it. When he was dying, he died a happy man because he succeeded. For me, I’m like someone living in a country flowing with milk and honey. But I decided to leave it on my own volition to invest in my state. It was when I came here that I saw other mess in the state which propelled me to join politics.

Unfortunately, most politicians are not sincere. And that’s one of my problems. When I’m saying something serious, people are dismissing me as one of those political talks and I said I’m not a politician. If politics stops now, I go back to my businesses. For, now I won’t quit because I’ve not gotten what I want, unless God says otherwise.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021

POLITICS DISSENTING VOICE...IN HIS OWN WORDS ‘I Have Been Brought Up Under A Powerless Legislature Made Buhari’s Political Tutelage’ Saliu Mustapha, one of the aspirants for National By a Weak Constitution

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Mon-Charles Egbo, Media Aide to the Senate discloses his plans to Chuks Okocha President identifies one reason members of the lead a party with integrity, experi- National Assembly fail to do as well as expected ence, hard work, loyalty, teamwork, bridge building, humility, stability, by many Nigerians party discipline and so on and so forth, also importantly a good reward system for party loyalists and also a generational sympathy for harnessing votes from the younger generation in general elections. All these put together with a positive energy and sense of direction is what I am going to be offering to the party with other like minds to achieve our progressive agenda to deliver on electable leaders across the country for a better Nigeria because the party is the vehicle and a party with leaders exhibiting these qualities is needed.

Mustapha

W

hy are you in the race?

First and foremost, it is an ideological path for me to be in APC and also in a progressive party. I am in the race to contribute in a positive leadership for all and helping to bring about a disciplined, stable, focused and purposeful party for all with new ideas, and a fresh face that resonates with the younger generation who made up 80% voters going into 2019 general election.

Also bridge building between the different strata of our societies. I intend to bring about my long-standing abilities in party administration to help create an enabling environment for all so as to have a party and candidates that would deliver on good governance and also continue with the good works of the present administration led by our leader and father President Buhari. So, I believe there is the need for an equally strong successor leadership not only at the national and sub-national levels but also in the party level that is the vehicle through which the successor government would emerge. This is what I envision and this is why I am in the race for the national chairmanship of APC. Are you not intimidated by the likes of former governors and Senators that are in the race ?

Infact on the contrary I am drawing my inspiration and encouragement from most of them, especially with what I earlier mentioned in the first answer about why I am in the race, a lot of them believe in the need to have a change of the narratives in so many ways in which I represent, so it is their endorsement I would be looking for and not competing with anyone of them for a contest, because we must work together with all hands on deck to succeed.

Has the office National Chairman been zoned to the North Central or North West and why the zoning?

In all honesty not yet, but in principle from a realistic point of the calculation politically and in my view, is to divide the country into North, South and Middle-belt /North Central. In which case if the southern region produces the President, then the North would produce the Vice and the Central would be producing the Chairman of the party for a more balance equation.

What can you offer as a Chairman of APC? I can offer everything positive to

The People in the race are mostly former governors, how can you challenge them?

With the sense of responsibilities this is not a contest of titles, but a call to serve, manage/accommodate different interest, promote, stabilize a rancour free environment for the emergence of a winning party for the country. I hope and pray the former governors would give me the opportunity/cooperation for fresh and new ideas to be brought in especially in instances the former governor have been around for too long, we need to have these changes both in narratives and generational approach.

Are you coming to represent CPC factor in APC? I am in to represent all members of APC and to also appeal to more Nigerians to join our party, of course I am from the CPC by origin and one of the three legacy parties along with ACN and ANPP that formed the merger APC. In politics we always try to balance and give people a sense of belonging, so if there is an agitation for the national chairman to be produced by CPC, it is natural owing to the fact the ANPP and ACN have once produced the chairmanship of the party but like I earlier said I am in it to represent all as a bridge builder because you need every possible hands on deck to gain electoral victories.

Where does the President stand in all these?

The president as you know is a father, leader and a democrat to all of us, but of course some of us have an ideological path with him and in reality have been brought up under his political tutelage, notwithstanding always giving us his blessing and support for everyone to go and win the confidence of the people you want to lead especially when you possess those ideals he believes in.

What is the likely date of the convention?

Well very soon, from the good work of caretaker committee ably led by the Governor of Yobe state, Mai-Mala Buni, it is work in progress. As you know that the convention has not been officially fixed but I can assure you that it would be very soon, especially considering the huge task ahead of the party and also making sure we sort out all that needs to be done in party building, reconciliation, accommodation and conducting of congresses, primaries before any general election to meet INEC deadlines. So, I will assume the caretaker committee with the good work they are doing would put all these into consideration.

O

ne of the major tragedies of Nigeria’s chequered political history is a legislature that is marked by stunted development when compared to other democracies world over. For those long years of military incursion in national politics, the legislature suffered the most because each time there was a forceful take-over of government, the legislature was disbanded.

Although the elected as well as appointed headships of the executive and judiciary were equally sacked, their bureaucratic structures were left to operate. And of course until this republic, there was no functional and distinct legislative bureaucracy, meaning that the legislature was practically grounded throughout those periods.

Consequently and at the exclusion of the legislature, the other branches had sufficient opportunities to evolve, particularly as the bureaucracies provided the political arms with the requisite technical supports for growth and development. As an instance, the permanent secretaries would guide the ministers and commissioners the same manner judiciary staff did for the law officers.

Another factor responsible for the prevailing inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the legislature is a weak constitution, even though high turnover rate of lawmakers minimally count. These laws which incidentally were packaged by the military, do not offer the legislature all-round support and protection to assert its authority and independence. Rather paradoxically, the legislature, national assembly in this case, is imbued with enormous powers which it cannot exercise unconditionally. It can make orders but cannot enforce them. Granted, the legislature in its oversight roles can summon and investigate individuals and organizations including agents of government, and also issue orders for arrest of those who disobey summons. But ironically, the laws do not provide for the mechanism to enforce the arrest seamlessly. For instance, if an inspector-general of police or a serving minister with retinues of security personnel refuses to obey summon, who effects their arrest? What happens if a presidential appointee ridicules the legislature? What happens if the executive fails to work on legislative resolutions?

Furthermore, the constitution mandates the legislature, particularly the senate, to screen and confirm certain categories of executive nominees but does not provide for what happens in the event that some nominees are not cleared. The 8th senate did not confirm Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman yet he served for over 5 year, though in acting capacity. The same parliament issued an order for the comptroller-general of customs to wear official uniform, but six years after nothing has changed. These and many others are some of the issues the constitution did not envisage, simply because these very laws were made when there was no legislature in operation. Based on this constitution, Nigeria’s president is the most powerful in the world. All the powers for checks and balances vested with the legislature exist only in papers.

These understandably informed the vision of Ahmad Lawan for a national assembly that would as a strategy for people-oriented governance, collaborate with the other arms without necessarily compromising the independence of the legislature. His over two decades in the parliament presented him with the historical hindsight.

His conviction is that, “if you are going to serve the same people under the same government, you are not supposed to be going towards different direction. It means you have to come together in such

Lawan a manner that is characterized by mutual respect, partnership and cooperation. I have been in the National Assembly for a very long time to see what the hostility and rancorous relationship can lead to and what good relationship could bring. In 1999 when we were elected, we had rancorous relationship with the government and democracy suffered and at the end of the day, Nigerians lost out”.

Even before becoming the senate president, Lawan had while unveiling his legislative agenda, hinted that “while we recognize the principle of separation of powers, this agenda recognizes the need for collaboration and cooperation with other arms of government to deliver on our legislative goals for improved governance of the country.”

And popularly, he was elected on the basis of this mantra. The senators enjoyed the freedom of making their choices, even secretly. Of course, the process was broadcast live and there was no incidence of more than one senator being at the voting cubicle on that June 11, 2019 election, suggesting that nothing externally influenced the outcome.

Apparently guided by some of the cited constitutional shallowness and also emphatically on a particular matter under discussion, Lawan had dispassionately stated that “any request that comes from Mr. President is a request that will make Nigeria a better place in terms of appointments or legislation and the Senate will act expeditiously to ensure that we play our part in the confirmation or passing of legislation appropriately”.

Though it was deliberately interpreted out of context, events subsequently vindicated his sincere intentions.

Since inception, the 9th senate, nay the national assembly, is yet to be confronted with proven constitutional breaches that especially border on good governance.

Similarly, this assembly has not passed any controversial legislation. All the issues being raised against it are clearly motivated by prejudice and non-recognition of some of these constitutional challenges.

For the two budgets it has processed so far, the national assembly independently reviewed and altered what the president had presented. Reason for the first was to make adequate provisions for military hardware and fresh recruitment to boost the fight against insecurity. The second was to further stabilize the economy. Also it is now mandatory for MDAs to defend their budget proposals within a stipulated time frame and for no minister to travel overseas during budget defence seasons.

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ, ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

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

Sustaining Legacy at the MTN Foundation As Nonny Patricia Ugboma bows out at the MTN Nigeria Foundation, Raheem Akingbolu takes a look at the brand and how the erstwhile executive secretary strove to sustain the legacy of its founding fathers as well as carving out a special niche for the MTNF brand

W

ith the liberalism of the nation’s corporate environment after Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) became a culture among top business concerns.

Every company wanted to demonstrate responsibility and prove to their opening communities that they cared.

In practical terms, top corporate bodies began to prove that they were businesses that had interest in wider social issues.

Rather than thinking about only those who impact their profit margins, companies began to look at how best to lift the societies.

After successfully imbibing the culture of giving back to the societies, the issue of sustainability came in with many companies thinking of how best to keeps the tempo going. To this end, big players in the FMCG, telecom and manufacturing sectors like MTN, Dangote and others conceived the idea of stand alone brand entities that would oversee their corporate social responsibilities investments. That was how MTN Foundation (MTNF) was berthed in 2004; three years after MTN Nigeria began operation.

With MTN Nigeria’s annual commitment of one per cent of Profit-After-Tax, the MTN Foundation has since lived up to its vision ‘to be a leader in Corporate Social Investment initiatives in Nigeria measured by the impact and sustainability of its projects on host communities.’

Journey So Far Driven by MTN Nigeria’s belief that the well-being of people and thriving communities result in good to all, the foundation has continued to implement impactful and sustainable projects in the areas of health, education, and economic empowerment.

From inception to date, with an independent board that provides direction and financial oversight, the foundation has committed over 22 billion ($66 million) to diverse social development initiatives -850 MTNF project sites in 36 states including the FCT. The foundation has always supported unconnected through initiatives such as the rural telephony project in partnership with the Growing Businesses Foundation, where ‘phone-ladies’ were empowered to provide telephony services in rural areas.

Under the education portfolio, over 60 secondary schools received ICT laboratories, 24 secondary schools received science laboratories and five universities received virtual ICT libraries. Also, scholarship awards have been granted to over 3,800 students in STEM and over 800 blind students in public tertiary institutions across the country.

Additionally, under the health portfolio, the foundation had renovated 24 maternity wards, 12 haemodialysis centres and six mammography centres in public hospitals across the country operating under financially sustainable PPP model.

Also, to ensure participation of members of the public, the foundation in started the ‘What Can We Do Together’ initiative – a community centred “give-back” initiative where people nominate communities to receive projects by MTNF. According to the record obtained by THISDAY, this collaborative initiative have been implemented in 510 communities under 454 LGAs in Nigeria with interventions such as the Installation of solar boreholes, 500kva transformers, supply of required medical equipment & consumables to Primary Healthcare Centres, school furniture and learning materials to public primary and secondary schools and household items to orphanage homes.

Five years ago, the foundation streamlined its activities into three major causes that includes Mother & Child Health, Youth

Ugboma

Development and Arts & Culture,. These causes involved successful launch of campaigns to reduce maternal and infant mortality in 2017 and anti-substance abuse amongst the youth population in 2018.

Also, the foundation’s support of Arts and Culture has been a critical driver for a cultural renaissance in Nigeria, by providing platforms for Nigerian creativity to find expression througha capacitybuilding of young people in the theatre industry with the aim of identifying, sparking and nurturing talent; narration of positive Nigerian stories to promote inter-cultural understandinga andpromotion of Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity to a wider local and international audience through the support of visual arts initiatives, theatre productions and festivals.

From inception to date, with an independent board that provides direction and financial oversight, the MTN Foundation has committed over 22 billion ($66 million) to diverse social development initiatives -850 MTNF project sites in 36 states including the FCT

Between Ugboma and the MTNF Brand Under the immediate past executive secretary at the foundation, Nonny Patricia Ugboma, the MTNF has not only sustained the tempo, it has become a strong brand in the nation's corporate environment with outstanding laurels to show for it. Ugboma, an enterprising and definite optimist whose corporate social investment pursuit had resulted in being awarded one of the Top 50 most inspiring women in Nigeria has successfully merged her passion for social development with her expertise in finance and strategic business management. Through the foundation and other places, she has worked over the years, Ugboma has carved out a niche as a specialist and achiever in the social and environmental impact investment space.

Beyond MTNF, the former ES has had a strong career in high tech and telecoms with a proven track record managing, multi stakeholder relations covering governments, executive committees, boards, communities and private companies. In particular, Ugboma appears to be an expert in designing viable and impactful initiatives that create economic, social and environmental value.

She has in recent time become a missionoriented innovation enthusiast and a Human-Centred Design expert.

Looking back, it's easy to conclude that her past achievements are testament to her capabilities. In 13 years, she led the team to receive over 80 awards and endorsements for corporate social responsibility whilst executing over 30 projects and impacting millions of individuals.

Perhaps what defines this corporate amazon is her ability to have successfully built a solid track record of results with a balanced focus on impacting society positively and the ability to cast vision, plan strategies, communicate effectively, launch new programs, and efficiently lead teams to reach organisational goals.

She has also consistently exceeded all goals set for her, and is valued for her hard work, reliability, tenacity and ability to consistently come up with solutions to difficult business problems.

However, all these strengths haven't gone unnoticed, because as a corporate player, professional bodies and other organisations have inducted Ugboma into different boards and halls of fame. For instance, she is a Governing Council member, Lagos State Employability Support Project; member Women Corporate Directors; Institute of Directors Nigeria and Independent NonExecutive Director, RAK Unity Plc and former Director Asharami Energy (2013 to 2019).

Her credentials also include Master of Public Administration in Innovation (Distinction), Public Policy and Public Value, University College, London; Master of Science in International Management, King’s College, London and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Accounting and Financial Analysis, University of Warwick.

While describing what life has taught her as a corporate player, Ugboma told THISDAY that she's always enthusiastic about a future where mission-oriented innovation policies will contribute to the creation of sustainable societies.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

#THISISNIGERIA -Ayobami Olunloyo

GOOD GOVERNANCE MAKES SENSE (From the blog: ‘My Nigerian Dream’)

N

igeria remains a country of countless contradictions.

Impressive and daring citizens on one hand, yet a shockingly unimpressive leadership on the other. When ‘we the people’ clamour for ‘good governance’, it’s not just a mantra. Why can we not implement seemingly simple yet reasonable strategies? Good governance is neither just an idea nor an elusive ideal. In its most simplistic and humane sense, it is small everyday steps, taken for the benefit of all citizens, and encapsulated by sensible action and empathy. Another way to say that is that leaders ought to develop policies and act based on a true understanding of the plight of the common citizen with a commitment to ease it. Finito! Not too much to ask, is it?

Recently, I experienced a most vivid example of this contrast. While the very unnecessary and rather unfortunate drama around National Identity Numbers (NIN) continues to unfold in Nigeria, I came to realise that not one, but two US-based companies, both led by African entrepreneurs have announced their impressive achievements of unicorn status. This is when a company reaches a valuation of $1 billion. What do both companies have in common? Yes, you guessed it – they both have Nigerians at their helms. Having said that, Nigerians have also created local unicorns such as InterSwitch, but such organisations, despite inherent challenges, are more a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the Nigerian people than they are to the support or enablement of the state.

Calendly is a free online appointment scheduling software system, already boasting 5,000,000 monthly users, with LinkedIn, Zendesk, EMyth and the University of Georgia amongst its customers. Cityblock Health is a community-based healthcare provider that offers a total package of physical, mental, and social care with the aim of improving the experience and quality of care, all while reducing the cost to patients. Tope Awotona who moved to the U.S. as a teenager, is the Nigerian founder and CEO of Calendly.

He is proof that education, opportunity and an enabling environment are fundamental to success. Might he have achieved what he now has if he hadn’t moved to the US? Perhaps! Did the move improve the odds? Certainly! Toyin Ajayi is the Chief Health Officer and one of three Co-founders jointly advancing the vision of Cityblock Health. While this son and daughter of the soil are busy beaming Nigerian pride abroad, many of us are embarrassed about what is happening at home. Should we not ask questions of the fate of the millions of Topes and Toyins that are right now in Nigeria, players on the sports field of life and capable of the same feats, but hindered by the dilapidated state of the playing field?

Back to the issue of National Identity Numbers.

How as a nation do we make decisions? Simple decisions first, not even highly strategic ones yet. OK, let us lay this out. Nigeria is (now) a nation of 211+ million souls. By the way, since the last time I reported that statistic in a blog piece last year (207 million), the number has increased by roughly 2.55%. Staggering isn’t it? Anyway, let’s stay focused. According to statista, the number of mobile internet users in Nigeria in 2020 was 85.26 million and is projected to reach 101.27 million in 2021.

If we use this as a proxy for the number of mobile phone users, the latter figure would be approximately 48% of the current population.

I have written in the past about the estimated number of Nigerians in diaspora being about 15 million, of which circa 215,000 are in the UK. The point? Some of these folks abroad, I being one, also have mobile subscriptions in Nigeria.

We have 36 states. Let’s assume an even spread of people across them (ignore the FCT); that would mean 2.81 million people needing to access NIN registration services in each state.

Let’s be even more benevolent and also assume

Project Management Triangle

half of all those already have NINs, that would still mean 1.4 million per state needing the service.

