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NEC Backs CBN, Finance Minister, Says No Money Printed Deji Elumoye in Abuja The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday disputed claims by Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, that the federal government printed N60 billion to augment the March

2021 allocation to the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It aligned itself with the positions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, that no money

was printed.

The council, rising from its monthly meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, anchored its stance on presentations it received from Ahmed, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum

(NGF).

A statement by Osinbajo's media assistant, Mr. Laolu Akande, quoted the NEC as saying that there was no printing of N60 billion or any other amount whatsoever to shore up allocation for March as wrongly insinuated.

NEC expressed satisfaction with clarifications made by the NGF Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ahmed and Emefiele on the alleged printing of N60 billion.

Ahmed and Emefiele had told the council that the

allegation of the printing of money was false.

The NGF also supported the conclusion and NEC affirmed the same as the highest constitutional body tasked with economic affairs Continued on page 45

Adebanjo Weeps as Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Others Pay Tribute to Odumakin... Page 8 Friday 23 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9511. Price: N250

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Negotiation with Judicial Workers Stalled Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Alex Enumah in Abuja

IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM ANUMUDU...

L-R: Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Mrs. Nkiru Anumudu; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; and former Governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, at the memorial of Chief William Anumudu in Lagos…Wednesday

The adjustment made by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on the agreement reached between governors and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, on how to implement financial autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures stalled the negotiation between the federal government and the striking judiciary workers, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

But it was learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari has intervened to resolve the raging crisis.

The judicial workers have Continued on page 45

Pantami has Atoned, Remains Minister, Says Presidency Deji Elumoye in Abuja Those pushing for the removal of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, were yesterday rebuffed by the presidency, which told them that the minister will remain in office since he has apologised for his past radical

Islamic views and turned over a new leaf.

Pantami has been in the eye of the storm for some comments he made in the past which were considered to be supportive of terror groups, including Al-Qaeda, Taliban and Boko Haram, triggering a rash of calls for his resignation.

Although the minister

recanted the views, laying it at the doorsteps of youthful exuberance, his traducers became more stringent in their push for his ouster.

He got a reprieve yesterday when the presidency accepted his recant.

“The minister has, rightly, apologized for what he said in the early 2000s. The views

were absolutely unacceptable then and would be equally unacceptable today, were he to repeat them. But he will not repeat them – for he has publicly and permanently condemned his earlier utterances as wrong,” the presidency said in a statement by presidential media aide, Malam Shehu Garba.

In the 2000s, it explained, the minister was a man in his twenties and that next year he would be 50.

“Time has passed, and people and their opinions – often rightly – change,” it stated firmly.

The presidency fingered ICT companies who have been adversely affected by recent

Nigeria Most Hit by Deby’s Death, Says FG...Page 8

policies of the government, spearheaded by the minister, for what it called a ‘cancel campaign,’ dismissing it as an attempt to smear him.

It said the minister has done well on his job and deserves nothing but commendation.

According to the seat of Continued on page 45

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Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Falana: Lopsided Presidential Appointments Dividing Nigerians

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Eromosele Abiodun in Lagos Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday blamed what he called President Muhammadu Buhari's lopsided appointments for the divisions in Nigeria.

Speaking on The Morning Show, a programme on ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, Falana said the division among Nigerians was caused by the policies of the federal government.

His position agreed with that of Pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who on Wednesday told ARISE NEWS Channel that Buhari’s policies must be apprehended as the root cause of the widespread strife in the country.

Falana also took a swipe at the ruling class, whom he accused of being "backward and shortsighted" for deliberately ensuring that citizens were pauperised and dehumanised in a way that compelled them to sell their votes for N500, a little above one US dollar.

He said the president had since assumption of office used lopsided appointments to divide the citizens.

"At the moment, Nigerians are divided because of the policies of the government.

Let me tell you, one that we have just taken up from our movement. The president sent nominees for the membership of the governing council of the Human Rights Commission.

"Our movement studied this

and discovered that it was full of lopsidedness, whereas in one region of seven states, out of four people nominated in that region, three came from one state (Kebbi)," he said.

Falana stated that "of the six geo-political zones nobody was nominated from the Northeast zone, which records the highest number of human rights violations because of the counter-insurgency operations going on there."

He said he had written to the Senate requesting it to advise the president to withdraw the appointees of the governing council of the commission and ensure that the proposed appointments comply with the provisions of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution and Section 4 of Federal Character Commission (Establishment etc) Act. His petition came about three weeks after the president sent the names of the 16 nominees for the Senate’s approval.

The petition was referred to the committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions expected to report back in two weeks.

According to him, "If we just throw up our hands in helplessness and you allow lopsided appointments to go on and be used to divide our people, we have a duty now to arrest such ugly development and that is part of what our movement is doing.

"Once confidence is built, we have also identified human rights lawyers in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja so that when people's rights are violated, we simply ask our lawyers to go and intervene.

"Our people will begin to

have confidence in what we are doing; that this is different from those who are colluding with the neo-colonial state to oppress them."

The senior lawyer said he was part of a formidable group of stakeholders exploring the possibility of a progressive coalition on the platform of the Peoples Alternative Political Movement (PAPM), which he said would turn around the

fortunes of the country and put a stop to cases of vote-buying and selling.

He said the new political movement would arrest the unpleasant drift and put the law to work.

He explained their position: "What has happened in our country is that the ruling class, a very reactionary, backward, shortsighted ruling class has deliberately pauperised our

people, dehumanised our people in a way that people are compelled to take N1,000 or even N500 to sell their votes, but we are going to stop that.

"There are laws by the virtue of the Electoral Act; we are going to stop that and ensure that we make the law to work.

Anybody, any group of people that bribe voters, we are going to mobilise young people in the country to ensure that we

stop that."

He said the group would appeal to the people to reject money for their votes for the sake of the future of their children.

"We are going to bring out the contradictions in the system to our people and when you mobilise them, Nigerians are the easiest people to govern to the best of my knowledge," Falana said.

CONSOLIDATING GAS DEVELOPMENT...

Group Managing Director, Sterling Oil Exploration and Production Company, Mr. Tony Chukwueke (left), and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, at the signing of (OML) 143 Gas Development Agreement by the NNPC and its partner, SEEPCO in Abuja…yesterday

FG Evaluates Addax Petroleum’s Assets To hand over assets to new owners Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Following the federal government’s revocation of the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) on four assets belonging to Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Limited (APENL), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has commenced the processes leading to the handing over of the facilities to new owners.

DPR said yesterday that a committee had already been set up in preparations for the formal ceremony culminating

in the takeover by the new operators, Kaztech/Slavic Consortium.

A statement by the Head, Public Affairs of the agency, Mr. Paul Osu, said the committee was inaugurated in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of the DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu.

The DPR director stated that the move was in fulfilment of the federal government’s commitment to reactivating all moribund oil and gas support facilities.

According to him, it is also aimed at stimulating

the economy and creating job opportunities for Nigerians.

Auwalu charged the committee to evaluate the current status of the revoked assets, including liabilities post-revocation, in order to facilitate the takeover of the assets by the newlyappointed operators of the assets.

He advised the committee to discharge its mandate with all sense of patriotism and dedication to the national interest. He gave the panel one week to conclude the assignment.

The DPR recently revoked the four assets of Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria limited namely Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 123, 124, 126 and 137, due to the non-development of the assets by the company.

Auwalu had said that the government had awarded the assets to KEL/Slavic consortium to consist of two Nigerian-owned independents with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The director added that the government’s action was prompted by Addax’s failure

to operate the facilities and thereby not adding value to the assets, a development he likened to sabotage.

He said over 50 per cent of the assets under Addax’s control was undeveloped and was not being operated “in a vigorous manner and that constitutes revenue loss to the government”.

Auwalu added that the average reserved assets remained flat underlining the fact that activities around the oil blocs had not been improved upon.

He also said investigation

had shown that crude oil production around the oil blocs had been declining due to inadequate investment, adding that Addax was never known to have supplied gas to the domestic gas market.

“It is the outcome of the regular interactions that have led to this action which makes it necessary for us to recommend to the government to take this necessary action. The licence has been awarded to a new consortium that will assume the new assets on the same terms,” he had stated.

Buhari, Northern Govs Brainstorm over Insecurity Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with six Northern governors at the State House, Abuja, where he reiterated his commitment towards ending the security challenges facing the nation.

The meeting was also attended by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof.

Ibrahim Gambari.

The governors were led by the Chairman of Northern Governors' Forum and Plateau State Governor, Hon. Simon Lalong.

Others in the delegation were governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) Nasir elRufai (Kaduna), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Bello (Niger), and Abdullahi Sule

(Nasarawa).

The governors took turns to narrate their security experiences, individual efforts at finding lasting solutions as well as expectations from the federal government.

Lalong told journalists after the meeting that he and his colleagues were in Aso Rock to meet with the

president on the peculiar security challenges facing their states with a view to proffering solutions to them.

He said: “Well, this meeting is in respect of some of the common features of insecurity that we have within our states. You'll recall that many of the states have some insecurities that are very similar. So we put

them together and see how to address some of those issues. And we felt that we must also meet Mr. President about it since it’s about the insecurity.”

Asked about the outcome of the meeting, he said: “I think these are not to be disclosed because these are about security. But the take away I say is that the

meeting with the president was very fruitful and we are also very committed, and we have seen a lot of commitment, so we are waiting for implementation.

“The assurance I will give you is that based on this meeting, we will also wait to see the commitment, and Mr. President has given us that assurance.”

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Adebanjo Weeps as Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Others Pay Tribute to Odumakin Segun James The National Leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo wept uncontrollably yesterday while paying tributes to his organisation’s spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who died on April 2, saying that he was an irreplaceable material.

Adebanjo, who broke the barrier of culture to attend the funeral rites, urged human rights’ activists to continue in the spirit of Odumakin, by being courageous and fearless if they truly loved the deceased.

“I am not God; I am a human being. There is nothing impossible for God to do but as a human being, I will say it will be difficult to replace Yinka. Where can we find a young man of his age, not materialistic, pursuing a cause he believes in selflessly, courageously, relentlessly and consistently? Yinka, God knows you are a blessing to Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking at the lying-instate, day of tributes and service of songs held yesterday at the Police College, Ikeja as part of the funeral rites for the late human rights activist, Adebanjo said: “It is not easy to talk about Yinka. Yinka is an irreplaceable material.

Why should I be here? You can’t question him, leaving a man of 93 to take a man of 55-years. God, you are omnipotent, please replace

him quickly for us.”

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu charged politicians and members of the Civil Society Organisations, to uphold the legacy and struggle of Odumakin.

Sanwo-Olu urged ‘comrades of like minds’ not to abruptly end what Odumakin believed, stood and worked for during his lifetime.

The governor also charged them to keep working hard for a Nigeria that will be land of justice, fairness and where equity would become the watchword and reflect true federalism.

He said: “Yinka was one-half of the most formidable couple that we have seen in our history and the other half is his beloved wife, Dr. Joe OkeiOdumakin, who now sadly has to continue this struggle without her husband, fellow comrade and big friend that I know he is to her. My sister, you will continue to push on strongly in the trenches.

“We are passionate about what he believed in and what he stood for. He wanted the best for Nigeria. He wanted the best for his Yoruba nation but he was completely detribalised and he used his voice to advance the cause and the needs of the voiceless. Until the very end, he kept going.

“He kept speaking up, he kept working hard for a Nigeria that we all can be truly proud of a Nigeria that will be land of justice, a Nigeria that will be fair, a

Nigeria where equity would become the watchword and a Nigeria that will truly reflect true modern federalism.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said he left the Green chamber where he was presiding to pay last respect to Odumakin, who he described as “a man of courage, integrity, true democrat and a man who stood for truth and nothing else.”

The speaker, therefore, charged Nigerians to make a positive impact during their lifetime by rendering service to humanity so that they can be remembered after their demise.

The widow of the late Afenifere spokesman, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, who described her husband as “encyclopedia of positive activism,” said the tributes by Nigerians would continue to embolden her to do more by

continuing what her husband fought and stood for.

“One thing that will never make me break down is that his ideals will live forever; his legacy will remain. All that he has lived for remain. Yinka, you are not dead; you are alive, you will continue to live in our unconsciousness. And to live in the unconsciousness of the people is to live forever.

Yinka Odumakin, my comrade lives on,” she said.

The lying-in-state, day of tributes and service of songs was attended by former governors –Mr. Peter Obi (Anambra), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), ex-Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola BucknorAkerele; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House Church, Afenifere chieftains, politicians and human rights activists among others.

ODUMAKIN’S DAY OF TRIBUTES...

L-R: Human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN); widow of spokesman of Afenifere, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; and Deputy Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Komolafe, during the lying-in-state and rendering of tributes to Mr Yinka Odumakin in Lagos…yesterday

Nigeria Most Hit by Deby’s Death, Says FG Tightens security around Chadian border Deji Elumoye in Abuja The federal government said yesterday that Nigeria is the most hit by the death of President Idriss Deby of Chad given its dire security implications, assuring Nigerians, however, that security has been beefed up around the Chadian border to forestall the influx of refugees from the troubled neighbour.

Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), stated the federal government’s concern at the weekly presidential ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said Nigeria was being proactive by beefing up security at the Chadian border to avoid any spillover of the crisis that might arise from Deby’s death.

Deby, who was killed on Tuesday at the frontlines in Northern Chad by rebel fire, has been replaced by his son, Gen. Mahamat Deby.

But there have been reports of in-fighting amongst the ruling junta as well as a build-up for an onslaught on the capital, Ndjamena, by the rebel forces, raising concerns about a spillover of the crisis to Nigeria.

The minister, however, stated that following the

killing of Deby, Nigeria had beefed up security around the border to prevent the influx of undesirable elements and refugees.

He said: “If there’s no security in Chad, there will be a lot of trouble for all neighbouring countries. But thankfully we have a lot of ongoing military cooperation, through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), which we expect to continue.

We remain mindful of our borders and developments in Chad. When we heard of this unfortunate killing of the Chadian president, we knew that problem is bound to be replicated among neighbouring countries, and Nigeria will be most hit by his absence. If there is insecurity in Chad, there will be a lot of problems.

“But thank God, we have a lot of military activities with the Chadian, Niger Cameroon.

We have all that military concern. So, in the name of that multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), all these countries, including Chad, are contributing countries for the operation.

“We are beefing up security in our borders to ensure that no bandits come into Nigeria after the killing of Chadian president. All we have prayed for is that African countries will find a solution to the

problem of Chad.”

According to him, the problem of Chad will be aggravated “because we are not sure of the direction in which that country is going to face but I assure you that we are mindful of the borders and we are mindful of the development, and politically, the government is putting its heads together to see how best they can restore the peace in that country."

‘Ethnic, Religious, Political Enemies will Be Gotten Rid Of’ Speaking on the progress on the fight against insecurity in the country, Magashi, who admitted that the country was bleeding, said the federal government had compiled a comprehensive list of ethnic, political and religious 'enemies' of the nation.

He added that those who killed some soldiers in Benue State have been arrested.

Magashi said while domestic terrorism had reduced due to the measures put in place by the federal government, other problems arising from intolerance had heightened.

According to him, the emergence of herders/farmers clashes, IPOB, banditry, among others, resulted in violence

being seen as a legitimate alternative.

He said: “Make no mistake that our nation is bleeding now. It is bleeding because of self-interest and other primordial considerations underlying decisions, which quite a number of our elite; political, ethnic and religious, make it so.

“Such elites are quick to attribute blame to groups other than theirs. The whole idea is to exploit the social division for their political gains and it is because of this divisiveness that Nigeria lacks a national consensus or common comprehensive understanding and the interpretation of what national security is - Boko Haram, farmers/herders clashes, IPOB and other political associations that are coming up with different mandates and different concerns.”

All these, he said could encourage groups to seek violence as a legitimate alternative.

He added: “From here emerges a narrow vision of national identity and vision, which threatens our country's prospect of social cohesion and stability. This is why we're seeing the rise of self-help syndrome, often endorsed by states and local elites seeking violence as a

legitimate alternative.

“The rise in vigilantism and identity-based militia, who claim to be working for the political and ethno-religious emancipation of their people, a.k.a resource control, secession and regional self-determination, define the potent threats to the national security in our country.”

The minister added that the government has come up with a comprehensive report on identified enemies and have taken a position, which he said he would not want to preempt.

Magashi broke it down: “We have made a comprehensive brief as far as the security of this country is concerned, and the methods we want to use in ensuring that we strategically and tactically get rid of all enemies of this country, be it, political enemy, religious enemy, ethnic enemies and all the political enemies of this country.

“We have made a comprehensive report or research on that and we have taken our position, which I don't want to preempt here, but certainly we are coming back with that. What is important is that we are just trying to inform you of our impression and our concern as far as the security of this country is concerned.”

He warned that stern action

would be taken against killers of soldiers in Benue State, especially the recent murder of about 11 soldiers and one officer.

The defence minister said: “Let me just tell you this. I have been to the Benue State government. I have seen the governor and we have told him the blatant truth about the position of the military in this country.

“Whoever touches the military has no regard for this country and this country is governed by the rule of law and we have accepted democracy as a solution to the liberty of individuals in this country.

“We have been very firm; we have succeeded in reiterating to them what we actually want and we have got some answers that the weapons that were captured from the soldiers have been retrieved; at least we have nine out of the 12 and the perpetrators - they have been captured and taken to the police for proper interrogation and subsequent prosecution.”

Magashi said the military would not be deterred but focused on eliminating all perceived threats.

He also expressed hope that this objective could be achieved with the deployment of new military assets that would soon arrive.

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COMMENT

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

LAPTOP PRESIDENCY POWERS TWITTER DEMOCRACY Uzor Maxim Uzoatu writes that Twitter is for countries with enlightened leadership

I

t’s another season of wailing for Nigerians now that Twitter has bypassed the “Giant of Africa” and sited its headquarters in Ghana. Jack Dorsey and his Twitter gurus must have avoided Nigeria like a plague. If Nigeria wants to enjoy the company of the makers of the modern technological gizmos it is incumbent on the country to put on board leaders that are techno-savvy – not presenters of “NEPA certificate.”

In the run-up to the 2015 elections, a friend of mine sent me a photograph of the then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan working on his laptop computer.

What the fellow who sent the photograph wanted me to understand was that Nigeria cannot afford to go back to the dark days of computer-illiterate leaders.

Time was when all that defined the Nigerian leader was just his garish agbada or babanriga and the sheaf of unread papers in front of him.

It had been Nigeria’s misfortune that since independence no Nigerian Head of State or President had been through the four walls of a university.

Then came the briefly tragic tenure of the mourned exPresident Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of “Umoru, are you dead?” fame.

After Yar’Adua died, together with his Masters Degree in Chemistry, Nigeria somewhat upped the ante through the coming via “Doctrine of Necessity” of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, armed with the end of book knowledge, alias PhD! The simple man from Otuoke, even as he was in the full custody of the much-coveted Doctorate, was dismissed as being “clueless”, and Nigeria perforce reverted to lower than square one.

I am not saying that just going to the university necessarily makes a great leader, but not having a proper education is definitely not the best preparation for modern leadership in this changing world of knowledge.

A leader who had not been to school is akin to a waste pipe!

One tries as much as possible not to keep going back to the colonial masters to source the blame of Nigeria’s many problems, but the evidence is all too glaring that colonial Britain never really wanted educated and aware leaders for this country.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was avidly hated by the British who ensured that the independence election was skewed to favour the feudal North.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s promotion of the ideals of

TWITTER HAS SOME 25 MILLION OF ITS CONSTITUENTS IN NIGERIA, AND IF DEMOCRACY IS TRULY A GAME OF NUMBERS, TWITTER OUGHT TO HAVE ITS HEADQUARTERS IN NIGERIA AND NOT IN GHANA

education was a threat to the neocolonial plans of Britain.

It is my duty here to remind the wide world that the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) which ended up forming the government at independence in 1960 actually came last in the elections if the popular votes were meant to count.

The popular votes of the independence elections of December 12, 1959 show that Dr Azikiwe’s NCNC-NEPU coalition scored 2,594,577 votes to place first with Chief Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) coming second with a total of 1,992,364 votes while Sir Ahmadu Bello’s Northern People’s Congress (NPC) came last with a total vote count of 1,992,179 votes.

According to Nnamdi Azikiwe in his book, Ideology for Nigeria: Capitalism, Socialism or Welfarism, “The colonial regime had so adroitly manipulated the electoral constituencies that the most unpopular party (NPC) won the most seats (142); the most popular coalition parties (NCNC-NEPU) won the second highest number of seats (90); whilst the second most popular party (Action Group) won the least number of seats (73)…”

Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who could not rival Zik or Awo in education thus became the Prime Minister, not minding that he had back in 1947 said “Nigerian unity is only a British intention for the country” and that “if the British quitted Nigeria now at this stage the northern people could continue their uninterrupted conquest to the sea.”

The gerrymandering and manipulation of census figures engineered by colonial Britain have been given a new fillip in this day and age of brazen kleptocracy and kakistocracy!

History had to be manipulated out of the school syllabus and curriculum in the bid to truly return Nigeria to the Dark Ages.

It was out of desperation that outraged youths took out their laptops and mobile phones to organize the EndSARS phenomenon that sent panic across all the levers of power.

The computer essence cannot of course find a common ground with the herding of human beings as cattle.

The youths are screaming “My laptop is faster than yours!”

Twitter has some 25 million of its constituents in Nigeria, and if democracy is truly a game of numbers, Twitter ought to have its headquarters in Nigeria and not in Ghana.

Let’s hear the lament of former Governor Sule Lamido: “Buhari has reduced Nigeria to his level; even professors and SANs are behaving like illiterates under him.”

Only a laptop presidency can survive the daredevil youths of Twitter democracy.

SANWO-OLU AND THE RED LINE The mass rail project will accelerate the smart city plan of Lagos as a mega city, writes Najite Oghoghome

T

he Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu took the reins with deep appreciation of tough tasks ahead. He bequeathed a state almost derailing from the founders’ masterplan.

From day one, he had to battle with mounting heaps of refuse caused by the disruption of the waste management system by his predecessor. Gridlock turned commuting into a nightmare.

In addressing the myriad of inherited troubles amidst economic recession, the governor unleashed the winning plan, tagged: THEME, a well-researched thematic focus for his administration. The first on the list is: traffic management and transportation. Lagos cannot afford not to move as the economic nerve centre of the nation.

When people are stuck in gridlock, productivity drops, revenue dwindles with attendant socioeconomic devastating effects including health.

Artificial bottlenecks were dismantled through engineering remodelling of conflict junctions and roundabouts like the popular Allen roundabout in Ikeja. The statue of the late Afro-beat king, Fela that adorned Allen junction was moved for Lagosians to move with ease.

Recalcitrant motorists were whipped into line by traffic officers and other law enforcement agents. Road anarchists who plied one-way with impunity got their vehicles impounded and forfeited to the state when caught on the suicide mission. It was clear to everyone that the new sheriff in town cannot be messed with.

When the human causes of gridlock had been reasonably checked, to further ease vehicle movements on the road, the governor embarked on reconstruction of major highways in the state like Ikorodu Road, from Mile 12 stretching to Maryland. The failed portions on the critical Trunk A road substantially contributed to traffic snarl.

Meanwhile, Sanwo’s standard is not cosmetic.

Julius Berger built in tandem with Sanwo’s taste on solid, iron-reinforced concrete that will withstand heavy-duty vehicles, trailers, lorries that ply the routes. In the past, asphalt and interlock blocks often collapsed under the weight of massive trucks.

In fulfilment of his promise to decongest the road infrastructure through intermodal transportation system, the water transportation got an unprecedented boost with the injection of eight locally-made boats under the supervision of The Lagos State Ferry Service (LAGFERRY).

Governor Sanwo-Olu said during the launch of the boats that, “Today, history is being made as the efforts of our administration towards delivering on our promise to provide an effective and integrated intermodal transportation system is being fulfilled. ”With capacity of each of the new boats to ferry 40 to 60 passengers at a go, the ferry boats we are launching today will commute passengers from Ikorodu, Ebute Ero, CMS, Badore and Ikoyi, amongst other routes. ”We are set to take advantage of the water bodies to decongest our roads and substantially reduce travel time, promote a healthy environment through reduction of carbon emission,” Sanwo-Olu said, adding: “’Intermodal transportation is the way to go, given our natural endowment, increasing population and the need to ensure efficient movement of materials, goods, services and people. By the time the Lagos light rail project becomes effective and expanded, coupled with renewed efforts to improve water transportation in addition to numerous on-going roads development projects across the state, it is expected that a more robust public transportation would evolve in the state and Lagosians would be the better for it.’’.

The governor of Lagos took a bold, ambitious step to embark on the construction of 37-Km Rail Mass Transit Red Line which was halted by the

Federal Military government in 1984 under the leadership of Late Lateef Jakande.

It is a long rail that will connect the suburb of Agbado in Alimosho Local Government Area to Marina, the Center of Lagos. Commuting nightmares of residents in the areas will be addressed as Sanwo-Olu’s red line train plans to move over one million people daily.

Concerned about the plight of those whose properties will give way for the rail system, Sanwo-Olu presented cheques to house owners whose buildings were affected.

The construction is scheduled into three-phases.

The first phase (Agbado-Iddo), which will be completed in 24 months, will be sharing track with the federal government’s Lagos-Ibadan Railway Modernisation Project up to Ebute – Metta. It will have its dedicated track from Ebute – Metta to Oyingbo and reduce travel time from about two and a half hours to just 35 minutes.

The Red Line will complement the Blue Line that traverses from Okokomaiko to Marina. The Blue Line is at 78 per cent completion.

Sanwo-Olu’s mass rail project will accelerate the smart city plan of Lagos as a mega city. Efficient mass transit transportation is essential for a mega city. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses schemes with dedicated lanes eased movements and vehicular pressure on the road, but daily massive influx of people from every part of the country into Lagos has overwhelmed the BRT buses.

Also, the mass movement of the middle class from the urban to the suburb of the city due to the housing cost and attendant expenses created a need for a more efficient mass transit transportation means to move them from home to work.

Sanwo-Olu will enact the western work experience in Lagos. In Europe and the United States many who live hundreds of miles away from work commute via trains.

He said: “Today’s flag-off of the construction of infrastructure for the standard gauge Red Line

is another promise kept and it demonstrates, in practical terms, our commitment to achieve the objectives of traffic management and transportation pillar in our development agenda. This is because we recognise the role which an efficient transportation system plays in enhancing people’s quality of life and as a major driver of socioeconomic development.

“The State’s Strategic Transport Master Plan, which encompasses a number of projects that are germane to achieving our vision for a Greater Lagos, is founded on imperatives that seek to increase transport choices for all users and make the transit system integrated, attractive, convenient, affordable and accessible.

“Since efficient transportation is the backbone of any economy, we are happy to be committing this investment in our transport infrastructure, so that our people can meet their daily targets and aspirations. This all-important transport project we are all gathered to witness today represents a major step in this direction.

“Another unique feature of the Red Line is that all the stations have elevated concourses with either at grade island or side platforms for easy boarding and alighting of passengers. The Red Line also integrates with our Bus Terminals at Oyingbo, Yaba, Oshodi, Ikeja and Iju, giving modal options to our people in their daily commute, either for business or leisure.”

The opportunities that the project will provide is unimaginable. Thousands of direct and indirect jobs are in the offing. Construction workers, suppliers of materials and food vendors will experience fortunes for the duration of the project.

Adjourning communities too will also benefit from the ancillary infrastructure embedded in the project. The value of properties in the suburb neighbouring the rail will also surge as infrastructure often raises the value of real estate.

This is a legacy project that will enlist SanwOlu in the roll of honour.

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

EDITORIAL THE DEREK CHAUVIN OUTCOME The only culture permissible in a democracy is one that respects the rights of the citizenry

T

he death last year of an African American, George Floyd, in Minneapolis aroused global outrage.

Beyond the open barbarism displayed by the convicted police officer, Derek Chauvin whose callous act led to the tragedy, the systemic racism that feeds police nastiness became the main issue. The protests and demonstrations that followed in many countries across the world drew attention to a long-standing blight in American society and history. It therefore came as no surprise that the prosecution and trial of Chauvin and his colleagues on that beat had the world fixated on America’s justice system.

At the end of an exhaustive trial with mountains of testimonies and evidence by multiple lawyers and specialists, the jury has delivered a verdict of guilty against Chauvin on all counts for second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Expectedly, the verdict has been greeted with a wave of approval in America and abroad. In praising the conviction of Chauvin, President Joe Biden described it as a ‘too rare’ step to deliver “basic WHILE THE PUBLIC OUTRAGE accountability” for AGAINST THE EXCESSES Black Americans OF THE NOW-DISBANDED who have been killed SARS PERSONNEL ALSO during interactions with the police. “It WENT GLOBALLY VIRAL was a murder in full LAST YEAR, IT HAS NOT BECOME THE TIPPING POINT light of day, and it IN A TRADITION OF POLICE ripped the blinders ABUSE THAT HAS BEEN WITH off for the whole world to see…This US FOR DECADES can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” said Biden in a national broadcast.

We agree with Biden that that the verdict has opened a window of positive possibilities. The African American community can at least embrace this verdict as an indication of the possibility of justice after over 400 years of injustice and racially induced

police arbitrariness and bestiality. It offers the Biden administration a larger window to advance moves towards police and criminal justice reform. It is also a unique opportunity to reform the police and fast track the changes that will reduce the population of blacks driven into criminality by long term economic and social deprivations.

I 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

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

t may be a long road to the destination of racial fairness in America, but the Derek Chauvin verdict indicates the desirable direction. Most importantly, Chauvin’s conviction is a bold statement on the relationship between crime and punishment in a fairer America. The power of law enforcement can no longer provide an umbrella to protect plain villains from the repercussions of naked abuse of power to cheapen human life mostly based on race. Most significantly, Floyd’s death and the conviction of his killer have provided America with an overdue opportunity to revise its values and exorcise its collective psyche of the evil of systemic racism in its law enforcement and criminal justice system.

Sadly, what could be taken as our own George Floyd moment did not end with a similar outcome.

While the public outrage against the excesses of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel also went globally viral last year, it has not become the tipping point in a tradition of police abuse and brutality that has been with us for decades. As usual, committees were established in many states and there were some public hearings but given our experience as a nation, nothing will come out of those efforts.

As we have repeatedly stated on this page, what we deal with in Nigeria is a tradition of citizen abuses that has become part of our police culture.

That culture owes its origins to a colonial mindset of an occupation force which is alienated from the public it is meant to protect. Yet, the only culture permissible in a democracy is one that respects the freedom and rights of the citizenry. That was the point made with the conviction of Chauvin in the United States: Police badge is not a license to kill.

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Letters to the Editor

THE BOOK - A VALUABLE RESOURCE

“

The quality, quantity and diversity of books produced by a society are important indicators of that society’s level of development. . . .” -Valdehusa (1985).

April 23rd of every year is marked around the world as ‘World Book and Copyright Day.’ Also known as ‘International Day of The Book,’ it is a day set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The first ‘World Book Day’ was observed on April 23, 1995.

The theme of this year’s (2021) ‘World Book Day’ is: to ‘share a story.’ This year’s theme is in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, encouraging children to share a story with those that they live with.

The day aims to change lives through a love of books and shared reading.

The book is a dynamic product and a monumental property of every society. It is a veritable source of information to teachers and students, a goldmine of knowledge for researchers and scholars, and a fountain of pleasure and leisure to general readers.

The Bible is by far the most widely translated and distributed book.

So its wisdom has reached and helped more people than any other book or publication. 96.5% of the world’s population have access to the Bible. The Bible is available (in whole or in part) in over 3,300 languages, and the estimated number of copies of the Bible produced is 5 billion, far more than any other book in history.

More than ever, at a time when many of the schools around the world are closed and people are having to limit their time spent outside, the power of books should be leveraged to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, expand our horizons, while stimulating

our minds and creativity. It is critical to take the time to read on our own, or with our children.

According to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO: “Books have the unique ability to entertain and to teach. They are at once a means of exploring realms beyond our personal experience through exposure to different authors, universes and cultures, and a means of accessing the deepest recesses of our inner selves.”

The three major sectors of the book industry are: publishers, booksellers and libraries. In a strict sense book publishing starts from the point of conceptualisation of the ideas for the book by the author, to the very last stage of the end-user (reader).

A book is inescapably a compilation of sheets of paper. It consists of the right hand page (recto) and the left hand page (verso), without a standardized size. But one of its most observable appearance is its shape - it is upright rectangular. A book is a complete product of art and as such sustains a comprehensive aesthetical structure of graphics.

The fundamental purpose of book publishing is basically to extend the frontiers of knowledge from one generation to another, thereby bringing about continuous intellectual development. Book publishing is channelled towards promoting learning and expanding knowledge.

The history of book publishing in Nigeria can be traced to the establishment of the very first publishing press in Calabar, in 1846, by Rev. Hope Waddel of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Mission.

The press was used to print Bible lessons and later arithmetic books for schools. In 1854, another Missionary based in Abeokuta, Rev. Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), established a Press. Five years later (1859), he used it to print the very first newspaper in Nigeria - ‘Iwe Irohin.’ Thereafter, notable Nigerians like Herbert

Macaulay established the first indigenous newspaper in 1926, called Lagos Daily News. Also, in the same year, Daily Times made its debut.

In 1949, Oxford University Press (OUP) floated a sales outlet in Nigeria. This action attracted many foreign-based publishing firms to Nigeria, such as Macmillan, Longman and others. The first published book in Nigeria by Oxford University Press (OUP) was in 1963, when its local branch published Ijala Ere Ode, a Yoruba poetry genre by Yemitan. Aside from the foreign companies, many other home-based publishing houses were architected by indigenous entrepreneurs. The book publishing industry in Nigeria has continued to enjoy drastic growth ever since.

However in the last two decades, the Nigerian indigenous book publishing industry has experienced a downturn due to numerous challenges facing the industry, including: book piracy, proliferation of unqualified author-publishers, lack of capital, and inability to provide adequate numbers of high-quality books. Other challenges include: poor reading culture, infrastructural decay, dearth of expertise, incessant rancour among the major stakeholders, and so forth.

Therefore, here are some suggestions for developing our book publishing industry in Nigeria: 1One, stakeholders such as government, publishers, authors, regulators, booksellers, libraries, and readers should cooperate among themselves and contribute their quota immensely towards the development of a virile book publishing industry.

Two, private investors such as banks, finance houses and influential individuals should participate, especially in terms of massive capital injection.

Daniel Ighakpe, FESTAC Town, Lagos

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FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021

18

POLITICS

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

Why Tinubu Should Run for the President Hon. Setonji David, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Lagos State House of Assembly argues that the capacity of the All Progressives Congress National Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make a few governors and buoy other political office holders is not necessarily a bad thing

S

enator Bola Ahmed Tinubu held his last political office in 2007 when he completed his tenure as the second civilian governor of Lagos State. That is 24 years ago. Yet, his name is more recurring in political, social and economic conversations than those of many politicians that are in government today. The criticisms as well as adoration that greets the mention of his name in any part of the country, is only second probably to that of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria himself, President Mohammed Buhari. It is a two-edged sword.

