MONDAY 26TH APRIL 2021

Transcorp Makes New Board Appointments, Unveils New Subsidiary CEOs Famuyibo, Sambo now independent non-executive directors Ozoude, Ikenga lead Trans-Afam Power, Transcorp Energy Dike Onwuamaeze The Board of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), Nigeria’s largest listed conglomerate and a leading investor

in the energy sector, has announced the appointment of Mr. Victor Famuyibo and Mallam Ahmadu Sambo to its board of directors.

The appointment became effective from April 22, 2021.

The group, in a statement at the weekend, also formally announced the appointment of two new members of its executive management team: Mr. Vincent Ozoude, as MD/ CEO of Trans-Afam Power

Limited and Mr. Peter Ikenga, as MD/CEO of Transcorp Energy Limited.

Famuyibo joined the board with deep experience and knowledge in human resources and personnel management.

He worked with multinational companies such as UAC Nigeria, Heineken International and Nigerian Breweries Plc, where he led numerous teams to drive strong employee engagement, the statement

added.

Famuyibo retired from Nigerian Breweries as Director of Human Resources and a member of the board after Continued on page 48

FG Rejects W' Bank's Report on Nigeria’s Power Sector... Page 10 Monday 26 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9514. Price: N250

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South-east Leaders Push for Legal Backing for Ebube Agu Police, others beef up security in govs' country homes Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Christopher Isiguzo, Gideon Arinze in Enugu, Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia, David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Benjamin

Nworie in Abakaliki South-east leaders, comprising governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and the leadership of Ohanaeze

Ndigbo, rose from a meeting yesterday in Enugu and asked the Commissioners for Justice and Attorneys-General of the states in the region to quickly fashion out the legal

framework for the creation and operations of the regional security outfit, Ebube Agu. They also committed themselves to work for the establishment of state police

in order to effectively tackle insecurity even as they unveiled modalities for the take-off of the regional security outfit with headquarters in Enugu, which they said will

work with the police and other security agencies in protecting lives and property in the South-east.

Continued on page 48

Governors, Speakers Disagree on Fixed Monthly Payment to States’ Legislatures Judicial, legislative workers’ strike continues FG holds talks with striking workers today Parliamentary workers give conditions to return to work Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Governors and speakers of Houses of Assembly in the 36 states of the federation have disagreed over the modality for the disbursement of funds to the legislature under the financial autonomy regime billed to begin in May. THISDAY gathered at the weekend that while the governors are offering an irreducible minimum payment of N100 million monthly to each of the legislatures in the states to fund their operations, the speakers are insisting on N250 million monthly.

The governors also rejected the demand of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff

Association of Nigeria (PASAN) that the gross allocations should be remitted to the two arms of government directly.

The governors' hard-line position, it was learnt, might delay an early resolution of the strike embarked upon by judicial and parliamentary workers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to press for the implementation of financial autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures.

While the governors have agreed that the National Judicial Council (NJC) will handle funds for states' judicial councils, they insisted that they Continued on page 48

Academy Advises FG to Shut Airports to Avoid COVID-19’s Third Wave... Page 5

HONOUR TO WHOM IT IS DUE… L-R: Former Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd); Representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor and Director, Development Finance Department, Mr. Yusuf Yila; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, at the convocation ceremony of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi…weekend

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NEWS

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

Academy Advises FG to Shut Airports to Avoid COVID-19’s Third Wave Nigeria to spend N1.89tn to wipe out Malaria, says Ehanire

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Academy of Medicine Specialties, together with its Rapid-Response initiative group, has advised the federal government to shut the country’s international airports for at least two weeks to avoid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an urgent advisory issued yesterday, the President of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria, Prof.

Oladapo Ashiru, noted that the transmission of the third wave was still active but at a low level.

Ashiru said the low level transmission was due largely to the lockdowns going on in Europe and some countries.

He further stated that the ongoing transmission in the country was caused largely by those inbound passengers from India and those countries with surges in the cases reported daily.

According to him, many of them travelled into Nigeria through indirect flights.

He recommended that Nigeria’s testing strategy should still be PCR-based. shiru, however, added that some other Genes should be looked out for aside from the ‘S’ gene.

“There is the urgent need to enforce the use of PTF regulations of social distancing, hand sanitisers/washing and wearing of face mask,” he said.

He reported that his team found five sequences of the India B.1.617 in the country, specifically in Edo and Osun states, adding that a new B.1. 1.318 variant that emerged in Nigeria with major

characteristics of other VOCs was spread out of the country in January this year and was creating havoc in Mauritius Island.

“The B. 1. 525 that we discovered in Nigeria late last year is now the dominant variant in Nigeria (spreading faster than the UK B.1.1.7). This lineage is also spreading at a super-fast speed in the UK and other European countries.

“The B.1.525 is now also the second most popular variant in Africa after the B.1.351Y V2 from South Africa. These are our most recent findings at ACEGID, Redeemer’s University, Ede,” he explained.

He recommended that Nigeria should close the international airports to all flights for at least two weeks, stressing that the third wave was affecting not only India but France, Germany, and Italy.

Ashiru also called on the federal government to be proactive. “Nigeria cannot afford to have a third wave.

Only a small percentage of the population has been vaccinated. Furthermore, all the theories speculated for our immunity such as heat, sun, and other endemic immunities also apply to India,” he said.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered N1.1 billion and 29 buildings, that have now been forfeited to the federal government between January and March 2021.

ICPC Chairman, Prof.

Bolaji Owasanoye, at the weekend, told the Senate Committee on Anticorruption and Financial Crimes Committee, led by Senator Suleiman Kwari, during an oversight visit to the national headquarters of the agency in Abuja that N418.8 million and $1.5 million in domiciliary accounts were forfeited to the federal government between January to March 2021.

The anti-graft agency also seized five plots of land, 13 businesses, 29 buildings, one vehicle and five farms during the period under review.

The ICPC stated that the agency filed a total of 73 court cases in 2020 and 11 cases filed between

of this plan is to achieve a parasite prevalence of less than 10 per cent and reduce mortality attributable to malaria to less than 50 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2025. The implementation of the New Strategic Plan will cost N1.89 trillion”, Ehanire said.

He said 63.1 per cent of the total amount would be used to support Chemoprevention, diagnosis, and treatment, while 35.9 per cent will be used for vector control.

The minister, who said the use of insecticide-treated nets

among under-five children increased from 43.4 per cent in 2015 to 52 per cent in 2018, also said pregnant women increased its use from 49 per cent in 2015 to 58 per cent in 2018.

“Fever testing of under-five children increased from 5 per cent in 2010 to 11 per cent in 2013, 13 per cent in 2015 and 14 per cent in 2018; but is still too low.

“These measures resulted in a reduction of malaria prevalence from 42 per cent in 2010 to 27 per cent in 2015

and 23 per cent in 2018.

“We expect that when results of 2021 Malaria Indicator Survey to be conducted later this year are out, a further the downward trend will be seen.”

He said under the Severe Malaria Retrospective Study, 3,503 cases of severe malaria were treated in 18 secondary health facilities.

Ehanire said, “A follow up to the Severe Malaria Clinical Audit done in 2019 revealed an improvement in most of the systems and case-management indicators.”

Nigeria to Spend N1.89tn to Wipe Out Malaria, Says Ehanire Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has disclosed that the federal government would spend N1.89 trillion to wipe out malaria in Nigeria.

In a text, he presented to mark 2021 World Malaria Day, which was obtained

ICPC Recovers N1.1bn, 29 Buildings in Q1 2021 Deji Elumoye in Abuja

by journalists yesterday in Abuja, the minister added that N352 billion was needed for the year 2021 programme implementation on malaria.

Ehanire appealed to corporate organisations, the private sector, and patriotic Nigerians to offer the country a bailout with a view to achieving its target of wiping out malaria.

Ehanire said the N1.89 trillion was specifically needed for the implementation of the New Strategic Plan on malaria.

“As stated earlier, the goal

January and March 2021 while the agency secured 26 convictions in 2020 and four in the first quarter of 2021.

Owasanoye added that N147 billion was restrained by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (AuGF) from personnel, overhead and capital costs based on the instruction issued in 2019 on the account of ICPC personnel cost review of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) He gave the breakdown of the restrained funds to include overhead - N15.5 billion, personnel - N32.3 billion and N99.2 billion.

In his remarks, Kwari applauded the agency for living up to expectations, adding that the Senate is ready to support it to do more.

He said: "I appreciate the chairman and board members for the job well done and we also commend what you have been doing for the nation."

PRAISING GOD...

L-R: Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Archbishop of Ughelli Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rev. Cyril Odutemu; his wife, Ufuoma; and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, at the 8th Synod of Ughelli Diocese of the Anglican Communion in Ughelli...yesterday

Osinbajo: God's Promise of Great Nigeria will be Fulfilled Deji Elumoye in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that despite the persistent challenges facing Nigeria, God’s promise of a great nation will soon come to pass.

Osinbajo, while seeking to rally Nigerians and people of faith to see beyond the vicissitudes of the season in the country, expressed his optimism that Nigeria will become an oasis of peace, security and prosperity in Africa and beyond.

The vice president delivered this message of greater Nigeria yesterday at the ongoing 108th annual convention of the Nigerian Baptist Convention themed "Moving Forward: Finishing the Race with Joy," at the church’s Conference Centre along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to him, although Nigeria is going through storms and adversity, the

country will overcome its challenges and realise its aspirations because of the promises of God regarding the outstanding greatness ahead of the country.

He said: "There is a promise of God for this nation, that this nation will prosper, that this nation will be the epicentre of the astounding economic and scientific developments of the 21st Century, that we will create here in Nigeria an oasis of peace, security and prosperity such as has never been seen before on this continent and beyond.

"This is the promise of God. But today the clouds are overcast, the promise seems impossible, as it was with the children of Israel after leaving Egypt on the way to the promised land...

“The journey to the promise of God for Nigeria is going through storms and adversity, but the end will be better than

the beginning, weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.

“I am completely convinced that nobody, no group, no ideology, can defeat the promise of God for the greatness of Nigeria. I see it clearly, I know it like my own face.”

Osinbajo urged Nigerians not to allow the challenges facing Nigeria to make them profess negative utterances or thoughts about their country.

“We must not sound like the children of Israel fearful before Goliath, petrified and complaining at the Red Sea as Pharoah and his hostile hosts approached. We are the light of this world, we are the voice of God in a confused and discouraged world, we must speak the things that God has promised as though they are because they will come to pass.

“The clouds cannot deny the existence of the sun, they may

cover it for a while but they must give way to the glorious brightness of sunshine,” he stated.

He commended the outgoing National President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention who is also the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Supo Ayokunle, saying “from his humble days leading the small flock in Ibadan to the headship of the Baptist Convention, superintending over the affairs of 13,654 churches and 8,000,637 members and then suddenly being propelled to the rocky and the difficult intersection between politics and religion as the 6th President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the umbrella body of Nigeria’s millions of Christians, the man we celebrate today has seen it all, adversity, tribulation, enemies from within and without.”

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FG Rejects W’Bank’s Report on Nigeria’s Power Sector Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government yesterday rejected a World Bank’s report, which indicated that over 78 per cent of electricity consumers in Nigeria received less than 12 hours of electricity supply daily.

A statement released through the Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, Mr. Ahmad Zakari, while disputing the survey, said it was unclear what empirical evidence the bank deployed to arrive at the figures.

The bank had in an online meeting with energy

correspondents in Abuja last week, stated that a total of 74 per cent of power users in Nigeria were dissatisfied with the supply of electricity across the country.

It further disclosed that while 93 per cent of metered power users paid their bills regularly, while 78 per cent of electricity consumers in Nigeria received less than 12 hours of supply daily, stressing that the findings were done after a thorough survey conducted by the global financial institution.

But the federal government insisted that power distribution to consumers had been steadily

Gunmen Kill Policemen, Three Customs Officers in Rivers

Gunmen have reportedly killed an unspecified number of policemen and three Customs Officers at various checkpoints in Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Saturday night between Omagwa -Isiokpo – Elele communities in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers state, along the Port Harcourt – Owerri road.

In a statement issued yesterday, the River State Police Command confirmed the attack on the security personnel but did not say if any officer was killed.

According to the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, Superintendent of Police Nnamdi Omoni, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday “has launched a full-scale investigation into the dastardly attack with a view to arresting the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.”

The Police added that so far, the “area is calm with reinforced and increased joint Patrols on that stretch and other areas in the state by the security agencies.”

The police further reassured

that all parts of Rivers state are calm, safe, and secure.

Confirming the killing of the Customs officers, the spokesperson for Zone C, Custom’s Federal Operations Unit, Mr. Jerry Atta, said three Customs personnel were killed by the gunmen in Rivers State.

He explained that the officers were attacked by armed men on Saturday night at a patrol base in Isiokpo – the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The zonal spokesman added that after killing the security operatives, the gunmen went away with an Ak-47 rifle and two Toyota Hilux vans belonging to the service.

He noted that a thorough investigation would be carried out to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack and to unravel the motive of the assailants.

Atta blamed the killing of the security operatives on armed smugglers whose businesses have been frustrated by the customs in recent times.

Eight Villages Deserted as Bandits Invade Niger Communities Kill doctor, abduct five in Kaduna church John Shiklam in Kaduna and Laleye Dipo in Minna No fewer than eight communities in the Fuka district of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have been deserted following the raid on the villages by bandits on Saturday night.

Another group of bandits yesterday also attacked worshipers at Haske Baptist Church, Manini community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing a medical doctor while five people were abducted.

Following the raid on the Niger communities, THISDAY gathered that 1,569 villagers have now relocated to Sarkin Pawa the headquarters of the Munya LGA where they are now Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

THISDAY learnt from eyewitnesses that the raid on the villages was carried out by about 60 AK-47 rifle-wielding bandits on motorcycles.

It was gathered that the bandits first attacked a businessman, Alhaji Doma Fuka, before proceeding to Continued on page 49

improving, even though it had stasted last week that 17 of the 25 generation power plants were down, leading to a deterioration in nationwide supply.

While responding to the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP), a fact sheet released by the bank, the government noted that it was inaccurate to make a blanket statement on the country's power sector.

It argued that empirical evidence from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that only 55 per cent of citizens connected to the grid is in tariff bands D and E which is less than 12 hours supply.

The statement said: “It is inaccurate to make a blanket statement that 78 per cent of Nigerians have less than 12 hours daily access. The data from NERC is that 55 per

cent of citizens connected to the grid are in tariff bands D and E which are less than 12 hours supply.

“Those citizens are being fully subsidised to preSeptember 2020 tariffs until Discos are able to improve supply. There is a N120 billion CAPEX fund from CBN for Discos to improve infrastructure for these tariff classes similar to the metering programme that is ongoing.”

The federal government also kicked against aspects of the bank’s report which claimed that 58 per cent of electricity consumers in the country did not have meters to measure electricity use, dismissing the data as unverifiable.

“It is unclear who did this survey and what the timeframe is. All citizens that have got free meters report they are happy about the reform trajectory,” he added.

According to the statement,

to date, more than 600,000 meters have been delivered to Distribution Companies (Discos) out of the 1 million in phase 0 with installation ongoing and meters being sourced locally, while creating jobs in installation and manufacturing/assembly.

The federal government clarified that the ServiceBased Tariff (SBT) ensures that citizens pay more only when and if they are receiving a high quality of service.

He stated that all consumers have been communicated their bands which he said are published during billing.

The statement maintained that it was inconceivable that anyone would imply that four out of five Nigerians are not intelligent enough to understand tariff classes and what they are paying for.

The presidential adviser on infrastructure, in the statement, said his office

enjoyed a robust working relationship with the World Bank and was, therefore, surprised that such a report would be released without the input of other critical stakeholders.

The statement noted: “We have a good working relationship with the bank but metrics around the Nigerian power sector will come from the ministry of power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also regularly publishes intervention data."

The secretary to the presidential power reform coordination working group noted that the government has also been supporting data access from the relevant agencies, insisting that it was uncommon to publish such data without the right consultation, fact-checking and context.

SEEKING PEACE FOR SOUTH-EAST...

Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umahi (left), and Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, during the meeting of South-east leaders in Enugu…yesterday

Kaigama Advocates Training of Clerics to Curb Religious Radicalism Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Catholic Archbishop of the Abuja Metropolitan See, His Grace, Ignatius Kaigama, has urged religious organisations to ensure proper training of preachers to avoid communicating inflammatory messages that could create tension and violence.

Kaigama, in his homily yesterday at a special mass service at the Holy Ghost Parish, Saburi, a satellite town in Abuja, said it was expected that religious preachers should preach hope and salvation and not incite followers to violence.

Speaking against the background of a raging

controversy over the previous preaching of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, the cleric said mistaken or faulty positions held by preachers and communicated to followers could contribute to unnecessary tension and violence.

He said: “The raging controversy about what a serving minister preached or did not preach years ago only goes to show the sensitivity of religious matters in Nigeria, which we must always approach with very great caution.

"It is a clarion call for the proper training of preachers.

Mistaken or faulty positions

held by preachers and communicated to followers can contribute to unnecessary tension and violence that could even lead to the waste of human lives.

"As a doctor must attain full professional knowledge before practising, so must preachers attain the height of religious formation before preaching, as ignorantia legit non excusat (ignorance of the law is not an excuse)."

Kaigama stressed the need for religious organisations to set the correct criteria for preachers, "so that no one with the improper understanding of scripture or only with superficial and distorted truths of our faiths will cause

religious friction and tension."

"We should preach the message of hope and salvation and not to incite followers to violence or to call others offensive names or to look condescendingly on adherents of other religions," he added.

According to him, religious organisations should identify potential and capable persons to be trained and also set aside resources meant to nurture and develop them.

He stated that in the Catholic Church, the training of priests was taken seriously, adding that being a religious leader is a calling, not a profession or a part-time enterprise.

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COMMENT

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

NIGERIA AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS SMUGGLING

The petroleum downstream industry lacks transparency which creates an environment for smuggling, writes Oghenegare Eyankware

S

ince the inception of oil and gas exploration and production in Nigeria, there has been lack of availability of reliable data of its operation in public domain. There is the perception amongst stakeholders that the transactions of the industry are shrouded in secrecy and in instances where data is released, it is usually viewed as distorted to suit government narratives.

This has consequently created an atmosphere of distrust between citizens and government. For example, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the government institution mandated to supervise Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is usually regarded as the “cash cow” of the government due to lack of timely and reconcilable publication of its oil and gas transaction details for sake of transparency and accountability.

Selected examples of such shrouded transactions include untimely and unreliable data for crude oil exported daily out of Nigeria, amount of petroleum products imported into the country, daily national consumption of petroleum products and monies accruable to the federal government as a result of oil and gas operations, etc.

Amongst these unreliable oil and gas transactions data released, one of the most prominent remains daily national petroleum product import and consumption data. The lack and inconsistency of this data in public domain has served as an enabling factor for smuggling of petroleum products within and out of Nigeria’s territorial borders. Therefore, the prevalence of petroleum products smuggling in Nigeria would be assessed accordingly.

Since Nigeria’s affiliation with Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2007, targeted efforts have been made to increase the transparency of the nation’s oil and gas sector for national development. Through periodic published audit reports of Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), transparency has been increased in the sector amounting to the recovery of USD 2.4 billion based on audit report of 2018. However, the effect of this progress remains limited in enshrining transparency in management of petroleum product importation and consumption in the country. Herein lays the “failure” of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which in its capacity should provide reliable data for petroleum product importation and consumption.

As regards provision of reliable petroleum product

LACK OF ACCURATE DATA REPORTED BY GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS CONTINUOUSLY FUELS THE CONVERSATION DEPICTING THE INDUSTRY AS CORRUPT AND UNATTRACTIVE TO INVESTORS

importation data, the role of PPPRA becomes more difficult to execute due to the nature of petroleum product importation mechanisms applicable in Nigeria; currently, the country uses Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreement with selected offshore refineries which replaced Offshore Processing Agreement. These factors and more have created enabling environment for significant variability in data reported by relevant government institutions as regards petroleum product importation.

These discrepancies are evident in the petroleum products transaction data [with specific focus on Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) which accounts for 60% of petroleum products consumed in Nigeria] highlighted by the reports of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Petroleum Products Importation and Consumption statistics (whose data is supplied by PPPRA) and NNPC’s Financial and Operations Report of first quarter of 2020. Comparison shows that volume of PMS imported in Q1 of 2020 varied amongst figures reported by these institutions; herein, NBS reported 5, 262, 043, 244 litres while NNPC reported 5, 608, 517, 858.2 litres within same period, creating a un-reconcilable 346, 474, 614.2 litres imported with market value of NGN 57 billion at NGN 165/ litre. Similar discrepancies were reported in 2019 where NBS recorded PMS importation of 29, 892, 934, 107 litres while NNPC recorded 19, 022, 161, 935.06 creating a difference of 1, 022, 161, 935.06 litres with market value of NGN 165 billion.

These selected un-reconcilable PMS importation data shows that the petroleum downstream industry lacks transparency which creates an enabling environment for smuggling of products into neighbouring countries whose price of PMS is higher than Nigeria’s. For emphasis, the cost of PMS is lowest within Nigeria as compared to Niger (NGN 425.6), Benin (NGN 368.6), Chad (NGN 342) and Cameroun (NGN 414.2) creating enabling market dynamics for product smuggling. Although, the prevalence of smuggling within Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector remains debatable, lack of accurate data reported by government institutions continuously fuels the conversation, depicting the industry as “corrupt” and unattractive to investors. Conclusively, such atmosphere of market dynamics negatively affects national growth and development.

Eyankware, extractives policy analyst with OrderPaper Nigeria, wrote from Port Harcourt

PRINTING OF CURRENCY NOTES Boniface Chizea argues that the country is in woeful economic state

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he issue of printing of currency notes raised by Godwin Obaseki, the Governor of Edo State has very much dominated popular discussion for a few days now. I was going to quietly continue with taking in the arguments as they raged but as I did that, I observed that one critical point was missing. Everyone who commented have come with their perspectives of how wrong it is to print notes as if there is anyone oblivious of the deleterious consequences of such a development for microeconomic stability and some have gone ahead to articulate what in their opinion is wrong with the Nigerian economy; a fact which is well known by most barely informed commentators. But in my view what has been missing in this discussion is a careful consideration of the counter factual. We make it sound as if the authorities simply want to increase money supply within the system. We are here talking of an economy whose rate inflation is as at last count estimated at 18.3 per cent; the highest rate since January 2017 when the rate reached was an unsupportable high rate of 18.72 per cent, about four years ago! Therefore, this most certainly are unusual times in Nigeria.

Let’s for the sake of this discussion accept that some loan was extended by the Central Bank because as the Governor of the Central Bank painstakingly explained, the Central Bank simply credits your account to extend a loan to you. Some of the arguments made it sound as if there was any actual printing of currency. Of course, the Central Bank has responsibility for the quality of the currency notes in circulation and therefore in keeping with its clean notes policy withdraws now and again worn-out notes in circulation and prints new notes to replace them once there is an understanding of the volume of currency notes in circulation for the optimal functioning of the economy. That is the only time the Central Bank would resort to physical printing of notes.

So as Obaseki claimed that N60 billion notes were printed to augment the available money for

FAAC allocation and there has been rebuttal from the desk officer; the Federal Minister of Finance that there was no printing. But suppose there was such a gaping shortfall and the governor went back with inadequate allocation, did he spare a thought to consider what could have happened? He will not be able to pay salaries and wages and workers accustomed to receiving their cheques at the end of the month will not be paid! What then will happen?

We harvest unrest as probably wild cat strikes would be the order of the day. This fragile peace we are now enjoying would be denied, workers will go on strike and the Nigerian space will be ungovernable. We must accept the fact that the Federal Government is under no obligation to share money it does not have; this is why this feeding bottle federation which we operate is due for urgent review.

This is one more reason why there has been agitations regarding the need to revisit the current revenue allocation procedure. Autonomy should be enthroned such that component sections of the federation could tap on the resources in their back yard and pay tax to the center for the provision of common services. Therefore, the Nigerian economy is in dire straits; and a generality of the people are discussing niceties. There is fire on the rooftop and one is busy chasing rats in the house!

Which of those prescriptions being bandied around are amenable to quick fix? We are faced with a situation whereby because we failed to do what was required to have been done at the appropriate time, the chicken has now come home to roost. Therefore, whatever is wrong with what has happened so far, we must have it in mind that the steps were taken or rather being taken because there are no options. So, stoking inflationary pressure possess a lesser danger than not being able to pay salary to large numbers of the workforce.

And the extent of the outcry makes it sound as if the Central Bank has committed an unpardonable crime. Even the alarm being raised would be seen in better light if we recall what happened in the year of the pandemic; 2020. The 2020 Budget had a deficit

of N6.1 trillion. How was the deficit funded? Two trillion Naira was borrowed from Domestic sources, 1.1 trillion was sourced from external sources and the outstanding of about three trillion Naira was borrowed from the Central Bank otherwise the economy could have ground to a screeching halt.

And we are here trying to pull down the roof because of an allegation that 60 billion was loaned from the Central Bank to augment the FAAC money. And the intention to repay such borrowings is always there as interest due on such borrowings are routinely calculated an added to the outstanding debt account. While we discuss this, it is good that the Governor of the Central Bank reminded all that Budget support of 1.5 trillion Naira which was extended to the states in 2015/2016 was still outstanding and the Central Bank will now commence the recovery of such loans!

In recognition of the centrality of funding from loan against the background of dwindling revenues, the Federal Executive Council in approving the Medium Term; 2020 to 2023 Debt Strategy decided to increase the country’s debt to GDP ratio to 40 per cent relative to the extant ratio of 25 per cent to give more scope for borrowing. It is argued here that both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund had recommended a ratio of 55 per cent for countries in Nigeria peer group. Of course, we are all aware that Nigeria’s problem with fiscal sustainability arise from the consideration of debt service burden. If Nigeria today is to keep fidelity to its debt repayment obligations; the country would not have money even to meet recurrent expenditure.

What is happening with respect to quantitative easing is not restricted to Nigeria as a result of the pandemic which brought economic activities to a halt across the globe. It might be cold comfort to take a cursory look at the American experience, even as one is quick to observe that what has made the Nigerian case a particularly difficult nut to crack is the fact of lack of productive base in the economy.

In response to the economic shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve Bank of America on March 15, 2020 announced a quantita-

tive easing plan of over 700 billion dollars. Then on June 10, 2020, the FR Board extended the program committing to at least 80 billion a month in Treasury and 40 billion dollars on asset backed mortgages.

Joe Biden on assumption of office pushed through a palliative package totaling 1.9 trillion COVID stimulus package to be disbursed; 415 billion dollars to boost vaccine production and general required response to stem the pandemic and a palliative cheque of 1,400 dollars paid to every American citizen. There is no country in the world, as should be expected to varying degree, that is exempt from the American experience hereby recounted as a fallout of the pandemic experience.

The fact remains that what ails the Nigerian economy have been severally articulated over the decades; from Vision 2010, to Vision 2020, to Nigerian Economic Empowerment & Development Strategy to 2014 National Conference Report to Oronsaye 2011 Report. These reports contain well considered carefully articulated strategies for the development of the Nigerian economy. Even the Structural Adjustment Program of 1986 aimed at the diversification of the Nigerian economy, the enthronement of market forces for the allocation of scarce resources, the pursuit of a private sector- led economy, etc. They have all suffered from the same fate; lack of implementation.

But Nigerians expect the Naira rate of exchange not to depreciate when there is hardly any productivity in the economy! How do we want to make omelette without breaking eggs? Nigerians must wake up to smell the coffee. It is going to be much worse before it gets better. The only comforting light on the horizon is the Dangote Refinery which is scheduled to commence operations in the first quarter of next year. It promises to be a game changer otherwise we would all as a nation rue the fact of wasted opportunities to do what was right by the economy. There is resort to ways and means funding simply because there are limited options otherwise, we end up with a space impossible to manage.