That’s the data.

Now for the analysis and the policy suggestions. So, a decision is made that all mobile subscriptions, on an individual basis, must be linked to a NIN, supposedly to clean up identity data in order to reduce crime. Perhaps you buy that reason, perhaps you don’t, but it’s beyond our scope here. This requirement was initially communicated by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) on 15th December 2020 with a 2-week deadline for all registrations to be completed. Back to the data, rough as it is. 1.4 million people on average per state, to queue up at physical locations, over 14 days, to get this done? I don’t smoke, but a ‘back of a cigarette box calculation’, as they say, would have obviously thrown up the folly of this plan, and its unfairness particularly during a global pandemic. A good thing with a bad plan essentially amounts to a bad thing. Moreover, the NCC proceeded to threaten mobile operators with the withdrawal of their operating licences, based on what has now been proven and could easily have been foreseen as an impossible task. This, right here, is a typical example of poor execution, leadership, governance, or any other term you choose to call it. It is the case of an unrealistic policy devoid of empathy. Why was empathy needed? One word: COVID. Now, to mop up the tsunami that was unleashed, the Telcos, for example,

MTN, are having to be licenced by the NCC to register citizens for NINs. Does anyone else see the sad irony in that? Anyway, just to bring in the diaspora angle; I have diligently sought to register for my NIN in the UK, but between the dead websites and grossly inadequate number of poorly located registration centres, it is so far proving to be nearly impossible task.

So? What to do? As a person of faith, I find it fundamental to consider any actions prayerfully before proceeding. Once that stage is complete, I suggest the following: r $POTJEFS UIF QSPCMFN UIPSPVHIMZ BOE EFDJEF if it is really worth pursuing. r*G JU JT FNQBUIFUJDBMMZ UIJOL UISPVHI UIF QPMJDZ implications and what they would mean for the population. r** QFSTPOBMMZ MPWF UIF $045 26"-*5: 5*.& triangle (Pick 2) framework. Use it (see below). r**G ZPV XBOU DIFBQ BOE IJHI RVBMJUZ UIFO it will take time. r**G ZPV XBOU DIFBQ BOE GBTU UIFO JU XJMM CF low quality. r**G ZPV XBOU IJHI RVBMJUZ BOE GBTU UIFO JU will cost you. r*%FDJEF XIJDI PG UIF BCPWF JT CFTU GPS UIF situation (hopefully not the second – never a great option in my opinion!). r*5BLF UJNF UP DSFBUF B TUSPOH JNQMFNFOUBUJPO plan (always think digitisation!) and test it for resilience.

r**OUSPEVDF UIF BHFOEB BOE HBVHF QVCMJD opinion. r**G GBWPVSBCMF CBTFE PO UJNJOH GVOEJOH optics, etc.) take decisive action and implement. r*4JU CBDL XBUDI B HPPE QMBO VOGPME JOUP B good thing, and THANK GOD. Does this consider all the realities? Is it practical or just theory? Could it really be this simple?

Perhaps not, but I think it could be – with the right people, doing the right things. Do we as a nation have such people in waiting? Clearly!

Will they rise up one day en masse, in a new era of disruption in the sphere of governance? I for one cannot wait for the day, and I am writing this, as much to myself, as I am to ‘them’. If this resonates with you, then perhaps it’s time to answer the call; because good governance makes sense, but it takes good people. t"ZPCBNJ "LJOZPEF 0-6/-0:0 JT B QBTTJPOBUF /JHFSJBO BOE "GSJDBO QPMJUJDBM FOUIVTJBTU BOE BDDPNQMJTIFE QSPGFTTJPOBM )F IPMET BO .#" XJUI %JTUJODUJPO GSPN UIF 6OJWFSTJUZ PG $BNCSJEHF 6, BOE XBT SFDPHOJTFE BNPOHTU UIF #FTU #SJHIUFTU &YFDVUJWF .#"T HMPCBMMZ JO )F JT DVSSFOUMZ B NFNCFS PG UIF QJPOFFS DPIPSU PG UIF OFX VODPOWFOUJPOBM 4DIPPM PG 1PMJUJDT 1PMJDZ BOE (PWFSOBODF 411( XIJDI SFTVMUFE GSPN UIF 'JY1PMJUJDT JOJUJBUJWF 5XJUUFS !BZPCBNJPMVOMPZP ] *OTUBHSBN !BZPCBNJ PMVOMPZP

22

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Buhari, APC’s Misrule Pushed Twitter to Ghana, Says PDP Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday lamented that the unabating misrule of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) pushed Twitter to take its African Headquarters to Ghana instead of Nigeria.

This, the party said was despite the fact that Nigeria had far more twitter traffic and more business prospects than Ghana.

The PDP said that Twitter’s preference for Ghana over Nigeria was occasioned by inconsistent economic policies, obnoxious suppression of free

speech, stifling of online freedom and open internet by the Buhari’s administration and the APC. According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, “this is in addition to infrastructural decay, massive corruption and manifest failure of the presidency and the APC to address the escalated insecurity brought upon our nation by their incompetent watch.

“Indeed the decision by Twitter to by-pass Nigeria to locate its African operational base in Ghana is another sad commentary of how our nation, which was hitherto a global investment hub under the PDP,

has now been so degraded in global economic competitiveness under the APC.” PDP said that Nigerians were heavily despaired on Monday when the founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, announced that his company would be setting up its headquarters on the continent in Ghana despite Nigeria’s domineering twitter traffic in the sub region.

The PDP spokesperson said that: “With an estimated 39.6 million twitter subscribers in Nigeria, which is bigger than the population of Ghana, Nigeria ought to be the destination, but for the anti-people policies of the APC administration.

Senate Asks Security Agencies to Probe Killings by Herdsmen in Ebonyi Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Senate has called on the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, and other security agencies to carry out a comprehensive probe into the killings and kidnapping of citizens in Ebonyi State by alleged herdsmen.

The security agencies were also mandated to arrest, prosecute the perpetrators and rescue the kidnapped victims still in captivity.

The upper chamber at the plenary yesterday while

condemning attack in various communities of Ebonyi State by alleged herdsmen, also urged the federal and state government to put appropriate measures in place to forestall further attacks.

It further urged NEMA to provide relief materials to the families and victims of displaced persons.

These resolutions were sequel to the consideration of a motion brought to the floor by Senator Sam Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi North).

Coming under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Egwu, in

the motion titled: “urgent need for the federal government’s intervention to end the serial killing of innocent and defenseless citizens in Ebonyi State by alleged herdsmen”, bemoaned the general state of insecurity in the country.

He lamented that killing, maiming, kidnapping and wanton destruction of lives and property by herdsmen have now become the daily experience of citizens of innocent and defenseless people of Ebonyi State who are murdered in their numbers almost on weekly basis.

Akeredolu Threatens to Embarrass Ex-Deputy over Unreturned Vehicles Agboola dares gov, says he’s entitled to vehicles James Sowole in Akure Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday threatened to embarrass his former deputy, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, if he fails to return four officials vehicles in his custody.

But in a swift reaction, Agboola said he was entitled to two vehicles.

Akeredolu, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, said he would press charges against Agboola and other former political appointees who failed to return government properties in their possession.

He said it was reprehensible for Nigerians to condone the practice by elected officials or political appointees to take government properties away when leaving office.

Akeredolu said he would ask security agencies to go after all former political appointees, including his erstwhile deputy who refused to return government properties.

“He has no right to do that what he did. Why does the former deputy governor thinks he merits those vehicles and others do not? Those vehicles are public property. We have to stop this impunity. It is not only the deputy governor alone

but all other political appointees.

This madness must stop.

“So they want to take the vehicles away and then we will use tax payers’ money to buy new ones? There are many of them yet to return vehicles.

Some have returned but others are still feigning they thought they will be reappointed.

“We are waiting for the Police to act on the petition.

We will press charges against them. Agboola no longer enjoys immunity; we will press charges against him. He should return those vehicles. Are we now going to buy vehicles for the new Deputy Governor?” he queried.

JAMB Scraps Use of Email for UTME Registration Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that the use of email was no longer required for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration’s processes.

Registrar of JAMB, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, who made this known while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, said email would only be requested at the successful completion of registration exercise by candidates to access

information on the exam.

He said as from Thursday, April 15, 2021 (today), candidates would no longer be required to provide any email address during registration, adding that consequently, candidates would have the options to access their profile during or after registration.

He said the options include: “Mobile APP on the candidates’ phone, on the 55019 option (being designed) for example admission status checking, acceptance of admission on their profile.

“Printing of examination

slip (Notification) or result notification slip or ticketing can be done anywhere using the candidate’s JAMB registration number only.

“At the conclusion of the 2021 UTME/DE Registration exercise, candidates will provide their email addresses only after the 2021 UTME/DE registration exercise has been declared closed

by JAMB through (a) Mobile APP on his/her registered phone.

“Sending the word email (space then the email address) on his /her registered phone to 55019.

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Quick Takes Konga Health Goes Live June

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MoMo Agent Redefining Financial Services

COURTESY VIST

Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, (left), presenting a souvenir to the Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, Sarki Auwalu, during the director’s visit to Naval Headquarters in Abuja... recently

NNPC Targets Four Months for Completion of Borno Gas Plant Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Alhaji Mele Kyari, has set four months for the completion of a gaspowered electricity facility in Borno to serve as an alternative to the incessant vandalism of on-grid facilities by insurgents.

Speaking during a visit to the Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State recently, the NNPC helmsman said the federal government was concerned about the discomfort brought about by the lack of electricity in Maiduguri and environs.

On the entourage of the GMD was the Head of Gas and Power, Yusuf Usman and representatives of Greensville Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG),

ENERGY a company that delivers gas to power plants and industries across the country and officials from the Distribution Companies (Discos).

“Our essence of coming to Maiduguri is to join you to resolve the power problem in Borno, particularly Maiduguri metropolis and its environs in the next four months,” he stated.

Stressing that it was President Muhammadu Buhari’s intention to deepen gas power consumption the country, particularly in the domestic market, Kyari noted that the easiest way to do it was to deliver gas to power and ultimately to industries.

“We have seen the opportu-

nities and the challenges faced by the people in this part of the country, and it is pertinent to support your people have light restored back to this city,” he said.

He noted that the dedicated power plant in Maiduguri would serve the current need of power supply not only in Maiduguri but to other parts of the neighbouring cities, saying that the NNPC was going to focus on the short term to see that within three to four months power is restored power back to the city.

In his comments, Zulum said Borno State has received tremendous support from the corporation, especially with the performing of a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the 200-bed capacity Infectious Diseases Hospital

in Maiduguri, in addition to the ongoing construction of the Medical Diagnosis Centre.

“Power is very essential.

With power, we can reduce the magnitude of the insurgency, because millions of people are earning their means of livelihoods through the use of power.

“I have seen the agony our people went through during the nationwide fuel crisis, where entrepreneurs, especially market women and youths were trooping into filling stations queuing to buy some litres of petrol for their domestic or business usage.

“The ongoing insurgency has cut off the entire Borno from the national grid in the last two or three months. We Continued on page 24

Stakeholders Seek IPv6 Compliance Timeline for MDAs Emma Okonji Given the slow migration rate from Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) to Internet Protocol version six (IPv6), some industry stakeholders have called on the federal government to set a compliance deadline for all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The stakeholders who made the call at a recent webinar, organised by IPv6 Council Nigeria, in collaboration with the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said setting IPV6 compliance date for MDAs, would compel them to invest

TELECOM in IPv6, which is an online addressing system of assigned numbers on the internet, and part of the underlying infrastructure of the internet.

The urgent need for migration to IPv6 was sequel to the fast depletion of IPv4, which Nigerians and the entire world were initially connected to.

President, IPv6 Council Nigeria, Mr. Muhammed Rudman, who delivered the lead paper at the webinar, titled: ‘IPv4 and IPv6 Deployment Status in Nigeria’, said: “Internet Protocol (IP) depletion is real and the numbers are significantly dropping

globally. Federal government should set up target dates for MDAs to have IPv6 compliant network, and government should lead by example in driving IPv6 deployment in the country, by ensuring that government networks are run on IPv6 internet addressing system to enable government compel service providers to adopt IPv6.”

Also, Managing Director, Rack Centre, Dr. Tunde Coker, said Nigeria needed to set a target for the adoption of IPv6 because internet penetration in Nigeria is on the rise and on the fast lane, and called for collaboration among service providers in order to drive IPv6 adoption in Nigeria.

According to Rudman, “Among the global IP addresses on the internet, there are 256/8s IP addresses on the internet, amounting to 4.2 billion IP addresses, and AfriNIC, which is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa, receives the lowest IP address among the five Regional Internet Registries globally.

“For the IP addresses, Nigeria is using less than other African countries, even though Nigeria has the highest internet utilisation in Africa.

“So to address the future worldwide population, which Continued on page 24

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ScholarX Partners Airtel on Mobile Learning

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“Endusers are not the challenge to the adoption of IPv6, because most endusers are ready and willing to connect to IPv6 enabled networks. What we need is for government to sensitise the people and encourage them to connect to IPv6” Managing Director, VDT Communications,

Mr. Biodun Omoniyi

24

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD NNPC TARGETS FOUR MONTHS FOR COMPLETION OF BORNO GAS PLANT put in all our efforts and restored it, we saw the joy and jubilation the people of Borno demonstrated after the restoration. But unfortunately, after 48 hours, the same group of insurgents went back and destroyed the main tower again.

“We have no other alternative than to source for other solutions, instead of relying on the gridlines, as it is very difficult to man the poles.

That informed our decision to contact NNPC and other power stakeholders to come to our aid, and I am very glad to have you here for this purpose,” Zulum said.

Executive Chairman, Borno State Rural Electrification Board, Abdulsalam Mohammed, in his comments, noted that the gas power plant when established will not only supply power to Maiduguri but to other rural communities who need it for agricultural purposes.

STAKEHOLDERS SEEK IPV6 COMPLIANCE TIMELINE FOR MDAS is estimated to reach nine billion in the 2050, we need the IPv6 address system that has trillions of IP addresses.”

In his contribution, the Head, Network Planing and IP at MainOne, Mr. Adesiyan Omololu, said Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and the submarine cable operators were ready for IPv6 adoption, but the endusers appear not to be ready, because most of them are not willing and ready to adopt IPv6.

On his part, the Managing Director, VDT, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, however, argued that the endusers were not the challenge to the adoption of IPv6, because according to him, most endusers were ready and willing to connect to IPv6 enabled networks.

“What we need is for government to sensitise the people and the endusers and encourage them to connect to IPv6, and upstream providers must continually advertise and accept peering in other to drive adoption of IPv6,” Omoniyi said.

Group Business Editor

NEWS

FG Targets 100m Jobs through Gas Expansion Project Amby Uneze in Owerri The federal government has explained that its National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) was envisioned to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

This is done through the establishment of gas-related outlets that would serve the public when fully realised.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva disclosed this at a 2-day programme of the NGEP organised by the Imo State government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in Owerri, recently.

NGEP he said was designed to reinforce and to expand gas supply as well as to stimulate demand to Nigeria, adding that the programme had already taken place in Ekiti and Anambra states.

In realisation of this objective, the minister said 2020 was declared the year of gas with a subsequent inauguration of a committee on Natural Gas Expansion Programme on January 16th, 2020.

With proven gas reserves

of over 200 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and upsides of over 600 tcf, the minister explained that natural gas presents an opportunity for the nation to use gas as the catalyst for its socio economic renaissance.

He commended Governor Hope Uzodinma over his commitment, passion and

support for the programme and enjoined Imo residents to embrace it.

Uzodinma who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Paul Emeziem described the programme as that of change, loaded with cost, efficiency and sustainability alternatives

among others.

The governor commended the federal government for initiating the programme insisting that it is a progress in the area of development and civilization of mankind.

“The federal government has done its bit and it is a process of enhancement

and our life process and it will create employment opportunity for our people” he stated, even as the programme attracted goodwill messages from a number of Imo state government officials, including Chief Enyinna Onuegbu, Commissioner for Power in the state.

UNVEILING ICT CENTRE

L-R: Enterprise Account Manager, APC by Schneider Electric, Emeka Nmor; Senior Pre-Sales Solution Architect, Ossy Anyabuike; Chief Executive Officer, Arravo, Ayo Adegboye; and Channel Sales Manager, APC by Schneider Electric, Oluwaseun Oloyede, during the launch of APC by Schneider Electric 6U Wall-Mount Micro Data Centre in collaboration with Arravo in Lagos…recently

AGF Welcomes Stakeholders’ Input on Financial Reforms James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has welcomed contributions from stakeholders to help consolidate gains of the ongoing financial management reforms initiatives by the federal government.

Speaking when he received Partners of Ernst and Young (EY), led by the Advisory Leader (West Africa) Mr. Ben Afudego, in his office, the AGF, commended the consulting firm, adding that his office remained open to value addition.

He, however, advised against

what he termed a generalised approach, stressing that, “The OAGF does not want a generalised approach, we want specifics. No more talking and meeting, we want to achieve results.”

Idris, whose office anchors the federal government’s financial management reforms, also pointed out that the overall success of the initiatives was hinged on implementation of result-oriented ideas and called on stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the government’s efforts.

In a statement by Director Information, Press and Public

Relations, OAGF, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, the AGF, advocated for strong collaboration between some treasury departments and EY to drive government reforms with the application of technology in specific areas.

He said: “We are open to new ideas, we are open to value addition, we believe if we get critical stakeholders, we can achieve even more successes in the reform initiatives.”

He said individuals not directly involved in the implementation of the reforms are in a better position to assess the efforts of the federal government.

He expressed government’s

readiness to accept ideas that would help correct whatever anomaly is observed, adding that government will continue to turn its back on individuals whose approach to issues is considered incapable of meeting government’s objectives.

Idris said: “As much as we want improvements in our system and value addition, we don’t want generalized approach, we want specific approach. Come up with specific things you can do to add value, we want results”.