His critics would not deny his popularity but they think, even though erroneously, that he has an overbearing presence in the politics of Lagos. I sympathize with them; in Lagos State, after Tinubu, there has not been a governor that was successful at the polls and in governance without his express support.

His approval and support made not a few governors and buoyed most of the other office holders who have become politically powerful in Lagos and elsewhere. Is this necessarily a bad thing?

Look at Lagos State where Tinubu’s political influence is claimed to be overbearing. To quote an independent source, “Although it covers only 0.4% of Nigeria’s territorial land mass, making it the smallest state in the country, it (Lagos) accounts for over 60% of industrial and commercial activities in the nation.

Lagos is financially viable, generating over 75% of its revenue independent of federal grants derived from oil revenues.

It generates the highest internal revenue of all states in Nigeria.” If Lagos was a country, its projected 2020 GDP of over $100billion made it the 5th largest economy in Africa.

For the sake of an even clearer perspective, Lagos State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), in the years of Tinubu’s so-called over-bearing politics, has grown consistently to around N33 billion today. The same Lagos had a miserly IGR of around N7 million under the military in 1999 - the year Tinubu became the executive governor.

Really, will an overbearing godfather succeed in politics, in an enlightened state like Lagos? The man in the eye of the storm has a simple recommendation: what makes him or any political leader successful is having good feelers to know where the people’s best interest lies, and being able to articulate matching solutions and vision good enough to make the people say, “ah” we can trust you to take us there. It would be hard to find one successful politician who faults this wisdom.

So, Lagos and majority of followers of South-west’s politics are not complaining. The state is making megacity strides, going smart and leading Nigeria into the best years of the 21st century. State governors in the South-west, North, East and the rest of Nigeria are not too proud to admit to understudying political governance in the Centre of Excellence.

That is why progressives all over Nigeria have continued to show Tinubu love whenever he stepps out with his party to campaign for their votes. The man, who has anointed many eventual winners all over Nigeria while waving the progressives’ broom, justifiably, is ready for Nigeria’s nod to lead. Tinubu should run and become President in 2023.

One cannot discuss Tinubu’s sterling credentials for the highest political job in the land in the narrow purview of politics, or of love or even hate. To be

fair to Tinubu, one must leave politics and sentiments behind at some point and deal with glaring realities of the

difference he has made in people’s lives, in expanding economic opportunities, in the transformation of his state’s physical

Another Look at the Nigerian Situation Prince Osibote, President, Oodua Peoples Congress cautions that the stringent agitation for self determination by ethnic nationalities may lead to the eventual break-up of Nigeria

J

ean Jacques Rousseau’s “Social Contract” defines the fundaments of a functional cohabitation of peoples of diverse interests in these words: “each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.” This whole, this collective will,called the body politic or the state, has the responsibility of assuring the individual and collective security of the constituent members. This, according to Rousseau is the basis of the creation of a nation-state. Nigeria was not founded on these principles, and the rulers of Nigeria have never addressed or sought to bring about the emergence of a true Nigerian State before and after independence through open dialogue and a transparent engagement.

Despite the fact that different Nigerian nationalities were not consulted to certify or reject the 1914 amalgamation, it has always been assumed that the coexistence of these different nationalities over the years will bend backwards to bring about the birth of a true nation-state.

This has not been the case.

Through brute force, the different ethnic nationalities confined within the same geographical coordinates in what is called Nigeria, have over the years been compelled to willingly or unwillingly entrust their collective security to the supreme direction called the Republic of Nigeria with little or no guarantees that the supreme direction would ensure the security of component members. But this collective security has since independence been illusory. The ethnic nationalities that make up the country have never really felt secure. Insecurity has been the hallmark of the Nigerian State since immediate post-independence period from the political unrest of Western Nigeria, the intolerance that culminated in the civil war through what we are now witnessing in all parts of the country.

If democracy was meant to induce

a “social contract” through the election process by different nationalities voting on principles, social cohesion and development, then it has roundly failed in this country. The Nigerian “democracy” is founded on ethnicity with its intrinsic characteristics to divide rather than to unite. The obsession of the political class to divide to rule on ethnic and religious basis has rendered redundant the possible attainment of a modern nation-state.

In the case of Nigeria, diversity has failed to bring about the emergence of a modern nation-state, rather, it is an albatross.Nigeria is a good case study of the impossibility of achievementof a modern and functional state by political practice. In other words, a functional nation-state cannot emerge by democratic processes unless by an initial consensus in which the peoples of diverse views and nationalities agree to the principles of existential union where the interests of each component member, irrespective of its size is taken into account. In the process of reaching this initial consensus, the vision for the union is defined and this shared vision is the glue that will hold the nation-state together. The vision of the leaders of the Nigerian State is simply existential.

This existential mentality excludes the interests, well-being, and security of the peoples of the union. It is founded on a vainglorious individual self-preservation and an obsessive craving to access the treasury of the commonwealth.

The absence of a national vision lies at the bottom of poor governance, disrespect for the rule of law, theft of the commonwealth, nepotism, corruption and many other ills that characterize the Nigerian society. Collective security which is the purpose of the “union” of diverse ethnic nationalities has been eroded to near nothing.

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infrastructure and in steering Nigeria into a new and progressive course. His politics is better reflected in the context of his socio-economic objectives while he has excelled in tackling these noble tasks.

Tinubu, as governor, transformed political administration in Lagos State.

He employed novel measures to improve service delivery and system efficiency in the state’s public sector. Five years into his administration, Tinubu had awarded contracts for 422 road projects, out of which 308 were completed. The upgrading and renewal of the Lagos Island Central Business District Roads project was speedily done to give the state’s crucial economic zone a new lease.

To clean up Lagos, Tinubu separated the Ministry of Environment from the Ministry of Physical Planning and repositioned it to articulate and supervise waste disposal operations. The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) was adequately equipped to register its impact in a cleaner Lagos.

In transportation, he had bold initiatives also, which included the BRT system. He established LASTMA. The Tinubu administration was comfortable with proffering innovative solutions. In spite of the constitutional constraints bedeviling his vision to tackle the immense energy appetite of a commercial centre state like Lagos, Tinubu acted rather than complained endlessly. He executed a pioneer Independent Power Project (IPP), which added 270 mega watts of electricity to the national grid.

Tinubu met 20 local councils in a state of over seven million residents yearning to have their government closer and more responsive to their needs. He made bold to create additional 37 councils, with a total of 57. And in defense of his action, he told all who cared to listen that it had become impossible for Lagos to deliver good and improved governance to the teeming people at the grassroots. The National Assembly, however, differed. It would not list the councils in the constitution and that created a political crisis of a new dimension between Lagos and the Centre.

When the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo stopped the statutory allocation for local governments in Lagos from reaching the state, Tinubu again acted rather than sit and complain.

He did not consider capitulation either.

He insisted that LCDAs had come to stay as long as Lagosians desired them.

He instituted such an aggressive revenue generation drive of the scale never seen before in the country. He succeeded in breaking the culture of dependence of Lagos State on the monthly federal allocations from the centre.

It is worthy of note that real SociaPolitical developments only occur when stakeholders push the limit of what freedom the state has granted citizens and institutions by default. Just as the IPP project demonstrated the capacity of states to generate electricity, if the power to legislate on it is on the Concurrent List, the victory of Lagos State at the Supreme Court on the new councils, years after, proved that the constitution implicitly backs states to create local administrative units for the purpose of service to citizens. Tinubu has through these efforts, advanced the course of true federalism and constitutional development more than Nigerians have given him credit for.

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021

19

PERSPECTIVE

Akpabio’s Deceitful Forensic Audit Should Not Stop Inauguration of NDDC Board

George Floyd, that Video and Biden’s Challenge Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfricaonline.com is hopeful that the guilty verdict returned against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police office for the murder of a Black man, George Floyd may lead to more accountable policing

A

t the end of the day, the trial of 45-years old Derek Chauvin, the former police officer whose video-recorded actions of kneeling and pressing his entire weight for more than nine minutes led to the death of a 46 year old Black man, George Floyd rested on one critical question: Should you believe your eyes or should you believe the pseudo-science technicalities and pulmonary mumbo jumbo presented by the incredible defense attorney Eric Nelson?

Or should you believe the Minneapolis prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell who simply advised the jury: “You can believe your eyes, ladies and gentlemen. It was what you thought it was. It was what you saw. It was homicide.”

Without any doubt, the biggest piece of evidence remains that steady, unbroken, clear and contextual cellphone video recorded by an attentive and courageous teenager Darnella Frazier, on May 25, 2020.

Both the prosecution and defense attorneys used clips of the video.

NBC News legal issues analyst Danny Cevallos accurately argued that for the defense, in terms of strategy, it was a double-edged sword — although Nelson avoided repeats of the clip showing Chauvin, brutally, kneeling on Floyd’s neck. In Cevallos’ own words: “That video has an audio component and you can hear George Floyd throughout that video. You even hear sometimes Derek Chauvin saying some of the things that the prosecution thought was helpful to their case… Repetition gets emblazoned in jurors’ heads. If they hear this pleading for the life over and over again, it might just sink in.”

Cevallos, a lawyer whose analyses are usually very clear, understandable, commonsensical and rooted in jurisprudence was correct. CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, very hard-working journalist who was inside the courtroom as one of pool reporters on Monday (April 19, 2021, the day the jurors found Chauvin guilty on all counts), agreed, and said: “Seeing that video over and over and over again today was hard to watch, just like it always has been.”

The jurors returned with “guilty” decisions on all of the three charges: seconddegree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

His sentencing is coming up in about 7 1/2 weeks, according to the presiding judge.

Now, let me take us back about one year ago for additional context. During his campaign to become the President of the United States, then Vice President Joe Biden on May 26, 2020 sent a tweet: “George Floyd deserved better and his family deserves justice. His life mattered.

I’m grateful for the swift action in Minneapolis to fire the officers involved — they must be held responsible for their egregious actions.”

Also, as a matter of conscience, of good conscience and progressive outlook for the American democracy project, Mr. Biden a few days after that spoke to the much avoided issues of institutional racism and other forms of bigotry set against people of African-American descent especially. I’ll make an extended quotation as Mr. Biden referred to Mr. Floyd’s killing by the Minneapolis Police as the latest “tragic reminder that this was not an isolated incident, but a part of an ingrained systemic cycle of injustice that still exists in this country…..

It cuts at the very heart of our sacred belief that all Americans are equal in rights and in dignity, and it sends a very clear message to the black community and to black lives that are under threat every single day….

If some of us can’t count on our freedom, some of us are not free. None — none of us is,” Wolf said. “And we have got to make sure that is something that all of us, every single American, recognizes is something that gets to the heart of our self-interest.”

It is important that I add that Mr. Biden had the courage to speak his truth even at the time when he was not yet the official candidate for president of the Democratic Party. I refer particularly to his appeal and word of caution to his fellow Americans that: “I don’t think we can move forward unless we take aggressive action to rip out the insidious race-based inequalities that corrupt every part of our society.” Biden’s principled position holds lesson for leaders of some countries who are promoters and facilitators of discrimination, bigotry and assorted forms of injustice against some of their own citizens.

Again, I recall that the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963) stated that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Also, as I cited on USAfricaonline.com in 2020, the holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, the late Elie Wiesel in his book ‘Un die welt hot geshvign (And the World Kept Silent)’ later updated as ‘Night’, wrote: “Sometimes we must interfere. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must- at that moment- become the center of the universe.” Hence, understandably, most parts of the world, from Europe to Asia, Africa to South America, the world especially young people rose in unison to protest the injustice of the murder of an innocent African American man.

Today, millions of people around the world “can breathe” easier — no matter how long — following those Minneapolis’ jurors fundamental and unanimous decision to hold that policeman “accountable” for this unjust killing of another human being.

Regardless, there are many, more rivers to cross.

Damian Nwikinaka, National Chairman of Niger Delta Renaissance Coalition, wonders why President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly are quiet while the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio runs the Niger Delta Development Commission in contravention of the laws establishing the agency

T

he Niger Delta Minister Senator Godswill Akpabio recently hinted that the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which he had earlier said would be concluded and the report submitted before April (this month) will now be concluded in July, following which the Governing Board will be put in place.

We consider this an insult to good governance and the Niger Delta people, that an external audit is not only taking place for over a year and a half now but that a development agency for the region is being run haphazardly, without a Governing Board as provided for in its Establishment Act, at the whims and caprices of Akpabio.

Akpabio has turned the whole forensic audit exercise into a circus where the process is not only being micromanaged, but that the NDDC is being run by the minister’s handpicked proxies. Akpabio has used the excuse of the forensic audit to stop the Governing Board from being put in place. Now, he shifts the termination date of the forensic audit under spurious excuses to justify running the agency like his personal fiefdom.

When he dubiously sold the idea of an Interim Management for the NDDC in October 2019, even after the names of the Governing Board had been sent by the President to the Senate for statutory screening, which persons the Senate subsequently screened and confirmed, Akpabio said his illegal Interim Management Committee will only stay in office for six months to supervise the audit after which the Board will be inaugurated. Even then, we made the case that this was an unheard-of practice anywhere in the world, even Nigeria, where it is made to look as if having a legal Governing Board in place and an external audit are mutually exclusive.

It was even pointed out by legal luminaries that the interim arrangement was patently illegal. Yet, the federal government allowed itself to be deceived by Akpabio to appoint his first illegal IMC. By the time the expected deadline of March 2020 for the submission of the audit report was near, Akpabio sacked his first IMC Acting Managing Director Ms Joi Nunieh and appointed a new Acting Managing Director, Prof Pondei who was his classmate at Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, and extended the stay of this IMC to December 2020, by which time he said the audit will be concluded and the Board put in place. Just when that was drawing near, he sacked the Interim Management Committee and appointed his personal aide, Mr Effiong Okon Akwa, as Interim Sole Administrator with a promised forensic audit completion date of March 2021. Akpabio is now hinting that a ‘field’ forensic audit will commence and end in 3-4 months before the Board is put in place. So what have the auditors been doing for over a year? This is indeed a most ludicrous capture of an agency of government by an individual. Akpabio has turned governance into a joke and makes a mockery of the Buhari Administration.

What Niger Deltans want to know is why the President and the Presidency will keep quiet while the NDDC is run in violation of the law and common sense. How an agency of government is being run by the minister’s proxies under the guise of an audit that has lasted for over one and a half years is simply inexplicable but this is what Buhari has permitted under his watch. Akpabio has dropped the president’s name for all the strange decisions he has made at the NDDC,

including the illogical non-inauguration of a Governing Board on the excuse that an audit is being undertaken, when in actual fact it was an illogical excuse for Akpabio to run the agency as he pleases, in collaboration with vested interests in Abuja.

Akpabio has virtually administered the NDDC directly using his proxies as interim managements since October 2019 (over 18 months). During this period over N800 billion has been spent by Akpabio’s Interim Managements on frivolous items and dubious payments, as evidenced by whistleblowers and National Assembly investigations.

Such waste and financial recklessness should never have happened if Akpabio had been called to order by the president. But, he has been allowed a free rein to continue to squander the resources of the NDDC as he desires, with nothing in the Niger Delta states to show for it.

We have pointed out previously that Akpabio has only employed the forensic audit as an excuse to directly run the NDDC using his proxies, because this is the first time in any public institution in this country that the external audit is being teleguided by the Minister with public relations appearances by the so-called auditors at the drop of a hat.

Last Friday in Uyo, the so-called auditors were there to give a helping hand to the minister. Previously, at various times last year, he held similar inauguration ceremonies for these same auditors in Abuja and Port-Harcourt ( to buttress the fact that he is using them).

Audits have been done in Nigeria previously, creditably and independently, such as the NNPC audit, which was carried out

by Price Waterhouse a few years back while the legitimate board and management were still in place. The board and management of the NNPC were not set aside for an IMC in order to do the audit. Similarly, when in 2016 the current selfsame Buhari administration audited all revenue agencies, including the NNPC, NPA, FIRS and others, it did not set aside the governing boards. This is the first time an external audit has been employed as an excuse to suspend the law governing a public institution. Sadly, President Buhari had decided to hand out the NDDC to Akpabio to do as he desires, the result is what we see today. The NDDC has not undertaken any development project over the last two years in the Niger Delta states, as attested to by the governors and the people, yet it has spent hundreds of billions of naira.

This is unacceptable!

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

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 25 % 28.33 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

21.75 % 17 % 18 %

A P R I L S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

1 6 , 2 0 2 1 522.34 % -0.83 % -6.52 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE -6.52 % YEAR TO DATE -22.07 %

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes

Dana Air Decorates Captains, Others

ENFORCING ADMIRALTY LAW

L-R: Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan; President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; and Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium organised in by NIMASA, in collaboration with NIALS, held in Lagos…recently

Why Kano, PH, Enugu are Yet to Resume International Flights Chinedu Eze The federal government’s delay in issuing notice to airmen (NOTAM) and low passenger turnout are key factors delaying the resumption of international flights from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa; and the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

This is just as THISDAY learnt on Wednesday that the alleged insistence by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that only Emirates Airlines would be allowed to operate to Dubai from Nigeria has prompted the Minister of Aviation to deny the Middle East airline the approval to resume flights to Abuja and Lagos.

THISDAY investigations

AVIATION revealed that after the special flights operated by Ethiopia Airlines and Egypt Air on April 6, 2021, from Kano to Addis Ababa and Cairo respectively, international flight service was expected to have officially opened from the Kano airport, but airlines are yet to complete their documentations to kick-off operations from there.

THISDAY also learnt that the delay in issuing NOTAM announcing that flights have resumed at the Enugu and Port Harcourt airports was also the reason why flights were yet to start from the two airports, just as Lufthansa, which operates to Port Harcourt airport was yet to express readiness to fly to that destination due to feared low

turnout of passengers.

A senior official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who disclosed these to THISDAY said Kano airport was officially opened after the special flights by the two African airlines on April 6, but while Port Harcourt Airport has been certified as meeting all the health and other protocols for international service, Enugu, which has met the health protocols is yet to be certified because other protocols, which include markings are yet to be completed.

“Kano airport has been opened officially for international flight service, but the airlines designated to the airport have not completed their documentation. We have agreed that airlines should start operations to Port Harcourt airport because work

has been completed there and the international wing of the airport has been marked, but Lufthansa, which is the only international carrier that goes to the airport, has not indicated interest to resume due to possible low traffic.

“Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt have received Airport Council International (Africa) health accreditation, but as we are opening our airports, Europe is closing theirs. Lufthansa is doing only Abuja and Lagos for now. Ethiopia Airlines will go to Enugu.

“We are waiting for them to go to Enugu, but I cannot confirm if we have finished other protocols for the international wing of Enugu airport, but I Continued on page 24

IMO Regulation: FG Charges Operators on $2bn Bunker Fuel Market Eromosele Abiodun The federal government has charged modular and other refinery operators as well as fuel suppliers in the country to harness the $2 billion bunker fuel market in Africa, as the regulation by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) limiting the sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships comes into force.

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, made the call at the opening of a two-day meeting of the agency with modular and other refinery operators and fuel oil suppliers in the country.

The NIMASA boss said the agency was determined to ensure availability of marine fuels that comply with the

MARITIME regulation by the International Maritime Organisation limiting the sulphur in the fuel oil used on board ships to 0.50 per cent m/m (mass by mass).

Jamoh, who was represented

by Acting Head, Marine Environment Management (MEM) Department, NIMASA, Mr. Isa Mudi, said the agency had made deliberate effort to conform to the new fuel oil mandate, known as IMO 2020.

Specifically, Jamoh said, “As the country’s shipping regulator, we have had interfaces with the relevant stakeholders on how to reach a win-win agreement on Nigeria’s compliance with the IMO sulphur content cap.

“We are happy to announce that the coast is clear for us to achieve this mandate.

Nigeria, he added, has an

advantage ab initio, “because we produce low sulphur crude.

The challenge for us now is conversion of this advantage to availability of bunker fuels that meet the IMO mandate.

“I make bold to say that we have all it takes to be the bunker fuel hub for SubSaharan Africa. There is a $2 billion bunker fuel market in Sub-Saharan Africa waiting to be harnessed by our business men and women.”

Jamoh stressed that since Nigeria’s refineries are not working at full-capacity, it was an opportunity for the modular and other private refineries to come in to fill a vital gap in the marine fuel supply chain. The NIMASA boss added that bunker fuel is a critical element in the shipping business.

He stated, “With the coming

into effect of IMO 2020, we assure you as an Agency that the country’s shipping community will be galvanised to ensure availability, supply, and, in fact, self-sufficiency in 0.5 per cent sulphur content fuels in line with the IMO standard.”

In their contributions, representatives of the refineries and fuel oil suppliers pledged their cooperation with NIMASA and other relevant government agencies in the attempt to make the required fuel accessible.

The new sulphur oxide emissions cutting regulations mandate a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent in marine fuels globally. The change is driven by the need to reduce air pollution generated in the shipping industry by reducing the Sulphur content of fuels Continued on page 24

Dana Air has decorated new captains on its Boeing 737 aircraft as well as otheraircraftinitsfleet,assuringitsstaffthatitwouldcontinuetoreward excellenceandhardwork.DecoratingCaptainShinaAgbeleseandCaptain AdemolaAkinyemiinLagos,theChiefOperatingOfficerofDanaAir,Mr.Obi Mbanuzuo,saiditwasexciting,“toseeouryoungNigerianpilotsperforming excellently,anddoingamazinglywell.”

“It takes a lot to train pilots and with over 80 per cent of our pilots trained

by Dana Air, we would continue to be a trailblazer in building capacity for homegrownpilots.

“Wearegladtobemakingahugeimpactinthisregardandcontributingour quota to thegrowthandstabilityoftheindustry,’ headded.

He congratulated the newly decorated captains for their success and urged them to sustain the airline’s strict safety standards, and emphasis onprofessionalism.

Similarly,DanaAiralsoannouncedthatallitspilots,cabincrewandground staff have all been vaccinated while that of its backend staff was ongoing inLagos.

TheMediaandCommunicationsManagerofDanaAir,KingsleyEzenwasaid, “Allourpilots,cabincrewandgroundstaffhaveconcludedtheirvaccination whilethatofourbackendstaffis ongoing.’ ‘’Wehadtoensurethatallstaffhavingregularinteractionwithourcustomers gotvaccinatedfirsttoguaranteetheirsafetyandthesafetyofotherbackend staffandcustomers.Wearenotlettingtheguardsdownaswestillensure thatourcustomerskeepthemaskonwhileonboard,temperaturechecks done,sanitizationbeforeboarding,rowbyrowdisembarkation,andregular disinfectionoftheaircraftaftereveryflight.’

Air Peace Commences Abuja-Gombe Flights

AirPeacehasannouncedplantolaunchscheduledcommercialflightsinto GombefromAbuja.Similarly,theairlinehasalsorevealedplanstoresume itsYola flightservices.

TheChiefOperatingOfficeroftheairline,OluwatoyinOlajide,disclosedthis in a statement. Olajide stated that the decision to commence the AbujaGombe-Abuja route was a reflection of Air Peace’s resolve to open up the NorthEastas theregionis currentlyunderserved.

“As part of our strategic route expansion drive and the determination to providekeyconnectionsaddressingtheairtravelneedsofNigerianswhile fostering economic development and unity, we are set to kick off Gombe operations andresumeourYola flightservices verysoon”,shesaid.

According to Olajide, the airline has already set up the Gombe station and is calling on residents of the state to apply to the airline, as there are roles to befilledinthestation.

Commentingonaircraftmaintenance,shesaid,“Wehave17aircraftundergoing varying levels of maintenance overseas and once they start returning, we shalllaunchmoreroutesandresumeothersthatwetemporarilysuspended.”

Arik Resumes Lagos- Kano Flights

ArikAirhasannouncedthatitwillresumedirectflightsfromLagostoKano, effectiveTuesday, April 27, 2021.The airline said the three weekly flights wouldoperateonTuesdays,Thursdays andSaturdays.

AriksaidthedecisiontoreintroducedirectflightsbetweenLagosandKano was informedbytheimportanceofbothcities as centres ofcommerce.

“Arik Air has always been known for the promotion of economic activities amongthecomponents states ofNigeria,”theairlinesaid.

ReactingtotheKanoflightresumption,theChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO)of ArikAir,CaptainRoyIlegbodusaid,“Wearepleasedtoannouncethereturn ofservicestotheancientcityofKano.Ourflightswillofferourcustomers theadvantageofdirectairtravelbetweenLagosandKano.Customerson thisrouteshouldexpectthetraditionalArikAirhospitalityandexceptional servicethathavebecomethehallmarkoftheairline.”

Theairlineadvisedcustomerstobookonlineforcheaperfaresorvisitany oftheairline’s Airport/CityTicketingoffices.

United Nigeria Begins Scheduled Flights

United Nigeria Airlines yesterday commenced regular scheduled flight operations to theDomesticWingofPortHarcourtInternational Airport.

The inaugural flight to Port Harcourt, according to Head, Corporate Communications for the airline, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, was expected to depart the Murtala Mohammed Airport terminal two (MM2) in Ikeja, Lagos at1.30pm.

RegularflightsfromPortHarcourttotheNnamdiAzikiweAirportinAbuja was also expected to depart at 3:00pm daily while flights from Abuja to PortHarcourtwoulddepartat4:30pm everyday.

United Nigeria would also operate regular flights from Port Harcourt to Lagos everydayat6:00pm.

“TheabovewillremainaregularscheduleofUnitedNigeriaAirlinesonthe PortHarcourtroute”,hesaid.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still doing very well; we just need to keep up with the standard and making flight enjoyable for passengers” Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB-N),

Akin Olateru

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BUSINESSWORLD WHY KANO, PH, ENUGU ARE YET TO RESUME INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS will go to Enugu next week for the Airport Performance Evaluation, but I understand that availability of passengers will determine the decision of airlines to resume operations in these three airports,” the source who pleaded to remain anonymous said.

THISDAY also learnt from airline sources that Ethiopia Airlines has concluded plans to operate from Enugu airport, but it is waiting for NOTAM from the federal government to resume flights.

Meanwhile, Sirika may not allow Emirates to resume operation to Nigeria until the UAE carrier drops the condition that it should be only the carrier that would operate from Nigeria, thus allegedly demanding that Air Peace and other carriers such as Ethiopia Airlines, Egypt Air and RwandAir should stop airlifting passengers to Dubai from Nigeria.

The Regional Terminal Manager, South West, in charge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba confirmed to THISDAY that Emirates was yet to resume flights in Nigeria.

IMO REGULATION: FG CHARGES OPERATORS ON $2BN BUNKER FUEL MARKET that ships use.

The regulation came into force on January 1, 2020, marking a significant milestone in efforts to improve air quality, preserve the environment and protect human health.

The IMO 2020 rule limits the sulphur in the fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emission control areas to 0.50 per cent m/m, a significant reduction from the previous limit of 3.5 per cent.

Within specifically designated emission control areas, the limits were already stricter (0.10%). This new limit was made compulsory following an amendment to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

There was a large turnout of refinery operators and industry stakeholders at the meeting.

They included representatives of Niger Delta Refinery (NDR), Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), and OPAC Refinery.

Customs Impounds Explosives, N3.1bn Contraband Smuggled from Benin Stories by Eromosele Abiodun The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja has announced that it intercepted 42 drums of calcium carbide smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.

The Unit also said the NCS is backed by section 158 of Customs Excise and Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45, LFN 2004 as amended to patrol and search everywhere without restrictions while section 147 of the same CEMA empower it to enter any premises without search warrant provided there is credible information about contraband deposited there in.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the acting Customs Area Controller of the unit, Compt.

Usman Yahaya stated that aside from calcium cabide, the unit also seized contraband worth N3.1billion, raised Demand Notice (DN) worth N242 million.

The CAC who said the unit acted based on credible intelligence disclosed that the explosives were smuggled into the country through the porus borders under the Ogun State command of the service.

He said, “We intercepted the 42 drums of calcium carbide through intelligence gathering. The contrabands were in a truck and concealed with

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

cassava tubers and flakes. They thought with the concealment, they can evade the eagle eye of our officers.

“The explosives were intercepted at Sango - Ota axis and then, we know the items are coming from Benin Republic through the unapproved routes.

Calcium carbide is on the list of contrabands because it is

dangerous to the nation if it get to the hands of bad elements.”

Yahaya, disclosed that the unit has set up investigation to know where the explosives are headed but sure it was meant for a dangerous adventure.

“The calcium cabide weight 106KG in 42 drums with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N105million. I can assure you

that the smugglers have no good intention because if they did, they wouldn’t have concealed and smuggled it through the border.”

“Everyone should be worried about smuggling because it begets unemployment, drug addiction, criminality, proliferating of light and small arms, substandard goods, and so on.

You can imagine what would have happened if 42 drums of Carbide (explosives) had entered wrong hands,” he said.

Speaking further, the CAC said the unit also intercepted 1,488 kegs (equivalent of 33,000 litres) of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) set to be smuggled out of the country to neighboring Benin Republic.

RIGHTS ISSUE OPENS

L-R: Director/Lead Issuing House, AVA Group, Adekunle Samson; Company Secretary, VFD Group Plc, Gbeminiyi Shoda; Chairman, Olatunde Busari (SAN); GMD/CEO, Nonso Okpala, and Managing Director, Kairos Capital, Sam Chidoka, during the signing ceremony of VFD Group Plc’s rights issue of 7,452,054, and private placement of 7,985,090 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in Lagos… yesterday

‘NIMASA Vital Organ for Economic Development’ The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has described the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), as a key organ of economic development, saying the admiralty law conferences introduced by the agency was helping to streamline application of the antipiracy law.

Dongban-Mensem stated this while speaking at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium organised in Lagos by the NIMASA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).

The colloquium had the

theme, “Achieving Maritime Safety, Security and Shipping Development (TRIPOD S) through Enforcement of Legislations and the Implementation of the Deep Blue Project: The Role of the Judiciary and State Actors.”

Dongban-Mensem said the maritime sector was indispensable, and being global in nature, “Informed knowledge of the law in the global environment” was necessary in efforts to advance the sector.

“What touches this sector should be treated with great care,” Dongban-Mensem stated.

In his speech, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir

Jamoh said the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2019, was producing a better appreciation of Nigeria’s determination to end piracy and sea robbery in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

Jamoh said the admiralty law conference, in its 10th edition this year, had achieved significant milestones in the continued effort to better maritime law administration in Nigeria.

But the meeting was renamed this year to reflect current challenges and widen the scope of participation, he stated.

Jamoh stated, “The Admiralty Law Conference instituted

by NIMASA has achieved important milestones in the pursuit of its target of continuously improving maritime law administration in Nigeria. I am happy to announce that the key recommendations captured in the communiqué of last year’s conference would be sent to the National Assembly for the necessary legislative actions expected to improve the SPOMO Act. “We have made good progress in the implementation of the SPOMO Act. We have secured convictions at the Federal High Court in

Port Harcourt and Lagos, and more judgements are expected next month.

“These prosecutions and convictions have greatly helped to improve Nigeria’s image in the international community by producing a better appreciation of the country’s role and determination to end piracy and other maritime crimes in its territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea.”

The NIMASA boss also spoke on the adjustment in the name of the maritime law sessions, saying it was prompted by the need to bring on board a wider range of stakeholders, including Supreme Court justices.

‘High Inflation Hurting Mortgage Banks’ Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Group Business Editor

NEWS

The Managing Director of Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank (ITMB), Dr. Olabanjo Obaleye, has lamented the depreciation in the exchange rate and rising inflation are hurting the housing sector and mortgage banks.

Obaleye disclosed this in Abuja, during the earnings conference organised by the financial institution to relay information about the performance of ITMB

to its stakeholders.

He explained that mortgage banks in Nigeria like other financial institutions were not isolated from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the impact was peculiar because of the nature of the business - long term lending of up to 30 years.

According to him, the pandemic negatively impacted households and their ability to stay solvent through wage

decrease or losses.

Consequently changes in repayment and defaults will have significant impacts on the bank’s profitability and liquidity, he added.

Obaleye explained that the operating environment for was not friendly considering the fact that all the indicators point to downward direction.

For instance, he said, “Inflation rates in 2013 was 8.5 per cent, while in 2018 it was 12.09 per

cent and in 2020 it was 15.75 per cent. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 was 8.5 per cent, it was 1.94 per cent in 2018 and 0.11 percent in 2020. Dollar Exchange rate in 2013 was N157.3, it was N305.1 in 2018 and N465 in 2020.

“The exchange rate is giving developers headache every day.

Many estates developers are crying because of this.”

Obaleye, however, said the bank had shifted focus from the existing business models to re-

spond to the impact of Covid-19 by taking into consideration the best possible alternatives for its customers.

He said some of the bank’s achievements amidst the pandemic include a 33 per cent increase in loans and advances; 25 per cent growth in assets; the proposed four per cent increase in dividend; 94 per cent increase in deposit mobilisation, and four per cent increase in shareholders’ funds, amongst other feats.

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 Okafor (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

IP Exploitation Will Benefit Economy, Says SMEDAN DG James Emejo in Abuja The Director General/Chief Executive, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, has said Intellectual Property (IP) exploitation

remains a source of technological and economic strength for both developed and emerging markets.

He added that creating proper sensitisation among small enterprises will be positive for the Nigerian economy.

But, he said the lack of

awareness particularly by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on protecting their IP rights currently remained bane.

Speaking at a media briefing as part of activities to commemorate the 2021 World Intellectual Property Day, which is a brainchild of

the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Radda, said lamented that most SMEs are not aware of the importance in enhancing the value of their products, services and processes.

He also said the cost associated with IP protection may deter

SMEs from taking the initiative of protecting their property.

However, he pointed out that the way forward was to enhance the sensitisation of small businesses on the importance of IP to enhancing the value of their enterprises.

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Accolades as MMA2 Security Personnel Returns Passenger’s N2.3m Stories by Chinedu Eze An Uyo-bound passenger on Ibom Airline, Mr. George Etuk and other Nigerians have commended the Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal two (MMA2) after receiving his lost baggage containing the sum of N2, 350, 000 and other vital documents.

The incident, according to AVSEC Manager, BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the airport, Mr. Olatubosun Okeowo, occurred recently while the passenger who just returned from the United States of America was at the terminal to link up with an Uyo-bound airline.

It was gathered that the passenger was at the Ibom Airline Check-in counter alongside other intending passengers and along the line

he got carried away and lost concentration on his bag.

During the CCTV investigation by BASL AVSEC Team, it was discovered that the bag was accidentally picked up by a fellow passenger.

According to Okeowo, “During our CCTV investigation, it was discovered that the bag belonging to Mr. George Etuk was accidentally picked up by another intending passenger with the same airline.

“They were not aware at all. But after the flight was delayed, and the passengers had to find means to relax ahead of the rescheduled time, the anomaly came to the fore.

“The other passenger who took the baggage unknowingly, too, had disappeared.

On receiving the prompt message, our AVSEC Team immediately swung into action to unravel what went wrong.