Dr. Chizea wrote from Lagos

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021

EDITORIAL THE N60 BILLION ‘PRINTING’ CONTROVERSY Whatever the arguments, the economy is in dire straits

A

ll the critical stakeholders have had their say on the controversy over whether the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) printed additional N60 billion for the three federating units to share last month. The fact, however, remains that the Nigerian economy is in dire straits. Buffeted by mounting public debt, crushing poverty, galloping inflation, weak naira and worsening unemployment, the nation’s woes are more than a handful. Bedevilled by these challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation deserves effective strategies by fiscal and monetary authorities to steer the economic ship out of the present doldrums. We have had enough of empty rhetoric.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki had stirred the hornest’s nest when he recently alleged that the federal government printed about N60 billion to augment the distributable revenue shared among stakeholders by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) last month. “When we got FAAC for March, the federal government printed additional N50-N60 billion to WE CALL ON THE CBN AND top-up for us to share.

THE FISCAL AUTHORITIES This April, we will go TO LOOK BEYOND THE to Abuja and share.

GOVERNOR’S ALLEGATION By the end of this year, our total borAND EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO THE PRESSING rowings are going to be between N15-N16 ECONOMIC CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE NATION trillion,” Obaseki had told his officials at a public session.

Quite naturally, this claim has not gone down well with both the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). First to repudiate Obaseki’s claim was the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed. “The issue that was raised by the Edo State governor for me is very sad because it is not a fact. What we distribute at FAAC is revenue that is

Letters to the Editor

generated and in fact distributable revenue is public information. We publish revenue generated by FIRS, the Customs and the NNPC and we distribute at FAAC. So, it is not true to say we printed money to distribute at FAAC,” said Ahmed.

H

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

aving cleared the air on Obaseki’s allegation, there is no denying the huge trust deficit between the government and the governed at practically all levels. Despite several rebuttals, including by the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (with all the governors), not a few Nigerians still believe Obaseki because our leaders have often breached the social contract with the people. All factors considered, we do not believe that the allegation by Obaseki can be supported by any empirical fact. But we nonetheless call on the CBN and the fiscal authorities to look beyond the governor’s allegation and effectively respond to the pressing economic challenges confronting the nation. This is because there are indeed worrisome developments.

The CBN backstopped a total of N2.8 trillion in support loans to the federal government in 2020 following the latter’s failure to meet its revenue targets due to the impact of the fall in oil prices and Covid-19 pandemic.

The support came in the form of Ways and Means, a provision in the CBN Act that allows the government to borrow from the apex bank. At N2.8 trillion, the CBN basically lent the government 52.8 per cent of its current year revenues or 62.2 per cent of 2019 revenues of N4.5 trillion. This seems to be a clear contravention of the act which states that the outstanding amount should not exceed five per cent of the previous year’s actual revenue. The provision also requires that the loans be repaid at the end of the year, failure which the CBN will no longer be able to lend to the government in the following year.

There’s nothing to show that the loans have been repaid even as the implementation of the 2021 budget had commenced. These are some of the actions that often lead to allegations like that of Obaseki.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

DANGOTE’S $500M SUGAR COMPLEX AND QUEST FOR SUFFICIENCY

A

s an avid observer of developments in the global economy, I was taken aback recently when international trade watchdog, World Trade Organization (WTO), recently released its thought-provoking statistics. According to WTO’s data on “Leading Exporters and Importers of Commercial Services for 2020”, Nigeria was ranked number one importer in Africa and 25th largest importer in the world, while Egypt emerged second on the continent and 28th globally.

Meanwhile, the big economies of the world—United States, China, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Singapore, that made it to top positions of the “leading Importers”, also featured on top the list of “leading exporters”. The shocking and disturbing aspect of the report that should elicit national discourse in Nigeria is: when it came to ranking of top exporters in the world, Nigeria was conspicuously missing while Egypt and Morocco made it to number 26 and 27, respectively.

These two African countries were rated ahead of Nigeria in exports. This is very pathetic. Nigeria—so-called giant of Africa, ignobly got the crown of infamy as the “dumping ground” of the world, because when you’re consuming via importation without corresponding exportation, your economy is in doldrums. We only export raw crude oil without the capacity to refine—even for our local consumption. We are the only OPEC-member country that imports refined petroleum products.

The million-dollar question here is: how can you export products and services that you’re yet to achieve self-sufficiency in? This is

the big national question that African industrial giant—Dangote Group, is providing answers to. From building the largest refinery in Africa—to help Nigeria achieve much-needed self-sufficiency in local refining of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)—and its byproducts, to igniting what I describe as sugar revolution in the country.

The ongoing construction of Dangote Integrated Sugar Complex in Tunga, Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, is another industrial wonder to behold. In line with the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), especially Backward Integration Project(BIP)—one of the critical aspects of the master plan, Dangote Group via one of its subsidiaries—Dangote Sugar Refinery, is building $500 million worth of sugar complex.

The Integrated Sugar Complex, will comprise 60,000 hectares of sugar plantation and industrial complex with capacity to crush 12,000 tons of cane per day (tcd); two sugar factories with projected capacity to produce 430,000 tpa of refined white sugar—representing about 30% of Nigeria’s sugar consumption. Ninety megawatts of electricity will be generated in the Complex for the Company’s use and that of neighboring communities, using ethanol. Some 500km of roads will be constructed to enhance transportation within the complex and adorning communities.

Another landmark stride of this project is: for the first time in history of Nigeria, drip irrigation will be installed on a commercial scale to substantially improve the yield of sugarcane, and simultaneously conserve water and fertilizer consumption. When fully installed, both plants will have Ethanol Distilleries, to produce ethanol from molasses. The ethanol will be blended with gasoline at Dangote

Petroleum Refinery to have greener fuel. You can see the synergy.

The Dangote Integrated Sugar Complex is expected to commence production by 2023, with potential to create more than 150,000 jobs.

When fully operational, this project will not only uplift the economy of host state—Nasarawa by enhancing its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), but reduce Nigeria’s dependence on importation of raw and refined sugar.

Quoting Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who was wowed when he visited the site, Nigeria spends between $600-$1 billion dollars annually on importation of sugar and its raw materials alone.

The Apex bank indicated its intention to place importation of sugar and wheat on its forex restriction list because Federal Government considers wheat and sugar as second and third most important commodities after rice, respectively, in its strategic food policy. But there must be a deliberate attempt to localize its production 100%.

Nigeria is one of the sub-Saharan Africa’s largest importers of sugar. To curb this ugly trend, the ambitious project embarked upon by the Dangote Group, is a welcome development and provides ray of hope for the nation’s goal via Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, to attain self-sufficiency in local sugar production.

The import of this landmark initiative is beyond imagination, because it has the tendency to revolutionize Nigeria’s sugar industry, create much-needed jobs for our teeming youths, reduce pressure on the limited foreign reserves and strengthen the naira.

Chidiebere Nwobodo, Abuja

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THISDAY, MONDAY APRIL 26,2021

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T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY APRIL 26, 2021

Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG

POLITICS

Email: nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY

M O N D AY D I S C O U R S E

Judiciary, Parliamentary Workers Press Home Demand for Financial Autonomy

The agitation for autonomy for the judiciary and parliamentary arms of government has assumed a different dimension since workers in both sectors embarked on an enduring strike to press home their demands, write Alexander Enumah and Onyebuchi Ezigbo

Buhari

Muhammad

Lawan

Gbajabiamila

I

to Tuesday April 6, 2021.

“You are directed to shut down courts/ departments in your states until further notice from the National Secretariat of JUSUN in Abuja,” the circular read.

Following this directive all courts in the country have been grounded in total compliance.

A visit to courts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) revealed total compliance with the strike. From the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court Abuja, the situation is the same.

The gates to the courts over the last three weeks have remained under lock and key, with no one going in or coming out of the court premises in different locations of the city capital of Abuja.

Also under lock and key is the headquarters of the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

From the apex court through to the lower courts the busy environment of the courts have become a ghost of themselves with workers, lawyers and their clients staying away except men of the Nigeria Police Force, the NSCDC and private guards at the entrance of these courts.

At the Federal High Court Abuja, some of the JUSUN officials cited said that the strike would continue until the government fully addressed the issue of financial autonomy of the judiciary.

The official who refused to give his name on grounds that he was not authorized to speak for the union, however disclosed that the leadership of JUSUN as at the time of the interview was in a meeting with the National Judicial Council (NJC), adding that a positive outcome of the meeting can however bring a speedy end to the strike.

Unfortunately, the meeting failed to achieve desired result, with the striking workers insisting there will be no backing down from the strike.

Deputy National President of JUSUN, Mr Emmanuel Abioye at another meeting last Wednesday told the Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad that until all state governments effect the constitutional provisions on the financial autonomy of the judiciary, the strike will continue.

Explaining why the union found it difficult to heed the CJN’s demand to call off the strike, Abioye said state governors must begin to demonstrate some level of seriousness by putting in place measures precedent to the implementation of financial autonomy for judiciary in their respective states.

‘’Though there’s financial autonomy for the judiciary already in some states while some are assuring that they would comply, but others have to take steps in readiness for compliance,’’ Abioye said.

He added that the union expect each state to start implementing its self-accounting law to deal with the Internally Generated Revenue in line with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; and that states without such law should put it in place.

According to the Deputy National President, it is the position of JUSUN that there must be some level of seriousness from all quarters with the state governments ensuring 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 source by Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) in line with Sections 81(3) and 162(9) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Abioye insisted that “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.’’

Surprisingly, the CJN in his response to the position of JUSUN leadership gave his support because their action is aimed at realizing their constitutionally guaranteed rights. ‘’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,” Muhammad said.

He, however, commended the JUSUN leadership “for following due process so far to protest against the injustice.”

Outside the strike, JUSUN also called its members out on a nationwide protest to compel the state governments to heed to their demand.

And in solidarity, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also directed its members to come out enmass to rescue the judiciary from the jaws of state governors fond of using judges however and when so ever they desire.

Leading the protest at the nation’s capital, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) advised the Federal Government and the National Assembly not to negotiate with state governors on the independence of the judiciary.

The umbrella body for lawyers in the country, which claimed it is aware of plans by governors to meet with the Federal Government and leadership of the National Assembly insisted that both the executive and legislative do not have the right to negotiate on constitutional provisions.

Speaking during the protest march to the National Assembly, the NBA through its first Vice President, Mr John AikpokpoMartins said it would be in the best interest of the nation for the governors to obey the laws of the land.

“We are aware that governors are seeking to negotiate, we are against it”, he said, “we want to pass a message across that you have no right to negotiate provisions of the Constitution.”

Aikpokpo-Martins said what must however be done is for the governors to obey the constitution and judgments of the courts which were not appealed against or vacated.

Outside the two court judgments in favour of financial autonomy of the judiciary, President Muhammadu Buhari also last year signed the Executive Order 10 to compel the states to implement the financial autonomy law to no avail.

The NBA first Vice President had claimed that the Executive Order 10 was a product of an all inclusive meeting of all stakeholders in the judiciary including the governors.

While stressing that parties at the meeting then agreed that the Accountant General of the Federation can pay directly to the Heads of Court without recourse to the governors, Aikpokpo-Martins urged the Federal Government to garnishee accounts of the state governments and pay directly to the respective state judiciaries.

He said failure to do so will not only amount to betrayal of the people but portrays the Federal Government as accomplice with the governors.

Aikpokpo-Martins said that they were on the mission because it tallies with the NBA motto which is promoting the rule of law and independence of the judiciary.

He lamented that the governors have refused despite all entrities to obey the provisions of the constitution on financial autonomy, adding that all attempt to make them see reasons have failed, hence the protest.

n bid to resolve the deadlock over the agitation for financial autonomy by judiciary and parliamentary workers, the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with the unions today, Monday, at Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja.

That the ongoing strike by judiciary workers has paralyzed the justice system, and the economic cum political environment of Nigeria maybe an understatement.

Since April 6 when the strike action over the financial autonomy of the judiciary with regards to the states all courts from magistrate up to the Supreme Court have remained under lock and key to the detriment of not only litigants but other Nigerians in need of court services such as swearing in of affidavit amongst others.

On April 5, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), directed its members across the country to shut down courts nationwide beginning from Tuesday, April 6 following the failure of the governments to respond to its warning strike over the non implementation of financial autonomy for state judiciaries.

JUSUN had on March 13, 2021 issued a 21- day ultimatum to the government which elapsed on Sunday, April 4, 2021.

While the Federal Government has allowed for financial autonomy for the third arm of government, states governments were however yet to give financial independence to state judiciaries.

The strike which was scheduled for Monday, April 5, was however shifted to Tuesday, April 6, 2021, owing to the Easter holiday.

In a statement by JUSUN President, Comrade Marwan Adamu, “all courts and other departments would be shut until and unless the government does the needful.”

Similarly, a circular with Ref.no.JUSUN/ NHQ/GEN/111/VOL.11/65 dated April 1, 2021 and signed by JUSUN’s General Secretary, Comrade Isaiah Adetola, directed members of JUSUN across the country to comply with the directive by the NEC of the Union.

“I have been directed to refer to the communique issued at the end of the last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of JUSUN on March 13, 2021 in Abuja and particularly refer to paragraph 9 on 21-day ultimatum to government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary, failure of which JUSUN will have no option but to resume the suspended national strike.

“Therefore, as a result of public holiday on April 5, 2021, the strike has been postponed

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY APRIL 26, 2021

18

MONDAY DISCOURSE

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19

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY APRIL 26, 2021

POLITICS

Fireworks over Elumelu’s Call for Pantami’s Resignation Udora Orizu writes that members of the House of Representatives recently argued over Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu’s motion calling for resignation of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami for his past comments backing activities of terror groups

Gbajabiamila

Kalu

Elumelu

Pantami

I

on end SARS protesters.

Meanwhile at the House of Representatives, it was bandy of words among the lawmakers on the issue at hand.

there are allegations of him being a member of Al-Queda and Boko Haram, owned up and said that he did whatever he did at that time because at that time he was a youth and he is still serving in this administration. Mr Speaker, I feel it will be out of place for me to sit here and not to speak about it and totally call for his resignation or suspension.”

Ruling on the matter, the Speaker Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila faulted Elumelu for raising a point of privilege without showing how his privileges were breached. ‘’I think you came under the wrong order.

But your point of order is well noted. As you know, under privilege we don’t debate such issues,” Gbajabiamila said.

In this case, the Minority Leader should have known better than to present such an issue for debate via Order 6 of the House Rules which only applies to Legislative Privileges.

“He ought to have come under Order 8 Rule 4, as a matter of Urgent National Importance, or via a Motion on Notice to enable other members to second the motion and make their contributions through debate in a truly democratic fashion, after which the House would be able to take a position on the issue.

It is, therefore, pertinent to inform Nigerians that the House has not acted in error, but in line with the provisions of its rules. All insinuations that the House did not allow democratic debate to take place on the important issue of Pantami’s resignation are simply untrue. ‘’The House acknowledges the severity of the issue and its nature as a matter of public concern. As always, the House stands ready to give audience to Hon. Elumelu or any other member of the House on this issue, provided that such audience is sought through the proper channels and brought under the relevant rules of the House.’’

t was a dramatic week at the House of Representatives, as the Majority and Minority caucuses of the lower chamber clashed, over the procedure taken by the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, to call for resignation or sack of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami for his past comments backing activities of terrorists.

The Pantami Controversy The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami is currently facing serious backlash as the views he held in the past about terrorism came to light.

Over one decade ago, Pantami vocally promoted the vicious Jihadist narrative of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. He took extreme positions in support of the ruthless exploits of Taliban elements and Al Qaeda. The Minister, in some of his videos on YouTube, spoke glowingly of Abu Quatada, al Falasimi and other Al-Qaeda leaders he admired. In one of the videos, while responding to a question about Osama Bin Laden’s killing of innocent “unbelievers,” Pantami said although he conceded that Laden was liable to err because he was human: “I still consider him as a better Muslim than myself. We are all happy whenever unbelievers are being killed, but the Sharia does not allow us to kill them without a reason. This jihad is an obligation for every single believer, especially in Nigeria,’’ he said.

In another audiotape, Pantami was engaged in a tearful defense of murderous Boko Haram against alleged extra-judicial killings by the Nigerian military and asked for an amnesty for them just like Niger Delta militants: “See what our fellow Muslim brothers’ blood has turned to? Even pig blood has more value than that of a fellow Muslim brother.”

These recordings of him expressing these views began circulating on social media last week, leading to calls from millions of Nigerians for his resignation or sack by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement said the minister doesn’t belong to the Federal Executive Council, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to fire him.

But, the Presidency on the evening of April 22nd rose in stout defence of the embattled Minister, saying he had since apologised for his alleged past association with Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

The Presidency also said the ‘cancel’ campaign against the Minister was aimed at smearing his image despite the good work he was doing to improve the lives of everyday Nigerian in the last two years.

After the Presidency expressed it’s support for the minister, many Nigerians expressed displeasure with the Presidency. Some of them took to the social media to denounce the federal government for backing Pantami. Many wondered why government left former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun to her fate following a report that she forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.

Others also cited government’s clamp down

Elumelu’s Motion At the plenary on April 21, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu moved for the immediate resignation or sack of the Minister.

Under Matters of Privilege, Elumelu asked the House to cause a debate on the issue, stressing that Pantami’s apology does not hold water and he should be sacked.

Elumelu said: “Mr Speaker, my privilege borders on one of the serving ministers called Sheikh Ali Isa Ibrahim Pantami. He is the Minister for Communication and Digital Economy of the federal republic. And the portfolio that he currently occupies gives him the free latitude to administer, coordinate and manage the flow of sensitive information within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

“And Mr. Speaker, there have been insinuations that he has direct links and personally subscribes to the extreme Islamic believe of Al-Queda, Taliban and Boko Haram sects.

Evidence available on the cyberspace lays strong credence to a relationship and existing mutual collaboration between him and the deceased Yemen terrorist. Recently, Mr Speaker, while the minister was answering questions during his daily Ramadan lecture, a few days back, he owned up that he took extreme positions in support of the brutal exploits of Al-Queda and the Taliban out of ignorance, claiming that he was young when he did that, but now he is matured.

“Mr Speaker, my worry is that I am a serving member of this chamber and in the last few days, I have been inundated with calls from my constituents claiming that if it is right, that this House they have always seen talk about insecurity can sit down on this floor and tolerate the fact that a serving minister where

The Clarification Following the Speaker’s ruling, some media outfits misreported that Gbajabiamila had blocked Elumelu’s motion preventing him from calling for Pantami’s resignation. This led to a statement of clarification, by Spokesman of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu in the statement said Elumelu’s motion was not a shutdown of Elumelu’s views, rather it was to point out its wrong presentation, adding that the House of Representatives will hear the call by Elumelu for the resignation of the Minister when it is properly presented before it.

The statement read thus, “The House is aware of several publications on online and in traditional media claiming that the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila blocked a motion by the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu purportedly demanding the resignation of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

“This misrepresentation of facts for the sake of sensationalism has necessitated this statement of clarification. For the avoidance of doubt, the House is guided by the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives (House Rules) in its operations and administration.

That it appears the Minority Caucus spokesman is just waking up, because one wonders where he was when Hon Jaha Babao brought a proper Matter under Privileges the following day on the same issue in the presence of the minority leader, to correct all the misrepresentations and unanimously adopted by the House. This resolution of the house is in line with my formal Press Release since it was not contested by any segment of the house including the Minority leader or the Caucus members. It was a very ranking member of the caucus Hon Nkem Abonta, who openly agreed with Hon Jaha Babao and pleaded that the right thing should be done and proper motion tabled by the Minority leader Hon Ndudi Elumelu on this issue before the house. It appears the caucus is divided on this; the knowledgeable against the learners

The Minority Caucus Fired Back Reacting to Kalu’s statement, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives fired back at the Spokesman, insisting that Elumelu’s motion was properly presented at the floor of the House.

The caucus said the order was properly cited by Elumelu, stressing that the matter was also debatable.

In a statement on April 23rd signed by the spokesman of the Minority caucus, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, the caucus rejected the position of the House Spokesman, demanding for an apology from Kalu.

The lawmakers while reiterating its call for the resignation of the Communication Minister, said the statement also points to a deliberate scheme to jeopardize the nation’s fight against terrorism.

The statement read in part, ‘’The attention of the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has been drawn to a statement by the Chairman of House Committee on Media and Public Affairs/ Spokesman of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, which clearly exposed a sinister intention to misrepresent the rules of the House, mislead the undiscerning public and frustrate genuine effort in the fight against terrorism in our country. ‘’We find it shocking that instead of standing with Nigerians at this critical moment, Hon. Kalu chose to engage in a personal attack on the Minority Leader, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, for pointing to the dangers of retaining in office, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, after reports of the minister’s support for terrorists came to the fore. This is especially after the minister himself admitted to the facts of his sympathy for violent, extremist and terrorist groups, including, the al-Qaida and Taliban.

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

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

20

FEATURES

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

Collaborative Call to Mitigate Flooding Udora Orizu writes that the widespread destruction and loss of lives caused by flooding in 2020, calls for all hands on deck by all tiers of government to put in place structures and adhere to warnings issued by flood monitoring agencies ahead of the next flooding season

A bridge cut off in Kebbi

S

eptember 12, 2020, around 8:00pm, residents of Alapere area of Lagos State, raised alarm as another flooding tragedy struck. Two yet-to-be-identified children were swept away as people battled flood after a heavy rainfall that lasted for hours and led to destruction of properties.

This is just one of the horrific, heart-wrenching experiences Nigerians go through, following havoc wreaked by floods every year. Yet nothing is done by stakeholders to ameliorate the disaster.

Nigeria with a population of over 200 million people, faces numerous natural disasters, with flooding being the most common.

Most states in the country are increasingly suffering from annual flooding during the rainy seasons. However unlike some natural disasters, rainfall flooding can be controlled with proper planning and the provision of necessary infrastructure.

Flooding in Nigeria is usually caused by climate change, river overflowing, dam opening, current poor urban planning practices, poor drainage systems that can’t cope and so on. In the northern parts of the country, heavy rains are likely to cause rivers to overflow their banks and cause flooding in the neighboring states.

Floods have large social consequences for communities and individuals. The immediate impact of it include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases. These were seen recurring this year, in various states of the federation.

Havoc in Some States In a report on October last year, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said torrential rainfall, river floods and flash floods since September have cumulatively impacted 192,594 people across 22 states in Nigeria. Furthermore, around 826 injuries and 155 fatalities have so far been recorded and 24,134 people were reported to be displaced.

According to the Red Cross, the overflowing Benue and Niger rivers caused severe floods in Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto and Zamfara States from October 6, affecting 91,254 people or 15,209 households. At least 57 people died, 473 were injured and 22,357 displaced. Flooding was also reported in southern parts of the country, Bayelsa, Anambra, Rivers and Delta States, were affected and fatalities reported.

One of the most devastating impact of floods

Buhari was seen in Kebbi State. The flood swept away villages and peoples, displacing families and destroyed about 90 per cent of crops, putting the country's food security at risk. Over 30 lives were lost, hundreds of houses destroyed and thousands of residents displaced by the devastating flood that sacked communities in the state.

The losses incurred by the farmers, particularly rice farmers in Kebbi State were colossal and immeasurable , they run into billions of naira . Thousands of hectares of fadama rice farms in the state were affected by the flood. Rice farms , other agricultural crops, livestock and even communities were not spared by the raging floods.

Chairman of the State Emergency Management Authority (KSEMA), Alhaji Sani Dododo, revealed that five different bridges had been washed away across the state.

The Birnin-Kebbi-Makera-Kangiwa road, an international highway, which runs from the state capital to Niger Republic, is at the

Nze risk of caving in at Duku. Some of the minor bridges and culverts along the highway are already caving in, following erosion caused by rising water overflowing the nearby River Rima.

Also, the Bagudo-Tuga-Kaoje route, which leads to Benin Republic border, including the Tuga Bridge, is also submerged, cutting border communities. Dododo, who confirmed the number of deaths recorded so far, said 10 people died in a boat that capsized at Ihiru in Jega Local Government.

“Only eight bodies have so far been recovered; a family of six – father, mother and children were wiped away in Arewa council area. We recorded one death in Yauri, among others. The numbers may increase, since we are experiencing rainfall daily. In Bagudo council area is the worst hit by the flooding, as it was learnt that 98 per cent of the villages were affected.

In Iwaro Oka community of Akoko South West Local Government area, Ondo State a middle-aged man was swept away by

flood. Sources said the motorcycle of the farmer, identified as Akede, was seen inside the river very close to a popular filling station, which made people aware that the farmer was missing. Family members were thrown into mourning when all efforts to find him proved abortive. His body was later recovered in a river very close to St Patrick’s College, Iwaro Oka. In Lokoja, Kogi State, the road linking Kogi East and Eastern Nigeria to the state capital was flooded for days as canoe and boats were employed to navigate the roads which is meant for cars and other road users.

In Niger State, officials of the state government visited communities submerged by flood to ascertain the extent of damage and to enable government render assistance to victims.

In Kano State, the Kano Emergency Management Agency confirmed four persons killed and over 5,200 houses destroyed due to flooding in Rogo and Danbatta Local Government Areas of the state. He disclosed that two persons

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FEATURES lost their lives and 200 houses destroyed in Rogo, while two other persons and over 5,000 houses were destroyed by flood in Danbatta.

Also the South-south and South-east were wreaked by flood havoc. South-south states like Delta had over 150 houses submerged by flood. In South-east, Anambra for instance, over 5,000 persons have been displaced by flood that submerged houses, schools and churches in the Ogbaru Local Government Area. The Chairman of the council, Arinze Awaogu, said about 1,000 of the displaced persons were being catered for at Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in the area, while many others trapped in their communities needed evacuation.

He said, ''Over 5,000 families have been displaced, while churches, schools and many residential houses have been submerged by flood, with farm crops destroyed and displaced persons seeking refuge in Onitsha and surrounding communities. At the moment, we are housing over 1,000 IDPs; we have over 5,000 persons who have been displaced; some are taking refuge in the residences of their relatives, who live upland, including Onitsha.

We need the Federal Government’s assistance in the areas of donation of food items, non-food items, medical supplies, establishment of sick bays and sending enough medical personnel to help in handling the situation; our fear now is that of a possible outbreak of epidemic.”

Earlier in the year, heavy rains and thunderstorms caused havoc in Lagos. Residents woke up in many parts of the city to find their streets and homes flooded and their property, including cars and other valuables, submerged.

In Abuja, four Area Councils, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Abaji and Kwali which are prone to flood were affected by the disaster with Gwagwala being the worst hit in July as eight lives were lost, over 100 houses submerged and properties destroyed. On July 25, after a heavy downpour which lasted for hours, five residents were swept away and several houses and cars destroyed in Gwagwalada, Dawaki, Giri and Zuba where the flood cut the bridge linking Ikwa, Yimi and other villages.

The incidence was confirmed by the Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Idris Abbas who had said there was a building collapse in Dawaki as a result of the flood. Gwagwalada is flooded from Giri.

A family of five were flooded at Giri.

"We got one body and still searching for four. We rescued six people and are in the hospital. The flood has damaged a lot of houses and property, especially at Gwagwalada. The residents are still saying some are missing but they cannot give us the identities of such persons who they claim to be missing. People should be careful when it is raining. They should not drive on water. They should not build on flood plain. They must respect the master plan of FCT and ensure that all drainages are clean. What happened in Giri-Gota was because people built on flood plain", he said Federal Lawmakers Laments Back in September, the Kebbi State Caucus in the House of Representatives while commiserating with the government and people of the state on the recent flood disaster that ravaged the entire state, said the disaster is a major setback to the federal government effort to boost local rice production as part of measures to end rice importation.

The Chairman, Hon. Muhammad Jega, representing Gwandu/Aliero/Jega federal constituency, lamented that the disaster could not have come at a worse time for the farmers who were looking forward to a bumper harvest this year to reduce the rising cost of food items.

The lawmaker, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari and the state Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, for the prompt response to reduce the hardship caused by the flood, also urged them to as a matter of urgency send relief materials to alleviate the suffering of the people in the state.

Jega further urged the federal government to commission a study with the aim of providing a lasting solution to the perennial flood disaster in the state.

According to him, “The flood is a serious setback towards addressing food security in the country; the government, therefore, needs to address the shortfall of the food supply chain to reduce the hardship and cost of food items in the market, and also address the severe environmental degradation caused by the flood. This may include adequate and early preparation for dry-season farming and

Residents paddle through Lokoja town in Kogi State reconstruction of major infrastructures affected in the state. ‘’The estimated cost of the disaster is over N10 billion across the state. We call on the federal government as a matter of urgency to send relief materials to alleviate the suffering of the people in the state, as early preparation for dry season farming should commence in earnest with provision of seedlings, fertilizer and other inputs to be made available to the farmers in good time.’’