Afudego, however, said EY will want to work with the OAGF in revenue protection and

improvement, asset tracking and monitoring, continuous process improvement, data analytics, digital and other priority areas of the treasury.

He also identified several solutions developed by the firm including strategic planning and fiscal policy, budget process improvement, revenue administration reforms, treasury modernisation and reform among others.

According to him, the approach follows an integrated model which is structured around the budget cycle to support accurate and timely decision making.

Agribusiness Fund to Enroll 200 Youths from Nigeria, Others Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Green Agribusiness Fund (GAF) intends to enroll 200 young agric entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda in its 2021 academy, in collaboration with other global forces toward food security and creation of decent jobs with the post Covid-19 era in view.

The online applications will open in July, only for applicants from the three countries.

The founder of JR Farms Limited, Mr. Rotimi Olawale, who is driving the initiative, said it was designed to invest in companies and youth-led agribusinesses that are deemed socially responsible in their business dealings in various parts of Africa.

The theme of the campaign where the 2021 cohort would benefit from investment worth $500,000 to be spread into equity investment, short term financing,

training among other project supports within the framework of GAF is: “Today’s Investments, Tomorrow’s Gain”.

To qualify for the academy, the businesses must be owned by young Africans who are living in Africa. Female agric entrepreneurs are also encouraged to apply.

The GAF focuses on raising the next generation of agric entrepreneurs that will lead great initiatives in agriculture and position agriculture in Africa

on the path of job creation, food security and improved living standard.

The pilot edition was held last year in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It was a huge success as the two selected finalists are being supported with funding for ongoing projects at varying levels.

“While we recorded successes in the 2020 cohort, we also faced some challenges, including low

business formalization among youth in agribusiness among others. Following a thematic review of the inaugural cohort in 2020, GAF 2021 cohort is structured into an academy that will host 200 youth participants from three African nations for eight weeks, exposing them to thematic training that will prepare them for effective use of funding facilities and other project supports from GAF,” Olawale said.

Capital Market Editor

Accelerex Gets Investment Grade Credit Ratings from GCR

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Obinna Chima Goddy Egene Emma Okonji

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Nume Ekeghe

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

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

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

Global Accelerex, the Nigerian subsidiary of Accelerex Holdings Mauritius (Accelerex) has been assigned A-Credit rating

by Agusto & Co and A2NG (short term, stable outlook) credit rating by Global Credit Ratings (GCR).

In its ratings announcement, Agusto & Co noted that the assigned ratings reflect Global Accelerex’s good financial

condition evidenced by good profitability, good cash flow, satisfactory working capital, and low leverage. Agusto & Co. also took into cognisance the company’s qualified and experienced management team, market leadership position in the payments space and in the fintech industry in Nigeria.

GCR, in its ratings announcement, said the ratings reflect the company’s

relatively strong credit risk profile, strong alliance with Nigerian financial institutions and other industry players, as well as technical support from its main supplier.

Accelerex is a fintech player in Africa with operations in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

Its Ghanaian subsidiary, AccelerexGhana, recently obtained an enhanced Payment Service Provider (PSP) licence from the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The strategic decision to invest in the development of a suite of fintech products and solutions that facilitate payments and improve business processes not only positioned Global Accelerex for financial success during the lockdown but also provided its customers with an array of e-payment options.Rexpay, its online payment gateway, helps e-commerce companies and other corporations receive

online payments in a fast, convenient and secure manner. This product provided businesses with a critical competitive advantage during the restriction of movement created by the COVID-19 crisis. In a similar vein, retail business owners enjoyed seamless inventory management, accurate accounting and reconciliation with Rexretail, an all-in-one retail automation solution.

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Awasthi: Ubiquitous Spectrum, Driver for Broadband Connectivity The Chief Executive Officer, Spectranet, Mr. Ajay Awasthi, speaks on the resilience of internet service providers amid the COVID-19 and the importance of spectrum in driving broadband growth. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:

I

t is now one year that Nigerians and the entire world were forced into a new lifestyle called the new normal, occasioned by COVID. To what extent did this affect internet users in Nigeria?

We have been keenly tracking the changes in customer usage behavior over the last one year. The pandemic has really led to profound changes in the way customers consume media and entertainment (M&E), time-of-the day data consumption habits and purchasing patterns. We have noticed a major shift towards applications like Online Gaming, Over-the-top (OTT) content viewing and web browsing. Each one of these growing by over 50 per cent.

How was the company able to adjust in managing customers’ shift in lifestyle as result of COVID 19?

COVID-19, for sure, has caused a shift in consumer behaviour and some of it, I believe, is irreversible. As a leading internet service provider (ISP), Spectranet was quick to recognise and act on strengthening the service delivery and products to address the heightened needs for safety and reliable 24X7 internet connectivity. Within a short period Spectranet was able to ramp up network capacity to cater to almost 30 per cent increase in data consumption. In order to address a surge in night time data usage, Spectranet introduced customized data plans offering free unlimited browsing during night hours and early morning hours In keeping with COVID-19 protocols, more people work from home, thus driving internet usage in homes, than in offices.

What is the business implication of this development?

Yes, we have seen this shift in usage happening from CBD areas to residential areas.

With the advent of WFH culture this shift is on expected lines and is there to stay for a while. As an internet service provider, we needed to make significant investments to enhance data capacity in and around these residential areas. Also, our customer service footprint was expanded to provide closer to home service through company owned service outlets.

Brand visibility is key to business growth. How has Spectranet been able to maintain its brand visibility in the face of the pandemic?

With people confined to their homes most of the time, there has been a distinct shift in the media consumption habits within the at-home entertainment segment. In order for the brand to stay visible and relevant to the target audience, firstly Spectranet, and I am sure most other brands, diverted significant Ad spends to online media. Secondly, it was important to recognise that media consumption habits have changed and varied across generations, for example, Millennials (24-37 years) are more into watching on-line videos while Gen X (38-56 years) got hooked onto broadcast TV most of the time. Customising the brand messaging and media vehicles, therefore, was critical for effective communication.

Most internet service providers went under during the first wave of COVID-19.

Do you foresee more of them going down in this second wave of COVID 19, and what is the way out?

If that is what your research says, I am not surprised a bit. Smaller ISPs play a critical role in addressing under-serviced markets as they are better positioned by virtue of having superior understanding of the micro-markets and customers.

The smaller ISPs, though are vulnerable and need an enabling policy environment to grow.

Let me explain this further. Post launch of 4G LTE, the lager MNOs with superior pricing power and the eagerness to quickly gain market

How secured are the internet solutions that you offer to customers?

With more and more digitalisation happening, the vulnerability to cyberattacks has increased for sure. Cyber security threats caused by DDoS, Malware, Emotet etc. are quite common these days. As an operator we take cyber security very seriously and have deployed sophisticated equipment to thwart and neutralize these threats. There are multiple layers of cyber security comprising latest generation of Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention systems which effectively neutralize such threats.

New technologies are emerging by the day, thus leaving customers in a state of confusion as to the best technology to deploy. How would you advise customers on the right technology solutions?

If you are talking about access to technologies, Spectranet, at present, is best equipped to offer a bouquet of technologies for high- speed internet connectivity – 4G LTE, FTTx and WTTx. While the first one offers internet connectivity on- the- move, the latter two are fixed ultra-broadband technologies with ability to offer internet speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. The ultra-broadband technologies are best suited for applications needing high internet speeds like 8K OTT movies requiring speeds upwards of 25 Mbps or ON Line gaming application needing lower latencies.

Awasthi

share, have unleashed a data price war to the detriment of the industry as a whole. While MNOs voice-based revenue is protected via a floor price below which they cannot sell, the same is not true for data pricing. In the absence of a floor price for data, MNOs resort to predatory pricing forcing smaller ISPs to copy and sell below cost. Without the safety net of voice revenues to fund the below cost selling of per GB data, the smaller ISPs go down. This anomaly in the policy framework needs to be addressed for the nurturing of a healthy eco-system ensuring a level playing ground for smaller ISPs. Consumers have been clamouring for speed of internet connectivity. How has Spectranet been able to manage speed in its internet service delivery?

Being a pioneer in bringing 4G LTE technology to Nigeria way back in 2013, Spectranet is known for providing high speed internet connectivity at affordable prices and excellent customer service. We have been witnessing a steady increase in the requirement for higher data volumes and higher speeds over the years.

At Spectranet we follow a time- tested mantra of staying aware about changing consumer trends and investing ahead of the curve. This has helped us in delivering consistent customer experience even during the COVID-19 onset.

As an ISP, what is your view about the general belief that Nigeria has the highest rate in the cost of internet service delivery worldwide?

If I recall correctly this belief was created about two years ago by citing an outdated report from a UK-based website. With the average price per GB, as per NCC’s November 2020 report, at N487.18 , Nigeria is doing quite well in data pricing. Also, if you refer the latest report dated 27th of April 2020 by the same site, Nigeria is placed at 58th position with average price per GB at $1.39 (same as in UK) out of 228 countries listed

in the report. That is a good progress.

It’s evident that data is not at all overly priced in Nigeria in spite of extremely high input costs like price of National bandwidth.

Just to give you an example, the cost of carrying the same volume of data traffic form Abuja to Lagos is almost 3-6 times of the cost for carrying it from Lagos to London.

It is also pertinent to add that cheap is not necessarily the best when it comes to data.

ISPs like Spectranet committed to providing 24x7 data connectivity with consistent quality parameters and excellent customer service, need to spend significantly higher to deliver 1 GB of data. So, a balance needs to be arrived at between the cost, price and the desired quality of service.

In the latest report released by GSMA, it advised African governments to make cost of spectrum licenses more affordable as a first step towards maximising the benefits from broadband connectivity.

What is your take on this?

Availability of affordable Spectrum, inter alia, is a key driver for the rapid growth of broadband connectivity. It is like basic raw material for conventional industries and therefore better and cheaper availability of spectrum will help operators provide quality services at extremely affordable prices. It is also important to add that it is not only the higher prices of the spectrum which impact the end-user pricing but also the cost of lease line, deployed for back haul, plays a major role.

The cost of in-land lease lines, as cited earlier, to carry data traffic remains extremely high in Nigeria. Similarly, the cost of infrastructure like towers is a critical determinant. It’s important to take a comprehensive view on the complete cost structure rather than just addressing one part of the cost chain.

There have been reports on the rise of cyber-attacks on organisations and individuals who operate in the cyberspace.

Availability of affordable spectrum, inter alia, is a key driver for the rapid growth of broadband connectivity.

It is like basic raw material for conventional industries and therefore better and cheaper availability of spectrum will help operators provide quality services at extremely affordable prices

How do you differentiate your customer service from other operators?

At a very high level, we fundamentally differentiate versus other operators through the way we approach customer service – which is proactive, personalised and respectful– placing disproportionate emphasis on respect for the individual and her time. This philosophy drives the organisation to treat our customers with utmost dignity and place huge emphasis on finding a speedy solution to a pain For example, in order to ensure higher uptime for our customers, we incur significant cost on account of having our own vans, with diesel generating sets mounted on these, rushed to the affected sites to ensure the power to our network equipment is restored immediately, without depending on the tower company.

The federal government is projecting 70 per cent broadband penetration across the country by 2025. If achieved, how will it impact internet services delivery in Nigeria?

With sustained efforts being put in by Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy and the regulator NCC through a facilitating policy framework, this target of 70 per cent broadband penetration would certainly be achieved. The achievement of this milestone will drive up internet usage and data volume significantly. Internet Service providers need to continuously invest in the capacity to ensure service delivery is not compromised What is the difference between Spectranet Mifi and mobile phone use for internet or how do you describe the uniqueness of Spectranet for a young audience particularly students that are now in need of internet for online classes?

A MiFi or Internet Modem is designed to provide high speed home broadband service.

It enables internet connection to multiple users simultaneously with ease. Also, MiFi is intrinsically designed to handle longer power consumption and using the MiFi help save the battery life of the smart phone. In order to appeal to the youth, Spectranet offers aesthetically appealing and trendy MiFis like ACE, Freedom, Evo bundled with affordable Data plans offering unique features like free Unlimited Night browsing, free unlimited morning browsing to suit various segments of students.

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Tech Platform to Schneider Electric Partners Arravo on Accelerate Microfinance Micro Data Centre Industry Growth Stories by Emma Okonji

The Microfinance Development Company Lmited (MDCL) has launched liquidity platform, designed to accelerate micro finance industry growth in Nigeria.

With the theme: “The 21st Century MFB: Leveraging Technology to Drive Financial Inclusion in the MFB Industry,” the technology platform is designed to create high-impact business forum for key stakeholders in the micro finance industry.

Setting the tone for what was to come, the Chief Executive Officer of MDCL, Obinna Onunkwo, welcomed everyone to the event and said it was put together to address some of the critical challenges the microfinance industry was facing.

He also pointed out that, in line with its objective of creating a shared services platform for the industry, MDCL entered into strategic partnerships with other companies to help them achieve their business goals.

According to him, one key benefit of the partnership is that with InfoWARE, which is a software company that helped MDCL build the Intermember Liquidity Placement Platform (ILPP), it would enable micro finance banks to place liquidity among themselves. Another

benefit is that it will allow Stanbic IBTC to provide onlending facility to its members, while it will also help in the creation of a digital lending platform for microloans, built in partnership with Migo.

Corroborating Mr. Onunkwo’s position, the Board Chairman of MDCL, Rogers Nwoke, said: “financial inclusion had been a struggle for a very long time, and we are yet to meet the targets set by the CBN in that regard. One reason for that was the absence of liquidity for microfinance banks. MDCL is a response to the problem of funding. We are here to have a discussion on how to drive financial inclusion with technology, and we are going to crown the discussion with a launch of the Intermember Liquidity Placement Platform (ILPP).”

While delivering the keynote address, Partner and Head of Technology Assurance at KPMG, Lawrence Amadi, said with a population of over 200 million people in Nigeria, over 80 million are financially excluded and microfinance banks have a key role to play in helping to reduce that number, in line with the CBN’s goal of having 80 per cent of the population in the financial net.

Schneider Electric has partnered Arravo IT Solution company to launch its 6U wall-mount EcoStruxure Micro Data Centre, which eliminates organisation’s information technology (IT) closet and allows edge computing and networking equipment to be deployed almost anywhere.

Speaking about the new compact data centre during its launch in Lagos recently, Senior Solution Architect for Anglophone West Africa at Schneider Electric, Mr. Osita Anyabuike, said the unique low-profile design data centre, allowed heavier edge servers, networking equipment, and UPS to be safely placed high up on a wall, thus freeing up valuable floor space and out of reach of physical security threats.

“Additionally, our replaceable dust filter and integrated band ventilation allows the 6U wall-mount micro data center to operate in dusty and light industrial environments, such as storefronts and warehouses, as well as office environments and traditional IT environments.

Using our best-in-class tools, customers can quickly configure the EcoStruxure Micro Data Centre to include a wide range of capabilities, such as premium power protection with our APC Smart UPS battery backup products, advanced security options with the APC net box offer, and remote management and services enabled by its next-generation DCIM platform,” Anyabuike said.

Chief Executive Officer of Arravo, Mr. Ayo Adegboye, said the 6U low-profile rack micro data centre, designed

for remote and branch office operations, would be the first ever compact in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the solution would be marketed by Arravo IT Solution company across its wide range of customers. Arravo is therefore the technical partner of APC By Schneider Electric that will market the product, which supports remote office and branch office operations.

“The solution reduces opex and capex, as much as 30 per cent and it will help customers to save space, time and energy, since the micro data centre will eliminate server room space,” Adegboye said.

Enterprise Account Manager, West Africa, APC By Schneider Electric, Mr. Emeka Morris Nmor, said: “The micro data has the capacity to accommodate several

servers. The capacity of any data centre depends largely on the number of servers it can accommodate and the capacity of the server determines the storage capacity of the data centre.

Everything that is needed in a big data centre, is embedded in the micro data centre such as UPS, cooling system, including security features like intrusion sensor that detects attacks as well as digital cameras.”

Channel Sales Manager, APC By Schneider Electric, Mr. Oluwaseun Oloyede, said: “With the advancement in technology, coupled with emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoTs), a lot of remote locations and branch offices that do not have the space and the huge resources to maintain giant size data centre, will find the micro data centre very useful.”

Operators Highlight Local Content Growth as Konn3ct Debuts Some operators have highlighted the importance of local content development and growth in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, while commending the launch of Konn3ct app by NewWaves Ecosystems, designed to support online meetings.

With the recent virtual launch, Konn3ct has become Africa’s first online meetings and conferences solution, designed to drive technological revolution in Nigeria and the African continent.

Developed wholly by Nigerians, Konn3ct is a suite of web-conferencing solutions that cover a range of applications used for meetings, conferences, webinars, live-classroom, syndicate events, and remote cinema among others.

Director General of the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi, who was represented at the virtual launch, said the new meetings app would represents a milestone development during his tenure as the DG of NITDA, adding that with the unique features built into the new solution, Konn3ct will strongly fare better against competing solutions in the market.

“Konn3ct boasts of the most robust security architecture in the industry; it has an amazing video experiences and, in a continent, where broadband costs and penetration are still major challenge, the low data consumption cost and other conferencing options that have been built into this

solution has all the makings of a world-beater,” Abdullahi said.

Former Managing Director, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, said: “Konn3ct is challenging the forerunners.

This is a bold initiative from Konn3ct”. He commended the efforts of NewWaves Ecosystems in giving Africa its first online meetings app, saying that the development falls in line with the agenda of the federal government towards encouraging indigenous Nigerian content in the information and communications technology sector.

Citing the role played by online meeting solutions in facilitating government activities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, he expressed the belief that the arrival of an indigenous solution would be of greater benefit to the government and people of Nigeria.

President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof.

Adeshina Sodiya, said Nigerians do not need to look outside for software.