With the aid of the CCTV, we

were able to identify what happened and my Duty Supervisor and his team quickly went after the man who picked the bag.

“The man was intercepted at the Drop Off Zone area when he was about leaving for a nearby hotel to relax since the flight was rescheduled for few hours later.”

The bag was then retrieved and handed over to the owner who confirmed that the bag content was intact in the presence of the AVSEC duty Supervisor with his team, the police and the airline representative.

The highly elated Etuk who could not hide his gratitude, expressed appreciation for a thorough job and the professional manner with which the investigation was carried out, saying, “their quick intervention was commendable because it saved the day.”

AIB-N Commissioner Lists Priorities The Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), Akin Olateru has listed staff welfare, training, promotion of staff and provision of quality equipment as some of his top priorities as he commenced his second term in office.

He told journalists in Lagos that he would ensure the bureau continue to deliver on its mandate by entrenching utmost professionalism in the investigation of serious incidents and accidents.

He also added that the management would make public its safety recommendations as fast as possible to prevent recurrence of similar serious incident or accident.

“There are a few items on the list. Priority number one is the issue staff welfare, training, issue of promotion and equipping our staff with the right tools and things that will make them happy.

“For instance, going to the accident site, we want to ensure that we provide the right operational vehicles and

the whole things that will give them satisfaction.

“Number two priority is to ensure that we continue to deliver our mandate and it is clear that we investigate serious incident and accident and it has to be done to the highest professional level.

“The best that can be done is to release a report in good time and the quality of the report should be topnotch and the fact that should be clear and it must be communicated in a way the reader can understand.

All this will make AIB an enviable place to work.”

On the amendment to the Act setting up AIB-N presently before the National Assembly, Olateru explained that consultations with major stakeholders had reached 96 per cent, stressing that intermodal accident investigation would further enhance safety in all modes of transportation.

Olateru further shed more light on the recent handing over of its investigation into the incident involving Air Peace at the Lagos Airport.

According to him, a review of the incident indicated that its investigators didn’t complete the assessment of the incident before taking a decision on it, stressing that investigation of such incident was within the purview of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

He added: “The attention of the management was called to it to re-evaluate to listen to the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) before you take a decision when it is not clear as to what decision to have taken.

“This is because when you talk of serious incident and accident, you need serious clarification to be able to determine, which decision to take.

“It is in that determination, but my team did not have enough information and they determined it to be serious incident, but after listening to the CVR and FDR, they later found out that it was an incident, but not a serious incident.”

IATA Revises Industry 2021 Outlook The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it expects net airline industry losses of $47.7 billion in 2021 (net profit margin of -10.4%).

This is an improvement compared with the estimated net industry loss of $126.4 billion in 2020 (net profit margin of -33.9%).

“This crisis is longer and deeper than anyone could have expected. Losses will be reduced from 2020, but the pain of the crisis increases. “There is optimism in domestic markets where aviation’s hallmark resilience is demonstrated by rebounds in markets without internal travel restrictions.

“Government imposed travel restrictions, however, continue to dampen the strong underly-

ing demand for international travel. Despite an estimated 2.4 billion people travelling by air in 2021, airlines will burn through a further $81 billion of cash,” said, IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh.

It stated that the outlook points to the start of industry recovery in the latter part of 2021.

In the face of the ongoing crisis, IATA calls for plans for a restart in preparation for a recovery, noting that IATA continues to urge governments to have plans in place so that no time is lost in restarting the sector when the epidemiological situation allows for a re-opening of borders.

“Most governments have not yet provided clear indications

of the benchmarks that they will use to safely give people back their travel freedom, in the meantime, a significant portion of the $3.5 trillion in GDP and 88 million jobs supported by aviation are at risk.

“Effectively restarting aviation will energize the travel and tourism sectors and the wider economy. With the virus becoming endemic, learning to safely live, work and travel with it is critical. That means governments must turn their focus to risk management to protect livelihoods as well as lives,” said Walsh.

IATA said industry losses of this scale imply a cash burn of $81 billion in 2021 on top of $149 billion in 2020.

Nigeria’s Aircraft, Age and Safety Chinedu Eze There have been debates over the years on the age of aircraft that operate in Nigeria.

While the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) pegged the maximum age of aircraft that could be allowed to operate into the country at 22 years, some industry stakeholders kick against the age limit, insisting that airworthiness of aircraft is determined by maintenance.

Some industry operators also excoriated the NCAA for pegging the cycle of major maintenance (C-check) to 18 months, insisting that the period is short and should be extended, considering the huge amount of money spent on carrying out C-checks overseas.

But the NCAA had explained in the past that such seemingly stringent measures were a response to Nigeria’s rate of accidents in the past and the fact that Nigeria does not have major maintenance facility locally with attendant high maintenance climate so it could not compare itself to some advanced countries where 50-year old aircraft could be operated safely because of robust maintenance culture and environment.

Reading accident reports exposed the fact that besides weather issues and pilot error, poor maintenance of aircraft was fingered as the cause of some tragic accidents that happened in Nigeria.

But the Chief Executive Officer, West Link Airlines Limited, and a seasoned aviator, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, has argued that the airworthiness of aircraft should not be based on age, insisting that once the aircraft can meet the certification requirements for Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) issued to that aircraft and the owner, the certificate signifies that the aircraft is safe to fly.

“It is not scientifically correct to restrict importation on age and we have said this times without number, today a professional colleague is Minister of Aviation, we hope these are some of the things he will reverse before he leaves.

“The initial 22 years ban were best left as politically motivated for reasons that no longer exists, so why is it still there?

“To give a 22-year life sentence for Nigerian registration is premature. I call on the federal government to please remove that from the laws so NCAA can do their job. That’s for NCAA actually to determine and not the Ministry and or National Assembly. The 22-year ban was done then during the time of Mrs. Kema Chikwe as Minister and the National Assembly of that time,” Mshelia said.

He called for a revisit of the policy, remarking that the policy ought to be revised every 10 years. He described it as anti-development.

Mshelia also insisted that age is not a factor of serviceability, noting that ageing aircraft programme could be more expensive but not out of scope for operators to comply.

Reading accident reports exposed the fact that besides weather issues and pilot error, poor maintenance of aircraft was fingered as the cause of some tragic accidents that happened in Nigeria

Mshelia The West Link boss explained that aircraft are designed to last based on material test and capabilities of airframes among other things, noting that a non-pressurized airframe would have to be damaged or corroded before it becomes a concern for safety.

He disclosed that the pressurized airframe however is designed based on tested design circles because “each time you take off and land with a pressuring airframe, you add stress to cabin as you pressurize and wings when you land,” adding that the manufacturer counts each flight (takeoff and landing) as a circle.

“Now, some manufacturers can design airframes to go up to 30 to 60,000 circles or even more now. Let’s now look at a typical Nigerian airline which does average four flights with one particular aircraft per day and Monday to Friday as weekends are usually used for maintenance and light schedule (so, we will add 10 percent at the end to compensate for the weekends).

“Four flights a day at five days per week in 52 weeks of the year will be; 1,040 circles.

So, if we divide, based on say an assumed first lifespan circle of 30,000 circles. 1,040 annual circles will be 28 years.

“And mind you, this can also go through a D check and be renewed again for whatever the test determines or even another 30,000 circles etc. Don’t forget too that no plane can fly continuously back-to-back for 28 years; they will probably fly average of eight to 10 months in a year. So, take average of nine months.

“That should extend the first life by 28 by further three month annually, which is additional seven years. So, the first circle for that aircraft before overhaul will be 35 years minimum. 22 years therefore is a far cry,” he said.

Mshelia said an aircraft is deemed unserviceable when the manufacturer’s circles are reached and material failures could not be guaranteed and therefore aircraft is unable to pass certain laid down ageing programme maintenance checks and fail to pass a Certificate of Airworthiness inspection.

“Then that aircraft is scrapped. Or if the owner feels like he does not want the plane anymore and scraps it. There are too many technicalities that should not be politicised.

“Those who take decision don’t know and therefore rely on consultants. There are so many armchair ‘consultants’ these days.

A real professional will wait to be invited.

“Those in office should be weary of those who throw themselves at them claiming to be experts under all sorts of names these days. Otherwise we will never discard some of these obnoxious rules that hinder General Aviation (GA) growth. When GA grows, everything grows,” he said.

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INTERVIEW

Okonkwo: Cooperation among Nigerian Airlines will Beget Immense Benefits The Chairman/CEO, United Nigeria Airlines, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, in this interview said there is need for domestic carriers to cooperate in order to provide efficient services to customers and also cut back costs. He also spoke about the impact of high cost of fuel on airlines and consequent high airfares. Chinedu Eze brings the excerpts:

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nited Nigeria commenced operations over two months ago, what are you looking at with regards to creating more jobs for Nigerians within the next five years?

For us to be flying today, that means we have employed a whole lot of people. Some of them, up to 50 to 60 per cent, are having their first experience in aviation and they know aviation is very strict. There must be training, there must be indoctrination, there must be standard they have to meet. For us, these number of people are those who have benefited from the opportunities we have created. So that is guaranteed and confirmed.

Recruiting more people is also in the pipeline as we expand our routes; open our operational base and that will go on and on. The more aircraft we have, the more people that will be employed.

The price of aviation fuel has skyrocketed, how has this affected your operations?

Secondly on the airfares, can you say the airlines are charging appropriately now or it is just a matter of demand and supply?

Well, honestly speaking if you look at the cost of operations in this industry, I might say that there may not be so much amount of money to pay for any ticket that will be too much. You would not like to have it. So, how I wish that what we have is the kind of rate I would like to be seeing. For some seasons, you know, when you have to fly full and then come back empty you have to find a way to cover the cost of empty flight. So, people should really understand that operating these airlines takes huge cost. So, when that comes your way, please understand that it is for the interest of the business.

In terms of the fuel price, it is a great thing of concern. We started operation at N160 per litre and when you know that the cost component of our aviation fuel is about 30 to 40 per cent. So when you move from N160 to N270 per litre something within a space of two months, then one ordinarily should expect that minimum ticket sales, should be almost increased by 50 per cent, especially when the cost component is 30 40 per cent. It is a great thing of concern. I don’t know what is leading to that. But I know that a whole lot of things in Nigeria are going up. But surely for the industry to even remain operational, I am not talking about viable now, certain cost components must have to be adjusted. And the only way you take it back is through the ticketing or cargo, if you are doing cargo, or courier, if you are doing courier.

There is no other thing, you cannot take your aircraft back and sell to make money.

You have to ensure that aircraft are serviceable, you have to buy fuel and you have to pay for other operations costs. The staff will not want to hear that your cost is going high, so you want to reduce the salaries; therefore the cost of tickets should be able to offset your cost of operation. So the media should help to educate members of the public that they need to understand that for the aviation industry to be available to service them and viable to the investor, for more people to come in and even for the split to be expanded, they need to understand and cooperate. But I want to believe that the operators will not be unreasonable at all. And there are rooms that people take advantage of low prices, advise them go to the website, book their tickets in advance and save your time. If you have to go there at the peak time or late hour, you have to pay the maximum cost. It is not only in the aviation, also in the hotel. You might check into a hotel on website, after one week stay and pay $100 overseas; then you want to check in back because you missed your flight, same room, they might ask you to pay $400, the time has changed. But it is my wish that all the excessive cost, one way or the other, that certain intervention or policies that

Okonkwo

will reduce them so that the service will be available to a lot more people who might need it. Because there is so much risks now traveling by road.

The new Managing Director of Aero Contractors has canvassed for partnership among Nigerian airlines, saying current rivalry and competition undermine the opportunities inherent in working together.

What is your view about this?

I agree with you and the opinion of the new manager and management of Aero. I am a strong advocate of cooperation in the industry.

The market is huge. There should be a synergy among the operators. In a short time there could even be a possibility of mergers, people can merge together to become stronger and bigger airlines and use common facilities for themselves. This is because the resultant effect is huge when you partner with others. You have aircraft that has gone for maintenance, you can cooperate with other airlines to operate your routes and this will save you operational costs. The industry has a room for cooperation; the cooperation enables those operators to exchange tools. I think that it is a good way to reduce certain costs and then even exchange of spare parts. You might have a spare part lying in your office or store that you don’t need, and your co-operator needed it immediately to get flying before his own arrives in a few days. Exchanging it, that is borrowing and then return it, I encourage it.

We are open and willing to maintain such relationship and we have signed such MoU with some operators. There is really no need for anybody to be envious of one another. The market is huge; corporation will be mutually beneficial to all who are involved in it. On the issue of foreign exchange, I will say that it is a big problem. It is one of the questions I was asking today. It is big problem.

If you have to approach your bank, if they

bid for you this week, if you don’t get it, you have to wait for the next two weeks for even that window to open. As at last two weeks, our bank, according to the information we got, they have not gotten any $1 allocation from the bid process since February.

You can imagine if you rely on that to make things happen, it means you cannot fly. It is a big stress in the industry; I am hoping and you know this aircraft business, you might take off well, when you land; you discover that there is something that needs your attention.

A snag can force you to ground the aircraft until you find the solution. The solution is spare parts and some of these things are not available locally. You have to source the money to get them and you have to make sure that it starts flying again. Otherwise, you will be losing revenue.

I am advocating for a special forex window for the aviation industry. If it should be considered and that this is window will keep the airline and the industry alive. So I think also that a support system beyond that window is required, surviving COVID-19 in this era has never been an easy thing for every industry. Similar businesses overseas have been hugely supported by their countries with different policies as much as I know.

We need to be encouraged to be stronger on our feet. This is a service industry and in service, you obviously think first of all of your clients before you think of revenue.

And a little support from the government will help the operators to provide better service to the citizens. And then they just don’t move around on holidays. Air travel, transportation by any means strengthens the economy. It helps economic growth; it helps businesses, and commerce. So it is one of the critical factors and it is also a matter of national security. So it is not just something that should be left alone in the hands the operators.

I am a strong advocate of cooperation in the industry. The market is huge. There should be a synergy among the operators

You have been in operation for two months, what would you say you have learnt, have there been challenges you are grappling with and on your Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), are you looking at partnering with other investors?

On the MRO, yes we are in talks with some technical partners and we have gotten to advanced stage. On the issues of delay you are right. And that is where I solicit with the media team in the aviation industry. You can help the aviation industry; you can educate the passengers. One expects that when there is a weather problem in Owerri, or let’s say in our Asaba, if bad weather is announced, we expect that there should be an information officially not only from NIMET, but from journalists that they should expect delayed flight schedule in order so that any passenger going to the airport knows that this is for the reason of bad weather. This enlightenment is very, very important.

Sometimes the passengers are not educated well on what is really happening. Airline official may tell them that we cannot go to Asaba because of weather. The passenger will retort, but others are flying and landing. So the industry must come together to know how to enlighten and educate passengers.

They should be made to know that there is standard procedure for every airline. It will help to reduce the tension that is being experienced.

Now if you are about to take off and you have safety as your watchword, and there is snag in the aircraft, you must have to wait to find out what the reason is. Some people don’t understand; they just want you to fly.

On the issue of safety, the truth of the matter is that having been close to this industry, there is no operator under any circumstance that will want to be part of a problem while his aircraft is on the ground. Most of these things are usually beyond the control of the operators. But obviously some reasons might be poor management, but it is minimal. You people should find a way to come together to educate the passengers, especially, when they come with those damaging report, and bad intents on the airline, it takes a big toll on these people.

You can come in from all the angles and do what is needful in defense of the operators and industry. Our passengers are not enlightened on the challenges that are natural. You might be taking off, and you have loaded and then you have ramp inspection by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) official. They have to do their job and then you must have to wait. That is a delay for the man who is taking off and then it goes a vicious circle.

You should take time out to write on what could possibly cause a delay. Now, what we have experienced from our own part because of our type of aircraft, this fuel, although they are now becoming more expensive, some time they are not even available in some airports.

And you know there are weight issues. So if you are going from Lagos to Asaba, and all of a sudden they don’t have fuel the next day and you have scheduled your flight you will be forced to calculate the load. So when you are telling the passenger, it is either yourself or your load because anything to the contrary is violating the rule. You don’t have to be an operator and be a fuel seller. And then you must have to play by the rules for safety.

So this is one the major things we have had to encounter. Passengers have been scheduled, flight is ready to go, but there is no fuel in Asaba or that the fuel pump is bad. There are cases such that you are just queuing for your fuelling, then you are next in the queue and the pump goes bad. And you have boarded the passengers, you have loaded their things, you have to start negotiating. It is either I drop some loads or you go and then you get your loads later. These are things that could possibly cause flight delays. But any flight delay to any passenger is filled with insults to the airline.

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MARITIME

Challenges in Nigeria’s Shipping Sector EromoseleAbiodun writes that despite complaints of lack of access to finance and insecurity as the bane of the shipping industry, many Nigerian ship owners lack the experience to go into the business

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ccording to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), developing economies in 2019 accounted for the largest share of global seaborne trade, both in terms of exports and imports.

The UNCTAD noted that they loaded 58 per cent and unloaded 65 per cent of the world total.

With a volume of 4.3 billion tons loaded and 6.1 billion tons unloaded, Asian and Oceanian developing economies contributed most to that share.

“While developing economies remain the main maritime trade centres, the structure of their trade has changed. Since 2014, their share of world imports has exceeded their share of world exports,” UNCTAD stated.

UNCTAD added that developing economies’ declining contribution of seaborne trade exports and increasing contribution of seaborne trade imports is reflected in a steady decrease in their trade balance.

“Their balance changed from a surplus of 433 million tons in 2009 into a deficit of 49 million tons in 2014, which deepened to 776 million tons in 2019, “it stated.

However, UNCTAD stated that this development was mainly driven by the widening deficit in Asian developing economies.

Over the last 10 years, transition economies recorded a growth of their surplus from 412 to 614 million tons. For developed economies, a deficit of 820 million tons in 2009 has, over time, turned into a surplus of 155 million tons in 2019.

This is not all. In 2006, for instance, goods loaded at ports worldwide were estimated at 7.42 billion tonnes, up from 5.98 billion tonnes 2000.

The value of total world export increased from $6.454 trillion in 2002 to $40.393 trillion in 2005, representing an increase of 64 per cent.

Despite the huge contribution of shipping to global trade, Nigeria and Nigerians play marginally in the industry. It is on record that no fewer than 90 per cent of shipping companies owned by Nigerians have either completely shut down their operations or barely struggling to survive.

Some of the indigenous shipping companies include: Equitorial Energy; Oceanic Energy; Morlap Shipping; Peacegate; Pokat Nigeria Limited; Al-Dawood Shipping; Potram Nigeria Limited; Joseph Sammy, Genesis Worldwide Shipping and Multi-trade Group all in Lagos; Niger-Delta Shipping in Warri, Delta State; and Starzs Investment Group in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

Of all the companies listed above, only two can be said to be operating viable businesses while others are either completely dead or are in comatose.

Ironically, all the shipping companies based in Lagos are either dead or struggling to survive while the ones in Warri and Port-Harcourt are thriving. Thriving in the sense that they do coastal trade with multinational oil companies.

The companies, which the former General Secretary of the Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Capt. Niyi Labinjo, described as ‘struggling heavily,’ have mostly downsized and are operating with less than 20 per cent of the workers they had about two to four years ago.

THISDAY findings also revealed that all the companies are heavily indebted to banks and are mostly unable to service the loans they took to buy ships.

Recently, a major stakeholder in the industry told THISDAY that most of the ship owners have resorted to selling their landed properties to enable them service their bank loans, while others have lost prime properties to the banks.

The companies, sources volunteered, also owe their crew arrears of salaries ranging from six to 14 months, while some have sold off their vessels.

Self-inflicted problem Meanwhile, despite the fact that Nigerian shipowners have consistently cited lack of financial capacity and insecurity as the bane of the shipping companies, there are evidence to show that many Nigerian ship owners are actually bad managers without any prior experience

before going into the vessel-owning business.

This has led to a situation whereby Nigerian owned vessels are mostly old “rust buckets” and are left as wrecks on the waterways meant for scrapping because they can no longer be sustained in business.

In a chat with newsmen in Lagos recently, a master mariner and chief marine surveyor with a shipping firm in Lagos said that the general response and attention to shipping business in Nigeria is so lackadaisical.

During the 70th birthday of the Chairman, Starzs Investment Company and Starzs Marine and Engineering Company, Greg Ogbeifun two months ago, shipowners took turns to lament the various challenges confronting them in Nigerian For instance, Mrs. Margret Orakwusi, disclosed that no Nigerian vessel was listed among a total of 500 vessels that visited the Nigerian ports in the first quarter of 2015. ”No Nigerian flagged ship plied the international route. That means no value addition to the huge annual tonnage generated by way of earnings in freight, which translates into billions of dollars loss to Nigeria.

“Even the coastal trade reserved for indigenous operators; they are dominated by foreign operators and the common reason for this is due to lack of capacity of the indigenous operators in the provision of seaworthy ships, ”Orakwusi lamented.

On his part, a former President of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Aminu Umar, identified lack of finance as one of the major challenges facing Nigerian shipowners.

He added that insecurity on the waterways as well as deploying poorly trained seafarers as crew also pose challenges for indigenous operators.

However, the master mariner who does not want his name in print disagreed with the claims by ship-owners.

He said that most Nigerian shipowners have no prior knowledge before investing in buying of ships, adding that they usually take away all the profits, without any more investment in the business.

“The mentality of most Nigerian ship owners from what I noticed, is that, when they get N100 as proceeds from engaging the ship, you would be surprised that they would take N90 for their own personal purpose instead of putting back money into the business. So, when you go to some of these ships, the state of the ship would make you wonder why they don’t re-invest profits into the business, they would start giving you different excuses,” he said.

Vessel maintenance The master mariner added: “If you look at the state of vessels in Nigeria, there is inability of the vessel owners to properly maintain it, maintenance of a vessel determines the life

of it. The owners of the vessels are not really conversant with the business. The person that advised him to buy the vessel is not even a marine person, the people he employs to man the company are not marine people, there is a case we have at hand now, the company has a ship, but the people managing the ship at the office have no knowledge that is maritime related, what do you expect?.

Such a ship, he stressed, would be in a bad shape,“and things would be going wrong because they cannot defend or see the importance of enforcing certain things on the vessel.The point is typical of Nigerian mentality, they have this “take” and “don’t give back” mindset” “In my personal experience, there was a company I was superintending, I advised the shipowner that, for every profit you get, take away 25 per cent of it and keep it aside for the vessel maintenance, this includes salaries, dry docking, bunkers and other things that may come up, but he never listened.

“Eventually, the ship propeller broke, we had to order propeller from Japan. I took the vessel to Nigerdock, I had actually told him to keep a N100 million to do this job, but he thought I wanted to spend his money. He spent N300 million to play politics and he didn’t win. Eventually, the vessel was sold as a scrap,” he said.

He stated that the mentality of most Nigerian ship owners is that, they are in the business not because they are interested, or they did visibility studies on it. But because they were told that there is a lot of money in the business and that is how they find their way in. Eventually most of them get stuck,”the expert stated.

The master mariner also noted that there is an increase in the number of vessels being scrapped at various scrap yards dotting the Kirikiri axis of Lagos.

“Do you know that, if you go to Kirikiri area of Lagos, they are scrapping more vessels these days, because when the owners can no longer update the business, they would be forced to scrap it, “he said.

He warned that a time would come in Nigeria that, if care is not taken, there may not be any Nigerian owned vessels anymore.

He cited a situation that took place years ago at the Lagos breakwaters when a vessel had issues, but it was abandoned until it broke into two.

Foreigners cheating Nigerians With Nigerians playing marginal or no role in the industry, foreign shipping companies have fully taken over and using the opportunity to cheat Nigerian shippers. Despite the effort of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), the foreign shipping companies have effused to soft-pedal imposing all manners of charges.

Recently, clearing agents and freight forwarders accused the foreign shipping companies of exploiting and extorting Nigerian importers

through introduction of arbitrary charges on a yearly basis.

Customs agent Izuchukwu Obasi, explained that some importers have joined the bandwagon and moved their cargoes to neighbouring countries due to unnecessary shipping charges shipping lines slam on Nigerian bound cargoes.

According to Obasi, “In 2016, the shipping lines first came with a new charges called government and port taxes. They were imposing the charges on importers, and many had no choice other than to pay, even though some of our clients complained to us.

“The government pretended as if it was not aware of the new charges until some Customs brokers raised the alarm through a petition to the Presidency. Everybody now started talking about it and journalists started reporting it.

“That was when government was forced to come out and say it is not in support of such charges. The Nigerian Orts Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers Council now denounced it, but the shipping line did not stop collecting it. In fact, it is still being collected till date and everybody is just going about as if all is well.

My brother, all is not well. Importers are being extorted in Nigeria’s maritime sector.”

He added: “As if that is not enough, in 2019, the shipping lines came again with another charges. This time, they labelled it Ports Additions Destination (PAD) charges. What kind of charges is this? They were collection this charges like almost three months before some agents again raised the alarm by leaking it to the press.

“Before the PAD charges was exposed to journalists, government agencies saddled with the regulation of charges pretended as if they were not aware. Nigerians were being ripped apart right under the nose of our own government by foreign shipping lines.”

He said a 20feet container destined for Nigeria pays additional N38,000 aside all the other charges usually paid before.

“For a 40feet container, importers were forced to pay N76,000 before their cargoes were shipped to Nigeria. All this was going on under the new PAD charges and our government pretended as if they were not in the know.Until some agents addressed some journalists and it became news item in the media, that was when government agencies came rushing to agents, appealing to them to remain calm, that negotiationsare ongoing with the shipping lines to stop the new charges.

That was in the middle of 2018.

On his part, Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto said all manner of charges are still being collected.

In his words: “Importers are still paying the levy and nobody seems to be talking about it again. We just hope government does something about this.”

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PERSPECTIVE

CBN, ICT as Economic How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Risk Management Stimulant Eileen Shaiyen

Emefiele

Jennifer Michael

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he information and communications technology (ICT) sector has in recent times been a major player in solving societal issues and the Covid-19 pandemic made its essence felt even more. Across the globe, technological advancement is being used to proffer solutions and Nigeria is not left behind in the fast changing world of technology.

In 2019, Nigerian tech start-ups had attracted $122 million in seed funding and despite the pandemic that besieged the world in 2020, the industry had been able to attract investments worth over $120.6 million last year.

Tech start-ups in Nigeria have permeated almost all sectors, offering solutions from healthcare to agriculture, finance, trade, commerce amongst others. The sector which is comprised of mainly youths have been a major player in job creation in the country.

With unemployment rate at above 33 per cent, the ICT sector has proven to be not just a succour to the rising unemployment rate in the country but also a foreign currency earner for Nigeria. According to the 2019 African Tech Start-ups Funding report, 311 African tech companies secured $491.6 million worth of investment in 2019 and Nigeria got 24.8 per cent of that fund.

The number of investors in African tech start-ups jumped by 61 per cent to reach 261.

Last year, more than 100 investors, both individual and institutions participated in funding rounds of over 50 Nigerian tech start-ups. As with 2019 data, Financial Services providers sector got the biggest share of the total funding for the year and not less than 15 start-ups raised at least a million dollars each in 2020.

The impact of this is not lost on the economy as figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that there was an increase in the contribution of the Information and Communications sector to Nigeria’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2019.

According to the report, Nigeria’s GDP in Q4 2019 stood at N19.53 trillion and the sector contributed N2.57 trillion. This amounts to about 13.12 per cent of the real GDP of the country in Q4.

The sector also recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy, not only in the last quarter of 2020, but all through the entire year. In fact, the ICT sector grew by 14.70 per cent in the last quarter of 2020 and also posted a 12.90 per cent growth rate in the overall period of assessment. It is currently rated as the only sector to have grown by double digits.

Several tech start-ups abound in the agricultural, educational, healthcare, banking and finance, e-commerce, and transportation sectors of Nigeria’s economy are utilising digital technologies and innovation to deliver creative solutions to different problems in communities.

The ICT sector has also been a growing sector, helping to grow the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) of Nigeria in the past years.

But even at these, Nigeria needs a robust economy that will create jobs for its citizen As part of the federal government efforts to boost job creation in Nigeria, particularly among the youth, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in conjunction with the Bankers’ Committee had developed a Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI).

This initiative is built on four pillars: fashion, information technology, movie and music. The Initiatives provides single digit interest loans for young Nigerians interested in the fashion, movie production, movie distribution, music, information technology.

The fund is as such that it can be accessed even by students in the tech or software engineering sector where they get funding for training that or start-up from as low as N3 million. The fund is given at a single digit interest rate with no physical collateral.

As at September last year, the CBN had disbursed N2.93 billion through the Creative Industry Financing Initiative and at the January 2021 MPC meeting, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said it had provided financial support through the Creative Industry Financing Initiative and Nigerian Youth Investment Fund amounting to N3.12 billion with 320 beneficiaries and N268 million with 395 beneficiaries, respectively.

Emefiele recently affirmed the apex bank’s readiness to invest in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in order to stimulate economic growth and development. According to him, the sector emerged as a significant source of resilience in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, by contributing over 17.8 per cent to the GDP growth by the end of 2020.

Represented by the CBN’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, at the CBN Special Day at the 32nd Enugu International Trade Fair with the theme: ‘Promoting new technologies, business ideas and strategies for rapid economic growth and development in Nigeria’, Emefiele said the growth of start-ups in the fintech and health care space rose in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, the CBN is pushing other banks to consider viable IT firms that have the potential to not only serve the needs of the local market but can export ICT-related services to other countries.

“With the ICT start-ups emerging to support SMEs, farmers and providing quality learning to students, it is important that we continue to leverage ICT as an enabler for growth in key sectors of the economy” he added.

Going forward, the Nigerian Economy is bound to grow with a heavy influence not from oil but from the ICT sector which is proving to be a solid foreign currency earner for the economy as well as a job creating sector.

-Michael, an IT specialist, wrote from Lagos

Enterprise-wide Risk Management (ERM) is the holistic approach to managing an organization’s upside and downside risks towards meeting its objectives. Its primary aim is to maximise risk-adjusted returns by giving consideration to the organisation’s risks and their dependencies.

Some of the traditional approaches used in risk management have been impeded by challenges such as dealing with unstructured data which limits risk management capabilities.

In a bid to advance the goal of ERM therefore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions have been increasingly deployed such as for risk identification, risk assessment and in risk management.

Using AI, current unstructured data is used to identify patterns and behaviours that then provide indications of future actions such as through advanced predictive analytics.

The increasing trend in the deployment of AI in risk management can be found in areas such as Credit Risk where the use of machine learning algorithms are used to conduct better assessments of customers’ credit histories and identify other vulnerabilities or patterns that may not have been captured. This capability through AI, aids more reliable credit scoring and the achievement of better default rates for lending institutions.

Also for market risk, the deployment of AI has aided the reduction of the risks in trading while increasing returns. Also, for fraud risk, AI models are able to analyse large data volumes, observe patterns across channels and catch potentially fraudulent activity across numerous clients all at the same time.

Major benefits accruing to organisations from deploying AI in risk management include: r *ODSFBTFE GPDVT PO BOBMZUJDT BOE more proactive mitigation of losses as against the normal tendency to expend time managing the risks in operational processes r #FUUFS JEFOUJàDBUJPO PG OFX BOE hidden risks r 'BTUFS BOE NPSF BDDVSBUF SJTL BTTFTTments using financial and non-financial data

Shaiyen

r /FX SJTL NBOBHFNFOU BQQSPBDIFT r #FUUFS NPEFM SJTL NBOBHFNFOU including back-testing and model validation r #FUUFS SJTL PWFSTJHIU BOE NPOJUPSJOH r 2VJDLFS BOE NPSF DPTU FGGFDUJWF predictive analytics-based fraud detection across multiple channels AI could however come with potential consequences. This could include Stakeholder Risk whereby its output could portend redundancies for certain categories of staff or with customers resistance such as in dealing with chatbots.

AI could also pose Model Risk with its ability to re-caliberate after roll-out, following the initial caliberation. It could also impact the overall risk profile of the organisation. These potential collateral or consequential risks posed by AI can be mitigated through close monitoring initiatives. They do not therefore diminish the strong transformation that AI is driving in risk management.

In general, with the deployment of AI tools in risk management, organisations achieve higher levels of risk management efficiency.

Overall benefits to the organisation include speed and time savings, lower operational costs, lower regulatory and compliance costs and then, revenue optimisation.

-Shaiyen is the Executive Vice Chairman, H. Pierson Associates

Ariston Unveils New Water Heater Stories by Raheem Akingbolu Ariston Thermo Heating Technology Nigeria Limited, member of the Ariston Thermo Group – a global leader in thermal comfort solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial usage, has introduced the Ariston Aures range of instant water heater into the Nigerian market.

Announcing the introduction of the new range into the market, the Director, Central Africa, Ariston Thermo Group, Mr. Gaurav Bisaria, disclosed that the new Aures range of electric Instant water heater borne out of the group’s

vision of delivering sustainable comfort to everyone, everywhere even when it seems impossible.

The need to provide to the end users with an Instant water heater that can deliver smooth, fast, never-before hot water experience was identified in the Nigerian market.

Additionally, many houses in Nigeria do not have the hot and cold pipes required for installation of the storage water heaters, making it difficult to install water heaters in such houses.

The Aures range of Electric Instant Water Heater was specially designed with these

problems in mind, enabling everyone the comfort of the hot water experience.

Bisaria, revealed that Aures, which is available in different power options (up to 36KW), comes with instant water heating technology for unlimited hot water at hyper speed which saves time, ensuring that hot water is always ready whenever it is needed. He explained that Aures has been designed to produce hot water at a constant temperature without variation guaranteeing total protection against sudden increase in water temperature, all to satisfy the customers’ hot water needs.

Nigerian Breweries to Reward Teachers In line with its corporate social responsibility thrust, Nigerian Breweries Plc has flagged off the seventh edition of the ‘Maltina Teacher of the Year’ aimed at recognising and celebrating exceptional teachers in Nigeria for their contribution to nation building.

Speaking at the ceremony held in Lagos, recently, the Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mrs. Sade Morgan explained that entries opened online for submission from April 20,

2021 and will close on June 25, 2021.

Morgan noted that the initiative, “is one of the numerous ways through which the company is fulfilling its corporate philosophy of Winning with Nigeria.”

She urged all secondary school teachers in Nigeria to take advantage of the initiative to gain the deserved rewards and recognition.

“I know that I speak for everyone in Nigerian Breweries Plc when I say that we are proud of all our teachers

and this is why we intend to continue rewarding and honouring them, as they continue their critical work of building tomorrow’s generation of leaders.

“We are therefore very excited to flag off the search for the best secondary school teacher in Nigeria in the seventh edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year. The winners would be unveiled at a gala event to be held in October in commemoration of the 2021 World Teachers Day,” Morgan said.