Also, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, decried the submerging of over 150 houses in Delta State, by devastating floods.

He said that since past two weeks, the Ndokwa East Communities of Delta State have been bedeviled by constant and frightening heavy downpour, being accompanied by excessive flooding and erosion, that is seriously and presently wreaking havoc in the Communities.

According to him, the affected communities are; Ossissa, Onyah, Ase, Ushie, Ibedeni; Asagba, Aballa-Uno, Agballa-Obodo, AgballaOshimili, Uchi, Okpai, Onuaboh, Inyi, Benekuku, Aboh, Onyah, Asaba-Ase, Ibrede, Ashaka, Afor, Abalagáda, Umuolu, Igbuku, Obettim, ObodoOkolafa, Iyadama,0nuogboko, UtagbaOgbe, Utagba-Uno, Ogume, Onitsha-Ukwuani, Akarri, Umuolu, just to mention a few”.

He said he was disturbed that "schools, farmlands, health centres, places of worship have seriously been affected and over 150 households has been rendered homeless particularly children and women and more is still being affected daily. About 90per cent of the ommunities in the entire Ndokwa East Local Government Area has been submerged,and worse still is the deplorable economic conditions of the peasant farmers in these agrarian communities”.

He observed that these communities are often prone to serious environmental disaster as a result of vulnerability of constant coastal flooding and erosion from the River Niger”.

The legislator, pleaded with the Federal Governnment, to Direct the Ecological Fund office to conduct an environmental survey with a view to addressing the excessive flooding in these Ndokwa Communities and urge the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials for the Hood victims in accordance with section 6 of NEMA Act. NIHSA Flood Alerts In February, the Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clement Nze, alerted the government, stakeholders and all citizens to use this period of dry season to prepare ahead for 2021 flooding.

Nze lamented that Nigeria currently doesn’t have enough dams, saying more dams would help to mitigate floods.

He explained that with the increasing global population and the expanding activities of man, flooding would continue to persist, hence the need to control human activities, environmental adjustment and purposefully adopting actions in certain areas that would make adjustment possible.

According to him, “Flooding problem is a global environmental issue which is faced by many countries worldwide, particularly

in areas close to low lying terrains and river valleys. Over the past years, there have been increasing concerns that human actions and natural catastrophes have been adversely impacting the environment, posing serious ecological and environmental hazards.

“Though flood is a natural environmental phenomenon, it can be greatly accelerated by human-induced activities as it is the case worldwide. Some floods may result in major disasters involving structural and erosion damages, disruption of socio-economic activities, loss of lives and properties, displacement of people, destruction of agricultural land and contamination of water and environment in general.”

The director general said this is the appropriate time to construct drainages where they are necessary (but not provided), dredge river channels, clear blocked gutters and drainages, and pull down structures that are within the floodplains and flood paths.

“There is a reasonable time to do that before the rains set in. According to the 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) made public recently by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), February 24 and June 22 are the predicted onset of rainfall in the South-south and Northern states respectively, while the respective predicted cessation dates are December 28th and September 26th. This implies that Nigeria is likely to experience longer period of rainy season in 2020 compared to year 2019,” he added.

Again, in September, the agency warned members of the public to expect more floods in the months of September and October.

Nze, gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja, saying that the current flood level sighted in Niamey poses a dangerous threat to the country.

Nze explained that any release of excess water from the dams in countries upstream Rivers Niger and Benue this year would have more negative impacts on Nigeria, which is located downstream of countries in the Niger Basin.

He identified the highly vulnerable states as Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa.

He said that the flood that ravaged Kebbi State just about a week ago left so many damages and noted that the current flooding situation called for vigilance on the part of all the stakeholders.

The director general called the states and local governments as well as multi-national companies and public-spirited individuals to join hands to save the country from the consequences of “twin pandemic” (COVID-19 and flood) in the year 2020.

Nze warned: ‘’The rains are finally here.

The volume of river flows on our river is surging and river channels could no longer accommodate significant runoff as floodplains, which traditionally serve the alluvial plains and are rich in agricultural productivity, lost its retention capacity to give way to flooding of adjacent lands.

“Farmlands and crop yields are being lost to furry of floodwaters, livestock and ecosystem species are diminishing while hope for livelihood hang in the balance due to monumental economic losses. ‘’As a matter of fact, all the states of the federation have suffered several degrees of flooding since June 2020. The danger is not yet

over. Information received from the regional Niger Basin Authority (NBA) by NIHSA, has it that as at 7.30am today September 10, 2020, the River Niger flood level in Niamey, Niger Republic, attained an unprecedented level of 7.02m (702cm). This is a far cry from the value of 6.60m which I reported in my last press briefing of August 25, 2020.

“Noting that the Red Alert Warning Zone in Niamey is 6.20m and above, the current flood level sighted in Niamey poses a dangerous threat to the country, Nigeria, which is at the Lower portion of Niger Basin within this month of September and October.’ ‘’Based on the report of the expected flood coming down from Niamey and the projected contributions by the inland rivers, both Kainji and Jebbo Dams built on River Niger have continued to spill water downstream. The Shiroro Dam on River Koduno, with reservoir level at 381.48m as at 9.00am today, has been maintaining a regulated spilling into the River Niger. The effect of all these is that the communities in the states adjoining River Niger will continue to be highly inundated by River Flooding as is being witnessed in the recent time.''

Recently, The DG of NIHSA, briefing the press on March 24, 2021, again advised the three tiers of government and citizens across the country to prepare against impending devastating floods in 2021.

Nze, who gave the advice at a press conference in Abuja, said this was because Nigeria was at the receiving end of disastrous floods among the nine countries of the River Niger Basin.

He said, “There is still time for states/LGAs (Local Government Areas) and individuals to take necessary steps to avert or minimise the disastrous effects of flood in the year 2021.

“As the country gradually steps into the 2021/2022 Hydrological Year in the River Niger Basin which covers nine countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mall, Niger and Nigeria, it means that Nigeria is gradually inching towards the peak rainy season with its attendant flood incidents.

He also advised Nigerians residing at waterways to relocate to safe areas before the peak of the rains, just as warned that Nigerians have about three months to prepare against the disastrous effects of flood.

He explained that the country's geographical location is downstream of all the countries in the Basin, making it to be at the receiving end of disastrous flood and pollutions from all the countries upstream.

The DG lamented that relevant authorities are frustrating the effort of the Federal Government by neglecting the predictions, as could be seen in the results of last year's damages.

Nze while urging the general public to take necessary measures to prevent the ugly flooding menace of the past years, noted that there is still time for stakeholders to take steps to avert or minimise the disastrous effects of flood in the year 2021.

Expectations from Stakeholders In the last few months, President Muhammadu Buhari has been sending solidarity messages to some states affected by flood disasters with promises of federal aid. The president authorised needed assistance to 12 states worst affected by the seasonal rains.

The states are: Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Edo, Anambra, Delta, Kano, Jigawa, Rivers, Bayelsa and Adamawa.

However, flooding in various state has become a recurring decimal for decades, all tiers of government are expected to put all hands on deck and come up with a permanent solution. Flood is a natural disaster, but lack of preparedness is a man-made disaster.

As Nigeria is months away till the next rainy season, stakeholders have ample time to do the needful and heed to flood warnings by various monitoring agencies in order to avert another impending tragedy.

One of the main strategies as stated by NIHSA is that, the 36 States and the FCT authority should create retention basins for harvesting flood waters downstream of major rivers where there is scarcity of groundwater thereby using the flood waters for possible groundwater recharge and other uses. By so doing, the fresh flood water will not be lost to the sea to become saline water.

The agency is also urging state governments to pull down structures built on flood plains and expand the drainages for easy flow of water as one of the strategies mapped out.

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Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

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Quick Takes LSETF Boss Lauds Sanwo-Olu

STOCK-TAKING

L-R: National Co-ordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sunny Nwosu; Group Chief Executive, FCMB Group Plc, Mr. Ladi Balogun; National Coordinator, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Bisi Bakare; Chairman, FCMB Group, Mr. Oladipupo Jadesimi; National Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria,Mr.BonifaceOkezieandCompanySecretary/GeneralCounsel,FCMBGroup,Mrs.FunmiAdedibu,duringthe8thAnnualGeneralMeetingofFCMBGroupheldinLagos…recently

Nigerian Shippers, Port of Antwerp Mull Seaport Development Initiatives Stories by Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the management of Port of Antwerp International have pledged to work together to develop ideas and explore ways decongest the Lagos ports.

This was disclosed during a courtesy visit by the Manager, Port Projects, Port of Antwerp International, Belgium, Mr. Philippe Droesbeke, to the NSC headquarters in Lagos, recently.

Speaking to newsmen, Droesbeke said he was at the NSC to share Port of Antwerp’s experiences with other ports abroad as the company set up a subsidiary dealing with consultancy in the management of ports and different fields on terminal and ports processes.

“We are a daughter company of the Port of Antwerp and we are really internationally focused.

We want to put our experiences.

MARITIME “We have an MoU with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and work with them on different aspects, but we are also partnering several private companies to improve port process.

“A reference within the maritime world is our training center, Apex. Apex isn’t an academic center but a training center combining practice with theory. It started decades ago and we have over 70,000 alumni,” he added.

According to Droesbeke, multimodal connection is one of the solutions to the congestion at Nigerian ports, urging the country to shift from it’s over dependence on roads for cargo evacuation.

He stated that the Port of Antwerp handles over 140 million tonnes of cargoes annually, but deploys multimodal approach for

cargo evacuation with rail carrying 50 percent, barges responsible for 40 percent, while the roads only handle 10 percent.

Droesbeke, also stressed that logistics infrastructure should be developed in Nigeria to meet the needs and location of exportable goods.

“If perishables are on the west side in the country, development shouldn’t be focused on the eastern part of the country. It will not be logical to do that at all,” he added.

While corroborating Droesbeke’s views on port development and supporting infrastructure, the Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, stated that Nigeria has identified these issues and prioritised them in the development of deep seaports.

“As to consultancy, we are always interested in such partnership. On interconnectivity, we have seaports and we have inland ports which we call dry ports.

“We are interested in having

these dry ports meet international standards and expectations. They should also boost the Nigerian economy, especially for our export, we want to make the dry ports export centers.

“There are others things that must be there at seaports and dry ports like; consolidation centers, stripping of containers, ware housing, companies that processes and add value to agricultural products and also packaging companies,” the NSC boss said.

Bello agreed that there was need for the NSC to have a study on the other values that will make seaports and dry ports more efficient, and a holistic improvement in the country’s logistics chain to reduce transport cost and also have competitive products in the global market.

“Nigerian products suffer from packaging sometimes and Continued on page 24

‘Proposed Escravos Deep Seaport to Attract $50bn FDI to Nigeria’ Promoters of the proposed Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex (ESIC – 1) have revealed that the $2.9 billion (N1.16 trillion) project will attract $50 billion (N20 trillion) in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nigeria when completed and operational.

The owner of the project, Mercury Maritime Concession Company (MMCC) Limited, while unveiling the plan at a stakeholders’ forum held in Lagos over the weekend, said the $2.9 billion seaport at Escravos, Delta would help to decongest Lagos ports.

Speaking at the stakeholders’ forum, the Chairman of MMCC, Rear Adm. Andrew Okoja (RTD.) said the proposed Escravos Seaport

MARITIME Industrial Complex project will play a major role in the bid to end youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

He said Mercury Maritime Concession Company and its partners have secured financing for the project adding that a deposit of $1 billion will soon be made to the federal government through the Ministry of Transportation as a show of commitment and capacity to deliver the project.

Okoja said the project was at its preparatory stage, but gave the assurance that within five years, it would be completed. He stressed that everything needed to be done for the project to succeed was

being put in place.

Specifically, he stated, “MMCC is the promoter of the Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex project; this is a maritime-driven project cited in Escravos in Delta, on approximately 31 hecters of land.

“This project will consist of a deep seaport, others and a platform to drive resources from one point to another.

“We went into this project because we have the capacity, experience and connections; we decided to deploy them to solve the maritime problem of the country,” he said.

Okoja said the project would run on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model and would be on lease for about 50 years with all the $2.9 billion dollars

funding coming from overseas.

He further said the project was expected to create about 30,000 to 40,000 jobs for the people in surrounding communities and would tackle piracy and militancy in Niger Delta.

He said the company had received a provisional approval from the Federal Ministry of Transportation, which asked it to lodge in $1 billion dollars as evidence of capacity and commitment to follow due process.

“As a form of support, government is bringing land; we will pay for it and then we will pay our tax. The Nigerian Ports Authority’s role is that of monitoring,” he said.

Continued on page 24

The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Mrs. Tejumola Abisoye, has lauded the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for what she described as an exhibition of unusual bravery in the face of daunting economic challenges to invest in infrastructural development.

A statement quoted Abisoye to have made the remarks following an interview granted by the Sanwo-Olu, to Channels Television, where he enumerated the projects that the administration is currently undertaking.

Sanwo-Olu had said, amongst other things, that the Lagos Rail Project would cost over N100 billion, a project that is a first by any sub-national government in Africa.

Abisoye said the courage shown by the Lagos state government was the kind required to free the country and the continent from the shackles of economic slump and mass unemployment.

“I must say that I am particularly proud - as should every well-meaning Lagosians - of the unmatched fearlessness with which my Principal, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is leading the way,” it stated.

“He and the State Executive Council have chosen to implement massive physical projects that will surely pay dividends in the near future by creating favourable conditions to attract foreign direct investment in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, which will in turn create jobs for the teeming population.

“This is the level of visionary excellence and commitment that economic experts the world over have posited will pull nations out of the doldrums brought about by the on-going pandemic,” she added.

Addosser MFB Unveils New Branch

AddosserMicrofinanceBankhasopenedanewbranchinOjuelegba,Lagos State. According to the statement, the multi-purpose branch would cater to the needs of Ojuelegba and neighbouring environs of Tejuosho, Sabo, Itire, Lawanson, Iponri, among others.

Itisexpectedtotakethefinancialinstitution’smonthlydisbursementfrom N1.5 billion to N2 billion with an estimated monthly beneficiaries of 2000.

“This milestone is in line with the bank’s growth strategy to serve more customers and increase access to innovative products and services tailored to meet customers’ business needs,” it added.

The Managing Director, Mr. Bayo Fabiyi, said the bank has continued to grow from strength to strength despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that the bank has endeared itself to customers by granting various concessions such as moratorium on repayment, provision of protective gears, and sector specific capacity building programme, during the pandemic.

He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment on improving access to finance for MSMEs.

Osinbajo for Rack Centre, PwC Confab

Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will this week, deliver the keynote remarks at a webinar being organised by Rack Centre, West Africa’s carrier neutral Tier III Constructed Certified Facility colocation data centre, in collaboration with professional services firm, PwC Nigeria.

The webinar, with the theme: A ‘ frica:The Next Digital Frontier: Compelling Economic Imperatives’, will hold in Lagos, on April 28, 2021.

The webinar has attracted local and international panelists, such as Managing Global Head of Telecoms and Media, Standard Bank Plc, Ms. NinaTriantis;Technical Specialist,World Bank, Dr Maryam Lawal; Partner, West Africa Financial Services Leader and Chief Economist, PwC Nigeria, Andrew Nevin; Director Real Estate, Actis, Kabir Chal and Partner, West Africa Technology Leader, PwC Nigeria, Femi Osinubi.

The webinar is expected to look into economic imperatives to Africa’s digitaltransformation,thebusinessopportunitieslinkedtothecontinent’s demographicandeconomicfundamentals,andtheunderpinningtechnology platforms for Africa’s new emerging opportunities.

Speaking on the webinar, the Managing Director of Rack Centre, Dr. Ayotunde Coker, said: “There cannot be a better time to hold a seminar such as this. Understanding the macroeconomic trends shaping internet /content infrastructure in Africa, the challenges on the continent and how to overcome them whilst identifying and maximising opportunities for digital and content technologies is vital.”

“We in government recognise that to make the critical investments necessary to sustainability secure our schools and ensure a holistic and community-centered approach to safe schools programmes” Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning,

Zainab Ahmed

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NIGERIAN SHIPPERS, PORT OF ANTWERP MULL SEAPORT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES many other things. This is also one area which we may have interest because we have to correct it,” Bello added.

Also speaking during the courtesy visit, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce in Lagos, Paulette Van Trier expressed delight at the meeting, noting that the Chamber has been working assiduously to improve trade between both countries. “We are trying to ensure produce to the ports timely so that the goods can get to the international market and spread all around the world.

“We hope that we can work together, have a positive partnership and improve exports from Nigeria, thanks to Shippers’ Council. “As a Chamber, we aren’t asking for money. We just want farmers and other exporters to know how the process is done globally.

We are providing Nigerians with examples via teachings and trainings to make people aware of global best standards and practices,” he added.

‘PROPOSED ESCRAVOS DEEP SEAPORT TO ATTRACT $50BN FDI TO NIGERIA’

In his presentation, a transport consultant, Prof. Charles Asenime said that the proposed $2.9 billion seaport would boost economic development.

He listed the project component to include a deep seaport, free trade zone, crude oil refinery and gas complex.

Others are industrial layouts, an independent power plant, a nature conservation park, an international airport and development of prime infrastructure, new towns and cities.

Asenime said the benefits of the seaport would include boosting employment opportunities, giving Delta direct multimodal transport accessibility to 70 per cent of Nigeria’s land mass, four geo-political zones and Abuja, and littoral nations of the world.

He listed other benefits as transformation of the coastal/ foreshore line between Benin River into prime lands for seafront property development, and support for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement operations, among others.

Trading Value Soars 292%, Investors Stake N42bn on Shares Goddy Egene The stock market attracted N42.142 billion invested in 1.602 billion shares in 19,507 deals last week.

This was an increase of 292 per cent compared with the N10.759 billion staked on 1.263 billion shares in 19,975 deals the previous week. Equally, the NGX All-Share Index rose 1.27 per cent to close higher at 39,301.82. The rebound in the market could be linked to investors’ renewed appetite for shares boosted by the release of companies’ first quarter (Q1) results. According to analysts, the floor of the NGX would be flooded with more results this week. “We expect NGX’s floor to be flooded with results as the Q1-2021 earnings season commences in full swing. We believe investors will be looking for clues on how corporate earnings will evolve in 2021, given the expected improvement in macroeconomic conditions.

“The local bourse is likely to close positive next week as we expect decent earnings releases across the board to temper selling activities stoked by the rising yields in the FI market. Notwithstanding, we advise investors to take positions in only fundamentally justified stocks as the weak macro story

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Eromosele Abiodun (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters

Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

strategies to survive and profit from the expected new trend.

“By so doing, should the Q1 earnings reports and corporate actions fail to impact and support this recovery, a big rotation in sector trends should also guide you, going into the future,” they said. A

breakdown of the market turnover showed the Financial Services Industry remained the most traded with 1.029 billion shares valued at N9.188 billion traded in 11,095 deals, thus contributing 64.22 per cent and 21.8 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value

respectively. The ICT Industry followed with 215.482 million shares worth N29.855 billion in 566 deals, while the third place was occupied by the Conglomerates Industry, with a turnover of 118.458 million shares worth N675.954 million in 1,088 deals.

STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT

President/ChairmanofCouncil,CharteredInstituteofBankersofNigeria(CIBN),Dr.BayoOlugbemi(right);presentingtheInstitute’scresttotheManaging Director/CEO,NigeriaDepositInsuranceCorporation(NDIC),Mr.HassanBello,duringtheCIBNstakeholders’engagementforumwiththecorporationheldin Abuja...recently

‘Nigeria Lost N5.5tn to Cybercrimes in 10 Years’ Ugo Aliogo The Chief Strategy Officer, Deloitte West Africa, Mr. Tope Aladenusi, has stated that Nigeria lost N5.5 trillion to fraud and cybercrimes in 10 years.

Aladenusi, who disclosed this at a recent webinar hosted by First Bank of Nigeria Limited with the theme: ‘Staying Protected Amidst the Pandemic Chaos,’ noted that the losses from cybercrimes seemed to be more than drug trafficking.

He noted that as of December 2020, global losses from cybercrime

was over $ 1 trillion.

Aladenusi, who is also the Cyber Risk Services Leader attributed rise in cyber frauds to insufficient skilled resources, deficiency in awareness, rapidly changing technology landscape and weakness in cyber security controls. In his remarks, the FirstBank Chief Information Security Officer, Mr. Harrison Nnaji, said the COVID-19 pandemic had increased digital access.

He further said since the beginning of the pandemic, the internet has remained a force, allowing people to stay connected during

periods of extended isolation while performing a lot of transactions online.

“People have increasingly relied on the internet to work, transact and stay entertained. But, with this increased use of internet services, the online threats that vulnerable people are exposed to have also increased,” Nnaji said.

According to him, online threat actors continue to take advantage of the hysteria created by the pandemic, with a greater focus on exploiting the digital service offerings and consumers fallibility.

Nnaji, said an increasing

number of customers have been obligated to use online transaction platforms, adding that consumers are presently faced with several associated cyber risks.

He listed cybercrimes instruments to include the use of unsecure networks for connection, phishing attacks, call centre scam, SIM hijack, and business e-mail compromise, among others.

Continuing, he added: “The escalated risks had led to general distrust and apathy, loss of resources, loss of interest in e-payments and financial

inclusion. The escalated risks had increased stress on firms trying to rationalise dwindling funds to fight cyber-attacks. The bank had enhanced measures to combat breaches.

“FirstBank had invested in human capital, security tools and governance to combat any attempt by the cybercriminals to breach its security posture.

“We have ensured that all activities and procedures within the bank adhered to due process at all times, prompt software updates and deployment of the right security applications,” Nnaji said.

Customs Intercepts Foreign Rice worth N22.5m in Kwara Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Group Business Editor

remains a significant headwind for corporate earnings,” analysts at Cordros Securities stated.

However, analysts at Investdata Consulting, stated that equity market players should invest and be guided by their set investment objectives, especially entry and exit

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Strike Force in charge of Zone “B” that is made up of the North- east, North-west and North-central zones of the country said it intercepted and seized about 513 bags of foreign parboiled rice with a duty paid value of N22,581,500 million.

The coordinator of the team, Mr. Olorukooba Aliyu, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, recently.

According to him, “the seizures were made following an intelligent report of the activities of economic saboteurs on Jekunu-Malete and Bani axis of Kwara state.

“A team of officers dispatched to the area intercepted two Toyota

Canter fully loaded with bags of 50 kilogram of foreign rice,” he explained.

Aliyu, further explained that a large quantity of foreign parboiled rice yet to be loaded into vehicles was also intercepted.

He commended the resilience of the officers whom he said ensured that all the intercepted contraband items were evacuated to the

command headquarters, Ilorin despite attacks from smugglers.

The coordinator assured the determination of the strike force of the service to ensure economic saboteurs are not allowed to operate freely.

Aliyu, also urged members of the public to support the service in its mandate of making the country economically viable.

While reiterating the commitment of the service to deal with smugglers in the country, Aliyu said the gesture would go a long way in protecting the nation’s economy.

The coordinator said men of the service would not relent in its efforts at making things uncomfortable for those in the business of smuggling.

NSDC Boss Urges Operators to Adhere to Backward Integration Policy on Sugar James Emejo in Abuja The newly appointed Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, has urged investors in the country sugar industry to remain committed to the faithful implementation of the Backward Integration Programme (BIP).

He said this was crucial to the attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production and job creation.

He said the BIP roadmap

constituted a major component of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) which has the capacity to tackle the soaring unemployment level and address other socio-economic issues currently bedeviling the country.

Speaking during a familiarisation visit to sugar refineries in Lagos State, he said the sugar sector remained a goldmine with numerous potentials and opportunities for Nigerians, providing direct and indirect jobs for thousands of citizens across

disciplines and professions.

“We are all concerned about the need to provide job opportunities for our people, especially our youths,” he said.

He pointed out that unemployment remained a major contributor to the various social crises facing the country, stressing that this was why the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has committed to revamping the sugar industry to enable it absorb Nigerians and contribute meaningful to the economy.

Adedeji, who linked violent crimes and insecurity to rising unemployment and joblessness amongst the youths, said the sugar sector has what it takes to provide millions of direct and indirect jobs to Nigerians both as skilled and unskilled.

He, however, assured investors in the sector of government’s support, in terms of policy and technical assistance, stressing that the country had done well in the refining of raw sugar.

In a statement by Deputy

Director, Public Affairs, NSDC, Mr. Ahmed Waziri, the sugar council boss said: “The federal government is serious and determined to realise its objectives as far as the sugar sector is concerned. We hope to be the largest exporter of sugar in Africa in the nearest future.

“To achieve this lofty goal, we must all roll up our sleeves and accord priority to our backward integration programme which is the bedrock of our mission as an agency of government.

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Ethiopian Opens Covid-19 Testing Lab Chinedu Eze Ethiopian Airlines has installed rapid COVID-19 testing devices at its hub in Addis Ababa. This enables transit passengers to test and get results before they get on their flights.

The airline joined hands with BGI Health Ethiopia, a subsidiary of China’s biotech giant, the BGI Genomics Co., Ltd, to launch the high-end COVID-19 testing laboratory at its main hub and the continent’s busiest airport, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

This was disclosed in a statement from the airline in Nigeria signed by the Country Manager, Mr. Shimeles Arage.

The statement explained that the testing center was opened to revitalise passengers’ business by creating seamless travel experience that includes COVID-19 testing to passengers that are departing or transiting via Addis Ababa.

The COVID-19 testing lab is equipped with cutting-edge technologies to provide quick and accurate testing for passengers.

It revealed that currently, the lab has a capacity to carry out 1,000 COVID-19 tests a day with a potential to grow further after expansion.

Regular test results can be obtained within three hours,

leading to a convenient travel arrangement by reducing waiting time for testing and result collection.

The Ethiopian Airport CEO, Mr. Eskinder Alemu was quoted to have said: “We introduced the testing lab inside our hub at Addis Ababa with a view to address our customers’ challenges in travel and revive the passenger service.

“Originating or transit passengers will no longer have to look for testing centers in the city and wait in lines for COVID- 19 testing. The lab at the airport eliminates the hassle for testing and brings convenience and helps restore passengers’ confidence in travel.

“The facility is the outcome of the excellent partnership between Ethiopia’s flag carrier and the BGI Health Ethiopia towards ensuring the safety of passengers in line with all international requirements.

“We will continue to adapt our operations to the new normal so as to ensure customers’ safe travel with Ethiopian.”

Furthermore, to significantly reduce the time and energy spent for testing, it explained that the launch of the testing center at the airport would elevate Ethiopian customer service and consolidate the airlines’ safety measures at the airport and onboard.

NALDA Seeks Herders, Farmers’ Dialogue to Boost Agriculture James Emejo in Abuja The Executive Secretary, Chief Executive, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, has said the agency is currently working to bring herders and farmers to the table with a view to resolving issues that could hamper food security going forward.

He said the move was aimed at considering the interests of both parties as well as create a conducive environment for their businesses without the recurring fictions observed in recent times which had stalled agricultural intervention programmes by the government.

This is just as the NALDA boss also said it has commenced the process of establishing an integrated farm estate on the 1,200 hectares of land it just recovered and reactivated in Ekiti State.

The farm estate boasts of an already existing 50 hectares of

Cashew farm, storage and a processing facility that would be reactivated and upgraded by the authority.

Ikonne, had during an engagement with residents of the Okeako/Irele Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of the state, assured the farmers that the authority is back and better and will work assiduously to ensure that the farmers get all they needed to farm and produce, beginning with an access road into the farm.

But, during a with the traditional ruler of the community, His Royal Highness, Oba Emmanuel Omopariola, the Alajowa of Ijowa, Ijowa Ekiti, the NALDA was told that insecurity remained the major problem facing the farmers in the community.

Omopariola, said farmers in are unable to recoup incomes invested on their farms because herders go into their farms with cattle that eat up crops already

matured for harvest, a situation which according to him, had made life unbearable for the farmers.

He said: “At present, what we facing is the question of security, the insecurity is so enormous that nobody around can solve it for us, earlier this year, our cashews produced very well but at the end of the day farmers ended up not having any form of financial benefits as the herders came at night with their cattle that ate up the matured fruits”.

He added that as a result, farmers no longer farm crops like maize, sorghum, cassava and yam while the people now travel miles to buy them at exorbitant prices.