“Any software you need you can get it in Nigeria.

Konn3ct has proved this fact. It is adequate for our needs as a nation and for the world. Whatever product NITDA puts its stamp on is always good. With Konn3ct we will not need to use our foreign exchange on foreign products. Let us accept this product. Technology products globally have room for improvements. There will always be new versions of Konn3ct,”

ICT centre

Huawei Reaffirms Commitment to Customer Satisfaction Huawei has released its 2020 annual report, which was independently audited by KPMG. According to the report, growth slowed but the company’s business performance was largely in line with forecast, as its sales revenue in 2020 rounded off at CNY891.4 billion, up 3.8 per cent year-on-year, and its net profit reached CNY64.6 billion, up 3.2er cent year-on-year.

Analysing the report, the company’s Rotating Chairman, Ken Hu, said despite operational difficulties brought about by United States’ sanctions in 2019 and 2020, Huawei continued

to invite KPMG to independently and objectively audit its financial statements, adding that the document produced by KPMG is a standard unmodified audit opinion. “No matter the circumstances, we will continue to embrace transparency by disclosing operational data to governments, customers, suppliers, employees, and partners,” Hu said.

The report explained that in 2020, Huawei’s carrier business continued to ensure the stable operations of more than 1,500 networks across more than 170 countries and

regions, which helped support telework, online learning, and online shopping throughout COVID-19 lockdowns. Working together with carriers around the world, the company helped provide a superior connected experience and moved forward with more than 3,000 5G innovation projects in over 20 industries like coal mining, steel production, ports, and manufacturing.

“Over the past year, Huawei’s enterprise business stepped up efforts to develop innovative scenario-based solutions for different industries and create

a digital ecosystem that thrives on joint creation and shared success. During the pandemic, Huawei provided technical expertise and solutions that were vital in the fight against the virus. One example is an AI-assisted diagnostic solution based on Huawei Cloud that helped hospitals the world over reduce the burden on their medical infrastructure.

Huawei also worked with partners to launch cloud-based online learning platforms for more than 50 million primary and secondary school students,” the report said.

9mobile Offers Cloud-based Solutions for Lecturers, Students 9mobile is providing free access to lecturers and students on tertiary educational technology platform, MyClassConnect.

9mobile’s support with the technology solution, will ensure that users can access the platform without incurring mobile data costs.

The partnership with MyClassConnect, a cloud-based single educational technology platform that facilitates both virtual and physical learning efficiency in higher institutions in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, is another avenue 9mobile is exploring to continue to provide innovative options for

the academic community to continue teaching and learning while keeping safe during and after the pandemic.

Commenting on the launch of the initiative, Executive Director, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Abdulrahman Ado, said: “9mobile recognises the importance of leveraging technology to support very important segments of society like students and the academia.

While the pandemic brought unprecedented disruptions to life and society, it has also shown us what we can achieve through technology

and innovative thinking. That is why we are delighted to support edtech platform, MyClassConnect, to expand access to efficient virtual and in-person tertiary teaching and learning while keeping safe.”

This gesture is driven by our passion for youth and our corporate focus on education as one of the strategic corporate social responsibility pillars at 9mobile, Ado added.

In his remarks, Founder and CEO of MyClassConnect, Okwuchukwu Gospel Obi, said: “The platform enables the efficient handling of academic activities both online &

in-person, including planning and delivering lectures, evaluating assessments with improved techniques, keeping up with educational communications out of social media to improve learning feedback, and tracking student learning progress with AI-driven data analytics.”

Okwuchukwu further explained that with support from 9mobile, students and lecturers in Nigerian tertiary institutions could now seize the opportunity afforded by the MyClassConnect platform to continue learning without any disruptions making institutions more relevant beyond Covid-19.

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Deepening Backward Integration in Sugar Sector Obinna Chima who this week visited the Lafiagi Sugar Company, a subsidiary of the BUA Group, highlights efforts the company is taking to support the federal government’s National Sugar Master Plan, boost job creation and support economic diversification

Sugar refining equipment under construction at LASUCO

N

igeria’s National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) was designed to attract over $1 billion annually in local and foreign direct investments and create an estimated 107,000 jobs over the first ten-year period.

Its aim is to raise local production of sugar to enable the country attain self-sufficiency; stem the tide of unbridled importation; create huge number of job opportunities and to contribute to the production of ethanol and generation of electricity.

Additionally, the plan estimates that demand for sugar would have breached the 1.7 million metric tonnes (MMT) mark by 2020.

Therefore, in order to achieve this, it estimated that the country would need to establish some 28 sugar factories of varying capacities and bring about 250,000 hectares of land into sugarcane cultivation, over the next 10 years.

The bulk of this investment is expected to come from private investors.

Indeed, the justification for the sugar sector road map among other factors, stemmed from the huge amount the country was spending annually on sugar importation; that significant investments had been made in developing sugar refineries, all of which were then relying on imported raw sugar; and poor complementary investments in sugarcane plantations.

In order to support the federal government’s Backward Integration Programme (BIP), the BUA Group has continued to take steps to ramp up production in an industry which is believed to still be at its infancy stage.

The company is positioning itself to take advantage of the country’s huge comparative and competitive advantage in sugar production.

Presently, the BUA Group has two ultra-modern and automated mega sugar refineries. And as response to Nigeria’s backward BIP in the sugar industry, it invested in large scale estates within the country to deepen local sugar production through the acquisition of the Lafiagi Sugar Company Limited (LASUCO) in Kwara State and also, the establishment of the Bassa Sugar Company in Kogi State.

The Senior General Manager, Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO), a subsidiary of the BUA Group, Mr. Abdulrasheed Olayiwola, told reporters during a tour of the sugar plantation and refinery site on Monday that the company has invested over $300 million on the project since its acquisition of the facility.

The company has also set target of first quarter of next year for the completion of the sugar refinery factory presently under construction in Lafiagi.

He said when completed, the sugar factory and plantation will have about 5,000 direct staff and indirectly create over 10,000 additional jobs.

He described the project as the fastest-growing BIP in the country’s sugar sector.

Olayiwola said: “We took over Lafiagi formally in 2014 and the project started in 2016. Since then, there has been no going back. This is the fastest-growing BIP project in the country at the moment. Lafiagi is divided into two areas: the plantation development and the infrastructure

Rabiu

development.

“For the plantation, we have a lot of fields to be developed, a minimum of 15,000 hectares would be under cane.

“As at the time we took over, what was attached to the sugar plant was just 5,000 hectares, but because BUA really has the intention of producing sugar in the country, we had to go for more land and we were able to get Lafiagi to 20,000 hectares and the soil composition is very good for sugar cane production.”

According to him, the project is an integrated factory, which will be four factories in one.

“This is Greenfield project, which we started from scratch. We’re building a mill – a 10,000 tonnes per day mill. That is the highest capacity in the country; we are building an ethanol plant – none of the sugar plantation plants in the country presently have ethanol plant.

“We are not stopping at the mill because that is the brown sugar you see, but we are migrating to a refinery, we are going to be refining the sugar. So, we have the refinery under construction at the moment, and we are building a power plant- a 35 megawatts power plant and part of it would be solely for the refinery and part of it would go to the national grid.

“So, in a way, BUA Group, with this plantation, is contributing to different sectors of the economy,” he added.

Already, close to 7,000 hectares of the plantation have been cleared and is being developed for planting, while close to 2,000 hectares of land have been cultivated. LASUCO has a special nursery, where different varieties of cane are

tested. It is situated on about 17 hectares of land.

Also, the Head of Project, LASUCO, Mr. Labaran Saidu, said apart from the plantation, which is the main attraction, the BUA Group had embarked on aggressive infrastructure development in its host communities, while also highlighting the corporate social responsibility projects it has undertaken in Lafiagi.

“For us at the BUA Group, we believe whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. That was why we started this sugar project on a big scale.

“We have over 20 varieties of sugar cane here at Lafiagi that we are testing presently and the idea is to know the one that is best suited for commercial propagation,” he stated.

Saidu said the Lafiaji factory is one of the sugar production sites highly rated by the sugar council.

“If you talk to anybody in Sugar council today, they will tell you that Lafiaji is the main BIP project that they are looking up to. Look at the array of products that will be coming out from that factory, none of the sugar plantation which has even been in existence before this came on board has come near it.

“Others are either producing 3,500 tonnes per day, or 3,000 tonnes per day and it is brown sugar. None is up to 10,000 tonnes per day.

“So that is why this site is highly rated and it is one of the factories the sugar council is looking up to, to lead the realisation of the Sugar Master Plan.

“Every quarter, members of the sugar council team come here to check the progress of work here and they always leave this site fully satisfied that yes BUA is on course.”

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, BUA Group of Companies, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, recently pointed out that the sugar plantation and refinery projects situated in Edu local government area of Kwara state, “is one of the most advanced anywhere in the world.”

“Kwara State is one of the states with land, water and climate and we set up our business here because we know sugar refining will succeed here.”

He added that, “Instead of importing raw sugar and process it in Nigeria, we decided to establish sugar plantation and refinery in Nigeria and Kwara State happens to be the best located state for the investment.”

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, had pledged the state’s support for the project.

AbdulRazaq had commended the BUA Group

This is Greenfield project, which we started from scratch. We’re building a mill – a 10,000 tonnes per day mill. That is the highest capacity in the country; we are building an ethanol plant – none of the sugar plantation plants in the country presently have ethanol plant

for citing the sugar plant in Lafiagi, saying the facility would make the local government the richest in the north central.

He said, “BUA today is the biggest investor in North Central Nigeria and we are happy that their investment is in Kwara State. I am in fact happy that it is in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government.”

He said the plant would produce about 25 per cent of Nigeria’s sugar need when it begins operation later next year and 75 per cent of the country’s sugar needs in the next 10 years.

“Kwara wants to be the epicentre of sugar production in Nigeria and we are creating a peaceful environment for business to thrive,” AbdulRazaq said.

He added that such investments would cut poverty rate and strengthen Kwara’s capacity to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals since the issues of water and electricity would be tackled once the factory begins operation.

Infrastructure Development Since it took over the facility, the BUA Group has been taking steps to bring about infrastructural development in the location.

For instance, the company has constructed an airstrip at the site to ease the movement of goods and persons; it has also constructed an estate as well as a staff quarters for its workers and other personnel working on the site.

Olayiwola added: “With what we are doing here, we are developing a new city entirely for sugar. In the past, if you were coming here, you can’t come in through the airstrip, because there was none then.

“You would have come through the town (Ilorin), which takes about four hours. Also, it is this project that brought about the construction of the entire road network you are seeing here today.”

The entire road network under construction at the site is 235 kilometres. Also, considering that the sugar cane plantation requires a lot of water, the company is constructing canals to bring water from River Niger. The water would be channeled from River Niger, from two ends to be 10 kilometre long for each.

“We are turning this entire place into a city, that is why you see a lot of housing projects ongoing at the moment. We have finished phase one, phase two is ongoing, while phase three is about to start,” he added.

The company intends to construct over 200 housing units, even as healthcare facilities, a clinic, school, are presently under construction.

It also has a laboratory where all the varieties of sugar cane are tested daily as well as a Research and Development centre inside the factory, in demonstration of its seriousness in realising the federal government’s BIP. “We are using the drip and sprinkler irrigation method for the entire plantation. Drip is a special type of irrigation system from Isreal, where the amount of water to be used will be less, but with higher yield because water will be taken Continued on page 28

T H I S D AY ˾ APRIL 15, 2021

28

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Deepening Backward Integration in Sugar Sector

Some of the equipment under construction and installation at LASUCO

to the root of the cane directly.

“BUA is the only company that has commenced the drip irrigation system. We are doing 4,000 hectares of drip irrigation in the first instance.

We have signed the contract with an Isreali company and they are about finalising the design for construction to kick off. That is to show the kind of investment that BUA is putting into sugar production in Nigeria,” Olayiwola said.

Outgrower Programme As part of efforts to empower rural dwellers in the community, LASUCO supported a programme for outgrowers on 5,000 hectares of land.

“We have developed a minimum level for the out growers and our agronomist are on ground to monitor them because we want to be sure that what they are bringing for us to

crush are in line with what we want for the mill.

“That is because if they bring any cane that is contaminated or has low level content, it would impact on our sugar. Secondly, by the time we begin to take cane from our out growers, it is the basis we would use for payment.

“So, a lot of people around here especially the farmers will benefit from that. In fact we try to encourage to ensure that they are engaged,” Saidu said.

Corporate Social Responsibility The BUA Group is a company that takes corporate social responsibility (CSR) serious.

In line with this, even though it the factory is still under construction, LASUCO has been taking steps to support its host community.

“With the ongoing road construction, we have connected more than 15 communities

FG to Ramp Up LPG Distribution Channels across Nigeria Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government is planning to launch Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution channels in every local government in Nigeria, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, has said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Nigerian Women for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Project, organised by the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Zigma

Gas Limited and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in Abuja, the minister said the project was targeted at reaching 99 million women and households within three years , cutting across 774 local councils.

“The ministry is targeting to ameliorate the energy challenge in Nigeria and clean cooking gas is key in this regard because 70 per cent of greenhouse emissions are caused by deforestation.

“This LPG project will enable us to empower rural women

to use cleaner energy sources for cooking” he said.

The federal government had launched the programme aimed at maximising Nigeria’s internal gas usage, with the plans to convert one million cars to gas at no cost, in its autogas initiative.

In her comments, the DirectorGeneral NWCD said the scheme would benefit Nigerian women and youths as it will support the efforts of the federal government in achieving its 2023 sustainable energy targets.

Stanbic IBTC Introduces Account for Women Stanbic IBTC Bank has introduced a new product, the Blue Blossom account, specifically for women.

The Blue Blossom account, which recently launched at a virtual event, is tailored to help women get better and easier access to business finance.

“This product aims to help bridge the financing gap for women in careers/businesses and to promote women’s economic empowerment, in line with the CBN’s Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles,” the Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Wole Adeniyi, was quoted in a statement to have said.

Giving further information on the product, the bank said with a minimum account opening balance of N20,000, a Blue Blossom account holder has a zero current account maintenance (CAM) fee, with access to loan facilities at highly competitive rates.

Furthermore, the account

holder gets access to business clinic sessions, a discounted fee of 0.50 per cent on loan management fees, a branded debit card and a cheque book.

Thr Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Remy Osuagwu, also said the Stanbic IBTC Blue Blossom account is in line with Stanbic IBTC Bank’s long-standing commitment to enable enterprise and empower women, their businesses and careers.

To ensure women are the Blue Blossom account’s major benefactors, Stanbic IBTC Bank explained that only businesses with 50% or more female ownership structure would qualify, and the account signatories must be women.

Also, the Head, Product and Strategic Partnerships, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Olajumoke Bello, while unveiling the product, stated that the Blue Blossom Account confirms its unabated

drive to promote financial inclusion, especially among women.

Olajumoke further applauded Stanbic IBTC Bank for being at the forefront of women empowerment in Nigeria, especially with laudable initiatives such as its seed funding initiative for women in agriculture in partnership with the United Nations, the Stanbic IBTC HeforShe initiative which seeks to promote gender equality, and the Stanbic IBTC Founders Institute, which provides mentorship to female-owned start-ups.

Speaking on the uniqueness of the product, Head of Sustainability, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Omolola Fashesin, said the Blue Blossom account consolidates Stanbic IBTC’s support for women development.

She also stated that the new offering is a product of an intense research study by the organisation, which revealed that over 40 per cent of its customers are females.

and we are still building more. In addition, as part of our CSR, a lot of the communities are close to the River Niger and as such they are always faced with challenge of flooding and BUA has been intervening to address this challenge.

“We also make sure during Ramadan, gifts are shared to all the communities in the local government. It is something we started in 2016, and we have been consistent with it.

“We recently did some renovation at the NYSC camp as part of CSR to support the state. At the state level, we have done a lot in supporting sporting activities and youth empowerment.

“BUA is constructing a 7.5 kilometres dual carriage way and a bypass to ease the movement of goods from the farm to town. The BUA Foundation is also working on several other

intervention projects,” Olayiwola said.

The foregoing shows that this is the time the more investments are required in the sugar industry to meet the shortfall in the sector.

“We hardly produce and we don’t even produce one tenth of what we need to refine in Nigeria. And there is a shortfall in supply, there is also a shortfall in plantations across the country.

“Importation of raw sugar is a foreign exchange guzzler that is why the government has advised companies in the sector to go to the field. So, while they are expanding their mills, they are slowly cutting down the rate of importation of raw sugar. So whoever does not have a refinery in its plantation at the moment doesn’t have intention of stopping importation. That is just the basic truth,” ,” Olayiwola stressed.

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

IMAGES

29

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Executive Head, Corporate Communication, MultiChoice Nigeria, Caroline Oghuma; President, Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Victor Okhai and Academy Director, MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) West Africa, Femi Odugbemi during a courtesy visit by the Directors Guild of Nigeria to MultiChoice Office in Lagos...recently

Newly appointed Chairman of Streamcent, a global sports and entertainment company, Dr. Adrian Ogun (left) and Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Lennox Lewis during a meeting in Las Vegas, United States of America...recently

L-R: Project Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Dare Odusanya; Director of Agricultural Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Ayoade Abiola Tokunbo; Project Manager, Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA), Dr. Olamilekan Pereira-Sheteolu; and Director of Administration and Human Resources, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Maryam Amodu, during the grand finale of a three-day capacity building workshop on production and processing of catfish in Lagos State organised by LSADA in collaboration with the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) at LSADA Office, Agege, Lagos...recently.