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

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

Charles Mba: Real Estate Guru and Uncommon Philanthropist

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Charles Mba: Real Estate Guru and Uncommon Philanthropist Chief Charles Mba, the Chief Executive Officer of CDV Properties and Development Limited, a real estate development company, has not just carved a niche for himself as one of the biggest players in real estate business in Nigeria, but also a philanthropist per excellence, writes Chiamaka Ozulumba

T

he secret to living is giving. In essence, by contributing to the well-being of others, you are unarguably creating a better society. This is an ethos Chief Charles Mba, the Chief Executive Officer of CDV Properties and Development Limited, a real estate development company, lives by.

Mba demonstrates the exact meaning of philanthropy by making a positive impact on the causes that matter to the people.

Not only has he donated a substantial chunk of his wealth for the betterment of the society, he has also put in place a charge for other ultra-rich individuals to do the same in his state Enugu and beyond.

Charly Mba as he is fondly called by friends, has donated immensely through the Charly Mba Foundation, a charity organisation he established purposefuly to give scholarship to the indigent students from primary to university level.

Records shows that Mba has successfully financed the graduation of engineers, medical doctor, nurses and other professionals through the Charly Mba Foundation. He is one of the pillars of education in Orba Community located at Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu and he has shown that commitment and dedication to curb illiteracy and poverty in the town through his foundation.

For him, the three major purpose of existence on earth is to live a life of divine abundance; worship and love God as well as love our neighbours as ourselves.

Some of the Bible passages he lives by are; ‘and God blessed them, and said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth,’ taken from Genesis 1:28.

Also Matthew 22:37-39 establishes the fact that the two greatest commandments are: (1) “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and (2) “Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself”.

Despite his love for philanthropy, he doesn’t like to make headlines for his charitable donations and other achievements, rather, he has registered his name in the heart of his people through his educational and poverty alleviation initiatives.

Aside that, he has also been able to actualise a whole lot in the real estate industry especially in Lagos. His company CDV Properties and Development Limited is an indigenous and one of Nigeria’s leading Real Estate firms offering services in civil construction and property development.

CDV Properties and Development Limited can boost of an impressive portfolio of historical real estate landmarks in Nigeria.

In order to provide various flexible plans on all its properties, CDV Properties and Development Limited finishes to taste to meet both medium and high Income earners as the company intends to bridge the gap in housing deficit across Nigeria.

Since the birth of the company, CDV Properties and Development Limited’s strategy is to build trusting relationships by keeping to promises and even exceeding clients expectations with its properties spread across Lagos.

Mba

Before venturing into real estate, upon graduation from the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Mba embarked on a one year National Youth Service, after which he started his working career with Emzor Pharmaceutical Company where he worked for several years.

Mba even while growing up, apart from having a big dream, has always loved to be unique and outstanding in whatever he does. As someone that has the people at heart, he knew he could never achieve his big dream with a white

Despite his love for philanthropy, he doesn’t like to make headlines for his charitable donations and other achievements, rather, he has registered his name in the heart of his people through his educational and poverty alleviation initiatives

collar job, thus, he established himself to be able to participate and contribute to the development of his immediate community. Thus, he ventured into the real estate which was eventually how the birth of CDV Properties & Development Ltd came about.

Obviously, the philanthropist has been doing so well as he has become a big player in the real estate industry. As an outstanding real estate developer who can boost of quality and functional estates in prime locations at affordable prices, he has become someone to be reckoned with.

Having houses and estates scattered across Lekki and environs, Mba’s company has grown to be classified among the first class and leading real estate companies in Lagos and beyond.

CDV Properties and Development Limited has successfully executed projects at CDV MINI, Whiteoak Estate, Southlake Homes Phase 1, 2 and 3, Diank Terraces and Applewood Estates and among others. His other business interest 34V Engineering Nigeria Ltd is also a major player in road construction. Mba is no doubt a fulfilled and successful man.

Mba’s entrepreneurial achievements, works of charity and philanthropy as well as community development have in the past few years earned him several honours

and award which includes the Nigerian Entrepreneurs Award of Excellence; The Dignity of Man Award from the University of Nigeria Alumni Association, Lagos Branch; the Africa Prize for Leadership Excellence as The Property Development Personality of the year 2017; The Award of Outstanding Leadership Recognition & Inspirational Leadership, Excellence Award in West Africa by the Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics, Ghana on March 10, 2020.

The big one coming up later today at Ghana is the recognition by European American University Commonwealth of Dominican in University of Accra, Ghana, following Mba’s outstanding contribution to the real estate industry. He is to be honoured and decorated with the Award of a Doctorate Degree of Science (D.Sc) in Properties Development and Real Estates Management.

He sits on the board of so many companies as Chairman/Director which include Coutics Investment Ltd, CILAN Workforce Ltd and JASONS Academy.

Charly Mba is a proud and satisfied member of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN). He is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute Of Public Resources Management & Politics, Ghana (CIPRMP).

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RCCG Mercyland Feeds a Thousand Families, Tasks Congregants Stories by Mary Nnah The leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Mercyland Parish, Area 3 (Lagos Province 44) has donated food items to no fewer than a thousand families within its neighbourhood in a bid to alleviate their suffering.

The items which include 1,000 (5kg) premium quality parboiled bags of rice; 1,000 (1kg) bags of salt and other food items was in tandem with the Christian Social Responsibility mandate from the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, according to Pastor Amos Emovon, the Pastor in Charge of the Province.

Emovon, during a presentation service held on Sunday in the church auditorium at Odunlami Street, Lagos Island, charged all congregants to “receive Jesus, the Bread of life as He is the source of energy, strength and everything that money cannot buy even as

RCCG feeds a thousand ... L-R; Titi Osuntoki, Emovon, Akinsuyi, OpeoluwaCalebs and Adebisi during the presentation service

several souls were won into the Kingdom to the Glory of God”.

Assistant Pastor in Charge of Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) of the province, Pastor Ajibola Opeoluwa-Calebs reiterated that the Redeemed Christian Church of God “is passionately committed to fighting hunger and poverty within the communities our churches are located”.

He added that “this gesture

was in alignment with the vision and mission of the Church which regularly embarks on various CSR initiatives as a way of positively impacting the quality of lives within the communities the parishes are located”.

Chairperson of the Parish CSR Committee, Mrs. Titi Osuntoki noted that the Feeding AThousand Families Program started last year and reminded the worshippers of the various

CSR initiatives of the Parish which include various Back to School Programmes, donation of neo-natal equipment to Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos, provision of glasses and surgery for the elderly around Lagos Island, provision of boreholes to several communities, monthly feeding within church communities, various medical/health Awareness interventions, etc.

Special Guest of Honour, the Executive Chairman, Lagos Island East LCDA, Comrade Kamal Olawale Salau Bashua, represented by Hon. John Akinsuyi applauded the kind gesture of the church in alleviating the suffering of the masses.

He also thanked the leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God for its continuous social investment in the well-being and truly acting as the Good Neighbour indeed as stated in the Bible.

St. Anthony Catholic Church Set to Mark 60th Anniversary The Archdiocese of Lagos, St. Anthony Catholic Church Gbaja would be celebrating its 60th anniversary on June 13, 2021. At a press briefing held recently in Lagos, which heralds the activities lined up for the event, the Episcopal Vicar, Lagos Region, Very Rev. Monsignor Bernard Okodua, said the church has grown in strength and has given birth to many other churches.

He explained that the major reason for the anniversary celebration is to raise funds to renovate the church and position it for the next 15 years.

The Associate Priest, Rev. Fr. Victor Okhiria reeled out the highlight of the event, which is to be a 60- day celebration.

Okhiria explained that the role of the church in a modern society is to serve as

The Episcopal Vicar, Very Rev. Monsignor Bernard Okodua (middle) and Associate Priest Rev. Fr. Victor Okhiria (third from left) flanked by members of the 60th anniversary celebration organising committee

a transformation and change agent, adding that all through the ages, the church has been involved in the life of humanity, structuring of the society, with its function and institution of shaping the form and quality of political systems.

He added that the celebration is a strong assertion of values and beliefs for the past 60 years that has contributed to the development of the church community and its environs, especially with the commitment of responding to needs

and growth of the society.

Also, Chairman, anniversary organising committee, Flelix Odiachi said, “In its 60 years of existence, the Parish had produced 15 priests. The church had gone through some transformations from the building era of late Rev. Fr. Vincent Ade-Pratt (the builder) as he is fondly called.”

Founded in 1961, the church has been involved in charitable works and other humanitarian activities that impact the society. It also has a hospital that is government approved that has served the community and its environs. Odiachi disclosed further that the church has also planned some spiritual and social activities that will impact members and the communities, where the church operates.

Ideation Hub Launches Second Edition of African Masterclass Series The Second Edition of the African Masterclass Series, Africa’s foremost online boot camp for social innovators and change makers will be launched across the continent on Monday, April 26, 2021.

The Series is an immersive learning experience that equips early-stage social innovators and change makers to solve pressing problems on the continent and scale impact through innovation.

In order to rapidly multiply impact as well as scale the work of social innovators and change makers, the African Masterclass Series will bring together key thought leaders,

Ideation Hub Africa Executive Director, Debola Deji-Kurunmi

change makers and supporters of the African social sector to connect, learn, share ideas and team up to drive social impact across Africa.

A key goal of the Series or-

ganisers says, is to strengthen the work of early-stage social innovators by providing them with valuable, real-time resources and mentors to look up to in their journey.

This transformational online bootcamp, provided for free by Ideation Hub Africa will equip, empower and connect social innovators, thought – leaders, visionaries and disruptors with experiential insights and profound learning relevant within the African context.

Executive Director of Ideation Hub Africa, Debola DejiKurunmi, expressed enthusiasm. “We are totally committed to equipping impact-driven

entrepreneurs so they can effectively drive social impact to solve pressing problems on the African Continent as well as scale lasting impact through innovation, and this is one of the ways we achieve that goal.”

The second edition of the African Masterclass series will run for five weeks starting from Monday, April 26 to Monday, May 31, 2021. This edition uses a story-telling framework to highlight the importance of embracing social innovation in order to propel Africa forward and speed the development process required for the continent to take her place in the global community.

TimipreSylva,SarkiAuwalu, OthersGetOGTANRecognition

Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Timipre sylva will be decorated with “The Gas Decade Personality” award during the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) 2021 Annual General Meeting/ Lecture series scheduled for April 28, 2021.

The award event, which is a hybrid of event holding virtually and physically at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, is one of the Timipre Sylva several activities lined up for the OGTAN AGM/lecture series titled, “Inclusive Human Capacity Development”.

The Gas Decade Personality, the association said, is in recognition of Sylva’s huge contributions towards the development of Nigeria as a gas-based economy and the transition to a cleaner source of energy in alignment with the global energy transition and the sustainable development goal regarding inclusive energy access. The association will also decorate the Director/Chief Executive Officer, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Sarki Auwalu with “the Oil & Gas Innovative” award.

This award is in recognition of his numerous contributions and innovation that have led to the build up toward national goals, in aligning with the global energy transition and bring stability and expansion and participation to the national economy.

OGTAN will also confer fellowship awards to various distinguished members who have contributed immensely to the growth of the Association and the Oil & Gas Industry at large.

The lecture series is one of the Association‘s key events for the year which promises to be remarkable with speakers including Engr. Auwalu Sarki as the guest speaker who will be speaking on the topic “Human Capacity Development opportunities in the Government Gas Expansion Programme.”

RetroAfricaPresentsChangingFaces

Retro Africa presents Alimi Adewale’s Changing Faces

“Changing Faces: New Frontiers in Figurative Art”, a solo contemporary art exhibition by Alimi Adewale is set to hold from April 30 to June 25, 2021 at the Retro African Gallery 12 Ukpabi Asika Street, Asokoro Abuja.

Curated by Dolly Kola-Balogun and Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, the exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures and installation.

Adewale incorporates his mastery of materiality and process as a response to recent global upheavals which include the world-wide pandemic and protests against state-sanctioned police violence in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, United States, and worldwide. Spread across the two floors of the gallery, Changing Faces will present newly commissioned, site-specific works consisting of more than 15 large scale impasto paintings and medium to extra-large minimalist and abstract sculptures coated in acrylics, vividly diversified by the inclusion of the rich racial varieties that make up our human constitution.

An installation of works suspended from the ceiling beams adds an ethereal dimension.

Adewale repurposes long-held tenets of European, Modern and Indigenous art into new visions of African figuration.

Drawing upon his courage series, in this new body of work he proposes alternative ways of channelling all peoples into one mind; towards new signifiers of understanding.

Rather than what separates us as individuals, he emphasises our commonwealth as keepers of the human race tasked with unifying a deeply divided world, further fractured by religious differences, income and gender inequalities.

Adewale’s latest solo exhibition at Retro Africa is a timely intervention for our troubled contemporary times, as well as a bold new progression in his commanding oeuvre. Viewing starts at 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm, cocktails and drinks will be served.

ITA, NEPC Launch First E-Lab Training for Agribusinesses in Nigeria As part of commitment to boost trade relationships with Nigeria, the Italian Trade Agency, a governmental agency that supports the business development, partnerships and collaborations between Italian companies and their local counterparts, has launched the first E-Lab Innova in Nigeria.

The E-Lab Innova is an educational training programme for the agri-food sector in Nigeria which will be imple-

mented in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) alongside other Italian partners, such as MACFRUT, a leading exhibition for the agribusiness industry.

The training is aimed at increasing the technical and managerial skills of Nigeria agri-food companies in order to support their access to EU markets and foster business partnerships with Italian

companies.

Participants which were selected with the support of NEPC are CEOs of highpotential companies active in the production of foods such as mango, pineapple, shea nuts and groundnuts.

The programme is scheduled to hold for the duration of five weeks and will be implemented in three phases: a preliminary assessment to analyse the technical and management train-

ing requirements, company potential and profile design; 2-week webinar training classes focused on key internalisation topics and a 5-days study tour in Italy, which will include Macfrut exhibition.

While giving his opening remark at an event held to flag off the training, Alessandro Gerbino, the Italian Trade Agency Director for West Africa, said “Nigeria remains a strategic point for engagement

between the agency and other countries across West Africa.

The E-Lab Innova holds prospects for Nigerian companies to be imparted on the knowledge and technicalities of their counterparts abroad whilst also paving the way for collaborations between Italian and Nigerian agribusinesses.

“We remain committed to supporting the government’s plan to create more jobs through the agrofood industry and

ensure that these businesses have the right skillset to grow, sustain their operations and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s economy”, Gerbino said.

In her keynote address, Director, International Export Offices, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Uduak Etokowoh said that the council constantly seeks out collaborations to strengthen trade relations across the world.

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MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Dreams Collide in ‘Awon Boyz’ Once ambitious individuals who came to Lagos to pursue their dreams in the big city, the subjects of ‘Awon Boyz’ are now living another dream in the streets of Lagos, writes Vanessa Obioha The opening scene to ‘Awon Boyz’, a Netflix documentary directed by Tolulope Itegboje, launches with the lines of Uchman (Uchenna Eneh), defining what success means to him. He dabbled in his thought process and later resolved that no one is truly successful in every sense of the word.

This theme of success became the launch pad upon which every other subject told their stories.

Once ambitious individuals, who came to Lagos to pursue their dreams in the big city, they now live in squalor, lording the slums where they reside. Whether it be Volume (Avolume Adams), an artist who pimps out ladies to men in Monkey Village, or Ete (Muri Malik), who lost his father at the age of 12, their collective dreams reveal a yearning for better livelihood.

It is easy for the ordinary person who walks past these individuals without any hint of their backstory to assume it was simply in their plans to form a legion of an organised gang. On the other hand, they, too, don’t know how to tell their stories, and this is what ‘Awon Boyz’ brilliantly achieved.

Awon Boyz

Shot in Monkey Village, Opebi, Oshodi, and

the Fela Afrika Shrine located in Ikeja, the footage stretched across its 38-minute run revealed the stark differences existing between the haves and the have-nots. In bold steps, it explored parts of Lagos often not shown in the media. Seeing the living conditions and the tenacity to survive impacts a level of humanity to their personalities.

The director excelled at presenting an organic view of these individuals in their immediate environment where they are most comfortable interacting.

The flick also delved into why some of these individuals resort to crime. Volume narrated how the law enforcement agents make people like him an easy target to send to jail. In his words, “if you don’t have anything to earn a living, once you’ve been to prison, you will not be scared of anything that will take you anywhere because you’ve been to the last bus stop.” His words pointed to the reform the law enforcement system sorely needs.

Throughout its run, the ambitions of these individuals seeped out. They showed a willingness to pursue their dreams amid challenging circumstances.

In one voice, they blamed the government for not providing jobs that are much needed. However, it might be hard to ascertain if they will be willing to join the workforce if the opportunity avails itself, seeming they might have gotten comfortable in these hoods where they rule as kings.

While the ‘streets’ marked freedom for most of them, they pointed out that it is a struggle living in a world where anything can happen to anyone without any ramifications. ‘Awon Boyz’ also manifested a softer side to these individuals.

Avolume, Uchman, and Yobo (Jerome Roland) are all fathers. At points where they discussed their family, a certain calm demeanour became apparent.

It was as though they knew someone was looking up to them to serve as role models.

By and large, ‘Awon Boyz’ helped its audience realise the importance of people’s backstory. Every time you feel the urge to call a disadvantaged person miscreant, street urchin, hooligan, area boy, and Agbero, remember that you are talking to people who failed in their original goals in life and now resort to making ends meet by all means.

20-Year-Old Ojoade Got The Voice Nigeria Coaches Singing Vanessa Obioha It was the survival of the fittest for The Voice Nigeria coaches on episode four as 20-year-old Ayomikun Ojoade got the coaches pitching fiercely against one another.

The singer and artist from Ondo state dazzled the coaches with his rendition of Nosa’s ‘Pray For You’. From his first note, Waje and Falz had their ears perched and fingers readied to press the buzzer.

By the time he finished his performance, Falz couldn’t help but call him a “dangerous guy”

and a “spectacular performer.”

Darey commended his range and called him a “vocal chameleon”. As the chatter continued, Falz switched his pitch by sampling Nosa’s song but before he could even sell himself, Yemi took over, singing to Ojoade of her capability to make him shine. Waje had no prayers to make but promised to “cross the ocean and bring him the moon”, a sample of ‘For You I Will’, a song by American singer Monica. Falz and Yemi would interrupt her performance with dance. Picking up from where Waje left off, Darey prayed for the

Yemi, Falz and Waje musically compete for Ayo

young talent to make the right decision. Little did he know that he would be Ojoade’s choice. He danced excitedly when Ojoade mentioned his name.

Growing up in Ajegunle,

Ojoade was expected to work after leaving secondary school.

The plan for him was to learn tailoring but the young man was convinced that the vocation was not his true calling. And it was

Vanessa Obioha

Vanessa Obioha

Winners of Nollywood actress Rita Dominic Acting Challenge were recently feted at EbonyLife Place in Lagos. The winners — Jasmine Howson-Wright (overall winner), Chioma Okafor (1st runner-up) and Josh Anowi (2nd runner-up) — emerged as the top three finalists from the challenge.

Shortly after the premiere of her latest film ‘La Femme Anjola’, Dominic took to her Instagram to announce an acting challenge for young talents looking for a platform to shine. The challenge required participants to depict a particular scene from the film in whatsoever direction they deemed fit and only lasted a week. The submissions were vetted by Dominic, alongside Nollywood stars Ego Boyo and Femi Jacobs.

“We got so many submissions. It was difficult to select the finalists,” said Dominic.

She disclosed that it has been a long-time dream of hers to scout and groom talents in acting, having experienced

Last year, before the coronavirus pandemic induced lockdown across the world, the Academy Awards recorded a historic feat when it crowned the South Korean film ‘Parasite’ by Bong Joon Ho as Best Picture. It would be the first time a nonEnglish-language film would take home Hollywood’s coveted top prize.

At a time the world is recovering from a battered 2020 that shut down theatres and pushed the Oscars date to April, all eyes are on the Best Picture and Best Director which have Asian nominees. ‘Minari’, the critically acclaimed film about a Korean American family immigration to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream is in the top race to win the Best Picture award. Directed by Isaac Lee Chung, the film mirrors his childhood encounter and is considered a representation of the challenges Asian immigrants face. The stars of the film Steven Yeun — the family patriarch — and his co-star Yuh-Jung Youn

the limitations in the industry for a newbie. She advised the winners to be relentless in their pursuits and explore different ways to achieve their dreams.

The director of the film Mildred Okwo who was present at the prize presentation told the winners to “take advantage of the platform.”

Sponsored by Heritage Bank, the winners were handed their cheques at the event by the Chief Marketing Officer Fela Ibidapo.

Howson-Wright received a cheque of One Million Naira while Okafor and

Anowi received N300,000 and N100,000 respectively.

“The plan has always been to put our money where our mouth is,” said Ibidapo. “The arts and the entertainment space has always been where we felt that there’s always going to be an opportunity for us to do something like this. So it’s a sheer privilege to celebrate the movie and the winners.”

In addition to her cash prize, Howson-Wright will also feature in the next project of The Audrey Silva Company.

youths. With over a century of existence in Nigeria, the bank prides itself as a passionate financier of dreams and shows commitment to empowering and giving talented youths a platform to live their dreams. Hence, The Voice Nigeria according to the financial institution provided an opportunity to achieve this mission and make a positive impact on the Nigerian entertainment industry. The fifth episode of the singing competition will air this Saturday at 8pm on Africa Magic Channels on DStv and Sunday on AIT, Views TV, Wazobia TV and Max at 6pm.

Another History-Making Oscars?

Dominic Presents Prizes to Acting Challenge Winners

Dominic(2nd right) and Ibidapo (left) with winners

evident in his performance. Of all the performances of the episode, he was the only one who got four-chair turns. Other contestants of the night that survived the blind auditions include Charles Akinloye (Yemi), Jeremiah RantiAkerele (Darey) and Ifunanya Nwangene (Waje).

Ojoade’s determination reflects the strategic message of First Bank Nigeria, a sponsor of the reality TV show. The bank’s inscription on the entry of the stage “This is the moment you have been waiting for, time to put you first,” alludes to its commitment to investing in Nigerian

Oscars Best Picture contender ‘Minari’

are also in the spotlight. Yeun is the first Asian-American to ever be nominated for a Best Actor award while Youn is the first Korean actress nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category.

‘Minari’ is nominated alongside ‘Nomadland’, another top contender with a Chinese director Chloé Zhao attached to it. Zhao is a nominee in the Best Director category and will be contending with Chung for the award as well as Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), the other female nominee in the category.

While ‘Minari’ and ‘Nomadland’ are positioned as frontrunners in both catego-

ries, it would be interesting to see Shaka King’s ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ emerge winner of the Best Picture.

The last black film producer to take the honour was Steve McQueen in 2013 for his film ‘12 Years a Slave’.

A win for any of these nominees will indicate the academy’s resilience in making the Oscars as diverse as possible. The academy has been pilloried for shunning non-white filmmakers and actors in the past, leading to the body expanding its membership to other continents. The academy boasts 9,921 members as of 2020.

No doubt, this year’s Oscars taking place in Los Angeles at both the Dolby Theatre and Union Station, on Sunday, April 25, is bound to leave a trail of surprise and with the award producers Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Collins and Stacey Sher promising something different from previous editions, critics will have to wait till Sunday to see if their predictions were right or wrong.

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NigerianNavy’sNewestOffshoreSurveyVessel, NNSLANAMakesPortCallatLisbon,Portugal ˾ Ù ÎÏÚËÜÞ ÐÙÜ ËÝ ËÖ×Ëݘ ÚËÓØ ÞÙÎËã Chiemelie Ezeobi Nigerian Navy’s newest Offshore Survey Vessel, NNS LANA on Tuesday, arrived Lisbon, Portugal on the first leg of its homeward voyage to Nigeria.

According to the Naval Director of Information, Commodore Suleman Dahun, the ship was received by a Nigerian Navy delegation headed by Rear Admiral Perry Onwuzulike and officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Portugal.

The vessel is expected to stay in Portugal for three days, departing for Las Palmas, Spain today.

The Nigerian Navy recently took delivery of the NNS LANA in Saint Nazaire, France, which is the navy’s first ever purpose built Offshore Survey Vessel.

The new vessel was conceived as a replacement to the previous NNS LANA, a survey

ship that was decommissioned about 10 years ago.

Notably, the construction of the Offshore Survey Vessel 190 MKII (NNS LANA) commenced in December 2019 and the building process was successfully completed and the ship was launched on September 24, 2020 at Les Sables d’Olonne, France.

NNS LANA (A499) is designed and purposely built to enable the NN conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys. It is also capable of conducting geophysical studies, search and rescue operations as well as patrol duties.

The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art modern survey equipment as well as a wellequipped 7.6m surface vehicle for shallow water surveys.

Furthermore, the Ship has an Automatic Weather Station (AWS), wet and dry laboratories, scientific and technical workshops as well

Nigerian Navy delegation headed by Rear Admiral Perry Onwuzulike and officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Portugal alongside Commander, NNS LANA, Captain Abdulateef Mahmud during the port call

as operating and processing rooms for survey data.

The machineries include 2 x MTU engines, 3 x CAT main generators/one emergency generator, electric propulsion system and other auxiliaries.

The electric propulsion which is operated at survey speed is particularly installed to minimize distortion of data due to machinery noise. The Ship has a maximum speed

of 14 knots and a capacity of 50 crew.

NNS LANA was handed over to the Nigerian Navy in France on January 15, 2021 after the provisional acceptance trials was concluded. The crew training commenced in January 2021 and ended on 12 April 2021.

The change of flag ceremony marked her readiness to embark on her maiden homebound voyage to Nigeria.

Expectedly, NNS LANA would join the Nigerian Navy Fleet in May 2021. It is envisaged that the rebirth of NNS LANA would afford the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department the leverage to successfully and systematically conduct hydrographic surveys and charting of Nigeria’s waters. It would also afford Nigeria with the opportunity of keying into

the General Bathymetric Charts of the Oceans (GEBCO) Seabed 2030 project and the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis project which would ultimately facilitate Nigeria’s accomplishment of its obligation under SOLAS Convention in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s deliberate and sustained policies on maritime safety and security.

Esther Ijewere: Geared Up to Equip the Male Child Rebecca Ejifoma For the cause of children and women, advocates like Esther Ijewere, who clocked a year older on Wednesday April 14, believes that balancing the gender equation will not only better the world, but also the lives of the female child and women in the society.

With her undying love for advocacy from her university days, Ijewere finds pleasure in helping people, lending her voice, resources and time, or in anyway she can make life easier for others, especially women and children.

Now despite clamouring for a better future for women

Esther Ijewere

especially, Ijewere set up Men Inspire. “This is just balancing the gender equation. I will always be an advocate for women, but I also know that men matter as well.

“We only created a platform

to celebrate men who add value to the society, there is no switch.

The Rubies Ink Initiative for women and children is still the main vision.”

On what inspired her to channel her energy to the male

child, the advocate said, “I have always been surrounded by great men, men who respect women, and add value to the society.”

She emphasised how she noticed a lot of focus on her gender, female, hence, she thought adding to the stories of exceptional men to the front burner and celebrate them.

For Ijewere, men are as important as women, as they play vital roles in the society.

“As much as there are bad men out there, we should not let it trump the values the good ones add to the world at large.

“Someone has to speak for the men and the boy child. Being a women’s right advocate

does not mean I should be antimen. Men and boys matter”.

Among her mechanism to drive home the goal of Inspire Men, she listed strategic collaboration with the government, and celebrities.

Her words: “We have collaborated with government agencies and other stakeholders, celebrities as ambassador for some of our activities like the walk against rape.

“Our Women of Rubies platform is pan Nigeria, as we not only celebrate women from every sector but also have volunteers in major geographical zones across the country.”

With the world employing technology to reach a wider

audience, Ijewere is leveraging social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram – to reach a wider and its targeted audience.

With Inspire Men, Ijewere is amplifying her goals from organising virtual trainings on different income generating skills to creating awareness on social causes.

Interestingly, Ijewere is an award winning advocate.

Her Women of Rubies won the award for Social Innovation from WFM 91.7 for its outstanding contribution in the empowerment of the female gender for self sustainability through capacity building platform.

Nigerian Real Estate & Property Award Holds May 2 The 2021 edition of the Nigerian Real Estate & Property Awards will hold on May 2, 2021 at the Ball Room, Oriental Hotel Lagos.

The Nigerian Real Estate & Property Awards is a celebration of innovation, leadership and growth of the real estate and property industry.

The award will honour real estate game changers, companies, products and personalities

that have made contribution to the development of the sector.

The Nigerian Real Estate & Property Awards, an initiative of Emagez Solutions, will partner the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing, Africa Development Bank, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and Federal Housing Authority.

According to the Executive Director of Emagez Solutions, Mr Uwabor Joshua, winners

of the Nigerian Real Estate & Property Awards would have made excellent achievements and outstanding contribution to the Nigerian Real Estate and property developers within the Nigeria real estate industry who have made significant contributions to the Nigerian Real Estate sector under the year in review.

The Nigerian Real Estate & Property Awards will bring

together prominent real estate personalities, government official, regulators and other stakeholders.

Outstanding organisations, Uwabor posited, will be receiving the prestigious awards.

Some of the companies shortlisted for the award are Efficacy Construction Ltd, Crovation Property Ltd, Cosgrove Investment Ltd,

Ruston Realtors Ltd, Stargate Construction Ltd, Cynosure Ltd, Photizo Properties Ltd, Zoe New Dawn, C95 Properties, Rydal Mew Ltd, Adron Homes, Mixta Africa, Crown Luxary Propoerties Ltd, Bloc HausLtd, Odibola Property, Ochacho Real Homes, Chavid Properties, Mouka Ltd, Genesis Properties Ltd and others.

Minister of Works & Hous-

ing Babatunde Raji Fashola and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu are special guests of honour while MD/ CEO Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa; MD/CEO Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria (FHA), Sen. GbengaAshafa; Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing Sen. Sam Egwu are all guests of honour.

NGO Sets to Implement EU, UN Charter on Violence Against Women, Girls Kuni Tyessi in Abuja A non governmental organisation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has completed arrangements in implementing pillar six of its partnership between the European Union and the United Nations in eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.

The activity which serves as

intervention is implemented under the spotlight initiative and is a global multi-year partnership having mutual reinforcing pillars.

The group which has in Lagos and FCT focused on promoting an empowered civil society and autonomous women’s movement, will strengthen collaboration among networks/coalitions of women’s organisations to build strong and sustainable

movements that will monitor and demand accountability of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Executive Director of the organisation, Dr. Abiola Akiyode- Afolabi who stated this in Abuja during a two-day capacity strengthening for networks and coalition to monitor and demand accountability in Abuja, said research has shown that one in three women have experienced one form of Sexual

and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) or the other, hence the need to push for reforms that would eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.

She added that the issue of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Harmful Practices (HP) are prevalent in Nigeria and the lack of access to Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR) by women is a major

issue in this clime. She said: “The interventions focus on 6 mutually reinforcing pillars.

WARDC is implementing pillar 6 in Lagos and FCT which focuses on promoting an empowered civil society and autonomous women’s movement.

“The Capacity Strengthening For Networks/Coalitions To Monitor And Demand Accountability is designed to support capacity of exist-

ing networks/coalitions of women’s organisations that have been identified as key game-changers to monitor and demand accountability of Ministries Departments Agencies (MDAs) to ensure sustainable prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Harmful Practices (HP) and the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Preserving Cultural Heritage Through the Eyes of Sobayo From creating the‘headless’Fela monument to establishing Jelosimi Art Centre -a community art institution in Oshodi, the multi-disciplinary artist, Abolore Sobayo relishes cultural preservation as shown in his third solo exhibition called‘Jelesinmi’. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

A

tour of the facility is inevitable for any one arriving for the first time to see the first privately owned art institution in the district of Oshodi and environs.

Founded by Abolore Sobayo, an humourous culture-centric artist of diverse expressions, the centre currently holds a self-titled show, “Jelesinmi Series 1: Ile lati n ko eso rode.’’ The white walls in the exhibition hall was lined with slatesturned-canvasses that bore some parts of the Yoruba cultural heritage that the artist aims to preserve. The word ‘Jelosimi’ is coined from the unconventional pre-school tradition where young children were first introduced to reading and writing before primary education. No doubt, this tradition has fast eroded with the proliferation of private schools where use of slates no longer exists.

Back to the slates, the artist heightens the aesthetic appeal with the fusion of colours, cultural motifs such as outposts and tribal marks as well as the Yoruba alphabets, some of them were arranged to create paintings seen in series like ‘Heritage’ made up of 30 framed slates. Additionally, ‘Oriki,’ ‘Owe,’ as well as ‘Igi,’ ‘Olobe’ and ‘Ijapa’ are some of Sobayo’s works that embody wisdom. For instance, “Ogede’’ from the proverb series called ‘Owe’ draws upon the adage which states that “Ogede baje, e lo n pon; omo se nobi, e loun se gbajumo” which loosely means justifying bad behavior with sentiments. This could have been occasioned by allowing western or personal ideologies becloud our moral judgment.

“That work is very deep in the sense that I relate it to what is happening in our society,’’ Sobayo said.

“Things are getting bad but we are taking it as civilization. Before, it was easy to correct someone’s child but now you dare not do it. Also, we saw betting as gambling but now we give justification for betting that it is just a game.’’

Sobayo also bemoaned the stigma against tribal marks and its erroneous association with naivety.

In his installation series called ‘Kolo,’ he repurposed tins to make metallic statements about archiving.

In his childhood years, he was taught the values of saving. Each metal box symbolizes the audio documentation

Heritage

Sobayo at the opening of “Jelesinmi” exhibition

of persons. Sobayo encourages his audience to record voices of their aging parents, family and friends for archival purpose. The boxes could also be used to save folklores, myths and fables.

Born and raised in Oshodi, Sobayo had his unique cultural orientation from his parents who hail from Abeokuta.

“My grandmother at some point was brought to live with us and spent her last years with us. That experience had some impact on me. My father also loves speaking in adages,’’ he recounted. His father who had several trades inculcated discipline and hard work in Sobayo at an early age which manifested during his school days at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

“When I was in year two at YABATECH, I started a fashion outfit, participated in fashion shows. I cultivated my interest in fashion as a means to support my education.

I won the second best designer at the Nigerian fashion show 2006. I represented Nigeria at international fairs.

I was quite active in school politics. I was the member of the bar in the student union during my OND but by the time I started my HND, I had formed my company; sewing clothes for top celebrities like Lagbaja, Ayuba and 9ice. I was shuttling between school and my business so I couldn’t do much unionism,’’ he recalled as one of the pioneers of Afro-centric wears.

In 2011, he delved into politics and became a Councillor.

It was like a dream come true for his parents especially his father who bankrolled his campaign. Sadly, his father died just about a month into his political career.

“I did a borehole somewhere in Oshodi in memory of my dad. I was there till 2014 under Alliance for Democracy.

There was a lot of conflict of interests; I was in politics but I wasn’t fulfilled. I was missing out. I was going to art shows and having regrets,’’ he said. One of the factors for disconnecting with the art scene was poor gallery-artist relationship.

Still, he was committed to the arts. Even as a politician, he painted every day. By the end of his tenure in 2014, he had more than enough works for an exhibition.