While appealing for urgent measures to address the situation, he pointed out that whatever the NALDA lofty programmes are for the community, the issue of herders invading farms must be addressed in order to be

successful.

In his intervention however, Ikonne, said:“We are here to make sure that this abandoned estate comes back to life, your farm produce that you use to take out, you will still take them out to sell but this time it will be fully processed because whatever we going to produce on this farm will also be processed.

“We will put processing plant too so that we can add value to what we produce, this will also help your youth be engaged because agriculture is the way to go.

“The solution is, how do we come together to do our businesses so that it would benefit all of us? That is what NALDA would do, I believe that the herders want their cow to be healthy and fattened so they can sell and make profit, what this means is that they also want a conducive environment to do their business.”

Facebook’s Campaign Showcases Content Creators Facebook has announced the launch of its creators’ campaign in Nigeria and Ghana.

The initiative highlighted the inspiring stories of leading content creators who have succeeded in various creative industries using the Facebook family of Apps to inspire other creative artists and connect with communities.

According to a statement, the Facebook Creators campaign spotlights eight creative artists in Nigeria and Ghana who have built, communicated, and scaled their art and craft to the world using Facebook and Instagram.

These artists represent several creative industries ranging from photography, comedy, fashion, dance and content creation. Their inspiring stories will be amplified through a media partnership with Pulse to showcase their professional journey.

“We are excited about the Facebook Creators campaign because our family of Apps offers content creators unique opportunities to communicate their craft and tell their stories,” Facebook’s Corporate Communications Manager for Anglophone West Africa, Oluwasola Obagbemi said.

“At Facebook, we are committed to helping people realise their full potential through campaigns like this. We want African creators to get the best opportunities using our tools to express themselves, inspire others, and build communities and livelihoods, while connecting with their audiences.”

“One of the content creators spotlighted in the campaign was Emmanuel Oyeleke, the talented Nigerian photographer who mastered the art of creating breath-taking posed imagery after quitting his job as a

computer programmer.

“The campaign also features Laud Anoo Konadu, popularly known as Dancegod Lloyd.

Known for co-founding the Dance with a Purpose Academy and the Rocc Starss Dance Academy, the Ghanaian dance sensation and choreographer regularly shares videos of his dance routines on Instagram with his over 1.1 million followers.

“Other creative artists featured in the campaign include FocusnBlur (Ghanaian Photographer) who was awarded Ghana’s Best Event Photographer in 2019 and 2020; Funke Adepoju (Nigerian Fashion Designer) who is best known for her premium bespoke ready-to-wear collections; and Kaffy Shafau-Ameh (Nigerian Dancer) who is popularly known for breaking the Guinness World Record for ‘Longest Dance Party’ at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006,” it added.

Also featured in the campaign were Apaokagi Mariam - popularly known as Taaooma (Nigerian Comedian), who plays multiple roles in her comedy skits, hilariously spotlighting how African mothers discipline their children; and Claudia Lumor (Ghanaian Entrepreneur) who is widely known as the founder of Kollage Media, producers of Glitz Africa Magazine, and also the Ghana Tourism Ambassador for Fashion Development and Dream Catchers Academy (Nigerian Content Creators) who are best known for offering educational opportunities, leadership skills, and a better life for underprivileged girls through dance, drama, music, and visual arts.

COURTESYVISIT

L-R:ProjectLeader,Power&Gas,LagosFreeZone(LFZ),PremKrishna; ChiefExecutiveOfficer,LFZ,DineshRathi;FrenchAmbassadortoNigeria,Jerome PasquierandtheCustomerServiceManager,LFZ,TegaOscar-EdeII,duringthevisitoftheFrenchChamberofCommercetotheLFZinLagos..recently

FIS Expands Payment Processing Capabilities to Nigeria, Others One of the global financial technology leaders, FIS, recently expanded its payment processing capabilities into the rapidly growing markets of Malaysia, South Africa and Nigeria.

The move was part of efforts to continue to build on its footprint as a leading global acquirer.

According to a statement, FIS has secured a domestic acquiring license in Malaysia to provide its Worldpay payment processing platform.

“In South Africa and Nigeria, FIS is offering domestic payment processing services through Africa’s leading payments technology company, Flutterwave. A partner and 2016 graduate of the FIS

FinTech Accelerator program, Flutterwave has processed over 140 million transactions worth over $9 billion to date.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technology and fueled the growth of eCommerce around the world,” Head of Merchant Solutions at FIS, Jim Johnson said.

“Emerging markets across Southeast Asia and Africa present fresh opportunities for global businesses. These new markets are also home to a new generation of ambitious high-growth regional brands looking to expand their footprint.

“Our goal at FIS is to be a

true partner to these enterprises, passporting them to success wherever in world they want to be,” he added.

The recently published 2021 Global Payments Report by Worldpay from FIS projected that Nigeria’s online commerce via mobile devices would more than double by 2024 to be valued at $31 billion.

In South Africa, the e-Commerce industry was projected to be worth $9 billion by 2024 with mobile accounting for a third of the spend.

The Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, said the partnership highlights the importance of a connected

global economy.

“With the growth of digital transactions opening up new markets and opportunities for global enterprises, merchants are looking for secure payment platforms in order to do business in these markets,” Agboola added.

“Our partnership with FIS supports our goal to connect global businesses to African markets, and local merchants to the world,” he said.

Merchants doing business in these countries will be able to take advantage of Worldpay’s advanced acquiring capabilities which includes authorisation, clearing and settlement, dispute management and data insights.

NGO Tasks FG on Implementation of Disability Law Ugo Aliogo The Executive Director, Irede Foundation, Crystal Chigbu, has appealed to the federal government to implement the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act which was signed into law on January 23, 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Chigbu made the call in Lagos, recently, during a media breakfast

which was part of activities marking the organisation’s annual campaign tagged: “Out on a Limb,” that is celebrated every April, to commemorate the Limb Loss Awareness Month.

She expressed frustration over the stigmatisation faced by people with artificial limbs, while calling on government to ensure that persons with special needs enjoy equal right.

Chigbu further called on

government to support artificial limbs manufacturers, so that the price could be reduced.

Chigbu noted that since the inception of the foundation eight years ago, it has educated, encouraged and empowered 103 child amputees with 186 limbs across 20 states in 5 of 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

According to her, “In the last eight years, we have worked with a couple of corporate organisa-

tions, SMEs, multinationals, grant organisations and government agencies to provide free limbs to children and young adult. For this year we are going to give 70 limbs.

“Limbs are very expensive and depending on the level of amputation you have used. The prices of limbs ranges and the different functions of the limbs determines to a large extent, the functionality of the limbs.

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Badejo-Okusanya: Policy Somersaults Hurting Businesses in Nigeria The Group Managing Director of CMC Connect, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, in this interview speaks advises government agencies and corporate organisations to adopt effective crisis management strategies as part of measures to adjust to the global realities. Ugo Aliogo provides the excerpts:

W

hat is your take on crisis management in Nigeria, where do you think we are as a nation?

The most significant thing about crisis management is preparation. Once we do not have preparation in place it signifies the level of our crisis management. With the situation of the country presently, there are so many crises in all facets of the economy such as education, healthcare, security, etc. and the reason for these crises is that we failed to plan.

Nigeria as a country is in serious crisis and I am not overemphasising.

What is the relevance of crisis management for businesses, and brands in Nigeria especially in this era of COVID-19?

The reality is that the nation has found itself in a crisis and businesses are not able to plan effectively. Remember, I said the bedrock of good crisis management is planning and preparedness.

In addition to the global issue of COVID-19, in Nigeria, we have a situation of policy summersaults. Businesses and corporates do not know the policy changes that government will certainly roll out. Look at what happened to some of the ‘bike hailing’ startups that lost a lot of investments due to a particular government policy. Some had even gotten foreign investors to invest in Nigeria. Due to the uncertainties of the times, it is difficult for corporate organisations to prepare themselves for the future. In other climes, people prepare for five or even three years ahead. But in Nigeria, an organisation’s one year plan is subject to significant changes because of government policies, government change and activities. For instance, an organisation that decides to invest or carry out any activity in a semi-rural area, such as raw material sourcing, can no longer do that because the dynamics have changed. For a construction company whose duty is to open up access roads to the farmlands, it is no longer safe to do so. Some of these construction companies run the risk of having their staff kidnapped.

Before, only expatriates were kidnapped, but now I am sure many construction engineers will hesitate to go into the hinterlands to engage in construction activities. We know what has happened in the oil and gas industry regarding the issue of kidnapping. Indeed, the crisis we are facing has eroded investors and consumer trust in the system consequently affecting businesses.

Do you think brands, corporates, and government agencies are getting it right in policy formulation and implementation of strategic crisis management framework?

I am not sure how much mystic powers we possess to look into the crystal ball and know what tomorrow holds. Every business is bound to be affected by one government policy or the other. It is a known fact that the private sector is the engine room for growth and that the government in itself should limit itself to being an enabler. Do you know it is cheaper to ship your goods from China, Singapore or Europe to Nigeria than to move your goods from the port in Apapa to Ikoyi because of the congestion in the ports? Comparatively, if you bring in a container from overseas, it could take about $10,000 or $20,000. If you look at the cost to move it out of Apapa port, it’s like twice the figure. So, that is a crisis because we did not prepare properly.

An analysis should have revealed to us many years ago that the rail line that we have should have been well constructed and designed to easily move goods from the ports. Likewise, we should have long ago started barging some of our containers by inland waters to Onitsha, Lokoja, etc; or effectively utilize the ports in Port-Harcourt and Calabar, or even dredge the River Niger to open up its several economic corridors for business. We all know how the road to Apapa port was before a private organisation started repairing it. Even the electronic call-up systems in the port have crashed. So, suffice

Badejo-Okusanya to say we are in a huge crisis now because we did not prepare and we do not have a manual for dealing with the emerging crisis. We did not see it coming, and if we did, we ignored it and that is why we are where we are.

Why did CMC CONNECT BCW embark on a survey in crisis communication? What sparked your interest to embark on this?

As a fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the globe, the question for us was how many corporate and government organisations were prepared for the fallout. From the survey, it was discovered that few corporate organisations were prepared for it; most were busy running their business. It is a known fact that a crisis has the potential to destroy your reputation or market share and in most instances both. So, having examined the issue, we realised that the market is ripe for a structured approach in dealing with crises management. As a perception management firm, we have worked on this in the past, but we have now decided to make it a front-burner issue.

Did the results of the survey meet your expectations judging by the challenges brands and corporates faced pre and post-COVID? It met our expectations. If anything at all, we would have wanted more resources to make it more expansive because as you are aware, the wider your sample size, the more accurate your results will be. But even from the limited resources we deployed, it was evident that many companies were not prepared at all for the crisis.

Secondly, the reactions of most companies to the crisis were slow because people did not know what to do and how to manage it.

What are the burning issues in crisis communications that organisations have not implemented in their management structure?

Like I said, crisis preparedness is vital. The burning issues: Every organisation needs what is known as a risk audit. You must audit the various risks and find out how they can impact your business. Secondly, there is a need for a

crisis manual. We are reputation managers and there is no way we will talk about reputation and we do not talk about your business. The risk audit gives you a holistic view of the things that have the potential of affecting your business or shutting it down. Therefore, at some point in time, we will look at the issues of insolvency, running out of cash flow, etc. A risk audit looks at your vulnerabilities in their entirety. Even if two or three of the risks occurs, you focus strategically on the survival and sustenance of your business.

What blueprint will you suggest organisations develop to have a strong working crisis communication strategy?

For us, it is a three-step process. What we will do is prepare, manage and recover. The preparation stage is concerned with embarking on a risk audit and designing a crisis manual. It is important to state here that every organisation needs a crisis manual. In the preparation stage, we also talk about training for a crisis, so that if an organisation faces a crisis, they know the next steps to take and are ready to manage it.

The manage stage of it is that we hold your hand and walk you through the crisis. So, as it happens, we are counselling. It is also known as the execution stage where we embark on implementation. At that stage, what we are trying to do is mitigate the impact of the crisis on business. I must emphasise that when we do that it is completely ethical, so, it is not at the risk of the lives of the staff or client’s integrity or corporate governance. The manual provides a roadmap in the event of a crisis, the operator can know which to attend to first.

Finally, the recover stage helps us to stabilise the organisation and proffer solutions that will further strengthen reputation post-crisis.

How will you assess the current crisis communication strategy used by organisations and corporates?

We are not satisfied, which is why we came up with this service. It is what the survey clearly showed us that many people are not prepared.

So, we are providing a service to address it. We

are also embarking on an advocacy campaign.

We are not just raising awareness for the public to patronize us, of course, we would like that, but we are saying that whether you come to us or go to somebody else, you must have a crisis manual, undertake a risk audit because it is a vital part of business sustainability. When you visit a factory, you come across Health Safety and Environment measures (HSE). This does not necessarily mean that there are safety issues right now but it means that they are prepared.

Then you should also be able to do that when it comes to your reputation because sometimes, it is not the physical assets that are destroyed, but your hard-earned reputation and market share, without which the physical buildings are nothing. Many of us do not comply with the dynamics of business. For instance, some small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) do not separate their businesses from their personal life. Their business account is also used for personal needs. Even if you seem to have some level of ownership in an organisation you need to institute corporate governance, it is the standard international practice. Also, part of the global standards in risk management and crisis management and is why we are advocating for it. The level of our literacy also affects our crisis management strategy. In the United States, there is the ongoing case of the Governor of New York who is under fire not for rape, but for placing his hand inappropriately on some women. He is also dealing with some remarks he made which were or are considered inappropriate and suggestive to the ladies. In a clime where perception can make or mar your business, you do not joke with that. I remember during apartheid, some companies were doing business with South Africa and they were boycotted as a way of protesting against it. For instance, there was a time Lego and Shell went into a partnership and the fact that Shell had been accused of causing pollution in several areas they are operating, international environmentalist groups went for Lego because they postulated that anytime any product of Lego is bought, you are supporting the degradation of the environment which was caused by one of Lego’s partners. Therefore, Lego had to terminate the partnership even though it was not Lego that was causing the alleged pollution. In a country where perception and reputation are significant, you realise that most corporate organisations will not joke with them. When we talk about the assets of conglomerates, the biggest part of the valuation is based on reputation.

Considering the effect of COVID-19 on businesses in 2020, how does crisis management set the pace for businesses this year?

2020 was a learning curve for us, so it will be sad if we repeat the same mistakes in 2021. One of the learning is that we must be prepared for all eventualities. It will be foolish of us if we do not prepare just in case there is another pandemic around the corner. Each corporate organisation must have a crisis plan.

How can businesses deliver better outcomes in times of a crisis?

Businesses need to remain focused, innovative, and adaptable. For instance, in Nigeria, a major beverage-producing factory has now diversified into producing hand sanitisers. They are being adaptable. More importantly, whether you are delving into something new or staying where you are, you must ensure you mitigate your risks. The best way of mitigating risks is to have a crisis action plan in place.

Is there a difference between crisis management and crisis communication?

Crisis communication is a subset of crisis management. The entirety of managing the crisis is known as the management, while the communication is the exchange of messages between the various publics concerned.

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Anambra to Organise Airshow for Opening of New Airport David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano has said the first aircraft will touchdown at the new state airport on April 30th.

The governor said owner of Airpeace, Allen Onyema; Nestoil boss, Ernest Obiejesi, and other Anambra indigenes who own private aircraft would stage an airshow to mark the opening

of the airport.

Obiano stated this during the public presentation of a book; “Governor Willie Obiano: 7 Years of Delivering Good Governance in Anambra State” by Dr. Uche Nworah and Dr. Emeka Arinze, which chronicled his achievements in the state.

He said, “The owner of Airpeace, my good friend,

Green Africa First Aircraft Arrives in Lagos Chinedu Eze Upcoming Nigerian carrier, Green Africa, has announced the arrival of its first ATR 72-600 aircraft into Lagos.

The airline said this was the first of the three aircraft currently leased from ACIA Aero Leasing.

The carrier recently unveiled the delivery of two aircraft (5NGAE and 5N-GAA) and the third aircraft (5N-GAD) is also now beautifully wrapped in the Green Africa livery in preparation for final lap of the AOC process.

The first aircraft arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International airport on April 23, 2021, and present to receive it were the highly elated founder and Chief Executive Officer, Babawande Afolabi and President and Chief Operating Officer, Neil Mills.

The airline said the founding team of the company includes the Director of Talent and Culture,

Princess Likayi; Chief Pilot, Folu Oladipo; Director of Maintenance and Engineering, Nathan Smith; Director of Cabin Services, Jasmine Dhillon, and Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs – Rebecca Bolarinwa.

Others are board member, Gbenga Oyebode and Green Africa’s anchor institutional investor, Kuramo Capital.

The CEO, Afolabi said, “This is a great day for all of us at Green Africa and the beginning of what we all hope is a new era in Nigerian aviation. ACIA Aero Leasing has been a very supportive partner and we are proud of this new relationship.

“The arrival of our first aircraft is a precursor to the completion of our AOC process and very soon, customers from across Nigeria will be able to make bookings on our website and take their first flight with Green Africa.”

Allen Onyema will have the opportunity of landing first on that airport. Obi Jackson has also called me that he is bringing his aircraft, and many other Anambra people who own private jets will come with their planes too. “I’m very proud of this project. It is the best anywhere in Africa. With this project, I want every Anambra man to walk tall.

“God willing, I will finish strong and handover to someone that will do better than me. Then I will go and rest and hope that history will be very kind to me.”

Obiano said the Anambra international airport is a passenger and cargo airport, adding that he built it within 15 months, without borrowing money from any bank.

“It is the first time anyone

would build that kind of project in 15 months. We used seven world class companies to execute the project.

“We did it with Anambra money. This administration has passed through two recessions and we are still moving. Despite this we were paying workers, promoting them, giving palliatives, and doing projects,” he said.

Editor of the book, Nworah,

in his address said the book was an attempt to chronicle the projects of the governor, within the seven years that he has been the governor.

“This is put together to celebrate the milestones of the Obiano administration in seven years. We hope that years from today people will lay their hands on the books to know what Obiano did in Anambra,” he said.

Interswitch Group CMO, Others Receive International Recognition The Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMO), Interswitch Group, Cherry Eromosele, has been recognised as one of the Global Top 100 B2B Marketing Leaders in Technology in 2021, in the latest annual list released by the global business leadership community, HotTopics.HT. HotTopics.HT rewards individuals who are trailblazers in the

use of new technologies to drive innovation within the marketing function.

It also recognises ambassadors for the B2B marketing community inside and outside of their own organisations, as well as those who have demonstrated empathy and transformational leadership during these extraordinary times.

Announcing its list of Global Top 100 B2B Marketing Lead-

ers in Technology 2021, the international platform recognised leading marketing professionals across global markets practicing in the technology space based on selections of an international jury of marketing leaders which included Lisa Gilbert, Chief Marketing Officer and GM of IBM Marketing Services, Mehul Kapadia, Global Head of Marketing at Vodafone

Business and Matt Preschern, Chief Marketing, Global CMO at Forcepoint.

“Interestingly, only two females of African origin made the global list. They are Interswitch Group’s Cherry Eromosele from Nigeria and South Africa’s Bernice Samuels, Group Executive and Chief Marketing Officer at MTN,” a statement explained.

Firm Calls for More Participation of Girls in ICT Emma Okonji African Cloud and Digital solutions provider, inq.

Digital Nigeria has joined the global call for the increased involvement of the girl-child in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The technology firm made the call during this year’s International Girls in ICT Day, which held in Lagos, with the topic, ‘Connected

Girls, Creating Brighter Futures.’

Currently, in its 10th year, the International Girls in ICT Day is a day set aside by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to build awareness about the gender digital divide, support technology education and skills training, and encourage more girls to actively pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

At the event, factors inhibiting

the participation of the girl child in STEM were highlighted, and solutions were proffered.

Peak Lane College International College won the graphics design competition held at the event with prizes, including a mentorship placement at inq.Digital and an educational tour of inq.Digital’s ICT facilities.

Managing Director of inq.Digital Nigeria, Valentine Chime, while citing recent statistics from the

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said although significant progress had been achieved with increasing the participation of girls in STEM, the gender gap in ICT remains unacceptably wide, with representation continuing to be disproportionately higher for males than for females.

Chime expressed concern that the gap was even wider in Nigeria, relative to countries like Ghana and South Africa.

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AIF: Africa’s Pathway out of Covid-19 Economic Quagmire?

Remi Adekunle

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n 2018, the African Development Bank (AfDB), under the forward-thinking leadership of its President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, founded the African Investment Forum (AIF).

This it did with the African Development Bank, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), European Investment Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Africa Finance Corporation, Islamic Development Bank, Trade and Development Bank, and Africa50 as founding partners.

The historic move was informed by the need for a premier multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary transactional platform for accelerating the closure of Africa’s investment gaps and ultimately transform the African continent.

It was informed by the need for a platform for leveraging investments from the private sector, African and global financial institutions, global pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors for Africa’s development.

It was also informed by the need to manage perception and change the negative African narratives. This includes reduction of perception risk and branding the Africa market along its strengths, not weaknesses.

The Africa Investment Forum’s vision is anchored on building a premier platform that tilts the balance of capital towards the continent’s critical sectors with the aim of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2063, as well as the AfDB’s High 5S, namely, Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

Thus, the AIF is very central to Africa’s quest to emerge from a perpetually poor and aid-seeking continent to a flourishing one living the dreams of the nationalists who championed the continent’s independence from their various colonial masters.

True to the founders’ dream, the AIF has continued to power from strength to strength, as its Market Days events clearly show.

The maiden edition of AIF’s Market Days attracted $39 billion in investment interests for bankable deals in Africa.

It equally attracted 1,943 participants from 87 countries, including the Presidents of South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroun, Senegal, Guinea, and Rwanda. In attendance were 277 Direct Foreign Investments (DFI) and it recorded 169 official bilateral meetings, while 63 deals were discussed.

The second edition, which held in 2019 attracted several Heads of State and recorded 2,291 participants, 57 boardroom deals valued at $67.7 billion, and 400 official bilateral meetings attracted investment interests of $40.1 billion. The three-day event with its dynamic boardrooms truly lived up to its billing as Africa’s preeminent investment platform.

Unsurprisingly, African leaders and private sector giants like the continent’s richest, Aliko Dangote, are all keyed into the visions of AIF. They see in the AIF an emerging a true flagship of investment in Africa and are enthusiastic to partner with it in regard.

For instance, to President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, the AIF is “a significant milestone in our quest to reshape the fortunes of the African continent”.

At the maiden edition of the annual Market Days in 2018, a highly impressed President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, vouched the commitment of African governments “to be facilitator for the development of the private sector” in line with AIF’s drives.

Unfortunately, while the world was upbeat to converge in Africa again for the third annual Market Days event then scheduled for November 2020, in Johannesburg, it was put off owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This became unavoidable after a painstaking evaluation of the impact and evolution of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the attendant risk of a possible second wave, and its associated effects on global travel, investments, as well as social distancing rules.

Nevertheless, since the AIF is not an event, but indeed a veritable and institutionalised platform for the economic redemption and

Adesina transformation of Africa through investments, it has continued to facilitate the acceleration of deals towards financial close.

Beyond the Boardroom Sessions, it has not relented in supporting project sponsors, vide its unique Deal Tracker mechanism which monitors the conversion of investment interests to financial commitments.

Africa and COVID-19 Pandemic The coronavirus pandemic came upon the world like a thief in the night, and Africa was not left out. Although it is still spared of the worst of the pandemic in terms of infections and deaths, African economies have not been as lucky. The poorer and smaller nations and those nations that are dependent on a single resource, commodity or sector are worse off.

This has been due mainly to respective domestic and border shutdowns that hit tourism and trade flows hard as well as the collapse of global demand for products like oil.

In the regional economic outlook published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June 2020, for instance, the organisation projected that sub-Saharan African economy would contract by 3.2 per cent in 2020 before recovering to a growth of 3.4 percent in 2021. When compared to the global growth recovery estimate of 5.4 per cent in 2021 from a deterioration of 2020, the prognosis doesn’t not looking good.

The IMF also projected that the region will not return to a pre-pandemic GDP level until 2022/2023.

Furthermore, according to a May 2020 policy brief published by the International Growth Centre, an additional 9.1 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa populations have already been pushed into extreme poverty by Covid-19, while 3.6 per cent of the population, including 3.9 million children under the age of five, are grappling with food deprivation.

Thus, Africa’s economic recovery is not just about resuscitating growth, but equally about helping those that dropped below the poverty line back up again.

However, it was the AfDB President who brought the reality home in January when he said that the continent’s economies would in two years record a cumulative loss of $409 billion due to the Covid-19 pandemic with the continent’s GDP estimated to lose $236 billion in 2021.

“Before the pandemic, six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world were in

Africa. With the pandemic shock, growth plummeted. Africa’s GDP growth declined by 2.1 per cent last year, the worst in two decades.

“As economies went into lockdowns, people’s incomes declined, millions lost their jobs, trade volumes fell, and demand for goods and services declined. Cumulative loss to Africa’s GDP is estimated at $173 to $236 billion for 2020 and 2021, respectively”, he said.

AIF: Charting a path out of a quagmire Nobody saw Covid-19 pandemic at the time AIF was established- not the pundits, not the prophets or a host of others, who lay claim to clairvoyance. However, amidst the gloom, the AIF beams hope on the horizon for Africa, as it continues to show up as the continent’s pathway out of the Covid-19 quagmire.

Not only has it been strategically intervening to ameliorate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the continent, it continues to drive strategic investments.

The Afreximbank AfDB has proved the African adage that the closest relation of the dead bears the coffin by the head end. The AfDB announced a whooping $10 billion Covid-19 response. Out of this, $5.5 billion is for the Bank’s sovereign operations in the AfDB countries, while $3.1 billion is for operations under the African Development Fund.

AfDB equally launched a $3 billion fight Covid-19 social bond of which 8 per cent is reserved exclusively for African nations.

53 per cent goes to the central banks and official institutions. 27 per cent goes to Bank treasuries, while 20 per cent goes to asset managers.

President of the Bank, Adesina, captured that commitment again when he said: “Africa will come out of this pandemic, tough as it is, and will build better and stronger economies.

As partners of the Africa Investment Forum, the premier investment platform for Africa, our gaze must be clear: help Africa reboot its economy”.

AIF’s Founding Partners emphasised the imperatives of boosting local manufacturing while also leveraging the continent’s vast resources to unlock investment. To walk the talk, the AIF earmarked 15 deals in its portfolio worth US$3.79 billion to address Covid-19 impact. In a virtual Marketplace, a look-alike of the archetypal sessions of its

annual Market-Days, the AIF brought together more than 190 participants - current and prospective partners, investors and project sponsors.

It was at that meeting that the AIF unveiled 15 projects identified across five sectors for priority funding consideration under its multi-sectorial Unified Covid-19 Response.

Sponsors were invited to pitch their deals to over 100 investors, while AIF’s deal tracker mechanism was instantly utilised to capture investment interest and continue to ensure that investors are effectually matched to projects. These deals include: Agriculture and Agro-processing: a diary milk and corn to non-fuel ethanol projects worth US$75.6 million in Angola, a US$362 million cotton complex project in Burkina Faso, a food emporium project in South Africa worth US$300 million; Energy: US$514 million integrated power projects in Nigeria; Health: a US$40 million teaching hospital project in Cameroun, a US$96 million specialist hospital project in Ghana, a US$45 million vaccine plant project in Kenya, a US$45 million telemedicine project and US$132 million Medical Centre for Excellence in Nigeria; Under ICT and Telecoms: a US$1,500 million telecoms expansion project in Egypt; and Industrial and Trade investments: US$70 million cotton yarns project in Mozambique, among others.

Addressing the maiden AIF Market Days in 2018, Adesina said: “Just like the lion walks the Savanna lands of Africa, assured of its place and confident in its capacity; so must Africa arise, confidently overcoming all obstacles surging forward through investments”.

A good charge, no doubt. But the taste of the pudding is in the eating. It is, therefore, up to the AIF to walk the talk, not only in helping Africa in the present dire circumstances imposed by Covid-19, but also increasing the continent’s self-sufficiency and resilience against future shocks.