L-R: Filmmaker and cover girl of latest Glazia Magazine issue, Alex Unusual with Editor-in-Chief , Glazia Magazine, Omawumi Ogbe at the cover release cocktail party for the 1st quarter issue of Glazia Magazine at the Lagos Irish Pub, Eko Hotels in Lagos...ecently

L-R: Deputy Director, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Gadzama Bashir; Head Technical Unit for Governance and Anti-Corruption Agency Reforms, Mrs Lilian Ekeanyanwu; and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Hassan Bello, during a stakeholders sensitization on the Implementation of the Nigerian Port Process Manuel (NPPM) by the project steering committee in Port Harcourt...recently

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun(right) and Acting Inspector General of the Police, Usman Alkali Baba during the visit of the governor to the Inspector General of Police in Abuja...recently

L-R : Chief Commercial Officer, Voriancorelli (VC) Ltd., Miss Jennifer Onyebuagu, Chief Operating Officer, GTI Capital Ltd.,Mr Kehinde Hassan, Chairman, VC Mr Bolaji Akinboro, Managing Director, Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange (LCFE), Mr Akin AkeredoluAle, Managing Director, VC, Mr Rufus Udechukwu and Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Adesua Nosa-Ehima Efienenokwu during Pre-Listing Media Briefing on VC as the first company on LCFE in Lagos Wednesday.

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T H I S D AY ˾ , APRIL 15, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Prioritising Special Care for the Aged Rebecca Ejifoma reports on the recent extensive reforms, upgrade of equipment, and technological innovation at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, with premium placed on special care for the aged

F

rom 2017 to 2021, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has driven extensive reforms, and upgrading of its facilities with world class equipment, technological innovation, ancillary services, and revamped its entire modus operandi.

Among the many transformations as seen during a two-day media tour of its facility is the newly refurbished Geriatric ward, a 20-bed unit that caters to 20 elderly patients with varying chronic illnesses.

Today, the elderly friendly ward – although set up in 2012 – comprises persons aged 60 and above, who have hypertension and its complications, vision impairment, geriatric syndrome, stroke, dementia, and depression among others.

Launched by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire on March 9 last year, it was specially to address structural, infrastructural and process gaps in hospitals, with a view to improving older persons’ experiences in accessing quality healthcare.

One of such older patients is 65 years old Angelina Osobase, a stroke patient. Her daughter, Mrs. Mercy Ozegin, who sat on a guest chair beside her bed, had brought her in for treatment.

Osobase was among the 14 elderly patients at the Geriatric ward, which has five bays, with four beds in each. The ward has 22 nurses, 10 healthcare assistants and medical social workers, one geriatrician, a medical officer, a registrar in internal medicine, three physiotherapists, one occupational therapists and her assistant, nutritionists, and two pharmacists, registrars from internal medicine, and two house officers part time.

The 20 bed-ward is tagged ELDFRHI (Elder Friendly Hospital Initiative). This initiative powered the installation of grab bars from the wards to the doorways through to the corridors for support and prevention of falls, non-slip floor tiles, lightning, and wheelchair-accessible toilets.

To train multidisciplinary healthcare workforce on the principled of person-centred, holistic, and ageing friendly care, UBTH had the international training of trainers in geriatrics in UBTH from March 9 to 23 last year. It was facilitated by leading experts.

With these innovations in place, Ozegin told newsmen how she brought her mum to the facility three weeks ago after she developed stroke. “We have been here for three weeks. She had a stroke that affected part of her brain.”

Unlike the initial stage, Ozegin is pleased to see the impressive improvement in the health of her mum. “Yes, there is improvement; she is getting better,” nodding her head in confidence.

Now, this is thanks to UBTH’s four year strategic plan, which vows to rev up its services to beat best international practice with a core value for life, care, respect for people, and strive for excellence, and inward medical tourism.

And while Ozegin has heard of the treatment, she has also had a feel of it. “When we came here, she could neither lift her hand nor open her eyes, but now her hand is moving and she can communicate with her eyes as well.”

Ozegin, taking a deep sudden sigh, mused: “The experience here has been great!” she exclaimed, gesturing “When I came, I was thinking that UBTH could not give me services like LUTH in Lagos, but I found out that they are better.”

In her description, she rated the medical personnel as passionate, remarkable, and never cutting corners. “They take my mother like she is their mother. When she excretes, they take care of her, even the feeding”.

Surprisingly, Ozegin continued, the hospital supplies us the medicine. “I don’t go out to buy anything; I simply go to the pharmacist inside the clinic to confirm my bill and pay once the nurses supply the medicine,” she added.

Although she gave the facility thumbs up, like Oliver Twist, Ozegin asked for more. “They are good, but they should put more effort. The environment is clean but we need more to compare with hospitals outside the country,” she chuckled.

Geriatric Ward of UBTH

Aged persons at the Geriatric ward

And just a walk from that bay, where Ozegin’s mum is lay a retired staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Pascal Okodiye, a 79-year-old man.

When asked of the treatment, Okodiye chorused the words of Ozegin. “They have been taking care of me”, he said almost in whispers, as he lay still in bed. “They have been doing their job well”.

Although the retiree could not recount how or what landed him at UBTH, he reminisced how weak he was, and could not walk on his own. “Oh I was told I came here 12 days ago.” he quickly admitted.

One of his relatives, name withheld, opened up. “We thought it was malaria at first. So when we came here, they now diagnosed pneumonia.

But ever since, he has been responding.

“Now, he can come down from bed on his own, he can brush his teeth, get up on his own, eat, drink water and take his drugs.”

With the hospital certifying Okodiye fit and ready for discharge, his relative announced with a gleam, “They said he has fully recovered; and we can now go home. So today we will be leaving.”

In her reaction, the ward Geriatrician, Dr Obehi Akoria, credited UBTH for sponsoring her training and the unit was set up upon her return.

“The initial crop of staff were 19 nurses – physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical

workers, dieticians, pharmacists,” adding that they were all trained intensively for six weeks before they started.

“So what we do here”, she said, “is provide person’s centered holistic care. It goes beyond the focus of diagnosis to think about and provide care for the total human being”.

With physiotherapy and occupational physiotherapy in place, Akoria noted that enables them to maximise their physical functioning whereas occupational therapists enable them to optimise their individual independent living even if they may have impairment.

“For example, some of them are visually impaired, some have impairment in their muscular skeletal system because of arthritis and other kinds of diseases. What occupational therapist does for them is that even if you are blind, you can still be independent, feed yourself and dress yourself,” the geriatrician emphasised.

“The idea is when the elderly recover, the ward hopes to transition them and their family members back home into society to perform optimally.

While defining what the ward is about, the CMD UBTH, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, conceded, “We have to understand that it’s not a geriatric ward issue alone, so across the hospital, there are things we should put in place hospital wise

to prioritise care of the elderly.”

Beyond the geriatric ward, Obaseki revealed their plans to scale up all that has happened here across the whole hospital. “When we noticed that all these things would require a lot of resources, we requested ministry of health should champion it.”

According to the CMD, if up to 50 per cent of consumers of health care are above age 60, “the resources we are giving to them is just about five to 10 per cent of total budget. We should have a reliable programme, policies and training to provide the required man resource anywhere and everywhere in the country.”

For the expert, there is huge training gaps and a lot of assumptions, “But we are making progress”, he chipped in with excitement.

“One thing I see across the country, even among the post graduate trainees is that people are beginning to see the need for us to focus more on learning more about how to do more for older persons,” says Obaseki with delight.

Proudly, UBTH announced that a large proportion of patients who access care in UBTH are older persons. Thus its priority remains adding years to the lives of the elderly, if not, add life to the years they have and improve the quality of life they have left, thereby, making their lives worth living.

T H I S D AY ˾ , APRIL 15, 2021

31

NEWS

MedicalTribunalReceives Over 70 Cases ofAlleged Doctors’Misconduct Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË 5IF .FEJDBM BOE %FOUBM $PVODJM PG /JHFSJB .%$/

IBT TBJE UIBU PWFS BMleged cases of professional misconduct against doctors are pending before it.

Speaking in an interview XJUI KPVSOBMJTUT UIF 3FHJTUSBS PG UIF .FEJDBM BOE %FOUBM $PVODJM PG .%$/ BOE 4FDSFUBSZ PG UIF USJCVOBM %S 5BKVEFFO 4BOVTJ TBJE EVF to the constraints imposed CZ UIF $07*% QBOEFNJD the tribunal waa unable to speed up trial of the cases.

He said the council was being mindful of the need UP PCTFSWF UIF $07*% protocols during proceedings of the tribunal, adding that this has limited the number of cases it could handle.

“We have many cases pending at the tribunal.

"T BU UPEBZ XF IBWF PWFS DBTFT USBOTGFSFE GSPN our various branches but we are attending to them gradually in order not to attract so many people at UIF USJCVOBM TJUUJOH u IF TBJE Sanusi explained that most of the cases had to do with unprofessional conduct and malfeasance committed by medical doctors.

Sanusi also spoke on the council’s effort to ensure the smooth implementation of the centralisation of posting of newly graduated doctors for their one year internship programme and the payment of arrears of salaries and allowances of the doctors currently on strike.

He however expressed dismay over the apparent lack of cooperation by some $IJFG .FEJDBM %JSFDUPST PG

the federal tertiary health institutions in the country who has continued to recruit House Officers in disobedience to the federal government directive.

"DDPSEJOH UP 4BOVTJ UIF action of these hospital chief executives was responsible to the muddling up of things and the subsequent delay in the payment of the resident doctors.

Meanwhile, the Medical BOE %FOUBM 1SBDUJPOFST %JTQMJOBSZ 5SJCVOBM PO 5IVSTEBZ CBOOFE %S 4VOEBZ &MVTPKJ B TFOJPS QIZTJDJBO with the University of Benin 5FBDIJOH )PTQJUBM #FOJO $JUZ in Edo state from medical practice.

The tribunal which held its QSPDFFEJOHT JO "CVKB BMTP HBWF KVEHFNFOU TVTQFOEJOH BOPUIFS EPDUPS "EPMQIVT 0SJBJGP B $POTVMUBOU 4VSHFPO BU "KBZJ 0SJBJGP .FNPSJBM )PTQJUBM JO #FOJO $JUZ GPS six months for professional negligence. &MVTPKJ XIP JT B $POTVMUBOU Surgeon with University of Benin Teaching Hospital was said to have engaged in malpractice on March XIJMF BUUFOEJOH one Mr. Uwa Osagie with gunshot wound at his private clinic, known as Our MediDBM $FOUSF MPDBUFE BU /P +BNJMB 3PBE *LQPCB )JMM JO #FOJO $JUZ He was first arraigned PO %FDFNCFS CFGPSF being found guilty on the three count charges filed against him at the sitting of the tribunal on Thursday.

5IF DIBSHFT JODMVEF professional misconduct, infamous act, diverting patient to his private clinic and infamously and illegally

revealed that affordability and availability are key factors that determine the quantity of dietary proteins consumed by Nigerians.

He posited that if more people plant soybeans, not KVTU GBSNFST BMPOF JU XPVME directly boost the availability of high protein foods to the DJUJ[FOSZ i*ODSFBTFE QSPEVDtion of soybeans will not only alleviate protein deficiency, but it will also aid the agricultural and livestock JOEVTUSJFT BT XFMM u IF TUBUFE 1SPGFTTPS ,FIJOEF QPJOUFE out that the recent scarcity of soybeans in Nigeria has led to the increase in prices of animal protein foods like poultry, cows and fishes, which are important food sources for a balanced diet.

He said that increasing the productivity of small-scale farmers will enhance soybean production in different communities and states in the country. He also urged the agro-allied industry to actively assist farmers in planting soybeans by providing quality seedlings and fertilizers. %S #FBUSJDF 0HBOBI *LVKFOZP B OVUSJUJPOJTU BOE DIJFG MFDUVSFS BU UIF "EFOJSBO 0HVOTBOZB $PMMFHF PG &EVDB-

Premarital Genetic Counselling (Part 2)

using the letter head of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital to issue medical report to a patient in his private facility.

5IF USJCVOBM GPVOE &MVTPKJ guilty of violations of the $PEF PG .FEJDBM &UIJDT JO /JHFSJB BOE HBWF KVEHFNFOU striking out his name from the register of the Medical BOE %FOUBM $PVODJM PG /JHFSJB .%$/

"OPUIFS EPDUPS "EPMQIVT Oriaifo was suspended by the tribunal for six months for offences ranging from gross negligence in the management of his patient contrary UP 3VMF PG UIF $PEF PG Medical Ethics, infamous professional conduct and exhibition of incompetence in the handling of the patient’s health condition.

Oriaifo was said to have committed the offence while BUUFOEJOH UP POF .S "VHVTUJOF %JLF OPX EFDFBTFE 8IJMF HJWJOH IJT KVEHFment, the tribunal chairman, 1SPG "CCB 8B[JSJ )BTTBO said though the respondent is a competent surgeon, he however carried out a surgery under “sub-optimal environment with pre-operative evaluation by a specialist.

“More so, the patient was a known diabetic.

1PTU PQFSBUJWF DBSF XBT BMTP TVC PQUJNBM (JWFO that emboleseis a recognised complication even when all necessary precautions were taken, the respondent still OFFEFE UP EP NPSF u IF TBJE The tribunal therefore SVMFE UIBU %S 0SJBJGP was guilty and should be suspended from practicing as a medical doctor with immediate effect.

Experts Urge Nigerians to Produce Soybeans to Curb Malnutrition *O GVSUIFSBODF PG FGGPSUT UP curb the rate of malnutrition in the country, nutrition and agricultural experts have called on Nigerians to as a matter of priority begin to produce soybeans, a nutritious food source.

Speaking during the recent 1SPUFJO $IBMMFOHF 8FCJOBS Series 8, themed - The /JHFSJBO 1SPUFJO %FàDJFODZ 3FQPSU 6OQBDLJOH UIF Numbers, Exploring the *TTVFT 1SPGFTTPS "EFUVOKJ ,FIJOEF QSPWPTU $PMMFHF PG "HSJDVMUVSF 0TVO 4UBUF University, said that the /JHFSJBO 1SPUFJO %FàDJFODZ 3FQPSU JOEJDBUFT UIBU the poor status of protein consumption in Nigeria remains the leading cause of protein deficiency in the country.

"DDPSEJOH UP 1SPGFTTPS Kehinde, “Widespread and aggressive production of soybeans across the country will contribute to efforts to curb the incidence of protein EFàDJFODZ JO UIF DPVOUSZ u Soybeans, he explained, is a rich source of protein and PUIFS WBMVBCMF OVUSJFOUT *U promotes growth, repairs worn-out cells in the body and improves general health.

He noted that the report

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tion, Lagos, contended that continued reliance on a diet of staple foodstuffs that lack protein will undoubtedly result in protein deficiency. %S 0HBOBI *LVKFOZP UIFSFfore called on the government to work to increase awareness on various sources of protein available and affordable to the people and also pay attention to the growing of protein sources such as soya beans, beans and animal production.

"OPUIFS FYQFSU %S "EFQFKV "EFOJSBO B QVCMJD health expert and national coDIBJSQFSTPO 8PNFO JO (MPCBM Health, Nigeria, maintained that increasing the amount of plant protein-rich foods is imperative to reducing the level of protein deficiency in the nation.

She said that eating soybeans, groundnuts, and other legumes will be largely beneficial to low-income earners who cannot afford animal protein food sources.

She revealed that the /JHFSJBO 1SPUFJO %FàDJFODZ 3FQPSU XBT B GPMMPX VQ research to a previous survey DBSSJFE PVU JO UP BTTFTT and gather empirical data on the level of protein deficiency in Nigeria.

L

ast week we talked about genetic disorders at those diseases that are caused by the presence of a mutation in a gene. They cause varying levels of discomfort from mild, severe and some could even be fatal. We will be discussing some of the facts to note about premarital genetic counselling and common examples of genetic disorders.

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Blood genotype is one genetic factor that plays an essential role in one’s health, specifically the presence or absence of the sickle DFMM HFOF 4$% DBO CF B TFSJPVTMZ EFCJMJUBUJOH medical condition caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells. The gene for normal blood HFOPUZQF JT UIF i"u HFOF IPXFWFS UIF TJDLMF

DFMM HFOF JT JOEJDBUFE CZ i4u 5IPTF UIBU BSF CPSO XJUI 4$% DBSSZ UXP i4u HFOFT BOE BSF classified as SS. This occurs when a child JOIFSJUT POF i4u HFOF GSPN FBDI QBSFOU 8JUI 4$% UIF SFE CMPPE DFMMT UIBU would ordinarily be disc shaped are changed to a crescent or ‘sickle’ shape. This affects their flexibility and ability to pass through narrow blood vessels and supply oxygen to other cells and tissues. The disease can bring about a number of health complications such as leg ulcers, gallstones, lung crises, and pulmonary IZQFSUFOTJPO PS WJTJPO QSPCMFNT *OEJWJEVBMT with this disease may suffer severe pain and EJTDPNGPSU UISPVHI PVU UIFJS MJWFT $VSSFOUMZ the only permanent cure for sickle cell disease is a bone marrow transplant which comes with a number of limitations. Studies show UIBU TJDLMF DFMM BOBFNJB BDDPVOUT GPS VQ PG VOEFS àWF EFBUIT JO JOEJWJEVBM 8FTU "GSJDB DPVOUSJFT 8)0 5IF XPSME IFBMUI PSHBOJ[BUJPO SFDPSEFE UIBU BU MFBTU infant deaths form sickle cell anaemia in 8JUI NJMMJPO DBSSJFST PG UIF 4JDLMF DFMM HFOF JO /JHFSJB *U QPTFT B TJHOJàDBOU UISFBU UP UIF IFBMUI PG UIF QPQVMBUJPO *U JT SFDPNNFOEFE UIBU TJDLMF DFMM QBUJFOUT 44

not bare children with a carrier of the sickle DFMM HFOF "4 CFDBVTF PG UIF DIBODF of having a child with the disease in each pregnancy. However, a sickle cell patient 44 DBO NBSSZ BO JOEJWJEVBM XJUI OP USBJU PG UIF EJTFBTF "" UIFJS PGGTQSJOH XJMM POMZ CF DBSSJFT PG UIF TJDLMF DFMM HFOFT "4

Down syndrome %PXO TZOESPNF JT B NBJO DBVTF PG DPOHFOJUBM heart disease and mental retardation in children. *U IBT B DIBSBDUFSJTUJD TFU PG GBDJBM BOE QIZTJDBM features as well as being associated with an increased risk of leukaemia, defects of the immune system, dementia and congenital BOPNBMJFT PG UIF HBTUSPJOUFTUJOBM USBDU *UT NBKPS cause is the present of an extra chromosome BOE PUIFS EVQMJDBUJPOT PG TNBMM SFHJPOT in the chromosome. %VF UP TZNQUPNT MJLF QPPS NVTDMF UPOF DIJMESFO XJUI %PXO TZOESPNF PGUFO have a slower rate of development than the BWFSBHF DIJME 0UIFS QIZTJDBM TZNQUPNT JODMVEF flattened facial profile, upward slating eyes, wide and short hands. Some characteristic cognitive and behavioural limitations of JOEJWJEVBMT XJUI %PXO TZOESPNF BSF TIPSU BUUFOUJPO TQBO QPPS KVEHFNFOU BOE JNQVMTJWF behaviour, slow learning and delayed language development. These may all lead to slow cognitive development rate which could be combated by early intervention TO BE CONTINUED

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ APRIL 15, 2021

32

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

AMCON Seeks Accommodation in BOFIA 2020 Obinna Chima The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has approached the National Assembly to accommodate it in the provisions of the newly amended Banks and Other Financial Institution Act 2020 (BOFIA 2020), which set up special tribunals for hearing financial matters emanating from the financial institutions.