“In 2015, I did my first solo exhibition called ‘Politics, Art and Fashion’ at the Red Door Gallery, Victoria Island.

It was a successful outing though I didn’t sell any work.

But there were post-exhibition sales. I did another one

in 2016 at Terra Kulture with over 100 masks of Fela, his mother and the Kalakuta Queens called Echoes,’’ he revealed. The show was largely inspired by Fela’s African worldview, social consciousness, values and courage.

Touched by a growing army of unemployed youths in his community, he decided to create a centre where children taken from the streets could be mentored through a series of art workshops, book readings, performing arts and more. This is the story of how a formerly abandoned property turned into a facility for societal reform through arts. Upon his return from an art residency in Thailand, he started working on the project with personal funds and loans. He felt a sense of obligation to the community when he observed that many out-of-school-children engage in heavy drinking and smoking at early hours of the day. He could sense the looming danger.

Sobayo is also famed for several commissioned projects in public spaces including the iconic canoes at the popular Ile Zik which displays names of local governments and their maps to project the spirit of communalism.

The pieces rest on the history of Lagos- a city which had fishermen as its first settlers. However, his most controversial work remains the headless Fela statue that was first positioned at Allen Roundabout before its relocation to Opebi roundabout. While the imposing monument attests to Fela’s persona as a nonconformist, some still argued that the headless figure dishonours the memory of the Afrobeat pioneer. But Sobayo had strong reasons for such artistic expression.

“It was my own interpretation based on an extensive research on Fela. His daughter, Yeni Kuti granted me access to Fela’s room in his former residence now known as Kalakuta museum to study his wardrobe. Don’t forget that I have that fashion thing in me. Fela’s fashion sense was exceptional as far I can tell. I was asked to submit an idea. I submitted his garment and it was approved as a monument. The work was to represent his persona.

I just wanted to create something that would spark conversation. It was just a continuation of my work, I had already done his faces in masks,’’ he explained.

On this current exhibition, Sobayo revealed that the show will be taken to all the South-West states in Nigeria at prominent institutions and palaces. This show which opened in Lagos on April 3 runs till May 3.

PWRI Hosts Five Nigerian Writers for World Book Day Yinka Olatunbosun In commemoration of the UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day 2021 today, Prisenda Writers Residency Initiative (PWRI) will host five Nigerian writers in a conversation. Titled ‘My Kind of Books’, the event that will be held virtually in order for the writers to reveal some books that had shaped their literary direction.

The writers include award-winning poet and lawyer, Mr. Tade Ipadeola (The Sahara Testament); Poet and short story writer, Iquo DianaAbasi (Eforiro), Novelist Ayodele Olofintuade (Lakiriboto Chronicles: AHistory of Badly Behaved Women), Novelist, poet and Founder, PWRI, Titi Horsfall (Influence of a King) and children’s story writer, Mr. Anote Ajeluorou (Igho Goes to Farm). These writers will also read excerpts from them to regale the virtual audience.

According to Programme Director, Mr. Samuel Osaze, “My Kind of Books is a platform where participants have the pleasure to talk about the books that have influenced their lifestyle, changed their worldview and brought about paradigm shift.’’ Some of the highlights of the books discussion will include authors recounting the various circumstances surrounding their encounter with the books.

“It’s the PWRI way of celebrating the World Book and Copyright Day, 2021. This programme also keys into the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Share a Story’, especially after the world is gradually emerging from a pandemic that is still ravaging many parts of the world. These writers will share their stories of influential books with the audience, who, no doubt will be enriched at the sheer diversity that is bound to emerge from the conversation. It’s an exciting and diverse line-up of writers whose experiences will enrich our lives.”

One of the writers, Mr. Ajeluorou, said the proposed focus, ‘My Kind of Book’, is apt and fresh perspective that takes the writers’ minds away from the challenges of piracy which had been a dominant subject in previous celebrations.

“For once, let’s have something different and refreshing,” he said.

“While not losing sight of the economic menace that pirates continue pose to writers and the book chain, let’s dwell on other issues that are at the heart of creativity, that shape writers’ perspectives and provide a source of inspiration for them to create exciting writing. As writers, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who have written before us and who provide us roadmaps and compasses that we follow. ‘My Kind of Books’ is paying that debt forward, as what we write will also inspire those coming behind us. We thank the organisers enough for this invaluable platform and opportunity.”

Alliance Francaise Calls for Photographers Yinka Olatunbosun As part of its initiative to promote indigenous talents, the Alliance Francais Lagos is calling for young photographers to show their works in the gallery space at the prestigious

Mike Adenuga Centre, Lagos. The call is aimed at supporting artistic emergence and visual storytelling.

Each photographer is expected to submit four photographs each through the institution’s social media page (Instagram).

Five winners will emerge from the

call for entries and they will have their photographed printed and framed by Alliance Francaise. Then, a two-week exhibition showcasing their works will be held at a later date to be announced.

Alliance Francaise is a non-profit organization led by an elected committee of members and an executive

director with support of the Embassy of France in Nigeria. The centre also teaches French language to adults and children whilst promoting cultural activities in Lagos such as film screenings, theatre and dance productions, poetry and book readings amongst others.

Book cover

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Tomi Rotimi: Inspiring Creative Entrepreneurs Tomi Rotimi is the creative director and founder of Xclamations by Tomi Rotimi, a fashion label she established 19 years ago, which has grown to become a household name in the Nigerian fashion industry. The graduate of the University of Lagos with a BSc. in Business administration and a Diploma in Fashion Technology and Pattern Making from the London Center for Fashion Studies in the United Kingdom, has spent almost two decades in the fashion industry. As an industry mentor, Rotimi supports institutions such as Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University with developing customised courses for the fashion industry. Her signature online course, “How to start a ready-to-wear label in Nigeria,” has helped many in the industry adapt to the fashion industry’s unique challenges. She also hosts a weekly podcast titled ‘Tips from my fashion business,’ which has had almost 30,000, downloads so far. She shares a weekly newsletter and a blog, all through which she shares her business insights, which are all hosted on www.tomirotimi.com. Her first published book, “Fat Transfer from Waistline to Bottom Line – Life Lessons for Fitness and Business”, is her latest offering. She spoke about her new book and her mission to inspire creative entrepreneurs in this interview with MARY NNAH

Y

ready-to-wear industry. It has been a challenging but enriching experience so far.

ou are passionate about inspiring creative entrepreneurs; how did you find yourself doing this?

Since I was ten years old, I have been an entrepreneur, and my business, Xclamations by Tomi Rotimi, will be 20 next year.

I have learnt a lot of lessons through my wins and many mistakes. As my business became more visible, I felt obligated to help other Creative Entrepreneurs better navigate the challenging economic terrain. This led to me starting a Podcast, “Tips from my Fashion Business,” which has had almost 30,000 downloads and the creation of my signature online courses @How to start a Ready-to-Wear Label in Nigeria”.

Running a business comes with its own challenges, particularly for women.

What are your peculiar challenges?

Being an entrepreneur is very demanding and would challenge you in many ways. For me, being a wife, a mother, and a business owner means that I need to balance my roles while trying to achieve my goals constantly.

Over the years, I have learned that my time management skills and ability to prioritise and create a strong support system are critical.

The problems in this business environment demand that my brand is nimble and ready to adapt to new and often unanticipated challenges that present themselves without notice.

Managing the issues around infrastructure deficits, the fierce competition caused by an unstructured industry with no entry barriers and unfriendly government policies takes strength, determination, and tenacity.

What inspired Fat Transfer?

Fat Transfer started as an Instagram series.

Five years ago, at age 39, I felt a need to take care of my health and began to document my fitness journey. My business was also faced with some challenges as a result of the economic recession at the time. In documenting my fitness journey and business insights, I drew parallels between the two – in other words, “transfer fat from my waistline to my Business’ bottom line!” The Instagram series became very popular, and I gained a considerable following, which inspired me to write and publish the Book.

You said growing a business and fitness share similar principles. Can you explain?

From my experience, the entrepreneurial mindset revolves around tenacity, perseverance, and dynamism. These are the same attributes that are required to achieve your fitness goals. The success principles that I highlight in my book have helped me build a sustainable business and achieve my fitness goals.

What was the experience like coming up with the book?

Writing has always been one of my many passions. I started writing and selling stories at age ten and have been blogging for many years. However, writing and self-publishing this book presented an entirely new challenge.

It stretched my creativity and made enormous demands on my time. While the pandemic brought along numerous challenges, it gave me the time to complete the book finally.

In a bid to deliver a book that captured my journey and business insights, the book went through numerous iterations and multiple edits. Self-publishing was not a cakewalk, and I have a newfound respect for authors.

Who should read this Book?

Fat Transfer is a book of life lessons. Its purpose is to inspire men and women to

How do you manage customers, especially women and their insecurities?

Over the years, I have met thousands of women and irrespective of age, ethnicity, religion, or body type, they all have insecurities with their body image. As a woman myself, I understand this, and I am familiar with these insecurities. My response is to commit my brand to create clothes that make my customers feel beautiful, comfortable, and confident. We emphasise fit, quality fabric, and function. Clothes that are classic in design, stylish, and complement their lives.

Xclamations is now reputed for this, and our customers enjoy the shopping experience we offer and the signature flattering fit of our clothes.

Rotimi

achieve set goals in business and fitness. It is for the entrepreneur at whatever stage in their business journey. It is also for anyone struggling with the daunting task of weight loss and fitness.

Losing weight seems to be a thing for most people; what is your take?

There are many shortcuts to achieving weight loss, and I would readily admit that I have explored some of them! In our desperation, we subscribe to crash diets, and while we do lose some weight on these programmes, we ultimately gain them all back. So even though most people understand that to lose weight, we need to eat less and exercise more, a lot of us ignore the real game changer when it comes to sustaining our weight loss, which is where most people struggle. The way we think, a fitness mindset and a commitment

to a healthy lifestyle is the only way to stay trim and sustain our weight loss. This is what I share in this book and is what has helped me in my fitness journey.

Share with us your journey running Xclamations by Tomi Rotimi?

I started Xclamations as a hobby while I was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos. Even after I got a job in a bank, selling my designs was something I still did on the side. I eventually resigned from banking to start Xclamations by Tomi Rotimi at the age of 25. This was 19 years ago and at a time when neither entrepreneurship nor the fashion industry was trending. Through the years, my business and I have evolved, and so has the fashion industry. My humble home business has become a household name in Nigeria and one of the first pioneers of the

As an industry mentor, blogger, teacher, author, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, how do you manage all these roles and still be at your best?

In my book, I talk about the need to have multiple passions to live a wholesome life.

I consider my roles a privilege to serve, and an opportunity to share my many talents and gifts. However, as you rightly pointed out, the demands could be overwhelming at times.

My personal strategy is to create structures around my key functions and projects. It’s important to have a strong support system to help me achieve my goals and prevent me from the ever-present threat of burnout.

I prioritise my wellness and my joy over everything else. I believe this is the secret to my longevity in the industry and my ability to juggle my many roles.

What is your personal style?

Simple, classic, and fun.

What is your life mantra Love yourself, and everything else will align.

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When Our Basil The Great Izuagba Died Emmanuel Onwubiko

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n Christendom as well as in classical philosophy, a name means a lot in terms of symbolism as well as standing as the guiding light to illuminate the direction that a person works towards attaining both here and the hereafter. In Igbo cosmology, it is said thus-:”EziAfa ka Ego” meaning that good name is better than material wealth and affluence.

I do share in the belief system that you are what your name says. One Philosopher told us that ‘you are what you eat.’ Essentially, as an African Philosopher, I subscribe to the aphorism that “You are what your name is”.

And so this is why both in Igbo cosmology and even amongst the billions of persons that profess their belief system as Christians like my humble self and my immediate family made up of Chisom Ugochi and NaetoChukwu Nnadozie, the naming ceremony is much deeper than just a social gathering or convivial sort of a carnival by a group of merry making happy people.

Naming ceremony is both spiritual and deeply metaphysical. And so the above scenarios and depictions are true when one reflects on the life and times of my father-in law who was named Basil, (Basil Ikechukwu Izuagba) apparently after the very erudite Saint Basil the Great, the Bishop of Caesarea.

His middle name means God is powerful. I believe that God is powerful and as the Bible says, the fool says in his heart, that there is no God. And so, this believing family named their Son, my future father -in-law who truly lived as a good father to me, Basil Ikechukwu Izuagba.

He was indeed Basil the great in such a way that he earned greatness academically and he built his modestly small family into a strong united family tree.

Before I proceed, let me say that my Father-inlaw knew my type of PALMIE and he constantly supplied me the best, fresh from the trees.

This is what Encyclopedia Britannica says of Basil the Great: “St. Basil the Great, Latin Basilius, (born AD 329, Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia—died January 1, 379, Caesarea; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1), early Church Father who defended the orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. As bishop of Caesarea, he wrote several works on monasticism, theology, and canon law. He was declared a saint soon after his death.”

I must confess that I came about knowing my father –in –law less than seven years ago when I alongside my family visited his home in Owerri to announce to him that I sighted a beautiful and indeed well behaved black beauty that just entered his compound and we were at his place to inquire if the person we saw is his daughter and if in the affirmative, to inform him that without any further prevarication that I was there to marry her.

On that epochal day, my father in-law welcomed us with joy and profound love and from then on we had a father versus son kind of relationship just as I admired him because of certain Characteristics and qualities in him that were in huge possession of my late father.

In other words, my meeting this jovial man automatically made me to accept the reality that I now have another father in him.As someone who truly venerates my biological father, getting to notice some similarities in my father-in-law was a wonderful experience that lingered in my sub consciousness for the whole of the seven years that God made it possible for me to know, relate and interface with someone I will not hesitate to call him a great man and who incidentally was named Basil by his wonderful Dad. His life and times stood emphatically as a practical representation of what was documented

by Brian Tracy, International known as five essential quality traits for a better life namely: The first and most important of the personal qualities needed for success is, common sense. It is said that the average person has an enormous amount of common sense because he or she

Basil

hasn’t used any of it yet.

Common sense seems to be something that a person accumulates as the result of experience over a long period of time.

Common sense is defined as the, “Ability to cut to the core of a matter, to recognize and deal with the essential elements of a problem or a situation, rather than getting sidetracked by smaller issues or symptoms.”

Another definition of common sense is, “The ability to learn from experience and then to apply those lessons to subsequent experiences.”

Common sense was seen as the core of all personal qualities that enabled a person to become increasingly more effective over time.

The second of all the personal qualities needed for success is that of expertise. Most successful people are very good at what they do and they know they are very good.

They have learned, practiced, reflected, and have gotten better and better until they are recognized by their peers as being among the very best in their fields.

This feeling of being the best is an absolute prerequisite for achieving a better life and it starts with great self-confidence.

Men and women who are respected by others tend to look primarily towards themselves for the answers to their questions and for the solutions to their problems. They are highly self-responsible.

They do not blame others or make excuses when things go wrong. They regard themselves as the primary creative forces in their own lives.

They volunteer for tough assignments, and they are willing to take charge when something needs to be done.

Intelligence seems to be a key requirement for success in any field. However, intelligence is not necessarily measured in terms of IQ. Many of the most notable men and women alive today did poorly in school. They got low

grades or no grades, and many of them had not completed university or even high school. Do not let something such as IQ hold you back. There is nothing that you can’t learn with knowledge.

This means that you know that you are capable of getting the results for which you are responsible. All highly respected men and women are recognized as being the kind of people who can get the job done, whatever it is. They are invariably decisive, result oriented people.

They are highly results-oriented because they have a bias for action and a sense of urgency.

They have trained themselves to be extremely capable of doing whatever is required.

Bigger and better jobs and responsibilities seem to flow to them. The world tends to step aside and make way for the person who knows what he or she is doing and knows where he or she is going.

One of the most intelligent things that you can do is to get better at the most important things you do to get the results that determine your success. The better your results, the higher the chances are of you achieving a better life for yourself. By becoming intensely results-oriented, you will secure a better life for yourself.

Do you consider yourself results-oriented or a person who has common sense? Please share any comments below! Discover your current level of self-confidence and how to take action toward building greater confidence in yourself. Find out exactly where you can improve to develop new personal qualities and self-confidence with my free self-confidence assessment.

My father-in-law was a committed Nigerian patriot and a great community mobilizer who believed in the constructive power of the collective.

Tannenbaum and his associates in their Joint Studies done in 1989 defined leadership as interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and

directed, through the communication process toward the attainment of a specialized goal or goals. Basil Ikechukwu Izuagba, the veterinary doctor was a good leader. He worked in the civil service of Imo State and attained lofty heights in his chosen career just as he retired happily.

He loved his wife who is a lecturer in a tertiary institution and he loved his family passionately.

He loved education and gave his best to all his children irrespective of gender and the result is that all his Children are professionals in their own right and are happily engaged in their resoectjve core professional callings. My Wife his second daughter is such a talented and creative lady just as her other siblings are wonderfully endowed with talents of different shades and colours. I found a lot of leadership characteristics in him just in the same way as described by the researchers I will include their citations before drawing the curtain to this reflection.

Another distinguished group of Researchers on leadership, Koontz and Donnel, viewed leadership as the act of influencing people to follow in the achievement of a common goal.

These groups of researchers conceived the concept of leadership from the perspective of a process of interpersonal influence.

Terry in 1960 in the words of Professor Bakare, added a new dimension when he maintained that leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectives”.

(Who Was The Man Rev. Dauda Fadi? By Dauda Daniel).

I thank God for the opportunity to have passed through the Basil the great Izuagba’s school of thought. t0OXVCJLP B GPSNFS GFEFSBM DPNNJTTJPOFS PG UIF /BUJPOBM )VNBO 3JHIUT $PNNJTTJPO PG /JHFSJB JT UIF 'PVOEJOH &YFDVUJWF %JSFDUPS PG )VNBO 3*()54 8SJUFST "TTPDJBUJPO PG /JHFSJB )63*8"

T H I S D AY ˾

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37

POLSCOPE The President and His Governance Style

F

or six years, Nigerians are gradually adjusting to the governance style of President Mohammadu Buhari, albeit with tons of complaints and grumblings.

Those who manage the President are quick to attribute all the perceived weaknesses and gaffes to a matter of style. But what kind of style will keep a politician away from the people on whose backs he rode into office? It is somewhat a governance aberration that a political leader will be ensconced in a Presidential Villa so much that he’s grown wary of the people and vice-versa.

But here is a man who on three consecutive times aspired to be a country’s president. He got the nod of the people at the fourth attempt. So, one would expect that this Mr President would hit the ground running, eager to activate his governance blue print and right the wrongs he has always complained about and campaigned against. And from day one he appeared dazed and overwhelmed with his job description.

The first sign that he lacks the fire of expected enthusiasm was in spending six full months, yes, half of a year, looking for who will be his ministers. It was a foretaste of the gallons of gall he would offer us: that we will perpetually run on the slow service lane of unpaved stones.

And the picture we get is that of a person who was begged and cajoled to take the job, and so he does it with a lackadaisical mindset, seeming to say under his breath, “this is what/who I am.

You either take it or you hug a transformer” The temptation to compare him with his predecessors is strong. Yes, we agree, people differ in their approaches to handling issues, but such differences are better appreciated with the end products.

For President Buhari, he appears stuck in the Presidential Villa. He hardly leaves the Villa. If not Daura—his home town in Katsina State, and irregular trips to London for medicals, and a few diplomatic shuttles, President Buhari may as well go down in record as the president with the least travel history. This compares sharply with that of then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was such a travel freak that he was nicknamed Ajala travels. But nothing moves Buhari. No matter the heaviness or importance of the issue, he remains at his base: As Rock. The COVID-19 protocols just further assisted his phobia for travelling, as he seems to have gone to more locations via Zoom than physical visits. No amount of tragedy, havoc or disaster is ever enough to compel Mr President to undertake an on-the-spot assessment.

I recall in 2001 when we had the Ikeja cantonment bomb blast that killed quite a number of persons and damaged many houses, it didn’t take then President Olusegun Obasanjo 24 hours before he arrived Lagos and addressed the people. Never mind the content of what he said, but it was consoling that government promptly showed up and shored up the hope of the people.

Apart from emergency visits arising from strange occurrences, the president refuses to undertake State Visits. In state visits, the President is expected to travel to various states of the federation, assessing the amount of development going on in such states, have interactive meetings with the people of the state, hear them, feel their pains and get relevant feedbacks on the overall governance of the country. In no mean way, it is a veritable means of gauging the feelings of the people being governed. But it is not the style of President Buhari. From the way things are, President Buhari may serve out his eight years without even a one-day visit to many states of the country, especially in the South east and South south, except the whistle appearance at state capitals during the electioneering campaigns. What kind of style is that?

So, pray, how does he get feedbacks, especially as he is said to hardly read newspapers and that when he does, his attention is essentially on cartoons? Does he rely only on what his aides, many of whom are malefic, tell him during briefings, which often times is repackaged to make him feel alright; as they tell him only what he would like to hear?

What is worse, Mr President does not hold or host any presidential media chat, as the custom is or was. Until his style altered the practice, a sitting president usually would play host to select editors across the country, perhaps once in a quarter, where national issues are interrogated and reviewed with a view to getting clarifications on certain policies as well as nudging government to reflect the wish of

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Canticles….

Pantami and the Burden of an Odious Past

D

id you hear that there is a religious irredentist in the Buhari cabinet?

Yes, I know the cabinet is a mix of Muslims and Christians including even Agnostics.

I am not talking of normal Christians or Muslims. Did you not hear there is killer preacher or a preacher killer in the cabinet?

Killer Preacher? In this government? Where did you hear that?

You did not hear that the American government placed one of Buhari’s ministers, Isah Pantami on its watch list for his past toxic religious declarations which are manifestly supportive of terrorism and its advocates?

Ohhh, you mean the controversy surrounding the pronouncements of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economuy, Dr Isa Pantami?

Yes. So you have been following the arguments?

Not much of an argument really. It is some mischievous people that are digging up old buried corpses of yester years.

Buhari

the people in its daily operations. But with Buhari, all that has been zipped off. And we all look blank and bland. What we see instead is the television appearance of his media aides, especially the two spokesmen : Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, my friends, who as it were, appropriates the status of Mr President to speak on national issues. The import is hardly ever the same.

Perhaps one insidious style that has continued to rile Nigerians is both the reticence and i-don’tcare attitude that the President demonstrates at critical times in the country. But for the advent of the pandemic last year, wherein Mr President addressed the nation on three or so occasions, the President is wont to play mute and dumb on most national and international issues. Too often, he had to be nudged and cajoled to address the nation when certain things happen.

I recall when the xenophobic attacks were rife in South Africa, against Nigerians. Nigerians waited and waited for a presidential voice to no avail. Some mischievous persons on social media had to explain it away that the president has not been able to address the nation on the xenophobic attacks because they are still training him on how to pronounce “Xenophobia”.

With all the spates of kidnappings and attacks across board, the president has not had cause to address the nation, except making passing comments on certain occasions. It does not carry the same weight. How could all the abduction of school children in Katsina, Zamafara, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe etc not demand a presidential address, powered by a set of actions?

What we see, however is a president who seems annoyingly aloof, who either chooses to hit the iron when it has grown so cold or never hits it at all. The consequence is that many things would have gone terribly wrong, sometimes irredeemably, with too much water passing under the bridge, before Mr President would give a whimperish response. A ready example is the loud cry for a change of the security architecture in the country starting from changing the service chiefs. Nigerians shouted themselves hoarse before, very reluctantly Mr President changed the tired and weakened service chiefs last February. Today, the sitting service chiefs are struggling to breathe life into the comatose babies, called national security, handed over to them by their predecessors.

It would be consoling, however if in being reticent or microphone-shy , the president is action-packed. But his style seems to suggest that he will neither say anything, perhaps hear nothing, nor do anything.

Were it not so, the growing dangerous trend of fissiparous attacks on Police formations and Correctional facilities in the South East should have elicited immediate crack action plan aimed at arresting the worrisome trend.

But thus far, we have not seen anything in the like of such decisive intervention, save the routine dry boastful talks of “we shall leave no stone unturned…”, whereas they neither see no stone let alone turning them.

With Buhari’s fragrance-free governance style, waiting for the remaining two years for him to step down, stretches forth like eternity.

You call the government of the United States of America a “mischievous people”?

Instead of thanking them for saving us from the snares of the enemy within, you have the guts to call them mischievous?

I thought you should be ashamed of your own country’s Department of State Security (DSS) which screened and cleared such a “security risk”, to be appointed into the cabinet of a government supposedly given to fighting terrorism. Pray, what did the DSS ever find out on Pantami? Or were they bribed or bewitched as to have skipped such crucial profile?

I am not referring to the Americans as mischievous people. It is the busy bodies in the Nigerian social media space, led by that 30-year old David Hundeyin, who has fled this country, that are unduly escalating the issue.

I think your toxic tongue should be tied.

You describe those drumming up this misfit in governance as “busy bodies”. Until they played up the malaise, did you know there was such a person in this administration?

So, rather than commend those helping us to unravel this irredentist, you are calling them names.

But the young man said he has repented of those positions. He explained they were positions he held and propagated out of sheer ignorance and as a youth in the past, and that right now, the scales have fallen off his eyes and he sees and interprets issues better now and he is matured. But these Twitter Tigers would not let him be. They rant and rave as if they never had a past themselves.

You are talking Bunkum! You talk about repentance by Pantami. What is the evidence of such repentance? Do you know how much tacit support he may have been giving terrorists and bandits, using government’s platform? Can you now connect the fact that bandits have over 200 SIM cards with which they harass the families of their abductees? Hey, how did bandits end up with so many SIM Cards and have never been tracked and caught?

But that is exactly one of the reasons his ministry is insisting that all telephone users must have National Identity Number (NIN) registration, so they can be traced.

That is coming after so much harm had been done! Who knows how he could connive to compromise the entire system to favour and support his brethren? How can a person with such load of controversy preside over the data base of a country?

But Pantami has said he is sorry for the past and that he’s turned a new leaf.

Arrant nonsense! If he likes, let him turn a new tree. Look, such a person with such odious past is a danger to the rest of us and is not worthy to hold any public office. And don’t you ever try to preach his repentance.

Pantami

Do you know how many people he would have directly or indirectly caused their death by his actions and utterances and preachments? Do you know he is now being linked with the death of Patrick Yakowa, then governor of Kaduna State? Can those lives be recovered? Is it such a person that will be holding public office? Never! Do you realise he tried to deny and discredit the report by the US government until these people you call Twitter Tigers dug up many details of his heinous past including videos of his incendiary sermons, calling non Muslims infidels? And that was when he surrendered but now added that they were things he said out of ignorance, and that he is now matured and better informed?

Go and listen to those videos. He called for the removal of certain images from our currency, adoption of Islamic calendar etc.

Such a religious extremist! Let me ask you: how old was Pantami when the Al Queda attacks were carried out? He was 33 by September 2006 when he preached those extreme sermons, so how youthful indeed was he? How could a normal child ever support or hail the killing of fellow human, out of sheer religious alchemy and bigotry?

Do you know that this same Pantami , while as a student and Chief Imam at Tafa Balewa University, Bauchi University was accused of preaching a sermon that led to the killing of Sunday Nache Achi, who was then the leader of the ECWA Students ministry of that campus? Achi’s offence was daring to preach about Christianity on that campus. Pantami was then rusticated from that University.

You talk about repentance, do you know that Pantami ordered the Live streaming of the Ministry’s activities and programmes on an exclusively Islamic TV channel? is Nigeria an Islamic country? Is that the sign of someone who has repented of deep Islamic fanaticism? Do you know how he’s been hounding those who are unearthing his odious past? Is that someone who is sorry and contrite in spirit? If Lai Mohammed is looking for purveyors of hate speech, has he not found one in his fellow minister?

You can go on and on . The fact remains that if Mr President is not convinced Pantami is a danger, he would remain as a minister.

That’s unbridled arrogance. This is a democracy. The ultimate power is with the people. That’s the kind of red herring tactics pursued by Dr Kabir Kabo, who represented Pantami at a Channels TV programme last Wednesday, where he merely rambled and rambled and dodged the core issues in question.

Have you forgotten so soon the #EndSARS campaign? No matter the powers behind Pantami, including the Speaker of the House of Reps, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, who shut down the motion calling for Pantami’s resignation, they will soon realise that those who have no goods at sea, have nothing to fear about the raging storm. Trust me, Pantami will melt and blink. It has just begun!

38

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ APRIL 23, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Oil Industry Trainers Lose $2bn in One Year Peter Uzoho Oil and gas training organisations in Nigeria lost about $2 billion between March 2020 and March 2021, due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses across the world.

The Financial Secretary of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), Mr. Matthew Olaleye, disclosed this in Lagos during a media briefing ahead of the association’s forthcoming 2021 Lecture Series/ Annual General Meeting (AGM).

“For every contract that is awarded in the oil and gas industry, three per cent is expected to go for training. About $2 billion that was, based on our calculations, supposed to go to

training, couldn’t come due to COVID-19.

“There was no business, even the little savings we had was used to pay salaries of our staff. The money is for expansion and this means that there is no expansion in the training stratum of the oil and gas sector,” he said.

According to him, the multiplier effect of the loss would be for felt for about 10 years.

Also, the President of OGTAN, Dr. Mayowa Afe, said the oil sector was badly affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, adding that the training sector of the oil and gas industry in the country felt the COVID-19 than other stakeholders as trainings were cancelled.

“We, the oil and gas trainers, felt the impact of COVID-19 than any other stakeholders in the oil

and gas sector.

“Immediately COVID-19 happened, the first thing that companies did was to cancel training for their staff,” Afe said.

He, however, said the good news was that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) had set aside supporting system to rescue registered oil training firms from total collapse.

Giving highlight into the upcoming lecture series/AGM, with the theme: “Inclusive Human Capacity Development,” the OGTAN boss disclosed that the event would hold on April 28, 2021. He also said the programme would be held both online and physically in line with COVID-19 protocols, with 2000 delegates expected to attend.

FCMB Shareholders Approve N2.97bn Dividend Shareholders of FCMB Group Plc have restated their confidence in the financial institution to sustain its impressive performance and deliver more value.

The shareholders gave the commendation at the eight Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Group held Wednesday, in Lagos.

They also unanimously approved the payment of a dividend of N2.97 billion, translating to 15 kobo per ordinary share for the year ended December 31, 2020, as against 14 kobo per share the previous year.

The AGM was held virtually due the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and streamed live to shareholders of the financial

institution.

The FCMB Group is a holding company divided along three business groups: commercial and retail banking (First City Monument Bank Limited, Credit Direct Limited, FCMB (UK) Limited and FCMB Microfinance Bank Limited); Corporate & Investment Banking (The Corporate Banking Division of the Bank, FCMB Capital Markets Limited and CSL Stockbrokers Limited) and Investment Management (FCMB Pensions Limited, FCMB Asset Management Limited and FCMB Trustees Limited).

The Chairman of FCMB Group, Mr. Oladipupo Jadesimi, along with the Group Chief Executive, Mr. Ladi Balogun;

Company Secretary/General Counsel, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu; a Director of the Group, Mrs. Olapeju Sofowora; Executive Director, Corporate Banking & Investment Banking of the Group, Mr. Olufemi Badeji, representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange Commission as well as leaders of shareholder Associations, were present at the meeting.

Speaking at the AGM, the Co-ordinator of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, praised the institution for efficiently running its affairs and the appreciable growth recorded in key operating areas.

LCCI Inaugurates Maritime Sectorial Group Dike Onwuamaeze The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has inaugurated its maritime sectorial group that would champion the agenda of the organised private sector in the formulation and implementations of policies in the Nigerian maritime industry.

The President of the LCCI, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, said the group would serve as a platform for the chamber to engage relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry to advocate specific issues affecting investors.

Mabogunje said: “No economy will be competitive in the international trade arena without an efficient maritime industry.

But Nigeria’s sea ports are both poorly developed and poorly run compared to its pears in West Africa.”

The Vice President of the LCCI, Ms. Mojisola Bakare, said trade and commerce would be significantly constrained by an inefficient maritime sector and would negatively affect practically all sectors of the economy.

Bakare said trade and the diversification of the economy would be difficult without an efficient maritime sector, adding that, “if Nigeria must diversify its economy, it must fix the maritime sector.”

“The LCCI, therefore, seek to play a major role in influencing policies and regulations to create an enabling environment in the maritime sector for investors.

This informed the decision of the council of the LCCI to create the maritime sector group.”

The Director General of the African Ship Owners Association (ASOA), Ms. Foluke Akinmola-

dum, said the maritime sectorial group would be a focal point in repositioning Nigeria as a strong maritime economy. “With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) coming on board and the African cabotage within Nigeria’s finger tips, this is an opportunity to make Nigeria count as a maritime nation,” she said.

A Renowned Maritime Lawyer, Mr. Emeka Akabogu, said the group would be able to present issues bothering the maritime industry.

Akabogu said: “It is important that we have this platform for the purpose of holding regulators accountable and speak on those issues that affect the industry because we are in an environment in which government and regulatory vendetta is not out of question.”

Osinbajo Hails Value4Dairy Consortium Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has welcomed the strategic partnership of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, URUS, Barenbrug and Agrifirm, tagged Value4Dairy Consortium in their commitment to increase self-sufficiency in Nigeria’s dairy sector.

Osinbajo made this known at the virtual launch of the consortium recently. He was represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo saying that, “with FrieslandCampina WAMCO as the processor to deliver the end chain; this partnership will drive increased domestic consumption of processed milk and milk products

and the expected industry growth.”

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono also commended the consortium saying: “I am confident that the consortium will drive inclusive engagement and positively influence the development of national livestock initiatives at various levels of government.”

According to a statement, the partnership was built on the companies’ global achievements and experiences with which they will accelerate sustainable dairy development to deliver high quality nutrition for everyone involved in the dairy chain from

farmer to consumer.

The consortium brings to the dairy sector specialised milk collection and processing (FrieslandCampina WAMCO), better breeding (URUS), proper roughage production (Barenbrug) and fitting animal feed (Agrifirm).

They will help to integrate the dairy sector and formulate homegrown methods to solve challenges, which previously hindered growth. According to these experts however, the dairy development gains made

by FrieslandCampina WAMCO in Nigeria still need public sector collaboration to scale up and expand.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT WEDNESDAY, 21 APRIL 2021

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $64.02 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $65.36 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

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͱͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Custodian Investment Gets Shareholders Nod to Raise $15m Fresh Capital Goddy Egene Shareholders of Custodian Investment Plc yesterday gave their approval to the board of directors of the company to raise the naira equivalent of up to $15 million as additional capital through a convertible loan instrument.

The shareholders, who gave the approval at t the 26th annual general meeting (AGM) of the group held in Lagos, also autho-

rised the directors to convert the loan into shares in the company at a conversion price higher than N6.00 per share or the 12-month historical daily share price of the company derived from the Daily Official List of the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX)for the period ended March 23, 2021.

They hailed the board and management for reporting improved financial performance and returns on investment despite the adverse effect of the Covid-19

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

pandemic which disrupted global and local economies in 2020.