Given the many times that Africa’s hopes have been compromised by once promising institutions, initiatives, and leaders, it is hoped, with cautious optimism, that AIF emerges stronger as that turning point for socio-economic prosperity the continent has been looking for and that it consistently and uncompromisingly leads the way to lend the requisite supports that would make it possible for Africa to truly rise to take its rightful places, braving the challenges.

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Addax OMLs: Restoring Investors’Confidence Tayo Isaac

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he decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the operating permits on Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 123, 124, 126 and 137 to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and, by extension, Addax Petroleum, has been hailed as a major steps towards rebuilding investors’ confidence in the oil and gas sector.

Indeed, the development is a reflection of the federal government’s commitment towards ensuring stability in the oil and gas sector as well as to ensure the sanctity of contracts. It has also been described as a victory against prebendalism, which appears to be a major allegation that the Buhari’s government has been confronted with.

The Nigerian government, through the national oil company, had been in a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of SINOPEC, the national oil company of People’s Republic of China, on these oil blocks.

PSC is a contractual arrangement for exploration and production of petroleum resources where the contractor undertakes all the financial, technical and operational risks associated with petroleum operation in return for a share of profit, after production cost, payment of royalty, and taxes.

In this case, the assets were owned by the NNPC which brought in the contractor, Addax.

The President said his decision to hand over the assets to the NNPC was line with his government’s commitment to the rule of law, fairness and enabling a stable business climate for investment.

While directing the DPR to retract the letter of revocation of the leases, the President also directed NNPC to utilise contractual provisions to resolve issues in line with the extant provisions of the PSC arrangement between NNPC and Addax.

President Buhari further stressed that the restoration of the blocks to NNPC would boost the organisation’s portfolio, thereby making the Corporation to, in the long run, boost its crude oil production and in turn increase the revenue it generates to the Federation Account.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had last month announced the revocation of the four OMLs, which it then stated belonged to Addax Petroleum and had hinged its decision on the non-development of the assets by the petroleum company.

The Director/Chief Executive Officer, DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, had told journalists that it was discovered that over 50 per cent of the assets had remained underdeveloped.

He said the non-development of the assets led to the loss of revenue by the federal government.

He said going by the country’s Petroleum Act, “the first reason for a revocation is when you discover that the asset is not being developed, according to the business guidelines, because it is economic sabotage.”

Interestingly, at no point during his interaction with journalists did Auwalu mention that the Nigerian government, through the NNPC, had been in a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of SINOPEC, the national oil company of People’s Republic of China, on the affected oil blocks. For not disclosing this sensitive information to the media, the DPR boss can be said to have acted a script and this can be literally described as the case of the voice of Esau and the hands of Jacob.

Contrary to what the DPR boss said, three of the blocks are actively producing and incurring costs thus Addax may still have grounds to make claims in respect of cost recovery of outstanding expenditure.

OMLs 123 and 124 expire July 1, 2022 while OML 126 expires November 24, 2024.

While directing the DPR to retract the letter of revocation of the leases, the President also directed NNPC to utilise contractual provisions to resolve issues in line with the extant provisions of the PSC arrangement between NNPC and Addax

Auwalu

Buhari

Kyari As expected, following the revocation of the licences, Addax had written the DPR and the NNPC, and had threated to utilise all government, diplomatic and legal means to seek redress, it had described the exercise as an attempt to expropriate its interests in Nigeria.

Clearly, President Buhari’s intervention saved the nation from another embarrassment after the 2017 KNOCs case where the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the federal government under President Yar Adua to void the allocation

of Oil Prospecting Licenses (OPLs) 321 and 323 to the Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) and re-award the oil blocks to ONGC/Owel Petroleum Consortium as illegal, procedurally unfair, unreasonable, and against the legitimate expectation of KNOC. If this procedural error was allowed to stand it could have led to a serious legal dispute if Addax had commenced legal action against NNPC and the federal government, at a time the country has not finally gotten respite from

the thorny P&ID case and at a time of serious fiscal challenges.

Worse still, this was a clear case of transferring an asset from the commonwealth to a chosen private estate, Kaztec and Salvic Consortium, owned by Emeka Offor and chaired by Oye Hassan-Odukale respectively, even as there are allegations that there was not a transparent process that led to the selection of the company.

Certainly, the proper procedure for revocation would have been to direct the revocation to NNPC; the NNPC would then be obligated to properly communicate the situation to the PSC Contractor and terminate the PSC on the basis that the underlying leases have been revoked.

No doubt, the revocation of an oil mining lease is indeed within the purview of the Minister of Petroleum Resources as enshrined in Paragraph 25 (1) of the First schedule of the Petroleum Act. Based on the Act provisions, the Minister of Petroleum Resources through the regulator (DPR) is to inform the Licensee of the infractions and give the Licensee time to respond or rectify the situation prior to such revocation. But recent revelations shows that the stipulated provisions were not adhered to and thrown to the dogs as NNPC (the licensee) only got to know about the revocation from a rumour that started in social media then subsequently confirmed by a letter from the DPR addressed to Addax The provisions states that revocation of a lease is against the Lessee and not on the Contractor.

Clearly DPR clearly by processing the revocation against Addax (PSC Contractor). Therefore, the DPR ought to have informed NNPC of any infractions in relation to the operation of lease and afforded adequate time to provide appropriate explanations on the said infractions as well as reasonable time to remedy the alleged infractions.

Also, in the case of a PSC, revocation can only be directed to the Lessee and the Lessee will then be obligated to properly communicate the situation to the PSC Contractor and resolve the issues contractually in line with the provisions of the PSC. Therefore, the ability of the NNPC and the Contractor Parties to properly utilise the assets may be severely hampered if Addax goes ahead with its threat to legally challenge the revocation process as regards compliance with the Petroleum Act. Also, the immediate implication of the revocation and reallocation of the OMLs is that NNPC is no longer associated in any way with OML 137 as it is now awarded to new allottees as a Sole Risk Block.

Based on DPR’s letter, NNPC is meant to still be associated with OMLs 123, 124 & 126 as a PSC Concessionaire but at this time there is a regulatory and administrative limbo.

There is no valid PSC in place between NNPC and Kaztec/Salvic Consortium as such there was no contractual basis for any sort of interaction between NNPC and Kaztec Engineering Limited/ Salvic Petroleum Resources Limited (KEL/Salvic) Consortium currently.

So, even If Addax does not contest the legality of the revocation process, they may still have grounds to make claims in respect of cost recovery of outstanding expenditure or consequential losses such as profit against NNPC and thus indirectly the government.

Furthermore, in terms of diplomatic implications of the earlier revocation of Addax’s contract, China, the parent country of Addax is the largest trading partner of Nigeria representing over 20 per cent of international trade and almost three times the next largest trading partner, saying Addax diplomatic threat was thus not inconsequential and should be taken seriously.

In addition, China also provides financing for key infrastructural projects like the railways, Abuja -Kaduna -Kano Pipeline amongst others, stating that the revocation action could also threaten the realisation of these critical projects Also, Addax has over 5TCF of Gas. OML 137 has about 3TCF of NAG, NNPC as a concessionaire has held several engagements on the development of both upstream as well as midstream of the gas development. Already, engagements are to be progressed with Addax on the development of a Gas Development Agreement (GDA) and an NNPC subsidiary (NGMC) will market the gas on behalf of the PSC. Clearly, the intervention by the President will help bolster the much-needed investor confidence to attract foreign direct investments in the country. t.S *TTBD B QVCMJD BGGBJS BOBMZTU XSJUFT GSPN -BHPT

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THISDAY, MONDAY APRIL 26,2021

THISDAY,MONDAY APRIL 26,2021

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Speaker of the House of Representatives. Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji; and Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Wase, during Orji’s courtesy visit to the House of Reps Speaker in Abuja...recently

L-R: Staff Adviser, Dr. Ola Oni; Ag. Dean Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Dr. Oluyemisi Abimbola; Principal Partner, BFA & Co, Barr. Bobo Ajudua; President, Law Students’ Association, Lead City University, Ibadan, Al-Mubaraq Oladosu, and Guest Speaker; Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, SAN during the presentation of Award of Excellence to Ajidua at the Symposium organised as part of the Annual Law Week of the Law Students’ Association, Lead City University, Ibadan...recently

L-R: Deputy Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Department (ICD), Mr. Enebi Onucheyo; Acting Director, ICD, Mark Manady Dakhling; Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim; Surveillance Officer, SON, Lagos, Mr. Muhammad Musa Saheed; and others, during a seizure of over N600 million worth of substandard tyres at a warehouse in Obafemi Owode, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogun State...recently

L-R: Deputy Director, Research and Development, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Kelechi Nwankwo; Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Prof. Suleiman Bala Muhammed; Director, Research and Development (NCC), Dr. Henry Nkemadu; Director, Linkages and International Cooperation, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Dr. Nghargbe K’tso, during a courtesy visit to the Commission in Abuja...recently

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Novarick Homes, Mr. Otonye Lolomari; Representative of the Alara of Ilara Kingdom, HRH, Olori Bolanle Ogunsanwo; Chief Executive Officer, Novarick Homes, Mr. Noah Ibrahim; and Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Ridwan Jamiu, at the ground breaking of Ruby 2 and Ruby 3 Terraces in Lekki, in Lagos recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim (R) presenting a souvenir to the Chairman, Ned Nwoko Foundation, Prince Ned Nwoko, during the latter’s visit to the NYSC National Directorate headquarters in Abuja ...recently

L–R: Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; Senior Education Specialist World Bank, Ms. Aisha Garba Mohammed; Minister of State, Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard at the Financing Safe School in Nigeria Dialoque held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel , Abuja ...recently PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

President Muhammadu Buhari attends Ramadan Tasfir at the State House Mosque., Abuja...recently PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

THISDAY,MONDAY APRIL 26,2021

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T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

CITYSTRINGS

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

Shelter for Homeless Widow Fortune recently smiled on Mrs. Philomena Ubaka, a widow living with her children in a dilapidated thatch house, as a philanthropist who was touched by her family’s deplorable condition of living constructed a two bedroom bungalow for her. At the handing over ceremony, David-Chyddy Eleke reports that her joy knew no bounds

Relatives and well-wishers of Mrs Philomena Ubaka join her during the handing over of the new house donated to her by a philanthropist

Mrs. Ubaka in her old house

T

hough Ebenebe, a rusty agrarian community is situated in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, just a little distance away from Awka town, which is the capital of Anambra State, the community is still far away from development. The roads around the community are bad, just as finding potable water is also a task which residents of the community have to grapple with on a daily basis.

For Mrs. Philomena Ubaka, a widow in the community and mother of five children, her worries are not about the roads as even though she is a farmer, she does subsistent farming, such that her harvest are just for herself and her children. She does not have to worry about hiring vehicles to ply the horrible roads to evacuate her farm produce to the market. As far as she is healthy enough, she walks all the way to the farm or to the market, without a worry about the state of the roads.

She may have less worries too about the unavailability of potable water, as she and her children have been used to fetching water in the village stream for their use, or paying a token to get from water sellers who sell from a borehole; but that is usually rare because she prefers the stream, which is free of charge.

The greatest worry for the poor widow is the dilapidated state of her hut, whose roof have also been patched up by simply placing a sheet of zinc on leaking areas, and making it remain stable by placing heavy objects on it to avoid being blown away by the wind. Mrs Ubaka’s home is the type where some people will say that when it rains, it pours even more inside the house than it does outside. But last week, the fortunes of Mrs Ubaka as it concerns shelter changed. A good spirited individual, Mr. Arnold Chukwuebuka Ekweoba, the CEO of Arnold and Associates, a real estate firm, constructed and handed to jery, the keys of a well furnished two bedroom apartment, elevating her from living in squalor to a normal living.

Ubaka found time to tell THISDAY the story of how her favour located her.

It was four years ago; 2017, when an NGO with the name; Restore a Radiant

Mr Arnold Ekweoba, CEO of Arnold and Associates, presenting the keys of a house he built for a widow, Mrs Philomena Ubaka in Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State

Smile Foundation, met her in one of their outreaches. She said they inspected her former house and were appalled with its condition, but they did not make any categorical promise as to what they would do. She was hoping that some day they would get back to her, but it never happened, until this year, when some people came and told her they were instructed to construct a house for her.

On his part, CEO Arnold and Associates, Mr Ekweoba who spoke during the handing over of the keys of the house to Ubaka said, “I don’t know her (Ubaka), and have never met her before, until today. A foundation approached me with the woman’s story sometime last year. I was moved to tears about her condition of living and was instantly ministered to by the Holy Spirit to become an instrument of joy to this unknown woman.

"Immediately, I accepted the request and approved the construction of a befitting two-bedroom bungalow for the woman and her children. What we are doing here today is a divine call.

I derive motivation in impacting lives positively. I have never met this family

in my life and I’m grateful to God for using me to elevate their standard of living. Like I said earlier, this is a divine mandate and as the spirit directs, we would continue replicating these humanitarian efforts."

Truly, God uses people to work out the blessing of others. This was the belief of the facilitator of the project and leader of the NGO; Restore a Radiant Smile Foundation, Mr. Victor Ugwoegbu. He described the day’s event as fulfilling, as since 2017 when he encountered the widow and was moved by her condition, he decided to seek out people who are capable of helping her.

He said, “My partner, Mr. Victor Chinyeaka, and I were moved to tears seeing the deplorable state of the woman’s shelter during one of our outreaches in the state in 2017. We couldn’t believe that a human being will be sheltered in such a place. We didn’t have the wherewithal but we prayed God to grant us the opportunity to bring succor to this woman and her family. It became a burden and in mid-2020, I approached Mr. Arnold with the request and he instantly assured

me that he would take up the project.

Barely six months down the line, here we are. I cannot thank the benefactor enough. He is a young man whose love for humanity is unparalleled. I remain grateful and loyal to him”.

For the beneficiary, Mrs Ubaka, words alone were not enough to describe how she felt during the short ceremony held to hand the keys over to her. Her whole body could not contain the size of joy in it, as she pranced around, happily, greeting everyone who came to the event, offering to help even those who obviously didn’t need any help she could offer. The highpoint of the event was when she took possession of the keys of the house. Tears rolled down her cheeks and when she was beckoned on to make remarks, it was obvious that tears had welled up in her heart as she poured them out, weeping.

Speaking to the journalists, the widow who was dumbfounded showered praises and blessings on Mr. Ekweoba.

“Today, I strongly re-affirm my belief in God. No time is late for God to bless anybody. Today, I am a living witness of God’s miracle. I am short of words and all I can say is that God who remembers the widow will never forsake Mr. Arnold, his friends, and family.”

It was indeed a moment of happiness for many in the community who know Mrs Ubaka and her previous conditions as they converged to celebrate her. The traditional ruler of Ebenebe Community, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Chris Emeka Nnaegbuna who was earlier visited in his palace described the Ekweoba’s gesture as uncommon.

He appreciated him for the gestured and prayed to God to bless and elevate him to enviable heights.

The Chairman of Umudiaba Kindred, Umuajana Village, Ebenebe, Mr. Maxwell Nnamso, and the widow’s son, Arinze Ubaka both thanked Ekweoba, expressing gratitude to him for allowing himself to become an instrument of God’s blessing to the family. Arinze stated that it would be an honour to live in a good house like other people, noting that his family’s suffering began many years ago after their father passed on.

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CRIME&SECURITY

Chadian Crisis: Ekhomu Urges FG to Mass Troops in the Lake Chad Basin Area Chiemelie Ezeobi

S

ecurity Expert, Dr Ona Ekhomu has urged the Nigerian military to urgently create a firewall in the North-east to prevent incursion into Nigeria by the various militia groups fighting for control of the Central African nation of Chad.

He said: “Aside from the rebel group (Front for Change and Concord in Chad) which assassinated President Idris Deby, there are myriad armed groups which could advance south into Nigeria or be pursued by the Chadian Army into Nigeria.

Either way we must not be caught off guard by military adventurists”.

Reacting to the assassination of the Chadian leader and the resultant constitutional crisis in that country, Dr. Ona Ekhomu who is President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) said the military diplomacy strategy of President Deby had resulted in a “militaristic culture” by elements of the Chadian military and armed rebels.

He said the famed military prowess of the Chadian Army was evidenced by a “Chadian swagger” which was exemplified by derisive comments made in April 2020

by President Deby against Nigeria after the “Wrath of Boma Operation” which dislodged Boko Haram fighters from the Chadian side of the Lake Chad.

Ekhomu urged Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor and the military high command to send at least 5000 soldiers to Kukawa Local Government and garrison them there.

He said the massing of the force would deter Chadian adventurism into Nigeria and also place the military in an offensive role against Boko Haram/ISWAP in the

Dr. Ekhomu Lake Chad Basin area.

The security and intelligence analyst said that another goal of the proposed strategy is that the Nigerian military’s firewall would prevent the influx of weapons from Chad and Libya into the Northeast conflict zone.

He said that illicit weapons could further exacerbate the already dire security situation in Nigeria.

Dr. Ekhomu urged the Nigerian government to act expeditiously in dealing with the unfolding constitutional crisis in Chad as it has serious security implications for Nigeria.

Mourning the tragic loss of the Chad-

ian strongman whose army propped up governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Central African Republic, Ekhomu said “Chad’s military diplomacy, which was the brainchild of President Idris Deby was a cornerstone in the fight against jihadis in the Sahel. With the sudden demise of President Deby, I expect a spike in Jihadi operations in the Sahel”.

Ekhomu, who is the first chartered security professional in West Africa called for a restoration of the constitutional order in Chad, urging the fractured military to hand over power to the speaker of the parliament who is constitutionally expected to succeed President Idris Deby.

He said military coups are no longer fashionable, and decried the fact that the Central African nation was yet to find its democratic bearings even though it because independent before Nigeria in 1960.

He decried the endorsement of the military coup by France, and warned against the promotion of instability in Africa by metropolitan powers.

Dr. Ekhomu described the new transitional charter that named General Mahamat Deby as President and Commander-inChief as unconstitutional.

He said the ploy to create a dynasty in Chad was bound to produce widespread armed conflict which the over-stretched Chadian Army may not be able to cope with.

He advised the Federal Government of Nigeria to brace for a humanitarian crisis that would invariably flow in from its northern neighbor – Chad.

He further advised the government to commence building of IDP Camps that would accommodate the foreign IDPs. According to Dr Ekhomu, “the perception that Nigeria is a land of opportunities will encourage many refuges to travel South into Nigeria.

"These people are more afraid of the Chadian militias than they are of Nigerian insurgents and terrorists such as Boko Haram/ISWAP. "Based upon the Westphalian Treaty principles of sovereignty once they are on Nigerian soil, the Nigerian Government would have the responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance not minding the fact that Nigeria has a domestic humanitarian crisis on its hands and the UN is threatening to withdraw humanitarian services due to incessant Boko Haram attacks in Northern Borno State."

PFN Expresses Concern over Nationwide Insecurity Mary Nnah Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has expressed concerns over the high level of insecurity being experienced presently nationwide.

While addressing newsmen at a recent gathering in Lagos, the National President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, expressed worries over the security challenges in the nation and therefore called on the government to be proactive in tackling security menace all over the country.

The cleric expressed that everybody should be concerned about the security of the nation, noting “sometime it was confined to the North-east and then it began to spread to the North-west, now it is all over, South-east is terribly affected, South-South terribly affected, South-west terribly affected, we cannot talk about near decimation of the North-central.

"We want to charge the federal government to rise to its number one responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of every Nigerian, and we plead with the newly appointed security chiefs not just to talk the talk but to walk the talk, bring your skills

and training to bear, let’s deal with insurgency, let’s deal with insecurity.”

While the PFN insisted that the government should not negotiate with bandits, it opined that a government that negotiates with bandits is a sign of failure.

“Negotiating with bandits is an admission of government failure; bandits are not to be negotiated with. Bandits are to be made to face the full wrath of the law.

"Why should a credible government be negotiating with rapists, kidnappers, and murderers? It is not acceptable. It is an admission of failure, and we do not believe that the government of Nigeria has failed yet; the government should rise up to the occasion and bring the full weight of justice to bear on the bandits, the rapists, the killers.”

PFN emphasised that the government should rather negotiate with the youths who are agitating for a better life.

“If anything at all the government should negotiate with the youths that are restive, not to clamp down on them, the people that they should clamp down on are the bandits, the killers, the murderers, the rapists so we can have security everywhere in Nigeria.”

National President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke

NGO to Honour Four Police Officers for Gallantry During EndSARS Protests Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja A non-governmental and human rightsfocused organisation, Citizens’ Gavel has nominated four outstanding police officers for recognition for exhibition of gallantry during the heady EndSARs protests in some parts of the country towards the end of last year.

The policemen are to be honoured by the NGO following unanimous approval by the public in its maiden “Askari Wey

Correct” Awards.

In a statement by Taiwo Makanjuola, the communications associate, Citizens’ Gavel, the four officers were selected for consistently showing kindness to citizens and putting their lives on the line with utmost diligence in line with the oaths of their profession.

The recipients are CSP Julius Adedeji, a staff officer in the office of the Inspector General of Police and DSP Iheanachor Ifeanyi Omuta, who is assigned to the

Force Intelligence Response Team, Lagos State.

Others are ACP Markus Ishaku Ibrahim Bashiran, who is the Head of the Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force and ASP Saviour Bassey, a finance officer in the office of the Inspector General of Police.

Citizens’ Gavel, which played a major role in reducing police brutality in Nigeria through advocacy like EndSARS and the passage of the new Police Act said

as an organisation, it aims to protect fundamental human rights and provide legal assistance for indigent persons.

It said Askari Wey Correct Awards is an initiative that seeks to motivate officers who have shown exemplary behaviour in the line of duty while noting that the recognition will espur other officers to exemplify good behaviour in furtherance of their public duty, regardless of location as they are being assessed by the citizens.

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ APRIL 26, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FG Reiterates Support for Female-owned Businesses James Emejo ËØÎ Folalumi Alaran ÓØ ÌßÔË The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Mariam Katagum, has restated the federal government’s commitment to supporting the operations of women-owned micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

Speaking when she received a delegation of the Federation of Women Associations in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (FEDWIM) led by its National Coordinator, Mrs. Anne Ugbo, on a courtesy visit in Abuja, the minister said Nigeria’s female entrepreneurs, through their ingenuity have always contributed their quota to national economy.

She said the women therefore, needed to be encouraged for enhanced contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The minister reaffirmed that Nigerian women formed an important constituent of the President Muhammadu Buhariled administration.

She said women-owned businesses were allocated 45 per cent and five per cent for those with special needs in the MSMEs Survival Fund Scheme to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses.

In a statement by Assistant Director, Information, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, Katagum said: “The federal government clearly understands the place of women in economic

development of our nation and that is why this Ministry is doing everything possible to support them.

“Among other initiatives, the federal government has also flagged off is the N50billion Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) on non-oil export businesses thereby safeguarding jobs and creating new jobs.

“I use this medium to encourage more women to apply and we also urge associations to mobilise and sensitise their members.”

She, however, commended the association for the achievements recorded so far and advised the delegation to formally write to the ministry, indicating areas of collaboration.

BOI to Tackle Youth Unemployment with Tech Hubs Worried about the high level of youth unemployment currently at 33.3 per cent in the country, the Bank of Industry (BOI) has announced plans to establish tech hubs to address the situation.

Specifically, the bank stated it would be sponsoring tech hubs in recognition of talented youths in universities and the need to channel youths to more productive and impactful ends, rather than social vices like internet fraud.

The Managing Director, BOI, Olukayode Pitan, stated this at the BOI-Unilag Incubation and Co-working hub opening and

commissioning ceremony held at the University of Lagos.

The BOI boss stated that the bank remains committed to providing funding to support credible and bankable ideas that emerge from the tech hubs to enable them to start operations and scale into viable businesses.

According to him, embracing technology and infusing it into business processes would make organisations and the country more competitive, while adding that the tech industry can be a major pillar of a diversified economy.

“It can create exciting jobs

that encourage our young people to stay in Nigeria even as they work and compete globally,” he said.

“BOI is happy to support this programme because it aligns with our mission to transform Nigeria’s industrial sector by providing financial and business support services so that new businesses will emerge and existing enterprise will thrive,” he added.

He noted that the overall objective was to ensure that the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) investments generate better benefits for the country.

Stanbic IBTC Posts N46bn Earnings, N11.3bn Profit in Q1 Goddy Egene Stanbic IBTC, a member of Standard Bank Group, last week announced its financial results for the first quarter ended December r 31, 2020.

The bank’s gross earnings fell from 26 per cent to N45.7 billion, from N61.4 billion, while its net interest income of N15.9 billion, represented a 14 per cent drop.

Also, its profit after tax stood at N11.3 billion, which was a drop by 45 per cent in 2020.

Gross loans and advances was up 16 per cent from N655.3 billion to N762.7 billion as at December 31, 2020, while total assets increased by three per cent to N2.569 trillion as against the N2.486 trillion realised in December 2020.

Commenting on the results,

the Chief Executive Stanbic IBTC, Dr.Demola Sogunle, said: “The domestic economy remains quite fragile. Negative real returns prevailed in the first quarter as headline inflation continued on the rise, currently above 18 per cent per cent as of March 2021.

“Economic activities are expected to improve as the authorities take on appropriate actions and business confidence improves. Just recently, in April 2021, the CBN resumed dollar sales to foreign portfolio investors for the first time since December 2020 to clear the backlog of foreign exchange demand.”

According to him, the group’s profitability in Q1 moderated year-on-year due to pressure on trading income trading activities.

“Operating expenses from regulatory induced charges

increased, as well as the continued pressure on risk asset yields. The decline was partly cushioned by the year-on year improvement in net fee and commission revenue as well as an impairment write back of N155 million in Q1 2021 compared to the charge of N1.97 billion in prior year.

“The impairment write back was due to releases and after write-off recoveries achieved during the quarter. Again, the diversity of our earnings proved supportive during the period.

Wealth’s profitability improved from prior period and provided succour for the contraction in profitability of the corporate and investment banking and the personal and business banking businesses,” Sogunle said.

Cash4Trash Initiative Launched in Lagos Community Oluchi Chibuzor The Cash4trash initiative aimed at reducing the impact of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in the environment has been launched in Abesan community, a suburb community in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos.

The initiative which is supported by the Lagos State Government, British high commission is part of the initiative for advancement of waste management in Africa.

Speaking at the inauguration of the project and training for participants, held recently in Lagos, the CEO, EMR consult-

ing, Olawunmi Ogunde, said the project was part of the state government’s effort to empower rural women across the state.

“It was the community that requested for the project and the opportunity for the recycling hub within the estate came about. So, this project is the need for the community as one of the biggest estates in the state.

“Recycling is one of those things the Lagos State Government is particularly interested in as it is one of the mandates for the governor.”

On the financial modalities of the project, she explained that, “using Abesan as a pilot, generally within the recycling

community for PETE; it can vary between N10 to N30 per kilogram which depends on the location, collection model, and how often they collect. They can get more based on the volume that is generated.”

Also speaking, the representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Assistant Director, Mrs. Oyekunle Olabisi, noted that “one of Governor Sanwo-Olu THEME agenda is recycling and circular economy.

We want to go to communities and put recycling hubs there, so we can collect PETE bottles, because they are an issue in the state as whenever it rains flooding our drainage systems.”

Katagum

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT THURSDAY, 22 APRIL 2021

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $63.06 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $64.02 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

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Investors Begin Trading of Nigerian Exchange Group’s Shares Goddy Egene The shares of Nigerian Stock Exchange Group (NGX Group) have begun to provide liquidity for shareholders following its listing on the NASD OTC. The company, formerly known as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) was demutualised in March. Following the demutualisation, NGX distributed 1,964,115,918 ordinary shares

of 50 kobo each to over 200 dealing members and additional Ordinary members, who have now become shareholders.

Trading data obtained from the NASD Plc showed that investors traded 64.582 million shares of NGX Group valued at N1.230 billion last week. Some stockbrokers said the trading of the shares on NASD Plc platform was a good development as it provides the opportunity to

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

make money from their shares.

The Managing Director of NASD Plc, Mr. Bola Ajomale, had said in line with regulatory rules and in support of enabling liquidity in the market, NASD OTC provides the perfect landing platform for the 60-year-old company that has spent approximately 10 years in its demutualisation exercise.

“NASD provides an orderly, lightly regulated and transparent

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

environment with structure and experienced traders. The market delivers on the basis of easy onboarding and withdrawal of securities into and out-of-the market space and the code for NGX – SDNGXGROUP was created at the depository within a 48-hour period. We are pleased to be able to do our part in deepening the capital market by expressing our mandate of creating liquidity transparently,”

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Ajomale said.