Making a presentation before the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions at the National Assembly, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, said the proposed amendment and a few others would be critical to AMCON’s expected deliverables.

The legislation he said would enable the corporation to resolve the debts as quicker than necessary.

The Senate Committee chaired

by Senator Uba Sani (Kaduna State) had invited AMCON’s top executives and that of other key stakeholders and sister agencies of the federal government including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Finance and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for another engagement for a continued engagement regarding the amendment of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Act No.3 (Amendment Bill) 2021 with the Senate Committee on banking insurance & other financial institutions.

The bill was originally sponsored by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti State).

Marshalling a case during the presentation, most of which received the backing of all stakeholders in attendance, Kuru said, “By the following introduction of new sections, the Corporation is seeking to be accommodated by the provisions

of the newly amended BOFIA (2020), which sets up Special Tribunals for hearing financial matters emanating from the financial institutions.

“The designation of a special tribunal for financial cases immediately assumes the achievement of quicker resolution of matters in Court as the Judges are designated to hear only such financial matters.

“Moreover, BOFIA prescribes a maximum period of six months to conclude matters brought before the Tribunal. AMCON being accommodated under this Tribunal will assist AMCON with its speed of recovery.

“To enable AMCON succeed in its national call to duty, AMCON solicits the continued support of this esteemed Distinguished Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions with the proposed amendments for adoption.”

Kuru

MARKET INDICATORS

Coronation Merchant Bank Declares N5.78bn Profit Sunday Ehigiator Coronation Merchant Bank has announced that it made N5.78 billion profit before tax in its financial statement as at December 31, 2020, despite the pandemic which disrupted business activities last year.

The bank made this disclosure during its sixth Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos, recently. According to the Chairman, Coronation Merchant Bank, Babatunde Folawiyo, the N5.78 billion profit represented a 15 per cent increase from the N5.024 billion made by the bank in 2019.

Folawiyo also announced that

the bank’s total assets, “grew by 63 per cent from N253.35 billion in 2019, to N412.36 billion in 2020.

“Earning assets reached N269 billion, representing a 62 per cent rise from the 2019 position. Customer deposits and funds grew by 41 per cent from N138 billion in 2019 to N195 billion in 2020.

“Loans to customers also increased from N72.2 billion in 2019 to N122 billion in 2020.

Non-interest income grew by 23 per cent to N7.4 billion and net interest income closed at N4.68 billion.”

According to him, overall the bank maintained healthy prudential ratios above regulatory

thresholds, with loan to funding ratio of N67.86 per cent, capital adequacy ratio of 19.87 per cent and liquidity ratio of 50.93 per cent as at December 2020.

“We also continued to record 0 per cent non-performing loans while maintaining our credit discipline and a fortified balance sheet,” he said.

The shareholders thereby approved of the proposal of the directors that given the performance of the bank, a final dividend payment of 33 kobo per share be made to shareholders whose names are registered in the register of members at the close of business on April 5, 2021.

TAJBank Deploys NQR Solutionto Ease Customers’Transactions TAJBank, a non-interest bank has announced the deployment of the NQR Payment solution, an indigenous Quick Response Code by NIBSS for merchants and customers as the newest addition to its innovative ebusiness channels.

The NQR Payment solution is a secure QR-code-based payments and collections platform developed for merchants and customers to receive and make payments for goods and services in a quick, easy, contactless and secure manner.

A statement signed by the Founder/Chief Operating Of-

ficer of the bank, Mr. Hamid Joda, indicated that the solution would further drive TAJBank’s culture of innovation and create a seamless payment experience for its rapidly growing individual and corporate customers in their banking transactions.

“We are excited to have this payment channel introduced into the nation’s financial system as an addition to other innovative solutions we have deployed over the past few months. This is a proof that, as we have said in our communications signature line, TAJBank’s interest is always in our customers”, Joda enthused.

In his remarks, the non-interest lender’s Chief Marketing Officer/ Co-Founder, Mr. Sherif Idi, maintained that the deployment of the NQR payment solution would revolutionise the e-payment experience and open new frontiers for small, medium and large scale businesses who are major stakeholders of the bank.

Since it commenced operations in the non-interest banking segment of the financial services industry, TAJBank is noted for its impeccable track record of growth and innovation, rendering exceptional quality services to customers.

France,AIM Group Strengthen Partnership French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade & Economic Attractiveness, Franck Riester has paid a visit to one of Nigeria’s leading media conglomerates, AIM Group in his first official visit to Nigeria.

The move was geared towards fostering the intra-cultural relationship between France and Nigeria.

AIM Group whose subsidiaries cuts across leading media and production organisations such as Wazobia TV, Wazobia Max TV, Film Lab Nigeria, Wazobia Academy, Nigeria Info, Wazobia FM, Cool FM, WE Entertainment Production and Clout hosted the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic

Attractiveness during his visit to a roundtable engagement with Co-Founder, Wazobia Media - Tatiana Moussalli Nouri; Fashion designer - Sike Saro and Creative Entrepreneur - Ferdinand Adimefe on discussions that related to topics that cut across art, capacity building, fashion, cinematography and the infusion of both Nigerian and French cultural offerings in building strong alliances to the global market.

Speaking during the visit, Riester, was quoted in a statement to have acknowledged the resilient spirit of the new generation of Nigerians who despite the Covid-19 pandemic have continued to dominate the

music and movie production segment which has witnessed massive returns, impressive international successes, and global commendations as Nigerian Cinema and Music Industry has grown to become an inspiration for other countries.

He further reaffirmed the dedication of the French government through its foreign policy in supporting cultural and creative industries in partner countries, through set-up like the, ‘Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects’, which makes it possible to establish sustainable assistance for many cultural projects geared towards creating employment opportunities and economic development.

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 ˜ ͯͱ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $61.87 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $61.46 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

33

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Voriancorelli Seeks N20 Billion, to List on LCFE Goddy Egene The Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange (LCFE) is set to begin operations and has screened Voriancorelli (VC) to list on the exchange.

VC, which is a commodity aggregating company with strong background in digitisation of commodities’ assets such as paddy rice, sorghum, soyabeans and maize, will raise about N20 billion through floating of Exchange

Traded Notes (ETN) to operate optimally. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Chairman of VC, Mr. Bolaji Akinboro, explained that listing of VC would enable the company to access liquidity, operate under the Exchange’s rules and regulations as evidence of transparency and provide opportunities to create new forms of asset classes. “ Voriancorelli is called the ‘’matching company’’ because we primarily solve the problem of

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

market linkage to make trading within the sector simple and scalable. Underpinning the problem of market linkage is liquidity: Whether in form of capital financing, credit, or grant.

The cost and availability of this liquidity undercuts profitability for agribusinesses. “Therefore, in collaboration with the LCFE, the strength of the capital markets will be brought to bear in agriculture for the first time. We are thus making the

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

market for commodities work in Nigeria. Beyond this, we are also showing what an exchange should do : an arbiter of transparency, integrity and supervision that provides an independent view of the ecosystem and all other market participants for healthy collaboration,” Akinboro said. Also speaking, Managing Director of VC, Mr. Rufus Udechukwu, said the company offers a business-tobusiness solution to key players by connecting them together

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

via a trading platform called easy commerce and facilitate seamless transactions. In his remarks, Managing Director, LCFE, Mr. Akin AkeredoluAle, stressed that commodities exchanges has capacity to create jobs, enhance operations of all stakeholders in the commodities value chain and grow the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP).

According to him, agriculture is the primary sector of an economy and once it is properly

O F

harnessed, it will have multiplier effects on other sectors.

“We started with a vision to create an enabling environment for all the commodity stakeholders to participate effectively for the development of the ecosystem and the economy of the country. Commodity sector does not suffer setback under COVID-19 as people must eat even if it has to be imported. Our commodities ecosystem is worth trillions of Naira and remained largely untapped,” he said.

1 3 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

˾ THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

Thursday, April 15, 2021 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Rose by 6bp dŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ϲďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

ϭ͕ϳϯϳ͘ϲϯ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ǁĂƐ ĂƐ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ ZENITH (+0.5%), MTNN (+0.6%), and FBNH (+2.0%). These

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘ϰй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

WŽƐŝƟǀĞ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ͘​͘​͘ ^/ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϭй

Ticker

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,737.53

0.06%

930.00

0.0%

34.7%

72.70

0.0%

10.7%

-6.0%

28.80

-0.5%

8.4%

-11.0%

ƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ MTNN (+0.6%), FBNH (+2.0%) and GUIN-

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc

E ^^ ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ ďƵŽLJĞĚ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ƚŽĚĂLJ as the

3 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC

benchmark

5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

index

rose

9bps

to

38,636.15 points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ improved to ϰ͘ϭй ĂŶĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ ʬ18.0bn to ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ʬ20.2tn. dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǀĂƌŝĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƌŽƐĞ ϯϯ͘Ϯй ƚŽ Ϯϳϴ͘Ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ Ϯϭ͘ϵй to ʬ2.3bn. dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ JAPAULGO (46.2m units), UACN (32.6m units), and FIDELITY

;Ϯϴ͘ϱŵ

ƵŶŝƚƐͿ

ǁŚŝůĞ

ZENITH

(ʬ431.4m),

UACN (ʬ311.5m), and GUARANTY (ʬϮϱϬ͘ϵŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůͲ ue.

ϰ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ůŽǁĞƌ͘ dŚĞ &Z-ICT and Consumer Goods ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Ϭ͘ϯй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ due to price ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ in MTNN (+0.6%), 'h/EE ^^ (+10.0%) and INTBREW ;нϬ͘ϵйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĚ ůŽƐĞƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă Ϯ͘Ϯй ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚƚĂŬŝŶŐ in NEM (-6.5%) and D E^ Z (-Ϯ͘ϭйͿ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĂůƐŽ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϮϬďƉƐ ĂŶĚ ϱďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƐ ŝŶ GUARANTY (-

ROE

ROA

P/E

5.2x

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

18.4%

73.8%

12.7%

3.2%

9.2%

9.2%

7.9%

2.8%

0.7x

5.7%

12.7%

-6.0%

19.1%

11.2%

34.9x

6.6x

2.6%

2.9%

-11.0%

27.1%

4.6%

4.1x

1.1x

10.4%

24.7%

1.4%

22.00

0.5%

6.1%

-11.3%

-11.3%

22.4%

3.1%

3.0x

0.6x

13.7%

33.4%

0.0%

5.4%

-12.2%

-12.2%

31.2%

14.6%

13.3x

4.2x

7.4%

7.5%

161.00

0.6%

4.7%

-5.2%

-5.2%

16.0x

18.4x

5.8%

6.3%

1,420.00

0.0%

3.8%

-5.6%

-5.6%

38.4x

5.0%

3.5%

20.90

0.0%

3.3%

-0.7%

8.10

0.0%

2.7%

-4.1%

8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

104.8%

17.8%

28.7x

-0.7%

8.8%

6.1%

10.9x

0.9x

4.8%

9.2%

-4.1%

15.6%

1.3%

2.7x

0.4x

9.9%

37.2%

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

6.95

0.0%

2.2%

-19.7%

-19.7%

7.55

2.0%

2.6%

5.6%

5.6%

12.6%

1.3%

3.7x

0.4x

6.0%

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

50.10

0.0%

1.9%

-10.5%

-10.5%

4.5%

1.8%

54.3x

2.5x

1.9%

1.8%

46.00

0.0%

2.1%

4.4%

4.4%

24.3%

3.7%

6.1x

1.4x

8.7%

16.3%

5.60

0.9%

1.5%

-5.9%

-5.9%

-15.5%

-3.4%

31.00

0.0%

1.3%

19.2%

19.2%

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 16 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C 17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 Ecobank Transnational Inc

23 Sterling Bank PLC 24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

Across sectors that we cover, performance was bearish as

Price Change Index to Date

215.00

21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc

ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Current Price

26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC 28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC 30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance 32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 Total Nigeria PLC 34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC

-8.4%

0.8x

4.7%

550.00

0.0%

1.4%

36.7%

36.7%

-6.5%

-3.4%

0.5x

7.2%

-15.5%

0.0%

0.8%

0.0%

0.0%

7.4%

3.2%

27.9x

2.1x

3.6%

3.6%

90.00

0.0%

0.8%

-1.1%

-1.1%

24.6%

16.0%

10.9x

2.5x

2.47

-0.8%

0.7%

-2.0%

-2.0%

9.9%

1.0%

2.8x

0.3x

8.9%

35.4%

14.8%

9.1%

4.80

0.0%

0.5%

-20.0%

-20.0%

0.3%

0.0%

126.0x

0.2x

16.50

-0.6%

0.6%

-6.3%

-6.3%

25.5%

12.6%

6.8x

1.6x

9.1%

2.81

-2.8%

0.5%

-15.6%

-15.6%

5.3%

34.9%

1.65

-8.3%

0.3%

-19.1%

-19.1%

9.2%

0.9%

4.1x

0.4x

1.8%

24.5%

15.20

0.0%

0.4%

4.8%

4.8%

18.4%

5.8%

8.8x

3.3x

2.7%

11.4%

0.80

0.0%

0.3%

-11.1%

-11.1%

-1.3%

-0.3%

0.5x

1.2%

-2.7%

72.00

0.0%

0.3%

1.5%

1.5%

17.9%

7.3%

2.3x

3.0%

13.30

0.0%

0.2%

-4.3%

-4.3%

-2.4%

-1.6%

0.8%

2.9x

13.7x

1.2x

4.60

0.0%

0.2%

-13.2%

-13.2%

5.45

0.0%

0.2%

15.7%

15.7%

35.5%

4.2%

26.50

10.0%

0.3%

39.5%

39.5%

-17.8%

-9.0%

6.00

0.0%

0.2%

2.6%

2.6%

25.0%

7.8%

3.1x

0.7x

1.26

0.8%

0.2%

11.5%

11.5%

21.4%

3.3%

2.8x

0.6x

7.3% -2.1%

2.2% 4.2x

1.3x

12.8%

0.8x

24.0% -24.5%

9.2%

32.7% 35.3%

142.00

0.0%

0.2%

9.2%

9.2%

4.4%

4.7%

19.00

0.0%

0.1%

6.7%

6.7%

3.2%

0.4%

22.2x

0.7x

2.1%

4.5%

-13.0%

34.3%

3.00

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

1.0x

27.3%

228.00

0.60

36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC

7.5%

5.3%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.7%

0.1%

-18.9%

21.5x

-13.0%

6.8%

0.5%

2.9x

0.4x

6.8%

-100.0%

7.4%

0.9%

5.7x

0.6x

5.1%

-18.9%

14.5%

2.6%

1.3x

0.2x

8.0x

0.7x

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-29.7%

-8.5%

54.00

0.0%

0.1%

-2.5%

-2.5%

9.4%

6.4%

3.25

0.0%

0.0%

-9.7%

-9.7%

-10.6%

-5.5%

17.4% 77.4%

1.8x

-18.4% 2.0%

0.5x

12.5% -24.7%

0.5%), ^d Z>/E' (-8.3%) and OANDO (-Ϭ͘ϳйͿ͘ WƌŝĐĞ ǁĞĂŬͲ

ůŽǁĞƌ ďLJ ϭďƉ͘

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ZĞŵĂŝŶƐ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ

ƌĂƟŽͿ͕

ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ

ƚŽ

Ϭ͘ϲdž

from 0.8x.recorded in the previous session as 14 stocks advanced ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϮϮ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ 'h/EE ^^ (+10.0%), MEY-

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

GUIN N ESS

26.50

10.0%

J A P A ULGOLD

46.2

-4.0%

M EYER

0.53

8.2%

UA C N

32.6

0.5%

WEM A B A N K

0.60

5.3%

F ID ELIT YB K

28.5

-0.8%

CHA M S

0.22

4.8%

A C C ESS

22.7

0.0%

C A VER T ON

2.00

2.6%

Z EN IT H B A N K

19.6

ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ weak ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚ͕ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƐƚŽĐŬ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞ ĨŽƌ ďĂƌͲ ŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ

0.5%

12.6

2.0%

10.7

0.0% -0.5%

FB NH

7.55

2.0%

C OR N ER ST

0.55

1.9%

WA P C O

VIT A F OA M

8.40

1.2%

GUA R A N T Y

8.7

IN T B R EW

5.60

0.9%

UB A

8.7

0.0%

A IIC O

1.26

0.8%

M A N SA R D

7.3

-2.1%

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 T ic k er NNFM

P ric e 5.40

P ric e C hg % -10.0%

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

Z EN IT H B A N K

431.4

0.5%

311.5

0.5%

F ID SON

4.28

-9.9%

UA C N

C UT IX

2.03

-9.8%

GUA R A N T Y

250.9

-0.5%

ST ER LN B A N K

1.65

-8.3%

WA P C O

223.5

0.0%

WA P IC

0.46

-8.0%

M TNN

183.3

0.6%

NA HCO

2.02

-7.3%

A C C ESS

183.2

0.0%

R EGA LIN S

0.26

-7.1%

FB NH

94.2

2.0%

74.2

0.0%

N EM

2.00

-6.5%

D A N GC EM

A F R IP R UD

5.50

-6.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

70.7

-0.8%

-5.7%

D A N GSUGA R

67.1

-0.6%

C H IP LC

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

T ic k er

FB NH

ER (+8.2%) and WEMABANK ;нϱ͘ϯйͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁŚŝůĞ NNFM (-10.0%), &/ ^KE (-9.9%), and CUTIX (-9.8%)

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

ness in CUTIX (-ϵ͘ϴйͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž

0.33

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

35

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

NGX Regulation Publishes Supervision Priorities for Traders Goddy Egene

RegCo), the regulatory arm of Nigerian Exchange Group, has published its supervision priorities

NGX Regulation Limited (NGX 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

for 2021. According to the Chief Executive Officer, NGX RegCo, Ms. Tinuade Awe, said: “The priority

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 13Apr-2021, unless otherwise stated.

document provides an insight into the performance of TLHs with regards to previous areas of

regulatory concerns and observed emerging trends. Some of these include the increased dependence

of TLHs on virtual communication and trading channels occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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 152.09 153.57 -6.00% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.53% Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.22 317.22 -16.62% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 109.09 109.09 -2.65% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.05 1.07 17.37% ACAP Income Funds 0.65 0.65 -10.39% 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 4.11% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.35 3.51 -5.57% 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 1.66% Anchoria Equity Fund 125.29 126.75 -5.80% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.10 -17.29% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 103.57 103.57 1.83% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 124.21 125.08 -1.56% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.98% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.06 2.06 -15.82% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.18 2.23 -8.45% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.28% Paramount Equity Fund 15.26 15.55 -4.55% Women's Investment Fund 129.86 131.21 -2.48% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.97% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 126.76 127.62 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 126.76 127.62 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.19% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.14 1.16 -4.77% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.38 1.38 -12.88% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 2.45% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.33% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,180.57 1,185.61 -1.53% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,355.73 1,355.73 5.97% FBN Balanced Fund 182.71 183.93 -2.65% FBN Halal Fund 110.64 110.64 4.27% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.39% N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 124.00 124.00 3.01% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 147.05 149.02 -2.73% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,779.00 3,829.85 0.83% Coral Income Fund 3,353.28 3,353.28 2.35% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 1.79%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.50% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.69 2.75 17.41% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 146.15 146.53 -5.98% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 5.37% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.50% 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 1.58 1.61 7.54% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.12 12.26 -0.89% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.60% PACAM Equity Fund 1.56 1.58 -1.10% PACAM EuroBond Fund 110.16 113.00 0.75% 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 128.35 130.40 6.99% 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 1.00 1.00 1.96% 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 3,089.31 3,112.85 -3.96% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 228.10 228.10 1.45% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.14 1.15 -2.97% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 298.84 298.85 1.42% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 209.66 212.19 -4.07% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.08% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,793.68 9,917.03 -6.75% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.25 1.25 1.59% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 113.08 113.08 1.80% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.30 1.33 -4.62% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 1.72% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 0.55% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.43% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.36 119.36 1.94% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.08 -2.40% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.03 1.03 2.80% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.94 12.04 0.63% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.26 13.34 8.40% Zenith Income Fund 24.28 24.28 1.23% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.75%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

122.38 52.92

1.36% 0.99%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.37 117.96 92.54

12.47 117.96 94.26

-6.39% -3.10% -6.88%

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.61 5.44 16.53 1.00 18.65 168.05

3.65 5.52 16.63 1.00 18.85 170.05

-4.34% -4.31% 1.16% 2.15% -9.09% -23.53%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.30

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

36

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

Babalola Urges NJC to Appoint CJN by Merit, Not Seniority Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A Legal Icon, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to ensure that the emergence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) will be based on merit rather than promotion or seniority.

Babalola said this remained the best way to fortify the bench with brilliant and well groomed legal practitioners from the bar

and academic world.

A statement that was issued yesterday by the Director, Corporate Affairs Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD), Tunde Olofintila, in Ado Ekiti said that Babalola gave the advice at the virtual launch of books in honour of a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, to mark his retirement from the bench on attaining age of 70.

Igbo, Yoruba Leaders Visit Odumakin, Chukwuma’s Families A delegation of Igbo and Yoruba leaders under the leadership of the Chairman of Board of Trustees of Nzuko Umunna, Professor Pat Utomi and a former Minister, Modupe Adesanya Adelaja, yesterday paid a condolence visit to the families of Mrs. Yinka Odumakin and Innocent Chukwuma to commiserate with them on the death of the leading activists.

At Odumakin’s house, Utomi noted that the activist played a pivotal role as one of the facilitators of the “Handshake Across the Niger,” which was jointly hosted by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Afenifere.

According to him, Odumakin was “instrumental in rekindling the bond of brotherhood between Ndigbo and their Yoruba brethren,” adding that this would go down in history

as one of his many laudable contributions to peace-building and national development.

Utomi also noted during a similar visit to the family of Chukwuma, that Chukwuma was a towering figure in Nigeria’s human rights community, adding that his exploits especially during the volatile military era would remain indelible in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

Utomi stated that Chukwuma would be “sorely missed not only by Nzuko Umunna but by all lovers of freedom and development” due to his invaluable contributions as a strategic thinker and activist.

He prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed activists, and that their death would rekindle a national rebirth as a memorial to their struggles and patriotism.

Kano Consumer Protection Agency Seizes N1bn Fake Drugs Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Kano State Consumer Protection Council (KSCPC), has seized over N1 billion worth of fake drugs and unwholesome foods across the state in the past three months of the year.

The Acting Chairman of the KSCPC, Mr. Baffa Dan-Agundi, told reporters yesterday that most of the seizures were made in the Rimi, Sabon Gari and Singer markets.

Dan-Agundi said: “In the past three months of my assumption as the acting chairman of the agency, 13 persons were arrested in connection with the N1 billion worth of seizures, nine suspects are on the run with court arrest warrants issued on them, two court judgments were also secured.

“Many also opted for plea bargain to settle out of court as mediation is guaranteed in the law establishing the agency.”

He attributed the successes to the dedication of the agency’s staff, incentives and reward to whistle blowers.

He, however, stated that the agency has been performing sub-optimally because of shortage of manpower.

“We have just 100 staff in addition to volunteers as against the 5,000 personnel needed for our operations,” Dan-Agundi said.

He also said that the agency has been waiting for a date to be picked by Kano State Governor, Dr. Umar Ganduje, for the seized drugs and unwholesome foods to be destroyed as the store is overfilled.

FCT Minister Faults IPPIS, Alleges Overpayment By AGF Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mr. Mohammed Musa Bello, has exposed the gap in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) that is currently managed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) as the platform from which the salaries of federal workers is paid.

Bello alleged that there have been many instances where his salaries were either overpaid or underpaid.

This anomaly in the IPPIS management was highlighted yesterday by the Chairman

Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) FCTA/FCDA, Mr. Korede Matilukuro, when he briefed the workers on the outcome of the meeting with management to look into their 17-point demands on welfare following the expiration of their three-day warning strike.

Matilukuro said that Bello, who chaired the meeting on Monday, agreed with the union on the need for them to manage their own salary on the FCT platform because he (Bello) had also been overpaid or underpaid by the IPPIS and has had reasons to return the excess to the Office of the AGF.

Babalola said: “The position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is so important that it should not be based on promotion but strictly on merit.

“I know from experience that the best judges are those who have been in active litigation, who have interacted with clients, who have drafted claims and pleadings and who have addressed legal issues at different level of the courts.

“This is why in other climes,

judges are chosen from seasoned legal practitioners. I recall the case of late Justice Teslim Olawale Elias, SAN. He was appointed as CJN and President, International Court of Justice.

He was Attorney General of the Federation when he was a Professor at the University of Lagos and was invited to the Supreme Court where he eventually became the CJN.” He added that the country is in dire need of restructuring

that would throw up a truly federal constitution that would change the mode of election and the type of people to be elected to govern the country.

He further stated that restructuring would also ensure that the country has part-time legislators, reduce the huge salaries currently being earned by legislators in favour of sitting allowances as well as reduce the cost of governance and ensure elections are run

at cheaper rates while women representation in governance will be higher.

“Our constitution is the greatest problem of Nigeria.

The operation of the constitution is expensive with its attendant over-concentration of power at the centre, thereby rendering the states and local governments totally impotent unlike what obtained under the parliamentary constitutions of 1960 and 1963.

FIGHTING VIOLENCE...

Enugu State Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Peace Nnaji (left), and wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugochi Ugwuanyi, during the awareness campaign against gender-based violence in Enugu… yesterday

Senate Passes Bill to Establish National Food Reserve Agency Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Senate yesterday amid disagreement by members, passed a bill seeking to establish the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) following the consideration of the report of its Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, stated that the Bill seeks to develop the agricultural sector

by ensuring national food security and income through marketing and storage services, as a well as address emergency food crisis.

“The bill recognises the need to fill the apparent gap in Agricultural Development and coordination of programmes and projects in the country with the collaboration of national and international agencies. “A well-managed strategic grain reserve will stabilise staple foods prices for the benefit of consumers and farmers.

Therefore, establishing an agency for this purpose is very essential to enhance food and nutrition security”.

According to him, the National Food Reserve Agency when established would, among others things, facilitate and provide guidelines for the establishment and maintain ace of buffer stock in order to ensure price stabilisation and food security, and correct problems relating to the supply of designated commodities.

Moments into the

commencement of the clauseby-clause consideration of the bill, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola objected to its consideration and passage, arguing that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional jurisdiction to establish the agency.

The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, however, asked the lawmaker saying: “so, this aspect of food reserve, does it belong to states exclusively that we cannot legislate on it?

Where is it written; what does the constitution say about this?”

Again, OPC Berates Dambazau for Equating Group With Boko Haram Says ex-COAS introducing federal character into terrorism Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) yesterday berated a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, for comparing the group with the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram.

In a statement, the group’s newly-elected President, Mr. Wasiu Afolabi, said the former army chief displayed a dangerous level of mischief, prejudice and narrow-mindedness by equating what it termed a

pro-democracy group like the OPC with a world-acclaimed terrorist organisation.

Afolabi maintained that the comments by Dambazzau were an attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, insisting that the move will not work.

“We shall not succumb to this cheap attempt at blackmail and negative profiling. OPC is not, has never been and will never be a terrorist organisation.

Nobody should link us or liken us with terrorists.

“We have never been on

the global radar of terrorism like Boko Haram because we have never even been remotely connected with terrorism. Dambazau and his likes should realise that there is no federal character in terrorism,” the OPC stated.

The group noted that the South-west has never bred any terrorist organisation, least of all OPC, adding that people like Dambazau felt that the tragedy they brought upon their part of the country should be replicated in the South.

According to Afolabi,

northern leaders had treated Boko Haram like a “pet snake” and allowed it to grow stronger instead of killing it once and for all, saying that the OPC had continued to maintain excellent relationships with all the relevant security agencies.

“What they should realise is that there is neither federal character nor quota system in terrorism. The North should call a spade a spade and demand its leaders to bring this ugly Boko Haram insurgency to a close,” he stated.

Kaduna-owned Tertiary Institutions Threaten Strike John Shiklam in Kaduna Tertiary institutions under the auspices of Joint Unions of Tertiary Institutions of Kaduna State (JUTIKS), have threatened to go on strike over issues that had lingered for over 12 years.

Chairman of JUTIKS, Mr. Noah Danlami, stated this in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna.

Danlami said some of the issues include the nonimplementation of appropriate

salary structures for academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions, which came into effect in January 2010.

He alleged that the state government was currently paying only 80 per cent of the old Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS), which has continued to dampen the moral of the staff.

He maintained that the consequence of poor remuneration in tertiary

institutions in the state had led to massive brain drain, especially, among academics, who had left for greener pastures.

Danlami also decried the non-implementation of the 65-year retirement age approved by the state government for academic staff in tertiary institutions, saying it is sheer “lack of political will and misplacement of priority” by the state government towards its tertiary institutions.

He regretted that despite the series of reforms aimed at boosting the education sector, the state has not deemed it fit to motivate teachers and other staff of tertiary institutions.

“The government has not paid lecturers appropriate salaries nor improved the facilities in its tertiary institutions.

“We are, therefore, demanding the immediate implementation of the appropriate salary structures in all our tertiary institutions.

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

37

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

South-east Needs Consensus Candidate to Win Presidency, Says Ebonyi Commissioner Ugo Aliogo The South-east zone have been urged to learn from the past, close ranks and present a formidable consensus candidate that will win the presidency in 2023.

The Commissioner for

Information in Ebonyi State, Mr. Uchenna Orji, who stated this in Lagos yesterday, said given Governor Dave Umahi’s pedigree, he would be the best candidate for the job.

He stressed that Umahi had satisfied all the criterion needed to push for the presidency.

Akwa Ibom Police Kill Four Suspected Pirates Okon Bassey in Uyo The Akwa Ibom State Police Commanded has recorded a major success in the fight against criminals as four suspected armed pirates on Tuesday met their waterloo in a gun battle with the operatives of the Marine police, in Oron Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were killed in a sting operation carried out by the police along Ikang Creek after credible information.

A statement issued yesterday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon and titled ‘Steer clear of Akwa Ibom water ways’ said a speed boat mounted with 115HP Yamaha engine, two rifles and six rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

According to the statement, the suspects, about 32 of them, onboard four speed boats

opened fire on sighting the operatives. In the ensuing gun duel, four of the suspects were killed while others escaped with three speed boats.

The statement read, “Acting on very credible intelligence, on April 13, 2021, operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Marine Police, Oron, embarked on a sting operation, along Ikang Creek, Oron where they were confronted by sea pirates numbering about thirty-two on board four speed boats, armed with sophisticated weapons.

“The suspects on sighting the operatives opened fire on them, during the ensuing gun battle, four suspects met their waterloo, while others escaped with three speed boats.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects were one W23 boat mounted with 115HP Yamaha engine, two rifles and six ammunition.”

“We need someone who has the capacity and competence to lead us to the desired destination. We need someone who will look at our ethnic comparative advantage and see how to build on it to enable our nation move in prosperity, as an egalitarian society.

“We want a situation whereby whoever that is going to emerge should be able to tackle the issue of security and know the fundamental problem. We want someone

who will be able to solve economic problems such as unemployment. It is only when we do that, that we can be sure that our future as people will be bright,” he stressed.

On the perceived opposition mounted by the PDP-led Abuja group, Orji dismissed the threat assuring “that the people of the state have thrown their weight behind the governor, and expressed confidence that victory is 100 per cent sure for the party in 2023.”

He stated that the only rivals in the state were few old and tired politicians with no track record of performance, adding that they had singled themselves out posturing like Lords of the manor in their own kingdoms.

“The idea they have is that now that they are lords of their own kingdoms, they will have opportunities of having automatic tickets; that is what enticing them in PDP. But the people of Ebonyi have said after

getting their automatic ticket in PDP, that they are coming home to face the people and they will chase them away with their votes, which is the mandate of people of Ebonyi State,” he said.

He further explained that with ongoing development in the Ebonyi State PDP, there is vacancy, adding that the supporters of the National Assembly members are going to pull out because these people are going for automatic ticket.

RENEWED CLAMOUR…

L-R: Book reviewer/President of Nigeria Political Science Association, Prof. AM Okolie; Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, National Pilot Newspaper, Mr. Billy Adedamola; representative of Bode George, Mr. Charles Akitoye; and the Arago of Shagamu, Oba Shole Musiliu, during the presentation of ‘National Pilot Book on Economy and Restructuring in Nigeria’ in Lagos …yesterday Abiodun Ajala

Ramadan: House Minority Presidency: We’ve Not Given Up on Missing Chibok Girls Urges Peace, National hands are on deck by security government as they are always The recent decisive push by Deji Elumoye in Abuja agencies to secure their release on the minds of their parents. the military against the terrorists Reawakening The Presidency gave gives hope that a breakthrough The Presidency yesterday from captivity.

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has called on Nigerians to use the Holy month of Ramadan to rekindle the spirit of selflessness, love and tolerance towards one another and supplications to God to intervene in the many challenges facing the nation.

The caucus, in a statement issued yesterday by its Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, stressed that Ramadan showed a life of piety, humility, self-restrain and recognition of God as the ultimate source.

The lawmakers expressed optimism that with concerted prayers and determination to

rebuild the society, Nigeria would surely pull through her current economic and social predicaments.

The caucus said: ‘’Indeed, we must yield to the divine essence of Ramadan and exert in prayers for our nation and ourselves particularly at this critical moment in our national history. We must use the period to pray for national healing, and rekindled the spirit of unity, love tolerance and total dependence in God for direction and solution.

We also urged all compatriots to use the period to overcome all primordial sentiments and reach out to one another in love so that collectively the nation can reap the benefits of Ramadan.’

Naval Chief Harps on Professionalism as CBN Provides Support Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia As Nigeria continues to grapple with several security challenges, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, has charged officers and ratings to prioritise professionalism and loyalty in discharge of their duties.

Gambo gave the charge at the inauguration of multiple intervention projects executed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics College, Owerrinta in Abia State.