For instance, the founding Coordinator of Independent Shareholders of Nigeria (ISAN), Sunny Nwosu, commended the company’s performance and returns on investment.

He, however, advised that the company should consider a bonus issue to shareholders because of the robust statutory reserves and regulatory requirement.

Also speaking, the President of

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association, Mr. Matthew Akinlade, said the performance was a very good one based on the financial indices. Another shareholder, Mr. Adebayo Adeleke, commended the company for weathering the storm of 2020 and its challenging operating environment. He praised the company for the foresight of having a holding company which now enables it to make investment decisions easily.

The shareholders approved

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

the final dividend of 55 kobo per share, bringing the total dividend to 65 kobo, having paid an interim dividend of 10 kobo last year.

Addressing the shareholders at the meeting, the Chairman of the board of directors, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, said “I am delighted to report that our company recorded significant successes during the 2020 financial year despite the challenging operating environment, a fallout of the global Covid-19

O F

pandemic and the resulting weak oil earnings, Naira devaluation and high inflation.”

She noted that the successes recorded by the company in 2020 is an affirmation of the robustness of the group’s business model, which allowed it to quickly adapt to the fast-changing environment, the astute leadership of the company supported by energetic employees using technology to efficiently provide prompt services to clients.

2 2 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

40

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41

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Shareholders of Dangote Cement to Receive N16 Dividend Per share Goddy Egene

the dividend of N16 per share recommended by the board to shareholders on May 27,

Dangote Cement Plc will pay 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

2021, after its approval at the annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled to hold on

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 21Apr-2021, unless otherwise stated.

May 26, 2021. The leading cement firm, ended 2020 financial year with profit

after tax (PAT) of N276.1 billion, which was very strong performance and

recommended a dividend of N97 billion, that translated to N16 per share.

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 154.43 155.95 -4.55% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.71% Nigeria International Debt Fund 306.62 306.62 -16.62% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 110.07 110.07 -1.79% 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.15% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.37 3.53 -5.08% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 103.70 103.70 1.96% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 124.37 125.24 -1.43% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.70% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.98 1.98 -26.04% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.18 2.22 -7.65% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.36% Paramount Equity Fund 15.26 15.55 -4.55% Women's Investment Fund 131.36 132.75 -1.34% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.18% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 128.52 129.37 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.86 110.86 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 1.16% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.15 1.16 -4.48% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.34 1.34 -15.47% 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 2.55% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.05% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,165.78 1,171.31 -2.74% 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 N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 184.51 185.76 -1.69% FBN Halal Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.80% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 124.33 124.33 2.96% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.00 149.97 -2.11% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.94% Legacy Debt Fund 3.92 3.92 1.33% Legacy Equity Fund 1.54 1.57 1.30% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.15 1.15 1.49% 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 N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A

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 2.60% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.73 2.80 19.19% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 148.13 148.58 -4.68% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 5.54% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.37 1.39 0.69% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,130.07 1,130.07 2.36% 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 N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.59 1.62 7.47% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.16 12.30 0.58% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2.21% PACAM Equity Fund 1.59 1.61 0.81% PACAM EuroBond Fund 110.86 113.73 1.39% 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 128.28 130.28 6.07% 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 2.20% 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 3,113.00 3,137.65 -3.20% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 228.36 228.36 1.56% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.15 1.17 -1.69% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 299.24 299.24 1.55% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 211.01 213.59 -3.44% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.27% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,883.72 10,007.77 -5.90% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.25 1.25 1.70% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 113.19 113.19 1.90% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 100.57 100.57 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 1.32 1.34 -3.36% United Capital Bond Fund 1.93 1.93 1.89% United Capital Equity Fund 0.88 0.90 1.98% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.07% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.58 119.58 2.13% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.09 -1.26% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.03 1.03 3.12% 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 12.07 12.18 1.71% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.27 13.35 8.47% Zenith Income Fund 24.29 24.29 1.30% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.03%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

122.53 53.06

1.48% 1.26%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.46 120.41 94.38

12.56 120.41 96.13

-5.70% -1.09% -5.03%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

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

3.70 5.49 16.78 1.00 18.91 163.18

3.74 5.57 16.88 1.00 19.11 165.18

-2.06% -3.45% 2.69% 2.27% -7.83% -25.53%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.52

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.

42

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 • T H I S D AY

43

44

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 •T H I S D AY

45

FRIDAY, ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FORTY-FIVE

INEC Reorganises, Create Two New Departments Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced a reorganisation of its Department of Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints (LSC&CC) and that of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP).

In a statement by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, the

commission said the reorganisation was part of efforts to reposition INEC for greater efficiency ahead of 2023 general election.

He added that the reorganisation took immediate effect.

He said: "As the commission prepares for major off-cycle governorship elections and the 2023 general election, it has become imperative to review and realign some of its departments for improved

effectiveness and efficient management of its human resources and assets."

Okoye stated that based on the development, the commission has created two departments out of the present Department of Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints (LSC&CC).

"In the new arrangement, a Department of Litigation and Prosecution (DL&P) and a Department of Legal Drafting and Clearance (LDCD) have been established," he

explained.

The commission also approved the deestablishment of the Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Society Liaison Department (VEP) and in its place, established the Voter Education and Publicity Department (VEP), as well as the Gender and Inclusivity Department (GID).

Okoye said the changes in the Department of Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints (LSC&CC) were

urgent and imperative as the commission was determined to strengthen its statutory powers of prosecuting electoral offenders.

The commission is also determined to communicate its policies and programmes to Nigerians and effectively engage and mainstream women’s groups, persons living with disability and other marginalised individuals in the electoral process.

Okoye said the

reorganisations and realignments would not affect the structure and functions of the state offices of the commission.

“Legal services and the alternative dispute resolution desks at the state level will still function under the Head of Department of Legal Services, while that of gender and inclusivity will remain under the Head of Department of Voter Education and Publicity,” he added.

Pantami completely out of the equation, it said: “The administration stands behind Minister Pantami and all Nigerian citizens to ensure they receive fair treatment, fair prices, and fair protection in ICT services.”

It had some strong words for the ICT companies it

accused of attempting to arm-twist the minister: “There is now well-reported information that alleges newspaper editors rebuffed an attempt to financially induce them to run a smear campaign against the minister by some ICT companies, many of which do indeed stand to

lose financially through lower prices and greater consumer protection.

“The government is now investigating the veracity behind these claims of attempted inducement, and – should they be found to hold credence – police and judicial action must be expected.”

He had said: “But for us, we’re here for legislative and judicial autonomy and the governors, the speakers and the judges are on the same page, as far as this issue is concerned.

“We just emerged from a meeting with the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation, the representatives of the judiciary, the representatives of the Conference of Speakers and House of Representatives and we are on all fours. An agreement has been reached.”

He said the implementation of financial autonomy had been finally resolved at the meeting and would begin latest by the end of May once the final copy of the implementation document is ready.

Meanwhile, Justice Muhammad has thrown his weight behind the strike

by JUSUN, saying that the reasons for their actions are genuine The CJN stated that it has become difficult to fault the idea of the strike since the rights of the union and its members, which have been clearly defined in the constitution, are being denied especially at the state level.

The CJN said the strike is aimed at realising their constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The CJN stated these when some members of the striking judiciary workers led by the union's Deputy National President, Mr. Emmanuel Abioye, visited

him to report the position of the union on the ongoing strike.

Receiving the striking workers in his office, Justice Muhammad said: ‘’I can’t fault your reasons for embarking on this protest because the union wants its rights restored in line with the provisions of the constitution."

The CJN, according to a statement by his media aide, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, however, commended the union "for following due process so far to protest the injustice."

Earlier, Abioye in company with the National Treasurer of the union, Mr. Musa Alonge, and others had explained why the union found it difficult to heed the CJN’s demand to call off the strike.

According to him, for the strike to be called off, the governors must begin to demonstrate some level of seriousness by putting in place measures precedent to the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary in their respective states. ‘’Though there’s financial autonomy for the judiciary already in some states while some are assuring us that they would comply, but others have to take steps in readiness for compliance,’’ Abioye said.

He added that the union expected each state to start implementing its self-accounting law to deal with the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in line with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; and that states without such the law should put it in place.

He said the governors must ensure that the amount standing to the credit of the judiciary from the monthly federal allocation should be deducted directly from the source by the Accountant-General of the Federation and remit same to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for onward transmission to heads of courts.

According to JUSUN the budget of each state judiciary submitted to the implementation committee (received) on October 2, 2020) should be implemented with the deduction of the amount due to the state judiciaries directly from the source by Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) in line with Sections 81(3) and 162(9) of 1999 Constitution (as amended) for the states.

"The AGF should deduct from the monthly federal allocation and remit it to NJC for onward transmission of the fund to the heads of courts at the state judiciary. Until this is done, there is no going back, the strike would go on,’’ he said.

of 326 km standard gauge (1,435m) rail lines phase 1 from Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri.

He said: "Rail infrastructure development halted until the present administration came on board and brought to reality the railway modernisation plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) by commencing the implementation of the 1,367 km Lagos-Kano railway lines. The outcome of the present government

intervention includes completed and made operational the 186km AbujaKaduna Standard gauge rail lines; commencement of 185.5 km Lagos-Ibadan new double standard gauge rail lines in 2016 and is almost completed; completed and made operational, the 302 km Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri standard gauge rail lines; and connected the Apapa Ports by rail, while that of Warri Port has been concessioned.''

PANTAMI HAS ATONED, REMAINS MINISTER, SAYS PRESIDENCY power, “The Minister has been leading the charge against illegal data deductions and pricing; he has revolutionized the government’s virtual public engagement to respond to COVID-19 and save taxpayers’ money; he has established ICT startup centres to boost youth

entrepreneurship and create jobs; he has changed policy to ensure locally produced ICT content is used by ministries, starting with his own; and he has deregistered some 9.2 million SIMs - ending the ability for criminals and terrorists to flagrantly use mobile networks undetected.

In two short years, Minister Pantami has driven the contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP to more than 18 per cent, making it one of the top two playing a critical role in the emergence of the economy from the COVID 19-induced recession.”

Putting the removal of

NEGOTIATION WITH JUDICIAL WORKERS STALLED been on strike since April 6 to pressure governors to implement the law granting financial autonomy to state judiciaries and legislatures.

A meeting between the leadership of the striking workers' union, the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the federal government ended in a stalemate on Tuesday as the union walked out in protest over the delay in commencing the meeting.

The workers' strike, however, got the backing of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, yesterday with him saying that the reasons for their actions were genuine.

The agitation by the JUSUN and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) for financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislative arms of government in the states had led to the shutdown of courts nationwide for the second week running.

At a meeting between Gambari and the governors on Monday, both parties agreed on resolving the dispute, with the governors proposing May timeline for the commencement of the implementation of the autonomy.

But a presidency source told THISDAY yesterday that before the proposals by the governors were tabled before the leadership of JUSUN and PASAN for consideration last Tuesday, it was discovered that the governors had made some adjustments to their proposal.

The source said: "They reached an agreement in a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President and when they came to the Ministry of Labour and Employment for the reconciliatory meeting,

the Accountant-General of the Federation who is the chairman of the Implementation Committee on the Enforcement of Executive Order 10 and the representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum presented different documents.

"It was noticed that the NGF amended some aspects of the agreement they reached with the Chief of Staff on the previous day.”

He said that it was in the process of trying to reconcile the differences by the government team that the representatives of the government delayed the meeting with JUSUN officials.

According to him, this development delayed the commencement of the reconciliatory meeting with the leadership of the judiciary and parliamentary workers and their subsequent walkout.

The source said the president had taken up the matter with a view to resolving it.

On the issue of the implementation of the Executive Order 10, the source said under the agreement, the governors were expected to comply with the constitutional provision by transferring allocations due to the two other arms of government in their states to the accounts of their judiciaries and legislatures without any deductions.

He said the agreement also provided that when any state failed to comply with the agreement on financial autonomy, the Accountant-General of the Federation would invoke the

executive order to start the direct transfer of allocations from the Federation Account to the two arms without recourse to the governors.

The source, however, added that the governors later adjusted their position on the matter by insisting that they would make deductions from the judiciary allocations to pay for loans.

He said: "Governors have not agreed on the full transmission of allocations to the state judiciaries and legislatures.

“Some of the governors are still claiming that they are owing loans of various cadre and that these loans should be deducted before transmission of funds to the accounts of the judiciary and legislative arms of government.

“In addition, the governors said there are expenditures on capital projects such as the buildings housing the state Houses of Assembly, the courts and judges quarters, which are being built and managed by the state Ministries of Works and Housing. The state governors said that until such collective budgetary expenditures are deducted, they will not transfer the funds.”

NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had told journalists after the governors’ meeting with Gambari that he and his colleagues were in principle not opposed to financial autonomy for both the judiciaries and legislatures in the 36 states of the federation.

Reasons for Strike Genuine, Says CJN

NEC BACKS CBN, FINANCE MINISTER, SAYS NO MONEY PRINTED in the country.

On the resolution of security concerns in parts of the country, the council unanimously affirmed the unity of Nigeria, saying it will adopt the report of the national town hall meeting on national unity and security held recently in Kaduna.

The NEC, while welcoming the outcome of the town hall meeting, urged all states to hold wider consultations and report

back to NEC the outcomes of the meetings after which a national consensus would be reached on the recommendations which included the adoption of state police, among others.

On the budget support facility, Ahmed stated that the deductions for repayment by states would resume in May while the governors requested for an extension considering the economic challenges in the states.

Emefiele explained

the technical challenges involved should there be a further postponement of the deductions.

Osinbajo then directed that a meeting be held soon to reach a consensus on the matter.

In his presentation, Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, informed the council on how rail development was stalled in the 1960s until 1986 when the federal government commenced the construction

TOP GAINERS CUTIX PZ LINKASSURE COURTVILLE OANDO TOP LOSERS EKOCORP SUNUASSURE HONEYWELL

NGN NGN 0.14 2.14 0.35 5.40 0.04 0.84 0.01 0.24 0.12 3.15 NGN 0.60 5.40 0.06 0.60 0.12 1.30 SOVETRUST 0.02 0.23 UNITYBANK 0.04 0.55 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,420.00 Volume: 228.112 million shares Value: N2.635 billion Deals: 3,656 As at yesterday 22/4/2021 See details on Page 39

% 7.0 6.9 5.0 4.3 3.9 % 10 9.0 8.4 8.0 6.7

FRIDAY, ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

46

NEWS

Adesina: Africa May Lose $50bn to Climate Change By 2040 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said Africa could lose as much as $50 billion yearly by 2040 if the growing impact of climate change on the environment and livelihoods is not checked.

Speaking at a virtual international climate summit called by President Joe Biden of the United States, Adesina stated yesterday that the phenomenon remains a threat to Africa, with the continent

currently losing between $7 billion and $15 billion every year to the impact of climate change.

He added that this would rise to $50 billion per year by 2040, given different data sources, including statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to him, although Biden’s election has brought renewed hope in the world’s effort at tackling climate change, global action is still required to curb the menace.

He added that Africa, the

least carbon emitter, currently suffers the hugest impact of climate change, including droughts, floods and pest invasions.

"Africa is not at net zero, Africa is at ground zero. We must, therefore, give Africa a lift to get a chance of adapting to what it did not cause.

"At the AfDB, we are leading this charge for Africa.

We have committed $25 billion to climate change financing over the next four years. Our share of financing devoted to climate has risen from just a

mere 9 per cent in 2016 to 35 per cent in 2019 and we will reach 40 per cent this year," he stated.

Adesina said the AfDB was also setting the pace, being the only multilateral bank meeting and exceeding the 50 per cent parity for climate change adaptation and resilience.

He stated that in 2018, the bank devoted more than 50 per cent of its climate financing to climate adaptation, increasing it to a record 63 per cent last year.

He said the bank was

targeting 40 million farmers in climate-smart agricultural practices and speeding up the continent's renewable energy transition with support for the largest wind power plant in Kenya.

"Now we have embarked upon what we call desert to power, a $20 billion investment that will provide opportunities to turn the Sahel into the world's largest solar zone and provide electricity to 250 million people," he added.

Adesina said a $6.5 billion funding facility had been

earmarked to protect the Sahel against desertification, while deploying insurance premiums against catastrophes and building strategic partnerships.

He said Africa supported the actions towards saving the planet, adding that what is needed now to achieve more is greater funding.

"It's time developed countries meet their promise of $100 million per year for climate financing for developing countries. Together we must secure the future," he said.

ACADEMIC LAUREATES...

L-R: Rector, Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa and winner of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board most complaint institution, Dr. Olufunke Akinkurolere; best graduating student, Lagos State University, Ojoo, Mr. Oladimeji Shotunde; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; winner, Global Open Mathematics Tournament, Ms. Faith Odunsi; and Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, at the celebration of academic laureates in Abeokuta…yesterday

FG Grants NLNG N20bn Tax Waiver for Bodo Bridge Construction Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja The federal government has granted the Nigeria LNG Limited N20 billion in tax waiver for the construction of Bodo Bonny Bridge in Rivers State.

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service

(FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, yesterday presented the road infrastructure credit certificate to the company in Abuja.

Nami, represented by Coordinating Director, Tax Operations Group, Mr. Femi Oluwaniyi, urged other corporate bodies to join NLNG and Dangote Nigeria Limited to take advantage of government's

tax credit facility.

NLNG has so far received three credit certificates in the last three years valued at N46 billion, the latest being the third while the fourth is expected later in the year.

President Muhammadu Buhari had signed Executive Order Seven 07 in 2020, authorising companies that

provide critical infrastructure, including roads, to be granted tax waivers.

The Bodo Bonny Bridge and roads across Okpobo channels in Rivers State were constructed

by Julius Berger at a cost of N120.681 billion, the FIRS stated.

The FIRS boss, however, praised NLNG for paying its 2020 tax obligations valued

at N130 billion, three months ahead of time.

Receiving the tax credit certificate on behalf of NLNG, Mr. Bayo Denrele, said the company provided 50 per cent part-funding for Bodo Bonny Bridge project with the Federal Ministry of Works taking up the balance while Julius Berger handled the construction of the

bridge.

Denrele commended the FIRS for speedily processing the latest tax credit certificate, noting that the company got the last certificate in November 2020. He said: "The speed with which the FIRS handled the issuance of this certificate is a testament to the efficiency of the FIRS."

NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike over Sacking of Kaduna Workers Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC yesterday signified its intention to embark on a five-day warning strike to protest the decision of the Kaduna State government to lay off civil servants without paying their entitlements.

The NLC is also planning a security summit in Abuja on April 29 to find solutions to the security challenges facing the country.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja after the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the congress, NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said the warning strike had been proposed by the committee to demand the reversal of

the anti-labour policy of the Kaduna State Government.

NLC accused the state government of violating labour laws by laying off civil servants without their entitlements on the basis that the state lacked funds to continue paying a bloated civil service.

He added that the declaration of workers as being redundant without following due process violates the workers’ rights.

According to him, the insecurity in Kaduna State, which aggravated in recent times, affirmed the fears expressed by the labour on the likely consequences of the massive sack of workers.

According to him, the Kaduna State government

cannot be making excuses of a scarcity of funds when it generates over N50billion as internally-generated revenue yearly.

"The CWC has expressed concern over the illegal sacking of Kaduna civil servants. The entire workers in Nigeria have condemned the massive sacking of thousands of civil servants by the Kaduna State Government and the conversion of many of them to casual workers under the pretence of a paucity of funds or drop in revenue.

"Therefore, the CWC is recommending to the NEC meeting, which is to be held within the week, a number of actions to be taken against the Kaduna State Government.

"Having violated all known labour laws, the CWC has recommended to the NEC that all workers, whether public or private, will withdraw their services from all sectors of the economy for five days in the first instance, and where there is no remorse. It is going to be a total action because we know that Governor Nasir el-Rufai is not alone in this action- that there others who are part of it," he said.

NLC president added that the organised labour was worried about the worsening security situation in the country, hence the plan by the NLC to organise a security summit in Abuja on April 29, 2021, to proffer solutions to the menace.

"Labour is concerned about the state of insecurity in the country, particularly the spate of kidnappings for ransom and banditry and the latest security challenge in the South-east where criminals are killing security agents and then taking away their weapons.

"We cannot also, forget the ongoing challenge of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, which has not been addressed. Because of all of these, NLC is proposing to convene a second peace and security summit to be held in Abuja on April 29," he stated.

Wabba also spoke of the leadership succession crisis in the Labour Party, urging the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) to desist from being used by some unscrupulous politicians to destabilise the party.

Wabba stated that the leadership of labour was planning a low-key May Day celebration on May 1, adding that about half the capacity of the Eagle Square venue in Abuja would be used.

He said apart from the limitations posed by the COVID19 pandemic still ravaging the globe, labour would be scaling down the activities on May Day to show solidarity with Nigerians who are going through suffering as a result of growing inflation, job losses and unemployment.

47

FRIDAY APRIL 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

TRIBUTE TO YINKA ODUMAKIN...

Yinka Odumakin, a Samurai of The Struggle

Jimi Agbaje

“Yinka could not have died now. That was not the plan.

Yinka had only achieved 1% of what he planned to do.

This was not our understanding…”

That was the outpouring of a completely unbelieving and shattered Joe, on receiving the news that her husband of over two decades was no more.

That Joe and Yinka were of the opinion that only 1% of their plan for a better Nigeria had been achieved puts Yinka’s struggle in better perspective. It explains why he was always focused on what he considered important and why he refused to take a break. He never took credit for anything because, in his own thinking, a lot was still left to be done.

Since his demise, I have had an avalanche of commiserations from those who knew the relationship Yinka and I shared.

My wife and I could not have sunk into a greater depth of grief than we are in now. He was always a phone call away. As preparations begin to lay Yinka to mother earth, I cannot but add my own tribute to so many others.

What manner of man did God give us in Yinka, son of Odumakin? Unlike many mortals made of topsoil dust, Yinka appeared to have been fashioned in the depths of the earth from gold dust. He was such a dynamic person.

Shakespeare said of Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar, “This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the rest of the conspirators acted out of jealousy of great Caesar. Only he acted from honesty and for the general good. His life was gentle, and the elements mixed so well in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, This was a man.’” Yes, Yinka was such a man.

Like the oracle “Oduifa” in his pedigree, Yinka had wisdom, knowledge, understanding and vision. His analyses were outstanding. He had an uncanny grasp of Nigerian history and current aͿairs about his native South West, the Niger 'elta, the South (ast, the Middle %elt, and the twin wings of the core North. Odumakin’s network of connections was as formidable as his knowledge of all.

Governors formed his retinue of friends. So were electoral o΀cials and security agents. 'itto journalists. So were civil society aÀcionados. He befriended the drivers of his friends and the friends of his drivers.

He moved with the high and mighty but he was down to earth with them. If they messed up on principle and compromised on agreed goals, Yinka wasted no time in telling them oͿ. That was Odumakin for you.

Yinka “omo Akin”, fought like a blindfolded Samurai.

He wielded his sword in all directions, cutting friends and foes alike with his truth. Yinka was all about the M(SSAG( and cared very little about the messenger. He was ready to work with anyone, for as long as they were on the same page with the message. However, he would not think twice about stepping back if the message no longer aligned.

Heaven help the messenger if Yinka suspected betrayal of the cause. Any wonder, over the years, at his on and oͿ relationships with 3resident %uhari, former 3residents Obasanjo and Jonathan,, 3a Ayo Adebanjo, Asiwaju %ola Tinubu, Afenifere Renewal Group and so many more.

Our paths crossed in 1998, just before the beginning of the fourth republic. Yinka had been a student union activist in his university days, rusticated for student union politics and reabsorbed on a court order. His reputation as a civil rights activist followed him after university during the pro democracy struggle. He was an active member of the National 'emocratic Coalition NA'(CO . I, being involved in the pro democracy struggle on other platforms knew of him. We however got to meet when some of us decided to be more involved in the socio political organisation, Afenifere, credited for spearheading the founding of the Alliance for 'emocracy A' . We then began working together organising the various 3an Yoruba Congresses under the leadership of the late Senator Abraham Adesanya.

Afenifere at that time did not have a formal structure, neither did it have an o΀cial secretariat. It took some eͿort to convince the elders in the organisation to agree to a formal structure. When they did, Yinka Odumakin became Administrative Secretary and later the Spokesperson of Afenifere. I became the National Treasurer as well as Secretary of the 3olitical Committee of the Organisation. As members of the caucus we held meetings with the leadership every Monday, unless there were other engagements for the organisation. The 3olitical Committee had as its Chairman, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, former senator and one time governor of Kwara State. This Committee met every Tuesday and comprised a younger generation of committed members.

They included 3rince 'ayo Adeyeye, Chief Supo Shonibare, Rt. Hon. Niyi Afuye, 'r. Akin Onigbinde, Kola Awodein SAN, Sola Lawal, Yinka Odumakin and myself. In addition to the Monday caucus and Tuesday 3olitical Committee meetings we would meet on at least one or two other occasions in the course of the week. This was how Yinka and I bonded.

This close relationship cemented even more when I

Odumakin decided to run for Governor of Lagos State in 2007 and made me comfortable enough to have him as 'irector General of the camapign. I owe Yinka a debt of gratitude for the role he played during the course of the campaign.

Many may not know how very close Yinka was to the then Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju %ola Tinubu. Asiwaju has already published a tribute and I recommend it to all.

Yinka deserves no less.

Having decided to run for o΀ce in 2007, I informed Asiwaju Tinubu of my intention. I felt it proper to ask the incumbent and leading party member if there was any serious objection to my aspiration. I was not asking for endorsement, only a level playing Àeld to be provided for the party primaries. In his response, Asiwaju Tinubu assured me that one legacy he would want to leave is to hand over Lagos State to a successor that was the party’s choice and ultimately the choice of the people of Lagos State in free and fair elections. He made it clear that he had no anointed candidate and encouraged me to join others who had already thrown their hats into the ring.

Yinka also decided to approach his close ally to reconÀrm the feedback I gave him. He got the same assurance Asiwaju had given me. We therefore started the rigorous work of campaigning in the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN .

Weeks before the primaries, Yinka then informed me that Asiwaju had walked back on his commitment to a level playing Àeld for all aspirants. He had now decided on a preferred successor and asked other aspirants to step down.

I had personally gone too far to withdraw and told Yinka I would understand his leaving my campaign because of his close relationship with Asiwaju %ola Tinubu. Yinka looked me straight in the face and spoke for like 15 minutes. The summary of his statement was that he was his own person and nobody, however powerful, could change him from a course he believed in. He told me I was free to sack him but assured me that even if I did, he would not work with Asiwaju. I want to believe that was the Àrst major fall out Yinka had with Asiwaju. Yinka gave his ALL to that campaign and I never had any reason to doubt his commitment, loyalty and Ànancial transparency.

Yinka went everywhere he felt could bring about a better Nigeria. The word passive was not in his dictionary. He co founded Afenifere Renewal Group ARG with Hon. Wale Oshun, Gov. Kayode )ayemi, %abafemi Ojudu, late 'ipo Famakinwa, Tola Mobolurin, Alh. Lai Oyeduntan, Kunle Famoriyo and myself. He was also right beside 3astor Tunde %akare in the Save Nigeria Group SNG .

Save Nigeria Group SNG fought for the validation of 'r. Goodluck Jonathan who as 9ice to 3resident Umaru Yar’Adua, faced the existential threat of being sidelined by the cabal in the Aso 9illa during the absence, incapacitation and eventual death of the then 3resident. SNG came into the picture, organised protests and with other civil society organisations forced the hand of the National Assembly to declare the “'octrine of Necessity.” This paved way for Jonathan to become Acting 3resident and later be sworn in as 3resident when 3resident Yar’Adua died.

Yinka’s commitment to ‘the message’ played out when

3resident Jonathan’s government increased the price of fuel from N67 to N87 on New Year’s day 2012. For Yinka it was the message that mattered, not the messenger involved.

Jonathan had been a friend, now that His (xcellency had stepped out of line with what he considered an anti people policy, Yinka the Samurai wielded his sword.

It was yet another matter when Jonathan bought into the idea of a Sovereign National Conference SNC and convened the 2014 National Conference to discuss the National Question.

Since Yinka had always advocated for a national dialogue he had no reservations to being a part of the process and was a very vocal delegate. He exerted no little energy to see to the success of the Conference of a government he had vehemently opposed over a fuel price hike.

With 3astor Tunde %akare becoming the running mate to General %uhari in the 2011 polls, Yinka was appointed Media Adviser to the General. He executed his duties diligently, traversing the length and breath of the country to sell the joint ticket. However, Yinka became a Àerce critic of 3resident %uhari over his government’s refusal to restructure the country.

Still on ‘the message’, Yinka was a key member of the Afenifere Renewal Group ARG which was founded by younger members of Afenifere. They had become frustrated by the unwillingness of the Afenifere elders and the former South West governors to work together. When Yinka felt the new ARG platform was shifting from its guiding principles, he returned to the ‘elders’ in the main body. All was forgiven and Yinka got reabsorbed as the Spokesman for Afenifere.

He was indeed more than a spokesman for the organisation.

His loss to Afenifere and 3a Ayo Adebanjo, in particular, is better imagined. Till date, I have not found the words of condolence and comfort to oͿer 3a Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Cornelius Adebayo.

I do not know if Yinka was ever a card carrying member of the Alliance for 'emocracy but I do know that he never joined a political party after that. He just never believed enough in the consistency of messengers to formally associate with them. The only exception would be with the late leader of Afenifere, Senator Abraham Adesanya after whom he named his only child.

He regarded himself as a technocrat and professional, working with politicians. He discharged his duties with unequalled sagacity, wisdom and prudence. He was employer, business man, broadcaster, writer, journalist, activist, MC, reformer, mobiliser, defender, mentor, motivator, tactician, negotiator and most of all a team player.

He was also lover, husband, father and friend. In marriage, God blessed him with a soulmate and partner in Joe, an Amazon equally committed to the struggle. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and Abraham in particular and the Odumakin family in general.

Like every human being Yinka had crosses to bear, but he carried them with the stoicism of the biblical Job. (very challenge thus became a stepping stone towards the great persona that fate and destiny fashioned him into. That was Yinka.

Nigeria lost a towering patriot in Yinka Odumakin .

May his lion’s soul rest in peace.

48

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

1R 0RWLRQ RQ 3DQWDPL ZDV 6KXW GRZQ +RXVH &ODULÀHV Minister hasn’t changed, says Ozekhome

Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday said there was no time at its Wednesday’s plenary that a motion calling for the resignation of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, was treated or shut down.

This is coming as human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said Pantami remained unÀt to oversee critical digital and telecommunications agencies of government because “his antecedents are quite worrisome”.

At the plenary yesterday, Hon. Ahmed Jaha from Borno State, said the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila did not shut down a motion brought by the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, on Pantami.

Jaha, who came under Order 6, Rule 1 and 2 of the Standing Orders of the House, which border on matters of privilege of the individual lawmakers, the

same order cited by Elumelu on Wednesday, said what happened was misrepresented.

He explained, “I woke up early in the morning today to have my Sahur and came across media publications that this House took a position and refused or stopped the Minority Leader from bringing a matter for the removal of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

“He said his privilege was breached because as someone that was in the chamber on Wednesday, there was no motion that was blocked by the Speaker, who presided over the day’s plenary.

“From what happened, this House did not stop any such move. What I know is that the presiding o΀cer only said the order cited was wrong and that the Minority Leader can come through the right order.

“There was no point where this presiding o΀cer stopped the motion (calling) for removal

of the minister.”

He said the issue of insecurity was a very serious one, noting that, “The interest of the nation is above any individual interest.”

Before ruling on the matter, Speaker Gbajabiamila said as Jaha rightly observed, Ndudi Elumelu came under Order

6, which dealt with matters of privilege.

“As provided for in our rules, matters that come under privilege are not debated. They are not motions. They are not seconded as a motion should”.

Meanwhile, Ozekhome said yesterday that Pantami had not

changed, pointing out that it contracted Islamic TV to cover a recent federal government’s event.

Ozekhome, in a statement titled, ‘Isa Patami: The Leopard And Its Unchanging Spots’, said though the communications minister recently renounced his

radical pro-Taliban comments, he hasn’t really changed as a “fanatic, fundamentalist and supporter of extremist Islamic sects”.

“Has he really changed? What has changed? Can a leopard ever change its spots? Ozekhome asked.

FG Plans Policy to Boost Local Syringe, Needles Manufacturing Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has assured that his ministry would ensure that all federal government-owned health institutions in the country would only procure and use syringes and needles manufactured in Nigeria.

Ehanire gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja during a public hearing that was

organised by the Senate’s committees on Health and Industry Trade and Investment.

The committees are jointly probing a petition by the Medical Device Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MDMAN).

The MDMAN, in its petition, alleged that government at all tiers were not patronising their products but chose to embrace foreign syringes and needles.

But Osagie told the panel that

his ministry would ensure that the Federal Executive Council would approve the policy within the next weeks.

He said that it would also be an oͿence for any federal health institutions in the country to administer vaccines procured by federal government, with foreign syringes and needles when the policy is in place.

Osagie said: “We have listened to the position of the committee and we want

to assure the chairman and other distinguished members that we will come up with the policy and get approval from the Federal Executive Council within six weeks as suggested by the committee.

“We are in support of the move to encourage local manufacturing of syringes and needles because it is the best way to create jobs and take Nigerians out of poverty.

TRIBUTE TO YINKA ODUMAKIN...

A Fearless Activist Now Rests: A Tribute to Yinka Odumakin Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON With the demise of Yinka Odunmakin, Nigeria lost one of her most courageous and patriotic citizens, and the Yoruba nation lost an illustrious son. Yinka was one of the legends of the pro-democracy struggles, known for speaking truth to power and championing the cause of justice and fairness – he remained consistent through many decades of activism till his demise.

Injustice in our society transcends the contradictions between where we should be as a country and the daily experiences of the average Nigerian and encompasses fundamental deÀcits in our political economy. Yinka’s belief in justice as a primary condition for ensuring peace inspired his participation in the struggle against military rule and towards the restoration of the annulled June 12 presidential mandate. He was a fearless and dogged Àghter, whose activism dates to our alma mater, the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he served as the 3ublic Relations O΀cer of the Students’ Union Government.

For many of us that were involved in the historic pro-democracy movement that birthed Nigeria’s fourth republic, we all remember Yinka as the stormy petrel of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) who was never afraid to speak truth to power during the dark and dangerous days of authoritarian rule – and he paid dearly for it. Yinka was arrested, brutalized, and held in detention at the dreaded Alagbon alongside other pro-democracy activists for their anti-establishment confrontations.

With the return of civilian rule in 1999, Yinka understood that we had only arrived at a milestone on a journey – the journey of democratizing the Nigerian polity which is still in progress even to this day. He quickly located himself in the new order, choosing to position himself as a public critic and activist for a Nigeria that truly embraces democracy, fairness, equity, and justice. For him, issues of injustice were bound up with deep-seated Áaws in the structure of the Nigerian state with its over-centralization and unitary governance which has seized the developmental initiative from Nigeria’s constituent communities and crippled them by rendering them dependent on federal hand-outs.