Also speaking, the Head of Operations and IT at NASD Plc, Ms. Chinwe Ekeh, there are two methods of entry into the OTC market as an Issuer.

“The first is an admission of company which is akin to a full listing while the second is an admission of security where individual shareholders can indicate an interest to trade the shares. NGX shares were

O F

introduced into the market under the latter arrangement

by Icon Stockbrokers Limited who advised an opening price of N25 per share.

Also speaking Head of Depository Services in CSCS, Yahaya Babangida, advised that all beneficiaries of the demutualised entity have been credited either directly into their own Trading accounts or an escrow account under the registrars.

2 3 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

38

MONDAY, ͹΁˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

LASACO Assurance Explains Delay in Submitting 2020 Results Goddy Egene

explained its inability to submit Audited Financial Statements for the year ended

LASACO Assurance Plc has 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

December 31, 2020 to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) within the stipulated

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 22Apr-2021, unless otherwise stated.

time.

“The delay is due to the fact that we have submitted it to

National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for approval. We are optimistic that the 2020

AFS will be submitted to the exchange on or before Friday, April, 30, 2021,” LASACO said.

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 154.37 155.89 -4.58% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.72% 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 3.36 3.52 -5.24% 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 ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 103.72 103.72 1.98% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.83% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.98 1.98 -25.80% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.19 2.23 -8.41% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.36% Paramount Equity Fund 15.26 15.55 -4.55% Women's Investment Fund 131.36 132.75 -1.34% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.24% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 128.48 129.30 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.87 110.87 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 1.18% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.15 1.16 -4.52% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.34 1.34 -15.58% 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 2.54% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.31% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,165.98 1,171.56 -2.72% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,357.58 1,357.58 6.31% FBN Balanced Fund 184.49 185.74 -1.70% FBN Halal Fund 110.75 110.75 4.43% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.94% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 124.29 124.29 2.96% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.35 150.32 -1.87% 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 2.00% Legacy Debt Fund 3.92 3.92 1.35% Legacy Equity Fund 1.55 1.58 1.77% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.15 1.15 1.51% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,819.25 3,871.23 1.90% Coral Income Fund 3,355.77 3,355.77 2.42% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 2.33%

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 2.74% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.73 2.80 19.22% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 148.15 148.60 -4.67% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 5.77% 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 1,130.12 1,130.12 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 130.70 132.87 6.01% 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 3,109.60 3,134.16 -3.31% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 228.39 228.39 1.57% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.15 1.17 -1.69% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 299.29 299.29 1.57% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 211.00 213.58 -3.45% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.30% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,872.04 9,995.90 -6.01% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.25 1.25 1.72% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 113.21 113.21 1.92% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 100.58 100.58 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 -3.43% United Capital Bond Fund 1.93 1.93 1.91% United Capital Equity Fund 0.88 0.90 1.86% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.17% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.59 119.59 2.14% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.09 -1.32% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.03 1.03 3.14% 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 12.06 12.17 1.64% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.27 13.27 8.14% Zenith Income Fund 24.30 24.30 1.31% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.00%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

122.53 53.06

1.48% 1.26%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.46 120.47 94.35

12.56 120.47 96.10

-5.71% -1.04% -5.06%

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 18.91 162.75

3.74 5.57 16.88 1.00 19.11 164.75

-2.09% -3.45% 2.67% 2.63% -7.83% -25.71%

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.

THISDAY,MONDAY APRIL 26,2021

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MONDAY, ͺ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FOURTY EIGHT TRANSCORP MAKES NEW BOARD APPOINTMENTS, UNVEILS NEW SUBSIDIARY CEOS a distinguished career of 32 years in the company.

On the other hand, Sambo has over 30 years of work experience in the private and public sectors in Nigeria and the United States.

He retired as group general manager in charge of Group Finance for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Prior to this, he was the managing director of NNPC Oilfield Services Limited, NIDAS Marine Limited and NNPC Pension Fund Limited between 2011 and 2016.

The statement said in recognition of his meritorious service, he received numerous awards, including the First Place Ministerial Award for outstanding Staff Performance from the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

"He is a Member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Accountancy and State of New Hampshire Board of Accountancy. He is also a Member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and National Association of Black Accountants," it added.

Similarly, Ozoude is the MD/CEO of Trans-Afam Power Limited. He joined Transcorp Group from General Electric (GE) Inc-Sub Sahara

Africa, where he was sales director, covering entire SubSaharan Africa for General Electric Power Generation Services portfolio.

A graduate of Chemical Engineering with Masters in the same field from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ozoude is leading Transcorp’s recently acquired 966MW power plant asset, Afam Genco, which comprises Afam Power Plc and Afam Three Fast Power Limited.

"Ozoude has over 20 years of work experience in the power generation services sector, was at some time a member of GE field engineers advisory board for Africa and Middle East region, a greenbelt lean six sigma qualified and won numerous awards such as Everyday Excellence Expertise Award from GE Global leadership, Clear Thinker Award amongst others," it added.

Ikenga is the MD/CEO Transcorp Energy to lead the conglomerate’s integrated energy strategy, with particular focus on gas, renewables and alternative energy.

He brings with him a wealth of global professional experience, having directly developed and managed major oil, gas and power assets and operations in multiple regions, including

Ikenga

Sambo

Famuyibo

Ozoude

Nigeria, Brazil and the United States for Shell Nigeria and Shell International. Prior to joining the group, Peter was refining director for an indigenous oil and gas operator in Nigeria.

Commenting on the appointments, the Chairman of Transcorp Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu, said: “Transcorp has made a succession of important recent business acquisitions, consolidating our position in the power, oil and gas sectors, demonstrating our commitment to Nigeria’s economy and the rapid advance in our integrated power strategy.

"We are delighted to complement these with further investment in human capital. These announcements illustrate the depth, diversity

and quality of experience of our leaders, both executive and non-executive. Our board and management team, led by the President/Group CEO, Mrs. Owen Omogiafo, are further capacitised to deliver our vision.

“Mr. Famuyibo, with his considerable experience in human resources, will be invaluable in working with management to deliver cutting edge employee management practices.

Mallam Sambo brings crucial knowledge of the energy sector, further accelerating our integrated energy strategy.

“Peter and Vincent, working with our existing CEOs, Mr. Chris Ezeafulukwe, MD/CEO Transcorp Power Ughelli and Mrs. Dupe Olusola, MD/CEO Transcorp

Hotels Plc, will contribute to the group’s mission of 'improving lives and transforming Nigeria.'

Mr. Elumelu said: “Peter and Vincent, working with our existing CEOs, Mr. Chris Ezeafulukwe, MD/CEO Transcorp Power Ughelli and Mrs. Dupe Olusola, MD/CEO Transcorp Hotels Plc, will contribute to the Group’s mission of “Improving Lives and Transforming Nigeria.

"With the acceleration in our integrated energy strategy and the expansion of our hospitality business, notably the recently launched digital hospitality platform, Aura by Transcorp, we are closer to our goal of powering one in every four homes in Nigeria and redefining the standards of hospitality in

Africa. This investment in human capital demonstrates, once again, our commitment to bring together the best, to ensure the execution and value creation that our stakeholders expect”.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) is a publicly quoted conglomerate, with a diversified shareholder base of over 300,000. Its portfolio comprises strategic investments in the power, hospitality, agribusiness and oil and gas sectors.

Among the organisations in the group are Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Transcorp Hotels Calabar, Transcorp Power Ltd, Trans-Afam Power Ltd, Transcorp Energy and the recently launched digital hospitality platform, Aura by Transcorp Hotels.

GOVERNORS, SPEAKERS DISAGREE ON FIXED MONTHLY PAYMENT TO STATES’ LEGISLATURES will deduct loans and legacy debts from their allocations.

In a bid to resolve the issues and end the ongoing industrial dispute, the federal government will today hold talks with the striking judicial workers and PASAN. However, PASAN has said its members will continue the strike until full financial autonomy of the state legislatures is implemented.

The agitation by JUSUN and PASAN for the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislative arms of government in states, as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution as altered, had led to the shutdown of courts nationwide for the third week running.

At a meeting between the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and the governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), both parties had reached an agreement on how to resolve the issues, with the governors proposing May timeline for the takeoff of the implementation of financial autonomy for the two other arms of government.

But after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, confirmed THISDAY’s report to State House correspondents that the governors had altered some parts of the agreement.

He said the development was responsible for the insistence of the judicial workers not to suspend their industrial action.

He said the affected areas of the agreement were fundamental in terms of the execution of Sections 83 and 162 of the Executive Order 10.

Ngige said: “We reviewed what has been done. The chief of staff did what we call in labour parlance tripartite plus arrangement by engaging them, both parties conceded; the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the heads of courts, state judges, the unions and the Presidential Implementation Committee for Executive Order 10 led by the Attorney-General, represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary.

“So, we reviewed where they are. We had a twist two days ago because the arrangement they had with the chief of staff had to be altered when the governors got back to their forum.

“As the conciliator, when they presented the two papers, one from the solicitor-general and another one from the director-general of the NGF, I had to tell them that we have to reconcile those papers because the areas where they differ are very fundamental areas in terms of the execution of Sections 83 and 162.”

The minister added that the governors should rework the

agreement among themselves for negotiations to resume.

However, a source told THISDAY at the weekend that the governors have accepted in principle the funding of both the state legislatures and judiciaries from their allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), to be deducted from the States Accounts Allocation Committee (SAAC).

The source said as part of its implementation, the state governments would from May 1, set up the States Accounts Allocations Committee (SAAC) with members from the States Assembly Committee Chairmen on Finance and the States Commissioners of Finance to discuss on monthly basis the disbursement of funds.

The source, however, added that the governors and speakers could not reach a consensus on how much to be given to each state legislature monthly.

According to him, while the governors have proposed minimum irreducible monthly allocations of N100 million to the state legislatures, the speakers insisted on N250 million.

Also, the governors, it was learnt, stuck to their initial position that the amount for the legislature and the judiciary should be based on the net proceeds from FAAC after deductions of

states’ debts, instead of the gross.

The source stated that the governors’ position was that all monthly debts incurred by the states must be deducted from the allocations.

He said: "Governors have agreed in principle on the financial autonomy for the other arms of government in the states, but it must be based on the net deductions from FAAC “It’s like at the state level you now have what is called SAAC. You know, at the federal level, they have FAAC. So, there is an equivalent now for FAAC at the state level.

So, certain parameters will have to be set. Everybody will be involved.

"But they are now saying, if they do that, this thing will be zero because there are legacy debts, there are deductions you must make upfront and all that. So, in their thinking, it will either be very minimal or zero.

So, the governors now said, ‘Can we get an irreducible minimum? Can we arrive at an irreducible minimum that will now make the state pay to a state legislature an irreducible minimum because it will be different per state?’

"So, they now said the irreducible minimum for the legislative arm should be N250 million every month. The governors look at it and said ‘No that will be too much.’

They sat and decided that

it should be N100 million.

So, the leadership of the legislature said they were not comfortable with that. That’s for the legislature.

"For the judiciary, it will come through NJC. So they don’t have any problem at all with the judiciary.”

FG Hold Talks with Striking Workers Today In a bid to end the ongoing industrial action by judicial and legislative workers, the federal government will today hold talks with the JUSUN and PASAN. Deputy President of JUSUN, Mr. Emmanuel Abisoye, told THISDAY at the weekend that the federal government team, at the meeting, billed for Abuja would be expected to present fresh proposals for resolving the dispute over the workers' demand for the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislative arms by the states.

"We have been invited to a meeting on Monday; may be the government will be presenting its position to us at the meeting. So, we are expecting that on Monday," he said.

However, PASAN has vowed not to end its ongoing strike except its demands are met.

It demanded that

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be signed by all the governors and speakers of the 36 states of the federation.

Legislative activities in state assemblies have been paralysed since the workers downed tools on March 23.

In a letter addressed to Ngige, which was sighted by THISDAY, the union listed five conditions for it to call off the strike.

The letter signed by Acting National Secretary of PASAN, Mr. Ikechukwu Alaribe, listed the conditions to include the full implementation of the financial autonomy for the state legislature and state judiciary; and the full compliance with Presidential Executive Order No. 10, 2020 for the implementation of financial autonomy for the state judiciaries and legislatures.

PASAN also demanded that states assemblies’ service commissions must be established in each state of the federation.

The union said the decision to continue with the strike was reached after its enlarged National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

The union also demanded that all the 36 states must have funds management committee bills, signed into law by the governors while deductions should be made directly from the source to the Houses of Assembly accounts.

SOUTH-EAST LEADERS PUSH FOR LEGAL BACKING FOR EBUBE AGU The meeting came a day after gunmen, numbering about 15 and driving in a motorcade of three vehicles, accompanied by a tipper loaded with used tyres stormed the country home of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, in Omuma Oru East Local Government Area and burnt down the property and appurtenances.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday joined other groups and individuals

to condemn the attack on Uzodimma's country home, saying the attackers constituted a small league of persons trying to harm Nigeria’s corporate existence.

However, the incident has prompted the police and other security agencies to beef up security around the country homes of Uzodimma’s colleagues in the region.

The South-east leaders agreed on the structure and operational modalities of Ebube

Agu and to set up an advisory board for the security outfit.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the Chairman of the South-east Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, the leaders also directed the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. George Obiozor, to immediately form two committees, including the South-east Peace and Reconciliation Committee

to promote the peace and security of lives of the people and visitors; and a strategy and welfare committee to engage and protect the people, especially those who are being unfairly treated.

The meeting also condemned the attacks on the country home of Uzodimma, while calling on the federal government to fish out the perpetrators and ensure their prosecution.

"It restated their commitment to state laws banning open

grazing in the South-east and urged security agencies and the local vigilantes to enforce the ban in all the states," the leaders said.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Umahi said: "The forum re-stated their adoption of a common joint security outfit, Ebube Agu with regional headquarters in Enugu,” adding that they agreed to set up an advisory board for the outfit.

Umahi said the meeting

also declared its support for restructuring, the setting up of state police and other national issues as discussed at the last National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

He stated that a committee has been set up to work out the modalities and submit them to NEC at its next meeting.

Umahi said they also agreed on the implementation of Continued on page 49

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NEWS

Ndume Warns FG against Secret Trial of 400 BDC Operators Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has canvassed an open trial of 400 Bureau De Change (BDC) accused of funding Boko Haram insurgency.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, had said the federal government had arrested some BDC operators facilitating the transfer of money to Boko Haram terrorists to cause mayhem in the North-east.

“Bureau de change operators are facilitating money to terrorists. We have already worked with the UAE. Convictions have been achieved of Nigerians who are transferring money to Boko Haram terrorists and this also happens domestically. And I tell you that by the time we finish this investigation, the

shocking details will surprise many Nigerians,” Shehu had said.

Ndume, who spoke yesterday in reaction to the reported arrest of the BDC operators, said the government must come out clean on this issue by making public the identities of those arrested while ensuring that the prosecution of the suspected Boko Haram funders are done in an open court.

"The presidency said recently that Nigerians would be shocked if it revealed the identities of those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram insurgents. Can you imagine that 400 bureau de change operators are the people funding the Boko Haram?

When the BDC operators are arrested now, what will the government do with them?

"The presidency is already saying their case is confidential.

What is confidential about it?

The presidency should expose the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and carry out their trial in public.

If any of them is innocent, he should be allowed to go while those found guilty must be made to face the music,” he stated.

Ndume cited his own trial when he was accused of funding Boko Haram insurgents, which lasted for six years in a regular court.

He said: "When I was wrongly accused, I was tried publicly and I was vindicated.

The trial lasted for six years in an open court. If there is any criminal act linked to anybody, no matter how highly placed, let the evidence be placed before the public; there should be no secret trial."

He also wondered what has happened to the suspects arrested in connection with killings across the country, including the 11 soldiers killed

in Benue State and urged government to ensure their timely trial.

"Nowadays, criminals are arrested and paraded without further action. Nobody knows what happens to the people who killed 11 soldiers in Benue State recently. “What happened to those who beheaded policemen in Cross River State?

“If everyone is doing what he is supposed to do as defined by our constitution and laws, we would not have these problems. Citizens should expose suspicious movements," he added.

On travel advisory by the United States government to its citizens planning to travel to Nigeria, Ndume said it was within the US purview to issue security advice to its citizens, adding that Nigeria is currently facing serious security challenges.

He, therefore, called on

the federal government to henceforth take seriously the issue of the welfare of the public as well as providing adequate security in the country.

"America has the right to advise its citizens on the issue of security just the same way I won't advise anybody to travel anyhow within Nigeria.

There is no big deal about the American travel advisory to its citizens wishing to come to Nigeria. The truth of the matter is that we are facing security challenges that are more intense than the situation before now, especially with the new dimensions in addition to the existing ones. It is a matter of concern.

"I am of the view that security and welfare of the citizens should remain paramount. We need more personnel in the military and security forces with modern equipment to prosecute the

war. All hands must be on deck. Citizens must provide useful information while the security agents should be adequately empowered with modern weapons to enable them to act fast whenever information is provided," he said.

Ndume also expressed concern about the nation's security.

"I am scared and worried because I don't have anywhere to run to. Right now I don't have a visa to any country.

“Nigeria is the only country that I have; that is why I am so passionate about my country. I believe so much in this country; that is why I don't travel out for my holidays. I spend all my holidays travelling from one state to another with members of my family. That is why the current security situation is of great concern to me," he stated.

Ahmed Matane, had told THISDAY that the withdrawal of the security men was for "tactical reasons."

The bandits have also attacked worshipers at Haske Baptist Church, Manini community, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, killing a medical doctor while five other people were abducted.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Mr. Jacob Bala, said in a telephone interview that the bandits stormed the church at about 9 am when church service was ongoing and opened fire on worshippers.

He said the bandits rode on motorcycles and were armed with sophisticated arms.

Bala said his uncle, Dr. Zakariya Dogonyaro, a staff of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, was shot dead.

He added that five other people, including three of his relations, were abducted.

He said: “Church service was going on when herdsmen just came and surrounded the church and started shooting.

“They came at 9 am.

They were many and they were riding on motorcycles.

They started shooting

indiscriminately as we scampered for safety.

“My uncle, Dr. Zakariya Dogonyaro, was killed instantly. He worked with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health. They shot him and he died on the spot.

“They kidnapped five people, including my late brother's wife, my stepmother, my elder brother's daughter and two other people.”

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mr. Mohammad Jalige, did not respond to telephone calls when contacted.

governors.

“I am under their fatwa now and some of my brother governors. They say, ‘If you see them, kill them,” Ikpeazu had said in Abuja.

Investigation revealed that the Ururuka road (old Umuahia-Aba road), where his country home is located was saturated with security posts, including the army and the police.

At least three police stations had been burnt across the state.

The spokesperson of the state police command, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, said the police would continue to provide adequate security to all citizens. He said it was not proper to put in the public space the strategies that the police had put in place to checkmate hoodlums and other criminal elements.

Security has also been beefed up at the hometown of Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, at Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

Some of the security personnel include soldiers, police and other security agencies with Armoured Personnel Carrier (APCs).

THISDAY gathered that the boundary from Awgu in Enugu State to Uhuru was also condoned off by security agents and local vigilante.

It was also observed that the vigilante group of the

state's Neighbourhood Watch also mounted checkpoints around the Umunga- Uhuru, hometown of the governor.

All roads around the New and Old Government Houses have been barricaded and heavily guarded by sternlooking security operatives.

Also condoned off by the police are the state police command headquarters, correctional centre, and the Old Government House.

However, Umahi's spokesman, Mr. Francis Nwaze, told THISDAY that there was no cause for alarm Security has also been beefed up at the country home of the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

THISDAY gathered that there was a noticeable increase in security in the governor's country home, as security personnel were not only manning his gate but have moved towards a major road that leads to his house.

The Anambra State Police Command has said there was no fear that Obiano's home would be attacked as there was enough security there already.

The state Police Command's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, told THISDAY, that there was enough "24 hours’ security

surveillance by men of the command.

He said: "We have long beefed up security in the state.

What we are only appealing is that Anambra people will always volunteer information to the police because that is the reason for the feat we have so far achieved."

Asked to speak about the new strategies deployed, Ikenga said it was not meant to be shared with members of the public.

"That is our strategy and we will not share it with anybody. What I can tell you is that there is a special force in town that is holding 24 hours surveillance in the state," he said.

In Enugu State, the police have also beefed up security in and around the country home of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in Orba, Udenu Local Government Area in the state.

THISDAY gathered that the number of security operatives at his country home located along old Enugu – Otukpo Road, has been increased.

The investigation also revealed that all the roads commuters used to ply around the Government House in Enugu, have been blocked with an inscription: “Road Blocked.”

Also the two lanes from Okpara Square to the Government House were also blocked.

EIGHT VILLAGES DESERTED AS BANDITS INVADE NIGER COMMUNITIES the home of a member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Andrew Jagaba Doma.

At both residences, the bandits were said to have rustled cattle and injured many of the residents An eyewitness said vigilantes had launched a manhunt search for the bandits.

One of the eyewitnesses gave a breakdown of the number of displaced people from each village as: Unguwan Magaji with 250 people; Kulgbaku with 450 people;

Lukodna with152 people; Kakuru with 265 people; Abuza with 50 people; Kudam with 156 people; Dnakogbe with 78 people and Kubaidnapa with 168 people.

“I can confirm to you that nobody is left in these villages; the bandits have turned the villages to their hiding places and cooking centres," an eye witness told THISDAY. The Niger State Police Command could not be reached for comments but a staff of the Niger State Emergency Management

Agency who spoke to THISDAY on phone from Sarkin Pawa town confirmed the incident, saying “the number of IDPs in Sarkin Pawa has increased seriously this morning."

Banditry has increased in the area in the last few days following the withdrawal of security operatives from Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga after bandits sacked the security bases, killing some soldiers and burning their operational vehicles.

The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji

SOUTH-EAST LEADERS PUSH FOR LEGAL BACKING FOR EBUBE AGU various EndSARS youth empowerment programmes in the zone as soon as possible.

Chairman, South-east zone of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Goddy Okafor, also said the leadership of the association was ready to support the governors in their establishment of the joint security outfit.

Attack on Uzodimma’s Home, Threat to Nigeria’s Existence, Says NGF The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has condemned the attack by gunmen on the country home of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma.

The governors called for the arrest and prosecution of the attackers, whom they described as constituting a small league of persons trying to harm Nigeria’s corporate existence.

The NGF, in a statement by its Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, warned against the growing violence in the country, stating that no one has monopoly of violence.

Also, the governors sympathised with their colleague, Uzodimma, over the attack on his country home.

"For those behind these crimes, they must understand that they do not have the monopoly of violence. This is taking criminality to reckless

and irresponsible heights," the governors said.

They sympathised with Uzodimma and commiserated with all those injured or killed.

The governors called on Nigerians to cooperate with security forces and the government in building a civil, safe and secure environment for the citizens.

"All hands must be on deck to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act as in our view, they constitute a small league of persons trying to harm the corporate existence of our beloved country, Nigeria," the governors added.

Security Beefed up in South-east Govs' Homes The police and other security agencies have beefed up security at the country homes of governors of the South-east, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

The security beef-up followed Saturday's attack on Uzodimma's country home in Imo State.

The assault was about the fourth in the state in the last four weeks.

The state police command headquarters and the state headquarters of the National Correctional Centre, both in Owerri, the state capital, were attacked on April 5. That was in addition to assaults on other

police formations in the state.

The series of attacks were blamed on the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

In a retaliatory attack, the tactical team of Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, and Department of State Services (DSS), in a joint operation early Saturday morning, stormed the operational headquarters of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the military wing of the proscribed IPOB, in Awomama, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, killing seven members of the group.

The army said in a statement that Ikonso Commander, who was said to be the commander of the IPOB military, was among seven persons killed in the gunfight.

The statement confirmed that a Second Lieutenant and three policemen paid the supreme price in the firefight that ensued.

However, to forestall further attacks on the homes of the South-east governors, security agencies have intensified surveillance on the homes of the governors.

THISDAY gathered that there has been increased security presence at the Umuobiakwa village in Obingwa Local Government of Abia State where the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, hails from.

The governor had at the weekend raised the alarm that IPOB had passed death sentence on the South-east

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NEWSXTRA

Boko Haram Fighters Still Occupying Geidam, Says LG Chairman Insurgents kill soldiers in Mainok Michael Olugbode inDamaturu The Chairman of Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State, Hon. Ali Kolo yesterday raised the alarm that Geidam was still very much infiltrated by Boko Haram fighters.

This is coming as Mainok, a town on Damaturu-Maiduguri highway was invaded yesterday by the insurgents, killing unspecified number of soldiers.

Reliable sources told THISDAY that some group of insurgents engaged troops in a gun battle at their base in Mainok community of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State at about 3pm yesterday.

They said the insurgents stormed the military base with the intention of sacking soldiers and looting arms and ammunitions.

The sources said the insurgents however met their match in the soldiers who stood their ground, repelling the attack with heavy casualties on both sides.

PR Nigeria reported that the Nigerian military recorded casualties after an attack by ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists in Mainok community.

The report could not confirm when the casualty was recorded after it had early reported that the troops of the Nigerian military in Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack jets, yesterday foiled an attack by

Boko Haram terrorists The ISWAP and Boko Haram elements, PRNigeria gathered, rode on dozen gun trucks, and attempted to dislodge a military base, after invading the community.

“They had attempted to overtake and dislodge a military base through Dogon Karfe in Mainok, but met stiff resistance from the dogged ground troops before the arrival of NAF Jets,”

a military source said.

He added that some terrorists are currently trapped inside Minok town for fear of air strikes.

According to the source, the NAF jets which could not rain missiles on the insurgents, have been hovering in the air for hours to avoid collateral damage.

Meanwhile, speaking on the situation in Geidam, Kolo said 72 hours after his town was invaded

by Boko Haram, thousands of

his people were still trapped and had been infiltrated by the sect members.

He lamented that the insurgents slaughtered two people yesterday morning, including a teacher with Kawuri Primary School, Mallam Baba Tazira.

He decried that over 2,000 people who were displaced in the invasion were currently taking refuge in neighbouring Yunusari Local Government Area.

He said he had wanted to go to Geidam to assess the situation but was held back by the news that the town was still under the total control of Boko Haram.

He said there was no truth in the report by the military that the attack had been repelled.

He expressed shock over the military’s statement on Saturday that “the attack has been repelled with 21 casualties from the side of the terrorists”.

Military Technology Beyond Native Doctors’ Protection, APC Warns NigerianYouths The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as tools in a war against any tribe or community in Nigeria.

The party said this in a post on Twitter accompanied by photos of a Commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ikonso, who was killed on Saturday during an operation involving the police, army and the Department of State Services (DSS).

In the caption on one of the photos where Ikonso was wearing native charms, the APC warned youths not to rely on the protection provided by native doctors because they cannot protect them from military technology.

“Dear Nigerian youth. Don’t allow anyone to send you to war

with another Nigerian, community, state or tribe. Those things native doctors would give you cannot protect you. Military technology of today is beyond our native doctors who have not made any advancement in 100yrs!” the party tweeted.

“War destroys communities and families and often disrupts the development of the social and economic fabric of nations. The effects of war include long-term physical and psychological harm to children and adults, as well as reduction in material and human capital.

“Armed conflict has important indirect negative consequences on infrastructure, public health provision, and social order. These indirect consequences are often overlooked and unappreciated.”

16 Die in Edo, Kwara Auto Crashes Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin No fewer than 16 people died in separate road accidents in Edo and Kwara states at the weekend.

In Edo State, nine persons travelling for a wedding at Ewato in Esan South East Local Government Area of the state died after their vehicle collided with a truck laden with cement.

The accident occurred at the Ekpon junction along AgborEwohimi road in Igueben area of the state.

The body of the deceased passengers, were said to have been taken to the mortuary while the only survivor, a young boy of about 15 years was receiving treatment in a hospital.

Consequently, angry youths in Ewato yesterday reportedly set ablaze the truck whose driver was said to have escaped immediately the accident happened to avoid being lynched.

Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Henry Benamaisa attributed the incident to over- speeding and loss of control.

“Five persons died on the spot and three persons were unconscious and taken to the hospital. Two persons survived without injury but we are going to the hospital as at today to find out the state of the three taken there unconscious.