The projects included fully furnished 60-room male and 24-room female hostels,

administrative complex, auditorium, kitchen and dining, gymnasium and swimming pool as well as a 300KVA transformer that was donated to the college.

The naval chief explained that training is the best welfare in military service because of its role in keeping officers and ratings in top shape, adding that he would continue to accord top priority to training in order to raise the bar of performance in the navy.

He assured that under his watch the Nigerian Navy would sustain its support for the College, including the provision of logistics for its training programmes and activities.

revisited the issue of the abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok, Borno State, saying it has not given up on getting the girls released.

It also gave an assurance that the girls may regain their freedom before long as all

In a statement issued by the Media Assistant to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, the Presidency reassured parents and all concerned citizens that the missing students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, remained constantly on the minds of

assurances that the release of the remaining Chibok girls was still work in progress.

“No one is giving up hope here. Efforts to secure their release through various channels and activities of the security and intelligence agencies remain on course.

is possible and could happen anytime soon”.

The Presidency asked for support, understanding and prayers for the military as they discharge their historic mandate to quickly finish off the insurgency war and free all citizens held hostage.

NAFDAC Intercepts Truck of Banned Drugs, Vaccines in Delta Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) said it has impounded a Mercedes truck laden with banned and unregistered medicinal products in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye who stated this in Abuja yesterday, expressed the agency’s resolve to ensure that only wholesome medicinal

products and other regulated products were available in the markets for public use and consumption.

A statement signed by Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, quoted the NAFDAC boss as saying that a Mercedes Truck suspected to be carrying substandard and falsified medicinal products was intercepted along Asaba –Benin road by officers of the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) Directorate, following

an intelligence report.

She said that after thorough screening, the truck was found to contain, among other products, “improperly stored Tetanus Diphtheria vaccine, and various unregistered, banned and controlled medicinal products, including Analgin Injection, CSP with Codeine cough syrup, Mepacrine HCL Tablets, Diethylcarbamazine Citrate Tablets, Dano Tetanus Vaccine, Artestunate Injection, and many others”.

She further explained that the products were evacuated, and inventory taken while the suspects with cartons containing the products made police statements and were released on administrative bail.

According to the NAFDAC boss, further investigations revealed that the truck intercepted was conveying medicinal products purchased from Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head market in Onitsha, Anambra State for supply to retailers in Warri, Delta State.

Okorocha Remains in EFCC Custody Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, last night remained in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) more than 24 hours after his arrest by the anti-graft agency.

Okorocha was picked up in Abuja on Tuesday by the commission in connection with an alleged diversion of N7billion while in office.

Spokesman of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the former governor was still undergoing interrogation at the agency as

at last night.

“He is still with us,” he said in a phone chat.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, was perfecting his bail conditions and would be expected to leave the agency between last night and early this morning.

“He is perfecting his bail conditions presently. He may leave tonight (yesterday) or tommorow morning (today)”, a source said.

Okorocha’s media aide, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, had in a

statement, said Okorocha was cooperating with investigators as a law-abiding citizen.

“The commission is doing its job and should be given the needed cooperation and Okorocha being a law-abiding citizen, would always cooperate with the Commission over the matters in courts.

“EFCC is not a slaughter House, but a very responsible institution and should be seen as such,” he said.

The former governor has had a running battle with the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, over ownership

of some assets in Owerri, the state capital which the state government had sealed.

While the state government claimed the property, Spring Palms Estate, belonged to the state government, Okorocha insisted that they belonged to members of his family.

The former governor had gone to the property with his supporters to unseal it.

The situation had degenerated into the arrest of the former governor by the Imo State Police Command on the orders of the state government.

38

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

EDO 2020

Delta Wins National Sports Festival for Keeps, to Host Next Edition Duro Ikhazuagbe Delta State emerged double winners at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival last night, winning the games with 158 gold, 116 silver and 110 bronze medals. The Big Heart state was also handed the flag as the next host of the NSF in 2022.

Host Edo State was the

runner up with 129 gold, 104 silver and 108 bronze medals while Bayelsa State was third with 56 gold, 55 silver and 58 bronze medals.

Sokoto and Taraba states were the bottom two teams with only three and two bronze medals to place 36th and 37th respectively.

At an elaborate closing ceremony to cap 13 days of

Ahmed Musa Completes Kano Pillars’ Deal Till End of Season National captain Ahmed Musa has signed a deal until the end of the season to play for his former club in Nigeria, Kano Pillars.

His agreement includes a clause that allows him to leave when and if he can find a club in Europe.

He joins as a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) elite player with the aim of boosting their image as well as helping Musa maintain his fitness as he continues his search for a European club.

Musa is keen to get in shape to play for the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifiers that start in June.

The 28-year-old, who is a free agent since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in October, had received offers from England, Russia and Turkey.

The initial idea was

proposed by the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko.

“Anything that improves the image of Nigerian football is something that I strive to embark on and Kano Pillars holds a special place in my heart,” the former Leicester City player told BBC Sport Africa as he considered the deal.

“It’s the team that helped me become the professional footballer I am today, so this is more than just football but a very strong bond.”

Musa, who has built two training and fitness facilities in Northern Nigeria to help grassroots football, scored 18 goals for Kano Pillars to finish as top scorer in the 2009/10 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

competition in all Olympic sports, Edo2020 organizers put up a show to remember for a long time at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

Two of the country’s best artists, Joeboy and Teni the Entertainer literary set the place on ‘fire’ with some of their popular songs that have become anthems of sorts.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Governor Godwin Obaseki was full of commendations for the

athletes and the organisers of the games, insisting that Edo2020 has rekindled the true spirit of sportsmanship “We are glad to have hosted even in difficult times.

Congratulations to you all for the oneness that you have exhibited throughout the 13 days of competition.”

Gov. Obaseki congratulated Delta State for emerging the overall champions and also retaining the title they won in Abuja in 2019.

He also praised the efforts of the state’s team for finishing

second behind Delta State. “ I praise the efforts of Team Edo for the good spirit put up during the NSF.” Delta State’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Patrick Ukah, who received the flag on behalf of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, pledged that the state “will host a remarkable National Sports Festival just like what Edo has done here. We will welcome you with open arms.”

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, who was represented

at the closing ceremony by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Nebeolisa Anako, congratulated Delta for emerging overall winners of the 20th edition of the festival.

“Congratulations to Delta State for emerging the overall winner of the Games of the 2020 National sports Festival.

“I’m glad to note that the Federal Government received bids to host the 21st edition of the National Sports Festival in 2022 from six states namely: Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Kaduna, Kano and Ogun.

Team Delta’s athletes and officials celebrating on the podium shortly after winning Edo 2020 National Sports Festival in Benin City...yesterday

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Man City Through to Semis, Liverpool Knocked out by Real Madrid Manchester City are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League for only the second time after sealing 2-1 (2-4 agg) victory over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight courtesy of comeback win in Germany.

Holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg, City found themselves needing to chase the tie when 17-year-old England international Jude Bellingham curled in a superb shot from the edge of the box Stung by the concession, the visitors threw everything they could muster at the German side, with Kevin de Bruyne smashing an effort off the bar before Mahrez saw a shot blocked on the line by the brilliant Bellingham.

The crucial breakthrough for City came early in the second half as Emre Can was penalised for handling in the box and Mahrez stepped up to fire his side ahead

Manchester City’s players celebrating their first UEFA Champions E League semi final ticket under Pep Guardiola’s watch...yesterday

again in the tie.

Phil Foden sealed it, adding to the late goal he scored at the Etihad to give his side their first-leg lead with a fierce drive that found the Dortmund goal via the post.

City will face Paris St-Germain in the semi-finals, with the French side having eliminated holders Bayern Munichon Tuesday.

It is the first time City have reached the semis under current

boss Pep Guardiola, who twice won the competition during his time as manager of Barcelona.

Their previous appearance in the last four came in 2015-16, when they were knocked out by Monaco in Manuel Pellegrini’s final season in charge.

The defeat likely ends Dortmund’s hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League, with them fifth in the Bundesliga, seven points

behind fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

Elsewhere, Liverpool’s Champions League campaign ended in disappointment last night as Real Madrid set up a semi-final meeting with Chelsea by keeping Jurgen Klopp’s side at bay in a goalless draw at Anfield.

Real arrived at Anfield protecting a 3-1 lead from the first leg and while they eventually went through in relative comfort Liverpool will curse themselves for missing several glorious first-half chances.

Mohamed Salah shot straight at Real keeper Thibaut Courtois, who also saved well from James Milner, in the opening moments and shot over when he should have hit the target while Georginio Wijnaldum was also guilty of squandering an opportunity to at least apply pressure to Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Europa League: Arsenal Tough Spot after Home Draw UEFA Europa League quarter-finals return leg will be played this evening at 8pmlive on StarTimes.

Arsenal is in a tough spot after their disappointing draw against Slavia Prague at home last week.

Manchester United will however be much more confident thanks to Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes’ goals that gave the Reds a 2-0 victory.

Of the four home sides in last week’s first leg quarterfinal matches of the Europa League, Arsenal achieved the best result.

The Gunners were the only club to avoid defeat in their own stadium, though the Premier League club were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Slavia Prague.

The two other quarterfinals see La Liga club Villarreal take on Dinamo

Zagreb in Spain with a 1-0 lead from the away leg, while Roma defend a 2-1 lead at home against Ajax Amsterdam.

Since being re-launched as the Europa League in 2009, the competition has grown in stature and regularly grabs its share of footballing headlines. With clubs like Arsenal and United involved, the world will be watching this week’s return legs in

the quarter-finals.

African football fans will have a chance to watch the games live and exclusively on the StarTimes channels as Africa’s leading digitalTV operator broadcasts all the action from the exciting Europa League.

And two months from now, StarTimes is going to broadcast all matches of the long-awaited UEFA Euro 2020 live and in HD.

THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

39

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MISSILE Samson Ayokunle to National Assembly “Why do we have to wage war against ourselves? Why do we want to wake up a problem which is sleeping? Wearing of hijab has not made any student more intelligent. Piety is in the heart. Once you pass that bill, be prepared for a state of confusion” – Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, kicking against the Hijab bill sponsored by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi in the House of Representatives.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

A Success Story in ‘Local Content’ O

n Tuesday, the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Mr Franck Riester was in Lagos for the unveiling of the Full Flight Simulator at the Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) and training facility of Caverton Helicopters. With that, the Thales Reality H full-flight simulator, regarded as one of the most advanced commercial helicopter simulators in the world, is now operational at the company’s Ikeja base. The first Level D full flight simulator in Africa allows pilots to train in complete safety for a variety of complex situations, including adverse weather conditions, helicopter failures and such other emergencies that could occur during flight operations. Besides, it will not only provide the needed services to helicopters that operate in Nigeria, it will also save our country over $500 million foreign exchange in maintenance, training and spares annually.

Peter Hitchcock, Vice President of Training & Simulation at Thales, said that working with Caverton, despite uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, “We have safely finalized the shipping, commissioning and acceptance of the first level D full flight helicopter simulator in Africa, representing a major milestone in the continued effort to improve the efficiency and safety of flight operations.” This was reaffirmed by Riester who represented the French government: “This amazing simulator is another illustration of a success story between France and Nigeria and the strength of the partnership between Thales and Caverton.

Supported by Bpifrance on export credit, this project involves unprecedented top technology at the scale of Africa, allowing Nigeria to fulfill its ambition to become the training hub of the region.”

Having followed the business trajectory of Caverton for the past 16 years, I am delighted at what has turned out to be a Nigerian success story. It all started in 2005, at the prompting of Mr Tayo Amusan who said “Segun, you cannot only be using your popular column to attack (President Olusegun) Obasanjo every week; you need also to look at the business environment and begin to promote game-changing entrepreneurs in our country. Come and see what I am doing at The Palms. There is a change of guards going on.” That was how I started the monthly series titled ‘The Change of Guards’ where I first featured The Palms Shopping Mall (which houses the first Shoprite in Nigeria) before I wrote on the acquisition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) by Mr Tony Elumelu’s Standard Trust Bank (STB) at about the same period. But of all the companies I profiled at that period, it is Caverton Helicopters (then about three years old), that has refused to let me go. The chairman, Mr Remi Makanjuola, insists that I am part of their success story, having given them unsolicited but major media exposure at a time of small beginning.

Now with operational bases across Nigeria

Remi Makanjuola

and Cameroon and a staff strength that includes about 200 pilots and engineers, the company has been able to provide a wide array of services to the offshore oil and gas industry as well as other business sectors including marine and coastal surveillance, emergency medical evacuation, search and rescue. From one Agusta 109 Helicopter in September 2002, Caverton currently operates a mixed fleet of 24 modern aircraft across multiple locations in West Africa. And since inception, Caverton has successfully operated for major International Oil Companies with a combined contract value of over $2 billion.

Makanjuola has no doubt done well with Caverton but one man who deserves to be proud is Mr Babs Omotowa, former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO/MD) of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. Omotowa spent 18 years at Shell where he reached the peak as Vice President for Shell companies across Africa, responsible for Infrastructure, Logistics, Health Safety and Environment. He was the person who, in applying the local content law, took perhaps the biggest gamble of his career that has now paid off in spades.

There are several lessons from the story but for me the most significant is that we must create an enabling environment for our entrepreneurs to thrive. That is the only way to create wealth and take many of our young people off the street.

Back to Omotowa. At Shell, one of the portfolios he managed was helicopter services to the company’s platforms and locations. As he explained in a recent interview, “We had this helicopter contract that had been with an international company for decades. They had been running that helicopter contract long before I joined Shell. They became a monopoly, and they were milking that. They would usually come with increases, and it was ‘take it or leave it’, and I felt this was not the right way to run a company. At the same time, I thought, ‘why don’t we even have local companies who could do this service?’

Considering that transporting people in

helicopters was high risk, and we didn’t have Nigeria companies working in the oil industry at that time, I decided to work with my team. I said, look, let’s find the best Nigerian companies. Let’s encourage them to invest in themselves, find overseas partners, and stand the test of what an oil company will require in terms of standards. And as we were working with these local companies, two of them took the challenge. They found partners in Denmark and Canada and started to develop their management system, their technical capacity, and all of that. At some point, we felt that they had started to have the kind of capacity that we could make use of.”

Omotowa continued: “So, I got the Shell technical authority to come and audit and assure that they can perform to the sort of challenges that we had in the oil and gas industry. And so our experts came from London, assessed them, and they passed the companies that they could indeed provide the services with the partnerships they had formed. So, we went for a tender, and as I expected, the incumbent did not win because they had become quite expensive. The first time they were facing competition, they didn’t win. So, this local company won, and of course, it became a pause time for everyone. Now that the local company has won, what’s going to happen? Of course, it was evident to me what was going to happen. We were going to go forward with that company. They had won the tender. We had assessed them.

So, when I started the (contract) award I was summoned to my boss’ office. He was an expatriate who had just resumed about a few months before. He asked me about the contract. First, I said, ‘you must be asking because someone was asking since you’re relatively still new’. He said, ‘yes, there’s a concern from the aviation team in the head office’. I said, ‘well, they cannot be concerned because I called them in to audit this company and they gave a pass mark, so I have their approval of the company as capable. Then he said, ‘but Babs, you know this is a high-risk area and this company has never worked in the oil industry, why would you want to go forward?’ and I said, not only am I prepared to take the risk and go forward, I am also even going to ask for more things.

And he said, ‘what do you mean?’ I said, ‘I have looked at their plan. They plan to lease helicopters for the seven-year contract’.

I said ‘that’s not acceptable. I want them to buy helicopters. But they cannot buy helicopters because they don’t have enough funds. So I am going to ask Shell to lend them the money to buy new helicopters’.

He said, ‘Babs, you must be out of your mind, I have not even accepted that we should go forward with this contract, and now you’re asking for more!’

That unnamed company is Caverton.

Demonstrating what a Nigerian with character in the right place at the right time can achieve, especially while working with

multinational companies in the country, Omotowa decided he would not allow Caverton to be muscled out: “I said, ‘There is absolutely no reason not to go forward.

They have been assessed, and they have provided the best bid. It fits into our Local Content Development Plan as a company.

We’ve been working here for 56 years. We cannot continue to say a local company cannot provide this type of service’.”

That was how Omotowa convinced Shell to secure a loan of $85 million to enable Caverton to purchase, rather than lease, helicopters after the company had won the bid for a logistics contract in the sum of $630 million. “Of course, when I first brought the proposal everybody refused.

The finance team in the head office refused and I justified why we had to lend them money. One, it was for our own safety.

Two, we had committed as a company to develop local capacity, so why not put our money where our mouth was?” he asked. “They said ‘but you know this is unprecedented for a company to lend a contractor money. Besides, this is Nigeria and the risks are too high; they won’t pay back’. I said they will pay back because I have asked them to bring a bank guarantee.

So if they default, we will call on the bank guarantee.’”

With that $85 million, Caverton purchased six aircraft, paid back the loan and from there began to expand not only within the country but also across West Africa. And Omotowa feels justified: “The company ran for seven years, there was no accident. The safety performance was about the best in the industry, and their service performance was better than the previous company and they repaid back all the money within the seven years we wanted. Not only did they do that, they developed capacity, they went on to win contracts of other international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria. They even won contracts of IOCs outside Nigeria.

Now we have a local company that is able to provide that service to Nigerian companies.”

What is particularly instructive is that Omotowa took the decision following the formal enactment of The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (Local Content Act) 2010 which states that “all regulatory authorities, operators, contractors, subcontractors, alliance partners and other entities involved in any project, operation, activity or transaction in the Nigerian oil and gas industry shall consider Nigerian content as an important element of their overall project development and management philosophy for project execution”. The Act defines Nigerian content as “the quantum of composite value added to or created in Nigeria through the utilization of Nigerian resources and services in the petroleum industry resulting in the development of indigenous capability without compromising quality, health, safety, and environmental standards”.

NOTE: Piece concluded on page 15

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