He found the right channels and platforms to give expression to his agitations – a paradox of sorts continuing his Àght for democracy and justice with a democratically elected government in place. But that was quintessential Yinka who never feared to go against conventional wisdom, choosing to continue the struggle from the margins even when he had the opportunity to get into public o΀ce. He went on to earn for himself the reputation of being one of the most irrepressible voices of conscience and reason, who spoke timely, boldly, and thoughtfully on important national issues.

Odumakin When I took to politics and public o΀ce, our relationship expectedly evolved from being close comrades at the barricades, to what would appear as adversaries on opposing sides. While we had chosen diͿerent means to advance our common objectives of a just and equitable Nigeria, Yinka and I were able to compartmentalize our relationship to ensure his acerbic positions sometimes directed at me personally, did not aͿect our relationship.

I happily bore the brunt of his ‘attacks’ because I knew it came from a good place – a heart that loved Nigeria and the Yoruba nation.

On one occasion in 2019, Yinka speaking on behalf of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, of which he was spokesman, berated me for my admonitions that proponents of restructuring in the South-West should interface with other zones to actualize their mission. Yinka accused me of mischief “in making such revisionism”.

In his statement, he lambasted me saying: “We would ordinarily have ignored such an unkind cut if it had come from any ignorant fellow. But His Excellency cannot be counted among the ignorant and could only have been mischievous in making such revisionism.” We fellowshipped together in Ekiti many times after that statement including when he was a guest at a birthday reception held in my honour a few months after.

Yinka devoted his days to the pursuit of the interest of the Yoruba people within the context of a united Nigeria practicing true and functional federalism. Though he was also concerned about wider national developmental issues, he was more fanatical about matters that concwerned the Yorubas. The clarity of his vision for Nigeria was infectious and he never wavered in his belief that regional autonomy was the solution to the perennial crisis of instability in Nigeria.

Until his death, he was the national publicity secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group. Afenifere bequeathed to succeeding generations the tradition they equally inherited from their forebears – our characteristic tendency to work together as one in the pursuit of a common cause, regardless of our diͿering backgrounds.

Yinka’s death leaves us with a formidable legacy. A legacy of speaking truth to power, a legacy of promoting fundamental human rights, a legacy of promoting a restructured, truly Federal Nigeria based on a people-driven constitutional order and an electoral frame that places premium on the citizens, not the imposed opinions of a few. During our last encounter, when he visited me at my o΀cial residence in Ado Ekiti, he expressed admiration for our determination to keep Àghting the cause of social justice and true federalism from the inside, as complementary to the eͿorts of people like him who stayed at the barricades. He argued why we should never contemplate giving the struggle up no matter how tortuous and long the journey might appear.

ReÁecting on the passing of this remarkable Nigerian, I am struck by the transience of earthly greatness. But we are consoled by the fact that he lived a good life. It is worth scanning the horizons today for their heirs. We must continue to invest in the next generation to emulate the pristine values of character, commitment and integrity promoted by the vanishing tribe of freedom Àghters. We need to light more candles for a genuinely democratic, free, and just Nigeria and carry the light forward into all the dark recesses in our land so that pantheons of the struggle like Yinka that are no longer with us, can truly rest in peace.

Adieu Olayinka Odumakin, the journey continues.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum

49

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Buhari Kicks as Bandits Kill 50 Persons in Zamfara Communities Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest killing of tens of people by bandits in Zamfara State, warning that “such wanton disregard for life will be brought to an end sooner than later.”

No fewer than 50 persons were killed while several others were wounded when bandits invaded over six communities in Zamfara State.

The bandits were said to have carried out the attacks in over six communities in Magami Ward of Gusau Local Government Area

and Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Most of the victims of the attack were members of the local vigilante group known as Yansakai keeping watch on their communities.

The affected communities include: Kangon farimana, Ruwan dawa, Yargada, Kunkelai, Yarzaiga, Yar doka Gobirawa, Bayan Banki, and Biyabiki in Gusau and Maru Local Government Areas of the state.

The bandits stormed the communities early hours of Wednesday and started shooting sporadically in the air to scare the

locals before unleashing mayhem Members of the vigilante group who attempted to repel the attack were overpowered by the criminals.

The exact figures of the casualties cannot be ascertained as at the time of filing this report but locals said at least 50 persons were killed during the simultaneous attacks.

Police in the state have

confirmed the incident but said troops could not reach out to the scene of the attack as they were not informed in good time due to a lack of mobile phone network in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, President Buhari in a reaction to the incident by his Media Assistant, Malam Garba Shehu said “this insane and persistent violence against innocent people must stop”,

adding that “these criminals should stop pushing their luck too far by believing that the government lacks the capacity to crush them.”

He directed the military, security and intelligence agencies to take immediate steps to close all existing gaps in their operations being exploited by criminals to wreak havoc, and expressed hope the Special Operation launched by

the military at 3:00am yesterday from Maru Local Government Area will prove decisive in ridding the state of the “frequent and horrifying “bandit activities.

“The violence against poor villagers who are struggling with poverty and other severe economic challenges is not going to be tolerated by this administration,” the President warned.

Gunmen Attack Kaduna +RVSLWDO .LGQDS 7ZR 1XUVHV Some bandits in the early hours of yesterday attacked Idon General Hospital in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, kidnapping two nurses on night duty.

This is coming barely 24 hours after bandits attacked the GreenÀeld University along the Kaduna – Abuja highway in Chikun Local Government Area of the state, killing a staͿ member of the institution, and

abducting several students.

The hoodlums were said to have stormed the hospital through the fence, shooting indiscriminately and in the process took away two nurses.

The Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Mr. Casfra Caino, conÀrmed the incident to journalists yesterday.

He urged residents of the area to remain calm.

PAYING HOMAGE…

L-R: Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; and President Muhammadu Buhari, after the meeting of northern governors with the President at the State House, Abuja...yesterday

Delta Police Control Room *XWWHG %\ ÀUH 6XVSHFWHG 5REEHUV .LOO 16&'& 2ͿFHU Sylvester Idowu in Warrior

There was pandemonium at the Delta State Police Headquarters, Asaba, yesterday as the control room was engulfed by Àre.

THISDAY gathered that the incident, which started at about 3pm, caused panic as o΀cers and visitors were seen scampering for safety.

It was however learnt that the Àre was caused by electrical spark that occurred at the Command’s control engine room and destroyed some gadgets and part of the building housing the unit.

Security sources disclosed that some o΀cers and men of the command however made frantic eͿorts to salvage some sensitive documents before the arrival of men of the Àre service who eventually put out the Àre.

The Acting Police Public

Relations O΀cer (PPRO) Bright Edafe, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in a statement issued yesterday, conÀrmed the Àre outbreak at the command’s engine room.

“The command wishes to state that the Àre outbreak aͿected only a part of the control room. Fire service was called immediately, and their timely intervention saved the situation.

“Presently, Àre has been put out. Cause of Àre incident not yet known but suspected to be as a result of electrical spark from the communication engine room.

“Meanwhile, investigation into the incident has commenced. The Commissioner of Police urge members of the public to ignore any rumor contrary to the actual fact stated above”, he added.

Security Agents Foil Attempted Jail Break in Kano Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Security agents yesterday frustrated a violent attempted jail break by inmates of Kurmawa prison located within the precinct of Emir’s Palace in Kano.

Spokesman of the state Correctional Service, DSC Musbahu Lawal Kofar Nasarawa told journalists in Kano last night that there was an attempt by some condemned prisoners to cause pandemonium in the prison.

“We have put down the rebellion through the concerted eͿorts of the prison o΀cials,” he said.

Nasarawa disclosed that the dispute was triggered by an attempt by the prison o΀cials to retrieve illicit items

found with the prisoners.

According to him, the crisis has no link with either lack of food supply or poor quality of the food.

He also revealed that normalcy had been restored as all inmates were back in their conÀnement.

Sporadic gunshots were heard within the centre as most residents settled to break their fast yesterday.

UnconÀrmed report initially had it that the commotion was triggered by the poor quality of food they are served for iftar, despite the fact that a philanthropist, Alhaji Abdussamad Rabiu, provided adequate food items to cater for the Ramadan needs of the prisoners at the facility

&DUW $ZD\ +LV 5LÁH LQ %HQLQ DAdibe Emenyonu in Benin City Suspected armed robbers yesterday shot dead an o΀cer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on guard at the private residence of the Bursar of the University

of Benin (UNIBEN) at Ogheghe Community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State The incident, according to a community source, occurred at about 2:45pm when the gunmen were Áeeing from a robbery scene in the area.

They were said to have

landed at the Bursar’s residence after scaling through a nearby fence.

According to the source: “upon landing at the Bursar’s compound, the gunmen met the NSCDC o΀cer identiÀed as Mr. Alex Osaghae sleeping, and immediately opened Àre

on him and thereafter made away with the o΀cer’s ri΁e.”

When contacted, the University of Benin’s Bursar, Mr. Victor Imagbe and the institution’s Spokesperson, Dr. Benedicter Ehanire, did not respond to inquiries as at the time of Àling this report.

Gunmen Abduct 18 Passengers in Oyo 25 persons kidnapped in 24 hours, says Oyo NUJ

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers yesterday hijacked a 18-seater passenger commercial bus in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, precisely along the Igboora/ Eruwa road, and abducted all the passengers.

This is coming as the Oyo State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has decried the kidnapping of 25 persons within 24 hours in Ibarapa area of the state, describing the development as scary.

The bus was said to be heading to Eruwa.

It was further learnt that the abductors hijacked the vehicle

and took all the passengers to an unknown destination.

A source, who is a family member of one of the victims, said the gunmen had demanded the sum of N10 million for the release of each of the victims.

He said: “Yes, 18 people were kidnapped this morning - seven persons yesterday and 18 today.”

“The rate of kidnappings in ibarapa in the last few weeks has become worrisome. Yesterday at 5.00pm, seven persons who were on their way to Eruwa had their vehicle stopped on the bridge and were whisked away into the kidnapper’s vehicle. “This has taken a new dimension. I am greatly disturbed.

“The police are back on the

road extorting money from drivers. With their presence nothing has changed. Should we say their presence has brought the resurgence of kidnappings in the region.

“They were busy extorting money, which is very important to them, while kidnappers are free to do their nefarious act.

“Two weeks ago, two students were kidnapped. The parents paid 1.2million before their release. The commercial vehicle conveying the students was stopped midway. The poor state of the road has added injury to the scenario. Where do we go from here”, he said.

EͿorts to get reaction from the state Police Public Relations

O΀cer (PPRO), Mr. Adewale Osifeso, proved abortive as calls put through to his mobile phone were not answered while an SMS sent to him for his reaction has not been replied as at the time of Àling this report.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Council of the NUJ has decried the kidnapping of 25 persons within 24 hours in Ibarapa area of the state, describing the development as scary.

A statement signed by the NUJ Chairman and Secretary, Ademola Babalola and Sola Oladapo respectively, urged the state Police Commissioner, Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko, to relocate to the troubled area in order to restore sanity in the area.

Anna Anyianu Ojeh for Burial May 7 The family of Mr. Samuel E. Ojeh in Owa-Oyibu, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State has announced the death of its matriarch, Mrs. Anna Anyianu Ojeh, which took place on March 7, 2021, at the age of 79.

According to a statement issued by the Ojeh’s family, the Service of Songs for the

departed will take place on May 6, 2021, by 5pm, while the funeral service will take place on May 7, 2021 by 8:30am, at Saint Peters’ Anglican Church, No. 101 Okobi Street, Boji Boji Owa, in Ika North East LGA of the state.

The statement disclosed that interment will follow immediately in Osakwe’s

compound in Ogbe Unor quarters, Ejeme Aniogor, Aniocha South LGA in Delta State.

Entertainment of guest will take place after internment at the Owa Model School, Owa Ekei Road, Boji Boji Owa. She is survived by her husband, Samuel E. Ojeh, seven children and many grandchildren.

Anna Anyianu Ojeh

50

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

FG Deploys Cameras to Passport 2ͿFHV WR &KHFN 5DFNHWHHULQJ

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has deployed hidden and public cameras to all passport o΀ces across the country to check passport racketeering and corruption.

Addressing journalists yesterday after a meeting with all passport control o΀cers in 42 passport o΀ces nationwide and immigration attaches in foreign missions who joined the meeting virtually, the Minister

of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said eͿorts are on to embed security operatives both seen and unseen, in all passport o΀ces.

He said: “They will wear body cameras. They will detect and report any form of solicitations, inÁation, improper communications, extortion, diversion, hoarding and other corrupt practices,” warning that those caught will be dealt with according to the law.

The minister further disclosed

that an Ombudsman would also be created for members of the public to receive complaints and reports on o΀cers trying to deviate from prescribed guidelines and subvert process.

Aregbesola said: “Therefore, I am declaring a zero-tolerance stance to all forms of touting.

No applicant will be made to pay any illegitimate fees.”

He said the entire passport application process by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) would be witnessing

an entire turnaround in six weeks, so as to ensure seamless, transparent, as well as accord human dignity to applicants and fulÀll citizenship integrity in line with the mandate of the Ministry of Interior.

Aregbesola in his speech titled: ‘A New Dawn in Passport Application Processing’, said: “We have had several challenges in the past, including shortage of booklets, touting, racketeering, inÁating the cost, passports

being issued to ineligible persons, among others. It has become imperative therefore to review our operations and rejig our system in order to oͿer excellent services to our clients.”

Highlights of the meeting with the ComptrollerGeneral of NIS, Mohammad Babandede Passport O΀cers, as well as the attaches in Nigeria Missions abroad, According to Aregbesola, included the creation of

special centres for expedited services.

“These special centres are to run on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. This has already taken oͿ in Abuja and 10 more will be opened in coming weeks, as more of such centres will be opened all over the country. Our goal is to have one in each local government area, university campuses, institutions of higher learning and other places,” he stated.

3'3 /DPHQWV )UHVK .LOOLQJV LQ =DPIDUD 2WKHUV Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday lamented the last Tuesday’s massacre of no fewer than 30 Nigerians in simultaneous bandit attacks on four villages in two Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.

The party also bemoaned the killing of a staͿ as well as abduction of unknown number of students of GreenÀeld University in Kaduna State, the same Tuesday night.

According to a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, “It is saddening that bandits and terrorist elements are now holding our country to ransom due to the manifest lack of commitment by the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and the disoriented

All Progressives Congress (APC) to decisively confront the situation and secure our country.

“Today, under President Buhari, our country has become an expansive killing Àeld where bandits, terrorist, kidnappers and invaders are having a Àeld day despoiling our communities and killing our compatriots. “This is completely unacceptable!”

PDP added: “Our party recalls that we had advised President Buhari to conduct a holistic rejigging of our national security architecture, but the president only replaced the faces of the service chiefs, without any attention to serious operational issues, as if the replacement of commanders were the exclusive magic wand for the security challenges facing our country.

CONSULTATIVE VISIT……

L-R: Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; spokesman of Itsekiri delegation, Chief Brown Mene; and the Ologbotsere of Itsekiri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Omatseye, during the visit of members of the Olu of Warri Advisory Council to formally notify the governor of the demise of the 19th Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, at the Government House, Asaba…yesterday

-$0% ,QWURGXFHV ¶.QRZ <RXU 5HJLVWUDWLRQ %XKDUL )HOLFLWDWHV :LWK (PLU 2ͿFHU· LQ 870( 3URFHVV RI ,ORULQ $W Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has joined family and friends to felicitate with the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Council (KSTC), Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari, on his 81st birthday.

Buhari, in a congratulatory message to Sulu-Gambari that was issued yesterday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, hailed the royal father on the auspicious occasion of another anniversary and appreciated the noble and highly commendable roles he

played as a former Justice of the Appeal Court, Judge of the High Court, administrator, community developer and foremost nationalist.

He extolled the humility and modernising vision of the Emir for his domain and the country who consistently urged both the young and old to pursue dreams of acquiring good education and working for the betterment of society.

He also prayed for longer life and good health for the royal father, who has contributed greatly to the development of sports in Nigeria

(OHFWLRQV 6$1 :DQWV 3ROLWLFDO 3DUWLHV /LPLWHG WR 6L[ Chuks Okocha and Alex Enumah in Abuja A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, yesterday called for the limitation of political parties to a maximum of six as part of measures to bring sanity to the country’s political system ahead of the 2023 general election.

According to Fagbemi, the present 86 political parties are too impracticable for Nigerians, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He made the suggestion when spoke at the on-going National Workshop on Election Petition Review in Abuja.

The workshop was organised by the Court of Appeal in collaboration with the International Foundation on Electoral System (IFES).

In his paper titled: “Reform of Election Litigation Process: The Constitution, Electoral Act and the Practice Directions’, Fagbemi argued that a situation where INEC and Nigerians would have to contend with over 86 political parties in an election cannot augur well for any electoral process.

He disclosed that the trend had led to series of confusion for the electoral body and the electorate, especially exclusions that were not deliberate on the part of INEC.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has provided space for an image of the Registration O΀cer to be displayed at the corner of the screen being used for the registration of the candidate besides his/her biometric details that had been captured.

It said the move was to further fortify the registration process and ensure that candidates know where and

who is registering them for the 2021 UniÀed Tertiary Matriculation Examination Board (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) exercise.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board said candidates registering for the 2021 UTME/DE exercise are urged to ensure that the picture shown on the corner of the screen is the same person

registering them.

It stated that: “If the picture does not match the face of the Registration O΀cer, candidates should immediately raise the alarm as such a person is not authorised to register them, or they are in a completely unauthorised registration outlet.”

He said such measure was in addition to several others put in place to guide against

manipulation, abuse and exploitation of candidates as well as to forestall examination malpractices.

The JAMB spokesman said: “The Board’s innovations, including this one which comes with some little changes and additions to its processes, are to make the system better and fortiÀed against those who are working non-stop to take advantage of the system.

+RXVH 3DVVHV %LOO WR 6SHFLI\ 7LPH )UDPH IRU &RQGXFW RI &HQVXV Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday passed for second reading a bill seeking to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to specify a time frame for the conduct of the National Population Census.

The sponsor of the bill, Hon. Babajimi Benson, in his lead debate, said it was unfortunate that Nigeria does not have a

good history of census, especially since after independence.

He recalled that the last population census conducted in Nigeria was in 2006, saying the exercise was enmeshed in a lot of controversies, which was not good for a country that aims at developing.

The lawmaker said the bill, when passed, would set a time frame and helps the country to conduct population censuses

in Nigeria for the purpose of eͿective planning and development of the country.

Benson said its advantages included adequate budgeting for the exercise and provision of personnel since the time frame is Àxed.

According to him, “There is no structured format for conducting the exercise and those that were conducted have been shrouded in controversies.

These include the 1962, 1963, 1973, 1991 and 2006 censuses out of which only the 1963 exercise has been o΀cially accepted.

Furthermore, population census exercises have been marred by poor organisational and managerial challenges, sta΀ng and logistical shortages, weak technological capacity, inadequate funding, and sta΀ng and logistical shortages.

2QGR 3ROLFH 3DUDGH 6XVSHFWV IRU $OOHJHG &KLOG 7KHIW .LGQDSSLQJ 2WKHU 2;HQFHV James Sowole in Akure A middle-aged woman, Titilayo Kudaisi, who allegedly sold her one-year-old child for N300, 000 in connivance with her boyfriend, Akinsete Seyi, were among the 27 suspects paraded by the Ondo State police yesterday for various oͿences, including robberies, kidnapping, child theft and assault on police o΀cers.

The suspects, who included two women, were paraded at the headquarters of the Ondo State Police Command on Igbatoro Road, Akure.

The woman, who stated that the father of the child had died, claimed that her boyfriend led her into the act.

Addressing journalists on the successes recorded by the command, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr.

Bolaji Salami, said the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to have stolen another sixmonth-old baby boy from Odo-Ota Sawmill, Olorun in Kwara State, who they intended to sell.

While giving a breakdown of other suspects, the commissioner said six persons were arrested for alleged armed robbery, three arrested for alleged murder, 22 for alleged

kidnapping and four persons for allegedly assaulting police o΀cers.

On the murder suspects, Salami gave their names as Nanko Happiness and a house-boy, Emmanuel Akpan.

According to the commissioner, Happiness allegedly killed her rival, Napri Blessing, during a Àght at Sunshine Garden Estate on Oda Road on April 7, 2021.

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

51

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

House Rejects Bill Seeking to Reduce Cases in Supreme Court The House of Representatives yesterday voted out a bill seeking to limit the category of litigations that can be appealed at the Supreme Court.

The intention of the bill was to reduce the workload on the apex court, and speed up justice delivery.

The lawmakers at the plenary yesterday considered for second reading, ‘A Bill for An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (First Alteration) Act, 2010; and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Second Alteration) Act, 2010, to make appeals to the Supreme Court to be by leave in order to reduce workload

on the court, expedite hearing and determination of appeals, and encourage e΀ciency and quality; and for related matters.’

Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. OnoÀok Luke, who sponsored the bill, said its objectives were to expedite hearing and determination of both civil and criminal matters and appeals by the Supreme Court; eliminate unnecessary delay in justice delivery and administration by the Supreme Court; and expedite justice dispensation and boosts people’s conÀdence in the judiciary.

Luke further said the proposed amendment would save litigants from unnecessary and avoidable costs, delays

Lawmakers Probe Nationwide Jail Breaks Udora Orizu in Abuja

(NSC).

The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday mandated its Committee on Reformatory and Correctional Institutions to investigate various jailbreaks caused by hoodlums across the country.

The House called on the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) Centres to immediately reinforce the armed squad of the service as part of measures to prevent the spate of attacks on prisons across the country.

The lower chamber also called for the eͿective collaboration between the federal and state governments to tackle unforeseen attacks, and for security agencies to intensify eͿorts to recapture escapees in view of the danger they portend.

The House further resolved to amend extant rules to enable membership of the Controller-General of NCS into the National Security Council

The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance, titled: ‘The need to investigate jailbreaks across the country with a view to forestalling reoccurrence’, sponsored by Hon. Chudy Momah.

Moving the motion, Momah expressed concern at the spate of attacks on correctional facilities across the country in recent times, which has become a source of internal security threat to the country.

He recalled that in the last couple of years, many cases of jailbreaks have been recorded across Nigeria instigated by both internal and external forces.

The lawmaker said the House is aware that recent jailbreaks, particularly the Owerri case, where 1,844 inmates were released and operational tools completely destroyed, have heightened insecurity in the country.

NCC Arrests Five Suspects RYHU 6,0 &DUGV )UDXG The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday announced the arrest of Àve suspects for alleged engagement in the fraudulent registration and sales of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

In a statement issued in Abuja by the Director, Public AͿairs, NCC, Mr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC said the arrest was carried out by a joint team from the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department of the commission, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Wuse area of Abuja.

“The arrested suspects were subsequently handed over to the NSCDC Federal Capital Territory Command, Wuse, Abuja for further investigation with respect to the allegations leveled against them.”

NCC’s Head of Enforcement, Mr. Salisu Abdu, who led the

joint enforcement exercise, said the operation was part of the routine activities embarked upon by the commission to rid the industry of criminal elements engaging in fraudulent registration of SIM cards.

Abdu said, “It is criminal and fraudulent to pre-register a SIM card in Nigeria and it is an oͿence punishable under the law.

“Though the federal government recently lifted the ban on sale of new SIM cards, it should be noted that proper registration of SIM cards and linking them to National Identity Number before activation has now become a prerequisite.”

Abdu warned those who were engaged in the unlawful registration of SIM cards to desist from the illegal act, as the commission would continue to collaborate with relevant law enforcement agencies in its routine enforcement activities.

and pains; encourage foreign investment and bolster economic development; stabilise the polity and reduce the risk of citizens, residents

and investors resorting to self-help; and encourage sound decisions and grant the Supreme Court room to focus on its primary duty of

legal policy formulations.

He said, “The slow pace of justice delivery in Nigeria, occasioned partly by excessive workload on the Supreme

Court, is a serious problem which hinders easy and speedy access to justice, and it requires drastic, urgent solutions.

DEEPENING COLLABORATION……

L-R: Assistant Conservator-General, Dr. Agboola George Okeyoyin; Conservator-General, National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni; Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, ‘Development Agenda,’ Mr. Paddy Ezeala; and Assistant Conservator-General, Mr. Yakubu Mohammed Kolo, during the formal presentation of the magazine to the Conservator-General at the National Park Service headquarters in Abuja…recently

Insecurity: House Urges IG, DSS to Beef up Security in Edo LGs The House of Representatives has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to as a matter of urgency, step up actions in curtailing the incidents of kidnapping and banditry in Owan Federal Constituency and the country at large.

The House also urged the executive arm of government to

initiate a holistic, implementable strategy including immediate recruitment of o΀cers, deployment of personnel, support for vigilante groups and local hunters as well as dialogue with critical stakeholders to immediately address the incessant kidnappings and abductions in the area.

The resolution came on the heels of a motion titled “Motion on the urgent Need

to Beef-Up Security in Owan Federal Constituency to Mitigate the Increase in Kidnapping Activities”, moved by Hon. Julius O. Ihonvbere representing the zone.

Presenting the motion, Ihonvbere stated that Owan Federal Constituency comprising Owan East and West Local Government Areas of Edo State were currently besieged by kidnappers.

He said the unhealthy development had posed a threat to the peaceful existence and security of lives and property in the constituency.

“As a border constituency with porous borders, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals Áeeing from the actions of Amotekun in Ondo State have now Áed into Owan Federal Constituency to continue their nefarious activities.

Abiodun Splashes House, Cash Gifts on Academic Laureates Kayode Fasua in Abeokuta The Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday gave out a two-bedroom bungalow and a sum of N2million to Mr. Oladimeji Sotunde, an indigene of the state who emerged as the Overall Best Graduating Student of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.

Abiodun equally announced that his administration would

set up an Education Endowment Fund with a seed money of N5million, in honour of Faith Odunsi, a student of the Ambassadors College, Ota, who emerged winner in the Global Open Mathematics Tournament.

The governor made these known at the presentation of awards and certiÀcates to outstanding teachers and learners in various competitions,

held at the Obas’ Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The event tagged ‘Celebration of Ogun Laureates 2021’, was organised by the state government to honour students and teachers, who won laurels in diͿerent educational completions such as mathematics quiz, JETS, Teacher of the Year, NYSC Presidential Award and so on.

According to the governor,

the awardees had further put Ogun on the global pedestal, hence, the need to honour them.

While noting that education remained one of the biggest industries in Ogun and one of the proudest legacies bequeathed by the founding fathers of the state, Abiodun added that “the achievements recorded by these students and teachers are on their own, entry tests for greater achievements”.

6DQZR 2OX 8QYHLOV )LYH \HDU )RRG 6XͿFLHQF\ 5RDG 0DS Segun James

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday unveiled an audacious agricultural growth plan that would enhance food su΀ciency in the state.

The Àve-year food security road map will see a sustained public and private sectors’ investment in agricultural value

chains to give Lagos comparative advantages in the food sector and enhance the state self-su΀ciency in food production from the current 18 per cent to 40 per cent over the next 60 months.

Sanwo-Olu at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Agriculture at the Intercontinental Hotels, Victoria Island, yesterday rolled out the agricultural road map, which will be achieved

through a three-pronged approach.

The governor said the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security in Lagos necessitated an immediate action towards ensuring food security for residents of the state.

Lagos, the smallest state in Nigeria in terms of land size, relies on massive food importation and mutual

collaboration on production with other states to ensure food sustenance for its 22 million population.

The governor said the state could no longer rely exclusively on production alliances with other states, stressing that it was time for Lagos to unlock its agricultural potential by implementing the Àve-year road map.

Petrol Retailers Earmark 100 Filling Stations for Autogas Rollout Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has listed at least 100 Àlling stations throughout the country that would be used in the federal government’s auto gas pilot scheme rollout.

The President of the PETROAN, Dr. Billy GillisHarry, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, stated

that the initiative would be replicated within the Àve divisional zones of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), including north-east, northwest, midwest, system 2e and west, with each of the zones expected to retain 20 stations each.

When it announced the programme in December last year, the federal government explained that the scheme

under the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), would come with free conversion services to one million selected vehicles throughout the country.

At the event, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that the launch would act as a catalyst in the provision of cleaner, safer and better energy options for the country, pointing out that it would further bolster greater

domestic consumption of gas.

Speaking at the formal signing ceremony of the organisation’s partnership with THLD International Logistics Limited on the use of retail outlets belonging to PETROAN as vehicle conversion (petrol to gas) centres, Gillis-Harry noted that the development will further encourage the use of alternatives to regular products currently being used.

52

FRIDAY APRIL 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

Delta Woman Leader Appeals to Govt to Avert Ijaw, Itsekiri Crisis Sunday Okobi In order to avert another Ijaw/ Itsekiri crisis in Delta State, rights activist and Itsekiri leader, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, yesterday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to caution the Gbaramatu Youth Council over an alleged threat to shut down operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited and sack Itsekiri people from their community over a recent oil spill in Gbaramatu in the state.

Members of the youth council were alleged to have threatened a showdown if the Itsekiri people were made a party to the Joint Inspection Verification (JIV) team of the government and relevant stakeholders, insisting that the deal must be an all Gbaramatu affair.

However, in a swift reaction, the Itsekiri leader pleaded with

the federal and state governments to avert a repeat of the Warri mayhem that lasted for many years, which claimed many lives and property, adding that it took the intervention of the federal and state governments as well as key stakeholders to resolve.

At a press briefing held yesterday in Lagos, Lori-Ogbebor warned that recent events in the area were reminiscent of the early days of the sad Warri incident that involved the two ethnic nationalities.

In her speech titled: ‘Averting Another Warri Crisis’, Lori-Ogbebor warned that another war in the region would compound the already compounded security crises in the country.

“As I am briefing you, war is going on in Warri North Local Government Area. I want to assure everybody concerned that

another war will not do anyone any good. Therefore, I am asking Governor Okowa, whom I have always respected as a deep thinker going by his education, to look into this matter urgently and seriously.

This is to avoid another war in the region.

“It is history repeating itself should we allow bad history to repeat itself when we know it is bad.

“Do we allow it to repeat itself?

It is not long ago when we had the Ijaw/Itsekiri war, which we now call the Warri crisis.

“That crisis was one, which we never thought would happen in our land, because the Itsekiri and Ijaw have a lot in common, including marriages. But it happened. There were a lot of killings, destruction of homes, separation of families, divorces among couples among others.

NDPHC, BEDC Seal Deal to Deliver 250MW Stranded Power Peter Uzoho The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has signed a framework agreement with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to deliver additional 250 megawatts from stranded power to customers within the franchise area.

The Head of Communication and Public Relations, NDPHC, Ms. Olufunke Nwankwo, in a statement said that the deal was signed yesterday in Lagos.

The statement quoted the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, to have said

that the agreement became eͿective immediately after its signing yesterday.

Some of the initial project areas captured by the deal included Benin Bypass (industrial cluster near NDPHC’s power plant) at Ihovbor, Benin-City, Edo State; Asaba, Delta State, Ondo South Senatorial District, Ondo State and interventions in Ekiti State.

Ugbo recalled that the two companies had collaborated in 2020 to explore options for the delivery of safe and reliable power to customers in the BEDC’s franchise area.

He said: “Today, we are

glad that we gather here for the purpose of signing a framework agreement for this collaboration.

“For the NDPHC, the project will enable us to deliver more 250MW of power to customers of the BEDC’s franchise areas in Edo, Delta, Ondo, and neighbouring states.

“The project will help the BEDC to satisfy its customers with reliable power and achieve an enhancement of its network and infrastructure.”

He added that the homes and industries of the BEDC’s customers could now enjoy 24 hours power supply.

GAGE Awards 2021 Takes Centre Stage Fred Ojeh After what has been an interesting year for so many reasons, the GAGE Awards is finally taking

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centre stage on April 24, 2021.

This year’s edition is fully virtual, leveraging the best of technology to broadcast proceedings at the event.

The event is beach-themed, which is meant to help set viewers in a relaxed mode after such a tough past year. “Digital came through for us and it’s time to gather virtually to celebrate the

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NOTIFICATION OF NAME This is to notify the general public that SUNDAY INNOCENT CHINEDU and MGBAME INNOCENT CHINEDU is the same person, and now wish to be known as SUNDAY INNOCENT CHINEDU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

stars that made our lives simpler and better especially in the thick of the pandemic,” said a statement by the organisers.

The virtual edition will be hosted by Ex – BBNaija star Bisola Aiyeola alongside a stellar cast of entertainers billed to perform on the night.

It will be interesting to see the winner of some of the categories such as the Online news platform of the Year, Data Service provider of the Year, Webseries of the Year, Content Creator of the Year etc.

The Influencer of the Year category, which got the internet in frenzy with over 20 million engagements on the GAGE Awards website, will definitely be one of the most anticipated categories on the night.

In that category are online powerhouses such as BBNAIJA revelations Erica Nlewedim and Nengi Hampson. Also in that category are Twitter top influencers Pamilerin Adegoke, Aisha Yesuf and Instagram top brand Influencer, Tomike Adeoye. Another big category to watch out for is the Online Comedian of the Year. Top contenders in that category are; Mr Macaroni, MCLively, Sydney Talker, Taaooma and Lasisi Elenu. Taaooma took home this category last year and it will be interesting to see if she can retain her crown as king of Online Comedy. The Banking app of the Year is another huge category to look for.Top contenders for the crown are GTBank, VBank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and Alat by Wema.

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

O Sinner, Forgive!

Sadullah Khan/IslamiCity The Prophet said, “All human beings sin and the best of those who sin are those who repent” [Tirmidhi]. As human beings we do good but we also make mistakes and are therefore constantly in need of pardon and forgiveness.

Allah therefore assures us; “O my servants who have transgressed against their souls, never despair of the mercy of Allah [Qur’an 39:53]. In light of this Imam al-Shaf’i wrote …“In You, O Creator, I raise my longing for forgiveness as a sinner and a wrongdoer. O Possessor of Kindness and Generosity; when my heart becomes constricted and my paths became narrow, I find hope in Your pardon and forgiveness as an opening and an escape. My sins seems so many but when I compared them to Your forgiveness, I find Your forgiveness to be far more magnanimous than all my sins [Diwan as-Shaf’i].

It is said that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Both parts of this statement are true. Wise ones have said that forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which, despite their best intentions, people do err, they do sin; they do wrong others and hurt each other. Allah began by forgiving us and He invites us all, to forgive each other. We expect Allah to forgive us but are we prepared to forgive others? Some of us become so hard-hearted that we refuse to forgive, as if we are ourselves not in need of forgiveness. The Prophet counselled, “He who is not merciful will not be shown mercy, and he who does not forgive will not be forgiven [Haythami].