“From report, the accident was as a result of excessive speed and loss of control. The sienna was trying to dodge something and left his own lane to the other and then went under the truck. The two of them were on speed otherwise one of them would have been able to control his vehicle effectively but we are expecting update on the situation”.

In a related incident, 11 persons were confirmed dead while several others sustained injuries in a ghastly motor accident that occurred in Shao town in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Shao town is one of the communities in Kwara North that is situated close to the outskirt of Ilorin.

The fatal accident, it was learnt, occurred yesterday evening when a commercial vehicle rammed into an articulated bus at Shao Junction close due to over-speeding.

VISIT TO EBORA OWU…

L-R: Member, Board of Trustees, Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo, Dr. Grace Okudo; President-General, NNII, Chief Josephine Anenih; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Director, Social Media, Ms. Chizoba Anyika; and Spokesperson, Ms. Nnedinso Ogaziechi, during the group’s visit to the former president in Abeokuta...weekend

Police Dismiss Inspector for Killing Lagos Businessman The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed one Inspector Jonathan Kampani, for killing a businessman, Mr. Jelili Bakare, in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

Bakare was killed on March 18 by Kampani for demanding to know why the policeman wanted to search him.

The businessman was said to be relaxing at Quinox Lounge in Sangotedo, Ajah, when Kampani, who was on duty in the area, shot him dead during an argument.

In an update he issued yesterday on the murder case, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said Kampani would also be prosecuted.

The statement read, “The Lagos State @PoliceNG Command has dismissed one AP No 278055 Inspector Jonathan Kampani, attached to Mounted Troop of the Nigeria Police Force, for firing and killing one Jelili Bakare at Quinox Lounge, Sangotedo Area

of Lagos State, on March 18, 2021 “The Command has conveyed the dismissal of the erring Inspector from the Nigeria Police to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID, Panti, Yaba via letter numbered AR. 3100/ LS/ SPM/vol.2/321 dated 16/4/2021, for prosecution as advised by the Department of Public Prosecution of the Lagos State.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem

Odumosu, had ordered for the arrest and immediate orderly room trial of the inspector after the incident “He also led a team of senior officers in the command to pay a condolence visit to the family of the deceased at Chief Bakare’s House, Ajiranland, Eti-Osa Local Government of Lagos State, on Saturday, March 27, 2021, where he promised that justice will be done in the matter.

Gunmen Kidnap Hotelier, Seven Family Members in Oyo Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Gunmen suspected to be criminal herdsmen on Saturday night stormed Agbo Hotel in Ajaawa, Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State, and kidnapped its owner, Mr. Olukunle Oyedokun.

THISDAY learnt that the seven other victims include his wife, Busayo Oyedokun; and the baby

she was nursing; Oyedokun’s first child, Omoriyeba; and her six-year-old daughter, Adesewa; his brother’s wife, Julianah Oyedokun, and her 10-year-old son, John; and another child belonging to Oyedokun, Oluwajuwonlo; in addition to a guest of the hotel.

It was gathered that the abductors invaded the hotel behind CAC Primary School, Lagbedu Road at about 10p.m,

and reportedly fired shots into the air sporadically, after which they seized the seven victims and took them to an unknown destination through the bush.

However, two of those in the hotel when the kidnappers struck fortunately escaped being abducted.

A family source said the hotelier was preparing for his father’s burial this Friday before the

abductors’ invasion of the hotel.

His family members, including his married daughters, some of their children, brother’s wife and children, as well as others were said to be in town for the burial ceremony.

THISDAY however learnt that the kidnappers yesterday made calls through the victims’ phones to their family members demanding N15 million as ransom.

Five Feared Dead in Stampede over N500 Alms in Katsina Francis Sardauna in Katsina No fewer than five women were feared dead on Saturday night, while 15 others sustained varying degree of injuries following a stampede that erupted at the residence of a Katsina-born business mogul.

The victims, who were feared dead during a vicious struggle for N500 alms (Zakkat) and food

items being distributed by the business tycoon as Ramadan packages at his palatial residence within Katsina metropolis, were said to be mostly beggars.

When THISDAY visited the scene of the incident, it was gathered that many women also fainted during the struggle which started at about 9:p.m and lasted up to 12midnight.

Further investigation revealed that attempts were made to

revive those who fainted while the corpses of the deceased women were taken away by some security operatives and residents of the multi-billionaire’s quarters.

An eyewitness told THISDAY yesterday that the process for the disbursement of the funds and foodstuffs was smooth until it was disrupted by some impatient beggars, who refused to follow the long queue.

She said: “We always go to his residence to collect N500 and sometimes food items for Ramadan but getting into the house yesterday (Saturday) was very tough and hard. I suffered some bruises, but glory be to Allah, I made it; but more than seven women died and 15 others also sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospitals yesterday night”.

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NEWSXTRA

Ondo Raises the Alarm over Plot to Blackmail Akeredolu The Ondo State Government has raised the alarm of an alleged grand plot to blackmail and discredit Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and targeted senior state government officials.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Donald Ojogo, said in a statement at the weekend that the motive of those behind this heinous plot was to distract the administration as it commenced the aggregation of the modest achievements within the first 100 days of the governor’s second term.

“Among others, these disgruntled losers and their known

accomplices have hatched several devices. This method includes the cloning of official documents, outright fabrication of fictitious documents and concoction of imaginary data and perceived details and linking same to the Governor, his immediate family and a few government officials,” Ojogo explained.

The commissioner disclosed that a few of such fake documents had been fraudulently procured and sent to selected media houses in line with the intention of the sponsors of this devious act.

“For the records, the Akeredoluled administration stands on the

tripod of integrity, transparency and accountability. These inspiring watchwords have provided the needed confidence and vigour for the government to thrive on the path of the modest efforts in the last four years plus,” the

commissioner said.

According to him, these virtues were indeed, the reasons sponsors of such plots could not find any incriminating transactions against the government in the build-up to the last elections inspite of

strenuous efforts in that regard.

The commissioner said Akeredolu had moved on since the election and remained the pilot of the Ondo State project for the benefit of all without discrimination.

“Elections, the intrigues as well as the activities of players remain confined to the past, he believes.

Therefore, while Government remains unperturbed by the last kicks of disgruntled losers who voluntarily cleared paths

Ebonyi Berates PDP over Fake News Sponsorship Ebonyi State Government has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of spreading fake news, stating that the party should be held responsible for sponsoring fake news in the state.

A statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Uchenna Orji, the state government cited what it described as a vicious, mendacious and faceless post captioned “I will not vote my husband in APC,” falsely credited to Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor of Ebonyi State.”

The commissioner said the fake news was made to trend in social media by “political jobbers deployed by the remnants of the drowned PDP in the State.

He said the disgruntled PDP members had also resorted to writing helplessly

and derogatorily about the “quintessential mother of the state and doyen of gender mainstreaming,” who is the wife of the governor.

Orji noted that, “While we take exception to this cheap and disrespectful blackmail, we make bold to state that the wife of our dear Governor is a proud card carrying member of All Progressives Congress with registration number, EB/ BZR/11/04202.

“She is a great pillar of support to our Divine Mandate Administration and champion of mobilisation to the cause of APC in the State. Let it be further reiterated that the elegant and superlative amazon of our dear State joined APC with her husband as a response to the clarion call for South East to reintegrate into a party of national spread.

Military Arrests Benue Monarch for Alleged Illegal Possession of Weapons George Okoh in Makurdi The joint military troops named the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), on Saturday, allegedly uncovered arms and ammunition at the palace of the District Head of Cha (Mue Ter Cha), His Royal Highness, Chief Utambe Adzer, in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state.

It was also alleged that the troops also uncovered stockpile of weapons at the palace of the District Head of Lumbuv, Chief Teran Kwaghbo, who allegedly fled his palace with one AK-47 through a back door.

It was alleged that Kwaghbo ran away when he heard that his counterpart had been arrested and the soldiers were told that he was in possession of six AK-47 rifles, which were being used to perpetrate crimes in both Benue and Taraba States.

A source from the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity told THISDAY that the OPWS troops acted on credible information that enabled them to uncover those weapons in the palaces of the two chiefs following the activities of some armed Bandits in their domains.

“It was at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday when we saw some soldiers moving towards the

palace of Mue Ter Cha. Then the next moment, we saw that the military have arrested the Chief.

We also saw them bringing out some arms, which we heard were discovered in his house.

“They equally raised down the round hut located in the palace suspected to be housing the weapons and some criminal elements.

“Just this morning (Saturday), the military troops were still seen in Lumbuv District where they also attempted to arrest the district head whom they (soldiers) believe harboured illegal arms. However, information got to the chief and he escaped the arrest.

“As I talk to you, nobody knows where the army took the traditional ruler to,” the source said.

Another reliable source told journalists that one Ak47 assault rifle, one mag, 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunitions, one locally made mortar tube and one vehicle were recovered from Adzer.

It would be recalled that the armed bandits suspected to be loyal to late Benue militia gang leader, Terwase Akwaza, alias ‘Gana’, have been terrorising the Sankera axis of Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas, killing unsuspected members of the public.

118 HEARTY CHEERS..

L-R: Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Supo Ayokunle; and his wife, Mrs. Tosin Ayokunle, at the 118th Nigerian Baptist Convention in Ogun State...yesterday

JAMB Reschedules Mock Exams for May 20 Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has rescheduled its 2021 mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) date from April 30 to May 20.

In a statement released yesterday by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the change of date was due to some ongoing

adjustments in the board’s operational processes.

It however said other schedules, including the date for the UTME fixed for June 5 to 19, 2021, would not be affected, adding that candidates who have registered and have chosen to sit for the mock and other critical stakeholders should note this change of date.

Also, the statement said it

was necessary to inform all stakeholders that the 2021 UTME/DE Registration exercise was ongoing and would end on May 15, 2021.

“The 2021 Mock Examination earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday, April 30, 2021, has now been rescheduled to hold on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

“This change of date is owing to some ongoing adjustments in

the Board’s operational processes.

The change, however, would not affect the Mock Examination other schedules including the date for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination fixed for 5 to 19 June, 2021. Candidates who have registered and have chosen to sit the Mock and other critical stakeholders are to note this change of date.

FG: 319,755 Nigerians Benefitted from Payroll Support Programme Deji Elumoye in Abuja A total of 319,755 Nigerians have benefitted under the Economic Sustainability Plan’s Survival Fund Payroll Support, the Office of the Vice President has disclosed.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Senior Special

Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed that the next batch of beneficiaries under the scheme and the one-off General MSME Grant of N50,000 would be paid this week.

The statement was titled ‘ESP survival fund: More payroll support payments, MSME

grants to commence this week’.

The ESP, approved by the Federal Executive Council on June 24, 2020 was developed by the Economic Sustainability Committee chaired by VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo to respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Akande said, “This (this week’s payment) is expected to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Payroll Support track, which has so far benefitted a total of 319,755 Nigerians, while 265,425 Nigerians are beneficiaries under the Artisan and Transport Support track.

Obasanjo Hails Tambuwal on Capital Projects Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, as a dynamic governor for his infrastructural development in the state.

Obasanjo said that the capital projects being undertaking by the Sokoto State Government were for the economic development of the state and the entire country.

The former president stated this in his remarks yesterday when he laid the foundation of one of the flyover projects awarded by the state government.

He said that infrastructural development, especially on transportation, is vital for the development of any state.

He, however, commended the efforts of the Tambuwal’s administration for choosing a

reputable construction company for the flyover project and other projects in the state.

Tambuwal, in his remarks, described transportation infrastructure as the veins through which all activities for the socioeconomic transformation of the society flow.

He said: “This flyover at Runjin Sambo is one such project whose time is long

overdue.

“It is one of the numerous legacy projects that will have lasting impact on the life of our people and facilitate the development of our state.

“Under the Ministry of Land and Housing, five such major projects have been awarded, which are the construction of Flyover Bridge at Rijiyar Dorowa Round About.

Igbo Women Group Visits Obasanjo, Seeks Collaboration In line with its vision, a delegation of a socio-cultural group, Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo (NNII), led by its President General, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, has paid a courtesy visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta over the weekend.

In her speech, Anenih informed Obasanjo that the

group came together as women to intervene in the development efforts in not just the South-east region but the country as recent events in the region and the nation have been of concern to the womenfolk.

According to her, the socio-economic issues, and the increasing levels of insecurity have exponentially increased the burdens for everyone but

more especially so for women.

She retraced the history of shared leadership structure in Igboland and opined that now that the men have tried to lead alone and seen that it is not working, it is time to go back to the pristine times where there was shared leadership between the genders in ways that were complimentary.

She recalled that traditionally,

women were always called in during crises in Igboland and other nations because while men weaponise power, women rebuild and nurture.

She recalled the documented roles of the Biblical Debora, Esther, Ruth, Mary Magdalenes and Miriam the sister of Moses that helped hide him in a basket in the river banks and so on.

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CAN Condemns Killing, Abduction of Kaduna Church Members John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned yesterday’s killing and abduction of church

worshippers at the Haske Baptist Church, Manni Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

Gunmen reportedly invaded the church at about 9.00am when

Obiano Has Not Endorsed Anyone for APGA Guber Ticket, Says Aspirant David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, Hon Nonso Okafor, has stated that the state Governor, Willie Obiano, has not endorsed an aspirant for the party’s ticket.

Okafor, a member of the state House of Assembly stated this yesterday during an interactive session with journalists in Awka, the state capital.

The lawmaker was reacting to insinuations in some areas that former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has been endorsed by the state governor.

According to Okafor, “I don’t understand what people mean by body language. The people should stop dropping the name of the governor just to sway

people into favouring their aspiration.

“Anambra is for all of us, and the governor is our governor.

Soludo is not the only one who knows the governor; I know the governor too, and I was with him just yesterday and we discussed.

“If you know our governor, you will know that he is a very plain person who can tell you his mind, even in public. I’m sure that if he had endorsed anyone, he would have said it. He is not the body language type, because he would have communicated it.”

Reacting to insinuations that he was being sponsored by some billionaires in Nnewi where he comes from to destabilise Soludo’s chances, Okafor said it was natural for him to have followers from his hometown, just as Soludo may have supporters from his Aguata area.

Sunday service was ongoing and shot indiscriminately at worshippers, killing a medical doctor, Dr. Zakariya Dogo Taro, and abducting scores of others.

The medical doctor worked with the State Ministry of Health.

In a reaction to the incident, the Secretary of the Kaduna CAN, Rev. Caleb Maaji, condemned the attack, noting that the organisation was saddened by the development.

He expressed concern over the sorry state of the security situation in the country and in particular, Kaduna State, and urged the

The Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) led by a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday told the federal and State governments that their condemnation of Killings by bandits across the country particularly in the North West Zone was not enough to address the issue.

ASCAB in a statement issued yesterday and signed by its

balance of N288,000 and told me that they would collect N250,000 out of it without telling me what I did wrong “I begged them that I needed the money for some things, but they insisted on collecting N150,000.

“Then they asked me to give them my Automated Teller Machine card; I denied having one, so they took me to a Paga (Point of Sale) shop, which they have a connection with.

“The Paga man collected a fee of N3,000 after negotiating from N5,000. On a final note, I did a transfer of N153,000.”

In another development, the Nasarawa State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the killers of 11 Tiv farmers who were killed on Saturday in Ajimaka community in Doma Local Government Area of the state.

ARISE News Digital,Vbank, MTN, Ndani TV, Others Shine at GAGE Awards 2021 SundayOkobi Arise TV News Online, MTN, Ndani TV, Mr. Macaroni were among the winner of this year’s edition of the GAGE Awards 2021.

At this year’s GAGEAwards night, Arise TV News Online emerged the Online News Platform of the Year 2020/21.

The event was a coming together of stars of internet Africa virtually to celebrate the great feats achieved by individuals and brands, which have made lives easier and better, especially in the year of the pandemic.

At the show hosted by the exBBNaija star, Bisola, there were cameo

appearances by top entertainers such as comedian Damola, Josh2Funny, BKB the Magician, Badboy Timz and teenage sensation Batya Anorh serenaded the audience with her amazing sound.

In different categories, Nengi Hampson beat Erica Nlewedim, Pamilerin Adegoke, Aisha Yesuf and Tomike Adeoye to emerge the Africa’s best Influencer of 2020/21.

This category was determined by public nominations and votes. The Big Brother Naija Lockdown season revelation has been on a steady rise as an Influencer since she left the BBNaija lockdown house bagging numerous endorsement deals with

properties will be best termed a failed government.

“Our hearts go to the local church at Manini, the Nigeria Baptist Convention and family members of the deceased. We are appealing to relevant agencies and praying for the safe release of the abducted members and indeed all others in captivity.

“We also enjoined all men and women of goodwill to continue to wake up and do the needful before we are all consumed by the ongoing evil of banditry and kidnapping that has hijacked our country especially Kaduna State.

Calls for rescue of all abducted students Alex Enumah in Abuja

Police launch manhunt for killers of 11 Tiv farmers in Nasarawa Siun, Ogun State, had on Saturday, April 24, allegedly accosted the victim while he was on his way to Abeokuta from Ibadan and demanded N1million from him.

According to Oluwaponmile, when the policemen stopped his vehicle, “I told them that I was a student of LASU. They told me to unlock my phone, but I refused; they threatened to kill me if I did not cooperate with them. They brought out a shocker; so, I obliged.

“They asked me how many bank accounts I had and how much was in each of them. I told them I had two accounts with GTB and Union Bank. So, I opened my phone due to the threat from them and upon going through it, I was asked to pay the sum of N1m, but I told them I did not have up to that amount.

“Later on, they asked me to open my bank app, where they saw a

medical doctor and one other person killed, many members injured and others taken into captivity.

“This is happening in a nation that her constitution allows freedom of religion yet this freedom is not guaranteed.

“CAN Kaduna State continues to wonder what the crime of innocent citizens is, how come the terrorist appear more free and protected than the citizens?

“This is a challenge to the government, indeed a government that is unable to guarantee the safety of its citizens and their

Falana-led Coalition Condemns FG, States’ Wailing on Insecurity

Ogun Police Arrest Three Officers for Extorting LASU Student of N153,000 The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of three policemen, who allegedly extorted the sum of N153,000 from a student of the Lagos State University, Hezekiah Oluwaponmile.

This is coming as the Nasarawa State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the killers of 11 Tiv farmers who were killed on Saturday in Ajimaka community in Doma Local Government Area of the state.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying: “We heard about the issue and those policemen have been arrested. We have identified them and they have been arrested.

They are currently undergoing trial now.”

The three policemen attached to the Owode-Egba Police Station,

government to talk less and act before citizens would resort to self-help.

“Our hearts are saddened over the sorry see security situation in our dear state (Kaduna State). It has grown so unfortunate and on a daily basis continues to grow worst with no appreciable resistance given the unholy terrorists who have continued to hold our dear state and nation to ransom.

“Today, April 25, 2021, innocent worshipers who went out for nothing but to worship and pray to God were attacked, a

top brands.

Meanwhile, the Banking App of the Year which was contested by top banks in Nigeria, such as GTBank, Access Bank, VBank, Alat by Wema and Zenith Bank, was won by Vbank, surprisingly defeating the already established traditional banks.

The Online Comedian of the Year category was won by Mr. Macaroni, who emerged champion in that highly coveted category.

“Mr. Macaroni has shown a lot of consistency with his ‘Sugar Daddy’ character which has brought joy to Nigerians,” the organisers said.

Interim Chairman, Falana urged governments to do everything possible to rescue all kidnapped students from the custody of their abductors.

The group in the statement however said that their hearts go to the parents and family members of students “who have been brutally murdered by one of the several gangs of bandits operating without any serious challenge in many states in the North West Zone”.

The statement noted that both

the federal government and the Kaduna State Government in their usual style have perfunctorily condemned the reckless killing of the students.

“The official condemnation is not enough. The Governments must take urgent steps to rescue the remaining students of the Greenfield University and other abducted students who are currently languishing in the illegal custody of bandits and terrorists, including the chibok and Dapchi girls,” the statement read in part.

While recalling that a few months ago, an American national was kidnapped in Niger Republic by some bandits, he stated that with the aid of drones the United States Government, with clinical precision, located the den of the bandits in Nigeria where the abductee was held to rescue him.

This, Falana stated, was done in total disregard for the Sovereignty of the Nigerian State, when a detachment of troops landed in Nigeria and rescued the abducted American.

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FG Bans Importation of Refined Sugar, Derivatives from Free Trade Zones As part of the efforts to protect the sugar industry, which is governed by the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), the federal government has banned the importation of refined sugar and its derivatives from the nation’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs).

The prohibition move, which came through a directive from the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, was conveyed in a letter by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Lagos, to one of the terminal operators of the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa, Lagos.

The NPA letter dated April 8, 2021 and titled ‘RE: Prohibition of Importation of Sugar from the Free Trade Zones into the Nigerian Customs Territory,’ was signed by Mr. Buba Jubril for the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex.

According to the letter: “We have for reference a letter from Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment ref: HMIT1/ GEN/ CORR/008/ VOL. I, dated February 15, 2021 on the above subject.

“It has recently come to our notice that due to the recent location of a Sugar Refinery in a Free Trade Zone, Refined Sugar is being imported into the Nigerian Customs Territory under the concession granted to enterprises in the Free Trade Zones to export 100 per cent of their output to the Nigerian Customs Territory, and this is real potential threat to the goals of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

“The Nigeria Sugar Industry is governed by the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP). The NSMP provides a framework for motivating investment in the local production of Refined Sugar by securing the Nigerian Sugar market for investors in the Backward Integration Program (BIP). It does this by providing import sugar allocations for Raw Sugar to recognised investors based on the performance on the BIP and guided recognition of their installed refining capacity.

“Your Terminal is hereby informed by this letter that, in order to protect our national interest and ensure the returns

in the Federal Government’s investment in the NSMP are realised, and in line with extant laws and regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria,

importation of Refined Sugar and all other sugar derivatives from the Free Trade Zones into the Nigerian Customs Territory are here prohibited by the Honourable

Minister, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,” the NPA letter stated.

It added that, “In view of the above, your terminals are by this

letter directed to ensure strict compliance with this directive.

Please accept as always the assurances of our esteemed regards.”

IMPACTING KNOWLEDGE…

A renowned architect, Mr. Olumide Eso (left), and international playwright, Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan, at the reading of Osofisan’s latest play, MEDAYE, at Helen Dale, Ibadan…recently

Tinubu Commiserates with Sultan over Brother’s Death NDLEA Intercepts N10bn The National Leader of the All contained in a statement by his Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, over the the propagation of Islam in his Congress (APC), media office in Lagos, Tinubu passing of his elder brother, Alhaji domain and beyond. “I pray Heroin, Khat at Lagos, Kano Progressives Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has prayed for repose of the soul of Buhari Abubakar III. May Almighty that Almighty Allah give the wife, Allah console and comfort him and children and indeed all those he commiserated with the Sultan of the late Abubakar.

Airports He described the deceased as an the entire Abubakar family over left behind the strength to live with Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar over Chinedu Eze in Lagos and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have intercepted consignments of heroin and khat worth N10 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (MAKIA).

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi said at the MMIA, Lagos, during cargo examination at SAHCO Import Shed, a freight agent had presented a cargo from South Africa with an Ethiopian Airline ET 3901 Airway Bill No: 071-40689003 for examination before NDLEA operatives attached to the beat.

He said the officers

subsequently conducted a search of the cargo during which a suspected brownish substance was discovered concealed inside a red bag, popularly called “Ghana-must-go”.

He noted that during preliminary interview of the suspect, it was gathered that another freight agent subcontracted the clearing job to him, adding that six suspects have so far been arrested in follow-up operations, while the substance had tested positive to heroin with a total weight of 24.05 kilogrammes.

He said another consignment in the consolidated cargo had also proved to be methamphetamine with a weight of 1.25 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of illicit drugs seized in the cargo to 25.3 kilogrammes.

the passing of his elder brother, Alhaji Buhari Abubakar III. Until his death at Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, Sokoto after a protracted illness, he was the district head of Sokoto North. In his condolence message

excellent community leader who impacted his people positively and a devoted Muslim.

The former Lagos State Governor said in the statement: “I express my deepest condolences to His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto,

this loss.

“Alhaji Abubakar III was an excellent community leader who impacted the people of his Sokoto North District positively. He was also a devoted Muslim who contributed immensely towards

his demise. May He guide, guard and protect them through this difficult moment.

May Almighty Allah also grant repose of the soul of Alhaji Abubakar. May He admit him to Aljanna Firdaus. Amin.”

Greenfield Students: SERAP Urges Buhari to Probe Missing $30m Safe School Fund Udora Orizu in Abuja

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that $30 million safe school fund was missing or diverted to bring to justice anyone suspected to be involved, as well

as recover any missing money.

SERAP’s appeal came on the heels of the killing of three abducted Greenfield University students, and the plan launched by the Federal Government last week to raise additional funds for safe schools.

In the letter dated April 24, 2021, and signed by its Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said rather than pushing to raise more funds for the Safe School Initiative, the

government should prioritise and ensure a thorough investigation into the spending of the $30million initially budgeted for the protection of schools, prevention of attacks, and continued education of students.

SERAP said it was also considering asking United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Mr. Gordon Brown to use his influence to insist on transparency and accountability in the spending of the $30million safe school fund

before rushing to engage donors to commit to additional funding of the Safe School Initiative programme.

The letter read in part: ‘’Despite the $30million safe school fund meant to ensure safety and security in 500 schools, and to provide a school environment free of fear, no school has been protected, as illustrated by the recent spate of abductions and killings of students in several parts of the country.

Kano Destroys 402 Tonnes Bauchi Spends over N8bn on Educational Programmes, Projects of Fake Products Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Kano State Consumer Protection Council (CPC) yesterday in Kano destroyed 402 tons of substandard, adulterated, expired and unwholesome products seized in three months.

Speaking during the destruction of the items, the state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said the seizure of such quantity of the items was a clear indication that his administration is succeeding in the fighting against the sale and use of substandard and expired products in the state.

According to him, his administration will not relent in its efforts towards ensuring that the state is free from such illicit products, and also drug abuse among the youths.

He said: “We will make sure that the state is not only dropping from the high position in drug abuse in the country, but will also make sure that it’s free from drug

abuse.

“We are working towards the establishment of a law that would ensure that those engage in selling fake, substandard, adulterated, expired and unwholesome products are brought to book.”

Ganduje also commended the acting CPC Managing Director, Mr. Baffa Dan Agundi, who also doubled as the MD of Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), for his tireless efforts.

Also speaking, Agundi said the seizure of the items was recorded within the past three months when he took office.

According to him, immediately he was appointed as the acting MD, the governor instructed him to do everything possible to ensure that those products are no longer in existence in the state.

“I wish to inform you that these seizures were carried out during our operations within the past three months, and we made seizures on a daily basis.

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has stated that his administration has spent over N8 billion for the implementation and execution of educational policies and programmes in the state.

The governor disclosed this at the official distribution of materials to BESDA Learning Centres

(UBEC Instructional materials) and the inauguration of the 2019 UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Project in Bauchi at the weekend.

Mohammed also said the work done involved the construction and renovation of 864 blocks of classrooms which translated into 2,413 classes across the 20 local government areas of the state.

He further said as a reward for the outstanding performance of the

state in the 2017/2018 and 2019 intervention projects, particularly in the payment of counterpart funding, UBEC has forwarded to the state basic education board the state 2020 and 2021 federal statutory allocation of SUBEB matching grant to the tune of N1,661,720,779.60.

According to the governor, the state government has since provided its counterpart funds

of the same amount, and it will continue to fulfill other agreements signed with development partners.

He also disclosed that the state had procured white branded chalk worth N81, 900,000 for distribution to the 20 Local Government Education Authorities with a view to equipping schools with basic writing materials.

Ekiti will Soon Set the Pace in Milk Production, Says Fayemi Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has stated that the Ikun Dairy Farm in Ikun- Ekiti, when fully operational, would serve as a prototype for National Livestock Transformation Plan in addressing farmer-herder crisis in the country.

Fayemi stated this at the Ikun Dairy Farm during an inspection of the newly arrived 227 cows

from United States of America and the expansive farm for the cultivation of hays for the cows.

The integrated farm, which is designed to commence production of 10,000 litres of milk daily, is a joint project by the Ekiti State Government and Promasidor Diary Company.

The governor, who revealed that the new cows, which were pregnant would be confined

to their sheds in the farm, said about 500 hectares of land have been acquired to grow fields that would be used to take care of the animals to prevent them from roaming about.

He said appropriate measures have been put in place to connect water directly from Ero Dam to achieve a seamless water supply and irrigation process on the farm.

The capacity of the dairy farm, which is being put to use for the first time in 40 years, according to Fayemi, has been expanded to run a 24- hour operation in raising cattle and production of milk.

He said the dairy farm would also demonstrate Nigeria’s capacity as milk producing country rather than being a milk importing country.

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MONDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

LA LIGA

Chukwueze’s Goal Not Enough as Barca Sink Villarreal Femi Solajawith agency report Super Eagles’ dashing winger Samuel Chukwueze’s quest with Villarreal for top flight action in Europe next season suffered a big dent following a home loss to

LaLiga title chasing FC Barcelona yesterday.

Although the AFCON 2019 bronze medal winner with Nigeria opened the score for his side in the crucial home match, it was an Antoine Griezmann’s double that gave Barcelona a 2-1 victory

Rivers Angels Defeat Sunshine Queens to Retain NWPL Title Sports Minister thrilled by standard of the Super Six, pledges support for female Football Rivers Angels retained the Nigeria Women’s Premier League title after defeating Sunshine Queens 4-0 at Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode yesterday.

The Ladies from Rivers State reclaimed the country’s diadem when they pipped Confluence Queens 2-0 in the final in 2019 and finished the 2020-21 season in the top six to qualify for the Super Six concluded yesterday.

Edwin Okon’s ladies secured eight points from four matches in the Round Robin tournament, while Sunshine accrued seven points from the same number of games. It therefore was an open game for either of the two teams to ride to the title and the ticket to represent Nigeria in the newly formed CAF Women’s Champions League.

Oghenebrume Ikhekua fired the holders the lead with the opener two minutes before Vivian Ikechuchwu doubled the lead a minute from halftime.

After the restart, Alice Ogebe extended Rivers’ lead to three in the 63rd minute before Maryann Ezeanagu struck 11 minutes from fulltime to wrap up their third consecutive four-goal victory.

The league triumph was Rivers Angels’ first back-toback title and seventh overall following previous successes in 1994, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019, with six of them won under Okon’s regime.

In other results, Robo

Queens were held to a 1-1 draw by Delta Queens after Chiamaka Okwuchuwu’s effort from the penalty spot three minutes from full-time cancelled out Lawal Taiwo’s first-half opener.

In another game of the final day of the playoffs, Bayelsa Queens defeated Edo Queens 3-0 for their fifth defeat of the series.

Rivers Angels, Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Robo Queens, Delta Queens and Sunshine Queens converged in Ijebu Ode for the Super Six tournament for the winner of the season to emerge.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, who was at the final, assured the Nigerian women’s Football League Board of renewed support that would propel female football league to the next level.

According to the Minister, “I’m impressed with what I’ve seen today as we have seen female professional football at its best. You will recall I that I watched the last NWPL Super Four final at the Agege Stadium, Lagos where I saw great exhibition of talents.

“I want to congratulate the overall winner and those who will represent us for the first time in the Female CAF Champions League to be our worthy representatives by perhaps winning the maiden trophy of the CAF Champions League.”

Tokyo Olympics: Ogun State Governor Adopts Tobi Amusan Nigerian 100m hurdler, Tobi Amusan’s quests of winning a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics got a boost yesterday following her adoption by the Ogun State Governor, Mr Dapo Abiodun.

The adoption followed a visit to the governor by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, whose adopt-a-talent initiative has seen state governors, individuals and corporate bodies adopting some of the Tokyo Olympics- bound athletes by paying money directly to the athletes account to support their early preparations for the Games .

The initiative was halted by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic last year.

Speaking during a

courtesy visit by the Ogun State governor, Mr Abiodun said he found it expedient to adopt Amusan not just because she is an Indigene of the state , but because she symbolises the Nigerian spirit of talent and hard work.

Amusan announced her arrival to the big stage after winning silver in the African Youth Championships in 2013 before capping it with a gold medal at the 2015 African Junior Athletics Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

She won the 2018 Commonwealth and 2019 African champion in the event.

Amusan is also a two-time African Games champ She was ranked fourth in the world following her feat at the World Championships in Doha in 2019.

over Villarreal and kept Ronald Koeman’s team on course to win LaLiga, if they win their remaining games and leaders Atletico slump.

The loss thus meant Villarreal will remain in seventh position with 49 points but six more matches left to play as they continue with the struggle for Europa League spot alongside Real Sociedad and Real Betis that pulled a valuable 0-0 score line at Real Madrid on Saturday night.

As for Barcelona, they moved level on points with second place Real Madrid but with a game in hand and have Atletico Madrid, who they still have to play, in their sights.

There were two big scares

however: the first when they went behind early, and the second when Leo Messi stayed down in agony after a red card challenge from Manu Trigueros.

Griezmann could have put Barcelona in the lead after just five minutes when Frenkie de Jong teed him up perfectly but his shot was blocked for a corner.

At the other end Villarreal top scorer Gerard Moreno shot over from Samuel Chukwueze’s cross.

Unai Emery’s team were a match for Barcelona early on and when Trigueros spun away from Gerard Pique and slid a pass through to Paco Alcacer the midfielder’s assist deserved a better finish from the

Spain forward.

Barcelona had their best early chance on 15 minutes when Griezmann played Jordi Alba to the byline and he crossed for De Jong unmarked at the back post but the Dutchman’s shot was saved on his line by Sergio Asenjo. The keeper then kept out Messi’s shot as his near post.

Villarreal took the lead on 27 minutes and it was Chukwueze’s pace that did for Barcelona’s defence. Paul Torres stepped out from the back and played Villarreal’s lightning quick winger into space. Jordi Alba had followed the Nigerian forward across from the left flank to the right but he slipped and

Chukwueze stepped around Ter Stegen to score.

Barcelona’s response was immediate and the story of two dinks. First Oscar Mingueza dinked the ball over the top of Villarreal’s defence and, running on to it, Griezmann dinked the ball over Asenjo for an instant equalizer.

Griezmann then put Barcelona into the lead 10 minutes before the break with another gift of a pass, this time from one of his rivals. Tottenham loanee Juan Foyfth passed the ball back to his keeper but it was cut out en-route by the alert Frenchman who scored his 11th of the season in La Liga.

Champions of the NWFL Super Six playoffs, Rivers Angeles celebrating the victory yesterday at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode

Kamaru Usman Stuns Masvidal with KO to Retain UFC 261 Welterweight Title Kamaru Usman scored a stunning second-round knockout to finish Jorge Masvidal and retain the undisputed UFC welterweight title at UFC 261 early hours of Sunday in Florida.

The bout, which took place in front of 15,000 fans in Jacksonville, was a rematch of their meeting at UFC 251, where Masvidal stepped in on six days’ notice but lost out to Usman on the scorecards after five gruelling rounds.

American Masvidal, 36, said that he would fare better after a full training camp, while Nigerian Usman, 33, promised

to deliver an even more decisive victory in the rematch to register his fourth successive title defence.

The pair engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth battle through round one, with both men enjoying success on the feet, while Usman scored a significant takedown midway through the round.

The bout exploded in round two when Usman connected with a huge straight right hand that sent Masvidal crashing to the canvas for a knockout victory.

Usman’s win improved his record to 19-1 and extended his unbeaten run to 18 fights,

including 14 straight victories in the UFC. “I told everybody, I’m still getting better. The sky’s the limit for me as long as I’m doing this,” he said.

“I know with my fundamentals, I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now.”

Masvidal was classy in defeat as he reacted to the first knockout loss of his 50-fight MMA career.

“First time in my career, and it’s in front of all my people, my family and my friends, so it hurts,” he said.

“I’ve never been knocked out in 50 pro fights. Usman showed me

something that he didn’t show in the first fight. I didn’t feel his power, and that’s what happens when you get overconfident.

I thought we were going to wrestle more.

“All the props to him in the world. He caught me by surprise. He’s got my number.

There’s nothing I can say. He won this fair and square. God bless him.”

In the night’s co-main event, Rose Namajunas reclaimed the UFC women’s strawweight title with a spectacular first-round knockout of Chinese champion Zhang Weili.

HiFL 2021: UNN, UNIMAID, UNIBEN Enter Round of 16 FUPRE, ABUAD crash out Matches in the qualifying rounds of the ongoing Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) organized by PACE Sports ended over the weekend with the last set of qualified teams emerging. Two teams from each Zone qualified automatically for the round of 16 joining the four 2019 Super Four teams that are on standby.

In Zone A, the team from Kogi State University (KSU) turned out to be the surprise package toping the Zone with

nine points with a plus five goals difference from four games pushing veterans UNIMAID to the second position on seven points.

In the final game between both teams, Muhammed Yahaya of KSU scored both goals for his team in the 12th and 80th minute while UNIMAID’s Kachalla Maikadir scored the only goal for his team in the 17th minute to end the game 2-1 in favour of KSU. FUTMINNA Transformers

and ABU Nobles played out a goalless draw in Zone B to finish first and second respectively. In Zone C where the teams were divided into two pots, LAUTECH and FUTA Tigers emerged the winners from each pot. Both teams finished on four points. LASU Blazers who are the host institution for the Zone failed to qualify after losing their two games and ended with no point.

UNIBEN Royals showed class in Zone D to end up

on 10 points with a plus four goals difference. Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) joined them as the second team to automatically qualify from the zone after defeating the NDU Oilers 2-1 in their last match and garnered six points. Omotayo Oluwatobi scored a brace for AAUA in the 32nd and 73rd minute before Endurance Ezekiel got the consolation goal for the Oilers in the 80th minute.

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A FESTIVAL IN JEOPARDY

T

he National Sports Festival has come and gone…finally.

The uncertainty of the games was itself a story loaded with ridicule and an open display of our perennial lack of planning and organization. The festival itself delivered on its promise of stories…from the absurd to the incredible. While we marveled at the performance of some athletes on the field of play, we were also treated to some brazen show of shame and win-at-all-cost by some states which ranged from violence at event centres, to attempts to influence technical officials, to intimidation and incredibly, to stories of foreign import of international ‘mercenaries’.

The festival of our sporting men and women was in danger of not holding at all. After the postponement last year due to the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic, setting a new date had proved very difficult.

The uncertainty of the pandemic coupled with a complex political process in Edo State had put the holding of the festival in jeopardy.

When that dust was settled the issue of financial responsibility came to light. While Edo State threatened not to hold the festival due to paucity of funds, accusing the Federal Government of not financially supporting the Games, the Ministry countered

by threatening to move the festival to Abuja.

It was unclear what funds Edo State were actually requesting for. The Federal Government through the Ministry of Sports was financially responsible for financial logistics of all technical officials invited by the concerned federations, ministry officials connected with the festival and guests of the Ministry. All other aspects of the programme were to be underwritten by the host state. These other aspects include, but not limited to: transportation, security, medical, Games Village accommodation and feeding and entertainment. However, a source close to the Edo State Government explained that in the bid to host the Games, the state was ready with commitments and layers of expectations, mostly commercial accruals and benefits most of which evaporated with Covid-19.

They say that since it was the Federal Government through the Ministry of Sports that postponed the NSF in its wisdom, that put the event in jeopardy therefrom.

Several new dates have by inadvertent increased the cost of hosting it. The Government of Edo State insisted that in changing the dates, new costs were added to what it was originally committed to and if it must hold on the new date given by the Ministry, the FG should take care of the new additions.

The spokesperson for the State

government argued that it was a fair position to take because Edo State was ready for the Games when it was postponed.

This in my opinion was uncharitable. The postponement of the festival was always imminent. The conditions of world events in relation to the pandemic and the uncertainty of knowledge by the experts made holding a gathering of over 5000

rigorous and public scrutiny going forward to protect the NSF from cancellations and often postponements due to finance or politics. The bid document has to be an open document widely publicized. It has to be a call for States to bid.

This should be prepared with business and legacy angles in mind. The Federal Government should then provide technical

people impossible to justify. It would have put the nation’s health at risk. There is need to look at the bid process again and fine-tune areas of finance and insurance.

When Wimbledon tennis was cancelled due to the pandemic, the event got a whooping payment from their insurance company. Estimated to be in the region of $141 million USD. Is our National Sports Festival insured? The bid process and bid documents from states would need to go through

support to states where needed.

In implementation and ensuring legacy.

However, the Ministry was not forthcoming with the extra money needed by Edo State.

After an exchange of threats and counter threats on if the festival would go ahead in Edo State (at about three days to the start of the event, there was still uncertainty that Edo would host), the state finally held the opening ceremony on the 3rd of April.

But just days into the games, The Local Organizing Committee,

announced that it would end the games abruptly on Thursday, April 8, 2021 for lack of funds.

The LOC said that it had to take the hard decision due to lack of funds having expended its reserves to kick start the games.

“It regretted that the FG is yet to redeem its pledge to support us as the host state financially for the cost of postponements and so was left with no option than to end the games immediately”.

But the Federal Government dismissed the position of the LOC, saying the festival had just been flagged off, will continue as planned, insisting through a statement signed by its Assistant Director Press, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ramon Balogun . “The Ministry and the Main Organizing Committee for the festival are unaware of any plans or threat by the Edo State Government to shut down the sports festival as there has been no official meeting or communication that relayed such information.” The statement went on to say, “For the records, the Edo State government due to the cost implications of postponements occasioned

by the Covid-19 pandemic requested financial assistance from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

The Ministry has since been at work to secure the financial assistance which it believes is being processed. The FMYSD and EDSG are determined to deliver a successful National Sports Festival.”

The money did arrive eventually. A bounty of N500 million. The Games did go ahead in the midst of these confusion and some organizational hazard.

But in all these, the athletes who lingered in confusion were the scapegoats. Tossed around and unsure of their fate. They were left to await the decisions of the politicians and civil servants in order to continue to do what they know best and what they had prepared for in the unsure climate of the pandemic…a competition.

* Enefiok is an author, Speaker, administrator, Life coach, businessman and Nigeria’s ONLY Male two Time Olympic Medalist

Man City Start their Silverware Collection with Carabao Cup Defeat Tottenham for a fourth League Cup in a row Manchester City won the League Cup for a record fourth time in succession yesterday with a deserved 1-0 victory over a disappointing Tottenham Hotspur side at Wembley.

City defender Aymeric Laporte, arguably fortunate to be on the pitch after escaping a yellow card in the first half before being cautioned after the break, rose above Spurs substitute Moussa Sissoko to head home Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick eight minutes from time.

It was appropriate reward for City creating a host of chances and dominating Spurs, who did not enjoy any sort of positive reaction from sacking manager Jose Mourinho on Monday and replacing him with caretaker Ryan Mason.

The final was played in front of 8,000 supporters, including 2,000 from each club - and it was a delight to hear noise inside Wembley’s vast arena once more.

Pep Guardiola’s face

was a picture of joy at the end of a week that saw Manchester City heavily criticised as one of the Premier League clubs involved in the ill-fated and quickly abandoned European Super League.

No-one can begrudge City or Guardiola this piece of history, with Laporte’s winner finally giving a performance that was top-class in so many areas apart the end product it deserved.

Riyad Mahrez was outstanding while Raheem

Sterling was tireless - even if his finishing touch still eludes him.

It means City, who lost the chance of a historic

quadruple when they were beaten by Chelsea in th e FA C u p s e m i - f i n a l a t We m b l e y e i g h t d a y s a g o , s e c u re t h e i r f i r s t

t ro p h y o f t h e s e a s o n three days before their Champions League semi-final first leg at Paris St-Germain.

Real Madrid’s Ramos Targets Return against Chelsea Sergio Ramos is set to return for Real Madrid by the time Los Blancos visit Chelsea in their Champions League semi-final in around 10 days’ time, according to reports in Spain.

The Real captain has faced an injury-hit 2021 so far, with knee and calf injuries restricting the 35-year-old to just three appearances for the turn of the year - while Ramos has also suffered from coronavirus this month.

The defender was spotted back on the training field in the club’s Valdebebas centre this week, creating speculation he could return in time for the first-leg on Tuesday.

But according to Spanish news outlet AS, Real are targeting a Ramos return for the

second-leg at Stamford Bridge on May 5, rather than the first tie on April 27.

The report also claims Zinedine Zidane will give Ramos some game time in Real’s LaLiga fixture with Osasuna on the Saturday before the trip to west London in a bid to get him up to match fitness.

As has been customary at the Santiago Bernabeu over the past 15 years, Ramos has been a central figure in Zidane’s side and has made 20 appearances so far this season, scoring four goals.

Half of those goals have come in this season’s Champions League, including a crucial strike to settle their European last-16 tie with Atalanta in M a rc h .

The Spaniard has also played in all four of the Champions League final triumphs that Real have won since 2014.

However, the Spanish side have exited this competition at the last16 stage in their past two seasons, meaning a g re a t d e a l i s r i d i ng on the upcoming Champions League semi-final with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.

The Champions League represents Real’s best chance of picking up a trophy this season after slipping up in the LaLiga title race on Saturday night.

A goalless stalemate at home t o R e a l B e t i s means city rivals Atletico Madrid can move five points clear at the top of the table should they beat Athletic Bilbao late last night.

Manchester City players in jubilation mood over their victory in the Carabao Cup...yesterday

Inter Milan Move Closer to First Serie ATitle in 10 years Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan moved a step closer to winning their first Serie A title since 2010 with a hard-fought victory against Hellas Verona.

Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian scored the game’s only goal, firing home in

the 76th minute after being found by Achraf Hakimi.

The win means Inter are 13 points clear of second-place AC Milan, who play today, with five games remaining.

Defending champions Juventus are third after they were held 1-1 by

Fiorentina.

Dusan Vlahovic converted a first-half penalty to give Fiorentina the lead but former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata equalised when he fired into the top corner after spotting the goalkeeper off his line.

Monday April 26, 2021

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Fayose to FG

“The present situation of Nigeria, where the Presidency has become the employer and defender of Boko Haram terrorists and armed bandits is so appalling” – Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, hitting the Buhari administration over the Isa Pantami controversy.

ALEXOTTI OUTSIDE THE BOX

alex.otti@thisdaylive.com

Are there Lessons to Learn from Malawi?

“Even though the minister has since returned the money, his usage of the funds means that the money was unavailable for its intended purpose when it was needed most. And I cannot have in my Cabinet any individuals who either spend money budgeted for one thing on something else or do not ask tough questions to ensure that the money they are spending on something was budgeted for that purpose.

“So, I want all the thieves hiding in the civil service to mark my words: If the finger of evidence points to you as one of the thieves who stole COVID money for saving lives while hundreds of our people were dying of COVID, you are going to prison.”

–President Lazarus Chakwera

I

t is always refreshing to hear a different narrative out of Africa. Unfortunately, we seldom celebrate these blue moon events enough even when they occur, and they simply fade away from public memory.

The world is more accustomed to the deluge of stereotypical news from international news networks that unconscionably always portray Africa as a region of hopelessness and despair.

The gladdening development that deserves our attention and applause took place recently in Malawi, where the President, Lazarus Chakwera, took a pivotal stand against corruption and abuse of office. Chakwera is a breath of fresh air from the land of Hastings Kamuzu Banda, where during the Banda days, corruption, repression and autocracy were the order of the day.

Compared to Nigeria, in terms of population, the Republic of Malawi is small. However, there are parallels. Malawi is an East African country with an estimated population of 20m people covering a land mass of about 118, 000sq km, just about 13% of Nigerian land mass on 10% of Nigerian population. Just like Nigeria, Malawi is a multi-ethnic country with the largest ethnic group, the Chewa people constituting close to 35% of the population. The Chewas are closely followed by the Lomwe indigenes who constitute about 19% of the population, Yao indigenes who make up 13%, Ngoni, 10% and Tumbuka, 9%. The remaining 14% of the population is distributed between several other minority ethnic groups.

About 83% of the population are Christians, 14% are Muslims while traditional and other worshipers are a very tiny minority.

Malawi is a very poor country and is categorised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as one of the least developed countries of the world, relying mostly on Agriculture to run the economy.

In the past, most of its external earnings comprised grants and aids from the international community but that has since changed, forcing the country to look inwards for its survival. The IMF cited massive corruption as a major reason why it no longer extends aids to the impoverished nation.

Other donor and multilateral agencies followed suit and the country was virtually left stranded.

Infrastructure decay is a major problem in Malawi and this has been worsened by poor healthcare delivery and educational systems. The country could not pay for imports as it was short of foreign currency for most of 2017. Current GDP per Capita of about $520 shows that the economy is struggling. Inflation rate hovers around 10% per annum while unemployment rate is around 6%. Poverty rate is around 51% ie the percentage of the populace living below $1.90 per day. With all these statistics, it is easy to understand that the country needs a lot of help. This help will naturally start with leadership and that is the focus of today’s discourse.

Malawi gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 6, 1964 and became a

Buhari republic two years after. Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, a medical practitioner became the first President of the country at independence. In 1971, he declared himself, life President running a totalitarian government for about 30 years before he eventually lost power to Bakili Muluzi in 1994 under a new constitution allowing multi party democracy. To achieve democracy once again, the people had to engage President Banda in protests, negotiations and battles and in 1993, Banda succumbed to the wishes of the people. Muluzi was re-elected in 1999 for a second term. In 2004, Bingi wa Mutharika became the 3rd President of the country and was re-elected in 2009. He died in office, having suffered a heart attack in 2012. Mrs Joyce Banda (no relation of President Hastings Banda) who was the Vice President was sworn in to complete Mutharika’s tenure.

By 2014 when she stood election on her own, she came a distant third, losing to Peter Mutharika, the brother of the late President Mutharika. He was to stand for re-election in 2019 which this time turned out to be very controversial. He was subsequently declared winner with a very narrow margin which his opponents contested in court.

The court overturned his victory on account of massive fraud and irregularities and the Supreme Court upheld the verdict and ordered a fresh election. Lazarus Chakwera, the opposition leader won that election, beating the incumbent and was sworn in less than a year ago, in June 2020, amid the Coronavirus pandemic global lockdown.

President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, 66, trained as a theologian and was the President of the Assemblies of God Church in Malawi for 24 years. He joined politics in 2013 after several years at the pulpit believing that he could only make maximum impact in public service. He instantly became the face of the opposition.

He started out at the National Assembly and garnered a lot of support from the people. As he was being sworn in having secured close to 60% of the votes in the June 2020 election, he left no one in doubt that he had a mission. He made it clear that his administration was going to have zero tolerance for tribalism and most importantly, corruption. Even though he was criticized for some appointments with members of immediate families emerging cabinet members, he insisted that what was most important to Malawians at that stage was competence. Having said that, he did not rule out the possibility of taking another look at the appointments in due course. He was more concerned about hitting the ground running from day one than the inanities. Like a newspaper reported, Malawi was like a serious patient in an intensive care unit and bitter pills were needed to heal it – this includes overhauling the civil

service, employing and appointing people on merit and curbing corruption, nepotism and cronyism. Although one year is a relatively short time to judge the success or otherwise of a national leader, there was a dramatic shift in the fortunes of the country with the assumption of office. It became clear that it was no longer business as usual and there were indicators that supported the new profile of the leadership of Malawi. GDP of the country, which was $5.5b in 2016 grew to $8.4b last year.

Shortly after President Chakwera’s swearing in, he was concerned about the infections and deaths arising from Covid-19. In August 2020, he quickly allocated $8million to the task force on Covid to wage a war against the pandemic.

He expected a lot of results, but that was not the case. On enquiry the Malawian office of the ombudsman reported that more than half of the allocation was spent on food, accommodation and travels by members of the task force. The President, in a justified fit of rage, swiftly fired 28 District Council heads of the task force and he ordered a full scale investigation into the fraud.

As the report of the investigation was submitted last week, President Chakwera realised that more senior officials than thought, were involved in the heist. He discovered that his Labour Minister, Ken Kandodo, who was one of his closest allies and whose sister, Khumbize, he also had appointed Minister of Health, had helped himself to some $800 out of the money to fund his personal travel to South Africa. Even though the Minister later refunded the money sequel to the investigation, and in spite of the relatively small amount involved, he had to be fired from his job immediately. Some other19 cabinet members who were involved in the fraud were arrested for prosecution on the orders of the President. His comments upon the discovery of the fraud, are as paraphrased at the beginning of this column.

One believes there are things to learn from this obviously poor country that seems to be getting governance right. These lessons are important for our leaders in Nigeria, not only at the centre, but also at all tiers of government.

First of all, the resolve of the Malawi populace when their votes were stolen and most importantly the courage exhibited by its Judiciary, combined with the refusal of that arm of government to be compromised, are what is required for any country that wants to grow its democracy. It was clear that the incumbent President Mutharika’s popularity had waned and Chakwera possessed the attributes that the people needed and wanted. They voted for the latter but the former manipulated the election exercise and falsified the results. The people refused to accept the illegality and engaged in street protests. Meanwhile Chakwera approached the court for justice, which courageously resisted both bribes and intimidation from Mutharika’s supporters. They wasted no time in sacking Mutharika. Celebrating this good news coming from an usual quarter in Africa, The Economist Magazine of London rightly pronounced Malawi, country of the year, 2020.

Secondly, the quality of leadership as demonstrated by the well trained clergy man with character and love for country and the people of Malawi, cannot be ignored. The leader must always lead from the front. It is easy to believe that the background of President Chakwera as a clergy must have had a hand in shaping his behaviour.

While one will not dismiss this, one would readily point out that there are many clergymen who have been a great disappointment in public service and a disgrace to the calling. There must be something else which I will attribute to character. Just like in banking, character is everything. Chakwera was not one to fritter away the tithes and offerings of his congregation in pursuit of worldly things.

As a shepherd of the House of God, he did not own a private jet or a fleet of luxury cars at the expense of his flock.

The third point to note is that the sack of a cabinet minister for corruption and prosecution of several other senior government officials make the dictum that there are no sacred cows, believable.

It very much agrees with the Singaporean model which insists that if you want to fight corruption, punish people at the top and not at the bottom.

This is because “the fish gets rotten from the head”.

Once a leader begins to chase the little people while ignoring the big people, the war against corruption is as good as lost. I hope someone is listening!

Fourthly, when it comes to corruption there is no small one. He who stole $800 would as well steal $8million if he had access to it. This is the lesson that Chakwera was teaching when he refused to overlook the seemingly small amount stolen by Kandodo. The take away, therefore, is that you should hit the thief that stole with the same big stick as others, even if what he managed to steal was small.

Another important lesson to learn is that returning what one stole does not exonerate one from the offence. That Kandodo took the money in the first place is the offence, returning it is either an afterthought or an action taken simply to avoid facing the consequences. Therefore, while plea bargains remain acceptable in law, in Chakwera’s Malawi, one will still face the consequences of his offence.

There is the concept of “time value of money”, which was amply highlighted by Chakwera in his speech and his action. He rightly pointed out that pilfering money from the public till denies the people the service that it was meant for at the appropriate time. That’s what President Chakwera meant when he said that “even though the minister has since returned the money, his usage of the funds means that the money was unavailable for its intended purpose when it was needed most”.

Chakwera demonstrated that leadership is more about signaling rather than mere rhetoric.

Action , as they say, speaks louder than words.

A war against corruption is better fought with deeds rather than speech. What better way to take action than the way Chakwera summarily dealt with offenders without fear or favour? The message immediately sank in that the man meant business, as was seen from the response from the former Labour Minister, which was that of shock and disbelief. It is doubtful that if he had a second chance, he would behave the same way.

The 8th and final lesson is that value and culture are central to successful leadership. When people don’t have clarity about the culture that leadership wants to build, response would be mixed. The action of the President has defined acceptable values and people are expected to comply. Any culture that leadership wants to promote must be seen and understood to benefit the people with clear consequences for infraction. It is also important that communication should be clear and effective.

We believe that Chakwera is an inspiration to a new crop of leadership in Africa. He holds the light of probity and progress for all others to emulate and help in the struggle to bring Africa out of the morass of underdevelopment and decadence.

We call on others to follow suit and make the 21st Century, truly the African Century.

Certainly, the news from Malawi is a welcome breath of fresh air. We hope the President continues with his reforms without getting distracted. We also hope that Malawians and the entire world will continue to support him. Finally, we pray that he is allowed to complete his term of office and his sojourn on this earth.

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