Isn’t it also strange how so many of us who are full of faults see every little sin in everyone else yet are blind to our own shortcomings? Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) said, “Glad tidings to those more concerned about their own shortcomings than bothering about the faults of others” [Bazzaar]. Imam Shaf’i warned; Let not your tongue mention the shame of another, for you yourself are covered in faults and all people have tongues. If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother, shield them and say, “Look away! I also have faults and other people have eyes too!” [Diwan as-Shaf’i]. The Prophet thus warned: “O you who have believed with your tongues but faith has not yet entered your hearts, do not back-bite Muslims. Do not seek to uncover their faults, because whoever seeks out the faults others, Allah will seek out his faults. And if Allah seeks after someone’s faults, He will expose him even for (what he committed) in his home.” [al-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad] In a world so highly critical of everyone, at a time when pessimism, vilification and suspicion abounds; we need, more than ever, to give ourselves the benefit of hope and give other people the benefit of the doubt. Instead of being over critical of ourselves, looking down upon others and burying people in negativity; let us inspire them to look up to Allah and elevate themselves. There are so many faults in the best of us and so much goodness in the worst of us, that it does not behoove rest of us to look down upon any of us.

We should remember that seeking forgiveness is a sign of humility, forgiving others is a sign of magnanimity and in the final analysis; forgiveness is not merely a set of behaviors, but is rather an attitude, a great attitude, a positive attitude, an attitude of the Divine, al-Ghaffaar, the Forgiving. Recall the promise of Allah [Qur’an 64:14] … “If you pardon, reconcile and forgive; then know that surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

The Three Stages of Ramadan Be Islamic/IslamiCity Ramadan is a month of fasting, reÁection, devotion, generosity and sacriÀce observed

by Muslims around the world. Over the centuries Ramadan has retained its passionate spiritual meaning.

The word “Ramadan” comes from the Arabic word for “Parched Thirst” and “Sun-Baked Ground.” It is meaningful of the hunger and thirst felt by those who spend the month in fasting and get beneÀts of fasting. Ramadan is by nature a time of sacriÀce.

Each year Muslims spend the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observing a community wide fast. The fast of the month of Ramadan is considered one of the Àve pillars of Islam. Muslims who are physically able are required to fast each day of the entire month from dawn to sunset. The month of Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days depending on moon sighting and according to narration; Allah Almighty divides the Holy month of Ramadan into three Stages that’s known as Ashra of Ramadan.

Ashra of Ramadan First part reÁects Mercy of Allah (Rehmah) Second part reÁects Forgiveness of Allah 0DJKÀUDK

Third part reÁects Safety from the Hell (Nijat) The Holy Prophet Muhammad said: It (Ramadan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the Àre (of hell).

No doubt, the month of Ramadan is full of blessings, mercy and forgiveness. It’s the best opportunity for all the Muslims to collect more blessings of Allah and pray for their forgiveness and to be saved from the HellÀre.

First Ashra of Ramadan - Mercy First ten days of Ramadan are the days

of Mercy and blessing and every Muslim must seek the Mercy and Blessings of Almighty Allah.

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Muslims must seek for forgiveness of Allah Almighty and regret for all their sins.

'XD IRU VHFRQG $VKUD LV Translation: “I ask forgiveness of my sins from Allah who is my Lord and I turn towards Him.” Third Ashra of Ramadan - Safety Third Ashra starts from 21st Ramadan and ends 29th or 30th Ramadan according to the moon. Third Ashra is known as Safety from the Hell (Nijat). Every Muslim must pray to be safe from HellÀre. The Last Ashra is very important and superior.

In this Ashra the Night of Power (Lailatul Qadar) also falls and many Muslims also practice Aitkaf (seclusion for prayers) in this Ashra and try to maximize their prayers.

6WDWHG LQ 4XUDQ “We sent it (Quran) down on a blessed Night. Verily,We are ever warning. Therein (in that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Quran or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger) (As) a Mercy from your Lord.”

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FRIDAY, ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ THISDAY

53

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION TINUBU: NIGERIA IS NOT LAGOS (II)

Tinubu

is to Tinubu’s eternal shame that nearly every house in Lagos self-provides water by way of a borehole or water well. A public water system is completely lacking in Nigeria’s economic powerhouse. But the man who drew up a master plan and determines everything that goes on in the state prefers to be hailed by useful idiots as the leader of Lagos.

On education, at the end of Tinubu’s tenure, nearly all primary and secondary schools were in bad shape. Pupils sat on bare floors in buildings that neither had windows nor doors, with roofs long shredded by the elements. Public schools were never a priority to the “greatest political strategist” to come out of Africa.

If he was such a visionary as his followers always point out, well, Lagos didn’t fare too well under him and his voodoo master plan. If it truly exists, it is not even nearly ambitious enough to have made much impact.

Now, let’s even excuse him for a moment because of the complexity of Lagos as a city-state. So lets look at the Lekki suburb, a new virgin frontier that was a natural choice for urban expansion and development. It should naturally be a pilot for a visionary leader to make his mark.

At the very least, Tinubu’s administration had the rare opportunity to draw up a developmental master plan to transform the then largely virgin land to a welldesigned architectural wonderland with well-paved roads, city parks and the accouterments of a modern suburb that will be the envy of all and the pride of the black race. A place to prove to the world that we can build great, beautiful sub-cities. Lekki was the emerging new Lagos for the middle and upper middle class. It provided the opportunity to test our planning capability and vision to have a futuristic city. Well, he did as far as his vision could see. In another 10 years, Lekki will be an upgraded Oshodi - a slum on the peninsula. So much for a visionary leader, cheered on by flatterers.

In 1999, when Tinubu became governor, where was Dubai? How many people had heard of Dubai? Can anyone remember?

Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum is the leader renowned for overseeing the meteoric growth and transformation of Dubai into a top business and tourism destination - which is today the favourite city of choice for Nigeria’s thieving politicians and government officials to hold meetings and enjoy holidays.

One man’s enormous vision, created Dubai’s most recognisable icons – the Burj Khalifa, Emirates Airlines and the Palm Islands. Dubai is on a speed trajectory - breaking new grounds, with a singleminded determination to build the best and biggest in the world. It does not build small, it builds big with its eyes on the future. “Man’s development depends on

the power of his ideas and his ability to spread them from one person to another across deserts, continents and oceans.”

Dubai is what it is today because it has leadership that combines ideas, ingenuity, vision and a team of dedicated people to actualise that vision in a remarkable way.

But here in Lagos, almost every policy decision of Tinubu’s administration was mostly driven by self-interest. Nigerians should ask Tinubu what happened to vast lands meant for public use in that Lekki/ Ajah axis? What also happened to various properties belonging to the state government in Ikoyi? Perhaps, Tinubu’s grandest vision was the conception of the Fourth Main Bridge. But where is the bridge? It’s still a mere design on paper.

Those hailing Tinubu for his “performance” haven’t seen anything yet. These people are carried away by his woeful performance. They are proponents of small dreams and narrow visions.

Any objective observer will tell you that what he achieved in his eight years of “superlative performance” according to those who worship him was below what subsequent governors of Lagos achieved in their first term of four years.

To me, Tinubu’s only master plan for Lagos which he claimed was breached in the run-up to the 2019 election was a plan to continually fleece the state of its resources. He had no master plan for developing the state. What he has is a plan that ensures he controls the state’s resources, loots as much as he can and controls political power to ensure his continuous reign.

Now, where is the State House of Assembly in all of this? It is utterly supine in the face of the moral vandalism and mind-boggling corruption that flows from Bourdillion on a daily basis. Oh Bourdillion, that centre of iniquity and vice.

The Assembly is even in cahoots with the godfather to fleece the people of Lagos of their resources. Remember how the House of Assembly in their brazen demonstration of loyalty to Tinubu inserted his favoured company’s name, Alpha Beta, as a consultant in the State’s Land Use Charge Act in 2018 – to be engaged in the verification of land use payments to the state government?

“Alpha Beta or any other designated person(s) or corporate body who has the responsibility of monitoring the incoming revenue of the state through the collecting banks, shall provide a report to the Accountant-General of the State”, a section of the Lagos State Land Use Charge Act, 2018, said. Clearly the intent of the lawmakers was to maintain Alpha Beta’s exclusivity over revenue collection in the state. The reference to “any other company” in the law, was a deliberate smokescreen because they knew very well that there was no other company collecting

revenue for the state. In the heat of intense criticism, the House later claimed that, that irresponsible, disgraceful insertion of a private company into the law was a “costly mistake” and promised to delete it.

But what good can possibly come from such a House? That action was not only criminal, it was deliberately done to forever secure Tinubu’s exclusive hold on revenue collection in the state and to prevent any governor from terminating that fraudulent contract with his company without first repealing the law. The Assembly was only sorry because it got caught in the act of subjugating the peoples’ interest to the interest of their godfather. Without a shadow of doubt, Tinubu is the greatest beneficiary of Nigeria’s democracy.

Now, let’s do a deep dive into how Alpha Beta came to be the revenue-collecting company of the Lagos State government.

In 1999 when Tinubu took over the reins of power, he met Olusola Adekanola & Co as the state revenue-collecting firm.

What did he do? First he opposed the payment of commission to the company, and later cancelled the contract and Alpha Beta was established as a replacement in 2002. Ever since, Alpha Beta has enjoyed exclusivity of revenue collection for the state government. The company currently enjoys a 10 percent commission on any amount collected above N6 billion. What this means is if Lagos State generates a total revenue of N30 billion in the month of April, Alpha Beta is entitled to 10 percent of N24 billion which comes to a whopping N2.4 billion. Since the state government entered into the contract with Alpha Beta in 2002 for an initial five-year period from 2002 to 2007, it has been renewed three times. Other companies that are prepared to collect less as commission and may even perform better are not considered or allowed to bid for the contract.

Now imagine how much Alpha Beta has pocketed from just one revenue stream since 2002. Anyone still doubting why he regularly boasts of his ill-gotten riches – he even once boasted that he was richer than Osun State in the run-up to the state’s governorship election in 2018.

Here’s the thing: With the advent of fintech, mobile payment technology platforms and smart phones, the basis for the Alpha Beta contract no longer exists since individuals and corporate bodies can at the touch of a button make payments directly to Lagos State Government without having to pass through a middleman such as Alpha Beta. Even before the advent of technological platforms, all commercial banks in the country today serve as revenue collections points for the Lagos State government, making it easy for residents to work into any bank branch to pay all taxes, levies and charges imposed by the state. Alpha Beta, as such, is nothing more than a meddlesome interloper between

the public and the state government.

It does absolutely nothing other than issue demand notices already issued by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS). So how does one justify the 10 percent commission paid to Alpha Beta for all the revenue generated internally paid directly to Lagos State accounts?

Truth be told, the evolution of payment systems has rendered the justification for Alpha Beta dead in the water. At the very worst, one would have even thought that the huge commission it rakes in every month would have been renegotiated downward as the revenue accruing to the state swelled.

According to the full year 2020 report just released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Lagos State occupied the pole position among all the states of the federation as the state that generated the most revenue internally, amounting to N418.988 billion last year. Going by the agreement with Tinubu’s Alpha Beta, the company would have pocketed a whopping N34.7 billion as commission from the 10 percent it was paid from Lagos’ IGR. To put this in perspective, the said amount paid as commission to just one company topped the IGR of 30 states of the federation including Osun State which posted N19.604 billion and was even higher than the combined revenue generated by four states, viz. Taraba (N8.115bn), Yobe (N7.779bn), Adamawa (N8.329bn) and Ekiti (N8.716bn), amounting to N32.939bn.

In other words, Alpha Beta’s earnings alone, for essentially doing nothing, topped the IGR of 30 states! The irony here is that while the company was purportedly collecting taxes and issuing demand notices to individuals and corporate bodies to pay up, it paid zero taxes to the state or the federal government. If you are still not incensed by all this, nothing will ever outrage you.

In essence, since 1999, Lagos State and its people have been paying Alpha Beta an inexhaustible debt they never owed.

The experience of Lagos is staring you in the face if Tinubu gets the keys to the presidency.

Now, do you want a president that will enslave you in perpetuity? For those who continue to defend him as a hero, they are not victims, they are accomplices. The Holy Bible has a word for them in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” There is an inferno searing down this land of our fathers, those who poured fuel into it to get us to this desperately critical situation cannot be trusted to extinguish the fire they helped fuel. What we need is a root and branch removal of their brand of politics from our body politic, not hand them the keys to the highest office in the land.

54

˜ ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Leicester Boss Dreams Iheanacho/Tammy Abraham’s Striking Partnership Femi Solaja with agency report Strong indication emerged last night that former English Premiership champions, Leicester City may sign up out-of-favour Tammy Abraham from Chelsea as the Nigerian-born England forward continues to sit on the bench since Thomas Tuchel’s spell at the London club.

Abraham has also been linked with a return to Aston

Villa - the club he helped get promoted to the Premier League when on loan in 2019.

Abraham’s move to King Power Stadium could see him in attacking partnership with ‘Senior Man’ Iheanacho, who has been scoring vital goals for the club in the last one and half months.

He was on target last night as Leicester pummeled West Brom to consolidate on their quest for top four Ànish in the English topÁight this season.

NWFL Super Six: Bayelsa, Edo Crash out, Aduku Sacked Two top teams that came into the NWFL Premiership Super Six with so much expectations and promises yesterday crashed out of contention with huge disappointments.

It was the end of a dream for Bayelsa Queens of Yenagoa and Edo Queens of Benin City when they both lost their games woefully, each conceding four goals apiece.

Bayelsa lost 4-0 against a resurgent Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt, that were on the verge of crashing out before the Rest Day One with just two points from s possible six going into the match-day three games.

The Angels ended the Thursday Àxture on Àve points out of a maximum nine, and a second place standing on the table. Now, they have returned to contest for the title and the CAF Women Champions League ticket.

Bayelsa Queens loss costs the team’s Chief Coach his job, as the club Chairman, Robin Apreala, announced the sacking of Moses Aduku right their in Ijebu-Ode Stadium.

Aduku, also an assistant

coach of the national Under-20 Women’s team, thus became the Àrst casualty of the NWFL Super Six. It was an irony because he was the best coach going into the Super Six playoͿ.

The second game of the match-day three witnessed the biggest upset of the Super Six, as FC Robo of Lagos whitewashed Edo Queens 4-1 to send the highly motivated Queens out of contention and eliminated from the battle for the 2021 league title.

Edo Queens coach, Stanley Osazee, said after the match, that; “His team has learnt a big lesson, that, the preparation for the Super Six is a diͿerent type. You must be ready to play your best game in all matches. It’s our Àrst time in the Super Six, and we tried our best, but it was not good enough.”

The star on the side of FC Robo was team captain, Monday Gift, a Super Falcons player, who has scored three goals in the Super Six as the highest goal scorer. Monday Gift scored eight goals in the regular season.

The NWFL Premiership Super Six continue today, Friday, April 23with Match Day Four matches.

Ibrahimovic Extends AC Milan Deal Till 2022 Zlatan Ibrahimovic has extended his contract with AC Milan until 2022 which will take him past his 40th birthday, the Serie A club announced on Thursday.

The Sweden striker, who turns 40 in October, has been credited with turning Milan into title contenders again since his return to the club in January last year.

“AC Milan is the club for which Zlatan has played the most in Italy,” the club said in a statement.

“After scoring 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri, the Swedish striker will continue to be wearing the red and black jersey next season.

Ibrahimovic, who helped Milan to their last Serie A

title in 2011, is the club’s top scorer with 15 goals in 17 games having missed others through injury and illness.

He missed the club’s midweek defeat to Sassuolo which leaves second-placed Milan 10 points behind city rivals Inter.

The former Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona forward’s current deal had run until the end of the season.

The Swede returned to the national team last month, more than Àve years after calling time on his international career.

Milan are targeting a return to the Champions League for the Àrst time since the 20113-2014 season.

Having sat out 12 Premier League games following boss Frank Lampard’s departure in January, Abraham is said to be ‘angry’ about his situation at the club and looking forward to the exit door.

Leicester Boss, Brendan Rodgers, is believed to be considering signing the 23-year-old striker as a replacement for ageing Jamie Vardy.

According to Birmingham Mail, Leicester are one of the clubs interested in signing Abraham if Chelsea are willing to o΁oad the striker

this summer.

The England international has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances for the Blues so far this season, making him their top goal scorer.

He holds this record despite being given limited pitch-time following the arrival of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech.

Having played just 123 minutes of Premier League football under Tuchel, Abraham was even left out of action in Chelsea’s semi-Ànal win last Saturday, he is eager to join a club where he will

Kelechi Iheanacho...Leicester’s ‘Senior Man’ enjoying the season

get regular Àrst-team action.

Rodgers’ Leicester side are said to be one of the club’s willing to oͿer Abraham such an opportunity.

With 34-year-old Vardy approaching the latter stages of his career, Leicester are said to be looking for a potential replacement.

Vardy has gone 11 games with just two goals, having only scored once in his last 18 appearances for Leicester.

He scored Leicester’s opening goal against West Brom last night and provided the assist Iheanacho registered his name

on the scorers sheet.

Leicester will, however, have to compete with Aston Villa and West Ham United for Abraham’s signature this summer.

West Ham have excelled in the Premier League this season and are in the race to Ànish in the top four.

At the moment, Super Eagles forward, Ihenacho, is the main striker for the club and have scored many important goals for the team as they look forward to the FA Cup glory against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium next month.

Tammy Abraham...wanted at Kings Power Stadium

Barca Unapologetic, Insist Turning Down Super League Would Have Been Error Barcelona said yesterday that it would have been an “historical error” to turn down the chance to join the European Super League (ESL), with the club deciding to remain part of the project for now.

In an unapologetic statement, Barca said it would carry out an “indepth analysis” of the breakaway competition before putting the Ànal decision to a vote among the club’s members.

Only three teams Barca, Real Madrid and Juventus - are yet to pull out formally after the withdrawal of the six English clubs prompted an incredible collapse late on Tuesday.

But Barcelona have said it would have been “an historic error to turn down the opportunity to be part of this project as one of its founding members”.

The statement continued: “Barcelona expressly reserves the right to submit such an important decision to the Ànal approval of its members following a careful and very necessary study of the proposal.”

Barcelona players left in the wilderness after European Super League project collapsed on Tuesday night

It added: “Barcelona appreciates that a much more in-depth analysis is required into the reasons that have caused this reaction in order to reconsider, if necessary and to what extent, the original proposal and to resolve all those issues, always for the good of the general interest of the football world.

“Such an in-depth analysis needs time and the necessary composure to avoid taking any rash action.”

Barca president Joan Laporta had earlier described the ESL as a “necessity”.

With total debts of more than a billion euros, Barca are struggling to keep up with

Europe’s elite, making the prospect of a hugely lucrative new tournament particularly attractive.

“We understand it is a necessity but on the other hand, the members will have the last word,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

“It is absolutely necessary the big clubs are able to express our opinion about the distribution of wealth given we contribute a lot.

“It has to be an attractive competition based on sporting merit. We are open to dialogue with Uefa.”

LaLiga president Javier Tebas seemed keen to ease tensions

with Spain’s three breakaway clubs when he said football’s governing bodies were looking for “protective measures” instead of punishments.

Atletico Madrid announced they had pulled out of the ESL on Wednesday.

“We’re not talking about sanctions,” said Tebas in a press conference. “Everyone wants to cut everyone’s head oͿ but we have procedures.

We dont need to rush into things.

“The most important thing is these clubs have been sanctioned by their own fans. The sanction is the hit to their reputations.”

55

˜ ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Juventus Set to ‘Delist’ Ronaldo from Free kick Wall after UCL Ouster Cristiano Ronaldo may have lined up in his last free-kick wall for Juventus after he again proved the weak link in a key moment.

Ronaldo was accused of ‘betrayal’ last month when he was criticised for turning his back on a free-kick against Porto, which caused

EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE FALLOUT

British Govt Plots Radical Moves to Slash Cash Flow to ‘Big Six’ British Ministers have drawn up radical plans to slash the cash the European Super League could earn from broadcast rights in Britain by forcing the ill-conceived project to be shown free-to-air.

The extraordinary proposal was part of the ‘legislative bomb’ that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, were preparing to drop on the Big Six rebel clubs after they announced they were joining the breakaway league, UK’s Daily Mailreported yesterday.

And that was just one strand in an explosive policy package under consideration, which also believed to have included the use of competition law and tax rules to block the power grab.

It was all designed to blow the plotters out of the water and shows just how far Johnson and Dowden were prepared to go to bring down the Super League and how frustrated government has become with some aspects of the national game and the self-interest of some clubs.

Their frustration with the game - and the power structures that lie behind it - is now driving their determination to reform the football based on the outcome of a fan-led review, launched this week.

Sportsmailunderstands that politicians and civil servants were at action stations from late afternoon on Sunday. Mark Bullingham, the chief executive of the Football Association, reportedly sounded the alarm over the Super League’s imminent announcement The 12 founding members of the breakaway league, which included Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, were about to declare their intentions to create a new competition that was set to replace the respective clubs’ European commitments with UEFA, such as the Champions League.

However, in a hectic 48 hours amid widespread revolt from fans across Europe, those plans were put to bed and the ill-fated venture, which was backed by more than £4billion from JPMorgan collapsed.

With other party leaders

equally appalled at the enrichment of a few clubs at the expense of the many, the path through Parliament was clear to enact any changes to the law.

On Tuesday, Johnson and Dowden met with football authorities and promised the government will consider using what the Prime Minister called ‘a legislative bomb’ to stop English clubs joining a breakaway.

As the politicians locked on to their targets, the fans took to the streets to protest at the abuse of their clubs. The club owners and executives were trapped in a pincer movement.

Typically, senior executives and the owners of the Big Six kept their heads down.

In a two-day siege they never sought contact with the government. But as they bunkered down, hoping the storm so skillfully whipped up by former lawyer and now UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin would pass, their lawyers must have explained the game was up.

SuͿering severe reputational damage and up against remarkably steadfast politicians prepared to use their trump card – Parliament – to change the law and block the hated project, surrender was the only option. And one by one they came out with their hands up.

Ministers were considering amending the Broadcasting Act 1996, which allows to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport the power to draw up a list of sporting events of national interest.

This means that the broadcast rights to these events must be oͿered to the main free-to-air terrestrial broadcasters on ‘fair and reasonable terms’.

Alarmingly for the Big Six, ministers are ready to push on with long-lasting review of how the national game is run with the same vigour.

Boris Johnson said in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday that former sports minister Tracey Crouch will carry out ‘a root-andbranch investigation into the governance of football and into what we can do to promote the role of fans in that governance.’

Football fans protesting the involvement of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ in the European Super League on Tuesday night in London

Juve’s elimination from the Champions League.

On Wednesday night it was back in Serie A and while Juventus came from behind to win 3-1, Parma took the lead thanks in part to Ronaldo ducking the set-piece.

In a wall alongside Arthur Melo, Rodrigo Bentancur and Weston McKennie, Ronaldo is the only player of the four not to front up to Gaston Brugman’s 25th-minute strike.

The ball Áies between Ronaldo and Bentancur and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi BuͿon has no chance to get across to save it.

As Brugman goes to strike the ball, Ronaldo buries his head into his forearm and also opts against jumping oͿ the ground.

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo

was left to concede afterwards that Ronaldo may no longer be part of future defensive free-kick walls.

“Unfortunately, these things happen,” Pirlo said when asked if Ronaldo was to blame. “But we’ll evaluate (his role at free-kicks) over the next few days.”

Ronaldo’s faux-pas against Parma saw many look back to the Champions League exit to Porto.

The Portuguese side were awarded a free-kick from 35 yards out deep in extra time, which saw Sergio Oliveira line up a hit-and-hope shot towards Juventus’ goal.

With the scores level on aggregate at 3-3 and the game heading to penalties, Juventus, with a man advantage, were on the front foot and set up

a three-man wall to stop the hopeful set-piece from reaching their goal.

With a long run up, Oliveira struck the ball low and hard towards the bottom left corner of Wojciech Szczesny’s goal, which saw Ronaldo turn away from the strike while parting his legs in a lazy attempt to block the ball.

“That was an unforgivable error,” former England boss Fabio Capello told Sky Sport Italia that night.

“In my day, you chose the players who went into the wall and they couldn’t be someone afraid of the ball.

They were scared of the ball and jumped away from it, turning their backs. That’s unforgivable.”

Juventus did manage to get

the victory Wednesday night and with AC Milan losing it proved key in the race for the top four for Pirlo’s side.

The ex-Juventus midÀelder was also quizzed afterwards on Ronaldo’s future, given his contract expires in Turin in 2022.

“We aren’t thinking about it, he has one year left on his contract and we are happy he can continue playing for us,” Pirlo said.

“We are focused on this season and we want to conclude it best way possible.

“He’s having a great season and last year he had a truly great campaign.”

Juventus now face backto-back away games against Fiorentina and Udinese as they look to keep their top four bid on track.

Cristiano Ronaldo (second right) ducks away to allow Parma score from the free kick on Wednesday night

Atletico Return to Top of La Liga Atletico Madrid returned to the top of La Liga with a win over Huesca 24 hours after withdrawing from the European Super League.

Real Madrid had replaced neighbours Atletico at the summit after a 3-0 win over Cadizon Wednesday.

On Thursday, goals by

Angel Correa and Yannick Carrasco helped Atletico see oͿ struggling Huesca.

Diego Simeone’s side are three points clear at the top with six games remaining.

Atletico had apologised to fans for causing “confusion” after ending their involvement in the

breakaway European Super League.

They are chasing a Àrst La Liga title since 2014 but still have to play title rivals Barcelona away on 8 May. Huesca are 18th in the table, one point from safety with six games remaining.

They went close to taking

a surprise early lead but Dimitrios Siovas’ close range shot was saved by Jan Oblak before Argentina forward Correa scored his third goal in two games.

Carrasco added the second while Marcos Llorente Ànished the match with two assists.

UEFA Boss Says Champions League Semis to Go on as Planned The UEFA Champions League semiÀnals scheduled for next week are expected to go ahead, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, said after a plan by some top clubs to create a Super League caused chaos.

“There is relatively little chance that next week’s matches will not be played..,” Ceferin told Slovenian television Pop TV late Wednesday.

“The key thing is that the season has already started. If we cancelled the matches, television stations would have compensation

demands,” added Ceferin, who is Slovenian.

Football’s most powerful clubs faced mounting calls on Thursday for reprisals over the European Super League Àasco, as the rebel competition’s boss insisted it was merely “on standby” despite nine of the 12 founding teams pulling out.

The breakaway league folded just 48 hours after its unveiling following blanket opposition from fans and o΀cials.

Just Barcelona and Real Madrid, along with Italian champions Juventus – who

admitted the lucrative project could not now go ahead – are left after top British clubs and others withdrew.

“There is 244 clubs on our side out of the 247 in Europe... We expect they (Super League clubs) will realise their mistakes and suͿer the consequences,” Ceferin said.

“It’s been a while since I last saw such a conspiracy...

From time to time I would hear rumours that something was being prepared, but I naively could not believe that the people who were talking with me on a daily

basis about our future were, in fact, preparing a diͿerent thing behind our backs,” he said.

Ceferin further slammed Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, one of the key Àgures behind the Super League project, for his “greed”.

“For me it is plainly horrible to see greed can be so powerful that it makes you care nothing about the sport we all love, about European culture and tradition, about fans and, ultimately, about personal friendships,” said Ceferin – a family friend of Agnelli.

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Adebanjo to Buhari

“Since President Buhari has refused to listen to the masses concerning the call for a change in our constitution, which has led to the continued agitations from different parts of the county, thus creating disunity among Nigerians who are calling for secession, then it becomes obvious that President Buhari is the number one enemy to the unity of Nigeria” – Afenifere Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, saying the only solution to crisis in Nigeria is a new constitution.

SHAKAMOMODU THIS REPUBLIC

shaka.momodu@thisdaylive.com

0811 266 1654

Tinubu: Nigeria is Not Lagos (II) “A people who elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves, and traitors are not victims… but accomplices.” - George Orwell

I

know I must be sounding like a broken record but I have to say it again and again without any equivocation that those currently strutting around for elective positions, particularly for the position of the president are unsuitable for leadership positions. Their crimes against the Nigerian people and their continuous offending activities reflect permanent incorrigibility. These mercantile politicians take no prisoners and so we have to be vigilant.

As a matter of fact, their aspirations constitute an affront to all people of conscience, a clear and present danger to the present and future generations. As we seek ways out of the quagmire the present leadership has dragged us into, the Nigerian people of whatever tribe and tongue must rise in unison to reject them. I know that this is by no means easy and made more difficult by the massive stolen money in their possession to buy votes and corrupt the voting system. But we must rise now and do something, otherwise our children won’t even stand a chance by the time this gang of bandit politicians with deep pockets and who are ready to spend their loot to realise their ambitions, are done with us.

I made it clear in the part (1) of this running series that former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is currently in the news for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be rejected today, tomorrow and always, not because of any personal reason but because he lacks the requisite qualities of a leader. He lacks the discipline, character, democratic credentials, vision and foresight, charisma, moral authority, and above all, he is a living embodiment of all that is corrosive to our democratic system. He is a multi-billionaire politician who uses bullion vans to ferry cash to his house on the eve of a presidential election and even boasts about it (he trumps all the moneybag politicians of the ‘90s). His massive riches smell to the high heavens. He is a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be rejected in the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or at the presidential polls (assuming he buys the primary with his bullion-van cash).

His authoritarian reign over the Lagos body politick, camouflaged as democracy cannot be allowed to continue or extended to the national level. He has become the greatest inhibitor to free democratic expression in Lagos. Having practically turned Lagos into a zombie state, he is now targeting a bigger prize - the presidency of Nigeria. How can that be? Are we so stupid as a people to allow him succeed in that endeavour? All men and women

Tinubu

of good values must rise up now and tell this corrupt man and his disciples who have crippled Lagos State that enough is enough.

Foremost looking and peace-loving Nigerians would not forgive Tinubu and his cohorts for the lies they told to get our votes in 2015 and 2019. Each time you see them on your television screens, remember what the propagandists made you do.

Remember it was them who misled you to vote President Muhammadu Buhari, they assured you and many others he would bring change to this country. What has Buhari brought to you and your neighbour’s doorsteps? Hunger, death and destruction. Nigeria is no longer recognisable, it has become a land flowing with blood instead of a land flowing with milk and honey. Don’t allow them to come with their loot to bribe you for your votes again – we know they have stolen a lot in preparation for this day. Reject them and their filthy lucre. Reject their rice, salt, oil, whatever and however they are disguised. You must never let Tinubu deceive you again. His stock-in-trade are halt-truths and true lies. His team has commenced vote buying already with bags of rice in the northern parts of the country. The same old politics of bribing the poor and vulnerable people used as pawns in political chess game.

Come to think of it, now that Buhari has failed, how can those who brought him and assured the nation of his good virtues be the ones to bring healing and change to this blood-soaked land in his watch? Don’t they share responsibility for the endless killings, kidnappings, rape, and other atrocities committed by these Frankenstein’s monsters they have unleashed on this land of our fathers? The blood of those whose precious lives have been brutally cut shot by these demented deviants is on their hands.

Under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, instead of joining forces to fight the terrorists Boko

Haram, Tinubu and his party, the APC, actively worked to undermine efforts to defeat the group. The then APC megaphone and now Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed regularly issued statements that tended to excuse the atrocities and heinous crimes of Boko Haram in clear efforts to gain political advantage from the activities of the evil sect. The APC governors were more interested in generating headlines and photo ops from their visits to Maiduguri, Borno State, the heartland of the evil terrorists. They proffered no solutions to the problem. It was all designed to advance their kind of politics. Well, it did work for them for a while. The party eventually won the presidential election, by hook or by crook.

What about Tinubu, the self-proclaimed National Leader of the APC? He did his own photo ops in Kano State. He visited victims of terror attacks in hospital, some with life-changing injuries. What did he do immediately afterwards? He emerged from the hospital and called for amnesty for nihilist criminals (Boko Haram) with a thrill for destruction. How can a man who just paid a sympathy visit to victims of a deadly attack, with life-altering injuries emerge from the hospital and call for amnesty for the very people responsible for their injuries? Except for a man intent on playing politics, it didn’t make sense to me and till this day, it still doesn’t make sense.

Mind you, Tinubu didn’t call for justice for the victims. It was most insensitive, uncharitable and profoundly disdainful to say the least to pay a sympathy visit to persons that had just suffered horrifying attacks and then come straight out from their bedside and call for amnesty for those responsible for their condition. He had to beat a quick retreat following the heavy public pushback.

If that was an occasional lapse of judgment, it would still have been rueful and distasteful but less troubling, but this was no occasional flop. It was a pattern of behaviour we had become accustomed to from a man and his party who believed that the end justifies the means and that everything must be used to play politics, including the fight against Boko Haram.

Have the APC governors travelled to Maiduguri or any part of Borno State again in solidarity with their colleague since Buhari assumed power? No! Not even with three attacks on the governor’s convoy by the deadly terrorists could make them do that. You see the hypocrisy and politics?

Now, how does it even look to Nigerians that Tinubu who is eyeing a run for president is still silent in the face of overwhelming evidence outing Sheikh Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as an extremist religious fanatic and a supporter of Al-Qaeda?

Tinubu is afraid to take a position by calling for his resignation. What about

his party, the APC? All we have gotten so far is loud silence. Imagine this happened under Goodluck Jonathan, all hell would have broken loose.

Pantami’s preaching activities are so dangerous that according Rivers State Governor, Neyson Wike, no reasonable government would allow him in its cabinent.

“I don’t understand why a reasonable government will allow such a person to be in the cabinet.”

But the question to ask; is this a reasonable or responsible government?.

Of course no.

In 2015, after the APC won the election, Tinubu took the credit and praise for Buhari’s emergence as president and started to walk in the air. He was called a politician of no mean repute. But now that his experiment has exploded in his face, he doesn’t want to accept blame. He and his flatterers want us to forget that he is the main architect of the tragedy our country has become. These flatterers are always quick to refer to his record in Lagos. They point to “his vision and transformational leadership qualities”. They credit him with laying the template for modern-day Lagos. When you ask them what Lagos really is compared to other cities around the world, they are usually short of words.

Tinubu himself had even once alluded to deviation from a blueprint he designed for Lagos State as one of the reasons the then governor was denied a second term ticket.

I am actually quite baffled when I hear how much Tinubu’s supporters eulogize him for his performance as governor and credit him with so much. Before I dive into his overhyped stewardship in Lagos, let me ask: Has anybody seen Tinubu’s so-called template, or master plan? I have looked for it everywhere, asked his supporters to provide me a copy so that I can interrogate it but none has agreed to have seen it, let alone provide me a copy.

Now, if that master plan is what has governed Lagos since 1999 till date, I am sorry to say it must be a very shortsighted, poorly thought-out document. Despite Tinubu’s acclaimed master plan, Lagos State has maintained a front-row seat among the dirtiest cities in the world.

Major arteries of this megacity-state remain an eyesore. All the canals snaking around the city constitute an environmental hazard to public health. Major swathes of the city-state are not motorable. Apapa is in shambles. The foundations for the present state of Apapa were laid under his administration.

It is curious that his secret master plan or whatever he calls it for this beleaguered city did not include provisions for potable drinking water, something so basic to human existence, for Lagosians, despite the state being surrounded by water. It Continued on page 53

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